ninja of fallen Sakura & ChocolateTeapot... thank you! 3 3

I sat out on her porch chain-smoking like a fiend. This was becoming an all too common habit as of late. What was a little excitement to make me forget the former trials of the previous month? I felt shallow and superficial right then and there. Dan, I'm sorry. I didn''t put you in that house, but I didn't mean my curses on your dichotomous behavior to land yourself dead. I told you she was a witch. I told you everything that was true, and yet you never listened.

Damn you.

I escaped your haunting shadows only to enter into another world of negativity. I swear I'm not cursed.

Vampires, huh? This had to be some charade on their part. But I couldn't lie to myself and say that Jann didn't have some sort of abnormal presence about him.

I worried about Brooke. If I were in her position, and if I truly feared them, I'd have already been halfway to Hong Kong by now. Or at least the next state over. Why risk it? What the hell had she gotten herself into?

The sun had risen to a comfortably warming level now and I went back inside. No sooner had I finished putting the coffee cup in the sink when the doorbell rang.

The delivery man, perhaps? I peeked out of the front window, catching a glimpse of the backside of a female figure at the door. I paused, watching her swish around nervously. Well what do you know, I recognized her as one of the girls from the night before last. Her name? I had no idea.

What could it hurt?

I went to the door and opened it, studying her surprised reaction when she saw it wasn't Brooke.

"Did she leave? Who are you?"

"I'm her, ah, her roommate. Who are you?"

"I didn't know she had one... I'm Sara. You wouldn't happen to know where she went, would ya?"

"I do, but I'm afraid she doesn't want anyone to know."

She was quiet for a moment. A light sparked in her eye as she looked up at me. "Did she leave?"

"Maybe."

"I hope so. She isn't answering her phone, so I was worried something had happened to her."

"She's fine, for now." I wasn't sure what she was about, and I wasn't about to volunteer any dangerous information. This Sara girl seemed worried enough though. How long had Brooke been in the club, I wondered? Were all of them close?

"Well I won't bother you. Donna's looking for her, too, so don't be surprised if she comes around. She's short, dark haired, kind of bitchy." She leaned over, putting a hand to her mouth. "Well, kind of a big bitch. Don't trust her at all."

At this point, I didn't trust anyone. I nodded my thanks, and Sara left.

I went inside, made a cup of my favorite green tea and sat in the armchair by the front window, hoping to relax my nerves. This was getting strange. In this day of technology, who visited anyone anymore? I browsed again for this elusive "Shand" online, but found nothing. Perhaps that was just a handle, not an actual name. I was no hacker, I knew my basic code, but I didn't do the illegal stuff. And sure enough, as I picked my head up to look at the passing light traffic, a silver car slowed and parked directly across the street.

And who else but a short dark-haired lady exited the small SUV and began for this house. Donna, she says? I didn't recall seeing her the other night, but the way she stomped with authority across the street, I suppose she knew what was up.

I was ready and waiting by the door when the bell rang. Apparently, Brooke wasn't taking her calls either, it seemed.

She was just as surprised to see me answer. Was she thinking she'd inconveniently pull her out of bed or something? "Hi," I said first, ignoring the flash of annoyance across her face. She did indeed look like a pleasant individual.

That'd be sarcasm, in case you missed it. Those curls surely complimented that hard face. She caught herself, greeting me. "Hi—" That was a bit too awkward for her liking, I could tell. "I'm looking for Brooke."

"Ah, she's not here, can I take a message?"

"Did she leave?"

"Leave?" I knew that whatever I said in the next second would direct the rest of this conversation, be it short or long. "No, she's still in town."

Aha. This time, Donna couldn't hide her emotions no matter how hard she tried. I didn't miss that nanosecond of a sneer no matter how sweet the proceeding smile was. "Oh, did she say where she was going? Are you her roommate? I don't think we've ever met."

Her words were syrupy and just as malicious and conniving. "Yes we're roommates, and no, we've never met."

"Oh!" She took an extraordinary and exaggerated amount of effort into this. "I'm Donna, it's nice to meet you! Funny, she's never mentioned you before, and I've known her for a long time!"

There were at least two digs in that statement I noted as I shook her incoming hand. "Can I come in? We usually go out for a coffee in the mornings, but I got worried when she didn't answer her phone so I figured I'd stop by. What'd you say your name was?"

"I'm Charlie." Was she implying that she was barging in? Why certainly. She stepped toward me and proceeded to go right past me and inside the home. I closed the door with mild amusement. She's been here before, there was no doubt, as I watched her filling the tea kettle with water and knowing which cabinet held the mugs.

She set up our tea and sat down at the table, her face looking expectantly up at me.

So I promptly joined her at the kitchen table.