~*~Chapter Two : It's Not Pretty~*~

Marty arrived home from school to find that her mom had just baked a pan of brownies. They were still steaming from the oven when Marty deftly stole one. "It's alright, Marty. Just help yourself," Samantha Saybrooke said with a laugh. "How was your first day of school?"

"It was good," Marty responded as she nibbled on the brownie. "I met a few new friends."

"That's great," said Samantha as she placed the pan of brownies on the counter to cool.

"Yeah, the boy next door Jason introduced me to a few of his friends. There's this one girl Megan; she seems really nice," Marty answered. "I have a lot of homework, Mom. So I think I will go upstairs and get started."

"Alright, dear. I'll see you at dinner."

Marty left the kitchen and started down the hallway. She walked right passed the library on her way to the staircase. To her surprise, she found that her dad was busy talking with one of his new patients - a teenage boy of about her age. As she glanced at young man sitting in the chair near the fireplace, speaking to her father, Marty suddenly froze in her tracks. The door was slightly ajar, so she could hear everything.

"So, tell me about these fantasies you've been having?" prompted Dr. Saybrooke.

"Sometimes I think about doing things. Really, really BAD things..."

"Please be more specific. Are we talking about violent tendencies?"

The young man nodded. "Sometimes I have a knife... and I hurt people..."

"Who are these people? And why are you hurting them?"

"I fantasize about taking a knife to school... and killing people with it," he answered. "The people who were bullying me. I don't like anyone to bully me."

"Do you get bullied a lot?" asked Dr. Saybrooke.

"I used to... but not anymore..." he said as he suddenly made eye contact with Marty.

There was something about his eyes. They sparkled with a strange amber light and they kept Marty frozen in her tracks. She couldn't move. She just kept listening as he spoke to her father.

"I need you to help me," he begged Dr. Saybrooke. "If you don't help me, I know someone's gonna get hurt."

Before her dad could respond, Marty suddenly turned and walked away. She rushed down the hallway and hurried upstairs to her bedroom. She went inside and quickly closed the door behind her.

As she turned to approach her bed, suddenly she ran into something solid. A chest. She was pressed up against his chest.

"Don't be scared," he said as he stared into her eyes.