~- .The Girl and the Machine. -~

Chapter One; Her POV.

     I ran. I didn't know who or what was after me- but I knew it was something. I wanted to scream for them to stop- I was wounded, bleeding from my chest from the guards. I had gotten what I had needed though- whatever the hell it was.

     I looked over my shoulder- Quiet. No one was in sight but I could feel him or her watching me.

     I collapsed to the ground, panting. I took a look around where I was. The night sky lit up the forest like a fire to wood- if there was someone; they were doing a good job at hiding. I shivered as I removed my upper gear- a cape, and a chest pad, bandages to hide the size of my breast and to keep them out of the way.

     The snow had begun to fall- I removed my gas mask and weapons and tossed them aside. My long black hair shinned in the moonlight as I removed the bun that had kept it in its place and started to treat my wounds. Swords- always swords...

     If it had gone any deeper I'd have died for sure.

     "Heh- Katherine, the greatest assassin and gas keeper in all of Trinity, killed by a meek solider with a sword." I said to my self quietly, grinning. I winced and bit down on my cape as I treated my wounds- blood dripping onto the ground. If they were to send dogs after me I'd be to weak to outrun them and they'd find me if I hid. The only reason I took on this stupid mission was to get some cash to eat- I looked back at my bag and saw a shiny pocket watch hanging out of it. I took the watch into my hands carefully and examined it.

     It was from the 1500's for sure- No doubt about that... I could tell because the kingdoms crest had changed 100 years ago from a rose petal falling from a rose to a lion dancing. I hated it. My grandmother had told me stories passed down to her about the old kings and how much nicer they were the one we have today.. They would celebrate with there kingdom and go out- not just waste their time in the castle. They would help those in need instead of pushing them away. I sighed and put the watch back in my bag- putting back on my gear. I froze-

     "Papa! Papa! I'm huuuungry." Wined a little kid- I hid in a tree quickly.

     "Nikki- please... hush. I'll feed you when we get somewhere safe." Said the father. I watched them walk by me and I reached into my bag- pulling out a bright red apple. I quietly climbed from branch to branch- blood dripping down my leg but getting soaked up by my clothing. I dropped the apple purposely as it landed in front of the kid.

     The kid looked down and his eyes widened in surprise. "The sky's broken!!!" He yelled- sounding terrified by the thought.

     I heard the father chuckle as he reached down to pick up the apple. "No Nikki- it's food." I watched the kid look around then look at the sky.

     "Food falls from the sky?!"

     "No- it must have fallen from a tree..." The father handed the apple back to the little kid- Nikki was his name from what I could tell.

     They were in rags- hoods poorly stitched together but low enough to make it hard to see their faces. They were poor- no doubt about that.

     The kid pulled his hood back and my eyes widen. Blue hair- pointy ears and sharp fangs. A monster. But- he looked like he couldn't hurt a fly if he tried. He was young- no more then 5 years old from what I could tell. His eyes were a bright green and his hair spiked. The father pulled the childs hood back onto his head and he looked around nervously. "What have I told you about the hood?!" he scolded the child.

     "Well. -" Said Nikki as he smacked on the fruit, "No ones around to see me. S-so I thought I-"

     "No." His father cut off the kid. "Just because we can't see someone doesn't mean that they aren't here."

     He had a good point- after all- I was here. I felt more blood leak through my clothing and down my body as I started to become light headed as the father began to lecture his kid- I blacked out and fell off the branch and onto the ground. The father stopped and looked back at me- my vision going blurry and their voices fading.

     The last thing I saw was the fathers face- those eyes... an emerald green....