Day 1

Introductory chapter to the main characters. Mostly plotless.

The bell attached to the door jingled, signalling another customer.

A teenaged boy stepped inside and instantly thought about leaving again. The store was badly lit and had a horrible wallpaper job. Behind the counter were three disinterested employees, two of which appeared to be asleep, their faces buried in their arms. The third was resting his chin on his arm, staring blankly down at the table.

As unappealing as the store looked from both the outside and inside, though, there seemed to be a relatively decently-sized collection of music, so the boy persisted.

"'Scuse me," the boy began, walking towards the desk. The one awake employee continued to stare at a book in his hands.

"Uh..."

"What," he asked, annoyed.

"Where would Linkin Park be? Like, which section?"

The employee looked up from the counter with a frown. He stared at the customer almost spitefully.

"Um," the customer began. He looked at the other two employees.

"Is he okay?" The customer asked, on the chance they were just resting rather than actually asleep.

"Is he staring at you like he wants you to die?" the figure with red hair asked, his voice muffled by the counter. The customer turned back to the first, who's expression remained unchanged.

"Kinda?"

"Then you should probably leave."

"Are you kidding?" The customer asked. "It was just a-"

"Seriously," the second repeated. "It's either leave or he makes his wish come true."

The customer scowled at the ridiculous treatment he was recieving from these people.

"Fine," he said, turning back to the door. "'s a s****y store, anyway."

The bell jingled again, signalling the customer had left.

"You're making progress," the third employee, a shorter boy with sandy blonde hair, said into the counter. "You usually get more physical about it."

"I'm toning it down so they get the point without fearing for their lives," the first boy said. He leant back in his chair and looked to the ceiling.

"Not going for the 'touch me and die' approach anymore?"

"I'm starting to think if I let them live, they'll spread the word that it's wrong to cross me instead of how coming to the store will get you murdered."

"I bet you wish that wasn't a problem, don't you."

"Every day the urge to strangle any white belt-wearing person who comes in here intensifies."

"Well quell it by shelving all that s**t from the back room," the blonde boy said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "It's been sitting there for like a week."

The first grumbled something profane and walked away, slouching. The redhead raised his head and turned to the blonde, who had started typing on the computer beside the register.

"D'you think we should let him keep intimidating the customers like that?" he asked.

"Why? It's not like Dennis'll fire him or anything. He's not technically doing anything wrong.

"And we all know he's got the right idea, anyway. If we keep letting people buy Linkin Park and Nickelback then it's just encouraging them."

"That's not my point," the redhead sad.

"Then what IS?"

"If he chases away all the mainstream fans, then all that's left are the hipsters."

The blonde's fingers froze on the keyboard.

"And judging by your face," the redhead laughed, "you're having a Vietnam-flashback to the last time someone asked Erik for 'vinyl'."

The blonde shuddered and went back to typing.

"I blame Dennis for that," he said. "He should've known better than to advertise it."

"You call THAT advertising?" the redhead asked, pointing to the window. A seemingly random collection of papers were stuck all over it, half of which were catalogue-styled advertisements for the store, the rest being placed by other people wanting to spread the word about events.

"It's all it takes, sometimes," the blonde said solemnly.

Again the bell sounded as a girl entered the store.

"Hey, boys," she said, smiling.

"Hi, Merideth," the boys said in unison. The girl walked up to the counter and caught them both in a hug.

"Erik's in the stands?" she asked, releasing them.

"Not for much longer," the blonde answered.

"Good, 'cos I brought his lunch," Merideth said, motioning to her handbag.

"Thank god," the redhead said, relieved. "He's been watching the customers and licking his lips on and off for like an hour."

"You're sure you're not confusing hunger for attraction?" Merideth giggled.

"HELL no. I don't think Erik even GETS attracted."

"Who knows? Maybe one day some skinny little blonde thing is gonna come in and steal him away."

"What's this about kidnapping?" the first boy asked, walking up to the counter.

"Hey, there he is," Merideth said, taking something out of her handbag.

"Mark says you've been hungry," she continued, tossing him a plastic bag full of something dark and red.

"Oh my god," Erik said, catching it. "Thank you so f*****g much!"

In one motion, Erik slit a hole in the corner of the bag with his fingernail and brought it to his lips. He emptied the bag in a matter of seconds before licking his lips and casting the plastic into the trash bin beside the counter.

"You've got a little," the blonde said, pointing at the corner of his mouth. Erik wiped the same area on his own face.

"Got it."

"Thanks."

"Remember when that used to gross us out?" the redhead, Mark, asked. "The first time Sam saw you do that and nearly fai-"

He froze and turned to the group's right. The others followed his gaze and saw a girl staring at Erik, frozen in place, a look of fear and confusion on her face.

"How," Merideth said, annoyed, "after three years of this, are we still forgetting that OTHER PEOPLE SEE THINGS?"

Erik stepped towards the girl. She dropped the CD she was holding and backed away, looking even more scared.

"D-Don't come near me," she said, raising her arms.

Erik lifted his hand and the girl's eyes widened.

His pupils began to glow a bright red as hers started to dim. From her forehead, a dark, fuzzy, square thing floated out, suspended in the air. Erik flicked his hand a little and the square was torn apart. Another movement and another square materialized out of nowhere and entered the girl's head in the place of the first.

Erik lowered his hand and walked back to the counter, his eyes normal and the girl's expression fading into indifference. As Erik sat back down behind the counter, the girl shook her head and walked out of the store.

"I'm proud of you, Erik," Merideth said, leaning on the counter. "I'm sure many others would've taken the 'leave no witnesses' approach."

"Hooray," Erik said, resuming his position of resting his chin on his arm, his expression returning to disinterested. "I'm growing."

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

Hours later, the door at the back opened and a portly man who looked about in his thirties walked out.

"Okay, you three," he said, not looking at them but clearly addressing the three employees still behind the counter. "Closing time. Lock up and get out."

"Wooh, quittin' time," Mark, smiling.

"Yay, weekend," Merideth called. She stood by the door as her three friends did their last-minute duties before heading out.

"So how're we spending this glorious evening?" the blonde asked the group as he turned the key in the store's lock.

"If it pleases the court," Mark began, "I would like to suggest something."

"Movies and booze?" Erik asked.

"If you insist," Mark grinned.

Merideth smiled. "I'm predicting nothing but chaos."

"Some would see that as a warning sign," the blonde said. "I, however, have had an incredibly boring day, and so shall welcome this chaos with open arms."

"Is that why there weren't any fresh skulls on the counter?" Merideth asked, jokingly.

"We just weren't feeling it today," Mark said, almost dejectedly. "Usually it's fun to piss off random strangers, but it's just too... uh..."

"Repetitive," Erik interjected.

"Yeah, that."

"Ran out of ways to mix things up?" Merideth asked.

"Nah," Erik said, "just the will to mix things up at all."

