Saturday, July 12, 2008

   ....

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.



"

Elizabeth Kubler Ross, 1926-2004
Swiss-born Author and Psychiatrist





"None of us knows what is ahead. The important thing is to use today wisely and well, and face tomorrow eagerly and cheerfully and with the certainty that we shall be equal to what it brings.



"

~Channing Pollock, 1926-2006~

Bliss




"Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.




Start anew!"
~thoughtfortoday~

Bliss




Be Gentle With Yourself

Allow gentleness to overcome you today.




Be gentle with everyone you connect with.




It will heal your life on the deepest levels and touch everyone profoundly.





You can easily access this gentle calming flow,
~Jafree & Margot~


Bliss




The most important places to keep clean and tidy are my mind and heart. If I allow thoughts to flourish that I wouldn't want to see the light of day, I can never allow love to flow. By starting each day in quiet reflection and pouring positive, loving thoughts into my mind, I gradually clean out cynicism and unkindness.




Happy Weekend to all

Bliss
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Friday, July 11, 2008

   Blah... since no one is actually gonna read this... ^_^
Do you ever feel like your disappearing... like your feels never mattered and no matter how much you through your heart out, put it on the line, and just tyed it to a fishing line... it always came out the same as it did time and time before then. Should you just give up and call it a day/life. Move on b/c you've had enough pain and anguish... Just walk away...

I feel like that alot, and now I'm just... an empty shell desperate for something... yet that something is just a vage memory of what it used to be... as if it never was there, like i made it up.
Anyways-- I'm merely rambling on to stupid bullshit that doens't matter anymore... Everything here is crazy, I got threatened in being kicked out last night, funny actually... My Ex broke up with his girl and I believe he wants to make it work out between us. A friend of mine is going through some hard times, stuff and in a bad place right now. *gives him a hug if I could* And My mom's freaking me out with her panic/dizzy spells.
The humid isn't helping and the rain is comforting in a minimal type way... it's sad since I actually love the rain. oi everything is turning topsy turby here... and I have a feeling it's only just beginning, and going to get worse... God help, save me and my fucked up disfunctional family.

P.S. I want a pony...


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Wednesday, July 2, 2008

   Blahh, blah...
The end show



Billy's balloon


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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

   Idea's forming and curculating within my head... wooh.
Shinku Urufu and Rinsu Osashi-- two new characters in a new story/series I'm going to start on. Lyndsey, made some character art and while I choose my character name without my knowledge, she pretty much got the name for me. Shinku Urufu-- meaning Crimson Wolf. ^_^ I simply love it, yet I don't really know what her's means, so... I'll ask her later. ^_^

ANyways, I'm doing-- semi ok, I'm hanging in there and trying to piece back my crumbling life since my whole-- death scare. Yeah-- I accidentally, almost over drank myself to death. I past out a couple of times and over dehydrated serveral times. Puked my brains out all throughout the night, and bruised my chest and stomach badly. I know I was stupid and what-no-- and hell, I won't be doing that for a long ass while too. So no worries! ^_^

Everything else is-- not so good but, wen was is ever good, lol. Oh well, things are pretty ok and I'm still hanging in there. I still have a couple of friends that I cherish and mean the WORLD, to me-- and no matter what, the always will and I'll forever love them. Yes-- I said Love, lol. Anyways, how are you?



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Monday, June 23, 2008

   Blah... story time kitties.


The Pain, and the Truth


info-- Vampire and Hunter in a bar-- they both have a past revolving around each other. She saved his life, and an attraction is growing between them. Will he stake her through the heart, or simply give his heart and soul to her instead...




Jasie strolled in and as she did so, she caught sight of Kevin, a.k.a Kashkin. Jasie slightly turned away from him and cursed softly to herself. "Of all nights-- why did this one have to start up like this." She thought to herself and slipped into a bar stool. Actually she really wanted to see him again, but since she acted up the other night wanting nothing but to kill and feed. She didn't know whether it was a blessing, or a darn curse to be around him now. But with that in mind, she simply ordered something strong, wished it would or just could-- effect her, and slumped over the bar table and wished this night would just end.

Kashkin sighed, nodding to Cyrus. He had indeed felt the urge to hunt, and the urge to kill was always in his nature. However, Kashkin saw someone else. Someone very familiar.

"Jasie...."


Kashkin quickly got up, making his way slowly. He got right up behind her, Jasie's back facing him. He slowly, gently, moved his hands up Jasie's back, resting them on her shoulders. He began to massage her shoulders a bit hard, but not hard enough to hurt or anything. Just to relax, loosen up the muscles. He kept massaging her, leaning in close, lightly breathing on her hair. He smiled, lost in her. Why? Who knew?!?

