Laci stood there uncomfortably while waiting for a response. She felt like she was under scrutiny until Dinx finally spoke. His words filled her with relief and she nearly missed his name. "Thanks." She managed to give a genuine smile this time. For a moment Laci was sure her request was going to be rejected.

Nodding in agreement about going, Laci fell in step behind the two. During the walk she kept quiet, letting her mind wander. She barely noticed Dinx shift back into his cat form until he was walking beside her and Laci heard the familiar ringing of his bell. At first she wondered why he had shifted back but then those thoughts changed to if he would be alright. 

It didn't take much longer until they reached the house. It seemed like as soon as they entered the house, the rain started to pour down. She glanced out the window and smiled, she was lucky to have come across these two in the forest. 

Laci turned away from the window and looked at the room. Dinx was taking care of his wounds and the other girl was looking around. She liked the feel of the house. There was something about abandoned places that Laci loved. And the era it looked to be from didn't hurt anything either.

She jumped slightly at Dinx's voice, the only noise so far had been the sound of the rain and thunder. Glancing out the window again, she nodded. "Seems like we got here just in time." She said. "By the way, I'm Laci."

Dinx smiled, "Nice to meet you Laci... Ok so theres two rooms upstairs, I will have one and you two can share one. There's two beds in that room, my room is the smallest which is why I chose to be the only one in there." Dinx suddenly felt a burst of pain, he put his hand on his neck and closed his eyes. "Now you can just settle in I need to take care of the pain in my neck..." He walked upstairs into a bathroom. He leaned over the sink and splashed water on his neck, the pain stayed.

Dinx soon frowned and leaned over the sink and coughed, the other wolf had infected his wound with it's dirty teeth. He coughed again and spit out some things that he didn't like seeing. He turned off the sink and didn't notice his sungl*censored*es had fell off. He walked downstairs, then blinked a few times. His green eyes with the darker green skinny pupil. He blinked once more then went into the kitchen.

He cooked up some noodles he found in his backpack and then put them in two bowls. He set them up at the table and looked at the two girls, "We.. You two... Might as well eat." He smiled at them then walked over to the dull blue couch and lay down on it. 

 The pain was horrible and bad, he coughed again and his eyes closed and he fell asleep. No dream came.. Just pure black... Then in his dreams a bright light appeared, then the light turned into a girl. It was Laci... Then it turned into Sky... Then everything went black and demon like things appeared in his mind.

 As he dreamt he sweat like a pig, he twitched every minute or so. His eyes seemed to almost open but then they closed tighter. His face was pale and he didn't look well at all. 

Laci nodded and made a mental note to check out the bedrooms later. He excused himself and Laci watched Dinx go up the stairs. Frowning, she hoped he wasn’t seriously hurt. She never thought to ask how his injuries were. Even after the fight, all she was concerned with was herself and getting shelter. She would have to make sure she checked on them later.

She heard what she as.sumed to be pots clanging together and went to investigate. Dinx had just finished cooking and was setting bowls on the table. Laci thought he was going to set out another bowl but instead he told them to eat. “What about you?” She asked but she was too late. Dinx was already on the couch.

Laci frowned again but sat at the table. She silently thanked Dinx for the meal and started to eat. The noodles weren’t bad. They were cooked just right and were a welcome change to her normal meals which consisted mostly of fruit. She finished quickly and washed her dishes in the sink.

Walking into the next room she decided to check on Dinx. To say he looked bad would be an understatement. He was pale and covered in sweat. She was about to leave and get a wet rag to lie on his forehead when he twitched. She jumped slightly and thought he was waking up but he continued to sleep. Hesitating momentarily, Laci shook him lightly in an attempt to wake him up.

Dinx made a groaning sound in his throat and opened his eyes, "W-what?" He sat up and blinked a few times, he felt his wet head and frowned. "Good lord... Don't worry, it happens sometimes." He looked down at the bloody ace around his stomach, his shirt and jacket was in the way and seemed to make his wound more dirty.

Dinx thought about taking his shirt off, but then remembered the girls. "Could I... Take my shirt off? It's kind of bothering my cut and... I don't have any other clothes.." He waited for a repsonse but decided he'd just do it, "You won't mind... Right?" He took his shirt off and set it down on a small table next to his side of the couch. 

The rain fell hard, almost sounding like hail. Dinx twitched at the sound of thunder, boy did he hate it. He lifted up the ace a bit and checked his wound, but put it back quickly. He got up and walked over to the window and preswed his face against it, he wanted to go outside and run around in the field but it was just too wet. (Computeris crashing, so I might have to post a bit short.)

Ooc: Don't worry 'bout it.

Laci let out a sigh of relief when Dinx opened his eyes, then she froze. Since he had been wearing sungl*censored*es the entire time and in the kitchen his back was mostly turned to her, she never noticed how reptilian his eyes were. All she could do for the moment was sit and stare. It was easy to see why he always wore sungl*censored*es.

