A Spark Of Good Chapter 4: A Blossoming Romance, an a clockwork orange fanfic

A SPARK OF GOOD

AUTHOR'S NOTES: All "Clockwork Orange" characters are property of Anthony Burgess, except for Angela, who belongs to me. I give many thanks to my dear friend Diane N. Tran for providing her ideas for this fanfic, which would not have been possible without her kind assistance.

Enjoy the story. I welcome all reviews, so long as they're not flames.

Chapter 4:
A Blossoming Romance

"Angela, my darling!"

"Mon amour, we're here now!"

She found herself in a beautiful, butterfly-filled garden, decorated with all sorts of flowers & lush green grass. The bruises from her body had vanished, & Angela's silver cross necklace shone in the brilliant sunlight as she closed her eyes in a moment of disbelief, only to open them again. She looked down & smiled as she saw her favorite childhood dress, a frilly gown of pink chiffon, adorning her tiny person. Then Angela heard the voices she had longed to hear again; as she happily shouted the names of her parents, she dashed to embrace them, & the reunited family hugged as though they would never let go.

As she lingered in the safety of her parents' loving arms, Angela couldn't help but cry tears of joy, as cherished memories & long-ago feelings flooded her mind. With a warm smile, her mother gently wiped her daughter's tears away, only tightening her embrace as she whispered, "It's all right, Angela...it's all right." The young girl never wanted this wonderful moment to end. Surely, it couldn't have been a dream; it felt so real to her...

After what seemed like an eternity had passed, Angela parted from the hug only for a minute, just to register the remarkable event that had occurred. Her pretty face quickly looked shocked as her parents disappeared in clouds of smoke, & Angela took the form of the innocent child once more as she scampered around the garden, looking vainly for her loved ones. "Mama?" she called anxiously in a small voice. "Papa?"

At once, the beautiful garden became ugly & black, as the flowers wilted & the butterflies dropped dead to the browning grass. The little birds that had been chirping their spring song instantly became silent, & a dense fog began to settle upon the remains of a wonderful life that had been destroyed, a shattered existence that could never be rebuilt. The miasma, thick & tinged with a red hue, surrounded Angela & had a stifling grip on her as its foul-smelling toxins tainted the air around her.

Even as she gasped & gurgled for breath, Angela could see, much to her horror, that the mist stained her gradually-uncovering skin with a sticky liquid that shared the fog's deep crimson color. When Angela put her hand to her mouth to identify the scarlet fluid, her heart almost stopped in her chest. Realizing that it was the taste of her parents' blood that was filling her mouth with its foul, metallic flavor, Angela's mind began reeling & frightened thoughts pounded through her head like the thundering of horses' hooves, before coming to a stop altogether. Blackness was closing in. She couldn't breathe. The end was coming, coming, coming...

During the state of blindness that followed, a searing pain shot through Angela's nerves, & blood streamed out of her womb, trickling down her bare legs as she felt a suffocating pressure being put upon her frail frame. The raging fire blazed again & again with increasing agony, until a creamy paste invaded her insides & it was all over. Immediately, Angela's eyes opened...but now she was plummeting through an endless sky, as her panicked pleas for someone to catch her echoed across the valley of puffy pink clouds, bathed in the sun's golden glow. Angela felt as though she must have fallen forever, before she felt someone's arms wrapping around her as she was carried higher & higher into the heavens.

When Angela was finally placed on a cloud & her rescuer turned to face her, the girl took a good look at him, quickly becoming immersed in a feeling of delight once she recognized who he was. Though his locks of fair hair were adorned with a radiant yellow halo, a glistening white robe covered his person, & feathery wings jutted from his back, the figure's crystal-blue eyes & warm smile were all-too familiar to her.

"Angela, my dearest," Alex whispered reverently as he took the girl in his arms & his wings folded around them both, shielding them from the pain & sorrow that had afflicted their lives. "You're safe now," Alex consoled Angela, planting tender kisses upon her face & hair. "My darling friend, I will always be here for you...I'll be here to comfort & protect you from all that plagues your heart & mind. I will never leave you, Angela. We'll be together forever..."

"Together forever," Angela echoed, smiling as she lingered in Alex's loving embrace. The girl giggled as Alex's lips brushed against her ear & tickled it; his hands fingered the slender silver chain of Angela's necklace as though it were made of moonbeams. "Oh, Angela," Alex whispered again in a voice filled with desperate longing, "please say that you'll be mine. Promise that you will always love me until the end of time, just as I love you now!" He grasped the necklace's cross charm in his palm, indicating the true passion he felt for Angela.

"I will, Alex," Angela replied, smiling as she closed her eyes & leaned in to place her lips upon his. "I will love you forever & always." As Alex & Angela shared sweet, tender kisses & their gentle embrace became more powerful, they slowly began to waltz amidst the velvet ocean of pink-&-gold clouds, letting a chorus of heavenly instruments from above provide the harmonious music for their romantic dance...

Am I really sure that I was dreaming? Angela pondered to herself with a wistful smile, lost in her own thoughts as she sat in the flatblock courtyard. The snow was beginning to melt, as pretty flowers popped out of the white powder, filling the drab scenery with much-needed color as the silver clouds drifted lazily across the azure sky. Though March was less than a month away, springtime was already heralding its arrival, & the citizens of Elstree were moving on past the events of before. For Angela, those words held a deeper meaning; not only was it the beginning of a new season, but it was also the start of a new life for her. Like the sun that shone down on Angela with its warm radiance, her future looked bright, & the clouds of her own winter storm would soon be swept away...

"Angela," a voice called out, "heads up!" With a gasp of surprise, the girl quickly snapped out of her thoughtful state & ducked out of the way, as a baseball hurtled towards the spot where she had been sitting. The moment he saw Pete dashing to the courtyard steps & catching the ball in his glove, Dim pouted in disappointment. "I'm out again?" the portly boy complained as he tossed down his baseball bat in annoyance. "No fair, that isn't!"

"Funny," Angela commented, "I didn't know baseball was played in England."

"Rugby's what we're known better for," Georgie replied as he got Dim's baseball bat, & then offered it to Angela. "Wanna play with us?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, that would be most magnifique!" Angela said excitedly, returning the grin as she took the bat & went to home base. Once everyone had prepared for the next inning, Angela prepared to swing, but Alex stopped her. "What hand do you normally use?" he inquired.

"My right," Angela replied, looking puzzled. "But what does that have to do with baseball?"

"You're supposed to swing with the blunt part over the side where your writing rooker is," Alex said, going behind Angela & moving her arms to the right as he helped her get the bat into position. "Now," the boy coached, "make sure your hands grip the handle tightly...oh, move them a bit lower, Angela...very good. Now, pull the bat as far back as you can, so you'll have more momentum." Angela did so, & Alex smiled as he patted her back encouragingly, before wishing her luck as he went to the steps to watch her. Everyone assumed their positions, & once Pete called for everyone to play ball, the 9th inning began. "Come on, Angela!" Alex cheered. "Knock that bratchny of a ball right out of the park—er, courtyard!"

With that, Georgie made the pitch, & Angela took a swing, but missed. "Strike one," the boy in the top hat smirked. When Angela failed to hit the baseball again & strike two had been called, she gave a determined pout as she gripped the bat even more tightly & prepared to give it her best shot. The ball came forward, & everyone made sounds of amazement as it bounced off the bat with a mighty crack. Angela couldn't help but watch it soar into the air...that is, until Alex called for her to make a dash for it. "Run, Angela!" he cried. "Run like the wind!"

Quickly taking to her heels, Angela raced from base to base with a raging speed that would make a Tasmanian devil green with envy. She slid back to the home plate just a few seconds before Pete had caught the ball & declared her to be safe. As the boys went up to Angela to congratulate her for her marvelous performance, the girl couldn't help but smile as she basked in their compliments. It was Alex's words of praise, though, that made her feel the happiest.

Suddenly, the cheering & revelry came to a halt as the front door of Alex's house opened; Sheila stepped out onto the porch, donning a red plastic dress & overcoat with a matching pillbox hat over her purple hair. "Angela, honey," she called cheerfully, "come along with me & Alex to the mall! There's a set of fresh new clothes with your name on it!"

Once the DeLarges had taken the speed-bus across town & arrived at the local shopping center, Angela couldn't help but marvel in childlike amazement when she saw what was inside the Très Trendy clothing store. Multicolored jewelry & scarves hung from display racks, & all sorts of lovely fashions, from spangled jackets to the latest designer boots, were seen every which-way. The mere sight of it all was enough to impress anyone, & Angela quickly sorted through the aisles, asking Sheila for advice on the best purchases to make (& considering that the DeLarges planned on keeping her with them for a long time, she definitely felt she would need it).

After quite a while of browsing, Angela was satisfied with the wardrobe she had picked out; all the most beautiful clothes & accessories imaginable (including more than a dozen rainbow outfits!) would soon be hers to own. Before Sheila took everything to the check-out counter, though, Angela had found a last-minute addition. When she came out of the dressing room in a long white skirt & a matching blouse, everyone in the store turned to stare at her in awe of her stunning looks, which was only made more noticeable with the outfit she wore. In fact, Angela loved the skirt & blouse so much, she simply couldn't bear to take them off; so once everything was paid for, Sheila, Alex, & Angela left the shop with their bags of clothes in hand, as Angela proudly wore the final purchase.

"Angela," Alex complimented his friend just after they had put up all her clothes in the room they shared, "did I mention that you look absolutely ravishing in that outfit?"

"Oui, Alex," Angela answered coyly, as her tiny cheeks turned a deeper shade of scarlet. "You've told me that over 10 times since we left the mall, & I still haven't stopped blushing! Oh, my handsome knight," she quipped, "your fair princess is not worthy of such divine praise!"

Alex had to laugh, too, as he went up to Angela & playfully boxed her tiny ears. "Au contraire, mon cher...you deserve every bit of it." Angela's gleeful giggles became more hysterical as Alex kissed her cheek & then wrestled with her on the bed, tickling her relentlessly as he had done just the morning before. "Say 'uncle'!" Alex commanded, as his fingers of fury danced rapidly across Angela's tummy.

"Never, you vile fiend!" Angela retorted between joyous peals of laughter. "I'll not go down without a fight!" Finally, when Alex had tickled her until he could no more, Angela gave up. "Uncle!" she cried, as her squeals of merriment slowly subsided & she wiped tears from her eyes. "You win, Alex..."

"Not so fast, little missy!" Alex said with a sly smirk as he whipped out a small camera. "Think you could mind posing for Snap here?" When Angela had made herself look presentable, Alex placed his finger on the shutter, & once the picture finished printing, he & Angela took a look at it. The camera had perfectly captured the girl's smiling face, as Angela's deep blue eyes sparkled & the rays of the afternoon sun shining through the window gave her curly hair a bright golden glow.

"What did I tell you, Angela?" Alex said with another smile as he gave his friend a quick hug & kiss. "You're a peach!" Hearing these sweet words from her dear chum made Angela return the smile, as she blushed once more & she chuckled bashfully. Suddenly, she perked up as a poster on the wall caught her eye. "Who is that man, Alex?" Angela asked with an inquisitive stare, going over to inspect the figure in the picture. "He looks very familiar..."

"That, mon chérie," Alex replied with a reverent whisper, "is the greatest musician of all time."

"Ludwig Van Beethoven," Angela read slowly from the caption underneath the portrait, before gasping in recognition. "Oh, now I remember him! Mama always used to play his Moonlight Sonata to help me sleep when I was a petite bébé...that is, when she wasn't using 'Fur Elise' as a lullaby."

"I grew up on Ludwig Van," Alex said, his eyes staring wistfully at the wild-haired composer. "When I was a little boy, Mom & Dad encouraged me to listen to his music as much as I could. The first time I heard his work, I was instantly hooked on him." A bitter frown, though, appeared on Alex's face as he added, "Unfortunately, my passion for Ludwig Van was just one of many things that earned me ridicule during my grammar school days...& still, Mum & Dad begged me to keep listening to the guy, even when I told them about the beatings those dumb bullies gave me every day..." He sighed sadly. "It's no wonder I turned out to be such a weirdo."

"Oh, pauvre cher," Angela cooed sympathetically, "don't say that! You're not weird at all—you have a great taste in music that others just don't seem to appreciate." With a loving gentleness, Angela took Alex's hand in hers, & her eyes sparkled as she gave a sweet smile & asked, "So, what's your most favorite work by Beethoven?"

"The Ninth," Alex replied, returning the grin as his voice became more impassioned with each ecstatic word he spoke. "I love the Ninth more than any other symphony he's done...it's so beautiful to hear, Angela! The Ninth uplifts me, it inspires me...it gives me hope. It renews my faith in life, &, if only for a moment, tells me that there is a bright, wonderful side of it! Whenever I hear it, I'm suddenly filled with the courage to move past all the horrible things that have happened to me, & I...well, why don't I just show you what I mean, my dear?"

Immediately, Alex got off the bed, & after going over to his turntable, he placed a record upon it. The tonearm made its graceful landing, & once the vinyl began spinning, a beautiful melody of violins & cellos drifted throughout the bedroom like a euphonious breeze. When the music crescendoed & the rest of the orchestra abruptly joined in the number, Alex placed his fingers ever so gingerly upon Angela's eyes, & then he lowered their soft, delicate lids until the blue orbs were hidden from view. "Close your glazzies, Angela," Alex whispered reverently as he carefully drew his hand away. "Feel the music coursing through you...let your mind wander...relax..."

For the next few moments, as the Ninth continued to play, Angela became lost in thought, as beautiful images filled her mind. Just as the jubilant chorus began singing the Ode To Joy, Angela quickly opened her eyes to see Alex. His eyes were closed, & as he took in the choir's sounds of freude, schoner, & all the rest, he entered a state of utmost calmness & his face became frozen in a placid smile. Indeed, the symphony's uplifting charm had worked, & by the time the Ninth came to a triumphant end & Alex went to turn off the record, Angela could see that the spark of pain in his eyes was no longer present.

"It's no wonder you love to hear it so," Angela finally said in an awed half-whisper, as a look of marvel spread across her face. "Mother always did tell me that music had the ability to heal...but I've never actually experienced that power, until now." She stared into Alex's eyes with a deep gaze, as she held hands with him once more. "You never fail to make me happy, Alex. You & your family have done everything to make my life easier, after all the hell I've gone through...& I simply don't know how I can ever repay you for your kindness."

As Angela's lips brushed against his cheek, Alex felt himself blushing a deep red, & when the two youngsters noticed, they burst into peals of amused laughter. The giggles quickly subsided, though, as lonely drops of rain began pattering against the window. "Alex," Angela quivered fearfully, "the storm is here! Hold me!" The moment he felt his friend clinging fiercely to his body, Alex laughed again; when Angela stared at him in puzzlement, the boy tried hard to calm himself down. "Sorry, Angela," Alex apologized as his chuckles ebbed, "but you really don't need to be afraid. The rain isn't going to hurt you."

"And how do I know you're not fibbing?" Angela questioned with a dubious stare.

"I'll tell you what, Angela," Alex said with an impish smile, "let's go outside & play for a while. If anything happens, I promise to take you back inside."

It took a few seconds for Angela to consider Alex's proposal. "Hmmm...I suppose I can consent to your terms," she finally said as she grasped his hand in hers & gave it a hearty shake. "It's a deal, then."

The raindrops fell upon Alex & Angela like a refreshing cascade, as the two friends walked into the flatblock courtyard, dotted with slush-filled puddles. The flowers that had been peeking from the snow just a couple of hours before had closed their colorful blossoms, waiting patiently for the sun to come out from behind the clouds as the rain they needed to flourish trickled gently into the soft dirt & replenished the tiny blooms. Though the people passing by carried on with their business & did not hear from underneath their umbrellas, Alex's sharp whistling echoed through the courtyard. Once Angela heard the first few notes & recognized the tune, she smiled in astonishment.

"Mon Dieu," she gasped, "you love that movie, too?"

"I really don't remember it, actually," Alex replied with a sheepish look on his dampening face. "I only saw it once, when my parents took me to see it at a film festival, but I loved it! I've never forgotten the song Gene Kelly performed..."

As Alex & Angela began their rendition of "Singin' In The Rain", their voices rang together in a cheerful harmony as they danced & cavorted in the storm, leaving their cares behind in the sheer joy of those frivolous moments. Once the last few notes were sung, Angela was about to make her way off a ledge, but she gave a yelp of surprise when she slipped in a puddle & lost her footing. She would have fallen, had not Alex quickly dashed over to catch her in his arms.

"Alex," Angela sighed with relief, "merci beaucoup! Thanks so much for saving me!" Before he could say anything, Alex immediately felt his friend's arms wrapping around his neck & bringing him in for a kiss. For a while, he was too stunned to speak, but he finally returned Angela's smile & said, "You're welcome."

The moment that Alex & Angela had gone back into the house, Philip & Sheila scolded them for getting all wet, & after their damp garments were removed & placed in the dryer, the preteens were given a set of clean nightclothes. "Be sure to put them on after you have a nice, hot bath," Sheila said with a genial smile as she led Alex & Angela over to the washroom & then left to prepare dinner. Once they were finished taking their baths & had their evening meal, Alex & Angela brushed their teeth, said their prayers, & crawled into bed.

After Sheila & Philip had tucked Alex & Angela in & kissed them "goodnight", the two friends lay in the darkness of the room they shared, snuggling up together under the covers as they indulged in the sweet silence of the night. Angela smiled gently as Alex kissed her pretty face & petted her soft blonde hair, whispering to her about how happy he was that she had come into his life; Alex was no longer ashamed to admit that he loved Angela's company more than anything, & oh, how he wished that he could talk all night with his beloved friend, just to hear her beautiful voice. But he knew, of course, that his little butterfly would have to fold her wings for the night.

"Alex," Angela asked softly as she nestled in the warmth of her friend's arms, "would you tell me a bedtime story, like mon chérie mère used to do?"

Alex scratched his chin in thought for a moment, & then smiled again at her. "Very well," he said. "What story would you like me to tell you?"

"It doesn't matter, really," Angela replied. "So long as it's a good one."

With that, Alex cleared his throat softly & began the tale. "Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a princess named Angela. She was the fairest & most beautiful girl in the whole world, & all the people in the land couldn't stop talking about how wonderful she was. Princess Angela was friendly & kind to everyone she met, she was cheery all the time & was never seen without a smile on her pretty face, & her voice was so beautiful, it could lull an ogre to sleep!"

"Tell me more, Alex," Angela murmured contentedly, snuggling with her friend some more.

