 
# Necromancy for the Greater Good

By S.J. Drew

Story and Cover Copyright 2012 S.J. Drew

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Introduction

Track 1: MMORPG and Me (My True Love)

Track 2: Quantum Butterfly

Track 3: Secretly a Drow

Track 4: Pet Rattlesnake

Track 5: Perchance to Dream

Track 6: Tricks O'Pedia

Track 7: Crushed Velvet and Black Lace

Track 8: Tintinnabulation

Track 9: Tango at the End of Pompeii

Track 10: Spectrum of Black

Track 11: Blood-sucking Fiend

Track 12: Centaur Express

Track 13: Triskaidekaphobia

Wrap-up

**Introduction:**

"'What Does Necromancy for the Greater Good' mean? My interview with Nevermore and the Ravens," by Brad Walters, writer for "Forever Rock" magazine.

Nevermore and the Ravens has been playing the small time music scene for a few years now before exploding on the popular music scene. The Ravens are a progressive concept band that utilizes any style that seems to fit the song (ravens are mimics after all) with a backbone of alternative or progressive rock. The band utilizes whatever instruments will work, including viola and cello. Their first commercial success is, of course, "Necromancy for the Greater Good." The band is made of four women who go by the obvious stage names of Anna, Belle, Lee, and Lenore. They tend to switch up who sings and who plays what instruments making it hard to determine who's the lead anything. Their stage costumes are identical so the only one who can be identified is Lenore, and that's because, not to be too politically incorrect here, she's African-American. The costumes are influenced by Goth, Victorian Noir, Steampunk, pulp, and occasionally classic music videos. I got the chance to sit down with the band and ask them about their inspiration. The best way to describe their costumes for the interview was Goth meets Indiana Jones.

Update - The edition with the edited interview was so popular I'm posting the entire, unedited interview here in which I discussed each track with the band. They answered some of my questions and not others. At the end of the interview, they all gave each other knowing looks that would have triggered a flashback sequence if we were in a movie, but they didn't tell me the story they were thinking of. I also included the lyrics to each track so you can see how everything comes together.

**Track 1: MMORPG and Me (My True Love)**

The Interview:

Brad: Welcome, ladies. I'm glad you chose to do your first interview with "Forever Rock" magazine.

Belle: Well, it is only one of the oldest music magazines. If you're going to do something, go over the top.

Brad: Does that philosophy influence your music?

Lee: It sure influences our costumes.

Brad: [laughs] It certainly makes you easy to recognize as a group, but individually it's difficult to recognize anyone except Lenore.

Lenore: Obviously because I'm the talent here.

Anna: Or because you're black.

Lenore: Whatever.

Brad: So let's talk about your breakthrough album, "Necromancy for the Greater Good." It's a really unusual title. Is your group influenced by the dark fantasy genre?

Belle: I'm going to say no because I don't even know what that is.

Brad: Okay, I guess that's fair. How would you categorize your music? You play rock, but seem to cross between indie, alternative, progressive and then start to bring in obvious influences from glam rock, metal, and even pop from the 1960s.

Lenore: We don't categorize our music. We play our music. You, and other music critics, categorize it. Fans listen to it, and that's all we care about.

Brad: I see you Ravens are going to play hard to get. How about something simpler: Who's Nevermore?

Belle: Nevermore isn't a person. It's just part of the name, and the style.

Brad: Well, that's a straight answer.

Lee: First and last of the interview.

Brad: It's going to be a short piece if you don't give me something to work with. So what are you real names?

Lee: Trade secret. But I can say they are not entirely dissimilar to our stage names.

Brad: That's nice and confusing.

Lee: Thanks.

Brad: Let's start at the beginning. Your first song is called, "MMORPG and Me (My True Love)." At first, it sounds like a catchy hard rock-pop tune, but the chorus is almost spoken word. It's more like a Greek chorus in a play. Why start like that?

Lenore: It lets everyone know we're different.

Brad: It certainly does. "MMORPG" of course stands for "massively multi-player online role-playing game." Are you heavily into the online gaming scene?

Lenore: Nope.

Brad: Then where did you get the idea?

Anna: It's my brother's fault, really.

Brad: [pauses] Is that all you're going to say?

Belle: Yes. Yes it is.

The Flashback:

"Cleveland. Why are we here again?" Nora asked.

"Because Cleveland rocks," Leah said.

"I'm pretty sure that's objectively not true."

"Well, we do have a gig here," Isabella answered patiently. "And Maryann wants to visit her brother."

"I don't want to visit him," Maryann replied. "Mom and Dad said I need to check up on him. His grades have really tanked this semester."

"What are you going to say to him? Do better?" Leah asked. "You don't know anything about engineering."

"No, but I can be really encouraging," the redhead said brightly.

"And annoying," Nora said under her breath.

"Oh, yeah, and you're so easy to get along with. Always making us look at the comments from your fans."

"It's not my fault I'm so good."

"You're the only one they can recognize."

"Yeah, because I'm just that good."

"No, you're black," Maryann pouted.

"Don't get all racist on me."

"Hey, I'm not white," Leah said. "I'm Latina."

"Ladies, we are not having this argument again," Isabella said firmly. She irritably pushed a lock of her blonde hair out of her face. "We wear identical costumes on-stage. Nora is the only one who looks different. Therefore it's easier for fans to identify her on-stage. And Leah, you're plenty white in stage make-up. Remember, it takes all four of us to make this band work. Now, no more arguing."

"You heard the boss," Leah said.

"No one ever notices the necklaces," Maryann sighed, idly playing with a silver ankh on a chain.

"Just finish unloading the equipment," Isabella said. "Then tell us where we're supposed to meet your brother."

"Oh, I should call him, shouldn't I?"

Nora rolled her eyes. "If that girl couldn't rock out on a guitar..."

Eventually the band called Nevermore and the Ravens got their gear unloaded. The four women were dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and coats. Nora's was an elegant dark blue wool coat, Isabella's was a Navy trench coat bought from a surplus store, Leah wore a dark brown thick jacket purchased from a camping store, and Maryann's was a bright red trench coat. Afterward, they headed to Case Western Reserve University to meet Maryann's brother. She had to call him six times before he finally agreed to meet them.

"Remember, don't call him Skipper," Maryann said as they waited at the door to the dorm. "He changed his name legally to Jason and he hates being called Skipper. I still don't understand why he changed it though."

"Hell, I'd change my name too if my dumb parents named me after the characters on some lame TV show," Nora said.

"It's a great show!"

"Of course it is, Maryann Ginger."

"Ladies, that is enough," Belle snapped. "Maryann, call your brother again."

Maryann did so.

A young man with auburn hair finally emerged from a dorm looking a little downcast. "Hey, Maryann."

"Hi Skipper, I mean, Jason."

