Throwing Stars and Paper Hearts

Water splashed beneath my feet as shouts trailed behind me. My lungs burned as I rounded the corner into a dark ally. Quickly I hopped onto a dumpster, leaped off it aiming for a pole a couple yards away, and easily made it. The voices were only a hundred feet away by the time I started climbing and I could see the faint shadows of my pursuers rapidly getting closer. Crap! I thought as I scaled up the slick freezing pole, and by the time they reached the bottom of it, hand after hand was the only thing going through my mind.

I started to wonder why I did so many stupid and risky things; I guess maybe it was because most of the time all I really felt was excitement, surprise and anger, so all I really had were my ridiculous stunts besides Bri-Schri and shadow. If you think about it, that’s all you really can afford as a ninja, I mean knowing that you could be dead tomorrow.

Finally I reached the top and looked down at the six stories I just conquered. Where were my pursuers? Maybe they gave up I thought optimistically, but did not lower my guard, knowing better. As I started to walk to the other side of the roof, three men crowded out of the stair well.

“Hey girly, come hear, we just want to play a little game with you,” the one on the right said with a drunken grin on his face

Suddenly the moon broke through its shadowy imprisonment behind a cloud, and its rays of light fell onto the face of my followers. Shock ran through me as I gazed at his face.

“Rave?” I asked thick with dread

“Hey love,” he replied and smirked sending chills through my spine,

Desperate, I reached out and contacted Rave’s mind, and searched for any sign of danger, and found his line of present thought that were only quick glimpses of pictures: the roof we were on, rave’s three friends, how many beers his friends had, a black body jumping off the roof, well placed trash bags, and finally the most mortifying of them all: my mangled body lying in the middle of a street all cut up and broken. Gazing into Raves eyes, I suddenly understood, the only escape was to jump… fun.

Full comprehension in my eyes, I silently thanked rave, then turned to his friends, instead of talking, I placed a single thought in all their heads: catch me if you can. I smirked, turned my back to them, and jolted to the edge of the building hurling myself off it. To propel myself faster I smashed my arms to my sides, while squeezing my legs tighter together. About a second before I crashed into the other wall I shot my arms out to slow myself then flipped my self forward so my back was to the ground, letting my legs make contact with the brick. From there I shot myself off it performing a back flip and landed neatly on top of the trash bags Rave had placed there earlier.

“Cool” I whispered, longing for someone to have caught that on tape, but suddenly I herd a loud shot from behind me, then darkness. Oh, that’s were the other guy went….of course.


I woke in a quiet room, the sizzle of hot grease in the next. Where was I? I tried to move, but found it extremely painful. I focused on my breathing, but I couldn’t focus on something that didn’t hurt if there was nothing that didn’t cause agony. I was on a very comfortable bed with black sheets, and there was a cool damp clothe around the back of my neck.

“Raquel! Love! “ an extremely familiar voice exclaimed “I’m so glad your finally up, you’ve been out so long I thought that you would never wake!” with that, Rave ran over to my side and gingerly slid next to me hugging me to his chest as he did. “ I’m so sorry about Friday night, I was drunk, I thought you needed the trash bags” he chuckled “And I’m sorry for being so dumb, even if I wasn’t drunk, I probably wouldn’t realize that Philip was missing, he was the one who tasered you.”

He was talking so fast! Well, I thought to my self, that is why everybody calls him rave, his picture was probably next to it in the dictionary even.

Rave: 1) to talk loudly quickly and incoherently
2) The un-understandable admirer of the “Phirestatus” ninja Raquel.

……Wait, Friday night… Why did he say that instead of last night? I knew that electricity took energy out of me, but really, more than a day’s worth? “What’s the date? How long have I been out?” I panicked looking around.

“Umm, you’ve been ’out’ for three days, it’s Sunday, and I don’t think out is the right term to use,” he answered, saying the last part slower

“Really? What do you mean, not the right term” I questioned not comprehending

“Well, love, umm… how do I phrase this? Hmm… ok well, I thought that you were d-dead until I thought to check your pulse, witch was a took some time, so you were not really ‘out’ as much in a comatose… it scared the hell out of me,” he said extremely slowly for him, stuttering as he said dead.

“Oh” I realized ” sorry about that, umm, you know that I’m a bit different than most people, umm…”

“Excuse me? A bit? Love, you were running a temperature of 125 degrees, that’s like 15 degrees above death, and I know that you don’t breath as much as normal people, but you forgot to tell me that you don’t breath at all when you sleep.” he said dead humor in his voice. Pausing, he stared me in the eyes.

