Month: September 2011

           The last part of it was that everyone was going to die. No one knew when their time was up or what day death would knock at their door but it would eventually come. More than half of these people strapped to the bed knew they were probably going to die no matter how much “Get Well” cards they got. The people locked up in the asylum room had no idea.

The decor in the hospital and the plague doctor’s mask wasn’t helping the chills running down my back and spreading to my arms. Blood stained the floor of the many hallways and everything was either faded or dull.

The doctors didn’t care as long as they got paid more than what they’re working for, they didn’t care what the hospital looked like or what the patients wanted or felt about things. They were obviously selfish but some, very few of them were actually nice. The nurses tended to be more nice and considerate than the doctors or staff. In fact, the staff wasn’t pleasant at all. In manner or look! All you could do was look away from them or at least try to ignore them in sympathy or disgust or maybe both.

Every bit of happiness that was inside me died. I didn’t even think I could laugh for ever being happy again in here. Laughing seemed rude and it was a luxury no one here could have so even though it wasn’t a rule against laughing, there were definitely nasty looks and looks of disapproval. Laughing had become a rude insult.

The hospital was a church full of unhappiness and scared eyes. I was one of them.

It was simple. Everything was except how to get out of here. I was probably the last sane patient but counting the friend I made, it makes us two last sane patients. Just two and the rest were disoriented or just plain deranged.

That last friend. He wasn’t a friend. He didn’t ever talk to me but twice in all the years I’ve been here. It wasn’t even a conversation. Just one sentence from him and one sentence from me. He seemed nice and the doctors seemed to take a liking to him. Everyone knew him and he knew everyone. I was not everyone, I was a no one and no ones don’t just instantly befriend him like everyone. It was reality. It was just how things go around here.

Predicting the future was easy. Doctors keep a close eye on the sane, violently insane, and the ones that have rich parents. They took a lot of breaks (most breaks at four minutes to two forty nine) and if they didn’t like you, take a week to do everything you’ve never done because they’re very good at finding a way to kill you subtly and where “It’s never the doctors’ fault, they were just trying to help”.

One day when I visit him, that’ll be the last moments of his life and my last moments here. Being stuck in your room all day until the night where doctors don’t even care and I’m up, I keep dreaming of the day and each time I think of something better for him to do or say to me. It changed from You were always on mind ‘til this minute to I secretly loved you. I have to admit. Take my chain, remember me always. I love you.

I noticed last month he had always been wearing a dog tag attached to a chain around his neck when it flashed into my eyes. He glanced at me that day and he almost smiled but everyday I seem a little more pathetic to myself.

The hospital was depressing as if that was a surprise. Whenever I tried to laugh, I gulped a wind full of hopelessness. The doctors were probably used to it. They believed that all of the people that were almost dead never wore smiles at the last minute. Could you  imagine the doctors going to a funeral every minute? I guess they could say “We live our lives in Black.“

This is my first post. . . Just testing.

could someone properly explain what this website is like?…*sighs* and also…I am trying to find a DA friend on here…who used to be known as DrTripwire, who just up and vanished…

My siblings gone, now I’m alone,
Drifted away into another home.
The days are long as I wait for thier return
But as the days pass, my heart begins to burn.
As the memories of their faces slowly fade away
But I still must endure each and every day.
Then I grow older, forgetting each thought,
As well as each day has brought
A new world for me
As I forget completely
About the siblings I once remembered.
Moving on, forever.

Chapter 1

A real crime is not just stealing from a cash register, or shop lifting. It’s like a kidnapping. My name is Mike Connor and I am saying this because my little sister, Sara got kidnapped.

It all started 4 years ago when I was eight, I could just remember that night, when I wake up and all I hear is Sara screaming. My blood starts to rush like rapids as my parents and I run into my sister’s room and all I saw were the open window and the curtain flowing in the wind. Sara…, was gone.

Chapter 2

I am now twelve years old and in seventh grade. I was outside my school and I was thinking about Sara with her brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Hey!” I heard my two friends, Allison and Joey, yell. Allison had the same personality as Sara, so she was like my replacement sister. They asked me “What were you thinking about?” whenever I talk about Sara around them they usually get angry for some reason so I just said “I was just day dreaming.”

Then I saw um, I think blood on Allison’s shirt. I asked her “Um, Allison is that blood on your shirt.” Allison and Joey exchanged looks oddly and she said “No, it’s just a ketchup stain.”

Then I heard the bell ring and said “We should probably get to class.”

After we got out of school they invited me over their house, so I walked next door and knocked on the door and it just…, opened a tiny bit, I said “Hello?” No answer. “Guys, this is not funny!”

