Chapter 3

The seven trumpets that had finished blowing their horns allowed time to stand still. How does this creator have so much power? Even after using remarkably a good sum of it to create humanity and the universe? He allows the sunrise to curse at the sunset…

The music that had floated through the atmosphere like crashing cymbals ceased after weeks of silence. Heaven’s gates had been unlocked and an endless flood submerged the heavenly plains and pored over onto the earth. Dark clouds billowed above head with smashing hammers of might, and stricken neon light. The rains kept falling onto those who came both prepared and unprepared. It became another day of routine as Nia passed under the rain on the school grounds with only her damp hood to shield her. I love this weather, she thought while letting out a sigh. Her breath was caught in the cool air just as her attention. Suddenly everything seemed suspended within the air when she stepped into her 3rd period class. Emerald eyes…

A tanned tall man stood behind the teacher’s desk and set down a suitcase along with a white beanie onto the olive wood decor. He towered greatly over the students that flooded into the room at a peeking height of six feet and five inches. He strode with broad-shoulders that were handsomely adorned with his white turtle neck and a solid figure that was all hidden well by his attire. With the height he stood at he seemed lanky and almost fragile yet only his smooth face and hands suggested such femininity. Still, his eyes were the most imploring and brilliant… Emerald!

Nia was awesomely moved as most of the other girls in her class were by him, but the nymph felt more numb then them all. As she sat in her seat at her table, the very first and only table directly in front of the board, a hand touched her left shoulder. Nia jumped in her seat and faced the girl with a nervous grin as she removed the hood off her head then took off her jacket. “Hey Sae”

A curious smile, small eyes, and golden hair caught Nia’s sight. The one she addressed by Sae was a Korean girl with a round face. Her hair highlighted her soft and warm expression as she looked to her friend with some amusement. “What’s up, Nia?” Nia shook her head and shrugged her shoulders a bit saying, “Nothin’ really. Whatcha draw today, Sae? Lemme see!” She smiled and reached for Sae’s notebook that she opened, looking through it as if it was her own. Sae didn’t say anything as she giggled and took the notebook back, showing Nia her latest work. Nia was in awe of Sae’s artistic skill. The girl was a cartoonist, particularly one who drew in an anime form, and a good one at that. While Nia marveled all the while at her friend’s work she heard the bell ring and gently nudged away the notebook back into Sae’s grasp. “You’re a genius, Sae…a freakin’ genius,” said Nia. Sae blushed and laughed as she shook her head and said, “Nah… I’m not that smart” “Yes you are, shut up!”

Her voice was then dominated by another and along with hundreds of polychromatic eyes. She faced the speaker and was again awe-stricken. The young substitute teacher smiled at the class barely showing marble teeth under his thin lips. The marvel had asked the class to be quiet since the bell had rung and she heard it again. Nia heard his tenor voice piercing through the air at sensational extremities. He was gorgeous even as he swayed gently on the balls of his feet and his soft ebony hair fell between his eyes. “Good morning class. My name is…” His back faced them and Nia felt her heart ache. It’s not him… so chill…but…but! By the time her dream turned into a nightmare, and a hellish one at that, the substitute moved aside to have the class view his name on the board. “My name is Mr. Assis de Romais,” said he. Yes, to Nia this was a hellish dream…but a beautiful nightmare…

How the day prolonged and Nia remembered how 3rd period went with embarrassment and scorn. Mr Assis de Romais was very handsome indeed and intelligent as she recalled while daydreaming in 6th period. That’s what she always seemed to do anyhow in her last class of the day. She just vanished for a little while, her dark brown hues staring into nothing.

He was so cute, but why did he have to pick on me so much? Like I know Algebra! Bleh, I hate math. Mr. Assis de Romais, huh? Sounds Italian, he didn’t look it though. Seemed more tropical to me… Haitian? Fijian? Hmm…he kind of had an accent…sounded northeastern. Well, he did say he was from New York, but was originally born somewhere else… Nia let her thoughts drift away until the bell had rung and she quickly gathered her things, leaving her science class. She waited though patiently for Ezekiel; or rather “farmboy” is what she at times addressed him by.

