By: Natalie "Amelia" Constantce Y.

It was once believed that when someone dies a crow carries a soul to heaven, but sometimes something so terrible happens that a great sadness is carried and the soul cannot rest. And sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring the soul back to put the wrong things right. But what if someone who wasn’t supposed to had interfered.......?

Her name Tracy Squart, she had just been accepted to Brooklyn College where she would have been attending next fall September. She was an outcast in her high school, with not many friends, mostly due to the fact that her father was very poor and her part time job didn’t get her enough money to buy gap cloths or anything fancy or expensive, but she still loved her father more then anything, after all he was the only one she had since she was an only child and her mother died at child birth. Tracy was also small looking for her age of eighteen, thin 5’6 in height, with brown red hair and pretty blue eyes, but she did do fairly well in school, she wasn’t a geek and did cut ones in a while but that just led her to having to go make up her work. It was the day before Halloween, Tracy had spend some time in the library since she had to do a report that was due the last minute, because she waited all this time. Tracy wore a blue worn out jeans, white T-shirt and denim jacket, her bag slumped over her shoulder. As she came home that night to her old apartment, in a house that had almost all other apartments abandoned, she and touched the door knob and the door swung open, daddy never leaves the place open, she thought as she stepped in. As she walked though the rooms, she heard something behind her, it all occurred faster then she could react to, she heard a gunshot and her father’s scream, she then heard another shot and collapsed on the wooden floor only hearing some voices before she finally slipped away.
A girl with long dark blond hair pinned up into a ponytail, looked out the window, tomorrow’s Halloween October 31 1999, lovely, she thought. Rule #1, something someone learns early on. You NEVER interfere, especially on Halloween, no matter what, because you can never really know what happens then.. It shall be above and that just cannot be. That’s what she heard and knew, and that was all she knew of whatever was going on. Not even if someone’s life is in danger and you know and they don’t, you still cannot interfere. But what if... you will not break the rule, but just bend it. The girl leaned her head against the window. It rained as usual, there was a cemetery not too far away. A grave stood with the name Tracy Squart, 1980-1998. A black crow landed on the grave and all of a sudden, Trace’s eyes flew open and she had but one thought to get out of the stuffed place she was in.Tracy’s hand came up from the dirt, she barely got out, the rain soaked her immediately. She was confused and dizzy, dressed in what she remembers as her evening dress, it was once yellow with white flowers, but now nothing but muddy rags. Tracy knocked her red hair from her face and the crow landed on her shoulder, she looked to it and remembered the gun shot. She gasped and stumbled up off the ground. As she got to the street, she couldn’t remember a thing, she collapsed on the cement, the crow flew up in the air over her. Just then, the girl with the blond hair walked over, a brown umbrella in her hand, "I kind of knew this would happen, question is now what do I do with her? I can’t drag her no where, at least Shannon made it home" she said to herself as she stood over Tracy. She remembered Shannon, feeling sad that she had to go, but then Shane spent four years on the earth, that was too much. In her head the girl remembered Shannon’s story, her begining:
"Shane! We are going to be sooooo late" Leslie peeked into the kitchen, a black slip dress on, her blond wavy hair falling past her shoulders. Shannon sat in the kitchen with a bucket of ice cream "oh all right...stupid pre-Halloween parties... whoever invented the things" she mumbled and stood up. She got dressed quickly and followed her sister Leslie down to their old car. Leslie sat behind the wheel, she threw a denim jacket on not to be cold . She turned the key but the car wouldn’t start "damn it!" she exclaimed, and Shane chuckled a bit, she never really wanted to go but Leslie dragged her out. "Come on! come on! Start please!" Leslie begged and pressed the peddle harder, turning the key again, the car started up "yes!" Leslie exclaimed and Shannon sighed "OK, now come on turn around to the highway" Shannon said "were late as it is Shane, I’ll take the small road and we’ll be there much faster" "whatever, lets just go" Shannon shrugged. They drove away from the highway and down the small dark road, by Leslie’s directions they should’ve been there in half an hour, but then the car suddenly stopped, "SHIT!!!" Leslie yelled and slammed her hands on the steering wheel. Shannon opened the door and stepped out, "I told you it needed a check up, I bet its engine is down or something" she leaned on the hood of the car, just then she saw a bunch of guys dressed in leather with weapons surrounding them, some gang. "Hey, hey, hey, lookie what we have here" one said "you girls have came into our territory" another one said, Leslie stepped out of the car, Shannon looked to her and whispered "get back in the car" but Leslie refused "your territory? I don’t see your name on it, so just buzz off!" she exclaimed, Leslie was always the loud one who never really took things that seriously and stood up no matter what, at that moment one of the guys pulled out a gun and shot, but Shannon jumped in the way as a quick instinct and she was hit instead, she collapsed and stayed conscious only long enough to hear another shot and hear her sister’s scream.
A year had passed since then. Shannon gasped as she climbed out of what must’ve been her grave, dressed in some black funeral dress. She realized that she was dead in some disoriented way, but had a dizzy tired feeling, she stood up and knocked her heels off. The crow sat on a nearby grave, she looked to it and tilted her head, nearly falling over. Shannon stumbled out of the cemetery, she wanted to go home. She saw a guy on a motorcycle across the street, he approached her "hey baby" he called, it was outside of a bar, as he reached to touch her, Shannon grabbed his hand and broke it not knowing of what she’s capable of, she then knocked him off the bike and got on. She never drove a motorcycle before but had little trouble with it. She couldn’t see through the rain and didn’t know where she was going but yet manage to make it to her block. It was dark, late, she drove straight, she didn’t know how nor could stop, the crow flew behind her. She tried to steer to the side, but tipped over, she rolled across the cement and the bike slammed into a wall and blew up in flames. Shannon pulled herself up, the scratches and burns on her hands and face from the crash had vanished. She made it to what once had been her and Leslie’s apartment. The electricity had been shut off and the whole place in ruins. Shannon stumbled into the bathroom and took off her clothes, she got into the shower and turned on the hot water that actually worked. As she got out she wrapped an old towel around herself and wiped the dust off the bathroom mirror with her hand. She saw her own reflection and remembered, when she and Leslie got this apartment, how Leslie wanted lime wallpaper in the bathroom. Shannon felt angry and slammed her hand in to the mirror, it cracked into pieces, blood dripped down her hand, she looked to it and the cut heeled in front of her eyes. Shannon looked in the mirror, at herself and couldn’t help but have an odd smile to herself. She then turned around and bolted into the main room, finding her old cat suit and Leslie’s brown leather trench coat, she put that on and slipped on a pair of Leslie’s old boots. As she was about to walk out into the rain, the crow landed on the wooden dirty floor and picked up what was Leslie’s cross.....
