Kaleb stared at his wall, lying on his stomach as it hurt to lie on his back. His eyes drifted to the silver bracelet that sat on his desk. It belonged to his mother, and it was something she had left for him in her wishes. He never really moved it from that spot unless he was cleaning or rearranging, not even to clean it. Part of him felt that if he washed it, he'd wash whatever was left of his mother away. He sighed softly, letting his eyes fall to the floor.
          A draft entered the room, Kaleb shivering as the cool wind ran across the sensitive areas of his back. He looked at where the breeze could have come from, but he didn't have any windows open. He didn't hear the air conditioning. He didn't know where it could've come from.
          "That was me." A voice said. Kaleb whipped his head over, and he locked eyes with a woman dressed in gray. Tall and proud, her ratty hair fell over her pale cheeks as she stood beside Kaleb's desk. Kaleb sat up swiftly, wincing when a dull pain spread through his back.
          "Who are you? How'd you get in my house?" Kaleb asked as he pushed himself up.
          "Wow. Such hostility. I'd assume that people in this time would still carry over courtesy for guests." She said, looking around the room.
          "What the hell..- why are you in my room? You better start talking or I'll call the cops." Kaleb glared.
      "Relax, Kaleb. I'm not here to hurt anyone you care about. Well, not to my knowledge, anyway." She said, stopping in her tracks as she noticed the bracelet

         Kaleb reached into his pocket for his phone, but the moment he pulled it out it as flung from his grip. He gasped, trying to catch it. It was too late. It was across the room in his dirty clothes hamper. He cursed under his breath, "Fuck."
          "Just chill out a bit, okay? I knew your mother." She said, picking up the bracelet.
          Kaleb's head whipped over, "You what?" He was more terrified that his phone just went flying, but his curiosity definitely came from left field when she said that.
          "I gave her this bracelet when she told me she was pregnant... with you." She said, "In retrospect, it should've been something less feminine, but I assumed you were a girl so..." Kaleb pushed himself up and snatched the bracelet away, "Don't touch this! Don't you dare touch this again, you hear me?"
          She snatched the bracelet back, "You can't stop me and I'll tell you why in a second. But for now, I have a proposal for you."

          Kaleb set his jaw, gaze darkening in frustration. Through gritted teeth, he muttered, "What is it?"
          The lady walked slowly around the room, bracelet in hand, "There is something coming. Something very dangerous. I'm here because I am the only one capable of stopping it. However, in my current state I have limited movement and attachment." She turned to him, "I am a Banshee."
          Kaleb's jaw relaxed and he blinked rapidly at her, then shook his head, "You must be on crack." He paced around his room, rubbing his temples, "I must've been hit harder than I thought."

          She leered at him, then sighed. In the next moment, a shrill cry ripped through the room. Kaleb screamed in shock as he was thrown back into his dresser, hitting the floor with a thud. He heard something crack before a low ringing settled in his ears. He panted heavily as he pushed himself up, touching his ear when he felt a liquid of some sort slowly leaking out. When he saw blood on his fingertip, he paled.
          "What... what just happened?" He asked shakily.
          "I hummed." She said pointedly, crossing her arms.
          Kaleb leaned on his wall for support, "Ok, ok. I'll do whatever you want just don't hurt my dad."
          She scoffed, "I told you, I knew your mother. I wouldn't hurt the people she loved." She grabbed the bracelet again, but this time she was whisked away, almost sucked into the jewel that sat on top. Kaleb's eyes widened as he watched it. He approached it, picking it up from where it had fallen after she was sucked in.
          "Put it on." He heard her voice echo in his head. He bit his lip, slipping the silver bracelet onto his shaking wrist. When he did so, she came back into his view. She was leaning against his nightstand, smirking a little.
          "So what exactly is the danger that you're so avid on stopping?" Kaleb asked. The woman bit her lip, pondering whether or not he should tell her. She sighed, then looked him into his eyes. Her held a serious darkness, of which only the truth could stand behind.
          "A beast beyond your comprehension. It's wild and untamable, and it manages to find new hosts at a rate unknown by anyone. If left to it's devices, the world will burn. Trust me, there's not enough water in the universe to put out those flames once they start." She said. Kaleb furrowed his brows, not knowing what to said.
         "Lilith." She added.
          "Huh?" Kaleb tilted his head.
          "My name is Lilith. I... can't tell you much else." She lowered her head a little in shame. Lilith wished could tell Kaleb more, but she felt that it would do lore harm than good. She bit her tongue, standing up straight, "You should handle your school work and get some rest. I'll talk more later tonight." In a swift, white flash, she was gone. Kaleb let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, sinking into himself as his mind raced. He didn't know what to be more afraid of: the ghost in his mom's bracelet or whatever evil Lilith is so afraid of. Kaleb glanced to his backpack, and for the first time in a few months he had the desire to do it and distract himself. Calculus tended to distract most people.

