Chapter 16

POV Lori

I sighed and knock at the door. " Who's there?" He asked. "Lori." I awnsered. Horace opened the door and looked at me. I showed him the invitation and he read it. "Echo wants me to invite you." I told him with a small smile. I saw him blush a bit. "You like her don't you?" I asked. "Why would you think that?" He asked embarressd. " Do you want me to awnser that?" I asked. He shook his head. " So what do you say?" I asked. "I'll be there." He awnsered. I nodded and headed back to my room.

I sat on the bed, playing with my blue hair. I tried not to think of my sister. My thoughts wandered to my family. Mother had four other sisters and one brother. Bridget, Cresent, Britney, Sapphire, and Clark. I shake the thoughts away. Tears spilling down my face. There was a knock on the door and I said," Come in." My voice was breaking. The door opened and I could tell it was Cindy.

"The bird told me to give you this letter. It's from 'The Cortez Manor' something like that." There was a bit of pity in Cindy's voice, as if she knew what the letter contained. I nodded and opened the envelope. Cindy sat next to me.

" Dear Lori,

I am so sorry to inform you that your aunt, Sapphire, has passed away. She was struck by lightning, most unfortunate dear. We have heard about what your mother has done to your sister and yourself, she was a mad person to send you to that place. You are welcome here at the manor, and we welcome Charlotte as well. Your cousin Ridley requests your presence at the service. She anticipates to speak to you.

The service will be on the fifteenth of January. An address is attached to this letter.

With all respect,

Uncle Clark."

Tears strolled down my face. I shoved the letter in my pockets. Ridley? I hadn't heard of her since her mom and she moved to London. She was about six years younger than me I think, or five, or four? I didn't know. "Are you okay darling?" Cindy asked. I shook my head and walked out of the room. I was sulking in the shadows of under the stairs. "Lori?" I heard Millard ask for me. I didn't awnser.

"My life is horrible!" I sobbed into my hands that held my head. I felt his presence beside me. Arms hugged me, I cried into his chest. "Mill, I want to die." I said in between sobs. "Don't say that." He whispered to me. I shook my head, the tears coming faster this time.

"What happened?" He asked. I sobbed even louder. "Too many deaths!" I screeched. It was loud enough it hurt my ears very badly. I broke away from Millard's grasp and sat away from there. I continued to sulk, Millard tried to coax me out the shadows, but I wouldn't listen. I could hear them whisper, the shadows were whispering to me. I was sure I hat lost it now.

My poor cousin Ridley. She had alwayd been... strange. She radiated top much power. And the fact that her father had left her and her mother enraged me. What kind of bastard does that?! Before she was even born! I cried even harder. I sulked and my energy drained. My throat hurt alot, my eyes were dry, I couldn't cry anymore but I still let out the continuous sobs.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the floor. I felt a small connection. I shook the thoughts away from my head. The shadows kept whispering things that didn't make sense to me.

Half Blood... The girl... Ridley... Demigod...Daughter of a god...

I screamed for them to stop. My pain hurt too much. "Stop!" I screamed again. I let out a sob again. I closed my eyes, trying to shake all the feeling and thoughts away. I just couldn't, and my dreams knew them too.

I saw a girl around my age, with blonde hair. She had...black eyes? The girl looked familiar. I felt like I knew her. The girl was stuck at the end of an alley way, her eyes turned ...red? She was being cornered, she held a warm drink in her hand. I turned to my left side and saw people in strange clothes walking towards the girl. The girl started screaming at them to go away, putting a few curse words in diffrent languages.

They wouldn't listen to the girl. Maybe it was the way her blonde hair reminded me of someone, the way it was styled. The girl wore a black simple dress. It was long and warm for any winter day. She was scared and angered. The girl had been pushed to much. She snapped.

She summoned lightning and looked at her now victims. She had a grim smile in her face, her eyes were now a mix between red and black. A voice yelled for her to stop. She did and the people she had held hostage ran away. The girl was dressed in a long black dress. I saw people pass and relized that they were diffrent clothes from the ones the girl wore. As if they weren't from the same era!

The girl looked to a pale boy, he asked her for her name. I widened my eyes as she spoke. "Ridley Cortez."

I woke up from the dream. That girl couldn't be my cousin. It just couldn't. And who was the boy? There had been snow everywhere. But the girl had looked like Ridley, from when I last saw her. Everything was odd. I stood up and saw I was still in the shadows under the stairs, only from the windows I could see stars and darkness.

