The big city.

Hymn froze. Would he blieve her if she told the truth? Surely not.

"I---don't know," She mumbled instead.
~!~
Lenora hesitated. She had a feeling Dust woudl be furious with SAble, yet she could se ehis side of this. HE just wanted her to be safe.

"Does she remember...anythihng?" She asked Lia quietly.
~!~
Laurinda shook her head. She didn't believe him.

"I don't have to do anything," She said quietly, and turned and tried to run.

Chris frowned. He was stupid. He had been hopeing she said that she had been kidding.

~!!~
"BLAKE!" LAnce yelled again.

Blake appered in front of the fleeing girl. "What!?"

~!!~
"Afaid not." she said.

"You said the same thing," Hymn reminded him suddenly. "About me. Why did you do it?" She asked.
~!~
Laurinda jumped, and fell back. She grimanced as she hit the pavement, rustling the stitches on her arms and stomach, but not opening the wounds.
~!~
"Not even....her family?" Lenora asked, even quieter.
~!~
Ashlynn woke up, screaming. Her father yelled for her to shut up.

She was shaking and sweating. She pulled her pillow close to herself, and cried.

"Thank you." He said. "Now tell her to get in my car."

"I didn't take you for that type, Lance." Blake said.

~!!~
"No." Lia said.

~!!~
"Because you said you didn't love me." Chris admitted.

Laurinda quickly stood up, and looked at Blake when he spoke, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you keep doing that?" She demanded suddenly.
~!~
Ava and Nick were far gone by now.
~!~
Ashlyn shook her head and opened her window, letting the fresh air wash over her and clear her head.
~!~
"What are we going to do?" Lenora asked quietly. She didn't want to be the one to tell Dust, yet she felt that she should be.
~!~
Hymn closed her eyes.

"I was lying," she said finally. "Lenora was here, and she wanted Dust's soul back. She was heartbroken. I cared for Dust, so I helped. In exchange for the key, the goddess told me to break your heart. So I did." She couldn't believe that it had all just spilled out.

"None of your bussiness, now get in the car." Blake said.

"Don't do anything funny." He told Lance, and disappered.

~!!~
"Take her to heaven." Kate said. "She'll be better off there."

~!!~
Chris looked down. "You did a great job of it."

Laurinda's eyes widened as she felt herself obey. She got into the car unwillingly, yelling some not so ladylike things at him as she did so. She was confused, so confused.
~!~
Lenora nodded, and touched Jade's arm, disappearing. Melody was there when she reappeared, and ran over to them, eyes wide.
~!~
"I know," Hymn mumbled, looking back down. Suddenly, she stood up. "I'll go," she said, and stood up and started to walk towards the entrance of the cave.

Chris grabed her hand as she passed him, but didn't say anything.

~!!~
Jade looked around. "Where am I now?"

~!!~
Lance got into the car, and quickly pulled out.

"Why are you doing this??" Laurinda demanded. "Let me go!!" She yelled, spouting off more angry words at him.
~!~
"Heaven," Lenora said.

"What's going on??" Melody asked quickly, eagerly. Lenora explained it to her in one quick breathe.
~!~
Hymn stopped in surprise when he grabbed her hand, but didn't resist. She just stood there, staring at the entrance to the cave, but not moving.
~!~
Ashlyn hugged the pillow closer, staring out her window lifelessly.

"My cousin Mason just died. He ran away a while back, he ran away because his father beat him. I want to know your reason for running away." Lance said. "And I'm going to bye you lunch."

~!!~
Jade listened. "So what's my name?"

~!!~
Chirs made her look at him, but still said nothing.

Laurinda shook her head. Whoever this Mason was, he sounded a lot like her, only,....dead.

"What makes you think I ran away?" She demanded.
~!~
Melody frowned. "Your name is Jade Zat..." she said slowly.
~!~
Hymn had tears in her eyes, but said nothing. She tried to look away.
~!~
Ashlyn soon stood up and walked into the bathroom. She looked at her hand, at the long, thin scar on it from her incident with the mirror. Then she looked at herself in the mirror, which was still crakced. She hadn't bothered to get it repaired. She didn't care.

She turned and walked into her room again, closing the door behid her and sinking down to the ground.

"I'm not a fool." Lance said. "Why else would you be on the streets?"

~!!~
Jade looked thoughtful. "Who was that boy, who ran when I said I didn't reconize him?"

~!!~
"No, Look at me." Chris said. "Do you, do you love me?" He asked softly.

Lenora sighed.

"His name is Sable. He knew you," Lenora said quietly.
~!~
Hymn closed her eyes tighty, finally looked at him. Then she nodded.

"I do," She said quietly. "More than you know." A tear slipped down her cheek.
~!~
Laurinda shrugged.

"Because," She mumbled. "Fine. So I ran away. What of it?" She demanded. "I'm not tellling you why," She mumbled. She hadn't told anyone, and she didn't plan to. Ever.
~!~
Ashlyn closed her eyes leaning her head against the door.

"Was it for the same reason Mason did?" He asked.

~!!~
Chris gently pressed his lips to hers, as if to say the same thing.

~!!~
"Oh." Jade said, but didn't ask anymore quistions, after a few moments she slipped off to look around.

