“It’s not a good idea to wander between towns on foot.”

“I know now. I’m just glad you found me when you did.”

“So am I.”

He was red-faced, dressed a little too nicely to have been found wandering the desert road between towns, ten miles separating the distances and no traffic other than the very rare broken down vehicle puttering along, too paranoid to even stop for a hitchhiker. Louie could handle himself, though. The older man, his identification at his side reading William Rodriguez, would not have gotten much out of Louie had he tried to act out. Even so, he had taken William to the closest building in the area; his own house. He rested in the cooler, darker air of Louie’s old house, sitting across from the younger man with a glass of water. He was slowly recovering from the scorching heat that had nearly beaten him.

Louie’s gaze fell to his cup. Despite the heat outside reaching well over one hundred degrees, the plain white mug held a steaming coffee that he stirred consistently, slowly. His eyes had gone to the man’s identification first, but he knew who the man was. He lived in the town, just a hundred yards from Louie’s house, which sat huddled behind a grouping of scrub brush and cacti. Louie had taken an interest in the man, watching him from afar with his little family, his wife and the twins who appeared to be just twelve years old apiece. They were a newer family to the town and its suburbs, not quite known by their neighbors. Certainly they were envied. William’s clothes and their house, their car, even their yard seemed better than most.

William put the glass to his head. “Nice place, here.” He noted, motioning to the whole of the dark kitchen. “Seems old.”

Louie smiled at the feeble attempt to sound sincere. He raised the mug to his lips and turned his gaze up, letting his dark brown eyes fall on William’s face. Nervously, the older man sipped his water. “I’ve lived here my entire life.” Louie said. “I know the town like the back of my hand.” His voice was light, unbothered.

“Oh, I see.” William nodded, setting the glass down and lacing his fingers in front of him. “Er, have your parents gone off?”

“They were murdered when I was eighteen.”

William’s eyes grew wide as Louie glanced up to him. “Oh.” He muttered. “I’m sorry. I…”

“Don’t try to apologize.” Louie’s voice held a sigh. “They deserved it anyway.”

“All right. I won’t ask, then.”

“You don’t have to. You probably already know of why they deserved it.”

William looked at the table in front of him. “Did they catch the killers?” He glanced up with his question, hesitating before he met Louie’s gaze.

“No. And they never will.” Louie closed his eyes half way, setting his mug down and running his hand over the black cloth wrapped around his right arm, reaching his elbow and tied at the wrist. “They never will.”

“Why do you say that?”

Louie opened his eyes a bit wider, taking in the man before him with a hard, painful glare. “William. I killed them.”

The look that crossed his face was that of disbelief, followed quickly by slight fear and panic that didn’t quite allow him to move. Louie pulled a yellow filing folder from under him and slapped it onto the table, flipping it open. “William, I’ve been watching you.” He pushed several photos forward and nodded to William to look. The one in the middle was of him, holding on to the arm of a much younger woman as they walked down the street. The one to its left was of William himself, cornering a woman who appeared around his age. The tones in the photo suggested it was taken in the night. The one to the right was of William and one of his kids, the young boy cowering on the floor as his father held one hand above his head, clenched into a fist. The boy’s face was bruised. The room itself seemed more of a living room, a well-furnished thing.

“I’ve been watching you.” Louie repeated, tapping his fingers on the photos. “Under these pictures, of you cheating on your wife, intimidating your wife, and beating one of your kids, is a file I found online. You’ve had quite an array of arrests, haven’t you? Drugs, domestic abuse, stalking… God only knows why that woman stays with you. Then again, you’ve probably threatened to kill her if she left with the kids, right?”

William’s gaze hardened, and he stood quickly. “You’ve been following me!”

Louie followed him up and with a flick of his wrist, brought out a knife, which he lodged into the table among the photos and files. “Don’t try to scare me.” He growled, a venomous tone taking over his calm, emotionless stature. “I killed both my parents. I shackled them in the basement for a month. I showed them what real pain was like. I’ll do the same thing to you! You don’t deserve to live another day, to be allowed to hurt those who don’t even deserve it.”

