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"Stop looking so nervous," Keatyn instructed as she took a sip of her smoothie.

"I can't help it," I said as I stopped nervously drumming my fingers against the table. I shouldn't be out here. Devin, Death and Sebastian had warned me against this. I was dead if I got caught. But Keatyn had spent a whole hour convincing me to leave the house. Even though we were only a five minute walk away, I was still terrified. Keatyn had always been a bad influence. I remember that one time in third grade where Lola Summers had teased her about her pigtails so she'd pulled down Lola's pants in front of the whole school assembly on the night of the school play. She'd gotten off with a suspension thanks to her mom but ever since then she'd been referred to as the "troubled child" of the family.

"Nothing's going to happen Lex, chill." I hated that nickname. I had lot's of nicknames and she always chose the one that annoyed me the most.

"I told you to stop calling me that." I had a feeling of de ja vu of Devin saying that to me. Hm, it wasn't so fun when you're on the receiving end.

"Andrea?" I heard a voice call from behind me. It couldn't be...

"Aiden?" I turned in my chair.

"Hey, you're okay," he sounded surprised. "I thought after that guy-"

"Yea, it's complicated," I treaded lightly. I wasn't sure how much he knew.

"The way he dragged you off, I thought you..."

Dragged me off? Death must've altered his memory. I was going to have to play this carefully.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Do you stay around here?" I tried to change the subject.

"Yeah, just two roads down actually. You should come over sometime."

"Ahem," Keatyn cleared her throat.

"Oh, Aiden meet Keatyn, Keatyn meet Aiden." I could actually picture them together. Hmmm, should I ship it or nah?

"Hey," they said and they soon had a conversation going. I tuned out as I sipped on my smoothie, stirring the vibrant pink drink.

"We better get going," I said as I checked my watch half an hour later.

"Yeah, I'll see you around," Aiden said as we paid our bills.

"He's cute, how'd you meet him?" Keatyn said a few minutes later.

"A club," I answered simply as we continued walking.

"But you never go to clubs," she pointed out. True, a club wasn't my usual scene but I hadn't exactly been myself these past few weeks.

"Yea, just felt like it," I shrugged.

"So, what you doing for Halloween?" Keatyn asked.

"Halloween? Isn't that still like, far away?" I thought it was at least a month till Halloween.

"Andy, it's in two weeks," Keatyn chuckled at my ignorance. Without school or work I hadn't thought much about dates. Oh shit, work... well, it's not like I need the money or anything. Death and Devin had gotten me everything I needed so far and I wasn't allowed to go out so they didn't see the need of me getting a card.

"Meh," I shrugged. I was more worried about the crazy clowns roaming around than I was about what I was going to do. Seriously, crowns freaked me out. Have you ever tried Googling clowns? It's almost impossible to come out unscathed.

I breathed out a sigh of relief as I discovered that we were alone in the house. Neither Devin nor Death had realized our absence, all my stressing had been my own anxiety ruining what could've been a good time. I mentally kicked myself for stressing for nothing.

You still have training today. Azule's velvety voice crept into my mind.

"You've got to be joking," I groaned under my breath as I collapsed onto the couch. That walk alone had taken it out of me, I could not still do training on top of that. I checked my watch as Keatyn excused herself. An hour to kill before training. I could slip in a quick nap, or at least that's what I thought as my eyes closed.

I was in the forest again. The dead trees didn't stop the rain from dripping onto my now wet hair. The thunder rumbling above as a bolt of lightning hit a tree not far from me. The glowing red embers quickly spread, trapping me in a circle of flames. I tried to think of a way to escape as I backed away from the edge of the wild fire. My black shoes crushing the dry branches beneath my feet.

Then suddenly I was free falling. My voice a distant cry as I clutched at air. My body ached at the impact of the icy-cold water. I struggled to get to the surface, my lungs screaming for oxygen. I was drowning. My blood tainted the water until it was a deep crimson red.

"Wakey wakey," Death pulled me out of my horrific thoughts. "Nice dream, yea?" he chuckled.

"You sick bastard," I growled.

"You're late for training. I value punctuality," he stated.

"Yes, I'm sure you don't like it when people don't die on time," I rolled my eyes.

"Don't test me or I can make today's training even worse Kitty, we could start right now," he threatened.

"What are we doing today anyways?" I asked as I rolled myself off the couch.

"Today, we focus on torture," the twisted smile played across his handsome features.

"Take it easy on me gramps," I chuckled as I grabbed a water bottle off the counter.

"You're testing me Alexandrea, and today is not a good day for that," he growled.

"I can't," I whined as I tried again. Unsuccessful, again.

"Jesus Christ, it's not that hard. Quit being such a baby about it." Death was beginning to get impatient.

I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration as I tried to do it again.

"Focus," Death instructed as he easily demonstrated it once more.

"I can't! Manipulation isn't that easy you know? Some of us haven't had millennia to practice." I was beyond frustrated at this point. I wanted to throw something, or punch something or someone.

Try to picture it, it's easier when you visualize yourself doing it.

There it was again, that strange yet familiar voice. I couldn't pinpoint exactly who it was but I felt like I'd known them forever.

"This feels weird," I said once I'd finally managed it. I stared at the other me in awe. "Like, really weird," my voice came out of Andrea 2.0's mouth.

"Fina-fucking-ly." Death had clearly reached the limits of his patience.

"I'm hungry," I said as I quit the manipulating, it was really energy consuming.

"Well we're out of food," Death stated. "I'll have to go grab some from the store."

"Can I come with?" I asked excitedly. "It feels like I haven't been out in forever." Well, that wasn't exactly true since I'd been out with Keatyn literally a few hours earlier but it would be a lot better to go out without having to constantly keep looking over my shoulder.

"No," Death said firmly.

"Please," I stretched out the word.

"No," he repeated. "Not happening sugar."

I stuck out my bottom lip and thought of dead llamas, effectively bringing tears to my eyes.

"No, no crying. It won't work on me."

I let a single tear drop down my cheeks.

"Fine," Death rolled his eyes. "You can go with," he grumbled.

My face instantly brightened up as the words left his lips. The smile threatening to tear my face in half. "Really?" I said in a giddy voice.

"Don't make me change my mind Alexandrea," the venom in his voice seeped into every word. His eyes swept over my outfit. "You're wearing that?" he said distastefully.

I looked down at my black tights, my white all-stars and turquoise tank top. "What's wrong with it?"

"I refuse to be seen in public with you looking like that. I have people to kill and they're not going to think that the Angel of Death hangs around with some lowlife for fun. I do have a reputation to uphold you know?"

"Fine," I rolled my eyes. "I'll change."

***

Author Speaks: HELLO CUPCAKES. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE VOTE IF YOU LIKE THE STORY AND COMMENT ON WAYS YOU THINK I COULD IMPROVE. I'M ALSO WRITING EXAMS IN A FEW WEEKS SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU ALL FOR READING SO FAR! LOVE YOU ALL!

Question: Who's the mysterious voice in Andy's head?

Xoxo
-Naughty Cupcake