1 comments/ 16307 views/ 0 favorites Eclipse By: jthserra Eclipse The moon slowly moved over the sun, its curve forming a dark silhouette that crept across the bright face, moment by moment darkening the sky. Across the landscape, rocks and trees seemed to sharpen as they drifted into this odd darkness. The stark edges of the surroundings became more distinct without the blinding glare of daylight or the fuzzy softness of night. Afraid to look upward, the people all walked with their heads down, shrouded in the long shadow of the moon. The blackness crept over the landscape as it crept over them, invariably seeping one by one into their hearts. Ancient memories rose in them, the darkness brought a foreboding that absorbed their spirit. In the darkness their hearts felt a longing, a loneliness they could not escape. Their empty yards and unlatched gates seem so strange to everyone. The screen doors seemed to ache for a carefree spin out into the daylight. The quiet mornings ground slowly into silent afternoons and then to the long lonely night. Everywhere the adults longed for the squeal of a child, the unrestrained giggle of young girls, the brutish shouts of the boys, anything to break the spell. The streets were lined with only silent houses and empty, quiet sidewalks. A bicycle leaned against a garage, its abandoned handlebars bled rust onto the sand. All the children were gone, all taken to the Indian School somewhere far, far away. They heard the talk; the children had gone to the school somewhere in Pennsylvania, they weren’t sure where. Winnie, the lady next door, still cries every day for her children who left just last week. Jessica, in the red house up the street, doesn’t cry anymore, her kids have been gone for 3 long years. Albert quit watching for his little ones to return, now he only searches in the bottoms of bottles. He stacks each one he finishes in long lines on his porch. The neighbors measure the years in Albert’s bottles, this strange calendar that sparkles on his front porch. The children haven’t come home, they don’t write or call, no one hears anything from them, not until they graduate from the school, they aren’t allowed. The people mourned, realizing they had lost their children and there was nothing they can do about it. It was the US Government that took their children to the school, separating them from their families, from their old lives and from their heritage. They taught the Indian children a new and different way at the school, one that will help them blend invisibly with the white man and his government. The children are given new clothes, a new language, and a white man’s name. They learn new ways, are taught to disregard the old ways. Day by day the white man taught them to abandon what they were and become “Americans.” The days passed in silence, as the roads and paths yearned for the small feet and voices of the children. Some word came, a child might sicken and die, one might run away from the school, but mostly there was nothing. The mountains strained for a whisper, a laugh, a happy voice, but all they heard was the sobbing. Silence became days, then months and then years. Years later the grown children returned, one by one they graduated and left the school, most coming home. It was so strange because when these grown children finally came back, after all the years, they couldn’t wait to throw off their city clothes, the pants and shirts or dresses the white man gave them. Arriving home, they let their hair grow long, and most refused to speak English anymore. Taking them to the school, the Government had hoped the Indian graduates would not return to the reservations, but instead melt into society. But the children, now grown, rejected these new ways and returned home. Try as they might, the Government just couldn’t take the Indian out of them. The sun finally returned in a fiery crescent as the day awakened from its lunar slumber and shadows lengthened in the bright sunlight. Albert was gone, his shattered bottles was all he left his children. Winnie wept when hers returned, tears of joy seeing them again, tears of sadness and anger for all she had missed. Jessica sobbed now too, one of hers had died. Amid this pain and anger the people held their heads high watching their children as they walked though the heat waves, returning one by one. They had risen from the darkness, from their knees, from the earth, firmly resolved that they would never yield again. At long last, they had come home! Eclipse I have been sucked into the thrill and excitement of the Twilight saga. Maybe 'sucked' isn't the most appropriate word, but it's true. Although I found many faults in the first two books, I was inclined to continue reading to see what exactly happens. This book is written very similarly to the other books and thus each twist and turn in the plot just moves the story to the intended ending. We know that eventually Bella will become a vampire and in some twisted method, the author, who is a Mormon, has decided that she needs to imbed some religious morality into her story. Bella would like to have sex with Edward. She is devastated when Edward continues to push her away. The