He rolled his eyes. "So Mom and Dad sent you to figure out why my grades suck?"

"How did you know?"

"They're kind of predictable. Hey, Nora, Leah, Isabella. You guys still doing that band thing?" he asked.

"We're only here because we've got a gig tonight," Nora said disdainfully. "Some bar down on Coventry, I think."

"That's cool."

"Do you want tickets?" Maryann asked. "We each get one free. You can bring friends."

"They won't come."

"They won't come to see four totally hot chicks rock out?" Leah asked.

"Well, they're kind of busy."

"Doing the same thing you were while we were waiting for you?" Maryann asked irritably. "And waiting, and waiting, and waiting?"

"Look, there's this new game. Well, old game. It's called CaseHack. It's based on the old NetHack style games. It's just really addictive."

"I'm going to assume that explanation makes sense to someone," Nora said.

"It makes sense to me. NetHack was awesome," Leah replied.

"You're such a geek."

"I can tell Mom and Dad why your grades have tanked," Maryann said.

"Yeah, well, maybe I should study more," he said.

"By the way, what are you wearing?" she asked. "I thought Mom threw those things out."

Jason looked down at his rumpled jeans and grungy sweatshirt. "I, um, haven't gotten around to laundry for a couple of weeks. Maybe more."

"Because of that game?"

"It's really fun."

"Honestly. You're going to get out today. You're going to take us on a tour of the campus," she said brightly.

"His grades tank and we get punished? How is that fair?" Leah asked.

Isabella put an elbow in the brunette's ribs.

"Aw, do I have to?" Jason whined.

"Yes. And we'll figure out what to do about your grades."

"It's not fair. You do this band thing and they aren't on you."

"That's because they're counting on you to earn some money to help them in their old age. They've already written me off," Maryann said, but she didn't sound bitter about it.

"Fine, fine," he sighed. "I only did this for three semesters. And hey, the sun's shining in April in Cleveland. That's pretty rare. I'll tell you, this is a really weird place. It's really two schools sort of mashed together."

"Like an academic Frankenstein's monster?" Leah asked.

"Sure, something like that." He escorted them south from the Northside dormitories towards the main quadrangle.

"I think we could fry an egg on the roof in the summer," he said as they stopped in front of the School of Management. "No one really likes it, you know. Only the management types. They think it represents 'thinking outside the box.'"

"Yes, in a very literal way," Isabella agreed. "It looks like a box exploded."

"It's no better inside. It's all concrete floors and industrial metal."

"How much did this ugly thing cost?" Nora asked.

"Um, more than fifty million."

"Well, that's management for you," Leah said.

They continued on the tour and reached a silver, cylindrical fountain.

"So, what's this called? Or do I want to know?" Nora asked.

"I mean, this thing is here, all straight and erect and thrusting into the blue sky..." Leah said.

"Yeah. It's called the Michelson-Morley fountain, but we call it something else I'm not saying in front of my sister," Jason said. "Come on."

The finished the tour in front of an old church.

"So what's this building?" Isabella asked.

"Amasa Stone," Leah answered promptly.

"Yeah, we can see it's a big stone building," Nora said.

"Hey, this isn't one of my puns. I'm just reading the name off the sign. Amasa Stone Chapel."

"Man, I thought Maryann Ginger and Skipper Gilligan were stupid names. Who names their kid 'Amasa?'" Nora asked.

"Someone who probably doesn't like his parents much," Leah offered.

"Well, he certainly didn't like Case much," Jason said. "Legend has it back in the day when the school was two schools that the Stone family came to the Case School of Engineering and offered to build them a church. Well, I guess the engineers weren't big on religion and refused the offer."

"Those godless heathens," Leah said, shaking her head.

"Apparently this insulted the Stone family so they went to the rival Western Reserve University and offered to build them a church. Western Reserve agreed."

"Those religious fanatics," Leah commented.

"The Stone family had the church built as close to the property line as possible as kind of a 'screw you' to the Case school."

"Wow, it's great we can get this story from someone who clearly knows so much about Case," Nora said sarcastically.

Jason shrugged. "Maryann asked for the tour and you guys came along. That's also not the whole story about this chapel. Look up."

They all looked up at the chapel's bell tower.

"On the Western Reserve side, the chapel is protected by angels. But if you like at the Case side, that's a gargoyle, and if the legends are true, it's just long enough to actually be over the original property line."

"Oh, so the gargoyle defends against the influence of the godless heathen engineers that refused the church," Leah said, "which means the engineers are cursed with bad grades."

The other young women looked at her.

"That's what he said."

"Well, more or less. I don't believe in that stuff, of course."

"Yeah, your bad grades are because you play a silly game," Maryann said.

"It's an awesome game!"

"Look, Mom and Dad are very upset." She handed him four tickets. "Get out tonight and come see the show, okay?"

He took the tickets. "I'll try."

"And please study."

"I'll try."

Isabella was still staring up at the gargoyle.

"I know that look. Can't we just get through one gig without this sort of thing?" Nora asked in a low voice.

"Not here," Leah said. "Everyone knows Cleveland has a Hell-mouth."

The others looked at her blankly.

"What, no Buffy fans?"

"You are such a geek."

"It's not a Hell-mouth," Isabella sighed.

"So," Maryann said brightly to her brother, "what's a good place to eat around here? I'll treat you to lunch."

"First free tickets, now a free lunch," Nora said, annoyed.

"So, are we coming back after the gig?" Leah asked Isabella quietly.

"I think we might. Something about this feels a bit off to me."

Jason took them to a restaurant in the area, but he was twitchy and clearly eager to be rid of the band. They left him at his dorm and headed back to their hotel.

"Even odds that your brother doesn't show up tonight," Nora said.

"I know," Maryann sighed. "He's so smart too. I hate to see him throw away his scholarships. I don't understand. I thought he'd have this out of his system by now. You know, played all the games there are to play sort of thing?"

"Well, we'll see," Isabella said.

The gig that evening went well, but there was no sign of Jason. Maryann called him after the show and he sheepishly confessed he'd forgotten about the show because he was playing CaseHack again.

"I don't know what to do," Maryann lamented at the hotel as they changed out of their costumes. "Stupid game."

"I think we need to go back to that chapel," Isabelle said.

"What, did you sense something?" she asked.

"I might have. Come on, ladies."

"Every time. Every damn time we get involved in something spooky in the middle of the night," Nora said.

"That's what we get for being who we are," Maryann said.

"Wow, that's almost deep."

"Thanks!"

The band piled into their van and drove to Case. It took awhile to find a place to park and they had to walk back down to the main Quad and finally reached the chapel. Isabella closed her eyes and recited a spell to give her spirit sight.

"So, what do you see?" Nora asked.

Isabella looked up at the bell tower. "Spirits, like I thought, but not the gargoyle. I wonder where it's hanging out. Hey, angel spirits, can you tell me where the gargoyle's spirit is hanging out?"

