“Um…I….I…Me and Erich went to the Valentines Day dance at school,” I stammered. I looked over to Mom and she didn’t meet my gaze, so did no one else in the room. I looked behind me to Gerald and he was staring back at me, with the same worried expression on my face.

“Okay, where did you spend the night?” He asked now.

I started freaking out, my breath quickened and thoughts rushed through for a cover story. “Daddy, um…I spent the night at--”

“She spent the night with me, Tito.” Gerald cut in. “We’re dating, Sir.”

Daddy took a step forward, and I jumped in front of Gerald. “Daddy, I’m a big girl now.” I began not knowing what to say. “I choose Gerald.”

His eyes widened on the two of us, and then Mommy took his hand and pulled him back. “Tito, I know this is a big surprise, but I promise you that I will never hurt your daughter.”

I smiled and looked at him. He caught my gaze and smiled back. “I would really like to continue this conversation, but there’s somewhere I gotta be.” He let go of my hand he was holding on and began for the door. I followed him despite my messy hair and the sweatshirt and jeans he lent me.

“Kim, stay.” He ordered. I stopped and turned around with my head down. I heard the door close, and flinched at it. “Can we be left alone?” The second he finished, everyone got up with their plates and left the kitchen, though it was against the rule to eat somewhere other than the kitchen.

I began to walk towards him, “Daddy…”

“How could you lie to me?” He asked. “How could you have kept this a secret to me in my own house?”

“We weren’t telling anyone. I didn’t want to.” I still couldn’t meet his eyes, despite my eyes filling with moisture. “You kept saying how you considered him as a son and I was scared because of what happened with the accident and the things that were going on.” I knew I wasn’t making any sense to him, but I kept going. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He sighed, “I’m not angry that you’re dating Gerald, though I’m not exactly thrilled about it. But you lied to me. I hurts me to know that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me who you were dating.”

This time I saw the hurt in his face and walked over to him. “Daddy, you weren’t the only one.” I smiled putting my hand on his. “Mommy didn’t find out until last week, so you weren’t the only one. And it wasn’t Gerald, it was me. He wanted to tell you, but I didn’t. And we got into this huge argument, so really you should be mad at me. Though I hope you’re not.”

His lips twitched up and he pulled me against him. I was resting my head on his shoulder. “You know, I know that we haven’t had the best relationship ever, but I thought we were getting somewhere. I thought you’d be able to tell me everything.”

“Daddy, do you really want to talk about boys?” I chuckled.

He laughed quietly too, “It’s just you’re my baby; you’re my baby girl. And now you have a boyfriend.”

I sighed, “You’re beginning to sound like Erich. Which was another one that sparked an argument. Daddy, I’m always going to be your baby girl – that’s never going to change – but, I’m also a big girl now. And he loves me, there’s nothing more than what I can ask for.”

He smiled, “Did I scare him awhile ago?”

I laughed and nodded, sticking up my hand, “He may have been holding my hand a little tighter.” I hugged him tight, “And no one can ever love me like my Daddy.”

“Oh, true. Very true.”

So one problem down, a million to go. Erich called me and apologized for a million times about deserting me at the dance. But I told her it was okay, and as long as she was happy. She went on an on about her going on her first date in ages with the guy from the dance, explaining he was the epitome of perfection. I laughed because she never spoke like that before. And then before she got off the phone she apologized again for being all clingy.

Gerald didn’t come back yet, so I was at home in my room. I decided to clean up some stuff, and when it came to my desk, I found something that wasn’t there last week. My heart was beating so fast out of fear. It was four words THE END IS NEAR, and two bloody bullets in the envelope with the note. I looked over at my window but it wasn’t opened, and it didn’t seem like it was forced open.

Ever since that night that Alessandra broke in, we put up a new security system, so he couldn’t have come in or out without the alarm going off. I picked up my phone and my fingers were shaking while they were dialling Gerald’s number. He was picking up and that’s when it hit me. Isabelle was shot. Isabelle was shot, and it was only the beginning! I fell to the floor and kept dialling. My breathing picked up. What if something happened?

No, I couldn’t think about that now. I needed to get to the bottom of this. I wiped my eyes dry and went into my closet. I got out of Gerald’s close and changed into blue jeans and a white T-shirt. I told my parents that I was going out and that I’d be home later tonight. All that I hoped for was that I was telling the truth.

Gerald wasn’t answering his cell so I had to pray he was okay and he was with Chris and Isabelle. I took out my cell and called the last person I ever thought I’d ever call.

He picked up after the second ring. “I always knew you’d be running back to me. Gerald’s not enough for you, babe?”

“We need to talk…alone.” I told him.

“Where do you want to meet, babe?”

“Fifteen minutes: the Woodlorn Forest.” I said without any emotion. “And to make something, Jake. I am not your baby.”