"It's not that it's lost its appeal," the blonde said, "people are just being stupid in the same ways. If they can't be fresh about it, how can we?"

"Geez," Merideth said. "I'm getting depressed just hearing about it."

"Things'll pick up," Mark smiled. "In the meantime, we get to be as deadpan as we want with them."

"How have you guys not been fired yet," Merideth laughed.

The group reached a store and separated. Mark and the blonde boy walked inside to get groceries while Erik and Merideth waited by the door.

"So I heard somebody tried to buy Linkin Park," Merideth smiled.

"Ugh," Erik scoffed, leaning on the wall. "I swear I hate them more for their fans than their music. And that's saying something."

"I also heard," Merideth continued, looking more serious, "that you were more than just a little hungry by the time I showed up."

Erik frowned.

"Erik, you have to be more careful. If you'd have run dry, I don't think Sam or Mark would've been able to handle it on their own."

"What's the worse that could've happened," Erik said, looking away. "I fall over, you finally show up, you jab me, we're all good."

"I'd have to go back to work and manage to steal a nee-"

"Okay, fine," Erik said. "You win. Sorry. It won't happen again."

"Don't make it sound like I'm your mother or anything," Merideth laughed. Erik smiled.

At that moment, Mark and Sam came out of the store with two brown paper bags.

"Hooray for booze," Mark called, already heading off towards the apartment.

"Hooray for half-price sales!" Sam added.

"Half-price?" Merideth asked. "Do stores even DO that for liquor?"

"They do if they're closing down," Mark answered.

"Aw, they are? I liked that place."

"Well apparently the cops don't. Something about 'shady characters' hanging around."

The three looked at Erik.

"Oh, ha ha," he said sarcastically. The others laughed.

They continued to chat until they reached an apartment building. Erik unlocked the front door and lead the others up the stairs, stopping at and unlocking number seven.

"HOME," Mark moaned, pushing his bag into Merideth's arms before collapsing onto the nearby couch.

"Don't get too comfortable," Erik said, taking the bag from Merideth. "I wanna get this started as soon as possible and you're not taking up two spots."

"Hnngrble," Mark grumbled into the couch.

"I won't stay for the whole series," Merideth said, following Erik into the kitchen. "I'll probably leave after the first one."

"How come?" Erik asked, starting to unpack the bag.

"Well we both know it's gonna take another hour until we get the movie started, and walking home after eleven is just bad common sense."

"I'll drop you off," Erik said. "You know that's never a problem."

"You sure? I thought it took a lot out of you."

"Not if I go with you. It's SENDING things that makes it harder."

"Then I'll stay!"

"Terrific."

"Hey you two!" Sam called from the living room. "Can you hurry up with whatever you're doing? We've got an Evil Dead trilogy to get through!"

"Every time the movie sucks, take a drink!" Mark called, his face having de-couched.

"Getting there," Erik called back, shutting the fridge and turning back to the door, followed closely by Merideth.

*     *     *

Midnight hit and the credits for "Army of Darkness" finally rolled.

"M'kay," Mark said, putting his bottle on the table and pulling himself up. "I'm done. Goin' t'sleep."

"Aw, already?" Merideth asked. "It's only midnight!"

"He's had a lot, though," Sam said, his body refusing to get him off the couch. "We all have, come t'think of it."

"Yeah," Merideth said, climbing to her feet. "Should probably go too, then."

"How? You didn't drive here, you just gonna walk?"

"Nah, gettin' Erik t'help."

"Hm?" Erik said from the armchair, his gaze jumping from the screen to his friends. "Someone say my name?"

"Yeah," Merideth said, picking up her handbag. "I'm thinkin' o' goin, soon."

"'Kay," Erik said, standing. He walked into a room, his bedroom, and picked up a bottle of red liquid. He brought it to his lips and drank for a few seconds before putting it back down and emerging back into the living room.

"Right," he said, holding out his hand. "You ready?"

"Yup," Merideth said, taking it.

"Bye Merry," Sam said from the couch, waving behind him.

"Seeya sweetie!"

"Nnghrn," Mark grumbled from his bedroom into his pillow.

"You too!"

Erik lead Merideth towards a blank space on the wall. His pupils began to glow a bright red as the darkness of the room started to intensify around the wall. Within seconds, there was a pitch-black shape instead of the usual blue wallpaper. Erik stepped into it, as if it were a hole in the wall, taking Merideth with him. As they passed its shadowy prescence, the disappeared. Behind them, the darkness faded, and the wall returned to normal.

"And THAT'S how our nights end," Sam said to himself, lying down on the couch. "At least one person slipping into darkness."

He reached for the remote and switched the TV off, leaving the apartment in total darkness. Erik would return soon and find his way to his room, no problem.

Sam closed his eyes and grabbed a nearby pillow, holding it as a pillow.

"Either an alcoholic coma or THE WALL."

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

A loud ringing sounded through the apartment.

Erik pulled himself upwards, a scowl of incredible malice on his face. He reached for the table beside his bed and picked up the phone.

"... hello?" He groaned, sleepily. He waited while the person on the other end said something.

"What? Are you kidding me? We're not scheduled until Monday! ... Well that's no excuse! Tell him to take an aspirin or something! ... Sure it is! ... Aw, f****n' hell... FINE."

He all but slammed the phone onto its stand and pushed himself out of the bed. He left his room and opened the door beside it, knocking loudly.

"Dale broke his leg and Bertram's in a coma," he said as Mark rolled over to see what was interrupting his drunken slumber. "Their shifts need covering. Get the hell up or we're all fired."

"Urg," Mark said, covering his face with a pillow. "I can't feel my liver."

An hour later, Erik, Mark and Sam were entering the store. Erik clumsily unlocked the door and they stumbled inside, their eyes bloodshot and heads aching.

"What happened to them?" Mark asked, pressing his temples with his fingers and slumping onto the counter. "You said something about midnight bungee jumping?"

"Pretty much," Erik answered. "They're both in the hospital so WE need to cover them." He sat behind the register and flipped the power switch.

"I wonder how easy it is to sneak into a hospital and eat two patients," he mused.

"Don't take it out on them," Sam said. "It was an accident."

"You're right. I should eat Dennis so he doesn't call us in to replace them, again."

The following hours were torture. Between the annoying customers, the stupid customers, and working AT ALL, the three employees were hard-pressed to deal with their hangovers.

"Wow," a middle-aged man asked Erik, who was hunched over the register with bloodshot, half-closed eyes. "What happened to YOU?"

"A family of muscrats made a nest in my brain and DIED," he answered, frowning. "Buy something or get out."

"Um," a woman said as Sam tried to scan a CD he had already bagged.

"Hold on, miss," he said, frustrated. "The machine's not working."

Mark stood stock-still, staring intently at the wall. His focus shifted as a customer walked up to the counter.