The girl shook her head getting the old memories away. She loved Shannon like her sister but now it was better that there is another crow, it is, it is, it is. She repeated as she stood over Tracy, holding the umbrella over both of them. Nothing can turn back time, not even she. The girl hardly knew Shannon and yet she knew her better then anyone could, it was so much easier when things were simple, why do they have to change? That is just not fair. She could’ve stopped the force if she just broke the rule.. and if she had a chance now she’d break all the rules to get Shane back, even those she doesn’t know about. But Shannon is better now and maybe if she ever could, she will turn back time in one matter or another, and no one will stop her. All that seems so confusing now so its better to have Tracy take her turn, and Shannon will be back. The girl kneeled down near Tracy and sat on the wet sidewalk beside her, holding the umbrella up, she didn’t give a damn bout getting her jeans dirty or if she will be cold.
Before she knew it the blond girl was daydreaming again about Shannon, remembering what is now lost to everyone but herself: Shannon stood on the fire escape from her apartment a few moments trying to get, whatever little facts she had, straight in her head. Why in the world did she dress up like for a Halloween party? Why the symbol of a crow on her forehead? Why was the crow with her? What was it? Why did she come back? Those were all questions going through Shannon’s mind. All of a sudden she just leaped of the fire escape, it was just a reaction with no reason to it, the crow that sat on her shoulder flew into the air gliding near her as she herself jumped, almost glided off the fifth story building fire escape, for a few moments she felt she saw what the crow saw. She landed crouched on the cement with cat like grace and looked up to where she jumped from in amazement. She had seen the ruins of the motorcycle she drove here, all this seeming so unreal she could hardly think.....
The blond girl shook her head again, and looked to Tracy who seemed to have been shivering slightly and opened her eyes, she lifted herself halfway off the sidewalk and looked to the blond girl curiously as if trying to figure out whether she is real or just a figment of her imagination. "Common" the girl smiled and stood up, her jeans all wet from sitting on the wet sidewalk. Tracy got up, the crow crowed loudly. "Who are you?" she whispered "Amelia, lets go to your house, or what was your house once.." Amelia smiled and turned around, she wore light blue jeans and violet sweater. "m.. my house?" she knocked her red hair back and looked around, the blond girl, Amelia no where to be found, Tracy shook her head slightly not wanting anymore such surprises. As she looked over her surroundings, she wrapped her arms around herself, being cold and wet and barefoot. She shivered and noticed she was on a bus stop but had no money what so ever. She turned around and walked down the street tripping and nearly falling over a few times.
Amelia slammed her head back on the window "damn!", she was totally dry and dressed in a T-shirt and drawstring pants. She looked to the clock on the wall, it was a bit past one A.M. there was nothing much she could do, she wasn’t sleepy and it was too late anyhow. She couldn’t turn on the TV and her radio was busted, she looked to the window again wondering if she should go after Tracy and talk to her, but then again she already made her appearance and Tracy already knew her name that was enough for now, she has to discover what she is on her own. That thought brought Julius into her mind, oh poor Julius.
Shannon slammed the guy against the wall, his leather jacket in her hands she hardly realized she had him lifted off the ground, there was none if little light in the alley. She had her blue eyes fixed on his, and he was definitely scared like hell, she did just single handily take out his three gang friends and pinned him to the wall, no weapons at all. "I need answers NOW!" she said "hey chill doll" he choked out "I ain’t your doll.. now, what new management? You said something that involved the name Red Sculls? That’s what I heard" she said, the crow sat on the fire escape and watched her with its beady eyes. The moment Shannon even repeated that name she remembered a flash as to when that guy pulled out the gun and looked to Leslie a terrifying look to him as if telling her she’s dead, Shannon shivered and slightly shook her head, he had on a black leather jacket with red spray painted words Red Scull on the back, they all wore that. It was their gang name and the moment the goon that she had pinned to the wall right now said that name she knew it crystal clear. She had to kill them like they killed her, her and her poor Leslie. "They’d dead baby" "call me that one more time and you’ll end up like your friends" she glanced to the dead guys on the floor "what do you mean dead?" she looked to him again "dead, got drunk last month celebrating a party and badda-BooM car go down de bridge" as he said that Shannon saw the whole thing in her mind, the crow crowed and flapped its wings, Shannon’s eyes widened slight, how could it happen.. it’s NOT fair! She thought. She looked down and instantly knocked the guys head against the wall knocking him out and dropping him. She shook her head not believing that one thing she wanted to do more then anything was already done, and not by someone else but by fate. She saw the knives the goons dropped when they attacked her lying on the floor and kneeled down, she picked up one knife and put it in the back of her belt and another in her shoe. She had no intention of using it now that the Sculls were dead, but she felt good holding them on her. She stood up and stepped over the body of the guy she knocked out, as she did something on his wrist caught her eye, she bend over and snatched it up slipping it off his wrist nearly breaking it. She held it to the light and examined the object. It appeared a bracelet as if to hold a hidden knife but there was a what looked to be knife handled there already, she pocked the bracelet slightly and it fell out, she caught it and looked to see two buttons there. She pushed one and the long whip extended, she looked at it and made it take grip of the fire escape ladder, the crow which sat there flew up startled. Shannon raised her feet to see if it could hold her weight and then pressed the other button it made the whip go back in and flung her up on the fire escape. She found this little toy useful and placed it back in the bracelet which she slipped on her wrist. "YOU BASTARD I KNOW IT WAS YOU!!" the voice echoed to Shannon, she looked to see where it came from and hopped down from the fire escape gracefully. The crow joined her and sat on her shoulder. She peeked behind the corner not wanting to interrupt anything until she knew what it was. A guy stood there, punk kid but not gang one, and a cop, beige trench coat, slick black hair, pointing a standard police gun at the punk kid. "I know YOU DID THAT TO HER and now I’m going to make you pay!" the cop yelled his voice trembling, "I didn’t do a thing, so just take me in and get it over with" the kid said "oh I ain’t taking you in. YOU’RE going to pay you FUKIN ASSHOLE" the cop was surely unstable "you can’t shoot me!" "WATCH ME!" the cop yelled, the crow flew off Shannon’s shoulder and past the cop, he looked to it as it distracted him and made eye contact for a moment. Shannon saw it as if she was there, as if it was her memories rather then his, she clenched her head and put the facts straight. His name, Detective Julius Carbino, age of thirty six, on the force sixteen years, job meaning everything, he loves it...question is why jeopardize it over a punk....answer is, the one thing he cared more about was his little sister Shirley Carbino, turned twenty three last week, ran out to buy some groceries and was raped and murdered. A flash of pictures from the crime scene went through Shannon’s head, she didn’t realize tears went down her cheeks although she never even knew the girl, it was as if she did, it was so odd. It was the punk kid, he was the suspect he did it... Shannon was glad he was about to be shot, she wanted him dead as much as the cop did although she didn’t even know him. But then, she saw a flash of the kids eyes. And instantly she knew it wasn’t him, he was a good kid, he was, he was. All these things flooded her head and she just slammed it back against the brick wall. There was little pain and the images stopped, good. She looked back around the corner and saw the cop lift the gun he tightened his grip on the gun. Shannon bolted from the corner and between the two as the cop pulled the trigger. There was a loud shot. The cop looked startled, scared as he saw blood come from Shannon’s stomach and her hands wrap around herself, it wasn’t fear for himself but fear for the poor innocent girl he just accidentally shot. The punk kid’s eyes widened and he ran fast and disappeared quickly before he could be noticed. The cop didn’t take chase but watched Shannon as she fell, her blond hair over her face as she collapsed. The cop was in a still position. The crow flew over and landed on her, it crowed loudly and flew up to a tree branch.
