• CHAPTER ONE

    Espee ran down the street, shoving innocent bystanders out of her way.
    "Move, why don'tcha?!" She yelled and sidestepped out of the way of a bicyclist. She cursed under her breath and continued her sprint down the sidewalk. Her cloak billowed in the wind, and she had to hold onto the wide brim of her hat to keep it from blowing away.
    She lept into the air frantically to get away from the Mortals, clinging to the large, blue Book in her arms. She flew upward still, above cars and more passer-bys.
    "Move out of the way, dang it!" She cried and landed near a short woman, nearly losing her balance. Yet she kept running from the creature still after her.
    "Out of my way, outta my way!!" Espee glanced back to a dark figure that stood against the light grey clouds. She cursed again and ran harder; the thing was catching up.
    "Give it to me NOW, Child!" Espee heard the rasping voice, closer this time and she dared not look back.
    "Do you really think I will?!" She cried, drawing funny looks from those she pushed out of the way. But then, who cared what mere Mortals thought?
    "NOW Child!"
    "I already told you no!" Espee grunted and ran head on with a large man. She held fast to the Book and fell on her back, a bit dazed. But she knew she had no time to waste.
    She crawled to her feet and stared at the sky. The figure was drawing nearer still. Espee gasped and eyed the Book worriedly at the lock that bound the book. There was a small chance that she might lose it tonight. She wrapped her arms around the treasure and kept running, though losing her stamina all the while.
    Utter fear threatened to take over her body. Her mind would be the first to go, and pure instinct settled in. She realized she was momentarily safe until she lept over traffic using magick. That's what attracted the Dark One: magick.
    The Book was completely revealing her. But she could not dare to let it go.
    She dove into a nearby alley and hid in the shadows, gasping for air. She knew the Dark One would not find her for a moment, and she only had a couple minutes to rest.
    A small black cat scampered up to her, breathing hard as well.
    "About time you got here, Andrew. Thanks for all the help back there," Espee said sarcastically. She watched knowingly as the black cat transformed into a male about her size and age. He wore an almost identical black cloak but no hat, and his loose blonde curls almost covered his ears.
    "Hey, do you know how hard it is to get His attention? Especially when you're a CAT!" Andrew panted. "You still got it?"
    "I wouldn't be alive right now if I didn't, you dimwit."
    Andrew pondered this for a moment. "Well, so I didn't know that. Big deal. And besides, He is giving me a hard time about this too. Why did we have to come to Earth again?" Andrew sat cross-legged on the ground in front of Espee, blue eyes glistening intently.
    "Andrew, we don't have time for this!" Espee glanced into the sky. "And besides, I thought I already told you." Andrew shook his head. "Well then. This Book controlls everything. Nearly everything. The Planets, these Mortals," she took a moment to spat to the side, "and almost everyone that follows Him. If the Dark One gets a hold of it, we're all doomed."

    CHAPTER TWO

    "Okay, so why do WE have to hold on to it? Can't He just send someone else to take care of it? There are so many other Bright Ones that could do it," Andrew sighed.
    "You're such a baby. I'm the most experience Bright One left, besides Him of course. Now we have to leave before the Dark One finds us. C'mon." Espee stood and began to bolt to the opposite end of the alley. Andrew followed obediently, though obviously not happy about it at all.
    "And why was I pushed into this?" Andrew asked and picked up his pace to keep up with Espee.
    "Because I told you to," Espee said, breath limited.
    "So technically I don't have to be helping you right now."
    "Andrew, shut up and go distract him!" She said and turned sharply onto the next crowed street, leaned up against a sunny, brick wall and held her hat down to cover her eyes. If anyone recognized her, even a Bright One, it could ruin the entire plan.

    Andrew panted, bent over with his hands on his knees. To do this right, he had to be completely insane. Finally, he straightened and turned his face to the sky, where the figure was slowly making its way overhead, searching for Espee no doubt.
    Andrew began jumping up and down, flopping his hands every which way like a drunk. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Hey! Hey Dark One! Who said Espee had the Book?!"
    The Dark One paused and eyed the small boy curiously.
    "That's right, I said maybe someone else has the Book!" Andrew pointed at himself, swooped down to pick up an imaginary book hidden behind his cloak, and turned on his heels, bolting in the opposite direction. The Dark One blinked, then looked down in Espee's direction, then back to where the boy had been merely a second ago.
    After a few more moments, the Dark One sped after Andrew, who was hiding in a garbage can in front of a resident's house. As the Dark One passed over in a flash of fleeting light, Andrew crawled out, clapped his hands together to get rid of the dirt, then proudly walked toward Espee.

