"I'll see you later," Carson waved goodbye to his girlfriend. As soon as she walked out of the door of Jax's, he got up slowly and strolled out the door. He could still see Karen walking towards the mall. She was going to get some new school clothes, for school was now right around the corner. He turned and started walking in the opposite direction. He made his way out of the city streets and up the larger hill that overlooked the beach and Lake Destiny. There was no denying it: Carson was heading for Cupid's Point.

Carson reached the top of the hill in a matter of minutes. His eyes darted from place to place as if he were searching for something. A bush rustled, the sign he was looking for. He made his way to the bush and peeked inside. On the other side was a tall, beautiful dark girl known as Ebony Evans. Her curly black hair trailed in the blowing wind. She looked at Carson with deep black eyes, eyes that seemed to be able to see into the bottom of Carson's soul.

Carson finally spoke. "Hey, Ebony. I was wondering if you would show up."

"I told you I would, didn't I," Ebony responded sharply. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to talk about us...me and you," Carson said slowly, looking at the ground.

Ebony smiled and blew on her nails. "And Karen, I assume?"

Carson quickly looked up. He noticed the knowing glance in her eyes. "How did you..."

Ebony interrupted. "It doesn't take a genius to see what's going on here. I've seen you and Karen together, presenting yourself to your friends."

"If you knew, then why are you still here?" Carson persisted.

"Because it's time to make you choose. You can't keep on having it both ways. You have to decide which woman you really want to be with: me or Karen, and you have to decide right now."

Zach walked into the hospital. He had just eaten lunch, and was very full and very tired, but he had to make one special visit to a certain person, a very close friend of his. He took out a small, crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at it: Room 31B, Kim had told him. He walked down the hospital hallway, searching for the room. He bumped into a doctor.

"I'm sorry," he said automatically.

The doctor, Elise Gonzales, smiled at Zach. "You must be another of Jessica's friends. She seems to be the most popular patient here."

Zach smiled weakly. "Yeah, she's a nice girl and a good friend to a lot of people."

"So I see," Dr. Gonzales nodded. "Here, her room is right down here."

Dr. Gonzales ushered Zach to Jessica's room. Eve & Kim had left a few hours earlier, but Jessica did have a visitor that was sitting beside the hospital bed. Zach entered the room quietly and shut the door silently. He walked on silent feet to Jessica's bed. The effect of seeing the body of his good friend and only knowing that she was alive by the steady beep of the heart monitor brought tears to Zach's eyes, but he quickly brushed them aside.

Jessica's visitor, who turned out to be Kate, turned around to look at Zach. Her cheeks sparkled with tears. She smiled weakly. Zach moved closer to Jessica's bed.

"Is she still..." Zach stopped in a choke. He couldn't bring himself to say that horrible, finalizing word.

Kate nodded without saying a word. She turned back to Jessica. "Dr. Gonzales says that they're working really hard to get her out of it though," she said firmly, more to convince herself than Zach.

Zach went over and put a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder. "It'll be OK, Kate. Jessica will get better."

Kate turned to look up at Zach. This time she smiled a real smile. "Yes, yes she will."

Ariel was in the nurse's quarters. Her fever was running high, and she was feeling queasy and nauseuous. The nurse had put her in bed to rest. Ariel, in the dark, cold room, drifted off to sleep.

Soon, she began dreaming. It started at first with flashing mind-photos, then gradually became continuous. Visions of Enya floated into her mind.

"Hello, Ariel. Care to join us? Care to join us destroying your precious town of Midway?" Enya laughed in Ariel's dream.

"Maybe you'd like a charm or two," Voir's deep, echoing voice boomed. Even in her dream, Ariel could not see his face.

Ariel-in-the-Dream ran madly, trying to get away from the huge faces that loomed in front of her. But she was going nowhere. The faces were still there. Those evil-smiling, taunting, superior faces.

"Don't run, Ariel. It's useless. You're not going anywhere until we say you can go anywhere," Enya's head laughed.

Ariel opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tried screaming, but no sound came out of her throat.

