Prologue
I wake, knowing the dawn is near. Wishing it further away, knowing it's no use. The wind blows threw my hair, making it appear to be flame. The circle of people around me, knowing one is going to die, be btrayed. Yet I do nothing. I stand there and stare as the light comes near, not even flinching as we catch on fire, not stopping nor helping it along.


Chapter One
"Raven! Nuala! Dinner is ready!" Mom yells.
"Coming!" Raven yells.
Running down the stairs, we smell chicken fried rice. Yum.
"Yay! I love chicken fried rice!" I say.
"Me too. Dibson the good chair!" Raven laughs.
"Fine. But I get it tomorrow." I say.
"Okay, guys, sit. Dinner's ready."
We sit down and wait for mom to come out with the food.
After eating, I race Raven to the bathroom, both of us wanting a shower. I got there first. After the shower I go to bed.


Chapter Two
I wake up in the middle of the night to a loud banging at my door. I look at the time and see that it's only one a.m. Why would someone be knocking on my door this early?
I send my senses out to see who it is, but instead of a family member, it's a human man. I get up and grab the bat i keep under the bed, then quietly creep to the door.
It bangs open, startling a squeak out of me.
"I found one!" The man yells.
I hurry for the window, but the man breaks the door down. I swing around, putting the bat up for protection.
He's a large man, three times my size. There's no way I could bring him down.
Magick is forbidden to be used to harm others, even in self-defense. I could be killed for it, and I'd rather take my chances with using this bat and having a chance than that.
The large man lunges towards me, probably hoping to catch me off guard so I wouldn't hit him. That or he's that confident that it won't hurt him if i do.
I swing as hard as I can when he gets close enough and it hits him in the temple. He stumbles, then grabs the bat and throws it to the floor. He grabs my arm then pulls me close and drags me to the door.
I kick, punch, and flail as much as I can. I'm not going out without a fight.
Sadly, I only managed to kick him in the shin, and it didn't even slow him down.
"Stop wiggling, brat! It ain't gonna help you!" He yells.
"Let me go!" I yell back.
"No. I get paid one grandfor each Satanist I catch. I ain't lettin' you go. I could probably have a little fun with you and your sister." He laughs.
"Ew! Let me go" I start flailing again.
"Damn it! i said stop that!" He yells then hits me upside the head.
"Ow!" I yell, then bite him.
"You fucking little bitch!" He says, then shoves me into a wall.
My head is spinning, and while I'm disoriented he drags me down the stairs.There are four other guys down here, one pinning Raven, one pinning mom, and two pinning dad.
"Found her! This little bitch put up more of a fight then I thought. She hit me with a baseball bat, right here." He says and taps his temple.
"Ha! Like a sixteen year old girl could hurt one of us!" One of his friends laughs.
"So, boss. Which one are we killing first?" One of the smaller men says eagerly.
"When I tell you, you'll know! Stop rushing me. Or else I'll hand them your head as well." The man holding me snaps.
"Sorry, boss." The smaller man says with a very pale face.
The large man shoves me to the floor and points a large steak knife at the base of my throat. "You'll tell me what I want to know. I really don't wanna waste a pretty girl like you, but I will if I have to."
"You kind of have to ask a question first, dumbass. We don't know what you want us to tell you." Raven says.
I look at her as if she's insane. It's my neck on the line here and if his guy gets mad I doubt he'd hesitate to kill me for Raven's comment.
"You know what I'm going to ask, so answer the question or I kill her!" He yells.
"How the hell are we supposed to answer a question you never asked? You're insane!"Raven yells back.
"Raven! Be quiet! He might kill your sister!" Mom yells at Raven.
"Answer the question! I know you can read minds!"
"Dude. Seriously? I wouldn't be laying here with a fucking knife to my throat if I could! Tell us the question!" I yell.
"Fine. What are you?" He asks.
"What?"
"What are you? I know you're not human." He says.
"You're insane!" Raven yells.
He pushes the knife in a little then pulls it out. He snaps his fat fingers in the direction of the man holding mom down and the slightly smaller man pushes a knife through her throat.
"Mom!" Raven yells. I don't know what's going on anymore.
