Its Dark...

[Samantha]

Samantha walked carefully up the great stairs leading up to the astronomy tower. It seemed she always fell down the dratted stairs, somehow, she could never just walk up them decently, and gracefully. Her clumsiness always seemed to get the best of her on these particular stairs.

She moved silently in the dark of the night. Trying hard not to be afraid. She had gotten, almost, over her fear of the dark, and for some reason tonight it was making her jumpy. Lately things had been making her a little more ridged then usual, or then she used to be before she left. And she was more aware, and more afraid. She was afraid of everything, people mostly. She had given up again on the search for another human being who wouldn't leave her alone. She had a few real friends. She must try to be happy with them, and not greedily wish for more. But more then friends she wanted someone. Where is he? ; she asked herself, but then she pushed the thoughts from her mind. Deciding that right now she might as well try to make the best of everything and be there for her friends.

She wore a pair of tight ripped blue jeans, and a black strapless shirt. Her hair was down, and straight, the color of fresh snow. Emerald green eyes shown through the hair that fell into her face.

She got to the last step and was so glad she stumbled slightly and clattered down a few steps. "S***!" She yelled as she caught herself on the rail. One of her arms hurt pretty bad, but she was used to pain and walked back up the stairs slower then before. She got into the top of the tower and walked over to look at the moon, the shining light glinted off her hair, making it glow more then usual. She could feel the thin lines of blood gliding over her skin from where she hurt her arm. It seemed she must have reopened an existing cut. Samantha didn't think to many people would be up here this late at night, and she highly doubted if they weren't in bed, and they had decided to brake the rules and walk up to the tower, they would be so observant as to notice her.

[Kalista(Retired)]

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Really, you could have woken the dead with all the noise you made coming up those stairs, I should say that you’d be lucky if someone hadn’t heard you, or rather, you may be lucky if they had, that would of course, depend on rather I am inclined to play nice or not this lovely evening.” A voice came from the windowsill to her left.

Sitting in the moonlight, was a horned devil looking demon with great leathery dragon-like wings and staring at her were two pin points of bright white orbs, where eyes should be. The creature wore a slight smile and from her barely parted lips could be seen her long, pearly fangs. She seemed to be clad in some unknown fabric, perhaps something made from the hell in which she came, perhaps nothing unordinary at all, either way, it was black, and nearly leather, but not. Her great wings seemed to be half cradling her form as she sat, crouched against t he wall of the window and though it would seem she looked at the young student, she also seemed to be looking into her at the same time, perhaps giving the young girl a bit of a chill.

Kalista didn’t make too many appearances in the school these days, she had long ago decided to spend more time in her own hell, than to mix with humans, but every now and again, she would find herself bored, wanting something to do, be it mangle a human, eat one, or even befriend one, it would depend upon her current mood, and right now, even she was undecided as to how she felt this particular night.

As Kalista sat, as still as any statue on that windowsill, she stretched her great wings once, and then replaced them about her form, all the while, her piercing white gaze never leaving the student as she waited to see how this one would reply.

[Samantha]

The voice she heard sent a chill up her spine. It wasn't one she had heard before, but one that could probably scare anyone who heard it. Samantha turned to look at the owner of such a voice. What met her eyes was even more terrifying then the voice she heard from the windowsill. Sam had never quite been put into such a situation, as one where she quite certainly could be killed. And didn't really know how she should react. Confident, seemed the wrong way to go, however she didn't really want to seem like a scared fool either. Even if that’s what she was.

The words took a minute or so to really sink in. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb.." She said, her voice sounded as though she meant what she said, and the terror she felt was running through it as well. Moving her long, white hair behind her she looked at the creature, she wasn't so sure of what she was, or wasn't, she only knew that she was scared. Samantha knew that if she was going to attack her, she would be hurt badly, she wasn't one to fight back, she was helpless.

[Kalista(Retired)]

The demon chuckled, a low, grating sound that really showed no amusement, but was more of an automatic response to the girl’s obvious fright, and her apology.

She turned now, upon her perch to face the girl fully, still crouched in the sill, her wings however moved to her back and hovered behind her in an aggressive manner. “Sorry are you, for disturbing? Think not on it one moment longer, what has been done is done.” She answered in that same, dark, chilling voice. “Tell me, human, what is it they call you?” She asked, hating to address others as, human, or girl, or what ever else may come to mind.

