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[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 6)

I took a deep breath as I leaned against the wall of our small worthless cottage in this shelter. Trying to fan my face to hide the fact that I’d been crying, I run my hands through my coarse hair trying to look fine. I can’t let Ara see me like this. She always asks way too many questions. I let out a sharp breath as I pick up the baskets off the ground.

I gulp before pushing the curtain back and trying out the best cheerful tone I could muster: “Arabelle, love I have a surprise for you!”

“Sister?” She gets up from leaning over a rock and I raise an eyebrow. What is she doing?

“No way! You were able to get this much food? Amazing!”. She says grabbing the baskets from my hands.

She doesn’t ask about the bruised fruits or say anything just like before. Always so grateful. I wonder if mom and dad can see her. I wipe the tear from my face before grabbing the apple she offers.

“You never did tell me…” I look at her, confused on what she’s asking about.

“Hm..?”

“What did Ethan want at that early hour of the morning?” She says, taking a bite of a delicious looking apricot.

“Oh, not much really”. I say, shaking my head.

“Come on, Xena… There’s no way he called you out that early for nothing. Please tell me. You never tell me anything anymore”. She says, looking down and pouting. Damnit she gets me every time.

I sigh and look around, tapping my thighs before nodding: “It’s really not much. It’s just a stupid organization they have…” Should I really be telling her this?

“What…?” She asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

“It’s… There’s a small town that’s leading a rebel against the whole government to stop them from killing us”. Her eyes widen at my response. “He wanted me to join”.

“What did you say? What did you say?” She’s now a little fidgety, grabbing onto my arm and shaking. I raise my eyebrow at her excitement.

“What do you expect? I said no”. I say, shaking my head at her.

“What?! But why?” She says, her whole face dropped.

“Why? Why?! Are you serious, Arabelle? I’m not risking us for this! Do you even know how he started his speech to convince me? It was horrible!” I say, feeling the anger build up in me.

“What are you talking about? This could be our chance at happiness and freedom! How could you pass it up?!” She asks, her voice getting louder which for some reason made me angrier. How could she say that, talk just like Ethan?

“You say that so easily! I’d be risking everything! I’d be risking your safety when my whole purpose is to protect you! My face could be plastered on those wanted posters! How will I find you food then, huh?” I say, standing up trying to leave before I say something I regret.

“Stop talking to me like this! I’m not a little girl anymore! I never asked of you to protect me!” I try to tune her out as I push our curtain to leave but stop when she says: “Stop running away like you always do! Every time I talk about how I grew up and I want to start doing stuff for both of us like you do, you run away as if you don’t wanna hear the truth!”.

“Our parents asked of me to take care of you so I will honor their requests whether you want it or not. All you need to do is sit quiet and stay out of trouble”. I say in a low voice before leaving.

I sigh, trying to calm down and rubbing the back of my neck before looking up. My eyes meet warm brown ones and I start glaring at him before turning away to leave the shelter. That fucker… He’s listening in!

“Wait up!” he says, as he catches up with me and I curse him under my breath.

“What do you want, Ethan?” I say, rolling my eyes. I breathe heavily as I climb the rocks leading up and out. Ethan follows suit with no struggle.

“Nothing, really Xena. You just don’t seem okay”. He trails off, going to put his hand on my shoulder before I shot him a glare. He quickly moved it to the back of his neck.

“I’m fine, you can leave me alone now”. I say, showing him a tight-lipped smile.

“Do you need to steal some food? I’m sure I can get you some from the town”. He says, offering me a smile.

“I don’t want anything from your stupid town”. I snap before turning around and trying to lose him.

I feel my heart lighten up as I see the markets crowded. I’d be sure to lose him in there! I smile as I begin to run in trying to say “sorry” as I elbow my way through. I look over to see the people pushing each other trying to get what they want and get out of this crowd as soon as possible. I groan as I feel a hand wrap around my arm…

“Stop running away”. He says in a calm voice, but I blow up as soon as I get reminded of Arabelle’s words.

“Stop telling me what to do!” I snap at him, snatching my arm away from his grasp.

I glare at him, not caring about the curious stares all around us… My emotions… I notice that I’m breathing hard, my heart beating fast. Fuck… The lines! I look at the skin of my arms to see faint outlines before I make a dash for it.

Most people jump out of my way as they got startled by my sudden outburst. I search through my eyes on the way as I spot a conveniently placed scarf stand and breathe a sigh of relief. Perfect.

“Hey!” Ignoring the owner’s yell of anger as I snatch a couple, I try to make my way out of the markets before the guards start chasing me.

“Hold it right there!” I hear another shout.

“Fuck me…” I mutter as I take a look back to see three guards right on my tail.

If I get out of the town, I have nowhere to hide… I need to find a crowded alley! I yelp as my thoughts get interrupted by a hand grasping onto my wrist and pulling me to my right. I stumble before looking up and seeing Ethan.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I try to whisper through my tired breaths.

“Getting you out of trouble!” We both duck as he pulls me under a table sitting on the entrance of the alleyway.

“No, you idiot! You just dragged yourself into my trouble!” I try to scold him more, but he pulls more towards him after he rounds a corner before clamping his hand shut on my mouth.

I look down at my hands to see the bright yellow lines shining my veins before turning to look to my left. I hear and feel Evan’s hard breathing on me trying to slow down and be silent as guards slowly pass by us, miraculously unaware of our existence. He waits till they’ve finally left the alley before pulling me out.

“You need to get a hold of your emotions, Xena”. He mutters.

“Shut up… It’s none of your business”. I whisper before sighing.

Why the fuck is he helping me? If we had gotten caught, it would literally be all my fault for both of our deaths. I glare at his hand; he still hasn’t let go of me as he drags me out of the markets. No matter how hard I try, he doesn’t seem that fazed by me pulling away.

“Look, we’re going…” He pauses, and I can see him trying to collect his words. “Like me, Anne and some others are going on a mission tomorrow… How about you join us?” Before I even open my mouth to curse at him, he continues: “No, it won’t mean that you joined our whole town. I get that you don’t want to… I understand, Xena. Arabelle is important to you and you don’t want to do anything that could possibly hurt her. I just thought you’d agree for the whole sole purpose that it would mean Arabelle’s freedom and happiness”.

