209: Rash Choices -Crystal-

Guilt. No matter how far you run, it's always there. I killed someone today and it wasn't an accident. I went there wanting him gone, and left before they could put him in a body bag. I didn't feel bad that he was gone. It was like a large zit had been removed from the side of the planet, but I did feel bad that I had been the one to do it. I had erased someone's life with my own hands.

According to Saba, she had stopped Ben from killing because she didn't want him to become a monster, so what was I? I looked at my hands, wet from the rain that hid my tears of guilt. Was this how life was supposed to be? Only a year ago I was sitting in my bedroom playing with Malibu Barbie, my biggest worry being whether or not Ken would be on time for their date. Now my hands were stained with the invisible mark of a cold-blooded killer.

I put my hands under the run-off from a nearby gutter. Maybe I was trying to remove the past few hours; the past few hours that I barely remembered but knew the outcome of.

"Nothing can remove what you're feeling." A voice spoke up from behind me, "Well . . . almost nothing."

I turned to see a girl with black hair smiling at me, "Who are you?"

"My name is Indigo, the Goddess of Guilt and you look like you need to relax." She reached out and touched my wrist.

The guilt and pain faded away instantly. I felt good, I'd done what was needed and it turned out okay. I'm not sure how or what I did, but it sure made me happy. I smiled at the girl and then she let go.

I fell to my knees as sickness overtook me. The guilt flooded back as if a dam had been removed. I wretched on the ground as the memories came crashing back. I shakily pulled myself to my feet.

"What if-" Indigo stared at me, "What if I could get rid of your guilt? You certainly have a lot and much of it involves an old nemesis of mine, as well as a good friend. I think it's safe to say that you have more burdens than a young girl as yourself should hold."

She touched my hair and put her hand on my shoulder, "I can remove it all. Erase all the guilt. If you want."

Tears burst forth, "I didn't mean to. He killed my Daddy and I was just so angry. I was very, very angry. I wouldn't have ever done it. Oh God, I killed him."

She wrapped her arms around me and held me close, "Lucky you found me then. Just say the word and it's gone."

I looked into her eyes, hypnotized by the depth of them.

"What do I have to do? Please help me.", and the world went black.

I woke up a while later wrapped in a blanket and staring at Nick's face.

"Crystal? Talk to me."

"Nick. Nick, I feel funny."

"What?"

Then I leaned in and kissed him. A deep, long, guilt-free kiss.

204: Her Scent -Sara-

"Nick, did you see her face? I've never seen her like that." The shorter one pulled himself from the floor.

"What do you expect? That bastard Patrick killed her father. When I get my hands on him . . . " The tall one was already standing. I could feel energy flowing off him, massive amounts not normal for a human.

"We can't worry about that right now. We have to find Crystal before she does something that will get her killed. We don't know how long we've been out, so she could be any-", he stopped talking as he stared at the television behind the counter.

"We interrupt our scheduled programming for an important announcement," The television blared, "Millionaire Patrick Bernauw was killed about an hour ago in a horrible terrorist attack that left 2 guards injured and 7 in a coma. A small explosive was detonated in the bathroom while Patrick was showering, and as of right now the police have no leads."

"Ben, why do I get the feeling this has something to do with Crystal?" The tall one was very pale.

"Shit. We have to get to her now." Ben thought for a second and then pointed up, "You go get Will and Kelly. We'll need the Taxi. I'm going to keep watching to see if they turn up anything. Once you get back down, we'll find her."

The tall one ran for the stairs and I stepped forward. The closer I got to these people, the stronger her scent. It was the smell of completion and I wanted it more than anything. I stepped up to the short one called Ben.

"Uh, Sir?" I tugged at his shirt, "Sir, do you know a Crystal Ferguson?"

He looked down at me surprised, "Yes, have you seen her?"

I smiled my sweetest smile, "No sir, but I want to really bad. I miss her so much."

He watched me cautiously. What had this person been through that made it difficult for him to trust a child? It didn't matter. If he got in the way then he'd die like the others.

"How do you know her?"

I grasped the corners of my dress and curtsied, "I'm her sister. Nice to meet you." I had said it just as several people, including the tall one, came down the stairs. All of the people around wore shocked faces as I looked into Ben's face.

"She . . . uhm . . . " Ben glanced at the tall one as if asking for help, "She never told us about you. She's . . . not here right now, but we're going to get her. Would you mind waiting for us in our hotel room? Where're your parents?"

"My parents went to get me lunch. They told me to find her room and wait there."

Ben turned toward one of the other people; the one with the beard, "Will, take her up to the room. We'll be waiting for you in the car."

"Ben her story doesn't add u-"

"Leave her with Saba to keep an eye on her. We don't have a lot of time." I couldn't help but notice the way he emphasized Saba. I hadn't fooled them, but I would see Crystal eventually and if this Saba person was any trouble, then I'd have no trouble killing her.

"Hey, there. My name is Will, please come with me." I took his hand and we headed up the stairs together. I could tell he was tense. He didn't trust me at all. In fact, by the way he kept glancing at me, I could tell he was trying to figure out what was going on.

We passed a soda machine as we traveled down the hallway and he looked at me, "Would you like a drink?"

"No thank you, mister. I just want to be complete again."

201: Visible Lies -Crystal-

"Speak fast." I held the grenade ready to throw as he stood up.

"Let me collect myself." Patrick had an unsettling calm as he spoke. The anger from before was gone and replaced with confidence, as though he'd gotten control of the situation again. He didn't need any "collecting", he was stalling for time. He was going to lie.

"Vincent was a soul trapped inside that of a bear. Once the bear is destroyed his soul is no longer trapped there and can go find another, more suitable body."

The venom dripped off the lies as he spoke. He didn't even try to hide it. The anger that had been put aside so that I could possibly find a way to bring Vincent back filled me again.

"I can tell you a way to follow his soul from his remains to where he is now, but you need to put down that grenade first." I had to admit he was a good negotiator. If I didn't know that he was a filthy liar I might have done what he wanted.

"Fine." I tossed the grenade into the room he was standing.

Patrick's face went from calm confidence to fearful urgency in seconds. I had never felt a more gratifying moment in my short life. Patrick ran toward the door, but my heel between his eyes stopped him with a crunch of cracking bones. He fell to the ground and I ran. I'd gotten only a short distance away when the explosion shook the entire building. I ducked around a corner and covered my head as pieces of burning wall and shrapnel metal flew past. As the heat faded, the scent of burned flesh hit my nose.

