Another day of getting smacked around and another night spent trying to fall asleep and failing miserably. I mean where do Social Services get these foster parents? Do they just let any asshole sign a few forms and take a kid? I guess so because I had endured more hell than necessary these past few years. Ever since my parents died when I was 10, I was shuffled from one crappy home to another.

Man did I ever miss my mom and my dad. But my mom was dead. Apparently she committed suicide about 3 years ago. As for my dad, my social worker told me he was dead as well, but I didn't believe it. I knew he was still alive, I felt it. But my worker didn't want to listen. Hell, she just didn't care.

Anyway lately Los Angeles had been in a panic recently. Something big was happening, something big and bad, very bad. I don't mean like a mudslide or wild fires. Nothing natural disaster like, but something epic. Like apocalyptic. Plus these dreams I've been having lately have not eased my fears at all, dreams of my past.

"Laney, get your worthless ass out here right now!"

Crap, Jack was yelling for me again. Guess I better go see what he wants. Leaving my bedroom and walking down the hall to the living room, I saw him throwing some stuff into duffle bags.

"Yes sir?"

He looked at me (well glared at me is more like it) and said, "Get your shit together. We're getting the hell out of LA."

"Did Ms. Peterson say it was alright?" Ms. Peterson was my social worker.

"Who cares? She probably took off for the hills already."

This was it. I wasn't going with him. I'd finally had enough. So I did what I thought was right.

"No."

"What was that?"

"No," I told him. "I am not going with you."

"You really gonna stay here?"

"Try and stop me," I told him, gritting my teeth.

He came over and backhanded me, knocking me to the floor. "Fine, stay here and get yourself killed. See if I care." He grabbed the bags and stormed out. After the door slammed, I stood and went to the bathroom. Shit, the jerk had busted my lip. Figures, anyway as I went into my room and looked out the window, I noticed the sky getting dark and it was starting to rain as well. Hell, I was leaving this apartment. So I grabbed what little bit of clothing I had and grabbed the last bit of food from the cupboards, which mainly consisted of granola bars and some Chex Mix. I looked inside the fridge and grabbed a few bottles of water, some juice boxes and a few Mondo's. Stuffing the food in my backpack I headed for the front door. I tried to open it but it wasn't budging. That only meant either Jack had wedged the door shut when he left or someone else had thrown something in front of the door and blocked it.

Great, well at least I could take off down the fire escape. A few moments later after climbing down, which was not an easy task (the fire escape was pretty rickety) I started walking down the street. There wasn't very many people still around. Any sounds I could hear were nothing but screams, plus the rain pouring down, so I was soaking wet inside of five minutes. Passing by a few alleys I noticed some vampires feeding. Yes I do know about vampires, demons and all of that supernatural garbage, but more on that topic later.

Anyway after I had been walking for about half an hour, I came across some people fighting. A major fight from the looks of it, you know like in those action movies right at the big fight scenes before the end where the hero wins and all that. Now since I didn't feeling like being involved I ducked into an alley, after I made sure it was clear of vamps. I mean hello? I am not a complete idiot. Anyway peering around the corner watching these people fight, all of a sudden the air crackled around me, like static electricity and red lightning lit up the sky. YES RED LIGHTNING! I know freaky right? You ain't heard anything yet. Then a dragon flew down, just as the group of people had just finished their fight. As it landed, making the ground shake, these people turned around barely able to hold themselves upright. I guess their fight had taken its toll on their bodies. But as one of them turned around I gasped. I knew this man. He was in my dreams. I couldn't let him die. So I did something I knew I might regret, but at that moment I did not give a damn.

Adjusting my backpack and pushing my wet bangs out of my face, I went out in the middle of the road and grabbed two pieces of heavy bit of rubble lying nearby. Noticing one had a nail poking out of it, I walked up to the backside of the dragon and threw the bare rubble at it. Getting its attention, it turned its head in my direction.

"Hey sulfur breath," I said yelling at it. "Leave them alone." I then took the rubble with the nail in it and stuck the nail-covered side right in the dragon's rear end. It roared and disintegrated. Just then my legs gave out on me and I collapsed. I guess being in the pouring rain for so long wasn't such a good idea. As the group of people came over to me, I heard a couple of them speak.

"Is she okay? I mean damn, she doesn't look too good." I'm soaking wet and I hurt all over. Of course I'm not okay.

"The human child does not seem well. She is injured." Give it up for the genius. Hey wait child, I'm not a child.

As one of the other people approached me, gently helping me to my feet, I looked at him and only one word came out of my mouth. "Liam." Then I passed out.