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Post by skati on Sept 8, 2011 2:57:43 GMT
Changes
Karina leaned against a wall, drink in hand. With her free hand, she brushed a blue streak of black hair away from her face. She felt out of place the moment this party started. Most of the kids were from her high school, though they were almost all seniors. She knew the only reason she was able to attend was because of her elder sister, Cassy. She insisted that Karina be able to attend and she would not take no for an answer. Cassy was one of the more popular girls in the senior class. Karina herself was fairly popular too, though some of that had to do with her sister: popularity by association.
Karina could see Cassy up ahead, dancing with her boyfriend, Leif. Some of their friends, largely jealous boys that weren't able to hook up with her, objected to Cassy dating a boy out of high school. As she watched though, Karina had to admit. The two really did make a nice couple. Cassy's lithe build and clear Celtic features perfectly complimented Leif's broader build and obvious Nordic features. Cassy's fun loving personality complimented Leif's stoicism just as well.
"Enjoying the party?"
Karina turned to see one of the senior boys standing next to her. When she first saw him, he was pouring a drink for a girl around her own age. She had smiled at her, but the boy had gotten the impression it was for him. Karina hadn't bothered correcting the boy. She wasn't expecting him to hit on her at the party though.
Karina thumbed her Pegasus necklace and took a sip of her drink, some kind of beer, as he rambled on. It was something about how she was quite "sexy" and how she should leave the party with him. Karina looked at the boy, at that devilish smile. He is kind of cute, she thought to herself.
Karina, however, was far from interested. She actually didn't want to be at this party in the first place. She was more concerned with other things in her life, particularly these strange dreams. Karina had been having them a lot lately, dreams of wolves and forbidding forests. Even here, trying to forget about them, the same question rang in her head: is there any meaning to them?
Then there were the mood swings. Karina never was a violent nor mean spirited girl. She wasn't particularly shy, and she had no problems fighting back if need be (though she's never been in a real fight before either), but lately she had been having some really violent, verbal outbursts. She even came close to blows with a classmate a couple months ago. It was over a joke about how Karina's mood swings were due to permanent PMS. Luckily, she was able to stop herself before it actually happened. Since then, Karina had been working at keeping herself under control. She had been pretty successful as of late, though the mood swings were still somewhat frequent.
Karina figured that was why her sister insisted she come to this party in the first place. Perhaps it would help clear her head, if only for a little while. So far, it had done a decent job. It didn't completely distract her from her thoughts. Still, Karina was having fun, despite everything going on in her personal life.
The boy was still talking as Karina finished her drink. What was he talking about now? She had zoned out and lost track of what he was saying. Apparently he was unable to take a hint, somehow mistaking a blank expression for interest. "All done baby?" he had asked. "Here, let me get you another one." Karina tried to protest, but the boy was already gone, merging with the crowd. It was her first time drinking and she was already pretty buzzed. Perhaps a second wouldn't be so bad though.
It didn't take long for the boy to return. As if it were possible, his smile was even more devilish than before. Karina was a bit surprised, and unnerved, by it. Must be my imagination. She shook her head and accepted the offered beer. As she did, she noticed her sister and Leif heading in their direction. A dark look was on Cassy's face as she came closer.
"What did you put in there, Malcolm?" Cassy accused.
"Nothing," Malcolm casually replied. "It's just Miller Lite."
"Bullshit," Cassy growled. Leif, usually stoic, looked like he was about to punch Malcolm. Karina couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into them.
"Oh Cassy, how could you wound me so? What makes you think there's something wrong with the beer? Or that I had anything to do with it?"
The music had died down now and a large crowd was gathered around the four. "Because I know you, Malcolm. I know what it is you do and I'll be damned if you even dare try to take advantage of my sister." The look in her eyes showed that she meant it. Even if they didn't, Leif's expression alone was enough to cow the boy.
"Fine, be that way, bitch," Malcolm muttered. He took the beer from Karina and left. Some among the crowd, those closest to the group, clapped at the display. There were praises to Cassy, both for standing up to Malcolm and for protecting her sister.
"Could have at least let me keep it," Karina muttered. The crowd started to disperse, now that the scene was over. The music had quickly picked back up as well, with a rather fast, upbeat song.
"I'll get you another one," Leif said as he left the two girls.