I stood and made my way back down the hall to where I could see Patrick's burned, bleeding and unmoving body. I knelt and felt for his pulse.

There was none.

Something inside me cracked. I had killed someone. I had taken the life of another in a fit of anger and it scared me. This wasn't who I was. I didn't want this new part of me, I wanted it to go away. It had turned me into a murderer; a monster. I felt tears stream down my face as I stood and walked from the building.

I didn't want this.

200: Fatal Shadow -Unknown-

It took me three hours and twelve people to find the exact location of Patrick, and I won't lie; some of those people would have trouble walking for a while. I wasn't cutting corners. I wasn't taking chances. I knew better. You make a mistake or take a shortcut and you're dead. The only thing you can do is be one step ahead of the rest. You have to know the enemy so well that even their preference of cereal isn't a mystery to you.

I'd left them standing there staring after me. I didn't even hang up the phone. It was as though the sound of the death unlocked parts of me I'd never knew existed. An entire lifetime of espionage, and assassination flooded my mind. I knew the points on someone's body that would knock them out, cripple them, or worse. I could get to those spots before they could blink and disappear just as fast. Nothing was untouchable and as soon as I put my sights on a target, nothing could sway my gaze.

I wasn't a meek girl anymore.
I was the seven year old bringer of death.
I was a fatal shadow.
I was the eyes you always feel on you.
I was what made you hesitant to go into a dark room unarmed.
I was Crystal, and I was very, very mad.

Guards were nothing; just targets. They didn't last long enough to be surprised. There were three at the front doors. I always used the front door, because I wanted to spit in the face of my target's security. I wanted them to know when I arrived so that I could easily earn the quivering fear that I deserved to be shown. I left the gun where they laid and instead grabbed a single grenade as insurance. It's not that I didn't know how to use a gun. I could disassemble them in seconds and put them together just as fast. I had a killer's aim, but that was no surprise. I didn't pick them up because I wouldn't need them.

They wouldn't see me.

A group of seven heavily armed men flooded down the hall where I had been just earlier. They knelt to check the status of the door guards. Alive. I needed them to remember me. I needed them to fear me. I needed everyone in this place to know they weren't safe if they crossed me.

I came down like a spider from my hiding spot in a small nook on the ceiling. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. A single touch and every last one of them would be in a coma for a week. I left the pile of bodies near the door as I made my way deeper into the interior of the building.

I slipped into a room as I heard a voice coming closer. John. My friend working for the wrong side, so he wouldn't get special treatment. Open the door to the face, and a single jab to one of those special places I knew of. He fell like a brick. Not coma, but he'd be out long enough for me to complete what I'd come here to do. I disarmed him just in case. During the time I'd known him he'd done some very surprising things, and there was NO way I was going to underestimate him. Jay and Tim were all that was left to make a move, and the only person that had seen me was Tim. He probably saw my entrance in the video feeds.

After taking John down I turned to the nearest camera and waved.

Jay would be in the library, and Tim in the control room. Simple.

Jay's face felt the heel of my foot before the world went dark. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon. I left the library and made my way to the showers; Patrick would be there unaware of my coming.

The doors to the bathroom were closed and locked, but a hairpin and thirty seconds later that obstacle was gone.

Patrick wasn't human, that much I was aware of. I wouldn't be able to rely on the normal means to do him in. He was also very experienced, and had probably had many assassins try to take him out. He would be ready for me and that wasn't something I could stop. We were in his territory, so I was all ready at a disadvantage. I had to switch it around. I had to change the field of battle so that it fell in my favor, or at least evened the odds.

I closed my eyes and counted to forty, all the while I could hear the shower running around the corner. I could hear his whistling as though he had no remorse or guilt about what he'd done. It drove me mad. I hit forty, turned off the lights, and opened my eyes.

I had already adjusted to the dark so getting to Patrick in his surprised state was simple. My fist said hello to his nose with a crack loud enough to cause my ears to ring. I jumped back as he swung blindly in the dark.

"Who are you?! Where are you!?", he yelled angrily as he tried to hit me.

I silently moved behind him, ignoring the heat of the shower water as my knee crashed into the small of his back.

Patrick went down to one knee faster than I'd expected. I figured that he'd be some kind of monster like the ones we'd faced before. I didn't even fathom that he could possibly be simply human.

"Attacking someone in the dark is pathetic! Attack me to my face you pathetic fool!" His face was fuming, as angry as I could get it.

"You didn't attack me to my face. You went after my Father. You are the coward!"

Even in the dark I could see the blood drain from his face. He hadn't even thought that I would be capable of coming after him. He didn't even think I had it in me to make a one man assault on his badly guarded fortress. It was breathtaking to watch his anger swiftly change to a worried uncertainty. I watched his mind put the pieces together by reading the small changes on his face. A small look of guilt slid over his face and then vanished into anger again.

"You." He stood to his feet, and as I watched him he seemed to gain more confidence, "You killed the only human in this horrible world that I actually cared about. You took Saba away from me, so I went straight after the only people that I could to make you feel my pain. Do you? Do you feel the horrific feeling of loss like I do? After my employee finished his work, I called him and do you know what he told me?"

I could feel my anger growing as he started to explain his actions, as though he was justified in killing such a kind and innocent person.

"He told me that he missed." I felt my heart skip a beat, "He said that he had to sit there and watch your father choke on his own blood for half an hour before death."

My anger erupted with a ferocity I had never felt before. My foot was on his chin, followed by the heavy thumps of my fists bruising his chest, knocking him out of the showers and closer to the door. He tried to retaliate, but the lack of sight made his swings ineffectual and pointless. He leaped through the door, crushing it to the ground. He was moving toward the light so he'd have a better advantage, but I was right behind him.

Before he even got back to his feet I was there, leveraging his weight to catapult him back into the showers where he collided into the wall with a crunch of linoleum. I pulled out the grenade as I moved to the door. My finger yanked the pin as I smiled at his very surprised face.

"WAIT!" Patrick's voice made me hesitate, "Wait. If you let me live, than I can help you."

"Now who's pathetic? Can't you just at least die as something other than a cockroach? Don't you dare try to weasel your way out of this.", I prepared to toss it.

