• "Kaiarine!! Please, just listen to me!!" The boy chased her down the street, avoiding moving cars, bicycles, and bipeds. Hot tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she bolted down different alleys and roads.

    "Leave me alone!!" She screamed and burst into her home, slamming and locking the door behind her. She leaned her back to the door, breathing hard. Finally she risked a look through the peephole. He was standing outside her house, doubled over and panting, obviously more exhausted than she.

    Kai slowly stepped away from the door, backing up to the living room and keeping low when she walked past the windows. She hushed her breathing and crept up to her room, stepping silently as to keep the stairs from announcing her presence. But suddenly, She stepped on a step at the wrong angle and created a loud whine as she shifted her weight. She cried out and ran up the rest of the stairs, blinded by tears. She busted into her room, bolting the door and ran to the balcony. She gazed fearfully over the edge and leaned outward, watching carefully for any movement.

    "Please, Kaiarine. Just hear me out." She heard, oddly close. She slowly turned her head, and saw the boy just behind her. She yelped loudly and leapt off the balcony. The boy reached for her hand but she yanked it away just before he grabbed her. She hit the ground rolling, but hit a rock on the way and caused a long slit on her right shoulder-blade.

    "Gaaahhhh...." She winced and pulled herself from the ground, automatically running as fast as she could toward the wooden fence that reached into the next alley. She checked which shoes she was wearing; rubber soles. She ran up the fence and reached the top with enough momentum to carry her up and over.

    "Kaiarine! Wait!" The boy took off and jumped off the balcony, landing on the other side of the fence that Kai had just cleared. He looked both ways, but saw nothing but shadows. Finally he chose his left and took after his target.

    Kai peeked out from the side of the dumpster she had turned black, only to see the tail end of the boy. She took in a heaving sigh of reflief, and slumped against the sall of the dumpster.

    "Hello, Kaiarine." The boy stood directly in front of her. She gasped and burrowed closer to the alley wall.

    "What do you want from me?" She could barely utter, but she already knew the answer.

    "I've told you. I only want you to listen to what I have to say."

    "Both you and I know what will happen if I did. So stay away from ME!!" She held both palms out and closed her eyes painfully. They slowly began to glow and soon a shot of bright light hit the boy square in the chest. He flew backwards, giving Kai just enough time to bolt in the other direction.

    As her feet pattered against the ground, thunder rolled in the distance. Rain began to fall roughly on the dirt, soaking Kai's black hair in a few seconds. She skidded to a stop at the end of the alley, then turned sharply onto the next road. Everyone was under the cover of store overhangs, glaring up at the sky and mumbling among each other.

    Kai slid on her feet to halt and barged into a store; a small grocery store. She walked briskly to the back, through a door marked 'Employees only'. She crept to the back of the store and sat behind a tall shelf. Suddenly, she heard a loud voice coming from nowhere in particular.

    "Wake up, Kai. Wake up." She squinted her eyes into the darkness that surrounded her.

    "Is anybody there?" She whispered, risking standing above the shelf to scan the room closely.

    "Kai! Wake up!"

    "WHHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kai screamed and sat up in bed. Her little sister was knelt next to her bed with a guilty look on her face. Kai looked around the large room with growing relief, then pushed the heavy covers off of her sweating body.

    "Omigosh, thank you Sammy." Kai reached out with loving arms and embraced her little sister. Sammy hugged her back, then stood up.

    "Your welcome, for whatever." She grinned. "Anyway, Mom is waiting for you down in the kitchen. She says it's uber important." Sammy giggled and stuck her arms out like birds wings, then 'soared' out of the room. Kai smiled warmly and reassured herself that it was only a dream. She slipped on her slippers and robe, then stood and swept across the room to the vanity table. She quickly ran a brush through her hair, then suddenly realized something. Her hair was wet.

    "It was probably just the sweat." Kai tried to assure herself, but somehow she couldn't. She finished straightening out her hair then looked out the balcony window. The dream felt too real, the pain on her shoulder...

    She froze. She removed part of her robe and shirt, then turned her back to the mirror, straining to see. Her mouth gaped open. There was a long scar across her right shoulder-blade. She regained herself and bounded down the stairs two at a time, wondering what it was exactly that her mom wanted.

    "Did you need something, Mom?" She called and stepped carefully onto the wooden floor. Then she halted in her tracks. The boy was sitting at the table, sipping silently from a small cup of tea. Her mom was leaning over the sink, a deep frown on her face as she scrubbed the same dish over and over again.

    "Kai." Her mom said in her serious voice. She glanced at the boy, who paid no heed to her and continued sipping his drink, then stepped over next to her mother.