characters seem to be behaving opposite to the social norm. Shouldn't it be the male in the relationship who is begging for sex while the female is adamant about staying pure? Either way it creates a weird situation that cannot be forgotten as the story continues. In this book, the struggle involves the third of the traveling vampires, Victoria. The two books ended with the demise of their leader, James, and then Laurent. This time the fight includes the werewolves of La Push and as all romance stories go, the good guys win. The problem, of course, is that the fight scene seems to just be filler for what is coming next. There is a very interesting scene which needs to be discussed an explained. The scene consists of Bella and Edward in a tent in the forest. It is wintertime and Bella is near hypothermic. Edward, like all vampires, is cold so is trying to stay away from her. Finally, Jacob, the large man beast of a werewolf enters and Bella happily cuddles with him. This is definitely a confusing moment because although we know that Bella in the end chooses Edward, we are given what would be a great sexual tension situation. Instead, it is awkward and funny. Edward is helpless as the love of his endless life cuddles with a werewolf, and Bella is comforted by the fact that Jacob is still the same person she met when she first moved to the tiny town of Forks, Washington. Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight and then wrote a short version of what eventually became Breaking Dawn, which is the fourth book in the series. She was asked to add more detail to Bella's life before she becomes a vampire so this novel becomes filler. We are only given one important piece of information over the course of a very long novel. Bella and Edward are engaged. For a romance story it is the most pathetic scene you could possibly imagine. She practically begs him to have sex with her and his response is to remind her that once they are married they will have sex. He does eventually give her a ring, but the original proposal scene is so awkward and strange that the reader is disappointed. The reader must realize something. We are talking about teenagers whose hormones and emotions are out of control. The other thing to mention is the character development of Bella. Edward remains the same throughout each book, which is good in one way. He is not seventeen and thus should not age or mature as a regular human. Bella, on the other hand, is getting older, but for some reason is not maturing. She continues to be whiny and demanding and for some reason her need for sex, with Edward, is her number one concern. I will be honest that I kept reading the novel to figure out if at one point it was going to get better. It didn't, but I still read it. With the first novel, I was intrigued and moved by the story. I was disappointed and frustrated at how this novel was drawn out and was happy when I got to the end. As I mentioned before, I read the four novels because a number of my students are truly obsessed with the books. I am mortified at how the main character is portrayed. Not one of the boys in my class has read this book and if they did, they would assume that all new shy girls would fall in love with them and be their slave and servant until they get sex. Seriously, they should read it and then see how many slaps in the face they get. It is such a disappointment, but at least we are given a hint that Bella and Edward will get married and this might remove the desperate horniness that plagues Bella. We hope, as readers, that there will be no more vampire brawls, and we hope that eventually we will see Bella as a strong willed woman who is not defined by her relationships with the men in her life. Eclipse Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~~~~~~~ "You know, I hadn't planned to watch the eclipse tonight. I had hoped to sit by my fireplace, enjoying the silence, sipping on a nice cabernet. I would be reading some Asimov too. I've been on a bit of a science fiction tilt lately. Don't know why. Been reading Clarke and Dick too. Not bad." "I don't know any of those names. What's the name of your current book?" "Robots of Dawn." "Sounds interesting." "Yeah." "...So how did you end up watching the moon then?" "Well...I was in the kitchen making a drink when I looked outside and saw the full moon. And in that instant...I just knew I'd be out here." "I think I understand. The moon can be bewitching sometimes. It calls us." "It's called to humanity for thousands of years. My family in-" "Mind if I smoke? Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt!" "Go right ahead." I released her arm as she stood up and walked over to where here jeans lay in disarray in the grass. Her ass was two pale globes shrouded in night, and watching her my blood began to boil once more. She ruffled around in her pockets, pulled out a lighter and some Marlboros, and lit up. A moment later she was laying down at my side once more. "That's better. So how did you get here? I didn't see any other cars in the lot over at the beginning of the trail." "I have a house about four miles that way." I pointed to the northwest. "Rather than drive I just hiked." "I didn't think many people lived out here. The countryside feels so undisturbed. Does that make you a rancher or a farmer?" "No. Just a man who enjoys the company of himself." "Why's that?" "To put it simply, I don't fit in. I've found most men are beasts on the inside." "That's a shame. Most people aren't that bad." "Different perspectives, different lives." "True..." A silence fell between us for a few minutes, as the wind decided to fill the silence with its own voice singing through the trees. The hilltop on which we lay was a little bit brighter, and I looked up, considering the mostly hidden heavenly body that had brought us both here. "The eclipse is starting to end, see that? We've probably got another hour before the moon is fully back." She purred in response, and cuddled closer to my chest. "That's plenty of time for what I have in mind." Her hand began playing with the thick hair that covered my chest. "You're hairier than I'm used to." I barked out a laugh and shifted slightly. "Not that that's a bad thing!" she quickly corrected. "You're a welcome change from the guys I'm normally with. And what we just did was incredible. Between you and the eclipse I'm not sure if this is reality or just a dream." She paused and looked upward at my face for a brief second. "I'm just saying that tonight has been magical. Almost enchanted." Enchanted. That was an aptly chosen word. Her arrival had definitely been unexpected. I often visited this hill because of its picturesque quality, but it had always been late at night when the casual hikers were never present. This night, like all the other nights, I had been considering the stars, naming the constellations I could recall and captivated by their collective beauty when I heard the crunch of her shoes behind me. Snapped and startled out of my reverie, I had rapidly flipped around at the noise. She stood there, as startled by my presence as I hers. One hand was on the large, solitary beech tree in whose shadow I stood, rooted to the ground in shock by her hexing, damning appearance. Even now as she lay in my arms next to me she was undoubtedly beautiful, but in that moment, illuminated by the waxing light of a half obscured moon, she had been a vision. White, almost translucent blouse, pale skin, silken hair that stopped midway down her back, a river of liquid silver flowing through the silver, dying light. The first silence between us was broken as she stepped forward, another twig snapping and the grass whispering at her feet as she came closer until she was just a few feet away. Now the second silence opened up between us like a datura of the night, a silent trumpet that both called and warned. We considered each other. I, shirtless and in loose jeans that were frayed at the bottom, and she, a ghost who wore hip hugger jeans and gazed at me with emerald eyes. Eyes that were filled with a mix of wonder and fear, dashed with a hint of lust. Eyes that grew brighter even as the moon continued to fade. Enchanted was an aptly chosen word. And here I lay, still enchanted, but wondering what I had done and what I'd still do. I don't fuck strangers. It's dangerous, especially for someone like me. Too much possibility for catastrophe. And as I considered the possible consequences and remembered the promises I'd made, a seed of fear began to grow in my heart. Time was getting short; the brightening light of the moon was testament enough. "You should leave. I should head home." She sat up ever so slightly, a frown appearing between her eyebrows and at the corner of her lips as she gazed at me. "Why?" I had no reason that could be shared with her; the truth, even if told, would not be accepted. "It's getting late. The eclipse is almost over." "I'm not going to leave." She lay back down so that her body was mostly on top of mine. "I should really be heading home soon." She watched my face once more. "Why do you suddenly feel the need to run off? You didn't strike me as the type of guy who would fuck and run." I had no answer prepared. "I shouldn't stay." She continued looking at me, eyes searching mine for the real answer. And with a woman's intuition, she found part of it. "You're afraid of what just happened between us. Afraid of what I made you feel, and how you made me feel." I stirred, and attempted to get up. "No, it's not that at all." "Yes it is," she returned with conviction, as she pressed her body firmly against mine to keep me still. Her shifting weight was an unneeded distraction. Couldn't focus on that. "I felt it too", she continued. "Both the fear and the connection. Hell, I was afraid of you the moment I saw you here in the moonlight, watching as the eclipse followed its slow march. But I felt something else too, and it was incredible. Even more so after what we did in the past two hours." Her eyes, unfocused and reflective while she spoke, latched onto my own once more. "I know you feel it too. I've seen it in your eyes all night long. We mesh well together, and I want to explore whatever there is between us even more before the night ends." With that, she shifted once more, raised her face to mine, and kissed me with passion. I was drowning. I struggled to