Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jun 12, 2018 23:22:31 GMT
Adeline quickened her pace as she walked down the sidewalk. It looked like the streets were getting busy and she wanted to get to the library before it got too packed. If there was one thing Adeline didn’t like, it was crowded streets. It tended to make her paranoia flare up a little more than usual. Of course, it didn’t tend to get too bad if she had Pitch’s Nightmare nearby. She knew it was constantly following her, always on the lookout for some kind of threat. She could still catch occasional glimpses of it if she looked hard enough. But, for the most part, it was silent and out of sight, as it should be. However, any thoughts about the library, crowded streets, or Pitch’s Nightmare vanished from her mind when she heard a familiar voice.
“Ah, little Adeline. I’ve found you at last.”
Adeline halted as if she had been frozen. She felt her blood run cold. Even though she’d been preparing for this moment, she couldn’t help the fear that started to trickle through her veins. Swallowing, she turned around and came face-to-face with Ariel.
For a demon, she didn’t stand out too much. If anyone glanced at her, they’d probably assume she was a regular human. But Adeline could. She could always tell when one of her kind was near.
“I gotta admit, I was starting to get frustrated,” Ariel said as she ran a hand through her bright red hair. “Not being able to track you down through your dreams provided a real challenge. But, now it’s time to finish what I started.”
Ariel gave a malicious grin. But, she only took one step when there was high-pitched whinny from nearby. Ariel and Adeline’s heads snapped up to see the Nightmare leap down from a tall building and land itself between the two. Pedestrians gave cries of surprise and backed away, sensing that something was about to happen. Adeline had to smile. Ariel looked pretty startled.
“Wasn’t expecting one of these, were you?” Adeline said.
Ariel blinked for a moment, then she gave a smile in return.
“Got yourself a new pet, did you? What a coincidence. I got some myself.”
She gave a whistle. Adeline’s smile faded when she saw three dogs slowly come to Ariel’s side. Of course, they weren’t ordinary dogs, not by a long shot. Their fur was coal black, their eyes glowed red, and their teeth were as sharp as swords. Adeline instantly recognized them as hell hounds.
“How?” she asked. “Pitch told me they only hand out hell hounds to a demon if it’s important, like collecting souls or something.”
Ariel laughed. “What? You didn’t think I’d have the guts to steal these guys? Well, guess what? I do have guts. I swiped these little babies right out from under everyone’s noses.” She tossed her hair back. “I’ll get in big trouble when I get back to Hell, but I don’t care. It was worth it if it meant finding you. And hell hounds are the best trackers in the world.”
Adeline took half a step back. She hadn’t expected this. She’d thought that Ariel would be too sloppy to steal hell hounds. Thrax had been much the same when he’d started to lose his mind. But, Adeline could see that unlike Thrax, Ariel’s prowess didn’t diminish when she was crazy. She could still be cunning and clever. And with these hell hounds by her side, Adeline and the Nightmare were outnumbered.
Ariel only chuckled as the hell hounds growled and bared their teeth. Then she said in a calm, deadly voice “Sick ‘em, boys.”
Instantly, the hell hounds charged forward, teeth snapping all the while. Adeline gave a cry and stumbled backwards. The Nightmare charged forward, meeting the hell hounds with its hooves. The animals went back and forth, each trying to gain advantage of the other. And that was just what Ariel wanted.
With the Nightmare occupied, she headed straight for Adeline, demon magic surging forth like electricity. Adeline yelped and managed to block Ariel’s attack with her own magic power. Ariel struck again and again, and Adeline struggled to remember what Axel had taught her.
Keep moving. Don’t stay rooted to the spot. Use whatever you have. Don’t hold back, ‘cause she won’t go easy on you.
Adeline’s magic latched onto a bicycle nearby and she chucked it as hard as she could at Ariel. The demon didn’t expect the attack and the bike hit her head on. Adeline felt some of her confidence come back. The Nightmare had probably contacted Pitch by now with its mental link. Maybe she could hold out long enough after all.
Adeline and Ariel continued to go at each other, each managing to land a few blows on the other. They seemed almost evenly matched. However, as Adeline dodged one of Ariel’s attacks, her demon magic struck a car nearby, making it explode into tiny pieces. Chunks of metal and glass rained down on innocent passerby, making them scream and duck for cover.
