I staggered towards the cafeteria where Brooke had already occupied a table for us. Because of my lack of appetite, I had brought only an apple and some orange juice.

I sat opposite to Brooke who made a face and said,"Don't you starve by eating this little food?I think half of your problems are because of your diet."

I huffed and changed the subject,"You wanted to hear about my nightmare right?"

"Yeah,go ahead. Tell me everything."

So I told her everything describing and giving her precise details.

When I finished telling her the 'tale' she looked stunned."I hope this has nothing to do with your powers right? I mean,the powers which you are yet to get." She said rhyming the last words purposefully.

Of course,if you are deliberating upon how she knows about the powers,then let me tell you that she was also a part of Anodine. So you can pretty much guess why we only had each other. Many called us 'freaks' and that was also the reason why literally no one talked to us as they thought their 'social status' would go down. Though some were really nice and some were the so called venomous snakes.

"How can it be related to that? I don't think there's any connection. Why would a bad dream be related to powers,Brooke?!"

"Hey,don't get pissed of I was just suggesting..."

"Yeah sorry I overreacted. Its just that I'm nervous 'cause-"

"Jake is staring at you,"those words cut me off.

"Say what?!"

"You heard me right baby,"she teased,wiggling her eyebrows.

I whirled and saw Jake staring at me just as Brooke had said. Our eyes met for a millisecond and blood rushed to my cheeks. I quickly looked down,suddenly more interested in the apple in my hand.

I had had a crush on Jake since as long as I can remember and Brooke knew that. She always used to say that she could tell Jake liked me because of his open gawking and peculiar behavior around me but I couldn't bring myself to believe that. I was...nothing. I wasn't beautiful at all what with my thin and short figure and wavy chocolate brown hair which Brooke never let me shorten even till shoulder length as she thought long hair suited me. I also had green eyes to make me look more scary as if I wasn't scary enough. And all together,as you have already guessed- I was simple and modest.

Jake was the most popular guy of the school who had muscular arms,was sporty and really handsome. He had so many chicks lining up for him who were far more pretty than me and I thought he was a guy who dated the cheerleader type girls. It would make sense if he liked Brooke 'cause she was glamorous.

When she had first come to the school,boys were swooning and following her like pups(pun intended). And all the girls were dying to be friends with her. But ever since she became friends with me she was also termed as a 'freak' and no one could approach her even if they wanted to.

She was a blonde and had blue highlights at the edge of her hair and everything and anything she wore always looked so good on her.Especially with that blue eyes of hers. She also had that relaxed and blissful aura around her that made it hard for anyone to not like her. And her figure was something most girls would die for.

That's why it was impossible to believe that Jake would have a thing for me. He was after all...flawless. Why would he go for the ugly duckling when he could get the beautiful swans? I don't really know what that was supposed to mean but you got me right?

Brooke shook me out of my trance,"Hey you listening? I said, why don't you go and talk to him?"

"About what?"

"Anything,"she shrugged.

"I can't."

"Look can't you guys do anything other than gawking at each other for god's sake?! This is not the 19s you're living in!"

The bell rang and for the first time the shrieking noise of the bell was like music to my ears as it saved me from Brooke's reprimand.

-------------------------------------------

I walked in for gym and caught sight of Jake and the other boys practising basketball. And oh god he looked so....I can't even find the words to describe him.

Boys and girls had to share the court today so that meant we had to play in half court which I hated. I picked up a ball and started dribbling. Basketball had always been my favourite sport since childhood. I was so engrossed in playing that I didn't even hear a girl shout "Watch out Lizeth!" until it was too late. Swiveling, I  saw a ball coming towards me at full speed. I was supposed to duck,catch the ball or move aside. But I guess I had really bad reflexes so idiotically,I just closed my eyes.

But the impact of the ball hitting my face never came. So,I opened my eyes and saw Jake standing in front of me with the ball.

"Hey," he smiled.

"H-hi th-th-thanks for saving m-me." I stammered.

Damn it! My first conversation with him and I'm making a complete fool of myself. I mentally kicked myself.

"No probs," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "So..."he continued,"We know each other since childhood but never actually got the chance to talk. That's why I was thinking that maybe you'd like to come with me for a movie? And then we can grab a bite at a diner nearby. Not like a date... Just a you know... like a...umm...non-date,hangout thing. Get to know each other a bit...So what'd you say?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I say yes!"my mind shouted. And then it hit me-Maybe Brooke is right! Maybe he actually likes me! I wanted to dance and jump right there but not wanting to make more of a fool of myself than I already had,I tried to regain my composure and said,"Sure. Sounds cool" I wanted to make myself sound calm but instead it sounded like I was asked out by Harry Styles( I just love him sooo much and 1 direction too) and I just couldn't hide the excitement in my voice.

"Great! I'll pick you up at 7 on Friday. See ya!" With that he jogged away.

Oh my god! I couldn't believe my stars. I had to tell this to Brooke and I already knew what her reaction would be. Oh! Sometimes life gives you surprises that are unpredictable isn't it?

"You're impossible!"

"You don't need to tell me that. I know it. I like to be headstrong and that's my nature."

"Urgh! Listen to me Lizeth Johnson-"

"No,you listen to me Brooklyn Wilder. I AM NOT GOING TO WEAR A DRESS!"

"For the hundredth time,I'm asking you-why?!"

"Its-its really agonizing,unbearable,intolerable,confining...the list goes on..."

"All these adjectives describe you"

"I-"

"OK fine Liz. I bail out. You win. Now let's see what all you have then."

And she started rummaging through my closet.

When I had told Brooke about everything that had happened in gym class she couldn't contain her enthusiasm and  whenever she saw Jake,she teased me regularly,"I told you that he liked you." Boy, she seemed more zesty in the anticipation of what was going to happen today than me.

After Jake had asked me for the 'non-date','hangout' thing as he mentioned it, we used to talk nearly everyday. It had been a week since that day and I had been waiting eagerly for this day. I mean,I know it wasn't a date and I was over exaggerating it but still,I was beyond nervous and had so many questions- Should I tell him my feelings? Should I kiss him? Should I- ok I really was exaggerating it.