I, I saw a trail of blood into their basement and I walked down the stairs and I saw, I saw, Oh my gosh.

CHAPTER 3

I saw my sister Sara. And she had a big bloody scar on her arm. I couldn’t believe after all that we have been through Allison and Joey would hurt and kidnap my sister like that, but the burning question is why?

I made sure they couldn’t hear or see me while I was on the steps yet I didn’t know what they would do to me if they saw or heard me. Then they said to Sara “If you ever spill our secret, we will kill you.” She couldn’t talk back because her mouth was closed with duct tape. Then all my anger spilt out like a river and I said “Joey, Allison, what are you doing with my sister!” Allison said “It’s not what you think; she was going to spill our secret. She looked at Sara with a dirty look. Then I said “I don’t care, and what secret!” I said. Then Joey said “You can’t know!” “YOU…, SAID…, YOU…, WERE…, GOING…, TO…, KILL…, MY…, SISTER! With all my might I punched both of them and they got knocked out.

I took my sister home and my parents were so happy and so was I, but, Allison and Joey disappeared without a trace.     

TO BE CONTINUED

11 boys 1 girl

Girls: Amaryllis

Boys: Grey Flynt Gnash Jet Frost Fain Kyler Seanick Cloven Dagon Jaythan Skye

Amaryllis: 14 midnight brown loose curls                                                                                       Dark Chocolate eyes     medium olive skin    careful, strong,

Grey: 16 jet black razor cut/choppy layers longs swept side bangs brushed off to one side covering his left eye                                                                                                           Cloudy gray eyes   smug, mysterious, defiant, rebellious,  tantalizing, dark, persuasively , fun, can’t get enough of,  male mystique, great physique, “The Mystery”

Flynt: 14/15 Sandy blonde    Brush cut                                                                                         Chartreuse eyes alabaster skin  gangly, hyper/energetic, always happy, positive, funny, “The Clown”

Gnash: 16 dark auburn hair Caesar cut                                                                                        Russet eyes  built/big boned, intimidating, good ideas, rough, cold, violent, bully, Reverent,”look up to guy”, can be nice, “The Leader”

Jet: 15 dark coper    Faux Hawk                                                                                                       Amber eyes  attentive, “on the ball”, fast runner, keen, workaholic,  hard working, passive, sensible, “The Father”

Frost: 16 dark chestnut side swept mop                                                                                      Frost/Ice blue  free,radical, creative, adaptable,get’s picked on, overestimated, outgoing,misunderstood, own kind of strong, humble, friendly, always out there “The Sidekick”

Fain:15 Golden Wheat Ivy League                                                                                                  Emerald eyes   careless, troublemaker,thief,  jokester, lazy, manipulative, Mischievous,  useful, “The Bandit”

Kyler:16 ebony the bangs, versatile cut, pompadour classic side swept look              Steel blue eyes   charm, goody two shoes,  rich, clean, lair, persistent, materialistic, arrogant, “The Dollar”

Seanick: 15  Hair: light ash brown Faux Hawk        Amaryllis’s old childhood friend   Golden brown eyes     Arrogant,  Stud Muffin, Smooth, Casanova,  Sarcastic, tough, endurance,  clever, Elusive, repulsive yet attractive, “The Magnet”

Dagon:15/16 ginger blonde Fringe(bangs)  top long back short                                       hazel eyes      competitive, loud,  inconsiderate,  fierce, a little barbarous, ambitious, boastful, “The Fighter”

Jaythan:16 chestnut hair wedge cut    Amaryllis’s brother                                                    warm brown eyes   Bold, courageous, confident, perfectionist, prim, lovable, daring, “the Hero”

Skye:15 dark golden brown swept side                                                                                        sky blue eyes  cute, down to earth, curious, adventurous, clumsy, dreamer, sweet, fun-loving, “The heart”

Settings:

Sky: daytime skies are rainbow colors and nighttime skies are space/galaxies

You broke each other’s hearts

now you’ll always be apart.

