RIP

It's official this time. My computer is dead. It actually gave its life up this time. The hard drive crashed, quickly followed by the love of its life, the motherboard. I guess these two couldn't bear to be apart for longer than two weeks, and pulled a Romeo and Juliet. Yep, I think the motherboard killed itself because it couldn't stand to be apart from its beloved hard drive. And look at the tragedy it's caused. Which means that until I either get a new computer or somehow fix my old one, Perfect Strangers has been shelved. I would work on it if I had the chance, but it was stuck on my old computer and the backup on google docs won't open. Good thing I didn't have my WTF moment stuck on the computer. That's been safely stowed away. Good thing too. I would have hated to lose that moment. It is such a brilliant moment. Anyway, if anyone knows a good place to buy a cheap computer please let me know. Aparently my being home and using their computer is a cause of contention between my mother and I, and therefore, I will probably stop coming over. Sorry for any inconvenience on your part. I'll keep drafting in my notebooks, but you probably won't get anything for a while. Sorry darlings. Love you.

Cheers,
Alex

Let the Games Begin

WOOO! School is finally finished and summer can officially begin! I'm excited for all the things that summer has in store for me, and for the new people that I plan to meet. I'm going to try and reinvent myself and learn who Alex actually is. It's going to be an adventure. And to begin our adventure, please enjoy chapter thirty-two of Perfect Strangers


Chapter Thirty-two

My heartbeat quickened, and my whole body locked up as panic flooded through my veins. He hadn’t noticed my pause, and walked a few steps further before turning to address me and realizing I wan’t there. When he finally turned around to find me petrified behind him, without words his eyes followed my line of sight and rested on the monsterous shadow.

“What are you looking at?” he asked.

Could he really not see it? It was twice the size of my normal shadow, and it bubbled and rippled as if it were only being separated from the real world by a thin veil. I could feel the ether seeping from it, and it made my stomach chrun something awful. With a shaky hand and even shakier voice, I whispered,

“Sh-sha-dow.”

His fine blonde eyebrow raised skeptically. “Listen, Laela, I know they let you leave the hospital with a diagnosis for something about the fear of shadows, but honestly love, it’s just a shadow. It can’t hurt you.” he replied, walking toward me.

The shadow curled into itself, as if recoiling from Cam’s presence. He put his arm around me, and I felt a strange flood of calm wash over me. He was using his magic, I could tell, but I didn’t mind. I put my arm around his wasit and clung desperately to him until we got inside and my shadow essentially dissappeared with the lights. Cam guided me to the elevator, his arm never leaving my shoulder until we had reached his dorm. When we entered, I was suddenly stumbling backward, Kitty clinging to me as we backed into the hall.

“Welcome home!” She shouted, kissing me on the cheek. “We’re so glad you’re back. I was worried sick about you, and when Stitch told me you were diagnosed with some strange phobia of... you know, I wanted to rush right down and stay with you until you could come home. Of course, classes prevented that.”

I smiled. “Well thanks for the thought, Kitty.”

She smiled in response, pulling me back into the room, where on the table was a small cake and some ballons. Jay hovered at the end of the table, his smile as wide as it always was, happy to see me home and okay. Their other roommates were sitting on the couch, gawking at me. They weren’t doing anything to conceal it either. I gave them a little smile, raised my hand in a polite wave, and then turned back to the table. Stitch was leaning against his doorframe behind Jay, watching me quietly. He didn’t smile, nor did he acknowledge that we had made any sort of connection in that moment. He simply stood and watched.

An hour later, the cake had been eaten, and laughs were infectious as Finn and Kol began their comedic banter when Kol stole the last bite of Finn’s cake. As we were rolling with laughter the door to the apartment opened, and I noticed the atmosphere get thick with tension.

Vance had entered the room, accompanied by his siblings.

“And I thought I would never see you all in the same place again.” Stitch growled. It was the first time he had spoken since I had arrived.

“Wonderful to see you again as well, Stitch.” Clarette snapped, her voice was poisonous.

“Big happy family reunion, wouldn’t you agree, Stitch?” Vance said, his voice and smile were sickly sweet. “You just missed Father and Mother.”

“Can’t say I’m sorry to have missed it.” Stitch’s voice had gone completely flat, and everyone could feel the chill in the air.

I glanced back and forth between them, waiting for something to happen, feeling like sooner rather than later, someone would break, and magic would be used in some way or another. My hands started to shake. Slowly I crossed the room and stood beside Vance; his hand slipped instantly around my waist, his fingers dipping into my front pocket. Stitch’s jaw tightened and his shoulders squared. I needed to get them out of the room before someone got hurt. Clarette’s glittering eyes had narrowed dangerously and Jack placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place. I needed to think quickly.

“Fa-- Vance,  why don’t we go to dinner? Laela can accompany us.” Jack said, using unusually formal language in his terse state. “I find it apparent that we are not welcome here.”

“Damn right you’re not,” Stitch seethed, the ether in the room getting thicker.

