Monday, October 31, 2005

Hand of Glory

Blackened dried, wax painted fingers
Displayed as a claw in mind, it lingers
Wide-eyed you strain to draw breath
Wonder if you will move before death

Moments pass like melting shadows
Not moving, real? Is it a scarecrow
As the spawn of fear broods behind
Eyes, scratching out ichor it finds

What disease are these living statues?
No words spill from swollen tongues
The blood slows, pools death silently
Yet the heart still pounds violently

From room to room the killer slinks
Over each bed he stands and speaks
Whispered words into hollow heads
Half living bodies laying in death beds

Would taking them now beyond life
Be a murder or a helping hand, sayth
Each body undisturbed, sun rolls over
Morning sheds the darkness that bothers

As the children rise to walk about
They find without a single doubt
Each and every one of them is dead
All rotting corpses like it was said

Snuffed out like candles in the darkness





Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Doesn't Matter

Does it matter when the trumpets play?
Who cares what all the grievers say?
Did I have a reason to come away dead?
The reason seriously isn't what you said
I thought you could save me from grieving
You cause more than you think, I'm crying
Throw my heart on the floor and tap dance
Hoping that you would, a joke, fat chance
Knuckles crack and skull pounds angrily
Could you have at least said it to me
I hear stories and have to put it together
Hardly knew it had begun, through forever

Clever, rhyming doesn't make my stomach settle.
Nerves shot, and straining for a reason.

Held me before when I thought I was lost
Made a big mistake when I decided to trust
Never put your heart into the frying pan
It's not what's for dinner, it's just a stain
Greasy and molding underneath the oven
Thought it was love. What have we proven?
When the facade is removed, clearly see
Maggots having our flesh is for you and me
Death is coming for king and homeless alike
Love is just something you say into a mike
Worth nothing when looking for answers
Today is a stage, roll call for the dancers

Cancers, eating at my sanity, driving me to pills.
Prose is starting to help, pain flows into hypertext.

Pull the trigger and go to the pearly gates
Wait, you are forgetting your nasty traits
You are going to hell as the hammer slams
Skull cracks open, your brain turns to spam
Is that me under the white sheet, lifeless?
Prepared to give my life, my soul for this
World cracks open and swallows me whole
The pain drives away your image, worthy toll
Give me thought, enjoying carnal pleasure?
Brain sparks, I'm there instead of an answer
Just can't stand to hold this inside any more
I pull back the hammer, through the door

Core, the center of me is gone and soon the rest.
Maybe I'll be appreciated in heaven or hell.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Sanctuary

Long ago the Ancients colonized Sanctuary with the permission, and support of several immortal Elven. There was a long period of peace and life sprung up from Sanctuary's fertile soil, and the Ancients cultivated the potential power that lay latent inside of the planet, and gave life to the world around them supplying this earth with a beginning supply of life energy. The Ancients created more plant life to give the planet acontinuess supply of life giving energy. But, the Dark Lords sensed this life energy, and this new energy pained them to great extents. The Dark lords where unable to know where this pain was until the appearance of man, and the first dark places to appear in their hearts. With this, the Dark lords where able to open a skew dimension between their world, and the Ancients.

When the Dark Ones first came to this dimension there was destruction and great battles, none of the original protectors of earth survived. While the Dark ones controlled this skew dimension between this planet and the shadow realm a battle was fought between good and evil and many powerful creatures lost their lives in the battlegrounds separating earth from the other dimensional planes. The Ancients pooled their collected powers into one weapon a mystical sword called Barrlaba. This sword was given to a warrior spirit from the Otherworld, and the power of the sword was able to overcome even the greatest Dark lords strength. The higher Dark lords and their minions where sent back to the shadow realm and the Ancients decided to seal Sanctuary from the other galactic planes. The Dark lords needed Sanctuary as a strategic foothold to open up gateways to the rest of the Multiverse. The Dark ones where forever banished, but they still found ways to work on earth through the hidden evil in human souls.

