DUSK FLOWERS: Chapter Five - a novel by GEORGIA RIVERA, 9th grade

It was so warm and comfortable in her bed. Eliza never wanted to get up. Ever.

But even with her eyes closed, she could tell it was late. She knew she would have to wake up and make herself food and finish that program. She tried to move, but something held her down. She tried struggling, but then she remembered.

Uso.

Last night, the issue of sleeping arrangements had kept Eliza awake. "But it's a couch, and it's got cat hair all over it!" Uso had whined the minute Eliza suggested she sleep on the sofa. "Well," Eliza retorted, "Can't you just magic it off or something?"

Uso huffed. "It doesn't work like that. I have limits, and right now my strength is really low. I don't want to burn up all my energy on something unnecessary. Besides, why is it such a huge deal? Your bed is pretty big, so space isn't an issue."

Eventually, Eliza had given in. And now, she was trapped underneath Uso, who was dead asleep and suddenly very heavy. Eliza yelled. She wiggled and poked and prodded, but to no avail. Uso wouldn't wake up. Eliza groaned. She would be trapped here until her dying day!

Faintly, Eliza's cell phone began to ring. Uso jerked awake, pushing the covers off the bed and landing on the floor. Spinning she began to growl. "Where is that noise coming from?" The display reminded Eliza a bit of a dog chasing its tail.

She resisted the urge to jump up and down with joy. She was free! But where was her phone?

Following Uso, Eliza leapt out of bed. The ringing seemed to be coming from nearby, or underneath her, rather. Diving triumphantly under her bed, Eliza snatched the phone from where it lay among the cobwebs, picking it up just in time."Good morning," Said an automated voice, "This is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, calling for a Miss Eliza Panik."

Eliza froze. The college had never called her before. When she gave the number during registration, she'd thought it would only be used in an emergency. Maybe this was one.

"Hello," Came the voice of her professor, obviously a recording, "I'm just letting you know that the assignment that had previously been due on Monday is now due today at four o'clock, in my office. You have just about two hours to get it to me. Thank you." Beep.

Eliza was bewildered. Assignments were never re-scheduled. And why would the office call to tell her? Regardless, she now had a half-finished project due in less than two hours.

She was dressed and ready and about to turn the doorknob when she remembered Uso. The woman leaned against the wall, looking bored. Eliza couldn't just leave her in the house! God knows what would happen if she happen if she did!

She pictured herself leaving, closing the door, and the entire apartment bursting into purple flames behind her. She shuddered.

"You're coming with me!" Eliza commanded.

Uso shrugged. "Alright, but I'll have to change clothes first." Eliza quickly turned away as Uso clenched the hem of her ragged black tunic. "You don't have to turn around." Said Uso, amused. As she tugged upwards, running her fingers over the fabric, the material morphed into a long, purple peacoat. Light flashed over her legs and bare feet, and suddenly she was wearing dark blue pants and high, lace-up boots.

Eliza was slightly embarrassed. She should have known the witch wasn't going to actually remove her clothes to change outfits.

Together, the two left the apartment and made their way to the Tech-Shuttle stop. The day was overcast, but not stormy, and the air was balmy.

"I mostly take the Tech-Shuttle when I want to go anywhere." Eliza explained. "I don't have my own car, and walking to campus takes a long time, so this is easier."

After boarding the shuttle, Eliza sat in silence. It wasn't that Eliza didn't want to talk. She just couldn't think of anything to say. She knew so little about Uso's world, which, in a way, was now hers, and only believed half of it.

She settled for watching the woman out of the corner of her eye. Uso was striking, her features young and old at the same time, all contrasting heavily.

Eliza knew what to say. "You said you've been alive for a long time. Exactly, how old are you?" "Only 1015. That's relatively young you know." Eliza felt like laughing. The idea was absurd! At best, she herself would only live to be 90!

They got off the shuttle at the MIT Student Center. The Student Center was a large, grey, rectangular building, constructed almost entirely from concrete and glass. "So tell me, why are we here?" Uso asked.

