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Lexi awoke from her deep sleep to find Joshua saying her name. "W-what? Oh, the knife. Protection. I don't want to be hurt again. I just can't handle that again. I escaped so I could find a better life. All I remember is being hurt, hit, over and over again. It was late one night so I left. Thats all I remember." Sitting up, Lexi wanted to be loved and have a normal life, and she couldn't stop thinking about the missles that had flown by and the earthquake. What was going to happen next? She didn't know, but she did know she was going to be ready for whatever was going to happen.

Dustin looked over at Lexi, then at Raven, then at his sister. Joshua turned sharply onto a dirt road that led up to a mountain filled with trees and a snowy top. They were almost there. Dustin turned back to Lexi, "You're not going to need that knife around me. I'm not going to hurt you. Neither will my sister." he smiled again, his eyes glowing in happiness and friendliness.

She sighed pulling her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Raven looks at everyone thinking, can I trust them? She thought for a while before realizing, I guess I can, I have nobody else. She rested her chin on her knees, she took her coat off as it got hot, and Raven looked at them for a bit. Lexi looked over at Raven. "You are so pretty Raven! You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen!" Lexi said, trying to make things a bit easier on Raven. Lexi blushed, smiling she said, "Thank you Dustin, I still need it to protect all of us, its my weapon, and it makes me feel secure."

She blushed, "Thank you." She said quietly as she closed her eyes turning back into human. She stretched, her eyes staying their golden color, she smiled softly looking at Lexi, she looked back out the window. The memories came back to her. She could remember them as the came into her mind. Raven didn't want anybody to know what had happened to her so she was quiet.

Joshua acknowledged they were nearly there. "Alright guys, just a few more minutes, okay?" Joshua drove slower now, up and up and around the twists and turns of the corners as he climbed the mountain.

Dustin lightly shook Kristin awake. She awoke, sleepily, and looked around. "Are we almost there?" Dustin nodded to Kristin and she seemed much calmer now than she ever had. Kristin wasn't usually hyper, but today with all the craziness, she had adjusted quickly and became hyper. Now she was calm, ready to see what her father and brother and all these strangers would do inside the cabin. Dustin ruffled his sister's furry head and made her smile. He didn't like it when she didn't smile, like she hadn't when her mother died. He liked her smiles though. He always felt better when she did.

Raven turned to face Gongon briefly as she questioned him, "Who are you and why are you here?" she asked him quietly.

Gongon looked at Joshua. "You practically know my story already, so I'll try to reduce it to the highlights." So he began to speak to the girls, "My name is Gongon, I'm a genetically altered albino African Gorilla, though my life didn't start out that way. Just a month ago, some radiation from experimental weapons being made nearby affected my cellular structure, increasing my intellect and amplifying my strength. It also somehow altered my vocal chords, or else I wouldn't be able to tell you this tale so easily. I realized that my imprisonment was wrong and engineered an escape. I was living off trash ever since until Josh picked me up." He bowed his head slightly.

"Oh."

"That's nice." Lexi said smiling. She didn't trust any of them fully, except for Dustin. She had a strange attraction towards him. Excited they were almost there, Lexi realized how antsy she had become. She wanted to get to know everyone so she could finally have some friends, but she still didn't know what to expect when they arrived at the cabin. Maybe she could talk to Dustin, or Joshua, or even Raven and have a nice conversation, a real one, before the world really did end.

Her parents were there as she temporarily blacked out. Raven looked around, wondering what was going on. Nobody was in the car with her, there was no car. She looked back towards her parents to see what was going on. She could barely make them out as the men in white coats began to experiment on them. She screamed, but nobody could hear her as the bright white flash took over her vision and she was temporarily blinded. She looked back and saw she was in the car again, with nobody having seen what had happened. She looked out the window sitting up and she looked back at them then back out the window. "Where are we?"

"We're about there at the cabin I told you all I was taking you. I think it's safe enough out here. It's plenty of wild enough for all of us. There's a place to sleep, shelter, food in the fridge, and the view is amazing. Me and the wife used to come here every summer with the kids until she passed away." Joshua grew quiet, but then changed the subject as the cabin came into view. "Here we are. Everybody get out and go inside. Help yourself to some food, there are a few beds and a pullout in there. Please don't break anything."

