AUTHOR'S NOTE

Okay, wow. I'm really excited about this chapter. As of right now, I've received only one review, but it was enough to motivate me to post chapter 2. A big thanks to Magical girl4 for the review. I really appreciate it. Anyway, please enjoy Chapter 2! The beginning is a bit weird, but trust me, it's central to the plot.

The Fall

Chapter 2

1885

A young girl is sitting inside a carriage, which is rolling down a cobblestone street. She stares out at the buildings which are slowly passing the window. Her white bangs begin to cover her eyes, so she blows air up toward them in an attempt to move them. It does no good, so she moves them with her hand. Her white eyes are beautiful and full of life and spirit. She glances over at her mother who is reading a book. Her mother looks up at the girl, then returns to her book. She begins to speak.

"Claire, my child. Your behavior just now was unacceptable. Your actions were highly inappropriate, and I'm ashamed of you," says mother without looking up from her book. Claire rolls her eyes at her mother and looks away.

"Mother, you can't expect me not to react when you tell me I'm to be should be ashamed of yourself for trying to contain a young girl's spirit. I'm only 14, I shouldn't have to worry about marriage until I'm at least 18," says Claire. "I miss father sometimes. He never tried to chain me down." Claire's mother shuts her book quickly and glares at her.

"Your father is no longer with us, so how he would have raised you matters not. Aside from that, he was a man, and you are a young woman. You will behave as such while you bear my name," says mother. "Claire, I love you dearly. But as you said, you're 14. You're no longer a child. You will not behave like one."

Claire rolls her eyes and continues to stare out the window. She knows on some level that her mother is right about her behavior. But she can't bring herself to listen. She wishes to stay a child forever, and have people love her and her beauty until the end of days. Sadly, such a thing isn't possible. Everyone grows up eventually. All beauty fades and gives way to age.

Claire closes her eyes and begins to wonder what she might look like in the future. The image she sees horrifies her. She opens her eyes and gasps. She sees a small white creature with piercing red eyes staring at her as the carriage passes a small vendor. Their eyes connect. Time seems to slow down as they stare at one another.

Time speeds up again and the carriage passes the vendor. Their eye contact breaks as it rolls down the street. Claire's mother looks up at her, a concerned look on her face, and asks Claire if she is well. Claire looks at her mother, swallows, and nods.

PRESENT DAY

Jackie looks up at the clock, counting the seconds until the final bell of the day rings, releasing her from her lessons. Finally, the second hand strikes the 12 and the bell rings throughout the hallways of the school building. She gathers her things and waits for her classmates to leave. When she and her teacher, Mr. James, are the only ones left, she rushes toward the door, but is stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turns around to see that it is her teacher. He smiles warmly at her.

"It's today, isn't it?" he asks Jackie.

"Yes, sir. I'm actually about to head to the gravesite," she says in reply, not making direct eye contact with him.

"Say hello to her for me," he says. He pats her back and walks toward his desk. Jackie considers him for a moment, then leaves the classroom, bound for the graveyard.

While on her way, she passes a florist and decides to purchase a few flowers to place on the grave.

The rest of the walk to the graveyard doesn't take long, 15 minutes at most. She says a quick hello to the groundskeeper and heads to her sister's grave. When she reaches it, she sees that someone else has placed flowers. She assumes that one of Eruca's friends must have visited earlier, and thinks nothing of it. She places the flowers she bought next to the ones which were already there, and sits down on the grass in front of the grave.

It then occurs to her that her father isn't here. She pulls the note from this morning out to examine it. He said he would be here to meet her, so she is surprised. She removes her phone from her schoolbag and sends him a short text asking where he is. She waits a few minutes and receives no reply. She looks at Eruca's grave then at her phone. She decides to wait for him a few more moments, then she'll head home.

Jackie decides that while she's waiting, she'll speak to Eruca for a few moments. It usually comforts her. She looks over at Eruca's headstone and falls over out of fear. She sees on top of the headstone some sort of white fox-like creature. It has long ears that lay behind it with a golden ring around each. It has piercing red eyes, which glimmer in the light. It is sitting casually, and looks at her with its head cocked to one side.

"You seem to be troubled by something. Perhaps I can help?" says the creature. Jackie does a double take, and begins to wonder if she's imagining the creature, and if she's imagining the voice that she's hearing. "My name is Kyuubey. It's nice to meet you, Jackie." She knows she's not imagining it now.

"What are you? Why are you speaking to me? Why are you able to speak at all? And how do you know my name?" Jackie asks, the fear she's feeling showing in her voice.

"I'm a creature with the ability to grant wishes. Any wish you might have, in fact," says Kyuubey.

"You… grant wishes?" says Jackie, her fear being replaced by curiosity.

