Please comment, I need to know what to do for the other chapters D8 The man lay down, looking at the girl at his side. She would have been beautiful, even if he hadn’t loved her. Tanned skin, long bright blonde hair. It gleams in the moonlight, shimmering down her back in long waves. She murmurs in her sleep, then lays on her side, facing him. He strokes her cheek, admiring her delicate beauty. She opens her eyes, a dark ebony, and looks up at him, smiling. She rests her head on his chest, lightly grazing him with her fingers. He strokes her hair back from her face gently, enjoying the texture of it between his fingers. “Happy?” he asked, keeping his voice low. She kisses him gently in reply, then sighs. Pressing her lips to his neck, she slowly gets up, grabbing her jeans. “I have to get to work, and my roommate will be wondering where I am.” She slips her tank top on, then ties her hair back. “You can get home okay?” The girl nods, kissing him one last time. “I‘ll see you tomorrow, okay? I promise” She crosses her heart, smiling a little. The guy crosses his heart in reply, smiling. “Stay out of trouble.” She smiles, then turning and jumping out the window. It was a short jump to the ground below, about five or six feet. The guy gets up, walking over to the window. He watches the girl jog down the sidewalk, until she is out of sight. “Romeo, and his beautiful Juliet.” he mutters, shoving the book in question into his dresser. He is exhausted, so he goes back to bed, slipping under the blankets. The last thought to cross his mind makes him smile slightly. “This story will have a happy ending.” *************************** Chapter 1 The girl woke with a start, sitting up straight. Her dark hair hid her face, but she turned her head quickly to the side, making it fly over her shoulder. Her eyes searched, a deep sapphire blue. She looked the room over a second time, wishing, wanting the person to be there. She thought the slim girl was over in the corner, but when she looked, no one. She closed her eyes, letting a single tear course down her face, then got out of the bed. She was slim, and not very tall, her dark hair cascading to the middle of her back in a V shape. She walked to the dresser across from the bed, picking up a picture of two girls, one a younger, happier version of herself, the other a blonde girl who could have been her twin, except for her hair and her eyes, a dark ebony. She smiled, gently brushing her fingers over the photo, then set it back down and opened the wooden dresser, pulling a knife out of the top drawer. She took a deep breath, placing the knife against the pale skin of her arm, then she pushed it down, cutting her arm. The knife was sharp, and just the wrong pressure could kill her. She closed her eyes, dropping the knife back into the drawer, and closing it, then looking in the mirror. A pale girl, with dark circles around her eyes, looked back, watching the reflection warily, as if it would jump out at her. Her hair was tangled, and her arms glittered with the scars of times such as these. She sighed, then walked into the bathroom, taking off her pajama top and shorts. She stepped into the shower, turning the water to scalding, and let it beat a rhythm on her skin. When the water dripped onto her cut, it burned, and the blood stained the water in the bottom of the tub red. She stood there, trying to forget, trying to erase everything. As usual, the exercise only tortured her, making tears sting at her eyes. Something flashed by, on the other side of the curtain, out of the corner of her eye. It was pale gold in the bathroom light, and she turned quickly, shoving the shower curtain aside. Nothing. She sighed, then wrapped herself in a towel and walked out into the bedroom, her arm tingling. It had already stopped bleeding, a pink line forming. The phone rang, startling her. She sighed, picking it up. She should rethink getting the phone next to the bed, maybe putting it in the kitchen or something. “Hello?” she said, her voice no more then a whisper. “This is SAS Student Loans, is Ms Alexandra White there?” “Speaking.” she replied, making her voice a little louder. “We need confirmation that you and Ms. Monica White are attending the fall semester.” Alexa opened her eyes, boxing away her emotions like she had been taught. “We have changed our minds, we won‘t be attending.” Her chest felt tight. “Alright.” the man sounded far off. “We will return your initial down payment fee.” “Thanks.” Alexa hung up the phone, then turned, grabbing a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt on her way. She dropped the towels to the floor. The jeans were baggy, hiding how skinny she was. She avoided looking at herself in the mirror as she slipped into the t-shirt and sweatshirt. Both were slightly oversized, hiding