I'm combining the next two chapters because they're kind of shorty ones

Chapter something or other blah blah BLAH PiñA

"There are no pets allowed in the shop. Unless you're dyslexic or retarded, I'd think you'd be able to read the huge, big ass 10-foot sign in front of the shop saying '"NO PETS."' In bold print, may I mention, I'd think you would reconsider the choice of bringing your bird into this store." The man gazed at Anne with a peculiar expression on his face, as if he hadn't expected those authoritative words to come out of her little mouth.

"Uh, I can't really help it," He said weakly, motioning to his milky white bird that pecked at his palm, "He follows me around everywhere." Anne rolled her eyes at his comment. What is it with the bird people these days? Did they completely forget about Alfred Hitchcock's movie about how birds can be completely murderous and poke your eyes out until there's nothing left but blood pouring out of your sockets? Anne gave him the look over. "You seem foreign. Where you from?" The man laughed and smiled, to Anne a smile that said, "I'm extremely flirtatious and hot, so will you go to the bar with me and then we can both get drunk and then go waddling back to my apartment and have sex?"

"I'm from Ethiopia. My name's Soralis." Soralis said without the least of a hint of accent.

"I'm from this mind-numbing, infuriating town. My name's Anne."

"Oh, I know." Soralis said with anomalous pride.

"Hee hee. Okay now, either you go or the parakeet does." Anne said plainly.

"He's a canary," Soralis replied smartly, "And there's a party down at Behimi's tonight. Consider it." With that, he walked tentatively out the door, as is to expect Anne to stop him.

"Or," Anne said softly, "You can both leave."

Anne picked up her purse and checked the mirror once more. Behimi's was the coolest bar in town, but she never had even considered going to one of their parties before until Soralis had told her about it. He's a decent guy, she thought, maybe I can try to hook him up with Tara. "Tara!" She called, "Are you coming?" Soon Anne heard the click of heals down the stairs and Tara appeared before her. "Whoa," Anne commented, startled, "What have they done with my best friend? God, Tara, you're looking hot! If I were gay, I'd totally ask you out on a date." She wore tight leather pants and a snug red midriff tank top.

"Thanks. I think!" Tara laughed, "You look awe-inspiring, too. But the whole gay thing, not going to go that far." She joked. They walked out the door and into the cool, stiff night air. The flashing lights and pounding music from Behimi's could be seen and heard from the shop five blocks away.

Before she knew it, the Tara had opened the door to Behimi's and they were officially in the coolest club in town. The club's chairs and tables were all cleared out, and it reminded her of her old high school dances, the way Behimi's looked like such a big auditorium packed with people who didn't even know how to dance. Anne was surprised and impressed when a young man came up taking their jackets out to the coatroom. "Oh, Anne, I…" Tara was stopped in mid-sentence as a younger version of Brad Pitt took her by the arm and out to the dance floor. "Uh, see you later, I guess!" She shouted as she was dragged to the pack of uncoordinated people. Anne didn't mind. She knew she'd find Adriana somewhere around, her friend from The Pug Pub who often went to parties here. When she scanned the crowd for her friend, she found Adriana standing by the counter arguing with the bartender. "Adriana!" Anne shouted, and the girl turned to her at the sound of her name. She said something to the bartender, then made her way over to Anne. "Hey, girlfriend!" She cried, "You finally made it to one of Behimi's big bashes, huh? Where's Tara?"

"Oh, she was grabbed off by some guy. I tell, you, she always gets the good ones. This one looked as if he could've been Brad Pitt." Anne complained and kidded at the same time.

"Don't worry, girl. There's a guy right over there eyeing your butt." Adriana whispered and nodded her head to a man standing behind Anne.

"Oh my god. You're so right, Adriana. Daren!" Anne shouted to him as she noticed that it was actually Daren staring at her. He gave a quick wave and a shy smile, lumbering over to her.

"Hi. Since when do you go to Behimi's? I'm here for every party. Hey," Daren suddenly said, noticing the impressive sized ring on her finger, "You're engaged? So I'm just better than him, aren't I? You're cheating on him because I'm so much more intriguing than him? Or are you just a regular two-timer who cheats on their fiancé all the time?" He said this with no hesitation, without any sarcasm or joking in his voice whatsoever, as if he had said it thousands and thousands of times over again. Anne stared at him, bewildered at what had just come out of his mouth. She looked around for Adriana, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"What did I just hear you say!?" She screamed, "How could you just judge someone like that without even knowing anything?"

"I… I just…" Daren stumbled.

