Jacob Deegan rested his eyes as he rode along in a city taxi. His one arm, the one showing his necromancer nature, was hidden under a long black sleeve. He looked out the window to observe the city, mothers, daughters, fathers and sons, all going about their lives so hurriedly that they barely knew what was going on around them. He thought that even if stars fell from the sky and hit them, it would not distract them long from their work and leisure hours.

It was perfect.

They were too preoccupied for their own good.

He glanced down at his watch and noted the time. Three-fourty-five. In fifteen minutes he would meet up with a friend of his, Dyana Goldbrook, and discuss dinner plans. The taxi pulled over to the side of the road and let him out. He paid the driver and headed towards a large, brick apartment building about a block away.

Once inside, he went up the stairs to the third floor of the building. He didn't even have to knock, because a woman with long, white, flowing hair and a white dress to match opened her apartment door, and ushered Jacob inside.

Jacob looked at her. She was beautiful indeed, and only wore light colors save for the little black rose she had pinned to her dress. His fingers ran over that softly, and then he had a seat.

"I have the best restaurant in town picked out. To tell you the truth, I never thought I would see you again Jacob. Not after what happened." She traced her fingers down along his neck and then went to her bar to prepare drinks.

"I am not normally the social type, so I'm surprised I'm here myself."

"Shame. You should come more often."

"Give me a drink."

"Fine, Fine.." she handed him his glass and sat down on the arm of the sofa, looking over him. "How is Miranda?"

"Do you think I care? I purposely cut off all ties to them." Jacob sneered.

" No need to get touchy." she lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip of her drink, " You never were a mother's boy anyway."

Jacob stood up and looked out the window, taking in the same sights as before. "This place is perfect. I cannot wait to get out there."

"And about Dominic?"

"He doesn't exist to me."

The setting was picture perfect. Blue skies, dotted with fluffy white clouds, a warm breeze and the scent of the ocean filling the lungs of those nearby. He sat there, fishing rod in hand, dangling his feet off the edge of the piet as he took the chance to truly enjoy one of his favorite pastimes of all. To top that, he did not have to worry about a greedy cat inhaling all he had caught within a few hours of him catching it.

It was perfect.

By then, his wardrobe had changed too. He missed his old sweater but agreed with Lina that the fluctuating weather in the area did not always call for it. He wore a dark green t-shirt and brown jeans. He kept his gloves, which matched quite well with the earthy color scheme he was wearing. He wore brown suede boots with a little logo etched on the side and heavy duty light brown shoelaces; they seemed fit for travel and were a lot easier on his feet that what he had before

It had been a little over a week since Lina had, "bumped into him". Since then he has slept on a couch, often had a cat for a pillow, and tested out different chili recipes for future competitons. He also learned how to shop with coupons, to work a VCR, use a cell phone, and use the internet. The internet thing still blew his mind, but as he told Lina before, he had other things to worry about.

He sighed. Now was not the time to worry about anything. He was in a picturesque setting and as far as he was concerned, nothing was going to go disturbing the peace and quiet of the moment. Except, of course, for a ringing cell phone.

Digging in his lunch box, he picked up his phone and answered it. "Yes, Lina?"

"Your glasses are ready. Do you want me to pick you up so we can go get them?"

Dominic looked out to the water, and mumbled something under his breath. "Yeah, I'm ready, but afterwards I'm coming back here. I barely caught a thing, and I thought for a moment I was going to be lucky."

"There is always time for that stuff. Listen, Im in my car and Im on my way to the pier. Be ready okay?" With that she hung up.

"Always on the move, can't never stay in one place too long. But, I should think of it this way," He stretched his arms and grabbed his lunch box, "I've yet to run into one stupid person asking me an even more stupid question. Its wonderful when people don't know who you are."

Going to the eyeglass store was uneventful. Though Dominic was pleased with his glasses, his late night searches for the book in his dream left him pretty tired. Without the sea air to wake him up, he fell asleep as Lina headed back home.

Lina herself was having a hard time staying awake as they travelled the highway. She yawned continuously, but became more alert when she noticed a driver weaving in and out of different lanes. "What in the heck is he doing?" she asked herself, keeping a steady eye on him as he continued to drive erraticatly.

Then the expected happened.

The driver swerved in front of a tractor trailer which turned to avoid him. The weight from the trailer made him skid sideways as he turned, and then CRASH! The trailer landed right on a blue car, completely crushing it.

Several screeches sounded as cars came to a halt, trying to avoid the accident. One car, that was speeding anyway, could not avoid it in time and ran right into the accident. Lina had just enough time to stop and look at Dominic, who's eyes were already glued open and his hands clenched around his seat. Lina grabbed her chest and tried to calm herself down. "Drunk driver..I know it was a drunk driver!"

"They ran into each other.." Dominic unbuckled himself and got out of the car. "We have to go help."