The Ancients realized that the Dark ones would try again and again until Sanctuary, and ultimately the Multiverse would be theirs. The Ancients choose seven of the greatest warrior's spirits from the Otherworld, and allowed them the power of rebirth. When ever the Dark one's presence was sensed these warriors would be born to fight off the threat. Powers where granted to these noble souls, and the spirit that had saved earth once before was granted the great sword Barrlaba.

Hundreds of years of past without the Dark ones even knocking at the interdimensional doorway. The Ancients became bored as most greater beings sometimes do, and wanted to leave so they could go create a new world. On this earth it seemed that all were safe and the Ancients left leaving only a trace of their power in the magical sword they left behind.
The Ancients where wrong. How this came about not even the Ancients themselves know, but somehow they assumed earth to be safe, and left it unprotected. Maybe the Dark ones contorted the future to make the Ancients leave, or maybe used their magic to twist the Ancients' will. The Ancient's famous knowledge and clairvoyance did not seem to change their decision to leave earth nearly unguarded. When the Ancients left they closed off earth even to themselves. This barrier should have kept the inhabitants of Sanctuary safe. The Dark Ones attacked the barrier for years, but could not break through. Until their first worshipper came.

Linking them selves to a selfish, evil, and power hungry man they where able to use him to spread hate, and sin wherever he went. And, his travels took him all over the world.

After several thousand years the Dark ones where able to spread their influence a hundred fold. They had a following of a few hundred that seemed normal, but their souls where entrenched with the workings of the Dark ones. These people seemed talented sometimes powerful, but always hated, and envied for their talents. These people always had one goal, to make others hate. Most would stick to petty games forcing friend against friend or just destroying someone's life. Some would gain political power, or fame, and spread their evil. The names of these people are not know since they hide themselves well, but it is possible that their influence has already worked it's way into your neighborhood. The first human that was inflicted by the Dark ones power was turned immortal for his services, and fancied himself a Dark lord.

This one has caused so many to suffer, and die over the thousands of years he has stayed on this earth. Once he traveled from place to place, but now even he has begun to feel the tug of time. He hid himself in the shadows, and now depends on his many servants to do his bidding. While he may be getting old his power is still one to reckon with, and it would take many of the chosen just to challenge him in battle. As the Dark ones come closer and closer to entering this world his inner strength increases, but his body has become old, and wrinkled. His eyes were every where, always searching for the ones that would make his masters arrival to this world difficult.
Those that would be a danger to himself, or those that gave him his powers where eliminated. He was ruthless in doing so, and didn't care what he had to do to get the job done. He would kill an innocent without a second thought, and really didn't care if these "chosen" that he was seeking where real or not. The dark lord as he thought of him self loved the smell of fear, and death brought him great joy. He would target the "chosen" no matter their age, or even how little of a chance they where really "chosen". Only one thing haunted his twisted dreams, and filled his visions with fear for his own life. The One, those gleaming eyes fated to meet his own, and then the battle would begin.

***

It was a cold and bitter winter day, and Sammy was grateful to get back inside with his mother. They had been shopping, and his mom was pulling along two hover carts brimming with groceries. This had been a great day, and Sammy had gotten a book to read, and a new jacket that was covered with pockets. After the carts had been emptied they left under their own power back to the stores that they had been picked up at. Only to be hindered at first by Thomas, his small tabby that batted at the leaving carts. Sammy picked up Thomas to let the carts leave, and walked to the big window.

Sammy had blonde hair, green eyes, and he always seemed to be smiling for one reason or another. There wasn't much to smile about after his dad was killed three day's before his eighth birthday, but Sammy was young. He still found pleasure in the small things like watching the vid-screen, and reading books. Whenever he got sad, or started thinking about his father he would sit by the window and watch what was going on out side for hours and hours. He got so caught up in everybody else's life that his problems seemed a lot less intense. This was one of these days; his thoughts had wondered off to the times his father had been home.

