Memories of the Reaper

Chapter Eight

Derek Grey got to his feet and brushed himself off before eyeing the pile of ash. Glancing back at the girl, he asked, "Where is the blue one?"

The chick-who-saved-his-sorry-ass looked back at him, startled. "The... blue one?" she asked in disbelief. "How do you know about the blue one?"

"That shadow has been following me around. In my dreams, mostly, but I saw it visit me today. In the bathroom."

"In the bathroom?" Kendra asked. "How?"

"I don't know how... I just did." Derek scratched his head. "It told me to... to remember. Whatever the hell that means. Look, I know this is going to sound really weird, but can I touch you? I need to know if this is a hallucination." She looked at him skeptically but held out her gauntleted hand. He took it gently and let out a shaking sigh of relief when he felt the cool metal against his skin. "I-I'm not crazy," he muttered to himself.

Kendra only seemed to be half-way listening. The cloaked girl knelt beside the ash and picked up the Elizabeth's dagger.

"What the hell is that thing anyway?" Derek asked.

While studying it, she replied, "The creature who tried to kill you? An anima. Let's just say it's an assassin that can change its appearance in minor ways: hair color, eyes, skin tone."

Derek swallowed. "Got it," he told her.

She flipped the dagger in her hand and handed it handle first to Derek. "Hold on to this. You may need it," she told him.

Derek took the dagger carefully and put it through his belt loop. "Uh, okay. Thanks." He looked past her at the locked door. "How did you get in through that door? It was locked," Derek commented.

She rolled her eyes at him and waved her hands mysteriously. "Abracadabra. I'm magic, Derek." Kendra grabbed a hold of the night stand and dragged it towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kendra asked rhetorically. "I'm barring the door, Sherlock." The girl pointed at the ashes on the floor. "That bitch has backup on the way. If you don't want to die at this party, it would be wise of you to help me." She jogged back into the room and grabbed the bed. Derek immediately got on the other side and pushed with all of his might.

"Alright," Derek said. "So, how exactly did you know that thing was after me?"

Kendra pushed the bed into the corner before answering. "We both had the same mission: you. After the shit you pulled today, it was quite easy to find you."

"You heard about that?"

"Everyone heard about that."

"So, how long had you been looking for me?"

"A while."

"How long is a while?"

"A while," she repeated in a no-nonsense voice. "Now, keep your voice down."

"Why?"

"I already told you why. The anima has backup." With nothing else left to bar the door, Kendra walked over to the window and peered out into the night.

"No, why have you been watching me? Why was an anima trying to kill me?" Derek asked, following her.

"Your mommy got it right when she said that you were special. Congrats."

Derek's eye twitched. "Don't talk about my parents. I mean it."

"Somebody's sensitive," the girl told him dryly.