Hayley was at a loss, she could sit here and hope the girls visitors left before she was really noticed and go talk to her again or leave and come back the next day. There was pros and cons to each situation. After a few minutes of thought she decided to wait an hour and if they didn't come out she would return the next day. After making her decision Hayley smiled again, being decisive annoys made her feel better in an awkward situation. Leaning back in the hard plastic chair Hayley crossed her arms over her lap and closed her eyes, soon falling asleep once more.

Hayley woke with a start, unsure how much time had passed but knew somethign weird was up. Looking around through dreary eyes she didn't notice anything weird at first. Blinking a few times an indistinct shape came into view, it was one of them. Chucking her stuff in her bag she stared at it and it returned her gaze with a malicious glare then began running away, through the halls. Hayley gave chase, no idea where she was really going, her only thought was to keep up with the beast. It twisted and turned down the halls with an eerie gracefulness and Hayley increased her speed as it got further ahead. Before she knew it she was outside that girls room again and the being slipped into the room. Hayley swore under her breath and hid behind the doorframe, hoping she hadn't been seen.

Liam’s eyes widened, and he found it difficult to catch his breath. Riley’s question had caught him off guard. Harper giggled nervously, and discreetly felt her stomach, wondering if perhaps she’d put on a few pounds.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” she laughed.

“Maybe someday in the future,” Liam responded, having finally been able to draw breath. “But… uh, we don’t have the funds for a baby right now.” He grinned, the initial shock beginning to wear off, and continued. “No, I wanted to tell you that I talked to mom today.”

He could see the confusion written across Riley’s face. Their mother had a tendency to get worked up over the smallest things, and nine times out of ten; her calls were of little importance. Liam bounced slightly on the balls of his feet in anticipation as he continued.

“The doctors contacted her this morning, and said that they’ve been seeing a lot of improvement with you lately.”

Harper joined him, and squeezed his hand encouragingly.

“And, they told her that if they continue to see you improve over the next month, then you’ll be able to finally come home!”

He beamed broadly as he finished the announcement. He could tell by the disbelieving look on his sister’s face, that it would take a moment for the message to sink in, but he was willing to wait. Harper however, wanted to make one point clear before Riley had finished contemplating what had been said to her.

“We also wanted to tell you, that we’d like you to stay with us. We could help you get settled, and start a new life for yourself,” she added, glancing up at Liam. He seemed slightly shocked that she had voiced the request, but she could tell by the expression on his face, that this was what he had wanted. Liam had cared for his sister for so long, it was only natural that he’d want to continue looking after her when she was released.

“Or, you know, you can stay with mom, whichever you’d prefer,” Liam teased, grinning at his twin.

Five years ago a frightened sixteen year old was checked into Evergreen, her muddled blue eyes were never quite focused on what was in front of her, but constantly scanning the room. Once in a while, her gaze would fall on something no one else could see, and though her screams of terror had lessened over the years, her eyes were no less haunted than they had been on that first day.

Riley had accepted that she was a life timer, she couldn’t pretend that the shadows didn’t move, couldn’t forget that there were yellow eyes watching her every move. She wasn’t exactly fond of the stark white walls, crappy food, or constant surveillance, but she figured this was the best she could hope for. Being released seemed like an impossible dream, but Liam would never lie about something this serious. Riley didn’t know what to think.

After sitting in shock for about a minute, the idea didn’t seem so impossible, and Riley realized this was really happening. She was going to start living again, there would be more to her day than counseling and supervised activity. Words could not accurately describe her joy, her vision suddenly blurred, and she knew she was crying again. Her blankets fell to the ground as she jumped up, and practically tackled Liam. She hugged her brother for a long time, unable to stop crying. Once she felt like she could talk without strain, she let go and said, “I’d rather stay in here than live with mom.” She smiled at Harper, happy that she was willing to let Riley move in.

Liam stumbled backwards as Riley’s momentum threw him off balance. He laughed quietly, glad to see that she was so enthusiastic. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her until her tears subsided, and she seemed stable enough to reply.

“I don’t blame you,” he replied. “Mom can be a bit hard to handle! But I hope you know you’re always welcome at our place, and you can stay as long as you like. We can clean out the storage room a bit, and I think mom still has your old mattress that we can grab. That way you’ll have some privacy, not to mention, the couch isn’t all that comfortable,” he added, grinning.

Harper smiled, admiring the connection between the siblings. Being an only child, she’d always yearned to feel what it was like to have that sort of relationship. Being twins, the bond between Liam and Riley was especially strong. Harper knew that it had been painful for Liam to see his twin kept in the hospital all these years, and she had a feeling that he was only expressing a fraction of the excitement that he felt. Harper returned Riley’s grin, while at that same moment, an exceptionally loud growl issued from Liam’s stomach. He laughed nervously as he glanced at the clock on Riley’s desk.

“I guess I didn’t realize how late it’s getting, we still haven’t eaten dinner. Not to mention I need to get up early tomorrow for school. Anyway, it sounds like Todd’s finally settled down, it’ll probably be easier for you to sleep now!” he said, hugging his sister one last time. “We’ll visit you again later on in the week. Be good now, don’t give the doctors any reason to change their minds!” he joshed, although his message was slightly genuine.

“Goodbye Riley,” Harper said, hugging the girl as well. “We can’t wait for you to move in. It’ll be nice to have another girl in the house!” She joined Liam as he opened the door, letting her go through it into the hallway in front of him. Had the door opened inward, they would have noticed the pixyish girl hiding behind the doorway. As the door swung outward however, it conveniently obscured her from view, and as Harper and Liam walked down the hallway, they were oblivious to her presence.

Just as Zansu was finishing the last of his snack, a battered truck roared off the two-lane highway and into the gas station parking lot. They looked to be headed toward the city, so the Prince watched with interest as he licked away the chocolate that had melted onto his fingers. Three boys emerged from the cab, two wearing camouflage ball caps and all wearing jeans and t-shirts. With a smile, Zansu pushed away from the wall of the convenience store. This would take a little more energy than he usually liked to expend, but he didn't expect it to be difficult--they were just country boys, headed for the city lights.

"Thank God you guys are here!" Zansu called loudly as he approached, privately loathing the sound of his own voice at this volume. He needed to get to the city, so no more playing around. He had wasted enough time standing on the sidewalk; he was willing to put aside his preferences for the moment if it meant it took him closer to his soul match. His kingdom was at stake, and he had to remember that. Now he just had to convince these guys to give him a lift before the clerk got angry over him "harassing the customers."