"No. I can tell you how to bring Vincent back."

Patrick had earned some more time.

199: Life For A Life -Crystal-

I can't say I wasn't nervous. What would I say? How would I explain? The phone rang into my ear as I waited.

It felt like forever before someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was a gruff male voice, one I didn't recognize.

"Um, is William Ferguson there?"

"He's a little," the voice pulled away from the phone for a moment and then returned, "preoccupied at the moment."

"It's important that I talk to him immediately. Please put him on the phone."

"You wouldn't happen to be Crystal, would you?"

My heart sank. Something was wrong. How could this person possibly know me?

"Just put my Daddy on the phone. Please."

The voice laughed, "Sure thing." Again the voice moved away from the phone, "Hey! It's your daughter, she wants to talk to you. You can take it? All right." The voice returned, "He says he can take it. Just let me remove the duct tape."

A yelp of pain echoed through the phone followed by a stern "quiet" from the man on the phone. Some more shuffling and then a voice came over the phone, one I recognized.

"Hello?" I couldn't help but tear up when I heard his voice, "I don't know what kind of sick joke you're playing bu-"

"Daddy, do you remember what Mommy told us before she died? She was laying there pale and weak; so weak that she couldn't hold my hand. I was crying and you were trying to hide your sadness for me even though I could always see it. Do you remember?"

"How did you-" He sounded surprised.

"Daddy, she told you that the best moments of her life were the years she spent with you. She said," painful memories stung me to the bone, "She said that even though she'd only had a few years to spend with us, she couldn't imagine another life she would have rather lived."

"Oh my God." I could hear the surprise in his voice, "Crystal. How?"

"That's not all, then she looked at me and told me to love with everything I had. Then she closed her eyes, Daddy, she closed her eyes for the last time."

"You- you sound older. How did this happen? When can I see yo-", I heard a loud thunk as he was cut off. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" The other voice returned.

"So, I have a message to you from Patrick." The voice was very calm and dangerous, "By now, you've probably found that all your money is gone, right? That's why you had to call here."

They had my Daddy; Patrick had my Father. I felt the blood rush from my face as I whispered into the phone, "Yes."

"He thought you would, so I was told to wait here until you called and then tell you this." He laughed lightly, "Patrick says, 'A life for a life.' "

I heard him put the phone down and in the distance I heard my Daddy's voice, "Crystal, I love yo-"

The loud bang of a gun echoed through the phone.

198: Daddy? -Ben-

"I'm sorry sir, you've been declined." The clerk looked upset and confused.

I forced down the rising frustration, "Okay, I had plenty of money on there to pay for the rooms just earlier today. You must be doing something wrong."

"Sir, I've tried it three times. Maybe you should give the bank a call?" She looked at me timidly.

"I think I will." I turned to see Nick and Crystal walking through the hotel doors.

"What's going on?", Nick jogged up, "Is there a problem?"

"They're telling me I have no money. I just checked the balance earlier today."

"No problem, let me see if I can help." Nick handed his card to the clerk and in a few moments it was returned with the same explanation.

"We have no money. Who could be doing this?", Nick looked exasperated.

"We can't even pay for a way back."

"I might be able to help.", Crystal spoke up, her voice shaky and unsure. "I could call my Daddy."

I'm sure that Nick and I had the same surprised look on our face. Crystal had chosen not to talk to her father, because there was no way she could explain this.

"You don't have to. We'll find another way to pay.", I stated.

"No. After losing Vincent," she looked at the floor, "I don't want to lose anyone else. I'm going to have to find a way to tell him."

She walked to the hotel phone and dialed the number.

197: Completion -Sara-

Incomplete. I was incomplete. I must become whole again, but to do that I'd need to find all the pieces. I could see them all around me everyday as I moved through this place. I was in pieces and slowly I would collect myself to become one again.

"Mister?" She was small, but she had a piece, "Are you okay? You look sick. I think you're bleeding."

She was right, I was bleeding. These vessels weren't strong enough to contain me and would eventually explode. Even after I leave them, the strain is too much and it usually kills them. Such fragile beings. If I could find a stronger vessel than this it would be much easier, less murderous. I didn't want to have to kill these creatures, but I was incomplete. I needed to be whole again.

Adding a new piece calmed me for a time, until I felt the gnawing urge for completion again. I felt it now as I looked at the young child in front of me. Why was she alone? Where was her guardian? Those questions quickly became irrelevant as the need overcame me. I began to detach myself from this vessel, allowing small amounts of their free will come back as I reached out to the little girl.

First I released the pain, so I didn't feel as the vessel's chest slowly split open. I watched the girl's eyes go wide as the blood spilled onto the ground. She turned to run but I was too fast. My arm whipped out, clipping her on the side of the head and she crumpled to the ground. I turned to the alley wall and coated my hand with blood.

After I retrieved the next piece, I couldn't be sure what I would remember. I had to leave myself a message, telling me what to do next. Direction was what I would need if I was to survive. I couldn't allow myself to be caught, but what should I do next?

I searched the vessel's mind for the part I needed, and began melding it to me. I had to get this piece before I leave. It would be many, many months before I found this specific piece again. As I finished, I learned where I needed to go next.

Soon my defense mechanism would kick in, and I would not remember anything for a long time. I had to give myself direction. My hand slid along the wall as I wrote the words and immediately after finishing, I released myself completely and flowed into the girl. The old vessel was too far gone to scream and as my memory faded, I watched his body explode.

My eyes roamed over the words as I began to lose consciousness.

"Find Crystal Ferguson."

I could taste the next piece already.

194: Two Dollars -Crystal-

Three days had passed since the museum incident and we had barely spoken to one another. We were still at the Hotel. We ran into each other often, but silence was the common language.

Vincent's death had hit everyone harder than you'd have thought. We didn't even say his name anymore, and even if we did I don't think I could say it with out breaking down. I had only lived a short time and all ready I had to deal with the death of a close friend.

It was times like these that I wished I had my Father to run to.

We didn't know whether or not to bury Vincent. Instead, we burned what was left of the bear; a warrior's funeral. It wasn't fair. It could have happened to anyone, and it had to be him.

Vincent had saved my life more times than I could remember. When I was younger, before he came to life, he scared away the darkness just by being there. Then he fought for everyone I cared about till his death. Now he's gone and it should have been someone else. Someone who deserved it; maybe me.

