That Halloween had been perfect. Children charged across the streets, screaming and yelling, delirious with excitement of candy. Parents walked in clusters behind, occasionally calling a stray child back to the group. At the edge of town, rusty Impala's, Toyota's, and half-tons carried loads of teenagers, heads hanging out the back, screaming and calling to other vehicles jammed with friends. Marina stood in the shadows, watching the other kids. Kids she watched every day with hatred. They just didn't understand her and they never even tried. Headlights flashed on and off in the distance. Marina recognized Simon's new blue and black Chevy truck. She could hear music pouring from the open windows and the sharp sound of female laughter, mingled with deep voices. Simon swerved across the road and she was caught in his headlights, blinded by their brightness. He sped up and for a moment she sincerely believed he would hit her, but just as his front tire bumped onto the sidewalk he stopped, girls' shrieks shattering into laughter.

"Hey, Rogers, out casting spells?" Laughter tumbled from his lips and more laughter followed from within the dark shadows of the truck.

She gave him a menacing look and tried to peer into the truck, but she could only make out dark lumps. "What do you want Simon?" She asked, digging her hands deeper into her pockets.

"Well now, I don't really know. Need a ride to the party?" Groans came from within the cab.

"What are you saying?" A male voice yelled at him, "We don't want her there."

Simon shrugged, "Guess nobody wants you to come. Too bad, but then, I didn't want you to come either." He threw back his head and howled, fading away to a scornful laugh, "Bye bye, witch girl."

Marina backed away as he squealed off down the dark road. She mouthed a curse she had read in a spell book, but she knew it was useless, she just couldn't cast spells, no matter how hard she concentrated, that is, she couldn't cast a spell by herself.

She leaned against a tall, dead elm tree and wrapped her arms around her chest. Streaks of grey black cloud wisped across an ink black sky. No stars shone, but the moon was bright, orange, red. Clumps of leaves swirled across the now empty street and a perfectly eerie wind whistled around the lines of dead trees and deserted houses. She closed her eyes and fingered the crystal laying heavy and warm in her pocket. Unrestful spirits and ghosts roamed this street on Halloween, but no harm would come to the one with the crystal. This street had been appropriately named, The Dead End, because it was exactly that for anyone who had ever lived there. Now it was deserted and left apart from the rest of the town, left for Halloween night terror and midnight dares.

A dim, light appeared on the other end of the street and Marina could see two black figures moving swiftly toward her. Her heart lightened and excitement replaced the thick hatred inside. "Austin, Neve, I'm so glad to see you guys!"

Neve gave her a friendly hug, her thick, wavy, black hair swirling around her face. Austin smiled a dark, serious smile, but Marina could see a spark of silliness in his brown eyes.

"Marina, how have things been?" Austin asked, touching a glittering rock hanging on a long, leather cord around his neck, "Things are restless tonight, hey?"

She nodded, giving Neve a grave look, "Did you bring your rock?"

Neve nodded and lifted it out from under her black, knit jacket, the moonlight caught the crystal lighting it up like a match. The three hardly ever talked at times like this. Austin was the noisiest and the girls were teaching him, slowly.

Marina slipped her gem from her pocket and slipped it around her neck. Austin brushed a hand through his messy brown hair and tapped one foot impatiently. "Well . . .,"He said, looking at Marina, "Are we going?"

Marina nodded and started to walk briskly down the street. The two others followed obediently. Marina was undoubtably the leader.

Milcher's Mansion stood at the rear of Dead End, light spilled from the broken windows and music dissolved into the wind. Kid's rowdy cries and shouts slipped through the saturated wind and over the three friends. Marina stared angrily at the building. Neve and Austin on either side of her felt the tremor of hatred wash over her. All three nodded their heads in agreement, without even speaking they knew what Marina wanted to do. They formed a circle, their powers circling through each one, squeezing through their linked hands.

