When Tara awoke the next morning she instantly wished she hadn't, she instantly felt as though her head was going to explode; she lay still for a while waiting for the pain to die down enough for her to open her eyes, this took about ten minutes. When she did open her eyes she was pleased to see she was in a dark room, there was a floor to ceiling curtain pulled over and entire side of the room and some light managed to find it's way through; hen she did open her eyes she was pleased to see she was in a dark room, there was a floor to ceiling curtain pulled over and entire side of the room and some light managed to find it's way through.

Tara pulled herself into a sitting position and again had to stop to wait for the blinding pain in her head to die away slightly, when it did she scanned the room taking in her surroundings: there must have been a total of 20 guitars around the room all of various types and shapes, there was also a drum kit in one corner and on a wall was a huge TV. Tara herself was on what has to be the most comfortable sofa she had ever come across, room enough to sleep 4 people, it was in the centre of the room facing the TV.

It was then that she heard the sounds coming from the other room, there was quiet music playing and the sounds of someone moving things around. The sounds stopped and the girl from the club walked in.

"Ah you're awake," she said with a grin, she then reached out and pressed a button on the wall and the curtains mechanically retracted to reveal floor to ceiling window with a stunning view of Los Angeles all the way to the sea.

Tara however could not appreciate this view as the early morning light pouring through the windows made her shield her eyes and grab her head in pain, on seeing this Morgan walked over to her and handed her a glass filled with a strange blue liquid.

"Drink that it'll make your head better." This seemed more of an order than a request and Tara was reminded of Merrick, she hoped this girl didn't know him. She looked up at Morgan who nodded encouragingly, Tara took a small sip of the drink and screwed up her face in disgust, it was horrible.

"No," instructed Morgan "down the hatch."

She tipped the glass back and Tara was forced to drink the foul liquid in one. When the glass was empty she leaned forward feeling as though she was about to throw up, but stopped halfway realising her headache was gone, she looked up at Morgan confused, the musician winked at the witch.

"I'm not just a pretty face."

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As the first rays of light drifted through the broken skylight of the Egyptian exhibit of the LA national museum Merrick stirred and opened his eyes gingerly, then remembering where he was he looked down to the metal spike protruding from his chest. Merrick grabbed hold of the cold steel slick with his congealing blood and pulled himself all the way off, he hit the floor and fell in a heap.

He stood up and glanced around him to get his bearing and the started walking down the corridor re-tracing the footsteps of the thing that had put him up there.

The shade for which Merrick was searching was standing in front of the stones Merrick had seen earlier, he had his arms folded and was regarding them curiously.

"It should be working," he said angrily to himself "Why is it not working?!" The shade shouted and kicked a bone from the circle he had made and it went skidding across the room and clanged against the wall.

"Because you're not doing it right."

The shade looked around and saw Merrick standing in the doorway and smiled.

"I don't know how you're still alive, but if you want me to make it permanent I shall." The shade held out his hand and a cruel looking sword appeared there, Merrick looked at it coolly as they circled each other.

When Merrick rounded the Stones he ran his hand over the weapons stuck in them, not quite touching them; when his hand came to hover over the katana a bolt of electricity jumped from the handle to his hand and he took hold of it, pulling it easily from the stone. On seeing this the Shade's face dropped and he uttered just one word:

"Shit."

Merrick raised the sword above his head and threw at the shade who made to block it but was too slow and the sword plunged straight into his chest. He stood there for a moment looking at the sword before he let out a blood curdling scream and what looked like a black thick gas came erupting from his mouth and went straight down into the ground. The man who's body the demon had been occupying fell to the ground, Merrick walked over and removed the sword; he looked at it for a while with sadness in his eyes, but his eyes hardened and he plunged it back into the stone.

It was at this moment that the curator of the museum walked into the room. John was a man of small stature with a bushy beard covering the majority of his face and accentuating the fact that his chin stuck out slightly and hiding the fact that he in fact had a very round childish face. Merrick had always found it funny that the mans surname was actually Smith, in 8000 years he was the first John Smith Merrick had come across.

"Merrick what the hell is going on," the little man looked around in awe at the gruesome scene before him "the floor of the Egyptian exhibit is covered in blood now this, how am I going to explain this?"

Merrick strode over to the Curator and grabbed him by the collar pointing to the stones.

"I told you those were dangerous and should be kept safe, they don't look safe to me john."

"I though they would be safe here." The fear was obvious in the curator's voice, he was being held a full inch off the ground and looking at a dead man lying in a slowly increasing pool of blood.

"Obviously not John, deal with it." Merrick let the man down and swept from the room without another word, The curator called after him.

"You're just going to leave me here to clean up this mess?" He got no reply.

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A few hours later

Morgan was playing some songs to Tara who was fixated by this girl who, it must be said was amazing. Tara had sensed something special in her last night and she was right, Morgan had treated her nicer than anyone had ever treated her before and she could tell this would be a very good friend. Her thought and Morgan's music were however abruptly interrupted by a knock at the door. Morgan screwed her face into a confused look and put down her guitar, heading for the door.

Now the front door of Morgan's apartment was located through a corridor off the living room so Tara could not see who was at the door, she heard it open and Morgan's surprise and then a brief exchange of inaudible conversation before the door was closed again and two sets of footsteps made their way down the short corridor to the living room, her curiosity spiked Tara sat up to see who was with Morgan but froze when she saw who it was.

When Merrick saw Tara sitting on Morgan's sofa they stared at each other Merrick shocked and Tara a mixture of shocked and terrified.

Morgan stood looking from Tara to Merrick for a full minute before holding up her hands.

"someone has some explaining to do," she stated.