There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

  Have you ever thought about such a silly saying?

  Truly thought about it?

  You should try it, it may surprise you.

  You see, fear is just a thing.

  One individual thing.

  All fear is, is your brain selecting the ‘fear’ option.

  You attach the reason.

  In many ways fear is a lot like pain.

  And chemicals, mere science, can block pain.

  Completely.

  Saw off your leg, and feel a pain that would fill you to bursting!

  Dropping you into a blissful white state of agonizing nothing!

  Until you regain consciousnesses.

  But, if given that shot… That wonderful scientific substance…

  You could watch your leg be sawed off with the curiosity of a child.

  Is not fear the same?

  Fear is a sensation with severities,

  like pain.

  It can feel slightly different, depending on the source,

  like pain.

  And like pain, it can be turned off.

  The right pill or substance and the scariest of fears…

  Makes us go, ‘huh’.

  So… when you put it that way…

  I guess there really is nothing to fear but fear itself.

  For what are we actually afraid of?

  The thing that caused us fear?

  The outcome of what we think may happen?

  Or is it simply the very feeling of fear we fear so damn bad?

  Is being ridden with panic and anxiety…

  so different than chronic pain?

  If we can conquer our fear…

  Can we, too, conquer our pain?

  Those that suffer in agony are given pills.

  Those that suffer in fear are given pills.

  So should a warrior always be numb?

  Should a soldier always be high?

  Unfortunately, no. So we do what we do best.

  Kick fear in the ass!

  When you realize you are afraid of being afraid,

  and that if you simply did not fear, you could stand strong regardless…

  Then you have one hell of a weapon!

  For if there is nothing to fear except fear itself,

  then what the bloody hell is holding me back?

  Pain? And how does that work?

  There is no pain but pain itself?

  …

  Might take me a bit longer to understand that concept.

  I have learned to stand in the face of fear,

  yet I still want to scream when appendages are torn off.

  Maybe someday I can conquer my pain as I have my fear.

  Maybe we all can.

  That is, if we quit deluding ourselves and just admit already-

  how afraid we all still are.

  How afraid we were the entire time.

  There is nothing to fear but fear itself!

  There is no pain but pain itself!

  Yet it still terrifies, and it still hurts.

  Wise and decent words, though I don’t think I will quit the drink anytime soon.

  ~What is fear? - a musing

  ~Feldyn Goldchord, the Endless Bard.

  * * *

  The sky inside the barrier was flawlessly blue, though the sun was nowhere to be seen. There was a slight breeze, and the air was pleasantly warm, if not abnormally humid. Not exactly what any of them had been expecting, but at least it wasn't freezing or wet. There was also no immediate sign of the enemy.

  “Okay, now what?” Stryker asked the leather-clad dance instructor, who was basically the one in charge at this point. He was not happy about the guns being left behind. After a brief survey of the general area, Masque had offered to attempt a shadowstep through the barrier for the weaponry, but Reba pointed out they were probably useless against the demons anyway. Not to mention he would need to store the weapons in his netherweave, which would cause a manastorm to retrieve. If they had made it in unnoticed, causing storms and alerting the enemy, was not a good idea. Not wanting to waste time arguing, no one really pressed the matter.

  “Now,” Reba started, “We head roughly that way,” she pointed ahead of them and to the left. “We'll pass through a cow field or two. One has a small weapons cache, which I can easily locate once we get to the right field. Then, if we continue on north, there’s another cache of supplies. That should be a good start.”

  They all agreed and followed after the pretty brunette, stalking nimbly as possible through the trees and brush, crossing the occasional stream. Eventually, they entered a marshy and wet part of a cow field, surrounded by trees. Caleb and Pazely were shocked. Why? Because this was one of their secret areas to go hang out in without getting caught.

  Continuing on through the many trees and small clearings, they entered an area with a large flat rock. Reba stopped next to it, taking out a vial from her bag that she had slung over one shoulder. “Wow, remember when I got all drunk here and lit Bryan’s head on fire?” Pazely giggled. “That was my first time drinking, too!”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about that,” Caleb cautioned with a smile. Pazely was puzzled until she noticed Stryker shaking his head, and Reba looking back at her with an eyebrow raised.

  Feldyn sighed loudly, “Can we please get on with this, before something decides our lives are no longer worth living?” His voice didn’t sound so singsong happy at the moment. Reba chose to not make a bitchy comment; he was right, after all. Instead, as she was about to do before Pazely took her attention, she poured some liquid on the large rock.

  That section of stone began to melt and crumble, revealing a foot locker. “Cool!” Caleb, Pazely, and Stryker all said, making Feldyn -grumpy or not- laugh involuntarily. Reba rolled her eyes and smiled, kneeling in front of the chest. With no need for a lock on such a hidden cache, she opened the lid to look inside; because for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what all was in the caches.

  ‘Masque! Masque, help me! Please!’ Gigi’s voice screamed in the vampire’s mind with such ferocity he clutched the sides of his head and cried out. The sudden action and outburst from Masque scared the hell out of all of them. “Are ye alright?” Feldyn asked first. “It’s Gigi!” he replied, sounding on the verge of panic.

  Caleb’s heart began to slam. One of the voices had been talking about Ally and Gigi.

  I have been trying to tell you!

  The bloodsucker just ate a shroom, ignore him.

  ‘He’s gonna kill us!’ Gigi screamed again in his mind, and this time he fell to his knees, the others gathering around him. “They are in trouble!” Masque gasped. “They?” Reba and Feldyn both asked. “Where?” Stryker urged. Masque was shaking his head as he answered, “I do not-"

  ‘It’s the zombie guy! The one that hurt Miss Reba!’

  Masque growled against the emotion crashing into his mind. “The zombie king; it’s the Terror!” he panted, “My God, they are going to die!” The panic in the vampire’s voice was unlike anything they had ever heard from him. It was also unlike anything he had ever felt or experienced before. For what he was feeling wasn’t his own fear, nor was this a natural sensation.

  “South east!” Caleb shouted to get their attention.

  South east part of the barrier; I fear I can not give more specifics!

  “The south east part of the barrier, outside of it!” Caleb said; Masque looking up at him confused, as did the others. He had listened to one of the voices in his mind, the first step towards insanity. He prayed his insanity proved to be true this time, his heart pounding. “Trust me!” Caleb urged, and the vampire didn’t hesitate another second.

  With a glance to the others, and still panting for air he didn’t need, Masque grabbed Reba in his arms and leapt away from them; taking roundabout a way as he could to not cross paths with the enemy.

