un-x-souls

some tweaking.

2011-12-30T00:33:00.000-08:00

new layout, will probably tweak it a bit more
haven't really tweaked anything in the chapters yet, will probably do that in the near future
and uh yeah, just thought I'd put this out there for you

Prologue

2011-12-30T00:25:00.001-08:00

People's lives are pretty simple.

You're born. You live. You die.

Or not.

Hey.

2010-06-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

hi.

author's notes :D

2009-02-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

picture with no purpose. ^^

Haha. Yeah.

So; I see author's notes in the back of most books I like, so I thought I'd do it. ;P

Here it goes;

The Title;

Yeah. No real explanation.
You know the prefix 'un' means 'not'. And the words 'souls' means... Well, souls.
So really, the title is pretty much a play on words for saying that the main characters really don't have souls- or at least don't think they do.
The 'x' in the title has no purpose at all. (:

The character names; This does have an explanation.

'Miki' is named after one of my favorite mangakas. ^-^ And it reminds of Mickey Mouse. XD
'Hail' is just a plain awesome name. But it seemed reasonable to still give him a name that wasn't too unique. So his full real name is 'Mikhael'. Even though it may not be pronounced the same, pronounce it as the stuff that falls from the sky.
'Saje'... Just to give out a different name. I thought about the name 'Sage' and thought that it reminded me of a smart person. And I knew I'd be stuck on that name. But I changed the 'g' to a 'j' for originality.
'Rina' had no real purpose for naming. But it sounded cool.

Why I Even Bothered;

No reason. I don't really know why I started writing this story.
It was late at night, and I was listening to some crappy song on my iPod then something miraculously blasted into my head and I reached for the nearest notebook and started writing. I started this in like the summer of 2008[towards the end, at least]. August, most likely. I don't remember the exact day.
The more I was writing and actually getting into it, the more I decided to keep writing and all that.
At first I was writing for myself. But then my friends seemed to love it. So I continued for them. Now I'm continuing just for the hell of it. XD

Facts;

This story took up four notebooks worth of paper. I know, hard to believe it, but it's true.
This had a completely different plot to it when I first started it; but I changed it when I realized that it didn't really let myself use my creativity. Plus, it sucked even more than the plot you read.

My story is different. And that's something I like about it. I'm glad that it's different. Everyone mentions fantasy fiction now, but I never hear anything about dragons. You never hear about humorous angels or bubbly vampires. [ yeah, you hear about a variety of witches with personailities. ] The entire thing itself, is different. Even the plot and ideas. What can I say, I have a stupid mind...

The whole point of this story is to be different. I wanted to read a story that stood out, and made even the fiction people actually do read to seem almost realistic. So yeah. But at the same time, it had to make some kind of sense. Some. But unfortunately, there really wasn't a story like that. So I had to write one.

So if you love this story; Thanks. (: I'm glad you stuck through with me and the story this whole time! Hopefully I entertained you enough to keep you from dying of boredom or some other deadly disease. ;P And remember to tell people, lol. :)

And if you hate this story; Then we have something in common. If you don't like it, I don't care. I don't really like this story either. It has several flaws in the plot and horrible descriptions. But gimme a break; I'm only a kiddo, after all.

And something to keep in mind; If you think you're life sucks, you could be an orphan damned to the earth that can never keep a stable relationship with regular humans or you'll kill them all. You could be someone who can't give hugs because it'd hurt people. Just remember that. [I made the main character's lives so miserable for a reason]

And even if your life is somehow like that(weird); Anyone can have best friends, and anyone can love you, even when the world is so... weird(: [I made the main characters best friends for a reason too]

And finally;

What's after this?

Revisions. I plan on going through each chapter, and revising it sentence by sentence. Adding some more, deleting a few. Etc.
A sequel? Yeah. I figured that the plot I chose for this incredibly screwed story is open ended enough to start a sequel. Hell, I'm always bored out of my mind. Maybe I'll try my chances at an entire retarded series... I probably will, if I got the time for it. I'm not exactly a 'writer' and the fact that I actually got this far makes me want to continue no matter what.
Speaking of a sequel... I finished this story on the day the next one takes place on. XD creeepppyyy.

disclaimer;

I own the story. You don't.
Don't take anything fictional in this seriously. That's... insane, if you do. ;P

that's it.

thanks for reading. :D

p.s. i'll prolly update this later. you know, if more people even read this.

Epilogue; Another Surprise.

2009-02-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

"Where are we going?"
"You'll see!"
February 18th. My birthday was yesterday. My death day was yesterday.
About an hour ago, I was on my computer, just getting home from school, reading and typing the following messages;
SAJE: home from school?
MIKI: you should know. you just walked me home!
SAJE: sorry how was school?
MIKI: well, you should've seen my locker! Rina decorated it in all blue ribbon for my birthday. it looked really awesome.
SAJE: I saw! your locker could be seen from across the block.^-^
MIKI: oh wow.
SAJE: you were really quiet on the walk home.
MIKI: you were too
SAJE: I always am. you're not.
MIKI: meh. I just didn't have any comment on how Hail's leg hair got accidentally waxed off by the duct tape in the wood shop classroom.
SAJE: true. I don't even understand why he was in that room. He's not in wood shop. but I saw it firsthand... it was weird.
MIKI: haha, I know!
SAJE: yeah. so. any plans?
MIKI: nothing... you?
SAJE: nothing yet. can you come over?
MIKI: sure. when?
SAJE: now. right now.
That brings me to exactly right now. I knocked on Saje's window as I usually do and what does he do? He grabbed me, pulled me into the room and blindfolded me in three easy seconds. The only words he spoke was, "We're going somewhere."
I'm guessing he carried me down the fire exit steps, where I still questioned what was going on. Now we were walking, with the blindfold covering my puzzled eyes. He guided me with this hands steering my shoulder. Left, right, left, right... oh wait no, I meant left. My ears heard cars honking, people talking, music playing, and footsteps passing. Were people looking at me? What's worse, were urban street residents looking at me?
"Saje, where are you taking me?"
"Like I said, you'll see."
"Hmph," I grunted. "how can I see with a raggy blindfold around my face?"
"You'll see." I could just hear the smile pressing against his lips. It only made me more impatient. And more prone to slap his face until even he, the albino, turned red. As soon as the blindfold comes off, I'll slap him.
After quite a few gentle steers of my shoulders, the fussy noises of the urban street were finally gone. At least, they would be if I were still human. Being a wizardess completely sucks, when it comes to knowing where you are.. I'll get used to it, hopefully. My impatient finally faded away too, no longer caring whether or not I could slap Saje. I just wanted the blindfold off.
There were several voices from afar saying, "What are they doing?" and "Ah, how cute!" hat made me want to slap them.
"Are we there yet?" I whined.
"You'll s-"
"Don't you dare say that I'll see!" I snapped.
"Sorry."
He steered me right and a few stomps[from me] later, his hands let me go.
"We're here," he said. "You can take the blindfold off."
"It's about time!" I growled.
I wish he could've seen my incredible eye roll. It was so genuine, I wish I could've seen it! Slowly, I untied the raggedy, tightly knotted cloth off my eyes.
"Do you need help?" Saje asked.
"I got it!"
My fingers fumbled more, expecting it to come loose. The blindfold wasn't only old, but stretchy. The knot was too small to untie, but I wasn't going to surrender to Saje so... blindly.
"Miki, it's too tight!"
"Shut up!"
"No, I'll loosen it up-"
"Get your hands off me!"
He sighed. "Stop being such a baby."
"I'm not a baby!" I said, my fingers knotting.
"The stop acting like it!"
He grabbed my hands, smacked them down and began to loosen thoroughly with his fingers.
"Damn, it's too tight!" he grumbled.
Instead of fumbling more, he slid the cloth off me, which slapped my face.
"Ow!" I groaned.
At least I could see where I was now. Which was where? I saw trees, and a school... a fountain.
And Hail laughing at me.
"Ahaha! God, you can't even take off a blindfold!"
"Saje," I said, glaring at Hail. "Why are we here?"
He grinned at me with his fangs, white and sharp. "Surprise."
Suddenly, I was glomped from behind, around the neck, and with a girlish squeal in my ear.
"Miki!" Rina chimed, still hugging me. "Oh my gosh! Happy belated Birthday!"
Hail pulled out a cupcake from behind his back. It had a candle on it.
Now I understood. A surprise birthday party.
Remarkably, a flame appeared on the top tip of the candle wick.
"I think you're supposed to blow the flame out and make a wish," Saje murmured when I only gazed at it.
"I know what to do," I murmured back.
What am I going to wish for? What do I need to wish for? Nothing.
Let's face it; the usual, desirable material wishes that most people use their wishes on don't interest me. Do I want a pony? Hell no, I'd probably set that shit on fire. New clothes? Of course. But I can survive with clothes average people wear. That amazing phone I saw at the store that other day with the stupid commercials? Not thanks. Who's going to call me anyway? Oh, how about a life supply of tic tacs? Definitely not. That doesn't even make any sense.
Then there's the stronger emotional wishes. I wish my friends would stop being so annoying. Well, if they weren't so annoying, they wouldn't be my friends. How about those pathetic wishes for love? No. I have love in my life. The kind most people have, and the kind most people want. How about seeing someone for the first time or in a long time? Psh, who do I want to see that I don't already know? What about becoming famous and adored by the world? No. My friends are my world. And I feel adored already.
So. What's my wish?
"Just pick something, Mik," Hail said.
I laughed a, "Okay!"
I inhaled, everyone's eyes on me, and exhaled, blowing out the candle.
I wish I never have a surprise birthday party ever again.
The flame omitted when I finished.
"What was you wish?" Saje asked curiously.
"Shh!" Rina exclaimed. "It's supposed to be a secret, or it won't come true!"
"I still don't think it will come true though," Hail intervened. He's a mind reader- Of course he'd know. "You've got an infinite number of birthdays, you know."
I grinned. Saje and Rina looked dumbfounded.
"Yeah," I agreed. "Forever. That's enough time to make my wish come true."
"That's enough to ruin it too!"
"What are they talking about?" Rina whispered to Saje. He shrugged slightly, hoping I wouldn't see.
I rolled my eyes and laughed.
"Forever."
And I knew I meant it.

the end.

Posts Copyrights © 2009 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 29: Home.

2009-02-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

Finally. It's over.

=============

It was hard to believe it was still February 17th. Today felt like an entire century. Maybe a millennium.
"What time is it?" I asked Saje, while we were still flying.
"Noon," Rina answered. "School's almost over!"
"It's only noon?"
"Yeah. Saje, I need you to drop me off at my house first. My mom grounded me," she explained. "She grounded me for two weeks for not going to school, and then another three weeks because Hail was sneaking me out!"
"Wait," Saje said in a small voice. "Your mom caught Hail on your windowsill? Are you serious?"
"Of course not silly! He was fully in my room. Otherwise, my mom wouldn't have gotten the bat!"
"Just out of curiosity... How'd your mom chase Hail out of the neighborhood if your room's on the second floor?"
She opened her mouth to answer, and closed it again. Her expression was deep in thought and confuzzled.
"... I don't know," she said slowly.
Rina shrugged and looked away perkily. Saje and I exchanged crazed glances. Within seconds, we were back in Maine and instead of the fountain, the scenery was different.
"Where are we?" Rina wondered.
"You don't remember this place?" Hail asked, stunned.
"Can I have a hint?"
"Elementary school," he stated.
"I didn't talk to you in elementary!" she grumbled.
"Oh yeah. This is the abandoned playground I used to 'protect'," he said. "Man, I was an idiot back then!"
"You still are, Hail," I laughed. "So why are we here?"
He and Saje sat on the edge of the woodchip area. Alex and Rina followed, then finally me.
"We've got some... confessions. This place is sure to have no witnesses."
I gulped loudly and nervously. "Like what?"
"I'll start," Hail said, sighing. "Remember when you got me that penguin book?"
"Yeah. You hate it don't you?"
"No, it's great!" he disagreed. "But I knew I should've told when I first found out! You see, uh, there were note in there. Loki's notes."
I cringed. "W-what did they say?"
"A lot of things about today."
All right. I was scared, I admit. But now that's been replaced with pissed off-ness. "Such as..?"
"Fires. Going to hell. It didn't straight up say it!" he defended. "If it did, I would've definitely shown you."
"But you didn't... because the notes weren't telling you I was in danger, but they were from someone following me," I scowled. "So no problem, right?" Sarcasm. Gotta love it.
He closed his eyes. I couldn't tell if he was guilty or just annoyed. It didn't matter because I didn't give a damn. I tried to look as impatient as possible while waiting. He smiled, and finally looked up to me.
"I can tell you're acting," he warned, "to be impatient with me. I'm sorry, but..."
"But what?" I scoffed. "So what if I wasn't really impatient? I was pissed. Even more, now."
"I thought I could protect you," he said both calmly and stressed, "from anything."
"What made you think that, Hail?" I asked as though he was crazy. He's my best friend, not my father, or God, or whomever.
"I'm a guardian angel. I'm supposed to protect you! I got to protect something! If I don't, what's the point of me still being here?"
Of course. Hail, the one who died first. The one who had no reason to. The one who died anyway. Even if it was against his will. It was no wonder he'd feel useless.
"Because... We need you Hail. Maybe you were supposed to stay on earth forever. Maybe I was supposed to survive today. Maybe Saje was meant to kill Maddie and be immortal. Maybe Rina's fate was to be a vampire."
"And? What's your point?" he yelled.
"Maybe we're destined to be together. Forever."
His face slowly went back to normal. He didn't yell anymore, nor did he smile at my relevations.
I took a deep breath and let it out as I said, "So what now? Any more good news?"
"I went to Quebec to find Loki," Saje said, immediately after I asked. He knew the rapidness of his answer would distract me and wouldn't make so angry.
Wrong.
"What!?"
"Huh?"
"When?"
"Valentine's Day."
"Why?"
"I wanted to."
"While I was at the middle school?!"
"Yeah."
"Don't be blunt!" I exclaimed hotly. 'Did you hurt him?"
"Yes. Like once."
"Did he hurt you?"
"Yes. Like once," he repeated, hesitating.
"Why'd you go by yourself?" I asked.
"You and Hail were at the middle school. And I wanted to take him on personally," he seethed through his teeth.
"You're crazy."
"And I accept that, but I left as soon as he showed me the note about how I was there. The one you found in the candy gram..."
"So you knew about that."
"Yes. But I just don't understand how he could've written that note, before I got there. I immediately pushed him off the bridge when I saw him."
I was about to ask him about the bridge until my words were interrupted.
"I told you I could see the future, right?" Alex said quietly. "Loki wrote the note under my knowledge of you going there... Which is why he knew that you'd push him off the bridge."
We all heard Alex, but none of us wanted to look like we were paying attention.
"So you knew he was the stalker, and you didn't tell me?" I screeched, thirty seconds later.
"You were so determined to kill whoever it was! You shoulda heard yourself going on about it... Why would I ruin that by telling you it was a ghost?"
"So I wouldn't have to worry about finding and killing him!"
Saje's face fell, but not into an upset face- A glare, and his dried coal eyes went a shade darker. Certainly not the pitch black from the cave, but most definitely dark enough to struggle with my pissed off mood. Hmph. Even as a wizardess, he had an unexplainable power over me. At this moment, I hated it. I hope a gallon of pudding goes down his pants.
Hail, who was sitting next to Rina, broke out into laughter. It was probably from the word 'pudding'. Dumbass...
"Look," Saje snapped as gently as possible. "It's not like I knew he was your stalker when I first went. I just... felt like I needed to harm him. And i wasn't planning on ever telling you he's your stalker."
"Why not?"
"Because," he exasperated. He looked... almost embarrassed now. "I didn't want to talk about that on Valentine's Day! I wanted to talk about... what we talked about."
"Wait!" Hail intervened. "You knew this and you managed to think of nothing but the word, 'pudding' for the past three days? You were killing me!"
"Not the point!"
"You could've told me!"
"We all know you can't keep a secret!"
"What was wrong with telling us? Instead of talking we could've been hunting." Hail knew we all loved hunting things down. He was supporting me for once. But I felt so sadistic to be enjoying this. Damn it, Saje.
"Am I," Saje asked quietly, and back to his normal voice, "the only one who didn't want to spend the las three days ghost hunting, but.. doing what we did?"
I overdid a pout and Hail jutted out his lower lip.
"I hate when you're right," I grumbled.
There was a tiny smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. As always, he was right and I was wrong. No, I was way passed wrong. He was always right, and I was always proven incredibly incorrect beyond embarrassment and had might as well just had been in my underwear. That about sums it up.
"but even if you're not going to lie, could you at least tell me the truth? All of it? Not just about Loki, but how you feel?" I asked as sweetly as possible.
"As long as you return the favor," he snorted. "You didn't tell me you knew about the note because you didn't want to worry me, right? Whatever the reason was, you still didn't tell me the truth. You lied."
"That's true." My innocent grin was working on him. "Maybe we both wanted to spend the last few days the way we did!"
"Which was what?" Hail mouthed to Rina. It was amazing, how I could hear the brushing of his lips now. My senses were so heightened.
"Shut up, Hail!"
He shrugged. Rina laughed. Alex looked at us and sighed. No one was doing anything to move the conversation forward.
Why must it always be me?!
"What else?" I asked energetically. "C'mon! It has to be a lot more to explain here."
"Well, no," Hail pondered. "We have no confessions about the execution stuff... But how about we do what we did for my death? Just tell confessions about my whole life?"
"Sure! Go ahead," I sighed, putting my elbows on my knees and looking at my shoes.
"All right..." Hail said, smiling with every syllable. "Remember when those three guys from New Year's Eve took you to the back of the urban street's buildings?"
"Yes...?"
"We almost sold you out to them for.. for..." He began laughing.
"For what?!" I urged.
"Pudding!" Saje yelled impatiently. "For God's sake, Hail! It's a damn word!"
"A funny word!" Hail coughed out. "You've got to admit it!"
"Please, moving on!" I exclaimed.
"All right," Saje mumbled. "Let's focus on stuff that doesn't involve your senior year.."
"Okay!" I eagerly agreed.
"Yeah," he said thoughtfully. An odd smile formed at his mouth. "Hey, remember when we were in sixth grade?"
"Partly, why?"
"And seventh?"
"Somewhat." How could I forget when you first started talking to me?
"And eighth?"
"Mostly." How could I forget meeting the Vida?
"Because... Hail had a crush on you."
I only looked at him, as though I expected him to say, "just kidding! Hail would never like you like that!"
Saje pointed in index finger across me and toward Hail. "That Hail, had a crush on you."
I blinked, trying not to let it sink in. To start with, there wasn't a more abrupt and random time to have told me something so...
Repulsive.
"Don't flatter yourself," Hail insisted. "I was over you by... 9th grade."
"It took you three years to stop liking me?" I wanted to throw up. So badly. There was never ever a time when I thought of Hail as more than my best friend. Just thinking he could've differed... for three years...
"Yeah. Three years."
"Ew!" I screamed in his ear.
"And that's why i stopped liking you." Hail's voice sounded hoarse and muffled. Did I gain a loud voice too? =) Whether or not, my eyes widened showing the stars that shone proudly. In addition, I also felt relieved that Hail stopped liking me... three short years ago.
"So you knew this and never told me?" I asked Saje, no trace of ice in my throat.
"Yeah. I was scared that it'd ruin your friendship, and I was jealous that it'd make it better. After all, I always liked you."
"Aw!" Rina squealed. "I have something to say!"
"Okay. Confess!"
I crossed my legs, hoping Rina's babbles would keep is in the playground for awhile. Besides the whole 'burned to death' thing, this was the best birthday I'd ever had. And that was the most twisted thing I'd ever said.
"Well..." Rina stretched. "I just wanted to say how much I love you guys! My gosh, I would've never gone through this kind of stuff with Yuu or Jess or Tru, I mean they're good friends and all, but you guys are so awesome. Life was so scary with you all at first, but now it's so much fun thinking that I'm part of this! I can't believe I could be so lucky to find you guys, I bet I'm lucky enough to enter the lottery and hey, maybe I will! I'm old enough to get a ticket, or is it when you're twenty one that you can get a lottery ticket? Does age even matter? Hm..."
"Rina," Hail interrupted. "We get it."
"Sorry," she giggled. "but it's true!"
Hail and I shared ecstatic smiles, while Saje had shown his own grin. We were all so comfortable, a feeling we believed to have disregarded us, none of us noticed Alex walking away...
"Hey!" I yelled at her, when the sound of pushed bushes caught my ears. "Where are you going?"
"Away," she said, turning around to face us. Alex never ever looked hurt. But I never ever thought she's look so happy.
"Why?"
She sighed. "There's no point in staying here anymore. I might as well just go."
"You're thirteen!" I insisted. "Where could you go?"
"Away."
All right. Alex is definitely not one of my favorite people. In fact, after everything I've been through, and everything she's let me go through, Alex should leave my life for sure. I don't need her in my life, after all. I'd live the life i was given before her, just with the 'wizardess' installment. So what if she's only thirteen? She's a wizardess too! Death isn't an option for her anymore. Besides, Alex sees the future. She'll know what to do when disaster strikes. Her survival is certain as I'm certain that I just died today.
... and I'm not really believing that either.
"No!" I shouted after her. "We forgive you!"
"Maybe," shrugged Alex. "but either way, I always knew I'd leave."
"Because of the future? Who cares?! Change the future!" I caught myself yelling.
"I did," she answered, a smile so luminous that I thought she'd start laughing. "I saved you."

************

That was the last thing I ever heard Alex say. I have no knowledge of where she could be now. She zoomed away, and just the fact that what she lastly told me froze the pudding- Hail's laughter- out of me, I couldn't shout out for her. In fact, I could barely make a noise. For her to tell me that I was to die today! And for her to save me! Should I be glad or scared out of my wits over this? I pondered how I should feel while we walked home.
"You shouldn't care," Hail said out of the blue. "About what you're thinking. You shouldn't care how you feel about Alex saving you or how you were supposed to die today. Take it from someone with experience... Don't hang onto something that should be left behind in your life."
"Unless it's something hanging onto you," Saje added. "Like we are."
"That's true!" Hail agreed. "But the point is that you're still living and all that matter is what you do with that."
"That's your philosophy?"
"Hell yeah!"
We were in Rina's neighborhood, and approaching her house.
"You and Rina can go from here," Saje told Hail. "Mik and I will stay here."
"Why?"
"Just because," he said, looking in another direction and rocking back and forth on his heels.
"...right."
Hail and Rina proceeded walking down the block until I couldn't see them- or at least, I couldn't see them if I was still [technically] human. Glancing from them, to Saje, to the ground, I asked, "Why are we-"
"You'll see."
I arched an eyebrow, but didn't let the conversation go any further. He did say I'd see.
We waited, standing on the sidewalk in front of a stranger's house, as though we both anticipated something to happen.
"Not you again!" I heard from afar. "Do I have to get the bat?!"
Ms. McGuire. I should've known.
"Mom!" Rina groaned.
"I am getting the bat if you don't leave my property in the next ten seconds!"
"Go!" Rina exclaimed.
She shoved Hail straight into the street and ran into her house, occupied by her infuriated mother. Within seconds, Hail returned, a huge scratch off the left side of his cheek. He glared at Saje, who only laughed.
"I told you, you'd see!" Saje choked out.
Hail lunged for a punch that Saje dodged from, still laughing. Pretty odd. This is the first childish fight they ever had where Hail was the serious one and Saje was the constantly laughing one. It was disturbing. It was obviously a sign that everything would change now. Nothing will be the same anymore.
Life wouldn't follow the same cycle anymore. There wouldn't be the routines I'd been following each week, going to the Vida, flying in my friends' arms. No more edging away from Brenda's hugs, zapping Dylan whenever he poked me, hurting the foster kids when they wanted me to hold their hand, no destroying guys' ice cream careers... I could be just as normal as everyone else, or at least as much as God will ever let me. Which, to be honest, probably still wasn't much. But I don't care. I'll find out myself.
I know, I know... It's definitely not the normal happy ending you were expecting, but I'll take it.
After all...
I'm not normal.

Posts Copyrights © 2009 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 28: Revelations; Again.

2009-02-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies.

======================

Maybe the heat from the fire made me use to agonizing pain from thermal energy, but I felt like I'd freeze to death now I shivered and quivered violently. Alex had taken me to a small room that looked to be the size of an elevator compartment, or at least a slightly bigger closet. It was nothing but dark cement, including the damp floor I sat against. From floating in mid-air and being burned, to actually feeling the icy surface was definitely changing. A shock to my already petrified system. I hated this day. Certainly, it was more horrid than a human's 18th.
So thought to myself, Is this all worth it? Would it have been easier to simply die like all living things are supposed to? It would've been a hell of lot easier. Hail and I could joke around like buddies without serious, life-threatening conversations interrupting. Maybe Hail would be really popular, rather than so infamous around school. Maybe Rina would like him even more than she had claimed before we brought all this crap on her. Perhap Saje would be just as popular. We'd be inseparable for sure, and all the pain I've caused him and the fear he's shot through me would have never happened. It would have never been possible.
Just like a human life such as that. Impossible.
All I could hope was that wherever I was at this moment, I'd finally be at peace. Even if I was locked in this torture for eternity, I'd learn to accept it. I'd learn to accept how my friends would eventually more passed such troubling times. I'd learn to accept that I really didn't survive and I managed to save some other sorceress's ass. I'd learn to accept my life could be gotten over easily, even if I didn't get over things easily, myself. I'd learn to accept I broke my promise to Saje, broken his heart, only to be fixed by someone else.
Yeah, right. I'd never learn. I never do.
I slunked onto the icy, wet stone floor and reached an unsteady state of unconsciousness.

"Hey, wake up!"
A hushed whisper strains to awaken me as my shoulder is shaken. No, I thought, Why do I have to wake up?
"Miki? Stop playing dead! I know you're alive.."
Even as a whisper, I knew that voice. The voice of the only remaining Coniferallison sister left. Alex.
"What?" I groaned, not opening my eyes or bothering to move.
"Did you want answer, or what?"
We both understood what she meant. Answers. The truth.
But no way would I ever give in so easily.
"Answers? To what?"
"To why your life sucked before this execution!"
"Life always sucks. I got used to it."
I could tell she was getting impatient.
"Just listen!" she yelled. "More than half of what Maddie, Claire, and I have said to you were lies. And I apologize! Please believe me, I'm terribly sorry. Please..."
"Stop playing the innocent card and explain," I snapped.
She took a deep breath. "Maddie envied you. Even when she knew you might mind up in hell, she wished she was more powerful and had the chance for it. But she couldn't care less for regular suicide. She just wanted power. She loved it. And she despised how you only love your friends, so she knew you'd break down easily over them. That's what Claire was for... Remember when she told you what your friends were supposedly saying about you? All lies! I knew it was stabbing at the back of your mind, so please... Be assured it was all lies."
"I sorta figured that out," I sneered. "And your role? What was the point of you in my life?"
"I don't know," she sighed hopelessly. "I always tag along with my sisters. Consider me the truthful one. But there were some lies I slipped."
"Such as..?" I urged.
"Like with my sisters. Maddie can move objects and find your location anywhere.. It sort of helped Loki be your supposed 'stalker' as you put it, if you didn't figure that out yet. And Claire, I lied completely about her. She can make anyone do her bidding, not freeze time. Preferably humans though. It's harder for her to control beings like us. That's how she got those three guys from New Year's Eve to... do whatever they did. And obviously, as you've witnessed, she shuts down your senses. Temporarily by the way. And as for me... I didn't lie. I really can see the future and you're in it! This whole time, I kept to myself what would happen tonight."
"You never told your sisters they'd die today?"
"No. I kept this burden this whole time. Reason why I felt so horrible when you wanted to go to the Vida today so anxiously... But yes, they are dead and I knew. And Maddie was killed by a reincarnate, so your dragon's going to be immortal."
"Don't try to make me happy-" but it definitely worked- "but keep explaining."
"Of course... About Loki. It wasn't an accident for you to meet him. Somehow, he managed to affect Saje too. In what way, I don't know. Being annoyed by people you don't know is harder than with people you do know, so he played the role of your stalker. He didn't consider it that. Just someone pranking you. Anywho, I'll admit he was extra hard on you in the beginning. It amazed him how easily you shattered. His notes became less harsh and less often. He wanted to at least keep you stable. He grew quite fond of you for that... But Loki's a ghost. It's easy to follow you around. it was perfect."
"All right. I get it. And I forgive you. Now I have some questions."
"Ask."
"Why did you guys do all that crap to me anyway?"
She breathed in slowly. "What is the point of having such a powerful being if she is too miserable to use her powers, because she is mourning that her amazing life is over? We needed to you to want to start over."
"Odd. But okay... How did you survive the flames and save me from dying?"
"I guess someone was looking after me," she mumbled. "And you are dead. Eternally damned wizardess."
I was too pissed off to be happy. I launched another question. "What'd you and your sisters do to to fairies in Sweden?"
"Nothing. Another lie to get you off our backs with that... Besides, fairies don't exist."
"Where are we?" I asked immediately.
"In a cellar outside Montreal, in this abandoned jailhouse. I brought your clothes. Just put them on and we'll return to the Vida's headquarters to straighten this all out."
Huh. So I was in my underwear. It still felt like a thin cloth robe clung to me, but really...
"One more question," I said finally, lifting my throbbing head up. "Where are my friends?"
"Hail took Rina back to Maine. I reassured him she'd be fine, and when she is, they're coming back here to Canada. Saje is waiting in the Vida's cave."
I stumbled back in my jeans.
"Is he fighting?" I asked anxiously.
"No," she hesitated. "Not until you get there, at least. I really have no vision of what could happen."
I slipped into my shirt, with one of my sleeves ripped off. My imagination whirred, just thinking about everything that could've happened to Saje, Hail, and Rina while I was out cold... or hot, for a better word. And everything happening now, at this very moment.
"Miki, I'm positive he'll be okay," Alex insisted.
I shot a glare. "I don't care. It doesn't matter if you told the truth and explained everything to me Alex. You're still not trustworthy. You don't know what's going on down there."
"Like I said, I can see the future. Tomorrow, you'll all be home, living happily ever after."
"Yeah. For tomorrow."
I marched over in darkness, to what I was guessing to be the jail bars. I pushed them forcefully until it let loose. Okay. Maybe I pushed too hard. The bars broke off the slides and crashed into the across wall, which broke as well, and crumbled to dusty brick remains. Oh well. No extra time would be wasted on finding the exit. All my time should be wasted on run, run, run!
My foot stepped firmly onto the ground and the millisecond I thought of lifting my other foot, it moved. Everything around me blurred past and I ran face first into the cave wall, miles away from where I should've been. Ow! Super speed... Alex appeared next to me, and crashed into the cave wall too.
"You didn't see that," she mumbled.
I still smiled. "Of course I didn't."
"Let's find the cave entrance."
"How about we just make an entrance?" I suggested.
I cocked back my right band, balled it into a fist, and lunged my entire right side with my arm leading, to the rocks...
The rocks crackled into cracks and into dust. Thrilled by my god[dess]ly strength, I jumped up perkily and actually squealed. I covered my mouth afterward and burst into a fit of giggles.
"Miki.." Alex whispered awkwardly.
She was staring straight ahead at the cave, her usual crazed look on. My head turned slowly to what she was facing... In front of me was the fiery centerpiecem the Vida on the left... And Saje on the right.
"Saje!" I yelled happily. I waved, as though we were having a high school reunion and we were old friends standing in the crowd. The situation was obviously a polar opposite, but what the hey? They say love makes you crazy, right?
"Miki..." he said quietly. Too quietly. It definitely wasn't loud enough ti hear with human ears. Oh, yeah... I'm no longer human... Not like I really ever was...
"Into the cave," the Vida urged, stress in their voices.
Alex walked in first, obediently. Shoud I follow with her? Or sprint off, completely certain that Saje would follow, and we'd never have to deal with the Vida again? The second option was cowardly. But easy. Life(or whatever it is for me now) would be easier, even if it'd be cowardly. Do I care? Oh, how I want to say I don't care... But I do. I'm not a coward, and I won't act as such. When the situation demands it, an ass will be kicked by me. That, I have no concern for.
I walked into the cave covered death trap and to Saje's side. He looked at me, his eyes pitch black. The darkest I have ever seen his eyes. If it wasn't for his smile, I'd flinch and run back out of the cave. At least we're all safe. We'd live happily ever after after tomorrow. But before tomorrow, I have to get through today. That's the only problem.
"Whoa! What's with the hole?"
A distant voice. A familiar voice. An idiotic voice, for sure.
"Hail!" I exclaimed.
"Miki!" He appeared at my side and hugged me. Almost immediately, he whispered in my ear, "Rina's mom found her hurt when she was with me. I tried to sneak her out in her room, but her mom caught me and chased me out of the neighborhood with a bat... Don't worry, she's on her way."
"Thanks Hail, but I'm just happy you're all okay."
"For now we are. At least you're still alive. You scared us!"
A throat was cleared. The Vida.
"We do not wish to fight," they said. "the day has been tiresome enough. However, please be informed for any confusion. We don't owe you an apology."
"You don't owe an apology?" I inquired. "You planned to terrorize my life in my senior year of high school for my killing today, even when you knew I could just die and... die again. How is that not worth aplogizing for?"
"We consider you an experiment. That is what we consider you all. We're not your parents. You are not our children. We're not your guardians. You don't need to be guarded. And never, were we your friends."
"Then what are you?"
"We are your answers. You are our workers."
"More like slaves," Saje spat out.
I reached out to grab his cold hand.
"The point is... The events of today shouldn't be taken into personal account. You're eighteen now, and we're insinuating you understand that grudges are immature?"
"I'm insinuating you think I'm stupid."
"Close enough. Just remember. Friday. You're back here, just like always."
We all nodded.
"Hey," another voice said. "Where's your vampire? Do you guys always ditch her?"
Loki.
"Why?" Hail asked fiercely. "You want to stalk her too?"
"Don't flatter her. Just wondering, is all. After all, she is a vampire... A psy-vampire... What the hell is that, anyway?"
Hail scowled.
"Shut up! Just get back to your penguin book."
"How much do you know about us?"
"I know that you're an idiot," Loki scoffed. "I know the albino is a wimp, and I know the witch is a magnet to weirdness." Thanks to my new 'enlightenment', I heard him mumble, "especially weird guys..."
Saje spat out another flame. Loki disappeared[in thin air] before it could hit him.
"C'mon!" Loki insisted, reappearing. "We all know it's the truth."
"Excuse him," a voice from the Vida announced. "Don't be an ass, viking. Now back to you." They faced me. "Show us your powers."
"They're all the same," I said easy. "Nothing is different."
"No? Could you always smash our cave wall?"
"Nope! But Hail could and Saje too. What's so special about me?"
"We've explained before," they said darkly. "You've been the first wizardess since the ages of witch hunting. We'd like the enlightenment."
"You want to see the results your 'experiment'?" Hail mocked quietly.
"Yes," they answered. "and we thought you were smart enough to know we hear all your sass. There's no need for it. And we're tired of it... Now child, please show us your powers."
I exhaled slowly to take up our time. Should I? The Vida used me, after all. Why should I allow myself to be experimented with, and then let them have the satifaction of seeing their results? They deserved to allow myself to remain a mystery. Maybe running away wouldn't make me a coward. In fact, staying here would make me a coward. But do I ever do anything the easy way? Do I ever choose the options right in front of me?
Yeah, right.
"Just an enlightenment?" I asked skeptically.
"Yes." I knew their silhouettes became smug.
"Here's an enlightenment..." I whispered.
A fire for a centerpiece. I extended my arm toward it. At least one square foot of it turned back into driftwood, the centerpiece became even bigger and the fire burned brutally and crackled at high decibals as it covered the remorphed driftwood. It looked... beautiful. All the flames danced and pranced about, wearing their colorful plasma gracefully as it wreaked havoc on everything in its path... Was this second death?
"Miki!" Hail screamed. "This isn't the time to be sightseeing!"
Saje was breathing fire next to me, making the chaos even worse. He seemed to be enjoying all of the violence I caused.
Alex was screaming, her petite voice screeching over the roars of the flames. "What have you done?! The Vida can run away from this, we can't!"
"Saje!" I yelled, yanking his arm away and make him stop breathing fire.
Hail already had his glorious white angel wings out, all glowy and amazing. He took Alex by one arm and blew a hole through the cave wall. Saje sprung his dark wings and we flew away from all the violence.
Until we saw what was going on the mountain.
"Get off me, you wretch!" screeched Loki.
"Not until you tell me where Miki is!" a voice growled. It would have shaken me if Hail or Saje said that. Or if it was me growling, I would've had something resembling a hangover from fear and shock of myself... But no, it's wasn't Hail. Nor Saje. And even if I was a total schizo, I knew that wasn't me.
It was Rina.
Yes, my bubbly talkative friend was on a mass murder attempt, or whatever the hell you call it. It was too hard to watch her viciousness, and it was even worse, seeing her fangs. Did everyone have fangs now?
"Rina!" I screamed. "I'm over here!"
She, who was slamming Loki against a crumbling cave wall, pushed his face against it and exclaimed, "Miki!"Loki disappeared again as Rina ran over to me in a huge glomping.
"Oh my God!" she said, gleeful tears in her eyes. "You have no idea how worried we were! I feel so guilty that I couldn't help more! I'll never forgive myself!"
"I forgive you Rina," I struggled to say in her hug. "But please! The mountain's going to be crushed and so will we if we don't leave right now!"
"Oh sorry! Where's Hail?"
"Saje!" I yelled, not even bothering to answer her question.
I'm not all sure how, but the mountain broke apart. Right there. Did the Vida cause this? Did I cause this? I must have been a monster. I already knew the Vida was a whole club of monsters.
And I was damned to know I could be just like them.
Saje swept down and grabbed Rina and me and- you guessed it- we soared, not even bothering to look back at the crushed mountain and cave. Ha ha.
I guess we won't be coming back after all.

