Yo, yo. I know, I was very cruel, leaving it like that for so long, but I'm in a very, very good mood! I've just finished a story that I had writer's block for, for three months! Not to boast, but I really like it. If you want it, email me. (shadowprincess_lauren@hotmail.com.) It's kind of the same style as Mediator, so you should all like it, and it's got a stereotype Jesse, a stereotype Suze, and a stereotype Paul in it. Anyway, enough with my joyous ramblings, on with the story! (Even though I should be studying.)

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Everything happened SO fast.

Andy, Doc, Dopey and Sleepy came running in, falling over each other, way domino style. Mom was like, still screaming. I was staring at her, aghast, and Paul and Jesse were trying to disentangle themselves.

Andy got up, and marched over to them.

'Tell me what happened, or I'm calling the police!' he roared in Paul's face.

'Yeah, what the hell happened, Slater?!' yelled Dopey, jabbing his finger at him. Only, he didn't say "hell." But it wasn't like he was going to get punished or anything.

Mom then passed out.

Doc, who's mouth was wide in horror, was only staring at Jesse.

'You're him.' he breathed, clinging to Jake, 'You're Hector Da Silva, aren't you.'

Jesse's eyes were goggling. 'I.I am, David. Explain to them what has happened, please?'

'NO!' yelled Paul, and at that moment, he jerked away from Andy, stood up, and blasted my whole family with a scintillating yellow light. They all collapsed to the floor.

'PAUL!' I squealed, biting my fingernails, 'What did you do to them?! You killed them! You-'

'Suze, SHUT UP!' he yelled, coming over to me and offering his hand. I refused to accept it, so, frustrated, he grabbed my by the arm and very roughly yanked me up. I was WAY thrashing about. Then Jesse came to the rescue. He gave Paul a very well deserved knuckle sandwich. Paul spun onto the window seat.

'Calm down, Da Silva!' snapped Paul, massaging his cheekbone. '.Shit, you didn't have to do that so hard, I'm trying to help! I haven't killed them,' he scoffed, 'They're in a state where, when they wake up, they'll think it was all a dream.'

'Funny if they wake up and they realize they've all had the same dream,' I said in angry sarcasm.

'Yeah, well, I've added other stuff in there too,' Paul replied. I looked over at my mom. I felt so bad. How could I have done this to her? First dad, and now me. Was she ever going to get over it? I mean, losing dad like that had almost been the end of her. I was her only daughter!

That's when. I don't know why, but I ran from that room. I couldn't be in there still, with Paul. I jumped right out of the open window, and ran for my life to. well, I didn't know where I was going, but I had to get out of there.

That's when I found myself in the cemetery.

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I was there for several hours, staring at the blank gravestone. Jesse's gravestone. His name had been erased completely, and there was no indication that there had been any inscription on there. His coffin seemed to have been dug up, and was now gaping open. There was no horrible, decomposing skeleton in there anymore. It was empty

Above me, the full moon was trying to peak through a think canopy of black clouds. The trees all around were swaying in a haunting rhythm. The wind was whistling, threatening me. A cold layer of fog not unlike the fog in the Shadowland blanketed me, and everything surrounding me. I was still breathing heavily, trying to make sense of the hell I was living.

I was dead. A ghost. A spirit, the undead. Never again would I talk to CeeCee, joke with Adam, spend hours on the phone to Gina, paint my nails, blow-dry my hair every morning, and defend the kids at the Mission Academy from Kelly Prescott's ditziness. I'd never eat any of Andy's scrummy dinners, or go to movies with my friends. My life has slipped away through my very fingers.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

'Querida.'

My unbeating heart seized up. I wanted to be alone.

'Go away.' I muttered, stifling a seriously embarrassing sob that was destined to come out. Jesse's hands slid over my shoulders. I stared determinedly away from him.

'Querida, why won't you look at me?' he said again. He too gazed at his vacant gravestone. I blinked back tears. It was so hard to believe that this was the Jesse who'd been cursed. I remembered his malice, his immorality, his ruthlessness. How he'd forced himself on me, and the terror that I'd felt. How he'd dragged me through the fire, just to spite Paul.

'Do you know what happened when you were cursed?' I asked softly, still not looking at him.

'No.'

I released a shuddering breath. 'Yeah, well, you don't wanna know.'

