Chapter 7

Amanda stood waiting for them at the airport. 'Thank god you guys are here. I was so damn scared. I thought I won't be able to see you guys alive' she said in a worrying tone.

Shreya could see dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep. 'Have you been having those terrible dreams too?' Shreya asked.

'No. But I just can't get to sleep. What if he lands in my room to kill me?' she said shuddering slightly.

'Stop it guys! Nothing's gonna happen. We will end it. If that bastard is alive, I'll kill him. I'll pay him back.' said Jasper.

'It was my mistake. And everyone is suffering because of me. If I die then maybe he'll leave you all' said Shreya.

'Shut up!' said Jasper and Amanda together.

'Stop talking nonsense! You are wasting time!' Jasper said outraged.

'Yeah. We are in this together Shreya. And now we should think what to do next' said Amanda.

'Let's go home. Then we can think and decide what to do' said Jasper.

They went to his home.

'I would like to show you guys something. Ever since you mentioned the guy in your dream, I couldn't get him off my mind. I googled the lake hoping to get some info about it and look what I found!' said Jasper in an excited voice.
He handed them some printouts which he had gathered from the internet.

'CAN THE DEAD COME BACK?'

'FREAK ACCIDENT KILLS PSYCOPATH'

'STRANGE SIGHTINGS OF THE DEAD MAN'

Shreya scanned the titles of the articles. She read a few lines below one heading:

A freak car accident killed a man who was believed to be a psychopath killer. Nearby residents feared him.

'His face is all pale and distorted. He threatens us with a machete and a chainsaw' some local residents spoke to our correspondents. The accident is believed to have happened past midnight. The car driver had consumed alcohol exceeding the limit specified and apparently lost control over the car. The driver and the car have currently not been traced yet. The local police are investigating the case. The victim identified as Jason Heckley was cremated in the cemetery near the lake.

'It's him! But then this accident happened almost three years ago! It means we didn't kill him! But then how did we see him?' asked Shreya.

'He was alive. And maybe this time he really died! When he was hit by our car, I mean' said Jasper.

'How can he be alive? Shreya just read that they cremated him!' said Amanda.

'Read this!' said Jasper shoving a newspaper clipping in Amanda's hand.

The article was dated a month after the accident. It said:

Jason Hekley, a 42 year old local resident who was believed to be dead freaked out a group of teenagers as he walked out fit and fine from his hut. The youngsters believed him to be a ghost and tan for their lives.
In a statement to our spokesperson, Jason expressed his wrath on finding his own grave in the cemetery and a registered death certificate when he was still alive and in good health.

'This is not done! I am amazed how come nobody confirmed his death. And if he was alive, whom did they cremate earlier then?' asked Shreya.

'I think we should go and have a look at that cemetery' said Jasper.

'Please I want to go to that lake first. Just to make sure' said Shreya.

'Yeah. We'll go and have a look' said Jasper.

'I have some work in the garage. I will be back in an hour. Till then you stay here and take some rest. Then at night we will go to that lake' Jasper announced after sometime.

When Jasper left, Amanda went to take a warm shower. Shreya texted Daya, that she had reached California safely.

Amanda and Shreya sat in the living room waiting for Jasper to arrive. 'I miss Edward' said Amanda slowly.

Shreya looked up at her to see her eyes full of tears. 'I miss him too. But you know what? I have shut him out of my mind. Because every time I think of him, the horrible image comes back. The way he was pleading and the way he was killed' said Shreya sniffing.

'We - we had started liking each other. It was pretty serious' said Amanda.

'You were dating Ed?' asked Shreya surprised.

'Sort of. He hadn't officially asked me out but he was planning to. He had told me this Valentine's Day would be really special for me' said Amanda.

'I am so sorry.' said Shreya squeezing her hand.

'I think this is the worst life can give. Snatching away someone you love so deeply' said Amanda.
Shreya closed her eyes.

'I miss you Daya. How I wish you could have been here with Me.' she thought.

'Don't think about it. He's not coming back. But we have a deadly mission on our hands. We have to avenge his death' said Shreya.

'I know. You are right.' said Amanda.

O-o-o-o

As Shreya had suggested, the following night at 11 pm the three of them set out into the night towards the lake.
They were unusually silent as Jasper drove his car through the empty and dark street. Jasper stopped the car a few feet away from the lake.