His eyes were so deep! He was looking at me like he had seen the sun for the first time, like he was looking at me like he was looking at something so much more beautiful. My eyes weren’t that pretty, just unusual. My eyes were round almonds framed with long black lashes. That wasn’t the bizarre part though; the bizarre part, no creepy, part was that my irises were a deep violet, the kind you would see on larkspurs. Besides that, I had a strange, almost forest floor-like brown hair with natural streaks, (they were so solid they looked fake, but the gold, not blond, was so pure you couldn’t find a die to cause it) and an impish fairy like face shape and nose, with rose lips.

My body type was petite; I was no taller than 4’9 and looked even shorter in my tight-fitting stealthy like outfit. Sure I was small, but my muscles were exceptionally defined under my ivory skin, causing a strange, unfriendly illusion. I was not pretty, nor was I talented in anything besides poetry and sketches, besides “second story” work of course, yet rave still stared as if I was a jewel, a priceless treasure in his arms.

“Raquel,” Rave sighed, moving his eyes from mine to my lips, and before I knew it, his were on them, moving quickly and lightly, but time seemed to have stood still. I wanted to pull away, but I didn’t at the same time. I wanted to run away and hide from all the emotion, yet I wanted to stay like this forever. His lips were so soft and warm; they melted against mine so lightly it felt like silk rubbing against them. Eventually his lips slowed, while his tongue traced my upper lip one last time and pulled away.

“Come on, we should get you to that place your staying at, I don’t have a car but you only live like ten miles away, so we can walk.” he mumbled, then stood up pulling me up with him.



It was silent on the path we walked down, our voices echoing against the empty walls of the ally. His arm was around my waist making it easier for me to walk. With out him, I would probably still be lying down, or dead. The thought ran through my mind quickly, sending horrible morbid images through my head. It was ok, though, I was prepared to die, even though all but the fewest moments I felt invincible and even sometimes immortal. I was a ninja after all, the risk of my stunts meant I would never know if I would be gone tomorrow. That didn’t matter to me though, I personally didn’t care to have things like that in my head due the fact that I lived life to its fullest; I regretted nothing. When I was a child, still in the process of training, I learned shortly after my only friend died to never hold back, for life always seems one day short. Know matter how amazing your life was, you would still have one thing, no matter how small or pointless, that you would wish you would have done.

“Raquel?” Rave’s clear tenor voice brought me back to the present “I was just curious, why do you do so many risky things? Like that night on the roof, you jumped off , and mind you that was like one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, I wish I caught that on tape, but why didn’t just slide down the pipe? I mean, you seem like you wish to die, you practically laugh in it’s face,”

Wow. Who’s the person who can get into people’s heads? “Like oh my god dude, how did you do that? I swear I thought that I was the one that is a mind leach. I’m serious too, I was just thinking about that.” I rambled avoiding answering the question.

“Really? That’s like really cool, but you still didn’t answer the question, I really want to know, is it recklessness? Foolishness?” He said, knowingly hitting the nerve.

Damn! Oh well, it would come around anyway I guess. ”Fine. Why I do the things I do? Umm, a long time ago I learned that if I held back, I never would live, cause when you die, you, no matter how great your life was, will always wish you had one more day; you’ll regret not doing something,” repeating what had just gone through my mind.

Rave bent down and kissed the top of my head. “How am I so lucky?” he said, but cut off as he stared strait ahead. I looked where he did and saw a group of five or six guys walking our way.





















What happens when you stab a bomb?


The men were still about a football field’s length away so I pulled away from Rave and when he asked why I stayed silent. As quickly as I could I threw off the shirt and jeans Rave had given me, reviling my battle/ stealth suit. I have always been proud of my ninja suit, it took so long to earn. It was black from head to toe, with three layers.

The first was a cottony fabric from china that was completely silent when rubbed against other things. It was thin and tight, tight enough to see the exact frame of my muscles and stretched from my shoulders to my ankles in one piece. The reason for having this was to protect my skin from the second layer, witch only covered a few parts. The second layer was wire delicately woven together to protect vital organs from being stabbed. One piece of it covered my torso, ands two more covered my wrists up to my elbows. I had two more around my ankles and shins, but the purpose of these was only to ensure that an enemy couldn’t slit tendons so I’d be unable to escape. The third layer was consisted of thin strips of fabric that wrapped like mummy’s coils around the wire, and two belts that crisscrossed around my hips. One of the belts held my weapons: shurikans (throwing stars) throwing knives, poison tipped darts, a pea shooter, kattletroffs, and of course, my daggers. On the other were antidotes, acids, an elemental bandana, a choker that I now put on to protect from getting my throat slit, a grappling hook, and a set of metal clawed bans that go around my palms to stop blades and climb up walls. Oh! And pocket sand.