"Hey," they began, squinting. "You look familiar. Were you at-"

Mark's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward, faceplanting onto the counter. The customer jumped back, yelping. He stepped forward, wondering if he was okay, then frowned when he heard snoring. He checked the reactions of the other employees, who were indifferent to the point of ignorance.

The customer slowly backed away and exited the store.

The hours passed in a similar manner. Mark struggled to stay awake, Sam struggled to work things properly, and Erik struggled not to set customers on fire. He broke his streak when a teenager in a blue scarf and fedora walked into the store, but remained more or less tolerable.

Then SHE came in.

A girl with denim shorts and a myriad of ear piercings opened the door, walking straight towards the counter. Erik looked up and frowned at her apparel, not quite sure what to pin her as quite yet.

"Hey, do you have anything by Skrillex?" she asked. Erik pinned her instantly.

"Oh, for f***s sake," he groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me?" the girl asked, frowning. Erik opened his eyes and leant foward.

"I've already had to deal with my dipshit boss, some nosy old guy and someone who wears a SCARF in SPRING, ALL while hungover and sleep-deprived. I do NOT need some RAVER coming in and asking fo-"

The girl grabbed Erik by the front of his shirt and pulled him back, lifting him further over the counter.

"Listen here, dropkick," she yelled, causing Sam to spin around to face them and Mark to wake up.

"I don't care if you've had a s****y day, or who you've had to talk to. I'm here for ONE CD, and you sure as hell better not judge me for it. Now where do you keep your F*****G dubstep?"

Erik's eyes were wide. He mentally shook himself off and returned to frowning, albeit not with his usual intense hatred. "Here," he said, as the girl let him go. "I'll show you."

Sam and Mark watched him lead the girl to the back area of the store.

"Holy s**t," Mark gasped, incredulous. "Did you see that?"

"It's like watching the Hulk getting walked in a pink collar," Sam said.

Erik picked a case from the shelf and handed it to the girl, avoiding eye contact.

"We got 'Bangarang', that's about it. Get the ginger to serve you, the other'd probably be too scared to talk to you after watching that."

"Thanks," she said, taking the disc. "Don't get me wrong, I hate all that 'wub-wub' bullcrap just as much as the next functioning human, but you can't just go off at anyone who DOES."

"You don't like this stuff?" Erik asked. "Why are you-"

"It's a birthday present for my little brother," she said, turning back for the front of the store. "I'm more into metal and rock."

"What did you do to him?" Mark asked as they returned. "Did you stab him? Did stabbing happen?"

"I was just setting him straight about a few things," the girl laughed. "Like his attitude and my musical tastes."

"Heh," Mark smiled, scanning the disc. "If you'd like sometime, I could set you straight about some of MY tastes and attitudes..."

The girl brought her hand to her face and stifled a snort. Mark's face fell.

"Sorry, buddy," she said. "Not even a cutie like you could set me 'straight'."

Mark's brain visibly started working. Sam rolled his eyes.

"She's saying she's a clitoriste, Mark," Erik said, stepping back behind the counter. Sam's eyes widened.

"ERIK," he yelled. He looked at the girl, about to apologise for his friend's rudeness, but she had given up on stifling herself and was laughing, holding herself up on the counter.

"Oh my god," she cried, trying to compose herself. "That's HILARIOUS! I'm totally using that from now on!"

Mark laughed nervously, bagging the CD for her.

"Heh, sorry," he said, handing it to her. "I didn't know you were... well..."

"It's okay, it's nice to know I can still get the boys flustered every now and then."

"I don't suppose you've got any friends who ARE inclined our way?"

"My, my," the girl smiled. "You guys don't even know me and you're trying to hook up with my friends."

"Uh, he's Mark," Sam said, pointing to Mark, "He's Erik, and I'm Sam."

"And Mark does NOT speak for all of us," Erik said.

"Eliza," the girl said, turning to leave. "And a pity, if anyone, I'd probably have someone for YOU."

Eliza pointed to Erik as she pushed the door open and left the store.

"Seeya, boys!"

Erik frowned a little. He looked away from the others so they couldn't see his expression.

"Dude," Mark began. "If she comes in tomorrow with her girlfriend, d'you think they'd-"

"Stop talking, deviant," Sam said.

------

"I got your message," Merideth said, entering the store. "What the HELL are you doing here today?"

"Dale and Betram were in a bungee-jumping accident, so we had to cover for them."

"What, seriously? What happened? Did the cord break or something?"

"Probably," Mark said. "There's not much else that can go wrong in a-

"HOLY F**K," Sam suddenly cried.

"AGH WHAT," Mark yelped, shocked.

"BUNGEE JUMPING ACCIDENT. BROKEN CORD. Why haven't we been WORRIED!?"

"OH MY GOD," Mark said, eyes wide, suddenly realising the magnitude of the situation. "But a broken cord? How did Dale only get ONE broken bone!?"

"BETRAM'S in a COMA!"

Merideth frowned and shifted away from the two to find Erik, who was messing around with the music video DVDs.

"Hey," she said. "I take it YOU were aware of the situation?"

"They're alive," he said. "That's what counts, right?"

"I guess so."

She looked at the seemingly random way Erik was organizing the covers. "What're you doing?"

"Putting all the obviously terrible bands next to the mainstream crap ones people still try to buy for some reason. Hopefully people notice the music everyone hates and automatically skip the next few."

"Training the masses to avoid terrible music. I like it."

"You missed a lesbian, by the way."

"Huh?" Merideth said, looking worried.

"Yeah, some chick came in and made it clear she was as into tits as Mark."

Merideth looked away. "Huh... good for her."

There was an awkward moment in which neither spoke.

"Oh come on," Erik said, picking up a 'Nickelback' DVD. "How long are you gonna keep that a secret?"

"At least a little longer," she responded, annoyed.

"You'll have to tell someone else sooner or later."

"I pick later."

"Why does it matter?" Erik asked, putting the last DVD in its place and turning to face Merideth. "You know they don't care. Hell, Mark'll be ecstatic."

"I don't want to change things," Merideth answered. "If they knew, they'd see me differently and treat me differently."

"No they wo-"

"Yes they WILL, Erik. Not different in a bad way, but different nontheless. I'd rather things stay the way they are."

Erik rolled his eyes and started towards the counter. "Fine, but when you finally find someone it's gonna be both hard and a bad idea to keep it secret."

"I heard 'secret'," Mark said from the counter. "Are you guys plotting something?"

"Totally," Erik said. "We plan to overthrow Dennis and take the store for ourselves."

"Can I still work here?"

"Maybe," Merideth laughed.

Sam passed a bag to the customer he was serving and smiled.

"Have a good day," he said.

"You too!" the woman grinned, taking the bag. The second she had closed the door, Erik turned to Sam.

"Why the hell are you always... HAPPY with the customers?"

"Because I don't harbour intense hatred for people?" Sam answered.

"Aw, I don't harbour my hatred," Erik retorted, smirking as a girl walked inside. "I let it flow all over them at will."

