When Riley didn't answer Hayley knew something was wrong. She Immediately began to think the worst, jumping into her car she drove down the highway at an increased speed. She arrived at Evergreen in double time. The site that greeted her left her speechless. Beings everywhere. Coming. Surging into the asylum, "Riley," she murmured, quickly she jumped out of the car and sprinted to the asylum reception where another being stood socialising with a human. She could tell instantly that he was in human form and his appearance made her blood run cold. She heard the banging in the rooms and feared the worst.

She looked around the reception, her eyes wide with fear, unsure what to do. She needed to see if Riley was ok but the doors barred her. She knew it was hopeless trying to sneak in. Realising that she hadn't been noticed she left the main building of the asylum and stepped outside. Leaning against the wall she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She had never been faced with a situation like this before. When she had regained composure she stepped in again and made her way to the reception desk behind the Being. She managed to refain from fidgeting as she waited to be acknowledged.

((OOC edited my second paragraph. I hope it is a bit better now.))

Laura was reaching into a drawer full of applications, when what sounded like every patient on the floor began to act up. When the screaming reached an unbearable height, she turned to Teresa. “Aren’t you going to do something?!” Her shout was met with a sharp glare that was even more terrifying than the screaming.

Teresa grabbed the desk phone and dialed in a code that allowed her to speak over the intercom, there were more than thirty members of hospital staff on duty, all assigned to different floors. Just to make sure help was coming, Teresa made an announcement requesting assistance from any and all available staff members. This wasn’t the first time there’d been multiple patients having an episode, but it was one of the loudest. Teresa pulled up her sleeves, told Laura to remain at the front desk, and disappeared behind a set of double doors that led to patient rooms.

Laura turned back to the man in front of her, and remembered the form. She spoke loud enough to be heard over the clamor, “Just fill this out with your basic information, and sign here. It might take a few days for you to get approved but...” Just then a loud crash and subsequent yelling echoed down the hallway. About five nurses stepped off a nearby elevator, one of them gesturing for Laura to follow, before opening the double doors and joining Teresa.

Laura frowned, the last thing she wanted to do was go in there, after all she’d only signed up to be front desk help. Stupid internship. “Okay just wait here, I shouldn’t be gone too long.” She braced herself and threw open the double doors, mumbling under her breath.

Riley’s eyes moved every few seconds under closed lids, her steady breathing the only sound, as she dreamed of things average people would consider mundane. When Riley slept she didn’t see the extraordinary, she never flew, or found herself in some distant land. What she experienced were scenes from normal life, she saw brightly lit city streets at dusk, felt her hands on the steering wheel of some cheap car she’d diligently saved up for, or watched the summer wind gently lift the pages of a worn book. She loved these images so much, that waking up was the worst part of her day.

A smile played over Riley’s chapped lips as she dreamt of singing with her brother Liam in some locally owned café, her voice rising in time with his, the smell of coffee surrounding them. The melody was cut off abruptly by the harsh screaming of a neighboring patient. Riley woke with a start, she had been sleeping precariously close to the bed’s edge, and the sudden jerk was enough to throw off her balance. She landed painfully on the white tile, luckily on her back rather than face first, but it was still enough to make her wince.

It sounded like everyone on her floor was having the same nightmare, a chorus of terrified screams rang out from every direction. Riley sat up slowly, rubbing her shoulder, and froze. Her room was completely covered in shadow, the ceiling crawled with dark creatures of all size and shape, the walls were full of red eyes, many staring intently at her. A Skol with spikes running down its back leaped off of the dresser and landed in Riley’s lap, a scream caught in her throat as it moved so close their faces were inches apart, its breath smelled of dried blood and rot. Time seemed to slow as the creature opened its mouth and howled shrilly, a string of saliva hanging from its pointed teeth.