A wail from the house signaled them that their spell was cast and they dropped hands to watch. Lisps of orange and red flame licked around the edges of the broken windows and smoke circled into the sky, so black that it seemed to disappear into the clouds. Teenagers began to swarm out of the house, some, too drunk to think, leapt from the second story balcony, wailing as they fell to the frozen ground. A smile spread across Marina's lips as she felt the pain of someone burning deep inside the abandoned mansion. Screaming for help, screaming with the pain, her pain that they inflicted deep every day, scratching each wound open again and again, picking off healing scabs. She watched with pleasure until she saw him, staggering out of the burning building with a familiar figure leaning against him. He was a boy that she'd only seen a couple times. Dark good looks with black hair and eyes so dark and piercing, she thought that he could look right through her, see her every thought. She had thought maybe that he had the power, but never had a chance to talk to him. Now her heart leapt, the moon played down on him, Simon standing, coughing beside him, but Marina could see only him. He turned his head and looked right at her, she could feel his power, strong and thick flowing through his overly-good vision and then he was walking toward them.

Austin made a move to dash away, but was stopped short with a gasp. At once, Austin and Neve both felt his superiority, his strength in the dark arts. They stood there, waiting for him to arrive. He stood in front of Marina, examining her with those sharp eyes. With pounding heart she stepped forward, one hand clutching her crystal, just in case.

"Marina Rogers, why did you do this?" He asked, his voice hard, but not accusing.

"I....I had to. To get rid of the pain, to show them what they did to me. They deserved it."

He stared at her for what seemed like forever, searching her soul and mind, then he nodded, "I know." He kept his eyes glued to her's and she couldn't turn away. "You three have the power." This was not a question, he knew them without even knowing them. "I'm Damon."

She nodded, she'd know that, somehow he had given her some small piece of his strength, it pulsed through her veins, foreign to her weak talent.

He smiled at her faintly, "You are natural and these two are learned."

"I know, but I can't cast..."

He broke her off, "You don't have to speak to me, Marina, I already know."

All this while Austin and Neve had been standing, shocked and scared. He studied them both, "They are scared of the power I posses Marina, and your power soon will be strong like mine, come, we will go to my crypt."

"Your....your crypt?" Neve asked, her voice shaking. He didn't answer, but Marina could hear a faint, "What? Are you scared of your own kind?" slipping through the air.

Austin clamped a hand down on her shoulder and put his lips up to her ear, "What are you doing? This guy is crazy with the power, I don't think you should go with him."

Damon whipped around and pointed a finger at Austin, his eyes lit up with annoyance, "You learned ones know so little." Austin shrunk back from his infuriated stare. Damon turned again and began to slip through the trees, Marina running to catch up, intoxicated with him.

Austin felt chills run down his spine and he leapt forward, dashed through the trees and caught hold of Marina, spinning her around to face him. Damon stopped and turned to glare anrgily at Austin.

"What are you doing? She wanted to come with me."

Austin glared back standing protectively in front of Marina and Neve, "I don't know what you just did to Marina, but I think you should leave and not ever talk to us again."

Damon looked from Neve to Austin to Marina and clenched his hands at his sides, breathing heavy, with anger. "Fine, but you can't babysit Marina all the time. She wanted to come and she will, eventually."

Austin felt worry spread through his bones like a wild disease. He knew Damon was right and this scared him very much, Marina meant a lot to him. Damon smiled coldly, sensing Austin's fright, and then moved toward Marina touching her cheek with his finger.

"Goodbye my darling, we will meet again." He whispered, before turning and disappearing into the thick trees, literally disappearing.

Neve was staring with disbelief at the spot where he once stood, trembling uncontrollable, perhaps from the cold, but Austin highly doubted it had anything to do with the cold, but with the awful presence that had existed in their midst for those few minutes.

"Austin? Did you feel that power?" Neve finally gasped, lifting her huge, dark eyes to him.

He nodded, "I didn't like."

Marina gave a cry of protest, "He is our friend, you were so mean Austin, how could you do that. Tell him to leave us. We could have been so powerful."

Austin frowned at her with doubt, "What is wrong with you Mari, it was like he had you in some sort of spell or something and now you are out of your mind, couldn't you feel the evil that came from him. I am probably the weakest here and yet even I felt it." Neve nodded in agreement.

