The Lurkers' Domain

The teenage children sit amongst their friends Chris's house, in his room with candles flickering. Wind had been picking up for the best part of the night, truly a hard core storm is brewing on the horizon.

Chris is 16, tall, smart, and perhaps a bit overly curious of the occult. His best friend Aden, is 17, though a bit more cautious. He had grown up in a haunted house and appreciates what you can and can't do within its walls. Tess and Erica were a bit more playful and wreckless, in more ways than one. They have been known as the witch sisters, and have on more than one occasion raised things from rituals that would have been better off being left alone.

Bringing out the Ouija board, the four form a circle on this thin veiled night. "Okay, whatever question you ask it, and me, if I get it wrong, I have to give you a kiss." Chris directs the group with the new rules of his freshly invented game. Tess blushes a bit, biting her lip, hoping for some way of rigging the game to get more than a few kisses.

Placing their fingers upon the planchette, it flies across the room with an abnormal force, scaring the kids in the process. Staying right on the wall, defying gravity. They stare at it, as it slowly makes its way from the wall by the door to the wall of the closet and stays there, unmoving. Aden stands up, walking over to it, he tries to pull it off but to no avail. It's stuck to it like cement. "Holy @#%$! Look at this! It's dug right into the wall!" The rest walk slowly over to it, the planchette moves a few inches down the wall ripping the plaster and wallpaper. "My mom is gonna kill me" Chris whispers to himself. Deeper and deeper into the plaster the piece goes, it makes a complete 360 degree circle, then falls to the floor once again a simple piece of plastic for a game board. Tess places her hand on the circle, lifting olde wallpaper to reveal more formal wallpaper beneath. "It looks like this room used to be a study." Looking over to Erica, she knods in agreement to the observation. "Chris, I want you to punch a whole in this wall, right where the circle is." She stands back and waits for him to do as she says. "You got to be shitting me!! No way, my mom's gonna kill me as it is!" Suddenly the temperature of the room becomes uncomfortably cold, though no one had opened any doors or windows. Tess strolls over to Chris and gives him the longest hardest deepest kiss he's ever received from her. Stumbling a bit from the sudden release of her lips, she says to him "Do it and I'll make you the happiest man alive."

After clearing the plaster from the wall, they find within the wall a tiny jewelry box, much like the kind when you buy a simple necklace. Inside the box, is a silver ankh with an amethyst stone. "Why does it look burnt?" Tess asks outloud. "Maybe there was a fire her once or something." Aden mutters. Chris put on the newly found necklace. Just as he slipped the chain over his head, a wind blew hard enough to blow all the candles out at once.

"Great! There goes the neighborhood" They all thought, but didn't have the courage to say.

One by one, ever so slowly it seemed, each candle was re-ignited of it's own power -- or perhaps by whatever pointed the way to the charm necklace. As the light slowly returned to the room, Aden, Tess and Erica were surprised to find Chris laying crumpled on the floor.

Aden was the first to rush to his side. He looked at his friend frantically wondering what to do. Starting with calling out his name to no answer, he slapped he face enough to smart anybody out of a sleep. But still, he was not awakened. More shouts while Aden grabbed a wrist with one hand and checked for a breath with the other. Scared, Aden reported, "I'm not getting a pulse, and he's not breathing."

Tess half-jokingly offered, "I guess I'll have to give him mouth-to-mouth." She climbed over his limp body and proceeded to kiss him on the lips. When she realized he really wasn't breathing, her actual CPR training from school took over. She moved his limp tongue aside gently and began giving pressurized breaths. She leaned her ear over his mouth, still nothing.

She ripped his shirt open and began crossed-hand compression on his chest, attempting to start his heart. As she did so she yelled to whoever would react fastest, "Call 911!" She bent back down to begin forced breaths into his mouth, but then had all of the breath sucked from her lungs. In an instant, a new breath was given back to her. Both she and Chris coughed and smiled in recognition that the other was alright.

Aden was already out the door when Erica decided to go chase him and let him know they were both alright.

In their absence, in the dark room, the eyes of both Tess and Chris glimmered a gentle purple as the ankh around Chris' neck flashed an amethyst glow. Tess leaned down and kissed Chris with a deep passion beyond the years of two teenagers. Their kiss became sweet as the two came up for air. Chris still catching his breath whispered, "Et Tu Lilian..." Tess' lips curled in a wonderfully playful grin and she said, "Et Tu Daniel."

Loud footsteps coming back down the hallway encouraged the two to finally separate and sit up. Chris reached for the front of his head, like he had just been clubbed with a 9-iron. Tess rubbed his back lovingly as if she was trying to relax her friend. Just as suddenly as they'd emerged, Daniel and Lilian had retreated returning Chris and Tess to the foreground, lost in thought almost.

Aden and Erica returned to find them sitting up and breathed a sigh of relief. Aden asked the obvious question first, "What the hell just happened?" Erica stared at her sister wondering the same. Chris kept rubbing his head and said honestly, "I don't know... I put the necklace on, a wind blew the candles out and something whacked me on the head and I must have passed out."

Aden almost yelled, "Dude, nothing hit you, and you didn't pass out, you were practically dead."

"Well I have Tess here to thank for saving my life then," Chris replied finally stopping the rubbing of his head and enjoying Tess' massage. Tess smiled from behind him, "I'm glad you're OK. Who'd have thought I'd ever need to use CPR. Like I haven't even gone swimming in like forever." Then she stopped rubbing his neck and shoulders and said, "There now, do you feel better? Did that make it worth your while?"

Chris matched her mischevious grin with one of his own, as if to answer, perhaps later she can finish later. Of the four, none had ever dated any of the others. There was always a sort of unrequitted crush between Chris and Erica, but both Erica and Tess had many boyfirends over the years, so Chris stayed only friends with them both. If asked honestly, Chris would have to say his fascination with the occult was fostered by fantasies of the two of them and their rituals. He lifted the ankh up to get a better look at it.

Erica smiled at it thinking it looked good on him, but Tess said it before she could, "I think the purple brings out your eyes.. it looks very handsome on you." Chris' cobalt blue eyes looked down as he practically blushed. Something was going on here that felt right to him, but decided that the house was just getting too freaky for him now. He said, "It's pretty cool. I'm glad you found it for me, Tess. But now, I really don't want to stay here right now."

Aden agreed, knowing all too well how creepy these old houses were. It was bad enough that he had to go home to a haunted house, conjuring up something on Halloween in your friend's house was just plain stupid. He said, "It sounds like you finally got some sense knocked into you, man."

Erica just about threw a fit, "Oh come on, you big scaredy-cat. You gonna let a little storm scare you out of your own house?"

Tess, who would have normally agreed with Erica so they could run amuck, changed her tune and supported Chris, "The storm had nothing to do with that planchette flying across the room. And since we found what it wanted us to, maybe we should go out for the night."

Tired but not defeated, she decided to go ahead and leave with the group now. But later she would resign herself to coming back. If for no other reason than to find out what happened. But for now, the night was still young and she agreed to leave with her friends.

I dark cloaked figure looks on from the shadows and smiles. No one is aware the are be obsevrved by a half mad presence who is carefully analizing there evrey move and is much, much closer that any of them think.

Tess woke up the next morning from a nightmare. A huge figure luming over friends which she never seen before, and all hope being lost. Bloody tears and someone holding her crying.

She walks into the bathroom and splashes water on her face. Still a bit wobbly walking and the dream is not disolving into mist from the morning light. Still fresh in her mind. Oh well, she thought, time for school and work. No big deal, it's nothing, just a bad dream.

Driving down the street to her school from inside the car she notices a scent of Lilacs. "Where the Hell is that coming from?" Maybe Chris left her a bouquett inside the car and forgot to tell her, 'cause it smelled like they were dead or dying. Parking the car in the parking lot of the school, she opens all the doors and rummages through the thick clutter that is her portable bedroom closet/locker/car. Chris walks up to her, and he too looks a bit worn out. "Watcha looking for?" Leaning over her shoulder, getting a blast of the scent of the warmed dead Lilacs. "Wow! Where'd you get that car freshner?" "I didn't!! It's been driving me nuts since I got into the car."

To no avail could they find the cause of the perfume. As all typical teenagers, they forgot about it, or perhaps dismissed it, and started for their classes. "Are you heading into work today?" Chris asks as he leans over to her in class. Hoping not to get busted from the teacher. "Yeah, right after though. Sorry I can't hang out with you today." Biting her lip and trying not to look too excited.