The corner of Vance’s mouth twitched upward, quickly concealing the snide smile on his lips. “If you insist on me taking her out, I will not resist.” his voice however did nothing to contain his smugness.

Stitch clenched his jaw, a shudder rippling through his body; Vance clenched his gut, gritting his teeth. Stitch had done something to him, I knew it. I threw my best glare at him before pulling Vance toward the door. We needed to get out of here before anyone else got hurt. As we left the room, I felt something heavy settle on my shoulders. Turning my head to inspect the cause of the weight I was greeted by the face of the horrible shadow in the mirror. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I felt blood pool on my tongue. The metallic taste made me gag as I tried to keep myself from screaming at the sight of the monster. I dug my fingers into Vance’s side as we walked down the hall, reminding myself constantly that as long as I was with him, nothing could hurt me.

With Clarette and Jack close behind us, we left the building, crossing the gravel path to the parking lot where we left in Jack’s black Lotus. Vance and I sat in the back seat, his arm around my waist as I sat, curled into him. His breathing was calming, and the sound of his heart beat put me at ease. It seemed to me that everything went wrong unless I was with him, unless I could feel his arms around me, the electricity of his touch kept the monsters away. But even in the heat of his touch, I couldn’t help but feel the need for something else. Something that Vance couldn’t give me.

The car came to a slow stop; I wouldn’t have noticed the change if a man hadn’t opened my door for me. I looked at Vance, my eyebrows curled in confusion. He simply smiled and nodded his chin toward the sidewalk outside the car. Sliding out of the car I stepped onto the cobblestone and gawked at the restaurant before me. The Ritz Restaurant. I suddenly felt extremely under dressed, but when I looked down at myself to be ashamed, I found myself wearing a stunning gold dress that swepts over the ground and glittered like starlight. When did I get into this? I looked at Vance, who smiled, shrugging his eyebrows. He hooked his arm through mine and lead me to the door. Whispers floated on the air around us as we walked; they thought we were famous. I giggled to myself. Me? Famous? That’s a pipe dream. WhenVance approached the host at the door, I began to panic. A place like this would surely have a waiting list that went on for days. How could we just expect to show up and get a table? This fear dissolved when the man wordlessly turned and lead us into the restaurant, and sat us at a table in a quiet corner of the dining floor.

“How did we get this table? Aren’t there people waiting to be seated?” I asked as Vance polietly helped me into my seat.

“This is my usual table,” he said, “They’ve all been informed that if I’m ever to show up to seat me immediately.”

“I forget that you’re ancient and can do things like that.” I mumbled.

He chuckled, “You look stunning by the way.”

I felt my cheeks go red. “Thank you, but this wasn’t what I was wearing in the car.”

“I know, but you were so serene curled into my side you hardly noticed the change. It’s your dress however.”

“I can keep it?” I asked, a smile breaking across my face.

Clarette laughed, “It was yours to begin with, I don’t know why you would think you couldn’t keep it.” she said.

“It was? In what life? This dress is amazing!”

“Your last life, you were part of the wealthier eschelon in New York in the fourties. You often wore this dress when we went out to the theater.” Vance said. “Ah, I miss those times.”

“We’ve heard the stories a thousand times, father...” Clarette said, gasping as she finished, her dainty hand fling to her lips.

Had she just called Vance father? I waited for someone to say something, but they had all frozen in their seats. “Clarette, did you just call Vance, Father?” I asked, hoping to break them out of their paralysis.

Her hand dropped slowly as he eyes found Vance’s, holding them, waiting for an answer.

“Laela, darling, there’s something you must know.” Vance said slowly, looking me right in the eye, sending a shiver down my spine. “It’s not going to be easy to take in, but it’s time you knew.”

Silence filled the table. Clarette and Jack looked back and forth from each other and Vance.

“Clarette and Jack are not my siblings,” Vance said carefully, watching me. “They’re my children. Our children.”

My heart stopped. Our... children...! The air seemed to stop in my throat and my vision started to blur as I gripped the edges of the table for support. This couldn’t be possible. Vance had told me that my last life had spanned through the fourties, but how long had it lasted? Jack couldn’t be older than his late twenties, and Clarette didn’t seem to be much older than me.

“Darling?” Vance’s hand floated to my knee, but I couldn’t feel it. “Are you alright?”

Clarette blinked rapidly. “Father, I don’t think she’s breathing.”

Air flooded my lungs and tears burned my eyes. “Our... children?” I whispered. “How... when?”

“I know it’s hard to understand, but it’s real. Your last life was a long and happy one. Jack is thirty-four born to you in 1978, and Clarette is twenty-seven born to you in 1985.” Vance said, Clarette and Jack smiling. “We lived in New York, nothing fancy, you wanted to be in the city so we lived in a simple flat until... until he took you from us.”

“Forced you to marry him, and then you gave birth to twins by him.” Jack growled.

“Twins?” I asked, taken aback. How many children did I have in the last life? “Wow, I was busy. Four kids...”