Raven nodded and opened the door. She took her jacket and glasses and looked around before she bit her bottom lip then slowly walked inside as she looked around. "cozy." She whispered. As she walked in slowly, looking at everything, she rubbed her arm where a strange symbol was imprinted, she hid it under her sleeve. She could remember where and why she had gotten it, but didn't like to talk about it. She sighed looking back at them and she bit her lip then shook her head as she sat on the couch and curled up. She turned into a small black kitten and hid underneath her coat; she wiped a tear away and stayed silent.

She slept gently for a moment before seeing her family, that is to say, her parents, as they were constantly experimented on. She could clearly see the stages forming like a puddle before her eyes; her parents' mutations into catpeople, which was very disturbing for Raven to witness. She hated to see her parents growing cat tails and cat ears and their eyes. Those were the scariest part of all. The seemingly beautiful eyes of their humanity slipped as well, turning fierce and catlike, becoming a sense of evil to her as she watched.

She continued to watch as the lab-coated men forced the two of her parents to mate and she watched with awe and horror as they forced them into it. The sexual desires weren't truly there, just some man in a lab-coat forcing it upon the parents. They were having her, their only child. She almost teared up at the pain that they had put her parents through for this. For what monsters would do such things to innocent people for experiments other than the humans themselves. These scientists did not care what happened, they wanted their results by any means neccessary. She continued to sleep, fitfully.

Before getting out, Gongon turned to see Joshua stop the car. "Are you sure there's enough food for all of us? And for that matter, how long will it last?"

Joshua nodded to Gongon. "Yep. And when the food in the fridge runs out, we resort to primal instinct. Hunting." Joshua smiled as he clambored out of the car.

Dustin and Kristin followed suit. Kristin turned to Gongon. "I love the hunting... it's great." Kristin smiled at Gongon, still liking to remember when she was little having seen him in a zoo. She knew he didn't belong there, but she still remembered enjoying seeing him there. "Come on, guys." She and her brother and father walked inside the cabin.

The cabin wasn't a mansion, but it was definitely spacious. Three bedrooms, a large living room with a stone fireplace. The roof had several skylights in it for maximum lighting and scenery of the sky. There was an overhanging porch over a large cliff in the back of the house with a panoramic view of the mountains. There was also a couple of large bathrooms, and a very spacious kitchen with a gracious amount of food stored. All of the food was still good. The dining room had ample room for all the guests, even though Joshua only needed four chairs before, he still had plenty of extras. Joshua smelled the mountain air deeply. Here was where these poor people would probably live out the rest of their days, but he wouldn't tell any of them that. In a few moments, Joshua turned on the lights to the cabin and the living room was illuminated. The living room led to nearly every room in the rest of the cabin from here and was definitely a showpiece. Aside from the stone fireplace with an old family portrait hanging over it, the living room also had a television, sixty inch flatscreen wall mount, plasma and LCD. It was old, but it got the picture. There was also an MP7/zPod/microdisc player in the corner. The furniture in the whole cabin was rustic/antique, but it looked brand new. It was also sturdier than it should've been, from years of cleaning and preserving. There were not many other entertainment options in the room, but there was still a trail outside leading towards the forest where there was a fishing boat on a pond and some poles to fish as well as a large mountain trail to hike. Plenty of classics lined the shelves of a bookcase and virtually every bedroom had a closet and a TV too.

"It's small, but we call it a home away from home." Joshua smiled, turning towards his guests.

Raven looked up at Lexi purring softly, she curled up in her arms. Noticing Raven was now a kitten, Lexi headed towards Raven. "Are you okay hun?" When Raven didn't respond, she tried to compliment Raven into talking. "Awh, what a beautiful kitten you are!!!" Holding up the kitten, Lexi smiled and petted the soft creature. Ive always wanted a younger sister," Lexi told Raven. "You would be the perfect little sister! You too Kristin," Lexi said to each of them, not wanting to exclude either of them, still petting the most precious kitten Lexi had ever seen.