"Come on, Kari," Cassy called. Her smile was back in place as she grabbed her sister's wrist. Before she had a chance to say anything, Karina was dragged to the center of the dance floor.
As the song played, Cassy guided Karina through a series of different dances. Each blended into the other almost seamlessly, as if Cassy had worked on the number for years. In truth, she was just making it up as she and Karina went along. The younger girl stumbled through some of the routines. Cassy, though, would just smile and manually guide her through the next parts until Karina caught up again. Even those screw ups still managed to look like they were somewhat intentional, thanks to Cassy's efforts.
As soon as one song ended, another began. Though this song was harder sounding than the one prior, the two siblings continued their strange dance, with Cassy still guiding Karina. Throughout this song, a circle of bodies started to surround the sisters and a few of the other dancers that had joined in. The crowd consisted largely of those that refused to dance. They cheered as the song ended, some raising their drinks in a toast. Cassy pulled Karina into her and hugged her from behind. She leaned down and kissed her cheek. Karina smiled and blushed at the show of sisterly affection.
"Leave you two alone for a few minutes and already you get another group of fans," Leif called as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Here you go," he said as he handed Karina hers. Before he could take a sip of his own, Cassy snatched it from him, sticking her tongue out in the process.
The rest of the night passed in a similar fashion. Karina attempted to dance solo. She didn't do too badly, but she didn't quite have the same grace as her sister either. At least not until Cassy stepped in to guide her. The drunker she got, though, the more Cassy had to step in. She cut Karina off at her fourth beer. By then, Karina was pretty drunk, more than she initially intended to get.
Cassy and Leif waited a few hours for Karina to sober up a bit before they left. It was doubtful their parents would be awake when the three got home, not this late, but they didn't want to risk it. The two of them were a bit drunk, but sober enough to fool the Chases. Karina on the other hand
there was no way she could fool them.
Karina was asleep when the lovers were ready to leave. "She's so cute when she sleeps," Cassy commented. Leif nodded as he picked the younger girl up.
He carried her effortlessly to his car, Cassy opening the doors for him. He laid Karina on the backseat. "Sleep well, little sister," he said as he shut the door. He could see Cassy smiling at him from the passenger seat as he started the car. "What?" he asked as he drove.
"You care for her a lot," Cassy said. She got a nod of agreement. "It's as if you think of her as your own sister. I can't help but wonder, did you ever have one of your own?" She was surprised to see a frown cross her boyfriend's face. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to talk about it," he replied, a bit harsher than he intended. "Sorry," he added quickly.
The two were silent for the rest of the trip home. Leif was mainly trying not to wake Karina. Cassy was wondering why family was always such a touchy subject with Leif. Come to think of it, he always avoided the subject whenever it was raised. What had happened?
Leif pulled into the Chase driveway slowly. The lights were on in the house. "That's weird," Cassy commented as she looked at the time. Its digital numbers read 12:30. "Why would they be up this late?"
Karina started waking up as the car stopped. "What's going on?" she yawned. She felt very groggy, as if she had woken up way too early. She didn't get an answer, even when she was helped out of the car. Not that she needed it. Karina still felt a bit drunk, but certainly not enough to where she felt she needed help.
"She deserves to know the truth!" a male voice shouted. Karina froze as she reached for the door knob. She knew that voice. It was her older brother...but who was he talking about?
"No!" her father yelled. "I forbid you, Tony. We agreed we would never tell her. We love her too much to cause her the kind of harm this knowledge would bring."
"If my parents were dead, I would rather my new family tell me. Not hide it from me forever. Loving someone, especially when they are family, means not keeping secrets from them, especially one with as big an impact as this."
"It's because we love her that we are keeping this hidden!"
"If you really loved Karina, like a daughter as you say, then you would tell her the truth."
Karina froze when she heard that. My parents? Dead? But...they're here. My father is talking right now. A strange feeling rose within her. It felt like she had always known something was different. She didn't look much like anyone in the family. As she thought about it, Tony always had this look of sympathy in his eyes whenever he was around her, and her parents...they always seemed nervous whenever family members asked for Karina's birthday. Was there any truth to Tony's outburst?