"Yes. Or miracles, some might say. But unfortunately, all miracles come with a cost. And the cost for the miracles I give is high. Are you interested?" asks Kyuubey. He jumps off the headstone and approaches Jackie. He crosses Eruca's grave.

Jackie considers the creature for a moment, and the words it's saying to her. She could have any wish or miracle that she desires granted. But it would come at a price. Her curiosity is piqued.

"What's the price?" she asks.

"There exist in this world evil creatures called witches. They hunt and consume humans and their souls. You would have to spend the remainder of your life combatting them. But they are powerful, and you would be risking your life each time you step into battle," says Kyuubey, his voice unfaltering.

Jackie is taken aback by what Kyuubey says. She would have to risk her life? All for the sake of a miracle? It doesn't sound like a good deal. Unless…

"You could grant any wish? Could you help me find out the truth behind my sister's death?" Jackie asks, hopeful.

"If that is what you desire, then yes. Would you trade a life of combat for such a wish?" asks Kyuubey. Jackie thinks on it for a moment. She's not sure if she's willing to trade her entire life for it, even if Kyuubey's deal would find out the truth whereas she couldn't, not without years more of effort. However, she won't give up hope of finding out what really happened.

"Kyuubey, your deal would probably benefit me in the long run. But I just can't give up my life for it. Not when there's still a chance I can find out the truth on my own," Jackie says as she rises from the ground.

"I see. I wish there could be a different outcome than this, but if that's your decision, I'll respect it," says Kyuubey. He walks toward a small set of trees near Eruca's grave. "If you ever decide to fight for your sister, let me know." He disappears into the trees.

Jackie decides that she has had enough excitement for one day. She gathers her things and heads for the entrance to the graveyard. She then remembers that her father never showed up, so she checks her phone to see if he replied to her text. He still hasn't. Suddenly, she feels a raindrop on her hand. She decides to head home before the coming storm opens up over the city.

ELSEWHERE, A FEW MOMENTS AGO

Jackie's teacher returns to his desk. He decides to do a bit of grading before he heads home, so that he doesn't fall behind. Procrastination is a habit of his, so he feels proud of himself for taking the initiative. Suddenly, he hears a knock on his classroom door. He looks up and sees a young girl standing in the doorway. She has long white hair, including her bangs which somewhat cover her eyes. She is wearing a beautiful white dress.

"Excuse me sir, but are you Mr. James?" says the girl. She has a wicked smile on her face.

"Yes, I am. Who might you be young lady? Are you a new student?" asks Mr. James, organizing the many scattered papers on his desk.

"Oh no, nothing of the sort," she says as she enters the classroom. She rubs one of her fingers across the surface of one of the desks. She raises her hand and examines the finger. "This place is quite quaint, isn't it? Though, it's a bit filthy for my liking." Mr. James is taken aback by the rudeness of this comment. He rises from his desk and approaches the girl.

"Young lady, that comment was very rude. I'd like an apology. And after that, we'll take you to the principal's office. He can contact your parents to come and collect you. I don't like the idea of you wandering around alone after hours, let alone in the school," he says as he nears her. Her smile widens. She turns her finger toward Mr. James and uses it to prod him in the chest. He is forced across the classroom and into a wall. He falls from the wall and lands on his stomach.

"I have a name, James, and it isn't young lady," she says as she approaches him. She flips him onto his back, grabs the collar of his button-up dress shirt and raises him into the air, all with one hand. His feet leave the floor. She pushes him into the wall. "It's Claire," she says. She uses her free hand to move her bangs so her eyes can be seen. Mr. James looks into them, and feels an emptiness in his heart, something unlike any pain he had experienced before. "Now, you're going to give me some information on one of your students, a girl named Jackie. If you don't cooperate with me, I'll have no other choice but to use force…"

Screams and cries of pain and agony radiate throughout the school building.

PRESENT

Jackie inserts her key into the hole and unlocks her front door. Her father's car is parked in front of their garage, which means he is home. She becomes agitated that he left her alone at the gravesite. He had never behaved like this before, so her anger is quickly replaced by concern. She enters her house and yells that she is back.

She hears a rustle in her living room. She walks into the kitchen and places her things on the table, then walks into the living room. The sight that greets her is horibble.

Her mother and father lay on the floor, giant wounds across both her father's chest, and her mother's stomach. At first glance, they appear dead. Blood is scattered about the room, covering everything. The walls, the furniture, the appliances, Jackie falls to the floor and screams. She crawls to her mother, still screaming. She checks her for a pulse. She does the same to her father. Both have a pulse though weak. She begins to weep uncontrollably, when she hears another noise. She looks up and sees Kyuubey sitting on her family's coffee table.

"So, would you like to make a deal now?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please R&R and all that jazz! Thanks~