Dreamcatcher

An icy gale blew over Applegreen Park, rustling the dry branches of the barren fruit trees. Few people walked the paths during winter’s snowfall, but still, that few never failed. One of these few was Marcia Leander, a teen who attended the school of hard knocks. Marcia learned at a young age that if you didn’t hunt, you’d be stuffed and mounted before you could say “taxonomy”. Hands jammed into the pockets of her cream-colored jacket, nose red from the chilled atmosphere, the teenage girl took a seat on the park bench. “Damn it, Jess better show, or else I’m gonna-“ Her pleasant sentence was interrupted by the arrival of a shapely girl wearing a transparent mesh coverall over a skin-tight belly shirt with the message “Boyz R Toyz” accompanied by a pink micro-mini and black pumps. Black hair done in an ornate upswing, the revealed one collapsed onto the spot next to Marcia and uttered one word: “Here.”1

“Finally,” Marcia snapped cynically. “Bed-hopping again, Jess?” Jess just gave a shrug. “I like to call it charity for the sexy.” Marcia gave a scoff, and then took the compact computer Jess slid across the bench. “It’s all in there.” Flipping open the silver casing revealed a series of obscure HTML and other computer languages. “Bring the translator?” Jess rolled her frosted eyes and handed Marcia a chip no bigger than her fingertip. “Best not to read it here,” whispered Marcia, flipping back her dirty gold tresses.2

They both rose from the subzero wood and began walking away into the forest. Jess was counting under her breath, “1… 2… 3.” On 3, she whipped around, withdrawing a miniature disc, just in time to reflect a beam of crimson light back to whence it came. “We really better not read it here,” Marcia managed to say before running into the forest.3

****************************************************************4

Ever been inside a middle school? Chances are you have, unless you have some unresolved issues. You know how chaotic they can be, and how some people rule and some people don’t. That social order is very strict, but there are a few loopholes. Take Lia Gomez: although you wouldn’t exactly call her popular, she isn’t a complete outcast. She had made friends with a couple groups, like Goths and geeks… but there are those who walk all over everyone. Even in the year 2035, the “populars” still think they own everyone in the school. One in particular, Wren Nubian, was a complete bitch to Lia, both always in constant competition – but this isn’t the issue.5

Lia had always had an odd fascination with the occult, but it wasn’t an obsession. Just a few spells now and then, nothing dangerous or dark. There wasn’t much of a popularity with that, so she kept it under her hat, along with her friend, Angelique Saradde. Wren had always had an interest too, but never made it public… until that day.6

“Wow, big surprise. Another fun party of Wren’s we’re not invited to. Stupid smart-ass…” Lia and Angelique sat on the huge hill of steps in front of Faye’s Point Middle School, a school lucky enough to be funded by Pulse Tectonics, the biggest biotechnological company in the world, the company that caused the boom of biotech devices like the NeuroNet, the WavePulser, and the revolutionary TransPort.7

“Angelique, you know Wren’s never going to invite us to one of her preppy, popular parties. It’s just that damn pecking order.” Lia brushed the chocolate locks out of her emerald eyes, rereading the invitation they found on the ground. Wren Nubian: the personification of hatred.8

Wren was everything you’d expect a prep princess to be: raven-haired, beautiful, and bitchy to the core. She was the kind of girl who broke hearts and broke spirits. Her boytoy of the month (or week, depending on offers from cuter guys) was Alex Hansen, QB of the Faye’s Point Hellhounds. He knew their relationship was short lived, but with a hottie like Wren, he wasn't thinking with his head.9

As Lia and Angelique were chatting, a platform sandal happened to “accidentally” knock over the soda Lia had set down on the steps, sending it cascading to the foot of the stairs.10

“Oops, sorry! I meant to spill it on you.” Wren Nubian stood above the two, fake white smile plastered on her peaches-and-cream face. “What are you geeks doing, planning another Ouija session? Or a Tarot – wait a minute!”11

Although Lia tried to hide it, Wren caught a sparkly pink corner of her invitation. “Where’d you find that, and if someone gave it to you, who?”12

