AUTHOR'S NOTE: A note full of apologies. First, is the repeat of the last two paragraphs from the last chapter, but without looking at it, it's hard to understand, so that's why I repeated. Second, I'm sorry I took such a long break between new parts. Finally, I apologize that this chapter will be so short, but I need that way to get my bearings back on where I want the story to go. I will finish it though because I know some of you out there really like it, I promise.

"How can it be you?" I asked him, fighting to regain my strength, "You're dead!"

"Oh," said Alex coldly, a slight smile evident, "well, I think you're mistaken then. I'm not dead…" Dave and Pete stepped into my field of vision. "…We're not dead," Alex continued, "You are."

"I am?" I gasped. What was he talking about, it made no sense. "Well," I went on, the horror unmistakably present in my voice, "whether I'm dead and you're alive, or I'm alive and you're dead, we're not in the same realm. You can't be here!"

"Yes," Alex said to me, "but I am here, Izzy."

He placed his cold hand on my shoulder, and smiled. It wasn't an Alex smile, though. Not warm, and loving, but rather cynical, like some villain in an old science fiction film.

"See," Alex continued, "I can touch you, we are together here."

"And where is here, Alex?" I demanded of him.

"You just don't understand," he said thoughtfully.

"No," I screamed, "I don't! But I know that this can't be real! It, it can't be real!"

I held my hand up to my face, with the intention of using my own powers to kill myself. What did it matter? That's what I was thinking. What difference did it make now; the scariest nightmare that I could have had was coming true. I didn't know what was happening then, for all I knew it was a dream. All I knew was that I had no way out, and I couldn't get over Alex, not this way.

"Isabelle," Alex cautioned, "what are you doing?" It didn't take him long to figure out. "No," he went on, "you mustn't. Taking your life is no way out."

"I thought I was already dead, Alex." I said, emotionally drained.

So, I did it. I channeled all my power to my hand, which was directed at my own face, and let all my emotions pour out as my power.

My head fell thudded against the surface I was lying on, a cold, hard table. It was as if I blacked out, but my eyes remained open, and my vision became flooded with… white – just white. Not like a blur, or light coming from a distinct source, but just whiteness all around, like I my head was encased in a sphere painted white on the inside. I was also paralyzed, I couldn't move. At first, I could feel my backside pressing up against the table, but then all feeling ceased. After that, the bright white that had replaced my vision began to disintegrate. It was like the disintegration we saw from the shedding skins that were here a while ago, but slower. My mind was frantic, but my body was shutting down, and I knew that I didn't have the will power to get it going again.

To Be Continued…