A feeling of both revulsion and horror came over Riley as more and more Skol began to touch her, in a matter of moments she was submerged in living shadow. It felt as if she were drowning in a pool of ice water, and her previously silent scream escaped, despite her best effort to avoid giving into fear. For every Skol she managed to throw off, three more weighed her down, until she could do nothing but sit and cover her head with her hands. Even her own screaming was muffled by the hideous howl all the Skol had taken up. Claws scraped and teeth grazed, but for some reason none sunk in. Why was this happening?

A pair of familiar yellow eyes broke through the sea of black, and an amused voice ripped into Riley’s terrified mind. “Do you remember when I convinced you to throw yourself out a window?” It paused, reveling in the fearful sobs Riley hadn’t been able to hold back any longer. It felt like every inch of exposed skin had been scratched, warm blood dripped down her arms and legs.

“You really should have tried harder.”

Zansu nodded agreeably as he reached across the desk for the application, looking appropriately awestruck by the sudden outbreak of commotion. In truth, the tight line of his lips and the crease in his forehead wasn't actually the concern that it appeared to be; it was, in fact, the only way that he knew to keep a tight rein on the swell of ecstasy he was experiencing as the asylum fell into disarray. This was why he would preserve the Pact -- this was why he knew they needed the humans, despite their weaknesses and frailties.

With neat, straight scratches like the claw marks of a raven, Zansu stood at the counter and filled out the application. As he wrote, the cacophony only increased as the Skol began to prey on the hospital staff that filled in to calm to terrified patients. The spicy flavor of anger and hostility began to filter into the gentle sweetness of fear, and Zansu finally allowed himself a tiny smile as he savored it. As he signed his name at the bottom, he closed his eyes and called silently to his army. "Enough. Return to me."

They had feasted far more than the weaker beings were usually allowed, and he knew that some had overstepped the bounds of decorum (or what passed as decorum in Sie-human relations) and left lasting damage on the bodies and minds of some of the patients. It was unfortunate, in a sense, but the Prince was willing to make sacrifices. And besides, he needed things a little calmer -- and the staff a little friendlier -- if he was going to investigate any further.

As he dropped the pen back in its cup on Laura's desk, a shrill scream pierced through the general clamor. More impressive, though, was that it cleaved through Zansu's very soul. His breath caught in his throat, and his hand twitched as he scooped up the application from the countertop. It's her. He knew it, he could feel it. And the pull that had led him this far became an exponentially greater force, undeniable in its strength.

With a deep breath to steady himself, Zansu gathered his reserves and yelled in silent fury, "Return, NOW!" The sheer force of his exerted will caused the fluorescent lights to flicker overhead and a brief crackle to emanate from the intercom system. Calming himself to appear as nonchalant as possible, Zansu took the application in hand and slipped around the side of the desk to proceed down the hallway. He walked with confidence, and as the patients began to calm and the terrors subside, the staff were focused on setting things right in their rooms rather than watching the hallways.

Two turns later, Zansu stared down a hallway at a door he knew held his soulmate. His bones vibrated with her nearness, and, try as he might, he couldn't keep a slight tremor from shaking the paper in his hand. Just as he began to take a step forward down the hall that would take him to her, though, the fiercely maternal voice of the older nurse stopped him in his tracks. "You, in the black!" Zansu grimaced, then turned to face her with as innocent a look as he could manage. "You were supposed to wait at the desk. You're not allowed back here!"

"I'm sorry," Zansu lied softly. "I was looking for the receptionist so I could drop this off with her. Things seemed like they were calming down..."

"It doesn't matter. She's back at the desk now. Let's go." And she turned halfway back, obviously waiting to escort Zansu back in person. Regretfully, he obliged, bidding a silent farewell to the mystery girl who waited for him on the other side of the door.

Back in the lobby, after Teresa had seen him safely (and certainly) back to approved public spaces, he passed the completed application across the desk to Laura. With a small and devilishly charming smile, he suggested in his velvet voice, "Put in a good word for me? I'd like to come back sooner, rather than later." And with that as a farewell, Zansu turned and exited the automatic door, once again trailing a black river of obedient -- and now happily gorged -- Skol.

