Part Seven - The Tunnel

At some point in our lives we all want to be special. We all desire the opportunity to be the person who walks into a room and whom everyone immediately notices and says, "Hey, isn't that so-and-so? I'm a huge fan of hers." And even though most of us know that the only real shot we have at achieving anything like this is through hard work and diligence, we all secretly dream that one day we'll sit down at a piano and miraculously produce a concerto of Chopin magnitude or pick up a paintbrush and replicate the genius of the Last Supper. There is something about being the center of attention, the go-to girl, which is inherently appealing to all of us. It never happens that way though and that's why most of our closets contain one abandoned violin or sketchpad at some point or another. Life is never that generous, or it isn't supposed to be, according to my grandparents.

That was what was so surprising about my current predicament.

I had always been a girl known more for her associations rather than her own strengths. Long before the alien trio entered my life, there was Liz and Alex and even my mother to contend with. People with a niche in the world already carved out for them-a future beckoning to them. Then Max, Isabel, and Michael entered the picture and I was totally screwed.

You see, the truth of the matter wasI was nothing out of the ordinary. I wasn't drop-dead gorgeous nor was I borderline brilliant. I wasn't born into a well-to-do family and had spent the majority of my teenage years working to help scrape by. And I definitely wasn't from another planet or cultivating newly acquired alien powers brought on by near-death experiences. The one thing that had always set me apart-my musical abilities-seemed to be a talent that was a dime a dozen. I mean, I had a good voice, but there were a lot of people who could carry a tune, and I needed to accept my undistinguished fate.

I was average.

I attempted to ignore my own personal void by constructing a life that revolved around my friends. After all, they were my friends and they needed me. They depended on me. I managed to convince myself that if their destinies were of immense importance, my assistance was a significant contribution to the universe. I thought existing vicariously through my friends would validate my own lack of purpose, but in the end, I was unable to conceal the vacuum eating away at me and I was inundated with an influx of doubt.

I developed a bit of a complex, a poster girl for self-esteem issues everywhere. I became convinced that my ideas were never clever enough, that my bravery was never courageous enough, and that my actions were never succinct enough. I realized that no matter how hard I tried to fit in with my friends-to bring something unique to our group-it would never be right. I would never relate to them on their level or understand the stigma of being special.

I resented each of them after awhile and slowly went through a list of ways to separate myself from my friends. I tried to shirk off any role in the crises as they arose, but alien problems were like quicksand. I thought breaking up with Michael would make me feel like I had some control in my life or provide me with a sense of importance in some way, but I only felt worse. He was an integral part of who I was and I didn't know how to exist without him. And when nothing else worked, I decided that not going with them, staying behind and living my own life, was the answer I had been looking for. We all knew how well that had turned out.

I had come to terms with the fact that average wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but being confronted by Michael's abrasiveness once again made my self-assurance flutter away to distant lands. In my friends' presence, whether they meant to or not, my actions seemed arbitrary and I belittled myself for every idea running through my brain. I was fine-tuned to the distinctions between us and knew that helping my friends would never be enough. I would remain a dime a dozen as people went and it was a wrong fit for them.

Then suddenly, within the confines of one afternoon, I discovered that I wasn't normal. A hologram prattled on about my importance in the scheme of the universe and the only coherent thought in my head was "now I fit in with my friends." Surely, something was wrong with me. Some unearthly creature that placed survival of the world on my shoulders accosted me and I could barely contain my excitement at finally belonging.

I was one of a select few and it was a sensation that I wasn't used to. I couldn't fathom how any of this was possible, let alone allow the idea to penetrate my thick skull. I battled with every notion of unworthiness inside of me, silently cursing myself for being somewhat happy about this sudden revelation (Who doesn't want to hear that they are the chosen one by a talking bowl?), and tried to make sense of it all.

If I had learned anything in my time as an alien groupie, it was that things simply happened. There was no planning, no questioning, and no garnering nuggets of wisdom from past events that could prepare me for the inevitable bizarre encounter. I had to make the best of what I had, even if it was in the shape of Gram, servant to the quickest hunter out there.

"I feel like one of those cartoon characters with the big eyes that circle in their sockets to prove dizziness," Jesse remarked as our feet gently thudded onto solid ground. He let go of my hand and bent over, swallowing back guttural sounds, before he muttered, "Let's drive from now on."

I patted his back and replied in my best maternal tone, "Poor Jesse has motion sickness."

He straightened his back, regaining his height over me, and countered, "I do not suffer from motion sickness under normal circumstances. However, that was not your typical mode of transportation-it was like the Tilt-A-Whirl from hell."

I caught Gram staring at us with a bemused expression. His tiny arms were crossed, mimicking my current stance, and he watched our every movement carefully, most likely notating it for future reference. My eyes roamed around our arrival point-the middle of the desert. The ground beneath us was a dark red, as if it had been baked to the point of sunburn and the twilight reflected on shiny stones littering the rocky terrain. The stones appeared to form a path that led straight into the center of a much larger rock formation.

According to Gram, Isabel and Liz were being held on the Nagi ruins, but where was that exactly? I attempted to gain knowledge of our current location by sifting through my memory, but to no avail. I had no clue where we were and couldn't recall ever wandering this far into the badlands of New Mexico.

I pushed the sunglasses, which rested on top of my head, down to cover my eyes when I noticed Gram's fluorescent orbs practically piercing through the frames. I shut my eyes to prepare my retinas for the additional darkness, but when I reopened my eyes, everything appeared exactly the same as before. I scoured the landscape for some sort of signal that Jesse and I were in the right spot, but againnothing.

"Do you see them?"

"No."

Jesse fell to the ground with a loud huff and threw one of the stones into the vast unknown. When it landed, it created a cloud of dust that resembled pictures from the Atom Bomb testing and a tornado of dirt encircled us.