Carl says that he died a death worthy of someone great, but the truth is that he was killed while completely unconscious. He was killed in his sleep, which normally would have been peaceful, but this sleep was anything but. Vincent died terrified, fighting and alone.

I stared in to the toy shop at the arrangements of bears in the window, hoping that one of them would get up and start talking. I had been staring for 5 hours now. I had watched as the lights in the shop dimmed and the owner locked the doors. All I had was this hope, and if I looked away then I would be admitting that he's gone.

I shouldn't be this attached because most of the time I knew him he was an inanimate toy, but he came to life. He was a person that I'd come to know. He was a person that I'd come to trust.

"Crystal," Nick's hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts, "everyone is wondering where you are."

"My Dad bought him for me.", I wiped the wet from my cheek, "He took me to a small toy store not far from where I lived. The store was super expensive, but my dad wanted me to choose whatever I wanted. I was looking at the dollhouses and fake carriages when I saw him. He was jammed between the biggest dollhouse and the wall, and he looked so uncomfortable, so unhappy."

Nick was silent, and I didn't blame him. Vincent was my bear, he'd been with me most of my life.

"I passed over him. I had my eye on another doll that could learn its name, one that would have put my Dad back $600 while the bear only cost $2. I kept thinking about that bear stuck, looking unhappy. I couldn't get him out of my head. I felt so bad leaving him there while all the other dolls would be sold. I didn't want him to not have a home. I got so confused at what I should do. I wanted the doll, but the bear would suffer and never be found."

I knew I was crying but I didn't care. This museum incident had taken its toll on everyone somehow. After the first night in the hotel, Carl vanished and Ben kept himself locked in his room. Andrew had been shunned immediately and violently, almost made me feel sorry for him until we learned what he'd done to Ben. Will spent the last two days trying to convince Kelly that all this stuff was real, and despite what she had seen it still took a lot of convincing. Nick and I were awkward together at best, and at worst we were at each other's throats.

"I chose Vincent because I didn't want him to be alone and scared, but it didn't matter. He still ended up that way and there's nothing I could have done. What was the point of bringing him to life if he was just going to be killed?"

"He was here for you, Crystal.", Nick tried to comfort me, "He always fought to protect you."

"I spent two dollars killing a good friend, Nick. If I'd chosen that first doll, then he'd never been put in this situation. I should have forgotten about the bear, then maybe he would have found someone normal. Maybe he would have protected someone whose biggest problem was children at a schoolyard. No, life had to be cruel. His life wasn't worth the money I spent. It was worth so much more."

"You're still alive, Crystal," Nick put his hand on my shoulder, "and I bet he would have considered that a bargain."

I heard Nick walk toward the hotel.

I stared at the window for another two hours.

190: Change Of Heart -Crystal-

A fireball narrowly missed my head as Nick, Saba and Carl began their battle with Bob. Saba played defense, deflecting weapons and holding Bob's power back as best she could. Nick pulled long distance with his fireballs, which gave off so much heat they melted an entire set of plate armor to the ground. Carl stayed inside with close quarters combat. Even with all this, Bob still held his ground. He avoided the fireballs with grace while blocking Carl's attacks and still getting some attacks in, even though most of them never hit. Saba would levitate an item in the way of them.

I heard a young girl scream as she was nearly burnt to a crisp by one of Nick's stray flames. I rushed over and pulled her away as the fight moved in her direction, "Are you alright?"

The girl clinged to me as her eyes watered with tears. These people had been through so much for no reason; no reason at all. I felt more hatred toward the thing that had killed my closest friend, putting people through so much for such a petty reason.

"Here, let me take her. You go get the rest. If we don't get them out of here . . . ", I turned to hand the girl to a man.

"Yeah, let's just get these guys outside." I turned to go help some more children trapped under the dead bodies of teachers and fellow students.

"My name's Andrew." He rushed to bring the girl outside and as he turned away, I could swear there were tears in his eyes.

The fighting continued as Andrew and I worked to get the children outside, but with only the two of us it was slow.

"BEN! Ben, where are you?" What if he didn't make it?

"I'm at the Door of the Dead!", his voice made me breathe a sigh of relief, "He came from the door, maybe there's a way to send him back. Keep getting the people out! Get Will to help."

Will! I searched, only to spot him trying to pull someone out of a pile of the dead, "Will! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Kelly's in here! I guess she came inside when she saw what happened at the door." I watched him pull the young Taxi driver from the pile of bodies.

Andrew walked over to him and Will's face went white as a sheet, "But . . . you died."

"Yeah, I was dead for a long time, but I'm alive now. Let's get these people out of here."

We all nodded in unison and rushed off to help others as Saba was slammed into the wall so hard that the ground shook.

Bob was winning.

189: Common Threat, Common Goal, Uncommon Alliance -Carl-

I was yanked out of the worst nightmare of my life to find myself face to face with one of those horrible Abhorians. The look of surprise was evident on the Abhorian's face even with the deformed shape. It took a step back as I pulled myself to my feet.

In the middle of the room stood Ben and a translucent girl staring at a young boy with a triumphant look. The boy looked just as surprised as the Abhorian, but there was something else mixed with the surprise. I had seen the look before in other Gods that I'd fought. None of them expected me to triumph, and when I did a look of intense fear fell over them. That was on the boy's face right now.

The entire room was filled with noise as everyone who apparently had been sleeping woke up. Next to me Christina pulled herself to her feet, and nodded toward the people in the center of the room.

"The small boy is Bob, the God of Fear." She spoke with an edge to her voice, almost a hatred.

"Bob? He couldn't have chosen something more fitting?"

"What do you mean? Bob is his name.", she sounded confused.

"Couldn't have chosen something that instills more terro-"

"That's not important. Your friend there is in trouble. We have to get over there."

"We're surrounded by Abhorians."

"Yeah, but they aren't moving."

She was right. In fact they were moving away, back toward the door. Fear isn't what motivated them . . . it was almost as though they were being summon back to the door.

The young boy, Bob, noticed their movements, "Where are you going? Who said you could leave? I'm your master. I'm your boss."

They ignored him and kept walking, "STOP! I command it! Listen to me!"

One of the Abhorians turned around and stared at Bob, "You have failed me. You let mere humans get the upper hand and now your fate lies with them."

"You can't take them away from me. This isn't fair."