Karina could feel tears fill the corners of her eyes. A tempest of emotions was roiling within her. Anger, confusion, fear, none of this made any sense. She barely felt Cassy put an arm around her and pull her close. The rest of the argument went unheard as Karina lost herself in her own thoughts. Eventually, her emotions proved too much to contain.
Karina shook her head violently. She shook off her sister (Is she even my real sister?) as she wiped the tears from her eyes and stormed into the house. "Is he telling the truth?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
"Karina?" her mother, who now seemed like a total stranger, asked. "What were you doing out so late? Why aren't you in bed?"
"Answer the question," Karina demanded as her voice began to crack. "Is Tony telling the truth?" She watched as Tony stared at her with those same sad, sympathetic eyes. He looked from her to their parents. The parents just looked at each other, nervous. The mother turned away and left. Karina could hear her starting to cry. Oh god, Karina thought as she watched her father lower his eyes. Her fear was confirmed as she heard this man whisper "yes."
Karina stared in silence, too shocked to move or even speak. The man she once called father turned away. Tony went back to staring at her and the pseudo sister gripped her shoulder in comfort. It was all too much to take in. As the tears streamed down her cheeks, it was the anger that eventually won out.
"All these years," Karina whispered. "You, all of you," Karina glared at Cassy as she shook off her hand, "hid this from me all these years."
"Karina, we..."
"How could you not tell me!?" Karina shouted, cutting Cassy off. Her voice echoed her own pain at this betrayal. "I had a right to know! Instead you all decided to lie, hide the truth behind an illusion of a perfect family." She could hear Tony and Cassy's mother wailing from the other room. It sounded like she was feeling the same hurt as her...yet Karina could not bring herself to care at this point.
"Easy, little sister," Leif, who had watched in silence earlier, whispered in an attempt to comfort Karina. He reached to grasp her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Karina snarled, an almost animal sound, as she whirled on him. Her eyes were wild, as if she were straddling the fence between human and animal. She felt her head twitch violently. For a brief moment, she thought she heard a bone crack. Whatever it was, it ended just as quickly as it began. Karina couldn't tell if she imagined it or not, not in this state.
Again, Cassy tried to comfort Karina. She was met with the same wild look Leif received. She took a step back, unnerved by that look. Leif only looked on, though with a frown.
Karina glared at each present family member in turn, ending with the man she once called father. Slowly, she took off her necklace. As she held the Pegasus pendant up to her face, Karina could only snarl. Karina was shaking as the tears continued to pour. She threw the necklace at the eldest man in the room. He looked pained as she did so, even more so after she added, "I am no longer your daughter."
With that said, Karina fled the scene. She could vaguely hear Cassy running after her, only to be stopped by Leif. Karina didn't bother turning to see why he did so. Instead, she just kept running. Through her street, through her neighborhood, the poor girl had no idea where or why she was running. She just felt she had to, anything to try and get her away from that house.
Several minutes passed before Karina started to slow down to a walk. This whole ordeal left her exhausted, both physically and emotionally. How long had she been out, Karina could not say.
The young girl looked around her new surroundings, finding herself in a park. With a sigh, she sat down on a bench, bringing her knees up and into her. Karina buried her face into her knees and cried as the weight of it all sunk in. All she could think was, why didn't they tell me?
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
"Go away," Karina muttered. She didn't know who it was, nor did she care. She just wanted to be left alone.
"Now, don't say that. We didn't get much alone time at the party."
Annoyed, Karina looked up to see who was talking to her. The first thing she saw was that devilish smile from the party. "Malcolm," she muttered. "Go away. I am not in the mood." She felt her head jerk as she spoke. Like earlier, she thought she heard a bone crack, yet nothing felt out of place.
"Ah, come on, Kari. Tell me what's wrong and I can make it all better."
"Don't call me that," Karina snarled. She glared at Malcolm. Even through tears, the look she gave managed to scare the boy. His expression changed entirely and he started to back away, slowly.
A low growl distracted the two teens. Both turned their heads, only to see a cougar slowly heading in their direction. It seemed to look between the two curiously, as if it hadn't seen humans before.
Fear gripped Karina's heart as she stared into the creature's eyes. She had never experienced anything like it before, looking into the eyes of a predator. She had heard tips on dealing with cougars before, but none of them registered with her now. All she could do was look. She did remember hearing that they rarely attacked humans. Seeing this particular one now, however, Karina was starting to doubt that claim.
