Sometimes all the usual things don't work. That's when you shut down and the other part of you, the scary hurtful part inside, takes over. You aren't you anymore, and that's just as well, because the you that people recognize wouldn't survive. You wouldn't have the strength. So maybe it's necessary.

But I still hate it.

….

Ruins. Piles of crushed stone and cement and shreds of…Michelle didn't want to know what they were shreds of. It had been weeks since Michael had saved her from this same building as Rachel and Kayla made their escape through the abandoned tunnels, but a dark, musty rotting stench still hovered in the oddly flat air. It was the aura of death, unsatisfied with the already damned souls that had been his only offering that night. It wanted more. It waited for her.

Michelle shivered at the thought. Ridiculous. She was only scaring herself with that kind of stupid thinking. Besides, she couldn't die yet. She had to make sure Rachel and Kayla were safe.

But the first step was to walk into that room. Take another step forward and see the bodies rushing in a black swarm, claws outstretched and mouths gaping and Oh my God, this is it, my last bullet and they're still coming and I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to die-

Michelle swayed as warmth touched the palm of her hand and slowly spread up her arm and straight to her stuttering heart. She looked down to see Michael's fingers intertwine with hers and lightly squeeze once before pulling away.

"It's safe," he assured her firmly. "There is nothing here to hurt you."

"Right. I know," she forced through her frozen throat. She looked at the door again and shoved the fear back down. It was still there, but Hell if she was going to look at it right now. It would just have to wait patiently until she was good and ready for it. "Find them," she murmured to herself. That was her purpose right now. That had to be her only thought. "Find them."

The words slid coolly outwards from her core and moved her feet forward, planting them one after another until she stood in front of the door to the tunnels, not entirely sure how she had gotten there. On automatic she bent and rolled the brick that she had jammed the door shut with. Someone had already moved it a good foot away from the door, which hung awkwardly from its hinges, almost ripped free by something inhumanly strong. Scuff marks smudged the walls clumsily.

"They were followed," Michelle thought she heard herself say. "But it didn't get very far."

"How do you know?" Michael asked.

Michelle stood and looked blankly down the tunnel. "Because it's right there."

Michael stood next to her in a flash, one hand on his sword as he followed her gaze with a grim military stare.

Michelle raised an eyebrow at his sword hand. "Don't worry, it's already dead."

"Yes," Michael agreed, taking a step towards the cold corpse.

Michelle's hand suddenly lashed out and Michael whipped his wings out of the way as she emptied a few rounds into the dead demon. She took a deep breath and calmly re-holstered the smoking weapon. Michael stared in shock at her before hastily reorganizing his features.

"I believe we agreed that it was already dead," he managed to say.

"I know."

She shoved past him and started following the tunnel, her eyes constantly scanning for any clue the girls might have left. Michael reached out a hand as she passed. Her shoulders tensed defensively and she twitched towards her gun.

"Now would not be a good time to touch me," she warned him casually.

Michael nodded wordlessly. Michelle seemed different somehow. From the second she had walked into the building it was like she was a different person. It was the expression in her eyes. Not quite dead…but not quite human.

As he followed her he wondered if she would continue to be this not-Michelle until they found her companions.

He wondered if even she was able to make herself escape this other that occupied her body.

…

Okay, I don't know how it happened, but somehow I just deleted Chapter 2 without clicking anywhere near it. I'll try to get that fixed as soon as possible! Sorry!

Much luv,

XxRogueAngelDreamingxX