"Earth to Lizeth. Your phone is ringing." Brooke waved a hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Oh yeah. My phone. Sorry I must have zoned out."

"Hello?" I said answering the call.

"Hi Lizeth it's me- Jake."

Holy hell! Why didn't I see the caller ID? I'd sounded like a grumpy troll when I picked up the phone.

Silently cursing myself I replied,"Hey Jake. Is everything alright?"

Maybe he had called to cancel the date? Maybe he had finally realized the mess he was putting himself into?

"Yeah,everything's great. I just wanted to see if maybe your bestie-what's her name?"

"Brooklyn" What would he possibly want from her?

"Yeah Brooklyn. Sorry,I forgot. So I wanted to ask you if she wanted to tag along with us for the hangout thing. 'Cause my best friend wants to come along. He's been pestering me so I had to give in. Plus it's not a date...so I just wanted to ask if you're fine with the whole thing.And I thought that since he's coming you might want to bring your best friend too.So? "

"Um...I'll ask her. Hold up a sec."

I glanced towards Brooke who was listening to our exchange as I was talking on the speaker phone.

"I have no issue." she shrugged.

"Yeah she has no problem." I said getting back on the phone.

"Perfect. So I'll pick you guys in an hour."

"Yeah. See ya."

After hanging up the phone I looked towards Brooke who seemed just as puzzled as me.

"Why would he want to change his plans and take his friend along all of a sudden?"she demanded looking cross with his decision.

"I don't know. Maybe he thinks that I'll try a move on him or he's frightened of me or he simply doesn't want to be alone with me..." I trailed off

"Gibberish! You really have a very low self esteem,Liz.If he really thought that about you,I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have asked you for this hangout thing. Now,come on wear this."she handed me a pile of clothes.

After making sure it was not a dress I quickly went and changed.

"Nice". Brooke commented as I came into sight. "But you're not allowed to see yourself till the time I don't do your makeup so come and sit down here. Don't even try to peek towards the mirror."she warned.

"Makeup!" I shrieked.

"Don't be so horrified and stop throwing tantrums like a baby for god's sake Liz!"

"B-but-"

"No ifs and buts. Just come and sit down here."

"Don't overdo it. Pleaseee..."

She held up her hands in surrender,"Yeah I won't. Trust me on these things Liz. You need to look your best."

"Ok" I gave up and sat down.

After what seemed like ages Brooke declared,"There you go. Its done."

Finally,I glanced towards the mirror and what I saw was not me. YUP. DEFINITELY NOT ME.

I was wearing black leather leggings with a red tank top and a biker jacket. Brooke had given my eyes a smoky look,slight blush and a touch of lip gloss to complete the look. And my chocolate wavy hair fell on my shoulders. God! Please tell me this is not me!

"I cannot believe it! I love you Brooke! Thank you so much!" I hugged her tightly.

"Glad you liked it. Now I'll go get ready and be back in fifteen minutes. And don't forget to wear your boots."she smiled.

"Obviously Brooke. Do you think I'm gonna go in my slippers?Or barefoot?Seriously."I rolled my eyes.

----------------------------------------------------

Ding Dong.

"Oh my god he's here! Do I look fine?" I exclaimed

"You look perfect. Someone's gonna be flabbergasted when they see you." Brooke stated.

"Girls! Someone's here for you!" I heard my mom shout from downstairs.

"Coming!"

We went downstairs and found Jake and his friend chatting and laughing with my mom. They all looked up as soon as we entered the kitchen.

"Hi Lizeth. Hi Brooke." Jake greeted. What was that expression on his face? Awe?

"Hey" Brooke said and nudged me. I was too busy gaping at Jake to address him.

"So girls I hope you'll be back on time. Don't forget your curfew Liz."

"Yeah mom I'll be back before ten. Bye,love you."

Ever since that incident mom had put up a curfew. She was more guarded and cautious. She was afraid that he could come anytime for me. I was the only person left in the world for her. I was her solace and she was mine. She loved me on her life and didn't want to loose me and that was the reason why she was always extra precautious about my safety.

As soon as we were out of my house Jake turned towards me and he had the same look he had on his face a while ago.

"You look absolutely stunning Lizeth." he said.

"Thanks. It's Liz." I replied because I didn't know how to respond to his remark. I was dumbstruck. Jake thinks I'm pretty! W.O.W! "My friends call me Liz. And you look really nice too." I added.

He was wearing a white shirt which hugged his chest and displayed the manoeuvre of his muscles underneath. On top of that he had put on a leather jacket and black jeans. I couldn't stop staring at him. He just looked so...hot. God! How can I even think that. Take that thought out of your mind you dirty mongrel.

"Thank you." Wow! He seemed shaky. Did I really make him nervous?

We got in the car and made little talk with each other on the way. Jake's friend, Ethan was quite humorous and amusing so I liked him.

"Which movie are we watching?" Brooke asked when we reached the theatre.

"That depends on you girls. Do ya wanna watch action,thriller,mystery,adventure,sci-fi or romance?" He made a gagging sound after saying romance to which we all laughed.

" Let's see what all options we have." I suggested and we all went in.

After a lot of debate we settled upon watching some horror movie. I wasn't so much excited about the movie because all horror movies were a dissapointment for me as they were never able to scare me. I used to laugh my head off at the end of every movie trying to figure out what was petrifying about it. Brooke,on the other hand,always got scared to death. Literally.

But this movie actually came out to be better. But still not that frightening.

Jake and Brooke were on my both sides. At a hair-raising part I grasped Jake's hand unknowingly and he,in return,put an arm around my shoulder. Oh dear lord! Aah! I snuggled close to him. This was gonna be an awesome night.

------------------------------------------------

"I had real fun tonight." Jake commented parking his car in front of my house. We had dropped off Brooke and his friend and it was taking me everything to calm my nerves down.

