Elfbrat18: Okie dokey! Next chapter up! Dances around

Whistler: Alright cut it out, we've still got a lot of work to do. Sighs Anyways, we're gonna start answering reviews in Elfbrat's blog, so if you have questions and want them answered, check out her blog. So this is the last time we answer them in the fics. I hope I'm not confusing anyone. ; And thanks so much to Mesphia for reviewing! Yeah, it is a freaky computer, ain't it? I know the "voice" bit is confusing right now, but I've got that planned out so it makes sense. And speaking of making sense, why in the hell did you type in "Katruna"!

Elfbrat18: Aw crud, you're right Whistler! I'll change that in due time. My bad. Just a quick note, when I went back and looked over Break Away to see where I went wrong, I didn't realize until lately that I strayed from showing other P.O.V.s and I barely touched ground and established something when I did. Now I've learned from my mistakes and if it happens again, Whistler will smack me with the BMS.

Whistler: Yup. Instead of Big Mod Stick it's the Big Muse Stick. Grins widely. Enjoy!

Never Said Goodbye

October 30, 2005. 7:21 p.m. Liz's Bar and Grill. New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Put the Jack o' Lantern over by the window. No, not that one, the one by the door. Make sure we've got some matches on hand, I wanna see all that hard work put to good use." A tall woman with short cropped hair that was hidden mostly by a red bandanna dressed in a large baggy white shirt covered by a dark vest and dark pants and boots was overseeing the progress with a clipboard in hand. "By the way," she turned, "how's that other Jack o' Lantern coming along, Michelle?"

The girl addressed as Michelle looked up from her position on the restaraunt floor. Recent newspaper was covering a fair amount of her workspace, along with the occasional pumpkin seed or string of gunk that missed the bowl at her side. Her wavy brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun to keep from falling into the pumpkin goop. She adjusted the rolled up sleeves of her work shirt with her pinkies, eyeing the person who had spoken to her.

"You know," she huffed, blowing a piece of hair that had fallen aside, "I'm surprised this isn't a health code violation." Michelle reached in and pulled another large wad of gunk from the pumpkin and dropped it in the bowl, making a sloppy noise as it collided with the rest and nearly getting some on her boss's boots. "Oops." She said meekly, flashing a big grin at her. "Well you know it's your fault for standing right by the bowl."

Sighing and slapping the clipboard against her hip in a bored manner, she asked again, "How much more have you got to do, Michelle?"

Michelle wiped off her hands with a dish towel. She continued to sit there, running over the procedure she took with the first one. "Uh...maybe another 10 minutes or so. I've gotten into rhythm now so it shouldn't take as long Liz."

"10 minutes?"

"Or less." Michelle smiled.

"Great! That's what I'm talking about now!" Liz turned and was about to check on other things but she turned back around to face Michelle. "It's Captain. Captain Lizzie Swinton, Michelle."

Michelle laughed as Liz walked off. "Of course, my bad." Digging into the pumpking again she said to herself, "Captain. Captain Lizzie Swinton."

RING RING RING RING "Hello? Hey you, what's up? Are you heading over to Liz's tonight? Tell me you remember, Joan? We told Arlene that we'd be there around 7. Yeah I know I'm running late doofus. Okay fine. Then we'll meet up at Liz's? Yeah, uh huh. Oh you should be a sight to see then. Okay. See you in a little while. Love ya girl. Bye."

The caller closed the cell phone with a snap and continued on down the street. The thin, black fabric of the dress swished around her ankles as she walked, showing off her knee-high black boots that clicked against the cement. Wide purple ribbon laced the black corset that she wore. The long sleeves of the dress were tight against her skin and was cut at the elbows, allowing the rest to move with the breeze. On top of her head was a wide brimmed hat that reached a point. Her dark hair was hardly seen unless it was from the back, where it covered the dark pruple caped that beat against her backside as she moved.

However, unknown to her, there were two sets of eyes watching her from across the street at a little cafe. Two sets of eyes that held nothing but malice and contempt for their subject.

"Is that her?" One asked. Clearly a female given the soft tone in the voice.

The other sat there for a minute, then pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number that was jarred into memory. "Yes, we're watching her right now. Are you sure this is the right one? Yes. Yes, I see. Very well." After replacing the phone the caller said, "It's her. She's heading to the restaraunt, no doubt to meet her friend."

The first pursed her lips. "Do we follow her?"

The second closed her eyes and thought. "No," she said finally. "It will be too crowded. We need to get to them when they are alone, away from outsiders. Besides," she began, standing up, "There's no doubt in my mind that they'll come looking for her. But we won't let them."

The lyrics for "Hollaback Girl" were blasting from the small contraption called a cell phone as it lay forgotten on the kitchen counter. The owner of said phone was struggling to get her Halloween costume on. The black wig that was parted into pigtails was deciding to be difficult, and the blood red highlights kept getting in her eyes as she attempted to get it on straight. Once she was satisfied she ran over to the counter and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

She was walking back to the bedroom where the rest of her costume lay strewn over the bed. "Hey there, can you hang on a sec? I'll put you on speakerphone. Okay, shoot." With the phone laying on the desk by her bed she was able to hear her friend ask her about their get together tonight. Out of the three of them, they pegged her to forget things. She had a great memory, don't get her wrong; she just liked to drive her friends crazy. "What about Liz?" She asked with a far off tone. Hearing her friend sigh on the other end she bit her cheek to keep from laughing. "Tell me you remember, Joan?" Gasping for air she said, "Of course I remember, Priss." The corset would be the death of her, she mused, as she finished tying the laces to the cursed garnment over her sleeveless black dress that reached mid-thigh. With a struggle she plopped down on the bed, listening to her friend tell her about the time. "You're the doofus," she laughed, tying up her knee high combat boots and standing back up again to put on the charcoal colored wings that reached her knees.

