I glanced around. However, that's an understatement. It was more than glancing.

I took in every detail in milliseconds, processing the images faster than a computer could ever do. To put it simply, there was a fountain with an angel on top of it, probably put in approximately thirteen to twenty years ago. The water appeared to be clean, but further probing showed that a minute percentage was actually a poison that was slow to take effect. One would need to drink from that fountain each day. So, the people that we were looking for were sick… and someone was targeting them.

I tapped Zeth's shoulder. He snored promptly, so I slapped him upside the head. Immediately he woke up with a snort. "What was that for…" he asked, annoyed and sleepy. I smirked. Zeth was obviously fine.

"We're here," I replied with a lilt to my voice. It never ceased to amaze me how easily Zeth could sleep in the morning. Then again, he was always up at night.

"It's too bright out…. I think I'll stay in the truck…"

"You mean the golf cart. And no, you are not staying. Now come on, you lazy butt!" I proceeded to pull him out of our golf cart (the only thing we were allowed to drive legally since we crashed our last car…) by his collar, which should have hurt a bunch unless if he didn't have nerves in there.

"Hey… stop it…." he mumbled. I tugged harder. "Ouch! Ok, I get it!" he said, scrabbling for my arm. I smirked again. Torturing him was just so much fun sometimes…

I dropped him onto the dirt ground, causing him to start coughing from the dust his own bottom had disrupted. My smirk grew into a smile. He growled at me, and I promptly stopped smiling. Although, it was hard to fight that urge. Zeth stood up, brushed his pants off, and finally asked the question that I had been waiting for like always.

"Where are we?" Yep, there it was.

"Egypt!" I responded enthusiastically.

The strangest thing happened then. His face turned pale, like he had seen a ghost. My eyes became serious as I turned around and scanned the area. No suspicious figures were here.

"What is it?" I whispered to him.

"It's just… well…" He stuttered. I frowned. Zeth never stuttered when he was awake. Something was definitely wrong.

He leaned towards me as he motioned for me to do the same. My ear was next to his mouth as he whispered the words so quietly that if I hadn't such good hearing I would have only heard a breath.

"Dankera was born in Egypt and is the descendant of a pharaoh…"

My heart stuttered. This was bad, really bad.

"She could be able to use some of the hieroglyphics in order to find us. I had a peek inside of her mind once-"

"Okay! That's enough sugar for you boy!" I said loudly. Luckily, my disguise made me look like I was a burly woman who would hurt anyone, so everybody stared and then averted their eyes from me. I grabbed Zeth with my false strength and shouldered him all the way back to the cart. He just sighed.

"We'll talk more about this later," I said to him as we drove by busy streets filled with people in Egypt. We were in one of the less populated cities, but there were still enough people to make me uncomfortable. Any one of them could be looking for us, but I didn't have the time to scan each of them. Too bad Zeth couldn't drive. I used my senses to look into his eyes again for what seemed to be the twentieth time of the day. They were still the blank, white irises that they always were. Strangely enough, they always seemed to fascinate me. White was such a pretty color, it reflected all colors and light. It was the hardest to master, also, at least for me. I had no idea if there was anyone else in the world the same as-

My thought cut off as I swerved to avoid a man lying in the road. My senses automatically turned on, and I stared at him for a split second, which was more time than what I needed. He was an undercover spy sent from the U.S. to infiltrate the government of Egypt and learn about their plans for the future. I figured that the President would send someone to look after us, as if we needed any looking after. I stopped the car and jogged to him. His pulse was steady; he had only been knocked out or had drunken too much. I shook my head as I loaded him into the back of our golf cart. He would definitely need some looking after.

I parked our golf cart (I wanted to name it Xenon, but Zeth wanted Shadow the Slayer instead… since it was a black color.) outside of our hotel, which was a large, four star pillar of luxury.

I absolutely hated it.

So much money wasted on the fineries that could have gone to a charitable organization… I thought to myself as I slid out of the seat. I whispered a few directions to Zeth before unloading the baggage, and he nodded before disappearing into thin air along with the spy.

I lugged the luggage (oh, that finally makes sense now why it's called that…) to the receptionists desk and checked into my room. As I waited for her to type something into the computer, I scanned around, but there were no suspicious objects or people in the room. What a pity.

