CHAPTER ONE
Devi sighed as she exited the N.E.R.V.E Gallery building. They'd rejected her painting. Again. It began to pour rain rather heavily, and her frown deepened. She hated rain.
As she began walking down the sidewalk someone ran into her. Immediately Devi's hand reached into her pocket for the razor-sharp switchblade she always carried with her now. Then she stopped as she saw that it was only some girl.
The girl wasn't all that tall, about 5'5", with silvery-blue/black hair that came down to about her shoulders. Her bangs were streaked red, and about eight inches long, give or take. She was wearing a black v-neck long-sleeved shirt, loose black pants, and a red vest, which hung off her rather thin body, reminding me of Nny. She was also wearing black combat boots with pointy steel toes and slightly raised heels, a small purple backpack, and bronze-rimmed glasses. Everything about her seemed ragged, like she lived a hard life or didn't/couldn't buy clothes to often. Rain dripped off of her in large drops. Her large grayish-blue eyes were open with surprise and what looked to be slight annoyance. Then it vanished.
"I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to bump into you. I was just thinking up a new idea for a book I'm writing," the girl said, bending down to pick up Devi's painting and bag. The girl smiled as she handed them to Devi, then gasped. "Oh, I just got mud all over your painting! I really am sorry, even if you don't believe me. Most people don't." she said that a little sadly, frowning.
Devi stared blankly at the girl before snapping out of it. "It's all right. It was rejected anyway. You don't have to apologize so much, by the way," she said, releasing her grip on her knife and retrieving her items from the stranger. "My name's Devi."
The girl blushed. "I do that, apologize a lot. I'm Ayden. How about I get you something to drink? My treat, for ruining your painting." Ayden smiled and held her hand out over towards a small restaurant. Devi blinked, to surprised to say anything. Ayden took this as a 'yes' and grabbed Devi's hand. She noticed Ayden was also wearing small red fingerless gloves, and that her knuckles seemed larger then usual for someone of her build.
After sitting down, Ayden quickly crossed her legs in the booth and set her small bag next to her. Devi raised an eyebrow but simply picked up a menu.
"So. are you an artist? That's really good, and those people should perish after severe torture to reject that." Before Devi could react to that little comment the waitress walked up and asked for their orders. The waitress was about twenty with huge red lips, platinum blonde hair, and many other such horrifying details. Devi thought this was the type of person Nny wouldn't mind killing. She grimaced.
Come on Devi. Kill her. It'd be fun, plus she seems kind of annoying. Devi heard Sickness say. "Shut. The. Hell. Up. You. Piece. Of. Mutated. Cloth," she hissed between her teeth.
"Did you say something?" asked Ayden, looking over the top of the drink menu. Devi shook her head and went back to picking a drink out.
"I'd like a glass of water please. You?" Ayden said as she handed the cheerleader-look-alike waitress her menu.
"Coffee, I guess. Light on the cream and sugar," Devi replied, wondering why the hell this girl was being so nice. The waitress sloppily wrote down what the two ordered and walked off, hips swinging far too much.
"So, as in answer to your question, yes, you could call me an artist. And may I take a guess as to you are a writer?" Devi said calmly. There was no response. Startled, she looked up and realized that Ayden was writing furiously across a small blue journal, and seemed to be oblivious to everything. "It's not very polite to ignore a complete stranger you invited for a drink, you know," Devi said, raising her voice a few notches. Ayden yelped, looked around wildly before her gray-blue eyes settled on Devi. The waitress came and dropped our drinks off, almost literally, before turning to some jock and beginning to flirt with him.
"Sorry. I do that sometimes. I'm usually not around any people I should be talking to when I get an idea," Ayden stopped, frowning again. "I just noticed a few things. One, I'm having a conversation with someone I met less then ten minutes ago, and enjoying it. Two, this is the first time I've talked to anyone in about three weeks, not counting myself or anything I hear. And Three, why am I not worried that someone at least five years older then me won't try and kidnap me or anything?" she contemplated these thoughts while Devi's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
"Five years? That'd it make you, what, only sixteen? And you're wandering around by yourself, in one of the most perverted cities I've ever been in? Don't your parents care?" she said, rather worried for this kid.