His hands tensed on my shoulders.

'Susannah,' he said slowly, 'What did Paul make me do?'

I was silent.

'Susannah! Tell me!' he said, pulling me up, and spinning me around. The feel of his hands was so gentle, compared to what it had been. I still evaded his gaze like the plague.

'Susannah, I need to kn-'

'You forced yourself on me, okay?!' I yelled, glaring at the ground. 'Happy? There you go, you know, now go away, I need to think what I'm going to do with my death. Buh-bye.'

When he wouldn't let go of me, I looked up to glare at him, and saw his face. It was white, and was positively shaking in rage that he was battling to suppress. His hands were going claw-like around my arms.

'Jesse, just-'

'THAT BASTARD!' he roared into the night, 'I'LL KILL HIM!' He broke away from me, and went to dematerialize when I snatched up his hand.

'Jesse, NO! He'll kill you, and I couldn't let that happen to you again!' I breathed. Jesse looked at me like I were crazy. 'Susannah, don't you realize what he's done? This is worse that anything-'

'I know, but nothing is worth losing you! I don't care if I stay dead forever, it'd be fine as long as you were here beside me!' I yelled at him, and then stopped dead. My eyes gaped.

'P-P-P-Paul.' I stuttered, as his shadowy figure emerged from the mist. His aura was completely black. It radiated from him in waves of silent but deadly anger. I took a step back. He marched right up until he was face to face with Jesse.

'You want me dead, man? You want to kill me? Well, fine. Let's have it all out now. Winner gets Suze,' he growled viciously, shooting Jesse a glare that made my spine creep with dread. It didn't look good for either of them. If they fought, both had equal chances of winning, because they were both fueled by hate.

I shook my head slowly. 'Jesse, don't do it. Don't do it, Jesse!' I was in shock. How, after everything that had happened, could this be happening?

Don't accept, Jesse.

'If you think that I would be as daft to make Susannah a prize that could possibly be won by you, Slater, you have a more screwed up head than I ever though it possible for a human being to have,' Jesse snarled, and reached out for me.

.But Paul got there first.

'Get your damned hands off of me!' I yelped, as he picked me up around the waist and threw me over his shoulder. I was no match for him.

'Querida!' Jesse yelled, and launched himself at Paul, but Paul leapt to the side.

'I don't think that's very wise, Da Silva. Little Susie could get seriously hurt,' Paul laughed. That was when the rain started to spit down. Oh, and the lightning.

Jesse just stood on the damp soil, beside his empty coffin. 'You wouldn't hurt her,' he said confidently, 'that would be contradicting all of your actions. And besides, she's a ghost. You cannot harm her.'

Paul gave a mock sigh. 'Wrong again, Hector,' he said. 'I can hurt her. You see, I'm more powerful than you. I know certain curses that ONLY work on ghosts such as Miss Simon. So I'd be pretty careful if I were you. Now, be a man. Do you accept my bet? And I won't hurt her. unless you lose.'

Jesse stood there, looking torn.

'Don't do it Jesse! He'll kill you! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine! Just-'

'Shut up, Suze!' Paul said, and gave me a brutal shake. I screamed. It wasn't hurting me, but it was scaring me.

'You're on, Slater,' Jesse said. 'Battle to the death, winner gets Susannah. But you have to swear she'll be safe.' Suddenly, lightning struck a nearby tree, illuminating it, and sending it crashing down, destined to land on Paul and I, but he moved just in time. He set me down, with his arm around my neck, as he shook Jesse's hand.

Their hands both glowed red, and Jesse withdrew his quickly.

Paul just smirked slightly. 'Now, this is getting interesting.

That's when he threw me into Jesse's empty coffin, and slammed the lid closed. I sank into darkness.

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A/N. I know, I'm terrible with climaxes. I can't leave a big thing alone, I have to keep continuing it. Oh well, it's nearly done, and sorry I've taken so long to update, I've had exams all this week. I know, it's criminal to be getting exams this hard in the eighth grade, but yeah. Well, REVIEW NOW! No flames, lots of nice things. Oh, by the way, me and Katie love long reviews, so pile 'em on! Can we get the reviews to 90 before I do though? Don't care if you review twice or whatever. I just love being loved! Ciao, won't be too long updating this time I promise.

Lauren & Katie.