Angelique stood up and poked Wren in the chest. “Listen, you rude, cliquey, stuck-up bimbo ditz, we found that on the ground, where somebody obviously came to their senses, but missed the trash. Here’s an idea! Pull your helium-filled head from that cloudy world you live in and take a good look at the people you diss. You had best watch your back, because someone might cast a-”13

Lia managed to elbow Angelique out of the way just in time. “Wren, we found it on the ground, where someone must have dropped it; here, take it back.”14

Wren grabbed the invitation with incredible animosity, and gave a grimace in Angelique’s direction. “I know what you were going to say, you freak, and you better be sure I don’t catch you saying it again!” She stormed up the stairs and into the school, slamming the door behind her with exaggerated drama.15

“Angelique…” Lia shook her head wearily, putting a hand to her forehead. “You have to be a bit more careful about what you say and to who.16

“I know you meant well, but the era we live in is like ancient Salem; anyone who doesn’t fit the Barbie mold is considered a freak.”17

“I know, Lia, but that snotty princess just… pisses me off, you know? I wish I could cast a spell on her, then maybe she’d get what life’s like through our eyes.”18

Lia nodded in agreement, wishing they could do something to repay Wren for her cruelty. “Hey…” Angelique gave her friend a sly grin. “You know, I saw something on that website about a revenge summon…”19

“Angelique!” Lia wore a look of horror on her face. “You know that’s way past our league! That guy online Mayraj told us that even in his years of practice, even he hasn’t dared to try that!” Lia knew that the risks of summoning at all far outweighed the possible gain.20

“Lia, don’t be such a worrywart! It’s been done before, what’s the worst that could happen? We’ll look it up during break, alright? It’ll be fine!” With that closing argument, Angelique stood and ran through the school doors as the first bell rang.21

“Hey, Angelique, wait up!” Lia decided that she’d work the whole thing out at break; after all, she couldn’t be risky enough to actually do it, could she?22

*******************************************************************23

There are some people who just have their ways and won’t change, people who know what they know and to hell with anything else. Even if these ways are not so good, immoral, or maybe just illegal, what do they care? They have the money. One of these people is Marcia Leander.24

Marcia is the genius leader of Hydra, an underground thieving ring. She’s the people person as well, the front. She’s the one that built Pulse Tectonics from the ground, the perfect cover to shadow the mysterious workings. In fact, it’s done so well, they even had time to increase the façade by funding a public school, some Point.25

You don’t want to mess with Marcia; her vengeance is more deadly than any assassin’s blade. Even something as minor as tardiness can put you on her black list, and unfortunately, her co-worker Jess has a weakness for that sort of thing.26

Let’s see, how can we describe Jess politely? Let’s just say she’s very sexually indiscriminate. …OK, she’s a slut. But, she does have other talents. Unlike the usual clichés, Jess is the computer expert of the group. You wouldn’t think that the sexy one would also be the computer geek, but then again, her… pleasure skills do come in handy. She can use a man’s desires to lull him into security, and then when the time’s right, she can hack, pilfer, or murder, depending on who and what the mission’s about.27

There are many other cogs in the machine known as Hydra, but they might come in later. Right now, we go to the gargantuan monolith known as the Pulse Tectonics compound. We skip past the incredible security at the front gate, past the seven scanners leading into the inner sanctum, and past the retinal scanners, handprint scanners, and DNA analysis machines guarding the main office. Inside, we find none other but Marcia and Jess, the two enigmas.28

Jess sat on the edge of the polished mahogany desk at the back of the office, just in front of the incredibly huge picture window overlooking the compound, with a nice view of Mt. Helio and the lake rimming its base. Her legs crossed, ironically, she turned to the woman sitting in the high-backed chair not too far away.29

“Wow, Marsh, this place is really snazzy, y’know?” Jess looked around the room, marveling at its many wonders. “I’ve really gotta check out the bathroom sometime… I bet it’s made of real gold and everything.”30

Marcia studied the LCD screen in her hands, encased in silver and blinking strange symbols in a forgotten tongue. 31

“Platinum actually, but that’s not the point. Jess, I can’t seem to understand this riddle…”32

