The first Fictionpress cut of Demon's Wake: Chapters 1-3

~Chapter One~
The Train Station





Brother and sister twins walked on the dark side of a train station. They hardly looked alike, but you could tell without a doubt that they were siblings. Their facial features echoed the opposite physical traits of parents who were long dead. The girl took after her father, the boy his mother, both beautiful, almost perfectly so. She had tanned golden skin, with equally golden blonde hair that hung perfectly straight an inch past her shoulders. Underneath a dark blue cloak she wore an immaculately white dress that was suited more for the summer heat, than the chilly fall night she was walking in.
Her brother seemed equally suited for summer by the way he dressed, black baggy pants, a ragged thin shirt that had become nearly see through. His appearance looked winterish, near ethereal, his skin whiter than snow, unblemished except for a sliver scar on the left side of his neck. His dark hair hung slightly curly blended almost perfectly into the darkness surrounding him.
They shared the same eyes though, both a penetrating shade of electric blue, hers alive and excited, his burning with a cold calculating stare. Their eyes curved at the corners slightly, as were their ears very faintly peeked at the ends. They also both seemed to be giving off a light, causing many of the homeless that slept in that abandoned side of the train station to wake up and stare at the strangers in awe, Children feebly restrained by their parents to keep them from following the twins. The two of them took no notice of the attention they drew, only communicating between themselves, studying each of the poor men, women, and children they passed.
"What about that one Damien, He looks healthier than most." The girl whispered to her brother motioning to a large man before them, who sat in front of one of the few tents set up on the platform, his stance alert but his eyes dull. Damien shook his head "We want a loner, this man obviously has a family. Why couldn't you have come during the day when it would have attracted less attention Skye?"
Damien's lips did not move, but Skye heard his voice louder than a whisper in her mind. She hadn't heard it any other way for years. She didn't reply to his question though, knowing that he wouldn't understand her reason for not wanting to come here alone during the day. One of these people was about to become bait for a project that her and Damien had been working on for a few months. A Demon had been murdering all the humans that came near the ruins it lived in.
They‘d finally gotten clearance to use a human and test Karikus, the Demon. They were planning on capturing Karikus but Damien was more intent on just killing him. Preferably the human they chose would do it, though it wasn’t likely, due the fact that anyone strong enough would be too slow. Any one fast enough would be too hard to catch. There was a definite possibility that who ever they chose would get badly hurt before they could step in and help. This meant they had to find someone who possibly wouldn’t be missed. She had tried to talk him into letting her be bait, but he had shot that down, reminding her how obvious it was to Demons that she wasn‘t human. Karikus wouldn‘t dare touch her.
Skye felt sick, and retorted. "Why couldn't you stop being so vain and have just come with me during the day?" She asked. His facial expression turned annoyed, knowing that she was dodging telling him the truth. “It's not vanity Skye, its a matter of whether or not I feel like roasting myself...…” Skye’s eyes flickered back to her brothers face as his last words lost volume and his eyes averted to an opening in the stations roof.
Following his gaze she saw a figure silhouetting the stars. Squinting to try and understand what they were doing up there, Skye could just barely make out that it was a boy, maybe a little younger than herself. The sound of a train approaching cued Skye into what exactly the boy was doing there. "Damien!!" she whispered, taking in the feel of the sadness and pain in the soul of the young man. Skye was able feel others emotions if she concentrated enough.