I coughed out, "Idiot."

Jesse pointed at Gram as if to alleviate his culpability and said, "He's the one that led us to a dead-end."

"You are not looking hard enough, Master."

I sighed, "What did I say about the Master crap, Gram? It's weird, even by my standards."

"And it's swelling your already enlarged ego," Jesse quipped. He stood up, brushed the dirt off his legs, and stepped over next to me. He went to remove the glasses from my face, but a blue spark zapped him in the hand.

I jumped back and he crumpled over in pain. Once we established that no appendages had been lost and that we were both still in one piece, we simultaneously twisted around to face Gram. Gram's face was a portrait of indifference as if blue sparks striking into flesh was an every day occurrence.

Jesse jumped up, "What the hell was that?"

"And why do I suddenly resemble a taser gun?" I added. When Gram didn't answer quickly enough for my liking, I questioned, "Are these evil glasses? Am I going to wake up with a tail in the morning? I don't recall signing on for any permanent disfigurements, Gram!"

"You can remove the glasses at any time. You must keep them close though; as I told you in the temple, they act as your compass."

"Why did it trigger fireworks like the demon key-"

If it was possible, Gram shot me a bored look, as if to say "stupid humans never understand anything." He snapped his fingers and the glasses disappeared from my head only to reappear seconds later in his hand. Gram replied, "As I have explained to you, the key is not evil. It is merely an instrument to connect with the higher power of the universe."

I folded my arms and held out my hand for the glasses. When Gram didn't move, I coughed to signal that I wanted the pair back. When he still didn't grasp what I was hinting at, Jesse blurted out, "For god's sake, give her the glasses back!!"

Gram nodded and snapped his fingers again. The glasses materialized on my face moments later. I reached up and touched the frames hesitantly. I asked, "You're sure the glasses won't eat my flesh or something equally revolting?"

"They will not. The flash was a warning, for he is not a chosen one," Gram replied, focusing a reproachful glance on Jesse. "It would be wise for him to not be so hasty in the future. Impatience leads to danger."

I couldn't help but smirk in Jesse's direction. Our relationship bordered on bizarre. We had never been friends, let alone close, but now I felt as though he understood me better than most people out there. Jesse was my sidekick on this crazy journey and with that title came my inalienable right to mock, maim, and torment. I wagged my finger in his face, emitting a tsk, tsk sound into the desert sky, and replied, "That's right, Jesse. Impatience is a big 'ole no, no."

"Says the girl that was vehemently opposed to walking through a cave."

"That was completely different! It wasn't because I was impatient. There were bats, Mr. Let's-Race-Out-To-Roswell-with-the-last-bit-of-money-we-had-left. You're the reason I am in this mess, talking to a hologram about tyrannical rulers from other realms with the possibility of growing a tail!"

"Master, you will not--"

Jesse waved him off and tried to explain, "It's best to humor her when she gets like this, Gram. She needs to rant--it's how she knows she's still breathing."

"Nuh-uh," I offered unenthusiastically. I kicked at the dirt, hoping to find a bright light flashing "THIS WAY" beckoning to me. There was no beckoning. Not even a breadcrumb. Just Gram, the human/dog hybrid (as far as I could make out) and Jesse, the annoying one. I muttered, "You're one to talk."

His face contorted with faux innocence and he asked, "How?"

"How? Says the man that made me listen to his ridiculous rehearsal speeches on our way back to this god forsaken town," I replied. I clutched my chest, made my eyes as pathetic as possible, and attempted to mimic Jesse's voice as I recited from memory, "Oh Isabel, I need you! Isabel, I need you because you are my soul and you complete me and make me--"

He reached out and placed his hand over my mouth, "You can stop now."

I pushed his hand away and said, "You're the big brother I never wanted." I sighed and added, "Not only did I find out that my friends might die, but also that there's the possibility that I'll end up resembling Gram--" I paused and shot an apologetic glance in Gram's direction, "Not that you're ugly or anything, Gram." I focused back on Jesse and faked a cry, "You're mean."

Jesse rolled his eyes, "If you're done with this abuse of self pity, I'd like to remind you that this was apparently your destiny."

"Whatever, Mr. Impetuous."

"Drama Queen."

"Idiot Savant."

"While the two of you quarrel, time is quickly dwindling for your loved ones. You must concentrate on your duties to the relic."

"Thank you, Obe Wan," I retorted. I rubbed my temples and added, "But Gram's right. I'll stop pointing out that you're a pest." I grinned at Jesse and stuck my tongue out before turning my back to him. I strained my neck around to search for evidence of the hiding place's proximity.

Jesse placed his hand on my shoulder and asked, "What do you see?"

"Nothing."

"Focus Maria."

"And here I was considering taking a nap," I huffed, moving away from Jesse and walking down the lane of stones. Jesse took a few steps in my direction, but halted when I motioned for him to wait where he was. The large rock formation in front of me didn't belong. It didn't blend in with the flat surroundings and I stared at it for some sort of inspiration, summoning all my will to locate my friends. Or anything. I didn't really care at the moment as long it provided me with a flicker of hope-that I wasn't wasting my time or undergoing delusions of grandeur.

Nothing.

I folded my arms and leaned against the rock. I stared at my two cohorts and announced (without a bit of drama, I'll have you know), "There's nothing here. Are you sure we're in the right spot, Gram?"

"Use the compass, Master."

I removed them from my face and waved them around. I replied, "These are glasses, Gram. Not exactly the easy-to-read navigational system that we apparently require." I lowered my arm and rested it on a small level area on the rock. I took a deep calming breath and stated, "I want to find Liz and Isabel now."