You’ll never see eye to eye

and before you say hello you bye bye

I love you both

but you swore a oath

dirvorced

“Swing your sword Cupcake!” Gleeson Hedge ordered myself. “What do you think I was doing,playing baseball with an unusually pointy object?!” I yelled back. Honestly,I’ve been doing this for the last 5 hours,and he keeps deflecting it. I mean,Die already! No offense or anything. By the way,my name is not Cupcake. Blair I prefer,really. “No back talk Missy!” he yelled,as he deflected my slash,the hundredth time. I dropped my sword in defeat,I started to walk away. “Hey,I’m not done with you yet!” But I couldn’t hear him because I was too busy,”LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!” I really hate that goat dude,but my father thought it was for the best. Yeah,I learned so much,I learned that if I try really hard that goat will still deflect it! Yep,so much to learn from that lesson! I put my headphones on,and cranked up the volume of my music. I walked along the beach,that was close by from the forest,that we were training in. Did I say training? I meant,Me Failing in. I took off my combats,that hurt the bottoms of my feet,so I could run in the sand,freely. Also,I love how it leaves little marks in the sand. But I knew,it was no time,for running around on the beach like a little 5 year old. I was going to get traded to Hades,for my brother,Mike. Who traded me in? My Mother of course,I kicked a rock that made my foot hurt a lot. She thinks my brother is more important than me. I mean you couldn’t blame her,he’s 5 for crying out loud! And I’m just a rebel 15 year old,who can’t even beat an 105 year old satyr who’s probably eating staples right now. I’m always 2nd place,to little Mike. I kicked a lying stick,that flew 4 feet. My Dad,made a plan to run away before the trade in. But knowing that I was a demigod I have to train to fight the monsters. This is one of the oh so great things of being a demigod. You fight monsters,and get traded in to Gods.

A\N:It’s been a while eh? My before one,I read it over,I realized it was pretty bad. So I’m re doing it? You think the redo is better?

It is and all the other stories

Chapter 2 The Quest

 The ride seemed to take forever. Occasionally they would make a comment about the “young lass.”  They did not seem to be hunting, the never stopped, but just road on. It was not until midnight that they stopped riding. It was in the middle of nowhere! The men took a tent off of a horses back. It was a couple of logs covered in a cream colored canvas. They set it out on the forest floor and offered Meadowsweet a space. She refused and slept on the ground outside.

 The men sat in the tents talking. She listened in to the conversation. Meadowsweet did not know why she did not run, she just didn’t.

 ”What are we going to do with her?” It was the oldest one. “I mean, it was funny at the time, but she will just be in the way. You have to agree Nick.”

“Just wait a little while Harold, she could be useful, I mean I admit that my cooking, doesn’t quite make the cut. She could do it for us.” They were going to make her cook for them! She would not put up with her making them her servant. Just because she was a girl…

 ”Right now it’s the quest we need to focus on. If we can find the sword without her getting in the way, I don’t see what the problem is,” the middle one added.

 Nick groaned, “Why do we have to worry about the sword, Jerard. It could cause just as much panic if we burned down a couple of towns, getting the same results, mayhem and weakness.”

 Jerard sighed, “I have been through this a million times Nick. The sword is the princes so it is of political importance. A couple little towns won’t bother them a bit, those are just peasant  problems. Targeting the government will get our country out of exile. It is the only way.

 Now Nick sighed, very loudly, “I am going to bed,” he announced. There was some shuffling and moving around. Then they became silent.

 Meadowsweet stood up and wandered into the forest. The stars shone through the trees. There was no moon so they were extra bright. The herbs whispered to her, but she did not heed them. She had to think tonight. Meadowsweet sat on a rock, looking up at the stars. She could see every constellation that her mother had taught her as a young child. She had never been this far from home before.

 The tree whispered in the wind. They told her that she should go with them. She didn’t want to. They ridiculed her just because she was a girl. They talked of pillaging innocent peoples town and stealing. Their quest did not seem to be for any noble cause, but they spoke bitterly. They must have felt wronged in some way. She never disobeyed the trees.

At first, they just stared at me. I could almost feel their minds do flips, trying to wrap around me. Even my hair was on fire. But who was worried about appearances when you burn in front of a couple hundred people regularly? But something was different about this time… I was running on fear, too, not just anger. And it hurt. Badly. So, no, I couldn’t really enjoy the sight of seeing a gang run for their mommies when I caught fire. Sigh. Maybe the next time I run from a gang I’ll try to look up to see their expression. Psh, next time. That is, if I survived the night. When they were gone, the fire melted away, leaving me standing weakly, looking down, gritting my teeth, trying to hold myself up. Troy gaped at me.

“I’ll never get used to that.” He muttered.

“Seems that she won’t either,” Griffin chimed, looking at me with a slight grin. “She’s worn out, poor thing.”

“Don’t call me that.” I said, turning swiftly to face him. But my legs felt like jelly. I stumbled and caught myself just in time, my hands spread out for balance.

“Jenna, sit down.” Griffin walked slowly and serenely to my side.

“Meh.” I answered, swaying slightly.

“Meh?” He asked, looking at Troy for an explanation. I sank silently down, sitting on my hands and knees in the middle of the sidewalk. Troy dropped his Hello Kitty bag and rushed toward me.