Marina looked at them in contempt, "I can't believe you two," She looked at them, trying to decide something and then groaned, "Despite how you have let me down I still want to carry on with this."

Neve nodded and Austin exhaled uncomfortably as the two girls looked at him, "Ok, ok. Let's go then." Marina looked satisfied and began to head into the forest.

The forest was deathly black and the moon was covered in sick, gray clouds. Marina walked through the tangle of branches and trees like a deer taking a midnight stroll while Neve and Austin struggled to keep up. She stopped for a moment and turned her head to the sky, staring up into it's inky black.

"Hello? Come out. It is I, Marina."

Austin gave Neve a startled glance. A girl emerged from the trees and smiled. Her eyes were dark and restless and a power flowed from her strong, like Damon's. Austin shrunk back from her and glanced warily at Marina, her face a pale moon, staring at the girl. No words were spoken between the two of them, but Austin sensed that a strange knowledge had been passed and he was almost jealous. Who was this girl anyway, she looked to be only a year younger then Marina and her face and hair was dark, her clothes black also. A raven he thought to himself.

Her eyes suddenly turned to him, her hair bouncing around her face. She lifted a finger to him and began to walk towards him, "He, he has it." She whispered, menacingly.

Marina nodded, "Both of them."

The girl laughed softly, "They do, don't they."

Austin stepped back, away from the girls piercing eyes, "My name IS Raven, Austin."

He took another step back, but his anger was rising. She giggled again, "You are angry that I scare you. How amusing. You do not scare me Austin Johnson," She lifted a delicate hand and put her fingers around his crystal, "And this doesn't scare me either." She ripped it from his neck and laughed again, low and cruel.

Marina laughed too and lifted the rock from her neck, tossing it into the brush between the trees. Neve stared at this, backing slowly into the shadow, scared beyond belief. Her heart hammered in her chest, beating furiously as if it wanted out, wanted away from this horrible girl. She suddenly wished that she had never gotten involved in this black magic to begin with. They had already killed people tonight and that had taken a lot out of her, but this was worse. The evil power here was more then she wanted to know or possess. They didn't seem to notice her quiet escape and she pushed back, farther into the trees when hands dropped into her shoulders and a body pressed against her. She uttered a low cry of terror and tried to turn around, but the hands moved to her waist and held her there, against his warm body. She knew who it was, Damon. Power filled her and charged from his body through her and back to him. She shuddered and felt the charm that Marina had been drawn into.

"Damon, what do you want? Can't you let us go and be left alone, we want no part in this."

He laughed softy, his eyes burned into hers. "Is that really what you want Neve? I think that you yearn to have the powers I have and you know you can." His rubbed his finger against her lips.

She begged her mind for the strength to overpower his evil, but she felt drained of everything. "Leave me alone!" Was all she managed to shriek, "Just leave us, please!"

He laughed again and pushed her to the ground in front of Raven. "She wants us to leave them alone!" His voice filled the air as he spoke and Raven began to giggle uncontrollably.

"What is so funny!" Austin demanded, his face was pale and he had a hand on his chest where the crystal had once hung as if in a protective manner. Neve trembled as she remembered in her mind when Raven had ripped it from his neck and thrown it to the side. His protection she thought and slipped her crystal into her shirt.

"Why you of course. You tell me and Raven to leave you alone yet in your hearts and minds you call us everyday. Every time you summon power, it comes from us and you always want more and more. Well we have come now, fulfilled your wish."

"But.....but you scare us. The power isn't scary." Neve said, cowering on the ground.

"Oh Neve, the power you have experienced is only a tiny part of what you could have. We frighten you because you are not our equals. You and Austin are only learned ones, not natural. Marina was born into the black arts. Her mother was a natural, her grandmother, and great grandmother, it goes back a long ways."

"Can we please go. We don't want this, please." Austin begged, kneeling down beside Neve, putting an arm around her.

Damon shrugged, "Alright then. Go if you want, but Marina will stay with us. She will become great."

Austin helped Neve to her feet and turned to Marina, "Please come with us. This is crazy and your gonna get into trouble. Marina, listen to me."

