Author's Note: Please be aware that all the people in this story are fictional, but are based on the characters my role-playin' friends came up with! Thanks to all of you for being inspirational, because without you guys, I would just be rattling on and on to myself! (Shush...I know I do that anyhow...) I'm sorry to all of you who are not in the story... It doesn't mean that I don't like you, I just didn't put you in because I haven't known your charrie long enough, or I would make you sound like a total idiot. (And you wouldn't want that, would you? Heh...) Also, there is some profanity!!! (Not typical of your nice girl next door, but hey...) Enjoy, but beware, it is a not-so-short short story...

Deaf to the Silence

          I fell to my knees in the grassy forest as the hilt of the sword was rammed into my back. I pushed my hands to the ground and swung my leg out behind me, knocking him over. I turned and started punching him hard in the face. The female vampire that I took to be his girlfriend didn’t like this too much. She grabbed me by the hair and pulled me off, tackled me to the ground, and pummeled me furiously. As I grabbed her by the throat in an attempt to hold her back, I seemed to trigger the mechanism in her mouth that caused her to bare her two sharp fangs. I threw her into a nearby tree, and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief at my luck. She had been lodged onto a stray branch of the tree, which pierced her heart. Within minutes, she exploded into dust.

          I barely had a moment to regroup when I turned around to see her angry boyfriend, his own pearly whites out and sword held high in a fighting stance. He ran at me, aiming at my stomach in an attempt to ram the blade all the way through, but I jumped back quickly, sharply inhaling in surprise. The creature continued making swipes, first at my right arm, then at my left.

          "Who are you, Zorro?" My voice was utterly sarcastic as he kept pushing me farther back from the clearing.

          "Maybe. What are you, a smart ass?" He had pinned me against a tree, and his black eyes glittered dangerously.

          "Maybe..." I grinned and ducked down, but I wasn’t quick enough. The sword sliced my right arm, making a deep gash diagonally across my bicep. I hissed and quickly sidestepped around him, my left hand flying to cover my wound.

          He smirked, taking advantage of my temporary disability, and swung at me again with his weapon. Before I could react to what I was doing, I put out my left hand to catch the blade. It wasn’t until he had ripped it away that I realized what I had done. Blood poured from the slashing cut on my hand.

          "Dammit all!" I muttered.

          He laughed, "Stupid slayers. Think they know everything. Think they’re all powerful. When I kill you, you won’t think you’re so powerful." He stuck out the sword to cut my throat, but this time, I was ready.

          I did a backward flip, afraid to use my bad hand. I leaned back and lifted my feet into the air, grabbing the sword with my shoes. After twisting my feet a few times and yanking hard, I managed to get it away from him and tossed it onto the ground several yards away. He looked a bit stunned at this, but he looked even more shocked as I yelled, "STAKE."

          A stake appeared in my right hand and I leapt to my feet. I lodged my weapon into his heart, leaving nothing but ashes where he had stood moments before. I dropped the stake and started walking away, nursing my two wounds, which by then had covered me with blood. I was into the clearing when I heard a familiar laugh. It was low in pitch, and I recognized it immediately. I stopped dead and sighed, a bit annoyed by the presence of another person, especially one that irritated me a bit. I hoped he would just go away if I ignored him, but he didn’t.

          "Good show, K, good show." He applauded sarcastically and I turned around and looked up at the sound of my name.

          "What do you want, Robek?" I muttered, brushing a piece of my chestnut-brown hair behind my ear with my good hand.

          Robek’s steely gray eyes danced excitedly. "Nothing really. I wasn’t expecting a fight, but when I stumbled upon one, I figured I might as well watch." He smirked.

          My dark blue eyes flickered. "If you were there this whole time, why didn’t you help me?"

          "I would have, but it was so much more fun watching you fight." Robek laughed dryly and ran his fingers through his dark hair, which almost looked black in the night.

          I shuddered as a chill wind picked up, which blew my hair around my shoulders. He jumped from the tree he was perched in and walked over to me. Although I was very tall, I had to look up to see into his eyes. His broad shadow shrouded my thin body in darkness.

          "What do you want, Robek?!?" I asked again, this time allowing my irritation to show.

          "Calm yourself, K, I only want to know where Shayde is."

          I frowned, hating the name and its owner. "How should I know? And why do I care?"

          Robek snickered, "You can’t possibly hate her THAT much. Besides, she IS your half-sister."

          I hissed quietly, "Don’t remind me."

          He opened his mouth as if to make a smart retort, but I cut him off too soon. "Look, I don’t care where your whore is or what you want her for! Just get out of here and leave me alone!" I turned to walk away, still tending to my cuts.

          "Temper, temper..." Robek laughed quietly, mocking my fury.

          I whirled around, eyes narrowed. I wasn’t in the mood for his chastisements at the moment, and I certainly did not want to fight with him. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him; it was his stubborn attitude that insulted and irritated me. That, and the fact that he loved Shayde, whom I despised with the very essence of my being. I raised my hand and opened my mouth to yell a command in hopes of conjuring a spell or the like when I heard another masculine voice shout from behind me: "K! Don’t!"

          I spun around on my heel, hands still held high, to see Kyle, running toward me and frantically waving his hands in the air. He stopped when he was about a foot away, and it took a moment for him to catch his breath.

          I looked up at him, for he too was taller than I. His bright blue eyes shone in the light of the moon and they bore into me. I put my hands down and sighed. "What, Kyle?"

          "I’m just glad I got here in time... before you did something stupid." He laughed lightly and scratched his head, shifting his short blonde hair around.

          I laughed dryly. "I would never do anything stupid, you should know that."

          "Look, K, you know I love a good fight as much as the next guy, but-"

          I interrupted, "It wouldn’t be a fight." I glared over my shoulder at Robek, who was just standing there with a smirk on his face. "It would be a massacre." I turned my gaze back to Kyle.

          Kyle continued as if I hadn’t stopped him. "But you’re my partner, and we have to look out for each other." He paused, looking past me at Robek. "And I don’t want you getting into pointless fights with him." As he spoke, he raised a hand and gestured to Robek, but I didn’t bother to turn around. "C’mon..." Gently, Kyle took me by my left arm and led me away, leaving Robek to his own devices.

          I did not speak at first, feeling a bit ashamed of myself. I had let someone get the best of me, just by saying a few words, but the words stung like thousands of pins all over my body. I hated Robek for saying them, but I hated myself more for listening. I shook my head, silently wishing I could control my temper better.

          I had become so engrossed in berating myself that I didn’t realize that Kyle was talking to me. I forced myself back into a conscious state of mind and said, "I’m sorry, what did you say?"

          Kyle laughed and replied, "I was talking about your wounds. They’re pretty deep." He took my left hand and turned it palm upward, exposing the slash across its width. I stared down at it blankly for a moment, re-registering the fact that I had been cut at all.

          "They don’t hurt," I said, quickly turning my palm downward again. I hated a fuss, especially when it was just a scratch, and he knew it.

          "Well, you don’t want an infection, do you?" he asked.

          We had come to a park near the heart of the city, which was used as a gathering point by my friends and I. Kyle sat me down on a bench and opened his large, metal suitcase that he always carried around with him, and I winced.

          "This is no time for your chemical experiments, Kyle!" The inside of the suitcase was lined with many hypos in every color imaginable. There was also a pile of needles filled with a white fluid, and I knew the effects of many of them all too well.

          Kyle had the mind of a scientist, having been fascinated by the multiple ways that he could manipulate a person’s body structure for as long as I could recall. I myself had only used a few of his hypos, but I knew what they all did. Dark blue was for a large power boost, that actually made a person grow to double his or her body size. Light blue allowed the body to implode, dark green to cloak, light green caused the body to explode, red to heal, and white reversed the effects of all of the others. I had once used one of his "newer" gray hypos to transform into an animal, which had had its highlights.

          He simply laughed at my discomfort. "Although I would love to show you my new material, that’s not what I’m looking for..." He smiled mysteriously and opened a back compartment of his container, revealing a first aid kit. He pulled out some antiseptic and gauze and proceeded to clean and dress my wounds.

          "Thanks," I smiled at him, knowing how much he cared about my well-being.

          Kyle grinned as he put away his materials. "No problem, what else are friends for? And besides, wasn’t it always you who said," he teasingly mimicked my voice, "'First aid kits always come in handy, Kyle!'"

          I laughed as I remembered saying that exact thing to him. It had been true, though, because it seemed that every time I was with him, he always seemed to get himself hurt, so I started carrying around a first aid kit when I was around him. I stopped toting the kit, however, when I discovered my magical power to summon items.

          "So what if I did say that? See? My advice was right! Look at this perfect timing!" I grinned and stood.

          "Just glad to be of service. Listen, I have to go... something’s come up..." He stood as well and turned in the opposite direction.

          It was my instinct to stop him and ask him where he was going, but I didn’t bother because I knew he wouldn’t tell me anyway. I simply nodded and started walking in the opposite direction, then called over my shoulder to him, "I owe you one!"