Eliza pushed open the double doors. "Mostly just because they have free Wi-Fi. I have a project I need to finish today. Also, I'm hungry, and Anna's Taqueria has really good burritos."

Inside the Student Center, there was a multitude of comfy chairs and small tables. Further in, there was an assortment of shops and a staircase to the second floor. It was quite empty, especially for a weekend.

Eliza ignored the chairs and the shops, instead heading down a flight of stairs that led to a small Mexican take-out.

She sat down at a table near the windows, gesturing for Uso to join her. Once settled, she whipped out her laptop, signing on the the Wi-Fi network. "I'm gonna go buy some food. You stay here, alright?" Eliza dictated, searching her pocket for a few crumpled bills.

"You're not planning on paying for it, are you?" Uso questioned incredulously. "Well, of course..." Eliza started. But she froze when she saw the crisp 100-dollar note in Uso's outstretched hand. she opened her mouth, then closed it again. "You should know by now," She scolded, "Counterfeiting is illegal!"

"How dare you! Accusing me of breaking the law! I'll have you know, my behavior is exemplary!" Uso cried in mock agony. "Relax Eliza, it's real. But whoever used to own this no longer possesses it!"

Eliza rolled her eyes. "So it's not fake, just stolen."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Seriously though, it's real money, summoned directly from the U.S. Treasury. I'm sure they can just make more, right?"

Eliza, knowing deep in her soul that what she was about to do was wrong, reached out and took the money. No one, besides Uso and herself, would know, and she was rather low on cash at the moment. She handed the cashier the bill and bought her beef burrito with extra sour cream. She told the girl at the register to keep the change, then thought better of herself and asked for her $90 back.

Sitting back down with her food, Eliza geared herself up for the task ahead. Opening the terminal screen, she began typing a string. It wasn't easy, even for one as smart as she. After a while, her fingers beginning to cramp, she looked up, only to catch sight of a familiar figure in the distance.

"Hey Missy!" Eliza called to her friend. Missy, noticing, strode over to the table. "What's up Eliza?" Missy asked, green eyes gleaming as she pulled over a chair.

Missy was Eliza's best friend at the college. They both majored in computer sciences, so they went to all the same classes. Missy was kind and loyal, if a bit over-enthusiastic, and Eliza greatly enjoyed spending time with her.

"Oh, nothing," She answered, "Just working on this project. Are you done with it yet? It's due today you know." Missy frowned. "I thought it was due tomorrow." "Didn't you get a voice message or something?" "Uh, no."

"Well, maybe they just expect more out of me." Eliza joked.

Missy laughed. "As if." She cast a look at Uso, the woman intently observing the conversation. "Who's this?" Missy asked. Eliza thought fast. "Um, this is my new roommate, Uso. She's foreign." Uso quickly caught on to the act, smiling blithely at Missy. "Don't worry," She said in an unnervingly convincing Polish accent, "I can speak English."

She paused. "Have we met before? You look very familiar." Missy shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not, but it's nice to meet you now! My name's Missy Grey." Suddenly, she let out a small groan, sinking down in her chair. "Speaking of roommates, Hunter is driving me up the wall!" She addressed Uso again. "Hunter is my older brother. We share part of a duplex."

"I really think he's finally lost it. He's always been weird, only a little more so for the past few weeks, but up until now, nothing drastic happened. He just wandered off and passed out sometimes. But last night, he assaulted Mr. Raye's cat with a fork. It was only a rescue cat, thank god, but when I had to drag an unconscious Hunter off the front lawn and apologize to poor Evan at the same time, I felt like I wanted to crawl into a hole and die! When Hunter finally woke up, he claimed not to remember a thing. He's nuts, but I guess that's my problem."

She threw her hands up in frustration. "I'm actually considering getting him chipped, like a dog, so I can tell where he is when he leaves the house. Sometimes, I think the universe made a mistake, and I'm supposed to be the older sibling, not him."