    Espee peeked out of the bottom of her hat, just enough to see what in the world Andrew was making such noise about. Everyone was stopping to gawk or ask him if he needed to see a perfessional. He shook his head and brushed off the hands that touched his black cloak, and begun to run to Espee.
    She laughed in spite of her friend.
    No Espee, he's my assistant, not my friend, she scolded herself and hid her eyes once more under the brim of the hat, bringing the Book closer to her body underneath her cloak.
    She lept into the air again and landed gracefully on the balcony's guardrail abover her. She stood, her cloak and loose hair still floating around her gently. A few gasps sounded from below, mixed with a few "Oh my gosh"s and "She's going to hurt herself"s. Espee ignored them and searched the crowd for Andrew. Finally, she saw the familiar face and waved. Andrew grinned playfully and jumped up next to her, though not nearly as gracefully. After the mad scramble, he ended up dangling off the rail by the back of his cloak.
    "Well," he said disappointedly and looked up at Espee's face. She was muffling a wide smile and hysterical laughter. "This stinks. Can you help me up?"
    "We shouldn't be using so much magick, Andrew. The Dark One will come back." Espee said, still trying to hold in the laughter, but she reached down anyway and grasped his cloak where it had attached itself to the railling, and yanked upward. She held Andrew over the edge of the banister and threatened to let go. Andrew gave her the puppy-dog eyes in an attempt to coax a gentle landing from Espee. But she just shook her head.
    "Stop being so clumsy," She said simply, and pulled him over the rail, dumping him on the balcony. She then scanned the sky in search of her friend.
    "Who are you looking for this time?"
    "Wind--- There she is!" she said and pointed at a snow white owl that was flying their way. Espee, without realizing it, leaned forward and fell off the rail. She summersaulted in the air and landed on her feet, then her knees. Her hat had fell off during her mid-air spin, and now a group of teenage Mortals were tugging at it. She felt the top of her head and felt her red corkscrew curls all over the place.
    "Hey! Give that back! It's mine!" Espee called and rushed forward. Behind her, Andrew screamed and fell flat on his face right where Espee had just been standing.
    "Ouch." His muffled voice said miserably and he lay still on the sidewalk. Espee sighed and turned her attention back to the boys who were surely going to ruin her hat.
    She lunged for the hat, but the boy holding it looked up and pulled it away easily before she could grab it.
    "Make me, Witchie."
    "Witchie. As if no one has called me that before. Now give me back my hat!" Espee said and crossed her arms. She had lived her whole life with that hat, and to see it tortured now seemed like seeing a long lost friend being tugged apart on the spot. Then she thought of something. "Give it back or face your own demise," she said bravely and looked at her fingernails on one hand; the other held the Book she had never let go of.
    "Oooo, my demise. I'm so scared!" The boy's friends burst out laughing and the freckled face of the leader grinned.
    "Better not make Espee here mad, you guys. She would really do it!" A voice came from above. All eyes turned upward to an girl about the teen's age, knees crossed as she gracefully sat on the edge. She flipped her long purple hair out of her eyes, showing off her long, red, pointed nails.
    "And who do you think you are?" The leader said and put his hands on his hips, hat still in hand. Espee realized what Windra was doing. She grinned upward and crept forward on hands and knees.
    "My worst nightmare? Give me a break."
    "You wanna find out?" Windra said and leaned forward, red eyes flashing. She gave him a grin, showing off a pair of pointed teeth. The boy just gasped silently. Espee reached out her hand for the hat, but one of the friends noticed and yelled, "HEY! Stop right there!" The leader glanced down, and Espee looked up innocently, hand still reached out.
    Windra covered her eyes for a moment frustratedly. She pointed at the leader and beckoned to herself. The boy floated in the air up to Windra's face, and screeched like a girl.
    "Know what?" The boy shook his head wildly. "I think my friend would like her hat back." She cocked her head and reached out with one of her pointed nails to his neck. She gave him a small p***k and he dropped the hat, still screeching in terror.
    Once the hat hit the ground, Espee scrambled to reach it before the boys and brushed the dirt off of it. Then she proudly set it on her head, glancing at the other boys before they took off, screaming.
    "Don't leave me with this witch, guys!!!" The leader screeched, but Windra tsked him stubbornly.
    "You shouldn't judge people by their appearances, Jordan. Just hang out here for a while, alright?" Windra set him down on the balcony rail, hanging him by his underwear. Then she floated down, leisurely crossing her arms.
    "Hanging out. That's a good one, isn't it Little Sister?" Windra stared up at her masterpiece, but Espee glanced up at the sky, then fearfully pushed her sister into a hedge nearby. She picked up Andrew by his arms and dragged him to their hiding place and ducked down herself.
    "Ouch, what was that for, Espendia?" Windra said in her know-it-all voice that all older sisters have.
    "Shush!" Espee harshly whispered and stared fearfully up in the sky. Andrew was still unconsious so he wasn't a problem, but Windra would quickly get on her nerves if she didn't listen.