Harper sighed as she reclined on the couch in the break room, sipping a warm latte. She’d only been working for three hours, but the café had been unusually busy. Consequently she’d been forced to endure a nonstop rush during the majority of her shift, and it felt good to rest her feet. She closed her eyes, struggling to ignore the sounds coming from the front counter as Carmen, her coworker, covered her break. She only had 10 minutes of rest before returning to the fray, and she was determined to use every minute for relaxation.

Her wish was denied however as she felt a soft breeze play across her cheek. Opening her eyes, a dark face greeted her, its piercing white eyes staring blankly back at her as the Skol crouched on the back of the couch. Harper jumped slightly, and almost spilled her coffee, but managed to regain her composure before making a scene.

“Hello pest,” she greeted scornfully, keeping her voice low so as not to attract unwanted attention. Harper no longer feared the persistent Skol, as it seemed to have little interest in harming her. It’s unrelenting urge to pursue her was certainly odd, as she was usually greeted by a variety of dark hosts each day, but for now the creature seemed content to quietly observe her as she went about her daily tasks. “Still haven’t found what you’re looking for I guess? Just don’t drool in my coffee please,” she added as a few tendrils of saliva dripped from its jaws onto the top of the cushions, disappearing upon contact with the fabric.

The creature cocked its head as it listened, then drew its gaze to their surroundings, whimpering softly. It’s breath played over her face in short bursts as it sniffed the air. Harper wished it would leave, but she was also curious in what the creature was seeking. She knew that the beast’s odd mannerisms signified something important, but she couldn’t fathom what it could possibly be. The Skol crawled down the side of the couch, and slunk into the shadow under the long dining table, examining everything it came in contact with. Harper watched its progress for several minutes until she glanced at the clock and realized that it was time to return to her station. As she rose from the couch and stretched, she saw the creature halt and observe her from across the room. She left the break room and returned to the counter, the creature keeping pace with her all the while.

Liam sighed as he drove to the café. His workload at school had nearly doubled within the past week, and he was beginning to get behind in some of his classes. On top of that, his boss had called him after school and informed him that his coworker Gary, whose shifts were already being covered by Liam this week, had requested next week off as well, as his ailing mother was still in need of constant assistance. His boss had asked if Liam would be able to cover these shifts as well; and Liam had accepted the hours, as he and Harper needed the money, but he was beginning to feel strained.

He flicked on the radio, and struggled to put these thoughts behind him. Besides, Thanksgiving was less than a month away, and he’d already requested that holiday off from work. With Riley being released from the hospital, and the promise of having a short break from all these stresses, Liam was able to relax somewhat. He changed stations, unable to find a song he enjoyed, as they were all overplayed. Wishing the car had a cd player; he turned the radio off, and resorted to humming quietly to himself.

Harper continued her duties, ignoring the Skol as it followed her around the café, inspecting the customers, and watching as she made their drinks. It seemed to enjoy surprising her by disappearing for minutes at a time, then pooping up in random places when she least expected it. The customers glanced suspiciously at her on the few occasions when she let out a small cry of shock, but she would simply laugh it off, informing them that she was unusually jumpy today. The Skol loved toying with her, and greedily drank in the short bursts of fear Harper expelled during these instances.

Just then, she spotted Liam walking through the front door. Harper sighed happily, momentarily forgetting about the obnoxious creature. Liam smiled broadly at her, and in that moment she felt that, maybe witnessing spectral entities was a fair price to pay for the sheer joy she experienced in his presence.

“Hey pretty lady,” he greeted. “Someone told me you make the best coffee in town.”

“Only the best in town huh?” Harper responded, playing along. “I thought I was the best in the country for sure. I guess I’ll have to try harder in the future.”

“Well, why don’t you whip me up something special, and I’ll be the judge?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

Smiling, Harper turned to the espresso machine, only to notice that the Skol had climbed on top of the mechanism, and was quietly observing their conversation from its perch. Keeping her eyes down, she set to work making a white chocolate, hazelnut mocha, which was Liam’s favorite.

“So how was school hon?” she asked, as she steamed the milk and began to pour the shots.

