This was to get a feel for Diorei's past, from my series. This is brainstorming ideas, but this was a good story, I thought, so I thought I would share.

All characters © Elizabeth Marion Whittaker.

Diorei sat by her windowsill, watching the rain hit the glass on the window. Her face was in a sour expression, as rain often put her in a bad mood whenever she was alone. Janice did help her ease the pain, and so did Jack, but they both had things to attend that night. Everyone else was busy and so, that left Diorei alone to comtemplate in her room, watching the small droplets of rain.

I still hate the rain, despite it being years ago, she thought sourly as she got up to go get something out of her nightstand drawer. I thought I would put it all behind me somehow, as if it would just wipe itself away from my memory. Pulling out a green velvet jewerly box, she sat it on her bed and looked at the small gold locket that was closed. Whoever said time heals all wounds was wrong. I still haven't healed.

She opened the locket, her black hair hanging down as she saw a picture of a younger girl and herself as a child, smiling as they sat with their mother in her lap, one on each knee. They were surrounded by woodland scenery and Diorei remembered they were camping with their aunt when the picture was taken. The Englishwoman sighed as she then shut the locket and held it tightly in her fist. You would think that after it being seven years, the pain would start to ease. Unclenching it, she then felt the pain of indenting the shape of the locket in her hand. But it hasn't. It hasn't brought them back, it hasn't changed a thing.

She undid the black choker necklace that she had around her neck and put the locket around her neck, feeling the heavy weight hit her chest. The choker was discarded on the bed as she moved to the doorway, grabbing her soft violet robe and putting it on as she walked out the door. Diorei noticed light from someone's doorway and looked in the open doorway, seeing a familiar face in front of her computer. "Still working like usual, aren't you?"

Her head turned around, glasses falling down her nose. "Yeah," she told her, pushing them up to see better. "I have a term paper due tomorrow morning. I never did get around to doing it yet, so I'm typing up a draft now. Hopefully by three, I'll have a rough done and just revise it so I can print a final copy and turn all of it in then." She started turning back to the computer, hands on the keys as she started typing once more.

And yet, even though many of us have suffered hardships, we all seem to continue with our lives, as if nothing has happened. Diorei smiled as she watched the girl type to her heart's content, thinking that she just might get some sleep that night. And the one who seems to suffer the most puts it all away behind her, venting in more different ways. The rain doesn't bother her as much as some of us.

"Three, ehh?" Diorei asked softly, thinking that at the rate the brown-haired girl was typing, she would be done much sooner. "I would say in a hour with the way you're going." She looked at the window and saw that the rain was still coming down. "What are you typing?"

"Oh this?" She did not even look away from the screen as she typed. "Just a essay. Someone was going on how people shouldn't be doing the same topic so I picked something else other then why there should not be a year-round schooling program."

Diorei sighed, holding her locket for a moment before asking again, "So?"

"I kind of did something about society. Like how people are affected by family, friends, and the teaching curcuiliums that are in today's schooling programs. How pushing too hard can make them try less because more pressure is on them. You know, stuff like that." Her fingers stopped as she cracked her knuckles. "I'm almost done, though."

"So you'll get to bed before three?"

"No. I was typing up something else before that, but I thought I could get my paper done before finishing a story." Turning her head, she saw the rain in the window as well. "And it's a nice night to do it, too. Might finish a chapter in my story as well, tonight."

"Anna, I hardly think a thunderstorm is a nice night to do this in. You might as well get some sleep." Diorei had finally let go of the locket, wondering why it was the girl pushed herself so hard. Anna was one of the youngest there, and she thought that Anna acted more like an adult then even she, cool, collected Diorei. "Don't you have a test tomorrow or something?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, but I did some studying last night and some at work. There was nothing to do so I ready up on my studies and all that. Figured I can finish this, relax a bit and then go to bed. Rain helps." Looking toward the rain, she nodded again. "It reminds me of my past. I think rain does that, you know?"

You ain't kidding, kid. She nodded as well. "Yeah, it does. It gives me unplesant memories. It reminds me more of my mother and aunt's death more then anything." She swallowed as she saw Anna turn around in her chair, taking off her glasses to clean them. "Both in the same night, you know. My father left us a while before that, so Mother raised us by herself. Me and Olivia. But we wanted to go see my aunt, who invited us to go camping with her at her cabin. So, Mother told us we were going to go camping."