It takes me a few minutes as I try to catch my breath. I nod before looking down and taking my hand out of his: “I’ll think about it”.

“Do you need me to walk you back?” I furrow my eyebrows confused on why he thinks I need a guard before following his line of sight… The lines are still there. Wait… Did I drop the scarves..? I look up just in time as he puts a long one around my shoulders.

“You tend to drop things without noticing. You should work on that”. He says, while covering my whole upper body.

I nod and sigh before looking up at the sky. The sun is almost into setting and I’m starting to get hungry. I tell him that I’m okay before parting our ways. I need to talk to Arabelle…

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 5)

I look around as I enter… I cross my arms as my eyes wander. It was completely plain and empty, just had the necessities to show that someone was staying here. The room we enter has a bed in the corner with a desk and chair. I’m guessing the other room is for the kitchen and maybe toilet. This is what they consider a “small” house. The taste of my mouth was bitter as I thought.

The only unnecessary things that were around were books, lots of them. I furrow my eyebrows at the messiness. They’re everywhere, on the table, on his bed, even on the damn floor. You’d think he’d take care of a damn privilege when he has one. I run my hand across a colorful book that catches my eye, lines dancing along its covers. That’s new. I don’t know why, but a heavy feeling started to settle in me as I stared into them. They’re not like the ones that grow on my body.

“I knew it”. I whispered. “I knew you were hiding something, you bastard”.

“I know that feeling”. I turn around quickly startled as I finally look back at Ethan questioningly, but he pays my jumpiness no attention. “Um, it really was overwhelming for me when I realized I could be myself here”. He says, offering me a smile.

For the first time ever, his smile didn’t actually annoy me at all. I stare at him, analyzing every part of him. It seems to catch him off his stance as he looks down, clearing his throat before continuing: “Look, I know this all seems so confusing, but if you just listen. I know you’re up for it and you’re strong enough which is why I brought you here”.

I close my eyes, breaking myself from the trance before rolling my eyes and settling down on the chair. I sigh trying to calm my nerves down as I realize that if I don’t, the lines might start to appear. I stare down at my fingers, clenching and unclenching my fist so I don’t have to look at him. I couldn’t help but steal some glances. What the hell is happening? Strong enough? What is he talking about?

He settles down on the small bed in front of me, giving me a nervous smile while rubbing his hands: “So… Um, where do I start? We’ve been chased by these people from when we were born, blamed for things we can’t control. We just wanted to live peacefully like everyone else. But instead we watch them kill our parents in cold blood right in front of our eyes”. His attention returns to me as he realizes I stood up.

But I couldn’t not react. Why the fuck is he bringing these memories up? Why the hell would he remind me of something I tried so hard to put at the back of my mind?

I glare at him as I remembered the boy standing with us. It was him after all. He was the one with us when they killed my parents. I stare at him in confusion, why did he look so different as a child then?

“Why the hell are you bringing this up?” I ask as calmly as I can, trying to take deep breath slowly trying not to lash out.

“Because I knew it would bring out this reaction, this is the reaction we need”. He said, his eyes shining at my anger as he got up facing up to me. For one second, it seemed like the Ethan he displayed at the shelter was gone. There was a different guy behind those eyes, a guy I did not like.

“Excuse you?” I clench my fists and rise up again as I feel the anger bottle up inside.

“No! Wait listen to me, Xena! I swear I have good intentions! This whole town has a good purpose!” He says, bringing his hands up defensively, but it didn’t matter. I already saw that little slip up. I already know I can’t trust anyone.

I take a step back and feel the anger boiling inside me as the picture of my parents won’t fade away. I clench my fists as darkish red lines dance over them. Or is it blood? I can’t tell it apart anymore.

“And what might that be?” I ask my voice low and my eyes closed as I turn around. I don’t even want to look at him.

“To end this all, once and for all. Xena! These people may think that they’re strong all they want but it’s us! We have the unbelievable and unexplainable power that they’re afraid of! We are the reason why they feel like they need armies and guards to protect them!” He says, trying to motivate me as he gets closer and puts his hands on my shoulders. I quickly shrug them off before opening my eyes and facing him.

“So what?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at him as he slumps his shoulders in disappointment of my response.

“So what?? Xena, we’re here all fighting for our rights to live in peace and be free! I know you’re strong. I know you want the same thing!” He says, trying to hold my hands but I pull away like he’s on fire.

“You’re wrong, Ethan. All I want is to keep Arabelle safe, to stay out of trouble”. I say, turning away from him.

“But you can do this for Arabelle. If we win, Arabelle can experience a real childhood and actually be happy”. He says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“But if we lose, she’ll either be dead at my feet or behind bars”. I turn back to him and glare.

He looks down guiltily, gulping and rubbing his forehead.

“Look, I don’t know about you or your parents. But I think I’d rather die trying to build something better than live in fear”. He says, his eyes hardening as they finally meet mine.

Wait… What? But that means… So he wasn’t the boy that was with us? I furrow my eyebrows in confusion as I try to grasp what he’s saying… He doesn’t know about me or my parents…? You know what? Whatever…

“Then I guess each of us has their different path to take”. I say, sighing and heading to the door.

“Hey…” I roll my eyes and look back to him.

I raise an eyebrow as he gets too close for my liking but freeze as he takes out a big scarf from behind his back and starts wrapping it around my head.

“Take care”. He says, smiling. My eyes try to decipher whatever ill intent is behind those pure eyes, but I just can’t seem to figure out anything. The other guy… He’s gone.

“Thank you”. I whisper as I try to stop my heart for warming up to his kind gestures. Looking down, I suddenly feel a little embarrassed.

Nobody is our friend here… I repeat to myself as I shake my head and nod to him before exiting and sighing as I realize I need to find my stupid way out of this stupid town… Fucking Ethan.

…

It took me all morning, trying to get out of the damned town to realize I forgot all about Arabelle. She might be a little hungry considering my stomach is starting to feel a little empty…

Maybe I can steal some fruits for her just for the day. Last time I did, I had the chance of stealing a whole basket! That was a nice day! As I tried to find some busy shops to rob, I couldn’t help my mind wandering back to my talk with Evan.

How could he possibly think I’m strong enough for that? All my life, everyone in that damned shelter knows that all my life is for keeping Arabelle safe. People knew that even with all my secrecy! How dare he try to distract me for others’ benefits? For his own? What do I care?