          Although I couldn’t see him, I could hear the smile in his voice as he yelled back, "You don’t owe me anything..."

*~*~*~*

          A week later I found myself (fully healed) sitting in a nightclub with a childhood friend of mine, Ana. I had always loved Ana like a sister, and when I met her, she was just what I needed at the time, and I was happy that I was reunited with her after about six years of being apart.

          She was extremely attractive, with deep brown hair that looked almost black in the dark and hung midway down her back. Without even meaning to, she had a way of entrancing anyone with her sapphire blue eyes. When she spoke, her heavy Russian accent was very apparent, although her English was perfect; it was from her that I learned to speak fluent Russian. She was also the Goddess of Balance, so she had a variety of magics, which were often exciting when balance needed to be restored.

          We were sitting at a table, having our usual drink-off, in which we both tried to drink the most without getting sick. We had grown up on alcohol, so its effects on us were few and far between. Our drink of choice (vodka, straight) kept us going round after round, but we just continued talking and laughing as if we hadn’t any of this poisonous alcohol in our systems at all.

          "So, you asked if he was Zorro?" Ana tossed her hair behind her, laughing.

          I nodded. "Yeah, and he said I was a smart ass!" I recreated the pouty and insulted look I had on my face at the time.

          We both laughed as I finished the story, and we looked up to see Derek and Joel standing over us.

          "What’s so funny?" Joel asked and smiled. He always acted like a cute little puppy, and he was. He was adorable with his short black hair and gray-green eyes. Not to mention the fact that he was a werewolf.

          Joel sat down beside Ana, and Derek pulled out the chair next to me. Derek smiled and put an arm around my shoulders.

          "Yeah, what’s so funny?" Derek grinned at me. "Telling stories again?"

          I smiled innocently, "Me, tell stories?! NEVER!"

          Ana and I both continued to giggle, and we started whispering in Russian about the boys. When she had first met Derek, she had agreed that he was very handsome, with his brown hair, cut short, and his icy blue eyes that always seemed warm when I was around him. We had been dating for a few months, and I considered myself lucky. It was also comforting since he was a slayer as well, so we often saw eye to eye on many issues.

          Derek and Joel shot each other a confused glance, because neither of them knew Ana’s native language. We stopped talking, and Ana grinned at the guys. "It seems that for once you two agree on something, yes?"

          I laughed, knowing that Joel and Derek hated each other with a passion. They probably wouldn’t, if it weren’t for the fact that Derek had tried to kill Joel at least once. They both seemed horrified at the prospect of friendship, but neither said anything.

          Ana and I knocked our glasses together, smiling as we said a Russian toast, and downed another glass. We had lost track of what number we were on, and I could tell Ana was trying to remember as I turned to Joel and Derek.

          "Do you guys want a drink?" I waved my empty shot glass in the air, then turned it upside down and slammed it onto the table.

          Both nodded. "Red wine for me," said Joel.

          "A beer is fine," replied Derek, at the same time as Joel.

          "Again!" Ana smiled mysteriously. "That is the second time you two are to have been 'united' so to speak!"

          I laughed, "Yeah...creepy!" I started humming the Twilight Zone theme music.

          Derek and Joel sipped their drinks, and Joel frowned in a pouty way. "C’mon girls, play nice with us."

          Ana grinned, "We are sugar..."

          "And spice..." I continued.

          "And everything nice!" Ana finished, smiling.

          "Stop that!" Joel’s pout deepened, "Makin’ my head hurt..."

          Ana rolled her eyes, but she, always the one with much more tact than I, said nothing and sipped the contents of another glass.

          At that moment I saw Shayde walk into the club, and I scowled and muttered something in Greek. Although none of them knew what I had said, I assumed they judged my body language and had taken it as something highly unpleasant. All three of them turned in their chairs and spotted her.

          Immediately Derek hissed, "What’s SHE doing here?"

          "It’s a free club you know, she doesn’t need your permission to be here!" Joel responded defensively. He liked Shayde for some reason that was beyond my understanding, and was trying to stand up for her against Derek, who hated her like I did.

          Ana was the only one to remain silent. She had heard me tell many stories about Shayde, all of which were very displeasing to listen to. She casually turned back to her drink, but I knew she sensed my discomfort.

          Shayde stood at the bar and ordered a drink, a red wine by my guess, as it was her favorite. She had long blonde hair in tight curls that hung slightly below her shoulders. Her piercing blue eyes seemed friendly if she liked you, or, as was my case, cold and bottomless if she didn’t. It was indeed unfortunate that we were related as half-sisters, which I blamed entirely on my alter-ego.

          Derek continued sipping his drink and watching her out of the corner of his eye. He kept his arm around my shoulders, which I assumed was to keep me from lunging at her. Joel stood and opened his mouth as if to call her to our table. I wasn’t quite sure if this was to spite Derek or not, but I doubted he remembered that I was there, and I wasn’t going to ask for a list of his justified reasons.

          "Don’t you dare, or I’ll tear out your throat," I spoke up before he had the chance to let out one word. This was highly unlike me to threaten something so grotesque, especially to a friend of mine, but I believed that desperate times called for desperate measures, and this time was definitely desperate.

          Joel turned around, still standing with his mouth hanging open. He was as surprised as I was about my forwardness, but he nodded and sat down, not protesting.

          Ana frowned at me disapprovingly, "K, do not cause trouble..." Her tone was warning, like a mother talking to a child.

          I sighed. "I won’t, Ana, as long as she keeps her distance. If she doesn’t, I make no guarantees." I held up my hands innocently, palms outward.

          I felt Derek’s grip tighten around my shoulders, and he sent me a thought, "I won’t let her touch you."

          I nodded and looked up at Shayde again. She was holding her drink and walking toward us. She must have seen Joel, and decided to invite herself over. The others noticed her coming closer as well, for Ana gently placed her hand on top of mine, to calm me a bit. Joel started waving to her.

          "Shayde, over here!" He smiled at her, and Shayde returned the gesture. She pulled up a chair from another table and sat next to him.

          "Hi, Joel, Ana." She had met Ana before, but now Ana said nothing, not wanting a fight to erupt.

          "How are you, Shayde?" Joel seemed to be having a great conversation with her, and also didn’t seem to note my irritation.

          Before Shayde could respond I cut in, "You’re not welcome here, you know that." I formed my lips into a hard line, my face into an unwelcome expression.

          Shayde smirked, "I was invited here, and it’s a free country last I checked."

          "Not free for you, so get out..." I hissed.

          "Oh, K, why so hostile?" She continued to smirk, "I’m sure Karisma would be happy to see me."

          "Why don’t you see for yourself?" I retorted. I allowed my eyes to roll back into my head, revealing complete blackness on the outside. Karisma, my "other half" looked exactly the same as I did, except for her pitch black eyes. She was pure evil, and so her magic was about 20 times stronger than mine. She was immune to pain and was immortal when we were not in the same body, which occurred on rare occasion. Shayde and she were related by Sirius, Dark Lord of the demon race. He was actually Shayde’s father, but on one occasion I had conjured him to use his magic to help Kyle, and so he became the power source of Karisma. Karisma would exist in me even without him, but would be much weaker against me, the dominant good. For some reason Sirius wanted her to thrive and succeed in me, so he was her father, therefore making me related to Shayde. Granted, Karisma had caused me problems in the past (when she tried to become dominant in my body, for instance), but now we lived in a balance that suited us both.

          As Karisma was "freed," I myself was pushed down and suppressed into a dormant state in my soul, where she lived most of the time. I could hear everything that was going on outside, and I had to chuckle.

          Karisma’s voice was lower than mine as well, giving it an eerie feel that chilled anyone’s heart. "You wanted to see me, Shayde?" Her voice showed absolutely no emotion.

          "You still enjoy my company, sister, don’t you?" Shayde asked.

          Karisma laughed quietly. "Do not call me your sister, as I refuse to be related to such a filthy creature. It is a disgrace that I must be related to such a thing, and I disregard you as my 'sister.'"

          She spit out her last words wickedly, and I could tell she had done all she needed to do, judging by the silence coming from the others. She and I switched places again, my blue eyes and voice returning, although both maintained the emptiness Karisma had shown her.

          "You see? You’re not wanted, even by your sister, so leave!" I said to Shayde and shot a glance at Joel to make him keep his mouth shut.

          Without another word, Shayde stood up and went to the door. I couldn’t tell how to read her expression, but by reading her mind I had gathered all the information necessary. Karisma’s words had stung her, leaving her more angry than anything. After I was sure she had left, I turned to Joel, scowling.

          "What the hell did you do that for?!" I snapped, mad that he chose to disrespect me.

          Ana kept her hand on mine, "Take it easy, K, for she has gone."

          I noticed the quick glance that Joel shot at Derek, then looked back at me. "She’s my friend, and I’m not going to not talk to her just ’cause you don’t like her!" He raised his voice defensively.

          Derek glared at him, "Well, be her friend somewhere else! Did you WANT them to beat each other up?"