After the movie we ate at a small diner where we joked and laughed a lot and let me just say it- I had the most awesome time of my life.

So much had changed. Brooke and I were not alone now. We had new friends. It was a really nice change though. Jake and his friend accepted us for who we were and thought we were cool rather than some freaks,which the whole school thought we were.

"Me too. Thanks so much for a wonderful evening."

Then he leaned towards me.

God this was it.

My first kiss with my one and only crush.

Suddenly the lights on the porch came on and I heard my mom shout,"There you are! I was wondering when you would come. It's well past ten. Oh hello Jake. How was your night?" My mom had the worst timing.

"It was really good Mrs Johnson. These girls are something else totally."

What did he mean by that?

"Great! But please call me Amelia. Do you want to come in Jake?"

"No,thank you. I should be on my way now."

"Ok. Come now Liz,or are you planning on standing there the whole night?"

"Bye. And thanks again." I said to Jake.

And then Jake did something I did not expect him to do.

He pecked me on the cheeks and jogged off towards his car leaving me rooted to my place.

This could suffice for now.

When I entered inside the house the first question my mom asked me was,"You have a thing for that guy don't you?" She seemed ecstatic.

"Yeah mom." I admitted.

"He seems nice. How was your night?"

After talking for a bit with my mom I went upstairs and changed and then fell on the bed exhausted. It had been a tiring day and I couldn't wait to get some sleep.

Little did I know that the nightmares would come to haunt me again that night.

"Please! Leave her alone! Please!"

The devil looked up. "Of course I will. But everything comes for a price. I taught you that right? So you come with me and I'll leave your mommy to her fate."

"No!" I shrieked.

"What will you do of a six year old girl? Please let her be." my mom begged.

"I'm afraid not. We both know that's not possible." the devil reached towards me.

The devil.

He was not a devil. I used to adore him. But not anymore.

Angrily, I brought my hand to his face and slapped him -hard.

He turned his head towards me and his eyes were glowing...red.

"You are going to pay for this,you little b****!"

And he brought his knife towards my face when all of a sudden someone snatched it.

The devil turned.

He glowered at my mother.

And he was about to use his powers to kill her.I knew it.

"No!" I woke up screaming this time.

My mom was beside me in an instant. She handed me some pills and a glass of water and started rubbing my back. Without any questions I took the pills.

"Is it the nightmare again?"she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes." I breathed.

"Everything will be fine,sweetie. Don't worry."

"I'm afraid mom. Afraid he'll come back. Afraid he'll be more powerful this time.Afraid he'll hurt the ones I love."

"He won't sweetie. Samuel is there.He won't let any harm come to us. And you have me and Brooke. Don't be afraid okay? I need you to be strong and fight this. Just like the six year old Liz I knew who wasn't afraid of anyone or anything and who believed in herself."

That gave me strength. I won't let him make me weak. I won't let him affect me. No. I wouldn't. Because it would be his victory.

"Thank you mom." I hugged her.

"Anytime sweetie. Let me know if you're not able to sleep. Love you." She kissed my forehead.

"Love you too mom."

As I lay down to sleep I made up my mind. I was going to get him. He was going to regret everything he did. It was time for payback.

Brooke was seriously getting on my nerves. Her birthday was in two day's time and she was hysterical. But I can't hold her accountable for it...after all if you were to get an anonymous ability which you have been awaiting for since the beginning of your existence....well,you couldn't be more jumpy than Brooke already was. And seeing her made me only more anxious as my birthday was coming closer....only a month to go.

"Hey sherlock. Why thou in such deep thought?"

I leaped up in shock when I heard him.

"You scared the crap out of me you bastard!" I hollered

"Woah! It's not my fault that you were daydreaming about me."

"Jake,what makes you think that I would daydream about you?"

"Oh,come on. I know you can't resist me. After all I'm so irresistible..."

"Please,Mr egoistic. I've seen better than you."

"Oh really? But your eyes seem to mean something else" he chuckled and put an arm around my shoulder making me forget the smartass comment I was going to make.

After the night of our first 'hangout' Jake and I had become nearly inseparable. We had become really good friends and seeing as to I was friends with the school's most popular guy people were forgetting the 'freak' stamp that they had put on me and Brooke. I was very grateful for that but more grateful to Jake.

-------------------------------------

When the bell rang,signalling that the school was over,I sighed and made my way to the parking lot where I knew Brooke would be waiting for me....and sure enough she was.

"Oh Liz,come on! You're late! We're going shopping for my birthday party!"

"But its a pool party. What are we gonna shop for? Swimwear?" I whined. I loathed shopping. A lot.

As soon as we got in the car she explained,"Liz,after the pool party,there will be a party inside my house. So we need to buy some nice clothes. Especially for you. You're not gonna wear that blue sundress."

"Okay..."

---------------------------------------

After a tiring day,Brooke dropped me at my house. When I got in my mom was sitting at the table holding a piece of paper and she looked...miserable.

"Mom is everything alright?!" I rushed towards her side immediately.

"No Lizzy,nothing is right."

"What happened mom?"

"He arises."

Two words. As soon as those two words left her mouth it felt like the whole world was collapsing on me. We both knew what it meant. He wouldn't let us live. We would be his first target.

No.

This could not be happening.

But it was.

He was after all the devil who deceived us. We survived the first time,just because Brooke's family was there on time and he was weak,to survive the force of so many powers. So he scurried away.

I will come back.

His last words. This time we would be the ones running away from him.

What we feared of,the most,happened. He had become the Lord of evil.

I couldn't feel anything now. All I felt was numbness and the next second everything went black.

--------------------------------------------------

"She heard the news and blacked out?"

"Yes. She has been going through a lot of stress lately. Your daughter might be knowing about the nightmares she keeps on having. After all they are best friends."

I could make out Mr. Samuel's and my mother's concerned voice in the background.

Groaning I tried to open my eyes. The bright light pinched my eyes at first but then everything came to view. Brooke,her dad and my mother were gathered in my room where I was lying on my bed.

I tried to sit up but my mom's hand gently pushed me down.

