Tyler was enjoying the cool night air on his walk home.  He loved the crisp air as well as the quiet.  Living in a small Irish village, there were never very many people out at midnight.  The village was rather quiet, as it was, but the nights were especially peaceful, and that's why he chose to continue living there.

  His walk home always took him passed the high school, and this often made him think of that particular difference between him and the other students.  Almost every student that graduated from that high school left the village, as soon as they could, for someplace, anyplace, more exciting.  Most people under the age of 25 considered the village dead, but Tyler had a different point of view.

  The day after graduation was traditionally a day of leaving, as the students had their plans for a future anywhere but there and could not wait to be on their way.  Last year, the leaving for Tyler, however, was merely a small move from his parent's house to a modest apartment on the other side of town.

  He would always look into the windows of the school, from a distance, as he walked by, or at least he would try to look through them.  Since it was night, and the school's lights were out, it was impossible to see into them unless he had his nose to the glass, and even then, he could discern only slight variations of light and dark.

  The only exceptions to this were the windows of the main hall and band room.  Those two parts of the school had windows on opposite sides that allowed a clear line of vision all the way through, and at night he could see the light from the street lamps along the road that ran parallel to the length of the school.  This typically was nothing of significance, as there was usually nothing of significance to be seen within or without, but as he passed that night and glanced through the band room window, he noticed something move.

  He paused to give it greater attention.  After a few seconds, he saw what appeared to be the top of someone's head raise into view and then lower again.  Tyler peered intently into the window as he walked closer to it.  He saw another brief movement of the silhouette and was almost hesitant to even consider the possibility of some person having broken into the school.

  As with any small community, word travels fast, but this was a small community that was also very close and proud of itself... except, of course, for those members who wanted to leave as soon a possible.  About six years before, someone broke into the school and stole a film projector.  It was reported the morning after, and before the day was through, the thief was found and the projector was returned.

  After that singular incident, it was pretty much accepted by everyone that any the prospect of getting away with a crime in that village was an act of futility.  The school never suffered since, and the impression of the incident was further noticed by a significant decrease in crime in general.  Tyler could hardly believe that anyone would attempt to break into the school.

  As he drew closer, he began to move diagonally so that he would not be directly in front of the window.  He pressed himself against the outer wall and carefully moved his head to the window.  His suspicion was confirmed as he watched the movements of a dimly lit, though still distinct, human form inside the school's band room.

  It appeared to be a female, but her actions did not seem to be that of a thief.  He watched her squatting behind a desk, bobbing up then down every few seconds to peer over it, as if she were hiding.  Her movements were quick and nervous.  After a short time, she seemed to calm down some.

  She sat on the floor and leaned sideways against the desk.  She appeared somewhat relieved as she sat still except for the small motion of her head and the front of her torso, indicating that she was breathing deeply.

  Suddenly she moved from her lounging position.  She raised her hands to the sides of her head and then folded her legs beneath her.  Resting on her knees and feet, she began to slowly move back and forth a little.  He noticed the expression on her face change.  Her eyes squinted and her teeth showed.  She seemed to be in pain.  He then heard the quiet start of a continuous wailing.  He could barely hear it at first, but every few seconds it slightly increased in volume.

  Tyler was snapped out of his trance by the realization that she was, indeed, a person in pain, and that he should help her.  He searched the window for some kind of lip that would allow him to lift it, but he found nothing.  He put his palms flat against the glass, pressing inward and upward, but the window did not move.  It was apparently locked.  He was hoping it was not, since they occasionally left them unlocked, but not this night.

  How did she get in, he asked himself.  He had seen nothing of her as he approached the building from further down the street, and it seemed she had likely entered at pretty much the same time as he came about, so she must have entered from somewhere on the other side of the building.  He looked across the room to the opposite window.  It appeared closed.

  Her wailing made a sudden jump to a higher volume.  He could very clearly hear her through the glass.  He had to find a way in.  He started sprinting down to the closest end of the building.  He rounded the corner and headed for the door there.  He tried the knob, but it was secure.

  He ran around the other corner to back side of the school.  This side was a little more lit, and he paused to look to see if anyone was around.   Since she did seem to be hiding, he wanted to be wary of any danger present.  He saw nothing, so he ran sprinted to the other window to the band room.

  He could once again hear her wailing, and it had gotten even louder than last her heard, also, it was now occasionally broken by a sob.  That window not having any lip either, he immediately tried pushing it up with his palms.  To his own relief, it moved a little right away, and with some effort, he had managed to push it all the way up.

