FAGEtastic Four

Title: October

Written For: Aurelle Angelus

Written By: BeMyHeroSeverrus

Rating: T (Language in this chapter)

Summery/Prompt Used: A forest to end it all will also begin it all for Zinnia. The Dark Stranger has come and took the breath out of Zinnia. He has his secrets and she has hers. will their secrets bring them together or tear them apart.

Chapter Seven: Mysterious Happening.

It was whispered all over town. There were strange murders occuring in neighboring towns. People seemed to be just dropping dead for no good reason. They were perfectly healthy apart from being dead. Wild theories and rumors spread quickly around town.

Zinnia took no part in this. She had her own distraction. Tobias had become more distant then usual. His manners were slightly off and a quizzical expression could be found on his face when he thought she wasn't looking. Something had him worried, but what was it.

The answer came on the evening of May 18. Tobias had invited Zinnia over to his place. But she was met with confusion and a million questions. His flat wasn't decorated. It was back to its original state of boxes and random junk.

Zinnia raised her eyebrows in question, "what's going on?"

Tobias stood stony faced and calmly replied, "I'm leaving."

Zinnia tightened her jaw. "Yes I can see. But that still does not answer my question."

"I'm leaving town and you." He said blantly.

"So you've said. Why? Where? What's going on?"

"I cannot tell you. I'm leaving. I'm sorry to..."

"You're sorry!" Zinnia blurted out. "You're leaving and you're bloody well sorry? What the hell Tobias!"

Tobias stood for a moment stunned. Zinna was not one to lose her temper. She was sweet and quiet. Her patience dumbfounded him at times. This temper though he was not expecting. He would have been more comfortable if she bursted into tears.

"I don't expect you to understand. You know nothing of what goes on in the world; in my world."

"Thats because you don't let me in! You keep yourself detached and alone! I'm trying to understand!"

"There seems to be much you don't understand."

His voice was icy and dangerous, but Zinnia didn't care. He was leaving her just like that. Not an explanation. Nothing just 'goodbye and thanks for the snogging sessions.'

"You're just gonna walk out the door like that. Not even considering how I might feel? Don't you think of anyone besides yourself? You selfish prat!"

"Selfish? You have no idea what I've given up. What I've done. You don't know what kind of person I am."

"Who are you then? Some sort of criminal on the run? A double secret agent? A murderer? Well! Who are you then? TELL ME!"

"You will never understand. You are so blissfully ignorant to the ongoings on the world. You made for a nice distraction, but I'm leaving now."

"YOU ASS! YOU SELFISH JERK! YOU BLOODY COWARD! DON'T YOU CARE AT ALL? DID I MEAN NOTHING FOR YOU TO JUST DUMP ME LIKE THAT? WHY THE HELL EVEN LET ME IN? I CARE ABOUT YOU! YOU DENSE ASS!"

"I DO CARE!" He roared back, his own temper getting the best of him. "I'M LEAVING BECAUSE I CARE. I HAVE GIVEN UP SO MUCH AND LOST PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT. THIS ISN'T AS EASY AS YOU THINK IT IS."

"IT BLOODY WELL LOOKS THAT WAY! FINE GO! GET THE HELL OUT! HAVE A NICE LIFE ALONE! I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! SOD OFF PRAT!"

With a cold glare Tobias walked out and away from Zinnia.

It took few minutes for her breathing to return to normal. As she stared at the door, she began to sob. It hurt, somewhere deep within it felt like she had died. Just like that he was gone as quickly as he came. Maybe she should have seen it coming. But they had been happy and everything was going great. To say this was expected was an understatement. She was completely clueless as to what would cause Tobias to behave in such a way. Her heart heavy and eyes red, Zinnia walked home; alone.

Summer had come to Bexhill and though Zinnia looked at every little sign for a hint of Tobias; he was gone. The town soon realized and though they never asked Zinnia directly; she still heard their whispers.

Nothing could distract Zinnia's mind. Not her tea shop or the noise of summer. She went through the motions not really feeling. She had a lot of disappointment in her life and this was definitely in her top three. Her depression continued and has fall came back to Bexhill Zinnia was devastated. She had first met Tobias, her Dark Stranger, in the beginning of fall and now he was gone.

She sat at her counter. It had been five months since Tobias walked out. Just like that. Leaving Zinnia with more questions then answers. Though time seemed to fly by, within it had seemed like an eternity. How much longer could she last? Not long, she knew that. Halloween was close and she didn't want to be alone this year.

With a heavy sigh she closed her shop. She stood out in the cold wind for a minute. An owl flew over head and out of sight. Halloween was a still a few days away. But tomorrow Zinnia will close the shop early. She would relax over the weekend and open again on Wednesday, November first. She headed home dreading the next few days.

Saturday morning rose, the day bleak and grey. Zinnia opened her shop a frown firmly placed on her face. When the earlier risers of the town came in for tea, she will smile. For now in the quiet shop she will frown.

The bell above her door rang and though Zinnia was about to smile, she suspected that it came out more as a grimace. Two strangers had entered her shop. A stocky, shoulder slumped woman with stubby fingers and an equally lumpy man, with tiny eyes. Something inside Zinnia warned her to be careful. Indeed after Tobias she was now warily of strangers.

She rearranged her face in what she hoped was a welcoming smile. "Hello. Welcome to Green Tea. Can I help you?"

"Are you the owner of this shop?" The woman asked. She had a strange voice, there was a wheeze behind it, as if she had recently altered her voice but hadn't quite succeeded.

"Yes I am, Zinnia Shine."

"I'm Amy Prince and this is my brother Alex Prince."

Zinnia's heart gave a flutter at their surname but she made no move of recognition. "Pleased to meet you. Was there something I can help you with?"

Something passed behind the womans eyes that Zinnia did not miss. There was something very off about these two and they had come specifically for her, already knowing her name. Their movements and manners were practiced, as if holding back something. Zinnia knew this look. Seen it before and barely came out of it alive last time.

"We are looking for someone, our brother." She paused expecting Zinnia to respond, when she didn't the woman continued. "His name is Tobias and we heard he has been here a lot. Our mother has just died and we want him to come back home."

There was no family resemblance to Tobias and these two. These two before her were related no doubt. "I'm afraid your five months late. He left without confiding in me. I have no idea where he is." Zinnia resisted the urge to add, "and if I did I wouldn't tell you anyway."

Something flashed across the womans face. She seemed to be holding in her temper. Quiet unexpectedly she smiled, a twisted force smile, and said somewhat politely, "Thank you." They left without a word.

Zinnia went about her day in a haze. Those two were liars and bad news. There was something so terribly off about them, it uneased her to no end. When she got home she locked every single lock in her house and told Echo to be on his guard.