Yes I am an ass, I have not updated in awhile and I have no excuse for it, I'm trying to get back into the beat but I'm jumping between two stories.

Yay! Now for chapter three. I hope the second chapter was better than the first.

Also for those who are reading my story, thanks so much! I will admit I really do want to see some reviews. Who's the Society? What is up with Jonah? Where the heck is Cornelia going? Argh questions!

I know there is a lot that needs answering but, just keep reading and all shall be answered eventually.


The room became colder and colder. Silence was no comfort only the crinkle of her dress and the scraping of her legs made familiar noise's. She could feel her breath coming out in short gasps, and frantic wheezing; the air became thinner with every passing moment. The woman pushed herself into the far corner, her hands searching for something, anything to find the way out. Her legs could no longer move and felt heavy. The burning sensation to her face and neck numbed down from the cold, she brought up her hands and touched her cheeks; a wet substance covered the under lying horror she felt for. The room filled with screams, inhuman and horror dripped with everyone that erupted from her throat.


Cornelia covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut; the nightmare continued even after she awoke, the cold still stuck to her skin causing goose bumps to creep up her flesh. Her eyes opened slowly, blurred by fresh tears she tried to make out the time but the clock was on the far side of the room. Taking deep breaths she stood and lost balance right away, she tumbled to the floor like a sack of potatoes and stayed in place. The clock ticked away, the leaves on the outside porch scraped against the wood panels, and the wind pushed against the windows, rattling them every so often. Cornelia took shallow breaths, and pulled herself up, her head hurt, her body ached; she walked over and peered at the clock 3:00am what great timing. The witching hour must have just struck moments ago becauseshe heard the house grow unnaturally quiet, the foundations groaned and twisted, and the steps to the upstairs bedrooms creaked loud enough to make Cornelia wince.

The woman didn't turn away from the clock, she heard another's footsteps make their way to the living room and stop at the door frame. The wheezing and harsh gasps of breath emptied into the room, the crinkle of charred flesh caused Cornelia to shake slightly. She didn't want to look at the medium, to see his ghost, to see what he looked like at his last moments of death.

The man had other ideas, he began to walk toward her, and Cornelia got the sudden stench of burnt flesh. She felt his hand touch her hair and neck sending shivers up her spine. His hands took her waist and brought her body closer to his, he rested his head on her shoulder. She stood as still as a stone, not fearful of his touch but curious, the terror her nightmare brought melted away with his gentle caresses. Cornelia knew that he meant no threat; his attitude had completely changed from last time the two of them met, but why the sudden change of heart? The crash of a window breaking broke her from her thoughts, and the Medium once again disappeared with no trace of his presence, even the smell seemed as though it never existed. She looked at the window that broke but saw none in the living room; she walked into the dining room and peaked through the door way. Unable to find the place of the noise Cornelia walked back to the couch, she pulledthe blankets up around her body and stared at the ceiling. Jonah you'll be able to leave, along with all those other poor people damned to be Aikman's puppets. Cornelia closedher eyes and took a deep breath, her mind repeated one prayer, let this be successful.

"Cornelia, Cornelia?"

Cornelia groaned and turned away, she wanted more sleep, and her mind was blank for most of the night after her nightmare. A hand nudged her in the back, making her groan again, but this time to stifle profanity. "Get away, I swear I will hurt you."

"Cornelia you got to get up it is almost twelve in the afternoon; you've slept through the entire morning."

The young woman kicks her blankets at Anna and stands a little too quickly causing her to fall. Cornelia slowly stands then stretches her arms to the ceiling. She takes her duffle bag and ignores Anna; she walks into the bathroom and slams the door.

Outside Matt sits under a tree, he looks at the ground, a patch of grass is yellowing around the frees root. He looks up and jumps slightly, on his right side stands Cornelia, she watches him, her eyes steely.

"The tree has a disease, its killing the grass; I suppose you can see it as a cancer." She sees Matt turn away and rolls his shoulders a small effort to comfort himself. "Let's talk."

"My parents-"

"Your parents love you; you just don't understand what it is like to watch your child die."

Matt looks forward, his expression that of defeat "Oh and you do, you being a doctor I'm sure you see your share of suffering."

"Far more then I'd like to admit." Cornelia sits and takes a breath, Matt follows suit.

"Can you not defend my parents for a second, try being on my side of the fence."

The young woman laughs and picks up a long piece of grass, she places it between her thumbs and blows against it, and an odd squeal erupts from the action. "I'm on the fence boy; I'm defending you and them. All of you need a good whack with the stick of reality." She tosses the grass. "Now ask me what you really want to know."

"You are a person who obviously cares about others, but why are you really here, why are you helping me?"

Cornelia covers her face and takes a deep breath, if only I could remember the real reason with all this crap going on.

