James' mind was swirling with thoughts and images that he would not have dared to have released in his own home where Mary's memory was the strongest and freshest. He was afraid, and even had admitted to himself this rational fear, of remembering. He knew, better than anyone that it was just so much easier to forget. A memory can be a blessing…and a curse. James had two of the most important memories in his life permanently imprinted in his mind…the first time he met Mary…and then when he learned that she only had 'x' number of months to live.

If there had ever been a person who loved life…it was Mary. She appreciated every damned weed that grew out of the ground and religiously prayed only to thank the higher-ups for creating such a wonderful world. She was just so living, so alive, until they received the news. It hadn't been the news that they wanted. They had wanted news for a baby. That's all any couple wants to hear. The kind of news that made the wife gasp and grab her husband's hand with such force that circulation gets cut off, but he doesn't mind because he's got a proud grin plastered on his face and already he's planning for the baseball games, the father-son camping trips, and the Sundays watching the Big Game, all the while the mother is trying to decide which shade of pink to paint the nursery.

But not Mary…for Mary, the only response was a little sigh-nearly inaudible-and the next moment, when James gathered the courage to look into her face…there was…nothing. A look a horror enclosed her mouth, her pale brow knitted in incomprehension and-now that he thought about it-maddening confusion, but it had been her eyes that had made him sob. Blue and bright…the life left drained until there were nothing but two mirrors staring through him. Ghost eyes. The hollow remains of a life so filled with promises and then turned upside down by a man with a clipboard and cleanly pressed white jacket.

And now…those eyes appeared lively again. But now, they weren't Mary's. They were some woman who looked like her, though she clearly wasn't her. He had to keep telling himself that. Mary was most likely not going to appear to him; she was dead. End of story…but then why did he insist on reading further?

"James, what are you thinking?" Her tone caught him off guard. It could have been Mary saying that.

Penny for your thoughts?

"What?" He blinked at her, like a goldfish.

She seemed almost worried. For him? "Just now," she hesitated. "You seemed so…intense. I'm sorry if I had upset you earlier."

"Oh." He paused in the middle of the hallway. "You didn't upset me." He muttered. "It was my fault. I'm just so confused and…tired." He continued to walk, chasing away the darkness with his light.

The slightest of smiles curved Maria's red lips. "You're always tired." She whined playfully.

James nearly tripped. Her mood swings were beginning to give him whip-lash. "Why would you say that?" He asked softly. "Why would you know that?"

Mary isn't here. She never was…

Maria ignored his question. "You keep looking at me," She said quietly. "Like you're looking for something."

"I-I'm just looking for…"

"Mary." She shook her head. "Always Mary. Is it Mary you want, James?"

James looked away. "You know that's who I want." He said uncomfortably.

"Yes but…do you know what she wants? Does she still want you? After everything?"

Odd question. Maria's voice was chilly. She took a step forward, smiling brightly. James started to step back, but nearly stumbled over his own feet. Maria reached in front and gently grabbed his jacket flaps, not pulling him closer, but more of not letting him back up anymore. She looked up into his face, a loose strand of blonde hair hanging against her smooth forehead. James resisted the urge to push the hair away, averted his eyes as to not directly notice Maria's brown roots. G-d, she even smelled like Mary. Her mouth trembled, and when he looked back down, he could see her eyes were longing and hopeful. He felt a pang in his chest.

"Is it Mary you want?"

Slowly, Maria pulled herself closer to his face, her eyes gently closed. James felt himself leaning backwards-or was it forwards? His eyes closed against his will, and in the next instant, he was engulfed by Mary's sweet perfume. The lips that reached him were warm, tender, and painfully familiar. Maria seemed to think so too. James circled his arms around her, embracing her, touching her, making sure she was real. The way she kissed him was certainly real. Not forceful or needy like he'd imagined, but very, very sweetly. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back, and realized his eyes were moist. Nostalgia tore at his heart, and he thought about his and Mary's first kiss in James' car where she stole away his heart that night, and every other night. Now…standing in a forsaken hospital hallway, with the stale, musty air, he suddenly felt more at home than he had in three years. A sense of familiarity that made him hurt. When he looked down, Maria's face bore the same expression. She smiled serenely, and playfully touched her red finger nail to James' lips…like Mary used to.

"Who are you?" He whispered. "Is there something I don't know about?"

She snuggled against him. "There are many things you don't know."

"Who are you?"

"How should I know?" She taunted playfully. "Maybe I'm just a ghost." She actually looked thoughtful. "Do you think I would know if I were one?"

"I don't know."

"Too bad." She looked mischievous. "Tell me, James, do I make you nervous? I know its Mary you're looking for, but try to put my considerations in as well. Why are you looking for a dead woman, and if she were alive, why would she have waited three whole years to contact you?"

Like I haven't thought of that.

"It's difficult to understand." James said warily. "I just want to know if she's ok."

"She's dead!"

Tired of this confrontation, James walked pass Maria. She didn't give up that easily. In the next second, she was matching his pace beside him.

"Is it all worth it?" She demanded. "This hellhole? Face it James…you're not here for Mary at all. You're here for yourself! You're burdened with her death, and I understand that, but do something for yourself, James. Go home. Leave this town. It's infectious. Mary died, James. If she were alive-and love you as much as you seem to believe that she did-then you would know fact from fiction."

James felt his own anger simmer. "Just let me go. You don't know Mary nearly as much as you seem to think you do. You're nice but…oh G-d…I just can't do this." He turned away from the trembling woman, and walked as quickly as possible to the nearest elevator. A few seconds later, Maria's footfalls sounded.

"I'm sorry." James told her as they boarded the elevator.

Maria shook her head. "I won't ever be good enough, will I?"

