Stop sending mixed signals
Of things that can’t ever be
Stopping dropping hints
Of the things we’ll never do

I hate the dream
That means nothing in the end
The fact that you’re leaving
That I’ll be alone

Nothings been the same
Since that February afternoon
Its all still burned into me
Nevr letting go

The taste of you on my lips
The feel of you holding me down
The words you whispered
Breaking my heart

Not meant to be
A nonexistant dream
I can’t forgive you
For what you did to me.

I figured he had been telling me the truth, when I woke up. Not only was I in a bed staring at a ridiculously beige ceiling. But there was sunlight instead of stars in the inky blackness of the night sky.

Why does everything in the Army have to be brown or a shade of brown? Seriously brown makes me nuts. Beige and tope that’s the color of my room in our trailer sized home. I practically groaned at the thought of leaving my room to see the rest of the trailer.

“Jayd I know you’re awake so you might as well come have some breakfast.” My mother called from another room.

Now I really did groan. I actually had to get out of bed. So like any normal teenager I lounged for a moment longer then got my things together to take a shower. You know just the usual a change of clothes, my toiletries, and a towel.

The hallway was bright. Apparently we were lucky and got a trailer with a yellow hallway. Just what I needed a color that directly clashed with all the colors of my wardrobe. But I wasn’t going to be spending more than a few moments in the hallway at any given time so I should be fine. And my clothes shouldn’t burst into flame at the mere intensity of the brightness. Which would be just a little weird but stranger things have happened.

The bathroom is smaller than I’m used to. No bathtub just a shower stall and toilet and a small sink. And there was this really tiny mirror hanging over the sink that I’m assuming is military issue because its square and matches the rest of the room perfectly. Stupid precision nuts.

But the water was warm. It could have been better, hell it would have been if I didn’t keep hitting my elbows on the walls. I felt vaguely like I was on a rocking cruise ship with how cramped the space was. But I managed to take my shower with much more injury to myself.

Finishing up I brushed my teeth and dressed after I dried off and went out to the kitchen. My mother was standing in front of the sink washing dishes and dad was sitting at the table reading the paper. It was so normal looking that I almost could believe my father wasn’t in the army and we weren’t living in a trailer but our home back in Boston.

“Good morning Jayd.” My mother said turning off the water.

“Morning mom.” I plunked down in one of the free chairs at the table and served myself a portion of almost everything but the bacon and eggs.

I’m pretty bad about eating things that came from animals. Well really anything that includes protein that comes from an animal never makes it to my stomach. My dad used to joke that I was an unofficial vegan. I’m not I still like to eat meat, I just don’t eat eggs, pork, or veal.

“I see our local vegan has decided to join us finally.” My dad grumbled folding the paper and laying it down next to him.

He looked upset. Real upset and I learned a long time ago that if he looks like that don’t say anything until he’s done with whatever speech he has to give you. That and my head still hurt. There was this faint throbbing and I really just wanted to get some Advil to make it go away. But I couldn’t, not until Daddy dearest finish his speech.

“The boy you were with on the plane. Who is he?”

Well that was certainly a question out of left field.

“I don’t know. I never caught his name.” I said softly shrugging my shoulders.

“Where did he take you?”

Again I shrugged in response. It wasn’t like I could tell him I’d been unconscious for the majority of my disappearance. He’d probably go out and kill the kid.

“Did he say anything to you?”

I hesitated. I shouldn’t have. He grasped onto it and didn’t let go. Knowing that an answer in anything other than the affirmative would be a lie. Giving in I nodded slowly.

“Well? What did he say?”

I shrugged one last time. Kept my face carefully masked so that he wouldn’t catch any kind of expression that would hint at the lie I’d just fed him. He studied me and I picked at the French toast on my plate. They were still warm and really soft, just the way I liked them.

“I’m assuming from the shrug you weren’t paying any attention?”

“Basically. How much attention would you give your kidnapper?”

I wanted to slam my head onto the table at the glare he gave me. Insolence had never been tolerated and my open display of it just then had not been the wisest of the things I’ve said today. Finally after scooting my French toast around the plate a couple times I pushed my chair back. Me and my plate on the way to the garbage and then the sink to wash my dish.

