Leah couldn't believe it, the man who'd brought such an intense spook to her world was actually from the same tribe as her. His heart pumped blood from ancient natives just like hers. Realizing it caused a strange itching sensation in her veins, leaving her wanting to claw at the skin she wore. It was another slap in the face, she just couldn't catch a break.

Her body still uneasy and mouth as dry as a desert, she stared at the Guardian bracelets hoping they'd disappear. But it was no use, the evidence remain on him.

Oxygen poured into her lungs as she tried to figure out what to say, what to do, or how to keep her body from toppling over.

"This can't be real," she whispered.

Simon lifted his chin and crossed his arms, the side of his face turning red, "Oh but it is, Every single bit of it."

"You did this."

"Absolutely not."

"Don't feed me that crap! You started something that day at the library and I am here to end it! I'm not afraid of you and I'm not going to let this continue," her eyes blazed and her voice shook, "it's over."

Simon fetched a breath and looked her square in the eye, a powerful strain connecting his energy to hers. "I'm afraid it's far from over, Leah."

"Why are you doing this to me?!" A shrill voice, desperate for answers screeched from Leah as she hunched at him. "What did I ever do to you, huh? Why did it have to be me?" Her vocals were unsteady, croaking randomly and her eyes filled with hot tears.

"I can't sleep, eat, or think without this awful magic poisoning me. My patience is wearing thin, Mr. Ellis. I really hope that whatever kick you're getting out of this is worth it." She remembered what Daniel had told her about being fearless to him. "Because if you don't put an end to this, I'll put an end to you."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

"I told you, I can't."

"Then yes, I am."

"Leah," Simon lowered his brows and stepped across the threshold, hands reaching towards her. His motion caused Daniel to react protectively and he stepped between them, burrowing his sight into the stranger, "You touch her and I'll break your hands off."

"Relax. I don't want to hurt her."

"Save your lies for someone who will believe them. Why don't you Crack your little book open and break the curse before something on you gets broken?"

Leah gawked at Daniel in amazement. She knew he'd said he'd help her and knew his tribal blood could boil even more than hers; but she didn't expect to see such a mask unveil over his face. His jaws flexed, brows hung low over fireball eyes while his nose seemed to be blowing out smoke. There was a lot of fury under his deep tan skin, and it was damn sexy.

But her moment hit a wall, and she ripped her attention to Simon as his voice pronounced something that twitched her interest.

"What book?"

She stepped close to Daniel, "The one you checked out from the library. The Tamanaka book of Capturing, Captivating and Communicating."

His feet moved backwards until he balanced on the edge of his doorway, "I've never... oh dear... I believe this is much worse than I thought it would be." He bore his sight at her, "You are in grave danger Leah. I know, it's hard to believe me but you must know I mean you no harm."

She looked at Daniel, brows high on her forehead. Despite her hatred for the man she'd been sure was responsible for the days of her life she'd lost, there was a pinch in her gut that made her want to believe him. As a person who tended to analyze, she couldn't help but catch something flicker in his eyes. But as a victim, the last thing she wanted to do was be blind to the truth.

Two things tugged at her, developing her frustration into a pit of confusion deeper than the abyss. What am I supposed to believe? What do I do now?

In thought, while bouncing her line of sight from one man to the other, her senses hightened. Vision was sharp and clear; from where she was she could see the dripping faucet across the way in his kitchen. The smell of Daniel's airy cologne fumed into her airways. Her skin was tickled by the slightest breeze and soon her hearing soared into the sky.

What they allowed her to notice was a bowling ball crashing to the abdomen. The hair stood on her neck as she slowly pivoted on the porch.

Hissing, slithering little purple snakes were slowly creeping up the stairs. They were real, live and hungry for her.

Her heart skipped as the her vision dulled from the sharpness. She grabbed on to Daniel, unable to hold steady, "T-Theyre here! It happening again!"

He pulled her close with an arm and pushed her as far from the approaching serpents as possible. Fully intending to protect her at all costs, he turned to the man in the doorway, "Is this your work?"

Simon shook his head and stepped aside, eyes locked on the plum pests on his property. "I.. I didnt."

Leah clung on to Daniel for dear life, "They're everywhere..." Her nose was red as she sniffled, turning away so she didn't have to see them. It didn't matter much, she could still hear them. It even felt like they were sliding beneath her clothing. Her gaze caught up with Simon's, his facade telling a story of shock.

He shook his head, silently swearing he had nothing to do them. His hand rose to begin a gesture for them to enter, but it was interrupted by his eyes widening in shock. Lowered circles of dark brown glared at her chest and she couldn't help but look down in curiosity.

Peekaboo.

A deep violet snake slithered up from her sweater, sliding up over her cleavage. Black eyes of disturbance stung at her and a grotesque tongue poked from its mouth. An instant passed by; in it, she screamed and began to claw at her chest hoping to either kill it or fling it off. But she felt the one she'd seen wasn't alone.

Shaking, clawing her clothing and skin, Leah screamed and jammed against Simon in the doorway before she passed him up. Above the hissing she could hear both men call her name repeatedly, but the struggle was one she couldn't halt. Her nails burned her skin as her eyes filled until she couldn't see.

Hissing.

Slithering.

Tongues poking at her.

She panicked and continued stumbling around, unknowing of the layout of his home. In an unexpected motion, her body fell down a cluster of stairs leading to the kitchen. Without any time to react, Leah tumbled until the hard marble floor broke her fall, sending her blurred vision to pure blank darkness. And finally, the hissing stopped.

--

In a night where the ice was not on the ground, but in the air and leaves couldn't hold on to their branches anymore; Leah found herself standing in a familiar place. Dew covered grass poked from the Earth that had traded dirt for mud and fog rolled in from the corners of her vision.

This night however, she wasn't in the unknown forest. No, this time her body trembled as she was placed somewhere that teased her with bad memories. Frosty air caught her in a lasso as the thunder above her began to roar.

She looked up, catching a single raindrop on her cheek. There was a storm coming and it didn't just bring rain. This particular weather was carrying something more severe.

It was the memory she'd wanted to forget since it happened. Sure enough as her eyes trailed around her, she felt her defensive system spark in malfunction. Leah was in the backyard of her childhood home, the one that had burned down in her mind. Years of pretending it didn't exist anymore caught up to her, slapping her to reality.

I can't be here, she told herself, I can't relieve this memory.

The rain began to pour down, thunder grumbling in the background. Overhead a flash of lightning lit up the sky.

A loud scream echoed from behind her.

She turned and digested the white paneled house towering over her. It was real, it was the place she'd played with dolls in, the place she'd learned to cook, and the place where death had moved in without any notice.

Sealing her lips shut, Leah held her breath when the back door slowly opened with a loud croak. Her lungs were desperate for air as she heard a whispering voice. It sounded familiar, but even more so when the voice transformed into hissing. Her scaly predators had returned and began to escape from the open door.

As she began to back away, her heart jolted when someone called out from inside the house. "Leah!"

There was no second guessing or denying it, the voice that called out was real and had spoken to her before. It startled her system into a lunge forwards. Careless to the snakes, she gripped the door and yanked it open completely.

She wasn't sure what to expect, but the last thing she wanted to stumble upon were eyes blacker than the night behind her. A deer made a trampling exit, knocking her down into the mud. She called out in agony, feeling bruises already appearing across her skin.

But it didn't matter.

Because something far more horrendous was approaching her. Lips cracked, eyes glazed over, someone she knew stood over her with a sense of disappointment masking lifeless skin. A seizing feeling vibrated her body in pure unadulterated fear.

"M-Mom?"

--