Uso seemed interested. "How long did you say he's been acting like this?" Missy thought. "A month at least. But like I said, he's my problem. I don't want either of you worrying about him, got it?"

Both nodded. Missy played with her long, black braid. "You guys seem pretty well-suited for each-other, " She went on, "You're so lucky you don't have siblings with mental problems."

Pushing her glasses up on her nose, Eliza threw a glance at the clock. It was already 3:48! If she didn't hurry, she would be late to turn in her assignment! She typed in a few last lines of code and closed her laptop, sliding it back into her (hideous yellow) messenger bag. She desperately wanted to rid herself of the bag, but it was the only one she had, and she just didn't have the money for a new one. Even though it clashed with all her clothes, she had to bear with it.

"Missy, I gotta run. I'll see you in class tomorrow!" Missy blurted, jumping up, "Come on Uso, we need to be on time!"

Missy cheerfully waved goodbye. "Alright!" She called,"See you later!"

It was a good thing the building Eliza had to get to was right across the street. She made it to the crosswalk, but just as she was about to race across the street, the light changed. "Uso, come on, help me out!" She begged the woman, gesturing to the traffic signal.

Uso grinned. "Sure thing." With a snap of her fingers, the light was green again. Eliza put on a burst of speed, rushing across the road, Uso beside her. "Wow," Uso remarked, "You're pretty fast for your size. Tiny, I mean."

"Soccer," Eliza replied, annoyed, "Middle through high school. And don't call me little." Uso seemed to ponder that as they ascended the steps, dodging a few large pillars and columns. "Makes sense to me. And I'll do what I want."

They went through the doors, across the atrium, and down a few hallways. Eliza gradually slowed to a stop. The Professor's office was around here somewhere. Uso glanced around. "Hey, is that him?" She asked, pointing to a small plaque on one of the doors. "Professor Stevens? Lucky you have me here, am I right?"

Eliza sighed, a mixture of relief and exasperation, stepping to the door and knocking. Strange; there didn't seem to be any other people around. Maybe they were all slackers, she thought, and forgot about the whole thing.

She heard the professor's voice echo from within the room. "Come in!" She was about to turn the knob when Uso grabbed her hand. Eliza jerked her head up in surprise. Uso's eyes were fierce, the body tense. "Eliza, do not go in there. We have to leave, right now."

Eliza shook her off. "Okay, now you're acting crazy. As far as I know, the professor is a perfectly respectable man. Now quit it!" She reached out again, opening the door.

Game Review: by Kyle Davis

   Advanced Warfare, the eleventh installment of the Call of Duty franchise, was released on November 4^th. I’ve had a month to play this game and it has manhy new things that I would like to share, so let’s get started!  

   First of all, the multiplayer is FRESH and NEW! It is nothing like you have seen before. This year, the developer, Sledgehammer Games, added new movement mechanics to Call of Duty such as the dash, boost jump, exo slide, and boost slam that are easy and don’t feel awkward to use. They go smoothly in-game. There are such as the exo abilities, which replace the tactical slot (tactical and lethal grenades are now under the exo launcher slot), an all new loot system, and many small things that really do matter.

    Secondly, the co-op mode, Exo-Survival, is not too good. All that this game mode is, is just a copy and paste of the co-op mode of their previous game, Modern Warfare 3, with smarter enemies or AI (Artificial Intelligence). If you have never played this game mode, I will explain it. You and up to 3 other players have to survive as many waves of enemies as possible, these waves are recorded as rounds. These enemies can vary from regular soldiers to small drones in the sky that shoot at you. There are also areas on the map that allow you to upgrade all the aspects of your character from your weapons to your armor. But do not fear! Another co-op mode that is widely known from the Call of Duty franchise, Call of Duty Zombies, is going to be added in January as dlc (downloadable content)!

