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Neil stared down from the edge of the cliff uncertainly. The vampire had said the water here was deep enough to dive into, but what if he jumped and broke his foolish neck? It looked deep, but that didn’t mean it was. There weren’t any paths down to the water that he could see. Why would anyone jump off of this cliff? It would take them forever to swim to shore and far longer to get back to this spot. It would make a decent escape if you were running from something that feared water, but that didn’t amount to much.



“Whooee…I hope you aren’t thinking about leaping off of the edge there,” a voice called from behind him.



“I am not,” Neil called back as a grin broke over his face.



“That’s a good thing. I can’t swim and I don’t think I could jump in after you even if I could,” the voice countered sassily. “Fall might not kill you, but that don’t mean you wouldn’t die before you got to that distant shore. It is a long swim. How about you back up so as you don’t fall over, by accident you know…”



Neil shook his head even as he stood up slowly. “I am not going to fall, by accident or on purpose. I was just looking for a path down, but I don’t see one. I was hoping to walk with the water in my toes.”



“You don’t get many folk around here that wants that,” the individual stated looking surprised. “You aren’t afraid of tides and the like?”



“This is a lake, not the ocean. Is it dangerous?” The person was wind-swept and heavily bundled against the wind that tore through this area habitually. It wasn’t cold, but most of those who lived around didn’t like the bite in it drying out their skin. It was impossible to discover by speech or action if the person was male, or not.



“It is salt water,” the person said with a nod. “There is an underground connection to the ocean only no one can find it because no one that swims too deep…ever comes back to tell of it.”



“So it is dangerous,” Neil sighed with regret. “It looks so beautiful when the sun is rising.”



“When setting too,” the individual countered dryly. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”



“No,” Neil grinned and stepped back away from the ledge. “Is it that obvious?” The person nodded thoughtfully as if that were a very bad thing. Neil chuckled. “Sorry, I have been in the hospital for a long time. A…friend,” if that is what you could call it, “said I could stay here and rest. The house is so quiet. I am used to noise and people everywhere. It is nice, but the sound of the waves…”



“They are distracting,” the person agreed with a hard frown. “You look familiar. Are you related to the…owner of the house in some way?” That was a distinct pause in that comment. I nodded silently. “I thought you might be,” was the soft reply. “Stay out of the woods hereabouts, they are…dangerous.”



I smiled sadly. “Stay out of the woods, stay out of the lake, stay out of the town…Why don’t all of you simply tell me to go away and be done with it? I am allowed to stay in the house, right? So far, no one has said it is dangerous,” Neil teased sarcastically.



The person’s frown increased along with the thoughtful suspicion in those dark eyes. There was a hesitant shrug. “Never been in there myself,” the individual admitted with a dark look at the place in question.



“Would you like to come inside, then? I could use some company,” Neil offered softly. It still sounded a bit like begging to his ears, but the silence was becoming too much to tolerate. “There isn’t a television, or even a stupid radio in there. No phones, no internet…”



A smile started to tilt up those lips. “You must be going crazy.”



Neil grinned. “Yeah, jumping off of that cliff was starting to sound like a good idea,” he admitted.



“Are you sure you want to invite something that walks up out of these woods into your house? You just admitted you were weak,” the person reminded him in warning. “Not the smartest thing alive, are you?”



Neil shrugged with a hint of anger on his face. “I have brain-damage too,” he admitted sourly. “It was just a question. You don’t have to come in.” He started back towards the house forgetting the silence and solitude in his quest to leave the insults outside.



“I would like to come in,” the person said loudly to stop him, “if the offer is still good.” Neil turned around in confusion. “I didn’t mean to be rude. You just seemed to need the warning.” The person took a step closer and frowned around at the place suddenly. “Can I come in?”



Neil looked around suspiciously. “You just said I was weak. It isn’t as if I can stop you on my own.”



There was a budding smile on those lips. “That is very true,” the individual sighed softly. “If you want to talk, you will usually find me around. I stay in these woods.”



“I thought you said the woods were,” Neil started to say before he was interrupted.



