Emmet Leon Donner
I lay with the blanket gathered at my waist, sun spilling from the window behind my head warming my face and chest. It would be a nice day for early December, though there was a foot of snow blanketing the ground just five feet below me. Stretching, I knew Jackyl would want to cut wood today and prepared my muscles for a good work out. This was fine by me. The more wood we chopped, the more money we'd get in town and the less mother would have to worry about the debt we were in for Gords medical bills and how we'de save our land from the bank.
Shaking my head, I leaned up and looked around the room. Taylor was tucked in the corner paralell to me, sprawled so that one leg was bent upright and the other was dangeling over the side of the mattress. Across from him was Gordan who was sleeping as he always did, rolled on his side with both hands tucked under his cheek. The red glowing numbers on Taylors alarm read 6:45 a.m.
Sighing, I pulled myself to my feet and dragged them to the bathroom. Turning the faucet on cold I cupped my hands and let the icy water run for a few seconds before filling them and splashing my face. The shock of the cold had me instantly awake. Stepping out of the bathroom, I looked out the window behind Taylors sleeping form towards mother and Jackyls cottage and saw no smoke from the chimney, a sure sign that they were still asleep. Another sigh, I sat down on the matress that was my bed and looked out at the white world before me.
In front of our two small cottages was an old dirt road, though you couldn't distinguish it through the snow. Across the gravel was a long, light blue trailor. Recenlty, the old women, Ms. Hemp, who occupied it had paid me rather well to add a porch and ramp to the front and back. The poor woman never had any company and everyone in the small town of Brookstone called her " that freaky old lady". From her appearance, I had to admit, the poor woman did look the part. Hair bleached to such a blonde it screamed white, clothes bright, vibrant, overbearing, colors clashing. Tons of necklaces and bracelets and earrings with over large, tacky beads and stones hanging from them. Definitely different, but I liked her. She was kind and paid me well for the odd jobs I did for her, such as the new porch and ramps.
I looked again towards the other cottage and saw that mother and Jackyl were awake, thick smoke now billowing from the chimney. The first thing my mother did every morning was to make coffee and cook a big breakfast for her boys. Just as my stomach started to growl from the thoughts of frying bacon and eggs, another rumbling caught my attention. A blue pick up pulled in front of the trailor. I hadn't even noticed the absence of the vehicle and wondered where the woman had gone. One old, banged up door opened revealing Ms. Hemp. She walked to the bed and pulled out a purple suite case. The passenger door opened and a young girl jumped out.
Rushing to the old lady, she took the bag, her lips moving fast. Ms. Hemp laughed, shook her head and took the suitcase back. She disappeared into the trailor leaving the girl standing there for a moment. Then she too bent to reveal a smaller, matching bag and went inside. All this my brain registered, but I couldn't take my eyes off the girl. She was on the shorter side, hair pulled up high with what looked like chop sticks. I couldn't distinguish the color, maybe dark red with some lighter tones. Curvy, yet a little on the thin side, I could tell she was beautiful. I decided right then i'de definitely need a closer look.
I stood and called out to my younger brothers to wake their butts up. "Tay, come on! Jackyl's gonna want our help today." As I shrugged out of my sweats and slipped on some worn jeans, I didn't hear them waking up. Taking a running start, I pounced ontop of Taylor. Letting out a startled screech, his eyes flew open in terror. When he saw me above him, laughing so hard my side was cramping, his eyes narrowed into angry slits. "Emmet!? What the hell is wrong with you!? You could give someone a heart attack!" Still laughing, I made my way to my youngest brothers side.
Bending down, I softly shook Gord's shoulder until he stirred to reality. "Emmet...what is it?" For a moment, I couldn't say anything as I looked into his eyes. Even after all these years they still got to me. Two large, black eyes. Not the kind where the colors were so dark they looked black either, but I mean actually black! The pupils were bigger too, dominating, leaving little white. Looking into them, you could feel yourself being sucked in, swallowed into an endless nothing. The longer you stared the more you felt yourself slipping away into something dark, cold, evil.
"But it hadn't always been like this..." a voice weasled in my head. Gords eyes had been a light, soft blue when he was a baby, but on his fourth birthday right at 12:02, he'd opened them and they were black. When he'de turned eight, he started having terrible nightmares, nightmares he never would tell us about. At twelve, the pain started, and not normal pain. They would be in his stomach one instant, then ripping down his back the next. At the three brothers birthday five weeks ago, Gords nightmares and pain got so bad that he'd wake up with a matress soaked in sweat and vomit.
"Emmet, is it time to get up now?" Gords voice was slightly worried. The doctors didn't know what was wrong. Some said night terrors, others said bad blood circulation in certain parts of his brain and muscles. Nothing but big words I can't even remember. He'd been poked and prodded, scanned and cut open until he finally begged our mother to just let him be. He couldn't take the pain of the tests and the surgeries, not to mention none of them had even come close to helping. In fact, I think they made it worse.
"Emmet, its alright I feel ok today. See, i'm as healthy as a horse. Emmet!" Gord's soft voice trying to be loud brought me out of my dark thoughts. He was bouncing on the bed in front of him, proving his health. For today at least. Shaking my head, I really needed to get a handle on the bad thoughts today, I walked to the dresser to get a shirt. "Yeah Gord, time to get up. We got a long, hard day of work ahead of us." Behind me Gord smiled even though he knew he was too sick to work.


Collete Ariella Hemp
As the old truck made its way down the dirt roads, my butt kept bouncing up and down on the cracked leather seats, worse when the tires met the big pot holes sprinkled throughout the gravel. My grandmother, Ariella Virginia Hemp or Ginger as everyone including myself called her, was driving in the seat beside me, humming softly to herself. We haden't said more than a word to each other since we'de gotten on the plane back in Florida. Florida; sunny, hot, muggy Florida. I wouldn't miss it at all. I'm not very good at making friends, especially in places where every person was the same but you.
