28.

In a corridor within the female school dormitory, Judy and the queen of the cheerleaders have come together by chance and are confronted by someone who has not been seen since he went missing under some very strange circumstances. When they see him, he is just standing there, not much more than twenty feet away, in a manner which suggests that trouble has come with him and said trouble is not willing to leave until it gets what it wants, that's if it ever is to leave at all.

'Hey ... you're Mike, right?' asks Queen Bee. 'People have been looking for you.'

'Oh, have they now?' responds Mike in a tone which states that he has not come here to be found. 'Where I have been, people don't go; it's somewhere no one should go ...'

'Where might that be?' Queenie asks half expecting that things may go a bit sour soon an obviously not wanting that to happen.

'In a grey unending place where no one ever should be held against their will ... I'm not here to tell of where I have been.'

A moment of surprise hits Judy and for a split second she thinks about mentioning that she has been in such a place like that. She cannot know for sure as to if it is the same place but seeing how Mike is acting has her thinking better of mentioning it. 'I think we better get going' she quietly suggests to her cheerleading companion.

Judy knows next to nothing about this Mike guy other than what she read about him in her book before her own arrival. Mike of course, is friends with Steve, and with all that is available to her ... she can assess the current moment and make an assumption. 'Are you being held against your will? Who has been doing that to you Mike?' she asks more out of fear of what might come rather than out of any kind of curiosity.

As the girls begin to move away from an on-comer, Mike takes a penknife from his right pocket, flicks it open and begins to move quickly towards the girls, deciding not to answer the question asked of him. 'I hate to have to do this, but some things need to be done.'

This is not Mike, this is not him at all, never in a hundred years would he have ever considered doing anything like what it is he has come to do, he is normally a fun outgoing guy who is quite responsible at the same time. Strange things do happen when one feels that their back is against the wall, a wall that comes with an eternity. Desperation has deeply altered him. The time missing within his world has been relatively short compared to the eternity he felt of being away.

'Run' Judy loudly speaks and Queen Bee doesn't question that call.

Both girls are fast, maybe Queenie being slightly the quicker. Mike is quick too, and at that he is a little quicker than either girl. There is little if anything in those corridors of which the girls can use to aid defending themselves in any way. Queenie stumbles slightly while attempting to pass through some corridor doors and this allows Judy to move slightly ahead of her.

Judy looks back towards Queenie just as Mike arrives right behind her. The sudden moment of Mike catching Queenie makes Judy scream. She briefly considers going back to help but moves forward around the next bend instead and as she does so, she runs into none other than Steve. She lets out another scream in fright at bumping into the football team captain, then while trying to catch her breath attempts to speak.

'...There ... there ... back there ...' she points to where she had come from.

'What? What is it?' asks Steve.

'M-M-Mike ...'

'Mike?'

Steve moves past Judy only to see absolutely nothing, nothing out of the ordinary that is, and he definitely does not see Mike or anyone who may resemble Mike in any way. In fact, he sees no one at all and that includes Queenie though at this point, he is totally unaware that the cheer leader had been anywhere close by. It is only when Judy calms a little that she is able to explain what had just happened.

As hard as it is for him to believe what he has been told Steve also feels that Judy would not lie to him, well at least not lie about what she is saying right here. Mike, this is so unlike him, and Steve knows this. If Mike has returned, then where the hell has he been? And why has he not tried to make contact with Steve?

Another question too, if Judy is telling the truth and Steve does indeed believe that she is, then where is Queen Bee? Mike could not have done anything to or with her, could he? Especially not with the short period of time in which had passed, and Mike too, if he is back then where has he gone? For the next few minutes, Steve, accompanied by Judy, searched for either or Queen Bee and Mike without finding either or any evidence of what may have transpired.

Once such a search does come to an end Judy decides to confront Steve about his relationship with Queen Bee, if there is one, and as to why he has come into the girls' dormitory when Judy fully expects Ellie to be somewhere outside.

'Don't assume anything or come to any kind of conclusion, especially when you do not have all the facts' Steve tells Judy in response to an accusing question she throws at him. His own response is calm. He is a big guy, and he doesn't want his words or stance to appear intimidating.

'Then tell me what is going on.'

'There are things I cannot reveal, not right now anyway, all I can tell you right now is that I do care for Ellie, she is unlike anyone else I know, and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt her. I would appreciate if you do not give Ellie reason to doubt me.'

'Alright, you are right ... anyway. There is no need to worry Ellie when there is no evidence of her being wronged.'

