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What to ask, what to ask. Should I ask what I really am? Or should I ask what I could
really do? I have to be smart and phrase it correctly and precise so I won't get an answer I
don't need or that leads to another question. What are the three most pressing questions?
"Madelyn Olslin," my English teacher demanded snapping me back to reality "What do you
suppose Shakespeare meant in his eighteenth sonnet."
Eighteenth sonnet, I asked myself. Which one was that? Was it the one where he compares
thee to a summer's day? Or the one where he seems to be yelling about denying love?
"I think he's trying to express his feelings on love." I said quietly and praying I was
right.
My teacher glared down at me and then went on lecturing. I sighed in relief.
I went out for my lunch, taking full advantage of the open campus policy we had. I opted
to treat myself to ice cream at the local shop nearby. I needed brain food.
Once inside, I immediately ordered a double scoop ice cream cone consisting of peppermint ice
cream and orange sherbet then sat down at an empty booth. But before I could take one bite, Joan
Riley joined me.
Joan was one of the popular girls at my school, with her obviously dyed brown hair cut
above her shoulders and gray eyes. Her figure was slim due to all the diets of frozen yogurt like
the cone she held in her hand. Her clothes were of the latest fashions straight out of the teen
magazines. But Joan wasn't like most of the popular girls; she actually was nice to me and
occasionally would sit with me. Like today.
"Hey Maddy, what's up with you?" Joan asked me and began daintily licking her lunch.
"Nothing really just the usual problems of my life."
She laughed, "I wouldn't call two hot guys saving yer bacon nothing."
I groaned and took a bite of my ice cream, "You heard about that?"
"Heard?! It was all over school!" Joan exclaimed.
I groaned again, "Oh no."
"Oh yes, so what are their names? I heard the one with the two animals was absolutely
edible. Of course the dark one did sound just as good."
"Their names are Julian and Damon. Julian was the one with his two pets and Damon was
the 'dark one'" I answered, "I advise you to not cross paths with either."
"Why's that? They yours?" Joan asked coyly.
"No!" I exclaimed shocked and added calmer with a frown, "Those two, aren't exactly
what they appear to be."
Joan shrugged, "Hey, you're the one that knows them best."
"Could I ask you something, Joan?" I asked all of a sudden.
"Shoot."
"I have a chance to find out why I dream about the weird stuff I do, but I can only ask
three questions."
"I gotcha now. " Joan said hold a hand up, "You need some help thinking of questions to
ask."
"The only thing is they have to be precise and won't lead to pointless questions to
explain the answers. The person I'm asking is out to trick me into using all my questions
needlessly."
She snorted, "That's mean."
"That's how he works. Going to help me?"
Joan nodded and both of us began to think as we ate our lunch.
"You could ask why you dream that weird stuff." Joan exclaimed.
I shook my head, "He'll probably pop back with I ask for it. He told me this morning I
basically ask for the dreams."
Joan scowled and licked her yogurt, "This person seems real cruel, Maddy. Why mess with
him?"
"Because he's willing to give me three questions to help me."
Something struck Joan, "Why not ask how to control those nightmares? You can't distort
that!"
I took out a notebook and pen from my bag, "You actually can distort that question but
not the basics." I wrote the question how do I keep from seeking you and your people in my
dreams?
"Ok, you can ask about those symbols you see."
"Runes, I see runes. Someone already told me the answer to that one as well." I told her
politely.
"Julian or Damon." Joan asked with a smirk.
"Julian, now back to the questions."
"Cool. Do you know what the shadow people are really?"
"Yes."
"Want to know how you ask for these dreams?"
I smiled and quickly wrote how do I seek you, the exact question I first asked that got
me caught up in this question mess. After I wrote the question down I quickly finished my ice
cream cone, it was getting close for lunch to end.
"Last question Joan. What else could I ask?"
Joan seemed to smile sinisterly but it was nothing compared to Damon and Julian's
sinister smiles. Once you see those two leer at you, everyone else's is second best.
"Why not ask who you can ask for the rest of your questions." She told me.
I wrote down the final question, "Thanks a lot for the help."