Anything could happen if I agree! Arabelle might feel left out as my attention drifts away from her… What if she gets attached to people we have to leave later? Wait… Why am I even considering this?!!

I rub my hand all over my face trying to get my thoughts straight but in the process, blocking my vision and getting distracted. I let out an “oof” as I bump into a solid wall falling onto the ground.

“My apologies”. I widen my eyes as I realize I’ve heard this voice before and I stiffen up.

I curse under my breath before slowly looking up to see the same damned guard standing in front of me and holding out his hand. He widens his eyes as he realizes who I am before he glares.

“Came to steal again, did you?” He asks, grabbing me roughly by my arm and pulling me up. My arm burns as his rough hand scrapes against it.

“What? No! Get your hand off of me” I say, trying to get away.

“Really? Could swear some intent was showing…” He narrows his eyes at me. What the hell does that mean?

I sigh and look over to the busy stand of vegetables and fruits. Guess we’re going to have to go by the day without it. I shake my head at him before slipping out of his grasp and turning to leave. I rub at the rash already starting to form. What a brute…

“Wait here”. He says and I look back at him warily to see he has hurried off to the stand. What the hell is he doing now?

I widen my eyes as he returns with two baskets full of everything that can make my stomach full. My mouth waters at the sight before I look up at him confused. Weren’t guards supposed to be merciless? Not just to us…. I heard they were stoic cold to everyone. I doubt I wanna stick around and find out what he does to me if he finds out but…

“Why are you doing this?” I mumble and look down.

“Stop asking stupid questions and just take it. But I swear to god if I see trying to steal a third time, I will throw your ass behind bars”. He says harshly.

I look down and my heart ache. Why the fuck am I feeling guilt over something I’m supposed to do? Who the hell does he think he is to make me feel ashamed over something that people like him force me to do?

I widen my eyes as I feel him pat my head before rage finally fills in me. I slap his hand away from my head, but he reacts quickly and grips mine in an iron grip.

“I don’t need your pity and I was not stealing”. I spit my words sharply at him, meeting his steel hard glare and trying to get my wrist out of his grasp.

If even possible, his glare turns even colder. He squeezes my wrist and I can’t help my wince before letting go. My heart sinks as I realize in my moment of anger, I had dropped one of the baskets and the food is rolling on the ground, some bruised.

I look back to see the guard turning away and leaving before I let the tears go, hiccupping as I try to grab all my food while people stomp on them. Bastards. You’re all bastards.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 4) P3

The house has a normal door and even looks like it has at least two rooms. It actually looks kind of nice… Evan sighs and takes out a key and I widen my eyes as I realize.

“Is this your… Yours?” I trail off.

“Kind of… Um, I’ll explain everything if you would just enter?” He says gesturing with his hand for me to come in before him.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 4) P2

“Don’t fall out…What’s wrong?” Evan asks in a whisper as he feels my body stiffen against his when their faces appear in the dim lights.

I shake my head in disbelief as I see him, the guard who caught me stealing… Just my luck. He marches in front of the rest of the guards as if leading them as they patrol the area. The fancy jacket with the badge is still on and he sighs as if bored as he passes by us, completely oblivious. Just from his walk, you can tell that he’s the person in authority, the ruthless leader. My heart jumps in my throat as he swifts by us and I unconsciously back away into Ethan, who wraps his arms around me.

I release the breath I didn’t even know I was holding and my body relaxes as their footsteps start to fade before turning to Evan in the cramped space. He stares right at my face but never meeting my eyes, seeming in deep thought. He looks like he’s in daze and I roll my eyes, annoyed as I sigh before peeking out to make sure the guards are gone.

As soon as I’m sure, I start to slowly try to push Ethan away, clearing my throat. He seems to snap out of it, his eyes looking all over my eyes… He shakes his head and looks down, looking conflicted before grabbing my hand and going in the opposite direction the guards went in.

“Are you going to tell me where we are going, Ethan?” I sigh in exasperation, glaring at his grabbing hand. I really want to know though.

“Just give me a little more time”. He whispers, sighing while continuing to watch out for any people. He rubs his neck as I stare. It’s not the same gesture he does when he’s embarrassed though… Is he tired?

I tilt my head as we start moving slower than before, seemingly at our stop as his body relaxes and it finally looks like he knows where he’s going. He wipes some sweat off his face before giving me his friendly smile making me raise an eyebrow. What is he so happy about?

I squint my eyes as lights seem to shine brighter where we are but come to a complete stop and ignore Evan’s ushering hand as I finally catch sight of the place.

“What the…?” I whisper as I see them.

My eyes widen as I feel like my heart has been caught in my throat. Hundreds just like us… In our shelter, we didn’t even come up to thirty people but here! What the hell is this place? It looks like a city. Their lines glisten and shine in the middle of the night and they don’t even bother covering up. They don’t even seem scared of being caught by any patrol. They’re all just walking casually…

Ethan stands beside me, his arms crossed and looking pretty proud as he watches my reaction. I gulp and rub my arm as I stare.

“What the hell is this? Are you trying to trick me or something?” I mutter, looking around. His eyes soften as he notices and puts his hand gently on my arm, but I quickly pull it away.

“Hey…” He says softly: “It’s okay… They’re like us. It’s completely safe here”. I watch him a little weary. I don’t know why I felt like someone was going to jump out of nowhere and capture all of us.

He sighs when he sees that he can’t cease my uneasiness and motions for me to follow him as he walks fearlessly between them and into the place. I stand and stare for a few seconds. Should I follow him? A chill goes down my spine when I realize if I don’t, I might just be alone in here. My eyes dart over the careless people walking so freely. Nope. That bastard is not leaving me alone here. I have never been one to actually care for others or ask questions, but I wanted to snap at them and ask where their scarves are…

My eyes desperately snap back to where Ethan was heading and I quickly sprint to keep up with his fast steps as he goes between the people and I get even more uncomfortable as everyone seems to say hello to him and acknowledge him. I can sense their questioning stares as they stare at me with raised eyebrows and I gulp as I try to focus on the place instead.