I slipped a throwing knife into each my of my gloves as well as my leg protectors, and grabbed one of my special shurikan with a solid fire topaz in the center, about an inch around, and placed one in Raves hand. Now that the men were closer, I could see that they had guns. That’s not good. I prayed that they wouldn’t stop, but alas, one of the younger ones started whistling at me. Crap.

“ Why hello sexy, how’s it going?” he said

Another, bigger guy started speaking to Rave “give us the girl,” he said bluntly, obviously drunk.

“’Give us the girl‘, who are you? Arnold Swartzanager? Why don’t you get your head out of your ass instead, ehh?”

“ It would be in your best interest to give us her”

“Hmm… tempting, but no, I don’t think I will” Rave said calmly, stepping in front of me.

“Did that sound like a request?” the drunk replied.

“Not at all, but your not getting her, regardless” Rave shot back, a hint of annoyance to his voice

“ok, well let me put it this way, if we get the girl, you get to keep your life”

“Ooh, scary,” Rave said sarcastically “what are you going to do? Send your beat ass mother after us?”

“Shut your face!” the man shouted lifting his gun at Rave

“Seriously?” Rave snorted raising an eyebrow “Even if you shoot me, Raquel will take you out within 10 seconds, but you probably aren’t smart enough to count that high”

“That’s it!” he shouted and coked his gun.

I tried to get into his head, but by the time I did, all I could hear was the sound of his gun, and he pulled the trigger. I shrieked in horror, and flipped to look at rave. He looked the same as he did a second ago, but a red hole in the center of his forehead. His eyes darted to mine with apology deep within them, then he fell backwards and hit the ground with a defying thud.

“RAVE! Rave, no, NO!” I screamed “NO! No Rave, please, please don’t go, no, no,” tears streamed down my face as I looked at his. I shot up and whirled towards Raves assassin. My vision turned red and the only thing I could comprehend was revenge. “YOU MOTHER F***ING BASTARD, YOU’RE A DEAD B*TCH NOW” I shouted in hysteria .

I could feel my anger thick and hot in the air around me as I ran towards the one who used the gun and pulled a hand full of pocket sand and threw it in his eyes. While he was distracted I tackled him to the ground and started punching him everywhere I could touch, especially his nose. I stood up and started kicking his near unconscious body with all my strength, and grabbed a vile of acid I had siphoned from a battery. I took a knife and carved a long cut along his chest and poured the battery acid along it. His shouts echoed along the ally and provided the tiniest bit of satisfaction, but it wasn’t enough.

While I was in my blind rampage, I failed to notice one of his friends cock and aim his gun. I herd the shot faintly through all the blood that was in my head, but I felt it full on. True the bullet entered my arm, but the wire slowed it down a lot. Furious I charged towards the guy who shot me and threw my surican at his throat with perfect aim. The others readied their guns before I could do any thing else. Staring at a half circle of guns and plenty-capably men, I stopped. It didn’t matter that they trapped me, for in my blood thirsty head, I was immortal, nothing could stop me. They were nothing but children that stole my most precious belonging.

“wow, what are you going to do? You cant kill me. I‘m immortal!” I laughed maliciously. Be for they said anything, I felt the blood leave my head and go back to its normal beat, before I felt the rush of one hundred heart attacks jab through my chest. The last thing I saw was the faces of my attackers flash with fear, some dropping their weapons. Then darkness.

Life and death

I woke later, I don’t know how much longer, in a lovely puddle thick red water. Wait, I thought, that wasn’t right. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was wrong but my nerves were flashing a red flag about the situation. After searching for a few seconds I found the missing link. Around me lay eight or nine dead bodies “Oh. Its blood. That explains it.” I mumbled to myself. I looked next to me and saw a fairly morbid caucus with five or so bullet holes in his chest, obviously the source of blood I had woken up in. I decided to look at the other bodies before I left. Once I got closer I saw that there was no sign of how they died, except the blood that leaked out of there eyes, and mouths. After standing both guiltily and smugly over there bodies for a moment, I stepped over them and walked over Rave’s body, hoisted him over my shoulders, and limped out of the blood spattered ally.

I couldn’t believe it. Not how some way rave died, not the new emotion I felt, and not how I lost control like that. The thought was unbearable, that I, a protector of eternity that fate chose to bless could become such a monster. I broke my own morals of respect, I swore never to torture a soul no matter how screwed up they were yet I did it anyway. That totally destroyed me, but what really hurt was that the only guy that tried to get close to me was gone…. Forever. How did I feel pain? Sure my arm was shot and throbbing but a more, numbing pain was spreading through my vanes with every beat of my heart, every memory of rave that flickered through my head. I always knew that you saw your life before you die, but I never knew that you saw your life with someone that you….you loved when you witness them be murdered.