  Masque made it to the south eastern section of the barrier-wall in under sixty seconds, setting Reba down, who fell to her knees. “What the fuck, Masque?!” she demanded, coughing and gasping; the vampire punching the shield furiously before him, looking on the verge of hysteria. He had been moving so fast she could hardly take a breath! “They are here, Reba! I can sense her! I-I don’t know how, but I know they are on the other side! They are going to die!”

  Reba’s mind was racing, quickly calculating a way to make an opening. “Shadowstep! You can shadowstep to the other side!” she told the vampire, who turned on her with a hiss. “I cannot shadowstep them back through!”

  Then, she heard it; even though it was impossible for sound to carry through this thing, she heard Gigi’s final scream from beyond the barrier. “I’ll get it open!” Reba shouted at him, on the verge of panic now herself. “Go! Go now!” Without another thought, Masque was through the wall in a pop of black smoke, only feet from Gigi’s left.

  Taking in the scene with a glance, he locked focus on the mutated giant spider form of Larry; holding Ally aloft by one nightmarish tentacle, another poised to rip her face off. His back was to the vampire.

  Ally saw the flash of blue lighting for a moment, before it got sucked into the barrier and vanish. Then Larry's head abruptly sucked down into his torso like a turtle, narrowly avoiding the large black katana that would have removed it from his shoulders.

  “Yeeeeees!” Gigi screamed in absolute hysterics, as her hero appeared and attacked this monster with really good timing!!! “Yeeeees!” she cheered in a high squeal, coughing, snotting, and sobbing with relief.

  Masque shadowstepped, and came out of it angled to slice the tentacle holding Ally, as well as the one about to bite her face off; dismissing his sword, he caught her as she fell, kicking Larry in the chest at the same moment; the spider zombie stumbling backwards. Masque hopped over by Gigi, setting Ally down and re-summoning his blade; making a mental note that both manastorms he had caused appeared to be absorbed into the barrier.

  Interesting.

  “Sorry I’m late, little ones” Masque apologized without looking at the girls behind him, weapon held in two-hands before him. “Who are you calling little?” Ally coughed and choked, her cut feet not seeming so sore anymore. “Just kick his ass!”

  “My pleasure,” Masque rumbled in reply.

  Larry turned on his remaining penicles to face them, fury so strong that he looked like he was about to spontaneously combust. And these days, one never really did quite know for sure. “Get down!” Masque shouted to the girls behind him, hoping they were the warriors they claimed. He risked jumping straight up; Larry opened his mouth, and hawked two softball-sized green globs at him.

  He hadn’t been sure what the zombie king was about to do, but this was a Terror, and Masque was not going to underestimate him. Good thing too, for the (acidic?) blobs the zombie spat were launched with the velocity of cannonballs and left a stench of burned ozone, quite disturbingly, in their wake. Masque had barely dodged them; the girls having dove to the side before he had finished his shouted warning to them. The barrier-wall where the loogies hit didn't appear damaged, but the ground where the goop splattered and dripped, began to melt. Not something Masque wanted to get hit with, nor the humans so much as nicked.

  From the fifteen-foot peak of his jump, Masque used the neatherweave to propel himself like a torpedo at the zombie king, who avoided him easily, Masque crashing into the ground in an explosion of dirt. Larry slashed one fingernailed-penis across his back, ripping away shadowcloth and skin, the open wound sizzling harshly where the sun touched it. Masque cried out and jumped away, willing the weave to stitch the cloth closed. There was no other pain as great to a vampire as the burning of the sun.

  The sun would not burn a vampire’s eyes nor their hair. Yet skin, muscle, fat, bone, organs, everything else would boil, blister, smolder, and burn, rapidly cooking the vampire to an agonizing death.

  “So it is true,” Larry said calmly, “X’al’antra is the only one that doesn’t burn in the sun. I guess she really is unique in that department, huh?” Masque didn’t bother to answer with anything but a well-placed shadowstep-kick to the zombie’s face, before stepping away, doing his best to stay moving. Larry was fast – spitting acid globs, lashing tentacles, and dodging quick as the witch queen. He was even anticipating most of Masque's shadowsteps, forcing the vampire to mix them in sporadically, to keep the alchemist guessing.

  Automatic weapons fire began tearing into Larry and Masque both. A green, modified military jeep with six soldiers and a large gun mounted in the back had come out of the trees farther down behind the girls. Masque was impressed that the humans attacked such a sight as these two, instead of running like cowards. Though if they did not stop shooting, Masque was going to have to stop them himself. Mundane weapons or not, if they tore into him with that large mounted gun, he highly doubted that his body nor weave could keep up with the damage; the smaller bullets were causing enough!

  Ally was shocked to see the same soldiers that had caught them in the shed. The black one (White, was it?) jumped out of the bed of the jeep, landing in a kneel, rifle blazing. Larry was taking a lot of damage from the hail of concentrated gunfire. Unfortunately, it was also hindering Masque’s ability to fight, and caused him to get hit by tentacles several times. Even with how Larry was being torn apart, he was healing faster than the humans could damage, and appeared he was also now starting to get one up on Masque.

  “The spider guy!” Ally shouted to White, who surprisingly heard her over the roar of gunfire. “SHOOT AT THE SPIDER PENIS FUCKING FREAK!” she screamed, and saw him stop firing, shouting something back inside the vehicle. One of the men that had been in the cab, leaned out, “Focus fire on the mutant! Do not fire on that fucking ninja!”

  Masque was getting tired of being called a ninja. Though he was quite grateful the hail of bullets were no longer being trained on him, as he jumped, rolled, dodged, and shadowstepped in this wickedly fast battle with the zombie king.

  No longer taking friendly fire, Masque managed to take off two more of Larry’s legs. Which seriously pissed him off. Fuck these stupid fucking Order lackeys! Fuck their fucking pointless FUCKING BULLETS! The penis legged man-spider turned and charged the soldiers like a speeding train, scurrying his nasty mass directly at them, grinning against the bullets that ripped and tore at his flesh.

  White barely dodged a whipping penis; it hitting the vehicle instead, and sending it flying into a trees. The man that had just climbed into the back with the large gun, dove free a split second before the vehicle was flung. The driver was not so lucky (getting tossed with the vehicle, and crushed into a tree), nor were two of the other soldiers- Larry grabbing them each with a tentacle.

  Masque landed on the mutant alchemist's shoulders, stabbing him straight down into the head, staggering the zombie king backwards away from the soldiers, but not fast enough to save the two that Larry had already grabbed. He smashed them both into the ground hard enough to rupture their organs, killing them on impact; not being gentle like he had with Ally.