It’s like a normal town… Instead of normal people, there are people like me… This is too bright, too crowded. I gulp and try to breathe slowly as we pass by but freeze as I notice Evan’s stare on me. I look at him confused as I see a certain emotion in his eyes that I can’t put my finger on before I realize I unconsciously grabbed onto his arm in fear.

I let go of him, muttering a small ‘sorry’ while scolding myself. My hands desperately reach for my collar to pull on. It’s too crowded here. I should’ve never followed this idiot. I still don’t know if he’s tricking me… I look up doubtful as he shakes his head and looks down as if embarrassed.

“Finally” I mutter as he comes to a stop in front of a small house.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 4) P1

“Pst… Xena! Wake up!” I open my eyes wide the second I hear Arabelle’s voice. My whole body stiffens as I feel her hand shaking my shoulder. I try to rub the sleep from my eyes sitting up and trying to get the stiffness out of my body. “What’s wrong? Is someone out there?” My eyes dart towards our curtain and I furrow my eyebrows as the moonlight slips through it. It doesn’t seem like anyone was there… Arabelle sighs and grabs tighter onto my arm. “No”. She mutters, shaking her head and clears her throat: “Ethan is out there, he told me to wake you up”. She says, tilting her head towards outside. My mood immediately sours at the mention of his name and I grimace. What the hell does he want? “So early? Why?” I rub my eyes again trying to get rid of the sleepiness while sitting up. Arabelle is kneeled beside me on our small blanket. She seems completely awake. How didn’t I wake up? I need more training… I sigh before getting up completely and adjusting my clothes, glaring as I see Evan’s shadow standing outside. How come he wasn’t showing earlier? I know he said he wanted to talk, but does he have to wake me up for the second time this night? I’m never going to get energy to get Arabelle food! What would he care? This is exactly why we will never be in this together, you selfish prick… I step outside and get ready to snap at him, but my body stiffens as he grabs my arm the second he sees me. Getting so close to me, I can feel his breath on my face. “Come on, we need to go!” He whispers as loudly as he could before urgently pulling my arm and guiding me through the shelter. My eyes dart left and right to make sure no one is watching us before realizing and looking back. Arabelle is nowhere to be seen, probably went back to sleep. I hope so… “What the hell, Evan! I’m really tired; you didn’t even let me sleep! Let me go” I try to whisper, not paying attention to where he is dragging me as I try to catch his eyes to glare. This time, he’s focused and doesn’t even give me a glance as he drags me behind him. “Of course, I did! You slept a lot, it’s five”. He whispers back as he leads me, glancing right and left. My eyes twitch as I think about how he thinks this is a lot of sleep. This bastard… “How do you know that?” I snap back while finally tearing my eyes away from him to focus on climbing the steep rocks out of our shelter. He offers me his hand when he reaches the top first, but I slap his hand away before climbing by myself. “I told you already that I don’t need your help”. I mutter, passing him as I cross my arms over my chest. Ethan has always been a little mysterious… Nobody ever knows how he always looks like he’s not in a struggle, where he came from… It almost feels like he isn’t living the same life as us. Who the hell is he? He just shrugs as if saying ‘your loss’. Doesn’t look like he likes me now, does he, Arabelle? I smirk while we continue walking throughout the allies till Ethan pulls to a stop. I furrow my eyebrows as I look around and realize we were at the shops… Why would he take me here? I look at him in confusion and he raises a finger to his lips to shush me. I raise my eyebrow and take a breath to talk, but take in a sharp breath and take a step back as I hear a couple of footsteps. It was so dark… I can barely see anything through the dim lights. Who the hell…? I widen my eyes as the shadows of people creeping from the corner came to my weak sight before acting quickly and pulling Evan to the only tiny space that I can spot. It’s convenient how close they set up their shops, huh… He puts his hand on the wall behind me, but I pay him no attention as I peak to see who the people are. “Guards”. I whisper sharply to him as I glare at their figures and grit my teeth in disdain. I grab at Ethan’s arms, trying to lean out and see more. His breath blows against my breath making it a little warm against the cold early morning air.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 3) P4

What could he possibly want to tell me? Can’t he take the hint already that I don’t want to associate with anyone? He is pretty stubborn, though… No matter what I try, he won’t leave us alone. I sigh, realizing that he probably won’t let me say no and keep insisting before I nod and turn around again, pushing the curtain aside and smiling as I see Arabelle sleeping off. "Um…” I turn around and see him standing before our curtain: "Goodnight". He whispers, giving a small wave like a little kid. "Goodnight, Ethan". I whisper back and watch as his figure slips away between the shadows of the houses before lying back in our blanket, sighing as I realize I probably won’t be able to go back to sleep… What the hell does he want?

