The begining.

"This." She said. "Being in the woods."

She looked at the dog. "We have some . . . . animals here that would love to eat you." She said.

Luna pulled Isis towards and tried to make her be quiet for a moment. "But I haven't seen anything, and I've been walking through here since I moved here", she said still confused but looked around anyway then looked back at nicole.

Leanne turned away from Andrew abrupty, her cheeks bright red.

"Shut up," She mumbled, but her voice came out high pitched and squeaky. She was staring at the ground now, messing with one of the many metal bracelets around her wrist, feeling horrible about herself.
~!~
Alex didn't even try to break out of the hug, like she normally would have. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry. Soon, however, she sniffled and pulled back.

"S--Sorry," She stammered. "I finally get to see you again, and I ruin it by crying." She gave him a half-smile, though it was obviously forced.
~!~
Draven knew what she was doing. She had done it often enough in front of him.

"So, 'Nelly'," He began. He said her name strangely. "Why are you here? Where did you....come from?"

He had a strange smirk on his face. It was hard to tell what it meant, but then again it was hard to tell what he meant at any time.
~!~
K.C. wrinkled her nose in disgust as she jumped out of the trees next to Nicole. Werewolf.

She looked at Luna instead, flashing her a friendly smile.

"Hello," She purred, stepping closer, as if Nicole weren't even there.
~!~
Ember was so close to sleep. Finally, sleep, sweet, sweet, slee---

She jumped up out of bed when loud music began playing. Great. Just great.

She walked over to her window and looked out. It looked into Dimitri's room, and she paused for a moment. Too much like her old house for her tastes. She quickly shook off the thought and instead opened her window.

"TURN THAT DOWN!" She yelled, cupping her hand around her mouth to make herself heard.

Andrew laguhed, and then truned to leave.

~!~
Nelly frowned at how he said her name. "Like I told the fae, I do not have to listen to you, and why I'm here, well, I can't yet tell." She said. "Where I came from, well I'll just say far away." She smirked.

~!~
Dominic smiled slightly. "It's fine, fine." He said softly. "Do yuou mind telling me why you came here? I mean to our old hideing place?"

~!~
Nicole stepped in front of Luna. "Animal." She spat, like she could talk. She trun in to a wolf for pete's sake!.

~!~
Dimitri glance out his window. He reached over to his radio andtruned it down one nocth.

Leanne grabbed a bag and then ran out the door before Andrew could, practically shoving him out of the way. She ran down the stairs and out the door, and took off through the woods.
~!~
K.C. flashed her fangs briefly at Nicole.

"You're one to talk, mutt," She spat. Then she turned back to Luna, smiling sweetly again.
~!~
"I always come here when I'm lost," Alex said quietly, looking at him. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, and noticed he was around the same age as her. "What happened....to you?" She asked quietly.
~!~
Draven continued to smirk at her, then nodded.

"You two may leave now," He said simply, dismissing them with a wave of the hand. He needed to think about this all.
~!~
Ember glared at him, and made a not-so-nice gesture with her hand before slamming her window closed.

Luna stepped back a little. "uh, hi", she said and looked at Nicole who was standing in front of her now. "I should problably be getting home now..", she said.

Isis barked at K.C. now.

Dimitri laughed. He was enjoing this, oh so much.

Suddenly Sergei came walking in, not looking happy.

"Turn it down." He said, in Russian.

He made no move to trun it down.

Sergei didn't look pleased with his older brother and in the next moment the radio had been dropped out the window. There went that noise.

It grew strangely quiet as the two boys galred at each other.

~!~
Nelly frowned, and lefted.

Clover, on the other hand stared at him blankly for a moment. She opened mouth as if she had something importent to tell him, but she quickly closed it and truned in to butterfly, and leaveing herself.

~!~
A few moments later Nelly was back in Elianna's room, sitting on her bed in bird form.

~!~
Nicole laguhed. "At least I respect human lives." Nicole said. "Yes, you should." Nicole told Luna.

~!~
"I was also killed." He said softly. "Theifs kill for something they want badly." He said in a low tone. He didn't go into details like Alex had. "Now tell me, why are you lost?"

~!~
Drake slamed his door closed, and walked out into the rain. He was mumableing to himself.

~!~

Leanne didn't stop running until she was in the town. Hungry. She was hungry.

No, she shook off the thought and instead looked around, struggling to see through the rain. That way. Her house was that way.

