I was choking on somethig rough and foul as it crumbled down my throat and I tried to cough. Dirt and mud. I held my breath and shut my eyes tightly. I began to panic, realizing I couldn't move I began to try and force my way up. I couldn't be sure if I was going the right way until the ground moved more easily. I struggled, as my chest began to hurt with the need to breathe. My hands moved faster, fear settling in around me as the idea of suffocating seemed more and more likely.

My hand broke free and I made the mistake of letting out a relieved breath. I coughed hard and pushed my body forward. I gasped, chest heaving as the cold air filled my lungs stinging them painfully. I looked around, pushing off the ground and pulling my body from the grave. It was pitch dark out and I took in my surroundings. A light layer of frost covered the forest floor. Thick brush surrounded me, tall trees stretching on every side of me. I looked up, unable to contain the smile having seen the stars in such a long time. It was crystal clear, and the moon stood over me, whole and glowing.

Where was I? I couldn't be sure. I vaguely remembered the fight at the factory, the fight that broke out as my brother and his friends attacked us from all sides. Finding the abandoned cabin and killing everyone in a bloodthirsty rage. I had been shot, I realized. I lifted my shirt, seeing not a single scar from the years before. The sounds of a car passed by and I followed the sound.

After stumbling through the woods I found a road leading into the city. It took me an hour to walk back to town. I couldn't take a bus, because I had no money. Nothing was open, and I didn't take long for me to realize how long I'd been in the ground. Years. There were buildings that hadn't been there since the last time I'd been in the city. Not to mention it was far larger, and it seemed busier somehow. It took me another two hours to find my way to my old house. Thankfully it was more or less vacant. I leaned against a tree, watching and wondering what happened to my family.

The last I'd been alive, there had been a war waging between the different species. I had owned this state. As the night grew later and the street darkened even more as the humans turned out their lights I moved across the street and into the back yard.

"Holy," I stared wide eyed hoping I was imagining it. I blinked, moving forward and hesitated. The house was destroyed in the back, burnt to ash. Everything was charred and the top right half of the house had collapsed. I was careful as I moved into the house, knowing it could crumble around me at any moment.

I opened the door to the basement, thankful that the entrance was on the left. The door fell off. "Ah," I said grimacing as it toppled to the ground. I took a step, and waited. Putting pressure on the step I bounced a little, making sure it didn't fall apart. "okay," I said quietly and took another careful step.

"Fuck," I swore as my gut twisted and wood caved in beneath me. Wood tumbled around me and a piece got me in the back. I pushed off the ground, eyes wide as a nail almost pierced my eye from a fallen step. I rolled, and then stood back up. I was covered in ash and dust now. It didn't matter.

My bedroom was empty, which didn't surprise me much. It was a bit of a relief, it meant my family must be okay. Or so I hoped. I picked up a crowbar and slammed it against the far side of the wall. Drywall exploded as I continued to pound against it, breaking open the hidden space behind it. Relieved I dropped it and pulled out a duffel bag and knelt on the ground.

A box with several keys, money and a cell phone were locked in the box. The cellphone worked, but it wasn't picking up any kind of service. It couldn't even tell me the actual date. I pulled the clothes from the bag, quickly stripping down and changing.

Having changed into comfortable clothing I pulled the duffel bag over my shoulder and went back upstairs and out the back door. I didn't want to stay in there any longer then necessary

I took a taxi downtown, relieved I didn't have to walk anymore. "What's the date?" I asked the cabbie as we pulled into the parking lot of a storage unit.

"August twelfth miss," I didn't ask him what year, I figured that would come off as a little unusual. I handed him the money and went to search for my storage unit. I was a little surprised to find that the building was still here. I had paid it off for five years, and when I found all of it contents still inside, I knew I couldn't have been in the ground for more then five years. I had a decent time frame, but I figured I had to have been dead for about two years, at least.

