Don`t Scare him, Moggie. 1 "I am fine." Elayne said honestly. "Something has happened to me, but I am fine now that you're here. And you are alive. Everything is clear now."\r\n \r\n There was this market that the young woman always enjoyed going to. It was always on sundays and it normally meant a far drive down to the beach, but it was a nice little farmers market. Living in Moorpark, it was not too much of a hassle to take the freeway and cut down through the side streets until she made her way to Rose Avenue, then follow that down to the cross street where the sign for the marker usually sat at the side of the rode. It was then strait drive down for a mile of though strawberry and asparagus fields until you head a suburb area and the Port Hueneme naval base. A black farther was the harbor, and in the parking lot next to the boats was the market.\r\n \r\n "Alex... and I know that's not your name now, but.. Alex. Like this, I am part of the mana. I am part of the world, and I can see the entire Web as clearly as you see me. Alex.. you are needed elsewhere. I can no longer selfishly keep you here. It will break my heart when I awake, Derik, but I must let you go back to your home."\r\n \r\n Leah walked back out to the stage. Behind were was Margie and some of the seasonal cast. For the few brief seconds she as behind the curtain she had managed to wipe off some of the make up and remove her wig. As she stood there now, the floor lights still glowing on her, she could feel everyoneís eyes on her as they clapped and cheered. As always in these types of performances, the sweat was now dripped from her face.\r\n Margie was kind enough to meekly smile at the young woman and pressed on her shoulder gently. The costume was made out of light material, but cloak was heavy and her upper body was soaked from sweat. The older woman loosened her grip as she found her palm covered in sweat. Still, it was a nice feeling to have her by her side. \r\n \r\n "I can not feel for myself here." Elayne said, smiling. "I can only sense. And I see that for you, Alex, great peril awaits your return. And I will lay awake many nights wondering of your fate. And should you live, and continue your life as it was, I will feel despair knowing I have lost you forever."\r\n \r\n It was nice-these apples were huge and tasted wonderful. The problem was that they were a almost a dollar a piece, but they were worth it. Every weekend that Leah came to the market she always at least bough one apple for lunch before going back home. Those and the sweet bread. The small Mexican bakery on the other side of town always had a booth in the marking lot to sell the nicest loaves of sugary cakes anyone could ever sink their teeth into. She always got a dozen of those, some apples, and some little trinket. This weekend she was thirsty so she got a frozen smoothie.\r\n \r\n ìLeah has an announcement,î spoke Margie behind the girl. The woman smiled faintly and grinned nervously. This was really the first time she ever had the crowd follow her every move outside of her performance. Was is going to be like this now? Was everyone going to watch her constantly?\r\n She looked out into the crowd and smiled. It was a decent sized crowd, most of the theater was filled. Some of the faces she could make out looked familiar to her now, as many came to see the production every week. For a moment her smile faded. Could she really be doing this? It frightened her to see how much control she had over the people. The young woman clasped at her chest.\r\n \r\n "It feels so right." Elayne said softly.\r\n \r\n A flock of ducks floated in the harbor down the pile of works that were underneath her feet. She sat there for a moment watching the ripples in the water. The hues of teal and green shimmering from the noon sunlight brought her to a sense of warmth and tranquility she had lost in recent days. Why did she feel so empty? She had to move on, she couldnít play the role forever. It was the chance of a lifetime-a movie! As far back as Leah could recall, she always wanted to be in a movie.\r\n One by one the ducks dove under the water to search for food. The young woman ran her hand through her hair as she looked at the water birds. For a moment she wished she could simply dive into the water and not worry about swimming back up. She smiled at her idea. How great it would be to be in the water and never have to worry about breathing.\r\n \r\n Leah sighed. She paused for a moment to find the rights words to say it--she had them all planned ut but now everything was a garbled mess in her head. Finally, she decided to simply opening her mouth and let it all out.\r\n "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight was my last performance as Elayne in A Prince in Aryth," she said at last. There was gasps and a few oaths, but her eyes did not hear them. She then continued on with her rambled speech.\r\n "It has been a great three years with the Moorpark Musical Theater; it has been a time that has taught me so much and I shall never forget. Everyone has been wonderful, and I must thank all of you for coming to see me sing and perform. But I have to move on now." She paused to find the words, only the finish with, "I only hope that I can entertain you as well on the screen as I do on the stage. Thank you very much." "That is true. In that case, it simply is right." As the elevator door opened to her floor, the young woman gave a small grunt and she heaved the bag of produce more securely into her arms. Digging for her keys in her kean pocket, the woman's eyes narrowed as she came to her door. Lean nearly dropped her bag of fruit as she looked at the paper that was tapped to her door. In cut out letters very large on the sheet, someone had spelled out, "treasonous bitch!". She quickly ripped the paper from her apartment door and went inside. Closing the door shut, she sighed. She didn't need this. There was too much on her mind right now. The young woman placed her bag on the table and went into her bed room. There she found herself tossing her body onto the bed. She herd the cat somewhere welp for food. Suddenly she felt so tried. Leah closed her eyes. On Monday she was going to be in a movie, she thought to herself. On Monday she was going to be a star. For once, she thought, everything was going it a good direction. She only needed to keep on the track to get her there. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 2 "Don't worry," muttered Ruben as the two walked down the corridor, "you'll do great. The only difference is that you have to remember to speak normal and look to the person, not the audience." Leah didn't speak. She was nervous. The young woman rand her hand though her hair, trying to remember her lines. She spent all of Sunday memorizing them for the week. She had a good idea of what she was saying as it was--she had been though the process of casting, and for some reason they liked how she spoke the words. She wasn't really the person you would consider for the part, but she had this weak quality to her voice that they claimed was person for the role of Rhea. "Yes sir," she muttered to herself. Today was the first day, and she only had one line. She began to wonder if she had done the right thing--give up the stage for one line. Ruben opened the door for the young woman. Leah smiled at him. He was a nice man, his face was old and very expressive--the expressions he gave was very fatherly. Leah had always liked him, and she was happy Margie had advised her to get him as an agent. After all, he did get her this role. "Ah, Mr. Gilreath! It's been sometime since I saw you last. I remember when you were still right out of acting school, and look at you now," he spoke, grinning as the man abruptly twirled around and shook Ruben's hand. He wore a grey suit and stood almost a foot taller then the older man. He was the director. "Ruben, it has been a while. I was surprised when I was told that the casting crew had one of your talents in the production. Please, be gentle on my had there, friend," spoke the director with a weak smile. The older man looked down to see he was shaving a bandaged hand. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't even notice--I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling back his grip. Gilreath shrugged. "It's alright," he explained, turning and peering into a crowd and workers. He sharped his eyes to pick out someone and bring him over. "Hey Matt, I want you to take Miss Fields to costume and get her ready, could you do that for me?" he spoke as the man came up. Nodding, the aid turned to Leah and tilted his head. "This way, follow me," she spoke, turning around. The two soon were lost in the crowd of workers once more. Gilreath turned back to the agent, nodding faintly to himself. ìWell,î he spoke in a finalizing tone, ìIt was good to see you again Ruben. As I was saying to Michael here-ì spoke the director as he pointed to the person who stood next to him, ìwe may have a good character for Leah to play, if she is up to it.î ìYeah, Iím known for my poor torturing sadistic roles,î muttered Michael with a grin. The man was dressed in almost all back, and seemed to almost fit the part he was describing. He wasnít as tall as Gilreath, and he held a larger frame. The two next to each other made for an interesting comparison. ìWell, Leah is a excellent actress, she can do whatever you give her. Do an old friend a favor and make good use of her, ok?