Posts Copyrights © 2009 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 27: Déjà Vu

2009-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Dreams that do come true can be as unsettling as those that don't.

===========

Had I fallen asleep? The moment I had closed my eyes, it felt like I'd fallen unconscious. There wasn't a single memory of pain from fire. I thought it was a dream...
But where am I now? It was dark. Nothing but pitch black. Even my feet weren't touching the floor. I was floating in mid-air. Was I still closing my eyes? My eyes could move, but nothing else. I couldn't even make a noise with my voice. Where was I?
And what the freak was that?
A white, small, glowing piece of- parchment?- was flying freely in circles around me. Oh, how I strongly desired to snatch it and keep it from annoying me. It's hard to roll your eyes without sighing and slumping forward in your clothes.
Speaking of which, was I even wearing clothes? Or was I seriously in an annoying torture chamber in my underwear? Ugh.

14,400 seconds later, the note finally swirled in from of my face and stopped. With the antique-ish white color unfolding itself, one word appeared;
Damned.
It disintegrated into flames almost immediately after I finished reading it.
Wait... Haven't I gone through this before? I remember seeing this note, I remember being in this dark... But it's clearer this time. It's more animated this time. It's different...
It isn't a dream this time.
Drip... I heard in the distance. For some reason, this brought even more memories to me. But at the same time, I didn't know what that memory was supposed to tell me.
Was I in grave trouble? Or... was I simply just dreaming again?
Creak.. came afterwards. Still, I couldn't think of anything. My head ached, just from trying to remember whatever it was...
Drip... Creak... Drip... Creak... It became more rapid. But what was dripping!? What was creaking!?
Of course, now I remember. I had dreamed about this. But what comes next?
Suddenly, flames explode from the ground.
I didn't even bother to scream or cry or move. It wouldn't work. More and more exploded against me. How was I not dead? Was I already dead?
As I predicted, the flames simmered down on my left and strengthened on my right side. Silhouettes were talking in a cavern to my left. Five were on one side of a glassy table, and two on the other side. Just like in my dreams.
"Your torturing was amazing," one voice, which I now realized to be on of the Vida.
"Thank you. She was quite hard to really crack," a male voice replied. I still had no idea who it was, though.
"And your pots to ruin her life were quite traumatizing... Or at least very annoying. I ought to applaud you," the Vida's voice said jokingly.
"Then do so," a voice, that was definitely Claire's hissed.
"Let us just observe our experiment, shall we? There is no need to make this any more complicated," the Vida sighed.
"Agreed," the unknown male voice whispered.
"Agreed," Claire chimed in.
Instead of flames reappearing, the setting didn't change like I expected. The silhouette from the Vida turned toward me, along with Claire and the unknown male where I could see his face finally...
Well, it was certainly a familiar. The extremely pale face gave me the idea he was eternally damned already. The darkish hair narrowed down my options of who it was. Almost every guy I knew had a lighter shade of hair color. The eyes, piercing violet, were so beautiful. But they looked at me like they wanted to eat me. O_O And of course, what stood out the most was the smile. In fact, it looked more to be a smirk. An incredibly obnoxious one, that made him look like a very.. controlling person. A smirk that knew me.
Loki.
Honestly, there was no shock that went through me. After all, I really didn't know the kid, besides the fact that Saje and him don't get along and I want to rip his guts out for "saving my life". So why was he here? How did he torture me? Really, the only thing he could've done...
Ah. The stalker. Almost forgot about that. That was definitely torture. Or at least very annoying, like Claire. Wait, so was that him? Is that why he's here?
Could he see me looking back at them through strained and pained eyes? Was I wearing clothes right now? =_=
3,600 seconds later, the cavern's western wall burst open, shattering rocks and sending them flying off to... me. Ouch! Two figures flew in anxiously. Definitely Saje and Hail.
"Ah," the Vida breathed. "I'm surprised those boulders didn't keep you from coming."
"Maddie wasn't a big deal," Hail sneered. "Saje took her on easily. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already dead with those flames!"
Oh, how I wanted to widen my eyes. Saje killed Maddie?! Did that mean she was a wizardess now? Or was she in hell, rotting for eternity?
"The dragon killed the sorceress?" Loki inquired fiercely. "Hmph. So all of your kind really are a bunch of bloody savages."
I heard a growl that made my heart ache. It was just like the growl Saje had made at Rina, so long ago.
"Oh, touchy," he snorted. "So where's your phony little vampire?" I heard him grumble, "'psy-vamp'... what the hell is that, anyway?"
Before they could answer, Claire screamed, just as my dream depicted and her blood splattered as far as all over my arms, several yards away. There were more growls and roars, but not from Saje.
"Mm! You know, blood doesn't taste that bad!"
Rina?
"You bitch," Claire screeched through her teeth. She lifted a shaking, blood-drenched arm and extended it toward Rina. A bright, white flash overtook my eyes- and apparently Rina's too- and when it ended, I saw Rina on the ground. Her body went completely still. Did Claire kill her? NO, she couldn't have...
Hail extended his wings and lunged at Claire. Another scream. He was flying, holding her by one arm, and threw her into the fiery pit, where I was. Was she dead now? Was she going to be eternally damned?
"What a shame," the Vida whispered. "Two apprentices lost already."
"Apprentice?" Hail spat out.
"Yes. You see, those two girls who you have just dispersed of, were the next candidates to be in the Vida. But now, they won't be because they will never ever come back to us. Thanks to you."
"Good. And if they're gone, how about Miki? Is she still alive? Still burning?"
I knew Hail was trying his best to sound strong and angry. But even from all the way over here, I could tell he was nervous and begging for the truth. He probably thought I was a lost cause by now. That pain must be hurting him.
"At the moment."
"And after that? Maddie explained it all to us! You're using Miki. You threw her in the flames of hell to see if she'd still come back!"
My eyes cracked open a little, just enough to widen.
"A second death," Loki murmured. "Think about it! Do you see how amazing we are compared to humans? It's because we're still on earth, after our first death. Imagine what could happen if one of use survived a second death! And yeah, Maddie and Claire aren't going to make it. They knew the Vida weren't going to 'watch over them' if this happened. So what, are you wondering how Miki is going to survive this?"
A flame burst below me and burned my right arm. Dammit. I can't even scream.
"We're not stupid!" Saje yelled. "She's going through a second death as her first death. She could end up in hell!"
"And our experiment would fail. We have other scenarios," the Vida reassured.
Saje slammed a fist on the glass table that separated them.
"How dare you use-" he threw a flame at a piece of the table- "her like that?! She's not an experiment!" He threw another flame sharply at me, probably not knowing such. It hit my left shoulder, and I could finally moan in pain. Not scream, unfortunately.
Still, I was gaining my senses back. I could feel more of the hot pain, if that was even possible. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest, it could have stopped at any moment. Was this the pain I'd forget, just as Hail had described?
I groaned as the heat grew.
My eyes shit tight, for I knew Saje would jump at them, followed by Hail. Fore crackled everywhere around me, and when I opened my eyes, Loki and the Vida were gone. Saje was kneeling on the ground. He punched the eastern cavern wall, cursing under his breath.
"Calm down, Saje," Hail urged. "Let's just find Miki."
"What if she's already dead?" he asked.
"Since when are you the hopeless one? C'mon, let's hurry up!" His voice still managed to sound care-free. Once again, I could hear the strain in Hail's voice.
Saje slumped even lower in his crouch.
"Let's go!" Hail yelled. "What, do I gotta slap you or something?"
"How are we going to save her? You can't, you'd burn in hell!"
"Then you go. If you live, then so will Mik. If you don't, you can burn in hell together."
"Are you kidding me? No one wins!"
"You don't know that," Hail muttered.
"And you do?"
"I don't know either!" Hail snapped. "Now stop acting like such a baby!"
Hail! I thought in my head, barely capable of taking their conversation anymore. I'm over here! I can see you!
Hail froze completely, and snapped his head in my direction, from what it looked to be. "She's near.."
I can hear you! But I can't speak...
"She's real near," he exclaimed happily.
"Great," Saje snorted sarcastically. "Now what?"
"... I'll save her," said a voice.
Of course. Alex.
Saje spat out a flame toward her. She cringed, as it hit her sleeve, which was just char now.
Hail, please tell Saje to stop.
"Miki didn't like that. Stop," Hail cautioned.
"Really," Alex insisted. "I can! I'm not damned yet. I'm still human. If went through, I might die without the Vida watching over me, but at least I'd be with my sisters and Miki would be with you two."
"Then go," Saje snapped.
Alex nodded meekly. "Miki!" she shouted. "Close your eyes!"
I shut them tightly, finally being able to move. The fire burned once again, at its hottest. My throat stretched like it used to, my jaw clenched and my body drenched in blood that I could feel trickled all over my skin. And my heart... It throbbed, galloping against my will for it to stop.. It beat so fast, I didn't think it was possible.
The fire felt like poison now, and it was numbing. Finally, it melted my paralyzed self, and I could scream. I yelled, screeched, and screamed so loud, even my own ears hurt.
"Relax! You're almost out," Alex murmured.
I could finally feel that I was moving, and the roaring flames grew further and further away...

Posts Copyrights © 2009 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 26: Surprise.

2009-02-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

Three may keep a secret. If two of them are dead.

=======

The seventeenth of February. The big day...
"Rise and shine, birthday girl!" Maddie yelled. "You're not going to school today! Aren't you happy?"
"No," I slurred. "Can't I sleep in?"
"Of course not! We have to get to the Vida! Hurry up!"
"Ugh," I groaned. "Fine!"
It's been months since the Vida told me I'd die. An execution. It really felt like time went fast and more obstacles were supposed to happen. What's up with that? Was all that time wasted? Was there a single danger- besides the stalker- that I encountered? Sure, sure, there were things probably other people don't encounter, but.. It just seemed to easy...
"Are you dressed yet?" Claire asked, peeking in.
"Not yet..." I called back, pulling down a new shirt.
"Well hurry up! You can't be late for your own execution."
She closed the door while I brushed my unruly hair. My hair was quite long now, it must have been ages since I last cut it. In fact, I don't remember getting bangs. Perhaps my hair grew in layers! They were too long to be bangs now, anyway. They were the same length as Saje's or Hail's hair probably. Would it continue to grow after my death?
The door reopened. Alex. She looked frightened and apologetic.
"Don't listen to Claire. Take as much time as you need!" she said... begged.
"Er, thanks Alex. Don't worry though, I'm done."
"... Oh."
We walked downstairs, to see the still, dark sky painted on the windows.
"What time is it?" I asked Alex.
"4:00 A.M. It's cloudy out."
Maddie switched all the lights on. All was quiet, except her footsteps as she hurriedly paced around the entrance room.
"There are muffins in that room," Alex whispered, pointing to the dining room. "Are you eating breakfast?"
"Mhmm."
I stepped into the dining room and saw Claire rolling her eyes at three other familiar figures.
"Muffin?" Hail offered.
"If I were you, a muffin is the last thing I'd want to be eating," Saje insisted.
Rina nodded, biting into a blueberry one.
"Why are you three here?" I asked, ignoring the muffin Hail was waving in my face.
"How else do you think you're getting to Quebec?" Hail asked with his mouth full and smacking my face with a muffin.
"Besides, we like muffins," Saje added.
I took a small bite of one, sitting in a chair.
"So when are we leaving?"
"You choose. It's your birthday," Hail grinned.
"I really don't want to make a big deal about this."
"I know. That's why we are," he snickered. "Ah, I remember my execution! It was sorta fun, jumping off a bridge! Just think of it as a diving board or something. Like you're not about to plummet to the earth in a bloody gore death! Dying easy, just not for the people around you, you know."
I nodded slowly, taking another bite of my muffin. Saje, who was sitting next to Hail, had a muffin in the palm of his hand. Flames flashed up and the muffin turned to ashes. My stomach churned as I watched him sprinkle the ashes in his mouth.
"I prefer my muffins... ashy," he explained when he noticed me staring.
"That's... repulsive," I gagged.
"And tasty," he shrugged off, setting fire to another muffin.
"Ew!" Rina squealed.
"Can we please just go now?" Maddie screeched, still pacing.
Alex shuddered.
"Sure," I said.
Alex gave me a crazed look, something I hadn't been given in a long time. I never got to ask why. Oh well. She probably just thought I was crazy for being so willing to die. What other reason was there?

The fountain.
"Take a good look, Mik," Hail told me. "This is the last time you'll see this place with human eyes."
I exhaled heavily from nervousness.
"Don't worry." He patted my head. "I'm your guardian angel, here on out! You're not going anywhere."
Rina glomped me. "Miki! I can't believe this! You're... you're-!"
I smiled lightly, my heart still beating rapidly. "Thanks, Rina... Um, I can't really breathe..."
"Oh sorry!" She released me, sending me stumbling backward. Saje caught me before I could fall to the damp snowy ground.
"You promised me," he whispered quietly so no one else would hear, "you'd still be here tomorrow."
"I know," I said shakily. "And I will."
I kissed his cheek, both icy and flushing at the same time.
We all went to our 'fliers' and headed off, into the sky.
Off to my death.

********

The Vida.
"All right!" I breathed. "Are we heading off to the bridge?"
Just say yes, and get this over with! I repeated in my head. I felt so nervous, my knees shaking, my teeth chattering, my spine shivering... I felt like I'd burst into pinata parts if I waited any more. How come I felt so... anxious... to end my life? Did I honestly find my like had no significance? Did I have one care at all, one tiny bit of desire, to stay alive? How insane was I?
Of course I had no desire to stay alive. I wanted to live forever, with my friends. Forever, never changing, constantly knowing the ones I love will never leave and knowing I'll never leave them. It was all about friendship. Did thoughts revolving around that make me insane? Or simply loving? Either way, it brought anxiety at its worst to me. Just chill, I'm still alive... but I need to die!
"Actually..." Their voices trickled chills throughout my body.
"Yeah?" I gulped.
"We have a change in plans."
"Oh. What the change?" I asked innocently.
"We don't need you to die by suicide. We have... an idea."
"All right," I said calmly. "What's the idea?"
"We've noticed most supernatural souls don't become as powerful if they kill themselves... in a natural way. So, you're going to kill yourself in a supernatural way."
"Um... How?" I questioned awkwardly.
"Burning."
"So is Hail and Saje going to kill me?" I wondered, almost relieved.
"No," they said flatly. "Not from the flames of a dragon."
They had lost me. I had no idea what was coming.
"Then how..?"
"The flames of hell."
Before I could even gasp or let my eyes widen, Claire and Alex grabbed me by both arms and pulled me to the right cave wall. Saje and Hail leaped toward us, only to be mauled by boulders that Maddie sent falling on them. I tried to scream and shout, trying to fight... Trying to blink... Nothing worked! What was wrong with me?
"Hold tighter!" Claire screeched at Alex.
"I'm holding tight enough," she insisted. "You need to run faster!"
I felt weaker as they yanked on my limbs in the darkness. We were inching closer to something how. This wasn't a regular heat... It wasn't hot like fire. It wasn't painful like burning. It was hot like a straightening iron that's stretching itself around your throat. It was painful like stabbing, blood dripping. Even after I stopped breathing, my throat still felt like it'd burst in two. All I knew was that it'd get worse, since I wasn't even in the fire.
"It was nice knowing you," Claire snorted sarcastically. "On the count of three, Alex!"
They were still holding me, surprisingly. I tried to shut my eyes. Nothing.
"One..." Alex murmured.
I tried to move. Nothing.
"Two..." Claire said.
Three! I screamed to myself. That's the only thing I could do.
"Three."
Both my arms felt as though they just ripped off my body. The agony I felt was unbearable. Someone get me out of here! Then I was falling. I saw nothing but darkness as my limp and weak body plummeted to who knows where...
Suddenly, I saw them; the flames. Just as I had dreamed climbing a mountain and jumping off it many months ago, flames spontaneously appeared at the same time, the same amount. All the same. The only difference was that these flames didn't feel real this time.
They couldn't be real.
I could finally close my eyes, just in time to fall and burn myself to death.

Posts Copyrights © 2009 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 25: Last Day

2009-02-02T17:46:00.001-08:00

Several revisions and re-edits will be made to this. Don't kill yourself. ;P

On the 15th, I decided to write down everything I was sorry for. Which, to be honest isn't much. Nonetheless, I figured half a sheet was good enough;

Dear... God(I guess),
I'm sorry for never going to chruch. Sure, I wasn't really sure what religion I belong to, but still. I could've tried to find out or something, right? Sorry for calling Hail a dumbass every time he was reckless. Okay, okay, so I called him that on a regular basis, but I don't think I've been doing it as much lately. Right? From my opinion, I'm pretty sure I haven't. I'm sorry for letting Yuu push Hail and Saje in the park's creek when we were in 5th grade and I didn't help them out. They were my friends, and I wasn't acting like I was their friend. We knew each other for about two years then, and that was enough time to realize I love them. I'm sorry for laughing when I hit Dylan in the... well, you know. I'm not a guy, but from what I've been told and seen, it must hurt a ton to be hit... there. I'm also sorry for wanting to duct tape Rina's mouth shut whenever she was talking incessantly. It was really immature of me, and after all... Having Hail who only talks about gross stuff and Saje, who barely talks at all, I should be grateful for Rina. I'm sorry for hurting Saje by running away when he first kissed me. That was... uncalled for. I'm sorry for being stupid and talking about people, on the occasions I did. My greatest apologies for not listening to you when I felt lost. Which was a lot.
Yours Truly,
Miki
P.S. I forgot. I'm also sorry that I put pink dye in Jonathan Steele's underwear wash because he was going through my clothes in the laundro-mat. You had to admit it was kind of funny though. However, it was still mean.

On the 16th, it was nothing but a regular day and then some... A lot of some.
"Hey, let's go!' Saje urged. "Miss Kane isn't here for gym, so we don't have to do anything. Let's just skip."
"You are such a rebel!" I joked. "Where do you want to go?"
"You choose."
I thought long and hard. Where did I want to go? It definitely wasn't gym class. Or anywhere within a mile radius of this place. Somewhere far away, where Saje could fly, or run really fast to. Sure, I'd have to close my eyes but I wanted to be away from everything. Everything, everyone... Except for Saje, mostly because he's my ride back here when this little rebellious adventure is over. Sigh. I decided I wanted to go somewhere far...
Now all I need is the exact location. Let's see..
My birthday is coming up. It's tomorrow. Heck, it's not just my birthday. It's my fricken deathday. Hell, I'm dying tomorrow. My life is going to end, all my memories will suddenly be distant, and the ones I left behind me long ago will be just a minor haunting that I'll ignore. Memories from long ago... Memories of abuse, and horrible parents, adoption, all that crap that will be a haunting I'll ignore. Stupid, ruthless memories.
I owe them one last visit for sticking with me all this time.
"Fine... Vermont. I grew up there. I'd like to know if my parents are still alive."
Saje's eyebrows rose. "Of course.."
We snuck out the door we always snuck out of.
"Close your eyes," he reminded me and took off at the speed of light. Or faster. Within a short minute we were standing on a highway with a 'The State of Vermont Welcomes You' sign.Up ahead, I could see a small town, where a wave of nostalgia hit me. Grabbing Saje by the hand, I ran as fast as I could until we reached the small buildings. There was a tourist stand up, next to newspaper boxes. Abruptly, I stopped in front of the lady standing behind the tourist stand.
"How many miles before we hit Newport?" I asked breathlessly.
Instead of answering, she gave me a map and snatched the dollar bill in my hand. She smiled, obviously wanting us to go now. Saje wrenched my arm and ran toward the nearest alley.
"Give me the map."
I pointed to a tiny speck of a dot on it. "That's where we're going!"
He nodded slowly, and swung me onto his back swiftly.
My eyes beckoned to stay shut as my hair swept back in whipping winds. I bit hard on my bottom lip to keep my mouth from going even a little ajar, from the fear that I'd scream. Are we almost there?
Abruptly, Saje stopped next to a water tower with large black letters above reading 'Newport'. The smell of the town was the same as when I left it a decade ago. There wasn't a single thing that had changed. It was so breathtaking, it was hard to believe two abusive parents could be inhabiting such a place.
"Do you even remember the address?" Saje asked me doubtfully.
"Of course," I answered smug. "Why would I forget where hell is?"
I started to skip to the nearest neighborhood, making a glance every know and then at the street and several houses. Where exactly could 'Marsh Street' even be?
"How do you know they still live here?" asked Saje.
I rolled my eyes, adding extra emphasis to the sigh. "I don't know. But these are the cheapest houses in Newport and we weren't rich."
After several steps down the street and the continuous swinging of the holding hands, he asked, "Why did you want to come here?"
Why? My reason really didn't have a purpose other than; 1) Being away from school, 2) Riding Saje(haha, I never thought I'd say that!) without almost fainting, and 3) My overly convincing reasoning of thinking I actually want to be here. Did I really want to be here? Honestly, I wasn't sure but no way would the giving in and going back home be an option. Not after reaching so far and seeing what could happen at my visit.
So I lied.
".. My life is about to end. This is where it all began. And this is where I thought my life was going to end."
He grabbed my hand. "Lead the way!"
I ran across the street and to the end of the block, looking to where a little yellow house could be on the corner..
"Is it that one?" Saje asked. He pointed o a small house, tinctured with a moldy yellow with the most minuscule pebbles scattered on unwatered grass.
667 Marshall Street... When I was younger, this house looked so much bigger, like it was my whole world. My whole freaking screwed world that I'd rot in...
"I can't believe I'm about to do this," I slurred.
He squeezed my hand tighter. "Too bad."
Slowly, I walked to the door with my heart beating loudly. Why was I so nervous?
Knock knock, on the door was pulsing painfully in my ears.
Very slowly, to the point where I'd go insane, the door creaked open. Impatiently, I waited for some repulsive figure to answer the door and yell for me to leave at once.
But instead, I got something worse.
"Hellooo?" a girly high-pitched voice squealed behind the doorway.
A woman, probably in her early 30s stood in front of me. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair super duper dry. She had the weirdest smile on her face and smelled like cigar smoke.
...
Was she high or something?
"Um... Hello," I said meekly.
She burst into howling giggles. "Oh my God! So who are you?"
"I'm uh..." Should I say my name? No, of course not... Why would she remember me? "... Um, did you ever adopt a kid? Like, eighteen years ago?"
"Um..." she pondered, her voice dragging on the the 'm'. "I think so! How did you know!?"
"Erm, I think that.." I trailed off. Saje squeezed my hand again. My entire left arm felt numb now. ".. I am that kid."
She looked me up and down several times then burst into laughter. "Maybe! Gosh, what are you even doing here?"
She bent over in laughter. Her disgusting smoke scent made me gag.
"I just wanted to visit-"
"And?" she interrupted, sounding even more high then ever. "Are you going to help me pay rent or something? Gosh. If you're going to come back, then do something useful."
I had no idea why those words stabbed into me.
"God.." she continued. "I only got you 'cuz of my 'husband'-" she laughed even harder. I could barely understand her now- "but then he left me and after you did... The least he could've done was stay with me... After getting the abortion and adopting you at only like, 16, it was the least he could've done. You should've stayed with me too!" She howled into laughter. I couldn't understand anything she was saying after that.
How could she admit this so easily? And how could she laugh at all this? Whether or not I was her 'daughter', it's not like I was in any position of trust for this repulsive woman. Maybe she really was high.
"Um... Are you okay?" I asked almost concerned.
"Yeah!" she choked out. "Seriously. Are you going to pay my rent? It's hard to get money in such a small neighborhood like this! Or are you dropping off customers or something?"
She glanced at Saje for a minute. He looked extremely confuzzled.
Realization dawned on me and I slapped her.
"Miki!" Saje whispered toward me.
"You bitch!" I screeched trying to beat her ruthlessly. "I'm glad I ran away-"
Her laughter howled even louder over my angry screaming. Saje yanked my arm and said quietly, "We should go now."

&;********

By Lake Michigan. There was no rush to get back home now.
"I'm not going to cry."
"You should. I would."
"She's not worth crying over."
He sighed. "I'm glad you ran away. You're pretty screwed in the head already. There's no need to make it worse by living with her."
I smiled. "Yeah. I remember having a dad. He's probably dead though. Drug overdose or something."
"They were taking care of you when they were younger than us. Do you think taking care of kids can make them so horrible?"
"Maybe. I don't plan on getting pregnant any time soon."
"I didn't think you were," he breathed humorously. "Acting like it is good enough, huh?"
I punched his shoulder. "Yeah and just that completely sucks!"
"Hail and I thought it was funny!" he protested.
I rolled my eyes. My parents were abusive. They hated me, had no concern for me, and running away didn't move them at all. I recalled to when I pretended to be 'pregnant' for money on the street with Saje and Hail. Besides the whole stupidity and greediness of it, I started to think. My 'mother' and 'father' were probably like that. Except they weren't pretending. I felt bad for them, almost. Almost. But I did forgive them. Forgiven, not forgotten. There was no way I'd forget the drunken crackheads that adopted me so long ago.
"Look on the bright side," Saje pointed out. "If they didn't harm you all the time, you would've never run away and come to Maine. If you ended up with a good pair of parents, you would've stayed in Vermont... Made different friends... Some other guys would like you..."
"And my life would be normal and boring," I finished.
"And safe."
I looked at him intensely. "And boring."
He looked back. "And easy."
Desperately, I tried to change the subject. "Do you wear colored contacts?" I asked.
"No."
"Your eyes look blue right now..."
"They always are."
"No they're not! They're grey."
"...Sometimes," he admitted.
"What!?" I asked astonished.
"My eyes are always blue. Sure, they started turning grey when I'm around you. But they got lighter when I started talking to you. I noticed that. They never reached blue until now."
"So do you think it'll stay this way?"
"I hope not," he sneered. "Whenever my eyes are blue, I go colorblind. I didn't start seeing color until I met you. Sometimes though, you just shock it out of me."
"And you're telling me this, after knowing me for almost a decade..?"
"Yeah."
"Well, good!" I exclaimed. "I like them grey."
"I do too," he agreed.
We sat in silence, waiting for the sun to set... Tomorrow inched closer with every minute, every second, every millisecond... But I had no tears. Not a drop would come, as darkness brushed against the sky. I wasted them all on my friends, the strangers, and I didn't save a tear for myself. So instead of crying, what else was I to do? Nothing. Nothing but smile and act as though everything, for once in my life, was okay.
Even though it has never been more scathed or damaged before in my life.

Posts Copyrights © 2009 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 24: Valentine's Day.

2008-12-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

All love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon sand.
Arrghhh. I hate writing 'romantic'. =_= But it had to happen at some point..
[This chapter is dedicated to Danny Sull. We love you. See you another day, wherever you are now.]

Sometimes when I say, "Oh, I'm fine."
I want someone to look me in the eyes and say, "Tell me the truth."
=================

MIKI: are you sure you don't want to go with us to do the candy gram thing?
SAJE: i'm sure.
MIKI: are you finally over your insomnia?
SAJE: yeah. now it's fatigue.
MIKI: ouch. how come Rina didn't have such a hard time?
SAJE: vampires got it easy. heart rate speeds up, burning... that's all. dragons go through more changes.
MIKI: still, it amazes me how both put up with it.
SAJE: you get used to it. besides, Rina only babbles about good stuff. she wouldn't complain about stuff like reincarnating.
MIKI: and you're just super quiet. =)
SAJE: yeah. Happy Valentine's Day, by the way. is it okay to say that 'i love you' today or is it just too awkward?
MIKI: it's awkward enough to tolerate. is it more awkward to say 'i love you too'? =)
SAJE: yeah. I'd rather you said it in person.
MIKI: sure! I'll see you 7:00 P.M.? Your place?
SAJE: I'll leave the window open.
MIKI: thanks.
...
HAIL: hey. the candy gram thing is starting. are you still going?
MIKI: yeah. I'll see you there.
...
SAJE: I forgot to tell you something.
MIKI: yeah?
SAJE: get me a candy gram.
MIKI: sure.
SAJE: and not the ones with chocolates. those sucked.
MIKI: really? and how do you know?
SAJE: i got a bunch in eighth grade from a bunch of people.
MIKI: really? secret admirers? ^^
SAJE: no. it was supposed to give me food poisoning(didn't work). never trusted chocolate since.
MIKI: haha. I'll look out for that.
SAJE: thanks.

After logging off and heading out the door, snowflakes began to falling. Three days. That's it. The snow was like my tears. Frozen. Staying in place. Won't melt away. I wasn't even crying. There was so much to cry about; My death in three days. My amazing vulnerability. My stalker, let us not forget. And yet, I do cry over believing Saje really hated me. I only cry about my friends and not even my own life.
Recalling the memory of Maddie telling me that I thought too highly of my friends, I began to wonder... Was she right? Was it really that unhealthy to think of my friends more than myself? To the extent of tears? To the extent that I disregarded my life? Amazing! Even months later, Maddie's lecture managed to creep into my life and prove itself. Like fate.
Finally, I was off the busy urban street and turned right onto the block that faded naturally into the quiet, suburban street. The street with large houses that all looked the same and sprinklers constantly spurting water in the summer. In the winter, crappy snowmen inhabited every other lawn. The middle school was just around the corner...
A large, red banner hung above the front entrance saying, "Candy Grams! ♥"
"Boo!" a voice yelled behind me. I squealed when I was poked in the side. Dylan.
"Ouch!" he said, withdrawing his hand. "You electrocuted me!"
"Oh, sorry."
"S'ok. Who else is here?"
"I don't know. Maybe Hail is already here."
"Maybe."
With that, we walked inside the school filled with shorter kids all filed in line. There were several paired up, probably couples, bunched together on the side. A teacher approached us.
"Are you volunteering?" she asked, pushing up her glasses to her mousy face.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Okay, follow me." She rushed to the other side of the hallway. "Help him with the notes."
Him. Hail.
"What took you guys so long?" he asked casually.
"I was talking to Saje," I explained.
"I forgot," Dylan shrugged easily.
"I thought Saje was asleep," Hail analyzed.
"He is now, probably. Why?"
"He's a bitch when he's trying to sleep," he muttered.
"I never noticed."
"'course not. You're already a bitch." He laughed jokingly.
"Just write your love notes," I grumbled.
"You write the girl ones. I'll write the guy ones. Dylan writes the transsexual ones."
"There really are transsexuals here," Dylan pointed out, biting back a smile.
"I know. Saje used to go here, after all..."
When Dylan's eyes widened, I whispered, "He's joking!"
"Thank God..."
For the rest of the day, we wrote inappropriate sounding notes requested by twelve to fourteen year old kids. Was everyone, even in middle school, that dirty-minded? How repulsive. However, it was also quite adorable too. Some people demanded to write the notes themselves. Some wanted us to draw stick people. Dylan cursed at one kid for saying his stick people sucked. Overall, the day was normal.
And a relief. There was no way a middle schooler could be the person stalking me, and everyone looked the age of a middle school student. Although, recalling what my last note said, nervousness creeped in the back of my mind. After all, why would he put that I should 'have fun'? Just a taunt. All I could be sure of was that I had to get home before I could really find out.
"Finally!" Hail gasped. "It's over!"
"Let's go," I mumbled.
"Hey," Dylan called. "Someone left a candy gram here..."
"Sweet, I'll eat the candy part," Hail suggested. "Just throw away the gram."
"Wait." Instincts told me to keep the gram part. "I'll take the gram."
"Sure..." Dylan tossed the neatly folded letter at me, which I barely caught in my trembling fingers;
I don't know about you, but have you seen you're dragon lately? Not trying to freak you out, but I'll tell you this: I've seen him. He doesn't look too good. I don't think I helped much. Ha!
Although I usually automatically crumple the notes, this time it was too terrifying. Petrifying, for a better word. I reread the note over and over again, just to see if I misread it the first time. Was it another taunt? Or did he really harm Saje? Please, please, please be just a taunt...
"What does it say, Mik?" Hail asked, making me jump.
"Um," I stammered. "I have to go to the bathroom."
Immediately, I sprinted down the hallway where I could hear Dylan's distant voice calling, "Good luck! These bathrooms are like closets!"
I didn't care. The restrooms were already behind me. The school door, the school's parking lot, the fountain all behind me. I was almost to the urban street and I was still too far away from him. Would they notice that I was still gone? How could I possibly explain this to Dylan and Hail? Was Saje okay?
Almost there, I thought. Just in the alley and up the fire exit steps.
"Saje!" I yelled, pounding violently on his window. I looked at his bed. The sheets were ruffled, and it was made sloppily. My heart leaped when his head abruptly popped up and he opened the window incoherently. I hugged him tightly, falling through the windowsill and pinning him to the bed. Even when he moaned, "Ouch" from his head smacking against the headboard, I continued chanting, You're okay! Thank goodness!
"Is it 7:00 already?" he asked.
"No, but-" I thought you encountered my stalker and he hurt you, and better yet, he murdered you relentlessly and I lost you forever! On a better note, does this home have tacos? - "I got impatient."
"What time is it?"
"Four o' clock. I'm sorry for waking you up."
"S'okay," he slurred. "We have more time now." He grinned encouragingly.
"But if you're tired, I'll just come back later."
He yawned a "It's fine."
I stifled a giggle. "I think I'll go now. Happy Valentine's Day."
He muttered, "I love you."
Instead of those words stopping my heart from beating, it actually sped it up.
"Of course you do," I responded cheerfully, a feeling of ecstasy overcoming. I turned to look at him while he was about to lounge back in his bed and nap. I managed to catch his face and do the [as we definitely thought as to be] unbelievable - yes, a kiss- and quickly withdrew and lunged out the window. The only glimpse I got was of his eyes when I ran down the fire exit steps. He was sitting in the same position, his eyes quite widened. The amazing part of it was...

His eyes weren't grey. For the first time in nine years they were blue. Not even slate blue, where the grey was an undertone. Did that happen when I kissed him? Did that happen when he first kissed me? I practically went blind when he first did, so maybe.

And I loved it. I hate when his eyes turned black. I love when they're metallic. I hate when he doesn't talk to me. I love when I'm the only one he talks to. I hate trying to hate him(that makes sense).
But I really do love him. This time, the world did stop as I sprinted home, eager to go back.

***************

MIKI: OMG, Hail! I'm sorry! =[
HAIL: for what???
MIKI: for leaving you and Dylan at the middle school.
HAIL: s'ok. I read your mind. ^^ the moment you started running, I told Dylan we should go home.
MIKI: really? thanks!
HAIL: yeah. it was really hard to convince him though. he insisted that we wait for you, he's really nice.
MIKI: how'd you get him out?
HAIL: well. you're going to understand that I told the truth. partially, okay?
MIKI: ...what parts?
HAIL: well, i said you were going Saje's place. he asked why you were hurrying, so i lied and said you were late for something. he suspected it was a date and I.. agreed. let's be honest, it's the most reasonable and obvious answer. i hope you don't mind.
MIKI: I don't. thanks.

HAIL: of course. so is Saje okay?MIKI: yeah. i guess the note was a taunt.
HAIL: let's hope so.

I was just about to type something before my computer froze up again. "Crap," I muttered when the keys started making beep noises. Finally, after several blinking screens later, I could type again.

MIKI: sorry, my computer froze.
????: he knows. his computer froze too.
MIKI: who are you?
????: you're not that stupid, are you? it's been awhile since I've IM'd you. =D
MIKI: where's Hail?
????: he's trying to log back in. don't worry. he's not worth hurting.
MIKI: leave him alone.
????: didn't I just say I wasn't going to hurt him?

I tried to exit out, knowing there wasn't any use in replying. It only made beeping noises, then colors flashed on the screen. Purple, green, blue, red... I shut my eyes, knowing I'd suffer eye seizures from continuing to look at the screen. Another beep occurred and I dared to open my eyes in the now dark room and look back at the screen. It was white with messages I had written to the stalker and vice versa.

????: hey, are you there?

I typed furiously. Four words:

MIKI: i. will. kill. you.