Clarette giggled. “We’re not the only ones. You’ve got plenty more, Laela.” Her voice was light and airy. As I looked at her, I could see the resemblance between the two of us. It was almost startling. “We’re just the youngest.”

“Where are my other children? Are they your siblings, or Stitch’s children?” I had so many questions. I wanted to meet them. After losing my baby a few years ago I felt a desperate need to have someone to care for; a need to be a mother.

There was an uncomfortable silence between us. “Most of them have passed away. We have two other siblings, Carter Woolfe, and Regina Martin. They’re over fifty, they know you, spent most of their lives with you, until Stitch took you away before father got you back. That’s when you had us.” she said quietly. “With him, you have five children that are still alive. Two daughters and three sons.”

I gasped. A tear slipped from my eye as I smiled at them. Our waiter arrived then, and I watched as everyone grew stiff.

“My name is Murroa and I’ll be your waiter this evening.” said the man. I looked up and felt my skin go cold. This man, Murroa looked shockingly familiar. The boy from the hospital. “Nice to see you again, mother.”

Just around the riverbend

Finals are right around the corner, and then I will be free!!!! I will be finished and only have work to worry about. My pageant is in a week and when that is over, we move onto finals. Then I will write more of Perfect Strangers for you. I promise! Thanks for being so patient with me everyone! Life has just been stressful.

Moar story

So this is mostly for Erin since she's the only one that really wants this to go anywhere it seems, so Erin, enjoy.


She had hardly put a foot on the pavement before she was swept off into another black sedan and driven into a bustling city. She had grown up in a small town in England, but had lived in Vegas for years; Sin City had nothing on the amount of people here. After a short drive she was escorted out of the car into a large building.

"Miss Cox, please keep up," Agen Brown barked.

Kayleigh had hardly noticed the sluggish pace she had adopted, but quickly hop-skipped to Brown's side, still basking in the moment. She had finally made it. She was walking the halls that her father had, seeing what he would see, and soon, she would be doing what he had done. Almost. She wasn't working with MI-6, but one day she might be lucky enough to do so. Brown walked her through a maze of hallways before opening a set of double doors and leading her into a dimly lit room. There were voices beyond a wall, and she recognized the foreign accent at once. Australian. Agent Brown lead her around a corner where the voices stopped. Bending over a table were four people, two men, and two women, who had been in the middle of a rather serious conversation when she stepped in. Everyone at the table looked up at her, and the range of emotions on their faces was surprising.

A woman with curly auburn hair and dazzling green eyes held genuine surprise for a brief moment before quickly narrowing at her. She wasn't trying at all to disguise the scorn.

The other woman brushed her long black bangs out of her eyes. Confusion.

One of the men raised one of his brows. He wasn't impressed.

The last held one unmistakable emotion. Lust.

Kayleigh rolled her eyes at the man with the dilated pupils; men are all the same. She thought to herself. Agent Brown did little in the way of introductions, simply saying her name and quickly leaving the room, casting a final glance at the curly-haired woman. Kayleigh stood there, waiting for someone to say something, but when the curly-haired woman gathered a stack of papers off the table in a huff, brushing past Kayleigh with a growl. As if her departure had given him permission, Lusty sidled up to her, a sly look in his eyes and a smile on his lips.

“Kayleigh, huh?” he said, his accent was the same she had pegged earlier. “You must be the cop from Las Vegas,” he extended a hand to her. “The name’s Aidan Kellet.”

Politely she shook his hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you Aidan, and the answer to your unasked question is no. I won’t sleep with you.”

A smile broke across the faces of everyone, save Aidan, in the room and a low chuckle rumbled through.

“I like you,” said the woman with black hair. “I’m Skye Hayes. Get all your jokes out now because I don’t want to hear any of them later.”

Kayleigh smiled to herself, but said nothing. The other man in the room smiled and Kayleigh noticed her heart skip a beat. Had his smile really just done that to her? She smiled politely back, quietly analyzing him. He was taller than her in three inch heels, which put him over six feet. His hair was dusty blonde, falling messily over his brow. It looked as though he had just rolled out of bed for a photoshoot and they paired him with some gorgeous model to sell cologne. He could get a model... Kayleigh thought to herself. His eyes were sparkling brown and watching her as intently as she was him. She felt her cheeks go warm. He had to be giving her a false reading. No one had produced those feelings from her. Ever. Not even when they tried to be charming.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Kayleigh.” he said. “I’m Tyson Koch. The man in charge--”

“--only in this room,” mumbled Aidan, still standing in the doorway with Kayleigh.

“Of this operation.” Tyson finished tersely.

Skye laughed, crossing the room and taking Kayleigh by the wrist and pulling her into the middle of the room by the table.

“Let’s get started, yeah?” she asked, eyeing the men angrily. “Time is of the essence here.”

