• Chapter Two

    tab I was immobilized by fear as I felt the cold metal of the knife brush against my neck. I thought I was going to die. In my head, I could hear my brother's voice echoing in my thoughts. He warned me not to cut through the alleys, but I didn't listen. I shuddered at the thought of not seeing him again.
    tab A loud gunshot pulled me away from my thoughts, back into reality. I saw the knife fall to the ground as the man let go of me. I turned around to see what had happened. The mugger was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Standing behind him was a young man. His golden-brown hair was glistening in the light of the setting sun, and his bright blue eyes were mesmerizing. In his right hand was a silver gun.
    tab "Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded yes in response, unable to speak. He walked towards me, putting away his gun. "It's getting late," he said, "Where do you live? I'll walk you home." He took my hand and I showed him the way.
    tab I couldn't help but stare as he walked along side me. He just came from nowhere and saved me from certain death. Suddenly the fact dawned on me that I didn't even know his name. As if he could read my mind, he started to introduce himself.
    tab "My name is Ryuu, and who might you be?" he asked.
    tab "I'm Kialla," I answered. We walked in silence for the rest of the way. By the time we got to my house, it was already dark.
    tab "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you Kialla," he said. I waved goodbye and went inside.
    tab "Where have you been?" Cobi yelled as I walked through the door.
    tab "I was just--" I started.
    tab "Do you know how worried I was?!" he interrupted,"I was just about to go out and look for you!" He started giving me a lecture about how I should get home earlier. I knew it would take a long time for him to finish, so I started thinking about Ryuu, and when I might see him again. I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice that Cobi had stopped talking and was glaring at me.
    tab "Are you listening?" he snapped.
    tab "Huh? Did you say something?" I answered. He let out a sigh of disbelief.
    tab "Forget about it," he said, and walked away.


    tab "Let's go! We can't stay here!" I could hear the terrified screams of the villagers as Cobi and I rushed through the back door. The streets were littered with bodies, and the ground was soaked with blood. The screaming continued as we ran away from the house. All I could think about was getting away from them. I wanted it all to stop. The screaming, the bloodshed, I wanted it all to go away. I wished my mother and father were there, to protect us from the massacre.
    tab "Look out!" I heard someone say as one of the houses collapsed into a crumpled heap. Then more and more houses met the same fate. We ran as fast as we could, so that we would not be crushed. I started crying. My home was being destroyed by fearsome creatures. Not looking where I was going I tripped over a rock.
    tab "Kialla!" my brother yelled, looking back. There was a sharp pain in my leg. I tried to get up but I couldn't. Just then a building started falling in my direction. I screamed, but nothing came out. I was going to be crushed, and I could do nothing but watch as the building came closer and closer to the ground.


    tab I woke up in a cold sweat. My room was completely dark except for the moonlight shining through my window. Not a single night has gone by when I haven't dreamt of that nightmare ten years ago. It's haunted me ever since the day it happened. The terrified screams still rang in my ears. I looked at the clock. It was three in the morning.
    tab "Are you alright?" I looked around, startled, and saw Cobi in the doorway. "I could hear you screaming across the hall," he said, with a hint of worry in his voice.
    tab "I'll be fine," I answered. I never told him about the nightmares. He worries about me enough without them. "Sorry I woke you up."
    tab "Well, try to get some sleep," he said, and walked back to his room. I lay in my bed and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. I was unaware of the nightmare to come the next day.