The boys, standing clustered by the pump while the driver pulled out his wallet, looked up in confusion. "What's up, man?" one of them, the one without a hat, asked.

Zansu put on his best grin, and pulled out a lie that he hoped these guys could identify with. "Heh... so... I was joking with my girlfriend and kinda pissed her off, so she ditched me here..." He walked between the two pumps and withdrew the wallet from his own pocket. "Listen, I'm just trying to get back to the city. I'll pick up your gas if you guys can give me a lift."

All three of the boys laughed, and the driver of the truck immediately said, "Heck yeah, man, I'll take that deal!" and put away the card he was just about to swipe.

"That's awesome. I really appreciate it." Zansu withdrew his card and ran it through the pump's card slot, hitting the 'credit' button and then leaning against the side of the truck. "I'll get a cab as soon as we're close enough to find one." As the driver filled the tank of the red beast of a truck, the Prince leaped nimbly up over the side of the bed and took a seat next to the wheel well. He stretched his arms out along the railing and leaned his head back, thinking quietly about what his next step would be.

After a moment, the handle of the pump clicked loudly, and the driver replaced it. The three piled into the cab, ribbing each other loudly about who could and couldn't shoot a rifle, and they set off down the highway without another word to Zansu. That was fine with him; it was preferable, even. The drive into the city took all of thirteen minutes, but it would have been a much longer walk. As they approached, Zansu squinted against the wind to watch the slow spread of the lights on the horizon. As the stars overhead faded and the street lights intensified, the subtle tug in the center of his chest sharpened. It was no stronger, but it became more focused.

Finally, as they were stopped at the first of a series of stop lights that led from the rural highway into the heart of the city, Zansu rapped on the roof of the cab and leaped out of the bed. "Thanks for the lift, guys." He said loudly, then waved and set off down the sidewalk. This wasn't the nicest part of town, but it wasn't particularly dangerous. Especially to someone like the Raven Prince. It was simply... poor, and not well-kept. With his hands in his pockets, Zansu strolled with purpose along the main thoroughfare, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the boarded buildings and spray-painted walls for any clues about where he was, where he was going, and where his soul match might be found.

All he knew right now, and the entire feeling that led him, was simply, "That way."

Hayley flattened herself against the wall as much as possible when she heard the goodbyes in the room. She let out a sigh of relief as the door swung to keep her hidden from the other guests. She stood next to the wall trying to compose herself as she attempted to figure out what to say. Hi, I'm Hayley I noticed you saw the beings I do too, Hayley closed her eyes and shook her head she would sound stupid if she said that. Deciding she would just wing it Hayley stepped away from the wall and straightened her skirt and short hair then, taking one final deep breath pulled the door open, stepped into the room and shut the door quickly.

She smiled at Riley and brushed a stray hair out of her eye, "Hi, I'm Hayley, I just wanted to ask you something really quickly, there was something standing near your bed when I came earlier, big yellow eyes, scary-looking. Did you see it?" She burst out and immediately regretted it, clapping a hand over her mouth she cast Riley an apologetic look for being so tactless.

As Liam and Harper left, Riley scooped her blankets of the floor and put them back on the bed, though she was much too excited to sleep after hearing the news. In one month, four weeks, roughly 28 days, she would be released from this life-draining place. All she had to do was avoid the Skol.

She started to make the bed, though she didn’t really care much if it looked nice or not, she just needed something to do. Riley straightened out her pillow, and then turned at the sound of her door being opened again, had Liam forgotten something? Her smile faltered, as she was greeted, not by her brother, but the strange girl from earlier. She quickly hid her surprise and was about to ask if she needed help finding the right room, when the girl spoke. She talked quickly and her words jumbled together, but Riley understood her.

This girl, Hayley, had just described one of the creatures that plagued Riley in detail. Her whole life, no one else had ever seen what she did, sometimes they’d glance at the place a shadow was lurking, but their gaze never lingered. Well, there'd been a few times Harper had looked for more than a second, but she never acted like anything out of the ordinary was happening.

Her eyes wide in shock, Riley addressed the girl slowly and quietly. “You can see them?” Before she could answer, the yellow-eyed Skol from earlier slunk under the door and stood just behind Hayley, as if it had been summoned by their discussion. The beast rose unsteadily onto two legs, it’s form twisting and lurching from side to side, until it resembled some sort of deformed human. Towering over the petite girl, it broke into a horrible grin, revealing long pointed teeth. Riley inhaled sharply and made meaningful eye contact with Hayley, she had never seen another person hurt by the shadows, but then again she had never met someone else who could see them.

Riley spoke softly, trying to keep her voice steady, “Move away from the door, but don’t turn around.” Riley had flashlights hidden in several different parts of the room, though concerned nurses had confiscated some. “Reach underneath the cushion of the black chair to your right, and try to stay calm.”

Thankfully the room didn’t have many dark spots, since the overhead light was turned on. If Hayley managed to point the flashlight directly at it, the creature would have nowhere to run but back outside the door. Though how long it would stay away was uncertain.

Fantasia tied a ribbon around her head and quickly dressed herself. She stretched her arms to the sky, making a noise of satisfaction as her back popped. She said good bye to her cat, Majesto, and left the home to care for her flowers outside. The flowerbed was littered with wild flowers with no organization whatsoever, but that was the way she preferred it. Fantasia emptied her gallon of water onto the flower bed gently, with the utmost care. These flowers were important to her, after all. She cupped her hand around the blossom of a daisy and inhaled deeply. Although others wouldn't consider daisies as important flowers, she figured every thing was just as important as anything else.

A figure moved in the corner of her eye as the brunette crouched down and began pruning the garden. What spirit was it of this time? Perhaps it was of the elder her neighbors chopped down over a month ago, or the raccoon that introduced itself to the pavement not two days before. She lowered the pruners and turned her head, trying to catch a glimpse of the creature without actively looking for it. Although
she revered nature, especially the spirits, they were still frightening to look at, and wouldn't want to look for them if she didn't need to. Fantasia quickly finished the pruning, because whether she wanted to admit it or not, the spirits instilled a little bit of fear within her.

