• That little girl wasn’t so little now, thought Malachi. He remembered her when she was three in that god awful frilly pink dress that it seemed all parents made their little girls wear. He could recall the fake lace patters sewn into that blush pink cotton, and the ruffled layers at the bottom ending just above her knees. It was true even then he found her cute, but she was three and he ten, he was soon becoming a man, well that is what he thought… he knew better now, and there was other girls his age to think about. But there was still something about this little girl that drew him to her and spiked his interest.
    Maybe he should take more time to describe what she was like when she was three, get you caught up on what intrigued him about her. Her personality than was mediocre, it was her looks that caught everyone’s eyes. Her skin was pale, paler than the moon but it glowed akin to it too. Her hair was a red, not that orange red of Anne Of Green Gables, no, she had that dark brown, almost ebony in colour that looked like it was overlaid with this vibrant cherry red, making it an auburn colour per say, but much different in it’s own way. It had lowlights of mahogany, and highlights of red-purple to add a shine that lit up even the darkest of days. Her eyes, and for a ten year old he was positive, were not normal. Larger eyes than most, surrounded by a full head of lashes, and not what you usually read in the books, they were full and long and when she closed her eyes they looked like big soft dark lines drawn under her lids. They were both a vibrant Mediterranean blue and a rich snake plant green. The Green was a think line around the pupil, while the blue surrounded it like a halo.
    Her teeth were pointed, and reminded him of the vampires in his comics. Her lips were blush pink and down-turned bow in shape. She was to say the least, alien-esk in her appearance. Yet in all reality she annoyed him with her constant questions, and always being the centre of attention even when she was covered in mud. He was in school and doing well, on all sports teams he could find, played the piano, and even dipped his toes in different arts, he should be the pride, not her. Maybe he should also describe their families before he went on describing that three-year-old girl now when she twenty-two he thought.
    Well he grew up in the 1920’s in a small town called Idris, it was in one word extraordinary. Each house built with a glass-like material, and artistic iron work. It was a warm climate, and animals like tigers and polar bears met where this place connected all climates and habitats together. The town itself was surrounded by water, and waterways posed the best possible transport and bridges had to connect little hills of land that rose from the water together. The water was that blue you dream for, the rich but light blue that looks so pure you connect it with heaven. There was no electricity, everything ran on a special substance that the city called Shekaa. As the modern world would think, and I am sure you do, we should have had cars and T.V’s and computers. Well guess again, everything in this city was old fashioned that way, along with the way adult females tended to dress, and it brought in an exotic mix to our glamorous city.
    His family was one of the richest, Wheatling was his last name, and townsfolk new when they heard that name it meant the oldest family in Idris. Now his family was well respected, his mother was a vision of a Goddess, but she was short tempered and wasn’t fit for motherhood. His father was nice in his own right, and was handsome for what he was, but he was always to busy. Aynsley Oleander’s family always accepted him, and took care of him most days. Now her family wasn’t poor, theirs was the fourth or fifth richest and were close friends and business partners with his family. That business Aynsley and Malachi only just learned about. If you heard what they were, and what they did you would think pure evil, but on the contrary they brought peace and even had direct contact with the Gods and Goddesses. Now back to Aynsley’s parents; they were plain but beautiful at the same time. They had superb personalities and always smiled, they seemed like the perfect family, but there was always a secret hidden behind their happy façade, and Malachi would soon learn out what.
    As Malachi stood watching Aynsley step up the stairs in her rich silk green skirt, and parchment colour bustier, he remembered all this and wished he could be there for her. Aynsely had grown into a beauty, Goddess-like in some ways. She was tall, taller than most women, and petit. She was curvaceous though with fuller breast, and butt for her slender shape giving her definition. She had high cheek bones, and with her hair tied up, short curly pieces fell out of the knot in her hair. Usually she kept it pin straight and cut short but she was letting it grow out and curl into perfect fine ringlets that covered her whole head. She had a dark cape on that fluttered behind her, and Malachi felt a strong passion to reach out and grab her wrist and pull her into an embrace.
    That was forbidden, she was a scarred and deeply disturbed immortal, both parent’s dead, with a dark past he couldn’t dare repeat, and he was the head of his family’s conduct, running the city and putting rules into place to make sure the immortals lived isolated lives. He didn’t have to agree with his parent’s but he had to serve them, it was in his blood. He felt a sharp pain as he thought this, and the last night he spent with Aynsley on her sixteenth birthday where she shared all this information putting their contact on hiatus. They were not mortal enemies but they couldn’t be lovers and he was always stuck afar to watch her.
    Aynsley’s heart beat with rapid distress. It had been fourteen years since her real parents had died, and her Aunt and Uncle claimed her for themselves and acted like they birthed her since her parents lived in seclusion. They abused her in minor ways that all pilled up to her being mentally disturbed. She had to visit her parent’s graves and get that potion they left behind in a secret alcove to hide her true identity and give her back her humanity. She just needed this so she could fit in. Soon her looks would become too drastic and invite wondering eyes to snoop. She had told one person of the truth and she knew how well that turned out… they now avoid each other, not by her terms though.

