<span style="font-weight: bold">"First of all, my name is not important. And secondly, you're better than this. I mean come on, leading a small band of thieves on minuscule heists is... well, stupid really."</span>Her brow arched. She understood what the man was talking about, after all, every time she went on a heist she felt like she was looking after 5 year olds. Plus, robbing banks was growing quite old, and it wasn't bringing in the dough.<br/><br/>The man continued.<span style="font-weight: bold">"Don't get me wrong, you've got potential, but if you keep this up, eventually, someone will <span style="text-decoration: underline">kill</span> you."</span>Eris took a step back as she felt him looming over her. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as he stared into her eyes. Their eyes were locked.<span style="font-weight: bold">"More specifically, <span style="text-decoration: underline">I</span> will kill you." </span>Eris watched in shock as his eyes turned blood-red.<span style="font-style: italic">This guy....isn't human...</span>She froze as she felt the icy cold blade of a knife press against her throat, fear flooded through her. This was not the fear of a child noticing a shadow lurking outside of their bedroom window. No, it was the fear of a kid lighting a small fire and watch as it moves on the wind like a bird and lick his flesh off his bones with a searing tongue. It was something, some<span style="font-style: italic">one</span>, she could not control.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"If you want to discuss this further, or in terms you can understand, if you want to live longer than 48 hours, I suggest you come to this location and stand in the chalk circle."</span>She felt a piece of paper pressed into her hand. The man turned away, though it still felt like the knife was against her neck. Eris breathed softly, she felt that if she breathed audibly, he would slit her throat right then and there.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Oh, and before I forget," </span>he said looking back with an evil open mouthed grin on his face, showing all his teeth,<span style="font-weight: bold">"If you bring anyone with you, make no mistake, all of them, including you will die."</span>Eris already expected this, but before she could say another word, she was back on the street. The people walked past her, cars drove along on the streets, the world was oblivious to what she had just witnessed. She looked down at the piece of paper crumpled into her hand. She scanned it; the red 'X' was about 8 blocks from where she was.<br/><br/>Eris jumped when she felt a buzzing in her jacket pocket. She pulled her phone out and looked at it. They were calling her, probably wondering what was taking her. She shut it off. "Those fools can wait." she murmured as she walked to her destination.<br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/><br/>Eris glanced down at the piece of paper, and looked from one side to another. An apartment on her left, an overpriced cafe on her right. An alleyway in front of her, the darkness seeming to beckon her in. She stepped in, walking past bags and trashcans filled with waste. A rat scurried past her feet, but she didn't notice. Her gaze was fixed on the chalk circle that lay at the end of the ally. She cautiously stepped into it, almost as if it would burn her. She waited, for what, she didn't know.