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She was stalking Rivener. She didn’t know what made her feel worse: the constant taunting that she would kill him and that he didn’t care about her, watching herself plan the attack of the guy she likes, or the heartache that really dawned on her. Rivener didn’t care about her. And really she didn’t have any basis to care about him. She was confident in his ability to fight her, but she didn’t know how far Brian could push her body.

But all the feelings that Brian had when he was about to murder…they all feel so familiar. Adrenaline. She got that any time she went to the spirit world before. She got that from helping souls. Excitement. Well almost everything fun excited her. There was fear too. What would happen if she got caught. If the guy turned. If the girl screamed. The spirit world always scared her. Hell, even talking to spirits scared her. Anticipation was there too. What if…

She didn’t want to think it. But…what if she was just like Brian Sparks. She just got her thrills another way. He murdered. She traveled to a place no one had been before. Where maybe no living thing should go. The thrill was the same. There were the same emotions, the same rush. What if she was just like him.

She had killed. She had murdered. And she had felt the rush of emotions when she did. So what was the difference?

Daytime.

That’d be when he’d have to do it.

He didn’t want to wait until after the goons left and if he ambushed him on his way to Durem there would be no one around. And there would be nothing to stop him.

Those ******** wings would be done for, he thought with a sob-giggle.

He’d chill for now. Get some rest.

Then tomorrow that ******** would go down...................................................He eyed his weapon of choice in the corner and sob-giggled himself to sleep.

Death From Above

Who: Lucia, Rivener, and Zul
Where: Durem Caves North, on the road to the Delaran homestead
When: 5 PM
Weather: Cloudy and dreary, cool

Lucia and Brian have been leading up to this moment: Lucia attacks and tries to murder Rivener. For him, it's a Death From Above.

Consolation

Who: Zeke and Lucia
When: Right after "The Nightmare Ends"
Where: An exam room in the lab
Weather: Same as "The Nightmare Ends"

Zeke watches Lucia while Alex is taking care of Rivener in another room. Is he watching to help her, or to make sure she doesn't cause more trouble? Or, are he and Alex holding her there until Kyou can euthanize her for her wrongdoings? Hopefully it's that Zeke wants to provide some Consolation.

Lucia’s eyes were focused out of the window. Her hand grasped loosely in Zul’s, and the warmth of it, if nothing else, was a bit comforting. They had driven a while. Past Yuurei’s house – which looked dark, though beautiful unoccupied. Zul and her had stopped in there recently – to get a few things she needed or wanted. Past the turn off to Rivener and Eiry and Zul’s house. She felt bad for uprooting Zul and Alex. But she was grateful. Zul got to go home during the day while she slept. She didn’t trust herself at night…and with Brian this was her sleep schedule. She couldn’t reverse it.

The drove further. Into Durem. Her hand squeezed Zul’s tighter as the neared the seedy motel where Lucia had rented a room for a week starting 6 days ago. All to attack Rivener… Lucia hadn’t talked about it much. Her nights with Zul were spent out by the shore where Lorenzo’s ashes were spread. They would sit by the cliff and watch the waters and the reflection of the moon on the water and see the stars. Sometimes they would talk – he avoided talking about things..she didn’t want to discuss. But when she mentioned wanting to get the things she left at the motel – Zul had been helpful, but insisted on talking to Alex about it. Who insisted on driving them to the poor section and back.

There were things there that Lucia NEEDED. Her laptop. Yuurei’s cell phones. Her phone. And worst of all: LuLu’s feather and the remains of her and Vyn’s shared necklace. She had to at least get those things. She bit her lip, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. But she managed to keep herself stoic.

As the tires rolled to a stop, she pulled out the room key from her purse. It had been stuck into her bra while she was stalking, attacking, dying. Or it was Brian who died. She was freed. That’s right. But thankfully it had stayed put so she could get her things now. She opened the door and turned to Alex in the front seat. ”I’ll be back soon,” she said. Zul didn’t have to come with her, but she knew he would. She released his hand to float out of the car, but her chest was a little tight until she felt him float up behind her and close the door.