Heading to her car after school, she remembered the scent and looked for it. Paying attention as she drives, blaring her heavy metal a little louder than usual. She drives up to an older victorian, which was turned into an olde library. Her boss was more of a wierd historian. Kind of excentric and she liked him that way just fine. He was one of those men in their 50's that a teenage girl can tell him anything. He's actually become more of a mentor than just an employer. "Good afternoon Tess." "Good afternoon Mr. O'Connor, sorry if I'm late." "Not at all dear, just have to stack my books today on the shelves and fax some things for me, then Mrs. O'Connor may have a few things for you to do as well, but it may be a good day."

Mrs. O'Connor walked into the library portion of the home, and kissed her husband lovingly. "Is Tess done with that huge list that you gave to her yet?" "Almost Katie, she's almost done." From behind her back, Katie produces an envelope from a bank. "This may be what we were hoping for, good luck." He reads the labeling address, to Marcus O'Connor.

All throughout his classes, Chris was in prime daydream mode. No matter what subject the class was, he could not stop thinking about Tess. In Algebra, he kept writing equations like C + T = infinity. In his computer science classes, he wrote infinite loops that declared "Chris and Tess Forever". In his english class, the subject of poetry caught his fancy and he wrote her a love poem that he hoped he could give her later. But the most curious distraction came in History class.

The history teacher Mr. McElroy, had been covering Ancient Egypt, which until recently was only a passing curiosity to Chris. But he had come to a discussion about the Book of the Dead and some of the beliefs held in the time of the Pharaohs. One page in the book showed some curious heiroglyphs painted in a tomb, but what struck Chris as very odd was the image of the ankh. Chris' hand stood straight up almost on it's own and called the teacher's attention to him. "Yes, Chris?"

"What is this symbol that looks like a cross with a loop at the top?" he asked as he rubbed the silver charm under his shirt.

"Ah, that is called an 'ankh'. It has many meanings but they all are centered around Life. Many translate it to mean everything from 'eternal life' to the literal journey from birth to death. It is even regarded as a reproductive talisman as a fertility symbol.

Some jock in class had his ears perk up as the boring class finally changed to a subject he understood -- "You mean 'sex'?"

Mr. McElroy chuckled, "Yes Jack, I mean sex. Life itself in a hard concept to crystalize into a single word. Now imagine a symbol that embodies. That is the ankh. Why do you ask, Chris?"

Suddenly feeling all eyes focused on him, he stuttered and admitted, "Oh nothing, I've just seen it somewhere before."

As Mr. McElroy moved on to discuss mummies and preparations for the afterlife, Chris stared back at the page in the book with all of the hieroglyphs... and the originally random pattern of stick diagrams suddenly looked familiar to him... the cartouches told tales of days past. Of Pharaohs, Queens, and slaves. In the back of his mind, Chris thought he was hearing Mr. McElroy's voice talking, but it wasn't as it finally whispered, "Chris and Daniel and Lilian and Tessss...."

The daydream snapped away as the bell for the end of class rang out. Half the class had already left, and as the rest filed out, Chris built up the courage to ask the teacher more. Almost as if he knew, Mr. McElroy smiled Chris' way and waved him over. Chris grabbed his backpack together and almost ran over to the teacher's desk. When he got there, Mr. McElroy had finished writing down the names of some books about ancient Egypt that he might want to read more about. As he handed Chris the note, the teacher asked, "May I see it?"

Taking the note and reading the references, he almost didn't hear his teacher's request. "W-what? See what?"

"Your necklace. That is why you were asking about ankhs, yes?"

Chris swallowed hard, trying to get his heart back down his throat. He looked away and was about to pretend he didn't know what he was talking about, but a little voice in the back of his head encouraged Chris to go ahead. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out the charm and chain.

The teacher's eyes widened as he admired the workmanship of the silver charm. A very skilled craftsman has fashioned this charm to make it appear as if the amethyst jewel set at the loop was actually carved out of the silver, and not merely mounted. Truly, it was an impressive, and quite possibly expensive babble. "This is very nice, Chris. It suits you quite well. You shouldn't hide such a wonderful necklace."

Chris didn't know what to say except, "Thanks Mr. McElroy."

"Call me Alex, Chris. And trust me when I say that is a very fine ankh. If you find out who fashioned it, I would love to know. I myself have a penchant for ankhs," his teacher said reassuringly. Chris didn't know many of his teachers very well, but he thought he might have just connected with one.

"Thanks again," Chris started, then looked back down at the list of books, "and I know just the place to check out these books. See you tomorrow."

Alexander McElroy nodded, "Yes, Chris. Happy hunting."

After school, Chris' mind floated back to Tess. Instead of taking the school bus back home, he decided to catch the city bus to Tess' work, the O'Connor's Library. At the corner near the bus stop, an old lady was selling flowers. She had the usual roses and expensive bouquets, but she also had one small bundle of lilacs. He couldn't help but buy them for Tess, something told him she would really like them.

The long bus ride to her work, he couldn't stop smelling the lilacs, because everytime he did, he was reminded of Tess. He could not stop thinking of her, and before last night, they were only even causal friends. He wasn't sure what had brought them to be so close so fast. He laughed to himself that the mouth-to-mouth must have been one hell of a kiss.

When he finally arrived at the Library, Tess ran up front to see who the rare visitor was. She smiled a very sweet smile when she saw it was him. She melted when he handed her the lilacs. She took in their fragrance and then gave Chris a very unrestrained kiss. After she came up for air she whispered, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you." Chris admitted, "Me either, today was like an eternity missing you."

They stopped and smiled and just gazed into each others' eyes until they were interrupted by Mrs. O'Connor who happened by with some letters to find the two love birds. She didn't seem too surprised that it was Chris as she had seen the two of them around. She kind of had a sixth sense about them and was glad she was right, once again.

A small tension of deja vu' struck her as she saw the lilacs in her hand, and then noticed the ankh around his neck. Curious, she tried to be calm as she asked, "Chris, what a lovely ankh you have. Where did you get it?"

This time, both Chris and Tess froze a little but Tess offered, "We found it together and I thought it looked quite handsome on him."

Katie O'Connor smiled, "Yes, yes it does indeed." Chris then started, "It is one of the reasons I wanted to stop by here. My history teacher suggested a few books about ancient Egypt and I thought you might be able to help me find them. Plus it gives me an excuse to see Tess."

Tess blushed and Katie smiled at the two of them, they looked so good together. More than just a couple of kids in love. Chris handed her the list that Alex McElroy gave him. She nodded and said, "I think Marcus will know better if we have any of these here. I'll go find him in the stacks."

"Thanks, Mrs. O'Connor," Chris replied as he started focusing his attentions back to Tess.

"Call me Katie," she smiled, then suggested, "Tess, dear, would you like me to put those beautiful lilacs in some water for you?"

Tess smiled and handed over the delicate bunch of flowers, "Yes, thank you."

Katie left the two lovebirds alone as she wondered through the aisles of the cramped makeshift library. She stopped in the kitchen to grab a small vase to add water to for the lilacs. When she was finished, she took a moment to smell them. Such fond memories she had of times and places so long ago. She now had a renewed need to see her husband, but not just for Chris' book, but the ankh and it's return.

As she is sitting with Chris suddenly flashes of places she has never been fills her mind. Seens of battle and blood and death. All the time the same Mysterious dark figure is in them. He gestures toward the Battles.

"This is how it was little one,"He Purrs,"And how it will be again if you do not help me. Come to me Little one you know where to find me."

The vision fades leaving Tess with a feeling of utter dread.

Marcus was sitting in his small den leaning back in his tattered and torn leather seat. Glooming over the unfortunate news from the bank for a substantial loan to save his library/residance. He didn't want to hurt Katie over the bad news, perhaps there was another way. In front of him is his computer, complete with dust on the monitor. How typical of a historian his beloved wife would tease him. The computer is fixed up with "Pc Anywhere" so when Katie researches something he can offer assistance as he can see what's going on.

Tess looks through the books and passes out, having Chris catch her in his arms. Her body shudders, trembles, then sweats. Gently he coaxes her to consciousness, trying his best not to alarm Mrs. O'Connor. Coming too, she clings onto Chris with a seriously confused look on her face. "What the Hell just happened?" He looks at her lovingly and says "You past out, can't see what from though?" Standing up she gets her bearings, then a single blood tear rolls down her cheek. He stands back in almost astonishment, she puts her finger to her lips and motions for him not to make a sound. He touches her cheek and notices that she's death cold. Her motions were slower more liquid, as if she were floating. She walks, floats, over to the computer and starts randomly typing some codes into it. Chris leaning over didn't feel alarmed, only his heart was beating a million miles per hour. Bank codes flashed across the screen, passwords, account numbers. Then finally the codes to deposit into an old former account, older than he was that's for sure, and having it deposited into Mr. Marcus Duprieaue. The amount was huge, and no way that Tess could possibly cover that kind of 6 digit figure. Impossible.

