text: Gigi Amora Forever in Death The truth of the Clans, and of the Soul Creators The truth, found only by reaching into the depths of your mind. 
   
   
   Chapter One 
   
  	I was just lying there, dark red blood oozing slowly from my wound. My whole body was throb, throb, throbbing; it felt as though I had entered my own heart, and felt its beat across me, my fingers, my toes, my growing tailbone and wings…the pain was so intense. I knew at that point, this is the day I’m going to die. I just lye there, waiting, waiting for what happens to everyone before they die to happen to me; I was waiting for ‘my life to flash before my eyes.’ I tried to look down, to see what was causing this wretched bloodlust; but I couldn’t see it, my eyes were clouded with blood, black blood. Though I could not see, I could feel, I was clutching onto whatever it was jabbing into my stomach. It was a blade, but it felt more like cloth. A shadow blade. I heard someone call my name, someone I know, a friend I think; I couldn’t tell, my vision started to blur, and fade to black; as though I were simply falling asleep. 
   I welcomed the darkness; it was the same dark that I fell into every night before the waking of dawn, the darkness that I had succumbed to for the past month and a half. I still felt the pain, even when I began to feel cloth cradle around me, making it warm all around my body. I was still clutching something… 
  I opened my eyes. 
  I was back in my room at home, the dark navy quilt of my bed, the only cover I use, was caked on the far end, and reaching over me like a tubed wave coming into shore. My brown cover sheet, the one with the tiger’s face, was covering up my legs, making it feel pleasantly warm; despite the autumn chill that cradled the air around me. I looked to the popcorn ceiling, the dots that created my little galaxy moved, merged, formed, then separated again and again; until finally an image appeared. My eyes widened at what I saw, a dagger, stabbing into the belly of a winged wolf with the antlers of a dear. A prophecy. I looked at my stomach to see what I was clutching so hard onto; it was the sleeve of my navy blue nightshirt. I let go, and got up. I strolled onto my hands and knees, then stretched, stretched like the most lazy cat in the morning sun, trying to preserve what warmth I had for the day to come. It was the day after Thanksmas A holiday my family had created, since we couldn’t all see each other on the same days, My mother’s family didn’t much enjoy my father’s company, but they were all humble folk; And rarely deliberately wasted time by doing nothing. 
   As I sat there in my navy and white striped pants scratching sleep from my head, I pondered about the dream I had, a Future-Dream; that much I cannot doubt. I looked at the beige-yellow walls of my small, squared room, I thought allowed, “Is this truly the day? Is this the day that had been prophesized all those years ago?” As normal, silence was my answer. I brought out my foot so that I could get dressed for the day and leave for my friend’s, as I dropped my foot onto the floor, a slightly cross and extremely distorted yelp came from below. Lifting my foot in a hurry, I met the face of a little miniature dachshund at the age of five. 
   “I’m sorry Dori! I didn’t see you there!” I said with reassurance, petting the poor girl’s head until she got on her back and thrusted her fluffy brown paws up for me to play with; “Sorry girl, I can’t play. Gotta go potty?” I said this often, the dogs both know this means they get to go outside and, well, go to the bathroom. I let her out, then I woke Badger from his resting place, put his long leash on and tossed him outside. While waiting, I went to the kitchen to fill their bowls; Going back to the door to let them in, I heard them start to growl or bark. “Dori!” I yelled out the door to shut the black and brown hound up; at that point, I noticed something, or rather, someONE. A boy, no older than 17 or 18 I’d say, was wearing a pure white hoodie with red flames along the bottom. He was wearing jeans, and thank GOD he wasn't sagging. He came up to me, and I saw his face, he had rusty red hair, and the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. Greener than the healthiest of grass in the spring. I knew whom he was, but I asked anyway. 
   “And you are…?” I said, trying as much as possible to act as though we had never met. 
   “Alex…remember?” He said, then, with a look of surprise, continued; “In the shadow of the sun, and the light of the dark; may the world be at peace, as well as our hearts.” He recited the poem that had been chosen to be our password, that way, we’d know if there were some sort of spy, or one of those assassins, among the small group of three. I quickly grabbed the two dogs, and twitched my head, motioning him inside. Alex backed away, looking as timid as ever. 
  “Come on! They’re asleep, there’s no way any of ‘em are gonna wake up ‘til noon.” That seemed to convince him, and he joined me inside. I let the dogs go and gobble up their pellet-food like pigs, while I had my guest sit on the couch, while I went to grab my things, not much really, just a drawstring bag with two outfits, and my messenger bag full of yarn that I would use up before too long. It was light, aside from the fact it was so full of the thick thread that I could hardly get it closed the night before. I didn’t bother to get dressed; I knew I’d get the opportunity to later. I took that time too look at my alarm clock, I had to shade it from the rising sun to see. It said that it was 7:23 AM, I thought to myself, there’s no WAY that that they’re gonna be up for a long while. I went back out to the living room, Alex was already standing, waiting for me; it was time to go, I had written a note the night before that my friend’s parents were picking me up early, so I had to get up before they did. I stuck the note right under the ‘burnt waffle’ coaster so that they knew where I was. 
  “You ready?” Alex asked.  
  “Yeah,” I said looking up, “let’s go.” 
   We went to the door; Alex drew a large circle with his finger, then the symbol for  ‘the traveler’ inside it. He looked at me once more, with his hand grasping the door, and said “Your SURE you’re ready?” 
  I closed my eyes and looked to the ceiling behind my lids, it’s how I had always rolled my eyes. I looked at him, and with my most assertive voice I stated, “Yes, now let’s get moving before Badger decides to bark at something.” This was something he did often, Badger would see something, anything, even a leaf; and bark at it non-stop until either he sees it’s no threat or someone makes him stop. 
