Chapter 1

Sherice was barely even panting by the time she had finished off the 23rd and final guy.

They really weren't any match for her no matter how many were sent after her. If only they could see that then she wouldn't have to waste her time kicking their butts.

"Really guys, why do you keep trying when you know your gonna lose?" She asked them pityingly. "Just give up already. Your never going to beat me"

She walked over to her refrigerator and grabbing enough packs of ice for then all she headed over to the living room telling them to follow.
She handed out the ice packs when they had sat down. "We have to keep trying." said one of the men. "Bosses orders. We have to punish you every time you refuse"

"That didn't work out like it's supposed to now did it?" cracked a man holding an ice bag to his neck.

"Shut up Larry!" they all said in almost perfect unison.
"why don't you just join us already?" said another. "Then we wouldn't have to do this every day.

"I told you and I've told your boss, I'm not joining you." responded Sherice.

"Well why the hell not? I don't know about the rest of these guys but I'm not too fond of getting my ass kicked by some 15 year old girl every day. And I know that my wife certainly doesn't enjoy me coming home too exhausted and sore to pleasure her or even cuddle." said another.

"I second that Fred." agreed someone else.

"Hey guys! Not in front of Sherice. She's only 15." said Larry.

"Oh, come on. Its not like she doesn't know about this stuff. Ever since her parents died the only thing left that's innocent about her is her virginity. She's seen and caused more death and destruction than all of us put together." said another named Stan, bluntly.

The room went quiet for a moment. Nobody really had anything to say. They all knew Sherice was sensitive about her parents deaths and her past. The fact that this comment had slipped past their usually reserved wording when they spoke about her past (if ever) was a complete anomaly.

The thick and slightly nervous silence was finally broken by Sherice.

"Hey, guys?" she asked quietly.

"What, Recy?" asked Fred. "What was my mother like? Before she met my dad my dad." said Sherice with her eyes cast on the floor.

Fred got an uneasy and slightly pained look in his eyes as he replied, "Well she was just as kind and caring as she was beautiful. She always tried to make everything as enjoyable as possible. She was an amazing woman, your mother"

Stan joined in with "She never deserved anything that happened to her. What your father put her through was vial and despicable. That bastard never suffered enough if you ask me"

"Thanks guys. I needed that." Sherice said with a small smile.

There was another silence, but this time it was a good one.

"Hey, Recy?" said Larry suddenly. "what's this?" as he held up a fabric pull-string bag.

"Oh, that's just my new hobby." answered Sherice. "I've taken up sewing. I made three so far.

"Ah…" he replied in understanding.

"well…. We better get going." suggested Fred, setting his ice pack on the coffee table. "come on guys, lets go"

"Bye guys." She called after them as they went out the front door.

Sherice sighed and started picking up the ice packs left lying around her living room. After she had put them in her freezer, she went back into the living room and watched her favorite movie, Frequency, a couple times.

By the time she had watched it four times, she was ready to go to sleep. And decided to go to bed.

As usual she had a little trouble getting to sleep at first, but eventually fell into the sweet bliss of unconsciousness.

...Sherice's dream...

Sherice was sitting atop a hill in the most beautiful place she had ever seen. She was surrounded by flowers so pretty that they had an almost divine glow with a sweet and heavenly aroma. At the bottom of the hill was a lake that was so clear that it was as if there were another sky within it. The only thing marring this second sky was the reflection of the tall mountains surrounding this pristine and peaceful valley. Their snow caps almost seemed like halos, as if they were angels watching over this perfect valley. The gentle silence was broken by a child's laughter. She turned to see two small children (probably twins) running toward her with a young girl who looked about 14 coming up close behind them.

"Mama! Mama!" the children screamed in joy as they jumped onto her with hugs and laughter.

"Sorry. I couldn't keep up with them." said the girl coming to a stop and trying to catch her breath. "they wanted to see you"

"That's alright Rin." sherice heard herself say. "I was about to come home anyway"

"Mama! Guess what me and Reh did!" said one of the toddlers in her arms.

"What did you and Naereh do, Ryoky?" asked sherice with a kind smile.

"No mama! It's not Naereh and Ryoky!" said the other toddler. "It's Reh and Ryo"

"Well, I prefer the names your father and I gave you." said Sherice with a chuckle. "Oh well, what were you going to tell me"

"Oh yeah!" the twins said in unison. Then giving each other a knowing grin they said (again in unison) "Daddy taught us to transform and we did it"

"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!" she praised them.

"Lady Sherice? don't you think we should get back now? I'm sure your mate is getting impatient." said Rin.

"Yes your probably right. Come along children lets go home and see daddy." beckoned Sherice.

"Yay!" they yelled in joy.

...End of dream...

She woke suddenly from a noise outside.
"Damn coons!" she swore as she threw the covers off of her and rushed out the back door to shoo them away. Cursing at the mess when she had chased them off, she went inside to get cleaned up and dressed.
It wasn't like she was going to get any more sleep anyway. She never did after these dreams.

She wasn't quite sure when they had started but ever since she had turned 15 they had become more frequent. She guessed that they were taking place somewhere in old Japan because the people in her dreams were always wearing kimonos or haories and hakamas. Whoever they were, she wasn't sure if they were human because of the strange fangs and markings that she could tell weren't fake or tattoos. That girl Rin was probably humane though. And she could never manage to get any sleep after she woke from them.

"Their not that bad really, if not for these damn headaches." she said with a sigh as she walked into the bathroom.

" Fuck! Not again!" she said noticing that her forehead was bleeding again. "Why does this always happen after one of those dreams"

As she was cleaning her fore head with some water from the faucet and a nearby towel the phone rang unexpectedly, causing her to jump in surprise. Looking at the clock to check the time she answered it.

"Hello? This better be good it's 3:48 in the morning!" she hissed into the receiver.

"Sherice?" The voice on the other line said. "Why are you still there? Haven't you heard"

"heard what?" she asked. "Is that you Bethany"

"Yes, it's me! Listen you have to leave! Go somewhere safe!" Bethany pleaded.

"Whoa Beth calm down! What the hell are you talking about"

"The mob is after you…." she started.

"What else is new Beth?" interrupted with a bored sigh.

"No you don't get it! This time it's not just the mafia, it's the Russian and Chinese mafias too! I'm surprised the fucking Yakuza isn't on your ass yet"

"What! When did I piss off the Russians?!" asked Sherice, confused.

"I don't think that's the point here Recy!" Beth yelled. "You have to get your shit and leave! NOW"

"O.K.!" said Sherice, hanging up the phone.

She raced around her apartment gathering only the essentials and packing them into a couple of the fabric bags.

She had almost walked out the door when she remembered her mothers locket. Rushing upstairs, she grabbed it and quickly left.

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