Amelia had fallen asleep her memory not finished. She had just been too tired though she hadn’t realized it and this was too much for her. She still wanted to talk to Tracy, although Tracy would never be her dear Shannon, but Tracy is a good girl and she will be used to this. At least Amelia met Tracy, it’s not like with Shannon.
Tracy stumbled into her old apartment, it looked odd, so empty and yet all the things that were there still stood there. She walked in hitting her desk mistakenly and gasped. She found her room in the dark since when she flipped the lights they didn’t work. She fell over onto her bed, her soft bed. She took a deep breath and looked to the crow which sat on her desk, its eyes on her. "What are you? Who was the girl?" she whispered and all she got was a loud cry from the crow. Tracy just lay there, wanting to sleep and yet not being tired though having a weak feeling to her. Her feelings confused her now, she knew little of what exactly she felt but she pulled herself off the bed looking back at the wet spot she crated on the covers. She sat up in the dark without even thinking, just being silent. She raised her hand to feel her hair had dried and so had most of her dress. She wanted this to be a bad dream but every time she saw the crow, or heard it, she knew this was all happening. She finally stood up and walked over to her closet, the dress was so dirty and ripped. She kneeled down and searched through her old clothes, not sure what she was looking for, she pulled out a pair of black denim shorts and black tank top. Cold didn’t bother her at all now. She unzipped the dress and slipped it off butting the shorts and top on instead, they felt so much more comfortable. Her vision was better now too and she wasn’t swaying to the side as she walked no more. She could think again, seems so stupid to not be able to think, but that’s what Tracy felt. She walked through the apartment as if looking or any signs of her old life. She stopped in the hallway where she stopped before, and then she remembered the shot, and feeling so tired. She tried to remember more, put it all together, but she couldn’t. Then she remembered the other shot and her fathers scream "daddy!" she clenched her head and kneeled down, it was as if she really heard it and felt it. Her memories so vivid as if their happening right there that moment rather then sometime ago, she never felt like that. She opened her eyes and walked into the living room and somehow decided to look under the couch, she bend down and pulled out a package, on it a tag ‘to my dearest daughter Tracy’ this was supposed to be her birthday present as she assumed, a tear rolled down her cheek but she didn’t notice. She opened the box and there lay a black leather trench coat, it was brand new, and looked quite expensive too her father must have saved for a long time to buy this. She reached and touched the soft leather, a sudden memory came to her. But not her memory, a memory of her father:
He stood in the store and looked at the coat a smile to him, he examined it wondering if she would like it. A girl stood nearby, she was looking at some sweaters, she looked a bit younger but her face hidden by her blond hair "uhm.. excuse me, I’m well, looking for something for my daughter and well, you seem her age, I was.. wondering..." he talked, the girl turned around and looked to him a smile on her face "I’m sure your daughter would love it, it would be perfect" It was the blond girl! The same one that just talked to her, she talked to her father too! Who was she? How was she connected to this? Tracy gripped onto that memory, the girl.. what did she say her name was? Amelia! Tracy noted the girl had big brown eyes, there was something very unusual to her. She felt the image slip away from her mind, fade into a regular disoriented memory rather then the vivid ones she is now capable of having. She tried to search the girl for details but she forgot...... Tracy looked back to the trench coat and lifted it from the box, she tossed the box to the floor and put on the trench coat, it felt perfect on her. She realized she was barefoot as she stood on the windowsill, but somehow it didn’t bother her, she saw the crow again, it sat on a tree branch. Tracy re-entered her apartment, she looked in her closet and put on the only pair of boots she had, black knee high army boots. Her hair fell to her eyes. She stepped in front of the mirror and examined herself. Her appearance didn’t matter, one thing was on her mind, to make the pain and images in her mind leave, to kill the one who killed her daddy, but then... Amelia was there too, and the fight over what was more important left her confused. She sat on the carpet in front of the mirror. She reached up to her drawer and emptied it on the floor in front of her. From the pile she took her brush and brushed the knots from her hair. Then she also had tons of makeup though she hardly wore any of it. The crow flew to the pile and picked black lipstick up in its beak. Tracy held out her hand and the crow dropped it in her hand. "Black?" she stared at it, she hardly ever wore make up let alone black lipstick. She put it on along with mascara and then made a line across each eye from the brow to the cheek. Why? Even she didn’t know, didn’t think it over. She dropped the lipstick to the floor and hopped up to her feet, the crow flew to her shoulder. Tracy knocked her red hair back and looked at it and in the mirror that stood in front of her.
She opened one eye to see it was light outside, there was no sun and the sky was light gray. She then opened her other eye and turned to look at the wall clock. Six A.M.!!! that means she only had four or three hours to sleep, and on the window sill too. Amelia chuckled at the thought. No wonder she was cold, its also a miracle that she didn’t fall off the sill which was only big enough to fit half her ass. She stood up off the sill and slightly shook her head slightly to wake up. She ran to the closet and threw on a navy blue pair of jeans and a red velvet short sleeve shirt. She wanted to go see Tracy. Yes that’s what she was going to do. She sat down on the floor and looked to the window, she then reached into her pocked and took out something clenched in her hand. She opened her hand and from it dangled a black string with a cross hanging from it. She looked to it carefully and thought of Shannon.
