The sky was black, Caroline looked around, her dark purple eyes scanning the horizon where the black sky met the green earth. *Buts its not real earth* She thought to herself, Caroline then looked down at herself and gasped in surprise, she was wearing a white dress, it went down to her knees. “How am I in this?” She said, aloud. She could tell she was alone but the fact she spoke surprised her.



“Your not alone dear one… Not even close, I am here and I have come for you.” A voice said, it was a man’s, Caroline jumped and fell backwards, the soft cool grass stopping the blow from hurting. She clenched her fist around the grass and looked around.



“Who are you? Why am I here? Where are you?” She shouted into the air looking around franticly. The voice laughed, it was a deep laugh, one that would send shivers down anyone’s spine. But Caroline, she wasn’t anyone, she knew that. The voice only seemed to catch her off guard.



“I, am Ezekiel my dear. You’re here because this was the only place I could talk to you, and finally. I’ll show you my true form as soon as you help me..”



“With what?” Caroline immediately shouted out into the air, standing, the white dress fluttering around her knees, the fabric soft and light.




“Just to find me something. A artifact of sorts. I need it.” Ezekiel sounded like he was in trouble, not panicked, he seemed calm, but more in need then anything.



“I-I-I’ll help you…” Caroline managed to say. “B-B-But I want to see who you are first..” She said, looking around, her long brown curls whipping around her face as she moved.




“My my, impatient aren’t you… Very well, you may see me. I guess you have the right too since I am your father.” Caroline could only gasp as she heard him.



“No, my dad’s dead..” She said, shaking her head. In front of her a figure to shape, forming from the feet up. Like a flash a man stood there, he couldn’t be older then thirty five, he had brown hair, like Caroline’s that covered his forehead, parting so a small red mark that looked like vines was visible. He had light skin, Caroline had gotten her deep skin color from her mom apparently, but he had the same purple eyes as her, deep, hypnotic and charming. She knew that she hadn’t gotten them from her mom. Her mom had only green eyes. Ezekiel was dressed in armor of some sort, it was red and gray. A long silver sword was at his side and along his brown leather belt was a brown pouch like to hold money. “You’re my dad?” Caroline looked at him, he looked like her, no doubt but. It was hard to see him as her dad.



“Indeed my dear, I am finally glad I can see you, you’ve grown since I last saw you.” He smiled, it was warm but something in Caroline’s mind didn’t make her feel so comfortable about him. And when he knelt down in front of her and touched her shoulder she tensed as a shiver ran through her. Even on his knees the man, her dad was almost as tall as her. The top of his head would hit her chin. “I think its time you learned who you were…” He said looking at her, his purple eyes glowed. “You’re what we call a Lilith, a creature with abilities. Some shape-shift, some have a certain elemental ability. But you. Your ability is something I have only just learned, what you draw comes to life. Anything, when I’d see you inside your head drawing I always--” He was cut off.



“See inside my mind? You can actually see inside my head? How?” She said looking at hi with astonishment.




“Yes, my only connection is through the minds of people I know. So sometimes it was you, now before you cut me off. Please know I never did anything, I only would watch…” Caroline nodded. Ezekiel sighed. “Now then, your drawings are amazing, beautiful. But with the right incantation they can be brought to life. Like, a weapon, a food…Anything.” Ezekiel smiled at his daughter.



“So, all my art. If I tried it could come to life? That’s, insane.” Caroline looked at her dad.



“Caroline! Wake up girl…” A voice from the air yelled. Caroline looked around as her dad vanished, where she was standing faded too black. Caroline blinked sitting up in the chair she was just in, papers of drawings and stories were scattered across her desk. She was in her room, she’d must’ve fallen asleep. “Caroline! Finally, you fell asleep drawing again.” The women said, she looked like Caroline in some ways, others not so much.




“Sorry, I had the most vivid dream.” Caroline shook her head, trying to wake herself up. She stood stretching, yawning loudly. “What time is it?”



“Some time around noon. You’ve been asleep up here for ever. Come on down and get some lunch…” The women, Caroline’s mom said and walked out of her daughter’s room and down a staircase. Caroline stayed where she was for a second letting herself come too fully. She then left her room shutting the door closed behind her. She walked to the staircase and sat on the railing and slid down it, smiling, she jumped off it and walked into the small kitchen.




“Okay, where’s m’lunch….” She said taking a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen.