          Joel looked down and said nothing, and I knew he didn’t want a fight, either.

          Ana spoke up quickly. "Shayde has gone. Everything is fine now."

          I nodded, but I knew my hatred for Shayde would remain long after she had gone. I silently vowed revenge, and I knew I wouldn’t stop until I got it one way or another.

*~*~*~*

          That very same night I found myself patrolling aimlessly through the city, looking for any big-and-bads at work hurting an innocent or two. I had grown restless, still agitated by my encounter with Shayde, and was not looking forward another unscheduled meeting with someone I despised equally, which often seemed to occur in my pursuit of dark creatures. Ana had gone home because she was tired from drinking, but otherwise not affected in the least. I told her that she had lost because she was leaving, but she denied any such accusations. Joel had also retired for the evening, and Derek had to work, leaving me alone. I didn’t really want to be alone at the moment, but I figured I could release built-up tension by beating the crap out of something that got in my way.

          I wandered along the dirt path that crossed through the cemetery to the other side of the city. I hoped I wouldn’t find anything, so then I could just go home and feel better in the morning, but I had no such luck.

          I had been staring at the ground, boredly fingering a dagger in my pocket, when I heard a known voice inside my mind, "Hello, K. Or should I say, Catwoman?"

          I looked up and grinned, immediately recognizing the voice and my nickname. "It’s Catwoman tonight, Lisa... I would like to claw out someone’s eyes," I laughed as I arched one hand and swiped the air.

          Ahead of me on a large crypt lay a large, black panther with mesmerizing sea-green eyes. It yawned and nodded, stretching. After a moment it jumped down and walked over to me, and I petted it gently.

          "I see... May I be of service?" Lisa asked as she started to purr.

          "No, love, sorry. You wouldn’t want me to hurt her anyway," I shrugged, for she was friends with Shayde. I summed up the events of my evening for her, and she listened silently and just nodded as I spoke.

          I sat down on the ground and sighed, and she lay beside me and put her head on my lap. We didn’t speak for a minute, both of us reflecting on what I might do. Lisa had always been very good to me when it came to quarrels with Shayde: She didn’t take sides and never told me I was wrong, even if she thought I was.

          I had met Lisa about a year ago, but I had met her sister, Kim, first. Both of the girls had been very kind to me, and, when I thought I had no family, they were my sisters. We had an extremely close friendship, and I could count on them for anything.

          "What should I do?" I wondered aloud.

          Lisa looked up at me. "Well, you could always move to Mexico and change your name!"

          I tried my hardest to keep a straight face, but I quickly failed and started laughing. She always seemed to know how to perk me up. "Or, I could cast a spell and switch places with you, and you could live my life, and I could live yours!" I suggested.

          She made a face. "Or not..." She paused for a minute, then stood, her gaze intent, "Just stay out of each other’s ways. You don’t want to start a fight, do you?"

          "You sound just like Ana." I shook my head and sighed.

          Without saying another word, Lisa turned and started walking away. She had only gone a few steps before she disappeared completely, leaving me alone again. I looked around and frowned at the silence around me, so I stood and kept walking. I didn’t get my stress-relief for the evening, but I got something better: comfort from a friend.

*~*~*~*

          The next night I found myself on a rooftop, scanning the area below. Rica sat beside me, and we talked quietly about a very touchy subject for the both of us: the death of our parents.

          Rica looked very much like our father had. She had shimmering blonde hair that hung softly around her shoulders and bluish-hazel eyes that had a way of seeing through anyone. I, however, looked more like our mother, and both of us seemed to take on the personalities of our respective look-alike parent.

          When I was six and Rica was seven, our parents were brutally murdered by a man whom we were yet to recognize. Rica had witnessed the entire event, which traumatized her greatly. It had been thought that I was asleep at the time, and I had never told anyone that I was really awake, and that, although I had not seen what was going on, I had heard it. After their deaths, Rica and I were sent to live with our grandmother, who was our only living family. Rica, who fell into a deep depression, ran away from our new home, and I hadn’t seen her until about a year ago. I realized later that my grandmother had cast a spell on me to make me believe falsehoods about what had become of my parents. I had always thought our mother had died of cancer and that our father was in jail for manslaughter, but when Rica had told me what had really happened, I realized the lie and its purpose of protecting me. Soon after I moved in with my grandma, she died from a combination of old age and grief, and I was shipped to an orphanage, where I endured years of every type of abuse imaginable.

          Lately, Rica had told me, she was getting feelings of fear, as if someone were watching her. She formed the hypothesis that it could be the man who eliminated our parents, which wouldn’t be too far-fetched, considering we had never found out who he was.

          "What does it feel like?" I asked her, wanting to get as much information as possible to solve this mystery.

          "Like someone’s there... a presence. But no one ever IS there, you know? I mean, I think someone’s there, but is just... invisible?" Rica was very nervous about the prospect of ever seeing this man again, especially if he knew that she was there the night our parents died, and that she had seen him. She was worried that he would kill her next, or me.

          "I know what you mean," I replied, and I did. Many a time there was a sense of another being around me, but the source of the feeling was hidden.

          She lowered her voice to a whisper and looked around. "What are we going to do, K? If our parents couldn’t take him on..."

          I stopped her and spoke gently, "WE can take him on. Sure, Mom and Dad had strong magics, but so do we. We know a lot of spells! With our powers together, we can take on anything!"

          Rica nodded slowly, and I could tell she wasn’t completely sure of this. Her powers included freezing objects in time and moving items with her mind. When times got really rough, I knew she had much hidden power in her small body.

          My magics included control of the elements, levitating, conjuring items, and reading minds. If things got really ugly for me, I turned into Karisma, who was always ready and willing to kick ass.

          I smiled slightly, "We’ll kill whoever destroyed our family. You can count on it. He’ll pay for what he did, and even if it takes eternity, we will get our revenge."

          She nodded again, this time a bit more confidently. Rica knew I always kept a promise for vengeance, for she had seen my faithfulness in this area many times, often in the case of Shayde, whom she disliked as much as I did.

          I wanted to say something more to calm her nerves, but my mind came up blank. I think she sensed this and stood.

          "I’m gonna go home, practice making potions."

          I smiled, "Sure, hun. You know where all the stuff is and where I keep my books."

          She nodded and went to our home: a large, but cozy, apartment in the heart of the city. Ana also lived there with us, seeing as she had no home of her own. I sat for a minute by myself, then stood and jumped from the roof. I landed easily on the street and started walking. When I had come to a park, I sat down on a bench to just think... to think about Rica, our parents, and the cruelest way I could keep my promise regarding their killer. The sky was clear, but the moonlight reflected off my eyes to show a deadly glint of malice.

*~*~*~*

          When I had finally gone home for the evening, I went immediately to my bedroom and opened my closet. I pulled aside masses of clothing in the right corner, and kicked the wall with the tip of my foot. What seemed like part of the wall swung open, and I leaned down and pulled out several small black and red books with two dates on the binding. Inside the compartment were about 100 books, similar to the ones I had taken out, but each different in the dates they had on their bindings. I used the dates to keep track of when I started each book, and when I finished it as it became filled. These were all my “diaries,” which I constantly wrote in, even if nothing really momentous had happened to me on a particular day. I found my writing to be relaxing, and, if something did come up, it helped me to remember how I dealt with certain situations.

          I closed my secret hiding place and then the closet door, and, after tossing the books on my bed, I crossed to the opposite side of the room. I knelt down in front of a huge fireplace and put a few pieces of wood inside. Too lazy to open a book of matches, I opened my hand, formed a small fireball, and tossed it onto the wood. Within a few minutes, a roaring fire warmed the room and lit it, adding comfort to my haven. I plopped onto the bed, pushing up some pillows behind my back and pulling the blankets over me. I grabbed the first red book, which was marked with the dates January 12th, 2001 - February 20th, 2001, and opened it near the end. I stopped on the entry headed with February 16th, 2001, and started to reread the words that seemed all too familiar to me now, even if they were written more than a year ago:

February 16th, 2001

          Today’s my birthday. I’m 15, the age where I’m not supposed to have to cope with horrible shit like this. I feel numb. Empty. I remember crying before, but I’m not now. Dry. Confused. I look around at everything, recalling something someone once told me: There will come a day in your life when everything will change. I thought that had already happened. What could be more life-changing than the death of your parents? But no. Whoever told me that bullshit must have been confused. Everything’s changed, yet I see nothing different. Except that he’s gone.

          My head races with "what ifs" until my mind screams, then I scream aloud along with it. What if I had stopped the vampires last night? Had them take me instead of Cory? He’d be alive, and I’d be in some heaven somewhere. But no. Now I’m stuck in hell, but alive. Of course it couldn’t work that way. He had to be the big hero and step in and save my ass. He couldn’t just let it go and let them have me. Part of me hates him for his efforts.

          But then I feel ashamed, like a child who’s just been slapped across the face. How could I possibly blame him? He’s dead. How could I possibly blame my dead boyfriend... my best friend... when he sacrificed himself for me?

