Because of the windowless driver's side, Juniper didn't feel it was safe to sleep in the car. After encountering the pixies from hell, she didn't feel that it was safe anywhere, which was why she had pulled over and slept in the car anyway. Her plan lasted about an hour, and then she couldn't abide one more twig snap. Every sound terrified her. She did not get much rest.

Around dawn, Juniper's gas gauge was below a quarter of a tank. She took the next exit off of the road and hoped to find a gas station. Preferably an empty one, she thought. She drove past three stations before finding one devoid of people. The last one Juniper found gave off no emotional vibes.

By now, she had figured out that her power did not transfer to demons. Therefore, she parked at a gas pump, got out of the car slowly, and took her gun with her. It was odd how much comfort Juniper found in her little instrument of death. Cold steel was the only friend left to her in the after world.

Juniper reached for the gas pump. Her eyes never stopped scanning the space around her. Empty parking lot, empty sidewalks, empty convenience store...Suddenly, a yellow thread of panic lit up from inside the store.

"Damnit." Juniper said.

How had she not felt another presence? The panic was becoming more amplified; the person was closer. Meeting a stranger was something Juniper would have rather avoided. A panicked person was worse yet. But, she needed gas, and this was the least populated station that she had been able to find. She had to risk it. Plus, there was a chance the person might be normal.

Thump. Thump. Panic was drumming in Juniper's head. Feeling the panic affected her other senses. The gas pump shook in her hand and she was barely able to fit the nozzle into the car. She began fueling. From the doorway of the store, she saw a short figure staring at her. Not just staring, aiming. It was a girl, maybe a little older than Ashley had been. She was small. The shotgun she had pointed at Juniper looked as long as the girl was tall.

"You gon' leave right now!" the girl called.

Though panic was strong within her, there was another emotion the girl was feeling that Juniper could tell was stronger. At the center of her panic, there was a void.

Juniper flipped the pump to automatic. Her hands went above her head in a gesture of surrender, but she confused the girl by taking slow strides forward.

"We've both lost someone. There's no reason why we have to shoot each other, too." Juniper said.

"I'm the one with the gun, crazy." The girl spoke with an overstated twang that was common to the area.

"I've got a gun too."

"Yeah? Where's it at?"

Juniper shook her head. "I don't want to shoot you. All I want is some gas."

"That's what they all wanted!" the girl screamed. Inside, her darkness warmed to a deep red. "They killed my mama and daddy just fur some goddamn gas. Thought the pumps were dry, so I hid in the basement. Then, you showed up."

"Basement." Juniper repeated.

Of course.

For reasons unknown, the earth limited her abilities. Whenever Chris had been working in his basement, it was like there was a stone wall between them, figuratively and literally. She hadn't sensed the girl earlier for the very same reason. Now, Juniper felt everything the girl felt. Including the girl's red-warming heart. Black interlaced with the red, and Juniper could see it reaching out like vines. The dark was growing and twisting inside of the girl.

"Why are you coming closer? I'ma shoot you!"

Unafraid, Juniper continued to move forward. "No you won't, 'cause I'm not like them."

"There were women with 'em too. Men, women. All bad and selfish fucks. I hate 'em." The girl said.

She was crying, and the black vines were growing.

Juniper was only a few inches from the teen. She was fourteen, maybe fifteen. From far away, she hadn't looked more than ten years old. Up close, there was a maturity not to be missed. If it was an ingrained trait, or one sprung from her tragedy, Juniper couldn't be clear. Nor did Juniper really care. One thing was on her mind. Once it was done, the whole world could burn, the girl included.

The girl didn't know what to make of Juniper. She dropped her eyes for a second, and it was the second Juniper had been waiting for. In a move that was quick and harsh, Juniper wrenched the shotgun from the girl's hands. She used the butt of the gun to push the girl down onto the ground.

Eyes narrowed, Juniper stood over her and said, "Hate may feel good and it keeps you warm. But it can take you over. You're already halfway to becoming one of them."

"One of who?" the girl sniffled.

"You'll know when you see them. You have the same darkness inside. I've got it too. Difference is, I plan on doing something about it."

The girl's panic had disappeared. Purple shades of confusion had taken her over.

"What are you gonna do?"

"First, I'm gonna find the man that helped make my life hell, and I'm gonna kill him. Then, I'm gonna kill myself."