She picked up the bucket and dead leaved and distributed them in a pile next to her door. Why would she throw the dead leaves away when they would become great fertilizer later? She brought the empty water jug in, and set it next to her door. Majesto rubbed his head against the jug and he mewed, begging for attention. Fantasia leaned down and picked up the cat and kissed his face, trying to ignore the being staring at her through her window. After feeding her cat, she changed her shirt to the hideous green polyester blend uniform shirt. She pinned her name-tag to the breast of the shirt, and tied her hair into a long ponytail. "Be back in six hours, Majesto!" She informed the black cat and (unfortunately) put some shoes on. Shoes made her feet feel confined and clammy. But, she had to wear them to work, at least.

Walking to work was a regular occurrence to her. After all, it was only a ten minute walk, and she'd much rather smell the fresh air than smell her musty car. She only drove when she had to drive to town. Poulsbo was 30 minutes away, and everything else was tourist areas. And, if she needed clothes, she had to go all the way to Silverdale, which was 45 minutes away on a good day. So driving was, sometimes necessary. But, not just to go to work. She arrived at work and smiled at her coworkers, inhaling the fragrance of the shop. That was her favourite part about working here. Hopefully, today would be an eventful day.

Hayley smiled in relief, "yes, I can," she said quietly, almost happily. She was no longer alone. Turning her gaze to meet that of Rileys she could feel the being coming before she saw the fear register on Rileys face. She listened to Riley's instructions intently. Once the other female had finished the instructions Hayley gave her one quick glance then launched herself at the chair. Fumbling around she felt the solid handle of the torch and turned, flicking the switch she shone it square in the face of the being and it screamed, a harsh guttural sound before flinging itself back through the closed door.

Taking a few shakey breaths she turned to Riley again, "I never knew that about torches, I knew it was something to do with light that they didn't like but I never knew about torches..." Hayley murmured, looking down at the torch in her shaking hand. Flicking it off she put it once more under the pillow and turned to Riley.

She was at a loss as to what to say, "In all my years I have never met anyone else who could see them, fate brought me here," she said gazing intently into Rileys face. She was now seated in the black chair that had saved her. Feeling an unusual breeze on her arms she looked down and was surprised to see the sleeve was shredded. Gazing at the gashes she was speechless for a few moments, "That could of been my arm," she said in a shocked tone, gazing at Riley, awe filling her eyes.

Goerd took off through the coutryside, heading in the direction of the pull. It was light out but that didn't bother him, he was used to both light and darkness. He vaguely heard the sound of a highway in the distance. Ah, cars. This should speed things up a little. He thought. After another mile he reached the road and began walking along it, trying to hitch a ride. Suddenly he noticed a license plate. I'm in the US! I thought I was in Scotland. I guess I was mistaken when I went down the path. I guess this one was just one I hadn't used yet. Strange.

Finally someone pulled over and offered him a ride. He hopped in and was soon talking with the person, finding out current goings-on. He didn't mind talking to people, a lifetime of politics had given him that much. They talked about weather conditions and some of the current political happenings. He had altered his appearance some so he wouldn't be recognised as the President. They soon aproached a city where he got out and began finding some other means of transportation.

Hayley was right, this had to be fate. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Riley had always feared that she really was in need of psychological help. Maybe that’s why she’d never fought back when others insisted it was all in her head. But sitting a few feet away was proof of Riley’s sanity. Hayley affirmed both her greatest wish and fear, because if there was no doubt it was all real, then there was no hope the shadows would ever leave her alone. Riley sat down, defeated. How would she ever get released now? She’d have to pretend the Skol had never come back, that she was no longer frightened of the dark.

Hayley mentioned something about her arm, and Riley took in the torn shirt, well it could’ve been much worse. Still the surprise in Hayley’s voice confused Riley. “Wait, you’ve never been attacked before? I thought that was normal, at least, normal for me.” She looked down at her scarred arms, there was no pattern, no precision, the jagged marks were scattered at random, each one a bit different than the others. The doctors could never figure out where Riley was finding objects sharp enough, and so oddly shaped, to cut herself with.

Before Hayley had a chance to respond, the sound of distant footsteps echoed from somewhere down the hall. Was it already late enough for Brenda to be making the nightly rounds? The glowing numbers on her alarm clock told her it was early morning, with a start Riley wondered how so much time had passed without her noticing. If Brenda found Hayley in here, there’d be trouble.

“Look, I really want to know more about you, but now is a bad time. I’m about to be let out, the doctors think my “condition” is improving. So the last thing I want is to attract more of those things, but when we’re together it’s like they can’t stay away.” Riley nodded towards the little window on the door, a swarm of black blocked the usual view of the hallway. “I’ve never seen so many.”

The hall lights turned on, making the shadows scatter, as the footsteps grew steadily closer. Riley reached for a pad of paper. She scribbled the number to her wing of the hospital, ripped out the sheet of paper, and handed it to Hayley. “When you call ask for Riley Ellis, that’s my name by the way, say you’re my cousin or something. They’ll run it by my brother later, but he never remembers the names of our extended family, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

The footsteps stopped a few feet outside the door, Brenda was checking on Todd. There was the sound of keys clanking, and then loud protesting from Todd. “Brenda usually spends a few minutes calming him down, if you sneak out now, you won’t be caught.” She smiled at Hayley, “I really hope to hear from you soon.”

Harper knew she was dreaming as she’d seen this vision many times before, but the images still terrified her nonetheless. A deserted city surrounded her, the buildings dark and menacing. She stood paralyzed as her feet disappeared beneath a pool of blood, which covered every street. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted movement along the rooftops above.

Hundreds of Skol were gathering, their movements quick and graceful as they scuttled from building to building. Each creature held something pale and round in its jaws, and as they began to descend from the structures they released the objects. The pale things fell with a splash, and began to float towards to her. Harper knew what they were, and tried desperately to move her feet, but they stood planted. She was forced to watch helplessly as the objects drew nearer. She was now able to discern the misshapen faces that adorned each of the disembodied heads. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, and as she watched, the mouths of the dismembered heads began to open and close methodically. Their faces twisted in pain as they continued toward her, each one attempting to tell her something, but unable to utter a single sound.

Harper tried to remember that it wasn’t real and attempted to wake herself, but at that moment something happened that she’d never witnessed before. The Skol began to throw themselves into the lake of blood as well, each of them seemingly drawn towards one spot about 50 yards away from where she stood. As they swarmed, a soft green light began to glow in the middle of the mass, and as it grew brighter the Skol grew more enlivened. A grayish-green figure rose slowly from the depths, and towered above the restless Skol, its piercing black eyes focusing on Harper. Fear gripped her heart as she found herself unable to look away. It raised one arm, it’s robes floating freely about its body, and Harper felt herself drawn forward. She knew that if she were to come within reach, the beast would kill her, but she was powerless to fight against the pull that drew her forward.

