Everything was familiar. The basic layout of the city was the same, but the stores were a little jumbled up and changed. Kaylie immediately felt right at home, and as she tried to avoid the stares people gave her as she dragged Weevil along, she found herself once again wondering if she even wanted to return to her world.

Yes, things were generally the same... but something deep down inside told her that while the geography matched, the people would not. Her family and friends didn't exist in this version of her hometown. That's what was so appealing about it though. There were no backstabbing friends to torment her, and no family for her to disappoint. She would never have to face the fact that Zac had used her to cover the truth.

Ill intentioned or not, it still hurt.

She could hang out with Yugi and the gang... Maybe get them to actually like her after giving them time to get to know her... And she couldn't help but smile at the thought of Kaiba cringing as she paraded around with her Blue Eyes White Dragon just to spite him.

That almost makes it worth staying in and of itself... she mused jokingly.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a nearby payphone rang, jolting her from her thoughts. She looked around, but no one else seemed present. Hesitantly she picked it up, "Hello?"

"You very easily could stay..." her blood froze. It was Dartz.

"How did you get this number? How did you know I was here!?" She frantically looked around.

"I've been keeping a close eye on you..." she could sense his smile in his voice. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you how. You know enough to know the Orichalcos aids me in such matters."

On a sudden impulse, Kaylie slammed the phone back on the receiver and backed away quickly. She was not going to stick around and listen to him. She had to get Weevil to the hospital, and then she needed to plan her next move.

Every phone she walked by rang, but she didn't stop to pick any of them up. People on the streets began to pay her more attention as she hurried by. This was the last thing that she wanted, and it was really starting to get on her nerves. If it weren't for the fact that she knew that was what Dartz wanted, she would have picked the next phone to ring up and let loose her wrath on him.

Eventually she got far enough away from any pay phones that the ringing ceased to be present. She wondered how such a technologically advanced world could have so many stinking pay phones to begin with. They certainly weren't there in her world! She figured it was a result of the nineties era the show was written in clashing with the technology it was supposed to have. Either way, it was annoying.

Eventually, the hospital loomed into view. When she approached the front desk, she was ushered in immediately. She followed alongside a nurse who wheeled Weevil through the hallways on a stretcher. The area had already seen multiple cases of soul snatching. Dartz certainly was close.

Nervous that the phones in the hospital would start ringing again, she couldn't relax. The nurse was chattering on, but she barely heard it. Every beep made her more and more tense.

Soon, she found herself in a room full of patients in a coma. The nurse shook her head despairingly, then quietly told Kaylie she was going to find the doctor. And that's how she had found herself in a room full of all but dead people... and it creeped her out majorly.

If she'd known what was going to happen, she would have left Weevil in the care of the doctors and gone her own merry little way. She would have run screaming. She would never have even set foot in the hospital...

At first, she thought she was hearing things... But as the seconds went by, it became more and more clear.

"These scars... they're your fault..."

She turned to come face to face with a girl that slightly resembled her friend Kim from back home. The girl's eyes were open, but no iris was showing. Her mouth moved, quietly repeating the phrase over and over again.

Kaylie stumbled back, brushing against the resting spot of another body. He joined in the ghostly whisper, "I lied. I used you to cover the truth. I never really loved you."

"No... no, stop! Please!" She hissed, looking back and forth like a scared animal. What was going on!?

Though she was careful to not touch another body, that didn't stop the phenomenon from spreading. It went down the line, until every single person was whispering some sort of phrase meant to torment or anger her.

"You are putting so much pressure on him..."

"You have no right to complain. Your life is perfect."

"Why did you choose him over me? I want to make you happy... But you're the reason I'm so depressed."

"They told me what you said... how could you say that about me? I didn't invite you because I don't want to be friends anymore."

"I cut myself because of you. These scars... they're your fault..."

She sank to her knees, hands covering her ears. She knew exactly which person in her life each and every phrase belonged to. It was like someone hand picked the darkest moments of her life and tore open each scar one more time.

"You don't have to go back..." The voice was louder than the whispers, slipping through the cracks of her fingers and penetrating her soul.

She stood and whirled around to face Weevil, "What?"

"You don't have to face them ever again. You can become so powerful..." he went on. "They won't ever hurt you again..."

"Dartz..." she hissed. "I should have known..."

"Just give him what he wants, and you'll be at peace..."

"I can't stay, Weevil..." she looked away. "Because even if I do, these people... they'll still haunt my thoughts. I'll still remember them. It will still hurt to think about it... I have to go home. I have to face it because..." she paused. "Because when I face it, that's when I'll be able to heal..."

Weevil went silent, but the whispers continued. She prayed the doctor would come in, because the whispering would have to cease at that point... but the minutes ticked by slowly with no sign of life near the room.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. It was too much to hold back. She turned to the girl whispering Kim's continued accusation, and lashed out. "No! It's not my fault! I didn't make you do that! For years I believed you. I believed it was my fault... to the point where I cut myself in the same places because I didn't want you to punish yourself for my mistakes... That was my real mistake. I never should have hurt myself like that... And neither should you. It affects more people than just you and me you know."

To her utter amazement, the girl went silent. The other bodies kept whispering, but for a moment, she was free. She turned quickly to the next body...

"I didn't put pressure on Zac. All I did was try to be nice, despite the circumstance. It stressed him out because he felt guilty... Because he lied to me, and he's lying to you. He can't even tell his own parents that in reality, he's gay!" At her words, the person acting as the voice of Zac's mom was silenced. "And in that, I have to let it go. I can't be hung up on being nice to try and win him back..."

"I didn't say those things..." she turned to another body. "Kate, I would never say those things about you. They told you that to turn you against me, don't you see? They were the ones who really said it... But I should have spoken up. I should have defended you instead of remaining silent. That's how it really happened... But I'm so sorry you got hurt..." tears fell as the girl's voice faded out.

"Tate..." Kaylie turned to face the next ghost from her past. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never meant to. I didn't choose Zac over you... I just... chose Zac. It has nothing to do with you. There isn't anything wrong with you... I just don't feel the same way. I should have been a better friend to you. I'm so sorry... I've paid for it dearly already, so please... let it go."

Two more to go...

"My life is not perfect... But, as I always told you Diana... you're more than welcome to vent to me... I can't always be strong and pretend like I'm okay... But I wish I had been there for you more than I was. I know you needed the support..." A deep sigh escaped her lungs as she faced the last demon.

"Zac... I don't care that you used me. I don't care if you don't love me... I loved you. I still love you. I always will... Please forgive me. Forgive me for holding on when I should have let go... and forgive yourself for what you did."

The silence was so welcome, she sank to her knees, exhausted. What the hell was that? How on earth could Dartz know so much about me?

"Miss?" The nurse quickly ran in the room and to her side. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, "Sorry... the bodies... they just upset me so much. I'm sorry."

"We'll figure it out," the nurse nodded. "Don't worry... they'll wake up."

The doctor nodded from outside the room. After her episode, they decided it might be best to keep the soulless victims separate, in case the sight upset someone else too. After all, the condition didn't seem to be contagious, so there was no reason to quarantine them all together.

Kaylie turned away from the window. It had been a rough day, but she needed to get a move on if she was going to find the doubt Dartz would come after her, but she was no longer afraid.

I'm not going to stay here and be used as a pawn in your game. I'm going to get home, and I'm going to face the mistakes I made. I'm going to be set free from the guilt and the pain, and then I'm never going to allow myself to be made into a victim. From this time forth, I am going to be strong. From this moment on, I am done running away from my problems... Starting with you.