*Bez Soznaniya Krasa* Mistik Refuge (BurningWillows & Georgie_Leech)

"Vy govorite na russkom yazyke? Nakonets , kto govorit po-russki. Mozhet u menya yest' svoy ​​redkiy steyk?" Nina gushed out, catching his accent and feeling overjoyed to find someone who spoke her tongue.

He looked back over at her, his eyes clouded with confusion than cleared suddenly as he smiled widely, "Rare it is."

She continued, "Mogu li ya imet' nekotoryye griby tozhe? I yest' li u vas Knysh? YA skuchayu Knysh."

He continued to cook, calling over his shoulder, "Baltic accent girl, not Russian."

When she didn't slow from her rant he just shook his head and replied, "Da. Knysh."

She smiled then, pulling Mor by his arm to one of the tables to wait. She was practically bouncing in her chair, her body thrumming with energy. Even the minor upset with the receptionist was behind her now.

Aras served there meal quickly enough, a large slab of steak cut in two, with Knish on the side of Nina's plate and fried mushrooms arranged nicely over her steak. She didn't wait but dove into it while it was still hot, feeling the scorching meat and potato searing down her throat.

Mor whistled softly, partly in admiration, partly in disbelief. The food was vanishing from the plate. He wasn't hungry, and had intended to just save his for later, but seeing how quickly Nina devoured the steak, he decided to let it slide. Besides, it gave him a chance to get his thoughts in order. I'm glad she was able to escape. It was a risk arranging those errors in the guard schedule, but it looks like it paid off, and I couldn't just leave her for Demsky to play with.

But still, why is she here? I know she had a pack she was originally from; she told me that much. It's been months, so why isn't she with them now? For that matter, Miss Jones said she was looking for me, and the way she just showed up in the woods certainly corroborates that. That means she sought me out specifically; this isn't just random chance. She must need something, but what could it be? It can't be revenge for my part in her captivity, not after the way she greeted me.

Mor shook his head, and saw that Nina was already licking the last of the steak's juice off her fingers. "I think she enjoyed the steak, Aras. I'll have to have some of that later tonight."

Nina cleaned up her dishes, tossing them together and handing them over to Aras. She yelled her thanks as she followed Mor out, letting him lead the way to his cabin.

The cabin was tiny but quaint, with a porch that spread across the front and around the right side. They entered in a living room with a kitchenette to the right and a small dining table with one chair tucked in the right corner near the door. A large, dark auburn comfy-looking chair sat along the left wall nestled between two wooden bookshelves stacked full and Mor gestured towards it for Nina to sit. She got a sense of home in it; the smell of coffee and oak was strong and comforting, and everything was immaculately cleaned and organized.

While Mor went about the cabin doing whatever he was -Nina hadn't asked him and didn't feel the urge to- she took in a beautiful painting on the wall over his dining table. She studied its colored while she waited, engrossed with the calm feeling enveloping her as she sat in his cabin

As Nina got settled and admired the picture of the giant tree, Mor took the time to check on his oak bonsai. He didn't expect there to be any thing that needed to be doing yet, as he didn't have to water it again for a few hours, but he habitually checked it anyway.

After he was satisfied as to the bonsai's condition, he took one of his chairs from the kitchen and moved it nearer to Nina's. "You like the painting? I do as well," he commented sociably. "It's meant to be Yggdrasil, the world tree. In Norse mythology, it's said that the world is held on one of its branches, with the heavens and other realms on others.

Nina appeared much more relaxed now. Mor chanced a riskier question that was aching to be answered. "I can't say I expected to find you here, Miss Silvka. You'll forgive me for saying so, I hope, but last I saw you, you weren't in the best of circumstances. I would have thought you'd return to your pack if you ever managed to get away from Belua. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected vist?"

"Nina," she corrected first, "Please call me Nina."

She let that sink in, her eyes travelling around the room and she muttered on, "I never had a name as a wolf. I was the earth, the sky and the water. I was my mother's pup. No name was needed."

Her gold eyes rested on Mor's, holding his stare as she spoke, her voice sounding distant, "Aiden gave me my name. And I his. And now he is gone. Belua took everything away."

