EPISODE TWO: STRIFE IN THE WOODS.

Ashley found herself walking amongst several tall trees. She was lost. She slowed down in her pace.

" Where am I? ", she questioned herself with confusion written all over her face.

" I can just...oh no. l forgot the map. " in hesitation she stopped for a moment.

" Guess I'll have to go back then ", sighing she turned and started strolling in the path she come from.

Ashley didn't know where she was going but she stayed positive. Refusing to accept that she was lost. She kept walking in a straight path. Ashley had been walking when she came to a stop once again. Not because she had found her way, but because there was a large deep pit in front of her, which she almost tripped into. She stood at the very edge. She couldn't believe it.

" Who digges a pit in the middle of the way and leaves it uncovered. ", she quickly took a step back. Then slowly walked forward towards the pit after picking up a stone. The pit had pitch black darkness even with the sun shining brightly in the clear sky. She then dropped the stone she had earlier picked up into the pit.

" One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... " she stared into the pit, curiousity flooding her expression for a moment, then continued to count. " Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen. Forget it, I have better things to do than checking how deep this pit is. ", she turned in the opposite direction and left in a slow pace. Five minutes later the stone she had dropped into the pit came falling from the sky.

After an hour of walking, Ashley felt extremely tried and sat down on a surfed up, root curled into a bench. She was irritated, tried and most importantly very hungry. She checked in her mini backpack and took out water bottle. Except the bottle was'nt filled with only water. It water alright but, mixed with silverwater. A substance that was poisonous for the system of demons. Even ancient once. But not to Ashley. She was different and of course that she knew. Aunt Salma had told her since she was little. Silverwater was poisonous to other demons while blood was poisonous to Ashley. She uncovered it and took in a mouth full then gulped it down.

" I head you were planning on double crossing me. You know I have no other choice but to punished you now. So others don't follow in your foot steps. It won't look good for my reputation at all. ",

Ashley picked up a voice, far from where she sat. Her senses heightened in alert.

' What's going on. ', she questioned inwardly.

She traced where the voice was coming from. It was coming from behind a large rock.

" Please forgive me. I didn't plan anything. They're just rumors. Trust me. You know l would never try to report you to Miss Isolde. ", Ashley could sense the scared voice of the girl. Even though she couldn't see the girl's face, Ashley knew she was scared. And she felt the need to find out what was going on. She quickly walked to the rock and hid behind it. Making her presence unknown to them. Her heart was beating slightly fast as she gasped at the scene before her.

There, a boy laid on ground holding his stomach. Parts of his face and his shirt that seemed to be white was covered in blood but he was still breathing. Two boys stood over him with a wide wicked grin on the face. One hold a large broken branch stained at the edge with blood while his black eyes turned red before they turned normal. The other green eyed boy had his face and hands stained with blood.

Her gaze swept form the boys and to the two people caught by corner of her eyes.

She saw a blue eyed, black haired girl. The girl was exceptionally beautiful. A black beauty at that. Her curly hair was left to fall over her shoulders, while complimenting her skin.

"Do I trust you? ", he questioned and made a dramatic pause." Well. No I don't. I trust my sources and, they said you informed Isolde anonymously about my plans to steal silverwater from the silverwater store in the infrimary. "

He wanted to steal the sliverwater.

Her body shivering furiously. She lowered her head and began to beg.

" Spare you? "

Ashley's eyes now moved to the boy who she hadn't paid attention to or noticed earlier as she was mesmerized by the girl's beauty. The boy had his hands at the sides of the girl's head, caging her to preventing her form run. Which he knew she would.

" Hadassah. Don't beg that monster. He's not worth your pleading. ",

" Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aren't we all monsters ", he slowly turned around and that was when Ashley finally had a proper look at his expression.

" It looks like you weren't hit hard enough. "

As soon as the boy's words ended, one amongst two boys kicked the injured boy in the stomach.

The girl, Hadassah, run to the injured boy trying to protect him from the green eyed boy, but she failed as she was weak. Ashley had a burning desire of pain and anguish as she gazed at the scene unfolding before her eyes.

' Slap '

A loud slap sounded through the quiet woods. Not only did Ashley gasp but she also felt her heart skip a beat. She felt the urge to help but she remembered her aunt's work about minding her own business and staying away and out of trouble.

Hadassah now had her body to the ground because of the hard slap she had been given. Her head was bleeding but she didn't care about it. Her only concern was to make sure Waldo was alright.

" Leave him alone. You'll kill him. Malcolm stop hurting him. Cyrus please tell him to stop. Please leave him alone. ", she cried out in pain. She used the bit of strength that was available there in her body and tried to plead for Waldo. He had lost a fine quantity of blood and it was evidently obvious by the way his fair skin turned pale. She could see the life in his eyes fading gradually. Waldo coughed out blood with his body shiver uncontrollably.

" Torture me instead. "

" Stop. I think he's had enough ", Cyrus said in authority. He squatted beside Waldo and said in his evil tone.

