*Very Long*
    It was a gloomy, gray day. Raindrops spitting on the headstones of those around us. But not hers. No. I placed her in a special spot. I made sure that she was going to be cared for. Right under the same weeping willow that held our parents. Its long fuzzy branches swaying in the cold frostbitten air.
    The tree looked just as sad and lonely as I was. I had lost my last living relative. My older sister. Shot on the sidewalks of Moscow, Russia. We were not Russian. We just lived there. Originally, we were from south Texas. So south, people thought we were from Mexico.
    I hung my head low, my brown hair curtaining my face. I had a military ceremony put together for her. Soldiers came, did the flag folding, blew their trumpets and handed me the flag. She was a sniper for the Russian Armed Forces and had earned a large number of medals. 23 years old. She was so young. I had invited her to my eighteenth birthday, and she was on her way to my apartment that day... Tears of sadness and self-hatred filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I started to shake uncontrollably and weep silently to myself, barely making and sound or movement. She was gone.
    A large hand gently grabbed my shoulder. Large military combat boots came into view. I wiped the tears off my face and looked up. It was Ivan Braginsky, my sister's general. He would come over for dinner from time to time and we would all talk about wars, family and our lives in general. He was one of my favorite people. He was wearing his dark green military uniform, countless numbers of medals and awards, just like my sister. One dinner, I actually overheard the two talking about moving her up to be his sort of assistant general. I was so excited. "I am very sorry. I know you miss her very much. I do too. If you would like, you may come visit me anytime you need. You know where to find me." He said. His voice sounded sad and hollow. Those two had become the bestest of friends. He had become like family to us. He slowly saluted and a tear escaped his eye.
    I slowly nodded and stared back down at her headstone. Re-reading over and over what was carved on it in cursive. 'Born December 4, 2050 - Died September 17, 2073  ~A sister, a sniper, one of Russia's greatest heroines~' She really was a heroine. A lady hero. I looked up to her and wanted to one day be in her shoes. She had respect from almost everyone in the country, especially from me and Ivan.
    His black combat boots slushed away in the muddy cemetery. I started shaking again. Why the hell did this have to happen on my 18th birthday? Who hated her that much? My knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists unbelievably hard. Now I couldn't tell if I was angry or heartbroken...
    I hesitantly backed away from their graves, knowing that if I stayed any longer I would hate myself much more than I already did. To the point of suicide. I backed out from under the willow, then turned to leave, my head hanging low. Salty tears stung my eyes and dripped off my chin. I squeezed the folded flag in my arms, never wanting to let it go. Then there was the crack of a twig behind me. I spun on my heels and saw a dark figure standing over their graves, looking down at them. Who was that? I didn't know the man. I started running up the hill to their graves to shoo off the creep.
    When I finally reached the top, the man had vanished, but laying on my sister's grave was a fresh picked black rose, thorns and all. I shakily picked up the rose. It felt delicate in my tiny, childish hands. I twisted it carefully and slowly in between my fingers. When I went to smell it, my nose scrunched up in displeasure. It reeked of blood and death. I didn't want this creepy thing on her grave, so I took it with me.
    Ivan waited for me at the cemetery entrance. He wanted to make sure I got home alright. My apartment wasn't very far, so we decided to walk instead of wasting gas. His hands were in his pockets and I was holding onto his arm for comfort. He didn't mind. He knew how badly I was hurting. I'm sure he was hurting just as much. We walked slow down the sidewalks of Moscow.
    As we turned the corner, a man in a black cloak bumped into me. He stopped dead in his tracks. I turned to apologize. "I'm sorry sir..." He turned his head towards me. His bright green eyes managed to glisten in the gloomy light of day. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were pitch black. I gasped and backed into Ivan out of fear of the man. He smirked and continued on rounding the corner.
    "Isabelle? What's wrong?" He asked. I was still staring at the corner as if he would pop his head back around. Words couldn't form in my mouth. "Isabelle! You're scaring me. What's wrong?" He lightly shook me. I looked to him. I shook my head.
    "N-... Nothing... I thought I saw something... But I guess I'm just going crazy..." I couldn't shake that image from my head. His eyes had just turned black...
