A New Journey

by StoryDiva

Post season three except Maria chose not to go with the rest of them. Her life afterwards but can she ever really move on when danger seems to lurk everywhere?

6. Part Six: The Caverns

Disclaimer: Not to be redundant, but I believe in covering my butt. I do not own Roswell or any of the characters those belong to Jason Katims and such, but the bad things I could do with Michael!

Author's Note: I am a fanfiction.net retard, I think because I hate the way my story formats here half the time. If you want to see it with "perfect" (heh) formatting, you can find the story on my website as well. You can reach me at Storydivagirl@hotmail.com, beholden.nu/white, or livejournal, username=storydivagirl.

PART SIX - THE CAVERNS

It's funny how things are remembered. Sometimes memories are like photographs or homemade videos-permanent and unchangeable. Then there are times that it's pressed yellow paper with haikus about lost love that overuse words like could've been and forever that some stranger stumbles upon years later. On a particularly loathsome day, it's a bungee chord that's too long for a short jump.

Memories, our ability to retain all that we've learned and experienced, are marks of our character. Memories are the only truly original things left in the world. No one-no matter how similar her journey to those around her or how connected she feels to her loved ones-will ever have the same collective knowledge gained through a continuous process of trial and error.

My life is a series of notes that separately make no sense at all but together form a melody. In the beginning, the melody is like a Gregorian chant played backwards-choppy, full of doom, and awful to the ears-but with enough practice and reworking, it has the potential for metamorphosing into a beautiful symphony. My life is the music and I am the composer without control of the orchestra. But I have a fine-tuned ear and a pretty good idea which instrument to utilize to get me through the more difficult notes.

Unfortunately, I'm plagued by regret and it bulldozes most attempts at creating something real, something worthy of being memorable.

I memorized my life as if it was the grid to a building that I planned a heist on. I think back on things and know exactly what I did wrong. I can pinpoint the moment I lost control of a conversation and the second I should've walked away from some fruitless endeavor. I can retrace every step I've taken and tell myself that if only I had stepped the other way everything would be perfect, everything would be right with the world. If only was my personal motto.

If only I hadn't pressured Liz into telling me what was going on with her after the shooting. If only I had told Valenti what I knew in the beginning and made myself an adversary rather than a friend. If only I had gotten out and called the police when Michael hijacked my car to go seek out the first of many alien answers. If only I had the good sense to abide by Michael's wishes to break things off that very first time. If only I didn't love him. If only Jesse didn't know it, see a kindred spirit or friend or whatever the hell we were to each other, and therefore know exactly what to say to thwart my attempts at better rewrites.

If only I could outgrow my dependency on the words if only.

Neither Jesse nor I had talked about our lives away from Roswell or the others (we were a pooled memory of the lives we saw for ourselves in dreams and retakes from scenes already wrapped) but I had the sneaking suspicion that his forte in litigation was closing. I could almost see the jurors clapping as Jesse finished his final arguments and the few that thought he was an arrogant fool begrudgingly shrugged like what else were they going to do but go along with him. Jesse appeared to have a strong grasp on word manipulation and not only did he get you to go along with him, but he actually made you think it was the best idea you ever conceived.

Jesse was an experienced closer and I was a sucker; or more precisely, I had been suckered. The truths of which slowly sunk in as we drove down the highway. He had played me and I wasn't sure whether I was annoyed or impressed. I never thought he had it in him. Then again, until a few weeks ago, I never gave him much thought at all.

We drove down the road in the cramped sedan, the familiar orange-stained sky welcoming us back to New Mexico as a small gust of wind sprinkled dirt over the road as if it were fairy dust. A truck gaining speed in the horizon hurried toward and then past us, leaving behind a swirl of exhaust and grime

Jesse's voice cracked through the barrier of static and uncomfortable silence. He said, "We should be there in another hour or so."

The sun filtered through the window and did dances on our skin. I used my hand to create breaks in the oncoming dimness of the evening-shadow puppets for the bored and crazy-and nodded. I glanced out at the familiar scenery-- cactus, cactus, dirt, dirt, Rob Lowe, nope cactus--and Jesse continued talking. He had been going nonstop since we boarded the flight to New Mexico. He seemed to worry that if he stopped talking he'd realize that all our hopes and chances for protecting the people we care about were wrapped up in some ridiculous gamble. I was scared that if he didn't stop talking, keep constantly counting down every passing second with minutia, I was going to hop out of the car and scream that this was the stupidest thing we had done to date.

We were both counting on the answer falling into our laps if we returned to the place where it all began and it was making us both slightly crazy (It didn't help that we had barely survived a four-hour flight and a long drive in a Volvo with a broken tape deck and crappy reception, the only car left at the rental place). I made a silent decision not to think about what I was doing for ten minutes. I could do it.

Jesse said, "I haven't been back here since the night they left. My mother wanted me to come home for a couple of different holidays, but I could never get on the plane. Everything reminded me of her." Her. Isabel. A member of the alien trio that set this whole soap opera into motion. So much for not thinking about it.

I hummed along to a song on the radio, trying to force my mind not to think. Jesse smiled and said, "You've got a great voice."

"You can tell that from humming?"

"No, I've seen you perform."

"That's news to me."

"Doesn't surprise me. You all lived in your own world that no one could penetrate."

I sighed, "I know."

"Well, I understand now," Jesse replied. When I nodded, he took that as a sign to keep talking, "Isabel dragged me to one of your shows. She wanted me to get to know her friends. I have to admit that after my few dealings with the group of you, I was half-expecting a girl dressed in Goth that screamed out about killing kittens," he paused when he met my amused expression. He chuckled lightly and admitted, "I thought you were all a bunch of paranoid freaks."

I nodded, "Which was a completely accurate assessment of the situation. Well, minus the killing kittens and Goth wardrobe. That is so over, you know."

"I must've missed the memo."

I sighed melodramatically and said, "Jesse, I hate to tell you this, but there was a reason you never got that memo."

"Really?"

"You might have a brain and have been blessed with a wealth of good looks, but you're utterly lacking anything involving the word cool."

"I'm cool." I snorted and he repeated more adamantly, "I'm cool. I never had trouble in that department in my life."

"Whatever you say, Jesse."

"I was the coolest guy in the city of Roswell."

"Our small town's answer to James Dean," I commented.

"With darker hair."

"Yep."

"And not so much internal strife."

"Probably not, you were a man with goals not woes."

Jesse rolled his eyes at my pathetic attempt at humor and replied, "I never really rebelled either."

"You were more like Complacent Nerd Without A Cause."

He grinned, removed one hand from the steering wheel, and tossed a package of cupcakes at me. He aimed for my chest, but it ricocheted off my forehead and I grimaced out of shock more than anything. I picked the cupcake package up off the dashboard and resisted the urge to take out one of his eyes. I didn't want to send us crashing into a ravine, especially since no one would think to come looking for us. Instead I tossed Jesse's weapon of choice into an empty cup holder, clutched my head, and asked, "What the hell was that for?"

"You looked hungry?"

"Try again, jackass."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you and--"

I interrupted, "And I don't eat anything that has a pink frosting."

"Your loss is my gain," he said, ripping open the cupcake. He winked at me and spoke with a mouthful of pink, "I had to defend my reputation, Maria. You made me sound like a loser."