her real form beneath cloth. She had already made plans to go out, unfortunately. Alexa took one last look around the room, remembering. So many nights she lay on the bed, hoping every telephone call, every knock on the door was her sister. Every time she had been disappointed. Her cell phone rang, and her heart leaped, as she pulled it out. Disappointment made her eyes sting, as she opened it. “Hey. No, I didn’t forget, I’m coming.” she snapped the phone shut, then shut the door, not bothering to lock it. Any thief coming to her home would be severely surprised. She walked down the stairs and onto the street, heading southward with her head down. She had sold her car a while ago, after running out of rent money. Her head ached in the sun slightly, and by the time she reached the café, she was panting slightly. Jay waited for her, then pulled out a chair. “I ordered you what you usually like.” she said, her eyes appraising Alexa. Alexa nodded and took a sip of the drink in front of her, then smiled, in what felt like the first time in days, and drank it down faster. “Thanks” she said, her voice slightly hoarse. Jay nodded, seemingly preoccupied. She was tall, almost six feet, and had red hair. As if this hadn’t made her stick out enough, she was also tan, and had light blue green eyes. Her hair, as usual, was pulled back into a ponytail, and her light dusting of freckles on her nose barely stood out against her tan. Jay had first been a friend of Monica’s, but she was soon introduced to the Alexa. Alexa had been shy at first, but Jay had broken the ice by telling her she could not call her Jean Ann, only Jay. “Don‘t be mad at me.” Jay said, looking at Alexa nervously. Alexa started to ask what she was talking about, when a sugary high voice sounded behind her. “Darling, you didn’t say you be here.” Alexa glared daggers at Jay, who shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed, and turned around. The woman was blonde, and very pretty. She had light blue eyes, and a face that could have belonged to any angel. “Mom.” she looked over at the man standing next to her. “Dad. What are you doing here?” Alice White smiled, putting an arm around her husband. “We decided to buy a house in a town nearby, and Jay called us, asking if she could visit with us. This is such a charming town. . . . . “ “And of course we wanted to see you.” John White was tall, and handsome. Alexa had inherited his dark looks. His eyes were brown, and usually looked at the world with subtle distaste, as if it wasn’t good enough for him. “How is school?” he asked, lighting a cigarette. Alexa wrinkled her nose, leaning back. “I‘m going to go visit Monica.” she said, brushing away her mother’s hand. Alice froze, her eyes darting from side to side, as if someone was eavesdropping. John took his cigarette out of his mouth, breathing out smoke. “You want to see her, don‘t you?” Alexa pressed. Alice tightened her grip on her husband, looking up to him for guidance. “She is not part of our family anymore.” John declared quietly, dropping the cigarette to the ground. Alexa stared at him, then Alice, who looked away. “How can you say that?” she asked, keeping her voice low. Jay watched in silence. Alice finally looked at her daughter, her eyes cold. “This is not appropriate conversation.” she said, her voice cutting through the air. John nodded, looking his arm through his wife’s. “She still exists. She is still your daughter.” Alice reached out quickly and grabbed Alexa’s shoulder, pinching it. “Not anymore. Stop pretending.” Alexa yanked her mother’s hand off, her eyes glowing with hate. “Pretending!? At least I acknowledge her! At least I didn‘t forget about her!” Alexa’s voice rose with anger. John looked over at his wife, who nodded, and dug in her purse quickly, pulling out a twenty dollar bill. “Fine.” Alice said, pressing the bill onto the table. “ Visit her, buy her something nice. We have to go make sure everything is in order.” Alexa’s parents turned and marched away, not looking back. Jay, sighed, then took the money, going to a vendor. Alexa followed, her eyes on the pavement, thinking. Jay bought some roses, then led Alexa to the car. “I didn‘t call them.” she whispered, taking Alexa’s hand. Alexa nodded, getting in the car. She took the roses gently, holding them in her lap. “Thank you.” she said, gently touching the petals. Jay nodded, getting in the driver’s seat. “Monica‘s favorites, right?” she started the car, pulling away from the curb. Alexa nodded, looking out the window. People won spring break, mostly teens, walked along the streets, looking in store windows. She wondered if they had dark secrets, if their families were strong together or better off alone. “They wanted to go to your apartment, but I headed them off.” Jay continued, making a