"Oh, Bob. Dear, stupid, childish Bob. Life isn't fair. Do you think it was fair when you killed the Teddy Bear and the Fairy in cold blood? Do you think it's fair that most of your victims couldn't fight back? Stop being such a coward and face what you've sewn.", the Abhorian turned and continued to walk away.

"MARDOCKT!", Bob cried as the last Abhorian disappeared into the door.

I didn't wait for anyone to speak, I spoke first, "VINCENT! VINCENT, YOU STUPID BEAR, SAY SOMETHING!"

I jumped over a few bodies and ran into the door room toward a tan clump on the floor, "VINCENT!"

Crystal ran up beside me and we both stared at the torn pieces of cloth, the remains of Vincent.

"Carl. Vincent's gone?"

I had never been more angry. Vincent was annoying and completely obnoxious, but he didn't deserve to die. I turned to look at Bob, who was still getting over the fact that he'd been abandoned and was now surrounded by a bunch of people who really didn't like him much.

"Get the children and civilians out of here.", I was shaking with anger as I walked over toward Bob.

Bob watched me with uncertainty hidden beneath a mask of confidence. I'd seen it before . . . many, many Gods looked at me the same way before I killed them. This one would be no different. I stared at his eyes with out averting my gaze or changing my expression. As I approached I watched his expression change and slowly the uncertainty overcame the confidence.

"Christina, watch as I show you proof as to how weak humans are. I'll kill this human . . . and then go to the res-"

"No you won't, Bob.", Christina spoke, "These humans . . . they aren't the same as they once were. I'm not sure what happened but they've grown to be stronger. That one walking up to you held his own against an Abhorian with no magic, or special abilities. He also survived a Sprite curse for many, many years. These people whom you have judged as weak and then hurt, are much much stronger than either of us would have expected. But, Bob?"

Now there was fear laced throughout his face, "What?"

She walked toward the front door of the museum and then turned, "Maybe you should have helped me when I was pleading for it in the war."

With that, she was gone.

"You Bitc-" His sentence never finished on account of my fist smashing into the side of his head.

180: Meeting Bob -Alice-

I had heard enough ghost stories to know that I didn't have to open the door, so getting out of the room was simple. Going through the door felt like I was going through a layer of water except I could breathe. I felt my hair stand on end when I reached the other side, because of a small static reaction between me and the door.

The silence was the first thing I noticed as I entered the large lobby of the museum. The only sounds were that of the large, shambling creatures moving toward a door on the opposite end of the lobby from the entrance. On the floor a few feet away lay the guy who killed me and the lady that was with him, their eyes closed.

What was going on here? What were those things? I should have been terrified, but already being dead meant that there wasn't much to be afraid of. Their long, spindly fingers moved rhythmically as they stepped around the bodies of the presumably sleeping people. The doors of the room they were heading into had been ripped off its hinges and inside I saw a massive archway of stone. Inside the archway an eerie, white glow shined brightly, and each one of the massive creatures knelt in front of it and bowed what could only be assumed as their heads.

I glanced back at Ben. I didn't care about the creatures, I only cared about making Ben pay for killing me. I reached out to touch his face, but as a ghost my attempt failed. How would I go about exacting my revenge if I'm not able to touch him? I glanced at the creatures again and back at Ben.

"What am I supposed to do!?", I swung my hand to slap him but it was a failure, "Why?! You could have let me live! You had a choice!"

The light from the door faded and inside the archway stood a very young boy. His hair a pale red and his body nude, he strode toward the creatures and laughed.

"Good. Now, we must find it. The anomaly is in the area so we're going to go through and kill every person here before we go any further with our plans. I want to see this place full of ghosts, just like that one.", he pointed at me.

Before I had thought that being dead meant there wasn't anything to fear, but something about the way he looked at me made me uncomfortable. I could feel the fear in me rising.

"You." He was still looking at me, "Come here."

I didn't move. I kept staring at him.

"I said-", his voice had an unreal calm, "come here."

Just earlier today I had been a normal teenager and now I was dead, looking at a young child who could command creatures of the like I'd never seen. I was so scared that I found my self wishing that people were trying to throw gum in my hair on the bus ride back to school. I took a shaky step forward.

"Do speed up." He glanced at a small faerie-like creature lying on the floor near his foot, "I don't have all day."

He lifted his foot and smashed it on the small being with such force that I could hear the floor beneath it crack. He swiveled his foot as though he were squashing a bug, and as I approached I saw pieces of wing and flesh smear along the ground.

"All of you!", he glanced at the room full of unimaginable beasts. "Kill everything. I want a room full of ghosts and one of them must be of the anomalies."

All around me the monsters slowly stood as they made their way out of the room, two of them dragging the bodies of a blonde girl and a tough looking guy. I could see them breathing, so they weren't dead yet.

"They're not sleeping." I turned to look at the boy as he spoke, "You could even say they aren't here. I've transported them to the time or place they feared most or will soon fear. See, I don't like to kill something that knows they're dying. Just doesn't sit right with me."

"Who are you, and what's going on?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Bob, and I presume you were planted here by Patrick, yes? Of course, you had to be, he is what he is after all."

"I'm Alice, and I don't work for anyone." I tried to sound tough, but all my legs wanted to do was run, and fast. In the other room I could hear sounds similar to that of a watermelon being smashed and even though I tried not to think about it, I could picture what was going on in the other room.

Bob lifted his foot and picked the rest of the creature he'd killed off his foot, "Everyone works for Patrick. What does he think a ghost can do? No matter. We've won and the only thing he could do to stop us is come here himself."

"He was here." I saw Bob stop and I felt my fear subside when I saw it form on his face, "He left."

The fear on his face turned to anger, "He thinks he's so mighty! I'M THE GOD OF FEAR! HE'S A JANITOR! How can he just toss me aside and pretend that I'm NOTHING?! He left a ghost to stop me!", he leaned toward me and his face got even more angry, "HE LEFT A NEW GHOST TO STOP ME!"

He grabbed a teddy bear off the floor and tore it in half, "WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?! AFTER WE'RE DONE HERE, WE'LL KILL HIM! And you . . . ", he tossed the pieces of the bear aside and looked at me, "There is only one way to get rid of you." He snapped his fingers.

The world around me disappeared.

163: Emotional Instability -Crystal-

The creature's tongue slowly pushed me down, deeper in to the darkness as my lungs screamed for air. The muscled throat kept me from struggling as my body methodically slid down its gullet.