As soon as the letters reappeared on the screen, I could exit out and shut the computer off. I meant everything I said in the messages. I wanted to know who my stalker was. He'd better leave Hail alone. And I was going to kill him. The whole time, all these months did I ignore and put this off. I wanted to find my stalker. And then what? Let Hail and Saje kill him for me?
No. I was too relying on them. It was so repulsive. I didn't need them to solve my problems for me. Independence is something people like me need. I'll kill him and I'll track him down. Maddie was right. I thought of my friends way too much.
I stomped to the front door and into the night. Across the street was Saje's orphanage, the only building with no lights. Deep breaths kept me calm until I finally got there.
"Try not to explode," I whispered softly to myself as I walked up the fire exit steps. "I still love him, I just don't need him... as much.... Saje!" I screamed through the window. Yet again was he sleeping, buried under piles of sheets and pillows. His room was always dark with only one light being omitted from a lamp on his night desk. He popped up and opened the window frame.
"It's seven now, I'm guessing," he said.
"Yeah," I muttered.
His eyes tightened. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I slumped onto his bed, directly next to the window.
He poked my forehead gently, rather than abruptly. "I don't want to annoy you by asking... but are you sure?"
"There's nothing wrong with me," I strained. "I'm fine."
Sighing, he looked me straight in the eye and murmured, "Tell me the truth."
"No."
"You can trust me," he urged.
"You don't need the truth," I snapped, "and I don't need to be taken care of all the time."
"Of course you don't! But I want the truth, and I want you to-"
"To be what? Taken care of? Happy?"
"Yes. Jeez, what's wrong with you? Did a car almost run you over or something?"
"Ugh! How would you like it if your friends were constantly helping take care of your battles?"
"That'd be great. Why?"
"It's made me weak! It wasn't until today did I finally decide I wanted to kill whoever's following me around everywhere! All because I thought you and Hail would do it for me..."
"We would."
"Thanks for your chivalry," I snorted. "But I don't need it. I'm not some stupid damsel in distress."
"You sound really selfish right now," he said, then grinned a toothy-fangy-smile. "But still. No one is asking you to be a superhero. All you have to do is die and let Hail and me do the rest."
"Oh, sure! Let me do the easy job," I growled.
Instead of poking my forehead, he kissed it. "It's not easy for us."
I didn't respond.
"Now tell me why you're being so grouchy. What happened?"
So I explained. Maddie thinking my opinion on my friends was unhealthy... What Claire said about how they supposedly hated me... The stalker hacking my computer... Only once did he interrupt me by saying, "Claire's a liar! Did you believe her?"
When I finally finished, he looked at me blankly.
"And you believed all that?" he asked sourly.
I sighed, "Yeah. I did. And maybe Maddie's right, if not Claire. I mean really, I would've never cried over what Claire said-"
"You cried?" he asked, amazed. "You never cry."
"And I never would have if-"
"If you didn't love us so much," he finished for me. "Like I told you before, I love you more. Don't let Claire get to you. She's a-"
"Bitch. I know." I grinned.
"Exactly." Another kiss.
"So what now?" I wondered. "Do I just die?"
"Yeah," he said, pain in his voice. "Remember when I used to hate that idea?"
"Uh-huh. I'm really happy that you've accepted it overall."
"Overall," he agreed. "But I'd still rather not watch."
"Of course you do," I grumbled.
"I won't be selfish," he whispered, while there was a crash downstairs, and a child screaming for bananas. "Just promise me you'll still be here on the 18th."
"I promise."
It was obvious that the pain in his voice hurt us both. Doubts swirled angrily in my head... What if I didn't end up like Hail? What if I really died? Would I go to hell? Of course I would. I'd spend eternity there, knowing that my friends were mourning over me. They're go crazy, just as I would if something horrid occurred to them. I'd suffer, being aware of it. I'd suffer, knowing I'd broken my promise to Saje.
"Don't cry," he said. "Can you hear me?"
I nodded, my vision blurred from spilling tears he acknowledged before I did.
"You need a hug!" He immediately grabbed me in a tight hug. We rocked back and forth, the only noise was my sobbing.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the window. Hail.
"Thank goodness," was the first thing I heard Hail say. "When you told me someone needed a hug, I thought you meant yourself. Glad to know it's just Miki."
Hail leaped toward us and wrapped his arms around me. "I hate group hugs," he sighed. "but I hate seeing you cry even more. Hurry up. Get happy!"
"Of course," I laughed.
It was easy to get happy quickly under the circumstance. I could hear what Maddie would say about this; "Of course you would just let your friends take over you emotions..." It was acceptable for her to think that. I was so emotional, with absolutely no backbone.

And I couldn't care less.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 23: Dead-End Answers.

2008-12-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Not my best... But there's always tomorrow.
Special thanks to: The History Channel

=====================================

On Friday, I felt happier than I had in several weeks. Possibly happier than when I received a chance at normal humanity. Happier than when I first flew in the air(with the courtesy of Hail). That happy indeed. No doubt.
"Next Saturday," Said whispered in Writing class. "is Valentine's Day."
"I know!" I exclaimed. "And then my birthday is three days later."
He sighed then grinned a toothy smile. Oh my gosh. He had fangs. "True. But I was wondering. Are you going to the dance for it?"
"Nope," I answered. Confidence splattered itself around me, knowing Saje wouldn't possibly ask me to go with him and shatter our re-established friendship. Still, I couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
He coughed away a laugh. "No reason..." Another snicker or two was capable of escaping his lips.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No reason..." he insisted.
I shook my head to keep from wondering. It couldn't have been something bad.. Right?

The last hour bell rang, and I was the first one in the gym locker room. All day, thoughts were swirling through my head about Saje and the whole Valentine's Day dance thing. Everyone was bunching up in the locker rooms, but I tried to ignore them all and finish changing. The millisecond I walked out of the gym locker room, I was cornered by some random student.
"Hi," he said nervously.
"Hi..." I replied quietly.
He looked around and up at the ceiling before speaking a word. Perhaps he was waiting for someone else. Perhaps I should walk away.. Quickly. Before my foot even left the floor, the kid spoke up again frantically.
"Listen!" he said abruptly, almost in an apologizing tone. "I er... Well, I saw you once or twice in gym class and... You're really pretty!" I tried not to gag. "You seem really nice too..."
"Thanks." I gave him a small smile. Apparently, that boosted his confidence too much.
"Yeah, and that Kallen kid told me to go ahead, so... Will you go to the Valentine's Day dance thing with me?!" His voice reached a squeaky pitch at the end.
Twitch. That Kallen kid... Saje. That's why he asked me about the dance.
"That little bastard," I mumbled quietly.
"Huh?" he popped up.
"Oh sorry..." I said clearer. "I'm flattered you want to go with me, but uh... I'm not going. I have plans that day."
"Aw man!" His face was red. "Kallen said you were completely free-" My teeth grounded angrily -"so I thought it'd be perfect! Anyway, sorry for wasting your time..."
"It's okay," I soothed. "You'll find someone else."
He grinned childishly and walked to the sophomore class. I stomped to the senior class, leaving fumes behind. Saje was lying down, his eyes closed. Cleanly, I kicked his side like a violent swinging pendulum.
"Ouch!" he whispered. He opened his eyes. "What was that for?"
"Nothing... So what's up, 'Kallen'?" I mocked.
He shot me a smirk. "Oh... Daniel asked you?"
"Daniel?" I spat out hotly.
"Daniel is Dylan's little brother," he explained. "A sophomore, but he's like the sophomores that are junior's ages. I noticed him eyeing you once... or a few times. Dylan explained it to me, so I approached him."
"You noticed this and you never told me?" I squeaked.
"'course not! Besides, we weren't talking at the time..." He looked away when he said that. ".. He grew kinda fond of me after that. He's more fond of you, though..."
"You're such a-"
"Matchmaker? Maybe you two would be happy with each other!"
"Probably not," I protested. "Maybe I won't end up with anyone."
He frowned. "Hey, I didn't tell him to ask you because-"
"I know. It was just a joke. I understand that."
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "but Daniel at least had some guts... Did you let him down easy?"
"It seems like it. Hopefully."
"Why'd you say no? Daniel is really nice," he persuayed.
"I have plans that day."
His eyebrows raised. "Really? Like what?"
"I don't know," I surrendered, "but I'll make plans."
He grinned with his teeth, showing off his fangs. His mouth opened, as though he was giving me a muted chuckle. "Hail is selling candy grams for the middle school that day. You can go with him." "You're not going?"
"Nope. I've got plans."
I sat down beside him and poked his side. "Plans? Like what?"
"Nothing interesting... Sleeping."
A roll of the eyes was an appropriate response. "You are so boring!"
At that moment, the teacher blew their whistle, sending off a resonating shriek that echoed off the gym walls.
"See ya," I mumbled.

In my gym locker was a note;
You turned down the pale boy and the sophomore... Maybe you really will end up by yourself. Oh, and have fun at your candy gram thing. =)
Crumple! The stalker went through my gym locker. Gross! 'Oh, and have fun at your candy gram thing'...Was it possible that he'd be there? Yes. Unfortunately, it was very possible. It was just a little less than an hour ago had I said no to Daniel. It was today, in gym class, had Saje and I discussed the candy selling at the middle school.
Was my stalker in my gym class? Could it have been that easy, that obvious?
"Hey," Hail called to me when I sullenly trudged out of the room. "Is Rina out yet?"
"No," I snarled.
"It was just a question! You don't have to snap at me."
"S-sorry."
"Are you okay? Did something happen?"
Slowly, I rose my fist that captivated the balled up note. Hail understood at once what it was. He had to wrench it out of my trembling hand. Silently, he examined the gnarled sheet and smudged ink. His jaw jutted out and he crumpled it.
"Wait, so Daniel asked you to that dance?" he questioned abruptly.
Involuntarily, my hand slapped him across one of his cheeks. "That's not the point! That just happened today, during this class. How could he have possibly known? There aren't any windows in the gymnasium."
"He's a stalker! It's a professionalism. There had to be a way."
"Then how? What if he's in this class?" I panicked.
"It's possible, so be safe. But it could be worse. If it's a 'magic' person, they could really hurt you."
I cringed. At that moment, Rina hopped out of the gym locker room. "What's up?" No one answered. Her dainty voice turned sorrow at the scene. "Don't tell me..."
"We don't have to," I mumbled. "We shouldn't bring you down."
"Well, allow myself to be the optimistic one about the situation! You know, all misty-eyed and wondering because the truth really hurts! I absolutely hate bad news, but I'll try to make it the best news ever for you!" she encouraged.
"Thanks."
"Well," Hail intervened," Saje is waiting on the bus now. Let's go."
Neither Rina or me had to ask how Hail was in knowledge of Saje's whereabouts. Hail and his mind-reading...
All three of us dragged our feet out of the dreary and humid gymnasium and into the student-filled hall. Dylan, out of the corner of my eye, walked toward us. I scurried into the crowd as though I knew what he'd ask me; an unpleasant question about how I turned down his little brother..
Finally, we were out the door. More students scrambled to their buses. Pushing, shoving, yelling at the couples holding hands to stop blocking the way, etc. I didn't dare to glance back at Dylan.
While walking to the bus, I made observations at everything but the students. The sky; The beautiful blue sky, the gleaming sun, the lazy clouds scattering themselves above... The snow; the blanket of snowflakes lay perfectly smooth despite all of us stomping and ruining the tranquil scenery. It was barely flawless.
And I was leaving it all in eleven days. I was leaving it, to look through new eyes. Hail never described what it was like to be.. what he was. "Find out for yourself! You know, if you can!" he'd always insist.
The bus doors flung open in front of Rina, Hail, and me and we rushed to the back. Saje really was in the back waiting. I caught a glimpse of his eyes- a dull, but deep light grey- and smiled to myself, noticing that they weren't any shade of dried coal black. I sat down next to him and he instantly poked my forehead.
"Guess who Daniel asked out after you," he whispered.
My eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"
"Did she say yes?" I leaned in when Dylan walked onto the bus.
Saje nodded. Before I could respond, Dylan greeted, "Hi Miki."
"Oh, hi."
"So you turned Daniel down?"
"Yeah," I stated with my jaw locked.
"Well, er... Um, could you sit here?" He gestured to the seat next to him.
"Sure," I mumbled, standing up to sit next to him.
Immediately, the moment I sat down, he asked, "Could you go with me to the dance?" He asked quietly, like he didn't want bystanders to hear.
You have got to be kidding me... It was one thing to have two people ask you out in the same day. However, this was downright creepy. After all, it was brothers, and one was my friend.
"Me?"
"Yeah. You can explain to Saje that it's not because I like you-" Yeah... You definitely got to be kidding me - "but Daniel asked Brenda and-"
"Competitive brothers?" I guessed.
"And I like Brenda-" Definitely kidding me - " Danny sorta likes you, so if I take you-"
"It'd be even."
"Yeah!"
"I don't like being used," I declared proudly. "but I'll help.. I guess. I'm not going to the dance anyway, but going to that candy gram thing with Hail. Wanna join? You could brag about it to your brother.."
"That'd be awesome, thanks."
Problem after problem. No breaks, just incessant and restless solving. Some problems, as it seemed, didn't have a solution. Sigh. Maybe it'll never end. I prepared myself for the worst.
Suddenly, an annoying squeaky voice lashed out above the bus's rattling engine. Claire.
I returned to my seat with Saje as Claire marched to the seats in front of Hail.
"So guess who asked me to that dance?" she urged with a smug look on her face.
After a few seconds, I finally said, "Who?"
"A senior," she bragged. "And I said yes. Who are you going with?"
"No one."
"Aw, no one asked you?" she asked, all bitchy.
"Someone did, actually. I said no."
Claire sighed. "You've been turning down lots of guys lately.." she muttered. "There might not be anyone left for you."
Saje became as still as a statue when the earth stopped orbiting. My eyes tightened in frustration. "I haven't turned down that many people. Just the one I said no to the dance to."
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "How about-"
"One person," I snapped. "I don't plan on turning down whoever you think. In fact, I might accept it after all."
I looked away to glance at Saje. He didn't look at me, but at his hands. Despite his hair that played a curtain covering his face, there was a tiny glimpse of his cheek showing. Instead of the ivory complexion, it looked pink. Ha. He was blushing.
It was intriguing to know. Completely humorous to be honest. Saje, with his cold-as-frozen-penguins(LOL!) skin, being heated up from something I said...?
How else could I manipulate Saje? No, no.. After all, he... loves me. Still, it was entertaining to watch him blush.
"Are you okay?" I mused. "You look a little distressed."
"I'm fine," he answered, only half-way coherent.
"Okay," I replied almost silently so he wouldn't hear.
Yes. To reassess this all; My stalker was [possibly] in my gym class. Dylan's little brother, Daniel, likes me. Daniel also likes Brenda. Dylan likes her as well. Hail, Dylan, and I are taping love notes to lollipops next Saturday for middle schoolers. Saje was supposedly sleeping in....
I was caring more about my human life.
I was going to be executed in eleven days.
Woo hoo.

&&;******

The Vida.
"I don't get it!" Rina screamed. "How often do I end up thirsting for blood?"
"Once a month, usually."
"When do I start?"
"You mean you haven't?"
"Nope."
"Hm... interesting.." the mused. "Do you suppose that your powerful disgust for digesting blood is preventing you of devouring it?"
"How should I know?! I'm just a newbie."
"We doubt it's a psychological reason," they thought. "Or... maybe it is."
"What? You guys are confusing me!"
"How do you feel?" Ha! How comical of them to ask such a sudden question. However, they were confuzzling me too.
"Great, actually!" And so her babbles began.. "I guess I've been so happy that it's started to annoy people! I just say 'hi' and people obviously just want to walk away from me, like I'm some kind of magnet-- or I mean, I'm a magnet facing the wrong direction because if I wasn't, then they'd want to be near me, which they don't. You'd think I care, but surprisingly I don't which is weird because I care a lot for people most of the time-"
"Is it just your human friends?"
"Well, um.. It has, when I think about it."
"That would explain your lack of blood thirst. Ever heard the term 'pys-vampire'?"
"I don't know. Sounds like something I watched on the History Channel."
"It's simply a vampire that feeds off of psychic energy rather than blood," they explained. "It's an evolution of vampires that have thoughts such as your own on blood.. It's why you've been feeling so happy and others have been feeling quite miserable around you. It's possibly that you've been puncturing their auras, but not by much, seeing and predicting as though you've had no seizure-like behaviors. It's harder to puncture supernatural auras because they're guarded like your's. However, it is a lot more rewarding, just for a heads up. Nonetheless, you're likely to be a psy-vampire. Did you listen to all that?"
Rina jerked a preppy nod. "Mhm. Simple enough."
"Excellent," they proclaimed. "Now onto more significant matters... We're sure you must've noticed there hasn't been any misfits in Maine so far, correct?"
We all nodded, except the Coniferallison sisters.
"Do you have any idea why?"
A coincidence? Everyone has realized Hail, Saje, and I can kick anyone's ass? Luck?
"All the other creatures," Hail explained. "are scared. The last wizardess to be created was way back when people hunted witches. And look how that period of time ended up.. If anyone encountered Miki, they're scared society will rip apart and she'll destroy us all because of the devilish theory."
"Why would people think that?" I asked, perplexed.
"There hasn't been a single wizardess that was good," one ominous voice answered.
"Will I be like that?"
"Of course not. You're good now. You don't become vicious because of death... or at least in this case, you don't."
"So am I the only nice one?"
"Certainly not. But it's been such a long time since the word 'wizardess' was used in general than in vein. If every sorceress became immortal, think of the massacres that would occur. It all goes well with you, then it's possible that more sorceresses will have the same fate as you."
"So you're saying I'm an experiment?"
"Well, you can say that. You're so much more than that, however."
My question to them was, Why me? Why was every wizardess before me, bad? Of course, I kept my mouth shut.
Questions are supposed to give you answers. Sometimes, there are answers people don't need.
Answers.. It can make you go farther in your journey. They can stop your journey. Or they pretty much suck.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 22: Explanations.

2008-12-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

" Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains and I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins because your heart has a lack of color. We should've known that we'd grow up sooner or later because we wasted all our free time alone. We were the crashing whitecaps on the ocean. What lovely seaside holiday, away. A palm tree in Christmas lights... My emotion struck a sparkling tone like a xylophone as we spent the day alone. " -Owl City, Rainbow Veins.
======================================

"Wait, huh?" Rina exclaimed bewildered.
"Child," one voice said patiently. "Why are you even here?"
"Because... I'm a vampire!"
"Indeed/ And when were you bitten?"
"Hm..." she pondered. I could tell the Vida were trying their hardest not to slap her. A smile cracked at my mouth. "Um... I thing it was when I got snake bites on my 16th or 17th birthday! I forgot, really."
"Well, you're 18! Your 'snake bites', as you call them, signify that you were bitten by a venomous vampire. Therefore, you are a vampire. It takes three says for the venom to spread, but the pain is quite excruciating. We knew it'd be easier to stretch that course a good one - two years. Be lucky it's like that in the Northeastern United States region. You should be a vampire by now."
Rina gasped. Then, as predicted, she squealed.
"Yay!" she cheered, applauding herself and jumping up and down. "I have one question though." She became all serious-looking.
"Ask."
"How does being a vampire make me a reincarnation-thingy-ma-bobber?"
"The venom. It passes on. You have the same vampiric identical genes of the vampire who bit you."
"Oh! So like with dragons... They have the same identical whatevers characteristics???"
"Yes. However, there are differences. Although both would be considered 'semi-carnates' because only characteristics are being passed down, vampires are considered.. 'immediate semi-carnates' and dragons are 'we-have-no-choice semi-carnates'."
"You mean how even though I was completely human, I 'immediately' started getting all 'vampire-like' after I was bitten!"
"Yes."
"And since Saje was some magical arsonist, you had 'no choice' to make him a dragon!"
"Yes."
"So am I immortal?"
"Not quite." There was a pause. "Vampires need blood or psychic energy to survive. If you can't live, you die and go directly to hell."
She gaped, "Why?! Why hell?"
"We're against nature," Saje answered, almost inaudibly so that the cave wall didn't echo. "Genes are being passed onto us... The only way that it should happen is through child birth. We're life that was created incorrectly."
"Precisely," they answered him. "Which is why our organization is a secret. Humans cannot accept the truth in a mature manner. Some may commit homicide against us. Some may commit suicide. Others will go in hiding, hoping they won't become one of us."
Rina looked deep in thought. "Is there a way to be officially immortal?"
"Yes."
Hail rolled his eyes several moments later. "She'd like to know how."
"Of course. There's one way for any reincarnate to be immortal."
"And what is it?" she insisted.
"Kill a supernatural being when they're still human or in the morphing process."
I gulped.
"However, you must still be human as well."
Rina's face fell. "So there's no hope for me."
"Not unless you killed a supernatural being beforehand."
Rina hasn't. She had no hope left. I could see her face fall deeper in misery.

"So.." Hail started once we were back at the fountain in the U.S. "tomorrow is February... two more weeks Mik!"
"Yeah," I shrugged. "We don't have to make a big deal about it."
"We should!" Maddie urged. "That's why we're here, after all."
"I thought you were here because we have to protect you," Hail intervened suspiciously.
"True," Maddie eased. "but we've been on the run for almost five years. It's not that much of a concern to us anymore."
My head tilted to the side. "You've been in hiding for almost five years? Did you really do something that bad?"
She laughed with dark humor. "Yes. We did."
"And I shouldn't have any hope of you telling me what it is?" I sighed.
"Yes. No hope."
"Of course."
"Don't worry! If we happen to lose our cool, we can't do anything."
Rina cleared her throat. When we all glanced toward her, she exclaimed, "That was so much fun! Wasn't that fun? It was, I know! I now understand the reincarnation stuff, it's so amazing! I absolutely love it, love it! It's so much fun knowing all this stuff! But I don't see why I had to kill someone so I could immortal!"
"Well, the cosmic balance," Hail explained, pointing to the sky. "A life for a life!"
"Then why can't humans make that exchange?"
"Think about it... If everyone did that, then everyone would be trying to kill each other. Then the remaining humans would be immortal and they'd reproduce and all that. The world would be overcrowded and heaven and hell... or wherever you end up... would never receive more souls. The cosmic balance would be out of whack."
"Whoa! So why is it just us who can do this trade?"
Hail shrugged. "Sometimes the cosmic balance... It does some crazy stuff. I don't know exactly what it does, but something causes humans to have a destiny of immortality. The whole wings and powers thing is just a way for the Vida to know that they can kill us."
"And that..?"
"Our souls won't be accepted into heaven or the afterlife - except possibly hell- and our bodies won't be accepted in the earth unless one day it just had to. That's why we don't technically die.. or decompose."
"Hm... Why is it that you're the only one who knows this?"
"Gosh, you ask more questions than Miki!" he joked. I flinched. "Well, I had dreams when I was younger... They eventually led to meeting the Vida!"
"Amazing! You know, the whole... this entire life is really weird! But it's also awesome."
"Yeah, it is." Hail nodded. "It's getting dark. I'll uh, walk you home."
Her face lit up. "Sure!"
Oh crap! I was supposed to tell her-
"Let's go home!" Claire screeched.
She stomped in front of us and her sister glided behind her. Saje glanced at my unmoving body and walked a few feet behind the Coniferallison sisters. I ran to catch up with him.
"Saje," I whispered.
He glanced at me.
I sighed. "Are you mad at me?"
He shook his head.
"Then why won't you speak to me?"
He shrugged and looked away. My eyes fell to the ground.
"Look," he said. I jumped. It had been so long since I really heard his voice. "...You don't need to apologize to me. Just give me an answer."
"What's the question?" I asked eagerly. It could be anything. Anything that would repair our friendship.
"What do you want from me?"
"... I don't understand the question."
"What do you want from me?" he repeated. "I love you, but I'll only be your friend if you don't..." He trailed off, knowing that I could infer the rest.
"No," I blurted out. "That hurts you."
"No it won't. Whatever makes you happy."
How was I to respond? I didn't know, so I didn't say anything. He continued while I kept my mouth shut.
"An answer," he breathed. "It won't be wrong."
"I don't want you to hate me," I said shaking. My voice cracked uncountable times.
He frowned. "Dude." He poked my forehead. "Why would I hate you?"
"Because I kept avoiding you and stuff..." I answered sheepishly.
"It was only two weeks.." He smiled a hard, obviously forced grin. He was lying, I hurt him brutally.
I grinned too. "And I still haven't given you an answer."
"Are you going to?"
Was I?
There was a slam. We were standing in front of the foster home. Maddie, Claire, and Alex just entered it and closed the door on us. How rude. Still, it was the least of my worries.
"I don't know," I said a minute later. "but do you think you'll find someone else if I said I didn't love you?"
He looked insulted. Instead, he lied, "Maybe."
"You won't." It was more of a statement than a question. His eyes turned a lighter shade of grey so fast, my heart leaped.
"Maybe." I couldn't help but smile when I could see how eager he was to truthfully say no.
"Well..." Be truthful...
"You don't know what you're about to say," he stated confidently.
"No idea!" I admitted. "But until I do... I do love you. I just don't know if it's the same way."
"It's fine."
"And I'm sorry if I hurt you. You really should hate me."
"I could never hate you!" he insisted, amused that I thought he could. "You were avoiding me for two weeks, why would I just start hating you?"
So Claire really lied. How could I have let such incredulous ideas swirl through my head like that? Was I really that gullible? Was I really that vulnerable?
Not anymore. There was no way I would let Claire step on me again.

************

It was more fun now that Saje and I were talking again. When we were getting of the bus, Hail dented all of the gym teacher's cars so we wouldn't have to dress in uniform. I felt so relieved. The uniform made everyone look stupid. Besides, Hail lost his. Rather, others lost it for him.
"Hey," Saje called. "Wanna sneak out again? Hail is coming too." He probably added the last part in reassurance.
"Where are we going?"
He grinned. "You'll see. Don't worry, we'll keep you safe."
"What are we doing?" I asked skeptically. Something in the back of my head made me hope that he would do what happened last time. For what reason, I don't know. But I wanted a second chance. My heart suck when I recalled him saying Hail was coming too. I should be relieved. Not disappointed.
"You'll find out."
"How long will we be there?"
"You really do ask a lot of question," he teased. "Trust me, you'll be fine. You might have to skip the rest of your classes though, if you don't mind."
"I don't mind," I sighed. "This is last hour anyway.."
"Then let's go. Hail's waiting for us outside."
Hail was leaning against the brick wall next to the door. Rina was talking about... Well, she was talking.
"...and then they're like 'but I want that one!" and then I was like 'I already took it' so then now they're mad at me and won't talk to me... It's not my fault because they shouldn't be and it's so aggravating!"
Hail blinked. "That's really... sad. How are they your friends? Do they just apologize and then you're friends again? If it was me, I'd never-"
"Hey," Saje interrupted. "We're here."
"Huh? Oh, let's go."
Saje poked my forehead when I started to space out.
"Get on my back," he declared.
"Why?" I asked confuzzled.
"It'll be easier."
Awkwardly, I went and jumped on his back. From the corner of my eye, Rina jumped on Hail's back even more awkwardly than me.
"Hold on tight," he murmured.
I nodded.
Hail said, "On your mark..."
Saje and Hail crouched down...
"Get set..."
Both inhaled.
"Go!" they both yelled.
"Wait-" I tried to say. "What're you-" no words "Slow down!"
Both started running. No, it wasn't running. It was too fast. They were rocketing. Everything was so blurry and eventually my sight was nothing too. We were going so fast that everything that surrounded me went black. The only visible thing that I could see clearly was Saje's luminescent hair being tousled in the breezy air as it swept passed us.
My inaudible voice probably left echos behind where I said something, by the time we were miles away and crossing to who knows where...
Miles. Exactly how far were we going? Where was Hail? Did Rina have the same thoughts as me?
Abruptly and suddenly, Saje stopped and planted his feet firmly on.. something blurry. My sight was completely warped and distorted from the thousand-mile dash. If it wasn;t for Saje's godly strength, I probably would've hurtled into the ocean.
Wait, the ocean?
"Wherewii...?" I couldn't say my words. They only came out as completely thwarted gibberish from a foreign language. Once Saje let go of me, I immediately collapsed to the ground desperately into what felt like a soft, pillowy blanket of sand.
I didn't faint, but my head ached with dizziness and disorientation. I shut my eyes tightly, inhaling and exhaling until the oxygen filled my head and relieved my pain.
"Miki, are you okay?" Saje asked, kneeling beside my unmoving body.
"Yeah," I stated only halfway clearly. "Where are we?"
"Hail!" he called. "Where are we?"
"Navy Pier," Hail answered matter-of-factly. "Chicago."
"Why is it so warm?" I wondered.
"Are you kidding me? It's freezing!" Rina shrieked on the ground. She shivered like had a seizure. "Why are we here?"
"You know we have the whole 'fast as lightning' running." Hail yawned, still being smug. "And Saje and I never actually raced."
"So why are we here?" I asked... screamed.
"You guys were like 'weights' for us to carry. Like an obstacle," he explained. "We figured you guys weighed about the same, so it was only fair."
"Our weight is an obstacle?!" Rina yelled.
"Actually," Saje laughed. "I'd say no.. But you're looking really hopeless right now. So yeah. It was a hard obstacle. Try to make it a little easier next time."
"Arghh!" Rina screamed. Both Saje and Hail burst into unending laughter.
Slowly, I opened my heavy eyelids. The clouds were light and they scattered themselves across the beautiful blue sky. I realized why I felt so warm; Saje was holding me again.
"Can we please go?" Rina begged.
Hail collapsed into even more silent laughter. I wasn't surprised he didn't fall to the ground.
"Saje..." I murmured hoarsely.
He looked, still grinning from the chortling. "Yeah?"
"Please," I moaned. "Just..." I trailed off, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
"Close you eyes on the way back," he whispered. "I'm sorry. We should've known something like this would happen."
"I don't get it!" Rina yelled. "How did we run so fast and not leave our bodies rolling on the ground?"
"Why would that happen?" Hail exclaimed. "We're not weak humans, are we?"
"We're too weird to be human," I slurred. "We can withstand more than regular people."
"Gosh, you guys need to explain more!"
"We never really thought about it," I said apologetically. "We're so used to it, really. I'm sorry for never explaining all this. I forget that you're still a newbie."
"It's okay! But please! I want to go home."
Hail sighed. "Fine."
Saje hurtled me onto his back, as the same with Hail and Rina.
"On your mark.." I shut my eyes tightly.
"Get set..."
The both screamed...
"Go!"

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 21: Revelations; Lies.

2008-12-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

This chapter really slows down from how rapid I've been writing. It doesn't have any action... After the last chapter, it seemed like a good idea to make a chapter that sorta focused around emotions, rather than violence and all that mumbo-jumbly. Notice the difference between Rina's life and the rest of them. Enjoy.

=======================================

Two weeks later was Rina's birthday. On Friday, I went home with her with all my stuff smuggled into my backpack. Between those two weeks, my stalker's notes got worse and the more numb I started to feel.

Skipping school? You really should be damned.
...
New power? Maybe I should recruit more people... How else would I have a chance to kill you?
...
You wouldn't want to get your secret out, now would you? Old public playgrounds aren't exactly good hiding places.
...

I had no concern. I was too numb. Too numb to feel pain when Claire burned mt arm with olive oil on a stove. Too numb to feel disgusted when Hail walked around school in his underwear when people stole his gym uniform. Too numb to feel worry or concern when Alex ran off and Maddie chased after her. Too numb to feel whatever it was that kept me from speaking a single word to Saje. I was avoiding him ever since the incident.

"You can't ignore him," Hail told me a week ago in Calculus.
"Of course I can," I answered. "And I will."
He groaned. "Don't be such a baby!"
"A baby?!" I raged. "My best friend is in love with me! This is worth being a 'baby'!"
"Yeah, if you don't love him back!"
"Excuse me is there a problem here?" our nosy teacher Mrs. Shields asked us curiously.
"Nope." Hail yawned and dropped his pencil on his desk. All his equations were finished. Mrs. Shields took his paper for grading. As soon as she sat at her desk way up in front, Hail threw a paper at me. A note;
You can't even talk to him?
I had to write back;
Nope!
Why not?
What do I have to say?
How about 'hi' stupid?
That idea is stupid!
Why are you making this so dramatic? He loves you, that's it!
That's it? What are you, high?! Love is a big thing.
Is it a good thing?
Yeah.
Then why are you so scared?
I'm not scared.
Then why are you avoiding him?
I crumpled the note. How would you like it if I told you that I loved you?
He arched an eyebrow. "That's different. You don't really love me like that, and I'm not returning the favor if you did?"
Disgusting. Repulsive. Sick.
"You're hurting his feelings," he whispered. "Saje can handle if it you tell him you don't love him. He could even handle if you said you never want to see him again and you knocked him out! But he can't handle not having an answer."
Hail, I thought. I'm not doing that.
"Why not? All he wants is an answer."
I groaned internally.
"You love him back."
What?!
"Ha. And you think I'm stupid."

"C'mon Miki!" Rina said on the bus. "This is our stop."
"Oh, okay."
I grabbed my backpack. Hail waved goodbye. "See ya, Mik."
"Bye," I said to him. Regretfully, I turned to Saje(who was looking out the window, avoiding eye contact) and said, "Bye Saje."
His eyes flickered toward me, and back at the window.
I turned around and walked down the aisle of the bus. At least I tried Hail! Stop nagging about it!
Rina and I walked through the mushy snow. it had been such a long time since I visited Rina's neighborhood. Hope was kept in my heart that those three jerks from New Year's Eve weren't anywhere in sight. Rina skipped happily to her house.
"Is everyone already here?" I wondered.
"Probably not," she shrugged easily. "They're on their way, I'm guessing."
"Who's coming..?" I asked, my throat all dried up.
"Well, Brenda and Tru and Yuu and Jess and uh... Oh, wait, I think that's it! You already know Brenda and Yuu, but Tru and Jess are really nice! You'll absolutely love them. They can be really snobby toward really nerdy people sometimes and stuff, but they'll love you, I'm positive." she reassured me with her incessant talking. I rushed immediately through the door.
"Mom! I'm home!" Rina screamed as I shut the door.
"I'm in the kitchen, dear!" a voice called from another room.
Rina gestured me to what was probably the kitchen.
"Mom, look who's here," she squealed.
Her mom, a spitting image of her daughter, turned to me and gasped. "Miki! Is that you?"
"Yes," I answered quietly.
"Oh my gosh! It's been so long! So Miki- or do you no longer go by that since you're so much older?" she teased.
"No, I still go by 'Miki'," I explained softly.
Mrs. McGuire's wide grin stayed the same, even after not seeing her for nearly four years. She turned to Rina and urged, "Are the others here too?"
"Not yet. They ride a different bus."
"Okay. Show her where she's putting her stuff."
She shooed us happily and we both climbed up their beautifully crafted wooden stairs. The upstairs halls were painted green. Rina walked to the last door at the end of the hall and opened it.
"This is my room."
Whoa.
Her walls were a serene blue color. The ceiling was outstretched so far up, it was as though there was a transparent ceiling and an invisible third floor. One wall was filled with nothing but pictures. There were hundreds! I could see a picture of me with Yuu and her from the second grade. There were pictures of people I didn't even know. One in particular caught my eyes; two, actually. One of Hail, obviously caught by surprise, with his eyes reflecting off the camera flash that made them shine like green emeralds. The other picture was of Saje trying to block the camera away from his face. Of course, I could see him perfectly, but it was refreshing to see their faces relaxed rather than all serious.
"Hey Miki?" she said.
I turned toward her. A flash made my eyes dilate. She took a picture of me. The picture developed and she showed me a few seconds after it came out.
"See?"
I observed my calm expression in the photo. My eyes looked quite illuminated, even for plain brown eyes. They were glittery, the same exact look my eyes had as Saje's did two weeks ago when he...
No. I can't think of it. Rina observed my facial expression. She tilted her head to the side. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Perfect. So where should I put my stuff?"
"Just put it on the bed. We're all sleeping on the floor!"
It was reasonable. Her room was so big. She had her own bathroom. The black carpet floor was completely clean and soft to step on. The wall on the left of the picture and bed wall was a grey leather couch.
"Could I sleep on the couch?" I asked. "I don't have a sleeping bag."
"Oh, sure!"
Then, a chime-like tune played out of nowhere. A doorbell?
"Rina! Your friends are here!" Mrs. McGuire called.
Footsteps rushed up the stairs. Four people. Rina's room door opened and slammed against the wall. I saw Yuu and Brenda, and two other girls I didn't know.
"Happy Birthday Rina!" Brenda said. She looked at me and waved. "Hi Miki!"
I waved back. "Hey."
Yuu ignored me. "Where do I put my stuff?"
"On the bed."
Brenda and Yuu dumped their bags on Rina's bed and sat on the floor. The other two girls stayed in the doorway, quiet.
"Oh!" Rina breathed. "Miki, this is Jess-" the dark-haired girl waved happily- "and this is Tru-" the red-head smiled widely.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
They both finally walked into the room after being introduced to me. We were all here. Ugh. This was going to suck.