left turn. Now they were on a country road, the green of the trees almost blinding after the city. Alexa dimly wondered about Jay’s family. She had said before that she had grown up as an only child, and never mentioned her parents. She wondered if Jay’s family had ever had problems they ignored, things they never talked about. Secrets they hid, never talked about. Or maybe, they faced their problems together, as families were supposed to, head on. She opened her mouth, about to ask, when the car stopped at a small house, painted blue. “We‘re here.” Jay announced, getting out of the car. Alexa sighed and got out, gently handling the roses. She would ask later. Jay’s necklace glinted in the sunlight, a golden sun on the end of a silver chain. “You still wear it?” she asked, her free hand going to her own throat. Jay nodded. “It‘s a memory of happier times.” She smiled a little. “Do you?” Alexa nodded, pulling the necklace out. There were two charm on the silver chain, a silver full moon, and a black eye with a golden pupil. “Monica‘s…and mine.” she murmured, placing it back under her sweatshirt. She headed to the house, then went around the back, to a meadow. They used to have such fun times here, playing, laughing. Alexa walked up to a small stone set in the in the meadow, and set the roses down. “Happy Birthday, sis.” April 1st. She closed her eyes. “I finished college. Got a medical degree and everything.” She could almost imagine her twin there, smiling. “We all cried at your funeral. Everyone in our class was there.” Tears began to fall onto the gravestone, spilling out of Alexa’s eyes. She couldn’t hold her feelings back anymore, there was too much. “They said something for you at our graduation. Everyone missed you.” Jay came and hugged Alexa. She could feel the girl crying. “Sometimes…I think you are still here. In my dreams. I wish you were.” she broke down, holding onto Jay. “I miss you so much. I‘ll never forget, or forgive myself.” The two girls cried, holding onto each other as the sun went down. Chapter 2 The guy got up, pulling on a t-shirt and his shoes. He looked longingly at a picture of himself surrounded by three girls; his family. The picture has faded, the color not as bright. He made a note to get a frame for it, and grabbed his car keys, walking out the door. Stopping on his porch, he hesitated for a second, then called a number. “Hey, this is Alexa, I‘m not home right now, so please leave me a message and I‘ll call you back as soon as possible. If this is Leon, I‘m going to kill you for leaving a message on my home phone.” The man smiled, then shut the phone, his eyes in shadows. He stepped down to the car, and stopped, seeing a note on the dashboard. See you tomorrow night. It said. Don’t forget to pick me up. Love, you know who. The man smiled, then slid into the car, starting it. Just as he was about to drive away, his cell phone rang. Hope soared through him as he opened it. “Hello?” “Mr. Holden, this call is confirming your appointment tomorrow night at the Whitings.” The man closed his eyes. “Yes, I am aware.” How could he have ever forgotten? “Thank you.” He closed the phone, then tapped it against the steering wheel, getting himself under control. The tapping seemed to go in rhythm with his thoughts. All my fault, all my fault, all my fault. He sighed, putting the car into gear, then stopped again, his foot on the brake. He closed his eyes, picturing the photograph of him and the girls. The dark haired girl on his right smiled cynically at the person taking the picture, her light blue eyes glowing in the sunlight. The girl on his left had her arm wrapped around him, smiling into the camera. Her delicate beauty was slightly marred by a scar on her left cheek, glinting in the sun. Long blonde hair drifted down her back, ending at around her waist. Her dark eyes looked even darker in the sunlight. The girl standing behind them had shoulder-length red hair, offset by her light blue eyes that turned slightly green in the sun. She was taller then him, almost, and was tan, despite her freckles. The man smiled, the writing on the back of the photograph floating through her mind. Love the moments, and live for something special. I love you, and we will always be together, Leon. The writing became messier, less elegant. Screw that, just go have fun, and don’t forget about us! The writing changed one last time, becoming slanted, neater. Never look back, just keep looking forward. It was signed, Monica, Jay, and Alexa. Leon smiled slightly, opening his eyes. “Training never fails.” He muttered, pulling away from the curb. But even when he stops thinking of the photograph, each girl’s face appears before his eyes. ************************************ Alexa opened her eyes, feeling the sun beat down on her face. The