William backed away. “You… crazy bastard.” He fiddled in his pocket, pulling free a cell phone. Louie took hold of his knife again, wedging it free, and as William stumbled back to the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room. As Louie hesitated, flipping the knife’s blade in circles, William tapped his phone over and over, increasingly desperate. In anger, he threw it to the floor.
“No service.” Louie said. “You aren’t in town.”

William’s hand released the phone and his feet led him across the room. He fumbled with the door knob, trying to turn it as Louie and his knife advanced on him, but the rust had taken its toll and turning the knob was proving to be near impossible with his shaking, weak grasp. Louie grabbed William by the scruff of the neck and spun him around, pushing him against the door. “I’ve gotten away with five murders already. Two were my parents, the others were people just like you. You! Why do you do this? Why do you take joy in harming others who can’t fight back or who’re to afraid to?”

William shook his head. “I… dunno. I don’t know! I just get… so damned angry. I c-can’t---”

“Everyone gets angry! You think you’re the only one!? Bite it back!”

“I will! Just… please, let me go. I’ll change and I won’t hurt my kids anymore. I’ll be faithful to my wife! I won’t tell a soul what happened here, just… let me go.” His voice broke as Louie held the knife, bringing it up and tapping it on William’s chin, as though thinking his words over. Then he smiled, a warm smile. It made William’s tense body relax, if only a bit.

“You’re a real piece of work.” Louie said. “You’re probably a college graduate. No doubt about that, actually.” He looked to William’s clothes. “It’s odd you’d actually think I could believe you.” He laughed at the terrified look that returned to the once-hopeful expression. He buried the knife into the wood of the door, leaving a wedge among the many scratches.

“Don’t! I promise you---”

“Oh! A promise? Like all the others? They promised, you know.” Louie kept William against the door, and held his hand against the man’s throat. “They all promised to do better, be better, stop their destructive path. Even my parents. They said they were sorry for everything, that they’d make it up to me somehow. You want to know how you can make it up to your family, for everything you’ve done to them?”

“Wh-what?” William’s eyes widened, as Louie pulled the knife from the door.

“By dying, William!”

Louie brought up his knee, connecting with the man’s stomach, and as he doubled over, gasping for breath, Louie grabbed him by the shirt collar and directed him back through the house.

on the rough carpeting of an old appartment knelt a pale skinned girl folding a shirt and placing it in the box. Repeating this for every garment she had the girl had her thoughts wandered for a time. A knew city huh....she wont even tell me why. She promised we wherent moving again until i graduated. she thought absently until without warning she lurched and cringed. The bruises on her hands and arms had become to much to bear after a long evening of packing and sorting. Her mother, Cathrine, had apperently left but to where and why was a mistery to the girl. However She had a generaly good idea. The scent of vodka giving it away every time.

A sudden slam of the front door made her freeze in anticipation. A slightly croacked and wobbly voice yelled soon there after calling out "HOLLY!" Standing The burgundy haired girl brushed off her knees. The heat outside was in the mid nintys but despite this she was wearing a white long sleeve top with some saying indicative of popular culture. Her legs where clad in rather sad and faded jean shorts that had indeed once been jeans but died an honorable death at the hands of scisors, already being full of holes from years of wear.

As she appeared in the door way her mother, a dark haired and slightly heavy set woman said in a slurred and drunken voice "you look ridiculousness in that." saying nothing to this but instead turning her eyes to the floor Holly awaited what ever was to come next. "Yuh done yet? we move tomorrow you know." the woman said aproaching Holly who looked up and said softly "uh, yeah...just a little bit left and we'll be ready." Not seeming to care for that answer cathy glared down at her "i thought i told you be done by the time i got back..." after a short puase the woman continued. "Well i guess that just means your not hungry then. " With that she walked away leaving Holly a bit confused but understanding what it meant. Her time would be spent packing and then it was off to bed. So the night went on exactly so leaving a very hungry and tired Holly dreading the move.

The next day seemed brighter and hotter then the last, the intensity of the sun's rays bleaching everything of all color and causing waves of heat to ripple and dance across the black concrete. The moving van came early and all was packed and set before noon. She would have said good bye to her friends but there where none that would speak with her. Not on account of her own personality but in fact the rumor's Holly's mother intently spread where ever they went. The drive took well into the late evening, the silence in the car masked only by the radio as Holly looked out the window pretending to sleep.

