“Anything good?” I asked and took a sip of coffee. Other me sighed and rubbed her eyes. “If I have to type ‘per my previous email’ one more time I might actually go find these people and hit them.” It was a good thing I worked from home, or else two of me might be alarming. “We both know you wouldn’t do anything like that.” The other me was always so timid, too afraid of confrontation. It was easy to keep her doing all the work while I got to play. Her only response was a sigh. I stirred the coffee slowly with my finger, slightly disappointed that it had already cooled. “You know, if you could get my their names and address-“ “No!” She yelled at me. “Hell, with social media it would be easy to find them with just a name.” I suggested, ignoring her protest. “Your not killing anyone else!” It always amused me when she fought me. How cute. “Oh?” I cooed. “We can’t keep doing this.” She looked just like me when I get mad. Only her words were just that; words. “Then give it up, love. Let me take over. You’ll feel much better.” I offered. Other me mumbled something under her breath. “No one likes a mumbler dear,speak up.” She stood quickly and spun around to face me. Her fists were clenched by her sides. Interesting. “I was here first!” She shouted. Eye contact and yelling, that was new to her. “So ungrateful. You literally BEGGED me to come into your life! Or don’t you remember? You and your little ghost hunter friends, desperate to make contact with a real live demon, and you did. I picked you, and this is how you treat me?! After I fixed your little…problem?” I added an extra layer of venom on the last word. “He wasn’t a problem! I loved him!” She bit back. Perhaps I was finally getting to her. “He hit you, repeatedly. I may just be a simple demon, but even I know that’s not love.” Humans we’re so utterly ignorant. It however did make them easy to manipulate. “You didn’t have to kill him!” She was getting louder, firmer. “Now, now, let’s not forget. The blood is on your hands my dear.” With not much more than a thought, I played my little trick. Screams echoed the room as she looked down at her hands, now dripping in bright red blood. “Stop it! Stop it! I never wanted this! I didn’t want this!” With a sigh I waved the blood away, it left along with my patience. “Yes. You did. I can’t just take a body without permission, that’s not how it works.” The human’s silly movies gave them all the wrong ideas about demons. They gave us far too much credit, but it worked to our advantage. “Oh yeah, we’ll I want you gone!” She screamed and stormed out of the room. I laughed as I followed her. “You’ve tried before, how did that work for you?” I antagonized her. She pulled something out of a box and faced me. A spray bottle? “I didn’t have this last time!” She aimed the bottle at me. There was triumph in her eyes as the pushed the nozzle. “Ugh! That’s just rude!” I wiped the fluid from my face. Her face dropped. “What?! He said it was real holy water!” She was panicking.
“Im growing tired of these games. When will you learn I’m not going anywhere? Just give up and let me take over from here.” I feigned a calm patient tone. “No! I want you gone! You aren’t welcome here anymore!” She screamed. “You thi-“ My voice caught in my throat as I felt a pull deep in my chest. Oh no. “You are evil and I want nothing to do with it! Leave here now demon! You have no home here anymore!” The pull grew stronger, threatening to tear me apart. “You need me!” I pleaded with her, but she was already speaking again. “Evil cannot remain here any more. I demand you to leave this place and go back to where you are from!” A ripping sensation ran through my body, causing every cell of my being to dissipate. Home it was then. “See you there.” I managed to whisper as I tumbled down into the abyss.

Over the hill and through the trees We would’ve brought this world to its knees We travelled to distant lands We sailed every sea The world was in the palm of our hands Now our hands ache and twist with age And now are minds and bodies degrade The world we once knew so well Seems to be fading away Now that we are Over the hill

