collegegal: Ha ha If only you knew where he's been this whole time. Lol You'll find out later in the story what he's been up to. Here be your next chapter.

Vampire Ronin: *looks at corrections* Oh, pooh. So didn't see that! Lol Thank you. It's okay on the lateness. We've all been busy. Goodness knows I have been between work, participating in two bowling leagues, fighting fleas with the cat, etc. Hope you enjoyed the other chapters after writing your review.

jrzgrl02: Keep looking at the clues and see if you can figure out who the next victim is going to be. Hehehe There's a reason why Anubis hasn't shown up before now and you'll gradually learn about it through the chapters. Good suggestion for the guys. Hmm.

Kento: Hey, TG!

Tigergirl: *sweatdrop on back of head* Oh, crap.

Kento: *walks into room with a blue packet of papers in hand* I just read the script for this chapter. Where the Hell are we and why are several parts of this blocked out?

Tigergirl: I am the writer and you do not need to find out what's going on until all is revealed.

Kento: *looks around with a sneaky look on his face* I bet you have the uncensored script around here somewhere. *disappears into a room*

Tigergirl: GET BACK HERE! *chases after him*

Cat: Meow.

Regular Speech

Sign and Speech

Sign only

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God."

Emily looked up with a frown as she knelt on the floor sewing up a small tear in an actor's pants leg. Elizabeth Ann was stalking back and forth behind stage, murmuring to herself. This was mildly odd behavior for the usually calm and collected woman. The actor chuckled, making Emily shift her gaze upwards to him.

"She always does this on Opening Night. She'll be fine soon as the curtain goes up and the lights dim," he explained.

"Hmm."

Emily finished fixing the rip and stood up. She started walk past her somewhat hysteric friend but was jerked back abruptly when Elizabeth Ann grabbed her arm.

"Can you go check and see if he's here?"

Emily didn't need to ask who he was. She sighed but nodded her head. She walked over to the wall where the curtain rested against when pulled back. She peeked her head around the corner and quickly scanned the crowd. She finally located Anubis sitting towards the back. Emily returned to her friend's side just as the lights were blinking to indicate the start.

"Back right corner, last row, end seat to aisle," Emily told her.

Elizabeth Ann smiled. "Thanks. It didn't look like he brought flowers, did he?"

Just yesterday Elizabeth Ann had expressed a concern to Emily that Anubis could be a stalker. She had started freaking out, saying what if the man started popping up at all her shows and would show up Opening Night with flowers.

Emily shook her head.

"No. He doesn't look like he has anything with him, aside from whatever's in his pockets," Emily reassured her.

Elizabeth Ann thanked her before the curtain moved to the sides and the show began. During the show, Emily snuck back to the light and sound booth where Hunter was already at work. Emily took her place and kept a careful eye (and ear) out for problems.

The show went off with only a few problems with the mikes on some of the actors, but nothing that a little volume adjustment couldn't fix. The audience seemed to enjoy the show if the amount of applause in between was any indication. By the time the final curtain swept across the stage, the audience were standing and cheering.

/…/

Anubis stood back watching silently as Sky finally emerged from the building with a blonde that looked remarkably like her. Except for the black layers on Sky and slightly shorter stature. The two blondes walked over to him where Elizabeth Ann introduced herself.

"It was a good show," Anubis said, flashing her a charming smile.

Elizabeth Ann blushed while Emily just wanted to gag. She could sense him putting on the charm and she knew her good friend wouldn't fall for it that easily. It was then that she realized she'd forgotten her bag inside the building.

"Ah, damn."

The other two immediately looked at her as she grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. I left my backpack inside. I'll be right back, Elizabeth Ann," Emily said, before dashing back up the stairs and into the theatre.

Elizabeth Ann shook her head with a chuckle as she turned back to face the charming stranger.

"Sumimasen [sorry]. She can be a little forgetful," Elizabeth Ann said, smiling. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show."

Anubis nodded his head quietly. With the two blondes now separated, he could put the plan into action. He asked her if he would like to go for a drink. To his surprise, she turned down his offer.

"I can't. I'm spending the weekend with my friend, you see? And we're just getting into the swing of classes. If you don't mind waiting, I'm free next weekend," she offered with an apologetic smile.