My mercedes was still parked inside, and I pulled the tarp off of it. I lifted the trunk up, and pulled the false bottom up. My weapons were still in there, along with any money and fake ID's I'd hidden in it. I didn't have any clothes here, but I hadn't expected to anyways. I went through the messages in all of the phones I had left, mostly finding pointless ones. People asking me where I was, if I was okay, some asking for help, others threatening me. One caught my attention.

"Mara, you dont know me, but I'm your sister," she sounded kind of young to me. "I was hoping we could talk or something. W-we have the same father, and I didn't know about you and Kade till last night. Dad says Kade passed away and I dont know, I feel like I want to meet you. So give me a call, if your, if you want."

She hung up, not leaving a phone number or even a name. I stared at the date the message had been received. It was two years ago. "Interesting," I muttered.

I went to a coffee shop down the street and picked up something to eat. Since nothing was open I couldn't do much, but then decided to check out one of the local clubs and find out whatever I could on the last few years. Who knows, maybe some of my old friends were still alive. Though to be honest the last time I'd seen any of them they'd all tried to kill me.

The club looked exactly the same as I had last seen it. Hidden and off to the side of a string of bars and other sketchy clubs. People stared, but I had expected that. Everyone had probably figured out what happened to me. The bouncer just stared at me, "can I help you?" I asked not liking the weird look he was giving me. He stepped aside, and I entered the club.

I got more stares as I went to order my drink. The music was loud, and I felt my heart pound to the rhythm. "You should be dead," a voice said coldly. I turned, seeing Jackson. He had been trying to take me out for years, I wonder if anyone even knew what really had happened to me.

"Should I now?" I retorted, raising one eyebrow in an unimpressed way. He narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward.

"As I recall, you were dead. We know you were, it wasn't too hard to find out when no one knew what happened to you," he said displeased.

"Demons lie," was all I said.

"Why are you here Mara?"

"Because I can be," I said curtly, unperturbed with his tone. "I want some information."

He gave me a calculating look, as if he could get all of the answers he wanted by giving me the stink eye. Jackson was like a spider, not a problem, unless you leave them alone and let them slip beneath the cracks. "What kind?" he asked, finally relenting when he realized I wouldn't leave until I got it.

"Lets talk somewhere private, shall we?"

We were seated in a backroom, kicking out everyone else in there. It was hot, and reeked of pot. Smoke filled the air and I couldn't help but feel disgusted. "Didn't know you would start entertaining humans."

"Didn't know you were going to stroll out of hell a few decades early."

"Dont be rude," I said amused, "what have I missed?"

"Since you've died," I nodded once, finishing off my drink.

We'd lost the war, demons ran the show now, and we took orders from someone called Lilith. I wasn't happy when he told me that. My friends had gone into hiding when the war ended and Lilith took over, the ones who had still been alive at the time. He told me about LIlith's plan to let Lucifer out of hell and destroy the planet. It wasn't information many people had, but seeing as he controlled several cities he had a lot of the big league info. Nate and Adam were still alive, everyone else had died off.

"What happened to the house, the fire I mean," I said and he shifted uncomfortably.

"When Lilith realized you held so much control she was worried your family might've been involved your rule. She killed them," he said simply. "The fire was set up to look like an accident and cover up how they had actually died."

"When is she planning on opening the door?" I asked, deciding not to bother asking more questions about the fire. I couldn't stand the thought of my family burning, despite how little I cared for them.

"In a few months, you know she'll try and do it as soon as possible once she hears your back, you already know she'll hunt you."

"You say it like I'm not used to homicidal nutjobs trying to kill me."

"Your a homicidal nutjob," he pointed out.

"Exactly. Do you know where I can find her?" he shook his head. He told me whatever he thought was important and by the time I finally left the club it was dawn. As I walked down the street, the sun peeking over the horizon, I couldn't help but think back to the phone message I'd been left. My curiousity had been sparked. I wondered if Lilith of someone else had taken her out. I wouldn't think so, considering no one found the false wall I'd installed. The only way anyone would know about her, is if she had gone looking for me. But over the phone she had made it sound like if I didn't look for her, she wouldn't look for me. Maybe she was scared.

Either way, it was time to find my sister.