I was a horrible person for treating Nick like that, and now all he would know was how much I'd hated him. No chance to apologize; no chance to be friends.

Maybe I deserved this. I was supposed to be dead so many times but I kept being brought back, but for what? I was worthless and powerless. I led with my emotions and what I thought was right, with out ever caring about the people I might be hurting in my pursuit of justice.

First it was Peter, destroyed by my inability to just let him have what he wanted. He was one of the many zombie children that had fallen to my hand. Then, Saba had been dragged in to my madness and we'd both nearly been killed. It didn't end there though; because of my stupid actions, everyone was stuck inside this building where they could be captured, injured, or worse.

Perhaps, this was all I was here for. Only here to make everyone else around me fall apart. My own Dad. I'd never reunited with my Dad. I felt the tears come and I opened my mouth to scream, only to be soundless because of the lack of air. This whole time I'd kept away and tried to go on, scared of being shunned. I'd never thought about how my Father could be taking the loss of both his wife and his daughter.

"You bastard!" Nick's voice was so close that it took me by surprise.

Just give up Nick. Just leave me here to rot away. Go help the others.

"Give," I felt the creature shake, "her," another shake and an intense heat, "BACK!!"

Heat, like nothing I'd ever felt before surrounded me, and I could feel air rush past me as the beast screamed in pain.

Why? Why keep fighting for me? I'm not worth all this. Everyone else is more important. Why would you want a monster like me?

"Crystal!" I felt a hand grasp my ankle and my body slide backwards back toward its mouth, "Don't you die! We aren't done arguing yet!"

The world exploded in to light as I was met by a surreal vision. Nick had one foot between the teeth of the creatures bottom jaw and his hand pushing the mouth open. Behind him I could see several people looking on in surprise, including Will.

Nick smiled at me as he lifted me out of the mouth and pulled me close, "Crystal, are you okay?"

Wiping tears and saliva away from my eyes, I turned to look at the creature that had grabbed me. Lying on the floor was a massive beast resembling a cross between a lamp shade and a T-rex. Its skin was sizzling and burned so bad that it hung in places.

I turned to Nick, "I'm sorry."

I felt his arms wrap around me and I started to cry.

162: Instant Inverse -Crystal-

Even though it was still the middle of the day, the skies above the museum were so overcast that the street below was covered in dark. As the cab approached I could see the clouds flowing outward from the sky above the ancient building.

The short female driver turned and looked at us as she pulled up, "Are you sure you want to stop here?"

"This is the place, Kelly. Thanks."

"I've heard some weird stuff over the waves, Will.", Kelly motioned toward the radio, "Don't get over your head."

"Already am." We all slid out of the cab.

"Well, I'll be out here as long I can. I owe you for that thing." Kelly smiled a cute smile and then pulled her head back inside.

Nick walked up to the doors and gave them a yank, with out any success, "Something is very wrong here . . . I can feel it in the air."

"Of course you would." I muttered, hoping Will wouldn't hear.

Nick turned toward me in anger, "Is it that hard for you to see that I'm only trying to help?!?"

"You are a sneaky, deceitful bastard! How am I supposed to know that you didn't cause all this?!? You just appear out of no where and expect us all to welcome you in, but I know what you did!"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Will shake his head as he went off to look for another way in.

"You think it's easy?!? I can't remember who I was before only a week ago! I don't know what I did, who I hurt, or sins I committed! Living with out really knowing who you are is something you'll never understand!"

I felt the rage build up and I swung my hand out; connecting with his cheek, "My life was completely stolen from me! Every single thing I've known is gone and the only thing I have now are my friends!", I walked up to the door and slammed my fist against it, "You were the cause of everything, my life ripped away in an instant just so you could show off your power!"

Nick was speechless.

"Every time you speak. Every time you look at me. Every time I see you.", I emphasized my sentences with a pound on the door, "I know that deep inside you're full of lies and darkness; I know that one day you'll turn on us and tear us all to shre-"

At that moment the door behind me shattered. I was thrown violently forward, only to feel something catch me at my midriff and yank me backward. I flew back in to the darkness, the only visible thing being the rectangle of light with Nick’s silhouette. I couldn't see his face but I knew it was one of triumph. The pest was gone, nothing stood in the way of his plans.

A light flared behind me revealing anger on Nick’s face as he jumped in after me. Anger surprised me, I had just humiliated him and he was coming in after me. I watched as fireballs flew from his hands, landing far behind me.

Was I wrong? Was my distrust unfounded? I smelled the hot stink of rotten meat grow as I got closer to what ever it was that held me captive. The further I got, the more determined Nick looked, and the more ashamed I felt for making him out to be a monster. I watched myself fly past the teeth inside the gaping maw of the beast and as they closed all I could think was . . .

I'm sorry.

Entry 159: Truth About Lies -Crystal-

Will stood and looked out the doors, "They aren't going anywhere. Come on, I have an idea."

We followed Will as he traveled to the front desk. He grabbed the phone from a very surprised desk clerk and dialed a number.

"Hello, Kelly? Yeah, it's me, Will."

Nick turned to me, "I don't know what I did that scared you so much. Why don't you just tell me so we can get this over with?"

I hesitated, "Back when I was a child, you were not a very nice person. What kind of guy would threaten a child in to fighting? You told me to fight or I would never see Vincent again."

"Why don't I remember that?! How can you say I've done something I've never did? You treat me like an enemy for something I didn't do!" I could see the fear in his eyes as he said that to me. It was the same fear I have because of my resurrection.

"Because you did it!"

"Would you two just shut-up?!?!", Will interrupted our argument.

Out of surprise we both went quiet.

"I can't stand people like you two! Right now, people are in serious danger and the only thing you two can talk about is how much lack of trust is between you two. Suck it up and move on. Crystal, he clearly doesn't remember. Nick, she was hurt by someone who she thought was you. Apologize and move on, or get the fuck out of my way!"

Will went toward the back of the hotel, "I've called a friend at Hartman’s Taxies, she's meeting us at the back. I'm not waiting for you two."

We followed behind him in silence.

Entry 145: Fame and Fear -Nick-

"We need to get these people out of the way!"

It turns out that just getting to the museum would take a lot of time. The second the three of them had stepped out of the building they had been surrounded by news reporters and large groups of people.