“This was a bad idea,” he said, checking for a fever. Which was, of course, really stupid. I always had a fever. “We have to bring her back.”

“No…” I started coughing. What was wrong with me? “We can’t, we just left… like, two hours ago.”

“Die, or go back.” He said plainly.

“Um, give me a minute to think, okay?”

“Jenna, you’re crazy.” He accused in all seriousness.

“Yeah, we’ve accomplished that… like, two or three days ago.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Gee, I don’t know… maybe I just-” I didn’t get to finish my comment because I started coughing again. What a shame, perfect sarcasm gone to waste.

“Take it easy…” Griffin said, sitting next to me. A single drop of water hit the back of my neck. Another, than another. The sidewalk became spotted with drops of water…Well, crap.

“We have to get her out of the rain.” Griffin said, taking off his long black cloak and putting it over me Troy gave a slight nod, but didn’t move. Where would I go? I considered going back to Melissa’s for a moment, only a moment. It wasn’t just that they might turn me in if I go back; it was that I just couldn’t face them again. I had to get away, at least for one night. And another thing. I can’t believe I was the weak point in our group. Jenna, I was the one who usually made fun of the weak point, but was now, officially the weak point. And boy, did it feel terrible. I hated myself for being such an idiot… so, for several moments, they let me sit there, under Griffin’s bedazzled coat, getting soaked. The cold wet was sapping at my strength, making me see double. I concentrated hard on Troy, who was looking right at me. I forced myself to pay attention to him, not letting myself drift away. His teeth were clenched angrily; his hands were enclosed tightly, making his knuckles white. What was wrong with him?

“Make it stop.” He said firmly.

“Gee, that would be nice.” I whispered, trying to convince myself that I was stronger than this.

“Do something,” he said, standing up. “I’m not just going to wait until she passes out. We have to do something.”

“What are you going to do, friend?” Griffin asked, patting me on the back and locking eyes with Troy. What did he just call him?

“Don’t call me that.” He said, narrowing his eyes.

“Buddy?”

“That’s even worse.”

“Pal?”

“Oh, give it a rest.” He said, helping me up. He half carried me to the steps of someone’s house where a little roof kept us a little dry. “Who are you, anyway?” he asked after he wrapped the cloak around my shoulders, propping me up with his good arm. Griffin wiped the dripping rain from his face, leaning against the door behind us.

“No one important, really. I was just sent to check on how she was doing. After they give someone fire, they usually send someone to check on them.”

“You mean she’s not the only one?”

“No, there’s another girl like her. Summer’s her name. Then there’s some Russian boy… Kenya, I think.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, we can only have three in the world at a time. Over three would be chaos; people would start to catch on. So, they spread the fire out all over the world. America, Russia and Australia.” Wait- so four would mean chaos, but three was just right? Give me a break.

“You know what I think?” Troy asked, looming over me.

“What?”

“You have the imagination of a kindergartener and that you smell like perfume.” Well, I guess he needed to get that out of him.

“You don’t believe me,” Griffin said, standing up. “Summer’s here in America, but Kenya… we need to find him. They want you together.”

Okay, so during this conversation, you may have noticed that I didn’t speak up much. Right, so this is what I was thinking. First, this weirdo should be in a strait jacket. Second, if this Summer girl was real, then I wasn’t such a freak.  Then I found the strength to speak up.

“Who is ‘they?’” I asked.

“My father and his assistants… they’re in New York. That’s where you must go.”

“Must we really?” I asked, wondering why he talked like he came from a different time… gee, he sure dressed hip…I looked down at his coat. “Is that real?” I asked, pointing to the shiny buttons that looked like gems. God.

“That’s not the point. The point is, you were chosen.”

“It doesn’t feel so great. What are we up against? There’s got to be an enemy of some kind if all three of us need to be together.”

“Jenna, this isn’t some fairy tale, this is real.”

“Yeah, so?”

He sighed, looking up at the rain. “So, the enemies are all around. Well, let’s just say that without me, you’d be dead.”

                                                                                Chapter 17

All around, eh? Well, I could beat their sorry butts if I wanted to…. If it wasn’t raining. If I wasn’t in this crazy situation, I wouldn’t have believed a word Griffin had said. But considering I could catch fire, and I’d just chased away a gang… I honestly wasn’t sure of anything anymore. I didn’t have a reason to believe him… he was literally some ‘creepy’ guy who knew my name before I told him. But, still. Troy rolled his eyes. I had a feeling he’d tuned out a while ago. He was zoning into space, his face letting go of the tension. His scrunched eyebrows rose, the tension in his neck released. Even his hands unclenched a little. It was hard to stop him once he got like this, so we just sat there, on the door step of somebody else’s house, zoning out, thinking about God knows what… I realized it was better not to think than to think too much. I just wanted to go to sleep, forget about finding somewhere safe. Maybe Troy was right, maybe we should go back. We weren’t that far off….

