Crystallized Miracles

Rosalie looked to John as he told her to go by the camp fire, and she nodded, following him there. As she walked she could smell the revolting stench of blood, it smelt like rust..and salt, she hated it. She wondered what had happened and her hand instinctively went to her pocketed knife. Rose instantly thought about the murder... She shook her head, no.. you mustn't think like that, she told herself.

Now at the fire ring Rosalie looked around at the faces of the other slaves, watching the small conversation between them, her own way of easily eavesdropping. Rose noticed another girl in the small group,she looked a few years older than herself but atleast Rose knew now she wasn't the only female. Milo started to fidget around as she sat down on nearby log. Rose patted her pocket to make him stop and stared into the flames. The fire that burned in front of her chased off any coldness that threatened to make her ill, and it was almost soothing to watch. Showing little emotion, Rosalie let her mind wander as she waited to be told why they were brought back to the camp fire.

Jason sat quietly smiling to himself. He looked at Rosalie and nodded. He stood up looking around. He sighed as he secretly took out the magazine from the gun and raised it at rosalei and pulled the trigger "Bang bang bang." he said jokingly. He walked to her and leaned down "Have you seen the others?" he whispered in her ear. He raised up looking around a bit. "They are takingg their sweet time..." he giggled "Bang bang bang!" he whispered to himself as he aimed the empty gun at one of the guards. The guard didn't notice him.

Jason giggled a bit more "Well... Once everyone gets here, i might be able to explain... my plan, eh?" he said, blood still slowly sliding down his arm. His shirtless body shivering from the cold. "C'mon john, we only have about 19 hours left..." he said quietly to himself. He yawned slightly. "In a dream.... always singing... always hating... what life was bringing.... I sleep to get away... but as my story unfolds... im keeping the pain at bay. can't flee... otherwise... i wouldn't be me." he recited a small pointless poem for himself, though didn't realise how loud he was talking and blushed "Ignore that" he said frantically, and sat down by the fire.

Kiri stared, wide eyed as the two had a conversation. Their voices, fille dwith half a sense of rage, and perhaps fear, roused her. The sent of blood reached her nose in an even stream, and she tossed her hea,d and, hopefully, the ideas. She placed a hand onto her her warm temple, a blaring headache now noticible. It seemed to throb beneath her pale, thin fingers. She looked over t where Jason had gone. She gasped as she noted his actions, a sillohuette among the others and the light of the fire. Her jaw noticably dropped as she question her self, or perhaps him.

He didn't. He wouldn't.

He had.

She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. He killed him, so easily, and quicky. She then noticed he heald the gaurds gun firmly in his two hands. Kiri noted his smile, care free, but kind of distant as he looked at the other female here. She sighed, and let out a sleepy yawn. Her mind wandered from idea to idea.

First John, and now this other girl? He's interedted in everyone.

She tried endlessly to distract herself from the crime she had just wittnessed, and finally managed to lower her eyes to the ground. Her head still pounded. She the noticed her eyes were closed in on John. Peculiar, so young. perhaps thirteen or fourteen, about three or four years younger than herself. Her eyes then fell upon the dog. A cut she noticed on his ankle broght her gaze to her own arms. Why had Jason got so upset? She shook her head, and whispered to herself.

I have done nothing wrong. Why did you react in such a way?

K

Kalani wandered over to the fire. She looked around and saw small groups of slaves having conversations. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a small crystal dagger. That was the only 'weapon' the she had. She held it up to the fire and admired the colors it was making. She gazed into the dagger before tying it around her neck with a string she kept.

Jason looked at the empty gun. He giggled slightly knowing he had been witnessed by more than one person when he killed the guard. He giggled when he looked over at Kiri. A disgusted look on her face. "Well then...." he said quietly to himself as he pulled out another small knife from his pocket and whizzed it at Kiri. It hit a post that of which was next to her head. "If i catch blood on that knife, i'll take it." he said loud enough for her to hear him. He smiled sweetly as he always did and walked in a small circle awaiting the rest of the group so he could exchange his plan with the ones who mattered. He picked up the small circular magazine and put it in the pistol. He had all bullets in it except one. He twirled the magazine three times and noted himself as he did so. He knew where the empty slot was, quite easy to tell.

He aimed the gun at the ground and off went a loud bang."Teehee... i think i just miscaulculated something..." he said as he heard footsteps of about five guards. "Teehee.... a game of hide and seek, boys?!" he yelled out and dashed off quickly into the shadows and climbed ontop of a small roof. he laid himself flat and sighed "I am so screwed..." He smiled as he laid on the roof. This wasn't the first time he had gotten in trouble with the guards. It probebly wouldn't be the last either. They would eventually give up, but until then, he hid on the roof.

Kalani jumped when the gun went off. There was a slight vibration in the ground that lasted not much longer than a second. She looked behind her and saw a guy scramble up onto a roof. Then the foot steps of guards followed. A girl caught her eye. She was almost hit with the knife.
*Bloodlust much.* she thought standing up to strech her legs.

Zen got up and retrieved his pet cat and looked around, he heard the gun go off, and he was starting to get nervous. he hid the cat and walked past the guards, and seen Kalani. He hadn't met Kalani yet so he walked up towards her.* "h-hi. I-I'm Z-Zen." he looked back at the guards but soon looked back at Kalani. his voice was low because he hardly talks and he's starting to lose it.* "Wha-what's y-your name?"

