Prose

~~~~~~~~~~~~~CHAPTER 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  "Am I in trouble," she asked walking up to Mrs. Tam. "Cause if so I didn't do it.''
  "Is that hair dye or is your hair doing that by itself," she asked cautiously. Knowing Z had brong Anthony for protection.
   "It's doing that by itself,'' she said not wanting to have to prove it. It hurts to bleach you hair. "So are my eyes and my skin."
   "Okay,'' she said and then she walked away.
  "Wow. She never lets anything go that quickly,'' said Anthony. They were already back in his room by the time Mrs. Tam could have come up with anything else to say.
  "Yeah, well, maybe i'm special that way. After one encounter people just realize i'm not a force to be messed with," she said, hoping he'd drop the suject so they could talk about something else. "So, uh, I got my progress report today.''
 He looked at her for a minute before smiling. "Did you really think that I needed to hear that. If mom hears that she'll be asking for mine to. My progress report will get me grounded for at least a week,'' he said, sounding despret.
  "It can't be that bad, wow that sucks,'' she said as he thrust the report into her hands. "I mean it's not to bad."
  "Yeah, yeah tell it to someone who doesn't know you're lieing. Meanwhile i'm gonna become a sacrifice to GOD if she sees this," he said. She could hear the fear in his voice and became very worried.
  "If she lays a hand on you i'll personally break it. You don't need to worry. Progress reports barely ever get a phone call," Z said. He started to look better. "Hey watch this," she said pulling his attention away from his report. She grabbed a pencil and threw it at the wall. Just as it was about to hit the wall it stopped and floated in midair, spining around and around.
  "Are you doing that," he asked.
  "Yep, and don't ask how. You should figure it out by yourself," she said, teasing him. He hated it when she knew something he didn't. She loved to watch his face get red with thought. "I told you about it once. The day you stopped me I believe." 
  He thought for a moment watching her smile as she made the pencil soar around the room. He knew what the answer must be but hoped that there was a more scientific reason. " Solar magenetic field,'' he said knowing that she had no idea what that meant. She shook her head vigorously. She was giving herself another head ache.
  "Give up or do you want to try again," she asked but she already knew the answer. She could see it forming on his face. "Magic. I'm a witch just like Silvestra said. It's so cool watch this." As soon as she had finished talking she was gone and in her place was a pure white wolf. It was beautiful.
   He looked at the wolf. He knew what had happened. "Z could you change back. I don't think my mom would appreciate me having a wolf in my room," he said feeling silly. Z looked at him and smiled. Her smile even looked cute as a wolf.
  "Must I," whinned the wolf. "I could always just eat her." She had been joking but Anthony hadn't thought it funny. He frowned at her.
  ''That's not very funny. Change back to a human please,'' he begged. He didn't want the wolf to leave but he didn't want his mom to see the wolf. He looked at the corner next to his closet and saw something move. "Z, there's someone watching us from the closet," he whispered.
  "I know. It's your sister," she said closing her eyes. A moment later the closet opened and Rina was thrown out by a girl that looked almost exactly like Z except she was the old Z. Her hair was blond, her eyes green, and she had a light tan. She looked at Z and winked. Just as she was about to go back into the closet she looked at Anthony and whispered something so that only he could hear. He nodded. Smiling she went back to her closet and closed the door without making a single sound. "Hallo Rina. Playing spy," she asked pointing at her black clothes. "I would have had you join us earlier, but I wanted Anthony to notice you before I did. His senses aren't as hieghtened as mine." She was smiling like the other girl had. Like she knew something that the others didn't.
  "Hallo Z, hello Anthony," she said annoyed that she'd been seen. "That was an amazing trick you did. The wolf was beautiful. Really. I wanted to talk to you alone Z, but I don't think he's gonna let me. Can you get him to go away for a minute?"
  "Sure, Anthony. Please," she asked as he got up and stood outside the door. "We've got about 10 minutes. What do you want to talk about?"
