"You would know the secret of Death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day connot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open you heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the riever and the sea are one."

Elena read these words quietly aloud to herself before shutting the book entitled The Prophet, by a philosopher named Kahill Gibran. Interesting, the book was indeed. Reading was something she did alot lately. She wasn't all that great at interpreting such things as she had been reading, but they interested her greatly.

Her eyes wandered up from the stack of books she had been reading to the old library she had spent the past hour in. The floor between a bookshelf of fantasy novels and a shelf of philosophy books is were she chose to sit. The library was old, antique, and absolutely beautiful. In Elena's opinion, anyway. She loved the dust on the shelves, the old worn books, and the dim lights. The place was also not very crowded at all, but not many people hung out at libraries this late she supposed. She sighed as she guessed it would be closing soon also.

Today her apparrel consisted of a deep purple corset top, a short gray skirt, a black worn coat, and her usual black combat boots. It was one of the nicest outfits she owned at the time. Gently, she leaned back against a shelf, closing her eyes slowly. Earlier she has fed, so she had no appetite right now. She was also becoming bored in this place, she had planned on having some fun tonight, but that just wasn't happening for her. She hadn't seen many of her companions lately, the city was becoming pretty dull. Tonight was the first day of Winter, the longest night of the year. Past memories began to flood her mind. Her eyes became moist and she opened them, as she quickly wiped away the red liqiud emerging from them. Why did she always have to think about them? Why did these memories always haunt her when she was alone? This was no way Elena had planned on spending her birthday, even if the occasion become less and less important to her each year...

"Nowhere follows you, love" mumbled elirah from behind the side of a near bookrack.
She didn't approach the young one, but wanted only to comfort her.
Eli had forgotten her birthday, but decided it wasn't a good day for one to spend alone and crying.

I just wanted to let you know that Rakoth won’t be able to continue your role play, as I have banned and deleted him. Apart from what took place on the Shoutbox and the board in OOC Chat, he also contacted me on MSN and insulted me for several minutes. So, he won’t be replying anymore. I apologize for stopping whatever role play or plot you two had going, but it was unavoidable.

*Sigh* It's fine. I didn't really know *her* at the time she replied to my post, I was just waiting for someone to join. But I guess my post is pretty much dead now. x_x

-[+]-
Rubber soles pressed against carpeted floor in hushed breaths. Every footstep descended with care, conscious of the serene environment, afraid to cause vulgar disruption to the effortless silence. Kim weaved her way through the stacks like a meticulous serpent, eyes wandering over each volume's spine. She wished- and not for the first time -that reading could be a profession. If only she could have enough years in her life to read through every text in the library. There was just so much knowledge to be unearthed, so many facts and opinions and journeys through which she could travel. All of these books had something to say. Perhaps that was why libraries tended to be so vacant of noise. People needed to be able to hear the pages as they whispered their secrets, needed a way to pick out the most appealing voices. Those that just couldn't go without being noticed.

Rounding a corner, eyes drawn down to the list of identification numbers for books she'd found in the library's search programs, the young nurse didn't notice the obstacle in her path. Toe digging into the small human-shaped lump on the ground, she tripped forward, quickly recovering from the fall and managing to avoid the girl on the floor. Letting out a little yelp, but quickly silencing the blasphemous sound, she offered her victim an apologetic gaze-

Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. I- I didn't see you sitting there... didn't expect there to be anyone else here at this time of night

-She apologized in a hushed whisper, swooping down to retrieve one of the books she'd dropped. A smile of embarassment fluttered behind her worried expression
-[+]-

Elena could sense the mortal coming towards her. She could sense it searching for something, most likely a book, after all the place was a library. Putting her head down, pretending to read, she heard the foots steps enter the aisle she was sitting in. The mortal must not have even noticed Elena sitting there, because in the next moment the humans foot jabbed into Elena's side, causing the human to trip.