"Get some rest dear. I know this is a lot to take in."

"No mom. If I sleep I'll have nightmares."

That silenced her.

"Look Lizeth, there is nothing to be afraid of. Now, I should get going. But before that can I please talk to you Amelia?"he nodded his head towards my mother.

"Of course. Brooke,will you be staying here?"my mom asked.

"Yes for the night. If it's okay."

"Certainly."

"Uh mom" I said,before she walked out of the door.

"Yes sweetie?"

"How do you know about it? And what was the paper in your hand when I came in?"she knew what I was referring to.

Sighing,she straightened her hair and spoke,"There is a spy who is working for us. He gave me the news. And that paper held the news. I wanted to tell you about the spy when the time came. But I guess I never got the chance."

"Okay." was my only reply.

I turned towards Brooke who placed a hand on my shoulder,consoling me,and said,"We'll find a way through this mess. I promise."

Promise. A word that has broken several hearts and mended only a few. When you make a promise you assure someone with certainty for the future. But what happens when it comes to keeping promises? It is forgotten.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Brooke."

"I will. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Maybe okay will be-" I threw a pillow at her cutting her off.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence."

We both were laughing so hard we fell to the floor. Like literally.

Beep. Beep.

My phone was ringing. I saw the caller ID and did a double take. It was Jake. But why would he be calling at ten in the night?

"Hello?" I answered.

"L-Lizeth. Ouch. I-I. Aah!" I heard screaming and muffling from the other side.

"N-no"

"What happened?!" I was feeling freaked out completely. He sounded like he was in a lot of pain.

"Get to the forest near our school. Now!"

"Yeah I'm coming."

"What's going on?" Brooke questioned as soon as I put the phone down.

I explained her while wearing my sneakers in a haste,"It's Jake. Something's wrong. He seemed to be in pain when I talked to him. He's told me to come to the forest now. Come on let's go."

We both hurried down the stairs where my mom was making supper.

"Mom there's an emergency. Jake called me. We're going to meet him at the forest."

"At the forest?! Are you going bonkers? Three no way I'm going to let you go to the forest this late. Plus,where exactly in the forest?"

"I don't know mom! Something has happened to him,okay?! We'll be alright!"

I banged the door behind me and both of us got into the car.

I knew I shouldn't have shouted at my mother. She was just worried about me and didn't want me getting hurt. But my mom wouldn't have understood and it would have taken me days to make her agree to me.

As soon as we reached the outskirts of the forest I took out my phone to call Jake when I noticed a dark silhouette between the trees. Soon,Jake came into view.

I looked at him completely stunned.

He had cuts and bruises all over his body,his shirt was ripped and blood was dripping down his arm.

What the heck happened to him?!

Brooke was faster than me and reached him just as he collapsed to the ground whereas I was still trying to process all of it. But then I finally came to my senses and was by his side in an instinct.

I cradled his face into my hands and told Brooke to bring the medical kit which I always kept in my car for emergencies and a bottle of water which,I had luckily brought along.

We cleaned some of his cuts and bandaged him. The cuts were deep and were bleeding badly. It took us a lot of time to stop the bandage him. After Brooke gave him some water,I asked the question we both were dying to ask,"What happened Jake?"

He grabbed onto my hand and answered feebly,"Long story short,it was someone who wants you dead."

Someone who wanted me dead? I already knew who that person was- the devil. I knew he would come for me,but so soon? I had no idea. And if he wanted me dead why did he do this to Jake? My head was whirling with so many questions.

"Is it who I think it is?" Brooke quired.

"Yes" I whispered.

"So I guess you already know that person? Look,can we just go and talk elsewhere? This isn't a safe place." Jake said.

"Yes,but we need to take you to the hospital first! Have you had a look at yourself? You need immediate medication." Brooke commented.

"No I'll be fine. Just take me home." Jake tried to protest.

"Not a chance boy. Now come on,get in the car."

We helped Jake get up who leaned onto Brooke and me. He was really very heavy but we managed to get him in the car.

"Don't think you'll bypass this conversation. You have a lot of explaining to do Lizeth." Jake said eyeing me.

------------------------------------------------

As soon as we reached the hospital Brooke took Jake to the doctor, and I made an urgent call to my mom telling her about all that took place and apologizing. She told me that she understood how much Jake meant to me,and it wasn't my fault that I behaved the way I did. After talking to my mom I went to the room where the doctor had just finished stitching some bruises.

And now here we were...sitting in my room where I could feel every eye on me.

"So I suggest you start from the beginning,Jake. Tell us what exactly happened." Brooke motioned for him to go ahead.

He took a sigh and started,"I was jogging,with my headphones on. The route I took was the same as everyday. As I was passing by the forest I saw a trail of blood on the ground that happened to catch my eye.Well,you know how they say,'Curiosity killed the cat' so maybe I didn't die but I definitely did not survive all the attacks too. So anyways,getting back on track,I followed the trail which led me deeper into the forest. I had taken my headphones off by that time and I heard a cry. A cry of agony,which came from somewhere near me. And then suddenly there was a person in front of me. He wore a mask but I could see his eyes. He had red eyes. Is that even possible?"

"Um...I-I...yeah it's atypical." I didn't know what else to say. Of course the devil would have red eyes.

"Yeah that's what I thought. Maybe he was wearing lenses to scare me. So then,he asked me if I was Jake and I was hesitant to answer him so he supposed I was. Then he suddenly pushed me back against a tree and started to say something but I fought back which was presumably wrong of me to do. But he was just...way to strong...strong in an unusual way if you know what I mean. So,he won our fight and then told me that he knew I was friends with you." Jake nodded his head in my direction and continued," He said something about the dark lord wanting you and he told me that it was all your fault that I was suffering. But Lizeth, before you assume something I want to tell you- it's not your fault okay? None of it."

"Okay." I muttered even though I knew Jake had to go through so much of pain just because of me. I felt terribly guilty.

"Liz,I can see it in your eyes that you don't mean it."

