Alexandra walked down the street with many stalls. It was her first time in this town and she was surprised at how many different things you could buy. However, she kept her gaze to the ground, scanning stalls every now and then. She was so confused about herself. Every time she became angry at someone, their shirt sleeve caught on fire or shoe ignited. Something must be wrong with me. She told herself.

Alexandra walked cautiously, avoiding the other shoppers and people. Her sapphire eyes caught site of an emerald necklace at one of the stalls. She went up to it and looked at the beautiful stone imbedded into the silver chain. It was so beautiful. I could never afford this. She sighed and hurried off, before the merchant try to get her to buy something.

Coming near the end of the street, she went over to side of building and leaned on it. Sliding down the side of it, she sat on the cold stone sidewalk. She put her hands on her head. She wasn't sure about herself or what to do with her life. She had no real money and had no place to live. Her mind screamed at her to let the burning sensation out. Alex felt like something was controlling her, but what? A tear streamed down her cheek. What is wrong with me? Again the question came up in her mind.

Erik had watched the girl as she walked along. He could only see her red hair. He couldn't see anything else about her. He got a strong sense of her feelings coming off of her. He followed her a bit. He watched as she rounded a building. He quietly followed her.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly.

Alex looked up in surprise. A man was standing over her. She stood up quickly so as not to get trapped if he meant any wrong doing. Her sapphire eyes looked else where though.

"I'm fine." She told the pale skinned man. He didn't look much older than her, but she couldn't really tell. From the glimpse of him, she had seen his short black hair. What does he want? She tried to scoot away from him. She didn't have a very safe feeling with him being right there. She shifted and backed up a bit.

Erik watched her as she stood up. He let his gaze study her. Lovely blue eyes. Shoulder length red hair. Her skin smooth and tan. He smiled to her as he backed up a little bit.

"I'm Erik," he said as he slowly reached out his hand for her to shake it. "It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you."

Alex finally brought her gaze up to look at him. Erik he said his name was. She looked down at his hand. His bulky ebony trench coat was covering up half his hand. She slowly reached out and shook his hand. Her black t-shirt was tightly next to her skin, baggy overalls hanging loosely. He seemed okay, but she still remained on guard.

"I'm Alexandra, but most call me Alex." She told him with a quivering voice. She thought about his comment that he was going to hurt her. He might now, but she could hurt him. She didn't know how she hurt people, but she felt it was her doing. She tried to push it in the back of her mind.

Alex looked back up at him. His deep blue eyes seemed like they were looking right through her. She tried to relax though. She wasn't sure what to say. Nobody had talked to her in a while and she tried to keep it that way. But Erik had walked up to her. He had been concerned which few people were concerned about other peoples buisness. She stood there, her arms were crossed in front of her.

Erik watched her as she shook his hand. He could tell that she was tense and worried about something. He was in her thoughts for a moment trying to find out what was going on with her. Hurt him? He raised one eyebrow slightly.

He let his eyes slowly go over her. Her baggy overalls that hung loose on her and her tight black t-shirt. He brough his gaze back up to hers. He studied her face a bit more as she crossed her arms in front of herself.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked. His voice had sincere concern in it. He wasn't like other people who never gave a shit about other people's feelings and such. He was a very sensitive person.

Alex looked at Erik. He seemed.....different than others. For one thing, he wasn't leaving without making sure she was okay. But, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to leave. Underneath all the black, he seemed like a good person. She looked at his eyes, then noticed a tattoo of a tear drop underneath one. Thats an odd place for a tattoo. She thought to herself.

"I'm pretty sure I'm fine. She paused momentarily.

Why do you have a tear drop tattoo underneath your eye?" She was inquisitive about its origin. People don't just have a tattoo on their face for no reason. She hoped he didn't mind her asking.

Erik watched her studying him. He laughed in his mind at her reaction to the tattoo on his face. But did not do so out loud so as to not offend her nor have to explain his reaction to her reaction.

He was quiet for a moment when she openly asked him about his tattoo. He sorta just shrugged. "Oh that," he said as if it were really nothing. "It's nothing really." He knew he was lying but since he'd just met her he didn't feel he needed to tell her about it. There was only one person he openly told about himself after having just met him. Lucifer. He smiled as the name ran through his mind.