"Answer the question. Your father is next." The large man says, then laughs.
"We're human!" I yell.
The large man snaps at the two men holding dad down, and one of them pulls out a large knife.
"Last chance. You can save him." He says.
We weould've told them already, but the death we would suffer is much worse than this. The Elders made defying the law have the worst consequesnces imaginable. They enjoy watching, too. Most think they're cruel, but no one is willing to go against them because of their age.
"Please stop! We don't knw what you're talking about!" I yell.
"Let them go and I'll tell you anything you want to know. Dad says.
"Oh really? What if you're lying?" The large man asks.
"Then kill me." Dad replies.
"No!" Raven yells.
Suddenly the door breaks in and the noise startles the man with the knife. He pushes down on it and the knife goes through dad's throat.
"Hands in the air! Put the weapon down!" The officer in front says. He pulls his gun out and points it towards the large man. "Sir, you have been convicted of eight other murders. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." He recites.
All four of the men drop their knives and run. Four of the eight officers ran full speed after them and tackled them.
I fainted soon after.


Chapter Three
I open my eyes, confused. I look at an unfamiliar ceiling wondering where I am. I turn my head and see Raven on a cot next to me.
Everything comes rushing back, memories flying through my head. I have no parents. I have no family except for Raven.
"Raven?" She rolls over and looks at me. "Where are we?" I ask.
She stares at me like I'm an idiot. "We're in the orphanage. Where else would we be? We're orphans!" She yells.
I look around and see other girls on cots staring at us. I don't care. I start crying.
"Excuse me. What do you think you are doing?" A nun asks me.
"What?"
"There is no reason to be crying. We are in the arms of God." She says.
"My parents were murdered in front of me last night. And I'm not Christian, so I would appreciate it if you don't try to force your religion on me." I say. I never stopped the tears.
"How dare you? In God's house, while we have been kind enough to take you in? You will become Christian. Even if we have to beat the sin out of you." She yells.
I start crying more and hoping someone nice will adopt us soon.
"Sister Sundesh? Sister Sundesh, please report to the adoption room." A voice says over the loudspeakers.
"I'm not done with you." She says, then walks away.
"You can't tell them stuff like thta. You know Christians hate Wiccans." Raven says in a smug tone.
"What is your problem? Are you not even upset that we're orphans? And why are you mad at me?" I ask.
"I'm not mad at you. I'm furious! Someone had to leak out information about us and it wasn't me, mom, or dad." She says, then glares.
"You think I told? Why would you-"
"Get up. Both of you. You are leaving now." A nun says.
"What?" Raven and I say in unision.
"We don't tolerate non-Christians in God's house." She says.
I start crying again. Not only have we lost our parents, but we were about to be thrown out in the cold.
"Lucky for you you're being adopted. Might as well Give you to a sinful family. They keep coming back. We won't give them a good Christian child." he says.
She grabs me and Raven by the arms and pulls us towards a door. I'm trying not to cry, but I can't help it. What if they don't like us? We have nowhere else to go.
We go through a door and down a brightly lit hallway.Raven squints, which is very weird, because she has better eyesight than me.
We enter a room with a duller light, and see one adult and a boy our age looking at us.
"Uh, hi?" I say. I want out of here. Badly.
"Hi! Are these the girls we get to pick from?" The lady asks. "They look a little older than what we asked for." She says.
"Well, I'm sorry, but we will not let you defile a Christian child. These girls are all you'll get from us. Take them both." The nin says.
"Can we come back in a week?" The lady asks.
"Fine."
No! They can't leave us here!
"Come. Time to introduce you two to the others." The nun says.
We start walking out, away from the family that could've saved us from this place. We go throught the door we came in through and into the room with the cots.
"This is where you'll be sleeping." the nun says. " You will keep the space around your cot clean at all times."
"Excuse me, but when do we get to eat?" Raven asks.
"When you convert to Christianity."
"It's illegal to starve kids to death." I say. I will not convert to a sexist religion.
"Fine by me. I'll pray to God as much as you want me to." Raven says.
"At least one of you is smart." The nun says.