gentle breeze led strands of her hair on a chase, teasing them. The sun warmed her skin, making her sleepy. She pulled off her sweatshirt, suddenly very hot. Jay had had to run back into town for school, and had promised to bring back lunch, but that would be a few hours. Alexa wasn’t hungry anyway. The brook gently murmured, the sun glinting off its clear blue waters. She sighed sadly, seeing the good times they had had. Monica would always be the first in the water, closely followed by Jay. If Leon had been in the mood, he would shove Alexa in after them, then jump in, followed by the three girls screaming happily. Despite them calling it a brook, it was actually deeper then that. Jay and Leon couldn’t touch the bottom unless they were almost a foot under. They played games, seeing who could stay under longest, and touch the sandy bottom. Alexa hesitated, then took off her shoes and socks, gently placing them beside her sweatshirt. She took a deep breath, then dove in. Just before she hit the water, she thought she heard someone call her name. The icy water shocked her, driving invisible needles into her skin. She gasped, trying to get to the surface. A current pulled her down, spinning her until she was dizzy. She was too weak now to fight, and her lungs ached for air. She gasped, then choked, water filling her lungs. Her vision turned slowly black as she sank to the bottom, and the last thing she saw was the sun turning the water a beautiful blue. ***************************************** Something pounded her, making her gasp. She choked as water came up, and someone turned her head to the side. “Damn it Alexa, I told you not too!” Someone familiar leaned over her, gently checking her pulse. “Leon?” she gasped, trying to breathe. “You scared me, kid. I thought you were a goner.” Leon gently helped her sit up, watching her with grey eyes. Alexa smiled a little, her throat hurting. She breathed shallowly, her chest feeling like she had gotten kicked by a horse. “What are you doing here?” she asked quietly, leaning against him. “I wanted to visit you….and Monica….” he answered, rubbing her back gently. Alexa felt tears come to her eyes and looked down. “I‘m sorry..” she murmured, keeping her voice steady. She felt Leon shrug. “I‘m going to go talk with her now, okay?” he said. “ I‘ll be right over there.” Leon slowly stood up, checking to make sure she was okay, then went to the grave, kneeling down beside it. He murmured something, his voice too low to be heard. Alexa took another breath, steadying herself. She could hear Leon’s heartbeat, five feet away from her. It was just a second behind hers, beating rhythmically. She got up slowly, walking over to him. “She……she and I had an argument, the night before she….” Alexa stopped. “I…I‘m just so sorry.” Leon looked up at her, then stood up, letting out a long sigh. “You lost a sister, and I lost my love.” He smiled sadly, and gave Alexa a one armed hug. “But at least we have each other, and Jay.” Alexa nodded slowly, her head leaning on Leon’s shoulder. “C‘mon, I‘ll call Jay, and we can go to your apartment, and hang out. Catch up on things.” Leon walked to his car, which was parked behind the house. “Have you been practicing at all?” he asked suddenly, turning to Alexa. “Have you even tried?” Alexa stopped, then looked away. “After her death, I tried with my mother. Not even a spark.” she lied. Leon sighed, then went to the car, opening the passenger door for her. “We could have use it for my idea.” he grinned. Alexa rolled her eyes, the sadness pushed away. “You have an idea?” Leon shut the door behind her, going around to the driver’s side. He nodded as he got in. “A very evil one. We go to a club and take over their band. You will sing, my ducky.” he grinned, starting the car. Alexa sighed. “I thought you forgot my nickname.” she muttered, grinning. “Not at all. You are the ducky, remember?” Alexa did. She had been the ugly duckling in the group, the one who didn’t belong. So Leon had adapted her name for herself and made it more happy. She smiled slightly, looking out the window. “Its good to have you back.” she said to Leon. “Any word from…” “No.” Alexa sighed. “They are still trying to figure ourselves out?” Leon nodded. Alexa sighed again. “They said it would only take a month. I didn‘t even know what to bury Monica with….” Tears came to Alexa’s eyes again. Leon was silent for a bit, then spoke softly. “They are going to send someone when they figure it out. That someone will stay with us for a bit.” Alexa nodded. “Sounds like something they would do. Leon…..do you still have your...talents?” She waited for an answer, hoping against hope…. “No.” Leon sighed. “After the day Monica was buried I just…couldn‘t do it anymore.” Alexa nodded, then slowly reached into her jean pocket. “I‘ve