Jess shrugged as she helped herself to a Jack Daniels on the rocks from the oak minibar under the desk. “Hey, it’s an ancient Welsh conundrum; you’re supposed to be the genius, I just hacked it out of the mainframe. What’s so important about it, anyway? It’s just a bunch of gibberish, isn’t it?”33

Marcia shot Jess a haughty glare. “It’s not just gibberish, you lust queen. According to an ancient legend, this is a part of something much bigger. I couldn’t find what it’ll lead to, but it’s old, it’s hard to figure out, and I haven’t had a good job in a long time.”34

“Suit yourself,” Jess shrugged. “I’m taking my payment down to La Casa por Lujuria, where you don’t need to crack a code, just a can.” With that, she turned on her high heel and strode out the door, not forgetting to take a couple bottles from the fridge.35

“She’ll never get it…” Marcia shook off the hacker’s words and got to work cracking the puzzle.36

*********************************************************************37

“God, Wren is such a bitch…” Angelique did a balancing act on the school’s parallel bars while Lia sat looking through a book of spells, cleverly hidden under the title “So You Need an Appendectomy”. 38

“Ange, everyone in the school knows that; they just kiss up to her because she has cool shoes and a really great house.” It was true; even though her social rank was popular, the title failed to describe the students’ true feelings. Only one girl in the whole school liked Wren, and she was one of those annoying little toady types.39

‘Yeah, but don’t you ever wish someone could… hey, that’s right! We were going to look up summons, weren’t we?” 40

Lia’s stomach turned as she remembered that she had forgotten to persuade Angelique to forget about the spells. “We… were?”41

Angelique gave a chuckle. “Of course we were! Now you can’t tell me you don’t want to get Wren back for all the times she’s-“42

“Yeah, but I want to… um… get a Frappucino first! Let’s skip down to Heggin’s for a second, OK?” 43

It may be good to point out at this time that F.P.M.S. allows their students to walk the block and a half to the Heggin’s grocery during lunch. The only one that wouldn't in the city was Port Susan, which was liked by none anyway.44

“Lia, you already had one last week! Didn’t you say you were going on a diet?” A grin of triumph began to make its way across Ange’s face.45

Damn me for a healthy fool, Lia thought to herself as she decided defeat was inevitable. “Alright, we’ll look at the spell, but we won’t perform it until we can talk to Mayraj about it! I don’t want to get in over our heads.”46

“No biggie,” Ange shrugged, with the grin now ear to ear. “I’ll just give my mom a ring after school and say I’m spending the night at your house. She won’t mind; she and Morty are going to a meeting tonight.”47

“OK, let’s get this over with,” Lia muttered as she and Ange made their way into the library.48

*********************************************************************49

Faye’s Point’s library was a very good one compared to most school libraries, the big difference being it had two floors and a mezzanine. At the current moment, Lia and Angelique were on the mezzanine, sitting at one of the two-screened computers. Mr. Shitte, the computer guy of the school, was a bit of a waster, but was a computer expert, and that’s all that mattered… most of the time.50

“Let’s see…” Ange murmured to herself as she skimmed Spells and Magick, one of the top spell sites on the web. “Ouija boards, flame spells, love spells, Celtic spells… ah, here it is!” Her cursor hovered over Summon Spells, right below it a solemn warning of possible insanity, disease or death that could result from these spells.51

Lia wasn’t nervous that they were going to the site; she was nervous that they might be performing these rituals in a matter of hours, and she was unsure they were ready.52

“Ange, are you sure we should be trying these? I mean, not to be a stick in the mud Virgo, but I just don’t want to get, you know, killed or possessed.”53

“Lia, no offense, but the analytical, perfectionist Virgo suits you. Take a chance for once!” With that, a click signaled the entry of the summon site. Little they knew that in the background, none other than Wren Nubian was watching them, her secret longing to know more about the occult taking over her senses. Unfortunately for her, at that moment, her NOW 37 CD went off in her backpack, and Madonna's latest hit alerted the girls to her presence.54

“Lia, hold on a sec…” Ange took a few steps toward the bush, and pulled it aside to find…55