His father had a warm smile, and usually a sweaty tang smell from working one of the local spice plants. He would come home with a smile on his face much like Sam's, but his eyes where dull, and worn from a long day. When he got home his face would be fuzzy where his beard had started growing in over the day. He would give Sam's mother a kiss, hug Sammy, and flop down into the big chair by the window. And, wouldn't get back up unless Sammy would plead for what seemed like forever to play a game.
Sammy was good at games especially guessing games, and rarely got a wrong answer. He was extremely lucky when it came to games of chance, and his father would only win a game when Sam let him win. He never told his father this, and he did't want to tell his mother that he thought he was different. She belonged to a strict church, and dragged Sammy along every Sunday. This church didn't believe in people that where different, or even pretend that any thing but the norm was acceptable. Of course Sammy knew better than most that nobody was normal, and didn't like the way his preacher treated people.

He looked out the window now, and watched the busy people down below. They where so worried about their own lives they barely noticed the people they where walking past, or sometimes into. There wasn't much going on, and Sammy was getting ready to turn on the vid-screen. It was late afternoon, and there was a good chance that something good was on. Then he saw her. If Sammy wasn' as lucky as he clearly was he would have never seen her because the clothes she wore blended into the building. She was a young girl, older than Sammy, and was walking out onto the ledge of the opposing building. She had some kind of weapon it looked like a big tube with a trigger.

Sammy had seen a gun before because when he was really little his dad had brought one home. His mom kept one in her room now that dad was gone, but she thought Sammy didn't know about it. She wanted to protect Sammy with it, and he could tell that she was worried he would find it. He had never seen a gun like the young girl had, and he didn't like the looks of it at all. A hover bike swept past his window, and the young girl took aim. As the ball of roaring red flame swept towards the unawares pilot only Sammy saw what was going to happen.

"NO!" he screamed at the top of his lunges.

Thomas struggled out of Sammy's grip, and ran into the other room. His mother stopped what ever it was she was doing in the kitchen, and came to check on Sammy.

"No" he said again this time quieter, but with more force.

The bolt of flame suddenly fell off it's original path as if by magic, and went down towards the building they where in.

"Who are you talking to Sammy?" his mom asked a little worried about her son.

Sammy didn't hear her. He screamed. Then the bolt hit, and the floor they where standing on caved in.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

It Goes On

Here I am with my simple prose
Not quite going with the flow
You stand and watch, maybe clap
When I am through with my crap

I didn't think of the beat before
Thought you would ask for more
Stop clapping and start booing
I need to know if this is a fling

Fuck that! Fuck the rhyme!
Maybe I don't care if doesn't

Stop putting words in dead poets
They didn't mean that, think that
You think you're so educated?
Never know what's in my head

Maybe someone will remember me
When they read, what they see
That's what the message means
Scholarly attempts, worth a hill of beans

Fuck that! Fuck the signs!
Sometimes they lead the wrong way

Is the writing really on the wall?
You read that in a bathroom stall
For a good time call, disconnected
Reputation so clean you can eat off it

So pretty in pink, yet pure as snow
After tonight you're eating crow
Your downfall isn't my delight
Tears draw you in, blur your sight

Fuck that! Fuck the lines!
They were supposed to be crooked anyway

Gunmetal is so cold,doesn't it know?
It should be hot like after the blow
The flames of lonely destruction
Talk of the town, a real commotion

Does the metal mimic those gone?
The brave soldier who has fallen
Will a rhyme stop the tears, blood?
No.
Fuck that.
A reason to stop the killing should
Is peace found only in a graveyard
Or eviscerated on a fancy sword?

