Young Writers Society

Leah

My gut wrenched from leaving the group. maybe I shouldn't have... it wasn't kind to just up and leave."

"Leah?" Morgana sniffled, opening the door to the Starbucks..

But this poor, sad SEER needed my help.

"Sorry. I was... daydreaming about my friends." I said, sitting down on the bar stool.

"Oh. Okay, then." She wiped her nose on an old, used napkin.

"What can I get you, Hon?" A waitress asked.

"Hmm... I'll take a plain coffee. Extra sugar, please." I asked. She nodded, scribbling it down. Like my order was so hard to remember.

"I'll have an orange latte." Morgana asked.

"That's all for you?" She asked. I nodded. "It'll be right out."

I turned to my companion, who was seated next to me. "Well, Morgana, are you currently under Darkling protection? I wouldn't want you to be attacked by one of those ruthless, inhumane imps."

Emma

I watched with half-lidded eyes as Lina placed her cat at the end of the couch before turning down the short hallway to her bedroom. A short while later, she returned with what appeared to be an armful of clothing, towels, and blankets.

"My roomate looks to be about your size," she said, placing a pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt next to me. "You're tiny, you know that?"

I merely shrugged, trying desperately to push myself up into a sitting position. The material of the couch was damp now... damn.

"Do you need some help?" Titus asked, an amused smirk visible across his cheeks. With ease, he pushed her up with the back of his hand before returning his arms to the tight position across his chest.

I wasn't pleased but at least I was upright again. "Thanks." I muttered

"The bathroom's down the hall," Lina said, her eyes filled with worry once more. "If you need my help..."

"No, I'm fine," I muttered, pushing myself up on wobbly legs. At least I was standing. That was a good sign. I smiled at Lina, "Thanks for everything. And say thanks to your roomate for me." I said, motioning the clothes.

Lina flung a towel over my shoulder, placing the bundle of clothes in my hands before directing me softly towards the bathroom. It was comforting, to say the least, but not necessary. Could I have really appeared that weak to these people? I knew I was stronger than that. I felt like I was in a trance-like state

When I was finally alone, which was a godsend in any case, I turned my eyes towards the mirror in hopes that maybe I didn't look as bad as I felt. It ended up being disastrous.

My skin was pale and listless; a cold, sallow image of what it could be on a warmer day. My hair of which was usually curly, and soft looked flat and wet. In all honesty, I felt I looked more like a drowned rat than anything else. But I was okay. It didn't really matter if I felt this bad.

When I rubbed some of the water out of my hair with a towel, it frizzed out. Of course, I didn't mind. At least it looked better than sopping wet. I sat down on the floor after slipping on the dry clothes. It was so very strange of me to be any iller then Brady these days. It was always the same, when he was sick, I was too. I bit my lip concerned, maybe Brady was hiding it? But it was doubtful, he always told me when something was wrong. I rubbed more water out of my hair softly, when there was a gentle knock on the door.

Brady:

It was my fault. She was sick because of me. For the first time in the while that we had been attached, she was sicker than myself and it was because I didn't look out for her. Goddamn.

I walked towards the bathroom, wiping the sweat that sheened across my brow in the process. I needed to talk to her. I needed to know she didn't blame me.

"Brady?" Lina asked, her brows furrowed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to talk to Emma for a few..." my fists curled into tight balls, nails digging cresent patterns into my palms. A bad habit. "I'll be right back."

"She's probably getting dressed, you know," Titus cut in, leaning on one leg with a hint of annoyance visible across his own face. He turned his eyes towards the end of the hall than back at me.

"She'll be done by now," I said.

"Or maybe she just wants a little time away from you?" It was more of a statement. Not so much a question. I could feel my anger boil but did nothing to persue it. "No offense, or anything."

"None taken," I grumbled before turning down the hallway. "But I've known Emma for a bit longer, I think. So if you don't mind..."

"By all means," he murmured. "Free country."

I knocked on the door, the sound reverberating through my head even after I had finished.

"Brady?" Emma's voice called from the other side of the door. She sounded weaker than usual but a little stronger then she had been before.

"Yeah, its me," I said.

"Come in."

I opened the door, stepped inside, then shut it behind me to retain that little bit of privacy the small room could afford. Emma was sitting on the ground, her head resting against a cupboard below the sink. The first thing I noticed was the bags under her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Emma."