"No," Laurinda said quickly. And truthfully, it wasn't. Her father hadn't beat her; her uncle had.
~!~
melody frowned, and followed quickly after Jade. She told Lenora to go back and inform the others of what had happened. She went back, but not happily. She appeared in the living room.
~!~
Hymn blinked in surprise, but didn't resist. Instead, she kissed him back. She was happy; so happy. She never thought she'd be able to face him agian, much less kiss him again.
~!~
Ashlyn stood and walked over to her bed again. Ember began to whisper to her again, and she shook her head, whispering no over and over again.

Felix was wacthing. Suddenly he cried out in pain.

~!!~
Dust smiled at her. "What's wrong?"

~!!~
Chris didn't pull back, and he kept her hand in his.

Ether saw Felix, and started laughing. She knew what was happening.

Ashlyn looked at Ether laughing, but said nothing. She couldn't see Felix.
~!~
"Jade's memory is gone," Lenora said quietly.
~!~
Hymn soon pulled back, but she didn't let go of his hand.

"Do you still think I'm a child?" She asked quietly.

Felix glared at her. "This isn't funny."

~!!~
"What!?" Dust stood up. "How, why?"

~!!~
Mason sat up. Where was he? He looked around brushing his long hair out of his face. He closed his eyes. A face flashed in his mind. Ashlynn's. It was ful of horror, horror over his death.

~!!~
Chris smiled slightly. "In a way you will always be a child. The same is with me."

Laurinda fell silent now. Her stomach growled, however, and she cursed it silently. She wanted to get out of here as soon as she could. She didn't trust him. Didn't turst anyone. What did he want with her, anyways?
~~~
Ashlynn looked confused, watching Ether. She touched her arm, and suddenly Ashlynn could see Felix.

Her eyes widened.

"You're the creepy stalker from before!" She practically shouted. "How did you-why didyou---Nevermind, just get out of my room!" she shouted, causing more laughter from Ether.
~~~
"Ruby and Zinc were draining her. SHe was a mess. Sable let it happen, to save her," she said quietly, half expecting, or more than half expecting, him to yell.
~~~
Hymn frowned for a moment, then nodded, slowly returning his smile.

"I guess so," She said quielty. then she was hugging him. "I'm sorry," She whispered. "I should have told you before. BUt I didn't---" She cut herself off, and just hugged him.

"I would if I could move!!!!" He yelled, then another scream of pain came from him.

~!!~
"What do you want for lunch?" Lance asked.

~!!~
"What!" He yelled. He sat down holding his head in his hands. "Did she want this?" He asked softly.

~!!~
Chris said nothing, but hugged her back.

"I'm gonna call the cops!" Ashlynn yelled, but couldn't find her phone. 'Crap. Of all the days not to have it..' she thought to herself. Ether was practically in hysterics now.
~~~
"Food," Laurinda said, deciding to be smart. She always was sarcastic.
~~~
"I don't know. I think Sable did it for her own good, though," She said quietly. "I don't think he would have done it if she was against him. He loves her," She said quielty, sitting down next to him and putting an arm around his shoulder.
~~~
Hymn finally let go, and stood up, offering him a hand to do the same.
~~~
Melody was humming when she realized that someone had just awoken. She was soon down in the nothingness, looking at Mason.

"Hello!" She chirped. "Or should I say, good morning!"

Mason looked up at her. "Where am I?"

~!!~
"And you'll get in troble for false alram." Another scream of pain. "No one but you can see me."

~!!~
Lance laguhed. "Is it safe to asume you want the kind you can eat?"

~!!~
Dust sighed. "I see, but things won't be the same."

~!!~
Chris quickly took it.

"Heaven," Melody said simply. She smiled at him. "You're an angel now. What is your name?" She asked, offering him a hand to help him up.
~~~
"What do you mean, no one---" Ashlyn began, but Ether cut her off.

"He's your guardian angel. A suckish one, at that," She added, laughing again.

Ashlyn frowned, confused.
~~~
Laurinda nodded, but didn't laugh. "Yes, that's the best kind," She said.
~~~
Lenora frowned, and shook her head.

"No, it won't," She said quietly, and found herself close to tears. Jade had been her friend.
~~~
Hymn helped him up, but didn't let go of his hand.
~~~
Sable was in the park, silent. Raven was trying to talk to him, but even she couldn't cheer him up, not now.

He looked over his shoulder at the the dark brown wings. "Mason." He said softly.

~!!~
Felix coughed up some blood. "No longer." He said. "I'm becomeing a fallen."

~!!~
"So what do you want to eat?" Lance asked again.

~!!~
Dust looked sad. "Will she ever rember?"

~!!~
Chris smiled. "Your siblings are annoying." He mumabled.

"I already told you," Laurinda repeated. "Food."

She just wanted to leave, but didn't say so. Not yet anyways.
~~~
Ashlyn saw the blood, and her eyes wideened slightly.

"Fallen? what are you talking about??" She asked quickly. Ether had stopped laughing long enough to look at both of them again.
~~~
"Well, Mason, I'm sad to say you've died," Melody said, though she didn't sound sad at all. "But we have a job for you. Come," She said, grabbing his hand and dragging him off, out of the nothingness and into heaven.
~~~
Lenora shook her head.

"I don't think so," She said qiuetly. "maybe. We can hope."
~~~
"You're telling me. You didn't have to grow up with them," Hymn said, and actually laughed a little.