"Well I prefer serving customers over chasing their business away. If you'd try it once in a while, Dennis wouldn't keep having those 'talks' with you."

The girl approached the counter.

"Hi," Sam said. "Can I help you?"

The girl looked up, bored. "Yeah, do you have a-"

"HI," Erik yelled, pushing himself almost completely over the counter, a manic grin on his face and his eyes popping open.

"AH!" The customer cried.

"WHATEVER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, I'M SURE WE HAVE IT!

"HERE," Erik continued, swinging completely over the counter. "I'LL SHOW YOU!"

"Get away from me!" the girl cried, running for the door.

Erik dropped the expression and climbed back over the counter. Sam had his arms crossed and was rolling his eyes.

"You-"

"Say what you want," Erik interupted, sitting back down, "we both know that was HILARIOUS."

Sam looked like he thoroughly opposed such an opinion. Merideth and Mark certainly did not.

------

"Okay," Mark announced, hours later. "It's five and Dennis still hasn't shown up."

"F**k it," Erik said, standing. "He's made us take a whole day's worth of shifts, he can let the store closed early."

"Hold on," Merideth said, "it's FIVE? I spent the WHOLE DAY hanging out here?"

"Did you have somewhere to be?" Sam asked, picking up the store keys and heading for the door. "Work? You could've left, we would've understood."

"No, I just lost track of time. I can't believe I actually spend as much time in the store as you guys."

"You could make it official," Mark said, waiting by the door for Erik to finish at the counter. "Dale and Bertram're probably gonna be out of commission for a while, so you'd have decent shifts for a while."

"Er, as much as I love you guys, I don't think I could handle hanging out with the same three people constantly AND working with you. Frankly I don't know how you guys hang out, work, AND live together."

"Well," Sam began, locking the door behind them, "between Erik's drama keeping things interesting and me being a shut-in every other day, we get enough downtime from each other."

"It's mostly Erik's drama, though," Mark laughed.

"I will feed on a friend," Erik joked.

"Crap!" Merideth suddenly cried. "Your blood! That's what I was meant to go get!"

"That explains my double vision," Erik said, lifting a hand to his head.

"S**t, are you serious?" Mark asked, scared.

"Ah, uh, get something!" Sam said.

"What!?"

"Anything! I don't know!"

"Woah," Erik said. "Calm down, I'm kidding."

"S**t, Erik," Sam yelled. Mark punched Erik in the shoulder.

"Don't do that, man!"

"That's cold, Erik," Merideth said, a smile playing about her face. Erik noticed and grinned.

They turned a corner and Erik's grin faded instantly.

Two boys were walking down the path towards them, freezing the second they saw them. The two groups stood still for a few seconds.

"I F*****G KNEW IT," Erik cried. The other three instantly reached out and grabbed him, stopping him from running after the two boys. They scowled as Bertram and Dale turned and ran away from them.

"F*****G BUNGEE-JUMPING ACCIDENT MY A*S," Erik yelled, fighting to break free. "THE WHOLE DAY, YOU F***S!"

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

Erik struggled to stand, to shift his broken body even an inch, but he was unable to move. Around him, utter darkness. Beneathe him, a pool of crimson liquid.

He felt his conciousness slipping, his eyes growing heavy...

Suddenly, a red light flashed to the side. Erik strained to turn his head, seeing a dark human-like shadow standing nearby. He opened his mouth and spoke, but couldn't hear himself. Erik sensed the figure smirk, even though his face was invisible amidst the darkness.

The pool of blood bubbled and came to life. Tendrils emerged and wrapped around Erik's body, pulling him into the air. From above, similar appendages descended and gripped his body. Erik felt them pulling, as if trying to take him from the others. The two sets pulled and pulled, until Erik felt he was about to be split into pieces...

The tension broke and Erik felt himself snap. His body started to fall, still being held by the ground. He felt himself slipping, falling from the realm of conciousness. As his eyes closed for what felt like the final time, he saw, above him, the snakes from above were carrying a limp, pitch-black version of his own body...

Erik's eyes snapped open and he rocketed forward. He looked around frantically, suddenly realising he was in his own bed. Finally awake.

He brought a hand to his head, gripping his hair and panting. It was impossible. The shadow in the red light... He hadn't seen that figure in years...

Mark looked up from his cereal as Erik shuffled in from his room, looking more awake and alive than he had in the hundreds of other mornings he'd been awake for.

"I had a dream about him," Erik said, sitting down on the couch.

"Gay," Mark said, going back to his cereal.

"I hate you," Erik retorted, frowning. "And this is serious."

"Serious?"

"I haven't dreamed about him before. Ever."

"Wait, who are we talking about?"

Erik turned and stared at Mark, who noticed and faced him, spoon still in mouth. Erik continued staring, wondering how long it would take for Mark to think of the one person in the whole of creation who could cause him to stare with such a genuine sense of worry.

Mark's eyes widened and the penny dropped. He let the spoon swing from his mouth.

"Oh."

"Even in the months after the accident," Erik continued, turning away again, "I had nightmares, but never featuring him. I'd always be reliving it, but I'd never see or sense him in any way. Now, though... He was there. In the shadows, but there."

"Is that bad?" Mark asked, putting his bowl on the table.

"I don't know..."

Sam's door opened and he stumbled out, scratching behind his ear.

"Mornin," he mumbled, heading for the kitchen.

"Erik had a dream about Red," Mark blurted out.

"WHAT," Sam cried as he entered the kitchen doorway, twisting mid-step and smacking his shoulder into the doorframe. "AH, S**T!"

A few minutes later, Sam was sitting opposite Mark and Erik, nursing his shoulder and caught up on the news.

"So why would you only start dreaming about him NOW, after three whole years?"

"No idea," Erik answered. "It's got to mean something, though."

"What if it's a warning?" Mark asked. "Did you do something you weren't meant to do?"

"Hell if I know, he never gave me a rulebook. I could probably devour the whole country and he wouldn't care."

"If he didn't say anything," Sam mused, "it couldn't be a message. You say you just relived the... thingie?"

"The change, yeah."

"And he never said anything about coming back in your dreams?"

"Nope."

"Nothing about coming back at ALL?"

Erik faltered. "... not quite 'nothing'..."

"Whelp," Mark said, picking up his now-empty cereal bowl and walking out of the room. "We're fucked."

"Not necessarily," Sam said, not fully believing it nor sounding so. "If he DOES turn up, it might not be for anything terrible.

"Erik, did he ever say anything about your end of the deal?"

Erik thought for a moment. "No?"

"That might be it, then."

"Cool," Erik said, relaxing. "Maybe I'll find out what I got myself into that day."

"Why'd he even DO that?" Mark asked from the kitchen. "Who waits three years to explain a contract like that?"

"Maybe he just never needed anything until now," Sam said.

"Hah! You're like his highschool girlfriend!" Mark laughed. "Only calling when he needs something from you!"