I hung up the phone and tried Gerald’s cell phone one last time. He didn’t pick up. I took a deep breath and walked to the Forest with my head held high.

I was waiting for almost ten before he arrived. The sun was already at it’s highest and I knew that in a few minutes it would begin to settle, and within the hour, we would be covered in almost complete darkness. There was still some snow left on the ground, but because it was beginning its journey to melt, it would become slippery. Which meant it’d be extremely hard to run away and I intended to after what was about to happen.

I heard his heavy footsteps behind me and I spun around. His presence was darker than I remembered. He was so close to me that I thought he was about to kiss me. I took a step back and almost slipped, but he caught my wrists, and steadied me, but he didn’t let go. “On my way here, I tried so hard to think of why you would want to come see me.” He leaned more forward, “Are you scared? Is that fear I smell, Kimmy?”

I wouldn’t let him scare me, “Why? Is it fear you smell, because it must be coming from you. Did you really think I wouldn’t find it? You probably thought I would’ve just went over it, and you would’ve gotten away with everything.”

He laughed and started to walk around me. “Actually, I was counting on you to find it. This is now going to get interesting.” His laughed did scare me, though. “I bet you went to your little boy toy and told him.”

“Gerald doesn’t know anything. He doesn’t even know I’m here right now.”

“A little unwise, don’t you think? But then again, he does have some powers to help you out. Do you think he can read your mind right now? I hope so. This is what I’ve been waiting for months.” He explained.

“You know it’s weird. I never would’ve thought you would have been the one who planned all of this. I always thought you could never do anything to hurt me, and then you go and do something like this.” I turned to look at him with such hatred.

He smiled wickedly. “It was so simple really.” He took a seat on a moss-filled rock. “The car accident all those months ago.” My heart was beating so fast. “My Dad was always so good with directions, but somehow he couldn’t justify that one. So I borrowed his car and told him to get away for a little while. The look on your Dad’s face was priceless. So full of worry and anger. And seeing you run to him and Gerald holding you back…it was just so easy.”

“You son of a ,” I whispered.

He tilted his head to the side and looked up at me, “Oh, honey. Get your Dad out of the way, and torment Gerald. Alessandra didn’t think she was getting into anything illegal. She practically volunteered to break into your house. What women do for money,” he laughed again. “But your boyfriends friends had to come in and intrude on the best game I ever started. And then I started thinking, why would they get involved? And it hit me; they were all working together because they’re all the same.” He spit.

“Who shot her, Jake? Another person you paid?”

He shook his head, “Now that was the best part. She was beautiful, if only she wasn’t a damn wraith! She thought she was meeting her brother early for drinks. She arrived at the warehouse just on time. How stupid was she?” He laughed. “I mean why would someone meet their brother at a warehouse at 10:00 at night alone for drinks? Well she took a seat and didn’t even see it coming. Two shots on the back.” I covered my mouth and almost fell again. “Oh, but that wasn’t the best part, getting it out was. Hearing her scream in pure agony, I guess wraiths have a poor pain threshold. Oh she was screaming so loud that we had to quiet her down. But she’s feisty. I guess that’s what happens when you’re fighting for three years. But the knife to sure made her quiet. The fear in her eyes, her screams. That’s what she deserved for just existing. Earth is home to mankind, not anything else.”

I threw myself at him, hitting him with the strength that I had, but it wasn’t enough. Most of it was keeping me together. “You Bastard! How could you! She’s never done anything to you! How could you?!” But his hands went around my throat. I was gasping for air.

“Oh, Kim, you don’t see do you? There’s only one winning side, and you’re on the wrong one because of what? Love? That’s disgusting!”

My hands were trying to lessen the grip around my neck, but he wasn’t giving in. “He’s a million times better than you’ll ever be,” I choked out.

He threw me to the ground, and I put my hands on my neck where his were just second before. I was getting my breath back, but it hurt so much that I knew I’d be getting bruises.

“See that’s what’s wrong with you, Kim!” He screamed now. “You’re always on the losing team! They’re never going to win!”

“And what are you going to do? Kill all of them? Isabelle’s alive!” He stopped and looked at me in surprise. “If you didn’t kill Isabelle what makes you think you’ll be able to kill any of them!”

He bent down to my level and pushed my hair back, “Because I can, and I will. Let’s go and find them, shall we, and then you’ll see what I’m finally capable of.” He grabbed my wrists hard and whimpered in pain as he dragged me out of the woods and into his car.

And once I was inside, I saw it. The one thing he needed to kill them. The box of iron bullets. He was talking to someone outside, probably reassuring them that everything was okay. I emptied the box and put them under the seat. There wasn’t anytime to do anything more. He got in and took out the gun from his back pocket, and that’s when it hit me. He could’ve killed me there in the woods.