After a moment, there was a response from one of the spirits of the angel statues. "One of the engineering buildings," answered a disdainful ethereal voice.

None of the other three were the least bit surprised at hearing a spirit voice.

"I am not getting another breaking and entering charge," Nora said. "And we don't know which engineering building."

"Now I know what to look for, I'll find the trail," Isabella said. "Now come on." Now that she had spirit sight, it was not difficult to follow the recent passage of a strong spirit. She also noticed lesser spirits inhabiting the area. "It went in here," she said, pointing at the mechanical engineering building.

"And how do we get in?" Nora said.

"With this," Maryann said, holding up a card.

"You stole your brother's ID?"

"I wanted to see if he'd even notice. And he didn't." She waved the card in front of the door. The access panel lit up and they entered the building.

"I'm surprised students are allowed in this late," Leah said.

"They aren't, but Skipper, I mean, Jason said his ID has a glitch so he can get into most buildings. He just never reported it to Security."

"They'll probably notice now," Nora said wryly.

"This way," Isabella said. She led them to a computer lab. The lights were off, but there was a computer that was clearly on. "There it is."

"You want to give us eyes now to make this easier?" Leah asked.

Isabella cast the spirit sight spell on her friends.

"Yep, that's a gargoyle. What is it doing?" Nora asked.

"Programming?" Leah offered.

"I think we've just found the mysterious CaseHack programmer," Isabella said. "Come on." She opened the door.

The computer immediately shut off.

"We can see you," she said to the five foot tall spirit that looked almost exactly like the statue.

There was no reply.

"You're the spirit of the gargoyle on Amasa Stone chapel, and you wrote CaseHack."

"Um, you can't prove anything," it said in a growling voice.

"You were just on the computer!" Maryann said.

"Um, I was checking my email."

"Why would a spirit have email?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

"That's a fair point," Leah agreed.

"Why did you write CaseHack? I thought you were a spirit of protection," Maryann said.

"I'm a spirit of protection and defense," it said. "I defend against those godless heathen engineers. So I wrote this game they can't stop playing. I even got them off of the Battle.net," it said with clear pride.

"You're making my brother fail!"

"That's not my problem."

"We're making it your problem," Isabella said. "Now, why don't you tell us why you've done this? You've been guarding for decades. Why start being so active?"

"You don't care," it said sullenly.

"Sure we do. Why are you being so mean?" Maryann asked.

"What do you expect from someone who literally has a heart of stone?" Leah asked.

"Is this really the time for jokes?" Isabella asked severely.

She shrugged. "Always."

"It's not very original," the spirit said. "I've heard all those jokes before. They're not funny."

"Who told you those jokes?" Isabella asked.

"The others up on the tower. They only make fun of me," the spirit said. "There used to be a bunch of gargoyle spirits on the Rockefeller building and I didn't have to talk to those angel spirits. But then one winter one of the statues fell off the roof and the school took all of them away and now I don't have anyone to talk to. You know, I don't just program the game. I play it too. And the students talk to me. They don't know I'm not a student. I can't leave, you know. I have to protect. It's my job."

"You're more like a student than you think," Nora said. "Afraid to make friends and hiding in the computer."

"I told you, the others just make fun of me," it snapped.

"Listen, we need you to stop putting the magic in the game that makes people play it all the time. My brother is failing out!" Maryann said.

"What do I get out of it?" it asked sullenly.

"We'll go talk to those stuck-up angel statue spirits and figure out what their deal is," Nora said.

"I would have said 'mean-spirited spirits,'" Leah said.

Nora rolled her eyes.

The gargoyle spirit chuckled. "Hey, that'd be nice."

"We'll be right back," Nora said. "Ladies."

They exited the building but they noticed the gargoyle spirit following them at what it seemed to consider a safe distance.

"Excuse me; can we talk for a minute?" Isabella asked the angel statue spirits.

They seemed to have a conversation amongst themselves and then sent one down as a representative. "Why are you mortals bothering us?" it asked. It looked very much like the statue, only taller.

"Why are you so mean to that gargoyle who shares the bell tower with you?" Nora demanded.

"It's a gargoyle. We're angels."

"No, you're all protection spirits. It just looks like a gargoyle, and you look like angels. It's not the same thing at all," Isabella said.

"We protect. It defends."

"Listen here spirits," Nora started.

"Oh, no, here we go," Leah said.

"That poor creature is stuck on that bell tower just like you three. You were built for the same purpose - protection. And here you are acting like mean girls. Where did you even learn that? There's barely enough girls here to go around. It lost all its friends when those other statues were taken away and you just ignore him. Angels, huh? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Ashamed!"

The spirit did look taken aback.

"Don't be like us petty mortals. Don't be mean girls. That gargoyle spirit clearly knows a lot about the modern world, and I'll bet you don't even know what a computer is."

"No, I have no idea. I do know it just keeps going on and on about that sort of thing. We protect. We don't get involved," it said disdainfully.

Maryann pulled out her phone and loaded up a video. "Oh, so you've never seen this," she said, and held up the phone.

The spirit looked puzzled. "It is some sort of magic box? Oh, it's a kitten! Oh, it's adorable! What is it doing? It's falling asleep! It's falling asleep standing up. Oh, that is sooo cute. This is a computer?"

"Not really, but the gargoyle here can show you," Isabella said while Maryann uploaded another adorable kitten video. The other two spirits descended and started to watch the videos.

"Um, I don't want to spend all my time watching kitten videos," the gargoyle said to Leah.

"Relax. This is just to get them interested. You just wait. Soon enough they'll be ready to try out games and watch other stuff and in no time at all you'll all be together on guild raids."

"Maybe," it said doubtfully.

"Listen, you've got to give a little to get a little. It's better than being ignored, right, and you're stuck with them, like it or not, right?"

"Yes, you're right."

"Okay, now we've introduced you to the modern world, we should get back to our hotel and get some sleep," Nora said.

"Will you show us this computer?" an angel spirit asked the gargoyle as Maryann put away her phone.

"Sure! It's the best thing ever. There's a lot more videos of a lot more than kittens and there are also games."

"If you go to our website, you can see a broadcast of our show," Maryann said. "We're Nevermore and the Ravens."

"Oh, I don't like that modern rock stuff," the gargoyle spirit said. "But thanks for your help." The four spirits headed back to the computer lab.

"Well, there's no accounting for taste," Leah sighed.

"I hope they become fans anyway," Maryann said.

"Now, can we please get some sleep?" Nora asked.

"Yes. Let's go. And don't forget to give your brother his ID back," Isabella said.

"I won't. It's nice when we get a happy ending."

"I'm not sure all the students will agree when their magic game goes away."

"They'll be grateful during finals week," Leah said.