Anubis bowed his head to her. "Of course. Then I suppose I'll see you next weekend."

"Next weekend, it is."

Elizabeth Ann turned bright red when he kissed the back of her hand as a way of farewell. Emily, who had just appeared at the top of the stairs, turned her and gagged while pointing her finger in her mouth.

/Eww! Just open a door for her or give her a carnation./

Emily waited until he had walked away to jog over to her friend. Elizabeth Ann reached over and wiped off the back of her hand on Emily's jacket. Emily whacked her on the side of her arm.

"Keep his germs to yourself," Emily said with a mock glare.

The two laughed as they linked arms and walked down the lit sidewalk to the front of the school. Even though Emily and Tom's apartment was nearby, Tom had insisted he pick them up so they wouldn't have to walk there in the dark. Just as they arrived at the main building, he pulled up in his car and honked for them. The two ran to jump into the car before he started to hold up traffic on the two-way road.

"How was the show?" Tom asked, one hand off the wheel to sign.

Elizabeth Ann sat in back trying to calm her frayed nerves. Emily had warned her that some Deaf people like Tom liked to sign while driving which, for the driver, meant taking a hand off the wheel.

"It was fine. They'll have an interpreter for tomorrow's show. You're still coming, right?" Emily asked.

Tom nodded as he placed his hand back on the wheel so he could reach out with his other hand and press the code into the key pad. The gate beeped three times and swung open slowly. Elizabeth Ann continued to watch them silently as Tom pulled the car in, around a bend, and into a parking space.

The trio climbed out of the car and walked up to the stairs. They laughed when they looked up to find Cooper sitting at the top of the stairs waiting for them.

"My little escape artist," Emily murmured to Elizabeth Ann.

They trudged up the stairs while Cooper moved aside so they could get to the apartment door. Cooper rubbed up against both the girls as they walked on either side of him.

"He's such a handsome boy," Elizabeth Ann said, scratching him behind the ears.

Emily swore she saw that dog smiling at her as her best friend loved on him. Once Tom unlocked the door, the group moved into the apartment. Tom excused himself from the two girls, explaining through Emily (his hearing aid battery needed replacing again) that he needed to work on a paper. The two girls and Cooper disappeared into Emily's room where they collapsed on their respective beds.

Emily had laid out a twin sized cot with sheets in a corner of her room for Elizabeth Ann to sleep on. Elizabeth Ann sat on the cot with her back against the wall and legs stretched out. Emily laid down on her stomach facing towards her friend and Cooper laid perpendicular to her with his head resting on the center of her back.

"So did you get a chance to look through that ASL book I leant you?" Emily asked.

Elizabeth Ann nodded.

"I did. Domo arigato [Thank you very much]. By the way, you didn't tell me what classes you're taking this semester?" Elizabeth Ann hinted.

"I have English 102, Mathematics for the Liberal Arts I, Introductory to Education, Life Science and Lab, and Drawing and Composition I," Emily answered.

"Oh! And I'm also taking the sign language placement tests on Tuesday. It will determine what level ASL class will be good for me," Emily added.

Elizabeth Ann nodded. She had remembered Emily mentioning that a few days ago. She also noticed that girl had redone the black in her layers so it didn't look faded anymore. Her gaze, however, fell on the finger-cut gloves she wore. Elizabeth Ann was curious about why her younger friend always wore them, but had never asked her about it.

/I can understand wearing them around outside, but she always seems to be wearing them./

"What are your classes, Elizabeth Ann?"

She closed her eyes to think for a moment before rattling off a few Sophomore-level courses and one Junior-level course. As she was talking to her friend, Elizabeth Ann noticed Emily's necklace for the first time. The necklace was a unique design and she complimented her friend on her necklace. Emily's hand shot up to her neck where she tucked the necklace gently back under her shirt.

"Thanks. It was my father's," Emily replied.

"Biological or adopted?" Elizabeth Ann asked.

"Biological."

"Ah."

The rest of their evening was spent chatting about different things and Elizabeth Ann reviewing the signs she had learned so far. Emily only corrected two or three signs. They stayed up late into the night before exhaustion finally set in and they retired for the night.

