A/N: Why does all my writing seem to take place between midnight and sunrise? This is not good for my sleep pattern. Bah, who needs sleep? Anywho, thank you all to the reviewers and I hope you enjoy your new chapter.

The M rating should probably be heeded from here on out, also the whole 'abusive environment' starts to rear it's ugly head here, so some people might be uncomfortable with that.

This particular chapter seemed to take forever to write, so much so that I swear it should be twice as long. But I had a lot of trouble with the first section for some reason, I knew what I wanted to put there, mostly, but I had trouble with the order of things. Hopefully it turned out alright.

Chapter 1 - Encounter

The night was cold and quiet as Rachel shrugged deeper into her hoodie, the hood pulled forward and obscuring her face as the silver moonlight guided her steps down concrete paths. The hour was late and the streets weren't really any place for a teenage girl to be wandering all alone, but Rachel had no inclination to return to her home just yet. The streets are probably safer for me anyway, she mused to herself as her feet took her where they would. It was a decent sort of neighborhood, so there was no one about, which suited Rachel perfectly, but if a suspicious individual did spot her, they'd probably mistake her for one of their own and leave her be.

Earlier that night, Rachel had escaped the hell that was her home when her Father had started drinking early in the evening. She knew to stay out of His way when He was in His cups - not that it worked a lot of the time - but when He started so early, things never ended well, no matter what she did. So, as soon as she'd been able, Rachel had used the excuse of homework to go to her room, unlock her window and with the help of her old friend The Dead Tree, escaped into the night. Things would probably be worse for her when she got back, or the next morning, but she just couldn't handle it tonight, she'd had to get away.

She lived in an older, two-story house in the South Residential District, in a slightly run-down neighborhood, with her room on the second floor. The area was nothing too bad, but it wasn't as well kept as some of the other areas around, and mostly lower income families or suspicious types found their way there. She remembered vaguely that it hadn't always been that way, but that was many years ago, when she was still a young girl and the area was less built up then it was now. Once, the house she lived in had been better kept than it was now too; with a small, immaculately maintained front and back garden. Paint that looked newly applied. Lush carpet and shining floorboards and the sound of a child's laughter. That far away time seemed like a dream to Rachel, like a fantasy world that didn't exist. Her mother had been a vibrant woman back then as well, friendly with strangers and always ready with a smile and a kind word, quick to comfort Rachel whenever she had a bad dream or hurt herself playing.

Had things really been that way? she thought to herself wistfully. You wouldn't think so, looking at her house now. The once perfect gardens were a shadow of what they once were, mostly dead except for weeds or the extra resilient plant. Time, neglect and the elements had made the paint on the outside wash out and chip away, while the wallpaper inside the house peeled and the carpets turned threadbare, it and the floorboards gaining marks and stains. Her mother, a wraith of what she once was. The perfect reflection of my life, Rachel observed. She'd hated her mother for a long time once her Father started the beatings, hated her for not standing up to Him, for not protecting her daughter like she always had until then. Sometimes she still did hate her, even if it wasn't fair, but mostly she didn't feel anything for her anymore. It was easier that way.

The now dead tree outside her window had also been alive back then, but slowly deteriorated over the years until it, too, died, like all her other happy memories - if she were honest with herself, that was the part that saddened her the most. Once her Father had started getting violent, that tree had been her only friend, companion, accomplice. It had helped her numerous times to escape the fists and feet swung in anger, the objects thrown in rage. It's limbs were a hand held out in comfort and support, when those around her couldn't or wouldn't do anything. But eventually it had started to sicken and die, turning to ashes like everything else, until just a skeleton was left. Rachel had cried, but deep down she'd come to accept that nothing good could stay in her life.

Shaking herself from her dark thoughts, Rachel noticed that her feet had brought her to her 'secret place'. It wasn't really a secret, it was just a small park hidden amongst a maze of houses, but she'd very rarely encountered anyone else there, so she'd silently claimed it as her own. It had three paths that led to it, winding their way between a bunch of homes, and contained a couple of swings and a slide, with a waist high hedge running around the outside. When she'd first found it many years ago, the day after her tree died, she'd even given it a name, Nevermore, a promise to herself never to cry again. She approached the swings in the center of the park and sat on one, hands holding the chains as she tilted her head back and gazed up at the night sky.