Katie walks quietly into the library, it was always her habit of walking that way, a gift that never left her since the day she was made human again. She left the vase of Lilacs in the kitchen, yet the library was reeking with the scent. So strong as if it were a greenhouse filled with them. She trusts Tess enough to play on the computer and figured that she was helping Chris obtain the necessary information he needed. The light hit her just right when she saw the blood tear. In her mind she was screaming.....the tear, lilacs, the ankh, oh dear god what is happening? Katie turns as silently as she enters and heads to the den to find her husband. Heart beating a mile a minute. This can't be happening, she thought to herself over and over again, this must be all a coincidence.

Marcus looks up at the actions of the computer and sees his old former accounts made dorment from age being reopened. Lilans accounts that were being reactivated before his eyes. Only a handful of people, to use the word loosely, knew of his former ID's. The speed of the typing also was incredible. Katie walks in and is speechless as she sees the numbers flash before her eyes, perhaps almost too fast. The amount that is being deposited into his account was $125,000.00. A deposit more than adaquate to cover everything that they would ever need. The amount had been deposited, then the typing stopped and the computer screen was cleared. Returned to the library researching mode. Katie and Marcus glanced at each other for a second and literally ran into the library. Uncertain what they would find.

Chris and Tess were both looking over some books, joking, laughing, giggling, and picking on each other. Typical teenage behavior. Chris swore to Tess that he wouldn't say a word for what she did, and he even got a paper towel and dabbed her blood tear as she was transfixed onto the computer. Her skinned warmed beneath his fingers, and a giggle came from her lips. "What?" Was the first word from her lips. "Nothing, just like looking at you that's all." Was his only response. Nothing happened, as the both of them were concerned.

Katie and Marcus walked in, the library still had a lingering scent of lilacs, but other than that everything else seemed normal. You'd never know that something spectacular just happened. "Chris, could you come here. Katie tells me of a very special ankh that you have. May I see it please?" Looking up to them, "Sure." He walks over to them, and the ankh which lye upon his neck, so so slightly had a touch of a glow inside. Perhaps it was a play on the light, but.........

A Young man steches and walks out onto the balcony of his french quarter home. He did not like sending the visions to her but is verry vital that she came to him. He knows she probley was not cursed with the memorys like he was. After his near death experince when he was ten Willow was plunged into many memories. At first whe shock almost killed him again but in the end he came through knowing who he was and what it was he had to do. He just hoped his visions would be enough. That Lilian would come.

He did not like scaring her but he would do what he must to save his people. If he needed to send her more visions so be it.

Once more he focuses on the blood and calls to her.

"Come to me Lilian...Bring Daniel..Hurry"

The Urgency of the messege echos through the recivers head.

"Is it the actual ankh Daniel wore?" Katie asks her husband while sitting together in their dining room having a romantic candle light dinner. Marcus merely looks down at his dinner, still stunned, at least he knods his head 'yes'. Ever since funds were confirmed in their account and seeing the ankh neither of them knew what to do or talk about. The entire house had been engulfed into silence, almost as if another storm were hovering over the horizon. "Honestly I don't know what to do." Was the last thing Marcus could utter for the remainder of the evening.

From a girls bedroom softly lit by the blue glow of a monitor, Tess is typing frantically at the computer. Not the typical speed of a teenager, but the speed of someone who has been typing since keyboards were made. Scrolls and scrolls of Clans from different regions fly by, each one being written too. A constant announcement to each, asking for a response from each and every one of them. Diplomatic wording with key note phrases that only an Ambassador would use are the common wording. Some are in different languages; German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Gaelic and Italian.

She sends something special to Chris. An invitation for dinner of a place of a surprise. Hoping that he will be pleased when he receives the letter, she sends another special surprise to him via internet. (With a mischievous grin no less)

In New Orleans, one night when the dark figure wakened from his daily sleep, in his living room one of his followers addressed him quickly with alarming concern. "My leige, a gift arrived for you this morning, I thought I should tell you of it first before you see it." "Then what is it?" Scratching his head and stretching. "I think it's from a woman you know." His heart skipped a beat and almost beat out of his chest when he went into the livingroom and saw the vase of two dozen long stemmed black roses with a bottle of the finest Merlot wine next to it. A card of black sits nestled inside the buds.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it." It was signed only with the caligraphed letter "L".

As Marcus and Katie are having dinner a bang and crash come from the living room. The door opens to the dining room and in walks a bunch of muppets, lead by Greg the Bunny. A huge muppet is carrying a crate and other chickens are making a fuss all over the place.

Marcus addresses the ....ummm, guests..."May I help you?"
"Ya" The Bunny says, "We got a huge complaint of dust bunnies being mistreated in your library, so we came here to move in and check it out." Turning to his team of chickens, "This way girls." Chickens stroll into the kitchen, the door swings shut. Chickens cackle in fear, feathers fly out of the swinging door. Greg walks back to the owners very seriously, looks up at them and says, "You are disgusting." Turns and makes his way upstairs.

Marcus and Katie are awestruck by the puppet display, and a feeling of deja'vu washes over them. They look at each other with a shared realization of all of the clues laid before them....

*stirring dramatic music climaxes, then scratches out as Greg the Bunny's horrified screams come from upstairs...

*rapid footsteps are followed by girlish screams of fear coming from the small, brown, furry rabbit.

Marcus and Katie hold each other in terror, cringing at the sounds. They look at the manic hare, and in unison ask, "What's is it?"

Greg the Bunny, simply screams one word... "VAMPIRES! Ahhhhh! VAMPIRES!"

The chickens run clucking behind the rabid rabbit, and follow him back out the front door.

Suddenly, another set of footfalls are heard running down the halls upstairs, and emerge at the stairwell as an aging stuffed puppet vampire. He yells out, "Greg, it's just me, Count Blah, blah! I didn't mean to scare you, blah!"

As the Count from Sweetknuckle Junction follows his friends, Marcus slams the door behind them. Marcus looks to Katie and asks, "Are you alright sweetie?"

Katie smirks and says with perfect timing, "I'm fine, blah."

*Laugh track rises and applause fills the room...

From a high school hallway a teenage girl with thick glasses, ponytail of brunette hair, high collar shirt carrying a duffle bag of "stuff". She's been eyeballing Chris for a little while since the strange incident. He's been acting strangely for the past few weeks and she was hired by a friend outside the school to observe his behavior for a time.

The young lad sighs to himself. It would seem like he has no choice but to go to her. The young one does not seem to relise who she is or her importance in all of this.
He picks up his duffle bag and heads out the door once more sending his mysterious call.

"I am comming to you child. I do not know how much you relise but the time for reunifacation has come."

He follows the message with more immages of a bloody war for long ago.

During his lunch break, Chris had hoped he might join Tess for lunch. But she was nowhere near the cafeteria nor in the outdoor benches. He finished his lunch all too soon then made his way to the computer lab. From there, he logged into his email account and was happy to find an email from Tess. It read

-----------------------------------
Dear Chris,
I'm missing you terribly, especially after last night at the library. I have some errands to run today so I'm gonna ditch school. But, I would really like to have dinner with you tonight, after work. Would you meet me at the O'Connor's at 7? We'll got to dinner from there.

Til then,
Tess.
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Chris was excited and there was once again no chance of him getting any studying done after school tonight. As he saved the email, and closed the program, he caught the reflection of a girl with thick glasses in the rows of computers behind him. He stood up to grab his backpack, and when he turned to look, she was busy working at her computer. He shrugged it off when he bumped into Aden.

Aden asked, "Hey man, how's it goin'?" He crooked up an eyebrow as he noticed his friend was wearing the ankh they found prominently over his shirt.

Chris replied, "Everything's cool. I'm on my way to class, what's up?"

"Not much," Aden shifted, following Chris outside to their science classroom across the quad. "Haven't seen you around in a couple days. Are you really OK?"

"Yeah, everything's cool. Really," Chris tried to reassure his friend.

Aden smiled and relaxed, "So, are you going to the football game tonight?"

Chris frowned as he realized that the big game was tonight, "No I'm going out with Tess tonight."

Now Aden knew something heavy was going on -- they never missed a game at the school, especially not like tonight against their rivals. "Dude, so you and Tess really hooked up?"