"That's true," Isabella agreed.

The Lyrics:

Pizza boxes on the floor

Mail pilin' up at the door

Beer bottles line my hall,

Ain't got no time for nothin' at all

Refrain: Angels on three sides, gargoyles on one

The light burns my eyes,

Tripped over my shoes

Haven't bathed for a week

Ain't up on the news

Refrain

My sweatpants are matted,

So is my hair,

My mascara has run,

I don't even care

Refrain

The sound of the NPCs ring in my ears,

I'm in the middle of a battle

The pizza guy's coming

But I can't hear

Refrain

I scrounge for food by the side of the road

And in the depths the fridge find a pop

My answering machine is blinking

Just one more level; then I'll stop

Refrain

Haven't seen the sun

Haven't been to work

Haven't talked to a real person

But I've found my true love!

Refrain

(Lee, spoken word): My character's a half-elf shadow-blade; I'm in the assassins' guild; there are no gargoyles here!

Refrain: Angels on three sides, oblivion on the other.

**Track 2: Quantum Butterfly**

The Interview:

Brad: The next song, "Quantum Butterfly," shows a definite influence from progressive rock and glam rock. The tempo starts slow and speeds up. The guitar solo at the bridge is a nice touch. Which came first, the lyrics or the music?

Lenore: Actually, the inspiration came first, and the lyrics and music sort of came together.

Brad: What was the inspiration for this? A day everything went wrong?

Lee: Yes.

Brad: No, seriously, what was it?

Belle: She was being serious. We had an event where pretty much everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, from the weather to the equipment to even the audience.

Brad: Well, I guess everyone's had a day like that. But why a butterfly?

Anna: Chaos theory.

Brad: Yeah, you know, I didn't study up on that for my interview with you.

Lee: You've heard of this. It's the idea that the world is so unpredictable that the flap of a butterfly's wings on one side of the world causes hurricanes on the other side of the world.

Brad: Right, I think I have heard of that. Why quantum?

Anna: Because "Quantum butterfly" sounds cool.

Lee: We also thought about "chaos butterfly" but figured that was too direct.

Brad: Well, either would have been lost on me. Why not call the song "Murphy's Law?"

Belle: It didn't really fit our concept. There was a lot more to the inspiration than just things going wrong, although a lot of things went really wrong.

Brad: So what day was it that went so wrong?

Lenore: Just one of those gigs you do trying to make it big. If we told you the gig, you'd know exactly what it was.

Brad: So why not just tell me?

Lee: Because it's more fun not to.

Brad: Is it really a good idea to tweak the journalist for "Forever Rock" magazine?

Lenore: Sure. We may not get another chance.

Brad: [Laughs] Alright, that's a fair point.

The Flashback:

"Where did Mr. Rafel book us this time?" Nora asked as Isabella drove them down a lonely desert highway. The setting sun turned the empty landscape deep red.

"The Pandemonium Festival," Maryann answered from her usual spot behind Nora, even though they were not in the van.

"Never heard of it."

"It's the first annual."

"You can't have a first annual anything. You have a first, and then you have an annual," she replied.

"I didn't write the brochure," Maryann said, sounding annoyed.

"It's like a poor man's Burning Man crossed with a poor man's Bonnaroo," Isabella explained.

"That explains why we needed the RV," Leah said. "We're lucky Abuela decided to spend a couple of weeks in San Francisco on her yearly trek. By the way, if anything happens to this, I'm so dead."

"It's fine," Isabella said, navigating the small recreational vehicle down the highway. "But thing has blind spots on top of blind spots."

"So Mr. Rafel couldn't book us for something big?" Nora asked.

"No."

"Figures."

"He gets us the jobs," Maryann said.

"I hope people aren't trying to set everything on fire like they do at Burning Man," Leah said.

"Then they shouldn't have named the festival after the capital of Hell," she replied. When they looked blank, she sighed. "That's from Milton's 'Paradise Lost.'"

"When did you read something like that?"

"High school."

"You went to some high school."

"Well, I'm sure it'll be an interesting experience," Maryann said. "We should make the best of it. We'll have a chance to get new fans."

"If we don't suffer heatstroke in the Mojave Desert," Leah replied. "Only Mr. Rafel would book us a gig in the desert in July."

"Maybe they should have named it the Dis Festival," Nora said. The others looked blank again. "The last six circles of Hell were in the city of Dis, according to Dante, and Dis was very hot."

"Oh, that's where the whole sinners will burn thing comes from?" Maryann asked.

"Well, that's one place that kind of imagery was popularized."

"When did you read that?" Leah asked.

"High school."

"Wow."

The band drove on, following the directions they were given to one of California's many state parks. They had to stop at a ranger station and register, and then were given strict instructions on what was allowed and what was not. They privately thought all of the rules were probably going to be ignored. They were given a camping permit and sent on their way.

Most of the stage and performance art areas already constructed, or at least marked off. The performers and vendors' campground was to the west of the all the stage and vendor areas and farthest from the entrance. Isabella navigated the small RV through a maze of haphazardly parked vans, trucks with trailers, and full RVs until she found a spot that she thought she could get out of later.

"So you parked us in the middle of nowhere?" Leah said, stepping out of van.

"I want to be able to leave when we're done. There's clearly no organization here," she replied. "Also, I think this is the most direct path to the bathrooms. I don't know about you, but I don't want to empty the RV's dump tank."

"Good thinking," Nora said. "Ugh. So we're leaving after the show, right?"

"Yes, if we can get out, but we might be stuck another night. Let's just stay in the RV tonight. We'll get up early and figure out where we're supposed to be."

"Ugh again. I never like the idea of camping. The great outdoors is either too cold or too hot and full of bugs."

"I agree. And there's no bathrooms," Leah said.

"This will be fun. I love camping. I remember camping with my family," Maryann said.

"Didn't you tell me your brother almost set the forest on fire with a flaming marshmallow?" Leah asked.

"The key word is 'almost,'" she replied stiffly. "He shouldn't have been trying to put the marshmallow out by flinging it around anyway."

"That's something I could see happening here," Nora said. "Anyway, let's break out the food and get some sleep. I'll bet we have to wake up real early tomorrow."

"You'd bet right," Isabella said.

"And I don't know about the rest of you, but I lost reception at least an hour ago, so I don't have a lot to do."

"I brought cards," Maryann said brightly.

"Oh joy, a night of playing hearts or spades," Nora replied dryly.

Most of the room in the RV was taken up by their instruments and other assorted gear, including much of the pantry and closet space. Their camping gear was secured to the roof of the RV. Food was limited by space in the refrigerator and the pantry. There was a stove, but they didn't plan on using it just in case they set the RV on fire. Fortunately, there was also a mini-microwave. Food was peanut butter, bread, homemade granola, and the leftovers Leah's grandmother had insisted they take with them. The paper plates and disposable cutlery had also been stored with the camping gear to save space.