Kristin blushed, her fur showing the redness moreso than her brother's had. "Thanks Lexi. You're very nice!" Kristin then went onto the porch, motioning for Raven and Lexi to follow her.

she giggled, "Thanks." she said quietly. She looked at everyone and smiled gently to them, "I've never had any family." She looked up at Lexi, "I was always alone" she sighed, remembering the horrible truth.

She remembered the tapes she'd found before escaping the facility. The tapes documenting her mother's pregnancy and birth. How when she was born, her parents both were both dead. Her father only days after her conceiving and her mother moments after birth. She nearly teared up, but she was used to things like this now. She had to stop before things really got out of hand for her. She'd let her anger and emotions out and the mark would come back.

As Gongon approached the cabin, Gongon sighed. "It's nice... really... but it's nothing new. I'm used to sleeping on wood and cement and steel. I will sleep outside. I can finally enjoy grass and earth like I was meant to. No offense." He went outside, gathered some leaves, and made a nest. He then laid down in it, and began to sleep. He sighed in contentment. Wow. This is comfortable.... He thought to himself.

"Don't worry Raven, Im sure Joshua and Dustin and Kristin will take good care of you, and I know I will. You dont have to worry about a thing because we are all in this together!" Lexi put Raven down so she could turn back into human again, if she wanted to.

The thoughts had made the crescent moon come back to a glowing state on her head. She tried to hide it when she could. She smiled softly and sat down as she turned back into her half form, stretching and looking around. She hid it behind her hair and stood up.

Dustin went into a bedroom and threw himself onto a bed face first, burying his head into a pillow. He remembered all the nights he once spent there with his whole family. It was too much to bear for the poor boy-wolf, and he cried silently to himself, face buried in a pillow.

"This place is really nice Joshua, you must have worked really hard for all this." Noticing the cresant moon that formed on Raven's head, Lexi couldnt help but wonder what it was. "Raven, what's that cresant moon on your forehead," pulling Raven's hair away from her forehead. "You dont have to be shy around me, its ok." Raven smiled, but said nothing at all.

"Thanks, Lexi." Joshua smiled as he went outside.

Her ears twitched as she heard muffled crying. She tilted her head to the side and she looked at the room he was crying in. Raven wanted to see why he was crying and if she could do anything to help. She bit her bottom lip and sighed. I don't know him, she thought, it would be werid for him. She softly knocked on the door and waited for a response. She didn't wait long.

Dustin hadn't acknowledged that anybody would hear him and so he brushed it off by blowing off whoever was at the door. "Go away..." It was very upsetting that he had to be here again, especially where all the memories were. He had never gotten over the death of his mother, even though apparantly everybody else had. He couldn't let go. He really needed the company, but he didn't want anybody to think he was weak. Especially not Kristin. If she saw him crying this way, she might think he was less of a big brother and more of a big baby. He continued to cry, not acknowledging that at any time the door could be opened and he'd be exposed and would then be forced to have to have some company comfort him.

She looked hurt but then brushed it off. "I-I'm sorry." She said through the door, "I didn't mean to interrupt." She thought about opening the door but then decided not to; he needed to be alone and she wasn't going to have to force him to speak with her. "I'll be leaving then." She sighed. She never had been yelled at, she held in her emotion and turned away from the door.

Lexi saw the comotion between Dustin and Raven. Raven looking upset Lexi shouted at her "Why are you sad little one! Be happy! If you need to talk im here! I will listen!" then continuing into the room Dustin was in, Lexi laid on the bed beside Dustin. Letting him talk when he was ready. She moved her hand to his and held it while he lay crying.

Raven looked at her, "No.... I'm fine." She turned and left the room. She walked outside and into the forest, where she felt safe, but she didn't know why. She sat down beside a tree and looked at the sky. She thought about everything that had happened to her. The experiments, the mystery of the lab-coated people's true purpose for her. Why had she been created was no mystery to her. She was created for evil.