   Lastly, the campaign (story mode) was GREAT! This is one of the only games where I really asked myself, “is this a game or a movie”, multiple times. They spent more time on the campaign than any other Call of Duty. They worked so hard on the small details that really matter, from the way the characters move, to the way they act and talk. Usually in Call of Duty, the campaign and multiplayer have similar aspects, so the campaign can give you a sort of feel for what the multiplayer will be like, but in Advanced Warfare, the campaign and multiplayer are truly completely different experiences. Not to spoil anything, but the ending was lacking, as if the last mission was rushed, but overall it was great! Also, how could you go wrong with Kevin Spacey playing the antagonist?

   To conclude, this game is a must buy! The multiplayer is game changing and fresh, the campaign is great, and the famous Zombies game mode is going to be added to the game in January. Another reason why the game is so great, is because the developer, Sledgehammer Games, is so interactive with their fans, they listen to the feedback. So if their community thinks that something should be fixed, changed, or that something should be added to the game, Sledgehammer Games will be listening. That is why I rate this game: a solid 9/10

Current Events: by Maggie Kurth

As more information about the rapidly changing climate surfaces, global warming is becoming an issue treated with more urgency than in has been in quite some time. The highest manufactures of waste contributing to global warming are China and the United States due to their large numbers of factories and modes of transportation that create exhaust which pollutes the air. The two countries have reached an agreement on ways to reduce their carbon footprint, China by using solar and wind energy for up to 20% of their power sources by 2030, and the United States by reducing their carbon emissions anywhere between 26 and 28 %  by 2025.  The new plan was announced in Beijing by both President Obama and Xi Jinping, and has been analyzed by scientist and legal experts who have decided that either  country does not have to reduce their greenhouse gases immediately, and could even wait until the very last minute to stop using fossil fuels, making the whole agreement ineffective and pointless.  

DUSK FLOWERS: Chapter Four - a novel by GEORGIA RIVERA, 9th grade

 "So," Eliza's mind spun like a top, "You're like, a witch or something?" This couldn't be for real, Eliza thought. Magic doesn't exist, none of this exists. Everyone in their right mind knew that.

Uso made a face. "I guess you could say that, but you can call me whatever you want. Sorcerer, warlock, witch, mage... It's all the same thing, really." Eliza gulped, her throat as dry as sandpaper. "But you're not real. I mean, you can't be real!"

She paused. "Can you?" Smiling, Uso looked out into the distance. "I've been alive for a long time," She said, "And I don't think there's a thing on this earth, no dream, no idea, that you can truly call impossible." Eliza fidgeted, picking a fingernail. "You won't zap me or anything for not giving you peanut butter, will you?"

Uso snorted. "Don't be ridiculous! When I'm stronger, I'll just summon my own peanut butter. Maybe I should explain this whole thing better. The way I know humans, you're probably feeling a little frazzled."

Eliza nearly laughed out loud. That was the understatement of the century.

Two cheap, plastic deck chairs sat out on the balcony. Uso sank down in one, crossing her legs. Eliza followed suit. "Look up." Uso suggested. Looking up, Eliza's eyes came to rest on what appeared to be a glowing picture-frame floating above the railing.

Two circles blinked onto the screen.

Eliza wasn't quite as surprised at this point. As she watched, the circle on the left changed color to gold. The word "humans" wrote itself on top. The second circle faded to black, its title "unholy".

"To start off this lesson," Uso began, "There were originally only two kinds of living thing on the planet; the humans, Heaven's gift, and the Unholy, Devil's spawn. The balance of this Earth was nearly perfect. That is, until..."

The two circles merged, creating a purple hue where they met. "The two groups began to mate. Yes, it's really nasty. I'll spare you the details. Anyway, the chance the female will conceive is one in a million, and if they do, the chance that one of my kind, a child of the twilight, will be born is infinitesimal. We're not demons, but we aren't human either. This is a gift and a curse."