  "I'm so sorry for the fight. I didn't want that to happen. I just wanted you to tell me. I don't like not knowing whats goin on. You know that. I'm also sorry for spying on you two. I was only waiting for him to leave for a minute so I could talk to you privately. I'm sorry," Rina said, rushing through her speach. Z got up and walked in front of her. She grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.
  "I should have told you everything. I should have told you about the voice and my reflection and my hair and the girl. It's my fault. I'm Soooooo sorry," she said tears threatning the waterproofness of her eyeliner. "I'm so sorry. So whats been up with you. Made any new best friends yet."
  "Never. Never ever ever.  What did you say about the voice? Did you mention your reflection? What was up with that girl in the closet? She looks alot like you used to? Who is she,'' she asked.
  Z waited for a minute waiting for her to catch her breath and then began. "Yes I mentioned a voice. He's a demon dude from my dreams. He was the one telling me to cut myself and ultimately, to kill myself. I mentioned my reflection. She's the girl that you just met and she is the old me. Her name is Silvestra. She's the one that told me about my powers," she said trying to answer all of Rina's questions. "Is that why you were walking behind us on the way home?"
  "Yeah. I should have just talked to you then," she said. "So you said you're a witch didn't you. Can you show me?"
   "Sure," she said closing her eyes she started floating in air. Opening her eyes she said "whatcha think? cool huh.''
  Rina stared at her for a few minutes before talking. "I never noticed how different you look opposed to the girl in the mirror," she said staring at her hands resting on her lap.
   "Hey don't worry about it. I can change it back. Watch," she said her eyes starting to drain of all color. Rina walked to the door, opened it, and pulled Anthony in by his shirt pointing at Z. "Hey Anthony. Notice anything different about me,'' Z asked teasingly.
   His eyes widened as he looked at her. "Your you again." He sounded so happy
  "Only for a little while," she said her eyes already starting to slowly drain of color. "Sorry, I know you miss the old me." She stood up and hugged Rina and Anthony then walked out of the room, tears threatening her composure again.
                                                                                         **************************************************************
                                                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  She sat on the edge of the bathtub, listening to the fighting again. It had picked up where it left off, where it always left off, suicide. Like normal Silvestra was trying to stop her and the demon dude was edging her on. Then she heard a new voice. One she new all too well by now.
  "Z come on out. I gotta pee," said the kid Saly was supposed to be babysitting for 10 bucks an hour, but it was more like Z had been babysitting for free while Saly got all the money.
 She opened the door to find the kid already gone and Rina in his place. "Oh, hallo Rina. Whats up," she said walking out of the bathroom with her hands behind her back. She still had the  package her new knife had come in.
   "Nothing much. Whats up with you? Got any new knifes lately,'' she asked, already knowing the answer.
  Z panicked and did what any witch would have done. She sent the package to her room. "Not that I know of,'' she said walking away her hands swinging out in front of her. "Bye." Once she got to her room she saw the package and ran to it. She ripped it open in one try, sending the cardboard flying. When the knife was out she grabbed it admiring the craftmanship and then dragged it, blade down, across her wrist. She sat there and watched as the blood rolled down her wrist, disappearing as it touched the shag carpeting. It was like that for four minutes before it finally dried over the wound. She stared at it, muttering as she did so, quickening the healing process so she could repeat the action.
    Just as she was about to slash her wrist again she heard knocking on the door below. She looked out the window just in time to see Mrs. Tam let the men into the house. Z ran to Anthony's room hoping they'd be there. They were.
  "The men that your mom just let in. They're after me. I have to hide and you have to come with," she said reaching for their hands. They wouldn't give them to her. They were treating her like a disease again. "You have to come, you're in danger too."
   "Why are we in danger? We didn't do anything," said Rina. She sounded tense. Like it was her fault they had come.
  "You're my best friends, of course they're gonna come after you too. We have to leave, now," she practically screamed at them. It would have been a scream if she wasn't hiding from the men downstairs. Rina and Anthony looked at each other and then at Z. They took her hands and where gone. "We're in the Travel Zone. Don't touch the sides or we all get pulled out at a different place. Keep your eyes closed too, the lights might harm them if you look," Z said, hoping they would listen. She didn't want their eyes messed up too much. It might complicate things.
