There was only static on the line, no one was within range at least although Scott's place had been boarded up against something. Apparently he had spent some time and effort trying to keep something out. His kitchen was littered with empty cans and used up rations. At some point he must have run out of food and been forced to go out in search of more when... when whatever it was must have gotten him to.

Ciara took the communicator and headed back out. Maybe if she was within range of someone... maybe she'd pick them up. She looked all over but couldn't locate the solider who had gone missing. Every now and then she used the com but she only got static. She had about 30 mins to get back to the beach.

She sighed, and turned to head back to the beach.

By the time she got there, there was no sign of the Atlanteans having arrived yet. Nor did they come for the next while after.

It had been a good while since the sun had set. She stood on the beach, rubbing her arm. Where were they? "HELLO!" She yelled once and then decided against anymore. What was going on here... She had to make a choice. Go back into the city or wait....Slowly she approached the city. She had nowhere else to go..

As Ciara walked back into the city, the buildings seemed to somehow grow with shadows as the dark began to settle in. The cold air whipped up in the streets, rattling windows and doors. For a moment the mutant caught her reflection in one of the windows, accompanied by that of a teenage male with sickly pale skin and bloodshot eyes. He stared at her in the reflection but as soon as Ciara would turn to look, he wasn't there.

As she moved down the street, every now and again the boy would appear in reflections with her, a little bit closer each time. He never made a sound, nor did he look friendly.

After the first time she saw him, she started to pick up the pace and with each time she picking up the speed. Till she was running, her heart beating. "Who's THERE!" She backed up against the wall in the alley way. "Show yourself!" She demanded.

The Alley was silent and abandoned and no one came out to see her. Mind you, there also weren't any windows or reflective surfaces nearby either.

Ciara stood, breathing heavily. It wasn't till she heard an off distant noise that she finally snapped out of her shock and flew back to Scott's. Slamming the door beside her and sliding to the floor, "Where did everyone go?..." She mumbled, trying not to panic

Scott's house was boarded up from top to bottom. All the windows had been smashed out and covered in plywood, all the mirrors had been removed, even the shiny metal surfaces were torn out and thrown away and those that couldn't be destroyed were so dirty they'd never reflect anything.

In his room the bed had been used partly as a barricade up against what had once been a large window. Now only the mattress was there, although that was shoved into the closet for extra safety.
Inside his pillowcase, under the pillow itself was a tattered looking notebook.

Ciara stumbled around till she found the mattress in the closet. And they thought SHE was crazy for sleeping in a closet. She slipped in and found the note book... She'd have to wait till morning to read it. Till then, she'd try and get some sleep.

She pushed the button on the com, "If anyone can hear this. This is Ciara McCoy...I'm in Genosha... I'm scared."

By morning her stomach was growling, and it was already clear that there was no more food in Scott's house.

Ciara sat down and chose to do a quick read through of the notebook she found under the pillow before going out in search of food.

The journal told of how people have been disappearing for the last three weeks. At first it started with one or two people disappearing at a time, then it was entire groups. Eventually they appearance of someone in a mirror became common additions to the occurrence but by the time people could figure that much out, half the city was gone. Some people had left, aside from those that had disappeared.
Then the people trying to leave the island began being targeted. There was no escape, no way out. People were told to keep inside but that could only last so long. Anyone caught out in the open was a goner, anyone caught near any reflective surface was doomed to vanish and never be heard from again.
There was no way of communicating with this silent reflection, many had tried and failed miserably.

It was clear to Ciara that she'd never make it off the island without this figure grabbing her. She managed to make it into a convent store and munched away at some boxed goods.

She knew just the place to confront this figure. Because if she was going to go down, she was going to do it on her own terms. And maybe those who had disappeared could be saved. Ciara took a deep breath and entered the dance large dance studio. There were mirrors on all sides of the room. She walked into the centre.

"Ello?" She called, a tab nervous.

It wasn't long before a figure appeared in the mirror, but it wasn't the same guy as before. It was Toad, he was jumping up and down, shouting something that couldn't be heard. Grabbing Ciara's reflection and trying to drag her away but he couldn't make her budge.

"TODD!" She ran up to the mirror. "Not you too!" She placed her hands on the mirror and slowly mouthed, "Are you ok?"

Toad shook his head and waved his arms erratically. Suddenly Lance came running into the scene and grabbed Toad by the arm, trying to drag him out in a panic as he yelled at him. Then the two of them froze and turned as the pale boy from before stepped into the room, glaring at the two of them. With a wave of the boy's hand, they went flying into the far wall and then he turned to Ciara. Reaching out his hand he walked towards her.

"LANCE, TODD!" She was more worried about her friends then her own safety. She took a step but when he began to approach but no more. "Why are you doing this?" She mouthed slowly, placing her hand out toward his, not really thinking of what would become of her.

He paused, tilting his head to the side at her question. Soon his hand grasped Ciara's, their fingers entwining as a strange feeling came over the water mutant. She could no longer feel the water in people around her, she could however, hear Toad groan as he picked himself up off Lance where they had landed.

She looked toward her friends and then at the man, not having let go of his hand, "Why are you doing this?" She asked again

"It is my right" he replied, standing tall and letting go of her hand. With that, he turned to leave.

Ciara grabbed hold of him and turned him. "What gives you the right to take people from their homes, their lives. Who gave you the right to take away people's freedom!" She demanded.

He merely looked her calmly in the eyes, "Their homes are still here. Their freedom is still here" he replied, "They may go where they want and do as they please, they are merely in my world now, where they cannot bother anyone else-nor can they be bothered by anyone else." he smiled, "and I get to have some company."

Ciara's expression saddened. "How long have you been here?"

"A number of years now" he took a step back from her to be free of her grasp, "It's better this way anyhow. Better than if the purifiers had come. At least this way you're all alive, I don't see why you people keep fighting it."

"Because we can't move anything!" Toad snapped.

"Toad, sshh" Lance grabbed him, trying to hold the greenish boy back.

"We can't interact with ANYTHING." Toad insisted, "it sucks!"

"You also don't need to eat or sleep" the pale boy replied stiffly, "it's a fair trade. You can live forever this way."