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 3) P3

I look down at the leaf under my foot and sweat runs down the side of my face as I step back trying to hide behind one of the small houses out of their sight. I hear the guy get out a small 'huh?' before hearing a couple of steps coming slowly towards me. Trying to silence my breathing, I press my palms to the wall of the house hoping that the darkness could swallow me. I close my eyes and put my hands over my heart feeling the quick heart beats and trying to calm down and think of a way to escape. It all happened so fast… Orange and green glowed and flashed before my tightly closed eyes instead of the usual black. Just when I open them, I breathe out in surprise… I wasn't behind the small house and their footsteps aren't heard anymore. Did I just… teleport? But… How? I thought I could only see through walls… I breathe out heavily as I look around and see that I'm back… right next to our house. Did I unconsciously choose it? I rub and knock my hand right over my chest, bothered as I feel like I just swallowed my heart. I try to see through the curtain and notice Arabelle's figure. What the…? She went back to sleep! I need to talk to her about this! What if she really needed to run? What if we were in danger? What the hell am I saying? We are in danger. They might not want to destroy this place right now, but they are planning to! I huff a small angry breath out and rub my cold arms before getting off the wall stomping over to wake her up, but my` heart drops as a hand dashes out from behind me and grabs onto my arm tightly. I yelp as another one holds my mouth shut tightly and feel my body slammed into a taller figure. My eyes quickly dart to Arabelle panicked. No! I’m so done for! "Gotcha". He whispers, and my body immediately stiffens as I hear the guard’s voice. I struggle, my body slamming into his and I feel tears prick my eyes as I look out to Arabelle, still sleeping peacefully and completely oblivious. This can’t be. I won’t let anything happen to her… I won’t! "What the…?” I hear him say before I'm let go for just a second. I turn around quickly ready to strike back, but he holds my arm tightly before I could, slamming me against him again. What are those reflexes? "…Xena?” I widen my eyes as I find warm chocolate brown eyes staring back at mine, confused. No one ever had such kind eyes between us except… "Ethan… You fucking bastard! You scared me! What are you doing in the middle of the night?". I whisper to him, as I push my arms against him and he quickly lets go. "I uh… I could ask you the same question". He mumbles, looking down seeming embarrassed. He sighs: “I thought you were an intruder. I’m sorry”. "You… Someone was walking between the houses. I think there are two guards roaming". I say, looking around as anxiety starts growing in me again. What am I doing? He’s going to cause a panic and the people will cause a ruckus. "Huh? Oh! Oh no. It's just me and… Anne". He rubs the back of his neck. "We were just discussing things". I furrow my eyebrows at his vagueness before the cold bites at me again. “Anne?” I ask, tilting my head, as I stare at him… He’s definitely hiding something. It is none of my business though… He nods, his eyes darting all over the place and avoiding mine. I sigh, rubbing my arms before nodding to him, looking away, and deciding to head off back to sleep. There's no way… I mean he seemed too nervous. He must be lying. "Hey, Xena?” He whispers and for a second, I think he didn't mean for me to hear him, but I hum in response and turn around again. My eyes dart over his figure, but I can barely see anything in the dark. "Um, I think I need to talk to you about something, but you seem cold and tired right now. How about you meet me tomorrow?” He asks, giving me a small hopeful smile and making me roll my eyes at his kindness. He steps a little closer, making me cross my arms as I glare at him. It immediately makes him stop in his tracks.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 3) P2

I try to calm my heart feeling it weirdly cold and racy as I look to the curtain covering our entrance. I feel my heart drop as I see the shadows of the person right outside. My hands dig into the ground stiffly ready to get up in case of anything. A guard! It must be a guard! Oh my god… We're all done for. The fire and smoke flashes before my eyes and I squeeze them shut trying to shut it out. My heart aches and I feel the panic settle in as I see another shadow follow him… They've surely discovered us. Holding my breath, I kick off the rest of the blanket over Arabelle and get into a crouching position while watching the shadows. I need to get out of here. I need to get Arabelle out of here before they see us. I take a deep breath and clench my hands as I watch the shadows walk slowly by our entrance not noticing my figure. I press up against the thin wall holding my breath as they slowly pass by, completely oblivious of me whispering quietly to each other. What are they doing? I put a hand over my racing heart, closing my eyes before nodding to myself and getting up slowly. Taking a small breath in, I raise my shaking hand to Arabelle sleeping figure, shaking her shoulder. "Arabelle, it's time to wake up, sweetheart". I whisper as low as I can, shaking her gently. Arabelle murmurs a little in her sleep, trying to ignore me shaking her before her hands darts out and push mine off. I really need to start working on her being more alert… We can’t live like this, not safely. "Stop it". She mumbles. "Arabelle, wake up right now!" I try to whisper as loud as I can. Thankfully, her eyes snap open and panic immediately settles in them as she sees mine. She rubs her eyes quickly before she sits up and looks around and then at me. "Xena? What happened?” Even her voice doesn't seem to help calm me now. "We need to run, someone is outside". I whisper and watch as her expression becomes more concerned. I look back making sure they’re not near and listening. I keep my hands on her shoulders for comfort. "What? Are you sure? This is the most secretive place we've ever found!” She says, standing up slowly while leaning to the side, trying to look past the curtain. "It… It doesn’t matter. Come on, let’s go". I say, grabbing her hands to lift her up. I look into her eyes, noticing a little doubt starting to appear in her face. I sigh and roll my eyes before saying: "Okay, fine. I'll go check first, but if you hear anything, run. No hesitation. Nothing. You run. Do you hear me?” She leans against the weak wall while raising an eyebrow before nodding slowly. I take a deep breath and move slowly, pushing the curtain aside to peek outside. I furrow my eyebrows as the people have disappeared and rub my arms as the cold air bites at my skin. I sigh before looking back at Arabelle who still looks a little skeptical so I turn around and get out trying to walk as silently as I could. I freeze as I hear their whispers… They're near… It is hard to see through the darkness. It doesn’t help that every house seems to create its own creepy shadow in the moonlight as I try to figure out where they are. I shake my head, closing my eyes and sighing before I gulp as I try to follow their voices, trying to ignore the chills crawling up my back. My heart drops as I see their dark figures walking slowly side by side completely oblivious of me. I lean behind one of the houses as I watch. "So what do you think we should do about it?” The female asks. "We should destroy it… As soon as possible". A guy sighs and whispers back while they both look around. My eyes widen. Are they talking about this place?! No way… We are so busted. I need to get Arabelle out as quickly as possible. I can't tell if the shivers running down my body are from the cold or fear as I unconsciously follow them. A crunch of leaves snaps me out of my panic train of thoughts as I look up to see if one of them has stepped wrong or something. But panic dawns on me as they both freeze and one of them mumbles: "What the…?”

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 3) P1

It’s too hazy… Why is it so dark? Is it still night? I get up slowly massaging my sore neck as I look around for Arabelle before it starts to slowly get brighter. I squint my eyes at the source of light. What the…? It’s… a person… made of light? The sleep is quickly knocked out of me as the person approaches and I put a protective hand over Arabelle’s sleeping form. I jump as my hand collides with the empty and cold ground and I look over in horror as my eyes meet with nothing but emptiness.

“Where’d she go…? What’d you do to her?!” I scream as I look over again at the person but yelp as the person suddenly appears to be standing right in front of me.