"I-I can't help it okay Jake? I just need some time. You continue what you were saying."

He huffed,"He told me to tell you that he isn't what you might be thinking he is. He just works for the person who wants to see your corpse."

Wait,so it wasn't the devil? Of course you silly girl,now that he had become the dark lord you thought he was gonna come especially to kill you? Or take you? Because I really didn't know what he wanted from me. Nor did my mom.

"Anyways, he told me to deliver a message."

I sat up straight,"What's that?"

"He said the lord is coming for you."

I didn't know how long I sat there trying to take in everything Jake had told us. It was just too much. It felt as if my head was about to burst.

Finally Jake broke the silence,"I need you both to explain what the hell this all means. Now."

I started,"Jake,I-we-we can't tell you. I'm sorry, but it'll put your life on the line. And I can't do that to you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?! I have every right to know. I deserve an explanation."

"I can't Jake, I can't."tears trailed down my cheeks. As much as I wanted to tell him,I couldn't. It was best for both of us.

"I can't believe this."he said and left without any other word.

"Liz-" Brooke started but I cut her off.

"Please Brooke I need some time. Alone."

"Yes I know that but just, don't blame yourself for what happened to Jake. Please."and with that she left me.

How could I not blame myself? I should've known this would happen. I would hurt everyone I care about. This is what happens to people who get close to me. They get hurt. They break. I don't want to do that to them. Maybe that is the reason why I never got attached to anyone but Brooke. A part of me hated myself for doing this to Jake but I should've known all along. Maybe this would teach me a lesson to not get too close to anyone ever again.

That night I cried myself to sleep. I would just have to keep my distance from everyone,especially from Jake. I couldn't bear to hurt him more than I already had.

Guilt isn't always a rational thing...guilt is a weight that will crush you whether you like it or not.

And it did. It crushed me.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Urgh. Grumbling,I rolled onto my stomach and slammed my alarm off.

11:30 p.m.

Oh no!I had to be at Brooke's in just fifteen minutes. I'd set the alarm for eleven but I guess I overslept it.

We had planned on giving Brooke a surprise for her birthday and were meeting at her house in half an hour. The 'we' comprised of me,my mom,Jake and Ethan.

Speaking of Jake...I had pretty much been striving  to reconcile things with him ever since that day. But he demanded an explanation and wouldn't forgive me until I told him what had happened. I knew he had the full right to know as to what had happened that night,given that he was almost massacred because of me. But I had consulted my mother and Brooke and we all came to the conclusion that it was best to keep the fact concealed from him.

Every time I passed him he either overlooked me or gave me such an inexplicable look that had me melting to the ground. It was devastating. But I didn't want to hurt him anymore so it was best to just go back to being what we were before we became friends.

Even though he had stopped talking to me didn't mean that he was distant from Brooke as well. He thought that Brooke,just like him,didn't have any theory of what had befallen upon him. That was the only reason why they were still friends. Sometimes friends,other times, when he saw me with her-'acquaintances'.

Sighing, I treaded over to my closet door and banged it open forcefully in an attempt to hasten up. I eyed my wardrobe minutely,trying to find something that would befit the occasion. A blue crop top lying in the mound of clothes caught my eye.Brooke, being  the malevolent witch she was,had threatened me to buy the top because she thought it complemented my curves. I thought it would make her really glad if she saw me wearing it.So I put on the top,pulled on a pair of black jeans and my sneakers that I oh-so-loved. I opted to go against makeup and applied a touch of lip gloss.

When I got downstairs I found my mom,all dressed up, doing some paper work.

She regarded me with a smile and answered my unspoken thought,"I decided to complete some assignments my boss had given me while I was waiting for you. Now come on get into the car or else we'll be late. And,oh,the present that I'm giving to Brooklyn is lying on the bedside table. Could you please bring it?"

I had resolved to gift Brooke a novel she had been obsessing on since the past two months and all she could talk about was how much she wanted to read it and yada,yada. Now,you might be wondering why a millionaire's daughter can't buy a simple book when all she has to do is just go to her dad and ask for ten dollars and she'll get a hundred. Well,the reason was that Brooke got normal pocket money that an ordinary teenager would get and she had spent it all for mostly eating outside when we would go shopping. And when she had asked her dad for a little more he had denied giving her any because,as she quoted,he didn't want her to become a 'spoiled brat'.

So....I was giving her a novel and a CD of some american band that she was madly in love with.

But I planned on gifting her everything later on,at the party unlike my mom who was gifting her now. We were giving her separate presents because after me,my mom was Brooke's second best friend.

Hard to believe, yet true.

After about a five minute drive we were inside Brooke's mansion. Brooke obviously didn't have a clue about this surprise so I presumed she would be snoring her head off right now.

Thinking about sleep...yawn...

Okay,I'm not usually a sleepaholic but somehow,nowadays,I just felt tired and I had no idea why.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jake stroll over towards us. He addressed mom and as usual, disregarded me.My mother observed this because she gave me a brief look as she passed me.

We were planning on waking up Brooke by spooking her. Kiddish I know,but funny. First of all,we set her alarm for eleven fifty six, held our places, and waited for the alarm to sound. As soon as it rang,we heard some tossing and turning and groaning come from upstairs and then the loud noise of Brooke slamming the alarm off.

As soon as there was quietude in the atmosphere,Ethan started the recording he had,which consisted of some cluttering and crashing noises. They were enough to set Brooke into panic mode and wake her from her deep slumber.

After the recording ended,we heard the creaking of a bed and someone's quiet footsteps.

All of us held our breath.

Three...

Two...

One!

The lights came on and everyone shouted in a uniform chorus,"Happy birthday Brooklyn!"

The look on her face was priceless. When I say priceless I mean priceless. She couldn't have looked more shocked than she was right now.

"Oh. My. God. I-I can't believe this. It's just...Oh my god!"she beamed.

"Well,surprise! A perfect start to your perfect new life!" Brooke's dad stated. Except Jake and Ethan, everyone present in the room grasped the hidden message behind his words.