"Well, you did load the car up with a necessity for every conceivable type of disaster known to man. New Mexico isn't known for its torrential downpours, but the inflatable raft will definitely come in handy, I'm sure."

"Best to be prepared."

"Says the loser."

He pointed the remainder of his snack at my face and corrected, "Not a loser."

I feigned pain and said, "I'm being seen with a loser."

"Well, you did date Michael."

My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open. I had picked up on the unpleasant vibes between Jesse and Michael, but I never imagined Jesse as the type to be openly hostile. I said, "I had no idea you harbored a mean streak. Color me impressed." I turned the volume knob up a bit louder and added, "Don't get too cocky about that compliment though. You're still not cool."

"I'll have you know that I dated the captain of the cheerleading squad in my day."

"Not the captain! I'll have to retract everything I said.loser!"

"I was Prom King and." his voice trailed off and he slammed his hands into the steering wheel. At first, I thought he was choking on one of those snowball concoctions he had shoved in his mouth, but he was breathing perfectly. I considered asking if he was having a meltdown brought on by my tormenting him, like it was some flashback to a horrible high school experience, but before I could, he started to laugh. He pulled the car over and sat there. He hunched forward and laughed into the dashboard.

"Jess-"

I was interrupted by his loud chortles and before I knew what was happening, I was laughing too. It felt odd, but cathartic, as if I was able to channel out all the negative, all the strain with Michael and the anxiety over everything else, and make it disappear. Who knew pointing out Jesse's innate dorkiness would rid me of so much hostility? I would've done it a long time ago, or well, days at least.

"I can't believe I was trying to convince you of my cool quotient. When did I regress to fifteen years old?" he said between laughs and we both hooted like we were at a George Carlin show rather than on the side of a desert road as the remnants of day expunged themselves from view in a car down to a quarter of a tank of gas and in the midst of a perilous situation.

I brushed the tears from my eyes and replied, "I'm not sure, but this outburst further proves that you're utterly uncool."

"Takes one to know one."

I moved my hand over my head in a sweeping motion and said, "Such a clever retort. I thought lawyers were supposed to be acerbic not stuck in a rut known as first grade."

Jesse's eyes shot off the corner of the rear-view mirror and right at me. He quickly added, "You don't want me to leave you on the side of the road. There are snakes out there."

I leaned back in my seat, my eyes daring him to try, "My step-father works for the sheriff's department. Do you want him to come after you with a really big gun?"

Jesse pulled the car back out onto the highway. My eyes followed the white stripe separating the lanes, mentally calculating how much paint was used for this one drive through nowhere, and he said, "That felt good."

I knew exactly what he meant, but I wasn't sure I was ready to admit that. "What?"

"Laughing. Normal fun. I don't remember the last time I laughed for no reason."

"We were laughing because you're a looooser," I said in a singsong voice.

"Well, it felt nice."

I didn't say anything at first, but the stifled feeling crept back into the car, causing the hairs on my neck to stand and a strange cold to settle in my chest. I rubbed my hands together--something to do aside from burn brain fossils on thinking about the unchangeable--and tried to block away the bad. I said, "If that's the case, maybe you should rethink this finding Isabel thing."

Jesse's fingers tightened around the steering wheel and his mouth made a whistling noise without moving a muscle. He darted his head from the road momentarily as if he needed visual clarification that I had spoken. He replied carefully, "I married her for better or worse. I'm not going to leave her holed up God knows where because it's not a cheery experience. That's not how relationships work, Maria."

The temperature must have dropped fifty degrees within that minute. My legs began to tremble and goosebumps plagued my arms. I hugged myself, trying to act like a protective shield, and replied, "I understand that."

"Do you really?"

"I was trying--"

"You need to figure out what you want, Maria," he stated. There was no inflection to his voice. His tone was emotionless as if he was a scientist reporting his findings to me. He caught my eye and repeated with the same indifferent sound, "I appreciate all the help you're giving me, but do yourself a favor and figure out what you want."

"Huh?"

"Do you want Michael or is it the idea of Michael that you want?"

"Leave me alone, Dr. Freud."

"I'm serious, Maria. Everyone will be better off once you figure out what you want and why you want it. You're here with me, but it's like you're not really here, not completely, and maybe that's because your destiny lies elsewhere."

"My destiny? I'm not one of the Royal Four, Jesse. Until I left Roswell, my destiny was working as a waitress at the Crashdown. If that was what I was meant to do with my life, well, then, I guess I was a horrible dictator in a past life."

"All I'm saying is you need to think about what you want, what will make you happy."

Jesse's voice jumbled with Liz's voice saying the same thing. Liz's voice played out like a movie montage as inter-cuts of different conversations I had with Michael looped in my mind. It made my head hurt. Thinking. Not- thinking. It never changed. My answer was always the same. I wanted Michael, but it was damn near impossible to want him. If it wasn't shapeshifters, it was a friend's death or suffocation or relatives or inner turmoil or us. And that was the crux. There would always be the two of us to screw it up.

When did I accept that sometimes wanting wasn't enough to survive on? When was I supposed to let go and find someone that might not make my blood boil but provided stability? Was there a bat signal that would flicker in the sky or the waving of the white flag in front of my face?

"The two of you were made for each other," Jesse stated.

I didn't look at him, tightening my wrestler's lock on myself, and replied, "Not really."

"I've never seen two people more in love with one another that were so completely oblivious to it."

I shook my head, "Michael and I have never been good at the icky love stuff."

"Alien or not, Maria, he's a guy. He's a guy trying to protect the woman he loves--and trying to hide his insane jealousy at seeing the two of us together."

I scoffed, "Jealous? Of us? That's insane." I met his dubious gaze and added, "No offense."

"I'll try to overlook your flattering response and state the obvious, Maria. Love's not rational. If it were, I wouldn't be here anymore than you would be. If we allowed prudence to control the helms, I would've filed for divorce the minute Isabel told me she was an alien."

"Took you for surprise, huh?"

Jesse's eyes widened and he smiled, "Let's see. My wife gets shot and I can't take her to the hospital and I come to find out later that it's because she's not of this earth. Not to mention, a brother that died, but not really and a best friend that decided to eradicate the world of pesky humans because he got sick from some sort of second in command faulty wiring. Oh, and I can't forget the fact that all of this happened with the government breathing down our necks, promising to ruin my career if I didn't help them and playing on my ever-constant nightmares."

I nodded and replied, "When I first found out, I ran screaming from Liz's bedroom and booked it out of the Crashdown."

"You did?"

I smiled, thinking back on the day when I confronted Liz about her baffling behavior. Her response had been to lean in and whisper in my ear. I expected the words drugs or felony, but never alien. I could still smell my herbal calming remedy that I practically doused myself in and feel the crisp texture of her bedroom fan slapping against my cheeks. I said, "I never knew Max, Isabel, or Michael prior to that afternoon at the Parkers' when Liz shared their story with me."

"I didn't know that."

"Yep."

"You were all so close though. I figured that you had history of friendship that surpassed--"

I cut him off, "I guess nothing bonds people together like looming danger."

"And you really ran screaming?"

I laughed and replied, "I'm pretty sure Mr. Parker thought I had witnessed a mass killing spree in Liz's room because of the way I bolted out of there. It's not exactly news one expects to hear in a conversation--my soulmate was born with antennas. I was pretty sure Liz had lost her mind and then once she managed to convince me, well, I wasn't sure what to make of anything. Liz was so unaffected by the information and I never understood how she could be like that. Sure, that was Liz's personality, but still. I kept having nightmares that made Independence Day look like the Macy's Parade. I was terrified of what it all meant, but some part of me knew it was going to give me something I never had before."