Malcolm wasn't much better. He started to inch away slowly, eyes darting all over the place. As he did so, the cougar slowly came forward, as if stalking prey. That just scared Karina even more. Fear was starting to replace anger as the dominant emotion. It wasn't long before Karina broke eye contact, burying her face in her knees again.
That was all the incentive the cougar needed. It immediately broke into a run towards the two teens. Malcolm took off running, leaving Karina to the wild cat. For her part, Karina looked up to see the cougar...and screamed.
Something inside Karina snapped. She fell to the ground in a daze. Nothing else existed for her, except for a searing pain that ripped through her body, almost as if she were on fire. All she could do was scream as her bones cracked and realigned themselves. Black fur, streaked with white here and there, erupted all over her body. Her clothes completely ripped apart as she grew in size and mass.
Karina didn't even realize the cougar was on top of her as she continued to change. Her face elongated into a wolfish snout and her ears pricked up, becoming wolf like. Her nails, both fingers and toes, elongated and sharpened into claws. A black furred tail, with two steaks of white, grew as well, marking the end of this strange transformation. Throughout the process, her screams started to take on a more animal like cry of anguish.
By this point, even the cougar was afraid of the monster it latched onto. It abandoned its predatory instincts and tried to run. As soon as it leapt off of its former "prey," the strange creature jerked it towards her. With sharp fangs, she tore into the cougar's throat, tearing it out in one bite, albeit jerkily.
After dispatching the cougar, the she monster turned its blue eyes to Malcolm. He was a drooling mess, completely scared out of his mind. The boy was far out of the monster's grabbing range, though that didn't stop her from trying to get him. At first, she tried getting to her feet. Every time she got close to it, however, the creature would just collapse to the ground, seemingly ignorant of how to walk. After a few failed attempts, the monster opted to crawl towards the boy.
Malcolm screamed as he watched the display before him. It wasn't until he saw the creature coming towards him that he had enough sense to try to back away. The creature watched its prey back into a new figure. This newcomer picked the boy up and shoved him away. He made some kind of sound, but the creature could not understand any of it. All she knew was this creature was much bigger. He would make such a tasty meal.
Unfortunately, this new prey was much quicker than the other. He didn't reek of fear either, unlike the original boy. Every time the she creature thought she closed the distance enough to grab him, the boy was able to escape.
How long this kept going, the creature could not tell. Eventually she grew tired of the chase and just stopped. Raising her head to the night sky, she howled as loud as she could at the crescent moon. As she did, the creature's form started to change again. The fur started to disappear and her body shrunk and shifted back into a human form. As the changes came to an end, all that was left was Karina lying naked on the ground, covered in blood. She was completely exhausted. It looked like she had no idea what had just happened, nor what was happening now. All she could see was Leif before her, grim smile in place. How he had gotten here, she could not say. All she could hear was his sad voice. "Looks like Gaia just won't let me go." With that, Karina passed out.
***
Karina awoke slowly to the sounds of cooking. It smelled like sausages, though she couldn't tell for sure. She was way too groggy to recognize anything by smell alone. On top of that, there was that strange dream last night. I never thought they would get that violent. Karina shuddered at the thought. That dream seemed way too real...but there was no way it could be anything but a dream.
Karina slowly opened her eyes and looked around, only to realize she was not in her bed. For one, the room was too small and too much of a mess. In addition to that, the bed itself was smaller than hers. After scanning the room, she knew exactly where she was, for she had crashed here before.
"Leif?" Karina called as she tried to get out of bed. That's when she noticed she was wearing his clothes, not her own. "What?"
"You're awake," Leif replied as he entered the bedroom. "Here, have some breakfast." He laid a tray of food on the bed. Karina eyed eggs, bacon, even the sausage she thought she smelled earlier. "There's more cooking, eat as much as you want."
"Where are my clothes?" Karina asked warily. She wasn't in the mood for breakfast.
"They were completely shredded," Leif said. He sounded so casual about it.
"Shredded?"
Leif looked deathly serious. "Don't you remember what happened last night?"