"Boo. What's up, Jasie? It seems like everywhere I go, you're there too. Following me?" Kashkin smiled both evilly and playfully, leaning in closer, right next to Jasie's ear. "Now, I know you aren't a stalker, and I know that you are a vicious and skilled death dealer, but....." He smiled even wider, barely even whispering. "Could it be that you have some feeling or feelings for me?"

Kashkin had fought off the flying squirrels, and now had some down time. In Kashkin's eyes, Jasie saved his life. He owed her a life in return. So why not get to know her a bit better? And besides he was simply trying to find out some information. Jasie WAS a vampire, but she might, JUST might, by a small, insane percent chance, be able to convince him that there really are some good vampires out there. After all, she saved his life.

Jasie instantly froze up as she felt someone so close behind her. Instincts are what had her hand reaching out for her dagger, yet when the hands gently moved up her back, her hands fell lightly to her sides. The feeling sent chills of pleasure through body and to her core. In which, it had her falling back against him and his body with a deep and drowsy sigh in total, surrender. As he began massaging, Jasie made light and deep purring-- sighs and moans here and there during the process. She knew who it was just by the smell of him, and it took everything she had, from to fight the urge to spin around-- kiss or even wrap her arms around him firmly.

Jasie couldn’t help but have an intriguing, yet arousal look on her face as she spun her stool around to face him. Their faces were so close together, she almost gave in and kissed him. But she held back and stood firm. she was in fact, a little saddened that he keeps referring her to Jean-- but she kept that out of her eyes, expression and voice, when she spoke. “Hey, scary man-- have you caught any naughty creatures, willing to have fun yet…? Or are you simply scouting for a bigger and better prize among the group here…?” she grinned and winked at him, “What can I say, Kevin-- you go to the best places in town. Not to mention you love a good, stiff drink like I do. So it’s either you or I-- who’s really, stalking.” she ended with a smirk upon her lips, and a light chuckle. But her next comment caught even her, off guard. “What can I say-- I love that tight, sexy bottom of yours. Especially when I get to see it strolling away with that sexy body of yours, too.” She almost found herself spinning back around, and blushing to her abrupt honest. But she merely cleared her throat and tried her best in changing the subject. “You know-- technically I’m not, a Death Dealer but a Void Master, and-- maybe I do-- have some feelings, or even, fuzzy warm feelings, for you.” Jasie couldn’t deny the intense attraction she felt every time she’s near or around him. There was just something about him that hit her hard, and fast straight to her core. Whatever it was, it was dangerous. And she knew sooner or later, she’d be falling straight into his trap. But she still couldn’t get the sensations of that night out of her head. Of him laying his head on her stomach to rest and just the simple, yet caring things he did and made her feel that night. But he vanished for so long after that night. She almost gave up on hopes, of ever seeing him again. But when she finally, did see him once more-- she knew she still had it bad, for him. Just seeing him that night in his red hat, shadows cascading in all around him, in that bar-- it had her heart strings pulling in his direction. Well that’s what it felt like. But even though she didn’t really have a beating heart, she still has feelings like anyone else.

She sighed in confusion and looked over at the jukebox, hoping for a good-- up beat song to play next.

Kashkin laughed a bit as Jasie leaned back against him, his hands working magic on her. He eased into her more as she began making sounds like a cat and a very aroused woman. A cat person!? No, no, she was a vampire. That would have thrown Kashkin's world into a mental breakdown! But that wasn't the case. He kept going until Jasie spun around on the chair, facing him.

Kevin breathed lightly, he could see Jasie's eyes, hear her breathing, and almost taste her lips. He had the sudden urge to lean forward just a bit more. His smile became a normal one, but it was filled with a mischievous kind of fun and, well, something else. He smelled her, the intoxicating air that almost drew him nearer. Without realizing it, he had placed a hand on one of her legs, and the other hand on her shoulder. He shook a bit of his hair away from the front of his face, looking right into her eyes. He wasn't looking at anyone else.

"Scary man? Who, me? Come now, I'm only scary if I see a threat or sworn enemy. I see neither at the moment. And no, no one seems to want to play with me. I wonder why....?" Kevin rested his forehead on Jasie's forehead, his nose just barely touching hers. "The best places in town? I can't help it if I enjoy a drink now and then..... I still think that you're following me though. But who knows? Maybe subconsciously I'm following you. Or, perhaps, we are attempting to follow each other, in which case it would be much easier to just stick together for a while. Don't you agree?"