Tyson nodded, crossing the table to a smart board on the wall and tapping the screen. What looked like a murder board back at the precinct appeared. It was filled with pictures of people and places as well as documents. As Tyson pulled other documents onto the screen Kayleigh stepped toward the board, focusing on the pictures of people. One image had caught her attention. From what she had seen, the mug shots were fairly standard, their faces blank as they were instructed, but one had a slight contraction in his upper lip; the beginning of a snarl. Contempt.

She didn’t know how to use the board, but she tapped the picture, dragging it into the center of the screen. “Who is this?” she asked.

Aidan was right behind her, speaking into her ear. “He’s called Etzio, but his given name is Carter Sattiotori, why?” His voice had been so close to her she jumped backward, straight into his chest. “Mmm, if you wanted to be close to me all you had to do was ask.”

Kayleigh took a deep breath, smiling slyly to herself. She flexed her back, rubbing it against his chest as she straightened her posture, glancing over her shoulder, portraying the emotion of desire.

“You’re right,” she said, turning toward him, noticing the confusion of Skye and Tyson, smiling again, tracing patterns up Aidan’s chest. “I want to be close...” she leaned toward him, her lips inches from his, when suddenly she turned back toward the board, putting instant distance between their bodies. “to this man.”

Aidan glared. “Why?”

“He’s got information that you need.”

“How can you know that from a picture?”

Kayleigh smiled proudly. “It’s what I’m paid to do, Aidan. I know he’s got information that you need, and I would like to speak with him.”

“He’s being held down the hall.” Tyson said, “We’ve already questioned him. He isn’t speaking.”

“Words don’t mean a thing to me. You can ask questions, all I need to do is watch.” she stared intently at the picture. “I will be in need of a video camera. That’s all.”

After ten minutes of searching, Kayleigh had a camcorder in her hands and was following Tyson to the room where they were holding Mr. Sattiotori. When she entered, she set the camera on the tripod and angled it directly at his face. His eyes were dark, unamused, and dangerous.

“This is Kayleigh, she’s consulting on this case.” Tyson said, opening a file. “Mr. Sattiotori, you were found on the scene of a highly radioactive warehouse. This is where the bomb was assembled, correct?”

Concealed smile. No answer.

“Mr Sattiotori, answer the question. We know you were involved in the production. Everything you were wearing had traces of radiation on it. Where did the bomb go?”

His eyes dropped to the left, staring at the ground for a moment. Shame.

Kayleigh cocked her head to the side. “You weren’t involved in the production. But you found the bomb. You didn’t know who had built it, and you didn’t stick around long to find out.” His eyes widened. Surprise. “But when you came back, the people who built the bomb were there. Weren’t they?”

He nodded. “I came back for the car I had seen in the back of the warehouse. When I arrived there were five men, all of their faces covered, I did not see them. They saw me, knocked me out and when I woke up, there were feds all over the place asking me where the bomb had gone.”

His voice had remained constant. He broke eye contact twice to remember details that were fuzzy, but had ended holding her eyes. He was telling the truth.

“Thank you, Mr. Sattiotori, a few more questions.” She smiled, putting him at ease. “Did you hear anything while you were in the warehouse? Names, places, times? Anything that would help us find this bomb? I know you don’t want to go up in flames, none of us do.”

Lip shrug. He knew, but wasn’t telling.

“Mr. Sattiotori, this can all be quite easy if you would just tell me what you know. I know you’re hiding it. I can see it in your face.”

“Wednesday. They said something about Wednesday and that now the people of New York would finally understand their power. They could destroy their lives and not bat an eye. There, I’ve told you everything I know. Can I go? You have no reason to hold me here.”

Tyson looked at Kayleigh, who nodded. “You may go,” he said.

Sattiotori stood, leaving the room just as the curly-haired woman opened the door.

“Tyson,” her voice was tense. “Boss wants to see you. He sounded... upset.”

Tyson’s hand went to his brow, rubbing his temples. “Thank you Zooey. Tell him I’ll be right there.”

Zooey nodded, her eyes drifting to Kayleigh and narrowing before she left the room.

“I hope he was telling the truth. For both of our sakes. We just let our only suspect walk out the door.” Tyson said, standing and leaving the room.

Short Story...

I know I haven't posted anything lately, and I apologize for that. I'll try and get some more Perfect Strangers up soon, but for now, please accept the beginning of my new little short story inspired by the most intense dream I've ever had, minus my nightmares... It doesn't have a title yet, so if any of you think of something, let me know!


The sun blazed overhead making the road something of a mirage in front of the car. The haze made the black asphalt ooze and melt in zig-zags in the distance before dropping out of sight completely. The radio was on in the car, playing the only station she could pick up, a thin sheen of sweat coated her forehead. She cursed the beater of a car she drove, but instantly forgave it for being a piece of junk, stroking the steering wheel fondly.
Kayleigh had the money to get a new car, but she couldn’t bring herself to part from the lunker her father had driven for what must have been his entire life, and now Kayleigh was determined to run it into the ground when it died. That’s how her father would have wanted it. They had brought it over seas with them when they moved from England for her father’s job. She never knew what he did, he wasn’t allowed to give her any specific details, but she knew what his job title was. MI-6 liason and Deception Specialist for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When he was killed the week before Kayleigh’s seventeenth birthday she swore she would continue his legacy. He had always taught her what he knew, and she flew through her schooling, quickly ranking at the top of her class.

