Thank you reviewers!

So here's Chapter 6. Sorry it took so long, but I have had tons of homework. Everyone says junior year is the hardest...yea they're totally right. Also, I have had a bit of writers block for this chapter. I know the outlines of what's going to happen in the story, but I have had a little bit of a problem putting it into words. So I'm really sorry if this chapter kind of sucks. I'm doing the best I can right now.

I looked up at jagged cliffs looming ahead, upon which perched Paul's enormous house, and gulped. The whole place looked really eerie in the rapidly darkening night, and despite myself, I was freaked out. I glanced at my watch again. 7:40. Why does time seem to go so much slower when you don't want it to? I sighed and started the uphill trek. I had taken the car out (I was allowed to now, I had my permit) telling Mom and Andy that I was going over to CeeCee's for a project, but I had decided to leave it at the bottom of the hill. It would definitely attract attention if I just drove up and parked in Paul's driveway. Yeah, that's a good idea, Suze.

I've been doing this sneaking around thing for so long, so you would think that I'm good at it, but for some reason, sneaking around Paul makes me really nervous. I feel like any second I'm going to mess something up, or trip, or get caught It wouldn't surprise me if the Slaters had surveillance cameras pinned up around their property either, I thought as I came up to the house. I probably looked like the biggest dork in the world, sneaking around on their lawn in my black ensemble, and my hair pulled back...gross, I know. Looking back, I don't know why I wasn't thinking any more profound thoughts than this, but for some reason when I get nervous, I start thinking a lot about my appearance. I guess it's because I have a pretty high chance of dying (the perks of the mediator business...I quite often find myself in situations where I have a high chance of dying.) and I don't want to look disgusting when somebody finds my body. I don't want to be known as the girl who died looking like crap. Heh. 7:55. Five minutes. I tiptoed around to the back to peek in a window for any signs. I should have known I didn't need any, though.

Are you ready? Dr. Slaski's voice sounded in my head. I jumped, and then shook myself mentally. RELAX, stupid! It's not like you've never done anything like this before. But this is different. I thought warily, and then dismissed my crazy misgivings. Deep breaths, Suze.

Yeah, I'm ready. I replied, still unconsciously looking around to make sure I was alone. I had the creepiest feeling that I was being watched...I waited impatiently for my cue, and after a couple of minutes, I heard it.

"Paul! Paul, come quick!" It was Dr. Slaski's day attendant, and he sounded pretty serious. For a second I panicked, thinking that something was going horribly wrong, and then I heard:

Hurry up, you fool. Before he comes back. I gasped quietly, and hurriedly pinched myself. Concentrating, I shifted to Paul's room, and glanced around to make sure I was alone. I was. Paul's room looked the same. It always did. I ran over to the bed, and threw myself onto the ground next to it, reaching for the box. Thank God, it was still there, in the exact same spot that I left it when I took the papers in the first place. It was stupid, I know, but there were all these visions running through my head of the box being gone, me being found out, Paul's angry ice-blue eyes...I didn't know what he could—or would—do to me if he found me snooping around, and I sure as hell didn't want to find out. So as quickly as I could, I shoved all the papers back in the box, and dematerialized. I appeared in the Slaters huge backyard and started running as quietly as I could back to the car. Suddenly, I noticed a faint glowing lighting the way. I gasped and whipped around, looking for a flashlight. Shit! I'm so busted! But nothing was there. Slowly—too slowly—realization dawned. I looked down at my body, and horror struck. I was glowing. Uh-oh. I had left my body in Paul's room. A/N: I was so tempted to end the chapter here, because it seemed like a perfect cliffhanger, but then I looked back and realized I had only written a few paragraphs. So on with the story.

