Emily: Urban Renewel

   The path is dry, they feel dehydrated, for many the first time they've trully felt thirsty since arriving in this strange and hostile land. The sun bakes down on them as they traverse the dirt road, across the desert field to their right they can see a river come into view it meanders closer to the path.

   As Janet turns to step off the path, unaware of a stirring in the dirt just beneath her raised foot Peter's hand on her shoulder stops her. He is not aware of the stirring, no it is something else he is drawing her attention to. A man walking down the path towards them.

   "Is that..." says Robert shading his eyes from the harsh light and reflective ground, "it looks like Ricardo."

   Janet narrows her eyes, "A runaway from Hector's group."

   "Who put Hector in charge..." says Becky, practically with a growl, as she had been one who moved between Hector and Bob's groups which were usually only a block apart anyway.

   The man, Ricardo has stopped on the path, and waits. It is a point where the river is closer to the road, he seems preoccupied with looking at the crystal clear water, which has some odd silvery fish with fan like tails in it.

   As the four draw closer Robert yells out, "Ricardo is that you?"

  Ricardo shields his eyes, "Ah...so you are the four lost souls I was told about!"

  "What?" whispers Peter.

  "Likely look outs in the desert," whispers Becky, "like we did in the city...maybe watching us in these...small mountains...piles of rocks...whatever they're called."

   "It is good to see you," says Ricardo, "I see you four decided to leave that accursed city as well...wouldn't have expected you two..."

   He indicates Robert and Peter, "Guess your little town experiment didn't work out in the city...we've had a bit more success out here."

   "Didn't you tell us," says Robert, "that the town was worse than the city?"

   "It was," says Robert, "but its so small...most of the monsters have been evicted an...woah hold on lady!"

  Janet is about to step off the road as Robert says, "The river is a trap...well...its bait...just back up slowly...the road is a safe zone...but..."

   He points at a thin trail in the dirt along side the road that leads right up to but not past under Janet's raised foot, "a nasty little sandworm has been tracking you."

   "Oh shit," says Janet stepping back to the middle of the path.

   "Thanks," says Janet.

   "Ricardo," says Robert, "things have gone real bad in the city...we're all that left..that we know of. Sky Alpha has gone on a rampage, covered the city in a storm...yeah...they can control the weather...and we have something new...Human Form Alphas...they look just like us..but...are not."

  "Human...form...Alphas..." says Ricardo, "Oh...you must mean Reborns...guess one or so showed up in the city huh? We got one back in town too, calls himself the Ferryman. Old blind fellow, one of those seer types. He's the one that evicted the monsters in the town and declared it a safe zone."

  "Wait...what..."

  *SPLASH!*

  "Of fuck!" yells Robert drawing his gun at the river as the snake creature they know as River Alpha is swimming by in a rush.

  Ricardo however puts his arm out and says, "shhh...its not interested in us."

  As it swims past, grabbing a fish as it goes in its powerful jaws, it clearly sees them, slows down slightly, then looks away and swims faster.

  Ricardo eyes it with worry, "So...that's one of the four monsters that are after that man."

  "Ricardo," says Robert, "could you clue us in here?"

 Ricardo smiles and says, "Sure...on the way to the town, I'll tell you everything."

   ******

    A wrinkled old man, long grey beard, wearing long brown robes, and a white cloth wrapped around his head covering his eyes stands at the southern end of the small old western style town. He is facing straight ahead into the desert as a small dust devil is headed his way like a trail. A sandworm juts out of the ground, its mouth like that of a lamprey, something invisible slices through from the head of the dust devil. As it approaches, the man raises his left arm to the air, his sleeve falling back and a golden bracelet glowing brightly. There is the sound of a bell and a blue glow as the brown and striped cat-girl creature turns visible.

    "Naraki," says the man, "vassal of the Stone Demon, I am Armon, ferryman of the river and vassal of the Light Demon. I know why you are here."