After being successfully checked in (something that I had never done on my own before), I headed to the elevator to my room. Luckily for me, there was no one in it. As I pressed the number five, I began to hum quietly to myself a haunting circus tune.

Deep, deep in the heart of the forest, there you'll find that circus

With its ringmaster, wide-eyed and ten meters tall

All the performers are so happy, though their appearances are bizarre

The Dark Woods Circus is such fun!

Come see the mysterious demon and the mad witch

And watch as the red beast alters lives

It's not that we were born into these forms

Why are you looking at us like that? What a disgusting ability.

"This life is horrid, yes; it can't help but be so."

And yet, the show goes on

What fun, what fun, this circus is great

You can see it in our rotting faces, melting eyes, and festering skin

I want to die, I want to die, get me out of here, please

But I feel like someone said to me, "That'll never happen."

I clenched my fists as the song came to an end. I would definitely find a way to free them. I had to. I must, in order to suppress myself.

Wait… suppress myself? Where am I going? No… I'm not going anywhere… Stop thinking like that…

Are you sure? You seem to be slipping down a fun slide. Let's go together, you and I! And when we're down there, the memories shall be repressed and never resurface. We shall live together!

But what would happen to my body? You certainly can't handle it.

Oh, but I wouldn't. You instinct would go and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and maim and kill and maim and kill and maim and kill and maim and kill-

Stop it!

-and maim and kill and maim-

Stop chanting this!

-and destroy everything, like you did that one time. Or was it two? He smiled demonically.

NO! Stay out of my mind!

But now I could see his face, and I couldn't hide from his glare.

The door to the elevator opened and I barely saw the five at the top of the shaft. I ran through the halls. His shadow kept on behind me, his eyes in the walls. The carpet crunched underneath my feet with the sound of bones, and I noticed the sun beginning to set. I needed to run faster.

I sprinted to room 569, pushing past many people of diverse cultures. They didn't notice my spectral pursuer who was my shadow. I glanced behind me, and his glare was still there. It was enticing, and I almost stopped running before breaking the eye contact. I stared straight ahead as my heart hammered in my chest. More people passed by like ghosts as I mindlessly ran from the shadow. I didn't stop for my room number, and I kept on running. Eventually the sun set and my heart hammered harder as I felt my senses begin to shut down. I started to breathe heavily as I struggled to sprint more. I looked back to see the hands of darkness begin to reach out for me, and then I let out the scream that had been struggling to rise in my throat. However, it sounded like a hoarse whisper in the darkness. I tripped over something as I ran. I heard a voice that I recognized, and I looked back. There in the darkness was a head of white hair. I caught my breath and shifted my feet towards him. The momentum in my body swayed as I pushed every muscle towards Zeth, eventually landing on top of him in what is known as a glomp. He grunted underneath me as I hugged him tight. "Zeth!" I said in a happy tone. I pretended to not be afraid in front of him, relaxing every muscle that I could. "I was just about to go downstairs! I couldn't remember our room number!" I smiled like an idiot, trying to fool him that I had just forgotten something. He shook his head at me and mumbled something as he turned around. I beamed at him from the back. However, I let down my guard on accident, and looked away with fear in my eyes.

He twirled around so that his face was next to mine. His white eyes glowed as they stared into my blue ones. They were fierce and full of power. T'was his time of the darkness. His lips curled up so that his expression was unreadable, and I couldn't tell if he was concerned or mad as he spoke in a soft and yet demanding voice to me.

"Dawn, what happened." It wasn't a question. I had to answer.

I fought with all my might not to let any emotion or expression get past me or for even my heartbeat to give me away. Needless to say, I utterly failed.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," I stated coldly. I tried to shoulder past him then, but his strong arms grabbed my wrists. Or maybe I was just being weak at that time and he seemed stronger.

"Let go of me," I said in the same cold and stony voice.

"No," he replied quietly, his voice even.

"Why?" my voice began to quaver slightly.

"Tell me what really happened."

I turned around quickly so that he was surprised. "I was weak," I answered cryptically, my voice full of anger and a tinge of regret.

I took my hand from him and proceeded to my room, walking faster than him. As I turned the corner, I realized something.

I turned around, and he was gone.

I sighed. "Very funny," I called. No one replied.

I walked on, fighting the suspicion and fear inside of me. It was near the 580s that it started again.

Da-awn!

I stiffened and looked in the mirror beside me, dreading the horror of what I would see.