Finding work, however, was a new challenge.

Eventually she  landed herself a menial job as a cop for the Las Vegas police. She hated her job. Everything her father had taught her had been very valuable to her, and enabled her to put some of Vegas’ most wanted criminals behind bars all before she was twenty-two. The precinct was impressed by her skill, and as such, everyone wanted her on their squad, but as the director wanted, she became more of a floater, moving from case to case as her skills were required. Sure, this allowed her to dip her toes in every pool, seeing what she was best at, but it wasn’t fulfilling to her. She wanted more. She wanted to be just like her father.

Rolling into the parking garage for her apartment complex brought immediate relief from the heat outside. Despite that fact that it was nearly sundown, the temperature was still well above eighty degrees. She made her way to the elevator, stripping her blazer off of her, the material from the lining sticking to her skin as she peeled it off. When she stepped off the elevator, she was in nothing but her bra and jeans. Her door was directly across the hall; it took her two steps to reach the door, keys outstretched, when someone called her name.

“Kayleigh Cox?” the voice asked, deep and official sounding.

She looked over her left shoulder to where the voice had spoken. There was a man in a crisp black suit leaning against the wall by the elevator. His posture was rigid despite the casual pose he had adopted, his arms locked over his chest, head erect. She couldn’t see his eyes because of the dark Ray-Bans he wore, but she didn’t need to see his eyes to read him. His mouth was drawn into a thin line, lips pressed together tightly. The corner of his mouth twitched upward, his nose crinkling and brows drawing together for a fraction of a second before relaxing again. Contempt. Why was he showing her contempt?

Raymond Lezario.

This man was probably one of his cronies here to kill her because she had just put him away for life.

Her hand moved slowly to the gun at her hip.

“Are you Kayleigh Cox, Las Vegas PD?” he asked, his mouth hardly opening to speak the words.

She debated answering him, watching his face. Another flash of contempt and rising annoyance. “And you are?” she asked, her accent catching him off guard.

“Agent Brown, FBI,” he replied, relaxing only in the slightest. “I need to speak with you.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Please, come in,” she said, despite the fact that she had yet to enter her home herself.

When they entered, she invited him to sit while she went to her room to throw on a t-shirt. She knew that she was taking a risk. She hadn’t asked the man for any identification, but when he had stated his name there were no signs that he was lying. When she returned he had removed his glasses and was staring intensely at her wall. She rolled her eyes; to anyone that didn’t know her occupation, she would come off as a serial killer. Her entire wall was covered in photos of faces of various people, people she knew, famous people, political figures, and random people caught on servelance photos. She had circled things in the photos, indicated their poster, facial expressions, and in each photo, determined if there was deception.

She cleared her throat. “You needed to speak with me, Agent Brown?” she asked, sitting on the sofa directly across from him.

Tearing his eyes away from the wall she couldn’t help but notice the slight fear in his eyes. “Yes, I’m here because the Bureau is in need of your skills.” he said, and her face lit up, which she quickly concealed. “We lost a great asset when your father was killed four years ago, and we’ve been watching you closely. You’re just as good as him, and we need your help on an especially puzzling case.”

“I’m listening,”

“Ever since Nine-Eleven there have been so many bomb threats and attempts we can’t keep up with them. But this particular case is different. We have the culprit, but don’t know where the bomb is. At this point time is of the essence. It’s been twenty-four hours since we apprehended him, and we have been running in circles. We need you to figure out where the bomb is before it’s too late.”

Chapter 31

Sorry this has taken me so long you guys! I've kinda hit a bit of a wall with this story. I know I have a big, huge, WTF moment coming, and I know what I need to do to achieve that now, thanks to a brilliant spark of genius flared by Erin. But the problem is getting there now, and I'm trying desperately to steer the story in that direction. Well, quick update on my life. I've moved out, you know that. I'm going crazy with the amount of reading that I've had to do for my Ancient Legacies class. We've finished the Epic of Gilgamesh, and started into the Iliad, and it's only like the third week of the semester! It's crazy! I got an A on my first exam in my music class. I can't say it was too hard, but it was definitely a challenge. I've also decided to run for Miss Orem again this year. I had such a great experience last year, and learned so much about myself that I feel I need to do it again. I also made tons of new friends, and I love the girls I competed with last year, and hope to see some of them again as contestants! I think it needs to be sunny again. My family suffers from extreme seasonal depression, and though I love the rain and all of it's glory, the snow and ominous dark clouds that roll across the sky, the early onset of darkness, and the overall frigidness of the air gets me really down. To the point that I've been bawling over things that I shouldn't. Like Once Upon A Time, for instance. Great show, by the way, but I shouldn't have been bawling when Snow had to tell James that she didn't love him, and to watch the pain it caused her was awful! Then, who knows why I went home and did this, but I watched The Notebook. I always cry in that movie. Without fail. I know that, which is why I never watch it with people. But when I was watching it this time, there is no reason why I should have been wracked with sobs. Like it was whole body tremors for the last half hour or more of the movie. I need the sunshine.... Anyway, have a chapter. It's short and I don't particularly like it.....