She wished the cafe a few blocks from home, where she'd spent most of the night, was 24 hours. They had a couple of computers with internet access that you could pay for, but for Rachel the best thing was the atmosphere, the tea and the books. It was dark and quiet at the times she usually went there, when other like minded people went there to be alone with their thoughts or the words of a good author. When Rachel had originally started going there, the staff had asked her questions, like 'why was such a young girl there by herself so late at night?' and 'was she lost?'. But these days they were used to her and left her in peace as she drank her tea and immersed herself in whatever book she'd brought or found there that was worth reading, until they kicked everyone out in the early hours of the morning. Sighing at the thought of such tranquility, Rachel focused back on her surroundings and acknowledged that nights outside like this weren't too bad either. She let her mind drift out into the sea of stars as she breathed in the quiet night air, not noticing the shadows in the sky above her.

Scath had found the source of the power it had sensed fairly quickly; it was almost like a shining beacon in the night to its senses, and it had homed in on it like a ship lost at sea. In the form of a large black bird, it had followed the girl from high in the sky as she walked the empty streets, skimming her surface thoughts as it went, getting a taste of her. There was a flavor to her power that Scath hadn't felt in a long time, so long that it couldn't place what it was, though the answer felt just out of reach. Well, I'll find out for sure soon, it thought to itself with barely restrained excitement. But there was no rush, the night was young yet and it wanted to savor it's initial meeting with this young girl. Though her thoughts were clear up close, her emotions were curiously less so, as if they were viewed through an opaque wall; still there, but distanced from their owner.

She arrived at what seemed to be her destination, a small park surrounded by houses and void of people, sitting down and letting her mind go blank. Perfect, Scath thought as it hovered over her. It couldn't just dive down into her soul and take her over, not if it wanted to make full use of her and it's own abilities. No, it needed to get her consent to a possession first, to share body and mind, something that most sane people balked at - at first. But Scath had many years of experience convincing people to let it in, offering them their hearts desires with silky words and a glib tongue. To do that, it was necessary to understand its target, which is why her current blank state was perfect.

Reaching a tendril of power down, no more than a thread, Scath snaked it's way inside her head and hung there like a spider, taking stock of the emptiness around it. Most curious, it thought, careful not to make a disturbance. Most people, when they stopped thinking, didn't actually stop thinking, it just became background noise to them, or they pushed everything into their subconscious. Not so this girl. There was literally nothing around Scath inside her head - it was like the still surface of an ocean, reflecting the sky back at itself, shores desolate of life. I wonder what would happen if I...

The mind-scape shifted around Scath as it nudged a thought from its mind into hers, a false memory of a pleasant family dinner - a family of three much like her own, a father, mother and daughter - that resonated with a real memory of her own. Below Scath the memory rose from that still ocean, walls, floor and furniture rising from the depths, though strangely faded out.

/o\

"How was school today, Rachel?" her mother, Arella, asked with a smile as she sat at the kitchen table, delicately eating her meal. Her father, already finished and reading a paper, perked his ears up.

A very young Rachel, sitting in an elevated chair and trying to emulate her mother, answered with a big grin, "Fun! I played lots!". She speared a potato and tried to eat it whole. Her mother laughed at her and her father smiled, before going back to his reading.

\o/

The memory ended there, suddenly, like it was cut off and Scath laughed to itself silently as the memory dissolved into mist. Oh, this could be fun, it thought. It was curious how she'd avoided the name of her father even in such an old, disused memory, as evidenced by the way it had been faded. Either a memory hidden away or not much revisited. Scath was willing to bet on the former from what it's earlier observations had revealed. Time to go fishing, it thought to itself gleefully, as it prepared another memory like bait. Not having to waste time digging through the detritus of a human life for what it needed was a novel experience. Now, what are you longing for Rachel... It cast forth another memory, this one more vague, akin to a desire. It was the feeling of being held, the desire for comfort. Another scene rose from the still waters.

/o\

It was a year after that last memory, and Rachel huddled in her bed, tears streaming down her face and trying to stifle her whimpers, body in pain but more emotionally hurt. Her father had been drinking heavily lately, and Rachel had heard her mother crying sometimes in the night, but she hadn't known why and was too afraid to ask, hoping it would go away.

That night though, Rachel had been sitting on the couch, watching TV with one of her mother's teas in a cup, trying to drink it. She'd been there alone, Arella in the kitchen doing the dishes, when her father entered and just stood there, looking at her. She'd looked up and smiled, but he'd just had a blank look on his face and his eyes were glassy, muttering to himself.