Mor winced. The pain in her voice was palpable. He tried to keep his voice as soothing as possible. "Nina, then. I'm sorry for your loss. I heard about your cousin, but he had already died before I came to work there, and as you can see I've since left. So many awful things there, under the ground. What of the rest of your pack? you mentioned before that you were Russian; do you need assistance getting back there?"

Tears threatened to spill as memories long pushed into the recesses of her mind began to pull forward, "I got home Dr. Mor. I was gone too long though. I...my father passed while I was gone. My youngest rodnoy brat has taken over as Alpha. There's not...nothing I can do for the pack any more. They do not need me. That is why I'm here Dr. Mor."

She pushed a strand of escaped hair back and looked down at her intertwined fingers, the silence echoing in her ears.

Mor was somewhat taken aback by the response. The Nina he had remembered had been a proud girl, refusing to show weakness in the face adversity. Still, if what she's saying is true, she's lost everything; her home, her family. If she's turning to me, I must be one of the last people she trusts.

Mor let out a long, slow breath. He had to tread carefully, as she seemed like a strong breeze could make her crack. There had to be a way to support her while keeping her pride intact. "I'm sorry to hear that, Nina. To have gone through so much adversity at the Asylum without breaking, only to lose your family and home must have been so discouraging. Yet somehow you've managed to find me all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. That must have been difficult."

Mor tried to sound encouraging. "You've come at a good time though. If you need a place to stay, we've got open rooms here, and you can spend as much time out in the woods as you like. you can also get free meals with lodgings here.

"And please, Mor, or Drew if you prefer, is fine. I won't stand on ceremony with you."

She listened to his words, nodding as he spoke, "Thank you Doctor...I mean Drew. I'm alright though. I have an apartment, and I'm looking for a job."

She paused, less for effect and more for swallowing the surge of pain rippling through her, "What I need is...I..."

She had to stop and breath, staring out the window into the clearing, "I'm looking for a place to settle. And I read your...ad...and I was hoping, I mean I want...I want to take some therapy. I thought I could handle everything, but my nightmares only get worse. I'm not asking for pity. I just need...a friend. And help."

The words came easier to her as she focused on the grass dancing under a breeze outside his kitchenette window. She focused on the speech she had rehearsed for hours, but the words seemed silly now. Still she breathed out a long sigh and continued, "I've lost my pack, and no where I go feels safe for me. I have these nightmares every night, and they only get stronger. I'm not good around humans, and I need to...learn. I need help."

She emphasized the last words, making them hang in the air. It felt degrading to ask someone outside her pack for help, and worse yet someone she had only truely known a few weeks. But that was the most she had with someone other than Derek. And Derek's a wild card, she reminded herself, knowing he'd take off in the next few days when he felt she was steady enough, while as Mor would stick around.

"I can pay," she exclaimed, adding under her breath, "When I have money."

It was all Mor could do to not fall over. He had no idea how much she had trusted him. I can't ask her for money, not for this. But at the same time, she needs to pay, to keep her pride. She won't accept charity. Although...

Mor looked thoughtful. "Actually, perhaps we could help each other out. I've been looking for someone to help lead tour groups along the hiking trail. You would probably do well with that, once you get more used to people, and it also could be a reasonable way to practice. You'd be outdoors, in a setting closer to your own environment, and at first we could keep the groups small, so you don't need to deal with too many people at once. The pay wouldn't be amazing, but it's a living wage, and the therapy could come out of that.

"What do you say? If it seems reasonable, we can talk details later." Unconsciously, Mor held his breath.

Nina chewed on his words, shifting in her seat. What more are you looking for? He said they would be small groups. That's better than any retail job! But there was still one problem.

"I don't drive," she blurted out, her cheeks warming, "I got a ride here, and he's leaving soon. I'll have no way to get here. Could I...could I start with helping you pick up business?"

Before he could argue she yanked a folded ad of his from her purse and unfurled it showing off red circles and underlines where she had noticed mistakes. in tiny writing were the English terms she was looking for, "You are using the wrong, er, font and color, to grab people's attentions. And posters won't just do it. You need it to go by word of mouth. I live in Toronto. Maybe, if I could help pick up business first till I get a car, can I still get paid for that? And the...the therapy," she winced at the word, "can come when I can start driving here. I know my accent is rough, but my English it has improved. Doc - I mean Drew- I know this is a lot to ask..."

