It was summer and everything showed it, from the throngs of bathing suit clad people, to the very festive tourist attractions, to the ice cream vendors. Karia was not what one would call a beach bunny; in fact she wasn’t even from around the Orange Beach area but a small farm out in the woods near a no name town. She had been raised and apparently born there and still lived there with her mom on a farm she had inherited from some great uncle or something. The beach was simply one of the plus sides to a summer week long trip she agree to go on with her friends, despite her mom’s displeasure. She had even managed to scrounge up a few bucks to chip in on the bungalow they had rented out with its own private beach and a pool split between three other bungalows.

It was on the beach were everyone congregated now and from where Karia was headed. She was not a drunk and watch dumb guys in too much Axe and expensive board shorts do stupid shit kind of girl and already too many of the preps had been hitting on her. She was a pretty thing, long hair of a deep burgundy color and pale ivory skin that covered a body one only found around a farm, all wrapped up in a small black string bikini. She was no wimp but the boys seemed to think it had been all gym work to impress them and so she felt it had been time to go. Their little place was just a short walk and while it was dark she was not worried and well in screaming distance besides her friends were all having too much fun to disturb. She simply quietly slipped away and made it to the shower where she was her feet and legs free of sad before heading up the board walk.

The hordes of people made him feel uncomfortable as if everyone that passed by stopped to gawk. He hated that he was handsome by post standards and that he personified California in the color of his hair and the strong yet surfer thin physique. But he was the only man he could be - himself. He emptied the tip jar at the front of the burger shake and thanked the young girl that worked with him, handing her half of the cash and pocketing the rest. She barely looked at him which was an every day occurrence, but he spoke a few kind words and made his way into the warm summer evening. A soft breath of relief left his lips as his reached down and pulled off his boots and sock and slipped off the wooden boardwalk and into the sand just beside it.

He'd lived here his whole life and yet never felt he fit anywhere. He had plenty of friends and remaining the center of attention much to his dismay at school, but life was good. He let all thoughts slip from his mind and walked away from the noise and swarming crowd. A few scattered groupings of teenagers mingled along the edge of the beach with small fires burning to keep them warm from the oceans breeze, but they interested him not. A young woman with long red hair moved to step onto the board walk just in front of him and he quickly admired her figure, but chose to stay back, knowing that if he spoke to her he'd be inviting her into his life and he wasn't capable of doing that. There were things about himself that didn't make sense and he couldn't explain any of it - so why invite someone in to shut them out?

"Exactly," he whispered as lightening struck across the black sky.

Karia saw the man that made his way down the quiet boardwalk and looked back at him. He was good looking but not what she necessarily was into, a California type boy was not for the rancher type girl. She grinned as she walked by him and reached her bungalow, stopping to open the door and grab her bag from the inside and slinging it over her shoulder.

"I thought you were tired. Where are you going?" The man stood next to her, a guy in his forties with a bit of a gut and bright shorts. He had apparently gotten caught in a strong under tow twenty years ago, leaving a wife and screaming daughter on the beach to watch, and was still around.

"I am but I also like a pre-bed snack." Karia made her way from the bungalow, speaking softly so the boy she passed wouldn't think she was talking to him as he likely could see the dead man that now spoke to her. As long as Karia could remember she had always been able to see and speak to ghosts. It was a thing she had never particularly like but she had learned to come to terms with it with a mother who had been unusually understanding. Karia just figured it was hereditary but they had always been to shy to say so.

"Oreos?"

"Sure thing." She smiled and made her way up the board walk. There was a convienance store just across the street and there were Oreos calling her name.

His head turned slightly as she spoke, the soft whisper of her voice finding him in the darkness. No one walked with her and yet she spoke as if someone did. The hair on the back of his neck and arms rose up with trepidation as she made her way toward a small convenient store across the street. He knew not how he understood what the future held, but something lay deep within him that whispered the truth of reality to come. Something was amiss and he knew he wouldn't be able to leave her in the darkness of night with good conscience.

He pressed himself forward, his speed almost unheard of, stopping softly just behind her and reaching for the door to allow her entrance. He smiled at her kindly as if he were just a young fellow opening the door and made his way in taking a sharp right to move away from her. He looked over the various types of chips and crackers, picking up something and nodding as if he were paying attention to anything but her essence as she moved about the place.