"Your grandmother is a great cook," Maryann said with a mouth full of enchiladas.

"I know. But grandmothers always are," she replied.

After dinner they did in fact play some cards. Then, after much complaining about the lack of proper bathroom facilities, the band got to sleep. Nora and Isabella shared the real bed and Maryann and Leah laid down sleeping bags on the floor. They opened the vents and windows and used some battery powered fans to stay as cool as they could.

The alarm went off shortly after dawn.

"Ugh. I would kill for a decent shower right now," Nora said.

"I hear that," Leah sighed.

"Come on, it's fun!" Maryann said. "We're roughing it!"

"In a RV?"

"I was willing to sleep in a tent."

"You might get a chance tonight."

"Come on, ladies, we have work to do. We'll head out tomorrow evening," Isabella said.

"But we're playing tonight," Nora said. "I thought we could leave when we were done."

"Yes, but if we make a good impression, we want to be around to capitalize on it," Isabella countered.

"Oh, fine."

They put the sleeping bags away, ate a cold breakfast of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and got their day started.

"Lordy, it is already too hot and the sun barely came up an hour ago," Isabella sighed, adjusting her gray fly-fisherman style hat over her ponytail. She was wearing a light gray t-shirt and khaki shorts.

"We have plenty of sunscreen," Maryann said, putting on a wide, straw hat with an orange ribbon and adjusting her ponytail. She was wearing a yellow tank-top and a pair of orange denim shorts.

"Only Mr. Rafel would book us a gig in the desert in July," Nora sighed. She wasn't wearing a hat, but she had her hair pulled back, which was unusual. She was wearing a stylish lavender linen dress.

"Sometimes I think he does this on purpose," Leah said. She was wearing a light green baseball-style cap over her long braid, a light green tank-top, and khaki shorts.

"Well, let's figure out exactly which stage we're on and get to work. I'd like to get in some rehearsal time before the show tonight," Isabella said.

They headed to the stage area. Maryann's attention was caught by a young man approximately her age who was talking to some of the stage staff. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and a cute face. She stopped walking for a moment.

"Maryann. Maryann," Leah said.

"Not this again," Nora sighed.

"But he's so dreamy," Maryann said.

"Ok, look, first of all, no one ever says that anymore," Leah said, "and second of all, your crushes always get us in trouble."

The cute young man noticed Maryann looking at him and walked over to the band. "Hi," he said brightly. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt and khaki shorts.

"I'm Maryann," she said.

"I'm Alex," he said with an easy smile.

"This is my band, Nevermore and the Ravens. That's Leah, Nora, and Isabella."

"Hey, that's pretty cool. You guys are up on the Anarchy Stage tonight."

"Oh, we were trying to figure out where we were going to play."

"So what are you here for?" Isabella asked.

"I'm a groupie."

"For which band?"

"I'm in the market for one," he answered.

Maryann blushed a bit. "Well, we're in the market for groupies."

"Oh, well, maybe we'll get together then."

She blushed even more.

"Listen, we need to go take care of some business," Nora said.

"No problem. We'll exchange numbers," he said, pulling out his phone.

"My phone isn't getting any signal," she said, saving the number.

"Neither is mine. Maybe I'd better stick with you."

Leah and Nora rolled their eyes.

"Oh, that's fine by me. Do you guys mind?"

Isabella shot warning looks at the other two and answered politely, "It's fine, but please don't think we're rude if we start to ignore you. We have work to do."

"Hey, it's no problem," he said.

They started to walk towards the indicated stage with Maryann hanging in the back with Alex.

"He's trouble," Nora said.

"What, because he likes Maryann? A lot of guys have a thing for redheads," Leah said.

"It's just one of those feelings. You mark my words; he's going to be trouble."

"I think the desert has already baked your brain."

They encountered a lot of confusion trying to find the Anarchy Stage. Eventually they did find it, and found two other featured acts there as well. The stage manager was fielding questions with some frustration. Isabella joined in while the others hung back. Maryann wasn't paying much attention anyway. Nora and Leah sized up the other bands.

"Ok, here's the situation," Isabella said as she broke away from the stage manager. "Gates opened at 7:00 this morning, although a lot of people came in last night. Shows start at 10:00. Vending opens at 11:00. Shows are scheduled to end at midnight but may go later. I got us registered, again, and we're on at 9:00, which isn't too bad..." her voice trailed away.

"What?" Nora asked.

"The wind just shifted," she said, looking around.

"What does that mean?" Leah asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out."

"So keep talking then."

Isabella continued to explain the logistics when suddenly a horn blasted across the area.

"What does that mean?" Maryann exclaimed, paying attention again.

"I have no idea," Isabella replied, looking through the brochure the park ranger had given her. "I think it's an alarm."

"That's the problem," Leah said, looking east.

The sky had turned orange in the east, but the sun had long since risen.

"What is that?" Maryann asked.

The wall of orange was quickly approaching and people were milling around, confused and a little frightened.

"I think it's a sandstorm," Alex offered.

"Does that even happen here?" Nora asked.

"Well, it is now. We should take cover," Isabella said.

"Where?"

"Underneath the stage. It's better than nothing. Hurry!"

They followed Isabella's lead and dived underneath the stage. It was more cramped than they expected. Within a few minutes, they heard the wind howling past them. People shrieked and they were quickly joined by others diving for cover. The wind kicked up dust underneath the stage, leaving them coughing. Then it was all over.

"I think I need some eye drops," Maryann said, digging through her purse.

"Me too," Isabella said.

"Come on, it's roasting under here," Leah said.

They crawled out from under the stage to find everything coated with a fine layer of orange dust.

"This can't be good for the electronics," Alex said, looking around.

In fact, the stage manager seemed to be sharing this thought and was ordering the mechanics to start the equipment tests immediately. They hung around to find out if anything was damaged. The first indications were not good.

"Well, this is great," Nora said.

"Maybe they can scavenge parts from other stages," Maryann said.

"If those haven't been damaged too," she replied.

A quick walk around the music performance area showed Nora's worry was not unfounded. Everything was coated in dust and the squeals from the microphones and curses from the technical crew confirmed damage was widespread.

"Yep, it's definitely Pandemonium," Nora sighed.

"We need to check on the RV. I think I left some of the vents open and mi Abuela will kill me if anything's messed up," Leah said.

"And we'll all be dead if the instruments got damaged," Nora added.

"I'll buy you lunch," Alex said. "Hopefully the vendors will have got their carts fixed up."

"But my phone isn't working," Maryann replied.

"So show me where you're camping and I'll come get you around noon."

"Sure!"

The other three rolled their eyes but lead Alex back to the RV.

"This looks like some old lady's camper," he said.