"Is Jess still changing her clothes?!" Rina groaned.
"Yeah," Yuu said. "Hurry up!"
"Okay, I'm almost done!" Jess urged from the bathroom.
I was sitting cross-legged on the couch, reading a book; He at least needed her in the cave, when she slept so he could hear her breathing. It was going to be hard to sleep without that. Ha! It's harder to sleep without a pillow. It's harder to sleep without my sanity. It's harder to sleep with the knowledge of my best friend in love with me. The knowledge that my mind seems to probe around that knowledge a lot.
"Hey," Brenda said, sitting on the floor in front of me.
"Hi Brenda," I said quietly.
"So how've you been? You're really quiet, lately. Everything okay?" she wondered. All the concern was shown in her eyes. She obviously cared.
"Yeah," I lied. "I'm completely okay."
"Right," she said. I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic. "You don't have to tell me."
I nodded gratefully.
As soon as Jess came out of the bathroom, she sat on Rina's bed, putting her clothes in her bag and looked at all the pictures. "Ooh, who's this?" she wondered, pointing to a picture of Hail.
"My friend," Rina answered, tying her hair up. "I caught him by surprise in that one!"
"Isn't he that guy that walked to the buses in his underwear?"
She laughed. "Yeah, it was!"
"You know him?"
"Who doesn't know who that is?" Yuu interrupted. "I already told you who it was."
"I forgot, I guess..."
"OMG!" Jess exclaimed.
"What?!" Rina cried.
"This one!" She pointed to Saje's picture. "He's the boy that got in a fight with Chris and Darrel!"
"Huh?" we all [except me] said in unison.
"You know, that fight in December?"
"Ooh," Rina said.
She giggled. "You know him too?"
"Why do people not like them?" Tru asked quietly.
"Because... They suck," Yuu concluded.
"But they're cute."
Yuu gagged.
"I'm serious... I like this one's hair-" she pointed to Saje- "and his skin is perfect. It really brings out his eyes. They look silvery... or metallic. It's nice to look at."
I bit my lip. No one besides me had ever taken much notice in that.
"And this one-" she continued, pointing to Hail's picture. "His hair color... It's unique. And his eyes... Does he have heterochromia?"
"Yeah," I answered out of nowhere. "It's not very noticeable though. Both his eyes are green, but different shades. It's more noticable in sunlight."
"You know him too?" Jess asked surprised.
"Yeah."
"Do you talk to him..?"
"Usually."
"How about this one?" She pointed to Saje's picture.
"...Usually." It wouldn't be a good idea to truthfully say if I was talking to Saje.
It was 4:00 A.M. Everyone was going to sleep. Finally.

Creak..;. Creak... Creak...
My dreams were becoming quite vivid.
Damned, said a note I received from the stalker in my dream. I was just floating in a black abyss, no light available except from the note.
I tried to say the word out loud. My voice was inaudible. I tried to crumple the note. My arms were paralyzed. Kicking didn't work. Screaming didn't work. Crying didn't work.
Creak... Creak... Creak...
All I could move was my eyes. I looked through the darkness to find whatever it was that made the creaking noise.
Nothing but darkness. And the smell... Sulfuric acid? It smelled horrid.
Drip... Creak... Drip... Creak...
Flames.
Fire blasted everywhere. And I was in the middle of it. I tried to open my mouth. I tried to scream. Nothing happened. Nothing but more flames. The pain was unbearable... Was I even dreaming? No, no, I had to be.
But if felt so real. It couldn't have been fake. There's no way it was fake.
Beyond, the loud roar of flames was a small cavern. I couldn't make out the figures and my paralyzed body didn't allow me to squint. All I could hear was murmurs...
"Your torturing is amazing," one voice whispered.
"Thank you. She was quite hard to crack," another voice replied.
She..? Were they talking about me?
"And your plots of ruining her life were certainly traumatizing. I ought to applaud you," the first said humorously.
"Then do so," a third voice hissed.
There was a sigh. "Let us just observe our experiment, shall we? There's no need to make this any more complicated."
"Agreed," the second voice whispered.
"Agreed," the third voice grumbled.
The roaring flames became louder and way hotter. Why wasn't I ashes already? Or at least melted?
I needed to die!
The fire simmered one side and the silhouettes and blurry bodies reappeared. There were more muffled noises and a discussion I needed to hear. A voice was raised. Wood was broken. Screaming;
"You bastards! How dare you-" couldn't understand- "...experiment!"
"She is to us!" the third voice hissed.
I heard another crash. One blurry body looked as though it leaped across the room, toward the other bodies. The other body jumped straight in the air and... floated. Two white figures were behind the floating body. They clung to his/her back so perfectly...
They were wings.
If my body wasn't paralyzed, my eyes would've widened.
Hail? Was that Hail?!

My head snapped up from the dream On Rina's shiny alarm clock, the time read 7:00 A.M. Everyone was asleep. It was snowing outside. Very slowly, I rose up from the couch and crept to the window. I knew this wasn't my home and Hail and Saje wouldn't be outside the window looking anxious to see what happened. Still... There was a lot I needed to tell them...
I can tell Rina, I thought. I leave her out of the magic loop a lot...
I'd tell her my dream. I'd tell her I'm scared. I'd tell her my feelings. Emotions. Ew.

&&;******

I logged off the computer after telling Rina that we should probably go to the Vida. I rushed up the stairs of the foster home. Maddie, Claire, and Alex were lounging on their beds in our overcrowded bedroom. When I walked through the door, Maddie snapped up and asked, "Are we going now?"
"Yeah. I think we should."
"You think? What about those other two guys?" Claire asked icily. "Are you making decisions for us?"
"I'll tell them when we get to their places."
"Hm. So you are making decisions for everyone..."
"Yes," I snapped. "I am. Can we just go?"
"Excuse me? You're not the boss of me, and you're not even worth listening to. Go by yourself!"
"Miki, Claire," Maddie cautioned quietly.
Claire just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You don't even know what everyone says about you."
"Probably because I don't give a-"
"Please! Stop!" Maddie screeched.
"You don't care? Not even if it's from your 'friends'?" she taunted.
Maddie gasped. "Claire, don't-"
"Shut up, Maddie! No one likes you either!"
Maddie backed away.
"So as was saying," Claire continued rudely. ""Hail thinks you're really annoying with all your questions. You're stupid! Even a dumb ass like him can tell."
I kept a straight face. Lies.
"And Rina! That bitch won't shut up about you! She always feels left out and shunned from you. You're such a horrible friend! No wonder no one cares about you."
I tried not to cringe. Lies!
"Let's not forget Saje!" she screamed. "You broke his pathetic little heart. Gosh, if you hate him, you should've just said so."
"I don't hate him," I said through my teeth.
"Well, he thinks so. And get this, he hates you too."
I fought back tears. It had to be lies.
"That's right," she enunciated. "He hates your guts. They all do. If you weren't so stupid and cruel and-"
"That's enough Claire!" Alex snapped.
I was shaking. Maddie was looking at her feet. Alex looked at me apologetically and glared furiously at Claire.
Embarrassing... Only a few tears dripped out but it was obvious I felt hurt.
It was only Claire. It had to be lies. But it made sense. Maybe it was true. More tears managed to spring from my eyes.
Claire rolled her eyes again. "Let's go then."
She hit my shoulder on the way out. I wiped my pathetic tears and sullenly followed. When we were at Hail's place, he walked us to Saje's home. My eyes must have still been red, since he looked quite concerned and his eyes were pleading for an explanation.
Don't worry! I screamed in my head. I don't want to annoy you.
His expression became puzzled. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. At Saje's place, he walked out before we even got in. I never actually say the inside of home before. It was twice the size of mine and it had three floors. I figured it was modesty and I liked that about him. But I didn't hate him.
Does he hate me though?
His eyes flickered to me, which I could tell with my peripheral vision, and slowly his eyes returned to look at my sorrow expression. I tried to make my facial expression more normal to take the attention off myself. Hail shrugged to Saje, who was probably asking what was wrong with me. I felt so embarrassed. Would it ever end?
After getting Rina, who was just as concerned with how sad I looked, we all went to the fountain by the middle school.
Hail, who took Claire, Maddie, and Rina seemed to squeeze harder-strangle, almost- Claire than the others. She cringed. There was no reason for him to do that. After all, it's just Claire. And if it was the truth, then it wasn't her fault. Besides, I have other friends. Not as close, but still.
Saje, who carried Alex and me, held me tighter than usual. Maybe it was because he was comforting me. He looked concerned enough. Or maybe he wanted to strangle me because he truthfully hated me. There was no way to be sure.
"Hey," I murmured quietly, so only Saje could hear.
He looked at me blankly, but didn't answer or respond with sound. I shuddered at the sight of his coal-black eyes. A lump began to grow in my throat. "I... I'm sorry."
He nodded slowly without looking at me.
Hail and Saje spread their wings and began to fly.

&&;******

I gained my confidence to speak by the time we were at the Vida's cave in Canada.
"What's been going on?" I asked in a casual, quiet voice.
"Your death..." once voice answered. "We have a change in plans."
"What's the change?"
"Well, it's dangerous if you have your execution where you live."
"Why?"
"Apparently, someone has knowledge of your secret?"
The stalker. Of course. "So where will it be held?"
"Here. In Montreal."
I gulped. "What if.. that kid is there?"
"I beg your pardon?"
My cheeks filled with blood from saying his name. "The ghost... Loki."
"Ah. Him. If he's there, keep him away."
"..." No words came out. I nodded instead.
"Also. You."
We all could tell he was addressing Rina. She, on the other hand, looked completely dumbfounded when everyone looked at her.
"Huh?" she asked absentmindedly.
"So how are you feeling?" Their tone was brusque.
"Um.." she pondered. "Okay, I guess. I've been having a headache, probably from all the stress from my birthday. My mouth has been really sore lately. Or at least more than usual. I feel like I'm having braces all over again and trust me, it sucked-"
"And your throat?"
"Really sore. It started burning, almost."
"Ah," another voice exhaled. "You're transformation is complete."

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 20: Unbelievable.

2008-11-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

" And so, while the rest of the world went on unaware, drinking their coffee, reading the sports page, and picking up their dry cleaning, I leaned forward and kissed him, making a choice that would change everything. Maybe somewhere there was a ripple, a bit of a jump, some small shift in the universe, barely noticeable. I didn’t feel it then. I felt only him kissing me back, easing me into the sunlight as I lost myself in the taste of him and felt the world go on, just as it always had, all around us. " - Unknown. ... Ha. It's not that easy. I seem to hate this chapter... Still. Enjoy. =]
==================================================

HAIL: Stop interrogating me about it!
MIKI: interrogating you? I have a right to know!
HAIL: Know what?
MIKI: That you can read my mind!
HAIL: I can read Saje's too. Just you two though.
MIKI: For how long?
HAIL: the day you showed us your new little power...
MIKI: Why didn't you tell us?
HAIL: i didn't think it mattered. I don't really care what you two think.
MIKI: not in the least bit?
HAIL: no. i tune you guys out most of the time.
MIKI: it's that easy?
HAIL: how easy is it to think about a specific thing?
MIKI: that easy?
HAIL: yeah.
MIKI: nice! why do you think it's just us that can 'read'?
HAIL: well, when i went to the Vida by myself the other day, I asked. they don't know either.
MIKI: whoa. They usually always know.
HAIL: everyone has at least one thing in the world that they don't know the answer to.
MIKI: I guess you're right. But still, don't you think it's weird how we all gained some new ability on the same day?
HAIL: you ask a lot of questions.
MIKI: i'm curious!
HAIL: ... well, like they said before, it's probably just a coincidence.
MIKI: nice.
HAIL: i'll see you at school.
MIKI: yeah.

It was Monday again. School was back and January was here. I was getting nervous about how I had a little over a month left until...
Well, you know.
Maddie informed me that she was substituting for Science classes today. Claire was being snobby again; She always pointed out my insecurities... "Ugh. You should really wear your hair up for once. It looks messy today."
Claire has been gaining popularity at school. The more popular she got, the meaner she usually was about how I looked. Everyone else doesn't seem to think of me differently, though. I concluded that Claire is just a really annoying bitch. Nonetheless, I didn't really care anyway.
Alex was waiting by the door. "My bus will be coming any minute. Can I just go?"
"I don't know... Do you really think it would be safe?" I asked in doubt.
"My friends are there already and they have cellphones. They'd call the police if something happened."
"Well..."
"And I can scream quite loudly."
That last bit was a little hard to believe, with Alex's quiet voice. Regardless, I said a quiet, "Okay."
"Thanks."
Once she was out the door, Claire asked, "Did you seriously just let her go by herself?"
"It's just one block," I defended.
"Right," she said slowly and sarcastically. "Whatever."
Sigh. I still felt some emotion in what Claire said; Guilt. I could trust Alex... But I couldn't trust everyone else on the street. Maybe if Hail could hear what I was thinking right now. he'd be watching Alex walking for my sake of sanity and her sake of safety... How far away could he probably hear me? Would I have to scream in my head?

MIKI: How far can you hear me?
SAJE: ?
MIKI: oh sorry. I sent the message to the wrong person.
SAJE: yeah and Hail can hear us 2 miles away. i asked.
MIKI: thanks. did he tell you he could your mind in the beginning?
SAJE: nope. i'm as surprised as you.
MIKI: i'm more pissed off than surprised.
SAJE: of course you are.
MIKI: so has Hail told you my thoughts? i'm curious.
SAJE: he's mentioned that they're really quiet but nothing else.
MIKI: what'd he say about your thoughts?
SAJE: they're a lot louder than my actual voice.
MIKI: ha! I'd like to hear your thoughts in that case.
SAJE: i'd rather you didn't.
MIKI: aw, why not? =]
SAJE: shouldn't i tell you stuff than you just hearing it in my head? it'd ruin most of my jokes.
MIKI: i guess. why, is there something you haven't told me lately? ^-^
SAJE: yeah. our bus is coming in a few minutes. i'll explain tonight when we have more time.
MIKI: why not on the bus? or at school?
SAJE: too many people.
MIKI: oh, so it's a magic thing?
SAJE: you can say that.
MIKI: then we'll walk to school and you'll explain.
HAIL: you can go with Saje. i'll go on the bus with Claire...
MIKI: you heard my thoughts?
HAIL: they were louder that time. =]
MIKI: well, you can come with us. Claire, too. It's a magic thing we're talking about anyway.
HAIL: no thanks... it's too cold out..
MIKI: umm... if you say so.

I logged off and turned to see Claire tapping her foot impatiently. "Let's go!" she cried.
I nodded and ran passed her, bolting out the door.
"Gosh! Slow down," Claire grumbled. "The bus'll wait for us."
"I'm not riding the bus," I said, keeping my irritation away. "I'm walking."
"Well, why do you have to run?" Her snobbiness seemed to be emphasized in the cold.
"I don't know," I shrugged, slowing to her pace. "I'm excited, I guess."
She just looked at me. "Whatever."
What's her problem? Was she trying to be the second Yuu? Repulsive! As Saje put it, "She's already a total whore, now she's a bitch too?"
Speaking of him, Saje and Hail were already at the bus stop. Both of them appeared to be just standing, not talking... At least until Hail shoved Saje into the stop sign and Saje punched Hail against a wall. Their immature fighting was very common, even when I first met them. Even to this day, almost ten years after meeting them, I wasn't expecting them to stop their usual behavior.
By the time Claire and I got to the bus stop, the bumpy vehicle was hovering on the corner. Hail already stepped inside. On the other hand, Saje was discussing that he wasn't riding the bus.
"... she's not riding the bus either," I heard him saying, gesturing toward me. Claire looked suprised.Her facial expression was unreadable. Was she pleasantly surprised or disgusted? Or did she just not care?
Why did I care?
Claire, who sat in the front aisle, still had that odd expression on. From the window, I could finally tell her expression meant, "Ooh, that's why!"
I stared back, trying with all my willpower to look away. At least five seconds after that did the bus finally take off. The horrible smell of the exhaust clung to my surrounding air. It wasn't until Saje poked the side of my head that my head snapped up and my eyes went back to focus.
"Let's go," Saje said, walking onto the road. I quickly caught up with him.
"So what are we discussing?" I asked nonchalantly.
"We can start off with something easy. Over the summer, I'm going to Europe."
I grimaced. "Old news. Good luck."
:Thanks. But as for you... You said that you wanted to go to Japan or something?"
"Yep!"
He scrambled through a folder he was holding. After a few moments, he pulled a crumpled and wrinkled paper out and handed it to me.
"You'll need this..."
A map. In red ink, the Fukuoka hospital in Japan was circled.
"What's this?" I asked perplexed.
"It's where you were born.. At least, I'm guessing."
I looked at him incredulously. Was he serious?
But more than anything else, another question so powerful blurted. "You did this for me?"
"Yeah," he said as though it was obvious. "I did it for Hail too."
"Oh," I said. Oddly, I felt both relieved and less flattered.
"It was a lot easier for him though... He's the only one with his name in the whole world."
"That's incredible," I exclaimed. "Where was he born?"
"France... It's weird though, I figured he was German..."
"And was it harder to find me?" I ignored what he just said completely.
"Yeah. I thought it'd be easier.. I was wrong, I guess."
We continued on with moving up the street, The more questions I asked, the more we slowed down. We'd never make it to school at this rate.
"Still, it was really nice of you. Thank," I said gratefully. "You didn't have to, I didn't ask."
He shrugged. "I wanted to."
"Well, what else are we discussing?" I asked, changing the subject.
"How are you gonna kill yourself?"
I tripped over air. How sudden.
"I'll be jumping off the bridge," I said matter-of-factly.
"Are you sure?" he asked slowly.
"Yepp... why?"
"Hail jumped off a bridge.. You don't have to."
"I might as well... I'm pretty used to it. I've had dreams about it!"
His eyes widened. "You're unbelievable."
I grinned happily. "But still... Do you have another idea?"
"Actually, I do."
"It's not too painful, is it?" I teased.
"Fast and painless."
I stopped walking. Looking him dead in the eye, I asked, "Let me guess. I don't kill myself at all?"
"No... I'll kill you."
This time, I tripped on air again. I stumbled and fell on my knees. "What..?" I gaped.
"Like I said, fast and painless," he reassured, almost to himself. After he helped me up, I slapped him.
His face stayed straight and blank.
"I thought you'd react that way," he mumbled.
I slapped him again.
"I shouldn't seen that coming..."
"You don't want to see me die, but you'd rather do it yourself?" I raged.
"Yes," he answered bluntly.
"You're..." What a good word? "...unbelievable!"
"Of course I am. I hang out with you."
It took all my willpower not to stick my tongue out at him.
"Anything else you need to tell me?" I asked. throught my teeth.
'Do you wanna go to the old playground?" he asked abruptly.
"We'll be late for school," I pointed out.
"At lunch then," he concluded, obviously making the decision for the both of us. "I'll see you later."
"Wha-?"
We were at school already. Time flew fast with Saje. How tragic.
"MIKI!!!!" a voice screamed.
Rina.
"Rina, what're you-" Before I could finish, Rina glomped me in a twirl hug(haha! buddypoke! it's getting to my head) and screeched again.
"Are you okay?" I askewd as she jumped up and down.
"'course! But I haven't seen you since December! Now it's January and my birthday is coming up!" she exclaimed with stars in her eyes.
"Oh yeah... Do you want a gift?"
"Of course not! But I'm having some people sleep over and I'm inviting you! Can you come? I really, really, really want you to because most of my friends are coming! Tru and Brenda and Jess and Yuu.. Don't worry, Yuu will behave herself, but anywhoo, will ya come?"
"Of course. Thanks for the invite."
"Yay! You hackin' rock!"
The rest of the day was... Boring to say the least. I've never felt so... human. I remembered back to when I was obsessed with being in human experiences in the beginning of the year. Shopping seemed like enough. But did I have the guts to say no to Rina?
Of course not.

Lunch;
"Miki," Saje called quietly across the table. "Wanna go now?"
I leaned in and whispered, "Can we even go off campus?"
"We'll sneak off," he answered easily.
"Whoaaa! Since when are you a rebel?" I joked.
"Since now. Now let's go, the crowds are coming."
We both stood up and walked across the lunchroom to the main hallway. Crowds were walking passed us. Dylan spotted us and poked me in the ribs as friends usually do. He looked at us, probably wondering where we were going. Thankfully, there was a side-door exit at the end of the major hallway that Saje and I could easily walk out of with no one the wiser. I slowly opened the door, hoping that it wouldn't creak.
"Mik, it's not going to run away. Just open the door."
"Sorry," I mumbled and opened the door. The squeaks and creaks sounded like screams to me.
My heart pounded as I waited for Saje to walk out the door. He was so slow!
"C'mon!" I urged.
He closed the door and grabbed my arm.
"You c'mon! There might be a teacher out here, run!" he screamed, already running.
"Slow down, Saje!" I groaned.
"We're almost there, don't worry."
"I don't care! Slow down!" I groaned again.
We were at least an entire block away from the school and another block away from the old playground. Surely no one was following us.
Finally, Saje slowed down when the elementary kids came to view. They looked at us as we tried to blend in and hide into the bushes... And there it was.
The old playground. A wave of nostalgia blasted through me. Hail spreading his wings. Saje and his arsonist ways...When a new chapter of my life started. A chapter, that will always be with me. And as long as my friends were with me, I was okay if that chapter never ended.
From afar, a flame appeared on the area of the wood chips. II smiled, and my eyes lit up. I ran over to the ashes and almost instantly, they became wood again. "If it wasn't for your new talent, I would've seen the flame come from your hand!"
"Yeah, you would've."
"So... Why are we here?"
"You seemed really pissed when I suggested that I kill you."
"Well yeah! If it's not suicide, then how is it eternal damnation?"
"You know, just the fact that you're a freak is a sin already. The Vida just have to keep from going to hell, and keeping you in your physical body," he explained.
"How do you know all that?"
"I asked."
"Unbelievable."
"Just like you."
I sighed. "You still haven't explained why we're here yet."
He sighed too. "I just wanted to explain why I'd rather kill you."
"Explain."
"... If you jump off a bridge, I can't do anything. If you got killed by me, I would be doing something."
"You'd rather kill me than watch me kill myself."
"Yeah."
"You have a really twisted mind.
"Look, I love you. Deal with it."
"Hey! I love you too, and as a friend who loves you, I gotta say this is one of the craziest things you've ever thought up."
Saje looked disappointed. However, it didn't really look like he was upset that I disagreed with his plan... Of course, I kept my mouth shut from asking ridiculous questions.
"Saje," I started, walking over to him. "I'm just saying... It's a pretty insane idea! But not as insane as suicide.. We can try. Does Hail know?"
"Yeah. He's throwing you in fire."
My eyes widened. "You guys love me that much?"
"Definitely."
"Well... Sure! I love you guys too, so why not?" I said cheerfully. "We should go back to school, lunch is almost over."
I started walking, knowing Saje would follow. I slowed down when I heard no footsteps behind me.
"I love you more."
I turned around. "Huh?"
He zoomed in front of me. "I love you more."
I looked at him startled. I blurted out, "You don't know that.." from my 'startledness'.
"I love you more," he repeated gently. "I love you more. More than I should. More than anyone should."
"Saje, I-"
No.
There had to be an explanation for this. Possessed by a demon that was sent to destroy my sanity? Possibly. It was only fit that something as that would make me possibly believe my best friend could be in love with me. Something as unbelievable as this only needed an indescribable reason, such as a possessed demon. Something that made my mind short when he said that.
I needed an explanation.. There was a definite shift in the universe. An eartquake that shook all the planets in the solar system. The rain must have been rising up instead of pouring down. All time must have stopped. People must be able to sit on rainbows now. I could visit heaven now. Heck, maybe I was already dead. Maybe I was in heaven. Maybe my whole life is just someone's amazing dream that finally ended. Maybe I was dreaming.
I could believe it.
I could believe earthquakes and demons made me hear that Saje loved me. I could belueve anything at this point.
The only thing I could't believe was that the world didn't stop when he kissed me. It should have.
Unbelievable.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 19: Stupidity.

2008-11-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

This chapter is for Allie... I pretty much shaped up the rest of the winter break in this chapter. Note;;; I made three characters these people that try to hurt the main character... My friend read it and kinda thought it sounded like they were rapists... How odd. If it seems like that, then I'd probably change down the road, but yeah... it's nothing like that. Just a heads up. Enjoy.

Miki's POV

Christmas Eve; 11:30 P.M.
"So Mik," Hail said, his breath painting clouds in the cold air. "did you get us presents? ..Oh, thank you."
Saje, Hail, Maddie, Claire, Alex, and I were at the homeless shelter. The three sisters(Maddie, Claire, and Alex) were inside, eating a bunch of turkey sandwiches. Saje, Hail, and I were- you guessed it- on the sidewalks with the homeless that aren't in the shelter itself. We were getting a lot of money from people. Several people saying, "God bless" and "Merry Christmas"... I never realized how heartwarming humans became around the holidays.
"Well," I started slowly. "I tried, but all I found was a book on penguins. That's it."
"It'll do. I couldn't get you anything at all."
"This'll do."
He grinned. "Good, 'cuz I'm not getting anything."
Saje's eyes opened widely and his lower lip popped out. I snickered. "You didn't get me a present?!"
"Sorry buddy," Hail shrugged. "Did you get me anything?"
"Only my friendship!" he exclaimed dramatically. "I bet Miki got me something."
"I've got nothing."
He pouted. "You guys suck."
I hugged his neck. "Sorry buddy! I don't have a gift!"
"This'll do.."
A strong gusty wind blew across our faces. Chills went down my spine and shivers shook me rapidly.
"You okay?" Saje murmured.
"Yep. I'm just c-c-c-cold."
He hugged me- which made me more cold than before at first- and his new talent helped keep me warm.
"Thanks."
"Miki?"
A girlish high-pitched voice trilled my voice in disgust.
"Oh, hi Yuu."
"Aww... You're... cuddling.. on the street," she slurred annoyingly. "Must be an interesting way to spend the holidays, huh?"
"Yeah."
Another wind chilled us all.
"Don't you guys live in different buildings?"
"Yeah."
"Then why the hell are you here on the street?"
"I don't know." I kept my answers blunt.
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Don't pick up too many pricks.."
"Hey bitch," Hail called to Yuu. "Can I have a fucking dollar? Or are you picking up hobos?"
"Kiss my ass you bastard!"
"You have no ass!" he yelled as she stomped away. We all broke out in laughter. Despite the dark night canvas and shimmering tinsel and lights that glittered the sky, I felt an odd emotion-joy, almost- painting itself on the frame.

Christmas;
I had given Hail his present, which he seemed to enjoy- Especially the cute penguin sketch on the first page.
The concept of giving didn't make sense to me. Or at least when it comes to material things. It's really not that special.
Anyway, two adults had come to the foster home bright and early. It was most likely a married couple.
"Hello," the foster lady said serenely. "Are you two here for Praxton?"
"Yes," the woman answered. The man simply jerked a nod and smiled lightly. His anxiousness wasn't being hidden too well though. I tried not to gag when the couple almost jumped in the air when the foster mother nodded.
"Miki," she called to me gently. I was reading a book on the steps of the stairs. My head snapped up immediately. "Could you get Praxton? He should be upstairs."
"Sure."
I closed my book and headed up the stairs. Just as she said, Praxton(who's nine) was in one of the bathrooms, pouring water from a bucket into the sink.
"Prax!" I called.
He waved at me and then continued pouring water in the sink. Cute, he was.
"Prax, c'mon!" I gestured. "Your new mommy and daddy are here!"
Instantly, he dropped the bucket, allowing it to spill water everywhere and ran to my side.
"Let's go!" he yelled excitedly.
When we got downstairs, I walked Praxton down to the office where his new parents were waiting. Praxton was a good kid; blue eyes, brown hair, never causing trouble... And hopefully, he was getting a new family he deserved. They looked nice. They seemed nice. They better be nice.
I closed the door behind me and started to walk back to the stairs.
Until I heard what they said;
"Is that girl your assistant?" the woman asked politely.
"Oh no. She's a foster child too."
"Oh really?" Her voice sounded surprised. "How old is she?"
"Seventeen. She's going off to college next year." I smiled, when I noticed the slight bragging tone in my foster mother's voice.
"No one ever wanted her?"
"A few did. She was abused by the last family that adopted her and I guess she was scared to go back. Besides, her birth certificate has a few issues. We never received one and there isn't a single hospital that has history of her."
I walked away as quickly as I could before I could hear a response.
The same story of my life. It never gets old though.

&&;******

New Year's Eve.
"So what happened on New Year's Eve?" Alex asked.
"Nothing really. It's just the last day of the year."
"Oh."
"Don't be so blunt Alex," Maddie said.
She rolled her eyes.
Claire was at the park, by the bridge, with a bunch of others waiting for the countdown.
"Would it be safe to go there?" Maddie asked. "The fireworks aren't electrical, are they?"
"Nope. They're just lights. But stay far away when they're on the ground still. You might attract the sparks, make everyone explode, and the fireworks won't go up."
Maddie looked at me dazed. "Thanks for the tip..."
Of course Maddie would ask if it's safe. All sorceresses attract electricity. Not just me.
Oddly enough, there wasn't even a reason behind it. Not too weird. There are several things that happen in the universe with unknown causes.
"So can we go now?" Alex anticipated for my answer.
"Sure. I'm going to wait for Saje and Hail," I replied.
Alex hopped out the door.
"Again with her friends," Maddie mumbled. I tried to keep a straight face.
About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
"Dude! Look what we found!" Hail exclaimed when the door was opened.
I looked at him wide-eyed. "What-"
Hail grabbed my arm and started running out onto the street.
"Hail, what the hell are you-"
"Trust me!" he yelled as we went into the alley.
I saw Saje sitting against the wall, petting something on his side.
It was a dog.
"Aww! He's so cute!" I exclaimed. "Where'd you find him?"
"In the alley, of course."
"Well, can we keep him?"
"Where are we gonna keep it?" Hail asked.
"Him," Saje corrected.
"Sorry. Where are gonna keep him?"
"How about at your place?" I suggested... begged, walking over to see the dog better.
"I don't know, Mik," Hail said indifferently. "He has a name tag... The owner might be looking for him, and I'm in a lot of trouble at the shelter! I pull a lot of pranks there you know..."
"Please?"
Hail sighed. "I'll try. But for the sake of the dog, not you."
"Thank you!" I cheered, grabbing him by his hair to kiss him on the cheek. "So... What are we naming him?"
"It's on the name tag."
"Oh yeah..." I leaned down to read the small chip of metal on his collar.. "Bam bam? Odd name. Isn't that a cartoon?"
"Yeah. The cave people one, I think," Saje answered.
"He's still cute," I fondled.
He ran off and out of the alley at once.
"Saje, go after Bam Bam," Hail commanded.
Saje, who would've protested, obeyed since he knew the dog was getting further away each second.
Hail looked at me, a devious smile on his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box.
"What is it?" I asked confuzzled.
"Gravy."
Okay..? At first, I had no idea what he was talking about. Then it hit me.
"You're pouring it down Saje's pants?" I asked disgustingly. I didn't think he'd really do it.
"I was hoping you would," he swayed.
"Okay... Why?!"
"Mik, think about it. Do you really think I want to put to put this down his pants?"
"Uh, yes?" Didn't he? That's the whole point of it!
"No, that'd be gay," he said slowly, enunciating each syllable.
"Don't you think he'd notice something like this?" I asked frantically.
"Just take off the pants and pour! It's that easy!" He handed me the gravy box. "You gotta be fast."
I screeched, and in surrender, I agreed. Believe it or not, but I just might enjoy this...

At the park, we saw Saje sitting on a bench with Bam Bam. He was petting him, keeping him in place.
"When we're watching the fireworks, take his pants off and pour it down," Hail whispered.
"You know, you haven't established how I do that!"
"Just reach down and pull, stupid!"
Saje stared at us suspiciously as we quarrelled in hushed whispers. I was not in favor of what I was going to do to Saje, but it was worth seeing his reaction. Would he even react at all? I'm hoping he would.
"So are we watching the fireworks?" Saje asked.
"Sure. Should we find the Coniferallision sisters first?" I asked.
"Claire is whoring around with seniors and Maddie and Alex are on the bridge," he clarified. "Do you want to join them?"
"We should," Hail spoke up. "The fireworks are seen better when the sky's darker."
It'd be harder to see gravy and pantsing too.
"C'mon, Bam Bam!" I called, as Saje and Hail walked to the more rocky areas.
Bam Bam barked adorably and followed shortly behind me. He was so adorable! I quickly followed behind my friends with Bam Bam by my side.
"God, I love coming here!" Hail said, intoxicated by the watery smell of the bridge. "Death does the soul good."
"Death brings bad things," I mumbled.
"Yeah, if you burn for eternity."
I rolled my eyes.
Maddie and Alex weren't on the bridge. I glanced at Saje who looked slightly surprised. He must've been expecting them here. Oh no. We couldn't have lost them, right? We were in no shape to lose three sisters; a stalker after me, my execution, a stray dog, gravy down Saje's pants... There just wasn't enough time to add onto the list...
"I thought you said Maddie and Alex were here," Hail said.
"I guess they're not anymore," Saje replied.
I looked down the bridge,. Rocky bottom, sharp rocks, crashing waters... Amazing elevation... Perfect for death. A stalker, broken responsibilities, finding stray animals... Hurting your friends... Perfect for a suicide. Ugh. It's as though I was destined for it...
"You know," Hail said slowly. "sometimes people commit suicide because problems pile up on them. From the way you probably think things through, you must have an unending list of problems."
"You're a psychic," I snorted.
He grinned quite oddly, as though I was missing an inside joke. Knowing Hail, I probably was. However, it was the least of my worries.
"Don't worry." He punched my arm. "You can get through this."
Saje sighed next to me.
"We all can," Hail added icily.
Bam Bam started barking.
"What's wrong with-"
He immediately started running to who knows where. I ran after him quickly. There weren't any following footsteps behind me, which made me realize Saje and Hail weren't following me. Oh well. So I was by myself. What's the worse that could happen?
Bam Bam finally stopped running and stood still in the middle of the more woodsy parts of town. I probably chased him for a mile and a half; I was probably pretty far from the park.
"There you are!" I exclaimed, almost to myself.
Bam Bam barked happily, and ran toward me. I laughed as he jumped up. Such a cute animal. Cutest dog ever.
From behind, I heard snickers. There wasn't anyone in sight, so the snickers couldn't have possibly been directed toward me. I turned and started to head back to the bridge...
Too bad I was lost.
More snickers. The volume of them increased. Ugh. It was so annoying! I started walking toward wherever. Anywhere, to get out of the wretched woods.
A head peeked behind one of the trees that were a few feet away from me. The figure was smiling. When I looked at him, he hid back behind the trees and the snickers continued. So they were laughing at me. Why? And who exactly was 'they'?
I was hoping not to find out.
I continued walking, despite the laughter and talking started to grow closer. Were they following me? No, no, no...
They were probably just going in the same direction as me.
And if they were following me, it was probably because they were lost too.
So what caused me to walk faster?
Fear. Fear caused me to walk faster, even when the group behind me was somehow inching closer..
"Hey!"
I froze. Turning slowly, I faced whoever called. The group stopped too. Three people. They didn't go to my school, probably another one, if they weren't high school dropouts.
They'll just ask if I know the way back to the park, I thought to myself. Stay cool. They won't do anything.
"Yeah?" I called back, when they stepped closer to me. Definitely my age. I recognized them as the students that live by Rina and Yuu, across the street where the other school district in Presque Isle had another school zone. Even when I was younger, I always had an odd feeling about them. At this moment, I just wanted to scream my head off at them.
"Are you heading off to the park?" the one in the middle asked me in a deep voice.
"Yeah," I answered meekly. See? They're going to the park too, I encouraged myself.
"Do you know the way back?" he asked, an almost smug look on his face.
See? They're lost too! I screamed in my head. "I think so."
"Actually," the one on the left said slowly. "I think that way leads to the back buildings of the urban street. We checked. The park is that way."
He pointed to my right.
All right... With all the trees, who was I to judge they were wrong?
"Oh, are you sure?" I asked doubtfully. I internally praised myself for sounding casual.
"Yeah. Trust us. We've been around these woods for hours!" he joked. "We wouldn't want you in the woods."
The guy on the right flashed a kind grin at me. A kind grin...
"Okay thanks," I mumbled and followed.
Saje and Hail were probably wondering where I was. I had to get back fast. Please let these guys be truthful. Bam Bam was walking slowly and quietly beside me. He had a feeling that these guys weren't good either.
After a mile, I expected to see the park and possibly Hail and Saje yelling, "Mik! There you are!"
Nothing. It was the back of the urban street's buildings. It was right behind the foster home, newspaper building, and some motel that no one ever went to.
"Aw man," I grumbled, and then more clearly to the others, "I guess that this way was wrong after all..."
"Oh sorry," the middle boy said. "I guess we could drive you back. Our car's on the other side of this building."
That was my signal. All the red flags went up.
"No thanks. If this is the urban street, then I can go to the park from here."
"That's a long walk! You've gotta be beat right now!"
"No. I'm not tired," I urged.
One of them pushed me. "Nonsense! Don't be stupid!"
Bam Bam barked furiously. It had no affect at all.
"Hey! Stop!" I said, pushing back. I shoved one of them into a tree but another grabbed me from behind and shoved.
Let me list what got me in this horrible situation. My stupidity. That's it. I shouldn't have followed them this far, shouldn't have spoken... I needed to just keep walking and see my friends again. No. I made all the stupidest mistakes and I was going to die for them. I was going to be pushed and shoved until...
"Mik! There you are!"
Was I imagining things? Or was Hail's voice really ringing in my head? Did Saje really grab me out of the other guy's grip and run off carrying me? Did Hail really slam those people into brick walls?
"Please tell me this is happening," I slurred to myself out loud.
"This is really happening," Saje replied quietly. "You're safe now, don't worry."
The sky was dark now. Most of the fireworks were recognizable now.
"Where's Hail?" I asked frantically. "He's not still back there, is he?"
"He can handle them," Saje answered, the park coming into view.
"Saje, no! We can't!"
"Yes, we can."
"No," I breathed when he set me down on the bench. "Hail isn't safe!"
"The worst they'll do is beat him up or something. And he can take them."
"And what? I can't?" How sexist!
"Of course you can. But what if they didn't want to beat you up but-"
"So what'd I miss?" Hail said from behind the bench. His voice sounded breathless and rushed- Probably not because of the possible fight, but to purposely interrupt Saje. "Don't worry, those guys are gone. Alive, but gone."
"A fight?" Saje asked.
"No sweat."
I rolled my eyes as the high-fives and other crap occured. "So he tried to tackle me and then I stepped away and shoved him into a tree while this other guy-"
"Hey!" I screamed. "This really isn't the time."
"Huh? Oh sorry," Hail mumbled. "But I gotta ask.. What were you doing out there anyway?"
"You really want the whole story?"
"No," Hail answered sarcastically. "We want a popsicle."
I grimaced. "Fine. I was chasing after Bam Bam in the woods and there were those guys and I followed them."
"Why?"
"They said they knew the way back because they were wondering too and I didn't know what else to so I followed and-"
"All right, all right! We believe you!"
"Yeah," I said, my blood pressure lowering. "But how did you end up where I was?"
Hail turned white. "I'm your guardian."
"Not officially, while I'm still alive." I was getting suspicious. How did he find me?
"Look, there's no need to be suspicious. Do you guys want to see the fireworks?" Hail was obviously talking about the gravy. Not yet... I still had questions.
Hail looked impatient now, as though he knew what I was thinking.
Wait... Did he know what I was thinking?
He turned white.
I tightened my eyes and thought of one word that would answer my questions...
Pudding.
Instantaneously, Hail burst into laughter. Saje looked bewildered. I wasn't too happy either.
"Hail, can you read my mind?" When I saw his face turn white, I thought of the word, pudding, and his laughter started up again.
"Of course not," he choked out.
Pudding.
"I mean it! This laughter is nothing!"
Pudding!
"Okay! I can! Jeez!" He stopped laughing and walked toward me. "I'll take this..." He took the gravy box. Hail walked behind the bench that Saje had just stood up from and...
"Holy crap!" Saje screamed. "What the-"
Hail started to laugh again, as Bam Bam jumped onto Saje.
"Ah! Get him off me!"
"Bam Bam!" Another voice had called.
A girl, probably thirteen, ran toward him. "I'm really sorry!"
"Oh, this is your dog?" I said.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Oh, your welcome. He's awfully cute."
"Thanks!" She smiled lightly and with her dog in hands, she walked away.
Once she was out of range, Saje put Hail in a violent headlock.
"You bastard!"
I watched politely. First, I was pissed off. Second, I was pissed off because Hail didn't tell me(and apparently Saje too) that he could read my mind. Third, I didn't pour gravy down Saje's pants. Stupid Hail...
Pudding.
He laughed. "Ha! Haha- Ouch, Saje!"
The fireworks set off.
Beautiful.
And so the new year started. There was a lot to look forward to.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 18: Voices. In My Head.

