River stared at him, her head cocked slightly, as though not understanding-- Or not hearing, him. Then realization hit her like the bulk of a train.
Her sharp blue orbs of eyes had focused on him until now, just having dropped away to the floor to stare at nothing dully. "What."
No. No, no, no. It was just Tayn. Not Thomas. Thomas is at work, safe-- Alive with Zen. He's fine.
Rain drop like tears were forming in her eyes, however much she tried to fight them back. "N... No."
Thomas couldn't be dead, she'd sworn to protect her silly little brother, so he couldn't be dead, right? I didn't know. I didn't get a chance to help him... I wasn't there for him.
Guess I let you down, Tommy. I'm so, so sorry that I wasn't there for you.
Could I have saved them?

Her head suddenly seemed to go limp on her body, lolling down to stare at the ground in... Shame? Sadness? Agony?
Her ears twitched, going forward and backward as conflicted emotions battered her body, her tail wrapping around her own leg protectively as dark brown hair that was slick with sweat and blood slid down around her face, hiding the tears that were forming.
Pathetic.
She looked utterly pathetic.
In her own shock, she hardly noticed Camilla's cries, nor the sharp gasps coming from the surrounding people.

Unlike River, Camilla hardly took a second to process it all.
Not just Mom... Dad too... No. Why? Her body broke out into violent shivers, racking her body with such ferocity that she stumbled back.
Her silver eyes raced from person to person, begging for someone to meet her gaze.
She turned sharply, facing River. "They can't be..." The last word alluded her, but she didn't need to say it. Tell me it's not true. Say it's not true right now.
As River didn't even notice her, too lost in her own dark thoughts, Camilla edged back, her eyes turning to Ash beggingly. But she quietly knew Ash could give her no such comfort, because deep down, she knew that the deputy was right.
Suddenly afraid of standing, she collapsed into the nearest couch and hiding her face in its cushions, trying to silence the whimpers escaping from her throat as a sudden realization hit her.
She was an orphan now.

Lachlan could barely make out the words that came from the deputy's mouth. Aunt Tayn and Uncle Thomas? Just, dead? Who... The Pure? He took a shaky step forward, then another, until he was out of the kitchen and standing in the living room in-front on the couch that Camilla had sank into.
He slowly sat down, placing a calming hand on Camilla's shoulder, barely stopping himself from jumping back as he felt how hard she was shaking. "Camilla I... I'm truly sorry."

Finlay could only trifle a yelp of shock, staring dumbly at the others. What the, how are they just dead? Who killed them? As Lachlan stumbled forward, taking action in comforting Camilla, he also walked forward, though he had more stability than his twin.
He stopped directly behind River and Alice, fidgeting with his shirt and deciding to stay silent, giving only his presence as reassurance.

Jenna looked around. The room was full of an overwhelming amount of shock, misery, confusion, and pain. She didn't know what to do, or what to say. She felt useless as she looked at all the faces of the mourning people. "I- words cannot express how sorry I am, no one should have to go through loosing someone as sudden as this. Tayn and Thomas were wonderful Friends and family." Jenna said.

Freddie waited for it to sink in before he said anything more. "Their house was broken into, there was a gun involved." He didn't want to get into specifics right now, but he had to get information if he could. "It seems like some of you know something about it. Did any of you see who broke in to the Fleur house? Or do you know what they were looking for?"

Alice's heart sank, both? It couldn't be both. She hadn't seen him there. He couldn't have been home, he was at work. But she had forgotten her mom, maybe there were still holes in her memory from what ever that drug was. Could her dad really be gone? She'd yelled at him yesterday morning. Was that the last thing she would ever say to him? She'd give anything to change what she'd said yesterday. Any of it all of it. Why had she been so awful?



"I was there." Alice whispered. "My dad wasn't.... I'm sure he wasn't." There's no way dad would let them hurt mom. It wasn't possible! "There's no way they'd be able to get past his powers. He's fine. He has to be fine."

////

"You were there?" Freddie squeezed his eyes shut swallowing down the dread that was rising in his stomach. One of their kids had been there. He took an apprehensive breath. "Can you tell me what happened?"


////

Alice didn't want to say anything, what if she remembered something new? She stood there mouth hanging open, her shallow breath sounded too loud. She felt everyone's eye on her, judging, accusing. She should have been able to save them.