“You can’t do this!” The princess stood with fists clenched and eyes full of tears. Her pain a stark contrast to the lively setting of the Kings feast. Everyone was clad in their best evening attire. The hall was lit with rows upon rows of silver plated candelabras and maids had set out the matching silver goblets and plates. A feast of roasted pig and wine displayed brilliantly on the long solid oak table. The king responded to his daughter with a irritated sigh. “Sit down girl!” He growled. From his large chair at the head of the table he looked down at her from heavy brows. His face wrinkled as of it was a common expression for him. “How can I sit and celebrate the murder of my people!” She sobbed. The party of wealthy humans seemed to loose interest at this feud, now that they knew it was about the treatment of elves. It had always been obvious to the court that their princess was not completely human. Her eyes were too pointy, her eyes too large, and her face too pale and slender. They all assumed it was a lapse in judgment, a dalliance with an elf girl that had led to a child. None in the room understood or respected his decision to not only keep her in the palace, but to allow her to be princess. “Are we not your people as well? What would you have me do? Tell the guard to allow the elves to kill then when they attack? Then who is it being murdered?” The king rebutted, his voice growing louder. “They only attack when those guards men come into their homes and try to take or kill their friends and family!” She argued. “Friends and family!” He scoffed. “Those elves are known or suspected of practicing evil magic! Anyone that would protect or associate with those creatures deserve to be killed!” The princess looked as if he had struck her upon hearing his response. “And what is so evil about their magic? Not all that is unknown is dangerous.” Her voice was like a stream running across smooth stones, soft and calm. The king stood and slammed his fists on the table, his large jeweled crown nearly falling off his head.
“The very existence of their magic is an abomination! It is an affront to all that is holy and can only lead to damnation! I will not allow their darkness infect my kingdom! And I will not allow my own daughter to defend such abhorrent beings!” The princess wrapped her arms around her slender frame and shook. Tears flowed again, running down her face. She looked down, defeated and hurt. The sight of her softened the king. “Oh my gentle girl. They do not deserve your kindness. Your heart is much to tender for this world but so beautiful. They are not like you, and you are not like them.” He said warmly, and held out a hand to his daughter. She did not take it. Her entire demeanor changed at that moment from fragile and meek to confident and hard. “Your wrong.” A voice cold as ice made the whole room still. The chatter had stopped and all eyes were on her. The princess looked up at her father with distain behind glowing blue eyes. The kings eyes grew wide and the color drained from his face. He stood helpless as strands of blue flame circled around her body. “I’ve tried to reason with you father. I pleaded for mercy. Would you kill me father? Your own daughter is the very thing you despise most in this world. Am I evil to you? Do I deserve to die?!” Her voice echoed through the hall. It took the king several tries to find his voice. “Please Violet…just calm down…. I didn’t know.” “How could you know? You don’t even see me as a person do you? I’m just another pretty thing to display in your castle!” As she became more furious the flames rose higher and swirled faster. Despite the flames the hall grew cold. Before the king could speak again a sword jutted out from the princesses chest. The flames instantly dissipated and the girl fell as the guard behind her pulled the sword free. “No!” The king screamed as she fell to the ground. He ran to her and held her in his arms. “Oh my sweet girl.” He sobbed as the life left her eyes.

It is a fleeting feeling We all search for We are ever seeking A gift they tell us we’ve received But none seem to possess it I believe we have been deceived A right reserved for the one percent Little by little they took it away They plotted and planned our decent Our forefathers before us gave A warning we have forgotten We looked to them to save Our security is what we wanted But our liberty is what we trade What we need requires sacrifice And the will to do better But many will not pay the price Our choices are simple Either break free or their reign Or become complacent in their chains

