p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" align="center" 3 Months later/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" emAngel./em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The name was etched into the bottom corner of the mirror. Each morning Experiment 177 woke up and inspected her reflection in the cracked, musky mirror, her eyes glossed over the name. Experiment 177 braced her hands on the sink, a feeling of bile rising up in her throat. Her breath came in quick, short bursts. It was happening again. Each morning Experiment 177 woke up, a wave of sickness would roll through her. The world would spin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She asked about it, whenever someone was sent inside her Isolation room. The answer was always the same, though: It's normal. At first, she thought they were putting something inside her food./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Then, she wondered why she would even think of that at all./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She was an experiment. Created by the Superior. Nothing more./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The past few weeks have been strange. She'd begun to grow taller, until her toes peeked out from the sheets on her bed. Her hair grew longer, and her voice deepened. Perhaps that's why she thought there was something in her food and water. Or, perhaps it was the fact that details dating back even a few days were getting harder to remember. All her memories were fuzzy images, broken bridges just beyond the reach of light that she could never touch./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She didn't even know her name./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She shut her eyes and shook her head. No, of course she had a name. It was Experiment 177. Although, it was very different from the people who walked in with white lab coats and formal uniform./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The metal door in the corner of her room swung open./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Two scientists entered, followed closely by men holding ridiculously pink rifles./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Experiment 177," One of them acknowledged. "Follow us. Quietly."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 followed them./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Do you know why you're here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yes."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Tell me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I am your creation. My purpose is to be a weapon. The most powerful weapon on earth." They were the words she's been told whenever somebody came into her Isolation chamber. And the weeks she was left alone, the words bounced off the walls, echoing back at her monotonously, like the ticking of a clock./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Superior smiled. "That's right. And I presume you've noticed the growth spurts?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" So it wasn't her imagination. She nodded./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "We're doing that to make you stronger. You were young when you first discovered your powers, and you were in the hands of the enemy. They forced you to hide your powers, and they took your memories of this place. That's why you can recognize any of it. Now, you're back. I can teach you to unleash your powers. To let them go wild in the destruction of your enemies. Because deep inside, you know that's what you want."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 bit her lip, staring at the floor. "All I remember is a dark room. I don't remember emotions. I don't even remember growing up here."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "You were born here, and taken at a young age, so your memories were still fragile at the time. However, things will be different now," He stood from his chair, knelt in front of her, and… touched her. He rested his hands on her shoulders, giving a warm genuine smile. It was the most emotional thing Experiment 177 had seen in her entire, short-lived life. "I promise."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" For the first time, Experiment 177 gave a smile./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Superior rose to his feet. "Do you now who your enemy is?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yes. The Elite Rebels."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Good," The doors slid open behind Experiment 177 as the Superior continued. "You may leave now. The others are waiting."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 stood up and left./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" When the doors shut behind her, the Superior gave a sick, twisted smirk. Darkness stirred in his eyes. He spoke in a voice dripping with sarcasm, remembering the name that Elite Rebel leader called her. "emAngel/em."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "What's your name?" The woman opposite of her wearing a hoodie inquired./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Experiment 177."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The woman smiled. "I meant your name."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She dipped her head a little. "…Experiment 177."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Oh. So they didn't give you a name. Then I guess you're like me," She pulled back her hoodie, revealing fuzzy wolf ears and a fluffy tail that swished through the air. "The humans call me Experiment 176, but you may call me Misty."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 blinked. "Are those real?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Misty's ears perked up, showing them off. "Yes! Had them ever since I was born. I'm not human like the rest of them."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Were you born here in the labs?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Misty went silent for a moment. "It's best we don't talk about where we come from around here."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Oh." Experiment 177 didn't question her further./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Over Misty's shoulder, Experiment 177 caught sight of a boy hiding in the shadows, watching them. He seemed… curious./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Who's that?" Experiment 177 pointed at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Once the boy noticed that she acknowledged him, he pulled his hoodie lower to shadow his face, and he was gone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Another one of the experiments. He is lucky he has more freedom than us. He does get bullied, though. For being different. Poor boy. His name is Dan."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Why doesn't he come talk to us?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "He's not allowed to. Ever since the Superior—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author sat back in her chair, dragged her hands down her face and groaned. "This is emnot/em going the way I planned it." She stared out the window into the night, looking away from her laptop. Already, her eyes were staring to burn from the high exposure to the screen./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Hm… I could do… Nah, that won't work. I need new ideas!" She closed her laptop screen and sighed. "Whatever. It's late. Normal college students don't stay up until 4 AM writing books and arguing with characters. And we don't talk to ourselves either."