Raves body was lying in a puddle of blood by now and I couldn’t stand seeing him in such a state. I had no money for a funeral, nor a grave or coffin, but their was something that I could do, that I would. I lifted rave and threw one of his arms over my shoulder grabbing his hand then lifted him with a loophole on his jeans then and him down the ally.

I drug Rave to the plateau that towered above all the city. Once I got there I started to ascend the far side of the hill so people on the highway would not see me. The bushes were snagging against Rave’s clothes and I wished there was a more honorable way to do this, but alas, there was not.

I decided that before I did anything else I would l would listen to music. Music for me was the world, a safe haven to escape to when all else failed. When I listened to music I herd only the guitar riffs and vocal notes drifting in a masterful melody. I felt only the rhythmic pulse of the drums and base beating a simple yet beautiful harmony. When I listened to music, my emotions became one with the creators of the hymn.

I grabbed my Mp3 from the grassy patch I dropped my materials on and flicked the power button. The screen lit up with enthusiasm and automatically went to my favorite song: Swing Life Away by Rise against . It was a soft song, allowing me to think more about the meaning. So far I drew the conclusion that it was a love song about how life could be with each other and how their love was unfailing. I wish I thought somberly.

I lye Rave’s body down on the flat table of the summit of the mountainous plateau. I crossed his arms and kissed him one last time, then ripped off my crucifix and gently placed it over his heart. A fresh set of tears were coming on and I didn’t fight them. To give Rave the most honorable death was what I aimed for so I said a prayer usually only said when a living legend died.

With nothing else left, I grabbed a medium sized vile of lighter fluid and trickled it out onto his corpse. ”good bye, love” I whispered, then grabbed a match and lit it. As I began to drop it, I saw something in his pocket. I blew out the match and removed the envelope. I would wait to read it, there were more pressing matters at hand. I lit another match, then let it slip out of my fingers. Immediately I stepped back, and watched flames shoot up and dance in mourning for the body they now captured.

As I watch the corpse burn, Let it be by the Beatles started to play. How suitable I thought. Now I took out the letter, then saw that it was addressed to me. I opened it and took out the paper, witch was wrapped around something hard. I unfolded it and inside was a square of toilet paper obviously wrapping something. I decided to read the letter for Rave’s final words were more important to me than any gift.

Dear Raquel,
I guess that if you are reading this, I’m probably dead…ugh, how corny. Any way, if you haven’t found out yet from my behavior, I should tell you this. I’m like so sorry that I didn’t tell you this, I know it would be fun roof topping it with you, but I am or maybe I should say was different than everyone else. I was a ninja. The reason I didn’t tell you this was because I was of resentment that you would resent me because of how long I kept it from you . I was nearly killed a long time ago, and a person you knew well found me. She told me her name was Madison, but you probably knew her as evarain.

He Knew Eva? Why did he never tell me? Evarain was my best friend for several years until she disappeared for so long that everyone passed her as dead. Eva was a ninja as pure of blood as I am. I recalled that her element was an extremely strong forest. where was she? I continued to read:

she decided to train me when she found me dying from starvation in an ally. I trained for about a year and gained a close friendship with Eva. Suddenly one day she just left for no apparent reason. I waited for to come back for about six months. I later decided to track her down, and eventually I found her. She was staying in a small amazing town called Broomfield, attending a school called West Wind High. She’s still probably there. The last time she saw me, I told her that I found another ninja, and immediately she demanded who it was. I told her your fake name, and she started to act weird. She gave me a surican with the biggest gem I ever saw in the center and she said to give it to you. It is inside the toilet paper for when you finish reading this. I ask that you find evarain and tell her my fate. I will always love you Raquel, remember that.

Don’t forget me
Rave

The letter caused even more tears to slip from my eyes. Did she recognize me by anything else than Sihoban? I slipped the letter into one of my arm protectors then clutched the toilet paper square and unwrapped it. In a matter of seconds, a sterling silver surican with an emerald the size of a quarter in the center was lying in my hands. On the emerald was a deep scratch that ran across it.

Immediately I recognized the scratch, I was with Eva when it was placed there. It got there on the wildest journey Evarain and I ever had. We were assigned to one of the hardest missions in history, and we accepted it with out hesitation back when we were still with the clan. We had to kill Rouge. Rouge was one of the elders of the clan, one of the strongest, until an unknown trader with a mentality element corrupted him.

Eva and I tracked him obediently, and when we found him he had three allies with him. Of course like any other ninja, we knew he wouldn’t give up, so we would have to battle him. He was one of the strongest ninjas alive, so we couldn’t just jump out at him unless we wanted death. We planned for days while following him, and finally we came up with the perfect ambush.

Ninjas could not die from toxins or poisons, but a certain gas could comatose them for several days: sarin. I had the materials to make it but if I created it, there was a chance that I wouldn’t be able to escape it fast enough. Then I came up with a solution. Sarin stays close to the ground, it never rises above around twenty feet.