“Nothing much to tell, just a bunch of lectures and homework. Oh and uh… I’ll be late coming home from work next week too. Gary took another week off, and my boss asked me to continue covering for him,” Liam informed her.

Harper paused before adding the ingredients to his cup. She glanced worriedly at Liam, judging his reaction as she responded.

“Can’t Tony take some of the shifts? Babe, I don’t like you working this much, you’re going to get worn out.”

“It’s only two weeks, I’ll be fine,” Liam responded, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly underneath the striped beanie Harper had knitted for him last year. It was in that moment that Harper’s suspicions were confirmed. Liam had several tendencies he performed when he was feeling stressed, and the head scratch was one of them. She knew arguing with him was futile, so she decided to take a different tactic.

“Just promise me that if the workload’s too much, then you’ll ask Tony to take some of the shifts,” she insisted.

“I promise, and stop worrying. I told you this morning; it’s not a hard job. I’ll be fine.”

Harper returned her attention to the cup, and began adding the ingredients. She wasn’t entirely satisfied with his reply, but she knew that he was too stubborn to change his mind. As she poured the last of the milk into the takeaway cup, the Skol leaned forward so its upper body hung down the front of the machine while it braced itself with its back legs. In one swift movement its long, black tongue flicked out from between its shiny teeth, and disappeared beneath the frothy surface of Liam’s mocha. Its head immediately shot upwards, and it let out a squeal of pain as it pawed at its mouth. Harper stumbled back a few paces in surprise, then smiled to herself.

A burn on the mouth is the least you deserve. She thought as the Skol jumped down from the machine, and raced into the shadows of the empty break room. Harper glanced at Liam, realizing how odd her actions must have looked. He stared curiously back at her, as she struggled to find an explanation for her behavior. The last thing he needed right now, on top of his own numerous stresses, was to find out that she was still experiencing hallucinations.

“I uh…” she said, looking at his drink for inspiration. She picked up the tainted coffee, and carried it over to the sink. She had no wish to serve it to him after that creature’s tongue had been in it, whether it was a hallucination or not. She dumped its contents down the drain, and then threw away the cup for good measure, deciding to start all over again.

“I forgot the whipped cream,” she finally blurted out, realizing as she said it just how lame of an excuse it was. Why hadn’t she told him it was the wrong flavor, or that she’d accidentally put decaf in it? Any of those reasons would have been better.

“Well you didn’t have to dump it,” Liam replied, as the baffled expression on his face intensified. “I could’ve drunk some of it down so you had room to add it.”

“Really it’s fine,” she answered smiling brightly. “This one will taste better anyway.”

“Are you okay babe?” Liam inquired.

“Yeah, fine. It’s just been a busy day, and my brain is fried.” She replied, struggling to regain some composure.

“Maybe you’re the one who needs to request a few days off,” Liam joked.

Harper laughed sarcastically. “Yeah, because I’m sooo much busier than you these days.” Finished with the new drink, she presented it to Liam. “Try a sip, make sure it’s good,” she said, distracting him from the conversation.

Liam raised the cup to his lips and took a small sip. “Good? Gross? Indifferent?” Harper asked as he contemplated his reply. He smiled back at her.

“It’s the best in the country,” he replied. “Probably the best in the world, but I can’t say for sure, as I haven’t traveled too much.”

Harper pulled on the strings attached to the earflaps of his beanie so that it fell over his eyes. “You’re such a charmer,” she replied teasingly. “I bet you say that to all the ladies you get coffee from.”

“Yeah, but you’re my favorite,” he replied, pushing the beanie back into its proper position. He reached across the counter and hooked a finger into the top of her apron, making her lean across the counter for a kiss.

Harper smiled mischievously as they separated. “You know that’ll cost you extra right?”

“I’m sure I’ll come up with a way to tip you later,” Liam replied, grinning back at her.

Harper giggled, embarrassed as she glanced at the fellow customers, trying to see if any of them had heard. “Liam don’t say that kind of stuff in public,” she replied quietly.