Kevin laughed a bit, his hand on Jasie's shoulder staying put, but his other hand moved up and down. "Sexy body? Mine? Well love, you've seen the scars on my body. I didn't expect my bottom to be cute though!"

He listened, his eyes softening. When people weren't around, Kevin could finally let his peaceful side out. And, for these moments, the side was out.

"Well, you did save me, so I suppose since you're being honest, I get this uncontrollable feeling in my heart. It fights against my very being, and it feels... good. Besides, your bottom is so, so much better to stare at. That and a list of other things." Kevin couldn't say the words he liked her, but the gigantic hint was there. Kevin had a few girlfriends, did the normal stuff teens and such did. But this was a bit of a stronger feeling.

Kevin stared at Jasie's body quite often, her unique, beautiful features standing out. He tried to hide that fact, but who would call him on it? A smile that could outshine suns, and a laugh that made the air around him seem to flow about. Her hair seemed to move on its own sometimes, entrancing him.


Jasie loved Kevin’s laugh. It sent invisible, trimmers of intense sensations throughout her body, and it makes her get weak in the knee’s too. He was unlike any human or person she ever met. He makes her feel things and puts her in this way-- this arousing, yet also discomforting way. He could also be the one to steal her heart, or in fact stake it too. Jasie shiver and shook at that thought, trying to simply brush off the gloominess of it.
She couldn’t help but look back into his stunning hazel, yellow eyes. Their were breath taking. All the contours of shadows and browns, not to mention the canary yellow within it’s mysterious depths. She almost felt like she was gazing at the yellow sun itself within his eyes. Well, to a certain extent at least. But hell, the heat coming off of him… or was it her. Was a little overwhelming, not to mention the hormones radiating outwards from them both was a bit-- intense for one person to handle. It had literally thickened the air around them, or so it felt like that to her.

Jasie saw Kevin’s smile and she felt her stomach flutter with radical butterflies. She almost felt like giggling and blushing like a heart struck teenager, with a crush. She shook her head slightly, yet she felt his hand on her leg. She instantly froze. It was being attentive and eager it seemed like. As if it had a mind of it’s own. Jasie found herself very, very, nervous and out of her element with him. Somewhere she’s never been before-- I mean ever! She didn’t know what to do, how to act or even breath. She seriously stopped breathing. And when he moved his silky hair, Jasie found herself reaching up and touching it, out of curiosity’s sake. Just to see and feel if it really was as soft as it looked. She closed her eyes as she touched it, she was brought out of her trance-- and remembered how to breath when he finally spoke.

Jasie cleared her throat and tried to put on a casually, unaffected smile. She just hoped it looked like that at least. “You are just a teeny, bit--” she motioned with her forefinger and thumb, at just how small an amount he was, “Scary Kevin. And hell, I’m surprised you haven’t simply rounded up someone, to play with.” she ended with a light laugh, and a smile. Yet as he leaned in and rested his head against hers. She found herself forgetting how to breath again. Him being this close affected her in such a way-- she couldn’t explain it, yet she neither wanted to run, push him or even it away from her either. She found herself taking in the scent of him. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply and longingly. Simply taking in the scent of him to engrave it into her memory-- so she could rehash it time and time again, forever.

Jasie lost in his scent barely heard him, “Umm?” Yet she opened her eyes and found the words she meant to say. “Yep-- the best places Kev.” she agreed with a smile, and fluttered her eyes upwards looking directly into his eyes. But her love drowsy eyed look, faded and was replaced with mischief. “Well then-- if your following me, then I think I should at least put my house key under my door mat. Just to be hospitable enough-- that and, well so you can simply come right on in.” she said with a wicked grin and a light giggly laugh. “What the hell is wrong with you-- snap out of it. He’s just a man, and your-- your-- you’re a goner... your totally hooked, and in love with him.” Jasie thought to herself and sighed heavily with worry. Jasie didn’t comment on the whole part of sticking together, she was fighting off the urge to tear and rip off his clothing with her teeth. Let alone would she be able to hang around him without acting like a fool. She seriously had to put some distance between them before she, or he does something foolish.