Mor held up a hand to forestall her. "That would be amazing actually. Business does need to pick up, and it sounds like you know far more about this than I do. Graphic design isn't one of my strong suits."

Mor also had another thought about it. She might be better poised to assist with my other project as well. She's more likely to be able to approach their particularly secretive community, being a supernatural herself. She can also vouch that I mean no harm and genuinely want their cooperation, and not trying to harm them.

On the other hand, is it fair to ask more of her than I already have? There's a fine line between letting her feel needed and competent, and abusing her trust. And if I do, I'll have to explain at least a part of what I'm trying to accomplish, and it's a subject that skirts near to her memories of Belua. Do I have any right to bring that up again?

Mor grimaced slightly. I've been butting my head against a brick wall for months now, and this is the first real chance to change that. I've got to at least try; I can always back off from it if it's too arduous. Gently, though.

Mor decided. "In fact, you might be the best possible person to help with something else. How much do you know about the supernatural community in the area?"

"This," she pointed at the flyer, "isn't a specialty of mine either," she replied and added, "When Aiden found a place within the world of humans he bought an apartment for two. He filled my room with hobbies he thought I liked. Drawing and painting have become a fond pastime of mine."

He paused to think about something than asked her a question slightly off topic, making her blink a few times.

Supernatural community? Wasn't that why he moved here... Nina began putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Yes, he moved here for the supernatural community, but he probably was having a difficult time getting his foot in the door. A human knowing about supernaturals was rare enough, but knowing and wanting to become part of the community in some way was just bizarre.

"How much do you know about the community?" she asked back, raising an eyebrow, "I thought when you left Belua you'd be done with supernaturals. Drew, inside an...a-sy-lum with metal and glass keeping you safe is one thing. Throwing a human into the supernatural community is, is death."

Mor grimaced. "That's not... quite why I left. I'm not intending to walk up to potentially hostile people and invite them to rip my throat out." How much should I say about what I'm doing?

"I meant what I said back then. I hope to find ways to help both supernatural and mundane people interact peaceably. I know not everyone of them is a blood thirsty killer. Different, yes, but not murderously so." Mor bit his lip. "They will fight to defend themselves or keep themselves secret, but I don't think they are a threat to people just by their existence."

Mor unconsciously glanced back at where the photo would be, if he could see through the wall to his room. "There are exceptions though. Sometimes people with unusual powers lose control, or the more bestial sorts go beserk and do a lot of damage before escaping or being put down. You probably haven't heard about it, but something like that happened a few years ago in Winnipeg. A high school student who never really fit in, constantly getting bullied and picked on, committed suicide. He left a note saying he could never forgive himself for what happened, and this was for the best.

"Shortly before, there were reports of some sort of wolf or large dog that attacked a number of high school students, resulting in severe injuries for most and even a fatality. I did some research; I believe the boy was a werewolf, and the stress from all the bullying made him lose control and transform. I think that's a tragedy, and what's worse is that I don't think it's unique.

"I want to find a way to help those people and keep that sort of thing from happening again. In the immediate sense I'm willing to provide therapy and assistance, but I hope to develop a medication of some sort, that those in danger of hurting themselves or others can take to suppress their supernatural sides and keep from losing control."

Abruptly Mor realised how much he was talking. "Sorry, I seem to have gone on a bit of a rant there. Suffice to say I have reasons for wanting to do this. I'm not intending any physical experimentation, I just need volunteers to test the medicine, the same way a lot of universities have medical studies. I have a smaller potential tester pool is all."

Taryn spent hours in her friends apartment, rummaging through her stuff, crying, and feeling hopeless. She had gotten into the building with ease, but finding what Jess wanted her to see was a lot harder. Finally finishing her sweep of the house, Taryn slumped onto Jess' bed, feeling defeated.

"Don't know what I'm looking for," Taryn muttered to the empty room, "What am I looking for?"