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    My feet hurt from a day of travelling. I’d tell you that getting from Ragland to Shekka is a long journey, but it usually isn’t. The sun stirred me this morning, or what I thought was the sun, but was actually a bright torch light from the local pillagers who came to raid my temporary campsite. I am trained in many types of battle, that pleasure my Aunt and Uncle drove on me. I don’t see why they would have taught me to kill my own kind, I did find out what I was and it stopped their plans dead in its tracks, ha, serves them right. Conscience, my conscience stopped me since the shadowed figures gathered around my nature bed were humans, and I couldn’t tear them apart for being poor.
    I decided to stir slowly as to not raise panic and evoke fear, so slowly sitting up I said “There is nothing here worth rummaging through!, and I wouldn’t put it past myself to kill you by removing you limb by limb!” in what I though was my toughest and empowering voice but instead my voice was small, scratchy and failed me in some places so my sentence came out more like “There is no- here worth rumm-ing through….., and I wouldn’t pu—it ………… you by removing yuh limb by limb.” Tell me about embarrassing, by the time I cleared my voice of that morning frog that always seemed to loge itself in my throat, all the figures were buckled over laughing. A savage looking women, who was beautiful but had wild unruly hair, and torn animal skin clothing came over and squatted next to my head with a wicked rotting tooth smile and promptly forced out the English words with an evil chuckle “Girl, My men could do more to you if they were in limbs, and your prettiness would be now savage.”
    I decided to give up and with my closing speech I said “Madam I meant no harm, just tried to save you from wasting time, I have a long journey behind me and today is my last day. You woke me up, let me rest and have your free will of this place.” So I laid my head back down, and found a comfortable position and used their rummaging sounds too lull me into a more than restless sleep. Disturbing dreams of men and women dressed in khaki fighting gear with swords, daggers, whips, and other sharp metal items wearing a very evil grimace moved towards all types of angel’s ones imagination couldn’t conjure up, sending everything one viewed into a hue of red that was so deep it was almost black from all the bloodshed. Both angel and human looking bodies were strewn about in horrifying and impossible posses.
    I woke with a second start in a panic. My heartbeat raced and blood pumped in my ears temporarily hindering my hearing, while sweat plastered the blankets, my clothes, and hair to my body. I felt slightly shaken and was shocked to see it was me, and that my skin was so void of colour I must have looked like a zombie rising out of water. Taking deep paced breaths my frantic heart beat started to subside, but I still felt like crap. This was one of my most disturbing dreams I have had during the past month, and if you were close to me you’d know I also took a nap a day to replenish my energy leaving me to have these dreams two times a day.
    Now, I know what your thinking; let me tell you I am thinking it too; that usually when people have dreams like this something is seriously wrong, and well they should probably know something is coming. I am not stupid, I do read. So I packed up as quickly as a could and headed southeast for about ten minutes to the fresh stream that came from a mountain quite some distance from here, so it was pretty warm. After checking out the surroundings about twenty times (I didn’t want anyone to see me naked, I am self-conscience) I stripped off a sorter tighter blue skirt, a clench, and a white billowing blows and dipped one toe in before walking out to the deeper part where I was half submerged.
    After a nice refreshing wash, I slipped out and grabbed a towel and wrapped it quickly around me to keep the wind from pelting my wet skin, no need for a cold today I thought. After putting on leave in conditioner, by the way may I say is a blessing in disguise, I put on a forest green silk skirt with a parchment coloured bustier. Packed especially for entering Shekaa, the old city. On top of the skirt and bustier, a dark cap was thrown on to disguise her swirling, intricate, and Celtic-looking tattoos that covered pale skin. These tattoos weren’t tattooed on, but merely formed on their own, the up-side to being immortal.
    Now here I am my heart racing, walking up the steps to the poisonwood’s indoor cemetery that housed my parent’s bodies. I felt someone’s eyes on my back, and knew I needed to hurry, the meeting would start in three hours time, and I needed to blend in. As I quickened my pace and raced past the guards to the rows and rows of graves, my sight set to the far right corner by the indoor garden. As soon as I reached there graves, I looked around before going in to grab the potion. No one was looking so I took it, and drank a mouthful down.

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    By the time Aynsley had recovered from what she called ‘zombie’ mode she was heading to the council towers in a crowd of people dressed similar to her. All bodies temporarily joined as they jolsted and bumped into one another. Malachi was close on Aynsley’s heals keeping a close eye on her, when the person between them stepped away and he walked right into her. Malachi felt Aynsley tense and look behind her. She knew her skin was warmer than what would be normal for the citizens of Shekaa, and who ever ran into her full on would surly notice more than anyone who bumped her. As soon as she turned her head to see who it was she breathed a sigh of relief even though she really didn’t want to see Malachi.