Chapter thirty-one


I rolled over, completely restless in the hospital bed they had confined me to. It seems I am unable to get over my “fear” of shadows and reflections. I’m constantly being hurt by glass, because that thing breaks the mirrors when it tries to get to me. I don’t know what it is, and that’s what scares me the most. The sun had gone down hours ago, and visiting hours were long past, and when my door creaked open slowly I was expecting a nurse to slip through the door, but the tall dark figure was not a staff member. My heart beat quickened as the shadow approached. I fumbled around under the sheets for the call button, frantically, as my head began to throb.

“Calm down, Laela.” whispered a familiar voice.

“Stitch?” I froze; Vance had been positive that Stitch wouldn’t be able to get to me here. “What are you doing here?”

He sat at the edge of my bed, his green eyes ablaze. “Getting past that security guard was no easy feat, love. I just wanted to see you... to make sure you’re okay.”

My walls went up, but something felt wrong; like not trusting him was a bad thing, but... Vance would never lie to me. Vance wants to protect me from the people who want to hurt me, and Stitch was one of them. I stared at him, waiting aprehensively for him to say something further. He just watched me for a moment, making my heart race. Only after I could feel the unspoken words between us did he speak up.

“I need you to trust me, Laela. I can fix this, but only if you let me.” he whispered, leaning closer.

I backed away, only slightly. “Fix what? I don’t need fixing.” I lied. I wanted this shadow to go away. I wanted to be free of it.

“Everything. I’ll make it how it was back then. Everything will be perfect again.”

The memory of that night in Florida flashed through my mind, making the blood raise to my cheeks. He smiled, making my blush more intense. I hadn’t seen him smile in my direction since that night, and something deep inside of me yearned to see that smile again. I leaned forward unconsciously, and just as instantaneously as the feeling had overwhelmed me, I recoiled, Vance’s smiling face penetrating the haze Stitch had cast on me. A sick feeling of disgust took hold on me; Stitch was using his magic on me. I could feel it in the air.

“I’m fine, I don’t need you to fix me, Stitch.” I grouched, folding my arms defensively across my chest. “Go away.”

The smile that lingered on his lips faltered. “Laela, can’t you see what’s happening to you? He’s distorting your views.”

“No he’s not. If I were dating you, I’m sure Vance would be where you are now, telling me the same thing.” I snorted. “Just because you hate each other for some obscure reason--for a girl!-- doesn’t mean that you’re going to ruin my relationship with him. Vance is an amazing guy, and you can’t change my mind just by talking smack on Vance.”

He stood up, running his hand through his hair, sighing, exhasperated. “He’s gone further than I gave him credit for...” turning, his emerald eyes ablaze, he continued. “Fine, don’t listen to me, but this isn’t the end of this. I will open your eyes to the truth.”

I clamped my jaw tight, refusing to speak. He rolled his eyes, bent forward and kissed me on the forehead before leaving in silence. My heart fluttered and I had trouble breathing for a moment, and then I called Vance.

****

A week later I was released from the hospital. Vance picked me up, sweekping up to the curb in his sleek Farrari, blond hair glistening in the dusky light. A smile broke across my lips as I practically ran to the car, jumping into the seat and kissing Vance.

“Well hello, beautiful.” he whispered, kissing me again. “How are you?”

“Happy to be out of there.” I sighed. “Let’s go do something fun.”

“It will have to wait until later, love. I’ve got family business to attend to, but Cam will take care of you until I return this evening.”

My shoulders dropped. “Va-ance,” I whined, “why did you make plans if you knew I was getting released today?”

As we pulled away from the curb he put his hand on my thigh. “I’m sorry love, but it was planned for a long time. I promise I will come to you as soon as we finish. My parents are in town.” He sounded bitter.

“And I can’t meet them because...?” I prodded.

“I don’t think its a good idea, Laela. They’re very... old school.”

I raised an eyebrow. How old school could they be? It’s not like we were living together, and we didn’t see each other in school, we weren’t getting in the way of each others studies, so what was the problem?

“I haven’t told them about you.” Vance answered my silent question.

I sat back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest, jutting out my bottom lip in a pout. “Tell them about me today then.”

We rolled up to the school, slowing to a standstill, the engine purring. Cam rolled himself off the wall, approaching the car with an apprehensive air about him. He smiled curtly at Vance, opening my door and helping me out of the car. His hand lingered on my waist as he closed the door, smiling at me.

“Wonderful to see you again, Laela.” he said. “I’ll keep her with me until you get back, Vance. Tell your father hello for me.”