"M-my..." frowned and shook her head gently, trying to clear the fog that was creeping in. "I went upstairs, and.... there were guys dressed in black, with... scarves? on. I could only see their eyes." Alice put a hand on the counter to steady herself, the memory of the guy's bright blue eyes burning into her set the room was spinning. "They, they, had mom, I- I tried to," she was panting, her stomach feeling tight again. "I tried to heal her, but it didn't work. It didn't work!" She collapsed her knees crashing hard onto the tile.

////

Freddie tried to catch her, but he hadn't been ready for it. He crouched down next to her a hand on each of her shoulders, while she cried. "I'm so sorry." He whispered tears coming to his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Ash's head was shaking slowly, an animatronic reaction that wasn't quite voluntary. Her mouth gaped to press the officer further, to plead with him to somehow null the horrid reality he'd declared, but no sound came.

What was there left to ask? There was no way to contradict death.

Her left hand tremulously reached out for Alice as she fell, yet just missing her. Ash turned for her other niece, but only to find her already out of reach as well.
How can it be that they're orphans, just like that?
How is my sister so simply gone?

Face ashen, Ash turned to the sole other standing witness as the first tears began wetting her freckled cheeks.
River stood before her, the picture of one who'd lost to grief, and miserably so.

Ash found her upper teeth biting through her lower lip, freeing a single streamlet of scarlet.
How she needed to take it out on someone, how easy it would be to pin it all on the woman who'd kept her in the helpless dark, how irresistible the human urge to blame, but...

As Ash had lost her sister, River had lost her brother.

She threw her arms around River and let her silent tears turn her dear friend's shirt sodden.
They're gone.
They're really gone.
 
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Brisa collapsed on the couch next to the unconscious Misty in disbelief. Both of them? But I saw them just a few weeks ago. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. They can’t be dead. It’s impossible. She numbly watched as her aunts embraced. But no, it seemed disrespectful to call them her aunts now. She buried her face in her hands and let out a sob, the shock that had previously kept her tears inside crumbled in the face of not one death, but two, denial shattered by truth. She closed her eyes, tears seeping out from under her eyelids. Then her elbow brushed against something small and hard in her pocket, and she flinched away from it as if it had burnt her. That-that thing she held was the cause of all this. And she hated it. Most fervently.
 
Jessi walked into the living room, still holding Toby tightly in her wings, much to his displeasure. N-no. Did he say aunt Tayn and uncle Thomas died? That can't be possible. She thought, fighting back tears. She watched in silence as everyone was crying. Why? Why would they kill them? They didn't do anything! They didn't deserve to die! She wanted to speak, to say anything, but she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. Please be a dream. This isn't real. This can't be real.
But it is real. They're actually dead.
A few tears streamed silently down her face as she stood there, staring at Freddie.
 
“I don’t want to see you near him ever again.” Fuming from the paternal need to keep his daughter from poisonous company, Connor turned on Bleddyn after Wolfram had barreled up the stairs. “Do I make myself clear, young lady?”

But he’s gonna be living with River for who knows how long, and that makes him slightly impossible to avoid, Bleddyn would’ve spitefully pointed out if it were any other day.
Instead, she meekly sighed out a contrite agreement. “Yes, Dad.”

Though Connor was surprised that she’d obeyed without fighting it, he didn’t let it show. “So, that’s settled, then…” He moved to exit the kitchen in search of his wife.

Bleddyn darted forward and tugged on his shirt. “Dad, wait….I should tell you something.”

Connor fixed his eyes onto hers, mouth drawing into an uncertain frown as he awaited whatever she was going to spill to him. If there's something more to do with that Wolfram...

“Aunt Tayn…she’s dead.” Bleddyn blurted shakily, her breath lodging in her throat.
Her eyes caught the sudden commotion in the next room and she stared at the heartrending scene for a long moment. “I t-think Mom is finding out now.”
Unable to look at her father, Bleddyn dropped her gaze to her feet. Her words only came with pain now. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. “The Pure killed her when we were gone.”
An excruciating silence ensued. Bleddyn cringed and hung her head lower.

She didn’t know what she expected her father’s response to be.
Maybe she wanted him to make an utterance of disbelief, sharing in her denial. Perhaps she thought he’d punish her somehow- physically lash out at her like she’d done so many times in defense of matters that all seemed so pathetically insignificant now.
But she didn’t anticipate the droplet that spattered on her head.
Bleddyn tentatively looked up.
Glistening tears were seeping from her father’s eyes.

She’d never seen him cry before and it was the most jolting thing of all.

Then his arms were wrapped around her, drawing her in close. His chest heaved beside her head, but the shuddering sobs never made it out of his mouth.