Joan shrugged, "We're buds. Want to meet me at the new hotspot for a drink? I'll pay."
"Sure!" I exclaimed, "What is the latest hotspot for this season."
She smiled, "Your lil pub slash dance club."
I smiled and laughed, "I'm game."
I enjoyed the rest of school buoyed by the rare visit by Joan and the promise of treating
me later that day. No one could bring me down from my cloud nine. No name calling in the halls,
no threats, absolutely nothing brought me down.
After school, Joan met me and let me use her cell phone to inform my family I was hanging
with Joan and not to worry.
"Those guys shelter you so much, Maddy. Why don't they relax and let you have fun." Joan
demanded.
"They think someone's after me or something."
Joan laughed, "Why would they think that? You're too nice to have enemies."
I shrugged and was silent until we entered the place of our destination.
Joan walked in like she owned the place, snatching two bottles of soda as she passed the
bar and dropped off a ten, obviously too much money for two sodas, then she took over a table. I
followed reluctantly.
" I love these places." Joan exclaimed dancing in her seat as I sat down.
I sighed and opened one of the sodas then took a sip, thinking of Julian strangely
enough.
"Did you know that a bunch of supernatural creatures hang here?"
"Yes, Joan."
"Hey mind if I get a few of my drinking friends to join us? They're real nice." Joan
asked after spotting some people come in.
"Sure."
Joan stood up on the table, "Hey get your butts over here!"
I blushed as two couples came up and sat down. One couple consisted of a girl with long
dark hair that looked auburn in the pub's lights and had the most unusual blue eyes I ever saw.
Her boyfriend had an aura similar to Damon's. His eyes were gray and his hair was dark. The other
couple consisted of a Native American girl and a blond guy with goldish eyes. They were
introduced as Kaitlyn, Gabe, Anna and Rob.
"This is my fellow school attendant, Madelyn Olslin." Joan introduced.
"You're not friends?" Kaitlyn asked puzzled.
"Not really. I would gladly be friends with Maddy, but Madelyn is a strange chick to be
friends with." Joan explained. The four exchanged wry looks.
"I'm called Mad Maddy for a reason." I revealed.
"I don't think you're mad." Came voice behind me. Before I knew it lips brushed my own
and Julian sat next to me.
"You're misunderstood." Damon said sitting next to Joan.
"Well hello you two." Rob greeted, "I see Julian is over Jenny." His chair was abruptly
jerked out from under him.
"Lesson for you Robby, don't mess with Julian unless you have the power to back it up."
Damon said as Anna helped Rob up. He turned to Gabe, who looked about to say something, "And no
Gabriel, you don't have the power. Julian's psychic enough to take on your mortal mind." Damon
stressed the word mortal, hinting Julian wasn't human.
"So what are you Julie?" Gabe asked to his girlfriend's obvious horror.
"Don't show him." I ordered, "You do and I'll ask your elders how to erase you."
Julian paled, "Yes ma'am" he murmured.
Joan and Rob looked at me with awe.
I turned to Gabe, "Julian is a dweller of another world that's alongside our own. Read up
on your Norse mythology for details. Oh by the way, I remade him and his pets."
"She was the one who brought you back!?" Rob exclaimed gawking at Julian and me. "That
would take the runestave and a lot of psychic power."
Damon flashed a smile, "Actually, all Madelyn did was write his name down while she was
sleeping."
Rob's jaw dropped, "Sleeping?"
Anna jerked Rob's sleeve, "Um do you know these two?"
"I was about to ask but I'm too polite." Joan said with a smirk directed at Rob.
"We used to drink together, talking about lost loves." Rob said and Kailyn blushed as
Anna shot her man a dirty look.
I busted up laughing, "Aww poor you three. No girls to seduce regularly."
Julian leaned over, "Are you so sure about that?"
I blushed and shoved him back.
"Talking dirty to your savior?" Damon asked obviously enjoying the show we presented.
Julian only smiled.
"So what kind of psychic are you Madelyn?" Anna asked me.
