Chapter Two

Danni stepped back quick enough to avoid a punch to the face, but not to avoid a kick to the stomach.

It was one of the guys. He had longish dark hair and a stare that could cut steel at the moment. Obviously he was venting and she just happened to be perfect to lash it out on. Well almost perfect besides the fact that they were breaking into her house. Small details.

"Fang! She's not an Eraser. We can't kill her," screamed the oldest girl.

Danni took the attackers name and placed it in the back of her mind. "Now, wait, who said anything about killing," she said. Work with one issue at a time. First live through the night then get the names down.

"No one," replied the girl.

Danni took another step back and went into a defensive stance. Always be prepared.

"So we broke into a house thinking it was empty, but its not?" said one of the guys who hadn't attack her and had one of the girls finger through his belt loop.

"Yeah. Now who are you?" Danni restrained from cursing.

"We're trying to find a place to sleep for the night and some food," said the oldest girl again.

Danni guessed that she was the leader. She nodded. "If you want there's food in the kitchen, help yourselves. That is if you promise not to slit my throat or inany other way hurt me."

Danni had a 'curse', so she put it. If she could she would help people in need out. This got in the way of her tough rebel personality. She wasn't a poser it was just who she was.

The leader nodded to the rest of the group and they made their way to the kitchen.

"I'm Max," she didn't extend her hand.

"Danni," also not extending her hand.

"Um, thanks. For the food, I mean," she looked uncomfortable.

"Listen, about the place to stay for the night you guys can stay here. My parents are gone."

Max nodded, "Thanks… again." She didn't ask where Danni's parents where. Max was big on respecting privacy.

Both girls made their way over to the kitchen. It was getting messy in there.

Max pointed to the guy who attacked Danni, "That's Fang. That's Angel," she turned her finger to a six year old girl with blond curls who looked innocent on the surface. Lucky for Danni she knew that look, she had it, and it could easily turn into fierce determination.

Then she pointed to the other older boy, "That would be Iggy and the other boy would be the Gasman," she turned to the seven year old boy. Next was the girl who earlier had a finger hooked into Iggy's belt loop, "That's Nudge she's twelve. Fang, Iggy, and I are fourteen."

Danni nodded a greeting to all of them and said hi to Iggy. She sensed that he couldn't see by his earlier comment. It turned out that she was right.

Later that Night---

All of the intruders were sleeping. Danni slipped out the back door. She liked the night. She liked the stars in the sky. Not because she thought they were romantic, but because they made her feel free. She could get lost in their pattern and forget all her problems. She rarely got to see the stars in the city and loved seeing them whenever she came to the cabin.

She walked over the wooden deck to the bench that was a few yards away. She lay down and stared up.

Bang, someone knocked into the door. Three guesses on who it was. Iggy, Iggy, and Iggy?

"What do you want?" Danni asked. It was late and even though she usually hated being disturbed while looking at the stars she didn't mind this time.

"Just to talk," Iggy replied.