Harper woke with a start. A sheen of sweat covered her body, and she could hear her heart thumping loudly in her ears. She closed her eyes, but immediately opened them in fright as the image of the creature’s dark eyes remained glued to her retinas. Struggling to calm her ragged breathing, she reached down and grabbed the blanket, which had slipped off of her while she’d slept. Soft light played through the curtains, illuminating the room, which Harper was thankful for. The last thing she wanted was to find herself in a dark room after experiencing such a horrifying nightmare. She glanced at the alarm clock on the dresser beside Liam and discovered that it was 7:56 in the morning. In another 4 minutes, the alarm would go off, and Liam would have to start getting ready for school.

She snuggled against him, struggling to erase the dream from her memory, but she found herself bothered by the unearthly figure that the Skol had been attracted to. She’d had this dream dozens of times, and never before had it been there. What truly disturbed her was the feeling of familiarity she was experiencing, when she was certain she’d never seen the figure before. Was its sudden presence a sign of some trouble that lay ahead? Harper’s mother held a firm belief in the symbolism of a person’s dreams, and on many occasions Harper had shared her dreams with her mother, amused by the ridiculous interpretations she came up with. She had a feeling that this was one dream she should keep secret however. She was certain that her mother would take it as a sign of her deteriorating health, and would probably share her concerns with Dr. Reed. That was the last thing she needed now.

The sharp cry of the alarm broke through her thoughts. She waited for Liam to groggily jab the snooze button as he always did, but after he didn’t move for several seconds, she reached across him, and pushed the button herself, allotting him 10 more minutes of sleep. She watched his chest slowly rise and fall, and marveled at how he could look so adorable even while he slept. Harper always woke up with half her hair sticking out at odd angles, and dark circles beneath her eyes, but somehow Liam managed to remain perfect. Everything except his breath. Harper coughed softly as Liam sighed in his sleep, wafting his morning breath over her. She scooted away, and rose from the bed, stretching as she did so. She didn’t have to work until 11, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to get any more sleep. She walked into the kitchen and began making breakfast for Liam and herself. Halfway done with frying the bacon, Liam emerged from the hallway, a sleepy smile plastered on his face.

“Did I ever mention how amazing you are?” he asked. “What better way is there to wake up, then to the smell of bacon cooking?”

Harper smiled. “Well it’s not ready yet,” she replied, anticipating his motive. Liam was notorious for stealing bits of bacon as she cooked it. “If you hurry, breakfast will be ready by the time you’re done with your shower.”

Fifteen minutes later, Harper presented a warm plate of eggs, bacon and a maple muffin she’d brought home from the coffee house where she worked, to a freshly washed Liam.

“Thanks babe, this looks amazing,” he said, immediately wolfing down the bacon before starting on the muffin.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, taking a bit more time to consume her food. She played with her eggs, her mind teeming with thoughts. She contemplated how she was going to voice what was bugging her, but she didn’t completely understand it herself. How was she supposed to explain it?

“I picked up a few extra shifts at the music store this week, so I’ll be home a little later than usual tonight,” Liam said, interrupting her thoughts. Harper sighed.

“I wish you didn’t have to be gone so much,” she replied. “I miss you during the day.”

“I know babe, but with both of us working we’re finally getting a good amount of savings built up. If we keep going at this rate we might be able to get married by the middle of next year. If I didn’t have school too, then we’d be even further along,” Liam responded.

“I don’t want you to get worn out though,” Harper explained. “Isn’t it enough that we’re together now? I really want to get married too, but it’s okay with me if our wedding gets delayed a bit. I feel bad when you have to work so much, on top of school.”

Liam chuckled. “It’s not that hard of a job, really I don’t mind. Plus, I’m almost done with my bachelor’s degree. I’ll take a bit of a break before I go on to my master’s degree, so stop worrying.”

Finished with his meal, he pecked her on the cheek before setting his dishes in the sink and retreating into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Harper followed him, carrying her plate of food.

“I forgot to tell you yesterday, Dr. Reed says I’m doing a lot better. I might be off the meds by the holidays if it keeps up,” she said.

“That’s great,” Liam replied, applying toothpaste to his brush. “Two pieces of good news in as many days, I think I’m on a roll here.”

“That’s just it though,” Harper answered, debating her next move. “I can’t help but feel like there’s something hanging over us. Like something horrible is about to happen, but I don’t know why. I just can’t seem to shake off this feeling of anxiety.”

Liam paused before putting the brush in his mouth, glancing at Harper worriedly. “It’s not about Riley staying with us is it? Maybe we should have talked about it a bit more before I rushed us over there to see her; but I thought since you were the one who offered it to her first, that meant you were okay with the idea.”

“No, no it’s nothing like that!” Harper interjected. “I meant what I said, I really do want her to come stay with us. It’s just… I don’t know. It’s almost like all these good things are happening all at once, and now we don’t have anywhere to go from here but down.”

“You know, that’s probably not the healthiest outlook to have,” Liam replied, attempting to keep the conversation light. After seeing the troubled look on Harper’s face however, he grew serious. He set his toothbrush down. “Come here,” he said, embracing her comfortingly. “You’re just a bit nervous, that’s all. Things will turn out okay, you’ll see.” He glanced at his wristwatch and sighed dejectedly. “I’m sorry babe, but I gotta go. We’ll talk more about this later, I promise,” he said, stroking her back quickly before returning to his toothbrush.

Harper returned to the table, her worries still as oppressive as ever. She picked at her meal while Liam continued to gather his things. Having finally attained all his necessities, he kissed Harper lightly.

“Thanks again for breakfast,” he said, making his way to the doorway. “I’ll try and stop by the coffee shop on my way to work today if I get a chance. Have a good day, please try not to worry too much.”

“Bye hon,” Harper replied. “I love you, don’t work too hard.”

“Love you too,” and with that, he was gone.

Harper listened as Liam backed the light blue VW Beetle out of its parking spot, and onto the street. Liam’s father had given him the car, and although it was on its last legs, Liam refused to get a new one. He said the car had personality, and he didn’t have the heart to part with it. In all honesty, Harper loved the car too, she’d always found it adorable, but that didn’t keep her from worrying about it breaking down, and leaving Liam stranded in the middle of nowhere. The coffee house was only a fifteen minute walk away from their apartment, so Harper had no need for a car, but Liam had to do quite a bit of traveling each day in order to go from school to work, and the worn out car simply wouldn’t be able to handle it much longer.