  Reaching his good arm up for the ninja, Masque leapt away, dismissing his blade. Larry coughed and gagged, black blood coming from his mouth. Raising two tentacles, one spat a purple blob at the remaining soldiers that had been falling back to use the flipped vehicle as cover- hitting a guy with glasses who didn’t dodge fast enough. He had just enough time to scream, before the purple goop disintegrating his entire torso, limbs and head falling to the ground. The second tentacle began spitting purple blobs at Masque, who shadowstepped away to appear in front of the remaining men (White, and one other.)

  “Run!” he commanded them, re-summoning his blade -manastorm absorbing into the barrier- just in time to sever a lashing tentacle-leg. But he took a purple blob to the chest, which burned away a good amount of shadowcloth and flesh; sunlight boiling the wound, netherweave barely able to even begin repairing the damaged cloth. Masque, almost at his limit, cried out in pain.

  Heart pounding, Ally felt useless watching the spectacle before her. She risked everything, broke law after law, to come back and help. And was determined, if need be, to die helping her friends. What she had not thought of, was others putting themselves in danger, or even dying, to protect her.

  And giant, mutant, zombie, spider-penis-men.

  She felt like a fool. A useless, cowardly fool, that was also losing her damn mind!

  Gigi, on the other hand, didn’t appear to share her sentiments. The kid was smiling. Ally wasn’t totally sure why, but for some reason, Geeg was totally okay. Like, watching Masque and the soldiers fight this nightmarish zombie spider, was entertaining. Surely she noticed the men getting horror movie style murdered! Maybe she was relieved that once again, in her doom, someone had come to save her? Save them? And the rest was just a type of shock?

  Gigi’s expression did look startled when the wall of the barrier some ten feet in front of them suddenly seemed to melt into a doorway-sized opening, and Reba stepped through.

  Their dance instructor was wearing what looked like a full-body, sexy, leather, comic book hero, uniform. “Miss Reba!” she chirped.

  Larry turned to look at the name. His tentacles quivering with anxious glee at the sight of the girl that inspired their creation not long ago.

  But this damn vampire was his current concern. He was an obnoxious little shit! That katana stab to the head had fucking sucked.

  Reba, surveying the area, wasn’t sure what it was that she was seeing. There were two soldiers retreating towards the tree line, firing at that… thing, that Masque kicked, punched, slashed, and shadowstepped around. Of course, she knew good and well what the thing was. The memories of the night she first met John, the nightmares, the imagination-

  Trying not to think, Reba forced herself to ignore the feelings welling up within. Looking to the girls on her left, heart skipping at the blood and dirt-covered Ally. “C’mon, let’s go!” she urged, and Ally noticed the hole Reba had stepped through was shrinking.

  The alchemist was grateful that the two blondes ran through without much prompting. “Masque!” she cried, for the hole was shrinking quickly. True, he could shadowstep through. For now. Who knew what these Terrors had planned? And having one of their best assets (and friend) potentially trapped outside, would not be a good thing for the group of heroes. That, and Masque looked rough. So did the zombie king, but it wasn't worth risking that the enemy had something else up their sleeve.

  With a final kick to Larry’s face, causing him to swallow one of his corrosive loogies, Masque jumped back beside Reba, and ducked through the opening. The two remaining soldiers had reloaded, and the idiots were still fighting, taking their sweet ass time retreating. There was no way Reba was going to let them follow, but she couldn’t just let them die. Without so much as a tremor, she pulled out her only bottle of the red undead invisibility potion, and threw it at the zombie king, hitting him in the chest; turning his world upside down, already gagging on his own acidic snot.

  “Go now, or die here!” Reba shouted to the two men, and didn’t wait to see if they listened.

  * * *

  By the time Larry had overcome that vile red concoction, the soldiers were gone, and the hole in the shield was closed. Trying to stand, his remaining tentacles began to rapidly rot away, liquefying into a putrid goop. He had taken too much damage, and his body was falling apart.

  After analyzing and adapting the red shit he had been splashed with the other night, Larry had been sure he could ignore the effects of the original, understanding how it worked. Wrong! He needed to alter his makeup to be immune. His fault for getting cocky, he supposed.

  Dragging himself along the ground towards one of the dead men, Larry could help but laugh. If those fuckers had stayed and not fled, they could have finished him off. Instead, they ran like little bitches. Whatever.

  The vampire was severely injured, at least. He may not even survive the next few hours, or at a minimum, be taken out of the fight. Because if Xal was right (and she usually was), the thrall couldn’t feed, lest he go pop fucking squish. This was priceless, they just lost the most powerful member of their group for no fucking reason, other than they were too afraid to stay and fight!

  Maybe whatever his Philosopher’s Stone had done when fighting X’al’antra had been a fluke? Xal could rip him to shreds, and yet she was kept on her heels by his little toy. Sort of. He supposed queen bitch hadn't been intending to fight any of them. Regardless, if his little doll could do whatever she had done that night again, she would have. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her! She held so many secrets, he was literally itching just thinking about it.

  Larry grimaced after he bit a chunk out of one of the soldier’s crushed skulls. Yuck, tasted like shit tofu. Damn those obnoxious wannabe hero cunts! Those blondes would have tasted so much better than this. Especially that teenager! She had so many sexual sins in her blood, he had been practically drooling, waiting for his first real bite! Which brought him back to thinking of secrets, and that off, yet very specific taste.

  That sin filled girl had an artificial taste. No, more than that, she had the taste of a homunculus. Which made no fucking sense. He was the only one that knew the secret of instilling life! And it could never be done again, that was why he had to clone the one he had, breed so many of them. Although, the taste was not full, like his creation, it was more... like a lingering bitter after you swallowed. Maybe she was only part artificial? A hybrid? Maybe she had just been fucking his doll, got some juice in her. Heh, he did taste the lesbian in her blood. The little bitch had an odd ass smell to her as well. He was sure he smelled the doll on them, but thinking but, that was fucking stupid. They didn't smell like her specifically, they just smelt like dolls themselves. Sort of.

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  Larry belched, regurgitated a bit; ignoring it, continuing his nasty meal, bile running over his lip and down his chin.

  Ah well. he guessed it didn't matter. Not now, anyway. He would have the answers soon enough. Personal ass-kicking, and mysteries, aside...

  …everything was still going according to plan.

