She splashed through another puddle of water. She didn't know why she was coming this way. Too dark. And this was San Francisco after all. She turned a corner between the two buildings. Dead end. She heard movement behind her. A hissing sound. She whipped around. A shadow loomed ahead of her she glanced up. A large, black, slick looking creature clung to the building. It opened its mouth revealing large, knifelike teeth. A long tongue, covered in saliva, lolled out of its mouth.

She screamed. But when she turned and started to run, black tendrils shot out, grabbing her arms and torso and pinning her to the brick wall. The creature loomed in front of her. Milky white eyes stared at her. Her heart pounded as a cold, sick dread filled her stomach.

"You smell delicious, sweet one. We wonder if you taste as nice as you smell."

She opened her mouth to speak, but let out a gasp instead. "P-please don't eat me."

The creature looked taken aback. "Eat you? Who ever said about eating you? We only want a taste."

He opened his mouth and brought his head down towards her. She screamed.

Nessa Clark sat up in bed, covered in a sheen of sweat. This was the third time she had had this nightmare—the alley, the creature of black goo. She pulled herself into a better sitting position. She had had some strange dreams before, but this… She pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. She went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. Sapphire blue eyes stared back at her. She dried her hands and ran them through her dyed, chin length black hair. She really needed to gain some weight. And the fact that that she was barely over five feet didn't help either. She looked like a gothic fairy. Nessa yawned. She used the bathroom and then shuffled along back to bed. As she pulled up the covers, she glanced at the clock. 3:50. Three more hours until time to get up for work. Not that it mattered what time she got up at. She got back under the covers and closed her eyes, trying to even her breathing. Surprisingly, it didn't take her long to fall asleep.

"Palm readings for twenty dollars! Tarot readings for thirty!" People kept passing. Nessa swallowed the dryness in her throat. She would have to take a break for lunch soon. "Palm readings for twenty dollars!"

"You think someone would want to have their palms read."

Maria plopped herself on the sidewalk next to Nessa's chair.

"You mean besides you?" Nessa gave her a sweet smile.

Maria chuckled. "You've had what, two customers so far today?"

Nessa sighed. "Yeah."

Maria patted Nessa's thigh. "It's morning. It'll pick up soon."

"Yeah," Nessa repeated. Then in a more chipper voice she said, "Hey thanks for letting me share your space."

"No problem, hun. And speaking of which, I need to get to work. Holla at ya later."

"Bye."

Maria stood. Nessa watched her walk down a ways to the free newspaper dispenser. The homeless woman then took them out and plopped them down on the sidewalk against the wall. Nessa shook her head. She couldn't help but pity the older woman, but Maria took advantage of people. At least Nessa was trying to earn money honestly, however shady her work was. A couple of young women stopped in front of her table and glanced around at what was on it.

They were unsure, but Nessa could also feel their excitement.

She grinned at them. "Care to have your palms read, loves?"

Carlton Drake, head and founder of the Life Foundation, started at the dead body through the glass of one of the containment rooms.

He sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Another mess to clean up."

A middle aged Middle Eastern woman pushed up her glasses nervously. "Sir, we are running out of volunteers."

"I know, Dr. Skirth."

At that moment, a tall, burly man stepped forward. "Mr. Drake, there's something you need to know."

Drake watched the symbiote slithering around inside the containment room like a pile of living slime. "What is it, Treece?"

"Chavez here says he knows someone who knows the streets; hangs out with the homeless."

Drake finally regarded his group of men. "Really?" He glanced at a shorter, Latino guy in the group.

Chavez gave a nod. "It's true, sir. I used to have a buddy of mine. He's got a girl, well…they're not together anymore. She has these abilities."

Drake raised his eyebrows. He placed his hands in his pockets and sauntered over to Chavez. "What kind of abilities?"

Chavez glanced back and forth between Treece and Drake.

"The kind that can help us find exactly what we're looking for."