“An empty Slim-Quick can?” 56

Yes, Wren had managed to get away in the nick of time, but for now, Ange paid it no mind and returned to the screen. “What should we use… got any ideas, Lia?”57

“Um…” Lia really had no ideas on what spell they should use… she wasn’t even certain they could perform the ritual. “How about-“ For some odd reason, Lia was possessed with the idea of choosing the ancient Welsh beast of the occult and technology, Llewynne Raemos. “How about we use that one?”58

“You mean this one?” Angelique clicked on the name, and almost instantly, a mini-screen came up with a description of the beast. 59

“It says here that it represents the spirit of creation, the unknown, and that which is to be known. In Celtic lore, Llewynne Raemos was the Keeper of Dreams, and guarded the Gates of Knowledge. Within the gates was inspiration for the future. Legend has it that its one desire was to wreak havoc, but it was kept under a powerful spell.”60

“Hold up,” Lia said, putting up a finger. “This beast was the spirit of inspiration and the unknown?” 61

Angelique gave a shrug and nodded. “Yeah. I guess so. Why?”62

“Isn’t that a good thing for her if we summon that and put it onto Wren?”63

“No, no, no,” laughed Angelique. “This beast rules dreams. According to this, it can invade their dreams and make them do bad things.” Seeing Lia’s horrified look, Ange quickly added, “Not like that.”64

“Well…” Lia was really unsure about the whole thing. After all, why wouldn’t she be? The whole page was filled with blinking red lights spelling out warnings of disease, possession, and death. They hadn’t even perfected their eye color spells, what made them think they could summon a spirit?65

“Ange, are you really, really sure about this? Something like this is big and dangerous, and you know the rule of Magick! It-“66

“Comes back to you three-fold, and haunts your pathetic burning soul for all of eternity,” butted in Angelique, quite facetiously. “Don’t be such a worrywart! I told you we’d ask Mayraj tonight on the phone. He’s done much more than we have with the occult.”67

Lia cast her eyes to the ground, a sure sign she was caving. “Well…”68

Clapping her hands in delight, Angelique gave her friend a hug. “I knew you wouldn’t mind! Now, don’t fret, we’ll leave it all to Mayraj!” The Virgo gave a quick nod and a weak smile, but as they left with the printout, she was heard to mutter, “Don’t forget the forces of darkness.”69

****************************************************************70

“That had to have been the funniest movie since Little Nicky!” Angelique tumbled off of her bed onto the floor doubled over with hysterical laughter. “I feel like I’m going to die of exhaustion from laughing!”71

Lia felt the same, and her snorting could be heard all throughout the room. “I know! They were so right to make a second Little Nicky! You have to burn me a copy!” Thankful for soundproof walls, the pair screamed with laughter until Ange remembered their other plans. “Oh, Lia…”72

Lia took the opportunity to shove a Twinkie into her friend's mouth, quieting her for a few seconds. Unfortunately, Twinkies, although filled with other destructive chemicals, do nothing to short-term memory.73

"Mmph-!" Angelique gulped down the golden delight and after coughing for a few seconds, turned to Lia with an angry glare. "Oh, you're lucky I love Twinkies...."74

With an nervous giggle, the girl glared upon pulled out her Sidekick cellphone. "I guess I know how I can make it up to you?" Angelique smirked and took the phone, quickly finding Mayraj, the online magick guru, and hitting the "Dial" button.75

Lia groaned quietly as she heard the ominous ringing emanate from the phone, and more audibly sighed as Mayraj's deep voice gave a friendly "Hwello!"76

"Mayraj! Hiello!" Angelique grinned as she gave her and Lia's customary greeting.77

"So, what's up with you two? Not more dangerous spell-casting I hope? You know how risky that is. Leave it all to me!78

"Daddy Mayraj..."79

"What was that?"80

"What was what?"81

"...nothing, I-"82

"Anyways," Ange quickly muttered, "we actually do need help in something magickal. We were going to summon an ancient Welsh beast of dreams and hidden knowledge, and we thought you might-"83

"Help you? Absolutely not. Refuse you to save your lives? Correct."84

Lia heard his rather loud response, and snapped her fingers, with a "Gosh darn!" that was absolutely filled with sarcasm. "I guess we can't perform any rituals tonight!"85