"We can't! Get back in here!"

"Those people can't survive long in there.." Gregory where are you when we need you? "I have to go."

Lina grabbed her cell phone and called the police. Dominic ignored this for the most part, and slowly approached the wreck. Lina saw this and jumpedo ut of the car herself to stop him. She put her hand on his shoulder and began to lead him back.

"You don't know what is going to happen. We don't know what that trailer was carrying..something could explode! You just don't know."

"Cars can explode?"

"Its possible." She closed her phone and looked south. "We may be stuck here for a while. The traffic is so backed up we might have to sit here until it clears. Only the paramedics will probably be allowed through."

Lina's expression soured and she looked again towards the accident, which the police hadn't yet got to. "Wait a second! Look! I think those people are okay!"

Dominic turned towards the cars again and sure enough, a young woman, a girl and a boy, climbed out of the crushed window and got out of the car unharmed. They were smiling and laughing, the boy was even skipping as he urged his mother and sister ahead. Right then the police got to the scene, but walked right past them to get to the cars. They helped the driver of the tractor trailer into the audience, but what Dominic and Lina saw next sent cold sharp chills up their spines.

They removed the bodies of the woman, the boy, and the girl.

"Not again!" Lina gulped and shut her eyes tightly. She got back into the car and pressed her head onto the steering wheel as she shivered in fear. "Not again, not again, not again, I'm not seeing this, I'm not."

Dominic got back in his seat and looked down in thought. Ghosts. But why would we... Just as Dominic looked up he saw Jacob standing there right near the paramedics. He grabbed the hand of the man who drove the trailer, and lead his spirit out of his body.

No, no he doesn't. What in the heck is he doing directing souls? And where in the hell is he taking them?!? I still don't have access to any of my other abilities, at this point Im powerless to stop him! He punched his fist a few times to keep himself from boiling over, but his concentration broke when he noticed Lina panicking over her steering wheel.

She saw it too? But that's impossible. I think..

"You saw what I saw, so we are in this together.." Dominic rubbed Lina's shoulders.

"Its not..the first time I've seen things like that. " She bit her lip in frustration. "I know I can trust you, but promise me you won't tell anybody."

"I won't."

"Okay. When I was little, a dear family friend passed away and I had to go to a funeral. It was the first one I had ever attended, so I was pretty scared. After we were just leaving the yard, I heard his voice speak to me. He told me not to cry, and that he would be watching over me. Then I turned around and I saw his face, just barely, as the leaves stirred up the yard. It was unreal. Of course, no one believed me and chalked it up to an overactive imagination, but that wasn't the end of it.

I was ten years old. One of the kids on my block was murdered due to a drive by, mistaken shot. I was one of the witnesses, and they told me to try to remember who was in the car at the time. I couldn't do it for the life of me. I was too scared and too shaken, any facts that may have been in my head were out of pure fear. She came to me one night when I was in bed, Dominic. I could see her clear as day this time, and I could see the blood stains on her clothes. I tried to touch her but I couldn't. She told me the name of the guy who killed her, and I repeated it to the police. The guy admitted to it and was put in jail.

You want another example. I've seen people walk out of graveyards, and I'm not talking about greiving families. Each time I just try to forget it, even went to a psycologist but they say nothing is wrong with me! I don't know what to do anymore...and its really scaring me."

Hearing her words, he almost convinced himself to tell her who he was. She had shared a lot with him, and here he was still keeping secrets. Its'not the right time, not yet. I'll only tell her when there is no other option. "My life hasn't exactly been normal either. I'll just say this, nothing you could tell me would surprise me. When we get home, do you want me to cook.."

"No. More. Chili."

" I was going to say potato and mushroom stew. Eating that always calms my nerves. Guess it reminds me of home and all."

"Yeah, " she looks ahead to those directing traffic and starts up her car. "Lets get out of here. You know, I'm not a big mushroom fan, but I'll give anything a try once. Just once. If I don't like it don't expect me to eat it again."

The weather conditions were fierce. Lina was able to just home and with her friends help, shut the door against the wind that was determined to blow it open. Lightening flashed constantly and the rumble of the thunder shook the house.

"Must be a late tropical storm," she flicked on the television to see the news report.

Tropical Storm, now Hurricane Delia, will be approaching the Valley area with wind gusts over 120 miles per hour…

"I can't believe I forgot about that! When you came I totally forgot my hurricane preparations. She checked the door to make sure it was locked, then got out a first aid kit and a few candles. "I better get these out before the power…"

The lights dimmed and sputtered out.

"…goes off. Someone really should check the lines around here, believe me, it doesn't take a hurricane to knock off the power around here." She felt around for the matches a while, then finally grabbed one and lit the candle.

"Sorry about this.."

He shrugged and used the one candle to light all the others.

"I really hate this with a passion, No lights, no electricity, no heat, no nothing. Just us sitting in the dark. You would think with all the technology today they would've found a way to end this problem."