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author shut off her lamp and turned away from the desk, unaware that her laptop screen lit up her keyboard, even as it was closed. She grabbed her water bottle. Empty. She gave the dark staircase a long, distrustful glance./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "What'cha writing?" A dark voice came from behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author gasped and whirled around. Nobody was there. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, finally realizing how itchy they were. "Better get some sleep. I'm staring to halluci—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" A crash came from the darkness outside her room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author's blood froze inside her. Someone was emdefinitely/em in the house./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She picked up her desk lamp to use as a weapon, slapping her pockets for her phone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Looking for this?" The same voice./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author whirled around, coming face-to-face with a silhouette against the moonlight. He held her phone in his clawed hand, crushing it with two fingers. "Oops. Doesn't matter, anyways. These devices are as out-dated as the old man." He snickered at his own joke./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Who the hell are you?" The Author demanded, raising her lamp over her shoulder, like getting ready to swing a bat. How did this stranger get inside the house? The alarm never went off. Perhaps the crash she heard was a window being blown open./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Are you an author?" He began to close the distance between them./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author tried to back away, but she hit a wall. "Stay back!" She swung her desk lamp./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger moved at impossible speeds, grabbing the lamp with one hand, and her neck with the other. He blocked her airway. "emAnswer me! Are. You. An. Author?/em" He demanded, his eyes turning blood red./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author blinked. Must've been a trick of the light, or her mind spitting out images. "Y—Yes! Let me go!" Her mouth opened and closed, futilely trying to fill her lungs with air before they collapsed. Her vision grew dark./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger smiled, showing sharp teeth. "That's all I need to know. I'm surprised you don't recognize me, though."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Shadows swirled out behind him, opening up into a tree of light. The Author swore she saw that tree somewhere before./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger ripped away his hoodie, revealing horns protruding from his skull. The Author gasped, unable to stop herself. He reminded her of Hellboy. But that wasn't why he looked so painfully familiar./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger pressed his ear-piece. "Yeah, I've got her. I'm heading back. This realm sickens me." He turned to face her. "You're coming with me." He began walking back towards the tree as the Author struggled against his iron grip. "Get the fuck away from me, weirdo! LET THE FUCK GO!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger let his feet leave the ground, and they fell backward eminside/em the tree./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Suddenly, the Author was falling into darkness, but she still felt the stranger's grip on her. She struggled harder than ever, kicking and punching at nothing./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Eventually, she felt her foot collide with a stomach. His grip on her throat relinquished, and she took a huge gulp of tainted air./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Then, she was hurtled into the nothing./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" emAngel./em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The name was etched into the bottom corner of the mirror. Each morning Experiment 177 woke up and inspected her reflection in the cracked, musky mirror, her eyes glossed over the name. Experiment 177 braced her hands on the sink, a feeling of bile rising up in her throat. Her breath came in quick, short bursts. It was happening again. Each morning Experiment 177 woke up, a wave of sickness would roll through her. The world would spin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She asked about it, whenever someone was sent inside her Isolation room. The answer was always the same, though: It's normal. At first, she thought they were putting something inside her food./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Then, she wondered why she would even think of that at all./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She was an experiment. Created by the Superior. Nothing more./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The past few weeks have been strange. She'd begun to grow taller, until her toes peeked out from the sheets on her bed. Her hair grew longer, and her voice deepened. Perhaps that's why she thought there was something in her food and water. Or, perhaps it was the fact that details dating back even a few days were getting harder to remember. All her memories were fuzzy images, broken bridges just beyond the reach of light that she could never touch./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She didn't even know her name./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She shut her eyes and shook her head. No, of course she had a name. It was Experiment 177. Although, it was very different from the people who walked in with white lab coats and formal uniform./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The metal door in the corner of her room swung open./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Two scientists entered, followed closely by men holding ridiculously pink rifles./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Experiment 177," One of them acknowledged. "Follow us. Quietly."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 followed them./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Do you know why you're here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yes."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Tell me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I am your creation. My purpose is to be a weapon. The most powerful weapon on earth." They were the words she's been told whenever somebody came into her Isolation chamber. And the weeks she was left alone, the words bounced off the walls, echoing back at her monotonously, like the ticking of a clock./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Superior smiled. "That's right. And I presume you've noticed the growth spurts?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" So it wasn't her imagination. She nodded./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "We're doing that to make you stronger. You were young when you first discovered your powers, and you were in the hands of the enemy. They forced you to hide your powers, and they took your memories of this place. That's why you can recognize any of it. Now, you're back. I can teach you to unleash your powers. To let them go wild in the destruction of your enemies. Because deep inside, you know that's what you want."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 bit her lip, staring at the floor. "All I remember is a dark room. I don't remember emotions. I don't even remember growing up here."