I snuck into their camp while they slumbered, and put all the dry ingredients in a pile under a few leaves, then climbed into a tree. In the tree I mixed all the rest of the ingredients into a thin glass bottle as I waited for them to awake. I waited, entertaining myself by counting the stars I could see through the leaves. I checked on my victims, but something was amiss, the two allies of Rouge were missing. I silently hopped out of the tree and went to go find Evarain.

When I found her, she was battling one of them. I stared in amazement at my partner’s opponent. His moves were so fluent, he was one of the best fighters I have ever seen besides Eva and a few others. Suddenly when he was distracted Eva hit him in the temple, knocking him out. “Sihoban!” she screamed all of the sudden, and threw a surican above my head. I stared at where it was going, and saw hers reflect another. The blade scraped along the emerald in the middle of it with a defying screech. When the surican hit Evarain’s, it reflected and flew at the unknown enemy, hitting him in his throat.

We ran to our still sleeping target, weapons in hand. We reached Rouge quite quickly, but were taken aback when we found him. He was standing ready to fight at sight. We stared frozen at each other. His hair was jet black, with read streaks, the kind you would see on a scene kid. Then there were the eyes. Never had I ever scene such astounding eyes. They were an inhuman orange, the type of color that could be seen at such precious moments only during a Colorado sunset. I would never forget them, ever.

It was completely silent, none of us even breathed, until in a flash, everything jumped into movement. I shot forward with my knives, what was an extension of my hands at the time, and with speed of the lightning, sliced at my enemy. I was astounded by his speed, for I was the quickest of the clan, and he blocked my move with out trouble. Eva went after me, with her weapon. It was a weapon she created on her spare time, a type of bladed whip. He dodged that as well, then muttered “My turn”. He shot forward with astonishing speed and instead of using a weapon, he threw a kick with such power that when it hit Eva she was thrown back almost three yards.

We fought like that for hours on end, and with no avail. Evarain was tiring and was slowing tremendously, and if we didn’t finish soon, we would surly take fatality. After a lingering combination of kicks, Eva got in a extra strong hit and threw Rouge back. However as that happened, he somehow got her whip off her belt.

As I threw a surican at him, he twisted the bladed chain around my throwing arm and pulled. It did not take my wrist off, but it did however cut over a half inch deep that would leave a scar eventually that I would carry for several more years and probably the rest of my life. My new handicap left me helpless as I watched Eva take an identical wound. I was loosing too muck blood, I was surly going to die.

Then something I didn’t predict happened. My heart raced and seared from all the adrenaline pumping through me. Suddenly I could feel a thick blanket wrapping around everything like being under water. I tested the blanket with a small mental nudge, and was sucked into darkness. I could see nothing, and I herd nothing, yet not a silence, just an absence of anything. Something was swarming inside my head but I did not control it, as if it had its own mind. Suddenly through the abyss I could feel muscles moving yet I didn’t know what muscles they were.

I came out of the darkness with the feeling of my stomach being ripped out. When I looked around I saw a mangled caucus on the ground, but you could hardly tell that it was of a man. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Eva sitting against a boulder staring at me. I could see her awe and confusement, yet no trace of fear.

I was bleeding exceedingly and if I did not stop the flow I would surly die, so I quickly pulled out a serum of blood moss juice and an antibacterial that would stop and eventually heal my gash, then rushed over to my friend. We made it back to our camp eventually, and when we did we were renowned as heroes and proclaimed as living legions . Furthermore I was believed to be the most powerful ninja in the clan and was named the twilight assasin for the amount of elemental strength I had.



Coming back to the present I turned and headed off the mountain -somebody would surly see the smoke and decide to investigate. I was still bleeding, but I’ve had worse. At the bottom of the plateau I hid and began to dig the bullet out -an extremely agonizing process. Once the small bit of metal was out of my arm, I took the serum I used so many years ago and poured a small amount of it onto the gauge.

I thought about what I would do now as turned and raced away from the rapidly growing pillar of smoke. If the letter was true, there was several things left untied, and it was about time to tend to them. I had an infinite life, and few things to fill it with, so I decided that taking up school would be a start. I looked highschooler aged, I never physically aged, and the work would not be a problem. If the letter was true, it was time to visit an old friend.

of Those who know

Eva was alive. The thought would not stop repeating in my mind. She wasn’t dead, just hiding. As I pondered over this fact, another question popped into my head. Why did she not find me? This question deeply disturbed me. What was so important that she would let her best friend think she was dead? I was pulled out of my stream of thoughts by the sound of rapidly approaching sirens.