  Alex simply smiled at me, a silly smile that told me he knew that there’d be no point in asking any more questions. 
   “Alright, let’s go.” He said, grabbing onto my wrist so that I could see his firm grip on his red, white and pink colored nails. I looked dead at the door as he opened it; the natural neighborhood view from outside gave way to a dark, swirling vortex that seemed like a never-ending tunnel, despite the light at the end of the hall. We entered, I grabbed onto Alex’s wrist as well, so that if one of us lost grip, the other would still be holding on. This was a rule that had been well established for years, Alex has told me how easy it is to get lost in the tunnel if you don’t know where you’re going. Almost as soon as we entered and he closed the door, it seemed as though we were almost on the other side. 
  “Bank,” I heard him say, I leaned right. The white at the end of the hall disappeared and a new light, a green one, came into view. We continued going in a straight line for what felt like eight or ten minutes before I heard Alex say, “Cane.” We stopped, and turned a solid left. We continued, towards a beige light now. 
   We were close to the exit now; I wondered how much time had passed; remembering that a day in this place was about 5 seconds in the real world. 
  “We’re almost there,” I heard myself say, I had traveled this route before, but neither Alex nor I was confidant enough that I could go through it on my own. The beige light was only a few footsteps away now, one…two…three… the fourth step put us in the light. The entire black behind us suddenly turned into the beige, which gave away to blue, then green, then finally settled onto a light auburn orange. We were here. 
  Unfortunately, not the entrance I was expecting, we were on the ceiling, and we fell. Alex landed on my thigh, at which I promptly grunted, “Hey!” 
  “Oh, sorry!” Alex said timidly, climbing off; careful not to step on me anywhere else. 
  “Well you two sure took your sweet time!” I heard a familiar voice; I looked up, or, down rather, to see. 
  “Arin!” I cheered, I got up as fast as I could; after which we hugged. The two of us hadn’t seen each other in over three months; but we had sent emails to one another often. 
  Alex was not rude to interrupt, since my hugs never lasted very long; but I could sense he had noticed a change in me, so he asked “Say Gigi, I noticed you were acting kinda funny; is something wrong?” 
  I stopped the hug immediately and looked at him, I still marvel at his ability to sense another person’s worries and emotions no matter how much they try to hide it. Arin let go as I let my arms slide to my knees, which were now digging into the edge of my friend’s bed. 
  “Just a dream I had, it’s not a big deal-“ 
  “Gigi! Did you have another one? Did you see what happened, how far into the fut-“ I cupped my hand over her mouth to keep her from finishing. I had had many dreams of late, all of which were predictions of the future yet to come. All of which ranged in less and less time with each passing day. I had always called them Future Dreams, since I never knew the real name for what they’re called. I have always had this sense, for years, lives, maybe even longer. I felt my eyes burn up in remembering what I had seen that night, the scent of the blood, the feeling of the blade inside of me, the cold chill of the autumn air that only half scented of rain, and most of all, the sound, the blood curdling sound that I had heard just before I awoke. I took my hand away from Arin’s mouth and shuddered. The dream scared me, it showed what my death might be, but I know that it isn’t…I had been told my own soul what my death will be, for souls always know these things. I am not to die for a long while, if 15 years is considered a long time, then yeah.  
  “So, what place did you have in mind anyway, Gigi?” Arin said, thankfully interrupting my thoughts and keeping Alex from asking yet another question that was hard to answer. 
  Shaking the bloody thoughts from my head, I looked at my two friends, one old, and the other still fairly new; in love with each other. And I, the middle aged of the group, still had yet to even discover what love meant; again I was reminded of the dream, the scent of blood was so clear, I could smell it as though it were here in the waking world, not in front of me; but nearby. I looked at them, the only couple who had ‘fallen in love at first sight,’ and I thought to myself, what does it mean to love? 
  “Gigi?” It was Alex this time, disrupting my thoughts, bringing me back to now. 
  “Yeah, sorry, just…spacing out,” I said, trying to reassure them there was nothing wrong. “Okay, near the park by my house, there’s an open area, it’s completely empty, so no one can see, let alone stop us if they see what’s going on. Remember, this confrontation is between Megane, and Gad.” I continued firmly, “Alex, if you can get us to the park, I can lead the rest of the way, kay?” They seemed to agree, and nodded approvingly; I knew they were just as scared, if not more than I was. We were going up against a religious figure that has been used as a sign of peace, and hope; when in truth it was a ruthless murderer and disapprover of all things that had to do with life. Gad, as it’s called, is known as ‘God’ in many cultures, even in today’s society to people everywhere. The word ‘God’ is one of the most commonly used words in the world; most of the saying comes from Christianity and Jehovah’s Witness’. Masking this blood-lover’s truth inside all of the lies, the lies that make people like me and my friends laugh at the lion before it strikes. We were afraid of the beast, because we all knew and had seen what it could do. Arin, was the reincarnated example of the Lion’s brutality, forced to be killed, every life at the age of fourteen; the eleventh month of the year on the full moon. We all recalled this, I could see it on their faces, Arin did not want to die, and Alex did not want Arin to die. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, if the matter could’ve been avoided, I would find some way, some sort of different route to take, I would; so that none of this could have ever been, so that we wouldn’t have to face the ferocious beast, and force it to draw it’s last breath when long past death. In our silence, I tried formulating a plan to kill Gad, or at least draw his attention to me instead. But instead my mind wandered the eternal abyss of my empty head, and found the memory of the day when Gad’s death was prophesized. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Chapter Two 
   