Alex had a puzzled look on her face. He started smiling out of nowhere.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked him cautiously. She still wasn't to sure about him. He seemed distant at times.

Alexandra looked around to notice more people were starting to appear to shop. She hated being in crowds. They made her nervous. So many people could get hurt if she lost her temper and she had no idea why. The painful memories started to come back to her in spurts.

Her father yelling at her. Becoming angry she shouted at him. She stared at him with fiery blue eyes. Thats when it happened. He just ignited. She screamed in horror. She had no idea what to do, but run.

She felt like running, but she couldn't just leave him standing there. She looked around nervous at the crowd of people again. She turned back to Erik.

"I think I should go." She spoke to him quick, but somewhat calmly.

"I don't like being around crowds."

Upon hearing her voice he pulled himself back to the here and now. He had almost totally forgotten about the girl...Alex she said her name was.

Erik let out a soft laugh. "I'm sorry. I got lost in my thoughts there for a moment. Was just thinking about a friend." He gazed at her and smiled.

He was starting to pick up her nervousness and noted her looking around. He followed her gaze to look around himself. "Are you ok?" he asked again.

As he stood there waiting for her reply flashes started running through his mind. A man yelling. A girl yelling back. Blue eyes burning with fire. Fire. A scream. Erik swallowed the gasp that was trying to rise in his throat. He did a good job of hiding the shocked look in his eyes as well.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I shant keep you then. I hope I run into you again sometime."

Alex look at Erik again.

"It was nice meeting you Erik." She let out a soft smile at him, then turned and started walking down the street. The images racing in her head again. Why don't they leave me alone? They are haunting me. Tormenting me. She kept her gaze on the concrete sidewalk. She walked with her arms cross. Her overalls were dragging on the ground, covering the back part of her sneakers.

She started to think about Erik again. She wanted to talk with him more, but she had to get away from the crowd. She turned and headed down an alley way and sat down, trying to relax, she laid her head back on the brick wall. She looked up towards the sky, letting the breeze hit her face, blowing her hair back.

Erik nodded to the girl as she started to walk away. Erik was still reading her thoughts as she turned into an alley. She still wants to talk to me eh? He smiled to himself as he started walking towards where she went.

Carefully he turned down the alley as well. "Are you sure you're ok?" he asked as he sat down across from her and studied her. He gave her a smile to let her know it was ok. He wasn't trying to stalk her or anything. Sincere concern was in his voice. That's just how he is.

Alex returned her gaze from the sky and looked at Erik.

"I guess I'm not okay." She told him with sadness. She looked at him, sapphire eyes studying him and his face. He was definitely different from most men. She heaved a sigh.

"I feel like my head is going to explode. Something is smoldering inside me and I don't know what. These images won't leave my mind. I feel like I'm going crazy." She told him slighty yelling. She spoke passionately and her head was starting to hurt again. She could feel her body temperature rising. She quickly tried to calm down, before anything happened. When the fires started, she always had a feeling that she was the cause, but didn't know how. She didn't want to lose her temper. Calm down. Don't let it happen. She told herself. She closed her eyes pushing the feeling back.

Erik studied her closely. It was almost as if he were looking right into her very soul. Of course he couldn't really look that deeply. He wasn't a god after all. Just a mere telepathic empath. But he didn't tell her this. Only one person knew and he didn't plan on telling anyone else. Not if he could help it anyway.

He could hear the sadness strongly in her voice. He felt bad for her. He wanted to comfort her but he wasn't sure what she'd think of a mere stranger trying to comfort her.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked her.

She hesitated before replying to him.

"I'm not even sure what there is to talk about." She felt strangely drawn to him. She felt like she could talk about anything with him. But, what was it she needed to talk about? She felt as if he was knowing what she was thinking, but that was impossible.

Alex looked around at the grundgy alleyway. She curled her legs up to her stomach and wrapped her arms around them, hugging them tightly. Her sneakers showed their age. She had worn them for the two years she was living on her own. The holes in her overalls were increasing in size over the past month. She sat there, staring into Erik's blue eyes. She wasn't sure what to tell him.

