Chapter Three

Having hidden the dagger in one of her knee high boots, Cassandra made her way down the stair, which creaked with her weight. Her heart sounded louder in her ears, however, and she walked as though in a trance down the staircase until she reached the bottom. Her hand went for the doorknob, but the voice of her grandfather pulled her back.

"Where're you going in such a hurry?" he asked her, looking over his shoulder from his chair.

"Out," she said, looking bored.

"Well when will you be back," called her mother from the kitchen.

"Never," said Cassandra, opening the door and letting it slam behind her. Strangely at that moment, all the streetlights and the various other lightings on the houses and yards went out. Cassandra just assumed it was a power outage and took one step, before bumping into a man.

Startled, she covered her heart and jumped back with a gasp.

"Sorry. I seem to have that effect on people…" said the man in a deep and calm voice.

Cassandra noticed the cane he held with a crystal skull, as dark clouds formed above from out of nowhere. She could hear the rumble of thunder.

"Who are you?"

"That is not important," said the man, walking to her left slowly with the help of his cane. "What is, is that you have decided to help my son."

Cassandra's eyes went to slits and she was confused. "Your son? I don't know who you mean."

"Cassie… Cassie…" he said, shaking his head. "You shouldn't lie to me. I have far more power than you could ever imagine."

"Tattling to my parents isn't gonna scare me," she retorted. A man his age who needed a cane couldn't possibly be any threat to her.

The man smiled and lightening flashed in the sky. For a moment Cassandra swore she saw sharp, needle-like teeth reveal themselves in the man's jaws and she blinked. They were gone.

"Blackheart is not the only one who can restore your powers…" he said. "What if I could… help you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, suspiciously. Something told her that this man could not be trusted.

"I can make you strong, as you once were. My son offers what he is yet able to do," replied the man with another smile and walking behind Cassandra. He whispered into her ear, "But I am more. I know what you really want."

Cassandra pulled away and spun about to face him. "Get away from me!" she cried defensively. "You don't know anything about me." If this man got any closer, she was considering taking out her knife.

He chuckled and advanced on her slowly. Consequently, Cassandra backed up. "Do not be frightened. I know your true nature. It was I who created you."

"What?"

The pressure in her mind from before quickly consumed her thoughts and she heard Blackheart speaking to her again. Hold out your hand and point to the lights.

Cassandra held her head and shook it. The man looked worried and tried to reach out for her, but she stumbled backwards, feeling dizzy.

Do it!

Feeling a tingling sensation in her fingers, Cassandra lifted her arm and aimed it at the nearest streetlamp. Lights sparked on all along the street and dogs were heard howling and barking. The man covered his eyes and grimaced just as Cassandra shut her eyes to stop the dizziness.

Slowly the noises died down and Cassandra opened her eyes to find that the man was gone, along with the dark and thick clouds and thunder. The lights hummed with energy and the dogs were silent. She was all alone.

"Blackheart?" she whispered. There was no reply. Had she imagined it? Who had that man been?

A man on a motorcycle went riding by, the sound of the bike startling her.

"Okay… You need to get a fucking grip, Cassandra," she said to herself. She was beginning to wonder what she had gotten herself into, but she found that she trusted Blackheart. He had just protected her.

More determined now than before, she headed for the house across the street; Charlie's house.

Mephistopheles glared in the depths of Hell at his son, as fires blazed and lava oozed like an open wound.

"You should not have interfered," he said with his calm inflection.

Blackheart scoffed. "She is not yours any longer. The girl is mine! You cannot stop me, Mephistopheles. Soon this world and the next shall be mine and there will be nothing you can do about it."

Mephistopheles growled deeply in his throat. "You almost make me proud, if only you were not so foolish."

It was now Blackheart's turn to glare. "You created me… Father," he said with bitterness on his tongue at the name. "This is what I was made for. You are only jealous that your time has come to an end. When I escape, you will suffer."

"If you escape, you know what I will be forced to do…"

Blackheart smiled, his sharp teeth bearing. "I have no fear of your rider. The end of days is coming, Mephistopheles, and it starts with me."