Nessa was furious. Someone had trashed her table. Again. Maria was supposed to be watching it for her. Luckily Nessa had taken her crystal ball and cards with her when she had gone to grab a bite to eat. She placed her drink and bagged sub sandwich on the table and grabbed her sign that said "Miss Violet's Palm and Tarot Readings" that was lying on the sidewalk a foot away. She stuck it under her table. She glanced down the way and saw Maria sitting in her usual spot next to the adult store. Nessa grabbed her drink and food and started walking in that direction. The sidewalk was jammed packed. Nessa made her way around a group of people who were too busy talking and laughing to watch where they were going. She was almost to Maria when a man walked out of the adult store. Nessa stopped just in time. Her drink sloshed in her hand.

"Woah, watch it, girl."

She held up her full hands. "Sorry. I am so sorry," she told the man as he walked off the way she had come from.

She took a couple of steps backwards and turned around…

And slammed into a wall of muscle. Nessa dropped her drink and food. She stumbled backwards. The guy caught her forearms. As soon as she touched her, her vision was overtaken.

A man stumbled around, his face and grey hoodie he was wearing drenched in sweat. He grabbed his head. The vision shifted to show the same man in what appeared to be an apartment punch a man in some kind black military garb. Except the hand that had punched the other guy hadn't been his own, but was instead large, black and slick looking.

Nessa stumbled again as the vision went away. This one had come on hard and she probably would have fallen had the guy not been holding on to her.

Maria was on her feet. "Eddie, why don't you watch where the hell you're going?"

Nessa stared up at the guy in front of her. He was same one from her vision.

"You alright? I'm so sorry." He told her.

"Yeah," she replied weakly.

"Here, let me get this." He bent to pick up her stuff.

Maria was looking at Nessa funny. "Ness?"

Nessa didn't answer. What had been wrong with this guy, or rather, was going to be wrong with him? Why had his hand looked like it was made out of the same black stuff as the creature she had been seeing in her dreams?

The guy stood with her drink, or what was left of it, in his hand.

"Aw shit. I'll buy you another one." He handed her sandwich. It was still in its bag, unscathed.

She still stared at him, not saying anything.

"Jeez, Eddie." Maria put her hands on her hips. "Ya happy? You just knocked her senseless."

"I'll make it up to you," Eddie told Nessa. "Just tell me where you got this," he held up her cup, "and I'll get you another one."

"Maybe uh…maybe some other time." Nessa gave him a ghost of a smile. "It's getting late. I should head home anyway."

"You sure? I don't mind."

Nessa sighed. The guy was cute. And it had been a while since she had actually hung out with anyone. "My table's over here." She gestured with her sandwich.

She and Eddie started walking.

"So you uh…sell things?" he asked.

"Well not exactly…things. I'm uh…" She picked up her bag with her ball and cards. "I do tarot readings."

Eddie gave a nod. "Nice."

They got back to Nessa's table. She set her stuff down. "Look, don't worry about the drink. I'm sure that's not the first time that's happened." She glanced back down the way they had come. "I'm sure you didn't get that paper for free either."

Eddie made a noise that sounded like a cross between a grunt and a laugh. "I take it you've known Maria for a while."

Nessa shrugged. "Long enough. She's good to have around though. We look out for each other." She leaned back against the table and crossed her arms over her chest. She was dying to ask this guy who the hell he was.

"So will I see you around then?"

Eddie shrugged. "Don't see why not. I pass this way to go home. I'll be sure to stop by and say hi again, Miss…"

It took a second for Nessa to realize he wanted her name. "Oh. Vanessa." She pointed to her herself. "I'm Vanessa. But everyone calls me Nessa. Or if you want to, you can also call me," she reached under the table and pulled out her sign.

Eddie read it. "Miss Violet. Sounds pretty cool."

Nessa shrugged. "It's my middle name. It's what the general public knows me as."

"Well then I'll see you around, Miss Violet." He waved his paper at her. "And I will pay you back for that drink."

She nodded. "I'll hold you up to that. Oh and, Eddie…" She stepped up to him with her right palm out in a calming gesture, "please, please be careful out there. I know San Fran isn't the worse city, but…" She wanted so badly to tell him about her vision, about her gift, but that would have to be for another time. "Just be careful."

He gave her a smile and a wink. "You too."

And then he was gone into the night.