Airlines and I never had much of a good history. It wasn't even a love-hate relationship, it was more of an I-hate-you/I-hate-you-more thing. A contest to see which of us could piss the other off to a higher and greater level. Normally, the airline was the victor since I was bitch whipped into accepting whatever claimed to be the lowest price.

Thankfully, Madison knew how to bitch slap the best airline rates out of the World Wide Web.

Because of security reasons I of course couldn't book through the Internet, which would have been insanely convenient. But it was either pay an extra forty bones or risk getting tossed into the slammer for first degree murder convictions due to the fact that I was too much of a dumb fuck to not leave a paper trail.

Even I'm not that dense.

Again I sent a mental thank-you to my parents, this time for the debit card. Without that, I'd have been in many sorts of trouble. Honestly, had that been the case, I'd probably never have remotely considered doing anything this extreme.

Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Now I'll save you the boredom of reading about flight searches, frustration, further searches followed by heightening frustration, Madison's rapidly fraying temper, and then at long last a continual barrage of phone calls, upon which my flight was finally booked.

My flight left the next morning with a connection in Las Vegas, which was something I didn't mind in the slightest. Vegas was my city, after all. One of them, at least. Disney World for adults, I thought with a laugh, which was how my father and I had referred to it.

The little trek down Memory Lane was interrupted by Madison turning off the monitor on her computer screen, the indication that she was tired and ready to sleep. At this point, I couldn't argue.

I got to my feet and made for the door, pausing halfway across the room before turning back.

"Madison?"

Insert eyebrow-raise here.

"Thanks. For everything."

I knew it was disgustingly inadequate for all that she'd done and been doing, but I didn't really have any other words that would fit. I wanted to thank her over and over again, but from the look on her face, I could tell she already knew what I meant.

My eyes are known to give away exactly what I'm thinking.

"Bueno," Madison said, and I laughed before leaving, closing the door behind me. She was my ride to the airport tomorrow, after all. We both needed our rest.

As if that was going to happen.

The room was empty when I closed the door behind me. Anj was gone again, off on one of her weekend trips that I envied her for being able to take. At this point, though, I was grateful for the silence. Not just the lack of noise, but the solitude. I needed to be as alone as I possibly could, granted that I was in a college dormitory, so I could collect my thoughts.

I was crossing a line, I thought to myself, pacing back and forth a few times before settling onto my bed. This wasn't a game, it was hardcore reality. I was taking a step over that invisible line that I'd never thought I'd come within a hundred feet of, and once I went across I wasn't going to be able to go back. I'd be closing doors, giving up possibilities.

Was this all worth it?

I spent the rest of the night wondering this, wondering it through four episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (second season, of course), wondering as I read through The General's Daughter without comprehending what was happening, wondering through late night Disney television that played in the background as I packed a few things into an overnight bag, wondering as I hung the pink leather jacket on its hanger on my door before resting the blade beside it, and wondering again as I drifted to sleep, a process which took more hours than I was willing to count.

I don't remember if I dreamed that night or not. Whatever the case, it's probably best that I couldn't remember. I didn't need any more ideas in my head at that point.

The alarm was the nagging, obnoxious sound that woke me. And after switching it off, I rose the same way I would have on any other given day.

Washed my face, brushed my teeth, popped the pills, put on the make-up, all before getting dressed.

And all with Adema playing in the background.

Normally I'm one for upbeat music to start off the day, but this time things were different.

Any trace of doubt had been erased from my mind. I was going through with this.

And why?



Jade hadn't called the night before.

That was really, sadly, all there was to it.

I only spent fifteen minutes getting ready, and then another ten shutting off all the electronics in the room. There was no way to be certain how long I would be away, and the last thing I needed to return to was a smoldering dorm room.

The jacket slid easily onto my shoulders, and I spent a minute looking at myself in the mirror, silently rather pleased.

My suitcase stood upright by the end of my bed, fully packed.

The cell phone was at my hip, and of course the blade had its place there as well, resting easily in a carrying case I'd made sure met airline regulations. I didn't want to think about the baggage claim for that one.

I clicked the room light off before locking the door behind me. Madison was doing likewise a few doors away, but I didn't look up at her.

Instead I slipped my sunglasses on, breathing a mental sigh.

Today, or tomorrow, at the latest, my revenge could begin.



Sarah would die.