î asked Ruben to the two. Michael smiled. ìI think I have just the thing for her in this movie. You see, Iíve bene playing around with this idea of what to do-well, you see,î spoke the young man. Gilreath gave him a pro with his elbow, making both gentlemen grin with excitement. ìIn any case, it should be a good show,î spoke the director, digging though his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small envelope and handed it to the agent. ìThis came for Fields today. I havenít gotten anyone to deal with fan mail, so Iíll let you give it to her,î he explained. Rubens nodded. ìIíll make sure to do that. Well, good luck on your movie, and you better make Leah a star, she has that same qualities I saw in you so many years back,î explained Ruben, shaking the directors hand again, this time more gently. ìIíll make sure of it. It was nice seeing you again as well Ruben,î replied Gilreath. Nodding, the agent began to make his way out, only to pause and turn around. ìOh hey-could you point me to the restroom?î he asked, almost sheepishly. Michael paused to gesture to his left. ìThat way, the second door. Oh, and help yourself to the buffet table before you leave,î spoke the writer. The agent nodded and lost himself in the crowd of set construction and lighting workers. The young woman tugged down on her skirt. It was very short for a professional looking working womanís dress, but that was the part she had to play. They made t easy on her and named the character Rhea, hoping that it sounded close enough for the woman to remember her cues. She was a director of resources for a prison in the movie, and the main characterís love interest. From what she read there were very few love scene at all, although the final script had not been fully handed to her yet. The first few weeks of production was always somewhat disorganized and chaotic. ìMatt, you still waiting for me?î asked the woman to the door. The dressing room was something not more then a closet, but it was at least privacy. Matt knocked back on the door. "Yeah, I am. I went back to check with Paul, the assistant direct, and he says they are ready for you after we stop by makeup." The door to the dressing room opened, and out stepped a well dressed Leah, somewhat nervous. She turned to Matt and smiled. She blushed almost at once as she found the manís eyes were looking her over. "Well, letís get you to makeup, then youíll be ready for today. Follow me," he explained turned around. The two began to weave though the series of wires and gadgets that made up the set. It was a science fiction movie, and there was a lot of electrical devices used. Finally after bumping into two people, Leah found herself in a seat before a mirror. "I have to admit," spoke Matt, watched at the makeup artist began to get to work, "I have been a big fan of yours for a while. I always used to watch you perform in Moorpark. You were great as Elayne," he explained. Leah smiled. "Well thanks," she spoke, trying not to move her face too much. The makeup man began to pen in the lipstick and eye shadow. "I was suppose to explain to you about the movie and sets, but I donít really have much time today or tomorrow," he went onto say. He turn pulled out a small card from his pocket. "Iíll give this to you, it has my number on it. Maybe later this week we can have lunch and I can explain everything to you. Sound good?" "Yeah," said Leah as the makeup man leaned to grab a different brush. Matt nodded. "Good," he muttered, smiling. It was only then that Leah came to realized she was she up for a lunch date. As she opened her mouth to retract her- "My god, heís bleeding!" screamed a man after a large bang went off. Everyone jumped from their places to crowd around the fallen person. Leah quickly squeezed though everyone to find Ruben on the floor with bloody hands. "That letter," he muttered before passing out. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 3 "The doctor said he was not injured too seriously, just a few bad cuts. So there's no need to really make a big mess out of it," explained Margie as the two women sat in Leah's kitchen. A large white cat jumped onto the table, and Leah imemately grabbed at the cat and begasn to pet it. "My little Chery, how are you today?" asked leah as the cat came and rubbed it's cheek agaisnt her hand. Leah smiled. "You know though," she began to mutter as she looked down at the furry white cat, "that letter was meant for me. What if I opened it?" "But you didn't, and tha the thing. Look, Ruben has been in this business for a while, he know's what he's doing. Some people think you've sold out, and they don't know how to deal with it, that's all. Just be careful, ok?" Leah nodded, petting the cat. Her glance turned to her window. Dow below the cars were driving by, and the streets were filled with noises. She used to always sit here, thinking bout the last performance, and sing a song from it in her head. After the first week she told herself never to pet those slongs play in her mind anymore. Now everythig seemed much more quiet as she stared out. It seemed almost disjointed. "I almost forgot to mention--a producer is picking up A Prince in Aryth and is bringing to to boradway. Isn't that wonderful? I'm not sure if he's planning to use the the orginal cast or not," explained Margie. "Oh, how fun," whispered the woman as she turned away. Did she miss her chance now? Perhaps the producer wantred her to keep the role. She could have been on broadway--broadway! But now she was stuck in this movie. She was beginign to hate it. The word was that it was agoing to be a blockbuster hit, but it had every aspect of B movie quality she could think of. There was an attempt to make it more intelectual, but it was done is the most perverse manners. She looked at her tiled floor. What is that which wasd bugging her? That scene--could she have really agreed to do it. She told herself that is was common place, and if she was to be a good actress, she had to be willing to do anything but-- "They were telling me that tomarrow will be a very challenging shoot," explained Leah to her friend. Maggige looked at the younger female with curiosoty. "To show the weakness of my character and the dominance other characters have over me, they want me to do a rape scene. They said that it was very key to the development of my character, so I agreed. I mean... they have done so much for me as it is--they even gave me an advance on my paycheck so I could pay for this week's rent. But... but..." "Leah, you don't have to do anything darling," spoke Margie as she clasped to younger woman's hand. She clasped it very tightly, which made Leah almost nervous. "We can talk to the producers, talk to Ruben, you'll see," she explained, standing up. She scratched and pushed her chair back in. She began to slowly maker her way to the door. "Well, I got to catch the buss, so I'll see you tomorrow maybe. We'll get this all straitened out," coaxed the woman as she grabbed her belongings. Leah opened the door for the older lady. "Thanks Margie, you're a blessing," muttered Leah as they departed. Closing the door, she sighed and turned on the television. She dropped herself into the couch, face down. "Chairman Travis, what do you make of the use of the ingredients so far?" asked one man to the other on the television. The other man cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, many of the contestants have meed good use to the items, while others were somewhat vague with them. I can't really say I'm too thrilled just yet, but I want to wait and see how some things develop when tossed in the oven really. It's when it all gets into the fire that every really baked and comes together," he explained. "That is an excellent insight," spoke the announcer, turned away from the chairman. "Remember views at home, the key to cooking is how you sue the ingredients--a true gourmand knows not to toss everything in at once, but to let it--" The screen when blank. Leah didn't really care at the moment, as she gave another depressed breath. How many things could go wrong today, she wondered. Slowly she raised herself from the white vinyl couch at looked at the screen. "I absolutely refuse to do it!" screamed an image of Elayne from the televison. Leah gasped. Startled, the image vanished only to show the cooking show once more. The woman cringed. No more television or now, she thought with reflection. She got up to turn off the TV. "Can chef Mogimoto defeat the Iron Chief? Stay turned to find out!" "Sannio," same a feminine voice to the man's mind. He began to toss about in his bed. As he laid there the young man tried his best to convince himself that it was a dream, and he wasnít really hearing the voice. "Sannio," spoke the woman once more. No. The voice wasn't real. he didn't have to obey it. it was so dark out. How late was it? The red glow of his alarm clock glazed everything over in a glossy shade of rose. He reached to turn the small black box closer to his face, but found a feminine hand grasping his. "Sannio," said the woman a third time, handing the man a mask. Instinctively, the man put the mask on. He slowly stat up in the quiet morning hour and looked at the feminine apparition before him. "Ah, there's my Sannio!" cried Elayne with glee. She looked at the man with appreciation and affection as she floated over the side of his bed, looking down at