  * * *

  Feldyn's ability to wait wasn't any better than Stryker, the two males pacing in silence since Masque’s freakout, and subsequent departure with Reba. “Think they are coming back?” Pazely asked Caleb, where they both sat leaning against a tree. She was answered by a yelp from Stryker; Masque appearing next to him; setting Gigi down, before leaping away once again.

  The little girl stumbled, and shook her head to clear it. “Gigi!” Caleb exclaimed, worry and joy in his voice. He stood quickly, as did Pazely. The blonde child realizing they were there, looked about at them all, smiled, and with sudden tears and a wail: “Gigi’s back!”, she announced to the group

  Feldyn was relieved, and irritated. The girl in the goofy clothes that Caleb hugged, who Pazely and Stryker gathered around to pat on the head; he worried she would affect their judgment. All of their judgments. Though now, like it or not, she was in this with them. And, child or not, would have to risk her life alongside the rest of them.

  Ally? Honestly? … He cared for that girl more than he wanted to admit. It was not romantic (heavens, no!), it was like a sibling. Feldyn had wanted Ally to live, to be happy, and put these silly hopes of going to Aethra far from her mind as possible.

  Feldyn had apparently greatly underestimated their ability to do what they were told. As much as it irked him, he couldn’t be too angry, lest he be quite the hypocrite. For doing as told, when he didn’t agree, had never been one of his strong suits. Wise decisions or not.

  Masque returned with Ally, and the half-elf’s frustration vanished. The man in black set her down, and leapt away again; she wobbled briefly on unsteady legs, blood on her face, in her hair, her neck, her torso… Mud, dirt, and bruises covered her entire person as well.

  No one was more surprised than Feldyn himself, when he stepped in front of Pazely, cutting her off. “My God, Ally, are ye alright?” he asked. Before she could reply, still disoriented from the insane ride, Pazely shoved past the bard with a snarl at his obstruction. “Of course she is!” Paze blustered to Feldyn, though she didn’t look at him. Instead, she stood with hands on hips, glaring at her pretty blonde friend. To Ally’s surprise, she noticed Pazely was crying. “If you had died, I was going to KILL YOU!” Pazely shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  Everything… everything that had happened. She made it. They had made it back! “I’m home,” Ally said, though she wasn’t sure if it was intelligible, as she began to sob without meaning to. She cried until her eyes blurred, and she could hear no other sound.

  Ally didn’t notice when Pazely hugged her, or when Caleb and Gigi joined in. She didn’t notice the tears in Officer Stricksent’s eyes, or the bard trying desperately to not cry himself. She didn’t notice when Masque returned with Reba.

  And she didn’t notice when Masque collapsed.

  * * *

  At Reba’s instruction, they brought the unresponsive vampire to the house of the property they were on. They placed him in the bed of the single story, one bedroom home, that of course had no one in it. If they fled or were killed was anyone's guess.

  Caleb sat down, groaning, on a wooden chair in the tiny kitchen / living room; he had carried Masque in a fireman’s carry on his own. “He’s heavier than he looks,” the boy complained, throwing the unneeded jacked he had tied around his waist, off to the side. “Wimp,” Pazely teased, climbing in his lap, jacket-less now as well. “Hey, you don’t know how hard it is to carry someone that big so far.” Caleb frowned and wrapped an arm around the diminutive Asian.

  Do you ever not complain?

  Should have stuck a finger in his ass!

  Looking at the two suspiciously, Ally informed him, “Feldyn mostly carried you on his own when that big dog thing knocked you out. Farther than you just walked, and through much worse terrain.” Caleb frowned heavily at that revelation, which Pazely confirmed. “Never thought to hear you sing my praise,” Feldyn said in a calm voice and with a simple smile; he and Stryker sitting in chairs themselves now. The two had carried the (much heavier than Masque) weapon chest.

  Then, to Ally’s chagrin, Pazely kissed Caleb, as she pinched and teased him, then they kissed again. With motherfucking tongue! 'Just what the fuck happened while I was gone?!' Ally thought with a tinge of despair, and a dangerous sprinkling of female jealousy, that she knew was ridiculous.

  “I wasn’t,” she answered. “I was stating fact, and singing his patheticness.” Ally stated flatly without looking to Feldyn. And with that, she remembered who had caused her to have to leave to begin with. She turned her angry gaze to the half-elf now, and glared into his green eyes. The calmness and hatred in her glare made him feel cold.

  He knew he had been wrong, and could acknowledge such. It was their life to live, and die, as they saw fit. Not his to choose for them. Children or not, he was not their parent, guardian, or even a relative. He should have respected the girl, not forced his own decision on her. “Forgive me, Ally,” and he stood to bow deeply in front of her. “I should never have sent you two away. I was honestly doing what I thought to be best, as I couldn't imagine seeing either of ye hurt... again.”

  “Miss Reba healed me after we got inside the wall, I’m fine.”

  “Aye, but ye were hurt. Exactly like I had been trying to avoid.” The tone in Feldyn’s voice was making her uncomfortable.

  “You stop it,” Ally lectured, not sounding angry. “You were an ass, you said you were sorry, so let’s just move past it. Besides, last time was my fault. I opened that door.” Ally surprised herself how easily she dismissed her anger for this man that had almost single handedly destroyed her life. She even took some of the blame! But, for whatever reason, she just didn’t feel like staying pissed at him. Then she realized why, and groaned inwardly. Of all the times, why now?

  Happy and sad, Feldyn looked into the girl’s eyes; her truly forgiving, if not still a little angry, and exasperated eyes. He smiled, then froze when he noticed Gigi, just off in the doorway of the hall leading to the bedroom. She had been listening the entire time. The first thing Feldyn couldn’t help but notice was how big she was. If one didn’t know better, they would still think her small for a seven or eight-year-old girl. Yet, only days ago, she could have passed for a child barely old enough to walk. She had grown something like a foot within a week!

  The second thing he noticed was how she scowled at him in her adorable one-piece cow suit, hood back on, in a way only she could. And it broke his heart, while instilling it with an odd, hollow, dread. “I still don’t trust you,” she told him in a quiet voice, and they all looked over to her. “As soon as we bug you, you will lie, then you will make us go away again.” She sounded more like she was whining than bitching at someone, peeking around the door jamb. “No, he won’t,” Stryker assured her, “because it isn’t his call to begin with.” Then he turned to Feldyn, “Is it?”

  In Stryker, Feldyn saw the eyes of a friend. A friend that would beat him bloody (Or try! Not like he could actually accomplish such a thing!) if he ever made these two sad again.