  It was a dark night; the clouds covered the stars, leaving only light from the new moon; which in turn wasn’t visible. I was merely finishing up my catch of the day, or at least what was left of it, since my master got first dibbs on my catch. A deer, one of my kind at the time; was still warm from the roasting fire that kept the Days of Death’s chill away from our nice and toasty cave. The Day’s of Death is what we called autumn, or fall, back then. My master was a kind man, though he did not wear much clothing, he wore enough as not to break our laws. He came into our den with his daughter, Olingia, I believe her name was; and began settling for sleep. Our small fire was enough to light the small crevice of the even larger one outside; it was warm, and that was enough for me. I had just finished my meal when I sensed something was to happen, but thinking it was just another Human wanting to make us believe in the horrible new Soul-Creator, I ignored the feeling; and prepared myself for sleep in the bed next to my master’s.  
   I was just beginning to welcome the darkness of the Dream-World again, when I heard something outside the cave entrance, I knew the other DevilHearts heard and sensed it as well. I sat up and growled, my master put down his hand and touched my head, but I didn’t hush. I was standing now, going slowly towards the edge of our crevice, master heard this, and got up, leaving his daughter to sleep. We both went to the entrance to see what was there, The Deamon Commander had woken as well, and he was standing just below his Reader’s Post, a place where he conducted meetings with the clan. I could smell that he was cross at whatever had dared come near our home, lest they had a death wish. The Deamons and the Devil-Hearts had grown an undenying hatred towards humans since Gad’s reign began; Gad had taken from us the closest thing to a deity, the Deamon Amora’s soul, the most valuable thing in all of existence, even the Deamon Commander bowed in respect. 
   The other Devil-Hearts and their masters had awakened, and everyone stood staring in wide eyes at who had found us, found our sacred home for millennia. A pity looking, and badly dressed female human stood there panting at our door. She had short brown hair that was remarkably kept and bright aqua eyes despite her obvious exhaustion. The weakened and tired Human’s panting was so loud to me, I though she would somehow awaken the souls of the dead. 
   “I must…speak…with your commander…” The human said, wheezing and panting; the thing must have run the way here from their home. I stopped my half growl, and squeezed my way to the front for two reasons; one, to protect my master, and two, to see whom this Human was and why they were here. More curious than afraid or angry, I took half a paw-step closer. The other Devil-Hearts around me, I could hear them growling, spitting out death threats to the foolish Human; some few remained quite, and curious like I was. The masters brought out their weapons, spears, bows, knives, swords of all shapes and sizes. They were drawing nearer to the Human, seeing that she was a threat, I continued to growl and stepped forward with the other Devil-Hearts around me; each one of us closing in for our own kill. How pleased our masters would be if we had killed a Human, the dirty apes that had overpopulated us for almost 2 years now, all of us. 
   The human did not run, but instead took a half-step back, and looked at us with widened and fearful eyes. But she looked too tired to move, an easy kill for the hungry clan. I noticed her eyes changed from fear to rage, and almost changed green, despite the dim light of the fire well behind us. She took a large breath, and summoning up her strength, she spoke in our tongue. 
  “Please! You must listen to me, Gad plans something terrible; I MUST warn you! I must speak with your commander!” then, out of breath the Human’s legs gave way, and she stood there, coughing and panting. We all stopped our advance, and just stood there, I looked to my master for the command to attack, but he stood there wide-eyed in disbelief; as with most of us. The cave was silent, not even the young babes in our nursery at the top of our home stirred the stilled air. The Deamons separated, apparently their commander had heard the call and ordered a cease. He traveled the small hall of Deamons and Devil-Hearts slowly with the Devil-Heart commander’s son at his side. The son went up to the girl, and sniffed her face, by now she was quiet. The Deamon commander stood at the feet of the child, no more than a striking distance away; and spoke. 
  “You are a fool Human, unless you have a death wish, there should be no reason for you to set foot within the boundary.” The commander of Deamons’ voice boomed throughout the cave’s entrance, causing the child to look up at the commander. “Iyakiya,” he continued, naming his companion and ‘pet’. 
  “Strange scent, this Human has a strange scent. Not a Human scent we know; no, no.” the white wolf responded, even in the darkness, the albino wolf’s eyes and coat features were well distinguished.  
  “Human,” The commander boomed at the girl, “Who has dared set foot on our land?” 
  the Human sat there, looking at the commander dead in the eye; something few have dared to attempt since the beginning of time. Then, taking another deep breath, the Human spoke. “Megane…” she said, softly at first, but with a small amount of encouragement from Iyakiya, she spoke louder, clearer, enough for even the deafest of leaves to hear. “I am Megane Suostsourei, a member of the clan of Humans,” 
   “Well, that much is obvious” I heard an old grey fox near me mutter under his breath. 
   The Deamons began to mumble amongst themselves, accusations that the human might actually have been hired by Gad to track us down, and find where we had been hiding. Others were wondering if the human had even come on it’s own. As Iyakiya went back to his master, we all heard him speak, we Devil-Hearts at least. 
   “This human is not like others, no evil desire within; none that I can sense.” With that, most of us relaxed a little, but some were still on high alert. Norintou, A beautifully slender pure white fox, with a blackened stub of a tail, and a muzzle far more scared and pinked with many a battles fought; and also my potential mate as a Devil-Heart, went up to this ‘Megane,’ her hazel eyes glowing fiercely at the thing. Norintou was ready to strike; I knew this because her stub of a tail was fidgeting, vibrating as though she had no control over it. One look, that’s all the Human needed to give her, and Norinto would kill the wretched weakling. 
   But the Human did not look at the fox attempting to take their life; instead, Megane stood up and looked dead in the eye of every member of the clan of Deamons. A strict and high offense, that enraged us; but we kept quiet, we knew the Human wanted to say something. 
   “Gigi Amora, Commander of the clan of Deamons,” We heard Megane’s voice above the growling of the few Devil-Hearts that remained to stand against her. The commander seemed shocked at how this human had so formally addressed him, Humans were believed to be misbehaved and savage beasts that only longed for the power that Deamons possessed. “You must listen to me, please,” she continued, fearfully, as though she knew she were being watched by something; “Gad has planned something terrible with the clans, it will throw the very ORDER of this world into a spiral!” 
   “What, you mean OTHER than the death of our deity?!” A Deamon behind me yelled. Everyone seemed to agree, nothing could be worse than losing our precious Deamon Amora, the very thing that kept us together; the very person who had been honored by giving the commander the second name of said Deamon.  
   Everyone was rioting, shouting death threats to Megane for coming within this range of our home, Gigi Amora waited for the riot to die, but when it didn’t, he raised his hand, and boomed loud enough to cause an avalanche many miles away. 
   “Enough! Let the Human continue,” he said, making every Deamon hush on the spot, “Megane Suostsourei, what ‘plan’ does Gad have?” The Deamon commander asked this more in fear and concern than curiosity and demandation. 
   Megane nodded acknowledgement and continued, “Gad plans to wipe out the entire clan of Deamons and use that power for itself to live forever.” 
   At this, an uproar of hatred crowded the cave entrance; I could smell the anger and fear of everything and everyone around me. The very thought of being killed by Gad the same way it had killed Deamon Amora must draw fear into the eye of even the bravest of men. Again, the commander waited, and this time the noise ended so that he could speak. 
   “How are we sure you have not come to lead us to our death, how do we know you tell the truth?” the commander asked a reasonable question, one only those who lie can answer to. 
   “I bring no proof but my own word and memory, Gigi Amora.” Megane answered plainly, as though she knew he would ask the question. “If you wish proof, have your Devil-Hearts smell the air and I, have your fortune teller come and read my mind, may the stars of the sky burn out where they are as of now. If I am lying, if I truly came to destroy the clans, then why would I have come all this way, on a night without light even, on my own?” The uproar did not come, the hounds did not spit, the commander and the Human just stared at each other. As though they were having some sort of mental battle between themselves. I don’t know who won the battle, for my master grabbed my scruff and pulled me away from the front-line, the protective barrier between the Devil-Hearts and their masters. 
   “Kcanchiokou, you don’t honestly think a human could lie like this and expect us to believe it do you?” My master said to me, since I could not speak their tongue, I did not reply. I simply blinked and looked back towards the crowd I could no longer see through. I heard arguing, and the Commander speaking calmly, yet angrily at the same time. My master began leading me back to our crevice when a large, collective gasp came from the group below. My master let go and went to see what was happening, I obediently stayed put. I heard the Commander speak amongst the clan, loud enough for those nearby to hear, but soft enough for straying ears to ignore. 
   I strained my ears to hear, but not so much as a snort could be heard from where I was. Sitting on the cold cave floor, I waited until the meeting dispersed, whatever this Megane had said, it clearly caused the clan to act. My master came back to me, patting my head gently as a sign of how good I was for staying. He patted me on my hackles and told me to go back to the crevice to protect his daughter, lest Gad or one of the more adventurous Humans come to attack. 
   I watched him leave, I whined, I knew something would happen. Licking my muzzle, I tried to preserve the scent that was left of my master. I waited until the last shadow of the screaming Deamons out to attack was gone; before I gave one muffled bark and went back to the crevice. 
   