  If she did indeed enter through this window, she must have closed it right after, which, he then thought, was and obviously intelligent move.  Hands now on the sill, he pointed his head inward and jumped.

  He had conflicting thoughts about the possibility of being seen.  If he was seen by a person of the community, as unlikely as that was, then officials would be along quickly, which would be a good thing, since she was in trouble.  On the other hand, if someone dangerous was, in fact, out there, he might be telling them exactly where to look.

  All this was, of course, irrelevant as he was already half way through the window.  He, none too gracefully, finished worming his way through the portal, and after stumbling down from the low shelf beneath it, he was on his way to her.  He came up from behind and squatted beside her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

  "Hey," he said.  "What's wrong?"  He was almost shouting, himself, but she only continued moving in her agony, oblivious to him.  "Hey," he said again, then started to shake her intermittently.  It had no effect.  He moved around to face her from the front, and he shook her again then put his hands on her cheeks.  He held her still by her face, and this time did shout, "Hey!"

  She opened her eyes in surprise.  Her crying out dropped instantly to a very quiet and broken groan, and her expression made a quick transition from fear to confusion.   "What's wrong," he asked.  She said nothing, and a moment later began to sob, though that rapidly changed back crying out.  Her face tightened further, then she buckled over at the waste, and she let out a very loud and agonizing cry, that bordered on a scream, before passing out and collapsing fully to the floor.

  His right hand still on her left shoulder, he shook her a little.  There was no reaction.  She was definitely out, and he was unsure how to proceed.  He knew nothing of her or her danger.  If someone was after her and nearby, they surely would have heard her and most likely have arrived already, but since no one had shown up yet, it seemed she was in no immediate danger.  If he went for help, then news of her would quickly spread, even at this time of night, and being in the presence of others was still no assurance that she would be safe from anyone after her.

  Staying low, he moved to the front window and raised enough to peek out to see if anyone was out there.  He saw no one in front, so he moved to the back window.  He looked longer out that window at the expanse of the back field and especially the small line of trees along part of the field's edge nearest the school.  He saw nothing.

  He decided that, for now, it was probably best to stay in the school, but that he should tend to her as best he could.  He moved back to her and carefully picked her up in his arms.  Exiting the band room, he headed for the men's bathroom.

  Another benefit of town pride, he thought to himself, was that the bathrooms were actually clean.  He gently laid her down, then took off his jacket to fold and place under her head.

  He tore a length of paper towel from the dispenser, wet it under the tap and squeezed only some of the water out.  He shook drops from his hands as he went back to her and wiped her face with the towel.  Her skin was very warm through the rapidly diminishing coolness of the wet paper.  He folded the towel, placed it across her forehead, then just sat looking at her.

  She had a strikingly beautiful face.  Her lips were full, and her unblemished skin would be creamy if it were not flushed pink by her temperature.  Her stark black hair was long and straight.  Her body was lean and curvaceous.  Even in her current state, he had no doubts that she was the most beautiful female he'd ever seen, in real life or otherwise.

  The only thing keeping him from becoming entranced by her astounding beauty was the oddity of her clothes.  She wore a blue dress that looked out of date by a couple of centuries, though still a dress that revealed her general figure.

  He guessed that, in its time, the dress would likely have been owned by someone of moderate wealth, for though somewhat elegant, it still bore a simplicity.  He could not identify the material, as he was a person most content with modern denim and cotton, but the dress looked very worn, with slight general fading, portions nearing a threadbare state, and a small rip here and there.

  Out from the hem of the long dress, he saw that her bare feet had a fare amount of dirt and mud on them.  He re-cooled the towel with water, dabbed her face, and placed the towel once again on her forehead.  He looked at her face for a moment, and seeing no obvious sign of her possibly waking any time soon, as well as him having nothing else to do, he decided to wash her feet off for her.

  He soaked a greater length paper and carried it, along with a dry length, back to her and knelt at her feet.  One at a time, he lifted each foot and wiped away the moist and dry dirt from their tops and bottoms.  As the bottoms of her feet were revealed more clearly, the noticed that the flesh there was very tough compared to the rest of her flesh, which was quite soft, if the skin of the tops of her feet were any indication of the rest of her body's softness.

  Granted, he could see only her face, hands, and from just above her ankles down, but they were all quite soft.  It seemed that she had spent much of her life barefoot.  An utterly beautiful and virtually flawless female with very abraded foot bottoms and who was wearing a possibly centuries old dress.  She was quite a curiosity.