"Oh my god," the cop clenched his head, he didn’t bother after the punk, the shock of what he had done had hit him. Just then Shannon gasped and took in a deep breath, she was amazed at how easy it was to breath and how little of pain she felt. She opened her eyes though still on the ground, face down. She felt someone touch her hair and knew it was the cop, he was truly sorry for this and she knew it. She didn’t want to startle him by just jumping up so she purposely coughed slightly. The cop went to feel her pulse immediately, but she pulled herself up and on her knees. He looked to her in shock. "I’m not dead Julius, at least not by your hand" she lifted her hand which had her own blood on it and looked to the whole in her cat suit, her stomach healed. "Who.. what are you?" he whispered. Shannon jumped to her feet though he still sat kneeled on the floor looking to her with amazement "I don’t know that yet myself" the crow flew on to her shoulder and Shannon looked straight at the cop. "He didn’t kill Shirley, trust me on that if you don’t trust me on anything else" she turned around "wait!" he stood to his feet but Shannon had been gone by now from his sight. He stood on the empty dark street looking around for the mystery blond who just got shot and walked away. Shannon watched him a few moments from the fire escape, he is a good man, she thought and made her way up to the roof quickly and silently without any more thoughts of herself, Julius or anything else, just silence.
Tracy stood on the roof top the wind through her hair, the sun was rising but blocked by the gray clouds. What was all this? The crow sat on the roof beside her, she looked to it curiously again. How could I get revenge for my daddy if I never even saw the man or woman who shot us? She thought, no logic in anything now. She knew she had died and came back, but not how or why, she also realized that she was now stronger and faster then before and that her mind had secrets of its own, like how she could just have all the persons memories by just having eye contact with them. She looked down to the streets, people scattered around so early, up to their little jobs, business, cars, shoppers. And then she saw her, the blond girl! Tracy narrowed her eyes to be sure, yes it was her. She stood her back leaned against the brick wall of the building Tracy sat on. Tracy jumped to her feet and raced to the building fire escape which led into an alley which was a few feet from where the blond girl stood. Tracy hopped over the side on to the fire escape. She stood on the top of the fire escape for a moment about to make her way down, but then it would take forever so instead she just hopped over the rail. She felt no fear of the fall and quickly before she knew it her feet hit the ground and she wasn’t hurt. She wasn’t amazed or stunned either. She ran out of the alley way and around the corner, she saw a glimpse of Amelia before she mistakenly slammed right into someone "opf!" she stumbled and looked to the person, a guy in his mid forties "watch it kid" he said as he stumbled back a step. "Oh.. yeah.. right" she mumbled and looked over his shoulder as if to see if the girl was till there, she tried to move away from him but he stood in her way "well aren’t you going to say you’re sorry?" he said but Tracy hardly heard him, she saw the girl a few yards away and the girl was looking at her, for a moment their eyes locked, the girl’s brown eyes shimmered sort of green and Tracy felt her head hurt like hell, she raised her hands to her forehead, she couldn’t see anything of the girl’s life but she received what the girl knew and thought of at that moment... Shannon ...Tracy waited for the pain to leave, she heard the guy ask if she was all right, though his voice sounded fuzzy and disoriented. She managed to choke out that she was fine. It seemed a very long time till the headache passed but when Tracy looked up the guy still stood there, it had only been a second or so. She tried to move around him but he stood in her way. "Are you sure kiddo?" he said, Tracy snapped "yes!" she pushed past him and looked to where the girl stood, although it was now empty. She didn’t know why or how the girl could’ve bolted out so fast, or why she gave her such a headache. One more question flooded her mind now. Who is Shannon? She did know one thing though. That she is the same thing as Shannon, and if she finds out who Shannon is or was that will answer her other questions.
His motorcycle raced down the street that night. Halloween, kids were dressed in costumes and flooding the streets, but he didn’t give a damn about the brats as long as they didn’t try to jump in front of his Harley. Yeah, five year old jumps in front of Adam Blake to commit suicide and take someone down for murder.. hehe, he chuckled at that thought. He didn’t wear a helmet and had earphones on from a walkman which lay in the pocket of his leather jacket. He seemed about in his twenties with fuzzy brown hair that seemed a bit spiky but not too un-natural. His eyes sort of gray green. He finally got to a street with no damn kids, some old run down apartment buildings that’s all. He hated this neighborhood for one simple reason, certain people from the mob lived around here, and he wasn’t on friendly relations with them. He had planned to speed by as he always had without but a thought, his walkman had suddenly gone dead "oh shit, dun’t mean I gotta pull over though". He hadn’t noticed the brunet in the trench coat crossing the street since he was too pre-occupied with changing his cassette while keeping one hand on the handle bars. Tracy looked up and gasped "oh fuck" he looked up just in time and tried to circle his motorcycle to the side. Tracy instinctually jumped up, for a moment in seemed like she was in the air for eternity, the motorcycle zoomed under her and she fell down to the cement crouched. "Oh shit" she took in a breath. The motorcycle in front of her slowed down and made a U-turn to face her. "You all right?" he looked at her amazed since he already knew the answer to that. "Mmh-hum" she answered and stood up brushing herself off slowly. The crow flew around high in the sky and crowed loudly. Tracy looked to the guy, his eyes a bit wide.. "what!?" "am I in some Halloween freak show or sometin?" "why do say that?" Tracy asked a bit suspicious, she knew she couldn’t have made an impression like that on him alone. "That guy" he said, looking behind her. Tracy whirled around and saw someone standing in the middle of the road, his messy blond hair over his eyes which were barely seen and dark brown, he wore a dark brown leather jacket with buckles, black pants also seem leather but that not too sure. Boots and leather motorcycle gloves. She was now wondering again weather she is dreaming and will wake up in her bed. He looked straight at Tracy "so you’re the one, the crow, the talon shall I say" he spoke and somehow Tracy knew that he was talking to her, and what he said was true but how and what and...she looked in his eyes to see what he means, but was hit by a head ache, she let out a yelp and clenched her head, this was much worse then what she got from the girl. Tracy had nearly fell down but managed to keep to her feet and looked back up to the guy, not scanning him though afraid of how much worse he can make her head hurt. "This is going to be easier then I thought" he took out from under his coat a pair of uzies, Tracy looked at him and thought this is it and she didn’t even know him. He blasted a round of shots in her and she collapsed, in the middle of the road where they all stood. Alec had watched from the side. She held herself up from the cement of the road but didn’t pass out. Blood came