   
   
   
   Chapter Three 
   
  There are many interpretations of what happened after the Deamons and Megane left the safety of the cave. All of which ending the same way, the death of Gad’s ‘son’ Jeensos; others, told that Megane saved the Deamon commander from Gad’s wrath, proving why Deamons trusted her so much. I had heard the story around the Large-Fire the morning they returned. I had hunted well that morning before the sun rose, and my new master let me eat my catch before her. The clan returned to the cave both with rejoice and great mourning, they also returned with the Human. My new master had awoken from the noise and came to my side near our doorway. I felt her longing, longing for something, fearing that something had happened to her father. I had the same feeling; I feared that my master must have perished in their battle of the night. The new moon was there, and the stars were covered by clouds, it’s understandable that it would have been hard to see. I heard many of the Deamons congratulating one another on what they had done that night. At last, the Deamon Commander and Megane enter the cave with some other Deamons, carrying the dead. 
   My new master went up to the Deamon commander, and asked to see who it was that had died, he was reluctant. Megane came towards her, at that I stood up and trotted towards Olingia, not only to hear what the Human was saying, but to see the dead as well. 
   “Please, Gigi Amora, may I see who has died? I want to know!” I heard the child say as I came nearer. I had my muzzle to her hand when the three of them noticed my presence. Megane looked for no more than a few heartbeats at the pitiful beast I was. I was only so messy because I never bothered to bathe, then again, not many Devil-Hearts even need to. “Megane, please?” Olingia asked the Human; it was hard to say ‘no’ to a young Deamon, especially one who may have last their family. 
   The two finally caved, and set the bodies wrapped in cloth whiter than winter snow and stained with dark red blood on the floor. Olingia went to each, feeling the faces and shoulders of each clothed body, Olingia knew who she was looking for. I smelled something familiar, a warm scent I had come to know with my Master. I looked behind me, and scented the body wrapped up tightly. I looked to Olingia and did a small bark to get her attention. She looked up, came to me, and felt the face and shoulders of the body before, finally, opening it to see what she feared. It was my master, all wrapped in white, as if he were to ascend into that realm above the sky Gad called Heaven. 
   “Oupa?” Olingia sputtered, oupa was the Deamon word for your birth father; a term of great respect when used towards another person, no matter the clan. “Oupa…?” she repeated, her sadness was growing so greatly, I could feel it rising like a river who’s dam had just collapsed. “Oupa, please! You can’t die, please oupa, please don’t be dead!” 
   I let out a whine and rubbed my muzzle against her forearm, I was upset just as much as she, but I couldn’t show it as openly. Soon, the poor child screamed and shoved her head into her dead father’s bare chest. Her sadness and anger were so intense and quickly placed, I knew it would be best not to attempt any sign of comfort. I smelled the sweet scent of a Fox, the one I had grown to love. 
   “Norintou…” I said with surprise as my mate began rubbing against my shoulder. 
   “I’m sorry,” she muttered, “I know how much you loved him.” There was much sorrow in her voice as she spoke hoarsely to me. My mate sounded as though she would shed the Eye-Rain if she could. 
   “He was my master,” I stated firmly, trying to keep my voice calm and collected, “of course I loved him. But I don’t think I could have had such a bond as he and his Ikiyou do…” Ikiyou was the Deamon term for ‘child’ or ‘offspring,’ a word more often used by friends and fellow clan member than with families. Norintou continued rubbing until I felt my own sadness over-whelm me, and I let out a mournful howl. I was only part wolf, as far as I know, my Oupa and Amma where both dogs. My master had found me at the base of the cave when I was no more than a pup, barely having even opened my eyes. Raising a Part-Wolf in a pure blooded clan wasn’t nearly as hard as it could have been. Master had told me many times the stories of how he had brought me to his home with his pregnant wife, who had died giving birth to Olingia. The only family I had known, and it was slowly being taken away. 
   My howl finished, and Olingia had gotten up, then she stared at me as though she were expecting something. Then, without warning, she came rushing at me, clamping her arms tightly around my shoulders and neck, I let out a yelp of surprise, I didn’t know what my new master was doing to me. 
   “Please, Kcanchiokou, PLEASE don’t leave me!” Olingia screamed. I knew what she was doing, she was holding onto me and not letting go, as if she thought I were to disappear at any moment. I wasn’t going anywhere, this was my home, and I wasn’t going to leave. I noticed that Megane kept her distance, she had her back to us, but I could see her shoulders quivering, quivering like this Human knew what it was like to loose family and master. She was a Human, in body form, she had no master, and I highly doubt she had family too. But for some reason, I felt as though this person, this Human, knew what it meant to have lost her Oupa and Amma. Fortunately, Olingia and I weren’t the only ones grieving. Many Deamons had lost loved ones in the night, though casualties were few, the effect was massive. But the news of Jeensos’ death seemed to have changed the sorry into extreme joy and excitement. No one was longer sad at their loss, instead, we celebrated, and that night, after the stories of how the Deamons and Megane snuck into the Human’s shelter, and found Jeensos; then wrapped and tortured the liar into submission and had left him for death; my mate gave birth to eight beautiful cubs. A fox, who’s coat was as black as night, was named Salinkeay, meaning ‘Bright Night;’ another, a beautiful white like my mate, but had eyes as blue as the ocean, was named Magikalei, which means ‘Water Bringer.’ We continued naming our dubs for the night, while I let my mind wander towards the fire pit, to hear the story from the Deamon known as Learuko Manshiou, how they had succeeded in their mission. 
   “Right when we had arrived the winds changed, masking our scent to their dogs. We had found shreds of cloth on the bodies of the dead and used it to disguise ourselves as beggars. We traveled in groups to find Jeensos’ hut, with Megane leading the way. It took what felt like moons, but we finally found it; and lucky us, the poor ikiyakatou was asleep!” Ikiyakatou means ‘idiot’ or ‘moron.’ “Megane and I stood out on guard, making sure no Human thought we were there to harm, but waiting to receive his ‘blessing.’ There was a small rustle, then all was quiet, not even the small-lights sparked or made any noise while the whole of the clan of Humans slept in their dreamy comfy beds. Chinchia, Mariniou and Cakchikki dragged Jeensos from the door, still fast asleep with a gag in his mouth to keep ‘em from sounding.” 
   “Kcanchiokou, what’s wrong?” I heard my mate say, I twitched my ears to let her know that I had heard her, but I was far more interested in the story. Thankfully, she was too, and kept quiet to hear. 
  “We took Jeensos to the closest open field to the village, and tied his hands and feet to the Scare-post, then Megane found some nails loose from the fence and said they would keep him in better. We hammered the things in, and Jeensos woke and screamed from his own petty pain.” The young Deamons laughed at the Soul Creator’s child, since it is impossible for such a being to even know the meaning of pain. 
   “It took ten of us to pull up the post and keep it in the ground, the whole time the ikiyakatou was screamin’ his head off for help, the Humans heard and began coming out of their dens, staring at us in fear and surprise. Some of us had to form a row to keep the Humans out of our affairs, but they threw stones, pitchforks, one even threw a dagger, and it stuck someone right in the heart!” I looked at my master’s wrappings; I remember he had the same wound in his chest that had come from a blade. 
   “That must be how he died…” Norintou whispered, I let out a small and subtle whine to agree. She let her newborns feed as she resumed rubbing her head on my shoulder; licking her head as thanks, we continued listening. 
   “We managed to get the humans to back off, and then we speared the bikanto!” Bikanto means the same as bastard. At this, the Deamons cheered, some who weren’t in the front to witness the show cheered even louder than others. Learuko continued telling how they had speared and slashed Jeensos’s body until it stopped moving altogether. As he was wrapping up the tale, Megane stepped in, timidly, but spoke clearly. 
   “Before the lot of us left, I saw Jeensos look to the sky, crying tears of blood.” Everyone stood still, I dared not breathe. “I went up to him to see if he was just dead that way, but he was still breathing, hardly…” the Human continued, not even Kaackounii, the most cruel dealing Deamon in the clan dared ask why Megane had not killed him then and there, for it was obvious there was some sort of telling that happened. “I heard him say ‘When the hour of death has come, my father will lie, lie in his phalse-truth. Seeing the last of the light as his blackened blood stains the world, and his flesh absorbed to end the suffering and begin anew’” 
   Everyone remained quiet, even my mate’s newborns made no sound as they suckled her sweet, warm milk. 
   “What does it mean?” I heard myself ask, of course the Deamons cannot understand Devil-Hearts, so there’s no way they could answer me. But Norintou could. 
   “Maybe Jeensos saw that what his ‘father’ was doing is wrong and changed his ways. Maybe, maybe he saw Gad’s death.” 
   