  “You are correct.” Feldyn had a hard time forcing a smile. “In the end, it is Caleb’s choice.” God help us all, the bard couldn’t help but think. Caleb looked a little startled. “Me?” he asked, confusion heavy in his tone. This time, Feldyn’s smile vanished completely, and his eyes seemed to boil with rage. “Yes, you!” he barely kept from shouting. “Have ye not listened to a single word I have said?” Anger had seeped into his voice. A deep, rage-filled anger.

  The bard was furious. He was so tired of dealing with these foolish children! This foolish Dragonheart! They may have saved him, and they may all yet live, but it was so much luck and happenstance; he didn’t know how any of them had survived this long! Now they were to, what, rescue those left behind on X’al’antra’s property? Stop the Terror's plan? Battle literal bloody demons?! It was insanity! Why were they even here? Simply the heat of the moment? Their actions were moronic!

  If their goal was to save those the vampire queen held captive, why had they made a beeline directly for the barrier? Why not enter closer to the property in question? For the bards logic, he knew saving those left behind would be suicide, and simply wanted to allow Caleb a chance to try, to not carry the wait of abandoning people he cared about. Feldyn also knew they were not much safer hiding at Jeff's, and a small part of himself hoped they could possible throw a wrench in what the enemy was planning. Why? Because he too, was a fool. Possibly the greatest fool of the group.

  Sighing and trying again to force a smile, “It does not matter. It ‘tis a bit late to readdress everything we have learned at this point, is it not?” he singsonged once again. “Feel free to continue to not heed my words, I’m sure it will all be fine.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. “And perhaps you should explain to our two friends here everything that happened; in detail, not the abridged version.” Feldyn stood and walked to the doorway that Gigi still peeked around.

  He continued past Gigi, who didn’t raise her head, and out of the room, down the hall to go check on the two that weren’t present. The only other two, besides himself, that stood some glimmer of a chance of surviving real combat. Even if one of them seemed to have no control or conscious knowledge of her own power.

  His pessimism knew no bounds, as he tried to reassure himself all was not yet lost. 'Bloody, bleeding, rotting hell! Why did I not agree with John, and force everyone to stay back at the complex?! What insane part of me thought this was the right action to take?!'

  Oh, how he wished to be back on Aethra! Where he could fight!

  Reba had her arms crossed over her chest, standing beside the bed Masque lie in, waiting for Feldyn when he entered the room. He actually felt slightly hesitant to remain, the girl's posture and gaze warned of emotion he did not want to deal with. “After you treated those two the way you did, that was all you could manage? A feeble apology, before throwing a tantrum, and storming off?” Reba asked judgmentally.

  Feldyn was not in the mood. “I? The great Feldyn, acting like a petulant fool?" he asked in an aggressive mocking tone. "My dear Reba, it is a miracle I apologized at all! For truth be told, Feldyn Goldchord is no better than the scum from the sole of a dwarven dirdge’s muddied, bloodied, fucking boot!” he snapped, harsher than intended. Feldyn closed his eyes and held up a hand, taking a deep breath to control himself. “I am sorry,” he apologized, and Reba was surprised he left it at that.

  “What’s eating you, anyway?” she asked, then grimaced. Given their situation, probably not the best choice of words, but she continued, “I know they tortured you, but-” The half-elf cut her off from where he stood, near the foot of the bed. Looking absentmindedly at the unconscious form of the ninja-garbed vampire, “Not sure if torture is the right word. Ripped off my arms. Twice, actually. Cut out my tongue, and removed both of my eyes.” Then he turned a weak smile to the frowning alchemist. “Not to mention my ears, and more. Have you ever been violently dismembered, while alive and conscious? I would not recommend it.”

  Reba felt a little nauseous now. She knew what Ted (err, Larry) was like.

  “And I had thought nothing could begin to compare with the torture I suffered shortly before arriving on this world. Administered by the hands of Darlothz himself…” he trailed off.

  Well shit. Reba wasn’t sure where to go from there, so she opted to continue with the attitude. “That would explain why you still need a bath, and one eye is upside down.”

  Her words shocked him so greatly, that to both of their surprise, he burst into laughter. Honest mirth-filled laughter. “Y’know,” Feldyn said, still snickering, and looking at the floor shaking his head, “Back home, us elves have a tendency to have sex when we feel exceedingly frustrated, angry, or afraid.” Now he looked up at her, meeting her eyes, and grinning deviously. “Makes for a more… passionate experience.” Reba knew he was teasing her, though it didn't keep her heart from slamming. Not from any interest in the pompous turd, it was simply the topic. He was attractive. If you liked pompous turds. She did not. “And right now, I am very frustrated, terribly angry,” he took a step towards her, “and quite afraid.”

  Not at all accustomed to being hit on, and despite her disdain for the bard, Reba was now flustered to the point of mild panic. She was glad Masque groaned, interrupting the situation before she needed to resort to bodily injury.

  “Pathetic,” Masque grumbled, eyes still closed. Reba knelt at his side, “You did well, and saved the girls. Even though you-” Reba started, trying to console him, and was cut off again by the muscular vampire, who opened his deep, icy blue eyes. “I was not referring to my own combat performance, but to the elf.” Feldyn frowned, not sure what Masque was getting at. “After all of this, everything we have seen and experienced in the last few days, and you feel that hope is lost.” He sat himself up in the bed, seeming more like an old man than the agile ancient they knew him to be. “It is obvious in your voice that you are already defeated. Maybe it was best you elves were sent away. You could not have survived here if all you do is give up when the odds are stacked against you.”

  The anger had returned to Feldyn’s voice, “I do not know what ye are talking about, friend.” He said that last like a warning to the vampire to choose his next words carefully. He didn’t know what all Masque had heard, but he should keep his assumptions to himself! Regardless of how close they may be to truth. Then, to both Reba and Feldyn’s surprise, Masque laughed.

  “I was there for the Sealing.” he said, momentarily confusing the duo. “I fought that very day, and was there as the hand of God himself split through reality, smote the tower of Babel, and crippled us all; so that in his infinite mercy, he would not need to again wipe clean His creation.” The two forgot themselves where they stood, as they listened. “I was also at Bethlehem the night of Christ’s birth. I fought against the demons sent to prevent it from happening. Many more assaults came during the first years of His life. Fights unrecorded and unknown by history. Many fell during those battles. Some were angels, others men. Even beasts fought to defend the Christ child.”

  Reba and Feldyn were completely entranced now. “I watched over Him as he grew. I protected and followed, as I had been so charged, during his short ministry here on Earth.” Masque’s eyes filled with pain. “And I mourned his death, after he was taken down from the cross.” Masque looked like if such were possible, he would weep.