Everyone at Sunnyhills High was either bleached blonde or chestnut brown with great bods, great tans and great legs that went forever. That did not decribe me at all. Barely 5'3, plain faced, too thin, straight as a post, and pale as a ghost. Yep, thats more like it. My hair was three different colors, naturally. If one were to grab a lock and examine it, they would find every strand was either an ultra light blonde, crimson red, or coal black. It was long like the other valley girls sure, but intsead of straight, silky, and smooth it was a wild mess of frizzy, curls that forever refused to be tamed.
The main reason people had marked me as an outsider though, were my eyes. They were what scared most people off, a black so dark they were unnatural. Too large, both in size and pupil and not much white. Definitely different. Most people, a.k.a the bitches of Valleyhigh, said it was because I had no soul, that I was a freak, a witch, a satanist. Said I couldn't feel emotion, couldn't cry. Idiots! I cursed at the memories. How wrong people could be. My eyes were still swollen and red from all the crying I had done at the funeral yesterday and last night.
Shaking my head, I exstinguished the thoughts. You don't live in sunny Florida anymore. You now live in Brookstone, Colorado. Located on the base of the Rocky mountains, a tiny little town made up of only 500 people with a single paved road, buildings running down both sides. It's like they ran out of tar and all the busineses had to crowd together. The town was surrounded by thick woods, mostly evergreens and other conifers, as they disappeared up the mountain. Gravel roads led out in every direction like a large, entangled spider web.
Ginger turned down one such road and drove for what felt like forever. As we bumped along, I turned my attention to the world passing by my window. It was beautiful, everything covered with snow. It glimmered and glittered in the light of the early sun rising above the trees, the wind causing dancing flurries of powder to fly in every direction. I sighed at the peace and purity of the world I now found myslef in, the glass of the window fogging with my breath. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Beside me, my grandmother nearly made me jump out of my skin as she broke the silence of so many hours. "Here we are Lettie! Your new home!"
I looked towards Gingers pointing finger and felt my stomach drop. The trailor, oh my god a trailor, was light baby blue with a darker trim . The door was a dark red and looked like it needed paint. The windows all had plastic over them and the shutters were a crude orange. The nicest part of the trailor was an added porch with a ramp. I snuck a look at Ginger. For being 62, my grandmother looked pretty good, though her sense of style was missing. Not that I could talk seeing as how I repped the queen of boring attire title. Still, I wondered why she needed a ramp.
As we pulled in I noticed a small, square building suspened in the air between some trees across the road from the trailor. It was cute and matched the bigger home a few feet from it. Both were made of logs and had tin rooves, the bigger sporting a chimney made of what looked like polished river rocks. It was beautiful and serene nestled between the woods, surrounded by a back drop of white.
Ginger turned off the engine and jumped out. I sat in the cab for a few moments longer, trying to even out my breathing. Maybe I could get a job, save up some money, get a car and..and..and what you moron? Go back to Florida where you had nothing? Mom's dead, the house you grew up in was taken by the bank; there's nothing there. I couldn't help a tear from leaking out at the thought of everything I had lost in such a short time. It just wasn't fair!
Taking deep, shaky breaths I reached for the handle. Ginger was bending up from the bed of the truck, my suit case in hand. I hurried towards her. "No wait Ginger, I'll get that. You don't need to and they're mine anyways." I tried to grab the bag, but Ginger just laughed, shook her head and took it back. "You need to know one thing Collete dear. I may be old in body, but what matters is the age of one's soul. And mine is still pretty young.” Smiling, she turned on her heel and disappeared inside. I stood in the snow and felt the heat of embarassment crawl up my face. Well, I didn’t mean to disrespect her my first day living with her. Retrieving the only other bag of possesions I owned, I followed behind my grandmother.


Emment Leon Donner
The sun was nearly gone from the sky, its last rays barely giving enough light to see the ax I was holding. Sweat soaked my thermol to my body and I sighed in relief as the day was finally over. Taylor, Jackyl and myself had been chopping wood since 7:30 that morning and in all that time, I did not see the girl again, though not from lack of looking. I had come close to losing a body part from the distraction, but I couldn't seem to help it. I didn’t tell my family about her appearance this morning and this strangely made me feel as if she were all mine. No one knew about her yet ,she was my secret. Running a hand through my hair I had to admit that I was bordering on stalker and I haven’t even met her yet.
Jackyl set his own ax aside, his old joints popping as he stretched. Surveying the piles of wood around them he smiled wide. “Well done boys! I think it’s about time we called it quits for the day. We have plenty to load up in the trailor for town tomarrow and this old man needs some rest.” With that, he made his way through the snow to his cottage. I looked at Taylor and when our eyes met, both looked to our hut, then back. Taylor bent a knee and leaned foward in a running stance. “Ready...” I smiled knowingly and bent in the same position. “Get set...” Taylor smiled wide. “Goooooo!” We took off in a flurry of snow. Being quicker, I took the lead and was a few feet ahead of Taylor. Swinging the door open I prepared to launch myself into the bathroom, and then I stopped, frozen.
Taylor, startled by the abrupt halt, barely had time to stop himself. “Hey, why’de you stop?” He looked past me into the room and got his answer. Gord was lying in the middle of the room, his green and grey plaid comforter tangled around him. His shirt was off revealing his thin, ghostly chest covered in a layer of sweat. But that wasn’t what made Taylor and I look on in horror. Gord was covered in a mixture of blood and vomit. He must have been feeling sick after breakfast and thats why he came back to the hut. He must have started throwing up, but when he couldn’t stop, had tried to crawl to the door for help because there was a trail from his bed to where he lay now. My stomach clenched as my knees buckled. Oh God Gordy!!!