James stared quietly ahead, listening to the dull hum of the elevator as it moved down. "I love Mary."

Maria's laugh was dry and short. "Of course. You love her…but…what if she's not there, James? Have you considered that? What will you do? You can't torture yourself like that."

James shrugged as the elevator stopped. "I have but…I still want to know where the letter came from. It's a horrible prank; I don't find it funny. It hurts…it all just hurts so much to think about her being somewhere out there alive without me knowing. I've missed her so much, Maria. I need answers. I need to…figure everything out. If Mary isn't there…than I'll move on, somehow. With or without Mary, I will find a way to continue with my life."

The elevator doors clanked open. James immediately started out, wondering where he could exit the hospital from. It was some sort of basement…he tried to call the elevator back, but nothing happened. There had to be some stairs around there somewhere.

"What will happen to me?" Maria asked softly. James turned to look at her, trying to not to see Mary's face.

She's defenseless. He thought. Purely defenseless. I need to protect her…but until I start concentrating more of the woman who is actually with me, I won't be of any good to her.

"I don't know." He said honestly.

"I would have figured just as much." She said softly.

"I'm not being fair to you."

She shrugged him off, smiling a bit lopsidedly. "Don't worry," She said evenly. "No man has ever been fair to me."

James grimaced at the stinging comment. He waited for her to back up her comment, but she just shrugged again, clearly not wanting to further intensify her reasoning.

There was a door. James found it unlocked, and walked through into a bizarre hallway. He chose left, and started walking down, wondering who the hell would build a maze here. Maria stayed close behind. James stopped suddenly, standing stalk still.

"Did you hear something?" He mused.

"No," Maria's eyes went wide. "Let's keep going."

James was about to breathe, when the distinctive noise appeared. Not wanting to frighten Maria, he sped up a little, trying to resist the urge to turn around.

Zinnnnng. Zinnnnng.

Was there something, or was it just his overactive imagination? Maria sounded further and further away, maybe he should slow.

Keep going. He thought. Just get out of here.

"James?"

Was this some sort of maze? A test for the more unstable patients?

"James?!"

James turned-he wished he hadn't-and nearly slammed his face into the wall connecting to the next sharp turn. The monster-the pyramid head shaped monster loomed around the corner. Maria seemed suspended in the distance away from him. She did not look behind, but started to run. James needed no prodding.

The walls became a blur of gray as he rounded the next corner. He was reminded of the indoor track courts from high school where the runners would go 'round and 'round, never slowing, gaining momentum while trying to beat their own numbers. The weight of the gun in his pocket snapped him back to reality. She swiped it with his right hand, not wanting to run around to see the scene.

Maria's labored breathing seemed so far away. Couldn't she run any faster.

This isn't right. I should be helping.

He skidded to a stop, and turned around. "Maria!" He shouted, reaching out a hand.

She wasn't there.

He listened intensely, his heart thudding, and waited to see if she would appear around the corner. Nothing. The noises were all gone. He momentarily debated going back…but he need that was a suicide mission. That monster was still there.

I'm so sorry.

She can't be dead! She was there! I know it.

Save yourself. Even if she is back there, it's too late.

"Maria?" He called hoarsely. No answer. "Maria!"

Still silence. James imagined what lay beyond the corner at the far end of the hallway. Was the monster waiting for him to come back, using Maria as a ruse? The agony of mental torture bore down on him. His upper lip gathered sweat and he felt so enclosed, so trapped. Although, of course, he wasn't. There was an elevator right behind him. When he reached out to press the button, the door opened shakily. He was safe.

James stepped in, still sweating, still shaking with despair. Was Maria dead? His fault…he should have…

"James!"

Not his imagination. James looked behind him. Maria had appeared-but how?-only an easy ten yards away from the elevator.

"Maria!" His happiness at the sight of her quickly vanquished as the elevator door began to close noisily. "Open up!"

"James…James…" Tears streamed down her cheek, her eyes were bright with horror. It all happened too quickly. There was an ominous shadow shifting behind her. The doors tried to close, but James blockaded them with his own hands.

"Open up!" He slammed the buttons on the side of the door. They didn't respond Maria tried to push her way through the doors, but the gap kept on growing smaller. The more James struggled, the closer the dark shadow got to Maria. "No!"

"James!" Maria stared at him desperately, her blue eyes wide and her mouth a red gash. She screamed his name over and over.

The Pyramid Head stood behind her. Maria began crying, and James could barely see the action from in between the cracks. Maria's arm fit through, her hand flailed in panic, groping the air for something.

"Maria…hold on…I've got it…" He tried to hide the desperate sound of his own words. "No…oh G-d, no."

"James!" The monster moved suddenly, raising its huge knife in the air. Before he realized what had happened, the awful sound of metal tearing through bone reached him. Maria's back arched painfully, her eyes wide and shocked. Her hand continued to hover in air, each finger flexed.

"Maria!"

For a second it dangled, then each finger curled into the hand, and her wrist dropped. Very slowly, the arm receded to the other side. The doors began to close at last. James, his own hands still propping the doors open, tentatively let it close. "Maria…no…"

He clenched his eyes shut, and slid to the dirty, grimy ground, and tried not to be sick. "Oh G-d…no…no…"

He tried to pull himself together, to tell himself it was all just a bad dream. His hands shook…his shoulders heaved.

First Mary…now Maria.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered hoarsely. "I couldn't save you."

Maria's dead. I couldn't protect her. Once again, I couldn't do anything to help. Laura has run off somewhere/ Mary…What…what should I do? Are you…really waiting somewhere for me? Or is this your way of taking…I'm going to find Mary…It's the only thing I have left to hope for.