Kalani hid the dagger and looked at Zen. Her eyes opened up, by the lifeless look remained on her face.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Kalani." she said in a carefree voice. She turned her head towards the guards to see if they caught that guy with the gun. The scar on her cheek showed in the dim light. "Who was that?" she asked her eyes closing halfway. "do you know him?"

Jason watched the guards look for him. He was in no danger. He giggled slightly and jumped up into a tree. He climbed over by the camp fire and laid on the limb, listening to the voices from below "I'm Jason." he said, over hearing the girl talk of him. "What's your name, love?" he asked sweetly. He is always acting like that, but never really likes the person in that way. There have only been a seleect few who have ever earned his love. he shook slightly as he hung from the branch and snatched her dagger away "I'm gonna borrow this, kay?" he said and lifted back up into the tree. He smiled slightly, watching down to see the girls reaction.

Kiri rubbed her eyes sleepily, and partetwo pale, thin lips to let fourth a quiet yawn. She stretched her bony arms befor eher, quivering with a momentary ecstacy. She let her hand gracefully drift upward toward the dagger, flinching as the loud bang reached her ears. She gazed over, well aware of who caused it before she had even caught sight of him. She continued to watch him, before, finally, he disappeared into the shadows.

After a few moments his sillohuette appeared pasted against the rough back of a tree. She strained her eyes to see him, and take in his words. Shaking her head Kiri scolded herself for eaves dropping, and that was when she noticed but another female besides herself and the first, Rose. She sighed thabkfully, and let her mind wander. She carefully fingered the dagger, pressing her soft fingers against the rough, seraded edge. It was an amazing thing, really. She really would never have let him keep it, but who couldnt be amazed by such an item? She remembered what she she had given to get it. She gulped back a sick feeling. She remembered why.

Pressing her eye lids tightly together she placed her teeth over her bottom lip to refrain from sliding the wonderful, cold sharpness into her warm , pulsating flesh. She realized the tears of shame that used to cone to her eyes were pressing forth, but she shunned them away and laid back, rolling over onto her stomch. The dagger lay beneath her thin body, stealing it's warmth as she hummed softly a song her sister used to sing to her.

"You would usually give you name first, and I'm not your 'love'." she said while starting to climb the tree. "now, do me a favor and give it back to me.". She didn't show it, but she was absolutely furious with the stranger. That dagger was the only thing left from her mother. She succeeded in getting on the branch. She held out her hand "Give it back."

"I will I will.." he said examining the blade "Rather you should hide it." he hung from the branch with his legs. "And i call women love, nothing personal, and i wouldn't love you until i got to know you enough.. teehee." he said and gently held out the dagger to her. "It seems like something that wouldn't be used for combat anyways. it would break easily. But, The guards are on their way over here, so, hide it quickly." He pointed over at the guards and stuck his tongue out at them befre getting back in the tree and climbing higher. The guards aimed their guns at the tree, but weren't allowed to shoot. "Whats tthe matter boys? Am i too much for you to handle?" He jumped out of the tree and hit the ground hard with a roll. He turned around and slid, tripping one of the guards and slamming his heel into the guards chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Jason looked at the other to guards who were aiming their guns at him "Oh come on boys, almost everyone here knows you can't shoot at us." he said and ran into the shadows. HE heard barking "Bringing in the dogs is a bit much for little ol' me, dont'cha think?" he said and climbed into a tree, hiding perfectly.

She grabbed the dagger quickly and hid it in her shirt. "Damn it." she said climbing farther up into the tree. *They might question me about him* She sat on a branch that concealed her from the guards. She pulled out the dagger and examined it. *well at least he didn't scratch or chip it* she thought wating for the guards to give up before jumping down.

Zen looked at the guards and then around where he would go.....he couldn't find any place to hide. he just gave up and sat on the ground. he didn't know what to do. "........." he was nervouse. he couldn't hide. "....*sigh*....what am I going to do?" every time he spoke he knew his voice was almost gone, when he spoke normally he spoke in what sounded like a whisper, he couldn't yell either. "........" he just watched as the guards walked closer.

Kalani quickly jumped down and hid before the guards found her. She turned her head back to see Zen being confronted with the guards. She looked back up in the tree and saw Jason. *This is all your fault* she thought waiting to see what the guards would say to Zen. She had to do something, but didn't want to hurt anyone. She sighed and turned back, trying to come up with a plan.

Jason hung upside down infront of Kalani "Hey, sorry for taking your dagger" He said with his always sweet tone. "I just wanted to look at it. Forgive me, but i have yet to know your name" he said. he tried to pull himself up but his leg slipped. He fell to the ground with a thud, his back hitting first. "Owwww....." Jason complained as he sat up.

A smile escaped her lips when she saw Jason fall. It was probably the first time in a year that she smiled, but it quickly faded away. "Its Kalani." she said "and why are you always toying with the guards?" she said putting out her hand to help him up. *he might not be that bad* she thought

Jason grasped er hand lightly and lifted himself up with her help "Heh... yea" he said "They can never seem to catch me." he said smiling "Wonderful name, by the way." he said. He chuckled bit and looked at the guards sneering at him. Jason stuck his tongue out and smiled. "Well, it's sunrise..." he said, rubbing his hand over his one good eye. "I haven't slept much. But, then, im not tired. Why arent you asleep?"

"Thanks, and I guess I'm just not tired." she said taking back her hand. "So, your willing to stay awake, through the whole night, just to play with the guards?" she stared at the sun and then at the guards sneering at Jason. She stood up and streched out her arms. "Did something happen to you other eye?" she asked sitting back down.