*SERIOUS SPOILERS! DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE FAMOUX. I MEAN IT!*

finley

"We have comple control over Emeray Essence."

Well, not really, I mean, she can still go tell Norax--"

"Silence. The girl will not tell Ms. Geddes. She's Famoux for crying out loud. The celebrity life does not include sacrificing yourself for the good of others. Even if she hasn't been in the spotlight long."

"Yes sir." I sighed. "I knew someone who would, though. He might still."

"Your boyfriend is dead, Finley."

"No he's not, he's still there--"

"Scott is dead. End of story."

"Yes sir."

A light blinked in the corner of the room. The Analytix was turned on. My heart beats faster. What if it wasn't Emeray Essence? What if it was Foster Farrand? Could I convince him to come back to me?

I shook my head, as if it would shake those thoughts out of my head. Scott is dead. I had to remind myself of this. Scott is dead. He's not coming back.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I want to!"

I shrugged. "Maybe it's too soon. I don't know."

"Well she should be tuning in any moment, so we don't have much time to lose. Do you want to go through with this or not?" As he says that the light flashes again. She's listening to us.

I clear my throat and plaster a smile on my face. "Well, too late, sir. We're starting anyway. Emeray--we know you're listening." We are monitoring her pulse, and, as expected.

He smirks. "Listen, Emeray Essence." He says her name like an insult. "Our plans have . . . changed. You may have gotten our note a while ago that demanded you be widely liked. After a few revision sessions, we'e decided that secluding our search to you is, well, a gamble. We don't gamble. That being said, we need you to comprehend this next part fully. Can you do that? You are not allowed to tell Norax Geddes, nor any security guards or Famoux staff about our new plan. If you walk out of your little room and tell her, you will die tonight. We have eyes within your walls and will see that through. The only people you are allowed to tell are the Famoux members, since this pertains to them as much as it pertains to you." He pauses. "From this moment on, the clock is equally ticking for all of you. We will kill the least popular Famoux member at the next Darkening, and we will carry on in this fashion until we have to most admired member left."

I shudder, as she probably does too. Scott-- I mean Foster, could die. And if Foster Farrand dies, he takes Scott Fare with him. Stop it, Finley, I tell myself. My boss' words play in my head on a loop. Scott is dead.

He snickers. "You may wonder what vendetta we have, but this is simply vital for what we need to accomplish, and it's now vital to preserve your life. In order for you to keep the most proper tabs on your likability, we've developed a gauge that can only be viewed by the given subject in the Analytix, which should appear in any moment."

"Cue the Volx," I whispered to the men at the controls behind me.

"This is what we like to call the Volxtrum--the Volx for short. As you can see, it's set up like a bar graph with each of your names beneath. But Emeray, would you take a good look at the names?" He paused again. Reaction time. "Yes, yes, Emeray. We know your pasts. We see you presently. We know your future. the only thing you can control is whether or not the world likes you, and even that's not completely in your hands. We all here at DEFED head quarters you luck on this endeavor, Miss Parvenu. Our bad--Essence." The smirk grew. "So easy to forget when you never wander farther than an arm's length from who you used to be. Don't forget to warn the others about this. It would not be beneficial to you if you neglect telling them. Our eyes on the inside will know exactly when you've told them, and they will report back to us.

"You dealt with petty children all your life, Miss Essence. It's time for you to start dealing with the big kids. Stay safe out there.

"Much love, DEFED."

We disable the Volx, disconnecting us from the Analytix. He stands up and looks at me, then walks out of the room. But while he is gone, his voice lingers in the air.

Scott is dead. No, he's not.

Scott is dead. He's still alive, I can bring him back.

Scott is dead. I'm sure I can bring him back.

Scott is dead. I know I can.

Scott is dead. No, I know I can . . .

I can't.

I sigh in defeat.

Scott Fare is beyond repair.

Scott Fare is dead.

xxx

FINLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Loving the multimedia feature by the way)

But seriously, writing that last part made me shiver.

So I will now be taking requests about which chapter to do next, so COMMENT AWAY!

That's all for now!