As Harper quietly finished her meal, the Skol from the night before slowly crept into the room. It sniffed the air, staring at her. “What do you want?” she asked, scathingly. The creature contemplated her, then resumed its search once more. Harper returned her attention to her plate, struggling to ignore the sounds of the beast as it sought for its invisible prize.

((OOC: I decided to split my post, since it would have been obscenely long otherwise!))

If Zansu had been the noise-making type, he would have been growling in frustration. For nearly twenty minutes he had been stalking up the sidewalk into the heart of whatever city those rednecks had dropped him in, and he had seen nothing of note except a few beat up cars, a host of numbered streets that could be found in any city in America, and an unreasonable number of boarded buildings with peeling paint. Ordinarily, the drab and depressing atmosphere would be quite comfortable for him, but under the current circumstances all he wanted was to figure out where he was, and where he was going. And where was that blasted snake he had sent to retrieve the twins? They should be -- they had better be -- here soon. If things kept up this way much longer, he was going to have to give up his glamour for a bit and use some of his Sie abilities... and he'd really rather not.

A subtle arch of streetlights a few blocks ahead marked the curve of a bridge, and Zansu smiled softly. There was a soft sound of water running underneath it, and there appeared to be a small plaza on its opposite side. As he expected, the Prince found more signs of life on the other side of the bridge. A few homeless folk shuffled along towards a bench, and a cabby stood outside his car messily scarfing a hot dog. Without hesitation, Zansu approached him and breathed, "I need a lift, whenever you're done with your..." he looked at the mustard-drenched frank with disgust "...dinner." And without waiting for a response, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the dented door of the yellow car.

"Whatever, buddy, just gimme a minute." The cabby, with stereotypical charm, ignored Zansu as he finished off his meal, wiped his hands on the front of his shirt, then climbed in the car and gestured rudely for his fare to enter. "Alright, where to?"

As Zansu climbed in, he examined the small license mounted on the back of the driver's seat -- his name was Mark Watson, and it was marked Seattle, Washington. Ah, that would explain the climate, and the geography! At last, he felt like he was making progress! Before answering the driver's question, he stared out the window and watched as a tiny skol kicked garbage at the homeless couple; it was a minor inconvenience to them, but at least the little guy was doing what he could to irritate those who couldn't see him. With a pleasant grin, Zansu leaned forward against the window vent and said softly, "I don't have an address, but I know the way. Turn right on the street up there."

When the driver began to protest, Zansu cut him off sharply. "Just drive where I tell you, Mark," he whispered venomously, "And we'll be fine." Though the driver was obviously angry, he was also obviously in need of fare tonight, and so he pulled out from the curb and headed down the street under Zansu's direction.

Streaks of light stretched across the dusty wooden floorboards of an old house, as the morning sun managed to find it’s way through the boarded up windows. Some light seeped into a half open linen closet in the hallway, landing just a few inches away from a creature made of shadow.

Ava inhaled deeply, her over sized ears twitching as she came out of her slumber. Disturbed by even the tiniest amount of light, she squinted and scrunched her nose. Skol didn’t need sleep to function, but they didn’t object to it. It was nice to relax and let the mind wander every once in a while. Ava yawned, stood unsteadily on her four legs, and stretched. She had been dreaming of the castle, how every morning she would accompany Cael to the grand hall, and feed off Seers that had been tricked into entering the kingdom. Though some had just been unfortunate enough to wander into one of the many passageways that linked the two worlds.

Her stomach growled at the thought of the captives, but how would she ever eat here? Was she supposed to chase down a Seer and frighten them until the urge subsided? She couldn’t do that, it was upsetting enough just being in this world, she didn’t want to go chasing down humans, she much preferred them being brought to her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she jumped out of the closet and looked around, but Cael was nowhere to be seen. Panic spread through the little shadow, had he left her behind?

The rising sun was directly behind the deserted red house, it cast a long shadow across the yard and into the empty suburban street. The only movement came from a businessman a few houses down, dressed in a smart looking suit and carrying a leather briefcase. He’d never been the type to tolerate out of place things, or people for that matter, and he’d always thought the empty house an eyesore. As he got into his car, he noticed a strange boy leaning against the usually abandoned place. Sure this neighborhood was home to more than a few teenagers, but this one was odd. He wore an open black leather jacket, faded jeans that were ripped in multiple places, and his hair was truly obnoxious. It stood straight up, more than a few inches tall. This truly irritated the businessman, why didn’t young men ever cut their hair anymore? He slammed his car door shut and strode toward the delinquent, as he got closer it was clear the boy was smoking. He picked up the pace, this old house really had to go, it obviously attracted the wrong sort.

Cael exhaled slowly and watched the smoke rise and disappear, nicotine didn't do anything for him, but he liked the way people reacted when he smoked. Either they started pleasant conversation thinking they'd found a fellow, or they glared and chided him. Humans were strange. As if to prove his point, he noticed the indignant neighbor charging toward him. He took one last drag, dropped his cigarette, stepped on it, and then gave the man his full attention. After listening for about two minutes to a lecture about this neighborhood taking action against unwelcome nonresidents, the Prince cut the man off. “No disrespect intended sir, I was just looking for an old friend. Harper Evans, do you know her?”

The now red-faced man, looked surprised at Cael’s question. “The Evans family is long gone, and by the time I come home for lunch, you should be too.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and marched back to the car. Cael watched the man for a second, then made sure the street was still deserted before dissolving into shadow.

The man got into his car smugly, positive he had made an impression. He put his keys into the ignition, started the car, and shifted into reverse. He looked to the rear view mirror and was startled to find the boy sitting in the backseat. His anger returned, but was quickly replaced by fear as he realized he’d never heard the door open. The boy was lighting another cigarette, never breaking eye contact in the rearview mirror.

Cael smirked as he felt the man's heart start to beat faster, his fear was almost tangible. Leaning back and resting his head against the seat, he closed his eyes, and spoke calmly. “I promise to be gone by lunchtime, if you promise to answer all my questions.”

The sun shone brightly through Kylie's curtains, casting a soft glow throughout the small room. Usually the light didn't bother her in the mornings and this morning was no different, she welcomed the light. How often had she wished that darkness and shadows would flee? Nothing can hide in the light, in the dark.... that's where nightmares existed. There's an old saying that her mother used to say to her, "If you face the light your shadows will fall behind you." This quote used to bring her comfort, but now she realizes how mistaken the person is who said it. If your shadows are behind you, then they can still stab you in the back.