Fuck that! Fuck the cause!
I'm not dying to know a dream

Life Bringer part 2

"Hey are you alright?" Trisha hears a voice floating in the darkness that had become her mind. She wants to moan and roll over, ignoring the voice until it goes away.
"Hey!" The voice comes again. This time she actually attempts to roll over and moans instead at the painful stiffness of her muscles.
"Come on, wake up, open your eyes. You can't stay here all night," the voice implores her. A conscious thought manages to form. Something about here and night, she should be back at her apartment, in bed, that's where she was going after classes. A fuzzy half-formed thought about a tree arises, but it doesn't make sense so she pushes it away and opens her eyes.
The first thing to come into focus is an oval face with blonde hair hanging into wide blue eyes. "Hey, you okay?" Its lips puckered slightly with worry move to speak and it takes her a moment to realize this apparition is talking to her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," She says struggling into a sitting position. He, it's not an apparition, it's a guy, probably around her age, sits back on his heels, unconsciously tossing his bangs out of his eyes.
"You sure? What happened?" He enquires plucking a blade of grass out of her hair.
Suddenly self-conscious, Trisha pulls her skirt down over her knees brushing herself off and running her fingers through her hair combing it back into order. "I don't know what happened, I guess I must have pass out for a second or something." She knew this was a lie, there was something about a tree and it had been broad daylight when she was walking home.
"Wow, I'm glad your okay, for a moment there I was afraid you were dead." Laughing shakily, he stood up slowly offering her his hand.
"Nah, I'm far from dead," laughing back at him her gaze goes past him to the tree. Her laughter dies as she sees the green leaves on the branches and the little circle on the ground just behind him and she remembers what had happened.
"You sure you okay?" His smile falters and he starts to drop his helping hand.
Forcing a smile onto her face, "Yeah, I'm fine." Reaching out she grasps his long fingers with her own. He pulls her upwards and she is forced, by her sore muscles to rely a bit heavily on him.
"Can I walk you somewhere? I'd hate to save you and then wonder all night if you made it home in one piece."
His frankness forces a true grin onto her face and her eyes light up with mischief. "Well, if I let you walk me home then who's to say you won't be the cause of my demise? Besides, if I keep you wondering then there's more of a chance that I'll get to see you again, is there not?"
"If I'd wanted to do anything to you I'd have done it when you were passed out, unconscious girls can't tease a poor boy to death," he replies mildly. "If you'd like you can grant me the privilege of your phone number on a small piece of paper then I can regularly appease my curiosity about the unconscious girl under a tree at twilight and perhaps even my wishes to see her again."
Laughing she sticks out her hand, "Hi, I'm Trisha and I'm far, far from teasing you to death."
Once again her hand is clasped in his strong grip and glancing upward for a moment she finds her green eyes being swallowed by his blue ones. "I'm Jason, pleased to meet you Trisha."
Dropping into a curtsy, she replies "The pleasure is all mine, dear sir." Rising from her foolishness, she stumbles forward and is immediately supported by Jason's hands on her elbows. The concerned look is back on his face and she is suddenly led to feel sorry for this poor boy who, despite his concern for her, would never understand what had happened to literally land her at his feet.
"Shall we then?" he asks, once he's sure she's steady on her feet.
"Yes, we shall," she says starting off into the quickly darkening evening with Jason falling into step beside her.

