Chapter Two.

Elizabeth stood, her eyes dancing. It was nearly ten A.M., and already, she'd found the zest of life, born into all young creatures of city living. It had taken her nearly two hours to wake fully, and now she stood, her beautiful white face shining, as she looked into the soft reflection of her own face.

"Elizabeth?" A small voice asked, from the doorway of her bedroom.

"Come in, Brianna. I'm dressed." Elizabeth answered, calmly pulling a brush through her short, straight brown hair.

The small girl entered, her dark eyes wandering, and sat upon Elizabeth's bed. She had idolized Elizabeth since she'd been very young, and now, even more so, as she admired the young girl's beautiful features. To Brianna, who was only five, Elizabeth was the star she'd always meant to be, and Brianna knew, if she tried hard enough, she'd be just like her.

"Bri? Why are you staring at me again?" Elizabeth asked, smiling down at the angelic face before her.

"Does God make people like you often, Elizabeth?" Brianna asked, in awe.

"Oh, Bri. You are positively abnormal." Elizabeth said, smiling at the child before her.

Sighing, Brianna looked over at Elizabeth, and held out her tiny arms. Elizabeth, having been used to the treatment by now, lifted the child into her arms, and kissed her gently upon her cheeks. As Brianna felt the strong arms of her sister begin to release her, she hugged tightly to her, burying her tiny face into Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Oh, Brianna. You know I can't hold you like this forever." Elizabeth said, smiling.

"Just a little longer, Elizabeth? Please?" Brianna begged, still clinging to her sister.

Laughing, Elizabeth tickled the child, and watched her squirm in her arms. Brianna's laughter rang out in the still air of Elizabeth's bedroom, and as she held tightly to her older sister, Elizabeth smiled. She'd loved her sister with all that was in her to give, and Brianna had accepted without question. This was how it had always been with them, and Elizabeth hoped fervently that it would not change, as she loved her sister with all her beating heart.

When at last, Brianna allowed her sister to release her hold on her, Elizabeth looked up at the mirror. Her reflection was slightly paler than usual, and there were bags beneath her dark brown eyes. Elizabeth supposed this had to do with her sleeping habits, for lately, the night alone could keep her awake. Sighing, the young girl forced a smile upon her face, and made her way to the kitchen. She felt hungry this morning, and as she found her way down the stairs, a smile crossed her face.

"Well, Elizabeth? It's about time you woke up. You've been quite lazy these days, I'll say." Her mother greeted, her small, thin face crinkled at her daughter.

'Bri came in to see me this morning." Elizabeth said, half ignoring the woman.

"You'll deceive that child, yet. Elizabeth, if she must look up to you, the least you could do is set a good example." Her mother said, her eyes glaring now.

Elizabeth shrugged, and made her way to the other counter. She'd heard this so very much, that she could hardly remember when or how it had begun. All Elizabeth knew, was that she had grown seriously close to hearing it. Sighing, she pulled the toaster from the cupboard, and placed the bread inside, ready for a nice couple of pieces of brown toast. She was just about to press the button, when she felt something wrap around her hair, and heard her neck crack irritably, as her neck was pulled backwards.

"Don't ignore me when i talk to you, Elizabeth Starr. You are still my daughter, no matter if you like it or not. Therefore, you will listen to me." Her mother shouted, her words cracking like fire in the still of the kitchen.

"Yes, mother." Elizabeth replied, timidly.

As Elizabeth's mother finally released her hold on the girl's head, Elizabeth turned away. She did not want her mother to see the blood that ran so freely down the girl's neck. Elizabeth had always been ashamed of that, feeling that her mother, least of all, should know how blood looked, but was unwilling to cause a scream, when Brianna was so close. She loved Brianna much too deeply for that.

"Get out of here. Go!" Her mother called, angrily.

Without a look back, Elizabeth walked from the house, and began her trek down the roadway. She'd grown used to this by now, and as the treks were always ended in her returning, she had long since ceased to bring an extra set of clothes out with her. Now she wished she had, for she didn't want to stay here with her family any longer, even if Brianna was a major part of that family. Sighing, she turned the corner, and stopped suddenly, as a face peaked out from behind the trees.

"miss? Are you all right?" A boy of about her age asked, smiling.

"I'm fine. Why? What do you want?" Elizabeth asked, as she looked into the boy's face.