I nearly screamed again, but it was just a breath.

My face was bloodied and torn, the skull exposed. My flesh was oozing and rotten, bugs crawling over it. My throat was torn out, so the flap of the skin that was exposed fluttered back and forth as I breathed.

I turned away slowly, afraid that if I turned away quickly my neck would break since I was so fragile in the mirror. I shook my head quickly. I wasn't fragile. My hands were trembling as I lifted them to my skin on my cheeks, making sure that my face wasn't damaged.

I nearly screamed again. The skin was wet and rough, dripping with slime. Something crawled over my finger, and I flung my hand to the left. Then, I noticed that my hand was only bones.

Someone appeared behind me, and I could not see his face as he grabbed me. I struggled quietly against his choking embrace, until I noticed that my hands were no longer bones and tendons. I sighed with relief, hanging my head against his solid frame. My lungs shuddered as I clenched myself against him, and he stroked my hair softly and yet hesitantly, as if not sure what to do. A sudden lump appeared in my throat, and I felt the shudders begin to get larger. I tried not to cry, but I just couldn't let it go. Tears formed in my eyes, streaking to my chin. After a while, I was done crying. Hastily I pushed myself out of his embrace.

He looked me in the eyes with those white, pure irises of his. Softly and firmly, he asked, "Now, tell me, what happened?"

I stared back at him, my eyes unfocused. "I told you, I was wea-"

I fell to the ground, unconscious, before I could finish my sentence.

When I woke, I felt refreshed. I peeked around the room to see the curtains open to a new dawn. I always woke up at dawn; it was a price that the power came with. I looked over to the bed beside me. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Zeth was staring blankly ahead, his eyes streaked with black. His hair, too, was streaked with slight grays. The veins in under his skin were beginning to pop out so that he looked like a zombie. I stifled a laugh, which he promptly noticed. He stared at me, eyes returning to normal.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" he asked.

I knew exactly what he was asking, and yet I chose to avoid the question. "It's a beautiful day out," I dodged.

He narrowed his eyes in dislike. "Answer me, Dawn. Or would you prefer to have me call you-"

I turned to him, my face full of hatred. "Never…." I took a breath to compose myself, "Never call me that. Ever."

There was a silence during which a bug flew into the room. I sighed and opened my eyes wide. Pinpointing the bug's location, I pointed my finger at it and concentrated the rays of sunlight beaming in from the sides of the shades to the bug's head, which promptly exploded due to the increase in temperature.

During this time, Zeth and I never lost eye contact. The wind rustled through the window, causing the shades to blow like someone was behind them. My eyes flickered to there, assuring me that there was no one there.

"So," Zeth interrupted, "It is getting worse."

I glared at him. "What makes you think so?" I definitely did not like this conversation.

"You keep on avoiding the subject and also are extremely alert, using up even more of yourself as we both know. Also, last night you were hallucinating. Never before have I seen you cry like that…" his eyes trailed off into the distance, and I knew that he was thinking of last night.

I wanted to yell at him so badly. I wanted to do something to make him understand what I felt that I must do. I did the only thing that I could.

"Fine, you want to know?" A mad smile escaped my lips, and I saw him freeze for a moment, his eyes wide. I spread my arms.

"Annice, stop-"

I screamed at him, my pent up energy finally exploding.

"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT! I HATE THAT NAME!"

In that instant, Zeth saw what I had seen that night of my life.

I walked through the streets of an abandoned neighborhood. My parents had recently decided to get a divorce, and suffice to say that I was not very happy about it. My iPod was stuffed in my pocket as I stalked around, angry at everything and everyone. The wind whistled around me, but I could only feel it as the moon shined from the sky. I looked up, and that was the last thing I saw before the darkness.

When I woke, I couldn't see anything. The darkness dominated my entire vision, and I could not see where I was.

It went on for days at a time, sometimes I would black out. Or maybe I really was in the dark for a whole year, or was it only three days? I still don't remember. All I can remember is the feeling that there was nothing left, nothing to feel. I couldn't see, feel, or hear anything in that place, wherever it was. All I had was the silence and my thoughts.

That's where I started to 'go insane', if anyone is to call it that. It is so much more than that; it's losing the difference between realities, or not knowing the right or wrong. Making fun out of the most mundane, making no sense, the list can go on and on, but it is not limited to one definition or phrase.