"I never was one for camping," Anna muttered. "Then again, I only went once."

"You don't seem like the type," Diorei threw at her softly.

"Come again?"

Diorei shrugged, pushing back some of her long raven hair. "Anyway, when we got there, it was alright. I was bored, but then again, I was seven. We were in a bad part of town and I wasn't allowed outside much. But that night, as I was sleeping, I heard noises. Very weird noises. And then something crashing on the floor. I didn't know what it was," she told Anna as she looked at the heavy rain, seeing lightning in the sky. "I thought maybe someone dropped something. So I moved to go out the door and feel someone hit it as I'm pushing it out.

"Then I heard a gruff voice ask what she was hiding and I knew the voice was not familiar. I began to panic and thought about my sister, who was in the bed next to me. She was awake, but I noticed she was hidden in the blanket. I knew I had to get her out. Luckily, she found a window that was small enough for us to climb out of. As she climbed out first we both heard screams." It was here that she clutched the necklace tightly, gulping to keep her voice in control. "But we couldn't open the door. I was scared and Olivia was almost out the window.

"Aunt Jenita came in, out of breath and bleeding from a mark on her cheek. She instructed that we were to get someone on the campground to out place right away so that the man could be escorted off the property before any harm was done to it. Olivia understood and Aunt Jenita came to help me out the window.

"Another scream came, soft, but then ended suddenly. My blood chilled. Olivia was starting to panic. Her being only seven, she had no real understanding of what was going on. I had some rudimentary knowledge, but not enough to fully percieve anything. I knew I had to hurry and got out of the window. Aunt Jenita slammed it shut after I was on the ground. Olivia and I began to run. I remember the rain beating on me, chilly and cold as I ran.

"We heard more screaming from the cabin as we ran, hurrying to try to find someone to help us. Some of the neighbors camping near us must have reported it because we saw some cars pull up by the cabin. Olivia and I hid, since we did not want to get into any trouble. We watched from some trees after climbing up them. The leaves protected us from the rain, but not from the two dead bodies that came out of the house and the three men that were arrested, charged for murder, I would later learn."

Diorei was about to cry when Anna stopped her with a question.

"So why is it that the rain would remind you of their deaths? I would think that locket would moreso then the rain."

"Because it was raining when it happened!" Diorei was shocked that Anna would ask such a thing.

Anna nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't mean the minute it rains that the memory has to relive in your mind. You just associate it with the rain, I think, because you don't want to let it go."

Taking off the locket, Diorei was clutching it as she glared at the younger girl. "What would you know of death, Anna! Your parents are still alive! They care about--"

"No, they don't even know I'm here, Diorei." This was said quietly as she looked away. "My mother could care less, really, if I was alive or dead. My father was gone when I was born, dead, as I was told, when I was a child. And no, I might not know much about death, but seeing things change is much like death. Dealing with change, trying new things, sacrificing things so you can be better or help someone else. That's change. Change is rebirth. And rebirth means death to something old."

"All that stupid magic nonsense talking again, isn't it?" She spat this time at Anna, folding her arms across her chest. "It's--"

Anna laughed, of all things. "No, it's very much true. If you think about your life, you'll see. How did you come here, though? I was meaning to ask."

"Your fa---"

"What?" Anna looked confused for a moment before Diorei began hurriedly.

"I mean, Midori found me shortly after Olivia was missing. I went to the police, of course, but you know how they are sometimes. Anyway, they were being assholes and 'dori kind of watched me from his car. I didn't know, but still went looking for her. We lived with my other aunt at the time, who was the last remaining family that would take us in, you see. No one liked my mother or the trouble she was often associated with, so we were bounced around when Mother disappeared. But 'dori came out shortly after, and offered to help me. And he did.

"And he was there when I couldn't find her and offered to take me home in his car. I was grateful, and, after he bought me dinner, we went to my aunts. But the same thing awaited me there that happened to my mother and Aunt Jenita. We found her with a couple gunshots in her chest. I never did find Olivia, though. God knows I've been trying for years . . . " It was here that Diorei broke down and did begin to cry.