He'd scared her, being like that. Something had just felt wrong to her, something Rachel didn't understand. She'd frozen and the cup she'd been holding had fallen to the floor, tea spilling out and soaking into the carpet. Her father's face had changed then, blank look fading away, to be replaced by anger - anger directed at her. She'd started crying and trying to clean it up, but he'd stalked towards her and she'd stopped still again, something washing over her that left her trembling all over.

Within a couple of steps he'd reached her side and suddenly a hand was flying at her face, and with a sharp 'crack' it connected and threw her to the floor. The sound and her scream had brought her mother running, and she gasped as she came into the room and saw the scene, then ran over and picked Rachel up, yelling at her father. She was in too much pain and shock to pay attention though, as her mother carried her up the stairs and to her room, where she'd left her on her bed and went back to confront her father. More shouting and loud noises followed, but Rachel tried to block it out. Eventually her mother had come back and tried to hold her, but she'd flinched away involuntarily. She'd then been pulled into a hug, and mother and daughter cried in each others arms.

\o/

It was a fuller, longer memory than the previous one, but dull and washed out. It didn't seem like this particular desire would help it, though Scath was only dealing with past memories here. Perhaps in her current thoughts, she desired a companion, a lover, a white knight. But it seemed unlikely. He could feel that she didn't have faith in people anymore, smart girl. Hmm, that feeling though, could she be...? Scath was beyond excited. It might have found a real gem here. It had to keep digging. Next up would be...Hmm, money seems like a long shot for her, let's skip that. How about power, strength. Revenge?

/o\

It was years later and Rachel's home life had gotten worse and worse. Her Father didn't stop after one hit anymore, He flew into a rage more often and her mother grew more passive as the years went by. She was about halfway through her Primary School years then and had gotten quieter and more withdrawn, taking to wearing long sleeves and pants at every occasion or season. It was around then that she'd started wearing clothes with hoods, if she could get away with it.

That particular day she'd come home from school late - the school she went to wasn't too far from where she lived, so she was allowed to walk there and back by herself. She'd gotten caught up in talking with her English teacher about a book, just about the only time she ever got enthusiastic anymore, and time had gotten away from her. She'd rushed out in a panic, barely hearing his promise to bring her something she might enjoy reading, anxious to get home without being noticed.

Her wish was in vain, however. She'd decided to try the back door, since it was less obvious, but as soon she'd opened it, He'd been there, that look in His eyes. "You're late Rachel," He said, "why is that?"

She didn't want to answer. It wouldn't change anything, and there was the chance it would just make it worse, so she remained silent, hands clenching on her school bag as He waited there for an answer. When nothing was forthcoming, He dragged her inside, closed the door and rounded on her, fist meeting flesh. Her school bag dropped to the ground as she fell and something snapped within her. Over the years, she'd built up emotional barriers, not only to stop herself feeling anything from within, but because more and more she felt like outside emotions were flowing into her. When her Father got violent, it seemed like she felt the anger. Her mother's fear was a constant background noise. Other kid's disdain and discomfort around the 'weird girl', the teacher's pity.

It was those barriers that snapped, and suddenly all the anger in her Father, all the anger and fear in herself, all the emotions she'd bottled up or felt from others, came rushing to the surface and she felt like she was drowning. Acting instinctively, trying to save herself from within and protect herself without, she thrust all those feelings out and they exploded from her in a silent, invisible wave, nothing physical but still knocking her Father back, face pale and hands raised in defense at something unseen.

Seeing Him like that, it was the first time in a long time that Rachel had felt strong. A deep part of her even enjoyed seeing Him like that. But it couldn't last. There was too much going on inside her head, so she put those barriers back up and her Father stood up with them. Rachel didn't go to school the next day.

\o/

Ah, Scath thought, exultant, I was right, a natural empath! It's been so long... It didn't seem like Rachel knew what she was though. It seemed like that particular incident had either been blocked out or passed over, a freak accident. Her change in address of her father piqued its interest too, but wasn't entirely relevant right now. She'd gotten so used to putting up crude barriers to keep everything out that it was natural to her now, she didn't even question it. A powerful latent talent for the Art, as well as an empath, Scath mused. Untrained, it was surprising she hadn't gone mad by now. Still, it should make her easy to manipulate, and the things it could do with her ability...So! Power and revenge seem like they might be good bets, but let's try one more and see how we go. What do you think of...freedom.The surface rippled once more.