Right before she was about to say something pertaining to goodbye, or I have to go-- his hand moved affectionately up and down her leg and she froze in anticipation, and in a state of giddy arousal. She silently cursed at herself, and freely surrender to him, and to that lovely hand of his too. She purred once more and immediately snapped out of it by his statement of sexy bodies?
Jasie actually felt herself blush, and she almost turned away from him too. She did slightly, but she was a proud woman and regularly never did so. She usually held firm and never backed down. But his comment stunned the hell out of her and all she could do was react in the way she did. Her eyes no doubt said it all though. They always do, well for the most part that is. Yet when she gazed into his eyes she found a peacefulness she never seen before. Well she thought she never seen. She actually thought she was imagining things when she saw it in the graveyard. But now she wasn’t so sure anymore. Jasie reached out and touched his cheek softly, “You better get that checked up on. That feeling in your heart, that is. Sometimes what seems good, really isn‘t. ” she said with a bright smile and almost kissed him on the cheek. But his next comment sent her over the edge. She actually blinked several times at him-- to stunned to believe what he actually said, and to afraid to jinx anything by repeating it too.



((To be continued))

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

   Hello


I'm doing ok, I have a boyfriend and he's seriously awesome! John/Paul aka P-Rod-- he's a pro-skater and he's in Arizona today. He wants to come and see me, but he's touring and skating here. So I don't know... but we'll see.


JOHN & SOME OF HIS BUD'S




Rodney Mullen-- HE FUCKING KICKS, ASS!!!




~*Me~*




Well I got to go, I hope you all are doing great, and I seriously miss the hell out you all so-- badly.
Later...


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Monday, March 17, 2008

   Nothing, only pics-- so don't read...


I'm sorry... *I whisper into the night air breeze, shivering from the cold*
If only love was real-- then I'd finally have a home... *a single tear rolls down my cheek, and the wind kisses my face in hopes to comfort me*
I wish love was like you-- *speaks of the wind* for your always here for me... *thunder rumbles from far away, as more tears fall*
In the end-- all is lost, even the love that you once thought, was real... *rubs my index finger against the blade of a knife*
As is your will to live...

--It's simply a story I'm working on, nothing more, so don't worry... ^^

Yet I highly doubt anyone will read or comment on this-- well since technically I'm not really-- well I haven't been a great friend... and not to mention I don't deserve one anyways, so later...





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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

....









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Monday, February 25, 2008

   ... *sighs*
Mood: *sighs*
Quote: where are the hero's when you really need them? No where that is-- at least not here.... Pushing and pulling, why is life so-- beautiful on the outside, and so ugly on the inside... How do you carry on when others, the ones we love struggle and fall... how can we help them when all they do is push us away... *sighs*


Don't Quit-- A Random Poem


When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low, and the depts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit . Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out, Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You maysucced with another blow. Succees is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worse, that you must not quit.

Well, I got to go, things are ok but-- I'm worried. Laterz...

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

   Rob Thurman-- and oh, Happy Valentines Day-- Ba Humbug!
NIGHTLIFE, MOONSHINE, MADHOUSE!!!


WOw, I finally worship an author, and it's a chick! ^_^

I just finished her very first book, Nightlife-- and oh my GOD!!! I loved every minute of it, from start to finish and I bought the second one a while back too, and I already dove into that one last night! (MOONSHINE)
I love, love, love her books! I can't wait for madhouse to hit the stores near me--(Feb 26th of this year, YAY) She's an inspiration to me, I'd love to be as half or even as good, a writer as she is one day!

~One Immensely, Big Fan Here!

And her publisher has contracted three more Cal and Niko books. So, yes, the adventures of Cal, Niko and Robin will continue on for at least Books 5, 6, and 7. SO I'm uber happy and excited right now, more so than I ever have I think! ^_^ yet the sad thing about it is, one of the characters reminds me of a buddy of mine, but Niko is way awesomer than him! Sorry, even for a fitional character-- Niko, I LOVE YOU! But my main eyes are all on Cal, the half breed Auphe!!! He Rocks, My Damn, Socks Off!!! lol, wow-- I'm totally a freak! But when it comes to books, I love them! And this one-- I uber-super-love!

That's about it, I hope everything ok and I miss you!
*huggles, snuggles and cuddles you*
Cya...

Here is chapter one, of the third book-- MADHOUSE (Chapter 1)




I hated kidnapping cases. Hated them with an unholy passion.

And trust me, unholy was something I knew about—hell, I wore it like a faded old T-shirt. One I’d had since birth. There were those who said I couldn’t let go of that, and that it was long past time I did. But, hey, if you can’t bitch about your monster half, what can you bitch about?

