**** Dark Reflections ****
By Patrick Golden 1999 - Do not distribute, alter, or repost w/o permission.

Mashteh slid through the shadows of a set of duplexes... it seemed low-income permiated even here in the nexus. As he passed from darkness to darkness, moving as silent as a wraith he paused as the sound of rippleing water. He turned to see and noticed the door to one of the duplexes was left wide open.

The black furred mouse paused. This was odd to say the least. As, even here, most people kept their houses locked when taking a bath or simular. Curiosity getting the better of him he entered the small home. Most of the walls were bare save for a picture or 2. A tattered sofa sat in one corner along with a TV sitting on the floor. Mashteh's sensitive nose scented several people lived here. but most of the scents were at least a week old.

He continued inward, and paused as he spied the light on in the bathroom. He listened to see if there was movement. He waited for over two minutes, but no new sounds emerged. Mashteh finally entered the bathroom and slowly closed his eyes at what he saw. A young human woman of maybe 20 years at best.. sitting in the bathtub, clothed in a nightgown, eyes closed and the water a muted crimson. one of her wrists holding a dark lateral gash.

The mouse sat on the nearby lavatory to look into the girl's face. She was attractive, maybe no raveing beauty, but certainly lovely in feature. He leaned over and propped up one of her long, curly locks of auburn hair and had to wonder, perhaps for the first time at such a sight. Why?

"Life is a precious gift," Mashteh spoke softly, still looking at the girl, "golden and more radient than any guilded treasure." The mouse sighed, "And I have to wonder, how can one throw away such a priceless wonder with so little forethought."

Mashteh's ears rotated, listening for any other people around as he continued, "But then I remember there is faith. Faith in a God that waits beyond. Do you hear a rustleing young one? I'm sure you do. But you must also wonder.. Is that rustleing the movement of St. Peter's wings? Or is that the beginnings of the approaching fires that will never be quenched? And do you have the faith for it to be the former. For, yousee, child.. You will not know for sure which.. untill it is too late. And do you have the faith to be sure of the path you have taken. For from this path. There is no turning back... I know.."

Mashteh's ebon form shifted, riseing from his seat silently to leave this place, haveing said his peace, but paused as he heard a soft movement in the water, "wait..." comes a weak voice... so very weak, "I.. I don' wanna die.." The mouse nods quietly and turns, lifting the girl from the water. She felt so light.. apparently not been eating as well as she should and headed for the closest medical building.. The nexus hospital..

After making sure the girl was in a nurses care, he turned to leave but felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. When he turned he saw it was one of the doctors, "Who are you, anyway?" the doctor asked him.

Mashteh looked at the girl, then back up at the doctor, "Someone who's seen the faces of death for too long." and shirked off the doctor's grip and vanished into the night around the building, returning to the casa, finding himself later that night holding his wife-to-be, Sonya, in his arms in the family room as they munched popcorn while watching a movie on the TV with the rest of his adopted family, idly listening to a news flash , *... And on a lighter note, we just recieved word that an unidentified stranger brought in a young girl who had been attempting to commit suicide and got her to the hospital just in the nick of time to save her. We've no leads on who this good samaritan was. But if you are listening, Thank you, from all of us at the news center. And now we return you to your program...* Mashteh couldn't help but give a slightly wider smile. Such a fuss over just doing what was right? Ah well, so be it.. He had his happiness in his arms, and to him.. Life was worth living.

This was my first true attempt at writing about one of my characters. I welcome your comments on it, please forward them to [email protected] . Peace :)