I laughed at the thought that the water they put on my fire would only make it grow. Still, I didn’t want to get caught in an investigation, so I hopped across stones that stood above the surface of the creak I was running by. Eva was a loud person that couldn’t resist a large crowd, so she would probably be impossible to find immediately. Plus, she always did hate surprises.

Once I was about five miles away, I stopped by a small hidden café for a break and pick-me-up. I hid my weapons outside in a bush, then walked to the door. I was wearing the clothes rave lended me again so I didn’t have to look like a freak show. I grimaced as I recalled the last time I walked into public without a “normal” attire on, then strolled within the confines of the building. It was smaller on the inside than out, yet somehow it managed to take my breath away. There were about six small hand crafted tables, with a pair of matching chairs to go with each. The walls were painted ash white, with navy blue and black rose outlines covering the whole room. Along the walls were a series of peace sign shaped clocks and paintings of all sorts. One unique one caught my attention as I looked. It was a black panel, and on it, there was a cross filled with a beautiful scene of an ocean that merged into a forest filled with a path that cut through it. Around the cross was a white sketch of Jesus Christ in white lines. The title “god blessed the broken road that lead me to you.“ sat underneath it. something about the whole thing touched me. I suddenly felt a ray of hope inside me. I stared at the picture a few more seconds, than sat down at one of the empty tables and grabbed a menu.

A waiter walked over to my table then and asked for my order. He was tall, and shaggy black hair framed his face. His eyes were so startling I nearly dropped my menu. They were not one color, nor could you describe them with any amount of colors combined. They were the color of a mixture of fire and the sunset and they pierced through me like he knew a secrete of mine. They pierced through me like he knew my secrete. He grinned then ”what?” he asked and looked himself over.

“Oh, sorry, its just I saw your eyes and it gave me de’javouh” too much. I slapped myself internally and gulped.

“wow, lots of people have said my eyes were scary, but never have they been nostalgic over them” he laughed

“What? Your eyes aren’t scary, there beautiful,” I blurted without thinking. Way, WAY too much. I ducted my head and prayed that he didn’t see the color my face had turned.

“Umm… thank you, another way nobody’s ever described them. Of course your probably used to seeing beautifully strange colored eyes your self from looking in the mirror” he chuckled blushing a bit himself. “well, what can I get you?” he asked once more.

“ oh, I guess that I’ll have a macchiato” I said trying to move pass the blunder I made a second ago.

“Ooh, she has good tasts too” he said smuggly mostly to himself, then quickly added “ I’ll have your order in just a second.”

I stared at him and walked away, stumped by how he could effect me like that. He effected me like rave did, I admitted bitterly. All my emotions turned to bitterness towards that mere human that was blocking the path of forgetting my deseaced other. Still I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was so strangely familiar about his beautiful, piercing eyes. Crap, I thought knowing that it would make me go insane if I didn’t find out what it was. I could have sworn I heard his chuckle right after I thought that. That look of knowing in his eye, that chuckle, his familiarity, it all was signaling a red flag, shouting without a voice what was missing. It was still not enough.

At that second he walked over, two cups in hand. Why two? He set one in front of me than the other on the other side. He sat down across from me and smirked. Everything I felt towards him seconds ago evaporated, as I became peaceful.

“So….do you live around here?” he asked innocently.

“Nah, I was staying with a friend and he recently died, so I’m going down to Broomfield,” I said casually enough

“Really? I live down there!” he exclaimed “but wait, if your friend died, where are you staying?”

“umm,” I said. Where was I staying? “I….um….don’t really know”

“You don’t have a place to stay? You can’t just stay outside! There’s a gang going around killing people!” he responded with a trace of worry in his voice.

I took a sip of my macchiato, and let the warm liquid relax me. It was really good. Deciding not to tell him that I killed that gang, I sighed then replied “ well, what can I do? I’m not from around here so I don’t know anyone, and I’ve only got about $1600 on me to last until I find a job.”

“ why don’t you come stay with me? I got a place of my own and honestly its too big for two people, .”

“two?”

“yeah, my sister and I.”

“so…. Why are you going to let me stay with you?” i said suspiciously

Instead of answering me he just stared at me and an unusual wave of peace washed over me. I drew a steady breath in and collected my thoughts. I couldn’t seem to recall any doubt or fear I ever felt in my entire life. So what was I about to say? Hell, what was I even going to reply to?

Suddenly voicless words answered my struggling thoughts. Not even words but emotion. How weird…….. So I was being asked to stay with a total stranger and I couldn’t sum up an ounce of reluctance. Why not I thought as it would not be the first time I ended up aparently dead in a dumpster.

“ umm, that sounds great and all, but I kind of have a policy not to move in with someone I don’t know the name of.” I joked already sold on his proposisition.