Her wings folded, she floated closer to Zul, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow and hugging his arm against her body. She examined the key. A number, “206,” was engraved into it. ”Upstairs, I guess.” she said, floating towards the outside stairs. It was midevening – about 8pm now. As they passed one of the rooms the frei heard noises they were too young to understand. In another, there was a couple arguing, accompanied with slams against the walls, slaps against skin, and shrieks. And Lucia had lived here for a few days at least.

As they got to 206, the kitten looked over the balcony. At least being possessed by Brian got rid of her fear of heights. When you had to fear killing your loved ones, heights kind of didn’t matter. She slid the key into the lock, teeth facing up and turned the lock towards the bolt mechanism and strike plate. The door swung open. Lucia’s breath caught in her throat as she felt him embrace the arm clinging to his body.

Floating slowly in, Lucia’s eyes flicked around as she turned the lights on. There was her duffle bag. No one had been in the room since she had left it the morning before attacking Rivener. The room was exactly as she remembered, but it was the first time SHE had really been in it. Her eyes darted around. She half expected Brian to suddenly pop into her mind and have it all start again. This was his time to prowl.

But he didn’t appear. And suddenly she just wanted to get this over with and go. She grabbed the bag and stole a look around. No one was there. Nothing of hers was left. It was time to go.

Glancing at Zul and squeezing his hand, she said quietly, ”Lets go.” Leaving the key on the table, she floated out of the room, letting the door close behind them. She floated past the abuse, past the sex, down the stairs and out to Alex’s still running car. She popped the trunk as they approached and she gently placed in the bag. Sliding into the back seat, she looked at Zul with a quiet thanks in her eyes. LuLu needed her feather. Vyn would…she didn’t know what she’d do about the necklace. As Alex drove away, Lucia spoke softly, ”Thank you, Alex. For – everything.” Zul, she knew understood her gratitude toward him as she slipped her arm back around his and hugged it close, her hair back in her face.

Journal

I grabbed the journal from Yuu's house when we visited. I'm not sure what made me do it. It just kind of made sense at the time. Yuu was always badgering be to write in it. Something about it being cathartic or whatever. Zul was helping me grab some stuff and I just tossed it in my bag while we were up in the library getting a few books that I wanted. I didn't think I'd wind up using it, but I kind of want to now, to clear my thoughts.

It's been good having Zul here. I don't think I'm the best company. He shouldn't be hanging out with a murderer. But he's been great really. He's stayed with me every night. And then he waits for me to fall asleep before leaving. Most of the time he's back in Alex's house before I wake up. If nothing else, it's comforting to know that if Brian does come back that Zul can save me from doing any more. But at the same time, he knows I was possessed. But he doesn't know what I did.

I don't want to tell him. He'll hate me. He'll turn away from me. He'll never want to see me again. Even if Delia and Yuurei are alive, there is no way those humans are. After Delia left, I slammed that knife into the woman...then I punched the handle in further. The couple from the club...I slid the knife across his neck. And then...the amount of times that I stabbed that girl. The blood. The screaming. And the crack....it was like she was invincible. She could do anything. And Brian told her that she had killed someone else -- some girl in a coffee shop. She couldn't tell Zul all of that.

But he wanted her to feel better.

He would talk to her every night. They'd hang out by the shore. Sometimes on the cliff where Lorenzo's ashes were spread. Sometimes they'd go down to the shore. She was able to eat there too, though she wasn't sure how. And he never asked her about what happened. But he did tell her it was okay. How could he know if he didn't know everything?

I don't want to tell him. But I do. I don't know what I'm going to do.

In the Grass

Who: Melisande, Zul, Lucia
Where: Gambino Park
When: Early evening
Weather: Warm with a soft breeze

Zul convinces Lucia to see her friend Pasha. What happens in the grass is definitely a development for the frei.