from her nose and mouth and she wiped it with the back of her hand. She sat up but barely and looked up again. The guy had stood a few feet from her his guns pointed at her "who....who are you" she choked out. Amelia stood in the shadows on one side of the street and watched this, he brown eyes glimmered slightly "this isn’t fair! She doesn’t know how to use what she has, she’s the weakest talon yet... he dare not try this with Shannon, as if I’d let him!" she mumbled to herself. She thought again about rule #1 you never interfere!. The guy grinned and pulled the trigger, this last shot would destroy her definitely. Amelia bolted to Tracy with unbelievable speed, he blond hair wild. She got between the guy and Tracy before the bullet even left the gun, she held out her hand and stopped the bullet in mid-flight, she looked over at the guy and thought... consider Rule #1 BROKEN. The guy looked to Amelia as she lowered her hand and the bullet exploded. "She’s with me now Zen" Amelia said and grinned. He looked totally pissed off. He flipped over all of them, almost just as fast as Amelia made it to Tracy, and knocked Alec off the bike getting on it himself and speeding away. Amelia turned around to watch him go and then looked to Alec who seemed out of it. She then looked to Tracy, Tracy lifted to her feet watching Amelia carefully. "What are you?" she asked softly "I wish I knew" Amelia smiled slightly as she answered. She turned around and walked slowly forward "then who was he?" Tracy asked keeping her eyes on Amelia. "Just someone" " then who am I?" she asked and that made Amelia turn around and look at Tracy one more time "all I can tell you is something I know, what you believe it to mean is up to you." She waited a moment as if trying to remember the exact words "It was once believed that when someone dies a crow carries their soul to heaven, but sometimes something so terrible happens that a great sadness is carried and a soul cannot rest, and sometimes, just sometimes a crow can bring the soul back to put the wrong things right. You are a Talon Tracy" she said and was about to leave again when "wait! What was the sadness, why me? And what is it that I have to put right?" she asked "now that’s something I just don’t know.. only you know that" Amelia answered, just then Alec coughed "fuckin bastard took my bike!" he exclaimed, Tracy looked to him and then back to Amelia who was now gone "who is Shannon!? And what is a Talon?" she yelled out one more question but was only answered by silence. She looked to Alec and he to her "Talon’s a female crow..." he answered she looked to him oddly "you asked"
The apartment was awfully cold, and she could swear she felt the bullets every time a loud sound from a car’s screeching wheels or a cat jumping on a metal trash can on the streets below. Tracy knew coming back to her old apartment would just make her nervous and sad. But she needed time to think, she needed rest and the comfort of her old bed seemed to call to her. She lay beneath a pasty blue sheet, her clothes piled up on the floor, dressed in a sports bra and a plain pair of flannel boxers. This seemed her only night clothes that weren’t bought by her dad, nor sparked any literally painful memories. Yet she still could not sleep. Questions raced over her mind. Why did she return from the dead? What exactly was she supposed to do now? Why is that bird following her and keeping it’s black eyes firm on her? What is the talon have to do with any of this? Who is Zen? Who is Amelia? Who is Shannon? And finally when is this damn nightmare going to be over? She took a deep breath, her eyes stayed firm on the ceiling which reflected soft shadows of the night as cars passed and animals moved about their business. The more answers she got the more questions arose. Why did it have to be that way anyway? Why couldn’t you just get answers that just remain answers rather then turn to questions. Tracy wondered this, the damned crow sat on the window that was just above her bed. She wanted to hate that bird for all this, but for some reason she just couldn’t. But it sure creeped her out when she tilted her head and her eyes locked with it’s pitch black stone eyes. It was as if she was looking into a mirror that reflected her soul. She shivered and looked away. This was just too weird for the teenager that she was... or had been. These thoughts clouded her mind so she didn’t even notice that the human type shadow had stayed on her ceiling for more then fifteen minutes now. Humans passed before casting shadows on her ceiling but this one just stayed silently and motionless. Tracy was trying to zoom everything out of her mind. She wanted sleep and yet something wouldn’t allow her to waste even a moment of her time. The crow noticed the shadow and whirled around to face the outside, it’s black eyes figured on the figure trying to detect who the figure was before alarming Tracy to it’s presence. The figure had it’s back to the window, the crow couldn’t tell who it was, it was about to fly up and to a branch to see the face, after all if Tracy was going to be stubborn it was the crow’s job to make sure she gets back on track, to make sure she realizes what the track she’s supposed to be on, when the figure turned around and locked eyes with the bird.
Amelia walked down the street at a calm pace. Though it seemed like she was rushing along. The watch around her wrist pointed out it was nearly one in the morning. And she had things to do. She just hoped she didn’t cause much trouble. As she passed along the dark streets any teenage girl would be frightened to be out all along in this part of town. But that was the last thing on Amelia’s mind. As she walked along not wanting to spend her pocket change on the bus, she hardly realized where she was. This part of town seemed so familiar to her, but why? She stopped in her tracks and looked around the feeling of deja-vu over her. She stood silently for a moment looking over the scenery. And then it hit her like a brick.
That was the oddest thing Shannon had ever experienced. And it was great. She wished Leslie could see her. She knew what was happening she saw the gun, she jumped, she saved that man’s life and the cop’s job and all she had to do was get killed again. Shannon couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe this wasn’t all so bad. Clouds were rolling in over the night sky, covering the moon and stars. It soon began to rain, even pour down on the streets. Shannon didn’t mind. She was glad to have something else to think of rather then the pain. She crosses the street, soaking wet and in deep thought, the crow flew behind her. She didn’t see the car racing at top speed down the street. It’s headlights flashed across her and she whirled her head, the car was too fast for Shannon to react. The driver hit on the breaks but the car skidded across the wet pavement. Shannon leapt up into the air with hopes of jumping over it but she wasn’t fast enough, just as she jumped the car slammed right into her. She hit the glass with a loud thump and was tossed a few feet from it onto the wet sidewalk. She didn’t even seem to realize what happened to her. She felt hardly any pain and her mind blocked out the collision just a moment ago. She lay still on the sidewalk as she heard the car finally stop, she opened her eyes to see how badly the window was busted and the door open as a man in his mid thirties ran outside slamming the door shut. Then Shannon saw her own blood. All this was just to much of a shock for her. Too much happened. She closed her eyes again and slowly drifted into un-consciousness, though if she truly wanted to she could’ve leapt up to her feet that very moment and be on her way.