  After finishing with her feet, he just sat at her left, leaned against the bathroom wall, and just watched her.  He watched her for signs of waking and he watched her beauty exist.  Having never looked away from her, he knew she remained motionless, apart form her breathing, for what he could only guess had been about 30 minutes until she finally began to stir.

  First was the small side to side motion of her head, then he heard the soft and brief moans.  He instantly leaned forward to her, watching more closely, for a few seconds, then placed a hand on her right cheek.  He stroked slowly as he spoke softly.

  "Hey."  The word of the day, apparently.  "Are you okay?  Wake up. "  She stirred a bit more.  He increased his volume somewhat.  "Hey.  Wake up."  With his other hand, he lightly shook her left shoulder.  "Wake up."

  She was waking up more.  Her eyes repeatedly barely opened then closed again.  Her moaning changed to brief hard sounds.  He slid his left hand around to the base of her skull, and he carefully pulled her up to a half sitting position, causing the now dried towel to fall from her forehead.

  "Wake up, now.  Come on," he spoke in a normal voice as he patted her right cheek.

  She opened her eyes and saw him for only a second before gasping in fear and thrusting herself backwards.  She quickly and clumsily pushed herself, in a crawling manner, away from him until she slammed herself against the wall.  He winced at the sound of her skull hitting the porcelain wall tiles.

  She made a small sound of pain and immediately put her right palm to the back of her head.  Her face tightened and she sucked in air through her teeth.  Her eyes were closed and she was facing her lap as he moved towards her to help.

  "It's okay.  You're safe," he said, touching her left shoulder.

  She quickly opened her eyes to him, thrust out her left arm straight, lightly impacting his chest, and shouted, "Away, fiend!"  It was apparent her strike was not meant to cause much physical harm, because he was barely moved by it.  He just looked at her as she looked confused at her hand then at him.  She faced her palm towards him again and pushed into the air a few centimeters.  She looked at him then started to quickly feel his face and down across his chest.  "You're a human," she said, quite surprised with the fact.

  Taken aback for a moment by the comment, he finally said, "Yes.  What else would I be?"

  "I'm still here.  I'm truly still here."  He noticed she had an accent thicker than normal for this area.  It was an old accent.  She smiled then began to stand.  "Oh, I can hardly believe it."  She quickly turned about the room, looking with excited eyes at her surroundings.  Then suddenly looking confused again, she felt the walls and the touched the sink.  Looking again at him, she said, "What strange room might this be then?"

  "It's a bathroom."

  She looked around again.  Walking to the stalls, she briefly inspected them before pushing open a door and looking in.  She then looked at him.  "Surely you do na bathe in that."

  "Um, no.  That's... for something else."

  She looked at it again for a moment, then back at him, "Oh, I see.  You sit on them and... yes.  And what of these?"  She waved towards the urinals.

  He was quickly trying to think of a way to explain them sufficiently while remaining tactful.  "We are in the men's bathroom, and those are so we can remain, um, standing."

  "Well, that is wonderful."  She moved towards him and ran her fingers across his clothes.  He wore denim jeans, a T-shirt, and a black leather jacket.  "You have such strange clothes, and this is such a strange place.  Tell me, good sir, am I still in Ireland?"  Before he could speak, she continued.  "You do sound Irish to me, but these are surroundings the likes of which I have never before seen."

  She looked around again, not looking at anything in particular, until her eyes fell upon the bathroom mirror above the sink.  She got a serious look on her face as she took the few steps to stand close to it.  She looked intently at herself and touched her face lightly.

  "It feels like I have been away for quite some time, forever, in fact, but still I look exactly the same as when...."  Her voice just trailed off and she appeared sad at the apparent surfacing of some memory.

  "This is Ireland.  The year is 2000."

  She glanced at him in the mirror then quickly turned to face him.  With a voice of surprise, she said, "2000?  You wouldna be lying to me, now, would you?  Surely it hasna been so long."  She paced about the room speaking as much to herself as to him as she tried to sort some things out.

  "'Twas only 1803 when I....  I was so vane.  So vane, and cared for nothing or no one else more than my own face.  I would sit for hours before the mirror, so blind and deaf to the world... to Mary.  Dear Mary, I'm so sorry.  I dinna hear her screams."  She looked at him and rushed towards him almost frantically and held his shoulders.