"Police chases and alien artifact mysteries?" Jesse questioned dryly.

"That's it exactly. I woke up and decided that the James Bond lifestyle was for me. I mean, I'm hotter than any Bond girl and Pierce Brosnan's got nothing on Michael when he actually cuts his hair. I figured I should have some fun."

"I think you answered the question, Maria."

"What question?"

"I could be wrong-it's been known to happen on rare occasions-but it sounds like you know what you want and why."

I noticed Jesse grinning smugly out of the corner of my eye as the car turned down the Main Street of town. A large billboard welcomed us to the alien capital of the world as I clenched my hand and balled up the fabric of my shirt. I gritted out, "Your timing is uncanny. Any one ever tell you that?"

If it were possible for a smug grin to grow broader, his did. He winked at me and said, "I make a rather good living based on timing, Maria."

"I think I hate you, Jesse."

"I think that's the nicest thing you've said to me so far."

Neither of us spoke as we chugged down the road to the local gas station in the center of town. Once we pulled into the lot, Jesse went inside to pay the attendant while I started to pump the gas. I walked to the edge of the street and studied the layout. I wasn't sure why since the township of Roswell wasn't known for its desire to develop or change with the times.

Sure enough everything was as I remembered it, a snapshot from my head with perfect clarity. The movie theater followed by the museum and then the Crashdown. I could make out shadows of people, mostly teenagers, filtering in and out the doors. The local Top Forty station escaped from the confines of the restaurant and an older couple grimaced at a small group of girls singing loudly as they exited the restaurant.

I walked toward the place, my hands clamming up slightly and my stomach whipping my intestines into a remarkable resemblance of the Crashdown's Infamous Mashed Potatoes. All movement in my muscles ceased as I made out Mr. Parker's familiar figure. He was cleaning off a table and talking over his shoulder to someone at the counter. My eyes flashed on the gleam of a light reflecting from a hand tapping on the countertop. I squinted to get a better look, like a child attracted to the shiny object, and felt the air rush out of my lungs.

Everything suddenly made some sort of perverted sense. As I stood in the early evening heat, watching the Crashdown from a safe distance and observing Scott eat his dinner while he struck up conversation with Mr. Parker, it hit me. The reason Evil Dude Number One had seemed so familiar was because I knew him. Well, more accurately, knew of him.

The tattoo. The hideous scar on the face. The vacant stare that managed to run through a person like a dull blade. The guy Michael blew up had been from Roswell. When I performed at the Desert Blues Bar, I had befriended the bartender, Scott, and he would amuse me with stories of the regulars. A few of the regulars weren't locals, but truck drivers. They tended to be territorial by nature, sticking with the same locales in the same towns on every trip, and the bar was a favorite pitstop.

Raymond Malone, better known as Gasher because of the hideous gash that covered half his face (not to mention the underground whisper that he had a tendency to use razors during foreplay with the ladies), worked for Congo Chemicals Company, the largest distributor in the Southwest. According to Scott, Gasher was perfectly harmless, often reminding me how rumors spread in our town, but I wasn't as easily convinced. I had the misfortune of locking eyes with him while I was performing one night and he proceeded to make me uncomfortable for the rest of the evening. I recalled seeing him a few times in Crashdown throughout the years as well, and that when I was asked by Sheriff Valenti on that fateful day when Liz was shot to describe the men, it was his face that had popped into my head.

Soon after that night at the Desert Blues Bar, I moved to Boston and Gasher became a distant memory.

Until he held a knife to my throat.

My knees buckled out from under me and a swift hit to my side caused me to yelp out in pain or confusion, maybe a bit of both. Before I knew what was happening, I was being dragged to the side of the road as a car honked next to me as a kid shouted, "crazy bitch" and a whirlwind of debris lodged itself in my windpipe. I felt gravel underneath me as I choked for air and noticed my arm was bleeding. I silently cursed myself for such stupidity. Jesse and I had decided low key was our best option and there I was, not even in town for ten minutes and causing a scene by dawdling in the middle of the street.

I brushed myself off and a hand yanked me off the ground. I looked up and smiled at the familiar silhouette peering curiously at me. I said, "Brody, you always show up in the most unexpected places."

"Lucky for you," he replied, his accent stronger than I remembered. He let go of his hold on me and added, "I didn't know you were back in town, Maria."

"Visiting. I needed to do some research and surprisingly Roswell was the best place to do that."

"Let me guess, could it possibly have to do with conspiracy theories or alien abductions?"

I nodded my head, "Maybe a little of both. My friend and I were actually going to head over to the museum once we got settled in."

Brody studied my messy appearance with nervous eyes and I momentarily wondered what my life would've been like if I could've forced myself to respond to Brody's affections for me. He was a great guy--funny, smart, rich, and no hang-ups on being in a relationship--but I could never see past Michael's disheveled form long enough to even consider it.

"You know you don't need an invitation, Maria. You're always welcome," he replied. He leaned in closer to me, brushing a handkerchief over my elbow, and added, "I won't even charge you the regular rate."

I rolled my eyes, "It's nice to know I still rate a discount. Pardon the pun."

"I'll try to overlook it," Brody responded with a huge smile. It was nice to know that some people still enjoyed brief reunions with me. He nudged me in the side gently and added, "Dare I ask what was so absorbing that you found yourself compelled to stand in the middle of the road?"

I hugged him. It was one of those moments of warmth that stemmed from emotional meltdowns. The type that was never with the person you wanted it to be with, but you were so damn moved that someone still cared, it sprung out of you before you could stop it.

Brody reciprocated the contact and patted my back in a soothing manner. God, why couldn't Michael take a few lessons from him? I would've settled for a high five from Michael if the mood had suited him. He pulled away and said, "That was quite the unexpected answer to my question."

"That's Maria speak for it doesn't matter and it's nice to be home."

"Are you staying long?"

I shrugged, "Depends on how quickly my friend and I find what we're looking for."

"Well, if I can be of any help, let me know."

I noticed Jesse waving me down from the gas station and motioned for him to wait. I focused my attention back on Brody and said, "Actually, there's this story about a Morlagola Key that I'm trying to verify."

Brody pursed his lips together tightly and I could hear him sucking in the air like it was a bong hit. His foot tapped against the sidewalk and he said, "Never heard of it."

"It's connected to an amulet of some sort. Legend has it that whoever controls the key, controls the amulet," I continued, playing off the expression on Brody's face. I nodded to Jesse as he joined us and added, "Of course, the key seems to be something that nobody can control."

Brody looked from me to Jesse and started to say something before stopping himself. He glanced upward and whispered, "It's not safe, Maria."

"So you do know what it is?"

Brody's eyes shifted over the street and his foot went from tapping to tremors. He shook his head in a negative motion and responded, "It's best left considered a legend, Maria. The myths of the Nigii creation are safest locked away in the caverns." He leaned in and hugged me before adding, "I need to get back to work." He darted off down the street toward the museum. As he reached the front door, he spun around and said, "You're still welcome any time."