"If you ever compare me to a teenaged girl again," Erik said, pointing to Mark from the couch, "I'll throw your phone off the roof."

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

"HUAGH," Sam cried. Mark had scooped him up under his arm and was carrying him away from the stand he was working on.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING," he yelled. Mark stopped beside the 'new releases' rack.

"What the f**k is this," he calmly asked, gesturing to the third case. Sam, still being lifted, looked up.

"Um... 'One Direction's new album?"

"Fix it," Mark said in the same soothing voice. Sam waited for a moment before reaching out and picking the disc case from the rack, holding it in the air, as if questioning if this were enough. As if answering, Mark promptly let him fall to the ground.

"OW!"

"Now don't let it happen again," he said, walking back to the counter. Sam stood up and dusted himself off.

"I give that a seven," Erik said, not looking up from his phone. "You lost points for lack of spite in your voice."

"He's Sam," Mark said. "You try even PRETENDING to hate him with that face."

"Gay."

Mark punched Erik in the shoulder as the store door opened and Eliza walked in.

"Hey boys," she said, smiling.

"Eliza?" Sam asked, turning. "Hi!"

Sam noticed Eliza was standing next to another girl who had clearly entered with her.

"Oh," he said. "And hi Eliza's-"

Sam paused mid-sentence.

Crap, he thought. Do I say 'friend'? But what if they're together? But if I say 'girlfriend' and they're not, what then? It'd be so awkward! Oh, crap...

"Uh," Eliza said, seeing Sam had stopped talking altogether. "Is he-"

"Just go about your business," Mark said, giving Sam a questioning stare. "He just needs to reboot."

"Right..."

Eliza stepped past them, closely followed by her friend, who smiled and lifted her hand in greeting to the three as she passed.

Sam realized he had trailed off and closed his mouth, giving up on his sentence entirely.

Erik stepped out from behind a shelf and made for the counter, seeing Eliza and her friend.

"Hi again," Eliza said. Erik nodded as they passed. Eliza's friend's gaze lingered on him for a fraction longer before continuing. Erik turned, noticing.

"Hey," he began, reaching the counter. "Who's the girl with the girly girl?"

"Dunno," Mark answered. "She came in with Eliza."

"Hm."

Mark noticed Erik looking down, thinking.

"You're totally wondering if she's the one Eliza said'd like you!"

"Maybe."

"Dude, get on it!"

"Crude as usual," Sam interjected, sitting beside them.

"What? He's got his foot in the door already!"

"We don't know if it's her," Erik said. "And who said I even CARED?"

"How could you not be at least INTERESTED? She's hot, man!"

"Wow, that must mean she's perfect for me in every way. We'll be lovers for all eternity."

"Hah," Sam laughed. "Owned."

"Not even," Mark scoffed. "I swear, Erik, you're either less human than we though or LYING."

"And I'll never tell," Erik retorted, standing up straighter as Eliza and her friend approached.

"'Sup," she said, standing back as her friend stepped forward, a case in her hand.

"Hey," Erik replied. "Who's the girl? Your girl?"

"Naw, this is my roommate, Angie."

Angie smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Eliza continued, interrupting her.

"She's straight, like you. Wow, you've already got SO much in common! You should talk!

"Oh HI Mark," she said, feigning surprise at Mark's presence beside Erik. "I didn't see you there!"

She walked to the other end of the counter, while Mark, in an almost unheard of situation, understood the message and followed suit. Sam awkwardly shuffled away to inspect the DVDs, leaving Erik and Angie alone at the counter.

"Hi," Erik said.

"Hehe, hi," Angie replied with a strong english accent. "Sorry about her, she's a little upfront."

"It's okay. You been friends long?"

"A few years, yeah. She tried to ask me out once and I didn't realize she meant a romantic one. It was pretty awkward, but be stayed friends."

"Hm, that's a coincidence. Mark tried to ask her out the last time she came in here."

"Oh, heh... how long have YOU known her?"

"Since the last time she came in here."

"Oh! That's... nice...?"

The conversation fizzled. Angie shifted slightly, feeling a little awkward. Erik was wondering when she'd give him the damn CD to scan.

"Oh my god," Mark whispered to Eliza, out of earshot. "This is TRAGIC. The conversation's already dead and he's completely oblivious."

"Tell me about it," Eliza groaned. "She never does ANYTHING to help herself in these situations."

"Just that, then?" Erik finally asked, gesturing to the case in Angie's hand.

"Oh, yeah," she said, passing it over.

Erik lifted the gun and scanned the case, but paused. He saw the name of the band and looked back up at Angie.

"Hold on," Mark said, squinting. "Did she buy a-"

"Do you wanna go somewhere sometime?" Erik asked.

"HOLY CRAP," Mark whispered loudly. Eliza raised her arms in triumph, her face lighting up with joy and excitement.

"R-really?" Angie asked. "I mean, sure! Yeah! Totally! Er, did you have something in mind?"

"There's a cafe the next street over," Erik continued. "It's kinda divey, but the food's good."

"Sounds good," Angie said. "I mean FINE."

Erik lifted the case again, passing it to her. "Cool. D'you wanna meet here, after closing tomorrow?"

"Sure," Angie said, smiling. "I'll look forward to it."

"Eleven fifty, by the way," Erik added, motioning to the register.

"Oh, right," Angie said, fumbling for her purse.

"That was all me, baby," Eliza said, turning to Mark.

"Well good frickin' work," he replied, grinning. "Three years I've known that guy and he's never once been out with a girl, you know that?"

"Let's hope he doesn't blow it, then!"

"See you then," Erik said.

"Seeya," Angie replied.

"Eliza," she asked, turning to her friend. "Are you-"

"Ready when you are," Eliza said, practically skipping over to her. "Bye, guys!"

"You're not buying anything?" Angie asked as Eliza lead her out of the store, giving Erik a wink and a thumbs-up signal.

"Wasn't the point, Angie, dear!"

The door swung closed, leaving Erik to return to his phone.

"Incredible," Mark said. "You go through that whole conversation without picking up on a thing, but as soon as you see she likes the same band as you, you get her to go out with you just by ASKING?"

"Calm down," Erik said, annoyed. "It's one date."

"But it's HOW you got it! Is it the hate? It's totally the hate! I KNEW chicks dug bad boys!"

"Excuse me," a girl asked, walking up to the counter. "Do you ha-"

"F**k off," Mark said, pulling a comicly overdone brooding expression.

"ExCUSE me!?"

"You heard him," Erik said, smiling. The girl ran off a few choice curse words and statements before storming out of the building.

"What happend to her," Sam asked, returning to the counter. "Did she ask for vinyl?"

"ERIK GOT A DATE," Mark announced.

"What!? With who!?"

"What am I, a Kardashian?" Erik asked sarcastically.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Sam asked, ignoring Erik's comment. "I mean, are you going to tell her about... y'know-"

"Like I'm gonna spring something like THAT on a girl I just met."

