To The Grave

Prologue

I sighed as I looked in the mirror. My right eye was throbbing. And, that could only mean one thing - Michica is pissed. And, as usual, I don't know the fuck why. I looked at the tiny woman.

Despite being 100 years old, she had the appearance, voice, and temper of a 6 year old. Her straight long black hair where a few strands lifted off her head was now pulled into a braid after for an hour she insisted I did. Since we were inside, she wore a tank and shorts, her right arm showing.

Well. What was her right arm. From her stories, she told me that when she was a baby, she had a disease in her arm that dissolved one's skin and that arm dissolved into her skeleton. So, when she passed into the afterlife, she had a skeletal arm to not hinder her. Thus, making it hard to hide now.

"What's your problem now, Michi?" I asked, my head and temper throbbing. Michica glared at me, her black eyes burning. "Nothing mortal."

"Well it's defiantly something, because you're calling me mortal," I said. I grabbed her favorite ice cream and started scooping it into a cone. She looked at it, drooling slightly. She reached and I pulled it away. "You know the drill Michi. No ice cream until you tell me what's up. And no threatening me cause I have the holy water. I know it doesn't do shit, but I know it hurts like a bitch."

"Fine," she growled and put the knife down. She sighed and looked at me. "I've been hearing weird rumors that there's a new Angel bearer."

"So? Angel Bearers don't bother anybody. Same with Demon Bearers such as myself," I said calmly, getting myself a glass of water. Michica sighed. "That's not the point. It's a newbie. She's getting close to being able to summon a Angel beast. Now here's where the ball drops. Heaven's Demons have their sights on her."

I had a spit take. "She's that strong!?" Michica nodded. But she still was holding onto something. I looked at her worriedly. "What now...?"

"She's a student at Relicwood Ravens High."

I stared at her with wide eyes. That's my school, my school. I gave her the ice cream. "We have to make sure she doesn't turn."

Michica nodded, a bit of cookie dough crumb on her face already. I sighed, a soothing sense over my eye. With Michi calmed down, that's one less headache I have. But now I have another. I have to find this new Angel bearer before Heaven's Demons do.

And that's gonna be one Hell of a pain to do.

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I looked at the clock. 6:17. 43 minutes until I went back to Relicwood Ravens High School. I already had what I needed for both my looks and for school in general. My reddish brown hair was put in a messy bun with a nice little yellow hair tie. My make-up covered the 'beauty mark' on my cheek that I didn't want seen.

I smiled, then frowned lightly. I was seeing them again. The ghostly people on the street. I didn't know who they were, but they were there. They didn't hurt anybody, and they weren't mean. They were just there, and I still wasn't used to it.

I sighed and walked out. Being the only teenager in my neighborhood, that meant I was the only one awake at this time of day, so I could react with them without worry. I walked up to the little puppy-like ghost that was playing around. I smiled at it and it's tail wagged in response. I put a hand to my chin then bent down, reaching a hand out to it.

I never once tried to touch the invisible beings around me before, but this time I wanted to see if I could. My hand slightly hovered above it's head. Responding quickly, the dog rubbed it's fluffy head on my hand. My eyes widened as I felt the snow-like fur. Fluffy and cool. I smiled and picked it up, glad I could touch and feel the slightly see through being.

"I wonder, do you have a ghost owner?" I asked it. To my surprise, it shook it's head as if it could understand me. I blinked at looked at it. "Do... you know what I'm saying?"

The dog barked and nodded, licking my face with it's cool tongue. I smiled. "Cool. Well... You can hang around with me, are you okay with that? Oh, and can I call you Winter?"

It replied with a nod, a very cheerful bark, and another lick on my face. I giggled and put it down. Animals weren't allowed in school, but I don't think anybody would mind if they couldn't see it.

I smiled as me and my new friend walked to school together. I layer down ground rules. "Okay, first off, you cannot try to interact with me when there are people around. People will think I'm crazy. Second, you can do whatever you want, but if you can interact with objects, that means you have to be careful. You got it?"

Winter nodded and padded alongside me. We walked together and I talked to Winter (Whom I later found out was a she) and finally arrived at school. As I said before, I was ignoring Winter to act normal, and Winter stayed beside me, not trying to gain my attention at all. I smiled and thought to myself that I would reward her when I got home.

Finally, I sat in the empty auditorium, and waited patiently.