"Of course...well, one day, Princess Angela was bored & had nothing to do. So she left the castle & went outside to pick pretty flowers in the valley not too far away from where she lived. It was a beautiful spring day, & Princess Angela enjoyed the feelings of the warm breeze blowing gently across her skin & the droplets of dew from the grass landing on her tiny toes. In fact, Angela had so much fun picking flowers that she didn't see a mean, scary dragon swooping towards her, desiring to have Angela as his companion."

"Oh, dear!" Angela gasped.

Alex continued his tale: "Princess Angela was snatched up by the dragon & taken to a deep, dark cave on an island far, far away from the kingdom where she lived. The dragon forbid Angela to leave her prison & kept close guard over her every day, commanding her to sing & dance for him; at night, though, when the dragon was asleep, Princess Angela would sneak outside & linger on the island's sandy beach, gazing at the stars with sad eyes as she thought about how much her mommy & daddy, the king & queen, would be missing her. On one clear evening, Angela saw the brightest star twinkling in the sky, & she made a wish upon it that she would be able to return home to her parents.

"The very next morning, a brave knight by the name of Sir Alex was traveling to the dragon's island, seeking a little excitement for the day. As Alex passed the cave, he heard Angela singing to the dragon; the very moment he heard the princess' beautiful song, he became smitten with Angela & thought dreamily of how wonderful it would be to have her as his bride. Meanwhile, when Angela had finished singing, she became sad & began to cry. 'I miss my mommy & daddy!' she sobbed. 'How I wish I could go home & be with them again!' The dragon refused to let her leave, however, & to ensure that Angela didn't escape, he imprisoned her in a giant crystal ball. The only way Angela could get out of the orb, the dragon said with a wicked laugh, was if she was rescued by a noble man who truly loved her.

"As it happened, though, Sir Alex had overheard what the dragon said, & immediately, he dashed heroically into the cave to try & rescue Princess Angela. Even when the dragon started attacking Sir Alex in the hopes of deterring his rescue attempt, the brave knight nevertheless continued to fearlessly battle with the flying beast, determined to rescue Princess Angela at all costs. When the dragon was finally vanquished & Sir Alex had shattered the glass prison, Princess Angela tumbled into the knight's arms with a cry of surprise. When Angela finally gained her bearings & looked into her rescuer's eyes, she smiled & kissed him gently on the lips, thanking him for saving her from harm.

"With that, Sir Alex brought Angela back to her parents' castle on his magical flying steed. The king & queen were indeed happy to see their beloved daughter once again, & after a tender family reunion, they immediately decided to throw a grand banquet commemorating Princess Angela's safe return. Everyone in the kingdom was invited to the party, & the royal family & their subjects had a wonderful time as they partook in the merry festivities. When the days of celebration finally came to an end, Princess Angela asked Sir Alex to marry her, grateful to her rescuer for selflessly saving her life. Alex accepted her proposal, & not too long afterwards, the princess & the knight were married in an elaborate ceremony, with many blissful years awaiting them during their long & loving marriage."

By the time Alex had finished speaking, Angela was barely awake. The girl, who was still smiling in sweet serenity, murmured gently & yawned a bit as she looked up at Alex with drowsy blue eyes. "And they lived happily ever after?" she asked, her voice soft & quiet.

Alex nodded, returning the smile. "Right, right, right," he said, watching with a loving gaze as he watched Angela fall asleep in his embrace, snuggling against him while she lingered in her state of sweet slumber. As he held Angela close to his pajama-covered body, Alex gently caressed her golden hair & kissed her face, his mind full of tender thoughts. I hope, my little princess, that one day I will be your handsome knight in shining armor. I pray that we will fall in love with one another & have our very own happily ever after. The last words Alex whispered before he finally drifted off to dreamland were simple, yet spoken from the very depths of his soul: "I love you, Angela."

Over the next few weeks, winter swiftly ended with the warmth of March's first breeze, & the arrival of spring was welcomed with cheerful birdsong & the blooming of beautiful multicolored flowers. It wasn't long before April began, & on the fifth day of the merry month, the DeLarge home was filled with an air of great excitement & jubilant joy. The din of noisemakers & party horns came to a quick, quiet halt, & Alex, Georgie, Pete, Dim, & Philip sported bright smiles on their faces, as their harmonized voices performed a cheerful rendition of "Happy Birthday To You". When the song was over, everyone applauded as Angela blew out each of the candles on her grape-flavored birthday cake.

"How wonderful, Angela," Sheila gushed as she took a plastic knife & began cutting pieces of cake for everyone. "You've just turned 12 years old today! It won't be very long before you're a teenager."

"I know," Angela said as she took a plate & began to eat her serving of cake a la chips & candy. "I can hardly believe it myself."

"Most of us never really feel old when we get to be of a certain age," Philip observed. "But in all practicality, Angela, age doesn't mean very much other than how long you've been on this here earth. I'm 43 years old now, & Sheila says I tend to act much more like a 17-year-old. Not that I really mind being a childish imp when the time is right for such," he said with a mischievous wink.

"Well, what about the other day, when our boss came over for dinner?" Sheila countered with a dry glare. "You & Alex started pulling all sorts of naughty little tricks on Mr. Dawson the entire time he was at the table, trying to have a nice meal with the family; it got to be so irritating for him that he got up from his chair & left faster than you could say 'psych'."

"Sheila," Philip said with a sheepish grin, "that's the whole point of April Fools' Day. And it wasn't as though we weren't fillying around with anyone else; you & Angela & the other boys got joked & poked & pranked & all that, but you never put up a fuss."

"That's because we weren't the ones who were docking the family pay after that immature incident," Sheila snapped, as she & Philip began getting into a squabble. Certain that the argument was over nothing but little adult nitpicks, Alex, Angela, & the other boys continued to laugh & chat merrily as they ate their cake & snacks.

"So when do we get to open the presents?" Dim asked eagerly, his eyes shining with anticipation.

Angela giggled in amusement & playfully boxed Dim's ears. "Silly, the presents are for me," she said. "But I'd be more than happy to share them with you, if you'd like."

"That would be nice," Dim said with genuine sweetness as he blushed & his smile became bashful & flattered. "Thank you, Angela." The portly boy gave Angela a kiss on the cheek, & she, too, blushed with a coy giggle, before telling Dim he was welcome. Just then, everyone turned to face Georgie as they heard the sounds of his startled cry & of his cake falling onto the floor with a sploosh. "Drat it," the boy mock-swore as he picked up the old piece & threw it away. "And I hadn't even had a chance to eat it."

Angela stepped over to Georgie & offered her plate of cake to him. "Would you like my piece?" she asked politely, smiling pleasantly at Georgie. The boy paused for a second or two, before finally taking the cake in his hands & returning the smile. "Yes," he replied. "Thanks very much...I mean, merci." Even while he ate the slice of cake Angela had offered him, Georgie continued to smile at the girl, overcome with admiration for her simple act of kindness & generosity. Of course, any selfless deeds were the least Angela could do for a friend; being good-hearted & considerate was practically second nature for her.

"It's no wonder that her name's Angela," Georgie praised as he finished his cake. "She's so perfect in every way!"

"I'll bet she's gonna be the first of us to go to Heaven," Pete fawned with a doting gaze. "And St. Peter will be giving her wings & a halo the moment she arrives!"

"Now, boys," Sheila scolded lightly, "it's not good form to exaggerate."

"But it's all verily true, Mrs. DeLarge," Georgie said with a sincere, if somewhat saccharine, grin. "The birthday girl does deserve a bit of praise, doesn't she?"

"Well...I suppose you're right," Sheila said with an agreeing smile, before scuttling off to the kitchen pantry. "You'll never guess what we have next for you, Angela," she said in a sing-song tone as she & Philip brought out differently-sized boxes in colorful wrapping, before placing them on the table. Alex, Angela, & the other boys cooed in fascination as they gathered around to gaze at the pile of presents.

"So which one are you gonna open first, Angie?" Georgie asked Angela with a wink as he gently elbowed her in the side. The girl scanned the pile of boxes, & finally pulled out the first present she would open, its box decorated with rainbow-adorned paper & a big blue bow on top. Angela gingerly tore at the wrapping paper until she could see what the present was—it was a vast collection of all sorts of brilliantly-colored Rainbow Toys.

As everyone else fawned in amazement, Angela took out a Rainbow Slinky from the box & began juggling it in her hands, her face brightening as she watched its spectacular spectrum of colors shift back & forth in a rapid, multicolored movement that dazzled the eyes & boggled the mind in a most delightful way. Then she put the slinky back in the big box of Rainbow Toys, which she gingerly placed onto the table. "Oh, this present is simply wonderful," Angela marveled. "Très magnifique!"

"I hope that you enjoy playing with all of your new toys," Pete said cheerfully. "I made sure that I got the best, brightest, & most beautiful Rainbow Toys that I could find."

"I'm sure that I'll have lots of fun with them," Angela said, giving Pete a "thank you" hug & kiss. "Merci beaucoup." Pete chuckled bashfully & blushed as he told Angela that she was most certainly welcome.

Then Angela opened Dim's present, which she loved just as much as her first one; it was a framed picture of her, personally drawn by Dim himself & colored brightly with crayons. Though the artwork might have appeared to someone as scrawly & not very well-drawn, Angela saw a genuine beauty in the picture & absolutely loved it. Dim couldn't stop guffawing coyly when Angela complimented & thanked him for his simple gift.

Georgie then offered Angela the present he had gotten for her. "I think you're going to like this one as well," he said as Angela gently tore at the light-purple wrapping & opened up the box. The girl gasped in delight when she saw what was inside it: a bottle of lavender perfume, a lavender-colored nightgown, & a matching robe with slippers. "Oh, they're absolutely fantastic!" Angela exclaimed happily. "Thank you, Georgie!"

The last two presents Angela had received were both from Alex & either of his parents. "Why don't you open this one first, dear?" Philip suggested, handing Angela one of the remaining gifts. "Alex went with me to the music box factory at the mall the other day, & we both had this made just for you." Angela found an egg-shaped container covered in sparkling amethysts & diamonds. Then she wound up the key on the side of the music box & let out a coo of childlike astonishment as she watched the lid open to reveal a small pair of mouse figurines in dazzling evening attire. The miniature couple waltzed around gracefully as a tinny version of the "Moonlight Sonata" began playing.

When the song finished & the dancing mice were hidden from view by the closing lid of the music box, Angela gazed at the gift with shining eyes & thanked Philip & Alex for it. Now only one present was left on the table. "Mum & I worked on this together for you," Alex said as he offered the last box to Angela. "I really think you're going to love it." The moment she opened the gift, Angela's eyes brightened & her mouth gaped open in pleasant shock as she saw a stuffed bunny in a white dress smiling at her. Along with its soft peach fur, its cotton tail, its tiny button nose, & its long pink ears, it also had tresses of long blonde hair & shining blue eyes made of azure beads—just like Angela's.

For a moment, Angela was too overcome with joy to even speak, until at last she found her voice again. "Mon Dieu," Angela gasped in utmost enchantment, "it's so wonderful!" Clutching the stuffed bunny in her arms, she turned to face Alex & Sheila with an astonished smile. "I don't know just how I can thank you enough for this," she said, quickly pulling in Alex & Sheila for a long, tender hug. "Merci, merci beaucoup! Thanks so very much for this wonderful gift!"

"It's no problem at all, Angela," Alex said with a sweet smile. "You only deserve the best." And as the merriment & the birthday festivities continued well into the early evening hours, the best was precisely what Angela had.

"Raindrops keep drippin' on my hair, oh, they keep drippin'..."

"Dim, you gloopy buffoon, that's not how the song goes!"

Holding her black umbrella in her withered hands to protect herself & the gaggle of five children from the drizzly April rain, Sheila rolled her eyes in mock-irritation as she listened to Dim & Georgie squabble. "Boys, no fightin'," the middle-aged mother reprimanded.

"We weren't fighting, Mrs. DeLarge," Dim said with a goofy grin, placing his pudgy hands in his pockets. "We were just...uh..."

"Debating!" Georgie finished, sporting the same smile as his eyes twinkled impishly.

"Well, whatever it is you're doing," Sheila admonished, "I suggest you not do it anymore." When the boys had apologized & promised not to argue, they continued on their way with Pete, Angela, Sheila, &...where was Alex?

Suddenly, everyone looked up in surprise as Alex slid through the puddles of rain-water on the sidewalk, getting everyone wet. "Come on, Em!" he shouted, waving his hand in a beckoning gesture. "Let's hurry home!" With that, Sheila & the other children rushed for their flat as quickly as they could, but when they got to the entrance, they stopped in their tracks as their eyes widened in great terror. An ominous, threatening message had been scrawled onto the front door, its jagged letters painted in red blood.

The boys did not know what to make of it. Finally, after scrutinizing the note for a long time, Dim asked Sheila in puzzlement, "Mrs. DeLarge, what's a 'slut'?"

"Never you mind, Dimitri," Sheila answered, anxiously pushing the boys into the house. "Now go upstairs, all of you, & don't come down till I say it's OK!" By this point, Angela had become incredibly upset & started to cry uncontrollably, clinging desperately to Sheila for support. "What is it, child?" Sheila asked, gently hugging Angela as she caressed her hair. "What's bothering you so?" When Angela did not reply & her sobs became more hysterical, Sheila was struck with pity for the poor girl. "Come upstairs with me," she said kindly as she escorted Angela into the flat, "& I'll give you some nice tea with cheese crumpets."

Alex stayed behind to take another look at the message on the door. The ensanguined threat made his blood run cold as he read it:

Don't even try & run away from me, you miserable, dirty slut. Because I will find you—& when I do, I'm gonna make sure you never see your precious Alex again.

P.S. I wonder if the little "love scratches" I left on your skin have healed yet...

In the room she shared with Alex, Angela was kneeling at the side of the bed, sobbing into her tiny hands. Her empty cup of tea & finished plate of crumpets lay at her feet. Oh, God, she thought miserably to herself as she drowned in her feelings of anguish & pain, he knows! Billyboy knows that I've been living with Alex, & now I'll never be safe from him! He'll be around every corner, watching my every move as he plans to seek his revenge on me for running off with his archenemy...And Alex...what will he think of me now? He'll hate me! I'm certain he'll hate me...after realizing that his darling friend was involved with the bane of his existence! Angela's sobs only became more hysterical as she thought of this. Oh, Dieu, what am I to do? What am I to do?

The door suddenly swung open, & Alex came in, looking more concerned & anxious than he ever had in his life. "Angela, are you OK?" The girl said nothing in reply. "Angela," Alex asked as he stepped closer to her, "what's wrong? What happened to you?"

"Nothing," Angela said with a shake of her head, as her tears spilled down her cheeks. "Nothing is wrong."

Alex stooped down beside Angela & gently took her hand as he tilted her chin until her gaze met his. "Remember what Georgie & Pete said the other day? You're an angel, Angela—that's what your name means. And angels don't lie." Alex caressed Angela's cheek to wipe away her stray tears, as his loving, but desperate, gaze became deeper & more intense. "Tell me the truth, Angela...what has been upsetting you? Who are you so afraid of? Tell me...tell me..." Alex's voice became a soft whisper, & he gently rubbed Angela's shoulders in a comforting gesture. Upon feeling the tender touch, the girl's face immediately became blank, & her eyes widened in utmost terror.

"Angela?" Alex asked, trying to get her attention. "Angela, listen to me!"

"Listen to me, you little bitch...if you ever wanna live to see another day, you'll do exactly as I tell you—otherwise, you're gonna end up joining your dear old mum & dad..."

"Keep away from me!" Angela shrieked, grabbing the empty plate & holding it up as a makeshift shield to protect herself. "You monster, leave me alone!"

Alex was completely puzzled by Angela's strange reaction. "Angela," he asked in confusion, "what's the matter?"

"What's the matter, baby?" Those foreign fingers were poking & probing through her, as his grotesque, unclothed form pressed against her frail, quivering body, ready to make the first penetration. "You don't like the way I touch you?" His dirty, yellow teeth nipped at her naked skin, while he pried apart her nether lips & began pushing himself into her. "Come on, baby, you know it feels good..." Then a painful tearing of flesh, followed by a gush of blood & an agonized shriek. "You know you like it, you dirty whore...say it...you want more..."

"No," Angela cried, shattering the plate & picking up one of the broken pieces, which she brandished like a dagger. "No!"

"Angela," Alex commanded, "put down whatever it is you're holding, & give it to me."

"Give it to me...give it to me, you bitch!"

Angela began shaking violently & sobbing as she clutched the makeshift weapon more tightly. When her palm had been pricked, Angela let out a cry of surprise as she dropped the plate piece; the jagged shard sliced her wrist as it fell to the ground. This time, instead of the usual gradual slippage into her placid trance, Angela instantly became unaware of everything & everyone around her. Her blue eyes became glassy & her flesh turned increasingly pale as Angela's wrist began bleeding profusely. The world started to spin, & everything Angela saw turned into a random, rotating muddle of vibrant colors & amorphous shapes. Whatever Alex was screaming, Angela could not make out; the darkness closed in, & she collapsed in a crimson pool of her own blood.

"Angela..." The girl's eyes opened, & for a moment, she was shocked to realize she was still alive. Fog surrounded Angela, & she glanced around as she heard a strange voice calling her name. "Angela..." A bright light shone in the distance, & Angela began walking towards it in a daze, as the voice continued to call her name.

"Angela...Angela...Angela, wake up!"

The girl opened her eyes to find herself still alive & lying on Alex's bed, her injured wrist covered in white, blood-stained bandages. Alex, Sheila, Philip, Dim, Georgie, & Pete were gathered around the bed, gazing at her with looks of pity & concern. Alex's cheeks werered & puffy, an indication he had been crying for a while; the same could be said for Dim & Sheila, who continued to dab at her moist eyes with a handkerchief.

"What happened?" Angela moaned weakly, her head still reeling a bit from the disorienting events earlier.

"Angela," Philip said gravely, "you've been unconscious for over an hour. Alex said you cut your wrist."

Everything became clear to Angela once again. "But I...I..." She realized she could not offer an explanation, & she buried her face in her palms, sobbing softly. "Might I have a few moments alone with Angela?" Alex asked his parents & friends. "I need to talk to her about something personal."

"Of course, son," Philip said kindly as he led everyone else out of the bedchamber & into the living room. When the others were gone, Alex got onto the bed beside Angela, & he gently held her hand as he gazed deeply into her eyes.