As for kidnappings, no surprise there on how I felt about them. Several months before, someone I knew had been kidnapped—two someones actually. Although the second taking had lasted less than an hour, the first had lasted two weeks. Despite the difference in time, they both had left their mark, physically and mentally. My shirt and jacket hid the first. I wasn’t sure anything hid the second, but I gave it my best shot with caustic sarcasm, brittle bravado, and good old-fashioned denial. That was a triple threat that had done well by me for a long damn time, and I had no plans to give it up now. A swat smacked the back of my head briskly. “I’m curious, Cal, do you plan on paying attention anytime soon or would you like to have the kidnappers reschedule? I’m sure they’ll be amenable. Kidnappers so often are.” Niko Leandros. He had been one of those who had disappeared on me, even if only temporarily. As brothers went, he was a good one, despite a horrifying obsession with health food, meditation, and things generally not revolving around pizza and beer. But we all have our crosses to bear…mine was to be smacked when I wasn’t with the program, and his was to be over-educated, as self-aware as the Dalai Lama, and to keep my ass alive. Poor bastard.

"I’m paying attention," I lied instantly, rubbing the back of my head with a wounded glare.

He snorted, but didn’t call me on it as sharply as I deserved. Apparently the swat was punishment enough. “Then let’s move on before you pay so much attention that you fall asleep where you stand.” Like I said, a good brother, and good brothers, besides keeping your ass alive, also don’t let it get away with much. But there was no denying he was letting me slide a little. Why? Because he knew me, and he knew a case like this wasn’t going to trigger any good memories. Grunting in reply, I moved along at his side. “So they kidnapped the mistress of a vampire,” I grumbled. “She’s a lamia. I’ve seen lamias and I don’t know why the hell anyone would want one back.” Like vampires, lamias fed on blood. These days most vampires had found a better way, but lamias weren’t looking to improve themselves. And although they fed on blood, there the similarity to vampires ended. A lamia’s bite, usually on the chest—or if they were really into you, other, more sensitive parts—had a chemical in their saliva that paralyzed their victim. Like a leech they would stay fastened to you and drain your blood…very, very slowly. It could take days—days in which you couldn’t move, couldn’t scream, couldn’t beg for a faster death.

Sure, that’s my dream girl. Bring her on.

But obviously a vamp felt different and here we were.

"I think it matters less about his taste in bed partners and more about us getting paid." I didn’t see his dark blond head move, but I knew Niko was scanning the area unceasingly.

"I keep telling you if you’d go with the whole trophy boyfriend thing, life would be a lot easier,” I pointed out helpfully.

From the narrow eyed look shot my way, apparently I wasn’t as helpful as I’d thought. Niko was tight with a vampire of his own, Promise. Promise was, to say the least, loaded. Five excessively rich, as well as excessively elderly, husbands in the past ten years had her set up for…well, not life—after all she was a vampire. But it would keep her comfortable for a long, long time. And Niko absolutely refused to take advantage of it, not that he had some sort of macho hang up. He simply would make his own way as we had all of our lives. Right now, making our way revolved around an agency we’d set up with Promise. Kidnappings, bodyguard work, cleaning some killer clowns out of a carnival…we were up for all of it. The fact that it didn’t quite cover our expenses yet had us working second jobs. Niko was a teacher’s assistant at NYU (pity the kid that walked late into one of his classes. Decapitation is a big deterrent for tardiness.) As for me? I tended to move around a lot. Mainly bars. It wasn’t good to get attached. I’d learned that from a lifetime of running from my relatives…the ones with claws and hundreds of teeth. And although the running had stopped, habits were hard to break. Which, I guess, is why we’d made monster hunting a career instead of an occasional necessity.

And Central Park was full of them. They liked the park. It was big, and it was full of snacks. No one notices if a mugger, murderer, or rapist goes missing. It was a good place to hit the human buffet and not be noticed. We’d once had an informant here of the very same opinion. He was gone now, dead by Niko’s sword. Somewhere to the north lay a mud pit empty of a boggle with the worst New Yawk accent I’d ever heard. I kind of missed him sometimes. If nothing else, he’d been entertaining. Bloodthirsty and homicidal, but amusing—up to a point. Trying to kill Niko had been that point.

"Are we there yet?" I checked my watch. We had about five minutes until the meet.

"Did you look at the map that was sent with the instructions?" Niko looked down his long nose to ask in a forbidding tone that said he already knew the answer to that one.

"That’s what I have you for," I grinned. “I’m just here to carry the heavy stuff. The union says thinking rolls me into overtime.”

Niko pulled his katana from beneath his gray duster, looked at the moonlight glimmer of it, and then looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, right," I dismissed, unfazed.

"You’re assuming I wouldn’t paddle you with it like the child you are."

Okay, that threat I bought. He could do it all right, and he actually might during one of our sparrings just for his own personal amusement. "And, yes," he added, "we are almost there." He took another three steps. “And now we are.”