I attempted to ignore the bad feeling in my stomach as Brody disappeared within the confines of the building. I stared at the sparking UFO sign as the U blinked out permanently and I felt an eerie des ja vu shock my system. Brody's paranoia was wearing off on me. I found myself observing every single person on the street in a dreamlike slow motion, as if I was trapped in a bad whodunit movie and every suspect was within my peripheral vision. The wind howled out and Jesse's arm snaked around my shoulder and directed me back to the car. He was talking, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. My mind was too busy replaying Brody's response and I couldn't help but grin when it dawned on me.

"That guy's a bit nutty."

"You would be too if aliens kept borrowing your body to hold secret meetings," I responded defensively.

Jesse shot me a perplexed look and laughed mirthlessly, "I really should stop being surprised by this sort of thing."

"Won't happen. Just when you think you've seen it all, your alien ex goes Papa Smurf and starts floating," I commented, sliding into the passenger seat. I became possessed by a litterbug and pushed the junk food wrappers out the car door and onto the road. The wind scattered the trash immediately and I said, "Let's go."

"And where, pray tell, are we going?" Jesse asked, stretching out across the steering wheel with a bewildered expression.

"Back out onto the highway."

"Why?"

"Didn't you hear a word Brody said?"

"Yes, that it was best left," Jesse's voice trailed off. He grinned at me and I reciprocated to the best of my ability. He turned the ignition, a vroom-vroom sound echoing into the night air and intermingling with the screeching of tires that followed immediately after.

I clutched my seatbelt and said, "No need to kill us, Andretti."

"This is what we were hoping for."

"Someone begging us to heed his words of caution?"

"We can handle it."

"Can we? We have no idea what we're walking into, Jesse. For all we know, Brody might not have been Brody at that moment. He could've been some alien leading us right into a trap."

Jesse's eyebrows raised and he shot me a sideways glance, "Do you think that's the case?" I folded my arms as a response and he nodded, "Didn't think so."

"I'm trying to play devil's advocate to keep you from getting us killed."

"I don't plan to do that."

"Nobody plans to do that. Have you ever seen a horror movie? There's always one idiot who thinks he's so smart and has it all figured out, but guess what?"

"He doesn't."

"He doesn't. He opens the wrong door and gets an ax right to the left temple," I said, smacking the side of his head for emphasis. I shot him an apologetic glare as the car jerked into the other lane and he hurried to get the car back into the right lane. I sighed, "My point is--"

"That you're crazier than the alien conductor of Roswell back there."

I commented, "Like you're so normal."

We rode the remainder of the drive out to the caverns in silence. I studied the scenery, reminiscing on class trips and botched roadtrips with Liz and Alex back before every single thing took on a different connotation. There was a time when the crash at Roswell was nothing more than legend that locals joked about, when Indian legends revolved around spirits of rogue warriors rather than shapeshifters, and when I would think of the caverns as geographical wonders rather than eerie extraterrestrial hiding places.

Jesse turned the car off the main road and parked the car behind a large mass of rocks. He jumped out of the car and popped the trunk open. I slowly forced myself out of my seat and joined him as he loaded up a backpack with a bunch of things that would be little use to us if we came up against an opposition.

That was until he pulled a gun out and cocked it.

I smacked his arm as he tucked the gun into his jeans and tucked his sweatshirt over it. I hissed out, "A gun? Who do you think you are? Dirty Harry?"

"We need to protect ourselves."

"Have you ever fired a gun before?"

"Once."

"That bodes well. I'm going into the dank underground with a gun-toting loon."

He rolled his eyes and replied, "I'm not planning to use it, but we need to be able to protect ourselves."

I crossed my arms and said, "So you said, but I maintain that a gun is more of a detriment to our well being."

Jesse mimicked my stance and said, "I think that a prudent person-"

"You're not trying to pass yourself off as prudent in my presence are you?" I interrupted in a jeering tone.

He spoke over me, "If we have to defend ourselves, we can."

"We have different ideas of what protection entails," I said.

"Meaning we're at an impasse," Jesse added.

"And you're going to bring the gun."

He shut the trunk, slipped the straps of the backpack over his shoulders, and patted my head as he walked by. "And I'm bringing the gun." He chucked a flashlight at my face and I fumbled to catch it before it broke my nose. My fingers encircled the plastic and I glowered in his direction as he called out, "Hurry up, slowpoke. I need light."

I looked upward as if heaven could offer some sort of explanation for how I found myself in this predicament. I quickened my pace until I caught up to Jesse by the entrance to the caverns. Markings from spelunkers cluttered the ground and I allowed the light to illuminate a path for us into the depths of the cavern.

Jesse hopped over a small set of stalagmites and extended his hand to help me around. I groaned as I hit the ground with a thud and we both giggled like we were preteens sneaking away from the group to make out. I brushed the dirt off my jeans and reaffixed the flashlight to the area before us, only to trip over another small formation of rocks. I cursed as the flashlight fell out of my hands and skidded across the width of the cave.

"Careful," Jesse offered. I always loved it when people offered nuggets of wisdom like "careful" after the person had already fallen. Where was that sage advice before I tripped?

Jesse pulled me off the ground and we walked toward the light flickering from the flashlight a few yards away from us. As we approached, my foot gave out once again, but this time it wasn't klutziness that caused my lack of footing. The path suddenly dropped off and before I knew what was happening, I was plummeting. I understood what the person with the parachute that didn't work felt like. I was pretty sure that I was going to land in a huge splat. My mind flashed with questions-would Liz be okay? Was Jesse smart enough not to fall off the ledge of some sort of underground canyon? Would Michael miss me?

Not that I cared about Michael anymore. In those moments, I decided that I didn't care. Okay, I cared, but I wasn't going to care anymore. Again, all lies, but I chose to humor myself.

Those few seconds it took to actually hit the ground seemed much longer as it was happening. I braced myself for the pain that was sure to occur, but it didn't happen. I started to wonder exactly how far one of these things could go and scolded myself for all the times I would shush Alex when he felt compelled to share some inane fact with me. I imagined this was my punishment. I was going to fall and fall until I hit the core of the earth and spontaneously combusted.

That didn't sound highly appealing to me.

Dammit, why didn't I ever listen to Alex? I would still die, but at least, I'd know what was coming and wouldn't be spending my last few minutes on earth rebuking my inability to pay attention.

I heard Jesse calling out to me, but I couldn't find my voice as I noticed the bottom. I squeezed my eyes shut in preparation of impact, but the shock of cold water caused them to open. I looked around, trying to get my thoughts in order and mentally verifying my limbs were in proper working order. I glanced upward, but couldn't make anything out. I looked around me and squinted into the darkness for some sort of place to lift myself out of the water.

Jesse's voice echoed down to me, "Maria? Say something?"

I choked out a mouthful of water and managed to shout, "I'm okay."

"Where are you?"

"In water and it's really cold."

"I'm going to get some grappling. See if I can't get down to you."

"Be careful," I warned as if he were an idiot, or more particularly, me. I tried to make out the outline of his face, but it was concealed in shadows, giving the whole situation a suspense thriller vibe.

Jesse dangled the flashlight over the ledge and positioned the beam on the cavern wall behind me. I waved my hands around, hoping he could see me, and noticed that my actual fall had only been about two stories. He leaned his body over and yelled, "Find something to hold on to until I get back."

"I'll try."

The light and Jesse disappeared from my view and I tried not to think about how dire my situation was. This, of course, meant it was all that I could think about as I jumped up repeatedly trying to latch my arms around a pointy stalagmite above me.

