When Shroddinger’s Cat Did Eat the Poison

Melanie Warren was the odd contender for gloomiest girl in their year, strawberry blond curls, dainty freckles across her nose, it was almost gaudy costume wear-- to have the rattiest sweaters of the most displeasing dull colors a person could think of. Nor was her pretty hair ever clean either, always full of dandruff.

And her eyes, Melanie had one picture of the color they were supposed to be. A moony grey, but had washed out to a stormy, dark glower that glimmered with scorching lightning.

That picture lay at her chest in a cheap plastic gold locket. Only seen by one person.

Her friend Sierra Gallegos.

**15 yrs. later**

It was technically cheating, Officer Oaks knew that-- except the strawberry blond grand larcenist had simply vanished.

And he cared about her more than the law or his job allowed.

Not simply for being a useful demon half the time, but in part for the fondness she would speak about... 'the one woman she loved.'

A past he used against her now as he dug up the time capsule for the class of Westover Hall 2000.

**Corvallis Oregon**

Sierra spun around the grand empty space.

Her newly bought, simple home.