—————

          Mitch swallowed the lump in his throat as the flashlight shifted from one eye to the other. Kevin clicked his teeth as he put it down. He jotted some things down, then sat beside Mitch, "Don't be scared. We wouldn't let anything happen to you."
          Mitch didn't find his stress to drop; his shoulders still reached his ears and his breathing was still shallow and forced. He didn't know what to think. He was hot, but not to the point of sweating. Almost as if the heat was coming from the inside.

         Kevin grabbed a needle from his box and showed it to Mitch, "I need a little of your blood. If I look at it from a few microscopic lenses, I can see if there's anything affecting your DNA drastically." Mitch didn't completely understand, be he realized his trust in Kevin's knowledge superseded his own, and he held out his arm. He looked Kevin in the eyes, frowning a little. He hated needles.
          Kevin met his eyes in a long, steady stare. He inserted the needle, grip on the smaller boy's arm tightening a little to keep him still. As the needle broke the skin, Mitch's eyes watered a little, then they started to glow. The brilliant blue irises slowly shifted to yellow. The hold of grief was leaving him. However, just as quickly as the blue left, another color came. Purple. Bright, vibrant, beautiful purple. Kevin furrowed his brows, then winced, pulling his hand away as if he had touched a hot stove top. He pulled the needle out slowly, but with haste. He looked at his hand, then Mitch's arm, and finally Mitch's eyes. They had since returned to their warm brown.

          Mitch frowned when he finally read the look on Kevin's face. Kevin cleared his throat and stood, "I'll let you know what I find. In the meantime, try to keep your emotions under control and contact with any potential emotional exercise to a minimum. Meaning I don't wanna see you all cuddled up with Scott until we figure this out. Got it?" Mitch's jaw slacked at Kevin's words, but he nodded anyway. He knew it was the best thing for everyone.

          A soft, back-handed knock came to the door, and soon Kirstie stepped in, "Hey."
         Mitch smiles a little, "Hey, Kirst." She walked around the bed and sat down next to Mitch, "How're you feeling?"
         "Like I need a hazmat suit. I can't touch anyone until we figure this out." Mitch said, looking at his hands.
         "We'll do what we can as fast as we can. Just hang in there for a little while longer. I promise, it'll be over before you know it." Kirstie went to touch his hand, but Kevin stopped her. He shook his head. Both Kirstie and Mitch sighed solemnly.

          Kirstie shook her head, "Anyway, dinner is ready. We're all waiting for you." Mitch nodded, sliding out of the bed and waiting for them at the door. They walked downstairs together. Scott, Avi, and the rest of the Hoying pack sat at the table, waiting patiently. They smiled when Mitch came into sight. Part of Mitch felt so isolated, so locked away. He hated the pity he was recieving from something that seems to minimal to him. Everyone was so careful around him, as if they would break him. And to Mitch, it was the most hurtful thing. It made him feel weak and helpless, like everyone was expected to protect him. He could protect himself... right?

          Mitch was so preoccupied with staring at everyone, he didn't even notice that Kirstie was waving a hand in front of him until she flicked him on the forehead. He sat down next to Richard, knowing he would be the one to keep him in check the quickest. Scott didn't like that Mitch didn't sit beside him, and it showed when he visibly scowled. He ate his dinner quickly and without much chewing, nearly swallowing everything. Connie made sure to scold him for being such a pig at the table. Avi took it as a challenge, and soon he was also being scolded.

          Dinner was quiet, and an awkward aura settled onto everyone. Rick kept a stern, cold face as he ate. When Mitch looked at him, he returned a watchful, domineering gaze. Mitch was scared of Rick, no matter how much he thinks of him as an older Scott. He was just such a big, strong alpha. It can be a scary situation, being a threat in a pack. And Mitch, as plain as he could describe it, was a huge threat to everyone's safety. A total hazard.
          Connie cleared her throat, "How's everyone's grades doing?"
          "Still Valedictorian." Kevin shrugged. Kirstie flipped him off.
          "I have a B in physics." Scott muttered, rested his head on his hand as he stared at Mitch.
          "Well, I haven't killed my Biomed teacher yet so, better than expected." Kirstie said.
           "Self control is a virtue." Rick said sternly. His eyes flickered to Kirstie, then back to his plate, "We pride ourselves on being composed, modest members of society."
          "Is that why Scott's a bumbling moron?" Lauren asked, snickering.
          "Is it the same reason why your forehead reaches for the stars?" Kirstie asked. Scott snorted, stirring the table a little. Lauren set her jaw, glaring at the smaller female.

          Connie cleared her throat, "I think we should finish our meal." Mitch nodded slowly, picking up the fork. He didn't eat much of the food, and he didn't feel very hungry. The bad part is that he hadn't eaten in four days. He was losing weight fast and it was starting to show. Everyone was worried about the boy's health.