2008-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

This chapter was probably the hardest one I've ever written. Hail reads Miki's and Saje's mind, so I really had to think of how this chapter would go if they were narrating it so their thoughts would make sense.
I sort of gave a hint to where I think the story's setting should take place, btw. Personally, just any northern region in Maine is the settings. I didn't feel like singling out a certain city or anything. ;P esp. since i don't even live in Maine!
Sorry for the sloppy formatting.

Hail's POV.

How about I just summarize the week? I don't feel like explaining much.
Monday;
Afterschool, we all went to the bridge. Claire still didn't wear pants. It was some skirt with really thick tights. Legwarmers, too.. Crazy she is...
Whore, whore, whore! Saje thought.
"Ugh! So cold~! Miki, couldn't you move the clouds and the sun shine?"
"Nope."
Claire groaned. "Please?"
"I can't Claire. I can change something's state, not move it around."
"Hm... I wish you could. How about you Maddie? Could you move them?"
"I'm not supposed to," Maddie said.
What?
"I have a question," Miki interrupted. "What are your powers?"
No one answered.
"Please," Miki pleaded. "Could you please explain? If we know, it'd be easier to protect you."
"How?" Maddie snapped.
"We'd take more precautions and guard you in given places.. Stuff like that.."
Claire rolled her eyes. Maddie remained silent. Miki's lower lip trembled, see her persuasion didn't work. Fuck, it didn't work. Saje patted her head. All we wanted to do was help them! Why were they being so complicated?
"Maddie can move objects without touch." Everyone turned to Alex. Gosh, she spoke so apathetically. How old was she? Thirteen, right?
"Alex!" Maddie yelled, wanting her to shut up.
"Claire can freeze time," Alex continued, rolling her eyes.
"Shut up!" Claire snapped.
"And I can see the future," she said, ignoring how pissed her sisters looked.
Miki nodded. Wow... That's... A lot. "Thanks Alex. I owe you one."
"Trust me. You don't," Alex said darkly.
"Okay," I interrupted. "Why is that so hard for us to know?"
"There's a reason behind it," Alex said, pointing out the obvious.
"Then what is it?" Miki asked.
Alex inhaled and exhaled slowly. "We're on the run. I'm sure you inferred that from the last visit to the Vida. We're on the run because of an incident that happened once in Vastergotland, Sweden or whatever... It was just last year, actually. We.. Let's just say we disrupted a community. Of fairies."
"Fairies?" Miki gagged.
"Yes. Anyway, fairies are... Well, they're amazing sniffers. If we even use our powers once, they'll be flying to us in a heart beat! Obviously, we wouldn't want to mention our powers at all, just as a precaution. I don't think there's a really any point to that-" she glared at Maddie and Claire- "So now you know. Can we go home now?"
"Of course," Miki agreed, still letting what she said sink in. Her eyes went out of focus. I didn't even bother to hear her thoughts. Her thoughts were too quiet anyway. Saje's thoughts were surprisingly loud. It wasn't any harder to tune out, but really.. It's interesting to hear how Saje really is. Jeez...
I don't want to go home... Fairies in Sweden? Is it possible that..? No, probably not. Miki looks dazed! Everyone's heading back and she's not moving. Should I stay here with her or.. Sigh. I should drag her along with everyone else. With how deep she's in this trance, she probably can't listen to me anyway.
Gosh. He sounded like an obsessed teenaged girl.

Wednesday;
Alex had parent teacher conferences[yes, in December]. Since she had no parents, the foster mother had to go instead. Miki was babysitting all those kids at the foster home. She invited Saje and me to come over, probably to help or something.
"Momma!" some little kid called to Miki.
"Yeah?" Miki said, her voice friendly; something even I don't hear in her voice.
"I left last week, but I forgot where I put my teddy bear. Do you remember?"
Miki's face... It practically broke in two pieces. "You-you already left... Oh, yeah! I remember where you put your bear..."
She ran up the wide stair case and her footsteps sounded rushed. The little girl waited awkwardly in front of us, tapping her foot. She walked over to Saje and tugged on his pant leg. When he glanced down, she waved cheerfully at him. He gave out a small smile.
Hm. Was I the only one who didn't know this kid? Those two left me out...
Miki came back down the stairs with what looked like a stuffed animal with cotton sticking out. "Here you go."
The little girl hugged it tightly, said a thank you, and ran out the door, where a car engine could be heard.
We must have at the Vida when she and Chris left. I can't believe I missed it! How could I..? she thought.
Miki seemed really... maternal almost about that girl. It was an eye-opener.

Friday;
Finally. Next week was winter break.
"Oh my gosh, Hail!" Rina said on the bus home. She sat in front of me, who sat in the very back.
I noticed that I can't read her mind. Was it because I wasn't her guardian? Hm. Isn't Miki's and Saje's guardian angel still intact? They're still alive! So why can I only read their minds? Maybe it was because... I don't know!
Damn it!
"Yeah?"
"Can you believe next week is Christmas? Did you get me a present?!" Rina asked hopefully.
I grinned. "I'm afraid not."
She frowned. "Awww, why not?"
"Hm," I said, my sarcasm starting to kick in. "You live in one of the richest neighborhoods in this place and you were expecting a homeless orphan to get you a Christmas gift? Shouldn't that be in reverse?"
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, so it should be in reverse, but you gotta tell me... What are you doing for Christmas?"
"I'm going to sit on the sidewalk and get rich people to give me money."
"For college?" she wondered. Rina made it sound like I was greedy and had no morals. I always felt like a bad person around her- guilty, you'd say.
"Well, that was the plan," I started. "But since you want a present so badly, I'll use the money for that."
She turned red. "Yay! What's it going to be?"
Before I could answer, Rina applauded me and started talking about how she found no presents for anyone. I had no idea what the big deal was about. So what if she didn't get gifts for everyone she knew? That didn't mean she was greedy. Everyone she knew would know that. Or at least everyone she knew should know. Or is Rina just naturally guilty? Either way, of all the things we could discuss, this wasn't one of them that I'd actually enjoy. Sigh. And she was still talking about it.
"Don't be guilty about it," I interrupted, not even listening. "It's not like this makes you greedy."
"It might as well! I always get really nice gifts- I'm not trying to brag, sorry if it sounds like it- and if I don't return the favor-"
"If you don't return the favor, then that means you don't waste money on things people don't need."
"It's just not an equal exchange, I have to!"
"You don't have to do anything," I said. I don't know what possessed[cuz I just had to be possessed] me to say the next bit... "You don't have to be stuck with something or someone either."
She turned white.
Oh my gosh, Miki thought. Does he..? No, no, no! Just a coincidence.. I hope.

This brings me to the[usually not] highlight of the week; going to the Vida. The moment we had gotten inside their little cave of doom and treachery, Maddie asked, "I swear, I just want to know!" Why was she so frantic?!
"Know what?" they asked.
"It's not like it's a reassurance!!! Simply a..... a permission! Yes, that's it, a permission. Could we tell these people about our powers?"
"It wouldn't hurt. But no demonstrations," the Vida cautioned.
You'd think knowing such an ominous group of people for nearly ten years(or more than half my life, in my case), we'd want to see their faces or know their names- On the other hand, maybe that's more of a reason not to want to know. The Vida were people you just trusted on a whim. Not exactly faith, because they're certainly not a religion. I have way more faith in God than the Vida(A/N; sorry if you find a way to consider that controversial) They were never wrong, so we never debated. None of us really gave a crap anyway.
"Good," Alex responded curtly. "because we already did."
Ha. Maddie looked pissed. She couldn't handle what her little sister said, it must really hurt having a sister practically stab you in the back like that.
Maybe I should tell them about my newfound ability, was what Miki was thinking. Or should I..? No, I should show them the note first.
Wait, huh?! What note? Oh no. Another stalker note? Why didn't she tell us?
"Ahem." Miki cleared her throat. "I've got something important to say. It's about the person who claims to know about my abilities."
"Please tell."
She breathed uneasily. This is so much harder than I expected. "He gave me another note this week..." Must... not... bite... her! Saje screamed in his head, probably because Miki was getting nervous. He tensed up beside her. "..and they know about you."
Oh no.
Thunder clapped out of nowhere. The rocky cave shook. All our eyes widened. Claire screamed as Alex grabbed onto Maddie. Rocks began to fall from the cave's ceiling. Saje grabbed Miki as I spread my wings and shot up in the air to hover over them and cover.
Did I say something wrong? Miki thought. She sounded so casual about it. There's seriously somthing wrong with her...
"What did the note say?" they asked curtly, once the cave stopped moving- As if it never did.
Miki took out a crumpled up piece of paper out of her pocket and gently unfolded it. While she straightened and smoothed it out, the note orbed out of her hands. Where did it..?
"Read it," one voice whispered frantically.
A throat was cleared. A soprano, probably a girl's voice spoke. She read it as though she was in Kindergarten. "'Shouldn't you be across the border... with a bunch of cave... d-w-ellers than with some guy over the... weekend? I didn't think... cuh-reatures has social lives.'"
Miki was blushing. I didn't think they'd read it out loud!
"So er, what do you think we should do?" she asked awkwardly.
"Ignore this threat," they said, and threw the [now visible to us] note into the fiery centerpiece of the cave. "But find the writer of it."
"What do you think they've been doing?" Claire mumbled.
Interesting question... What have we been doing? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just hoping it'll all go away. It never will...
"One more thing," Miki said, more confidently this time. "I have a new power."
"Really?" the Vida said, no trace of amazement in their voice... voices.
"Yep! Did you want to see?"
"We know already what it is..."
"What?"
"We already know what it is. Once in a blue moon, another power swoops down to a random soul... Usually, it happens to baby human infants, as it already has to all of you. However, sometimes it goes to a fully grown human... All a coincidence."
"You gotta a name for that?" I asked.
"Randomization?" they suggested.
Right. Randomization mumbo crap...

While soaring across the skies of New Brunswick, I immediately realized that I forgot to tell the Vida about my whole mind-reading mumbo jumbo crap. Oh well. It's not really important. However, I do want some more knowledge on the subject.
Why can I only read Miki's and Saje's mind? Not even Rina's?
I don't have to drag everyone back to the cave(even if with our speed, it was only three minutes away) for my personal intentions. I'll go there on my own time...
Thanks to the 'turbulence' and wind for the 'high-flying', it was too loud to hear Miki's or Saje's thoughts. I could only hear a little bunches of words, like for Miki; "embarrasing, probably going to ask, go back...Or Saje; I wonder, damn hospitals, my God she's strangling me!
When I glanced at Saje's wings, I noticed Miki's arms, which were probably crushing Saje's ribs. I managed to let out a laugh once we landed. As expected, everyone looked at me except Alex- Which I didn't think was too weird. Alex, afterall, was absolutely nothing like the way most people were at thirteen years old. I speculated that a lack of a mother made her disrespectful toward her sisters and a lack of given maternal love made her so detached, especially since she's the youngest.
Oh, but what do I know?
I'm certainly no psychiatrist. Or whatever it's called.
As we usually do, all of us landed at the fountain by the middle school. The first thing I heard was Saje screaming in his head, Damn it, Hail! Ask Miki about the note!
He looked quite calm; looking up at the clouds, as though daydreaming pleasant things. Weirdo...
"So Mik," I said casually. "What was up with you and that note?"
She frowned. "It was from the little stalker."
"Why did you hide it from us?"
"I didn't hide it. I just didn't tell you."
"Why not?"
I kept myself from laughing when she blushed.
"Because," Oh jeez! What do I say?! "because.."
I smiled. "I'm waiting..."
"For God's sake Hail! Were you even listening to what the note said?"
"Oh," I said, faking my surprise. "So you didn't want us to know what happened last week?"
I should've made a different excuse. "Yes."
"Why not?" I urged.
On the sidelines, the Coniferallison sisters, Rina, and Saje were watching attentively. What I wouldn't give to know what they were thinking... Especially Rina. If she was there, maybe she'd be babbling in her head what had happened.
Miki looked pained. "Look, I met this guy and I accidentally froze his ice cream while it was melted."
"Okay, and when you mean it 'froze his ice cream'-"
"At the ice cream shopppe, you dumbass!" I hate when does that!
"You know," I slurred, changing the subject. "he might've told someone at school... Rumors spread! Psh. And you think I don't take the secret seriously."
"That's because you don't. I'm pretty sure no one saw. Besides, he doesn't go to our school. He's nineteen." Bragging, much?
Saje coughed. Pedophile...
"Yes," Mik continued sternly. "And that's all. I'll see you later."
She marched off into the trees like some military dictator.
That couldn't have been a better exit.
As their thoughts usually did, I laughed out loud as everyone stared.

SAJE: you really pissed Miki off today.
HAIL: i know. i was curious. weren't you?
SAJE: yeah
HAIL: so what's the problem?
SAJE: nothing. are you ready for the final exams? i need your notes.
HAIL: yeah. and get your own notes. we're reviewing stuff from 8th grade though, this couldn't get any worse..
SAJE: that's true. what college are you going to anyway
HAIL: how should i know? where are you going?
SAJE: this one place in New Jersey, I guess. i think it's Princeton or something..? i'm probably too stupid for that place though..or the one out here...
HAIL: which one out here? the ones in aroostook, or in presque isle itself?
SAJE: i don't know.
HAIL: i'm surprised you planned it out though.
SAJE: the future's coming fast. haven't you noticed?
HAIL: something tells me this convo just took a turn.
SAJE: it has. hail, how are you capable of coping with one of your best friends having an execution?
HAIL: i can't cope with this. it feels like I'm about to die again.
SAJE: I feel worse.
HAIL: i agree. but gosh, ur such a drama queen.
SAJE: that's not funny.
HAIL: okay, so it wasn't. but seriously, do you love her?
SAJE: yes.
HAIL: forever?
SAJE: yes.
HAIL: well, this is the way you can!
SAJE: does it hurt when you die?
HAIL: i barely remember. Mik won't either.
SAJE: i will...
HAIL: dude, do you realize how selfish you sound right now? just get it over with and love her in the afterlife, damn it!
...
SAJE: I hate when you're right.
And as always, I was right. I've never been in love, but it was obvious that Saje was being selfish. Although, I'm sure he can change. He's just a very flexible person. Despite his usually stubborness. However, this was a situation that he could[and he better] stop being such a damn kid..
But what do I know? I'm no psychiatrist.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 17: Revelations; Our's

2008-11-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

The chapter is all over the place. Still, it's as entertaining to read as my other chapters. Enjoy.

Hm. I wasn't sure why Rina let her feelings just change just because her and Hail will live on earth forever. She felt trapped.
"I don't know," she said. "I can't fall for someone who I know is going to die!"
Couldn't she?
I guess I can see how she feels... There aren't that many immortal people on earth to choose from. And I doubt you'd want someone you love to die... and never see them again. But does that mean you have to end up with someone? Be stuck with them? And if that was really the case.. Would Rina be happy? Or Hail? Maybe they'd find someone that they want to be stuck with... Which brings me to my final question... A question I never even took a moment to think of in my life...
Who would I be stuck with?

&;****** The next day....

MIKI: hey Hail...
HAIL: hi
MIKI: you need to come over. right now. Saje needs to come too.

"What is it?" Hail exclaimed from behind me, already here.
I jumped. I knew he was lightning fast. I knew he was super-strong to hold Saje by his collar(which I should mention, he was... he probably dragged him over here). However, I didn't think he would use such an ability to see me, even if in an emergency. What if someone was in the room with me? What if- if possible- someone saw him snatch Saje on his way here?
Hail was so reckless!
"Gosh Hail!" I exclaimed, the breath knocked out of my voice.
"Did anyone see you blast off like this?"
"Like what?" he asked bewildered. He let go of Saje, whose skin was turning pink- A pink, that would have probably been red if he had a darker[normal] skin complexion.
"You just appeared out of thin air!" I exasperated. "What if someone saw that?"
"Oh," he said, not a trace of guilt in his voice. "Thankfully, no one did!"
"Yeah.."
"So why'd you want us to come over?"
I sighed deeply. Hail's expression was patient. Saje's expression was anxious- something that should have been reversed. There had to be something- heck, a shift in the universe- that was going on today...
"Well," I stuttered slowly. I looked around the room, avoiding their faces... To find something... a demonstration, knowing my words would fail me. "Saje? Could you uh, get me some snow from outside?"
His eyes tightened. He nodded tentatively and walked toward the window, and vaulted out the opened window. There was a sploosh, signaling his landing and I waited patiently with Hail for him to return.
Or at least Hail was waiting patiently. I was jumping in my shoes. The little kids rubbing their slipper-material shoes against the carpets weren't helping- my hair was probably standing up from the electricity attraction, with my excitement.
Saje returned from the window with a snowball in hand.
"Wait," I said, holding a hand up to keep him from walking closer. "Throw it at me."
Hail's eyes widened. He coughed to cover his laugh. It didn't fool me. Saje looked at me, appraising my waiting expression. "Are you serious?" he asked.
"Yes," I pushed. "Don't worry."
I gestured for him to throw the ball at me. I pointed to my nose, showing him where to aim. Hail silently snickered as Saje lightly whipped the snow toward me.
Melt! Please melt! I thought.
I held out my hands to block the water. The snow turned to water and splashed onto the floor and my outward extended hands.
Hail stopped laughing, his eyes wider.
"Woah," he breathed.
"Yeah. That's what I needed to show you."
"You can melt stuff?"
"That's not all," I grinned. Freeze! Please freeze...
The water puddle changed to ice. Icicles appeared on my hands from the water that splashed onto it. I looked at Hail and Saje, smug. Shaking off the ice bits, I asked, "So what do you think this means?"
hail looked around the room, thinking. His head tilted and he sighed, still thinking of a solution.
"A new thing," he concluded.
Of course. I already knew that. I rolled my eyes. "And?"
"And.." Hail trailed off. Back to thinking...
"Do you know what it does?" Saje asked, hoping I had more knowledge on the subject.
"All I know is that I can freeze and melt stuff."
"How?" Hail asked suspiciously.
"With my mind, I guess."
He went back to thinking mode. We all remained silent as the genius brainstormed.
After a minute or two, he said, "Think of... clouds. Visualize them."
"Huh?" I said surprised. "Oh er, okay."
My usually very dim and uncreative imagination sparked as realistic pictures of clouds in the sky swirled in my head. They weren't puffy doodles, but real faded bits and thick grey cotton-like lumps.
Saje's eyes widened. Hail nodded observantly.
"What?" I asked.
I followed Saje's still widened- dried coal black- eyes to the ground where the puddle was.
What it was supposed to be.
"Where did it go?!"
"Think of rain now," Hail answered.
I obeyed quietly. Rain... drop after drop after drop...
Woah.
A cloud appeared in front of me, ascending to the ceiling. Then, small little droplets dripped down to the floor. Drip, drip, drip, they went before the cloud disappeared completely.
My eyes widened as I examined my dry hands.
"So," Hail said curtly... obnoxiously, "you can freeze, melt, and vaporize and condensate stuff."
I nodded. "I'm impressed. How'd you know?"
"Lucky guess," he shrugged, still obnoxious. "Freezing and melting seemed like a pretty lame power."
I stuck my tongue out at him.
"I wonder how you got it though," he continued, ignoring me. "Most sorceresses don't get new powers. They're just born with it."
"I guess I'm not one of those sorceresses. Has it happened before?"
"I don't know that much," Hail sighed shamefully. "Maybe it's because you haven't used your congenital ability for awhile. Maybe you generated a new power 'cuz of..."
"Because of what?" I urged on.
"'cuz your lack of use caused... I don't know, a magic build-up!"
"Magic?" I cringed at overused cliche term of my existence.
"You know what I mean. Out of the three of us, you're the closest thing to being a Disney character," Hail snickered.
Saje coughed, biting his lip to hide a smile. The only knowledge we had of Disney was from what other kids at school occasionally mentioned. Obviously, you would guess why it was so funny to be compared to a stereotypical Disney character, rather than being contrasted to one...
Not saying I wouldn't want to be famous amongst people my age and younger. However, my story really isn't 'appropriate' for kids. If you have magic powers go kill yourself! Ha. Right.
"Hey!" Hail burst out, grinning. "There's something that you should see.."
I grimaced. Whatever Hail was going to do, it wasn't going to be pretty...
To my relief, Saje stepped forward instead.
"What's one place I can touch you?" he asked.
I looked at him, almost disgustingly "Excuse me?"
"What's one place I can touch you?" he repeated. "Not too sensitive though..."
"What?"
"It could be sensitive actually," he reassessed. "I can control myself, it won't hurt... Hopefully."
My mouth twitched. "What are you-"
"Just grab anywhere!" Hail interrupted impatiently. "I'll be right back... I need to get some ice..." Ice..? For what?
Before I could think anything else, Saje placed one of his icy hands on my neck.
"Wait," he hesitated. "I shouldn't... I'll start with your clothes or something.. Just in case."
He hooked my sleeve.
I heard Hail gathering snow outside. What was I supposed to see?
A snowball come at me..?
Hail rolled out of the window and into the room. He packed one snowball. I closed my eyes- There was no way I'd watch this.
"Don't worry," Saje said. "He's not throwing it at you."
I shook my head, my eyes still closed.
He sighed. "Whatever makes you happy.."
About a minute later, I opened my eyes when nothing happened.
"You didn't feel anything?" Saje asked confused.
"Was I supposed to?"
He sighed again. "Roll your sleeve up."
This time, I obeyed rather than just questioning them. Once my sweater's sleeve was folding up to my elbow, he placed his hand there. Ooh. My arm immediately numbed from the touch. I tried not to shiver, twitch, or flinch from his skin.
I didn't get it. I knew Saje was a human ice cube. What was I being shown?
Finally, he released my grip. My arm started to become less and less numb as I opened my eyes..
As I widened them. He was still holding my arm. It became warmer and warmer until I finally said, "Stop."
Abruptly, Saje released my arm.
"I don't get it," I said. "You could always do that."
He looked at me blankly. "That's not all."
He turned to Hail, who ripped the sleeves off his shirt. Saje looked at it. Suddenly, the sleeves from Hail's shirt turned to black, to smoke, to ash. Flames.
"I've never done it without actually touching with my hands," Saje explained. "Now I don't have to."
"How's that possible?" I asked. "Don't dragons have fire commence from their skin? How does it get summoned without it?"
"The same way."
"Explain," I urged.
"You see," Saje explained, "I'm still touching with my hands... just not directly. It's like... Think of a really thin thread. It's attached to my palm, and it can stretch to any area that I think it should go. And that thread carries fire."
"Oh," I understood. "How'd you find that out?"
"I was at the abandoned playground and the elementary school. I was burning wood chips," he said matter-of-factly.
I nodded, a small smile pulling at my mouth. I remembered when Saje, Hail, and I were younger... Saje always burned the wood chips and I would chemically change them back. I loved it, no matter how boring I realized that to be.
"... and then they all just turned to ashes," Saje continued. He looked at me thoughtfully. Hail was gone. "That's how strongly I felt."
"Huh?" I said brainlessly. I was barely listening.
He grimaced. "Nothing."
"Okay," I said. "Sorry, I wasn't even listening."
At that moment, Hail reappeared. "Yeah, so... you both learned something."
"Yeah," Saje said.
"I guess," I agreed.
It was.. amazing! I loved this new ability. Even if I lost my first born power, I knew I'd enjoy this one way more. I could tell by the tugging smile on Saje's face that he liked his new talent too. Moments like this made me feel happy to be the weird damned creature I was... What I was going to be.
"I'm surprised she can't hear you right now," Hail mumbled to Saje.
"Hm?" Saje snapped up suddenly toward Hail.
"Weren't you just..?" he trailed off and shook his head. "Nevermind."
How odd. What were they talking about? I always knew Hail had a unique mind, but not once did I ever think he was insane.
"I'm completely fine, Mik!" he exclaimed.
No. He wasn't.

HAIL'S POV

What's up with them? They were talking. I was only answering.
"God, Hail must be mental!" Saje exclaimed.
"Shut up!" I said.
He arched an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything."
"Poor Hail... I think," Miki said.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" I yelled.
Why were they playing the stupid card? How did they get their voices to echo off the walls? How did they talk without opening their mouths? Why were they walking in third person to me?!
I turned to Saje. Suddenly, I saw images flash through my head. A cathedral, a bunch of boats, water, several urban buildings. I heard Saje saying, "In the summer..."
Holy crap. Maybe I was insane. I could read their minds. I looked at Miki. She was picturing... I'm guessing what happened yesterday? It wasn't much.. Rina and Miki were driving home.
"Do you love him or like him?" she asked Rina.
"I don't know... I can't fall for someone who I know is going to die!"
Huh. So Rina liked a human.
"But he won't die!" Miki said.
Okay... So she didn't.
"Yeah. So I'm stuck with him."
"Don't think that way, Rina."
"Oh yeah? How do you feel being stuck with Sa- nevermind. I'll see you Monday."
The memory ended abruptly. I should've told them I could hear what they were thinking. Especially considering I really didn't want to hear them. I get enough of what they say out loud. This mind reading thing wasn't very necessary- it's pretty obvious what they're thinking. Thankfully, it seemed easy to block out.
However, already it made me frustrated, irritated...
And curious.
So... Who did Rina like? Or didn't want to like?
From what she said... She obviously thinks Miki will get 'stuck' with Saje... So it wasn't Saje. Thank goodness. I don't need to be sitting in the audience watching a stupid soap opera's love triangle... Who else did she know that was immortal?
...Me.
?
!
?!
Ha! I really doubt she likes me. We're buddies.
And yet, I still remain curious.
Yeah.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 16: Discoveries

2008-11-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

All I can say is.. This is one of my favorite chapters so far. Probably just to me though.
I didn't make any 'facts' up in this, believe it or not;
lips; i love you cheek; we're friends hand; i adore you forehead; i hope we're together forever some others i forgot...
Enjoy.

The next day, Rina called the foster home at probably 9:00 A.M.
"Hello?" I answered groggily. The phone had woken me up.
"Miki!" Rina exclaimed. "It's 9:00 A.M. already, I've been calling you for the last two hours!"
"Why?"
"Because!" she started to keep from screaming. "We're going shopping, remember?"
"Oh," I breathed disappointingly.
"Yeah! I'll pick you up at ten! See you then," she rushed and hung up.

I sat outside the foster home, wearing that clown makeup stuff that I never thought I'd have to wear again. I wasn't looking forward to go shopping this time. It was a really boring human experience- I wanted to do more!
I was tapped on the shoulder from behind. Saje..?
His eyes widened when he saw me. Hm. His eyes looked silver today.
"I thought you put away all the clown stuff," he mumbled, appraising me.
I groaned. "Does it look that bad?"
"No," he shook his head. "But you're only doing this for them, aren't you?"
"Yeah," I sighed. "Peer pressure." I joked.
"You don't give into peer pressure," he said skeptically. He wasn't asking.. He wasn't guessing.. He sounded completely certain of what he said.
"Yeah I do," I disagreed. "But you guys never really pressured me to do anything."
"That's true," he agreed sullenly. "They shouldn't either."
I looked away. What did I have to say? Nothing.
Changing the subject I said, "Be honest. Do I really look that bad?"
He grinned. "You look fine." He inhaled deeply, and cringed horribly... in acting.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Your scent... When you give off the presence of a clown, it sorta hides it a little.. It's weird."
I rolled my eyes. "Bye, Saje!"
We both stood up and he grabbed my shoulder. With a quick motion, he poked my forehead.
"Ow," I laughed.
He glanced over my head for a millisecond, then kissed my forehead. I flinched, the way I usually did when he did that.
"Did that hurt too?" he asked, still holding me in place.
"No," I said. "I'm just getting used to it."
In truth, I really was getting used to it. I remembered back to the beginning, the very day after finding out about my execution, how jumpy and hesitant I had acted about Saje's behavior. I always skipped conclusions and confused myself over it. At this point in time, I learned to accept that he cared for me and to understand how it feels to see a best friend with her number almost up.
Admittedly, I wasn't very content with the kissing on the forehead thing.. Even if just the forehead.
Just the forehead...
So.. It wouldn't be bad to return one, right?
...
!!!
After lowering my feet down from the kiss, I said jokingly, "See? Now I'm used to it!" I think...
He grinned. "I think Rina's here. I'll kick myself out this time."
"At least you had pants this time!" I called as he walked off.
"I walked to the car that had unnoticeably parked in front of the foster home. Rina, who was in the front seat beckoned for me to sit in the back. When I opened the unlocked door, the scent of cookies filled my lungs.
"Sorry about the delay, Rina," I apologized.
"It's fine! We'll just stay out later!" she said happily. "Unless you have other plans?" She added the last part as though I did have plans.
"Nope," I said encouragingly. "A free day!"
"Sweet!" she cheered.
Yuu(who was in the shotgun) waved at me.
"Hey," I said.
Yuu snorted. "Huh. Dylan and Brenda were right the first time. I would've never guessed."
"About what?" I asked cheerfully. The scent of cookies was making me high- I felt so happy.
"About you and Saje," she shrugged off. "They used to say you two were dating... Then they clarified you were just friends when they started hanging out with you guys."
"Well yeah!" I exclaimed. "We're friends!"
"I don't know that many friends that would be kissing."
"Yeah they do," I disagreed perkily. "We did!"
What the hell was wrong with me? I was admitting something- that if I wasn't so 'intoxicated'- I was completely against. I could tell she rolled her eyes from the mirror.
"Sure, Miki.. Maybe the cheek.. Because that's what friends do. Don't you know anything?"
"What?" I asked, no trace of perkiness in my voice anymore.
"You know," Rina answered professionally. "Lips mean 'I love you', cheek means 'we're friends', hand means 'I adore you'..."
"Oh," I said unintelligibly. "So... What does the forehead mean?"
"Uh..." she pondered. "'I hope we're together forever', I think."
"How... appropriate." I gulped.. Saje probably didn't know...
"Very," Rina said, catching on.
Yuu looked at us suspiciously, then with a simple ruffle of her multicolored hair she said, "Whatever."
I could feel my nostalgic awkward feelings for him trickling back to conscious mind again. I'm sure Saje didn't know that crap... He couldn't have.. Right?!
"Well, friend or not.." Yuu started, shattering the silence. "Tell him to cut his hair! It's almost as long as Rina's."
"Hey!" Rina said.
Saje's hair was slightly above his shoulders. Rina's hair was slightly below her shoulders. In one month, if Rina cuts her hair to its current length, Saje would have the same length of hair as her. Which, in my opinion, wasn't really a problem.
"I mean, I like long hair," Yuu continued. "but not that long for a guy..."
"It's not that bad," I shrugged. "It could be worse."
"It could," she agreed. "But it's bad."
"It's fine!" Rina exclaimed. "Just drop it!"
The drive went silent, despite Rina, who cursed under her breath at every stop. There were people driving exceptionally slow due to the ice, but Rina still drove at a normal speed. A fast speed, actually..
Honk! Honk!
"You can go faster than this!" she yelled. "Gosh, I hate driving in winter... Everyone is too slow!"
"Maybe they don't want to crash and die Rina!" Yuu exclaimed. "Maybe you're too fast!"
Rina rolled her eyes. "Look, people are just way too wimpy! I haven't crashed yet and don't even say we will because we won't. Yeah, so what if I'm being impatient?! See, I admitted it, I'm impatient but I'm trying to get my point come across that these people need to drive faster!" She blasted the car's horn again.
"Would you please just shut up?! No one likes hearing your incessant babbling all the time. It's annoying! You're annoying!" Yuu fumed hotly.
I could feel Rina shrink.
"Exactly," Yuu continued. "Stay quiet! For the rest of the day! Or how about the rest of your life! Or at least when I'm finally out of it!!!"
Rina shrunk again.
"Oh and one more thing-"
"Stop Yuu," I intervened.
"What?" she said, disgusted and shocked by me.
"I said stop," I answer blankly. "If you can't handle Rina, you shouldn't have come here."
"I didn't think she would keep talking and being such a dumbass! And I didn't think you'd come at all!"
My eyes tightened. "What the hell are you talking about?"
She groaned. "You, Miki. You and your weird friends and how you always turn us down for them. Why the hell did you even befriend those freaking pricks?!"
Because they accepted me.. And they're weird like me.
I concentrated on finding an answer suitable for Yuu. I quickly thought back to when I first went to the bushes where Hail and Saje were... To when Hail pushed me, let me into the abandoned part of the playground, when Saje burned the wood chips, when I changed the ashes to wood again...
Huh. I know why I befriended them. I know how I met them. But why did I meet them?
"Because of you," I said, a few seconds later.
"What?!" she halfway screamed. "Because of me?"
"Yeah," I said, pissed off. "Because of you! If it wasn't for you telling me about how you hate Saje and Hail and telling me to go find out why, I'd probably end up being a nagging bitch like you."
She turned to face me. Her glare shot through my angry shield and shattered my bravery. I kept my face straight to hide any sheepishness seeping through.
"So?" she screeched hotly. "If you were smart and not so dumb, you wouldn't have kept talking to them or ignoring us from the start of high school."
"What do you mean 'us'?" Rina said, obviously unparalyzed. Her voice was shaking. She wasn't crying, was she? "Don't include me in this!"
"Oh, so you'd rather be with those-" she unlocked her car door- "those stupid, lame, God damned-" she stepped one foot on the icy car-filled road.
"Yuu, what are you doing?!" I yelled.
"Leaving. I can't stand you bitches!" she yelled, slamming the car door closed, standing in the road. She gave us the bird and walked down the middle of the road between crowded cars.
I glared with my fiery eyes as she walked away. I just wanted her to slip on a patch of ice on the road... I could visualize it perfectly. Her stupid snobby catwalk forming into a clumsy slip and crash on someone's hood, all from a simple patch of ice...
I watched, just hoping if my daydream would come true.
Miraculously, Yuu stepped into a wet puddle and the moment I visualized her falling, the puddle turned to ice- right in front of my eyes- and Yuu slipped and fell on a car. The alarm went off and the driver yelled, "Hey!"
"She deserves it," Rina grumbled.
"Yeah," I sighed, wide-eyed. "She did."