   
   
   
   
   Chapter Four 
   
  “Hello~ Gigi, you there?” Arin was saying, patting my head like I was a dog, then scratching me near my ear, I liked that and she knew it. 
   “HEY!” Alex yelled, knocking me from my memories, “I know everyone’s scared, but the longer we dawdle, the less and less chance we have.” 
   “Are you absolutely POSOTIVE nothing’s wrong, Gigi?” I looked at my friend, realizing that I was now the Deamon Commander, and my close friend was now Megane, the very and only Human my clan trusts. She was in love with Learuko, who was a Deamon, which was forbidden in our law. 
   I shook my head; I hadn’t the time to think these thoughts, nor the time to worry about law at the moment. We had a task about us; we had to fulfill what was told long ago. Jeensos’ last words were a prophecy, I understood that now, and that prophecy told of Gad’s death, there was no date the death would occur; but as I am now, I would not allow such a monster to learn how to create their own world! Not only that, but if such a thing gained the power of even one Deamon, then it would be more than the world that would be flushed into chaos. 
   “I’ll open the portal,” Alex said as he began drawing the circle on Arin’s closet door. 
   “It’s more like a doorway, but whatever.” I mumbled. We all held onto eachother, I held onto Arin’s hand while she held onto both Alex and mine. I noticed there was a book on her desk, a book I had published just two days prior to the events in which it predicted. I had a feeling that they BOTH knew what was going on in my mind. I was scared; we were all scared, anyone would be scared if they had to do this. 
   “Everyone ready?” Alex asked intently, sounding as though he had hoped we weren’t; but Arin and I fervently nodded, and we stepped through the portal. 
   Going through it felt almost like a dream, it felt we were floating instead of walking, we were traveling at great speeds that seemed much slower as the time went by, like time had all but stopped. I was distracted by my thoughts, and didn’t even notice where we were until I saw the opening. It was a pale grey-blue light, the same color as the sky before I left. We arrived behind the tan plastic slide, I remember it fondly; I had used to try and climb it when I was younger, before I grew more an interest in climbing trees. Everything was quiet, not even a bird so much as sang through the air. I sensed that the few souls around us, were in their homes, and sleeping off their Thanksgiving feast from the previous day. 
   “Follow me,” I said softly, I didn’t even want to try and make myself heard; “and stay close,” I added, more to reassure myself than them. 
   We walked down the shallow hill towards the parking lot and the, now shut, gate that separated the park from the main road. I looked around, spying for anyone or anything that may pose as an obstacle. I felt we were being watched by unknown forces, I knew who was watching, but I tried hard to shake the fear that gripped firmly onto my shoulders. It gripped me like a flightless bat gripped a tree, for dear life, a life I felt I would soon lose the battle too. 
   “Alex, Gigi…I’m scared,” Arin whispered, I could hear her voice trembling, “I don’t want Gad to kill you, and I don’t want to die.” 
   “Hush,” Alex patted her head, “If the Deamon Commander says it’s going to be fine, then it’s going to be fine.” I looked at then briefly, then turned back to the path. 
   “We need to take a right, you see there?” I pointed down the road to a gate that blocked a large, impassable field. 
   I made the signal to move, and Alex began running quickly across the road, up to the gate, and finally jumping inside the open area. 
   “Gigi, what’ll happen if you’re wrong? What if Gad manages to kill us all-“ 
   “Megane! I have no intention of dying, least of all today.” I stopped her mid sentence; I was getting more and more irritated with the discussion and my dream as the sun began to fully light the sky. I sensed some people were beginning to awaken, mainly the children. “Go, GO!” I pushed Arin forward, onto the road. 
   She ran, ran faster than I had ever seen her go. In no time, my friend managed to pass the gate and get to Alex. It was my turn now, I wasted no time. I ran, I ran like my life depended on it. And faster than I thought possible, I ran across the road, I ran to the gate, and I leaped over it in one jump, landing unexpectedly on my, still sore, thigh. I let out a grunt, but I was fine. 
   “Where do we go now?” Alex said as he came to help me up. “We can’t stay near the road, we’ll be spotted too easily.” There was plenty of worry in his eyes. 
   “This way, I took a good look at the place the other day on Google map.” I looked towards the hill that topped the area. “Just beyond that hill there’s a small ditch, it’s covered by the surrounding area, we should be safer… from straying eyes.” I added. 
   Looking back at them, I felt even more guilt; they knew their love was forbidden; yet they continued to remain with one another. I looked away, trying to keep my own emotions in control, if I let one in to much, too fast, then the other would come in; much more of it, much faster. 
   We walked in silence, quickly up the hill. We understood the importance of getting there in time, before the sun shone above the tops of the trees we needed to get there. It took much less time than I thought, we moved quickly, silently; avoiding all of the dead leaves that frosted the ground with their deceivingly warm colors of red and orange, yellow and brown. We were making good time; I had spied the ditch just as we topped the hill. 
   “Here!” I turned. And as soon as I did, I felt something, sensed something, something evil. What was happening, I wonder. I already knew, but I hadn’t bothered to turn around. 
   Arin and Alex stopped when they saw I was standing like a post in the ground. 
   “Gi-“ Alex started. 
   “SH! It’s here, and it knows what we’re here for…partly” I said, trying to hide my mischief. 
   I heard shallow breathing, just below the back of my neck. I felt a sort of smoke gathering and dissipating behind me. Gad was here, and it was angry; but it was afraid. Evil smiled. 
   “Gad…” Alex said, with obvious distaste. Arin was scared, I saw her trembling. 
   I heard myself speak, but in Kyostois. “So, the coward shows his miserable face?” Evil laughed, she wasn’t scared. Neither was bad, but Good and I were, we were almost terrified. It had always been hard, dealing with multiple personalities, but we found a way that it would be fair to everyone. I felt a small point in my back. I readied. 
   
