A chronically ill boy is visited by the ghost of his cousin who offers him a new chance at life. He just needs to learn how to appreciate the very special gift that he's given.

Authors note: This is mild horror with a happy ending. The story gets less and less horrific as it goes on and if you can make it through the opening scene, I think you'll like the story.

Acknowledgment: Many thanks go out to Puddin' for her wise and wonderful editing of this story. She helped me expand my story from an anemic version of five thousand words to this much better version that tops out at a little over sixteen thousand words.

This story just came to me. Out of the blue. I suppose I could have expanded it and divided it up into chapters and there's huge scope to take different threads to various ends but for now it's a stand alone. Each of the 'threads' leaves tantalising potentials for further stories. I might come back to different threads if and when I've hit a dry spot or summat'

Enjoy.

Beverly.

The Rescue.

Vampyre

*An Evanescence side story.

Chapter 1

I used to be human, I used to be a lot of things before the Sanguira came into my existence. I was a son, a good son…except I was the child of the devil.

***
“Alex!, Alex where the bloody hell are you boy?”
That’s my father and he’s pissed at me. I’m scared as hell because I’m dressed in Annabella’s things. Up in the attic. I hide like I always do but he finds me this time. I’m all shaved and such and washed with my mothers soaps in a basin up here.
He stares at me.

(read "In the Pink" first)

 
I take in the applause which is still going on around the arena. Then I see my Mum and Maxine appear on the Duel Arena floor with the other exam passers in front of them.

Snakes and Ladders 5

Chapter 5

I couldn’t help but to hold her tightly and to kiss her, to try to do something anything to keep her together. I’ve known people like Shaya, she’s tough and capable and strong and amazing and like a lot of things that are tempered to be strong if you hit them the right way…

They shatter.

Bear was a lot of things but one thing I was very good at being was the professional tough guy. There’s a lot of f-ed up hurt little children in us tough guys. And from what I’m seeing with Shaya there’s a lot of the same pains there.