I wake up in cold sweat, gasping and shivering as the cold air easily passes through my thin clothes. I clutch at the thin blanket draped over me, confused but sigh as I look over to Arabelle and realizing the idiot has given me the blanket while she is shivering herself… She’s still right here. My head quickly snaps and my hands dart over Arabelle instinctively as I hear a crunch of branches outside. I sit up on my blanket and look at the ground. Closing my eyes tightly and taking a deep breath, I try to will it. I open my eyes as I feel the lines on me, shining bright fire red, before I look to the ground behind our curtain… My eyes widen as I see two red shadows walking right outside. It’s working… Oh my god…. Somebody is outside… My body is immediately stiff and alert as my eyes follow the shadows that the lines allow me to see. Taking deep breaths, I look around the small moonlit place and over at my side and notice Arabelle still sleeping so peacefully, oblivious of her surroundings. I really have to start training her on that… I sigh and shake my head as I drape the blanket over her small body.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 2)Part3

"Don't try to do that again". He says as the worker hands him the container of the food and he shoves it my hand. His harsh voice breaks my focus as I close my eyes for a second and shake my head. I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding and I look up and around the shops to the customers surrounding us.

I feel their stares and notice the worker's raised eyebrows. I could practically hear their thoughts. Why is such an important guard being nice to a clearly lower-class member of the society? I could feel the anger boiling in me.

Before I could even act on it, he suddenly grabs my arm harshly, breaking me out of my trance of thoughts and pulling me uncomfortably close. His nails dig into my skin as I feel his breath against my face making me cringe. I widen my eyes as a pair of blue eyes glare harshly into mine. The same anger and hatred… All I could do was tighten my grip around the container, wishing I could smash it into his face. I had to keep my facial expression neutral. Who knew what could set him off? I was already in trouble.

"I'm serious. Don't ever do it again". He finally lets go and bumps his shoulder roughly against mine as he walks away past me making me stumble back.

"It's not like I have a choice". I mutter my voice drowning through the crowd. I rub at the marks he left on my arm, huffing before looking up to realize everyone had paused to see the interaction.

“What the hell are you all looking at?” I snap at the nearby people. Just like that, they all go back to their business as if nothing happened.

My eyes rise lazily to the sun. Shit… I'm almost late. I quickly rewrap the scarf around my head and rush on my way, getting elbowed by almost everyone I pass.

A smile finally makes its way on my face as I reach our secluded area. I grip the container against my stomach suddenly feeling much better about the handout. Our hideout was far away from the city filled with cottages, the only problem being the lack of food supply.

Our last shelter was a heaven provided with trees that suspiciously grew every day and a river.... That was until it was discovered, and they destroyed everything and caught most of us. I still have dreams of us still living there, quiet, secluded, and undisturbed

Arabelle and I were lucky to make it out alive out of that one. I sigh and slowly make my way down the steep bumpy rock, not caring about the small cuts they cause to my hands and legs. The only thing I cared about preserving at the moment was the small container of fresh heavenliness in my hands. I wipe the dirt on the rocks on my pants, sighing before quickly rushing to our cottage with the container. There’s no use trying to hide.

I pass a couple of our people through my way, but don’t say anything to anyone. They don’t bother either. Even though we are all going through the same thing, everybody keeps their eyes to the ground. Even if some of the people I know are from the past shelter, everyone keeps to themselves. After all, it is everyone for themselves in the end.

I pull away our "door" which is basically a curtain before mustering the biggest smile I could as I find her beautiful jade eyes looking happily at me. Arabelle runs to hug me, completely oblivious to the container I am holding, and I wrap my arm around her small body raising the container so she doesn’t hurt herself. It still feels hot somehow.

"Finally, you're here!” She says in her soft voice that I can't sleep without hearing every day.

"I am here. And I'm here with what I promised!” I lower the container for her to notice and her eyes immediately spark up with joy.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!". She says, grabbing the container from my hands and quickly putting it on the tiny table we have beside a big water bottle that I raise my eyebrow questionably at.

"Oh! Ethan dropped by and got us water again. Isn't he so nice?” She says, grabbing and handing me the water to drink.

"I know they all talk about how we have to stick together because we’re all wanted, Belle. But please do not trust them so easily". I say, staring at the bottle as if I could tell if there's something wrong with it. I finally sigh before taking a small sip.

"But I think he likes you". Her voice becomes low as she smiles her innocent smile at me.

I roll my eyes before I motion for her to sit on the ground. Going to open the container, I stop when she holds my arm.

"You know... He did offer to heat up the food for us when he noticed me staring at the pile of firewood in his hands". She says, taking her hand off and twirling her fingers together, looking at the ground.

"No. Besides, the food’s still hot. Now eat.” I whisper softly to not hurt her feelings before I start to dig in and she does the same. Just as we're almost finished eating, we hear a voice outside.

"Excuse me?” I see a form of a tall guy outside the curtain.

I groan at the sudden pain in my whole body as I push it off the ground before pushing the curtain out of the way and rolling my eyes when I discover its Ethan standing outside. He greets me in a friendly smile while waving at Arabelle.

Ethan is a guy we met in the last shelter, one of the few survivors from there aside from us. No matter how harsh I treated this guy, he just never took the hint to leave us alone. He makes my blood boil every time he treats us like we’re some helpless tiny animals.

"Hello girls... Um, I just wanted to check in. You know... If you need anything". He says while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He tries to direct his smile at me, but hesitates and falters once he sees the look on my face.

"Fortunately, we don't need anything". I say, sighing and raising an eyebrow.

"Um, Ethan? We have a little food left if you want". Arabelle grabs the container, not so filled anymore, and offers it to him.

"Thank you!” He says, smiling and showing his dimples. He grabs the container so carelessly, it almost bothers me. I literally got in trouble for that.

He quickly leaves after that, making me turn around and glare at Arabelle. She just shrugs…She's always like this. We barely have anything for the two of us. I always have to remind her that nobody is our friend no matter how similar we are, but she never listens.

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 2)Part2

I look around and walk slowly through the market in the street, trying to feign my interest in buying something. Pretending is hard when it's obvious you're homeless. I look down at my old clothes dirtied up from my precious rally. Sure, I’m a bit covered up by the scarves but it is still obvious. If I had the money to invest in a convincing look, I wouldn't be stealing in the first place. Then why don't you just steal a convincing look? I rub my forehead and sigh before scanning the food markets and smiling when I notice they are selling the cooked meals on the side. The smell of the fresh warmed up food makes my stomach growl as I stare at the lined up containers. Perfect place, easy to steal.

