The shadows were deep, the circle was drawn, and the last candle was in place, its tiny tongue licking the air hungrily. A black-robed figure stood in the center of the room, a wooden stand in front of him holding open a tattered and moth-eaten book. The muffled sounds of cheering crowds could be heard in the distance, but he refused to allow himself to be distracted. One hand rested on the page, the other was raised high above his head, and in the dim light of the darkened room, he began to read aloud.<br/><br/><em>"Kerata vlaadu posada dormus, aprega stramita omnuvaris, sokharat midatus niocretnu vodaze --!"</em><br/><br/>The cheap wooden door slammed open and the lights flicked on, and Reginald's mother stormed into his room, her trademark Pall Mall menthol dangling from her lips. She took one look at her son, wrapped in a black terry bath robe, and burst into a fit of cruel, mocking laughter. The ice cubes rattled in her glass, and a few splashes of whiskey splattered on the grimy carpet as Reginald snapped his book shut and swiped it behind his back. He glared balefully at the old woman as she spoke.<br/><br/>"Well, what have we here? Is widdle Reggy back to playing dress-up again?" She looked around at the candles and the pentagram with a sneer. "Or are you just playing 'Harry Potter'? Ha! Should have figured you'd be up here doing some kind of sissy bullshit. Oh well, at least you won't have to look around to find a virgin to sacrifice, right?"<br/><br/>She laughed again and turned to leave. "Stop making so much fucking noise, you little shit. Wheel of Fortune's on. Don't make me come up here again, you hear?" She stalked back downstairs, her gloop-covered curlers flopping against the small of her back. Reggy sulked and sat on his bed as he took the book back out and thumbed through the pages once again. His mother's words were already nearly forgotten, casually dismissed by an emotional immunity built up over several years.<br/><br/>He found the page with the incantation he'd been attempting and considered trying again, but decided against it. From what he'd read about magic, it required a calm mind and complete focus, and without it there was no telling what manner of results he might bring about. He'd have to try it somewhere else, somewhere he could be absolutely certain he could attain complete privacy.<br/><br/><em>'I'll do it tomorrow night at the theater. Nobody but a few old folks and high schoolers ever shows up for any of the matinees after seven, I'll have the second floor to myself. Or the roof, that'd be cool. Man, I hope this thing really works; this is my last chance to get out of this shit hole,'</em>Reggy thought, staring out his window at the three measly stars that shone dimly in the evening sky. His fingers absently caressed the smooth, aged surface of the book's cover, and his thoughts wandered a few moments longer as he contemplated the misery that was his life. With a sigh, he tossed the book aside and went over to his desk, fired up his laptop and logged on to one of the more actively visited chat sites.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">DarkNet.chat -- Realms of Truth and Knowledge</span><br/><br/>DarkLord114: *DarkLord114 has entered the room*<br/>DarkLord114: anyone on tonight<br/>Kaliban78: what up dl<br/>DarkLord114: nm man you<br/>Kaliban78: ssdd heard the news<br/>DarkLord114: what news<br/>Kaliban78: nest of vampires got burned out up in maine<br/>CobraKyng: bs, just a bunch of squatters tossed by cops<br/>Kaliban78: fuck you cobra they were vampires<br/>CobraKyng: says who bitch nst as vampires<br/>DarkLord114: any proof<br/>Kaliban78: no proof just piles of ashes<br/>CobraKyng: your full of shit kaliban<br/>Kaliban78: suck my cock cobra fucking troll<br/>DarkLord114: *DarkLord114 has signed out*<br/></span><br/><br/>Reginald leaned back in his chair and stared back out the window, rolling his eyes.<br/><br/><em>'Vampires. Yeah, right.'</em>