  Gad slashed. 
  I ran. 
  I ran down the hill, into the ditch; and tripped on a rock and fell. I didn’t waste any time, I got up and ran, despite the now searing pain in my back, and got to Megane as quickly as I could. 
   “Fool…” A voice said; but in Human-speak. I was standing beside my friend, glaring at the molding shadow in front of us. 
   “Gad,” I said, “what a mess you’ve become. You’ve not even a form to contain your phalse hatred.” 
   Gad just stood there, its silence was intimidating. 
   “Your heart has blackened with the lust for power, your formal body has transformed into nothing more than a poisoned shadow, You barely even know how to speak, let alone mercy.” This truth angered the shadow, and created a long blade in which to slay us all. 
   “Please…” Arin murmured. “Please, I beg of you don’t kill us!” Her voice sounded as though she were holding back tears. 
   “Don’t bother begging for mercy.” Alex replied. 
   “Gad doesn’t care about anyone but himself now, least of all you, Megane.” I finished. Gad hated Megane with all of it’s being. It believed that Megane was the cause of Jeensos changing its ways against it; and that it was Megane’s fault that Gad couldn’t gain immortality. 
   “You ALL are fools.” Gad said with unmasked hatred. “You betrayed ME, I am your lord. I am your GOD!” 
   “You stopped being a ‘god’ when you killed Deamon Amora’s soul!” I yelled, I was angry, that anger masked my fear, it overwhelmed me. I hated Gad for what it had done; I hated it with all of my lives. I hated Gad for everything that happened because of it. My back didn’t even hurt anymore; I could feel something growing, but slowly. I wasn’t worried; I was full of the hatred I had built up over the many years. 
   “Only those driven by fear would dare to attack-“ I threw a rock at Gad. I had picked it up and was next to me. Black blood started to leak out of the shadow. 
   “FEAR?! You think FEAR can drive this anger?! You think fear can drive my hatred?! You’re WRONG!” I shouted now, I could tell that my friends were afraid, I had never shown this side of me to my friends. I never wanted to scare them. But now wasn’t the time. “Don’t you talk to me about Fear Gad! I KNOW fear! I KNOW sadness, I KNOW what it feels like to lose those you care about!” remembering my close friend, who had recently told me that he hated me. 
   Gad was especially angry now, I heard Alex tell Arin to get back. He was right, Gad was going to strike, I readied myself; he moves, I move. 
   “You think your everything just because you were once a Soul Creator! Soul Creators are humble! Yet you crave for power-“ Gad struck, I just barely dodged, Save my hind quarters now had a large, deep gash from above my hip to my thigh. It stung like salt water on a fresh wound. “Only the selfish long for meaningless revenge.” I muttered under my breath. 
   Gad turned to Arin, she and Alex separated right after the first attack and she was now left defenseless. I only just noticed, I tried to get up and rush to protect her, but my new wound slowed my legs. I couldn’t get there in time. 
   But Alex could. 
  He rushed up to her as fast as he could. The blade only managed to sever a small lock of her hair, but Alex was stabbed in the shoulder. I heard him cry out in pain. Gad seemed satisfied, so it continued to draw the blade in all sorts of directions; making him scream and almost beg for mercy. Arin was too scared to run, I could tell because she had collapsed onto the ground. I ran up to Gad, grabbing the stone and throwing it as best I could at its ‘head.’ It hit. Gad reeled back and loomed over the hill. 
   I took that small moment to turn to them. “You guys okay?” I asked, I was met with a small nod, Alex’s teeth were clenched, he hadn’t the energy to speak. 
   I looked to Gad again. “How can you think to make the world love you, when you can’t even love another living person. You were supposed to HELP us!” I said, walking slowly away from my friends, and off to a more open area. “Of course, your selfish and blacked heart never saw what was real did it?” I said mockingly. “All you know is hatred, bloodlust, and pleasure. As for me…” I paused, waiting for an attack. “As for me, I had them all taken away, now the only one’s I have left are anger and sadness.” Just speaking seemed to outrage the blackened and transparent blob. And it towered toward me, exactly what I wanted. I just kept speaking, drawing it’s attention to me even more and more by the moment. 
   “You think you know what it means to lead thousands of people? HA! Even an ANT could do a better job, and they don’t even have brains!” I was laughing insults now. It was fun insulting it, for a time. 
   “You dare to insult ME? You will pay for comparing me to such worthless maggots!” It yelled. It didn’t really yell, the voice was sort of, sounded in my head by this so called ‘Soul Creator’ 
   “Maggots you say? At least they know how to rid their own without causing pain.” I smiled, at that, Gad struck, lunging itself straight at me. I knew it. 
   Dodging just in time, I rolled and was on my hands an knees, I felt something furry on my hand. I looked down… 
   I had a tail. 
   I was black on the top, white on the bottom and tipped with brown, something I hadn’t expected to see. Ever. I would have spent hours feeling how soft it was and trying to figure out how it got there, but now was defiantly not the time. I looked up, and shot towards the ground to miss getting my head split open. 
   “Word of warning, perhaps?” I muttered. My back and legs were aching now, they were so sore, I had barely the strength to move, let alone attempt to dodge another attack. I had to think quick, I saw a stick nearby, stuck upright near the ditch. I had to make a run of it, and risk getting my friends killed, but it was the only way to get a weapon. I had to take the risk. 
   I darted. Gad did too. I just barely got there in time to grab the stick, and pull it down and out. Doing so, sliced Gad upright, I heard a sickening shriek of pain, the sound a baby makes right before it pukes combined with the sound of screaming fans. I shook my head. Keep it together Gigi! You can’t let Gad win! You CAN’T! 
   It seemed like it at first. But Gad was fast, much faster than I first thought. It created a blade from itself, then thrust. It was so fast; I didn’t even have time to so much as blink. 
   I felt the icy sting of the shadow-blade as it lodged itself deep within my stomach. I staggered for less than a heartbeat before I fell. I fell into the small ditch. 
   As I lay there, my blood streaming out of my body in small pools, Gad stands over and laughs at me; its blood pouring out of its body in little showers. The black blood splattered on my face as it laughed. I was in so much pain; it took almost all of my energy just to breathe. 
   “You foolish Human, you haven’t even half the power to destroy me! I am Gad, I will never lose; especially not to a weak little Human like you!” it laughed. This angered me more than anything ever had. Calling a Deamon a Human was an insult commonly met with the death of the insulter. I was no Human. I was a Deamon. A Deamon, who was about to die… 
   It was all it could do to clutch the blade, and try to tug it out. I gagged up blood, black blood. 
   “This is my gift to you, pathetic weakling. When and if I die, you will become my successor, and will have as much hatred for them as I do. You will die early, and never come back.” Gad said, it began laughing again; it stopped shortly after and turned around, then went back up the hill to finish what it came here for. To kill Megane… again. 
  The pain was so intense, my back, my thigh, my stomach; all of it was throbbing. I was beginning to fade into darkness; no matter how much I tried to resist I couldn’t. My body wanted to die, but my soul and my mind wanted to live. I wanted to live, to protect those I held dear to me. To protect them so that they will never be hurt as I was many times before, so that they can be happy, and live good lives with each other; so that they can live in peace, and die happy from it. 
   I was fading, my vision clouding. It felt, at that moment. This is the day I’m going to die. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Chapter Five 
   
