Okay, so this is a wee bit shorter than the last. Hope you guys don't mind!! And this one goes out to AKA - thanks for helping me with my writer's block, man! It's nice to talk to someone other than the voices!!!

okay, so the same deal as the last chapter, kool? Righty-o, see ya at the end!

Okay, so we know what's what? Okay, good. Back to our regularly scheduled programming . . . .

"Do I have to stay here?"

YES.

"Can I at least tell them not to come down here?"

YES.

"What do I tell 'em - I'm being held hostage?"

NO

"So, just 'don't come down here'?"

YES.

"Oooooo boy . . ." I pulled up my two-way. "Guys?" I asked, real quiet, "Don't come down to the basement."

"Jink, WHAT is going on?" Liz demanded.

"Yeah, what the fuck are you doing?" Daimio snapped (sheesh - can we say 'MIDOL', ladies and gentlemen?).

"Just don't, please," I pleaded. I put the two-way away - and turned it off. Oh yeah - I'm good and truly fucked now.

"So . . ." I trailed off. What do you say to a demon who's basically holding you hostage? I'm sorry, but my trademarked character doesn't work well in this situation - I can't make a funny outta this.

A-R-E-Y-O-U-H-U-N-G-R-Y

"What?" I asked. Was he really asking me if I was hungry? Like he's got fries in his non-existant back pocket . . .

A-R-E-Y-O-U-H-U-N-G-R-Y--I-T-H-I-N-K-O-N-E-O-F-T-H-E-P-E-O-P-L-E-H-A-D-S-O-M-E-C-A-N-D-Y-O-N-H-E-R

"Oh," I replied. "No . . . I'm not hungry." I lay on the ground, wishing in vain that someone would come save me.

"So, let me get this straight, cause I'm still kinda confused . . " I began, "I'm being held here, correct?"

YES

"And I can't demand that you let me go."

YES

"And I can't use your name against you - since you DID give me your name." Okay, I only heard about this from books - I never really studied that much, but I DID read some books - but I wasn't too sure about it.

YES

"Can I ask why?"

Y-O-U-A-R-E-N-O-T-A-C-H-I-L-D-O-F-G-O-G--Y-O-U-C-A-N-N-O-T-U-S-E-M-Y-N-A-M-E-T-O-G-E-T-M-E-T-O-D-O-Y-O-U-R-B-I-D-D-I-N-G-L-I-K-E-T-H-A-T-F-O-O-L-V-L-A-D

"Okaaaaaaaay . . . . can I ask why?" This demon was beginning to piss me off.

Y-O-U-A-R-E-M-I-N-E-N-O-W

Crap. That was never good. Damn Ouija board . . . knew I shouldn't have used it. But, of course, I went against my better judgement and DID use it, and got myself into a WONDERFUL mess. So this . . . is all my fault.

Wow, usually you blame someone else for something like this . . . way to go, you're growing up!

And, you know, this voice doesn't make things any better.

"Shut up, voice," I snapped.

W-H-A-T

"No, not you!" I said hurriedly - last thing I wanted to do was piss the demon off. "I'm talking to the voice in my head. Sorry 'bout that."

N-O-P-R-O-B-L-E-M

Aw, he wuves you!

Shut up. Just . . . shut up. I don't feel like dealing with dis right now. I'd take a nap, but I don't think it's a good idea to do this right now.

I never thought that something like this would happen. I'm being held (somewhat against my will) by a demon goiing by Astorath, who says I'm his now. Don't know what all of that means, but I can only assume it's something BAD. caus everything ELSE that happens to me is.

Anyone out there? Help? Is that too much to ask?

I-K-N-O-W-Y-O-U-W-A-N-T-T-O-L-E-A-V-E-B-U-T-I-C-A-N-N-O-T-L-E-T-Y-O-U--S-O-R-R-Y

"Naw, dude, don't worry 'boot it - I'm cool chillin' here."

F-O-R-E-V-E-R

I sighed and shrugged. "Don't know 'boot that, man - I got a family, friends . . .