"Matt this is hard to explain. I guess I feel my life is never to be told through words, only through sight, a story cannot describe horror that a human being faces, unless another can relate. I'm sorry Matt, but I cannot give you the truth about who I am, it is better that you know nothing of what life I've had before and to be completely honest I would rather I never lived at all."

"How can you tell me all that and not expect me not to ask more questions?"

"Matt please, just understand I'm here to help in more way then one. I'll say one more thing adn you must promise not to tell a soul."

Matt nods and moves closer, Cornelia stares at his burns and thinks about her own scar.

"I know about death, I touched, tasted it, and it is unfair."

"You think I'm going to die."

"Eventually you are, but not anytime soon, I will make sure of that."

Matt frowned, the sorrow in her voice made it seem hard to swallow, he looked at her face, it was blank emotionless, her eyes were glass, yet it reflected nothing of her thoughts just his image. Her skin seemed to pale more so then it was before, he envied how she could hid behind her white mask, and red lips, at that moment she truly looked like a doll, silent and empty. "Why are you here?"

Cornelia looked away at last in a fluid motion "I can't answer that." She felt Matt's hand rest on hers which she quickly snatched away and stood. "If that's all you had to discuss then our meeting is over, I'll tell your mom you are responding well to treatment."

He watched her walked back into the house; he brought his hand to his face and studied it, the place where their hands touched. The woman's skin felt so cold that he couldn't feel half of his hand.


Anna sat at the kitchens small table and leafed through a couple papers then placed them in a fairly aged leather bag. She sat down and tossed a plum between her hands, her eyes were glued to it smooth purple exterior. Cornelia walked in and sat on the chair opposite to the older woman, Anna couldn't help notice her icy stare, and frown. "You talked with Matt?"

The young woman nodded and leaned back sighing in frustration "Times like this make me hate my job." She looked at the over ripened fruit in Anna's hand and furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you doing with that?"

Anna looked at the plum and set it on the table, then passed Cornelia her leather bag and motioned for the young woman to look inside.

Cornelia opened the bag and whistled; she reached her hand in and held out a wad of cash which she flipped through with her thumb. "Wow, I'm quite impressed that you got so much money." She placed the money back then retrieved a file.

The older woman nodded "Most of its fake, but it's impossible to tell the difference back then." Anna held out her hand which Cornelia handed her the file "Lets not overdo it though; if any one suspects you have a lot of money it could make your sudden arrival into town more suspicious. Anyways, since you are leaving in a day or so, let's have a quick rundown of how things are going to go when you… well you know." Anna waves her hand.

"You can say it."

"It sounds so unbelievably…" Anna trailed off

Cornelia rolled her eyes "Stupid?"

"Bingo"

"Look, we are going to change the past to change the future, no one suffers either way" Cornelia raised her hands and cracked her fingers. A nervous Habit.

"Why do you do that" the older woman grumbled irritably, and ignored the cocky smile being directed at her.

"It calms me down. Now, continue." She points to the file.

"In this file is the information on Victor Louis Morgan, he owned a small shop that was quite popular. The people in the town will trust you more if you find work and will except you as their own. Also it also contains some other information for later on when you arrive back."

"What do mean when I get back? When I come back we are done with this job." Cornelia opens to file to have it snatched out of her hand. Anna slams it down on the table, sensing Cornelia's mood shifting to an unpleasant response.

"Give me the file Anna" Cornelia eyes narrowed as she saw Anna's hesitant expression "What are you not telling me…"

"They said this is not to be disscussed untill later, I'm here only to assist and watch you, while you-"

"Do the damn grunt work, and why are you avoiding the question? How typical of you." Cornelia feels as though she could spit out venom, her words poisoning themselves, she licks her teeth.

"Typical, typical." Cornelia mumbled, she moves from her seat and to the kitchen sink; she turns the tap on and washes her hand. "The last thing I need is a babysitter, so I guess it is best you stay here and play doctor then." Cornelia smiles coldly, and takes the fruit out of Anna's hand, she squeezes it.

"Easy with that!" She stands to take the fruit but Cornelia steps back and squeezes it harder, some black juice trickles down her fingers.

"I can't really put my finger on it but I've known you long enough to say you are a terrible liar. What you are lying about is still unknown to me." She tosses the plum back and frowns deeply. "Tell me Anna; tell me what you are thinking." She steps closer to the older woman who stands up and steps back.

"Cornelia, please, really it is nothing that concer-"Cornelia grabs the file and flips through it, nothing stands out through the useless words and paper until she reaches the back.

"It always concerns me"

A black envelope sits against the paper, neat penmanship marks down Anna's name. Cornelia lifts it out and drops the file on the ground, she looks at Anna as she rips open the envelope; she reaches inside and retrieves a letter. The young woman reads it quickly then rips it apart.

"No, I won't let it happen."

"Cornelia we have no choice"

"A Choice is a room with two doors Anna, and I'm not allowing you to choose the one The Society wants you to open."