The sun sinking bellow the horizon greeted the on its way down casting a hail of orange and violet across the many buildings. Their new apartment was no better than the last but at least no worse. Having a few days to unpack and wander about while her mother Acquainted herself with the local bars she grieved her sour luck. tonight was the first in a strange land and yet it seemed like every where else they'd been....

Unsympathetic and unappealing.

He sat on the tailgate of his father’s old Ford, the only thing the man ever contributed to his life. In his hand was a gathering of dark meat, and at his side, a large bag of pale sand. His hair was tied back, the entire pitch black sheet lying across his back in a long braid. He tossed the dark red-brown toned meat far away from the truck with a lifeless movement, letting the black cloth that had tied to his right arm trail behind in the air. He looked at the town, its outer buildings lying in the haze of rising heat, far from his car. He could just make out the vehicles from cars wandering the pavement of the streets, distorted in the waves rising from the ground. The sun, falling in the sky behind him, cast his shadow on the yellow-tan ground before him, parched and rock-solid as it waited for the rain that would come later in the week.

Louie had made quick work of William Rodriguez. He didn’t want to be bothered by the speck, and he had Whitney Cole to get rid of. As he thought of the drunk old woman, who regularly strangled her kids when she got annoyed with them or they made any mistake, had been an interesting case. She had tried to attack him while he locked her away. He had kicked her in the stomach and chained her down to the floor. In some flash of madness, she had asked him to spare her, or at least just kill her, because she was a woman, and he should have some sense of chivalry. Louie had not accepted that. He killed her after three days, quickly becoming bored with her.

He picked up the clear plastic bag beside him and stood, stepping off to the side of his vehicle and unzipping the bag. He set it down and poured the bone-dust onto the sandy desert floor, sweeping it about with his hand and mixing it with the dry, powdery dirt. He avoided dusting his hands on his black jeans and brought the bag with him as he returned slowly to the vehicle and put the tailgate back up. Turning his dark gaze to the town again, he looked above the buildings to the sky. It was a bit darker over there, both from the absence of the sun’s rays and the wall of clouds beginning to form. With a sigh, Louie went around the truck and got in, returning to town.

Holly having been left to her own devices for quite some time now grew bored. Her attempts at sleeping in this strange place, once the unpacking was done, where fruitless. They didnt have much, though her mother certainly had more, and this lack of objects to console her left the girl wandering to the window. Her mother wasnt back by now which meant she'd found another man's bed to lay in. Not bothering to change her cloths the red-ish haired Holly put on her shoes and took to the streets for a walk. Always carrying a knife in her pocket but never having used it she did what she'd done many times before.

When she had been caught doing this the consequences where only a beating depending on how drunk her mom was and seeing as they did have a basement for her to be shut in it couldn't get too bad. The arid wind whipped at her hair even after it had been pulled back. the utter blankness of the sky left the windows to reflect a muted imitation of the colors above them and not so successfully. School started soon, almost too soon, and she didnt much like the idea of how old she was getting. After graduation she would be left on he own, no where to go and no one to go to.

the only thing worse than being with her mother was being utterly alone.

The wind was nonexistent, and the air hot as it whipped into the cab though the open window stung his eyes. In the rush of air, he could hear thunder as it rolled low in the distance. The bumpy road started to level out as he returned to paved road, entering town. It was a large town, home to over fifteen thousand people. It had also housed its share of killers, rapists, arsonists, muggers and convicts in its two-hundred-year existence. But the level of negativity had dropped significantly in recent years. It had not had a serial killer in fifty years, at least. Of course, Louie had done his research. He smiled an empty smile as he entered town. It was an absent movement, something he never really thought about doing. It often scared his students on quiet days. Noting that reminded him that the school year was about to start, and he would have to reestablish a status of respected---or at least respectfully feared--- in the minds of his new high school class.