Ezekiel came out of class in his classic jail pants. They were extremely hilarious, but embarrassing to say the least. She called them “jail pants” because they were bright orange. A soul could see them from a mile away. Nia’s keen eye, or rather sensible fashion eye, glanced downward in disapproval of his attire. The dirty blonde just shot a cheeky grin at her, and wrapped his arms around her practically lifting her off the ground. “Whatchalookinat?”

“Your horrid pants! What in the hell is WRONG with you? Did you just come out of an asylum or somethin’? Freakin’ eh! You need to BURN those pants or else I’ll do it for you!” Her voice raised in amusing rage.

“Go ahead”

“GLADLY!”

The two laughed it off while walking, or rather while Ezekiel was walking and still holding her up until she noted what he was doing. She caught a mischievous look in his eye which made her to panic, and Nia immediately pushed her way out of his grasp. Ezekiel laughed, and groaned a little as he looked down at his friend pathetically. “Aw, I was gonna toss you into the rain and get ya soaked!” She raised a brow at him threateningly while they were nearly crammed into one of the main halls with all the other warm bodies of their peers. “I know that’s why I got loose, dorkwad! I ain’t about to get myself sick, got it?” Nia rolled her eyes at him as they continued their stroll to the front of the school having to leave the shelter of the awning of the hall to do so. It was really just another routine for her…

A familiar butch wrapped her arms around the nymph’s waist, kissing her ear. Gentle whispers, embarrassing laughter, innocent chatter.

“Glad I picked you up…?”

“Very! I was scared that Shin or somethin’ would instead.”

“Fighting again, love?”

“…No…not per say…” Again laughter and familiarity before escorting one into a ravaging ride. Soon the sound of an engine roaring against the sound of rain pellets falling against the hood. “I’m taking you home, Nia…”

“…What…?”

Nia sat quietly in Erin’s car, listening to the pouring rain outside. No thunder clapped, no lightning struck, it was just the continuing sound of the pound of the droplets of ever giving life. The clouds above head them were gray and dull, but the personality more lively than anyone would’ve put a thought into. Dark brown hues finally with begrudging effort lifted up, stared at a driveway, a house, one car sitting in a car port –she trembled. It seemed to be ages since she had been at the house, and with her trembling Erin had a sense of what her nymph would say. Lips that curled in curtly spoke just as so.

“I’m not going in there; I refuse to go in there… Why did you bring me here? Do you hate me that much? Why can’t I stay with you or Shingatsu? Erin, please, no...” So frail, so exhausted, frightened, terrified, horror –all of these were visible in the nymph’s eyes and in her quavering voice. She wanted nothing to do with what was lying in front of her. The older woman’s hand reached out, gently patting Nia’s knee in reassurance while speaking slowly and sensibly. “You can’t stay with me forever or Shingatsu, love,” said Erin. Nia had to sedate herself in order to be mentally and emotionally ready for what was to come while unlocking the car door, and stepping out into the rain without an umbrella. Soon an engine came to life again, and tires were heard screeching down a wet street while the nymph stood there in the rain, looking back at almost a mirror image of herself and realizing she was tossing herself back into hell…

The sound of bells chiming, a voice rising behind a closed door separating two worlds, a voice echoing back, the sound of a lock unlocking and a door being pulled open to invite a lost lamb. The door slammed behind the lamb which moseyed its way in feeling led into a butcher’s shop.

“Hi grandpa…” said a nearly broken voiced Nia. She could hardly look the elderly man in the eye. She was slightly taller than him, and when she raised her dark brown eyes up to glance into his heavy-lenses stare she saw what she feared –anger.