She remembered that the chemicals in her parents had caused their deaths, wondering if she had the same chemicals in them. She continued to sit under the tree, the bright afternoon sky shining down on her. It was slightly cold to her. She continued to remember the two silver bells, which she always wore around her neck, had been given to her from her parents, which she barely remembered was given to her by her own mother herself. She had no idea why they would give her something like that, only that it reminded her of the parents she once had.

Back inside the house, Dustin continued to cry, hoping that he could stop soon. "It's not fair." he cried into the pillow. "It's not fair. Why did she have to die?" Dustin continued to cry, holding Lexi's hand as he did, "Why? Why did it happen? Why did she die, why!" he continued to cry, neither his sister nor his father coming in to see him as neither could hear what was going on in the room. Dustin continued to cry, letting it be known he missed his mother much more than he let on. He continued to sob, "I wish I were dead. Maybe then I would be happier."

"Babe, everyone has to die. My mom and dad died, and I never even knew them. I didnt get to spend one minute with them. Do I miss them? Of course! I miss them now more then I ever did! I just realized that nothing that I can ever do will bring them back. I also know that my mom and dad are watching over me and are proud of me. Im sure your mom would be proud of you for being as strong as you are. Its ok to cry too. Im glad you are alive, Im glad that I got to meet you. I really like you." Lexi squeezed his hand when she said the last sentence, hoping he would understand that she was there for him, and she would always listen to him. No matter what.

She sighed hugging herself as she rested her chin on her knees, rocking herself thinking about her past. She had flash backs of when she was in the lab, a tear formed and fell down her face. The cresant moon glowing a little, Raven continued to remember. They did experiments on her. She sighed, remembering what they had made her for. They made her into a monster, a weapon, she thought angrily to herself. She hugged herself even more before, "They wouldn't understand." She whispered, "Nobody will." She looked up at the sky. "I'm a monster, a weapon, and thats all I am." She continued to sigh, looking back down. With one word she can become unstoppable, she thought to herself, that was all it took.

They had done experiements on her forever, but it was when she had come of age that she had started to get a little rebellious. They had tried impregnating her when she was old enough, but she refused. They had had so much success in making her useful for the wars, so much power that she could not be stopped, that the scientists were baffled when Raven had finally refused them. She had just simply said no and that was all it took. It was then that they began to use less than conventional matters, forcing her and attempting to make her do what she continued refusing to do.

Joshua went to Gongon and approached him. "Gongon, can I ask you a favor?"

Gongon looked up at him with one eye. "What's on your mind?"

Joshua looked over at Gongon. "Would you mind helping me out around the cabin a little bit? I mean... hunting mostly, and helping to watch my kids while I'm hunting?" Joshua smiled graciously at the gorilla, "Much obliged."

She wiped the tear away and looked into the forest as her ears twitched hearing a faint voice:

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty." The man said smiling, as he looked at her, "All alone I see." He shook his head as he continued, "I understand what you're going through," he said walking up to her and he touched the cresant moon on her forhead. He smirked, "And now my dear, you are mine." He closed his eyes, whispering a spell, the cresant glowing and turns a saphire color. He smiled, "You are mine!" he whispered maliciously as he disappeared into the woods.

She shook her head and stood up before she walked inside silently and sat on the couch. She thought about what the man said, while simultaneously listening to Lexi and Dustin in the other room.

Dustin smiled, even through the tears, as he looked at Lexi. "Really?" He smiled happily, his tail wagging. He really liked her too, but he didn't know if it was in the same way or if she was just using metaphors... he really did like her however the case was.

Lexi smiled back at Dustin, "Really." Kissing the tip of Dustin's nose she wondered if he was in fact going to be ok, and then began to wonder what everyone else was doing.

Dustin smiled as she kissed him on the nose. It sealed the deal, so to speak, with her. She liked him and he like her. He could tell now. He licked her face like a puppy would, showing his affection for her. "Thanks, Lexi. You're the best."

Kristin came in and saw Raven sitting on the couch. "Raven? Are you okay?" she asked softly.