Shannon was expecting to awaken in some hospitals with doctors all over her miraculous recoveries. Her consciousness had returned to her long before she awoke and she had been going over various possibilities in her mind. Until she decided there wasn’t much she could do, she had to open her clear blue eyes and get out of the situation she fell into herself. But as she blinked and her surrounding became focused in her eyes she found to her surprise that she was not in a hospital, but some kind of small room. She was in bed and had her head and her arms wrapped, she now felt that whatever wounds were there are long gone but no point in scaring whomever brought her here. She sat up in bed, it was night but it wasn’t raining. Was she really out for a full day? She didn’t bother to wonder. She pushed the covers gently aside and climbed to her feet, she felt perfect.. She still wore her clothes and her trench coat was tossed onto a chair. She thought it to be best to sneak out before anyone noticed. She unwrapped the bandages from her head and her wrist. They were soiled in blood yet she had no wounds. She was getting used to this. She slipped on her boots and laced them up. She wasn’t sure if anyone was home so it’d be better for her to use the window. She slipped on her coat and opened the window, the crow immediately flew over to the window sill, it cawed loudly and kept it’s black eyes firm on Shannon. She stuck her head out the window, it was three stories high, not bad, and seemed to be a part of Bronx that she knew quite well. The building itself was old and trashed. It was a clear night. Few people wandered the streets. She climbed on the window sill and was prepared to leap off and on to the concrete when she heard a knock on the door. She gasped but then realized it was the knock on some other door in an apartment, not the door to the room she was in. Curiosity got the best of her and despite the loud calls of the black bird she silently wandered over to the door. She heard footsteps "comin! I’m comin hold your horses!" the voice of a man who seemed tired by his tone, the knocks continued. She heard locks being unlocked and the door swinging open "Mr. Firolli, your daughter was found trespassing at the house across the street. You’re lucky the owner didn’t pass a lawsuit" a strict voice said "ehh, shit... Miriam! Didn’t I tell ya to stay clear of that house.. let alone not to be brought home by the cops... besides our ‘guest’ is still asleep...... thank you officer" the man with the tired voice said, you heard the door close, Shannon assumed the cop left. "Yeah, yeah dad! Whatever....you should have just taken her somewhere else" a voice of a girl about sixteen "if I wasn’t tired you’d get a slap on the ass for talking back" she heard the man mumble and then sit down onto a chair or couch with a big thump. She then heard footsteps wandering to the door. Shannon jumped over the bed "time to go" she whispered both to the bird and to herself and leapt headfirst into the darkness of the night. She flipped and landed in a cat like position in the alley below. She glanced up as the lights went on in the room she was just in and heard the girl yell "dad you moron, she’s not even here" something about the girl’s voice made Shannon feel bad for her. Kids like that hardly ever have happy lives. Shannon’s mind came clouded with thoughts, thoughts that made her head hurt. She stood to her feet. She looked around and was about to get the hell away from here when something struck her mind. A sharp black and white image. A girl with long auburn hair in a high ponytail and brown eyes, she was dressed poorly in a pair of torn jeans and a white tank top. And a man much older, she said something and he slapped her across the face. The girl yelled back though Shannon didn’t know what exactly it was that she yelled. And he slapped her again. Who were these people? Shannon wondered but as quickly as the image appeared it faded from her mind. There was something.... she looked up suddenly to find the crow seated on the window sill, of course, that where the images came from. It’s the girl. Shannon, out of pure instinct, jumped up and grabbed onto the bottom of the fire escape. She pulled herself up, no longer amazed at how she could do that. Within moment she was the shadow on the window, the room was dark. "Don’t you dare touch me again!" the girl screamed. Shannon sat silently, the bird atop her shoulder, She would know when to strike. "Or what?!" he laughed. "Or me Mr. Firolli" Shannon spoke, the firmness of her voice surprised even her. Her face was in shadow only the outline of her and the crow appeared. She lowered her foot to the floor from the sill. "Who the fuck are you?.... wait.. you’re that bitch I hit?.., hehe... can’t be, I checked your pulse you were dead this morning!...... how?... you’re ali..alive.." he mumbled and stared at her like she was a damn ghost. It was true, she had no pulse, and when unconscious she probably seemed dead. But that just put a smile upon he face. "Alive? Not so Mr. Firolli" she spoke, the bird flew from her shoulder and across the small room and sat perched at a dresser. He gasped and stumbled back "no! No! I’m not ready to die!" he screamed and stumbled to the door, and yet Shannon didn’t even move. She caught a glimpse of his eyes. She gasped and pushed the visions of fire and death and hell out of her mind. If that’s what he thought she was, a demon, let him think. Funny though, the girl just watched Shannon with curiosity not fear. Shannon didn’t bother to read the girl’s memories. She turned around and was about to leap outside into the night. "Wait!" the girl called. Normally Shannon wouldn’t respond but something made her. The crow still sat still on the dresser. "Thanks lady.. oh yeah and kewl bird" she smiled and held her hand out to the crow. It flew over to her and she smiled. "What’s your name kid?" Shannon asked. "Miriam" "well, I’m Shannon" and with that she turned around and jumped, the crow flew from Miriam’s hand and out the window after Shannon. Miriam ran over to the window but Shannon was out of sight in the shadows.
Amelia glanced up to the window. Of course ever since the old house burnt down and was rebuilt she wasn’t even sure that the window was even close to the one where Miriam once lived. So warped up in old memories she didn’t notice the shadow behind her until someone grabbed her arm and whirled her around. She found herself face to face with the man that attacked Tracy earlier, the one she called Zen. "Well that was stupid of you Amelia" he said, Amelia rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked in an annoyed voice. "Hello! Are you blind! You broke your own little rule and remember my job? That bitch never will get revenge.. ha! She never even saw the killer!.... worthless immortality ... remember" he said as if she was retarded or something. "I made the rules so I can break them when I want! And I made you so YOU never disobey me" she exclaimed " you haven’t broken those rules for centuries! They got purpose to them babe. And I got a job.. it’s simple, if they don’t wanna die I’m going to have to kill ‘em. Remember that’s what you told me to do" he put on a sly smile. But Amelia knew he was right. "I was stupid, you’re right. But the crow is part of nature, that’s not what I meant when I told you to kill... when I made you death. Too many people were finding ways to make themselves immortal, the earth was young, I needed help.... you were a warlord, you were cruel and handsome you seemed perfect for the job!!!" she yelled "ain’t I still perfect for the job or does little miss. Goddess think she could’ve handled it herself?" he said "I don’t doubt your work Zen. I didn’t doubt your work in ancient Greece when you named yourself the god of the underworld Hades and I won’t doubt you in the future... I just want you to know, that I gave you the power and I can destroy you and when I say someone lives they better live" Amelia kept her eyes focused, though by now she knew there was no way she could destroy Zen without destroying thousands of people. She was afraid he knew that by now. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them he was gone just as she expected. And everything he said was true. She knew what lay ahead for a crow who couldn’t get her revenge. She knew Tracy would never get her revenge. Because she knew exactly who it was who killed Tracy in the first place. And she knew it was a grave mistake.
Speaking of Tracy she had finally fallen asleep. The crow kept it’s black eyes out the window at Alec who stood by the building entrance, the crow watched him with suspicious eyes. Why was he just standing there. It glanced to Tracy who was curled up with the blankets, her auburn brown hair spread out all over her face. When it looked back out the window, he was now sitting on the porch steps a cigarette in his hand. The crow wouldn’t take it’s eyes off him. He just seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time earlier this night. And then the crow didn’t pay much attention to him, but now there was something different.