“What now?” Griffin asked, bringing us back to reality.

“I don’t know…” I answered, and then I thought for a moment. What did this guy want, anyway? “Why are you even here?”

“Because I need to bring you kids together. You know, to be stronger.”

“Whatever…” I could care less. “Stronger for what? What’s the point?”

“There’s something you should know,” he said, pulling his cloak closer around me. I was shivering with the cold, and was trying to refrain from coughing. “They can take the fire away, you know…”

“Let them! I don’t care! This whole thing sucks! I would still be in my dorm with Kate if it wasn’t for…this!” But a fit of coughing came over me, and I shut up.  

“But you have a mission now. For years there have been three main kids. For years, they helped keep us safe.” He rolled his eyes, as if everyone should know this information. Yeah, because I totally Aced my test on the history of firing lunatics.  And why did he keep saying kids? Was it because they never made it to adulthood?

“Why kids? Why not put all the weight on the adults?” I asked, coming up with more questions to prevent the lonely silence.

“Because kids can adapt easier to changes than adults can. You’re still growing; fire can be a part of you. For adults, it’d be harder. Kids are also faster, they’d be able to do more.”

“Oh, gee, that makes sense.”

“I know, huh? When I first found out, I didn’t believe it. But it’s wonderful, isn’t it? How everything fits?”

“I’m going to teach you sarcasm.” I said, trying not to sound as scared as I was.

“Most unimportant.”                         

“Well, if you’re coming along with me, it’s practically my language.”

He nodded, and then stood up. His face was as pale as the moon, and for the first time, he actually looked mysterious. And he did it without his cloak! Bonus! Too bad his dramatic movie voice screwed things up.

“Come on, we have to do something! We can’t let her just rot here! She’ll die!” Troy exclaimed, standing up too.

“Rot?” I asked. Another fit of coughing hit my throat, and no matter how hard I tried to push it back down, it came back up again. And I couldn’t stop. I wanted it to end, to make Troy’s eyes leave mine, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t control myself. I began to wear myself out, coughing until I felt I couldn’t cough anymore. By this time, Troy had sat himself down again, a hand on my back, trying to comfort me. He gently pushed my head on his chest, letting me lean on him. Why couldn’t I stop? Every time I tried, more coughing came, making me feel sick. I barely got a break to breath, and I started gasping for air. I was getting annoyed with myself for making so much noise, but I couldn’t help it…

“Jenna?” Troy asked, sounding weak, “Are you alright?”

What a stupid question. No, Troy, I’m fine. I might be dying for all I know, but I’m absolutely fine. But I couldn’t answer, of course. He lifted my head off of his chest, settling me down. I grabbed the steps for balance and continued coughing my heart out. Before I knew it, I was practically on all fours, unable to move much at all. My heart started pounding. Is this what was going to happen every time I got cold? My arms couldn’t hold my weight, and I positioned myself on my back, facing the sky, but I couldn’t cough as well. It was just uncomfortable in every possible painful way, and I wanted it to just… leave me alone. Troy left my side, leaving to stand by Griffin. They started a conversation, but I couldn’t make out a word. The rain began to thin out, and I tried to keep my eyes open. It seemed like hours had passed, and I heard Troy’s voice raise in anger. As the rain eased, I began to be able to understand what he’d been saying.

“Why don’t you do something?” he said, yelling at Griffin, who was calm and silent.

“You are just as guilty. Why haven’t you done anything?”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“And I?”

 Troy’s eyes widened like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. I closed my eyes, straining my ears to listen to them. I was slowly getting stronger…

“Where are we going to stay tonight?” He mumbled, barely audible.

A place came to mind. Right outside of town there was this deserted broken down house. It didn’t even have windows anymore, and termites made the wood thin and aged. But something was better than nothing.

“Hey…” I said weakly. They turned around facing me. “That house,” I said, trying to sit up. Failing, I might add. That’s me, damsel in distress! “There’s that house, not too far from here. The old one, abandoned. No one will find us.”

Troy’s mouth dropped. He knew what I was talking about. He must’ve passed it every morning for school. It was one of those houses no one ever thought about, but was always there. No one ever paid much attention to it, yet more people in this area of town passed it every day.

“You’re kidding.” He assumed. I shook my head.