Bleddyn was chilled to find herself counting his thundering heartbeats.
But she now properly knew existence to be the fragile thing it was.

He held her, rocking both of them as he cried for the amazing woman they’d all lost.
 
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Wolfram slammed the faucet off, the agonizing sobs of the people down stairs echoing in his ears.
He flung the door open, walking slowly to the top of the stairs. The sobs where clear now, Camilla's, River's, Ash's, Alice.
One by one he came down the stairs, body still trembling from the sickening truth about the two sisters dead parents. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, a pale hand still gripping the handrail. His head was spinning, nausea clawing at his stomach. The lives of a family had been torn apart so easily. And for what? All for a key, all because Mapleshade and her people where so blood-thirsty and power-hungry. Two innocent girls lives torn apart with two gunshots. His gaze flickered around the room, from Camilla to Brisa, to the police officer, and to River and Ash. He wanted to say something to comfort them. The words where there, so close yet so far, his throat tightening as he struggled to find the words.
How? Why? Who is so cruel that they would kill people's parents, leaving them orphaned? How many more will be murdered by them? Who's next?
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
His voice was thick, very much unlike his normal voice. His shoulder's trembled slightly, eyes betraying the grief buried inside.
 
(man oh man I'm missing the WCBH charries right now. )

Freddie clenched his teeth trying to hold back his own emotions. There was a reason they were supposed to come in pairs to do this. He didn't expect to have to tell a group of 15 or so, who all knew the people who had died. He still had to finish what was required of him. He sat crouched on his heels with Alice, trying to comfort her as best he could. After a long time the crying seemed to ease a bit.

"Is there any family you can stay with? At least, until this is all sorted out? If not I can call Family Services for you and your sister so you'll have a place to stay." He said kindly to Alice, he knew that that wasn't something she wanted to hear right now, but it was his job to make sure that the basics were taken care of.
 
(man oh man I'm missing the WCBH charries right now. )

Freddie clenched his teeth trying to hold back his own emotions. There was a reason they were supposed to come in pairs to do this. He didn't expect to have to tell a group of 15 or so, who all knew the people who had died. He still had to finish what was required of him. He sat crouched on his heels with Alice, trying to comfort her as best he could. After a long time the crying seemed to ease a bit.

"Is there any family you can stay with? At least, until this is all sorted out? If not I can call Family Services for you and your sister so you'll have a place to stay." He said kindly to Alice, he knew that that wasn't something she wanted to hear right now, but it was his job to make sure that the basics were taken care of.

Alice blinked her bleary eyes open, suddenly realizing she was practically laying against a complete stranger, a police officer no less. His uniform was wet from her tears and likely her boogers too. She bit her lower lip and tried to wipe it away without him noticing. She didn't even really know this guy and she was dousing him with her disgusting slime. "I, I'm sorry." She shifted so that she wasn't leaning against him, and he glanced down at his shoulder. She couldn't keep herself from the snorted laughter at how gross it was, and more snot came flying out of her nose. She slammed her hand over her face, giggling wildly. Why couldn't she stop laughing? "I'm sorry!" She said to him again her voice muffled through her fingers. She shot to her feet and grabbed several handfuls of the kleenex that happened to be around and wiped her face. (someone brought out a box of kleenex earlier right or am I just imagining things?) Some how she managed to get her nervous giggles under control.

"What? Uh, I don't know."
 
Alice blinked her bleary eyes open, suddenly realizing she was practically laying against a complete stranger, a police officer no less. His uniform was wet from her tears and likely her boogers too. She bit her lower lip and tried to wipe it away without him noticing. She didn't even really know this guy and she was dousing him with her disgusting slime. "I, I'm sorry." She shifted so that she wasn't leaning against him, and he glanced down at his shoulder. She couldn't keep herself from the snorted laughter at how gross it was, and more snot came flying out of her nose. She slammed her hand over her face, giggling wildly. Why couldn't she stop laughing? "I'm sorry!" She said to him again her voice muffled through her fingers. She shot to her feet and grabbed several handfuls of the kleenex that happened to be around and wiped her face. (someone brought out a box of kleenex earlier right or am I just imagining things?) Some how she managed to get her nervous giggles under control.

"What? Uh, I don't know."

(Yeah, Jessi brought tissues.)
"You and Camilla can stay here until you get things figured out. I have two spare bedrooms." Jenna offered.
 
(alright it's not perfect, but here you go. I quoted the original so you guys could read it again if you wanted. The bold is the new memory.)