At the end of those torturous days, I finally saw another person and the light. However, I did not expect what I saw.

My mind was jumbled from insanity; nothing kept me on track or focused. I saw two men as they hauled me out from my dark cell, their faces dark and concealed, although, I always imagined that they were the smiles of the devil, filled with insane and manic laughter. They pulled me through a long hallway that was filled with portraits of past people. I wondered briefly where I was before they thrust me into a small room. I struggled against them as they shoved me into a large birdcage, and at that moment I realized just what they were doing. I glanced at the clothes that were on me, fancier than I ever would have worn. I realized that I was being put out for auction, a very pricy auction.

I waited in there, trembling with fear. Then, I noticed that there were others near me, girls my age. They were all dressed nicely, trembling like me. I saw two twins, a girl and a boy with black hair. I saw a girl with red hair that was dyed. They were all pretty and picture perfect, probably the only reason why they were there.

A man came through a door that was too my right. It seemed to lead to a stage, but later I learned otherwise.

After tantalizing minutes, I was the only one left.

A man came through the door and rolled my birdcage through the door into another, smaller room. A man came up to me, and what happened next I never want to repeat or tell.

Zeth watched carefully as my mind slipped. Three pictures from my memories came out, one with him kissing me forcefully, another of him slipping off my clothes, and one when he was on top of me.

I stopped it then, afraid of what else would get out of my mind. I stared at Zeth as he looked at me with a peculiar expression. I noticed the circles around his eyes as they began to form; it was daytime after all.

I fidgeted. I had never meant for that specific piece of information to slip.

"Don't you understand now?" I asked. "I need to free those who had been sold." I stopped whispering, and my voice became louder. "They need to be saved, and I should have done it before, but I just wasn't strong enough! I can do it now, I just need to find them and-"

"Dawn," he interrupted me. His eyes scanned me over. My eyes were wide with determination as I stared back into his. He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't think that's the problem. I think your powers are the problem." His eyes pierced through me, and I knew exactly what he was doing.

"Stay out of my head!" I whisper screamed, as the tears began to flow down the cheeks. He was examining those memories that I hated, the ones where I had been raped, and then when Dankera had turned me. When she had made everything in my life wrong, yet gloriously wrong. Gloriously, insanely wrong.

I ran towards him, prepared to push him down from where he sat on the bed, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt him. I stopped right in front of his face, and he looked at me with surprise as I drew back. "I can't open my heart and mine to you, Zeth. You should know that."

His eyes squinted at me. "You don't make any sense, Dawn."

My heart hammered. I started to pace around. The energy of the day coursed through my veins, and I began to wonder what I had really said. Then I came to a conclusion.

"I don't know what I'm saying half the time! Fine, you want to know the truth? I'm going insane and there's nothing that can-" my voice changed, become hysterical, "There's nothing that can change me! How do you like that! I'm going to be this way forever and ever and ever and ever and eve-"

"Ichione," Zeth said quietly. I glared at him as I stopped. That language… it was the only language that could efficiently stop me, and when imbued with his power it could make me die if he wanted.

"Dawn, you need to stop this. Otherwise, you will never be able to save those people who you want to save."

"Stop what?! That's the question, I can't remember what it is that I want to stop and yet I can't stop it and I want it to not stop! How do I know this? Tell me, Zeth, how do you even know what it is?"

"It's called madness," Zeth replied calmly.

I glared at him before considering what he said.

"But in the end, what is madness?" I whispered as I was walking away.

Zeth coughed softly, a sign that he wanted me to come back for some more talking. I whirled around and glared at him. "What?" I asked sharply.

"Remember that man that you brought in yesterday? The unconscious agent?"

I squinted. "You did tie him up, right?" My smile grew larger as I started to imagine just how I could torture him (without hurting him physically) so that he could spill the secrets that we needed to know…

Zeth sighed. "Yes, I tied him up. He was sleeping and has only now woken up. He's in the other room that connects-"

I bounded out of the room, rushing to interrogate him. I heard Zeth sigh again as I smirked deviously. I slammed shut the door that connected the two rooms.

The man across from me looked me suspiciously in the eyes before falling away from my penetrating stare. It felt good to be in control.