   "My fresh meat," says Naraki in her cute voice, "My fresh meat was thrown here. I want my fresh meat back."

   A brow raises from behind the cloth, "Alright...Naraki, I would have peace in this town...as decreed by my master, with my gifts I know you are not alone...others seek your prey. I would have you all gather and decide peacefully who should have him."

   "My...meat," growls Naraki.

   The man faces north, "A second approaches, very quickly, Oh dear...this close I can sense who it is...if you would please, follow me, the second who wants this same....meat...is coming. Please observe the safe boundaries, I would rather not my master be involved."

  Naraki *shrugs*, "Fine...my meat..."

  As she walks behind the man through the town, the people, some of them anyway brave enough to do so, watch through the windows. Upon reaching the northern end of town where the river is swelled the man raises his left arm to the air, the gold bracelet glowing as the snake creature practically explodes from the water. It looks down at him and *growls*.

   "Naji'ina," says the man, "vassal of the Fire Demon, I am,"

  Naji'ina strikes the ground beside him kicking up dust, "Who are you to know my name little thing? Pet of the glowing bird?"

   She eyes the bracelet, "My mistress sent me to bring back the man, fetch him...why would you...who are you to interfere in our game?"

   She looks past him at the cat creature, "Oh...the beast of the woods around that tiny clean village..."

  She licks her lips, "Lollipop treatment?"

  Naraki licks her paw, "No...not today...all sandy....no fun...you wet...also no fun..."

  Naraki shudders, "hate wet...this boring...want my fresh meat back!"

  Naji'ina flicks her tongue, "lots of meat here...but...so fuzzy...numbs my tongue."

  "Enough!" shouts the man manifesting a cane and stricking the ground with it.

  "Naji'ina! Naraki! You both seek the same man...Thomas O'Mallory! He is in this town, your senses are dulled because it is a...hidden...safe zone. My master has other plans for these lost souls, they are not your treats...your meat...or...other disturbed uses."

   Naji'ina curls up and *hisses*, "I will fetch the treat...I've had him twice already..."

   "My meat," growls Naraki crawling past the man eyeing Naji'ina, "Mine...he lost in my territory...my meat...nibble as I want...delicious...delicious fresh meat."

   "Peace please," begs the man even as two more groups have arrived in town.

   ******

   -a few minutes earlier-

    Vicky and Emily are walking down the sun parched road as they pass a look out post.

   *Bang!* a gun shot echoes in the air. A man holding a very old looking rifle looks out through the window and cocks the rifle, "that was a warning shot ladies, now...friend or foe?"

   Before Emily can speak Vicky in a blind rage leaps through the air, through the wall of the lookout, grabs the man, throws him into the dirt after taking his gun. In her bare hands she rips the gun in two, tosses the pieces aside and kicks the man so hard in the side as to send him flying. Vicky *huffs* as she stands there in disbelief at what she just did. The man is holding his side unable to scream as his lung has collapsed and is vomiting up blood.

   "Holy shit," says Emily after a moment with a bit of a laugh mixed, "okaaay...Vicky...two questions...why...and how?"

   "I...don't know..." she says with a nod, "the why anyway...just something about that...pissed me off...weird..I've been around guns my whole life...never bothered me before, and even back in the city I didn't..."

   She *sighs*, "well the how...ever since I fought that snake creature...its like...I've been...adapting or something."

   The man gets up, "God damn you..." he stops looking at them wide eyed and points to their throats, "I...my apologies...I didn't....you are reborn arn't you? The vassals of a demon?"

   He stands up holding his side, "God damn its been awhile since..."

  He stops wide eyed and looks around, "Oh thank God..." he says with a *sigh*, "you kicked me onto the road...would rather not be torn apart by sandworms...or the other things today...or any other day for that matter ladies."