On the outskirts of town, just before reaching the larger buildings and well-tended roads that led to offices, shops, cafés and restaurants, the police department, fire department, and so on, a small, old building that appeared to have been there since the first group settled there sat quietly. The front of their shop was bare, save for what could be called a garage door to the left side and a door propped open to the right. A sign above the door and its foggy, dusty window read “Steve’s Sharpening”.

The title said it all. The place belonged to Steve, and he sharpened just about anything one would come in with. Knives, metal spikes, lawn mower blades, machetes, and so on, his list was endless. Not to mention, he worked on cars when he had nothing else to do, and hunted around the nearby riverbeds. Louie had known Steve for years, since he was a child. The man was the best at his work, and had taken such a liking to Louie that he sharpened Louie’s tools for free. Steve was the only person Louie liked.

The clamor of the main city was to much on holly's ears, her perpetually down turned lip showing a look of somewhat dislike. The emotion was there but faint, she vaguely disliked this place but vaguely cared. What she did care for however was rare and out of reach. Rounding her black and looking further ahead her brown eyes settled upon a nicely kept gas station, it's white walls standing out against the barren black concrete. The door swung open with a jingle at her gentle push alerting the clerk a customer was present.

The burgundy haired girl had mere pocket change to spend and so she made her selection wisely settling upon a pack of gum. Silently placing it on the blue speckled counter she produced a few quarters and handed them over. The rather scruffy man that sluached at the register merely eyed her in silent judgement before taking the change and handing her a receipt wich she took and went on her way.

The simple joy of mint chewing gum brought a smile to the girl's face as she wondered out the front door and back down the street. It was high time she returned before her mother or holly would regret having set foot outside the door trim. Once back home her eyes traced a callender and found the date she so desired....two days..... her smile faded and her eyes lingered. Time was ticking down and the not in her stomach was growing taught.

Louie sat in the doorway between the driveway outside Steve’s sharpening shop and the small sitting room off to the side of the sharpening area itself. For a while he listened to the grind of metal on metal as fifty-four-year-old Steve Coats rounded the machete blades into their razor-sharp state once more, busting off the rust that had accumulated along the blade itself. He could tell the air was starting to cool ever so slightly, and soon it would drop to thirty degrees, the only heat coming from the roads as they released what they had gathered throughout the day. And perhaps they would be blessed with rain before the coming of the next day. It would wash away the bone dust littering the ground outside town.

The noise fell away and silence rang through Louie’s head. He bounced to a stand and turned, stepping into the building and looking around at what had become so familiar to him: A small room, certainly, but lit rather warmly with a dull light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a wood-burning stove in the center of the room. To the left was a sliding door that led to the same room the garage door led to. In front of the stove was a small wooden table, a chair, a threadbare brown-red woven rug. Pushed against the wall to the right and under the window was a couch and table in front of it, several black book shelves against the wall nearby piled with phone books, a couple bibles, and a random assortment of newspaper clippings and old magazines. A door led to a back office along the far wall beside an off-white refrigerator. The floor was linoleum, a discolored yellowish color. A dog laid in the middle of the room, a massive black Labrador with kind, old eyes.

Steve stepped into the room with Louie’s two machetes wrapped in newspaper. “Here they are, kiddo.” He said with a smile, handing them over and straightening his dirty ball cap. Steve was the only one able to call Louie ‘kiddo’ without getting so much as a dirty look, let alone a punch in the stomach. Instead, he received a smile.

“Thanks a lot, Steve-o.” He said, running a hand over his prized possessions. Friends since the beginning, there were many things the two could call each other without getting a negative reaction. Steve would normally have told off someone who called him ‘Steve-o’, but Louie knew him too well. “Those bushes out back are insane.” He continued. “Dulls my knives in just a couple days. Maybe I should invest in a hand sharpener?”

“Then when’d I see my main man?” Steve chuckled, patting Louie on the shoulder. “You don’t come by but to get some work done, then you’re off again! The life of a teacher’s really that busy? And in the summer?”

“Summer’s almost over.” Louie observed. “Can’t you tell by the rain clouds gathering?”

“Yeah, I know. Means I won’t see you for a long time!”