She threw herself back, thumping on the bed with a hard smack, and her head cracked against something hard. Jumping up she spun around to stare at the immacuately made bed, ripping the sheets off. Under the sheets and her duvet was a small grey laptop and a sticky note on top.


It has to be the laptop! Taryn decided, plopping down beside it and pulling the laptop open. With a click the screen came to life, and a small picture of a tree popped up with a box underneath for the password. She already knew what to do, typing in the last few words she spoke.

"Nimble8317," she repeated, clicking enter.

The screen went dark than flashed bright and her desktop came on, the taskbar full of different programs. The first one she pulled up was Facebook, and she quickly deleted it and moved on. She found the documents tab open and closed it but the next surprised her. It was a short video, yet to be played. Taryn left it up and looked at the rest, her suspicion growing. There were encrypted files here, a short list of names, some internet sites that she skimmed over, and a letter addressed to Taryn.

Something wasn't right; it was like she had planned for Taryn to see this, like she had known her death was coming. She looked at the computer and pulled off the sticky note on the back. She'd had a lot of reading to do for the next few hours. And tomorrow, she thought, I'll track down this doctor.


Katerina looked out the window and tried to focus on the scenery while he spoke. Her nails dug into the sides of the chair when he spoke of the werewolf boy, and she felt them rip into the fabric when he brought up medicine.

"No," she forced out, her voice drawing cold, "Therapy is one thing. You are being nedorazvivshiysya. Learn from Belua; No meds. No experiments."

Mor nodded. He had expected as much after he had gone on too far. "It's a long term thing. Don't worry, I have no intention of doing anything like that to you, I swear."

Mor also looked out the window, a far off look in his eyes. "I have learned from Belua though. What went on there... was horrible. It's why I left. But one of the reasons that place can exist is because the supernatural world is so isolated. What's one disappearance among thousands across the world? It's why I'm here, why I created this place, Mistik Refuge. More than a simple vacation ground, my hope is to eventually turn it into a genuine refuge, a haven for supernatural creatures, a place they can be safe, and less alone. A sort of pseudo-family, that can protect its members. As important as my research is to me, this is more so." He glanced at the furrows Nina was digging in the chair. "Anything you can do to help with that would be greatly appreciated, but I understand that it's asking too much. I'm sorry to have upset you. I hope you'll still consider working here."

She breathed out a little but didn't relax, "Drew, I know what you did for me. It's why I came to you, because some part of you decided I was worth saving. You can't save everyone though. There's...there are things I can't tell you for your own safety. Even being in Russia for four months, I've learned so much about a world I never new existed. I will work for you if you promise to provide therapy only."

Her golden eyes finally tore away from the window and onto him, all her anger and fear swirling around in them for him to see. She set her jaw, letting go of the chair and tucking her hands into her lap, "If you break that promise, I cannot protect you from what comes after. Please, give me your word. You can have a prekrasnyy refuge."

Mor was faintly amused by the re-emergence of the proud wolf he had first met. Not five minutes ago she was desperately seeking my help, and now she's trying to protect me. Could have picked a better time to get stubborn, admittedly, but at least that spirit is back.

Mor rubbed his eyes for a moment, both to pause for thought and because they were starting to itch. I wonder how she'd react if she knew the other reason I need to do this. Well, to be fair she's probably right. It's not like I have any special advantages when it comes to being attacked by super-powered creatures.

Mor sat in thought for several minutes, then sighed. "The best I can do is promise is that for now, nothing but therapy." He glanced back again to his room, at his bonsai and photo. "I have personal reasons that mean I can't abandon this forever, but I can promise that much. I can also promise to come to you first, if it ever becomes necessary to do more. Not to use you, but so that you can leave if you have to. This is a risk I will take with my eyes open, but not yet. You have my word. I swear on the soul of my mother, rest her heart."

She considered it, watching him closely for any signs of lies. If she saw any she'd be out that door without hesitation, she just couldn't risk it. But he seemed to be faithful to his word so she nodded silently.

"For now," she added.

They sat in comfortable silence as Nina went over everything, making sure she hadn't missed any details. Derek would be relived to return home since she had a job now, and if she saved enough money she'd be able to move out of the small apartment inside Toronto and into something bigger on the outskirts, closer to her new job.