She took off in a run again, and didn't see the man until she had run into him. She fell backwards, landing with a splash in a large puddle, soaking him as well.
~!~
Ember stifled a laugh, but soon couldn't stop. She burst out laughing, though her window was closed, they could probably still hear her. Wow. This was entertaining, at least.
~!~
Draven sat down on his bed and stared at the ground, frowning slightly.
~!~
Isabel looked at the bird that came flying in, her eyes wide.

"There you are!" Elianna said. She picked up the bird and placed it in the cage. "I'm supposed to keep you safe for Michi, remember?" She scolded it, as if it could actually understand her.
~!~
K.C. wasn't about to let her meal go so easily.

"Oh so soon?" She asked, looking at Luna with a fake sadness in her eyes, ignoring Nicole completely. "You really must come back to the Manor with me, at least for a bit. You can't go home in this rain, now can you?" She asked. Something about her voice made you want to listen to her.
~!~
Alex flinched, then shook her head.

"It's nothing. Just something stupid," She said, ignoring the rain that now came down on them. "Someone stupid."

Dominic held her closer, trying to keep her as dry as possiable. "Oh, please tell me." He said softly.

~!~
Drake glared down at the girl. "Who are you!?"

~!~
Nelly chriped, as if saying 'yes'.

~!~
Nicole frowned. "No, K.C., You and the rest of that Manor is twisted."

~!~
Dimitri truned to face the window, he said something, and Sergei said something back, both in Russian.

~!~
Kira appered next to Ember. "They act if they are still kids sometimes. I am truely sorry for my little brothers' behaver." She said quickly in Russian.

((What if ghost can understand other ghost, no matter which languge they speak?))

((Okay, but what does that have to do with anything right now lol?))

Ember jumped, and looked at the girl. Oh, no. No....now she was here again. And she was talking to her.

She truly was going insane.

She walked to her bed and lay down, closing her eyes and shaking her head. But when she opened them, the girl was still there.

She was speaking in Russian. Ember turned on her laptop quickly and opened a translator, and typed in what she had said. The translation popped up a few moments later, and her palms became sweaty and her heart skipped a beat. She looked back at the little girl.

"I'm crazy," She mumbled, face pale.
~!~
"Sorry!" Leanne said quickly, standing up. "I was running, and didn't see you there."

Blood.

That word ran through her mind, but she ignored it.
~!~
K.C. shot her a glare, then smiled back at Luna.

"Don't listen to her," She purred. "I can assure you, it's quite safe. Just come for a bit, to get out of the rain." She paused. "Please?"
~!~
Alex didn't even seem to care he was hugging her. He was a friend, and so it was okay, at least ot her.

"It's just....a stupid person," She mumbled. "But I'm stupider, for thinking that I ever had a chance with him," She added quietly to herself, and felt the tears coming back. She struggled to hold them back.
~!~
Isabel laughed and opened the cage door, petting Nelly gently on the head.

"Careful not to let her out," Elianna warned. Isabel just nodded.

((Just a thought.))

Kira frowned, not knowing what she was saying, so she went on. "Please, please forgive him, Dimitri, he's strange, very, very strange!"

~!~
"Then learn to look." He said, frowning.

~!~
Dominic's face fell, and he pulled away slightly, his eyes not revealing his feelings.

"I'm sure it'd be fine."

~!~
Nelly kept chripping, happliy.

Ember quickly typed in what she said, and frowned. She reversed the translation and typed in 'what do you mean?' and had it translated to Russian. She said what the computer told her to, hesitantly and choppily, but hopefully well enough for her to understand her.
~!~
"Right, I'm sorry!" Leanne said, flashing him a grin. "Sorry again. See you later!" She called, and took off running again, towards her home. Her mom was at work. It was perfect. She could be in and out quickly. She needed a few moments in her own room to clear her mind.
~!~
Alex looked at him when he pulled away slightly, then shrugged.

"No it won't," She said quietly. "I'm just glad that I found you. Ella will be so happy to see you again," She said quietly.
~!~
Isabel laughed and continued to pet her. Elianna smiled slightly, watching her.

Luna shrugged. "I guess I could come with you until the rain stops...", she said listening to K.C.

