What I Am

Things actually start to happen when Erik meets a girl named Angie. It's clear Erik isn't what he appears to be, but is Angie?

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

He felt his consciousness 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 consciousness. 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 high school girlfriend!" Mark laughed. "Only calling when he needs something from you!"

"If you ever compare me to a teenage 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 hell is this," he calmly asked, gesturing to the third case. Sam, still being lifted, looked up. In front of him was a collection of CDs featuring the same set of five conventionally attractive boys wearing similar clothing.

"Um... 'Same Way'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 greeted, 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 would 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.

"I swear, Erik," Mark scoffed, "you're either less human than we thought, 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.

"Aheh, hi," Angie replied with a strong English accent. "Sorry about her, she's a little up-front."

"It's okay. You two 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 we stayed friends."

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

"Hah, how'd THAT go?"

"It took him a minute to realize what she meant, but he got the picture. Eventually. Once it was spelt out for him."

Angie giggled. Erik smiled.

"Oh, how do YOU know her," she asked.

"Uh... Mark tried to ask her out the last time she came in here?"

Angie looked a little confused. "You've only met once?"

"Well, she wasn't exactly forgettable," Erik said, absentmindedly feeling the spot on his chest where he was almost lifted over the counter. "Just that, was it?"

"This is AWESOME," Eliza said, watching Angie hand Erik the CD in her hand.

"Maybe it is now," Mark said, "but don't get your hopes up. He's gotten this far before, but he never does anything about it."

"Oh god," Eliza groaned. "Angie's like that too, I was betting on Erik havin' the balls to go for it."

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," Sam 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.

"Sorry?" Angie asked. "Oh, I mean... sure! Yeah! Er, did you have something in mind?"

“Of COURSE he does,” Sam said, rolling his eyes.

“Are you kidding me?” Mark asked, his attention detracting from Erik and Angie’s discussion over date locations. “How is this an ‘of course’ moment?”

“Did you see what she bought?” Sam asked, gesturing. “’Antler Shoulder’.”

“OH,” Mark said deliberately, forcing back laughter.

“Oh my god,” Eliza exclaimed, “He likes those guys TOO? They’re so WEIRD! They’re the reason out apartment has a speaker ban!”

“Hey,” Mark explained, “With Erik, it’s all ABOUT being different.”

Back at the counter, 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?"

"Then let's hope he doesn't blow it!"

"See you then," Erik said.

"Seeya," Angie replied.

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

"Ready when you are," Eliza said, almost 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 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 comically 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 happened 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, you're not gonna tell her about the THING, right? "

"Are you JOKING," Erik asked rhetorically, frowning at him. "No f*****g way. Like I'd spring something like THAT on a girl I just met."

"Exactly," Sam agreed, "but how are you gonna keep it from her?"

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

"I can eat if I want to," Erik answered.

"What about blood supply?" Sam added.

"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... HIGH SCHOOL 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 loneliness 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 bad-boy' 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 moment 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.

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

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.

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

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

"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 noblest reason for owning a store I've ever heard. Go for it."

Erik smiled.

He took Angie's arm and led 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 on an island in the centre.

"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 other’s 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 to try, 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.

"That crash, three years ago... technically I didn't survive. I was on the edge of life, already dead but still holding on, when he came for me."

"The Demon."

“An Angel,” Erik corrected her.

“This is the work of an 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 I can continue to live."

"Then... where are we, now? What have you done?"

"We're 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 frowned. "You're a Witch."

"Second generation, my mother's side."

"So your powers are weak..."

"Enough for me to go undetected by people like you," 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 Irv’s, 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!"

"What about the ELIZA chick!?" Mark yelled. "You ever think about HER!?"

"What the hell does SHE have to do with it?" Erik asked.

"She's a GIRL who LIVES WITH ANOTHER GIRL," Mark yelled. "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 born 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 knows a lot about all that occult stuff, 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, they'll find me. You can guess what'd happen after that."

"Are you SERIOUS?" Mark yelled. "So now it's not about blabbing your secret to some random girl, it's you might've put your LIFE 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't have 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 un-muted 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.