  “What was she like?” Feldyn and Reba both blushed at their identically worded and timed interruptions. Masque took notice that neither asked what Jesus was like. For a Christian, one who devotes their life to knowing Him… should have no need to ask such a question. “She was beautiful. Radiant. Not like history paints her picture,” his voice sounded wistful. “Watching her grow old… was hard.”

  The mood in the room had completely changed. “My point, elf,” Masque looked into his eyes now, “is that through Christ, through God, all things are possible. All. Every last one. Even one such as I, a demon, can be saved. Damn your lack of faith! Damn your foolish fears!” Masque looked more sad than angry. “If I had given up, or lost faith even once… I would have survived. And if any of us here today in this house had given up, we would not now stand in defiance these Terrors. If even one of us had given up hope… you would be dead.”

  The half-elf’s eyes widened, a chill running up his spine, his stance staggered. “Do you understand? Prophecy or not, God is with us. The Spirit is in us. Man-up, elf, and let us prepare to smite these demons for the Glory of our God!”

  “Thank you,” Feldyn smiled, and meant it. He looked to Reba, “Both of you.” He then smacked himself on the forehead. “I remain a pathetic self-centered fool, it would seem!” he lamented. “How are you feeling? We feared the worst when you collapsed!” Feldyn, in his self-pity, fear, and doubt, had forgotten their entire reason for even being in this house!

  “I am fine,” Masque deadpanned.

  “He needs to feed,” Reba explained.

  The vampire glared at the brunette’s words. Reba explained, “He has used far too much of his energy to fight, heal, and keep us alive. He can’t even replenish his weave anymore, I would wager, after everything he had to give to repair his shadowcloth, and the sun damage beneath.” The half-elf looked puzzled at her explanation. “Why do ye not just feed then?” he asked, truly perplexed at the situation. “I cannot,” was the simple answer given.

  From the looks on their faces, Masque knew they were not going to accept that. At this point... he may as well explain his curse. “You both know your Bible? Of when they came to arrest Jesus, and one had their ear cut off by a sword?” They both nodded. “I searched for that man, intent to finish the job. He was... protected. So I settled on others who had been there that night. Some that I found were eaten, others lost their ear."

  He stated that so casually, it took a moment for it to make sense. Masque… ate them? Surely he meant feeding upon them, likely draining them enough to cause their death. Right? “And because of such, I was cursed by John the Revelator. Part of the deal when the angels freed me from my seal, was that I could not take the life of a human. Upon breaking that oath, John chose to spare me, but placed on me this curse.” With that, shadowcloth melted away just enough to expose a silver chain that hung around his neck, yet revealing no skin. Hanging from it, was a mummified human ear.

  “Is that…?” Reba asked, and he nodded. “It is. Now it stands a cursed object, sealing my ability to feed. I can kill, if so needed, but if I try to take their blood, I will be rendered to ash.” He gave a very human shrug. “The direct result has been many decades of time spent slumbering: the only way to sustain my life, and replenish my strength. I was also charged with watching. Whenever I woke from a slumber, I had to find a seal, and watch. If the seal were to weaken, or break, I was under orders to report to the angels. I had done such before, and the seals were promptly fixed. The first exception was the seal that Ally broke. I had reported its weakening numerous times, to no avail.”

  Masque lowered his eyes now, “Due to this curse, this eternal starvation, my immortal, undead body is essentially… aging. And eventually…”

  “You’ll die,” Feldyn finished for him, and Masque nodded. “So then, why did you save us in that field, from the lycanthropeire?” he asked the vampire.

  “The Revelator told me that a time would come where I would make a choice. and that choice would came of faith. And if I made the correct choice, I would be freed from my suffering; my time served.” Masque lowered his eyes further. “I did not save you. I had cared not if you all lived or died. My choice I made there, that day… was to save Gigi,” he admitted, ashamed.

  Neither Reba nor Feldyn felt insulted in the least. “Well, then feed,” Feldyn said, and got a glare from both Masque and Reba. “Have you not heard me, elf?” Masque hissed. “That choice I made I believed to be the one, yet this infernal chain is still bound around my neck! Do you not understand my words?”

  “Of course I do, of course,” Feldyn chided, patting the air in a calm down motion. “Don’t be so dramatic. You said a day would come where you had to choose, and then you would be freed from your suffering, correct?” Looking doubtful and hesitantly curious, Masque nodded.

  “You already made that choice! Ye just said so yourself! Saving Gigi? And by doing so, you saved us, and, like ye said, stand -or lie- here now, to fight alongside us. Did the Revelator tell you the chain would come off? Didn’t think so.” Feldyn smiled. “And you said you cannot take blood, correct?” Growing more curious, Masque again nodded. “Then let it be known here, before God, that you made the right choice.” Feldyn smiled huge. “Here and now, Masque, I choose to give you my blood!”

  The vampire’s eyes grew larger, and Reba realized, understanding curses, that Feldyn was probably right. “I give you mine as well,” she added, Masque turning his surprised expression to her. “And I’m sure the others will too.” Masque looked hopeful, and afraid. He tried to speak, but his voice choked.

  “Your curse will remain,” Feldyn explained, “but now, from your choice, you have a group of friends that will allow you to circumvent it, without defying God, or meeting your death. End your suffering, my friend. Let us save you, as you have saved us.”

  The feeling that washed over Masque was one he could not recall if he had ever felt. And, at that moment, a miracle happened: Masque began to cry, from eyes that could not produce tears. He had chosen correctly!

  Such signs were the miracles that people normally missed in their daily lives. Such blessings were the things people always explained away.

  Both Feldyn and Reba knew the tears and small sob that escaped him for what they were. And in such, their hope was renewed to bursting! Their souls invigorated! And they knew, for the first time, they were on the right path. God was really with them! Dumbasses that they were!

  “Will that make me a vampire too?” Gigi asked from the doorway, and Masque’s tears abruptly stopped. Feldyn was surprised and impressed, that she had snuck up on him. So was Masque. “No,” Reba answered her with a smile, not surprised in the least that Geeg had managed to be so close, unnoticed. “That’s just on TV and in books. Besides, Gigi, you don’t want to be a vampire.” With a defiant squeak, Gigi jumped on the bed, crawling on top of a startled Masque.