/o\

Her Father was away for a week, some kind of business meeting. A whole week! Rachel could barely contain her excitement. When was the last time this had happened? Nothing came to mind. It was mid-year holidays during her first year of High School, so she didn't even have school work that needed doing! During that first day, she'd done nothing but walk around the house and enjoy not worrying about every little thing. She'd watched TV for a while in the afternoon, because she could. Spent a few hours reading, because her Father couldn't yell at her and hit her. Normally, holidays were the worst, as she would be stuck inside with Him for weeks at a time, without the interruption of school. But this was pure bliss. Even her mother was looking brighter than usual, even happy for once.

It was the fourth day now, and Rachel decided to head out that day and wander the town. Maybe she'd try and hang out with people from school, if she ran into any. She was just in that good of a mood. Trailing her hand along the dead tree out back as she decided to use the rear door, she almost skipped down the street. She felt so light for some reason. She reached the center of town in what seemed like no time, seeming to fly down streets and paths. Now that she was here, Rachel was unsure what to do. The world was so open for once, the choices daunting. Deciding to start with something that was familiar, she headed to the giant shopping center in the middle of Jump to visit one of the bookshops there and see if she could pick anything up.

As she was browsing the shelves and failing to find anything, she heard her name being called from outside the shop. Thinking that it was just someone with the same name as her being called, she continued with her fruitless search until a hand landed on her shoulder, making her jump.

"Rachel, that is you, is it not?" a rather sweet, innocent voice asked. "I almost did not recognize you without a hood!"

After getting over her momentary shock, Rachel turned around and came face-to-face with the owner of the familiar voice, one of her class-mates, a rather outgoing, red-headed girl called Kory Anders. They'd spoken once or twice during school, but hadn't really hung out.

"Um, sorry," Rachel stammered, "I didn't think you were calling for me." But wasn't this what she'd been hoping for? To maybe make a friend without the threat of her Father hanging over her head? Or at least to have fun with someone else. It had been so long...

"Why would I not be calling for you?" Kory asked, looking confused. Was this girl for real? Rachel thought.

"It's just that, well, we haven't really talked much, and I don't think I'm the kind of person you'd like hanging out with," Rachel blurted out, before mentally hitting herself on the head. She was so used to pushing people away she didn't even think about it. But luckily Kory didn't seem to agree with her.

"That is nonsense!" she actually seemed a little angry, hair seeming to move in an invisible wind. "I am sure we will get along splendidly! And since we are both at the mall of shopping, why do we not enjoy it together?"

It took Rachel a moment to wrap her head around her way of talking, but eventually she realized she was being asked if she wanted to go shopping with this girl. Something warm bloomed inside her as she replied, "Um, well, okay Kory, if you really don't mind it being someone like me..."

Kory's smile could've lit up the night at Rachel's reply, telling her she was 'perfectly fine and wonderful!', as she grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the book store. What followed was a whirlwind of shops full of clothes and accessories and even a make-over. By the end, Rachel was exhausted, but feeling fulfilled in a way she didn't remember being, ever. She thanked Kory for hanging out with her, exchanged phone numbers and promised to do it again soon, before heading home with her few purchases, as the sun slowly sank into the horizon.

When she got home, the last rays of sunshine were just disappearing, so she didn't notice the car in the driveway of her home at first. Only when she was walking to the door did she notice it, and her insides froze over. "No..." she whispered, standing there. It couldn't be true. She was dreaming, or something. He was supposed to be gone for the week! Feeling unable to breath, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Maybe it wasn't what she thought it was? She didn't know what else it might be, but surely there was something.

Steeling herself, she continued on to the door, only to have it open just as she reached it, that dreaded figure standing silhouetted in the doorway. "Welcome back Rachel," He said, almost managing to sound hurt, "I come home early and my own daughter isn't here to greet me?" He shook His head as he stepped aside to let her in. As she walked past Him, he asked, "So what have you been doing, daughter?"

That night, ignoring her new bruises and forcing herself not to cry, she sent a message to Kory saying she couldn't hang out after all, ignored her calls and messages and didn't see her again until school resumed.

\o/

Yes, Scath hissed to itself. It was obvious, really, but sometimes you just never knew what got people off. The best thing for Scath, though, was that rarely could any single one of those wishes be accomplished without dipping into the others. Or rather, it was always more fun when it made them do so. That girl in Rachel's last memory though... it thought to itself, she definitely wasn't human. It looks like magic is certainly still thriving in the current times. I've been left alone and all forgotten - it's enough to make a grown demon cry, Scath mocked. The night was wasting, it was time to get to work.