Brooke smirked,"You couldn't be more right."

We cut the cake and talked a bit although everyone looked and felt sleepy except Brooke whose face was lit up like a Christmas tree.

No one said a word about her powers,given that there were two mortals present.But by the end, when everybody was getting ready to leave,she dragged me aside and whispered,"Do you think I got my powers? How do I test it? How do I know what it is? Do you have any idea?"

"Good lord,Brooke! You're asking me?! Its like-like-leave it. How would I know? Ask your dad."

Before she could reply,I heard mom call out my name and gushed hurriedly,"Look,talk to your dad and tell me 'bout your abilities in school. 'Kay?"

----------------------------------------------------

I woke up to the Californian sun rays peering through the curtains. I hadn't disclosed it earlier, but we lived in California.

After what took place the night when I was seven,we had nowhere to go,nowhere to hide,and that is where Brooke's father came into the picture. Not only did he equip us with financial support, he also helped us through our unfathomable times. He thought it best for us to live in a colonized and populated place to decrease the chances of anyone finding us.

But now,even god couldn't help us;not that I believed in him. I was an atheist,had always been one and no one could change that. But whatever expectations my mom had,had been shattered completely. She was an optimist but I didn't know how long she could be. He had found us,almost slaughtered my friend, and we didn't know what his next move would be. It was like living in a game of snakes and ladders.

I came downstairs after getting ready and realised that the house was quiet and my mom was nowhere to be seen. When I went towards the fridge to take out the bottle of water,a piece of yellow paper sticking to it caught my attention.

"Had urgent work to do. Leaving early. Have fun. Love you always.
-mommy"

Oh well. I grabbed my bag and was just locking the front door when Brooke's car pulled up.

"Hey birthday girl!" I said once I was inside the car.

She grumbled.

Wow. I certainly did not expect this reaction. I thought she would be happy, ok scratch that-I thought she would be superlatively happy that she finally got her abilities. This girl never tends to surprise me.

"What's wrong?" I questioned.

"My powers. When I asked dad 'bout it he said something like its not imperative to get it now and stuff that I couldn't perceive. We weren't able to talk 'cause I was getting late for school so he said he'll tell me 'bout it later. He also told me to bring you along after school and that he has talked to your mom 'bout it. But I'm really curious to know."

"Hey,its alright. Whatever it is,you will get your powers ok? You wouldn't be an arix. It's impossible to be an Arix when none of your parents are powerless."

We were in the parking lot of the school and it seemed like we were going to be late-very late. But I couldn't just leave Brooke here on her own and let her have a breakdown.Especially on her birthday.

"I know. It's just that I-I don't know how to feel about it." She put her head in her hands.

"Look,forget about abilities and all. Just forget it. Think that you're a normal mortal and enjoy your birthday. Don't let these things get your morale down. Please. Everything happens once, that once never happens once again. So just have fun today. 'Kay? You don't want to look back and regret it."

She looked up and grinned at me that reminded me of a Cheshire cat."Thank you. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you."

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"'Scuse me."

"Please make way."

"God!"

Honestly,I kinda liked parties. But I guess I can't say that because I hadn't really been to many parties or even small gatherings what with all the turbulence going on in our lives. But I was having a ball right now. And I wanted to enjoy,as long as it lasted.

Here I could see a few drunkards most of whom were dancing and some people who looked like they'd be anywhere else but here and looking weary with their lives. I really do commiserate them. Others were, well,trying to flirt with any willy-nilly person and some very skittish people were busy ogling others or the food to acknowledge the surroundings. I never would've fantasized that either Brooke or me would ever throw a party or even if we did,anyone would come. But here it was.

Yes,Brooke and I were weirdos;that was before Jake and Ethan. Now,we were talked about in the school and the cheerleaders were more scurrilous. But that didn't stop people from trying to be our friends and that was also the reason why Brooke was having such a big birthday blast. Quite a cliche if you ask me.

Speaking of Brooke...I hadn't seen her for quite some time. I trudged out of the house trying to catch sight of her but she was nowhere to be seen. So I decided to stay outside and have a irenic minute before going inside the house and face the blaring music. I strolled over to where the swing was and sat down with my juice in my hand.

I was just looking around, gazing at the stars and wishing how things could have been different when I heard footsteps. The sound was quite but audible to a person who had their ears open and alert intently at all times.

I looked around,trying to make out where the noise had come from when a hooded figure moving swiftly towards the house caught my eye. The person was sporting a black jacket and dark jeans and it was difficult to make out whether it was a boy or a girl because of the hood which hid the person's face.

Weird. It certainly couldn't be someone Brooke had invited. I was sure of that. And even if it was, why was the person hiding themself or rather, what was the person hiding themself from?So,being the curious person I was,I decided to trail him. Or her.

Setting my juice glass down on the ground,I ran into the house before I lost sight of the eerie being and was just in time to see a black hood bobbing among the crowd and slip towards the almost secluded corridor.

To wriggle through the crowd was something that took so much time and elbow grease that till the time I reached the corridor,the person was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he went to the basement,"I thought,because that seemed like the only alternative that would gratify someone who didn't want to be rumbled. Plus,the door to the basement was in the corridor which was slightly ajar.

So,I made up my mind, quietly opened the basement door and shut it behind me. The stairs didn't creak as they do in horror movies when I stepped on them but I was sure I heard some muffled voices.

The moonlight peeked into the basement however it was still dark enough and I thought it wouldn't be an ace idea to switch on the flashlight of my mobile when it was clear enough that I was not alone in here. Also,my analytical brain wouldn't allow me to go back and grab any type of weapon or get help. If it was an earthling I could definitely handle it-weapon or not.

So,trying to be as stealthy as I could,I climbed down the stairs and tried to see through the dreary light.

As I came to the end of the stairs I caught sight of two people who were standing in the extreme opposite nook from where I stood. Thankfully,it didn't look like they had sensed my presence yet.

There were a few trestles and cabinets kept in the basement, out of which some were empty and the others had sealed boxes. God knows what was kept in them.