"Yeah," he smiled as he thought of her, "and we really clicked. I don't know why we never dated before."

"'Cause she's spooky, man. We're always talking about what crazy @#%$ her and her sister have been messin' with," Aden started to tease.

"Yeah, well, I guess that I'm finally seeing her for more than just the book's cover, y'know? So, I'm gonna have to pass on the game. Are we cool?"

Aden gave up, "Yeah, that's cool. Have a good time, and don't do nothing I wouldn't do."

Chris joked, "That don't leave a whole helluva lot, man."

Aden agreed, "That's true. Whatever, man. Later."

With that, the pair took their seats and tried to pay attention to the science lecture. This is normally a difficult enough task, but again, it was the chemistry between him and Tess that really had his attention in class.

High School hallway, walking along with books in her hands, Tess misses Chris terribly. How could they have gotten so close so quickly? Something can't be right about this, but why worry? Just go with the flow of these feelings. Disturbing her train of thought, Erica runs up to her. "Hey, are you home?" Nudging and poking playfully. "Yeah, I'm home." Tess answers annoyed. "Where ya goin' next? I've got art shop next, how about after we hang out together? It's been a while.....please." Erika can give these pouts that could melt glaciers and never could she resist her sisters whims. "We live together, whatcha mean 'been a while?'" She stops Tess by standing in front of her, "Listen hon, ever since that wierd thing happened in the freaky house you've been different. Even at home, you're not." "I have a dinner date with Chris tonight, maybe after, but it might be late." Tess knods in agreement, "Good, the later the better. I've got an idea of how to help or at least how to find out more about what happened. Trust me." A quick kiss on her cheek and finally Tess was once again left to her own thoughts.

Chris and Aden were busy in Science class. Staring at books and charts. At long last the Professor finally introduces real chemistry to the class. The double trouble guys have been dreading this for the a good part of the year.

Glass beakers clink against each other and the collection of minerals and liquids cover the table in their proper containers. A huge text book opened for reference. Something looked incredibly familiar to Chris from all this. Watching more intently to the teacher and his lectures, Aden looked thoroughly confused by the whole thing. On the other hand, Chris felt almost bored, restless. His hands wanted to something with this stuff but he didn't know what. He never touched or even had an interest in any of this stuff. Hands on chin, he actually almost dozed off. (in a dream he holds an ancient thick book, never daring to let it go. Something about Chemistry is only the beginning. Protecting people and guarding something so incredibly powerful that it cost him his life.) He opened his eyes and noticed everyone staring at him from the front of the room by the chalk board. Glancing at the board filed with his hand writing, but incredibly neater is the entire configuration of time, space and matter. The actual theology of folding time and freezing it. "What just happened?" Chris squeaked out. Leaning in his chair, his professor proudly announced..."You have just earned yourself an A+ Christopher." After class, Aden wouldn't get near or talk to him for the rest of the day.

Tess was in her sewing class. The girls were working on little things. Handbags, headbands and lace gloves. Tess was nearly done with something a little different. A dress haunts her and won't leave her mind. Maybe it was something that she wanted, though it wasn't exactly her style. Her hands worked frantically to get it done in time for tonight's date. A long white gauze dress, flowing down to her ankles. Flounced out sleeves which flow down to her knees. Very much like a medieval gown, though she was not working from any patterns. Low to show her cleavage as a lady's gown would for that time period and sparkling embroidery on the bottom to reflect the light. For the waste a simple golden cord wrapped around her and tassles dangling to above her ankles. Her teacher constantly compliments her on her techniques and accuracy. Of course she received quite a lot of nasty looks from her fellow students. Making her feel even more alienated than before.

School was getting out, kids wasting no time of getting the heck out of there. Chris wondered around the library for a good hour after his last class and before school got out. Drifting through books of ancient Egypt, struggling to read through Reincarnation books which put him to sleep, and occult books that tell him everything except what he needs to know. He places his head down on the table piled high with books, that say everything yet nothing. (A picture of something comes to his mind, as if someone or something is trying to tell him something. An old attic and an old guy placing an old book in a chest. Why does that old guy look familiar?) Being forced up practically by a driving force, the halls are now empty. Heading towards the stairs he goes up, all the way to a door that is off limits. It's always locked shut and only the janitor has the key. Coming closer, the lock is opened and the door can be opened. The old story with the students is this is where they bury their dead faculty. Bones and books was the old statement for the attic.

Cobwebs, dusty windows and piles and piles of books. His heart almost jumps out of chest and into his mouth when he sees the storage chest he just saw in his head. Kneeling down and clearing all the piles of papers stacked on top of it. Opening it he sees a collection of really old thick books with no title to them. "Jesus, these are probably older than the school and some of my teachers!" One his hand goes right for, instinctively. Sitting back he opens up the parchment pages,
"My student is the most pig headed I've ever had in all my years teaching. He is rash and hotheaded. Not sure if I should actually finish his training, but I promised his father that I would with his dying breath. So regardless my feelings of him, I'll do it for honour of my old friend who has saved my life more than once. He does remind me of my dear friend, his father. Looks like his mother, but the temperment on him. Never want to see the day when he finds his true potential. Only Hell itself will have the courage to answer to it. After a few years so far he has improved incredibly, though his control has much to be desired. These are my records and lessons which I will record. His reactions, successes and failures. Let's only hope that there will be more successes and less failures. My student is Daniel and so far I have had the ....privilage of training him now for about 25 years." A feeling of overwhelming joy fills his heart, the words that were written so long ago actually tickle him, making him giggle despite himself. Why the hell would I have that kind of reaction? Chris thought to himself. Perhaps now is the time to stop asking such questions and accept the gift that has been given him and make the best of it.

Placing the tome into his backpack and locking up the attic door on his way out, he rushes to meet Tess outside. God there's no telling what time it is, hope she don't think that I'm ditchin her, thinking to himself. Under a tree, she's kneeling down in the cool grass with the light flowing dress on. Feeling a tingling unlike anything he remembers, he holds the ankh and notices that it's glowing. No it's not sunlight on it, it's different.

Rushing up to her across the parking lot a car speeds and skids to a stop in front of Chris, Aden and a few other jocks get out of the car. One with a baseball bat in his hand. Aden says to Chris, "I know you there's something different about you man, you're a freak! No one should know bullshit like that in science class. So I intend to have whatever it is inside you, beaten out of you. You'll thank me for this man."

In the distance the girl watches this scene. She wondered when this was going to happen. Should she bail him out yet? Nah, she thinks to herself.

"You have to believe we are magic
Nothin' can stand in our way
You have to believe we are magic
Don't let your aim ever stray"
-- Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu

In his rush to be with Tess, Chris doesn't notice the car pull in between them untill it is too late. Confusion leads to anger when Aden, his best friend, and two footbal buddies Jack and Frank, jump out of the car. Jack starts swinging his baseball bat as Aden says to Chris, "I know you there's something different about you man, you're a freak! No one should know bullshit like that in science class. So I intend to have whatever it is inside you, beaten out of you. You'll thank me for this man."

"Thank you," Chris shouts, tears streaming from his eyes, "for what? Blunt force trauma? You can't beat this out of me Aden. You're the freak, the one who's blind. Blinded by fear."

"You're right, Chris," Aden mocks. "Afraid I'm gonna have to show you what's what. Starting with your little witch over here. She's put a spell on you or something, dude, and you can't @#%$ see it." Just then he took the bat from Jack then the two punks grabbed Tess from the ground and lifted her up, holding her out for Aden to hit.

"Don't you DARE hurt her," Chris started, the tears rolling down his face turning red. His backpack slipped off his shoulders and fell to the ground. The amethyst in the ankh around his neck started to glow brighter and the tree's branches above them started to sway from an unseen breeze growing in strength.

Jack and Frank laughed mocking Chris and started egging Aden on to do it, "Go ahead, hit the bitch!"

Aden shouted out, "You'll see Chris, I'm doing this for you." With that, he swung the bat back and up high to use his full force of his athletic body.

Chris screamed only one word, but it shattered the air like a clap of thunder, "NOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!"

Just then, from out of nowhere, a white-hot bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky and cracked the baseball bat in Aden's hands. It exploded and pieces flew in every direction. The lightning continued through Aden, knocking him back, slamming into the car behind him.

Jack and Frank turned to look at each other, and probably soiled their underwear. Not knowing what to do next, they were completely surprised when Tess swung her arms together and slammed the two morons into each other, knocking them out cold, on the ground, next to their buddy who's clothes were still smoking from the lightning bolt.