been keeping them. Until I knew either way. Monica…..she said I was after her, then you, then Jay, to keep them safe.” She held out the charm necklaces hesitantly. “She gave me yours….” she murmured. Leon’s face was blank, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurting. He didn’t take his eyes off the road, and slowly took the sun charm from Alexa. He clenched it tightly in his hand. “You‘re next in line. If something…happens to me.” Alexa whispered. Leon closed his eyes for a second. “Nothing will happen to you.” he promised. “You don‘t know that. Don‘t promise things you can‘t keep.” Alexa said, turning to look out the window. Leon sighed, turning onto the highway. “Have you heard from anyone else, who might know?” he asked. Alexa shook her head. “Dammit, I haven‘t heard from anyone! I thought you left me to die!” she said angrily, not entirely sure why she was upset. Leon seemed surprised too, but was just as ready to fight back. “I was trying to protect you! I thought they were after me!” he said, his hands clenching the steering wheel tightly. “Then why come back?!” Alexa almost shouted, her hands clenched in her lap. “Why see me now?!” Leon jerked the steering wheel. “Because you sent me a letter!” “What….” Alexa looked at Leon, locking eyes with him. Some sudden instinct made her turn her head. “Leon, stop!” she screamed, just as the car slammed into an oncoming SUV at eighty miles an hour.
Hm... It seems interesting... But to make it easier to read, put some spaces in between paragraphs, and when somebody new is talking, make a new paragraph for them ^^ Sounds like an interesting love and family story. 8D
@-@ Long. Nothing really to say. 8D It was awesome. :3 You write very well. The only thing I could say is give your paragraphs more spaces. Indent everytime a new person speaks. 8D8
Thats very good! It would make it easier to read if the paragraphs were separated though, but overall, very good! :D:D
WALL OF TEXT! Seriously, wall of texts are awful to read, I almost got fed up of reading when I hadn't even started the first chapter :/ The story was okay I guess, you chose to start in the present tense but switch to the past which was annoying. Story would have had more potential if you had set it out better, used paragraphs, started a new paragraph each time someone spoke and just all together set out sentences well. So basically, I would have been more intrested if it wasn't so ugly to look at on the screen. Just being honest ^^
This site does not like me making paragraphs. >< Anyway I re-edited it. It won't let me make the entry bigger, so it has to stay that way for now. Thanks for the Comments guys.
So I've got to say now this isn't very long. It looks long, maybe even intimidating, online when you don't put a whole line between the paragraphs so that it forms a huge block of contiguous text. I used to do it too. So try spacing it out a bit. I'll finish my critique later but I need to tell you now you have to put the entire story in the right tense. Some of it in the past and some of it in the present is not good. You've really done a number on the mini-prologue. So go over it again and make it all in the past(this is a seriously crude example but you should understand what I'm saying based upon it): "A man lay down, looking at the girl at his side. She would have been beautiful, even if he hadn’t loved her. Tanned skin, long bright blonde hair that gleamed in the moonlight, shimmering down her back in long waves. She murmured in her sleep, then lay on her side, facing him. He stroked her cheek, admiring her delicate beauty. She opened her eyes, a dark ebony, and looks up at him, smiling. She rested her head on his chest, lightly caressing him with her fingers. He stroked her hair back from her face gently, enjoying the texture of it between his fingers.", or all in the present: "A man lies down, looking at the girl at his side. She would have been beautiful, even if he hadn’t loved her. Tanned skin, long bright blonde hair. It gleams in the moonlight, shimmering down her back in long waves. She murmurs in her sleep, then lays on her side, facing him. He strokes her cheek, admiring her delicate beauty. She opens her eyes, a dark ebony, and looks up at him, smiling. She rests her head on his chest, lightly caressing him with her fingers. He strokes her hair back from her face gently, enjoying the texture of it between his fingers." It's not exactly easy to write in the present, but if you want to you can use this as a base and edit it a little and it should be good. I'll update this when I get a chance to finish reading. Blue-word I would replace due to definition or grammar Red- past/present agreement
This site not only doesn't let me use Tab, but it doesn't like when I use spacebar >< Anyway, new chapter.
