Hello everyone! Guess who is alive?

It's definitely not me, of course. I mean, come on now.

I sincerely apologize to all of my reviews, regardless of which of my stories you have read. I have been neglectful of all of you, and for that, I apologize. So, here is a little something to get the juices flowing again.

I'm not sure if I am going to keep going with this or what, but if I do, I think it would turn into something the length of Beloved...

Ai-veh really. Okay, so on another note, I will be re-posting all of my previous work, along with a few new pieces as an apology, all with lovely new chapters for you to enjoy.

And, finally, the rating...I was unsure of where this piece would live as far as rating goes, so for now, it will reside under the T rating, but if I do expand on this piece due to feedback, then the rating will almost certainly grow to M.

But for now, Enjoy!


The blood was roaring in their ears as the sounds around their pursuers grew louder.

Angrier sounds.

Hungrier sounds.

The blonde moves to turn around, but his companion yells at him. He heeds the man's words and they continue running.

Both are consumed by fear.

Who wouldn't be?

The other man, the battered raven haired one, he is clutching a child in his arms, it's head bobbing and rolling along with the erratic pace the men are keeping. It's skin is pale and sickly. It might as well have been dead. If it weren't for the fluttering of small eyelids and the rapid breathing, he may as well have been. Blood was smeared all over his face and lips, although it is not clear whether it is his own or not.

They are gaining on them.

The sky is getting darker.

They are out in the open, meaning anyone can see them, but it is a small price to pay for an unobstructed course out of the hell in which they are currently residing. They could have easily turned down one of the many back roads or alleys, but that meant certain death if they were cornered.

A bright flash of red light shoots behind them.

The blonde sent a spell over his shoulder. Judging by the lack of struggle from their pursuers, it appears that it was ineffective.

How sad.

His mouth moves, seemingly to swear, but it is impossible to hear anything with the sounds. The men are feeling the strain of the chase now, both feeling very much like cornered animals. Sweat is leaving clear trails down grim-covered faces. The first man licks his lips as his gaze falls to his left on the arms that are wrapped protectively around the youth.

A sudden scream from behind them makes them forget their fatigue, and their feet pound across the cracked concrete with terrified urgency.

Almost there. Just another 7 blocks and they would reach the safe-house.

The child's body begins to convulse, and the man on the left shouts something over the noise. The pale blonde nods in agreement and their course abruptly changes. They veer off into an alley.

The brunette must have realized that they couldn't keep up this pace for 7 blocks. By changing course and entering such a small area, they were practically painting targets on their backs for death, but, least it gave them a sense of control.

They slow for a moment, just enough to pass the boy between them. The blonde is tearful and clutches the shaking child to his chest. The brunette only shakes his head before saying something only the other man can hear. A soft word, apparently, as the man's eyes widen and he screams in sombre man backs away from the two, wand drawn, and turns to exit the alley way.

The blonde lunges for him. His fingers brush the blistered skin of the man's arm, but he ultimately misses, nearly losing his grip on the quivering boy.

With a quick flick of his wand, the blonde and child are thrown back into the doorway behind him. His silver eyes look around wildly, and he grips the boy with sudden ferocity. Within seconds, he is covered by a cloak, rendering both he and the child he is holding invisible. With this, the emerald eyed man sets off at a dead run, and begins to scream, shooting as many spells into the air as he could, drawing the attention away from the alley where his companion was hidden.

The noise grows and the creatures that the noise is coming from follow after the man. He shoots off down the street in the opposite direction of the safe-house, though he was still within the powerless blonde's line of sight.

He was luring them away.

They would follow him, giving the blonde and the child a fighting chance to escape.

They could survive.

However, the raven haired man was slicing up his diminishing chance of survival every second that he deviated from his destination. His face was screwed up in concentration, and as they closed in on him, his mind screamed at him to go faster. He turned the corner of the street and vanished from the hidden man's vision.

The grotesque beings didn't even give the alley a second glance as they passed the man and child, they just followed the others that were following the man.

Somewhere in the distance, a howl of victory went up, and all the others became frenzied. They shuffled as fast at they could towards the screeching, before they finally disappeared from view.

With quick, quivering movements, the concealed man stood, careful not to make an unnecessary noise. His body was shaky as he ran down the now eerily vacant street, the child now lying still in his arms, save his shallow breaths. Tears rolled down his face, but he ever once slowed until he reached the safety of the base. He set the boy on the ground, hidden under the cloak, before quickly pushing a hard metal hood up off of a slab of solid concrete, revealing a hole just large enough for two full grown men to stand in.

A forlorn glance paired with the whisper of a name that would most likely never be answered seemed to slice through the silent realm. His tears couldn't be contained, but they would not be in vain. Grabbing the boy, the battered man slid into the hole, silently replacing the hood and giving no indication that anyone had ever been there.


There you have it, folks!

As always, R&R!