I walked slowly towards him, building up tension, and I smirked devilishly to make him feel uneasy. My eyes widened as I blew into a full-blown creepy doll stare and smile, one that was guaranteed to make even the most hardened criminals afraid of me. Instantly my mind began to project imaged to his eyes, causing fear to overtake him. My expression turned to interest as I saw him sweat without fear in his eyes. I had decided to try another tactic when Zeth burst into the room.

He had his eyes closed, and his hair was darker than before. I quickly scanned the area and found some soldiers coming up the stairs to our room. I cursed silently to myself. This was not good. Quickly, I went back to my bags and rummaged around for the badge that the President had given me. I couldn't find it at first, but after a few tantalizing seconds it was in my grasp. I walked casually back to our interrogation room and found that Zeth had him untied already. I went up to his ear and whispered to him, "Don't even think about running. If you so much as make a noise, you'll pay back with a thousand fold of pain." He nodded slowly, and I smirked as I drew away from him.

I knocked when I heard a sharp rap on the door. After a second, I composed myself and opened it. "Yes?" I asked the soldiers outside of the door.

The leader of the group stepped forth. He held up a search warrant. "We are here to locate Special Agent Alan."

"Oh, so that was his name," I said, catching their attention.

"You've seen him- Wait, he's right there! Special Agent!" He rushed past me, bringing in two others who smashed me into the wall. Instantly my head exploded with pain, and all the memories of last night rushed back, as clear as a movie. I felt my eyes begin to burn, and my breath grew ragged. My heartbeat increased rapidly, and I blinked past tears of pain while wondering, What's happening? Don't tell me I've gone past my Limit… This is bad… This is really really bad…

Zeth rushed over to me and rolled me over on the floor. A couple of the soldiers crowded around me, and Zeth motioned for them to back off. I had my eyes closed, but Zeth opened the lid of one of them and came as close to gasping as I had ever seen. His voice whispered in my mind at that moment.

Your eyes… the irises are red… He sent me a mental picture, and I gasped. I looked like a demon had overtaken me.

I struggled to get up, keeping my eyes closed. By now everyone was gathered around me, even the Special Agent. Without opening my eyes, I stood and held out my badge to the crowd. It was a license from the U.N. which permitted me to do whatever the heck I wanted in any country that was a part of the U.N., and I was pretty sure that Egypt was.

I spoke with authority in my voice. "I have full permission from all members of the United Nations to hold any person or persons in my custody if I deem it appropriate. This man is under my jurisdiction for the time being."

The leader of the squad inspected the badge carefully, taking it from my hand. He was not convinced that we were the real deal. I frowned. Things might have to get ugly.

Still with my eyes closed, I stood up, facing them. I whispered menacingly, "Do you want me to prove it?"

He glared back at me, his eyes full of dislike. "Prove it."

I opened my eyes and smiled as the crowd was shocked. Then, I gave the leader of the squad images of the night that I had been elected to be the dog of the U.N.

I walked towards him after I was done, whispering in his ear, "Now do you believe me?"

He stared at me in fear, as did others. Apparently red eyes weren't normal. Obviously.

I waved back at Zeth, signaling for him to erase their memories, but leave the knowledge that they shouldn't interfere. He nodded briefly before raising his arms. Instantly, each of the team members were lifted a foot above the ground by shadows, some struggling before succumbing to the blur of faded memories.

After he was done, I looked at all of them as they stood like zombies. In a voice of command that I had used many times, I said firmly, "Now, retreat back to your boss and tell him not to interfere unless if he wants a death penalty. You are excused."

They all saluted and exited in a timely manner. I smiled as they left. It was entertaining to be in control. As I watched them go, I saw one person at the back that looked like he was sneaking around. I sighed, and sent a hologram in front of him. It wagged its finger at him, saying, 'No'. He looked thoroughly startled.

"Special Agent," I said, using my commanding voice again, "We have questions for you. Come back to the chair."

He turned around, his face pale. His eyes were brown, and he appeared to be over thirty. To think, a man scared of a girl like me! I hardly looked vicious now that my costume was gone. I sighed and brushed my long, blonde hair out of my eyes. I was only fifteen or so at that time, and still growing.

He hastily retreated to the chair and sat. I looked him in the eye, all my power drained. Great, it was morning and yet I was already tired. Better call it a long day…

"Special Agent, I trust that you know who I am?" It was more of a demand than a question.