Angelique narrowed her eyes, and went to her friend's computer, withdrawing a small diskette. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that, which is why I brought... the video."86

Angelique's last two words were filled with dark intent, and sparked shock and dismay in Mayraj. "Not the video! You said you'd deleted it! You wouldn't show her..."87

Angelique just laughed. "Oh, wouldn't I?" With a morbid chuckle, she slid the transparent disc into the computer's projection port. If she hit the small green button just next to the slot, one of Mayraj's most embarrassing moments would be displayed to Lia, and being the critical Virgo that she is, she would most likely slip it into every conversation they would ever have after this.88

Awkward silence filled the line, and with the phone's camera, Mayraj could sweat bullets watching Ange's finger near the button. Closer, closer, closer... he could see the light distorting near her finger...89

"Alright!!! I'll help you summon your damn monster! What did you say its name was?"90

"Ha, I knew you'd see things my way. Now, to more pressing matters, its name is Llewynne Raemos, guardian of inspiration and Keeper of Dreams."91

After a few minutes, Lia's computer beeped, and an email popped up with all the information they needed, and through her TransPort, they ordered the spells and scrolls they needed. Mayraj gave them detailed instructions on how to consecrate their altar, and where to put their runestones.92

"Well, since it's about 3:30 here, I'm gonna go. You two, be careful. Don't forget to cast a protection spell! Oh, also, do a Tarot reading to see what's gonna happen, and consecrate your area after-"93

"Alright, alright, Mayraj, we get the point; you're worse than Lia's dad! No offense," Angelique grinned at her hostess, who just gave a weak smile in return. Her mind was already too racked with worry about their consequences.94

"Lia?"95

Ange's call jerked Lia out of her silent reverie, and she replied with a faint, "Huzzah?"96

"Lia, Lia, Lia..." Ange tsked at her friend. "Don't worry so much! We'll be fine, I promise. If something bad happens, you can have any one of my CD's you want."97

This stirred the Virgo a little. "Even that first edition Evanescence copy of Fallen your mom gave you?"98

Angelique gave an uneasy nod. "I hope this proves my faith to you?"99

"But of course," grinned Lia, as she lit a few white candles around their altar. "Now, you remember the drill? Egg of light?"100

"Yes, yes, we've cast spells many times before, it's been drilled into my head mercilessly." The two would-be magicians huddled around the altar, and Lia began to recite the protection spell Mayraj had shown her.101

"Elements of the Sun, 102

Elements of the Day, 103

Come this way, 104

Powers of night and day, 105

I summon thee, 106

I call upon thee, 107

to Protect me, 108

So Shall it Be."109

As they imagined growing eggs of light surrounding them, as well as their working area and homes, it was as if there really was some higher presence enveloping them in great wings of warmth and security. It figures, since the spell Mayraj had given was channelled to him through Archangel Michael himself.110

"Wow, Lia, the way you read the protection chant, it's like something's actually here..."111

Lia nodded calmly. "It is, Ange; it's our positive feelings and our souls' enhanced protection against evil." After reaching over and reviewing the procedure, she then placed the scroll inscribed with Llewynne Raemos' sigil, which eerily resembled flames behind a Quabbalistic gate. "Now we're supposed to light the Tiger's Blood incense over the darkened scrying glass."112

Angelique complied with the instruction she was given, and a few minutes later, their altar was completely prepared for summoning the Guardian of Dreams and Inspiration. Both girls were filled with excitement and anticipation for the big moment, and Lia had even overcome her Virgo worrywartiness! Still...113

"Ange, are you sure we're not going to get hurt doing this? I mean, I have this nagging feeling that we're going to invoke some karmic wrath or something..."114

"Lia..." The blonde's patience was starting to wear a bit thin. "The spirit's under a spell, so it can't be harmful! Mayraj said the unlocking spell was hidden somewhere in Ireland, and has been passed around and corrupted for centuries. All we're going to do is get Wren back for all she's done to us over the years! Come on..." Ange gave Lia a sly look, slightly narrowing her eyes. "You know revenge sounds sweet..."115