  “Yeah huh, I do! I wanna be able to fight like Masquie!” she whined, filthy cow-hoodie almost covering her eyes. “Reba is correct,” Masque said, trying to hold composure as this child that flustered him so, got almost in his face. “You must allow a demon to consume your soul to be a vampire, little one. You would be damning yourself to Hell; to do it willingly. The virus kills you, and when your soul leaves, the demon born from the virus takes the body for itself.”

  Not fully understanding, Gigi tilted her head, and with her vacant, wide-eyed stare, looked thoughtfully through him. “But… Masque is a good guy, right? Or did you kill the person this body belonged to?” Her insight was unexpected, and he cleared his throat. “My circumstances were a bit… different. Yet, I swear to you, I retain the soul and mind blessed upon me at conception.” Gigi didn’t understand half of that, but Masque was Masque, so that was good enough!

  “Can I dress like a ninja, anyway?” she frowned, and Masque chuckled. “I would not have you cover your pretty face with cloths such as these,” he answered her. “The feeling of the sun is a gift not to be ignored, or taken lightly.” She looked thoughtful, “Maybe a dancer ninja! So my butt and belly can feel the sun!” The image that painted in their minds caused three equal frowns of confusion.

  “Thank you for saving me two times now, Masquie!” Gigi beamed, totally changing the topic out of nowhere, and giving the undead man a kiss on the cloth over his cold lips. “That was just a thank you, not Gigi’s first kiss!” She made sure the adults knew the difference, looking between the vampire she sat on, the homunculus, and the half-elf.

  Feldyn wondered if Masque had fed, and if you could see his skin, if he would currently be blushing. He sure looked rather embarrassed at the moment. “This one I will not feed from,” Masque grumbled, causing a puzzled look from Gigi, and drawing deep laughter from the other two.

  * * *

  “We should probably pick our weapons, and decide our next course of action,” Feldyn informed the group that was now gathered in the living room, his head still a bit dizzy from letting Masque feed. Reba was making some type of concoction that she said would help with blood restoration.

  Feldyn, Caleb, and Stryker had all let the vampire feed on them. Masque was adamant that he would not feed on the girls, though Feldyn wasn’t totally sure why. He apparently couldn’t feed on Reba even if he had wanted to, since he said her blood wasn’t normal. The words had hurt her a bit, but she knew Masque wasn’t trying to be insulting, nor did he see her as lesser than any of the others.

  “What?” Stryker asked with a derp face, causing a good bit of giggling from Pazely and Gigi.

  Feldyn couldn’t help but smile, “Weapons, my good officer, weapons. Those items in the chest that we carried in here?” Stryker was pouting, “Okay, okay, I just didn’t hear ya,” he complained, blushing a little. Ally had missed these people so much! She wished Bryan was here too, but after being filled in on events, she didn’t blame him.

  The uncle he had lost when a child, was still alive. Had been alive all this time, and never told him. That shit had to hurt. Bad. What she did not get, was why John had stayed behind. They explained his words to her, but it still didn’t sound like the guy she had met, back at Reba's place. The place that had apparently blown up... Ah well, from what she knew of the white-bearded old man, he probably had good intentions. Admittedly though, she didn’t know him well.

  “I need not a weapon,” Masque informed, standing next to the couch Stryker sat on. His netherweave partially extended. It looked thicker than normal, whipping and whirling around his person. Eyes shining so fiercely with that icy-blue mist, Caleb wondered how he could stay hidden in the dark.

  Rubbing his arm subconsciously, Caleb recalled the feeding process. It had been…. odd.

  Having one’s blood drank is not exactly a normal experience.

  Should ask him to suck the blood from your boner!

  Caleb subconsciously shook his head to clear it. Ever since he had acknowledged the one voice yelling about Gigi and Ally, his mind got rather hard to ignore again. Worse, he couldn’t quit wondering… how his insanity had been so spot on accurate. Was he awakening to super powers, and it was fracturing his psyche?

  “I’ll pick first!” he smiled, and Pazely gave a little irritated hmph. “Not like you and I are going to pick the same thing,” he grinned to his now girlfriend. “Besides, you don’t even like to use weapons.” That was true. Pazely preferred her fists, feet, teeth, and nails, over any weapon any day. But, with all these monsters and demons… weapons suddenly seemed higher on her priority list. Biting that big stinky fat zombie guy… yeah, how ‘bout no.

  It didn’t take him long to decide. There was only one sword in the footlocker. A bastard sword. It was silver, with a golden hilt. Nothing terribly outstanding about it, other than the gold appeared real, and the blade was etched with runes.

  Pazely took a blade that looked almost the same, though it was barely more than a large knife. There was a small silver handgun, and ammunition for it, which Stryker took without thinking twice. Feldyn, on the other hand, frowned long and hard into the chest.

  “What’s wrong?” Reba asked, walking over to him, then frowned as well. “Oh,” she said. Oh indeed. All that was left for weapons was a tiny hand axe. It wasn’t even runed. Other than that, there was some random survival gear, and canned food. “Guess we need to hit up another weapon cache,” she said sheepishly; Feldyn holding the axe now, and frowning.

  “Um, is this even an effective weapon against, well, anything?” Feldyn smirked to the girl. Reba sighed, “I made a lot of these caches without Dad’s knowledge. The things I took were pretty random, and mostly avenger, since they are like a dime a dozen.” She shrugged. “Must have grabbed a normal hand axe by accident.” She looked a little embarrassed about the pathetic selection of weapons in the chest. Not like she ever had to gear anyone but herself! Truthfully, she wasn't even sure why she had made weapon caches, with weapons neither her or dad even used. Filling them with knives and guns would have made the most sense.

  Feldyn tried to give the axe to Gigi, who just frowned and waved it away, calling it ‘dumb’. “What’s avenger?” Pazely asked, playing with her knife. “Anti-demon,” Reba answered. “They theoretically won’t dull, and can cut the flesh of demons, as well as inflict burns.

  "I have four caches this side of the river," she changed topic. "Two of them should still have weapons, the other two are mostly supplies. I think.” It was Ally’s turn to speak, “Any chance there is one near my house? I… would sort of like to stop by there. Grab some clothes, maybe some supplies of my own.” She seemed a bit ashamed of her question.

  Thinking, Reba replied, “There's a supply cache near there. It’s the large one north of here that I was wanting to hit up. There’s a good deal of mats in it I could use... Shouldn’t be a problem stopping by your place.” Ally tried hard not to giggle. Mats?! Who says mats? Reba was such a nerd!