    Than Aynsley had the realization it was Malachi and her body naturally drooped and a sting of pain, and hurt brought the smile that was just touching her face to a frown. She loved him, she really did. He always was around when she was young, teaching her to read, or play ball, than he upped and left her after he found out. So her body stiffened again and she made to turn around and rush off when his hand snaked around her upper arm and turned her to face him. As Malachi opened his mouth to speak an apology Aynsley spoke first with a tone so void of feeling that it seemed unnatural, “Malachi, I, we don’t have the time, the council starts in just a few moments and I…” she stopped and forced out the next word “we need seats, this is a serious matter did you forget?”
    Malachi’s face dropped, if he was sixteen again he would voice his hurt by saying ouch, but he kept it light and friendly. “Than Aynsley give me the pleasure to sit next to you during this discussion to pick your brain.” It should have been a question, but he knew she would turn him down so he used it as a statement and he took a step to walk beside her, looping his arm in hers not allowing her to deny. They rounded a corner, and entered the building. She caught her breath in a gasp, not realizing how beautiful the council was made, but Malachi gave her no time to gloat as he lead her to a set of chairs at a table, pulling out a seat for her.
    As the council was let out after a fight erupted and blood was shed, Malachi held gently but firmly onto Aynsleys arm as people started to file out of the building.

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    Her skin was warm, warm like the hottest summer day, where no clouds blocked the suns rays and the sun was at its highest peek, it felt good, too good, and I knew I should never feel that way but I do. Raising my eyes from my hand and her arm to her eyes I knew I had to talk to her alone.
    “Aynsley, I know this must be hard on you to be here, let alone next to me, but you have to believe me when I mean no harm. I would really appreciate it if you gave me a bit of your time to go to a bistro and grab a drink and something light to eat. Before you say no, I guarantee I do have something important to tell you.”
    Shock flickered across her face, and didn’t linger. She was always good at hiding her real emotions, but I could always feel them deep down and knew before she knew sometimes. I slightly squeezed her arm and gave her my closest look to the puppy look before she opened her mouth. As soon as she saw the look in my eyes I could feel her heart breaking as she slowly closed her mouth and nodded once. I stood and offered her my hand as she slowly rose from her seat.

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    As the couple neared the bistro, the smell of grilled sandwiches was already powerful in the air, giving the nostrils and unpleasant shock. The heavy air was filled with garlic, tomato and cooked chicken, a mouth watering smell if not so invading. The street was quiet for once due to the length of the meeting. Malachi looked at Aynsley apologetically, as he pulled open the frosted glass door.
    The bistro itself was in good repair, a bit dark, but fashionably styled for the millennium. It was crowded for a Sunday yet an eerie quite fell over all the visitors. As a waitress guided them to a far corner to settle into a small booth made of white plastic, cushions on the back and seat of a lush rich pale blue silk, Malachi placed a light hand on the small of her back leading her through the candle lit building. It gave slightly as they sat down, being forced to sit down next to each other in the corner booth. With the menus placed in front of them, and the drink orders of a cherry Italian soda for Aynsley, and a spiced rum for Malachi taken, an uncomfortable silence fell over them. With the flipping of the neatly printed rice paper menus, it sounded defining with the fwaps slicing the air. Aynsley cleared her throat as the approaching waitress took out the note pad while placing the drinks down. With a tone of harshness she asked what they wanted, the mood of anguish, and troubled playing across her feelings, Aynsley made the note that she was absent from the meeting and that is what must be causing her sullen mood. Aynsley smiled her raident smile she new she had which had the power to brighten even the darkest of days, and with a light happy tone which she forced on the previously awkward moment ordered a garden salad with Italian dressing. She felt Malachi tense as soon as the waitress released her anger and settled back into what Aynsley felt was her natural bubbly persona. As Malachi stubbled over his order of a grilled Medetterainian inspired sandwich.
    As the waitress left smiling and now humming, Malachi turned harshly on Aynsley.
    “So you act all pleasant and lady like with a stranger, and when it comes to I, you turn the coldest shoulder, sending me into a frozen chasm!”
    His voice raising every few words till some of the customers turned in their chairs to look at the scene about to perspire, his hands gripped tightly on his glass as he took a long drag of his rum. Aynsley felt shaken and looked around frantically as she tightly gripped onto Malachi’s strong muscled arm to bring his attention back on her.
    “Malachi! Could you bring your voice down, it was not my choice to be ambushed by you. If I was to be like I was once with you so many years ago, I feel I maybe faint at heart and would have to rethink my choice of accompaniment.”
    As Malachi was left dumb-stuck, the younger waitress with the lush black hair, and Asian features returned holding their orders of food, and placed it down gently still smiling.