“I’m going out to explore.” I said heading back to my room to grab a light jacket.

They didn’t stop me. Although I’m pretty sure Dad wanted to more than his stoic appearance let on. But neither moved as I walked out the front door. My body already set in the direction of the woods near the edge of the base. Last time I’d been here the local kids played in there often enough. Maybe I’d get lucky as the day wore on and make some new friends.

That was almost comical the very thought at least. Considering the woods being only twenty feet away seemed dark and unwelcoming to me. And I wasn’t one to ever be frightened by much of anything. Not usually anyway. But apparently something had changed in the ten or twelve years since I was here last. Changed enough to make the once friendly woods seem ominous.

The woods were just as I remembered them once I breached the outer edge of brush. The path that led from the bases side of the wood to the towns was still visible a few more yards in. I had the vague sense of homecoming like I belonged in this wood. Which was unlikely with all the moving around I would be doing now that I was old enough to know how to keep my mouth shut.

I laughed at the idea of staying in Somnus after my father was once more reassigned. I was unprepared for the wash of sorrow that followed after the hollow sound so shortly afterward. I couldn’t possibly be becoming attached to Somnus. I hadn’t been here in years. And yet the feeling of sorrow persisted.

Shrugging I followed the path before me. Going deeper into the woods and farther away from the base. I personally didn’t want to be within a hundred yard radius of their current location. Although I still had a few yards to go before I could actually say I’d achieved that goal. There was a tree stump a few yards a head and that’s where I would sit and ponder my peculiar notion of sorrow at having to leave Somnus behind one day.

Ten years away shouldn’t be doing that to me especially when I just got back. I looked at my watch. It was one of those watches with a phases of the moon dial beneath the face itself. It wasn’t so much to check the time thought as it was to check the phase.

“Waxing crescent…of my fifteenth year.”

It snuck up on me that explained the connected feeling to Somnus and his warning. My special talent would come into full tonight. An all night meditation within the woods was in order. Nothing like disappearing in the middle of the night to wake up two days in the past or future.

A twig snapped in the distance. My head snapped up like I expected to find something flying my way. But nothing was there. Not surprising. Although it would have been easier to put the feeling of being watched to rest if I could put a definite animal to the sound. But I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to be that lucky.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Eyes wide I swiveled around to see the speaker. Not that I had to turn to know. Those rich sensual tones could only belong to Mr. Rich Hunk of the plane. But there was another with him, standing in the shadows just out of my sight. Squinting I tried to make them out, beginning to feel more than just a little uneasy.

“Relax. Marcus isn’t going to do anything to you. I assure you.”

I nodded slowly rolling my shoulders to release the tension. A few of the upper vertebrae cracked in response. I guess I had tensed a lot more than I had initially intended.

For a few moments questions swirled through my mind. All of them asking about him. Who he was? Why he was here? Why he’d kidnapped me? Well that one I had a half answer to already but still. However I spoke before I had any idea what exactly to ask him.

“What are you doing here?”

He chuckled at me, almost like he was amused and I noticed that his friend, Marcus, joined in. Like they were sharing a joke that I wasn’t privy to. I huffed at them both I hated secrets. I hated them more than I hated anything else in this world.

“Sorry, Jayd. I just thought a more pressing question would be: Who are you? Not What I’m doing here.” He explained his features apologetic.

Well good he should be apologetic. At least for scaring me. This didn’t tall all that much to do anymore. Sighing I closed my eyes for several minutes to calm myself. A huff escaped my lips as the very idea took on being impossible. The whole very idea seemed like something that should be avoided. But he was right in a sense. I should asking for his name not what he was doing there.

“Very well who are you?” I asked on a sigh.

He smiled at me, a lopsided curl of the lips that would have sent my heart fluttering, if it hadn’t been for it feeling that I’d walked right into a trap he laid for me.

“My names Robert, Robert White.”

The words flowed over me in familiar cadences that I had heard in my early years as a jumper. A jumper that’s what I call myself. I’m not suicidal as the term would imply to anyone else. I just call my leaps through time as jumps and others like me as jumpers. Not that I’d met any.