“Gordan!” Taylor had recovered first and was pushing past me into the room. “No wait Tay, go get mother and Jackyl. Now!” I could finally feel my feet again and was moving into the bathroom. Grabbing a handtowel out of the small cabinet under the sink, I soaked it in hot water. I fell to my knees by Gord, not caring that his vomit was all over me, and rolled him onto his back. I rung the rag above his face, cleaning off the puke and the blood. I noted that it came from his nose but had stopped bleeding. I thanked god for that. My mother would have died at the site of so much blood streaming from her youngest son. I’de made two trips before Taylor was back with mother and Jackyl in tow.
Putting a cool, slightly shaking hand on her youngest sons forehead, Harmony Raeann Donner took control. “Emmet, good work honey. Now fill a bucket, water as hot as you can get. Put some soap and bleach in it. I want you two to clean up the room. Strip Gordans bed as well.” We hopped to it. She turned baby blue eyes to Jackyl. “Father, help me get him into the shower!”
By the time Taylor and I had the puke and blood cleaned up, mother and Jackyl had Gord clean and in fresh sweats. When he was tucked into clean sheets, mother sat beside him. She gently caressed her sons face, tears leaking from her already red eyes. “Gordan, honey? It’s me, mama. Open your eyes love.” Her voice was gentle, calm, coaxing.“Gordy, baby, please?! You need to come back to us. Wake up!" Now scared, worried, pleading. Unable to watch as my mother begged her baby, my brother, to wake up, I started to back out of the room, ready to run into the cold winter night. Screw the coat, I'de bare the cold to forget the pain. Nearly to the door, I stopped dead when I heard his soft voice, so much weaker now than it had been this morning.
“Mama...I saw her mama! Oh...she was so...beautiful! She was...colors..blood and...death. But she...was bright too!..oh mama...she glowed like..the moonlight!” None of us said anything. I couldn’t even begin to understand what Gord had just said. His pale hand reached to cup our mothers cheeks, which were by now rivers. Brow furled as he watched our mothers tears fall, he turned black eyes on us all, voice full of confusion. “She..is mine. We were...meant..to do this..together.” With that, he let exaustion take him, eyelids falling closed.
I didn’t know what to think except that what ever Gord had just said was completly crazy. I looked down and wasn’t too suprised to see that goose bumps had formed on my arms. I looked to my mother, worry consuming me. Harmony had birthed three boys, lived through the desertion of their father, and had worked endlessly to provide a home and life for her sons. She was still as beautiful and strong as I could ever remember her being. Except now.
With a look of utter despair in her eyes, she stood and walked very slowly to the door. Stopping, she put a hand to the frame as if to hold her up. “Emmet...” I was by her side in a flash. “I can handle it mother, go rest.” She turned to say someting more, but collapsed as her legs gave out. Luckily Jackyl had jumped down first and was there to catch her. I watched as my grandfather carried his daughter away from the nightmare that was his grandson.
I shut the door and looked around the room. Taylor was in the bathroom, the sound of the water calling me to it. I preyed he would be quick. I looked in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. My jeans and thermol were covered in mud and sweat, vomit and blood. All i wanted was to get clean and go to sleep. I didn’t even try to work out what Gordy said. There was no way I could figure it out, my brain was barely functioning as it was. I finally heard the shower turn off and sighed deeply, thankful the day was nearly over.


Collete Aurella Hemp
What the hell is going on!? The question kept screaming in my head, over and over as I thought I would die. The pain, oh god, the pain was unbearable. It made thousand of white dots fill my eyes to the point where I could see nothing but throbbing whiteness. I was numb to everything except the pain. It pulsed in my stomach with every frantic heart beat. I couldn’t feel the tears that I knew were streaming down my face. Ginger ran into the kitchen at the sound of glass breaking and almost had a heart attack as she saw her grandaughter lying on the floor, the orange shards from her cup cutting her as she writhed in utter agony. “Collete, oh god!”
She dropped to her knees and took her grandaughters head in her lap. “What is it, what hurts? Oh, please stop moving baby, the glass!” I was now on my stomach the pain ripping down my spine, making me spasm and arch uncontrollably. I felt the nasty, burning taste of vomit as it shot up my throat and out of my mouth. The coppery taste of blood mingled with the acid and I just kept puking. It felt as if needles were shooting through my veins instead of blood. Ginger tried to talk through her own tears , but I was deaf to everything except my pain. Finally, it began to ease and the white dots faded. Gingers face was the last thing I saw before I passed out.
"Run! Please, we have to run!" I didn't know who I was following, it sounded like a boy, maybe my age. It didn't matter though, I knew he was right. Something large, dark and threatening was after us. I could feel the hot breath on the back of my neck, the smell of blood and rotted flesh invading my nostrils. It wanted to catch us, to devour us. "Selene, keep up! We can't let him have us, ill die first!" Understanding nothing but the need to listen to this boy, I urged my legs to pump faster, but it wasn't enough. I felt sharp teeth sink into my left leg, stinging pain shooting from the wound to fill my body. Screaming, I felt myself being jerked to a stop. I looked down at my wounded leg and screamed again as I saw four fury limbs, the back left gushing hot, red blood.
My eyes flew open and I shot up, still screaming. It was dark and for a moment I thought I was still in the dream, looking around frantically for the monster that would rip me to pieces. The relief that washed over me could not be spoken in words. I was in my room at Gingers, the cresent moon giving the dark of the room an earie glow. Sighing, I lay against my pillows, willing the images of the nightmare to the back of my mind. This wasn't new for me. I'de had weird nightmares since I was eight, but ever since I turned sixteen a few weeks ago, they'de gotten worse. Same with the pain.