“They are dangerous,” the person stated quickly. “I don’t lie. I can talk to you on your lawn as easily as in the trees, though.” There was another lazy shrug. “You are going in. When you want to see another face, come back outside. I will be here,” the person stated with a hint of a smile and a tone that sounded more like a warning than a friendly offer of fellowship.



“Wait,” Neil stuttered without much sound. The person waited patiently. “I could use the company now,” Neil whispered breathless with sudden fear. The person didn’t move…waiting for the words, his permission to cross the magical precincts protecting the house from intruders. For the most part people didn't realize that edge existed. This one did…That made this character risky without doubt. “I hope I don’t regret this,” I whispered to myself as I invited a stranger inside of the protections. "Please, cross into the house with me this once..."



The stranger smiled sweetly at me. "Just this once...I like the way you worded that." I shrugged.



"Once is all it takes if you mean me any harm," I whispered almost fearfully as I turned and made my way back into the house. I could hear the sound of footsteps coming in rather slowly behind me. Surely, the stranger wasn't scared of me. That meant only one thing that I could think of...Rouleau.



A chill ran over me as I passed the door framing to go into the house's interior. It had done that to me the first time I had crossed that barrier too. I had thought it might have been the interior that caused the morbid dread. Obviously, it was another enchantment of some type. I glanced back in worry that the stranger might not be able to cross it at all. Did one need the vampire's permission to cross into the house itself? I could only wait and see.



There was a definite pause as the bundled figure studied the door frame carefully. Could this person actually see the spell? Or was it more of a magical awareness that simply warned and hinted at what it would do? I was beyond curious, but I knew asking would be impolite. A brief hint of derision crossed those soft lips. Was it a female, or a pretty male under those thick coverings? Whoever it was, whatever it was, I knew it would be stunning to behold. Did the covering keep it warm, dry, or away from prying eyes? There had been a hint of a chill outside.



I was startled when suddenly the person stepped through the door so swiftly that I was almost pushed back out of the way. There was a sparking of energy that was clearly hostile towards the creature who pulled me further into the house and away from the spell's range. "I hope you have a fireplace in here," the creature stated huskily. "It is too cold for you."



"I don't feel cold," I whispered. The hand grasping my arm was frigid. It was as if ice were wrapped about my sleeve instead of someone's hand.



"You will," came the slightly sarcastic reply. I frowned as the person wandered into the gloomy living area and began scouting for items to build a fire. I rubbed my arm. That chill was spreading; even though, the hand causing the coldness on my skin was gone from it. I went to sit down on the couch where I had been for the last little bit. It was silent as the wood was stacked and lit.



I began studying the hands. There was nothing visible except a pale hint of skin between sleeve and glove. It was too pale, but weren't we all? There was a hint of blue or gray in it that I didn't like. It was more the skin of the dead than the skin of a creature who wanted white flesh. That, and the cold creeping off of it, was starting to make me more than a little worried. The entire room was growing chilled by the time the fire began to crackle to life and try to counteract the cold with its heat.



Only then, did my new companion raise up and turn around. Only then, did the heavy, thick coverings begin to slowly be removed. Only then, did I realize what I had invited into the house with me...I had already seen the grayed skin texture, but when the gloves came off the nails were sharply pointed and pure black. The scarf came away and with it the illusion that those lovely lips were normal. Suddenly, they were a deep black on the outside edges and bloody-red down the center and along the creases. The eyes were a pure and pupil-less black without relief of any kind.



I stood up in terror. Had I unwittingly invited a Death Mage into the safety of the house? Creatures who killed mercilessly and thoughtlessly, without remorse, to fuel their mad schemes and power their magic of necromancy. Some were rumored to suck the very soul from your body and keep it for all of eternity.



"Sit back down," the creature stated sofly, almost in amusement except for the slight sadness in that frightening face. "If I had meant you harm, I wouldn't have to show you my face to do it."



"True," I whispered shakily, "only I know for a fact that some mages feed off of fear."



"I am an empath, so your fear only annoys me..."



I sat back down heavily. "I am sorry," but more than that, I was now confused as well. Empaths were not common, were they? Of course, psychics and empaths had once been hunted and killed, so perhaps they simply hid what they were from others. "Did I tell you my name? I am Neil..."



(Do NOT copy any of my journal without my permission!) Jenna Karro