Jesse looked in sadly on her cousin from the safety of the doorway, McKenzie's back hunched and facing him, his smile turning into a frown. He hoped she was feeling better. It was eating him up inside that she had changed. She hasn't spoken more than a sentance to Jesse after the attack and has eaten less. McKenzie sat on the floor, slightly rocking, staring into the darkening sky as if to find the answer to why this massacure took place, as if it was her fault Luke was motionless. The past few days have been tourture for both McKenzie and Jesse; the constant runs to the police station, the fear of another attack, the frequent visits to the hospital where Luke laid unresponsive as if God was debating what to do with his soul. Jesse slowly crept in the room, a sandwich clenched firmly between his hands. Jesse arrived at her side, only greeted by unflinching tears.

"Hey Kenny," he whispered tenderly, staring deep into her profile, her face cold as ice. "I made this for you. I thought you might be hungry." He offered her a peanut butter and chocolate sandwich, a thousand cutting minutes passing between them with no response. Kenny only slightly nodded to the side, a notion inferring Jesse to leave it on the floor, probably no attempt would be made to consume it until McKenzie had the strenght to move, the strenght to live. Jesse left it on the floor and proceeded to the door, his face downcasted in defeat.

"Jesse," he heard her whisper. He whipped around, a cavern of releif replacing his frown. She turned negligibly toward him, the moon casting an eerie, white glow on the side of her face. "Thanks."

Jesse only nodded with a sliver of a smile, pushing his palms on the door frame and then shooting off and into the hallway.

McKenzie glanced down at the sandwich, cut diagnolly and chocolate syrup oozing from the sheared edge. Her eyes widened and she whacked the sandwich behind her; the simulation of blood and chocolate syrup so real, she wanted to throw up, but she couldn't move; she never wanted to move again. What's to say that she couldn't have been in Luke's position, knifed and robbed of dignity just because he liked guys? What's to say that she's safe? A blaring ringing spiraled through the room, McKenzie reaching meekly for Lea's phone. She lifted it to her ear gently, praying her extension of agonizing energy would be for the benefit of Tricia's voice.

"McKenzie?" the voice asked unhinged; it was Tricia.

"Hi," McKenzie replied, drained of all energy.

"I need...to tell you something," Tricia studdered, grasping for another tissue waiting under her bed. Cries began to leak into McKenzie's ear, anticipation grabbing McKenzie's heart. "My parents...are...well, the school year..."

"It can't be good if it's so hard for you to say," McKenzie informed her breathlessly, crouching up on her knees, her frail hands clutching onto the dresser and hoisting her up, her eyes unable to blink.

She inhaled a meaty breath, scattering her tears away, morbidly regretting what she was going to tell McKenzie. "My parents...they don't like what's going on, with Zach and all. They don't think I'm safe here, even with Zach in custody. Frankly, I'm a little scared going into my own basement," she began, pinching at the brim of her nose, pinching back the tears. "They're...sending me down to my aunt's for the summer...maybe even permanetly."

McKenzie couldn't believe what her ears recepted, wouldn't believe it. Her ears were like atennae, intercepting some foreign trasmittion incapable of being understood, not wanting to be understood. "God," McKenzie whispered, raising her hand to her mouth to push down her sobs. She needed to be strong for Tricia, if anyone. But, Tricia was her everything, the reason she "let everyone down." McKenzie would even die for her if she was asked. Her departure would be catastrophic; how could she go through the trial without Tricia by her side, holding her hand, telling her the worst was behind them? "When, then," McKenzie huffed impatiently, her cheeks expanding with air, color, and anger. "When are you going?"

"Tomorrow!" Tricia bellowed, tears drenching her face and voice, sniffs violently tremoring through her body. "McKenzie, I can't believe this; it's so surreal! What the hell did I...did we do to deserve this?!"

"We had emotions," McKenzie surprisingly replied cooly, her free hand searching for her teddy, anger rumblig deep inside her chest. "We felt different. We became "alien" to everyone, inhumane. Everyone's threatened by it; I mean everyone."

"Oh, I don't know," Tricia whimpered, shaking her head, staring down at the sorrow-spotted kleenex. "I mean, I don't think they're sending me down there just because they...they're scared of what we have."

'Yeah, right,' McKenzie thought, rolling her eyes and peering down at her teddy, wanting to light it on fire and tear it apart, leaving every scortching severed limb on the doorsteps of non-believers as a chilling reminder of what they're doing to her.

"I have...have to get...packing," Tricia sobbed, grazing her left arm across her damp face. "I'll call you the second I get down there. This is so hard...to say goodbye like this."

"I know," McKenzie moaned, thrusting her head on her fingertips, a few silent tears dripping on her bear. "I love you." She hung up, precipitating the phone to the floor, knocking it off the hook, beeping the only sound breaking the deaf barrier her ears habituated. She shakily approached the window, the teddy in a death grip in her hands. Her eyes were blurred by tears, unable to grapple at the fact Tricia was being savagely yanked away from her. Rage compelled her toward the dresser, her arms a tidal wave sweeping over the contents situated on there contently. They soared onto the floor, some items broken and crumbly at their bottom. She grabbed at her ears in fustration, tightening her eyes until all that she could see was darkness. 'That's it,' she analogiezed, ajaring her eyes to see nothing but night, 'my life is black, dark. What's the point anymore?'

She stole a few steps to the window, glaring down at the handels. With all the strenght she could conjure, she lifted the old window up, it creaking in protest, a chilling brush of replenishing death enticing her body. She peered down at her teddy bear in her left hand, constricting its neck as if it could breath, as if it had feelings, as if it could die. Scowering, she realzied she had enough of love; she hurled the bear into the dark abyss that overlayed the house, the bear dissapearing like wizardry. She puffed her anger in and out of her mouth, her heart beginning to race to keep up with the wrath flowing through her veins and filling up her air. 'That's it!' her brain screamed, congradulating her for the brilliant bear-toss idea. 'Time to dissapear. Time to leave this world. What's a world without love, without acceptance?' She watched nervously both of her hands clamp onto the side of the window as if she was a puppet, not in control of her actions. Next came her feet, shaking as she crouched in the window, sweat skimming her hair line. Her hands rattled against the window sides, her feet already thriving in unnatural pain being pursued in this execution. She took a deep breath, her eyes being bitten and scarred by acidic darkness. She closed her eyes...

"I'll check it out...Ok, bye," Jesse told his mom as he hung up his cellphone, tossing it onto the opposite end of his bed. Mom said she couldn't get through on the house's line to ask what they wanted for dinner. Jesse told her rigitoni sounded good. As promised, Jesse leaped up the stairs, the simple thought that McKenzie left the phone off the hook in carelessness resting his nerves. His eyes buldged out of his skull at McKenzie leaning out the window, his mouth mute from any reconcilable, calming words. "McKenzie!" he screetched, running into the room.

Jesse heard McKenzie gasp, then saw her figure slip from the window, slip from life, and plunge into an uncertain hole of fate. Jesse ran to the phone, his fingers laughing at his brain's lacked willpower with slow impluses on the keys. As if he heard 911 pick up, he started screaming a mile a minute, "Help! Someone help us. Please, oh Please, God. Is anyone out there?!?!?!"