Friends will be friends and girls will be girls. Victoria and her friend Margaret were out bar hopping, not so much as to get drunk, but to find guys to hang with. Regardless of success or failure, they always had fun on Fiday night.
They were walking back to their apartment that they shared when Margaret commented, "so, how's the organization?"
Vicky was somewhat peeved about her friend bringing up the subject. "you're not supposed to talk about it. I thought we agreed that if we were to room you'd never bring it up."
"Sorry. Curiosity gets the better of me…"
"the only reason that I agreed to let you room with me is because I work nights, and you work days. Someone has to watch the place while the other sleeps!"
"and whatever is that necklace anyway? That is SO cool! Where can I get one." Maragret asked as she reached out for it.
"DON'T touch it." Vicky snapped. Maggy withdrew her hand and skulked all the rest of the walk back home. Upon arriving, they went to their rooms and before entering, Maggy looked to her friend's room. all she ever saw of it were the black walls and some elaberate decoration that hung by the doorway. Margaret had never ben inside vicky's room, whom always kept the door locked from prying eyes.
She retreated to the safety of her own room and looked about at the many pictures of various people: Anime, movie posters, drawings she drew herself. With a sigh she flopped down on her bed, then heard the door slam as Vicky left for work.
Margaret woke to the blaring buz of the phone. Like a reflex, she snatched it and out it to her ear. "Yeah?!"
"Maggie! It's me!"
"Vickey? What the matter?"
"cant talk! Grab a cab and meet me at the bus corner in five minutes!!"
"Alri…" Vickey hung up on her. "How odd…" she got up, grabbed her coat and took off.
Margaret had been waiting there longer than Vckey had said she'd be, the cabbie took off after eaning 45 bucks for doing nothing. Suddenly Maggie heard a slight scream coming down a block. It was about 3:30 in the morning, but concerned for her friend, she went to investigate. "Probably some dumb broad like me out here this late…"
The sound of feet running away was heard, then the maoning of a woman. Maggie ran down the alley to see Vickey with a wooden sick in hr chest. "Vickey!!"
The bloodied, dying lady touched her flatmate's wrist with a bloody hand. "'s too late for me… take the necklace. Right now, go to the old cemetery. Remembert that creepy old house?"
"uh huh." Maggie said, tearing up.
"sshhh…. Go there. That's where the club is. Tell them what happened. Go now. Run! And don't stop."
"Vickey….?"
Almost like out of Starwars, Vickey died and turned to dust. Maggie jumped back and took off running for her new destination.
Her legs and her lungs hurt way before the cemetery was reached, but still Margaret pressed on, knowing how dangerous this game she was now in. upon reaching the front door she knocked on the door as she collapsed against it. the heavy wooden door was flung open with the greatest of ease and Margaret fell to the floor. She saw an historical pair of shoes before her of silver buckles and leather. She looked up and saw the room filled with people who looked like they just came from the history books.
"what is it you want?" the man closest demanded. It was then that he spotted Vickey's necklace. His eyes widened in a horror. He hefted Maggie to her feet and held her shoulders. "What happened??! Where is Victoria??"
still panting Maggie answered, "Sh…she w, was killed!"
the people in the room sent out a wave of mental sorro and grief. The man holding her shoulders turned to Maggie and said, "you wear the necklace of truth. She has passed the obligation and duty onto you to protect the value within."
"Wha…What?! Oh, no, I can't. I…"
"It's not an option. What is your name?"
"Maggie…Margaret."
"Margaret, you are now The Guardian." The whole lot of them got down on their knees and bowed their heads, including the man that spoke to her.
Maggie had no idea what to think or what to do. After another second, they got up and the man at hand led her into their house and two more led her to a room. the woman next to her said, as they opened the door to a bedroom, "this was Victoria's. But now it is yours. Every guardian before you and after will have this room."
"er…thanks?"
the two left her and closed the door so Maggie could settle in.
eternity passed before Margarte jumped in her seat as the door opened. That man she first encountered stepped in and closed the door behind him. "My name is Kalé. We must talk." He sat himself down across from her, closely. "were you Victoria's flatmate?"
"yeah. I…I was…"
"she told us of you. She obviously thought highly of you that she gave you the Nofelbey."
"huh?" she looked down at the shiney metallic mini vase with screw on lid. "What's in there?"
"you need not know that yet. What you need to know is that you have been dragged into a war that has resurfaced after hundreds of years. The goal of our enemies is to destroy this precious gift that you carry around your neck."
"Who? Who are you fighting?!"
"The Slashers."
"they sound like bad news…"
"they are. They will band more innocents to set against us, sacrifice ordinary peple for their own greedy needs."
"why don't the authorities do something about it?!"
"they have no idea. And even if they did, they would be powerless stoping the war."
"how did it escalate to this level?"
"it's like the continuous equivalent to The Holocost."
"that's horrible!!"
"Victoria, your flatmate, was just another victim."
The shock fonally wore off and Maggie broke down into tears, and curled up and put her head across Kalé's knees. He laid his hands on her back and stroked it comfortingly. "I'm very sorry you had to be dragged into this, Margaret. No one should have to suffer. Ever."
He let her cry, feeling her heart beat though the contact; ringing in his sensitive ears like someone's base turned up all the way.