Isis stood next to Luna watched Nicole and K.C.

~~~~~

Amelia and Lia arrived back at the Manor. Lia walked inside and went straight to her room to change out of her wet dress.

Amelia squeezed some of the water out of her shirt.

"NO!" Nicole yelled.

~!!~
Mymae ran up stairs holding a letter in her hands. "Draven!" She sounded so happy.

~!!~
Kira frowned. "But I'm just a child!" She said in Russian, and disappered. Appartly Ember said it wrong

~!!~
Dimitri went outside to pick up his broken radio.

~!!~
Dominic smiled. "Where is she?"

~!!~
Drake mumabled to himself, like always.

~!!~
Her walls were painted black with crimson molding. Her dresser, bed, desk, and vanity were made out of dark mahogany. The canopy of her bed was of a dark red cloth, and her bedding was black with red trim. Even her carpet was black, and her curtains too.

Her favorite colors were black and red, it was easy to see.

On top of her bed was a small white dot. That dot was her.

Cinder’s night gown was a long, spaghetti strap, white dress. If she were to stand up it would hide her feet. It made her look even more like a child.

Her knees were drawn up, and her night gown fanned out across the black of her bed. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, as if she was trying to hold her self together, maybe she was. Her nails dug in to the skin of her upper arms. There were scars that showed this wasn’t the first time.

All her make-up had been wiped off, revealing all her child like freckles. Her slightly damp hair clung to her face here and there. Her wide, mesmerizing, light brown eyes looked dull and distant, and her delicate full lips were frowning.

She looked so small, so vulnerable, and oh so sad.

What ever happened to that care free girl, who was smiling, and didn’t mind running down the halls, and causing havoc? And who was this girl, this depressed, sad, broken doll of a girl, with Cinder’s face?

Jordon stood up, uneasily, and crossed the room to her vanity, her make-up scattered on top of it. She glared at the face in the mirror. No, this broken doll was her, more so then that happy-go-lucky everyone thought she was. Now the question was why she put on that mask, why did she hide who she really was?

Well the answer just walked trough her door.

Cinder quickly turned to face her twin brother, the biggest smile on her face. It was fake. She didn’t understand why, but she felt as if she had to be strong for Ash. He didn’t take sadness, or any negative emotion well. Surely if she broke down in front of him, he would too. She didn’t want to see that happen. So, she put him in first, no matter how much she wanted to cry -although she didn’t know why she did- she gave him her best award winning -and fake- smile.

“Hey.” She said in a happy -fake- tone.

Eric, or Ash, didn’t notice. He had never seen her break down, never seen her sad, and never seen her truly happy -no one ever saw that. Only someone who had seen her sad, like she was just before Ash stepped in, would be able to see her act.

“I was bored.” He said, unlike his sister he wasn’t ready for bed. He hadn’t needed to change, he hadn’t come home wet to the bone. “And mother is going on about what had happened at her job to day.”

“Ah, I see how it is.” She said joking. “You only come to visit, to escape mother’s annoying chatter.” Truthfully she wanted to be alone, she almost always did, but she always hung around people, it made her look better, and kept people from figuring out her unbearable sadness. Yes, unbearable. She couldn’t stand how sad she was all the time, but she didn’t know how to be truly happy.

Eric laughed. His had a wonderful laugh, it could make a lot of people happy -not Cinder. And it wasn’t fake. Cinder hardly laughed, none of it ever real, she didn’t even know what her real laugh sounded like, or if she even had a real laugh.

“What’s so funny?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Ash was finally able to get out.

Cinder frowned in disapproval, even this seemed fake. Her real frown was sad, and delicate, this one wasn’t like that, it didn’t really show how she was feeling.

She looked at her clock, it wasn’t late, but she wanted to be alone. “Hey, Ash, I’m tried, can I take a nap before mom makes me help her cook dinner?”

Ash stood up. “No problem.” He said, closing the door quietly behind him.

Cinder quietly laid down on her bed. She didn’t know how long she was sitting there before the thoughts had come; those thoughts that scared her.

‘This is a three story house.’ She thought. ‘I have top floor room. All I would have to do would be slip out of my window, and it would be over.’

She sat up quickly, tears rushing to her eyes. She hated those thoughts, they scared her. Why? Because they had so much power over her. A few times she almost did kill herself, and sometimes she wanted nothing more then to die. What was stopping her? Was it the fact that she new Ash would have a mental break down? Another reason could have been that she knew it was almost impossible to stay dead in this town. If she was going to die, she wanted to stay dead.

She was scared, but she didn’t think there was anything wrong with her. Crazy people hardly ever questioned their sanity. She wasn’t really crazy, but couldn’t see how being so sad, to the point of wanting to die, with no reason at all, was strange.