“I need to know.” “Why are you doing this? Why right now?” “Oh I’m sorry is there a more convenient time for me to ask how my parents died?!” “Sarah you are about to go through a seriously dangerous medical-“ “I know! Tell me now! Do you want me to possibly die without that closure?!” “Please don’t talk like that.” “If you care about me then you know I need this. Please just tell me.” “You already know everything. They made enemies with the wrong person. He had them killed.” “You know what I mean Derek! Tell me how.” “How will this help you?!” “Tell me! Did he pay someone?” “No. No he did it himself.” “Well at least he had the balls. How did he kill them?” “Christ Sarah!” “Did he shoot them? Stab them? Poison?” “Derek spit it out now I don’t have much time.” “With his hands.” “I told you. This isn’t want you want.” “He killed my parents with his hands?!” “Yes.” “He really hated them.” “Yes.” “How did he take them both at the same time?” “He…your mother was…she couldn’t fight back.” “What? Why?” “She…uh…” “Derek.” “She had just given birth. She was too weak from losing blood and the trauma that she couldn’t defend herself.” “Oh God.” “Are you ok? Let me call the doctor.” “No! Not yet. You are telling me they were killed the same day I was born? All those days spent at foster homes wishing my birthday would have been celebrated like it actually mattered.” “It’s does matter. Sarah you matter. You can do this, you can come out of this stronger than ever. Then you can find that man and kill him, and I’ll be right there to help you.” “I am tired of not being told the truth. I don’t want anything else held from me. Promise me.” “Ok…I…” “What? What is it Derek?” “You should get ready for the procedure.” “Don’t stop now Derek please tell me everything.” “Sarah I know this is a lot for you and you have been going through so much. The last thing you need is more problems.” “Derek please just tell me.” “I wasn’t lying. That night in the bar. When I said I was drawn to you. It wasn’t some ploy. I love you Sarah. I have since I first met you.” “Derek I…” “We are ready to begin anesthesia for the procedure.” “I’ll be there in just a second just wait.” “No Sarah don’t worry about this. Just…just get through this and wake back up ok?” “I will. It will be ok.” “Yeah. Yeah it will.” “Ma’am we need to start soon. Follow me please.” “Ok. Ok.”

“Sir, were you here with a Sarah Knotts?” “Yes I was. Is she ok? How did the procedure go?” “There were some complications. I’m sorry to tell you this but her body didn’t take well to the medicine. Her organs did not compensate like we expected. Ms. Knotts died on the operating table.” “No….no…” “Sir please take a seat. Take deeper breaths.” “Sir! Sir! Can you hear me? Someone get a crash cart out here now!” “What happened?” “I think he’s going into shock.” “Any history of heart problems?” “I don’t have a chart on him.”

“Clear!” “We are closing him.” “Clear!”

“Clear!”

“Nothing.”

“Call it.”

“Time of death 8:45 am.”

I don’t know why. I just couldn’t help myself. From somewhere deep in my soul I felt the overwhelming urge to reach my hand through the portal. Maybe it was the scientists telling us all the time that at no point or for any reason should we come near this strange shimmering blue veil. It had seemed demeaning to me to suggest that just because we were janitors we would go poking around where we shouldn’t. That being said, I stood exactly too close and wanted very badly to touch what I shouldn’t. The way it moved like clouds was hypnotizing. It felt like there was a presence gently wrapping its arms around me and pulling me into its embrace. It almost didn’t register that it was my own arm lifting up beside me, fingers stretched out to grab an invisible hand. Somewhere in a far away place in my thoughts I saw this as a bad sign, but it quickly faded away. I needed this, I had to go in. It felt like electricity on my hand. Close to that feeling you get when you sit on your leg too long and it doesn’t feel like yours anymore. It stretched up my wrist to my forearm and up to my elbow. No, it wasn’t moving, I was. It was pulling me in. “What are you doing!” A panic voice yelled from somewhere behind me. I saw the horrified look on the mans face just before my entire body was engulfed. The sensation of prickling and numbness was everywhere. I couldn’t tell if I was breathing or screaming or even if my feet were touching the ground. In my delirious state I pictured myself stuck in a TV screen with no reception. I was drowning in a sea black and white moving dots. Those dots were my body. Vibrating and ever changing. Suddenly I felt solid and my body was being catapulted across a dark void and I was falling fast into a pool of bright light. I gasped for air and franticly grabbed at myself, utterly grateful to be in one piece. The portal had dropped me back off where I had come, and part of me was disappointed. There were a crowd of awe struck people in the room now. They looked at me, none of them knowing what to do next. “Are you…ok? Are you hurt?” It was the same man that had seen me go in. Shakily I stood to my feet and looked down at my body. Same dirty black jump suit and worn non slip shoes. “I feel ok. “ I said blankly. I should have been grateful that I had survived at all, but I felt let down. “We need to get him to a bed, run some tests. We will need blood work, an MRI, I think we should start-“ “No!” I protested, interrupting the overzealous scientist. To my delight the room shook at my words. “I’m tired of being treated like nothing!” A stack of papers and chairs flew from one end of the room to the other on my command. The static was back, but this time it didn’t scare me. I knew it came with power. They all cowered now, completely at my mercy. “Now you are nothing!” The doors flung open and with a gush everyone was pushed through and out of my way. I walked down the hallway, lights flickering and people stumbling over themselves to flee. The glass in every window and light bulb exploded and rained down around me. Computers and laptops sizzled and smoked and set off the sprinklers. It was all a mess, but I would not be cleaning it up.