Ayden shook her head. "No. My parents died when I was really little. I remember having an older brother that took care of me for a little while, but he didn't come home one day. So, I just took care of myself. I think I was. seven or so." Devi stared at the young girl blankly.
Finally she choked out, "Where do you live? Please tell me you contacted someone! What about school?" Ayden waved her gloved hand, almost as if she was brushing the questions away.
"Yes, I go to school. No, I never contacted anyone. And I live in an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. Why?" Ayden asked innocently.
"WHY? Hello! You're sixteen years old! Where the hell do you get money for food? How do you keep warm in the winter? I'm sure you get bills or something!" I half whispered, half screeched, causing nearby customers to look over at us. Ayden sighed.
"Even though, I hardly know you, you seem like somebody I could trust," she paused, her hand holding up her head thoughtfully. "Just one second please." Ayden turned and glared hatefully at the people who were staring stupidly at them. "Do you MIND?" she hissed, large eyes slits. The other customers' eyes widened and quickly turned back towards their meals.
"Now that that's settled, I'll continue. I look much older then I am, so I'm able to get small jobs at little places. You know, bookstores and that 24/7 nearby. Plus, I've published quite a few things in the paper and a book or two, so that has helped immensely. No, I don't get very cold in the winter. Yes, I get bills. Electric, heat, internet, and the like. But since it's only me and I hardly use those trivial things, my bills hardly get very high. Now, are there any other questions?" she asked politely, head cocked to the side.
"Yeah. What do you remember about your brother, and how did your survive?" Devi asked. Ayden stared at her. These weren't the questions she had been expecting.
"I don't really know how I survived the first few years. They're all a bit hazy. I think I stole a lot, plus some people felt sorry for me, and helped me out a bit. I found this abandoned house when I was eight. The house itself is falling apart, but I was able to use the large basement to my advantage.
"Now, about my brother. I don't remember much. I think he was four or five years older then me. He had dark hair, sort of blue though. He was very skinny, but very, very strong. He had really big black eyes. That's all I remember about him- Devi? What's the matter?" Ayden asked, concerned. Devi's eyes had gotten incredibly large with something that looked like fear. Her jaw had dropped, and she was eerily still.
"I think I know him."
Devi sighed as she exited the N.E.R.V.E Gallery building. They'd rejected her painting. Again. It began to pour rain rather heavily, and her frown deepened. She hated rain.
As she began walking down the sidewalk someone ran into her. Immediately Devi's hand reached into her pocket for the razor-sharp switchblade she always carried with her now. Then she stopped as she saw that it was only some girl.
The girl wasn't all that tall, about 5'5", with silvery-blue/black hair that came down to about her shoulders. Her bangs were streaked red, and about eight inches long, give or take. She was wearing a black v-neck long-sleeved shirt, loose black pants, and a red vest, which hung off her rather thin body, reminding me of Nny. She was also wearing black combat boots with pointy steel toes and slightly raised heels, a small purple backpack, and bronze-rimmed glasses. Everything about her seemed ragged, like she lived a hard life or didn't/couldn't buy clothes to often. Rain dripped off of her in large drops. Her large grayish-blue eyes were open with surprise and what looked to be slight annoyance. Then it vanished.
"I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to bump into you. I was just thinking up a new idea for a book I'm writing," the girl said, bending down to pick up Devi's painting and bag. The girl smiled as she handed them to Devi, then gasped. "Oh, I just got mud all over your painting! I really am sorry, even if you don't believe me. Most people don't." she said that a little sadly, frowning.
Devi stared blankly at the girl before snapping out of it. "It's all right. It was rejected anyway. You don't have to apologize so much, by the way," she said, releasing her grip on her knife and retrieving her items from the stranger. "My name's Devi."
The girl blushed. "I do that, apologize a lot. I'm Ayden. How about I get you something to drink? My treat, for ruining your painting." Ayden smiled and held her hand out over towards a small restaurant. Devi blinked, to surprised to say anything. Ayden took this as a 'yes' and grabbed Devi's hand. She noticed Ayden was also wearing small red fingerless gloves, and that her knuckles seemed larger then usual for someone of her build.
After sitting down, Ayden quickly crossed her legs in the booth and set her small bag next to her. Devi raised an eyebrow but simply picked up a menu.