The picture on the screen changed, displaying two groups of humanoid figures; one black, the other gold. A small, purple figure stood between the two groups. "First, " Uso said, "We really can't fit in with either of the two original races. While unholy and humans can live side-by-side, they can tell when we're close-by." An image of a figure being burnt at the stake flickered into sight.

"But we have immeasurable power. As a result of our screwed up DNA, we can control any and all matter, so anything that has mass and takes up space. Even the mind can be controlled, but that's extremely difficult. And, unlike most unholy, we can feel real emotions. For the most part, we have human souls. We aren't completely human, but we aren't entirely god either.

"What else exists?" Eliza sputtered, "Vampires?"

Uso almost fell out of her chair laughing. "If I had a dime for every time I've heard that one..." Suddenly, Eliza remembered. "What are unholy? You said they live side-by-side with humans. How can anyone tell what they are? Would they hurt us?"

Uso thought. "As a daughter of twilight, I can see the difference almost instantly. The closest human interpretations of unholy are creatures like demons. In fact, most of the monsters humanity has dreamed up are based off unholy. And yes, unfortunately, they are dangerous. But let me get this straight; they aren't evil, just more likely to break the rules.

"Most members of my race have taken it upon themselves to protect the balance of th universe. While we are, by a vast amount, the minority, we're more powerful in general. Our government system is comprised of seven casts, with seven high librans serving as the highest ranking cast. Individually, these seven have the ability to ruin entire armies. Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"So," Eliza began carefully, "Where do I fit into all of this?" Uso scrutinized her for a moment. "That's weird. I can't seem to pin down your life force right now. I must still be too weak. But I'm certain you're human. And up until now, I'm going to assume you've lived a perfectly normal life."

Yes, up until today, Eliza had been living almost exactly as she'd wanted to. Now what, she was just supposed to believe in magic and monsters or whatever this was? No, she had seen. She just didn't want to believe.

But at the same time, she did.

"Alright, I'm getting impatient," Eliza finally exclaimed, "How did you wind up here?" Uso sat up correctly in her seat. "Story-time!"

"Besides the normal unholy, as normal as they get, there are a select few that have attained a massive amount of power. These are called wraiths, and they're just as strong, if not stronger, than the children of twilight. In rare cases, the same sort of thing can happen to humans. We call them exorcists, and they obtain power though blessed weapons, but that's a lesson for another day.

"It's not recommended, but a child of twilight can create a truce, or a pact, with a wraith. It's a partnership of sorts, requiring some level of trust. Last night, I finally found someone, another child of twilight, who I've been looking for for a very long time." She clenched a fist. "I wanted revenge so badly, I didn't even care if I had to make a pact with a wraith to get it. It was hard, but I found my way into the realm of the wraith Vitalis and convinced him to help me.

"See, she would never have expected me to go to such lengths to harm her, to sink so low to get my revenge. It was the perfect plan. But Vitalis, I'll be frank, is a complete moron. Before we entered her realm, I transformed myself into a bird for speed. Vitalis, thinking I was prey, attacked me. Badly wounded, I tried to transport myself home. Instead, I screwed up and crashed through your window."

"Well, ah," Eliza felt bad for what she was about to do, but she had no choice. The entire situation was fraying her nerves. She was torn between wanting to know more and wanting Uso gone. "Could you stop being here? I mean, if you really are better, you should be able to leave, right?"

Uso grew somber. "If only. Unfortunately, I'm just not strong enough to get back. My home is a realm I've created on my own, a space just for me. Most of my us have our own realms, individual pockets of the universe. While the entrance to mine is nearby, I can't open the doorway without a significant amount of power. Wounds inflicted by a wraith drain strength like you wouldn't believe.

"Oh." Well now, Eliza was screwed. "There's no where else you can go?" She asked desperately. "No, not really," Uso replied, "I count myself lucky you haven't pulled out a torch and pitchfork yet, or called the newspaper."

Eliza couldn't bring herself to crush bugs. There was no way she could give the witch the boot now if it would hurt her. She was surprised at herself. Was she really going to let a stranger camp out in her apartment for an indeterminate period of time?