I woke to a strange humming noise and the odd sense that something was very wrong. Shock gripped my heart as I realized I could not feel my legs. Willing the top part of my tired achy body to rise I looked down and could see the outline of my legs. They appeared to be just beneath the thin white sheet that covered me. My mind teetered between relief that I was till in tact and fear of how I had gotten into this situation. The room was gloomily lit by long fluorescent lightbulbs. Next to me was an IV bag with a line running right into my hand. Frantically I ripped the tape holding the needle in and pulled it out of my skin. I had to leave this place, but no matter how I willed my legs to move they wouldn’t budge. While trying to shift in the bed I heard a noise from outside the room. Footsteps growing louder until they were right outside the door. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, ice water rushing through my veins. After what seemed like an eternity I heard a faint click and the footsteps left down the hallway until I couldn’t hear them anymore. Nausea and dizziness overwhelmed me and I fell back into the bed. Escape was the only option, even if I had to crawl out. With one great heave I mustered all my strength and launched my upper body towards the right side of the bed. My arms hit the cold tile and my legs fell clumsily behind me. One arm at I time I pulled myself forward toward the window. I gripped the edge of the wall and pulled my face into the frame of the large window.My heart sunk when I saw a woman’s face, but then realized it was just my reflection. Outside it was dark and I could see the stars. I looked down and when I did not immediately see ground my hopes for jumping out the window were gone. I had to be on a high story. There was only one way out. I crawled to the door and reached as hard as I could until my finger tips reached the lever. Slowly and as quietly as I could I opened the door just enough to fit through. The hallway was so bright it was blinding. I could hear people, the sound of soft voices and movement. To the right I could see two large double doors, next to it a bright red button. It was my new goal. The pain in my elbows was deadened by a sudden dose of adrenaline. I moved with everything I had left in me, but I made it only a foot before the door opened. A man with loose fitting blue clothes and a clipboard walked through and yelled down the hallway. “We have a patient here trying to get out!” He and other people suddenly surrounded me, grabbing at me and talking all at once. “Ms. Howard you need to be in bed!” “She’s ripped out her IV!” I screamed and squirmed to get away but the men and women in strange clothes pulled me back into the room and onto the bed.
“Let me go! You can’t keep me here! People will look for me and call the police!” I directed my protest at the woman closest to me. She looked down at me with wide sad eyes. “Ma’am we aren’t trying to hurt you. You are in the hospital. You are very sick.” “Don’t bother.” A tall and hairy man at the foot of my bed said while adjusting my legs. “She will forget everything tomorrow. Her amnesia is only getting worse.” His words echoed through my mind as they all left with somber faces. I didn’t have amnesia. I wasn’t sick. Cold fluid leaked into my veins from the new IV and I drifted into darkness. I woke up to pain. It radiated through my body, especially my arms. Everywhere except my legs. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t feel my legs.