Life Bringer part 1

Trisha notices a small leaf tornado forming at the base of a tree. Caught in some odd eddy of the wind that has been blowing all day, the dead leaves are spinning slowly upwards. Deciding to help she runs quickly into it's center and begins to spin as well. She laughs at her silliness as the brown leaves blow upwards from around the edge of her skirt as she spins faster and faster. Her long skirt spins out and reveals her black boots, as her speed increases, it rises to show her shapely calves. Continuing to spin, she raises her arms above her head pointing them at the nearly bare tree.
Surprised, she notices that the leaf tornado has grown much taller than her five foot three and is nearly to the lower branches of the tree under which she is spinning. She's never seen a leaf tornado last this long , or get that tall. Her laughter dies as she notices a tingling in her fingers that is slowly spreading down her arms. She spins faster unwilling, if not unable, to stop. The leaves have reached the lowest branch and to her widened, dizzy eyes seem to be running along the branch, toward the trunk of the tree. She slows slightly to watch, as she slows the leafs' assent slows as well but still continues to rise and run along the branch and toward the trunk.
"What the fuck?" She puzzles under her breath as the leaves then start to run up the tree to the next branch and out along it. Fully engrossed she continues to spin slowly, watching this oddity of wind eddies.
"If I stopped then they would keep going, it's just the wind, I'm not doing anything," she tells herself as she continues to spin anyway. The tingling in her arms is growing more intense, almost to the point of pain.
Suddenly, she stops. She watches the leaves which immediately falter and fall to the ground.
"The wind must have died," she states, just to notice how wrong she is by a gust that blows her long black hair into her face.
Closing her eyes and grinning at her stupidity, she starts to spin again. Head tilted up so that she can feel the warm fall sun on her face, she raises her arms that are still tingling slightly, and begins to spin again.
Throwing all she's worth into it her speed steadily increases, the tingling in her arms again reaches the threshold of pain. The grin slowly fades and a look of intense concentration falls over her features.
With a gasp of pain her green eyes fly open as the tingle turned hurtful shoots from her fingertips down to her toes. She stops spinning and collapses on the soft green grass at her feet trying to rub everywhere at once and numb the pain.
After a moment she gets herself under control and looks around.
"What the fuck?" She whispers again. The green grass she is sitting on was dead and brown under the leaves just moments before. It is in a small circle around her. Hesitantly, she spreads out the hem of her skirt, the circles match.
Raising her eyes to the tree above and in front of her, her jaw drops. The tree above her is alive again, the leaves gone from it's base have somehow reattached themselves to the branches. Green and practically glowing against the backdrop of the sky the tree has the look of spring.
"What the fuck?" She asks again, a little louder this time. She stands up quickly, takes a few steps and then falls back to the grass, dead grass this time, unconscious.

*As my first attempt to compete with Specter I think it completely unfair that I have to follow such a poem. This is also the first attempt I've given stories in a while so please forgive me any and all short comings, such as those found in the quality.*

Monday, October 17, 2005

Death's Prey part 3

Those eyes melted his anger and Craig had no power to resist her lead. Once in her room she wasted no time finding a small leather bound book and a flawed crystal. The girl with the eyes like void sat him in the floor and ran the crystal across his snout. Pages turned on their own to stop on their own accord. She smiled and read something.

The words sounded like they were coming from far away. Words carried on the wind.

Craig woke on the floor. He was both naked and ashamed. The fur had receded and his tan skin was covered in blood. Her eyes watched through the transformation, and as the bond shattered like glass spinning in a washing machine she began to smile. She looked on completely without fear. Without doubt; completely innocent.

"Mind if I shower off? And maybe I could borrow some clothing."

The girl smiled and her eyes smiled along with the rest of her face. She gestured with a slender arm towards a half open door.

"Go ahead. I'm not sure what we can do about the clothes, but you can shower off that blood. "

Craig stumbled awkwardly into the small bathroom and turned on the cold water knob. Climbing into the tub he pulled the curtain shut and brought the stopper up to release a cascade of water over him. The water washed away the blood and numbed his bodily pain. However his gut still rumbled with the anxiety of everything that had happened in the last few hours. Tracking something he really didn't understand to get caught up in a violent frenzy and finally falling into the lap of a young girl that he didn't even know the name of. She hadn't asked his, but he wouldn't be surprised if she knew already.

Those eyes.