Erik could sense her hesitation and gave her a gentle smile. "It's ok if you'd rather not. I understand. I am, after all, a complete stranger. But if you decide to change your mind I'll be more than happy to listen."

He let his gaze go over her again. His eyes took in her worn out shoes and her overalls with growing holes in them. She needed new clothes that's for sure.

He watched as she brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them tightly. He felt bad for her. He could tell something was weighing heavy on her shoulders.

Slowly he rose and walked the little distance between them and sat down beside her. Not too close though because he didn't want to scare her.

Alex watched as Erik came over and sat next to her. His trench coat made him look rather large. She wasn't sure how to put it, or even what was weighing on her, but she felt like she needed to get it off her chest. She had been holding the burden for almost 2 years now, ever since it started occuring. She spoke slowly, trying to even put it into words herself.

"I think I hurt people somehow. I don't know why it just happens. When I lose my temper, some piece of the persons clothing ignites into flames. It...." She hesitated for a moment. Fear was in her voice. "It frightens me."She stretched her legs back out along the dirty concrete of the alleyway. Laying her hands in her lap she looks down at them. Her hair was dangling by her shoulders, blocking her view of Erik.

Erik could hear...and feel...the fear that was in her voice as she spoke. He listened to her speak and watched as she stretched her legs out and placed her hands in her lap. She had lowered her head to look down at them. As she did so her hair fell down blocking his view of her face.

Her words startled and confused him. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He suddenly felt very small and stupid as he sat there with her in silence. He couldn't find words to speak to her. To tell her it would be ok. He didn't understand either.

Alex stood up slowly and started pacing back and forth. She fiddled her hand, trying to keep herself busy. She was trying to think things out, but she just didn't know what to think about it. She stopped and looked at Erik. Her gaze was intent on him. He just sat there with her. Complete strangers to each other yet he stayed there and she felt open to talk with him.

She sighed and looked up at the clouds. The sun was setting. She returned her focus to Erik.

"Its getting kind of late. If you need to be somewhere I understand. I'm sorry to have troubled you all day." She said with seriousness in her voice. She stuck her hands in her overall pockets.

Erik just sat there as she got up and began packing. He looked upwards and saw that it was indeed darkening. He looked back to her. "Do you have some place to stay?" That was a stupid question. What were you gonna do? Offer her to stay over when you don't even have a place of your own. You moron.' He scolded himself in his mind causing himself to blush slightly. He hoped she wouldn't notice since it was getting a bit darker. He wasn't sure if it was still light enough outside for her to notice or not.

Alex stared at Erik as he started to blush. She smiled. Taking her hands out of her pockets she walked back over to Erik and sat down next to him.

"My place is wherever I decided to sleep. I'll sleep in this alleyway if I have to. What about you?" She asked curiously. The gentle breeze was blowing her hair in front of her face. She brought her hand up to move her hair back behind her ear.

He smiled as she came and sat down next to him again. He watched her move her hair out of her face.

He shrugged at her question. "I usually sleep on the beach myself. I found a nice quiet place where no one can bother me."


((so sorry for the short reply. mental constipation has finally hit me.))

Alex smiled at him.

"That must be nice. The beach is usually pretty quiet at night. Water always gives me a comforting feeling." She closed her eyes, imagining the water. Then, she opened her eyes to the dirty alleyway and the good feeling went away.

((Don't worry about it. I'm having problems of what to write also. ;) ))

Erik was silent for a moment.

"Why don't you come with me and I'll show you where the beach is? That is...if you believe that I really won't hurt you."

He stood up and looked down at her. He stuck out his hand to help her up if she wanted to go.

Alex watched as Erik stood up and offered to show her. As he stuck out her hand to help her up she felt somehow relieved to be with someone for the first night in 2 years. She graciously lifted her arm and put her hand in his. She stood up and started walking out of the alleyway. She turned back towards him.

"I think you should lead the way." She said laughing. She waited for him to lead the way.

Erik smiled at her as she accepted his offer. He helped her up off the ground. As she began to walk out of the alley he hurried to catch up.

He laughed when she stopped. It was like she realized she didn't know where she was going. He nodded his head in agreement to her statement. "Yes. That would probably be a good idea."


((I shall start a new thread in the waterfront now))