[color=fdc68a]"Stephan. James. You both know Mrs. Maribelle from next door."[/color]

Antonita Hawkes looked deeply into the eyes of her two younger brothers. Stephan, 15, and James, 13, looked back into hers with confused and disparaged expressions stealing their usually energetic composures. Her eyes kept a fixed, reassuring gaze at them until, finally, both nodded "yes," in unison. Toni returned their gesture, and turned to face the woman next to her. 

Mrs. Olivia Maribelle, Toni's neighbor, A stern yet kind woman of 50, who had lost her husband not long ago, stood facing back at her. She placed her hand gently upon Toni's shoulder with a soft smile. "Dear. You have nothing to worry about. You need to take this trip to better yourself for your future. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow so that you can make it on time." 

"Thank you, Ma'am." Toni bowed graciously to the older woman, grateful that her neighbor and so readily taken to an accepting and supportive role in her life. After leading Mrs. Maribelle out of the apartment, she returned to the living room, where her brothers still stood, perplexed. "Sis," James spoke up. "Where are you going?" 

"Yeah." Stephan chimed in next. "And why do you have to go?"

[color=fdc68a]"I... I have to go out of town. Just for a few days, I promise. It's a trip for... for my job training. The one that I'm in to work in medicine. It'll help me find work later on. And then... and then things will be better for us."[/color] Toni paused for a moment, seeing both brothers exchange looks, first of uncertainty, and then of acceptance. "Good. Now. I need you two to go off and get some sleep. I'll be right behind you; we all have early mornings tomorrow." Her brothers nodded, and walked from the living room and over into their shared bedroom.

Toni remained behind, watching them as they entered their room and closed the door behind them. A tear rolled down her cheek. Nearly two years had come and gone since the deaths of the trio's parents, and still, Toni felt uneasy in her ability to properly care for her younger siblings. She hoped that the trip she had spent the evening packing for would be worth leaving them in the care of someone else. She trusted Olivia; just the thought of not being around herself after being such a constant in their lives shook her to her core. 

She shivered. The hairs on her body prickled up. Immediately, her instinct kicked in, and she power walked from the living room out onto the front patio looking out into the apartment complex. Across the way, a dark mist lofted and drifted as though looking towards her. [color=fdc68a][i]Rue.[/i][/color] She had been seeing them since she was a child, but only recently had she been informed of their name and nature, and that she was one of a unique type of people that could properly perceive and interact with them; the most extreme of these had lead to her inadvertently discovering she could manifest an energy field that could repel the beings. The one in question, however, seemed little interested in her or her brothers, as it floated higher and eventually listed away and out of view. [color=fdc68a]"Good."[/color] Toni said to herself as she turned and went back into the apartment. 

"Good night Sis!" she heard her brothers say together. 

[color=fdc68a]"Goodnight."[/color] She responded as she passed their room and retreated into her own at the end of the hallway. She flopped down onto her bed, thinking of her parents as she fell asleep. 

[i][color=fdc68a]Mom. Dad. Forgive me.[/color][/i]