Rachel clutched at her head and closed her eyes as memories and feelings assaulted her, things she'd not thought of for years, or that she'd tried to forget, one after another. It was almost a physical pain and her head felt ready to burst by the end of it. What the hell was that? she wondered with a groan.

Suddenly she was aware of a presence near her, of a heavy feeling in the air, like just before a storm. A fear she couldn't name rose up in her, but she ignored it, like she did with most of her emotions. She was well practiced at it. Opening her eyes, she looked around for what had disturbed her, but saw nothing. Frowning, she peered into the shadows around the park, trying to pick out a silhouette, or a shape darker than those around it, but nothing stood out. "Must be imaging things again," Rachel sighed.

"Oh, I don't know about that, girl," a voice echoed around her.

Rachel gasped and shot to her feet, chains of the swing rattling in the night as she whirled around, looking for the owner of the voice.

"Now, what's a pretty little thing like you doing here all by your lonesome?" that menacing voice asked in mock concern. "Don't you know there's dangerous things afoot in the night?"

Finally getting a sense of direction from it, Rachel realized it was coming from above her. Tilting her head back, she could just make out a shape crouched on top of the swing set she'd been sitting on moments before. How did they get up there without me noticing? she wondered in a panic, her usual control gone now. "Who the hell are you and what do you want!?" she yelled at it, backing away. She didn't get far before crimson eyes opened and pinned her to the spot.

"Excellent questions, Rachel," the creature said, it's use of her name shocking her, "what do I want indeed. To answer the first part of your question...well, let's hold off on that for a moment. More importantly, what is it that you want?"

What did she want? She wanted to know what the hell was going on right now, that's what she wanted. Suddenly the creature was laughing, though it wasn't an altogether pleasant sound.

"Ah, you're right, I guess that's asking too much right off the bat. I'll try and explain then, but I'm kind of in a hurry you see," it answered her thought, freaking her out more. "Basically, I'm a demon and I believe we can be...mutually beneficial to each other. So I'm offering my services to you, for a small price," it continued with a bow.

Rachel would've laughed in it's face - if she could've seen one - thinking it was all a big joke, if it hadn't been perching right above her. A demon? Demon's weren't real. Magic wasn't real. All of that stuff was just in books. Yet what kind of person had four glowing red eyes and a voice like that? She supposed it could've been some kind of mask and voice manipulator, but that seemed too elaborate just for a prank. So it's really...a demon? Rachel wondered. Curiously, she wasn't as afraid as she thought she should've been.

"Yes Rachel," Scath whispered, listening to her thoughts, "I really am a demon. But come, what's a demon compared to your father? Why, I'd say he's almost more demonic than myself! Doing those things to his own flesh and blood, tut tut," the red eyes moved, the demon's head shaking.

Mention of her Father shocked Rachel's body out of it's frozen state. She'd never told anyone about what He did to her and her mother, but this creature knew. Just like it knew her name without being told. She guessed she should've run, now that she could, but she was strangely drawn to this being. It knew things about her that no one else did, outside her family. It was inside her head, it probably knew her better than them even. She shouldn't, but she wanted to know more about it. She'd lived in fantasy worlds for most of her life, maybe now would be her chance to live one. Certainly couldn't be worse than her current one, could it?

Scath itself was rather surprised. It was behind her empathic defenses, ready to subtly nudge her emotions in a direction that would suit it, yet it barely even had to manipulate them to keep her there, after her initial reaction. She might be more suitable than I thought, it thought to itself as it considered her, eyes narrowed.

"So, you're a demon," Rachel said slowly, coming to terms with it surprisingly easy. In a world with her Father, demons were easy to believe in. "How does that...work, exactly?"

Scath jumped down and lounged on a swing as it answered her, "Hmm? About what I mentioned earlier?" It knew what Rachel meant, but it wanted her to say it out loud, to make the situation more real in her mind.

"Yes," she whispered, "about...that. Your...services, and being mutually beneficial."

It smiled, a thin slash of white teeth in the darkness. Perhaps she wouldn't take as much convincing as it had thought. "Ah, well did you know you actually have some magic of your own?" Scath asked her, knowing she didn't have a clue. Rachel was shocked. Magic of my own?

"Surely not," she scoffed, asking, "wouldn't something like that be obvious? I mean...magic!"

Scath laughed at her derisively. This girl thought she'd just wake up one day slinging fireballs or something? "No, my dear girl, unless it's trained it remains quite the passive trait." She seemed a bit crestfallen at that, but honestly. Learning demons existed five minutes ago, that she had magic and then being disappointed that she wasn't going to start spontaneously using it? What a gem.