She was staring out into space, remembering that she had escaped only earlier that day. She had been walking down the street when Joshua had pulled up beside of her. She didn't speak to him because she was afraid he was going to take her back to the facility she had escaped. Look what Joshua had done for her! She snapped out of it and looked at her, "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine," she smiled softly and stood up, stretching, having a glint in her golden eyes. she looked out the window, "I'm going back outside, okay?" She grabbed her coat and walked outside. She walked into the forest, putting her coat on. As she walked into the clearing looking around, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as her cresant started to glow a little, and she sood still focusing. When she opens her eyes, they started to glow a little. A bright light shot from the sky and shot through her, she closed her eyes the light disapearing, and she fell to the ground, her eyes closed, then the crescent dimmed and stopped glowing as she turned a little pale, breathing slowly.

He smiled walking up to her, kneeling beside of her and touching her forhead, "Kitty, now's the time!" He closed his eyes, "Unleash the demon within!" he whispered.

Kristin followed after Raven. "Wait up, Raven!" She ran after her, hoping to catch up to her in time before Raven was gone and Kristin couldn't find her. Kristin didn't like hide and seek, especially not in these woods. Kristin watched hidden from view as Raven and the man were on the ground. She was frightened. What did he mean, "demon within?" Kristin didn't like the sound of it and so she stayed hidden to see what would happen to Raven. She hoped the man wouldn't hurt her.

The man smirked and kissed the cresant moon, and as he disappeared leaving her, he spoke. "Kitten, soon the world will be under your control." He whispered in her ear.

She layed there, the cresant glowing then stopped, as she whispered a word. "Merna...."

Pretending not to have seen anything, Kristin came out from the bushes. She absent-mindedly strolled over to Raven and put her hand on Raven's shoulder. "Hi there! Wanna play?" Kristin smiled happily and playfull got to all fours to play.

She opened her eyes and sat up. She blinked looking confused as she stood up. "Play?" She asked; she thought, "I don't know." She looked around the forest.

Kristin wagged her tail playfully. "C'mon, Raven! Let's play. Let's play!" she desperately tried to forget what she had just seen, but the image was still in her mind. She tried to be playful with Raven, to get Raven happy as well....

Raven smiled, "I'd love to but, I'm really tired." she yawned and stretched, "In the morning alright?" She stood up.

Inside the bedroom, Lexi and Dustin sat on the bed still. They had been flirting actually, the whole time. Lexi giggled and licked Dustin's face in return, catching a few furs in her mouth. Dustin smiled. "You're very pretty, Lexi." He couldn't bring himself to truly say what he felt, but he knew she probably knew already.

"I love you!" Lexi blurted out. "I-I-mean.. I.. got to go." Lexi got up to leave, she had never loved anyone in her whole life, but she knew this feeling couldn't be denied. Never had anyone been as nice to her and she was not going to pass the situation up. The world was coming to an end, and she needed to love someone. Even if she didn't know them too well.

Dustin got up and followed after Lexi. "Lexi, wait!" He managed to stop her, "I... I love you too." he tried to explain, "I mean, I barely know you, but I feel like I can connect to you and open up to you. I... love being around you. I... you know what, it doesn't matter. I'm a wolf and you... don't appear to be." Dustin went over towards the bed again, "You probably wouldn't even want me to love you."

Lexi ran to the bed, leaped into Dustin's arms and whispered "Thank you Dustin, for loving me. I really need that, to be loved that is." Kissing his lips softly, she knew she wasn't any part wolf, but she loved him and that was all that mattered to her. "Im tired, lets sleep for the night? We have a big battle tomorrow, most likely." Lexi laid on the bed, unsure of where she should sleep, but was tired.

Kristin took Raven by the hand, "Then come on. Let's go get some sleep at the house." She began to drag Raven away from the site of the most horrifying thing she had just seen. "Let's go to bed."

She smiled softly. "All right then." She looked back at the spot, shaking her head, feeling some kind of anger rising. She was going to growl and hiss but held it in. She didn't know why she felt anger rising, she shrugged it off and followed Kristin into the house again.

"Okay, Lexi. You can sleep here. I'm going to go check on Kristin. I'll be back soon." Dustin walked out of the cabin and found Kristin leading Raven up towards the house.