Something deep inside Eliza had flared up, and she didn't know what it was, but it wouldn't let her deny the woman in from of her.

Eliza looked up, her electric blue eyes meeting the sky in Uso's. "You can stay," She said with resolution, "For as long as it takes"

Uso pumped her fist, her grin back and splitting her face.

Boys XC closes record breaking season at Bowdoin - by Dan Stretz

The boys XC squad had an outstanding team performance at the New York State Federation Championships hosted at Bowdoin Park.

The meet itself is composed of the top 27 teams in New York state across all athletic associations which include PSAL, CHSAA, PHSAA, and AISAA.

 The Flaming arrows were led by Sophomore John Lauer who finished in 16:32. He was followed by Senior’s Dan Block (16:52), John Onken (17:02), Dan Stretz (17:09) and Mark Difulvio (17:12). They would end up placing 5th overall and became the only Sachem XC team to ever medal at the meet.

Fall Makeup Trends of 2014 - by: Danielle Weigand, 9th grade

Fall is my all time favorite season for fashion and beauty. This years makeup trends stand out the most because they mainly focus on major pops of color and the "no makeup" look.

Overall Face: Matte or Dewy?

 The answer is Dewy! A dewy finish is a more "light reflecting" look. It gives the look of all the natural oils without being too oily. This type of finish incorporates and more natural and life like face. As appose to a matte finish. Matte makeup can be worn all season long but is occasionally worn during the winter and late fall. Matte gives you the look of a doll like appearance almost flawless.  Finishing sprays by NYX can help you achieve either look :)

Brows:

Thick and bold brows are a must this year! Women such as Cara delevingne, Lily Collins and even Audrey Hepburn have the bushy brows. Threading gives you the best possible shape over waxing because since waxing is just a straight strip it wouldn't give you the best shape possible.

Eyes:

The cat eye is always a favorite. A pop of eye shadow is the new look also. From vibrant eye shadows to flouresnt eye liners, color is a must have!

Spider lashes have also came back! So ladies, rock those lashes.

Lips, Lips and more Lips:

Plum lips are a fall favorite. Especially with the new NYX butter gloss! Nude lips are also a fall favorite. Dark colors always look best during the fall.

Tools;

BEAUTY BLENDERS!!!! Beauty blenders of any kind are an essential to foundation and concealer. Just damp the sponge and dab on your foundation for a flawless finish!

DUSK FLOWERS: Chapter Three - a novel by GEORGIA RIVERA, 9th grade

Before she even walked through the door, Eliza knew something was wrong. From behind the solid wood, she could hear the indignant yowling of her pet cat, Willow. Willow was a quiet animal and virtually unnoticeable. To hear the cat so upset was unsettling.

Preparing herself for the worst, Eliza unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Standing in Eliza's kitchen, holding Eliza's cat by the scruff of her neck, was the young woman who only hours before had been grievously wounded and unable to stand, let alone crash through windows properly.

The cat and the woman seemed to be engaged in a argument of sorts. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at the cat, finally dumping the animal to the ground, dismissively. Willow ran to her master, curling herself behind Eliza's legs in fright.

"That thing doesn't like me very much." Said the woman as she flung open a cabinet. Eliza let her groceries slide to the tile floor and scooped the cat into her arms. "Her name," She replied, "Is Willow. And she probably has a good reason for it."

The woman laughed, the unnatural sound grating and wild. "All I did was ask where you kept the peanut butter." Eliza was stunned. Not only was the intruder up and functioning, she was also ransacking Eliza's obviously empty kitchen for peanut butter!

And how on earth would the poor cat tell her where it was?

"I don't think Willow can talk." Eliza commented. The woman turned to her, eyebrows raised."What's in the bags?' She asked. Eliza shrugged. "Bread, eggs, powerful antibiotics. The usual."