“Hang on. I want to eat too..” Her mom said grabbing a plate stacked with two slices of pizza and sliding it across the counter to in front of Caroline. “Well Carol, I have to work in an hour so I’m leaving…” Her mom sighed, Carol looked at her, she was wearing her work clothes, black jeans and a white collar shirt with a gray blazer. Carol nodded.



“See ya tonight mom.” She said as she watched her leave. Eating a slice of pizza at the same time. Carol jumped off the stool and followed her outside, grabbing her messenger bag from the wall hook. She dug in her pocket for her cell, grabbing it and hitting the “4” Someone answered on the first ring.




“Hello…? Carol?” The voice sounded tired.


“Yea, its Carol, I need you to meet me at the diner. It’s important, like. Our non-human important..” At the sound of non-human the voice seemed to sound happier.



“On my way.” The voice said then with a click hung up. Carol dropped her phone in her bag and started running towards the diner. When she got there she was breathing hard, her heart pounding. She muttered something in Latin and a haze seemed to come over her. She walked into the diner and took a seat at the booth. No one could see or hear her now. Caroline looked out the window, her purple eyes eager and searching. She saw a boy come in. He was her height with black hair, it barely hit his eyebrows so it covered his chin. He also had sharp green eyes and was wearing a white flannel button shirt, only half buttoned as if he was in a rush to get here. With dark black denim jeans and black converse.




“Did you just wake up?” Carol asked, holding back a laugh but failing. “You look like it….” She added, looking at him with a sly smile.




“As a matter a fact, yes. I did just wake up. Your call did. I was happily sleeping when my phone buzzed me awake…” The boy grinned, it was childish and playful.





“Well, sorry. But your never going to believe my dream --” Carol was cut of short.



“Wait, your dream?” The boy looked at her. “You called me down here for a non-human emergency just to tell me about some dream you had?!” The boy stared hard at her.




“Let me explain, in the dream….I met my dad, not my other dad who died. No, my real dad and I’m not even sure if he was telling me the truth, he looked like me. And you’ll never believe what he told me. That I’m something called a Lilith?” She gave a puzzled face at the word. “And that these things posses abilities. Well, mine is…All my drawings I have. I can make them come to life.” Her eyes were wide as she talked. Her voice speeding up. She wasn’t afraid of anyone hearing her. The haze kept them just fine.




“You have the ability to bring things to life…? That’s, something I’ve never even heard nor thought of. So, what else did he say?” The boy, had his hands in his pockets. And he was still staring at her.




“He asked me to find an artifact, but I don’t know what. He never told me. Just that I’d know it when I see it…” Carol sighed and slouched back down in her seat. The boy across from her. “What do you think J?” She asked him.




“I think that we have some work to do. We have to find this artifact and figure out what it is. So, I think if you talk to your dad again don’t really mention anything. Just till we find out what to do. Okay?” J - Jonathan - looked at her with a soft expression, one that was mixed with pleading and demanding.




“Its not like I’m not prepared. You’ve trained me long enough that I can handle myself. But okay. I wont. Promise…” Carol smiled, her eyes lightening when she saw Jonathans smile.




“I always thought you may not be human. Your eyes seem to lighten and darken or change colors depending on your mood. Well, did you bring your sketchpad and pencils?” Jonathan asked.




“Yea. Wouldn’t leave without them..” Carol replied and grabbed her bag at her side. She pulled out a medium sized drawing tablet and a few pencils. “Now what?” She asked looking at them.





“What’d you mean ‘what’? Your going to draw this artifact or the rune that’ll make you bring things to life. Now, try. Please.” He said looking at her. Carol nodded at her life long friend and flipped open the pad, she grabbed a pencil and tapped it against her chin. Thinking. She began to slide the pencil across the paper. Drawing what started out as a vine-like pattern. In the end it looked like a small moon coming out from behind vines. For a second it glowed a deep red. Carol looked up at Jonathan. What she didn’t expect was the look of utter shock from him. A hunter, who knew everything about demons and vampires, and everything else deemed un-true.




“Well, we apparently learned something new today. So, I’m guessing this is the rune my dad was talking about.” She continued to stare in wonder at Jonathan.




“Uh-huh.” Was all Jonathan could manage to say, he nodded looking at the rune on the paper. He shook himself out of his momentary daze and looked at her. “Draw something. Something small. Like a…Like a cup.” He finally said.




“On it…Its like I’m your personal drawing monkey.” She laughed, getting to work drawing a cup.




“I’m not the one whose dad visited her in a dream. Now draw…” He said, chuckling lightly. She nodded and continued to sketch till she had a perfect drawing of an old looking coffee mug. She looked at it for a second. “Well, its not coming to life…” Carol muttered at him. Looking at the drawing.