There was a loud boom and a flash of light. I glanced up and barely had time to let out a small squawk before a lightening bolt zapped into the glasses. A small crater opened up beneath me and I slid underground, tumbling down a wave of dirt as if I had been sucked up into an avalanche. I held onto the glasses with a firm grip and checked to make sure the bowl was still tied to my belt hoop. I looked upwards and before the hole closed up, I could make out the huge rock that I had been leaning against. The dirt quickly swallowed me up as well. My brain told me to panic, pointing out the flaws in our plan and reminding me that I wasn't getting any oxygen, but I wasn't scared. I don't know if it was stupidity or the fact that I had already survived a few near-death experiences in one afternoon (a cocky "been there, done that" attitude).

A blue streak of light passed before my eyes and created an opening beneath me. I fell right through and hit the ground with a crash. I clutched my head and moaned, "I can manage to breath in sand, a strange feat for mankind, but I can't learn to land on my feet? Just my luck!" I leaned back against the flooring, grateful the ride was over, and closed my eyes while I caught my breath. Since our encounter with Gram, I had been going nonstop and a few seconds of recuperation wouldn't slow us too long.

I felt fingers on my neck, someone checking for my pulse, and I prepared my "I'm alright" speech for Jesse. I expected to see him lying right next to me, but the floor around me was empty minus a pair of converse sneakers. I made out whispering and it definitely wasn't his or Gram's voice. My eyes bolted open and I jumped up, expecting to find an attacker ready to lunge. A hand landed on my shoulder from behind and I spun around. I dropped the sunglasses, sending them flying across the concrete floor, and stared at the person for a second. I tried to find my voice, to say something witty like the protagonist of a movie would, but when my eyes locked on my best friend's baffled ones, there were no words that would have accurately expressed my elation at finding them.

Liz was standing there, donning a flannel shirt and jeans that were ripped in several places along the pant leg. She looked different. Not only the physical with the long red wisps of hair that clung to her cheeks, which were a purplish color, or her newly-colored green eyes which diverted to the floor. She hunched forward, making her already petite frame look even smaller. I refused to think about the huge chasm of life that was separating us and focus on the moment. We were both there and I wasn't too late. Maybe things were going to work out after all. Maybe I would get my second chance and this time make the right decision. I hugged her and said, "Liz. Thank God. I was so worried and-hey, where's Isabel?"

"Maria?" Liz managed to peep out before tightening our embrace. She shook her head in disbelief, "How did you find us? How did you even know? What are you doing here?"

"I heard that you had gotten yourself into some trouble and we're here to rescue you."

"We?" a voice replied from behind me. I followed the sound and practically fell into Isabel. Despite having seen the two of them with Gram's help, Isabel appeared worse for the wear than I had expected. She was gaunt looking, huge bags under her eyes and traces of dried blood along her jaw. She resembled one of the pea-pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, an almost comatose look on her face, before she studied me. She glanced at me discerningly and talked to Liz as if I weren't there. She asked, "How do we know this isn't some trick to get information out of us?"

"About the Morlagola Key? Yeah, I already know more about it than I care to, thanks."

Liz's face contorted with shock. She stared at me appraisingly, an undecipherable smirk on her face which made me feel so alone. She used to be my best friend, the person who knew best in the entire world, and so much time had passed that I felt like an intruder, that Liz was practically a stranger to me. First Michael and now Liz. Why had I even bothered? Was I some sort of sadomasochist?

Liz stepped away from me, obviously taking Isabel's worries at face value. I vacillitated between understanding and the impulse to lecture the two of them on gratitude. I came all this way-endured conversations with midget holograms and got hit by lightening-to save their asses and they were giving me the cold shoulder. This was the stuff that nightmares were made of. Like being chosen last for dodge ball in grade school while the cheerleaders ganged up on you. Except worse.

"She fell from the ceiling, Liz. She created her own entry like the guards do. How could Maria do that?"

Liz focused her attention on me and said, "She's got a point. How did you do that?"

"Long story."

"I bet," Isabel scoffed. The terror I had seen in the vision Gram showed us was etched into every line of her face. She inched away from me and said, "It's begun, hasn't it?"

I sighed and said, "Is this annoy Maria day or something? Do the two of you even care what I've gone through to rescue you?" I noticed the glasses had skidded to the far corner of the room. My eyes wandered over the layout as I went to reclaim the glasses. Isabel leered in my direction, following my gaze to the glasses, and her face contorted into an unreadable expression. She exchanged looks with Liz, who mouthed something to her that I couldn't make out, and she set her steely eyes upon me. Isabel and I had never been very close so reading her was always a bit of a challenge, but in that room, in those few seconds, I felt something run through me. It was as if someone had transplanted her fear into me and I realized how vulnerable Isabel was. I still couldn't disregard the sensation that there was something strange about the whole damn thing.

I immediately chastised myself for my reaction. God only knew what the past two years had been like for them and add to it a crazy Meddecchi out to get them-well, it was a bit much for anyone to process. I smiled weakly in Isabel's direction, hoping that would convey some proof of who I was, as I started to walk toward the glasses. Surprisingly, when the thought of picking them up flickered through my mind, the frames made a small popping sound before settling on the tip of my nose.

Liz stepped even further away from me. I stared at her, trying to get her to look at me. When she did, I tried to do our old secret handshake from when we were little, but she stared at me blankly, as if I was the extraterrestrial in the room. I groaned and said, "I guess I don't remember it as well as I thought. Sue me. I wasn't expecting to have to prove myself to you guys. I thought you would know me."

Isabel explained, "Maria is human. She's not like us. Ordinary girl with no powers. Nice try though."