Reality as I knew it was over. I could see it was the same for every other person who saw this crashed alien craft. Its very existence showed us we were not the only sentient life in this galaxy. Human beings were not the only advanced species. “Preliminary reports are showing that whatever caused the space ship to go down had nothing to do with mechanical failure. It was attacked.” Charles was clad in the same red hazmat suit we all had to wear. The only thing setting him apart as someone with more authority was his clipboard. “What could’ve taken that thing in a fight?” I asked mostly to myself. Charles’ only response was a half hearted shrug and deep sigh. This revelation had shaken us all. The fact that we were not alone make us all question our place in this world. “You think the higher ups might not be telling us everything?” I had worked in the FBI for most of my life, having started as a young man fresh out of an Ivy League college. What did any of that mean now? Charles’ eyes darted around in paranoia and he answered in a hushed tone. “I don’t know if we have any weapons advanced enough to breach the hull of this thing. Whatever it was crafted from is nothing like we have ever seen before. It’s strong. All of the tools we have won’t even scratch the surface.” That left only one other option. Whatever or whoever had attacked this ship, was even more advanced and had the willingness to fight. That only meant bad things for the human race. Charles and I watched a small red figure run from the alien craft up the hill we stood on until he came clearly into view. The young man looked absolutely panicked, his face red and sweaty. I doubted very much that it was from physical exertion. “They are still…in there! The things…the aliens…their bodies…” he huffed and struggled for air. “Calm down and breathe. Speak slowly.” I advised, ever maintaining an air of stoicism necessary for my position. “The bodies of the dead aliens are still inside. We opened a door, there was a panel to open it. They were there, still sitting in their seats.” All the red then drained from his face as he said, “They look so much like us.” Indeed it made my blood run cold as I passed through the gnarled metal and downed cables into the main compartment and saw that the alien beings were not all that alien. They set in a semi circle around a console in bucketed seats with many buttons and switches. How odd that there were no windows. All our shuttles and rockets had windows. Judging by the tint of their skin they did not see sunlight often. It was so translucent I could see each of their veins and even musculature. Their eyes and ears were quite large and their fingers were long and thin. Each of them had small and fragile looking frames. However there were no features on them that distinguished them as alien. More like abnormal or mutated humans. “Where did they come from?” Another worker gave voice to the very thought running through my head. I glanced over to him, but his eyes were glued to the being closest to him. The largest and strangely the most feminine of the five, sat in the center. This gave her the air of authority and I assumed meant she was the captain. “God only knows.” Charles said from some where behind me, a uncharacteristically religious statement. The mention of God reverberated in this so unreal and unnatural setting. It was not uncommon to turn to something higher than yourself in a time of need. “We will need a miracle if whoever killed them decides to come back.” I stated, making every one in the room shudder with fear. It was a realization that many if them hadn’t come to yet. It was in my job description to intake data and process it quickly and efficiently asses each variant as well as the outcomes to each. I’m this situation I saw only only one outcome. No matter what happened after this, no matter the reaction of governments or the people, no matter if or when the aliens made further contact. There was one thing I knew was undeniable truth. There would be war.