Lightening filled the sky and from the corner of his gaze he couldn't sworn that he saw it touch the ground in three places, each becoming a figure of sorts. He'd seen a lot of crazy things in his day, but perhaps this once his mind was just playing tricks upon him. He paid for his crackers and made his exit before her, slipping around the side of the building and waiting quietly to follow her in the shadows and watch over her. He almost laughed at his own antics and how he was the creeper someone should be removing from her path - or at least to her it would probably appear that way should she locate him.

Karia made her way down the planked way and towards the store, her flip flops clapping as she walked. She made it to the door and suddenly the boy she had seen before was there opening the door.

“What the Fuck!” The dead man, Karl, did a double take as he blurted out. Good thing no one else could hear him.

“Thank you.” Karia was nervous but never ignored a chance at manners; you never knew when it would make a difference. She stepped inside and made her way to the chip section where the cookies where found. “Keep an eye on him.” She kept her speech quiet and was glad to have a ghost about, they could be VERY nosey and no one would notice. As Karia felt safe to ignore the new guy as Karl blurted out stuff about his choice of chips she made her way to grab some milk and made her purchase once the boy left.

“Seems he is just fast.,…and hungry.”Karia made her way to the door and walked out. “I was gonna try and get that for you.”

“Yeah cause we really need more than the average weird shit happening around me.” Karia spoke normally now as she walked, supposedly alone, with the cashier on the other side of a closed door. “Nothing says ‘remember me’ like a door opening for no damn reason.”

Darkness rolled around him as he pulled close to the side of the building, three large males moving from the general direction of the lightening, their gazes locked on the cash register areas of the small store. Arch thought about heading back in, but realized quickly that he found the girl interested and if he were just on high alert for nothing then he didn't want to kill his chances of meeting her by acting like a psycho stalker. He smiled and moved along the wall, his eyes narrowing as he tried to get a good look at the males, but each of them looked like the other and yet nothing stood out amongst them as different or out of the ordinary except for their method of arrival, or so he assumed.

The warm breeze of summer blew salty air up along the coast and coated his exposed skin with its essence, the males before him standing just outside the door of the convenient store. He closed his eyes and allowed his hearing sensitivities to heighten as he waited patiently to ensure that his mind was playing tricks on him and the young beautiful woman was in no danger - outside of being crazy enough to talk to herself as if another were near.

Karia was looking down, all ready cracking open the oreos as she made her way across the sand parking lot. “You want one?” She wasn’t sure if Karl could eat, some ghosts were so weak they could barely speak but for some the proximity to Karia enabled them to act as living a bit more than usual.

“This may not be good.” Karia had been preparing to hand him and oreo when Karl had seen the three men. Karia looked up quickly and saw the three men, all seemingly identical and moving in a way that made her nervous. “Shit.” Karia nodded in agreement and took a few steps backwards.

“What do you want?” The men made their way toward her till they stepped into the light, their pupiless eyes clear.

“Double shit!” One of the three grinned and looked at Karl, making him jump. “Holy fuck you can see me?” He stood dumbfounded as the thing nodded.

“We don’t want you Karl, leave now and you will be left alone.” The voice seemed hollow yet it reverberated as well. Karia began to shake, knowing she could not take the three of them on her own but slipping her hand in her bag any way, her fingers grasping a taser.

“Fuck youz. I left a lady behind once and I am not doing it again!” He shifted, grabbing a chuck of driftwood and holding it like a bat. If they could see him they could feel him.

“You ready? Karia nodded and Karl jerked forward swinging the wood and missing as the man he targeted dropped and punched the ghost straight in the gut. Karl gasped as rolled over in the dirt. He had not felt pain in a long time but the chance these guys could do any permanent damage to him way small. He was already dead. “I’ll be ok.”

Karia kept her eye on the men as suddenly they jetted forward and she dropped her bag to reveal the taser, burying it deep in the side of one man as the others grabbed he her. He scream and fell back as the second man took the weapon and threw it away as the third covered her mouth.

Arch felt a surge of energy watching the events unfold before him, the beautiful young girl beginning to shake a little as the three large men approached her. Golden light outlined their figures and something was very off about their lack of humanity.

