Rule #5: 'Character backgrounds should always be sympathetic. It makes flaws much more interesting.'

"Eli." Sybille went on speaking, smiling down at her brother. "This is Mr. Vincent Jenner and Seth."

The boy appeared to be 14, perhaps 15 at the oldest. His hair was a matt of tawny locks that appeared just long enough to obscure eyes a deep, cerulean blue. He bore a great resemblance to Sybille and aside from their heir and evident difference in ages they could have been twins. Eli appeared none to pleased; perhaps as irritated over it as Vincent was for he accorded them no more then a polite nod, which he seemed to give only to appease his sister.

Seth flashed a grin, lifting a dripping hand in greeting to the boy. "Yo!"

Eli ignored him.

"I'm so sorry again for the inconvenience." Sybille said, frowning softly. "Eli and I won't be any trouble. Will we Eli?"

The boy brushed his sister's fingers away and set his own hands to the wheels of his chair. The words 'I'll wait by the car' where murmured under his breath and he directed himself out the door. Sybille's resulting sigh was injured and worried.

"Whoa. What's he mad about?" Seth questioned.

"I'm sorry." Sybille amended. "He's been like that since the break in. You see he was in bed at the time and his chair wasn't near and so...well...he's been a bit bitter about that whole thing. Ever since out father died Eli believes he should take care of me and both of us almost being killed made him feel..." she floundered for a word.

"Useless." Vincent supplied without a drop of sympathy. He ignored the look of surprise Sybille gave him and the glare Seth directed at him. "He needs to grow up and get over it. You don't mope over being weak, you get tougher."

"You're such a jerk, Vincent." Seth muttered although he didn't rebuke the statement.

"I'm really sor-"

"Quit apologizing." Vincent interrupted, lifting one of the bags. "It's Heaven I blame for this crap." And then he disappeared back out the door with Sybille's suitcase in tow.

"Um..." Sybille blinked at the empty air where he had stood, at a loss.

"Don't worry. You'll like him more once he's had coffee." Seth attempted in reassurance, taking it upon himself to lift another of her bags. "We'd better go. I can't really guarantee that he won't leave without us."

"Oh dear."

"So, what happened to you parents?" Seth asked, leaning over the front seat to glance at Sybille who sat in the passenger's side.

"Well..." She glanced back at Eli who was sat in the backseat with Seth. The boy was turned away however, gaze locked somewhere between the window and he didn't seem to be paying any attention to the car's occupants. "They died in a car accident actually. About 4 years ago."

"Wow."

Sybille nodded. "It was raining. It was one of the first times that they'd both been home, usually they're off at work, and they'd gone to party. I couldn't go because I was working and so it was just them and Eli." Sybille's voice dropped as did her eyes, settling them on her lap. "The roads were really wet and they were arguing about something that had happened at the function. They were run off the road by a truck. Mother and father both tied and Eli's legs were crushed. That's how he ended up in the wheelchair. He was only 12 at the time."

"I'm sorry. Who took care of you after that?"

"We didn't have any family. I was just 16 and so I couldn't be Eli's legal guardian but I didn't want us split up and sent to orphanages. So I paid someone to pose as family."

"You paid someone? Really? And they believed that?"

Sybille nodded. "They weren't all that concern with the care taking of two kids from a rich family. They accepted Eleanor as our Aunt and I took care of Eli after that. It wasn't had really. Mother and father weren't around very much and so I had taken care of him for most of our lives before the accident."

"That's real sad. And now someone wants to kill you both. Hey!" Seth sat up suddenly. "Do you think it could be that Eleanor woman?"

Sybille shook her head slowly. "No. Eleanor was a very old woman. She died a little over a year ago."

"Oh." Seth, rather dejected sank down into his seat again.

"So just how many people know about this text thing?" Vincent spoke up suddenly.

Sybille turned to look at him, his face illuminated by the passing streetlights. "Quite alot, I'm afraid. It's a very popular artifact and there was even a whole article about it in a couple of historical magazines."

"Great." Vincent grumbled.

"So just what is?" Seth questioned.

"It's a scroll written by one of our ancestors. It supposedly dates back over two thousand years so it's very old. What makes it even more valuable is that it's still in very good condition."

"So what does it say?"

"I don't know exactly. I've never read it and our parents never allowed anyone else to either. I was always more worried about Eli and I to be curious about it before this."

"Here." Vincent spoke again as the care slowed to a halt against the curb.

The house they'd halted infront of was a huge, Victorian style home. The house itself appeared teetering between average and run down, fragments of roof hanging over precariously. The white pain was chipped and peeling, revealing the brown planking beneath it. The front steps were cracked, a large chunk of the top stair missing. The front yard was an overgrown tangle of weed and uncut grass, broken only by the stone walkway that led to the front door.

"Sorry about the house. Vincent's a lazy bum."

The man in question glared at him then unlocked the doors. "Get out."