“Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend, somewhere along in a bitter desent . . . had I known how to save a life,” How to Save a Life, The Fray, How to Save a Life.

Jamie’s POV

The next few weeks passed in a blur of school, painting my room, and rehearsals for Fallen, for that I was grateful, for, more often then not, it left me unable to think of darker thoughts. On the night of the closing show, my perfect control over what happened to me shattered.

I sat backstage, listening to what was happening on stage as I waited for my cue.

And I’d say sorry
But that would be a lie
Cuz I ain’t sorry at all
So tough luck

“That’s my cue,” I muttered, coming on stage.

I walked to center stage, and began talking when a spotlight fell on me. “Maybe Suzanny was right. Maybe I’m not a fit leader. Maybe I should apologize. Maybe I should do this, maybe I should do that. There are too many maybes in my life as of late. I just hope I’m doing what’s right for myself and my family. If anything should happen to them. . . . I have never doubted myself as a daughter of Solaella before, why do I doubt myself now, in this time of unease in The Outskirts?” Looking up, I finished my line, “Solaella, please guide me in my journey to find the truth of this situation.”

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Alone in my dressing room I started taking my make-up off, and stopped when I saw the image reflected in the mirror. It looked like I was reflected twice, except that one reflection was in a robe thrown over my Delovely costume; and one in my clothes, slightly paler with a mark on her neck slightly darker then the rest of her skin. “Hey sis,”

“Jessica,” I said, turning around.

“I know,” She replied, with such indifference that her voice was almost cold. That’s when I noticed the knife in her hand.

“What are you doing with that?” I asked, hastily backing up against the mirror and reaching for my bag.

“Oh no you don’t,” She sneered, throwing her knife. It caught my sleeve and embedded itself into the mirror, sending a series of spider web cracks across the mirror.

“Jessica what’s wrong? Why are you doing this?” I asked, panicking.

“I need to get you out of the way and pretend to be you to complete a mission.” She replied with her usual calm.

“What are you going to do to me?” I asked, raising my other arm. Bad move seeing as once I did she threw another knife at me and pinned my other arm to the mirror. Damn it.

“I never thought that you would be cast as Delovely, I always thought of you more as Butterfly or Joy. You were good as Delovely though,” Jessica continued, as if this were a normal conversation; which it wasn’t.

My bag fell to the floor, its contents spilling, including my cocodina. Jessica’s expression darkened when she saw it. “Who’s is this?” she asked, reaching for it.

“It’s mine,” I answered, “It was mom’s originally, but it was taken from her when she was exiled. Why do you ask?”

She ignored my question, and with speed only a vampire could manage, she came to where I was and knocked me out.

Some other stories by Lydia Tall:

• Updates!
• D Is For Dead
• 9/11/01
• C Is For Conviction
• B Is For Betrayal