Remi Osuna's Side

I got home at around 6 p.m. I hadn't been home in months. When had I moved in with Kane anyway? I hadn't even gotten my stuff back from him yet anyway. Living with Kane was a chore. He was a vampire and a sorcerer. This isn't any Harry Potter crap. This is real, and it is evil. It's wrong. I have had first hand experience, and these things really do exist. And I went completely along with it, just because I'd been fool enough to fall in love with him. Well there wasn't much choice, was there? I mean, all the black fellas feel either that they must be 'ghetto' or they must kiss up to the white corporate execs and still have their backsides beat in the real world. The white boys are either the proverbial 'boy-next-door', they're 'black' or they're just plain boring. White Goths are predictable. But a black, sexy-bodied, gorgeous guy who actually cares about how he looks, but is still an authentic 'Goth', now that is hard to find. I didn't realise how authentic he was in the beginning though. By the time I found out, I was smitten. I loved him. I still love him. I did anything he asked, which was a lot. It was demanding as well. For love. Don't ask. This has never happened before and it will never happen again.
I walked through the door, expecting my cat Capricorn to come running to rub against my leg. But she didn't show. That stench meant something. Instinctively, I ran to the kitchen. She was dead on the floor, her fur matted, her skin clinging to her bones and turning black. Flies buzzed around her open mouth, on which dried spit was caked. It was disgusting, but I didn't cry for my kitten. I wasn't surprised either. She hadn't been fed, on my own account, so I shouldn't bawl.
My neighbour, Mrs. Azaria was at my door. She spoke in a distinctly Irish accent, not the pretty kind, the kind that made you want to pelt a shoe at their bonny white arse.

"Was waitin' for ye to come home and feed that poor cat, I was. But no, no, you had to go gallivanting with that devil boy. I bet his ancestors were Protestant. But that was animal cruelty, it was. I know law, and you could be charged for a caper liked that…"

The door slammed in her face. I dusted off my hands and looked around the apartment. I cocked my head to the side in thought. I went back to the kitchen. Putting on my kitchen gloves, which needed serious lubrication, I looked for a garbage bag, a piece of paper and some string. I went to work.

A few hours later

Dumping the wrapped parcel at Kane's door, I rang his bell. I then ducked out of sight, a nervous shiver running down my spine. He came out of his door slowly and pensively. His green satin dressing gown was loosely tied, and it spilled off of his chest in ripples, his skin almost as smooth as the satin. It was sexy… He bent down in a stoop to read the note. He began to laugh hysterically.

"Cute, Remi, very cute."

He was advancing slowly towards my hiding place.
"I know where you are right now. Just don't try anything else drastic, okay sweetheart? I'm warning you," he said, all mirth gone from his voice, "You don't want me to hurt you."

Too late, bastard.

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Kevin Richardson's Side

I caught up Delmar in the hallway one day. He was dressed in his usual black. Scary character always was. They only hired him because AJ liked his tattoos. A little later we found him to be a phenomenal guitarist. He had this tendency to be impulsive that really is incurable. Like when he thought he could smash a guitar at a pop concert. However, it was my duty to thank him for placing this goldmine in my lap.

"Hey Delmar, wait!"

He stopped in his tracks and slinked over slightly breathlessly.

"Yeah, wassup?"
"Where'd you get that girl?"
"What girl?"
"Remi, the feisty one."
The one with the Bloody Mary?"
"What?"

He rubbed his forehead impatiently.

"Yeah, whatever. I found her in a bar. I asked her to come work with me because I knew she could sing. You obviously don't have any problem with her."

"Yeah, I know, but I wanted to thank you."
"Why?"
"She could be my ticket out of here."

Delmar raised his eyebrows. I patted his back and walked away.

"Whatever," I heard him say.

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Delmar Eduardo's Side

I locked the door of the dark room. An eerie red glow shone around me. For me it was the perfect place to think. I exhaled heavily and closed my eyes. I put my hand on my chest. My heart was racing. I was going to expire soon. I opened the bottle of 'sherry' in my coat pocket and took a swig. Almost instant relief. I walked over to the sink of developing fluid where I had left some pictures developing. I took a photo out and hung it up on the line to dry with clothespins. Slowly, muy lentamente, the form of a girl walking out of a bar became clear.