He backed away from the counter, heading toward the door. “I’ll uh… I’ll just go then, before I embarrass you further. Thanks for the coffee; I’ll try not to be too late tonight. Love you.”

“Love you too. Call me when you’re on your way home!” she replied as he exited the café.

The day had been a long one, one of those days that seems to drag on forever. Like you can see eternity in the sunset. Business had been slow overall, and in the end, she had finished all her cleaning chores long before it was even time to close. Four hours later, the end of the day had finally arrived, and Fantasia chased a broom around the floral shop and put the displays in the chilled case to keep them alive. The water was new, and she was sure that with this extra attention she gave them, that they would stay alive for about twice as long as a plant that was doused in chemicals would.

The brunette wiped her brown and exhaled slowly, reaching out and clicking the blue and red sign outside from "open" to an ominous looking "closed". She couldn't wait to go home and eat some homemade cornbread, perhaps with a vegetarian chili, curl up with Majesto, and read a good book. Fantasia grabbed her keys and turned off the lights, making sure everything was in order one last time before she closed and locked the florist doors.

Driving cross-state in a gas guzzling sports car, without any form of money, had proven problematic for Cael. Luckily most sketchy stations had cashiers who were so drugged up, or just plain overworked, that they were easily manipulated. It took a bit of convincing, and occasional thought meddling, but Cael had made it to the little town of Chimicum before nightfall.

Fascinated by the colorful evening sky, Ava leaned out the open passenger window, a never-ending scene of lush foliage rushing by. As per usual, her anger with Cael had been forgotten, especially after he’d allowed her to feed off one of the frightened cashiers. The little shadow no longer felt the stinging pain of hunger, but an overwhelming sense of sadness for her barren home. It had been more than a year since the dark sky had been painted with color, and even longer since the trees had been anything more than cracked branches.

Humans were worth nothing but their fear, yet they lived in a lively world, constantly growing and changing. Why should her people, a race far superior to humans, live in a wasteland? The setting sun’s soft light was not irritating to Ava, but instead inspirational. It was her duty to make sure Cael didn’t abandon his mission, if not for the title of King, then for the sake of their dying land.

The blurred landscape became sharper as they slowed and turned onto a town road. Old buildings lined the street, advertising antiques, sporting goods, outdated clothes, and even tattoos. Finally a little floral shop came into view, and Ava braced herself for what she was sure was going to be another disappointment for Cael. After this, he’d have to give up, and she’d make him see the importance of finding his soul match. He had to accept that finding Harper Evans was impossible, whether he wanted to or not.

Cael stepped out of the car, tossed his oversized sunglasses onto the drivers seat, and stretched his legs. He didn’t understand how humans could stand sitting for so long, and made a mental note to shadow jump from now on. The windows were dark, the parking lot nearly deserted, except for a longhaired woman locking the shop door. Cael sighed as she turned around and he discovered she was far too young to be Harper’s aunt. Well, related to Harper or not, she might know something.

After slamming the car door shut to get her attention, he walked over to the girl, hands in his pockets. He had a feeling his usual overconfident attitude wouldn’t go over well with her, and decided to go for the “shy” and “eager to please” approach. As he got closer, it became clear he had bigger problems than how she’d react to his demeanor, she radiated with something average humans lacked, the ability to see through the mist. Unsure how powerful her abilities were, Cael focused all his energy on strengthening his glamour.

He stopped a few feet away, and spoke quietly. “I’m really sorry to bother you miss, I know how annoying it is to have someone come pester you when you’re trying to go home after work, but I’m looking for Candis Evans. Do you know her? Last I heard she was owner of this shop.” Cael smiled unsurely and scratched his arm.

The shadows left as quickly as they came, and in their absence the patients slowly fell silent. All except one. Huddled in a ball on the floor, bloody hands covering her face, Riley whined every few minutes, a million questions running through her still frightened mind. If this had been the event the yellow-eyed Skol had warned her about, then why was she still alive? Was the change just that they would start tormenting her in unspeakably large groups?

