believe me, I am not mad. Neither was my Annie. Our troubles all revolve around a book. At the time the

leather-bound novel, embossed with egyptian writing, seemed so harmless a momento of my short time in Egypt. I

purchased it for forty dollars american and a cheap bronze pocket watch of no consequence.. To tell the truth, the

vendor seemed rather eager to be rid of it. I gave it, fool that I was, to Annie. Annie had always loved the

Nile civilization of old. I remember, she'd pulled every language book from the shelves of our modest library.

She quickly translated the gold embued book as The Book of Storms.

Annie spent long hours reading that

book- Oh , that I had known what I know now!- until the night of August 15, 1942, the day our world fell

apart. I should have known something was wrong, Annie's behavior was odd, almost erratic. She paced the f

loors wide-eyed and her lovely red-gold hair tangeled, in a careless way I'd never seen it in before. As night

fell, she became even more erratic, her china-pale face flushed as though with a fever. I became concerned and sent

her to bed. I stayed in my study- O that I hadn't watched over her!- and continued my work.

Morning came, and with it a heavy knocking at the front door. I, in a sleepy daze, hurried to the door

so that Annie wouldn't wake. Nathaniel, our gardener, stood there; his handsome face strained and his straw-

colored hair dishelved. He leaned on the door, gasping for breath as though he'd run a marathon.

Standing beyond him was a police officer. I'd seen him perhaps twice in the town, but knew his name

not. What could I possibly have done? I wondered. He looked so sad and distressed that I felt truly sorry for

him..

"Sir? Mister Nor?" Nathan asked tremulously.

"Mr. Nor? I need you to come with me, it's about Annie." The officer said softly.

"Annie?" I echoed, "She's upstairs asleep. Do you mean you need her?"

"No, she's not..." Nathan whispered, tears filling his grey eyes.

"Of course she is!" I growled indignantly.

"Mr. Nor? Jus-just come see, " the officer said, warily avoiding my eyes.

I was led in a disbelieving rage into the woods. Some joke, I thought, they take me for a fool. I knew

Annie was upstairs asleep. Probably dreaming of Egypt or some such.

Then, I saw her.Her body lay at the foot of a tree, as though asleep. Except......her eyes were open, but

they no longer shone with vibrant energy, they were the glass eyes of a porcelain doll. For a moment I thought-

I wanted her to be playing a joke or just sleeping, but no. My touch was greeted with cold, clammy skin.

"Annie?"

"He found her, Nathan I mean. Strangest bloody thing, not a mark on her......not a one....,"the officer muttered hopelessly.

"I found this..."Nathan whispered. In his rough, farmers' hands was the Egyptian book.

With numb hands I took it. I...I was confused. This wasn't real, just some terrible nightmare.........

long red hair fell around her face and her green eyes glittered with tears.

"Please," Zephyr, her older best-friend grumbled. Zep's short black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her blue eyes narrowed. "It's fiction, he's not real,"

"But we found an Egyptian book in the trunk this was in too!" Katya whispered.

"Coincidence! Or maybe-maybe it came with this book in a kit!"

"It's a journal.."

"It's fiction!" Zephyr snarled angrily. She seized the book and flung it into the old trunk at

the foot of Kat's bed.

"Zep!" Katya moaned, "Careful, it's old..."

Zephyr leaned back on the bed and shook her head. Katya often got carried away with such things.

"But what if it's true? What if the book with a lock on it is the book of storms?"

"Besides," Katya added, "there was more, I wasn't done reading." Katya picked the up and

flopped back on the bed with it. Zephyr sniffed disdainfully, but joined her friend.

August 15, 1942.......

.............I fell to my knees, I felt so numb. Annie? This wasn't........this wan't real!!!!! I gathered here into

my arms. Annie? Her beautiful red-gold locks were matted with sticks and leaves.

I recall the officer taking her as I sobbed. Why? Why?! Annie.......what will I do without you?

Annie........

"What? There has to be more!" Katya wailed, flipping through the remaining yellowed pages.

"Maybe it's supposed to be like that?" Zephyr suggested, as she frowned sullenly at the book

and brushed her fingers through her ebony hair.