him. "I want you to grant me a wish, Sannio," whispered the woman as she sank her body down to the floor. Clasping her hands folded close to her belly, she looked down to the ground and made her request. "You see Mr. Sannio, I came a long way out of Aryth just to see you, and I was really hoping you can do this small favor for me. In my nation, my people adore me and love me, but in this dimension, my double is ruining my image. She's a nice girl and all... but.... I can't have her ruin me. I'm not like her," explained the red haired woman as she searched inside of her for the words. Sannio said nothing but only watched the woman with a strange fixed glare. "I know you can help me--you're the only one! I'm all alone now, since my prince has gone away.... I need your help. I need you to take care of those who are trying to ruin me. trying to ruin us. It's not a selfish request.... I want the people to like me, and I can't do that with her acting the way she does. Can you do this for me?" "I'll do anything for you," he spoke at last. delighted, she gave the man a warm hug, floating her legs in the air. "Thank you! I knew I could depend on you!" she whispered though tears. The woman began to pull away, vanishing into the darkness of the room. Sannio sat there for a few more moments, still glancing out into nothingness. Slowly he began to pull off the whole porcelain white mask and drop it to the floor. "Yes sir," he muttered, falling back onto his bed. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 4 "Yes sir," spoke incubus as he bowed to Natas. Succubus did so as well. Taking a deep breath the warden stood. He turned to the transparent seraphim wall. I was a wonderful day outside, the sun was only now falling over the ocean. the tall dark haired man peered quietly at the water, watching the waves ripple to the cliff side. He folded his arms behind his back and stood there ridged, not disturbed by anything. "I believe that is all. You two are dismissed," muttered Natas to the duo. Both nodded and filed out of the office. "You were scared, weren't you?" asked Incubus to the woman. Rhea shrugged. "He's kinda creepy Richard. I don't like him too much," she explained. The two walked down the hallway of the large prison. "Do you like me?" he asked her. She smiled weakly and blushed. "Yes of course, you always treat me well," she spoke, the words coming to her lips without thinking. Richard smiled and twirled to cut to the woman off. "How much do you like me Rhea?" he asked, smirking devilishly as he leaned against the wall. The woman stepped back. This wasn't the pace or the time for the games again. "But we have work to do," she spoke, nervously. The larger man looked down at the woman, petting her hair. She did her best not to cringe. She kept telling herself it wasn't right. "So? We're in charge. No one is here, no one will know." "But..." "Damn you!" he hollered, pounding the wall. The woman pulled back, only to be grabbed by her brother. "Listen, I know you're always horny, you're such a slut. I know you want it... so why fight it? I can see it in your eyes. This excites you, doesn't it? You little slut..." Richard grabbed the woman and slammed her against the wall. Her head bounced against the plastic barrier with a thud. "Oh! I'm sorry sorry! Did that hurt?" exclaimed the man with an expression of worry. "Cut!" cried out the director. Leah loosened her body and rubbed her head. Someone in the mob of aids gave a large laugh. She looked out into the crown to pick out Ruben and Margie, looking on at her nervously. "Hey, Dustin, you're a rapist, you don't care if she's hurt. You understand that?" yelled out Gilreath. The man nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that," he muttered. Everyone began to get back into their places. "Ok, one more time," spoke the director. Quickly the lighting was back in place and the attack was commencing once more. "Look at me bitch," he swore as she pressed her more against the wall. Rhea turned her head away. Infuriated, Richard grabbed her by the neck and held her up. "I said look at me bitch!" he yelled once more, pulling on his belt. Enraged he tugged on it some more. Gasping for breath, the woman looked at the man with fear. "Ok, stop," muttered Gilreath. Dustin slouched his shoulders and turned around. "What's keeping you?" asked the director to the actor. Dustin grimaced sheepishly. "Well, the damn belt got stuck. Sorry about that," he muttered. Sighing, the director raised his hand. "Ok, loosen it and we'll start again," he muttered. The actor did so and then turned back to Leah. "Are you ok? I'm sorry about all this," he spoke. Leah faintly smiled. "It's ok, you're only doing you job," she spoke. Again, Dustin sighed and grabbed the woman's neck. the lighting came up again. "You slut... you always took it before... I should make you suck it..." he muttered, pulling down his pants. Rhea gasped as the man pulled up her skirt and raised her against the wall. Tugging on her legs, she bit her lip as she felt it. tears began to roll out of her eyes with each thrust. The lights began to become brighter as she stared blankly into the crowd. As her eyes became increasingly glazed over, all noises, the grunts and the moans, turned to a mute hum. Everything was slowly turning to an embossed silver image, and eventfully it all faded into a bright whiteness. There was some colors, the hues of flowers and a perfect sky. She was away from it all, away from the pain and the confusion. It was a pretty place, filled with flowers and the aromas of so many different wonderful fragrances. It was a happy place where lavender butterflies swopped though an air filled of dandelion blossoms. She smiled. She was happy here. It was warm. Where was here? She looked around the endless fields for any sign of life. Besides the insects and the swallows, there was very little. She began to walk in the wasteland of flowers and grasshoppers, only to wonder how far she would have to go to find anything. It was quiet in this land of daises and posies except for the call of the golden swifts that swooped down and glided across the tops of the brush. She walked, not really knowing where to go. After some time she stopped to look up at the sky. The Sun was bright and as perfectly yellow as a crayon. The light it shined down her felt good, but too good. Everything was too perfect. She didn't belong there. That thought kept coming to her. This was an Eden, and she didn't belong. She belonged back at her apartment in Tarzana. She belonged in the move set in Burbank. She belonged anywhere but here. "That's because I belong here, silly," spoke a familiar childish voice. From above her head a figure flipped and landed before her in the field. It was Elayne. "I told you, didn't I? You shouldn't have done it. Now look what's going to happen! She spoke, adjusting her long red hair. Leah stepped back, lost for words. "What do you mean?" she asked, confused. The ride haired woman stopped closer and patted the poor girl on the cheek. "This is Aryth, this is my world. You don't belong here anymore. You belong back in your hole. Filthy people don't belong here. You're to dirty to be here anymore," she explained. "No! I'm not dirty!" cried out Leah. The magical red haired beauty began to mutter a spell under her breath. "I'm so sorry, but you're wrong. You are a slut now. No one likes a slut," she explained. Leah fell to her knees. "Why is this happening to me?" he question, running her hands though her blond hair furiously. A small black ball of energy grew in the other woman's hand. She came closer to Leah now, smiling in an almost motherly manner. "Don't worry, I can send you back now. I'll make it all better," she whispered. With the hand engulfed in blackness, she tapepd the woman on the shoulder. A shock pulsed thoughout her body. Swiftly all things turned to darkness. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 5 "Leah?" asked Ruben as she tapped the woman on the back. She jumped up. "Oh, I'm sorry," she muttered, turned around to seethe older man looking at her curiously. With a sigh of relief, the agent smiled at the younger woman gently. "I can take you home today, if you'd like," he spoke early. It was obvious to the woman that he was hiding his shame from her. She smiled meekly. The poor man, why did he feel the shame? She agreed to do it. She began to feel sorry for the guy, Margie raised hell for him. "Where is Margie?" she asked suddenly. Ruben scratched behind his year. "Oh, well she had some business to take care off, so she left early. Did you want that ride Leah?" he asked once more. The girl nodded. "All right, that sounds good," she spoke. The two began to make their way to the parking lot. It was getting dark now, as the day's shoot was a long one. Walking out of the set building, the man found himself fumbling with his keys in his pocket. "Listen, Leah I--" The younger woman turned to the man and smiled gently. He smiled back, and gave a sigh. There really wasn't much he could say. "Are you hungry?" he asked. Immediately the woman's eyes lit up. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. The last time she ate was early morning, and she was starving now. The older man smiled. "Ever been to Pinky's? It's out of the way, but they make great hot dogs. If you're going to be a star, you have to at least eat and Pinky's once," Ruben explained. He paused at the door of his BMW. "Well, what do you say?" asked Ruben. Leah nodded. "Sounds good, let's go eat!" she said. Ruben smiled as she got into his car. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Hopefully the rest of the production can only go much of easier. Michael scratched his head. It was a long day, and it was happy he had finally finished the movie script. He flickered the particles between his fingers to the ground. Dandruff. All and all, although he looked somewhat of a wreck, he was content with his little story. it was amusing to say the least. The man paused the strain his years. Singing. Who in the world could be singing at this hour, he wondered. Walking though the underground parking lot, the young man began to cough as he tried not to think about it. Yet, the sound was becoming more and more unnerving. As he stood by the elevator, the singing only become more louder and more expressive. It was a ballad, that was for certain, although the words were muffled. "Hello?" he asked, turning around. No one answered, but the music continued. Shrugging, the dark dressed man turned back to face the elevator door. The music became louder. The door opened. Michael's eyes widened as he recognized the person in the elevator. He began to pace back, only to see that the man dressed in loose black lather only stood there, looking at him. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked. The man didn't respond. The door to the elevator began to close as both men looked at each other speechless. There was a small gong that echoed down the parking complex as the elevator closed. The young man simply stood there, dumbfounded. What was this all about? He could feel his hands becoming more clammy. The second elevator door opened, and a woman stepped out. Sighing, Michael went for the second elevator. The door closed. "That was spooky," he muttered to himself, leaning against the elevator wall. He grabbed his arm. The writer wasn't really in the mood for dumb jokes, and he really hoped this didn't go much further. He had gotten that letter earlier, mostly a rant of stupid curses and things he couldn't make out. The elevator slowly came to a pause. How badly did he simply want to get out of the open and into his bath. He adjusted his clothes as the door opened. Again, his eyes widened. There, blocking his way was the large leather covered man. A bright white porcelain mask covered his face, but a set of enraged violet eyes looked at him. "What do you want?" muttered Michael, stepping back into the elevator. He didn't speak. He stepped into the small moving room, looking down upon the man. Michael cringed. "Are you trying to scare me? Say something dammit!" she spoke, now becoming frantic. the man reached into a pocket. The brown haired man drew back into the corner as much as she could. Out came a small set of head phones. Putting them on, the man began to play the ballad that echoed in the parking lot before. He stood there listening. Michael only looked on with discontent. As they came back down to the parking lot floor, the door opened. This time the man wouldn't let the writer out. "I'm leaving," muttered the man as he tried to push his way past the larger masked menace. The larger black leather man only pressed his hand out and pushed him back on the chest. "Well, bloody hell, what do you want from me?" asked the writer, now vexed. The man reached behind his back. As the ballad went on. Michael gave a nervous sigh. "If you think that--" There was pain. The writer looked down to see that he was now sliced open. It took an instant for this fact to process though is brain, and as it did a few more jabs were flung into the man's shoulder and neck. Creaming, the main failing himself to the ground. Blood smeared against the elevator walls. The black suited monster did not flicnh but continued to stab and swing, this this time more to the man's head. Soon he was too mutilated to yell, only to feel the pain. The elevator door closed. It was late, no one saw anything. The music still sung inside the man's ears. Elayne's voice enticed him and lulled him into a brooding violent dream. He began to breath heavily. The body slumped down now, the face pressed onto the cold floor. He looked at the writer, not speaking but glaring. Sannio pulled off the headfphones. Puckig up the man, he sat him up in the corner. He placed the music over the man's years, knocking off a chunk of one. He rested the CD player in the man's hand and lap. That was better, he thought. The then turned around and waited. The elevator was slowely going to the roof. As the door opened, Sannio stepped out into the cold chilled night. he stood there, looking over the city. Urban sprawl. He hated it. Perhaps, he thoguht, with his power, he could clear it all out. He knew were all the secret seraphim were. he coudl grab a yphon and blow it all away. The wind began to blow ahrd, and his losoe lather trappings began to flap. The masked man began to walk into the night. Elayne had wished, and he had promises to keep. Tomarrow was going to be a very busy day. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 6    "I understand.   I see what you are saying very clearly.   But you seeñwe are all inside a shellñwe to various degrees try to break out, and, as we reach the all, the shock of us hitting breaks us loose forward past our barrier, or stuns us into submission. Or, we hit so hard forward that we desire to go back and back until we fall backwards and break out of the wall behind us.   Thenñ you see! Then you are unstoppable. Then you cannot be detained because there are no walls to detain you!"    "Yes, that's right, I was in the Theater for the last two years," spoke Leah to the host.   She smiled sweetly as she patted the man's hand.   "yeah, I played Elayne in the original production of A Prince of Aryth.   I wanted to get the role of Sliver, but they told me that I wasn't commanding enough.   So next week I came back after dying my hair read and I got the part!"    "My reaper comes.   My blessed reaper comes. He shall cure everything, bless his soul.   Bless his dear sweet soul..."    "You have to understand,   the unfortunate fate of Mr. LeMay is very sad, but we cannot let that hinder us.   I see all the people working on this move with me, and I tell myself every day-- have to keep going for them.   They're work is dependant on me.     You know what I mean?"    "In so many ways we weave the threads life across the empty morning sky.   Am I to wonder, now that I have created such foulness, what would have become of me if I had only woven differently?   Alas, if   I wondered that at the point before all this, I would have assumed the very same thing I do now.   There was, and ever shall be, nothing left for me.   Nothing but the only desire I hold inside this bleak insulating body.     Peer upon me nowñam I temple, or am I tomb?   Perhaps if I only pierce myself and see my contents, I would know...   Oh! But look! My loving reaper comes for me!"        "Oh, I can't really tell you what happens, can I?     Let's just say the story starts like one thing, but then it gets weird.     It's like a lot of what Mr. LeMay used to write, and I think his fans would be happy.   You'll have to go and see it."    "White knight, of all people I know you will forgive me, for I was checkmated, and yet I still carried out the game for the longest time. Nowñ" the masked figure griped Zionís daggered hand tightly and quickly pulled it with all his might into his chest, "ñnow the game ends."    "Thanks for having me on your show!   I hope you all enjoy my movie!"   she explained as the cameras pulled out.   As they began to go to the commercials, the host smiled and shook her head.    "Good luck miss," he added, smiling.   Leah smiled back.    Leah grimaced.   The blond haired woman looked out the window of the restaurant,   distant and alone.   Matt looked at her with the face of grave concern.   The two had sat in the restaurant for a while, but the woman had said little.      "Are you ok?" he asked the woman.     She didn't respond.   As she looked outside she twirled a piece of plastic leaf in her hands.   The sight made the young man loose his appetite.    "Leah!" he exclaimed.   The work jerked back to look at the man.    "I'm sorry," she muttered.   The woman did her best to try and smile.     Matt only looked at with in a fixed gaze of concern.   A waitress walked passed the two, dressed in a festive kimono.   She returned to put a small cup to green tea before the two.   Unthinkingly, the man began to sip on the green eat as he looked at the large Japanese wall scrolls.    "Leah, all you alright?" he asked.   The woman clasped her small cup to tea.    "Yeah, I'm ok.     Thanks for taking me here.   I've never been here before," she muttered.     She looked down at the ornate plate before her.     Why was it getting so hard to collect her thoughts?    "It's just that... everything is so demanding, you know?   I don't know If i can keep up with it all," she began to explain.   She paused to take another sip of her tea.    "Yeah, I know how that cam be.   Sometimes the world seems so overwhelming for me too," spoke Mat, smiling.   Leah smiled back.   She looked out the window to the busy street outside.    "Yeah, but the thing is--"    The woman's brows furrowed as a red haired nymph stood outside of the window, waving to her.     Leah cringed.     She shook her head.    "You ok?" asked Matt once more.   The blonde woman nodded.    "yeah, it's just that   they want me to do a photography shoot, and t's with this guy that likes to get people to pose nude.   I mean, it's not like it's pornography or anything, but--"    "Serves you right!" spoke Elayne.   The young woman jerked her head over to see the apparition   smile back at her, dressed in a kimono.   The tormentor twirled around for Leah to see the dress.    "Bye bye now!" she spoke, smiling.     Quickly s he floated out to the front door and outside, smiling all the while.    "Wait!"   yelled Leah, jumping out of her seat.     There was the sound of something crashing as she stumbled to the door and outside.   Frantically the woman looked around.   Nothing.     With heavy breaths she glared over the street once more. Where did that thing go?   Why was it doing this to her?    "Over here silly!   Can't you sense my mana? You weren't that good of a tane, were you?"   joked the woman from across the street.     Desperate, the girl pushed away some old man before her and ran into the street.   Cars honked their horns, she could hear the sounds of scratching tires.   Smiling devilishly, Elayne hovered and waited for the girl.   As Leah came inches from the girl, she began to fly though the crown of pedestrians on the busy street.    Leah could only zig zag her way though the crowd as she found herself pushing more and more people out of her way to keep up with the playful red haired vixen. The woman now floated backwards, while every now and then touching the ground as if to kick up for a skip.     As she found herself coming to another intersection, the young magical woman against stopped on the other side of the street.    "Come on... don't tell me I'm too fast for you, my sweet double," spoke the woman with a grin.     Leah snarled as she raced   though the people and into the street.     She was so close to the woman, the actress was ready to grab her and hold her still.     She didn't know why she was really chasing after her, only that--she had to know why.     Yes, she had to know why everything was happening.    There was a honking of a truck horn as Leah turned to see a large object come towards her.   Confused, she stood there staring into the headlights.     She brought her hands up to her face as she braced for the impact.     There was a small girlish giggle.   Swiftly everything became lost in bright white light.     Leah closed her eyes and waited to die. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 7    "That's perfect!" muttered the photographer as the camera light faded.     Leah leaned back in the chair.       She found herself clasping to her naked body, it was really cold.       The man   turned around to grab another camera and adjusted the lighting.    "So what brings you to these parts of town, stranger?   Looking to spring your men from the jail?   Brand some cattle?   I know a good place where you can put your hot rod..."    "See? This isn't too bad.     Just me and you," Travis spoke, trying to coax the woman.   Leah smiled.     By this time her grin was being so empty she could barely continue to keep up the game.    "Iím here for the taking Zionñlet me take your pain away for you. I canít stand to see that sadden face." spoke the she devil, mournfully.   Zion sighed.    "Play with your hair a little... yeah, that's good.   Now stand up and lean against the chair.     Yeah, prefect.   Tell me Miss Fields, what's your favorite animal?" he asked.   Leah did her best to hide behind the chair, but it helped little.    "I like small white furry cats," she spoke.   The man smiled.    "ok, I want you to pretend youíre holding a cat really close to you   but you don't want to show it to me... can you do that?   Yeah. that's good.     Don't be nervous.   It's just you and me.   Ok, lay down on the bed..."    "Sometimes before I go to sleep I see this strange man in my room.   I always at first think I am dreaming it, but then I get that feelingñhave you ever had it?   That feeling where you are thinking but nothing is happening, and then you wake and itís happening?"    "Ok, show me how you like to sleep in on a Sunday morning.   Yeah, that's nice..." the man muttered.     Leah began to stop caring much.     The sooner she got this done the better.   She held back a sigh.   She tried not to think.     That was the common practice--don't think, just do it.   She pulled open the bed sheets and dangled them across her naked body.    "Well, I sit there under my bed sheets and he stands in the corner and just looks at me!   Itís so frightening!     I always expect him to do something to me.. Just do something to me and get it over with.     But no.. He just looks down at me...   Zion! I canít stand it! I just canít stand it!" the maiden spoke, breaking into tears.    "ok, now I want you to sprawl out.   Yeah, just let it all out.   That's good," muttered the man as he took more pictures.     The young woman began to count how many cameras were left.   Hopefully this   would be done soon.    "Thank god, I thought I was going insane," she murmured.    "Wow, that was a good shoot, thanks for being so cooperative,"   spoke the photographer.   Leah grinned and shook the man's hand.    "It was my pleasure," she spoke.   She grabbed a robe and walked away to put on her clothes.   The man couldn't help but watch her leave.    The woman stared at her door.   She stood there, thinking.     What day was it again?   She couldn't remember.     All she knew what that the really wanted to take a shower.       The opened the door to her apartment with a sigh.   There were too many sighs.   She was so exhausted.     The door creaked open onto a dark room.    The lighted blinked on.   She dropped her purse on the couch and went to her bedroom at once.   She tossed off her jacket and plopped herself on the bed.   The woman was tried.     Everything was making her feel more and more in a deep dark hole.     At her finger tips she felt the soft while fluff of her cat.   She began to pet the kitty.    "Ah, Cherry, how are you today?   Sleep on my bed all day?" she asked.   She petted the cat some more.     As she sat up,   the young woman grabbed for the cat and held it close to her chest.   She squeezed it tightly.    "Cherry, you're such a sweet cat--why are you acting so limp like this?   Cherry?" she spoke, holding the cat out before her.   She gazed into a pair of cold cat eyes looking upwards.   She shook the cat.   It didn't stir.    She dropped the cat's body down.   She fell down to her bed.     She cried.     She sobbed.   She grew restless and beat her firsts on her pillow.   then she stood up, and staggered to her bathroom.    "I never wanted any of this!" she yelled, knocking down all the small trinkets on the dresser.   A pile of small porcelain cats fell to the ground with a crash.         She found herself attacking the hangers in her closet, the posters on her wall.    "I didn't wanted to do it!   I didn't--but how could I tell them that?   huh?   How can I tell all those people I wanted to let them all down?"   she spoke with sobs.   Exhausted, she found herself lowering her body against the door frame.     Her face now red and puffy, she began to wipe away the tears from her eyes.    She sat there, looking out to the living room.   Her hand wandered around the carpet, training a trail over and over again with her finger.   As she went, her wrist bumped into a small little trinket.     Clasping onto ut, the brought it to her chest and held onto it tightly.     She began to pet the small porcelain cat figure she held in her hands.     She knew it wasn't real, but it soothed her.     It would keep her going until tomorrow at least.   The woman stuffed it into her pocket.    After some time she finally stood.     She walked into her bathroom.   She turned on the shower.   She stepped in.     She stepped out.   She took off her clothes.   She stepped back in.     She smiled despite herself.     What a nut she was becoming.    The movie was   getting into it's final stages, and then she could take a break.   She just had to hang in there, she thought.       Leah placed a small droplet of shampoo in her palm and began to   message it into a   lather.   She began to wash her hair. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 8    The photographer projected that last series at the wall.   These were the last pictures to be looked at, and then he would make his final selection to send them to the magazine.     He still needed one for the cover though.     Travis scratched his head.       The one on the wall was very pleasing to the male eye, that was for certain.   He REALLY like her breasts, he thought.    With a press of a button another projected onto the wall. This was a decent--it had a nice rose color to it.     Still, it showed a little fur, and that was never good for a magazine cover.     The photographer rubbed his chin.     Maybe they could air brush that out?     He thought about cropping.     How much could they take off without losing the effect from the curves to her body?   He really liked the photo though.    The doorbell rang.     The man graced across his studio apartment to the door.   He looked though the peephole to see who stood outside.    "Finally, that damn pizza came," he spoke, opening the door.     He dug though his pocket for the cash.    "Hey--what the hell is this?   