Anna got up from her chair and put something around Diorei's neck.

Shocked, Diorei grasped it and took it off, looking. "You're giving me this?" She saw that it was Anna's witch necklace, of the witch riding on a broomstick with the small sapphires. "But I thought you wanted this so desperately."

"I don't need it right now. It's a comfort necklace, really. And I'm not the one who needs to be comforted." A hand came on Diorei's shoulder. "Does it feel better to let it out? All that hurt you've been hiding so long?"

"Well . . . " It does, but why did I say it to her, of all people? "A bit." She allowed Anna to fasten it to her neck and gave Anna the locket for a moment. "But . . . "

"You wanted to, that's all." A smile came on her face. "I know, why did I say it, right?"

Damn mind-reader, she cursed.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Can't help I am, though."

"Stop picking at my mind, runt," Diorei teased.

Anna looked back to the rain and sighed. "But rain to me is tears. You know, when it rains heavy, I believe it means someone or something died and they are mourning. But they don't mourn for that person forever, you know. They move on. And you do too."

"I'll--"

Piercing blue eyes gazed at Diorei as she shook her head. "You won't forget. You'll always remember. In fact, you don't need that locket to remember. I'm sure you do without it, Diorei. Don't let the rain be a reminder of that memory. You did find something precious to you now. I'm sure Midori wouldn't want you to mourn forever over them. And who knows, Olivia might just still be alive, right?" A smile came to her face. "I'm sure then you'd be really sorry you mourned."

"And the chances of that are . . . ?"

Anna shrugged as she sat back down in the computer chair. "I can't say. Maybe as good as finding my father's grave."

But if he would just tell you, then you could see your father is right in front of you . . . She hid that thought as she nodded. "Perhaps. So what do you propose I do?"

"Remind yourself that that phase of your life is past and that the small pathetic you died. You're different now. Well educated, loved, and you have friends who do care. Remember that Midori was kind enough to take you in when you needed it the most and that you became the person you are now." Typing once more as she talked, Anna shrugged. "Most don't think about that, you know. They think about how they were before because they're comforted by it and don't want to change." Anna got up again and headed out the door.

"Where you going?" Diorei asked.

A 'hmph' before, "I'm getting something to drink. Food too. Wanna join me?"

Diorei smiled. "I think I'll just get to bed, Miss. Anna. You should too." Following Anna out the door, Diorei turned to her room. "Night," she called down the hallway before closing her door and going over to her personal computer, surfing the web at her normal sites.

A few minutes later, she noticed there was some email from a program on her taskbar and clicked it, seeing it was from Jack. Opening it, she blinked at the text.

Take a look. You might like what you see. Stop thinking of the rain so much. Perhaps that might start to ease your pain, lovie. The rain is here in Barcelona, too, so don't feel so bad. I miss you. See you soon, babe.

Below was a link. Diorei clicked on it and found that it was someone's journal online. She found many of those programs but thought they were foolish to use. Personal journals were more effective. But on it, she noticed some text that pertained to her and realised who journal this was.

The rain makes me wonder sometimes about who we really are. What we are meant to be. Is it something that makes me realise my mistakes in life? I often would remember being home and thinking I was never good enough for my mom. Doing all her chores, coming home promptly after school, always getting beaten for stuff not done on time. But I thought about that last night and came to the conculsion that maybe I was supposed to move. I know she will recover. She is stronger then I am in this aspect. I still struggle to not want to jump to everything given to me in this new house I'm staying in. They treat me like I'm a person, not a slave. And I still struggle with day to day things sometimes. If I didn't have my stories, I don't know how I would cope. We all cope in different ways. But I know she'll be fine. She has a strong will, and if she keeps it in the right place, she'll find the hope she's looking for.

Diorei smiled at that and automatically saved the webpage onto her computer. Then she replied to Jack's email.

Yes, I am. Thank you. Love you too, sugar. Di

The rain still beat on the window as Diorei rose from her seat and took off her robe, heading back to bed. But this time, it was not a sad reminder. It seemed to ease the pain as she fell asleep to it, still thinking of Anna's words in her head.