I glided over to one of the cupboards and hid behind it,trying to make out the conversation along with circling my eyes around to find a weapon that could come in handy if I needed it.

"Let. Me. Go."

The voice that spoke sounded timid and wobbled slightly. And it was definitely a female. Her voice said it all. That she was frightened. Maybe even frightened to death.

The other person laughed-a deep manly laugh and said,"You seriously think I'll do that?And if I don't,what will you do huh?Call on your stupid little frangible friends to your aid?Look,let's negotiate. You know that I'm not going to let you go till the time I don't get what I need. But if you stop struggling I'll unhand the rope but you'll still have to tell me. And you know the consequences you'll have to face if you try to run away. Got it?"

Tell me?What did the guy want to know? Who were they and what was happening here?

"O-okay" she stammered.

Curiously,I sneaked a look and made little of what I saw. A rope, too small,not even the length of my arm,was secured to the girl's wrist but it wasn't shackled to anything. The man held the rope in his hand. Slowly but unwaveringly,he released his hold on the rope and I saw the girl ease up just a bit.

The moonlight hit her face making her features patent. She had long,blonde hair which looked like they had been braided,now entwined like wires and a white gown flowed down her body which was ripped from the back. The gilded cuffs she was wearing glinted in the moonlight. But what really caught my eye was the necklace which shone so brightly that it hurt if you looked at it for more than a second.

Under different circumstances the girl would have looked beautiful;just like an angel. She would've passed for Aphrodite's daughter. Hell,Aphrodite herself. But now,with her dress torn and her bloodied face she looked something else altogether.

"Now tell me,"the man's voice sounded,breaking me from my reverie,"And fast. Don't try and play any tricks. I don't have much time."

The girl spoke so daintily that I had to strain my ears to catch what she was saying,"How do I know you won't kill me after I told you?"

"You have my word. I swear on Kali."

"If I tell you, my sisters would loathe me and I will be punished,hated and consigned to oblivion for the rest of my existence. And if I don't, I die against your hands. But I would die doing something good,protecting something precious. What do you think is better? Living a wretched life where I detest myself for playing Judas or dying; for a good cause knowing I did the right thing and living peacefully in heaven among the gods? I choose death."

"You are choosing the wrong alternative!"

"No,it couldn't be more right,"the girl spoke with a more steady and contained voice."Go ahead,kill me."

"Aagh! If that's what you want you're of no use to me then. I will find someone more useful than you. So your death will be in vain. You have one last chance to reconsider your choice."

The girl said something but I didn't hear her response because I was too preoccupied trying to find something,anything that could help her.

I opened a sealed box lying in front of me with a lot of effort using my long fingernails-something I'll have to thank Brooke for later and shuffled through the random stuff kept in it;some bottles containing colorful liquid,a spherical shaped device,darts? Nothing useful. At the bottom of the box something sharp met my fingers. I pulled it out.

A fork. Great. Just my luck.

There was nothing that could be used as a weapon. I contemplated what to do and finally settled on the fork as the next best thing because time was running out and by the looks of it,this guy meant business and if he didn't get what he wanted... I could distract him for a minute or two enough to give the girl time to bail out.

"...would've made you suffer and watch you die in agonizing pain but I don't have the time,"the man was saying.

He took something out of his coat-an axe;raised it above his head and roared,"To the end of your existence."

"Stop!"a voice sounded.

I clamped my mouth shut, appalled to hear my voice all rock ribbed when in reality I was shaken to the bones.

Both the people-or whatever they were-regarded me, disconcert clearly plastered on their face at the appearance of an outlandish figure.

I didn't really know what to do because I wasn't a crackerjack in situations like this,nor was I upskilled to fight, especially someone like them or...him.

After what seemed like ages of silence the man's scowl slowly morphed into a huge grin which made me want to throw up...even more.

"Well I'll be,"he chuckled,"What do we have here?"

Then he turned towards the woman and said,"You see this is exactly what I was talking about. I don't get why there always has to be someone who thinks they can save any of you,and why there has to be someone so willing to die,and why I can't kill any of you without there being a little mundane drama and innocent lives lost. But alas,it has to be that way doesn't it?"

Now that the man had turned his face I could see a little bit of him but enough to know that he wasn't the hooded figure.However,what I saw,I swear I hadn't seen anything like it before neither did I have any intention to.

His face looked greasy and black as if he had come after working with machines in a factory or running through the woods to save his life. But by the looks of it,I knew neither of it could be the reason.

However that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part were the burns on his left cheek that travelled along the side of his neck to his left arm. They looked very rotten,rotten than anything I'd ever seen, rotten than the rotten apple the evil queen could've ever offered snow white and I felt my food travel further upwards.

"You dare not touch her!" the woman seethed.

"Oh I wish so but I don't think there is any way she's going to leave without a fight. And only one of us can win. Obviously,it will be me. Do you look at her? She is another poor fragile thing who was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

I cleared my throat loudly and shifted slightly on my feet,"Excuse me,she is still here. And I would really appreciate it if you guys could stop discussing my death in my presence."

"Ah,well,enough with the talk girl,I ain't got all the time in the world. Now,I'm going to give you two choices just like I gave this lass over here even though I know what you would choose. But I'm just trying to be a gentleman on my side-"

"Gentleman,hah,"the lady scoffed.

"-So what is it gonna be?Are you going to be a good girl and walk away from here forgetting that any of this ever happened or do you want to bring your death upon you?"he continued, as if the woman hadn't said anything.

I looked towards her.

"Just go girl, there is no point for you to suffer for me. You will not be able to defeat him. I admire your bravery but you have to be wise and walk away from this."

"And live my entire life bearing the guilt of your death on my shoulders?That I could have done something but I walked away like a coward? My mother taught me better than that,"I replied.

"You cannot prevent my death. No one can now. Except a miracle."

The man interrupted,apparently tired of our banter,"There is nothing like a miracle!Now I think she has made her decision and so have you. I must say I would take pleasure in draining the lives out of both of you slowly,"then he turned towards me and said,"I wish your mother would have taught you how to choose judiciously. But I guess it has to be this way."