They stepped out slowly. They had come fully equipped with flashlights and a licensed gun. Just in case they required it.
The moon was out radiating a soothing light around them.

Shreya felt drained. All the courage had vanished suddenly. This was different and much scarier than her usual CID job. Dealing with humans was so much easier than encountering power of the supernatural right?' she thought.
They heard an ominous hoot of an owl from somewhere far.

The hairs on Shreya's neck stood on their end for no apparent reason. The lake came into view. A breeze ruffled through their hair. They shivered.

'It's so dark and cold. I don't like this' whispered Amanda.

'Ssshhh... What was that?' asked Jasper suddenly.

They stopped dead on their tracks listening.
Shreya's heart beats increased as she heard a low whistle.

'Can you hear it?' asked Jasper.

'It's probably the wind' said Shreya in a shaky voice.

Shreya hoped she would never find out from where the noise was coming and that it would stop. But it didn't. It seemed to be growing louder. Jasper withdrew his gun. There was a slight rustling of the dried leaves and Amanda cried 'watch out! Someone's there!'

Shreya clutched Jasper's arm and a fox came into view.

'Damn him! He scared the hell out of me!' said Jasper sighing.
Shreya relaxed.

'Seriously? What has gotten into us?' cried Amanda as she found out that the noise was coming from the fox.
The fox looked up at them with no apparent concern about who they were and then leisurely set off, in the opposite direction.

'Calm down everyone. And keep clear head' said Jasper.

'There!' cried Amanda pointing ahead. 'We buried him there!'

Shreya's heart was racing. She didn't know what she expected them to find. They approached their burial spot. The mud was wet but smooth. The ground was even. It showed no sign of activity. Shreya shun the torch light around them. Nothing was in sight. They cast a glance at the soothing and calm lake.

'There's nothing in here' said Jasper.

'Great! I was telling you. Let's get out of here now. We've had enough for the night' said Amanda.

'No wait! What if he is not in there?' asked Shreya.

'What do you mean he is not in there? Shreya he's dead!' said Amanda.

'But we have to make sure' said Shreya slowly.

'Are you suggesting we dig the ground and look?' asked Amanda.

'There is no other way' said Jasper.

'Wait a minute! This was never the part of the plan!' said Amanda.

'Do you have any other lead?' said Jasper.

'Stop it guys! Please!' said Shreya.

'I am just saying that it's not right to disturb a person grave! We'll provoke the spirits!' said Amanda.

'Don't be ridiculous! We are not doing anything! We are just going to have a look!' said Jasper.

Finally everyone agreed. They found some rusty tools from the hut. They began digging. They dug and dug.
'Are we digging the right spot?' asked Amanda. She was standing inside the huge pit they had dug till now.

'Yes I am sure.' said Jasper.

'But all we came across are tree roots and mud. I am telling you he's not dead.' said Shreya shuddering.

'Wait! I can see something! Something shiny and black!' said Jasper suddenly.

They looked to where he was pointing and sure enough they saw a cloth like material.
'Come on dig!' he said.

As they progressed, they stopped suddenly. Shreya opened her mouth in horror but no voice came out. Shreya was literally shaking in fear. Inside the pit, there was no dead body. Instead there was a torn black coat and a bloody chainsaw. The putrid smell of the coat and the traces of dried blood were a disgusting sight.

'What the hell? Where is the skeleton? We buried him right here! Where is he?' said Jasper in alarm.

Then something happened. The air around them cracked with some intangible supernatural force. They could feel a ghostly presence around them. They stood rooted to the spot. They couldn't move nor make any noise. It was as if a strange force had bound them tightly.

Shreya's body no longer seemed to belong to her. There was something else; a strange force that appeared to be in complete control of her actions.

A loud scream from Amanda snapped them out of their reverie. An unseen force had held her in place and her arm seemed to be bleeding. It was indeed a horrible sight. It was as if thousands of razor sharp blades were piercing through her body.
Shreya and Jasper made attempts to reach her but they were in vain. Amanda was thrown into the pit with force. She yelled in pain. Her knee seemed to be broken. She lay sprawled into the pit unable to speak.

'Leave her! Just let go!' Shreya was screaming.

Jasper was struggling to set himself free. Watching their friend dying before their eyes was horrendous. Clumps of dirt fell into Amanda's eyes and mouth, and she attempted to wipe her face to get the soil away.

