I stepped out of the door way into the sunlight. Somehow the terror I had felt being dragged behind someone as crazy as Collette, had caused my mind to shut down somewhere along the way.

I looked around thinking back to what had happened only moments before with the child psycho.

Collette had latched on to my right hand and started dragging me off into the darkness that lies in the back corner of Tartarus. It is believed by many that there is some horrible demon living there. But no one who goes there is ever seen again; at least, in one piece.

Which led to a sort of accepted confirmation that there was something lurking back there, in the shadows. Something that choose to remain unseen.

At that point, I was relatively certain I was going to die. So, with that feeling in mind I suddenly had a new found courage, or at least a feeling that if I was going to die I had nothing to lose and I decided I would ask Collette how she died.

"Collette, you're relatively young...so, how did...um, you die?" I asked.

She had laughed and as she looked up at me from the corner of her eye, "Well, I suppose, it was either from burns or gas inhalation. Or it could have been the building collapsing on top of me."

"You mean, in the fire that...you know, killed your parents?" I asked lowering my voice, suddenly afraid of her answer.

"No. I was outside for that fire."

"Right, when you threw...so what fire was it, then?"

"The one I set in the orphanage I was sent to. It was a horribly boring place. All those kids crying over their parents' deaths, it was so lame. So, I set in on fire. But, I wanted to watch this time. I didn't get to with my parents, and the fire was so beautiful." She said looking over her shoulder as a noise echoed through the air.

"What was that?" I asked startled, but also hoping for a change of subject. She didn't reply. She just kept walking in a steady pace down an unidentifiable pathway.

"Oh, probably just Fluffy." She sighed as she continued dragging me further into the darkness.

"Who...who is Fluffy?" I stuttered, my eyes widening in a new level of fear.

"Oh, he is nothing to worry about. He is just a giant three headed dog that guards the exit that we're headed towards." My heart was racing in terror as her words fully sank in. We were headed into a pitch black area of Tartarus where a giant monster was guarding the way. There was no longer any doubt that I was going to die.

Suddenly, I wanted to go back home and never leave my room again. I wanted to take back ever asking if I could leave home, and go back to being the obedient daughter, but it was too late to turn back. I had chosen my fate and was about to meet it. Collette stopped and turned away smiling as 'Fluffy' made his way towards us.

Just as the thundering steps of the giant monster grew closer and closer, I felt a small hand shove me forward, and suddenly the darkness was gone.

I held my hand up to shield my eyes from the sun. It was so bright, brighter than I had ever expected. I looked around the cemetery, there were beautiful flowers on the graves and the sun shone down and hit the glass of the church about fifty feet from where I was standing.

I couldn't move from where I stood. I was still in too much shock. I had never expected to get this far; especially, when Collette was dragging me towards a suspicious fate.

I mustered what was left of my strength and courage, and took a step forward, then another and another. Until, I was standing on the sidewalk. I pulled out the paper that was in my pocket, it contained an address, my grandmother's address. At least, it was the last address I could find for her in my mother's things. I looked around wondering how I was going to find her house. A girl about my age was walking by me. She was wearing a black dress and red high heels. She had black hair with red streaks and thick eyeliner.

"Excuse me." I said as she walked by. I don't know if she was ignoring me or she just couldn't hear me, because she didn't stop. I started walking after her. Every time I thought I was catching up she would start walking faster; until, she stopped abruptly and turned around, with a very scary look on her face.

"Why the fuck are you following me?" She snarled under her breath. She was glaring relatively intensely at me; I was starting to wonder if I should run away or not.

"I...I was hoping you could help me find this address," I started holding out the piece of paper as I attempted not to make eye contact before continuing, "I...I don't know anyone else I can ask."

"Try asking someone who cares." She rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Wait!" I shouted. She didn't turn, but she didn't walk. So, I took that as an opportunity to continue. I ran in front of her and held out the address again.

"Please." I begged clear desperation ringing through my voice. She paused and looked me over before looking over the address.

"Why were you in the cemetery?" She asked looking at me sceptically.

"I...well...I got lost." I said looking away, shifting uncomfortably.

"You are a horrible liar."

I sighed before continuing, "Fine. You're totally going to think I'm insane, but here is how it happened. My dad is a demi-god of death. My mother and he got involved; it was very dramatic and they had me. You know, the birds and the bees and what not. I was trapped at home; they wouldn't let me go anywhere. I wanted to leave and ran away. I asked for help and was led here. I don't know why I was led here exactly, but..."I trailed off as she looked at me with a glazed over expression.

I was waiting for laughter, confusion or even terror, but instead she just said, "So, you're running away from home. That is kind of cool. I want to run, but have no money so I'm stuck, trapped in this nightmare called suburbia."

"Um...yeah," I started wondering if her mind had filtered out what I had said about my dad being a demi-god, "that is why I need to go to this address. I think my grandmother still lives there. And I'm hoping she will give me some money. So, I can get away from this island."

"Makes sense. Where do you want to go?" She asked.

"Anywhere but here...I don't really know anything about-"

"Anything?" She interrupted.

"Well, I wasn't going to say that, but yeah...so, want to come with me? I mean, I'm going to need someone who knows how to like...talk to people and what is going on in the world and find things, like a place to stay when we get...where ever it is we are going."

She smiled and threw out her right hand, "Deal." I looked at her hand sceptically before reaching out my hand as well. She grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously.

"Yeah, so...where do we go?" I asked looking down along the street taking notice of a couple arguing at the other end of the block.

"How about New York?" She suggested with an excitement that almost seemed unfamiliar to her.

"No, I meant to the address." I said pointing to the paper.

"Oh, this way." She replied signalling that we were to head down the path she had been heading. This was not going to be an easy friendship.