He moved towards me at the same time the woman shouted "NO!" and had me pinned down to the ground by my neck in the blink of an eye.

I struggled to free his hold off of my neck but he was very bulky and muscular and I knew there was no way in the world that I could defeat him.

But I could keep him occupied with me while the woman escaped.

The more I struggled the more I felt my energy draining out of me. Gathering enough strength, I gasped,"Go.Go!Run...away...now!"

The man whirled his head and snarled at the lady,daring her to make an escape and I used it to my advantage to stab the fork I was holding into the burns in his arms.

He screamed loudly but not loud enough for anyone to hear the commotion going on inside the basement on top of the loud music. His grip on me loosened but not enough to keep me from choking.

I looked over his shoulder at the woman who looked totally bewildered and was scrambling around. Looking for something to help me,I suppose?

To give her more time,I once again stabbed the fork,in the burns of his neck,and this time he left my throat to grasp his own.

I quickly shuffled to my feet and looked over at the woman,"Go now!Otherwise all this will be in vain!Go!I will keep him distracted!"

When she just stood there looking apprehensive,I dragged my feet towards her and snatched her arm,"Just run.Please.Don't worry about me. And do not co-"

Before I could complete what I was saying I was once again on the ground. Great. I thought. The ground and me were supposed to be best friends. How could I forget that?Here we go again.

This time I was weaponless and my throat could bear only so much before he choked me to death. I didn't even have the energy to struggle so I just lay there motionless looking at the woman who now had a glass bottle in her hand ready to knock his head.

She brought the bottle down on his head with a large force but surprisingly the bottle just broke to pieces and the man didn't even show a hint of being in pain. He looked indifferent. As if the bottle hadn't hurt him at all. Maybe it really hadn't. What was this guy made of? Steel?

He kicked his leg back and had the woman at the ground too.

I didn't think any of us had the strength to fight back anymore. So I just lay there and she just lay there.

I hadn't given much thought as to how I would die but I didn't have the slightest of idea that it would be on Brooke's birthday,or today as a matter of fact. Now that I lay here defeated I couldn't see my whole life in a movie as you're supposed to. No flashbacks, no regret.Only pain.

All these thoughts disappeared as soon as the man was lifted off of me and he let out a shout of surprise. Then I heard a noise and a grunt.

I didn't have the strength to open my eyes but I knew it was there.

A miracle.

I opened my eyes and blinked. Everything slowly came back to me like bubbles resurfacing from a bottomless pit.

The scarred man. The woman in white dress.

I got up slowly, my head throbbing after tonight's adventure and looked around. It was still dark. The music was still playing. The cellar was empty.

Or so I thought.

"Great you're up,"said a heavy voice from behind me.

I whirled around and threw a punch before realising my mistake.

He wasn't the scarred man. The boy looked to be around his teens. Because it was gloomy his facial features were hard to make out. His eyes could have been blue or black. Who knows?

"Who are you?" I questioned the guy who was rubbing the part where my fist had met his face.

He scowled at me,"Shouldn't you be more like 'sorry for hitting you' and 'thank you for saving me' and less like 'who are you'?"

"Saving me?What are you talking about?Saving me from what?"

"From an earthquake. Duh. From that man who nearly killed you."

Did he see everything?Hold up. From what I could make out he didn't look that strong to have taken over that man. What in the world was he talking about?

"I know what you're thinking. No,I did not kill that man or anything. He got away. And the woman,she told me to thank you for stepping in for her and all that. She's not here since she had to leave urgently."

I didn't know what to say so I just nodded. I couldn't trust myself to speak sanely right now after all that had happened.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked suddenly.

"I guess."

I couldn't think. My head felt like it was about to burst. I had so many questions to ask but I didn't know where to start and whom to ask.

"Well if you're fine I'll be on my way then. You should go join the party. Your friends would be waiting for you."

With that he turned around and left hastily before I could utter another word.

"Weird,"I thought. But then tonight in itself was weird. I met anonymous people,had a near death encounter,was saved by some guy my age-whom I'm pretty sure is neither Brooke's friend nor is in our school.

The thought that I couldn't get out of my head was who those people were and what in the world were they doing in Brooke's house? Were they somehow connected to her dad? Only he would hold the answers to these questions.

I breathed a long sigh,"Well,time to go."

---------------------------------------------

As soon as I took a step into the corridor the music hit my ears making me groan loudly. Please don't take offence,I like listening to music but there are times that I desire silence. This was one of those times. I have never been crazy about music the way other people are. I could go on weeks without listening to a song and still not feel melancholic. Brooke on the other hand as I mentioned is my polar opposite and hence has a kind of reverence for music.

"There you are Liz!"

Speak of the devil. I saw Brooke advance towards me through the impenetrable crowd.

"Where were you?I've looked for you every nook and cranny,"she hollered to make herself audible on top of the head-splitting music.

"You will not bel-" I started to say but she cut me off.

"Whatever,come with me. Dad says he wants to meet up with us in his study tout de suite," she emphasised with her fingers by making quotation marks in the air.

I rolled my eyes and both of us hustled towards John's office. Brooklyn and her way with words. She had a weird tendency to use french, latin or greek words in any sentence whenever she felt like it. Well,she was efficient in languages. God knows how many dialects she knew.

I opened the door and we entered her father's office to find him leaning on his desk talking to someone who had their back on us. Weird. Brooke's dad rarely called us to his office. It was strictly out off bounds for us. And he hardly invited anyone to his study. Whenever a colleague would come to visit him they would always be found talking in the living room be it business related or not. Why he keeps his study concealed will always remain a mystery to me.

When he saw us he stopped talking to whoever it was he was talking to and lifted his head, worry written all over his face and said,"Thank the lord you girls are here. I have something very important to discuss with you."

The person whom he was talking to turned around to acknowledge us.

But I was clearly not prepared for that. Neither was the person. Clearly.

"You?!" both of us exclaimed at the same time.