    "Are you sure?" He asked. He didn't let me go until he had a satisfying answer. I nodded my head quickly and gave a weak smile. My heart pounded in my ears. After he seemed semi-convinced, we continued down the street and walked up the steps of my apartment to the front door. "I will come by tomorrow to check up on you. Sleep well and DON'T do anything you will regret later." I knew what he was talking about. He didn't want me to commit suicide. I understood.
    "I won't. I promise. Now goodbye, I have to go do something." I weakly waved goodbye as his car pulled up out front. I gave a quick wave to Toris, his servant, before they took off down the street. I slowly closed my door and leaned on it, sliding down onto my rear. I pulled my knees to my chest and laid my forehead to my knees. More tears slipped out of my tear ducts and dampened my black pants. My shoulder blades ached from so much crying. "What's wrong, my pretty lady?" A seductive voice echoed through the room. My head shot up to look around the room. I didn't see anything. Maybe I actually was going crazy...
    "It's nothing... I'm going insane." I said to myself. I slowly stood up and made my way over to my living room cautiously. I felt around for my side table, then the lamp. As my hand made its way up the lamp, my hand met with another hand. I jumped back and screamed. The lamp turned on and filled the room with its LED light. It was the same man from outside. He was sitting on my couch. His big furry brows came together and his face had pleasure written all over it. "Who- who the hell are you!?" I yelled accusingly. He laughed and stood up.
    "Hello little lady. My name is Arthur, Arthur Kirkland, and sold my soul to the devil." He stared at me. His gorgeous green eyes shut, and black ones too their place when he opened them. I screamed, he smirked. "Do you know who I am?" I quickly shook my head no. He frowned. "Think harder!" He yelled. His heavy British accent made my heart flutter. Wait, British accent? The United Kingdom dissolved 30 years ago, and all the Brits were killed off. My mother told me in a bedtime story. The name clicked. I nodded my head.
    "You... You were the one that let it all happen... You sold your soul to the devil... Who cast a spell on the land of Britain. You wished, in quote, 'This bloody land has gone to waste, and needs a little push to go all the way. I can't take it anymore, I can't bare to stay. Because of that wretched woman you all call a heroine, let her and her family be cursed with death for all eternitarian!'" I looked up at him, who seemed saddened by my words. When he caught sight of me staring, he clicked back to mysterious.
    "Ah yes. That wretched woman. She's the reason my government fell apart. She's the reason I dissolved into nothing! Russia's junk yard and landfills! I am England, and your family caused us to dissolve. Your mother is the wretched woman I spoke of!" He yelled at me. He picked me up by shear supernatural forces and had me pinned to the wall by my throat, squeezing very harshly. I gasped for air. His piercing eyes staring into mine. Then they started getting softer and softer by the second until he finally gave in and dropped me. I choked for air on all fours. He looked down at his feet.
    "If my mother did this... Does that mean you... Did you... Shoot my... Sister...?" My voice trailed, coming to the realization. He looked up at me with a grin.
    "Yes." He said sadly. I stared at him. "But that doesn't matter because I've been assigned by my boss to kill you." He spoke. He darted at me and pinned me to the ground. He was on top of me. I know I should have been scared but, he was very handsome.
    "WHAT!?" I screamed. I tried to squirm my way out, but he was stronger than I thought. He laughed.
    "The curse said to kill off the rest of the family and you are all there is!" He got very close to my ear. I could feel his hot breaths on my damp skin. "I'll try to make it as quick as possible, little lady." His voice was sadistic and it gave me goosebumps. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a peculiar knife. It was engraved with strange shapes and symbols. They looked demonic. I screamed.
    "No! Please! I don't even know what you are!" I yelled. He stopped.
    "I'm a demon! I used to be a country! I used to BE something! But all because of that stupid curse I work for the devil now!" I stopped squirming. He was a demon? He worked for the devil? "But that doesn't matter now! I have to kill you and get it over with!" He placed the knife on my cheek and pressed. The blade stung like fire as it cut me. I screamed. He just kept pushing harder and harder. He pulled the knife away and held it above his head. A tear from his eye splashed on my cheek.
    "No! Please I'm begging you!" I screamed. His face froze, then turned sad. He stared at me for a few moments before vanishing. I jolted up and looked around. He just... vanished. In the blink of an eye. My heart was racing. "H-hello?" I spoke. No answer. I shivered. I grabbed a bag and stuffed clothes, a toothbrush, hygiene things and my phone charger into it. I needed to leave my home for awhile.