I tried to sit up again, but a ripple of pain had me slamming back on the bed. It felt as if hot coals were being pressed under my skin. Pulling my t shirt up, I saw that from my hips to the bottom of my breasts were wrapped in bandages, going all the way around. My left arm was also wrapped in white and there was a strong taste of mint and vomit in my mouth. Moving slowly this time, I sat up and gingerly crawled out of the bed. As I gently walked from the room and down the long hallway, I tried to remember what had happened before the pain. Nothing, my mind was way too thick and foggy for any kind of contemplation right now. I felt my way along the wall, anger brewing fast. I can't stand the pain anymore, the disorientation. It's gonna end up killing me! A shiver ran up my spine at the truth in the thought.
Finally finding a light switch at the end of the hall, I flipped it on and then just stared, mouth hanging open. The living room was an array of purples; dark purple carpet, light purple drapes, neon purple couch, bright fake purple flowers in purple vases. Every possible surface had candles covering them, all in different sizes, shapes and shades of purple. Moving on into the kitchen, I flicked the light switch and had the same reaction. Everything was orange; dark orange cabinets, light orange counter tops and linolium. The kitchen table was wood, but had pumpkin colored matts and a vase of fake orange peonies resting in the middle. The fridge was the worst, a bright russet orange. It looked like a rainbow puked in this place.
Shaking my head, I walked to the fridge and looked around. Milk or tea. Great, where was a coke full of caffeine when you needed one? I settled on tea and sat down at the table, trying to think through my tortured mind. Ok, what happened? I remembered walking through the door and having the exact same reaction as I just had. The hallway had been done in greens and the bathroom in pink. Ginger skipped her door and took me to the room at the end of the hall, chattering happily as we went.
I'de absolutely loved my room; Cream colored carpet, gold walls, white dresser, matching bed side tables, and a queen sized bed with a canopy. The sheer curtans hanging around the bed were light and feathery to the touch and glimmered like gold dust in the diluted sun shining through the plastic covered windows. I'de seperated the curtains and laid on the golden comforter. It was so silky and thick and comfortable and I had been so completely drained that I'de thrown back the covers and nestled in. When I woke up, it wasn't from rejuvination, but from pain.
I knew I was sick, had been for a long time. It started when I was four and seemed to get worse every four years. Nightmares, cold sweats, pain, but none of that was worse than the day i'd opened my eyes and everyone saw me as different. That was when my eyes turned souless. They used to be a vibrant green. Yeah that was the worst...until now.
Sighing, I stood slowly and poured the remainder of the tea in the sink. Back in my room, I shut the door, but didn't bother with the lights. Dark was good right now. Pulling the curtains apart, I lay on the bed right in a patch of moon light streaming from the window above. A calm, peaceful feeling took over me, starting in my belly to spread through out my whole body. I wish I could stay like this, in the silver light and peace where everything felt right, forever. Yet I had a strong feeling of being trapped beneath my skin, as if I could stay here, but not quite yet. I wasn't right yet. My skin tingled and felt like it was spread taught, as if it were holding all of me in, barely managing. The moon light though, for some reason, it seemed to calm me down, made me feel better. Then I had an idea.


Emmet Leon Donnor
I flopped back onto my pillow with an agitated growl. The glowing numbers of Taylors alarm said it was five till one and I still couldn't sleep. It was as if the days events hadn't made me worn and tired, but jittery and awake. Rolling onto my stomach, I rested my chin on my arms and looked at the trailor across the road. Thoughts of the girl had me leading into thoughts of Gord. The day had been a good one until my little brothers scare. What was wrong with him? How could I ever possibly help him if not even the doctors knew what was wrong? But I won't let him die. Never!
A light at the end of the trailor made a patch of gold in the snow. The girl. I pushed Gord to the back of my mind and focused on the light. I couldn't see into the room thanks to the stupid plastic and the light soon went out. A few moments later, she was walking out the front door and around, disappearing behind the trailor. I was already on my feet, tugging on boots as I hopped to the door. Barely remembering my coat, I flung it open and hopped down into the snow, nearly running in the direction of the girl.
As I made my way through the snow, the crunch of my boots were loud, like they were trying to echo through the woods, trying to give me away. I didn't want the girl to know I was following her. I couldn't even really believe it myself, actually. She would probably think I was some kind of freak. Then what chance would I get to know her? Yeah, I was completly insane and should be back in bed, sleeping. Instead, I found myself inching closer and closer.
She was in site now, moving forward at a slight gait, as if just walking was painful. She hadn't moved like that this morning. We came upon a field and she stopped, facing away from me looking out at the blank white canvus. There was a single Blue Spruce in the middle, tall and thick, it stood alone proudly. The moon in the clear sky made the snow of the field glow with an ethereal beauty, the tree looking black against it.
The girl looked around and moved toward a fallen trunk. Sitting on it, she hiked her knees up and used them for a table as she bent over what looked like a pad of paper. Her right arm moved feverishly, her head not once looking down at what she was drawing, staying focused instead on the field. As silently as I could, I moved behind a tall evergreen and watched, as intently on her as she was on the field. I couldn't believe what I was doing, but I knew I was glad that i'de come just for this little peek at who this girl was, what she liked.
After what felt like hours, but was probably only fourty minutes or so, she stopped and stood, leaving the pad on the trunk. Lifting her arms, she pulled two sticks out of her hair, letting it fall. I was entranced. It went to the small of her back, curly and exotic. Next she removed her coat and gloves. Standing in the snow, hair flowing slightly in the light breeze, skin glowing from the kiss of moonlight, I had never seen anything so hauntingly beautiful. I didn't know whether to be delighted or scared.
Just then, only God knows why, I heard a crack and the branches mixed with snow above my head came crashing down. Letting out a yelp, I attempted to cover my head and dodge, but a large branch whacked me, hard, right on top. Stumbling, I fell into the cold snow, right in front of a pair of black boots.


