She could feel the grass under her feet as she ran. Her legs burned from the exertion, running a long distance at such speed.
She had to keep moving. Had to keep running.
Or he would-
BOOM!
The explosion threw her back, making her collide against a tree. She crumpled to the ground, a sharp and searing pain in her left shoulder telling her she was in danger. Her vision was blurred, but the silhouette was unmistakable.
"Traitor…."
Her right hand reached out and knocked him back with a force field, causing him to fly across the grass. She was losing consciousness. She needed help….now….
She heard shouting in the distance, heard a familiar voice telling her to hang on.
She uttered two words. "Burn it…."
—-
Anna Marie woke with a start, and then let out a groan.
This dream is really getting on my nerves…
It was the same dream that kept repeating over and over. It felt too real to be just a dream.
The morning sun was barely coming over the horizon, and she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now. She sighed.
Might as well get up and be productive….
Some time later, freshly showered and dressed, she made her way down the stairs of her family home. Her mother had been more than pleased when she chose to still live at home while going to school at the nearby college, and Anna Marie was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the cost of the dorms. She had always been close to her mother, and leaving her by herself always troubled her.
Her red and white curls bounced on the top of her head in the messy bun she had managed to pull it into as she made her way into the kitchen.
"Mornin' mama!" She called cheerfully to the woman with dark brown hair sitting at the table. As always, her mother's blue eyes were unfocused, cataract-clouded. Her mother saw with means beyond the physical. Though her vision didn't work in the traditional sense, her attention still turned towards Anna Marie's general direction with a warm smile.
"Good morning Anna Marie. You must have been up earlier than usual. That peach body wash of yours is unmistakable."
"Just couldn't go back to sleep once I was up. You want me to make you coffee?"
"Please dear. Make two cups actually. Your auntie Raven is visiting us this morning."
"Oh, did her trip get cut short?" She asked as she prepared the coffee pot.
"Yes. Something came up, she said. I'm sure she will tell me all about it at lunch."
She smiled. "Auntie Raven always has good stories to tell, Mama. Do you think she'll stick around for dinner? I was thinkin' of makin' that chicken and white bean soup since it's going to be a little chilly tonight."
"I think that would be lovely, Anna."
BAMF.
With a puff of smoke, a furry blue young man with yellow eyes and a tail was suddenly standing in the doorway.
"Did someone say chicken and white bean soup?"
"Mornin' Kurt! Yeah, Auntie Raven is joinin' us for dinner." Anna Marie greeted her brother.
"Ah, sweet. Well, I'm heading off to school, so I'll see you all later."
BAMF.
He disappeared and reappeared next to their mother and kissed her on the cheek. "Bye Mom…"
"Have a good day, sweetheart."
As he walked through the kitchen, his blue skin changed to a more befitting Caucasian tone, his black hair he pulled back into a ponytail.
"Bye, sis."
"Bye Kurt!"
—-
When the children left for school, Irene sat in her kitchen with the cup of coffee Anna Marie had made for her. She heard the front door open, and knew who was there.
"Come in, Raven."
The footsteps came closer into the kitchen.
"Irene…." Her tone of voice gave away her anxiety.
"Darling, I know."
"Of course you do. And you let her go to school?"
"Raven, she knows nothing. If I try to keep her at home she will suspect. Anna is too smart for that."
"The Jewel was shattered. Every yokai is going to come out of the woodwork, and she is in danger."
"He will protect her."
"Oh for the love of all that is unholy, Irene! You cannot seriously think he will protect her! If he finds out who and what she is, he will kill us. You don't-"
"Know him? I have seen it, Raven. If Anna Marie is discovered, he is her best hope. You and I may not like it, but he's the one yokai who can keep her safe."