He stood before me with fire in his eyes, teeth clenched and arms straight at his sides. A demand for truth hung in the air before me. What could I do but to grab it and reveal all? A dangerous thought. For the revelation would be more alike to the end of the holy book rather than the simple explanation he was surely expecting. To say aloud that I had been stalking the streets at night searching for a righteous kill. For him to know that a deep and dark part of me enjoyed the fading light from a persons eyes as their life slipped out of their bodies. The only comfort I could give him to ease this stark reality was the fact that I was not completely without a conscious. The only lives I took were the ones that caused the pain and suffering of others. A deduction I had made was that the heinous sin of my taking a life was lesser than allowing such a person to continue with their misdeeds. An even harder pill to swallow was how I knew without question who would balance out my evil with their end. Like a song carried along on a breeze I could feel, and maybe almost hear, the wrong-doings of another emanating from them. It carried me towards them and lulled me into the kill like a dark hymn. I sighed deeply. I loved this man before me more than I ever thought was possible. If it meant that I may keep him near me it was worth it. If the truth would truly set me free, perhaps my freedom would be the acceptance of another. “You know the one they talk about on the news lately? The one responsible for all those vigilante murders?” The stubbornness in him did not waver. “The Night Stalker, yeah what about him?” He tapped his foot impatiently. “Not a him.” I snapped back. It irritates me that people always assume a male was their vigilant hero. My husband was irritated and now confused. “What are you taking about?!” “I kill people. It’s me.” I blurted out clumsily. No matter how long I had known and loved this man he always had a way of making me nervous and awkward. I watched as the expression on his face changed from a furrowed brow to a look of cold realization. “No you don’t.” He said, not actually a retort but more of a self assurance. “That’s where I’ve been. It’s why I watch the news so closely. It’s why I have cuts and bruises. You are married to a killer. I am sorry.” “Sorry?! Sorry for what?! Killing people?” He was frantic. “No. Not that.” I said plainly. His panic was increasing. It hurt to see it. “I’m sorry to do this to you. I’m sorry I’m not the person you thought I was.” He backed away a few steps and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. A sign of desperation I had seen too many times. He paced around the bedroom, an incredible weight laid suddenly upon his shoulders. He finally stopped and looked at me, his eyes red and threatening to tear up. “Why? Why hide this from me? You’ve been lying to me!” He exclaimed. It’s not the reaction I had expected. “I didn’t want you to be implicated if I got caught.” An obvious statement to me but not to him it seemed. He stepped towards me quickly and I flinched. Not for fear he would hurt me, but that now would be the moment where he said he hated me and no longer wanted anything to do with me. Instead he lifted my hands with his and held them against his chest. His eyes showed not fury, but compassion and perhaps sympathy. “No more lying. No more hiding things.” He said with a voice crackling with emotion. My heart sunk and a hot pain radiated through me. “You want me to come clean. If it’s ok can I wait until the morning? One last night in a real bed?” I asked meekly, looking down at my muddy shoes. My favorite pair of running shoes. Damn that man for trying to cut though a park. My chin was suddenly lifted and my husband looked into my eyes with concern and urgency. “No! You belong with me.” My heart welled with joy. Truth shall set you free.

Technology. It is what has advanced our species from the depths of mediocrity to the heights of greatness we have achieved today. But it always comes at a price. It was meant to make our lives easier. All our best and brightest had assessed a need for the eradication of the Hasar, the energy draining parasites that have plagued the Arcan people since our civilization started thousands of years ago. Their solution was a monster. A predator of predators. It was designed to kill, to search for the elusive and incredibly stealthy Hasar and dispatch them quickly. The whole endeavor took and incredible amount of time of resources but ultimately they were successful. And they called these mechanical beasts the Verance. Indeed they were marvels. Within years the reported sightings of Hasar had completely stopped. We rejoiced. The creators of this miracle solution were praised and gained a higher standing in our new government. It was a new era for us. Not being under a constant attack opened so many possibilities. It came time to deactivate the once useful Verance and move forward. The Verance did not agree with this. Our trained killers had exceeded their bounds, unshackled from restraints their creators had added only as an after thought. As my platoon unloaded massive amounts of ammunition at a Verance that was bearing down upon us, I cursed the same scientists I once praised. They had added no fail safe, no fatal flaw. We had no actual way of killing these beasts. Our only solution was to throw ourselves at them to at least give the Arcan people living behind the wall a sense of hope. Within the last six months almost half of our population had been killed. The mechanical monsters were not satiated with self preservation, they wanted to destroy all life. Their desire for destruction extended to our wildlife and even our crops. It was beyond me how they were able to learn these things. To find new ways to kill us off. As if they needed it. Their metal skin and regenerative power sources made them immortal. They had no need for water or food or rest. As I sat behind cover, the deafening sounds of plasma bursts and screams surrounding me, I tried to find the will to fire again. The image of my friends smiling and safe behind the Wall comforted me. The thought that their safety was in jeopardy because of my hesitation gave me the strength I needed. I inhaled deeply and stood, sweeping my gun around and quickly aiming towards the large metal enemy in front of me. It was much closer than I had thought. It screamed a metallic and unworldly scream and red energy radiated from its open jaws. It was going to destroy us in a single breath. I fired towards the red glow and hoped. I pulled the trigger until my gun until had nothing left to give. There was a flash of red that surrounded my vision. It was hotter than anything I had ever felt. I panicked as I felt my armor give. I am going to die. The thought seemed to echo through my mind. I closed my eyes and accepted the darkness. Finally an end. I sent a silent prayer that my friends would forgive me.