I almost screamed—no one would hear me, I was technically a ghost, however temporary my situation was—but then I realized that wasn't true. Paul could hear me. I didn't want to make my situation any worse. Come to think of it, his grandfather could hear me too. Duh. I'm surrounded by freaking mediators. Screaming wouldn't do anything to help me. I forced myself to think clearly, and not panic. What did I need to do? Get my body back, obviously. Preferably before Paul notices my unconscious form on his bedroom floor. Now that would definitely require some serious explaining. I pictured his room in my head, and—thank god—I shifted back into my body, finding myself lying on the thick expensive carpet. And not a moment too soon. I heard footsteps, and I scooted under the bed and out of sight.

I heard Paul come back into his room and slam the door. Uh-oh. It sounded like he was mad. What would he do if I was caught? I decided to get out of there right away. But before I could dematerialize, I heard something that made me freeze. There was a sharp intake of breath, and then,

"Suze!" What?!?!? How could he know I'm here? He's not looking under the bed—

"He said 'she knows.'" Paul continued. Oh. He wasn't talking to me. That was close. Was there someone else in the room though, or had he finally just gone crazy? "Did he mean Suze? What does she know? She didn't find out about—oh shit! He's not serious?"

What the hell was going on? Why was Paul talking about me—to himself? Did 'he' mean his grandfather? There must be some reason that Paul doesn't want me to know about these papers...that is what he's talking about right? I decided I better get home right away and see what all this was about. I dematerialized—taking my body with me this time—and got home as quickly as possible.

Back in my room, I finally pulled out the articles and got started. Most of them are articles about—and clippings of—Egyptian customs and myths. Mediators—no. Shifters—that's just what Paul's been teaching me, so no. Witchcraft—now that's interesting, but no. Soul transference—wait. This was what Paul was talking about earlier. Does it really work? Could it help Jesse? Now this might be worth reading about. A whole lot of it was history, and complex mathematics, but the main ideas were very interesting.

Soul transference dates back to the first shifters, in the time of the ancient Egyptians...

This is a very complex and dangerous process, and in order to perform it, you need to exorcise a soul from a living body—this process should only be performed as a last resort. Any exorcism will suffice for this to work, but the individual carrying it out must be well prepared and well trained...

After exorcising the offending soul, you must place the new soul into the body within 30 minutes, or the soulless body will die.

Where am I going to find a body to transfer Jesse's soul into? Somehow, I don't think this soul transference thing is the answer. But, wait. "...place the new soul into the body"? Is there such a thing as a reverse exorcism? Could that work? But I still have the problem of finding a body. I decided to read on. Catholic exorcisms, Brazilian voodoo exorcisms, Wiccan exorcisms, mummifying, body restoration...Body restoration!

The ancient Egyptians were very concerned with preserving their bodies when they passed on into the afterlife, or died. This was the reason for mummifying bodies, but this wasn't the only custom they performed. They also had a myth about restoring a dead body to its original state, almost bringing it back to life. Now a body can technically exist without a soul for a period of time, but not a very long one. So if you were to perform a body restoration, there would be no way to talk to the person, or even to keep them alive, unless they had a soul...

The article went on, but I didn't pay much attention to the rest of it. If there was really a way to restore a dead body, and then re-enter a soul into that body—and these articles were saying there was—then this is the answer to all my problems! No wonder Paul didn't want me to know about all of this. He said he wanted me to know about the powers of shifting, but he really only wanted me to know about the powers that he chose. Can you say controlling much? Well, plus he hates Jesse with a passion and doesn't want him to come back to life. Because then Jesse and I would have no problem being together. He could take me to the movies, and out to dinner, and I could introduce him to Mom and Andy and all my friends. I really think Paul just wants to make my life miserable by taking this away from me. And Paul doesn't like not getting what he wants. I would have to watch out for him. But also, I knew that I couldn't do all this alone...and I DEFINITELY was not asking Paul Slater for help. I decided that I would have to go see Father Dominic first thing in the morning.

I apologize for the shortness, and the suckiness. I haven't been feeling too inspired lately, as I said earlier. Plus I'm sick. So if you could review to give me any ideas on how to improve this, or just how to get my mind out of the gutter, I would greatly appreciate it. Gracias Sinoritas.