(A/N): Well, I've decided not to put a prologue or epilogue on this one. The reason has a long explanation – however, there will more likely than not be prologues/epilogues, etc. on the last few (The End will have a prologue and epilogue, I know for sure).

Anyway, the disclaimer! I know we all love the disclaimer!

Even though I posted it at the beginning of Lake Toba (which is kinda fundamental to the crack theory I based this series off of), I know I will need to post it again, in case if any other stupid trolls or flamers come along.

Once again, here's the excerpt from the PM I received from Mr. Carabas:

There's not much I haven't already said, ..., though I may as well point a few things out.

1. If anyone asks you in a review or private message, you have my total permission to go ahead with this. The same answer will be given to anyone who asks me.

Be happy, people. No flames, got that?

Well, flame me if you want. It's a review. I could care less about the difference.

CHAPTER ONE: WAKING UP

I can smell the blood.

It's a weak scent, but it's there. My new body cannot smell it. Only I can.

Who am I now?

I see who I am now.

I know who I always was.

The blood is the black, tarry blood I love.

I must find its source.

But the soul is in control.

I have awoken.

How long have I slept? How long has it been since the battle at the Lake, the one neither of us will ever forget?

I must find him.

I must fight him.

But first I must taste what I have not had for a long time.

I want blood.

The body has had something taken from it. I do not care about what has been taken, but I know that it is the time to act, that I have the possibility to drink if I get it to go back now.

I influence the body, and the soul agrees for different reasons that it is time to go.

I see the lovely thing that will become my first meal. It is a Beldam, exactly the kind of monster that first took me.

The body is aware of it – the child knows that something is strange and evil about this woman, but does not know the full truth.

It knows what has been taken. I try to make the child walk forward and bite, but the body does not respond. I become frustrated.

The body offers a deal, a stupid, risky deal. I make the terms riskier, give them a better chance of morphing into what I want and need – the blood of this creature.

But I cannot lose this creature so early. I cannot let it die now.

I want the blood, but the child is too weak to fight for it.

I am angry.

The terms are agreed. I see the child's stupidity and intelligence in a moment, asking for a 'hint' of some sort. The souls can make their own way out; they are not the souls of my people, and I saw the objects of what the child was looking for without the child realizing it.

The child is strange.

It has no idea of its own weakness.

It is stupid.

If it is to survive, I must take over.

But the soul, if I eject it… it would leave me powerless for a time.

It could be useful, to a point.

The body walks outside.

I occasionally point to something of value – I convince the body to raise its equipment to its eye. I do not recognize what the stone is, but I know that it will be useful if the soul insists that the body risk itself for the others.

They were stupid, greedy children, just like this one.

Why should it care?

And why should I?

(A/N): I expressed some views in here that I know exist, but that I don't like to use and don't use very often.

I prefer to be an optimist in that I focus on the character 'after the change', if you know what I mean – after they've become a better person and all that stuff.

Yes, yes, usually Coraline and other characters (Dorothy, Chihiro, who fucking knows who else…) don't make it that far and die beforehand in my universes, but fuck the details, I like to focus on that, and it's fun to play with an alternate look for once.

Well, kinda. It's a bit painful for me, but I don't really mind.