Angels? No... demons?

He didn't hesitate a moment longer, but rushed the scene, his arms wrapping tightly around one of the large males from behind as his body bent backwards and slammed the larger man over him, his bid body ricocheting off the dark concrete. Arch moved with skill and tact as he rushed forward full speed, sliding around the girl and her captor and grabbing the man, pulling him from her and throwing with all his might. The body launched into the air and was difficult to make out as it flew through the night. He knew the girl would most likely be afraid of him, but he cared not. He caught her as she fell from his force and sat her back on her feet before going after the last guy, a series of punches and kicks moving faster than the eye could see quickly incapacitated him.

Arch looked around, "Grab your ghost and let's go. My car is just a few blocks up ahead and I'm thinking these guys weren't interested in your oreos." He reached for her hand and started to jog to his vehicle, the electric touch of her skin against his causing his breath to catch in his chest.

She was familiar and yet... he knew her not.

Karia could feel herself become warm as her anger flaired when the men continued to secure her, a hand going to cover her mouth. It was then that the boy from before appeared, moving quicker than anything she had seen and threw the men about as if they were dolls. As he attached one Karl had been able to stand then, swing his piece of wood over the hunched form as it attempted to stand again before eventually reaching out and touching the light pole next to him, blowing it. As the sparks fell glass pieced the man and he evaporated causing Karia the stare helplessly as the boy ripped her assailant away. She tipped forward from the sheer force but he grabbed her, his touch cool against her now almost hot skin.

She was pissed, dressed in not but a swim suit being attacked with her midnight snack strewn and crushed over the parking lot and now, above all else, her attackers were evaporating. As the boy that had just saved her moved to pumble the creature he had picked off of her like an apple Karia turned to see the last one standing before her. “What do you want?” Her hair was now beginning to glow a bit as she screamed at the creature, a grin forming on what of the face she could see. Before she could react the creature pointed a single bony finger at her and disappeared, having acknowledged its losses.

What the hell did they want with her? Before she could think too long on what this meant the boy rushed over and grabbed her hand, still rather warm, and pulled her along.

"Grab your ghost and let's go. My car is just a few blocks up ahead and I'm thinking these guys weren't interested in your oreos."

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Karl dropped the stick and ran up beside them.

Karia was too pissed to be afraid of the boy next to her, why save her if he wanted to hurt her later right? As they ran Karia kept her speed well, being a rather athletic girl, and spoke as she moved. “Who are you?” It was blunt but considering what had just happened she didn’t feel bad.

The moon held high in the sky, the radiance from its iridescent beams giving them a clear path to his small Honda. He held her hand tightly, his fingers entwined with hers in an effort to keep her beside him and yet she seemed to have no trouble with his pace. His head turned slightly at the sound of her voice, her own show of other-worldliness giving him a sign of relief that perhaps not all was as it appeared to be. Her voice was soft and yet held conviction - a strength that reminded him that if he hadn't have been there - this girl would've still come out on top. She was something different than him and yet the comfort he received in touching her skin said that she was the same in some matter and form.

"I'm Arch, and I just get funny feelings every once in a while. Tonight was one of those nights." He stopped at the car and unlocked it, looking over his shoulder for her friend, "Your ghost coming with us or can he transport?"

He didn't explain how he could see the figure, but was sure it would come up. Truth be known he really couldn't see the once alive man, but a mere outline of humanity and only once his emotions spun into high alert during her attack. She was beautiful and he tried as best he could to ignore that fact, knowing that once he got her to safety he'd want to help her figure out who those men... or things were and then he'd be out of her life. Friendships were costly and no one ever remaining breathing if they hung out with him too long.

Karis ran with the boy, coming to a sudden stop as he reached his truck and unlocked it. She pulled open the side door and slipped before shutting it behind herself as Karl jumped thought the closed back window to land in the rather small backyard. Karis looked down to see the tall ghost’s knees jut from the center seat, being to large of a person in life to have fit but now taking advantage of his shifting body solidity. “He is in.” She buckled in as Arch made his way in; she was ready to be gone.

