Disclaimer: Eh, nope. Not mine. Not one little bit. Except for me OCs. Can't go giving those away, now can we?

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Haley McKinley sat back with a sigh, fumbling only briefly before finding the edge of the blue laptop and pulling that shut. Her hand then went instinctively to the right edge of her glasses and she took a breath, pondering the news that she had learned recently.

The laptop before her on its high-dollar desk had cost quite a few thousand dollars on its own, and for good reason. In its computer-automated voice it had recited the messages that she could not see, and could do many other things besides. But then, that was the tiniest fraction in the terms of her parents' financial balances. Put simply, Haley was the daughter of two extremely wealthy homeowners whom, figuratively, were away on international business meetings half the time. It didn't bother Haley too much, so to speak - she had never exactly loved her parents, anyhow. They hadn't even raised her themselves, but had left that to the numerous maids and servants that inhabited this mansion. If anything, Haley had ended up being a great disappointment soon after she had gotten into that car accident, her eyes damaged beyond repair…no, she was nothing in their opinion, a setback in their plans and a nuisance to call on the phone. That was all.

A brief bubble of sadness welled up inside of her, but she buried it again. Sure, it hurt her to think that her parents didn't care for her, but she had moved on, like she had when she had lost her vision. And there were more important things to think about anyhow.

Haley found herself still slightly mystified by the sudden dropout of her friend Taylor, who had initiated the computer conversation to start with anyhow. She had failed to respond ever since, but the talk had continued anyway, leading to Salem's description of the man the police had been after.

Haley frowned. She couldn't be certain about it, but it sounded rather as though a fully-dressed swordsman had been on the loose. But it certainly wasn't Halloween the last she had checked…that was still a few weeks away…so why were all of these people popping up. The boy named Red at Taylor's house was, in Alex's words, what sounded like an exact replica of the male avatar you could play in one of the earlier videogames of a franchise called Pokemon…and the swordsman could very well have been a part of some movie or storybook for all they knew…

She stood up and walked purposefully to where she knew the window of her room would be. She had no more difficulty parting the thin curtains and finding the latch, and threw the two panes of glass wide open. Cool autumn air caressed her face, and the sweet trill of birdsong filled her ears. Haley inhaled deeply, taking in everything - the damp scent of the small garden beyond, probably laden with silver droplets of dew…the soft murmur and rustling of the trees, even as they shed their leaves…the gentle touch of the wind on her cheeks shifting her short brown hair…the warmth of morning sunlight on her face…and a heavy breathing sound practically under the window.

Haley stiffened, straining her ears. Yes, it could not be denied. There was someone kneeling beneath the window, trying to suppress the urge to pant profusely and, as a result, choking slightly with every intake of breath. In fact, as Haley leaned forward slightly, she could almost feel a heavy atmosphere of tangible fear over the area…

"Hello? Is someone there?"

The person gasped - there was a frantic rustle of grass and leaves as whoever it was twitched. The sense of fear grew.

Haley frowned, then put out a delicate, pale hand to the area below the window. Sooner than she had expected, she found herself gingerly patting something soft…someone's head…and there was something else there two, a hard, thin band that was thickest in the middle, and felt like metal…

A split second later the person jumped violently. Haley quickly withdrew her hand as the individual audibly scrambled to his or her feet. There was a heavy footstep as he or she prepared to bolt.

"No! Wait!" Haley bit her lip, even as another step rang through the air another second later. The person was running. "No! Please, stop! You don't need to be afraid!"

More steps and then…silence. Despair welled up inside of Haley, and she wished more than she ever had before that she could see…to be able to at least catch a glimpse of this mysterious person, who was so afraid…

"…Please…I wouldn't…"

There was thick silence, and Haley wilted. The person had run away. Of course he or she had. Anyone would. To be that afraid…to run would surely be the best thing to do…

Footsteps. Now barely audible, less frantic. Hesitant, almost puzzled, cautious. Haley lifted her head, peering into eternal darkness. But the footsteps drew closer, until they stopped. She judged that the source couldn't be less than a few feet away…she realized that the person was actually coming back. And then…a voice came. A young man's voice, as far as she knew, but as he spoke, Haley could only puzzle. He was talking, but it was in a language that she couldn't understand. It was beautiful, flowing, and carried the tones of a question, but she couldn't understand.

"…I'm…sorry. But I can't…understand…"

Haley kept her voice low, hoping she wouldn't scare away the young man again. Two footsteps padded on the damp grass, rustling the thin layer of leaves that would be there as well. Then the voice rose again, inquiring. Haley shook her head.

A pause. Then, suddenly, Haley detected something else, the distant wail of a police siren. And there was a squeak of wet grass as the man jumped again. Fear rose to a peak. And then Haley understood in a flash, though she could hardly believe it. She swallowed, grasping the edge of the window a little tighter. Could this person actually be the blue-haired swordsman that Salem had spoken of…? The sirens grew louder. Haley heard the man mutter something in the same language, perhaps along the lines of a curse, or a plea to the heavens. And in that instant she made her decision.

She would help him.

"I - here." She took a step back, and she heard a stir of fabric, perhaps the slightest flutter of a cape, one that Salem had also described. The man had been glancing over his shoulder, but had now turned to her. Haley began to gesture, first to herself, then the man, and then the frame of the window. "Come…come inside. Through here. I'll hide you."

The sirens seemed to multiply as they grew louder. Haley heard the man take a breath, sounding hesitant. He must have understood, but still he hesitated…but why…?

Whatever the reason, it quickly passed. Footsteps resounded again, growing almost nonexistent under the wail of sirens. Haley heard a screeching of wheels, quite close by, as though a car was making a close turn onto this road. Haley took another step back, then moved out of the way of the window, speaking to the man even though she knew he wouldn't understand.

"Come on! Hurry!"

There was a patter of steps, and then an audible fluttering sound. This was followed almost immediately by a thump very close by, and Haley felt herself being clipped on the shoulder by a leg or an arm. She stumbled, losing balance and falling, hitting her head against the wall nearby. Sirens and even more cars bombarded her hearing.

Haley righted her glasses and outstretched a hand, attempting to regain her bearings, and was surprised by the strong, warm grasp of a gloved hand. The man muttered something apologetic, and pulled her to her feet. "Oh! Um…thanks…" Haley blinked, though her sight didn't change. Why were her cheeks so warm…? The sounds outside brought her back to reality, however, and she quickly made her way to the window, hastily pulling it shut. She could feel the presence of the man behind her, nervous and awkward.

Haley sighed and took a step back, wondering what she should do now. What would her parents say if they ever found out that she had willingly let a stranger into the house, much less an apparent criminal? Haley found, not surprisingly, that she didn't care at all. But in the meanwhile…most of the servants were on leave today. Getting around unnoticed would be easy.

Haley turned to the man, hoping he was directly behind her as she had suspected. "Well, now that's over…" She gestured to herself, and then the door. "Why don't you come with me? Perhaps we can get something to eat…I'm rather hungry, myself…"

Haley stepped out of the room, and felt the man following behind her. She also thought she heard the slightest hiss of smooth metal, like a sword being sheathed, and she knew that her suspicions must have been correct. There was a real swordsman here, in her house…her friends would certainly be interested in this…