/…/

Simon curled around Emily's arm contently as she walked around the kitchen taking care of small things. Cooper was out on a walk with Tom and Elizabeth Ann was at church. Emily had discovered yesterday that she didn't need to worry about feeding Simon; Cooper was bringing "little gifts" back for the old serpent to keep himself full.

Emily walked over to the hall closet and looked up where all the board games were kept. She tried thinking about which games her and Elizabeth Ann would enjoy playing after she returned from church.

listen

Emily slowly crept backwards out of the closet and glanced around. A weird sensation had suddenly come over her. It was like a voice was talking to her, but it felt more like a second inner voice than an outside source. Looking down, she noticed the markings had reappeared on her arms and were glowing very lightly. Instantly, she knew this "inner voice" must belong to the shadows around her. Simon seemed unaffected by the markings and voice.

caution, listen

follow

Emily felt the shadow of various items in the apartment guide her through the living room and to the desk in the solarium. She felt drawn to a bunch of papers laid out on the desk. The markings dimmed when she picked up the papers. The papers were the reports given to her by her Sociology professor, the ones on the attacks on college females.

focus, remember

"Focus on what? They had some similarities, I guess. But no one's been attacked since before Christmas break," she mumbled.

remember

Emily shook her head. It was going to take time before she could understand the spiritual shadows[1]. She couldn't grasp what it was they were trying to get her to remember. The markings stopped glowing and seeped back into her arms to reveal bare[2] arms again. Her eyes glanced over the papers again just to look at the names. Susan, Emeline, and Elizabeth. Hmm.

Nothing really stood out to her and the spiritual shadows had quieted now. She put it off as the spirits just testing out communicating to her. Or that milk she drank this morning really had gone bad.

"Yeah. That sounds about right," Emily murmured,

She decided to put those thoughts on the back burner as she walked into her room and picked up the new bow Rowen had given her for Christmas. The archery group had decided not to meet yesterday, but was gearing up to meet this coming Saturday. She had already tried out the new bow so she couldn't wait to show off to her group of friends.

Emily pulled Simon off her arm and laid him down on her bed. He curled up into a ball with a small flick of his tongue. Emily took the bow and held it up with the string drawn back. She smiled. This Saturday was going to be awesome.

/…/

"Think he'll be able to do this?"

Dais looked up from the book he was reading to regard his fellow warlord.

"Are you concerned about our 'leader'?" Dais taunted.

Cale's gaze threatened to burn a hole through his head.

"Hardly. I'm only concerned if he can do this. He missed an opportunity and I'm sick of waiting," Cale told him.

Dais had to resist the urge to roll his eye. They all knew the Warlord of Corruption was not a patient man.

"He didn't miss an opportunity. There were too many mortals around. Besides, you're still pissed he wasn't there when Halo gave you a knot on the back of your head the size of a damn spike."

By now, he was lucky that the other warlord hadn't rammed a dagger through his ribcage. His burning gaze told him exactly how he felt about his words. After a few minutes of silent rage, Cale took a step back and a deep breath with his eyes closed. When he reopened his eyes, the rage was significantly decreased. He smirked.

"That's okay. He completed the mission given to him. Once this is all over, we can move on to the next phase. The mortal world will fall and not even the Inferno armor will stand a chance."

Dais chuckled darkly before returning his gaze to his book.

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

[1] - Now, to save us all the confusion, I wanted to clear this up. Emily is half-Shadow and the actual shadows around her (those you can and can't see) are going to be known as the spirits or spiritual shadows.

[2] - I can't tell you how many time I type this word and my Spelling & Grammar prompts me to want to change it to "bear." I laugh every time!

Tigergirl: *sitting on the couch* So…*cough*…I hope you enjoyed this…*cough*…chapter. I have to call it a night, though, before Cye shows up and forces me to retire even earlier. I've been sick for the better half of the weekend.

Kento: *pokes his head in the room* Which sucks because Tigergirl went on a date Saturday morning that rocked!

Tigergirl: Get out!

Kento: *ducks out of the room*

Tigergirl: Now that I have him gone and the uncensored script of this chapter well hidden from any ronin eyes, please feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you liked.