"What's going on?" Dustin asked. "We're going to bed. Raven's tired." Kristin explained quickly. She managed to show Dustin the wary and cautious "look out" eyes before passing him. Dustin was immediately curious and decided to go to bed himself. He approached his father and Gongon.

"Dad, we're all going to bed. We'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, my son. Sleep tight." Joshua smiled, hugging his son. Joshua missed the good ol' days when he could lift his son up high and give him a piggy-back ride to bed, but no more. Those days had come and gone.

Joshua turned. "Well, I am going to leave as Gongon. Sweet dreams and think about what I said about helping out. I'd appreciate it if you did." Joshua went to the empty bedroom and closed the door, sleeping in the master bedroom alone.

She looked at them. "I'll sleep on the couch," she said as she stopped walking, "I don't like beds." she shrugged as Joshua looked at her questioningly. "I'm fine really." She smiled and started walking towards the couch.

Dustin headed towards the bedroom again and climbed in next to Lexi, nearly immediately falling asleep and having terrible dreams of the world ending and him being killed in the process. He saw his mother there and he would call out to her in his dreams, whimpering in his sleep as he did so. He never caught his mother, but the dreams still kept her within grasp to taunt him.

Awakening in the middle of the night to some sort of sound, Lexi realized it was Dustin, laying beside her. "He must be having a bad dream," she whispered to herself. She touched his fur, trying to soothe him as he whimpered. "Its ok babe, its just a dream she whispered in his ear." She too had been dreaming of awful things. She had dreamt of her parents, the bits and pieces she remembered from the horrible place she was in before now. She couldn't fall back asleep so she got up and made sure everything was ok around the house. Thats when she heard it. Missles. They weren't that far away. Hoping for the best, Lexi decided to climb back in bed with Dustin, knowing he would hear something if they got closer and would protect her.

In the living room, Raven woke up and looked out the window. She could hear a rustling sound and opened the window. She held in the anger, gripping the window seal, and she grinded her teeth together. "No!" She whispered, her eyes starting to glow a little.

Dustin slept fitfully, nightmares plauging his dreams. Kristin slept similarly badly, the visions of Raven and the man overwhelmed her mind as she slept in the bed her father did. Lexi climbed into bed with Dustin, laying there awake she thought of all the things that have happened in the last few hours. Until she finally fell back asleep. Lexi didn't awake again until dawn. Joshua did not sleep long. The missiles went off and he looked to see these were much more dangerous than the ones this morning. The nuclear bombs caused extreme explosions worldwide, hitting every captiol and capital city of the world, including LA. If anything was left of LA now, it would be a miracle. Luckily, up in the mountainside, they were safe. Nothing bad could possibly happen to them. He heard Lexi get up and said quietly to her, "Go back to bed. Everything is all right." He hoped they would be able to survive long enough for the world to return to normal, or semi-normal.

Raven's hair started to float as if in water, her eyes glowing a soft blue. She stuck her head out of the window, breathing slowly, as she kept quiet making sure not to wake anyone up. She gripped the window harder, her hands turning white. She had to control it. She had to! She then decided escape was a better solution. She couldn't hurt these people. She jumped through the window landing lightly on her feet with a soft thud. She shook her head holding it in as she walked into the forest looking around. She kicked a tree with some strength, almost breaking it, but she gripped the branch, cutting her hands. She tried so hard to get rid of the anger but found it difficult until finally she screamed into nothingess and tried to get the world to understand her anger. Nobody could hear. She took a deep breath and let go of the branch as she wiped her hands on her black skirt and kept walking. She looked around before saying, "I have to get out."

She looked around thinking, what's happening to me? She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, "I'm a monster!" she whispered before she opened them and starts to run.

"Don't fight it, confront it!" the man whispered, "Take in the anger, use it as your power!"

She stopped running. "You're right." She smiled nodding.

Joshua was still there at dawn, watching over the porch. The view was amazing. He couldn't believe he never got out here enough. His job had encased him in work for so long, he almost forgot how to relax. Now it's all he could do, that's all that was left. Dustin smiled as he saw Lexi was still in bed, remembering the kiss they had shared the day before. He was glad to know he had a person who loved him and that he loved back, and that wasn't family. He got out of bed quietly, having slept in his clothes. He then went to the door and opened it to see about food.