"So. are you an artist? That's really good, and those people should perish after severe torture to reject that." Before Devi could react to that little comment the waitress walked up and asked for their orders. The waitress was about twenty with huge red lips, platinum blonde hair, and many other such horrifying details. Devi thought this was the type of person Nny wouldn't mind killing. She grimaced.
Come on Devi. Kill her. It'd be fun, plus she seems kind of annoying. Devi heard Sickness say. "Shut. The. Hell. Up. You. Piece. Of. Mutated. Cloth," she hissed between her teeth.
"Did you say something?" asked Ayden, looking over the top of the drink menu. Devi shook her head and went back to picking a drink out.
"I'd like a glass of water please. You?" Ayden said as she handed the cheerleader-look-alike waitress her menu.
"Coffee, I guess. Light on the cream and sugar," Devi replied, wondering why the hell this girl was being so nice. The waitress sloppily wrote down what the two ordered and walked off, hips swinging far too much.
"So, as in answer to your question, yes, you could call me an artist. And may I take a guess as to you are a writer?" Devi said calmly. There was no response. Startled, she looked up and realized that Ayden was writing furiously across a small blue journal, and seemed to be oblivious to everything. "It's not very polite to ignore a complete stranger you invited for a drink, you know," Devi said, raising her voice a few notches. Ayden yelped, looked around wildly before her gray-blue eyes settled on Devi. The waitress came and dropped our drinks off, almost literally, before turning to some jock and beginning to flirt with him.
"Sorry. I do that sometimes. I'm usually not around any people I should be talking to when I get an idea," Ayden stopped, frowning again. "I just noticed a few things. One, I'm having a conversation with someone I met less then ten minutes ago, and enjoying it. Two, this is the first time I've talked to anyone in about three weeks, not counting myself or anything I hear. And Three, why am I not worried that someone at least five years older then me won't try and kidnap me or anything?" she contemplated these thoughts while Devi's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
"Five years? That'd it make you, what, only sixteen? And you're wandering around by yourself, in one of the most perverted cities I've ever been in? Don't your parents care?" she said, rather worried for this kid.
Ayden shook her head. "No. My parents died when I was really little. I remember having an older brother that took care of me for a little while, but he didn't come home one day. So, I just took care of myself. I think I was. seven or so." Devi stared at the young girl blankly.
Finally she choked out, "Where do you live? Please tell me you contacted someone! What about school?" Ayden waved her gloved hand, almost as if she was brushing the questions away.
"Yes, I go to school. No, I never contacted anyone. And I live in an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. Why?" Ayden asked innocently.
"WHY? Hello! You're sixteen years old! Where the hell do you get money for food? How do you keep warm in the winter? I'm sure you get bills or something!" I half whispered, half screeched, causing nearby customers to look over at us. Ayden sighed.
"Even though, I hardly know you, you seem like somebody I could trust," she paused, her hand holding up her head thoughtfully. "Just one second please." Ayden turned and glared hatefully at the people who were staring stupidly at them. "Do you MIND?" she hissed, large eyes slits. The other customers' eyes widened and quickly turned back towards their meals.
"Now that that's settled, I'll continue. I look much older then I am, so I'm able to get small jobs at little places. You know, bookstores and that 24/7 nearby. Plus, I've published quite a few things in the paper and a book or two, so that has helped immensely. No, I don't get very cold in the winter. Yes, I get bills. Electric, heat, internet, and the like. But since it's only me and I hardly use those trivial things, my bills hardly get very high. Now, are there any other questions?" she asked politely, head cocked to the side.
"Yeah. What do you remember about your brother, and how did your survive?" Devi asked. Ayden stared at her. These weren't the questions she had been expecting.
"I don't really know how I survived the first few years. They're all a bit hazy. I think I stole a lot, plus some people felt sorry for me, and helped me out a bit. I found this abandoned house when I was eight. The house itself is falling apart, but I was able to use the large basement to my advantage.
"Now, about my brother. I don't remember much. I think he was four or five years older then me. He had dark hair, sort of blue though. He was very skinny, but very, very strong. He had really big black eyes. That's all I remember about him- Devi? What's the matter?" Ayden asked, concerned. Devi's eyes had gotten incredibly large with something that looked like fear. Her jaw had dropped, and she was eerily still.
"I think I know him."