Kylie buried her nose into her pillow and inhaled deeply, then let out a long sigh. She probably only got about 3 hours of sleep again. It wasn't her fault though, how could a person sleep with visions of creatures crawling around on their ceiling? She pulled out her cellphone from under her pillow and glanced at the screen from the corner of her eye, it was 7:45am, her first class was in an hour.

Kylie was a student at an art college majoring in art education. She was very passionate about doing this, but lately things have been getting harder and school seems less and less important. She lifted her face from the pillow giving her full attention to the cellphone screen as she texted a message to her friend Sam. She was letting him know that she wasn't going to make it to her classes today, making up an excuse about being sick. She was glad that her professors didn't really care if she was there as long as she got her work done. Not that, that was easy. Tossing aside her blankets Kylie got out of bed with a groan. She was exhausted, but she needed a shower.

Kylie discovered that showers were the only way to help her calm down. The warm water seemed to help her relax in a way that nothing else could. Sometimes she would sit in the shower for at least and hour before she decided she was relaxed enough to face the day. Kylie walked into the bathroom and turned on the water letting it warm up. While she waited she stood in front of the mirror. Her bloodshot eyes had dark circles under them, her skin was deathly pale, and her lips were swollen from biting them in her sleep. Not to mention her hair was a mess from tossing and turning all night. She honestly looked like one of the zombies from the movie she saw last night.

Ugh last night.... Kylie rubbed her temples trying to massage the memory out of her mind. Last night she was with a group of friends at the movie theater. They all wanted to see Zombie Land and being a fan of zombie movies she accepted the invite. If you have seen Zombie Land you would know that it is not really a horror film, it was more of a comedy. With that said... in the middle of the movie Kylie began having one of her episodes. There were creatures crawling around on the screen and in the isles. Kylie had to leave the theater so her friends wouldn't see her having a panic attack. She was sure they all had a good laugh about it later thinking that she was just scared of the movie. Honestly she preferred them thinking that rather than knowing she was crazy.

Kylie then got in the shower letting the water relax her tired muscles. This was the closest thing to peace she would probably ever be able to get. About a half hour later Kylie reluctantly turned the water off. She reached out of the shower to grab her towel and wrapped it around her small body. Then she pulled the shower curtain aside. There standing before her was one of the creatures. It had long awkward limbs and in its mouth were fierce pointed teeth, its blood red eyes gazed at her with malice.

Kylie let out a blood curdling scream as she fell to her knees there in the shower. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her head trembling from fear.... Tears spilled from her eyes sliding down her cheeks, she fought back sobs. "go away, please go away, just leave me alone, you're not real, just leave me alone." She rocked back and forth repeating this to herself for awhile before she was ready to open her eyes again. The creature was gone. A sob burst out of her and she began crying uncontrollably. What a wonderful way to start the day....

Fantasia watered the flowers, waiting for people to come in. Business was generally very slow except around holidays and school dances. Even then, the school was so small that they still didn't get busy. She set a natural fertilizer on top of the flowers, waiting for her break to come. She had already been there a few hours, the only person who came in was someone who needed a bouquet of flowers. He came in about once a week, Fantasia figured that was mostly because he and his wife either fought, or because he got a new girlfriend every week. She wasn't entirely sure, but she didn't want to ask. Hey, whatever worked for him.

Her break came around and she went out, and got a soy latte. She sat outside at a picnic table, letting her hair down as she sipped the hot beverage. It burned her throat a bit, but she didn't mind. The burn kind of felt good, in a way. Relaxing. After having her soy latte and an apple, she went back to work for a few more hours. Today felt different, but in a good way. Maybe it was the soft breeze coming through the trees, or the smell of fresh cut grass lingering in the air. Regardless, it felt like a good day.

Ava sat uneasily on the leather bucket seat next to Cael, she didn’t understand why he felt the need to travel by car. She closed her eyes and tried to think about something other than the churning of her insides, this was worse than when she’d thought Cael had abandoned her, well almost worse. After curling back up in the closet for about an hour, terrified to leave the house and face the human world alone, Cael had returned spinning a set of car keys around his finger, a wide grin plastered on his face. He hadn’t told her where he’d been, or how he’d gotten a car, and she hadn’t asked. She’d learned long ago it was better not to ask questions.

The businessman had ended up knowing more about the Evans family than he’d let on. Apparently Harper and her mother had gone to live with a relative in Washington for a few months after a terrible divorce. Not only had he given Cael valuable information, the man had also reminded him just how much fun humans could be. The pact protected regular humans from physical harm, but it said nothing about the use of manipulation. Pride was the man’s downfall, he was so afraid of losing his position, money, and young unattached wife. All Cael had to do was push a little, and he’d broken.

Cael hadn’t lifted a finger, he’d remained relaxed in the backseat, as the man watched his carefully planned life fall to pieces. Had he been laid off? Had his trophy wife found out about the affair? What would his family say when he lost rights to the kids? He’d worked so hard to be the best, to have the best, but it didn’t matter, now he’d surely lose everything. Cael drank in the man’s terror, opened his eyes slowly, and found he was not alone. The car was full of hungry Skol, darting from seat to seat, dancing on the ceiling, caressing the man’s face with retracted claws, but though they covered every inch of the vehicle, none dared touch Cael.

The young Prince smiled lazily, and reached towards one of the excited shadows. The creature’s motion ceased as Cael’s hand traveled down it’s spiked spine, and it leaned into his hand happily. The other Skol turned their attention to the pair, and within moments they were swarming their Prince, fighting to be close to him, to feel his power up close. Cael laughed as he was submersed in a sea of moving darkness. The man took no notice of what was happening in his backseat, he didn’t hear the eerie laughter, he was consumed only with thoughts of failure. He began to sob as he stumbled out of the car and wandered aimlessly down the street, in a few hours he would come to his senses, but right now he was experiencing his worst fear, and crumbling in the face of it. The swarm rushed after the man, only a handful stayed behind, still fascinated with Cael, but as he climbed into the front seat, they too left.

Cael now sat in that same seat, holding the wheel of the stolen yellow sports car as if he’d been driving for years, though he’d never been in a car until today. He changed lanes easily, and didn’t hesitate when lights changed color. He could feel Ava’s restlessness, but didn’t slow for her benefit. His companion was anxious about everything, if a fly landed on her she’d jump. Normally he found this characteristic endearing, but since arriving in the human world it had become nothing but a source of irritation.