It was four in the morning. Tracy was still sleeping when the bell to her apartment startled her, she jumped up and out of bed. The crow flew over to her, it cawed loudly, warning her. But Tracy was stubborn and too curious. She should have just used that moment to jump out the window. But she was too curious. She approached the door stepping over the floor boards that she knew would creek. "Who is it?" she called and kept her eyes on the door. "Uhm.. it’s Alec.. the guy that nearly hit you with my bike" he said "h..how do you know my address?" she asked more cautiously "I was driving by and saw you enter" he said, at that moment the crow called loudly, over and over. It startled Tracy, she looked at it "what?" she asked the bird in a whisper. It cawed some more at her. She probably would understand it if she wanted to, but truth was she didn’t want to have anything to do with it. "What do you want?’ she asked as she approached the door, she fiddled with the locks and swung open the door. Sure enough there stood Alec. His messy light brown hair over his gray green eyes. He was leaning in the doorway a cigarette in his mouth, he took it out and blew smoke in her face. It didn’t seem to bother her though. "I got some inf. Bout that whole talon thing, so.. I thought we can take my harley and I’ll show ya" he smiled a charming smile and looked Tracy up and down. Tracy raised a brow. "Uhm.. what? What talon thing?" she crossed her arms under her chest. "I found out who’s Shannon" he said and took a drag of the cigarette. "Oh, I guess. Give me a moment to get dressed" she whirled around and slammed the door in his face. She felt something very odd. Why was he here? Why did he care? How did he know? As usual answers just made more questions pop up. He also seemed quite more dramatic, if that’s the word. Tracy shook her head as she slipped on a pair of black jeans and a T-shirt. She ignored the cawing of the crow and blocked out her mind from it. She came to a conclusion that the stupid bird didn’t want her to find answers. It was against her. She grabbed her coat and rushed out to the door. She stepped out of her apartment into the hall, which was filthy, infested and broken. She slammed the door before the bird could follow her. "I’m ready, let’s go" she blurted out as she slipped on her coat and glanced up to Alec. He was leaning against a wall and smoking as before. A smile played across his face and he tossed away the cigarette. Tracy rushed passed him pushing open the door and stepping out into the cool air. He followed immediately. Her eyes scanned over the surrounding she knew so well and stopped as she noted him bike. "That it?" she asked "yep" he kept his eyes on her and she felt it. There was something odd here, but whenever that thought passed her mind she just pushed it back. She wandered over to the bike, she noticed the crow up on a branch of a tree. Alec got on and started it up in a quick movement. Tracy climbed on the back, her mind wandering as she held onto Alec’s leather jacket and the bike sped down the street. She didn’t bother to ask where they were going. Firstly she was going to find out soon enough and secondly she didn’t have much of a choice if she wanted to find out answers.
It wasn’t long till they reached their destination. The motorcycle pulled up to the sidewalk and stopped firmly. Tracy didn’t waste anytime she climbed off as soon as it came to a halt. At first she didn’t realize it but the reason the route was so familiar was that they were at the gates of the cemetery, the cemetery she was buried at. She got a confused look on her face. "What are we going here?" she asked and glanced over to Alec as he took the keys and stuffed them in his jacket pocket. "You’ll see hun. come on" he smirked and walked over to the locked gates, he mumbled something about not expecting them locked. Tracy kept her eyes on him suspiciously. "Why here?" she asked and walked closer to the gates. "I told ya, you’ll see" he turned around grinning and swung the gate open, before Tracy could ask how he got it open he answered, as if he’d read her mind, "lock picking sure does come in handy". He enters the gate and waves for her to come along. Tracy follows into the dark creepy place. She tries to force back the suspicion and convince herself that she is not naive. She watched the rows of graves casting eerie shadows in the moonlight. An eerie breeze blew by just as she passed the gates and blew them shut. She jumped at the noise and yelped slightly. That just made Alec laugh. The cemetery seemed endless as they made their way through it. Tracy eyes wandered over it as she recalled that night, the night she returned. She saw the crow perked on a nearby tree, she could’ve sworn it called to her with a warning, but she didn’t have enough time to think it over as Alec stopped sharply, Tracy looked up to him. "Well? What is it you wanna know?" he asked casually, so casually it startled Tracy. She thought for a moment not knowing where to start. "Who is Shannon?" she blurted out, Alec grinned. "I knew you were gonna ask that, he stepped aside and showed view to two very pretty white graves, in pretty letters on one was carved.... Shannon L. Vones, 1974-1996... on the other it said.. Leslie D. Vones, 1978-1996. Tracy looked at the graves, she was about to speak when Alec interrupted, "yeah I know, you wanna know what’s so special bout her. Well fact is, nothing..." he paused and let out a laugh "she was just some blond tramp. She got killed and some stupid bird brought her back to kill some more junkies.. except they were already dead! ...Hah.. so instead of being a good dead girl and returning back to her grave, she changed her mind and stayed on Earth. Till she was finally killed by some other dude" Alec said this, his voice sounded different now, Shadows covered his face and Tracy didn’t even notice. She then looked up, her eyes locked on him as he stepped out of the shadows. It wasn’t Alec at all, it was the other guy. The blond one who tried to kill her. She should’ve been more suspitious. Ofcourse.. Alec’s bike, the guy stole Alec’s bike. That should’ve gave him away. She gasped, and he just smiled. "Damn, you’re so easy to fool babe, heh" he chuckled "w..who are you?" she mumbled and stumbled back. "Well.. how shall I put it... I’m death himself" he paused to watch her confused reaction "not what you expecting huh? No black cloak and bony hand... sorry to disappoint ya" he leaned against a grave and lit another cigarette. She stood still and watched him, she noted the crow on a branch it seemed to give her an I told ya so! Look. She felt stupid, she wished she never answered that damn door. "What do you want from me?" she asked boldly. "Well see, my "job" is to destroy people who have accomplished false immortality, since you can NEVER get your "revenge" there’s no point in you staying alive now is there" he said totally emotionless "unless of course....." he paused, his black eyes scanned Tracy. She watched him, from the start she wondered why she felt attracted to him, for god’s sake he tried to kill her! She wondered now if it was all a trick just like everything else had been. "What? And why can I never get revenge! I’ll find out who did this!" she yelled and it echoed in the cemetery as if ghosts repeated her words, he laughed. "It’s not that you can never find him.. hah.. I can even tell ya who he is. It’s just what are you going to do about it?" he spoke taking a pull of his cig. he tossed it out and fixed his leather jacket, she realized it was him all she could ask was "why?" "nothing personal, I mistook you for someone else and as for Mr.Squart. We had political conflict. Hey I do gotta live a mortal life too." He smirked, that’s when Tracy remembered her father speaking about some jerk who was pulling all the money out of the company her father owned. "You bastard" she said and tried to high kick him in the face, he just ducked, but then she kicked him with the other foot. He just smiled not even moved. What the hell was she supposed to do here? He pulled out an uzi and nailed her in the chest. She stumbled back and gasped for air. She looked to Shannon’s grave for a moment and up to .. whatever his name was. She saw a spark but it wasn’t from the gun nor was it seen through her eyes. It was a flash in her mind. And then she saw a picture come into focus.