"No, look there are pages ripped out!" Katya explained.

"Maybe the rest is in the Egypt book." Zephyr proposed.

Katya frowned, saying, "I thought you didn't care about it?"

"I-I don't! You wanted to know though, right?"

"Hmmm.." She bent and carefully picked the old leather novel from the trunk. A single thick

leather strip held the book shut with an old golden lock.

"There's no key!" Katya wailed as she dug around in the dusty trunk. "Well, we can make our

own key." She suggested as she pulled a rusty pair of scissors from her dressor. She held them up mischeviously.

"Heck ya!" Zephyr hissed and seizing the scissors, was about to start sawing on the band when the book fell open.

"Neat....but freaky.." Katya whispered.

"It was locked, right? Right?"

"Yeah. It was."

"Well? Aren't ya going to read it?"

"Ummm....Yeah..sure" Katya mummered as she edged over to pick up the book, only to cry out

and drop the book onto the floor.

"It's hot! It burned me!" Katya shreiked, backing away.

A golden eye in a sea of white flowing hair opened, the pupil dilating. Heavy bands of chain,

cords, and leather bound a slender tall figure. The figure's snowy hair was longer than he was tall

and flowed, clinging to his slim form. He was bound as a mummy, for he was one in a sense. Only his

handsome face, untouched by time, was uncovered. The golden eyes rolled in their sockets in the sea

of white as he became aware of his surroundings, he floated in a dark tank of liquid, a weight tied to

his leg kept him submerged. Above he could see only darkness, but he knew he was deep underground,

surrounded by stone engraved in his language of delicate pictures and symbols. He closed his eyes. He

could certainly afford to wait until his strength returned. Freedom and revenge were enevitable.

Zephyr gave the book another hearty nudge with the tip of her foot. Katya watched from atop

her bed, furiously sucking on her burnt fingers. The book seemed innocous enough now. Sure enough,

the book felt ordinary to Zep's hands as she picked it up and turned it over in her hands. Maybe Katya

had imagined it, she thought. A knock at the door announced the arrival of Zep's older brother to pick

her up.

It was quite warily that Katya climbed the stairs to her room and peered at the book on the

floor. It looked harmless enough. She pushed her door open entered her room. The book however, lay

there......like a book.

She frowned and reached for the book, when a heavy form slammed into her, pinning her

slender form to the wall, a leather gloved hand clamped over her mouth. Regardless, she tried to

scream anyway and thrashed against his steel-like muscles.

"Quiet, " said a soft masculine voice. She stared as her eyes focused on a tall man with long

black hair, his face was handsome and his eyes a sort of aquamarine. His hair fell in her face and was

messy and unkempt. Behind him stood a man of about her age and his age. His hair was white and short,

with the exception of two unruly strands on either side of his head. His eyes were a silver color and

he wore a pair of ragged black pants with a shirt with an abnormally long tail. But what really caught

her attention was their ears-they were pointed like an elf out of a fairy tale and were quite long.

"You are the one who opened the book,.......yes?" the older, white haired man asked.

The other removed his hand and seeing her chance, Katya screamed. The white haired one snarled something in a language she didn't understand.

Both then simply watched as she screamed, a smile on their lips.

"No one is going to come, " the black-haired one growled in his heavy accent.

Katya backed up against her bed, swallowing hard. The white-haired one knelt in front of her

and she pulled her legs up against her chest.

"You opened the book?" He asked again.

"Who-who are you?" She asked, shivering.

"Ah.......I am Hai and this is Tobias." The white-haired one replied, smiling.

"Hai.........Why?-What do you want?"

"Did you open the book or not, girl?!" Tobias snarled advancing on her.

"Y-yes! Me and Zep, we-"

"Zep? There was another?" Hai asked urgently.

"Yes, my freind-"

"Where is she?" Hai demanded.

"Dead by now, I suppose.."Tobias growled with a sniff.

"NO!" Katya wailed in horror.

"Now, now," Hai said soothingly. "I doubt it, if we leave now."

"Why, we have her?" Tobias growled, jerking his thumb at her.

Katya jumped to her feet and seized his wrist. "NO!" She cried. "You have to save her!"

