"Michael!" I gasp.

I feel the sharp nail against my chin, frightening me, threatening to go lower down to my neck – where he could easily slice my skin and end my life – so I shut up.

But I can see my best friend walking slowly around my garden – in chains.

'Why is he carrying chains?' I ask myself anxiously. 'What did he ever do to deserve that?'

"W-Why is he wearing chains?" I demand quietly.

I watch as he slowly trudges in between trees, only a shell of the Michael that I once knew before 2009. What has happened to my best friend?

Michael comes to a stop in the garden, and as if he were clockwork, he moves his head slowly, eventually so he stares creepily into the window. This is beginning to scare me more and more, now.

His eyes suddenly turn a sinister shade of green, and he begins walking slowly towards the window, his arms outstretched as if he were a zombie, his chains giving a creepy squeak just audible through the window.

I let out a scream, and flail my arms around frantically, trying to break free from the mysterious figure's grasp. Nothing is working – nothing at all.

"Michael, this isn't you!" I cry. "This isn't Michael Jackson!"

"Join us..." a voice – much like Michael's – offers eerily.

"J-Join you?"

"Join us, Lacey... or face the consequences..."

I feel a shiver running down my spine, and I close my eyes, for a moment clearing my head. However, as soon as I open my eyes, the red eyes – along with the green of Michael's eyes – burn my vision up, momentarily blinding me.

"I—no. Tell me where Michael—the real Michael is."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Lacey..."

'Then I rather be dead than alive living torture,' I decide in my head.

"Your wish is my command, Miss Gullivan," an evil voice echoes in the room.

My breathing quickens, as I realise that someone heard my mental wish. I feel the figure let me go, and I make a dash for the door, to try and escape. I grab the handle, and twist it harshly – but it doesn't open.

Panicking more, I twist it again and again, hoping it'll work the more I apply force to it. But no – it refuses to budge even a millimetre.

"Say goodbye to the world, Lacey..." the voice says.

Knowing I have no way out, I lean my back against the door and cower down, covering my face with my hands as the demon-red eyed ghost and Michael advance on me slowly.

'Goodbye, life,' I bid farewell, petrified about what is soon to come.

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut, and feel sharp, cold metal touch lightly against my chest. I know that it's a knife – so I'm going to be stabbed to my death. A single tear falls down my right cheek, and I feel the metal dig more into my skin with each second that passes.

*

"Michael, you're my best friend. I love you!"

"Lacey, you've known me long enough to know I'll win this. I love you more! No, wait!"

We both speak simultaneously:

"I love you most!"

*

"Please... just end it now..." I beg softly, feeling the knife move ever-closer, already lightly stabbing my skin.

I don't even care anymore; I just want to leave the world, if I know I must. But I want to try once more to escape – I just have a little bit of an adrenaline rush. I want to try one more time; I have nothing to lose.

I let out a loud cry to throw the ghost off guard, and take it as my chance to try and escape. I force the grip away from me, and violently pull the door handle, twisting harder than ever before.

Finally feeling it open, I manage to escape the dark, and light from the landing pours into the basement. I run up the stairs leading to the main house, but I can feel the ghosts following me. I reach the top of the stairs, but when I look behind me, the ghosts aren't there.

*

"Lacey, whenever I must leave this world, I want you to live a happy life without me... I know you can do it. Okay?"

"Michael... I can't. If you go... I feel like I have to, as well."

"But what if I were to die today, huh? You would be far from ready to leave the world, especially at only sixteen years old, sweetheart."

"If it got too much for me, I'd do it, no questions asked... that's a promise..."

*

I give a puzzled look, wondering where the ghosts are. They were there a moment ago. Where are they now?

I turn around to fully face the stairs again, and I peer into the darkness with squinted eyes. Neither the "demon" ghost nor Michael are there.

'Have they actually left now?' I ask myself hopefully.

My breathing is still heavy, and my heart pounding from the few minutes I've just experienced. I can't believe what I just witnessed – I'm never going to sleep again, I swear.

Knowing that the ghosts are no longer here, I turn my body fully to walk to bed – to try and get just a little sleep.

But before I can walk a single step further, I feel a violent shove on my chest, and I let out a scream as I make a grab for the stair banister, the wall, anything.

But it doesn't work, and I tumble backwards down the stairs, and land with a thud, hitting my head against the cold, hard floor. Already feeling myself lose consciousness, I see the knife lying on the floor, from when I made my escape – the ghost must have dropped it to try and catch up with me.

Before my vision fully blurs, I see Michael's ghost approaching me slowly, and I don't even feel the energy to try and get away from him. His green eyes soften, back to their normal brown colour, but his chains still remain locked to his hands.

He kneels down by my side, and leans his head against mine.

"I gave you six years, Lacey. Six years to set me free. You made your promise, and I've made sure you keep it. Now, you'll set me free, and we'll both live in eternal death," he whispers creepily.

He looks down by me, and spots the knife. He slowly reaches his hand to lift it up, and holds it in his hand.

My breathing quickens, and I feel blood seeping through my hair, to the floor cracks, and I watch weakly as Michael's eyes change – becoming demon-red. He positions the knife to the classic stab position, and looks at me intently.