The soil was filling her nostrils. She was suffocating due to lack of oxygen. She felt weak. She kicked her arms and legs in fear and frustration. Finally she gave in and closed her eyes; her surrounding turning black. The soil kept coming and she was buried alive into the ground.

Shreya's scream of horror never left her. Jasper felt the ghostly presence leave them.

He grabbed Shreya's hand and pulled her into the opposite direction. She looked around and saw he was leading them towards the forest.

'No! We must save her! Amanda! She's alive' said Shreya.

'No! Listen to me! We can't help her. You know it! I won't let us die. Come on! We have to find his grave!' said Jasper.

Shreya couldn't stop her tears. She let him drag her behind him. She had lost all hope. They were not going to live.

They didn't stop running until they reached the cemetery.

'I don't understand. Why are we doing this? Let's go back home. I don't want to know anything else. I am ready to face death but I can't face this anymore. Please Jasper. For my sake' said Shreya.

'I just want to have a look at his grave. I promise we'll never come back again.' she said.

'If he is dead, then we will have to set his soul free. We will have to give him a proper burial' said Jasper.
'What do you mean?' asked Shreya.

'If his skeleton lies in there, then I am afraid we'll have to put his coat and that chainsaw inside his grave. Only then he will be set free. Else his spirit will continue to haunt us' said Jasper.

'Who told you this piece of shit? Have you gone crazy? We'll die! Look what happened to Amanda! Let go home' yelled Shreya.

'I am not going home! We have not killed him Shreya! That's what I believe! And when it's not our fault, I will not let him win! I will not let him ruin our lives! Look what he did to Ed and Amanda! I am not giving up' said Jasper.

Shreya thought for a moment. However insane his idea seemed, if they succeeded, then they would be able to live in peace. She was not scared of death.

'Okay. I am ready' said Shreya.

'Great! Let's go.' said Jasper.

He pushed open the withered, rusty gate of the graveyard. Shreya looked around them. They were surrounded by lots and lots of trees. The moonlight cast eerie shadows around the gravestones. The white mist swirling around the creepy tombstones appeared to be growing thicker and thicker.

There was nothing- everything was quiet. No leaves rustling, no owl hooting, no fox, nothing.

Shreya tried to shake off the uncomfortable and terrifying thoughts from her head but something kept them there. There was a considerable drop in the temperature. Rows and rows of withered white cement tombstones surrounded them.
'These are quiet recent. Check if you find something from 2011 or 2010' said Jasper.

Shreya shun the torchlight on one of the tombstones.

"Go with caution thy bring. For in the graveyard, death will sing" she read the writing engraved on the tombstone.

They walked downwards a slope. 'Shreya! Here it is!' came Jasper cry from somewhere far.
Shreya ran towards him as fast as she could.

She had been too engrossed in checking out the tombstone engravings.
'Why can't you tell me where you are going?' she demanded angrily.

'Sorry. Look that's him!' said Jasper.

Shreya looked at the gravestone.

Jason Heckley
Born: 5th Mar
Died: 7th Jan ××××

'Let's dig his grave and have a look' said Jasper.

'I am not liking this' said Shreya.

'We do not have any other option. Hold this flashlight for me. I will do the digging work. And you keep a watch around us.' said Jasper.

'Okay. Let's get over with this quickly' said Shreya.

She cast a wary look around. They had come really deep down into the graveyard. She wasn't even sure they would be able to find their way out. They were surrounded by dense blanket of trees and shreya could see a iron compound around the graveyard. Maybe it was put to keep animals and intruders away.

Minutes seemed like hours. Shreya wished it was all a bad dream and eventually she would wake up in her warm bed in Mumbai. She missed Daya terribly. 'I should have told him the truth. Then he would have been here with her. He wouldn't have let anything hurt her. How wonderful it would have felt to lie in his arms and forgetting all these worries!' she thought sadly.

'It's there! We didn't kill him Shreya!' Jasper cried out happily.

Shreya peered into the pit he had dug. She spotted a decaying skeleton. The air stanched with the smell of rotten flesh from the grave.

'Thank god. I didn't kill him. Thank god' said Shreya.

Jasper climbed out of the pit.

'Okay. Now just one task left. We have to bury that coat and chainsaw in here' said Jasper.