“Master, where are we going?” The little shadow inquired, her breathing labored as she bit back the sick feeling in her stomach.

“To a town called Chimicum, apparently Harper’s Aunt owns a floral shop there.” Cael drummed his fingers on the wheel in time to an upbeat song coming from a preprogrammed station on the radio. “It’ll take about four hours, so you’d better get comfortable.”

As they passed a sign welcoming them to Salem, Oregon, Ava sighed audibly and slunk into the closest air vent. The coolness reminded her of home, a place she was beginning to wish she’d never left.

Hayley frowned at Riley, "No, I've never been attacked before," she said thoughtfully, taking a mental note. She was about to say something when her watch caught her attention. She was so surprised that it was morning that she nearly didn't hear Riley start to speak again. Looking up she saw Riley write on a piece of paper, she grabbed it and read the number quickly before putting the paper into her pocket. She grinned at Riley then as she began to move towards the door, "Count on hearing from me," with that she slipped out of the door and ran quickly down the hall.

As she got into her car, she turned her radio up loud as the song 'And the boys' began to play. Humming along she drove down the highway back to her house. She was surprised at how far she had come from her home and it took her nearly an hour to get back.

Sitting on the vintage couch in her apartment she twirled the paper with Rileys number in her hand. She wanted to call her but didn't want to seem needy. Jumping up she fixed herself some breakfast and wrote down (and drew) some more stuff into her journal in regard to the beings. Opening up her computer she checked out the asylum on the internet and saw that calling time wasn't for another couple of hours. Sighing, she walked back into the lounge room and layed down on the couch and began to sleep.

When she woke up a few hours later she checked her watch, and deciding it was time called the number Riley had given her, the call went through and she inquired about Rileys room, the phone was transfered and she waited nervously for Riley to answer.

The overcast sunrise reminded Zansu of home. With the sun muted by the washed-out cotton-candy wall that covered the sky, the dim light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was like when his father was still alive, before the sickness had taken him and turned their world into something dark and lifeless rather than a place of comfortable obscurity. The Prince sighed softly at the memory; he would reclaim the world they had lost.

Clenching his fists tightly, Zansu pulled his arms off the back of the bench they had been stretched across and pushed himself to his feet. With a silent reach of his power he called together the small army of Skol that flitted at the edges of the small plaza, slithering in and out of just-opened shops and along the gutters at the side of the cobblestone roundabout. It was a quaint place, a charming place, as long as you didn't see the scores of black monsters swarming over and across one another in their fervor. Zansu could feel in his chest that this was the right place -- the Evergreen Asylum, an innocent looking building set apart from the plaza by an enormous gate and a tree-lined driveway.

The previous night's adventure with Mark, the cab driver, had led the Prince here by a few hours after midnight. He had been surprised to discover an unusual concentration of Skol in the vicinity; they were almost exclusively the lowest type, those most driven by instinct and least guided by intellect, so it had been a simple matter to secure their allegiance in exchange for revealing some of Mark's... vulnerabilities. Even without counting the creatures that were still tormenting the cabby (he hadn't quite found the courage yet to get back in his car after the car crash story Zansu had shared with him), there were many more Skol in the area surrounding the Asylum than Zansu thought could co-exist in relative peace.

They had been drawn here by something, and there was enough fear in the atmosphere to feed even this horde to satisfaction. Zansu could taste it, too, and had been savoring the experience as he contemplated his situation. His soul match was inside, somewhere. He could feel it. He had to get inside, had to find her. It would be in an Asylum, the Prince thought bitterly. Let's take the most visionary and creative members of humanity and isolate them from the rest of the world. Brilliant. Just another reason that he had such strong mixed feelings for the human race -- they had incredible potential, but so little perspective.

With a clap of his hands, the Raven Prince silenced and stilled the writhing mass of creatures that he had called to assist him. He rubbed his hands together briskly, as though the morning chill could actually affect him, then clasped them in front of his torso. "I will lead you," Zansu called in the silent, mental speech of the Sie. Then with a wicked flash of his eyes and death itself in his voice, he added, "And you WILL follow!" The cries of Zansu's impromptu invasion force joined together in a wall of sound, shrieking and snarling and growling their obeisance. Pleased, Zansu offered a cold smile and strode imperially through the ocean of Skol as it parted before him, leading a terrifying parade past the unseeing eyes of the human world and walking up the long driveway and through the motion-activated sliding door into the cold, impersonal lobby of the Asylum.

Soon after her break, the shop began to actually become busy. Apparently, there was to be a birthday party for an elderly woman in the neighborhood. So a few flower arrangements and bouquets later, the addreniline rush of being busy had dwindled. It kind of made her wish that she had been at the birthday party for the elderly woman, or back home doing something interesting. Well, she might as well find something interesting to do while she was still at work. The brunette grabbed a broom and took it outside to do some standard maintenance on the grounds themselves. First she'd start off sweeping the sidewalk, the move on to watering the plants and weeding. After all, if a flower shop had weeds, it wouldn't give the buyers much confidence about the quality of their flowers. Besides, Fantasia would much rather be outside working than inside staring at the wall.

Most of the people she worked with were the opposite. They would be inside, watching television or doing their nails. But none of those things interested the young environmentalist whatsoever. She's much rather get her shoes muddy and get something done than sit around and do nothing. Although, the girls got paid just as much as she did and she did all the work. She sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, smearing dirt across the otherwise flawless skin. Well, at least she was doing work she enjoyed.

A salt and pepper haired nurse named Teresa quietly opened the door to room 213, and smiled when she found her favorite patient fast asleep. Normally Riley Ellis was awake no later than eight every morning, but Teresa had been informed by the night nurse that Liam had stopped by and shared the good news. Teresa had never married, and Riley was an outlet for those maternal feelings she’d never gotten to use. It saddened her think of not getting to see Riley daily, but more than anything else the nurse was overjoyed she would be released.

Despite her delusions, Riley was an intelligent and self-sufficient individual, she didn’t belong here, and as long as she took her medicine, Teresa saw no reason why the girl wouldn’t be successful on her own.
Her crisp blue scrubs rustled as she set a tray containing little cup of pills, a glass of water, and a piece of cantaloupe on Riley’s nightstand. Teresa trusted Riley to take her pills without being watched, so she didn’t feel the need to wake her. Riley was tangled in blankets, with multiple limbs hanging over the edge of the bed and red hair obscuring her pale face. Teresa carefully brushed the hair from the sleeping girl’s face, and upset by how cold her skin was, made a mental note to remind management air conditioning was unnecessary this time of year. A loud rapping on the door startled both Teresa and Riley.

