Author's Note

Welcome to the third book in the ABC's series, if you haven't yet go back and read Beautiful Disasters and Perfect Mistakes. It'll make more sense if you do that and you won't be confused by the Original Characters in this series. R.E.R. (Read. Enjoy. Review) xoxo Paradise Eco

The ABC's of Gods & Monsters

Chapter One: A is for Amberly

It was an odd phrase to be heard while walking down the halls of the Haven's Hospital, "The sky is falling!" People screamed over and over, but Count Veger didn't let that stop him from his mission. He needed this person on his council, no matter how many people said it was crazy. He counted the doors as he passed, one and two and three and four and so on, she was behind door nineteen at the end of the hall. He motioned for his helper to follow, a small nurse who's only job was to hold the key to her cell but now she was going to be released.

The guards stood at attention as he came closer, saluting him as he grabbed the middle of his walking stick. He hated getting it dirty in a place like this but these thing did come with his job description. He motioned to the door with it, tapping the crystal part on the knob.

"Let's go, we don't have all day." He snapped at the nurse.

She fumbled with the keys. "I'm sorry," She whispered looking to the door. "Dr. Slim told me not to release her. Over a hundred people saw her attack a group of innocent people."

"That's where you're wrong my dear," Veger said pointing the staff at her. "The people this girl attacked weren't innocent. They're Eco Freaks that'll soon face their destiny in this world or the next. Our time of reckoning is at hand and we have to decide if we want to be on the losing or winning sides. So, which is it?"

The nurse swallowed and looked at the door. "Maybe, I'll get Slim to open it for you."

"Well then." Veger said looking to the guards, one of them pulling out his pistol and firing at the nurse. She fell backwards, landing with a hard thump on the ground. A single trail of blood came from her forehead wound as her eyes stared past Veger and into nothing. The other guard took the keys from her warm fingers, flipping through the set until he found the matching key.

He slid the key into the lock and turned it hearing the bolt slam out of place. Veger pushed the door open slowly and reached in on the sides, his fingers touched something soft before he was able to turn on the light. Among the things that came with the room, a bed, a table with a chair and a simple lamp, there were things that she asked for. There was a small photograph on the table in a simple frame of herself, Lena and Parker. A roll of blush coloured tap sat beside it with a set of matching blush scissors and a small ball of yarn. Clips of articles and photos litter the ground with bits of unused yarn. The room itself was a mess with miles and miles of string taped to the walls, under them were pictures of different people but the main person of her interest was Jak.

There were hundreds of pictures of him doing random things, running through the city, shooting down a Hellcat, racing through the city and walking into the Underground. A dozen of photos of Jak hugging Parker were blown up and circled red with the words: DIE written on them.

In the middle of the mess sat Amberly. She sat up straight and cut out Jak's face from the newspaper, beside her was a small length of blush yarn, a lighter, a small knife and a glass of water. She hummed as she cut, without looking up or acknowledging that someone had entered her room.

"Lena, Lena, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row." She sang as Veger came closer.

"Amberly? We've come to release you."

"Why?" She asked in a sing-song voice. "Are you planning on hanging me for the crimes of protecting the ones I once loved?"

"No." Veger said. "First, we need to get the Eco Freaks out of the city. Second, we need to save the city from the Day Star."

"What makes you think I want to help you?" She asked laying the photo of Jak neatly beside her, she picked up another page this time with the smiling photo of Lena and Parker hugging Torn -who didn't look too impressed to be in the middle of the two. "I'm perfectly fine here. Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of-"

"This bitch is crazy." The guard snapped. "There's no way-" He choked when a pair of blush scissors came flying across the room and lodged itself in his windpipe. He coughed until he fell, blood pouring from his mouth as he struggled to breath. Amberly smiled and went back to work, counting her string out to the perfect number of eight. The other guard stepped away from his dying coworker as Veger stood.

He cleared his throat. "We should go."

"Are you ready to go?" He asked holding his hand out to Amberly.

Amberly paused and looked up to him. "Oh yes, I'm excited to leave this horrible place." She said getting to her feet and taking the framed photo from her desk, she pulled another frame with Jak, Daxter and Parker in it. All around their faces were scribbled with red marker, like blood. While she packed, she sang, "Parker Drake will take an axe, and will give Daxter forty whacks. When she sees what she did, she will give Jak forty-one."

TBC...