My eyebrows went up questioningly. However I managed to restrain my shoulder from shrugging in an ‘-should-care-way’ gesture. Something told me I shouldn’t piss them off. My eyes shooting toward where Marcus was still standing in the shade of the trees.

“You’re going be difficult tonight aren’t you?” I heard Robert murmur in my ear, “On this nigh of the crescent moon.”

My body stiffened in response. My parents didn’t even know that the crescent moon tonight symbolized a big change in my life. How did they know about it?

A chuckle brought me out of my reverie as my eyes settled on Robert.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I told you, I can hear what you’re thinking.”

“Well isn’t that pleasant.” My voice dripped with sarcasm as I spoke. “Stay out!”

Again he laughed at this time Marcus joined him. I turned my gaze to him. I hadn’t noticed before but his eyes were silver, and almost glowed in the semi darkness of the shade of the trees. It was then that I realized what he was exactly. No human being could ever have silver eyes like those. Sure I knew of plenty of people with gray silver eyes but not one of them had eyes that almost could be said to glow in the dark.

“Ah I see you’ve placed the origins of one of us. But I wonder…” His melodious voice was once more near my ear as he spoke this time it was deeper and if I hadn’t been well versed cadences and sounds I wouldn’t have been able to place the slight husky tone to it, “can you place what I am?”

I shied away from him instinctively. My feet pushing my body out of its sitting position into one standing a good ten feet away from him. Halfway between him and Marcus, and again I got the feeling that I had just let myself walk right into a trap.

“Robert.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Marcus sure to keep my other eye on Robert. Just in case. I didn’t want to be caught off guard. But his voice, well everything about him really as he stepped a little out from the shadows. If it had been anyone else… If he had been anything else I could have sworn it was love at first sight. But he was a demon, I still wasn’t sure just what kind of demon but a demon nonetheless.

“Before you scare her, just tell her why we’re here.” Marcus said his voice strong like you would expect of someone who was used to getting his own way all the time. But it held that same lulling lilt to it. Later I would think it ironic that they would seem so similar in some very odd ways.

“Fine. We’re here to keep you safe. And don’t tell us you don’t need it. Especially tonight you’ll need it more than ever.”

Robert seemed to be fighting between calm and scowling because his features didn’t have that charming appeal they did a few moments earlier. Then his words sunk in, keep me safe. From what? Seriously if anything happened I could simply time hop back and change what I did just before. Well it isn’t exactly that simple but that’s really all there is to it.

“And you’re to protect me from what exactly?” I asked my voice sound incredulous to my own ears.

Robert glared at me before turning to face Marcus. The two of them seemed to share a silent communication. Probably through telepathy although I’d never heard of a demon possessing telepathic abilities. Or maybe it was through subsonic speech.

There were a few demonic species that shared that particular trait with the vampire. I stared wide eyed at Robert. Well that sadly made just as much sense as Marcus being a demon. The green-gold eyes should have tipped me off when I was in the car with him. Apparently I hadn’t been paying very good attention.

They seemed to come to some sort of agreement as I placed my hands close to my throat. My fingers clutching at my Scorpio charm beneath my shirt. The only gift my great-grandmother was able to give me before she died under suspicious circumstances. She had told me that it would protect me from all things wishing to harm me.

Of course I had been five at the time and I hadn’t really understood what she was talking about. But as I became more and more abnormally aware of time and started passing through different time periods her words actually started making sense.

“Our orders were to bring you with us. Beyond that we can not tell you who or what we’re protecting you from.” Marcus said finally causing my head to turn around at a painful angle.

I shook my head. They were evil creatures. I had a power from the light. They could not harm me as long as I wore the charm and they could not take me away as long as my connection to this forest stood. I was safe from them always.

“You’ll come with us Jayd.” Roberts voice murmured softly in my ear as something hit me at one of the pressure points at my neck.

My eyes seeking a face found Marcus’s and as I tumbled to the ground everything went black around me as unconsciousness claimed me. Barely aware of the glare Marcus shot Roberts way.