  “I wouldn’t mind going by my place too,” Caleb added. “My dad… Well, I guess I am... curious if he’s alive... ” Feldyn put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, “Forgive my heartlessness, but that must wait. Not only is your house across the river, and in the middle of town, but we need to prioritize on weapons and equipment. Then we need to stop these demons. Everything else, everything else, is time we can not spare.” Feldyn stepped around the boy that was taller than him to look into his eyes. “Can you understand?” he asked, kindly as possible, and was glad Caleb nodded his understanding, though his eyes were downcast.

  Everyone here knew the odds of even a single person surviving the other night. And horrible as it sounded, Caleb really didn't cared that much. Not like he wanted his dad to die, he just had absolutely zero feelings for the man. Regardless, it was his dad, so he tried his best to feel something.

  “Is everyone ready then?” Feldyn asked, looking around, and saw Gigi pouting. “Gigi doesn’t have any weapons,” she complained in a pouty voice. “I don’t want a monster to eat me…” She was now looking at the floor. Feldyn knew a weapon wasn’t exactly going to protect her, but he refrained from saying such.

  Then, Masque stepped over and knelt by the child. "I will remain by your side and protect you, until we find you a suitable weapon," he reassured, and she smiled at him, and nodded.

  “Now we jack a car, and drive on out to Ally’s?” Stryker asked, and everyone looked at him. “Well, it isn’t like we haven’t already been stealing vehicles!” he defended himself, to a few snickers. “Or are we going to sneak through the woods and fields and take the rest of the day?”

  “May as well drive,” Feldyn said, and Reba agreed. “Feldyn’s right. It’s not like it’s a secret we are here anymore.” Without more to say, they all began filtering outside.

  Once everyone had left the house, Ally took the time to make sure the door was locked, then sighed when she realized what an asinine thing she was doing. “You okay?” Reba asked her, hanging back, as she had been wanting a chance to talk to the girl alone. Ally sighed again, almost theatrically this time. “Not really,” she smiled, then laughed. “Nah, I’m okay. Everything is just happening so fast, and I'm not sure why I haven't completely lost it. Or maybe I already have.” Ally shrugged and shook her head. “Glad to have you back,” Reba told her honestly, avoiding any potential drama topics.

  “Even if you really should have stayed gone. Not that I actually expected you to,” she grinned, then gave Ally a lecturing stare. “Did you really have to bring Gigi?”

  “You heard what I said! She followed me! I tried to ditch her, but…” Ally’s words trailed away, the guilt of her casual admission making her feel terrible. She needed to change the subject.

  “So, I hear from Pazely that you do have superpowers, after all?” the question to her instructor was answered by a puzzled expression. “Was she lying? She said when you guys were saving Feldyn from Rashelle, or whatever her real name is, your eyes turned white and you were shooting beams of energy and things at her, and you had super strength or something.” Reba almost stumbled, walking next to Ally, eyes falling to the ground. “Oh, that…”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing really… It’s just… I have no idea how I did that. I barely even remember it.” Reba sighed loudly herself now, and kicked a small rock. “Sometimes, when I get angry in combat, I sort of, I don’t know, get really strong. Dad and I figured it must have something to do with the way I was made. I have run tests on myself, but have never found anything that would explain it. When I was facing X'al'antra, what she said to me, I just lost it. I remember, yet I don’t. It was like a dream, only full of some type of desire to... judge her? To burn her clean, until there was nothing left. It was a bit… unsettling, actually.”

  “What did she say to make you so angry?” Reba stopped dead in her tracks from the question, Ally walking slightly past, before turning to look, concerned. “Mis- Reba, what did she say?” The teenager felt dread now, as her dance teacher clenched her eyes tightly shut, and looked down and to the side. For a moment, Ally thought she wasn’t going to answer. “X’al’antra had her brood, her vampires, track down every child in the area with my scent.” Reba looked up to meet Ally’s horror-filled eyes, “She killed them. Far as I know, Trixie was the only one that survived. I don’t know why, but for some reason, they didn’t take her.” The rage that Ally was feeling was not so unlike what Reba had. “When I see that bitch, I might have to unleash some superpowers of my own,” Ally snarled, and Reba offered a weak smile.

  After standing in silence for another moment, they continued walking. “Well, I’m glad you two are okay,” Reba said. “And glad your injuries were not worse! I hardly have any healing supplies on me. I’m out of almost everything helpful now, actually.” She really should have brought more, but they had been hurrying! She was seriously not used to bringing enough for so many people and situations!

  “I’m gonna go catch up with the others. If you need anything at all, let me know, okay?” Reba smiled, speeding up to stand in front of Ally and face her. “Thanks, Miss Reba,” Ally said as they gave each other a big hug. “Just Reba or I’ll kill you,” The blonde girl laughed at the reflexive rebuke to the reflexively added title. “I wish you could fix my current problem, but there are some things you just can’t heal.”

  Her sexy dance teacher, alchemist, warrior, held her at arm’s length and cocked her head to the side, to show non-understanding. And for the first time in Ally’s life, she wanted to grab her adorable teacher’s boobs, and have an amazingly good time. “I have so many issues...” Ally grumbled, confusing Reba even more.

  “It really is okay. I just have to deal with it once I get to my house.” And at that, Reba tilted her head even farther to the side. Ally groan-sighed at her. It was like she was talking to Gigi. Speaking of which… “Gigi is a child, Pazely is an anomaly, and you are a superhero. Some of the rest of us girls have this ridiculously gross and annoying time of the month," Ally explained, doing her best to insinuate the problem. It might be a normal thing to talk about for most girls, but it definitely wasn't in her life. Saying it out loud, was like admitting you had diarrhea. Which she had never experienced of course, because girls don't poop!

  Reba’s head righted itself now, and her eyes filled with understanding. “Exactly,” Ally confirmed. “My own personal curse.” Reba gave Ally a look of such horror, she may as well have been a man, letting go of her and stepping backwards. Ally threw her hands up, and stormed away after the others. She may have looked like she wanted to punch someone, but she was actually trying not to laugh.

  For some damn reason, her mood swings were always really weird during her time of the month. Other than the entire thing grossing her out horribly, she never had cramps or tummy problems, and was always in a damn good mood. She started her period early in life, and quickly learned she wasn’t supposed to be happy during that -pun not intended- period, learning to fake being angry. And fake having cramps. Just how could she explain to people that being on her period always made her feel better? To make it more awkward and even more gross, times when she bled heavily, she seemed almost giddy! It was humiliating, and she has never told anyone about it.

  Oh well, Ally assumed there would be ample opportunities to be authentically angry soon enough, strange hormonal mood swings or not.

  And she was right.