It seems pretty easy as I notice all the people crowding the food market shopping for things to eat for dinner, elbowing each other to get through and yelling to be heard. The clerks can barely keep their focus on one customer as they all try to shout orders. I spot one shop clerk that looks new and my lips curve into a smirk as I found my inexperienced new worker to steal from. There's always this one moment where they slip up. They get so stressed and their eyes desperately darts over everyone trying to keep up. Personally, I think the shoulder slump is a bit exaggerated, but all I really care about is when they try to focus on one person at a time. Their eyes stay focused on the one given task as they ignore every other yelling person. As I wait patiently for the worker to get distracted while serving the customers, I feel a chill go down my spine.

Looking down to notice grey lines run across my hands, I quickly shove them in my pockets; confused on the sudden feeling of anxiety building up through my tensed body. God, why now? or rather…What now?

I scoff and grit my teeth at the ridiculous situation; I mean why would I even listen to them when they always try to get me in trouble? There is no way I'm breaking my promise to Arabelle. I take a deep breath and focus on the workers, noticing they all have their heads buried in their work to perfect for their customers. I look around looking at the crowd; of course everyone is too busy in their own stuff. Nobody would notice.

So I take my chance and walk casually by, getting closer to Arabelle's favorite meal... I keep my hands in my pocket smiling slightly as I approach and blend in between the people. At least my height comes in handy for one thing. I feel the anxiety strike a nerve of mine as soon as I reach a hand out to take it. My heart drops as a hand reaches out from behind me and restrains my own in a firm hard grip.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you". The whisper sends shivers down my spine as it appears to be so close to my ear. I can feel his breath against my ear…I stare wide eyed at the strong grip the guy has got my wrist in and I try to take it back. My wrist aches as his fingers tighten painfully to close around it.

"I... I'm really sorry". I stutter as I continue to struggle, but I freeze up as he gets even closer to me, his body pressing up against my own.

I watch him from the corner of my eye as he takes a look at what I'm trying to steal before heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes. Still having my wrist restricted but putting it down to his side in a less obvious way, he waves a hand to call one worker and all of them weirdly widen their eyes and stare at him.

I raise an eyebrow before turning to my side to take a look at what's so fascinating before regretting ever trying to steal as I realize who caught me. I didn't know exactly who he was, but I guess I knew enough just taking a look at the badge on the chest pocket of his shirt.

He's a guard and not just any guard, he's one of those trained to capture us. I stumble back stepping on his shoe before steadying myself nervously. I try to take my hand back again but he’s got it in a death grip as he keeps it by his side still staring at the worker and paying me no attention. I mumble a low sorry doubting if he ever heard it through the shouts as I try to gulp down my nervousness and try to remain cool as I watch him wait for the worker to finish his previous task. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the badge, the badge of the people who kill us…

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 2) Part1

"Forget about her! Let's leave". The guards quickly hurl their horses around and I hear the trots fade away slowly. They all mumble angrily, tugging at their horses' leads. Shivers run down my spine as I make out one of them yell: "We'll get you... We'll get all of you eventually".

My blood runs cold as I hear the growls so close near to my ear. I freeze as sweat starts running down my face realizing I'm the only food left for the hungry wolves. The wolf’s breath puffs against my skin terribly hot against my cold sweaty skin and one of my hairs escape from the tight ponytail to rest against my cheek.

My eyes close and I clench my hands, grabbing at the soil beneath me shakily as I hear the loud growl against my ear. How could I have failed Arabelle? No… I won't let it happen. I won't leave my sister alone like they have left us. Never... I made a promise.

I open my eyes and try to focus, furrowing my eyebrows and squinting my eyes against my sweat. My vision somehow seems to be moving in slow motion with me trying to empty my mind and think. My eyes zero in on a big stick lying around just a few inches away. Desperately scrambling on my hands and knees, I make a quick reach for it. A sound of fear and desperation escapes me as I fall down on my back in a panic, raising the branch in front of me to defend myself.

Confusion fills me as I watch the wolves' eyes barely noticing me. They keep their gaze behind me on the guards as if I was completely invisible. Their teeth bare and their growls are so loud and near, it feels like the ground is grumbling beneath me but they still pay no attention to me. Somehow, the tension escapes and I feel safe despite the fact that I’m surrounded by a pack of hungry aggressive wolves. I close my eyes to shield them from the flying dirt as the wolves speed past me, growling and chasing after the horses. I can hear the thumping of their paws as it fades away while I keep my arms up to shield my face.

"What the...?” I whisper to myself while turning around and watching the wolves chase after them, still in a haze of confusion.

The wolves’ shadows disappear after going out of my area of vision. I could hear their growls fade away as I close my eyes for a second. Arabelle quickly flashes behind my eyes before I open them widely. Glancing at the sun's position, a sigh of relief escapes me. I smile as I realize I have enough time to figure out how to steal a whole meal.

My hands reach up to my neck, feeling the breeze before I look down, following a trail of my scarfs with my eyes. I sigh as I pick them up from the ground before I notice the lines have toned down and my skin looks normal again. My fingers unconsciously reach out to rub against my wrists and squeeze. Just like how I should be... How they want us to be.

I sigh and rub at my neck, my exhaustion suddenly catching up to me as I feel like a weight has been suddenly placed on my back. I get sluggish as it feels like I’m dragging it behind me and I blink hard trying to take the sleep out of my eyes tempting myself with the hope of a good night’s sleep tonight.

I cover my whole body anyway, knowing the lines might catch me off guard later and blow my cover. They always do that; always work their way to get me killed. Scratching at my head, I try to blink the tiredness away from my eyes as I brush off the dirt off my dirtied clothes.

The thought of the long way I have to go back to the city makes me want to break down and cry but I hold my breath. I have been running for at least half an hour trying to escape. A groan makes it way out of my mouth as I try to massage my shoulder from aching. I have to get going either way so I might as well suck it up.

...

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Chapter 1)

I pant running through the trees and trying to avoid the branches that stuck in my way. They scrap and burn across my cheeks past the efforts of my hands trying to keep them away. My footsteps echoed loudly in my ears while the air blocked any other sound. My chest burns as I try to gasp for more air, the sweat dripping down my forehead. I blink hard so that they don’t go into my eyes. The last thing I want right now is blurred vision.

"Get her!”. I hear a guard's yell and the trotting of horses behind me. They were fast and loud, determined.

