Opposites Attract

Alice and Michelle

Alice

Darkness surrounded me as I walked through the city while a low wind past by. It was much better than than the during the day when the sun's rays beat down on my skin. Now it was somewhat cooler, and I was finally enjoying being outside.

Very dim streetlights flickered on the border of the street, creating faded shadows and a buzzing noise as they went off. Shops occupying Downtown Rochester were all closed except the gas station across the street. No cars drove by and I hadn't seen anyone around yet.

I was alone, in the dark, late at night, walking the streets with no certain destination. I had just entered the city as the sun was setting and have been wandering around for about an hour. It's been nice with no people to give me weird looks as I knew they would, but when the sun rose and the people awoke I would be drowning in questioning, curious looks.

But I had no where to go and I didn't have anything to do. I had no plan, though I needed one desperately.

All shop names and street signs were hidden in the dark, making them indecipherable. I didn't exactly know where I was as I looked down at my map stolen from my family. I would have to wait until morning to scout for a place to stay for another day.

I tip-toed quietly down the street, letting my eyes wonder through the downtown area, exploring my new environment. I felt unsafe alone in the night but more than once I had told myself to be strong, because there was no way I could change the situation. No one would really help me in the way I needed, a lost girl in middle of the night. And I wasn't about to ask for help either, I didn't trust anyone here, I didn't know how safe this area was.

Miles would have been able to help me. He could have looked for a safe place to just sit and figure out what to do next. But instead I'm alone, thinking for myself, taking care of only myself.

But who's to say I couldn't find another ghost to help me? There had to be someone.

Miles had told me that my family was looking for me, but how far were they willing to go to hunt me down? I wondered if they even thought that the first place I went was the city. Do they think I just fled to the woods? To another family's farm? Surely they wouldn't think me that stupid. They would know I would go to the place with the larger chance of getting help.

But does that mean the first place they'll look is the city? I've been gone for two days, they would have driven by or called the police by now. The Rochester police station was just down the street, according to my map. I made a mental note not to pass by the station, I wouldn't want to risk being taken in for questioning. The first thing they would do is ask me where my parents are or where I lived. They would never get the truth out of me but I still didn't want to risk anything when it came to the police.

That meant I was on my own. Until I found a ghost to help me, I was on my own. I had little money left but I could make it through the next couple of days. I was tired, my first priority was to find shelter or a safe place to sleep.

~~~

Michelle

It was dark, late at night, and I was sitting behind a gas station in the middle of Downtown Rochester. I had been sitting behind her for hours, not certain of where I should go. I hadn't phoned my parents yet, I was scared of what would happen, what they would say or do. What would they think? I didn't runaway, but the possibility that I was kidnapped was still out there. But I don't know anything anymore, I'm not sure about anything. Anything could have happened. The things I remember aren't vivid, I have no real information. And I'm definitely not telling my parents about anything I remember other than waking up in an alley.

God, they're never going to let me leave the house after this.

Every time I thought of my parents I kept wondering if I'd ever really see them again. I found myself pushing the thought away but it didn't help, something told me I would never see them face-to-face again.

It made me more scared and I didn't know what to think anymore. I was going insane.

Suddenly a sharp pain hit my stomach and I clutched it tightly. I let out a slight whimper and fell onto the ground. The pain got worse, deeper than I expected. It came from somewhere inside me, something deep in my body, my heart. I felt it exploding, filling veins with something venomous.

I let tears roll down my cheeks as the pain got worse, piercing my stomach and working its way to my chest. Then my throat, then my head, and finally it had taken over my whole body. My body went numb and began to shake, shiver, quiver as it changed.

I didn't want to do it but I couldn't hold myself back as I let out a loud, ear-striking scream. It was a cry for help, a cry filled with pain and agony. Please, please let someone help me.

Something shifted in me, and suddenly a burning sensation spread throughout my body and my skin began to move. I couldn't move anything, not even my eyes. I couldn't look to see what was happening but I felt what was going on, my body was changing, shifting, altering. Transforming. And I screamed again, this time even louder, my voice echoing down the street.

And all at once I could feel it in my bones that I was in a different form. A different body. A foreign body, something I wasn't accustomed to.

But I was alive, I was ok, I was still in one piece. And that's more than I expected.

~~~

Alice

I heard a scream come from behind the gas station across the street. I didn't think anyone was there, I'd been walking around the same area for about two hours now, I thought I was alone. But when I heard the scream I knew it was from a girl, a human girl. What was happening?

The scream was terrifying, it was horrific, it was . . . painful. I wanted to run to the girl's aid but I wasn't sure if I should. Should I get myself caught up in something like this? What if she was getting hurt by someone? I can't just sit here and do nothing.

I debated it for a few minutes, standing in the middle of the dark road of Downtown Rochester. If that girl is in trouble, and she ends up seriously hurt or . . . worse, I'll never stop being guilty. But what if I help her and end up getting hurt as well? Is it worth it?

Be the better person, Alice. Go help her.

I sigh and run toward the gas station, kicking pebbles as I go but trying to make little noise. I turn the corner to face the back of the gas station where the scream came from. It's dark and quiet but I here a ruffling a few feet away. I cautiously walk toward it, able to make out a slight shape in the darkness of the back of the gas station. It stumbles backward into the range of a nearby streetlight and I see what it really is.

In front of me was not a girl.

It was a large, black bird.

Author's Note

I like this chapter but certainly not as good as it could be. I feel like this is the chapter that really starts to get the plot going and after I post the next chapter, I think you'll think so as well. The characters are finally meeting each other.

Reviews

[Jacques]

I really loved this chapter and things are starting to pull closer and closer, I think you handled the use of Alice and Michelle very well , I am starting to like Michelle more and more and i think you wrote well about Alice not having Miles help and her thoughs and feelings aswell as Michelle's but i do sometimes think they seemed to be sometimes the same , so i do think you can find their voices again ..... I really loved this chapter and the ending was well - timed and well - written and i've been blown away by what you've wrote previously and now so i know the next chapter is going to be nothing less than amazing.

there seemed to be to the same