   He *groans* as he takes a few steps and sees his rifle torn in half, "Ah...shit...man, well...no matter I guess...I did shoot at demon vassals. Alrighty...you two must be the other two the ferryman was talking about. Guess in recom...pin..puh...in apology er...to apologize I guess I can escort you ta'town. Ferryman is expecting you..."

   -Upon getting into town-

   The man with Emily and Vicky are hiding behind a building watching as the old blind ferryman is trying to stand between the snake monster and the cat-girl they met in the super store as they pace around each other *hissing* and *growling*

   "What are they doing here?" asks Vicky.

   "Don't know," whispers the man, "the guy in the middle is the Ferryman, he's the vassal of our guardian angel, well Demon of Light he calls her, keeps the peace here...those two...never seen em before."

  "We have," whispers Emily narrowing her eyes at the snake, "they like to eat people..."

  The man *gulps*

  "But," offers Vicky, "we have no beef with the cat-girl...but..."

  Vicky looks at Emily, "if she's the same one...wander why she came all the way out here? and for that matter what the snake is doing out here?"

   ******

   As Peter's group heads into town from the side road they can hear commotion up ahead and duck behind some crates by a building.

    "Its River Alpha," sneers Peter, "so much for this safe zone nonesense,"

   "What the hell is this?" whispers Janet as they watch River Alpha and a cat creature they don't recognize circle around a man.

   "That's Ferryman in the middle," says Ricardo.

   Robert pulls out his gun and whispers, "it may not do jack of shit in the long run but we can distract them for your friend can run."

   "No need," says Ricardo, "look closer, he's trying to keep those beasts from fighting each other...I told you said there would be two actively seeking the new guy in town...and two passively...I'm going to guess these two are actively..."

   He shuts up as two winged creatures descend from the sky, the red one with her slightly curved and angled back horns, pterasaur like wings upon her back, cherry red hair and lips, green snake-doll eyes. The second with grey skin, demon wings, upward horns with a slight twist, clay like hair in a ponytail, and white iris eyes with no pupils on black.

   "Red Alpha....and Stone Alpha..." whispers Peter.

    ******

   "This...was unexpected," says the Ferryman, "and most unwanted."

   The two stand there, still as statues, their pets unsure of how to act. The Ferryman looks past the two winged creatures and spies Vicky and Emily, "ah...the two I foresaw, the passive hunters...I can see clearly now..."

   He stops as the black and grey winged creature with demon like wings and whose tail ends with a red tuft, rather than the lizard tip of the stone-grey one or the dragon tip of the red one, descends behind Vicky and Emily. With a gesture she back hands the man sending him flying into a nearby wall.

   "Mistress..." whispers Emily.

  "Torturer," states the Mistress turning to the man.

  "No..." says the man, "nothing I did was against the law...it was...the law...I..."

  He *SCREAMS* as with a gesture from the Mistress black chains erupt from the ground grabbing his arms and legs and pulling on them harshly.

   The chains are cut by golden blades of energy that come down from above. The man scrambles through the pain out of sight. The source of the light blades is a strange creature in the air flapping its white with golden tips feathered wings, it has clawed hands and three toed clawed feet like the other three, however it doesn't have a hook on the ankle like they do, and sports white and golden tipped feathers along the length of its tail, making it look with the wings like a fancy wedding dress. Its horns are like those of the mistress only with a golden spiral on them like some ornament adorning the horns. It has similar golden segmented lines along the sides of its neck, arms, under its breasts and in the clevage, down its sides, and the sides of its legs with some resembling leg braces on the front of its shins.

   As it floats there the red and grey ones pat the sides of their thigh. The snake creature goes over and wraps around the red one, the top of its head being petted and scratched by its master. The cat creature goes and lies down by the feet of the grey one. Vicky and Emily feel a tap on their buttocks as their Mistress urges them forward to stand between the others, all some distance apart. She wraps her wings around them drawing them in close as she eyes the feathered one and the man. The feathered one lowers herself behind the man.