"Shall we talk the job then?" she smiled, letting the tension between them fall, "I'd like to start as soon as possible."

Mor discussed the job with Nina until they hammered out her duties and wages, then returned to the main lodge to print off the necessary paperwork. Miss Jones looked at Mor a little oddly when he said what he needed, but she did so without complaining, so Mor said nothing of it. By the time it was all filled out, a young man had driven up and said he was there to take Nina back to town.

Mor returned to his office, needing to make a few changes to his schedule. By the time he had finished, the sun was setting, so he returned to his cabin. He made sure his bonsai was taken care of, then stripped to his small clothes and climbed into bed. Mor almost always fell asleep soon after the sun went down.

Well, it's a start. Less than I would have wanted, more than I would have hoped this morning.

Nina spent the next hour getting all the details for her new job. Eventually she would become a trail guide, but until she had a car she was left with recon: find Mor clients. After they were done with the detail he walked her over to the Refuge, asking his Receptionist -he called her Melissa Jones- for the paperwork for a new employee. The younger girl gave him a confused look but obliged, waiting until his focus was elsewhere to scowl at him. Nina caught the look she gave him from the corner of her eye, and Nina half turned towards her, giving her a sour look back. Melissa surprised her by snorting and returning to the printer for the papers, only to return with a fake grin on her face.

Nina could see the jealousy rolling off Melissa in waves; Mor was oblivious, but Nina would be damned if she let the girl continue to shoot dirty looks at them. As she handed over the paperwork, Nina caught Melissa's hand in hers, gripping tight enough to make her wince. She let go quickly, scooping the paperwork up and making a non-chalant comment to Mor while she waited for Derek.

By the time the sun was setting, Nina was back in her apartment with Derek in tow, her paperwork sprawled on the kitchen counter. On the drive home she had explained the situation briefly, and Derek was now scribbling down a few phone numbers to supernaturals he knew lived in Toronto, and could help spread the word.

"Thanks," Nina smiled as he handed over the numbers, "I needed this."

"You do," he smiled back, rolling his shoulders, "Call me if you need me to come down again, okay? I'm only half a day's drive away."

She walked him to the door, pausing at the door to watch him walk to the elevator. When he was out of sight she slowly shut her front door and sauntered to the pile of blankets in her room, too tired to Change or even pull her clothes off. She fell asleep almost immediatly, dreaming of forests and running, and tiny bunny rabbits.

She sat back, letting her numb mind slowly comprehend everything she had read. The first rays of sunlight peeked through the bedroom window, alerting Taryn that she had been up all night on Jess' computer.

Not that she was getting much sleep in the next few days.

There were a few facts she was sure of from the information Jess had collected. First and far most, the random influx of killings in the past weeks was no coincidence. While the media was being withheld information, and therefor the public too, Jess had figured out that there was a serial killer on the loose. And I can bet she wasn't a random killing either.

The second thing she had learned was all of the victims were on a list Jess had compiled, and beside each name was a letter representing something. I had taken hours for her to figure out, but she was sure now that each of the victims were varying supernaturals.

The last thing she could confirm is that this man- Drew A. Mor -seemed to be important to Jess in some way. There was no other information on him, except a poster for his Refuge on her fridge. Whoever he was, giving him a visit was one of the first things on her list.

The last thing Taryn read was the letter to her, hesitant to see what Jess had left her. With much trepidation she opened the file with her name and a document loaded up.

Taryn,

There's a lot I've been wanting to tell you. But I feel like my time is short, and there is pressing issues at hand. Please, take everything you find on my computer and wipe it clean. Don't leave it for anyone to find.
I lied to you. I know about your powers Taryn, and I know someone who can help you. I got that job to be closer to you, to learn about you. You've got a rare talent, one that hasn't been seen in decades. There are people out there that know what you are, and can help you. You just need to find them.
You can still trust me, Taryn. In truth, I am a dryad, visiting from Europe. My true name is Ξεσσικα δέντρο, in your language جيسيكا شجرة , but most commonly seen as Jaihessika Déntro. I was on a mission when I first came here, but I got lost in...in humanity. Please if you ever see Dr. Mor, he needs to know. Oriaen. Hopefully he will understand.
Be careful, and watch your back. I'm sorry.​

-Jess​

Taryn sat back, tears stinging her eyes. She felt betrayed and alone; She knew what I was and she never spoke up...she had answers and now...now she's dead! But what would have happened if I had found out. If she told me, if Jess-no Jaihessika the new name felt too odd and Taryn retroceded to the name she was accustomed to, If Jess had told me, would I really accept it? Or would I do what I have always done and run?