She giggled and lifted a finger to point at Raven, "She is my sister." Another gasping giggle escaped her throat as she tried to keep it down.

Austin stared at her. "This thing is not your sister. Alana is your little sister Marina. Alana, your three year old sister."

Raven stepped toward him and smiled, showing sparkling white teeth, "I am Alana." More laughter followed this, "How do you think we can come into your world you dumbass!" She shrieked again, not laughing this time, but becoming angry because they didn't understand.

Damon pulled her back, out of Austin's face and she was silent, glowering at Austin with disgust. "That fire you set killed people. I am Simon. You know him, he treated my Marina badly and I didn't like it, so he is dead and I took his place."

Neve gasped in horror, "What happened to Alana? Is she dead too so this witch could come with you?"

Raven smiled, "Little Alana, didn't even know what was happening when she was pushed into the lake. She was so trusting of me." Another giggle from witch girl.

Damon smiled as he watched Raven.

Neve felt she might be sick, "Oh god.....oh god Austin, I'm gonna be sick. Please let's go."

Austin nodded, "Ok, Marina are you sure? This is twisted and wrong. I just pray that it is all a bad dream or something."

Damon laughed, "Yeah, you wish... now. Just phone the Roger's house. Right now the cops are searching for Marina. They discovered the little girl, Alana, missing and then the cops phoned. Mrs. Rogers, we have some bad news. She breaks up and starts crying. It's not a nice scene there now. I don't think Marina really wants to be there to tell you the truth."

Austin looked from Marina to Damon to Raven. He couldn't just leave her here with these psycho's. Who knows what could happen. They couldn't be who they really said. That was crazy, but they could be twisted killers or something.

Raven moved toward him, watching him intently and then began to laugh softly, chuckling to herself. "Damon.....he doesn't believe this all. He thinks we are twisted killers!" She began to laugh again and then it diminished to a smile. "Can I show him I'm real?" She took another step toward him, she was almost the same height as Austin, tall for a girl, he thought.

"Yeah, I am tall huh? I'm perfect in every way." She laughed again, her eyes sparkled with some mysterious light that seemed to come from within her dark eyes. Her eyes are glowing, they are god damn glowing, Austin thought, this is for real.

She laid a hand gently on his shoulder and slid it to the back of his neck. "Damon.....can I? Can I show him?" She smiled at Austin, her face inches from his.

"No Raven. Don't do that...You aren't supposed to any ways. You know that." Damon answered, sighing. She groaned with the excitement lost and dropped her hand away from him, stepping back.

Austin grabbed Neve to him and reached out for Marina, grasping her firmly by the arm. "We are going. All of us." He whispered, his voice husky with fear and anger. Marina struggled with his grip and then stopped, looking helplessly to Raven.

"Can you give me some power, strength please. I wish to remove this thing from my arm."

Raven laughed, "Good name for him Sis. Be free of that thing." Raven lifted her hand and Austin gasped as Marina's fingers clamped down on his hand, so strong they could have crushed his whole hand, she squeezed harder and he let out a yelp of pain, Neve, wide-eyed, made choking noises in her throat as she tried to breathe. Marina suddenly became pale, her fingers loosened as she watched Austin's face contort with the pain.

"What am I doing?" She whispered as she dropped her hand from his. "Austin? Oh, I'm so sorry, what have I done?" Marina gasped again, covering her eyes with her hands.

Damon strode toward her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Marina, he wants to take you away from your sister and me. He doesn't want you to have the power because he knows that you will be greater then him. Why should you care for him?"

Marina shivered and a sob escaped her throat, "Please leave me alone. I want this to stop." She whimpered.

Raven looked angry and discontent, "Aww, Damon, make her stop that. She has to be one of us. She is a natural, it would ruin the cycle completely."

Damon looked at her with regarding eyes, taking in all she had said as if it was some great wisdom. "Yes. I know, but she must choose."

Marina gasped Austin's hand, "I want to go, please take me."

Austin didn't need a second opinion. He squeezed her hand and pulled her and Neve through the forest. He wasn't sure what direction it was, but it was away from those...those....well he didn't know what they were, but they were evil, very evil. Then he heard Raven's voice far behind them, she wasn't following them, he didn't think, but what she said was almost as bad, "I will stay, Damon will not leave me and I will hunt you down and take Marina. We need her to complete the cycle and if that is broken we die."