    CHAPTER 3

    "Seriously, Little Sister, you're getting on my nerves. What is this all about?" Windra rubbed the arm Espee had pulled her by moments ago.
    "What do you not understand about HUSH??" She frowned at her sister and peeked above the hedges. Passer-bys were staring at the group funny, but the Dark One was glancing around the buildings, wondering where his catch had gone.
    "You can not run from me forever, Child." The rasping said loudly, echoing in her ears. She shuddered and crouched lower to the ground, pulling Windra along with her.
    "The Dark One is after me," Espee said, eyeing her sister and grinning mischeiviously.
    "Why??"
    "Because I have the Book." Espee whispered and looked down at the package still cradled in her arms.
    "So you DID find it! Why didn't you tell me??" Windra pouted and Espee shrugged. Her sister was being a baby about this.
    "Because I wasn't supposed to. Now we need to wake up Mr. Unconsious and get out of here before the Dark One finds us." Espee looked down at her friend and sighed. "Might be harder than we think. And we can't use magick, because the Dark One could track its source. We were hidden until a CERTAIN SOMEONE went crazy on the magick usage."
    "Well you should still be happy I chased off those bullies for you. A CERTAIN SOMEONE might want to say thank you for that." Windra turned and crossed her arms, frowning.
    "What are you guys fighting about this time?" Andrew's weak voice came from underneath Espee. She looked down, smiled, and rolled off of his back so he could breathe.
    "You are heavier than you look, Espee. Geez!" Andrew said and rubbed his back as he sat on his knees. Both the girls hushed him and pointed up; the Dark One was just above them.
    "Good thing he's blind to things under him... A little to the left and-- oh crap. RUNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Espee screamed and pulled the two to their feet. The Dark One sped down for them.
    "Get your butts on the road!!" Espee panicked and yanked on their arms to get them running for themselves. "MOVE PEOPLE!!! WE NEED THROUGH!!!"
    Screams of children and adults alike filled the street as Espee pushed the two ahead of her faster and faster.
    "Now that he's got our attention, can we go back to the homebase?" Andrew yelled back to Espee.
    "Why would we lead him to our hideout?!" Espee screamed and held the Book closer to her side. She held her hat and ran ahead of the other two. "You two are slowpokes!! Run!!"
    They weaved in and out of traffic, bringing horn honks and shouts of anger from the road. They ignored them and kept running for their lives. Espee cursed and ran her heels into the dirt, slowing her quickly to a halt. The Dark One stood directly in their paths, hand out in front of him.
    "Give me the Book, Child."
    "He's kinda cute," Windra whispered to the side to Espee, who stared back at her unbelievingly. Then back at the Dark One, she thought, 'Well, I'm not sure. He is rather handsome...'
    The Dark One had long black hair that was tied back into a thin pony-tail. He was tall, a bit stalky, but had cold, silver eyes that glowed and pierced the heart easily with just one glance. He wore a long tunic and a robe over that, giving him the appearance of a not-too-careful-terrorist.
    Espee shook her head and refused to hand the book over. The Dark One took a step forward, then shreiked in an inhuman scream and disappeared immediately in a strike of black light.
    "What the...?" Espee said and looked to the ground below where the Dark One was standing. It was glowing faintly, then slowly turned back to normal.
    Espee paused for a moment, then grabbed a nearby stick that was laying on the ground and poked the step. Nothing happened.
    "Guys, I think this only affects Magicals and not Mortals. Let's get back to homebase, quickly and before the Dark One returns." She covered her whole body in her black robe and vanished into thin air. Windra and Andrew shrugged and followed suit, using their own methods of reaching the hideout.