'But how can we? Amanda! She would be in there! I won't be able to do it' said Shreya.

'I will do it. Just one last thing you do. Then we will be safe. My friend works with the ghost hunters. He knows such stuff. They had freed a spirit in a similar way. The victim was a family. But in the end they were saved. Trust me we'll be -'
Jasper stopped talking suddenly. The deafening silence around them was pierced suddenly and without warning by the deathly shriek of a jet black crow.

Again and again it shrieked. It was staring at them pointedly Shreya's feet began to shake.
It was quiet unusual for a crow to be sighted at night. He fixed them with his penetrating stare.

'There are so many of them' whispered Jasper petrified.

Shreya looked around them. Gigantic black crows were surrounding them watching them creepily. Very slowly they began stepping backwards. And without warning the crows attacked.

Their painful screams rent the air as the predators nibbled at their flesh. They managed to shoo them away but the damage had been done. Jasper was critically injured. He was breathing heavily.

'No! No! Don't close your eyes! Jasper! Breathe... Breathe... please... don't go!' said Shreya crying.

'Li... Listen... to... ah... Me! Do what I told you! You will be safe! Trust me! You are going to live. Go!' he stammered.
'No! I am not leaving you! Please Jasper! Get up! Jasper! Jasper!' she screamed.

But Jasper couldn't hold any longer. He closed his eyes never to open them again.

Shreya let out a wail. She was all alone. Why was the ghost haunting them? What had they done?

She got up. She had only one thought in mind. To get home safely. She was not going to meddle with Jason anymore. She decided she would drive home with Jasper's car and take the first flight to Mumbai tomorrow.

She stood up and cast one last look at Jasper. Wiping her tears, she started forward. At that moment her torchlight flickered and died. She was plunged into total darkness.

'No!' she yelled and collapsed on the ground dejected.

'Why are you being so cruel? Somebody help me please! I don't want to die! God help me' she cried aloud.

She banged her torch on the ground and it flicked back to life again. The light was however dim.

She stood up and began running. She didn't know where she was going. The path began to turn uphill. 'How big was this place? She hadn't noticed any hill when they had arrived' Shreya thought.

She moved forward with swift steps. Then she heard a noise. Someone was following her. She increased her pace. The crunching of dried leaves behind her grew louder. She didn't dare look back.

Her eyes widened in shock as the road in front of her ended abruptly. She slipped and was about to fall into the void below when two cold hands grabbed her.

She screamed. 'No! Let go! Please! Have mercy! Please!'

'Shreya! Main hoon Daya!' Daya cried loudly.

She stopped struggling. She looked at him and her eyes met his. He gently pulled her up without letting go of her hand.
She kept staring at him. She was at loss of words.

'Daya aap yaha? Aap sach me yaha hai ya phir?' she whispered.

He held her face close which was had with bruises and traces of dried blood.
'Shreya main sach me aaya hun. Kaha tha na maine tumse main tumhe kuch hone nahi doonga' said Daya.

He sat down next to her and brought her close into his chest. He held her as the tears flowed down her face. She was so overwhelmed by his sudden arrival. He just wanted to make the pain go away. Shreya clung tightly to him. Her entire body was trembling.

'Shreya? Tum thik to ho na? Kya hua? Itna ghabrayi hui kyu ho? Aur sabse pehle tum akele yaha kya kar rahi ho?' asked Daya.

'Aap yaha kaise?' asked Shreya after she had calmed down a bit.

'Mujhe kuch thik nahi lag raha tha. Tumhare jane ke baad agli flight pakad ke main yaha chala aaya. Accha hua tumne mujhe tumhare US ke number se sms kiya. Tumhara phone track karte karte main yaha pohoch gaya' explained Daya.
'Daya mujhe bohot dar lag raha hai. Ye shayad aapne mere muh se kabhi suna nahi hoga aaj tak par aaj jeh rahi hu' said Shreya.

'Shreya mujhe sach bata do. Sab sach jaana hai mujhe abhi isi waqt' said Daya in a stern voice.

Shreya told him every single detail about what had happened.

She looked up at him to see how he would take it. 'Itni badi baat tumne mujhse chupayi? Kyu?' he asked.
She could see he was clearly disappointed with her.