Collete Aurella Hemp
"Hey, are you ok?" I stared down at a boy that looked to be a couple of years older than myself, maybe 18. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, i'm fine." His voice was deep and husky, more of a mans voice than a boy. The stranger scrambled to his feet and towered over me, bare chest right in my face. Oh lord, he was extremely well built; broad, tanned chest leading to a six pack and narrow hips that disappeared into dark, grey sweat pants. Whoa! Catching myself I stepped back and looked up towards his face, but kept my head at such an angle so my hair would fall and hide my eyes. His face was young, yet strong with a defined chin and kind, crystal blue eyes. I felt my heart begin to pound.
He smiled. "My names Emmet. My family and I live across the street from you." I couldn't help but notice that his smile was a bit crooked or that his teeth were as white as the snow on the ground. My heart pounded just a little harder. Gathering myself, I mentally forced my mind to stop noticing every little detail and offered my hand. "Collete Hemp. But everyone calls me Lettie." Emmet laughed and when his hand touched mine, I couldn't help the gasp from escaping. The feel of his cool fingers on my skin made me feel as if I had been dry and then mercifully dunked into a pool of icy cool water. It was refreshing, revitalizing, right.
I realized I was staring, again, and holding a complete strangers hand and dropped it as if the touch burned me. "I...uh...sorry." Blood rushed to my face and I quickly looked down. "It's alright." Emmets voice was amused and for some reason that made me angry. Planting both hands on my hips, I stood as tall as I could and used the haughtiest voice I could manage. "What are you doing out here anyways, Emmet? Stalking me? Thats not exactly welcome-me-to-the-neigborhood behavior." My words made his smile a bit dimmer, but didn't erase it. " Well, Selene, it's about 12 degrees out here and your new to the neigborhood not to mention the fact that it's past 1 in the morning. I couldn't sleep, saw you. I just don't want you to get lost out here and freeze to death."
"Oh." Now I just felt plain stupid. Of course he was out here to keep an eye on me. He probably knew Ginger seeing as how she's lived here all her life. The burn of embarassment crawled up my face, yet again. "Besides, I haven't had a chance to meet you yet." Huh? Where the hell did that come from? Noone ever wants to meet me. Kids would keep at least three feets distance from me in my old school. I couldn't help it, Emmets comment had my head snapping up to look at him, right into his eyes. His smile slipped the moment I looked into those blue orbs.
Immediatley they turned cold and dark, his mouth set in a hard line. He looked angry, worse than angry, pissed. I had definitely never gotten that reaction before. Grabbing me roughly by my arms, he glared down at me. "Who the hell are you?" Emmets voice was harsh, no warmth left. "Your eyes?!" I was completely stunned, but as he gripped my bandaged arm harder I couldn't help a scream of pain from escaping. The sound of my voice had him loosening his hold and me coming back to myself. The fact that I had come out here to be alone with my much needed peace and this stranger follows me, then acts irrationally and freaks out on me was just a little too much. Anger quickly boiled to the surface.
Yanking my arms from his grip, I put both hands on his hard, naked chest and shoved with all of my 110 pounds. He actually stumbled back and fell in the snow. Turning the full force of my black, depthless eyes on his of ice blue, I stood proudly. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I came here because I have no where to go. I will not let you or anyone else make me feel bad for something I have no control over." I stomped back to the fallen trunk i'de used as a seat and threw my coat on. Grabbing my sketch pad, I didn't bother with gloves and just stuffed them in my pocket. Stomping back over to Emmet who was still lying in the snow, a now puzzled and horrified look in his eyes, I lashed out again.
"Your a pathetic piece of crap you know that! I haven't even been here one day and you make me feel like I just want to...want to...God!" I couldn't help the tears that started to leak from my eyes, which just fueled my anger more. It was like all the years of supressed anger from all of the people who had made fun of me, taunted me, and turned me into a freak broke out. "Your such a jerk! I mean what the hell was that? Why would you think it's ok to just freaking grab someone like that? Huh? Who the hell do you think you are?!"
I continued ranting, barely able to see through my tears now. I didn't realize Emmet had stood until he was right in front of me. He softly caressed my cheek and I don't know why, but that made me cry harder. He was holding me before I realized it. "Shhh, Lettie, oh god Im so sorry! I don't know what got ahold of me. It was just...your eyes. Someone I know has the exact same eyes. Oh please Collete, stop crying!" I did, but not because he asked me too. I realized I was pressed against his chest, my tears making it glisten in the moon light. Whoa, back up Collete. I had never really been talked to by a boy, let alone touched.
I quickly stumbled out of his arms and looked down at the snow, my face red from the crying as well as embarassment. Thats three times tonite girl, get ahold of yourself! Taking a deep shaky breath, I faced Emmet again. "I, I'm sorry about that. You didn't deserve all of it, though you did a little. You just can't go around grabbing people like that." His twisted expression looked as if he was in pain. "Lettie, please forgive me. I really don't know..I mean I can't explain how..your eyes." Always the damn eyes! I'm so sick of this crap. Can't people just get the freak over it!? Then something struck home. "Wait, you said someone you knew has the same eyes. What do you mean?" He still looked like he was suffering, but he answered, voice as tortured as his eyes. "I meant what I said. I never would have grabbed you like that I swear. I was just shocked. When I saw your eyes, completely black, like theres not even a pupil, they look exactly like my little brothers."
I listened, but didn't comprehend at first. Someone else, someone else was an outsider like me. Someone else suffered like me. I just couldn't grasp it. I had been alone in my pain for so long, I just couldn't believe there was somone who could relate to me. "Collete?" Emmets big hands were on me again, this time gently shaking my shoulders, his voice worried. I had to meet him! I had to know if he suffered from the nightmares and the unexplained pain as I did. I had to know if he knew what was wrong. Maybe he could help me! Startling Emmet, I grabbed his coat and stood on tip toes, bringing our faces as close as I could. "I have to meet your brother Emmet! He could help me, help me understand whats going on with me, whats wrong!"