"Angela," Alex said solemnly, "why did you do this?"

With tears still streaming down her face, the girl shook her head as she denied doing anything. "I don't want to talk about it," she said. But Alex was not to be refused again. "Angela," he said, "do you remember what I said? Angels don't lie. I don't want you to lie to me about anything anymore; I know you're keeping secrets from me & the people you love."

"I can't tell you," Angela cried. "You'll hate me! You'll hate me!"

"No!" Alex protested, gently pulling Angela into a long, loving hug. "I could never, ever hate you, Angela, no matter what."

"And I still refuse to tell you," Angela said darkly, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of the sweater she was wearing. "Some secrets are meant to be kept, Alex. Quelques secrets sont signifiés être gardés."

"But why must you lie to me?" Alex questioned Angela with desperation in his voice. The girl collapsed into his arms & sobbed. "You don't understand, mon cher," Angela groaned tearfully. "You just don't understand..."

The afternoon sun was still hidden by storm clouds, & the sounds of thunderclaps & falling rain could still be heard as Billyboy sat in his throne, smoking cigarettes & sipping his brandy as he mused darkly about the person he had written the message on the door for. Surely, Angela must have seen the note by now...Billyboy sneered with most insidious delight as he pondered over what her reaction might have been. She probably fainted...but it was more likely that she screamed first. She must have screamed in utmost terror when she saw the message that Billyboy had scrawled onto the door with Cass' blood...& then she probably cried like a baby. Billyboy was sure as hell that Angela cried & cried until she could no more.

It wasn't long before Billyboy began picturing the scene in his mind. Angela must have been walking to the flat on that rainy morning (more than likely with Alex, that little whore!), stopping when she got to the front door. Then Angela would have taken one look, just one look, at the threat he had written, before collapsing to the ground & sobbing uncontrollably. The sounds of Angela's hysterical crying & her tearful shrieks of pain & agony began echoing in Billyboy's mind, filling him with an unholy ecstasy. As the sinister sensation coursed through his every nerve, the gang leader quickly reached into his trousers & began touching himself, grunting & groaning as the thoughts of Angela's pain increased his pleasure.

As he continued to masturbate, Billyboy recalled that first winter's evening when he had taken Angela to his bed—the night after he had kidnapped the girl & her family, raped Mrs. Westbrook, & then killed both of Angela's parents when he was done—all of these crimes committed in front of the girl's horrified eyes. When Billyboy had offered to give Angela food & shelter in compensation for her troubles, the girl couldn't bear to turn down his kind proposal. It turned out, however, that Billyboy's "proposal" was not so kind at all—he was only blackmailing Angela, allowing her the basic staples of life in exchange for the grueling hours of sexual agony he made her go through for the next three weeks.

Not that he cared—he loved hearing that little bitch scream in pain as he pounded & thrust into her, making sure that he was the only one who received any pleasure during the intense intercourse. Whenever he took Angela to his bed, Billyboy found that he felt even more bliss, such malicious bliss, from the little things he gave Angela as he raped her—those deep cuts & scratches, the wounds that oozed blood, the vicious "love bites" & the bruises he left on her flesh during passion-induced frenzies...the destruction of the gate to her womanhood...He remembered how Angela screamed & cried when he made that first penetration. It was extreme agony for her, but bliss—oh, such depraved delight—for him!

The thoughts of those sinful nights began charging every cell in Billyboy's brain, & his pleasure only increased further. Just before he could reach his peak, however, he was awakened from his state of gratification by the sound of the doors to the derelict opera house opening. Footsteps resonated across the empty chamber, followed by the silent pitter-patter of bare feet. "Hey, Billyboy," a familiar voice called, "guess who I brought to amuse you while the boys are out?"

"Oh," Billyboy said with an amused sneer as he saw his visitors arrive, "a dame for my evening? Good for you, Ira! Bring her in."

The scantily-clad prostitute reluctantly dragged her feet, trying to quicken her pace as Ira harshly tugged her onto the stage. When the gang member shoved his voluntary hostage to the floor & then left the area, the hooker landed in front of Billyboy & got on her knees, staring with wide, garishly-painted eyes at the delinquent. For a moment, as she gazed into his cold, sneering face, the prostitute was just a bit intimidated...but she quickly put on a brave, confident front & assertively rose to her feet, placing her ringed hands on her wide hips as she said in a husky whisper, "So, baby, what kind of services can I offer you tonight?"

Billyboy reached into his pocket & took out a handful of shiny new pounds. "What do I get for this much?" he asked, as his face took on a suave, roguish charm. When Billyboy considered his options & decided just how he wanted to be "served", he laid the prostitute down on an old mattress that rested nearby, unfastened his shirt & trousers, & straddled her. Just after Billyboy had made the first move, he began beating & biting the prostitute in a violent frenzy. The aghast hooker voiced her disapproval & pushed Billyboy off of her, adjusting her clothes as she took her handbag & prepared to leave.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Billyboy shrieked, his eyes blazing with rage as he started after the evening lady. When he received no response, the gang leader became even angrier. He was just about to grab the prostitute & stab her in the heart with his knife, but the moment he caught her, she kicked him in his sensitive area & dashed for the nearest shelter, screaming for help. At the risk of getting caught & possibly apprehended by the police, Billyboy dared not follow the hooker, & as he stood in the threshold of the opera house, he looked up with fury-filled eyes & an angry sneer at the cloudy skies, which began to emit cold drops of spring drizzle. He watched the rain fall like the tears he had seen Angela cry...before letting out a primal shriek of animalistic rage as he dashed back into the opera house.

"You'll pay for what you did to me, you fucking bitch!" Billyboy screamed, angrily pounding the walls & tossing furniture & junk in every direction. "I'm gonna make you suffer for running off with that miserable bastard! I'll make your life an absolute hell—I'll make every damn moment for you an absolute nightmare, until you regret the day you were born! Let's see how much you wanna whore yourself to Alex after that, you tawdry, leg-spreading slut!"

Finally, Billyboy staggered back onto the stage floor & collapsed on the mattress, totally spent. Though his body was tired, however, his soul blazed with incredible fury & his eyes continued to show that spark of wrathful determination. A truly evil smile played across Billyboy's lips, formed by the lines of hideous yellow teeth. "You hear that, Angie?" he muttered insidiously to himself, but more so as a threat to the girl. "If you're not careful, you'll be joining your mommy & daddy very soon...but perhaps I should deal with Alex first, just to teach you a little lesson..."

The melodic sounds of robins' warbles & conversation resonated through the grassy, flower-filled park, as Alex & Angela strolled hand-in-hand down a dusty path shaded by tall, leafy trees. As they lingered in the simple joy of their May ramble, the two tweens laughed & giggled as they cheerfully discussed over different subjects, chatted idly about youthful prattle, & told each other wistful stories of long-ago events.

"How I love the springtime," Angela sighed dreamily as she gazed fondly at the pretty park landscape, watching the birds fly by & feeling the warmth of the sun's rays on her skin. "It's my most favorite season in the whole year." Angela began to dance around, watching the lush, beautiful scenery whirling before her eyes. "After the bitter winter's cold winds die away & the chilly white snow melts onto the ground, the sun comes out & brings warmth & happiness to the land, as the flowers bloom & the animals wake up from their long sleep to the greeting melody of birdsong."

"That was beautiful," Alex complimented. "I didn't know you could be so perceptive...I mean, poetic."

"I may be a poet," Angela quipped, "& I don't even know it." The girl & Alex giggled like toddlers at the silliness of the unintended rhyme, before continuing on their way as they resumed their jovial conversation. After a while, Alex & Angela stopped & sat at the edge of a crystal lake, decorated with floating lily pads.

"Hey, Angela," Alex said as he spotted a straying pad drifting towards them, "could you hold still for a couple of seconds?" He took the water lily, plucked the flower from it, & carefully tucked it into Angela's hair behind her ear. "Ta-da!" he cheered, smiling like a magician who had just pulled a bunny out of his hat. "Why don't you take a look?" asked Alex, gesturing to the surface of the lake as Angela leaned over to stare at her reflection. Her face sported a look of pleasant surprise as she saw her mirror image with the blossoming white lily in her hair staring back at her from the crystal waters.

Angela turned to face Alex, & the moment their gazes met, the two friends broke into smiles. "It's beautiful," Angela whispered as she wrapped her arms around Alex & gave him a great big hug. "Thank you!"

Alex, too overcome with sweet emotion, didn't know just how to react. The least he felt he could do was return Angela's hug, kiss her rosy cheek, & say, "You're more than welcome, darling."

That afternoon, Alex & Angela returned to their house. No sooner did they come through the front door & start taking off their shoes than Philip & Sheila arrived, looking quite excited as wide smiles appeared on their aging faces. "You'll want to put your shoes back on, children," Philip said, his eyes shining with anticipation. "We're all going out tonight!"

"Where to, Mr. DeLarge?" Angela asked, gleefully clapping her hands together like a child who had just spotted a motherload of presents under the Christmas tree.

After taking her purse from the kitchen table, Sheila went back over to Alex & Angela, stooping to their level as she waved some tickets in front of their brightening faces. "Remember that big theater show you wanted to see?" Sheila cooed. "Well, Philip & I managed to get tickets for all of us!"

"Let's hurry & get dressed!" Philip urged, ushering the children into their room so they could prepare for the evening's events that awaited them. "The earlier we arrive, the better!"

After Alex & Angela had put on some nicer clothes, they stepped into the living room, smiling & posing coyly as they modeled for Philip & Sheila.

"You two look positively adorable!" Sheila gushed, fawning over the two children & admiring their outfits. Indeed, Alex looked quite strapping in his dark-blue suit & his striped tie, & Angela was a sight to behold in her pretty rainbow dress with its matching multi-colored jewelry, opal charm necklace, & sparkling iridescent shoes. "I'm sure everyone at the theater will be showering compliments upon the both of you the moment they see you walk in!" When she had taken a closer look at Alex, though, Sheila winced a bit, & quickly fished out a small black comb from her purse. Alex fidgeted & fussed as his mother went through the tedious process of thoroughly combing his fair hair, but when Sheila was finally finished, the boy chuckled good-naturedly & kissed his dear mum on the cheek.

"Well," Philip said as he opened the door & gracefully gestured to the hallway, "shall we depart?"

Soon, Alex was just about to follow Angela & his father on their way out, but before he could take another step, Sheila stopped him. "Take just a few seconds to have a glass of this, son," she said as she offered Alex a glass of lemonade. "You haven't had much to drink today." With an impatient roll of his eyes, Alex took the cup & guzzled its contents thirstily, wiping his mouth when he was finished. As he felt the greenish-yellow liquid rushing down his throat & tasted the flavor that lingered in his mouth, Alex gagged a bit in disgust. The lemonade he had drunk tasted...well, he wasn't exactly sure what it tasted like. Probably like bitter almonds.

"It doesn't taste very good," Alex said with a sickened grimace.

"Are you sure?" Sheila asked. "I put a whole cupful of sugar in that pitcher of lemonade...well, no matter. Come along, son; Angela & your dad are waiting for us."

Once Alex, Angela, Philip, & Sheila had arrived at the theater, they made their way through the lobby, showed their tickets to the ticket lady, & then took their seats in the crowding auditorium, which echoed with the excited whispers & hushed chatter of the other theater-goers. Angela & Alex only became even more excited when they heard the orchestra tuning their instruments; it wouldn't be very long before the show started.

"I'm so very excited," Angela whispered, her eyes shining with anticipation. "I'll bet this play is going to be wonderful!"

Soon, the theater lights dimmed, the audience quieted down, the curtains went up, & the orchestra began playing the overture music as the actors & dancers appeared on the stage, enthusiastically performing the grandiose opening number. From the spirited start of the show to its dramatic finale scene, Alex, Angela, & his parents watched every second of the play with fascination & great rapture. Just after the actors came in for curtain call & the audience gave the last of their vigorous applause, however, Alex clutched his stomach, groaning nauseously as he lurched in his seat.

"Son," Philip asked in concern, "are you all right?"

Alex swiftly put his hand over his mouth, stifling a retch. "I don't think so, Dad," he moaned, as his face turned green. "I think I need to throw up..."

30 minutes later

The sickening sounds of Alex's vomiting had been going on for a grueling half-hour, & as she heard her son gulp & retch, Sheila's face became lined with worry. "Perhaps I should go in there," she said, making a reach for the bathroom door. Philip, however, held her back. "You musn't venture into the men's room, dear, for obvious reasons," he reminded her. "I'll check on Alex instead." But Sheila, greatly concerned for her son, put up a fuss & insisted that she be allowed in to see what was wrong with Alex. When Philip tried to convince her that it wasn't a good idea, Sheila became defiant & started arguing with her husband.

Meanwhile, in the washroom, Alex was still hunched over the sink, throwing up as he never had before. The boy's stomach burned & churned, & his mouth felt as though it had swallowed a cup of blazing hellfire instead of the refreshing lemonade his mother had served him earlier. "What's wrong with me?" Alex asked himself weakly, looking down at the vomit he had just spewed into the marble sink. It was heavily stained with blood. Frightened at the sight, Alex quickly looked up until he saw his reflection in the mirror; the frail form that stared back at him had been rendered gaunt & pale from the debilitating effects of this strange ailment. His blue eyes were bloodshot & sunken, gaping at him from the glass surface.

"Oh, Bog," Alex whispered hoarsely, repulsed & horrified by the image of the sickly ghost he had become. "I've got to get back to Mum & the others!" When he made a run for the exit, however, Alex collapsed & fell to the polished floor, feeling disoriented as the world around him began to spin & swirl. Amorphous, abstract shapes, bright flashing lights, & churning colors were all Alex could see as he crawled on his hands & knees like a baby to the door, slowing down with each inch he traveled.

"I've...got...to...reach them...somehow," Alex muttered faintly, his rasping voice now barely audible as his body became weaker & weaker by the second. He felt a pair of invisible hands clutching tightly at his throat, cutting off the oxygen he needed to survive. Blackness was starting to overwhelm his brain, but Alex struggled with all his might to reach the door. His quivering fingers grasped the golden handle as though it were the saving hand of life, yanking it down as the weight of his body fell against the door & pushed it open...

By this point, Sheila & Philip's argument had evolved from a petty squabble to an all-out shouting match. The middle-aged parents didn't seem to care that they had attracted the attention of everyone in the hallway as they blindly continued to quarrel. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek brought Sheila & Philip out of their bickering state; they turned their heads back to the bathroom door, just in time to see Angela shrieking in terror as she stooped over Alex's unconscious body.

"Alex!" Sheila cried as she rushed to Angela's side & leaned over her son, who stared back at her with empty, unblinking eyes. "Alex, son, wake up!" When she gently slapped his face to try & revive him, the boy began convulsing as he coughed out blood. "Oh, God, my baby!" Sheila shrieked in agony as she kneeled to the floor & cradled Alex in her arms. "My sweet, sweet baby!" Tears flowed down the mother's wrinkled cheeks as she kissed her son's hair, tenderly clasping his head to her chest.

"Call an ambulance!" Philip shouted, as some of the bystanders began scurrying to the nearest phone to dial for help. "Quickly!"

Within just a few minutes, Alex was transported to Elstree Hospital & rushed to the ER. Angela, Philip, & Sheila, however, had to stay in the waiting room until the doctor said otherwise. "Why can't I see him?" Angela cried, ready to burst into another spell of tears as she sat with Philip & Sheila on a dull, gray couch. "Why?"

Now calm & doing her best not to let her anxiety completely consume her, Sheila held Angela close & gently hugged the weeping girl, whispering words of comfort as she stroked her golden hair. "Shhh, my lambkin," she said softly. "Shhh..." Eventually, Angela ceased sobbing, & she did her best to calm down as she snuggled Sheila, squeezing her withered hand in a silent plead for consolation.

"We may have to stay here for a while, love," Philip said, "but don't worry. Hopefully, the doctor will be here soon to tell us all."

"Soon", however, gradually became a long, grueling blur of what may have been countless moments. Luckily, Angela, Philip, & Sheila didn't have to spend the time alone for very long. An hour after Alex had been checked into the hospital, three familiar figures entered the waiting room & joined Angela & the DeLarges where they sat. "What are you doing here?" Angela asked, puzzled by the suddenness of their welcome—if unexpected—appearance.

"Georgie, Dim, & I came to keep you company," Pete said with an empathetic smile, but looked sheepish & squirmed awkwardly as he offered his explanation for the boys' knowledge of the DeLarges' whereabouts: "We, uh...saw you exit the theater & take Alex into the ambulance. We were concerned about what was going on, so we decided to stay with you & see how our droog is doing."

"You're more than welcome to stay," Philip said, scooting over with Angela & Sheila to make extra room for the boys. "I just hope you haven't worried your parents sick by not telling them where you are."

"We made sure to call them before we came," Georgie said. "They said we could stay, as long as we return home when he's well." Then a thought struck him: "Is Alex OK, Mrs. DeLarge? What happened to him?"

"We don't know," Sheila answered, shaking her head. "The doctor hasn't reported to us yet." She sighed heavily. "What could be making my baby boy so ill? I'm worried that he may have some kind of..."

"Stop this talk, Sheila," Philip said firmly, placing a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "I'm sure Alex is going to be all right."

"But didn't I viddy blood on his face?" Dim asked, looking plaintive & anxious as he remembered the sight. "And he was so pale & thin...like a ghost. It scared me..."

"It's nothing the doctors can't cure," Pete declared confidently. "Right, Mr. & Mrs. DeLarge?" The beret-wearing boy smiled optimistically at the two adults, but then he became concerned when he saw the solemn looks on their faces & received no response from them for some moments.

"Only time will tell, Pete," Philip finally said. "Only time will tell..."

It wasn't long before the doctor finally approached Philip, Sheila, Angela, & the boys, whose hopeful smiles turned into frowns when they saw the grim expression on the doctor's face. "There is something I need to tell you concerning Alex," he said. "While it is horrible news, I must nevertheless pass it along it to you, as my job requires me to." The doctor's eyes were sad & bleak as he continued, "Your son has been poisoned."

The words hit Sheila with the force of a speeding car. "Poisoned?" she managed to stammer out, horrified that this could have happened to her child. "How did...?"

"We pumped his stomach as soon as he came into the ward," the doctor replied. "We found an unusual dose of arsenic in his body. While we were able to get the poison all out, there is still a good chance that it may have already affected him."

"NO! No, it can't be true!" Sheila screamed, clutching at the lapels of Philip's jacket. She would have done the same to the doctor were her husband not trying to restrain her. "Please, tell me there's some mistake!"

