Chapter 1

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London, England

The night was cold and damp, as it always is in early spring. But something felt different about this rain, this cold. It didn't feel like the refreshing promise of good health and growth, it felt like sickness and death.

I was taking my midnight walk as I usually do each night, when I saw him. As a turned down Dell St. I saw a man, tall with tar black hair. He was standing underneath a flickering street lamp staring at an apartment building across the street. I stopped walking, taking a closer glance I noticed he was holding something, it was an ivory handled ceremonial knife. He looked as if he were waiting for the right moment to enter. I don't know why, there wasn't a doorman or security cameras in that building, he could walk right in undetected. I would know, it is my building after all. I continued to stand, watching him from a distance. The longer I stood there the more I started to think he was waiting for someone, he didn't move from his spot and he would constantly check his watch. I wonder who he must be waiting for at this hour? I started to walk forward, he was only six feet away now. I stayed in the shadows, observing him. In the light from the flickering old street lamp I could see more of his features, he had long jagged scars like claw marks tearing across the right side of his face. He looked as if he was in his mid thirties, he had a short scruffy beard that lay unevenly on his chin. He was wearing a worn old leather jacket, a black tunic, and a pair of dirty old jeans. He clearly hadn't gone shopping for clothing in several years. Taking a closer look at the knife, I could see the carving on the blade, it was of an angel holding a rose in her hands. I had seen this angel before, it was on one of my mothers books. When she died she left half of all her belongings me and gave the other half to my older sister, I got all of her books, passed down from many generations to her and now to me. I only read one of the books, it was the one with the angel. The book was full of old fairy tales and legends about magic and mythical creatures like dragons and unicorns. I made the idiotic decision to take a step closer. My foot fell upon a stray candy rapper and made a faint but noticeable crunching sound. The man turned around, "ahh you've come home at last, I was starting to get worried." He said with playful grin. "Who are you?" I asked precociously. "There are two ways this could go, You could quickly go up to your apartment and get me the book and make your death quick and nearly painless... Or you can try to run and make your death painful and long. The choice is yours." The man said folding his arms, keeping the knife just out of my reach. I sighed, "I'll go get the book, wait here."I started to walk towards the building, the man grabbed my arm, "don't try anything stupid, I'm tired of all the fox and goose crap." "Fine, I'll be right back with the book, I promise." I said calmly as I continued to walk towards my building, it stood gloomily, ten stories high. I entered the building, and climbed the long spiraling staircase to my floor. I walked to my desk and opened the bottom drawer and stared at my mothers book. Why would he want this old thing it was worthless, maybe it had something to do with the fact that he said he was going to kill me. I grabbed the book and looked out the window, he was still down their waiting for me. I took one final look around the room, since apparently this is going to be the last time I see it. It was a normal apartment, with some exceptions, I had a small kitchen with a little gasoline powered stove. The sink on the other hand was filled to the brim with dirty, grimy, foul smelling dishes. Its not that I'm lazy, I just don't like to wash dishes. I guess it wont matter anymore. The dinning table was covered in old newspapers and magazines, I don't think I've ever actually sat at the dinning table other than to read a newspaper, once. I walked into the living room, I had an old sofa covered in holes and small fleece blankets that lay scattered across it. A small, old, colored TV with long silver entenas sat unsteadily on a broken old coffee table. I remember when I used to stay up late watching the simsons, when the TV still worked. As a last look at my apartment I walked into my bedroom. I had a shabby old queen sized bed with an jumpsuit orange comforter. Clothes were scattered on the floor, or in a heap in the corner. I never liked to clean. I took one last sweep of the apartment before Descending to the dimly lit street. I don't think I'll miss this place much. When I got to the lobby I slowly made my way across the street to the man who was their un-patiently waiting for me. "I got the book!" "Thank you" he said reaching for the book, I stepped back. "Since I'm going to die, can you at least tell me why you want the book and want to kill me?"

