Acheron

Chapter One

I shivered awake, my eyes blinking open to reveal a dark, dank room. So much so that it even seemed cave-like. "Kari? Why's everything so...." and that's when it all came rushing back. Kari, my sister who was basically my mom since both our parents died in that car wreck. Kari was all I had. I didn't have anymore family, and I didn't come close to having any friends. And now she's gone. I sat up with a crick in my neck and a sore back.

"Where am I?" I wondered out-loud.

"In a cave. I'm sorry, these probably aren't the kind of accomodations you're used to, but as we're on the run, it was the best I could do." I trembled, trying to remember where I'd seen this man before. His unusually long honey-dew hair, his pale gold skin-tone, those unnaterally wise, old grey eyes- too old for someone who couldn't be more than twenty-five. And mostly, I recognized the scar. It's one of those things you remember about a person.

"Wh-who are you exactly? And why are you on the run?"

"I'm Acheron, and it's not me on the run. It's you. But as I'm helping you, I am on the run by association."

"So um, Akerio- Aker- oh, never mind. Why are you helping me if I don't know you and I'm in big trouble. Actually, why am I on the run in the first place?"

"Your sister- Akarina Lizbeth was killed."

I stiffened visably. "How do you know that?"

"I was the one who picked you up and carried you out after you fainted. But that's beside the point. Your fingerprints are on your sisters doorknob and bedspread. You seem to have fled from the scene-"

"But I didn't!" I interjected.

"That's not how the police will see it. And lastly, you are the only one who had any access to Akari's room."

"I don't care, take me back. I'll tell them everything they need to know. I'll tell them about the man I saw outside my window-" And then I realized why the man looked so familiar. "You're the man I saw outside my window! You were there before I saw Kari dead! You were watching me... and you knew when I fainted. Forget it, don't take me back, I'm going to go back myself."

"You may not want to do that."

"And why not? You are probably my sister's killer and I'm not staying with you."

"I didn't kill your sister." The words were quiet, almost inaudiable. Sincere. I could almost bring myself to believe him.

"The only people there that night were me, Kari and you. I didn't kill Kari, Kari didn't kill Kari, the only one left is you." I crossed my arms to make me looked more intimidating and to make me feel bad-a**.

"I wasn't the only one lurking outside your house last week, Kyria."
I shivered down to my sneakered shoes. "I never told you my name, Acheron." I said dangerously calm, tensing to run. In my experiance from books, the bad guys always know your name, espescially if you don't tell them it.

"You really don't remember who I am, do you?" Acheron asked, genuinly shocked.

"Sure I do. You're the creep who was watching me the night my sister died."

"I am. But I am also your mother's best friend. That night you saw me, was the first time I'd heard that your parents died. I wanted to see if you and your sister living well and not starving out on the streets." I could hear the truth in his voice, but I refused to believe it. My parents died years ago. If he was my moms best friend, he should've known that she died when I was five.

"Then why didn't you know when she died, instead of nine years later? Why haven't I heard of you before?"

"I used to visit your mom all the time. It was rare when I wasn't there. You and your sister were so adorable. You would always steal my wallett. It took me an hour to figure out it was actually gone. You were such a cute little pick-pocket. It came to the point where I thought of you and Kari as my daughters rather than my friends daughters. And then to the point where I wished you both were. Then your dad started to hate my guts. I guess it was because I knew your mother better. She liked me better. And why wouldn't she? Your dad was- terrible, horrible. He beat her. He cheated on her. I tried to help her, I told her to get out of it but she always said she couldn't. She said he would kill her and her children. I told her to let me protect all of you. But she only said 'I don't ask for help, Ash. You know that.'"

His voice sounded so hurt, so painful, I knew he was telling the truth. There was no way someone could fake that amount of pain. "I'm so sorry, Ash. Thank you. For helping me."

He looked genuinly surprised. "You're welcome. Now what are we going to do about someone killing off your family one by one?"

"Excuse me? What do you mean, 'someone killing off my family one by one'?"

"Some one killed your parents and your older sister. You're the only one left. Someone is killing your entire family."

"Well, isn't that cheerful. Thank you for making my day so much better." But I was shaking.

Acheron crossed his arms. "I'm being serious, Kyria. You need protection."

Anyone who knew me knew that it was not a good idea to suggest that I couldn't take care of myself. Ever. "Are you suggesting that I am incapable of taking care of myself?" my voice was deadly calm.

Acheron held his hands up in surrender. "No, no, I'm not suggesting anything, I'm just saying that you probably could use my help to actually survive. Espescially since your family was- special."

Oh, he'd better not be saying what I think he is! "Are you saying that my family are- were- stupid?"

"No! Honestly, are you looking to for a reason to hate me? No. I'm saying that you and the rest of your family had an... ability." Acheron crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at me, his grey eyes sparkling."Do you know what that ability might be?"