"Matt will die, don't be stupid you know what will happen if you refuse to do this." Anna looks away, her face contorted with fear "They will hunt you down all over again, they'll make your assignments even worse, why can't you just follow the instructions they give us."

"Because its bullshit, that's why! Go on and tell them, I'm not going to listen to this anymore, I'm going to make sure that boy does not die." Cornelia walks out of the kitchen and throws the ripped letter behind her.


How long was she outside? The sky began darkening. How did she get outside? Cornelia looks around, her head was throbbing. She touches a tree trunk and sighs. Her temper, she should really learn to control it. They have only been here two days and the world seems to be speeding up around her, things are coming to light and creating a disaster she would ultimately be causing. Damn everything, why couldn't she be somewhere else, the repeating dreams, things are worsening and it seems she's powerless.

The house comes into view. All lights are off except for one of the upper bedrooms. There are no cars in the drive way including Anna's SUV. Cornelia walks closer. She stops; a wall of cold passes her body. She turns and walks to the road. And stares into the black fields surrounding the house, something walks through, the night, somebody is here. Cornelia runs to the house and opens the door, she slams it shut. Backing up the woman stares at the door, her body shakes as she sees the door twist itself, groaning madly. "Something is coming."

The lights flicker on then off. Cornelia is left with her shallow breaths.

The bedroom light upstairs glows brighter it leaks into the hallway, staining the walls with black as if the light were fire. The lights immediately die when Cornelia's foot touches the bottom step. Walking slowly, she feels for the stairs railing and walks up, her body still facing the front door. She swallows a lump and straightens her back as she jogs the rest of the way up and walks into the bedroom. It was Wendy's room; the mirror on the dressers reflects Cornelia's reflection, a ghostly being staring with hollow red eyes. She touches her face and looks down, she feels liquid falling from her eyes, she looks back up at the mirror and bites back a scream. Her eyes now white have three sloppy drill holes under them, black vile seeps out streaking her face. Turning around she screams. Anna grabs her arms, her brown eyes wide, and her hair messy. A deep gash on her cheek is fresh, the blood coating her neck while it drips.

"You have to go." Cornelia pulls away and looks back into the mirror, the reflection is normal. Anna grabs her arms again and pulls her out of the room. "Come on you have to go!"

"What the hell are you going on about Anna, stop pulling me!"

"I didn't tell them, I didn't, but they knew, they knew something, but I didn't tell them!" Anna rambles as she runs into the living room and gathers up the leather bag and a few papers. She walks back to the front room and shoves the bag in Cornelia arms. She grabs the woman's face. Cornelia tries to push away but her limbs are stuck in place, Anna studies her eyes and presses her thumb against her cheek. Her hands shook, unsteady and wet with her blood. "You need to leave, take everything you have to, I don't know how long you will be there, but it won't be short." Letting go Anna places a piece of paper in her hand and squeezes. "Run!" She screams.

Cornelia stumbles back into a figure she turns, and pushes herself against the front door, a crowd of scarred people with bandages wrapped around there bodies stare absently. She recognizes a tall bald man; he reaches for her and opens his mouth. No sound comes out, just a dry gasp.

"Anna, what the hell is happening? Where is everyone? Anna? Why are the ghosts-" She turns, the front door stands a jar, she looks back at the ghosts. The one man separates himself from the others, his mouth now gaping open so far she sees the flesh crack around the orifice. "Oh god" she holds her head, her body shaking; something is making the area dark, her body too cold, far too cold to move. Cornelia feels herself fall to the floor; arms wrap around her and pull her outside on the dirt. Everything is numb, something is forced into her mouth, and she tries to spit it out.

"Cornelia eat it, you have to eat it!" Opening her eyes, the black clears to show the outline of Anna's head, her eyes are shrunken in, her face has more cuts. She's dying in front of her, losing her body. Cornelia looks at Anna's skeletal hand she holds the plum from earlier, the bite mark she took moments ago reveals a rotten pit.

"No, the family…" Cornelia struggles for air, puffs of cold air appear as she breathes out as if it were a winter day then a summer night.

"They are at the hospital, they won't hurt them." She places the fruit in Cornelia's mouth, the sound of cars speeding toward them are fading slowly. Doors slamming. Men speaking.

"Anna let go of her, see what she is doing to you!" Cornelia looks at a man approaching, he tears Anna away who kicks and screams at him. He kneels down and stares coldly at the almost unconscious woman.

Cornelia laughs at his enraged expression, she raises her head and spits at him, she lowers her head back down and notices the ground isn't there anymore. Her body falls into what seems like a hole, she reaches up and feels water stroke her finger tips. The people disappear, the man, Anna, but the house, the house still remains in place, witnessing her fall. With a painful grunt Cornelia hits the ground and blacks out.


Seriously, I know people are reading this, reviews are wanted. NOW. Thank yooooooou.

P.S. sorry for shitty grammar and the jump between past tense and present, I have no idea why I keep doing it.