Halloween?" asked the photographer as she looked at the man's face.   Under the pizza hat the man wore a while mask.   He stood there for a moment, looking at the expression behind the mask.     He waited fro the man to say something, but there was no voice to the be herd.   Eventually the   pizza man tossed the box inside.    "What is this?" asked Travis, stepping to grab the pizza box.   As he did do, the figure took the opportunity to kick him in the stomach, knocking the man back into he living room.   His body spasimed on the gray carpet floor.      "The bloody hell!" he hollered, trying to stand up.   Staggering,   he felt a butcher knife lash across his face.     There was another kick, and the man went flying over the sofa and to the wall.     he tried to get up, blinded from the projector light.     He was still shocked too--what was going on?   Why was this happening to him?    One eye cut up, the photographer did he best to try and look at the man, only to see the silhouette of him from the light of the projector.       He punched the man back,   the person's body seemed almost unmovable.   There was as jab to the gut, and Travis reached down to feel his blood spilling out of him.   With another kick the photographer fell to the ground.     The figure now hovered over him, slashing at his neck and face.    Cast in the image of Leah's naked body, the dark figure went to work at lashing open the in individual.     He still fought death with every blow, racing to the masked man's hand s and wrist with what feeble movements he could put into his batters and cut limbs.      It was with his last bit of energy he managed to slap the mask off the figure. There, enraged and lost in the deed while hovering over the bleeding man, was Leah.   Her face lit up by the image of her body, she jabbed at him one more, again and again.     She didn't think, she simply acted.       More and more she jabbed, until her arms ached from the heavy blade.     She began to breath deeply.        Her mind was shattered.   Her thoughts were broken.   This was too much for her.   By far too much.   She had done everything asked of her, and all it brought back with it was the pain of knowing she had lost something--something so deep inside her that the little red haired woman would smile and laugh at her foolishness.     She wasn't Elayne, she was Sannio.     Sannio was strong at least.   Sannio could do things that neither herd no Elayne had the ability of doing.    Tired, she slumped her body over the man's bloody corpse.   She wiped the perspiration off of her face.     The rose color of her skin now looked crimson case against the blood coverd face of the woman.       She ran her hands across her face, wiping away every last bit of her former self. Don't Scare him, Moggie. 9    Leah grimaced.   The blond haired woman looked out the window of the restaurant,   distant and alone.   Matt looked at her with the face of grave concern.   The two had sat in the restaurant for a while, but the woman had said little.      "Are you ok?" he asked the woman.     She didn't respond.   As she looked outside she twirled a piece of plastic leaf in her hands.   The sight made the young man loose his appetite.    "Leah!" he exclaimed.   The work jerked back to look at the man.    "I'm sorry," she muttered.   The woman did her best to try and smile.     Matt only looked at with in a fixed gaze of concern.   A waitress walked passed the two, dressed in a festive kimono.   She returned to play a small cup to great rea before the two.   Unthinkingly, the man began to sip on the green eat as he looked at the large Japanese wall scrolls.    "Leah, all you all right?" he asked.   The woman clasped her small cup to tea.    "Yeah, I'm ok.     Thanks for taking me here.   I've never been here before," she muttered.     She looked down at the ornate plate before her.     Why was it getting so hard to collect her thoughts?    "What do you mean--we were here last week.   Don't you remember?   We had green tea just like this," he spoke, sipping his tea.     The woman's hand began to tremble.     Matt looked at his friend, wondering what was going on in her head.    "Leah?"   he asked once more.     The woman shattered her cup.    "Am I bleeding?   Is this my blood?     Didn't I die when the truck hit me?" muttered the young lady as she examined her bleeding hands.   Matt had jumped up by now to wipe away the blood.    "Leah... you're not well, are you?" he asked, The woman didn't respond.   Matt sat back down.   He looked at the woman with the gravest of concern.    "Listen...   I'm going to give you something, but you can't tell anyone I have it to you... it's this secret medicine," he explained, pulling out a small orange medicine bottle.   he placed it on the table.    "It's this stabilizer... it only being tested right now, the NDA doesn't even know about it.   hell, there's only like two people in the Los Angeles area who even uses it, me and this one woman.   I use it when I feel... unstable, and it works wonders. I want you to have it," he explained.   The woman still didn't speak.    "Ok, I'll just put it in your purse," he said, leaning over and dropping it in.     Leah watched as he did so.   She smiled.    "Thanks," she blurted out.   Matt smiled.    "Are you excited though?" he spoke, trying to change the subject.   A waitress   walked over to the table and quietly picked up the pieces of the cup.   Matt glared at her for a moment before continuing with his thoughts.    "Tomorrow is the last day of the show, and then we're all done!   It'll finally be all over!" he spoke, smiling.   Leah nodded.    "I think I'll take a vacation right afterwards," she muttered. Matt nodded.    "Hey,   I was going to go to Hawaii.   Ever been to Maui?" he asked, smiling.   The blond haired woman shook her head.    "Oh, it's great!     There is this one volcano that you can drive all the way up.   And the sunset there is wonderful.     If you'd like, I could take you with me," he spoke.   Leah nodded.    "Yeah, I'd like to go there.   Let's go the Maui," she spoke.      "Where did she come from?" asked the doctor as he looked though the mirror.   The woman sat in the corner of the small padded room, hugging herself.   The doctor looked at her with a throng sad confused glare.    "The papers said that she is slipping between personalities? " asked the man to a nurse standing behind him.   The young man nodded.    "Yeah, she came in here a mess and claiming to know someone named Gabe Gilreath.   She had in her hand a small porcelain cat figurine.   She demanded that we call himñwe had a girl on hold for most of yesterday until we confirmed that Mr. Gilreath had never met anyone named Leah before.     When gave her a sedative and tried to get some more information from her, but she grew into a frenzy when one of us suggested that she did not know Gilreath.   She then claimed to be a man named Sannio, and he demanded to be shown the door.   When we told her that she needed to stay here overnight, this Sannio person began to grow wild and started attacking the helpers.   We put her in here until we know what do with her."    "That's.... different.   She claimed to have a male alter-ego?" asked the doctor.   The nurse nodded.    "Yes, and there is also a third person.   After we placed her in here, she began to calm down.   All the time we couldn't get that figure away from her, but suddenly she requested that we take it from her.   Then she said her name was Rhea."    "Rhea, eh?" asked the doctor.   He began to write down some notes on the pad.   He looked up and watched the woman for another moment.   She peered at the other corner of the room, looking blank and doleful.    "The poor thing, she is such a pretty woman, is she not?" spoke the doctor with a sigh.       He handed the clip board to the man.    "Do you have an ID on her yet?   Did any of the names show up anywhere?"    "Sannio, strangely enough.   We did a check for insurance and both Rhea and Sarah was written down as family members under her insurance policy."    "Sounds like a mess, but at least she is paid for.   Do me a favor and check with the police if there are any recent missing persons fitting Leah's description.   I'm guessing that's her real name.    "And why do you guess that?" asked the nurse.   The doctor shrugged.    "Well, out of the three that name is the most normal. Anyway, I wrote down and singed for a bunch of medications, I want her to take the top two twice a day and the bottom daily if her outbursts start acting up again. For the most part, let her rest.   I'll check back in a week and see if our Sarah has changed her story at all."    The nurse nodded.   "And what do you make of her Gilreath story? " he asked, curious.   Again the doctor shrugged.    "If anything, it's a fabrication of her mind.   These people usually pick celebrities to have a dream life with.   If you wanted to life a dream life, wouldn't you want it to be with a move director?"    "That true," muttered the nurse.     The doctor glanced at the woman one last time before walking away.    "Well, I have other patients to see, I trust you can take care of this woman," he muttered as went down the hall.   The nurse nodded, putting down a few more notes on the papers before placing them in a holder next to the door.    "Poor thing indeed," he muttered as he watched the flaxen haired woman huddle herself in the corner.    "That's right, "she muttered with a smile, "My name is Leah." Don't Scare him, Moggie. 10    "Where did she come from?" asked the doctor as he looked though the mirror.   The woman sat in the corner of the small padded room, hugging herself.   The doctor looked at her with a throng sad confused glare.    "The papers said that she is slipping between personalities? " asked the man to a nurse standing behind him.   The young man nodded.    "Yeah, she came in here a mess and claiming to know Abdiel Zion.   She had in her hand a small cutout from a magazine of him.   She demanded that we call himñwe had a girl on hold for most of yesterday until we confirmed that Mr. Zion had never met anyone named Sarah before.     When gave her a sedative and tried to get some more information from her, but she grew into a frenzy when one of us suggested that she did not know Abdiel Zion.   She then claimed to be a man named Sannio, and he demanded to be shown the door.   When we told her that she needed to stay here overnight, this Sannio person began to grow wild and started attacking the helpers.   We put her in here until we know what do with her."    "That's.... different.   She claimed to have a male alter-ego?" asked the doctor.   The nurse nodded.    "Yes, and there is also a third person.   After we placed her in here, she began to calm down.   All the time we couldn't get that scrap of magazine away from her, but suddenly she requested that we take it from her.   Then she said her name was Rhea."    "Rhea, eh?" asked the doctor.   He began tow rite down some nots on the pad.   He looked up and watched the woman for another moment.   She peered at the other corner of the room, looking blank and doleful.    "The poor thing, she is such a pretty woman, is she not?" spoke the doctor with a sigh.       He handed the clip board to the man.    "Do you have an ID on her yet?   Did any of the names show up anywhere?"    "Sannio, strangely enough.   We did a check for insurance and both Rhea and Sarah was written down as family members under her insurance policy."    "Sounds like a mess, but at least she is paid for.   Do me a favor and check with the police if there are any recent missing persons fitting Sarah's description.   I'm guessing that's her real name.    "And why do you guess that?" asked the nurse.   The doctor shrugged.    "Well, out of the three that name is the most normal. Anyway, I wrote down and singed for a bunch of medications, I want her to take the top two twice a day and the bottom daily if her outbursts start acting up again. For the most part, let her rest.   I'll check back in a week and see if our Sarah has changed her story at all."    The nurse nodded.   "And what do you make of her Abidel Zion story? " he asked, curious.   Again the doctor shrugged.    "If anything, it's a fabrication of her mind.   These people usually pick celebrities to have a dream life with.   If you wanted to life a dream life, wouldn't you want it to be with a millionaire?"    "That true," muttered the nurse.     The doctor glanced at the woman one last time before walking away.    "Well, I have other patients to see, I trust you can take care of this woman," he muttered as went down the hall.   The nurse nodded, putting down a few more notes on the papers before placing them in a holder next to the door.    "Poor thing indeed," he muttered as he watched the flaxen haired woman huddle herself in the corner.    "That's right," she muttered with a smile, "name is Rhea."    "And cut!" that was perfect!   Ladies and gentlemen, this thing is in the can!" spoke the director as she jumped out of his seat.     Everyone cheered.   Leah sighed.     She walked off the stage to the two people waiting for her.    "Well folks,   I'll see you all at the post production party tomorrow.   You have all been wonderful," spoke Gilreath as he turned to the crew.   They all cheered.    "You were great dear, just great," spoke Ruben with a large fatherly hug.   Margie smiled at the girl.    "I really didn't think you could act so well," she spoke with a smile.   Leah smiled back.    "Neither did I.   i really put a lot of myself into this role... perhaps too much," she spoke.     The old man wrapped a hand around her shoulder.    "Listen, I have to go stop by the office for a bit, I want you to call me in the morning.   I got a new role for you, ok?" he spoke with a pat on the back,   Leah nodded and walked into the mob of cleaning setup crew.    "What's this role you got her playing in next?" asked Margie as she walked the man to his car.   He shrugged.    "It's a movie written by some kids in the internet.   I dunno, they're trying something new with this.   It's called Kupolis-Kupo-polis--something like that.   There's a few smutty scene in it, but eh, what can you do about it?"   he spoke with   chuckle.     Margie grinned.    "Well, have a   good ride back," she muttered.     The man waved one hand back to the woman as she made his way out of the building and to his car.    Margie turned to look down the hallway.   It was late.   Perhaps she could give Leah a ride home.    The young woman walked down the corridor.   She had her own dressing room, but it was a bit of a way's down from the set.   Leah didn't mind--it was her own room.   She sighed.     With every step she could here he echo of her feet taping, and it was beginning to bother her.       She looked   down at her feet.     They could use a rest, after being put into so many pairs of boots and high heels for the last few months.    "Oops, excuse me Zion," muttered the young woman as she looked up to see who she had bumped into.   The man chuckled.    "I'm not Zion anymore, just Jerry," he muttered.     He learned in closer to the woman, added in his acting voice, "sometimes Sucki, you have to stand by yourself to show how close you are to others. By staying here I put your life in jeopardy.   I don't want that."    He broke his serious expression and began down the hallway once more.   "Have a good weekend," he added as he walked   to the parking lot.       She smiled.    As she turned around, she was startled to see a man standing before her.   She then began to step back.     It was Sannio.   As she turned to run, she managed to take only a few steps before the man in black leather had cut her off, blocking her way.    "Where do you think you're going?" asked Sannio.   The woman cringed at the large man grabbed him.   He trusted her against the wall, pulling out a large butcher knife to her neck.   She began to cry.    "What do you want with me!   What did I ever do to you?!?!"   she yelled.     The man looked at her with a strong fixed glare.   The eyes---they stared at her with some strange calculative gaze.    She turned the other way and began to ran.   The dark figure chased after her.   She ran faster, but she could hear the long fast strides of the boots race after her.     Every moment she wondered when that swipe could come to her back, making her stumble.     She could hear the man singing as she ran--some old song she remembered from the stage show.     How did he know that song?   She didn't have much time to think about it, as she turned to race up a feet of stairs.     A     hand grabbed at her calf, pulling her down against the stairs.   Reaching for the   rail, she leaped at it as another tug to her legs pulled her down and landed her against the stairs once more.   The fall cut her lip open, and blood began to drip down the corner of her mouth.    Dragging her, the man pulled her into the center of the hallway.     She there there,   looking over her for some time.     His fixed stare and heavy breathing from the run only served to chill the poor girl into a frozen fear.    "You are ruining Elayne's reputation," he muttered at last.       The leather clad man squeeze the woman's body tightly, pulling her op by the shirt.   He paused to examine her face, only to slam her against a wall.    "Elayne came to me and wished me to do away with anyone who was ruining her reputation.   I'm afraid you're ultimately in the way.   I can't have that, now can I?     So I'll have to do away with you," he spoke in a raspy dry voice.     The woman began the squirm, only on have the butcher knife stab inches away from her head.   Stuck into the wall, the man began to undo his pants.   She began to kick.   Sannio then raised his massive hand to hold her up by the neck.   She began to choke, clinging tightly to that man's grip.    He hands finally dropped to her sides.   It was only a minute more until she would pass out, or even die.   Her hand clanged against something in her pocket--she reached for it and held it tightly.     Gathering all her strength she raised her hand.     The small porcelain kitty shattered hard against the mask, breaking it in two.   As shards of glass slammed into his face, the man released his grip and staggered back.   Plan around his legs, she tipped and fell over, hitting his head hard against the floor.    Leah watched as a small medicine bottle dropped out of the leather coat pocket, and pills spilled across the floor.   The man gripped at the broken mask, pulling the large shards off of his face.   Bloody and battered, the man passed out.   On the ground now, lean leaned over just enough to make out the man's broken face.    "Matt?   Matt was Sannio?" muttered Leah as she looked at the man's bloody face.     He laid there knocked out cold.   