A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Skillet's songs "Open Wounds" and "The Last Night". R&R

Beta Read by Skyflight Erek's Loyalty.

Chapter Four: Open Wounds

(Maria's POV)

I stared at the note in the fridge. Yeah, weird place to put a death threat.

I'm watching you… always watching. I would fear for your friend Erek. Tell your friend to keep his eyes open, and keep looking behind him. Cause one day I'll kill him, and then you'll be mine. Forever.

Your beloved,

Edward

And next to the note was none other than the Pemalite crystal.

P.S. Now you can change your programming to be like me.

I had been getting these notes for months, but never had I gotten the Pemalite crystal. Guess I'd have to find a place to dispose of it.

"What's that?" Erek asked as he walked up behind me.

"Uhhh…banana?" I said stupidly.

Personally I didn't want Erek to know that I had gotten the crystal or another note. He gets upset easily.

"That's not a banana!" he said as he tried to wrestle the crystal out of my hands.

"Drop it!" Erek said.

"NEVER!" I screamed.

Finally Erek got it out of my hands.

He unfolded the note.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Erek asked.

"Because it's not a big deal, I mean, he's dead….right?" I said.

He folded up the paper and looked me in the eyes when he said, "I've got to go."

"Okay, could you pick up some coleslaw while you're out?" I asked, but I had a feeling that he wasn't going out to Food Lion.

"Maria, I'm not going to the store. And I'm not coming back," Erek said.

"Well, I'll come with you!" I said desperately.

I couldn't let Erek leave.

"No. It's safer for you here," Erek said.

WHAT? Safer? We live in California for heaven's sakes, home of gangs, and he thinks it's safer here?

Erek started to walk out the door. I ran after him.

"Erek, I… I can't live without you!" I shouted.

Erek just kept on walking.

"What can I do to make you stay?" I yelled.

Erek turned around, like he knew he was going to break my heart by saying, "Nothing."

I just stood there like an idiot for hours. I think my hologram actually froze from shock.

(Erek's POV)

I left. I left her in the dust. Back where she would be safe. Edward was after me and as long as Maria was around me she wouldn't be safe.

So here I was, jumping trains across the country.

Do I feel bad? Yes, of course! I've just walked away from the one I loved.

I think I'll go to New York. It's a busy city, and I'll blend in.

I've had a lot of pain in my life… but this is by far the worst.

(Maria's POV) (One month later)

I stood there with a knife in my hand, cutting lines into my holographic wrist.

I watched the holographic blood drip out of the open wounds.

Why was I doing this? I don't know. Erek would've been disgusted with me if he knew. But he's been gone for a month, and no Chee can find him. He's dead. What's the point of going through the day pretending everything is okay?

I looked at my face in the mirror. I was barely recognized as myself, with all of the black make-up and dark clothes.

I put my head in my bleeding hands.

"Maria, what are you doing?" Cassie asked with wide eyes, coming into the girls' bathroom of our school.

I quickly changed my hologram to show no blood or scars.

"Nothing," I said as I quickly ran out of the bathroom.

Too late, I realized I had left behind my favorite knife for cutting myself.

Later at lunch, Cassie confronted me.

"What's happened to you, Maria? We are all upset that Erek is… gone, but you don't see us cutting ourselves," Cassie said.

"You can't stop me from falling apart, my self-destruction is all Erek's fault," I quoted from Skillet's song "Open wounds."

Cassie stared at me, horrified, "Maria, I thought you were better than this."

Then I heard my cell phone ring.

"Hello?" I said.

"Maria, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime," James asked.

"What?" I asked.

"You know, go out with me. Since Erek is dead. Well, it's a good thing you didn't really like him that much," James said.

I dropped the phone. No.

So Erek was really gone. Why? Of all people? Why Erek?

I ran back to the bathroom, where my knife was still sitting on the sink.

When I got home from school, I pulled the Pemalite crystal out of my pocket and changed my programming.

I was just about to do it. Kill myself.

I didn't see any point in living anymore.

Because I am really strong I could easily stab myself with the knife.

I don't know if God would take monsters like us androids, but it's worth a try.

I was just a millisecond away from peace when the door burst open, and Daniel screamed, "CHEE-IONOS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! FOOL!" he said, sounding a lot like the old me.

He tackled me and wrestled the knife out of my hands.

"Maria, why?" he asked.

"There's no point," I whispered.

He grabbed the crystal and changed my programming back.

"I'll keep this from now on," Daniel said. "You are going to stay with Lourdes while I find Erek."

I felt like a drug dealer getting caught by the police.

(Daniel's POV)

I had run halfway across the country and was still looking for Erek when I got a call from him.

"Hey, Daniel," Erek said.

"EREK! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, YOU MORON! WHEN I FIND YOU I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I screamed.

"…Maria?" Erek asked.

"NO, THIS IS DANIEL! I have to take Maria's place of yelling now," I said.

"What, did she die or something?" Erek asked sarcastically, thinking that was the only reason Maria would stop yelling.

"Almost. She almost killed herself. P.S. Never buy her knives again," I said.

Silence.

"What have I done…?" Erek mumbled.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"New York City," Erek said.

"Good, I'm in Jersey," I said.

(Erek's POV)

I had finally met up with Daniel and he filled me in on all the horrors that were going on back home.

It was night and Daniel and I were walking down an ally way, when we noticed someone following us.

"Umm, is it just me, or is someone following us?" I asked, glancing behind me.

"Ha, meet your worst nightmare," said a voice coming from behind me.

Daniel and I turned around.

"Edward?" we both said in unison.

"Yep," he said, smirking.

All of a sudden I felt a rage to kill him. Worse than I've ever felt before. You always feel like a monster when your programming is changed.

I suddenly leaped and ripped Edward to pieces.

He didn't even have a chance.

He was gone forever.

(Maria's POV)

I sat crying in Lourdes's arms.

Crying is when I feel most human.

I didn't need to kill myself, I was already dead.

I never thought I would end up being friends with Lourdes.

All of a sudden the door banged open.

"EREK!" Lourdes said, jumping up.

I just sat there. Erek wasn't here.

"Maria!" said a voice that sounded a lot like Erek's.

So this is hell. Where you are tortured by the ones you loved.

Crayak was tricking me again.

I got up and turned my back to the sound of That voice.

"Maria?" said the voice.

"No. I won't believe any more of your tricks, Crayak!" I said.

"Maria, it's me!" said the voice, coming closer.

"No," I said simply.

Erek was not back.

"What can I do to show you it's me?" said the voice.

I didn't answer. There was nothing.

"Erek" grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me around.

He stared into my eyes, and then pulled me closer till I could feel my lips touching his.

My Erek was back.