As the woman approached, Eliza couldn't help but open her mouth again. "How are you alright? What happened last night? Am I on a T.V. show or something?" The woman only snorted and bent down to dg through the bags. "I heal fast. Yeah, I could lie and say that wasn't totally embarrassing, but I won't and it was. I guess I'll say thank you though."

Pulling out a carton of eggs, she rose and strode back to the counter. "I mean really, having to rely on a human to help me out. I thought I was beyond that." She shot a pointed glance at Eliza, who had taken a seat on the couch. "By the way, I can't go on calling you 'That Human' forever. You got a real name or what?"

Eliza huffed. "It's Eliza." She paused. "Are you really okay? That looked bad." The woman looked up. "I'm fine." She assured the girl, extending her index finger and slicing though the layers of cheap gauze covering her wound. True to her word, there wasn't even a scar left behind on her pale skin. "Ta-da!"

Shocked, Eliza shook her head in disbelief. "How the hell did you do that?" The woman didn't answer, instead grinning crookedly and extending a hand.

"Uso. My name's Uso." She said, matter-of-factly.

"So can I crash here or what?"

Eliza was speechless. She settled for taking Uso hand and shaking. Uso's blue eyes shone. "I'll take that as a yes."

"You still haven't answered my question." Eliza said, "Why are you here?"

"That," Uso sighed, "Is a very long and confusing story. For you, anyway. You wouldn't even believe me. That's what humans are known for, and I couldn't even prove myself. I'm pretty weak right now."

Eliza frowned. Why did this woman keep calling her a human? Wasn't that just stating the obvious? And what did she mean, she couldn't prove herself?

Turning back to the eggs, Uso grimaced. "Like right now, I'm gonna have to cook these the normal way. On the stove!" She laughed to herself.

Eliza felt something spark inside her. "You can steal my food right after you've fixed my window and cleaned my blankets!" She spat. She instantly regretted it. Her mother her taught her to always try her best to stay calm when dealing with difficult people.

To Eliza's surprise, Uso only shrugged. "Okay. Why didn't you say so?' She rolled her shoulders back. "I can feel it now." Feel what? Eliza wondered.

Maybe Uso was a nutcase, Eliza thought. She could be one of those people that rappel down random buildings. That one guy really did think he was Spiderman, she reminded herself. Still, when Uso walked back down the hall to the bedroom, Eliza followed.

Hands on her hips, Uso surveyed the scene. "Hm. This one's an easy fix." She said. "Oh, and you might want to take a seat."

Uso raised her arms and Eliza's jaw almost hit the floor.

The shards of glass had been lifted off the carpet in a glowing whirlwind, enveloped in purple light. With a flick of her wrist, Uso snapped the pieces back into their frame.

Dropping the cat, Eliza went directly to the window. In awe, she rapped her knuckles against the clear surface. Solid. "So," Uso said nonchalantly, "Where are those blankets?"

Once again at a loss for words, Eliza led Uso out onto the apartment's small balcony. The balcony was Eliza's favorite thing about the apartment. It gave a perfect view of the city around the tall building. Usually, when weather permitted, Eliza would eat her meals outside.

Eliza had put the laundry basket outside, just in case the contents developed an odor before laundry day. Lifting the soiled comforter from the basket, Uso traced her fingers over the stains, trailing flashes of purple light. The stains evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace of ever having existed.

For what seemed like the thousandth time since having woken up that morning, Eliza was utterly floored. A few rays of the steadily rising Sun burst from a gap between two buildings, the inferno landing on the balcony.

Eliza felt weak. "Who are you?" She asked timidly.

"My full name," Said Uso, "Is Uso the Untruth, of the Deep Woods and Sky, Master of the Bay State and all surrounding areas, the Mistress of Avarice,

"And the seventh libran, a Daughter of Twilight in authority of all realms; all things, both light and dark." The light rising around her twisted and fluctuated, seeming to bow before her.

"But you, dear Eliza, can simply call me Uso."