“Come on, s’ not so bad…” I said, picturing in my mind how awful the bathrooms must be. Eew.

“Where?” Griffin asked. “Let’s go. Come on, we already ran into a gang, I doubt we’ll be that lucky ever again.” And he was probably right. But how were we supposed to get there?

“I’ll carry you.”  Griffin said, looking up at me.

“Uh, no you won’t! I swear, it’s like you just popped out a chick flick.” I said, realizing I could sit up.

“Only a suggestion. Look, you’ll be fine in no time.”

So we awkwardly waited for my strength to return. So, Jenna, I asked myself. What are you doing Friday night? Oh, nothing. Just spending the night in some creepy deserted house. The usual. Thinking to myself like this helped my keep myself sane. Yes, that’s a valid concern when you’re a fire freak. So, eventually, I was able to stand, and we made our way to the creepy, weird, unoccupied house. This outta be good…

                                                                                             Chapter 18

Let’s see, how should I describe the abandoned ware house? Well, for starters, the first thing that came to mind when we entered was ‘Welcome to @#!*% .’

…..a vampire. He had to keep it a secret because they outlawed vampires in Franklin Grove hundreds of years ago.
To normal people he was a normal seventeen year old boy with no friends.
Every full moon, vamps go crazy. If they aren’t kept away from ordinary citzens…who knows what they could do. Unfortunately Dre isn’t the only vampire in Franklin Grove. But they keep a low profile by not being noticed too much. In Franklin Grove there are a series of places inhabited by vamps. Like the Bloodmart [full of things for vampires to eat,drink and use].
Dre is running through Willow woods, another vamp inhabited destination. To left off steam so he doesn’t do anything he regrets later on.

A strange spine tingling sensation takes over Dre’s gums. His eyes slowly change. He feels like he can do anything.
Round silvery full moon conquers the sky and Dre’s eyes shine. Daytime is his worst part of the day, but nightime is his faveorite.
He starts to run, air whipping his dark hair and pale skin. His chest isn’t heaving, his pulse isn’t running because he is…..

Read the next part to find out

Hi my name is Buster. Its not the name I chose so don’t blame me. My pets chose it. You’re thinking what is he talking about. Well let me explain this s-l-o-w-l-y. I am a dog and my pets are humans but all pets call their humans pets. Its only fair.
Anyway I live with a single mum and her two kids. The kids are toddlers and are all sticky hands and chocolatey grins. Their mum only gives them chocolate to shut them up. Boy can they WHINE. The old lady in the flat below is always coming up to complain, so mum has to apolgise, and swear behind the old lady’s back. Then the toddlers pick it up… and well its not fun. But I’m never having pups, even if I find the perfect lady dog.

My name is Delila. I’m not as tall or strong or clever as any other kid. But unfournately I go to a private school where they taunt and tease me constantly. They call me weird. They can call me whatever they wan’t the only opioun I care about is Ida’s.
Ida is real. I didn’t make her up. I don’t have a big imagination. Though adults say so when I even slightly mention Ida. Sometimes I’m prompted to join Ida in Ghost world but then something stops. A voice in my head says ‘no Delila, you’re not ready yet’. And I have to obey it, because it is right. Nodody might not love me on earth but I know my parents do. They might be the voice in my head. That toneless voice…..

Chapter 1 The Hunting Party

  Meadowsweet picked the yellow flowers of the yarrow and put them into the basket along with many herbs she had collected that day. This was just what she needed. After drying the flowers she would put them in a sachet for her friend’s wedding gift. Sachets are small cloth bags worn around the neck, usually filled with herbs. Yarrow was perfect because it is often used as a  marriage charms.

 Dry Fall leaves crunched under her bare feet. It was the best fall for leaves Meadowsweet could remember in the 14 years of her life. The ash tree by her house was putting on a glorious show of vibrant yellow. The ground was a sea of golden waves. The orange and red of the maple and oak, the yellow of the birch and the purple of the dogwood created the beautiful color melody of  Evestar Forest had ever known.

 Meadowsweet started of for home. The wind picked up again. More leaves danced down from the heavens, swirling about her decorating her long brown hair that fell to her knees. She clutched her shawl closer. The crisp fall air gave her gooseflesh.

 Then joyous voices split the silent wood. She could also here the clip-clopping of hooves on the dirt road that went through the forest. Travelers almost never road through and it was not the day for letters. Turning around Meadowsweet headed in the direction of the road. It was not far.

 Concealed in the Juniper bushes she watched as men on horse back road towards her. They did not look like royalty, but had an air of importance about them. Three men there were. Two were older maybe in their forties. The third was young, maybe 17. They had crossbows in the hand. That probably meant they were hunting animals of the forest! These were sacred woods to her coven. She felt the vibrations of the plants intensify as they came closer and closer.