She laid back down, she closed her eyes, ad she looked asleep, but she was no where close, dark thoughts still circleing around in her head.

Leanne stepped inside her home, and went straight to her room, leaving wet footprints behind her. But she didn't care.

She stepped into her room, her bag falling off her shoulder and landing on the ground. She fell to her knees, unable to support herself anymore. Her room was exactly the same as she had left it that day; her mom must not have touched anything.

Her plain white walls, almost completely covered with posters of various bands or artists. Her stereo, CDS stacked all around it. Her bed, made up with George, her stuffed bat, laying on the pillow, right where she had left them.

She heard a door open downstairs, and stumbled to her feet. No. Her mom wasn't supposed to be home until tonight. She couldn't be here, not now.

She forgot to take her bag as she stumbled into the closet, though she made too much noise with her boots. She heard a crash downstairs and then footsteps coming, no, running, up the stairs. She froze as the scent of blood reached her nose. Her mom must have cut herself when she dropped whatever it had been downstairs.

"LEANNE!" SHe called. Leanne closed her eyes tightly, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, trying not to scream. She heard her mom enter her room, pausing in the doorway. Then she ran in, and looked around. Leanne heard nothing, not even her breathing, until suddenly she began to sob. She peeked through the crack in the closet door and saw her mom on the ground, sobbing, holding her bag close.

Leanne bit her lip and hesitantly opened the door, the scent of blood rushing at her again.

Her mom looked up, her mouth opening as if to speak, but no words coming out. Leanne shook her head, smiling sadly.

"Leanne," Her mother whispered, and suddenly she was hugging her tightly. "I thought you were dead!" She cried. "That night you wree gone. There was blood in the living room, and---and---you were gone," She whispered. Leanne realized that she must not have cleaned up alkl the blood that night she had left.

She hesitantly wrapped her arms around her mom, as if afraid she might break her.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly. Her mom cointinued to cry. Finally, she pulled back. She placed a hand on her cheek, then quickly pulled it back.

"You're so cold and pale," She wh ispered. Then Leanne saw the blood coming from a large gash on her hand.

"Mom, you're bleeding!" She said quickly. Her mom just shook her head, not once taking her eyes off of her daughter's face. "It doesn't matter. You're back," She whispered, and waas soon hugging her again.

"I----can't------" Leanne whispered. Her hunger and the blood was becoming too much for her. She tried to resist. She didn't know how long she sat there, trying not to breathe.

Then she bit her neck. She felt her mom gasp in surprise and try to pull away, but Leanne wouldn't let her go. She couldn't. The smell, the taste----it was all too much. Even though she knew what she was doing, it was physically impossible for her to let go.

But she finally did, and looked down at her mom's drained body. She felt for a pulse. None. She was dead. Gone. Leanne had murdered her.
~!!~
Draven stepped out of his room and almost ran into Elianna, who was coming down the hall. Isabel was at her heels. She waved at Draven and said hello, but he ignored her and went to meet Myame.

"What is it?" He asked simply. Elianna and Isabel stood behind him, Elianna frowning and Isabel smiling. Toby barked.
~!!~
Seth wasn't creepy. No, not at all. He just happened to be sitting in Cinder's room watching her. Okay, so maybe he was creepy. But he had good intentions, he truly did. From the first moment he had seen her, he had known that she was hiding something. That she was different from the others. And he saw it now, as her brother came in and then left. He saw the changes in her, and it was almost as if he could sense what was going thorugh her mind, for her closed the window abruptly. It angered him; how could she think of killing herself? She didn't know what it was like to be dead. It was a horrible, lonely thi ng.

He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. Not yet. So he went back to sitting and wtaching her, unseen.
~!!~
Ember frowned as she watched her go and then typed in what she had said. 'But I'm just a child!'

"Crap, what did I say...?" Ember mumbled. she sighed and looked out her window, and saw Dimitri. She didn't want Jeremy coming again, and after that little incident, she figured that some fresh air would do her good. So she ran downstairs and outside, and started to help him pick up the pieces without a word.
~!!~
"Home. We live at----home, now," Alex said quietly. It still felt somewhat strange to call it that, but that was just what it was, wasn't it?

"Where do you stay?" She asked quietly.
~!!~
K.C. smirked, and ignored Nicole.

"Come, then," She said to Luna, taking her arm lightly and starting to lead her off lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name yet. What is it?" She asked, giving her another strange smile.

Luna followed her. "uh I'm Luna", she said.

Isis refused to moved and bit the leash and pulled on it growling.

"It's very nice to meet you, Luna," K.C. said. "I'm Kristy Cally, but you may call me K.C."

