Jazz came back about an hour later with a couple suitcases full of things I might need during my stay. She brought me plenty of my black outfits, my scythe, some makeup, my black and red teddy bear (don't ask), and then she gave me a hug and said it was from Grell.

I grabbed my scythe and told her I had a reaping tonight. She said she was going to come with me, and I didn't try to talk her out of it. If there was one thing we had in common, it was our determination.

W left her bedroom, went down the stairs, and I waited by the front door for Jazz to tell her mother where we were going. A moment later, Jazz came out of the kitchen grinning.

I took that as a "go on out the door, I'm allowed to tag along" smile, so I walked out the door and heard her following close behind.

I was about to leave and go to the reaping sight when I bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch it!" I yelled as I regained my balance.

"Scarlet, is that any way to talk to your sister?"

***

"So, remind me why you're here," I told Grell. We were almost at the reaping sight place, and Grell kept talking to Jazz about boys.

"Well, I wasn't going to let my little demon-possessed sister wander Earth without adult supervision," he said.

"I'm not little, and I'm not demon possessed!" I screamed at him.

He just shook it off and continued to follow me.

I pulled Jazz up next to me, which was supposed to help with all the useless chatter, but just brought Grell up to stand next to me.

Grell started to say something, but I shushed him. "We're here."

I looked over to see a man standing buy a coffee shop. I saw the outline of a gun on the waist of his pants.

"He's going to murder someone," I said quietly.

"Or everyone," Jazz whispered back.

I turned to Grell, "If he does murder everyone, do we reap the victim too?"

"Let me take care of them, alright?"

I nodded, then turned back to watch the man. 

He slowly walked into the coffee shop, and I motioned for Jazz and Grell to follow me. I quickly ran to the window of the coffee shop and crouched below it. I looked through the window in time to see the man draw his gun. 

I checked the "to-die" list and saw that his name was Michael.

I heard people scream as Michael shot his gun all over the place. I felt a bullet hit the wall behind me, and I was thankful that the brick was strong enough to keep the bullet in the room.

The wall vibrated with more and more bullets. It was almost like he could see us and was shooting only in our direction. That's when I got an awful feeling. What if the gun was supposed to track down the supernatural?

What if the bullets were actually being aimed at us?

***

I almost screamed when I stumbled upon this realization. Luckily, Jazz had sensed it and covered my mouth for me.

I moved her hand away when I had swallowed the scream and looked to her. She'd realized it too, and Grell sat there looking clueless as always. I whispered to him what was happening, and he almost screamed too. Jazz and I both covered his mouth, and then we had to think of a plan.

I could feel the wall of the coffee shop giving in, and I knew we had to hurry. I said that one person would have to be a distraction, and the other two of us would slip away unnoticed. It was risky, yes, because who knew what kind of bullets were in the gun, but at least two of us would get away. The others agreed, and in no time, Grell volunteered.

"You two are still teens," he said. "And I couldn't live with myself if I survived and my darling sister didn't."

I smiled my thanks, and hugged him. He had an idea for how he would distract them, and I told him to go for it. I didn't have anything for that part thought out yet anyway.

Grell made his girliest expression and went into the coffee shop.

"I can only imagine what he's doing right now." That's all I could say on the subject to Jazz.

I counted to three on my fingers, and then we bolted. I wished hard on all the stars that Grell wouldn't get hurt, but I also wished on the stars that I would find a boyfriend. I also wished for a bunch of other things that never came true. You can never trust the stars.

***

Jazz and I made it from the scene back to the park. We sat on a bench and looked around.

There were people looking at us like we were crazy, but no sign of the red headed male that acted like a female. I was starting to worry.

"Maybe he went on home," Jazz suggested.

I nodded. "Or he's still back there, dead."

Or he's still back there, unharmed, and looking for you."

"Us."

"Whatever," she said. "The point is, I'm sure he's fine."

"You're probably right," I said, hoping I sounded like I believed her.

If I did, she didn't buy it. "Let's go on back to my house and go to sleep. I'l go by your place in the morning and see if he's there, okay?"

"Alright,"

I stood to leave, and Jazz quickly stood and led the way.

About half the way there, a thick fog rose, and I couldn't see Jazz anymore. I heard a distant scream, and started panicking.

"JAZZ!!!" I screamed.

The screams came and grew louder, but differently this time. This time, they had a spooky rhythm to them.

They grew louder and louder and louder, and I fell to the ground.

"JAZZ!!!!!" I screamed again.

I felt hands on my shoulders, and by the way they felt, I knew they belonged to Jazz. I settled on believing that the fog had made it hard for her to find me, and leaned my head on her shoulder, sobbing.

The screams never quieted, but I left my eyes open, staring into the white sheet of fog in front of me. I continued to sob for at least a half hour, before I gave up and was about to let myself pass out, when I suddenly felt, Jazz's hands ripped from my shoulders.

I screamed in terror, then felt something hit the back of my head. Pain spread throughout my head and slowly fell into a state of unconsciousness.