"Can't you just make us invisible or something?", Will yelled over the crowds of people.

When Crystal and I ran out of the room, Will had been close behind. Even though he wasn't my favorite person, he was very persistent and had somehow gotten more information than any of the reporters here. I quickly waved to Crystal to head back in to the hotel. With great effort we shut the doors behind us, and fell to the floor in exhaustion.

"I am not the most experienced of Warlocks. I only know a few spells and I'm not even good at them."

Will raised an eyebrow and frowned, "So, you're useless to the group then?", his gaze shifted to Crystal, "Why is he even here?"

I really didn't like this guy, he's very condescending and annoying. I almost missed the response Crystal gave because I was running through my head as to how to get to the museum.

"Eventually he'll be stronger, and that's what scares me." Crystal’s voice was very low and she kept looking in another direction from mine.

My thoughts halted, I stared at her in surprise, "You're scared of me? What did I ever do to scare you?"

"For one, you killed that man on the plane."

"He was a serious threat. If I had left him like that, he would have killed us all. I was protecting my friends, and I don't regret doing that. I wish that maybe we could have helped him but we had no time, and he was too strong." Truthfully, I regretted taking the man’s life even if he was dangerous, but I had to weigh the choices. Either I regret killing a man, or I regret letting him kill so many people; including my friends.

Looking at the way Crystal was avoiding looking at me, I could tell there was more, but before I could ask Will interrupted, "So, I might have missed something, but why do we need to get to the museum if we were told to stay here?"

"The Door Of The Dead is a dangerous mythical object of ancient Egypt. It's supposed to allow a person to speak to the dead, but that isn't what it does. Basically, it reaches out and finds someone’s worst fear, then it changes reality to make it true."

Will looked puzzled but to my surprise quickly accepted what I had said, "So, why hasn't it been activated until now, and how could the ancient Egyptians have mistaken it for a way to speak to the dead?"

"All I know is that it mimics the voices of dead people you know to lure you close. I can't remember anything else. Everything is foggy since I blacked out. Like there's memories that are hiding away."

I didn't mistake the fear in Crystal’s eyes.

Christmas Special: Future -Ben-

(Well, I haven't posted anything in a while but I was busy with a few other things. Until a couple of days ago when I realized what day was fast approaching. So, in honor of Christmas I am going to give everyone a little sneak peek into the future of all the characters in the blog. So I present what could happen . . . if . . .)

"I miss John."

Crystal looked out from my porch at the snow covered lawn. Nick stood behind her, his arms protecting her from the cold. Nick smiled gently and kissed the back of her head.

"I do too. He was a great man. He gave a lot for us all. So did Ben."

Crystal smiled and turned, "You did too. I'm just glad you weren't taken away from me like they were."

She leaned in and just as they were about to kiss, a light flashed over them. Turning, Crystal and Nick looked out at the approaching car.

"Patrick is here!"

Crystal slipped out of Nick’s arms and smiled widely as she bounded down the steps.

"Patrick! You made it!"

The car slowly came to a stop. Nick turned to the door and called in, "Johnathon! Benjamin! Patrick is here!"

Down the steps the children leaped, running out to the car and in to the arms of Patrick as he got out of the car. Behind them came Saba, who stopped in the door and smiled at Nick, "You interrupted our game of Soul Caliber. I was winning."

"I guess you'll have to win another time.", Patrick said as he carried the two boys over his shoulders in to the house. In all the time that had past Patrick hadn't aged, not at all. He still had this presence about him, except it had long since become more benevolent.

Patrick set the children down and looked at Nick, "Are you ready?"

Crystal walked up to Nick and grasped his hand, "Do you have to? You go every Christmas."

Nick smiled and leaned in to kiss her, "I have to. One day he'll come out of it. I just know it."

Crystal returned the kiss and then pulled away, "Patrick, have you heard from Carl or Vincent?"

"They said they would be here for dinner, so I'd expect them to be here very soon."

"And Will?"

"What about me?" Through the door he walked, a large smile on his face and two massive presents under his arms. He set the presents down and hugged both Saba and Crystal.

"Boy, do I have tales for you guys."

That was Will, always telling tales and catching every one’s attention. He and Patrick had decided to bury the hatchet, especially after he found out the truth.

Will turned to Patrick and shook his hand, "Have a good drive. Give him my regards."

And with that, Patrick and Nick slipped in to the car and drove off.

A few hours had passed when they finally pulled in to the driveway of The Bernauw Mental Institution. Nick and Patrick walked up to the doors, waving at an orderly as they passed. The two didn't talk much, this was very hard for both of them. No one enjoyed seeing John like this.

Possessed, only his will holding it inside. Protecting us all.

They could hear John's rants as they approached the door. The door they never opened, just listened through.

After seven years, the rants hadn't changed.

"They tell me things, then I eat them. O' Dorothy, Dorothy!"

"Merry Christmas, John.", Nick whispered.

I looked through the window at him and wished I'd taken his place. He'd have been better dead. Like me.

142: Lies, Lies, Lies -Crystal-

I watched him as he sat on the Hotel bed eating and watching television. This was a disaster and I didn't have to be Ben to see that.

"Why'd you tell him he could go with us?", Ben was not happy.

This seemed to be something constant with me. Going to the wrong person for help and getting everyone in more trouble. First it was Saba, and now Will.

"It was payment. I told him he could go with us if he did me a favor."

Nick looked at me, "What favor?"

"Nick, right?", Will suddenly spoke, "She wanted me to look you up. Dig in to your past to figure out how dangerous you are."

I suddenly wished I'd found a reporter with a bit more tact, or at least some restraint. I felt everyone's eyes on me as I sat there.

I was about to try to explain when Will spoke again, "Fact is, she's right. You are a very dangerous man, Nick. Seventeen years ago you decimated an entire village of 100 people, and based on the eye-witness accounts, it only took you 13 minutes to do it. On top of that, you were committed in an old folks home at the same time this happened. You also were reported dead a few weeks ago."

Ben glanced at Nick and then me, "How is this possible?"

"Oh that's easy.", Will shut off the television and pointed at Nick, "He is a fake, a sham, a liar, and judging by his lack of skill in covering it up he's also a noob."

Nick put his hand in front of him, "Whoa now, just hold on a secon-"

"Now I don't know why he would use the alias of an obviously dangerous man, maybe he's just dumb, but I couldn't find any record of him except for footage of him walking out of the home that the real Nick Brown had been admitted to."