We both sit down on different cots and one of the other nuns comes and gives Raven a large tray of food.
"Last chance. You can have some of this too if you convert."
"No." I say. Not this is just being cruel.
Raven starts eating. My stomach growels loudly and a nun looks at me in digust.
"Come wiht me. You must be punishes for your sins."
The nun grabs hold of my arm and pulls me up and towards a door marked 'private'. She won't let go no matter how hard I pull. Her grip is like iron, dragging me to who knows where.


Chapter Four...Adrik
"Why didn't we just take those two? You've been waiting for them to approve some girls for months now." I say. Sometime I just don't get my mother.
"Because I want little girls, not more teenagers. If there aren't any younger girls by the end of the week we'll adopt them. why do you care so much anyway? You've been opposed to adopting until you saw them."
"I'm getting lonely. I want to talk to someone my own age other than Shane."
"Right." That ended the conversation. Really, they are pretty hot. Especially that redhead, even though she was crying.
"What if they're being abused? You know it's possible, and with tose penguins, it's likely." Ive never liked nuns.
"Fine. We'll go back tomorrow."


Chapter Five...Nuala
The nun pulls me into the room. It's pitch black and I can't see. Then I hear some shiffling and a dim light comes on.The inside of the room is a torture chamber. There are stretching racks, spike beds, whipsm knives of varying sizes, and in the middle there is some type of wooden bed with hand, feet, and a face restraintn with a hose-like nozel above it.
"This is illegal." I say, my face going pale.
"No one will ever know. You won't tell, or we'll find you." She says.
I start pulling with all my strength to get away. I'd rather be out in the cold fending for myself than this.
"Convert. That's all you have to do." She says.
"No." Why did I just say that?
The nun pulls me towards the thing in the middle, walking quickly and ith a purpose. I do not want to be strapped into that thing.
She pushes me down on the hard, cold wood. She's surprisingly strong for an old woman. The nun takes one of my arms and forces it above my head then does the same with my other hand.
I start fighting with everything I have, every ounce of stregnth, but it's no use. I'm stuck.
She shackles my kicking feet, then restrains my face in an awkward looking face mold with the front cut out. I can't move.
"I will come back when that wretched family wants to take a look at you again. Or you conert. Your choice." She says, then laughs maniacally.
She turns something on the hose like nozel and fat drops of water pound slowly on one spot on my forehead. I know what this is now. It's Chinese water torture.
It drives people insane. A week of this and there's no way I'll be sane. Or alive. I'll starve, or die of dehydration. Or the insanity will get me first. I'm going to die.
Already the steady drip of the water is irritating. My arms, back, neck, and legs are uncomfortable. Think of something. Sing a song, but don't give in. Something in my head tells me. I start humming a song that got stuck in my head. Move Your Body by My Darkest Days. Perfect.
The light suddenly turns off. No problem, I like the dark. Though I've never been in this type of dark before. The kind where you can't see anything.
I start feeling nervous. There is absolutely no light coming in. The water and restraints are starting to take effect. There's no one here to help me. My breathing quickens, and I strain my eyes to see but to no avail. I try to calm myself, slow my breathing.
Then I hear something move on the other side of the room. It sounds like something id dragging across the floor. Like clothes and a human body being dragged across a cement floor.
"Hello? Is someone there?" I ask, hoping for a human answer, somone to let me out.
I hear a hard, pant-like breath, like a sigh, then nothing. Complete silence. I'm just starting to wonder if I was imagining things when the sound starts again. I listen for a few minutes.
The thing was definately coming towards me. I can barely feel the water, my terror is so high. I try to keep as quiet as I can, barely even breathing.
After long minutes of waiting and listening, the sound stops right before me. Something warm, like someone's breath, smooths across my cheek. I whimper quietly, hoping it goes away. I don't know if I can hold back my scream much longer.
The light turns on. When the ligt had gone on the breathing had stopped.I start looking around as best I can with the face restraint.
In the corner of the room I notice a girl. I feel hope of escaping break through.
"Hello? Miss? Can you help me?" I yell. The dim lights brighten and I can see her more clearly.
