Hello all! After the magical crap that was my previous fic, I bring you a better one. Also, for your help, "Pepper" mentioned at the end is really Pepito. It's more fun to call him that.

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It was about three in the morning. I decided I was hungry.

I lifted myself from the chair and tiptoed into the kitchen, where I opened the dirt-covered fridge. Not much was inside, so I reached over and pulled open the cabinet. I pulled out some trail mix and yogurt balls, even though I was really hungry for chocolate. Oh well, there was chocolate in the trail mix.

Dad probably didn't know how late I stayed up every day, but it was in my veins to avoid sleep. I had to force it upon myself, often with the help of Chichirus, a little stuffed dragon-rabbit whose fur and scaled were bright yellow, his eyes bright blue. But today I had managed to keep myself awake again, something I oddly fought against and yet struggled for.

After retrieving the food, I went back to my room and continued to look around on the computer. I checked email, played games, messed in art programs. I then took out a paper and drew a grey dragon, with an exposed skull and spines protruding from it's vertebrae. I liked it, so I tacked it up on the wall. I smiled gleefully, and headed back to the computer.

"Whatcha doooin?" Came a small, high pitched voice from behind me. The voice of Chichirus. (Hehe, that's funny. Chi's a voice and it was his voice... I crack myself up.)

"I'm surfin' the web." I said casually to him.

"Oh."

A small, brown bug crawled onto the computer screen.

"Agh! Dang cockroach." I flicked it away. "Get away from my computer, Mr. Samsa."

I continued on the Internet again, browsing images in Google while Chi watched. Some we chuckled at, some we gagged at. But we had fun all the same.

I wondered how late it was by then. I looked. 3:20. Cool.

A muffled yelp came from the basement, followed by some cuss words of triumph from my dad.

I yawned and went downstairs, where I never usually venture. Devices of torture lined the walls, but I wasn't the least bit frightened.

I found what I was looking for – two broad knives, each engraved with a little "R.C." - my initials. Lifting them from their place on the bloodied floor, I went back upstairs, Chichirus reappearing as I came up.

"What now, Rayne? Why'd ya get yer butterflies out?" Chi asked.

"Well, I want to go for a walk, Chi, and I need to protect myself."

Chi snorted. "As if anyone's gonna come near ya. Yer dad would beat the bloody crap out of 'em. Not to mention, yer pretty good at slinging blades 'round, too."

"Thanks, Chi. But I want to go out and see if my friends wanna come with me to the mall – it's open all day now, and all night. And you know how much I want those Gir slippers! They're just so cute."

"Whatever." Chi said with a shrug, and followed me out the door.

Before we left, I heard a familiar scream, and a twisted smile spread across my face.

"Serves Ajina right for making fun of Wake the other day." I said, mainly to myself.

"I wonder if Pepper's home. He's always up late..."