  That’s when I hear it, that blood curdling sound, the noise that awoke me that morning. It was such a sad sound, and angry sound, full of fear. It wasn’t a scream, and it wasn’t tear, but some sort…some sort of howl. I cannot explain it, but that sound, that sound woke me from the darkness of the Dream World, it took me off the path to death, whatever it was, it awoke me from my dreaming. 
   I felt something within me, it wasn’t anger or fear, it wasn’t sadness or regret, it wasn’t anything I had within me. With that sound came a voice, soft, and sweet like the churning of buttermilk, and as silky as a butterfly’s wings. 
   “Get up,” it seemed to say, “and protect those you hold dear.” 
  That was enough, enough to wake me from my dream, so that I awoke to the nightmare. A nightmare I knew I had to face. I viewed the sight, as though I weren’t even there, but still asleep, and my spirit was far off, and seeing it through someone else’s eyes. I saw myself, slowly, oh so slowly, roll onto my elbows, then my knees. And finally, I rose, grasping the Shadow Blade tightly in my fists, and pull, pull, pull. I could see blood welling out of my mouth as I did, I could see wings growing out of my back, I could see my ears, they were pointed and furry; and horns, no, I saw antlers beginning to grow out of my head, but much slower than the rest. They were just small nubs on the top of my head, But I saw my eyes, I saw my face, I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t afraid. I don’t even know what I felt, what WAS it? 
   I looked to my friends, and I saw Gad; I was tempted to run at it now, but I was glued in place, like I was chained to the ground and the air, unallowed to move from place. I looked back to me; my eyes were almost glowing in the dim light of the morning; which was steadily turning cloudier and cloudier by the second. A storm was coming, coming to wash away the poisoned and blacked blood of a liar. 
   I heard someone scream, I looked to Arin, she was holding Alex, trying to get him to wake up; he had passed out from the blow Gad had dealt. I saw her look up, her face was shining slightly, she was crying. 
   There was yell, a shout of sorts, I immediately drew my attention back to my body, it had managed to get on the top of the hill, and was still trying to get the Shadow Blade out. It was coming out, almost halfway now, and within an instant, I pulled out the blade with a battle cry and the first flash of lightning behind me. I stared in disbelief, my spirit anyway. Gad heard the cry, Arin did too; and perhaps Alex, but I don’t know. Gad had taken a form now, the form of a very muscular man, covered in old scars and healing wounds, I smiled with bleak satisfaction that it was still in pain from our skirmish. 
   “You…” said Gad “How can a Human as weak as you POSSIBLY stand, let alone walk after my Death Blow.” I heard the creature laugh now. Gad thought it was funny that I was in so much pain. “Try as you might, little Human; I doubt you can even speak. Now…to finish you off.” Gad pulled out a sturdy blade; I had grabbed the stick that was lying on the ground next to me. I dropped the Shadow Blade and I saw it dissipate. A light rain was beginning to fall. 
   “I…” Gad looked up, and so did I, for I had averted my eyes to what gruesome sight was to come. 
   “I… I am… I am no Human.” My body said, panting, and breathing hard. I figure the freezing rain must be closing my wounds and stopping the bleeding. 
   “Gigi…?” I just barely heard her over the rumble of the thunder above us. The rain picked up, it was heavier now, it’s patter could be heard on the trees around us, masking any possible sound from escaping, preventing anyone from knowing where we were. 
   “What did you say, pathetic Human?” Gad mocked. 
   “I am… I am…” Before I could finish, Gad darted towards me. 
   “Run you ikiyakatou!” I yelled to myself. No one could hear me though, not even my body. 
   Gad’s blade, and my branch met and the flash of lightning light the sky. My body spread it’s wings, and flapped into the air for a second, then plummeted down to strike. Gad was ready, It took it’s blade and slashed; so did I. We got closer, and farther apart, slashing, biting, striking, thrusting, punching, kicking, flying, landing, dodging; a battle not fit even for my eyes. Eventually, we separated for long enough to take a breath. 
   “I am no Human,” I said again, my left eye now surrounded in four long lines of blood. “I am Gigi Amora, Commander of the Clan of Deamons.” Gad looked shocked now, my vision was now transferred near my body, I saw Gad’s face. It was smiling. 
   Gad let out a raging maniacal laughter. “So I get to kill Megane AND the Commander of the Clan of Deamons; thank you, Gigi Amora, thank you for giving me immortality!” It pelted towards me. Then, I felt it again, that feeling that made me get up before. I looked to Arin. She was clutching Alex’s sleeping body tightly, he had just barely awoken; for he was staring at Gad, with anger, and staring at me, with thanks and love. 
   Love. That was it! What I was feeling was a form of love! Not a normal friendly love, not the affectionate love, but a kind of love that would let me do anything to protect those I hold dear. This was a motherly love. I looked back to Gad, fast enough for my mind to tell my body to dodge and counter. I was filled with a new kind of thought; it was flowing into me like a waterfall, never-ending. I flew, I struck, I bound, I wavered, slice, dodge, counter, fall, fly, bite, scratch, cut. 
   We attacked, came together and separated over and over. 
   “No!” I heard a yell, I looked, Alex was standing now, he was clutching his shoulder tightly; he looked like he was about to pass out again. “Don’t do it Gigi Amora! You can’t do it, PLEASE!” I knew why he was yelling, it seemed as though I were throwing my life away by battling Gad to the death. But I still remember my Future-Dream from a few years ago. 
   
