As Chelsea left Mercedes she did not go to the kitchen well to get water. Instead she took a left and went out the backdoor. She was walking around the yard, looking for something...or someone as she spotted a particularly shadowy place. She made her way toward it. Just as she was passing this shadowy space, a long, strong arm reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her into the shadows. Chelsea gasped, she knew it was coming of course but she still gasped. Dramatic effect.

"Is every thing ready?" asked the Mysterious Shadowy Figure in a soft voice.

"Yes Master," answered Chelsea in a hoarse whisper, slouching slightly.

"Yea, ok, we tried the whole evil-whisper-master-thing, let's not do it again." Said the Mysterious Shadowy Figure sighing. He was rather disappointed that it didn't sound right.

"If all is on schedule, as you say it is," here Chelsea nodded her head, "then we will proceed as planned." Chelsea stepped out of the shadows and motioned to the Figure to follow her.

Chelsea retrieved a glass of water for Mercedes and returned to the room. The Shadowy Figure slunk in Mercedes' room and into the shadows after Chelsea. (Wow. A shadowy figure in the shadows. ...original.) Mercedes didn't notice this though because all her attention was concentrated on trying to breathe and her eyes were closed.

"Here's the water you asked for Miss." Said Chelsea thrusting the water at Mercedes.

Mercedes extended her hand to take the glass. Chelsea put it in her hand.

"Are you sure you didn't tie this corset too tight?" asked Mercedes gasping for air, her face slightly flushed "I can't..." her eyelids flickered, "can't," she dropped the glass which fell to the carpeted floor with a dull thud and spilled its contents all over Chelsea's feet and the hem of her dress, "breathe..." She slipped off the vanity chair and landed, with a soft flump and rustle of skirts, onto the floor as she passed out. Chelsea smiled evilly.

"All is now ready," called Chelsea into the shadows. The Mysterious Shadowy Figure slipped out of them. It was none other than Matt Norington, son of the long time rival of Jack Sparrow, Commodore Norington. He was a tall, dark haired, dark eyed, fairly good-looking boy; and he had had a crush on Mercedes for quite a few years now. (Nine years to be precise. Bit obsessed with her, really.) Now he was going to kidnap her so she would be his...FOREVER!!

"How tight did you tie that thing?" asked Matt indicating the corset. He was looking at Mercedes' waist; it was about ten and one half inches around.

"Tight enough," replied Chelsea carelessly.

"I just wanted it tight enough so she wouldn't have enough strength to resist me." He looked over at Chelsea, who was looking back at him her gaze hard. He smiled. "But this makes things so much easier!" he exclaimed clapping his hands together. He bent down to make sure Mercedes was still breathing, which she was, and gingerly picked her up around the middle. Then he threw her over his shoulder, very unceremoniously, like a sack of potatoes and cast a furtive glance around the room.

Chelsea was keeping watch in the hall, when she saw Mur coming towards the room.

"Quick!" said Chelsea in a whisper. "Mur's coming, he'll seriously kill you if he sees you kidnapping his sister. Use the window."

Chelsea quickly climbed out the window and lowered herself to the ground. Then she tied two ends of a sheet to a tree under Mercedes' window and held the other two corners so Matt could toss Mercedes down to her.

Mur was outside Mercedes' door, which Chelsea had closed and he knocked. It scared Matt and he let out a little high-pitched squeak. Mur, thinking it was Mercedes said, "Sorry to scare you Mer." (Aww cute Mur calls his sister Mer. By the way, look what Mur spells backwards. Hee hee) "It's about time that we got going. You know... started heading toward the Norington Household." He frowned when he heard no reply.

Mercedes has been so excited about going to this stupid thing. Don't know why, I thought she would've been sad that Ja... What is she doing? Isn't she ready yet? Thought Mur. He wouldn't be let in to the party because of his ability to get himself and others into trouble and there was that other tiny fact that he was a Sparrow. The "others" being Jaimy Turner, son of Will and Elizabeth. He was the fiancé of Carrissa Norington.

But everyone overlooks the fact that Mercedes was always with us too, but do they care? NOOO because she's a girl and what harm could a silly little girl do? Well, Mercedes can cause as much as trouble as the next person. More a lot of the time. Most of the time it was Mercedes who thought of... He stopped mumbling to himself when he heard a scuffling in the room.

"Mercedes," he said firmly, "What are you doing? I'm coming in." He pushed open the door...