    "What is he doing here, Mom?" She said in a hushed voice, throwing a look in his direction. He was staring at her over the top of his cup. She immediately straightened out and looked back at her mom. She had a pained look on her face when she turned to Kai.

    "Don't listen to him, Kai. He want's to use you.

    "For what?"

    "I'm not sure. But please, don't listen to him."

    "But he's from my dream. He's not real!" She whispered harshly. Her mom shook her head sadly and turned back to her dishes. She wouldn't say any more. Kai gripped the side of the counter so tight that her knuckles turned white. She turned and bolted from the room. The boy stood but halted, one hand raised in her direction.

    "Kaiarine. Listen to me."

    Kai screamed loudly and sat up in bed. She was alone. It was dark. She put her hands on her head. Dry.

    She sighed in relief, then swung her legs over the side of the bed. Kai reached out into the darkness and switched on her lamp. The room was illuminated, revealing all the old pieces of furniture and books stacked on the floor. It was a miracle she hadn't tripped on any of them.

    She walked out onto the balcony and remembered the strange dream. Or dreams, she wasn't quite sure which. She slumped onto the railing and stared into the still garden below. It was quite amazing at night. She looked to the East, and saw the sun barely peeking over the horizon. Somehow, the light gave her a bigger hope than she had asked for.

    She heard a soft tapping on the door, and she slightly turned her head to listen harder.

    "Kai, are you awake?" A faint voice carried easily through the door.

    "Yea, come on in Dad." Kai said and faced the still dim sky. The door swung open silently and an older man stepped in, carrying something.

    "Good morning..." Her father said and quietly walked over next to her. He held out the item; a nicely wrapped small box with a little bow on the top. She gratefully accepted the gift, then slowly undid the tape on the side.

    "You can just tear into it if you want, we're not saving the paper." The man grinned childishly, and Kai ripped off the entire top of the wrapping paper in one swipe. Inside was a gold, silver, blue and purple music box that could fit in her palm. It had the shape of a circle, but it was only about an inch tall with all the sides but the bottom rounded.

    She began to open the box to hear the melody, but her father stopped her before she could undo the latch.

    "Not until high noon, Kai. I want to be there to see you open it."

    "But you're standing right there, you can see me open it now." Kai protested, but by the look on the man's face she knew she should not argue. She'd seen enough of that look for her whole life. She covered it with both hands and kissed her father's cheek.

    "Thank you, Dad. It really means a lot to me. But it's not even my birthday, so what's with the gifts?" She leaned in to examine the box more carefully.

    "Actually, gift. I just felt like giving you something." Kai eyed him carefully. "Okay, your mother told me to give it to you." She nodded and turned back to the box. He chuckled.

    "You're not much a morning person, are you, Kai. Neither is your mother. Guess that's where you got that trait from." Kai smiled at this and reached out for a hug, which she immediately received. He uncovered his watch from his sleeve and shock seemed to radiate off his face.

    "Oh no, I'm so late." He looked back up at her. "Meet me in the park by the giant tree and we'll open it there, okay?" Kai nodded, and the man kissed her on the cheek. Then he was out the door before she could blink. She turned back into the room, watching the box carefully. She wasn't paying much attention, so she tripped over a short stack of her books that were laying on the floor close to her bed. She landed on the bed, but let go of the box in the process. It bounced onto the bed harmlessly and lay glistening in the lamp's light. She reached out slowly, but a bright flash of light blinded her momentarily. She heard a ringing voice in her ears, and she quickly recoiled from the box.

    "What is your dream?" The box boomed, and she looked fearfully to the open door. She didn't want to wake the rest of her family.

    "What is your dream?" The box repeated, though less deafening this time around. Kai looked back to the box, which seemed to be the source of the blinding light. She sat on the ground fearfully, and quietly began to explain her odd dream from the night before, but the voice stopped her mid-sentence.

    "What is the thing you desire? What is your dream?" Finally Kai understood what it was asking, and she thought for a moment.

    "I want to live in a world without fear." Kai bravely said, eyeing the door again. The box fell silent, and dimmed a little bit.

    "This wish is understood from young people such as yourself, yet a world with no fear means a world with more anger, more destruction, less love, no choice." Kai leaned on the edge of the bed, listening intensely.

    "What do you mean less love?" She asked.

    "If there is no choice, then there can be no love. If there is no fear, then there can be no love. Understand?" Kai nodded a slow one and stood.

    "Then I don't want that wish." She said, and the box fell silent, dimming out completely. She picked it up and realized it was cold, not like when it was when she first held it. She set it lightly on the bedside table and laid back down on the bed, immediately falling back asleep.