"I'm sorry," was all the doctor said. "We've put Alex on life support, & we'll be checking on him frequently. But as far as we're concerned, the damage to him is permanent."

Sheila did not speak for a few moments, but only stared at the doctor with a horrified, stunned gaze in response to his news. Then, with an alarming calmness, Sheila finally found her voice & asked with hesitation, "What are you saying?"

The doctor placed a tender hand on the mother's frail shoulder, gazing regretfully into her eyes. "Mrs. DeLarge, I know this isn't easy for you & your loved ones to hear, but I cannot lie to you," he said slowly & somberly. "Alex ingested arsenic, one of the deadliest poisons there is—two cups of the stuff would have killed him instantly. Your son was lucky enough to even last for 10 minutes, but his brain was greatly affected by the poisoning. Currently, he is in a vegetative state; there is an 85% chance that he will not recover, & even if he does, he'll more than likely have suffered irreversible mental damage. He may never be able to walk or talk again...& that's not even the worst that could come of this."

Even as she watched her world come crashing down around her, Sheila tried her best to remain calm, although her body shook with sorrowful sobs & she was on the verge of bursting into hysterics. Philip could barely keep tears from forming in his eyes. Pete, Georgie, & Dim were literally rendered speechless; they just didn't know how to react. Angela, however, was consumed with overwhelming grief; she had more than an inkling of who was responsible for poisoning Alex.

"That monster...I know he's behind this!" Angela exclaimed to herself, her voice just above a whisper. When she saw Philip, Sheila, the doctor, & the boys turning to look at her in puzzlement, Angela cringed—she had spoken too much. "I said nothing," the girl lied, breathing a hushed sigh of relief when the others turned away to carry on with their serious discussion about Alex. The adults & the children were completely unaware of the sorrowful tears that flowed down Angela's pretty face, as her countenance contorted in agony. Not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone, Angela silently got up from the couch & went into one of the hospital corridors. Now all alone, she collapsed against the wall & curled up like a defenseless fetus in the womb, rocking & hugging herself while she sobbed as she never had before.

Oh, how I want to tell you the name of that evil fiend who hurt Alex! But I can't—for my own protection & for yours. If I utter so much as a single word about who he is or about all of the horrible things he did to me, he'll surely try to make sure those secrets remain hidden—& then, we'll never be safe from him...Oh, Billyboy, why can't you leave us in peace?

The monster who had plagued Angela's darkest nightmares returned again, sporting an angry grimace on his cruel face. "What are you crying about now, bitch?" Billyboy asked, his harsh voice devoid of any emotion except pure spite. "You're throwing a bloody fit just because your little gigolo had some bad lemonade. Well, if he goes, the only thing that you've got to lose is a horny bastard to bang you."

Angela's sobs immediately quieted down & her pained face became flushed with anger. "How dare you!?" she exclaimed in disgust, her breaking voice now a furious whisper. "You think you can just look back at the horrible thing you've done to my sweet Alex & laugh it all off like it was a sick, twisted joke?" When Billyboy snickered mockingly in response, rage overwhelmed Angela, & she snarled as she lunged at the heartless villain, pounding him with small, clenched fists. "How could you do this?!" she screeched, trying to conceal her sorrowful tears with an enraged expression. "You monster, how could you?" The girl gave into her feelings of distress & clung to Billyboy out of sheer desperation, staring at the rogue with moist, miserable eyes as her fingers frantically grippedthe lapels of his camouflage coat.

Billyboy's reaction to Angela's distressed inquiry was a callous sneer & a cold, cruel gleam in his dark eyes. The words that he spoke next revealed no remorse at what he had done: "Your sweet Alex deserves to die. From the very beginning, Angela, he was just using you, doing his best to kiss your ass & cater to your every whim while he kept trying to get you into bed with him. He never cared for you, you slut; he would have left you out on the streets to die, had I not given him that little message..."

Now confronted with this horrible realization, Angela's blood turned cold & her eyes widened in terror. "It was you," she shuddered. "You've been doing all those things to me & the people I love!" Angela began to cry again, but she was quickly silenced when she felt Billyboy's gloved hand slapping her cheek. "Shut up, you whore!" the gang leader barked. "You just can't handle the fact that your little Alex is a lying, cheating bastard who has no place in his heart for a tawdry urchin like you!"

"No!" Angela cried out in denial, shaking her head fiercely. "No, it's not true!"

"He hates you," Billyboy snarled, sneering cruelly at Angela as his filthy, yellow teeth formed into a truly evil grin. "He hates you! He doesn't love you, you bitch! He never loved you, & he never will!"

"You're lying!" Angela shouted, on the verge of tears even as she attempted to hide her fear & pain. "I don't believe you!"

"It's your fault, Angela! You killed him!" Billyboy was attacking Angela with even more fervor, not hiding his ruthless intent to break her spirit. "You tempted him with your wanton ways, & you lured him to his death!"

"Stop!" Angela screamed as she sank into a corner & shielded herself, her façade of strength falling apart like a crumbling wall. "Leave me alone!"

"You'll never belong to him, Angela!" Billyboy screeched with insidious delight, shrieking the words in Angela's ear to make sure she heard every single one of them. "Never! Never!"

Angela felt as though the overwhelming power of her stress & her grief would kill her, but then she finally opened her eyes & looked around in a surreal state of awe, unable to utter a word when she found herself huddled against the wall, all alone in the empty corridor. The only sounds Angela could hear other than her slow, heavy panting were the mewling of newborn infants & the usual noises of a delivery ward. Not knowing what to do, Angela got up & wandered through the hallway, before stopping & gazing into the big glass window of the hospital nursery. All around, babies of each color & gender were in incubators, wiggling around or resting peacefully as they snuggled with fuzzy blankets & stuffed animals.

Angela, who had always loved children, was immediately taken by the sight of the adorable infants & couldn't help but coo sweetly as she watched them from behind the glass. When her eyes locked on one incubator, though, her face fell & her heart grew heavy with pity. Inside, a baby girl in a pink nappy whimpered weakly as she lay on her back, her blue-colored body covered with suction-cupped wires connecting to ominous-looking machines that checked her vital signs. Much to Angela's sadness, the baby's health appeared to be very poor.

"You mustn't loiter around here, dear," a voice behind Angela spoke, startling her. "Aren't your parents waiting for you in the visitor's room?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Angela apologized to the male nurse, looking a bit embarrassed. "As I was walking by, I just couldn't help but see that poor baby in the incubator...the one with blue skin."

The nurse followed Angela's gaze until he saw the child she was referring to. "Yes," he uttered in recognition, "I'll be called to take care of her within a few minutes." The nurse winced uncomfortably when he spoke those words, & when Angela asked what was wrong with the baby, he could barely find enough inner strength to tell her the answer: "The baby, you see, was born awfully early, & her delivery was difficult. Her two most vital organs weren't functioning properly as a result, & the doctors said she wouldn't last a day. Even with the surgery we did on her heart, it's a miracle the child has made it this long...but unless her lungs can find a way to work correctly within the next few hours, I'm afraid all will be lost. The baby's parents have already arranged for a priest to come & give their daughter the last unction."

Angela took another glance at the baby, & then looked back at the nurse. "Is there any hope for the child?" she asked.

The nurse gave a sorrowful shake of his head. "The odds are overwhelmingly against her," he said darkly. "She probably won't stand a chance." After frowning compassionately for a few moments at the baby, the nurse adjusted his coat & headed for the nursery. "Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I have to go tend to the poor dear. Don't worry about her, though; just go back to your parents & be glad you're still living your own life." And so the nurse left without another word.

Angela looked again at the blue baby in the incubator, becoming weaker with every move she made as she strained with effort to cry. The machines that monitored the infant's life signs were showing less & less activity, but even as she watched all this, Angela truly believed that there was still just the slightest bit of hope for the child. The nurse said that the baby won't last another day, Angela thought, but I know the baby has a chance. Though her lungs are weak, she can still fight for her life; the very effort alone will make her stronger. Angela frowned when she saw the nurse & his assistants tending to the languishing baby & vainly checking for an improvement in her health, but the girl held on to hope. Be strong, little baby...you can make it. I know you can...

It seemed certain that the infant would die in a matter of minutes. Then, just when the nurses had lost all faith & were preparing to cut off the baby's life support, the beep of the monitoring machines became faster & steadier. Everyone smiled & gasped in delight, turning greatly elated as they watched the miracle that was now unfolding. The baby's skin changed to its normal color, & as the child began squirming around & kicking her tiny little feet, she took her first wails of breath. The overjoyed nurse & his assistants went to alert the baby's parents of the good news, & as Angela lingered at the window to watch the happy encounter that took place, she smiled.

With each passing hour, though, Angela's belief in Alex's own survival began to waver little by little, & as she sat with Philip, Sheila, & her friends in the waiting room, her eyes were fixed on the ticking clock on the wall as she tried her hardest to keep her faith alive. It can't be much longer! Angela assured herself with persisting hopefulness. Any minute now, Alex will wake up & be all right!

"Angela," Dim said with a drowsy yawn as he stirred & took a moment to scratch his bum, "go to sleep...it's late."

"Dimitri," Sheila gently told the boy, "can't you see that Angela's worried about Alex?"

"I'm worried, too, Mrs. DeLarge. You know I really am, right?" Dim said, the honesty of his words betraying his tired voice. "I'm scared that Alex might not wake up, & that I won't ever be able to viddy my droog again. But thinking those messels makes me sad, & I just wanna sleep it off & make them all go away..." Now fearing the worst about Alex, the portly boy sniffled & sobbed, reaching into his pants pocket for a ratty old handkerchief to dry his eyes & blow his nose with. When Dim was finished, he stuffed the used tissue back into his pouch & tried to cease his blubbering, but to no avail. "I wish this was just a sneet, a bad dream I could wake up from...& then everything would be OK again."

Now unable to keep calm any longer, Dim collapsed against Sheila & wailed mournfully as he wrapped his stout arms around her frail frame, seeking her assuring embrace & her words of comfort. "It's all right, Dimitri," Sheila consoled the child, gingerly hugging him & stroking his hair as she rocked him. "Shhh...it's going to be all right, love."

But to tell the honest-to-God truth, Sheila was stunned that she could say such empty words of blind faith, cradling & comforting Dim as though he were still a defenseless babe in the safe security of his mother's arms...when she felt like a vulnerable child herself. Really, how could she know for sure whether Alex was going to be all right? The doctors said her son would probably never wake up from his coma—& even if he did, he would suffer extensive damage to his brain from the poisoning.

Sheila recalled all the things she & Philip did with Alex when he was just a wee tot—teaching him to speak his first words, feeding him in his high chair, helping him learn how to walk, showing him what all the colors & shapes were...They would have to start all over again, but there would be no joy in these events. Alex's happy babblings of "mummy" & "daddy" would be replaced with the sounds of their retarded son's guttural mumbling. There would be no need for Alex to learn how to walk again—he would probably be paralyzed & confined to a wheelchair. His mind would regress to the simple state it was in during his babyhood; any hope of him regaining his intelligence was all but in vain. And there was worse to be expected—Alex's incontinence problem would be incurable, he would have to be fed through a tube in his throat, he would...

Oh, Sheila could have died at the very thoughts of the unfortunate mishaps that would befall upon her son! Before the mother could stop herself, she was bursting into high-pitched sobs of hysterical grief; it was a wonder she didn't wake up Dim, who was now slumbering peacefully in her lap. "Oh, God!" Sheila wept, casting a martyred glance to the ceiling. "I can't take much more of this pain & misery! Oh, my beautiful baby boy...How will I ever go on, knowing what's happened to you?"

Sheila's uncontrollable cries of agony became louder & shriller, until she finally stopped, hoping to calm her poor, weary heart down before she received a stroke (which, at her age, could have been very serious). Philip, Dim, Georgie, & Pete, astonishingly enough, continued to doze off on the couch; however, Angela had witnessed Sheila's outburst & was gripped with fear & anxiety, even though she tried to prevent her emotions from getting a hold of her & to hang on to whatever hope she had left.

"I'm sorry, Angela," Sheila apologized, drying her eyes with her hand as she made an effort to relax. "I didn't mean to scare you, sweetheart." She helped Angela onto her lap & held her, rocking the girl tenderly as she patted her head of soft golden curls. "But I really, truly am worried about my son." Sheila's tears began to fall once more, but her soft Irish voice was steady & she did not sob. "Alex means so much to me, Angela, as we all well know. He means more to me than anything else in the world...I'll never have another child like him."

"He's truly one of the most wonderful boys I've ever met," Angela said, her eyes twinkling at the thought of her friend's smiling face.

Sheila nodded her head sadly, nuzzling Angela to hide her tears. "And that's why I could never last a day without Alex..." She sniffled just a bit, but was determined not to let her feelings of grief & pain consume her as they had just a few moments before. "Angela," the mother whispered solemnly, "I need to tell you a story."

"A story?" Angela echoed, her curiosity piqued. "About what?"

"About me," Sheila replied, her wizened face sad & pensive. "You see, Angela, just a few months after Alex was born, I became very, very sick with...well, with what the doctors call ovarian cancer. My mommy bits had horrible tumors on them, & so I had to be taken to the hospital. The cancer had been caught just as it was starting to spread throughout my body; just a wee while longer, they told me, & I would have been a terminal patient. But because I'd been infected so badly, I had to go to the hospital every afternoon while they gave me chemotherapy. The chemicals used during my treatment eventually killed off the cancer cells, & they were able to concentrate them in just the right spot..." She paused, heaving a painful sigh.

"What happened?" asked Angela, her face full of concern.

It was a while before Sheila spoke again: "The doctors were able to surgically remove the tumors, but in the process, they had to take out my eggs & my fallopian tubes. I could never have another baby." Sheila sniffled again, drying her eyes with the palm of her withered hand. "And even if the doctors had kept everything in, I would still have been infertile; the dosages of chemotherapy destroyed the organs I needed to conceive a child."

As her heart swelled with sorrow, Sheila clasped Angela to her chest, crying softly while she buried her face in her hair. "I felt as though I would die of grief when they told me the news. Overcoming the cancer seemed like a Pyrrhic victory at the time; even though I survived my battle, it didn't seem worth all the struggle, knowing that Alex was all I had in the world besides my dear Philip...& that if I ever lost my son, there was nothing I'd be able to do about it."

"But we musn't lose faith, Mrs. DeLarge," Angela urged. "Even on the darkest days, there's always a ray of light that shines through the clouds!"

"There's no hope for your kid," a gruff voice declared with a rude abruptness, startling Angela & Sheila & causing them to look at a stubble-chinned, well-dressed beggar sitting in a nearby chair, his dark, dreary face & eyes shaded by an old porkpie hat as he sipped broodingly from a juice tin filled with alcohol. "I overheard the doctors in the hallway; they said he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon." The beggar quickly put his gloved hand to his mouth, darting his eyes around suspiciously to make sure none of the hospital staff heard his hiccups or his slightly-slurred speech.

"Pardon my rudeness, sir," Sheila said, "but who are you to speak in such a manner?"

The derelict man glared at Sheila, Angela, & the others with a cynical glower. "And who are you to assume," he countered, "that you know what's going to come out of all this? You say everything'll be fine & dandy, but then you're crying & blubbering like a street waif who just lost her parents & doesn't know what the hell she's gonna do next. Face it, miss—you don't know jack-squat about what's happening now, so you might as well brace yourself for the worst. The doctors are considering about asking for your go-ahead to pull the plug on your kid's life support; they say there's no use leaving it running for him if he's not going to make it."

"You don't know that!" Angela protested, her voice breaking. "How can you say such horrible things? Don't you have any hope in your heart?"

Not in the least bit confronted by the question, the beggar sighed heavily, & after taking another swig of liquor, he reached into his coat pocket & pulled out a tattered billfold with pictures in it. "You see this lass here?" the tramp asked, pointing to a photo of a little girl lying in a hospital bed, her glassy blue-violet eyes unmoving & her pallid body showing no sign of activity. "She went into a vegetative state over 7 years ago after she was hit by a car. All that time passed up till now, & she was lucky to not have to experience a lifetime of hardship & hell.

"First, the girl's grandparents died in an auto accident while on their way to see her; then a school shooting claimed the lives of many of the girl's friends. Her pet puppy was run over, her aunt succumbed to lymphoma, & finally, her father lost his job & was forced to take up residence with his wife in a crappy shack while they lost everything they had. Not too long after that, this same father took to the bottle, hoping to find a way out of his misery; instead, all the drinking ever made him do was lounge around, get hangovers, & beat & cuss at his wife. It got to be so bad that the girl's mother filed for divorce, packed her bags, & never returned. Hoping to find a cure for his ceaseless suffering, the lonely father only began drinking even more & ended up living on the streets, among the scoundrels & the strumpets.

"And all this time," the beggar said as he wiped a stray tear from his eye, "my daughter never woke up."

Angela frowned at the melancholy vagabond in pity, watching him sniffle & hiccup as he drank some more of his alcohol. It was plain to see that the gruff-faced hobo had given up his faith in everything he once believed in, now that he struggled just to survive while his aching heart & his sorrowed soul remained in the darkness of a once-wonderful world that had fallen into pieces around him. Yet while she understood why the despondent tramp maintained his gloomy views, Angela nonetheless believed deep in her heart that it was much too soon to give up on Alex. "But monsieur," she tried to encourage the beggar, "don't you think, just a little, that perhaps there's still some..."

"Hope?" the vagrant guessed with a dubious glower, sneering cynically as he took his last few sips of bourbon. "C'mon, lassie, be reasonable." He covered his mouth as he emitted a belch, & then haphazardly tossed the empty drink carton into a garbage bin. "Now if you don't mind," the beggar said curtly as he curled up on the chair & got comfortable, "it's quite late, & I have another day of agony & hell to go through tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest yourselves." The beggar closed his eyes & drifted off to uneasy sleep, moving & muttering in his slumber as his grubby hands clutched the picture of his unfortunate daughter.

The silvery rays of the pale moonlight shone through the curtainless window, illuminating the ghostly white walls of the plain, sparsely-decorated hospital ward. As Angela trudged quietly into the room & sat down in a chair at Alex's bedside, she looked at the boy lying motionlessly under the covers of his cot, his blue eyes closed in a peaceful state much like slumber. Yet though it would appear at first glance that he were indeed only sleeping, the painful truth was that Alex was teetering on the edge of a bottomless abyss; just one wrong move, & he would plummet into eternal darkness.