 She jump out into the road, spilling her herbs everywhere, planning to shout at them. Instead the one of the older men spoke. “What this young lass think she is doing in the middle of the road.” The oldest added, “Aye, pretty young lass she is too.” They laughed merrily, though she could not see the cause.

 Then the young man said wiping tears from his eyes, “Good girls don’t go out alone. Why don’t we watch this young lass.” They laughed again grabbing her and pull her onto the horse behind the youngest man. She fought against them with no prevail. “Feisty young lass she is,” is all they said and they began laughing again. With every second she was taken farther and farther from home.

My parents died when I was four. Its been nine years. I don’t remember much but when I hear people-social workers- telling snatches of it they refresh my memory. They call me troubled because I don’t have any friends. But I do. Ida. They can’t see her but I can. They call her imaginary but she’s very real to me. She’s real. I didn’t make her up. She’s as really as your or me.

At first, they just stared at me. I could almost feel their minds do flips, trying to wrap around me. Even my hair was on fire. But who was worried about appearances when you burn in front of a couple hundred people regularly? But something was different about this time… I was running on fear, too, not just anger. And it hurt. Badly. So, no, I couldn’t really enjoy the sight of seeing a gang run for their mommies when I caught fire. Sigh. Maybe the next time I run from a gang I’ll try to look up to see their expression. Psh, next time. That is, if I survived the night. When they were gone, the fire melted away, leaving me standing weakly, looking down, gritting my teeth, trying to hold myself up. Troy gaped at me.

“I’ll never get used to that.” He muttered.

“Seems that she won’t either,” Griffin chimed, looking at me with a slight grin. “She’s worn out, poor thing.”

“Don’t call me that.” I said, turning swiftly to face him. But my legs felt like jelly. I stumbled and caught myself just in time, my hands spread out for balance.

“Jenna, sit down.” Griffin walked slowly and serenely to my side.

“Meh.” I answered, swaying slightly.

“Meh?” He asked, looking at Troy for an explanation. I sank silently down, sitting on my hands and knees in the middle of the sidewalk. Troy dropped his Hello Kitty bag and rushed toward me.

“This was a bad idea,” he said, checking for a fever. Which was really stupid. I always had a fever. “We have to bring her back.”

“No…” I started coughing. What was wrong with me? “We can’t, we just left… like, two hours ago.”

“Die, or go back.” He said plainly.

“Um, give me a minute to think, okay?”

“Jenna, you’re crazy.”

“Yeah, we’ve accomplished that… like, two or three days ago.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Gee, I don’t know… maybe I just-” I didn’t get to finish my comment because I started coughing again. What a shame, perfect sarcasm gone to waste.

“Take it easy…” Griffin said, sitting next to me. A single drop of water hit the back of my neck. Another, than another. The sidewalk became spotted with drops of water…Well, crap.

“We have to get her out of the rain.” Griffin said, taking off his long black cloak and putting it over me. Troy gave a slight nod, but didn’t move. Where would I go? I can’t believe I was the weak point in our group. Jenna, I was the one who usually made fun of the weak point,  but was now, officially the weak point. And boy, did it feel terrible. I hated myself for being such an idiot… so, for several moments, they let me sit there, under Griffin’s bedazzled coat, getting soaked. The cold wet was sapping at my strength, making me see double. I concentrated hard on Troy, who was looking right at me. I forced myself to pay attention to him, not letting myself drift away. His teeth were clenched angrily; his hands were enclosed tightly, making his knuckles white. What was wrong with him?

“Make it stop.” He said firmly.

“Gee, that would be nice.” I whispered, trying to convince myself that I was stronger than this.

“Do something,” he said, standing up. “I’m not just going to wait until she passes out. We have to do something.”

“What are you going to do, friend?” Griffin asked, patting me on the back.

“Don’t call me that.” He said, narrowing his eyes.

“Buddy?”

“That’s even worse.”

“Pal?”

“Oh, give it a rest.” He said, helping me up. He half carried me to the steps of someone’s house where a little roof kept us a little dry. “Who are you, anyway?” he asked after he wrapped the cloak around my shoulders, propping me up with his good arm. Griffin wiped the dripping rain from his face, leaning against the door behind us.

“No one important, really. I was just sent to check on how she was doing. After they give someone fire, they usually send someone to check on them.”

“You mean, she’s not the only one?”