She lifted her head, noticing the human to be a young women dressed in a nurse outfit. As the nurse looked back at her, she glared at the nurse gloomily, her eyes glazed in red tears. She wasn't in much of a mood for befriending anyone tonight or rather having a meal, her appetite was dead. The nurse spoke but Elena wasn't listening to a word the human was saying, she didn't even care much at all. This certainly wasn't her usual attitude toward anyone, but she was in a horrible mood, it was just simply unlucky of this human to stumble upon her at this time.

She sensed the nurse's embarrassment. As the nurse gathered her books, Elena picked up the one that had fell right next to her side, handing it to the woman impatiently, her pale skin almost seeming to glow in the dim lighting of the library.

-[+]-

A nervous laugh parted her lips, the sound choking out and falling flat on the carpeted floor.

There seemed to be an almost palpable grey cloud hanging over the girl's head. Kim's heart sank a little deeper- she'd been idiotic enough to stumble over someone who was already having a horrible day. Not exactly a stellar example of good bedside manner. Her eyes remained fixed to the floor as she retrieved her fallen texts, attempting to steer clear of the young woman's dark glare. She found it somehow odd how she could be intimidated by a girl who didn't look much over the age of twenty- if that. Perhaps it was because there were waves of maturity floating off her shoulders, as if there were many decades of experience beneath her teenaged shell. When another book passed in to her view with a human hand attatched to it though, she glanced up with a tight-lipped smile-

Thanks

-She said lowly, almost silently, afraid to raise her voice. Gaze flickering from the girl's hand to her eyes, she noticed there seemed to be a red fluid- blood, no doubt -filling them. An alarm sounded in the back of her mind, but she disconnected it. Humans weren't outstanding models of biological perfection, especially when it came to warding off germs and other diseases. Thinking back, she was sure there was a virus- or something else of the sort -that caused bloodied tears. No need to mention it though; crimson tears weren't exactly easy to miss... she probably had a bottle of medication sitting at home waiting for her.

Looking down again, she realized somewhat belatedly that the girl also had unbelievably clear skin. It was almost ivory in colour. Pale, but beautiful rather than unhealthy-looking-

I really am sorry... after ten hours at work, my brain usually tends to shut down beyond its most basic functions

-Kim could tell that she was yammering again. Passing one more nervous smile in the girl's direction, she straightened from her crouched position. She took one step in the other direction and restarted her endless search for reading material

-[+]-

As the nurse took the book from Elena's hand, she never took her gaze off of her, not even blinking. She sensed the humans alarm when she met her eyes, but the woman simply ignored it. She ignored the woman's thanks and studied her more closely as she noticed the woman doing the same to her.

The woman began to talk again but Elena just continued to ignore her, finding her nervousness amusing. She had forgotten all about her mood she was in earlier and her memories, now she was incrediably bored, even more than before. This nurse had been the only contact she had made with anyone tonight, on her birthday.

As the woman stood, Elena quickly stood to, standing right behind her. She was only about an inch taller than the nurse. She noticed the woman was quite abit older than her, although she looked pretty much in shape. As the woman began to walk, she command her with her voice calmly, "Stop." It was one of the gifts she had, and mortals had no choice but to obey.

Elena leaned in closer behind the woman, her ice cold breathe could be felt upon the womans skin, and she whispered softly. "Looking for something?" As she spoke, she quickly stepped back into the shadow of the bookcase, easily blending in and unable to be seen.

-[+]-
Unable to resist following the directions, Kim became frozen in place. She was paralyzed, as if there were a sea of transparent concrete surrounding her on all sides. Breath shortening in shock, her eyes darted from side to side, trying to understand what was going on. She'd heard the voice... heard the soft command... but why had she obeyed it? Why was she now stuck in place, trying and failing miserably to will her limbs into action?

Feeling as if she was in a horror movie, her fear was nothing but quelled when a soft breath floated over the bare skin of her neck. Frozen fingers scraped along her flesh, almost teasing in their animosity. Goosebumps ran down her spine like a fissure in the earth, branching out across the entirety of her body. Taking in a deep breath, her motion of exhaling was a ragged one, lungs pushing out with a sporadic, shuddering tempo.