I looked around, but didn’t see anything even in the bright moonlight. Shoving my hands in the pockets of my black leather jacket, I took a whiff of the cool November air. Instantly, I grimaced. I might not see anything, but I damn sure smelled it. The scent was dank—stagnant water with the ripe and rancid taint of day old fish beneath it.

"They’re coming." I freed a hand and rubbed at my nose. "And they stink like you wouldn’t believe. Something from the water." A fish of the day you definitely didn’t want to order.

"Aquatic," Niko murmured. "That narrows it down to a few hundred in the nonhuman pantheon. Very helpful."

"Hey, I tried." Getting accustomed to the smell, I shifted impatiently on the grass and checked my watch again. "Crooks, monster or human, they’re all the same. No damn consideration."

I suppose that’s how my gun found its way in to my hand as the first figure appeared out of the trees. "Bishop fish," Niko murmured. "Nothing extraordinary. Easy to kill."

If I was a little disappointed at that, I kept it to myself. As creatures went, it wasn’t that impressive. I’d seen someone more grimly unnerving in a mirror. Sometimes I wasn’t sure whom I meant by that. It could’ve been the creature known as Darkling, who a year ago had crawled out of a mirror to put my body on like a snazzy suit and take it cruising on the road to Hell, or it could’ve been my own mundane reflection. Either way, there was no denying the both of us had our moments and either of us could eat fish boy for lunch. Although dead Darkling, every molecule the monster to my half, might’ve enjoyed it a little more.

Maybe.

Dappled here and there with the ghost of scales over nearly transparent pale skin, the Bishop fish had the form of a human. Sort of. The shape of his head was a little off. Hairless and only lightly scaled, it was oddly flattened and the mouth had thick, rubbery lips and tiny triangular teeth. No kelp eater, this one. He wasn’t wearing a stitch—not a damn thing, which told me he didn’t rub shoulders with the local New Yorkers much. I looked down. Even they would give that a glance. Yeah, that.

Now I knew where fish sticks came from.

I decided keeping my eyes on his was the lesser of two evils despite their unblinking bulge. Guess you can’t blink if you don’t have eyelids. Round pupils took us in and the mouth opened to gurgle, “These are the demands. First….”

That’s when I shot him.

My patience with kidnappers was long gone before I had even taken a step into the park. I put a bullet in his chest, which exploded like an overripe tomato and splattered fluid in a wide arc. With his impossibly wide mouth gaping, he teetered and began to fall. I stepped forward and slipped the paper from the fleshy claw as Mr. Fish Stick crumpled to the ground with a disturbingly wet slapping sound. “I can read, asshole,” I muttered. Niko said from behind me, “Really? When did you learn?” Raising his voice, he asked mildly, “Is there anyone here we could negotiate with that my brother would find less annoying?” Like me, he knew there was someone else in the trees. I smelled them and he heard them. Rustle one leaf, step on one frost-brittle piece of grass, and he would hear it. He was all human, Niko, like our mother, Sophia Leandros, but when he did things like that you had to wonder.

The smell I was picking up from a distance wasn’t as bad as that of the fish. It was the scent of old things and attic must and hundreds of abandoned spider webs. In other words, it smelled like Niko’s library of books. Knowing Niko would be watching its approach, I squinted at the paper in my hand, ignoring the damp slime on it. If the moon hadn’t been so bright and plump in the sky, I wouldn’t have been able to see anything. I might have monster smelling, whoopee…what a superpower, but I had human vision. As it was, I could only make out a few words. Money wasn’t mentioned. I wasn’t that surprised. Very few monsters were into the material world. Vampires, pucks, and werewolves liked to live high on the hog, but most of the nonhuman world was more interested in eating. Lots and lots of eating. The ransom mentioned people. Nice, plump people. Nice, juicy children. The kids. Why was it always the kids?

Some kidnappers don’t want to earn their money, and some don’t want to catch their own dinner. Trade one lamia for a truckload of humans, what a deal. In the end they were all lazy psychotics and the one that finally came to Niko’s call was no different. You could all but see the waves of craziness coming from her, shimmering like heat off a summer road. “Black Annis.” Niko sounded almost pleased. “I thought she was a myth.” She scuttled with the back-and-forth motion of a poisonous centipede. Part of the time she was on two feet, the rest on all fours. She looked like an old woman, but not a sad wraith in a nursing home or cheerful crocheting grandma—unless it was one who’d have no problem picking her teeth with a sliver of Hansel’s gnawed leg bone.

Now, this was a little more disturbing than the fish. And it became more disturbing when six more of her appeared to race across the grass.