“ Oh, did I not tell you my name? I thought I did, sorry. My name is Hayden” he replied.

“Well, that changes everything” I joked “I guess that it would be rude to turn down such hospitality so thanks I guess. My name is Raquel”

“Alright, well my shift just ended, so its time to go visit my cript.” he said humorously as he pulled me to the back through a door that said “employee’s only”.

We walked over to what looked like a series of lockers, and he opened the one that must have been his. He untied his aprin and reviled a “Chiodos” T-shirt and a pair of black girl-cut skinny jeans. Now that I looked closer, he had a silver eyebrow piercing and two diamond studs in his ear neatly concealed. He grabbed what looked like another silver ring and put it through his lip. He saw me starring at his piercing and casually said “ My boss is cool with my eyebrow and ear piercings because my hair hides them, but he insists that I take out my lip ring before I clock in. Oh, and you might want this” before he tossed me a full faced helmet.

“Dear god, you just keep getting cooler and cooler.” I said astounded.

“What, do you like motorcycles?” he grinned

“Why yes, yes I do.”

“its going to be fun having you stay with me” he muttered quietly to himself.

We headed out to the front of the building, and before I had a chance to find his motorcycle, he walked over to the bush I hid my weapons. Not good. He reached into it and instead of pulling out just my belt, he pulled out two. He starred at me and then at the one I assumed was mine. Fear spreaded over me, as well as shock. There were still two belts. He was what I was. Suddenly, all my feelings went blank like they did in the café .

“I thought so.” he said, no trace of anger in his voice “ so, almighty twilight assian, you didn’t see this, did you.” a huge grin stretched across his face.

“ummm… honestly, I cant say that I did,” I mumbled.

“My sister is a ninja too.” he said “ I think you’ll like her, she has a cirtain charm. What are you waiting for? Come on we have to go. ” as he got on his white and navy crotch rocket .

I silently walked over to the bike and flipped one leg over it. I could already feel the power of the bike as he kicked it into gear. He warned me to hold on tightly, so I put a hand on his bony shoulder and another on the side of his rock-hard torso. With that he sped off out of the parking lot and onto the freeway.

There was no traffic for about six miles, yet when we did find it, it didn’t matter. I saw the cars rapidly approaching, yet Hayden showed no sign in slowing down. Hell, I was on the back seat of a motorcycle with a suicidal. Right when I thought we were going to crash, he veered to the left and dodged the first of many cars. Scared to death, I shut my eyes and prayed not to die. I didn’t know if it was minutes or an hour, but I slowly felt us slow down and eventually stop.

“Hey, Hayden, your so much like mom, I ask for you to bring me home a dog, or cat, or flying squirel, but no, you bring me home a girl.“ someone said as I opened my eyes. “Hi, I’m Reise.” a beautiful rainbow haired pixie of a girl said to me as I dismounted.




Orphen Dreams

Where am I? Its cold. The clouds are black and purple, just like me my clouds. I’ve been hear before, many times. When? Purple streaks of lightning are exploding all around me and its poring rain. I don’t like it hear, its too familiar and something is telling me to run. There is a huge crater in front of me. What happened?

From where I stand I hear a sobbing that is too familiar. I turn and see a girl huddled in a ball against a tree. Here gold streaks are just like mine, but I allways wear my battle suit. What’s wrong with her? I try to ask whats wrong, but I cant move my lips.

A voice sounds behind me and I turn to see a miniture of Rave . His eyes are filled with concern as he runs towards the little girl. He asks the question I have been longing to ask, and is answered by unimpeterrpiteable mumbles and sobs. He kneels down and starts to comfort her as she calms down. He requests her to tell him all that happens which leads to more screaming about someone being dead. As she slows she shouts at the top of her lungs “I did it! I did it o.k.? I f****ing killed them, ok?”


“holy shit!” I half shrieked falling out of bed.
“you know, this is the forth time you’ve woken up screaming,” Reise told me as my adjusted to the sun lit room. I purposly did not look at her in fear of my eyes burning again. I’m not even kidding, her hair is like starring at a neon sign in the black of night, and to make it worse, when you see it you cant look away.

“I’m sorry about that” I said sarcastically then grinned “ I’m sure it bothers you more than me. So what’s on the ajenda today?”

“Well, I asked Hayden to help me put some green streaks in my hair but he said that he had been admitted to enough radio activity this week” her lower lip jutting out a bit as she finished.

“So I suppose I have to do it instead?” I complained trying to hold a strait face. Failing to compress the waves of laughter I fell off the bed giggling too hard. I honestly agreed with hayden but I could not bring myself to deny my new best friend.” Alright I’ll help you out, just let me get my sunglasses.”

