Robbie, Robyn, Kit and Sportacus sat in the living room talking. It had been a wholly confusing day and mindless conversation was ideal. Most of the topics they covered varied from the sublime to the ridiculous. Kit had regaled the group with one or two of his stories from his past days a drifter which everyone loved to hear when he'd concede to tell one. Not all of his stories were tales of woe some were interesting and others downright funny. Kit had a wealth of experience in many things and was outlandishly honest in most of his tales.

"Tell us another story Kit, please. Before I take my bath." Robyn pleaded puppy dog expression turned to maximum.

Kit chuckled; Robyn could always work around him somehow. "Ok. One more then it's off to bath and then bed for you young lady." Kit said doing an excellent impression of Robbie when he said the same thing. "I'm going to start this story with a moral. Never ever take a leak in poison oak."

"What possessed you to do that!" Robbie laughed, "but then again you did get a tattoo done down below."

"If I'd have known it was poison oak at the time I wouldn't have peed in it." Kit replied in mock anger. "Anyway, I was on the road at the time in between towns and unfortunately there were no toilets anywhere near and nature called me. Having no other alternative I had to duck behind a bush and use that. It was dark at the time as well and there were no lights either. Not having a flash light with me, which I later regretted, I had no idea what bush it was. It wasn't until the next day that it started irritating. I had to go into the nearest hospital to get it checked out and the nurse laughed at me. After that little incident I have gave up five meals worth of money to get a flash light. I've never peed in a bush since."

Sportacus shuddered at Kit's story, "I'm not surprised. That must have hurt."

"It did. I could hardly walk and I couldn't take a leak for nearly a month." Kit replied and then turned to Robyn, "Now young Robyn, bath time."

Robyn rolled her eyes and giving everyone a kiss went up to take her bath.

Because of her epilepsy Robyn wasn't allowed to lock the bathroom door in case she had a seizure in the bath and had to be got out quickly. She had also developed a rather fatal bad habit of falling asleep in the bath and could easily slide under the water. It was necessary for someone to check on her every five minutes or so to make sure nothing was wrong. Usual procedure was to knock on the door and ask Robyn if she was ok, if no answer was forthcoming Kit had been nominated to go in and check. It was less embarrassing for both him and Robyn if he did it.

In the darkness of the night no one noticed the solitary movements of a spectre in the flower garden. Shrouded in the darkness he moved silently splashing the contents of his fuel can on every single flower bed. With whatever fuel he had left Cain made a trail out of the garden. As a safety precaution he removed his gloves and struck a match. Watching the flame flicker for a moment he threw the match down and watched as a bright blue and rather beautiful trail of flame run its way into the garden.

Robbie noticed a change of light in the darkness outside and went to the nearest window. Seeing where the extra light had come from he turned around in horror just as Sportacus' crystal went off. Without another word Sportacus ran out of the house quickly followed by Kit. Going over to the phone on the coffee table Robbie dialled the number for the fire service. He had to stay in the house for Robyn's sake and had no idea what he'd tell her.

A great pillar of smoke rose in the air and an intense heat was being given off by the blaze. With the surrounding trees the whole town could easily go up in smoke. Sportacus felt relieved when the blare of sirens could be heard over the roar of the fire. Within seconds three fire trucks pulled up and the firemen inside when straight to work.

One of the firemen walked away from the garden briskly and up to Sportacus and Kit.

"I'm Fire Chief Bell. Do you own the garden?" Fire Chief Bell shouted over the noise.

Kit shook his head, "no but my fiancée does."

"Does she keep any chemicals in the garden? We need to know in case of them exploding."

"She doesn't have any. All the flowers were grown without. Do you know the extent of damage yet? It has a massive sentimental value to my fiancée." Kit asked hoping the outlook was good.

Looking behind him to see what was happening right now Fire Chief Bell shouted back, "I'd suggest your partner finds a new garden. This one is finished."

Before either Kit or Sportacus could say anything the fire chief continued in his duties. Both new that Robyn would be devastated and kept looking around every second expecting her to come running.

Robyn was spared from the noise outside by a CD she was listening to on her portable CD player. She was absolutely oblivious as yet to the destruction of her beloved garden.

Robbie couldn't bring himself to tell his daughter that her garden was gone. He couldn't find the words or the best way to break it to her. The pain the knowledge would inflict would wrench Robyn's heart in two. The garden had been Robyn's sole comfort after Robbie's death and now it was burning.

As the blaze continued a carefully buried memory began to surface in Sportacus' mind. At first he'd mouthed the words that reached his tongue but they broke out in quiet song:

"Your town will be nought but dust."

Kit turned when he heard Sportacus saying something, "what's that you said?"

"Nothing. Nothing you'd know about. Something that happened before you came. I had a nightmare about Lily attacking the town. In the nightmare she sang a song, I'm beginning to think it wasn't the ordinary nightmare. She said the town would be nought but dust and that she'd returned. Cain is here and if the fire isn't got under control quickly-"

"The town will be nought but dust." Kit interrupted. There was a striking and unnerving similarity between Sportacus' nightmare and what was happening.

Trapped in his reverie Robbie didn't notice someone silently entering the house through the open front door. It wasn't until the receiver from the phone was brought down hard on the back of his head that he sensed another presence. By then it was too late. He crumpled to the ground unconscious.

Cain smiled when he saw the limp form of Robbie on the floor. The man hadn't noticed his arrival. Kneeling down he drew a scalpel from his sleeve and held it over Robbie's neck. Snorting he raised his hand and put the scalpel back. This wasn't a good way of talking to Robyn and the man wasn't worth the trouble or the mess.

Robyn left the bathroom in her robe and went into her bedroom to fetch her pyjamas. She hummed along to the song playing on the CD as she walked back into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her she noticed the door of the medicine cabinet had been left open. 'That's odd. That was closed when I left here.' Robyn thought to herself.

Lifting her hand Robyn closed the door but screamed when she saw Cain reflected in the mirror on the front. Before she could run Cain grabbed her and bashed her head against a wall. Darkness overcame her and she slumped in his arms unconscious. The portable CD player fell from her hand and crashed to the floor.

Putting Robyn over his shoulder Cain made his escape.