The joy brought on by news of her future release was all but forgotten. Riley knew only one thing, her hallucinations were painfully real, and she had no way to fight them off. She stood shakily, and returned to bed. Drops of blood smeared her favorite blanket as she covered herself, but she didn’t notice.

Nothing really registered with Riley, it was as if she was experiencing everything through a veil. There was the distant sound of someone opening her door, a concerned voice asking if she was okay, and hurried footsteps coming towards her.

With an unsteady breath, Teresa braced herself, and slowly removed the colorful blanket. At the sight of Riley’s scratched body the nurse became all business, this was no time to break down. With little trouble she got Riley out of bed, and there was no complaint when the girl was undressed and cleaned up. Yet no matter how Teresa phrased her questions, she didn’t get any answers about what had happened.

Luckily the wounds weren’t anything too damaging, most were surface scratches, but the sheer number of them was concerning. Nearly every part of her body had a scratch or two, but her back and arms were completely covered. Other patients had minor scratching after the floor wide upset, but nothing close to Riley’s case. Stranger still were her torn pieces of clothing, a search of the room provided no object that could have caused such ripping.

The floor was mopped, the bedspread and sheets washed, and Riley was dressed in clean clothes and bandaged. The rest of the day passed excruciatingly slowly, Riley was under constant surveillance until she met with her psychiatrist, who wouldn’t be in until the following day. She took her pills, ate when meals arrived, and when Teresa’s shift ended that evening she said goodbye, but still her vacant expression did not change.

At the front desk Teresa slipped on her coat and informed the night nurse of the days oddities. Just as she was about to head out to her car, Teresa remembered hospital managements request to have more help on the first floor, and headed back to the desk.

“Brenda, I’m sorry to ask, but I didn’t get a chance to go over the internship applications today. We have about five of them and we could definitely use extra help on this floor.”

Brenda looked up from her newest novel, which featured a picture of a half naked man in a kilt holding a blond with windswept hair in his arms, “Sure if I get time I’ll call some of them.”

Teresa sighed deeply and continued, “Just make sure they have better credentials than the last intern you hired.”

“Oh Teresa give it a rest, Laura works the front desk just fine, and no matter how much you complain about her she isn’t going anywhere for a few more weeks.”

Teresa did her best to keep her anger in check, but couldn’t help snapping back. “I do apologize for interrupting your riveting story about, what is that book called? Oh yes, ‘Lust of a Highlander’. But please get someone in here as soon as possible.” Without another word Teresa headed back to the doors.

“Oh God Teresa, if I get someone in here tomorrow morning will that get you off my back?” Brenda shouted after her.

Tightening her scarf as the automatic doors swished open, Teresa turned back to Brenda and responded, “Yes, I believe it would.”

Despite her ever-relaxed nature, Fantasia jumped as she heard the car door slam. It had been even more silly, because she had heard the car pull up, no less. He finished locking up before turning to the car. A ca that was so environmentally unfriendly it was ridiculous. Then, her eyes drifted to the man. He looked like he was stepping out of another era, but she really couldn't be a judge on that one. He shifted her hair off her shoulder and stared at him as he approached her. Was he lost? She was tempted to say "just keep going straight." After all, if someone was lost, undoubtedly they were going somewhere other then Chimicum. "Candis? Oh, yeah, she's still the owner here. I just work here." She explained, and tried to hide her dirty nails behind her back. Normally, she would have been proud of the Earth's stain, but something about this guy's nervousness made her feel nervous.

Fantasia sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, but decided that he was probably just nervous because they had never met. She decided the set her worries aside and took a mor natural stance for herself. "She usually comes to the shop in the mornings to help open, and to see how all the flowers made it through the night," she explained, trying to ignore the fact that any pieces of leather he wore probably weren't fake. She touched a piece of long brown hair behind her ear and sighed a bit. "Well, we don't really have any hotels around here. The only thing we have going for us is a diner that serves really good pie, and even that's just outside of town. If you need a place to stay until tomorrow morning, you can stay with me." Every fiber of her being told her that that wasn't a good idea, but what could she do? Let him sleep outside the flower shop in his car? That would be very against her character. "I just hope you like cats."