“YAY! I love you Raquel!” she rejoiced as she rapped her thin arms around me then danced out of the room. I sighed, quickly brushed through my hair then found my most U.V. protecting sunglasses. I was serious about that part.
Hayden told no lie of the size of his house, it was at least 4,900 square feet. No joke. I strolled down the hallway, bright morning sun filtering through the sky lights and bouncing of the purple walls. Yeah, purple walls. I asked Hayden about the many, many colors of the house and he just laughed. It was to my suspicion that he made the mistake of letting Reese paint the house. It looked coordinated with a series of 60’s paintings.

Walking into the kitchen I saw that Reese was already sitting down ready to have her hair mutated even farther. Sighing in defeat, I grabbed the florescent green package off the countor. I mixed the bottles together, and suprisingly, the dye wasn't that bright. I warned reese about this then proceaded to add the green molasis to her hair and wrap it in foil. I wondered why she didn't just go to the salon across the street, then relised that she probably couldn't get them to do it if she payed double. this was one of those jobs that only occupied your hands, so of course, my thoughts trailed off on me. over the last week I've stayed hear, I discovered something I didn't expect. for most of my life, I was under the impression that Eva and I were the only ninja's with special abilities. but recalling these last few days, I found out that both Reese and Hayden had abilities too.Reese can animate any object and make it do her bidding, which makes me wonder why Im doing this myself, and can manipulate the density of them. Hayden was a lot more like me, though instead of controling thoughts compleatly, he could only control emotions. but he could control those emotions very accurately, i meen VERY accurately, and very specificly.

As my thoughts rolled over this information i finished the last strand and my eye caught sight of a little box wiggling in the corner. What the hell? "Reese, what are you planning? Im not adding even more dye to your hair, it might actually look decent when these are done." behind me there was a flash of movement, and before I could turn to see what it was, I was tied up in a chair. " What the hell?! let me go Reese, I will murder you so hard. you have no idea."

" No you won't. you love me too much. and I'm not going to hurt you, Im just fixing your hair." she said brightly. fix my hair. I stared at her in horror, then moved my eyes up too her hair. her orange, blue, purple, green, and pink hair.

" I SWARE-" I began and then stopped when I saw Reeses dissapointed face. I was mental. compleatly insaine. I sighed then contenued, "if you ruin my hair, I will chop you into tiny pieces then feed you to your brother. Infact go get him. Right now." her face light up in utter excitment as she raced out of the room. so, so mental.

In but a few seconds she walked back into the room pulling hayden, who was sheilding his eyes and struggling. He stopped when he saw me tied up and I could almost hear his thoughts. but not compleatly, we kind of cancle each other out. or at least he cancles me out, he has no problem messing with my emotions. Reese pulled open the blinds and light streemed through the window, relfecting off her hair almost as much as the foil on it. I wasn't paying atention to that though, for before me stood the most gorgeous person i have ever seen. The way the light came in caused his creamy white skin to glow, and his eyes burn like a brilliant bonfire in the night. Not even Rave could amount to how godly Hayden looked right now, his features were just so... perfect. i immagined how he looked with eyeliner on and thuroughly enjoyed the picture. Relizing that he could feel my emotions, i looked away from him almost too quickly, i stared down at the floor and thought what was to come of my hair. I could feel two pairs of eyes on my as I looked up at Reese with her eyebrow cocked, and started laughing. this mad her anoyed so she turned to hayden.

"so hears the deal," she said, thoroughly pleased with what was to come. "you have to make sure I don't go too crazy on poor raquels hair." when hayden opened his mouth to interject, she giggled "if you dont, she'll find some way to chop me up and hide me in tonights dinner. my hair might give you cancer, just so you know." I looked up at hayden with a hostile expression.

The room was dead silent for just about three seconds or so before we burst out laughing. "ok, I will," he laughed, then added "as long as you come to the store with me after."


Hayden and I walked down the isle silently, and fairly slowly. I stared at him incredulously, but he didn’t seem to notice, he was too focused on the shelves. The items worthy of complete concentration? Eyeliner. He broke the silence first, “which works better? I herd cover girl doesn’t last very long.”

something about the question was just wrong . Not in the dead baby jokes way, or in the old guy jogging in booty shorts way, but in a funny, well, just an unbearably funny way. Bursting out in hysterical laughter, I tried to say something, but it came out sounding like part of a voodoo ritual. His shocked, almost scared expression made me laugh even harder. I realized that I must have looked like a complete freak, so I stopped breathing and looked up at him. This lasted about two seconds, then he started to laugh. So of course I started to laugh once more.
Between gasps of air I told him “get Wet n’ Wild, its a pencil, it lasts a lot longer, and its a lot smoother. Do you know how to put on liner?” he nodded his head, already looking for the brand. I smiled then went to find some chocolate.