Riley’s eyes fluttered open, the room a blur to her half sleeping brain. She thought she saw Teresa, but couldn’t be sure. Yawning she rolled over, the late night she’d had making it easy to fall back asleep.

With a stern expression Teresa walked briskly to the door, and stepped outside, reprimanding the newly hired nurse for her carelessness.

“Sorry, but I thought it was policy to knock before entering a patients room.” The young blonde responded lazily.

Teresa sighed, “Yes, but not when the patient is clearly sleeping. You are able to see through the window aren’t you?”

“Oh. I didn’t think about that.” She quickly changed the subject by holding up the cordless phone meant for patient use, “Riley has a phone call. Her cousin I think.”

“Laura, do you think or do you know?”

“Um… well she says she’s her cousin. Name’s Emily Ellis or something like that.”

Teresa snatched the phone from the girl and directed her back to the front desk. Laura was more than happy to escape the angry old woman. She sauntered back to the desk, fell into a standard black office chair, and resumed reading an article on the perfect eye shadow for fall. The sound of determined footsteps interrupted her, and she sighed, prepared for another round of scolding. Looking over her copy of “Seventeen” magazine, she was surprised to find an attractive man with angular features, rather than a glowering old nurse. She sat up straight and tried to brush a few stray hairs behind her ear, but of course they fell right back into her face a second after. She utterly despised the dress code, unflattering scrubs and ponytails were too matronly for her taste.

Laura cleared her throat, and greeted the visitor with a voice much more attentive than the one she’d used with Teresa earlier. “Hello, welcome to Evergreen.” She smiled brightly and continued, “Are you here to visit a patient, or would you like to check in for an appointment?”

Most patients got regular phone calls from relatives or close friends, but Teresa was unfamiliar with this woman’s voice. “I’m sorry dear, but I need to confirm your relation to Riley before I let you speak with her. We have to be very careful with whom the patients are allowed outside contact, hospital policy and all that.” Teresa unhooked the clip board from Riley’s door, and flipped to the page of approved contacts. “Unfortunately I don’t see an Emily Ellis on the approved list, but not to worry. A simple phone call to a member of her immediate family should do the trick. I’ll need to add you to the list, but then you’ll be free to speak with Miss Ellis as often as you’d like.”

After taking down the woman’s name and number, Teresa promised to call back within the next few days and returned the portable phone to the front desk. She gave the young man being helped by Teresa a disapproving once over, she preferred much more cheerful company. She wrote a quick note for Brenda to call Liam later that night and confirm Emily Ellis as a relation of Riley. She knew their mother was unavialiable on Mondays, senior night at the casino, quite a character that woman. Liam wouldn't pick up the phone if Teresa called now either, he was in school most mornings, and worked all afternoon. Teresa sincerely hoped Riley would follow in her brother's footsteps once she was let out.

Lovely... thought Zansu sarcastically, eyeing the girl at the desk with an aloof expression somewhere between a smirk and a smile. He relished the power over others that he gained when they were attracted to him--that was part of the reason for using a glamour, after all--but he would much rather taste their fear than their... hormones. Still, he was here for business, not pleasure.

An endless stream of inky darkness trailed behind him, spilling unseen into the Asylum lobby. Zansu, knowing what the emboldened Skol were about to unleash, actually managed a sincere (if thin) smile as he leaned forward against the counter. In sharp contrast to the receptionist's cheery welcome, he replied in his softest, silkiest voice, "A little of both, I hope."

One of the fluorescent lights overhead flickered for a brief moment as one of the stronger Skol crawled across it, and Zansu called silently to the creatures as he had in the plaza, I will lead. Then, in response to the flustered nurse's look of puzzlement, he said, "I'm a psych student at the University, and I heard Evergreen was looking for interns."

The nurse put down her magazine on the desk, her eyes lighting at the prospect of working alongside the man in front of her. "Yeah, I think we're always looking for help." Especially cute help, she added to herself.

The sound of orthopedic sneakers on old tile echoed from down the hallway, and a few seconds later a much older nurse appeared with a cordless phone in hand. She replaced it in its cradle and glared in matronly disapproval at Zansu, who simply returned the look with a short nod of acknowledgement. He didn't need her approval, at least not now.

The Skol in the lobby were growing restless as more and more of the Asylum's residents were waking from their slumber. They could sense, as could the Prince, the raw potential in the atmosphere. Coordinated efforts such as this were rare in the Sie world, and they were generally discouraged by the Beynon royalty in order to protect the Pact and the secrecy of their kingdom, but there was a time for everything.

"Is there an application? What do I need to do?" He looked from the young girl to the older (and obviously more knowledgable) nurse. "I need the experience, not the pay, and I'm available as soon as I'm needed." If you only knew how soon that was! thought Zansu wickedly. Then, punctuated by a release of his power to strengthen his informal army, he silently shouted, Go, and feast!

The Skol let out a roar, unheard by all save those who could pierce the Mist, and spilled forth from the lobby in a torrent of writhing ink. They flowed into every nook and cranny, inhabited every shadow, filled every crevice they could find, both in the physical space of the Asylum and in the minds of its residents. The entire building buzzed with their rasping whispers, and Zansu could feel the tremor in the air as the madnesses that plagued the patients were nurtured and inflamed by the creatures.

Zansu, barely suppressing a shiver of joy at the slowly rising crescendo of fear and suffering, straightened in false surprise as the first of several shouts filtered down the sterile hallway. Honestly, he would have thought the rooms would be better sound-proofed. But as another voice added a string of incoherent syllables to the first guttural yell, he decided that the thin walls would work to his advantage.

He picked up a pen from a cup by the nurse's desk, waggling it meaningfully. "Just show me where to sign," he said in a slightly louder voice than he had yet used. "I want to help people like... that." Zansu tilted his head toward the hallway just as another patient, presumably a neighbor of the first two, began to bang fiercely on her door.

The clamor was growing slowly, but the Prince was patient. He was strategic. And, just like the war games he had mastered as a child, he knew when to wait and let his opponents make their move. The nurses would have to decide how to respond, both to Zansu's request for an application and to the gradual increase in their patients' instability. And then it would be his turn.