F-A-M-I-L-Y

"Yeah, dude - There's Abe, and Liz, and Johann, and Greg, and Daimio (although I just wanna kick his ass half the time) and Manning - he's like the boss/dad person . . ."

W-H-A-T-A-B-O-U-T-C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N

"WHOA!" Shoulda seen THAT coming. "No kids there, man. 'Fact, I'm the youngest out of all of them. Pisses 'em off, actually . . ."

S-O-S-A-D

"Not really - they don't really like kids."

T-H-E-N-W-H-Y-A-R-E-Y-O-U-T-H-E-R-E

"Oh, well, you see, I'm elektrokinetic." I let my hand sparkle in the darkness for a demonstration. "They say that I'm a danger to society, so I have to live on the compound and be 'good'."

T-H-A-T-S-O-U-N-D-S-H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E

"It's not so bad - like I said, they're my family. Sure, they piss me off sometimes, but that's what families do."

G-O-O-D-T-H-I-N-G-Y-O-U-A-R-E-N-O-T-G-O-I-N-G-B-A-C-K

"What?"

Y-O-U-A-R-E-M-I-N-E--Y-O-U-S-H-A-L-L-S-T-A-Y-W-I-T-H-M-E-F-O-R-E-V-E-R

"Don't know 'boot that, dude." I sat up, pulling my legs to my chest and wrapping my arms around my shins.

Y-O-U-H-A-V-E-T-O--Y-O-U-A-R-E-M-I-N-E

And that's when I felt this really cold sensation wrap itself around me. I jumped up, freaking out. "What the hell is that?"

I-B-E-L-I-E-V-E-I-T-I-S-W-H-A-T-Y-O-U-P-E-O-P-L-E-C-A-L-L-A-H-U-G

"Okay, well, warn me next time - you're super cold, and I can't really see you."

I-C-A-N-F-I-X-T-H-A-T

Suddenly, the room felt really cold. A shadow, darker than the rest of the room, appeared and grew on the wall. It grew and grew until it seemed to pull itself off the wall. It was humanoid, but had a hooded cloak on, sheiling its face.

"Is this better?" it asked in a whispery voice.

Oh . . .

My . . .

God . . .

I fainted dead away.

*************

I woke up, wincing at the pain in the back of my head. Ow . . . I reached my hand back there . . . nope, no blood. I'm good - I've had worse, trust me. But I've never had a giant shadowy cloaked guy looking down at me. And damn, I still couldn't see his face!

"I am sorry," he apologized. "I did not think that you would react in such a way."

"Didn't think I would, either," I muttered, rolling over so I was on my hands and knees, and stood up. "Whoa. Sorry 'bout that."

"Do not worry, you shall get used to it."

Oh God . . . "So, you're keeping me . . . forever?!?!"

"That is the general idea." He walked around to face me (well, as much as he could with the hood on). "I know that this is not what you would like-,"

"The hell it is!" I interrupted.

"But I cannot let you leave," he went on.

"You know, this sucks," I snapped. I walked over to the wall and leaned against it. "I can't leave cause you say so. You know, anyone is would be fucking dead by now."

"And why is there an exception for me?" he asked, walking closer to me.

"Cause you could possibly kill me," I shrugged.

"And why would I do that?" he asked. "If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you already."

"Joy," I muttered.

"I want you to stay with me. It gets so lonely down here. I've been waiting for someone like you for a long time."

"What?!?!?!" I shrieked, jumping off the wall.

"Jink, when I leave this realm . . . I am taking you with me."

"GAH!" I snapped. "That's insane!!! I can't do that!!"

"Fine," he shrugged. "Then I'll just come with you."

He dissipated like smoke, and suddenly my vision went dark.

holy hookers, Batman, another cliffhanger!

Sorry, guys, you know I love you, but I'm not sure how this little scenario is going to end . . . don't really know why he's after her. All I know is WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE NEAR/DISTANT FUTURE. which isn't all too sure.

feel free to make suggestions.

~Izzy (who has writer's block)