  "She was outside alone, and there was a wolf.  She screamed and screamed, but I couldna hear her.  I couldna hear because I dinna care about her; only myself."  She appeared almost on the verge of tears as she continued.

  "The wolf tore her small body to pieces, and I dinna care enough to know, even though it was right outside me own window.  'Twas Mother an Da that found poor Mary when they returned from the market."  She turned hard away from him, and shed a few tears as she spoke.

  "They rushed into my room, and I was just sitting in front of my mirror; combing me hair and humming with a smile on me face."  She finally broke down and began to weep.

  "I never knew.  I never knew."  He move close and wrapped his arms around her.  "Oh, Mary, I'm so sorry."

  He was never very good with consolations, but he felt he should say something.  "Shhh.  It's over.  I was almost two centuries ago.  It's in the past.

  "I seems like it has been so long, but the look on me parent's faces, and the site of Mary is still so clear to me.  And oh, the memory of her death. "  She looked straight in the eyes.

  "God punished me for my vanity.  I ran to touch Mary's cold face, and I felt her die.  I felt her terror, her pain.  I heard her agonizing screams.  I saw, through her eyes, everything that happened as if it had happen to me own self, but I dinna have the mercy of death.  I lived to see it again and again in my memory every time I closed me eyes."

  She paused a moment, breaking the stare.  She released him, and slowly turned away, once again half in her own mind.  "And then one day, everything was very strange.  For the first time in weeks, I had slept a whole night without horrible dreams, and when I awoke... everyone was gone.  I ran through the house, but my parent's were nowhere.  There were no animals.

  "I ran towards the market, and it was gone.  There was nothing but the land, and when I ran back to my house, it too was no longer there.  I wandered for days, just searching for people; anyone.  Any animal or sign of human life.  There was none, and I no longer knew where I was.

  "It was later that I saw the demons.  But I dinna see them.  They were there but not.  Like living shadows, they were.  But I could feel them touching me if I let them get too close."  She looked back at him.

  "One night, one of the shadows took me, not that there was ever day anymore.  It was always night.  One of the shadows wrapped around me, and I would then find myself a short distance from someone.  There would always be just one person, alone.

  "I would see them, and I would go to them.  They would look at me, and the moment I saw their eyes, that is when it would start.  The death and the pain.  The terror.  But not Mary's.  It would be that person I saw.  That particular person, and I would see them dying in some horrible way.  The pain would be agonizing to the point that all I could do was scream.

  "I would scream for what felt like hours, and when the vision and pain would finally cease, I would once again be alone.  Alone until the next time it happened.  For the sin of my vanity at the cost of my dear sister's life, I was damned to bear the pain of those who would die in agony."

  He was about to say something, but she cut him off before he could begin.  "But this time was different.  The demon found me, and I appeared in an area of grass behind a number of small buildings.  I looked around, but I saw no one.  I walked around, but there wasna a person to be found.

  "I heard the faint sound of the shadows whispering around me.  I thrust out my hand, I know no not why, since I had never had any power against them before, but still I did this, and 'twas as if the shadows were solid creatures.  There was a small flash of light from my hand, and then I heard the shadows cry out.

  "They fled briefly, but quickly returned, so I ran.  I ran to the buildings to hide, but could not find an opening.  I ran across the hard path beneath the bright candles high above."   He guessed she was referring to the street and street lamps in the distance behind the school.

  "I ran to a large building and was able to open one of the strange upward-sliding windows.  The shadows were almost upon me, so I thrust the widow closed, and to my fortune, they were unable to enter.  'Twas very strange what happened next.

  "I still dinna see a soul, yet I began to feel someone's pain, but differently.  It began softly, and then grew until there was the agony.  There was soon blackness, and then I awoke in this room... with you."  A look of dread suddenly spread across her face.  "Maybe it was you whose death I saw."

  He might have reacted differently, in a different situation, at hearing such a thing, but he remained silent and just let her continue after a short pause.  "I canna be sure, though.  For some reason, the person's face was unclear to me.  Nothing was clear but the pain, but you are the only person I have seen since I appeared.  What is your name, good sir?"

  "Tyler," he replied.

  She grabbed his shoulders firmly, looked intently into his eyes, and spoke very seriously.  "Take care and heed, good Tyler, for you may die this very night.  I canna be sure, but this night could be your last."

  "Okay.  I'll be careful.  What's your name?"

  "My name?"  She stared a moment, searching her memory, then looked away, releasing him.  "My name.  I canna remember.  So many things I canna remember about myself.  Only the pain.  'Tis my damnation to bear the pain of death."  She rushed to look into the mirror again.  She touched her face.  "And the reminder of what began it all.  I was so foolish."