Damien, though had figured out what the boy was doing several moments before and had already prepared to save the suicidal figure on the roof. “we've found the bait we were looking for” he told Skye, and she was sickened by the relization that he’d actually found the bait, knowing the fate awaiting the person he was about to save, but understood. The other side of the station was well lit, and crowded enough that everyone already knew that the figure was going to commit suicide. Cries of distress already were issuing from the late night travelers. It would be a bit strange if no bodily remains showed up, not that anyone made to much of an effort now days to find one. But other than that, everyone would assume that the boy was dead and gone, never thinking about it twice. He was a teenager too, so he would be fairly strong, and pretty fast.
Just then though, another figure appeared on the roof, seemingly begging the other not to jump. Damien watched rapt as a fight began to ensue, just shoving as the boy was attempting to get the other person away long enough to let him do what he'd climbed up there to do, the argument becoming more persistent as the train drew closer. Train lights flashed, revealing the boy and a girl where desperately arguing. The girl was shoved again but held on, as the boy spun around and jumped, taking the girl who had been trying so desperately to help him, down to the same pathetic death.

~~~~

"This is the only way. I'm sorry Alex, you were my best friend, but..." The sound of a train passing and cursing came through the cell phone speaker as Alex desperately tried to fit the key to her parents car. "Please Dillon, don't.....You'll be missed, we need you more than she does, you can't just throw your life away because of her!"
"She's the only reason I have to live, Alex." He said before hanging up. Alex wanted to cry. Turning the key, the car sputtered, and died. She knew that the car was in disrepair and wasn‘t going to start up tonight. Jumping out and slamming the door, she ran as fast as her legs moved.
She reached the train platform, panting, out of breath, and weak from a nearly mile and a half run from home. She looked around, but did a double take when she noticed Dillon’s silhouette against the starry sky. Swallowing against the lump in her throat Alex pushed her way through the crowd to reach for a ladder tucked away in service access area, to reach Dillon.
He’d shown her this place a year before, but she had a little bit of trouble remembering just how to get there. Remembering that the hallway was on the other side of the platform Alex took off in that direct, near where the homeless lived, but that didn't bother her. Using a small lift, She made her way to a silver bridge that should have been taken down years ago. Making her way to the other side, she struggled to keep her balance on the once sturdy public crossway, now reduced to twisted metal, attached precariously to the supports, swaying with her every movement.
At one point crossing Alex slipped, and was left to pull herself back up, desperately clinging on, fingers slipping, shoes treading air until finally hitting the bridge, the steel toe of her boot making it ring. She completed the rest of the distance and hopped off and was about to run in the direction she thought her ladder was, when a pair of something like a shadow caught her attention. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it made her revise the direction she was taking to get to Dillon, and Alex set off, a new course already selected for her.
Running the last thirty feet of her path to Dillon, she climbed the ladder, two rungs at a time, reaching the roof faster than she ever had before. Alex took a moment to catch her breath, the wind whipping at her auburn hair, covering her eyes, and her view of Dillon. She walked as calmly to him as she could, but the tears were already falling down her cheeks.
She walked to the edge of the roof, standing between him and the edge. "Dillon, if you do this, you ruin other peoples lives! Please, what about your little sister, your brothers, what about Mikel, Cori and….and Julie" She paused, and then finished "What about me? She swallowed against the lump in her throat, desperately searching his face. “Dillon, we could go back to the way things were, if you stepped away from the edge, we could stay the night up here like we used to Dillon." She begged him. He reached out his hand, almost considering her proposal, but his gaze averted from her face, and he pulled her out of the way.
"Dillon!" She choked, crying harder, pulling at his arms. He pushed her away again, turned back to the hole in the roof, preparing to jump. The train lights blinded her as she held on tight to him, Alex felt herself dragged off the roof, crying out his name.