          I’ll never forget the faces of his killers. Ever. If I ever happen to meet up with one of them, I’ll have their heads for mantle pieces. They had to turn him first, didn’t they? They couldn’t just kill him, as if that wouldn’t be terrible enough. No. They turned him first. And let him go. They knew what I was going to do. What I had to do. I would never have killed him if I had thought that he wouldn’t hurt anyone. But they way he looked... so cold, bottomless. I knew he would kill innocents. So they all jeered as I slayed him. But then I killed them. I didn’t think I could move, but my body just went through the motions. No thinking involved. No feeling. Just robotic movements. But if any of them ever find their way back to life, I’ll make them suffer... like Cory did.

          I have to stop now. I can barely see what I’m writing as tears blur my vision. I’ve smeared a bit of the ink, too. Happy goddamn Birthday to me.

          I stopped reading and threw the book to the end of the bed, for a minute wondering why I had even pulled it out in the first place. I recalled crying then, and remembered how the last time I had cried so deeply before Cory’s death was when my parents passed on. My memory moved forward in time about a year, when I had found out that Ryan was one of Cory’s murderers.

          Ryan was a vampire, who normally seemed fairly good-natured. He had short, dark brown hair and red-brown eyes. He irritated me often about the stupidest things, but our friendship took a turn for the worse when I had discovered the truth: He helped kill Cory. From then on, I hated him, for ruining the life of someone I loved and my own life. When he fell in love with Shayde, I immediately cut ties with her, thinking that if she was idiotic enough to love him, then she was just like him, and I wouldn’t stand for that.

          I chose another book. This volume was black with the dates March 27th, 2002 - April 30th, 2002, inscribed in the binding, and I flipped open to another entry and began to read:

April 13th, 2002

          Wow. I can’t remember ever laughing this hard before. Maybe I never have. But this has got to be the funniest thing I’ve ever heard: Shayde is cheating on Ryan with someone else.

          How do I know? Ana. My dear friend is brilliant. She found out quite by accident, actually. She often reads a person’s mind when she first meets him or her, skimming the surface for useless personal facts, such as race and powers. When she met Shayde, she tells me, this knowledge was radiating off her, clear as a bell. So Ana told me.

          And who is the "lucky" man? Robek. A curious choice. I’ve met him once before I found out this handy tidbit. He seemed almost rude, but I should have figured it out then, as he WAS looking for Shayde at the time. I shrugged it off, as our personalities clash: We both are VERY stubborn and hard-headed.

          What a complete fool. I don’t know how so many men can love her... She’s such a slut. She has Nina to think of. Her own daughter, with Ryan, and she’s throwing it all away for some unknown reason. She’s selfish.

          So now I laugh at her. I would like to know how Ryan takes all of this... Anyone in his right mind would call for a divorce after such actions! But he probably will say something about how much he LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES her, and how he’ll forgive her. Give me a goddamn break. Vampires today are such morons.

          I picked up the last diary and began to open it, but my heavy eyelids closed against my will, sending me into a sound sleep.

*~*~*~*

          Sparring. It was one of my favorite pass-times. It helped me keep my energy up, as well as learn new moves I could use against foes. My typical "trainer" was Kyle.

          Kyle liked to fight as much as I did. We usually fought hand-to-hand or with a weapon or two, but I saved my magic, as he had none of his own. Well, not in this life, anyway.

          The Powers That Be, controllers of everything in heaven, hell, and all that’s in between, seemed to take pleasure in manipulating Kyle’s body structure each time he died. They’d turned him into a variety of creatures, ranging from magical demons to a hi-tech robot. This constant change in body structure finally worried me to the point of changing him into an immortal mortal. That is, he’s human in all respects, except that he will reincarnate if killed. This event is the aforementioned one in which I first tapped into the dark magics of Sirius, released Karisma, and, unfortunately, became linked to Shayde. But the well-being of my friend made the first two bearable, and the third... well, the third was a rather horrific side-effect.

          We now found ourselves in a large, open field, with nothing to be seen for miles in all directions.

          "Same rules as always?" I inquired, an innocent smile on my face.

          He nodded and grinned. "Yep, why would they change?"

          "Just had to ask, you know..."

          The "rules" consisted of really no rules at all. We fought until we got tired or bored with the activity, but we both knew to fight fair. We often walked away with a few fractured bones and several cuts and bruises, but it was all in fun.

          Kyle just stood there for a minute, waiting for me to make the first move. I stood facing him, just a few feet away, in a fighting stance. After a moment’s pause, I launched a sharp kick into his stomach and aimed a punch with my right hand to the side of his face.

          He grunted as my foot made contact, but he caught my fist in mid-swing. He twisted my wrist back, far, and held it there. I hissed as I could feel the tension on my bones, but before I could do anything about it, he had hit me with a swift right hook.

          Kyle released my hand and laughed as I stumbled back, rolling my jaw around to make sure it still functioned.

          "Come on, K! Don’t tell me I’ve won already!"

          I smirked as I allowed my actions to speak for me. After a roundhouse kick to his head, I smiled at the satisfying crack I heard come from within. As he was knocked off-balance, I punched him in the gut, sending him sprawling.

          He didn’t stay there long, however. He quickly leapt to his feet, pulling a dagger from its sheath. This was the point where one of us brought out a weapon of some kind, and for once, it was Kyle who did so first. It was normally I who resorted initially to the use of another tool, but I decided to save mine for later use.

          For an outsider to watch my friend fight would have been awe-inspiring. He always seemed poised and focused on the matter at hand. Kyle’s body and mind moved as one, and he was always very precise in his actions. He was constantly one step ahead of whomever he was battling, giving him the advantage over many.

          Kyle ran at me with the dagger, and I had to jump back to avoid being slice-and-diced. His sharp jabs continued until I threw my left hand into the air as a block. He ran the knife across the back of my wrist, but he didn’t press into my skin as hard as I knew he could have. That was one of our unspoken rules: Don’t cause more damage than necessary.

          Nevertheless, a small trickle of blood began to run from the cut, and I looked up at him with a pouty face.

          "Made me bleed... Stained my new shirt, too!"

          I grinned as I kicked the dagger out of his hand and sent it flying across the field. Kyle turned his head as he watched it go, but quickly turned back to face me, not wanting to be caught off-guard.

          I leapt high into the air, a skill I had developed from levitating, although at the moment I was not using magic. I landed on top of his shoulders, and I had to laugh, as I had used this maneuver at least once on him. I dug my heels into his neck and shoulders. Using my body as a source of momentum, I flipped myself over, my hands acting as braces, bringing Kyle with me. He slammed into the ground, cringing a bit as he landed directly on his back.

          I pulled out my own dagger with my right hand and kept him pinned with my left. Holding the knife at his throat, I smiled triumphantly.

          "Say 'uncle,' Kyle."

          He lay there for a moment, and I had thought I was the victor. As he opened his mouth, I smiled, ready to hear the word of his surrender.

          Kyle grinned, "Or not."

          My eyes widened, and before I could realize what was going on, he had grabbed me by my shoulders and threw me off of him like a doll. I winced as I slid onto the ground, several yards away. I struggled to get to my feet, but just as I had, Kyle was rushing at me in a blur, and he roundhouse-kicked me upside the head, sending my body spinning. I fell to the ground on my stomach, and before I could move, he had taken my right arm and twisted it behind my back. I cried out, dizzy from pain, and I thought he was going to pop my arm out of its socket.

          "Say 'uncle,' K."

          "Uncle, UNCLE!" I yelled. "You win!"

          Kyle let go, and I stayed on the ground for a moment, adjusting my arm. I sighed as I rolled over and looked up at him, as he was now standing above me. He held out a hand, I took it, and he pulled me to my feet.

          "Ow." I laughed as I rubbed a hand on the back of my neck. "And I thought for sure I was going to win, too."

          Kyle seemed proud of his victory as he grinned, "You can’t count your chickens..."

          "It was a good fight anyway." I smiled and shrugged.

          He nodded, "It certainly was."

          As we walked off, we spoke of the highlights of the fight, and how I thought he was going to break my arm off, but he never once said anything about how badly he had whooped me. Kyle was just one of those people who didn’t let winning go to his head. Not only was I grateful, I admired him for it.

*~*~*~*

          Lisa, Cin, Ana, and I all decided to go club-hopping several nights later. It was a typical girls-night-out, and we all felt the need for alcohol.

          Lisa was pretty in human form as well. She still had the same sea-green eyes as she did while a jaguar, and her dark hair that hung past her shoulders made her eyes stand out more, captivating any onlookers. She was, however, happily married to a man named Angel, with whom she had a baby boy, Kane.

          Cin and I had gotten off to a rough start when we first met, as she was a vampire. Even more so, she was best friends with Shayde. We had had several spats, but we had found a common ground and became good friends, seeing a few things in the same light. She stood out in any crowd, with her wild, shoulder-length electric blue hair and yellow eyes that showed she was in a good mood. She had a son, Seth, whom I knew she loved dearly. Cin was also living with Brad: They had started out as friends but fell in love... One of those classic fairy tale endings.