  "What are you going to do, now," Tyler asked, breaking her out of her trance.

  She turned to look at him, but she was at a loss.  "I do na know.  This hasna ever happened before.  I do na know what to expect, but I seem to be safe within this building."

  He waited a moment for her to continue, but she said nothing.  "But you can't stay here.  This is a school.  Come morning you will be forced to leave."

  "Oh, morning.  I havena seen the sun in so long.  I'll wait here til morning, an' then maybe the shadows will be powerless."

  "I don't know.  I don't think it would be a good idea to stay here all night.  You could get into trouble with the people as well.  You, we both, broke into this school.  We could get arrested, then you would be trapped in prison."

  "Would be better to be in prison here than to go back to that... world of shadows.  I canna leave, Tyler."

  "I'll help you."  He said, moving to her.  He put his hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him.  "You said you were able to fight them."  He grabbed her hand and held it in front of her.  "I live a short distance from here.  If they can't enter buildings, then you can hide in my apartment and be free to stay there as long as you wish.  We can run there, and if any shadows try to catch you, then just keep forcing them away."

  She shook her head slightly.  "I do na know, Tyler.  I do na know."

  "It really is a rather short distance.  You can even see my home from here. Come look."  He headed towards the bathroom door.  He pushed it open, and heard her gasp.  He looked back to see her stiff with fear and uncertainty, looking at the half open door as if it were a portal to hell.  He walked back to her.  "Don't worry.  They can't get inside, remember?.  You just have to look out of the window.  It will stay closed.  You don't have to worry."

  She began to move forward with his gentle guidance.  He lead her out of the bathroom, turning off the light as he left, and into the main hallway.  The light going out made her flinch, and she managed to get out, "How...?" but the question left her thoughts when she saw the ends of the hallway.  Both ends were walls of glass with a metal door in each.  She glanced fearfully back and forth between them, and he could feel her shaking.  He opened a door on the other side of the hall and lead her once again into the band room.  She immediately looked at the window they had entered.

  "It's alright," he said and directed her towards the other window.  "This way."  They both approached the window.  He waited a moment to let her get a bit more comfortable being near it, then he spoke while pointing outward.  "See down that direction?  That tall building just there.  That's where I live."  It was a two story apartment building about a block and a half away.  "It's the one with the lights around it.  They might even help keep the shadows back."

  She said nothing for a moment, but then looked at him, "That small keep is your own?"

  "Well, it's actually a number of small dwellings within a single building."

  "How strange."  After a pause she continued.  "Do you truly think we can succeed, Tyler?  I do na know what danger the shadows might be to you."

  "I'm willing to take the risk."

  She looked at him with concerned eyes.  "But Tyler, I-"

  He cut her off, saying, "Don't worry about it.  You can fight them.  I trust that you can."  He waited a few seconds, but she said nothing.  "We can go back out the window and start running right away.  If you hear or see any shadows around, then you hit them with your light, and we will just keep running."  He waited for her response.

  "If you think it will work, then I'll try it.  If you think 'tis for the best."

  "I do."  He guided her back to the other window.  While it would have been faster to exit the nearer window, he thought it best to leave the school as he had found it.  Since he would not be able to lock the window after leaving, it would be okay to leave the other one unlocked, since it had apparently been unlocked to begin with.  "Come on."  He walked with her to the other window and looked out.  "Do you see or hear anything, right now?"

  "No.  I hear nothing.  I see nothing."

  "Good.  I think it would be better if you went out first.  If they do come, then you can keep them back while I'm still coming out of the window, since we do not know if they can hurt me or not, and it will give me time to close the window again."

  She thought a moment.  "Yes.  Very well."

  He pushed the window up then helped her climb out.  After she was out, he followed and pulled the window down.  He said, "Okay, let's go,"  and pointed towards the end of the building.  They both started to run, with her in front.  They got a few steps, then suddenly Tyler cried out.

  She gasped and turned to see him flying backwards, as if thrown, then hit the ground.  She could see a group of shadows flying about him, then they rushed towards her.  "No," she shouted as she thrust out her hand.  Her arm extended just as they were about to be upon her.  At the contact, a bright flash appeared from her palm, and she heard the shadows' low shriek before they faded away from her.  She looked around and saw they were gone, then she ran to Tyler, who was sitting up.

  "Are you well, Tyler?" She knelt beside him trying to help him up.