Adeline’s heart clenched. She couldn’t let anyone get hurt. She’d feel guilt about it forever. She had to lead Ariel away from the crowd, so nobody would get injured.
She let out a blast of magic energy, sending Ariel backwards. Then, she took off at a sprint, leaving the Nightmare and the hell hounds behind.
“Get back here!” Ariel screeched as she tore after her.
Adeline didn’t care where she went or what direction she ran. She just needed to get away from other people as fast as possible. Right, left, left again, every decision was made in a split-second. And she could feel Ariel right behind her the whole way, shooting beams of dark energy her way.
The streets slowly started to become less crowded, and Adeline tried to think as she ran. She was sure that the Nightmare could find her once Pitch showed up and helped it deal with the hell hounds. That is, if the Nightmare could take on three hell hounds at once. If it couldn’t…Adeline didn’t want to imagine it. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she made a right turn and found herself not on another street, but in a dead-end alley. She quickly spun around and tried to get back onto the street, but Ariel cut her off.
“Found you!” she crowed before she cackled.
Adeline swallowed. “Ariel…please,” she pleaded, feeling like begging was her only option at this point. “Don’t do this. Thrax didn’t love you. You’re avenging a demon who used and abused you. He treated you like crap.”
“Shut up!” Ariel snapped. “I’m not listening to a thing you say!” Her eyes sparked with anger before she resumed the battle.
Adeline struggled to keep up with Ariel’s attacks, but she could feel her fear overwhelming her, crippling her reflexes. She was more scared than she’d felt in a long time. She didn’t know what to do. What if the Nightmare couldn’t hold the hell hounds off? What if they came for her? What if Pitch couldn’t make it in time?
Finally, Ariel gained the advantage and struck a blow on Adeline. The young witch felt pain course through her body as demon magic hit her hard. She didn’t even have time to recover before Ariel struck her again. And again. Each blow hurt just as much as the last, and Adeline could feel her strength getting sapped away.
Her hand closed around the amethyst necklace around her neck. If there was ever a good time to use it, it was now. But before she could draw on the energy stored inside, Ariel’s magic hit her again, sending her to the ground. The necklace flew from her hand and quietly clattered against the concrete. Adeline struggled to get up, but Ariel pounced on her like a tiger, pinning her down.
Ariel snickered. “Now, you’ll finally pay,” she said, the malicious smile never leaving her face. “Now, you’ll finally pay for taking Thrax away from me.” Her hands wrapped around Adeline’s throat and she started to squeeze.
Adeline’s heart beat wildly against her chest. Her feet kicked helplessly as she tried in vain to pull Ariel’s hands away. But she didn’t have enough strength left in her. Nearly all of her magic power was spent. The necklace was out of reach. She couldn’t even make a sound as she desperately tried to draw in some air.
“You know, your demon friend really made this a lot more complicated than it needed to be,” Ariel said, speaking as casually as one discussing the weather. “What was his name again? Pitch? If he hadn’t shown up, I could have gotten my hands on you a lot sooner. Maybe I’ll pay him a visit once I’m with you. He’ll be a fun challenge, especially once he finds out your dead. Oh, he’s gonna be so mad.” She laughed as if she had told a hilarious joke.
It was at that exact moment, that Adeline felt something inside her snap. She’d been trying to keep her demon side at bay for so long, but she couldn’t anymore, not when Pitch was in trouble. It came roaring out like a dam that had burst and her eyes turned a deadly shade of red.
“No!”
Ariel suddenly stopped laughing. For a moment, surprise colored her face. Then, Adeline’s magic exploded like a firecracker, sending her flying into the alley wall. She picked herself back up, but what she saw made her surprise turn into genuine fear. Adeline rose to her feet and calmly picked up the necklace that was on the ground. She drew on the magic power that was inside, and it washed over her in shades of purple, black, and red. She turned to Ariel, and the demon felt genuine fear course through her. This wasn’t the scared little girl she’d been tracking down all these months. Any fear that had been inside her was gone, and all that remained was pure fury. This was something different, something she hadn’t expected.
“You will not lay a hand on him,” Adeline said. “You will not hurt him. Not while I’m around.”