"It is," Leah snapped. "And that old lady will kill me if it got damaged. Isabella, see if it'll start up. If it doesn't, we've got a lot more to worry about than rehearsal."

Isabella obligingly started up the RV.

"Damn! Everything in here is coated with dust," Nora said. "We'll need to check all the gear."

"And I'll need to clean," Leah said.

"Sounds like the four of you are jammed in there pretty good," Alex said.

"Well, we needed a vehicle bigger than our van but not so big we couldn't drive it," Maryann said.

"I know it's crowded back here, but if you want, I can loan you a tent. At least then you won't be jammed in there," he said.

"Oh, that's so nice of you, but we have tents and stuff. We just decided to sleep in the van. We'll get through tonight and then head out tomorrow afternoon or evening."

"Oh, that's quick. Well, maybe after lunch you'd like to stop by my camper? Maybe we can talk a little before you prep for your show and maybe get together tomorrow before you drive out of my life forever?" he asked.

"She is not going to fall for this, is she?" Nora asked in a low voice.

"Maryann is a very nice girl," Isabella replied. "But we know how she is."

"Yep. In love for the first time today," Leah said.

Neither Maryann nor Alex could hear the conversation inside. Maryann blushed. "I think I can get away for an hour, maybe. I'm sure Isabella won't mind if we get a groupie, or at least a new fan."

"Alright, then it's a date," he said with a smile. "See you around lunch time." With that, he walked away.

"Maryann!" Isabella called sharply.

"Oh, right. Sorry," she said, and joined the others in the van.

The inside was a mess. Leah swept up the dirt and wiped away the dust while the others checked their instruments. Some weren't working, which lead to much cursing and some hasty fixes.

"The wind shifted again," Isabella said.

"Great. I just cleaned this thing," Leah replied.

"I hear music. I think the shows are starting," Maryann said, looking at her watch. "And only half an hour late."

"Ugh. Ten-thirty in the morning and I already need a shower so bad," Nora said.

Leah dumped some dirt outside. "You may get one."

"What?"

"The wind shifted."

The other three joined Leah in looking to the west. The sky had turned dark and ominous as a band of black clouds was fast approaching.

"Seriously? Is it seriously going to rain on us?" Nora asked.

"I know. This is a desert. The odds have to be pretty outstanding," Leah replied.

"Let's shut all the vents and windows this time," Isabella said. "That storm is moving fast."

"I'm glad I'm not on-stage," Maryann said.

"I'm glad someone had the sense not to put this festival on in an arroyo," Leah said.

They battened down the hatches in the RV as the warning horn blasted across the area for the second time that day. In a few minutes the wind picked up to a howl and the skies opened up. Rain poured down hard, fast, and loud. And as suddenly as the storm blew in, it blew out again and the band of clouds raced away. The band emerged from the van to survey the damage.

"Oh, no, that was hail I heard!" Leah exclaimed, looking at the roof. "I am so dead."

"Your grandmother isn't going to be mad at you over freak weather events," Maryann said.

"I'm more worried about the festival," Isabella said. "If that was hail, I'll bet the shows are going to be delayed again."

"At this rate we won't be playing until midnight," Nora sighed.

"Well, I'll go talk to the stage manager and try to find out what's going on," she said. The others continued their preparations until Isabella returned. "Well, now we're going on at 10:00 tonight at the Chaos Stage."

"What happened to the Anarchy Stage?" Maryann asked.

"A lighting rig shorted out. They're trying to get it fixed for the band that was interrupted, but they're trying to get the other acts moved around."

"I wonder if anyone will see our show tonight," she sighed.

"It's Pandemonium, alright," Nora said.

Shortly before noon, there was a knock on the door.

"Who's that?" Leah asked.

"Oh! It's Alex," Maryann said. "So, should I go pick up some food for you guys?"

The other three looked at each other. "You are so transparent, Maryann," Nora sighed. "You want an excuse to hang out with Alex alone."

"Ok, well, fine, yes. So, give me your lunch orders and I'll be back in an hour."

They knew it was useless to argue with her, so they gave her an idea of what they wanted without knowing what food was available and once she was gone, made bets on how long an hour actually was going to be.

"Glad you survived the monsoon," Alex said when she finally stepped out of the van.

"It's been a freaky day for weather," she replied. "And it's not good for us. If we switch stages, people won't be able to find us."

"I wouldn't worry about that. No offense, but no one here is so well known people are looking for them. They'll go to whatever music sounds good at the time."

"You're probably right. In that case, we'd better sound really good."

They threaded their way past the various stages and headed towards the food vendor area. The performance art and theater troupes were faring slightly better than the music acts since they didn't need much in the way of electronic equipment. Still, it was obvious they had been interrupted by the sand storm and sudden rain storm. Many of the food vendors had been similarly affected, but they managed to find something that looked safe to eat and not too greasy.

"Hey, come by my camper and I'll give you some of my bottles of water. These prices are outrageous, especially with the danger of heatstroke," Alex said.

"Oh, that's nice of you," she replied. She was more interested in spending time with him than getting free water, but as the sun beat down on her hat, she thought the water would be a nice bonus.

He led her through the throngs of festival-goers to the camping area and finally to a small camper towed by a medium-sized, slightly beat up pick-up truck. "This is home," he said. "Come on in."

"Do you live here?" she asked.

"For the summer. Like most college students, I have nothing to do in the summer and no motivation to get a real job. So my parents let me borrow the camper just to get me out of the house. The truck is mine," he answered. "I figure if nothing else I can probably write a paper on this next semester. And maybe one day if I'm rich and famous and write my autobiography, I can include a chapter on the great American summer road trip."

"I'd read that. So what are you getting a degree in?" she asked, looking around. The camper had a small bed at the back, a kitchen area that was little more than a mini-fridge and a microwave, a closet-sized bathroom, and a very tiny seating area. There was a laptop sitting on the small table. There were a few overhead storage bins and one tiny pantry; the pantry door was hanging open slightly. She could see the bed had a number of books piled on top of it.

"Philosophy. I know, that's a BS degree, but it gives me time to figure out what I really want to do. Besides go to grad school, obviously." He opened up the mini-fridge to get the water out.

Maryann heard the tell-tale clink of glass bottles and guessed there was probably a lot of beer in the way. Then her eye was caught by something shiny in the open pantry. Curiosity overcame etiquette and she gently finished opening the door with her foot.

Inside was a small creature in a mason jar.

"What is that?" she asked, peering down to look.

"That's my pet lizard," Alex said quickly, and tried to shut the door.

"Your pet lizard?" she repeated. "Lizards are not bi-pedal nor do they know how to give someone the bird. That was a demon."

"Oh, that's just crazy talk," he said.

"Please. You think I don't know what a demon is when I see one?" She pushed him over and pulled the jar out of the pantry.