    I locked the front door and headed down the sidewalk. I was so paranoid at this point I suspected every human would be out to get me. I took out my phone and called Ivan. It just kept ringing. And ringing. And ringing. I was about to hang up and call again when I heard a sad Russian voice on the other side. "Здравствуйте? Isabelle?"
    "Ivan! Hey, I need to ask you a favor..."
    "Sure. Anything."
    "I need to stay at your place for awhile." It was silent on the other side for a few moments. Then he spoke in a shaky tone.
    "O-of course. May I ask... why?" I stopped in my tracks. There he was... under a lamppost. I just realized it was dark out and all the street lights were illuminating their own little spot on the street.
    "I-It's a long s-story..." I whispered. I slowly backed away. He looked up at me. His green orbs seemed to glow. Man were they gorgeous, yet terrifying. I sprinted down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. "I-Ivan! I've got to go!" I said in between gasps of air.
    "Wait, what!? What's going on!"
    "I'm fine! I'll be at your house soon. No less than 20 minutes. If I'm not there by," I glanced at my watch, which read 9:40, "10 o'clock, call the police immediately. And don't leave your house!"
    "What!? Why? Are you alright? Do I need to come get you?" He sounded scared for me. I rounded another corner and looked behind me. He was chasing me.
    "No I-" I looked back forward and there he was. I screamed and froze right in front of him.
    "Isabelle! Answer me!"
    "I-... I-" Arthur snatched the phone from me.
    "She has to go." He said into the phone.
    "Who is that!?"
    "No-!" I yelled as he hung up and handed the phone back to me. I shivered.
    "Let's walk and talk, shall we?" He hissed. I slowly walked next to him, his hand on my shoulder.
    "Are y-you... going to k-kill me?" He stopped me. I looked up at him. Then all of a sudden, we were in a rotting house in the middle of the forest. "Where... where are we!?"
    "This is where I live." His voice was very emotionless.
    "W-Why did you bring me here?" I backed into a wall. There were cracks to deep in them I could see the dark forest outside. The whole house reeked of sod and humidity.
    "I... I can't... bring myself to... kill you..." He spoke slowly. My brown eyes widened.
    "Wh-... Why?" I was still shaking. He lashed at the wall behind him in frustration, and by the looks of it, did it often. There were claw marks all over the walls and ceilings. Blood stained the floors, walls and ceilings as well. Many symbols and marking had been drawn everywhere, some in blood. Tables and chairs were thrown through walls and flipped over.
    "Because I-..." He was on all fours and shaking. "I have been assigned to kill your entire family. I have been watching you ever since you were 15. My boss wanted me to hurry up and finish the job so he can have other things to worry about... But..." He sounded like he was about to cry. "But I can't!" He turned around and sat against the wall. His black, empty eyes staring right at me.
    "I-... I-..." My face darkened and began to burn.
    He brought his knees up to his chest. "I swore to myself that I would never fall in love with a human..." He mumbled. My hand slowly covered my mouth and I stared at the ground, by long brown hair curtaining my face. He took an hour to explain everything.
    He WAS the country England. Not from it, but he WAS the country. My mother shot the Queen of England and her entire family on a mission for Ivan, who was also the country Russia, as an attempt to take over Europe. The beginning of WW3. Ivan never told anyone what he wanted to do, and when he did, it was my mother... after she had shot the Queen. Arthur wanted revenge, so he did the first thing that came to his head: Magic. The price was the alternation of his soul. No longer a country, he were to become a demon. "It was the biggest mistake of my life..."
    "What the hell is wrong with you...?" I said angrily. He looked up at me. "You throw a hissy fit, curse and kill my family, then tell me you love me?! I don't even know you!" I screamed at him. Tears streaked my face and dripped onto the floor. "Do you even know how creepy that sounds!? Take me home..." I glared, "NOW." He looked at me with sorrowful eyes.
    "But ti-"
    "Now." He stood up and walked over to me. He placed his hand on my forehead and we appeared back in Moscow just the way we left it... but it was daytime... and nobody was out. There were no cars in sight and the street lights blinked yellow. A piece of paper floated across the sidewalk in a cold, frost bitten breeze. I picked it up and read it. 'WALMART- Going out of business: depression has caused our stock market to crash.'  Another cold wind rushed past me, whining the paper from my hands. It floated down the street. "What happened...?" His cloak flew in the wind.
