The front door slammed, and I jumped. She did say she’d be home soon after me. Looks like I’d get to talk to her sooner than I thought.

“Run.” I thought I heard. I blew it off.

I ran down the stares being very careful not to trip. If I busted my head open, then she really wouldn’t believe me. No one would. If I had a concussion they’d say I was hallucinating. I jumped over the last two steps and landed lightly on my feet.

“Hey, I got to ask you something. Its really important.” I looked up and froze. Kenra wasn’t the one who came in. It was Seth the guy from the street. He stood their grinning slightly.

“Yes, what is it?” he laughed.

“Y-you!” I gasped. He did follow me home!

“Hello.” He replied calm as can be. He acted like he was supposed to be there, that there was nothing wrong or disturbing about his presence in my house.

“How? How did you get in? The dead bolt was locked I know it!”

“How is not important.” He looked around suspiciously. “Is anyone else here with you? Well at least someone who could stop me?”

“Yes! So, you better leave!” I had to lie. I really didn’t want to find out what he meant by, 'Who could stop me?'

He laughed loudly and shook his head. “You’re lying to me. Not a smart thing to do.” He took a step at me. I took a step back.

“Stay away form me!” I kept retreating, as he kept walking.

“Are you… afraid?” he razed an eyebrow, “Don’t you know why I’m here?”

“Absolutely no idea! Just leave me alone! Go away!” I begged.

“Were not going to play this game, are we?”

“What game?”

“The ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ game.”

I looked at him as if he were crazy, which he was, “Just go away!”

“Make me, I dare you. Just try.” He grinned.

I was backed it to a corner with no where to run. I swung at him with all I had. He grabbed my wrist and pulled it up. I stumbled forward and tried to stand on my toes, but they barely touched the ground.

“Not the way your kind normally fights. Is this really all you have?” he lightly shook my dangling body. I kneed him in the gut and he lost his grip. I took this opportunity to run. Before I got to the door some thing caught me. I turned half expecting to see Seth holding me. He was across the room coughing and laughing at the same time. His arm was extended towards me and fist clenched. There was nothing to suggest I was being held but I couldn’t move an inch.

“Where do you think your going? I haven’t gotten what I wanted from you yet.” He threw his arm to a wall and I went flying.

I hit the far wall knocking the air right out of my lungs. I stuck to it felling restraints at my wrist, ankles, and waist. Again, there was nothing there to show that I was being held there. All laws of gravity would say I should fall but I didn’t. I just hung there unable to do anything. He strolled over until we were eye to eye.

“What are you?” I screamed.

“None of that.” He covered my mouth, “I’d hate to have the authorities ruin such a significant moment. I’m going to ask you something very important. I want you to answer truthfully ok? Try to scream though and I’ll have to hurt you. Am I clear?”

I nodded slowly. I was terrified. How was any of this possible? No way any of this could be real but I defiantly wasn’t dreaming.

“Good. Your smart, that’s going to help you,” He chuckled. “Were you adopted?” he pulled his hand away.

“Y-yes. What do you want? We don’t have a lot of money or….”

He slammed his hand next to my head. The wall shook with his incredible strength. I winced away incase the wall wasn’t good enough to take his anger out on. He didn’t hit me like I thought he would. Instead he grabbed my chin and pulled my head back around. He just looked at me.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity he spoke. “You’re a lot prettier, in my opinion, than some of the other Keepers I’ve had the opportunity to meet. I’ll tell you what, since your new to all this and seem to be more compliant than the others I’ll make you a deal. Hand, it over before it bonds to you and I’ll let you live,” he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “As my pet.”

I head-butted him. “I’d rather die!” I yelled. He stumbled back holding his nose where I had gotten him. I struggled to break free but couldn’t before he got up. He was laughing again which was starting to make me mad. There was nothing funny about this.

“Clever, clever my little Keeper. You caught me off guard, that’s not something that happens often. Congratulations.” He walked back over.

“I’m not your anything! And my names not Keeper! Now let me go!”

“But you are. By the looks of things, you do belong to me and you are a Keeper. So, what’s the problem?”

“I’m not a Keeper whatever that is! I have no idea why you’re here or what you want!”

“Are you sure?” he looked at me like a parent who was scolding a lying child.

“Yes!” I cried.

“Then… what’s this?” he slid his hand under my shirt, and lightly traced the base of the trident on my bare skin. “You’ve been marked so that tells me you’ve had some kind of contact with it. You can end this you know. Just tell me where it is.”

The marble? That was what he wanted? Why, what did he want with it? The fact he knew all about it was scary, but I thought I might be able to get some answers from him.

“Do you know what it is?” I asked.

“Of course, I do but you have no idea. I could tell you but what fun would that be?” he laughed. He dug his finger in to my spine right were the center of the trident would be. “All you need to worry about now is following my orders from now on. This little mark makes you very important to me. You’re the missing puzzle piece we’ve all been looking for. I intend to put you in your right place.”

“Don’t touch her, you Creed scum!” I heard a screech. Seth turned only to be punched by Kenra who had just walked in. He fell back and was caught way off guard. I fell from the wall and collapsed to the ground. My arms and legs were like jelly from being restrained so long. I looked up just as Seth got to his feet.

“You’re going to pay for that Slayer,” he hissed. The shadows in the room jumped from the ground. They became life like and solid. One cast by the table slammed down with such a force it splintered the hard wood floor. Kenra jumped out of its range just in time.

“Run El!” she screamed, “Whatever you do don’t let him get you!”

“There isn’t a place on this earth where I won’t find you girl. Give up now and wait there. I’ll go easy on her if you do.” Seth turned to me with angry eyes. Nothing terrified me more that that look.

“Don’t listen to him El. You can’t be caught. You can’t!” she tried to dodge another blow. She didn’t move fast enough and got hit. The impact sent her flying in to the wall. She left a dent in it before falling to the ground.

“Now, where were we?” he rolled his shoulders.

I bolted for the door and got there this time. I ran down the street as fast as I could. For whatever reason I turned to look behind me.

Seth stood in the street but didn’t appear to make any attempt to chase me. He was mumbling something as a black smoke grew in front of him.

Out of the smoke came a horrible creature that had no right to live out side a nightmare. A large bulbous head rose followed by a bonny body covered in ash colored skin. Its face was just two large black eyes and a beck. Its skin was so thin that the veins could be seen. Long claws grew from even longer gangly arms. Two large bat wings unfolded and spread wide.

Seth pointed at me. The things head turned at an imposable angle to look. Once its eyes locked on it screeched and came after me. I started running again.

I turned down streets and ran through places I had never seen before. The beast was close behind, using its wings to push its self faster. I turned down an alleyway where I meet a dead end. I tried jumping the tall brick wall, but I couldn’t make it. It was too late to run the other way, the thing had me pined. I backed up as it stalked closer. I tripped over a lose piece of piping and hit my head on a dumpster. With my vision fading I made out the monster just as it pounced.

Just inches from me the beast was caught mid air. Two large hand shaped stones slid from the wall and ground and held it there. It clawed and pecked but the hands remained intact. Suddenly they closed turning it back in to smoke. Their purpose fulfilled the stone hands slid back in to the wall and ground with out leaving a crack to signify they were ever there. I saw a figure standing at the mouth of the alley with one hand to the wall and one hand on the ground. That did it. I finally passed out.