A/N: Well what do you know, another story with a new chapter - on a roll, huh?

Cyrus was more than annoyed with the girl as he glowered down at the phone in his hand, her final words and the dial tone echoing mockingly in his ears. He didn't need these problems, not while so far into his project. This one couldn't be bullied like that fawning idiot Kalina, or treated like a difficult child like Dennis - they lacked his ambition and his vision - his dedication. But perhaps she could still be manipulated - one way or another she still intended to go to the asylum. Rushing her along perhaps wouldn't provide the solution he was seeking, was considered in the back of his mind as he placed the phone back to its cradle and returned to his glass of port. Nonetheless, she would find out why his word was the only one to follow soon enough.

But Dennis was getting to be far too difficult, ghost by ghost the pitiful little thing was developing a mind of his own - asking far too many questions for his own good - regardless of the threats imposed upon his payments. Why this one Mr. Kriticos? Why, why, why?

He was quickly beginning to detest that word.

Of course the fool had nearly made up for his questioning - until the eleventh ghost had escaped - how easy one minor malfunction could permit all his planning to slip through his fingers like a fine sand. Excuses, too many excuses for a mistake that could have easily been avoided, barrier spells checked, granted mistakes happen - just they never were meant to happen for Cyrus and his 'project'.

What had been that little whelp's excuse again for not being able to relocate this ghost? It's path was too well covered to find where he had been recently; he couldn't focus on its location because of that same reason, they had stirred up far too much to have any hopes of settling. And finally leaving him with a psychic, yet who couldn't produce the results that he wanted. A worthless little man.

And now this one; the back up so to speak, if Dennis suddenly could not continue his services any longer. Considering his newest habit of becoming a walking pharmacy - ambitions of burying that 'edge' with as many painkillers and barbiturates that could possibly kill a team of horses - he didn't have much farther to go before he would run out of rope to hang himself with.

And as for Blue…

They certainly would see what would become of her tomorrow.

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There seemed to be no way out, no matter where they tried to run in the pitch black maze, there was always something ahead of them or behind them, an unseen predator with sharp claws and a frenzied cackle herding them off to no particular destination it seemed. Twisting and turning, was there no end to this Minotaur's den of a nightmare.

Though her throat was raw Susan wanted to scream out. Why? Why in the hell did she ever listen to her friends and come to this place? She didn't even like Jan and her 'friends' that much to begin with - so why did she ever listen to them? Just a stupid offer to go mess around and smoke pot she could have easily said no to. Now she was here in the dark, bleeding and in a world of pain from numerous scratches and scrapes, wanting nothing more than to be back home and away from this nightmare.

Not even the guy running besides her, Chuck was it? Whoever the wide shouldered idiot was, giving her any sort of help in getting out, only running along blindly, roughly dragging her down one hallway and than another in a panic. Refusing to stop and allow a chance to catch her breath, even though her lungs burned and her legs ached, she knew stopping for too long would be bad. Stopping would be one more chance for whatever was chasing them to find them - and attack once more screeching and clawing with reckless abandon.

"Whoever you are - just leave us alone!"

"Please!"

And in the darkness, while the rest of the town slept peacefully through the night, the girl screamed once more as the laughing overtook them.

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As stealthy as he wished to be, always the thrill of the hunt would over take his common sense of being silent, letting a gleeful laugh break out from his concentration. It didn't matter to him if the two were finally able to get out from the lower hallways, it didn't mean that they would be able to get out on the ground level. Just like old times

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He never gets out of bed…

It's all in his head

And Jimmy says

He says:

Rain rain… go away

I've got things to do today

Rain rain…go away

Come again another day

Blue looked up from her book, feeling a chill crawl up her spine, despite the warm layer of sheets and blankets covering her bare legs. Nothing had passed into the room that she could see, so the next reason could only be a bodily reaction, random flotsam and jetsam of the spirit world never left her skin crawling like this. Perhaps it would be better if she would get out and throw on one of her tee shirts if the room was going to continue cooling down. Fitting omen, chasing Hell's winter and all of a sudden having her room feel as if it had been plunged into the middle of some frosty tundra. But even as she gave the matter thought the feeling left as quickly as it had came.

Just a goose on the grave, don't worry about it. She told herself, placing the thick and battered tome of Agrippa's philosophy back down on the night stand, atop of the otherwise laughable files. Just some telemetry readings, vague statements taken from witnesses of various occurring phenomena - laughter, smoke scent, phantom scratches, fuzzy photographs of black blobs and what could have easily passed for light leaking into a faulty camera. Absolutely nothing from any Medium but that she passed off as the fact that no one in their right mind would consider even going onto the grounds - let alone into the asylum itself.

A glance to the red numbers of the digital clock told her enough of her reading was done and the witching hour was well upon its time of passing, it was time for this wrong minded individual to get some sort of rest before sunrise.

Might as well get as much sleep as I can…

It was going to be a long day tomorrow.