'Yeah, and besides, now we have another missing person, and we have to get answers on that before we go anywhere else.'

'Agreed.'

29.

Answers are not coming, at least not right away, so when nothing can be done, life continues to move on. More out of wanting a moment to herself, Judy makes her way back to that cavern round room. There is of course an interest in the oddity which exists in that place. What exactly is it? And what are its capabilities? Why doesn't everyone know of it?

Judy waits silently and patiently as she watches the blue and white light emerge against a stone wall like before and grow into a rectangular screen like vortex. What soon appears on that 'screen' is the image of a certain someone, a special someone. This appearance catches Judy somewhat off guard for it is not at all what she as expecting to see, in fact she did not know what to expect before-hand but this, this really gets Judy going, especially with what she does know about that screen.

'Is that your mother?' speaks a voice from behind Judy.

'Yeah' says Judy having turned to see Ellie. 'She looks as if she is hurting.' The vortex closes, to Judy's dismay and before anything else can be done or seen. 'No ...'

'I wouldn't worry about it ... any of it. It's all alright' says Ellie, 'you will see your mum again. again.'

'I better; she is my mum after all. It's very strange; I want to be there and at the same time I don't want to leave here. Anyhow, what's wrong with that ... whatever it is.'

'C'mon, let's get outta here. We have a party to get ready for.'

'We do?'

'Oh yeah, someone thought it a good idea to throw a student party and I kinda agree. Timing might not be great, but a party is just what we need.'

'Really? A party with all that has been happening?'

'Sure. A bit of fun will do no harm.'

'Maybe it won't, but who could really know for sure?'

To Judy, the idea of anyone throwing a party does indeed seem more than a little odd but who was she to decide what may or may not be best at any particular time so a time to party it is. Besides she hasn't been to many parties in the past, being someone who doesn't usually receive any kind of invitation. Before any further thought could be spent on the thoughts of a party Judy had a question to ask of Ellie.

'Hey, you know that place where we met, where we properly met? How did we get there? How did I get there? Does it have anything to do with what's there in the cavern?'

'I don't really know, do you? We were meant to be together and that is all ... we ...'

'What? ... What is it?'

'Judy ... your nose is bleeding ...'

Not for the first time a trickle of blood is exiting Judy's nose. She brings a finger to it and becomes numb as to how she should feel about this. Like before, what is happening to Judy is being mirrored in another reality. Where she rests in a hospital bed a nosebleed also occurs. Her mother's panic brings hospital staff into the room to attend to Judy.

As this is happening Oliver sits alone in the one place in which he is most likely to be found, the school library, and as he does sit alone lost in thought, he is sure he hears a voice call his name. The voice is female, and Oliver is sure it belongs to Judy. He has heard her call before. Is she in danger? He gets up and moves out of the library and cannot see anyone who may have called him though he can hear a faint echo of laughter.

This echo sounds as if two girls are giggling. There is no one near to him at this particular moment who could be creating these giggles. Having passed right out into that corridor Oliver is slightly surprised by the library door closing apparently by itself, surprised that it did close while no one was near enough to close it and only slightly as after all strange things have been happening.

The door sticks a little as Oliver attempts to get back in and get back in he does after a moment or two. Once back inside and for another moment or two books, begin to fall off shelves one by one. Oliver was alone or as alone as he could be, it was clear he was not as alone could be. Things don't take long to settle and even before Oliver is sure as sure can be that he really is alone; his mind couldn't help but think of Abe and of when he physically knocked books off the shelves.

***

In a grey place Mike is once again alone. He is angry to be back here, he is disgusted with himself too for going along with what he has been forced into and still he is here and not free as he was told he would be. It is quite possible and quite likely that he will be right where he is for some time to come, and as unfortunate as it is, time passes differently here as Mike is only too well aware.

A voice speaks from nowhere in particular yet it is all around.

'You did not get the job done.'

'There wasn't enough time' Mike responds.

'There was more than enough time.'

'Look, you told me ...'

'I know what I told you and you have a task to complete ...'

'Then send me back ...'

'You need to be punished.'

'No please ... send me back ... I'll get it done ... I promise you.'

That other voice does not speak any further.

'Send me back ...' Mike calls out. When no further reply comes, he sighs then sits. A single tear rolls down his right cheek. 'Send me back he says to himself quietly'. A whole host of emotion begins to hit. Disgust at what he has done, what he is willing to do, then sadness that he will never be able to repent for what he has already done.