As he drove away she calmed her nerves and thought for a bit. “We…I need to get home.” Her mother had been ademate about coming home in any emergency…ANY. Now she wondered if her mother had been worried about this. Did she know something? “Oh and I am Karis…um Karl is in the backseat. She was unsure about admitting she saw a person he did not; her ‘gift’ had always been hidden. He could have thought her crazy…if it weren’t for the floating stick that had been bashing those things before.

“Karl are you sure you want to come?” She looked into the review mirror.

“Yes, I will go when you are safe.”

She smiled and nodded at him, looking over at Arch and shrugging.

He wanted to ask her a million questions, but realized now might not be the time. Instead he turned his focus to the event that just took place, his cold fingers reaching out to turn the small nob on the dial, bringing in the soft hum of the radio and calming his nerves instantly. He looked in the rear view mirror to see if he could make out the outline of the ghost and he saw nothing. A soft sigh under his breath had him questioning everything that took place - much like he did every time his power was brought to the surface.

What am I? Who am I? What the fuck was that?

He looked over at her, "You'll have to give me directions to your place and then... tell me if you knew those guys tonight. I assume you didn't, but I wanted to make sure you weren't familiar with them."

He rubbed the back of his neck, his hair rising again at the very thought of their power - elemental. "Like they rose from the fucking ground after the lightening struck... impossible"

It wasn’t till Arch turned on the radio and Karia relaxed that she realized she had been white knuckling the door handle. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, her anger waining a bit and her skin beginning to cool. As Arch spoke she shook her head, her eyes opening slowly now.

“I am not even sure those were guys.”

“Humanoid at least” Karl had turned himself and was now peering out the back window, clearly being the look out. As Arch continued to speak Karl jerked and pushed his head towards the front. “You saw they arrive?”

Karia groaned a bit, not really in the mood for ghosts. Death made people a bit…odd. “Karl move your head, your opaque not clear.”

“My bad” As he leaned back again Karia looked at the handsome boy who had helped her and was now driving her home.

“Home yes…well I am not from here. Just get on the interstate.”

Arch pulled on the interstate, his mind racing at the events they'd been through and the fact that they'd survived. He wanted to talk about it and pull out from her who she was and how she held the power to see the dead and interact with them, but it didn't feel like the right time or place. She was on edge - her body appeared stiff and laden with anxiety. Some part of him wanted to reach out and take her hand, but he didn't know her and having an audience, even a dead one was a little creepy. He smiled at the play on words in his own head.

Dark clouds rolled above them and thunder struck across the sky, the car reverberating at the efforts of the gods as Ash tried to keep the car on the road. Rain began to pour in bucket-loads and visibility became quite the challenge, but the rain never seemed to bother him before and even after the drama of the evening, he was steady and sure of himself as he moved forward toward her home.

"Let me know what exit to take." He turned down the radio a little, "I did see them, but I wasn't sure what they intent was. They actually seemed to appear out of lightening hitting the ground and they had markings on their wrist much like mine." He pulled up his sleeve and showed her the faint tribal marking on him.

"I was born with those, and I'm not sure what this all means, but I knew I had to help you." He chewed on the side of his mouth, looking in the rear view mirror and seeing the ghost better, though unsure if that were a good thing or not.

"Comfortable?" He asked the dead man and flinched at the expression on his solemn face. "Sorry.."

Karia looked over as Arch displayed the faint mark on his wrist, something between a birthmark and a tattoo. She reached out softly and set her a few of her long fingers on his wrist. The image was unnerving and even Karl seemed disconcerted about it. “Yeah….that’s not weird or anything.” Karia ignored the voice and set her hand back into her lap. Just her luck the ghost that would save her life would be the chatty one; where was a silently broody type when you need one?

“Oh, this exit.”Karia hadn’t realized how fast Arch had been driving but they had made really good time and now made their way off the interstate. “Oh by the way I live on a farm so…we are going to be going through some rough looking areas.”

“Paddle faster I hear banjos.” It was this that for some reason struck Karia’s funny bone and she started laughing, managing to tell Arch what he said. “Oh he says he is fine also.” As they made their way down a dark road with tall trees lining it on either side Karia pointed out a small dirt road. “That is my place.” She pointed to the form of a building in the dark about half a mile from where they had turned off. “Don’t get out till I tell you…mom is a bit paranoid.”