His eyes were full of confusion, and something else. Pity. I hated pity. I felt myself getting angry again. Pushing back, I stared him down. "Don't look at me like that! You don't understand, no one understands. Thats the problem! If what you saids true, then maybe someone does. And I can't just let...I mean I have to meet him ok." My voice had taken on a begging tone and I hated it, but I needed this boy to help me. "Emmet, please?!" He stood still, not saying a word but just looking at me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, his eyes revealed nothing. Finally, after what felt like hours, he spoke. "I don't think it's a good idea."
I tried to ask why the hell not, but he held up his hand. "At least not for awhile. Gord just practically almost died tonight and I don't think he could handle something like this until he's had a few days to rest." So he did suffer from the same things I did! My brain went into over drive. "What exactly happened to him? Emmet, this is important! Something happened to me too. Its been happening to me since I was four years old!"


Emmet Leon Donnor
What the hell? I couldn't believe all of this was happening. In the course of two hours I had become a stalker, touched a girl that made me feel as though I never wanted to let her go, found she was like Gord, then hurt her for it. God,I couldn't believe I had grabbed her like that. I just wanted to kick the crap out of myself for hurting her. That was the complete opposite feeling I had for her. I wanted to hold her and protect her, love her. Whoa, calm down Emmet. It was like my brain was trying to think about too many things at once. So many different feelings tormented me to the point where I just wanted to turn around and run; forget any of this had happened. But I couldn't.
Collete. Lettie. Even the thought of her name made my heart pick up speed. She was angry again, though her black eyes showed no emotion. They were just as void as Gordans were. I tried to shut my thoughts out and pay attention, which wasn't too hard. Her voice was silky and feminine and made me want to crush my lips to her. God, stop! What was wrong with me? She was saying she wanted to meet Gord. Would that be a good idea? Yes, it would, but not yet. Picking my words carefully, I answered her. "I don't think thats a good idea." As soon as I stopped, I could see her get angry and open her mouth, but I held up my hand to stop her. "At least not yet. Gord just practically almost died tonight and I don't think he could handle something like this until he's had a few days to rest."
Colletes eyes grew wide as she got excited. Her voice became breathy as she talked. "What exactly happened to him? Emmet, this is important! Something happened to me too. Its been happening to me since I was four years old!" Stunned, I just looked at her. It couldn't be. The doctors said they had never seen anything like Gord. Could this girl really have some kind of connection to him? But how could that be, two complete strangers with an unidentified illness that just so happened to live in the same state, town, hell across the street!? It was so unlikely I couldn't help but think this girl might just be nuts. But the eyes! They both had the same black, depthless eyes.
"Emmet, please help me out here!" I looked down at her and saw that she was close to tears again, her nose turning red as salty water filled her eyes. I couldn't bare it if she cried again. Sighing, I crunched through the snow to the fallen trunk she had used to sketch the field and sat down. Putting my head in my hands, I gave her what she wanted. "Gord has been sick for a long time. When he was four, it started with his eyes." I looked over at Lettie, who was now sitting on the wood beside me. She was completely motionless, staring at the spruce in the center of the field, though I knew she was listening. "He just woke up and they were black. Then came the nightmares, then the pain. It's like..." "Like his bodies rejecting him. Like it's trying to change him from the inside out."
Colletes voice was barely a whisper. She was still looking at the tree, but thats not what she was seeing. Not even thinking about it, my hand found hers. When she didn't try to pull away, I scooted closer. "Lettie, tell me." A minute passed before she looked at me, and when she did a shiver ran down my spine. I couldn't help it. It was like I was looking into Gords eyes, which was just weird because I had the strongest urge to kiss this girl. She took a deep, shaky breath.
"I was born with green eyes. The morning of my 4th birthday I woke up and crawled out of bed. I had a small, stuffed wolf that I had gotten from Ginger, my grandmother, when I was born. I clutched it to me as I walked to my mothers room. I remember how excited I was because every year for my birthday my mother would take me out and get a toy and a new dress. We always got a yellow one because my mother loved how the color brought out my eyes. She used to tell me I was so beautiful, that she had never seen anyone with such pretty green eyes as I had. That she didn't know where they came from. Hers were blue."
When she spoke of her mother, tears leaked from her eyes, but she kept going. I wanted to tell her it was ok, to stop, but my need to know more kept me silent. "When I got to her room, I stood in front of her, telling her to wake up, its my birthday! She stirred, stretched out, eyes still closed but smiling. I giggled and told her if she was awake she had to open her eyes or I would jump on the bed. Her laughed turned into a scream when she finally looked at me." She was full out crying now, but it seemed like she couldn't stop.
"When I turned eight, I started having nightmares, horrible nightmares. Something was always chasing me, trying to get me. To kill me? I don't know, but I knew it wanted something and I couldn't let it happen. They got more vivid and detailed as I grew. Some weren't as bad as others. I had one earlier, after I passed out. It was actually one of the better ones."
Collete gave a sharp laugh at her last statement, as if yeah it was better, but it still sucked. "Why did you pass out?" She looked up at me as if she'd forgotten I was there. Pulling her hand from mine, she clasped them in front of her and continued. "When I was twelve, I started having pains. They would start in my stomach and get so bad i'de beg god for him to stop my heart so I didn't have to feel the pain. Then they'de be in my spine, traveling from top to bottom, over and over. Over the years they got worse, sometimes spreading from my stomach to my head, then down my spine to my legs."