I stood up and walked over to the window. I peered outside and thought about the dream. About the girl, who had been my cousin. The shadows had whispered about my cousin... a demigod? A daughter of a god. I was now sure I had lost my mind. I sat down under the window sill, my eyes staring at the light the stars gave off. My life really was not worth living for anymore. If you are wondering why I cared so much for my aunt Sapphire, it is because she was like a second mother to me. She was like a really close friend, someone who I could trust with everything.

Ridley also was an amazing little cousin. She was like a little sister, mind poor Charlotte, may her soul rest in peace. I sighed and stood up, I headed to the dining room, sitting in one of the chairs. I went to my room, careful not to wake anybody up. I took a peice of paper from the small desk and a pen. I made my way down the stairs and back to the chair in the dining room. I sat and decided to draw the meeting of Ridley Cortez and the pale angel. He has a mess of black hair and deep dark brown eyes. He was dressed in a dark shirt and dark pants. He had a black sword on his side. He looked too pale to even be human. Maybe he wasn't.

He looked cute, like an angel with a dark side. The way he stared at my cousin made me feel a little happy. He somehow seemed to know what she was, much likely said, who she was. I drew the brick walls of the alley. The complicated ground that was in between paved and dirt. I drew Ridley backing away from the people who I was angered at. They seemed to have been harmful. With the weapons at their side who wouldn't be intimidated by it? I drew the people on the ground who seemed to be officers and a lady with an apron and a man with a suit on. I added more detail, getting everything right. It came time to draw the boy, and I noticed dawn started to peek out.

How long had I been sitting here drawing? I didn't know. I continued with the boy. He wore a sad expression. His eyes held a mix of sorrow, hatred, and most of all, pain. It was as if his whole life had been built for him to suffer. The poor angel. I drew every detail, almost making it seem as if this peice of paper was a photograph of my dream. I sighed, not done yet with it. I looked out the window and saw the stormy clouds. It made me smile a bit. I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked in the direction of the owner. It was Hugh.

I ignored him. I continued to look at the replica of my drawing. It was perfect. I started to draw the boy again, until I stopped. I felt somebody behind me. "Do you mind?" I asked bitterly. I looked around to face Hugh. "Oh. Sorry, I just loved your drawing. Who are they?" He asked. I was about to awnser when I relized I myself didn't know these people, and with any luck I barley considered the girl to truly be Ridley Cortez. I decided to just go ahead with my thoughts.

"It's Ridley Cortez and the dark-haired angle." I said with a sigh as I continued to add the finishing touches. "Who are they?" Hugh asked. "I don't know about the boy, but Ridley is my cousin. I had a dream." I told him. I just needed to add the shadows to the drwaing and everything would be perfect.

I sighed as more people came. My hair wasn't brushed, I let it hang in my face. I didn't want anybody to see me. Not after what had happened. I looked down at the drwaing and smiled. I was satisfied with it. I got up and went to my room again, to put it on my bed. I would come back for it later.

December 31st

I wore a proper dress. It was a black dress, it reached below my shins. I wore matching shoes, only a little bit of glitter on them. I wrapped a gold chain around my neck. I also had a black bow for my hair. I would also be wearing this outfit for the funeral of my aunt's. I wore my hair loose, it draped my shoulders. I sighed and looked at myself in the small vanity. Emma had helped me choose the outfit.

"Did Mill, ever get back to you on the invitation?" She asked. I nodded my head. "What did he say?" Emma asked with a small smile. "He declined." I said with a sigh. Emma's smile faded. "That little-" Before she could say anything else, I put my hand on her arm. "It is okay Emma. We had a ... small arguement. It didn't matter anyhow. Not until he apologizes for what he said." Emma nodded and there was a knock at the door.

Echo came in with her hand intwined with her companion for the evening. I smiled. They made a wonderful couple. Echo looked at me. A look that asked if we were prepared to go yet. I nodded my head and struggled with the shoes a little bit. They had heels, an inch to be exact. I only had experience in shoes that were flat.

I walked out of the room and saw Echo's dress. It was a ruby red dress that was at a knee high level. She wore her hair a complicated braid, tied off with a red ribbon. The dress was almost similar to mine, just the color and length were different. Other than that, they looked about the same. It sparkled as well.

I stepped out of the room and we walked down the stairs.

A/N: Hey Guys! Please Review On This Chapter To Show You Love This Story! Sorry I Haven't Updated In A Couple Of Weeks. If You Review On This Chapter I Will Give You A Shout Out. I Am Deadly Serious. Please Review, And Just A Question. Which One Of My OC's Is Your Favorite.