~~~~

Alex was falling, a small scream issuing out of her mouth, before she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. She heard a crunching sound as Dillon’s body hit the train, but she didn't feel herself hit it, instead she felt a strong arm around her, lifting her away from the speeding train. I'm dead she thought, not sure if she was relieved it had been painless or sad that it had come so soon.
Her heart broke painfully as she knew that Dillon was dead too. He’d left her because of another girl twice now, but this time was forever. She wanted to know if she'd see him again, but remembering days in churches knew otherwise. Alex fell into a half asleep as a gentleness came over her. It was reassuring, it was the shadowy figure again, it told her Dillon was o.k. now, just to sleep, to stop crying. She obeyed and closed her swollen eyes.
After what seemed eternity, the gentle beating of wings made her open her eyes, blinking fast to adjust to the bright light directly above her. As things came into focus she realized that the light was the moon, but how could the moon be so big? she wondered and why the moon?. Her eyes looked to the side and saw a massive black wing gliding in the night air, and she realized that she was flying in something’s arms.
Blinking her eyes could see glossy black wings gliding along on the winds, black hair whipping about nearly blending into the wings. It took Alex a moment to realize that she was holding on, not just being held. A Dark Angel. His dark hair....looked so much like Dillon’s, only longer. She smiled and whispered his name. No reaction.
Lifting up her head she saw his face, and almost let go. This wasn't Dillon, not even close. Dillon had dark brown eyes, and his nose was larger. His skin darker, his jaw squarer. This stranger was almost feminine in his features, And his electric blue eyes seemed to look just past her, a beautiful voice called over the wind. "Is she awake yet?"
He did not answer, but the voice got what she wanted. "Good 'cause we're almost there. " The person carrying Alex began to descend, giving her a short glimpse of the owner of that voice. A blonde Angel was flying just behind, she gave Alex a weak smile before looking away, shame piercing her features, the feeling overwhelming Alex, making her feel bad for no particular reason.
The ground drew closer, and even though Alex couldn't see it, she sensed the familiarity. She waited to land, but unexpectedly was let go. Grabbing out for what she could, Alex caught hold of some of the strangers dark black hair, yanking him close to the ground before he was able to push her off. Falling the rest of the way, Alex hit her head on the ground, and passed out.

Chapter 2 is missing


3. As you lay sleeping
“God, where did she get these, they‘re amazing!” Skye exclaimed while examining Alex‘s boots. Damien had suggested taking them from Alex when they got home in case she decided to go psycho on the house or the two of them. Currently Damien was idly playing with the small knife Alex had stabbed him and killed Karikus with..

Rubbing his neck where the blade had gone in he noticed it somehow felt, almost as if something new was there. He figured the tissue must have swollen and left it at that, turning his gaze to the objects Skye had found in the boots compartments. Alex’s knife and a key had been stashed in the right boot, while a small bottle of clear liquid and about twenty dollars had been in the left.

“I love these!” Skye said with a sigh, hugging them to her chest. They where clean now, after Skye had scrubbed and polished them, but still didn’t gleam. They looked worn, and Damien wasn’t quite sure why his sister liked them so much. Turning an innocent wide-eyed gaze towards him she asked “Do you think she’d mind if I kept them?” Damien laughed. “You wouldn’t fit into them, here let me have them.” Reaching to take the boots from her she resisted. “Wow, you already figured out her shoe size, how cute.” Shrugging he smirked at her. “No, but I did see you try to cram your feet in unsuccessfully just a few minutes ago.” She stuck out her tongue. “I’m keeping them.” Damien sighed. “Skye, your being childish.” She huffed “Am not.” finally giving them to him. “I’m not the one denying I have a crush on a little human girl”

“But I don’t!” Skye just rolled her eyes “Whatever, but you do know your blushing right?” Damien shoved her off the bed with his foot and crossed his arms. “I don’t.” She looked about to say something when they heard Alex’s voice from the other room. Climbing off the bed the both came to her room, to find Alex’s still sleeping figure shaking and crying in her sleep. They sobered up upon seeing her like this, they stood still for a few minutes before either of them made a sound.

Skye sighed from the doorway, Damien was leaning against the opposite side, arms crossed, not sure why he was still staring. "I wonder what she sees in her dreams." Skye said softly. He blinked, watching his sister shiver although there was no chill in the entire apartment. "Are you hurting?"

Skye looked at him strangely. "You're in a compassionate mood aren't you... No, by the way. I'm feeling....strange. Thank you for asking though."

"mmhm. Strange? how?"

"Right now its....kinda pleasant, I think."

"It's pleasant and she's shaking? That doesn't make much sense. Should I......?"

"No! You most definitely will not take a peek into what’s going on in that poor girls head!"

Damien leaned in next to her "Just a peek....."

Still unsure she glared at him "You know, you've a nasty lying streak lately..."

"Promise, just a few minutes of the dream, that’s all."

She paused. She wanted to know what was messing with Alex in her sleep, so curiosity got the best of her, and she gripped his hand "ok, but I'm coming too...