Her hair is greasy, her skin grayish-green. I stare in horrow as maggots crfawl all over her and flies buzz around her head. Her eyes are milky-gray and sunken in her eye sockets. A yellow, thick fluid runs from the corners of each eye, slowly trickling down her face, to her chin, to drip on her clothes.
Her mouth is sewn shut. Loose as it may be, it was still horrible to look at. Her mouth was open, the bloody, brown string clearly visible. Blood and pus were dried on the puncture holes around her gray lips. She must have gotten desperate and tried to pull her lips apart to scream, despite the strong string.
Looking at the rest of her body, I see that it’s decaying, the smell, of rot emanating from her. There are some patches where you can see the bone, with maggots wriggling in the flesh.
The light goes off. I scream as loud as possible. The scuttling starts again. I imagine the dead girl using her arms to drag the rest of her body towards me.
I don’t know how long I’ve been here. It feels like days, but was probably only a few hours.
The sounds are quicker than before. Soon, the dragging sound is right beside me. When it stops, I struggle against the metal restraints, trying my best to get away. As soon as I move, something sharp, like teeth, digs into my face. The thing must have ripped the string right from it’s mouth.
I scream and pull on my arm closest to her and it breaks free. There must have been a loose link. I shove the thing off me. The skin squishes and starts ripping off, something slightly warm and thick flowing on my hand to my arm. Wiggling maggots coat my arm as my hand pushes.
I feel like I’m about to throw up. Feeling the strings and teeth from its mouth on my face.
The light goes on. The dead girl is in the corner, in the exact position as before. I look down at my hand to see yellow-green pus, grayish-brown blood, and wriggling maggots.
The water is still pounding on my head, and it’s in my eyes. I relax. As long as the light is on, she won’t come after me.
The light goes off. The scuttling, dragging sounds are back. I don’t react. When the dragging gets close, right by my face, the door opens, letting in precious light. I don’t move. I refuse to get my hopes up.
Someone walks in and turns on the light, heaving the door open. It’s the nun. She’s probably here to put the shackle back on.
The dead girl is in the corner again. Exactly how I first saw her.
“The family has come back. You’re lucky. If they don’t want you, you will go back here.” The nun says. I barely register what she said.
“What is this disgusting goo on your arm? This will not do.” She says.
She walks over to me and starts unshackling me. I don’t care anymore. I gave in to the numbness. Nothing can hurt me anymore.
She walks to the other side and releases my legs. I’m free. Yet I still don’t care.
“Get up.” She commands.
I don’t move. “Get up! I will not drag you!” She yells. I get up, the feeling and emotions returning to my body as I think, I’m getting out!
“Come with me to the adoption room.” I follow her up the stairs and into the light. She turns off the light and says, “Goodbye, daughter.” Then she shuts the door.
The nun washes the goo off my arm with a towel. I just want to go home. But you don’t have a home anymore, my inner voice tells me. I’m all alone.
We walk into the room and the family from before is there, with Raven.
“Will you be adopting them?” The nun asks heartlessly.
The boy is staring at me, like he can see what I’ve been through.
“Yes.” The woman says.
The nun nods and leaves. I look at the boy and mouth ‘help me’. I don’t want the nun to hear.
He looks at me, the nudges the woman and gives her a look.
The nun comes back with paper work and a pen. She hands it to the woman.
“Sign this.” She says.
The woman signs then hands the paper to the nun.
“Okay. You guys are coming home with us.” The woman says and smiles.
I’m so happy to be getting out of this horrible place. Raven and I follow them out of the orphanage.
As soon as we’re out, I say, “Thank you. Those nuns are cruel.” Then start crying.
The woman comes over to me and hugs me. “What did they do to you?”
“They kept yelling at me and telling me to convert, then one of the nuns forced me down into the basement, which is a torture chamber. In the middle there was a Chinese Water Torture thing. They turned off the lights so I couldn’t see, and there was something in there. It made a dragging sound, but when the lights turned on again it was gone.”
“In the corner there was a dead girl. She was rotting and her mouth was sewn shut. The lights went off and I knew it was her coming for me. I pushed her and this gross goo was all over my arm. The lights went back on again and she was in the corner with the goo on her and it was still on my arm.” I finish, breathless. They look horrified.