&&;******

Once we got to the incredibly populous shopping district, I said, "Rina, did you see what happened to Yuu?"
She started laughing. "Yeah! Wasn't that hilarious?!"
"No," I exclaimed. "Listen!"
I grabbed her arm and hauled her to a bench by the elevator. "Listen," I breathed. "I think that I did that to Yuu."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean? The ice patch made her slip."
"Yeah," I agreed, shrugging. "But I made the ice patch."
"What. Are. You. Talking. About?" She enunciated each word as though I was stupid.
I exhaled a sharp breath. "Rina, I saw it with my own eyes! That ice was a puddle at first! I wanted Yuu to just slip and fall that.." I stopped abruptly.
"That what?" she said intrigued.
"That I think.. in some way.. I made the puddle freeze and make her slip."
Rina gasped loudly and deeply. Then with her high pitched voice, she squealed so high it was just a squeak. "Oh my gosh!" she yelled. "Oh my gosh! OMG!"
My eyes widened from her girly screams. "Er, yeah.. So um, what are we going to do now? Should you just drop me back home while I figure this all out?"
"No way! Just don't visualize anything too bad!" she said, her voice still squeaky. "But this is so awesome! I wish I had a power!"
Other than the venomous sharp teeth and no blood, there wasn't really much that vampires could do or even had. Sure, they had physical and chemical properties that differ from humans', but it's not like they could make ice... Unless they were special so as to Edward Cullen(A/N; I just had to mention him! =3).. If I was Rina, I'd probably want something special too.
"Yeah," I said indifferently. "I hope you do too!"
"So what power do you think that is?" she asked. "Freezing?"
"We'll never really know.. You know, until after I do something else.."
"Well, well, we'll find out later! Just be careful.
"Definitely."

Ugh. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the store, but Rina was jumping from one area to the next, grabbing several items at once. People were actually staring at her as she skipped around talking to random consumers as they pondered the items.
"Oh, that one is definitely a good one. It'll last forever," Rina reassured.
"Er, thanks," said the ten year old girl she was talking to.
While Rina hopped around, I stood my ground, looking at one particular shelf. It had everything. Porcelain dolls that didn't look creepy, jewelry boxes that played music when you opened them, marbles, blocks, paperweights, snow globes, even stuffed animals. I was so fascinated by the small trinkets that just sat on the shelf nailed to the brightly colored wall. I reached for one of the assorted snow globes when from the corner of my eye, I noticed someone looking at me from the glass window on my right. Distracted, I fumbled and the marble bag tipped over allowing the marbles to fall onto the carpet floor. I grabbed the now empty bag, and leaned down to pick up the mess. Another hand that wasn't my own was grabbing marbles too.
"Here you go," the person said, when I looked to see their face.
"Thanks," I answered quietly as they pured the marbles back into the bag.
When we both stood up, the person(who was a boy)'s eyes widened.
"Hey," he started. "aren't you that girl on the urban street who used to be pregnant by that guy who lives in that really big orphanage?!"
I sighed. "Actually, I wasn't really pregnant. My friend I were trying to get more money for stuff, and one lady thought I was pregnant.."
He looked at me up and down. "Wow..."
"Yeah," I shrugged.
"So, are you looking for anything in particular?" he asked, putting on a name tag saying, "Gabriel."
"No, just looking around."
"'kay, if you need anything from the store, I'm Gabriel!" he said with a thumbs up. "And if you don't, I'm Gabe."
I grinned. "Thanks."
I walked off to look at another shelf. Nice kid, he was.. The next shelf I looked at was things relating to health. Band-Aids, books on anatomy of different animals, thermometers placed in boxes, etc.
"Anatomy of Penguins," I mumbled quietly. This book was perfect for Hail. The very first page had a cute picture of a penguin eating Jell-O. Definitely perfect for Hail.
I wasn't sure what to give everyone- or who I was going to get gifts to. I never really did, to be honest. The Coniferallison sisters should get something, right? I'd probably give them blankets since they always complain about the cold. Or at least Claire complained..
Rina would probably like anything...
What would I give Saje? He doesn't seem like a person who wants material gifts. What did he even want? Believe it or not, but I had to think of what my friend liked, something I knew immediately. I looked at another shelf. Or in this case, a rack.
Glasses.
It'd be sort of interesting to see how Saje would look in reading glasses. I remembered that Rina used to wear the ones that magnified her eyes. It's be so much easier to see his eye color... but that only satisfied my side of the story. Gosh, I was so selfish!
"Excuse me," I said Gabriel, who was putting up plastic-wrapped sticky notes on a shelf with paper. He dropped the fairly large bok of sticky note packs when he looked up at me.
"Sorry," he said, pushing the box aside. "May I help you?"
I cracked a smile, and kept from laughing. "Yeah. There's no price tag on this book. Is there a price check?"
"I'll check it," he volunteered.
"Thanks."
I followed him to the front desk. Looking around and observing everyone in the store, I asked skeptically, "Are you the only one working here?"
"Yep," he answered easily, scanning the penguin book. "It's $10.99."
"Oh, thanks." He handed me the book back. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
He looked like he was my age, despite how much taller he was than me. Minors weren't allowed to be by themselves as employees in a working facility- Why was he?
"Nineteen," he answered. "Why?"
I flushed. "I thought you were probably seventeen or sixteen..."
"Oh," he said slowly. Hesitantly, he asked me, "How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen."
"Cool," he said, although infinitesimally, I saw his face fall.
I handed him a bill and said, "For the book" when I looked at his puzzled expression.
"Of course," he breathed sheepishly. Changing the subject he asked, "So, uh, you like penguins?"
"Nah, it's for my friend.. For Christmas, you know.." I felt as though I was babbling, and yet I couldn't stop. "He's going to Antarctica for penguin study so I thought I'd help him out."
"Yeah, I didn't know they were allowing high schoolers to go that far for studies..."
"Only the seniors," I clarified. "I'm not sure what I'm doing though.."
"I see," he said. His expression lightened up when he realized I was a senior. Silly humans... He handed me the receipt and looked at his watch. "Oh crap!"
"hm?" I asked, a little startled.
"Oh, sorry.. I come here from that ice cream shoppe across the street. I had to let the frozen ice cream thaw out and now it's 'prolly.. uh, melting."
"Ice cream?" Rina said, making me jump from her sudden appearance. "Miki and I could put it back in the freezer for you!"
"I don't know," he doubted. "I really should."
"Well," she pondered. "Could we come with you..? I love ice cream! It's my favorite dessert, oh my gosh! I love the strawberry ice cream, 'cuz you see I always wanted to have strawberry blonde hair instead of regular blonde hair! I don't know why, but still, ice cream!"
I smiled apologetically- awkwardly- at Gabriel. Poor, poor kid.
"S-sure," he stuttered.

"Hey," called one of the people at he ice cream place. "Did you put that stuff back in the freezer?"
"Not yet, Juan," he sighed. "I'm on it..."
Gabriel rushed into the freezer. Rina pulled me to follow with her. The freezer felt like the first day it snowed- except sweeter smells. I saw buckets of ice cream. This had to be heaven... One side had regular looking ice cream, while the other side melted completely.
"Aw man," Gabriel sighed., as he pushed the buckets to the colder side.
I felt so bad for him. I wished the ice cream didn't melt, that it was still in the condition it was supposed to be in..
Oh jeez.
In my own eyes, I saw the gooey cream stabilize and little frosty crystals glittered in my eyes. I froze it. With my mind. How cliche did I make that sound? Very.

On the drive home, my 'ability' use became even worse. Rina, and her [incredibly erratic] driving, skidded across several ice patches embedded on the road. We would've been dead five times if I hadn't been able to melt the ice to puddles.
"Thanks," Rina said.
"No problem," I sighed, looking blankly out the window. "We just really need to get to Hail. Maybe he'll know some stuff about my sudden power burst."
"Hm.." she said. "Why is it Hail that knows everything?"
"Because he met the Vida first before any of us. He practically grew up with them."
"Hm.." she said again. "Do you think that.. That Hail is still upset?"
"Probably not. Why?"
"I-I don't like it," she stated quietly. "I don't like seeing him upset like that! It's more fun to see him happy! That's why I used to like him before."
"Before?" I demanded, changing the direction of the conversation abruptly. "You don't like him anymore?"
"I'm not sure," she shrugged sheepishly. "Now that I know the both of us are going to live forever, I feel as though I'm supposed to like him because I'm stuck with him."
"You don't have to think of it that way, though!" I protested. "Do you love him or like him? That's the question."
She simply shrugged. "I don't know."

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 15: Useless Answers

2008-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

Enjoy.

The bus stop.
I saw Saje and Hail. That's when i realized I was still wearing Saje's jacket. After the minor incident on the bridge, I wasn't giving it back.
"Hello," Alex said to Saje. "I was told you got in a fight. Do you usually outburst like that?"
"Nope. Just a side-effect of my cells mutating a little.."
"Do you think it'll happen again?" Alex asked intrigued.
"You never know.. I might just take a snap at someone at any moment," he said jokingly.
"Whoa," she said quietly, dazed by it all.
Alex was really intrigued by Saje. I was was guessing it was a cute little crush kind of thing, but it seemed to be... a little extreme. She used to follow him when he walked home after school, and diagnosed his emotions. It wasn't done very often, but it was certainly noticeable when she did. Saje, being the emotionless bastard he is, never expressed how he felt about it.
A few minutes later, a bus was coming toward us.
"See ya blondie," Claire yelled to Alex.
"Dumb whore," Saje muttered.
"What'd you just say?!" she snapped at Saje.
"I didn't say anything," he said casually.
"Oh, yeah you did!"
"Nope. Jonathan Steele did though. he wants to know if you're up for... something.. again. I forgot exactly what he said."
"Ha! You think you're so awesome! You haven't done anything!" she fumed.
"Hm," he said aimlessly. "You don't know what I've done. Just stop with the strange assumptions and get on the bus."
Claire glared and stomped onto the bus I didn't notice until then. When we got on, Dylan saved us seats in the back like before.
"Hey, did any of you do that Literature stuff?" Dylan asked us. "You know, the one for Mrs. Merrick's class?"
"Yeah," Hail said, handing it to Dylan.
"Thanks man," he breathed gratefully.
I glanced at Hail. He was frowning- and he wasn't mad.
In the nine to ten years that I've known Hail, not once had I ever seen him frown when he wasn't pissed off. Even from the moment I first met him, when he pushed away from the bushes that hid his deepest secrets, I could tell he was generally a happy person.
This was not the Hail I knew. And yet, it was still Hail.
From my bag, I dug around to find a piece of paper and something I could write with. At last, I found an empty notebook and pen. I had questions for Hail- questions, that without a doubt, needed answers. I wrote the neatest I could with the bus moving so raggedly;
Hail,
So.. Do you regret killing yourself?
I handed the notebook to Saje. "Give it to Hail."
He nodded and threw it at Hail's head.
I watched as Hail examined the page I wrote on and observed what it looked like to be scribbling. Hail handed it to Saje, who returned it to me. Whoa. Hail wrote a lot;

Yepp. There's not a moment in my new life that I don't wish I wasn't still human. I was just turning 18, that's when your whole life starts right? I thought my life would begin, but instead it ended. I told you that if all these worries pile up until you die when we can resolve them, you could start over.
Me on the other hand.. I'll be in the future, but I won't be moving forward.

When I finished reading, I closed the notebook quietly. I looked out the window, avoiding any eye contact from anyone. The bus stopped where Rina was standing. She sat by Brenda this time.
I couldn't keep any focus around me. I was too dazed by Hail's note. It was only four months since Hail committed suicide Four months since the last time I saw him as happy and alive. Hail was.. He was happy even after the whole bridge-kill-yourself thing.
Right.
Hail was already dead. But he will always continue to die inside.

&&;******

Literature class. I had Literature with Brenda and Dylan, both of which never did their homework. They never asked to copy, but that's probably because I always offered anyway.
"Thanks Miki," Brenda praised. "You're so nice!"
"Yeah," I said unintelligibly. "No problem."
"Well, here you go!" she said, handing the sheet back to me. "Mrs. Merrick is coming!"
I took the sheet quickly before the teacher stepped in the room.
"All right class," she said loudly. "Get your portfolios. You're writing an essay on your favorite poet or author. Explain anything on your controversial opinions on one of their stories, a section of the story, a poem they wrote, or even just part of it. I'm expecting at least five to ten pages for this, double spaced print paper. So good luck!!!"
Mrs. Merrick was the most enthusiastic teacher. She gets excited over everything. Tornado drills, fire drills, homework, exams... I had gotten used to this in October, but it was still worth marveling at once in a while. Gosh. Teachers were supposed to be cranky and mean, right? If they were nice, school would be easier to tolerate- In fact, we'd probably be happy to go to school. And that, would be against everything the student body stands for.
I got up to get my portfolio, which should have been filled with paper. When I opened it, I saw a post-it note on the first sheet of paper visible. It had red writing, once again, with the elegant familiar script;

Ha. Nice essays. You should write a fairy tale on... say, witches?

Oh no. This person went through my portfolio. This prankster wrote in it. This stalker knew my classes. Such an odd student. What if he was watching me right now?
I struggled to move my paralyzed body and grabbed my portfolio by the fists.
Who was following me?!

&&;******

Science. Maddie was late again. She had lunch the hour after us(also known as mod three), so she probably took her sweet time outside the cold science lab. I couldn't blame her. This classroom smelled like sour lemons.
"Sorry I'm late again," she said carelessly, flaunting through the door. "Big hold-up at lunch."
"That happens a lot in mod three," one student proclaimed.
"Well, that makes me feel a lot better!" she sighed in relief. "Anyway, I need to pass back your Periodic Table classifications. Get in the groups you were in for those, I guess..."
Just like last time, Rina hopped over to the seat next to me. "Gosh, don't you just love her?"
"Who, Maddie?"
"Yeah! Everyone likes her! I hope she stays here," Rina exclaimed.
Maddie slapped down four sheets on the desk while Hail and Saje sat down. Hail grabbed the sheet and read it out loud bored.
"Now that you've learned of all the theories on the fate of the universe, you can conclude which one you think is most likely to happen. You must state reasons and have three conclusions for the each shape of the universe; flat, open, and closed. Add your essays to the binder you put your periodic table sheets in."
"Another group project?" Rina asked.
"Yeah," Hail sighed.
"You seem to be really bored in Science," she pointed out.
"Science is a boring class. Besides, I really doubt the universe is open, anyway. In fact, I think it's closed. But if it's not, we can always go to some other dimension.. That's where most of the 'magical' creatures live."
"You serious?!" Rina marveled.
The rest of us laughed. Rina looked confused.
"'course not Rina," I choked out. "We'd probably just die again."
"Oh," she said slowly. "That makes more sense, I guess."
For the rest of class, we listed reasons of why the Big Rip was likely to happen if the universe was open(even though we didn't really think so... but its reasons were more logical and understanding). Saje would reword it into an essay.
"What would happen if the Big Freeze or something happened instead? Would we die too?"
"Probably not. We'd just survive the temperature change. Only creatures like us would be left," I explained.
"Would that be a lot?"
"Nope," Hail popped out.
"ow could you get more people?" she said panicked.
"One way," Saje replied. "Reproduction."
"Wow," Rina laughed. "That oughtta be interesting!"
"Yeah," Hail said, daydreaming.
I slapped him.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Saje mouthing, "Hail... Not... by... them..."

Gym. I was thankful that there weren't any mysterious notes in my gym locker. We were doing dodge ball. I liked it better than doorbell(which is exactly like dodge ball, just more hitting and falling.. and bleeding).
"Miki!" Hail called.
"Yeah?" I asked, hauling a soft foam ball across the gym.
"I forgot-" he caught a ball in his hands- "to tell you in Science about-" he threw the ball at Rina- "what I found out when I skipped class! When I tried to find that kid who keeps pranking you!"
"What happened?!" I asked, narrowly dodging a ball from Brenda.
"I didn't find anything!" Hail said, catching another dodge ball. "Although, I couldn't really see everyone through the windows.."
"You tried though," I said kindly. "Thanks Hail."
"Sure, but don't sympathize me! I should've found something in just ten minutes of observation! It took me two hours and still nothing-" a dodge ball was thrown at Hail's head- "Damn it, Saje!"
Saje threw another ball at my shoulder.
Stupid dragon.

"Could we please walk home this time?" Hail pleaded when I got out of the locker room. "Seriously, that bus is completely crammed."
"Fine. Claire's not going to like it though."
"Oh well," Hail shrugged. "She can take the bus."
"We're supposed to look after her!"
"Ha! Why? Why are they even here?!"
Huh. Why were the Coniferallison sisters here, anyway? Why did they need to be taken care of by us? Were they..?
Were they being protected?
"I don't know," I said matter-of-factly. "But the point is that we're supposed to."
"You're not looking for a reason?" Saje interrupted. "'cuz you usually want reasons for things involving us."
"That's different," I protested. "You guys are my friends."
"All the more reason that you don't need any reasons."
"It doesn't hurt to be curious."
"Yes," he said tightly. "It does."
"Can I ask just one question?" I asked, all the patience lost in my voice. "Why can't I know why you're not giving me any reasons?"
"Because," he hesitated. "Because I care about you too much! And so does Hail, so stop asking him."
Hail stuck his tongue out at me. "Let's go to the buses. Claire obviously won't walk home."

"Oh my gosh! I'm sitting in the front!" Claire said to us, since we were all seated in the last row of the bus.
"Go ahead," I said. "That shouldn't do any harm."
"Whatever. I hate being on this bus," she mumbled, walking back up the rows.
"Miki!" Hail called. He passed me a note. "Read it. Seriously."
Oh no. Familiar neat script;

Geez. I know you're a guardian angel and all, but really... And you think I'm a stalker?
Stay out of the bushes, blondie.

I involentarily crumpled it up.
"I could've sworn no one saw me!" Hail said defensively. "And what the fuck, I'm not a blonde! I'm clearly brown-haired! Who the hell is this person? Was he even in school?" he fumed.
He stomped his foot on the back of the seat in front of him. "Damn it!"
"Calm down Hail," Saje said calmly. "You need to stay mellow in a situation like this. Just take a deep breath and relaaaax."
"Don't even joke dude," he snapped.
"Just trying to lighten up the mood," he mumbled in surrender.
I laid my head on Saje's shoulder. "S'ok, you tried."
"And failed," he pointed out, acting upset.
I laughed. "Our buddy will cool down soon. Don't stress out over it."
"Tell that to Hail," he said.
Rina came on the bus. She sat in the seat in front of Hail. Observing his pissed expression, she asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. That stupid prankster that's after Miki gave me a note.. And I don't even know who the hell this person is! I feel so useless..."
"It's okay," she said soothingly. "There's always a next time, right?"
"Yeah," he said indifferently. "There wouldn't have to be a next time if I did it right the first time!"
"We're not perfect! No one is," Rina sympathized. "Not even angels."

&&;******

Friday. School was like what I'd call, 'human day' (boring). The snow was no longer piled up, so walking home was going to be much tolerable than what it would have been yesterday.
"We should just walk home," Saje insisted, standing by my locker.
"I hope so," I said, slamming my locker closed. Thankfully, there were no mysterious notes in it. "Claire probably won't like all the ice on the sidewalk though."
"Then she'll ride the bus," he said matter-of-factly.
"Then we need to ride the bus," I said.. demanded.
"Hail can ride the bus," he pointed out. "We don't."
"Oh," I said laughing. "When you meant 'we', you meant.."
"You and me," he answered. "If your stalker is following you and Hail, it'd be harder to track you both if you're in different places at the same time."
"That's clever," I complimented. "We should get Rina too! Extra protection from a vampire, right?"
"Wouldn't she want to be with Hail? Besides, I won't hurt you. Neither will anything else."
"I'm not sure," I pondered. "She doesn't babble much about him anymore. It sorta just stopped."
"Nonetheless, we can walk alone. Hail shouldn't be left all alone with Claire," he said smiling, probably from the idea of it.
"That's.. ture. The buses probably left already anyway.."
"Then let's go," he said, scanning the deserted halls.

Whoa. The whole street really was covered in ice. There were huge ice patches, and deep frozen puddles blotched on the sidewalk and street edges. I clipped the chain from Saje's pants to my belt loop. If I fall, so does he- Which, before even getting to the block across the school, happened three times.
"Mik," Saje said, wiping snow off his sleeve. "My ass is really starting to hurt. Please don't fall."
"There's no guarantee. Besides, this was your idea."
"I didn't think you were so accident prone!" he grumbled.
"Sorry," I surrendered.
I took another step and slid at least ten feet before landing on the ground. Saje slammed right into my shoulder and rolled in the opposite direction.
"That's it," he groaned.
He sat up and unhooked his chain from my pants, stood up, and grabbed my arm. Once I stood standing. he lifted me up and started walking again.
"Hey! Put me down!" I yelled.
I tried to kick his stomach, while I punched his back. He continued walking, ignoring each hit I made. My face was facing the icy ground, which I feared crashing into. I kicked Saje involuntarily from panic.
"Ouch," he breathed. "Please don't kick me there!"
"Sorry," I flushed. "Just a little terrorized. Put me down, I'll just walk on the edge of the grass or something."
"Nah," he said. "This way is better."
"How?" I asked dumbfounded.
"It's fun seeing you all.." he hesitated, probably thinking of an appropriate word. "...squirmy."
"Ugh," I groaned. "Please?"
He ignored me and walked passed a row of cars on the road next to us. I flushed even more in embarrassment as the bystanders' confounded stares and occasional snickers leaked into my insecurity.
"Please!" I screeched. "People are watching!"
He sighed, probably to keep from laughing and gently let me down.
"That was fun," Saje stated coolly.
"No it wasn't," I sighed breathlessly. "That sucked."
"Embarrassing you publicly, on one of the busiest streets in town is fun," he grinned.
I punched his shoulder, and he slid a little, almost on the road and stumbled onto the sidewalk. I burst into laughter, and fell to the ground from my spasms of giggles rather than my clumsiness. Saje got up and grabbed me in a headlock as my continuous laughter became unstoppable.
"Stop laughing!" he said.
"But it was so funny!" I said unclearly. "Let me go!"
He released me from the headlock and pushed me forward. I slip and laughed hysterically, relieved that I didn't fall.
"Gosh, you're so violent!" I exclaimed.
"I guess," Saje shrugged. "It's fun to pick on you. I can see why you're being so pranked on!"
My face fell. "Yeah, I guess."
His eyes- which were a shiny silver- widened.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I guess it's too early for jokes."
I shook my head. "Sorry. It's just a little scary sometimes. Like right now! What if he's watching us?"
"Why should it matter?" he asked quietly.
"Saje, you can't be serious! There's a stalker out there!"
"Yeah," he said soothingly. "He's out there. But we're here."
"What are you saying?" I asked hopelessly.
I was under stress and Saje was confusing me. I felt so hopelessly pathetic, I could've broken down in tears right then.
"That," he hesitated desperately. "...That I can protect you! That I could do it better than Hail or Rina or anyone else!"
I looked at him. We were on the urban street now, and it was deserted. There was no audible sound that could be heard.
"I believe you," my voice broke. "..but this isn't about you. And I'm glad it's not, but you can't just expect me to be just fine with a stalker after me!"
"Just forget it Mik," he surrendered. "Forget it all."
He turned and left me in front my home, alone on the deserted street. I didn't want to be left alone at a time like this. I didn't want to know why Saje was always serious about something differing from what I'm serious about. I wanted to know who my stalker was, and I wanted to stop him.
Oh well. I had to deal with what I had.

&&;******

The Vida.
"Listen," I said immediately. "There's someone stalking me! They claim to know our secret, but no one is acting differently around us."
They remained silent.
"I beg your pardon?" they said at last.
"A stalker!" I said annoyed. "There's a stalker that's out to get me and he knows my secret!"
"Explain," they said casually. "Besides flying, you three haven't done anything that possibly revealing."
"Yeah," Hail said. "But c'mon! How long has this whole 'forever on earth' thing been lasting? There's probably books out there with all kinds of theories.. They must be pretty accurate if this kid is so confident in himself about it."
"'Tis possible," they agreed. "We'll look into it."
"Yeah," I said. "Please."
"Ahem," Claire cleared her throat loudly... rudely. "I have a question!"
"Ask child," the Vida answered in their unison voices.
"Yeah so you see," she said, swinging her hands back and forth. "After February 17th, do you think the three of us could stay here? We really like it here!"
"Ah," they all sighed. "It wouldn't be the best idea for you three to stay in one place for a certain period of time. It isn't safe. From what has already been explained, it seems to be that it isn't safe at the moment, right now for you either. Are you really sure you'd take such risks?"
"Yes!" Claire said unconvinced. "Why do you think we haven't run away in terror already?!"
"Because you'd be dead," they answered.
"We want to stay here!" Alex exclaimed. Her soprano voice rung like a bell whose sound waves paralyzed us. "What's the problem with that?!"
"So you'd rather be dead?" they challenged.
"We'd rather stay here!" she argued.
"All the same," they answered.
"I don't want to keep running away like a fucking coward.
"Alex, watch your language!" Maddie cried.
Hail looked dumbfounded. "Wait.." he murmured, probably to himself.
"Yes?"
"Damn it," Hail mumbled, upset that they heard. "What danger are you talking about? Shouldn't we know about this?"
"No," they answered immediately. "All you need to know is that the Coniferallison sisters will be out of your life as of February 17th. You must keep them safe and unscathed until their departure from Maine. You will never see them again."

"Claire! Maddie! Alex!" I screamed, the moment we got out of the cave. We were high up on the mountain range, allowing my usually quiet voice be pojected off into the afar woodlands.
"Just forget it, Miki," Alex said more calmly. "Forget it all."

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

***Why Can't This Be In Third Person?

2008-10-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

This was made from complete boredom. Plus, I thought I'd exercise my right-on-the-spot writing skills... And romantic dialogue skills just because Kallsie writes crappy lines for me to possibly use(just kidding). I also wanted to try and find a writing style for Saje's dialogue. I don't feel really comfortable with it yet.

**This bonus section is actually part of Chapter 15[which yes, i posted this before Chapter 15]- It really doesn't have any special purpose in the story, but like I said- Complete boredom.

Saje's POV

I was in gym. Hail and Miki were still in the locker room. I was usually the first one out anyway. Man, our uniforms sucked. They were black shorts(the ones basketball players wear, I think) and green cloth shirts. It made everyone look stupid. Since I'm taller than most of the student population, admittedly, I looked worse- The shorts were above my knees. I'm unfortunate...
"Oh my gosh, Saje!" Rina screamed, running toward me. "Is it true?! Really?!"
"Huh?" I asked confused.
She slapped me. "Oh c'mon! You know what I'm talking about!!!" She pushed my shoulder.
"Ouch! And no, what are you talking about?"
She pushed me again. "You! You're going to United Kingdom?! And Sweden?! And Israel?! Amazing!"
"Yeah," I said more relieved. "Who told you?"
"Hail! You see-" Non-stop talking... "- Hail and I were in the hallway, and then I was talking about how I was going to Poland and United Kingdom over the summer so I could see my relatives because they live there, and then he said that you were going there too! United Kingdom I mean, not Poland.. Are you going to Poland too because that would be so cool! I might see you there! Wouldn't that be awesome?!"
"Yeah," I said. I probably could've said more, but half the time I ever talk, it sounds better in my head.
In fact, nothing that does come out my mouth seems to made much sense to me- So I kept it shut unless I really had to say something. Huh. Nothing in my head seemed to made sense either.
"He also mentioned that you wanted to find some family members..?"
I sighed heavily. "I thought he'd mention that..."
"So are you?" she asked eagerly.
"Yeah," I replied.
She groaned. "Honestly, if you meet a family member, you've gotta act excited! You might as well practice now!"
"I'd rather not. I'll just let it sink in."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I gotta admit. Hail sounded a little... irritated... when he told me about it. What's up with that?"
"It's just a pact we made. A pact Hail, Mik, and I made when we were maybe fourteen or fifteen. It's this pact about how we should deal with the lack of hope and desire that we have. That if we do end up hoping or desiring for the impossible that we'll just end up falling down even deeper when we fail. And we will fail."
She snorted. "That's a pretty stupid pact! How do you know you'll fail if it isn't impossible?"
"I don't know. We figured that something that was that far out there like finding a family member was just impossible. They don't wanna see me hurt, so they don't want me to go."
"When you mean 'they', you mean Hail and Miki?" she asked skeptically.
"Yeah," I sighed. "It really sucks. I think I really hurt Miki though.. She thinks that I feel hurt that there's no one there who loves me, and that I don't think she- or Hail- are important to me.."
"Ha! That's crazy!"
"I know," I agreed. "I can't blame her though. I sorta made it seem that way.. I explained to her she's number one on my list... She probably still doesn't believe me."
"I'm sure she does. She just loves you too, you know. It can be a little hard to feel moved out of place like that."
"I guess."
"It's true! Like I said, all it is, is that she loves you," she reassured me.
"Yeah," I sighed. "She loves me, the way she loves Hail. I love her way more than I love Hail."
She laughed. "You don't know that for sure.."
"I'm pretty sure I don't have any strong feelings for Hail."
"Oh, very funny," she chuckled. "I meant about Miki. I've been trying really hard to find any signs of her feeling for you, but they're a little slim... Still there's a chance."
"I think I should stop trying to make mine revealed to her," I said hopelessly. "It makes her nervous... And then her scent grows more and it makes me express my feelings more and she gets even more uncomfortable. It won't work, and I'm guessing it never will.."
She sighed. "If everyone thought that way, we'd all be hopeless. Don't be that way."
"Whatever," I groaned. "I'll always love her. If I have to keep it a secret forever, than let it be."
"If you keep it a secret forever," she pondered. "Then she'll never find out... So she won't worry about feeling guilty about falling in love with someone else. Then you'd be too late.. I wonder who she'd end up... A human like Dylan? Or even a weird creature... like, uh... How about that ghost?"
I looked at her flatly.
"I know what you're trying to do. And it's not going to work. I'll be completely heartbroken if that happens... Or really pissed off if it's Dylan.. But I'd just have to deal with it."
"Forever?" she asked indifferently.
"Guess so. I'll always be there though. Or I'll try. If Miki and I can't be together, then maybe I could find someone too."
She snorted. "No one is like Miki!"
"Exactly. She's a catch, I'll give her that... If I can't give her more."
Rina smiled widely. "Aww! This is soooo cute! Gosh, I wish someone cared for me this much!"
"Right," I agreed, trying hard not to let my sarcasm drip out.
"Well, I'll talk to you later after gym! We're playing dodge ball today! I hate it!" she groaned and skipped across the gymnasium to her spot.
I laid down on the surprisingly clean gym floor and waited for class all the other students to come out and class to start.
Most of them came out in groups, preferably large ones, and shouted to each other from across the gym. Their voices echoed off of the walls and rung in my ears. It was really irritating to be honest...
"Hey!" someone said, kicking me in the side.
"Ouch!" I said, sitting up.
Miki.
She laughed at me. "Sorry. You looked gloomy. Thought I'd kick you to cheer you up!"
"I'm cheered up," I said coolly. "Sup with you?"
"Well, I didn't get any stupid notes in my gym locker. That good enough?"
"'course. I doubt he'd go in the girl's locker room."
"Who knows? Maybe he would.."
I poked her forehead. I liked the way she blinked when I did. It sort of paralyzed her for a second.
"Why would he want to?" I asked.
"I don't know! Maybe to put a note in my locker.. To spy.."
I raised an eyebrow. "Spy on what?"
She blushed, probably from the lack of thinking she put into her answer. It made me smile, obviously making her more embarrassed.
"Whoops.. I forgot about the whole 'locker room' concept," she breathed.
"S'ok. I forget about it too. Sometimes, I even change out here in the gym."
Her eyes widened in the absurd thought. "Really?"
I reached my hand up to her face to poke her forehead again. She lunged to the side and out of the way.
"'course not," I said, a little surprised that she almost believed me.
She shrugged. "Just making sure."
"Right," I mumbled sarcastically.
"Whatever."
I noticed that her gaze fell on my eyes. Not really my entire face, but specifically my eyes. It never really bothered me that she did that, in fact I figured it was something she did out of her own interest toward me...
Her sick and twisted - and dear God did I need to know- interest in me.
"What is it?" I asked when she looked away abruptly when I caught her stare.
"Nothing," she shrugged off. "Like I said a long time ago, your eyes are pretty cool."
"Oh yeah," I said, remembering the memory easily. "It's why you think I'm cu-"
"Don't finish that sentence!" she almost whispered, as if bystanders were listening.
"I won't. Still, your eyes aren't any better."
"'course they aren't. They're worse."
I wanted to say really badly 'they're beautiful' or some other crappy thing.. I tried with my best effort to say something normal. "If you say so."
Damn it. That sucked.
We remained silent until class started.
I felt as though I was dying inside, just having her sit there, not speaking, as if I pissed her off or something. If I couldn't speak and break the silence or reach out and push her far enough that her resonating force didn't make me go crazy, I'd probably go crazy anyway.
Finally, the teacher blew their whistle and everyone ran to their regular spots.
"See ya," she muttered and walked away.
About time..
Hail hopped next to me. "Hey! We're playing dodge ball today!"
"I know," I said, disappointed.
"Cheer up, emo kid!" he said, punching my shoulder.
"Where the hell did you get that saying?"
"I got it from the Internet.. Pretty cool, huh?"
I rolled my eyes and class started.
I didn't play any attention whatsoever to what the hell they were saying. From the few glances I made at everyone else, no one else was paying attention either. I was constructing plans and going through random thoughts.
Hail always being called by hobos when he's on the computer..
Rina [surprisingly] taking my side on the plan to find my possible family over the summer...
Miki and this stupid stalker...
My plans to get a tan one day(or not)...
All these thoughts I had, but never shared. All these things I said, but never really meant.
From what I've seen in the few seventeen years that I've been alive, I've noticed that I had treated my life less enthusiastically or a lot easier than other people.
They cherished each moment of it, even if they didn't realize it.
They had stronger feelings than I did.
I was hollow. I wasn't deep. I couldn't dig any deeper than what I had already reached.
I was trying. And possibly failing at adding depth to my emotions.
Except for one.

If I were to ever get this story in an actual book form or even published(lol, like that'd ever happen...) this chapter wouldn't be included. It's too short anyway.

Posts Copyrights © 2008 to the author of this blog. All rights reserved.

Chapter 14: Pranks

2008-10-21T18:43:00.001-07:00

"Can have a strawberry?" Rina asked me at lunch.
"Sure." I handed her the remainders of my lunch.
"Not in the mood to eat?" she asked skeptically.
"Nope."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I sighed. "I'm in a good mood really."
"Okay. You know, I feel good too! Today you guys were on the bus with me, yesterday was a snow day, and Monday we had a sub in Science. This week is going great! I absolutely love December! I hope the rest of the year is this exciting. Except for all these exams! I know we're graduating, but gosh! We're just cramming!"
"I guess."
Rina swallowed the last bit of her strawberry loudly. "What's wrong with you?!"
"Nothing. I'm fine," I sighed.
"Look," she said sternly. "You can't bottle things up like that. It's not healthy! I want to know and I asked, so I'm expecting an answer!" She leaned toward me and whispered, "It's not about that boy on the bridge, is it?"
If I was actually eating my food, I would've spit it out just then. "No! I could care less about Loki!"
"Hm, so you remember his name."
"So?"
She ignored my question. "He's way too young for you. How old was he anyway? Fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Seventeen, I think."
"You even remember his age!" she gasped.
"He told me."
She shrugged away my argument. "We'll probably never see him again. Unless he really is part of the Vida."
"Saje explained that crap to you too?" I asked, pissed off. So apparently there's a gossip column I'm not included in? I know it's about me, but you'd think that gives me more of a right to be included.
"Yup. And it's not even crap. It makes sense until the point where the ghost 'saves' you from dying."
"They haven't worked that out either. No solution. So I don't believe it."
"You know Mik," Hail intervened from across the table. "You really need to just trust us."
"How?" I snapped. "Do I disregard the lack of sense in a metaphorical 'game' you've made up and close the curtains to avoid waking up to someone lurking in my window? I'm pretty sure that's not trust. In fact, that's not even acceptance. That's being downright stupid."
"I'm pretty damn sure it's stupider to not trust your friends, and trust. . . What the hell are you trusting, anyway?"

