It was something more than devastating. Every word from all pairs of lips was filled with ice that hit him like hail. Polo was shattered the way sheets of ice do beneath running feet. His wide eyes, once so curious and full of wonder, so big and empty. Oh, sweet Carla. Why have you vanished from my side? Where have you gone? Who has taken you?

He spent the weekend in rage. He destroyed the apartment. He drove the beamer into a swamp. He shook out the boiling water of his blood onto those who dared cross his path and now he sits on the edge of a cliff in the middle of Rio degenero asking himself how he wound up here.

Then infiltrated the sheer annoyance. How it sucked that there was no one here who could read his thoughts. No one who knew what he was going to do before he did. No one to love in a way that was more of a dance than a simple walk through life. Every sound felt like murder. The moss beneath his fingertips eased some of the ache and he look out at the landscape.

A full moon between two mountains curved at the top instead of pointed. He loved her so that he sees her in the shimmer of the waters down below. He felt her in the rumbling of the Earth. He tasted her in the salt of the air. Who is he without her? The answer to that doesn't even lie in the valley down below where the canopies of trees run tall and cast shadows upon one another. The answer is no where behind him in the trail of the resort jungle that brought him here.

It's somewhere at the end of this story. And we have to go with him to find it.

My friend, I do employ you to turn away. Your love for this show and it's characters will be tested in my hands. I am not a kind artist. The following tale is full of rage and if you know anything about my previous works it's so rare that I actually give closure to my readers. I can promise you I will do everything that I can to give you at least that but seeing as how I am no very new to this fandom I'll have to exact my pound of flesh.

Every good thriller begins with one important thing; death.

So let's play a game. Relatively speaking, and this is focusing only on the first five episodes of the series, there are roughly nine characters we will follow from the original tale. This turn down a back road into an alternate reality in which our main character is a poor little Polo picking up the pieces of his pitiful heart requires a sacrifice.

So... let's meet the contestants.

We're already down two. We cannot just kill off our main character in the initial introduction, it's unethical and serves no purpose. Also his primary objective is out seeing as how without her there would be no story. So who does that leave us with?

Let's head back to class...

The door opens and a late student walks in. It's Guzman, today is Wednesday and he just got back from a two week vacation with his parents. A forced intervention for his sister. His sweet sister. How they treat her is so wrong. Lucky thing ran away sometime in the last forty eight hours and her parents were actually cruel enough to head back home. Guzman has no idea of his friends explosive antics or the missing vivacious garden pixie with the two jungle boys as pets.

Christian sits in the back of the class, eyes out the window. Where have they gone? These beautiful beings, seemingly from another planet, who took me in, showed me their magic, made my heart weave in with theirs like vines in a jungle and then now... poof. What the fuck?

That's three.

Four and five aren't even here. Ander skipped school today and he's with Omar and I'd love to tell you that they're caught up in each other's legs, bracing for something more but that's not at all the case. It's terrifying where they are, what's happening to them, but we can't talk about that yet because were playing a game.

Six? Nadia... who sit's there beside Samuel, Samuel who hasn't really associated with her since they started here together like he promised he would. His eyes glued to the door hoping to see Marina to no avail, but she's unbothered by seven because her head is spinning about her own problems. How does Guzman make her feel?

Is he a monster like she's convinced herself or is his protective antics something she can press into on cold nights? Does it matter? Could she ever even look at a boy like him? One who was so valiantly thrusting himself into the bitch next to her that day in the showers when Nadia was first enrolled? Number eight is eyeing her with hatred as always. Lu is the devil, self seeking, so sour she might be a secret Caucasian.

That leaves number nine. Samuel's brother. Fernando.

He's sitting outside a coffee shop. His hands are occupied by a book (left) and a croissant (right).

I've selected three cards from a shuffled deck. They are as follows; 3 of spades, 8 of clubs, and four of diamonds. These are nice. To me the three represents innocence and to be so complacent with the spades sounds a lot like betrayal. The eight is the symbol of eternity and the clubs for some reason hold the entity of connectivity. That four is a not only a brave four but one of finance and success for the diamond is most expensive.

Fernado is waiting on someone. This person is someone he knows betrayed him. Someone he's been friends with for a long time. He's about to receive good news. But this next card determines his fate. I'll tell you what it is after the scene plays out.

A distant cousin, visiting for stupid reasons. A bit of a celebrity in america, born over there. They discuss something in english.

"You made me promises Beck." Says Fernando as the young actor from Hollywood takes a seat across from him.

He nods, "I know. I haven't lived up to my word. I'm sorry."

The waiter arrives. Beck is cross and short with his words where as Fernado is cautious and polite understanding when and where to communicate properly. The two parallel but you cannot see the truth outside. Beck is the nicer of the two for he sees the barrier holding a job would have and respects them. Fernando breaks these barriers in an effort to seem compassionate when in reality he's wanting more than service.

The waiter disperses and beck continues, "I have a project for you."

Fernando is uninterested. More hoops. More stupid shit to deal with. This annoying american comes down here to patronize me.

Then no, because beck is pulling out an envelope, "Your debts. With this you can not only pay them in full but sustain your mother and your brother for a month. A gift, so long as you hear me out."

Interesting... Lets see where the celebrity is going with this.

"I need a cast of at least six people. Yourself included. For a new movie I'm working on. You just have to find a way to Hollywood California USA in a weeks time. You get yourself there and everything is taken care of. It's a money making opportunity and a paid vacation all in one for you and everyone you bring. They just need to be young, hot, and extremely weird." I like where this is going but does Ferdinand really hear what Beck is saying.