What a day it had been... even for a Sie with as much patience as Zansu, today had been demanding. He couldn't have expected his little invasion of the asylum to have been any more successful, and the high spirits of the Skol army gathered in the plaza had done wonders for his spirit. Frustration still burned in his veins -- he knew just how close he had been to his soul match -- but the sheer certainty of her presence was enough to light the Beynon spark.

After leaving the hospital this morning, the Prince had spent the remainder of the day setting his plan in order. He had, after all, created quite a web of lies in order to gain access to the asylum, so there was a bit of paperwork and logistics to set in order. His phone was set up, he was officially registered at the university as a psychology student, and he'd gathered quite a pile of references and books and lodging.

Now, with the passing of the night (always with the same blessed Seattle gloom), Zansu returned to the plaza just beyond the asylum's drive. As he settled onto the bench, the Raven Prince reclined casually and watched the swirling pool of Skol that swarmed around his feet. The cell phone was gripped loosely in his hand, a tiny smile of wicked victory glittering beneath his eyes.

Even as he glanced down to check the time -- late evening, just as the onsest of dusk -- a gentle buzz vibrated in his hand. After a casual glance over his one shoulder to see who might be leaving the plaza as it closed up for the evening, Zansu opened the phone with a flick of his wrist and spoke a slow and gentle, "Beynon, hello. Yes, I did leave an application with Laura earlier."

There was a moment's pause as Zansu took a moment to appreciate the next victorious step of his strategy. Then, with the success of Phase One fading behind him, he spoke again to the voice on the phone. "I would be glad to help, yes, as early as I'm needed. The morning, then, and thank you."

Snapping the phone closed with exhiliration, Zansu cackled and settled in to wait for the promise of the morning. Time to begin Phase Two.

(( Not my finest post, but I'm a bit out of practice. I'll warm up again in a bit! :D ))

Riley lay wide-awake in bed, the familiar white ceiling a canvas for her over active imagination. Tonight there were no fantastical images of some enchanted wood, or scenes of daily normalcy she so longed for. The ceiling remained as empty as the rest of Riley’s life would be if she allowed her freedom to slip away. This possible loss was almost more daunting than the return of the shadows. Well almost, but not quite. With a shudder Riley saw piercing yellow eyes, heard those horrible raspy promises of torment to come. Clenching her sheets with the effort, she willed the images away. The last thing she wanted right now was to become frightened. As her breathing became regular, her grip slackened, and she rolled onto her side.

Her view of the ceiling was replaced with the colorful collages she’d so carefully chosen to cover her walls, reminders that should she be released, she still had enough time to live. Tomorrow a man trained to rely only on fact and academic insight would decide if she was well enough to experience the world, should she tell the truth her stay would no doubt be extended. So Riley would pretend that underneath her bandages were self inflicted scratches. For the first time in her life, she would deny that everything she saw and felt was real, because in the end that’s what they wanted to hear.

Eventually exhaustion won the battle with anxiety, and Riley began to drift into an uneasy sleep. With her final thought she wondered who wrote the cliché “the truth will set you free”, clearly the author had never been institutionalized.

Riley was faintly aware of someone entering her room, prompting her to wake up and eat something. Apparently it was morning, and though she wanted nothing more than to drift away again, today she had to be on her best behavior. So she groggily sat up and obliged the old nurse.

"How do you feel today?" Teresa's face was creased with concern.

"I'm fine." Riley replied between bites of horribly bland oatmeal. I'm only terrified that some hellish creature is going to come out of the woodwork and try to kill me. I can't do anything to stop it, and if I tell you about how worried I am, I'll be stuck in this place for the rest of my life. Riley made eye contact with Teresa, "Really, I am."

Riley's sudden shift in demeanor was disconcerting, after last night's ordeal Teresa had braced herself for the worst. "All right, well Ted is right outside the door should you need anything. Your appointment isn't until later this afternoon."