It was a drain on his will to not think about those eyes. The cold rolled over him. Sweat, dirt, blood, and exhaustion melted off of him and he stood up in the tub. The shower sprayed him directly in the face and he opened his mouth to let the water in before spitting it out. Water stung against his closed eyelids and ran through his long dirty hair. Craig found a bottle of shampoo that offended his pride more than his sense of smell and rubbed it into his scalp. After making sure that the blood had washed out and ran down the drain, he turned off the water and shook his body roughly. Sending droplets of water off of him and all across the bathroom. Looking around sheepishly he found a towel and finished drying himself off before hanging it around himself. The girl wasn't in the apartment and Craig wondered if he should just leave. Thoughts of leaving quickly fled from his mind as a wave of exhaustion hit him.

Shifting into the form of a large and rather clean dog, Craig lay down at the foot of her bed and closed his eyes. He should be suspicious of his beautiful host, but to be honest, he was just too tired to care. Night rolled away and he slept through the morning. He woke to a deep growl of warning only to find that it was his own and the young woman was running her hand down his coat.

Didn't she know what he was? What he could do? Did he? Because as he thought about it, Craig realized he couldn't harm her if he wanted to.

"I bought you some clothes. Didn't know your size so I just grabbed some baggy stuff for you. You can't stay here though, you'll shed all over the place."

Craig shifted and the room was filled with the sound of bones rearranging them selves and tendons popping into place. He reached for the pile of clothes self conciously and slipped into the loose clothing.

"Can I... er... get your name before I leave?"

"No, you don't need to know my name."

"Oh. Alright." Craig lowered his head and left the door open as he went.

Walking down the stairs and out into the alley, Craig looked back up into the window of her apartment. There she was looking at him. With those eyes, those goddamn eyes. He tried to forget about the girl, but those eyes never left his thoughts.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

First Fitful Poem

Probably my first poem. I wrote it when I was twelve... after I got dumped by a girl I liked. I figured I might as well put it up here.


My Soulmate

For everyone has a soulmate
What of those past pearly gates?
Soulmates who met by chance
At a party, or maybe a dance?
What about the dead; their gone
Do they leave their soulmates alone?
Heart's ran through with a lance
Don't these unlucky lovers get a chance?
No love, no perfect one, all hope gone
My soulmate is lost are all my chances done?
If true love can only be found with her
How can I ever show any joy or cheer?

Thursday, October 13, 2005

River of Starlight

Earth and rock warmed by sun hold the flames
Sheet of diamonds waiting for the blanket of stars
Liquid cloak to cool the land of a hundred infernos
Fires should have burned out before, phoenix shard
Sun set into a planet like a gem

Magma flows under footsteps of the star children
Eyes of angry gods but souls of innocent newborn
Their path leads across the gallows of the kingdom
Into the burning gardens of the queen Seraphim
Fire burning, not destroying


Fountains of melted gold and starlight geyser
These waters to bathe in make them wiser
One day to call court over royalty in heaven
Now they wander through the sea of brimstone
Trumpets sound at their entrance

Queen Seraphim rests in the folded fields
The world moves quickly under her build
Molten skin drawn of frame of lustful symphony
Pressed against the sky of darkest ebony
Set in ice, tightly

Her passion is known, starlight rippled over
Twisting in ecstasy, passionate emptiness fills her
Lying on her back against the volcanic earth
Cold sky embracing her body, pushing forth
Passion of fire and night

Tensing her body against the bombardment
Aching for release from ageless torrent
She turns into the sun once again warming
Her lover spurned, gazes at her shivering
Steam boils up to void

Child of the star spent and resting on mountains
Lovers turn cold and tears leave twin stains
Marring a perfect face as you find earth again
Flames and golden fountains are your asylum
Prison of safety and warmth

Monday, October 10, 2005

Mirage of Beauty

A white cloud of sand spewed out of the drab grey desert. Flames and shadows trailed the sand into the sky. For a moment it seemed that the cloud of sand and flames would rest in the sky forever. A new sun to bear down on the parched earth below.