          Lisa had left Kane with Angel, and, since Seth was 16, he was out with Nina for the night. Nina, also 16 years old, was Shayde’s daughter with Ryan.

          The four of us wandered from club to club, looking for the perfect setting in which we could get completely drunk. Lisa, like Ana and myself, had grown up on alcohol, but Cin had not, so we bet she would get wasted first.

          We chose to settle on The Full Moon. As we walked in, we quickly discovered that it was karaoke night. Unfortunately for us, as we sat down at a table, there was some completely trashed girl on-stage singing her own rendition of Britney Spears’s "Oops, I Did It Again."

          Cin winced, hating Britney Spears in the first place. "Oh God... Will someone do us all a favor and shut her up?"

          The four of us cracked up as we continued to make jokes about this tuneless singer.

          "She sounds like a dying cat!" Lisa said, smirking as she pointed to the girl.

          Ana nodded, and I laughed. "Come to think of it, she does! Let’s just hope she doesn’t go on for nine lives!"

          We continued to laugh as we drank, and after a bit, Cin rubbed her head.

          "It hurts... I can feel the alcohol in my veins." She frowned.

          Ana, Lisa, and I started to howl with laughter. Ana spoke up first. "You see? Cin, you are going to get drunk in no time, now!"

          Cin pouted, "I’m not drunk yet."

          "'Yet' being the key word," Lisa said grinning.

          We were all thrilled when the Britney Spears wannabe left the stage. We continued chatting as Rica walked into the club, wearing something head-turning as usual. I began laughing as she spotted us and came up to our table.

          "You just LOVE making a scene, don’t you?" I grinned, teasing my sister.

          She smiled and shrugged, "Don’t do it on purpose, people expect it after awhile. And why didn’t you girls tell me you were coming out for drinks? I would’ve tagged along!"

          Now Ana laughed. "You were asleep when K and I left!"

          Rica simply shrugged again and pulled up a chair, ordering a vodka and Mountain Dew. She smiled at the others and looked at Cin, who was starting to get a bit tipsy.

          "Too much for you, dearie..." Rica nodded in affirmation of her statement.

          Cin shook her head, "Nah, I’m all right!" We judged by her slurred speech that she wasn’t all right.

          "We’d better get you home, Cin. Brad and Seth might think we spiked your punch." Lisa put a hand on Cin’s shoulder and teleported her home.

          The rest of us nodded and kept downing our drinks until Rica was on the verge of throwing up: She was very drunk.

          She pointed up at the stage where the karaoke microphone stood open. "Let’s go sing a song, K!"

          I shook my head. "Think not. I don’t think you should either. You’ll fall off the stage!"

          Of course, she was too far gone to heed my warning and had already gotten up on stage, mic in hand, and started singing very loudly to "Baby Got Back." I started laughing hysterically because we had dubbed it our "theme song" and sang it every chance we could. But it was even funnier to hear Rica’s beautiful voice, now under the influence of alcohol, crooning the sexist song.

          When she had finished, Rica stumbled off the stage. By this point, Lisa, Ana, and I were in tears.

          "I better get her home," I choked out between giggles. Ana nodded, clutching her stomach in pain from laughter.

          I took Rica’s right arm, Ana her left, and together we stood and walked out of the club. Lisa came with us, but at the door we went our separate ways.

          "Bye you guys!" Lisa waved over her shoulder.

          "See ya!" I called after her, still laughing. Rica, Ana and I teleported ourselves to our apartment, and I immediately put my sister to bed. I myself fell asleep grinning, knowing I would never forget the fun that night.

*~*~*~*

          My dark eyes scanned the cemetery several nights later, my location a high tree near its center. It was fairly empty, and I yawned. As I did, my large tiger ears that were protruding from my head seemed to perk up a bit, listening for any foreign sounds. My matching tail hung loosely below me, occasionally swishing in a rhythmic motion. In my lap sat my whip, my fingertips occasionally brushing the handle of it. This was my Catwoman form, which, at times, I preferred over purely human form.

          I yawned again, but suddenly silenced myself when I heard someone walking below me. I peered down through the branches and saw Derek. He seemed to be looking for something, and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

          "Derek!" I hissed down at him, causing him to look up, "You scared me half to death!"

          He smiled up at me and teleported up to my location, "Sorry... I sensed your aura, and I had the night off, so I figured I’d come find you."

          I relaxed a bit and smiled back, finding it hard to stay mad for long. "I thought you were evil and needed slaying or something."

          My boyfriend laughed lightly and shook his head, opening his mouth to say something in reply, when I held up my hand to hush him.

          "What?" He whispered, looking around on the ground below.

          "I hear something..." I looked over my shoulder but saw no one. "Someone... No, two someones. They’re coming."

          "Eh? Where? I don’t see or hear anything."

          "I don’t see them either. But I hear," I grinned. "Cat instincts you know."

          He nodded and chuckled, and I glanced over my shoulder again and this time, I spotted whom I had heard earlier. Much to my misfortune, it was Shayde and Robek, talking quietly and smiling.

          I shook my head and turned around, hoping to stop Derek before he looked, but I had no such luck. He was scowling.

          "What are THEY doing here?"

          I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe they won’t notice us."

          "You noticed them!"

          "That’s because I heard them. I don’t think they can hear so well from there."

          We turned around again, watching the couple as they approached. Derek lowered his voice and muttered, "What are they saying?"

          I held up a hand to silence him as I eavesdropped into their conversation. I jumped in during the middle of one of Robek’s sentences.

          "...Such an idiot!"

          Shayde nodded, "Definitely. He would probably lose his head if it weren’t attached to his body!"

          Both started laughing, and I raised an eyebrow. I wondered whom they were talking about, and I felt myself becoming lost in my own curiosity. Derek must have sensed this, because he brought me back to the present with a playful jab in the side.

          "So? What were they saying?"

          "I’m not sure. Insulting someone."

          "Who?"

          "Not sure. Hold on..."

          I tuned in again, and for a few minutes all I got were slurs about the mystery character, until I heard Shayde make a final comment.

          "I swear, if he weren’t my father..."

          My lips spread into a grin and whispered, "It’s Sirius."

          Derek turned to me with a puzzled expression. "Sirius? Why would they berate him?"

          "They obviously think he’s a moron. Don’t ask me!"

          Below us, Shayde and Robek continued to speak, but as I hissed out my last words, Robek stopped walking. Shayde looked up at him, confused, but stopped talking. I watched his eyes dart around, and I knew immediately we had been found out. I took Derek by the arm and hissed, "You need to teleport us out of here, now!"

          But before my boyfriend could even begin to process my words, Robek looked up into our tree. It must have been my tail he noticed first, for it was still hanging down, swishing carelessly. I cursed silently to myself as Shayde followed his eyes, then suddenly frowned up at us.

          "Let’s just go!" I hissed the words again to Derek, knowing very well I could take on Shayde, but Robek was another story. But, of course, Derek was already in fight mode, and I knew he didn’t plan on going anywhere. He jumped down from the tree, pulling me with him, and landed in front of the pair.

          "How long have you been here?" Robek demanded of us.

          "Look, I was here before you guys even showed up." I replied, a hint of defense in my voice.

          Shayde shook her head angrily. "You were listening to us this whole time, weren’t you?!"

          "So what if we were? It’s not like you were talking about anything remotely interesting! Just dissing on Sirius!" Derek spat back.

          The four of us started yelling at each other then, and I’m sure we woke the dead that was surrounding us. I didn’t know how long we stood, but we all stopped talking when someone whistled loudly directly to my left. All heads turned, mouths open, to our disrupter. It was Ana.

          She had her hands on her hips, and that disapproving mother-like look on her face. "What is all this commotion?"

          Shayde, Robek, Derek, and I began to talk all at once, each arguing our point of view. Ana whistled again and spoke calmly, "One at a time, please."

          Derek and I went first, describing what we had seen and heard. Robek and Shayde followed up with their story, and, when we had finished, Ana sighed.

          "I came because of such a strong imbalance. It felt almost like it were a war. There is no winner here. There is no right. I feel it would be in the best interests of everyone here if you went your separate ways for the evening."

          We grumbled and nodded, and Derek, after sending me a quick thought of good-bye, was the first to depart. Shayde and Robek walked back in the direction from which they had come, leaving Ana and me alone.

          My friend took me by the arm and started to lead me out of the cemetery and down the street to our home. After a long silence, she spoke up.

          "You should not eavesdrop. It is rude."

          I sighed. "I couldn’t help it! The opportunity was just... there?"

          Ana shook her head, "You will get yourself into trouble with your nosiness."

          I laughed lightly, "Yeah, curiosity just might kill this cat."

*~*~*~*

          "Excellent choice! I’ve used that one myself. You’re sure to enjoy it." Kyle grinned and took the money from the unsuspecting mortal teenager, who had just purchased a dark blue hypo.