To get Wren back for the torture... Lia knew when she was beaten. 116

"Alright, let's just recite the spell before I get worried again."117

The vengeful and convincing Scorpio gave her best friend a tight hug, and snatched the paper containing the spell to invoke the spirit.118

"Ok, here goes..."119

"From times ago, long since erased,120

We call upon thy spirit grace.121

Ye bound by magick,122

Eternal servitude,123

Thine immortal debt124

Is to be dued.125

Keeper of dreams,126

Invoked unto me,127

Arise and appear,128

So mote it be!"129

For a mere second, time was frozen solid, a wave of suspense holding the girls for eternity in its tortuous grasp. Then, like a pheonix reborn, flames exploded from the altar, black flames at that.130

"What the- what's happening?!" Lia screamed as fragments of dark matter flew by her head.131

"Just stay down!" Ange shouted as she thrust Lia's head down, narrowly avoiding a hunk of darkness.132

About 10 minutes later, the spiritual storm subsided. The girls slowly opened their eyes to survey the damage. Amazingly, nothing was damaged, and apparently, no one had heard the ruckus that had been emanating from the flames. As they slowly opened their eyes to the nonexistent carnage about them, they beheld a creature so beautiful, so deadly, and so impossible, that neither Lia nor Angelique could speak. Finally, Ange stood and although she felt frozen in awe at this angelic demon, she spoke, her voice trembling with fear and anticipation.133

"Llewynne Raemos?"134

Jet black rivers cascaded down the demon's back, falling over the incredibly large beige-feathered wings and secreting her sharpened horns, but contrasting her glowing halo. Her face held a mournful, sorrowing look, enhanced by the two sharp, blood red bangs framing her face, giving her a silent, Gothic beauty all her own. She wore a white waist-long robe, and beneath that there was a silken dress of silver, secured by a white sash. On that sash there was fastened, by a chain of mythril, a small bottle, which contained the object of imprisonment - the dreams and inspirations of humankind's past, present, and future. 135

When the demon spoke, it sang, but its song was not a happy tone, but rather that of a tragic aria.136

"FIRENZE YLO E SCHLIO PYROSA-"137

"Ange!" Lia screamed. "Seal it with the silver ring! Now!!!"138

Angelique snapped back into consciousness, being hypnotized by the creature, and managed to cast it into a triangle just before fire and lightning burst from its eyes. A few more seconds and the highly dangerous demon would have killed them both.139

Now angered, but once again in servitude, the beast did not sing, but rather spoke in a rich tenor, with an angry undertone.140

"WHAT ART THINE WISHES?"141

************************************142

"Thirteen freaking hours..."143

Jess sat on the edge of her satin-sheeted bed, her vid screen casting a pale glow over her darkened room. Her laser clock displayed "3:36" onto the ceiling, and just having gotten back from the House of Lust, Marcia had called her to complain about the code she had been stuck on all night.144

"I'm telling you, Jess, I've almost had it six times, but I'm wrong each time." Her hair frazzled, and with an insane glint in her eyes, Marcia stared intently into her computer's main window of incomprehensible gibberish, Jess's face a mere square in the corner.145

"Well, hon', maybe it's time to take a rest. Lay down, sleep on it. Everything feels better after a few hours in bed... awake or not."146

Marcia dismissed Jess with a scoff and clicked the translate button. This was it, one last time, and then she was trashing the whole...147

"Translation valid."148

Her mind was so set to hearing a negative response, she almost closed the window to her sanity, but at the last moment, something clicked.149

"Yes! Jess, it's here! It's all here!" Marcia practically squealed with delight as she went over the cryptic Old English* poem. "It's still a bit hard to read, but..."150

"Marcia..." Jess sighed. "Darling, you just spent over half a day decoding that, and you don't even want to try to read it? Give it a whirl, what's the worst that could happen?"151