   "Z, w-who were those g-guys and w-where are we go-going," Rina stuttered, Z had never seen her so scared before. It was unnerving.
   She thought for a moment. she hadn't really thought about where yet. "The men were really bad people, Silver told me about them. They want to steal my magic, I don't know why mine, they just do. We are gonna go to my teacher's house in Italy. He can keep us safe for a little while," she said sure that the men couldn't follow them there. Mr. Creavis knew better than to leave his house unprotected. She looked at Anthony wondering why he'd been so quiet and was suprized to see that he was staring at her. "How long have you been staring at me," she asked.
   "Only a few minutes. I'm sorry for how we treated you. I didn't want that to happen to you again. You're amazing, you know that right," he said amazment in his voice. he was telling the truth. Z shook her head. "Well, it's true. Have you started cutting again," he asked fearing that the answer was yes. Again, Z shook her head. "Good."
  They were silent the rest of the way there. Once they were out of the Travel Zone they saw a concret house with paintings all over the wall. Z walked up to the door, the others had stayed where they were, and knocked on the door. "What do you want," yelled an old voice. It sounded angry.
  "I wish to eat the fruit of knowledge and quench my thirst with the drink of forgiveness," Z said sounding ten years older. "I wish to walk up to death himself and laugh like old friends when I go." She looked at the door as it opened.
  A man, no older than twenty five, opened the door and looked at the teenage girl before him.
 "For me the meaning of life is unknown and greater than any could imagine," she said, hoping he wouldn't ask to next question. He still did.
   "What does life hold from you and what do you hold from life," he questioned, knowing what she would answer. 
  "From me life holds happiness and from life I hold my life. I refuse to let life take it from me until I get my happiness," she said regreting every word. They were already writen on her face, so why must she say them.
  "Hello Z. I see you brought some friends. What are you doing here on a day like today, we don't have class till tomorrow," he said wonder in his voice.
  "Hello Mr Creavis. This is Rina and Anthony. We had to leave, the men came,'' said Z worry in her voice. She looked at the wall again. "You do have protection placed on the house, right? I'm sorry to barge in on you but you are the only one I could think of."
  "Ahh, the men. Yes I have barriers, and don't worry about barging in. I would rather you be safe than sorry. Come in, come in. It will be easier for us to have class this way," he said, gestering them into his house. "Let me show you to your rooms."
  "I love what you've done to the place. Very gothic grandure, just the thing this place needed. No offense," she said, holding up her hands.
  "None taken, Z. I'm glad you like it. Sirena told me to, said I'd have a visiter that would just die if I did," he said smiling as the aspect of her face automatically chaged at the sound of the name.
  "Siren comes here? When will she be here next? I can't wait to see her. I hope the men didn't go after her too," she said rushingly
 "Yes she comes here quite often. She'll be here for dinner at 7:30 and the men only want you because your powers expand to all fields of magic. They don't know she's just like you yet.   Just like your great grandmother's did," he said, showing them the house. "Make yourselves at home. Dinner will be ready soon and then it will be time for Mizz Z to go to bed so she can get up early for class. I will call tonight and explain to your school that you have moved and will be tranfered to italian schooling soon. You all should rest. Z, I trust you remember where your room is," He said looking at his library. "Don't get lost this is a big house with many rooms. I want you to help them to theirs when it's time for bed Z." Then he turned on the spot and disappeared.
   Z looked around for a moment, knowing what he'd done. He had walked them to the middle of the maze that is his house and expected her to find her way without her locater spell. "Come on, we have to find my room. She said with a sigh. 
   "Z, where are we at. I don't remember how we got here," said Rina.
  "We're at the center of the school, it's gonna take about an hour to get back to the rooms we need to be in. Follow me," she said opening the laundry shoot next to them and then jumped in without looking back.