During one of my attempts, my eyes caught the reflection of a fluorescent light filtering through the rocks to my side. I decided to risk the chance of being swept away further into the cavern and swam against the current. I found myself back on dry land, or more precisely dry rock.

I crawled away from the water, wringing my clothes out and resting against a wall. I noticed that the fluorescent light I had spotted was a knocked over lantern, slightly camouflaged by a bag and supplies. I wondered what sort of spelunker left goodies behind and couldn't help but guess that the person had left in an unwilling hurry. I groaned in pain as I stood myself up-trying to be brave and ignore oozing pain was tough-and kicked at the bag. There was a clanging sound. Common sense told me to wait for Jesse and we could make a decision together, but my curiosity had a stranglehold on my mental faculties and I ripped open the bag like a kid on Christmas morning.

I dumped the contents on the ground and immediately discarded the granola bars and unopened can of beer. I sifted through a large number of papers, skimming the contents and chucking them aside. The last page had scribbling on it.

History of the Nagi places sacred temple nearby.Morlagola key used by their Holy Gantuk until war broke out.No verifiable information, but theories suggest that Gantuk locked himself away in the caverns. He was killed and the amulet was removed.the key and the Sacred Relic were never found.most likely still in the caverns somewhere.symbols on the wall, ancient myths of visitors from other worlds, are the map to the key.

Certain death to those that trespass that do not belong. Must find the chosen ones first. The answer is in the most unlikely of places, but--

I stared at the page as the sentence ended right in the middle. The page had been ripped out of a notebook without the rest of it. I attempted to figure it out, but decided to let Jesse take a look once he got down there. I folded the piece of paper and stuck it in my pocket. I saw a rope dance down from above and ran over to the edge of the stream. I waved up to Jesse and said, "I got out. Be careful coming down."

"Says the girl that took a free fall," he muttered as he hooked himself into the safety harness. He lowered himself easily and I contemplated asking him where he learned such things. He unlocked the chains and waved it in my face. He smiled triumphantly and said, "Told you it was wise to be prepared."

"I barely survived a terrible fall, a near-death experience at that, and you want to lecture me on your ingenuity?"

"Yes," he said. He studied me carefully, his expression contorting into one of worry, and asked, "Are you okay? Anything hurt?"

"My ego, but you'd think it'd be used to it by now," I responded dryly.

Jesse rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you're fine."

"I found something," I said, taking his hand and leading him to the bag.

He pointed to the scattered belongings and replied, "Your work?"

"Yep."

"Nice technique."

"I know. I kept thinking subtle is so."

"Subtle?"

"Exactly."

"I like the broken glass along the path over there. Nice touch."

"What?"

"The glass."

"I didn't break any glass."

"It's right there, Maria," he replied, shining his flashlight on it as if I were a three-year old in desperate need of a reprimand.

"Yes, but I didn't do it."

"Maybe it's a booby trap," Jesse guessed.

I rolled my eyes, "I think you've seen The Goonies one too many times."

"You have a better idea?"

"Whoever left this stuff, got out of here in a hurry. He left all his belongings and there are tracks going in three different directions as if the person was trying to throw someone off his trail."

"You say he, but how do we know it wasn't this Lonnie chick?"

"It could be, but I don't think so. If she were behind this, why search for a key that you gave away? Doesn't make sense."

"Maybe she wanted the amulet and then planned to return for the key, but when things got hairy she bolted?"

"I guess."

"What do you think, Nancy Drew?"

I looked around the place and shrugged, "I have no idea what we're looking for. I never got around to reading the handbook on ancient relics of doom and destruction." I flattened out the piece of paper and handed it to Jesse. I said, "I found this in the bag."

Jesse handed me the flashlight and I focused it on the paper so he could see. He skimmed over the writing and said, "Is it possible for a little more vagueness? I'm not sure I've reached my fill of maybe or might be for the day." Jesse moaned in frustration, balled the paper up, and chucked it into the water. He asked no one in particular, "Is it too much to ask for a little bit of concrete evidence? Something pointing us in the right direction to prove that Isabel and the others are okay?"

I kicked my foot through the other items of the bag, as if Jesse was channeling his rage through me. I reached down when I saw a torn invoice stuck to the zipper. I picked it up and ran my fingers over the Congo Chemicals monogram. I stared at it for a minute and said, "We've got one common denominator."

"We do?" I showed him the paper and he stared at me skeptically, "This?"

"Congo Chemicals. For some reason the name keeps popping up today."

"Earl Monet's company is big business around here, Maria. The name pops up everywhere."

"You know the owner?"

Jesse shook his head and I watched his eyes divert direction. "Know of. He was involved in a highly publicized case a few years ago. Accused of using caverns for dumping his hazardous materials rather than spending the money to recycle them properly."

"So one could assume that if the theories on this Gantuk-thing are correct, maybe Monet got his hand on the amulet and key."

"Not likely. He doesn't strike me as an avid explorer, but any one of his numerous drivers might have a remarkable knowledge of these caves," Jesse said, bending down and studying the remnants of the bag. He unzipped one of the side compartments and pulled out a large bowl that appeared to be made out of metal, but not one that I'd ever seen before. It looked like a serving dish with two handles on opposite ends. Each one had a different design-one was an outline of fire and water, while the other was a bolt of lightening-and both were adorned with purple jewels.

I said, "This must go with the key and amulet."

"We don't know that," Jesse stated.

"Well, it's ugly enough. Those Morlagolians really knew tacky, didn't they?"

"Fair point, but still, I'm not convinced."

"Of course not."

"It could be a camper's cooking utensils."

"Interesting choice. Camping utensils? I'm particularly fond of the small eye decoration on the bottom. I know I'd want to see that while I was eating my cheerios," I said, tapping my finger on the inside of the bowl.

Jesse affixed the flashlight on the eye before moving the light along its surface and studying every inch of the metal. He put the flashlight between his knees and ran his hands over the edges methodically. He had a manner to his movements that made it seem like he knew what he was doing, as if this wasn't the first strange metal he stumbled upon his day. Jesse said, "There's some sort of writing on it, but I can't make out what it says."

I grabbed the bowl from his hand and held it up, trying to make out the words. The problem was that the few letters I could see didn't form any words that I knew, so trying to guess was damn near impossible. I replied, "Why the hell would someone leave this behind?" I peered around the empty corridors verifying that Jesse and I were still the only inhabitants in the near vicinity. Something about this bowl freaked me out and I couldn't ignore the strange sensation that we were in trouble. I motioned for Jesse to take the bowl and as his hand grasped onto the other handle, a blue light shot out of it in similar fashion to the key with Michael.

"Uh-oh," I said.

"I think we triggered something."

"Really? I thought maybe it liked us!"

"Maria, this is not the time for sarcasm."

More light flew out of the bowl and the strange eye decoration opened, blinking several times in a row. I shrieked, "This is the perfect time for sarcasm!"

We both dropped the bowl simultaneously and it made a loud clanging sound as sparks of purple and blue blasted out of its center. The handles seemed to come alive, the flames filled with red coloring and the lightening imprint flashed as if there was an actual storm occurring on the handle. The bowl skated across the ground and crashed into a small rock formation. When it hit the rock, it didn't stop moving. It seemed to hover there, getting a feel for its location.

