A/N I do not own, blahdy blahdy blah.
Halloween. A day when little kids dress up in costume, and get candy for no particular reason. A day when dentists around the world rub their hands in glee and get ready for the coming wave of patients. When Shadow Hunters around the world suit up to kick some demon butt. Or-if you're me- a day that brings endless pain. When the portal of this dimension and the next is at its thinest. A day where it takes me two hours to get out of bed.
I grumble as I role out of bed, but am instantly on the look out for any tell tale silvery glows. So far so good. But you never know, especially with today. I creep out into the hall, as if being silent helps me to avoid them, as if they aren't naturally drawn to me. I wish.
I creep up to the living room door, clutching the solid hunk of aquamarine that hangs around my neck. It usually glows when they're around, but for now, it's just a pale blue. I sigh and straighten up, hand going to the handle to open-
"We have to tell her." I freeze. It's my mum talking in a hushed tone.
"You know we can't. She'll freak out. I thought we agreed she would be raised as if she wasn't any different. . .about the blood." I lean closer to try and catch my dads voice. Are they talking about me? I hear my mum sigh.
"I know. But i don't want this to turn out like it did with Jocelyn and me. I don't want her to hate us. And haven't you noticed how quiet she's been the past week? What if she suspects, or heard something somewhere?" I frown and lean away. What aren't they telling me? I go to lean back in, until i realize my parents conversation isn't the only thing i can hear.
"Skin against skin, blood and bone."
I freeze, the haunting voice of a woman flowing down the corridor.
"You're all by yourself but your're not alone."
I hear the rustle of skirts behind me, hot breath fluttering against my neck. It has started.
"You wanted in and now you're hear. Driven by hate, consumed by fear."
Out of my peripherals, I see a shimmering silver. My breath quickens. Please God not now. Not with my parents on the other side of the door.
Suddenly i fall forward. My training kicks in and i roll, lessening the impact. I look up. My dad blinks down at me.
"Emma? Are you okay?" I blink, my breath still in gasps, and stare at the doorway. She's gone.
"Emma?"
"I'm fine." But my eyes don't leave the door.
"No. Fricken. Way." Ally swivels in her swivel chair and stares at me, blue eyes wide in disbelief. We're in her bedroom; every article of furniture is black with black walls. Random gold paint flecks the walls. Like some one has thrown a bucket of paint at them. Make up litters her sparkly vanity. She gets it from her mum.
"In front of your parents? Like, they could see?" I bounce uncomfortably on her bed and snort.
"Of course they couldn't see. Besides nothing happened, she was just there."
"She?"
"Who knows who it was." I play with the hem of my worn t-shirt.
"Have you had any other scares?" I frown at my sneakers.
"Yeah, but they're just hovering, or reaching out to touch me. No deaths." Yet. The door cracks open and i jump, but it's just Aunt Isobelle, Ally's mum. Of course, why bother to open a door when you can just float through a wall.
The only thing that's different about Aunt Isobelle and Ally is their eye colour. That's it. They even dress the same, and act the same. It's scary. Sometimes I see Uncle Simon looking at them in confusion, like how-the-hell-did-i-get-her-and-why-did-i-make-a-carbon-copy-of-her-and-unleash-them-into-the-world. Sometimes I agree with him.
"Hey kids, we're off to hunting with the other 'rents. You sure you don't want to come?"
I shake my head and murmur a quiet 'no thank you'.
"No mum, and seriously? 'Rents? Stop trying to be cool." Aunt Isobelle huffs and slams the door. Oh they are definitely alike.
"Come on." Ally grabs my hand and drags me out into the living room. She crosses to the adjoining kitchen and pulls open the fridge door.
"You want something to eat?" She asks, her head buried in the fridge.
"Depends, are you making it?" She nods affirmative. "Then no." She straightens, eyes narrowed, giving me what Uncle Simon calls The Isobelle Death Stare. I must admit it is quite impressive. Suddenly her eyes widen and she stares at my throat. The necklace is glowing.
"Not on the figgen rug!" But I'm not listening. I'm staring at the wall opposite the T.V. It's covered in family photos. Photos of a gap toothed Ally, pigtails and all, of us and Dave at the park. Of all the parents when they were younger, standing together and grinning. And I'm staring at the man in front of the photos. His wizened body is hunched over, a long black cloak flapping out at his ankles. His skin; charred and peeling from the bones. Whisps of grey hair fly out from is head in a breeze that only he can feel. He grins at me, showing black, decaying teeth. All around him is a shimmering silver light.
I feel myself get sucked into the black whole that are his eyes; transported to another place, another ending of a life. I'm lying in bed. Outside of the tiny shack, the wind howls and thunder cracks, lightening lighting up the sky. I hear a snap and see lightening hit a tree, setting the trunk on fire. The tree teeters dangerously, then falls in the direction of the shack. It crashes through the wall and pins my legs. Agony shoots up through my torso and I let out a shriek. The destroyed wood of my home rains down on me and a splinter pierces my chest. Warm blood trickles down my chest, and as i scream, I can feel the wood scraping against my ribs. An uncomfortable heat is licking at my legs; turning into a full blown flame. The fire has passed from the tree to me. The flames crawl up my body. I scream and scream, but I can't escape the pain, the agony. There is no way out. The rain beats down on my head and i have just enough time to wonder how i could be on fire if it's raining. But the thought swiftly passes from my head as the fire spreads to my head. The pain. The pain. I can smell the burning of my flesh as it pulls away from the bones. I gag and choke. But then the feeling isn't so bad. There is no feeling at all. Black flutters at the corner of my vision and i want so badly to give in. I can't take this. Mercifully, the black gets closer together, my vision fading, thoughts flitting out of my mind. I let them. I let go. The pain is lessening as i forget who I am. I forget why i should fight the black, so i don't. I can hear a girl screaming in my ear, telling me to get up, but the noise is fading, so i ignore it. I give in.