I snorted. "You're insane, I hope you know that." But deep on the inside, I knew he wasn't. Just a little excentric, maybe.

"No. I'm not, actually. You know that. You're mon was just like you. Kari, too. The blood's always dominant, see. Think, Kyria. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

I didn't want to, but I did. I knew exactly what he was talking about, and I didn't like it. All my life, the only thing I wanted was to be invisible, not literally, but able to go unnoticed throughout my life. But there had always been this- nagging feeling; like I knew I was different all along. And maybe, on some level, I had. But I never wanted to admit it to myself, always ignoring all the signs. "I'm an elemental. Actually, no, I'm just mental, I can't believe I just said that."

Acheron chortled. "Not mental. I promise you, you're as sane as I am."

"Not exactly reassuring there, bud." The legs of my jeans scruffed against eachother as I hopped up off the floor. "Look, are you sure you're not mistaken? Would I techinically be a witch? If people found out about this, would they burn me at the stake? Alive even? Or is that too old fashioned, these days?I don't think so, but you never really know, I suppose."

Acheron shook his head at my ADHD. Not fair, really. I mean, it's not my fault that I'm so easily distracted, after all. "No, you're not a witch, no, you wouldn't be burned alive at a stake if you were, I think, and I'm pretty sure that's way too old fashioned, these days. But you're not just any elemental, you're the most powerful in a millenium. "

"Whoa, there, Buco. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here. What is it, exactly that I can do? Other than, of course, procrastinating like no ones buissiness." I admit, I am amazing at things I really shouldn't be, like procrastinating, picking locks, and withering other peoples retorts with a single glare. Oh, and you can't forget wiring cars. Useful, but sadly, not what you would call ethical. I didn't mean to pick up these skills, but I'm a freaking sponge.

"I'm going to ignore that last comment. You can manipulate all of the elements to your advantage. Mainly fire, but you can use the others as well." He said, rubbing his forehead, as if I gave him a severe head-ache. I probably did, actually. I had that effect on most adults.

"Ooh! Can I shoot fire out of my hands? 'Cause that would be cool. I mean, what's the use of being a ginger if I can't shoot fire?" But I wasn't really thinking about that. I was thinking about how much more I could do to my familys' killer once I found them. And I would, I promise.

Acheron inclined his head. "I suppose you could, but, though under any other circumstances, I would encourage you to use your powers, please don't right now."

I was perplexed. "And why not? I wanna shoot fire at things." I pouted, feining immaturity, just so that he wouldn't see what was really going through my mind.

"Um, hello? We're in a very small, enclosed area. I would not suggest using fire." He gestured to the area around us.

"Oh. Right. Sorry. I knew that. Can I use water? Or earth? Does electricity count as an element? Because that would be cool. It would totally wreck my hair, though."I fingered my red hair thoughtfully as if I actually cared what happened to it. Which I didn't. "If I can control electricity, does that mean that I can control brain waves? I mean, they are only electrical frequencies, right?"

"Um, techincally I suppose you could. Electricity is my element, and that is one of my abilities."

Oh. That made sense. "Is that why there was all that lightning when you 'came over' I suppose you'd call it?"

Acheron shook his head. "That was just special effects. You wouldn't have seen that if I didn't want you to."

That also made sense, but... "So why were you standing outside of my house in the pouring rain, staring creepily into my room exactly?"

The man shifted from foot to foot. "That used to be your mothers room."He said quietly. That was almost sweet. Kind of stalker-ish, but sweet. In a stalker-ish way.

I decided to change the subject. "So, can you read minds?"

Acheron chuckeled. "Are you always so ADD?"

"No, I reserve that kinda thing for people i just met to make sure they never want to see me again." I had said the sentance sarcastically, but it wasn't sarcasm. Not really.

Immense sadness filled Ashs eyes as he looked at me. "I can read minds. I know what you've been thinking this entire time, actually. But never fear, you can't get rid of me that easily."

But I wasn't trying to. I wasn't letting him get close, is all. That way, if he leaves me, it won't hurt as bad as it would if he got close, like a dad, though he's only probably twenty-seven, or so. Everyone, everyone ended up leaving. My parents before I really knew them, my sister, my friends, my boyfriend, I had no one left. And I wasn't prepared to lose anyone else. "Oh." Was I all I said, all I could say.

A figure bursted out of the darkness, breathing difficultly. "No one is around anywhere." Then the boy caught sight of me. "Whoa, when'd she wake up?" He had dark hair that fell into his ocean blue eyes. He was tall and thin, but not gangly, and had a nice tan.

Acheron smiled thinly. "Not too long ago, Jason. Kyria, meet Jason, Jason, meet Kyria. Jason is in much the same situation as you are."