  "Yeah.  It felt weird.  It started to hurt a little, then it left."

  "As must we.  Get up, Tyler.  Hurry, before they return."

  "I couldn't see them," he said as he picked himself up.  He saw her look forward in fear, but he saw nothing.  He watched her put up her hand again.  She did it again away from them to her side.  Apparently only she could see these shadowy demons, though he did feel them when they had grabbed him.

  She said, "Come now," and then they both stood and started running again.  As they passed the corner of the school, they were both taken by surprise by a shadow that leaped from behind the wall, crashing into Tyler's side, sending him once again flying to the ground.

  She was shocked when she saw that this shadow was roughly shaped like a wolf as it wrestled with Tyler.  She was about to run to help, when more shadows rushed to her from other directions.  She banished two of them, but she was not quick enough to take care of them all.  They swirled around her body.  It was as if she were tied.  She could not move her legs and arms.

  "No!  Go away and leave me be!"  Surprisingly, she had still not returned to the other world.  She was a little confused, but then she heard Tyler cry out.  She looked to see him still wrestling with the wolf-shaped shadow.  "Get away from him!  Stop it!"

  Tyler could feel the creature, but he could see nothing.  He felt claws scratching him.  It seemed to him as if he were fighting with some kind of dog, but this creature had no fur and it was cold to the touch.

  He tried to visualize himself fighting a dog, and he was able to keep what seemed to be the head from biting his face, but the paws were still tearing at his jacket and chest.  He thrust one knee upward and felt impact, but it seemed to have no effect.

  He maneuvered the outer edge of his left hand under the neck of the creature and his right knee to the side of what seemed to be the creature's hindquarters.  With a great heave, he managed to throw the creature off and roll himself over.  As quickly as he could, he stood and began to run towards her.  She seemed to be just standing in place.  Why?

  Suddenly he felt a very heavy impact on his back, and he fell hard forward.  Hitting the ground almost knocked the wind out of him.  He felt a weight on his back greater than what he had felt on his front, and it seemed the weight was actually increasing.  He tried to push himself up, but the weight was too great.  He was pinned.

  Her eyes were wide at having seen this shadow wolf grow to almost three times its original size.  It was laying on top of Tyler and staring at her.  "Get off of him," she yelled with a mixture of anger and fear.

  There was a space of almost five paces between she and the large wolf.  Suddenly three more shadows flew in to fill that space.  They moved continuously in the air in front of her.  Then she started to hear whispers.  They were unintelligible at first; little more than a sound like brushing leaves.

  She soon began to hear an occasional word, then more, but still nothing that made sense.  "If you have something t'say to me, then do so.  I've heard you speak before."  The wolf shadow growled at her then was silent again.

  "...must come back with us, Archa...."  The sentence faded in then out again, not letting her hear all of it.  "...long with us to feel the pai...."

  "What are you saying?  I canna understand you."

  "...pay for your vanity."   They were beginning to speak more clearly.  "You killed her, Archan...."

  "I dinna kill anyone."

  "You killed Mary."  "...pay for your vanity."

  "No.  I dinna kill my sister.  The wolf killed her. Not me."

  "You killed Mary."

  She began to cry, "No."  Her voice changed to a normal tone as she spoke as much to herself as to them and began to sob.  "I dinna kill her.  I dinna."

  Tyler was watching and hearing her.  She was apparently talking to the shadows.  Based on what she was saying, it seemed to him they were trying to convince her that she was responsible for her sister's death, and from the way she had begun to break down, it looked like she was in danger of it working.  He could not move, but he had to do something.  He had to snap her out of it.

  "You didn't kill your sister," he shouted to her.  "The wolf did it.  You didn't help her, but you paid for that."  He then felt a giant paw push down his head.  He managed to turn his face to the side before his nose was buried in the dirt.

  "You must come back with us," the shadows said.

  "I do na want to go back," she cried out again, shaking her head.  "I do na ever want to go back."

  Tyler began to understand what was happening.  He spoke up again.  "You don't have to go back.  Vanity was your sin, and you paid for it.  You're done paying for it.  Don't you see?"  He felt the paw batting at him again.

  It was unable to muzzle him, though it did make it a little more difficult to speak.  Still, he continued despite this minor assault.  "They have you here, but they are unable to bring you back on their own.  You have to want to go back before they can take you.  Do you understand?"

  "I do na want to go back, Tyler, but they are still here."