For a moment, Ariel didn’t speak. She could see Adeline’s power and hear it in her voice. This wasn’t going the way she had planned. But Thrax popped into her mind, and her fear was replaced by anger. She would not let Adeline get the best of her.
With a shriek of fury, she charged forward, her demon magic raging around her. Adeline struck back with her own magic, and the two went back and forth like they did before. But, the battle slowly started to shift in Adeline’s favor. With her fear and hesitation gone, she was able to finally use all the power she had inside her. She landed blow after blow on Ariel, wearing her down bit by bit.
After a particular nasty attack, it took a moment for Ariel to even stand up. She swayed on her feet, but the fury in her eyes wasn’t dampened. She gave another frustrated cry and tried to dash forward with a surprise attack. But, Adeline was ready for her. When Ariel drew close, she ducked down to avoid her fist. With her hand encased in magic power, she thrust it forward with everything she had, right towards Ariel’s chest.
There was the sickening sound of bones crunching. Black demon blood was everywhere. Ariel almost seemed frozen, her eyes wide. Then, she slowly looked down to see Adeline’s hand completely rammed through her chest. And on the other side, behind her back, the witch held her heart.
Adeline jerked her hand back, the heart still in her fist. Ariel instantly collapsed to the ground, but she wasn’t dead yet. She looked up at Adeline with horror-stricken eyes, her eyes begging.
“No…please…”
The words were barely above a whisper. Adeline’s expression remained stone-faced. Then, without a word, she squeezed the heart in her hand until it burst. Blood splattered like an overripe orange. Ariel gave one final shudder, then ceased to move forever.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Ariel lay dead on the ground while Adeline looked on with blood all over her face and clothes. Then, the magic around her died down, and her eyes faded back from red to golden. She fell to her knees, feeling exhausted. For a moment, all she could do was try to catch her breath and try to remember what happened. She and Ariel had been fighting, Ariel had been choking the life out of her, then…
That was when Adeline finally noticed the blood on her hands. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up and finally took in what was around her: the black demon blood that was everywhere, Ariel’s dead body. She realized what she had done. Her breaths started coming in short gasps as she shook her head.
No, no, no, no…
There was no way she could have done this. No way. But she had. She had killed someone, with her own bare hands. It didn’t matter that she’d tried to talk Ariel out of this. It didn’t matter that she’d tried everything she could to avoid a fight. She’d still taken her life. She had killed her to protect Pitch.
That was what horrified her most of all. Any other time her demon side had come out, it had been out of anger or fear. But this had been different. Her demon side had emerged to keep Pitch safe from harm. She’d literally killed for him. Amidst all the horror, Adeline felt a strange sense of deja vu. What she’d felt…it hadn’t been the first time…
At that moment, the memories that had been erased from her head all those months ago came roaring back. Going back to the Mina, running into a demon woman with white hair, her demon side emerging because she’d threatened to hurt Pitch, they rushed into her mind at full speed.
Tears spilled from Adeline’s head and she wept as she clutched her head. She’d done something like this before. Her desire to protect Pitch had driven her to lose control before, when she’d met that demon woman. And now, she’d gone over the line and actually killed someone. It was all too much. She felt like her head was getting ripped apart…
“Adeline!”
Adeline’s head shot up, blood and tears staining her face. She whirled around to see Pitch standing at the end of the alley, the Nightmare at his side. It looked the two of them had beaten the hell hounds. Pitch looked ready to say something, maybe ask if Adeline was okay, but then he finally realized what was in front of him. He saw Ariel lying lifeless on the ground, and blood all over a horror-stricken Adeline.
“Adeline…what happened?”
Adeline’s face crumbled. Not caring that she was covered in blood, she ran forward and threw her arms around Pitch, sobbing all the while.
“I’m sorry,” she cried, her voice barely understandable through all her tears. “I tried to stop her…I didn’t want to…I killed her Pitch. I killed her!”
“There was nothing else you could have done.” Pitch’s voice was quiet as his arms went around Adeline, trying to comfort her as best he could. “You did what you had to do.”
Adeline shook her head. “She threatened to go after you. She was…going to hurt you.” She breathed in, the sound almost like a shudder. “And I’ve done this before. This demon woman…she wanted to kill you…”
“What? What are you talking about?” Pitch asked. Adeline wasn’t making any sense.