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "You were born here, and taken at a young age, so your memories were still fragile at the time. However, things will be different now," He stood from his chair, knelt in front of her, and… touched her. He rested his hands on her shoulders, giving a warm genuine smile. It was the most emotional thing Experiment 177 had seen in her entire, short-lived life. "I promise."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" For the first time, Experiment 177 gave a smile./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Superior rose to his feet. "Do you now who your enemy is?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yes. The Elite Rebels."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Good," The doors slid open behind Experiment 177 as the Superior continued. "You may leave now. The others are waiting."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 stood up and left./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" When the doors shut behind her, the Superior gave a sick, twisted smirk. Darkness stirred in his eyes. He spoke in a voice dripping with sarcasm, remembering the name that Elite Rebel leader called her. "emAngel/em."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "What's your name?" The woman opposite of her wearing a hoodie inquired./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Experiment 177."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The woman smiled. "I meant your name."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She dipped her head a little. "…Experiment 177."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Oh. So they didn't give you a name. Then I guess you're like me," She pulled back her hoodie, revealing fuzzy wolf ears and a fluffy tail that swished through the air. "The humans call me Experiment 176, but you may call me Misty."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Experiment 177 blinked. "Are those real?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Misty's ears perked up, showing them off. "Yes! Had them ever since I was born. I'm not human like the rest of them."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Were you born here in the labs?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Misty went silent for a moment. "It's best we don't talk about where we come from around here."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Oh." Experiment 177 didn't question her further./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Over Misty's shoulder, Experiment 177 caught sight of a boy hiding in the shadows, watching them. He seemed… curious./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Who's that?" Experiment 177 pointed at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Once the boy noticed that she acknowledged him, he pulled his hoodie lower to shadow his face, and he was gone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Another one of the experiments. He is lucky he has more freedom than us. He does get bullied, though. For being different. Poor boy. His name is Dan."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Why doesn't he come talk to us?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "He's not allowed to. Ever since the Superior—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author sat back in her chair, dragged her hands down her face and groaned. "This is emnot/em going the way I planned it." She stared out the window into the night, looking away from her laptop. Already, her eyes were staring to burn from the high exposure to the screen./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Hm… I could do… Nah, that won't work. I need new ideas!" She closed her laptop screen and sighed. "Whatever. It's late. Normal college students don't stay up until 4 AM writing books and arguing with characters. And we don't talk to ourselves either."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author shut off her lamp and turned away from the desk, unaware that her laptop screen lit up her keyboard, even as it was closed. She grabbed her water bottle. Empty. She gave the dark staircase a long, distrustful glance./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "What'cha writing?" A dark voice came from behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author gasped and whirled around. Nobody was there. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, finally realizing how itchy they were. "Better get some sleep. I'm staring to halluci—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" A crash came from the darkness outside her room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author's blood froze inside her. Someone was emdefinitely/em in the house./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She picked up her desk lamp to use as a weapon, slapping her pockets for her phone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Looking for this?" The same voice./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author whirled around, coming face-to-face with a silhouette against the moonlight. He held her phone in his clawed hand, crushing it with two fingers. "Oops. Doesn't matter, anyways. These devices are as out-dated as the old man." He snickered at his own joke./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Who the hell are you?" The Author demanded, raising her lamp over her shoulder, like getting ready to swing a bat. How did this stranger get inside the house? The alarm never went off. Perhaps the crash she heard was a window being blown open./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Are you an author?" He began to close the distance between them./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author tried to back away, but she hit a wall. "Stay back!" She swung her desk lamp./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger moved at impossible speeds, grabbing the lamp with one hand, and her neck with the other. He blocked her airway. "emAnswer me! Are. You. An. Author?/em" He demanded, his eyes turning blood red./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Author blinked. Must've been a trick of the light, or her mind spitting out images. "Y—Yes! Let me go!" Her mouth opened and closed, futilely trying to fill her lungs with air before they collapsed. Her vision grew dark./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger smiled, showing sharp teeth. "That's all I need to know. I'm surprised you don't recognize me, though."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Shadows swirled out behind him, opening up into a tree of light. The Author swore she saw that tree somewhere before./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger ripped away his hoodie, revealing horns protruding from his skull. The Author gasped, unable to stop herself. He reminded her of Hellboy. But that wasn't why he looked so painfully familiar./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger pressed his ear-piece. "Yeah, I've got her. I'm heading back. This realm sickens me." He turned to face her. "You're coming with me." He began walking back towards the tree as the Author struggled against his iron grip. "Get the fuck away from me, weirdo! LET THE FUCK GO!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The stranger let his feet leave the ground, and they fell backward eminside/em the tree./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Suddenly, the Author was falling into darkness, but she still felt the stranger's grip on her. She struggled harder than ever, kicking and punching at nothing./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Eventually, she felt her foot collide with a stomach. His grip on her throat relinquished, and she took a huge gulp of tainted air./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"Then, she was hurtled into the nothing./p