The fat dude had set up a couple of stools in our driveway. The cameraman was setting up, and all around were news reporters snapping pictures like paparazzi. The short, fat man, whom I learned was called Harold, and the lanky one James sat across from Josh and me.

"So you're Pyra Aldon?" Harold asked as the cameras started rolling. I resisted snickering.

"No, I'm not," I replied steadily.

"What?" he said, confused. "You're not Pyra?"

"No, I am Pyra—"

"So your mother... lied?" He blinked.

"No. My last name's not Aldon. It's Silverwood," I said, holding back laughter at the sight of his perplexed face. "My mom's is too. Nora Silverwood. My dad is the only Aldon, Johnathon Aldon."

"So your last name is also Silverwood?" James asked Josh.

Josh smiled easily. " No, my name is Josh Malone." The reporters looked at us with blank faces and I almost lost it.

"No, this is Joshua, my... boyfriend?" I said slightly questioningly.

"Yeah, I'm her boyfriend," he confirmed with a nod, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Ah," James smiled. Good job, you're catching on. (Sarcasm.)

"So Miss Silverwood," Harold started, "what's your day-to-day life like? Your relationships at home, at school?"

"Well, I live a pretty normal life," I began (ha ha). "I get pretty good grades, I usually get along with my parents, have a lot a friends..."

"So you'd say you weren't really anticipating becoming an unexpected hero?" James said with a smile. I was starting to warm up to him.

"No, not at all," I grinned back.

"And we come to the pressing question everyone's been asking," Harold continued. "How did you do it?"

I glanced over at Josh who squeezed my hand and looked at me. "You've got this," his eyes said. I took a deep breath and began counting my story.

"Well, I was coming down the stairs with everyone else when I noticed the fire blazing and I got scared for everyone's life, my school, our belongings, so I thought to myself, 'I can do something about this.' I knew where the fire extinguishers were, and I was about to put the fire out and my friend Cathrine tried to stop me, but I'm known for doing crazy things. So I ran out of stairs and into the hall with the fire. I found the fire extinguishers just fine, but I couldn't figure out how to work them.

"The fire was almost on me when I managed to get one working, so I sprayed a patch on the ground at my feet so the fire couldn't get to me. Then I went in concentric circles working outwards to put out the fire. I had taken a breath before I went in, and I tried to breathe as little as possible, but despite that, I had only made it back to where I had started and then I guess I collapsed and I woke up in the hospital."

"Now I'm sure this is the marvel of it all," Harold picked up, "but it is astounding how you survived sustaining pretty much no injuries. Any idea how or why?"

My mind froze, but somehow I found in me the voice to speak.

"I mean, I know medical expert or anything, so I can't really say. I just think my lucky stars that I can't out unharmed. I'm sure it could have been a lot worse. I know I'm glad I wasn't hurt, aren't you Harold?"

Harold looked taken aback for a second, then collected himself to say, "Well we're very pleased that you came out of this ordeal unscathed—"

"Thank you for your time, Miss Silverwood," James interrupted, shooting a glance in Harold's direction, his eyes narrowing just a bit. I raised my eyebrows slightly, noting the tension between the two.

"What is going on?" I wondered but instead I said, "Thank you for having me."

I hopped off the stool, put my arm around Josh, and deliberately walked toward my front steps slowly, so I could hear what they were saying.

"That was Pyra Silverwood—" James began.

"—discussing her role in saving the school." Harold finished, looking at James. "I'm Harold Mayfield—"

"—and I'm James Trunblac. Thanks for tuning into the latest coverage of 'The Fire Heroics Incident.' "

"Aaand... CUT!" one of the director-personnel.

The cameraman flicked off the camera and ordered the others to start packing up. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go back inside when I noticed Harold pull James aside and started talking rapidly in hushed tones. I nudged Josh and subtly tilted my head in that direction. He turned back around and we inched closer to listen in, attuned to each others' intentions and desires. We stopped and crouched behind a bush.

"...knew she was the one we were looking for!" Harold was saying.

James shook his head. "We don't know for sure. We cannot afford in our actions. If we have made a mistake, the boss will-"

"Yes, I know, but I am quite positive. If this is the one, we mustn't tarry any longer, least the Black Dagger gets to her first," Harold growled in frustration.

"How do we even know it's a girl?" James argued, throwing his hands up. "How we find out if she has them without arousing suspicion?"

"Look at her, her mannerism James! I'm sure! Who else could—"

"Quiet!" James said sharply. They lowered their voices into indistinct murmurs. Josh and I got up to leave. Out of the corner of my eye I watched James move away from Harold, signaling the end of the conversation.

Whatever transpired during that time has clearly pissed Harold off, because just audibly he growled, "We'll discuss this matter at a later time," then stalked away from James.

I quickly turned and followed Josh into the house, pondering what I had just witnessed. I came back to three questions that were spiraling around in my head.

Who were they? What is the Black Dagger?

What do they want with me?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey so sorry I haven't updated in forever. For a more accurate picture of what I've been up to, read my notifications on my profile page. But basically these past few weeks, my Uncle died, then I just got done with my two week theater camp after putting on Grease last night. Honestly I can't stop thinking about it, it was so fun! I loved it and all of my castmates and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Anyways, I'm going to be gone for the next three weeks at my sleepaway camp, so I won't be active in anything until the 7th of August, and then I'm going on vaccay for two more weeks with my family so I won't be on much.

I'd like to take a poll: how many of you actually read my notes on my page? Because it doesn't seem like many of you do, so I might just stop posting them. Tell me below in the comments if you read them, and I'll see it when I get back in three weeks.

As always, comments, questions, corrections, and adviceare always welcomed and encouraged! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as my little going-away gift to you! If you liked it and still support me, show me by clicking that cute star up in the corner of your screen that says, "I love you because you are fab!" Don't forget about it! It's lonely ;) Have a good summer!

-Misty out ❄

★ ✩ ✮ ✯ ✰ ☆ ⋆ ★ ✩ ✮ ✯ ✰ ☆ ⋆ ★ ✩ ✮ ✯ ✰ ☆ ⋆ ★