'Aaj tak main yahi sochti thi ki wo aadmi meri wajah se. Mujhme aapko sach batane ki himmat nahi thi Daya. Ek baat puchu aapse? Agar main sachme ek mujrim hoti toh aap kya karte?' she asked him.

'Shreya ye kaisa sawal hai? Aur tum mujrim nahi ho. Wo aadmi pehle hi mar chuka tha' said Daya.

'Ye mere sawal ka jawab nahi hai Daya' said Shreya.

'Tum janti ho ki mujhe -'

'Ki aap hamesha sach ka saath denge. Chahe wo kitna bhi kadwa kyu na ho? Agar sach me maine use maar diya hota toh aap mujhe chod ke chale jate na?' she asked.

'Har galti karne wale ko saja milni chahiye Shreya. Par mere zindagi ka itna ahem faisla iss choti si galti se main badal nahi deta. Shayad aur koi hota toh main soch leta. Par meri zindagi me kuch log bohot khaas hai. Jisme ek hai Abhijeet aur ab tum' said Daya.

Shreya smiled. 'I am sorry Daya. Main apse kuch chupana nahi chahti thi. Par mujhe dar tha ki sach pata chal jane ke baad shayad aap mujhe chodke chale jate' said Shreya.

'Itna aasan nahi hai. Itna pyar jo karta hun tumse' he said.
She hugged him again feeling peaceful.

'Hume chalna chahiye' said Daya.

'Haan. Wo humne car bahar park kari thi. Par hum raasta ghum gaye hai shayad' said Shreya.

'Hume car ki taraf nahi talab ki taraf jana hai' said Daya.

'Kya? Par waha kyu?' asked Shreya.

'Tumhare dost ne jo kaha wo kaam abhi bhi adhoora hai Shreya' said Daya.

'Nahi! Hum waha nahi jayenge. Waha jane se khatra ho sakta hai. Maine mere sare doston ko kho diya hai. Main aapko nahi kho sakti' said Shreya.

'Shreya main in sab cheejo pe vishwas nahi karta par agar isne kuch kaha hai to soch samajhke hi kaha hoga na. Aur mujhe kuch nahi hoga' said Daya.

'Daya please! aapke bina main nahi reh sakti' said Shreya.

'Shhh... bas batein band karo aur chalo. Ab main jaise kahunga bilkul waise hi karenge' said Daya.

Within half an hour, they were back at the lake. Daya dug into the ground quickly. Shreya looked away as Amanda's white face came into view. She felt guilty that she wasn't able to help her friend. Daya grabbed the chainsaw and the black coat and put it in a bag. The surroundings turned icy. Something was not right.

'Daya' Shreya whispered clutching his arm.

They looked around. There was nothing to be seen. Then suddenly, a fistful of Shreya's hair was yanked suddenly and she screamed in pain.

'Who is it? W - Whoever you are go away!' Daya screamed.

They felt someone around them. The forest had become alive. His entire body shook as the wind howled around them.
'Shreya chalo!' Daya yelled they ran into the forest. As they hurtled into the graveyard, the Wind howled through the trees, tearing at the branches savagely; It was like an enraged woman of nature, dressed in stray leaves and wandering grains of earth unleashing its fury on them.

The moon was suddenly obscured by angry black clouds. 'Kuch dikhayi nahi de raha!' screamed Shreya squinting her eyes to avoid dust particles. They had to fight against the unseen force.

'Aahhhh!' Shreya's mouth flew open in the cry of terror. Both of them crashed downwards as gravel and soil slipped beneath their feet.

'Shreya tum thik ho?' he asked.

'Haan. Daya jaldi please. Wo dekho waha par' said Shreya pointing the open grave.

They ran towards it and Daya threw the bag inside the pit. And then they heard screaming. Both covered their ears to stem the noise. Terrible ghostly wails surrounded them. They weren't able to see a thing as dust swivelled around them. Then they heard an ungodly growl.

They turned towards the direction of the sound and saw a black Rottweiler; his eyes close set and glinting, saliva dripping from his half open mouth, a vicious growl echoing from deep inside. It was not looking at them but behind them into the bushes. Daya turned to look behind them and saw another dog's head appear from behind the trees. Soon they were surrounded by pack of eight ravenous predators, their mouths salivating in a continual drool.

'They are his guardians. They won't let us go' Daya heard Shreya whisper beside him.