Raven says, “You should have pretended to convert. They would have fed you.”
“You don’t even care, do you?” I say accusingly.
“No. It’s your fault mom and dad died.”
“I never told anyone! I didn’t even show it!” I yell. “Show what?” The boy asks.
Raven glares at me and says, “Yeah, Nuala. Show what?”
“No one believes us when we tell them.” I say, hoping it’s enough.
“I bet it’s not that weird.” The woman says.
“What would you say if I said Raven and I were fire elementals?”
Raven is looking at me with so many accusations in her eyes. I guess this doesn’t prove my innocence.
“Perfect! You’ll fit in perfectly at your new school! I forgot to introduce you to Adrik though. I’m sorry.” She points to the boy. “This is Adrik. May we know you names?”
“I’m Raven. This little idiot is Nuala.” Raven says.
“Two things. I’m eight minutes older, so don’t call me little. And second, I’m not an idiot. I’m trying to be practical. I’m also not at my best at the moment.”
“Honey, the dead girl was a ghoul.” The woman says abruptly.
“A what?”
“A ghoul is a human who has died horribly, who used to be a vampire. They feast on living flesh.”
“Oh.” I say. Everyone I silent.


Chapter Six
While we’re in the car, I ask, “If I was bitten, what would happen?”
“You would either die and come back as a ghoul or just die. It’s a good thing it’s mouth was sewn shut.” She says.
“What’s that on your cheek?” Adrik asks.
“What?” I ask, and then feel my face. There is a cut, the size of a tooth.
“I was bitten. Oh my god! Did it puncture the skin?” I ask frantically.
The woman pulls over. “Adrik, check her face. Hurry.” She yells.
Adrik unbuckles and jumps into the back seat. Adrik puts his hand on my cheek and turns my head. “It punctured. Maybe she’ll be strong enough to be immune?” He asks.
“It’s never happened before.”
I’m going to die. I always thought I’d have a little longer than this.
“What do I do?” I ask loudly.
“There is nothing to do. You’ll either live, but you probably won’t.” Raven says. “I got dibs on killing you if you try to eat anyone.”
Everyone looks at her like she’s insane.
“She’s your sister. How could you say that to her?” Adrik says.
"Because she told everyone about us. She got my parents killed." Raven says.
"I didn't! Why the hell don't you believe me? Why would I tell?" I yell.
"You hated our old school! You knew we would have to move if anyone found out! You knew you were putting us all in danger, but you did it anyway! It's all your fault!" Raven yells.
"I fucking didn't! Stop accusing me! I'm tired of it!" I'm starting to feel weird. Like I'm going to throw up. "I don't feel very good." I say.
"Lay down. Save your energy. You'll need it." Adrik says gently.
"Who cares what she's feeling? She's a traitor!" Raven yells.
I open the window and try to hold back the puke. "Mom, stop the car! She's gonna throw up!" Adrik yells.
She pulls over and unlocks the doors.
I get out and start puking. Adrik quickly follows behind and holds my hair back.
When I'm finished, I notice there's a lot of blood in the disgusting pile. That's probably not a good sign.
"Am I dying?" I ask miserably.
"I don't know. Let's hope not. Mom, Nuala puked up a lot of blood! What do I do?" Adrik calls helplessly.
"Get her in the damn car before someone sees her. We'd have one hell of a time explaining this to a cop, don't you think? And we don't need a delay like that." His mom says.
Adrik rushes me to the car, supporting most of my weight when my knees buckle. He keeps glancing at me with that concerned expression. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. One thought keeps echoing through my head. I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die. I don't want to die.
"Hey, it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay. We'll figure this out somehow." Adrik says, trying to comfort me. I wish I had more time to get to know him. He seems nice and is hot as hell. Perfect boyfriend material.
"We both know I'm not going to make it. Why bother comforting me? " I ask.
"Because I believe what I said, even if you don't." He says.
Pain starts up in my stomach. It hurts, like being boiled alive from the inside. I scream and pass out from the intensity of it.


