<strong>Sunset</strong><br/><br/>"Dead," Carrie said, though her eyes started to water.  The sudden emotional trauma seemed to be helping to bring her out of whatever she was about to say.  "There was a pinnacle, one of the undead who managed to master the secrets of black fire."  She mostly kept her eyes on Mary's face, but when she saw the eyedropper, she stared longingly at the liquid.  "The ones who master it can kill us as easily as they kill those without the protection."<br/><br/>It wasn't difficult to hold her down, Carrie was in no position to protest, but at Nadia's words, she simply nodded and forced a faint smile.  "I just want to sleep for a while," she said.  "It's so much easier when I'm sleeping; they can come in my dreams and explain."<br/><br/>Alan, however, saw a small magazine sitting in Mary's bag as he checked things out.  The child was swinging carefree on a swingset, while far behind a humanoid creature with a clay face stood and watched.  "<strong>The child swings between life and death</strong>" stared up as the title upon the cover, but the instant he looked away, everything in the bag would be back to normal, with no one else noticing any changes.