While she was contemplating everything in front of her she almost missed the creak outside Jess' apartment door. The brain tossed it aside as lack of sleep, but when she heard it again she got up to investigate. Stepping silently up to the door, she peeked through the peephole, and caught a blur of black wool and brunette hair as they walked past. Just my nerves, she breathed in relief, taking a step away.

Suddenly the doorknob shook, like someone was trying to get in and Taryn jumped, slapping a hand over her mouth from squealing in shock. She didn't have time to look, so she grabbed her purse off the counter beside the door and bolted to the bedroom, shutting it as quietly as possible. Closing the laptop, she scooped the power cord and everything to it and stuff it inside her purse, pressing the laptop to her chest with one arm and shrugging the purse onto her shoulder with the other.

From outside the room there was a loud click then the door slammed open, slapping the wall beside it. Taryn froze in her tracks, eyes bouncing from the window to the bedroom door. They could come in any second, but if she slipped out the window and they went to the balcony first she'd be caught. The sun was high enough in the sky now that even hiding on the balcony and turning into smoke would be useless. She took a step back, eyes flashing around the room for a good spot to hide. The closest was jammed packed with clothes, but in the back corner of it, if she squatted, she could hide without detection.

Taryn rushed to the closet, kneeling down and worming her way into the back corner, letting the clothes rub against her hair as she went. When she was sure she was as far as she could go she closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Becoming smoke with clothes on was hard enough for her, and the exhaustion wasn't helping her focus either. Now she also had to hide the computer and her purse, adding more baggage to an already full load on her powers. At first she was sure it wouldn't work at all, but after a few seconds she felt the small click in her mind telling her she had tapped into her powers and her body began to feel lighter. She waited with closed eyes, putting all her focus into becoming a shadow. Even when the bedroom door opened she didn't open her eyes to look, knowing any small distraction could cause her powers to fail. Instead she tried to clear her mind out and focus only on her task of hiding.

"No one's here," a gruff voice muttered, sounding annoyed.

The words caught Taryn by surprise and she struggled for a minute, feeling her power waning and her body becoming heavier. No! she snapped at herself, pulling her body back into the shadows.

Whoever was in the room hadn't left, his breathing loud as he checked the bed and bedside table. He came around to the closet as well and Taryn held her breath, scared. A few of the clothes above her rustled but nothing more, and the man backed up a few steps, tapping away at something.

"Hello?" the man said and Taryn stiffened, hoping he wasn't talking to her until he continued, "Yeah I'm in her apartment."

He was on the phone with someone, although she had no idea who.

"No, police haven't been here yet....Well if they have they certainly left it tidy."

Another long pause.

"I've looked. No computer, no files. Nothing. She knew what was coming."

She heard footsteps as he shuffled towards the door, only pausing once before retreating into the rest of the apartment.

"No..." his voice echoed back to her, "I don't know. I'll find the boy. Just keep him under control. Bye."

She heard him leave the apartment after another quick sweep, but she waited in the closet an extra twenty minutes to be sure. When she came out she felt drained and exhausted, as if she had just finished a marathon. Beads of sweat trickled her face and her body was shaking in both fear and fatigue. She made sure he was gone before bolting from the apartment, taking the stairwell instead of the elevator, and not stopping until she was in her car driving.


Waking up in her pile of blankets, Nina stretched with a yawn. She bounced to her feet with a smile, excited to get started. She'd need a shower, and food, and then she'd be off scouring the city for potential clients. Just having something to do made Nina feel that much happier, finally filling a hole in her from losing her pack.