"Well, what are you gonna do when she sees you don't eat?" Mark asked.

"I can eat if I want to, Mark."

"What about blood supply?" Sam questioned.

"I'll drink twice as much before I leave!"

"What about-"

"OH my GOD," Erik yelled, raising his hand to the two in a 'stop' gesture. "It'll be FINE. I'LL be fine. Stop worrying, for f**k's sake!"

Erik went back to playing with his phone. Sam sighed and went back to his station.

"... dude," Mark began, "if you get lucky, you HAVE to give us enough time to get out of the apartment."

"Great," Erik said, tossing his phone aside. "We've gone from legitimate concerns to F*****G. Classy."

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

Erik jolted awake, breathing heavily. A few moments later, he calmed down enough to think clearly.

"Damn," he muttered, getting out of bed. "Again..."

He walked into the living room, Mark already awake in front of the TV and Sam presumably still asleep.

"Sleep well?" Mark asked.

"No. I dreamed of him again."

"Two nights in a row? Damn..."

"I don't think it's much of a problem," Erik said, now in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. "I mean, nothing happened yesterday, why should it today?"

"Well, you met Angie yesterday. Maybe that's what it meant! Maybe she's Red in disguise!"

"Oh my god," Erik moaned, leaving the kitchen, a bowl of cereal in hand. "You just BROKE my LIFE."

"Hm," Mark said, turning back to the TV, "and it's not even nine. I should wake up Sam, try to get a roll goin'."

---------

"So?" Merideth asked. She had recently entered the store, bringing fresh blood and company for an already bored trio. "You excited for tonight?"

"No," Erik answered. "It's just a date. I can't believe you're all acting so... HIGHSCHOOL about it."

"How are you so CALM about everything that happens to you?" Sam asked, sliding along the counter. "Y'know, except for the annoying people and people who cross you."

"And the people who's clothes he doesn't like," Merideth added.

"And sub-standard bands."

"And above-standard bands," Mark interjected from the stacks.

"Come to think of it," Sam began, "this is the ONLY thing you're calm about that you SHOULDN'T be! You're INVERSE HUMAN!"

"Congratulations," Erik said, sarcastically, "you've solved the case. Four stars. Advance rank to Lieutenant."

"Oh, you know what I mean," Sam mumbled, returning to his station.

The store door swung open and Eliza walked in.

"Hey guys," she announced.

"'Sup," Mark answered.

"Who's this?" Merideth asked, gesturing to Eliza.

"Oh yeah! You never met, did you!"

"No," Eliza said, stepping forward. "But I take it she's a friend of yours?"

"Just their bestest friend in the whole wide world," Merideth joked. "I'm Merideth."

"Eliza. I'm Angie's roommate."

"Oh, YOU'RE to blame for this mess."

"This is a mess?"

"If you don't like your best friends taking positive steps in their lives, then yeah, this is pretty much ground zero."

"Would you two take your sarcastic banter elsewhere," Mark said, waving them away, "we have customers to badger."

"Hey Mark," Eliza said, turning. "I've been meaning to ask, how does it feel knowing Erik has a date and you don't?"

"Hey! How do you know I don't?"

"Because you tried to ask me out two days ago?"

"I could've found someone in that time!"

"Did you?"

Mark opened his mouth and froze for a few seconds.

"... no."

"Yeah, me neither."

"Ah," Sam sighed. "That's just what this place needed. A little lonliness and jealousy."

"Yup," Mark laughed, "we're having a big 'ol party. Come join us."

"We'll have your complimentary party hat and razor blade shipped within the week," Eliza joked.

"If you'll forgive me interrupting your discussion on depression," Erik piped up, "but did you come here for any particular reason?"

"As a matter of fact," Eliza began, putting her bag on the counter. "I wanted to talk to YOU, before your big date with Angie tonight."

"Oh god, are you gonna obsess about it, too? 'Cos I can't take much more of these people as it is."

"Just a little," Eliza smiled. She turned to the others. "Guys? Could we get a little-"

"Sure thing," Merideth said, giving Mark a nudge to get going. The three of them left the counter area to leave Eliza and Erik to talk.

"Look," she began. "Basically I wanted to ask you not to be a dick to her."

Erik's frown changed from natural indifference to actual concern.

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I know the whole 'broody, sarcastic goth guy' thing might work for your kind of girls, but with Angie-"

"Eliza," Erik said, standing a little straighter. "I might look and sound like a hateful person, and I AM, but I asked HER out. So out of the both of us, it's clear who wanted the other to like them more.

"I'm not gonna be a horrible person to someone I genuinely want to be out with."

Eliza stared for a minute before smiling again. "Glad that's settled."

Erik nodded and waved at the others, who had been staring at them on the border of earshot, waiting for the cue to return.

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

"Okay, deviants," Mark announced to the store and its several scattered customers. "Closing time, everybody out."

"Seriously?" Eliza asked. "I've been here ALL DAY?"

"Funny," Merideth said. "I had the same reaction last time. Funny how you realise how little you have to do in your life that you spend your time HERE."

"Aw," Sam smiled, passing them out the door. "Don't we just feel SPECIAL."

"So hey," Mark began, locking the store. "You stayin' here to wait or coming back to change or something?"

"Nah," Erik answered, looking down. "Probably just go like this."

"He's joking, right?" Eliza asked, looking around the group. "Been cooped up in the same room for a whole day and not gonna change your shirt?"

"Of course he's joking," Merideth said, setting off for home. "Good luck, Erik!"

Erik, Mark and Sam waved as she and Eliza took off.

"Imagine her face if we told her you don't sweat," Mark laughed.

"I'd imagine it'd show disbelief," Erik answered. "Or something that suggested the thought 'these people are retarded'."

"Whelp," Sam said, swinging his arms back down. "We'll get going and leave you to it."

"Good luck," Mark said, patting Erik on the shoulder.

"Thanks, guys," Erik said, nodding.

"Oh, and dude... be careful."

"What?"

"Don't get reckless. Don't just start babbling your secrets. Don't get hungry and go for the waiter's throat, don't go-"

"Sam," Erik asked, bending his neck to see Sam behind Erik, "can you get this thing away from me?"

"Come on, Markus," Sam said, dragging Mark towards their home by the back of the collar. "Have a good night, Erik."

"Take heed, Erik!" Mark cried. "Take heed!"

How the hell did he graduate, Erik wondered to himself.

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

"Wow," Angie said, looking at the cafe. "You weren't joking. This place looks like it's falling apart!"

"Yeah," Erik said, standing next to her. "The owner bought the place and put all his money into hiring decent workers rather than making the place look good."

"How does it get any business, then?"

"A lot of people are only here because they were told about this place," Erik said, starting towards the door, "so knowing about it becomes a kind of an accomplishment. It gives the regulars a sense of exclusivity."

"Wouldn't it still deter NEW customers?"

"I think that was part of the point, to shun those who base things on their appearance and draw in the people looking for mystery."