Yes, the dreaded appointment. Riley hoped her story would be convincing enough to get her out of this mess.

Fantasias trusting nature, along with the fact that she was a Seer, made it tempting for Cael to accept her invitation. This girl wasn’t protected by the pact, meaning her death would have no consequence. For a moment Cael savored the thought. Sensing his bloodlust, Ava shot out of the car and began darting excitedly around his feet. Unable to reprimand her without Fantasia noticing, Cael played ignorant to her presence. The little Skol wasn’t making any sort of effort to mask herself, reminding Cael that although she was a trusted companion, she was also a slave to her hunger.

Ava’s little mind was racing with images even more violent than Cael had imagined, making his decision much easier. Cael could go weeks without human interaction, but it had only been a few hours since Ava last fed, and she was already forgetting the importance of subtlety. This girl could provide them both with a much needed service.

Continuing to ignore the little shadow scurrying around him, Cael smiled warmly at Fantasia, who at this point had no doubt seen Ava.

“That’s very sweet of you to offer, but I’m in a bit of a hurry. You see, Candis is the only person who can help me find an old friend. It’s very important that I speak with her right away. Or…” Cael paused as if in contemplation, “If it’s not too much trouble maybe you might know who I’m looking for? Harper Evans, as I understand it she lived with Candis when she was younger.”

Cael struggled to keep up his front as Ava’s desires continued to flood his mind, it was making it incredibly difficult to concentrate. Her excitement was attracting more Skol, he could feel them approaching rapidly. Fantasia was certainly taking her time, she seemed to be recalling every young girl she’d played with in childhood. Strangely she was not bothered by the Skol’s presence.

“Look miss, I don’t mean to be rude but I really need to get back on the road.” Nearly eight Skol were hovering around the pair, Cael was struggling not to give into their influence. He was constantly reminded of his inability to rise above instinct. In a room full of terrified humans, his brothers could keep their composure, but Cael always lost control in a matter of seconds.

Then in a moment of weakness Cael let his glamour slip, and though it only lasted a matter of seconds, Fantasia had seen his true form. Suddenly she wasn’t so calm, her fear began to rise as she backed away. It was too much for Cael to take, and forgetting all pretense, he gave in.

Even the morning sun couldn’t bring Ava down, she purred happily in Cael’s lap as they weaved in and out of morning traffic. Cael rested one hand on her head and she moved affectionately into his touch. A quiet whimpering was coming from the backseat of the stolen sports car, which was no longer topless.

“Ah, good morning Fantasia.” Cael glanced in the rear view and smiled as though he was addressing an old friend. “I didn’t want to tie you up like that, but I couldn’t have you screaming and making a scene.”

Her eyes were red from a night of pleading and her was cheek cut and bleeding, but beyond that she had not been injured physically. Cael wanted to make her last as long as possible. She hadn’t known much about Harper, except that she lived somewhere in the Seattle area. That was all Cael needed to know.

“I’m going to stop at a rest area, if you’d need to relieve yourself you should do so then.”

When Fantasia finally came to her senses, she was tied up in the back of a car with a man talking to her. She recognized that he had kidnapped her, and she laid in the back seat and sighed softly. At least the back seat was comfortable. She closed her swollen eyes and whimpered softly. If she was here, who was going to take care of her cat for her? She would surely lose her job... She brought her knees closer to her chest and stared at the floor of the car. She wasn't in any acute pain, so she was sure that she wasn't bleeding, at least. She listened to the soft purr of the engine and buried herself farther into the cushion.

She thought for a moment and tried to assess the situation. She was, indeed, kidnapped in the back of a stranger's car. She had seen him turn into a grotesque beast, and she was grabbed and thrown into the back of the car.. She hit her head on the door of the car, and she figured that was when she stopped remembering the events. She squirmed a bit and looked at him, although, she was glad that they were going to stop at the rest area. She had to pee very badly, so she nodded at him through the rearview mirror.