separate my lips from hers, and managed to grunt out a single word: "But" She pulled away and pierced me once more with eyes that burned, quieting my last attempt at escaping fate. "I'm not done with you yet," she hissed. With that, I gazed into her eyes and was caught in the spell once more. Or was it a spell? Was that just my way of excusing the lust I felt? Could it be the moon that caused this passion? I had thought that the eclipse would weaken the moon's hold on my soul. Was it the eclipse itself, a reddish haze that was retreating before the tide of white clarity that continued to wax minute by minute? Or was it my own lack of self-control, the beast that lived inside me that I feared? "Look, I don't even know your name. I really should be-" "No names. Not now. Part of the magic is the fact that we are strangers." She stroked my body as she straddled my waist. I was already tumescent. When she looked at me, I could see the vulnerability in her eyes. "Make love to me again. Please." What little control I had remaining was fading fast. The eclipse would end soon, and I could feel my desire growing with the light. I was inside her, and because of my stamina I would remain that way for a long while. She ebbed and flowed at my waist, causing us both to groan as the pleasure, the spell, took hold of us again. My hands traced hips, stroked thighs, and caressed full breasts, encouraging the very actions I mentally railed against. As she rode me, I continued to struggle mentally, feebly cursing my actions, but I was already caught by my very nature. The moon. Oh, the moon. As she approached her first climax, I managed to gasp out one final plea. "At least give me a name to call you by." She was going faster and faster, a silver hammer at my waist. Her eyes were fixed on the moon, sweat glistening on her skin as she embraced the wave flowing up her body to envelope her. "Just call me Luna." And with those words, she began to moan and quake with her release. Luna. Luna. It is destined then. Lord give me strength. I am not in control of my destiny. I am not in control of my actions. It's not my fault. I am not in control. It is not my fault. ~~~~~~~ I woke up on the porch of my house, as naked as the night before. While I am sore all over, it is the ache in my groin that reminds me of the events of last night. An enchanted night. It's not my fault. I don't look at my hands, but I know they leave a red smear on the door handle as I enter my house. I'm in the bathroom. I'm at the sink. I look at the mirror. Blood. Blood on my face. Blood on my chest. But most of all, blood on my hands, darker than the blood-red eclipse last night. It's not my fault. My hand punches the mirror. Shards scatter. My own life is clenched in my hand, dripping down and mixing with her dried rubies. It is my nature. It's who I am. Last night was impossible to avoid. Such platitudes do nothing to shed the sorrow. The pearls of my eyes glisten like silver in what remains of the mirror, and as they fall they mix with the rubies of my heart, and of hers. It is not my fault. Eclipse of the Moon The story went that Trinity Cove was a town that never prospered, never gaining in a population that seemed to stabilize at a low one thousand. Even though it had been around for close to a hundred years, the small Atlantic town was just as ghost-like as it had always been, small town life not fit for the new bustle of city glamour. Being an old bandit's hideout back in the 1940's, the town had its fair share of history. Once a threshold for the hundreds of thieves and pirates that transported stolen loot from Mexico, it had thrived as being the resting place were police dared not set foot. It was a place of deception and death, hundreds of Porte Rican ships docking for the flourishing slave trade that was taking place throughout North America. Though the conditions that the people lived under were no secret, the town itself was specter-like in its ways. Through the facade of a small trading community, they seemed to slip under the radar... no threat, no notice. It was only due to leader, Daemon 'the demon' Vertik, that the town prospered for so long. Born under the crimson moon and bathed in his mother's blood, Daemon had been a cold-blooded assassin and thief since he was able to crawl. There were few who stood in the way of the powerful young man, and even fewer who dared to do so. He had skinned people alive and let the crows pick at the remains for much less then getting in his way. Though he was a ruthless killer, and despised by many, he was also the one responsible for the preservation of the town. He was the one that allowed for it to run successfully for many years. It was in the 1950's that Trinity Cove established a name for itself, though not in the way one would have expected. 