Her grandfather, Esin, was a very mild-tempered Nigerian man. Intelligent, and decent, with a slight English charm to him in fact particularly with how he dressed which was very proper. He wasn’t a small man though, but not to say he was husky, just a pot belly which seemed to come with age more than wrong choices. And yet, for his age, he appeared rather young and strangely sporty with his rough hands and built arms. Esin was actually seventy-five years of age, but for those who didn’t know him they would’ve thought he was at least ten years younger than that. His hair wasn’t completely gray, and with his dark complexion it strongly complimented his tiny eyes which appeared kind most of the time until now.

Nia shuffled her feet uncomfortably knowing what was to come next. It was no surprise to her as she felt him leave her presence with his voice rising in an angered, but mostly strongly aggravated torrid voice as he said with a thick Nigerian accent “I’m going to wake up your mother! Where were you? What is wrong with you?” She felt like someone stabbed her in the chest, and she didn’t know whether to cry or scream out in angered pain. All she could do was make her feet to carry her to her bedroom as quickly as possible to which much less to her chagrin was next door to her mother’s. Eden…

Tears, screaming, yelling, struggling, the fight for justice in all the wrong sense of what justice may truly be. It is the relationship of a mother and daughter that can never seem to be mended properly even if they’re both wrong in the end.

“Stop it! Leave me alone!”

“Who were you with? Where did you go! You were out with a boy, weren’t you! I heard a car outside! It was a man, wasn’t it! You want to be a prostitute, don’t you!” Another resounding slap to a face, and another shriek of terror.

“No! It wasn’t a man!”

“You’re lying!” Another attempt to shatter an already trembling, pitiful soul, but stopped short by last minute instincts of justice and survival – for the sake of oneself– “I am not! Stop accusing me!” How the voice quakes, and how the anger rages deep within –so very easily can this anger manifest itself and turn into an unstoppable force. “Watch, just wait and see! You want to be grown up, and then you’ll get yourself pregnant and I won’t take care of that child! You can live on the street with that man! I don’t care anymore!” The slamming shut of a door with the effect of smacking against steel and just a broken soul lying out where no one seemed to care while it could barely even stand living.

Kill me… someone kill me now… A weak voice cried out into the soft and pleasant haven of a familiar pillow. Nia sobbed, shaking uncontrollably, and upon lifting up her head glanced around her bedroom like a deranged woman. There were no marks on her, she had fought off her mother’s claws well, but the nymph still was shaken to the core. Xavier, why did you have to leave me…? Why couldn’t I just have died with you? Why, damn it! I miss you so much… I miss you so…so much… “I wish you were here to protect me… Xavier, oh God! Just kill me!” The nymph cried out again while a fresh rainfall of tears flooded over her chocolate cheeks. She did become insane for a minute, hopping off her bed and digging through every inch of her room in search of any object that was sharp enough to penetrate skin in which she found none. Sitting there on the floor of her room with the bed sheets strewn across the carpeted ground alongside her, she sobbed finding herself stupid to commit self-mutilation. She didn’t have the guts or heart to harm herself, none the less kill herself. She had attempted once before a long time ago… but failed, and wish she hadn’t now… That whore, that bitch… She doesn’t deserve the title of being my mom… One day, I swear… I’ll kill her… Anger consumed such an innocent soul, and it bled from it considerably, dying slowly…

“My love…” A silky voice whispered softly into Nia’s ear as her eyes fluttered open as she had then realized she had been unconscious, but also realized she wasn’t where she thought she was. She was in a familiar place, yes, but not the place of terror with Eden, no. Yami…

The young woman glanced around the room noting quietly she was in bed, and wondering where the voice had come from. She listened carefully trying to hear if someone was still in the room, possibly ducked behind a corner and yet nothing or no one stirred. The voice was unfamiliar, but it sounded harmless and beautiful. It reminded her painfully of her beloved Xavier and this made her heart to ache unfortunately. Woe this nymph. Yet Nia felt as if she couldn’t stay in bed any longer, and upon dragging herself across to the right side of the bed she pulled open the blinds then shielded her eyes. The brilliance of the outside world was astonishing and just as breathtaking. The last time she had been there it was snowing, but now it was spring time and the rolling green hills were visible in the back with the mountains even farther away which were magnificent. Nia noted that there was still snow on top of the mountains even though they were a treacherously beautiful sight to behold after crossing what seemed an endless desert. Sitting there, observing from the second story of her home in this ripe dimension, a nymph sat in wonder until a rapping at her door caught her attention.

