The magnificence of sleep was all too easy to accept, my selfish side making the decision to remain unconscious before logic could kick in. Of course, it seemed that that had been some time ago, and I wondered briefly if I still lay on the deserted street. Before an answer could reveal itself, however, a slew of beautiful images erased my entire train of thought. I felt as though I were looking into a kaleidoscope, each pattern more colorful and intricate than the last. The fact that I was warmer than before registered somewhere in the back of my mind, though I hardly paid it any attention. Ignorance was bliss, and I was not about to give it up.

Unfortunately, it was stolen from me.

A new sensation enveloped me at that point: ice cold. I wasn't sure where it had come from, or how close it was to my person, but I certainly noticed it.

For with the cold, came memories.

Dim and hazy, I couldn't make out the first few that slid past my tired eyes. Still, this failed to bother me- my state of paradise hadn't failed me completely, after all. The images continued to increase in clarity from then on, the fog dissolving to reveal faces and locations that I knew well. My home, with its slightly worn exterior and warm, inviting occupants. Their expressions were joyful, as if relieved to see me after such a long time.

I cringed.

They're not real. They're NOT real. I chanted inwardly, just before the picturesque scene faded into another. This one was quite a bit more painful- unbearable, even. Guilt flooded through me as I attempted to close my eyes against the image of my parents. I succeeded in doing so, only to have voices replace their forms.

"Bonne nuit, le bien-aimé."

A slight pressure on my forehead.

"C'est le seul moyen."

Water flooding my nostrils, arctic and unforgiving.

"VIOLET!"

I sat bolt upright, the haunting music of my past finally releasing me. The voices faded into silence, family members into darkness. It took me a few moments to recognize the fact that I was trembling, overcome with grief and fear. Confusion also occupied a large portion of my thoughts, questioning the reasons for my sudden life review. Had I died? Was I awaiting the verdict as to what my fate should be? If that were the case, I had an idea of that outcome already.

What I had thought to be limbo was abruptly bathed in bright, pale yellow light. My eyes sought out the source of the change, locating it almost instantly. Two figures, one boy and one girl, stood on either side of the bed I now occupied. Neither could've been over the age of sixteen, their features not yet matured from childhood. This did not hinder me from regarding them with hostility, however; their eyes matched those of the mysterious man from the hospital.

Sadly, these were the only things I managed to catch a glimpse of before my vision cut to black once more.

I was floating on a cloud of numbness, where sight, sound, and all feeling proved insignificant. Not even the events of this seemingly endless day could penetrate the bubble in which I was trapped. Just as before, I found that I could not care less about this minor detail.

And, just as before, I was deprived of it.

Though the shift from fantasy to reality happened on a more gradual scale, I felt angry at the source. Why couldn't I live in peace, just for a little while longer?

I regained feeling in my fingers and toes first.

The first thing I noticed was that I was sitting upright. I hadn't yet recovered my sight, but the smooth, heavy wood of a dining chair was definitely under my fingertips. The cool surface also touched the backs of my knees, its temperature weakened by the soft fabric of the clothes I wore.

As my hearing returned, so did my memory. One thing was for sure- I had been wearing jeans before my encounter. The foreign chill on my shins indicated that this was no longer the case. I inhaled deeply, checking the air for other signs of life. My sense of smell had, likewise, been regained, and thankfully so; a strange, sweet scent hit my nose almost immediately. It was difficult to place at first, slightly familiar but so different from my own.

Slowly, almost agonizingly, blackness receded from my vision. It was a rather strange feeling. Something about it reminded me vaguely of…

"Bonjour, Violet."

Still partially coated in darkness, my eyes shot toward the being that resided in the room with me. His voice- it was most definitely a man -was soft, very much like a sigh. I wasn't sure whether to find it soothing, or alarming. Given the circumstances, I quickly decided the latter.

When, at last, the remaining shrouds of obscurity dissolved from my consciousness, I found myself staring directly at a pale, luminescent hand. Though it differed greatly from that of the man from the hospital, I could sense that this person was of the same race. My gaze swiftly roamed along the length of his arm, in search of a clue as to who was holding me captive.

Captive.

The very word infuriated me, several lifetimes of running suddenly proving themselves to be pointless. Did this person know how difficult all of that had been? Did he realize just what he'd ruined? Even worse, was he working with they very thing I was running from?

"I thought you said she could speak." someone whispered from behind me, effectively altering the course of my train of thought. Instinct replaced all else from that point, propelling me from my chair and facing me toward two additional figures.

Among them, the man from the morgue. A growl rose in my chest at the sight of him, earning me a raised brow and an amused smirk. The other man tensed at his side. This one was much bigger in comparison, large muscles made obvious by his already bulky coat. Had the circumstances been different, I would've found the image of the two of them, side by side, quite comical.

"Please, dear ones," that same, airy voice halted their impending attack. "Do not antagonize our guest."

Guest? Hardly.

Whirling around once more, I finally caught sight of the owner of this voice.

Hello again, readers! Yes, I finally managed to crank out another chapter. What did you guys think? To all of you who reviewed the previous two: Alexia, Kassandra203, Bryni-Rose, ThePurpleness, and Ferdinand Sutcliffe- thank you so much!

If you would be so kind as to review, I would really appreciate it. Thanks for reading!