She stopped again, as if she had to build herself up to keep talking. I used the moment to register what i'de just heard. She was like Gord. The same problems starting at exactly the same times. It just wasn't possible, but still here it was. I looked at her with a new light. Maybe she was right. Maybe if Gord and Collete met, talked, they could figure out what was wrong with them. I made up my mind right then to introduce them as soon as I could. Lettie shivered and wrapped her coat tighter around her.
" My mother took me to the emergency room the first time an episode happened. Thats what we called them, episodes. My mother hated Doctors and only took me because she thought I was dying. They didn't know what was wrong and kept me for days; testing, poking, prodding. When they wanted to cut open my skull and look deeper in my brain to see if it were neurological problems, my mother flipped. She said if they didn't know what was wrong, if the MRIs and scans hadn't come up with anything, then why should she risk my life with an unnecessary surgery. She never took me back. She died a week ago."
She stopped again. My heart felt so heavy, it ached for this girl. I wanted to protect her, as her mother did, especially now that she was alone. Sure she had her grandmother, but obviously she didn't understand. I had been through this with Gord and there was no one better to sympathize and love this girl. Did I really just think that? I was shocked with myself. Did I love her? I barely even knew her. But sitting here now, this girl pouring her heart out to me, trying to get me to understand, trying to get me to help her, I knew that I would do anything for her now. The realization dawned on me and my heart picked up speed as I looked at her. Collete. I did love her and from this moment on I would do anything I could to save her, as well as Gord.


Collete Aurella Hemp
The image of my mother was so clear, my heart ached. All I wanted was for her to be here, to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be ok. But she would never hold me in her arms again, never run her hands through my hair and tell me that I was beautiful and unique. More and more tears forced their way from my eyes and ran down my face in rivers. I couldn't even think about the fact that I was breaking down in front of a total stranger, it felt too good to be able to tell someone, to let it out now that my mother wasn't here to listen and console me. Emmet. I looked at him and what I saw made my breath catch in my throat. He was looking at me with sad eyes, and something else to. Compassion? Care? Love? It couldn't be, I was a freak not to mention I'de just met him.
His large, calloused hand came up to brush my tears and I leaned into it, closing my eyes, enjoying the touch. When he spoke, his voice was warm, caring, determined. "Collete, you are a strong, beautiful girl. We will find out what is happening to you. I promise." His words made me feel light headed and I wished so badly I could believe him. Even if I did meet his brother, they didn't seem to know anymore than I did. I couldn't even figure out why he was being so nice. He didn't have an obligation, he didn't even know me. Why was I sitting here making him feel bad for me? What the hell was going on with me, I never would have acted like this a week ago. Oh, thats right. My mother died."How did she die?" I looked up sharply. Was I thinking out loud? I don't think I was. He must have seen the look of confusion and alarm in my face because he rushed on."You said she died a week ago. How did it happened. Did she have the same thing as you and Gord?"
I shook my head."She died in a car accident. Her tire blew, she lost control of the car and ran head first into a semi. The driver survived, but my mother didn't. The police said she died instantly, felt no pain. As if that helps, she's still dead. They called Ginger, she came for the funeral and brought me here to live with her. I was sleeping when I woke up because of the pain. It was in my throat, it felt as if I hadn't had a drop of water in days. I remember now! I stumbled into the kitchen and got a glass. Then it overwhelmed me. It was in my stomach and in my spine. My nose even started bleeding and I couldn't stop puking. Ginger must have heard the glass break, she was by my side when everything went black."
My throat had never felt like that before, nor has my nose bled. Which meant that whatever was wrong was definitely not getting better. Emmets mouth was a thin line again and his face was grim. "The same thing happened to Gord." So it was true. Whatever I suffered from, Emmets brother, Gord, did to. Jumping up, I felt a sick rush of excitment that I wasn't alone in my suffering and couldn't keep it out of my voice.
"I need to meet him Emmet. Now. If this is true, then whatever is going on is getting worse and will probably keep going until we're dead. I don't know about you, but I don't want this thing to kill us." He stood too, again towering over me with his glorious, naked chest in my face. "Alright. I still don't think it's such a good idea right now, but I have a feeling that if I said no, you wouldn't listen." I smiled, which was not a usual for me, and fought the urge to laugh. "I don't think so."
Letting his laugh out, I couldn't help but admire how deep and sexy it was. Oh nice Collete, you just met the guy for petes sake, cool it! But when his hand took mine and our skin touched, tingles ran through me and I knew, no matter how crazy it seemed, that I felt something for this boy. I let him lead the way, my heart beating in anticipation.


Emmet Leon Donnor
We were comming up to Gingers trailor, the light of the moon shining down, lighting our path. There wasn't much, but with the snow it seemed brighter. I still couldn't really believe what was happening. Everything had been normal, well, as normal as its ever been for me, only a few hours ago. Now, I was holding the hand of the most beautiful girl I had ever seen and was taking her to see my sick brother in the middle of the night. Oh, and I had also realized that I was completely in love with her. I've never even had a girlfriend before, but still, there it was . We came in view of my home and I stopped abrumptly, Lettie almost running into me. "Emmet, are you alright?" Not hearing her, I started walking again, faster this time.
The windows of my cottage were ablaze in light, figures moving behind them. Had something happened to Gord again? Collete was fine which meant Gord should be too, at least for now. Maybe we were wrong. Maybe this girl was crazy. In my heart I didn't believe it, but I still nearly ran to the door, heart beating furiously against my rib cage. I threw open the door and jumped up, completely forgetting about Lettie as I looked at Gord, half expecting to see more puke and blood. He was sitting cross legged on his bed, Taylor hovering a few feet away. They both looked at me sharply as I made my entrance. "Emmet! Where the hell have you been? We've been sitting here for hours freaking out! I almost woke mother and Jackyl. I would have already except mother doesn't need anything else to worry about. Your such an inconsiderate jerk you know that!"