The creature inside was an unwholesome light green-yellow color, bi-pedal, with tiny horns growing from its head and a long tail. Its knees bent backwards and it was making obscene gestures.

"It's not a very strong one demon or you couldn't keep it this. Why do you have a demon and why are you keeping it in a mason jar?" she asked. "And where did it learn that gesture?"

Alex took the jar out of her hands. "It's my pet panic demon Asaph and I keep it in a mason jar because they're cheap and nearly indestructible."

"Pet panic demon?"

"Well, since you seem to be into weird stuff, I'll confess. I'm a chaos magician."

"A chaos magician? Who summons demons and then keeps them in jars? This doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Oh, don't worry. I have it all under control."

"But you just said you were a chaos magician," Maryann replied. "Doesn't that mean, by definition, you're not in control?"

"Well, kind of," he answered. "Look, it's all very complicated." He put the jar back in the pantry. "Asaph lives in the jar until I release it, which of course requires a ritual so it doesn't just wreak havoc."

"But you said it's a panic demon. That's what they do."

"Well, kind of," he said again. "I'm really not explaining this very well. But hey, I'm glad you're not freaked out."

"I still don't think it's a good idea to mix chaos magic and demons, especially a demon that I'm pretty sure causes chaos. There's a reason Phobos, Deimos, and Eris accompanied Ares to battle."

"Oh, you're a Hellenic pagan."

"Eclectic, actually," she replied. "But the Greek gods were my first interest. Do you worship Eris?"

"Nah. I'm not Discordian. I certainly respect Eris. I mean, I'd be in a lot of trouble if I didn't. But worship, well, not so much," he answered.

"So why chaos magic?"

"To make my life more interesting."

"And the demon?"

"Asaph makes life more interesting when I let it out. I'm immune to its effect because I summoned it. You're not all biased against chaos magicians or anything, are you?" he asked.

"I try not to be biased. But I personally think being a chaos magician is literally asking for trouble. I've got enough of that without asking for it," she said. "I need to get back to the band. They're probably starving."

"Oh," he said, obviously disappointed. "Well, will I see you later?"

"Sure. Come to our show, if you can find it. We'll meet up tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"Thanks for the water," she said, and left his camper. She walked back to the borrowed RV deep in thought.

"So, that hour turned into two," Nora said. "And you two owe me five bucks each."

"Whatever. Just hand over the food," Leah said.

"Maryann, what's wrong?" Isabella asked as they sat down to eat.

"Alex is a chaos magician and he's got a pet panic demon."

The other three took this news in stride.

"That seems like a bad idea," Isabella replied. "If that thing should get loose..."

"It'd be Pandemonium," Leah interrupted.

Nora shot her a dirty look. "But she's right. Look, I know I'm hopelessly Christian here, but it seems to me someone who's summoning demons may not be the best person to hang out with."

"No, no, I kind of agree with you. But we'll see. He said he'd come to the show tonight and I'll figure out if I want to hang out with him tomorrow or not."

"What's he keeping that demon in, anyway?" Isabella asked.

"A mason jar."

"Oh, Lordy, I hope that thing does not break."

"Well, they are nearly indestructible," Maryann said. "I dropped one once and it was fine."

"I'll bet you guys the ten bucks I won that jar is going to break," Leah said. "This day so far has been freaky weird; why not top it off with a loose demon?"

"I am not taking that bet," Nora said. "And not just because it's terrible. A lot of people could get hurt."

"I'm not taking that bet either," Isabella said. "And the wind just shifted again."

They finished their lunch in uncharacteristic silence. They could hear the bass lines of the bands on stage. As they got ready to start rehearsal, the noise suddenly became very high-pitched.

"What in the hell is that?" Nora asked, clapping her hands over her ears.

"I think there's some feedback happening right now," Leah answered. "With all the shorts in the equipment, I'm not surprised."

The squealing continued for nearly a minute before it finally stopped, as did the music on the stages.

"Oh, thank God," Nora said.

"But the music stopped again," Isabella sighed. "I'd better go find the stage manager again. You guys keep working." She headed to the Chaos Stage, which was aptly in chaos. It took nearly half an hour to find the stage manager and find out about scheduling changes. She'd almost returned to the RV when Alex ran up next to her.

"Oh, hey, you're in Maryann's band," he said, looking oddly flustered.

"Yes. Listen, we're trying to start rehearsal here and it'd really be better if you could hang out tomorrow. Our show got moved to a new stage and moved all the way up to 7:00, so we really need to get to work."

"Oh, um, I just need to talk to Maryann real quick. It won't take long at all."

"Fine," she snapped. "Maryann," she said, stepping into the RV, "Alex is outside. Please make this quick. We're going on at 7:00 now."

"Seven? Oh, damn it," Nora said.

Maryann stepped outside. "Listen, Alex, this isn't really a good time..."

"Asaph got out."

"What?"

"That squealing noise, did you hear it?"

"Of course."

"Well, it must have hit the resonant frequency of the jar and it just busted right open. Asaph got out before I could catch it."

"Can't you put it back?" she asked.

"It's not that easy," he said. "I didn't use the proper rituals to let it out, so I don't have any control. I'm still immune to its effects. I need some help to catch it."

"I'll tell the band," she said.

"You really don't need to do that..." he started to say.

"Well, Leah would have gotten ten bucks," she said to her band mates.

"Oh, so the jar broke," Isabella sighed.

"You told them?" he asked. "And they're not freaking out?"

"Come in," Maryann said.

He followed her inside. The other three were giving him dirty looks.

"So now we have to cut into our valuable rehearsal time to try to chase down his very dangerous pet?" Nora said acidly.

"Well, what else can we do? Here, I'll cast some protection spells on us so we won't be affected by the panic," Maryann said, and pulled out some components.

"That's a good start," Leah said, "But how do we stop it? Isabella, can't you stop this thing?"

"I can try with my spirit charms, but I need to stick the charm directly to it. Unlike TV shows, I can't actually throw a piece of paper with any accuracy," she replied dryly.

"So we'll just have to tackle it," Alex said. "It's only about two feet tall out of the jar."

"No way! No way am I going to jump on a demon, even if it is small," Nora snapped.

"Oh, don't worry, Asaph can't hurt you. A panic demon's only defense is inducing panic, and Asaph is a pretty weak demon at that. Its teeth and claws aren't any more dangerous than a human's."

"Clearly you've never been in a fight with a human," she retorted.

"Look, I'm not stupid..."

"All evidence to the contrary," Leah muttered.

Alex glared at her. "Hey, I don't tell you how to do your magic so don't tell me how to do mine. A panic demon is easy to control and can't hurt me."

"I don't do magic, and if I did, I'd sure as hell leave demons out of it," she snapped back.

"This is not the time!" Maryann interrupted. "So, it can't really hurt us too bad?"