Alice nodded it seemed like the only viable option at this point. Though if her mom caught her she'd be in a ton of trouble. She didn't do any of her essay last night. With everything that happened yesterday she couldn't manage to concentrate on school work.

"Here," she said giving the police business card with the address scribbled on it, and the folded paper with the key symbol to Camilla. "If I'm not back in 10 minutes you guys go without me. Oh, but that only works if you have the hover board." She looked at it and nodded to herself. "I'll just have to walk." She said with a sigh. "Give me 20. If I'm not back by then, Mom's killed me."

Alice turned and took off toward home. Running up the sidewalk alone. All alone. She shrugged away the nervous itch between her shoulders the feeling of being watched. She'd be fine. If the Pure wanted her they could have grabbed her last night anytime. They weren't going to try to grab her in broad daylight.

What were they going to do? Camilla was right giving them the key was probably a bad idea. What made her the idea person anyway? Giving the people who would be willing to kill someone, and attack, drug, and kidnap teenagers, exactly what they wanted seemed like it would be a terrible idea. What would the key unlock? But then again, what would the Pure do to them, if they got the key and didn't hand it over? She shook her head still jogging up the sidewalk the rain sprinkling her face. Maybe she should just tell her mom what was going on. Not that she'd listen. She would probably just insist she stay out of it It's too dangerous.



The sky darkened, and the constant drizzle changed over to a flurry of snow. Alice's pace slowed, she felt the worry welling up in her chest. An icy gust of wind cutting though her leggings. Her breaths came quick and shallow, as she pushed on dread filling her. White wisps of mist puffed from her mouth disappearing into the fat flakes. Maybe they really should call the police.

When she finally made it back to her house, the van was parked out front as usual, her moms car likely parked in the garage.

Alice walked up the driveway, her feet leaving footprints in the snow. She stared hard at the front window, it was dark inside. But there were loud crashing sounds coming from within.

The front door whined on it's hinges as she pushed it open slowly. She grimaced and peeked her head inside. Through the entryways inner door to the kitchen. Her phone still sat where she had left it the night before on the counter. But that was the only thing that was where it belonged. Dishes were scattered across the tile of the kitchen floor shattered. Her heart was pounding in her chest, what was going on? Alice stepped through the door, her sneakers crunching on the broken glass. "Mom?" She called fear distorting her voice. "Mom?" She yelled not seeing her asleep in the living room. More thumping noises came from up stairs and a shout of pain.

Alice bolted toward the stairs slipping across the broken dishes. "MOM?" She yelled again running up the steps, there were holes in the wall that weren't there this morning. "MOM!" She hesitated outside her parents bed room, could her and dad just be fighting? No, Dad would never. Alice flung the door open, there were 5 people in the room with her mom, who was pinned on the floor blood trickling down from a cut under her eye. The strangers were all dressed in black with the bottom half of their faces covered with a taught black fabric, same as the people from the park. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" She shrieked and ran toward them her hands balled into fists, here first punch landed squarely on the first guys chin, and he dropped to the floor.

"Alice! NO!" Tayn shouted.

Alice continued plowing forward leaping over the guy she had downed. She threw a second punch before she had fully landed. And roared, letting out all the rage coursing through her. She wasn't going to loose. How DARE they hurt her! The second opponent was quicker than her and grabbed her wrist as she came flying at him. He stepped aside fluidly, as though she had come at him in slow motion, and pulled flinging her into the wall. She crumpled onto the floor her ears ringing. NO! GET UP! a rage filled voice inside her head growled at her. Alice popped up onto her feet and spun full tilt to go at the guy again. She didn't get more than one step before his heavy hand landed on her shoulder smashing her back into the wall. She swung with her other hand, a satisfying loud crack as it blew across his nose. He adjusted his grip on her, holding both arms still against the wall, she fought him but he had her strength and weight wise, she shifted to kick at him, but he was faster than her, his knee sinking into her stomach. Alice's vision darkened as she doubled over gasping for breath. He pushed her back up against the wall with his shoulder.

"I recognize you." He sneered, using his whole body to press her against the wall. Alice still struggled for air, but she managed a teary eye glare. "I saw you with him yesterday. I'd be willing to bet you have the key. Don't you."

"Get off." she demanded, though it sounded like a whisper.

"Heh, this is your mum?" He asked letting go of one of her hands to grab a fist full of her hair and drag her to stand over Tayn. Alice winced following his lead.

"Yeah it's my mom." She growled. "So let her go."