"Ahh, that is very simple. You have something I want, therefore I have to kill you." "But I'm giving you what you want, there's no reason to kill me." He laughed, "You know of my existence, I don't want... Others to know I'm alive." I looked around, "I wont tell anyone you're here, I promise." "See thats the problem, I don't trust people's promises." He reaching for the book, I took another step back. "Ok, If your not going to trust me then at least tell me why you want the book so much." I said naggingly. He sighed, "I work for a person who is very interested in this book." He gestured to the book, "They need the information about a certain creature from it. Now I've told you everything, hand over the book." He lunged for the book, I took another step back keeping the book just out of his reach. "What creature?" "The uh, Hollows, now hand over the book!" He said impatiently. "The hollows, huh. Guess he'll never find out." I through the book to the side. I dropped my hand to my side, a knife fell out of my sleeve. I lunged at the man, he leaned to the right just out of slicing distance. He pulled out his ceremonial knife, "Nice try!" He laughed. He jumped behind me and thrusted the knife down. I caught the knife in mid air between my two fingers, "nice try." I said as I grabbed the knife and twisted it until he cried out in pain, I stabbed him in the hand, he dropped the knife. It made a soft clinking sound as it hit the ground. I turned around and as he took a step back wincing in pain, he ignored his pain and lunged at me tackling me to the ground. He picked up the ceremonial knife in his bleeding hand and struck down on me again, I caught the knife in my free hand and stabbed him in the stomach with the other, he again winced with unbearable pain. I twisted the knife and kicked him off of me, I stood up leaving him lying on the ground wallowing in pain. "Great! You got blood stains on my clothes" I said annoyed. He started to cough up blood, "who are you?" He asked slowly bleeding out. "I'm a girl you shouldn't have underestimated." I said walking over to the book, I picked it up examining the damage the small toss had done to it, there were a few scratches but other than that it was fine. The man, in one last attempt to kill me he put his arm around my neck cutting off the circulation of air in my body. I dropped the book struggling to escape his grasp, I had stupidly put the knifes in my pocket. That wouldn't have been a problem until he wrapped his other arm around my arms, I struggled to grab a knife my fingers already starting to tingle from lack of oxygen. It was no use they were to out of reach, I had one last trick up my sleeve. I leaned backward then bent forwards swiftly sending his weak body flying over my head, he landed hard on the firmly packed pavement. Quickly catching my breath I took out one of the knifes and slit his throat. I decided to stand there and watch him until he stopped moving before leaving. I picked up the book and sighed. They said if this happened again I would have to come to them, "better start packing." I said to myself walking up the stairs to my apartment.

Chapter 2

"ID and access card please." "Mark, I've known you for ten years." I said to the doorman. "Sorry Lila It's mandatory, cant run the risk of you being a shifter disguised as Lila." I sighed, "Mark, shifters can't take the form of another human, I've told you this a million times... Whatever!" I said pulling out my drivers license, and took off my necklace which concealed a secret access chip that was undetectable by the human eye. I handed the necklace and license to Mark. "Ok... Lila Everett, Age: 20, Sex: female, Height: 5.10 feet. Weight--" "Thank you! Mark, that will be fine." I said cutting him off, The guard standing next to him snickered. He roughly stuck the necklace into a special machine that read the card that was imprinted on it. "All checks out your free to proceed." He said pulling a lever that opened the tall, unclimbable, electric, barbwire covered gate that were about 13 feet tall. "I'll.... I'll see you around.. Sometime, yeah?" He said awkwardly. "Sure, why not. See ya!" I said walking through the gates. "Bye.. Lila!" He shouted back. "Smooth!" The other guard said teasingly punching Mark in the shoulder. I smiled, Mark has been my best friend since I met when we were ten. He was lost wandering around up and down my street, I was going out for my usual midnight walk when I saw him. I asked him where his parents were and he just shrugged said he didn't have parents and when his foster parents had enough of him they just drove far away from home and left him here. He said he's been wandering around for a few days, I offered him a cup of tea and some food and a nice place to stay. He was reluctant at first but then he agreed, and followed me inside. I got him a steaming cup of licorice tea and some left overs from supper and sat him by the fire, he devoured the scraps like a wolf does a deer or freshly killed rabbit. He was very scrawny, for him to have survived this long was a miracle, I guess he probably begged for food and water off the streets for him to have lasted this long. He was tall and had silky brown hair back then but its become lighter over the years now it's just a pale blonde color. The only clothes he had was a T-shirt, pants, hand-me-down shoes that were worn to the point that his toes were sticking out, and a small hoodie. When he was finished eating (which took about 2 minutes) I set up some blankets and a pillow for him on the floor by the fire and gave him a glass of water. I know it's silly but I stayed with him until he fell asleep, I just felt so sorry for him. In the morning I went to go check on him, he was gone, I searched everywhere for him until I found him. Apparently my dad had woken up early to get ready for work, when I entered the room I heard laughter. Mark was sitting next to my father at the dining table eating bacon and eggs with syrup on top (my fathers specialty). When they noticed me my father said in a joyful tone, "Look who I found wondering around the house like a lost puppy." I stood there almost in disbelief, my father who was very strict about who I let into the house, was having breakfast with the strange boy I brought home without his permission. Then he spoke again this time in a serious tone, "Ok, now here's the deal, he can stay here and become part of are family, have a roof over his head and stuff. On two conditions, one; there will be no tantrums or fighting, two; he does his part to support the family. That's all, what do ya say?" We both nodded in understanding. And he's been living with us since that day, and he kept his word about supporting the family, my father wouldn't be half the man he is today if it weren't for Marks help. They have great bond.

I continued walking towards the elegant mansion owned and built (from scratch) by father and his associates. I took in all the familiar sights and sounds, the crunching of the old stone walkway under my sleek leather boots, the sound of arguing and conflict I could already hear from outside the building with its tall strongly built framing to its painted clean-cut wood panelling, to its grand front garden full of various (and gorgeous) arrays of flowers and plant, and finally to its tall, glazed, oak doors with shiny golden handles. I walked up the small staircase to the doors and gently pushed them open, un locked as usual. I entered the grand dark-wood foyer, "Dad! I'm Home!.."

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 08.05.2013

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