“Yes?” Slipping off the bed, placing bare feet onto the wood, strolling wearily to a door and upon opening, languid black hues met with electrifying dark hazel eyes that would knock someone off balance in a heartbeat without another thought or an excuse. Nia stood bedazzled for a moment unable to speak.

“Where the fuck have you been?” yelled hazel eyes. Nia took a few steps back to allow the figure in. She closed the door behind after hazel eyes had entered, and turned to stare into the fury of them then over look the face. The young man was handsome with black hair that was spiked up with hair gel in little points, and he had an athletic figure. It looked like he may’ve played baseball for a couple of years and was about ready to use those years of experience in the sport against the nymph. He was in a fury, the young man, and Nia slumped against the opposing wall in sloth not really seeming to pay attention. She watched how his slightly baggy black pants moved as he paced the room with the silver chain hanging out which kept his wallet, and lifted her eyes up to examine the snug fit of the blood red t-shirt he was wearing. It wasn’t tight, but it was comfortable enough for her just to notice how powerful his chest was. After awhile of ranting for what appeared centuries, the young man calmed down and sulked onto the nymph’s bed with its tousled sheets to stare at Nia from across the room. Smiles were exchanged pleasantly, and light in the eyes of the beholder danced miraculously…

“Cam, are you done now officially?” Nia chuckled low under her breath as the young man that she addressed as ‘Cam’ shook his head. “You didn’t listen to a word I said, did you, Nia?” Cameron Woodard was his full name, but he hated to be called that –Cam was how he usually introduced himself to people. He didn’t appear all that much older than she, in fact, if anything he appeared only a year older than she yet he was three years older than Nia. There were some aspects about him that made him appear much more mature, but now as he sat relaxed on his friend’s bed he had the persona of a boy in a way. It was obvious from the way they acted so debonair towards each other that they were close, and as the nymph made her way over to this sparkling flame of life, she sat beside him with a teasing smile. “Where do you think I’ve been anyways? Sleeping?”

So many tender years that the two have known each other, not just in Yami, but outside of it. It was she who stumbled upon the dimension first and told him about it, and they had grown to love it. An escape from everything they knew. The two lazily touched shoulders, resting against the other and sliding easily into the flow of the day, of the moment, which was simple and carefree. Cameron tensed for a moment becoming slightly anxious since he figured really where she was. Between the two, he visited Yami much more frequently and stayed longer, so of course he knew where she was, that’s why he was worried earlier and so upset. He hated it when she left. Being such a nonchalant character at times though, but also a firecracker, he acted as if he didn’t care mostly when she was gone. He even would sometimes get mad at her for returning, but he was only poking fun. Yet now, she was away for weeks and it was a completely different story to him. He couldn’t but wonder where she was. An arm slowly held the nymph close to a warm heart. “I know where you’ve been and I hope that bitch didn’t lay a hand on you, Nia. You need to move out or something.” Not only so many tender years, but tender secrets exchanged and a cringe emitted from the young girl amiably. She hated bringing up the subject of her mother, Eden. It made her heart fill with a hatred, and it ate her whole; devouring her alive whenever it had the chance to surface. Nia eyed her elder friend with a somber expression.