“Oh, Steve, I’ll make time! Perhaps this weekend, it’s not but a few days off. One wonders why they don’t start school on Monday, rather than right in the middle of the week.”

“Eh. Who knows? But I’ll hold you to your word!” Steve crossed his arms as Louie bent down to the dog, Teddy Bear, and gave him a scratch behind the ears. The dog thumped his tail several times, but made no more movement.

“I’ll see you Saturday, Steve.” Louie promised, standing and stepping into the fading sun. “Maybe we can do something, eh?”

“Sure, why not?” Steve stood in the doorway as Louie went to his truck. “Go to the river and find some frogs, maybe? Haven’t done that in years!”

Louie smiled, and started his car. With a wave, he left the driveway. He had no intention of going home, the day was still young. He would wander, perhaps, find someone.

Sitting about in the dully lit silence of the apartment made her eyes tire easily of their faded and smoke stained white walls. Laying on her bed she could not sleep, wandering to the kitchen she could not eat and the flavor of her gum had faded. It was an odd thought that one flavor could make all that was wrong seem better, if only for a moment, as the cooling sensation swept over her and passed like a wave and was gone with the receding tide. Tick Tock Tick Tock whent the clock maddeningly ticking down the seconds that slipps on by as the sun set, trialing down the walls and leaving her alone in the chilled dark.

The silence dragged on for an hour or so broken by the sudden crash of the front door and drunken screams. Dragged back from the brink of sleep by the clamour in moments her bedroom light was flicked on and the rosy cheeked and messy figure of Cathrine stood in the door way. "you little BITCH...." not knowing what she did or what was the matter she sat up, mute and very still in wonder. "its your fualt, you know how much i sacrificed for you? and now look.....you ungratful brat.....laying here sleeping while theres work to be done?! I should have had an abbortion!" Having heard the line many times she was more or less dessensatized to its meaning rather agreeing with the woman secretly. "but all the packing done and i-" she was cut off by a shark slap to the face and pulled to floor where she received a sharp kick to the back. "dont talk back to me! Im your mother, i am a goddes and will be treated as such!"

Receiving another sharp kick Holly knew how this would end and she didnt like it. The urge swelled up in her chest, filling her with sharp and ragged breath, to run. Strugling to get up and running out the door as fast as she could holly grabbed nothing, not even shoes in her haste. She'd had enough. She'd gone for walks before, but never this, never had she run. It was sickening cowardice and yet there was no other way. Screams ad shouts chased after her but soon faded into into the freshly born night as Holly was down the street and around the corner, out of breath and out of strength.

what have i done? she thought to herself leaning on a wall and gripping one long sleeved arm in pain. Holly wondered if she should ever go back at all, she had to, but she wasnt sure if she could at this point. Even if her mom was to hung over to remember once again could she realy make herself walk back in through that door?

"stupid..." she scorned herself quietly

"god your such a moron, what are you going to do now coward?" frowning she looked up to the stars

"maybe if you had an ounce of nerve you could have taken the beating like a man." frowning she pulled the gum fro her pockent and proceeded to chew another piece. There was no point in further scolding herself, she'd just have to walk around till dawn and then go from there.

Sporting a fresh bruise on her knee and a few beneath the cloth that always covered her arms she ignored the pain not wanting to know if she had acquired more injuries that just bruises. Not thinking about it somehow made it hurt less, or at least she hoped that was the case. She had landed hard and walking about wasn't exactly pleasant because of it.

Louie sat for a moment under the yellow streetlight, resting his head in his hand, staring at the pavement between his feet. Ants were marching about, in a random and erratic formation rather than in their neat little lines so often portrayed in storybooks and cartoons. They were black ants, rarely ones to bite, no soldiers among their ranks. The foragers out looking for a spare crumb mixing with the dirt and plastic and cigarettes. They didn’t seem to know of the giant sitting right above them, able to reach down and scoop up their lives so easily. Louie sighed, thinking about the fragility of life, and pulled the tie out of his hair. In the cooling breeze, his hair gained its substance back, and he ran a hand through to rid it of knots. Sometimes he was complimented on it, by passersby or people he happened to sit near. He needed it to be as long as it was, easy to simply tie back, keep in check, avoid leaving a stray nearby.