"I've been waiting so long for you… centuries perhaps. Here you are, almost within my grasp… The Impure Virgin."

I smiled in satisfaction. It would all be over soon.

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Remi Osuna's Side

Kevin was not my boss. But at the moment, it was wise to let him think so. As he paced up and down the room, I could tell he felt rather important. And that he wanted something needed something from me. He was going to push this to the limit. He was going to become a tyrant. I knew what was going to happen. But I also knew who held the power, and who was just delusional.

"Now, I think the rest of the guys are coming in here in a minute. Group meeting with the Firm. I'll introduce you and my idea then, agreed?"

Whatever.

"Yeah, sounds dread," I said lethargically.
"Dread? You don't like it?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Dread means 'cool' in American. It's a Trini word. Trinidadian? You did realise I'm not from around these parts, didn't you?"

He looked blank for a second. He then shook his head and a smile broke on his face. He shouldn't smile. It doesn't become him.

"Yeah!" he pointed at me, "Good publicity. I like…"

I felt sick. I had a headache and a stomachache from eating the stale and spoiled food that was in my food cupboard for breakfast. I was not in a good mood. It was in this state of mind that the two biggest idiots I have ever met decided to walk into the room.

"Yo, AJ, I swear you gotta check out that Final Fantasy game. I swear you'll be on that playstation for hours tryin to beat that thing."

Video games.

"Yeah, whatever Frack."

Frack?

"Kev, who is this lovely lady?" the multi tattooed, Bozo-the-clown look alike asked in a falsely aloof tone.

Kevin beamed with pride.

"This is Remi. She is my new meal ticket. She can sing and I'm not prepared to keep her in the background."

Even though we were indoors, the Bozo-the-clown look alike decided to wear shades. The other one was the famous blonde one. Nick. He was the only one I saw in the spotlight, and the only face I immediately recognised.

"Remi, this is AJ and Nick."

I smiled with intense sarcasm.

"How do you do?" I said in my iciest polite voice. I felt sick. Very sick.

Very soon, the other two Backstreet Boys arrived and were introduced. Brian and Howie. Following them were people I supposed were management execs in the business. I sat in the corner of the room while they discussed their next move. I filed my nails to a point, and then I opened my book.

The Forces of Good Against Evil

I opened the book. There were no introductory blank pages, or captions, not even a copyright symbol. The book simply began on the first page.

I write this as a person who has been through it all and seen it all; as a person who does not deny the existence of evil, and as one not afraid to fight for the forces of good. This will, this drive, I admit is not common, and as most rare challenges are, they force one to a maximum of physical, psychological, emotional, and most importantly, spiritual expenditure. If you have come in contact with this text, I assume you know its worth, and I also assume you fought hard to obtain it. If you have fought hard for this book, you are halfway to where you need to be. Welcome to my challenge. If not, return this to wherever you found it, or whomever you got it from and do not think back on it. It is in your own interest that I suggest you do so.

I closed the book as I heard my name called.

"So, Jerry, I put her to you. Remi's a singing genius, better than Aguilera I'd say."

He made me sound like an opera singer. Jerry, who I assumed was one of The Firm, raised his eyebrows sceptically.

"Oh really? Let's see what she's got."

Kevin looked at me with a pleading look, as if his life depending on my sounding good for him at that moment. He had nothing to worry about. I sang. There was this song by 98*, called Yesterday's Letter. It was a sweet song, a song I had loved since the first time I heard it. However, the rest of the album was made in the same style as the song, which took away from the album. But I still loved it.

I wrote a letter yesterday,
Just trying to explain.
Couldn't find the words to say,
Because you are so far away,
So far away…

The notes of the melody were always eerie, and always evoked a feeling of awe, and nostalgia. Howie's eyes were wet as I finished the chorus.

"So," Kevin said, beaming and rubbing his hands together, " will you take her on?"

Jerry had is mouth open, but he closed it quickly enough as he cleared his throat.

"Why not?"

I smiled falsely. And then, as I thought a bit, things were happening really fast, and my smile became genuine. As soon as I made it, as soon as I did, that boy would go down…