At dawn, Lexi opened her eyes to see Dustin gone. She was nervous to see him again, in person, while he wasn't sleeping. She didnt know how he had felt about the kiss, and she didnt want to be rejected. She walked past the couch where Raven was not, and into the kitchen where she now was confronted by Dustin. "What is there for breakfast?" Lexi asked shyly.

Dustin greeted her with a warm hug. "Good morning. Trust you slept better than I did." he showed her to the pantry, "We have to eat small, so there's plenty of cereal and eggs in the fridge and pantry. Help yourself, but we have to make it last."

Hugging Dustin back, she wonders what will happen today. "Where is Raven?" Lexi asked, grabbing a box of cereal and a bowl from the cabinets. She opened the box of cereal and grabbed a handful and put it in her bowl.

She walked back inside. Raven put on her coat and sat on the couch and crossed her legs and closed her eyes. She concentrated, taking a deep breath and opening her eyes, she was calm and at ease. She looked around, glad to be alone, as she stood back up after hearing her name.

Dustin looked into the living room, Raven seemed to be there. "She's in the living room." He made his own small bowl of cereal and began to eat some as he went to the living room. "Want some food, Raven? It's in the kitchen." He ate outside, standing next to his father, watching the sun rise.

She shook her head, "No I'm fine." She said, her voice a little harsher than normal. She held it in, her eyes slowly turning red, so she put her sunglasses on. "Not hungry." She opened the door and walked past them down a path. She stretched, feeling the anger rising, and she did what the man told her to; she stopped half turning, she pulled off her glasses and throws them. She was instantly surrounded by a few survivors of the city of Los Angeles. She had to do what she had been made to do, to kill the people and force it under her power. She was the most unstoppable being on the planet, why should she stop not using the power? She took her coat off and started to attack the people.

After a few moments, Raven disappered from Josh and Dustin's view. Joshua and Dustin stood on the porch, watching the sun rise. Neither spoke to each other for a long time. Then finally, Joshua cleared his throat before he spoke to his son. "Son, I believe the end of the world is here. I believe this group may be the only ones left alive in California after this is all over, unless some others managed to escape all of this. I do hope that you know that I won't be around forever to watch you and your sister. The consequences of yesterday, however, will outlast me. The world may soon enter a time of darkness, when the sun is blocked out and most life dies. And when that happens, we all will probably die as well." Joshua faced his son, who seemed quite disturbed to hear his father's words. "We probably won't make it as long as I had hoped for up here, but for now we are safe here. The forest and mountains around us provide plenty of shelter and food and we already have a small amount inside this house. I want you to know, son, that before things get really bad here, you are my son and thus my successor in the family when I do die. I want you to know that you've done a terrific job helping to raise your sister since your mother died. You've become the man of the house when I'm not there and I may not know for certain how hard it is on you, but I appreciate your help." Joshua smiled, hugging his son.

"Dad, we're all going to die up here?" came Dustin's weak response.

"In time, yes, all of us will die. Be it old age or a wild animal in the forest, or the end of the world, but we all die at one time or another, son. I suspect you haven't really thought about the fact that we're all probably going to die here, living the rest of our days here in a peace." Joshua looked at his son questioningly.

"Dad, how am I going to know if it's time or not for me to die?"

"You won't son. You won't. You simply must let yourself give in to the natural course of life. With or without your fighting it, it will always prevail and you always lose. There is no immortality, not in us, and not in your sister. We all die sometime, and when it's our time, we have to accept that it is, otherwise death is painful and saddening. As it was with your mother." Joshua smiled a sympathy smile, rather than a happy one.

Dustin looked over at the horizon. The missiles had stopped long ago, the whole world seemed quiet now. The early morning sounds were more depressing than anything, they symbolized the life the world once had. Dustin couldn't possibly fathom how many people were dead now, but he didn't care at this point. He stared off into space, wishing that none of this would happen. A wish that could never come true.

To Be Continued....