He never intended to find anyone tonight. He was weary, bored, but not interested enough to look for someone new. Life itself seemed to bore him, the only happiness he felt came from helping a student learn or get them through a difficult time. The only sense of justice he felt was to rid the world quickly and quietly of those who were defacing and damaging it and the people who didn’t deserve it. Louie sighed, without a place to go other than home, where he would pace and think endlessly. He didn’t want to do either. He wanted to clear his mind, take the weight of the world and put it aside for a while, but also keep a clear head. He got his wish when the sky boomed a massive explosion of thunder that seemed to shake the entire town, letting loose a shower of rain.

It cooled the air around him, seemed to make the ground steam. The ants on the road in front of him scrambled to escape an immediate and watery death, vanishing between the cracks. Louie didn’t move, himself. He loved the rain, and when summer started to fade into the backdrop, clouds were the norm. But it didn’t last long, at least, not as long as Louie would have liked. It called out the water-loving animals, frogs and dragonflies that dwelled around the borderline lake that the town turned in to. He looked up, shielding his eyes slightly and breathing in. The coming of the rain relaxed him a bit, the sound and smell a relaxing effect that not much else could bring. It would wash away the bone dust that was all that remained of his latest interest, and leave not a scrap of evidence she ever existed. Other than photos and her family, of course.

Louie stood and went to his truck. It was parked just several yards away, outside the pool of yellowish light from the streetlight. Instead of getting in, he leaned against the front bumper and stared at the black boots on his feet. Generally lusterless, they shined in the nearby light and shower of water that bathed them. He was alone, as far as he could tell, which was how he preferred it anymore.

Still hidden by the shelter of her littler cove at the mouth of a dark ally Holly jumped at the sound of thunder. She hadnt been expecting it but frowned. Just my luck.... she thought not minding the rain most of the time the girl decidedly didnt like the prospect of being drenched and shoeless. Peering around the corner to see if there was an awning or shelter near by a sharp jolt gave cuase for her to press her back against the wall once more out of sight.

Was that? No it couldnt be another person, not this late. Holly's mind raced and her brown eyes searched the ally floor, fallowing the lops of rain as they soaked the parched pavement. decidedly staying hidden, not wishing to explain her current appearance, it wasnt until the rain stopped that she peeked around the corner again. Getting a better look Holly realized it the figure of a man with very dark hair she'd spotted, only now he was leaving. That was at least good for her. stepping from
around the corner and sticking to only the dim edges of light the steet lamps left Holly continued on her walk. Damp feet pattered on pavement, the only human sound to break the din of animal cries that filled the cool city night.

Sunrise....it'll be here soon.....just keep walking.....you can go home when the sun rises. Keeping her head turned down to hide her face in loose, wet burgandy hair Holly simply walked on. Not wanting to be seen and not wanting to be acknowledged.

Her soul hope in life rested on the golden rays of another desert day glistening on the sandy grey pavement and illuminating the many glass windows that jeered and blinded all those who looked at them. In the morning her mistake would be erased....or at least she'd like to have thought that.

Louie sat forward, letting the rain’s shattering drops break over him and cool him. Without a thought, he let his hair move forward without bothering to acknowledge it, and in black sheets it hung about his face, hiding his gaze from anyone who might be near. When it let up a bit, an obvious break in the wave of falling water from the sky, he breathed in, and was welcomed by a fresh, earthy smell. Damp and humid, something easier on the nose rather than the harsh, dry air of the desert any other time.

After a moment’s silence, Louie tensed. He heard something, among that of the nightly creatures and random dog barking in the distance. Footsteps? They seemed heavy, as though burdened. He sighed inwardly, a slight shake of the head sending water drops flying from his hair. With closed eyes, he hoped whoever it was would pass by without even seeing him. He didn’t want to speak, or be spoken to, or have any confrontation. With his luck, though, it was almost as likely as the next day’s arrival at midnight. But he didn’t want to be chased off. If he went home so early, he would wander. Wandering was not good for him. And he had no intention of bloodying his hands with William quite yet.

