A/N: It's only fair to say that I have five completed chapters ready, but after that I'll only be able to update as often as my schoolwork and current bout of mono will allow. But I'll be working hard, don't worry.

Visitor

I woke slowly, wondering why I didn't smell the faint, smoky after-scent of my incense, and why my bed was so flat, and why my shirt was so itchy. It all came rushing back to me: walking home from selling junk to old Hob, someone following, the grizzled man shooting me, slowing my heart rate and blood pressure with a special method of breathing, the woman who screamed when she found me and called the hospital, the ER, the man…wait, the man. Who was he? I didn't know, and I suddenly felt that it was imperative that I find out on the instant. I started to rise, then felt a sharp pain in both shoulders and just below my ribcage. I winced, which only hurt more. I wondered how I had survived. Even if I had managed to control my breathing to slow the blood flow, hadn't at least one of the bullets pierced a major organ or artery or something? God, was my would-be assassin's aim so poor? I smiled grimly as I lay back down slowly. The room was dark, but suddenly darkness was not comforting anymore. The shadows were cold and unfeeling now. I shivered, wanting my mom. I wondered if she had found out yet. For no reason at all, I felt tears forming at the corners of my eyes. Shaking, I closed my eyes, trying to will them away, but I soon found myself crying. I hadn't been an award-winning daughter lately, and I knew it, but I hadn't seen a problem until now. I still loved my mom and tried to take care of both of us. I dropped out of school to take odd jobs around the city. That's how I met old Hob, the wheeler-dealer who would buy whatever I had to sell, whether it be stolen goods, junk I just picked up off the street, or stuff I bought and told him was worth more than I had paid - in essence, I ripped him off. I guess he finally caught on and wasn't too pleased. I resolved to kill that son-of-a-bitch as soon as I was out of the hospital.

"Bastard," I whispered. "Bastard! He tried to kill me, that sonofabitch! Damn him! I'll kill him! I want my mom!" And I cried. I really did want my mom. I wanted to hug her and apologize for getting to be the way that I was: a thief and a vagrant. I was just trying to make ends meet for us so we could keep living reasonably well and keep our house. What if I hadn't made it and her last memories of me were of a derelict pickpocket and shoplifter? I silently promised myself that I would try to change for her. I would still help her out and try and raise money for us, but I wouldn't do any more business with shady dealers in dark alleys. But still I cried. And I realized that I hadn't cried in at least six years and it just felt so good and so bad at the same time. I turned on my stomach and buried my face in my pillow in its scratchy linen pillowcase, but I felt like I was drowning when I did that, so I turned on my back again. By and by my sobs became less violent, and I lay crying quietly, tears streaming unchecked down my face from the corners of my closed eyes. Suddenly, I felt a cool, silky hand on my forehead, gently stroking my hair. The too-smooth fingers ran lightly down my cheek, brushing away my tears. I opened my eyes and found myself looking up at the black-haired man I had seen before, now gazing down on me in concern. When he saw me staring at him, he smiled.

"You're going to be all right," he said in an echoy, strangely distant, voice. "Rest now, little one. Everything will be fine. I'm watching over you." Something in his voice made me trust him, and I smiled as I fell asleep.

"EBONY!" came a delighted, relieved cry, jolting me awake. I mumbled something unintelligible, even to my own ears, and looked around. When I saw who it was, I smiled.

"Hi Mom," I said. She just threw her arms around me, nearly choking me with her love and concern, crying for joy and relief. "Ack, Mom," I gagged. "Air."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, honey," she said, but she only squeezed me tighter. I rolled my eyes, but hugged her back. "Oh baby, I was so afraid when I heard…"

"Don't be afraid, Mom," I said. "I'm all right now. I'm gonna be fine." We sat like that for some time, until the nurse, a pretty, dark-skinned lady, came in. She smiled when she saw us. My mom pulled back and smiled at her.

"She's gonna be just fine," the nurse told my mom.

"Thank you," whispered Mom.

"I understand. I've got two of my own," replied the nurse. "I don't know what I'd do if I heard that this happened to them. But your Ebony is quite a fighter. She was determined not to die."

"Not yet, at least," I muttered, but I smiled. The nurse reflected my smile back at me.

"Well, you take care of her," she told Mom. "I'll leave you two alone, but I should warn you now that the police and C.S.I.s are going to be in and out of here asking questions. Brace yourself." I laughed, which hurt.

"Thanks for the heads-up," I said. The nurse laughed and left.

"I'm staying overnight with you tonight," said Mom. I smiled and told her I was glad.

"And I'm sorry," I added in afterthought.

"What for?" asked Mom.

"Everything," I replied heavily. "Dropping out, dealing with Hob, stealing, making you worry, everything." Damn, I was going to start crying again. To my surprise, Mom hugged me.

"I love you," she said. "I'll admit, I didn't like what you were doing. But it could have been so much worse. At least you weren't dealing or doing drugs, or selling your body. You were just trying to help, and help you did. I didn't like your methods, but we needed the money. But it's all right now. I've finally gotten a good job at Carfax, working for the Sheppards, and we're going to find out who did this and get a huge courtesy payoff. And I want you to go back to school." This caught me by surprise. Mom never told me she wanted me to do something. In truth, I enjoyed my freedom. But I didn't want to upset Mom anymore.

"OK," I said, trying not to sound resigned. Mom smiled and kissed my forehead.

The whole rest of the day was spent answering questions and talking with Mom. It was rather late when they finally stopped coming, so Mom and I decided to just go to sleep. That night, I dreamt of The Man.

