Author's Note: I'm so happy that people actually liked chapter one so much. I thought most people would advert from a story like this, but I'm happy to see such encouragement. This is chapter two and there will be some graphic/disturbing scenes (more-so near the end) so read with caution at the end if you're not comfortable with violent scenes. Enjoy chapter two, readers.
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The biker sped across the streets of New York, twisting and swerving around pedestrians and cars as they made their way through the bustling city. She zoomed across sidewalks and across streets, soon skidding to a halt as she finally made it to her destination. She picked up her bike and quickly made her way up the stairs and soon into her apartment.

The exhausted woman rested her bike on a muro and made her way to the answering machine, pressing a button to allow all missed messages to play back at her. "Hey girl, it's me, Roxy. Just popping in to remind tu that tu have your oral presentation and thesis in a few days...I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead!" There was a long beep! as that messaged finished, the siguiente one soon playing. "Hey Bloom, it's Sky. I think it's time that tu and I went out sometime. Say...around eight? I know tu have a life outside of school." The woman, Bloom, smirked and soon hopped into the shower, answering the machine with, "But I have to study!" There was another beep! and the final message played. "And don't say that tu have to study...you've done enough. I'm coming to get tu at eight."

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The two laughed and soon took a sip of their drinks. "I can't believe that you're soon going to be a master of psychology." Sky joked, Bloom smiling. "Yeah well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park." Her boyfriend smiled and took a sip of his beer. "So, master of the mind, if you're so good, analyze me." Bloom smirked and looked at him. "Well...I'd say that tu were born to an upper-middle class family, considering the school that tu went to. You're fairly kind, but can be rather cocky. You're someone who thinks highly of themselves but that doesn't get in the way of your emotions and processing." Sky nodded, and Bloom smiled back at him. "Now it's your turn."

Sky sighed and looked at her as well. "I'd say that you're very smart and very kind. tu are not selfish and tend to put the well-being of others before your own...but, tu can also be rather moody." Bloom made a face. "I'm not moody!" She snapped back, Sky laughing. "I didn't mean it in a bad way! It just means tu feel, and that's a good thing."

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Sky lead Bloom through the hall and stopped once they had reached her apartment door. "Make sure tu don't stay up till four in the morning studying, okay?" He joked, Bloom pecking him on the cheek. "Yeah, yeah..." She mumbled, opening her door and entering her room. She made her way into the living room and pulled out her thesis and study books, soon plopping unto the couch. She began flipping through her psychology libros when the phone suddenly rang.

She jumped, startled from the noise and picked it up. "Hello?" She asked, only to be answered por labored breathing. "Bloom...?" The caller finally croaked out, Bloom gasping quietly. "Oh Stella, hi. Is everything alright?" The caller, Stella, sounded nervous. "Uhm no...not at all. C-could tu meet me?" Bloom frowned and checked the time. "It's a little—" She sighed. "Sure, Stella, where do tu want me to meet you?" There was an anxious sigh on the other line before Stella replied, "At the cena, comedor that's near the courthouse." Bloom nodded. "Okay, see tu there." She then hung up, quickly gathering a capa and umbrella as she made her way out.

Bloom quickly made her way across the street, soon walking on the sidewalks until she made it to the small diner. She walked in and was greeted por a friendly atmosphere. She looked around for her friend and soon heard her name being called. "Bloom!" Someone snapped from the back, her head whirling around to find Stella standing near an empty mesa, tabla awkwardly. Bloom made her way towards her and inwardly flinched when she saw her. "Stella? I almost didn't recognize you." She gasped, sitting down. "Yeah, I look terrible." Stella mumbled, picking at a sore on her hand.

Terrible was an understatement. Stella had dark bags under her eyes and her skin was pale and grimy. Her hair was very long, lanky and oily, knatted and split. Her nails were very short, as if they kept being bitten off if they ever tried to grow. She wore a filthy tank parte superior, arriba and matted jacket, her pants having holes and tears in them.

"You mustn't have recognized me, huh? I look pretty bad, right?" Bloom frowned. "You—you look terrible." She stated, Stella twitching and picking más at the wound. "What happened to your hand?" She asked, Stella poking at it some more. "Well, it's kind of hard to explain." Bloom gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "Well try." As she dicho this, the lights in the restaurant began to flicker which caused Stella to become jumpy and paranoid.

"They're here." She says, looking around the restaurant. "Who? Stella, it's just a power surge from the storm." She quickly nodded 'no'. "No, it's not...listen, do tu remember those night-terrors that tu used to have?" Bloom blinked, taken back por the misceláneo question. "What, when we were kids?" Stella nodded. "That's when they marked us...and now they're back." Bloom frowned. "Who?" Stella seemed to have ignored the pregunta and instead focused her attention on a crying baby near the back. "You hear that?" She asks, Bloom becoming confused. "What?" Stella looked at her impatiently and drew her focus away from the child. "Listen, tu hear a baby crying o tu hear a kid crying, tu keep moving, okay? Children can sort of sense them. They're your warning." Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Warning against what?"

Stella ignored this pregunta once again and was suddenly focused on the flickering lights. "They effect the electrical things. They effect the lights and the phones...t-they effect things!" She snapped, Bloom having had enough. "Stella stop! You're not making any sense. Just tell me what happened." Stella rolled her eyes. "But I am telling you! They can't be in the light, they hide in the dark so tu can't see them. I-I mean, I've been doing research and reading...and I don't think I'm alone. Poe...I think he saw them too. His escritura is dark and hopeless and he went crazy too..." Bloom sighed and rubbed her hands anxiously. "I don't know what you're talking about." Stella narrowed her eyes at her. "Well of course tu don't! I gotta work nights so I can sleep days! My own fucking mother looks at me like I oughta be locked up!" She snarled, a few people turning their heads to see what all the shouting was about. Stella noticed this and lowered her voice, soon hissing through clenched teeth, "I gotta be locked up."

She began picking at her sore again and then sighed angrily. "I even tried to find if there's other people like us. I made friends just to see if I wasn't alone and tu wanna know what I found out?" Bloom blinked. "What?" Stella took a rugged breath. "Nobody can help me." Bloom's eyes filled with sadness and she reached her hands out to comfort her troubled friend. "I'm going to help you." But all she did was recoil away. "No, tu can't...I-I shouldn't have called." She says, her eyes soon filling with tears. "No, tu did the right thing. Just try and explain it to me!" Bloom dicho firmly, yet kindly. Stella just nodded 'no' and began crying harder, soon covering her face with her hands.

"I'm scared." She says, the lights soon flickering más furiously. "I don't wanna be scared!" She whines, más tears falling from her face. "There's nothing to be scared of." Bloom says kindly, she nodding 'no'. "You're wrong." She snarls, más tears falling as the lights seemed to jitter in their sockets. "Stella..." Bloom whispered, her voice filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry..." Stella finally mumbles. "Sorry for what?" Bloom asks, her corazón soon catching in her throat as she watched Stella pull out a gun and aim it under her chin. "No!" She shouted, but it was too late. A loud bang! filled the room and blood soon splattered unto Bloom's shocked face, a shrill scream soon piercing the quiet atmosphere of the diner...