Chris was still crying, but seemed distant. Tess ran up to him and saw the glazed look in his eyes. She saw the glowing of the ankh fade, and as it did, Chris's eyes blinked and he stopped crying. He looked at her and smiled, then looked around him and said, "What the hell happened? Are you OK?"

She kissed him and said, "I don't know, but we need to get out of here." She opened the passenger side of the car and told Chris to get in. He didn't argue as she got in on the driver's side.

"We need answers now, and I only know two people I can trust," she said as she started the car, peeling out to the parking lot.

The girl in the shadows applauded the scene and laughed to herself, "Blunt force trauma is funny. This is getting interesting."

"And if all your hopes survive
Your destiny will arrive
I'll bring all your dreams alive
For you"
-- Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu

Tess and Chris swirved into Marcus' driveway. Screeching to a hault they both flew up the front steps and began banging on the front door. No answer and the grand old victorian looked locked up. "Damnit!!!" Tess hissed. Chris looks up to the white lace curtained windows. No lights, no movement. He jumps down off the porch and walks along the driveway and into the backyard. Glancing along the beautifully maintained garden, he sees a basement window. An evil smirk forms on his lips and he kneels down and jimmies the fragile rectangle window. Tess kneeled to Chris' side and knew exactly what he was thinking.

To Be Continued

Chris landed first with a quiet thump onto the dusty basement floor. Holding his arms out he helped Tess down carefully. The basement, only lit by the small open window looked like an ancient library. "This must be where Marcus keeps all his extra books and stuff." Picking up a small stack of dusty old books "He never said anything about how old they are though. Look at these they are in some wierd languages." Chris comes around her shoulder and holds a lighter up to take a closer look at the open book she holds. "I've seen this writing from those Egyptian books in the school library." Tess brings the ancient book to her nose, it doesn't smell like anything I know. It kinda smells like blood." Chris grimases, "yeah it does." "Take them with us." Tess reaches for his backpack. "No way! I'm not gonna get caught stealing. You work here, go dig it when your hear." Alright, reluctantly agreeing.
Wondering around a bit, Chris finds a candle and lights it. A door loomed from the shadows. Heavy dark wood with iron hinges. Menacing, was perhaps the only word the kids could think of at that time. "Do you want to open it?" Tess whispers as if she's standing at the gate of Hell.

Before Chris had the chance to answer Tess' ominous question, his thoughts were interrupted by the basement window shutting solidly behind them. The resulting rush of air blew out his candle, leaving them with almost no light as the sun's evening rays began fading to dusk.

Tess took in a sharp breath, startled by the sound and sudden rush of darkness. She took Chris' hand and held it tightly. Chris returned the grip lovingly and reassured her that everything would be OK. No words needed to be said, they both knew.

Chris attempted to reignite his lighter, but it refused to spark. They rushed over to the window and found it quite stuck. He reached up to the window and tried wiping the dirt and grime of years of neglect off of it but the muck was on the outside. Now he started cussing under his breath.

Again he stried to spark his lighter, and just before giving up hope, a flame finally appeared. He lit his candle again and handed it to Tess. Keeping his lighter lit, the two walked back hand-in-hand to the door they saw before.

Chris finally said out loud what they both realized, "Unless you want to break that window and still break the frame to get out, this door is our only way out."

It didn't appear to be locked, so Tess nodded that he should give it a try. When Chris grabbed the rusty doorknob he found it to be dangerously hot and it had burned his hand. "@#%$," he said as he looked in disbelief at his hand. Before Tess had a chance to ask what happened, she noticed the smoke beginning to curl out from underneath the door.

"The library is on fire!" She shouted to Chris. Wrapping her hand in her skirt, she finished opening the door, to find the stairway up full with smoke and the light flashes of flickering flames in the rooms above. "We need to save these bokos and get them out of here."

Chris was more concerned with the getting out part, afraid they might not make it out. But he agreed that these books looked too valuable to lose.

They both started grabbing as many of the old tomes as they could, carefully put them into each other's backpacks, and then carried more in their arms. They covered their mouths and noses and ran cautiously up the stairs.

They found themselves in the kitchen area of their house and found the cabinets ablaze. Chris followed Tess who knew her way around the house that was a library, as she checked different rooms. No one else could be found in the bedroom, bathroom, or in any of the rooms converted for book racks.

They made their way to the front door and ran outside. They made it out safely only to hear the oncoming sirens of police and fire trucks arriving at the scene. There was no time to think of a plan or what to do next. They were both coughing violently and had to pause.

The firemen went right to work, unrolling hoses and preparing the water. Meanwhile, a police officer ran up to the two teenagers, gun drawn, and told them to freeze. Tess and Chris had no choice, but hopefully they could convince the officers that they did not start the fire. It was the truth, after all, but that only begged the question in Chris' mind, Who did?

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you." Those words were said to Chris as he was pushed into the back of the police cab handcuffed. Tess is held for questioning. Both of their parents were being called into the station. "It was the boy who held the backpack and stolen property. It is also my understanding that he broke into the school's attic and stole property from their as well the same day. Do you think that that is a coincidence? How about the fight at school that they were involved in? We have reason to believe that there may be somekind of drug use between them...strange behavior, zoning out, daydreaming. We have to make an example of these kids before anything else happens. Only a few weeks ago some kids broke into the Wilson's old house as a joke. We believe that these two kids may have been part of that too." The two police officers were saying outside of the car Chris was placed in. "Holy @#%$! We're in deep @#%$ now!"

Tess looked horrified. Her parents are not going to be pleased.

Walking through the holding area of the police station, Tess was placed in one cell. She lost contact with Chris altogether, then she was shocked to see someone behind bars as well, Marcus. "Did you save any of the important books hon?" Tess' breath caught in her throat.

After all this time waiting in his cell, Chris finally had a visitor. He was a short older scottish gentleman dressed in a fine old time styled suit. His hair hung in a long white tail behind his back. A stern face with a well kept beard.solomnly looking down at Chris. "Hello son." His accent was thick and deep with his scottish accent . Chris noticed that he was wearing a golden ankh with a dark green and red stone.

Chris had been in his cell now for a few weeks not hearring from his folks, any descent lawyers, or any one else for that matter, he was down on his last nerve. Chris' poor dirty condition nearly made his gentleman's guest draw a sllight smile. "Who are you? Did my dad call you? Or perhaps some sucky lawyer?" Trying desperately not to give him a broad smile from his spunk, "I'm neither my boy. My name is Darell." Extending his hand for a handshake, Chris just stared at it not motioning same in kind. *Darell clearing throat. "I have your stuff ready my boy, it's time to go." Looking slightly shocked, "What?" His temper getting the better of him, "Who the Hell do you think you are! Huh? Waltzin' in here like you own the place, just telling me your name and that's it!?" Darell leaned against the side of the door with his arms and legs folded. To Chris it didn't think that the whole universe could move him if he so didn't want too. "Now!" Feeling a bit braver "You get me some @#%$ papers to show who you are buddy boy or I'm not going nowhere!!" After Chris finished his major protest Darell just stared in slight amazement at the young man.

Upon careful consideration Chris looks at his visitor and makes a simple request. "Is it possible that you can help Tess? Where is she? Is she here?" Darell knods his acknowledgement, and excuses himself, leaving Chris to ponder todays not so strange events. Next evening while Chris was half asleep in the cell a red velvet cloaked figure walks up to the bars of his cell. Dropping her hood it was Tess. Her hair was up in formal curls with fanciful makeup, but she looked so sadly at him. "I'm here, please wake up." He opens his eyes to see his dear love crouching on the floor next to his bench. Her gentle hand touching his hair, coaxing him awake without words. "You poor thing." She sighs in a whisper with nearly a sob in it. Outreaching for her hand, he sits up and asks her earnestly if she is alright, which he could plainly see that she was, cept for the tears rubbing down her cheeks now. "How did you get out? What happened to you?" "A woman came to my cell shortly after we got here and explained that the fire was not my fault, they released me without incident. My folks won't speak with me really, and the woman has been so good to me, she invited me to stay with her for a while." More tears began to flow, cutting off her words. "If you've been out for so long why haven't you been by to see me?" Looking down ashamed, "It's not that easy, you see...she lives in another state, down south. I got her to bring me here by nagging her." Chris began shaking his head in disbelief, "No, a man came by to take me somewhere and I asked if I could see you before I agree to go with him." A red flag went off in both of their heads. Something was definately strange was going on here. The woman who befriended Tess, Darell for Chris. "When are you going back with her? Can you totally blow her off?" "Not really, she doesn't really let me out of her sight. She took me home, bathed me, dressed me. (motioning to the fancy medieval garb she was wearing) fed me, and said that she'll make everything ok." Chris anxiously looked into her eyes silently pleading her not to go back with her in fear for Tess' well being. Whispering "She's in the lounge outside of here. I have to go back with her."