Chapter Seven
Nothing seems right. It's as if I'm looking through someone elses eyes. The world is slightly cloudy. Probably not the best sign, considering I'm dying.
My body is in agony, and I suppose I should feel it, but I don't. For once I'm glad. I don't want to feel that pain again.
Then a sudden thought occurs to me. This is probably why no one survives. You just lose the will to live.
I start to fihgt my way out of it when-
My eyes spring open to see Adrik standing above me, about to stake me. I scream.
He drops the stake with surprise.
"Don't believe it! It's a trick. Kill her before she bites you!" Adrik's mom yells.
"No! I'm alive! I'm not going to bite! Don't kill me!" I yell.
Everyone in the room freezes. They all stare at at me in shock. Adrik moves closer and looks into my eyes.
"It's not a trick. She's alive. She's alive!" He grins.
"I still don't feel good, but it might just be because there's a sharp, wooden stake aimed at my heart." I say.
Adrik drops is and says, "Sorry. But still, I can't believe you're alive!"
"Can we please stop this nauseating joy fest? So what if she's alive, she's a pain in the ass." Raven says.
"I am your new legal gaurdian, which means no more swearing." Adrik's mom says.
"I'd say sorry, but I'd rather not lie this soon." Raven says.
"I'm tired. Raven, just shut up, no one cares about your da-" I stop when Adrik's mom gives me a look. "I mean, darn issues with me." I finish.
"Let's get you two home. Mom, I don't think we can put them in the same room." He says.
"Then where do you suggest we move one of the beds? We don't have another free room." She says.
"Nuala can bunk in my room." Adrik announces.
Everyone stares at him, think he's lost his mind.
"Honey, Nuala's a girl. Already your plan is not going to work." His mom says.
"I know she's a girl. I'll change in the closet. We can use a really long piece of duct tape to split the room. And I don't think she should be alone right now, and Raven isn't the best company for her." He says hopfully.
"Nuala, what do you think? Be hoest." She asks.
"I don't mind, as long as I'm away from her." I look at Raven.
"Well, I guess that settles it. Nuala's tired, so let's get home. I'll move the bed, and my stuff. Thankfully all the rooms were built with two closets." Adrik says.
"Hold on a minute. Nuala almost died. Are you okay, honey?" Adrik's mom asks.
"I'm tired, and I feel sick, but other than than I guess I'm fine." I say.
"Let's get you home. Adrik, move the stuff. Can you stand?" She asks.
"Can't we just leave her on the side of the road? She's gonna die anyway." Raven says.
"No!" The rest of us say unanimously.
"Raven, you just hush.We are not leaving Nuala here to die."
"Can you stand?" Adrik asks.
"No." I say after a painful failed attempt.
He picks me up like I weigh nothing. He carries me off the side of the road to the car, opens the door, and sets me inside.
Adrik tells Raven," You sit in the front. I don't trust you to look after her."
"Nothing you could've done would've made me sit next to this brat." Raven says in disgust.
Adrik closes my door without another word. He walks around the back of the car and to the other backseat, then climbs in. From there he buckles my seat belt, then his own.
"Nuala, if you start hurting again, please tell me." He says.
"I've never seen you act so gentlemanly and concerned before, Adrik. What has gotten into you?" His mom says.
"I really want a friend. I have no one to talk to but Shane, and he's on vacation." He says.
"How long is it vuntil I can take a nap?" Raven asks irritably.
"You can call the house your home, and about fifteen minutes from here." Adrik's mom says.
"What's your name?" I ask her.
"Onyx. My name is Onyx, sweety."
"Goodnight." I say, then fall asleep.
"Nuala, you can't sleep yet Just wait until we get home." Adrik says. He shakes me, trying to wake me up.
"Don't do that. She'll-" Raven is cut off when I slap Adrik and groan. "Nevermind." Raven laughs.
"Ow. Why did she do that?" He asks.
"She didn't mean to. You can't wake her up like that." Raven laughs again.
"Lee me alone." I say. I'm so tired, I fall asleep immediately after I say that.
"How do I wake her up then?"
"Like this." Rven says, then grabs a handful of my hair and pulls as hard as she can.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Ow!" I yell.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 22.08.2011

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