"I don't know them." I stared the creature in the eyes, ignoring the people behind me. "Well, if you don't know them, the you're free to go. There's no need to waste resources." "No. I'm not leaving without them." "Humans. I will never understand you." It rolled it's eyes leading me down a corridor. "You can choose their fate then. One of these levers opens the door to let them out. You can guess which one." I knew, I knew which one that was. "Or you can choose this one and you can die with one of them while the rest live." Something about the thought that Shadow would be chosen... I had to choose it. I couldn't stop myself. I flipped the lever.

"You actually chose that one. Well, I must say, I'm surprised by your actions human." "I am no more human than you." "Could've fooled me. Well, they will choose who stays, let's watch to see how they react." A piece of paper was slipped under the door, Red was the first to read it.

"What does is say?" Colin asked peering over his shoulder. "We can go, but one of us has to stay." "Is it anyone specific?" Al looked over. "No, we have to choose..." "And how are we supposed to do that? If one of us die, we all do." Red stared at the paper, a plan forming. "I will stay." "What?! Red, you can't." Colin tried to change his mind, 'You know that will never work.' I thought watching the scene play out. "I am staying. You don't need me, I am not necessary to your survival." "Have you lost it?! You are our heart. Without you we die." Luke added in. "I have made a decision, you can't talk me out of it. I am staying here."

"It seems they've made a decision. Guards, leave the doctor." "Yes ma'am." Two guards retrained me, bringing me to the cell. I did not fight back, I could have, but I didn't. If I fought back I wouldn't have been locked away, I wouldn't have been prisoner. They threw me into the cell, weakening me further. I sat in the corner, barely conscious. "Are you okay?" Red asked, coming to my side. 'I wish it wasn't you in here, I wish it was Shadow. I wish I could've had the chance to give him what he rightfully deserves.' Part of me knows I will before the end of the year.

"Hello?" Red asked touching my arm, I pulled back quickly, fearing I would do something to him. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little shaken up." I replied staring at the ground, the color in my eyes and hair will fade out soon. "What about? If you don't mind me asking." "Just, this whole situation." "What about it? I mean, you chose to be here." 'Dang it, he knows.' "I've been through a lot recently." 'Yeah, recently. The past twelve years recently.' He slightly nodded looking at the wall across the room. "What's your name?" I asked quietly, almost afraid to be heard. "Red, yours?" "Amelia. Amelia Heart..." I whispered the last part, hoping he wouldn't hear. "Well then, Amelia, I think you should get some rest, you look tired." 'Tired? I would not say tired. No, I would say suffering.'

"Amelia Heart? Wasn't that the girl that lived next to us?" "Yeah, wasn't she blonde?" "With green eyes. I believe so." I heard their voices as the darkness overtook me, I couldn't place them.

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As Amelia fell asleep the girl that brought us here became excited. "Ooo someone's having a nightmare!" She pulled a lever allowing us, her audience, to witness what she was dreaming. There was a small child, about two years old, held by the throat. The demon about to murder the innocent child truly look like a demon. Though I couldn't see a face, I could tell it was a woman, a woman cloaked in dark colors and blood. We watched in horror as she stabbed the young, innocent, child. The sword was one I recognized. The woman that just murdered a child in this girl's nightmare is Alkine. The two year old was not the only one to feel that blade, there was also a man and his six year old daughter. Both killed with the same blade, by the same hand. There were many families murdered by armies, armies led by the demon I thought I once knew. All innocent and undeserving of their fate. Even Shade, a close friend of mine, was victim to the monster.

The scene changed to a man, a man chained to a wall barely breathing. He was beaten, bloody, starving. His face far from recognizable. A guard, in the same uniform as the soldiers from earlier, came to him. "Where is she?" He demanded, glaring at the prisoner. "I will never tell you." His voice was raspy and weak; he has been there for a while. "Not even for the life of your son?" "His death will not affect me. Her's will." "Willing to give up the life of a child for one of a monster. Pathetic." The guard beat the man further, breaking is wrist as well. As his wrist broke, Amelia shot up, almost in tears.

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I shot up, feeling the pain spread rapidly like wildfire, soon my entire torso was burning. Never have I experienced a worse pain. "Are you okay?" Red asked touching my hand slightly. I quickly pulled it back, worsening the pain radiating through me. "What's wrong?" He asked softly, staring into my eyes.

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Her tears were slightly green, her hair a shade darker. I looked at her eyes; they felt so familiar, yet so... distant. Her right eye was slightly blue, the left purple. Something was so familiar, while at the same time, it was strange. Like I had never met her before, but I knew her my whole life. Part of me wanted to be close to her, the other wanted to run. That was when I realized who she was. This is the girl that has haunted my dreams. This is the girl I can't get off of my mind. This is the girl I was once so dependent on. And after nearly 13 years she is back. After nearly 13 years, Alkine has returned.

