[h3][color=6ecff6][u]Emily Dawson[/u][/color][/h3]

	As Ben had asked for one of Emily's kites, the blond girl obliged. Violet answered for her, so Emily only nodded quickly. At least for a moment. She felt the need to re-iterate. [color=6ecff6]"Uh-huh, I did."[/color] She handed it to Ben. 

	[color=6ecff6]"Hello, Eli!"[/color] She waved quickly, responding friendily. [color=6ecff6]"I am popular today. Everyone is standing around my desk. I should make paper kites more often."[/color] She glanced down as she completed the last one. Her voice became lower as she started talking to herself. [color=6ecff6]"Probably not. Diminishing returns. Nobody wants three paper kites of their own face, right? Maybe I should try origami...origami just means 'paper folding'. Doesn't sound as interesting or as exotic, I guess, if we just called it paper folding. I wonder what kind of English words Japanese people use to sound foreign and interesting?"[/color]

	As she spoke, Denise showed up. She murmered to herself, eyes widening, as Violet saw fit to pick on Eli. And she was saying unkind things about Denise, aswell. Emily wasn't sure what to do about it. She murmered to herself about origami for a few more moments.

	[color=6ecff6]"...Per capita, the murder rate of Westcliffe is nine times the national average. But our crime rate per capita is one fourth of the rest of the nation. W-weird, huh? But, I, uh, disagree about it being the most interesting thing. I think our festivals are really something neat. They're really well put together. The whole town shows up! Our biggest one, the Halloween festival, is only 12 days away."[/color] She explained. Perhaps she was saying these things for Denise's benefit, or perhaps she just couldn't help herself. She bit her lower lip. They were talking about crime rates, and now Emily had brought up the Halloween festival. She didn't want to upset Eli, or anyone else. But there was really only one thing to talk about, now. Every year someone disappeared. 

	[color=6ecff6]"E-every..."[/color] Emily shut herself up, biting down hard on her lower lip. [color=6ecff6]"D-d...mmh..." [/color] Fingers clenching, she forced herself onto another subject.

	[color=6ecff6]"H-hey, Denise. I m-made you a paper kite. It has your face on it."[/color] She said in a whisper, reaching out from her desk. She waggled it in the air, beckoning Denise to reach out and take it. Eli's paper kite had also been pushed towards the edge of Emily's desk towards the young man.