I finally managed to update this. Sorry for the wait guys but on a happier note it's really long or at least it seemed long when I was writing it. I don't know what you'll all make of it, but I hope you like it. I haven't decided but I think the next chapter will be the epilogue. The story is at long last coming to an end. I think I might do a sequel after I've finished A Teenage Crush and or at least some time after that.

Thanks for all the reviews and to all the people who have stuck with this. I love ya all. Enjoy!

Laura x


I couldn't think what to do. My mind was spinning, my hands were sweating…everything just seemed to be going wrong. Alex was nowhere to be seen, my dad was looking livid and my mum…my mum was held against Antonio. The look on her face told me she was thinking the exact same thing. I watched as she closed her eyes, in deep thought of the place I had learnt to dread; the Shadowland. But before they even had time to disappear, Antonio shoved her away and disappeared of his own accord.

Dad immediately rushed to mums aid. I looked around cautiously, waiting Antonio's return, anticipating his next move. He had known, that much was clear, what mum was about to do, that's why he left…but I knew he wasn't done…he wasn't going to give up that easily. Deciding finally what I was going to do, if worst came to worse; I walked over to mum and dad. Mum was cursing Antonio under her breath, whilst dad was trying to calm her down, but his relief that she was okay was plastered over his face.

"Where'd he go?" She kept saying, standing up and brushing dust from her clothes. I smiled; she always acted this way when I ghost just slipped out of her grasp.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling he'll be back soon," I said gravely, looking over my shoulder just in case.

"Susannah, we're going home, this isn't safe. We need to sort out a plan before we do anything else. You too Mercedes, you're coming straight home too and that's final," Dad said sternly pointing for us to walk to the now open trap door. We couldn't argue because the all too familiar determined look dad was wearing was one you couldn't get past. I had learnt the hard way about that many times before.

I walked down first and dad was last, whilst mum who was in between was muttering angrily under her breath. Do you ever get that feeling that you're being watched? Yeah, well that's how I felt then, which is why I held back slightly to let mum and dad walk on a little ahead of me. We walked down the passage fairly quickly, though like before, every corner we took I was waiting for Antonio to pounce out. I walked stiffly almost anticipating when he would finally come. It wasn't too long when he did.

We were nearing the other trapdoor. Dad I knew was eager to get us out of harms way so when he seen the ending of the passage he quickened up, mum close at his heels and she was, I'm pretty sure, thinking I was close on hers as well…but I wasn't. I walked slowly and deliberately. Waiting. He didn't disappoint me. As soon as he realised I wasn't as close to mum and dad like he wanted, he appeared behind me. He clapped one hand over my mouth and the other round my waist. I groaned slightly as I felt the knife which was still in his hand on my stomach.

I watched in silence as mum and dad reached the trap door. It was only moments, I knew, before they realised something was wrong, but I didn't do anything to make those moments come faster.

"Make any noise and I'll make sure you never see that boyfriend of yours again," Antonio sneered in my ear. I winced as he pushed the blade of the knife harder against me, though not enough to break the skin. He started walking backwards down the passageway, pulling me along with him.

My breathing quickened up, my heart bounded and my hands were sweating but still I did nothing to break free. I stared down at the steps just yards away.

"Mercedes!" My heart gave an almighty lurch when I heard the fear in both my parents' voices; they appeared at the foot of the steps staring back down the passage at me, anger and fear etched across their faces. Antonio's grip tightened on me even more.

"You stay where you are!" Antonio yelled, swinging the knife up to my throat instead. Mum and dad, stood still hesitantly, not sure what to do.

I could hear Antonio muttering in Spanish behind me. I was glad to hear that he was panicking. He had no way out. Well okay he did, but not with me. That was when I realised that the little plan I had come up with wasn't really going to work out like I had planned. Then Antonio muttered again, causing my blood to freeze.

He was going to try dematerialising and me with him.

I hadn't known any ghost to be able to transport humans along with them and to be perfectly honest I didn't want to be the one who they tested it on. But the thing was I couldn't struggle with him…because that knife was pretty long.

I could actually feel my eyes bulging out of my head and my heart was beating uncomfortably against my chest, when Antonio gripped me even harder and pulled me if possible even closer to him – something I was totally against mind you.

My mum seemed to know what he was thinking, if her scream of "NO!" was any indication.

That's when my eyes started to cloud over and my stomach gave a painful lurch, my whole body seemed as if it was being bent in two and I couldn't breathe. My feet were lifted off the ground and there was a bussing in my ears that was almost deafening and I tried to scream. But some seconds later – some very long and agonising seconds later - my body slowly began to relax and the pain began to dissolve. The cloud surrounding my eyes was going away and my feet hit solid ground.