"Kind of like you," Angie said. Erik looked back at her and saw her looking back at him.

He smiled. "Yeah. Kinda like me."

-----------

Mark entered the living room, yawning and scratching his shoulder. He glanced down the hall to Erik's bedroom door, which was wide open. However, when he looked back at the living room, all he saw was Sam, sitting on his own, eating breakfast.

"Did Erik come home last night?" Mark asked, sitting down.

"I don't think so," Sam answered, frowning into his bowl.

"Oh, man! He totally got with her," Mark grinned, his face lighting up.

"Don't jump to conclusions. They might've just stayed out late and crashed somewhere."

"Nope. They did it. At her place."

"You're impossible," Sam smiled.

The door crashed open, making the both of them jump and twist towards it, Mark jumping into a fighting pose. He lowered it when Erik walked inside, hunched over and dragging himself along.

"Hey, dude!" Mark said, relieved they weren't being burgled. "How'd it go?"

Erik said nothing, loping into his bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him. The apartment was silent for a few seconds.

"It either went really well," Sam finally said, "or really bad."

"Turn on the news and keep an eye out for his description," Mark said, standing up. "I'll check on him."

Mark slowly opened Erik's door and stepped inside. Erik was lying face-down on his bed, buried in his pillow.

"Hey, buddy," Mark said, moving towards the side of the bed. "What happened? You've been gone all night!"

Erik mumbled something barely intelligible into his pillow.

"Sorry? Something's what?"

Erik said it again, louder.

"Angie's a b***h? Aw, man, that sucks. I thought she seemed kinda cool when sh-"

"Not 'b***h', you moron," Erik moaned, lifting his face enough to speak clearly.

Sam dropped his bowl into the sink and started towards Erik's room, but Mark walked out before he could enter, his expression confused and worried.

"Well?" Sam asked.

"He's either off the deep end," Mark explained, "or Red's not the only thing we've got to worry about."

-----------

Angie and Erik were walking down a path, the night sky only just eclipsing the twilight.

"So how long have you worked at that store?" Angie asked.

"About three years," Erik began. "Sam and Mark were already working there, and when they took me in they helped me get a job there."

"Took you in?"

Erik looked at the ground. "Yeah...

"Three years ago, I was in a car accident. I was crossing the road and some douchebag hit me at like sixty miles an hour."

"Oh my god," Angie said, looking at him. "And you survived?"

"Barely," he continued. "Sam and Mark were nearby and called the ambulance, kept me alive and stuff. I didn't have insurance, so I had to give up my apartment to pay the hospital fees. Rather than move back in with my parents, Mark and Sam took me in while I recovered and got back on my feet

"Once I did, though, we were all too close to part ways, so I stayed."

"That's amazing of them," Angie said. "Letting a total stranger live with them? That must've been a gamble."

"What about you? How did you end up here?"

"Oh, I moved here a few years ago from England."

"I figured it was something like that. Your accent's kinda strong."

"I left to go to college here and to get away from my family."

"Were they annoying? Or just..."

"... we were all heading for dead ends. My parents were stuck in horrible jobs and my brothers didn't care about getting ones of their own. If I'd stayed, I wouldn't have been able to go on with my life. So I left them all in search of something better."

"What's your 'something better'?"

"Eventually? I'd love to be an artist. Or an author. And I know those seem like dead ends for real work, and that it's hypocritical of me to want that, but... It's what I want to do. My brothers, my parents... they could be so much more than what they were, and they WANTED to be, I could see it in their eyes every day... but they didn't do anything about it. I'm not going to let their attitude rub off on me. I'll be whatever I want, not just settle for what I have and waste my life wanting more."

"... that's... pretty cool, actually," Erik said, genuinely amazed.

"Thanks... what about you?"

"I, uh... I think it'd be cool to own a store someday."

"That sounds nice."

"My reasons aren't inspired like yours, though", Erik said, laughing sheepishly. "I just wanna be able to treat the customers like crap if they deserve it without getting fired."

Angie laughed. "Erik, that's the most noble reason for owning a store I've ever heard. Go for it."

Erik smiled.

He took Angie's arm and lead her off the path and towards a row of trees.

"Um, where are we going?" Angie laughed. Erik didn't answer, just kept walking. Angie fell back slightly, her arm slipping out of Erik's grip until it was her hand he was clasping.

They passed the trees and walked through a woody area before emerging into a park.

"Wow," Angie said, looking out at the moonlit scene. The dark trees and their shadows made the whole park seem a whole lot smaller, and more enclosed than it really was. A large pond took up a third of this apparent clearing, with a single, tall tree nestled in the center on an island in the center.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"I thought you'd like it," Erik said.

"Is this where you take ALL the girls you date?" Angie asked, smiling.

"Nope. You're the first."

"Aw, I feel all special now."

They fell silent, admiring the view. Erik turned to Angie and realized he had not yet let go of her hand.

"So," he finally said, breaking the silence. "... Has tonight been any good so far?"

Angie looked up at him, smiling. "It's actually been one of the best I've had in a while..."

"That's... cool."

They stared into each others eyes, neither moving. Angie's smile faltered, and she broke eye contact.

"But... something's been worrying me. Since I walked into that store yesterday."

Erik's heart sank. His smile faded, leaving his face blank.

"... what is it?" he asked, not even sure he needed to.

"It's... you. There's something different about you. I can sense it."

Erik said nothing, but started to frown.

"It's like... I can't quite see it, but... I know it's there..."

Angie lifted her hand, letting go of Erik's. She held it near his chest, hesitating.

"Something wrong."

She reached out and placed her hand across his chest.

"... no heartbeat," she said, her face showing no surprise whatsoever. Erik reached for her hand and took it off him.

"Erik," Angie said, looking up at him. Behind him, his shadow stretched across the grass, much longer than it naturally should.

"... what are you?"

The shadows cast by the trees extended across the park, joining with Erik's. His eyes glowed red, shocking Angie. She looked around as the shadows lifted off the ground, becoming uneven walls that enclosed them in darkness. Erik was still holding onto her arm so even if she were trying, she couldn't run away.

As the darkness rose behind Erik, two glowing red wings appear on his back, only visible against the dark backdrop. They weren't corporeal, regular wings. More like luminescent tattoos, floating in the air with no medium to support them.

Angie stared at the creature Erik had become.

"A demon," she whispered.

"Not exactly," Erik said. "It was the work of a Dark Angel."

"Then your accident," Angie said, realizing.

"... wasn't something I survived.

"I was on the edge of life, practically dead already, when he came for me."

"The Angel."

"We've been calling him Red."

The darkness rose higher, beginning to cover the night sky.

"He offered me a deal to bring me back to life. I wasn't ready to die, so I accepted. He tore my soul from my body, reattaching it as a parasite. What you see, I control through my own spiritual energy, fuelling it with the blood of others."

"You drink to keep your body alive..."

"... so my spirit can survive."