He gulped, intimidated by my mere presence. "Y-yes," he said shakily. He took a moment to catch his breath, and then started to recite what he had memorized about me. "You're Anni-," my eyes narrowed menacingly, "I-I mean Dawn Fidelo, fifteen years old, born in the States, working for the United Nations as a secret infiltrator. You can find any terrorist, assassin, or spy at once by just looking at them. No one knows how you do it except for the leaders in the U.N., and that information is strictly confidential."

I eyed him suspiciously. "Correct. Now, what about my partner here?" Zeth groaned at the word 'partner'.

"Zeth Dank-" Zeth glared at him, giving him a stare that was worse than mine. I secretly applauded him. "I-I mean Zeth. Sixteen years old, born in Greece, sometimes is known to have dark hair or white hair and no one knows why except for the leaders in the U.N., can find anyone at night and can speak many languages."

"Correct again." I leaned towards him so that my face was right next to his head. "Now, tell me, did the President of the United States send you?"

He gulped again. "Y-Yes."

I stood up. "Good, you tell the truth. I knew what you knew already, just testing your honesty!" I gave him my best, most preppy smile. He shuddered.

Zeth stepped forwards. "Is that all, Dawn?"

"No," I said as I walked around the Special Agent, whatever his name was. "Special Agent, do you seriously think that we need protecting?" I whispered into his ear. "Do you even know where we are half the time? I'll let you in on a little something, I can go places much faster than anyone that I know, and unless if you happen to be what I hope you are not, you won't be able to track me any more than a blind and deaf person could." I pulled away from him. "Understood? Please tell the President that while we are minors, we do not need coddling from anyone. He of all people should understand that." I smiled, my eyes serious. It scared him more than before.

"A-alright," he muttered hastily, walking out of the door. Before he could completely exit, though, I called over to him.

"Oh, and Special Agent," he turned around. "If I find that any information has been leaked about me from what you saw today, you can guarantee that you will end up your life in a mental institution." He gulped again.

"That's all," I said as I turned back from him. I could hear his panicked footsteps retreat down the hallway, and I smiled. My smile flickered as I saw Zeth's glance.

"What?" I asked rudely. His eyes were concerned.

"Dawn, your eyes are still red."

I looked in the mirror, but now I wasn't that frightened by them. "So what?" I asked him. "Your eyes are white-ish gray." I started to stare further into the mirror, and I noticed the streaks of blue coming back in to my eyes.

In that instant, everything started to overwhelm my mind. All my memories came back, from the time that I had been a small child. They rushed through my mind, flitting by faster than I could ever process. It was like I had suppressed them before and was forgetting who I was. They neared the present time, and I wanted to close my eyes as I saw what had happened to me two years ago. I started shaking, and I felt arms around me. I slumped down, and my hands were at my head, even though I couldn't remember putting them there. My head shook from all the memories, and I was shivering as my mind showed me from up to now. At the end, I felt a spike of electricity up my spine, and I gasped as the pain hit me.

I closed my eyes, my head spinning. I felt sick, like I was going to vomit. It took me a minute to regain my composure before I could notice where I was. I felt the ground beneath me, and I noticed that I was on a bed. My heart racing from the memories, I sat up too hurriedly. My head started to spin again, and for a panicked moment I couldn't see anything. Slowly, my eyesight faded in, and I could see Zeth sitting on a chair opposite of me. He looked at me with intense care in his eyes. I plopped back down on the bed, exhausted and relieved.

I laid there for a while, closing my eyes, trying not to remember. The funny thing is that whenever you try not to remember something, it will always come back right when you try not to remember it. I guess that's actually not that funny.

The images of those horrible nights flashed through my eyes, and I resisted the urge to cry out. I wouldn't do that in front of Zeth again, I shouldn't have to burden him with that. Instead, my face retained an almost blank expression, interrupted with twitches of my cheeks as I tried not to say anything. Zeth stared at me as I was lost in my nightmare.

Bringing my hands up to my eyes, I covered them, trying to block out the memories and images. My brain started to think too quickly. If my brain only connected my soul to the body and contained memories, did that mean that when I died and went to heaven (if there was a place for me in there) that I wouldn't remember anything about my life on Earth? I would like that, to escape the memories in another paradise where I didn't need them. As burdensome as they were, I needed them to do what I had to do here. I needed to prevent that same pain from burdening anyone. No innocent should go through that pain.

The pain… a voice hissed in my mind.