The girl would now realize, that even though the tower was an open place, with high arching windows that had no panes in them, for viewing of the stars, there was no breeze, and the temperature in the tower was steadily growing and even now, seemed to be as if a hot summers day, on a cold winter’s night. The air about the demon sent heat waves outward as she sat, still in her perch, waiting for the girl to answer her question again, the burning white embers, that made up her eyes, continued to look into the girl before her

[Samantha]

Samantha worriedly wondered how she was to respond. The air seemed to grow warmer with the second. The sound of the laughter, if it was even to be called that was another more horrifying addition to the demon.

"Samantha, my name is Samantha." She said simply. "And you?" She asked, perhaps being a little bolder, but, she didn’t want to talk to much for fear of making things worse for herself. If what they wanted was to scare her, they had done more then what they hoped for. Her emerald eyes shown with fright, and her manner was slowly growing less confident. Usually Sam could easily do what she set her mind to. However, standing up to a demon wasn't something she usually thought about doing.

[Kalista(Retired)]

Kalista let her mind stretch out and touch the humans, and as if she has reached out with her very hand, ran ghostly fingers over the others soul, tugging at it, teasing the girl for a moment before allowing her grasp to fade away and she chuckled again, that same dry, mirthless sound as before.

“Samantha it is then, good, good, I was hoping you still had your tongue.” She began, now hopping from her perch, moving now, with cat-like grace toward the girl, her white orbs, watching as she began to circle the girl, slowly almost as if scrutinizing her entire appearance. Soon, the Fire Demon once again stood before Sam, her gaze still penetrating the others self. “I am known as Kalista, and I think, that before I make any decisions as to rather I wish to dominate my current resting place or not, I will let you explain to me why it is you have so bravely chosen to come up here, even knowing the dangers that abound in the dark, from we things that ..” She chuckled again. “Go bump in the night.” She finished, as her leathery wings rustled slightly behind her, arching now into a position that presented themselves as no longer aggressive, but relaxed, making Kalista appear much more conversational, or, as conversational as any Demon might appear to any human.

[Samantha]

Samantha was still terrified, and the feeling she then got was the weirdest, scariest feelings she had ever had. She flinched a little, trying to keep it all together, the feeling went away, and she was still scared, but she tried to make herself calm down. Telling herself that to get so worked up could only make a relatively bad situation worse.

It was really a good question, why she had came up here. However, she was confused a bit, she didn't ever consider the tower to be such a scary place, she never had seen any trouble there before. She wondered if this had anything to do with what was going on in the school, which she didn't know a lot about, but, she knew that something had changed, and not for the better.

"To be honest, I didn't think myself brave in the least. I only came up here to think, look at the stars." she said, that was the truth at least. "Well, I am a little scared of the dark.." She added, thinking of how she used to never leave the castle after six. "But, anyway, if I had known I might be intruding on someone. .something...then I would have most definitely stayed..inside." She finished carefully. She felt her heart beat quick in her chest, she gulped, surprised she wasn't on the ground shuddering in tears. Right now, as scared as she was, she was also determined not to just lose it all right then and there. Not yet.

[Kalista(Retired)]

Those burning white embers that resided where her eyes should have been seemed to flare for a moment, a dark, near black then change altogether, leaving now, a pair of the blackest onyx pair of eyes staring at the student. Perhaps not as demonic as the burning flames of white, but perhaps now, even more intense and hungry looking, now giving the other a sense of emotions that would play over her features. It was though indeed, the Demon had many emotions moving about her, this was not the best of situations to be truthful, as it still left the feeling that the demon might attack at any given moment, or simply maintain her ground and simply, talk with the human, either way, the situation was neither good nor was it bad. The fact that Kalista had not at the very least beat the child at first sight was always a good sign.

“I see…” Kalista began, taking a step forward, leaving behind her, a trail of smoldering stone beneath her feet this time when she moved. She reached out one hand and lightly touched Samantha’s cheek. The heat from that touch would have been like being touched with a hot iron, and though Kalista withdrew her hand almost as soon as she had made contact, it would leave a mark. “So, I am to be considered a something now am I?” She inquired, raising one fine brow, and not moving away from the girl.

[Samantha]

Samantha watched as Kalista's eyes changed, it was scary and yet intruiging the way she had such control. Sam knew she had said something wrong, and even though Kalista was coming closer, she didn't move, more like she couldn't move. She watched as the stone heated beneath her feat. Tears sprung into her eyes as she felt the burn on her face. She winced and stepped back. Samantha should have known that saying sucha thing would offend, but she wasn't thinking the most clearly at the time.