"What do the two of you want from me? A DNA sample?" I snapped. I let out a low growl and pointed at Liz, "You never slept with Kyle. You did it because Future Max came to visit you and said you had to make him fall out of love with you. You also had a bizarre crush on Mr. Wizard when we were seven, which I still cannot understand nor do I want to." I pointed at Isabel and said, "You used to make Jesse serenade you with Poison's Greatest Hits, specifically Every Rose Has Its Thorn, which makes me wonder about your mental stability. I've heard him sing and it wasn't a pleasant experience."

"How did you-Maria didn't know that," Isabel insisted when we both noticed Liz drop any pretense of disbelief. Isabel shook her head as if she was trying to convince herself that I was a fraud. She went on, "Jesse was the only person who knew that."

"I wish that were true, Isabel," I replied dryly.

I prepared myself for an inquisition, ready to provide more proof of who I was, when Liz rushed at me and the two of us fell to the ground. We started to laugh and talk at the same time, stupid questions that were best suited for later, but couldn't wait in our eyes. She admired my clothes (one of the benefits of wealthy grandparents was the upgrade in designer fashions) and I complimented her bold hair choices. I pushed the loneliness I was feeling, the distance that still seemed so vast between me and my best friend, from my conscious thoughts, and continued to chatter about nothing and everything. Isabel, who had been hovering on the parameter of our exchange, jumped in a little bit later and the three of us hugged again. We got lost in the moment, best friends reunited, and probably wouldn't have stopped if my phone didn't ring.

I commented, "I can't get a signal on the street, but in an underground cavern, my phone works. Figures." I picked it up as quickly as I could, worried that the melody would give my arrival away to whomever was holding my friends captive. I whispered into the phone, "Hello."

"Maria? Are you okay? Where are you? What happened?" Jesse rushed out in one breath.

I replied, "It's me. I'm fine. Not sure and again, not sure. Where are you?"

"I think I'm standing on top of you."

"That's something I don't hear every day," I retorted with a chuckle. Jesse's loud nostril hisses made it quite clear he didn't see the humor in the situation and I said, "There's a cavern beneath us. Tell Gram to bring you down here."

"Us?"

I glanced from Liz to Isabel and said, "I found them."

"Is Isabel okay? How does she look?"

"You'll be able to ask her yourself if you get your ass down here!"

"Right. Hold on," Jesse replied. He lowered the phone and his voice blended with what had to be Gram's. The only thing I could make out was when Jesse started to yell and then the distinct sound of sharply drawn breaths. After a few more seconds, Jesse murmured, "He won't."

"Tell him to get me out of here right now. Be clear that I don't mean just me, but Liz and Isabel too."

The strain of his voice made it obvious that he was attempting to control his temper. He replied, "I tried and he won't. You're his master, not me."

"Step closer to Gram and hold your phone up," I ordered. I disentangled myself from Liz and Isabel. I shrugged off their baffled expressions and shouted into the phone, "Gram, get your scrawny form down here now. I don't care if you think it's not wise and I'm not in the mood for sassoh, and don't forget to bring Jesse!"

The walls shook and one of the chairs in the dungeon flew at my head. Liz pushed me out of the way and Isabel cried out, "What's happening now?"

I wasn't surprised when I saw the familiar whirlwind appear in the enclosed area. If riding inside the thing was unpleasant, I could attest that being outside it, as the tornado of color settled down, was worse. My hair pushed back, practically ripping from its roots, and my organs felt like they were being sucked out of my body through a hose. I noticed Isabel and Liz attempting to make a shield but it wasn't strong enough to endure the force of the whirlwind.

Jesse fell to the ground and Isabel glanced at me in disbelief before rushing to his side. She whispered something in his ear and Jesse opened his eyes, blinking up at Isabel. He smiled and she pulled him off the floor.

Before I had to witness some sickeningly sweet reunion, I commented, "Your landings are improving, Jesse. Almost impressive."

He pointed at me, "Don't you ever leave me with that thing again."

Isabel looked at the two of us strangely and all she managed to get out was "how" before Jesse waved her questions off and wrapped his arms around her. She murmured against his lips at first before the two of them got caught up in the moment. There was a swelling in my chest as I watched the two of them reunite. God that was what I had wanted with Michael. A nanosecond of time where we could simply enjoy being together again. Was I asking too much? Instead I was trying to avoid the label of voyeur as Jesse and Isabel played tonsil hockey. I was bitter and I loathed myself for resenting someone else's happiness.

I willed myself to look away from the two of them and stepped aside. Liz followed my lead and the two of us stood there in uncomfortable silence for a minute before I couldn't take it anymore. I rolled my eyes and muttered to Liz, "He's been planning this reunion for days. He's even got a speech."

Liz smiled at me knowingly and said, "Speeches are good."

"Not this one. There are several references to her essence, and I could be wrong, but I think at one point he steals a verse from a Backstreet Boys' song," I replied. I studied her peripherally and said, "But you would know about that."

"I would?"

"Yes, you and Max, destined lovers that could not be kept apart.

"Oh right. Yeah. That's us," she said.

I jumped slightly when I noticed Gram hovering by my side. I turned to face him and placed my hands on my hips. I stated, "We've been over this sneaking-up thing, Gram."

"Yes master."

"You could have prepared me for my little trip down the hole. Alice in Wonderland, I'm not."

Gram didn't even have the good sense to look forlorn. Instead, he stood there with the same detached gaze. He stared at Liz for a moment and then looked back to me. He said, "You ordered the compass to take you to the location, Master. It did as you asked."

"Master?" Liz interrupted.

I said, "Long story."

"We must get to the key. You must locate it before battling the Meddecchi otherwise you and your friends will not survive. Danger is imminent."

I patted Gram's back and said, "We really need to work on those words of encouragement, Gram."

"I do not understand, Master."