Dominic flicked open his cell phone and showed her the light.

"Funny.." Lina sat down, "I don't have time for a ghost freak out and a loss of electricity at the same time. I hate being a freak. There is always something wrong with me… and I'm not even going into the 'I occasionally see dead people' thing."

Dominic lead her to the couch and handed her a blanket. "I'm guessing the TV isn't currently working, so if you want someone to listen to, go ahead."

"You are not sick of me babbling already?"

"I like to hear you talk. Honest conversation never bothered me, just the idiots at my job."

"To tell the absolute truth, I want to try to forget what I saw today. We can get a board game though, and a battery powered radio so we can hear some weather updates and maybe even some music." She grabbed a candle and walked down the hallway towards a small closet. When she reached to get a few board games out, she noticed a strange rash on her hand. She shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled her sleeve over it. "Not tonight, I'm just going to forget it.." she went back into the sitting room and set one of the board games out of the table. She sprang up again to fetch the radio, and turned it to a jazz station which was also giving up to date information on the storm that raged outside.

"Luna..Luna!" Gregory supported his ailing friend before she fell. "Luna what's wrong?"

"I can't walk. I'm too weak…I," Luna started to fall, and Gregory helped her rest against a tree.

"Are you sick?" Gregory pressed his palm against Luna's forehead to check her temperature. " We aren't too far away from where Pam is currently staying. If you have a fever, I'm sure she can take care of it."

Luna let her head rest against the tree. It hurt for her to breathe, her throat was in a lot of pain and her limbs were achy and weak. There was also a slight pale color to her complexion, one that worried Gregory greatly.

"For some reason my power is not working on you right now. Believe me I tried. All I can gather is maybe it is something only Pam can heal. I'm not sure exactly, there is nothing specific I can pinpoint. If Dominic was here-"

Luna shot him a glance.

"I'm sorry, I won't mention him. I didn't mean to upset you. "

"I am not interested in going to a healing house. We have to find him. Its been too long."

"But mom said…"

"I'm sorry but I just can't wait any longer. If I were gone this long Dominic wouldn't stop until he found me."

"Bet you guys will have some great reunion sex."

"What was that, Gregory?"

"Nothing. But look at yourself. You are falling apart. Maybe its stress from not finding my brother. I used to hear all the time that sometimes the worse ailments in existence come from the mind. If that is the case, you just have to have faith in him."

"But what if something happened to him?? He may be hurt somewhere and us sitting around wasting time isn't doing him much good!" Luna struggled to her feet, only to be caught once again by Gregory.

"I'm getting you help. Spark and I will search for Dominic."

She sighed and sat up straighter and looked around for the cat. "Where is Spark, anyway?"

"Well.." He grabbed his travel pack and opened up the flap. "No! No, no no!!"

"What is it?! What is wrong?"

"My tuna fish sandwich. Its all gone."

Spark smiled at Gregory. "Thank you."

Luna shook her head. "Well you were the one who put it in there."

"Is there any more?" The cat rested his paws on the outside of the bag, and Gregory looked away from him upset.

"From my reaction you should've been able to tell that it was the LAST ONE."

Spark's expression soured. "You mean there is no more food."

"That's right. No. More. Food. We are going to stop in town and get some, as well as get Luna help. Then we will resume our search."

"Fine…" Spark's belly sounded and Gregory rolled his eyes.

"Gregory I said-" she was cut short by Gregory's hand over her mouth. He took a deep breath, then spoke, "Dominic would have my tail, and probably burn my couch fort, if anything happened to you. He scares me more than Jacob when he's really pissed off."

"If she can't walk, how are we going to travel to get my food?" Spark asked drooling.

"I guess I have to carry her."

"CAN you carry her?"

"What do you think I am, weak? Think only Dominic is capable of doing things? Well let me tell you I…"

Spark's belly made another disgusting gurgling noise, which is really disturbing coming from a cat. Even Luna cringed that time.

"I'm ready to go. Maybe someone's wagon will come by and we will be able to load her on." Gregory rubbed his shoulders, flexed his arms and inhaled deeply.

"Just pick me up already." Luna glared.

"Yeah." Struggling at first, he eventually lifted her into his arms and started to walk.

Spark cleared his throat.

"Oh." Gregory walked back, picked up the travel pack, and headed out.

"It's getting late. We should find somewhere to stay before the sun sets". Luna said as she leaned back against Dominic's brother.

"I know, I know. I think Pam is going to have to tend to me too once we find her."

Luna and Spark blinked at that statement, and at the same time asked, "Why is that?"

Gregory remained silent. If he were to voice that he did not want to carry his brother's heavy girlfriend and his cat, who put on a few pounds from eating their lunch, he would be at the mercy of an angry,sick, sorceress and a feline that could remove both of his eyes.