Preface| The Chosen Zodiac

My name is Vivian, I’ve lived in Somnus, California for the last sixteen years. I’ve always known if something was going to happen. Hell my parents have come to trust my judgement when it comes to stocks. But no one knows about my secret life. The person my peers see by day or at social functions is a carefully constructed costume of lies, deceit and charades. In sixteen years only one person has ever broken through the ficade.

And its this story, my story, his story, and her story that I want to tell. The story that ties all of us together. Us…The Chosen Zodiac. A title that should have been reserved for a generation yet to come, but the future changed long before I was born and able to see.

Jayd, Alicia, Sonya, and myself we are the chosen. Its our story that I’ll begin now. I was the first to fully awaken on my fifteenth gibbous moon. Jayd would be next on the crescent moon near the end of the year and then Sonya, and lastly Alicia. The four of us coming to together to stop the balance from being destroyed.

For me the goal was to keep myself from falling into the U.S. Miliatries hands. Imagine the advantage I could give with my ability to see the future. No contry should have such a large advantage over the other. If that were to happen things would stop following the plan Mother Earth set for us.

For Jayd it was to keep from becoming the human puritists weapon. Sonya to keep from becoming the bride of the vampire king. And Alicia to never fall in love. We each have had our trials and tribulations. But from here you will hear the beginning of The Chosen Zodiac. Before ascention, before love, before death, and before moving on to pick the pieces up from the dust. And our last and most painful memory of those of us remaining the death of a sister.

© Kitera Ai, 2007

So my parents are moving all of us to some base in Northern California. And I mean the people in the so called town just outside the base aren’t bad. I was there once before when I was little. Dad was out there and had left Mom and me in Boston not wanting us to be around because I was too small. What did he know, he’s never home. Was never around even when he should have been teaching me how to ride a bike and play softball.

Did I mention that they’re taking me away from my friends and putting me into this small close knit environment of teenagers that have been friends since diapers. I don’t do that. I never have. I have one friend here, Marie, and I like that way. And when I move into Somnus I’ll probably end up pulling out my hair. I grew up in suburbia. I’m not going to fit in at the public high school. Can you even see me, Jayd Sage, even beginning to fit in among these people who’ve known each other forever?

Granted I’m not going to fit in among a bunch of cadets either, but it might be a little better than dealing with kids who live a two and half hour drive away from the nearest mall. And that’s just if you’re heading north. Yes that’s right you have to drive into the next state for the nearest mall and you can’t even consider it more than a building with a bunch of stores selling ripped off versions of last years fashions.

But it ended in me having a concussion. And a prescription for painkillers and not doing anything that would jostle my head to much. I wonder if flying would be considered jostling my head too much?We were back in his car shortly after that. And we were off to god only knows where. I suppose he knew the best place as any to get me to relax was anywhere without congested streets and skyscrapers because we were outside LA shortly. I was grateful once we were far enough away that I couldn’t smell the sulfur of the car exhaust anymore.

“We’re going to meet up with some friends. And then I’ll take you to Somnus.” He said quietly.

“I see.” I didn’t dare risk nodding.

I reclined the passenger seat and let myself drift off to sleep. It wasn’t that hard after the plane and the concussion. Yes sleep was sounding quite nice at this point.

“Where is she?”

“Sleeping in the car. Why did you have me bring her here? My orders were to deliver the message and then return her to Somnus.”

I woke hearing that. Mr. Rich Hunk had orders to deliver a message to me? Why did he have to take me all the way…out here. Wherever out here was. The crunch of feet on the dirt outside the car made me hunker down in the foot well and try to hide.

They stopped outside my door, then a pause as if they were unsure if they should open the door.

“Stop and think about this. What will kidnapping her prove, but their warped ideas that we shouldn’t exist.” Mr. Rich Hunk’s voice asked quietly.

It was so quiet I could have sworn it was very close to being under twenty hertz. And I don’t mean the car company. I mean the frequency. My father was teaching me basic physics until a couple years ago. Cause supposedly I’m like really smart.

But anyways, they stopped and then their voices dropped. Really low, they were like a faint ringing in my ears. A real faint ringing because I could just barely and I mean barely make out what they were saying.