          I sat beside Kyle on a park bench, watching as lines of people stood waiting for the chance to buy a hypo of their own. I smirked, knowing that the mortals had no clue as to what they were in for when it came to my friend’s creations, so Kyle was able to easily take their money. A "quick dollar" kept everyone happy, considering no one ever complained about any negative effects, and, even if they had wanted to, Kyle just moved around too much to be seen by the same crowd.

          "What does this one do?" A girl of about 15 was next, pointing to the gray-filled needle.

          Kyle smiled. "That one has the ability to shift all or part of your body into any animal you will."

          I grinned and spoke up, "Get that one! It works REALLY well!"

          The customer raised an eyebrow, and I could tell she wasn’t completely sure if I was really sane or not.

          I stood, ready to give a live demonstration of the chemical. Kyle started laughing, knowing exactly what was coming next. I picked up the needle, shoved it into my arm, and pushed the plunger down, injecting the fluid into my bloodstream. I spoke aloud to the now staring group of people.

          "I only have one animal I ever turn into. A cat," I laughed as the tiger tail and tiger ears started to emerge.

          "Catwoman, to be precise," I snapped my fingers, whip appearing in-hand.

          The gapers had wide eyes, and my ears had popped up fully, twitching every few seconds. The tail swayed behind me, and I tossed the whip from hand to hand.

          "Now, if I wanted to have a LOT of fun, I would get some claws too, but I prefer my regular hands. But, in this form, my senses are heightened. I can hear things from a mile away," I smiled and sat down beside Kyle.

          The girl’s jaw hung open, and, without saying a word, she gave Kyle her money; he handed her the hypo. She turned and walked away, and I could almost hear her contemplating which animal to become. Several others followed suit, and Kyle grinned happily.

          "Great work, K."

          I beamed. "Thank you, thank you. I always knew I was good for something!"

          He laughed, "You’re good for many a thing."

          I tilted my head to one side in thought. "I suppose... Maybe." I nodded.

          My friend just smiled and shook his head. By now the masses had dispersed, leaving us alone in the center of the park. My tail swished slowly as Kyle stood.

          "I have to go. Get some more merchandise. See ya tomorrow."

          I nodded and stood, and we went our separate ways. Behind me I heard a loud rumble, and I glanced over my shoulder instinctively. The only thing I saw was a split-second glimmer of light, then nothing but the night. Kyle was gone. I was alone. I frowned and kept walking, thinking to myself, "I gotta ask Kyle about that..."

*~*~*~*

          I sat on my couch with Ana and Gekkani, my pearly white kitten with golden wings. She was a light elemental and a great companion. Rica was out for the evening, probably at a bar, so Ana and I were left to our own madness.

          "I’m boooooooooooooooooooooooooreeeeeeeeeeeed!" I put on my whiniest voice, and Gekkani poked her head up and yawned in agreeance.

          Ana nodded and started to brainstorm. "We could watch television. Or a movie."

          I shook my head. "That’ll put me to sleep for sure."

          We sat there in thought when my cat started to flutter her wings and quickly flew over to the corner of the room where our grand piano sat. Gekkani plopped herself down on the center of the keyboard, causing several notes to sound at once.

          I had gotten the piano when Ana moved in with Rica and I. She could play with such ease it astounded me, and it was always a pleasure to have her play a melody.

          I laughed. "The cat sends subliminal messages!"

          Ana laughed with me and stood, walked over to the piano bench, and sat down. Gekkani moved to the top of the piano where she promptly lay down. I walked over to the instrument and jumped on top, sitting cross-legged.

          My musically-inclined roommate began to play a rapid, upbeat piece, her fingers moving gracefully over the keys. She was just making up her own tune, but it was as though she were playing a song she had heard a thousand times. I simply hummed along. I was used to her off-the-top-of-her-head compositions, so I caught on fast.

          Then she began to slow the pace to a song I knew very well. She grinned up at me, and I began to sing along:

          "I was stained, with a role, in a day, not my own, but as you walked, into my life, you showed what needed to be shown, and I always knew, what was right, I just didn’t know that I might, peel away and choose to see with such a different sight..."

          Ana smiled. She liked to hear me sing. I didn’t think my soprano style was all that terrific, but everyone else did. To her, we sounded great together.

          "I will never see the sky, the same way and, I will learn to say good-bye, to yesterday and I, will never cease to fly, if held down, and I will always reach too high, ’cause I’ve seen, ’cause I’ve seen, twilight,

          "Never cared, never wanted, never sought to see what flaunted, so on purpose, so in my face, couldn’t see beyond my own place, and it was so easy not to behold what I could hold, but you taught me, I could change whatever came within these shallow days,

          "And I will never see the sky, the same way and, I will learn to say good-bye, to yesterday and I, will never cease to fly, if held down, and I will always reach too high, ’cause I’ve seen, ’cause I’ve seen,

          "As the sun shines through, it pushes away and pushes ahead, it fills the warmth of blue, and leaves a chill instead and, I didn’t know that I could be so blind to all that is so real, but as illusion dies I see there is so much to be revealed,

          "And I will never see the sky, the same way and, I will learn to say good-bye, to yesterday and I, will never cease to fly, if held down, and I will always reach too high, ’cause I’ve seen, ’cause I’ve seen, twilight,

          "I was stained, by a role, in a day, not my own, but as you walked into my life, you showed what needed to be shown, and I always knew, what was right, I just didn’t know that I might, peel away and choose to see with such a different sight,

          "And I will never see the sky, the same way and, I will learn to say good-bye, to yesterday and I, will never cease to fly, if held down, and I will always reach too high, ’cause I’ve seen, ’cause I’ve seen, twilight."

          As I finished gently, Ana wrapped it up by playing a soft interlude. When she finished, I smiled and applauded.

          "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

          Ana laughed and clapped for me as well. Suddenly she stopped and pointed to Gekkani, grinning.

          I looked over at my pet and noticed why Ana was gesturing. Gekkani was stretched out, wings tucked in, and sound asleep. I had to laugh.

          "We’d better stop now before we lose our only audience!"

          My friend smiled and nodded, and we both stood and walked away from the piano. After our hopeful melody, I felt I had a new sense of contentment that I hoped would last until our next "concert."

*~*~*~*

          I wandered through the forest two nights later, feeling oddly happy, despite my current task of patrolling. I had even brought my special dagger with me. Its blade was that of pure silver, and the hilt was solid gold. Cory had given it to me, and a "K" was engraved on the handle. I only used it when I was feeling lucky, and when I had headed out that evening, I felt lucky for some reason.

          I stepped out into the clearing, after having decapitated two vampires, who were denied their snack. I slipped the knife back into its sheath, which was hidden underneath my long red overcoat.

          I had just crossed the center of the open space when I stopped, sensing another presence. I pivoted on my heel, and I saw the someone I least expected there. Robek.

          I was slightly startled at his silent appearance, but I quickly got over the fact. I had seen it too much before to be fazed. His dark eyes were unreadable, but his expression seemed a bit grim. Nevertheless, I had to grin.

          "Well, hello, Robek. What is it this time? Still looking for Shayde? I thought you found her," I smirked as my voice dripped with dry sarcasm.

          Robek shook his head. "On the contrary, K. My business this evening is with you."

          I tilted my head to one side, puzzled. "OK then..."

          His eyes darkened, and I felt my heart skip a beat before he even spoke. I just knew his reply wouldn’t be too pleasant. He opened his mouth, but I cut in, attempting to throw in my two cents before he added his.

          "Look Robek. If this is about Shayde and me being friends, forget it. I hate that bitch. Don’t even waste your breath. And you should really stop wasting your time on her too. I mean, the slut has a head full of air, after all."

          At that moment, I was pretty proud of my petty insults. It seemed like one thing I was good at. I could tell my comments had done their worst, as his eyes blackened, as if the night sky had sunk into them. The only light to be seen was formed by the tiny sliver of the crescent moon.

          I snickered quietly, but quickly ceased as I noticed his black blood dripping from his left wrist. I raised an eyebrow and pointed to it.

          "You may want to get a band-aid for that."

          He didn’t look down, and it seemed like this was a common occurrence. It seemed like all I did was blink, but in that instant, he was inches away from my face, towering over me, like a tree over a flower. Robek’s eyes burned into mine like fire, but I held my ground. His right hand flew up from his side and found a new resting place at my throat, where he immediately began to put pressure, leaving me gasping for air.

          He smirked as I squirmed, and he leaned his face down, so close that I could feel his breath on my now red cheeks. I had half a mind to spit upon my harasser, but I just kept my focus on inhaling deeply as he spoke his next words, "I killed them."

          Robek dropped me to the ground, and I rubbed my neck. "What?" I had heard what he had said, but I wasn’t quite sure of the meaning. "Who?"

          He started laughing as though I had told him a joke, and I felt my heart skip a beat. I felt like I had been hit upside the head and left dazed. My brain became numbed as I stared up at him, my heart knowing the answer before it was even spoken.