But Adeline couldn’t reply. She just buried her face into Pitch’s chest as she cried over and over “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t mean to!” She could feel Pitch’s arms around her, his hand stroking her hair, obviously trying to calm her down. But Adeline felt like a monster for what she’d done. Knowing that she was capable of killing in order to protect those she cared about terrified her. And nothing Pitch did could console her.
“Ah, little Adeline. I’ve found you at last.”
Adeline halted as if she had been frozen. She felt her blood run cold. Even though she’d been preparing for this moment, she couldn’t help the fear that started to trickle through her veins. Swallowing, she turned around and came face-to-face with Ariel.
For a demon, she didn’t stand out too much. If anyone glanced at her, they’d probably assume she was a regular human. But Adeline could. She could always tell when one of her kind was near.
“I gotta admit, I was starting to get frustrated,” Ariel said as she ran a hand through her bright red hair. “Not being able to track you down through your dreams provided a real challenge. But, now it’s time to finish what I started.”
Ariel gave a malicious grin. But, she only took one step when there was high-pitched whinny from nearby. Ariel and Adeline’s heads snapped up to see the Nightmare leap down from a tall building and land itself between the two. Pedestrians gave cries of surprise and backed away, sensing that something was about to happen. Adeline had to smile. Ariel looked pretty startled.
“Wasn’t expecting one of these, were you?” Adeline said.
Ariel blinked for a moment, then she gave a smile in return.
“Got yourself a new pet, did you? What a coincidence. I got some myself.”
She gave a whistle. Adeline’s smile faded when she saw three dogs slowly come to Ariel’s side. Of course, they weren’t ordinary dogs, not by a long shot. Their fur was coal black, their eyes glowed red, and their teeth were as sharp as swords. Adeline instantly recognized them as hell hounds.
“How?” she asked. “Pitch told me they only hand out hell hounds to a demon if it’s important, like collecting souls or something.”
Ariel laughed. “What? You didn’t think I’d have the guts to steal these guys? Well, guess what? I do have guts. I swiped these little babies right out from under everyone’s noses.” She tossed her hair back. “I’ll get in big trouble when I get back to Hell, but I don’t care. It was worth it if it meant finding you. And hell hounds are the best trackers in the world.”
Adeline took half a step back. She hadn’t expected this. She’d thought that Ariel would be too sloppy to steal hell hounds. Thrax had been much the same when he’d started to lose his mind. But, Adeline could see that unlike Thrax, Ariel’s prowess didn’t diminish when she was crazy. She could still be cunning and clever. And with these hell hounds by her side, Adeline and the Nightmare were outnumbered.
Ariel only chuckled as the hell hounds growled and bared their teeth. Then she said in a calm, deadly voice “Sick ‘em, boys.”
Instantly, the hell hounds charged forward, teeth snapping all the while. Adeline gave a cry and stumbled backwards. The Nightmare charged forward, meeting the hell hounds with its hooves. The animals went back and forth, each trying to gain advantage of the other. And that was just what Ariel wanted.
With the Nightmare occupied, she headed straight for Adeline, demon magic surging forth like electricity. Adeline yelped and managed to block Ariel’s attack with her own magic power. Ariel struck again and again, and Adeline struggled to remember what Axel had taught her.
Keep moving. Don’t stay rooted to the spot. Use whatever you have. Don’t hold back, ‘cause she won’t go easy on you.
Adeline’s magic latched onto a bicycle nearby and she chucked it as hard as she could at Ariel. The demon didn’t expect the attack and the bike hit her head on. Adeline felt some of her confidence come back. The Nightmare had probably contacted Pitch by now with its mental link. Maybe she could hold out long enough after all.
Adeline and Ariel continued to go at each other, each managing to land a few blows on the other. They seemed almost evenly matched. However, as Adeline dodged one of Ariel’s attacks, her demon magic struck a car nearby, making it explode into tiny pieces. Chunks of metal and glass rained down on innocent passerby, making them scream and duck for cover.
Adeline’s heart clenched. She couldn’t let anyone get hurt. She’d feel guilt about it forever. She had to lead Ariel away from the crowd, so nobody would get injured.
She let out a blast of magic energy, sending Ariel backwards. Then, she took off at a sprint, leaving the Nightmare and the hell hounds behind.