I collapsed in a heap on the ground, gulping in deep long breaths. The ground beneath me was cold and smooth; it had different designs on it that I knew you could only find in a…….in a church. I looked up. I was back in the school church but there was no longer sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows causing colourful patterns, instead they were replaced by back and white eerie shadows.

I suddenly felt strong and seemly warm hands on my shoulders lifting me up. I felt so weak and tired yet I tried to struggle, not wanting Antonio's horrible hands on me anymore. A soft and gentle voiced surprised me however and I willingly obliged.

"Are you okay?" asked Alex urgently in my ear. His breath tickling it slightly – though I don't know how seeing as he's dead. "Mercedes?"

"I'm okay," I whispered.

And I felt okay too, even though I knew Antonio was somewhere near by. With Alex's strong arms draped round me, and him kissing my hair and whatever part of my face he could reach I felt safe, even when I heard Antonio's evil sneer from behind.

"How pathetic," he spat, "My own brother, involved with the likes of her,"

Letting go of me Alex stood up.

"What do you mean the likes of her?" Alex asked angrily, "She's a better person than you will ever be…or were."

I couldn't help but smile at this. I mean he was defending me and in a weird and tense situation complementing me. I was happier than I should have been under the circumstances.

"She's messed with your head. She's turned you against me already," Antonio said, looking at me with absolute loathing.

"No, she hasn't Antonio," Alex replied, "I was always against you, though too afraid to show it, until now,"

"Yes because you're dead and there's no way for me to hurt you," Antonio sneered. I was listening attentively whilst grabbing onto a nearby bench to try and lift myself up; I was still very weak.

"No, because you threatened the person I cared about most," Alex said suddenly calm. My breath caught in my throat and nearly collapsed on the ground again. Did he mean it?

"You would choose her over me?" Antonio growled, walking forward.

"Every time," Alex replied to my shock and this time I did collapse. I sat on the ground leaning up against the bench behind me dumbstruck.

But the next thing I knew Antonio had lunged towards Alex in complete and utter rage. He looked like a wild animal and I was scared though not for me but for Alex. They went tumbling to the ground, fists flying in all directions that I didn't know whose it was.

I panicked and did the only think I could think of at the time. I plucked up all the strength, courage and energy I could and flew forwards towards the two fighting men and grabbed whatever piece of clothing I could, closed my eyes and thought. Thought long and hard about the place I dreaded.

When I opened them I found myself in the cold empty corridor that had haunted my dreams so many years before.

"What did you do?" Antonio exclaimed, panic audible in his voice.

"Nothing," I said innocently, though trying to control my shaking at what I had just done. I was finally standing, with the help of Alex's hand on my elbow.

"Mercedes, what did you do?" He asked quietly.

"I'll tell you later," I muttered back as Antonio had turned his back on us to look around. "Look, I need to know now. Do you want to stay?"

"What? Mercedes, what are you talking about?" he asked, frowning down at me.

"Do you want to stay here? Do you want to move on? 'Cause if you do this is the place where it can happen," I whispered urgently, watching Antonio to make sure he was still preoccupied and because I couldn't bear to look Alex in the eye when he told me he did. That he wanted to move on.

There was a moment's silence, in which Antonio moved slightly along the corridor away from us, looking curiously at the doors, his anger gone. I finally chanced a glance at Alex, who was also staring after his brother, his eyes glazed and his jaw tight.

"I need to know now Alex, I mean I don't know how long I can stay here,"

He looked down at me slowly, his dark blue eyes searching mine.

"Okay," He said finally and my heart sank, "Lets get you out of here,"

"What?" I said my head suddenly snapping up, and my heart lifted slightly too. "You're coming with me?"

"Yes," He replied almost impatiently, "Now do you know how to get out of here or not?"

"Um…yeah, I do," I replied shaking my head a little. "Well I think I do. But are you sure you want to?"

"Yes," He said sternly, shifting his gaze from me to his brother, "Let's go before he realises what we're doing,"

"Okay," I replied, my heart swelling with…well what I though was love for the man beside me. I lightly took Alex's hand which was by his side and my heart almost reached bursting point when he gripped mine firmly. As I was about to close my eyes I saw that Antonio was watching us. I was surprised to find that he wasn't – like I expected - rushing to stop us. But instead he was looking at his brother as if he had just seen him for the first time in his life, then his face went completely expressionless - I gasped at the sudden resemblance he had then to his younger brother- and he reached out for the door closest to him.

It was at that exact moment that Alex gave my hand a gentle squeeze telling me it was time for us to leave too. Confused yet happy, I took us home.