She looked up at me with confused eyes, her brow furrowed. "What for?"

"For ignoring you. For pretending that standing in the rain wasn't dangerous to both our healths," I replied weakly. "For acting as if it wasn't my fault that you were sick in the first place and now paying for it. I really am sorry."

Emma started to giggle. I wasn't sure quite why but it made me flame with embarrassment and I turned my eyes away from her. My stomach knotted.

"I'm sorry if what I said was... displeasing..."

"No, no not at all," she said, her hand pressed over her lips as she giggled. "Just that, in all honesty, you didn't need to apologise. If I was so against staying out, I'm sure I would have told you. Don't worry yourself so much over it."

Her words were reassuring to some degree, and yet I still felt unsure. It didn't sound like something I could truly believe in.

"You worry too much," she said, smiling softly. A carefree smile. It cured the knot in my stomach if anything.

Then her eyebrows furrowed, "You're alright yes?" she said softly, carefully placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Let's not be hypocritical here Emma." I sneered.

Titus

"So, Lina. Nice place you got here," Titus said awkwardly. After Brady and Emma left, the room was left in silence. Lacey the other imp was quiet and didn't appear to be interested in talking. Titus noticed her eyes lingering on the clueless Lina and Titus felt a knot growing in his stomach. The small Imp really wouldn't think about taking this human's life, would she?

"Eh, its livable," Lina said, just as awkwardly. Titus really didn't know what to talk about. But suddenly he felt his stomach rumble loudly and he realized he hadn't eaten all day.

"Do you mind if I make use of your kitchen?" Titus asked already walking into the room next door and swiftly opening the fridge without waiting for her to give him permission. His eyes wandered over the scant foods in the fridge but his mind kept wandering and wouldn't let him focus. None of these things would satiate him. What he really wanted was human life.

Brady. He seemed the perfect prey, innocent and everything. And yet, Emma was always with him. One would think they were bonded, but Titus did not like to think so. He didn't want to harm that Darkling, no matter how much he disliked their kind. There was something between them certainly, and yet both of them denied being bonded. Wouldn't it be in their best interests to tell him that so that he wouldn't pursue Brady? Titus was awfully confused.

"Can I help you with anything?" Lina asked. Titus nearly jumped because he hadn't noticed her walk into the kitchen.

"Not at the moment," Titus said with a grin, "Unless you want to make me human, but of course, I wouldn't do that to a lovely creature like yourself."

Lina seemed to blush. Titus didn't get human emotions. Why should they be embarrassed over a compliment? The right response should be flattery and thanks. But Titus didn't dwell on it. She was a lovely creature in all the different ways than Emma. Where Emma seemed frail, Lina seemed strong. Two contrasting people, or so it seemed.

"Why do you do that? That whole flirting thing. Don't you think its a little over done?" Lina spoke indignantly.

"I only speak the truth. I find the beauty in people, and it leaves me unable to use my powers to become human. I do not wish to take that beauty away. It would be such a shame," Titus drawled, looking directly in her eyes. She would be such an easy target; in only a few minutes he could have her saying his name. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

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

~Incognito

Morgana *Sorry for the short post*
I tilted my head to the side as the waitress brought us our drinks. "Darkling protection? I never knew something like that existed." I said quietly then something hit me as my tears finally dried. "You have friends waiting for you." I said quietly. Leah looked taken aback but nodded. "Can they meet me or no?" I asked quietly.

Leah

I glanced sideways to see Ean, about to some in.

"Well... he's quite a strange Darkling. Harmless... usually." I said as my 'friend' barged in.

"Leah, where the hell were you?!" He exclaimed.

"I was going to-"

"Do you know what just happened, Leah? Anything?"

"I can exp-"

"Leah, Emma is half dead and she was left with that... that imp. That leaves Brady unprotected by the other one and Emma all but already murdered."

"Listen to me, Ean!" I yelped. "I couldn't stay with you guys. You know too much about me." I said.

"Its a fair playing field without you, Leah. I can't let that happen- we need the odds tilted towards us so those imps don't attack." He said, as if the word 'imp' was as good as a pig in shlop.

"Ooh, someone afraid of loosing?" Morgana asked.

"Oh. Ean, this is Morgana. Morgana, this is Ean.

Ean

"Oh. Ean, this is Morgana. Morgana, this is Ean" Leah said, gesturing to each of us in turn.