   The other three look around and speak in unison as their eyes glow, very loudly, but not shouting, more akin to a speaker turned up, "Thieves, torturers, killers of innocent life we see here. We must bring them..."

  The grey one speaks, "pain"

  The red one speaks, "suffering,"

  The black one speaks, "strife,"

  They continue together, "innocent life lost seeks retribution, the souls of these mortals gathered here cry out for reformation."

  The ferryman cries out, "You demons hear me I am Ar..."

  The feathered one puts her claw on his shoulder. He stops and sits down by her feet, his body glows and shrinks while rising into the air. As the light vanishes he has transformed into a tiny white, fuzzy, and chibi creature resembling a duck or platypus with a bill, tiny paddle arms, webbed feet, a tiny fuzzy tail, orange jewel orbs for eyes, and a five pointed solar crest around its brow like some odd horns and armored brow. He floats into the left palm of the feathered creature and sits there.

   "What the fuck?" says Ricardo, "is that....what the fuck?"

   The feathered one manifests a golden staff with a hoop top with bell rings in it with her right claw and strikes the ground with it. A golden pulse issues across the ground and all the buildings fall apart. The people of the town are left exposed.

    ******

   The four demon like creatures are motionless, their eyes glowing, their embraces seeming to keep their pets in place, the twenty people or so of this town are quick to dig out of the collapsed buildings, those that were in them and gather behind the creatures and their pets, all of whom save seem to be ignoring them, although the two the four from the city would know as the two that had been there when Hector, Bob, Greg, Jose, and Tina were all "Lost", seem to be blocked from seeing them by how the creature they know as "Sky Alpha" is holding them.

   Thomas digs himself out as well, but can only see the backs of the creatures, save the feathered one, and can barely make that the black one is even holding two people in its embrace.

   He however is more greatly concerned by the sight of the snake and cat.

   "So much for our town," says the fighter pilot dressed man, "and that thing protecting us...wait...I...what...why are they just standing there and not attacking us?"

   "Who cares," says Peter to this group.

  "Who are you?" demands a woman in nineteen fifties attire.

  "My name is Peter Jones," says the man, "but introductions and all that shit arn't important right now...we've seen this before, the Alphas...the Apex Alphas...are talking to each other, they have their pets in check...it is our only chance to escape."

   "and go where?" asks the fighter pilot, "one road goes to that suburb trap...the other goes to the city, maybe not the worst idea...I came here from there...and...it aside from some stuff it wasn't so bad."

  "They changed it," says Peter, "I think they were...changing it the whole time come to think of it, but right now its under a massive storm and filled with thousands if not millions of more monsters than it was even two days ago."

   He glares at the creatures, "I think they are planning to do the same here...make changes, make it worse. They already tore this whole town down...start with a clean slate."

   Ricardo points at the river, "That seems likely my friends...look at what they already did to the river, we can't even escape those ways anymore."

   As if on que they see something resembling a cross between a shark and a lobster swim just beneath the surface past the creatures.

   He points across the desert towards the mountains, "that only leaves across the desert along the river's path to the mountains. According to a man I knew...that these two knew...who has unfortunatly been lost....there are buildings in the mountain, people too, we keep straight and don't cross the river in either direction and the mountain should be...normal."

   The red winged creature tilts its head in their direction.

  "No time," says Peter, "but I know mountains, maybe not these, but its better than waiting for these things to decide what they want to do."

   "The sandworms," says a woman.

   "Run for it," says Ricardo as he takes off.

  "Shit," says Peter as he runs too following him, along with Janet, Becky, and a number of others, including the towns people, except for Thomas.

   Thomas watches as they make their way to a rock outcropping. He can see the things from the ground, long worms with circular mouths filled with teeth as multitudes of them grab some of the fleeing people. They scream as the worms scrape and suck the meat from their bones, their chests, their chests, sucking and ripping and scraping bloody chunks off at a time. Even the meat from some poor bastard's arm. They scream as the largest chunks are eaten, their organs and bones left alone to write on the sand to slowly regenerate. The others have made it to the rocks, and race between them so quickly. They seem to have made it to firmer ground, only the ground around the town, save for the roads seems to be made of loose sand. Even the ground across the river looks different.