"You not to be so mean? I want to know why you are crying." The boy replied, as Elizabeth felt the first wet teardrop.

"I'm not!" She lied, covering her face with a hand.

"I really believe you. I'm Jesse. What's your name?" The boy asked, reaching a hand to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth Starr. Nice to meet you, Jesse. Now, go away. I'm walking." Elizabeth said, irritably.

"I don't think you really want me to go away, Miss Starr." Jesse said, smiling broadly at her.

Elizabeth shrugged, and continued to walk. He'd been quite right, and she hated more than anything to admit so. She had always been the one that would be able to make them all go away, and now she wondered just where her ability to do so had gone. If she told this Jesse person he had been right, she'd never get him to go away. And yet, she wasn't sure she wanted him to. She rather enjoyed the company, and wouldn't have minded just keeping him about a while, if he'd only shut up a moment!

"Miss Elizabeth? Have I really offended you?" Jesse asked, as he walked a bit closer to her.

"No. I'd let you walk with me, but you'd have to shut up a second. Otherwise, get lost." Elizabeth said, as she turned the corner.

Jesse walked on, his face smiling, as he was silent. He knew he had to be quiet with Elizabeth, though he really couldn't place what made him want to listen to her. He listened to nobody, and that was how he had liked it. In some small part of Jesse Rain Feather's mind, he liked the authority he held on the others, where he did not allow them to control him. It made him feel special, to know he could do as he pleased, unhindered by others.

Elizabeth was different. She'd told him what he would do, and Jesse had refused argument, perhaps for the first time in his life.

"Miss Elizabeth? Why are you so grumpy?" Jesse asked, when nearly two hours had gone by.

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment, trying to decide how best to answer this young stranger in her midst. She had never been approached with such questions in her lifetime, and though she vaguely could remember those features upon Jesse's face, she could not even begin to place them. She felt a certain comfort in the presence of this young boy, but she could not find the strength to wonder how best to ask this boy. She supposed she would lose him at this next bend, and until then, she would be silent, and ask nothing else of him if she could help it.

"Miss Elizabeth? Why?" Jesse asked, his smile gone now.

"Leave me be, Jesse. i don't want to talk to you now." Elizabeth said, turning away from him.

Jesse's pace slowed, as Elizabeth's footsteps receded down the path, taking her further away from him. She had been pretty, her short, straight brown hair hanging just past her shoulder line, and her beautiful, slanted brown eyes had been shining for only a moment, as she looked upon Jesse's face. Eyes of recognition, he supposed, but how he could be recognized by such a beautiful stranger amazed him. Even her pink round face caught him for a rapturous moment, and her shorter, well-proportioned figure could have sent him to his own heaven, if he had spent a moment longer to look upon it. She had pleased him, even now, with her layers of clothes covering her entire length, and Jesse could only imagine what his new friend could be to him in a few years or so. Perhaps she would be his mate someday, and if she was not to be, Jesse supposed he could admire her as a friend---loving her with all his inner being. He would then prove to himself that love could, and had been found upon first sight.

*****

Far down the pathway, Elizabeth stopped, and took a seat upon a small garden wall beside the sidewalk. Her thoughts were racing now, for Jesse had seemed entirely too familiar to her, in some way that had frightened her. he had had the face of someone she had known long ago, only, it had been an older face she had remembered. Perhaps someone had been related to Jesse, and Elizabeth was almost frightened to find who this person might be to her, or what this person could have meant to her in her past. Whoever this Jesse was, Elizabeth would avoid him for now, until she could sort him out in her mind, as well as finding out who she really was inside. This would be important if she planned to return to that house. She would, sometime in the near future, for Brianna still needed her. Elizabeth meant to be there for her younger sister, since she knew well that her parents never would be. For now, Elizabeth would reflect, and try desperately to find who this Jesse was, and sort out any uses he could be to her, now that she was all on her very own.

Turning one last corner, Elizabeth turned into the park that had been her favorite hiding place for many years now. it was close to her home, not more than two blocks away, and had always been the one place where she felt safe. She would stay here for a time, and when she could go home, or find another place to live, Elizabeth would embrace it when it arrived. For now, however, she would spend the day resting, and for once, she would not worry what could be said or done to her. This was her day, and nobody would be able to take that from her, if she could help it.