Infra Red cht. 1
In the Valley of the dying sun


Nicoleta stepped onto the platform. Fog swirled around her feet. The sign said "All-Knowing Elder". Nicoleta came here out of fear. She came for one reason and one reason only. She came to find out why she was so different. She had a disease they told her. She could do things...things nobody else could do.

Frogs moved,crickets chirped. Breaking the silence. She looked around hesitantly. Incense could be seen drifting out of a little hut. SHe walked up and slowly peeled back the curtain. SHe peered inside cautiously.

There, in the middle, was an old woman. THe old woman stopped chanting and lifted her head. Staring into Nicoleta's purple eyes. Startled, Nicoleta pulled back,closing the curtain. THe old woman's eyes had been very strange...almost cat-like.

"Come child, do not be afraid." she said. Nicoleta walked in looking around her. Bones, cages, pictures, candles, and incense were everywhere.

THe old woman beckoned her to sit. Nicoleta sat and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in. The old woman smiled and took a book off the shelf nearest to her.

"I know why you have come. You seek answers. I have most while others can not be revealed to you."she said.

"THen you know what I can do." Nicoleta said. More as a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"So am I alone?" she asked timedly.

"No. THere are few others like us left in the world." came the reply.

"Us?"

"Yes, us. While you do things not normal, I see them."

"Huh? YOu mean you watch me do them?"

"No, I mean I see them. I know all. The past. The present. THe Future."

"I don't know what I can do. Just sometimes I don't look like myself. SOmetimes... I don't sound like myseld either." Nicoleta said.

"YOu are a shape-shifter Nicoleta. THis is a gift but also a burden. With time and discipline you can control this."

Nicoleta stood up and backed away."Ok now you're sounding crazy. My friends were right. I'm leaving."

"Wait...I can prove it." The old woman said.

"How?" Nicoleta said. She was skeptical but she really wanted to know.

"Your name."

"What about my name?"

"The last name. You come from a long line of vampire-hunters. Do you not?"

Nicoleta sat back dowm. HOw could she know that? SHe hadn't told the lady her name for safety-purposes.

"YEs, now you realize that we are here and very much alive. Despite many attempts onthe lives of our kind."

"What do you mean?" Nicoleta said, now interseted.

"Emporer Nero of ROme thought it was the christians so he destroyed them. Not long ago Hitler from Germany tried to destroy jews, apperently convinced it was them. They used to think it had to do with religion. sLowly things changed. Now they are becoming more aware and advanced. Things are changing. People are changing." She said.

"Who are 'they" Nicoleta questioned.

THe old woman stared directly into Nicoleta's eyes."THe people who were forgotten."SHe took a charcoal pencil in her hands and wrote something."They have tried many times to annhialate us. This tiem we shall take a stand and fight. Their attacks will cease to exist, including the one about to happen at this moment." She closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.

Nicoleta stared at her while confusion spread across her face"What do yo-"

A blast cutt off Nicoleta's question. She screamed and covered her head.Lights came on all over the valley. Alarms rang. THen everything stopped. The explosions, alarms shouting. All halted like time had stopped.

"Com. Let us stop this war. Before somebody gets hurt. Shall we?" SHe said.

Nicoleta walked to the front og the hut and drew back the curtain. Shrieking . she jumped back and almost fell over. The old woman just laughed and walked outside.

"Look...My friends have arrived."

Nicoleta followed. People were in the middle of shouting orders. A gun floated in the air, almost in the reach of a soldier. It seemed as if timed really had stopped. Everything was frozen.

"What's going on?" Nicoleta asked.

"Time has stopped. Come, walk with me. Faster. They are here somewhere." she said.

The old woman shouted something in another language. Nothing happened right away, but soon after a shout answered her call.

"THis way." she said.

Nicoleta walked beside the woman. THey walked into the woods and soon ice covered everything in sight. Nicoleta looked to the woamn for any kind of answer. Yet only recieved a smile. They walked into the clearing and saw nothing.

"Finally we are here." she said.

What could the old woman possibly mean? THere was nothing here just a random ice spot.

A sound indicated something else. Suddenly there was a jet in the middle of the field of ice. Not 10 feet away Nicoleta's body.

"Took long enough. OCme with me. This is our ride."

They walked up the now lowered deck. What greeted Nicoleta was nothing near normal.