Marcia was uneasy, for some reason, but she decided to read it out loud.152

"All right...153

"Thye bounde by light,154

Darkened within.155

Enve to thye captors156

Mote fulfilled.157

Voices of ages158

Demons in angelic garb159

Held ye from purpose.160

Fly forth, beautiful sorrow,161

Destroy and cleanse.162

So mote itte be!"163

For a small while, nothing moved. The only sound was the tick of the antique grandfather clock hitting "3:40".164

************************************165

"Llewynne Raemos," Angelique said with a quaver in her voice, "I have but one command..."166

At that exact moment, Lia's lava lamp clock bubbled into a three and a forty. 167

The room was filled with a choir of tragic voices, as the spirit's had been. Chains out of nowhere broke Raemos out of her eternal bondage, freed by a chant written long ago. After the chains had flown, she stood, rejuvenated evil.168

"What happened?" Lia groaned as she rose from her daze, and her eyes fell upon the spiritual debris, pulsating dark matter covering everything in the room.169

"Lia, get down!" Ange screamed, as a lamp knocked her friend out cold. "Raemos, I call you into the circle and banish-"170

Raemos laughed a booming laugh, saturated with dark intent.171

"SILENCE, WORTHLESS MORTAL," the spirit spoke, sending waves of bass through the room. "YOUR PATHETIC SPELLS CANNOT HELP YOU NOW. I WILL EXACT REVENGE ON THE FOREIGNER WHO CONDEMNED ME, AND THEN THE WORLD WILL BE MINE TO DESTROY!"172

Although Angelique tried again with the ring, it was too late. The demon had escaped into their world, out for blood.173

"Uggh..."174

Lia stirred slowly, rubbing her forehead where the lamp had hit her.175

"What happened?"176

Her friend did not reply. Instead, she stared out the window, trying so hard to fight back her emotions. She had let the monster get away. It was all her fault...177

"Ange?" Lia tentatively touched her friend on the shoulder, expecting to be pushed away. Instead, she felt them start to shudder, as Angelique started to cry, the first time Lia had ever witnessed. Usually, she was the one crying.178

"Oh, Ange..."179

Lia put her arms around her, giving a hug from behind, and the Scorpio whipped around, sobbing into Lia's shoulder. Surprised, as Angelique had never been so emotional, all she could do was try to console her friend.180

"Come on, Ange, it wasn't your fault, something else must have happened..."181

Angelique pushed her friend away, still sobbing, and collapsed onto her bed, wanting to drown in her self-pity. There was nothing she could do... she had failed, and that horrible, evil thing was going to wreak destruction. It was all her fault...182

"Lia, I didn't even try! I just stood there as it flew out the window! I couldn't have been more pathetic..."183

Lia didn't know what to say. It hadn't been Angelique's fault, but there was nothing they could do.184

"It's all right, Ange... just go to bed, we'll call Mayraj in the morning."185

Neither of them slumbered that night, with the beast of dreams after them.186

************************************187

"You what?!"188

Lia was shivering with nerves, being the one to break the news to Mayraj. It had been hard enough cleaning up the incredible mess left behind.189

"Sorry, Mayraj, it was just an accident!"190

"Accident?!" Mayraj's voice was going bust the digital membrane, his deep voice was booming so loudly. "You call letting one of the most dangerous beings in existence out onto the defenseless world an accident?"191

Angelique was sitting on the bed, blankly playing with a little twisting puzzle. She already felt horrible about what had happened, and Mayraj's nagging was not helping at all.192

"Damn it!"193

Ange got up from the bed and stormed over to the area where Lia sat, and fed up with Mayraj's condescending attitude, ripped the phone from Lia's hands.194

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! But of course you wouldn't know what that's like since you've never made a mistake! Just piss off, Mayraj! Unless you can help, your endless bitching is not going to help!"195

With a small beep, Angelique cut Mayraj off from the line.196

Lia just sat there, head in her hands. Angelique's temper was no surprise, but everything was so overwhelming. She knew they never should have summoned that thing!197

"Lia, you don't have to say I told you so."198

Lia looked up with some surprise, and saw Ange looking away with an angry stance. "I know you think I'm pushy and arrogant for forcing you into doing this and thinking we actually could..."199