"I don't think so." He said and nodded to one of the other standing people. The new guy walked over pulling a gun from his hip and pointing it at Tayns face. Alice's eye grew wide in terror, staring into her moms. The wind howled outside rattling the windows. The look in her moms eyes said run and don't look back. Huge tears fell down Alice's cheeks and she took a ragged breath. "You give me the Key, and I'll let her go." Blood drained from her face, and she gently shook her head despite the tight grip on her hair.

"I don't have it." She whispered.

"Ok." He said twitching his chin up toward the gun wielding guy.

"Wait!" She yelled desperately, "I don't have your key, but, I might be able to find it. Just please, don't."

"You could get it?" He gestured for the gun to be lowered. "How?"

"W-we," She stammered her eyes darting around the room, was there anyway to escape from him and get that gun? "We, found a thing, in those folders. We think it'll take us to the key." His eyes seemed to burn with an evil light.

"Bring me the key, and I'll spare your friends and family." He said staring in to her eyes.

"You, you will?" Hope spread through her. Maybe she wouldn't have to fight their way out of here.

"Oh, absolutely." He said cheerfully, "But if you fail." He raised his arm, and paused before snapping his fingers. A deafening bang, like thunder right next to her, had Alice reeling back the man released her and she fell to the floor. The gun had gone off. Stunned she looked around for who was bleeding.


"Out." Her captor growled to the other men, pulling a small plastic case out of a pouch on his hip. The man who was holding her mom down got up. That's when she realized what had happened.

"No," She crawled forward and put a shaking hand on her mom. "No, no no nonononono." She stifled a sob and closed her eyes focusing on only one thing. Healing her mom. Everything, she tried to give her everything, but it wouldn't go through. She couldn't heal death. She opened her eyes and leaned down putting her forehead against her moms, just like she used to do for her whenever she got hurt. Warm blood from the bullet wound wetted her brow. "Mom? Mom? Get up. Please?"

The man behind her grabbed her jacket and pulled her up. "Get me that key. Or I'll find the rest of your family. Your friends. I'll track down all the people who were ever kind to you, and I'll get rid of them, just like that." Alice shook violently, looking up at him in disbelief. He flipped open the case he had, a syringe inside. Alice watched blankly as he picked it up and jabbed it into her leg.

He dragged her out of the room away from her mom taking her into the bathroom to wash her face. She was remarkably dizzy and her vision seemed to swirl and dance in the bright florescent light. Clattering sounds came from downstairs, and heavy rain tinged on the window. "You're going to forget for a while, but don't worry, you'll remember again soon enough." Alice blinked at him confused, who was this guy and why was he washing her face? She blinked again, and she was downstairs leaning against a man she had never met before, she blinked again.........



The front door whined on it's hinges as she pushed it open slowly. She grimaced and slowly peeked her head inside, then slipped in the rest of the way. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her ears strained to hear the slightest noise coming from further inside the house. Alice left the door open behind her, she didn't need it making anymore noise than necessary. The keys were right there hanging on a hook. But she should really leave a note especially with her phone being dead. She looked through the entryways inner door to the kitchen. Her phone still sat where she had left it the night before on the counter. Suddenly it clicked in her head. How could she have been so dense? She might not have a phone, but Camilla did and she could text their mom about using the van. Perfect! She thought, and carefully took the key off the hook. The door groaned again when it was shut the latch clicking in to place seemed 1000x louder than normal. She waited a few moments listening and still holding the door knob. Nothing. She was going to pull it off!


She grinned broadly, proud of her sneaking skills. Alice hopped into the drivers seat of the the van, scrunching her nose while trying to ignore the wet carpet and spilled coffee smell. This old thing was what her parents had picked up cheap, for her to learn to drive in, something they didn't really care if it got ruined. Of course to her it was the best thing ever even if it did smell, because it meant freedom once she finally got her full licence.

Alice started it and put in drive looking over her shoulder with her hand at the top of the wheel like she was supposed to. Released the brake and gently pressed down on the gas. The van surged forward.


Surprised she slammed on the brake, which lurched her forward. Alice giggled nervously.
"Good job genius!" she said aloud. "Driving the car through the living room window would wake mom, RIGHT UP."

Alice decided it would be best to put on her seat belt now, before she actually got going. Then carefully shifted the van in to reverse concentrating far more on that small task than should ever be needed. You're doing great just don't hit anything.

Alice slowly and cautiously backed out of the driveway, and turned toward River's.
;-;
 

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