    "Every hour at a place like where I live is a year in the real world. Time flows differently there. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen." I glared at him. "Russia, or as you know him 'Ivan,' went insane after you vanished. His emotions and actions impact the entire country. Since he got very depressed, so did the country." He explained. I needed to find Ivan NOW.
    "I need to go to his house right now." I marched down the street as fast as I could. He didn't live far. He ran after me.
    "I advise you not to-"
    "Well thanks for the advise, but I need to see him." After about a ten minute walk, I came upon what I thought was his huge house. Instead, there was a large, barbed wire fence surrounding a brick building. Maybe I was in the wrong place. I heard the click of a gun and looked up. A military guard was pointing his gun at me from the entrance.
    "Who are you? State your business!" He yelled at me. I froze.
    "I-... I'm Isabelle Antoinette Vasquez, and I need to see Ivan Braginsky." He looked at me.
    "That's impossible! She died a year ago! Now who are you, imposter?" He pointed it back at me and prepared to fire.
    "I swear! You can ask Ivan!" I backed up into Arthur for protection, who wrapped his arms around me.
    "Ask me what?" A deep, monotone voice echoed. I looked past Arthur's shoulders, who quickly pulled his cloak hood up, and there stood Ivan at the top of his stairs. As soon as he saw me, his face softened. "Isabelle?" His voice quivered. He started walking quickly down the stairs. "Let them in!" He commanded.
    "But, sir-"
    "Let them in." The guard quickly nodded in freight and opened the gate. I grabbed Arthur's wrist and ran towards Ivan, tears of joy escaping out of the corners of my eyes. We met in the middle. I let go of Arthur's wrist and practically jumped into his arms. He hugged me tightly and felt a drop of water hit the top of my head. It was either a teardrop, or rain. He kissed the top of my head. I gripped his coat tightly, never wanting to leave. It was only an hour to me, but it felt like an eternity to him. "Where did you go?" He asked, pulling away. He tucked a few loose hairs behind my ears.
    "It won't make any sense to you, but you have just a little bit of explaining to do." I said. A strong gust of wind burst through, knocking Arthur's hood down. Ivan looked up at him, and he looked like he was about to cry even harder.
    "Ar-... Arthur..." Ivan said blankly.
    "Hello... Russia..." His voice sounded pure and hateful. He flashed his demonic eyes at Ivan, who in return grabbed my shoulders as if to protect me.
    "So it is true..." Another blast of cold air nipped my face and I shuddered. Arthur didn't say a word. After a few silent moments in the cold, Ivan let go of me. "Let's go inside. It is warmer." I followed behind him, as Arthur followed very close behind me, into his house and to the kitchen. "Please, sit." We sat as he brewed hot chocolate for me and tea for him and Arthur, because he knew I didn't drink tea or coffee. They were too bitter for my likings. "I see you've met Mr. Arthur Kirkland-"
    "You can drop the act. I know he is England and you are Russia." I said flatly. He froze.
    "... I-... I can explain..." I took a sip of my blistering hot chocolate, burning my tongue.
    "No need to. He has already done most of it for me." I pointed to Arthur, who hesitantly sipped on his tea. "But one thing you could explain is why. Why did you do this? You wanted to start a WW3, Ivan!" I was standing now with my hands on the table, yelling at him.
    Ivan was silent for a few seconds. "I got greedy! I had a chance, so I took it! I never thought this would happen!" He yelled back. His puffy, red eyes looked into mine. Arthur smirked.
    "And don't think that you're off the hook either! You threw a fit because he was stronger than you! You put a curse on my family! I could die at any moment! Do you really want that!?" I yelled at Arthur. He sleazed back in his chair and set down his tea. "Yeah, didn't think so." I stood up straight and wiped my eyes. "I'm leaving." I turned and walked out the door. Arthur and Ivan chased after me.
    I burst out the front doors into the cold evening. I could hear their muffled yells behind me, begging me not to leave. I ignored them. The guard opened the gate and I stepped out onto the street. "Isabelle! Wait!" They yelled. They ran down the brick stairs from the house and towards the gate. I stepped onto the street and began to cross. My mind could only think of one thing: why? Why would they do this? Did they have feelings for anyone else other than themselves? Do they know how selfish their actions were? Their yells were muffled by the car horn coming down the street. Bright headlights blinded my vision for all except one thing: black, empty eyes of the devil.
~The End~