The next day started early. The fire alarm had woken her up she instantly knew that her mother was trying to make breakfast to make up for last night. She often did nice things the next day but Mary knew better then to take them seriously. She would get dressed, her clothes always similar, grab her pack and slide downstairs. She would have a quick shower before her father woke up and she'd quickly leave before anyone could realize she was awake which usually didn't happen until noon.

The New York Street was deserted and empty. This end of town wasn't famous for tourists or anything like that.I mean, look at it. The road was bumpy and broken. Weeds sprouted from the cracks in the sidewalk and the buildings, which laced each side, were broken, boarded or burnt. The sky was thickly covered with smoke coming from a nearby factory and she would catch birds pecking at garbage.

As she kicked at a broken bottle, she noticed something. It was a crow. The bird was watching her in a most creepy way and it caused her to halt. Now, she'd seen plenty of birds, and plenty of crows for that she'd never seen one blink at her, tilt its head and stare. She nibbled the inside of her cheek a bit, eyes shifting. The bird gave an abrupt caw and fluffed its midnight black feathers before taking flight into a nearby building window. For now, she disregarded it and made her way towards the park. She usually hung out there. It was by far the nicest place on this end of town. People actually took the time to visit and play on the equipment.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far.

A hand, thick and menacing fell upon her shoulder and squeezed. She tilted herself sideways a bit, attempting to edge the pressure away. Instead, she was jerked back and hands clamped upon her backpack, tugging her towards the nearest alleyway.

'Let go of me!'

Mary wasn't all-powerful. Sure, she had her ways of defending she wasn't keen on it. The scent of cheap tobacco and alcohol reminded her fiercely of her father as she was thrown against the nearest wall and searched by the masked man for any possessions he could snatch. She gave a quick cry as he curled his fingers around her necklaces and tugged, which brought her to her knees. He then brought his foot down upon her back and squished her to the dank cement floor. He began to dig through her it happened.

A flash of feathers and black blurred her vision and the man released a horrid cry of pain. She could hear the bird squawk and caw fiercely at him, digging and swiping its claws at his face and skin. The man dropped many of things and with a final grunt of pain, took off down the street and around the corner.

Mary quickly pushed herself to her knees, fingers fumbling around for the things he had dropped and shoving them into her bag. She feared the crow would turn on her aswell and this only made her move didn't notice it land and tilt its eerie head again. Not yet. Not until it cawed and she quickly jolted her wide, intense orbs upon it. Her lips parted gently and she brought the back of her hand up to her lip, whipping away a stream of blood, which trickled from the side. She fell silent and frozen.

Then it flew to that window.

She frowned a bit, sliding the straps of her bag back over her shoulders and hiking it up with a sniffle. She bit her lower lip, running her tongue along the fading streak of blood. She then decided. She was going up there.

The journey was slow and cautious. The building was dusty and dark and rather cold. She feared someone would slide from one of the nearby doorways and grab her.

Luckily, that didn't happen and she reached the final floor only moments later.

The door was closed and she hesitated. She did curl her fingers around the knob and twist it a bit, ensuring it was unlocked. She listened silently, waiting for any sign of movement from the other side. Then she opened it.

That instant, she saw black. The crow flew at her face, squawking and cawing in an almost insane manor. She quickly shielded her face with her fingers and ducked, shuffling herself behind a bunch of upturned chairs. She folded her arms gently around her knees and hugged them to her chest, eyes watering from the proximity of the flash attack and heart pounding out of fear and uncertainty.

Moments passed and the crow had disappeared or fell or the other. She hadn't moved a muscle and found herself uncomfortable. Her body shook a bit as she began to swallow a sob that had unknowingly crept up her throat. Who would she cry to? Not her father. Not her mother. Not herself. She would sound foolish crying to herself.

Then she felt something. The touch was so gentle and tender, so comforting and curious and above all, protective. She quickly gave a jump, eyes growing wide in their blurred state and she shifted from her spot, instantly settling eyes upon a thin figure. He was tall and scrawny with wet curls of black, which hung around his cheeks in a concealing manor. His clothing was dark and gothic anything she wore or saw before and perhaps the most interesting of all was his pale, white face. His eyes were laced with vertical stripes of black jetting upward and an everlasting smile painted with horizontal stripes on either side of his mouth giving him a rather zombie-ish or clownish appearance despite the frown on his features.

'Its all right.I won't hurt you.'

Oh, she'd heard that before. She quickly shifted her fingers around, holding her weight just above the floor, ready to make a run for it. He began to reach out again, fingertips almost craving to brush against her cheek. She hesitated. She gave a whimper and finally sunk down, eyes lowering with the rest of her childish features towards the floor, wisps of blonde hair falling in a curtain to conceal the tears that fell down her cheeks.