"Of course not," I replied. I rolled my eyes at Isabel and Jesse who were busy memorizing the lines of one another's faces. I wanted to believe that my urge to heave was due to the fact that they were annoying, but I was pretty sure that it was mostly jealousy on my part. I cleared my throat loudly and when that didn't work, I slapped Jesse on the back.

He seemed surprised to find me standing there. He smiled sheepishly, "Oh hi Maria."

I crossed my arms, "You flat out forgot we were here."

"No, I was--"

"You're the worst liar I've ever encountered. You forgot that Liz and I were here witnessing this disgusting spectacle."

His eyes narrowed on mine with faux anger. He leaned in close to me and said, "You're impossible to forget. Believe me. I've tried."

"Whatever jackass," I said, dismissing him with the wave of my hand. I met Isabel's curious glare and added, "Don't worry. It's a pet name. Right Jesse?"

"Yes, somehow in her deluded mind, referring to me as jackass is a term of endearment."

Witnessing our banter acted as a conductor for all the questions that Liz and Isabel were trying to overlook. Isabel stepped between the two of us and began her interrogation, "How did the two of you get here? How did you do that wind thing and what the hell is that creature? And what's it doing here with you? How long have you been looking for us? Does anyone else know where we are? And since when are the two of you friends?"

I glanced at Jesse, who still had a stronghold on Isabel's hand, and said, "You want to field these questions since it's all your doing?"

"Again with the blame," he said. He reached out and chucked my chin, "Buck up, champ."

I shook my head and looked to Liz for support, "Do you see what I had to put up with? I think I liked it better when he was Isabel's husband, a person with whom I had no interaction." I noticed Isabel was tapping her foot impatiently, awaiting an answer to her liking. I went on, "I bumped into Jesse at a coffeebar that I frequented in Boston. Many days later this has spiraled out of control and we've bonded over tons of crap, I'm sure. Am I forgetting anything, Jesse?"

He shrugged, too busy looking into Isabel's soul undoubtedly, and said, "A lot actually, but we don't have time to deal with it right now."

"So you met in Boston?" Isabel asked.

Jesse nodded and said, "I was actually following up on a lead and I plowed Maria down. She and I have been working together ever since."

"That's right. You were in Boston," Liz replied.

It was my turn to wear the dubious expression. I shifted around until my eyes could narrow on hers and I asked, "How did you know that?"

"Jesse and Isabel had been planning to move there all along, Maria," Liz replied cautiously. She shrugged off the look on Isabel's face and added, "He got a job for a firm there."

"Yes, I know that, but how did you know that I was in Boston?"

"You must've mentioned it?" Liz offered, glancing to Isabel for saving.

"No."

"Sure, you did. When we were hugging back there."

"No, I didn't."

"I dreamwalked you, Maria," Isabel interrupted, glaring at Liz as if this was supposed to remain a secret.

My head swiveled around toward her and I replied, "You did what?"

"Michael wanted to know that you were okay and asked me to dreamwalk you."

"Did you do that often?" I questioned, suddenly embarrassed at the thought of Isabel witnessing one of my preposterous fantasies, especially since almost all of them (save the two Ben Affleck ice cream dreams) involved Michael. How humiliating. Why hadn't it crossed my mind before that Isabel might have done something like that to me? As if this day could get any worse.

"Just once."

"Isabel, why would you do that?" Jesse asked. He shook his head and said, "That's an invasion of her privacy."

"I didn't do it to spy on her, Jesse. I did it for the same reasons I did it to you."

"WHAT?" he shouted, his voice causing a slight tremor in our current location.

"We wanted to make sure that the two of you were safe. Same goes for Sheriff Valenti."

I could feel the steam rising off of me and observed the skin on my hands and arms turn from alabaster to a scarlet coloring. I tried to find my voice, but it escaped me. My mind was spinning. Thousands of thoughts that made no sense whizzing around until I flashed on two very different thoughts: Michael was worried about me and Michael knew where I was all along and didn't care. Of course, I chose to focus on the negative. Any doubts I had that Isabel was telling the truth-more specifically what Isabel and Liz weren't saying-were overlooked in order for me to harp on the influx of emotions rushing around inside of me.

I covered my face with my hands, ordering myself not to break down. Liz might have been my best friend, but those times where I felt comfortable letting her see me vulnerable were over. I banged my fist against my forehead as if I could rid myself of this new information with sheer will and finally managed to say, "Interesting as that information is, we need to get out of here."

Liz squeezed my arm and said gently, "Maria--"

I waved her off and said, "Gram, where to next?"

"You will confront the Meddecchi before this night is over."

Liz's mouth gaped open and Isabel focused her attention on Gram. Liz asked, "What exactly is going on here?"

I ignored her and spoke to Gram, "To do that I need the key right?"

"It would be preferable," Gram answered. His eyes wandered over the immediate holding area and added, "But that may not come to pass."

"The key doesn't work," Isabel interrupted. When we all looked at her, she shifted nervously on her feet, turning to Liz, and said, "Lonnie gave it to me and said that it was powerful. She told me that it would protect us from harm, but you can't harness the energy. These people seem to think that there are only a few that could work it. God knows what Lonnie is up to."

"The key will work if we find the amulet and then get to it first," I stated.

Jesse nodded and Liz replied, "It will?"

"Yes," I answered simply. I noticed the anxious pursing of Liz's lips and the way her eyes deflected to the ground. I felt like the bearded lady at the circus, the freak that no one could dare to make eye contact with.

Isabel stepped closer and studied me with a scrutinizing stare. Isabel had always intimidated me when we were younger. In the beginning, it was because she was popular, beautiful, and fully aware of her ability to use those things to her favor. During my whole aliens-freak-me-out phase, it was more paranoia she would eat me for breakfast. Then there was the whole destiny-with-my-boyfriend thing that only added to my worries, but as her eyes roamed over me, something different hidden in the shadows of her face, I felt unsettled. She smiled and patted my shoulder. She said, as if it was commonplace, "You're a chosen one."