"Oh, Alex," Angela whispered sadly as she took her friend's cold, limp hand in hers & warmed it with her tender touch, "I want to believe that you'll wake up & be all right...but now I'm so close to losing what little hope I have." The girl gently cradled Alex's head in her tiny paws, caressing the silky locks of his fair hair & kissing his soft, pallid face. "I need you in my life, Alex," Angela pleaded, "now more than ever. Please don't die, darling..." She started to cry, but quickly dried her eyes; she knew she had to be strong, just like the little baby in the incubator, & Angela was determined to stay strong no matter what. She couldn't let her fears or her tears get ahold of her this time. Not when a little whisper of faith could be the big difference between life & death for Alex.

But it was so hard for little Angela to be a big brave girl, as she saw the condition her friend was in. His chest did not rise with breath, his eyes did not open, & his pulse...could Angela even feel it? Stop it! Angela reprimanded herself. Alex has a chance! He can make it through this terrible illness...can't he? But what if the doctors are right? What if Alex never wakes up? Oh, Dieu, if he dies, I'll surely die with him! I won't be able to last another day without him at my side!

Angela began to cry, but she struggled with all her might not to collapse into hysterics. As crystal teardrops flowed down her rosy cheeks, Angela took Alex's hand in hers again, & tenderly caressed his hair as she gazed sadly at his immobile body. "Please don't die, darling," Angela begged. "Please don't die...stay with me." The girl's sobs were soft & quiet as she stroked Alex's hand, feeling his fingers in her grasp. "Alex, mon ami chéri, please wake up. You need to wake up..." Desperate to hang onto the last of her hope for Alex's survival, Angela tried to keep her breaking voice steady as she began to sing...

S'il vous plaît, mon cher, se réveiller
C'est le temps pour saluer le jour
Essayer d'ouvrir vos yeux bleus
Se réveiller pour moi, amour

Ne pas laisser ce poison vous tue
Surmonter le sommeil mortel
Chéri doux, rester avec moi
Et je serai votre angel

Votre sang est si corrompu mal
Vous êtes à deux doigts de la mort
Mais je chasserai l'obscurité
Et les rêves doux que je apporte

Il blesse pour vous voir cette façon
Mon coeur fait mal avec douleur
Mon chéri, ne pas m'abandonner
Sans vous, tout je peux faire suis pleure

Alex woke up in a blackened field of hideous weeds & thorny bramble. His surprise to discover that he was still alive suddenly gave way to anxiety as he heard an ominous noise coming from a nearby thicket. Before Alex could prepare to flee from any danger that may have befallen him, he gasped & froze in fear as he saw a familiar figure emerging from the brush. The man, sporting a large, toothy grin, walked calmly towards Alex, before swiftly grabbing the boy into his arms & attempting to subdue his frantic struggles to get away.

"Where have you been all this time, yes?" Mr. Deltoid asked in that sugary-sweet voice of his, "playfully" grabbing Alex's hair & tugging on it as he tightened his grip firmly around the terrified child in a restraining, unloving embrace. "I've been missing you so much, yes?" The older man planted sloppy kisses all over Alex's neck & face, filling the boy with intense feelings of disgust & loathing. But, as usual, Deltoid didn't seem to care about what he did to his "little lover"; he only kissed him with more fervor as he unbuttoned Alex's shirt & began fondling him. "Come on, Alex," he cooed coaxingly, "why don't we spend some sweet time together, yes? I'm sure you would enjoy it, yes?"

Alex snarled angrily as he gathered all the strength he had & finally broke away from Deltoid. "Leave me alone, you fiend!" he yelled, dashing as far as he could away from the cruel man. But even when he ran, Alex could not escape his enemies. As the boy raced madly through a dark, scary forest, he was approached by all sorts of terrifying monsters & hungry wild animals that viciously snarled & swiped at him, hoping to have Alex for a tasty morsel. Alex finally was able to dodge from the ravenous beasts' horny claws & snapping jaws, but just when the boy thought he was safe, a gigantic harpy appeared out of nowhere & pinned Alex to the ground. As he tried vainly to break free from the bird's grasp, Alex could feel its sharp talons tearing at his loose shirt & piercing his skin until it bled.

Suddenly, the harpy's shrill screeching became maniacal laughter, & Alex was petrified with fright when he saw the fearsome raptor-like creature turn into Billyboy, who had taken the form of a sneering Nazi demon. Now free to move again, Alex tried to flee to safety, but Billyboy gave his victim harsh kicks in the stomach & bollocks with his boots to immobilize him. Then Billyboy struck Alex repeatedly with a forked bayonet & stood laughing in evil triumph as he leered down at the beaten, frightened boy, poising his knife as he prepared to stab him in the heart...

Just when it seemed like the end for Alex, a powerful burst of shining white light caught Billyboy's eyes. The alarmed villain dropped his dagger & drew back fearfully as a beautiful, blonde-haired angel fluttered down from the sky & landed gracefully at Alex's side. The angel glared at Billyboy with stern blue eyes, & the angry demon let out a snarl as he fled into the dark forest, never to return.

Alex stared up at his heavenly rescuer in great astonishment & happiness, for the seraph was none other than his sweet Angela. Angela knelt down & cradled Alex in her arms, gazing at him with love & tenderness in her eyes as she folded her soft white wings around him, protecting him from all the evilness that had haunted him earlier. The radiant light around Angela permeated the darkness & chased the scary creatures away, while pretty, fragrant flowers & lush green grass filled the landscape. Alex felt Angela's soft touch heal his wounds & comfort his soul as she gently held him to her bosom, kissing him & stroking his hair as her sweet singing lulled him to sleep...

Alex groaned weakly as his eyes fluttered open, but Angela was oblivious to his movement as she continued to sing her wake-up song & sob softly under her breath. "A...Angela," Alex murmured, smiling as he saw his friend sitting at his bedside. When Alex's fingers unfurled & he gently caressed Angela's cheek with his hand, the girl turned to look at him, & then gasped in delight as a smile of utmost happiness appeared on her face & her tears of sorrow became those of joy.

"Alex!" Angela cried. "You're alive!" She wrapped her arms tightly around Alex, hugging him as though she would never let go. "Oh, remercier Dieu que vous allez très bien!" Angela whispered, nuzzling Alex's face & kissing him lovingly. "Thank God you're all right! I thought I'd never see you again..."

Alex smiled as he gently patted Angela's shoulder & kissed her forehead. "It's OK, Angela," he whispered sweetly into her ear. "I'm awake now."

A few moments later, Philip, Sheila, & the three boys came in to see what the commotion was; they were overjoyed to see their beloved Alex alive & well, sitting up in his bed as he comforted Angela. Sheila was the first to rush over to Alex & embrace him. "My son!" she exclaimed ecstatically as tears of joy fell from her eyes & she smothered him with loving kisses. "My son, my son, my beautiful son..." Sheila stopped there; she couldn't find any other words to express her happiness.

Philip laughed merrily as he playfully tousled Alex's hair. "Alex, glad to see you're awake & on the mend!" He gave him a bear hug, squeezing his arms around his shoulders. "The doctors said you didn't have a chance, but you sure proved them wrong, didn't you, son?"

Pete, Georgie, & Dim were bursting with happiness when they saw that their friend had awakened from his coma. After they glomped Alex, the three boys were practically shoving one another as they all jabbered joyfully & fought to give him their biggest, bolshiest hugs. A grateful Alex embraced each one of his "droogs", thanking them for staying by his side & never giving up on him.

Those few moments Alex, his friends, & his family shared were truly moments of great celebration & elation. Even the nurses were laughing & dancing gleefully when they saw that their patient was all right; despite the wonderful tidings of Alex's recovery, however, the doctor still had some bad news concerning a particular side effect from the poisoning. "It's not as serious as what could have happened to him, of course," he said, "but it's still very, very serious indeed."

"What's wrong with him?" Sheila asked, stroking Alex's hair as her face became worried.

The doctor took out a file folder & skimmed through the papers inside it, before showing them to everyone else. "I must say to you in complete honesty that Alex was truly a miracle child; he defeated the odds & survived an ordeal that many do not recover from. However, Alex did receive some injury to one of his most crucial body parts. Perhaps you've heard of the amygdala?"

"I'm aware of the definition," Philip replied. "It's the part of the brain that deals with the higher emotions. It's also associated with getting along with others, being polite, & such...but what does that have to do with Alex?"

The doctor then gave his answer: "Of the damage his brain was inflicted with, Alex's amygdala received nearly all of it. In other words, he's lost his ability to handle complex emotions. We all go through suffering in life & have sad experiences, but Alex won't be able to cope with such losses anymore. The death of someone near & dear to him would not only crush his soul, but traumatize him—& probably even affect his psychological health. So whatever you may do in the future, you need to take special care of your son when things go wrong, & make sure that any emotional pain he feels is healed quickly & efficiently."

"Oh, of course, doctor," Philip said, hugging Alex again with a protective tightness. "That's what we'll certainly do."

"Excellent," the doctor said with a smile. "Now, just allow me to fetch your check-out forms, & before long, you'll all be able to go home."

When Yancy had told Billyboy the news of Alex's recovery, the gang leader practically exploded with rage. "Son...of...a...BITCH!" Billyboy swore, lunging for Yancy to strangle him. "You shit, I told you to put two cups of arsenic in that sugar tin we placed on his porch!"

"But that would have killed him, Billyboy," Yancy said with his clueless stare. "I thought you said you wanted to teach him a lesson."

Never mind the fact that Yancy was a complete moron & had misunderstood his master's orders—Billyboy was so angry about the failure of his plan that he could have satisfied his urge to kill Yancy instantly. The merciless teenager beat, kicked, & scratched his foolish henchman in a violent rage, screaming & cursing at him all the while. Totally terrified, Yancy fell to the ground & curled into a fetal position on the stage floor, shielding himself for protection as he whimpered pathetically. Billyboy masked his fury with a chilling calmness as he took out his knife & gently pressed the blade against Yancy's neck.

"You know, Yancy," Billyboy said almost-cheerfully as he teasingly glided the knife across his thug's quivering flesh, "you remind me of poor Cass right now...you both did the wrong thing & upset me because of it. But instead of being unloyal to me, like Cass was, you failed to carry out my instructions the way I'd given them. You messed up, Yancy, & now look who's running around alive & well..."

Tears poured down Yancy's face as he looked up at Billyboy. "I'm sorry," he apologized softly. "I didn't mean to."

Billyboy put on an insidious smile as he gently stroked Yancy's hair in a mock-comforting gesture. "Shhh," he whispered facetiously into his minion's ear, "shhh..." Billyboy placed the knife closer to Yancy's chest, stopping just above the heart. "I know you didn't mean to, Yancy," the gang leader cooed with contrived gentleness that craftily disguised the callous subtext of his soft-spoken words. "We all make mistakes, don't we? But there's no room for mistakes in my gang; it's a terrible sign of weakness, & I just can't allow wimps like you to stumble around in a cold, heartless world that you can never be a part of. Survival of the fittest, Yancy, survival of the fittest..."

The knife was pressed closer to Yancy's chest. Now completely frightened for his life, Yancy started to cry. "Please, Billyboy, don't do this to me!" he pleaded, trying not to struggle. "I don't wanna end up like Cass or Angela's parents...I want to live, & to be with my mommy & daddy!" The innocent teenager's tearful words, though they may have seemed childish, were genuine & true.

"It'll all be over soon," Billyboy soothed, grabbing his knife & hoisting it above Yancy's heart.

"Please," Yancy begged as his weeping became frantic, "spare me!" Just as Billyboy was about to stab his naive minion, he stopped at the very last minute—not because he had heard Yancy's plea for mercy, but because he had seen the look on his face. That big, puppy-eyed look of gripping terror & anguish...the same look Angela had shown when Billyboy had first approached her after he'd brutally murdered her parents. Even if he only had wanted Angela to be his sex slave & his compliant servant (not to mention his personal punching bag), Billyboy still remembered the small tinge of compassion, the spark of good, in his heart that he had felt when he saw the traumatized, sobbing girl & offered to take care of her. And he received the exact same feeling of pity the moment he looked into Yancy's frightened, watering eyes.

Billyboy sighed as he put his knife back into his pocket & helped Yancy up. "Go," he whispered, trying to hide the ashamed countenance on his face. When Yancy stalled & stared at his boss in puzzlement, Billyboy became livid. "What are you, deaf? I saved your life, you miserable bastard! Now get the fuck out of here before I change my mind!"

After watching Yancy disappear, Billyboy sighed again, trudging wearily to his throne & then collapsing. Raising a martyred glance to the opera house ceiling, the gang leader took a wine cooler from the icebox & lifted it in a mock-toast. "Cheers," Billyboy muttered sardonically, downing the alcohol. When he tossed the empty container away & helped himself to another drink, Billyboy looked into the glass for a lengthy moment; in the liquid surface of the raspberry-colored cocktail, he could see a pretty, innocent face, marred with tears, staring sadly at him...

"Oh, don't look at me that way, you little bitch!" Billyboy snapped in a slurred voice, failing to notice that Angela was not really with him. "I don't need you bringing me on a guilt trip right now!"

The little girl continued to gaze at him with her sorrowful blue eyes, & Billyboy winced in angst as he was filled with a deep, gnawing sorrow that ate away at his soul—or what there was of it. "Stop it!" Billyboy yelled, trying to ignore his conflicting feelings & to return to the cold, heartless front he always put on. "It's your fault! You made me feel sorry for you after I killed your parents! I remember that little face of yours even now, & because of that, I allowed a pathetic weakling to live! You made me soft, Angela! You made me feel compassion for you & for Yancy, when I would have been content just to stab you & watch you bleed to death!"

Billyboy let out a tormented shriek as he fell to his knees & began pounding the wooden floorboards until his gloves were torn & his fists bled. "You like that, baby?!" he screamed in his blind rage, beating the ground as he did to Angela when he raped her. "You like what I do to you?! Don't I make you feel good?!" He clawed at the planks with his sharp nails, leaving scratches upon them like the ones he made on Angela's virgin flesh. "Come on, bitch, scream for me! Scream for me!"

The violent frenzy must have gone on for hours, it seemed, until Billyboy suddenly snapped out of his state of blind fury when he heard a shattering sound. During his outburst, the villain had taken his bottle of alcohol from the arm of his throne & hurled it to the ground. Now sharp pieces of broken glass were scattered around Billyboy, as blood & wine flowed from his cut hands & fell to the floor. He stared at the oozing scarlet & violet liquids in complete astonishment...before licking the hideous concoction from his hands like a thirsty kitten. As the dark fluid stained his yellowed teeth & his dark eyes became glassy, he put on the most wicked smile ever to form on a human face, & high-pitched, demonic giggling bubbled forth from his lips.

Billyboy leaned against his throne for support, as his evil laughter echoed through the empty opera house. Images of pain & suffering he hoped to inflict upon Angela began flashing through his mind as he became lost in his malevolent miasma...her tears of torment, her shrieks of agony, her wounds & all her injuries, her aching womb & the bruises between her legs, & her last scream of terror as a knife was plunged into her heart...oh, how Billyboy relished in these sadistic, evil thoughts, savoring them all like a heady, poisonous wine!

"You won't be so lucky next time, Alex!" Billyboy screeched in manic delight, his voice permeating the silence of the opera house. "I'll make sure you & Angela both suffer by the time I'm through with you!" After his laughter reached a terrifying peak, the cold-hearted knave collapsed into a heap on the stage floor, overwhelmed by the darkness that overtook him.

Meanwhile, Georgie, Dim, & Pete had gone home to tell their families the good news of their friend's remarkable recovery. Angela, Philip, & Sheila returned with Alex to the comfort & safety of their own house, & after settling back in & having a nice family dinner & some quiet reading time, they all bathed, said plenty of prayers, & retired for the night. Now Angela & Alex lay on the bed they shared, snuggled up together under the cozy blankets...but not surprisingly, considering the horrifying hardship he had gone through earlier, Alex was unable to sleep soundly. The boy tossed & turned in his troubled slumber, only to wake up with a gasp from what was yet another nightmare.

"Shhh," Angela whispered as she cuddled Alex & kissed his cheek lovingly. "It was only a dream, Alex; no need to be frightened. Ne pas a peur."

Alex lay back in the bed as he sighed in relief, resting his head on the pillow. After turning over to get comfortable, the boy stared up at the ceiling with an anxious gaze; worried thoughts rushed through his mind like a raging river, & he was caught up in their ferocious current that overwhelmed him with gripping fear & misery. Alex felt utterly weak & defenseless because of what had happened to him yesterday; how could he really protect himself from the evil that lurked in this world? How could he prevent another nightmare from becoming a grim reality? How could he be certain he was safe from danger when he had just had a brush with death's menacing jaws?

"Angela," Alex whimpered as tears fell from his eyes, "I'm...I'm so afraid."

This time, though, it was Angela who gave Alex a reassuring hug & offered him words of consolation. "Everything will be all right, Alex," she cooed, cradling his head & kissing him. "Tout ira très bien." While Angela rocked him gently in her arms, Alex gradually drifted off to slumber as he lingered in his friend's warm embrace. As his eyelids fluttered closed & the image of Angela's smiling, tender face filled his mind, Alex smiled in serene assurance, soothed by the girl's soft whispers & her comforting touch. For the remainder of the twilight hours, Alex slept without a single nightmare plaguing his rest; the lad truly felt at peace.

The months drifted by with a carefree laziness, as spring turned to summer & the days were filled with sunshine & warmth. On one hot July morning, however, surprisingly few people were on the beach; it appeared that Alex, Angela, & the DeLarge parents were the only ones who had decided to take a trip to the seaside today. But they didn't really mind the solitude; it was nice for them to get away from the bustling city life of Elstree for a few hours & just relax while spending quality time together.

As soon as everyone had gotten out of the car when they reached their sandy destination, Philip set up the beach blankets & umbrellas, while Sheila rubbed plenty of sunscreen on everyone. Afterwards, Sheila & Philip lounged on their mats & got tans while Alex & Angela played around. The two tweens had a merry old time building sandcastles, swimming in the sparkling blue waters, inspecting the various critters in the tide pools, flying their kites, having a luncheon picnic with their parents, & searching the shores for treasure. It was while Alex & Angela were beachcombing, in fact, that they discovered something interesting lying on the ground. "I wonder what that could be," Alex pondered aloud, watching Angela stoop down to sweep the sand off the item.