“Where will I go if I move out, Cam? Huh? I can’t move in with my dad. He doesn’t do anything, hell; he can barely pay child support. What makes you think I’ll be better off moving? I don’t want to intrude on Erin. She’s a free woman, and can do whatever she damn well pleases, and Shingatsu is married with two kids and if she and Sky are lucky, three. There is no way I can escape even if I really wanted to. I have to suck it up. My mom, I mean, Eden is a single mother with three kids. Two of them are adults, one of the two have moved out, the other is practically a dead beat, and I’m still a teenager who’s graduating from junior high in a couple of months. I need her to pay my ass through college; I can’t afford to screw up. I’ll just bite my bit, and be a good steed and ride on.” The words she spoke held heavily in the air. Cam knew how Nia felt about her mother and knew if she snapped –she’d kill the woman without a bit of remorse. It damn near killed him thinking about all the things Eden had done to his best friend whom he considered really a little sister. It broke his heart, and it broke hers. Nia nestled her nose into his shoulder, sighing heavily. She could feel his sorrow and didn’t want to think about it anymore. They were in Yami where reality could not faze them. They wouldn’t allow it, not now or ever. After just a few more minutes of a silence in which a pin needle could be heard dropping upon the ground, the uproar of sales below them from Nia’s family business nearly rattled her bedroom floor. Cameron let go of his “sister”, and gave her a stern look that clearly said “We’ve got things to do, get ready, now, and don’t take a hundred fucking years”. Nia smiled up at him as her feet allowed her almost to float up, and escort him kindly out of her bedroom so that she could take a shower and get dressed into something decent. After all, she had just been in shorts that were masked incredulously by a male t-shirt.

Nia came out of her bedroom a good twenty minutes later well groomed in light blue denim jeans that were ripped at the knees and a white wife-beater before she came face-to-face with el Diablo himself. Cam appeared to be just as upset as he was earlier before, those hazel eyes in a game of such affairs of playfulness and maybe actual temper probabilities. “Women” is all he huffed, and Nia laughed at the ebony-haired man.

“COME AND GET IT WHILE IT’S HOT FOLKS!” Shouts from all kinds of salespeople roared about the two friends as they walked through the bustling town square with cones of ice cream in hand, laughing and smiling. A gentle breeze passed through making Nia’s black hair dance lightly about her cheeks, and once again, she heard a voice. For a moment, only a moment, she stopped and listened. Cam hadn’t noticed while he kept walking, something having caught his eye. My love… who is this who calls me “love” …? Not Xavier…that’s for sure… “OOF! OWWW!!” “I’m so sorry!” “No, no, it’s my fault!” “Nia!” “Tony!?”

“Tony?”

“Nia?”

Eyes met, and silence fell. Why does he still come here…? Tony… Doesn’t he know it still hurts me to see him…? He doesn’t belong here in Yami any longer! He has no right to come here! He has his precious new girlfriend.

“So…where are you headed?” Tony, with those soft brown eyes stared down at the nymph. He wore quite simple clothes, a pair of denim jeans and a light cotton white t-shirt. His hand slowly reached out to the nymph to pet her head, but she swiftly pushed his hand away. At that moment, Cam turned to find the two standing in the middle of town square with the busy-bodies around them selling their merchandise. Cam at one time was very close to Tony until what had happened between them a few years earlier. A broken hem of brotherly trust never meant to be sewn again, yet only the eyes of the other are tolerated for the sake of their love for her – the nymph.

“None of your business. Why don’t you go hang with your precious Alexis?” Nia finally retorted. Her black hues drilled holes into him. It was clear that she had no intention of telling him or any intention of being seen with him a minute longer. Even though her mind told her to leave him be, her heart kept her there – leaving her feet invisibly glued to the soil beneath her. Cam made his way over to the duo, reaching for Tony’s arm to tug him back away from his “little sister”. They were roughly about the same height so when their eyes had met, lightning struck. A cold whisper, sending shivers down one’s spine like a snake’s venom… “Stay away from her…” Then with that, Cam had exited the scene with Nia, holding onto her free hand tightly and never looking a second time over his shoulder to the deserted man. Yet Tony wasn’t going to stand there being made a fool of. He followed after the two, calling out to them, calling out to Nia. “Nia! Nia! Let’s talk! C’mon, please! Hold up, Cam! Let go of her!” He pushed through the crowd trying to reach them, and the nymph couldn’t help but stop to give him a chance. But how many chances has she given this man? Much too many if Cam had anything to say about it.