Nothing lasts forever. Like a lightning bolt, the cloud came crashing down into the earth to crater out the sand and send up another explosion of earth to block the sun once more. The sand rained out for a thousand paces in every direction. The cradle of earth billowed up smoke and ash. Born from the pits of hell lay a beautiful woman. In one hand she held a broken sword, and her other draped over a swollen belly. A swirling array of burnt and torn robes barely covered her body. Did she sleep?

Her body didn't move; her eyes remained closed. No breath passed across those beautiful lips into the dust filled air. However, all the angels turned as one. Even gods paid attention. Two hearts beat in the woman's body. Powerful and rhythmic their beats became one with the ground, steady as stone. The woman clenched the sword hard and began gasping for air. Her eyes flung open and their blue hue brought color to the dessert she lay in. While her clothes had been torn to shreds and still stunk of brimstone, her skin was unscathed by the fires. She stumbled to her feet and began walking into the desert. She had lost her way, and they stars no longer called her name. The royal steel in her hand was broken, and her robes were all but destroyed. There was no place she could go, but the desert was only an obstacle for the moment.

Through the haze of the sand storm the men saw the figure emerge. The woman walked with the storm and it blew away as she approached. Her robes were tattered and she didn't wear shoes. The bottoms of her feet were cut and bleeding out into the sand. One man climbed down from his horse and offered the woman his hand. Helping her on to his horse to walk along beside it, he asked one thing of her.

"Please, call me Jasmine." For she no longer bore the name of Heaven.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Death's Prey part 2

The luminescent thread curled out of the dead man's body and wrapped around Craig. For a moment his whole body burned. For a moment the world began to fade. For a moment death seemed so near. The moment passed and he realized that it wasn't him that should be afraid. Fear was bleeding into the air from the people all around him. They weren't afraid of death.

They were afraid of him.

Craig leaped into the crowd of shocked people, running a claw across a well dressed balding man's chest and leaving rows of torn flesh. The people moved as one to scatter and run. The fire and the wolf like creature spread confusion to the point that some people were simply running in circles. Blood splattered across the ground and the confused were the first to go. Death's way of weeding out the weak. Craig dove after fleeing men and women and ripped out their throats or sliced open their skin with razor sharp claws. Every moment was ecstasy, Death was coming, and he was Death's agent.

"No!"

The primal howl brought Craig out of the killing frenzy and he looked around to try to find the source of the scream. His throat hurt. He had been screaming at himself for the last minute and he finally listened. Looking down at his hands he saw that they were covered in blood. His fur was caked in gore. Turning around slowly he saw the little girl standing there and she was smiling.

"This isn't right. This isn't the natural way of things." Craig spat out a mouthful of blood. "What are you?"

The girl didn't respond. She just stood there as chaos flowed around her. Little blue grey strands whipping out to snag people before they met their demise. The thread holding Craig snapped. She didn't seem to notice the wolf man leaving. He was running for his life from something he had begun the night hunting for. He was intent on getting out of the city, getting away from what he had seen, and getting away from what he had done. He didn't notice the girl until he had already ran into her. She fell back and let out a muffled gasp as the concrete knocked the wind out of her.

Craig was about to yell an obsenity and leave her on the ground when he noticed her eyes. He had never found humans to be attractive beyond physical bodies, but there was something in her eyes. Was it the lack of fear? The way she seemed to glare right back into his eyes even though he towered over her. He didn't know, but he couldn't stop himself from stooping over and helping her to her feet.

Then he was overwhelmed with anger. He hated humans. They hated him. That's the way things worked and he wasn't going to let some slut hurt him like every other person he ever trusted. She had to die, now. A glint of metalic thread caught his eye. The thread was wrapped around his arm and he saw it drifting into the distance. He cut off the growl that was in his throat.

"I think I can help you." The girl was very cautious when she spoke, as if she wasn't used to talking.

"What?"

"I can break the bond of Death if you will let me."

"You can see it?"

She nodded without saying a word and took his hand into hers. Turning around she led him towards an apartment complex. She looked back smiling at him. Those eyes again.