I looked at Cam, surprised for a moment that he knew Vance’s father, but soon enough remembered that I was the only foreigner there. Of course Vance’s apprentice would know his family. Vance smiled at me once more, bidding me farewell, and rolling away, the engine roaring as he raced down the street.

Cam lifted my hand to his lips. “I missed you, Laela.” he said.

I pulled my hand out of his and attempted to smile. “I missed you too, Cam. Now why don’t we go inside?” I suggested.

He seemed disappointed; as we walked, I glanced behind us, and in the fading light of day, something horrible caught my eye. The Shadow had replaced mine.

Aaand I'm following Erin.

I feel like the whole world is following your lead Erin, I'm starting up my own private blog for the purpose of posting Branded and getting constructive feedback from those that are privileged enough to read it. On this blog will also be the refined chapters of Alyce. They will be posted after I have put them on the Obscurely Clear blog, and have been edited and the like. This is a blog for me where I will get the feedback I need, and hope that you will join me and put your voice in. If you would like an invite, please email me at alex@tdr-ut.com.

Moving Out and Moving Up

WOOOO I'm sure you've all heard that I've moved out, but for those of you who haven't, there you go! I love it, even if the place gets a little boring since our television is broken and the roommates are never home. I swear, I'm the only one home most of the time, and it's kinda creepy. Also, they sleep forever. I'm usually awake by nine or ten, but they're all dead to the world. I also never really see one girl, and she's never said hi either, not that I haven't tried to be friendly, it's just kinda cold..... ugh. Anyway, in aaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the spare time I've had after getting all my stuff straightened out, I wrote this next chapter. YAY!



Chapter thirty

As I stared at the thing that consumed my reflection the glass began to pulse, slowly at first, then more rapidly until the glass was vibrating, distorting my reflection further. I backed away until my back was pressed against the shower wall, unable to take my eyes off the horrid image before me. The black mass was moving, twisting in the distortion until it had moved past the vibrating glass as if it were preparing to cross through the reflection into the real world. A massive black hand pressed itself against the glass, black sludge dripping down the glass as it’s teeth appeared in a crooked smile. I screamed, throwing my hands out in front of me, and heard the glass shatter. I opened one eye only enough to see the mountain of glass shards covering the counter; the shadow was gone. I crossed the floor, careful to avoid the stray shards that littered the tile until I had reached the counter. I turned my face away, reaching blindly for a piece of glass. I picked up a piece of glass, feeling the sharp edges bite into my skin; warm blood flowed down my hand and I loosened my grip, slowly opening my eyes to look into the piece of glass. The shadow was still there. I screamed again, stumbling backward into the wall, sending myself sprawling onto the floor, glass entering my flesh on my legs, arms, and palms. Despite the glass cutting into my flesh, I scrambled away from the glass on the floor and pressed myself into the wall, closing my eyes as tight as I could, my heart racing, pounding out of my chest, thumping in my head, and making me feel dizzy.

**********
“Laela!” Someone was shouting my name, I could feel their hands on my body, feeling me for any signs of life. “Laela, please talk to me!”

My eyes fluttered open, drawing the chaos of color into focus. There was a uniform sigh in the room, and suddenly I was being gathered into someone’s chest. My head was pounding, my chest felt heavy like my lungs had been filled with cement, and I couldn’t feel my arms. Someone’s lips pecked my forehead.

“Laela, darling, can you hear me?” It was Vance’s voice that cut through the fog in my mind.

I nodded, slowly, it hurt to move. What happened...? I asked myself, hoping to recall the events before I passed out; I couldn’t remember anything until... the shadow. My body tensed up, the muscles in my legs and arms contracting painfully as I clawed for Vance’s shirt, my heart raced and my vision spun. Vance picked me up, carrying me out of the room.

“Get someone to clean up that glass. I’m taking her to the hospital.” Vance told whoever was in the room with him. “Make sure the others know where she is, but do not let Stitch in there alone. Do you understand?” his voice had become icy.

“Yes, Vance.” Replied Cam.

I vaguely recalled leaving the room, but hardly remembered leaving the building. The next thing I remembered was waking up in a hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling. I sat up slowly, my head throbbing.

“Ye took a righ’ nasty fall,” Mused someone in the far corner of the room; their accent was thick. Definitely not English. I glanced toward them, finding a boy sitting on the edge of a bed. His eyes were dark, but sparkling mysteriously. He had a long gash across the bridge of his nose, black eyes, and bloody knuckles. “Wha’ happened?”

I sighed, flinching at the sharp pain in my chest. “Some broken glass... I fell on it.”

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips. “You’re tellin’ me you jus’ fell on some broken glass? Likely story. Looks like ye jumped out ah window, darlin’.”

“I did not jump out a window!” I shouted indignantly, crossing my thickly bandaged arms over my chest, wincing again. “A mirror broke, and I... fell.”

“Tha’ pause there speaks volumes, lassy.” He winked, “Afraid of your own reflection?”