"But," Scath told her, watching her perk up a little, "you do have another skill, which is a bit more of a specialty. I think you realize subconsciously, but you're an Empath. It's a bit more...actively passive, I guess, then your talent for magic."

Rachel's eyes widened a bit at that. "Empath? Like, feeling people's emotions? That would explain a lot..." she mumbled to herself. She never noticed it anymore, but she thought back to all those times, years ago, when she would get angry for no reason, or start crying or laughing in joy.

"It's a lot more refined than just 'feeling people's emotions', but at your current level, that's about right," Scath confirmed for her. "As for what this has to do with me..." it waited for her to come out of her musings at its words. "My being here is something of a cosmic accident, quite amusing actually, but I won't be able to stay if I don't find myself a tether to this realm by daybreak. And I do quite enjoy your world, so much more virile than my own," it could see the wheel's turning in Rachel's head as it continued, "so what I need from you is..."

"You want to possess me?" Rachel finished for it, finding herself not entirely shocked. Isn't that what demons did in a lot of stories? This one seemed pleasant enough, for a demon - it hadn't ripped her apart yet - but since it wanted something from her, it was impossible to say for sure. But then, does it really matter if this isn't it's true face? she wondered. Her life wasn't anything to brag about; one parent who abused her, one who was almost like the living dead. No friends - well not really, Kory still talked to her and she'd been chatting more with her and her group of friends, but she didn't really feel like she fit in there, as much as they tried.

Scath could feel her considering, weighing her options. Time to sweeten the deal, it thought. "You're right, of course. I'd like to enjoy my time here to the fullest, and to do that I need to rent a little bit of that head space of yours," it spoke up.

"Rent?" Rachel asked, intrigued. What was it going to offer? She thought she knew though.

"Indeed, I did say 'mutually beneficial' earlier, did I not? For just a place to stay, I would be willing to help you out with your family woes. I know all about them, you see, and your life. You want to fight back, to be strong, to take control. But mostly, you just want to be free, yes?" it whispered that last part to her, the words slipping into her mind and taking root. Hope really was a wonderfully useful tool.

She remembered her thoughts and memories from earlier. She realized, now, that it was probably this demon rooting around, but that didn't make any of it any less true, did it. She remembered the feelings from a couple of years ago when she'd thought her Father had left for a week. If she could experience that again, and not just for a couple of days, but forever...? Would whatever it cost be worth it? Yes. Still, Rachel figured if she was going to agree to be possessed, she might as well get what she could out of it, so she asked, "Will you...teach me how to use magic too?"

The demon grinned wider and this time she noticed the red glow behind it's teeth as it answered, "Oh, I'm sure something can be arranged in that field." It stood up and slowly walked towards Rachel.

She trembled but stood her ground, resolved now. "So how does this work? Will it hurt? Will I feel anything while you're...in there?" she asked it.

"It's simple," Scath explained, "we exchange the gift of names, freely given, then you invite me in. And don't worry, I can be very unobtrusive, you'll hardly even notice me," it reassured her soothingly.

Only now was Rachel starting to have second thoughts; how long was it going to possess her? How was it going to help her, besides teaching her magic? What did it want in this world? But being honest with herself, she couldn't take much more of her current life. So before she could back out, she pushed those questions away and and nodded to the solidifying shadows in front of her.

"My name is Scath," it said, the name burning and twisting in the air as it left the demon's mouth. Rachel felt her skin tingle as it wrapped around her, replying, "My name is Rachel Roth, and I invite you, Scath."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the demon's name sank into her skin, burning like fire, freezing like ice and she tried to scream. Dimly, she realized it hadn't said there wouldn't be any pain. Stupid girl, Rachel thought to herself agonizingly. Shadows crept into her mind, and the more that came, the more her pain eased. Eventually she felt like she was swimming in a void, unable to see or feel anything, but at least that meant that indescribable agony was gone.

Outside, Rachel's eyes opened, but they weren't her usual purple. Instead, her irises were a deep, blood red. A cruel smile twisted her face and she bowed to empty air as she said, "Thank you for the invitation, my dear," in a voice that was Rachel's, but at the same time wasn't. "You won't regret it, I'm sure," Scath, using Rachel's voice, laughed loudly into the night.

A/N: So another chapter. I have mixed feelings about it, to be honest. Let me know what you all think and if you see anything that needs improvement. Next time will see out two girls waking up to their new lives, one with a bump to the head and the other with dreams of blood.