  ~ * * * ~ 
   
   I was hiking along an old mountainside trail. It was mainly populated with many boulders, small rocks, and shrubs struggling to survive in the frigid mountain terrain. I was walking slowly with my Hiking-cane, a strong branch to help me get up the mountain slopes. After a while I heard a rustling sound from far in front of me. It got louder, turning into heavy footsteps, and louder still, becoming that of a large animal. I was standing in front of a boulder about three-fourths my height. A young brown bear, I’d say about three or four years old, jumped from it, landed behind me and continued running. I watched as it went, I had a collar, old fashioned, thick, made from strong materials. 
   I turned back. 
   To find three hunters, all with rifles. There must be much bear taming, because they thought the bear was mine. Without saying a word they put up their guns, I hear three simultaneous shots. I know where they hit. My heart, my mind, and my soul; not just killing my body, but my soul as well. It was a daydream, but it was a Future Dream. I heard many other shots sound as I quickly faded into blackness; I was slightly taller than I am now, and I looked and felt as though I were carrying a heavy burden. But it wasn’t too heavy, since it felt like I was used to carrying such a weight. 
   
   
   ~ * * * ~ 
   
   
   I knew for certain this was not the day I was going to die. It wasn’t yet my time! My sight darted alongside my body, becoming one again with each step. Gad readied it’s blade. I readied my dagger, which I always keep with me. 
   “NO!” Alex yelled, we clashed; sparks from our weapons flew as lightning bolts flashed across the sky. The rain was greatened now, pelting everyone aside from Gad with its icy fingers. We flew in our set directions and stood, stood like those actions movies where it looks like a draw, but one person caves and falls, dead. In this case, we were both hit. My sight was still outside of my body, so I saw who fell first. It was Gad. 
   My body put my dagger to its side, and walked over to Gad’s body, which now had a deep and long gash across its shoulders and torso. Shaped like a lopsided cross. I watched as my own body moved without my mind, or my eyes to guide it. 
   Gad’s body lay in ruin, blackened blood poured onto the wet and muddy ground; turning the dark green grass a solid deep wet, and black sludge. Its body was already beginning to decompose, as if it had been sealed in an airtight package and dead for years, only now to be exposed to the air. It was breathing, hard, and shallow, its blood coming in a seemingly endless stream, gathering itself in a small puddle around their precious body; it seemed the blood had a mind of it’s own. Like it wanted to whisk their body away, or go back inside, to prevent Gad from dying like it should. 
   “Ikiyakatou.” I heard myself spit. “You should have known, only a coward would run away from death.” 
   “I… will not die… not to you…” It panted; I would have felt sorry for Gad, if it wasn’t the mass murderer of our people. 
   “You are the fool, Gad. For avoiding the prophecy your own ‘son’ used his last words to give.” Lightning again flashed, followed by a loud, and sharp clap of thunder. The storm was above us. 
   “Wha-?” Gad sputtered, let out one final effort to support its life; and died. Gad’s body dissipated into more sludge, absorbing into the ground, causing the grass around the puddle to wither and die. 
   “’When the hour of death has come, my ‘father’ will lie, lie in his phalse-truth. Seeing the last of the light as his blackened blood stains the world, and his flesh absorbed to end the suffering and begin anew.’” I repeated the prophecy that Jeensos had spoken of, all those years ago. The rain was much harder now, the drops were large, and it must have stung our wounds; but no one seemed to mind. 
   In what felt like no more than a heartbeat, my vision went back into my own body, I felt all of the pain; my back, head, legs, arms, everything was throbbing. The pain was instantaneous, and was so severe; I passed out. 
   
  I welcomed the darkness, though no dream came to me, I knew I was a sleep. However, they are not lucid dreams either. The darkness lasts only a few seconds before I awake to the light of the morning sun. It is a comforting darkness, the same darkness most children succumb to when the lit world isn’t to their liking, it is a velvet blackness, smooth and silky, that makes you feel at ease; no matter that you can’t see anything. There was no scent, there was no light, there is no pain, or fear in this darkness. Sometimes, if you’re lucky you can feel the sheets around you as you sleep, feel them cradle and warm you; as they lightly and gently move to cup around you. It was that sort of darkness; my pain was forgotten, and it was the velvety darkness that I cradled and nurtured deep in the forgotten parts of my broken mind. 
   
  A deep blackness, a dark sleep. 
   
   
   
   
   Text: Copyright by Gigi Amora and Ribbon Studio, 2010 All rights reserved. Publication Date: November 10th 2011 https://www.bookrix.com/-kinze15