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He knows. One look into his eyes tells me all I need to know. He knows who I am, and he has no idea what's happened. "It's okay." He tried calm me down. "No. It's not." "What happened?" I took the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer, whispering in his ear, "I'm sorry." I pulled back and stared into his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes. They always have been so easy to get lost in. Oh Notch, what am I saying? I can't get close if I don't want to hurt him. I remind myself turning away. Maybe so, but that doesn't change a thing. It really doesn't. "Amelia." The sound of his voice snaps me back to reality. "Are you okay?" He knows the answer but still needs me to say it. Heh.

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Oh Notch, she's losing herself. I can see it in her eyes. If she hasn't lost herself already, that is. "Heh, yeah. I'm fine... Ginger." Did she just say that? Did she actually just call me Ginger? "Excuse me?" "Heh. You heard me." "Are you sure you're okay?" "I'll be okay when the blood of a rather specific being stains my sword. When I watch as the life flees their eyes. When I know they will never set foot in my life again. Lucky me, he's not too far from meeting that fate." She glares at me a murderous look in her eyes. I quickly back up watching her closely. "What's the matter, don't trust me? Do you finally fear me? After how long?" A door opened.

"Heheheh, I'm so sorry mistress, I had no idea it was you. I am such an idiot sometimes. Please forgive me. You and your friends may go, and I promise I will never bother you or them ever again." "Of course, I would not have expected you to notice, I was not intending on putting you through this, something just came over me." Her tone changed as she walked toward the exit. "You coming?" She turned to face me. I nodded slightly walking toward her as she turned back around. She took two steps before collapsing.

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"Are you sure this will hold her back?" "These chains were made to hold back the most powerful dragons. Yes, they will hold her back." I inspected the chains one last time before sitting. "I don't feel this is necessary." "She tried to kill you, Red." "Yeah, but she didn't seem like herself." "Making her more dangerous." I looked at her again, she'll wake soon.

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I saw him, chained to a wall still being tortured. My own guards are doing this. My eyes shot open, I could feel shackles around my wrists and ankles. I could feel the chain pulling me back. All I could see was red. I could feel the rage course through my veins. Then there was the smell. The smell that I have become so accustomed to, so used to, so comfortable around. Little did I know then. It was always off. Just a little different. I can't believe I hadn't realized that sooner. I looked forward, seeing the familiar face, smelling that horrible sent. I raged even more. I used as much force as I could and broke from the chains, tackling the man I want to kill. I was about to rip is throat out when something came over me. I stopped. I ran.

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Her eyes shot open, burning a bright white. Something I had never seen before. Every second they grew brighter. Every second she grew more raged. I watched in horror as her skin darkened and grew scales. Wings and a tail grew, violet flames in her hands. She bared her teeth showing fangs, sharp claws formed on her hands. She broke the chains with what seemed like ease, as if they didn't phase her, and she immediately tackled Shadow. She had him pinned to the ground, growling in his face but she never attacked him. She pushed off of him and ran, almost flying out.

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I climbed a tree and sat on the branches, my tail and wings relaxed. I leaned against the trunk and cried. What have I become? "Alkine?" Red's voice came from below me. "I knew it would be you." Something was off. Something smelled... Wrong. "What do you mean?" "I knew you would be the one to chase after me." "What happened?" "Something about him... I just don't know." "You were going to kill him. What stopped you?" "His face. Something reminded me of who I was." "You're not a monster." "You don't know anything." "Alkine, it wasn't your fault." Wait a second. Is he talking about what I think he is? "You know it was." "How could have you known that was going to happen? It's not like you were warned." He is. I never told him anything about that. I stared at him, his face. Something about his face. I don't know. "I murdered my son, my daughter, and my husband." "But it wasn't you." This is not Red. This was never Red. This will never be Red. I lunged at him, pinning him to the ground. "What did you do with him?" I demanded through grit teeth. "You'll never find him." In a fit of rage I mangled whoever this was. Whatever it was. The sound of its screams music to my ears.

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I heard screaming from the direction Alkine ran. "What was that?" Shadow looked at me. "I don't know, should we find out?" "Yeah. Red, Al, and Sky. Let's go." We walked towards where they came and found a mangle body. The corpse so horrifically damaged it was impossible to identify even as a species. Whatever it was stood no chance.

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I think that's all I'm going to write there. There may be more eventually, but I don't want to give away all .of my plans. This is an idea I've had for a while and I needed to write it down before I forgot. When writing it in an actual book, if I choose to, it will probably change a bit, but that's how things are. Hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek. Okay, it wasn't very little. It was over 2000 words.