All that jazz 97- I'm sorry that it was confusing, but I was typing very quickly, and I had no time to proof read what I wrote. The word 'eat' there should have been the word 'ear'.

Phanfreak2000- Glad that I got you hooked! Yay that you are a new reader. Kuddos to you!

Maska- I know, isn't Jayden just awesome! Thank you! Can Annie ignore him? That is a very good question!

Chapter 16- Shadows

Annie looked back and forth between Jenna and the rose in her hand. Finally something clicked and she understood Jenna's question. "Oh, you mean the rose?" Jenna nodded. "I don't… know…" Jenna stared at Annie, puzzled. "I mean, that I whited out…" Annie thought for a moment , "After Jayden left." She lied. "Why am I lying?" she thought. "Jenna will understand. Wouldn't she?"

Jenna grabbed Annie's hand and lifted her up. "Well, I think you should talk to my mother, anyway." Jenna said. Jenna's mother was a registered nurse and Jenna thought of her as a goddess. Every time anyone had any physical ailments, Jenna suggested that they speak to her mother.

"I think that you can go to…" Annie's head suddenly spun around. She looked frantically around the hall. "Where is my bag!" She said, forgetting about everything else.

"Ann, just chill. I'm sure that you left it in the auditorium."

Remembering that she had left it there, Annie took a deep relieved breath. "I'm sure you're right, Jen." She said, brushing herself off. She noticed she was did that often after or during encounters with Jayden.

"So," said Jenna, "How was your little talk with Jayden?" Her voice was soft, and she seemed more concerned than curious. "He looked sorry." She added.

"Fine." Annie answered, numbly. "He said he was sorry and then I yelled at him." She said, then she regretted it, after glancing at Jenna's horrified face.

"You yelled at him?" She squeaked, her tone was a mixture of mortification and curiosity. "After he apologized!"

Annie pushed open the door to the auditorium. She kept walking, but shook her head, indicating her answer to Jenna.

"Well, then, what do you mean?" Jenna asked.

"I don't know, Jen." She answered, still walking. "He does something to me." She said, her voice in a trance. "It is like, he has a hold on me. Like I can't sing correctly without him, anymore."

Jenna put her hand on Annie's shoulder, making Annie pause. "Annie, what are you saying?" She asked. "Like brainwashing or something."

"No…" Annie said, continuing down the seats. "It's just… well, it's… it's nothing." She tossed over her shoulder, as she reached the place where her bag had been.

"Annie, why won't you talk to me?" Jenna asked, coming up behind Annie.

"Where is my damn bag?" Annie asked, looking at the empty chair.

"I don't know what it is, but since you made this play it just seems like you…"

"I swear I left it right here!"

"Aren't even listening to me…" Jenna finished. She watched for Annie's reaction, and finding her only bending to look for her bag, Jenna decided to leave. She shook her head, and turning she said, in an annoyed voice, "Bye, Ann." She said, and walked swiftly up the isle.

"Bye, Jen." Annie said, absent mindedly. She knelt down and look under the chair. It was not there, so she looked down that row of chairs and made her way around the whole theater. She found an old sneaker and a half of a candy bar, both of which made her a little queasy, but her bag was nowhere to be found. She swore loudly, and looked to the stage, hoping to see her bag sitting on it. Her eyes darted up just in time to see the back of someone's leg disappear behind the black curtains that lined the back of the stage.

"Who's there?" She called to the general direction of the leg. She waited a moment, and when no one answered she called out again. "Hello?" She said. "I know you are there. I saw you going behind the curtains, and the stage door is always locked." She reached in her pocket. She swore under her breath finding that her cell was in her bag. She decided it was best to lie. "I have a phone and I'm going to call the police if you don't come out here right now.

All of a sudden the lights in the theater went out, and Annie was left standing in the dark. She screamed, trying to back up the isle, she tripped and fell hard to the floor. She screamed again, and pushed herself up to the chairs to the left of her. She began to take cover under a chair, but then a light lit up on the stage. A shadow stood in front of it, a man's shadow, tall and alarming.

Hehehehehehehehe... I love cliffies! I love that you all hate them, too! Gwa ha ha! I know, I am evil! I am the fing prince(ss) of darkness! Don't mess with me!