    "Wake up, Kai. Wake up." Sammy shook her older sister's shoulders gently. She knew Kai would not be angry that she had woken her up, but she didn't want to be rude or anything. The girl turned over and mumbled something in her sleep. Sammy shook her head and put her hands on her hips, then yelled, "Kai! Wake up!"

    Kai screamed and looked around with a terrified look on her face. Finally, her eyes contracted and she seemed to see Sammy for the first time. Then she threw her arms around her little sister, mumbling.

    "Omigosh, thank you Sammy." She said. Kai seemed to be crying. She held her close, knowing something drastic must've happened in her dreams.

    "You're welcome, for whatever." She smiled, and Kai froze. She knew she had been here before. Then all of the sudden her dreams rushed over her eyes, and she began to panic. She tossed the covers off of herself and bolted out of the room and down the stairs, leaving Sammy in her room with a confused look on her face.

    "Mom! Mom, where are you?!" Kai yelled and stepped through the kitchen door. No one was in the room, and Kai stood up straight, looking around.

    Sammy walked up behind her. "I was going to tell you she left for work a couple minutes ago. You're in charge." She paused. "Why, what's wrong?"

    Kai finished looking around the kitchen, then turned to her little sister.

    "Oh, it's nothing." Kai forced a smile, and she bounded back up the stairs. Sammy stared after her worriedly, but walked down to the basement and her miniature playhouse she had set up.

    "Okay, Mr. Teddy, it's time to play-- who are you?" Sammy halted in her tracks halfway up the stairwell and stared at the intruder. It was a boy with teased brown hair and loose clothing. He was crouched next to Sammy's pile of toys, holding a grey teddy bear in his right fist. As soon as she stepped onto the carpetted floor, his head snapped in her direction with crazed eyes.

    Sammy screamed loudly and turned to run up the stairs, but all of the sudden, the boy was out in front of her, one arm extended.

    "Listen to me." He said softly, almost musically, and Sammy immediately covered her ears. She screamed as loud as she could and he fell backwards, yelling in pain. She took the moment and bolted past him, running toward Kai's room. But she didn't have to run far, for Kai was standing at the top of the stairs with fear scrunched up in her face.

    "Sammy! Get up in my room! Quick!!" Sammy was now crying at this point, but she obeyed fearfully and ran up and past her older sister. Kai then remembered something and looked for the position of her enemy. He hadn't come up yet, but that didn't mean anything for her. She jumped from the top of the stairs over the banister and landed on the ground running toward her older brother's room. She banged on his door loudly, looking over her shoulder to search for the boy.

    The door creaked open, and she head a faint, "What do you want, Kai."

    "Come on, we need to get to my room!"

    "Why?" Her brother asked lazily.

    "I don't have time for this!!" She yelled and put her arm around the door, successfully grasping his wrist. She yanked hard, and her brother flew through the door, cursing bitterly.

    "Up the stairs, NOW." Kai commanded, pointing towards the stairs. Her brother pulled his arm away, then walked in the direction of her finger, still muttering curses. Kai shook her head sadly and followed him closely all the way up the stairs.

    "Move your fat bum, Rutt. Sammy might be in trouble!" She pushed him from the back, and he finally picked up the pace. Sammy was his favorite sister, and he would not let anything happen to her. They burst into the room at the top of the stairs and shut the door quickly behind them. Finally they turned to Sammy, who was sitting on the bed with a white face, squeezing her doll.

    "Kai, what's going on?" Rutt demanded, but she darted to the little box that still sat on the nightstand. She turned sharply and put her finger to her lips, hushing him quickly. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the ground near her feet and scribbled on it furiously, then shoved it in his face.

    I can't explain right now, but we need to get to the alley next to our house without going back downstairs. And we need to go as fast as we can, no noises.

    Rutt stared at the note as Kai pulled Sammy off the bed, then rushed to the still open balcony. She looked around for a way to get Sammy down, and saw a short ladder that was leaned up against the far wall near the downstairs back door.

    Kai turned to Sammy, who was softly shaking.

    "Wait here," Kai mouthed, and Sammy nodded stiffly. Kai gripped her box and squeezed her eyes shut, then leapt over the side of the balcony. Rutt yelped and ran to Sammy's side, but Sammy shook her head and shushed him. He looked at her incredulously, then back to Kai, who was safe on her feet, carrying the ladder without going in front of the windows. She finally leaned the ladder on the wall next to the balcony, but still came short a few feet.

    Rutt kneeled next to Sammy and whispered, "You're gonna have jump to the ladder, Sammy." Kai held it still and looked up expectantly, waiting for the first to go. Sammy whimpered a little, then glanced down at Kai's encouraging face.

    TO BE CONTINUED