Chapter 3 Leon walked into his bedroom, and gently took the picture in his hands, smoothing out the wrinkles. He slid it into the rosewood frame he had bought, and set it next to his bed. So much had happened since that one happy moment. So much loss and gain…he sighed, and picked up his cell phone again. “one more time.” he murmured, pressing the call button. “Hey, this is Alexa, I‘m not home right now, so please leave me a message and I‘ll call you back as soon as possible. If this is Leon, I‘m going to kill you for leaving a message on my home phone.” Leon smiled again, then shut the phone, indecision in his eyes. Should he go? After all that had happened…would he be welcome? He sighed, tapping his phone against the bedside table. It buzzed, and he opened it, putting it to his ear. “Leon.” “I got the feeling you want to go visit her?” A girl’s voice came from the other end. “We can go visit, but you‘ll want me to come with. For the…issues….” the girl’s voice drifted off. “Grace….that would be fine.” Leon sighed, then smiled. “You want me to pick you up?” “Of course. See you in a couple minutes.” the line disconnected. Leon got up from the bed, walking out the door yet again. He looked up at the stars. How many nights had they all lay under the stars, laughing, and forgetting about their disastrous mistakes and confusing lives? He sighed, getting into his car and driving away. It was just that one mistake that had made it all go wrong. His memory drifted back to where it had all began…… ******************************************** Alexa felt the impact, but heard no sound. It was like a movie, muted and slowed down. She felt her arm break, heard the crack, then something pulled her from the car, and rolled her into a ball. She hit the ground, hard, all the breath leaving her lungs. She coughed, lying face down, trying to get her hands under her. Then the noise came. There was no screaming, no shouting. She heard metal twisting, and looked up to see the SUV had completely destroyed Leon’s car. It was nothing but a piece of twisted metal. She shook her head, trying to think. Leon….Leon was in there. She got up shakily and called his name, trying to find him. She began to search the wreckage, then tripped on a piece of the car, falling. Someone wrapped their arm around her waist, keeping her up. “It‘s been quite some time, Alexandra.” She looked up to see a tall man, black hair messily arranged. His light grey-green eyes gazed down at her with something close to laughter. “Zack. How long have you been skulking around?” Alexa relaxed. If Zack was here, then Leon was okay. Zack wouldn’t let Leon die. “Five minutes. Leon needs to learn how to drive…..” Zack drifted off, eyeing the rubble. “And you‘re one to teach him?” Alexa retorted, wobbling slightly. Zack steadied her, his hands around her waist. “You need a hospital.” Zack said, smiling a little. Alexa’s eyes widened. “You shouldn‘t be near me….” she tried to pull away, but he held onto her tightly. “I‘m fine. Now let‘s see about the driving wonder over here.” He set Alexa down and went over to the small hole in the ground Leon was crawling out of. “’hello.” Zack took on a British accent. “You seem to be having a spot of trouble.” Leon grimaced, shaking his head as he stood up. “Zack. What the hell are you doing here?” Alexa was relieved to see that Leon had only superficial injuries; she knew she was in rougher shape. “Bringing you your guide.” Zack smiled, though it was brittle. He apparently hadn’t forgotten what had happened last time either. She sensed a fight might break out, and decided to head it off. “Zack, Leon, can we just…get away? They are coming….” Leon acted instantly on her words, while Zack stood there and smiled. “No need to worry.” he said as Leon slowly helped Alexa up. “It‘s only Grace.” Alexa turned to look in the direction that Zack had gestured, and waited, only nothing came. “Zack…” she murmured uncertainly. Leon helped keep her on her feet; when she looked up at him, he smiled reassuringly, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear. “He‘s not that crazy, ducky.” Alexa smiled, reassured slightly, then started to walk