As they arrived Karia rolled the window down and yelled out. “Mom its me.” She waited then and heard the door open and her dog came running up. “Now we get out.”

The touch of her fingers sent electric impulses rushing through his arm and cause him to tense up, the car swerving just a little. He apologized bashfully and turned his attention back on the road, taking the exit Karia mentioned, jerking the car again to make the turn in time. He smiled at her subtle humor, the very idea of running into a deliverance situation caused his stomach to turn, but her humor was well placed and eased his thoughts a bit. The scene they'd encountered a few minutes before kept running through his mind as if on instant reply.

Arch pulled up to her place, the house older, but beautiful and well kept. He nodded to her as she mentioned the hesitancy her mother might show him. He was a complete stranger, which was never good. He slipped out as the dog came running up, kneeling to let the large lab smell his fingers before petting him and talking to him for a minute and then standing. He moved beside Karia and shook his head, "You sure you want me to come in? I was just going to drop you off and get out of the way."

He continued forward as the door opened, a beautiful woman that very much resembled Karia stepped out and held the door open for them, calling the dog in and giving Arch the look-over. He smiled kindly and slipped into the house, waiting for Karia to tell him she was fine so he could leave. Making a friend was the last thing he needed, even one much like himself.

“What is wrong?” Karia’s mother stood on the porch in a satin housecoat, her hair pulled back and a shot gun in her hand.

“Inside first mom.” Karia made her way forward, her rather large black lab at her side eying Arch. He had smelled the boy and found him decent but was clearly still not a fan of the boy. As Karia stepped in she made her way to the kitchen where she flicked on the light and waited for her mother to join after locking the door after Arch.
“Mom this is Arch…he helped me out today. Oh and Karl too; he is the dead guy.”

“Well ‘dead guy’ isn’t how I would put it.” Karl made his way past the others and took a seat, pulling out the table chair.

“Helped how Karia?” Her mother was clearly worried now. She knew that for her daughter to leave a vacation in the middle of the night and bring a stranger and ghost with her meant this was bad.

“I got jumped…by I don’t know. They looked human but the could see Karl and were weird. Oh that’s not all. Arch show her what you showed me?”

Arch took notice that Karia's mother was more than aware of the girls ability to see dead people. He moved to the table in the kitchen and sat down only to have the questioning look given to him by the older woman. Karia's words about his tattoo had him giving her an uncomfortable look. He'd never shown anyone the tattoo and move people missed it leaving him without having to explain himself. He sighed under his breath wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into and pulled his watch off, moving his wrist and forearm under the bright kitchen light.

"The men that attacked Karia tonight had the same markings as I and it almost seemed like they came down from the sky in a bolt of lightening, as ridiculous as that sounds." He stiffened as Karia's mother grabbed his arm, the woman definitely having recognized something about his tattoo, no matter how faint it was.

"This cannot be... how do you," she looked up at Arch, releasing his arm and grabbing his chin to turn his face a little this way and that while she studied him. It took all of his wit to not jerk back, people in general never taking to kindly to him and where he'd pretty much shut himself off emotionally from them this was a little to intimate for him. She realized the look in his gaze and let him go, a soft apology on her lips.

"Why in the world would Zues send people after my baby? And if he did, why would his own flesh and blood fight them off?" She spoke to herself, biting at her lip as she moved about. The room started to darken and coldness swept around them, the light flickering above Arch's head. He wanted to dig into her questions as he believed she'd called him the son of Zues.

He knew nothing of his father and pretty much figured this woman for a loony at this point, but something about her claims found residence within his heart. He hadn't time to utter a question as the world around them began to shift, his heart beating faster and faster. He stood and grabbed Karia, pulling her behind him and waiting to see what the hell was unfolding before them.

Karia waited for Arch to show his mark and looked at her mother, expecting a response but not exactly the one she got. As she began to murmur about Zeus and such Karia raised an eyebrow but was otherwise unfazed. The woman had always been odd, not at all daunted by her daughter’s ‘gift’ of sight, having odd preferences for places and people, and general odd tastes but it was something mostly lost on Karia. As her mother walked away Karia looked at Arch and spoke softly. “I have one too.” She then tore a wide elastic bracelet off her left arm and stretched her arm out, palm up. On the soft skin of the wrist a pale emblem was present, appearing between a tattoo and a birthmark, in the shape of a skull. She was not comfortable showing arch the images, having a skull birthmark in southern town didn’t make one popular, but she needed him to know.

