Her rich smile floated dreamily into the subdued neon-colored sky, her gleaming brown eyes embodying the stars that would soon appear in a later version of it. Brown strands of chocolate hair were escaping the loose chignon she'd hastily pulled it into before running outside; some loose bits sticking to cheeks damp with fallen winter rain. Small puffs of warm and drowsy breath escaped red lips that had formed into a wide grin, inviting the day and its tears to waltz inside her mouth.

Solonthe was sprawled on the sloped and cracking concrete which made up her driveway, studying the bright color of gray the sky had turned, and anticipating the next round of water that it was sure to unleash sometime soon. Her hands were peeking out of a tight gray sweatshirt, damp from the persistent droplets of water that had soaked into the thin fabric only moments ago. The orange and green lettering she'd meticulously written in uneven blocky letters and delicate cursive all over it had faded considerably with the rain, but she didn't mind one bit. Toes clad in a pair of bright blue, flimsy flip-flops were likewise peeking past a pair of old low-rider jeans she'd promised her mother she'd never wear in public again. Of course, that had been the perfect invitation to wear them as often as she could get away with for everyone to see, despite the sandblasted look they'd eveloped after having used them for so long, and the patches of faded jean fabric that were wearing dangerously thin.

A car drove crazily past, tires interrupting serene puddles, the busy air surrounding the vehicle suddenly gone before it'd been. Solonthe lifted her head slightly, too late to see whose care it had been, and too mellow to care. Her cheeks, freckled merrily and red from the cold hollowed for a moment as she drew in a big breath, and then puffed out slightly as she blew it back out. She allowed her head to fall sideways on the concrete once more, when the sound of rustling fabric broke through her happy haze.

Solonthe's head snapped towards the sound, and her stare was met with a pair of worn black Converse. Startled, her eyes remained on the pair of shoes for a moment before hastily travelling up to a paper-white pale face whose features were eerily lacking of any expression. His sea-green eyes stared down at her sprawled form from six feet up, dark eyebrows framing them. His face reminded her of a sad theater. Pale, slightly downturned lips were playing audience to a sharp and upturned nose of a director, and to a play that had yet to start on the unmarred pale expanse of stage that his cheekbones created. An uneven, shaggy curtain of bright reddish-orange colored hair with shocks of black streaking through it fell dramatically over his face, throwing thin, barely visible gaps of skin into shadows.

He reminded Solonthe of the type of guy she would've seen had she decided to go to a nearby restaurant later on that day where a few local rock bands would be playing. The tight green tee and straight-legged jeans he wore would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, but on him they fit perfectly.

Very slowly, his colorless lips contorted into a grim smile, and a sadistically determined glint shadowed his eyes. One long and thin hand slowly slithered into the back pocket of his jeans. Nimbly, cold fingers closed over a small withered pouch full of something. He brought it out and jerkily held it forward, dropping it and allowing it to fall soundlessly on her stomach.

"It's what was used to kill your parents." He spoke with an eerily calm and deceptively velvety and low voice. The type of voice you could forget yourself in.

"My parents aren't dead." Solonthe retorted gently, the words tumbling out of her mouth like rolling rocks. A moist sheen of tears covered her eyes, and the breath hitched slightly in her throat. She'd been staring at the swaying trees behind him, and although inside, her blood had started rushing everywhere urgently, and adrenaline had started dancing through her veins, outside her eyes had become dull. Slowly, she shifted her gaze towards his. He was staring up at the sky sadly, wistfully, regretfully. Tiredly.

"You can run..."

He didn't need to say the rest. His real meaning hung sadly in the air - Solonthe's body tensed. But I'll still catch you...

His head snapped down to look at her, and the tense and hungry moment exploded like so many regrets forgotten and too many things left unsaid.

Solonthe sprang to her feet and sprinted forward. She darted past her wooden mailbox, the pomegranate tree her uncle had planted for her family in the front yard a few years ago, the window she and her mom always set up the Christmas tree in front of ("So that everyone can see it when they drive by, honey."), the rock wall that seperated her backyard from the street. Tears streamed down her face as she realized with a sinking feeling that they would be forever changed whether she came back to this house or not in the future. The sorrow, coupled with an urgent need to get away. and mindless fear was eating her insides slowly like a disease.

Finally, she made it across the street, and her house was no longer in view. The desolate feeling that was threatening to engulf her was pushed to the back of her mind, and the mindless fear took over. She began screaming as she ran hoping anyone would listen to her, wishing someone would come barreling out of a house. Hoping that someone would come out and protect her like she was so used to, telling her that everything would be fine.

No one came out.

She considered running up to someone's door and banging it till they opened, but then realized they'd be more likely to get hurt than she would. Now was hardly the time to learn to think of the consequences of her actions, but the lesson hung over her head - another burden to add to her crumbling mind. The hopelessness of the situation weighed her thoughts down heavily as she realized that she wouldn't be able to go to anyone for help. Who could possibly help her when who know how many people were after her. She knew that the person chasing her probably wasn't alone. Someone... Her throat constricted. Someone had to have helped him kill her parents while she'd been lying outside in the driveway. She would've heard them scream otherwise. She knew they were dead. Knew because the look in his eyes had said it all. She didn't even know him - Had never met him before, and had no idea who he was. But she had been able to tell.

Her screams died down, and she concentrated on the sound of her feet pounding on the pavement, trying to make them move faster, trying to make the intervals between each pound less. She could hear him behind her, going faster than she was, slowly gaining on her, slowly becoming faster.

Solonthe cut across the dry and desolate field full of dead grass and ugly weeds that was located only minutes away from her house, trying to dodge the empty and broken beer bottles that were scattered haphazardly everywhere. She made it past the train tracks that lay next to the busy road she was about to attempt crossing at a run. Not paying any mind to what color the traffic light was, she tore across the street. She felt a rush of wind behind her, and then a loud honk. Not bothering to stop and explain, she dodged the cars that were rushing past her and made it to the 7-11 on the other side. She could feel the bile and fear crawling up her throat threateningly. She considered running inside the convenience store, but wondered what good that would do her. She swerved to the right and ran towards the next intersection, which was about half a mile away. Suddenly, she darted into a small, discreet shopping mall, and made her way into a little alley that cut through its center, making sure there was an opening at the other end.

For one glorious moment she thought she might've lost the boy who was chasing her, but her hopes were crushed violently when she was jerked to the side and smashed into one of the alleywalls. She grabbed a trashcan lid from nearby and swung it around, fully intending to smack the daylights out of him. He dodged the swing by neatly stepping out of the way, but wasn't so lucky the second time. The trashcan lid hit him on the shoulder with a resounding crack, and he winced.

"You'll pay for that."

Solonthe swung for him again, but he grabbed the lid mid-swing and tore it out of her grasp. Her eyes widened considerably in dread, and she turned to run. She gained two feet of ground before his hands wrapped tightly around her throat and threw her to the side.

"Don't fucking make this harder than it has to be." He growled, his patience slowly slipping away.

Solonthe held brought a hand up to her temple, and it came away with blood. She winced and glared at him from her crouching position.

"Piss. Off."

He snarled angrily at her and dove. She scrambled out of his way, but he caught her ankle and pulled her towards him. She cried out as he wrapped his arms around her, but was cut off mid-scream when she was plunged into darkness.