Entry 102: Old Faces -John-

Patrick's air of control never left him as I followed him to his car.

"The team couldn't just consist of you and Jay, so I've called a couple of people who I'd think you'd get along with."

The car door in front of me opened and two familiar people stepped out.

"You guys?"

Timothy Dumont Jr. and Robert Owen stood in front of me with smiles on their faces.

Tim is a master of the internet. He can find any kind of information available and then some. I've known him for years and until Alex died, we were very close. After his death, Tim didn't think it was a good idea to get vengeance. He stayed behind and gives us help if we need it. Me and him got in to quite the fight because of Alex's death.

When Alex died I was only just getting to know Robby again . We had been close friends, but he suddenly stopped hanging out with all the guys. He'd tell us he'd be there and then just not show up. A week before Alex died he started to hang out again, but then I left to hunt and he stayed behind. He's the most scientifically adept of all of us, and he's always thinking of new inventions and scientific discoveries.

"Yeah, we were called soon after you called us with the Benjamin Case. He seems to have a good amount of resources and if he can bring Alex back . . . ", Tim fell silent.

Robby looked at Tim then at me and laughed, "Wait till you see the place we'll be staying at."

Entry 101: Proposition -John-

"My name is Patrick Bernauw. I assure you, I am here with the best of intentions. Why don't we sit down and talk?"

Yeah, like I'm going to be tricked by this idiot.

"Okay, let's do that."

We made our way in to the waiting room. The room was completely empty, yet the television was on and blaring away at an unreasonable volume. Patrick turned the volume down quickly and then sat across the room from me. For a few moments we stared at each other, as if judging the other’s strength. What I saw in Patrick was a staggering confidence, like he could say anything around me and make it out of this room with out a scratch. Something I doubted very much. His movements were very practiced and planned to the littlest detail to prove his superiority to me. He wanted me to understand that here in this room, he was the boss.

"So you've been getting my letters?"

"You're P.B.? Right; Patrick Bernauw. Why didn't I see that before?", I spoke politely and calmly.

"So are you interested? I hate to say it but it's a one time offer. After today, if you refuse, then I won't ask you again. Your friend Jay will be the only one working toward the noble goal of bringing your friend back." He smiled a hideously, manipulative smile and leaned back, glancing at the television.

"Why did you sign Jay out? How did you sign him out?"

"How? Money. Why? Well, I needed someone to head the offensive leg of my new division. He seemed to show some real initiative and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. I felt those qualities were what I needed so I also made him a one time offer. He took it."

So Jay is working for this guy now? Interesting. Jay isn't stupid. Maybe this guy really does have the way to bring Alex back. If he does, I definitely want to be a part of that. Something seemed wrong though. He was waiting for me here, as if he knew I was going to come.

"How did you know that I was going to be here?"

"I didn't.", his face wore that smile again, like he knew too much. His eyes flashed with a confident glare and he laughed, "I knew that eventually one of you would come and I was prepared to give the offer to any of them."

"Including Crystal?", she was the newest person to join our group and I didn't think this guy knew about her.

His face momentarily had a look of surprise, but was almost immediately pulled back in to that confident smile.

"I'm not exactly sure who you're talking about but I assure you, who ever walked through that door would have been offered this job."

"So what would I be doing?"

"Leading."

Entry 100: Make Your Place. -Saba-

Crystal's victory was short lived. Her smack only pulled an uncontrollable anger from deep within the other-me. The look of surprise was replaced with deep and seething hatred. Crystal's body was lifted in to the air by an unseen force and I could hear the sound of her bones popping out of place over her screams. Part of me was excited by the sound but some deeper, more hidden me, was in agony.

My head roared with pain as the world slowly lost its color. I hadn't eaten much but that didn't stop my stomach contents from finding their way on to the ground in front of me. The pain was excruciating, almost as though my body and mind was being torn apart from the inside out.

"You impossible wretch!", other-me’s fury could be felt in her voice. "You think you can hurt me?! You think you're better than me?! Who do you think you are?! LEARN YOUR PLACE BEFORE YOU DIE!"

Crystal's screams got louder.

"Do you like the feeling of your bones being yanked from their sockets?! Does it feel good to you??!! Young lady, you chose the wrong fight to stay for! MUAHAAHAHAHA! Did you feel that?! That was your collar bone! I wonder what will come next?! Maybe a rib!"

I hate them both. I hate them completely, although Crystal's growing on me like a wart. Ben doesn't hate her. Ben cares about all of his friends, including this girl. If she died Ben would be sad. I won't let Ben be sad. NO! The pain in my head subsided as I pulled myself to my feet.

I ran toward the meanie-me, determined to save Crystal from her inevitable fate. I had no weapons. I had no fighting experience. I was still doing it. The invisible force hit me like a train. The world spun as I was thrown back through the air. My dazed body only briefly felt the branch smash through my chest as I was pinned to a tree before blacking out.