Angela picked up the object in her hands & looked at it with fascination. "It's a seashell," she said, her eyes twinkling at the sight of the pretty pink conch. "Comment très beau! How lovely!" Angela put the shell to her ear, listening to the roar of the sea that resonated inside it. "I can hear the ocean," she commented, closing her eyes thoughtfully as her ears absorbed the soothing sound of the surging waves. After some moments, Angela beckoned for Alex to come closer, & then pressed the seashell gently against his sun-speckled ear. "Listen to the sea," she whispered rapturously. Soon, Alex began to hear Neptune's marine melody of crashing waves, gentle summer breezes, cawing seagulls...& all the while, his hand held Angela's as her tender touch sent him into a romantic trance.

"I can hear it, too," Alex said, absent-mindedly stepping closer to Angela. The girl laughed as her friend fell against her, tackling her onto the sandy beach. When he opened his eyes to find himself on top of Angela, Alex blushed nervously while Angela giggled. "So sorry," Alex apologized as he got up & helped Angela onto her dainty feet. "My sincerest appy polly loggies to you." Alex's chivalrous act was rewarded with a kiss from Angela. As he touched the place where his lady-friend had smooched him, Alex's cheeks once again turned a bright pink just like his little ears; Angela giggled again, & an amused Alex chased her merrily down the shore. The two laughed & played for the rest of the afternoon, until Philip & Sheila gathered with them to watch the sun set. As soon as the first stars of the evening came out, the four packed up & went home for a nice dinner at their house.

"So fall the crispy autumn leaves
Of orange, gold, & red
Onto the dry remainder
Of the springtime's flower beds..."

"You're such a marvelous poet, Georgie," Angela complimented, smiling at her friend as they walked with Alex, Dim, & Pete down a quiet path in the park scattered with all of those colorful falling November leaves. "You remind me of that fellow—Monsieur Lewis Carroll, am I right?—who wrote that story about the girl who fell down the rabbit hole into that magic kingdom...Alice In Wonderland, I believe the book's name was."

"Thanks," Georgie said. "But between you & me, Angela, I personally liked the cartoon version by Disney better. The real story didn't interessovat me nearly as much as the animated cinny did—in fact, I should say that I found the original book to be terribly boring. It's rather ironic, though, since I do love to read every now & again."

"Did you have to read it for school?" Angela questioned.

Pete nodded & smirked in response. "We all had to read Alice In Wonderland for literature class last year," he answered. "As Georgie said, he didn't care for it too much; Alex & I thought it was very good, though. And Dim..."—he stifled a chuckle—"...poor Dim never got past the 2nd page."

"I could never read any of those stinking slovos," Dim grumbled, kicking a pebble in frustration as he lagged behind his friends. "Way too bolshy for my liking, they were."

"But that's the fun of reading," Angela said. "You get to learn all sorts of things, like new words, & funny jokes, & lots of interesting information..." Suddenly, Angela stopped her speech, gasping in delight as she saw something amazing before her—a huge pile of leaves for everyone to jump in! "Tally-ho!" Angela shouted, laughing gleefully as she fell head-first into the colorful mound of foliage, scattering them all around. Giggling joyfully, Pete, Alex, & Georgie followed suit & dove after Angela into the scarlet & golden leaves; Dim was the last to join them, guffawing with buffoonish amusement as he scampered & plunged into the leaves with a cannonball dive.

The five children continued to chatter & chortle in delight as they playfully tossed the leaves at one another & threw them up into the air, watching them fall like confetti on their heads. Alex, Angela, & the others were having such a good time, in fact, that by the time they were finished with their impish play, they all collapsed to the ground, catching their breath as they stared up at the hazy fall skies. "Man," Alex said between tired gasps as he saw the silver clouds roll by, "won't it be great when winter comes around?"

Pete gave a weary nod of his head as he smiled dreamily. "I bet it'll be!" he agreed. "The weather-vecks on TV predict the first snowfall will arrive tomorrow."

"And it won't be much longer until Christmas," Dim cheered, clapping his hands in excitement. "Hooray!" Visions of presents, hot cocoa, & wandering carolers danced in the boy's head, but the other children laughed it off good-naturedly; they did need to remind Dim that Christmas wouldn't be until the end of next month. "Aww," the portly lad complained as he frowned in disappointment, "that'll take forever!"

"Not quite, Dim," Alex said with a coy smile, feeling winter's first winds chill his skin & nip his nose...

It wasn't much longer before December break came around, & when Alex & Angela heard the news on the radio that there would be no school for the next six weeks, they were greatly excited & began chanting a merry tune as they danced gaily around the living room. "Yippee!" Philip cheered in juvenile joy, festively tossing his newspaper into the air. "School's been cancelled!"

"Phil, dear, you're 44 years old," Sheila reminded him. "You don't have to attend schooling anymore."

The middle-aged father's face fell a bit as the realities of adulthood came crashing upon him. "Yes, you're right," he said with mild disappointment, before instantly perking up. "But still, isn't it wonderful? Now we'll have plenty of time to spend together as a family, & without the troubles of our usual duties to bother us!" Philip exclaimed cheerfully. "We'll have such fun this winter, won't we, children?"

"Oui, oui, M'sieu DeLarge," Angela affirmed, beaming at the very thought of the delightful weeks that lay ahead. It didn't take long for Angela & Alex to change out of their pajamas, & as soon as the children had gotten dressed & Angela had put on her soft lavender pillbox hat that matched her faux-fur coat, she scampered with Alex into the snowy world outside, where Georgie, Dim, & Pete awaited them.

Dim shivered with cold as he adjusted the earmuffs on his head. "It's awfully freezing out here," he commented, even though that was really quite obvious to Alex & the other kids. "I hope Mummy patched up this jacket right; she's had to mend over 7 holes in it this past month!"

"She could take it to me," Angela said. "She doesn't have to go through all the trouble to fix it."

"But you just knit, Angela," Georgie said. "In case you're not aware, knitting is quite a different veshch from sewing. And besides, that's how Dim's mum earns her money; she sews platties for people to wear & fixes whatever holes or tears or such may be in them. Unfortunately, for all the hard rabbit Mrs. Petrovka does each day, she doesn't get very much pretty polly, so she & Dim can't get a lot of the stuff they would normally like to have. It doesn't help matters that Dim's dad died a few years ago, leaving his loved ones all alone to fend for themselves."

Dim sniffled & sobbed at the thought of his late father, dabbing at his moist eyes with the end of the scarf Angela had knitted for him the other day. "I miss my daddy so," he blubbered. "Why did he have to...have to...snuff it?" Dim's melancholic bawling was suddenly silenced as the boy was struck by a snowball; the portly boy grinned& laughed as he brushed the white powder off his head, his earlier thoughts of his father now out of his mind.

"Now, now," Pete said with a gentle smile, "let us not talk or think about such sad things. Why don't we be festive & happy? That's what the winter holiday's for, after all!"

"Whheeeeee!" Dim cried cheerfully, holding tightly onto the reins of his toboggan as he glided down the snowy hills. The boy laughed & whooped in delight as his sled whooshed up & down & all around the flurry-filled streets, leaving little runner-tracks in its path while it flew swiftly onward. Dim was having so much fun during his ride, in fact, that he didn't notice a big wave of snow forming behind him & splattering against Georgie, who frowned in irritation while he watched his laughing friend continue on his way.

"Real horrorshow move, Dim," Georgie grumbled sarcastically, sweeping the snow off his hair & face & shaking the last of it out of his top hat. "Now my frost-veck is ruined! I'll have to build a new one..." With a miffed glower, Georgie scooped up a pile of powder & started sculpting his second snowman. It took him a while to get the slushballs at the right length & stack them, but once he'd managed to do that, Georgie used lumps of coal to make the snowman's eyes & smiling mouth, followed by the carrot-nose, a pipe, two branches for makeshift arms, & some clothes. After taking off his top hat & placing it on the snowman's head for the finishing touch, Georgie smiled in satisfaction when he saw his completed replica of Jack Frost standing in front of him.

Angela walked by, inspecting the snowman with an impressed gaze. "Very nice work, Georgie," she complimented. "Very nice, indeed...But I think it's missing something..." Smirking impishly, Angela swiftly snatched the top hat from the snowman's head & dashed away with it in her mitten-covered hands, giggling gleefully. Georgie quickly got over his surprise & took off after Angela with an irritated frown. "Give me back my hat, Angie," he demanded, "or I'll inflict my unholy wrath upon you!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Angela taunted, scooping up a snowball & flinging it at Georgie. The startled boy was hit & he fell to the ground with a cry of pain. "Oh, dear!" Angela said as she went over to Georgie. "Are you all right, mon ami?"

Georgie winced like a wounded soldier on the battlefield as he struggled to lift his head & looked at Angela with an agonized stare. "Angie," he whispered hoarsely, "I need to tell you something." Angela walked to the spot where Georgie lay & stooped over her friend, sporting a quizzical look on her face. "Come...closer." When Angela had leaned in far enough, Georgie caught her by surprise & splooshed a great big snowball on her head. "Touché!" he cried triumphantly, bursting into victorious laughter when he saw Angela grunt in irritation & try to sweep the snow off her head & clothes.

As she watched Georgie basking in the joy of her defeat, Angela's annoyed glare became a mischievous smile. "So you want to play rough, eh?" she teased, making another snowball in her hands & tossing it at Georgie. This time, however, Georgie ducked, & the snowball hit Pete instead. "Hey," Pete whined, "who threw that at me?"

Angela literally pointed the finger at Georgie. "M'sieu Winslow is responsible for your assault with a deadly snowball!" she blamed.

A nervous Georgie began stammering out an explanation, but Pete would have none of his friend's excuses. "If it's a battle you want," he exclaimed, "then it's a battle you shall verily have!" The beret-wearing boy took a snowball & threw it at Angela, who yelped in surprise as the powdery projectile completely covered her face with a splat & she fell backwards onto her bum. After recovering from her blow, Angela mock-snarled as she scooped up more snowballs & began "firing" rapidly at Georgie & Pete.

Soon, Alex & Dim were caught in the crossfire, & it wasn't long before the five youngsters began having an all-out winter war. Like army soldiers fearlessly dueling & dodging the enemy on the battlefield, Alex, Angela, & the boys laughed gleefully & emitted mock-war cries while they pummeled & pelted each other with their snowballs. After grueling hours of intense "fighting", the kids finally stopped & collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, releasing the snowballs that they had intended to throw. "We give up!" Alex cried, waving his bowler hat in the air like a surrender flag. "Let the winter war officially come to an end!"

"I'm with you, Alex," Dim agreed, heaving for breath as he closed his eyes restfully. "What do you say we...?" Suddenly, Dim stopped in the middle of his sentence & instantly became alert when he saw Angela giggling with joy as she made a snow angel nearby. "Oooh," Dim cooed as he flopped onto the ground & followed suit, "that sure looks like bolshy fun!" Muttering in fascination, Alex, Georgie, & Pete fell flat into the field of flurry, & soon, everyone started laughing & cheering in delight while they all made snow angels together.

Oh, what a wonderful time Alex, Angela, & their friends had as they frolicked & played in the wintry world around them! The children took great relish in their simple, but splendid, joy as they caught snowflakes on their tongue & scampered around the powder-covered flatblock courtyard, their little boots making impressions in the soft slush as they played & danced around. The chilly winds tingled the tweens' toes & noses, while snow gently fell from the sky & landed on their heads. It seemed as though the winter fun would never end, until Sheila finally called everyone into the house at around noontime for a lunch break.

"You need to have a good & healthy bite to eat before you start playing outside again," Sheila said as she laid out mugs of hot cocoa & dishes of yummy food. "Little boys & girls need the proper energy to scamper & cavort, after all." Angela, Alex, Pete, & Georgie heartily dug into their luncheon meal, but Dim was eyeing the big plate of cookies in the middle of the table. With a mischievous gaze, the lad reached for a sugar-coated gingerbread man, but Sheila scoldingly swapped his hand away before he could touch the cookie. "No sweets until you've eaten the food that's been laid before you," she said. Sighing in resignation, Dim ate his midday meal with a reluctant hunger, trying to hold off his appetite for cookies until he was done with the last bite on his plate.

When the children were finally finished with lunch & dessert, Sheila called them into the living room for a quick meeting. "I'm hoping I won't keep you too long," she said as she took out a pen & notepad, "but while you're here, I thought I would discuss with you about your suggestions for your Christmas wish lists; it is getting to be that time of year again, after all."

"If it's not too much to ask, Mrs. DeLarge," Angela said, "I'd like to have a dolly to play with. I also want some toys & games, as well as some books, &, if it's all right with you, some really nice presents, like jewelry, or a sketchbook with colored pencils, or something."

"As for myself," Pete added, "I was hoping I could have a show-tunes record, a malenky joke book, & perhaps some other things that you & Mr. DeLarge can pick out for me. Oh, & I need a new beret, too—mine's getting a bit small."

"Dim only wants some clothes & some toys," Georgie said, "but I don't really want anything specific. Just let me be surprised," he added with a wink.

"And you, son?" Sheila asked Alex after she jotted everyone else's present recommendations down.

"Well, Em," Alex replied with a coy smile, "you already know that I want some toys, a game or two, a couple of Beethoven records, & a pet snake."

Sheila put her foot—or pen, as the case may be—down in refusal. "I told you, son, we're not having a snake in the house!" She thought for a moment, considering a nicer alternative for Alex's pet. "Parrots are supposed to be nice," she suggested with a smile.

"Nah," Georgie said, "I hear they live to be over 100 years old. Who wants something that starry hanging around the domy, squawking & talking & flapping its old wings?" He cracked a mischievous grin. "Snakes, however, are more useful for when one wants to catch malenky mice & rats, & that's when they eat them all up for supper..." He ended his tirade, though, when he saw the saddened look on Angela's face; he knew how much she loved cute, cuddly little mice & rats with their fuzzy fur & their little-bitty noses. "Well, in any event," Georgie said, "I still think Alex should have a pet snake. It's a lot more interesting that having a boring old dog or a cat..."

"I hate those ghastly, slimy little serpents!" Sheila said with an angry shudder. "I'm afraid a snake is the one & only thing Alex won't be getting on his Christmas list!" She crossed her arms & tilted her nose, signaling that her decision was final.

Philip, however, was a bit more lenient about the idea. "Oh, come now, Sheila," he coaxed his wife, "let's not be so harsh. If Alex wants a snake for Christmas, he should certainly be allowed to have one...as long as it's not poisonous, it doesn't squeeze anyone, & it's been defanged."

"You can look all over the world for a pet snake," Sheila countered, "but I won't be giving it to Alex. It belongs in the zoo, not in a people house."

"Well, Sheila, if it's had its teeth pulled & it carries no venom, then..." Philip cut himself off when he saw Alex, Angela, & the others staring at him in surprise. "Trot along now," Philip said to the children with a smile as he waved his hand. "Go back outside & have some fun; Sheila & I will settle this sooner or later." With a nudge to his son's elbow & a mischievous wink, Philip added, "Wish me luck, son!" The following argument that formed between Philip & Sheila fell on deaf ears as Alex, Angela, & their friends scampered down the stairs & returned to the snowy world that awaited them.

That afternoon, the five tweens had left the flatblock courtyard (not without telling Philip & Sheila where they were headed, of course) & gone to the park nearby. The ground & trees were covered with snow, & the lake at the center of the green was completely frozen over with a smooth, thick layer of ice. "Does everyone have their equipment ready?" Alex asked his friends, winking in their direction. Nodding their heads & muttering in agreement, Pete, Georgie, & Dim whipped out the ice skates they had brought along; as soon as the boys put them on, they began gliding around the surface of the lake, laughing & cheering in delight as they performed tricks & little "routines".

At one point, Alex quickly snapped out of the blissful reverie he was in & came to a smooth stop when he saw Angela standing on the snowy shore, watching everyone from her lonely position. "What's the matter, Angela?" Alex asked her. "Don't you want to come skate with us?"

"I never learned how to," Angela admitted, looking away in awkwardness.

With a supportive smile on his cherubic face, Alex skated towards Angela & offered his small, mitten-covered hand to her. "If you'd like," he said, "I can teach you how to skate."

Angela turned to face Alex with a look of awe. "You'd do that for me?" she asked. When Alex grinned & gave a sincere nod in reply, Angela returned the smile as she took Alex's hand & graciously accepted his offer. "Oh, oui, Alex, I would love for you to teach me how to skate!" Angela said. "So, my dear mentor, when do lessons begin?"

"Right now," Alex said, helping Angela put on her ice skates & then holding her gently as they glided together across the frozen pond. Much to Alex's surprise, Angela was doing quite well at skating for someone who claimed to have never done it before. "You're an awfully fast learner," Alex told Angela with an impressed smile. "I bet it won't be long before you're at the Winter Olympics, skating like a pro." Angela giggled & playfully swatted Alex's hand, not quite sure just how to react to his praise.

During the time that she skated with Alex, Angela smiled as she felt the December winds blowing through her hair & the drifting snowflakes tickling her nose. Alex's arms were wrapped snugly around Angela's waist, & he nuzzled her long golden hair while he twirled & whirled with her across the crystalline surface of the pond. It was as though Angela were flying with Alex, sharing a graceful dance with her friend like the waltzing mouse figures on her music box. The girl closed her blue eyes in blissful reverie & relaxed in Alex's cozy embrace as she let him take her to a wonderful world she'd never imagined in her whole lifetime, a place of utmost peace & happiness...

Angela & Alex were immediately brought out of their state of joy when they heard a wild, primal shriek of fury echoing piercingly across the empty park, causing the snow on the trees to fall & the few birds that were around to cry out in fear & fly away as fast as they could. With a frightened gasp, Angela clutched Alex protectively, trembling in fear while he wrapped his arms around her & held her close. "Shh," Alex whispered soothingly, kissing Angela's pretty face & stroking her hair in gestures of comfort. "It's all right, Angela. Ça bien."

Pete & Georgie stared with horrified eyes as they glanced slowly around the park, consumed with fear by the eerie event that had just occurred. When the angry, hate-filled screech resonated again, now louder in volume, a frightened Dim skated right up to Georgie & Pete, nearly knocking them down as he clutched them tightly & begged for his friends to protect him. "Whatever it may be that's like after us, don't let him get me!" he yelled, trembling fearfully while he shook Georgie & Pete in a blind panic.

Georgie broke away from Dim's grasp with a miffed glare, & softened his gaze while he placed a supportive hand on the stout lad's shoulder. "No need to worry, Dim," Georgie assured him. "It's probably just the Abominable Snow-veck." Dim whimpered with fright as his quivering became more intense. "Seriously, Dim, it's OK. Nothing to worry your pretty gulliver over, I'm sure."