Karina thought for a moment as she lay back down. "I remember fighting with...the Chases." It felt hard not to refer to them as her family...but they weren't anymore. Nothing could change that. Leif, however, said nothing about it. "I remember running away, Malcolm showed up. Then there was that cougar. I...I don't remember anything after that."
"Nothing at all?"
"Just...a dream. It was so crazy. I've never had a dream like that before."
"What kind of dream?"
"It was kind of...ethereal, as if I were watching everything from outside of my own body. Everything that happened last night happened in the dream, even up to the cougar. It attacked me. I was so scared that I couldn't do anything. Then I...changed. I can't quite explain how it happened. There was so much pain, as if I were literally being torn apart. When everything ended, I was no longer there. In place was this horrible monster, kind of wolfish. I don't know what it was. The cougar was killed immediately after that. There was so much blood. I feel sick just remembering it." Karina stopped, as if unsure whether or not she should continue.
"Please, go on," Leif urged. He sounded almost like he needed to hear this.
Karina was hesitant at first, then, "The wolf monster...thing started to chase Malcolm after that. Then...you appeared Leif. Unlike Malcolm, you weren't afraid at all." Karina was puzzled at that, her tone clearly giving it away. "The thing started going after you, but you just kept evading it. After a while, it just gave up and turned back into me. That's around when I woke up." Karina thought for a while, then, "What am I doing here anyway, Leif? Why didn't you carry me back to the Chases?"
"Eat," was all he said as he left Karina's side.
"No," Karina snapped. "I am so sick of everyone hiding things from me. I want to know. Why am I here?"
Leif sighed as he stopped at the doorway, forearm resting on the wall. "That was no dream you had, little sister. That was real, every bit of it." He left without saying another word.
"Wait, what? Leif, get back here!" Karina chased after him, holding up her obviously oversized clothes in the process. "What do you mean it was real? There's no way it could have been. Monsters do not exist. Humans can't turn into them."
"You're right, Karina," Leif replied. "Humans can't turn into monsters." Leif turned to face the teen. "But you aren't human. You're garou."
"Garou?"
"You'd know them as werewolves."
"Werewolves," Karina said with a sad looking smirk. "You're kidding right?"
A sad smile spread across Leif's face. "I wish I were, but no. Werewolves do exist and you are one of them. For Gaia's sake, I should have paid attention to the signs."
"What signs?" Karina asked, her smirk starting to disappear.
"You said you were having strange dreams lately, right?" A nod. "Dreams of wolves running? Unbridled nature? Then there were your mood swings."
Karina was taken completely by surprise. "How do you know all of this?" she asked meekly.
Leif looked away. "I've seen it before," he said quietly.
Karina had to sit down. It was just so much to take in. She had thought Leif was just trying to mess with her. That is, until he had accurately guessed her dreams. She hadn't given details of them to anyone, only that they were strange. There was no way he could have known about them, not unless there was some truth in what he said...but even still. "I remember Malcolm's fear. I have never seen anyone so scared in all of my life. Why weren't you remotely near as scared?"
"Delirium," Leif commented. "That's what happens to ordinary humans when they see a werewolf. Don't worry, he won't remember a thing. He'll probably chalk the whole thing up to a bear attack or something."
"Are you one? A...werewolf?"
"No. I'm what they call kinfolk. I can see the garou for what they really are, as well as some other monsters out there. But in the end, I am still human."
"Are the Chases...?"
"No. That's part of what attracted me to Cassy in the first place, the fact that her and the family were regular humans. Still...I never expected you would turn out to be garou. I wonder where you got that from."
Karina thought for a moment, then, "the garou. Do they have anything to do with why you never talk about your past? Your family?'
"Yes," Leif replied sadly. "My father was garou, as was my younger sister. I'm the family disappointment. My father was expecting his only son to take over his warrior legacy. Instead he got me, a 'worthless, good for nothing kin whose only use is to serve as father to true warriors.'"
"I'm sorry," Karina whispered.
"Don't worry about it." Leif forced a smile. "Not every garou is like that. Some are much kinder about things like this, others much harsher. My tribe, the Get of Fenris, is one of the more anal tribes though. I wonder what tribe gave birth to you. I have a suspicion, but I can't confirm it."
"What kind of suspicion?" Leif's only response was to pull an object from his pocket. Karina recognized it immediately as her Pegasus necklace. She felt her breath catch in her throat. The young girl had not thought she would ever see that necklace again.
