It was well after these evens occured that I met these girls. I was barely twenty-two years old when I met Ayria through my phorography proffessor, Elsie. Ayria was nineteen at the time. I was invited over for dinner at Elsie's house, unaware that Ayria was living with her. I had seen her through a crack in her bedroom door, her blonde hair down to her waist and being pulled up into a loose ponytail.

"Zane, this way." Elsie said, and I followed her down the hallway towards the dining room just as Ayria's door opened. I turned back briefly to bo faced with her gorgeous brown eyes. She blushed and turned back into her room. I grinned.

"What're you smirking at?" Elsie asked. I just smiled and shook my head, "Boy, you need to settle down." She said with a shake of her head. I laughed.

"So, who was she anyway?" I asked as casually as I could.

"My ah...neice." Elsie said. I nodded. We turned suddenly at a small voice at the doorway.

"Elsie, when will dinner be ready?"

"Sooon dear. This is Zane by the way, one of my students." Elsie said, "And thios, Zane, in my neice Ayria. You two are around the same age, you should get along fine." she looked back and forward between Ayria and myself, "I'll go check on the pasta..." she muttered and left the room, leaving Ayria and I alone.

"Hello." Ayria said quietly. Her hands were behind her back. To stop them from trembling? She was only just past the door.

"Hi there." I said in an equallly quiet voice. Ayria smiled. She had her long hair in two piggy-tails on either side of her head, and large brown eyes. She was beautiful, "So how old are you?" I asked as a conversation starter.

"I'm uhmm...twenty in October..." she said, "And yourself?" she asked.

"Me? Oh, I'm twenty-two next month, so June." I said. She nodded.

"Are you one of Elsie's students?" she asked. I nodded.

"She's a great professor...and friend." I stated. Ayria smiled.

"Elsie teaches me sometimes...I know the parts of a camera, digital or not, and how to use them..." Ayria said, "I'm allowed to use the dark room sometimes too..."

"Cool." I said simply.

"Want to see some of my photographs?" Ayria asked suddenly.

"Sure!" I said grinning. Ayria rushed off to her room and returned seconds later with what i assumed was her photography binder. It was red with black flowers and swirls on the front. She handed it to me and I smiled at her as I took it. I leaned against the wall and opened it. The first section was named "Sunshine". It was full of people, plants, animals...she had a gift, I had to admit. She caught people as just the right time, photographed the plants in the right light.

The next section was labelled "Shadows" and it contained photos of peculiar shadows of trees, various objects and again, people.As I was flicking through the pages, I felt someone's eyes on me. I looked up slightly to see Ayria staring at me. I lifted my head fully and her large brown eyes watching me.

"Oh, sorry!" she apologised hastily, her cheeks flushing for the second time.

"It's fine." I said with a small smile. I returned my attention to the binder and the next part, titled "People". It wasn't hard to guess what was in there. My guess, however, was entirely wrong. This part of the folder was not full of smiling people, laughing children...but, inside every plastic sleeve was one or more photographs of death, blood and violence. Where did she get these?? It was an indescribable feeling that stirred in me when I saw these particular pictures. As soon as Ayria saw me looking at these pictures, she snatched the binder away.

"I-I'm sorry...you weren't supposed to see those." she stuttered. She clutched the folder to her chest.

"It's fine." I said again. Ayria loosened her hold on the folder and it flipped downwards, some of the pictures sliding out the bottom.

"I'm going to go and help Elsie now..." she said quietly and I watched as she slowly made her way towards the kitchen, folder in hand.

After dinner, i said my good-byes and good-nights and left in a taxi. I waved out of the back window to Elsie, Reece and Ayria, contemplating the time of my next visit. For now, my photography classes would continue with Elsie as normal. After a while, my thoughts strayed to Ayria. She didn't look nineteen...not at all. She was too small, too delicate. Although, it looked like she had been anorexic at one point which could have added to this. I sat back in my seat and pulled out my phone. I had been only half and hour and I had three missed calls from Elsie. I dialed her number and Reece picked up.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hi, where's your mum? It's Zane."

"I'll get her." I heard him put the receiver down and a muffled yell of "MUM! IT'S ZANE!" from the other end of the line and finally heard Elsie pick up the phone.

"Can you get back here? Now?" she sounded disracted. I could hear a muffled screaming in the background.

"Why?" I asked incredulously. I'd just left!

"Ayria. She's hysterical and I didn't know who else to call and she won't stop screaming and the neighbours are threatening to call the police and they've warned me abo-"

"Elsie, I'll be there ASAP." I said and cut the connection. I directed the driver to turn around and, with a grumble or two about having to change direction, did a U-turn and drove back the way we had come.

I arrived to a house full of yelling and wailing. Ayria was seated on her bed, a blanket pulled around her and making her seem like a mental patient. She saw me, and screamed louder still (even though at that point in time it seemed impossible) and pushed away into a corner. I stepped forward and when she ddin't react, I ran to her as fast as I could. She screamed. I held her against me and she struggled furiously. I held her tighter and she pummeled my back with her small fists. I looked at Elsie who sank down into a chair, her head in her hands, clearly shaken by the secen before her.

It was two hours before Ayria calmed down even the slightest, three hours until she was totally worn out from screaming and crying and calm. I laid her down gently and pulled her covers over her frail and shaking body. I left quietly and let out a huge sigh when I was out of earshot. When I walked into the family room Elsie was asleep on the lounge and Reece was curled up a beanbag. I put blankets over both of them, deciding not to wake them.

"Zane?" Ayria was at the door, her voice hoarse. She rubbed her eyes, "I can't sleep..."

"Come with me then." I said and pulled her back to her room by the hand. She laid down automatically and I sat on the edge of the bed. I held her hand until she slept, rubbing small circles on her palm with my thumb.

I awoke the next morning on Ayria's bed. She was between the edge of the bed and me, while I was between her and the wall. My arm was over her waist, the blankets covering both of us. She was facing me and I couldn't help but kiss her forehead. She stirred but didn't wake up. I smiled and disentangled my arms from hers and lifted the covers and slipped almost silently off the end of the bed. I made my way to the door and opened it, leaving without a sound. I heard the sizzling of bacon and eggs when I entered the kitchen. Elsie looked up from the frypan and EasyCook-er.

"Morning." I said. A grumbled reply graced me as I sat down at the small breakfast bar. "Someone's not a morning person..." I muttered under my breath. Me, I was pretty average as a morning person...at least I didn't grumble at people...

"Here." A plate of food was placed in front of me. The food consisted of bacon, toast and scrambled eggs. She then placed barbeque and tomato sauce bottles in front of me. I eyed them before choosing tomato sauce.

"Morning Mum!! Morning Zane!!" A happy little Reece bubbled into the room and I winced at his joyfulness. He climbed onto the stool next to me, and I looked across with disdain. This boy will be the death of me. He grinned at me, and inwardly I cringed, but I sent a small smile back. Maybe him being so bubbly wasn't too bad after all.

Ayria didn't wake until well after midday. When she was showered and fed - and looking a lot healthier - I said my goodbyes. Little did I know, but I wouldn't see Ayria for another three years...I hugged her at the door, whispered at her to call me if she ever needed to, and recieved a kiss on the cheek in return. Three years...