Elyssa awoke to excruciating pain. She had never felt anything like it before. Trying to open her eyes, all she could see were colors that seemed to vibrate intensely. There was a sound that attacked her ears relentlessly. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly it all stopped. She blinked and tried to see again as her eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings. The sound she heard that had hurt so much had gone from a high pitched, ear shattering tone to nothing. It was complete silence.

She tried to move, but something was off. She could only faintly feel her limbs and they felt as if they were floating. Maybe floating wasn't the word she was looking for. It was like they were there and yet they weren't.

She glanced around, but didn't recognize anything. She had expected to wake up next to Annette back in the shop. Instead she found herself somewhere else. Did Annette lower her to a different plane of existence? Maybe Annette became too weak to hold her and had let her drift off to die. Was that what this was, the afterlife?

"Hello?" she called out. There was no reply, and even more oddly she couldn't hear her own voice. She tried again. Every sensation of speaking was there. She could feel the slight vibration in her throat as she made the sounds, her tongue touching behind her teeth as she pronounced the "L", and her lips forming the "O", yet she could hear no sound escape from her mouth. Had she lost her hearing, and more importantly where was she?

"Be calm. All is well," the voice startled Elyssa.

"...Who are you...Where are you?" Elyssa spoke, again noticing no sounds escaped her lips as she tried to find the origin of whoever or whatever was speaking to her. As she spun searching for the source, she caught glimpses of different places. A school, a ride in a car, a high school dance. All of these moments flashed before her eyes and then faded.

She quickly realized these weren't random places, but moments from her life. They were special moments, things she hadn't thought of in a long time but held a place close to her heart. More of those moments began flashing around her and then slowly fading away.

"How are you doing this?!" Elyssa demanded, still unsure of who or what she was speaking to. Sound still wasn't escaping her lips but for some reason this...this thing, knew exactly what she was meaning to say.

"I'm not doing anything. This is all your doing," the voice responded, "Or should I say our doing."

"Our?"

"Yourself and me, for we are one in the same."

The response left Elyssa puzzled, "What do you mean, we're one in the same?"

"You haven't figured it out yet? I'm...a bit disappointed to say the least."

"Stop! Just stop with the games and riddles!"

"Games? Riddles? I haven't offered either of those. These are things you already know. Why do you insist on playing the dunce when we're better than that? It's really quite unbecoming."

Elyssa hesitated for a split second. Something about the voice, she recognized it. Then it hit her, "You've visited me before haven't you. You were there, the voice that came to me during the trance when I was trying to figure out what to do with that spell book. You told me what would happen...but... everything's fuzzy now. It's been fuzzy for awhile."

Elyssa heard an audible and very much exaggerated sigh in response.

"Remind me to nag you about a pencil and notebook for future reference. And no, I didn't visit you. I'm literally always with you because I am you!"

"Great. So where's my nice white coat with buckles?"

"When did we buy a white coat with buckles?"

"...And you call me a dunce," Elyssa moaned while shaking her head. She was met with a long, dumbfounded silence.

"White coat, buckles...you know, for crazy people? Since you insist I'm talking to myself it's only fair to say that's where I'll find myself," Elyssa tried to explain.

Without missing a beat, "Nag note number two, insist on developing a better sense of humor...or at least on how to best deliver a joke," the voice continued while sounding slightly annoyed.

"Are you going to tell me how you're doing this or just continue to insult me?"

"I suppose if I have to spell it out for you. I'm your subconscious, hence as I was saying I'm always with you...even if you do insist on not listening to me."

Elyssa was silent for a moment, thinking through what she had just been told. Was she being lied too? If this was really her subconscious, what was it doing talking to her now?

"And why would I lie to you? Did I lie to you about the book and what the future held?" the voice spoke as if reading Elyssa's mind.

"How would I know? I told you I don't remember much from that. It's....it's fuzzy."

"But you feel it don't you? A trust with what I say. You know deep down I'm not lying."

Again a short silence, "I think...I suppose so but..."

"I know. These times bring much deception. It's good to question. It'll keep you safe," the subconscious voice continued.

"So where are we? Am I dead?"

"Close but not quite. Annette is barely hanging on with her magic. More importantly, you were in immediate danger and this was the safest place until Annette can pull you out."

"Danger?"

"He sensed you."

"He...Oh, the man at the top of the building. Who was he?"

"I'm not sure but he shouldn't have been able to sense our astral form...unless..."

