It was almost done, after two days of work to settle things with some of the other street walkers, I was finally out of the business. My feelings for the strange girl who lived over the repair shop had finally broken through my defenses, and had helped to spur my current actions. Now no one from my past will be able to find me, or cause trouble in the future. I was free to live a new life, on that I planned to share.

I don't know how to do what I wanted, but I knew I was going to do it sometime soon. I had to let her know someone did care, and that I was there for her. So saying, I found myself in front of the repair shop early in the morning once more, and with a few glances, I quickly shifted to my spiritual form. I would have to get her some better locks in the future, these were just too easy.

I began my silent watching as she prepared for the day, she was brushing her hair in front of the mirror, and I let a bit of my control slip ever so slightly. I felt myself shift slightly, entering the material realm for no more than but a few seconds. I watched the girl to see if she had caught my accidental appearance, and noticed her shoulders straiten under the tension in her muscles. She had clearly gotten a brief glimpse of me, but she seemed to shrug it off and continue her morning.

I followed her out into the kitchen, where she grabbed and apple, and began to scribble something onto a piece of paper. I tried to read what it said, but the moment she finished, she practically bolted out the door, and I was forced to catch up. We were just outside when she stopped, speaking to me, "Um... Listen, I-I have to go... would you go back to my home? A-and i-i-i-if you exist leave a not on my dresser?..."

I backed off from her slightly, turning back towards the auto repair shop, but something compelled me to turn and follow her, call it a hunch but I felt like she might need me later. I stayed a little ways off, stopping as she entered the hospital, and I decided to wait outside. It wasn't too long, before she came out, crying, and with a man following her. I broke into a run, being as fast as I was, I quickly over took the man, and materialized in front of him, slightly behind a tree to avoid suspicion. As he tried to run past, still after the girl, I bared his path, knocking him to the ground, and forcing him to look down.

Making sure he couldn't see, I shifted, and took off after the girl once more. I caught up too her, right before she entered an alley, and I let my aura wrap around her, in a way I hoped would comfort her. We stayed there for a few hours, me protecting her, warding off anyone else who tried to venture down the alley, and her softly crying.

When she finally got up, she went to order food at a restaurant, but only got fries and nothing else. I had been using a substantial amount of energy trying to stay in the spirit realm, and was so famished that when she looked away, distracted by something, I materialized. I grabbed a handful of fries, eating them in one huge mouthful, then shifted back, all of this in the matter of a few seconds. Sign me up for a time trial, cause I have gotten way to good at shifting in a moments notice.

I got up and left the girl, I still had something I needed to do. I made my way back to the repair shop, and quickly worked my way into the girl's room. I grabbed a pen and some paper from her kitchen, and wrote out a note for her, when i was done I read it softly to myself, hoping it didn't sound terrible. "Hello dear girl, I am sorry if being around has caused you any sort of distress, just know I don't mean you harm. I am sorry for all the secrets I have been weaving around myself, but know that I hope to meet you for real, and in person, sometime soon."

I left the note on her desk, folded up into a square and slightly tucked away to avoid anyone else noticing it. I waited in the upstairs home, for the girl to return from wherever she was, I had begun to dance from one foot to the other in anticipation for her to return. When she finally did, she turned on her tv, and left an apple on the side table before going to start her dinner. I grabbed it, but kept it hidden until she was eating with her father, then i snuck out to go enjoy my food. I stayed in the girl's room waiting for her to return and read the not I had left, but when she showed up, she failed to notice it as she began to undress. I quickly turned away, my neck and cheeks burning as I caught a glimpse of her waist. Finally she was done, but instead of getting into bed or reading my note, she began to cry and grabbed a blade I had failed to notice. I watched in horror as she began to cut herself, not once, but three time. When she had finished, I felt a primal, instinctive anger at what i had witnessed, someone had dragged this poor girl to the bottom of a pit of despair, and I vowed whoever had done so much to hurt her would pay. I would make sure they felt some of the same pain they have caused on this beautiful, young girl.

The girl, had fallen asleep while I was busy picturing my methods of introducing her tormentors to a whole new kind of pain. My note was still unread, but my first action was to grab that dreadful knife, and opening a window softly, throw it as far as I could. I was in such a rage, someone had done this to her, and all I wanted was for her to be happy, so I stayed with her as she slept. I watched her dream, but something seemed to happen and she began to mutter and jerk around beneath her covers, and deciding to act, I leaned over and shook her gently.

It didn't take long for her to respond to my presence and attempts to wake her, and as I saw on of her eyelids flutter, I drew inn a breath. What would she say to see a strange man leaning over her in her bed, I froze with fear, unable to shift back into the spirit realm as her eyes locked onto mine.

"Shadow...?"

Slowly, I shook my head, clearing my voice, my throat was suddenly very dry, I spoke to her softly. "It's ok, my name is Wraith. I have been with you for a while now, and I noticed you having a nightmare. You aren't alone any more, pretty one, I will be with you."

For some reason, she just nodded her head, and closed her eyes. I slowly moved up and away from her bed, allowing myself to shift back into the spirit realm, and I felt myself flow around her, settling like a protective blanket. Within minutes, she was asleep, and as I watched over her, she seemed at ease and no more nightmares plagued her dreams.