Pete waited a few silent seconds until he was absolutely sure that there was no sign of anything threatening. Finally, he turned to his friends & let out a sigh of relief. "No one's around," he said. "But I think it's time we ittied on home now." With that, Alex, Angela, & the others put on their snow-boots & trudged solemnly down the empty streets until they reached the marina not too far from the flatblock courtyard.

Just as the tweens were walking, the terrible shrieking noise returned unexpectedly, but this time, it was followed by peals of hysterical, high-pitched giggling...the villainous kind of giggling that chilled the blood & was often heard in youngsters' darkest nightmares. This same eerie laughter became longer, louder, & more wicked in intensity, like the cruel tittering of a wild hyena, until it finally ceased & there was no more.

Alex & the boys looked around with terror in their eyes, now afraid for their very lives as they became aware of the invisible presence that was haunting them. "Angela, darling," Alex blurted out suddenly, "it's gonna be OK. Home's not too far—" There was no sign of her. "Angela?" Alex asked fearfully, his gaze darting in every direction as he looked for his friend. "Angela?" Suddenly, Dim let out a cry as he saw Angela lying on the ground before them, nearly unconscious. While a small stream of blood trickled from a wound on Angela's temple & stained the white snow with its crimson hue, a rock lay by the girl's head, not too far from where she had been hit.

Alex got over his panic & quickly rushed over to Angela, applying pressure to her wound as he tenderly squeezed her hand. "Mon ami," he asked worriedly, "are you OK? What happened to you?"

Angela could barely lift a finger as she pointed past Alex & moaned weakly, "Look...behind...you..." Then Angela collapsed, just as Alex turned to see what she had been gesturing to. He gasped in horror as he watched a few lit matches fall to the ground, before being splashed with a shower of gasoline. The tiny fires that formed quickly grew bigger & bigger, until their searing flames blended together to create a deadly inferno that blazed in front of the children. When the fire flared just inches away from Alex, the lad became startled & accidentally knocked the comatose Angela into the river.

"Angela!" Alex cried, gazing with horror as he watched Angela disappear into the murky depths below. "No!"

With a heroic glare of determination to save his friend, Alex dove in after Angela, but just as soon as he had vanished underwater, Pete reached out a hand in a vain attempt to stop Alex from going any further. "Come back, brother," he warned, "or you'll drown!"

"We got worse veshchs to worry about than that, Pete!" Dim shouted, turning him around to witness the rapid spreading of the fire. The scorching ring of flames surged with a terrifying rage as it completely encircled Pete, Dim, & Georgie, cutting off access to the few exits that would otherwise have granted the boys the opportunity to flee safely. "There's no way we can get out of this as we once planned," Georgie said, his eyes darting swiftly in their sockets as he sought an alternate escape route. His gaze finally locked upon the cold waters of the river. "We're gonna have to jump!" Georgie told Pete & Dim, bracing himself for action. "On my mark!" The fire was now coming closer towards the boys. "Three..." It edged closer still. "Two..." Closer. "One..."

Dim yelped as he finally realized just what he was about to do. "I can't swim!" the boy cried fearfully, clinging to Georgie like a frightened child.

"Then float, you bastard!" Georgie snapped, pushing Dim into the river & then turning to Pete. "Come on, droogie!" With that, Georgie & Pete plunged into the water & resurfaced, gasping for breath. Much to everyone's relief, Alex soon joined them, holding the still-unconscious Angela in his arms. Pete swam over to Angela's motionless body & put his head to her weakly-rising chest while his fingers pressed against her neck. "She has a pulse," Pete assured his friends. "Angela's gonna be OK."

The boys sighed with relief, thankful that Angela had been spared an untimely death. Looking around, Georgie spotted a place further down the riverbank untouched by fire. "Follow me," he directed. "Quickly!" Alex, Pete, Georgie, & Dim heaved for breath as they paddled towards the shore & hoisted themselves up onto dry land. Once they had risen to their feet & gained their bearings, the children began rushing down the streets, hoping to reach safety; as they ran, though, they could not bear to hide their eyes from the chaos that had begun to erupt around them.

"Holy cal!" Georgie blurted, watching with sheer horror at the hellish events that were occurring. Like the deadly storm of burning hail that afflicted the Egyptians in the story of Exodus, a shower of flaming, gas-soaked matches rained down upon the streets of Elstree, landing on buildings & setting them ablaze. The town became a fiery inferno before the terrified eyes of Alex & his friends; smoke was everywhere & an incredibly stifling heat could be felt all around as the conflagration became increasingly worse. Hordes of screaming, panicking people began rushing out of the burning buildings, many of them with frightened children & crying babies. Alex, Georgie, Dim, & Pete—with Angela still cradled in Alex's arms—tried to make their way through the accumulating crowds of terrified citizens who pushed & shoved in their frantic struggle to escape the danger around them.

"Come on!" Alex urged, quickening his pace as he clutched Angela more protectively, determined to keep her safe no matter what. "We can make it, you guys! Just..." Alex suddenly became silent as his ears perked up to the sound of evil laughter—the same laughter that had chilled him to the bone just a few minutes earlier. The demoniac giggling was now more hysterical than ever before, tinged with a mixed undertone of wicked triumph & sadistic delight.

"You can run," spoke a cruel, rasping voice, "but you can't hide, little Alex!" Alex momentarily thought that the voice belonged to someone he once knew...but the boy quickly pushed those ideas out of his mind as he hurried to lead Angela & his friends to safety.

"Hurry, guys!" Alex goaded Pete, Georgie, & Dim as they got closer & closer to their destination. "We're almost there!" Soon, the children made it to the flatblock, away from the blazing inferno that continued to ravage the world they had left behind them. After scampering through the lobby & up the stairs, they finally reached the safety of Alex's home. No sooner did Alex & his friends shut the door behind them than Philip & Sheila rushed to give them great big hugs & relieved kisses.

"Thank God you wee ones are all right!" Sheila cried, wrapping her arms around Alex & embracing him as though she would never let go. Then she gasped when she saw Angela's unconscious body lying limply against her son's chest. "Oh, the poor, sweet baby!" Sheila cooed, taking the girl & gently laying her down on the couch. "She must have been scared & fainted dead away!" While tending to Angela, Sheila noticed the wound on her temple that she had received earlier. "Where did she get that cut, I wonder?" she mused. "Well, no worries. I've got some things that'll heal it up in no time." With that, Sheila scuttled off for the bathroom to find the first aid supplies, & Philip went over to the window, pulling back the curtains to look outside.

The middle-aged father breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the welcome sight of familiar red trucks zooming onto the streets, their sirens wailing in the afternoon heat. "The fire-folks have just arrived," Philip said to the four boys. "Everything's gonna be OK, children." Alex, Pete, Georgie, & Dim could barely contain their relief at the wonderful turn of events.

Soon, Sheila came back into the living room, holding a small box of bandages & a bottle of disinfecting salve; she sat down on the couch & placed Angela's head in her lap, gently brushing her loose locks of hair aside to nurse the wound on her temple. After applying the cold ointment to the injury & then putting on the bandages, Sheila took Angela in her arms & cradled her like a small infant, rocking the girl slowly & humming a tune as she did so. At this point, Angela stirred from her coma, unaware of her surroundings. "Alex," she murmured, "watch out behind you..."

"Shhh, little lambkin," Sheila whispered, kissing Angela's forehead. "You've just been suffering a bad dream, is all. Would you like me to sing a lullaby to help you off to sleep again?" When Angela nodded & made her reply, Sheila cleared her throat & crooned softly to the girl:

Over in Kilarney
Many years ago,
Me mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet & low...
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good old Irish way,
And I'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day...

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby..."

Oft in dreams I wander
To that cot again,
I feel her arms a-huggin' me,
As when she held me then...
And I hear her voice a-hummin'
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door...

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby..."

Angela soon fell back asleep, & after planting a tender kiss on the girl's forehead, Sheila carried her into Alex's room, helped her into her lavender nightgown & robe, & tucked her in bed. Then she hustled Alex & his friends into the room, quickly removing their singed & soaked clothes & then dressing the boys up in nice, clean pajamas. "Trot along to bed, lads," Sheila said, patting Dim's head. "It's naptime."

"But we're not sleepy, Mrs. DeLarge," Georgie protested.

Sheila's face softened & her eyes showed a spark of concern. "You need the rest, loves," she whispered tenderly. "You've been through such an awful time this afternoon." Nodding in understanding, Alex, Pete, Georgie, & Dim crawled into bed & snuggled up under the covers; even as they lay in the safety & shelter of home, however, they could still hear the blaring of fire sirens & the last of the fleeing people's screams coming from outside.

Sniffling, Dim clutched one of the pillows & clung to it like his favorite teddy bear, cuddling it as he sought comfort. "I'm still scared," he whimpered. "What if something bad like this happens to us again?"

"Don't think about that, Dim," Pete said, trying vainly to hide the tears that were falling down his face. "Such messels aren't good for the mind at this minoota..." Then Pete broke down & began to cry, dabbing at his moist eyes with the corner of the blanket. Georgie, ever calm & collected, merely reacted with a blank stare & didn't say a word. Alex wept like a helpless baby as he hugged his knees & tried to push the images of the recent disaster out of his mind.

"Shh, my darlings," Sheila whispered, stroking Alex's hair & gently rubbing his shoulders. "Shh..." The traumatized boys tried to calm themselves down, but their efforts were fruitless. "Don't cry, now," Sheila consoled Alex & his friends. "Why don't I sing you a lullaby to help you feel better?"

"That would be nice," Dim sniffled, taking a moment to wipe his runny nose with his sleeve.

"Very well, then," Sheila said. With a gentle clear of her throat, the middle-aged mother began singing her Irish lullaby, & soon, the boys fell under the spell of the calming tune. Their tears of fright dried up, their bodies stopped quivering & rocking, & peaceful smiles formed upon their cherubic faces as they closed their eyes & sailed away to dreamland. After making sure her little angels were fast asleep, Sheila gave them tender "goodnight" kisses & bade them pleasant 'sneets' as she quietly tiptoed out of the room & shut the door behind her. Soon, though, Alex's calm smile became an agonized grimace as he was afflicted with another terrifying nightmare...

The boy was chained to a stone pillar, unable to break free of his restrains no matter how hard he struggled. A toxic miasma of curling black smoke, tinged with the odors of alcohol, bitter almonds, & fresh blood, was all around him, poisoning the air & making Alex choke. A burning ring of fire soon surrounded Alex, its stifling heat causing cold sweat to drip down his body as the flames licked at his bare feet. Even though he knew it would be of no use, Alex continued to struggle more frantically to escape the deadly blaze that was slowly enveloping him...

"Now I have you, you little bastard," spoke a familiar voice. Alex gasped when he looked up to see who had addressed him; it was none other than his old archenemy Billyboy. Now the rogue, who was surprisingly able to remain untouched by the destructive inferno, had abandoned his Nazi-style gang uniform in favor of silk crimson robes with a matching scarlet cape that flowed in the wind. "At last, you're exactly where I want you to be."

Alex glared at Billyboy with angry eyes. "Let me out of these chains!" he demanded, yanking at his iron shackles.

Billyboy just threw back his head & laughed mockingly in response. "Why should I let you go free?" the teenage scoundrel asked with a wicked leer. "After all, I'm quite enjoying this...you know, watching you sweat from the heat of the flames & squirm like a frightened mouse in a hungry owl's talons, while you wrench & tug so desperately at your fetters, hoping that you might somehow be able to break away & run for the safety of your sweet Angela's embrace...You are a weakling, Alex, pure & simple."

"You may be 16 in a month, Billyboy," Alex countered, "but you'll never have more power over me! I'm a lot stronger than you are, you spineless coward!"

Upon hearing the hate-filled insult Alex had just hurled at him, Billyboy looked stung for a few moments, recoiling as though he had been bitten by a snake...but he relaxed & put on a calm grin. "You're right, Alex," the devilish gang leader said. "You are a lot stronger than I once thought you were...Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to endure all the stuff I made you & your little friends go through during our grade school years...don't you remember, Alex?"

"You're bloody right I do," Alex said with a furious huff. "Pete, Georgie, & Dim may not recall much about those times anymore, but I still remember every single thing you did to me & my droogs...The beatings & the schoolyard fights you got us into every day, all those nasty pranks & practical jokes you pulled on all of us, those threats & those hate notes you made sure we received...I went through 7 years of heck, Billyboy, putting up with all your crap...but I survived it all! And just look at me now! Look at me, you bully! Do I look like that pathetic weakling to you anymore?"

"You claim to be so big & strong," Billyboy retorted icily, "but really, you're just as puny & lily-livered as the rest of all the innocents of the world...I know you are, you arrogant little prick."

"Wanna bet?" Alex challenged with a determined grin. Snickering evilly, Billyboy sliced his gloved hand swiftly through the air, causing a powerful gust of wind to collide with the still-blazing fire & make the flames flare up. Alex immediately flinched in response, letting out a panicked yelp. Then Billyboy brought forth two blood-red cobras & allowed them to slither up Alex's legs & all over the frightened boy's body. Alex quivered & shuddered fearfully as the slimy serpents caressed his sweat-drenched face with their forked tongues, tasting his flesh & wondering whether or not they ought to eat him...

No sooner did the crimson snakes disappear in clouds of smoke than Billyboy let out a cruel, triumphant laugh as he hid behind his red cape & transformed into a beautiful young figure that looked all too familiar to Alex. "Cherie," spoke Angela as she walked towards Alex, "here I am." Her soft French accent, so beautiful to listen to, was warped with Billyboy's vicious growl, making her voice rasping & truly evil-sounding.

"No!" Alex cried, shaking his head in fierce denial. "You're not Angela! You can't be!"

The wicked smile on Angela's pretty face became salacious. "It is me, Alex," Angela whispered, continuing to walk calmly towards him as the flames parted to clear a pathway for her. "Who else would you think I am?"

"I know that's still you, Billyboy," Alex snarled angrily, glaring at the devilish figure before him who had concealed himself as a lovely preteen. "You can't fool me with that cally disguise!"

Angela laughed, but it was not her sweet, musical giggle that came from her mouth—it was Billyboy's deep, sinister cackle. "I'm not wearing a disguise at all, mon cher," Angela crooned, her blue eyes slowly becoming dark & cold like that monster's. "Your darling friend is here, in the flesh..." She undid her scarlet cape & tossed it aside, letting the hot winds carry it away. Then she removed the crimson corset & mini-skirt she was wearing, revealing a voluptuous body covered only with skimpy red knickers.

As he saw the nearly-nude temptress standing before him, Alex's eyes nearly popped out of his head & his blood ran cold as feelings of shock & awe swarmed through his body. But when he remembered that this same temptress was his darling friend Angela, he became horrified & his face contorted in disgust. "Change back!" he begged as he averted his eyes, wanting the lascivious strumpet before him to transform into the demoniac figure of Billyboy—he couldn't bear to see sweet, innocent Angela like this.

With a saucy smile, Angela began swiveling her hips & performing a seductive dance as she came over to Alex, kissing him passionately & nuzzling her face in his hair while she undid the buttons of his shirt. Her hands massaged his chest & shoulders, teasing him as they slid around smoothly underneath the cool fabric. "Come on, Alex," Angela cooed in the boy's ear, licking the inside of it sensually with her tongue. "Don't you want me?" Angela's delicate fingers danced across Alex's belly as she kissed & licked around the navel, slowly making her way down...

"No," Alex grunted, trying his hardest to ignore the physical sensations Angela's wanton touches gave him. "I don't want you, Angela...not this way."

Angela stopped what she was doing & rose to stare at Alex with an angry grimace. "Then you shall never have me," she declared, taking a switchblade knife that had once been fastened to her leg & then clutching the deadly weapon in her hand. She moved until she was poised to strike, & then the knife plunged into Alex's heart. The last thing Alex saw before his eyes closed in eternal sleep was the horrible sight of Angela taking the knife & thrusting it into her own heart, collapsing to the floor as she lay dying...

Alex immediately woke up from his nightmare, frightened. His blue eyes darted around, making sure that the world they glanced at was not one of flames & blackness. When he was assured that everything was all right, Alex clutched his pounding heart & breathed a deep sigh of relief. "It's OK, Alex," the boy told himself. "It's OK..."

Pete, Georgie, & Dim were gone; their parents had probably taken them home after they had woken up. But where was Angela? Pulling back the covers, Alex crawled out of bed & wandered around the hallways in his pajamas, looking around & calling out the name of his girl-friend; when he saw no sign of Angela, he went back into his room...only to find her sitting on the bed in her nightgown, playing with her toys. "Here I am, Alex," she said with a happy smile. "You just missed me!"

Thank God Angela was unconscious throughout this whole catastrophe, Alex thought to himself in great relief. I don't know how she would be able to handle it otherwise.

Blissfully unaware of what had happened earlier, Angela murmured & hummed cheerfully to herself as she continued to amuse herself with her favorite playthings. "All right, Mademoiselle Bunny," Angela asked her stuffed rabbit, "what should we do next?" A beat. "You want to play with the Rainbow Toys again? Well, I suppose that's quite fine with me..." And so Angela & Mademoiselle Bunny engaged in their multicolored games, happy as little clowns & seeming to be without a care in the world.

While watching Angela play, Alex suddenly looked back on his horrifying dream & began playing the ethereal events in his mind like a movie reel, starting with the moment he had "awakened" to find himself shackled to the stone pillar, surrounded by the ring of imaginary fire that threatened him just as much as the real one from a few hours before. Alex had been frightened (& yet not entirely surprised) to see Billyboy in his nightmare, mocking & attacking his long-ago bullying victim in the cruelest ways imaginable. But then...what about Angela? Why had she acted so differently in those two dreams he had had, when he'd expected otherwise?

In Alex's last nightmare, the dream had ended happily when the white-winged Angela came to rescue Alex from that devil Billyboy's clutches & comforted the lad as she eased his pain & sorrow. But this time, the dream had a gruesome ending—Angela appeared to Alex as a licentious vixen who killed him when he refused her advances & then turned the knife on herself...Or was it really Billyboy who committed suicide? After all, he was the one who turned into Angela. Surely, Billyboy had done it to fool Alex—to pick at his inner sores, to exploit his weaknesses, & to play his callous, twisted mind games with him...right?