Next afternoon Darell shows up with the release papers in hand. He had to admit that he was pretty positive that Chris would agree this time, being that his meeting with his 'lady' lasted so long. Approaching his cell, which is what he called home for the last month or so, Chris was ready to go. 'It would be better to face this thing head on out there rather than sit here nice and safe, especially when he was so concerned for Tess now' is what he thought for the whole night and morning. He sees Darell approach and practically jolts out of his skin saying, "Tess is in another state, you contacted the lady she's staying with...I don't believe in coincidences, can you take me to her?" "Yes my boy, I can tell you where she is and we were heading there anyways." Darell felt the apprehension and it wasn't what he was hoping for, 'such a spirit he has!' chuckling to himself, 'and a temper, he wasn't wrong, he couldn't be.' "Christopher." Chris blinked, no one but his mom would call him that, no one would dare. "If there is one thing you must do for the four of us, is trust me." "The four of us? You mean you and that lady too?" "Yes Christopher."

Approaching his car, Darell pulled out a map. "I've contacted Madame Sullivan regarding Tess, they are in South Carolina on the far outskirts. Figured it would take us about a day or so to get there. Are you up for it?" Jumping into the car, "Are you kidding?"

After the day in the car, he had confided in Darell with his hopes of the future and of Tess. Also including....oh so slightly the strange attraction and occurances, but not getting into too many details. Chris thought he was okay, for the most part. He learnt where he came from, Galway Ireland..though Darell jokes of the scott side being torn in the middle. He was married once, a widower. Having a few children he misses very much. For the most part he seemed okay. Everything was okay. They approached the bayou area, swamp lands. Driving along the highway sometime around dinner time, Darell pulls off into a dirt swampy road. They must've driven through unchartered territory for about a half hour or so until they stopped in front of an old shack.

Chris and Darell got out of the car, once the engine was off the swamp noises grew so loud that it gave Chris the creeps. Mossy trees, stink weed, skunk cabbage, wet wet soil. The cabin was in no better shape. Broken out windows, rotted roof, the front door barely stayed on. "It's okay, she's here." Darell smiled, confidently walking into the old shack. Chris walked in and saw only a delapitated cabin, with a stone fireplace which was the only thing that stilled seemed to be together, a rocking chair and a small rug under it. "I don't see them." A push on his back made Chris step forward one step. He looks down and sees a spear coming out of his shirt covered with blood. Suddenly his right back side registers the pain. Trying to say 'Tess' his mouth fills with blood and runs over his lips and chin. The room tips and tilts, he falls to his knees. Blackness is coming and all he sees is the lousy fireplace, as black and cold as his eyes are becoming. "This can't be happening." Were his final thoughts before sleep finally came for him. Darell sits in the chair, crosses his legs and lights a cigar. Rocking, he patiantly watches Chris die and the blood red sunset which fills the room.

Quote

---

Beaten why for? Can't take much more!
Push me again, This is the end!
Skin against skin blood and bone;
You're all by yourself but you're not alone.
You wanted in, now you're here;
Driven by hate consumed by fear!
Let the bodies hit the floor! (x4)

---

"This can't be happening" were the thoughts that floated lazily through Chris' brain as it hemorraged and struggled to understand what was happening. Of course, it was quite obvious -- he was dying. But this was a sensation Chris had never experienced before.

His breath became harder to take. Each one tightened in his chest as he choked on the blood his heart pumped in vain. A single tear left his left eye as flashes of Tess appeared before him. Amazing how the only thoughts he had as he flipped through the images of his life, they all seemed to surround Tess. Another tear now as his thoughts fell to wondering where she was now. A third stained by blood touched his lips, and he smiled as he imagined her lips were there.

The smoke of Darell's fine cuban cigar wisped and curled around his hand as he gazed down at the kill. Darell could only think, "You'll thank me for this, son," as he watched the blood pool around the teenager. Darell watched as the amethyst stone that rested in the silver ankh on Chris' chest began to glow.

Chris could smell the burning tobacco and it only made him cough up more blood. It was an involuntary reflex of his that now only served to speed the oncoming darkness. Before he finally released, he thought he could almost smell lilacs in a summer bloom.

Quote

---

One - Nothing wrong with me
Two - Nothing wrong with me
Three - Nothing wrong with me
Four - Nothing wrong with me
Let the bodies hit the floor! (x4)

---

Darkness.
Silence.
Cold.
Cotton mouth.
Only the sweet perfume of lilacs during a monsoon storm could truly be said that he sensed. Yes, a storm. A sweet July storm was coming. The lilacs spun around his head carried by the earthy headiness of rain coming on the wind. His bones ached as his body burned. The sensation of his blood boiling took over as the darkness gave way to a bright red. Then the screaming. He was screaming.

He was Chris... but as the red opened to almost blinding white, it reminded him, painfully, that he was Daniel.
He remembered the Alchemist. His student Donovan. The demon Seth and the witches. And then there was Lilian. Sweet Lilian, the one whose beauty was matched only by the constant scent of lilacs in bloom. He remembered the battle. He remembered who the O'Connor's really were.

They were the lucky ones, Marcus and Katie. Oh my God! The fire! The books! His mind was screaming at him. Then... he remembered further back. He remembered Darell, his Sire.

Quote

---

One - Something's got to give
Two - Something's got to give
Three - Something's got to give
Let the bodies hit the floor! (x4)
- Drowning Pool, "Bodies"

---

Tess laid on her fancy mahogany canopy bed in her new home looking out of her window at the spectacular sunset. She'd been thinking about writing a love letter and sending it to Chris, but she wasn't sure where to mail it to. Perhaps he was on a grand adventure with Darell this evening, who knows. The thought of writing shifted her eyes over to a fancy ladies wooden writing desk complete with ink well, parchment paper, and quill.

Flashes

Of a woman in a white gown writing by candlelight with the quill upon parchment. She saw out of the window from the ladies desk the city which lay before her, a park...something happened there...and a huge historical building, like a church. Was it called the Great Hall? Did it ever catch on fire? She's looking down upon these letters in script or caligraphy, so daintily written, but yet terribly important.

Blinking. Looking back out the window, she saw the awesome colors of the sunset; gold, red, pink, fuscia, amber, oranges, followed by a saphire blue in the distance. This one was probably the most spectacular that she's seen in a while. "God I hope Chris sees this." She whispers to herself. Just then one of the three woman that Tess lives with gently knocks on the bedroom door. "Sweetie, would you like anything? Is everything okay?" Darien, who is in her late thirties, was a bit taller than Tess, though incredibly quiet compared to the other two women they lived with. Her long dark hair rested on her right shoulder in a neat long braid and her thick southern accent marked her as the true southern lady. Tess still dreaming of Chris while gazing out the window only mumbles absently, "No thank you Michelle, I'm all set." Darien shows a sign of hope when she hears this. She hopes so much that Tess' memories will come back on her own, gradually as a woman with a bad case of Amnesia. Darien very very quietly closed the door as she left, 'Better to leave her alone with her thoughts' she thought to herself as she tiptoed down the large hallway of their Victorian home.

Darien found the other two women arguining quietly in the kitchen. Anya, or Madame Sullivan, and Karen were butting heads regarding Tess again. For the last month this had become a normal part of daily routine. "I'm telling you," Anya exclaimes making every effort not to let her voice carry "We will handle this the way we've been told!" "I told you I don't agree with the order of time given for something like this! You Can't just give her a few weeks and then expect her to be the way she was! It's ludicrous!" Karen sits down with her arms folded. She was the one who can stay the calmest and most dignified during any crisis. If Tess were to walk in unexpectedly her tone would easily be changed and you'd never know that she was having an arguement in the first place. Anya however was pacing back and forth flustered. She leans in nose to nose with Karen and hisses, "We have the Tome Darell gave us. If we have too we WILL go to plan B." "I don't agree." "Then you don't HAVE too! Imagine the power that we can have over her, over Lilian if she remembers enough!" Darien clears her throat to announce that she is there, breaking up a tense moment between her dear friends. Anya plops down on her kitchen chair and gives Darien a nasty look for interupting. "Same arguement I pressume?" Darien asks as she walks over to the old fashioned stove and pours herself a cup of tea. "How is she?" Karen asks, hoping to lighten the tension. Darien smiled despite herself saying "She's good, she's very good. She called me Michelle." Anya blinked, "Who's Michelle?" Karen and Darien gazed at each other smiling. Anya moves forward asking, "How does it score so far for progress?" Karen takes out a small piece of paper, reading it "So far including the incident today," motioning to Darien "We have nine incidents of memory, four historical, and five personal." Deeply sighing, "Unfortunately, we are still short of the quota Darell gave us."