   Thomas looks at the creatures, his attention drawn again as another scream, the bones, the organs, regenerating, but as soon as the person tries to crawl, struggle, or get up...continuing towards the rocks, the worms are upon them again to start it all over.

   Thomas watches as one man barely struggles onto a rock while his leg and foot are stripped of chunks of flesh, someone else, clothes and flesh so far gone he can't make out if it was a man or woman is seemingly trying to head back towards the town. Only for Thomas to hear a *shriek* in the air and some horrid thing looking like a cross between a gigantic hawk, a bat, and a deer, flies out consumes the struggling bloody flesh and bones, yanking up several of the worms on it as well, devouring them along with it. It stands there and pecks at the ground, the worms have clearly retreated. It *shrieks* again and flies off.

   Thomas takes several deep breaths, grabs a broken board and charges at the winged demon like creatures while screaming, "You sick bastards!"

  With a simple flick of the tail the black one sends him flying into the air, having stuck him in the balls while doing so. He does not land however as the feathered one raises its glowing staff and speaks, "You do not belong here...you have not died, your own guilt keeps you here, but its is not your time. Return to the living world and seek to correct your actions, or else this and far worse will be your fate."

   He glows and vanishes.

   ******

   Although they could not see everything that was happening, they had a rough idea, due to the sounds of people screaming and other garish sounds. That and Thomas being sent in front of them and sent back to...the living world. Something that just irritates Emily. In a moment however their Mistress unfurls her wings and seems to reluctantly let them go. The red one also taps her pet on the head to unravel from around her, the cat rolls off the grey one's feet with a *moan* of complaint, and the feathered one tosses her pet who bounces on his fluffy bottom on the ground. The four winged creatures take off into the air and seem to be flying around in circular patterns.

   The fluffy crowned duck thing glows and turns back into the old bearded man. He speaks, "well...it seems this area is next for renovation. As times change they must change the places to match; no matter the situation these lands must work even in their absence. I understand the city especially was a mess with lost souls taking advantage of the hope elements....for what is hoplessness without hope...but...not too much hope."

   He takes off his blindfold revealing orange jewel like eyes without eyelids, "Well...as we appear to be their chosen...vassals for this area...for now, I believe it is in our best interests to get along. In this form I am known as Armon...in my...other form...I am called Armadar. I have a far greater form, however...I am unfortunatly forbidden from using it here...or my vast powers."

  The snake and cat seem to laugh, Vicky does too but she doesn't know why.

 The old man, Armon speaks, "If I may, with my powers I know things in the threads of time, and I know that two of you are not fully aware of who you are or even what you are."

   He looks directly at Vicky and Emily, "Well...given my nature lets start with these others instead. If I may...I present the Naga Queen..."

  "No!" growls the snake, "I can introduce myself little creature!"

  "As you wish," says Armon, "I meant no offense."

  She lifts herself up proud, "I am Naji'ina, Queen of the Naga of the Souther Moors...slain by a foolish human...hero...a man trying to build a kingdom or something, a mortal named Dorkanass."

   The cat speaks next, "I am Naraki, made by wizard, look like low level monster, sword hero said that...but Naraki stronger, Naraki...very strong, guard treasure...stupid sword hero kill Naraki..."

   Armon *sighs*, "Well...yes...but as my nature I am compelled to add, Naji'ina was slain by the Human king Dorkanass of the kingdom of Golderia, Naji'ina had killed and eaten over eighteen knights of a southern province, and consumed the count and turned his daughter into her mindless hypnotized love slave...chosen upon her death by that world's devil...the Fire Demon as she is known here...that would be the world of Homnes."

   "Sounds like a videogame," says Emily.