"You thought she was a myth. She. Singular. Is that what you were saying?" I dropped the paper to the ground. I still had my gun in my right hand and I drew my knife with the left from the double holster under my jacket. Ugly and serrated, the blade had been a constant and faithful companion for a while now. Niko did give damn fine Christmas presents.

"Apparently the myth is incorrect. It only makes things more interesting," he said blandly. “Surely a few old women don’t concern you?”

Old women, my ass. The seven of them were covering the ground with a freakish speed. Long, thick fingernails scored the ground sending dirt and grass flying, and their teeth…let’s just say they weren’t the kind that got put in a glass on the bedside table. The Annises, Anni, Black Annies…whatever—they weren’t identical, but they were so similar they may as well have been. They all wore the same ragged black shifts too. Torn to streamers in places, the cloth fluttered and tangled as they ran. I saw flesh through the holes, flesh I suspected was cyanotic blue although it appeared gray in the glow of the moon. Whatever color it was, I didn’t want to see it.

"Fine. You play shuffleboard with the grannies and I’ll cheer you on from the sidelines," I retorted. Not that I would have, but one of them made sure I didn’t have the option. She went from scuttling to leaping. From nearly thirty feet away, she launched off the ground and propelled herself onto my chest with a force I didn’t expect from her spidery frame. I hit the ground hard. Unable to get the gun between us, I buried the knife in her back. I was hoping to sever the spine or at least put a serious dent in it, but the blade practically bounced off the bony structure. “Goddamnit,” I gritted and went for another target instead. With her teeth snapping at my throat, I plunged the knife in the side of hers.

"Leave one alive, Cal, to lead us to the lamia."

Thick and bitter fluid flooded out of the Annis’ throat and across my face. Trying not to retch as it worked its way into my mouth, I spat with revulsion and shot back, “I’ll try and show some self-control.” Then I stopped tasting the blood and caught the scent of it…or rather what was in it. “Oh hell. We are so not getting paid.”

I tossed the thing off of me, its teeth still feebly gnashing, and saw Niko, who had moved a distance away to get a little elbowroom. He was surrounded by four of them. “Forget the restraint,” I called. “They ate her.” I smelled it in the one twitching beside me…in the blood, on her last breath…hell, leaking out of her damn pores.

Niko shook his head. "Annoying." He swung at the nearest Annis to decapitate it, only to have his sword repelled by that unbreakable spine. I heard the grating clash of metal and impervious bone. He frowned. "Even more annoying." Stepping back with a deceptive speed of his own, he sheathed about nine inches of his sword through the Annis's single eye. Niko turned to present his side to her and lashed out with a foot to propel her off the blade and into the nearest other Annis.

He had things, as always, under control, and I decided to take care of my own business. Two more of them were circling me, wary of the knife. What they weren't concerned with was the gun I had hidden behind my leg. One snarled, I swear, just like the cranky old woman we'd lived next to in one of the trailer parks where our mother had set up her fortune teller scam. That old biddy had sicced her yappy, ankle-biting dog on us more times than I could count. The Annis didn't need a dog, yappy or otherwise.

"Shouldn’t you be baking cookies or playing bingo, granny?" I gave her a black grin, tapping the muzzle of my gun on the back of my thigh. She crabbed closer, her hands bent into claws in front of her.

"You are no little boy." Her grin was so broad I could see the black gums gleaming slickly. "Your flesh will not be soft." It was gloating, the words rolling around her tongue as though she were already savoring the meat in her mouth. “We will eat it anyway.”

I’d heard it all before.

I shot the mouthy one. I nailed her in mid maniacal, choking laugh. She saw the gun as I whipped it from behind me and she’d already started to move. It didn’t do her a damn bit of good. Despite the one second it took, the other one was already on me. Like I said…quick.

It hit me from the side. I’d already been turning to prevent it from getting behind me. This time the teeth did reach me, fastening on the junction of neck and shoulder. Like the ragged edge of a saw, they ground in and locked. And there went the chunk I’d been so sure that I wouldn’t lose tonight.

As with the first one, I used my knife, but this time opened the belly. Whatever spilled free slithered down my hip and leg. Slithered…not fell. That was some serious motivation to get granny off my neck and the hell with the mouthful of flesh she might take with her. Ripping her and her death grip off of me, I spun her off and threw her as far as I could, and then I took a look at what was twining its way around my leg.

Holy shit. I mean, really…holy shit.