"You'd better help us, Ariel, if you know what's good for you. What's coming ahead for the rest of your little friends ain't gonna be pretty," Enya continued.

"Things that may be considered a pre-Armaggedon are coming. I just hope you're prepared, little girl," Voir's voice boomed and echoed and laughed.

Ariel was frozen with terror.

"Ebony! You want me to...to choose?" Carson stammered, not believing this.

"Yes, choose. You should know by now that one man cannot have two women and get away with it. I'm tired of being played like a fool," Ebony said, her voice rising and her anger mounting.

"OK, ok," Carson said, trying to calm Ebony down. "But please, can't you give me a little time. I can't just make a decision like this on the spur-of-the-moment."

Ebony thought for a moment. She sighed. "Fine, but I want an answer soon, Carson. This is not going to continue any longer the way it is. I've got places to go, so I'll see you in a little while," she said, walking away, down the hill, and out of sight.

Carson was torn up inside. This couldn't be happening to him. After so much hard work, so many lies, so much protection, he had to make a choice. Carson thrusted his hands into his pockets, walked down the hill, and into the city. He walked back to the dorms with a heavy heart. No matter what happened, someone was going to be seriously hurt.

Zach & Kate looked at Jessica silently for a few moments. Kate then patted Jessica's hand.

"I'll see you soon, sleepyhead. When I get back, you'd better be OK!" she said in mock severe tones.

"Yeah, get better soon. We need a real cheerleader on the squad," Zach laughed, giving Jessica a friendly kiss on the forehead. "Take care now."

Dr. Gonzales saw the two coming, so she opened the door, that gentle smile still on her face. Kate took a deep breath and walked down the hall with Dr. Gonzales and Zach.

"Everything's going to be OK, Kate," Zach said kindly, his eyes smiling. "Here, why don't I take you to Jax's for a soda."

Kate smiled again. "OK, let's do that." Kate then turned to Dr. Gonzales. "Thank you so much, Dr. Gonzales. You've been so kind and nice to us. I really think you're the best doctor Jessica could have."

"Thank you, that means a lot," Dr. Gonzales replied. "But you two go on and have a good time. Jessica's going to be fine without you two worrying over her. Believe it or not, I actually believe she's getting better. I believe we should see some real improvements in the near future."

Zach & Kate said their goodbyes and left the hospital. They had heard what Dr. Gonzales had said, but there was still that nagging doubt in the back of their heads. What if? But no matter what, they, as well as the rest of Jessica's friends, had made an unspoken pact to always stick by their ailing friend through thick and thin, no matter what the end might bring.

Ariel tossed and turned in her feverish sleep. Sweat poured down her face like a waterfall. Her dreams were disturbing and horrifying.

Ariel-in-the-Dream saw sadness and destruction; destruction of relationships, trusts, and friendships. She saw tears that flowed like rivers, hearts shattered like crystal glass. She gasped, and tried to cover her eyes, but she still saw the horrifying visions. All the while, Voir & Enya laughed.

"So you see, little girl, there is no choice. We helped you, now you need to help us," Voir said.

Ariel regained her power of voice. "No! No! I can't! I won't!"

Enya's face went sour. "Yes, you will! You have no say in the matter. It's just so sad that all of this heartache will be because of you," Enya laughed.

Ariel-in-the-Dream as well as the real Ariel cried. The visions was too much for them, the pain too great. All around her, everywhere she looked, she saw hurting and sorrow of great magnitudes.

"Who are you?!" she screamed up to the voice that was Voir. "What do you want from me!"

Voir laughed. "I want you to help us conquer, to triumph over everyone and everything. And as for who I am, I am Voir, powerful, superior sorcerer. You will regret that very day that you stumbled upon Enya's cabin very soon. You will regret the day that you ever became involved with...Lucifer's child."

Ariel's face went white with shock. Everything went black, the blackness closed in around her and crushed her. Her life was shattered, her soul dispersed. Ariel knew now that she was involved in something that would destroy her friends...and herself.

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