Instantly, the screams of all the innocents that had been burdened burst through my skull. I could barely contain myself from screaming as I listened to them. They were quiet and ghostly screams, beautiful in their presence. They were not scary, but piercing at the same time. The screams of the innocent tore through me as I saw all that I had done. They left me breathless, wanting to hear more and yet so terrified. They carried a sadness that I could not comprehend, the sorrow contained in their voices. They were asking 'Why? Why me?'

I felt a hand trail down my cheek, wiping a tear that I had not known was there before. I found myself muttering the words, "I just want it to stop… I just want it to stop…"

He whispered back to me, "What do you want to stop?"

"Everything. The pain of living, these memories that I carry with me, and the endless sorrow of this world." I gulped back the lump in my throat. "I want to end their suffering. I want to end their sorrow, but there's no way that I can do that. There's just too many of them, too much sin… Too much death… I can't face it all… I can't do anything to make a difference…"

He took my hands and held them so that my eyes were free to look into his. "Dawn," he said calmly, "You can't change the whole world, only some of it. You can't change the whole world, and that's a proven fact. You won't be the first to do it." I felt more tears drip down my cheeks. He tilted my chin with one of his shadows that were normally cold, but were now warm. I saw his white eyes, a streak of gray fading from them.

"You can change a lot of the world, Dawn. Why else do you think you have been given such a power? You need to use it for the good of the people if that is what you think you should do. Don't waste such a gift, for it is more precious than you will ever imagine, just like you." He smiled, and for the first time I saw the warmness of his features. His eyes and hair were soft, just like a dove's. Zeth's face was slightly flushed, but I couldn't help but look in his eyes and feel myself beginning to believe that I could. My tears stopped as I realized something that I had never once known before. Zeth had always cared for me, ever since he had first seen me. My eyes grew wide, and then I smirked at myself for thinking that I should have noticed that earlier. I think that I always had known, and he knew right then what I was thinking. My lips parted slightly as he wiped more of the tears from my cheeks, and I felt a flutter in my lungs as he leaned forwards to me.

A memory stabbed me, and my eyes widened with the pain and fear. It was of a boy that I had long repressed in my memories. Yes, how had I forgotten that? I leaned away from what would have been my second kiss, frightened. Zeth looked at me with fear in his eyes, and he knew that something was wrong. I glared at him, telling him to not peek into my mind. I couldn't allow him to know what had happened. It was too much for anyone. Only God would know.

I sighed, trying to forget all of my memories. I felt a cloud begin to weigh over me, and I quickly tried to wave it away. I couldn't allow it to consume me. Not again.

"Zeth… I do like you. But this isn't the time for us to worry about ourselves. We need to go find those victims and try to find out who is…" I sighed. The words couldn't get out of my mind the way that I wanted them to.

"What I mean is-"

"Dawn, have you ever considered that you are working yourself too hard?" His white eyes stared at me, and I felt the anger begin to well up inside of me.

I stood up and almost yelled what I said quietly. "No! I haven't been working myself too hard! This is more important than anything else in my life that will or ever could happen! I've been given these powers, so I need to use them and make all that I can right! Don't even think of anything like that again!"

As soon as the words had left my mouth, I felt that some of them were wrong. Some of them weren't what I meant, and I could see how they stung him. My eyes widened as I realized what I had said, and I realized how it must have affected him. His eyes were hidden as he spoke to me.

"Fine. If that's what you want." His words were cold and piercing. I felt another invisible knife stab my heart as I nearly cried out in pain. Zeth got up from the bed, going to the other room. Along the way, he brushed into me, and I could barely see the tears in his eyes. I stood there in shock as he walked past me silently. It felt like my whole world had just crashed down.

I stared blankly into nowhere while a tear rushed down my cheek. I was such a fool.

A stupid, selfish fool.

A/N:

Whoah…. What the heck was that…

Anywho, I shall explain everything later in later chapters…. However, I have absolutely no idea how this will play out…. I have nothing planned except for the characters and the main problem and etc….. no idea what will happen next, which is so awesome! Anyways, this is rated T for a lot of angst, tears, blood, mentioned rape, and the mentioned selling of sex slaves… which is one thing that I hate more than anything… and so does Dawn…

Next chapter will be up soon, since I finally have spring break! However, do not expect anything after that for at least a month…. I have my graduation soon and I need to bring my grade up in order to get a gold stoll…. I think you spell it like that…

-DF