“Get back here!” Ariel screeched as she tore after her.
Adeline didn’t care where she went or what direction she ran. She just needed to get away from other people as fast as possible. Right, left, left again, every decision was made in a split-second. And she could feel Ariel right behind her the whole way, shooting beams of dark energy her way.
The streets slowly started to become less crowded, and Adeline tried to think as she ran. She was sure that the Nightmare could find her once Pitch showed up and helped it deal with the hell hounds. That is, if the Nightmare could take on three hell hounds at once. If it couldn’t…Adeline didn’t want to imagine it. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she made a right turn and found herself not on another street, but in a dead-end alley. She quickly spun around and tried to get back onto the street, but Ariel cut her off.
“Found you!” she crowed before she cackled.
Adeline swallowed. “Ariel…please,” she pleaded, feeling like begging was her only option at this point. “Don’t do this. Thrax didn’t love you. You’re avenging a demon who used and abused you. He treated you like crap.”
“Shut up!” Ariel snapped. “I’m not listening to a thing you say!” Her eyes sparked with anger before she resumed the battle.
Adeline struggled to keep up with Ariel’s attacks, but she could feel her fear overwhelming her, crippling her reflexes. She was more scared than she’d felt in a long time. She didn’t know what to do. What if the Nightmare couldn’t hold the hell hounds off? What if they came for her? What if Pitch couldn’t make it in time?
Finally, Ariel gained the advantage and struck a blow on Adeline. The young witch felt pain course through her body as demon magic hit her hard. She didn’t even have time to recover before Ariel struck her again. And again. Each blow hurt just as much as the last, and Adeline could feel her strength getting sapped away.
Her hand closed around the amethyst necklace around her neck. If there was ever a good time to use it, it was now. But before she could draw on the energy stored inside, Ariel’s magic hit her again, sending her to the ground. The necklace flew from her hand and quietly clattered against the concrete. Adeline struggled to get up, but Ariel pounced on her like a tiger, pinning her down.
Ariel snickered. “Now, you’ll finally pay,” she said, the malicious smile never leaving her face. “Now, you’ll finally pay for taking Thrax away from me.” Her hands wrapped around Adeline’s throat and she started to squeeze.
Adeline’s heart beat wildly against her chest. Her feet kicked helplessly as she tried in vain to pull Ariel’s hands away. But she didn’t have enough strength left in her. Nearly all of her magic power was spent. The necklace was out of reach. She couldn’t even make a sound as she desperately tried to draw in some air.
“You know, your demon friend really made this a lot more complicated than it needed to be,” Ariel said, speaking as casually as one discussing the weather. “What was his name again? Pitch? If he hadn’t shown up, I could have gotten my hands on you a lot sooner. Maybe I’ll pay him a visit once I’m with you. He’ll be a fun challenge, especially once he finds out your dead. Oh, he’s gonna be so mad.” She laughed as if she had told a hilarious joke.
It was at that exact moment, that Adeline felt something inside her snap. She’d been trying to keep her demon side at bay for so long, but she couldn’t anymore, not when Pitch was in trouble. It came roaring out like a dam that had burst and her eyes turned a deadly shade of red.
“No!”
Ariel suddenly stopped laughing. For a moment, surprise colored her face. Then, Adeline’s magic exploded like a firecracker, sending her flying into the alley wall. She picked herself back up, but what she saw made her surprise turn into genuine fear. Adeline rose to her feet and calmly picked up the necklace that was on the ground. She drew on the magic power that was inside, and it washed over her in shades of purple, black, and red. She turned to Ariel, and the demon felt genuine fear course through her. This wasn’t the scared little girl she’d been tracking down all these months. Any fear that had been inside her was gone, and all that remained was pure fury. This was something different, something she hadn’t expected.
“You will not lay a hand on him,” Adeline said. “You will not hurt him. Not while I’m around.”
For a moment, Ariel didn’t speak. She could see Adeline’s power and hear it in her voice. This wasn’t going the way she had planned. But Thrax popped into her mind, and her fear was replaced by anger. She would not let Adeline get the best of her.
With a shriek of fury, she charged forward, her demon magic raging around her. Adeline struck back with her own magic, and the two went back and forth like they did before. But, the battle slowly started to shift in Adeline’s favor. With her fear and hesitation gone, she was able to finally use all the power she had inside her. She landed blow after blow on Ariel, wearing her down bit by bit.