“No, there’s another girl like her. Summer’s her name. Then there’s some Russian boy… Kenya, I think.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, we can only have three in the world at a time. Over three would be chaos; people would start to catch on. So, they spread the fire out all over the world. America, Russia and Australia

“You know what I think?”

“What?”

“You have the imagination of a kindergartener and that you smell like perfume.”

“You don’t believe me… Summer’s here in America, but Kenya… we need to find him. They want you together.”

Okay, so during this conversation, you may have noticed that I didn’t speak up much. Right, so this is what I was thinking. First, this weirdo should be in a nut house. Second, if this Summer girl was real,then I wasn’t such a freak.  Then I found the strength to speak up.

“Who is ‘they?’”

“My father and his assistants… they’re in New York. That’s where you must go.”

“Must we really?” I asked, wondering why he talked like he came from a different time… gee, he sure dressed hip…

I looked down at his coat. “Is that real?” I asked, pointing to the shiny buttons that looked like gems. God.

“That’s not the point. The point is, you were chosen.”

“It doesn’t feel so great. What are we up against? There’s got to be an enemy of some kind if all three of us need to be together.”

“Jenna, this isn’t some fairy tale, this is real.”

“Yeah, so?”

He sighed, looking up at the rain. “So, the enemies are all around. Well, let’s just say that without me, you’d be dead.

Chapter 17

All around, eh? Well, I could beat their sorry butts if I wanted to…. If it wasn’t raining. If I wasn’t in this crazy situation, I wouldn’t have believed a word Griffin had said. But considering I could catch fire, and I’d just chased away a gang… I  honestly wasn’t sure of anything anymore. I didn’t have a reason to believe him… he was literally some ‘creepy’ guy who knew my name before I told him. But, still. Troy rolled his eyes. I had a feeling he’d tuned out a while ago. He zoned into space, his face letting go of the tension. His scrunched eyebrows rose, the tension in his neck released. Even his hands unclenched a little. It was hard to stop him once he got like this, so we just sat there, on the door step of somebody else’s house, zoning out, thinking about God knows what… I think it was better not to think than to think too much, I realized. I just wanted to go to sleep, forget about finding somewhere safe. Maybe Troy was right, maybe we should go back. We weren’t that far off….

“What now?” Griffin asked, bringing us back to reality.

“I don’t know…” I answered, then I thought for a moment. What did this guy want? “Why are you even here?”

“Because I need to bring you kids together. You know, to be stronger.”

“Whatever…” I could care less. “Stronger for what? What’s the point?”

“There’s something you should know,” he said, pulling his cloak closer around me. I was shivering with the cold, and was trying to refrain from coughing. “They can take the fire away, you know…”

“Let them! I don’t care! This whole thing sucks! I would still be in my dorm with Kate if it wasn’t for…this!” But a fit of coughing came over me, and I shut up.

“But you have a mission now. For years there have been three main kids. For years, they helped keep us safe.” He rolled his eyes, as if everyone should know this information. Yeah, because I totally Aced my test on the history of lunatics.  And why did he keep saying kids? Was it because they never made it to adulthood?

“Why kids? Why not put all the weight on the adults?” I asked, coming up with more questions to prevent the lonely silence.

“Because kids can adapt easier to changes than adults can. You’re still growing; fire can be a part of you. For adults, it’d be harder. Kids are also faster, they’d be able to do more.”

“Oh, gee, that makes sense.”

“I know, huh? When I first found out, I didn’t believe it. But it’s wonderful, isn’t it? How everything fits?”

“I’m going to teach you sarcasm.”

“Most unimportant.”

“Well, if you’re coming along with me, it’s practically my language.”

He nodded, and then stood up. His face was as pale as the moon, and for the first time, he actually looked mysterious. And he did it without his cloak! Bonus! Too bad his dramatic movie voice screwed things up.

“Come on, we have to do something! We can’t let her just rot here! She’ll die!” Troy exclaimed, standing up too.

“Rot?” I asked. Another fit of coughing hit my throat, and no matter how hard I tried to push them back down, they came back up again. And I couldn’t stop. I wanted it to end, to make Troy’s eyes leave mine, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t control myself. I began to wear myself out, coughing until I felt I couldn’t cough anymore. By this time, Troy had sat himself down again, a hand on my back, trying to comfort me. He gently pushed my head on his chest, letting me lean on him. Why couldn’t I stop? Every time I tried, more came, making me feel sick. I barely got a break to breath, and I started gasping for air. I was getting annoyed with myself for making so much noise, but I couldn’t help it…

“Jenna?” Troy asked, sounding scared, “Are you alright?”

What a stupid question. No, Troy , I’m fine. I might be dying for all I know, but I’m doing good!