I came home from Denver at the weekend, tired and ready to drop dead. But I couldn't sleep – I had to be alone to process what I had seen. To deal with it. So I went to the one place I knew no one went to – the Ghost Town. It felt nice to sit there and know you were alone, that you could do anything or say anything without people judging you or listening in, because no one was there. I ran my hand through my hair for the fortieth time that day. God, I needed that. I walked up over the hill, looking for my favourite bench to sit and mull over the world, when I saw her. Little Miss Sky Bright, all alone and vulnerable. How easy would it be to stab her, if I were a murderer? No one would hear her screams, and it would take days, maybe even weeks, to find her body in this mess of a place. Too easy. And I was angry with her for letting it be this way – why couldn't she be out having fun with her friends? With Nelson? Instead, she was alone here and so close to danger I could almost taste it in the air. I stepped backwards to leave, but I trod on a twig and it snapped loudly. She swivelled and her big eyes found me.

"Perfect, just what I need," I muttered angrily, taking another step backwards. She stood.

"I'm going." She said confidently.

"Forget it. I'll come back later."

"I was just heading home in any case." She contradicted determinedly. I stood there and looked at her, waiting for her to take a step away, to follow through with her words. But she just looked back. Suddenly she closed her eyes and shivered, swaying slightly on her feet.

"Please – don't do that." She said, holding her hand towards me, palm up. A stop-sign.

"Don't do what?" What was this maniac girl talking about now?

"Look at me like that." She snapped, but behind her voice there was a fragile weakness that made me listen to her and look away.

"Look at you like what?" I repeated, kicking a piece of wood on the floor.

"I don't want to talk about it." She marched off, bee-lining for the exit "Forget it." But for some reason I didn't want to forget it. I wanted to know more.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." I caught her arm to stop her, but the look in her eyes made me drop it again "Look. . . er. . . Sky, isn't it?" I rolled my eyes slowly, regretting what I was just about to do – involve myself. I almost shuddered, but controlled it and expressed my discomfort as a dark scowl instead.

"There's something you need to know."

"What?" I could sense her confusion – I hadn't even been aware that I had been connecting with her mind until then. But the connection would make things easier, make it easier to tell her.

"Be careful at night. Don't go out alone." I warned evasively. More confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"The other night I saw. . . Look, just be careful, OK?"

"No, not OK. This is one scary guy."

"You've got that right." I grunted back.

"What? I hadn't said that aloud, had I?" I swore as I realised she hadn't been speaking – she'd been thinking those things. Her mind was so clear it was almost Savant. I kicked the mining gear in frustration. Sky hugged her arms to her sides – trying to make herself a smaller target.

This is my fault, her thoughts came through again, I've done something – I don't know what – something to set him off.

"No, you haven't!" I snapped, willing her to understand that this was not her fault "None of this is your fault, you hear?" I calmed down and lowered my voice "And now I'm just scaring the hell out of you, aren't I?"

Her body froze.

"Fine." I said "I'll leave." And I slouched off and talking to myself "Well that went well, you fucking moron – you try to warn the girl and end up scaring her out of her fucking mind."

This was hopeless.