'Looking for something?'

As icy as the breath had been, those words clawed at her ears, forcing the nurse's breathing to become a little more rapid. Her heart joined in the panic race now, thundering along at a wild pace. If she wasn't so chilled by shock, Kim was sure she'd be sweating.

Balling her hands into tight fists, she put every ounce of effort she had into creating some form of movement. Pivoting on heel, she turned in the direction of the voice, eyes sliding cautiously down the aisle in the direction she'd come from. Expecting to see the girl she'd tripped over, an electric buzz suffused through her when Kim found that the teenager had disappeared-

What...?

-True, people who enjoyed time in a library eventually learned to move with the stealth of a feline. But Kim would have noticed if the girl had made the effort to stand up and leave; she would have heard something. Where had she disappeared to? How had she disappeared?

Where had that voice come from?-

Hello?

-Voice weak in a curious but frightened sort of way, the sound was muffled against carpet and books. Anyone else in the library would have remained oblivious to her current state of stress. So, still paralyzed- whether it was from that voice, or her own terror -Kim continued to stand there, eyes sliding from one side to the other, filled with the thousand-yard stare of any human wondering what was coming next

-[+]-

Elena could sense the woman's sudden panic, making her smile viciously. She loved playing with mortal minds like this, for her own sick and twisted amusement. The nurse was definately immobile from her command, and Elena was enjoying every minute of reading her thoughts and watching her struggle. She only did this kind of torture on mortals when she was depressed, taking her feelings out on their weak minds.

The mortal didn't answer Elena's question, but she didn't mind watching the mortal struggle to move. She smirked lightly, the soft laugh echoing in the nurse's ears. As the mortal struggled and finally succeeded in turning around to face Elena, she quickly used to immense power of speed to walk up right behind the nurse's back once more.

She could sense the mortal's confused vibes coming right off her shoulders, and as she called out into the empty aisle in front on her, Elena's hand descended upon her shoulder this time, her ice cold fingers tips gracing her skin. "Your so warm, love." She whispered in her ear, as her rather sharp fingernails glided lightly over mortal's neck, hearing her healthy pulse ringing in her ears.

-[+]-
Fused to the ground below her feet, no matter how much fear was pulsing through her veins, the feeble human was unable to move. Air continued to fill and empty from her lungs, a few pockets of the life-giving substance wanting to explode in a cry for help, but again she couldn't bring herself to do it. Couldn't bring herself to take even a small ounce of her focus away from the situation around her.

When those icy fingers trailed idly over her neck, one of those flowing breaths caught in her throat, choking the nurse for a moment. Spinning to look behind her, the mortal could have sworn she caught a dash of purple, a streak of black against the endless book shelves, but at this moment she didn't know if her sight could be trusted.

You're so warm, love

That silken voice caressed her ears again, its invisible daggers stabbing into the very essence of her soul. Touching two fingers to her throat, she nodded weakly-

Yeah... ninety-eight point six

-She whispered, guessing that in comparison to the frozen appendages that had just stroked her flesh, she was probably a tall glass of solidified lava. Looking back and forth in sporadic jolts, she spoke into the nothingness surrounding her once more-

Who... what are... who's there?

-It sounded so absurd, calling out to an empty aisle, searching for an answer from thin air. But she had felt that touch, hadn't she? She'd heard that voice speak to her, ask questions... it hadn't been out of free will that she'd been pinned to the spot she was currently occupying. Kim swallowed back a squeak of terror-

What do you mean am I 'looking for something'?

-She paused, looked down at her hands. Her fingers were rather chilled, as if the circulation had drained out of them. Symptoms of fear; she could deal with seeing bloodied car collision victims on more than a daily basis. To her, that wasn't frightening... it was work. But this? Being tortured by something she couldn't see? Definitely new territory-

This really isn't funny...