          "No..." I shook my head, stumbling back. My panic and confusion were obvious in my voice.

          He just kept laughing, but it became more of a stinging snicker than laughter.

          "Yes, K. Your parents."

          I shook my head again, trembling. My mind swam with questions, although part of me didn’t want to find the answers.

          Robek nodded, a wicked smirk on his face. The blood continued to trickle down from his wrist as he responded, "That’s when M’rocc was still in me. That was when I had no control."

          I could feel the tears well up behind my eyes as I whispered, "But why them?"

          "Why the thousands of others? Because they were just there." He shrugged, and I could see his eyes grow cold and empty.

          I felt as though I had been used. All this time he had known me and had never once spoken two words about it. "Why did you never tell me?!" My tone became slightly angrier, more frustrated.

          "You were always with someone. I wanted to tell you alone."

          I suddenly felt ill, and I turned away from him, vomiting on the ground. I faced him again, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

          He continued on, unfazed by my display. His words sounded hollow in my head, but the constant smirk left me light-headed and emotionless.

          "I knew you were there, K. That night. Although you were in bed. I know you were awake, even if everyone else thought you were the sound-asleep six-year-old. I recall laughing as your mother and father suffered. They wanted more than anything to protect you and your sister. Rica was screaming, as I remember it." He thought for a moment, as if savoring the memory. "Yes, your parents were screaming too. But there was no sound from one little girl."

          I had been playing the event over and over in my head as he spoke to me, and I remember crying silently in bed, terrified. Somehow I knew not to get up, not to go downstairs and see what the commotion was. I believe it was the last warning my mother had ever given me.

          "You were deaf then, K. Deaf to the screams, deaf to their cries. Deaf to your tormented mother and father."

          Deaf to the screams... It echoed in my heart until it drowned out Robek’s cruel laughter, and then until silence filled my eardrums. I was deaf to the screaming then, and I was deaf to the silence now.

          I wanted to cry aloud, yell out all my years of anger, frustration, sadness. I now knew who had committed the crime, and I wanted him to pay. I opened my mouth to scream exactly what I was thinking, but all I could come up with was, "Bastard..."

          He began to laugh harder, "That’s the best you could come up with? Just like your father... He didn’t work well under pressure either."

          I was utterly stunned, but I amazed myself more when I reached up my hand and slapped him across the face. I contacted with ease, creating a loud crack and a red handprint across his right cheek.

          For a moment he stood, both of us surprised at my own audacity. Then he snickered.

          "Ouch. That kills, K, that kills."

          "I have all the right in the world to kill you," I hissed, balling my hands into fists.

          "Go ahead and try. You won’t get too far..."

          For an instant, I knew he was right, but something inside me pushed the feeling aside as my slayer instincts took over.

          I raised my fist to punch him, but I didn’t get too far because I heard footsteps to my right. I turned my head, lowering my fist slightly, and took a few steps back, not wanting Robek to knock me off-guard. But out of the corner of my eye, I could see that he was just as suspicious of the sound as I.

          Kyle stepped out of the shadows, but his eyes seemed to hold a bit of the darkness from the night. I quickly walked up to him and stared up at him as I felt my confusion mount.

          "You don’t know what he did, Kyle. He killed..." My voice was shaking with a mix of emotions, but he immediately nodded.

          "I know what he did. I heard him. And I know what you have to do... I’d do the same thing. Just... be careful. Don’t get yourself killed."

          I smirked as I wondered how long he had been standing there, eavesdropping, but I replied, "I wouldn’t dream of it..."

          I pivoted on my heel, turning back to face my opponent, and I heard Kyle slip quietly back into the night. Robek’s eyes danced.

          "So, you have to have your friends come fight for you?"

          I snickered. "Just like you need your bitch to control your temper."

          Without a retort, I lunged at him in an attempt to throw my fist into his nose and break it. Grinning, he put up a hand to halt mine in mid-swing, and started to crush the bones inside.

          My assailant easily overpowered me, which I knew had come from millennia of being a skilled assassin. I had enough self-control not to let any emotions show, even if I was in extreme pain.

          When every bone was broken, he let go. I hissed and threw up my left hand, even though I was a dominant righty. This time I made contact, smashing his nose.

          If he was in pain, he was very good at masking it. He ignored the blow, and, as my arm came down, he snatched my wrist. I began mentally preparing myself for another set of mashed bones.

          But he didn’t seem out to break something. Instead, Robek swiftly swept out his leg and latched it under mine, and I couldn’t help but lose balance. I fell down hard onto my back and winced unintentionally.

          I didn’t have time to get up or roll away before he had me pinned to the ground. Clasping both hands around my throat, he slowly began to limit my oxygen consumption again.

          As I lay there choking, I felt something I had never felt before. I was going to die.

          It was a bit frightening in a way. Sure, I had died before, but I was never so certain of it like I was at that moment. I then expected a specific chain of events to ensue, like the flashback of my life before my eyes, followed by a brilliant white light, then... death.

          Instead of recalling my life story, I instead found myself thinking about all the people that I was going to miss. The people who really meant a lot to me. Immediately my mind jumped to Rica. My beloved sister whom I had just started to know again. I couldn’t even imagine leaving her. She would have no family left.

          And what of Kyle? He owned a large part of my heart, whether he knew it or not. Our friendship was deep, and I wished I could tell him.

          Ana, Lisa, and Cin were more than just good friends to me. The thought of leaving them seemed unthinkable.

          After my silent good-byes, I waited for the fate I was certain would come within minutes. I shut my eyes, waiting to be blinded by the flash of light.

          But there was no light. There was no death. Nothing.

          I opened my eyes again, although my head and heart were both pounding, and my glassy eyes burned. I looked up at Robek, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying my torment. I thought I must have done something wrong. Why wasn’t I dead? I expected an answer to appear, when suddenly a voice emerged quietly in my mind, as though whispering to me.

          Or not...

          I shook my head, assuming I must be hearing things. I thought I had become delusional in my despair.

          Or not.

          The voice grew louder, repeating the two simple words. Each time it became more firm, but it seemed to me like I had heard this voice before, although it was far from my own, and I didn’t recall ever saying such a thing.

          Finally, the voice ceased. I closed my eyes when it hit me. The fight... We were in a field... I was holding him down, just like this...

          It was Kyle... The realization dawned on me, and I wondered for an instant how I couldn’t have remembered before. I thought I had won... I had pinned Kyle down...

          I desperately tried to think fast, now down to one last breath. Since my arms were useless, I silently prayed that my attempt would work. With nearly all my strength, I rolled back a bit, and heaved my legs up in front of me. Before he knew what hit him, I had rammed my feet to the back of his thighs and thrown him up and over me, sending him halfway across the clearing.

          I sat up quickly, coughing, but alive. I stood and turned around to face Robek, who was taken aback. His shock didn’t last for long, however, as he quickly stood and started to run at me again.

          I knew my physical attacks would not provide any more assistance, but my mind raced to the dagger under my overcoat. I swept back my jacket and yanked the knife from its sheath. He ran at me, almost like a blur, and I had to keep my focus solid to catch him. I nearly missed, but as he swished past me, I blindly threw up my hand near his chest and thrust the dagger inward, but held a tight grip on my weapon.

          Robek’s momentum continued to propel him forward for a few seconds, but he halted as soon as physically possible. He turned sharply, practically dragging me along with him, but instead of the look of fury I was expecting, his face showed amusement.

          I cringed, yanking the dagger out as fast as I could. Thick, black blood ran the length of my knife, and a matching layer covered the area close to his heart where I had struck him. I was about to lodge it elsewhere, maybe through his skull, but before I could take aim, Robek easily swung up his leg and contacted my wrist, snapping it back. I lost the grip of my tool and watched in misery as it went flying across the clearing.

          I knew that I was as good as dead without it, and he seemed to know it too, judging by the smirk on his face. For a moment, I stood staring up at Robek, and he down at me. I swallowed hard and whirled around, sprinting toward my dagger, which lay on a patch of grassy weeds. My heart pounded, my left arm outstretched, ready to reach down and snatch it off the ground. I was almost there...

          But I knew he was too fast, and within seconds he had caught up behind me and jumped, tackling me, back flat on the ground, just inches away from the knife.

          I gave a small cry, not of pain, but of frustration and disappointment. I was so close, and I had the feeling I wouldn’t be getting much closer. I raised up my right arm, hitting him with my shattered hand. I winced at the pain, which quickly seemed minimal as he wrenched my right arm out of its socket. Forcing myself not to scream, I used instincts and my last bit of optimism to claw my left hand around the earth above my head, to try to grab the dagger. His weight, however, held me down, but his grip loosened as I kicked and convulsed beneath him. I breathed a quiet sigh of success as the tip of my pointer finger graced the golden hilt.

          I jerked violently to allow the final gap to be closed. I wrapped my hand around the handle and held tightly as I heard Robek hiss out a string of curses. Knowing I only had one chance, I jammed the glistening gold as hard as I could into his forehead, hoping to knock him out, or at least get him off me.