Tess' eyes just started watering despite herself. Tears flowed, something was wrong with Chris. Her chest tightened and it felt like her world was coming to an end. What is going on, she wondered. Standing up and walking over to the window, she looks down at the driveway and sees the large white van that Karen have been trying to sell for a few months now. Her window faces the back side of the house, so she didn't notice a delivery person approaching the front door. The doorbell chimes and Karen answers the door. From below she can hear her name being called "Tess, there's something for you that came." Reluctantly she turns away from the view of the van. It has been plaguing her as to what is so familiar about it. Walking down the steps of the beautiful staircase with its fancy flowered carpeting and antiqued tea rose wall paper, she hears the three women making a grand fuss over something. "What is it?" She asks as she sits on the last few steps and puts her head against the posts of the railing. "It's a package that came for you, it's from Chris!" Tess' whole body appearance changed. She stood up and nearly fell down the steps trying to get the package in her hands fast enough. Ripping open the package paper like a little girl, she sees a note taped to the top of the small box. It was definately smaller than a bread box but much larger than a small necklace box. Reading the card first her heart pounding out of her chest with joy.

My Dearest Beloved Tess,
I am unable to tell you how much I miss you
everyday we are apart
You were right about going with Darell, he's okay.
It hurts to tell you, but I know you'll be proud of me by telling you
that I'm going with Darell to North Carolina to look for a good job
so I can make a place for the both of us.
Soon I'll have a forwarding address that you can write to me on a
regular basis, I would love to hear from you so soon.
In the box are a few little gifts that I collected for you,
Hope you like them.
Hope they will be enough until we meet again
Love always and eternally,
Chris

Inside the box was an amethyst wrapped up that was as big as her palm, a small bottle of Lilac oil perfume and a golden ankh pendant with a golden chain. Instantly the ankh went around her neck with pride, as so did a touch of the perfume. Closing her eyes she remembered the Lilacs Chris gave her in school. For the rest of the night she floated from room to room completely and totally in love. The forbearing disaster feeling she felt, she thought, must've been of him leaving the state. It was the perfect reason. All was well with the world.

The Shadowy figure slowly walks up to the house shivering with dread. Will she know him for who he is. Will she reconize him after all these years. He is not sure but he has to try. Raising his hand he lets out a deep breath and knocks....

For dinner everyone agreed to make a small celebration dinner for Tess' happiness and for Chris' successful adventure. Karen was busy polishing the silver, Darien was fussing with the fine great grandmothers china. Anya was washing the dishes at the old basin curtained tiled sink "Hey! Maybe we should make this party bigger." Karen looking up rather surprised. "Really? You mean it?" "Yeah, why not?" Anya looking genuinely happy with the idea. "We could invite our friends and introduce Tess to them." Darien chiming happily "We could have loads of candle light! Music! Food! This could be quite the event of the season!"

Tess walked into the kitchen still with a large smile on her lips. Nothing could break this happy spell Chris put her under they all thought. Only a word from him could send her to the heavens, oh how the ladies were envious of her love for him. She was only going for a drink of water but seemed to float and dance across the floor. "What's going on? What's all the fuss about?" "A party" The three women answered in unison and began to laugh together. Ahh, finally the terrible tension that threatened to divide this loving household finally seems to have lifted. "For what?" Another smile danced across her lips. Karen pats on the seat next to her as she continued to polish her antique silver trays and full tea server set. Walking up to her offered seat notices the hard work they're all putting into the kitchen. "We're going to host a great party for you and Chris' good fortune." Blinking in surprise. "Really? But Chris isn't here for the party." "True, but it's for you being so happy now and his good fortune that Darell has given him." Anya drying her hands on a kitchen towel chimes in "Do you have an evening dress suitable for the party?" Darien and Karen can't believe they forgot that. Karen speaks up from her counting the china, "I can take her shopping, it will be great! She'll be the Belle of this whole area!" "But I've got plenty of those Medieval dresses you've given me." "Oh, those old things." Darien waving her hand.

Darien took Tess out shopping for the rest of the evening, leading her out of the house so the others could surprise her with the house decorated By sunset the house was alive with festivity. Candles on in every room, giving the house a beautiful glow. Huge arrangements of flowers covered every table from entry hall to dining room table to the garden patio out back. Classical piano music played from the living room and guests singing along. There must easily be seventy-five finely dressed ladies and gentlemen mingling amongst each other with cocktails in hand. No this isn't what Tess had in mind for a party, being a teenager and all, but this was her first formal event. "Call this a rite of passage, like a Prom but better." Darien eased her as they were driving home after dark. Everyone from Aristocrats to dearest family friends were there enjoying themselves. Elegantly presented food lay upon Great Grandmothers fine Ivory Linen tablecloth. Handmade Imported Lace for doilies under each plate setting shrimp, Salmon, Caviar, and fine Champagne pouring.

Tess was upstairs already dressed up ready to go, but too nervous as of yet to go downstairs. The doorbell sounded yet again, "God how many people are going to be coming to this thing?" She thought to herself. From downstairs Darien was taking care of the front door service. It chimed yet again. Opening the door stood a tall dark haired young man with a long black leather trench coat. She noticed that he looked terribly nervous and obviously wasn't dressed appropriately. Darien's little gift she has from her many "Gifts" is seeing people within their souls. She noticed something particularly menacing about this man so she stepped outside to speak with him out of ear shot of her guests. "I'm sorry but the Ladies of the house are not seeing anyone of a more personal nature this evening." "I'm sorry my dear, but I do need to speak with your youngest lady named Tess. Perhaps for a moment." The stranger persisted. Dariens eyes softly glowed a deep ocean green, and a wind began to pick up, moving her evening dress, her hair and the mans trench coat. "You're not speaking with her. Good evening." His hand reached out to the door, leaning his whole body to her in a menacing way "I need to see her, NOW!" Anya was in the kitchen serving up some more hors doeuvres when she felt the entire house shake for a second. It felt like a tiny bomb going off, thank goodness for the music or else people would've noticed she thought while walking to the front door. Darien shut the door behind her, "What happened?" Anya asked as her friend dusted herself off. "Nothing." "Oh." Darien casually walked away as nothing happened and Anya glanced outside and saw nothing out of the normal accept the small amount of smoke billowing on the front porch. So the party continued.

Quote

---

I'm not the one who's so far away
When I feel the snake bite enter my veins.
Never did I wanna be here again,
And I don't remember why I came.
--Godsmack, "Voodoo"

---

Darell finished his cigar as the blood red sunset melted into a sea of sapphire. Crushing out the remainder left the room in an eery gloom as darkness took over for the day. When he looked over to where Chris lay dying, he was only half-surprised to find that he was no longer there. Darell's surprise came as the cold steel of the bloody spear reached his neck.

"Hello, Darius," came a much older, more mature voice from the teenager's bloody lips.
"Hello, Daniel," was the calm reply Darell mustered considering the proximity of the tip to his carotid. Darell smiled though as he remembered teaching Daniel that very trick so many centuries ago. "I see you are still very skilled at stealth."

"Thanks to you, Father," he almost spat. Daniel's memories of a long painful history were flooding into Chris' brain, just as fluidly as the blood left it only moments ago. Another memory rose to the top painfully, still adjusting to being Awakened. "Where's Tess?" He emphasized his question by adding a quick, less-than-gentle thrust to the spear.

It didn't draw blood... not yet. Daniel would need some soon, but he wanted answers first. Darell was still too cool as he answered, "She's an hour up the highway. I had to bring you here first. To wake you up."

"Who @#%$ asked you to? I never asked for this, a thousand years ago or today," he shouted.

"Still have a chip on your shoulder, I see. It's just that I figured you'd like to help me find Lilian," Darell said firmly, like the father he's always been.

Just the sound of her name sent a relaxing pulse through him. Like a heartbeat, one that could jumpstart his now dead heart. He already knew, but he asked, "Tess is Lilian?"