toward the car with Leon. Zack followed, the smile on his face growing wider, not that it was a good thing. Once seated in Zack’s car, in the back, Leon shut the door, and turned to the other “man”. She could hear muffled talking, but she couldn’t make out anything. Feeling annoyed, she pulled herself with her right arm to the window, and began using her lip reading skills she had learned so long ago. “There is no way I‘m subjecting her back in that world. It, and you, nearly destroyed her. She‘s barely even started recovering.” Leon was protesting, his grey eyes angry. “She‘s a part of that world, and if I didn‘t know better I would have said you were in love with her.” Alexa winced. Zack wasn’t afraid to hit lower then he needed to, to win. “Alexa needs to re-enter that world, my world. She was born into this world, and she must at least learn to control herself.” Leon looked away, muttering something Alexa couldn’t see. “Well she knows how not to use it. She needs to learn how to control it when she is using it. Leon.” Zack stopped, and Alexa sensed this had gone far enough. She reached out to bang on the window, and it shattered. Damn……shards fell everywhere, and it definitely made enough noise to get the two guys’ attention. “That‘s exactly what I mean.” Zack got into the driver’s seat, and put it into gear. Leon also got in the car, the passenger seat, but Zack didn’t drive away immediately. He waited, smiling a little half smile. Suddenly the door next to Alexa opened, and a girl stepped in, gently closing it behind her. “Any trouble?” Zack asked the girl as he pulled away. The girl shook her head, tucking her long blonde hair behind one ear. “They put up a fight, but it was easy in the end.” she had a light, high voice, gently graced with a British accent. “We have all the time we need. For now.” Zack nodded, suddenly flooring the gas pedal. “Please explain to Alexa and Leon what is going on.” he added, taking a sharp corner. As Leon cleared his throat, the girl leaned forward. “Please excuse Zackeriah, he‘s known to be very rude. As you both know.” the girl smiled, placing her hands in her lap. “I‘m Gracelyn.” Alexa smiled slightly, leaning back. “A pleasure meeting you.” Leon also nodded, turning his gaze toward the road, but Alexa sensed he was still listening. “After…what happened with your sister, Monica.” Gracelyn stopped, looking down. “The five clans have been uneasy. You four were the ones who symbolized their peace and cooperation, but now there was only three. The clans began to fight over the simplest things, and the rest of us could only watch. There was no way to stop it. “Then Zack comes back, and tells us you three have disappeared. He was punished for it….” Alexa’s eyes widened as she looked up at the driver. “I‘m sorry…” she began but Gracelyn touched her shoulder, sending a cold shiver up her spine. “He can explain later. There was a battle, and the Witch clan came out on top. After that….everything went to hell.” “So….there are still four clans?” Leon asked, his eyes concerned. Alexa could see that he hadn’t thought of the consequences if they disappeared, either. Gracelyn shook her head, staring at the floor of the car. Zack, jerked the car to a halt at a Stop sign, tapping his fingers against the wheel. “There are five now.” Zack finally said, breaking the silence. “Witch, Pyre, Shifters, Fyrie, and Demons.” Alexa and Leon traded looks, one gaze confused and frightening, the other calm and patient. “Demons are a clan now?” Alexa asked, her heart pounding. “They have a place at the council, and everything?” Gracelyn nodded. “After the Witch clan won. Back to what I was saying, the clans are now five. Demon clan is allied with Witch clan, Shapshifter is allied with Fyrie, and Pyre clan is strong enough to stand alone. No one knows why they didn’t win. There is now an underworld battle for control, and for you three.” Gracelyn stopped, braiding a few strand of her hair. “Whoever finds you first can sway your decision about what clan to support in the coming war. If you can‘t stop it. That‘s why I was sent to find you. To help you bring peace to them and to prepare you to fight.”