Shower. Food. Posters. Supernaturals! Nina repeated her mantra, skipping to the bathroom. She flew through her morning routine stuffing a bagel in her mouth from what food she did have in the fridge, and collecting all the paperwork. Wearing a purple tank top with slits along the back, a dark pair of jeans and a pair of black flats she let her hair fall down around her shoulders, having even curled the bottom half, to give it a bouncy, voluminous look. Nina wasn't used to dressing up, or for that matter even coordinating her clothes, but it had come to her attention that in order to blend in with human society she would need to act as such. She even doned on a small amount of make-up, outlining her golden eyes with black kohl and a silver eyeshadow.

Her first stop of the day would be the library, which was only a few blocks away from her house luckily. She had already drawn out new designs for his posters, and the library had a scanner built in with their printer. She could borrow their computer to finish the posters and look up the numbers Derek had given her.

With a quick check in her bathroom mirror Nina set off on her busy day.

The walls were white, but it was dark. Narrow corridors, like a rat in a maze. Hurry. Something is coming. Got to get away before it finds you. Running through the halls, hollow laughter following.

A door. Run through, slam it shut, pray they don't follow. In the room, an operating table. Recently used; bloody scalpels, broken restraints. Blood everywhere. Blood on the table, on the walls. Bloody coat sleeves. Nowhere to wash the blood off.

Pain. Scalpels digging into skin. Scissors cutting clothes and flesh. Run away. Run from what is happening, what you did.

More corridors. Echoing footsteps. Yours? Doesn't matter; have to run. Another door, leads outside.

Still dark. Empty landscape, blurry, indistinct. Darkness all around. A giant tree looms in the distance. Need to get away from it. Turning, pain. A collar of thorns around your neck. Thorny vines all around, trying to trap you. Got to get away. Pulling, more pain. Vine connects the collar to the tree. Pulls towards the tree. fighting makes it pierce the flesh; have to get it off. Won't release.

Pulls inexorably to the tree. Thorny manacles and restraints waiting. Tied to the tree, bound to the tree. Vines wrap and tie. Lost forever.

Mor awoke with a gasp, shaking from the nightmare. It was still dark outside. His alarm clock told him it was still 4:00 AM; it's red light cast eerie shadows in the room. His bonsai stood stark and sinister on its shelf. He shuddered.

It had been a long time since Mor had had a nightmare that strong. He supposed Miss Sil- Nina, hadn't been the only one who'd had painful memories dug up the day before. Though he had gotten out when he could, Mor still felt guilty about those poor inmates that he couldn't save.

Fitfully, Mor tried to return to sleep, hoping he could at least get some rest before the coming day.

With the new posters in hand of varying neon colors, Nina left the library at noon feeling accomplished. She now had two appointments with potentials, and the third number had come up with a pub on the outskirts of downtown. Along with her google searching, she had also stumbled upon another number and booked an appointment with a fairly perky girl in an hour.

She looked down at the posters in her hands, admiring her work. Printing them on bold, neon colors was Derek’s idea, and the gray outline of a tree behind the lettering had been hers. She had never seen the tree before, the species called bonsai, but it seemed to fit the Refuge perfectly in her mind. At the bottom of the page were little slits in the paper, each with an email and phone number Melissa had given her after calling and asking politely for it. She’d asked a particularly annoyed librarian for a pair of scissors and cut the slits herself so they were all different lengths and widths.

Twenty more minutes, Nina thought as she checked her phone. A bus would take her almost an hour to reach her appointment, but a cab would eat up the rest of her spare cash. But if I make this work, I won’t need to worry about the spare cash.

She opted for a cab, which only took fifteen minutes to get her to the address on the back of her hand. She spent the next three minutes checking her reflection in a glass window to a closed shop, checking her hair and clothes to appear presentable. Two minutes, she thought, wanting to be accurate. It only took her a minute and a half to climb the slender stairs hidden behind a door nestled between two shops. At the top of the stairs there was a door on either side, the left with the number 96A painted on it and the right one with 96B. The address on her hand said B so she turned to that door and knocked loudly. A few seconds later a teenage girl with spiky brown hair, dark eyes, and too many ear piercings to count answered the door.

“Uh,” Nina started, “Is your mom here?”