1952 was the year that Daemon met his match in a fiery young woman that eventually led to his demise. Her name was Anita Sharpe, an escapee from the local institution who was doing time for murder under influence of hallucinations. To the townspeople she was nothing more than crazy... but to Daemon she became something greater. No one was sure how their meeting occurred but over months it became clear that there was something going on between the two. Something wrong, something sinful, something... dark. Anita was often seen standing in the window of the Vertik Manor accompanied by the Lord, arm in arm, as they looked out over the land. She also toured around town in clothing embellished with the Vertik emblem and spent coin that one could only assume came from him. Rumors flew that the two were demonic lovers, bound by the darkness in their souls. The rumor, however, stopped abruptly when Daemon was shot in the guestroom of his manner by the very one people had assumed him to love. After shooting him twice in the chest, she took what she had originally come for: his fortune. All before skipping town on the next boat to anywhere and leaving him to slowly bleed to death on the floor of his manor. Social corrosion instantly set in after word of the murder got out, the police invading Trinity Cove the moment the demon was gone. The townspeople, not expecting such an instantaneous rush, were expelled from the small town... and those who weren't were shipped off to prisons to live out life sentences. Others were ruthlessly hunted down as they tried to escape to the border. The few who actually stayed behind with clear conscience were the ones who set the foundation for the towns rebirth. They were also the only ones that knew the terrifying secret that lay dormant within the Vertik Manor. After all, after the murder someone had to lay the lifeless body of the demon to rest... a rest that would never be reached, and was clearly not wanted. Scrawled on to the wall in bubbling black blood was written the words that erupted from the restless Daemon's tormented soul... a warning to any of those who foolishly chose to believe that he was gone. -The darkness never dies. Those who deny my place shall never rest, but bleed crimson for my pleasure. The demon never sleeps- ------------------------ Aaron smiled broadly as they finally arrived at their new place in Trinity Cove, whistling as he saw the size of it for the first time, "Shit, this place is huge. Mom and dad sure weren't kidding when they said this place has space." He turned into the driveway and parked the truck, letting it roll back to a stop. He looked over his shoulder, "Ready?" "No" came the muffled reply from the back. "C'mon you grumpy little shit, you've been moping the entire car ride. I told mom I'd have you smiling by the time we got here" Aaron said, grinning as blond and black strands of hair fell over his eyes. He dodged a hand as he was swatted at from the backseat, "Bad, Lior, no hitting." Angel sat up from the backseat ruffling already tussled ivory locks with her fingers, "You're too cheery for someone who's so occult happy. And for once could you call me by my name? You [i]do[/i] know it right?" "Of course" Aaron cooed, "But I like Lior. It's a special name just for you, you should be thrilled". She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before replacing her sunglasses, "People don't even know what you're talking about when you call me that." "And since you're never around any people that works rather nicely, doesn't it?" She gave a slight smile, "Ouch, that one hurt." She gave a sigh as she looked up at the house that was spit with peeling paint and overgrown shrubbery, half expecting it to fall apart with the weight of her gaze. As a shiver ran through her frame, she pulled up the shoulders of her hoodie, "Why is it so cold here?" "We're not in Arizona anymore" Aaron said, getting out of the car and promptly grabbing some bags from the back. He threw one of them at his sister as she sluggishly jumped from the backseat, watching as she caught it quickly. He dodged it as it came flying back at him, "You like throwing things at me, don't you?" "It's one of my favorite past times" she replied as she lifted her twice-thrown bag onto her shoulder and grabbed her other suitcases. She shivered again as she started walking up to the front porch, kicking up dirt unintentionally as she watched the clouds shadow over the area. She jumped when her brother put his arm around his shoulder. "What're you thinking about?" She pushed her shades up until they rested firmly in her hair, tentative azure eyes looking up at the towering manor in apprehension, "How our house back in Arizona was great... and how nobody was killed in it." "Don't tell me you're afraid of the big bad legends?" Aaron teased, slinging his guitar over his shoulder. He pinched her cheek mockingly, "Because from what I here, we're the first ones who have lived in this house since he died. That means we get to be the first ones to suffer if there's a vengeful spirit inside." Angel jerked her face away from him, "Why do you have to be such a jerk?" "Why do you have to be so gullible?" he responded with a half-cocked smile, "Oh, that's right, it was you who was seeing dead people until she was ten." She glared at him icily, "Thanks for that, Aaron, I really do like to relive those wonderful four years spent in a padded white cell. I know you were busy slumming for chicks in Jamaica, but please try to humor me." "Kids! You made it!" Aaron and Angel dropped their things to