Beck Oliver, who just paid off his 40,000 euro debt and gave him a single stepping stone in the game of life just for being heard. Beck Oliver, the annoying american scum. Beck Oliver, who is currently leaving the shop and the offer on the table.

The two of diamonds means that Ferdinand gets to live and he's got ample opportunity to jack this story into a very interesting place.

Moving on. The next card I draw determines the numbered contestant I will go to next.

The nine of spades... Betrayal and Ferdinand. Did we not just walk away from him? Oh... at the agony. And what of this ace of diamonds am I to think? Purity and money. I'm shuffling the deck. Fates confusing this young artist.

Now we draw...The king and queen of clubs preceeded the seven of diamonds.

Lu, back in class, has been called up to the principles office. The superintendent is also there.

For why, what is this? What is happening?

What does luck and money have to do with this moment. Oh... at that card. The latest draw from the deck might just bring us home.

"Congratulations Ms. Montesinos. Said the super intendent as she sat down beside her across from the principle who smiled at her from behind his desk.

She looked back and forth between them for a moment and then said, "For what?"

"You've been selected to assist in the protection of a rare Ohia tree. It's located in Hawii and it's the only one to blossom with red flowers. I know that's a huge statement. You probably have a lot of questions." I certainly do.

This is not like any game I've ever played before. Where are the machines that come to life and eat people? Where are the villains who operate behind masks and a fun weapon? Where's the chaos?

"I'm leaving? For why? I like it here." She exclaims.

The principle continues, "This is imperative. Your parents have already approved. You're flying out tomorrow morning. All the information is in the pamphlet. The Ace of spades. Purity in betrayal becomes something scarier than murder.

The walls begin to close in. Oh, do have mercy ink, on her soul. What is that? There in the back shadow of the room and why does it look upon her with such fear? Why can no one else see it? Am I the only one?

"Why me?" She cries.

The superintendent sighs, "You are number one in your class. Why not you?"

Then it sinks in. A mission like this is where it starts. Soon she'll have the fame everyone wants. The name everyone claims they so rightfully deserve. She knows what happens to people who rise on the pedistol of Hollywoods mount olympus. She knows what kind of torture they endure before they meet the screen. Her parents are elbow deep in the chaos. She can feel the eyes on her now. She knows they're watching her. They always have been.

Was it a setup? Is- is she looking at you? Can she see that you're reading this.

Suddenly she's out of her seat and headed for the door. She pauses for a second and a thought occurs to her. Pick up the stapler to your left, off that low shelf, and bash in the superintendents head. If she does it now, looks crazy before she's famous maybe they'll be opportunity for her beyond the asylum they put her in. Only no... her legs carry her on. So, according to the nine of diamonds I just drew she needs to break her chains of freedom and find success... which brings me back to that ace of spades from earlier.

She's in the girls lavatory. She's staring at herself in the mirror. Her make up is ruined. She has no one to turn to. Those working class students took everything from her and left her with a path she doesn't want. How do you get away from this? You can't just pull a Marina and run away. You can't just get two boys to fall in love with you and then disappear like Carla.

What will she do?

There's a bag she carries, it's exspensive. Inside is a lot of items. The wipes to clean her face if she so chose, the fresh powders and creams for her skin. The santitizer. Her favorite pen with the fuzzy little pink ball dangling from the end. A fresh pair of underwear. The razor she uses to clean her legs in the period before she's supposed to meet up with Guzman in the showers.

She hasn't done that in so long that this is an unused razor. The wrapping paper is still on it. Here? Now? Why? Wouldn't that cause a disturbance? Everyone would be sent out of school. The police would come. It would be a whole ordeal.

Oh well. Fuck them all. Fuck this school. Fuck these rules. Fuck those stupid working class idiots. Fuck my parents. Fuck the Ohia tree and all it's red blossoms. Fuck the world!

Well... hello. You who stand in the mirror beside me. You were there in the office weren't you? Well we're here. What the fuck do you want? You don't speak. Then why are you staring at me?

The being vaguely looks like her only malnourished and void of all color. It's twisting and bending it's ligaments in a way that doesn't make sense. It's getting closer. Lu is backing away but it's too late the being latches onto her hands and pulling the razor from her grasp. It's surprisingly strong as it reposition our poor number seven over the sink. They, in the reflection, look over one another with vastly different expressions.

Then... oh so eerily, it speaks.

"Hold your hands in the water-" She plucks a blade from it's slot so easily. "-let's not leave a mess someone else will have to clean up."

And so they separate flesh from flesh all the way up Lu's arm into the elbow and together they stand there braced against the cold metal of the sink as Lu gets heavier and heavier. Like a tube of toothpaste the creature squeezes pint after pint of blood from the wound until Lu is just as pale as her. It's over. Death has become her and together they slip back into the shadows. No mess. No note. No one needs to ever know.

But someone does and he's currently convulsing on the forest floor. Poor Polo saw the whole thing as if he were in the bathroom with her and his eyes are rolled back into his head. His body is drenched in sweat. The moon's beam is nearby but he isn't close enough to feel her guide him from this nightmare. His veins pulsate out in his forearms as if he could feel them draining too but soon the vision was over and he was pulling in a breath.

"I know it sucks." The voice startles him

At first, when he looks up, he sees nothing. Then it moves in the darkness towards the moonlight. This being pulls it's self up on a stone. He's young, younger than Polo for sure. Thick helmet of hair covering it's eyes except for the brief moment he reveals those sapphires to look upon the suffering human. Purple skin that seems to shimmer like the cosmos as he wears only a pair of jeans torn at the ankle.

"The visions only get worse. Trust me if I knew why they picked you I'd explain it better but right now all I've got is my experience and some people I'm supposed to take you to meet." Said the timid thing, cross legged up on his boulder.