She gave a half-hearted grin and waved Nina inside, “You’re Katerina? Your accent is a lot heavier on the phone.”

Nina walked in, confused, “You’re Ariel?”

She nodded, plunking herself down in a computer chair and spinning it in the circle, “At your service.”

“You make websites?”

“For a fee.”

Nina could see this girl was baiting her, enjoying the banter. Regularly she’d just snarl, but she wanted the Refuge to have a website, and she didn’t have the kind of cash other web designers wanted. Plus Ariel was okay with getting her payment later.

“How much does a full website cost?” Nina asked, still standing in the doorway.

“I can build you a crappy one under some free domain name, or I can build you one with its own html, but it’ll cost more.”

“How much?”

“Sixty added on to the basic fee of $300. If I’m creating this site from scratch it’s going to take up all my time.”

“$300! You’re ad online say $100.”

Ariel held her hands in the air, “That’s for those who have a website already and just need it redesigned. Most people don’t want a brand new website.”

“Another two hundred though?”

Ariel scowled, “Take it or leave it.”

Nina thought it over and decided it wasn’t worth it. She could pull in clients on her own, and once Mistik was making some money, Mor could make the decision if he wanted a website or not.

“I’ll pass,” Nina shrugged, swiveling on her heel and heading back out the door.

She was on her second step down when Ariel reached the door, a look of shock on her face, “Wait!”

Nina didn't turn, just cocked her head to listen. Ariel waited a few seconds for her to come back, but finally resigned to standing in the stairwell.

“I need the cash okay?” Ariel huffed, “Not technically legal for a fifteen year old kid to be living on her own.”

Katerina remained quiet, listening.

“I’ll drop it to $200. Total. But I can’t drop it any further.”

They stood there silently as Katerina thought it over. Ariel had been quick to drop the price, and Nina hadn’t even given her much of a chance to explain. Looking up at the younger girl she tried to put a warm smile on, “Can I still pay after my first paycheck?”

“Yeah, but…but I’ll need to make sure you’ll pay me.”

Nina nodded, “If I don’t you can take the whole site down.”

Ariel agreed and they returned to her apartment to talk designs.

~~

Two hours later, Nina was rushing through a busy crowd as she wove her way towards the pub. Whoever owned it was one of Derek’s choices, and her second appointment also happened to be waiting inside. Her first appointment had been a bust, the guy being an anti-social vampyre who cut her off after two sentences and sent her packing. The second, a witch, was more hopeful and the third she had no clue about.

It was the witch she was trying to meet with, but she had over extended her stay with Ariel, and now Nina worried she'd be late. At least if the witch doesn't pan out you're already in the pub of the third contact. You just need to find them...

Mor blinked blearily at his computer screen. No matter how he tried to focus, he had still managed to reread the same line over again at least 6 times now.

Despite his best efforts, Mor had been unable to sleep after his nightmare. He spent the night tossing and turning, as his guilt and fears rolled over in his head. It had been so long since he had stopped to think about them that it was difficult for him to put them in their place. To make matters worse, the overcast sky from the previous morning had returned, and had stayed this time. Cloudy days always put him in a dour mood.

Now Mor sat in his office, trying to organise his thoughts enough to get at least some work done. But whether research or Refuge, he couldn't concentrate. Instead he kept returning to the same thought: What on earth am I doing? Nina is right, I can't possibly do enough with this place to really help anyone. I'm not even going to be able to help myself. The first real opportunity I've had to do real research, and not only do I not take it, I promise to not do any as long as she's around! Why'd I have to go and do that? No matter how much of an obstacle his promise was though, he couldn't go back on it. In some ways, that was precisely the problem.

Mor shook his head. He wasn't in any state to get work done. Sighing, he went upstairs and grabbed a book to read, intending to at least try and relax a little. Sinking into one of the chairs near the fire, which was lit to help lend some cheer to the dreary day, he opened his book (some treatise on the interpretation of dreams, oddly enough) and started reading. But between the flickering fire, comfy chair, and fantastically dull text, he found himself continually distracted by his own thoughts. Trying to shove them aside proved to be quite draining; before long, Mor began to nod off.