greet their parents, therefore dropping their previous conversation as well. Angel put up her best facade despite the churning feeling in her stomach. "And in one piece no less" Aaron contributed. Their mom looked up at the house happily, "It's beautiful isn't it? They don't make them like this anymore, only the greats make houses like this." She patted Angel on the cheek, "Are you alright, dear, you look pale." The youngest tilted her head with a small smile, "You always say that, I'm fine." "And Aaron took good care of you on the way here?" She shot her elder brother a piercing look before turning back to her mom, "Yeah, perfect care." She wrapped her arm around his waist with a bright plastic smile, "You know us, little angels." "Yeaaah" their father said disbelievingly, "because we both believe that." "We just finished sorting out both your rooms if you wanted to go in and see. You can set them up a little bit, check out the house. You'll love the rooms, fantastic views of the town. It'll be great for painting, Angel, you'll love it." Aaron smirked at his little sister, watching as she bit back a sarcastic remark. "Thanks" Angel managed to get out. She was actually quite grateful that her parents had even remembered that she liked to paint. With the new move taking place they had been thoroughly enthralled with the idea of changing locations, especially if it could get there kids away from the bustling city life. She shifted her bag on her shoulder as Aaron retold their not-all-that-rivetting drive here with some creative embellishments. The sky was darkening as the evening approached, clouds looming over the small town threateningly. Shadows seemed to grow in the darkness. Angel hugged her arms tightly, feeling as if she was sinking into a bucket of ice as the sun started to sink below the surface. The pinks and purples of the usual sunset were dimmed dramatically by the passing clouds, making it appear to be a dark crimson peeking through the skyline. She jumped when her father put his hand on her shoulder. "You okay, hun?" he asked, "You're really not looking that good." She offered up a small smile, "I'm alright, just cold... not really used to it." He nodded, "Why don't you head inside? You both had a long trip, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to catch up on some sleep. Even just taking it easy for while would be good. Everything's set up already, so you have the time." She tucked her hair behind her ear as she nodded, biting her lip nervously just as she had been doing since she was a kid. Azure eyes blinked, realizing that she wasn't really sure why she was nervous other then the fact she was moving. It was summer; she had two months to figure out her place in this town... Aaron picked up one of her bags, "C'mon, let's go see." Angel nodded and smiled, "Alright." Eighteen years of experience had taught her that nervous habits were something she had to promptly hide if she ever planned on gaining even an ounce of independence from her parents. They treated her like glass, and even though she had tried to break that perception she was finding it hard to do. It only seemed reasonable. They had always blamed themselves for the 'mental lapse' she had suffered when she was younger, no matter how much she tried to convince them that it wasn't due to them at all. Her denying that anything was wrong with her made it even harder for them to accept the fact that they had to send her away for so long. Her brother knocked her back into reality as he pinched her shoulder, "Coming?" "Yeah" she replied, grabbing her things of the ground, "Yeah, I'm coming." She stole a final look at the sky before following her brother inside, deciding it better not to look back. ------------------------- His canines peaked from his lips as his mouth contorted into a grin that was evil in every sense of the word. Coal black hair fell in front of bloody crimson eyes that were peering over the edge of the staircase as the two elders walked in first. He ran his clawed fingers over the wood, never feeling, but knowing it was there. He gripped the wood tightly in anticipation as the young man walked through the door. "Woah, it's huge in here" Aaron said with a grin, "C'mon Lior, you're slowing us up." Angel walked through the door wearily, shifting awkwardly as her eyes moved around the bottom floor. Her glasses fell back over her eyes, and she didn't bother to push them back up. The elders started going off about the house, spouting their knowledge of various artifacts as they dragged their children around to the various rooms. The demon licked his lips slowly, his eyes catching hold of the flaxen haired youth that was obviously so uncomfortable being here. He watched as the younger man grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a set of Mexican spears that hung on the wall near the entrance mirror. Thrumming his fingers against the wood, he turned his eyes to the ceiling as blood seeped from his lips. He chuckled, the throaty sound dissipating into nothing. His eyes, however, snapped back with quick precision when he heard a gasp that he expertly identified as fear. It had come from the young girl... Angel knew