The bright pain and blood flowing steadily under the collar of my jacket to stain my T-shirt took a backseat just like that—because what felt like snakes wasn’t. Not that that wouldn’t have been bad enough, snakes falling out of someone’s gut. But I couldn’t get that lucky, could I? Nope. What I got was a crawling combination of worms and intestines with a little barracuda tossed in. They undulated slow and sure like the worm, were ropy and dripping intestinal fluids, and had the bear trap mouth of a barracuda. Did I shake my leg like I was having an epileptic seizure? Yes, I did. Did I scream like a B-movie bimbo? No…but it was a close thing. Niko never would’ve let me live that down.

I stepped back from the seething mass. "Jeeesus."

"Problems?" Niko was already peeling my jacket off one shoulder to examine the wound.

I swiped it with my hand. The pain was subsiding to a sharp ache and I decided the Annis had gotten away with less than the mouthful I’d thought she had. It had been an appetizer at best.

Past Nik I could see one Annis still alive. Her wrists and ankles were handcuffed, and she was writhing, hissing, and biting the ground like a rabid dog.

A monster wearing handcuffs—it was a little reality jarring at first. We’d started carrying them months ago when we needed to restrain a werewolf, one who really didn’t care to be restrained. He might’ve shattered them, I wasn’t sure how strong Flay was, but he’d been injured and barely alive. He’d been incapable of lifting his head, much less ripping apart steel. Still, it was a useful learning experience, and we’d carried them with us ever since.

Niko was still frowning at my neck. “It’s more messy than fatal. They have the teeth of an adolescent crocodile.”

"Didn’t feel like a baby one to me,” I grumbled as I felt the punctures and slashes. The blood was slowing and I dug in my pocket for something to hold pressure with. Of course there was nothing but a flyer for a Chinese restaurant.

Exhaling in resignation at my lack of preparation, Niko pulled a package of gauze and a roll of tape from inside his coat. With quick, efficient moves he had the wound covered and taped up in seconds. “It’s amazing how hard I work to keep you from bleeding to death on so many occasions, and for so little reward.” He finished and stepped over to the tortuous twining of the bile-dripping creatures on the ground. “Do you want a pet? One would fit nicely in a terrarium.”

"Yeah, and I’m just one giant nummy num on the other side of the glass. Thanks, but no thanks,” I pulled a repulsed face.

"‘All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,’” he quoted.

"Right," I said dryly. "God," making the huge assumption there was one, "did not make those."

"Perhaps you’re right." He pulled yet two more things out of his duster…a small container of lighter fluid and a pack of matches. Once the barbecue was started and the air stank of roasted barracuda, Niko made a call and we went, picked up the surviving Annis, and moved on. A vampire met us near the edge of the park. He stood among the trees, could’ve been one of them as he blended into the darkness. Black hair, black eyes, and an equally dark Armani suit. At least, I assumed it was Armani. It was the only expensive brand I knew. To me, all fancy suits were Armani.

We dumped the snarling, spitting Annis at his feet, and I considered but decided not to stick my hand out for the money. I had a feeling I might draw back less than I put out—a few fingers less. Vampires mourn too, apparently even over lamias. Niko had already delivered the bad news over his cell phone. Now all he said was, “She is the only one left. The others are no more.”

"And they suffered?" His voice was cool and empty. It didn’t bode well for the Annis. At least with rage you would go quickly. It would be messy, but it would be quick. Icy retribution could go on for…shit, it didn’t bear thinking about. My appetite for dinner had already been ruined by the smell of cooking intestines; I didn’t need to kill it altogether.

"Yeah, they suffered," I confirmed. "And the godawful things in them suffered too." The Annis hadn’t really suffered, not the way he meant, but it was going to have to do. A job was a job and torture wasn’t on our menu. Not for pay anyway. But there was no point in disappointing him. Cranky vampires are a pain, and I’d had enough ass-kicking for the night.

Despite what I’d said earlier, we did get paid. An envelope thick with cash was passed to Nik. Living off the radar, we didn’t exactly have the ID to set up a bank account. We could’ve gotten the fake stuff and Promise had offered to keep our share of the payments for us, but once again, we fell back on the ways we’d always known. We’d bought a safe and stuffed what we made in there. Unfortunately, it was still pretty damn empty.

As we left, we heard one sharp scream after another. It seemed like torture was on someone’s menu. I wondered if it sounded like the screams of the people that the Black Annis had killed over the years, because you know they’d screamed, too.

Karma, she is a bitch. But in this particular incident, not my karma, not my problem.

We moved on. We were nearly to the edge of the park and for a few moments the night was perfect. Cool and crisp with the rustle of falling leaves. Perfect. Right up until we saw what was hanging in the last line of trees. Heavy and ripe like fruit, the color of a nectarine…pale salmon blooming with red. Lots and lots of red.

In the trees.

Bodies.

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