"But of course." He bowed his head slightly, shadowing the whitening of his eyes, Skye gasped as Damien took her with him into Alex's mind, midst a dream.

The twins saw things in a third person point of view, Shadows cutting off most of their surroundings other than what could be seen by a young girl with silver hair and violet eyes standing on the edge of a bridge. A young couple stood next to her. They where dressed strangely, as if they had raided the closet of a foreigner. The girl had brown hair, green gray eyes and stood, holding the hand of a dark skinned boy with dark eyes and hair. "So you'll be leaving now?" The silver haired girl asked sadness reflecting in her eyes.

"I wish it didn't have to be so soon....but Annie, I missed the war..." The boy squeezed the brunettes hand, and a glint of anger shown in her eyes, sliding away as she rubbed her thumb against his skin. "I missed the war, I missed the chance to save my home, but I'm needed there, and I can't refuse this opportunity to finally do some good."

"But you can't just leave me here all alone!" Annie begged.

"You could take me with you!" The brunette just shook her head.

"You wouldn't be alone Annie, you know that my brother has agreed to take care of you. It's not easy living there, it's very, very different from what your accustomed to. Besides, your far to young. You wouldn't feel like you belonged"

Annie scoffed. "And I really belong to this world? I'm hardly younger than you when you went in....a year from now I'll be the same age as you when you screwed earth over...."

"Annie, how dare you say that! You know that this was Maddeo's war, not mine. If I hadn't been incapacitated all those years..” Again the glint of anger shone in her eyes

"You and I both know that this war would have been over with in less than a year."

Annie gritted her teeth and tore at a small necklace she had hidden under her shirt. "Fine, I'll stay here with your brother. Have fun playing here Haze!" She broke the chain, a silver one with a strangely familiar red crystal tied to it and walked away.

"Aneirin! please, come back.....!"

Damien pulled them from the dream, but the white of his eyes took a moment to fade away. Skye was breathing hard, but so was he. "Why'd....you pull.....us out....just then?.....Wasn't...ready"

"I promised that it would be just a peek."

"Oh, come on, you pulled out during the good part!"

"Of what? Some stupid dream she was having, maybe even a very personal dream?"

"The...what?"

"You know, personal space. There‘s a reason we‘re not supposed to use our telepathic abilities against people without their permission." Damien crossed his arms setting his jaw, unsure why he was so unhappy about it.

"Oh." Skye looked uncomfortable. "Well....It was your Idea you hypocrite!“ She said before quickly walking off to her bedroom. Damien sighed shrugging it off, and shut the door to his own bedroom where Alex was currently sleeping. Picturing her face he thought. It's going to be hard to let you go still wondering who you remind me of.

He turned away from the door thinking about the names he’d heard in her dream. Haze, Maddeo, and Aneirin? All three where relatively familiar, especially the first two. Haze, common nickname for the famous Anderran hero Hazel Porter. Maddeo was responsible for over three billon deaths on both Earth -Gaia- and Anderra. He shook his head in disbelief. I’m jumping to conclusions. Still, the Gaian people didn’t know who the hell Hazel Porter or Maddeo Vilesari where. How could a normal girl know their names? Damien smiled to himself, deciding it just happened to be coincidence. Still, the Haze girl had referred to it as “Maddeo’s” war.

So what if Alex had been dreaming about them? And Aneirin Damien blinked when he thought that name over. He wanted to ask her, turn around, wake her up and ask her. But he knew he couldn’t, It would freak her out too much. Alex was already freaked out as it was, even with her dodging the pain she felt, she couldn’t hide it for long.

A familiar name, a familiar face, Damien hated it, but she was gonna have to leave in the morning. He decided to go to the study when a thought struck him. Why should she go home tomorrow? It's not our problem to explain to the family why she was gone.

Silently walking forward, he put a hand to Skye's door, and began using his minds ability to manipulate objects, resetting Skye's alarm clock. He shook his head not quite clear on why he'd just acted on an impulse to do it, but had no problem with the fact that Alex was going to be staying another day. Skye's right. He thought in slight confusion. That girl is having a serious affect on how I'm acting


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