                                                                                                       *************************************************************
                                                                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  She fell for what felt like half an hour and most likely was. Once she hit the floor she knew exactly where they were. They were in the music room where you could play an instrument or listen to the music play itself. It was nice to sit in there once everyone had gone home and listen to the music the instruments chose according to your state of mind. At that moment the room had decided to play a mystery song that Z loved to listen to. She stood and listened to the melody echo across the room and then decided which way they had to go. They went out the front door and took a right knowing that her room was right around that corner. She saw it and walked up to the door, muttering the passcodes under her breath, and went in as soon as it was opened. 
  The room was filled with dark shades of every color. She had spent weeks just starting the mural, still unfinished, that was her wall at her left. The other walls were black with red designs everywhere. The paint brushes were going back over the black in water on one wall. They were readying the wall for an abstract painting that she was to start in a week.
  "This is where you go when your not at home or at school," asked Anthony, talking for the first time since they'd gotten there. He looked around, taking in all of the colors. "it's impressive."
  "Yeah, I like to paint when schools over here. I'm not even enrolled in that school anymore. I just go to see you guys and to try to talk to Josh," she said regret in her voice. "I'm sorry I got you dragged into this mess."
   "No problem Z. It's not your fault we're your only friends," Rina said, picking on her like usual. Rina and Anthony looked around the room, observing Z's odd collections. One was of ships in bottles that still had water under them and floated. Another was of miniature living, breathing extinct animals. There were collections upon colletions in her closet which led into other closets that only she could use. As they stared at the antique collections Anthony saw one of only knifes, each different and stainless. 
  "Do you clean these yourself," he asked.
   "Yeah, I use my bare hands and a towel with my own special soap that I make myself. It works magnificently. See," she said holding out her favorite knife. 
  "Great," he said gulping. He walked away from the knife in time to see the package arrive on her bed. "What's that," he asked pointing at the box.
   "That's nothing. It's a new extinct animal for my collection," as she said it it unrapped itself and flew to the shelf. 
  A little while after they were done looking at her room it was time for dinner. She walked with them to the dining room and pointed them to their seats while she looked for Sirena. Z walked out of the room and into the kitchen only to be shoed away by an angry cook. She stood there for a minute, muttering, only to be interupted by me.
   "No cursing the cook. I know she was rude but you shouldn't take manners into your own hands and you know that. Remember what happened last time," I said pointing at the wall where there was still a burn marking the spot where Z had thrown a fire ball at the cook for hitting her with a wooden spoon. I looked back at Z just in time to get smothered by a hug. "Z, let go. I kinda like being able to breathe. I love you to, now, off. Are these your new friends or are they my lunch," I said turning into my favorite animal, a snow tiger. The younger girl yelped in suprize. "What? Did you forget to tell them what I am," I snarled through my teeth.
   "Now now girls. There will be plenty of time to catch up when you're walking the humans to their rooms. Now it's time to eat, not play," said Mr Creavis, wincing as he walked by. "Sirena Wingmaker turn back into a teenage girl this instant," he yelled at me. I growled. "Do you want to sit in the cold fire again?"
   I turned back into my original self and helped him to the table. "Sorry sir. I just wanted to scare them. It WAS quite funny, you have to admit," I said then turned towards the humans. "I'm sorry for frightening you. I'm Sirena but you can call me Siren. I'm kinda like Z but I like to use my shapeshifting and siren magic most. I can make you do anything I want. I could make you do backflips," I said turning towards Z. "I could make boyfriend over there fall in love with you or at the very least realize if he loves you.  Can't do anything to you cause you're part siren yourself but I could control you with those you love."
    "I know that Siren. Don't make him fall in love with me, if he loves me he loves me and if he doesn't he doesn't. It's as simple as that. He doesn't need help and if you hurt either one of them i'll make YOU do backflips, understand," she said, staring me down.
  I held up my hand with the teardrop that was identacle to hers. "Kidding babygirl. A friend of Z's is a friend of mine. Unless they try to hurt you, then I kill them. We are twins after all, we share everything. Even each others scars and pain. Even our rooms are connected," I said, looking at the girl that Z had brought with her, Rina. As I was about to add onto my little speech the food came floating in and I dropped in my chair to say my prayers to the godesses and eat.