"What?" Liz replied.

"Those glasses on your face and this thing," she paused, motioning in Gram's direction who wore his usual stoic expression, and grinned even broader, "You can yield the power of the key, can't you?"

"Like I said before, it's a really long story that I would love to explain to you, if only to prove to myself that I'm not completely bonkers," I replied. I moved around the parameter of the room, patting my hands into the concrete walls. I was hoping to find some sort of lever like in Indiana Jones movies that would let us out of the small area. I sighed and said, "But we need to get out of here before it's too late and, unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lever to let us out of here."

"Even if you can get us out of here, how would we protect ourselves, Maria?" Isabel replied. She motioned to the empty room and then to her and Liz. She shook her head, "Our powers aren't fully functional. They did something to us and without Max here-someone could get hurt and there wouldn't be anything we could do."

"And sitting here would do what to correct the situation?" I asked.

"I'm trying to be-"

Jesse opened the side of his jacket to reveal the gun that he insisted on carrying. He said, "We're prepared."

It seemed to quiet Isabel, but only created more questions from Liz, "Do you really think that will work on an alien?"

"I don't know, but I figure it will at least slow whatever chases us down. Plus, we've got Gram," Jesse replied. He and I exchanged glances and he said, "Hopefully, we won't need to use this, but I wanted to be prepared."

"Any chance you've got a drill or shovel in your back pocket?" I quipped. I raised my hands over my head and groaned, "We need to get out of here."

"The guard creates an opening when he comes in and out. They're-they're after Max, Maria," Liz replied.

"He's fine. Well, they were all fine yesterday," Jesse offered.

"You found them? How did you find them?" Liz asked. She took my hand, a surge of electricity going up my arm, and I wondered if that was a side effect of her powers. I wondered if the other aliens noticed it or if it was just me, the boring human girl. She continued with the questions, "Did Max still have the key? Did those men find it?"

"Yes, we found them and we know where the key is. As for those men, one of them is a pile of dust now."

"But how-"

"Jesse and I give the Scooby Gang a run for their money. We're apparently very talented sleuths."

"Or lucky," Jesse stated.

"Yeah."

"Definitely lucky," Jesse added.

"It looks like the two of you have a whole little shtick going here," Isabel noted. There was a strange edge to her voice that I had never witnessed before and again my heart was under a rapid fire of nerves.

"She's my partner in crime," Jesse replied, obviously picking up on the weird vibe. He stuck a hand over my mouth and added, "And I'm the big brother she never wanted."

I smacked his hand away and said, "That's about right."

"How's Max? He must be going crazy."

"Oh, he is. Not only did the two of you disappear, but Michael also turned blue. It's a whole ordeal."

"Master, I must beg of you. We must leave here at once," Gram interrupted, grabbing my hand. There was a panicky edge to his voice that I had never witnessed before and it unnerved me. He whispered to me, "Remember what I told you. You must be careful."

"Okay, okay," I whispered back. I looked to the others and said, "Let's go."

"We cannot all teleport. I do not have that sort of power," Gram replied. He tapped his hand on the wall and said, "You must let us out of here, Master."

Unleash your power, Master.

I looked around the room and gasped when I realized that Gram had not spoken those words aloud. I covered my eyes and said, "Please tell me you were not inside my head."

We must learn to communicate this way. You must be prepared for what awaits you in the darkness.

"Get out of my head," I shouted. I ignored the worried glances from my friends and walked over to the wall. I patted the relic for luck and imagined an opening in the wall. I placed my hand on the solid rock, mumbling obscenities under my breath, and said, "I can't do this. I suck."

Imagine an opening in the wall and it will appear.

"Is this an 'if you build it, they will come' thing?" I asked. When I noticed the worried expressions on Jesse, Isabel, and Liz's faces, I added silently, "My friends think I've gone mad thanks to you."

They fear what they do not understand.

I rolled my eyes. I was not in the mood for a philosophical lecture from a teal-colored creature. I shut my eyes and tried to harness my power. I remembered the Tai Chi lessons with my mother-bubbling wells of energy spilling over from inside of me and making all movement possible. My hands tingled as a portion of the wall gave way and I felt my knees buckle. I teetered right along with the slab of rock and said, "Uh-oh" before falling through the opening.

I fanned the sooty cloud that had risen up around me away and groaned, "Why am I always falling? Is it too much to ask that occasionally someone else looked like the klutz?" I brushed my hands on my jeans and stood myself up. I glanced down the cavern and thought that a light would come in handy.

There was another popping sound and a spotlight hovered over my head. I waved two fingers at it and it moved ahead of us. I wasn't sure how I had known to do that, but nothing could surprise me anymore. Liz stepped away from Isabel who once again wore the zombie-esque expression. Liz followed my line of vision and shrugged as she wrapped her arm around mine. I flashed on the last time we did that together. It was before graduation. It was different now, but then again everything was. That was growing up, right? She said, "I won't even ask how you did that."

I smiled weakly and replied, "I'm not sure I could explain it anyway."

We crept down the long tunnel for what felt like miles. I could make out the sound of creepy-crawlies hiding in the darkness as they scattered to avoid the light intermixed with the sounds of our breathing. The eeriness continued for awhile until I could make out the faintest of sounds. Voices. One voice in particular. An actual shiver ran down my spine and a throbbing tore into my side.

I bent over, expecting to find a knife protruding from my side, but there was nothing there. I gasped for breath, the pain becoming unbearable. I imagined this was what childbirth felt like, if you were delivering the demon spawn of hell. My hands reached out for something to latch onto, but the rocky walls were too uneven. The pain intensified and I yelped out, unable to maintain a modicum of control in the situation.