  "You must pay for your vanity, Archangelina," the shadows continued.  "You must feel her pain."

  She was suddenly quiet when she heard the name they called her.  Was that actually her name?  It did not sound right.  No one would have named their child that, especially not her parents.  "What is my name," she asked the shadows.

  "You must pay, Archangelina."  "Suffer the pain of the death of others."  This was their only response.

  "My name is not Archangelina.  My parents wouldna have named me that.  Tell me my real name, damn you!"

  "You killed her and must suffer, Archangelina."

  "Silence," she shouted, then began to cry again.

  Once again, things were becoming clearer to Tyler.  "It's not your name," he shouted to her.  "It's not your name.  It's what you are.  Do you hear me?  You are still feeling guilty for your sister's death.  You may or may not have been able to save her, but either way, deep down, you feel guilty.  You were cursed for it, but you can end the curse.  You have got to release your guilt."

  He still could not see her, and she was still saying nothing, but she had stopped sobbing, so he took that as a good sign.  "It's time for you to forgive yourself.  The only power they have over you is what you give to them."

  As he finished the sentence, the wolf stood again and began to emit a low growl, periodically broken by snapping barks; the wolf's teeth lacking together just above Tyler's ear.

  He still heard nothing of the creature, but he did feel its movements as well as its cold breath shooting out at him. Tyler guessed that the creature was displeased with his efforts to encourage her to oppose them.  Each thrust of its head was an extra sudden weight impacting through its feet onto his rib cage.

  "Tyler," she cried out as he grunted.

  "Your guilt feeds them," he managed to finish.

  She listened to his words.  He was right.  Her arriving here and seeing no one.  Her sudden ability to banish them.  All this was because she had finally started to forgive herself, but she had not done so completely.  She was cursed for her vanity, but it was her guilt that kept her cursed.

  She took a deep breath.  "I understand, now, Tyler."  She looked at the shadows.  "You'll have me no more, demons."

  "You killed Mary."  "You must pay for your vanity."  ...suffer her pain."

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on the shadows swirling around her, keeping her bound.  She opened her eyes wide and shouted at them.  "Release me!"  There was then a bright flash of light all around her, and the shadows faded back in a chorus of shrieks.  She lifted her hands and looked at them, back and front.

  She stepped towards the three floating shadows, and they began to move faster and all around.  Every so often , one would rush towards her.  She would try to banish them, but they were too fast.  They dodged and struck her in passing.  They did not hit her hard, but they knocked her this way and that.  She watched them and continued trying.

  She picked one out from the three and did her best to follow its path.  Ignoring the occasional bumps of the others, when that one finally rushed towards her, she reacted quickly enough to meet it with her hand.  In a flash of light, there were only two remaining of those three.

  She heard the wolf shaped shadow begin to growl at her, and she glanced at it to see it making little anxious movements.  It began to claw at Tyler's back; tearing away at his leather jacket.

  She tried to run to him, but one of the two shadows struck her again, only quite a bit harder than before.  It actually hurt some, and she almost fell over.  Another hit her even harder, and she let out a little cry.  She stumbled to the side, but put her hand on the ground to catch herself.

  She stood up straight, again, and put her arms down at her sides.  She stared, but at no point in particular.  She was able to see all the movement in her peripheral vision.  She began to concentrate.  Another shadow rushed her, but she saw it coming, and though the impact was great, she only stumbled a step, because she was prepared.  She continued concentrating on doing with her entire body what she had done with her palm.

  His flesh now exposed, Tyler cried out as the claws tore shallow lines down his back.

  Another shadow rushed her.  Upon impact, there was a small flash, and the shadow sort of squealed a little, but was still there.  She continued.

  He tried to grit his teeth and remain silent, but the pain increased with each stroke.

  Another shadow rushed her.  In that split instant, as it moved towards her, she could predict where it would hit her.  Upon impact, there was a great flash of light, and the shadow faded, shrieking.

  Very soon, the claws were tearing new lines over already existing ones, and the skin of his back was beginning to be flayed off all together.  The pain was unbearable, and he had to do something to do something to stop it.

  With only one left, it was easy to trace its movement.  It rushed towards her, and with an incredible reaction speed, she swung her arm up and hit the shadow with the back of her hand.  It, too, was then banished.

  The agony of another stroke caused a surge of adrenalin inside him.  He practically growled himself as he pushed up from the ground with his miraculous burst of strength. He thrust of the weight of the creature, but his relief was fleeting as momentum and imbalance flipped him over sideways.  His torn and bloody back hit the ground hard.