Without breathing, two of them began to move sideways in slow motion. The dogs advanced, growling savagely. Daya withdrew his gun. He felt someone behind them and turns to find a dog exactly behind. Without thinking Daya fired at him and he dropped down dead.

There was a loud cry and a sudden explosion of movement as the dogs sprang upon them as they were trying to run. Several dogs lunged towards Daya's neck and he hit the ground. The pack had him surrounded and they began tearing at his clothes viciously. Daya kicked wildly and threw off two of them.

He moved towards Shreya who was near the fence. Her hand was stuck in it and was bleeding. A dog was attacking her foot. Daya limped towards her to free her, a dog still hanging fiercely onto his back. He somehow freed Shreya and helped her climb the fence. He pushed her and she fell with a thud towards the other side of the fence.

Daya was now trying to climb over the fence trying to fend off the angry dogs. He cried out in pain one of the spikes on the fence pierced his arm.

The dogs were banging their heads into the fence trying to reach him. Finally Daya managed to climb over the fence, his heart thudding loudly. The Rottweiler's were barking madly but now Daya knew they were out of reach.

He saw that Shreya was unconscious. Her face was badly bruised. 'Shreya!' he said patting her cheek lightly.
She didn't even stir. He carried her unconscious figure in his arms and began walking. He wanted to leave that place as quickly as possible. Once they were outside, Daya spotted the car which Shreya had mentioned earlier. He made her sit next to him and drove off.

O-o-o-o

3 am Hotel Room, California

Daya was sitting on his bed, working on his laptop after having checked on Shreya who was still sleeping when he heard a terrified scream come from the other room. He quickly set his laptop down and raced the room adjacent to his. Both their rooms were connected from inside. Shreya was lying on the bed, shaking and sobbing.

'Shreya?' Daya questioned quietly. 'Are you okay?'

Shreya shook her head in a 'No' still sobbing like a kid.

Daya held her close. 'Kya hua? Sab thik hai. Ab sab bhool jao. Iske aage sirf accha hi hoga' he said.

'I am sorry Daya. Main koshish kar rahi hoon. Maine mere sare doston ko kho diya. Aur mujhe ye pata nahi chala ki unki galati kya thi? Main nahi bhool sakti ye sab' said Shreya.

'Main jaanta hoon ye tumhare liye aasan nahi hai. Aur maine iss aadmi ke baare me research kiya internet pe. Uski dimagi haalat thik nahi thi. Log sach kehte the. He was a psychopath murderer. Uss jagah pe iske pehle bhi bohot ajeeb accidents me log mare gaye hai. People say that the place is haunted. Main aise baaton pe vishawas nahi karta Shreya par aaj maine uss jagah pe jo mehsus kiya, uska koi explanation nahi hai mere paas. Aur main maanta hoon ki ab wo tumhe pareshan nahi karega. Tumhare dost ne sahi kaha tha. Uska aant ho gaya hai. I am sorry I coudn't do anything to save your friends. Kaash me thodi jaldi pohoch jata waha to kuch madad hoti' said Daya.

'Daya aapki koi galati nahi hai. Aur ab I promise main aapse kuch bhi nahi chupaungi' said Shreya.

He brushed the lightest and most delicate of kisses to the bruise on her head and she tightened her hold on his back.

'I love you' she whispered.

'I love you too. Just go to sleep. Kal hum Mumbai wapas chale jayenge' said Daya.

'Neend nahi aa rahi hai mujhe' said Shreya.

'Toh kya kare?' asked Daya.

'Mujhe sirf aapke paas rehna hai' she said.

'Hmm... thik hai' said Daya smiling.

They allowed silence to fill the room for a few minutes, and then Daya trailed his fingers up and down her spine.
She shivered a bit snuggling close to him. In the warm cocoon of his arms, listening to the soft, steady cadence of his heartbeat, she found herself letting go of her spinning thoughts. Physical exhaustion took their place Shreya found herself being pulled toward sleep. He was watching her attentively. She had settled into a contented sleep.
'Just remember you will be safe with me forever Shreya. I will love you. Always.' said Daya.

O-o-o-o

The next day they took a flight back to Bombay. Since that night, Shreya hadn't had the terrifying dream. She knew the unseen force would not bother her anymore. Jason was gone forever for good.

*** THE END ***