          A loud howl rose up from him, and I immediately felt lighter. I prepared to rise to my feet, but all I could do for a moment was gape.

          I had made clear contact with the center of his head, just above his "third eye." His hands covered the spot, and it was obvious I did more damage than a simple bruise. From what I could see around his hands, the area seemed to be burning, as though I had hit him with a torch. His yells were filled with pain that shattered the night and dizzied my head. After a moment of watching him, I looked down at my dagger, then leapt to my feet, preparing to finish what I had started.

          I roundhouse kicked him to the head, and he was sloppily knocked to the side. It only took a couple more hits to get him on the ground, and all the while I could only wonder what had happened. The skilled fighter I had been losing to only moments ago was now dulled in his senses.

          I knelt down over him, placing a hand on his gut and holding the other above him. The silver half shone upright, and I held the golden half downward above him. I could tell he was struggling, trying his hardest to break free. His cries had lessened, but in his eyes I read the pain like a book. He kicked and pushed me, trying to get me off, but my rage had returned, sending my blood to a boil. I hadn’t forgotten why this fight had erupted in the first place.

          "You killed them..." My voice trembled as I ran the hilt into the same burned location as I had done before, but this time I held it there, occasionally twisting it. I could feel Karisma within me: This is what she lived for. I normally didn’t torture like this, but I felt oddly all right with his terrible screams.

          My deep blue eyes locked with his pained orbs as I yanked the dagger out. By now his blood had begun to run, and my hands had become drenched with it. It seemed as though I had permanently broken every nerve in his brain, leaving him with the most severe brain damage that I had ever seen. Robek was basically a vegetable.

          His mouth moved slowly, forming words although there was no sound being emitted. I watched grimly for a moment, then placed my free hand over his lips, not caring to see what he had to say.

          "I hope you got what they did, Robek. Because you deserve nothing less... You should get all the pain, too..." I spit out the words with malice and rammed the blade down into his heart.

          He didn’t scream, he didn’t cry out. No further sounds came from him, but I could tell by the twisted look upon his face that I was granted my wish. Robek was so far gone from the gold that it didn’t take long.

          Robek was dead. I had killed him.

          I stood, staring down at the corpse. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were wide, as though he had just seen a ghost and died of a heart attack. After a moment, I reached down and yanked my dagger out of his chest. Blood covered the length of the blade, as well as the hilt. By now, it had stained my hands as well.

          "Tainted blood..." I thought as I turned away from my victim, sickened by the sight of it.

          But as I did so, I heard laughter in my head. Robek’s laughter.

          I replayed what he said to me, and it all seemed so real all over again. The chuckles didn’t last long in my mind, and quickly faded as I pivoted on my heel, again faced by Robek’s body.

          It seems so funny how fate worked. Only an hour ago, Robek’s shadow towered over me, but now, by an odd twist of fate, I stood dominant over him.

          I glared down at him, and a wave of rage swept over me. I was compelled to kick his body, to affirm my victory, but I immediately realized how petty that would be. Instead, I started to scream at the unhearing Robek.

          "You fucker!" I ran a bloodstained hand through my hair to brush it from my face.

          "Fuck... fuck... fuck!!!" I whipped my dagger across the clearing, frustration now swimming with my hatred.

          "What the fuck have you done, Robek?! What have you done?" My voice trembled with my words.

          I swiped my other hand through my hair, too, pulling all the while, trying to rack my brain for an answer. But my quiet peace of mind whispered to me: What have YOU done?

          I didn’t know a response to my own silent question. I wasn’t sure I knew any of the answers anymore. As I tried to figure it all out, a strange phenomenon of emotions came over me. Sadness was added to the mix, and with that, came an action that seemed natural to many, but so strange to me: I began to cry.

          Burning tears stung my cheeks, and I made no effort to brush them away. I was so drained, that, if I did, I might have cried more from exhaustion. This breakdown was like that of when my parents died, ten years ago.

          I wept for the death of my mother and father, the destruction of a family, Rica’s depression, and my deaf ears.

          Choked sobs overwhelmed me, and I knelt on the ground, praying for the souls of all those I had lost. My body shuddered violently, and I had to put my stained hands on the ground to steady myself. My head was hung low, a bit of shame in my heart for my vengence. Tears ran from my eyes like a steady stream, until I felt a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders. I knew at once who it was; my heart had told me. It was Kyle.

          I didn’t know when he had come up to me, but he was kneeling beside me now, cradling me in gentle arms. For what felt like hours, I cried into his shoulder, never more grateful for his presence than I was at that moment.

          Finally, I had worn myself down so much that I fell into a dormant type of state, between sleep and wakefulness, and between consciousness and unconsciousness. My body was basically useless, but in the back of my mind I was vaguely aware of what happened next.

          I felt myself being lifted up, my limbs slack. Kyle was taking me somewhere, and as he walked, he was murmuring things, although I was unsure of the content. I was comforted that there was noise other than the silence that had drummed in my ears before.

          There was suddenly another voice than his, but it only took a second to register the speaker. Rica had a worried tone in her voice, and I realized we were at my house.

          Kyle began to walk again, and at the new destination he laid me down on something soft. I felt his presence over my bed, but then he crossed to the opposite side of my room and lit a fire the conventional way. I felt warmed instantly, which was soothing since my extremities felt so cold, despite the pleasant weather outside. He passed my bed, gently ran a hand across my forehead, and left the room, partially closing the door behind.

          I heard quiet voices and the occasional gasp from Rica. I assumed Kyle was telling her the events of the night as well as the final outcome.

          I didn’t know when he left my dwelling, because I had fallen into a heavy sleep, lulled by the crackle of the golden fire.

*~*~*~*

          For the next several days, it were as though I had lost my parents all over again. I didn’t eat and didn’t move from my bed. I cried often, not always knowing exactly why, but feeling relieved all the same.

          Weariness overcame me, but I often fought it. Sleep meant dreams, and dreams had not been kind to me. They haunted me, forcing me to relive that night over and over until I jerked myself awake, covered in sweat and shaking.

          Rica was so supportive of me. At first, she would come into my room and cry with me, and I knew it had hurt her, too. After a couple of days, however, she tried to gently prod me out of my moping state by giving me things to eat, but I always turned her down. The smell made me sick.

          One night, after a fitful rest, I lay awake, staring at my ceiling. I was tired, but not in a physical sense. My heart ached, but I was healing. Slowly, but I knew I was. This was one of the worst things that had happened to me, but I knew I was stronger. I had shunted my duties long enough to give me time to recover, but what was done was done. I had to go back to slaying.

          I struggled out of bed, having to find a balance after lying so long, and walked to Rica’s room. I smiled down at her sleeping body and carefully shook her awake. As I explained my epiphany to her, her face glowed, and she immediately agreed to help me.

          After a bowl of chicken soup, I showered and slid a stake into my pocket. I looked at myself in the mirror for a few minutes, confident of the person staring back at me.

          My sister took me to The Full Moon where we met Cin, Lisa, and Ana for a round of drinks. They said nothing to me about my fight with Robek, but I knew they knew. Word traveled fast in our small town, but my friends were much too kind to remind me of what I was trying to forget. I finished my vodka and stood, bidding them farewell and leaving the club to patrol.

          I wandered down the street and through the park, dusting a vampire here and there. It was fairly quiet, but after a few killings, I found myself back into the swing of things.

          Dawn was approaching quickly, and I was about to head home, knowing the majority of my foes were night owls. I finished my stroll through the park and stopped when I saw the one person I needed to talk to the most.

          Kyle was sitting on a bench, using a rag to clean a piece of metal that I assumed was one of his many knives. He heard me approach and instantly looked up. When he saw me, he smiled warmly.

          "Glad to see you out and about, K."

          I nodded, smiling back, "Glad to be out."

          My friend looked back down at his task and kept rubbing with the cloth, which gave me a moment to try and mentally piece together what I wanted to say to him. I needed to thank him, for taking me home that night, for letting me cry, and most of all, for caring as much as he did. I had to tell him that I was thinking of him as I thought I was going to die. I had to tell him exactly how I felt, and I opened my mouth to blurt it all out, but before I could say a word, he held up the dagger he was cleaning and extended it out to me. I saw the tiny glimmer of gold, and I knew it was mine. I hadn’t even remembered that I didn’t have it, and I figured I must have left it in the clearing. Kyle had picked it up and made it shine like the day I had gotten it.

          I took it from him, looking at it, then at him. Everything I wished to say seemingly disappeared, and all I could manage was: "Thank you, Kyle... for everything."

          Kyle smiled at me and stood, and we began to walk eastward. All I had to say had been said, and I knew he understood. As the rising sun warmed my face, I felt the sadness and anger wash away, leaving me with an odd sense of contentment. It relieved me that this chapter of my life was shut, and that with the new day came a new book. I felt ready to tackle the challenge of being a slayer, as well as the challenge of being a sister, friend, and girlfriend. In all cases, I knew that never again would I fear the uncertain silence.