“Nia!”

“Cam! I’m going to give him a chance to speak his mind…”

“You’re makin’ a mistake! He just wants in your pants both here in Yami and in reality! He just wants to take advantage of you.” At this, the nymph grew quiet. It was as if the world had paused for a moment and she was slapped in the face. In reality they were truly a couple for awhile, but not any longer. She hated to admit it, but it was near damn the truth. Tony did want to take advantage of her, and he had countless times before. In Yami – in reality – it didn’t matter what dimension they were in, what state of dreamlike mind – Tony was out to shatter her whole being into miniscule pieces again and again and again until she was nothing. I wouldn’t have to go through this if Xavier was still here… If only he were alive, he’d be holding my hand right now like he used to and Tony would be a thing of the past! Why…why did he have to die and leave me…?

“Nia…” Tony had caught up with them at last only to see a dazed Nia and a very aggravated Cameron. When Nia finally came to her senses she eyed Tony, and let go of Cam’s hand to have the both of them follow her down a familiar road to a familiar park. They’ve been down this way several times before, more so Nia and Tony then the trio all together. She ate the rest of her ice cream without a single word uttering from her lips. The last thing she wanted was to speak too quickly, and spit fire at him in all the wrong ways. If she was prepared to hurl a flame thrower at him she wanted to at least aim it head on towards his heart like the spears he had cast through hers several times before. The whole walk through the park was immensely calming, but no one was ever too calm. Cam’s fingers twitched with annoyance and he was hot, boiling hot. He wanted to rip Tony apart for the pain he caused his “little sister” but knew it was pointless because it wasn’t his battle to be fought yet he couldn’t stand watching this so-called man destroy her. She’s been through enough already without your help, you asshole, Cam thought venomously. “Tony.” Footsteps ceasing, and the gentle spring breeze blowing, calling upon the spirits of the season from the mountains to bring grace upon the town while making impish sounds on the lake surface with the tiny, ill voice of a broken girl speaking amongst it all – “Why?”

The nymph slowly turned to face Tony with her black eyes struck with pain, but they stared at him tersely. “Tell me why you signed up for the military without telling me first? Tell me why you cheated on me when I was so faithful to you? Tell me what I did wrong to make you do what you did!” Her cry was soft, low, but each word spoken a powerful blow. She began to tremble, but didn’t let a single tear fall for too many tears had fallen already. “And tell me what, of all things, are you doing here? After all that you had done to not only me, but to your friends, why you are here in Yami to have us look at your face in shame!” Then silence. Tony stood there aghast, his face burning with shame before he spoke out in a rage against her even as he tried to keep a nonchalant air about him. “I was young then! I loved you Nia, and I still do! I wanted to get away from everything, that’s why I signed up for the Army without telling you until afterwards. I was sick of the way I was living!”

“That is such bull, Tony! You don’t love me and you never did! If you loved me so much then why, damnit, why? Youth has nothing to do with it! I was young, too but I was as faithful to you as if I was your wife! It’s just a matter of knowing where your priorities lied, and apparently they lied between older women’s LEGS! Now look at you!” Nia was boiling with such an uncontrollable rage she appeared as if she were on the edge of murdering him as she threw up her arms into the air in frustration and continued on her rampage. “You decided to ruin your life instead by turning towards the military? What are you an idiot? Both you and I know you’re rotting in hell. You may have thought that the military was the way to go to get a better career, a better shot at life even though you have nearly damn everything, but now you realize the truth! That it was a waste, that everything was a lie and you can’t turn back now because there’s a collar around you neck!” Then silence again. It was a silence that fell with the weight of an atomic bomb. Neither Cam nor Tony knew what to say or do and Nia stood staring at Tony, taking in a deep breath before averting her gaze from him. “…So what are you going to do…? Stay in Yami and try to make amends for your sins, or leave the rest of us and rot in reality in that base of yours in Korea?”

“I’m going to stay…”

“Fine…”

“Tch! Great, now look! We’re late!”