Darell smiled, feeling the spear ease, if even for a fraction. He repiled,"Yes, I've been watching her for a while now. She's been remembering who she is, but she is frustratingly locked inside that human body of hers. Trapped behind the veil of the mortal coil."

Daniel retorted, "So you decided to rip away my veil, my mortality? Why, so I can help you do the same?"

"Precisely, because I know you love her and would not want to see her die," Darell continued. "I'm doing this for you. You are both in the prime of your youth. This saves not only your beauty, but gives vitality to your powers."

The pain of hearing Darell's words sting, a part of him believing him. Knowing that what he says is true, but he frowns as he reveals, "Because I love her so much, I am not sure I could bring myself to hurt her. To curse her as you have done me."

"It's not a curse," Darell argued, "it's a gift.. but every gift has a price. You must be feeling that right about now... the Thirst."

"Yes," Daniel moaned, admitting that since he was Awakened, the Thirst was starting to become unbearable.

"Then drink," was all Darell could say before the steel sliced a small gash on his neck. Before the blood could even begin to well up, Daniel's lips were on the wound. As the taste rolled down his throat, Daniel's canines extended and finished opening the carotid artery in Darell's neck. Darius' ancient blood held a power that Daniel had almost forgotten. Instinctively Daniel sucked harder as he craved the copper-sweet vitae.

Darius had almost forgotten has sensual Daniel could be, even with something that should have been savage. He knew Daniel would be even more gentle when it came to Lilian. It was at that point that he pushed Daniel away.

"Why did you stop me," Daniel asked almost upset.

Darell reached to his neck, rubbing it to stop the bleeding and said, "Because, we're going to be late for your homecoming party."

From Tess' bedroom she felt a small but distinct shake, it was enough for her to look up for a moment but go back to what she was doing, which was nothing. Nothing but avoiding the downstairs. Her skin tight saphire blue sequined dress was a bit too tight and uncomfortable for her liking, she felt like a deep blue M+ M. Her hips felt too big, her chest showed way too much for her comfort and her back and shoulders were freezing from the open bedroom window. The white lace curtains blew in the wind from the night air. All she really wanted to do was stare at the amathyst that Chris gave him. She kept gazing into it and having flips of pictures going through her head. Karen had given her a pad of drawing paper and charcoal for drawing these images to help her remember. It was told to her that it will help them ease up and gradually go away rather than plague her and get worse. Going to the desk she took out her portable CD player, the pad and a drawing pencils. Blaring in her ears was the song "Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna. Something about it made her smile, despite her confusion. Drawing on her bed with the fancy evening gown she draws the tome that Chris found in the school attick; then she draws a coffin made of glass with dead Lilacs in it; dark hallways everywhere and Chris' ankh; a huge demon who was huge, bigger than life. She had always thought that it was just a typical scary monster from a childhood nightmare. Staring into the stone held in her left hand she sees someone holding her lovingly and she asleep, not letting her go, even if it cost him his life. There was something here in this house, it was so old, maybe there was something that could help with these flashes. Knocking made her look up from her daydreaming. "Are you coming down hon? We're all missing you." Karen came in. Always eager to see her sketches, "May I see too? Please?" "Sure." Pulling off her earphones, "Do you know this book? Do you know what it is?" Karen really gives it a long look and Tess had drawn the Tome perfectly. Trying to stay calm, "No hon, I'm sorry. There are probably hundreds of these made for Mages and other beings across the centuries." She could see Tess' frustration building. "Not so much for the party, huh?" Changing the subject gently. Shaking her head, Tess couldn't say that she wasn't appreciative but it wasn't quite what she thought she could handle. "Why don't you just come down for a peek and appearance, no one will ask for more than just that, promise." She leaned over and kissed her on the forhead. During the leaning over she saw the glass coffin, she nearly gasped. It was perfect, every detail, perfect, all the way down to the individual dead Lilacs. It was hauntingly disturbing because it was empty by her view, not her in it, but the way you would see it if she were just lifted out of it. So close, they were so close, it'll probably just be a few more days or weeks. Secretly she wanted to tell her the truth of what she was doing and why she was doing it. She had been putting hallucinative herbs into some of her dinners so when she goes to bed she dreams better and her visions come easier and more fluently. That is the reason why she was there in the first place, the power of three, she was the Mage. Oh how it hurt her not to tell her beloved Tess. It will all be for the best in the long run though, it had too. Karen got up from the bed and gently closed the door behind her. This night was truly worth celebrating, she had to tell the others of the good news and progress.

Getting up from the bed she had a mission for herself, and no one was going to catch her. She'd never been allowed to the basement. This place was huge, so should the basement. For a second she regretted the condition of the O'Connors basement, and hoping thing well. Walking down the fancy steps to the living room, the guests stopped and stared at her, conversation stopped and a quiet humm filled the huge room. All she could do is smile and hope to God she doesn't trip. No one said that she would be stared at like this. Anya walks into the room to see why is it so awe strikingly quiet. Looking in the direction of everyone else she beheld Tess slowly walking down the stair case. She looked and moved exactly like Lady Lilian, no doubt or question of it. Her soul made her body move as though it were straight from the Renaissance period. Her chin up and looking with pure innocense and humanity. God to harness her power made Anya's heart beat faster. All this power at her fingertips, it wasn't going to be much longer Karen told her. Seeing it with her own eyes showed it all. Tess's movements were definately not of a teenage girl, nor of a mature woman either, far far more than that. An evil smile escapes Anya's lips. "Excuse me Madame Sullivan, could you please tell me who that you young woman is." A young man in his late twenties leaned to her ear, despite his respect and dignity he just had to find out.

"Thank God you didn't trip, now don't slip on the floor and just make it to the basement door without anyone else staring." Were the thoughts going through her mind. Racing and nearly panacking from the attention. "Now where is that darn basement door?" Searching through the crowd of people to where she was continuously redirected away. "Excuse me, are you looking for someone M'Lady? May I help you search as well?" These were the common phrases she kept hearing from the blur of crowd. "Hello my dear. May I ask for your name please?" Phrases and pleasantries floated around her so much that it was trying her nerves terribly. The blurring and blobs of people floated around her were getting the better of her, she leaned against the wall for a moment. Not noticing there was a young man who pulled a chair up for her and himself and helped her into the chair.

Flashes

She saw a great hall with marble floors. The smell of flowers and perfume filled her senses. People in Medieval Garb were floating around her looking for somekind of advice or direction. She saw a man in the crowd that she's never seen before, but why was he so terribly familiar? Making out that he was wearing a black coat with a sword and silver ankh, was it the same kind as Chris'? Why was she seeing this? The tapistries blew from the two huge open doors, the smells of the night aire was different than what she was used too. It was horses, the smell of horses outside, with carriages. Torches and candle torchaires hanging from the high volted ceiling ablaxed the Great Hall with its warm light. "May I ask for your name please M'Lady?" "Lilian" is the name which past her lips, the woman she had been looking over her shoulder, almost like a dream like room mate. Watching her every move nearly, but finally had a name.

Back to the kitchen chairs, the young man put a face cloth on her forehead. "You look flush dear. Are you alright? Perhaps you should get some rest." "Lilian" Is what left her lips. Almost as if coming up for air from under water and holding a jewel to show. "What?" "The name," She said blinking at a man she's never seen before, and wondered how long they've been sitting together."Lilian, the name is Lilian." A large smile escaped his gentle lips, alright, "Lilian, thank you. I'm Brian. Brian Rose." "Thank you Brian for the chair" Making a motion to get up and continue her personal quest now more than ever. Unbeknownst to the both of them, half the kitchen was overhearing their conversation, curious about the young woman. The whispers of the name Lilian floated through out the first two rooms before she stood up on her own. "Perhaps I should help you, if you don't mind." Shrugging, okay. Thinking to herself, as long as you don't stop me I don't care either way. Finally the door to the basement was in the study, Karens room practically. But since they considered this a personal room it was out of reach for the other guests. They both opened the door, "I promise, once I find what I'm looking for down here I'll rest, honest." She half whispered to her new friend. He was her age and actually he was bored out of his poor mind as well during the party til he saw her.

The mysterious stranger picks himself up off the ground and dust himself off, a groan of pain escaping his lips. Obviously this was not going to be as easy as he thought but his powers had perfected over time and he was confident he could handle the situation. Looking up he spots an able looking second story window.

Concentrating he lifts his body into the air, sweat beading off his forehead from the strain. Quitely he lifts the window while cloaking his presence and steps into the room. Glancing around he finds the closet and walks into it then sends his mental signal to the child once more knowing that at this close proximity it would overwhelm her.

"COME TO ME"