“ So, how’d it go ? “
“ It sucked. “
“ Well, I think you might be getting a little over dramatic. “
    Kate sat with her boyfriend Drew at one of the park benches. I t was a crappy day, with the gray clouds looming over and everything.
“ The guy forced me to sign a contract, and now I have to stay there till I die. I don’t think I’m being over dramatic. “
“ Hey, what about that little dwarf guy ? What’s his name ? “
“ I don’t know, but does it really matter what the little crap’s name is ? “
“ Just wondering. “ He took a sip from his latte. “ Now, was John all alone, or.. ? “
“ No, he was there with his ‘ brother ‘ Frederick. “
“ Why sarcastic about the word ‘ brother ‘ ? “
“ Because that’s what he said, and I really doubt that’s true. “
“ Heh. “ Drew noticed that one of the park workers was looking at them in a weird way. “ Uh, don’t look now, but who’s that ? “
    Kate looked out of the corner of her eye and saw him too. “ That’s Skips. “
“ He’s looking at us weird. “
    She looked back at Drew. “Why ? “
“ Heh, maybe he’s just jealous. “
“ Of what ? “
    He scooched over till he was up against her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. “ A better pergunta would be, ‘ Of who ? ‘A tiny smile formed across her face. Drew leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, slowly sucking. As he did this, he quickly gave Skips a taunting glance. He knew.
Skips angrily glared back and skipped off.
    Seeing that he was gone, he stopped beijar her.
Kate gazedinto his black eyes. “ Why’d you stop ? “
I’d like to talk to you some more. “ He stroked her hair with his long, pale fingers.
“ What would yu like to talk about ? “
“ Oh, well... what about your job ? “
“ It’s okay, I guess. It’s definitely better than my old job. “
“ That place didn’t seem that bad to me. “
“ If hell had restaurants, that would be it. “
He leaned back against the bench. “ Whatever you say. “
“ At least the co-workers aren’t so bad here. “
“ I’m guessing you’ve talked to them. “
“ Actually, I’ve never talked to them. And that’s why I’m okay with them, they don’t go bugging me or trying to have a conversation with me. “
Drew chuckled. “ Still being your anti-social self. “
Kate punched him lightly in the arm. “ I told you to stop calling me that. “
“ I’ll stop calling yo anti-social when you go out and actually talk to your co-workers. “
“ Maybe. “
Drew sighed. “ Good enough. “
Kate started to get up. “ I should probably go and finish my work. “
Drew looked surprised. “ Was I keeping you ? “
“ No, no you weren’t.
He stood up too. “ I just remembered... I should probably go do my errands and stuff... “ He gave her a quick wink before walking away.
Kate wished he wouldn’t leave so suddenly.
-----------
Something’s not right. Skips couldn’t brush off the thought.
    Something about Kate gave him the feeling of something that was inhuman. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that she wasn’t completely mortal. Like... a monstrous being. Not that she was a monster though. But she was definitely hiding something.
    He realized something else. She reminded him of... her. He pushed that thought aside immediately. No one could replace her.
“ Do you know where Benson is ? “ Behind him was standing Kate.
“ What ? “
“ Benson. Know where he is ? “ Her voice, with its emo tone, seemed to cut through him. “ He’s... I dunno exactly where he is, just that he’s driving somewhere in his cart. “
“ Oh. “
“ So, uh... do you like it here ? “
“ I guess. “ As she brushed her bangs away a little, her ash-gray jaqueta sleeve fell back some. The arm underneath was bruised in the shape of a hand print. Like someone grabbed her.
“ What happened there ? “
“ I bumped it into something, “ she said unconvincingly.
He shrugged. “ Whatever you say. “
Kate was surprised he was so quick to believe that crap. Seriously, ‘ Bumped it against something ‘ ?
“ I should be going. “ She wanted to leave. “ I have to get the rest of my work done and everything, “ she added. Then she walked off without another word.
    Skips watched her until she was out of sight. Yes... there was something about her.
----------
    Kate walked on, hand’s in her pockets. A frisbee whizzed right past her face, but she had no reaction to it. She was too busy looking down, thinking about what she had escaped from a long time ago. But she had a feeling that it had just begun.
    “ oi you, “ a snake-like voice whispered.
Kate just ignored it. Maybe he was talking to someone else.
“ Oh Katylin... “
    She stopped right in her tracks. No one ever called her that. Except.... She turned towards the voice.
    A man in a charcoal colored capa stood in the bushes seguinte to the path she was traveling on. His capuz, capa cast a shadow over his eyes, which occasionally glinted.
“ Come forth. I have a message. “
“ From who ? “
“ My master. “
“ Be specific. You know what I meant his name. “
He grunted. “ I can’t tell you. “
“ .... “ She adjusted her jacket. “ Is there a reason ? “
“ Eh, I’ll tell you that soon enough. “ He coughed, making a sound like his throat was backed up with a aleatório gross substance. “ My message. “
“ Yeah ? “
“ We have found you. I myself have. You can’t run from who you are, especially what you have done. “
Kate clenched her fists. “ Who gave you that message ?! “
He stepped back. “ I must not reveal that. “
She stepped towards him, matching the distance. “ Tell me, “ she demanded in a grim tone.
“ P-please ! I’m only the messenger ! “ he whimpered.
    She grabbed his capuz, capa and threw it back, and her suspicions were correct. His eyes were serpentine, green and glowing, with the pupils being black narrow darts.
    She gasped. “ You’re... you’re one of them. “
The messenger hissed and with inhuman speed, slashed her arm with sharp claws. Blood trickle down from her pele, peles and a red splotch spread over her torn jaqueta sleeve. Kate took one glance at her wound, then gave a hard kick to the man’s abdomen. His red hair flew in front of his face as he was launched into the ground por the sheer force of her kick.
    Kate looked down at her boot, disgust spreading on her face. “ You got blood all over my good boots.... “
    “ Go to hell... “ he moaned.
“ Well, I happen not to enjoy where I grew up. “
“ You grew up in a normal house... “
“ It was the closest thing to hell. “
“ I’ll bring you there.. “ The man got up to one knee and opened his fingers to slash at her again. Another blow to his face knocked him back into the mud. All movement from him had ceased.
She stuffed the body in the bushes. “ He was evil anyways, “ she reasoned.
    It would take a while for somebody to come across the body, since this path was hardly used. Why else would she walk here ? But, wait, after a few days the body’s odor would become noticed and one of the park workers might have to clean it up... she’d have to get rid of it.
    She spread apart the leaves, expecting his battered body to still be there. Just an indentation where it was just laying. Sighing, she figured he wasn’t dead after all and hauled himself off to some other place. But she wouldn’t have to worry about him calling the cops on her and having her arrested. His kind didn’t prefer to interact with humans.
    She uttered a curse as she wiped the cold blood into the grama under the bush. She couldn’t remove it completely, she’d have to wash it off when she got home. Unless there was a rule about that.
    A low purring sound crept up behind her, when she turned towards the sound she saw that it was the sound of the carrinho stopping seguinte to her.
    “ Kate, I have some work for you to do at the house, “ Benson said. “ Hop in. “
Kate climbed onto the passenger’s assento as Benson started the carrinho back up.
“ What were you just doing here, anyways ? “ Benson asked her.
" Looking for you, “ she half-lied.
“ Oh, okay then, “ he replied, and drove off towards the house.