She sighed and pulled back to the corner of the hallway.   Weakened she closed her eyes, only to pass out. Don't Sacre him, Moggie. 11 "Elayne?" asked Sannio as she sat up. The red haired vixen floated above him, circling about his head while waiting for him to stand. Slowly, the bloody faced man sat up and looked down the hall. Elayne drifted down to the ground once more." "You failed me, Sannio. I thought I could depend on you. I thought you would be my knight in shining armor," she spoke in a faint whisper. Her words seemed to ring a melody and the man's head. "I'm sorry," she muttered as he looked at the woman with bruised eyes. The fiery haired seemed to float about as she put her hand to her sides. "I'm sorry too. This means you failed me. That makes me really sad," she explained. The large man bowed his head. "I am terribly sorry," he muttered. The red haired woman pulled a small item from her dressed, sighed as she did so. "I really don't like to be sad," she explained, pointing the item at the man, "you see, thought I have this wonderful solution though. Remember in the play that balefire had the ability to make things never exist? Well, if I shoot you with balefire, then all your mistakes will never had existed. Isn't that wonderful?" His face bleeding more from his expression of anxiety, Matt looked up at the magical woman. He pressed his hands out at the girl, hoping to stop her. "No! Not that! You shouldn't need to do that Elayne! I can do better! I'll prove myself to you! You see, you shouldn't do it, because--" The gun shot out at the man, knocking him to the ground. Elayne smiled her elfish smile. "See? Now you will soon never exist! isn't that wonderful?" she spoke, happy as a daisy. The man clenched his chest, gasping to speak. "You shouldn't have done that, because I love you," he muttered with his last breath. His massive frame went limp and collapsed on the ground. "Oh my God--Leah, are you all right?" asked Margie as she Rushed over to the woman and gavee her a shake. The blond haired girl opened her eyes to see the older woman look at her with concern. Slowly, the older actress helped the girl to her feet. "What happened?' asked Margie. Leah looked around. "He's not here anymore," she muttered, looking to the ground. Even the pills were gone now, she noticed. "Where's Matt?" she asked. Margie shrugged. "He probably went home a long time ago--I've been looking for you for a while. you poor dear, you must have passed out from exhaustion. Well, we'll take you home now. Don't worry, you will have a lot of rest soon enough. The two made their way to the outside. It was late now--dark even. There were only a few cars left in the park, and the woman's beetle stuck out easily in the night. Leah gave out a sigh, but her throat hurt. Margie smiled as she turned on the car. She pulled out of the parking lot with relative ease. Turning on the radio, a ballad floated though the inside of the car. "So what are you going to do tomorrow?" asked Margie to the woman. Leah shrugged. "I might go see a doctor, I've been having some problems, " she spoke out. Margie pattered the girl on the back. "Aww, poor thing. I've been going to a doctor too since the performances ended In Moorpark. But don't worry, all doctors are pretty nice. But that's tomorrow. I'll get you safe and sound to your bed in Aryth tonight," she explained. Opening the door to her apartment, Leah smiled as the small furry face of Cherry came to greet her. Picking the cat up, she sat herself on the couch and turned on the Television. "I'm going to use your bathroom real quick, all right?" hollered Margie as she walked past the woman. Leah shrugged. "As the cooking competition comes to a close, we find that chef Mogimoto has been a guest disappointed and has brought much shame and dishonor to his moogle clan. He shall be beaten by a team of wet noodle masters, and then have a pie thrown in his face," explained the announcer as the small cook was grabbed by two men and dragged from the stadium. The screen then flickered back to the announcer. "However, though the exceptional work of the other master cooks, one has been selected to stand alone. That one is--" "Hello my double!" spoke a familiar almost childlike voice from behind the woman. Leah leaned up to turned to see the image of the red haired character again. Immediately the woman jumped off of the couch, and grabbed at her hair. "Why do you persist to torment me like this? Why can't you leave em alone!" she cried. Elayne only walked closer, smiling as she held a knife in her hands. "For so long I wanted you to go away, but you wouldn't. I had my friend Sannio try to scare you away, but you continued to go on. Why? What but you tarnish my reputation? Why do you persist to be a little blemish to me?" spoke the woman as she walked closer. For a moment the woman looked past the dagger welding goddess and gasped as she looked at the mirror. "You--you're. No, tell me this isn't true! How can this be true! Margie!" she cried ass the woman drew even closer. Leah found herself running to the door. "Margie?" muttered Elayne, thinking to herself. Her eyes lit up and she recognized the name. "Oh, Margie is sleeping! I'm Elayne! Don't worry, everything will be all right. Margie will never know what you have done to me!" spoke the apparition. Grabbing the knob, the woman fling open the door and began to run down the hall. She stopped as she her a knife whisk past her head, sticking into the wall a few feet before her. She turned down the hall to the stair well. Elayne bagan to float in pursuit, smiling all the while. Skipping along, she opened her dress partly to pull out the small black gun, and began to fire. "See? I can hit you with balefire, and everything will be forgotten!" she explained as Leah raced down the stairs. She could hear the bullets flicker past her and she ran to the exit outside. The alarm on the door rang loudly, making the float apparition loose her blanace and stimble down the final steps. Chasing after the woman, Elayne gave a few more shooting, grazing the blond haired victim on the leg. She fell to the ground, and clasped onto her bleeding thigh with a scream. "See? Running didn't help much, did it? No more pretending to be me or anyone else now. Now you're going to die, traitor!" she explained, hovering over the fallen Leah. In angst, the woman reached for the gun. "No! I'm Leah!! I'm Elayne, I'm Rhea--I'm all of them!! I'm me!!" she screaming, pressing the gun away. In the confusion a bullet shot out and ran against the woman's head, cutting her forehead open. She whelped and jumped back. Leah tossed the gun into the street. Loss without any power, she chased after the weapon and huddled over it in the street. There was a honking of a truck horn as Elayne turned to see a large object come towards her. Confused, she stood there staring into the headlights. She brought her hands up to her face as started to wipe the blood away. There was a small girlish giggle. Swiftly everything became lost in bright white light. "It's so bright--like the flower fields!" she spoke with wonder. She reached out to the light. awaiting to step back into the wonderful garden. Leah looked at the woman there, Margie. Taking control she rased into the street, running to the woman. "No!" she yelled, pushing her out of the way of the truck. Leah could feel both their bodies bounce off the side of the vehicle, only to roll into the gutter. The woman slumped down. The last thing she could recall was pills rolling over to her. She sighed. Out of the two people in Los Angeles, she thought, the one who used them had to be Margie and Matt. There were some voices now. But she couldn't make out what they were saying. It was over now, all over. Leah laid there for a moment, grinning to herself. She went thought it all and here she was in control again. Her body felt so weak. She closed her eyes and sighed one last time. "She keeps with her Elayne personality a lot these days," spoke a doctor to a blond haired woman in sunglasses. She looked at the older woman though the window as she handed other patients flowers. "Sometimes she reverts back to Margie, but I don't think she'll ever be the same again," he explained. The girl nodded to herself. "Well, I'm glad she's being taken care of," spoke the woman as she patted the glass wall. She turned away from the window and began to walk down the hallway. "You know, it's really nice of you to visit her like this--we don't get too many celebrities around here too much," spoke the doctor as he escort her to the door. Leah shrugged. "Well, I owe her a lot, she has didd a lot for me, and I think for a while I could have been in her place right now if I didn't keep myself together," she explained. The man nodded. "Quite understandable. Forgive me for asking though, when is your next movie coming out Miss Fields?" asked the doctor as he opened the door. She went outside and smiled back at the man. "August ninth. Don't miss it!" she spoke, waving at the man. Smiling, he waved back. "I'm sure I won't!" he yelled back. Walking to her Camera, the woman pulled off her glasses and put them away in her purse. Beeping the door open, she hopped inside and turned on the radio. It was techno. "Yup," she said adjusting her mirror, "I do owe her a lot. Without her, I certainly wouldn't be me!" The small yellow car then sped out of the parking lot, never to be written about ever again.