******

My Class Schedule.

a useless class with Rina
a useless class with Rina and Yuu
an insane class with Hail and Brenda
a useless class with Dylan and Brenda
an useless class with Saje and Dylan
a boring class with Brenda and Yuu
Lunch with everyone
Science with everyone
Gym with everyone

Pretty useless.
Chances are that classes will find some kind of purpose and reason for being around and I'll regret ever saying they were boring and useless. But luck isn't my game and I don't play with chances so either way it still doesn't matter to me.
The bus, completely deserted of everything besides its own rotting flesh, rumbled sharply as we boarded it. Something that was now tradition for us was sitting in the back. It was bumpy and uncomfortable, but we liked it.

[also, everyone else would push us back there if we weren't already there, anyway]

"Oh hey," Claire said, sitting next to Rina in front of us."I got a note for you!"
"From who?"
"Open it." She rolled her eyes.
It's pretty funny-- The irritation she insisted on having, and the amount of fuck I didn't give.
I unfolded the pinkish sheet of paper and read the neatly printed reddish ink;
Hey. Cast any good spells lately?
My eyes widened. "Haha, who's this from?"
"I don't know! Why, what does it say?"
"Very funny Claire! Seriously, who wrote this? I don't recognize the handwriting," I said through my teeth.
"What's wrong Mik?" Hail asked from the seat next to me.
I handed him the note. Claire was annoying. Really annoying. However, I had been capable to cope with it. This time, she was really stabbing underneath my skin. I watched as Hail read the note and asked skeptically, "Who gave you this note?"
"Claire, but she got it from someone else."
He crumpled the note in his fist. " Who gave you this note Claire?"
She shrugged. "That guy from our lunch table. Uh, Dylan.. He's really cute, by the way."
"Whore.." Saje muttered.
I saw Brenda get on the bus with Dylan. Rina waved at them.
"I'll get him," she muttered reassuringly to me.
He ran over to Rina. "Sup Rina?"
She smiled happily. Then, she aggressively grabbed Dylan by the lapels and screeched.
"Listen to me Dylan! How'd you get it? Why'd you mock us? What the hell is wrong with you?! Answer me!"
"What do you mean?!" he choked.
"The note! The one you gave to Claire to give to Miki! Why'd you do it, huh?" her voice hit three different octaves.
"Let me go and I'll explain."
Hail stood in the seat's exit to keep him from bolting off the bus.
Rina released her grip from Dylan's now wrinkled up shirt.
"I got it.. I got it from this guy. He was probably a freshman. I didn't read it, so I don't have a clue what you guys are talking about! What's wrong, what did it say?"
"Don't worry, Dylan," I sighed. "Describe what he looked like."
"Hm," he said thoughtfully. "Black hair... Freckles.. Hazel eyes... Long hair, sorta like Saje's."
"He must've been very good-looking," Saje said, appraising his reflection in the bus window.
The bus took off loudly. The noise made us all jump.
"Do you know his name?" Hail asked.
"No. I almost jumped him for coming up to me," Dylan shrugged.
"Thanks Dylan," I smiled gratefully.
"Yep. But come on Miki! What did it say in the note?" he asked concerned.
"It's fine Dylan," I lied. "It just said some mean stuff."
"Huh. We could stuff him in a freshman locker..?"
I laughed. "It's okay. But thanks."
He sat in the seat in front of Hail and stuck his thumbs up.
Hail passed me a note;
If Dylan doesn't stuff this guy in a locker, I will. No. Joke.

&&;******

HAIL: I looked through last year's yearbook of eighth graders from the middle school. No one fits Dylan's description. It's a new kid.
MIKI: Thanks for the update.
SAJE: Maybe they dyed their hair.
HAIL: Maybe. I'll skip class and go through the sophomore hallways for first and second hour.
MIKI: Maybe you're going overboard with this.
HAIL: I'm your guardian angel. I'm supposed to protect you.
HAIL: Gotta go. The soup kitchen lady needs me.
...
MIKI: Do you have any updates on the subject?
SAJE: Nope
MIKI: Okay. see ya

I logged off. I really couldn't believe it. Someone found out my secret..? It's a big shock that someone found out, but what I didn't get was.. How? How did this person find out? I actually hadn't used my 'powers' since the school year started. It couldn't have been something I said. Everyone would probably just think I'm crazy. I shut the computer off and walked to the door.
Maybe it wasn't me. Maybe they just called me a 'witch' because they saw me flying with Saje or Hail. I took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.
Beep.
I froze. That beeping noise.. It was from behind me. Slowly, I turned to see a lit screen with a window already open on the computer. I already shut it off, didn't I?
I crept slowly to the computer and closed the program. It was a blank screen. I moved the cursor to the Start Menu to shut off the computer.
"Darn!" I mumbled under my breath as the screen froze.
Then another window opened. It was blank with no toolbar titles or headers. Suddenly, a line of text appeared at the top;

????: hey, i got a paper cut! could you heal it for me?
They knew I was a sorceress...
????: huh. you ride your friends? what's it like to fly?
They saw Saje and Hail...
????: if you're going to get stopped from killing yourself, at least try again. follow up and finish the job already.
They saw Loki...

A message appeared one after the other, all of which taunted me.
"Who are you?!" I screeched as the lights flickered.
"Boo," said a whisper.
I jumped and snapped my entire self to the whispering figure.
That stupid figure.
"Saje," I said unevenly. "You scared me to death."
"Sorry. What's wrong? I almost bit you this time."
I turned to the computer screen. It was shut off.
"The computer... This person was sending me messages after I turned it off and I panicked and-"
"Slow down," he said, poking my forehead. "Who messaged you?"
"I don't know! The computer was shut off, but restarted and-"
He poked my forehead. "Calm down! You're safe now."
I took a deep breath. "Long story short, those messages were the same as the note Claire gave me on the bus."
"Incredible," he said quietly. "This isn't right."
"I don't care if it's right!" my voice started to break. "I'm only concerned why he's after me."
"Don't worry, Mik." he said, hugging me. "Hail and I will help you. I'll be here tonight."
"Why? I promise not to have any bad dreams."
"This guy... What if he comes to your house? He obviously knows where you live."
I groaned. "For my protection?"
"Definitely," he said. "I'd better go, it's late. See you... in your room, I guess."
"Yeah," I exhaled.
He tilted my head up and kissed me on the forehead. "Sorry. I just wanted to know what you taste like-" he licked his lips- "just out of curiosity."
I smirked. "Of course."

&&;******

Thursday. The night went swell. No bad dreams, Saje and Hail didn't have to wake me up, and the Coniferallison sisters weren't being a pain in the ass. I woke up peacefully to the cold air and snowfall that welcomed me. through the window, Hail was waving at me.
"I can't believe you two really took patrol while I slept," I exclaimed as I opened the window. More cold air blew in my face and numbed my cheeks.
"You know us better than that," Hail pointed out. "I can't believe you wake up at 4:00 a.m.! You do that everyday?!"
"Yeah. I need that much time."
"How do you get any sleep?"
"Hail, as a sorceress, I have an excessive amount of electrical attraction for reason I don't know of. I'm what you call, 'jittery'."
"Is that healthy?"
"It's done me well so far."
"Right. Do you think you could stay safe so we can get ready for school?"
"'course."
"Thanks," he said, patting my head.
Hail jumped off what I was guessing was Saje and both ran off. I slumped onto my bed and rolled to the side. Underneath the bed was the clothes I had bought with Rina and Yuu three months ago. Fortunately, none of them were clothes I'd be ungrateful to wear. I took a shirt, a tie, and these black pants that were probably Yuu's, by my fist and crept to the bathroom. When I got inside, I closed the door quietly behind me and sat on the floor.
A prankster terrorizing my life... That's the perfect way to die. Unhappy.
I turned the water to its hottest. I felt like an ice cube that needed to jut melt. The warm steam completely fogged my vision. I felt completely relaxed, which was a feeling I never experienced, the way normal people do.

4:30 a.m.
4:00 a.m. is the hour most people die at. Since I wake up at that time, I sort of contradict that, huh?
I snuck downstairs through the dark and morbid halls until I reached the jar of muffins on the table where everyone ate. It was blueberry. I ate it, savoring each crumb in the darkness. I was feeling oddly relaxed. Maybe I felt protected.. Maybe it was the dreamless night.. Maybe there was a shift in the universe.. It certainly felt like it.
There was a soft knock on the front door. I figured it was Saje and Hail, so I walked casually to the front door, muffin in hand. I opened the door, and there was no Saje or Hail in sight. Instead, there was a small box on the doorstep. There was no one in sight. An empty night. I leaned over to pick it up- It had my name on the envelope taped to it.
I popped the box open; It was a glass flower, with a long transparent stem. The flower looked absolutely beautiful. If the light out was brighter, rainbows would bounce off the eye catching petals. The note was written in the same neat script I read in the mysterious note I got yesterday;
Sup witch?
A flower for you. Don't flatter yourself too much. It was the closest thing that resembled a wand.
Oh no. I dropped the flower on the concrete. As it shattered, I strained myself to keep reading;
P.S. You can still flatter yourself a little though. You deserve nice gifts like this. =)
From afar, there was a sound of shattering glass nearby. I stomped on the shattered glass and ripped the note up. "Leave me alone!" I screamed in agony.
"Mik, what's wrong?" Hail exclaimed, who somehow came behind me.
Saje crouched down and brushed the glass and paper bits to the side. "The prankster?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. I just overreacted."
Hail patted my head. "C'mon. We're taking a walk to the bridge."
"Why?" I slurred.
"'cuz we can. We don't need any other reason than that," he said, a giant grin on his face.

5:00 a.m.
"Gosh, it's even colder here!" I said, shivering all my fear out.
Saje shrugged his jacket off. "Take it."
"Th-thanks," I shivered.
All three of us were quiet, looking over the bridge. I thought of how open we were. We could be seen from miles! What if my little stalker was watching us? Our standing still on a bridge made us easy target. hat if other people were watching too? The stalker could simply come at us with a gun and bluff shooting us. Hail and Saje would spread their wings in defense, and the astonished bystanders would see us fly off. It was the perfect plan to get us sentenced to death.
I shivered even more than before and I saw my breathing turn into quiet hyperventilation in the icy air.
"Do you want to leave?" Hail asked, appraising my shaking knees.
"D-depends," I started. "Have we done what we needed to do here?"
"No. But look at yourself. You're as white as Saje."
Saje punched him in the stomach and turned to me. "You really do."
"Yeah," Hail agreed. "But well, as for why we're here... When I died, we didn't know.. The best way for me to die. And I think you're pretty lucky."
"Why? What are you talking about?"
"Look. My life was completely fine. I had no reason to die the way I did," I heard Hail's voice break. "What's the point of ending a life that doesn't need to be ended? It's a lot harder to end a happy life than a sad life."
"So you want me to be miserable?" I questioned.
"Pretty much," Hail shrugged off. "First, though.. Any regrets? C'mon. You gotta have some.." he edged on.
"I have none," I said smugly. "Every single unneeded and inappropriate thing I've done was done on purpose."
"I can think of a few things you regret," Saje said thoughtfully.
"Like what?" I challenged.
He continued to look down at the watter, far down the bridge.
"I wish the water was a little closer, so I cold see my reflection," he said. "I'd like to see how cute I look."
I shuddered.
"I bet I'd be really cute," he continued, watching my mouth twitch at the corner.
Hail looked at him dumbfounded.
"What do you think Mik?" Saje asked appraising. "How cute do you think I'd be in the water?"
I looked at my feet. Was he not over that?
"You might as well answer," he pointed out. "I already know the answer, anyway. Do you regret that?"
"Right," Hail said awkwardly. "Oh, look at the time! We should.. yeah, we should go.."

5:30 a.m.
"We'll see you at the bus stop," Hail told me in front of the foster home.
"Okay," I said.
Saje looked at me apologetically and walked off into the road. I rolled my eyes and walked through the door. I love Saje. But he can be such a pain in the ass.
Maddie, Claire, and Alex were awake and so was my foster mother.
Maddie skipped toward me. "Where were you?"
"The bridge-" her eyes widened- "but not to kill myself."
"Oh. Guess what? I'm going to be your substitute again in Science! Isn't that great?" she exclaimed excitedly.
Oh jeez.

Chapter 13: Protection

2008-10-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

My story hasn't been very action-y so far. Sorry. I used the word pants too often, jsyk.

-------------

Miki.
Hail just came over.
He visited to drain the rest of my sanity out with a nice ol' needle of unconventional thought and himself. I want to say "mostly himself," but I actually think Saje's ideas managed to level out Hail's natural idiocy. Tragic.
I walked to my bed with my hair still and laid in bed stiffly. I slowly slipped into unconsciousness, and I really do mean slowly. Frustration never went well with being tired for me.
It was dark and hazy. From a distance, I saw a crowd of angel-like figures on one side and distinctive silhouettes on the other side. They were fighting on. . . on a bridge. However, what was directly in front of me caught my attention. It was a glowing figure. Its eyes were closed.
The eyes opened, and two blinding violet irises glimmered, blinded my own.
They closed slowly and my whole sight turned black. The only other colour that was visible was red, but it was a dark, murky red. It was a colour that, by itself, it brought an intense and brooding emotion through your veins and pumped out your heart painfully. It squirted and draped over what looked like two bodies.
"Stop!" I screamed. "What's going on?"
No one heard me. I screamed as loud as I could to see if anyone would respond. It was nothing but black and moving red goo.
"No! No! No, no, NO!"
"Hey."
I woke up and snapped my head up from my nightmare. Sweat dripped from my face while I pulled the sheets off my head. There was someone shaking me on the bed, trying to wake me up.
"You smell amazing. Are you okay?"
"Saje, how did you possibly-"
"I didn't mean to. I was getting dressed and your scent was getting stronger and stronger. It literally pulled me to you, against my will. Just be lucky I could get my underwear on."
"Ahhh, ick!" I yelled, and covered my eyes with my hands. "What's wrong with you?"
"Like I said, against my will," he shrugged.
"Still! I'd rather you didn't. . . you shouldn't have. . . your underwear!" I groaned.
Saje looked at me funny for a minute.
"So you'd rather I didn't put on my-"
"Just go! I'm fine!"
"Are you sure? Your scent is getting stronger again. What are you nervous about now?"
"Nothing," I said, my voice muffled by a pillow. "How'd you get in here?"
"The window was open."
"Did anyone see you?"
"I was too fast. By the way, you overslept. Everyone went to breakfast."
"What time is it?"
"10:00 a.m."
"What?" I snapped. I pulled the covers off my face and looked at the window. It was snowing again. There was a draft coming in and blasted an icy air through the room.
"Stay here," Saje said after awhile.
"W-what?" I shivered.
"It's getting cold. I need to get pants."
Saje stood up.
"Wait!" I called as he walked to the window.
"Yeah?"
"If it's 10:00 a.m., then why aren't you at school?"
"Snow day," he said and bolted out the window.
I thought of why he wanted to come back. To ask me those questions humans shouldn't hear? Hail already asked me the stuff like that-- publicly. Saje's questions were probably more in-depth-- and scary--- if he had to do it in private. This wasn't going to be easy. It wasn't easy the first time with Hail.
"What?!" Saje panted, jumping through the window. He was holding a pair of pants in his hands. "Damn it, Mik! Could you stay calm at least for me to put my clothes on?!"
"Look, why'd you have to come back?!"
"Questions."
Typical.
"Fine," I breathed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Ask."
"Hail explained to you that he thinks Loki was following you, right?"
"Yeah," I snapped icily.
He looked at me desperately. "Bear with me, please?"
"I am."
His eyes tightened. "Well, if Loki did follow you, then he followed you to the bridge. Do you agree?"
"Yeah. Keep going."
"Well, the Vida told you to go to that bridge, right?"
"Yes! All that, now what's your point?!" I screeched.
"I think Loki is part of the Vida."
My eyes closed to keep from widening and popping out of their sockets. "The Vida said I could jump. Loki stopped me from jumping. How does that fit together?"
Saje looked at me painfully. "Why are you defending him?"
He sighed. He looked. . . Well, it didn't look like he felt he was 'losing.' It didn't look like he was trying to guilt me. He just looked hurt.
"I'm not, I just want to know," I said gently.
He looked pained again. "I'll tell you. Soon."
"Tell me now! And put your pants on!" I exasperated.
"I can't right now. The explaining I mean. Too many witnesses near," he whispered while he unclenched the fist that held his pants. They were charred on the knees-- Ha.
"What do you mean too many. . . ?" I trailed off when I heard the door creak.
"Dear, are you awake yet?" my foster mother said, barging through the door. She stopped when she saw Saje. He looked at her blankly and innocently like nothing was going on.
I stared at her with embarrassment.
"Er, are you a friend?" she asked awkwardly.
"Yes," Saje answered.
"Uh, maybe you should leave," I edged on, glaring at him intensely.
"Sure."
He finished putting his pants on (my foster mother's reaction was priceless) and headed toward the window.
"Oh no!" she said. "You don't have to go through the window. The front entrance is downstairs."
"Oh, thank you."
He glided across the room and grinned shyly at her. He must have been trying really hard to look innocent.
"Are you coming too, dear?" she asked me.
"Where?"
"Well, you're missing breakfast. And you're saying goodbye to your friend, right?" she asked through her teeth.
"Of course."
I leaped off my bed and walked over to them. Saje looked from me to my foster mom, and we all headed to the hallway. I spotted Chris (the boy) looking at us from the bathroom. He spilled a bunch of water on his shirt when he got distracted by us causing him to wail and sob.
"Miki, you can escort your friend to the door buy yourself," my foster mom said. "I need to take care of Chris."
She rushed over to the bathroom with Chris crying on the floor.
You know, I felt bad for my foster mother. Had I mention she was twenty-seven? Very young, I know. She used to run it with her mother who died when I was fourteen. Since then, she was running the foster home by herself with the occasional help from volunteers. I'd offer to help her, but she never accepted. She treats me like I'm a child! I'm not really sure how she keeps a social life-- Maybe if I helped her, she'd have one.
I sighed heavily. "Let's go Saje."
"'course."
He followed me through the end of the hall and down the stairs.
"Nice place you have," he told me conversationally.
"Just keep walking," I said coldly.
We passed the kitchen which was filled with small children. I saw from the corner of my eye, Chris (girl) running toward me.
"Momma! You're awake! Guess what!" she exclaimed, grabbing my leg.
"Hi! What is it Chris?" I asked happily.
"I'm leaving next week! And the frosty mother said you can come to my new home! My new momma and daddy said they would give you a address!"
"That's great!" I exclaimed. It was a relief to know it wasn't a permanent goodbye.
She grinned a toothy smile and glanced shyly at Saje. She tugged on his pant leg. "Who are you?"
"Oh," I breathed. "This is my friend, Saje. He's leaving now." I said the last bit a little more icy than I had planned.
"Oh, okay," Chris said. "Is he the boy that was in the window last night?"
My eyes narrowed. "Last night?"
"Yup," she said and walked back to the kitchen.
Saje walked to the door while I tried to get Chris to explain. I groaned from disappointment and treaded to the door.
"Explain and do it now."
"You say that a lot."
"Maybe it's because you never explain!"
"Look, you were probably having nightmares. I came to inspect, but you looked calm. And the scent went away. So I left."
"Hm," I pondered sarcastically. "Maybe my subconscious mind knew you were there!"
"You felt subconsciously safe with me there?"
"I felt subconsciously creeped out with some kid outside my window!"
He started to look hurt again. "I'm not just some kid."
"I know, but still! That's creepy."
"Touche. Don't worry. It's not like I'm stalking you, I'm just making sure you're okay."
Saje walked away without another word. I shut the door to keep the gusts of wind that I didn't notice blowing in my face.

******

The next day we all decided the snow was really piled up, so we took the bus. The bus stop was on the corner of our street, so we still had to stand in the cold wintery air.
"Argh!" Claire screamed. "When does the bus come?!"
"6:45 a.m.," Hail snapped.
"Do I take a different bus than you?" Alex asked.
"Wha..? Oh yeah you do," I answered. "Your bus will probably come first, anyway."
"Okay."
From behind, I saw a bus charging to the corner. On the side, it said;
243; MS
"That's your bus," Hail said to Alex.
"See ya," she said quietly and walked to the opening bus doors.
Claire started to curse once the bus sailed off.
"What the hell?! We have to ride that?!"
"Yes!" Hail screeched.
"What time is it?" she whined.
"6:40," Saje answered.
"Oh c'mon!"
"Okay," Hail snapped. "Five minutes! That's it Claire! Don't be such a bitch!"
Claire pouted quietly and [finally] shut up.
"Hey," Saje nudged me.
"Yeah?"
"Save me a seat on the bus. I gotta ask you something."
"Why can't you ask me now?"
Before he could answer, another bus crashed onto the rode and leaped right in front of us. The doors flared open and we all stepped in.
"Finally," Claire groaned.
"Hi Claire!" a junior called. "'bout time you started riding the bus!"
"Ugh! Can I sit by you?"
The bus looked completely packed. Saje, Hail, and I walked to the back, scanning each row for empty seats. Nothing. This was so embarrassing-- Would we have to leave the bus? We were obviously sticking out like. . . whatever you can think of that sticks out.
"Hey!"
Dylan.
"Yeah?" I asked.
He gestured for the three of us to come to the very back. The last row occupied three seats, all which were empty. Hail sat in the seat for one person. Saje sat in the other seat and pulled me next to him.
"Thanks Dylan," I said to the seat in front of me.
He gave me a thumbs up. "No problem."
I smiled, even though he wouldn't have seen it.
Saje poked my forehead.
"Ouch! What was that for?" I whispered.
"Why are you whispering?" he said, looking at the screaming students surrounding us.
"Oh. Well, what is it?"
"You never explained your nightmares," he said quietly. "Could you explain now?"
"Sure. Which one should I start with?" I asked jokingly.
"Whichever. I wanna know them all."
"'kay," I breathed. "The first one. It started off with climbing. Climbing a mountain. It was really snowy and windy. And my eyes were actually watery! Then, I reached the top and jumped."
"So where does the nightmare part come in?"
I shivered. "After I jumped. I looked down and I saw a bunch of flames. I thought it was hell."
"What happened after that?"
"You woke me up." I smiled.
He looked at me skeptically for a minute. ". . . Explain the other dream."
"Oh sure," I stammered. "Er, it looked like a war. I saw angel figures on one side, and silhouettes on the other side. They were on a huge metal bridge. Then I think I dreamed about Loki."
His eyes infinitesmally narrowed. "What happened?"
"He just. . . His eyes opened then closed. That's all."
"Oh," he said slowly. "Anything else?"
"Blood," I shrugged off. "But nothing else."
"You have violent dreams."
"You have violent friends," Hail called over to Saje.
"You can say that."
The bus stopped in a street filled with large houses that all looked the same. It was obviously Rina's neighborhood. She was skipping happily to the bus stop, which she was late to. They opened the doors and she glided over to Dylan's seat. Her eyes lit up with joy when she spotted us. "Oh, hey! You're on the bus!"
She turned and started jabbering to Dylan before I could respond.
I turned to Saje again. "I have a question for you."
"Can I answer it?"
"You'd better."
"What is it?" he asked annoyed.
"Every time I get nervous, you get pulled to me. I'm just wondering, does that happen all the time? Like, every time anyone gets nervous, do you end up watching them from outside their window?"
"No," he said. "I can control it when it's someone else."
"Then why can't you control it around me, but around everyone else?"
"I don't care about anyone else," he said almost snobbishly.
I sighed. "You seem to definitely be expressing it."
"I always have."
"More than usual," I pointed out. "But that's okay. I'm glad I have someone like you who cares. It makes me feel special."
"I think we both know you're way passed 'special.'"
I laughed. "I guess I am. But it's nice to be reminded."
Everyone filed off the bus loudly and we quickly followed after them. I had a good feeling about today. Overall, I felt good. I felt alive, surrounded by dead boring souls.
Somehow, this didn't even bother me.

Chapter 12: Game

2008-10-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

This chapter is partly Hail’s point of view. It serves somewhat of a purpose. If everything seems rushed and sudden, then it's just Hail's character. If you really read the eleven or so chapters before this, thanks a bunch! Enjoy. :]

----------------

“Hey! There’s a bridge over there!” I yelled while we were in the air. Maybe if I went to the bridge and found Loki, I could find out if he was human.
He’s a suicide prevention kid! How could he possibly be a damned kid?
Saje and Hail swooped down to the bridge. And there he was. His back toward us, his head moving side to side (probably scoping any visitors), stood the kid I hoped was mortal.
“Hey!” I screamed, waving and jumping.
I saw him turn, and watched his eyes widen. “You again?”
“Yup!” I said happily as he walked forward.
“Hm. So you have a crowd this time?” he asked appraising my friends.
“Yup!”
“Are you here to thank me or anything?” he asked, looking away at the clouds.
“No,” I hesitated. “I’m here to ask you a question.”
“Okay, ask,” Loki said, acting nicer.
“How did you know I was going to jump?” I asked, feeling like a detective. A badass one, at that.
“I patrol this bridge. I’ve prevented seven suicides this week,” he answered proudly. “Including yours.”
“I didn’t even hear you walk on the bridge!” I protested.
“You were probably too distracted by suicidal thoughts,” he said matter-of-factly. . . defensively.
“Unlikely.”
“Well, do you have any more questions?” he tried to ask professionally.
“Ever heard of ‘the Vida’?” I asked sharply.
Loki almost jumped. “Why?”
“I’m taking that as a yes. Ever heard of ‘eternal damnation’?”
Loki remained silent. The only thing that could be heard was the cold whistling wind brushing against the bridge.
I cracked a smile. "Have you?"
As I stared into his mesmerized eyes, I knew this battle was won. Then, with a quick shake of his head he asked, “Ever heard of neutral souls?”
My eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Neutral souls! Eternally damned souls that don’t have any supernatural abilities. In other words, ghosts.”
“What?” I repeated.
He laughed at me. “So. What are you trying to be? An angel?” he said thoughtfully. “Oh, how about a white lighter? Dark lighter? C’mon, which is it?”
“W-wizard,” I breathed.
He whistled. “A wizard. I haven’t seen one of them since Columbus came to America!” he snickered.
I stared at him. Columbus? I didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. I knew he was odd, but. . .
His violet eyes looked at me dead in my own. They were piercing-- But not piercing like Saje’s. Saje’s eyes brought out several emotions. Loki’s eyes only brought out fear, stabbed into me to ooze it out.
“I was killed a while back. But not by suicide. By a dragon”-- Saje’s arm tightened its grip around me-- “Neutral souls are souls that inhabited a body destroyed but the supernatural. We didn’t have a choice, or any ‘super powers’. In fact, if it wasn’t for that damn dragon, I’d probably be in heaven right now.”
I looked at him sympathetically. How long could he have been on earth?
“Maybe I am in heaven already!” he smiled at me sarcastically. This his eyes snapped to Saje. “Maybe I’m on my way.”
“Or maybe you’ll rot in hell," Saje growled. “Revenge isn’t that sweet.”
“Yeah. But think of everything I’d gain!” Loki said, dazed by his own thoughts. “I bet it’s really sweet! But how would you know? There’s nothing much you can gain that you don’t already have.”
“There’s a lot that you can lose though.”
“I’m just hoping it’s sweet.” He smirked.
I looked from Loki to Saje. I completely lost track of the conversation. But there was no chance of looking dumb and asking.

******

Hail.
Miki: Explain now.
Saje: Do what now?
Miki: Explain.
Saje: ?
Miki: Your little quarrel with Loki! I didn't understand at all.
Saje: Oh.
Miki: Yes! Explain.
Saje: That's just how the guy talks. I'm just playing the game. And winning, I might add. ^^
Miki: Winning what?!
Saje: His game.
Hail: It's between them, Mik. You wouldn't understand.
Miki: Between them? You guys just met. Can't I play in the game?
Saje: Nope.
Hail: You could be in the game though. Just not play.
Miki: Oh, so I'm an obstacle?
Or a prize.
Saje: yeah
Miki: I guess that's fair. So. Will you guys ever think of getting jobs?
Hail: Where would we work?
Miki: I don't know. Go job hunting or something? I'm tired of saying I gave birth to a baby.
Saje: That reminds me, i wanna name him Daniel! =D
Miki: Shut up!
Hail: Fine. I'll job hunt tomorrow. I don't have anything else to do, anyway.
Miki: Cool! How about you Saje?
Saje: Sure. we need insurance for the baby anyway =D..?
Miki: If I was over at wherever you are right now, I'd slap you so hard.
Saje: oh just not in front of the baby. we don't want him growing up with dysfunctional parents.
Hail: There's always tomorrow. ^-^
Miki: I probably wouldn't want to slap him by then.
Saje: I'm sure you could withstand a few hours.
Miki: I'll slap you when I'm in the mood for it.
Saje: I'll be waiting.
Hail: For people who barely talk, you type way too much.
Miki: You don't type enough!
Hail: Yeah, I do. I'm perfect at everything. I'm an angel. =] Miki: You're an ass, too.
Hail: I'd like to slap you pretty hard,
Miki: I thought you were an angel.
Hail: Hey, I gotta go. A hobo's calling me.

I always used the "a hobo's calling me" excuse. A lot of homeless people are calling me for all the pranks I ever pulled on the shelter. Although, the majority of the time it's just my excuse to leave Saje and Miki alone. I started to do that in eighth grade, when Saje started talking to Mik. Those two barely ever talk, and if they could talk more to each other, they'd probably talk more to others. Honestly, you had to notice neither of them talk, even in a setting they were welcome to. Miki claimed that Rina and I talk too much, right? I'm guessing she convinced you to believe that. In fact, I'd like to know. What had Miki been sticking in your head?
Anyway, I logged off the computer and ran out the door. I sprinted over to Saje's place, ran up the fire exit steps, and pounded on his door.
"Open the freaking window!"
I was pleased to see that he was at least still typing. Saje opened the door and said politely, "Yes?"
I punched his shoulder.
"You seem violent," he said coolly.
"C'mon!" I yelled.
"Where?"
"To Miki's. I'm going to slap her."
"You can't be serious. You would sneak over to a foster home to slap a suicidal teenage orphan."
"Shut up! You can slap her, too."
"For what?" he asked confused.
"Anything! Besides, I have some important questions for her."

We went through the front door this time. I refused to let Saje stand on my shoulders. He's really lightweight, what with me having angel strength and all that good shit, but he's just too cold. My shoulders were still numb from last time.
"May I help you two?" some lady asked-- probably the foster home mom.
"Yeah. Is Miki here? We'd like to speak to her," I said kindly.
"Oh!" she said surprised. "The, er, girl's room is upstairs. It's on the right side of the hallway."
"Girl's room?" I asked dumbfounded. "Ma'am, we're here to see Miki? We don't have to go to the bathroom." And we're not girls either?
She laughed warily. "No. You see, at this foster home, tere's a room for girls and another for boys. There aren't any other rooms."
"Oh."
"Do you still want to go?" she asked, as if she thought we'd leave.
Saje spoke up. "Do you know if everyone is in the rooms besides Miki?"
The lady looked at him confused. "I'm sure they are."
From the way she bit her lip, I could tell she wanted to ask, "Why? What do you want from her?! Leave us alone!"
"Well," I said, breaking the tension. "Could we go up?"
"Of course. Go right in!" she said more relieved.
I headed up the wide stairs until I heard, "No thank you. Could you tell her I stopped by, please? Thank you."
What?
"Saje, what are you-"
"Go ahead, Hail. I'll talk to her later. Thank you again."
He nodded politely to the foster lady and walked out. The foster home lady looked totally mystified. I guess I can't blame her. She didn't know us, she's not sure why two guys wanted to see Miki, and she was probably wondering why one of them preferred to speak in private rather with others watching.
Well. I won't be coming here anymore.
"Um, thank you Ma'am," I said and dashed up the stairs.
I saw Miki walking out of a room, with her hair wet. The shower? I waved casually and laughed when her jaw dropped.
"Hail, what're you?! Are you. . . ?!"
"Chill, Mik!" I exclaimed. "I'm only here to ask a few questions."
"So you had to come to my home to ask?" she squeaked.
"Well, I thought you had your own room, so yeah. I did."
She glared. "Fine. Ask."
I sighed at her unprofessionalism, of doing my 'interview' in a hallway. "That kid. The one on the bridge. . . He's a neutral soul?"
"That's what he said," she said matter-of-factly.
"And he stopped your suicide?" I asked skeptically.
"I'm still alive, so I suppose so," she answered with her smart-alecky voice.
God, I hated that.
"Hm," I pondered. "When he 'saved' you. That was the first time you met him?"
"Well, no. He came onto the bus I was on, while I was on my way to Canada."
"Was he in America?"
"Yup."
My eyes widened. I bit my lip to keep my jaw from dropping.
"Mik. Don't you think it's sorta weird how you met him on the bus to get killed, and then again when you were about to kill yourself?"
She arched an eyebrow. "It was just a coincidence."
I waved my arms up in the air. "Earth to Mik! You're both traveling to Canada, by the location to the Vida! You're both getting there by a freaking bus! You're both on a bridge at the same time! And you're both supernatural beings that have got to be from a different dimension!"
"A coincidence! I met you and Saje too! That was a coincidence! What's the big deal?"
"That was one coincidence when you met us. This guy. Just way too many. It's almost as if he followed you."
I could see her freeze as if I tapped her from behind.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Just a theory. Don't worry."
She jerked a nod and continued to look forward. I patted her head.
"Cheer up! He's gone now!"
She grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. Hey, where's Saje? Shouldn't we discuss this with him too?"
"Well, he came, but he said he'd rather talk to you in private."
"Why?" she wondered.
"Ask him," I snorted. "But, have any questions for me?"
She suppressed a sigh. "Yeah. Explain this 'game' between Saje and Loki. Please. I was just so confused by the conversation on the bridge and neither of you are really explaining."
Anything but that.
"Well," I breathed. "How can I say this? Loki was killed by a dragon. He obviously has the instinct to tell that Saje is a dragon. Now he wants to kill him. The end."
Miki laughed. "It sounded so much more interesting when you guys were being so vague on the details."
I'm the vague one. I'm vague as hell. "Yeah. Sorry to disappoint you."
"Not much of a game. What part do I honestly play a part in?" she asked sarcastically.
How about the one stupid kid that everyone keeps trying to catch? "An obstacle. They're on different sides and you're kinda the middleman."
"Ha. That's true. If Loki wasn't so creepy and intimidating, he'd probably be one of my friends."
I hope not. "Yeah. Probably."
"Do you think we'd ever see him again?" she asked concerned. . . hopeful.
"Maybe Mik," I said. "But maybe it's better if we don't."
"Oh, because of the whole ghost-and-dragon thing?"
"Yeah. But not just us. You, as an individual shouldn't see him either," I strangled out of my throat.
I was expecting a whiny and pissed off reaction. Instead, she gave me, "This isn't about their stupid 'game,' right?"
I heaved out another sigh. "You can say that. It's not like that's a bad thing."
"Oh c'mon! It's just a game! And I'm in it right?" she edged on.
"So what are you trying to say?"
"What could you guys be losing or gaining or whatever?!"
"Who do you want to win?"
She groaned. "Why are you guys taking it so seriously?"
"Mik, just trust me. Don't worry."

******

I felt bad for Miki. She had no clue what was going on, and all her guesses are either complicating her thoughts, or being coincidentally accurate.

Hail: Tell her soon.
Saje: Tell her what?
Hail: Don't be stupid.

I logged off, hoping Saje understood.
"Michael, lights go out in ten minutes, dear," the soup kitchen lady spoke from behind.
"I go by Hail now," I pointed out and grinned.
She laughed and walked off. "Ten minutes!"
I had my ups and downs with the soup kitchen lady. Sometimes she annoyed the hell out of me and sometimes she was really nice. Still, she always mispronounced my name. Most people do-- Ever heard of German classes? Or was it Russian? I don't think it matters, much. I'm just saying.
I went to my bed, in the room filled with other homeless people, such as myself. I'm the youngest person here, so I'm obviously going to be here until I get a job or something.
I know how people think I'm crazy. I'm only eighteen and I'm in a homeless shelter. They have the idea that I should still try being in a foster home. Right. I left the whole foster home idea when I was sixteen-- No one wanted me then. Not a single person.
Oh, we were hoping for a girl. . . His eyes are much too green, too bright. . . Do you have one with darker brown hair? Or how about a light blonde?
I was a fucking child, not some toy on a shelf that comes in different assortments.
No one likes feeling unwanted. Not a single person.