"Michael... no..." I beg.

He laughs evilly, before thrusting the knife forward.

*

"You'll die if I die?" he asks.

"Of course. We're best friends. If I don't die within six years of you, God knows how I will have survived that long..."

"Why six?"

"It just seems like an unusual number. But what I'm saying is true, Michael."

"I'll be trapped, isolated without you and the kids... and all my fans, family and friends. If I died, I would feel like I was in chains, being unable to see the people who love me most."

"But my death would break those chains, right?"

"I guess so, yes... but you shouldn't die just for me."

"I should. You're my best friend."

He chuckles. "I'll hold you to that, sweetie."

*

I cry out in pain as I feel the pain from the knife over and over — Michael's stabbing me over and over. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut, and try to die quickly so the pain will end, but it's no use. I just won't slip away...

He continues with the knife, over and over and over, and I daren't open my eyes for fear of seeing something awful as my last sight before I die.

"I'm just making sure you keep your promise, Lacey..." Michael whispers slyly into my ear. "Breaking promises is bad..."

I finally feel myself slipping away, and I see my entire life – my entire friendship with Michael – flash before my eyes. Times when he wasn't evil, and didn't wish to kill me. Times like visiting Neverland, and going on all the rides, feeding Prince, Paris and Blanket... all the happy times.

My eyes open wide as Michael stabs me once more, and the pain suddenly numbs. The last sight I see is Michael's face – not the demon, evil Michael – the sweet, kind and innocent Michael.

"I'm sorry," he apologises. "But we made a promise. You're coming to live with me, now..."

I feel my eyes slowly begin to close, my breathing gradually easing into nothingness, and I gently, yet painfully slip away...

*

Omnipresent Point Of View

"I think this tour is going to be my last, you know. This really is it, now. Invincible was my last album; I doubt I'll do any more now. Maybe a classical album, but not anything serious. I want to do more acting, star in more movies. That's all I really want," Michael tells Lacey.

"It's your comeback tour, and I know you'll do great Michael. I can feel it and tell," Lacey replies with a smile.

"I hope so. I'm getting older now... I think this is going to be the thing that really gets me. Fifty concerts is just... it's a lot. After planning to do ten, fifty will probably kill me."

"But I know you'll do amazing, no matter what, Michael. I believe in you."

He gives her a warm smile, and takes her hand in his. He rubs her knuckles gently, and looks down at the floor.

"I'm lucky to have a friend like you," he whispers.

"And I'll make sure to be your friend forever, Michael. Even in death."

*

Lacey lies dead on the floor, and Michael – who is no longer possessed – sits by her side, tears in his eyes. He takes her frail hand, and rubs her knuckles gently. He cannot believe that, when possessed, he managed to end the life of his best friend. He never meant to do that. Despite being dead himself, he could never end the life of anyone, no matter if they promised to or not.

As for the demon ghost, he's still walking eerily through the house, each step creating a horrific thud noise. He knows that Lacey is dead now, and takes a lot of pleasure from that. He walks towards the basement, seeing Michael with Lacey.

His eyes glowing a deep red, he advances on the pair, his black cloak trailing behind him. Michael looks up and sees him, a dirty look on his face.

"You made me end my best friend's life," he spits.

"And now she's with you. Be happy."

"She didn't deserve death. No one does."

"But you're dead. I'm dead. Now she is," the demon retorts lowly.

"Then why hasn't she returned as a ghost yet?" Michael asks, his voice raised.

The demon ghost remains silent, and swiftly walks to the window. He looks out of it, his bony fingers resting on the window sill. It's then that he sees it. Michael comes away from Lacey's body, and walks over to the window, the chains still clinging to his body.

They both look out the window together, and see flashbacks... just flashbacks... of Lacey and Michael's time together, when they were both alive.

*

The time when Lacey insisted they ride the Merry-Go-Round six times in a row.

The time when Lacey and Michael went on a shopping trip, Michael's first in 30 years, and watched all the fans gather outside the store, wishing for a simple glimpse of them both.

The time when Michael faced his weary child molestation trials, and was eventually found innocent of all charges against him.

The time that Michael was in London, giving his speech announcing his comeback tour to the British fans – as well as the entire world.

The time when they spoke their last words to one another, just a day before Michael died.

"Today's rehearsal was great, Michael. I'm so happy you actually let me come see today! Can't wait for next time!"

"I'm actually looking forward to it, too, Lacey. Just a little over two weeks until the tour begins."

"And you're gonna do great. Hey, look, I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay Lacey. Speak more soon. I love you."

"I love you more!"

"I love you most. Got you."

*

Michael looks down, and sees his chains dissolve slowly into thin air. He knows that Lacey's promise was kept, and she had now set him free due to her death. A tear falls down his cheek, as he sees a ghostly hand unlock the chains with a key.

"You didn't have to set me free, Lacey. I ended your life; I don't deserve this..."

"But Michael, I made a promise," Lacey's soft voice speaks in his ear. "And you should never break a promise..."

~~

If this story didn't make sense, I can explain it to you. L.O.V.E. xx