Jesse rushed to my side as the voice became clear and I realized it was inside my head. The words weren't in English, but I understood the gist of it. It was the Meddecchi. She had found us.

"Maria? Look at me," Jesse ordered, shaking me lightly. He removed his coat, handing Isabel the gun. He barked out commands, "Keep an eye on the opening. Shoot first and ask questions later. Got it?"

Isabel shook her head, "I don't know if I can-"

"You'll do whatever you have to, Isabel. I know you will," Liz stated encouragingly as she hovered over me, worry evident on her face.

Jesse removed his hands from stomach and looked around the room with a frantic expression before regaining his cool composure. I tried to smile at my friends, but I could barely keep my eyes opened. Jesse stepped aside and whispered something comforting to Isabel. He twirled a lock of her hair and smiled reassuringly. Again, I was paralyzed by my envy and wished that Michael were there at the moment.

Jesse retook his position next to me, resting his hand on my forehead, and he said, "She's burning up." He folded his jacket up and placed it underneath my head. Liz bent down next to him and took my hand. Jesse continued talking, "You've got to tell us what happened. Where's the pain?"

I wanted to explain to him, but it was impossible. It felt like an invisible force was poking at an undetectable wound in my gut, jutting its instrument further into my flesh. The voice became more distinct and a landslide of voices and thoughts bogged down my brain. I couldn't escape and bravery was lost on me. It was too excruciating.

Jesse shook me again and demanded, "Look at us, Maria. You need to stand up. We can't get you out of here without you."

"No hope. I keep getting no hope," I replied, muttering the words that ran across my eyes like one of those bouncing balls over the words of songs in karaoke bars.

I closed my eyes, unable to fight the agony anymore, and looked for some sort of solace within myself. That was when the scene unfolded before me. It was like a dream, a horrible nightmarish kind where I knew I should be doing something but I had no control. Someone else was in charge of this situation. The voice grew louder, coming from the base of my skull, and I felt the oxygen vacate my lungs. I reached for my throat, desperate for air, as images sped through my mind way too fast to register.

Except for one.

I bolted upright, fighting through the unbearable pain, and threw Liz aside. I did it in enough time to avoid a bright purple light from piercing into her chest. She hit the opposite wall and as I went to warn Jesse, Isabel fired the gun in his direction.

I willed it to stop and the bullet stopped midair before reflecting off into the wall behind us. I imagined a shield around us, but the voice became more venomous within my head-creating a ruckus that made concentration impossible.

"One day with powers and Maria thinks she's a match for us," Isabel countered. She cocked the gun and pointed it at my chest, "Admit it, Maria. You want me to shoot you right now. Make the pain go away-maybe Michael would even miss you if you were dead because God knows he hasn't otherwise."

I looked at Jesse as realization dawned on his face. Jesse stood up, opening his arms as if he was surrendering and he said, "Isabel, you don't know what you're doing. Something must've happened-"

"Clarity happened, Jesse. I remembered who I really was and said goodbye to stupid Isabel and her dreams of being human and having a real life. Look how well that worked out for me, huh?"

"Isabel, you wouldn't shoot Maria," Liz replied, inching closer to me, her gaze focused intently on Isabel as if she thought she could control the situation.

I knew it was fruitless. There was no hope.

"It's her or me, Liz, right? There aren't many of us that can control the trinity of the Gantuk, and the others must be eliminated," Isabel smiled, one of those diabolical types that ran amuck in suspense movies, and added, "I've got to admit, Maria. We had no idea you were the chosen one. I was positive it was Max. My stupid brother has never fully understood his powers and I thought concocting this kidnapping would force him to draw the energy out of himself. Color me surprised when you showed up with servant in tow."

"You won't win," I replied. I wasn't sure who I convinced, considering my current homage to the victim of a torture chamber.

Isabel didn't appear too concerned with my rather fruitless declaration either. She said, "Right. I've got the amulet, soon I'll have the key, and now I've got the relic. Not to brag, but all you've got is a major case of the dying blues."

Jesse had slowly stepped toward Isabel. When she noticed she said, "You might want to say goodbye to your new girlfriend, Jesse" as she aimed the gun at me. Jesse went to tackle her, but she released another shot in my direction. I had no strength to will it away this time. Noises seemed louder than usual, the light from the lantern brighter, and there was a lead taste on my tongue. I tried to push past the pain and protect my friends, but all I managed was an almost inaudible, "run" to Jesse and Liz.

I resigned myself to my fate-except it didn't happen.

Jesse had thrown himself on top of me. I felt another sharp pain and instinctively reached out to him. His eyes were closed and I tried to fight off the pain. Liz had moved over to us, unsure of what was going on, and I croaked out, "Gram, he's been shot. You need to do something."

"I cannot interfere with such things."

"Gram!"

"This was forewarned, Master."

"Gram, is it?" Isabel began. She stepped closer to me and took the sunglasses off my face. She looked at him and said, "I believe that I'm your master now."

"Isabel, what are you doing?" Liz asked without much conviction. Her words didn't appear to penetrate through Isabel's hardened scowl. Instead Isabel practically smirked at the question, as if she had been waiting months to be asked the question. I noticed the strange look on Liz's face, not one of fear or comprehension, but I couldn't place it. I didn't have time to worry about the lost time between my best friend and myself as Jesse moaned and I directed my attention back to him. I smiled weakly at him as Liz and Isabel stared each other down. Liz stepped closer to Isabel, a strangely brazen move, and added, "This isn't like you. You're a good person."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"No."