Tobias flinched and wrenched his hand free. He shoved her into Hai's arms.

"Come on, " Hai said, shaking his head. He took Tobias' hand and Katya screamed again as the

world went dark and she felt as though she were being stretched.

Then she was in Hai's arms and facing a man with long white hair that flowed as though by

some unfelt breeze. Slung over his shoulder was Zep. Katya gasped and covered her mouth.

"Senar!" Tobias howled, rushing forward. Senar casually tossed Zep onto her bed and faced

Tobias.

Tobias' face lengthened and short black fur sprouted on his face and body. His teeth grew

into curved fangs and suddenly a black wolf and a white wolf stood in Tobias and Senar's place. The

two wolves hit head on, snarling and locking jaws. Hai worriedly pulled Katya into his shadow and

watched the wolves fight.

"We do not have time for this, Qembet!" Hai shouted to Tobias. He struggled with the girl as

she tried to run to her unconcious friend. She reminds me of someone...he thought.

"You cur," Tobias' voice echoed in their heads as he snapped at Senar's flank. "You eat your

fill of souls, then run away?"

The white wolf wheeled around and caught him by the throat. "It is none of your business,

little brother."

Brother? Katya wondered as she watched.

"Qembet and Senar," Hai mused. "Shadow and storm." She looked blankly up at him and he

grinned.

Senar broke free of Tobias and rushed Hai and Katya. Hai put himself between Katya and

Senar and clenched his eyes shut.

.......And opened them to see Tobias had Senar by the tail. Senar snarled and lunged

forwardand both wolves crashed into Hai. They breifly struggled, before Senar broke free. He

became human again and bowed, smirkingly saying, "Adeiu, parting is such sweet sorrow" And

disappeared.

"He's gone," Katya muttered. Then she cried out as she remembered and rushed over to Zep.

She lay as a person asleep. Hai reached over Katya's shoulderand held his hand on her forehead.

"He took part of her soul, but not all of it, she's in a coma," he announced, running his fingers

through his snowy hair.

"Bloody good for her," Tobias snarled as he keeled over backwards in a faint.

"Tobe!" Hai shouted sinking beside him.

Qembet opened his eyes and wasn't suprised when it hurt. Everything was blurry, but a familiar red-ringed face caught his attention.

"Sara!" He yelled grabbing her and hugging her feircely. Sara cried out and tried to wriggle

free. After so long, he thought, Sara you're back!

"I thought you were dead!" He moaned into her hair.

"I'm not Sara! I'm Katya!" She cried out. He pushed her to arm length. Yes, not Sara, but that

same high cheek bones, emerald eyes, and fiery hair. He looked away, releasing her. Of course she

isn't Sara, he thought, after all, I saw her die.

He climbed unsteadily to his feet, refusing Hai's outstretched arm. His eyes looked haunted to

Katya. So sad, she thought, why?

"Now what?" She asked Hai.

"Well actually," he turned to Tobias, "Qembet?"

"Leave me alone," he growled, turning his back on them.

"Um......about the Book of Storms......?"

"What about it?" He demanded, still not looking at them.

"He....erm...heh, he took it."

"What!!?" He shouted, wheeling arms upraised to strike Hai. He lowered them and instead let

loose an inhuman howl.

Katya shrank behind Hai in fear and he nervously fiddled with a long strand of hair.

"Fine," Tobias hissed through clenched teeth, "Fine! We'll go get it then."

"I suppose, -yes we really should," Hai said, nervously taking Katya's hand.

"Not her," he snarled. "You're enough trouble as it is."

"Well, what if he comes back here, you know what happened the last two times." Hai said in a

superior tone.

"Fine! Just go, but I'm not baby-sitting!"

Zep's room melted incongruously into a surreal landscape composed as far as the eye could

see, of a dark menacing forest, who's tree's limbs swayed evily. Beyond that were hints of perhaps a

wall, high turepets that raked the sky, rose in intervals.

"Where are we going?" She asked,

"To the castle beyond the shadow," Hai answered. "It's not as far as it seems, nothing is what

it seems here," he added.

Tobias glanced at her sideways, you look so much like Sara. Maybe you are Sara, come back to me? "We'll see," he whispered to the wind.