Picking the phone and her small bag to reapply her makeup later she walked out of the bedroom and through the apartment. "Well you're not the only one that's running late. I'm heading out the door right now. Yeah I'll meet you at Liz's. You're still going as a witch right? I'm sticking to my promise to be the Gothic Angel. Yeah I know," she continued, turning and locking the door. "I'll see you in a little while. Love you too, girl. Bye."

"Bob-by! How're those streamers coming along? You and Curtis should have them finished by now." Liz continued to belt orders like she was a pop singer that got paid for crappy music.

Bobby Smithers, as he was formally known, was known as Mr. Nightmare on Elm Street himself, Freddy Kreuger. The gloved hand that held the infamous blades that slashed so many teenagers in the movies was like an exact replica of the movie prop. With a flick of his wrist, Bobby trimmed the long orange streamer while Curtis Lowe was finishing the black strand off at the other end of the room. Both of them had been stubborn when they debated on which end to start with so they each took one end and would cross of the other in the middle. Curtis looked over to see what Bobby had done and shouted, "Can't do anything simple, can you Bobby?"

"It's Freddy tonight," he shouted back with a grin, hopping off the ladder and nearly crashing into Liz. "All finished...Sir! I mean Ma'am! I mean Captain! Captain Lizzy Swinton!"

Liz couldn't help but grin at her co-worker. "At ease, Freddy. And thanks for remembering to add Captain," she said before walking off. Curtis walked over to "Freddy" and clapped him on the shoulder after he screamed, "WASSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPP!" And right by his ear to make it worse. Bobby shot three inches off the ground at the sudden scream.

Clutching his chest he punched Curtis in the arm. "What did I do?" Curtis asked with a wide grin. "You know what," Bobby said. "Yeah I guess I had that coming. But don't forget, tonight I'm the murderer from Scream." "More like the Scary Movie Scream. You're both boneheads."

From across the room Liz was hanging onto a chair with one arm taking deep breaths. These morons will be the death of me, she thought to herself. "Hey Jason, where are-" She stopped in mid sentence when she turned around to find Jason behind her.

Or whom she thought was Jason Lewis. He was wearing a nun's habit, holding a white wooden cross, his gouti remained, and he was carrying a mishceivious grin as well. Liz took one look then started laughing so hard she was wiping tears from her eyes. "You know you're going to hell for this, right?"

"Yeah but I was late getting a costume and it was either this or a pink twinkle fairy with tights." He replied, grinning more if it was possible. "Hey guess who's here?" Jason said all of a sudden, snapping her attention away from the "sin" he committed and looked to the door.

"Well well. If it ain't Joan Adams and Priscilla Fox! What's going on?" Michelle asked, walking over to them.

Priss smiled back. Being around Michelle Foley, it was hard not to smile. "Hey you're a witch too!" Michelle struck a pose, making a fake model face to go with it. "Actually I'm a Teen Witch. I got it at Party City when I went with BJ. Where is BJ anyway?"

"I'm right here." Came a voice from behind Priss and Jo, making them jump. "How yall doing?" The Midnight Princess asked, pulling back her hood revealing her dark hair and porecelain like face. "Have you talked to Arlene lately?"

Priss shook her head. "No we thought she would have been here."

"Well she went home to rest, and that was a few hours ago. I've tried calling her but her cell phone keeps taking me to her voicemail," Michelle said. "I've left a few messages but I haven't heard from her."

Jo pulled out her phone and dialed Arlene's cell first. It took her straight to the voicemail. Then sbe tried the home phone. It went to her answering machine. Tossing the phone back in her bag, she looked at Priss. "Well if she's asleep let's head over there and check on her. I ain't about to let her sleep through Halloween."

"I can't believe that she's asleep, Joan. No one sleeps that hard."

Joan checked her watch. "It's getting late. The party's already started. Come on, we gotta hurry up." She took off in a sprint, hearing Priss's yells of "Hold on!" and "I can't run in heels that fast!" echoing behind her.

They reached the apartments that Arlene was living in and were halfway up the stairs that led to the floor her apartment was on when they met two figures waiting for them at the top. As they got closer Jo and Priss could tell that these women were twins, and even dressed up for Halloween the same. The only differences between them was that one was holding a crystal ball and the other a deck of cards.

"You must be Joan Adams and Priscilla Fox." One said.

"Yeah a who are you?" Jo asked.

The one holding the cards picked one and gazed at it. Ignoring her question she said, "Your futures do not bode well young ones. I see pain...darkness...death..."

Priss was getting annoyed. "Look, we don't have time for these games, we need to get to out friend's apartment! It's urgent!"

"Arlene Harris?" The first twin asked.

"Yes, how do you know that?" Priss demanded.

The twins began to smile, and not in a friendly way either. "It doesn't matter. The two of you will suffer the same fate she has!" The twin with the crystal ball held it out in front of her, chanting in a strange language, causing the orb to glow. The other twin raised a new card this time, but Jo and Priss didn't see what it was. They turned to run but the blinding light engulfed them and they were gone. The twins were gone. No shred of evidence of their even being there was left. Jo and Priss would never discover the remnants of the brutal fight that thier friend had struggled to overcome against her unwelcome visitors. Disappeared without a trace and only 20 feet from the doorway where it all began...

Elfbrat18: Sorry this is so long, but I'm glad it's done.

Whistler: Please read and review!