Austin broke into a run as he pulled the girls toward a street light, they all stumbled out into the bright light at the same time. Tears left streaks down Neve's face and Marina was ghostly white, her whole body shaking like a leaf. Austin let out a wavering cry and then Marina gave a low moan, collapsed on the ground and began to sob.

"I'm so so sorry, oh why did we ever get in to this. I didn't think it would be like this!" She whimpered. Neve stood there dumbly, staring at Marina with a blank stare. Austin moved to her, dropped down beside her and hugged her.

"It's okay Marina, none of us knew."

"But what she said, she said that....that..."Her words faded to a miserable cry.

"I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you Marina."

Neve approached them, her face as white as a sheet, "Can we please go? I am so scared."

Austin nodded, helping Marina to her feet, "We will take Marina home."

Marina shrieked out in protest, "Alana! What if she is really dead? My little sister." The whole impact of what might have happened at her home hit her with awful force, she began to sob again, her whole body shook violently and she gasped for the air to breathe. Neve looked worried as she stared at them, fright flowed in waves from her. Austin looked at Neve, pleading her to help in some way, but she was not all there, her eyes distant and shocked. It looked like he was going to have to do this on his own. So Austin took Marina and Neve's hands and guided them down the dark, abandoned street. No cars passed, no sounds could be heard except their feet on the dilapidated sidewalk. Dead, brown weeds stuck their skeleton fingers out from the cracks and leaves swirled and collected against the dissolving curb.

Finally the lights from the edge of town cast their eerie glow across the street ahead. There were no signs of human life except these few streetlights. The houses were dark and there were no people around, no cars, no trick or treaters, no nothing, just the lights. Austin gave a sigh of relief as he began to move faster down the middle of the road. The trees cast jerking shadows over them, the wind howled through the forest on either side and he began to look warily to their sides. Wasn't that the way some animal hunted? Two of them, crowding in on their prey from the sides. He thought he saw things, darting from one tree stump to the other. He jerked to a stop and stared with wild fear at her, standing their in their path. Raven. Her black hair fell down to her lower back and her face was covered in darkness, if he had been able to see it he would have seen an leering, menacing smile. She was wearing a black cloak that swirled around her, swishing silently at every wind gust. Then she lifted her face, the smile gone now, moonlight washed over it and her eyes burned into Austin's as she tried to read his mind. He was fighting a good battle she though, taking a step closer. Marina gave a terrified cry as she realized who it was, moving swiftly toward her, black hair streaming out beside her. Neve's knees gave out and she tumbled to the ground, covering her face with her small, pale hands.

Austin grimaced against her probing eyes, she was trying to get inside his mind and he wasn't going to let her, no, not this time. He had to look after Neve and Marina. Raven stopped and studied the three of them, trying to decided what to do, like an animal beginning to believe their prey was stronger then they though. Finally she dropped her eyes from Austin and opened her mouth to speak.

"I told you I would be back......." She smiled softly, waiting for Austin to speak, to let her mind into him.

Austin knew better now. Marina thought one thing to him then. Don't speak to her. Don't let her in. Austin had heard it loud and clear and realized that speaking to them was the only other way, besides looking into their eyes, to get into your head.

Raven's mouth turned into a angry scowl and her face twisted in frustrated fury. "What is wrong with you Austin? Can you not speak? Are you too scared of little old me?"

Austin smiled and thought at her as hard as he could, I won't speak to you. Then he almost laughed, but decided not to risk it and thought at her again, I am laughing at you right now. You can't get into my mind can you?

Raven's face suddenly went blank and she swept up to him. She was so close he could smell her breath, sweet and warm. Her eyes were so dark that they could have been black, but he saw now that they were brown. Her pupils so dilated that it was almost impossible to tell. Then her lips, blood red, curved up into a smile. She lifted her hand and laid it against his chest. (My heart) She smiled even more as he gave a shudder and he reached up, trying to pry her hand off. She laughed with awful lunacy. Austin gasped in pain and his eyes bugged with the agony. She going to stop my heart and I am going to die, he thought. Then her hand lifted from him and the pain ceased, leaving him with none at all.

