Chapter 1
A Girl of about twelve sits at a table in the back of the library thumbing through her note book. Opening it to a blank page she sits it on the table and turns her attention to a large book about two or three inches thick with the title "Myths and Legends." She opens it up and starts to read down the first page taking notes as she reads.
A boy of about sixteen wonders down the empty hallway toward the library his boots making a hollow thumping sound as he walks across the hardwood floor. He pushes the large front door open and enters looking around. He sighs lightly figuring he will never find what he needs and heads toward the back of the library. He moves along the bookshelves along the back wall running his fingers over the books.
Skipping over a few of the less interesting myths or legends she continues reading and taking notes. She pauses a moment looking out over the unoccupied tables in front of her. She smiles spotting the boy. She waves trying to catch his attention. "Ecko!" She calls. She smiles that finally getting his attention.
He smiles his green eyes shinning slightly in the dim light. He makes his way over to her still running his fingers over the books on the shelf. He turns leaning against the table. "Hi Riho, what are you reading?"
She shakes her head closing her note book. "Nothing important."
Ecko laughs lightly. He reaches over lifting the front of the book so he can read the cover. "Vampiric Myths and Legends." He looks at her his right eyebrow slightly raised. "You don't really believe in this stuff do you Riho?"
She collects her things off the table stuffing them into her backpack. "No, course not." She bends down and picks her jacket up off the floor. "Just doing a little research." She shrugs pulling her backpack up onto her shoulder. "I kind of find it interesting."
"You are one weird little girl you know that?" He glances at his watch then folds his arms across his chest. "It's 10 p.m. shouldn't you be at home, your dad's probably worried about you."
Riho picks up the book and starts to walk off. "No, my dad's a cop he's hardly ever home remember." She stops turning to look at him. "Why aren't you at home, your parents are probably worried about you." She motions for him to follow.
He follows letting his arms drop to his sides. As he walks past she falls into step beside him. "Their not my real parents remember. Besides I hate it there." He stuffs his hands into his pants pockets kicking a balled up piece of paper across the floor. "They have two kids of their own, they don't care where I am or what I'm doing and their constantly fighting when ever I'm around. It's a wonder why they even adopted me in the first place."
As they reach the front door Riho pushes it open. "Ecko, I'm sure they care a lot." Once outside she links her arm with his. "Otherwise they wouldn't have adopted you. There are a few reasons to be glad they did, I mean besides the twins." She looks up at him.
"Oh yeah, like what?" He looks down at her.
She smiles. "Me, I mean I am your best friend aren't I?"
Ecko laughs lightly. "Yeah Riho you are my best friend. Come to think of it your my only friend."
They make their way to the coffee shop. Ecko opens the door and they walk to a booth in the back. Sitting down Riho places her backpack on the table removing her laptop opening it up she hits a several keys bringing the computer on line.
Ecko watches curiously. "You want a drink or something?"
Riho nods. She hits a few more keys and a web site covered with pictures of vampires and demons comes up. "A coke please."
He smiles standing and makes his way over to the counter to order their drinks. He returns several minutes later with their drinks and a plate of French fries. He sets them down on the table and slides in across from her. "Find what your looking for?"
She nods. "Yeah." The computer beeps and another screen appears over the one that's already there. She looks it over. "My dad's home." She hits a button and the message goes away.
Ecko takes a couple fries and eats them. "So we better get you home then?" He finishes off his coke setting the glass on the table.
Riho shakes her head. "We still have time he just wants me home before midnight." She saves what she's working on and shuts the computer off putting it back into her backpack. She reaches over grabbing some fries. "We have about an hour and a half. You want to rent some movies and go to my house, or wonder around town a while and see how much trouble we can get into?"
Ecko thinks a moment eating a few more fries. "Well we definitely don't need a trip to the police station, we have enough of them on your records already." He takes a drink of what's left of Riho's coke.
She smiles. "So we'll go get some movies and go to my house?" She takes the glass from him finishing off what's left.
"Yeah." Ecko takes a couple dollars from his pocket and leaves it on the table. "So what kind of movies we going to get?" He stands up.
Riho stands picking up her backpack. "Some scary ones." She laughs lightly grabbing her jacket sliding it on.
Ecko rolls his eyes. "Go figure."
They head out of the coffee shop and down the street. At the end of the block they round the corner on to the still crowded main street. They make ttheir way to the video store and pick out a few movies.
