Chapter 2

A black Toyota Supra pulls into a rest stop, looking around for a moment before he approached one of the station attendants.  He tried to appear casual as if he were just a curious tourist.

"Excuse me, Miss?" he asked in a friendly voice.

The young Volvo turned around, which temporarily halted her task of sweeping the floor.  "Yes?" she asked with a Mexican accent, tilting her front end curiously at the Supra, "May I help you, Senor?"

"I'm wondering if you could help me," said the black Supra with a disarming grin and a very persausive tone of voice.

"I don't know much, Senor, but I'll try my best," the Volvo answered honestly.

"I'm looking for a girl," the Supra said and gave a brief description of a black Dodge Viper with emerald green eyes and sharp, deadly spikes.  he even included the purple accents and the Viper's name.  Ebony.

The Volvo took a moment to think about it.  "I think I saw a black Viper come through here about a week ago.  She only bought a candy bar, took a roadmap, and left.  She didn't talk much though."

The black Supra nodded, his golden-colored eyes gleaming with pleasure and lust.

"I'm sorry," the Volvo continued, "That's all I know.  Is she someone you know?"

"She's just a friend whose current, erratic behavior is worrying me and I need to find her quickly before she hurts herself or anybody else," lied the Supra.

"Oh, should I have called the police?" asked the Volvo.

The black Supra shook his front, "No no.  There's no need.  I'll find her myself and I do have the number for the doctor that'll take care of her once I get her back home.  But thanks anyway."

With a grin, he pushed the poor Volvo back behind the station, a hungry, lustful look in his eyes.  The Volvo was confused and a little afraid, but did not argue.  She complied with him immediately.

* * * * *

A few hours later, the black Supra drove down the exit ramp and merged back into traffic.  He was smiling.  The tension that he had been feeling had been satisfied by the Volvo, but it was too bad that she won't be able to tell anyone how she had felt about there joining.  Her body now lay lifeless on the ground behind the station and sooner or later some visitor will find her and report her murder.

But the Supra didn't care.  Her life meant nothing to him.  She was just like every other girl he had met.  Naive and defenseless, which was just how he liked them.  It allowed him to hold total dominance over them.  Only the Viper had fought back and had survived.  She was out there somewhere and all he had to do was find her and punish her, even if it meant killing her as well.

There was a smile on the Supra's face as he drove on down the highway, now on the Viper's trail.

* * * * *

Ebony gave a sharp gasp and her eyes flew open.  The vision she had just seen in her dreams shocked her and terrified her.

He was coming, closing in on where she was hiding and she didn't want to face him.  Her life had already been ruined because of that black Supra with the golden eyes.

The Viper knew she had to leave now and leave no trace of herself behind to sniff out.  But there was one problem.  Looking toward where the Trans Am was resting, Ebony realized that Phoenix was going to be trouble for her.

Ebony gave a sigh and steeled herself for a possible, inevitable confrontation.  She went over and gave Phoenix a hard nudge.  "Get up!"

"Ow!  Hey, what was that for?" Phoenix growled, annoyed, "Those are still healing!"

"C'mon, we have to leave," Ebony insisted urgently, "There's no time to waste!"

"What in Chrysler's name are you going on about?" demanded Phoenix as she struggled to her tires.

"He's coming!" Ebony said, her voice becoming a little shrill with fear.

Phoenix, now annoyed by the Viper's behavior, gave a growl and snapped her antenna to Ebony's fender, intending to shut her up with the stinging blow.  Ebony yelped, recoiling in shock, staring at the Trans Am with wide, emerald green eyes.

The Viper rubbed her fender, feeling a little perplexed and full of resentment, "Geez, I know you don't like me that much, but did you have to do that?"

"I had to shut you up somehow," Phoenix retorted coolly.

"Don't ever hit me again!" Ebony snapped, "That wasn't nice!"

Phoenix gave a snort of contempt at the Viper's reaction, "Well, not when you're carrying on like that.  Quit acting like a big baby and tell me what has you acting like a nervous spazz."

At first, feeling taken aback by Phoenix's statement to her, Ebony had a mind not to tell Phoenix what was bothering her.  The Trans Am wasn't being very nice to her and being hit made her feel even more resentful.

"Well?" Phoenix prompted, still watching the Viper, "Are you going to say something?"

"Are you gonna hit me again?" Ebony asked right back, giving Phoenix a hard stare.  The stinging in her fender was already fading away.

"No, I'm sorry," said Phoenix, "I won't do it again."

"Promise?" Ebony tilted her front at the Trans Am.

"Sorceress's Honor," replied Phoenix.

"What?" asked Ebony, feeling confused by the mention of the word sorceress, "What do you mean by 'Sorceress's Honor'?"

Phoenix huffed and shook her front, "I don't want to talk about that.  You don't need to know."

"You wanted to know what's gotten me to start panicking," Ebony pointed out, "I think it's only fair that you tell me your story."

Phoenix grumbled, but seeing there was not much else she could do, she finally gave in.  With a deep sigh, she responded, "Fine, I'll tell you, but only if you tell me yours first.  Understand?"

"Okay," Ebony nodded.  She settled back down and began, "This all started back a few weeks ago..."