"Can you see the power I have now?" She still stood inches away from him, her hand poised near his body.

He nodded, feeling faint and powerless against her now. Still though, somewhere inside him, he was still fighting her.

"You are strong aren't you? Stronger then I thought or Damon thought. He recovered his breathing and lifted his head to her face. He grabbed hold of his mind and smiled, I am strong, you have your work cut out for you, he thought bitterly.

Raven shrugged, "Yeah, maybe, or maybe not. Where is your protection? All you have is your mind and I will have that.....soon."

He shrugged back, wishing to feel the weight of his crystal against his chest.

"Do you want me to go?" She asked, her breath washed over him, sweet still. He almost expected her to have horrible breathe to match the evil inside her, but like everything else on the outside of her, she was perfect. Her eyes flashed and glowed faintly before she stepped back. "I can't read your mind, but I am not stupid. As a matter of fact I am very smart." She giggled and swept her hair behind her. "Good luck in this little game boy......Austin...Johnson." She laughed again as if she had just made a hilarious joke of his name.

He almost opened his mouth and she sensed it, stopping her soft giggle mid way. She watched him, like a cat watching a bird, hopping closer and closer to the hiding spot. Testing it's ground unsuspectingly.

She smiled confidently, "You will break. It is all too easy." She laughed again and twirled around, dashing into the trees and then disappearing. Austin stood there, breathing hard. He turned in a full circle examining the forest around them. A movement in one of the biggest trees caught his eye. A huge, black raven had just fluttered down to rest on the highest branch of the dead, leafless elm. It regarded him with a overly smart eye. He stared at it, skeptically. Finally he agreed with himself that it was Raven watching him.

Austin leaned down to Marina who was in some kind of trance, her hands lowered to her thigh. Her eyes were half closed and her mouth hung agape. He didn't think that he had every seen anyone so pale before.

He leaned down to her and placed a hand on her trembling shoulder, "Marina?" She didn't seem to notice him at all, but she did seem to be awake, in some form or another. "Are you okay? We are going to go home now, but I need you to stand up and walk with me, ok?" She still didn't respond so he slipped his arm around her and lifted her up. Pulling her to her feet. She stood there, lucky that she didn't fall down again. Then he turned to Neve and touched her face, it was cold and clammy. Austin picked her up and carrying her in his arms, took the two girls into the city.

The Raven followed them, swooping from house top to house top, tree to tree. Austin kept a wary eye on it and he walked down the empty street. As he reached the inner city light filtered through grimy windows. Marina's house was only a few blocks ahead. As soon as he got over this hill he would see it. The small lawn edged with snow, the walk up to the house cracked and shifting. The white picket fence surrounding it was broken in some spots and the gate hung on it's hinges, slamming noisily in this wind. Their small, rusty, green car would be sitting in the driveway, the right back window covered with cardboard. It was probably too late for anyone there to be awake so they house would be dark and he would have to get the house key from under the empty barrel that used to hold beautiful flowers, before Marina's father had left them.

Austin stood at the top of the hill, staring in horrified silence at Marina's house. Lights gushed from the curtained windows and a cop cars were sitting outside against the curb. Marina gave a strangled cry as she flew out of her trance and she began to bolt down the hill. Austin tied to run after her, but Neve was to heavy in his arms, so he walked and watched as Marina crashed through the broken gate and ran up the steps to her house. By the time Austin had reached the front door, Marina was inside and he could hear the question voices of the officers and in the background her mother's shrill cries of, "My god! Alana! My dear god!"

He shuddered and was just reaching his hand up to knock on the door, peeling with brown paint, when it swung open wide and there was Raven, standing there looking quiet pleased with herself, "Well hello Austin, nice of you to join this lovely little reunion. The cops think that crazy Marina there killed her little sister." Raven let out a howl of laughter, and then her eyes glided back down from the sky to Austin's face, but he would not look her in the eye.
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