I glanced at Jesse to make sure I wasn't having a delayed reaction to my fall. I tried to convince myself that maybe this was a hallucination caused by a concussion, but the look on Jesse's face didn't bode well. I now understood what the glass that littered the floor was caused by. We weren't the first victims to this flying bowl from another universe.

I momentarily thought about Michael (I know, I know. I'm weak. I think about him even when I'm really not thinking about him-hopeless!) and could almost see a bastard I-told-you-so look on his face as he stood over my lifeless body. Michael was right and I should've known better than to come here.

Damn Jesse.

There wasn't much time to ponder the fact that Jesse was the bane of my existence. The bowl seemed to lock its evil eye (literally) on us and sputtered forward. I pointed at the bowl and said, "That can't be good."

"Definitely not."

"We might want to run."

"Yeah."

"But for some reason, my legs aren't working."

Jesse and I looked at each other again and he grabbed my hand, yanking me along behind him. We ran through the small corridor, but before we knew what was happening the bowl had flown over us and stopped. It floated in the air and the eye at its bottom opened further. A huge green light came out of it and I tightened my hold on Jesse's hand.

For the second time in less than an hour, I expected a gruesome demise and wondered if anyone would even think to look for Jesse and myself. I shut my eyes, holding onto Jesse with a death grip, but nothing happened.

I cracked open one eye. I looked at Jesse, who also had his eyes shut and wore a panicked expression, and then glanced to where the light was coming from. As I turned my head, I noticed that the bowl was now right in front of my face.

My other eye opened and I stared at the bowl. It felt like it was studying me. I tried to identify the common sense part of my brain that told me that inanimate objects didn't have keen observation skills and that logically bowls didn't fly. Of course, the bowl moved in a little bit closer and dropped into my hands, leaving me with the distinct impression that I was not imagining things.

The light went out and the handles turned back to a metallic coloring.

I elbowed Jesse in the ribs and I said, "What the hell happened?"

"I'm thinking you were right. That's definitely related to the Morlagola key."

"The Morlagola Key can be a great ally or a great foe," a voice echoed through the cavern.

I glanced at Jesse and said, "No chance you've taken up ventriloquism in the past few minutes is there?" Jesse shook his head and I added, "Yeah, wishful thinking on my part."

"You are the possessor of the Holy Gantuk's sacred relic of the Nagi," the voice said.

I spun around, trying to locate where the voice was coming from and Jesse's hand instinctively reached for the gun. He pulled it out and waved it in the air. He called out, "Who's there?"

"Do not fear. She has been chosen worthy."

I pointed to myself and hollered out, "Me? Oh no. I'm not worthy. Really."

My words echoed throughout the cavern and the bowl once again hovered in front of my face. The eye opened and shut a few times as if it was memorizing me for some creepy reason. Before I could shriek, the voice said, "The sacred relic of the Nagi will protect you for as long as you require or until it is no longer under your control. It will keep you safe from those that wish to use the key and amulet for cruel purposes."

"Who's there?" Jesse's repeated.

I threw my hand over my eyes and pointed at the bowl. I said, "I think the bowl is doing the talking."

"That would be correct."

The gun slipped out of Jesse's hand and hit the ground. His eyes shifted from me to the bowl and back again, "We're having some weird group dream thing."

The bowl zapped up and over, flying around Jesse's head. It said, "The map of the Gantuk will lead you to the answers to your questions."

"Map?" I asked, trying to ignore the fact that I was having a conversation with a bowl. I patted down my jacket pockets, hoping I had a vile of one of my herbal remedy, but the only thing there was my cellphone. Useless. I was useless. Why couldn't I be more like Jesse the Boy Scout and have something for every occasion? I mean, I couldn't exactly call Sheriff Valenti and tell him to save me from a flying bowl. Despite all the craziness we had seen in the past couple of years, I was pretty sure he would have me committed.

"The friends you search for, the men who attempt to thwart you, answers you need--those are the things that only the map can provide," the voice said. It circled my body and rested on my shoulder. My eyes instinctively shut and it whispered, "You were chosen for this journey many a year ago."

"I think you're a bit confused," I commented.

"The Meddecchi will hunt you now. The boy has unleashed the key. It's searching for a home. If you do not reclaim the amulet and the key to put to rest, he will surely perish."

"Come again?" I replied.

"The key will take his life if it is not returned to its partners soon."

"Could you define soon?"

"A fortnight."

I felt everything whoosh out of my system with a quick jerk. My hands betrayed my brave facade and started shaking. I tried to block out the taunting voice that felt it necessary to replay the words of doom over and over. I managed to glance at Jesse hoping he could provide me with some support--a look of disbelief or worry at my obvious breakdown. I wanted an expression that said, "Told you not to try that ecstasy this morning" but unfortunately his face was contorted in one of horror and disbelief mixed with a heavy dose of pity for me. And I knew it was true. If we didn't find the amulet and get it to Michael, he was going to die, and I had no idea how I was supposed to stop it. This wasn't my area of expertise. I didn't make plans to save the world or fix problems. Quite frankly, I was pretty sure that the stupid bowl had made a mistake. This was the sort of thing destined to happen to Max, Liz, or hell, even Michael, but not me. I was the bystander. The fun girl that tried to help out occasionally.

As if it read my mind, it said, "This is your journey to take. You have been chosen and you must see it through."

"What if I don't want to?"

"This was predetermined long ago."

"Splendid."

"It will not be easy, but the sacred relic will offer its assistance to you as much as possible. It is filled with many unexpected answers that will identify themselves when the time arises."

Jesse rolled his eyes, "Again, the vague thing."

"I'm finding it hard to believe this ugly thing was ever considered a sacred relic myself," I commented.

"I could deal with ugly if it would stop speaking in riddles," Jesse countered.

The bowl zoomed off my shoulder and rested itself on the ground in front of Jesse. Another green light flashed upward and I hissed, "You had to upset it, didn't you?"

The light slowly transformed into the image of a strange creature. It stared at us for a moment before bowing and stating, "It is a great honor to be before the carrier of the sacred relic of the Nagi."

"Okay. My plummet off the cliff actually killed me and this is hell," I said to no one in particular.

"What's my excuse?" Jesse asked.

I shrugged, "Maybe you're flat-out nutty."

"Protectors of the sacred relic of the Nagi, I must pay you this warning. The Meddecchi knows of my existence and knows you have found me. Its tools connect you and the Meddecchi, making each vulnerable to the other. The Meddecchi will not fight fairly to get what it wants. It will use all options available. You must heed my words and prepare to take your place as it was prophesized."

Jesse looked over his shoulder as if he expected this Medda-freaky thing to be standing right behind ready to sneak up and say, "Boo". Jesse shot me a dubious look and asked, "Are you saying that this Meddecchi knows where we are?"

"Not precisely."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Eventually it will find you and we must be prepared. I was sealed away for centuries to be revealed to the chosen few when the time came for the Holy Gantuk to arise once again."

"The Gantuk will arise?" I asked. I looked at Jesse and said to him, "That can't be good."

"It is not," The hologram answered. He took a step toward us and clasped its hands together. "The Gantuk chose domination of other worlds over the true purpose of the amulet. He brought a great despair upon the lands until the Nagi warriors managed to overthrow him. He was unable to hold onto the amulet and relic in his quick escape. Without those to balance the power of the key, he was sucked him into oblivion and the key buried itself within these caverns."

"So the Gantuk never really died?"