A Girl of about twelve sits at a table in the back of the library thumbing through her note book. Opening it to a blank page she sits it on the table and turns her attention to a large book about two or three inches thick with the title "Myths and Legends." She opens it up and starts to read down the first page taking notes as she reads.
A boy of about sixteen wonders down the empty hallway toward the library his boots making a hollow thumping sound as he walks across the hardwood floor. He pushes the large front door open and enters looking around. He sighs lightly figuring he will never find what he needs and heads toward the back of the library. He moves along the bookshelves along the back wall running his fingers over the books.
Skipping over a few of the less interesting myths or legends she continues reading and taking notes. She pauses a moment looking out over the unoccupied tables in front of her. She smiles spotting the boy. She waves trying to catch his attention. "Ecko!" She calls. She smiles that finally getting his attention.
He smiles his green eyes shinning slightly in the dim light. He makes his way over to her still running his fingers over the books on the shelf. He turns leaning against the table. "Hi Riho, what are you reading?"
She shakes her head closing her note book. "Nothing important."
Ecko laughs lightly. He reaches over lifting the front of the book so he can read the cover. "Vampiric Myths and Legends." He looks at her his right eyebrow slightly raised. "You don't really believe in this stuff do you Riho?"
She collects her things off the table stuffing them into her backpack. "No, course not." She bends down and picks her jacket up off the floor. "Just doing a little research." She shrugs pulling her backpack up onto her shoulder. "I kind of find it interesting."
"You are one weird little girl you know that?" He glances at his watch then folds his arms across his chest. "It's 10 p.m. shouldn't you be at home, your dad's probably worried about you."
Riho picks up the book and starts to walk off. "No, my dad's a cop he's hardly ever home remember." She stops turning to look at him. "Why aren't you at home, your parents are probably worried about you." She motions for him to follow.
He follows letting his arms drop to his sides. As he walks past she falls into step beside him. "Their not my real parents remember. Besides I hate it there." He stuffs his hands into his pants pockets kicking a balled up piece of paper across the floor. "They have two kids of their own, they don't care where I am or what I'm doing and their constantly fighting when ever I'm around. It's a wonder why they even adopted me in the first place."
As they reach the front door Riho pushes it open. "Ecko, I'm sure they care a lot." Once outside she links her arm with his. "Otherwise they wouldn't have adopted you. There are a few reasons to be glad they did, I mean besides the twins." She looks up at him.
"Oh yeah, like what?" He looks down at her.
She smiles. "Me, I mean I am your best friend aren't I?"
Ecko laughs lightly. "Yeah Riho you are my best friend. Come to think of it your my only friend."
They make their way to the coffee shop. Ecko opens the door and they walk to a booth in the back. Sitting down Riho places her backpack on the table removing her laptop opening it up she hits a several keys bringing the computer on line.
Ecko watches curiously. "You want a drink or something?"
Riho nods. She hits a few more keys and a web site covered with pictures of vampires and demons comes up. "A coke please."
He smiles standing and makes his way over to the counter to order their drinks. He returns several minutes later with their drinks and a plate of French fries. He sets them down on the table and slides in across from her. "Find what your looking for?"
She nods. "Yeah." The computer beeps and another screen appears over the one that's already there. She looks it over. "My dad's home." She hits a button and the message goes away.
Ecko takes a couple fries and eats them. "So we better get you home then?" He finishes off his coke setting the glass on the table.
Riho shakes her head. "We still have time he just wants me home before midnight." She saves what she's working on and shuts the computer off putting it back into her backpack. She reaches over grabbing some fries. "We have about an hour and a half. You want to rent some movies and go to my house, or wonder around town a while and see how much trouble we can get into?"
Ecko thinks a moment eating a few more fries. "Well we definitely don't need a trip to the police station, we have enough of them on your records already." He takes a drink of what's left of Riho's coke.
She smiles. "So we'll go get some movies and go to my house?" She takes the glass from him finishing off what's left.
"Yeah." Ecko takes a couple dollars from his pocket and leaves it on the table. "So what kind of movies we going to get?" He stands up.
Riho stands picking up her backpack. "Some scary ones." She laughs lightly grabbing her jacket sliding it on.
Ecko rolls his eyes. "Go figure."
They head out of the coffee shop and down the street. At the end of the block they round the corner on to the still crowded main street. They make ttheir way to the video store and pick out a few movies.