"No, please no". I whisper, trying to cover my whole body with the scarves I've stolen on my way. The bright yellow and red lines glow and spread all over my arms and neck up to my face rendering my efforts useless. There is no way I can hide with my abnormalities giving me right away making me stand out in the blur of greens. The dread starts to rise up from my stomach to my heart as my eyes desperately scan the place for a magical opportunity that will save me.

I had to find a way to lose them as soon as possible; Arabelle must be very hungry by now. She hasn't eaten for two days except for bits and scraps and I promised her I'd bring a hearty meal this time. Every time I remember how she tries to act like she isn't hungry, I feel a pit of guilt in my stomach. Take care of her for me, will you?

I shake my head closing my eyes and taking one deep breath before I look up again. An open field... What was I thinking? I hold my breath when I notice the nearby patch of high grass and thick brushes just a few seconds away. The trees seemed to have long leaves and their trunks bent down to make the leaves touch the ground. It truly was a pretty sight, but I had no time to admire it at all. I take one look behind me searching in the previous greens but I can’t see anyone. I can hear the horses though, they don’t sound too far behind. I quickly turn to head for it, letting out a shaky breath as I try to be quiet.

I hunch over to blend in with the beautifully green scenery, trying to breathe as deeply and slowly as possible. My side pinches in pain and exhaustion and I squeeze it trying to soothe the discomfort. I gulp when I hear the guards catching up, the trotting of their horses loud against the ground. The horses seem to be huffing as the guards shout out to scan the place. My breath finally steadies enough so that it can’t be heard. I pinch my side again trying to ignore the stabbing sensation but stiffen and freeze up as I hear them slowly approaching. They’re trying to be silent but how silent can you be while riding a horse? This can't be happening; they always give up and leave!

"Please, please turn green". I whisper through my shaky breaths as if it worked that way… You can’t just plead with the lines, but they only managed to glow more and more. If it gets any worse than this, I’ll just be a lamp in the dark for them to find! No matter how much I try to cover up, they only grow brighter sliding up to my face as if trying to rat me out.

I try to will them to vanish like in our training sessions but freeze up when I hear one of the horse's hooves coming closer. My hair stands out on its ends as I crouch even lower. My rough and shaky fingertips brush up against the ground as I slowly turn around to look behind me and my heart drops as I notice the guard riding closer and closer, his eyes squinting in my direction as I try to cower away and become invisible. My stomach twists in knots as his eyes search around. His hands grip hardly on the leash raised up defensively as he looks in my exact location. My stomach drops as his eyes quickly turn angry.

"Over here! There's something glowing!” he quickly shouts out as he draws out a sword smirking at me.

“I’ve got you now, you thieving scum” He whispers, his eyes showing how proud he seemed of himself. My eyes dart around behind him as I notice the other guards approaching as well, their eyes eager and full of the same hunger and hatred as the one who caught me. There’s no escape… They’re too many. I can’t run. I close my eyes tightly in an attempt to spare myself this image as Arabelle appears behind my eyes, her sweet and innocent smile soothing as ever.

Suddenly, the horses neigh and I quickly open my eyes to see the guards yelling trying to calm them down as they stagger and buck freaked out. My confusion is soon resolved quickly as loud growls can be heard behind me. Just when I thought I couldn't be in a worse situation, my whole body stiffens up as I look back to notice the pack of wolves cowering behind me, teeth bared and saliva dripping down to the ground…

[daydreamer12216]

Shining Veins (Prologue)

I don’t know how long I stayed there; kneeling to the ground and staring…I could feel the blood seep into my clothes as it stained my skin, the uncomfortable dampness making me squirm. I felt a stinging on my arm as I looked down and realized I was desperately trying to rub it off to the point where I was scratching at my skin. My vision was blurred as I squinted my eyes trying to blink away the tears. I couldn’t think though… It felt like all the air has escaped my lungs as I tried to breathe. Through my blurred vision, the whole ground looked red to me. I couldn’t make out anything else. It wasn’t done…not yet.

The others have managed to distract them enough, but I can’t seem to get up and leave them. They looked so terribly alone and in pain. I can’t just leave them. Someone suddenly grabs my shoulder roughly and I flinch as their nails dig into my skin. It felt like a big rock was blocking my throat as I tried to just yelp out. The guard didn’t hesitate though as his other hand grabbed my other shoulder roughly bringing me to my feet. I heard a chuckle escape him as he grabbed my jaw, his nails now scratching my face as he forced me to look up. I felt like he was gonna break my face as my eyes darted all over the place unable to focus. A hiccup escapes me as my eyes finally land on what he’s trying to show me.

I feel my heart drop as my eyes collide with the small bit of color I can catch. Whatever little breath I had in me was quickly knocked out as I recognized that strawberry blonde hair being dragged by filthy criminals. She’s completely silent…Why is she silent?

“What are you doing…?” My voice came out in a whisper before the panic finally settled in as I scream: “LEAVE HER ALONE!”.

I whisper a ‘no’ as the guard’s nails dig in more as a warning and I cry out as I feel the pain shoot up my arm from the strong hold. My face burns as the tears escape my eyes and seep into the cuts his nasty nails have left on my face. I look left and right frantically, desperately for someone…anyone!

There’s no hope… I can hear the ringing in my ears as everything else fades away. The pain in my shoulders dying down as I notice them bringing my sister nearer. It’s only us and another boy who’s been caught but he doesn’t seem to be struggling much. My eyes zone out behind them on the fire. I can see the explosions and the gunshots just fine but nothing comes to my ears. It’s happening too fast. I can’t help…

The guard behind me grunts as my senses return and my body gives out a jolt of surprise. He steadies me back into position making sure the pain is there to remind. Goosebumps run over my arms and a shiver runs down my spine. All my senses are screaming out in warning as I notice my body glowing through my tears. However, heavy footsteps interrupt my thoughts as the warning comes into my field of vision.

Dressed in heavy big black boots and a dark navy blue uniform, he let out heavy loud footsteps with each step. A rough stubbled face with a scar running down from the top of his cheek directly towards his jaw stared right at my abnormality. His black void like eyes stared at me with much unexplained hatred. I didn’t know him but his gaze made my hair stand on its ends as it collided with my eyes. My eyes pass down to look at his dreaded badge, the one that specifies exactly what he does for people like us.

Before anything else happened, all I heard was the boy yelling “NO!” before darkness took me out.

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