No—there was some connection between Billyboy & Angela indicated by that demoniac transformation; Alex was sure of it. He didn't know exactly what that connection was or what it was that the act of metamorphosis in the dream really represented, but he knew that it meant something. Because of all the people Billyboy could have changed into—his parents, any of his friends, the mailman, one of the beggars by the marina, or even Mr. Deltoid!—he changed into Angela; there had to be a reason why he morphed into her particular form. But what was the reason? Just how were Billyboy & Angela connected? What sort of secrets had Angela been hiding for all these months, & why was she so reluctant to tell anyone about them?

Now deciding that these questions that nagged at him so much needed to be answered at this time & no other, Alex cleared his throat softly & gestured towards himself. "Angela," he said solemnly, "we have to talk."

Angela put down the Rainbow Pinwheel she had been blowing on. "Oui?" she asked Alex, crossing her legs daintily. "Whatever might it be about?"

Alex took a few breathes & winced. This was certainly not going to be an easy discussion for him or Angela. "About all the things that have been troubling you for so long," Alex finally answered with a weary face. "I know you said some secrets are meant to be kept, Angela, & I truly understand that. But if there's anything you may have on your mind that you've been meaning to get off your chest, you need to talk to me about it now, before anything else happens to you...before anything happens to us."

Angela did not reply for a moment. Then, with feigned assurance in her voice, she said, "There's nothing to tell you, Alex. I'm not hiding anything from you."

Alex felt his blood boil & his heart quicken its pace; now he was getting angry. How could he continue to stay calm & say that everything was fine & dandy when Angela was lying to him & creating this terrible façade of deceit & dishonesty she chose to hide behind? Angela was the dearest & closest friend to Alex, now more than ever before; she could certainly trust him with her secrets, no matter how deep & dark they were! But why wouldn't Angela say anything? Why did she have to keep playing this cruel charade & allow her lies to put herself & the people she loved in danger? Well, regardless of why Angela chose to keep silent about the things that troubled her heart, Alex was not going to be left in the dark any longer; he was determined to reveal those grim skeletons in Angela's closet before they revived & came back to haunt her.

Alex went over to Angela & grasped her hands tightly in his as he stared into her deep-blue eyes with a desperate, heated look. "You've got to tell me everything!" he demanded. "I know that you've been keeping secrets from me, Angela, & now I want to find out the truth!"

"You can't handle the truth, Alex," Angela said, turning away to conceal her expression of sadness & humiliation. Her golden hair fell in front of her pretty face like a draping veil that isolated Angela from Alex, hiding her safely behind the invisible barricade of falsehood she built to protect herself & her loved ones. Alex, however, was not going to let this barrier prevent him from carrying on with his mission to investigate the secrets of Angela, his darling friend.

Alex took Angela's chin in his hands, turning her head around until their gazes met; he stared deeply into her eyes as the expression on his face became firm & somber. "Angela," Alex declared slowly, "whatever or whoever it is that you're afraid of, I won't let it harm you. I just want to know what's been troubling you for all these months, what's been upsetting you & breaking your poor heart so..."

Angela turned away from Alex, shaking her head furiously in refusal. "Non," she replied. "I'm not going to tell you. It's best that you don't know."

"Why?" Alex pleaded, gripping his hands around Angela's slender shoulders as though he wanted to literally shake the answer out of her. "What is it that you're trying to hide from me so much?"

An overwhelmed Angela started to cry, exasperated & unable to deal with the pressure that Alex was forcing upon her. "Stop!" she screamed in agony, clutching her hands to her head & flopping onto the bed. "Please stop, Alex!" Angela's body shook with sobs as she buried her tear-stained face in her pillow, snuggling her stuffed bunny tightly in her arms. "Just leave me alone...All I want to do is to curl up into a ball & die!"

Alex was horrified to hear those words coming from his friend's mouth. "Don't say that!" the boy scolded, gently scooping Angela into his arms & hugging her. "You must never say such terrible things!"

Angela continued to cry, drowning in the misery that was consuming her tortured soul. "It's true!" she wept. "I want to die...& that way, I'll be with...be with..." Angela could no longer speak; the only sounds that came from her mouth were agonized sobs & melancholy whimpers. Alex continued to cradle her in the sanctity of his tender embrace, whispering words of comfort & attempting to console the poor girl.

"Don't cry," Alex soothed, stroking Angela's soft hair & giving her little Eskimo kisses. "Don't cry, sweet angel. Ça bien" He held Angela close to his chest, letting his hand support her head as it rested against his shoulder. When Angela continued to cry, Alex got an idea. "Perhaps this will make you feel better," he suggested, taking Angela's music box from the nightstand & winding up the key. As the Moonlight Sonata played & the mice figures began to dance, Angela passed into her daze & a tiny smile appeared on her face, which now sported a serene expression.

With his loving gentleness, Alex laid Angela onto the bed, placed her bunny dolly at her side, & tucked her in, before stooping down to brush away a lock of Angela's hair & kiss her tenderly on the forehead. "I love you," Alex whispered after his lips parted from Angela's brow. He watched her sleep so peacefully, before hearing the last of the fire sirens' wails & going over to look out the window.

Outside, Alex saw the remainder of the wispy, black smoke drifting from the buildings that had ceased burning, thanks to the help of the fearless firefighters. Now that the inferno had been safely put out, the neighborhood residents started making their way back onto the streets, going into their homes & checking to see how badly they had been damaged. As the chaos from those hellish hours finally ended & everything became safe & secure once again, Alex breathed a sigh of relief & watched with a comforted smile at the world that was slowly returning to sweet normalcy.

Suddenly, Alex's ears perked up to a low rumbling sound, & he tilted his gaze towards the gray winter clouds, heavy & in labor with precipitation. Instead of snow, however, they released cold raindrops that fell onto the burnt buildings, washing away all the evidence of the tragedy that had brought damage upon them earlier. The storm was almost like a cleansing in this manner, signaling an end to the disorder on the streets of Elstree & the beginning of peaceful, happy times. Everything was going be to all right...Alex was so sure of it now.

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way...

Bells on bob-tails ring,
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride & sing
A sleighing song tonight!

The singer's merry voice flowed beautifully from the old radio that sat upon the coffee table, filling the living room with feelings of happiness & yuletide cheer. Sheila couldn't resist humming along to the lyrics of "Jingle Bells" as she scuttled around the sitting chamber, dusting the furniture & even the Christmas tree. The large pine's bright-green branches were brilliantly adorned with all sorts of pretty ornaments & shiny tinsel that glimmered in the morning sunlight. One crucial decoration was missing, however...

"What about the malenky little twinkling star?" Dim asked, gazing at the bare tip of the Christmas tree. "We haven't put it on yet."

Sheila rolled her eyes in mock annoyance & smiled. "Remember, Dimitri, we don't do that until tomorrow morning, just before we open the presents." She gently boxed Dim's ears & tousled his mop of brown hair. "You need to learn how to be more patient, son." Dim pouted & crossed his arms grumpily; patience was a virtue the lad had unfortunately never been able to maintain.

Philip popped his head through the kitchen threshold, dressed in Sheila's best apron (much to her irritation). "Well, it appears that my long, laborious hours of working are finally paying off; luncheon should be done shortly." With that, Philip ducked back in & returned to finishing everyone's midday meals, humming nonsensical words to a cheerful tune while he prepared the food. The pleasant aroma of delicious goodies wafted from the kitchen, making the children's mouths water & causing Sheila's stomach to grumble ravenously...that is, until the tasty fragrance became a thick, foul-smelling odor much like that of flaming wood.

"Oh, drat it!" Philip cried, opening the oven door & taking out the charred, blackened remains of the Christmas goose he had been cooking. "I must've let this bloody bird in for too long, & now look—it's all burnt to ashes!"

"From ashes the goose rose," Sheila quipped with a chuckle of amusement, "& to ashes it will return." Alex, Angela, & the boys couldn't help but giggle at the ironic allusion. "Well, no matter," Sheila sighed gently, "we'll just throw it out & make something else instead."

After Sheila had taken the burnt goose & put it in the garbage bin, she went to the kitchen to prepare the replacement dish, while Philip sat with the children in the living room & kept them entertained with funny stories & jokes. When Sheila returned with lunch for everybody, the DeLarge family & their friends ate at the table & then put up their dishes when they were done. They spent the rest of the day sharing quality time together & preparing for the hallowed holiday that would take place tomorrow.

Early the next morning, Alex stirred from his deep slumber when he felt Angela gently shaking him & whispering for him to get up. "What is it?" he moaned drowsily, rubbing the sleep out of his little blue eyes with his hand.

"It's Christmas!" Angela replied excitedly, her own eyes twinkling with anticipation. She shook Alex with even more fervor, bouncing on the bed with glee as she cried, "Come on, Alex, wake up! Wake up!" Yawning deeply, Alex stretched his arms & crawled out of bed, with Angela following close behind as he tiptoed down the hallway in his pajamas. The two children gasped & stared in sheer awe when they saw the large pile of brightly-colored presents nestled underneath the glistening Christmas tree, just waiting to be opened.

Angela giggled & clapped in delight as she envisioned the ritual of gift-unwrapping in her mind, but Alex put a finger to his lips & shushed her. "Don't wanna wake up the whole house," Alex admonished Angela. "Come on; let's go back to our room & play while we wait for Pee & Em to wake up. Then when our droogs have arrived, we'll have breakfast, put on the star, & open our presents together." With that, Alex & Angela tiptoed back to their bedroom, quiet as little mouselings.

"Now, do be careful, son," Sheila warned as she, Angela, & the three boys watched Alex try to balance himself on Philip's shoulders, clutching the golden star for the Christmas tree in his hand. Everyone held their breath when Alex wobbled & wheeled his arms as he struggled to keep from falling, but then sighed in relief when he finally regained equilibrium at the last moment. After steadying himself, Alex leaned over & smiled as he placed the star on the very top of the tree; everyone applauded & cheered as Philip took Alex & helped him back onto the floor.

"Hooray, the star's up!" Dim shouted merrily, tossing his bowler hat into the air. "Now it's time to open the presents!"

Philip chuckled as Sheila rapped Dim on the head with her knuckles in mock-annoyance. "Keep your trousers on, son," he said jovially. "We musn't rush these things, you know." In a hilariously-ironic manner, though, Alex, Angela, & the boys began squealing in delight as they dashed over to the pile of presents, eagerly scouting for each of their respective gifts, grouping them together, & then preparing for the blessed ritual of the Great Present Unraveling that they awaited with each second. "All right, let's not get our knickers in a twist," Sheila said, sitting down with Philip beside the children.

Georgie, the first to open his surprise gifts, was delighted to see a paint-by-numbers kit, a chess set, a copy of the "2001: A Space Odyssey" novel, a woolly striped scarf, & a toy train. Dim was quite pleased with the presents he had been given as well—just a simple assortment of various toys & clothes. Pete was happy as could be when he unwrapped his gifts to find a show-tunes record, a book of jokes & riddles, a couple of pocket novels, some toys & games, a musical poster to hang upon his wall, a bag of marbles, & a brand-new black beret.

Angela was the fourth one to open her Christmas presents, & the joyful girl was tickled pink to see that she had received all the things she'd wanted this year—a hand-made moppet doll (courtesy of Sheila), a good deal of toys & games, a big book of fairy tales, a sketchbook with colored pencils, a set of nice new clothes, & a knitting kit. When Alex unwrapped his gift boxes, he was also pleased with what he had been given: some toys, a Parcheesi game, a pack of cards, two Beethoven records, a biography about the great composer, a couple of jigsaw puzzles, &...

"Oh, almost forgot," Philip said, getting up & walking out through the door into the flatblock hallway. He returned, grunting with effort as he lugged in a large wooden crate with little holes on the sides. Alex, Angela, Dim, Georgie, & Pete couldn't help but stare & gawk at the box in their childlike curiosity. "What's in it, Dad?" Alex asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"You'll find out soon enough, son." Philip wiped the sweat off his brow & stopped to catch his breath repeatedly as he strained to open the crate with a steel crowbar. Finally, he managed to undo the padlock on the box & then gave a startled yelp as he was suddenly knocked backwards onto his bum from the force of the labor. The crate door swung open with a creak, & Alex, Angela, & the boys peeked inside it.

"I don't viddy anything," Dim said when his eyes glanced upon empty darkness. Suddenly, the children gasped as they heard a hissing sound; they looked down & were totally surprised to see a small python slithering around their feet, its forked tongue flickering in & out. Alex's look of shock, however, soon turned to an expression of joy & excitement. "You got it?" he asked his father with a delighted grin.

"Indeed, I did, Alex, son," Philip answered with a nod & a smile. "It took about two weeks' pay & a bit extra for the defanging, but I certainly managed, didn't I, Sheila?" He received no response from his wife. "Uh, Sheila?" Philip attempted to grab Sheila's attention, but to no avail; the mother was literally paralyzed with fear, unable to utter a sound or even to bolt for the door. She could only stare with wide, terrified eyes at the snake that surreptitiously slithered along the length of her body until its face met hers. The moment Sheila felt the slimy serpent's tongue caressing her cheek, her eyes rolled back into her head & she fell into a dead faint.

"Oh, dear," Philip muttered, watching his wife collapse against her end of the couch. After some unsuccessful attempts to revive her, Philip splashed a glass of water in Sheila's face; she immediately awoke, coughing. "So sorry," Philip apologized, drying Sheila off with his handkerchief. "I hope you weren't scared too badly."

Sheila let out a squeamish moan & felt her blood turn cold as she watched the snake curl itself around her neck like a living scarf & nuzzle her face. Despite the fact that a wild (& likely dangerous) animal had literally become quite attached to her & that she was totally uncertain how the snake would behave towards her, Sheila nevertheless tried to smile & cast away her fears. "No worries, love," she assured Philip with a nervous chuckle. "I'm quite all right now..." Sheila shivered when she felt the dreaded creature giving her another French smooch, yet somehow, she managed to keep from fainting again.

Angela giggled & the boys burst into merry laughter as they watched the spectacle. "Mrs. DeLarge's afraid of snakes!" Dim chortled in a singsong voice, pointing at her teasingly. Sheila commented dryly that he was no further from the truth.

"Can I hold him?" Angela asked with a smile. Sheila was more than glad to get that dratted creature off of her, & while she sat down with Alex on the floor, Angela smiled & gave nary a flinch as she petted & played with the snake. "He's so cute," Angela cooed, stroking the serpent's smooth, scaly skin. "Say, why don't we give this little fellow a name?"

"That's a great idea, Angela!" Pete replied. "Perhaps maybe we could call him something like Bob or Gerald."

"Nah, those eemyas are too common for my liking," Georgie said. "I'd personally prefer to give the snake a really cool name that isn't used as much, like Malcolm or Sherrinford..."

"Or Dim!" Dim added with his simpleton's smile & a bright expression on his face.

Angela responded to Dim's clueless comment with another giggle & a gentle shaking of her head. "Non, silly..." She thought for a moment. "I know! We could call him Basil."

"Basil?" Pete asked with a quizzical raise of his eyebrow. "Why would you want to name a snake Basil, of all veshchs?"

Angela gently massaged the top of the contented animal's head with her knuckles. "Well, not too long ago, when I was in Paris, I once watched a cartoon movie with talking mice in it," Angela explained. "The hero in the film was a detective called Basil Of Baker Street, & I remember that I liked the name. I just thought about using it for the snake."

"Now that I think about it," Pete said with a smile, "that wouldn't be such a bad idea after all." He laughed in amusement when the snake slithered out of Angela's lap, slid across the floor to Pete, & entwined itself around his foot, tickling his ankle with his forked tongue.

"It's settled, then," Alex declared, gingerly taking the snake & cradling him in his arms. "From now on, you will be known as Basil Milton DeLarge...The Snake." As Angela & the other boys gathered around to fawn over Basil, Alex grinned at his beloved pet & said, "Welcome to the family!"

The rest of Christmas Day went by with much more joy & festivity for the DeLarges & their friends. After the presents were opened, everyone sat at the table for a hearty yuletide banquet, helping themselves to all the food they could ever eat for lunch. Then there were all sorts of games, followed by stories & jokes. Afterwards, Philip, Sheila, & the children shared some cookies & cocoa (with plenty of marshmallows), before playing out in the snow & coming back inside for dinner. As soon as everyone had finished supper, they went back into the living room. Sheila got another fire started in the hearth, & while the cheery blaze warmed the chamber, Philip & the kids helped themselves to roasted chestnuts & buttery popcorn for their dessert. Then they sat together & chatted over various topics as the snow continued to fall outside the flat.

"You know, Philip," Sheila said at one point to her husband, "it was on winter evenings like this that you would take out your old violin & play it while we all started a-dancin' & singin' along..."

When he overheard the conversation, Alex looked up from his Beethoven book that he had been reading. "I didn't know you had a violin, Pee," he commented.

"It was a long time ago, son," Philip explained. "Before you were even born, actually. But I haven't played my violin in years; I stopped using it after your mother was afflicted with cancer."

"Do you still have it?" asked Angela.

"I probably might," Philip replied, getting up & heading into the bedroom that he & Sheila shared. "Wait here, & I'll see if I can find it." A few moments later, Philip returned to the living room, carefully cradling a pear-shaped case in his hands. After sitting down on the couch between Alex & Angela, he gently opened the container & swept the dust off the object inside. "Well, lo & behold," Philip said with a smile as he displayed the redwood violin & bow to everyone, "it appears that we've found it at last!"

Once he had positioned himself & readied his instrument, Philip began to slide the bow over the strings of the violin, creating a rich, cheerful melody that resonated through the living room. With delighted smiles on their faces, Alex, Angela, Georgie, Dim, Pete, & Sheila began to dance while Philip continued to play his jovial tune. Round & round everyone went, until Philip finally ended his song & put the violin back in its case. Everyone then sat back down, gasping for the breath they had lost during their spirited dance.

"Well, that was certainly fun," Sheila said, resting a weary hand on her chest as she smiled. "Why don't we listen to some music now?" Sheila turned on the little radio, & once the sound of Christmas songs echoed across the airwaves, the DeLarges & their friends began to croon along to the holiday tunes. At one point, the radio played an instrumental version of "Silent Night"; Alex, his parents, Angela, & the other boys sang the words of the carol softly to themselves as they held candles. When Angela was inflicted with a memory of a similar evening serenade with her parents, she began to cry; Alex held her close & tried to comfort her. "It's OK, Angela," he whispered. "Shhh...It's OK." As she felt Alex gently pulling her into an embrace, Angela dried her eyes & she smiled; as long as she was with Alex & the people who cared for her now, everything would indeed be all right.