"Unless what?"

"It's not important right now. You have to stay away from him though. At least for the time being."

"Wait. With the book...you told me what would happen, even if it's fuzzy now. That means you can tell the future, right? How to save Alicia and Annette, what I should do about these new powers, maybe...clear up this fuzziness of what you told me before?"

"I can't."

"Can't, or won't?" Elyssa asked.

There was a hesitation, "Both. I'm being told not to by a higher power."

"Higher power? Do you mean God?"

Her subconscious laughed at her question, "I think he has many names depending on what you believe. Some things just aren't meant to be handed to you. You have to figure them out."

"So that's the won't. What's the can't?"

"As I said, I'm you. Which means I'm also getting fuzzy myself in remembering. Our subconscious, in this case me, may retain information longer than our conscious, but we too can forget. It just takes a little longer, and that future isn't completely written yet. What I remember was an overview. What I told you wasn't set in stone but it was the most likely outcome at the time based on the choices you made with my guidance."

"Your guidance?" Elyssa asked.

"Yeah, those little nudges or gut feelings you get. That's me pounding and trying to get you to listen. I wish you'd heed my advice more often but you're....we're a bit stubborn," she concluded with a laugh.

"...You can't help me, but I'm you and you're me. Which means even if you won't tell me...I already know," Elyssa finished as she felt something upon her shoulder. It was a small tingling sensation. She turned to find she was staring at an almost holographic version of herself. It was her subconscious that had taken form, and its hand rested gently on her shoulder where she felt the tingles.

"You're catching on. You'll figure it out soon," her subconscious assured her, "Just make your choice wisely for those who live by instinct rarely find a need for voices like me."

"Choice? What choice?"

Elyssa suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder where the tingling sensation had been moments earlier.

"Ouch!" she yelled as she tried to pull away but felt herself unable to do so, "Your hurting me!"

"It's happening," her subconscious responded.

"What's happening?"

The pain started to become excruciating and Elyssa's vision started to blur again. She couldn't move, yet felt herself being pulled away.

"I need to warn you."

"Warn me about what?!" Elyssa screamed as the high pitched sound attacked her ears again and everything started to blur in front of her eyes. She could see the lips of her subconscious moving but could only make out a few words. Elyssa looked down at her hands. They were shimmering as they had before, as if she was fading away. As she started to lose consciousness she heard her subconscious yell out three words.

"Trust no one!"

It was an odd thing to say, especially coming from her subconscious. Surely she could trust her friends...couldn't she? The thought quickly disappeared as she was attacked by another bout of pain. Then the darkness came.

* * * * * * * * *

A feeling of peace swept over her body. It was still dark, and she heard no sounds, but there was a feeling of being at one with everything. The worry and anxiety she often felt, the questioning of right and wrong, the fear and anger that sometimes overwhelmed her were nonexistent. All she felt was love and happiness, and a knowing that everything was as it should be.

Those feelings lasted for only a split second, then suddenly it was as if she was thrown to the ground. The wind was knocked out of her as she gasped for air, and all of the negative feelings that were gone a second ago came rushing back. She wanted to cry and scream, to yell at the top of her lungs at how unfair everything was.

Why her? Why did she have to have these powers, and why was it her that was given a peek behind the curtain of all the evil and terribleness in the world. It wasn't fair. She wanted a fairy tale life, and would have settled for just happiness and security. Instead the fairy tale she was given came accompanied with its very own personal horror story.

She opened her mouth to scream but no sound escaped her lips. She still couldn't breath. Was she still in whatever place she had been with her subconscious? Was that why there was no sound, she wondered. No, it couldn't be. This felt...different. It was like she was drowning and struggling against water filling her lungs while her limbs refused to move.

Ba bum. She heard the feint sound that seemed to reverberate throughout her body.

Ba bum...ba bum. It came again, stronger and louder this time. What was that sound and where was it coming from, she wondered. It seemed strangely close.

BA BUM, BA BUM, BA BUM! The sound boomed and suddenly she realized what it was. Her chest heaved in an explosion of pain that shot through every limb of her body as she bolted upright. Her whole body ached and felt foreign to her. She couldn't seem to inhale air fast enough into her starved lungs to satisfy their urge.

It took what felt like several long minutes for her to begin to feel normal, or even notice what was happening around her. When she finally came to her senses she noticed she was back in the room where she had drank the vial and was laid upon the cot. She glanced back down to where she had been laying to ensure she was back in her own body.