Lia looked at her best friend with immense sorrow. "Ange, I..."200

Her sentence was interrupted by her brother, Max, bursting into the room. 201

"Guys, quick, turn on the news!"202

Before either girl could ask what was going on, Max had flipped on Lia's plasma screen and turned it to Channel 5 News.203

"This is Yolanda Torrenfield reporting, on one of the strangest stories of the year. Throughout the city, a number of people, especially young adults, are falling into comas. Eyewitness accounts tell that the afflicted are suffering from nervous spasms, as if in nightmares. There seems to be no cure, but it seems to have happened while people where asleep, so currently there is no explanation-"204

The telecaster's face abruptly disappeared from view as Angelique clicked off the screen, a blank, yet horrified look on her face. She turned toward Lia, and she opened her mouth as to speak, but no sound came, except for a faint, incoherent whisper.205

"Ange, it's fine... let's just go to school, I'm sure it'll all blow over before tomorrow."206

Max looked at them both quizzically.207

"What do you mean, blow-"208

"Well, we'd better be getting to school! Bye, Max! See you after school if you aren't at soccer!" Lia interrupted, quickly exiting and dragging her still blank friend with her.209

*****************************************210

At school, everyone was abuzz with conversation about what had been on the news so recently.211

"Lia! Angelique! Oh my God!"212

Both girls turned their heads to see a familiar figure, Peter Johanson, coming toward them. He was pretty nice, so they knew him well.213

"What is it, Pete?"214

He looked like he had been hit by a train, the shock was so evident.215

"The news! You didn't see? Ilse's brother was a victim!"216

"Ilse? Ilse from Ag Science?"217

"Yeah, she's really down about it. At least fifty students are absent today, all of them in those weird comas... I'm really getting scared, you guys, like I can't go to sleep. What's gonna happen?"218

Angelique was looking down at her shoes, intent on avoiding all eye contact. Thanks to her, the entire city was under a spell, cast by that monster she had killed Lia to help summon. Innocent people's lives were being thrown away, just because she had to have her damn vengeance...219

"Lia, I'm heading to class. See you later." Without giving her friend time to respond, Ange walked briskly into the building.220

"Um... talk to you later?"221

Lia tried to ignore the incident, but the fact that Angelique blamed herself made Lia feel bad as well. Why hadn't she tried to stop it either? Things were just getting worse and worse...222

*****************************************223

"I knew it! I knew it! This is bigger than I could have imagined!"224

Reclining on her posh suede couch, Marcia nearly cackled with delight seeing the reports of the victims of the mysterious comas. Reading off that spell must have caused some kind of reaction for this to happen so suddenly, with no explanation. Coincidence? She thought not. Now the only thing left to do was figure out what exactly she had done.225

She whipped out her BlackBerry and gave the command to call Jess. Hopefully, she was taking a single day off from whatever bizarre roleplay she had decided on this time. Finally, a moaning voice clicked on the phone.226

"Talk to me..."227

"Oh, God, Jess, did I interrupt you again? Whatever it is, don't let me get in the way of-"228

"What are you talking about, Marcia? I was taking a nap and you woke me up."229

Instantly, Marcia's face turned a deep shade of red. "Uh... nothing, I meant, don't let me interrupt your... nap. Yes, that's it! Didn't want to disturb your beauty rest!"230

"Mm hmm..." muttered Jessie skeptically.231

"So, about that code I was working on!"232

Deciding to let it slide, Jesse patched the call into her NeuroNet, hearing the call as if Marcia were next to her.233

"Yeah, what about it?"234

"Haven't you been watching the news?"235

A tinge of pink flew across Jess's face, as she knew she had been much to busy with matters of the flesh to care about current events.236

"...no, not recently, why?"237

"Jessie, dear!" Marcia knew exactly what her promiscuous partner had been distracted by, but decided to forget it for now. "There have been at least 75 comas in the surrounding area! And the first coincides with the time of my reading... coincidence? I think not!"238

Good point, thought Jessie reluctantly; coincidences were one thing, but this was far too eerie to write off. Something much larger was at work here... but there were still too many variables to make a decision.239

"Marcia, ready something hard and strong, I'm coming over to work out this nonsense."240

Dial tone.241

With a smirk,242