"There'll be time for pleasantries later. We need to get to Lina's apartment" I said. Every second ticking away on that clock meant a second closer to the imps possibly killing Emma and stealing Brady's soul. Although I had promised to calm down, I couldn't resist my nature. Imps meant danger, and I was going to remove those threats.

"If your'e so anxious to get there, have you planned on transportation? I'm sure you don't want to run through this rain as much as I do" Leah stated matter-o-factly, "Besides, if your'e right and Titus is planning something, then we already might be too late"

I felt a smile coming on. Finally someone was thinking around here besides me. "Oblivion, duh"

Morgana looked hopelessly confused, and I tried to ease her by saying "Confused? Don't be, most of us just go with the flow anyways" I looked around at the Starbucks. Besides a single Hispanic waitress smoking outside, nobody seemed to be around. Perfect.

I took a step back and opened a hole into Oblivion. The shaded purple rift floated menacingly in the Starbucks. I could immediately tell something was wrong; little red sparks flew off chaotically, and the edges of the rift looked wobbly and unstable.

"Ean....what's wrong with Oblivion?' Leah asked. A tone of fear had crept into her voice, and there was reason behind it. Never before had Oblivion acted so. Yet it was the only way to get to Lina in time.

"Oh, I'm probably just a little rusty" I replied. I then leapt head first towards the rift.....to find myself being thrown back against the wall by a flash of red. I hit the hard stone and the entire building shook. Salt and Pepper shakers fell off the table, as well as several ads depicting scenes of nature and coffee blends/ I slumped onto the dirty floor and watched as my rift spouted a single crimson limb of some-sort, which whipped around the Starbucks throwing tables and chairs everywhere. Leah and Morgana were screaming, and had taken cover behind one of the larger tables.

The scarlet sparks now filled the entire restaurant, and the huge mandible searched hungrily for prey. I watched in horror as the waitress stepped back into the restaurant and screamed with all her might. Like some scene from an R-rated movie the limb reached out and entwined her with an orchestra of sparks, before sucking her into the rift. For a moment it remained, then all the red was sucked back into Oblivion with a slight pop.

Cautiously I got up and scouted the wreckage for Leah and Morgana.

"Leah, are you OK?'

Brady:

"We should go," I murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. The cold was soothing, even if I was already damp and cold. "I'm sure Lina's pretty confused right now, and I'm not really in the mindset for trusting two imps with her."

She nodded, though her face downcasted. She liked privacy and quiet. All this was far too much for her and it only brought the pain back. I had caused this. "I guess."

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked.

She pushed herself up slowly but surely. When I moved to help her, she swatted me away, her teeth clenched and her eyes alight. "I can do this, Brady."

I merely nodded and stepped back, the sinking in my stomach only growing. She pushed herself up, hands clasped on the rim of the sink before she stood erect, smiling softly. The smile that was so very distinctly Emma. How could there ever be a more lovely smile.

"I will be strong enough to protect you, you know this right?" she said. More of a statement then a question. "I know I'm not of much use sometimes, and that the others are quite a bit stronger than me..."

I kissed her cheek, a little flustered but enough to get my meaning across. With Emma, there was no questioning. It was better to just do. "And you know that I wouldn't have asked for any other partner, right?"

She smiled, the colour returning to her face very quickly. It calmed me down a bit to see her less pale, but even that subtle blush wasn't enough to kill my fear.

Morgana
I groaned in pain and touched the back of my head and winced I felt a huge welt swelling there already and I hissed when my fingers grazed it causing a jab of sharp pain. "Leah are you ok?" I heard Ean shout and I turned to look for Leah ignoring the fact that the world was pitching rather violently. She sat up having taken cover behind some boxes of coffee mix. "Yeah I'm ok!" She called back picking her way from behind the boxes with me close behind. Once we were all in the middle of the upturned restaurant I said what we were probably thinking. "What the fluff was that?" I asked. "I have no idea I've never seen anything like it before." Ean replied looking at Leah. "Same here no idea." She said shaking her head. "Ok well that freakiness aside we have to walk to Lina's apartment because I don't know about you guys but there is no way in heck I am taking my chances with that darn thing in there." I said pointing to where the rift had been.

Hey I'm sorry but I can't do his anymore: got a bad term grade and parents are cracking down on my schooling.