Having been caught off guard, Laci didn't realize he asked her a question. "Oh, er no. It's um. It's okay." She stuttered, though it was already off. She went silent. She couldn't stop thinking about his eyes. Laci had never seen any like that before.

She snapped back to the present when she realized Dinx was no long on the couch. Instead, she found him staring out the window. She followed him over and stood beside him. "So, what exactly happened to you? When you were asleep I mean. You said it happens sometimes. Just how often?" 

Ooc: I got distracted watching Land Before Time. :P

(Oh those great old movies :3)

Dinx's eyes snapped to her direction, like they never really moved. "Just dreams... When I first got my powers this happened... Bad dreams.." He sort of smirked and turned his head towards her, "It's kind of like a curse." He sighed and looked at the rain making leaves move all kinds of directions, cold winds adding onto that. (Gotta make it short >.<)

 ((Oh my gawd, sorry guys D;  Been so busy with school crud, homework and projects be so unfair.  Well, thanks for keeping the thread going anyway~  Thought for sure I'd have to ressurect it.))

Sky shuddered.  She ignored the thanks her stomach had given for the noodles, which tasted like a five star chef had gracefully prepared them.  Quietly, but with a quiver, she glided up the stairs, levitating just several inches above them.  Had she noticiced she was floating, she'd surely have been proud.  But the thunder had overtaken her thoughts and filled her with fear and despair.

She huddled next to one of the twin beds, closing her eyes and wishing the storm away.  She opened her eyes momentarily, glancing out a distant window.  There was no end to the clouds in sight, they stretched on endlessly with a dreary darkness.  A sudden flash shown from nearby, and a loud crackle sounded afterwards.  Sky's eyes slammed shut and she cringed.  A trail of tears ran down her cheeks and soaked into her hair, which hung in front of her face.  She remained silent, despite the desire to burst into a crying fit.  She didn't want the others to think of her as weak, or a scaredy cat so she decided she'd hide until the storm pas.sed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dusk considered what he'd say.  'Her help would be nice, most likely anyway.  There's a chance she'd slow me down though.  Ugh, I guess two heads are much better than one.  Especially when you're hunting people who could be very powerful.'

He noticed the wind was bothering her, and figured he should help.  After all, he couldn't be enemies with everyone.  It was about time he had an ally.

"You're a hunter too?  That's just wonderful.  I do think it'd be best if we helped eachother.  Oh, yes, and I'm Dusk, by the way."  Saying this, he glared at the sky.  He could tell by the way the clouds shifted that it was raining in the near distance, and the storm would soon approach them.  "We need to find shelter.  Of course that's probably an obvious statement.  Have you any idea where we could stay?"

(You're alive! I've been wondering what happened to you.)

Laci gazed at the storm. The sound of thunder was calming to her. Feeling his eyes on her, she started to feel a bit uncomfortable but the feeling soon pas.sed as he looked away. "Just bad dreams?" She continued to stare out the window. "They would have to be more than bad considering the way you reacted."

She thought about what else he said. That it was like a curse. She snorted to herself. There was no way he could compare bad dreams to a curse.  "Believe me, there are worse things out there. Things that are more curse like than you would think." She sighed. "If you knew, you would realize that dreams aren't so bad."

(I thought you died :O)

Dinx bit his lip and sighed, "Your right... I just don't get why I have them..." He paused then turned to her and smiled, but his eyes didn't look at her more behind her. "It doesn't matter, thanks though." He smiled but then noticed his sungl*censored*es weren't on and he went pale, "Uh..." He ran upstairs and grabbed them and put them on, Dinx Dinx Dinx REMEMBER YOUR SUNGL*censored*ES. He came back downstairs, "Sorry... My eyes are a bit uncomfortable, I know." He smirked and went out onto the dry porch, when the wind blew a few rain drops fell on him though.

-----

Sasha looked at him, "Erg, a cave is right there." She pointed behind him to a cave that was not that far. She started walking and when she p*censored*ed Dusk, she smirked. She turned around, "Coming?" She seemed to be a totally different person, so unlike her real self. 

She sighed and went up to him and grabbed not his hand but his wrist and dragged him in, the rain started pouring on them before they got there. Once they were in she shook her head, trying to make it a bit more dry. 

 ((Naw, I still gots a pulse.  I be livin'))

Sky shifted when she heard thumping up the stairs...  And back down.  She peered out the window.  Still no let up from the storm.  She climbed into the nearby bed, snuggling into the stiff, old covers.  Her trembling slowed as she stared at the ceiling for several minutes, riding a train of thought. 

'Hmm....  I wanna go home!  But I can't...  I'm unaccepeted there.  What if I didn't have powers?  Would my parents accept me then?  Hmph...'  Sky dozed away, into a deep slumber.

She was back home in a flash.  And there was her mom and her dad, grinning happily at her.  And her brother, too!  "Mom, dad, brother!"  She exclaimed, siddling up close to them.  This was the family she'd always wanted.

