I tilt my head and dissect my profile in my vanity mirror. A round face with naturally flushed cheeks, blue green eyes, bone straight blonde hair that reaches to my ribs, and zero acne. I didn't resemble the beauties that were shoved into the social spotlight; I was only featured in the daily gossip columns because I was forced to associate with the "proper people" as my mother so often tells me. In a world of lies and betrayals, stealing and lustful temptations, there were hardly any true souls. So often had I befriended what seemed like an innocent girl, and then been backstabbed and reported to the columns on my deepest secrets. The only people I could trust were Rosalie Tillman and Marissa Browning.

The daughters of my father's business associates, I grew up with these girls and they had proved to be the only trustworthy people I know. That's right, know, as in I still haven't met somebody else more or equal in honesty. You can't trust anyone in New York, and even if you travel outside the city, people are waiting to deprive you of privacy. But worse then the gossip columnists, the backstabbers, or the prissy twits that thought they were better than everyone were the bloodsuckers. The bloodsuckers, leaches they were. They sucked away at your life until you were dependent on them for everything. They sucked away your friends, your potential suitors, and even made your family unsure of entrusting you with money for inheritance or other necessities.

You grew completely dependent on them until they dropped you. Just up and leave you one day, and transfer to another city. I despised all of them. They took Anna Marie away from me, and I will never forget the hole that is left in my heart because of them. Well, not so much a "them" as an "it." Her name was Tulia and she entered Marie's life last spring and took over. Marie's parents adored her, and she practically moved in with her. For a while she just seemed like the perfect best friend, and although I was a little jealous, I accepted her because she was nice to me. Then things started going downhill.

She started telling me things that Marie had said about me, how she had apparently flirted shamelessly with one of my suitors that I favored, and all sorts of other horrible lies. The worst part? I believed her. Every single lie, I believed and shut Marie out. I didn't realize my mistake until she was already gone; alienated from everything that had once been dear to her. She left her home to pursue a dream that she didn't even tell Tulia, her dream of being an acrobat in a traveling circus. She disappeared from her home with most of her clothes and belongings when the next troupe of performers came to the city. As far I know she is with them now.

It is because of Marie that I have vowed to hunt down and destroy all leaches. I vow to socially, mentally, and physically destroy them. Here in Marie's deserted room, I vow. For Marie. For every other girl to have suffered this fate. To be ostracized from your dear ones is a fate worse then death, and I will avenge them.

Divinity Wheeler, Leach Hunter.