Just as she had assumed, it was empty and she was whole again. She touched her own skin. It was an odd feeling after having experienced an astral version of herself. It felt heavy and worn, weighted down both physically and emotionally in ways she couldn't describe. It wasn't that leaving her body had made it feel different upon returning to it, it was more that she was accustomed to that heaviness being normal and she had never noticed it until she was freed from its physical constraints.

Something was missing though. It took her a moment to clear her head and think straight before she suddenly realized just what it was.

"Annette!" she exclaimed, realizing she was no longer beside her, "Where are you?!"

A soft groan emanated from below the cot. Elyssa leaned over the edge to find Annette curled up in a ball on the floor.

"Are you okay?! What happened?" Elyssa asked as she shakily moved from the cot to the floor beside her.

"It worked...I pulled you back," Annette said with a weak smile and sigh of relief.

"Yeah, you did. Are you okay?"

Annette nodded weakly, her body obviously struggling under the fatigue the spell had caused her.

"I don't think I'll be casting that spell again anytime soon," Annette continued as Elyssa tried to help her back up into the chair.

"So what happened? Did you find the location of the three fates?"

Elyssa nodded, "...Los Angeles."

"You're kidding me. This whole time they were practically next door?" Annette shook her head at the realization, "I don't know whether to be flummoxed and annoyed at how close they've been without anyone realizing it or relieved that we don't need to go far to speak with them."

"It's a little more complicated than that."

Annette shook her head in irritation, "And why am I not the slightest bit surprised by this piece of news. Just once..." her voice trailed off.

"Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing as I'm sure we all are."

"So what is the complication this time?"

"I didn't get the feeling they were there of their own free will."

"You're sure of that?" Annette asked.

Elyssa shook her head, "Not really, but it was a feeling I got."

Elyssa hesitated for a moment, thinking of the last words her subconscious had told her about trusting no one. Could that include her closest friends? She took another second, but saw no reason not to trust Annette with what else she experienced. If anything, Annette and the others knowing would help them all prepare better.

"There's something else that happened. There was someone else. I don't think he was human...err he was but then he wasn't."

"What do you mean," Annette asked with concern in her voice.

"He was like Dantes. He looked human, but then...something changed and he wasn't. I don't know...maybe it was just me and my mind playing tricks on me. I had a sharp pain when I saw him and my body seemed to shimmer away. I could be wrong."

"Yes, I was having some trouble holding you in place and then something happened. You disappeared from my control for a moment and I couldn't sense you. I had to pull you back. Was there anything else?"

"Yeah...He knew I was there," Elyssa responded. Just the thought of it, and him, sent shivers up and down her spine.

"He saw you?"

"Saw me...sensed me...I don't know. He also mentioned you guys though. Could it be another demon?"

Annette was already lost deep in thought and it took her a short time to respond, "It sounds like it. And not just a normal one either. For him to know of your presence there...This demon might be more powerful than any we've faced yet."

"This isn't good," Annette continued, "especially with Shannon gone, my mom incapacitated, and you without your powers."

"I've got powers," Elyssa retorted.

"Yes, but not the ones we need. Especially if this demon is as powerful as I fear."

Elyssa let out a deep sigh. She didn't want to get into it at the moment, especially with how much time had passed since she last saw Annette and everything else going on.

"So what do we do?" she asked Annette.

"I don't know but we have to figure it out fast."

"Oh no," Elyssa suddenly exclaimed as she stood up.

"What? What is it?"

"Dantes, he was rushing out of the house. I saw him when I was out of my body," Elyssa exclaimed.

"My mom," Annette said horrified, "Is she okay?"

"I don't know. I didn't see her..."

Elyssa started for the door, and then stopped when she realized Annette wasn't right behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder to see her struggling to get to her feet. She also noticed Annette trying to hide her forearm which was now almost completely black from being infected by whatever disease the shadow creatures used to control their hosts.

"Annette...your arm..."

Annette forced herself to her feet as if in defiance of what was happening to her body. Her eyes locked on Elyssa's as she smiled grimly.

"I'm fine."

In spite of her words, something about her voice was off. She didn't seem fine at all. Before Elyssa could say another word, Annette was pushing past her and into the hallway. For a split second, Elyssa could have sworn she saw Annette's eyes turn a pitch black as an almost demonic grin crossed her face. Things were definitely not fine, and she wondered if she had made a mistake in ignoring the warning to trust no one.