"This belonged to your mother," Leif replied. "Your birth mother. I've seen similar necklaces before, on both garou and kin alike. It is pretty popular with a tribe that calls themselves the Black Furies."
"Did you know the truth before last night?" Karina asked, almost pleaded for an answer.
"No. Cassy told me everything after you left. Both your mother and father were killed thirteen years ago. This necklace was your mother's gift to you, before she died. The Chases became friends with your parents during a vacation. After your parents' death, they decided to adopt you. You should know, for your own sake, that they loved you very much. It didn't matter to them that you weren't their real child. They loved you just the same, just as much as they love Cassy and Tony."
"It still doesn't make it any easier," Karina whispered softly. "But I will take my necklace back."
"Are you sure?" Leif asked as he held it out for her.
"Yes," Karina whispered back. She took the necklace and put it on, thumbing the Pegasus as she did so. "It's my only link to my real family. I should have never thrown it away, despite not knowing what I know now."
"What will you do?"
Karina thought for a moment, still thumbing her necklace. "I want to find out more about what I am," she said at last. "As well as find out who my parents were, where they came from. What does it mean to be garou?"
"I may be able to help you out with that. I have contacts here in Washington. They may be able to lead you to the garou."
"Really?"
"Maybe. Let me give them a call. You, however, should go back and eat your breakfast."
"Thank you!" Karina exclaimed. Her face lit up with excitement.
"There is one thing though," Leif began solemnly. "I'm sorry to say this, but if you go this route...you may never get to see the Chases again."
Karina went silent. She thought it over for a while, unsure of what she should do. "I need to do this," she said at last. "I need to learn more about who I am and where I came from. There is absolutely no way I can do this by staying with the Chases." With that said, she went back to Leif's bedroom. "I'm sorry Cassy, Tony, Andrew, and Margaret, but I have to do this."
***
A few weeks have passed since that fateful night. Karina was not allowed to see her old family. As much as it pained her, she knew it could not be helped. They wouldn't understand anything that happened to her anyway, nor why she had to leave. They'd just try to stop her. Karina would not let that happen. It felt incredibly selfish, but at the same time, Karina felt she needed to do this.
During these weeks, Leif helped Karina prepare for her trip. Since getting clothes from home was out of the question, Leif gave her some of his own money to buy a few sets of clothes and a backpack for the trip. After that, a bus ticket was bought. He also gave her a few hundred bucks to use until she found where she was going.
Karina and Leif now stood outside the bus station, waiting to leave. "I'm sorry I put you through so much," she said as she embraced Leif. "But thank you for all of your help."
"It's not a problem, little sister," Leif replied. "You just do what you need to do and try to stay out of trouble."
"I will."
It was Karina that broke the embrace first. A tear touched her eye as she realized she may never see Leif again either. It has to be done, she reminded herself. It seemed that no matter how many times she repeated those words, it never made the situation any easier to deal with.
"Don't cry," Leif said. "And don't worry about the family. I'll take care of them."
"Please do."
"Take care, little sister."
"I will. Good bye, big brother."
With that said, Karina boarded the bus. She took a seat in the middle and closed her eyes. She did her best to ignore the sounds of the other passengers. It was difficult, but she did manage to block out most of it...all save for one.
"That's a pretty necklace," a tender voice spoke.
Karina opened her eyes to see a middle aged woman speaking to her. She was quite beautiful, more so than anyone Karina had seen before. She took a seat next to her. Her companions, or so they seemed, took the seats both in front of and behind them. One of them looked nervous, as if he had never rode a bus before. Another hung over the top of her seat, smiling widely. She seemed to agree with the woman's comment on her necklace.
"Thank you," Karina replied as she thumbed the Pegasus. "My mother gave it to me."
"Oh?" Amanda asked. "I didn't see you with anyone other than that cute boy."
Karina looked away, entirely missing the glare the woman gave to her friend. "She's dead," Karina replied softly.
"I'm sorry to hear that," the woman said, turning her attention back to Karina. She laid a hand on hers in comfort.
"It's OK," Karina commented. "She died when I was three. I don't remember her at all."
"I see... So, where are you traveling?"
Karina smiled slightly. "I'm going to see family."
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