Shannon lay on the hard wooden floor, her arms spread, her hair messed up all over the floor. Her blank eyes stared at the ceiling of that little apartment she shared with her sister. What else was left to do? She couldn’t believe it. What was the point of this fuked up after life if she can’t even hurt those who hurt her and her younger sister. Why have this strength and power if she has nothing to do with it. She heard a slight creek of the wooden floor boards somewhere in the shadows behind her but didn’t bother to look up to who it might be.
A female voice snapped Tracy out of her vision. "..leave her ..alone!" a woman with blond hair a bit above her waist which seemed messed up like hell and a black dress on held a pistol to Zen’s head. She was pretty much a mess. Her blue eyes moved from Zen to Tracy and definitely seemed nervous. Who was she? now what? Tracy thought as she sat in the mud her eyes on Zen’s uzi. Zen turned around to the girl. "you gotta be kiddin’" he said and nearly chuckled. "what’s this supposed to be? return to life night?" he said slightly annoyed. Tracy was badly hurt and confused as hell but the distraction gave her enough time to kick the gun from Zen’s hand and over a few graves. "shit!" Zen turned towards his gun and the girl behind him with the pistol shot him in the back. He coughed and whacked the girl in the face making her fall back and the gun roll into the mud as well. "leave her alone whomever you are" this voice came sharply from the shadows. Tracy, Zen and the girl turned to it. A woman with long golden hair to her butt stood against a tree. She wore a black catsuit, brown leather boots and a brown trenchcoat. Her eyes looked up towards the three, a black crow sight was on her forehead. All three recognized her immediately but none even whispered a word. Until Zen broke the silence "well, well, well.. lookie who it is" he chuckled. Unnoticed he slipped his hand under the back of his jacket and pulled out another uzi. Tracy noticed and tripped him and then stumbled back. The girl in the black dress looked around for her pistol and snatched it from the mud. Zen fell and shot at Tracy but she ducked. He then quite unexpectedly whirled around to his feet and fired some rounds into the girl with the cocktail dress. "Leslie!" the woman from the shadows flipped forward and whacked Zen in the face. Tracy looked puzzled as to who the hell is Leslie? she recognized Shannon but... who the hell is everyone else and what do they have to do with her?.. Leslie stumbled back into a tombstone. Zen kicked Shannon in the stomach she gasped but just whirled to the side. She took out her whip in a matter of less then a second and wrapped it around Zen’s arm making him drop the uzi. He pulled her forward and kicked her in the head. Leslie came up behind him limping she had his uzi in hand and shot him. He didn’t seem to react in much way except trip[ over Shannon. This was going no where! Tracy thought. A crow sat cawing on a branch, another one was on a tombstone and another one flew over them. The guy’s immortal. Zen landed right in front of Leslie’s pistol which she dropped. He grabbed it but rather then shoot at either three, he aimed at the bird on the tombstone and shot. In a brief second he hit it, bullseye. Then there was a silence and glance over the three, Leslie, Shannon and Tracy. Who was it that he shot? even Zen himself didn’t know. Shannon took a breath of air, she felt weak and a sharp pain was I her chest. This just sucks passed through her mind. She knew it was her. Shannon collapsed onto the ground. Leslie screamed. And Tracy was half dead already her bird the only thing keeping her conscious. Zen had a smile play across his face and aimed for the bird on the branch. He was about to pull the trigger when the in-famous blond girl appeared right in front of his gun. She was definitely pissed off. And that’s probably the calmest way to describe it. Her eyes glowed red for a slight moment and she hit Zen with a blast knocking him across about six graves. I bring Shane back for five minutes! and he gets her killed! what the hell is wrong with this picture! she exclaimed to herself although she knew it was never meant to be. "all of you must be very confused.. I understand that" she spoke in a calm voice and walked over to Tracy helping her up. Zen stood up by now but stood silent. "neither of you should be involved in this.. so I shall fix what he broke" she said. "a..amelia?.. what .. what is a talon? what the hell is ..g..goin on" Tracy mumbled. "shh.. you won’t remember a thing anyway" Amelia smiled to Tracy, she then looked to Leslie. "you know what you are don’t you?.. but you don’t know that your sister had returned did you?.. so now you won’t know that as before" Amelia spoke. Leslie seemed even more confused. "don’t worry" Amelia’s eyes glowed gold. The next thing either of them knew was a bright flash of light. Then the light died down and Amelia stood alone in the cemetery with Zen a few tombstones away. "you’re nuts Amy.." he mumbled. "and you NEVER mess with the crows again.. got it?" she said nearly hissing. In response Zen just faded away into a cloud of smoke. Amelia took a deep breath sighed and did the same.

Tracy blinked and jumped up in bed. Her bed. It was three in the morning. "wha.. huh?.. oh shit that was one weird dream..." she mumbled her hair tossed around her face. The details of the dream faded in her mind but the idea stayed. The crow sat on her window sill and she looked at it oddly. She wasn’t dead? was she?...no. It was all a mistake. Her father and her were shot but she was put in a hospital and was in a coma for a year. right?.. her name tag got screwed up so everyone thought that she was dead but it was some other girl buried in that grave. Tracy blinked. Of course it was. She wasn’t dead.. she was right here. In her bed. Her third day back from the hospital in her used to be apartment. But funny. She knows she was in a hospital but she doesn’t remember it at all. She shook her head. C’mone.. it was just a dream. She lay back in bed and the crow flew up to the branch. It’s better she don’t know yet anyway.

Leslie awoke in a puddle of mud in the cemetery. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. She was alive now wasn’t she? she returned to life.. just like that myth she read in collage. When she waited and waited on the bridge for her sister to come she knew she was dead. But she didn’t know where Shannon was. Why would Shannon pass on to the land of the dead and just leave Leslie waiting. She wouldn’t. Leslie knew then that Shannon wasn’t in the land of the dead nor on the bridge. That meant Shannon must’ve survived right? she must be alive. She was never killed right? If she was she would’ve seen Leslie there. Otherwise where else would Shannon be? Leslie thought, she only came back to see her sister one last time. She was sure Shannon was alive somewhere on Earth. She pulled herself up to her feet. A crow flew up onto her shoulder. "who are you little one?.. are you my guardian?" she whispered to the bird. It cawed. Leslie kicked her dirty black heels off and walked through the cemetery silently like a ghost.

the end I suppose. maybe one day I’ll write a Leslie talon story. ... hey wait. I actually finished a story?.. wow!.. I NEVER finish my stories. This is sooo kewl. It took me half a year but I finished. HeHaheeHa.. don’t mind me I’m psychotic and from New York :)