Down the innumerable passages I went, in and out of ancient room filled with textiles, books, old-fashioned dinnerware, and skulls. Rows and rows of hideous skulls, each with a tag and a set of fangs. They lined the passageways I was trying to navigate. I didn't know where I was going, yet I knew I wasn't there yet. Finally I came upon a great door, locked and bolted, barricaded with a gargantuan cross, which was slightly off-putting to one such as myself who doesn't fully understand or particularly care for religion. I knew what I sought was behind the door, though, and so I opened it. I broke the lock and chains with a thought, building up a rage and concentrating it on the lock. I lifted the cross and dropped it carelessly to one side. I reached to open the doors, but they slammed open before I could even touch them. I could hear a furious voice from within the chamber, shouting unknowingly into my mind as I entered slowly.

'Fools! Those fools!

Should know, should have known!

Destined revenge, mine!

Darkness…darkness shall consume!

Blood, rivers of blood!

Break free, let me out!

Oh, hello.'

I was taken aback at this last thought. It was much gentler than the others, and I knew that they had been indirect but this last one was meant for me.

'Oh, hello, child. A visitor? Hello. You're afraid? Don't be. Perfectly safe. I won't hurt you. Come closer, please.'

I was confused by this mind-speak. He spoke in short fragments, distorted thoughts, but I could understand well enough. He was right; I was afraid. But there was something about his voice that calmed me. I ventured closer to the great silver coffin before me, from which the thoughts emanated. I ran my hand lightly over the surface, admiring the craftsmanship.

'Yes, go ahead. Look. See. Listen. Learn. Stay with me, maybe? Alone here. Only shadows and spiders. Nothing. Not even Mary.'

"Mary?" I asked.

'Mary. Keeper. Killed me. But special. You - you're special too.'

"Me?" I asked, surprised. Only my mother had ever said I was special (her and my shrink, leastways), but I never paid much attention. But the way he said it…I really did feel special. "How am I special?"

'More special…than Mary. Blood given willingly, unknowingly. Ironic, isn't it?'

I could tell he was attempting to speak more connectedly, but it was an effort. "Who are you?"

'Haha…secret now. Only ashes. All I am, ashes. Save me?'

Once again I was startled. "What do you mean? How? Why me?"

'I told you…special. Special blood. I need blood…Mary's blood…or your blood. Help me.'

How was I, a simple girl, supposed to resist such a despairing plea? "What must I do?"

'Oh, good girl, good girl. Open the coffin. Twist one of the…one of the crosses.'

I did as he said, and the lid sprang open. I gaped in horror in what I saw: a pile of pulpy ashes in the vague form of a man. "Oh God," I whispered, putting a hand over my mouth to suppress the sickness I suddenly felt. "Oh God. Oh Lord Cernnonous and Aradia, what is this?"

'You are afraid?'

"A-a little," I stammered.

'Understandable. I've looked better. I will soon. Now, blood. Over my…my mouth.'

I looked around for something to cut myself with, and spied a sharp stake lying on a table nearby. I took it up and sliced my palm with it (I wasn't about to slice my wrist!) and tried to squeeze it out in the general vicinity of his mouth. As I stood there bleeding, I watched in morbid fascination as the ashes began to change, harden, reform. I was reeling a little, dizzy from so much bloodletting. I don't know how long I stood there bleeding, but the room very slowly began to tilt backwards…or was that me? I couldn't tell. I fell into strong arms that cradled me gently, and looked up at the handsome face of a dark angel smiling down on me. I smiled a little foolishly, wondering what I could possibly have been afraid of before. What was there to fear in such a beautiful face, with no malice or evil whatsoever? And that smile…oh, how could I have been afraid?

"Are you all right?" he asked. I couldn't respond, really, so I just nodded. "Good. You'll be tired for a while, but you'll be all right." He kissed my forehead. "Thank you, child." He looked around, and I realized that he was holding me in his arms. "I'm leaving now. Would you like to come with me?" I felt my eyes brighten as I nodded. He smiled again. "Then we go." And all went black.

"Wait, don't go," I said softly.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Confused, I opened my eyes and looked around. I was back in the hospital room and Mom was sitting on the edge of a rollout bed next to me.

"Oh, it's you!" I said, and began to laugh. Mom looked at me quizzically, then just smiled. She probably thought I was just a little punchy from all the drugs I was on, which would account for the strange dream. But it felt like so much more than a dream. I sighed and sat up against my pillows. Mom looked like she was about to speak, but the nurse walked in at that moment. She was carrying a small, covered metal dish.

"Oh good, you're awake," she said, most likely meaning both of us. "Forensics are done with these, and your mother said you would want to see them." She offered the dish to me and removed the cover. Inside lay three bullets. I smiled darkly.

"She was right," I replied. "I did want to see them. And I would like to keep them, if it's permissible." The nurse looked shocked. Mom looked only a little surprised.

"You want to keep them?" repeated the nurse incredulously. "But they nearly killed you! Won't they remind you of this?"

"Yes," I said coolly. "But I'm not going to run from the past. I'm not afraid of it. I want to keep them so I will remember. And if I see old Hob again, I will show them to him and spit in his face. Dirty, stinking little-" I stopped quickly. "Please, I'd like to keep them." The nurse stared at me, but she set the dish next to my bed.

"Then they're yours, I guess," she said. "Though I still can't believe you want to keep them."

"I have plans for these," I said, smiling again. The nurse left, shaking her head.

"What are you going to do with them?" asked Mom.

"You'll see," I replied. "They're for posterity."

"Gonna show 'em to your kids one day?" asked Mom with a smile.

"Absolutely!" I said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then I grinned. "If I do have kids, I want to teach them that the world ain't so great a place. It's dangerous. I'm not going to sugar-coat it for them and then let reality slap them in the face later in life when they weren't ready for it." Mom smiled and shook her head.

"Whatever you say, dear," she said. "Now go back to sleep. Tomorrow we get ready to send you back to school."