You would be too if your reflection looked like mine. I thought to myself. “And what about you?” I glanced over his dirty figure. Street fight? Attempted suicide? “You’re not looking too good yourself.”

He glanced down at himself. “I was pretty sure life wasn’t worth livin’, so I was gonna end it, but didn’t wan’ te do it myself. So I picked a right nasty fight with some ugly bloke at the bar. We’ll jus’ say my plan ain’t workin’ so well.” He winked. “However, now I know there’s some sunshine left in the world.”

I rolled my eyes as a nurse came in, followed by a tall blonde that made my heart flutter. Vance stepped around the nurse, taking a few long strides to my bedside, scooping my hand up and pressing the bandages to his lips. His eyes were tired, the usual vibrant blue was dark, almost purple, his smile was weak, as if he had been straining himself for far too long. He waved the nurse away; She left reluctantly, and closed the door behind her. I noticed her shadowy figure hovering outside the door. She wasn’t going anywhere. And neither was the boy at the end of the room. He sat on his bed, staring at us silently.

“How are you feeling?” Vance asked quietly.

“It hurts...” I said, burrowing my head into his chest. “Make it go away.”

“I wish I could,” he sighed.

“Why can’t you?” My head shot up, I was staring intensely into his eyes, willing him to give me an answer.

“Too many people have seen your injuries. It takes a lot of power and energy to alter memories, and there are just too many people to waste that much power for. I’m sorry.”

I frowned. “Then can you at least speed the process up?” Something dark moved out of the corner of my eye. Instinctively, I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around Vance’s body, and latching onto him. My body quaked and my heart rate rose. I hardly noticed the fact I was wimpering until Vance said something about it.

“Are you alright, love?” His eyes brightened for an instant, darkening again almost as quickly. “Has something frightened you?”

“Sh-shadow...” I whispered. “It’s watching me...”

He glanced around the room. “Love, he may be staring, but he’s no shadow.”

“Like ye’d know, Vance.” the boy replied. He was leaning against the wall now, standing, arms crossed over his chest in defiance. “It’s been a long time since ye’ve seen me. How are ye te know if I haven’ become a shadow. I always was when’ere ye were round.”

Vance clicked his tongue. “Obviously your obsessive need to be in the spotligght has lead to fighting. Shame.”

The boy straighened up, squaring his shoulders. I untucked myself from Vance’s arms to look at him, and screamed. Behind him was a mirror, and in it, the shadow. I hurled myself backwards, rolling off the bed, the hospital gown spreading to reveal my hardly covered body. The IV in my arm was ripped out painfully as I backed away from the bed; my whole body was shaking. The orderly outside the door came rushing in at the sound of my scream and the clamor that followed. She rushed to me, bending down to look into my eyes. My heart was racing and I was sure my pupils were dialated. I could hear the rush of blood in my ears, the sound drowning out the rest of the world around me. All I could see was the shadow. It was coming closer in the glass as it had done before. It was coming through; it was coming to get me. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat, feeling as multiple sets of hands braced me, pulling me off the cold tile floor. They were saying something to me, but I didn’t understand it.

“Calm down, love. You have nothing to fear.” whispered a familiar voice in my head. I couldn’t place who it belonged to, but it was soothing. “We’ll fix this. Together, you just have to trust me.”

As the orderlies moved me across the room back to my bed, a black movemet out of  the corner of my eye caused me to scream and flail wildly again. In the reflection of the nurse’s nametag I could see the shadow. I threw myself back, surprising them enough that they lost their hold on me. I dashed across the room, cowering behind Vance. I gripped his shirt so tightly in my hands that my knuckles were turning white. His hand floated gracefully to mine, holding it gently; the instant his skin was on mine, my panic subsided and I could think clearly. I straightened up, brushing the mess of curls away from my face. The orderlies were staring at me from the other side of the room, bewildered at the amount of strength I had shown.

“Laela, are you alright?” Vance asked, staring straight forward, keeping eye contact with the nurses.

I couldn’t find my voice for a moment, so I nodded in response.

“What frightened you last night?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I had already tried to tell him once that it was the shadow, and he had thought I was reffering to the strange boy on the other side of the room. But I needed him to understand. Without releasing my hold on his shirt I moved around him to look him in the eye.

“A shadow... where my reflection should have been.” My voice was flat, as serious as I could be without shivering. I felt as if my eyes were on fire, the intenseness of my statement was welling up inside me.

Something flashed across his face, consealed scorn, but instantly disappeared. “Are you positive?” his voice matched mine, his face blank.

I nodded. “It was huge. Eyes, glowing red. It was as if it were trying to escape from the mirror. It happened again, just now. I saw it in the mirror over there, and again in the nurse’s name tag.” My voice shook a bit.

“Sciophobia,” whispered one of the nurses behind me.

The scorn flashed across Vance’s face again, only for a moment. “She’s not afriad of shadows. This kind of thing doesn’t just set in over night.”

But what if it did? Whispered a voice in my head. What if He cursed you with it?