After a particular nasty attack, it took a moment for Ariel to even stand up. She swayed on her feet, but the fury in her eyes wasn’t dampened. She gave another frustrated cry and tried to dash forward with a surprise attack. But, Adeline was ready for her. When Ariel drew close, she ducked down to avoid her fist. With her hand encased in magic power, she thrust it forward with everything she had, right towards Ariel’s chest.
There was the sickening sound of bones crunching. Black demon blood was everywhere. Ariel almost seemed frozen, her eyes wide. Then, she slowly looked down to see Adeline’s hand completely rammed through her chest. And on the other side, behind her back, the witch held her heart.
Adeline jerked her hand back, the heart still in her fist. Ariel instantly collapsed to the ground, but she wasn’t dead yet. She looked up at Adeline with horror-stricken eyes, her eyes begging.
“No…please…”
The words were barely above a whisper. Adeline’s expression remained stone-faced. Then, without a word, she squeezed the heart in her hand until it burst. Blood splattered like an overripe orange. Ariel gave one final shudder, then ceased to move forever.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Ariel lay dead on the ground while Adeline looked on with blood all over her face and clothes. Then, the magic around her died down, and her eyes faded back from red to golden. She fell to her knees, feeling exhausted. For a moment, all she could do was try to catch her breath and try to remember what happened. She and Ariel had been fighting, Ariel had been choking the life out of her, then…
That was when Adeline finally noticed the blood on her hands. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up and finally took in what was around her: the black demon blood that was everywhere, Ariel’s dead body. She realized what she had done. Her breaths started coming in short gasps as she shook her head.
No, no, no, no…
There was no way she could have done this. No way. But she had. She had killed someone, with her own bare hands. It didn’t matter that she’d tried to talk Ariel out of this. It didn’t matter that she’d tried everything she could to avoid a fight. She’d still taken her life. She had killed her to protect Pitch.
That was what horrified her most of all. Any other time her demon side had come out, it had been out of anger or fear. But this had been different. Her demon side had emerged to keep Pitch safe from harm. She’d literally killed for him. Amidst all the horror, Adeline felt a strange sense of deja vu. What she’d felt…it hadn’t been the first time…
At that moment, the memories that had been erased from her head all those months ago came roaring back. Going back to the Mina, running into a demon woman with white hair, her demon side emerging because she’d threatened to hurt Pitch, they rushed into her mind at full speed.
Tears spilled from Adeline’s head and she wept as she clutched her head. She’d done something like this before. Her desire to protect Pitch had driven her to lose control before, when she’d met that demon woman. And now, she’d gone over the line and actually killed someone. It was all too much. She felt like her head was getting ripped apart…
“Adeline!”
Adeline’s head shot up, blood and tears staining her face. She whirled around to see Pitch standing at the end of the alley, the Nightmare at his side. It looked the two of them had beaten the hell hounds. Pitch looked ready to say something, maybe ask if Adeline was okay, but then he finally realized what was in front of him. He saw Ariel lying lifeless on the ground, and blood all over a horror-stricken Adeline.
“Adeline…what happened?”
Adeline’s face crumbled. Not caring that she was covered in blood, she ran forward and threw her arms around Pitch, sobbing all the while.
“I’m sorry,” she cried, her voice barely understandable through all her tears. “I tried to stop her…I didn’t want to…I killed her Pitch. I killed her!”
“There was nothing else you could have done.” Pitch’s voice was quiet as his arms went around Adeline, trying to comfort her as best he could. “You did what you had to do.”
Adeline shook her head. “She threatened to go after you. She was…going to hurt you.” She breathed in, the sound almost like a shudder. “And I’ve done this before. This demon woman…she wanted to kill you…”
“What? What are you talking about?” Pitch asked. Adeline wasn’t making any sense.
But Adeline couldn’t reply. She just buried her face into Pitch’s chest as she cried over and over “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t mean to!” She could feel Pitch’s arms around her, his hand stroking her hair, obviously trying to calm her down. But Adeline felt like a monster for what she’d done. Knowing that she was capable of killing in order to protect those she cared about terrified her. And nothing Pitch did could console her.