Chapter 11: Fight

2008-10-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Monday. I know I told Saje that I'd explain my dream on Sunday, but I had been avoiding him after that kiss. I don't get it. I was overreacting to this. I was too nervous to be near him, but anxious to talk to him about it and set things straight.
Sigh. It was only on the forehead. Lots of friends do that. Lots of best friends do that. I shouldn't feel so insane. . .
Maddie was feeling a lot better-- mentally, I mean. Her attitude toward me was a lot more positive. No more glares, a lot of smiles. However, she does pester me about my opinion of what a friend is. Jeez. How many friends does she even have?
We were walking to school-- Hail, Saje, Claire, Alex, and myself. Rina had taken the bus because of the weather. It was getting a lot colder, now that it was December.
Wait. December! Less than three months were left! Saje was right [as always].
"Fine, you were right, Saje! Happy?" I blurted out. Everyone snapped their heads toward me.
"Huh?" he asked, confuzzled.
"You were right," I said, halfway laughing. "These months are a lot quicker than I thought."
"Oh," Saje answered. I was expecting him to be smug about it.
Everyone returned to staring into space-- Except for Alex. She looked at me worriedly, as if I was crazy or something. Maybe I should discuss this crazed stare she always gave me.
Hail nudged me.
"Nice way to start a conversation," he whispered sarcastically. "A few tips. . . Try asking a question. A question that everyone can answer."
"Thanks, but I don't need any help with my social skills!"
"What do you think you need help with? 'Cuz I have a lot of ideas!"
I elbowed him. "It's nice to know you're using your head!"
"Yeah, you should try yours out! Who knows how smart you could be?!"
I stuck my tongue out at him. He burst into laughter, and the conversation started.
"Gosh, does it always get this cold in December?! I could tolerate November, but honestly! This is just ridiculous!" Claire complained.
"Well, it helps if you don't wear skirts," I suggested.
Claire rolled her eyes. "I'm wearing shorts underneath!"
"It's still not covering your legs."
She shivered.
“See?” I concluded.

******

When Alex was dropped off, and we were on our way to school, it started snowing. "Sweet!" Hail said, while the snowflakes bunched up in his hair and melted.
As for Saje, the flakes piled up. It looked like ice cubes were forming. Ice cubes on an ice cube. Heh.
Claire screeched. "How is this sweet? My legs are going to break from this cold!" "We're almost inside, jeez!" Hail said happily, still looking up at the falling snow.
All of us were in the giant crowd of students now. There was a fight going on in the center. I saw Rina waving at us. Hail waved at her, and I motioned for her to come over. She walked through the fight, when the two boys were tackling each other.
"Hey, watch it!" they both yelled and started to choke one another.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Rina exclaimed. I could see her breath in the cold air. "Man, Miki! Can you believe it? It's December already! It's almost Christmas!"
"It's only the start of December. Christmas isn't until the end!" I said enthusiastically. Rina usually had that effect on people.
"Well sure, but still! I'm going Christmas shopping this weekend, all day! It's going to be so much fun! Yuu and Brenda are coming, too! Are you? Do you want to? We haven't shopped with them for awhile. In fact, it's been almost three months! Three months, can you believe it?! Time flies like an arrow! Oh, now I understand that idiom. . ." And her babbling starts.
"Sure," I said conversationally. "At what time?"
"How about 8:00 A.M.? I wanna be there all day!" Rina jumped up excitedly.
I looked over her to the fight. Both students were bleeding. I glanced at Saje and Hail, who both looked unimpressed.
"We could definitely beat them up," Hail grumbled, shaking his head.
Saje nodded in agreement, and the flakes shook off his head.
"Hey!" I yelled when the snow fell in my eyes.
"Sorry," he said, trying not to laugh.
We all remained silent and watched the two students quarrel.
"Hey! You two! Separate! Now!" yelled an adult's voice.
The principal marched through the crowd. The two students didn't stop fighting until the principal grabbed them both by the shoulders. Everyone "oohed" and "ahhed" when he dragged the fighters into the building.
Hail snorted. "Pathetic."
"What, you think you could do better?" some kid behind him asked.
"I never said that," Hail sneered.
The kid glared at him accordingly.
Okay. I know Hail. Hail was always the kind of person who let everything just fly by. He was never the one to cause a scene in a place he's not welcome to. Maybe the snow was polluted with testosterone or whatever the hell you call that stuff because he wasn't Hail this time. He took a step forward toward the student, who prepared himself for a fight.
"No," Saje said quietly grabbing Hail's arm, which was cocked back for a punch.
"Move!" the kid yelled at Saje.
All right. I know Saje, too. He ignored all those mean remarks whenever someone bothered to give them to him. Saje, with his blank expression and unfathomable grey eyes. But this time,
I literally saw Saje's eyes dissolve into a dried coal colour. If it was possible, his skin grew paler. Then, the unthinkable. He lunged forward at the student and swiftly punched him in the face. Rina tensed up next to me. She knew how much that probably hurt. Everyone started the "oohs" and "whoas" as the student crashed to the ground.
I looked at Saje, and I saw two slits on his jacket. They were slits for wings. Slowly I watched, hoping that he wasn't really spreading his wings out. . . Saje, you can't possibly be that stupid--
As soon as I saw an inch of the black wings creep out of his back, I ran up behind him. Just before he prepared to lunge again, I locked my arms around him in a bear hug from behind and screamed, "Stop! The principal might come!"
His arm was already cocked in a fast and his elbow hit me at the side of my head. Hail grabbed his arm and shoved the other kid aside. My arms started to get numb from holding Saje’s icy body back. He struggled to get out of my grasp as I squeezed tighter. Finally, he calmed down and stood still in my arms. Everyone around us walked quietly in the building, staring and whispering at us. Rina tapped my shoulder and mouthed, “Let’s go!”

Science class. Thankfully, Mr. McCloud wasn’t here, so we just had a sub. The substitute teachers never bossed us around, because they know from each grade that they’re always wrong about everything. Today, the substitute was late. Hm. A bad starting impression already? Everyone talked and chased each other around the classroom while we waited.
“So which shopping district do you want to go to?” Rina asked me.
“The farthest we can go!” I said.
“Well,” she pondered thoughtfully. “The farthest we can go is right before the border. Good idea, though. I mean, there’s probably a lot more stores for tourists and stuff! It’s so beautiful there too! When I was flying with Hail, I saw this really cute store, I hope I’ll see it when we go Saturday!”
“You’re really excited, huh?”
“Yup! I get excited about all the things I love! I can never stop talking about them!” Is that so…?
The classroom door opened and a student walked. She looked familiar…
Oh no.
“Hello class. Terribly sorry I’m late!” she said.
Maddie. She was the substitute. She couldn’t be serious. Did she even go to school before?
“I am your substitute teacher,” she stated clearly and wrote her name on the chalkboard. From the corner of my eye, I saw Dylan raise his hand.
“Ah, yes!” Maddie pointed to Dylan.
“Uh,” Dylan started. “If you don’t mind me asking. . . How old are you?”
Maddie started to laugh. “I’m nineteen, so I’m not that much older than all of you!”
“You’re in college. . ?” he asked skeptically.
“Yes. Subbing is really just hands-on practice!” Maddie said modestly. “Anyway, what are you guys learning about?”
Hail raised his hand. “We’re learning about the Big Rip and the consequences of an open and infinite universe.”
“Oh, that’s not too hard!” Maddie exclaimed smugly. “Can someone explain the Big Rip?”
No one raised their hand.
“Anyone?” Maddie asked, probably thinking we’re all stupid.
Brenda raised her hand.
“Yes. You,” Maddie sighed.
“The Big Rip is a theory of what would happen if the universe was open. It is said to happen 50 billion years from now.”
“Very good. Do you guys know what happens in the Big Rip?” She looked around the room, which had no raised hands. Then she pointed to me impatiently. “Fine. You.”
“Me?” I asked, and she nodded slowly.
“The Big Rip. . . The Big Rip is when the universe becomes stretched out so far, that the gravitational force is too weak and all the matter in the universe progressively torn apart.”
Maddie grinned. “Yes! Correct.”
She started writing a large formula with big words, then yelled, “Write this down!”
w < − 1…If Ω is less than 1,> w < − 1…If Ω is less than 1,>

Hail threw me a note.
Any ideas why she’s here?
Nope. Maybe to stay near her sisters.
Ask her later.
Why do I have to ask her?
cuz I don’t want to!
“Excuse me! I’ll take that!” Maddie said, snatching the note from my hands. She read it silently, while everyone in class watched.
“Read it!” Dylan yelled.
There were a bunch of “yeahs” and pounding on desks.
“Nah,” Maddie sighed. She snickered at Hail and we continued class without another word.

******

In gym, everyone came up to Saje and Hail about this morning’s fight. Hail was really pissed off by it all. I can’t blame him- it wasn’t even a fight.
“What if he wants to fight you after school?” one person asked Hail.
“I don’t know.”
“Will you fight for him?” he asked Saje mockingly.
He shook his head.
“You think your girlfriend will stop you again?” they asked as I passed by.
Saje shook his head again. I hit his back and I could see him crack a smile before I walked away.
After gym, I dressed quickly and ran to the science room when the dismissal bell rang. When I reached it, the class was still filing out. Maddie waved at me, and talked with her perky teacher façade.
“Phew! Your teacher has quite a lot of students! I could barely stand one class!”
“Right,” I said quickly. “Why are you here?”
“Well, I guess I couldn’t stand being away from you guys! It’s really lonely at the foster home. And it’s not that healthy to torture myself by standing on that wretched bridge all day!”
“That’s. . . Actually, that’s pretty reasonable,” I breathed.
“Yes, I thought you’d think so. My goodness, this room is so cold though. And the fight this morning! Tsk, tsk.” She wagged her finger at me. “No wonder your science teacher had to take the day off. So stressed!”
“Really?”
“Yes! He may not be back for quite a time! Good thing you have me, eh?”
I winced. “Of course.”

******

At the Vida (on a Monday, we were ‘called’). The way we worked it out is that Maddie and Claire fly with Hail, and Alex holds onto Maddie. Rina and I fly with Saje.
At the Vida, I quickly asked, “What’s been going on?”
“Well, there’s a few angels and dragons terrorizing humans around your area. Although, that’s probably just you two,” one voice directed to Saje and Hail.
I could see three silhouettes turn to Saje. “Your wings. You allowed them to spread out and be exposed to mortal folk. You do realize that if someone had seen them, we’d send you to hell, correct?”
Saje nodded.
“We checked all the human’s conscious and subconscious thoughts that were in the premises. All clear. Don’t let it happen again though.”
Saje nodded.
“Wait!” Claire exclaimed. “How’d you know that he spread his wings?! You weren’t there! Do you spy on us?!”Claire looked outraged and creeped out.
I couldn’t blame her. Three mysterious figures that you practically bow down to and obey. . . Stalkers? This was a very touchy subject.
“Calm down, child. There are a lot of people besides us that are in the Vida. We have several people who can sense abnormalities in the atmosphere from at least a 100-mile radius.”
“Oh, well how would they know about humans?”
“They run over to check, of course,” they said, annoyed.
I looked over to Claire, who looked completely dumbfounded. If she clenched her teeth any more, they’d probably shatter on the cave floor.
"I have a question,” I intervened before Claire could curse them out.
I didn’t continue, as I pondered for a question.
“Yes?”
“Uh,” I stammered. “Th-the bridge. The one you told me to jump off of?”
“Ah,” one voice breathed. “That reminds us, you’re still human.”
“Well, yes! And I can explain!” I panted.
“Then explain.”
“Er,” I said, paralyzed by their voices. “I-I was stopped. By a human.”
They didn’t answer. I felt the back of my neck start to sweat from the moisture of the cave. Then, a sudden roar of laughter broke from the silhouettes of the Vida.
“Child! That’s nonsense! When we sentence a death, we put the ring of fire around the location. Only a supernatural could penetrate it.”
“Ring of fire?! I didn’t see any--”
“Of course you couldn’t. If you could, then you’d already be dead.”
“Well, whatever! A human did penetrate it!”
“Maybe he or she wasn’t human.”
My eyes widened with rage.
“No! Loki had to be human! He was so. . . so. . .” I dragged on.
I just couldn't believe he wasn’t human. In my mind, he needed to be human, and there was no other way I could accept him. I needed to know someone who wasn’t a creature. A human. I needed a human.
A human that felt my life was important enough to save, even if for one day.

Chapter 10: True Feelings

2008-09-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday. As you guys know, I already saw the Vida on my failed suicide mission, so everyone else is going without me. What do you think I did on a free, alone Saturday?
I walked around town with Brenda. Brenda was more polite than Yuu and didn't talk as much as Rina (although, Rina doesn't babble as much anymore). We walked, talking about college.
"I wanna go to Arizona, and Dylan is planning on going to California!" she exclaimed.
"That's great! Do you have your tuition?"
"Well, scholarships count, and I'm probably taking loans. I'm not that ready for the future."
"Me either."
"So where are you going?"
"Er. Wherever I get accepted, I guess."
"Where's Rina going? Do you know?"
"I haven't talked to her about it yet."
"Aw man, I wanna know! How about Yuu? Did she tell you?"
"I don't know about her either. In fact, I haven't talked to her in awhile."
"Hm. How about Hail and Saje?"
"Psh. The three of us are too busy finding money to decide on where to go."
"Yeah, I know what you mean! Time is really moving fast!"
It really is. "True."
"Yep. . . Hey, Mik? I think you should know that sitting with you at lunch was the best idea Dylan ever had! You and Rina, and Saje and Hail. . . You guys are more. . . real. . . than the people I sat with before!"
"Thanks. Wait, did you say it was Dylan's idea?" When Dylan first came to the table, I sort of had the idea that he was forced to sit with us.
"Yep. He said that you guys are always being bullied and ignored, but you're always so happy! It really got him thinking."
Maybe it's because you'll all die in a few decades?

[okay, I'm kidding]

"All of you guys seem happy without us, too," I said.
"Yeah, we seem happy. It only looks satisfying from everyone else's point of view!"
"Hm. So no matter what path of life we take, we still want to walk on some other path."
"Yeah. It's nice to explore the field though!" Brenda grinned.
"Why do we even need to walk on paths? Can't we just walk?"
"Hm. Then there'd be a bunch of crowds and no one would get anywhere!" she laughed.
I laughed too. "True!"
Barely. I didn't go with it, but there's no point in making this conversation go any further.
People don't need to go on paths. People should simply walk. If a crowd starts, no one would get anywhere? Not if you keep walking.

******

Later on, Hail, Saje, and Rina came back. Rina looked dizzy from flying.
"No offense, but that wasn't very comfortable," Rina moaned.
"It would've been if you weren't strangling my neck!" Hail said defensively.
Saje hauled all three of the Coniferallison sisters, who I'm guessing didn't want to fly alongside Rina.
"So how was the synopsis?" I asked.
Maddie glared at me. Nobody answered my question. They all seemed to be waiting for someone else to answer-- like they were scared to answer themselves. It only increased my curiosity and my anticipation to hear what happened. Both desires were left unfulfilled.

I lay in my bed, still wondering what could have possibly happened. Did I not have the right to know what the synopsis was all about? I would've found out anyway, if I had gone to the Vida with them. Maddie glared at me. The first glare in days. This had to be about her.
Claire walked in the room. I'll approach her first.
"Claire! Hey!" I said happily.
"Hi Miki," she said casually. "So what'd you do while I was away?"
"Oh, nothing special! Just walking with Brenda!" I hope she didn't recognise how I rushed everything out. "How about you?"
She scoffed. "I'm not the kind of person to tell you. And even if I was, I probably wouldn't tell you anyway."
"Then exactly who can? I deserve to know what happened. I want to help with whatever I can!"
She rolled her eyes at me, and walked away. "Not me."
Hm. So even the most talkative, no-moral sister won't confess. I had to find out from Maddie, herself. Almost on cue, Maddie and Alex walked into the room and I greeted them happily. "Maddie, hey! Hi, Alex!"
They both ignored me.
"Brush your teeth again, " Maddie said.
"Okay." Alex glanced at me wistfully, and walked away. Maddie turned to me, her face like stone.
"Hey, Maddie!" my voice cracked.
"We should talk," she announces, practically commands with her face like stone.
"Um, sure. What do you want to talk about?"
"Not here."
"Er. Okay. Where?" My voice broke again.
"Follow me." She started down the stairs.
"Wait! I need to change my clo-"
"It's the middle of night. No one will see you."
I groaned and followed after her. We walked in darkness, and I was surprised that Maddie could see where she was going. We were turning in directions that I wasn't sure they led to, and then we walked on land that didn't sound like concrete.
It sounded like wood. Maddie's footsteps stopped, so mine stopped too.
"If you can't tell, we're on a bridge," she said matter-of-factly.
"Oh. Why?"
"Miki. I have told you that I'm jealous that you can live forever and I can't. You know, I haven't told anyone this. But everyday, when you guys are at school, I come here. And I look down at the water here. I think of the choices I can make, to jump. I imagine the adrenaline rush of falling, almost happy to die. I visualize my blood rushing through the water! It's nice to mentally picture!" she recited happily.
I didn't know what to say. She made suicide sound like a good thing. For a moment, I thought she was pretty damn mental. But I realised Maddie wanted this more than I did. She wasn't scared of any pain. She'd enjoy it, even.
"You're really into this."
"Yes. Aren't you?"
"Of course! But not as much as you! You're not scared at all?! You don't care about the pain? You don't wait in agony?"
"Of course not! And neither do you! All your so-called agony and pain. . . Is it really yours?"
"What do you mean 'is it mine'? Of course it's mine, if I'm feeling it!" I protested.
Maddie looked at me desperately. "Are you sure it's not your friends' pain?"
I didn't answer.
"Hm," she said skeptically. "How did you feel the very first moment you found out you could be immortal?"
"Well, I guess I was glad I'd be with my friends forever, but-"
"Hm," she said again. "It's all about your friends, isn't it?"
"Well, they are my friends. . ." I answered sheepishly.
Maddie sighed. "Sometimes, you need to put your friends to the side."
I gaped for air. "Why?! Friends aren't something you set on a shelf!"
"See? They're your whole life all of a sudden. They control your outlook on things. They're so close to you."
"You say it like it's a bad thing!"
"Maybe it is. It's causing you distress and confusion! Do friends do that?!"
"No. They wouldn't be friends. But best friends will always be pissing you off. For some reason, you can't help but still love them," I said confidently.
Maddie looked at me painfully."That's odd. Don't let them get in your way. Not if it's hurting you."
What was Maddie trying to say? That I shouldn't have friends? That Hail and Saje and Rina shouldn't be my friends? I was so appalled by her, that I almost forgot what I wanted to ask her in the first place.
"Maddie?" I said indifferently.
"Yes?"
"What happened with the Vida today?"
I could feel her rage stabbing through the darkness. "A fight. I simply asked for a chance at damnation, and they flat out said no."
"Why is everyone keeping this from me?" I asked nervously.
"I fought back. I put aside patience and manners. I cursed and screamed. . ." she stated, ashamed. "'If it goes well with Miki, could my sisters and myself get this opportunity as well?' I asked. They replied, saying only my sisters could. 'Why not I?' I had asked curiously. They said I was nineteen, and it had to be done in Alaska. I refused to travel all the way to Alaska, when the opportunity was here.
"'You have no opportunity here!' they answered. I was. . . pissed.
"'Well, I am here! Why the hell must you be so strict? No wonder you damned bastards live in a cave!' I had screeched. My sisters stared at me with fear, while I continued to curse. Hail and Rina shied away from me. Saje seemed unaffected-- Although, he hovered near me, in case the Vida decided to throw something at me."
Ha. Typical.
"I'm sure you can guess what happened after that," Maddie continued. "We left without another word. There were a few rocks hitting us on the way out. But that's what happened. I set a horrible example for Claire and Alex. I feel embarrassed."
"For someone who doesn't believe in friends, you certainly care a lot for your sisters. . ."
Family can be friends too. . . Right? Considering I never really had a real family, I guess I shouldn't be judging her.
"Random thought, but yes."

*******

I was dreaming. Surprising, isn't it? I'm not one of those people with an active subconscious mind as I sleep. I don't have dreams or nightmares, most of the time, or at least I don't remember them. Whenever I am dreaming, I usually know when I am. It's a lot hazier than reality. It also goes a lot quicker.
The dream was about climbing mountains. It was a high mountain, probably Mt. Everest. The snow whipped across my face and whirled in the sky.
When I reached the top, I screamed in excitement. Avalanches happened from just below me and I didn't care. Soon, I grew exhausted from screaming and wreaking havoc, and I jumped.
I swore, I could feel the adrenaline rush Maddie was talking about, as I plunged down to the earth.
Just as my vivid dream started, the nightmare part faded in place. A pit of fire suddenly appeared at the bottom of the mountain, and I fell from the icy heaven to the fiery pit of possibly hell.
"Hey!" a hushed whispering voice said.
I snapped up and looked around. From the corner of my eye, I saw a waving figure from the window.
"Saje!" I whispered, surprised.
"Open the window," he mouthed.
I crept slowly to avoid awakening the others, and carefully unlatched the windowsill.
"What're you doing here?! The fire exit steps don't reach this high!" I whispered.
"You're this high! Besides, Hail is here too."
"What?"
"Hey, Mik. . . Down here!"
I looked down. Hail was standing on the ground, with Saje standing on his shoulders. "Saje is really light. You should really eat more."
Saje nodded at me. "Shut up, you're just as light."
"Okay. . ." I said slowly. "Now why are you here?"
"You were smelling delicious," Saje mumbled, mesmerized.
"So you were going to eat me?!" My voice had reached through two octaves.
"No. I came to check if you were all right. Hail came too cuz well, he's your guardian."
"I'm fine. Thanks."
"Bad dream?" he asked, his eyes piercing through his eyelashes. It was too dark to tell what color they looked. I was guessing a bright silver.
"Yeah," I sighed.
"You're not the kind of person who dreams," he commented thoughtfully.
I laughed. "I'm really not! They only come once in a blue moon."
"What was it about?" he asked, like a doctor finding a diagnosis.
"I'll tell you in the morning, Saje. I wanna get to sleep first."
"'course. Sleep well."
He looked at me funny. Then he leaned over on the windowsill. From the "ouch!" I heard Hail yell, I bet Saje stretched up.
He kissed me on the forehead and jumped off Hail.
I crept slowly back to my bed, hoping I wouldn't wake up anyone. I slid underneath the covers and tried to go back to sleep.

I was still awake, two hours later. When I finally fell asleep, I had only one dream--- just a subconscious thought, really.
He kissed you, idiot! He kissed you!
This thought went through my head the whole night.

When I woke up on Sunday, all I could think was
I really wasn't dreaming.

Saje kissed me on the forehead. That's unlike us.

Oh.

Chapter 9: Thanksgiving

2008-09-23T19:04:00.001-07:00

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration, exhaustion, and a sudden sensation.

Bus station in Maine. Loki was still walking me back home.
Stupid suicide prevention member.
"Don't hate me for this. Hate the suicide prevention organization."
"Look, I don't hate you. I just wish that you let me jump off that bridge."
"Yeah. Okay."
I paused. I wasn't sure if this would sound rude, but I asked, "What the hell were doing by the bridge, anyway?"
He snorted. "I was taking patrol. You're not the only one who's attempted suicide over there!"
Ugh. The Vida gave me the bridge with a hall monitor?

We were [finally] on the urban street. I immediately scoped the street for the Coniferallsion sisters and my friends. Maddie, Claire, and Alex were by the foster home, sitting on the steps and talking to students from school. Alex and Claire were surrounded by kids their age. Maddie had people older than her, around her. Maybe college kids or something. Their sudden popularity fascinated me.
I saw Saje and Hail pretending to be homeless. Saje was stacking several bills on a skateboard.
Hail was putting them in rubber bands. Everyone was happy without me?
Well, thank goodness! At least they won't be too pissed off at me.
Hail waved at me.
Loki asked, "You're homeless?"
"No. My friend is though."
"Where do you live?"
"In that foster home!" I pointed to it. "But could you just leave me with my friends?"
He pursed his lips doubtfully. I gave him a convincing look, swayed back and forth in a friendly manner like he could trust me.
"Fine," he surrendered. "And don't jump off a bridge. Or anything that'll kill you!"
"I'm not making any promises."
Loki smirked and headed toward the bus station.
So long, stupid Viking.
I ran to Saje and Hail, stopping nervously to see their reaction. Hail was taping stacks of coins together. "Hey, Miki. We made a pile of money for you! I think Maddie picked up your homework and textbooks. . ."
"Thanks."
Hm. Hail's being so. . . normal. Where's the stupid jokes, or the 'where the hell have you been?'?
"So, um. . ." I started.
"How was it?" Saje asked. "Your damnation, I mean."
Oh. So they knew. "Well, actually. . . The Vida said I could, but. . ."
"But?" Hail asked.
"I was stopped. This suicide prevention kid stopped me."
"How did he stop you?" Saje asked.
"I was about to jump, and he grabbed me."
There was silence as though I hadn't said anything. Then Hail suddenly burst into laughter.
". . .What?" I asked innocently.
"Nothing," Hail choked out. "It's just that. . . you skipped school, and you're still human?"
"Yeah," I sighed, a little embarrassed.
"It's okay. Maybe you should wait until your birthday?" Saje suggested.
"I guess I should."
Hail was still laughing.
"Hail, what the hell is-" I started.
Saje grabbed my arm (my arm is getting really sore from all the grabbing) and hauled me into the homeless shelter quickly and swiftly. Safely inside, he started laughing, too.
"Okay, what the fuck is wrong with you two?!" I asked impatiently. Is my failure entertaining them?
He stopped abruptly. "Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration, exhaustion, and a sudden sensation."
I raised an eyebrow. "So you're in poetry now. . ? What are you talking about?"
He sighed deeply. "Your running-away-stunt was a frustration. Waiting for you to come back was an exhaustion. Reading a crappy note from you about how you'd kill yourself was sensational."
"So you've decided to laugh it off?" I spat, taken aback by his odd solution.
"Yeah. There isn't any mess of tears to clean up afterwards."
I smiled. "I liked you better when you didn't read."
I could see him hesitating on what he was going to say next. "Er, I have a question."
I waited for him to finish. When he didn't, I said, "Ask."
He sighed deeply again. "In your note. It said that you wanted to apologize to me? For everything?"
Oh. "Yep."
"What exactly is everything?" he asked slowly.
Now I sighed deeply. "Everything is. . . Trying to make you watch my execution. And making you go crazy with waiting for it. And any other bitchy things I've done to you."
I felt relieved to apologize, but it felt like eating hot rocks. It burned my mouth. I suddenly take an interest in my shoes, stare intently at them.
Suddenly, Saje pulled me by my arm and hugged me.
"I thought Hail was an idiot," he said.

******

The thing is, I thought that if I did the damnation now, then no one would be hurt anymore. No one would have to wait in agony, and everyone would win. That was my solution to make our lives a little easier.
But I forgot that nobody wins. Ever.
Saje and Hail were outside. They told me to find a blanket to wrap around myself so I could join them. I took the one I used last time, and walked out the door.
"Are you back from the hospital, dear?" a lady asked me.
"I'm sorry, I don't recall-"
"Yes!" Hail interrupted me."The baby is in the foster home now!"
Saje smiled at me. "We were really glad, knowing that he could go to a better family."
"Aw, so it's a boy?" the lady marveled.
As the 'mother', I had to answer, "Yes! He's so adorable!"
Saje and Hail laughed quietly as I pretended to daydream my 'son'.
"You can get money from the adoption too! Very smart!"
Saje acted out a phony sigh. "It's not about the money. It's about the child!"
I giggled quietly. It's so funny when he acts all perky!
The lady smiled at me, and walked away. When she was out of hearing distance, the three of us burst into laughter. "She didn't give us money!" Hail choked. "But that was freaking amazing!"

******

Saturday. Hail was taking Rina to the Vida. In the meantime, I thought I'd talk to the Coniferallison sisters. Saje had caught a serious fever (another morphing side-effect), so I was going to get a thermometer. I didn't want to in the least bit, but it seemed important that I should speak to Maddie, Claire, and Alex on their human life, though. They're my responsibility, after all.
"Okay! So I wanna know. How's Maine going for you?"
Alex answered first. "Do you all continuously sing and rap in the hallways at school? A lot of kids at my school do that."
"Don't worry, you'll get used to that."
"What about calling each other 'bitches'?" Claire asked. "Is that common?"
For you it probably is. "It really depends on who said it."
"I have a question on you," Maddie said. "Are you really going along with this damnation thing?"
Odd question. "Yeah, why?"
"No reason." She glared at me, and walked out of the room.
"Maddie, are you-"
Claire and Alex followed after her, leaving me in the deserted bedroom. Did I say something?

Bewildered by Maddie's behavior, I decided to go Saje's place early. I went through the alley and climbed the fire exits of the building until I saw Saje. His place was at the top of the building, unfortunately-- I tapped the glass window and smiled when I made him jump.
I tapped on the window again, so he'd let me in. When he opened the window, the first thing I noticed was his eyes. They looked dark grey.
"You couldn't go through the front door?" Saje asked.
"Nope!"
"Wow," he grumbled. He really was sick.
"Are you okay?"
"Nope."
He collapsed on the bed and started coughing. I would've laughed at how pathetic he looked if he was acting. "Are you coming in, or are you staying on the window?" he asked me.
I slid off the window ledge and sat on the edge of the bed. "Happy?"
"No," he groaned.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Shortly after asking, I realised he said he wasn't okay. Oh.
"Nope."
There was a phone on a night desk. It started ringing with those old recording rings you only hear on the television. "Damn it," Saje grumbled. He extended his hand toward the phone to answer it. Or at least it looked like it. Instead, his palm had steam coming out of it. Then smoke. Then a small flame stretched to the phone and back to his palm. It all took about two seconds.
"Would you like me to leave?" I asked.
"Do you want to?"
"Doesn't matter. But you seem really irritable, so if' I'm being a burden. . ."
"You're fine. Is Hail back or anything?"
"Nope. Maddie's acting weird though."
"She is weird Mik. . ." he slurred.
"No, I mean weirder."
"How?" He sat up miserabley out of curiosity.
"She seems. . . Well, I think I upset her. Something about my damnation."
"What happened?"
"She asked if I was really taking the damnation, I said yes, and she walked away."
"Hmm," he groaned. "Maybe she's jealous."
"Jealous of what?"
"Well, for our division of the Vida, the age of a reincarnation start is sixteen, and the damnation age is eighteen. She's nineteen. She can't have what you're getting."
"Well, that's only a year difference! Can't she go and do it on her twentieth birthday?"
"The Vida is really strict on ages. I think she can get damned in Alaska when she turns twenty, though."
Saje sneezed. I handed him a tissue. "Why do they have all these different ages?" "Cuz there'd be a lot of eighteen year old people out there, if it wasn't different."
"I guess that's true."
"Yeah. From ages sixteen to twenty-one are the damnation ages. That's when you guys are experienced enough to let your powers allow you to stay on earth when you die. Ages thirteen to sixteen are the reincarnate years. The reason why it doesn't go any older is because an old person never dying is harder to explain than a young person never looking older."
"Wow, you know a lot."
Saje coughed. He started coughing a lot. I thought he was going to vomit. Instead, a flame shot out his throat, burned the night desk, and shot back in his throat. He sighed in relief. I laughed. "If you start sneezing fire, I'm outta here!"
"You never know!" he said. "Anyway, next Wednesday is Thanksgiving. Hail's getting a turkey, are you helping?"
"No. Are you?"
"No. I quit when he said he was hiding gravy in my pants."
I laughed harder.

[I can't believe he was serious about that]

Saje coughed again.
"I have a thermometer. Should I take your temperature?"
"Sure."
He popped the thermometer in his mouth, and we waited for a minute. I stared at his ceiling appraisingly, examining the maroon walls and dimness of his room. Eventually, Saje handed me the thermometer.
"Holy shit! Your temperature!" I shrieked.
"What is it?"
"It's over 300 degrees!"
Saje snickered.
"It's not funny! How are you-"
"I thought you knew most of my mouth and lungs were the hottest part of me, what with me breathing fire. I supposed to be this hot. My temperature, I mean."
I stuck my tongue out at him. "So the rest of you is its usual ice cube?"
"Yeah. There's no need to do this the other way." He sat up to poke my forehead.
*******

Thanksgiving. Rina said her visit to the Vida was so horrible, she had to wait to tell me on a holiday. Saje was feeling better now, but he's been setting a lot of things on fire; this one guy's pants, the ends of Claire's hair. He gets angry easily now. Still, he's as quiet as ever.
I talked things over with Maddie. She really is upset over how she has to go to Alaska, just to kill herself. I'd be pretty peeved too. She's also pissed off at me, but I'm sure it'll blow over. Maybe.
All seven of us were in the alley between Hail's and Saje's homes. Saje was lighting candles with his fingers. Hail held the tray with a turkey on it. Alex and Maddie were holding a pile of fruit. Claire and Rina brought hand sanitizer. I was going to say grace. Public speaking isn't my specialization, especially not religious public speaking. What am I thanking for? Who am I thanking to?
"Okay, Mik," Hail said after all the candles were lit. "You're on!"
"Er," I stammered. "Okay."
Hail nudged me in encouragement. I breathed. "All right. Ehm, Dear God. Thank you so much for all this fruit. . . and the turkey too. I bet it'll taste good, even though Hail stole it. Um. I'm glad the Vida didn't kill Rina last Friday! And that Saje is feeling better! Oh, and it's nice having the Coniferallsion sisters around. So er, thanks. Um, Amen." Everyone repeated the last word.
Hail and Claire were fighting over a turkey leg.
"Wait for them to stop, Alex," Maddie said.
"Could I get an apple?"
"Oh, sure! Get me an orange."
I grabbed a strawberry and ate it slowly. From the candles, I saw everyone's eyes. They looked like jewels carved into black silhouettes. Maddie, Claire, and Alex had blue eyes. In the darkness and under the fire, they looked sapphire. Rina's looked like a bright skye blue. Hail's eyes looked like emeralds. Saje's eyes looked like grey diamonds. They were piercing at me more than the other's eyes. It was probably because he was looking at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Your eyes. They look copper or gold. It's interesting," he responded blankly.
Hail chewed his piece of turkey, looking skeptically at Saje.
"Your hair looks like obsidian too," Saje continued, ignoring Hail.
I cracked a smile. "I'm glad I look like a bunch of rocks to you!"
"You should be."
"Anyway," Hail interrupted. "What'd you think of the Vida, Rina?"
Rina was eating grapes. She quickly set them down and explained. "Horrible! I don't ever want to go there again!"
"Now that they know about you, you have to. Or should," I argued.
"Why do I have to?!" Rina whined.
"Reincarnation," Saje answered. "Without the Vida at your eighteenth birthday when you take the final morph, you'd probably just die and your soul would disappear."
Rina shuddered. "So what? I won't be myself when I morph or whatever?"
"You will. I guess 'reincarnation' is a little different for us. We keep our bodies, and souls. But each time we reincarnate, we get something different. Like how I ate a dragon egg. I would get the fangs and wings of that dragon."
"So, it's growing inside of you?"
"The physical parts from his chromosomes are. I can still switch to my current form, since I was originally born human."
"What about me? I was just bitten."
"The venom. Whoever bit you. You will have identical fangs and bloodthrists as him or her."
"Bloodthrist?!" Rina coughed. "I don't wanna drink blood!"
"You have to. Or you die."

******

Alex, Claire, and Hail finished the turkey. Maddie and I finished off the fruit. Saje and Rina didn't eat anything. Rina lost her appetite about how she needs to drink blood. I wasn't sure about Saje, though.
"You didn't eat anything!" I exclaimed. "Aren't you hungry? Well, you know what I mean."
His eyes tightened. "I'm hungry for other things."
I tried to stay calm. "Oh."

******

SAJE: If you were trying to stay relaxed back in the alley, it wasn't working. You smelled amazing.
MIKI: Well, I'm using scented soap, instead of the scentless now!
SAJE: Not funny.
MIKI: Sorry.
HAIL: Hey! The turkey tasted awesome! I should get one for Christmas!
MIKI: How about New Year?
HAIL: just gravy. I'm pouring it down Saje's pants.
SAJE: That's a nice way to start my year.
HAIL: Damn straight!
SAJE: you've just got an obsession with putting things in my pants, don't you?
HAIL: do I sense sexual innuendo in that tone? jeez, not in front of miki!
MIKI: My virgin eyes. . . Gravy tastes great! It shouldn't be too bad!
SAJE: I don't think I'll be tasting anything in my pants.
MIKI: It's tempting though. Gravy tastes great.
SAJE: gravy doesn't tempt me. other things do.
MIKI: I'll try to stay calm around you.
HAIL: Damn it.
MIKI: What?
HAIL: A hobo's calling me. Bye.
...
SAJE: We should probably ask what hobos are always calling Hail for on day.
MIKI: Ha! We should!