"U-uhm.." She started shakily, and then took a deep breath. SHe didn't know how to go about digging herself out of the hole she was in. "I do apologize." She started again, taking another deep breath. "I just... wasn't sure on what exactly to call you..I have seen nothing of the like before.." She said, honestly. Samantha tore her eyes away and looked to the ground.

[Kalista(Retired)]

“Indeed…” She started and then paused to regard the girl before her. Kalista was interested in the fact that though she quivered in fear and it seemed would perhaps faint at any point, her will kept her back straight and her legs under her. “I might accept your apology, it is such a twisted place, this world you live in, and one never knows what they might run into.” She concluded in a very thoughtful tone.

Kalista was silent for a moment, and then turned away from the girl and walked back toward the window. The ground at her feet continued to smolder though, as she hopped back to her perch, her form changed as she went, from the hellish demonic figure that Samantha met before, to quite a beautiful angelic figure, though dressed in total darkness, she was much more pleasant to look upon, with black feathered wings and cool onyx eyes that turned to the student and rested on her face as a pleasant smile graced the pale lips there. “You don’t give yourself much credit Samantha, you are indeed much more brave than you seem to think.” She stated in what would now be a quiet, calm and near sweet voice.

So far as yet, Samantha had the pleasure, or displeasure of seeing three faces of the demon Kalista. There was very much to be said for this, as many only saw the hellish one anymore. The one that kills and or maimed every being she came across. Kalista was not in fact what she put forth at all times as, the student would find, should she decide to control her fear long enough.

[Samantha]

The longer Samantha stood there, the more she watched and the more she perhaps learned. And the more she would admire Kalista. She was still terrified, but she admired her. Samantha had never came across one of her kind before, and it was as terrifying as it was brilliant.

"Thank you, very much." She said her voice a little more relaxed. She looked at the body before her, and thought of the contrast between what she saw now, from what she had seen then. Kalista had gone from terrifying to scary. However, Samantha knew she was still capable of killing her any second, she could admit that this was much easier to look upon. Samantha stood there quietly, wondering what might happen next. She figured it could go okay, and then she could be ripped apart. The little burn on her face, stung as it did, she felt lucky so far.

[Kalista(Retired)]

Kalista continued to smile, her onyx eyes now moving over the entire tower, only to return to the student still residing in front of her. “No need to thank me for stating what was already there.” She returned in that same, quiet, calm tone. “”Not many students have the courage to remain standing before certain death, perhaps that is the only reason you still remain as such.” She continued, her words not meant to scare, though they more than likely would. “Tell me, what year are you in Sam… Is it ok that I call you as such?” She stated and then asked.

Kalista was friendly, or could be. She too had once been a student of this school, she once held the position of a Slytherin and had been around humans her first years of life, of course, that was thousands of years ago, as far as her being a student, it was a mere two years since she decided to remove herself from the ranks of humanity to join what it was she really was. OF course, there was no way Samantha could have known all this, but all the same, it was important to Kalista to maintain ties with humans, and at times, she might have even felt compelled to befriend them, if they showed something in the way of a backbone, of course. She detested weakness.

[Samantha]

Samantha listened, making sure as to notice everything. She liked to pay attention to details, and perhaps now that she was more in the mind set, she could. The voice as much as chilling, made you listen. The type you couldn’t just ignore. She thought, she, wondered if Kalista herself had ever been a student here. However, as brave, if that’s what she was, she wasn't sure she was to be the one asking the questions, not yet.

What year was she in? She hadn't even thought about the question until now. She obviously knew the answer but to remember what the school used to be like to her, and how long ago it felt like she was new. She remembered all her old friends, and how they had all left and how she missed them. And she thought about how she used to be so happy and free and now everyone was living in constant fear. It was a sad thing to be in the school these days and watch what’s happened. But she Had to push those thoughts from her mind and go back to the question at hand.

“Ravenclaw third year.” She said to Kalista, the angel? She didn’t know what exactly she was, but she kenw that she had seen many forms of the same soul. But even with each form it seemed that she, Kalista, changed personality a bit too. Maybe not, but that’s only what Sam thought. "And yes, Sam is quite fine." She added, her voice, even though it sounded more relaxed then it had when she had first saw the demon, was still not as casual as if she was talking with her friends, it was still strung with a lines of fear, and of respect.