She looked at the dog, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She wouldn't let the stupid mutt ruin this.

"I'm comeing too!" Nicole said.

~!!~
Myame showed them the back of the letter, the seal, through broken, was a royal one. "The the letter is from a Jamie Vosmus. Vosmus, a royal name!" Myame was so happy. "We have no choice in the matter, a few of the Vosmus family is comeing here."

~!!~
Cinder laid silently, wondering what it would be like, to die.

"Dinner!" Her mom called, and she slowly sat up, pasteing her fake smile on her face before running down the stairs.

~!!~
Dimitri glanced at her. "Is somthing the matter?"

~!!~
"Here, ad there." Dominic said.

Luna looked back at Isis and pulled to leash out of her mouth and got her to follow them.

Isis was still growling at them quietly.

K.C. glared at Nicole.

"You really should get home," She said, with a fake smile. "We wouldn't want you to get hurt, now would we?" She asked through clenched teeth.
~!!~
Leanne didn't know how long she stood staring at the body of her mother. One hour? Ten minutes? Three hours? She didn't know, nor did she care.

But soon, she was curled up under the covers of her bed, hugging George close. She was rocking back and forth silently, unable to comprehend what she had just done.
~!!~
Elianna's eyes widened, but Draven was smiling.

"Do you think they'll help?" He asked, looking at Myame. He knew she would know what he meant. Help get their throne back. Elianna mumbled something to Isabel and they were back in her room a few moments later, Toby at their heels.
~!!~
"Well, now you can stay with us," Alex said quietly, smiling slightly again. "And don't argue. I missed you, and I'm sure Ella did as well. Come on, now," She said, grabbing his hand and looking at him.
~!!~
Seth frowned as she smiled again. It was obviously fake to him, but apparently the others did not see it.

He followed her down the stairs, feeling more and more like a stalker with each passing second.
~!!~
Ember just shook her head, picking up another piece of the radio.

"Everything's just peachy," She mumblred sarcastically. She then glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. So it was true. She could see some faint resemblences between him and his 'older' sister that she was supposedly seeing.

She pulled the letter out. " '. . . To help see your way back to the thrown that was unrightfully taken from you, my father is sending my brother and I. But, I fear this is no easy task, it will take time. If you will be willing wait a little longer, you will surely hold your crow once more. . . ' " Myame smiled. "Does that anwser you qustion? By the way the letter was adressed to you, Draven. You'll be happy to know it began, 'Prince Draven Wishbone' "

~!!~
Cinder at at the table, smileing, fsley at her mom. She didn't wat to e at the table.

~!!~
"I believe it will be he other way around." Nicole growled.

~!!~
"Yeah, right." He said then mumabled sothing in Russian.

Luna remained quiet not knowing what to say. She didn't like being in the middle of things and felt kind a awkward.

Isis stopped growing but walked between K.C. and Luna staying closer to Luna.

K.C. went back to ignoring her. Suddenly, she smiled mischeviously.

"Come on!" She giggled, grabbing Luna's hand and running quickly off in the woods, faster than most normal humans could, taking her with her. She was trying to ditch Nicole.
~!!~
Seth watched silently from the corner of the kitchen. He could tell her smile was fake, once again. THis puzzled him. Her life seemed to be fine; why was she so unhappy?
~!!~
Ember rolled her eyes, and shoved the pices of the radio at his chest.

"Look, if you're going to talk about me, do it in Englihs, alright?" She snapped, probably harsher than was needed.
~!!~
Draven's face practically lit up for the frist time in years.

"This is great!" He said. Elianna came up behind him and snatched the letter, reading it silenlty. Her face said that she definatly did not feel the same way.

Luna almost tripped when K.C. started running and had some trouble keeping up with her. She dropped Isis's leash when she stumbled again.

Isis was dragged with them but kept running after them not noticing that Luna had dropped her leash.

~~~~~~

When Justin saw that Amelia was back he smiled. "Can I go outside and run in the rain?", he asked jumping up and down boredly.

Amelia laughed. "Yes but stay close in case it stops soon", she said.

The little boy smiled and ran outside through the rain.

Amelia decided to go back outside and watch him knowing that he might go off further.

Myame's face fell. "It says they will leave their homeland a week after the ltter is mailed. The letter had bee lost in the mail for some time, our mail gets lost for reasons clearly seen, so I have no idea when they will get here."

~!!~
Nicole glared. Suddely a black and gary wolf was following them.

~!!~
Cinder it into the pizza while Eric pulled the meat off of his.

"I thought you were going to make soup." She said.

"Well I ordered pizza instead." Her mmother said.

Cinder set her food down and clapped her hands together, a few sparks flew. "Well it's cold!"

"Cinder!" Her mother yelled. "Use a mircrowave! Do you wat to burn the house down?"

The thought was . . . tempting.

~!!~
"Fine, fine." He mumabled.