“We are? Oh crap, Diana is so gonna kill us!”

“D?”

“Been that long, huh?”

The sounds of footsteps reawakening, and the awkwardness of the other party’s presence as the bodies of the trio vanished passed the trees of the park to head back out into the bustle of the town to go to meet this one called Diana. From afar though, a figure watched them. The shadows moved with this person, very quietly, still, clandestinely. None of the three heard or saw who the shadow was, except for a whisper that floated with the breeze. “My love…”

“You’re late!”

“Sorry!”

“Tony?”

“What’s up?”

“I thought you guys …”

“We aren’t together!” The both chimed in at the same time as if they were still the couple they once were which caused Diana and Cam to exchange a certain look that clearly said ‘Here we go again…’.

Diana Maxwell was a pale skinned woman, the same age as Cam, and fairly tall, but of course not as tall as her male friends. Her figure was nothing short to speak of either as she was very voluptuous with huggable curves in which her low-rise navy denim jeans complimented, and her simple black screen t-shirt also improvised that she was a bosomy young lady. She had odd plum colored hair though that was mid-back length, and layered. Her eyes which were hidden sweetly behind glasses though were a kind aqua hue with a ring of light purple around her pupils. She was notably close to the nymph as when this now, quartet, seated themselves in a familiar booth at the restaurant, she snuggled teasingly close to the younger of them all. “Sis!” Nia cried in a playful manner as the two girls laughed. The two were almost inseparable together.

“So, how’s my big sis doing?” Nia asked after ordering the usual fish-o-filet burger with a side order of fries and chocolate malt. “Surviving, I’ve been training,” answered the older girl with a genuine smile as she too ordered a cheeseburger with French fries and a coke. “Really?” asked the younger girl and at that moment Cam chipped in after taking a swig of his chilled water. “Yeah, we all have been training while you were away. So you’re way behind, grasshopper.” An embarrassed flush and a chortling plea of mercy, “Well you know! I’ll train twice as hard! I’ll even run two miles!” “You better!” A reply of three voices and laughter emitting while the prepared food was on its way until they were now eating, and enjoying the atmosphere like old times.

“So, Tony, aren’t you supposed to be meeting Alexis or something?” Nia purred at her ex in a voice that suggested slight jealousy. “We broke up,” answered he without even giving the nymph a second look while taking a bite out of his hamburger. “Err, uh… oh – wasn’t aware. Sorry,” Nia replied rather awkwardly. She had just assumed they were going to be together for a lot longer than just a month or so since Alexis was Tony’s age. It made her a little bit happy though to see her ex in the same “single cruise line” as her – not meaning she was going to chase after the rascal a third time! A third time, in this case, is not the charm.

“Hey, is it just me, or have you guys been feeling a little strange lately?” Cam quipped with a little wiggle of his brow though his face was serious. At this, the other three in the group eyed him suspiciously, but they didn’t say a word and Diana couldn’t help but glance out the window before nodding and replying quietly, “Yeah… like the wind… its pattern is different…” Nia glanced at her best friends before also saying something. “And the rivers and lakes feel disturbed…” Tony even put in his two cents. “The earth is rumbling quietly with anticipation.” Then at last Cam spoke up a second time, “The volcanoes aren’t all that happy either.” They all met eye contact. A secret that was shared that only they knew amongst the other individual beside them or across the table from them. Yami is meant to be perfect though… it’s our escape from our problems in reality… Nothing here in Yami is evil. Absolutely nothing! But that also couldn’t make sense… We’re…different…and that is why do we all sense something is off-key… What’s going on?

“My love…” A passing look and the voice with the owner are gone before the nymph can even bother once again. And who is this guy who keeps calling me…? Doesn’t anyone else hear him but me?

It is another day of rest for the creator of the universe for it is the seventh day. Soon though, the second coming will arrive and the sinners of the world will pay. Yet, who are the true sinners and who are those who make mischief but just are children trying to reach the attention of their Father? Is the sunset the evil or is it the child wanting to be noticed?