“It has been there as long as I can remember.” She looked at Arch for a few moments then heard her mother murmuring in what sounded like Greek. It was of the weird things she did as they were not Greek. “Mom?” She turned and stepped a few paces forward to see into the living room where the shadows seemed to creep in even though the lights were on. Suddenly Arch reached out and pulled her back, pushing her behind him, and she didn’t argue. She watched around the larger boy and the lights flickered and died as the darkness became almost palpable and the air thick. Karl suddenly felt very uncomfortable and grasped the kitchen table before becoming very sick looking.

“Mom!” She grapsed Arches arm as she peered around, wanting to reach for her mother but feeling the boy keep her at bay.

“I am not about to harm her but you, boy, your safety is not guaranteed.” The voice was booming and was for a moment disembodied, till the pale form appeared dress in dark black clothes and hair as dark as night. Once fully formed the man was neither old nor young, very pale with sharp features, and eyes that were penetrating. It was the eyes that her mother saw in Karia…and the temper. Hades stared at the boy and immediately the hatred was felt, his eyes turning red as he looked the athletic boy over. Every bit his father’s child.

“And who in the hell are you!?” Karia now stepped forward, unafraid for herself and rather a bit fed up. As Hades shifted his gaze his face immediately soften and his mouth opened a bit, only to shut before he looked to Karia’s mother who now seemed ready to cry.

“Karia this…is your father.”
“The hell he is!”

“Apt term.” The now vocal man grinned, not at all turned away from the infuriated scowl he received for the now glowing red head. “Yes she is most certainly mine.” He was far too pleased but also a bit heartfelt, a mix that confused her.

“You said you didn’t know who my father was!”

“Well that was a lie.”

“Really mom? I hadn’t figured.” The sarcasm was thick. “Is he why I was attacked by lightening goblins?”

“What?” The room became suddenly quiet then and Karia turned to look back at the man she suddenly thought to be her father. He had gone from bemused, to confused, to raging in what seemed like seconds. The darkness became thick and the only thing keeping Arch and Karl even remotely comfortable was the fact that they were in the kitchen. “Did he do this?”

His eyes moved to her soft skin, his fingers wanting to reach out to brush along the skull. It was a dastardly sight and yet set upon the soft hues of her skin it was almost beautiful. How someone made death look inviting he couldn't fathom and yet she was doing it. Once she was placed behind him he felt the world shift, the air gain darkness and thicken to the point of uncomfort. Something was terribly wrong, but he couldn't lay his finger on what was to come. The feeling he'd been overwhelmed with earlier was one of protection for her and power from the heavens... this, this was like wet darkness oozing from the corners of hell.

The threat that was hurled at him through the ether that surrounded him and he felt almost schizophrenic looking for who it might be speaking to him. His shoulders lifted and he got ready to fight whomever might be coming at the next, his mind a whirlwind of questions as to why Karia's mother would allow something to happen to her daughter. He reached back and pulled her to his back, her body pressed to his as he used his other arm to make a fist a prepare.

The striking man that form from nothing was the last thing he expected and the look on the males face said that things were about to get extremely ugly for Arch. He almost felt a wave of recognition looking at the male and yet he felt fear like he'd never experience creep across his persona. Who the fuck was this and how did he get himself into these situations? Karia moved around him and he reached for her, but she was almost as scary as the male in front of him. Her mother's words that the creepy bastard was her father hit Arch a bit harder than it should've, the recognition of the two of them looking alive rushing over him.

Karia's question stopped everything. Lightening goblins was a bit off, more like warriors from the realms of glory, but Arch decided now wasn't the time for corrective measures. The room dropped another twenty degrees and Arch felt himself starting to shiver at the coldness of death lingering over them. He heard the remark about himself and felt a flicker of fire in his chest.

"I did nothing but protect her. Who are you and what is your purpose here?" He moved beside Karia as lightening struck outside, a large free in the front yard bursting into flames. Arch wanted to look back, but felt rather content that something of a fairy god mother had done that in his honor. "I don't think Karia is interested in what you have to say..."