“Give it a sec. Maybe you drew it too crappy for the rune to like it.” Jonathan laughed at what he said looking at the drawing. When Carol punched his arm he stopped and looked at her. “Ouch!” He yelled. Rubbing his arm.





“Don’t call my art crappy. You cant draw to save your life, at least I can. And now I know my drawings can save lives.” Carol gave a triumphant grin and looked at the cup drawing again as it started to glow. All of a sudden the same cup appeared in life on top of the drawing paper. The sketch under it like an outlined shadow. “Whoa. It worked.” Carol cheered. Looking at him.



“Yea it did. Amazing, you drew the cup to life.” Jonathan smiled at her, not at what she did. At her, Carol saw it and she felt her cheeks turn pink. She didn’t like that at all. Hoping he didn’t see it she moved her head quickly so her brown hair fell in her face. He didn’t seem to notice because he ruffled her hair and picked up the cup. Turning it over in his hands a few times. “This. This is something else. Something that no one else has.” Jonathan had few words to say to his best friend. But Caroline did. She yelped like a puppy if you kicked it and ducked under the table. “What are you doing? No one can see us.” Jonathan said.


“Be quiet. Someone’s coming.” She whispered from under the table.



“Who?” He asked, looking around the half empty diner.



“Your mother.” Was all she said because she saw their feet walking closer until they reached the table.



“Jonathan, what are you doing here by yourself?” She sounded commanding. She had a haze over her too.



“Ya know. Grabbing a bite to eat. A growing boy has to eat too mom.” His mom looked at him with what Jonathan classified as the ‘stink eye’ he was a natural liar and easily avoided having Carol discovered under the table. But his mom was smart.




“And I suppose these are your things?” Her eyes darted to the table where Carol’s sketchpad and pencils were scattered and the cup standing a few inches from Jonathans hand.




“Yea. They’re mine. Carol gave them to me so I could practice. You know I cant draw.” Jonathan gave a winning smile. One that always made Carol melt and say she was sorry when they were little. But again, his mom had been around too long and knew to much to be fooled.



“How nice of…Caroline.” She said Carol’s full name, and it was full of irritation. She knew that she didn’t like her but not ever did she think Jay’s mom despised her. She was wrong.

“Yea, I know. So, why are you here mom? And have a haze, I mean you cant be here for coffee then. And no way did you get an assignment. Your not dressed for it. So…Why?” He asked. Jonathan always knew how to get to the right question and how to get it out of someone. Carol always hated that. She couldn’t lie to him.




“I was wondering where you were going in such a hurry. But I see that everything is normal….Goodbye son.” She smiled, it looked forced. What wasn’t forced was when she kissed Jonathan on the forehead and walked out. Jonathan made a face and wiped his forehead on his sleeve.




“Okay, you can come out now Carol. She’s gone.” Jonathan said, as Caroline popped out onto the seat from under the table. She laughed seeing him rub his forehead. “Not funny. I hate it when she becomes a mom. I like her as my boss more.” He said folding his arms across his chest and leaning back.




“Oh come on. Even I. Who knows she hates me. Would rather see her as a mom then your boss.” Carol leaned forward so her arms rested on the table in front of her. Jonathan locked his eyes on her. She was pretty when she tried to be optimistic. She wasn’t very good at it, that wasn’t her nature. She was more able to see the dark side of a situation.




“Okay. But right now. I’d take boss.” He leaned forward on the table, his arms were brushing hers. Carol had goose bumps on her arm from his shirt brushing her arms. Their faces were inches from each other. Carol locked her head to the window so she wouldn’t see his smile. It always made her blush. “So, now what. We solved mystery one. Mystery two is to find your dad and now, since you can draw the things you can talk to your dad about it. Get some info….”



“I’m on it.” She smiled. She turned her head so they faced each other. Her hair fell across her face, covering her cheeks. Strands of her hair hit Jonathan and he held back a laugh and a blush. He tilted his head forward so their foreheads touched lightly.




“The haze is wearing off on me. I only set it for an hour. How long for you?” He asked his eyes darting to the half empty diner.




“An hour. So they’ll fade at the same time…” She shrugged.



“Hopefully. Or else this would be awkward…” He gave a crooked smile.



“What would?” Her eyes widened a bit.




“This.” Carol didn’t have time to react. She felt his lips on hers, they were soft. She felt the haze around them wear off and his hand on her shoulder. Carol felt her cheeks flush lightly. Jonathan pulled back and looked at her.