Nick sounded exasperated, "I woke up there. I-"

"See, she was right to call me and have me check up on him. If she hadn't, he'd have been still learning all there was to learn about all of your secrets."

Ben frowned at Will, "Just like what you're going to be doing."

"At least I'm honest about it. Tell me, has Nick done anything that sticks out, something so glaringly wrong that it's the first thing that you think of when you talk to him?"

I watched Ben's face and knew he was thinking about the man that had been murdered on the plane. Nick had just burned him to a crisp, with out even flinching. We should have at least attempted to rid him of the possession.

"Fine, seeing as there are many secrets going on between the three of you, all of you will stay here while Carl and I examine this case."

"That wasn't the deal."

"Your deal was with her, and she's staying here."

I should have told Ben my suspicions before I acted on them. Now I'm going to be stuck in the Hotel room with an angry warlock, and an annoying reporter.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

Flashback Entry 141: News Worthy -Crystal-

"I'm supposed to believe these far fetched stories? Do you know what happened to me the last time I went on a wild goose chase after something this bizarre?"

My mind was still reeling after Nick showed up at the door. Something about Nick made me uneasy, which led to this phone call.

"I know. I read all about it. You tried to take on OCS industries over that mass murder that happened a few years back. You claimed to the world you had the evidence to expose them, and then when the day came you backed down, saying it was a lie. Before the incident you were famous for your exuberant attitude; your unafraid, and unrelenting search for the next big thing. From what I read you always had a joke to say, but afterward . . . afterward you pulled back, got quiet and kept your head down."

The silence on the other end of the phone lasted for a while.

"I lost everything because of that. My job, my family, all of my friends; all gone because I didn't know when to back down."

This wasn't why I'd called. The only reason I cared about his past was because I knew it could get him to do what I needed. I don't usually do things that are so underhanded, but my friends were at stake. Nick Brown was dangerous.

"What if I could get you proof of something bigger than that story? If I could give you a story like no one has ever seen, would you do some digging on someone?"

"I'm not a reporter anymore. Call the tabloids."

"My friends could be in danger. I need someone who would actually be able to help."

"I'm sorry."

I had only one more option. "Fine, we're going to be in your area tomorrow. If you want, you can tag along on the case we're working on. Once you see the things we get tangled in, then you might change your mind."

"If this is a wild goose chase then I'm going to charge you for my time. What's that guy’s name that you want me to check out?"

"Nick Brown."

130: Uncertain Knowledge -Crystal-

My job was to stop Nick from casting the spell as soon as they had the cockpit, but I couldn't. To be honest the guy scared me. Here was the guy who fought the Snake Goddess' control of me when I was a zombie and had brought me back to life. He could do things no other human could, and being in the same room with him left me with a sick feeling. I had no idea what he would do next.

Somehow, this one was different; less menacing and certainly not as mean. If this was the same man, then something very serious happened to him. This new him was filled with a sort of youth and really didn't exhibit any of the abilities the one I'd met had.

As I reached to shake his shoulder I decided to give him another chance. See if he turned out to have the same ruthless style.

He lifted his head and looked at me, "Oh, hey Crystal. Are they done?"

"It seems so.", I was scared but I forced a smile through.

Nick tipped his head sideways and looked at me, "You look scared. Don't worry, we'll get through. I'm sure."

I had trouble deciding whether he knew it'd be okay, or he if was just reassuring me.

Nick stood and walked toward the cockpit. I watched him leave and slowly stood. I took a quick look around and followed.

As I stepped in to the cockpit it seemed oddly familiar. On a whim I sat down and began checking all the gauges and fuel. My finger flicked the plane off auto-pilot and I turned it to the left slightly, keeping it level with the horizon.

"This isn't so hard."

I glanced back to see everyone there staring at me in surprise. Slowly it dawned on me. I wasn't supposed to know this. For a few seconds I almost lost control, but I forced the large vehicle on to the right track.

"Crystal?" It was Ben.

"Yeah?"

"How are you doing this?"

"I'm not sure. Truthfully, I'm kinda scared. I've never done this before. What if I let it down too hard? What if I miss the landing? What if I misread the altimeter and lower the wing flaps too late?"

"Crystal, I don't even know what wing flaps are used for."

There was no denying it.

I could fly a plane.

124: Too Much, Too Little; Just Enough. -Ben-

"Ben . . . what do we do?", Crystal could barely speak.

"Shit. Shit. Shit.", Nick was pacing up and down the aisles while the passengers whimpered loudly.

"Ben, just let me bust in and I'll show him exactly how I feel about what he just did." Carl growled, his eyes on the loudspeaker.

I couldn't think. I just kept running the situation over and over in my head, trying to see what I could have done differently to keep those innocent people from dieing. Instead, I kept rehearing that evil man’s voice and the sudden claps as Bob and Jim's lives were taken right out from underneath them. Too many noises filled my thought. People were crying, my own team was unsure of where to go next. Thoughts in my head betrayed me by assaulting me non-stop with; “What-ifs?” and, “How could yous?” If only I'd stopped Carl from boasting. If we'd just taken a different flight. If only I'd never found that book.

"Hey."

At the sound of that voice my mind cleared. I turned to look and found a kind looking, middle-aged man smiling at me. A young girl lay in his lap contently, sleeping as though the horrors around us weren't happening.

"My name is Gilfred Odephius Doorstop, and you seem to be the only person who can get us out of this mess."

"I just killed two people. I believe your faith may just be a little mistaken. You should probably start praying now."

The man chuckled as if enjoying a joke that only he understood, "I'm not mistaken, you're just distracted. So many people around you needing your help, and all you can think of is your mistakes."

I could feel the anger welling up, "Thank you for revealing my shortcomings."

"Shortcomings? No, no, knowing your mistakes is important. Letting them control you is not."

"This isn't helping at all and I know that's all you're trying to do, but you're rooting for the wrong team."

"Ben . . . you didn't kill those men. That evil bastard in the cockpit did. There was nothing you could do, they were going to die either way. Save these people, I know you can do it."

The world suddenly flooded back, the voices, the crying and my thoughts. I forced the thoughts of failure aside and looked at Nick.

"Nick, I need your magic."

"Why?"

"We're going to crash the plane."