Continueing her pace and locking locking gaze with the ground the burgandy haired girl lost herself to the rhythm of her wet feet pattering on cement. Constantly urging herself to just keep going that seemed realy the only drive Holly had left. Keep on the move, dont look back and dont look at anyone else. Half hidden in shadows Holly passed the figure, catching a better glimps close up. It chilled her, leaving trial of shivers to trace her cold, wet and barefoot body.

Dont break pace just keep going.

the silence was tense, drowning out even the sound of the black night's creatures in their mangled song. Soon her feet took her halfway down the street but somehow that tense silence had followed her even there. Anticipating the sound of a voice she cringed at the thought wishing and wanting not to be noticed.

Out of sight and several hours later Holly finaly stopped walking, The blankness of the shaddows that swallowed her feet had turned a pale grey, looking to the sky she simply stared blankly. So dawns' here already huh.... she sighed inwardly. Faint rays of sun slid over the tops of gold grey buildings and priked the night chill from her cheeks playfully. Even so she didnt absolved from her mistake as she'd hoped. It was time to turn back, but in all her wandering she'd forgotten where 'back' even was. Turning around Holly hopped to find home by simply backtracking a while as her filthy feet carried her onward once more.

Louie slammed the door to his car without worrying about leaving the seat soaking wet. The vehicle shuddered and screeched angrily at him, but he was used to it. Leaving the shelter of the awning to the side of the house, where he had parked his old truck, he went around to the porch and stood there in the faint mist for a moment, glaring at the sky as though to see beyond the black clouds. But night had only just fallen. It would be a while before he could see anything other than a blanket of nothing. Fishing the key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped into his house. It was a skeleton key, what he used, something rare to the world but hard to copy in genuine. Closing the door, locking it behind him, and flipping on a couple table lamps, he got a good look at one of the rooms he had grown up in.

A green couch sat to the right of the door, in front of a small television that gave good picture but seemed outdated in comparison to the plasmas and seventy-inch wall-mounted monsters so mainstream now. Alongside the couch were two brown-cushioned chairs, farther away from him and near the back wall, to the right of the archway that led to the kitchen. To the left of the room stood a large, stone fireplace and two brown chairs, the fireplace flanked by two tall bookshelves. The old wood floor was covered by a green and pale tan-brown throw rug, threadbare and frayed about the edges. As he stood, leaning against the door’s old, peeling paint, he could hear something in the silence. A scratching, thumping sound banging from below the floorboards. With a smirk, he crossed the living room, entered the kitchen, and stepped to the left, to the door that led to the basement.

The stairwell was dark, and it was hardly much better when Louie flipped on a light switch. It forced a bare bulb to buzz to life, and the sound fell from existence. It was replaced by a gasp and repressed whimper, and the creaking of Louie’s footsteps as they fell lightly on the stairs leading down to the cellar.

The long and lonesome night trialed on, looming over the city ominously and casting all in a muddled grey. The flat desert horizon let sun leak over it's edge for earlier than most places, though dawn was slow in approach t was prematurely announced. The cold air bit at her skin like a hawk at a dead jack rabit making her wish she was inside somewhere warm. Her second peice of gum had lost flavor long ago but she refused to stp long enough to spit it out.

Eventualy the patter of bare feet on the cold bleached concreate came to a halt. the streaks of morning grey where becoming paler and lighter with each passing out, dawn sluggish to rise and the moon resisting desent. The old pale building she had run from, with dirty windows and cracked concrete, stood there mocking her. It's door frame was twisted into a reproachable snear and wind whipping at its glass panes whispered 'coward'. Frowning the burgandy haired girl; tired, battered, and bruised, listen for a sound beyond that of the cruel mockery. Hearing nothing and seeing no light she guessed it was safe to return.

Opening a door on the second floor and carefully walking in not a light was on but the dark space was filled with smoke. There she was, passed out on the couch and cigaretter in hand. Sighing at her mother's carelessness she was now sure that Cathy wouldnt remember a thing. Taking the smoldering but from her mother's fingers and putting it out in the sink the girl laid down. Exhuastion soon took hold and the girl was asleep before the sun itself finaly made an appearance.

one day left...