   "Cross Psionic influence between human worlds," says Armon, "often caused by remnant memories through reincarnations as human souls grow and move between different realities."

   "Well that's one mystery involving reincarnation and the number of people solved," says Vicky crossing her arms.

   "Naraki," says Armon, "created by a would be conquerer upon the world of Volca, made to guard one of his treasure houses...she delighted in killing and consuming those who would trespass there. Killed by the Gil-Pen the then holder of the Fire Dragon Orb. Chosen from the land of hungry ghosts by one of the four devils of that world...known here as Stone Demon."

   He turns his attention to Vicky and Emily, "you two are fun,"

   He turns to Emily, "Emily Valhorton, killed by the human Thomas O'Mallory's machinations, and directly by one George Stevens and Henry Bennet. Kept in a state of living death through full body torture by the technology of Earth-D NINE. My dear...your soul was an old one already, marked by the one we call the Storm Demon in a past life. A soul on the verge of evolving further, which you achieved in only five months after leaving your body. Before that time you could have re-entered your body, the pain was done by four. But you grew stronger out of your body, in less than a year you were on the verge of turning into a Yurei...a spirit of vengence...nemesis, fury, there are various names for the concept. No longer a human soul, you grabbed that man's heart and dragged his spirit into Hell...however the nature of Hell is not to remember your past lives, seems it applies to activities your body wouldn't rightfully remember as well...at least until you met your killer again, looks like you dropped him on the way in and fell before he did by only a day here thanks to the memory exclusion. Her marking you however, seems to have landed you almost directly in her lap."

    "So," says Naji'in smiling at Emily with a twisted grin, "that explains why you didn't digest properly and upset my stomach...a ghost!" She starts to laugh, a horrible sound that would send chills down the spine of the bravest of souls.

   She flicks her tongue again and smiles, "I apologize for not realizing sooner, would have prevented such...unpleasentness...for you."

   Emily doesn't like the way she said that last part.

   Naji'ina holds her stomach, "Well...for me too really. That hurt...but you tasted so good I was willing to try again...but..."

  She smiles wider, "I am always up for what Naraki taught me...the lollipop treatment."

  "Wait..." says Vicky remembering her saying that before, "Is that...sexual?"

  "Indeed," says Naji'ina making Emily blush.

  "Wait...wait..." says Vicky, "we're getting distracted....okay you three died...but old man...duck chibi thing...I didn't die...and why would I be in Hell?"

   The man *sighs*, "Everyone goes to Hell, if only for a short time to wash off the sins of that one life so they don't bog down the next, or before the bliss of heaven for their reward...same basic purpose, nothing lasts forever really, bliss or pain forever would be numb after awhile and completly pointless on their own. You would remember this if you could remember your past life...but the nature of Hell...it would be pointless to remember past lives here when you are here for the one you just finished...but you my dear...don't even have a human soul."

   "What?" asks Vicky.

   "No longer hidden," says Armon, "not at this range anyway, the beings here do not feel pain, do not know the expectations or cultural shifts of the mortal world...or sure they may go there and acquire books, and these...movie things, and what not is available to try and learn...but they are not exact. Sometimes a volunteer will go to Earth to be born as a human, hiding most if not all their true form's memories to learn and experience things about and from the human perspective."

   He pauses for dramatic effect, "you are a demon...you already learned to control your soul body in ways a human mind never could without such intense meditation..."

  "Okay so how the fuck did I die then?" demands Vicky, "don't tell me this past life I don't even remember decided I knew enough and just offed me!"

   "shot in the back of the neck," says Armon, "a poacher upon your land, and a very unlikely shot, missed a deer, sailed through a field and got you in the back of the neck. It lost enough energy to not be instantly fatal, instantly paralyzed though...but...without immediate medical attention...your lungs stopped, heart stopped, and brain was long gone before you were found."

   Vicky's eye twitches, "that is fucked up!"