"I am afraid not. If all the pieces are once again connected, he will return, but his fate will lie in the hands of the possessor."

"And the Meddecchi is attempting to harness the energy through the amulet?" I asked.

"Correct, but it can only work with the key."

"Yes, got that. Key unleashes the power."

"The key, the amulet, and the relic work together with the map. The three sacred pieces form the Holy Trinity and are extremely powerful to whoever yields the force within. The Nagi people feared a resurrection of the Gantuk. Each piece was hidden in a separate cavern for its ruler to reclaim; unfortunately, a man stumbled upon the sacred temple six months ago. He knew of the key and he attempted to take the relic."

"A man?"

"The trinity knows not of this man for he was never prophesized. However, he opened up the temple and began the process."

Jesse leaned in next to me and gritted out through his teeth, "Congo Chemicals, most likely."

"Is this man working for the Meddecchi?"

"I do not know, but it is most likely. He was not a man to be trusted. He tried to harness the relic's power, but was not able to make it work. The trinity cannot worry about the man. If the Meddecchi gets to the map and key first, we will be overpowered. Although the sacred relic of the Nagi is the strongest of the three, with control of two of the three, we will be unable to stop the Meddecchi. It will hunt you down and destroy you, taking the last piece of the puzzle for its own purposes. There are few that can work the holy trinity, but the Meddecchi is one of those. We must not let that happen. It must be returned to its rightful heir and put to rest once and for all."

"Max? The Gantuk? Who?"

The hologram shook its head and pointed to me, "You."

I laughed, "I don't think so. I'm a complainer, not a doer."

It didn't seem impressed by my glib take on things. It shook its head, long ears flapping with it, and said, "You were able to open the relic. You would not have been able to do such a thing if you were not a chosen heir."

"I'm human and you are-"

"There was a time when such things mattered very little," the hologram replied. It stepped a few inches away from the bowl, placing its feet on the ground. It continued, "You are the only one that can help your friends. Trouble has found them already and they will never be able to control the Morlagola key. It has gone into its defensive mode, sending out beacons that will attract the evilest of creatures to its core and killing any that are not meant to wear it."

"He tried to take it off, but it-"

"It can only be removed by the chosen ones unless--"

"Unless?" I prompted.

"Unless he is dead."

"No. What if I say it's okay for him to wear it? I trust Michael."

"You should trust no one. They will be used against you before this journey is over."

"I trust Michael."

"People are not who they seem to be, master. There will be betrayal. You must remember that Brutus was Caesar's friend before joining in on his demise."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Greed and power can not be satiated by some. To them there is never enough and they will destroy anyone, even those they consider friend."

"Again with the huh?" I replied.

"I am afraid that you must discover that in your own time."

"I want you to spare Michael."

"That is not how it works. I do not make such decisions. I am merely a messenger, a guide if you choose to follow your destiny."

"If I am the only one who can control this thing, then I want Michael spared. I want the key off him now! " I demanded.

"No one can control it."

"But you said-"

"You may harness the energy once the other pieces have been obtained and returned to their temple, but not before then. The key is the final piece of the puzzle. Add it too soon and the answer will be unattainable. There is only one way to save your friend."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I have no reason to lie, master. I am not from the living realm and therefore am not led by needs outside my purpose."

"Oh. Right. Of course. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it, Jesse?" I replied unremittingly.

"I'm still trying to process the dead thing," Jesse admitted.

I glared at him and said to the creature, "What must I do then?"

"Have you accepted your predetermined path?"

"I don't know about that, but I won't let Michael die."

If it was possible for non-living-creatures-slash-holograms to sigh in annoyance, I was pretty sure that was what it had done. It said without overture, "There will be a time when you will find yourself at a fork in the road. You must trust that the answer is before you at all times. You must have faith in yourself and in the power you possess. Otherwise you will fail and dark days will be upon us all."

"And how do I go about this?"

"We must utilize the compass and map. Both shall lead us to the answers."

"The map?"

"It is hidden in an unlikely place."

"Of course. Wouldn't want it to be easy to find," I commented.

The hologram stepped away from the sacred relic of the Nagi (aka ugliest bowl ever made) completely and began walking further down the corridor of the caverns. It turned to us and said, "You will want to keep the relic tied to you at all times."

I nodded and picked up the bowl. The handles burned into my skin. It wasn't painful, as much as a strange, tingling sensation. Jesse stepped in front of me and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm following it."

"Is that a good idea, Maria?"

"We don't have much choice, do we? If we don't handle this, Michael's going to die and I'm not about to let that happen."

"How do we know this isn't a trick? How do we know that Michael won't die anyhow?"

"You're a real comfort," I muttered.

"You do not, sir. The relic will serve any of the rightful owners, no matter what purposes they intend for it. I am indifferent to the outcome, obligated to serve the controlling master. However, I can say this most certainly-your wife will not be spared if the protector is not successful. The process has already begun."

"No pressure or anything," I mumbled, kicking a pebble by my shoe.

"What process? And how do you know about Isabel?" Jesse questioned.

The creature smiled strangely, "I exist outside time and dimensions. I am not bound to any galaxy, century, or loyalty."

"But you said that-"

The hologram cut Jesse off. It pointed to me and said, "She is the one who found me first of the chosen few. I provide nothing more than a blueprint of past memory that she needs to access. If I were to fall into the Meddicchi's hands, I would aid it as well."

"Why should we listen to you?"

"Jesse," I tried to interrupt. It immediately struck me that I was attempting to thwart a fight between Jesse and a hologram. When did this become my life? Would I even recognize normal any more?

The hologram disappeared in a flash of smoke. In its place, an image projected on the wall of the cavern. It was Liz and Isabel.

"It'll be okay," Liz whispered, trying to move her chair closer to Isabel. Her hair was a short reddish color that I imagined probably suited her under normal circumstances. At the moment, it was mangy and oily, from days of no management. Her bottom lip was swollen and it matched the bruises on Isabel's cheek.

Isabel shook her head, "They're going to kill them. I saw it."

"You're imagining things."

"Why are you saying that? Have they gotten to you?"

Liz patted her friend's leg comfortingly and said, "You're hysterical, Isabel. You need to calm down and tell me what's happening. Max will bring the key and we'll be let go. That's what they want, right?"

"No, no, no," Isabel sobbed. Her eyes moved quickly over the room as if she knew that their conversation was being listened in on. She said, "He will rise, won't he?"

Liz smiled reassuringly, "Everything will work out." She patted Isabel's leg again as she struggled against her words. Liz said, "I saw this, Isabel. I saw us here and we survive. We just have to hang in there. You have to trust me with what you've been keeping to yourself. Tell me what's going on with this key."

"I can't, Liz. I can't! He's going to die. I know you saw it too! They're both going to die and it's our fault."

"No one is going-"

"Lonnie knows. She saw it too and that's why she gave us that stupid key. We would be safe it weren't for her!" Isabel sobbed.

"Max will find us, Isabel."

"Not if they get to him. They have ways."

"They won't."

"They got us. They'll get him and then the others. And once they've got all of us, they're going to kill them! It's too late. Too late and there's no hope." Liz stared at her as if she were trying to read Isabel's mind. Isabel's eyes shut against the intensity of Liz's line of vision and mumbled in an exhausted tone, her words nothing more than exaltations, "No hope."

The image faded away and the hologram reappeared. It stepped closer and said, "Their fate is in your hands."