that it was her imagination; knew that she didn't really hear anything except the wind passing through the old house. But that didn't stop her from turning her head towards the sound, a shocked murmur leaving her lips that she quickly hid as her brother turned back to her. There was nothing there...nothing... Aaron looked to where his sister looked only to see the chestnut staircase leading to their rooms. He smiled before turning back to the youngest, "You okay?" She nodded, "Yeah, fine." "Angel" he said in a quieter tone, "Really?" Lior smiled softly, "Really, Aaron. The house is just new to me... it'll take awhile to get used to." She looked up to the staircase again, but looked away quickly to avoid tricking herself for a second. Too many new house jitters...too many creaks and groans that she hadn't gotten used to. Crimson eyes contracted as the young girl looked right through him. He licked the blood off of his lips slowly, new and tantalizing thoughts working into his mind. He could not be heard, seen, or touched by mortal... he only had control over the physical realm. He planned to make good use of that ability with this family, naïve to the situation in which they had placed themselves. Parents clueless, brother strong willed, and sister already spooked...whether the girl had heard him or not was yet to be seen, but he would make it his objective to get closer. He grinned, watching as the elder sibling pulled his younger sister up the stairs by her wrist resentfully. Angel had no desire to prance around the house, feeling like she was in a trance as she was pulled up the stairs. She didn't like how it felt going past the portrait of the man that must have been the last owner. She felt like she was passing through something unnaturally... dark. And eerie. And wrong. She shivered as Aaron pulled her past it, looking over her shoulder as if trying to find some invisible thread that was making her feel this way. "Pretty young guy" Aaron said as he stopped with his sister, "That's Daemon Vertik; he was the one who lived here before us; the one that was murdered." He smiled as his sister looked at the painting carefully as if trying to see what one the wall beneath it, "He was the leader of this town. At only nineteen, too. They say he was some kind of psycho." "You shouldn't-" she stopped herself half way in between what she was going to say, pausing for a moment before continuing, "you shouldn't talk that way about the deceased. It's not respectful." Aaron chuckled, "You think he deserved it? Respect?" "I think everyone does" she murmured quietly. Daemon sat on the railing behind Aaron, observing patiently as the arrogant man said the words that eventually would lead to his demise. He smirked as he ran his eyes over the young woman, drinking in the innocence that radiated from her form. She was so taut and tense that it was even visible through that sweater she wore. He licked his canines - so nice of her to care about the respect given to his spirit. Angel suddenly grabbed Aaron's hand and pulled them away from the portrait to a long string of bedroom, "Looks like mom and dad already put the name tags on the door for us." She looked at him, "What are you going to do now that your band is so far away?" "Join local talent if there is any" he replied, "If not, I guess I'll settle for blasting out your eardrums out." She crunched up her face, "I like my eardrums. I've grown very fond of them over the years." "Ah, the price that must be paid for stardom" he replied, shoving her bag into her hands, "Let's check out the rooms." As she opened the door, an almost sour scent hit her senses causing her to scrunch her features once again. Looking in though, she practically forgot the immediate scent and found herself enthralled with the wondrous view. The large rectangle window spanned across the largest part of the far wall looking out onto the distant rural town of Trinity Cove. It was breathtaking to see the decollete town from here, crimson playing over the cityline like a simmering fire. "Wow" she whispered, awe infiltrating her voice. Aaron whistled, "You're telling me. This is the size of our parent's old master bedroom." He turned on his heels after a few moments, "I'm gonna check out mine, you coming?" "I'll be there in a minute, you go ahead," she whispered, setting her stuff down by the bed. She ran her fingers through her hair as Aaron left, closing her eyes tightly as that choking feeling returned in her chest. She closed her eyes tightly. The shadows shifted causing her eyes to snap open. Daemon stood behind her closely, hands reaching out to trace the silhouette of beautiful fear that she was emitting so vibrantly. He watched as her shoulders tensed once again before she moved to the side of the room. She ran her fingers over the perfectly painted blue walls before taking her hand away quickly, "Too tired... too tired" she reasoned biting her bottom lip, "See Aaron, go to bed. See Aaron, go to bed." Shaded eyes scanned the room once more before hurrying out of it, half expecting something to jump out at her to prevent escape. The door shut quietly behind her. Crimson eyes glowed, "Easy prey, the first to fall."