I'd finally learned my place.

Entry 99: Learn Your Place -Crystal-

I started toward her in a run. The Saba-clone smiled and waved her hand toward me. I felt a force slam in to my shoulder but kept going. Pain coursed through me as I cut the distance between me and her degrading mouth.

It was almost like I knew what to do. I had gotten close enough but I didn't stop, not until she let loose another volley of what ever it was she was hurling at me. I fell back to the ground and slid.

"Just stay down. You're boring me. Only a few hits and it's over for you. Just lay back and let the darkness come." She was getting closer.

"I can't stand people like you. Goody-goodies who think it's the right thing to protect people you care about. Filling yourself with false thoughts of grandeur so that you can get the courage to stand against unimaginable odds."

I pulled myself to my hands and knees as she knelt in front of me.

"It's okay to realize you don't stand a chance. Just let the anger go and follow your fate. Don't be like that waste of space ove-"

A loud clap filled the area as my hand connected with her cheek.

Entry 98: Two Worlds, One Pain -Crystal-

As my body hit the ground, I felt sorry I had decided to come looking for Nick. Did I really need to find him? I didn't seem to have any other issues except the unusual intelligence that I've gained. I could have just stayed with the guys and been happy. I was happy there.

I couldn't stop myself from rolling in the wall surrounding the grounds. I looked over to Saba as she brought herself in to close quarters with the other Saba. The Saba I'd come here with was no better at fighting than I was, so when she was pushed back I wasn't surprised. Saba slammed in to the wall next to me and I could hear her groan as she slumped to the ground.

She and I came from two different worlds. I had been raised by my Father to be a good girl, she just wanted everything to die. Yet, here we are, both on the ground feeling as though we'd just been hit by a truck. Funny how it didn't matter what worlds we'd come from; the pain was the same.

"Do you both give up? Seems you both can't back up your words. Oh well, you'll be dead in a few minutes.", new Saba points at old Saba, "You for existing.", she points to me, "And you for helping a failure like her."

Why did that make me mad? Had me and the Saba I knew come to understand each other better? What ever the reason, I couldn't let her do that. I hated confrontation, but how could I stand by and let her insult Saba like that? Using the wall as a brace, I pulled myself to my feet.

"What? You're angry? You actually care for that waste of space?" The more she talked, the madder I got.

"JUST SHUT UP!"

Something in me had snapped and silence filled the yard.

Entry 97: P.B. -John-

So he thinks that he can tell us what to do, does he? He's got another thing coming. There's no way I'm going to be told what to do by him. I'd leave before I ever would be controlled by Ben.

The hospital wasn't far so I had walked, cursing Ben in my head for the whole time. We had helped him more than enough, and he gets mad just because a couple of zombies tore up his living room and made life difficult. No appreciation for our help. Well, screw him.

"Hey, I'm looking for a James Banks. Could you point me to his room?" The nurse behind the counter began looking at her files.

"I'm sorry, James Banks has been released from our care." She smiled at me sweetly.

"What?!", I must have yelled because I could tell she was visibly frightened. That didn't stop me from continuing though, "He's very dangerous, you need to tell me where he is. Who signed him out?"

"Umm, he did.", she points behind me.

He stood about five feet behind, looking at me with a smug smile on his face. Something about him caught me as off. He looked like any other person in his thirties, except his eyes told a different story. They had an ageless quality, like I was looking in the face of someone who was around for a long time.

His arms spread out, palms toward me, "Now isn't this a coincidence."

Entry 96: Needle in a Hay Stack -Jay-

I'm Banks. My feet hit the floor and I silently make my way toward the stairwell like a double-o spy. James Banks.

It didn't take me long to find this place, and it certainly didn't seem like the kind of place you'd find one of the most powerful people alive. I had done some checking on Nick and knew the kinds of power he supposedly controlled. Controlling souls, casting massive illus ional-distraction spells; Nick had done it all. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. What this guy could do to me.

I slowly made my way in to the hallway of Nick’s room and smiled as I approached. I don't know why I was able to get this close, but I was damn lucky he hadn't flash-fried me when I walked in the door to the old folks home. The light from the moon from behind me splayed my shadow across Nick’s door. My hand gripped the handle of my new pistol and I opened the door.

The room was completely empty besides for some candles and dust on the floor. He was somewhere else. Some where in this building. I groaned as I thought about the five floors, 200 rooms each and two wings of equal size that he could be hiding in. He could have escaped but I doubt it. He's been here a very long time and I'm sure he wants to keep everyone safe.

Finding him would be like searching for a needles in a hay stack. A needle that could turn me into little, itty-bitty pieces of human flesh in seconds.

Oh joy.