“That.” He said, brushing a strand of hair from her face and standing. “Call me if you hear or find out anything else.” He said and walking out the front of the diner. Carol looked around, no one seemed to notice she was there, leaning back as if nothing happened. But something did. Her best friend. Jay, had kissed her, and she liked it. Nothing was ever going to be the same. She knew that much. Carol watched as Jay left the parking lot of the diner and walk down the street. “What am I doing here?” She thought and shoving her sketchpad and pencils into her bag, forgetting the cup she walked out of the diner, throwing her bag over her shoulder and following after Jay a far enough distance for him not to see her. She knew where he lived. Been to his house enough times but she knew he wouldn’t go home. Not after kissing her. Carol knew that. She watched as he turned the corner towards the park. “The training area. Of course!” She said, aloud. Then gasped an ducked behind a bush. Jonathan turned around and from his pocket drew out a small knife.





“Who’s there?” He shouted, looking around, his green eyes piercing the air. “I mean it. Who’s there.” He said walking forward a few steps. He was only a foot from where Carol was ducked behind a bush. She took a deep breath. It was a silent one. Jay had taught her to do this. Taught her to erase all signs of her presence. Now as long as Jay stayed behind the bush where she was hidden. She peeked through the leaves to see him turn and continue walking down the sidewalk. She stood silently and started following him for a while. They walked in silence, Jay his head never turning behind him where Carol walked silently behind him. When they had reached an open green area where trees had targets and boxing bags on it. Jonathan went straight to the bag and began punching it. Even with his bare fist he could make it swing backwards. He hid any sign of pain very well.




“You seemed jumpy back there.” Carol said. Her voice echoed throughout the trees and made the silence come to an end. Jay jumped the bag hitting him in the side with a dull thud.



“Ouch!” He yelled, holding it. Carol stepped forward to help him but stopped.




“Are you okay?” Carol asked, concern flooded her voice. It always did when she saw someone she knew hurt. Jonathan knew that much, he smiled.




“No, I’m fine. Just a bruise probably.” He said standing straight and rubbing his side. “Why did you follow me? Wanted more?” He asked looking at her with a cocky grin.




“Don’t make me wish I smacked you.” She said, the concern suddenly gone from her voice. “You left. I thought I did something. But then I realized it was you who did the crazy thing.” She said, turning her head to the ground.




“Yea, it was me. Who kissed you. It was stupid. I’m sorry.” He said turning back to the punching bag and went straight back to punching it. Carol walked over to him and ducking away quickly from the bag. She kissed his cheek and leaned against the tree.




“Don’t apologize. I made it slightly more even.” She said, a shy smile on her face. Jonathan looked at her his eyes wide. He caught the oncoming bag in his hands, the force sliding him back an inch.




“Yea. I guess you did. But uh…What’s surprising is that you managed to dodge the bag. Even I got hit with it. How did you…?” He trailed off looking at her is shock.




“Don’t know. Just, ducked to the side and it missed me.” She shrugged.




“Well then. Training’s been working.” He said, patting the bag with his hand. “This is awkward..” He forced a nervous laugh. “I want to kiss you again and I also want to punch this bag inside out.” He finally said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Her cheeks were pink.




“Oh. I suggest you punch the bag. Its getting dark and my mom will be home soon.” She nodded and turned to leave, walking across the grass. She hadn’t realized they had been talking at the diner and here in the training area for so long.




“Okay…” Jonathan looked at her once more, and then turned taking one swing at the bag, it flew backwards and he jumped back as it came towards him. He turned to see that Carol was only barely an outline on the sidewalk. He ran towards her, his footsteps silent. He only realized when it was only the air rushing through his ears that hers were too. “Trained her too much..” He thought with a chuckle. When he reached a foot from her he stopped and grabbed her shoulder lightly, turning her so she faced him.




“What?” She asked, looking at him curiously. He was breathing hard from running. He quickly caught his breath and looked at her, blinking once he leaned forward and kissed her. Just like he did at the diner. He pulled back, his cheeks were flushed. He nodded and sighed. “See ya.” Was all he said before turning around and running off. Back towards either his house or the training area. Carol thought. She turned, and walked back home. Images flashed into her head. Her and Jay kissing, it was quick but she thought she saw the same symbol on his forehead that she saw on her father.




“I found the artifact.” She said in a whisper to herself. Her hands in her pockets her purple eyes were shining. The moon was high above her and a light wind blew her brown hair across her face. “Jay is the artifact. The symbol to bring her dad back was within him.” Carol shook her head and continued to walk home.