I adverted my gaze, "I don't think I'm a psychic. Psychics don't bring dead men from
other worlds back to life. Or dream of runes and shadow dwellers."
"So what are you exactly?" Kaitlyn asked politely.
I looked up at her, staring her straight in the eyes, "I don't know, but I will tonight."
I swore I saw her shudder and curl up in Gabe's protective arms. It didn't really matter
to me; I had similar things occur in school. This time however, it struck a chord in me. These
four appeared to me as something more than what they seemed. I began to put two and two together.
"You four wouldn't happen to be psychics?" I inquired bluntly. Beside me Julian chuckled
at their looks of surprise.
"Actually yes, all of us are." Rob replied rather stunned.
Damon patted him on the back, "Don't be so surprised, Rob. Madelyn did the same to me
when we first met."
"And what a funny face you wore, Salvatore." Julian added.
Damon took up the challenge; "What about your face when she started explaining her
dreams and screamed shadow traveler? Hmm?"
I groaned when both of them suddenly laughed. Men.
"Oh Madelyn?" Julian asked putting his arm around me then captured my eyes with his, "What
did you mean by you'd find out tonight?"
I seemed to be drawn into a wonderful blue world where I felt compelled to answer every
question Julian asked. Ok what was the question? Oh yes, about the shadow man and my three
questions.
Suddenly my blue world got dark and more sinister. I found myself again looking at the
frosted mirror and spying the evil inside Julian. An evil that surpassed what most in the world
has seen around them. This evil was alive somehow; slowly swallowing up any light Julian ever had
or had a chance to have.
I shook myself free of Julian and his mesmerizing gaze, "I better get going. My folks are
probably freaking out."
"But Maddy, you told them..." Joan began to say as I fled for my life.
"I think he scared her." I heard Anne say to someone as I reached the door.
I sensed Julian smiling as I heard Rob reply, "I think he knows."

The moment I entered my house, I saw the same thing I always saw when I came home. My
grandmother laboring in the kitchen fixing dinner for everyone. I could hear my father in his
room watching some action packed movie with the volume too loud. My grandfather was sitting in
the living room with almost all the lights on and the news blaring while he read his newspaper.
"Hello Madelyn, how was your day?" my grandfather asked over the five o'clock narration
of the local newscaster.
"It was a day, grandpa." I replied dashing into my room and shutting door against the
noise. Still hear and there, an explosion from dad's room next door or a screaming refugee from
the news across the hall could be heard.
I tossed my book bag in its special corner next to my desk and flopped down on my bed
then looked around.
Posters of pastel unicorns and words of inspiration hung on the pale pink walls. On my
bed were sheets and a comforter of pink and white. Next to my bed, was my mom's old white hard
wood desk and in front of that was a window over looking my neighborhood. Across from my bed,
on a matching white dresser full of clothes sat crystal statues of ballet dancers and a snow
globe I got as a souvenir when I got to see The Phantom of the Opera. Next to the globe was a
picture of my mother and me.
My mom was a beautiful woman. Her blood red hair cascaded down her back in waves that
mine would never achieve. Her emerald green eyes danced as she swung the tiny waif with red
pigtails around in a still hushed circle. Her yellow sundress curved around her willowy figure as
she and I danced in the photo.
I remembered when the picture shot and closed my eyes to the memory. It was mother's day
and I had picked her the most beautiful flowers I could find. Pretty yellows and blues were in my
special bouquet, which were actually weeds I found in the woods near our home.
When my mother saw them she laughed and accepted them like they were roses instead of
weeds. Then she picked me up and swung me around. Dad saw us like that and snapped the picture
that now sat where it stood now.
Dinner was done and already eaten by six, in time for my grandparents to kick back to
watch Wheel of Fortune like always. Dad wandered back to his room and began watching the same
movie he watched before and I went back to my own room.
I flopped down on my bed immediately after stepping in and shutting the door and curled
up with my favorite book. Soon I was caught up in the story of Beauty and her Beast.
Not long after I reached the point where Beauty runs off to save her Beast, I grew tired
and sleepy. So after storing the book safely on my desk and turning off the lights, I fell asleep.
Then the dream began...