"Oh, don't even start! How could you ever think I would cheat on somebody? Much less Antonio. Is this the kind of person you think I am? Do you think that I would hurt somebody I loved? Without even taking into account that he could be dead? I didn't know you were like that Daren." She said angrily.

"But Anne, I thought I was your life…" Daren pleaded.

"My life? My life! Anything but! Antonio was my life!" And just as Anne said this, there was a pause in between the songs, a pause from all the chatter, and all eyes were on her. As Anne stormed away, she could here a small voice in the distance saying, "Anne! Anne, it's me, Tara, Anne, come back!"

Darkness flooded her as Anne stepped into the coatroom, silence gloomily sat all around. She ran her hand along the wall, hoping to find a light switch, or just to guide her way thorough the dark, narrow room. She seemed to walk forever until she stumbled into something. She grasped the wall to keep her from falling, and her hand hit a switch. Bright white light suddenly engulfed her. She blinked a few times as she let her eyes adjust to the light, and looked down. She screamed. In front of her lay a girl's body. It looked as if she had been torn to shreds, bloody marks everywhere, the face unrecognizable. Anne trembled in fear as she kneeled down beside the girl, and discovered a silver bracelet around her wrist. It read "Adriana." Anne crumpled down in grief and found that on her palm was a drawing of a spotted feline, a leopard. The bloody scarred words under it read, "I'm back."

Chapter um…YEAH WELL IT'S A NEW CHAPTER SO YOU BETTER BE GLAD I'M NOT PROCRASTINATING---err I mean, enjoy!

(Chapter written by Chelsea Edwards)

Sunlight peeked out behind dark clouds, shining upon graves of those long gone. A crowd gathered around an empty grave, freshly dug and a casket lay nearby. After the priest said what was needed, four workers lowered the casket into the hole, shoveling dirt back on top to forever cover it. Engraved on the marble stone behind the grave, where the words, "Rest in Peace, Adriana Seihukani. May ((uh, day paleez)) 1975 – November 2nd, 2006." Family and friends slowly walked back into the church for refreshments.

Standing farther from the mingling mourners, Anne wiped her tear-streaked face with her hand angrily. "This has to stop."

Tara put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, they'll get what they deserve soon,"

"But that's just it! We can't wait; something has to be done now. Maybe Daren knows something about this cult," Anne wondered, deciding that she would have to ask him later.

"Hopefully," Tara commented. Once the reception ((is that even the word?)) was over, Tara went to get in the car.

"You coming in?" She asked Anne, starting up the engine.

Anne glanced back at Adriana's grave. "Nah, I'm going to stay here for a few. I can walk back home," She reassured her.

Nodding, Tara replied, "Well, if you say so. Just be careful of creepy old men and…oh, maybe creepy old women!" Laughing, she drove off.

Shaking her head with a smile on her lips, Anne approached the grave again. The smile faltered as she reread the words upon the gravestone over and over.

"How do things happen so fast?" She whispered to herself, watching the wind caress the leaves barely hanging onto the weak branches of a tree.

"Time can do funny things," A voice replied from behind her. Startled, Anne spun around to glare at the man who had intruded in her thoughts.

"Soralis!" She exclaimed, a hand to her heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Soralis flashed a grin at her. "That wouldn't be too good, would it?"

Anne groaned. "No, but I think I'd rather have one right now. Why are you here anyway?" She asked, wondering if he had any relatives that passed away here.

"Visiting family," He replied, glancing around at the gravestones. The canary upon his shoulder chirped, flapping its wings. "What about you?"

Anne paused to look at Adriana's grave, then said, "Visiting a friend." An idea suddenly appeared in her head, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about an animal cult, would you?" She asked, innocently, or what she hoped was innocent.

"Animal cult?" Soralis' eyes darkened at the two words. "Yes, I do. They murdered my parents, who were excellent at magic. The cult wanted them to make them all-powerful, and become real animal demons, you know? But my parents' wouldn't let them, and were killed for it. They stole the spell books, and when I awoke, I couldn't find them anywhere,"

"I'm sorry, but how do you know they were the cult if you were sleeping while it happened?" Anne asked.

"They left evidence. Fur, and claws. My parent's wouldn't die without a fight. I've figured out that if you have enough DNA from that stuff, you can trace it to the human, but nothing too specific. Just basic description, you know." He answered, as the first of the raindrops fell from the clouds.

"Your place? Would you mind if I came, because I… I need to know something," Anne managed to reply, hope swirling in her chest. If she could find out who murdered them, she would be able to avenge Antonio and Adriana's death.

"Alright, let's go," Soralis replied, walking off with Anne to follow.