ughnnn...

(The movement stops. It's now that I hear her harsh voice for the first time since passing out.)

Good, you're awake. You can walk for yourself now.

(With that she unceremoniously tosses my body to the ground. I moan slightly in pain as I struggle to get to my feet in the snow. Being thrown on the ground does serve to wake me up at least. I look around and see nothing but trees and snow.)

Where are we?

(Of all the things I could first ask her, this is the only one I could come up with right now. She turns and looks down at me with her psychotic, pitch black eyes. I shrink within her hardened gaze.)

Where does it look like we are whelp? I had to carry you for a few miles since you apparently couldn't hold yourself together.

(There is no smile on her dirty face. No warm greeting to the daughter she cast off years ago. Just an insane monster doing as it pleases. Nothing changes. This is the same creature I watched from afar all growing up. Even death couldn't change what she is. I wipe at my face, dried blood peels from it and sticks to my hand. I wipe it off on my coat. I'd be more angry over her words if I wasn't somewhat hurt by them. I had dreamed when I was younger that the day I met her she would at least seem to care at all.)

I can see that we're in the woods. That doesn't tell me a whole lot. Where are we going?

(She snorts at my question, but her black eyes seem to almost light up. A twisted smile forms on her features. I instantly have a bad feeling about what her answer might be.)

We're going to see your father. He and I have unfinished business...

(A part of me is extremely happy at the thought of meeting my father, but it's overshadowed by the dread I feel. My father is the reason she was in that grave in the first place. I would try to talk her out of it, but I know the kind of person she is. If she thought I was in her way she'd strike me down without a second thought. I can see all the anger and bitterness within her. I can feel her hatred. Still I want answers.)

I saw what happened between you two from that hell you left me in for most of my life, so I'm not going to ask why you want to go there. I just want to know how you were able to come back. You were dead. You were sent to that dimension you left me in. How can you be standing here again?

(For a moment I think her smile is going to leave and that she might hit me for bringing up the topic. Instead she runs a fingertip across the dried blood on my face as maniacal laughter spills forth from her. If I wasn't uncomfortable before, I sure as hell am now.)

Your blood brought me back whelp! I thought I was going to spend eternity in that dimension you used to call home. Somehow your blood sunk down through the earth to my corpse. Because your blood is my blood, it re-established the connection between my body and soul. It pulled my soul out of that place and back into my body. In a way you created a bridge for me to free myself from my prison. I would thank you, but you owed me that much. I did give you life afterall.

(Her words grate against me. I step closer to her. It almost seems to amuse her. Still her smile is quick to leave.)

I owed you?! You gave me life?! You call what you did giving me life? You made a deal with something and abandoned me to darkness so that you wouldn't die! I didn't owe you shit!

(She steps in closer, her voice almost a whisper. Still she seems to almost restrain from putting her hands on me...so far.)

Without me you wouldn't exist at all. I gave you life and I can and will take it away. Now do you want to meet your father or die alone in the cold? Make the choice.

(That isn't much of a choice. She's not playing around or being dramatic. I can see it clearly in her eyes. She's prepared to kill me right now if I make the wrong choice. I take a deep breath in an attempt to get myself together. I let my anger fade. Fear wins out. I look down at the ground.)

How far from his place are we?

(Satisfied by my response she steps away from me and begins walking. I walk quickly to catch up with her.)

Only another mile. Now shut up and keep moving whelp.

(As we walk I go through a checklist of fears. The first being how will he react to a daughter he doesn't know he has? Especially when that daughter is older than she should be due to sitting isolated in an unknown dimension where time moves faster. My other fear, well what is my mother going to do when we get there? He did kill her. Of course she was pretty much begging for it. She did have his apprentice hostage and did kill her. Still my father was particularly cruel with how he did it. He kissed her, she thought he had finally come back to her. Then he took her own sword and shoved it through her stomach. I don't see this being a warm homecoming. If they try to kill each other again I have to stay out of it. Jumping in between two psychotic monsters like them would only get me torn apart.

Eventually we reach a huge fence with spikes and a ridiculous amount of barbwire at the top. To add to the imposing features of it there are metallic demons welded onto the fencing all over. He's not the type who is big on company. Past the fence is an expansive yard and then his dilapidated mansion. It's run down and half of it is boarded up. Of course that half is also boarded up on the inside due to his paranoia. At least that's what I remember from watching him from afar growing up. I'm not surprised when my mother has us climb a tree and leap over the fence. We barely make it. In fact I lose my coat to the barbwire before landing on my back on the cold ground. This has not been my evening. Everytime I turn around I'm on the damn ground.

We walk around to the front door. She pushes me in front of her on the front porch. Two seconds later the door opens. The paranoid bastard knew someone was here. He steps into view and for a moment I forget to breathe as I see his hulking visage. The only thing he wears is a pair of black, baggy jeans. I can't help but stare at his chisled, tattooed frame....and the ridiculous amount of scars that line almost every inch of his flesh. As I look further up I see that his neck is just one thick scar. It's then I see his face. It's painted in a blue and black, techno-looking skull. All the edges of the design seem to sharpen is features. None of that compares to his eyes though. They're dark blue but hold an intensity to them that makes me feel miniscule. The crazed intensity of them isn't the only thing that makes me feel as if I'm shriveling before him. There's a depth to them that causes me feel as if I could be swallowed within their abyss.

I open my mouth to say something, but it never gets out. His attention quickly shifts from me as I see my mother's fist come around me and strike his jaw. Before he even recovers she's landed four other blows to his face. One of his large fists swings around and smashes into her cheek, slamming her head against the front door. She bounces off of it, but doesn't move to attack him again. The two freaks just stare at each other. He's the first to say something. His voice is dark, raspy, and seems to carry an authority in it. I get chills hearing it for the first time up close.)

Andrea...Did hell spit you out again?...

(For a second I had thought I'd seen surprise register on his emotionless, painted face, but now I wonder if he's even surprised at all that she's somehow back. Her words are icy and bitter.)

That's twice you've killed me lover. Don't worry, you're going to pay. Eventually.

(His crazed eyes narrow at her. He steps forward angrily.)

I told you. Don't call me that!

(He looks like he might be ready to attack her now, but she just wags her finger in front of him with a devious smile.)

Tisk tisk lover. You wouldn't want to kill each other in front of our daughter would you?

(He immediately stops with a strange expression and looks between us for a moment.)

What, did you bring one of your Dark Assassin buddies here to play some game with my head? We don't have kids woman...

(She shakes her head and points at me.)

No games Darkstar. Look at her eyes. The little whelp is yours.

(He steps over and looks into my eyes for a long moment. I feel so naked before him. It's as if he stares into my soul with his piercing, dark blue eyes. Instead of saying something to her though, he speaks to me for the first time ever.)

You're definitely mine. What's your name?

(I hesitate in front of the 6'5", 290 pound, scarred monster in front of me. I'm surprised he realized it so quickly. I'm surpised by his demeanor. It just catches me off guard. Still I manage to say my first name.)

Erica.

(He shakes his head. For a second I think I can see a smile on his face. Maybe that's just what I want to see though. His raspy voice is quick to reply.)

No, what's your real name?...

(I forgot. Birth names are meaningless to him. He doesn't even remember what his once was. I don't even get a chance to say it as my mother answers for me.)

It's Eclipse. Now let us in and make some tea. I need a shower and a change of clothes....and obviously we need to talk.

(Without any further conversation he lets us in and we shut the door behind us.)