Finally after a long while the driver’s side door opened and Mr. Rich Hunk got in. He saw me curled up in the foot well and the corners of his lips curled up in what appeared to be a smile. I think he could tell I could just barely understand what they were saying.

He hit the gas pedal hard taking off speeding. I screamed at first surprised. He pulled me up out of the foot well and told me to buckle up. Which I did all too gratefully. I don’t particularly like the idea of going splat against the windshield anytime soon.

“What was all that about?” I asked shifting in my seat to see him.

“You have to be careful. There are people out there who want to use you. And other’s who would want to kill you.” He said.

I stared in shock and surprise. He had to be joking. Why would anyone want to kill me or use me?  I’m not even remotely special. Well except for this one thing but still that was hardly enough to justify killing me wasn’t it.

“You’ll be at Somnus by dawn. You must promise that you will not tell anyone about the events of the last ten hours.” He said turning his gaze away from the road to look at me.

He held my gaze for several long moments before I realized that if he didn’t return his eyes to the road we could hit something. He just smirked but returned his emerald gold eyes to the road anyway. No one has any idea how disconcerting it is to have someone act like they know what you’re thinking. Even if they claim that they can hear it.

But I didn’t have much time to ponder on it. I was growing sleepy rapidly. My eyelids getting heavier by the moment. Eventually I stopped trying to fight it all together and let them close to fall asleep.

I figured I might as well. He was expecting me to anyway considering that I kept feeling his eyes on me whenever I wasn’t looking. And every time I’d yawn or snap my head to wake myself up he’d just smirk some and go back to watching the road. It was like he was waiting for something that he wasn’t entirely ready to share with anyone. Not even me.

Somethings are ever changing
And other things undone
You weren’t meant to save me
And we weren’t meant to love

As she was more than just my friend
She was my sister to the end
We shared a bond
So deep and true

There wasn’t a secret
That the other never knew
Without her
Things feel a little less vibrant

Now not a day goes by
Where I don’t wonder why.
How on your last night
I didn’t call to say ‘I love you’ one last time.

Why you didn’t call me to ask me why.
Why I didn’t mean enough
To be loved like you loved her
Why…

There’s this deep emptiness in me
Where a piece of you used to be
You gave me that
Three years ago gone by

Everytime I think about
What’s happened to us
I stop and think if I had stopped it then
When it all began three months ago

Would this be happening now
Would I feel so completely abandoned.
You love her
And never me.

Supposedly you asked about me
When you spoke to her
But I don’t believe a word of it
Because she’s trying to make me feel better

About never being loved by the person I love.
I regret two things in this world
Not saying goodbye on that night
And loving you for as long as I did.

According to a story he wrote
Long before she became a gleam in his eye
It shocked me to read
The name he was giving her

And hurt maybe more than I showed
On that night so long, but not, ago
She was with me at my home
Seeking refuge

From a nightmare
That threatened her keep
And it hurt me to know
That I was hating her

For something so small
She didn’t have a choice
It was a name she deserved
It was perfect for her

Like he knew years ago
That one day there’d be a girl
Who’d suit that name
And needed it at the same time

I listened to them talk on the phone
A silent observer in my own home
I wanted to cry but I couldn’t
She needed me more than ever before

That night I held her
As she fell asleep in my arms
I remember thinking
That I’d never let harm come to her

She’s mine to protect
Mine and mine alone
But who will protect me
If he cared so much for her

I saw the words
In between the written and spoken
He would protect her too
Never hurt her unless he couldn’t help it

What a triangle we make up
You’d get him in a heartbeat Anzu
And I would have to give him up
I’d cross flames and death for the both of you

God how I hate
This torn trust
Love a person
But they won’t love you

He never loved me
But had no qualms using me
He never had a second thought to hurting me
I didn’t matter

So every night I make a wish
Upon the star and moon
That one day soon
I’ll die a death deserving of a broken soul

For without true love
I’m dying a thousand deaths
Every time I see him
I break inside

See the shards of glass
Take the paint
And turn them into a masterpiece
Deserving of forevers display

Can you do it
Kyo?
Can you do it
Anzu?

I issue this challenge as my last regard
Good bye dear sister
Good bye my dream lover
I have nothing left to live for.