"Then... where are we?"

"Nowhere. A world of darkness, separate from the rest of existence. Here, people can see what I really look like, if I let them. I can travel here and anywhere else in the world by manipulating shadows.

"Now," Erik said, stepping closer to Angie. "How did you know I wasn't what I appeared?"

"... Second Sight," Angie answered, looking at the ground.

Erik smirked. "Hah. A Witch."

"Second generation, my mother's side."

"So your powers are weak..."

"Enough for me to pass and live as a human," she said, looking back up.

She stared into his eyes, just able to make out the pupils behind the glow. He looked into hers, finally able to sense a hint of what she truly was. Above them, the shadows began to bleed over the moon, enveloping them more and more.

"Hm," he mused. "You get to be a Witch... AND a human..."

Erik leaned forward, closer to Angie.

"You get to be a human and a monster," she answered, starting to return his grip on her hand.

"Halfway between the light and the darkness..."

"Halfway between life and death."

Erik smiled. Their faces were inches apart.

"That's... pretty cool."

"... yeah..."

Their lips met as the darkness around them became absolute.

-----------

Erik could hear them talking outside his room and tried to restrain himself against going out there and throwing them both out the window.

"Erik?" Sam asked, entering. "Mark says you told him Angie's a witch..."

Erik restrained himself a little less, turning his head on its side, facing the wall. "What of it?"

"So he wasn't being weird? You really told him that?"

"Is this YOU being weird?"

"... is... is she seriously? A... a-"

"She's known from the beginning," Erik said, scrunching up his eyes.

"What?"

"Witches have Second Sight. She's known something was wrong with me since the second we met."

"... second sight?"

"Oh my GOD," Erik complained, his face diving back into the pillow. "Can't you people just leave me alone?"

"No," Sam said, grabbing Erik's shoulder. "Not after hearing something like THAT."

Erik struggled against the urge but felt he was fighting a losing battle.

A few minutes later, Erik was grudgingly sitting in the living room, his roommates sitting opposite him on the couch.

"Now," Mark began. "Start from the start. How'd the date go?"

"THAT'S what you want to start with?" Sam asked, incredulously.

"I'm interested! AND I'd like to begin somewhere we UNDERSTAND so we can segue into the weird stuff a little more smoothly, thank you very much."

"It's not weird," Erik mumbled, "you just don't-"

"Oh god, just start talking," Sam said, bringing his hand to his forehead.

"Fine," Erik began.

"We went to Irvs, talked for a little, just boring stuff that didn't matter. But then we went to the park and talked a lot more."

"That sounds okay," Mark said, warily. "A little gay, but I'm sure SHE had fun."

"... then I took her into the Shadows and showed her what I was."

"WHAT," Sam and Mark yelled in unison. Mark nearly fell off the couch in alarm.

"Calm down," Erik said, annoyed. "You're being dramatic."

"YOU'RE being RETARDED," Sam cried, pointing at him. "You don't even KNOW this girl!"

"Hey," Erik said, becoming angry. "I know her enough!"

"You're BOTH missing the POINT," Mark said. "She's a GIRL. And she seemed pretty f****n' girly to me, too."

"So?" Erik asked.

"So she LIVES WITH ANOTHER GIRL," Mark yelled. "ELIZA. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?"

On the other side of town, Eliza stood up on her bed.

"He's a WHAT!?" she cried as Angie lifted her hands.

"Calm down," she called. "You're gonna wake the neighbours!"

"But, but he-"

"Get off the bed and stop freaking out!"

Back in their apartment, Mark and Sam tried to stop freaking out, too.

"Okay," Sam said, trying to move past this particular event. "What, exactly, in this context, is a 'witch'?"

"Witches are botn with certain magical abilities," Erik began. "It's not understood how you get born a Witch, you just are. Any children you have are Second Generation Witches, theirs are Third and so on. After each generation, their powers weaken. After a point, usually the third or fourth generation, no more Witches are born.

"Angie is a Second Generation. Among her powers is Second Sight."

"Which is?" Mark asked.

"She can see through spiritual barriers, concealments, pretty much anything that alters perception of things."

"So Angie... s**t, she sees you with the whole wings and eyes thing goin' all the time?"

"No, her powers are weak, so it's more of a 'sensing' than a 'seeing'."

"Is there anything else?" Sam asked. "Like, could she be dangerous?"

"Not really," Erik said. "She probably has a lot of occult knowledge, but nothing that would be bad unless she wanted to cause harm."

"Well," Mark laughed, "if she stayed out all night with you and didn't try anything, she probable doesn't want to do any of THAT."

"Witch Cults would, though," Erik said.

"Come again?"

"There are cults of Witches dedicated to eradicating things like me from this world."

"And you think she could be part of one?" Sam asked.

"No, no way. But if one finds her and tries to recruit her, it could put me, and by extension, all of YOU in danger."

"What!?" Mark cried. "Are you SERIOUS? So now it's not about blabbing your secret to some random girl, it's you might've put OUR lives on the line for some random girl?"

"Hey," Erik said, standing up. "She's not some 'random girl'! And if you'd noticed anything, I AM angry that I did! I knew the score, I knew she was onto something, but instead of shrugging it off I gave into my feelings and just up and told her."

"... feelings?" Sam asked.

"I wanted her to know," Erik said, ignoring Sam. "I don't know why, I just did. There's something about her. I don't know what it is..."

"So you LIKE her?" Mark cried, standing up.

"... yeah," Erik said, looking away. "Kinda."

Sam looked at the floor. He thought about the strain Erik was putting on the whole situation. He'd told someone he'd known for less than a day about his biggest, darkest secret, and found out she might end up causing a whole lot of trouble sometime down the line.

"Great," Mark said, turning and heading for his room. "Well go ahead, then, Erik. Risk our lives for this girl. That's real nice."

He slammed the door. "It'll all end in bloodshed, mark my words!"

Erik sat back down and shot a look at Sam, but double-took when he saw Sam wasn't looking angry.

"Do you think things'll be okay?" Sam asked.

Erik looked away. "Maybe. There's no guarantee she'll even be found, and even if she is-"

"No," Sam interrupted. "I mean Mark."

Erik looked back up, frowning.

"Oh, come on," Sam said. "You're both being total drama queens. If you trust Angie, there's no reason any of us shouldn't."

"... I still shouldn'tve said anything," Erik said. "I should've-"

"Who the hell cares. What's done is done, what's wrought is wrought. Whatever happens next, we've just gotta deal with it."

"... yeah," Erik said. Sam reached for the TV remote and unmuted the cartoons that were playing.

"I tell you what, though," Sam said, leaning back into the chair. "For you to get THAT personal on the first date? And for HER to be?

"You guys must really like each other."

Erik stared at the TV, not really watching it. His mind drifted to that moment in the shadows, where even though they both knew what they were getting into, but he and Angie had still...

Erik smiled. There were great things still to come. He could feel it.