"Where are they?"

"Hidden away."

"Do you know where?"

"Of course."

"Then tell us," Jesse demanded.

"That is not the way it works."

"What if Maria asks?"

"My master has not asked though."

The eyes of both Jesse and the hologram landed on me. I said, "Oh, fine, I'll play along. Where are my friends?"

"Which ones, Master? The bearer of the key or the girls?"

"Both."

"The bearer of the key has left New York and begun a trek in search of their missing comrades. His energy is slowly depleting and soon he will not be much use to anyone. He has already been found. The only reason he has not been taken is because the key will soon bring his end about. He has been left to die so that the Meddecchi can get its hands on the key."

Jesse's arm went around my shoulders instinctively as if he knew that my legs were about to give out at the thought. He asked, "And Isabel?"

The hologram looked at him, but did not respond. I groaned in frustration, "And Liz and Isabel?"

"They are here, but we may be too late."

"We saw them a second ago! They were banged up, but okay. We're not too late if you take us to them," Jesse shouted.

"There are different variations of okay, sir."

"Where are they?" I asked.

"On the old Nagi grounds. Hidden from plain sight. You will need the map to locate them."

"Are you saying they're invisible?" I said. I heard the words and chuckled, "Why am I surprised by that part?" I focused on the hologram and said, "Will you help us find the map?"

"I will help you with whatever you require, master."

"So where do we start?"

"Within the depths of the cavern," it said. It walked ahead of us down a long, narrow corridor.

I could hear the squeaking sound of bats and shook my head, "No way."

"You must, master."

I rolled my eyes, "Stop with the master crap." I studied the passageway and asked, "Isn't there any easier way?"

"Are you sure, master?" the hologram asked, peering at me curiously.

"Yes."

"Take your friend's hand and hold onto the lightening handle with the other," the hologram stated.

I shot a suspicious look in its direction, but took a hold of Jesse's hand anyhow. He shot me a you-better-know-what-you're-doing look and practically squeezed the muscle out of my palm. Within seconds of our connection, we were enveloped in a whirlwind of blue and purple hues. It was like being stuck in some strange concoction that blended an out of control Tilt-A-Whirl with a trippy cartoon tunnel from the seventies. It was making me sick and I tried to clutch my stomach, but the hologram's voice boomed out, "Do not release your grip or he will be lost, master."

Within seconds, our feet landed on ground. We were still in the caverns, underneath an underground waterfall. The sounds of our breaths intermingled with the water rushing down into the small reservoir that resided next to us. It reminded me of my mother's new age relaxation tapes that often filtered throughout our rancher when I was younger and a strange calm overtook me. For the first time in days, there was stillness in my bones.

The hologram tapped my shoulder, ruining the atmosphere, and I nearly fell into the water from surprise. Jesse caught me and I snapped at the creature, "Don't do that again. Jesus, give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"It is over here, Master," the hologram stated.

A fluorescent green light illuminated through an opening in the side of the cavern wall. It appeared to be an altar and above it on the ceiling were some sort of hieroglyphics. Most of the designs made no sense, except for one. There was a creature with a huge medallion hanging from its neck holding a bowl in one hand and the amulet in the other. A huge flash of lightening seemed to lunge right into the creature's chest and there was an inscription in some language.

Nasfarat medulica.

I tried to pronounce the words and as I did, the ground below us shook. Jesse reached out and grabbed me before I fell into a small opening that was slowly spreading toward us. Rocks started to fall and the ground continued to tremble. Jesse rolled his eyes and said, "And you mocked me for comparing this to The Goonies."

"Shut up."

"I'm just-"

"We've got bigger problems at the moment so spare me the 'I told you so' please!" I said, trying to back away from the enlarging opening in the ground. I noticed the hologram standing there with no worries and demanded, "Fix this now."

"Very well," it said, snapping its long, bony fingers together.

Jesse and I floated down the opening and landed in a small room. There were sets of chairs and rock tables. There was a small aisle between the sets and it led to another altar, but this one was much larger than the other and it was covered in more symbols.

The hologram stepped through the altar and said, "Place the relic on the table."

I nodded and stepped up to it cautiously. I kept my hands on the bowl as I placed it in a small opening in the altar. Sparks once again flew from the bowl and the ceiling swirled around depicting a portrait of stars.

The hologram stepped next to me and said, "You must memorize the map."

I pointed up to the ceiling, "You want me to memorize that? Are you kidding me?"

"I do not kid, master."

"Can't I make you memorize it for me?"

"That would not be wise, master. If I fall into the wrong hands-"

"If you fall into the wrong hands, you're going to bring them here anyway, so you might as well memorize the thing."

The hologram frowned and replied, "Very well." Its eyes roamed over the ceiling and after a second, it said, "It has been recorded. I feel I must remind you that you have made your enemy's job easier."

"Whatever."

"This may affect the outcome of things, master. The desire to rule is greater than any to save."

"Yes, I know. The otherworldly medallion is a must for every alien totalitarian regime."

"I do not understand, Master."

I folded my arms, "I told you to stop with the master thing. It's irritating. I'd also like you to stop reminding me of the pending evil that plans to eradicate my existence. I don't know how things work where you come from, but it's not exactly the picker-upper I need to get me through the next few days."

"As you wish."

My eyes roamed around the room for a minute and I tried to assemble some sort of plan. I stated, "We need to get my friends back. All of them."

"I do not foresee any problem there. If you do not find them, the Meddecchi will make sure that they find you."

"Well, I'd rather be the one in control of that situation," I said. I ran my fingers over the bowl and asked, "Where are Liz and Isabel?" The hologram lengthened in height and reached into the ceiling of stars. He pulled something out. When he dropped it into my hands, I realized it was a pair of glasses. I rolled my eyes, "Of course. Why didn't I think of it before? Glasses that see through invisibility. How very Wes Craven of the Nagi people."

Jesse walked up to me and the wall went blank. He asked me, "Any luck?"

"We need to get to Liz and Isabel. I have a feeling Isabel will be able to tell us who the Meddecchi is."

Jesse said, "If you help me get Isabel back, I'll help you save Michael."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I might not like the guy, but I don't want him dead. He's important to Isabel and to you, which means I'll do what I can."

"I'm not sure where to go from here."

Jesse leaned in and said, "Tell it where to take us next."

I sighed, trying to put together one logical thought, but it was impossible. The hologram had said that everything that happened had been destined, but somehow that seemed even more ridiculous than the idea that Michael was my soulmate. I forced my mind not to drift. Once everything was done, once I knew Liz was safe and that Michael wouldn't die, I could overanalyze my broken psyche. Until then.

I put the glasses on, took Jesse's hand, and directed my attention to the hologram. It smiled at me and I returned the action weakly before ordering, "Take us to the Nagi Grounds. Do you have a name?"

"I do not, master."

"Well, I'm going to call you Gram. If I keep referring to you as an it, I'll go crazy and that would be bad."

"Whatever you desire," Gram responded. He clapped his hands together and said, "The journey is now underway. There is no turning back from this point on. You must see it through, no matter what lies ahead or who does not survive."

I refused to ponder the threatening inferences to Gram's words and forced myself to ignore the grinding sensation in my chest. Instead, I grinned at Jesse and said, "I could get used to this 'whatever you desire' bit."

"Just what the world needs-Maria the Great," Jesse commented as we were once again encircled in a whirlwind of colors.