"Spare me the spiel! Do you know how sick I am of putting up with your incessant whining? I thought if I remained in character one of you idiots would get me the information on how to control it. Big brother would jump in, quick to save the day, and provide me with all the information I needed for my plan. I didn't expect the answer to be Maria, and I doubt you did either. But, then again, no one ever expected much of Maria, did they?"

"Shut up," Liz snapped. She raised her hand as if to use her powers against Isabel.

Isabel rolled her eyes, "You're no match for me and you've got too much to lose." Isabel twirled the glasses around and said, "I'm almost there now. No one can stop me."

I couldn't think. I held my hands over the wound in Jesse's side, but the only thing I could comprehend was the blood. So much blood, too much blood for one person. The pain was radiating through my entire left side, but it was different than before. Prior to the shot, it was a strange mystical grip on my organs, squeezing the life out of it. Now there was a very real location, but I didn't have time to focus on that.

Jesse gasped for breath and said, "Leave me."

"No way," I said, the tears escaping from the corners of my eyes. I went to brush them back-no time for waterworks-and smeared the blood along my cheek. Jesse started to convulse and I demanded, "Fight it, Jesse. We're going to get help."

Isabel laughed, "Not going to happen. Gram, remove them-and I do mean permanently." Gram didn't move and Isabel's face twisted with fury, "I gave you a direct order! You answer to me now!"

"Master is still the possessor."

It hit me that Isabel had mistaken the glasses for the relic, which was still securely attached to my side. Before she could figure out what was going on, I secured my grip on Jesse and yelled at Liz, "Grab onto my arm."

"No," Isabel managed. Her voice grew a bit stronger, realization kicking in, and she shouted, "No!"

I closed my eyes and fought through all the noise inside of my head, holding on to the one recurring thought that I had. The whirlwind picked us up and Isabel's voice became a distant scream. I knew it wasn't the end. Not for her anyway. I wasn't so sure about myself at the moment.

We hit the ground in a crash, falling into thriftstore furniture. The three of us skidded apart and I attempted to figure out our location. We were in a house and I heard voices outside the door. I didn't concern myself with those at the moment-I couldn't-and I disregarded the blood that had spread along my abdominal area. The pain was almost nonexistent at the moment. I was numb. Everything around me echoed as if it was happening somewhere else and I was nothing more than an observer.

That was until I heard Jesse's loud gasps and saw the blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I glanced at Liz, who had rushed to the door and uttered empty reassurances in my direction before talking to someone else.

I didn't care. My only objective was Jesse. I kneeled down beside him and said, "You're gonna be okay, Jesse."

"It wasn't her. I should've known."

"I know."

"You tried to warn me about the gun," he choked out. He squeezed my hand and said, "You've got to save her now."

"What?"

"Isabel," he paused. His eyes fluttered shut and I smacked his cheek lightly, trying to keep him with us. I didn't know how to handle a situation like this. I was always shielded from the gunshots and dying people. I used to get upset with Michael for not letting me into his world completely-now I wished I had listened to him. I wanted to distance myself from this and keep Jesse from fading away. His eyes wandered over me and he attempted a smile, "You're the only one I trust to save her."

"Jesse no-no, you're supposed to do that," I replied.

"She's not right. I felt it. My fault," he shook his head, expending all his energy on one movement, and groaned. He croaked out, "Fix this for me, Maria."

I tightened my grip on his hand as if I could pass my life force to him somehow. Jesse had the real thing with Isabel. What did I have? He wasn't supposed to be the one lying there like that. She was aiming for me. I wanted to yell that at him. Stupid man had to save the day. I whispered, "You're going to protect her yourself once we figure this whole thing out."

I heard familiar voices behind me and someone pushed me aside. I looked over and there was Max. I refused to release my hold on Jesse's hand, afraid to discontinue the connection. Max placed his hand on Jesse's wound and closed his eyes, but I knew it wouldn't work. Jesse's hand was lifeless and a sob escaped from my chest.

Max bit his lower lip and focused his stony expression on me. He said, "I couldn't save him."

"He shouldn't-he wasn't supposed to," my voice trailed off and I pounded my fist into his chest. I hollered, "Why did you try to save me? Why?" I placed my hand on his shoulder and glanced up at the ceiling as if I expected to see his spirit zooming over my head. I whispered, "Jesse" as if I still expected him to answer me, as if it was only a mild accident, but his body was frozen in time. He looked serene considering the violent nature of his exodus from the world. Gently, very gently, not wanting to wake him, I lowered his shirt where Max had raised it to try to save him and let out a sharp moan of surprise and pain.

Two arms latched around my waist and lifted me away from Jesse. I went to yell at the person-I wasn't ready to leave my friend, the big brother I never wanted, behind. I turned to slam my fist into his chest, but it was Michael. He wrapped his arms around me and kept repeating, "I'm sorry" over and over again.

Despite everything-Gram existence, my destiny, Jesse's shooting-relief briefly washed over me. Michael could still fill me with a sense of security, no matter how false it truly was. His grip tightened on me as his hands roamed up the small of my back and tangled themselves within my hair. He kissed the top of my head-uncharacteristically sweet for Michael-and reality slowly sank in. I replied, through the tears, "I wished to get to you. You saved us, Michael. We wouldn't-" My voice faltered, syllables slurring as my mouth stopped functioning properly, and I felt my legs give out. I looked down at my shirt and then glanced at Jesse. I said, "Gram will help you. I'll make him."

I heard Michael shouting my name and he shook me gently-but I couldn't reach him. There was a fogginess to the room, an odor that I couldn't place but made me want to crawl within myself. Everything became more distant-the voices attached to my friends, the image of Jesse's lifeless form, and the feel of Michael's hands on my cheek-until I couldn't keep my eyes opened any longer.

The last thought in my head before the darkness overtook me was that Jesse's sacrifice had been in vain. We had failed.