  The pain tensed him from head to toe, but he did manage to stifle a yell.  That, however, changed quickly as an awesome, invisible weight came crashing down on his torso.

  His exposed back moved slightly along the ground, claws dug into his chest, through his clothes, and he felt the cracking of his ribs as the pressure forced the air from his lungs.  As his breath left him, a quick sound of his own voice filled the night with such volume that he scarcely believed that it was actually his own voice at all.

  Her entire body jerked, as if in a spasm, at the terrible sound.  It echoed through the sky, and in her ears, and surged through her very being.  A single beat of her hear felt as if it were going to burst forth from her chest.  She fell, dizzy and blind, to her hands and knees.

  "Tyler," she said to herself.  "Tyler," she said again as she struggled to stand.  Finally on her feet, she wavered with her hands on either side of her head.  As her equilibrium returned, she opened her eyes and began to see the lights in the distance again.

  She could also, again, hear the growls of the wolf-shaped shadow.  But there was another sound as well.  It was the sound of wheezing, but also grunting.  There was the sound of someone trying to cry out, but unable to find the breath.

  "Tyler," she shouted and looked down from the distant lights to see him.  He was on his back with the beast on top, clawing and biting at him.  She was momentarily frozen at the sight of what could barely be called a struggle, as Tyler seemed unable to move, but then he did.

  First, she saw Tyler raise his right arm to try to defend himself.  Then, with a strange clarity that made time seem to slow, she watched the jaws of the wolf close on the raised arm.  She heard a small crunch, then the great head swung to the side.  After that, the only sound was a labored whine as she stared at now only half of Tyler's arm raised.

  She gasped in terror but was unable to move or speak.  Memories of Mary flooded her mind.  The sight her the small girl's body, ripped and chewed, in a great pool of her own blood.  She let Mary die, and now Tyler....

  The wolf spat out the arm and looked back down at Tyler.  It tilted it's head, opened it's great mouth, and lowered its jaws to either side of Tyler's own head.

  In that moment, she found her voice.  A voice powerful, angry , and scared.  "No!"

  The wolf raised its head to see her running towards it, and then immediately leaped forward to attack.  It opened its jaws wide, then wider; wider than any real wolf could, until it began to lose its wolf shape all together.

  She thrust out a hand to this formless dark.  She felt the mass press firm against her spread fingers and palm.  A light began to emanate from between the creature and her hand, and then she heard the beast begin to groan.

  The shadow tried to wrap itself around her, and she was forced to raise her other hand to it.  The lights now from both hand grew brighter, and the beast's groan grew louder and higher.  Soon she had to close her eyes to the painful intensity of the light, and though the now shrieking cry of the shadow hurt her ears, she found some pleasure in it.

  This cry of pain she welcomed, for it was the creature's, and it meant an end to her curse.  "You'll have me no more," she shouted.

  Even through her eyelids, the light was too great, but the pressure against her hands had begun to fade.  As if the light burned it away like a fire, the creature was diminished.  The light began to dim, the shrieking dissipated, and soon she opened her eyes to see stars in the night sky.

  She heard Tyler's labored breathing, and what joy she was about to experience left her.  She saw him laying on the ground, a few steps away, barely moving.  She lunged forward and dropped to her knees at his side.  Looking him over and seeing so much blood from so many wounds, she was afraid to touch him, but she was overwhelmed by the urge to comfort him; to somehow, in even the tiniest way, make up for what had happened.

  She finally put her left hand to his cheek.  "Oh, Tyler.  I'm so sorry," she said, beginning to cry.  "I'm so sorry."  She gently stroked his face and forehead.  "This is all my fault.  Tyler, I'm so...."  She was as the emotion overwhelmed her.  She squeezed her eyes closed and forced the pooling tears to fall.

  "No," she heard him speak with great effort.  She opened her eyes to see him looking at her.  He struggled to hold up his left hand to her, and she took it, feeling what grip he had.

  "You're free now," he said painfully, then sucked in a breath as best he could.  "Stay free."

  "Oh, Tyler," she said as she bent down and kissed him on the forehead and cheek.

  "Stay free," he said again, then choked, spitting out some blood.

  She slipped her hand underneath the back of his head and pressed the side of her face to his.  "I will, Tyler," she spoke softly into his ear.  "I will."

  The grip of his hand relaxed, then she pulled her head away to see his eyes now closed as his last breath left his body.  She kissed his forehead again and wept against him.