Jeez, twice in one night. I let Taylor rant and turned to help Collete into the room. When she was standing by my side, I put my arm around her waiste and pulled her closer. It was like it was intsinct. My lips curved in a smile when she didn't pull away. I looked to my brothers again, their expressions identical; eyes wide, mouths gaping open. "Taylor, if your done ranting now I'de be more than happy to explain what i've been up to." He looked on a moment more, then nodded closing his mouth. Red slid up his face and I knew he was embarassed at yelling in front of a stranger, let alone a girl. "Taylor, Gord, this is Collete. Lettie, this loud mouth over here is Taylor. That little guy there is Gord." She mumbled a hi, but was smiling.
Taylor stepped up and offered his hand. "Hi, I uh I'm sorry you had to hear that its just that Emmet doesn't usually leave without saying anything especially in the middle of the night. We thought something might have happened to him. Ya know, bears, wolves, oh my." Selene laughed at Taylors last comment and I felt my knees go weak. It was husky, sexy, and real. "I'm sorry Taylor, that was kind of my fault. He saw me sneaking out and felt obligated to make sure none of those bears and wolves got me." She smiled up at me and I almost did fall. A small thump had us all looking towards the mattress behind Taylor. Gord had stood and was slowly walking towards Collete. He had a look of utter amazment on his face as he came to a stop right in front of her.
"Its you." His voice was so soft I barely heard it. He put his hand up as if to touch Colletes face and I couldn't help but tighten my hold and move us back. I fought to keep the gruffness out of my voice. "What do you mean Gord? You've never met her." I looked to Collete and saw a dawning of recognition. "Have you?" Now I was just confused. Letting my arm slide from her waiste, I looked back and forth between them. "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on." Taylors voice had a ring of annoyance and again I had to fight myself from lashing out. I felt so irritated and confused. Did she lie to me?
I voiced my question to Gord, knowing he could never lie. "Gord please explain to me how you know Selene. How do you know her? I mean, she just moved in today." "You mean yesterday." I shot a glare at Taylor. He looked down sheepishly. "Just sayin, its almost four in the morning." "Yeah but thats kind of irrelevant right now." I turned my glare on Gord. "Gordan Elliot Donnor start talking." He and Collete were still looking at each other, an expression of awe on their faces, though Letties looked a little frightened.
"You guys know how I have nightmares. In every one i've heard her voice. She was there with me, running from the evil that tries to consume us, but fails. Then last night, whatever was chasing us finally got her. I turned my head and saw her lying in a pool of blood from where it tore into her leg. But it wasn't her, it was a wolf, eyes flashing silvery green as they looked to me."
"I grabbed her and kept going. We came up to a clearing and I somehow knew we were safe. For then at least. I lay her beneath the single tree that stood in the middle. As she lay in the snow, she turned. Thats the only way I can explain it. She was a wolf, and then she was a girl, lying naked in the snow. I dropped to my knees and looked at her leg. It was healed, though the evidence it happened was smeared all over. Her hair lay fanned beneath her; gold,red and black."
He put a hesitant hand to Colletes hair and let it run through. I couldn't feel jeolous, couldn't even speak. Gord had never once told us what his dreams were about. Well, except for earlier when he spoke of....Lettie. I looked at her, really looked at her. I could see now that we were in the light that it was three different colors. Each strand was red, blonde or black. Just like in Gords dream. There was no doubt in my mind now. There was something going on, something strange, extroardinary, scary. I focused on Colletes face. She looked as if she were in a trance. As if she were somewhere else. When she spoke her voice was distant. "I, i've heard your v,voice too. I had the same nightmare, except I woke up after I was bit."


Collete Aurella Hemp
My mind was going in a million different directions. As soon as I heard Gords voice, I knew I recognized it. When he looked at me and recognized me, I knew it was him. The boy from my nightmares, the one who told me to keep going, that we couldn't let the evil get us. I felt such an odd connection to him, so many different feelings when I looked at him. He was a smaller, shorter version of Emmet. Same black hair, same strong chin, crooked smile, perfect teeth. Just younger. And paler. Whereas Emmet was tan, Gord was pale. Pale with big, black eyes. Just like mine. This was impossible! Everything about this night in general was impossible. There is no way that I have been dreaming about a guy who just happens to live across the street from my grandmother in a middle of nowhere town. No way!
This was all too much. How could all of this happen in such a short time? It was like my life was hanging by a thread of normalcy and I had to take it and run before I was lost in all this maddness and confusion. I looked up and all three boys were looking at me, expecting. I couldn't take it. I decided to grab the thread and run.
Whirling around, I flew out the door and into the snow. Ignoring the shouts that followed me, I let my feet fly over the snow. The moon was going down, the begining glow of dawn taking its place. All I wanted to do was forget the whole night had happened. Why the hell didn't I just stay in bed like a normal person? I suprised myself by laughing. Here I was running to save my normal life when its never been normal. Well, it was more normal than this. Thats better than nothing for me.
When it felt like my lungs would burst, I stopped and sat on a fallen trunk. After catching my breath, I looked around. I was back in the clearing again, the lone spruce in the middle. Why did I come back here? Standing I crunched through the snow to the tree. It was even bigger up close, the silvery blue needles shining proudly against the snow. It was beautiful and whether I liked it or not, it meant something; this clearing, this tree...Gordan. Falling to my knees, I let the tears come. Tears of frustration, of anger, of pain, of confusion.
The whole situation just wasn't fair! How can I come thousands of miles to a place where nobody knows me, a place where I could have been normal, and my life manages to get completely, hopelessly worse? I'm begining to think I'm cursed. "Collete! Jeez, what the hell was that?!" I looked up to see Emmet stomping through the snow, anger in every step.
I contemplated fleeing again, but I somehow knew he'd keep chasing me.

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Publication Date: 11-08-2011

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