Sky smiled, satisfied with her dream.  She muttered several words that were not understandable.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, just in time."  He wrung out his his shirt, watching the water drip from the fabric.

He took in his surroundings.  It wasn't the best, but it was far better than being stuck in the rain.  "Any lead on the our prey?  I heard news of several in the western side of the woods, but I haven't verified yet."  He grimaced, his razor- like teeth glinting.

Dusk glared deeply at Sasha.  He felt something about her, she was different from anyone else he'd met.  It was almost as if they were connected by something unknown.  Typically, he felt the need to be weary about a new aquatance, but he felt as if he could trust her. His grin grew softer, and more welcoming.

"Why do you.." Laci started but he darted upstairs. She frowned but shrugged it off. Shivering slightly, she thought about his eyes. They didn't bother her much now/. It was more of the fact that they never seemed to be staring directly at her.

She turned when she heard steps on the stairs. It was Dinx returning with his sungl*censored*es. She listened to his apology but she just shrugged it off. "It's.." But he went outside. 'He sure likes to just run off when I'm trying to talk to him. She thought..

The wind whipped her hair around  as she stepped onto the porch after Dinx. "It's fine." Laci told him. "You're eyes I mean. They surprised me at first but they don't bother me now." She went over and leaned against the railing, her face turned towards the rain.

Dinx's eyes looked at her, but not his head. "Laci...? Have you ever had the feeling like you don't fit in?" Most teenagers with powers felt like that, but he had a different feeling... Like he wasn't suppose to be on earth.

He blinked a few times, the last bl
ink his eye's turned sad. He sat down on the porch and put his legs between two pieces of wood holding the railing up. He sighed, but didn't do anything else. He felt like turning into a snake and slithering off, but that seemed rude.

-----

Sasha shifted her eyes towards him, "Herg..." She groaned, her legs sore. "Sorry I've been groaning alot... I haven't rested at all for a while." She almost fell to the ground, but slowly sat then lay down. 

"Well, there's a old house North of here." She grabbed a stick and started drawing, "Most people go there to hide, good hiding spot... For our prey." She smirked and sighed and rested her head down, "Feels good to rest." She said in a soft voice, almost like a mother talking to her baby. 

Laci gave a hollow laugh. "Only every single day of my life." She responded. "Of course it may have something to do with the fact that I don't. No one ever wanted to be near me." She frowned. "Not even my own mom." She added quietly.

She sighed and sat down next to Dinx. She was quiet for a few moments, trying to decide how to explain her power. "You see, my power is darker than most. What I am able to do is make illusions of what people fear most. And when people found out, I became an outcast." She swallowed hard as memories of her childhood came back to her.  "So yeah, I've always had the feeling that I don't belong."

Dinx frowned at what she was saying, "Nobody wants to be near you?" He narrowed his eyebrow's, but then he had a softer look when she talked about her mother. "Well, atleast you saw your mom, my mom ran away and my dad always got drunk so I... Ran away also, I felt like I was going to die..." He paused, leaving out some things about how he got his powers.

"I..." He stopped what he was going to say, feeling a bit awkward about it. "I enjoy being around you... I mean your nice, a good friend... Even though I barely know you." He said softly looking away at the blue mountains far away, he wondered why when mountains are far away they turned blue.

Laci shook her head. "I haven't seen my mom since I was four. But I was lucky with my dad. He never once was afraid of my power." She heistated, but only slighlty. "I'm sorry about your mom and dad. I can understand why you ran away."

She leaned her head back against one of the rails. It felt strange to open up to someone she barley knew but at the same time it was a huge relief. She opened her eyes when Dinx called her a friend. "I was just thinking the same thing."She smiled. "I've never been able to talk to anyone about anything before."

Dusk collapsed in exhaustion.  "A nice rest does sound good about now..."  He glared out the entrance of the cave, staring into the shady sky.  The clouds looming above were beggining to dim into a lighter shade of gray.  "And it's starting to get late, so maybe we should spend the night here.  Tomorrow, bright and early, we should go check that old house."

Several moments later, Dusk sat up with restlessness, scooching close to the edge of the cave.  The breeze that drifted swiftly into the mouth of the cavern was rather frigid, and he couldn't resist a shiver.  Since the rain had let up quite considerably, he took a step outside, scanning the area.

"I'm gonna gather up some firewood....  Feel free to come along, I mean, if you want too..."  He muttered, taking another step.  The trees in this particular spot seemed to be lacking, so he began to travel farther, glancing back to see if Sasha were following.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sky awoke in disappointment.  "A dream..."  She sighed, wishing it had all been real.  She quickly remembered that it had been storming before, her eyes darting to the window in a rapid movement.  The storm seemed to be pas.sing, and this made her rather glad.

With a yawn, Sky arose from the bed.  "Where'd the others go...?"  She asked to no one in particular as she stumbled down the stairs, obviously still a bit sleepy.  She wandered beside the door, then noticing that the two were out on the porch.  The sight of the pair together made her grin.  This joy drowned out that deep feeling of danger she'd had.