" The next time you try to disobey my command, this will serve as a memory to you. "

Cyrus forcefully pushed his finger into Waldo's wound. This made Waldo scream and graon in pain.

Hadassah pushed herself up to help Waldo but was held back by, Oliver, the black eyed boy. Hadassah screamed and wailed, but it was still deaf to Cyrus's ear.

Ashley felt her heart tear from the pain of not helping and finally gave in to her heart's pleading to help. Ashley step out from behind the rock and shouted.

" Stop what you're doing. "

Cyrus turned to look her. He wasn't border at Ashley's words. He only said in an unbordered tone, " Deal with it, Oliver. "

" It will be my pleasure to. ", Oliver remarked in evil excitement.

" Hello there are you lost? I can help you in finding you way back. "

Oliver stepped towards Ashley and tried to place his hand on her shoulder. But Ashley took a step back, not because she was scared, but because she didn't want to be touched.

" Don't be scared. I won't cause you harm. I don't bite, trust me. " Oliver had a sinful expression in his black eye as he drew closer towards Ashley.

But then again she took another step back. She was scared but tried not to make it evident in her expression.

" Why don't both of show me my way back. I have heavy load. And I don't think only you control it. ", she said in seductive tone and winked at the boy named Oliver.

" Beside it very heavy, trust me. I didn't lie. ", she traced her hand on her cherry lips down to her neck, and to her collar bone before she stopped. Ashley noticed how Oliver reacted to her seductive ways.

' I feel like I'm gonna puke. How disgusting. This was not what I had in mind. At all. ", She thought to herself while feel disgusted not only by Oliver's gaze but also the way her own words sounded like in her ears.

Her plans was to fight them of and help the victims. But now that she stood before them she couldn't control the wave of fear taking over her body or the unpleasant thoughts on what shameless dog would do to her if, he laid hands on her.

She heard a loud sound of something hitting the ground. This broke her train of thoughts. She stared at Hadassah for while and that was all it took to get her for distracted. Oliver saw an opportunity and didn't hesitate in grabbing hold of Ashley arm. Oliver ****** her towards him with their bodies against each other.

' What is he doing? ', she questioned while staring at him with a gaze of confusion.

Malcolm who now stood by them said, " She looks odd. " referring to Ashley's pale skin like that of a dying demon.

" But, we can make it work. "

" What ", now the fear in her became evident and she questioned in confusion.

' This is getting out of hand. ', she thought inwardly. She pushed Oliver away from her, separating her body from his.

" Not too fast boys. ", she swayed her

dark red hair to the side reveling her long swan like neck as she placed her hands on her slender little waist. Oliver disappeared and reappeared behind Ashley, he grabbed her by the hair.

" Quite playing hard to get. ", Oliver grabbed her waist as Malcolm brushed the stands of hair of her face while he stared at her in pure wolfish evil.

Ashley snapped, her silver eyes turning red in anger as the sky darkened as a cold breeze blew. This was all done subconsciously. Kicking Malcolm in the nuts she twisted Oliver's arm which led to her hair been set free.

But before see take a step forward. Oliver kicked her to the ground.

" Aha! ", she gasped because of the unexpected fall. Suddenly her leg was yanked, pulling her across the ground. She gasped.

" You freak. You see what I'll do to you now. "

She turn and kicked him in the face, breaking his nose. He fell to the ground. Ashley stood up really to run, but she noticed a fire ball coming at her and immediately dodged it, moving to the side.

She returned the gesture, but even stronger. Oliver soon joined the heated fight. Which left Ashley two powerful and skilled demons at the same time. After a few minutes of fighting Ashley had them to the ground. Not dead but unconscious. Their skins were cut by her sharp nails and had several red bruises caused by her flame. Her nails, clothes and parts of her face were coated with blood. Her eyes turned back to normal and that was when she realized was what she had done.

She made her way back, as she had moved far away because of the fight. She wanted to check on Hadassah. Getting there she noticed that Hadassah and Waldo were gone. But the one thing that surprised her was that. Cyrus was fighting with an unknown boy. More properly, Cyrus was getting his *** kicked by unknown boy.

She was about to leave when, Cyrus aimed a punch at her but the boy save her. Or so she thought. Ashley was frozen in place. For a moment there she was about to get hit. She disappeared from the area, running as fast as she could. Why? She just felt it was the right thing to do. She picked up her bag run as fast as her could carry her. She didn't realize she was running in circles because the woods became foggy and it began to rain. She, bumped into to something and walked back.

" What was that? ", she rubs her forehead.

She looks up to see a pair of bright red eyes before her, it startled her for a moment.

" I sorry I didn't see you there. I'm lost and I'm trying to find my way to house twenty , room five. "

" Follow me ", he turned around and led her there. Through out their journey in the slightly falling rain, they were quite with not a single word falling out of their lips. After minutes of walking, Ashley saw light and she had a feeling they had entered the Raven Section.

" There ", was the only word he said. Ashley without a second thought, dashed to the door of the house and entered immediately without knocking.

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