   "and..." continues Armon,

  "I also became a ghost," says Vicky her eyes flashing with a deep purple light, "I followed the bullet...I found the hunter...I pushed his car off a cliff and then...came home but..."

   She shakes her head, "I remember...remembering...but not what I remembered...why don't I know what I really am? What am I?"

   "Well," says Armon.

  "Armadar!" shrieks the Storm Demon coming down loud and hard onto the dirt alarming them all.

  She walks over to the group, "My dear...it was your wish to live as a human till the day you died...and to experience this realm in the same manner till you yourself discovered on your own your own true nature and name."

  She eyes Armon, "It was her wish...my favortism not with standing I would not see you going against her wishes."

   "But...I am compelled," says Armon.

  The feathered one lands behind him, taps him on the back of the head turning him back to his small fluffy form and speaks, "My apologies sister, his role is not in your game of course I will move him to a more appropriate position."

   As she flies up she says, "You are so much trouble when I let you play with others...come to the library setting with you."

   She flies off towards the mountains.

  The grey one known as the Stone Demon lands and pats her abdomen, Naraki leaps onto her, arms around her neck, legs around her waste.

  "The data of their games and movies," says the Stone Demon, "has given me ideas for the silver mine, let us test some stalker positions."

   With that she flies off with Naraki on her. Naji'ina smiles as she watches the Fire Demon manifest a long concrete bridge across the river, as deep as the river is it goes up to the rim. The Fire demon raises the bridge up higher, manifesting stairs up to it, a foot bridge as Vicky and Emily know it. She gestures for Naji'in to follow and swim about under the bridge, apparently examing the blind spots. Vicky and Emily have to back and shield their eyes as a tornado appears and sucks up the debris of the town, including a few people who were still buried and throws it and them all randomly out into the desert.

   "Ya'know," says Vicky, "I'm kind of pissed to learn they can all tak so coherently...still feels dumbed down though compared to that glowing eyes thing..."

   "and you're a demon," says Emily feeling Vicky's muscles, "awesome..."

   She looks at her own hands, "So...I have any ghost powers?"

  She looks quizzically at the Storm Demon they call Mistress.

  The Mistress narrows her eyes and simply says yes. She walks over to Emily and kisses her on the head before pointing the way the people ran, "Learn....hunt."

  "Uh..." says Emily, "they didn't do anything to me...but..."

  The Mistress smiles, it is a twisted malicious smile, "Vengence," she says as she manifests a blue glowing playing card sized and shaped object.

  "One freebie," she says as she inserts it into Emily's head, it slides in like a ghostly object.

  Emily blinks as her eyes flash with a blue inner light and she says, "Ghost Gate,"

  Vicky watches as Emily is staring straight ahead, their Mistress floating with wings spread, although clearly not needing them to hover there looking about the land scape with thought.

  "I think we might be in the way," says Vicky, "pretty sure they plan to make a bigger town here...a more...realistic one than that theme park old west town that was here. Judging by that bridge and all."

   "Ghost Gate," whispers Emily, there is a flash of blue light and they are both somewhere else, a hospital room.

   "Mom!" exclaims Emily, "and...my body."

   Her mother stands up as a doctor comes in and informs her that Doctor Thomas O'Mallory awoke from his coma, and wants to take a look at the equipment and her daughter as soon as possible. He says the neural link may have a malfuntion preventing her from waking up...from a vivid dream given the REM they have been monitoring.

   "Ya'know," says Emily, "If I woke up and heard that I probably would have believed it..."

  "Ghost Gate," says Vicky, "so...spirit of vengence huh? Might want to watch when you say that next to people it looks like...and...they can't see me either."

   "You said you remembered...when you were a ghost.." says Emily.

  "Don't remember what I...ugh...remembered remembering....then. Guess I really wanted to this self discovery thing...well...while the Mistress is at work...guess this beats sitting around all day watching tv. So what's our first movie...spirit of vengence?"