"Well, let's just say this isn't the first time I've had to chase Asaph down."

"Oh, is anyone really surprised by that?" Nora said with venom.

"Not now!" Maryann said. "Let's go find that thing before someone gets seriously hurt."

Maryann finished casting her spells and they exited they RV and spread out to find it. They stayed within shouting distance of each other. The demon was not easy to find although its path was easy to follow. Maryann caught up to it first.

It had frightened people away from their campfire and it was chowing down on the hastily abandoned smores.

Maryann got as close as she dared and then lunged for the demon. It saw her and dashed towards the vendors. She crashed to the ground as it darted off. She stood up and dusted off her legs. "Go to the vendors!" she shouted.

They changed direction and pushed against the crowd of panicked people.

Leah spotted it on top of a hot dog cart greedily stuffing hot dogs down its throat. She pulled out her crucifix. "In the name of Christ, get thee behind me!" she said in Spanish.

The demon nearly choked on the hot dogs, started twitching madly but not running, and fell off the cart out of Leah's line of sight. When she got closer, she could see it had recovered and run off again.

"I told you he was trouble," Nora said, catching up to Leah.

"Well, it doesn't do any good to tell Maryann these things," she said.

Isabella and Alex both honed in on the demon. But it spotted both of them and after sticking its tongue out at Alex, disappeared behind some more food carts. "We've got to catch it before it gets to the stages. People could get really hurt running around there," she said.

"Hey, I'm all for catching it," Alex agreed.

Maryann caught up to it again as it struggled to open a bottle of water someone had dropped.

It caught sight of her too late. It tried to jump away but she managed to grab both of its spindly legs.

"Isabella!" she yelled.

Asaph yowled and screeched and gibbered in a strange language. It clawed madly at the ground to try to get away and actually started dragging Maryann across the dirt and sent the crowd in front of it running away in fear.

"Guys!" she yelled again, as the demon actually picked up speed.

Leah pushed against the tide of people and got to Maryann first. "Not dangerous, huh?" she thought, and dived for the demon. She landed solidly on top of, trying to keep the flailing claws away from her face. It was still trying to escape was jerking both her and Maryann across the rocky ground.

Maryann let go of its legs and then jumped on top of Leah.

"Isabella!" they yelled in unison as the demon thrashed beneath them.

Isabella and Nora broke through the ring of panicked people.

"You need to pick better guys," Leah muttered.

"This isn't my fault!"

"You're right. Clearly somewhere my life took a turn for the weird."

Isabella pulled a paper charm out of her pocket and stuck it on the demon's forehead. The Japanese kanji on the charm transliterated to "be gone evil spirit." While it was not a strong enough banishing charm to actually send the demon back to whatever Hell it had come from, it was strong enough to freeze it in place. "I got it."

Maryann slowly got off of Leah's back, and Leah slowly got off the demon's back. Maryann's legs were badly scratched and bleeding.

It was splayed out on its belly with its eyes wide and glassy.

"Can you actually banish this damn thing?" Nora asked.

Isabella and Maryann shook their heads.

"Sorry. There's just so much I don't know about it and the bond Alex shares with it to try something like that," Maryann answered.

Alex finally caught up with them. "Hey, what's that on his forehead?"

"Don't touch it!" Isabella said. "The charm will keep it immobilized as long as it stays stuck to its forehead."

"Fine. Fine." He walked over to the demon and picked it up. "Oh, hey, is that kanji? That's cool. Asaph, you've had a busy day."

"You didn't tell us that thing was so strong," Leah said angrily.

"Oh, yeah, well usually it's nothing I can't handle." He noticed a burn mark on the demon's back and looked at Leah's crucifix necklace. "Oh, that's the problem. You burned Asaph and scared it. No wonder it was fighting so hard. Luckily panic demons don't really fight; they just try to get away, like anyone else who's panicked."

"Oh, yes, very lucky," she said acidly.

"Well, I've got all the components to get it back in its jar. I'll be done in about an hour or so, assuming nothing else goes wrong," he said.

"Everything has gone wrong!"

"It's not all my fault! But I'll put in some extra protections before I start the main spell. So, I'll catch up to later, maybe after your show?"

"Really, you don't have to," Nora said.

"Fine, be all prejudiced like that," he snapped, and stomped away holding the demon under his arm.

"I'm not sorry at all," she said. "We still have our show tonight and we've wasted nearly all our rehearsal time."

"I agree with you," Leah said.

"Come on, ladies, let's try to get in some rehearsal time," Isabella said, seeing that Maryann looked upset. "We'll salvage what we can. And Maryann, you need to take care of those scratches."

Maryann got cleaned up. They rehearsed, got in costume, and made their way to the stage. The crowds had recovered from the scares earlier and seemed to be a good mood for a show. They were nearly done when Isabella noticed the stage manager trying to get her attention.

"What?" she asked, taking a minute between songs.

"I need you to keep playing," the stage manager said.

"What? We're about to do our last song."

"Yes, but the lead singer of the Widgets just lost his voice and the drummer seems to have gotten food poisoning or something. I don't have a back-up band because of the scheduling issues, so just keep playing until I give you the signal," he explained hurriedly.

"Okay, sure, I guess we'll figure something out," Isabella replied, flustered. She got back to the band. "We have to play more."

"What? Why?" Nora asked.

"No time. Follow my cues and hopefully we'll get through this," she said.

They managed to get through the extra sets with no mishaps, although their playing was a little sloppier than any of them were happy with.

"Good grief, how much longer did we play?" Maryann asked.

"No one says that," Leah said. "Good grief, I mean. And I think it was another hour."

"I really hope we get fans out of this," Nora said.

"Hey, it's good practice for when we become super rock stars and have to do like five encores at our sold out shows," Leah said.

"Wow, and you guys tell me I'm overly optimistic," Maryann said.

"We also tell you that you're not good on picking up on sarcasm," Nora replied dryly.

"The wind shifted again," Isabella said as they packed up their gear.

"I really can't handle too much more chaos," Leah sighed.

As they headed back to their trailer, a short in two of the generators caused the entire Anarchy stage to black out.

"Well, at least our show's done," Nora said.

Then the rest of the stages blacked out.

"So, what was that?" Maryann said.

"I'm guessing that the loss of two generators caused a greater draw on the remaining generators, which probably tripped some internal circuit breakers," Leah said. "We should get back to the trailer before a hurricane or something hits us."

"Please, don't temp fate or chaos or whatever's been messing with us all day," Isabella said.

They returned to the trailer, put their gear away, got out of their stage costumes, and tried to relax in the still-baking heat.

"So, Alex?" Leah asked.

"Well, he is cute, and I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I'm sure all the crazy things that happened today weren't his fault. Except the demon thing, but it wasn't supposed to get out of the jar," Maryann said.

"But he asked for just this kind of trouble," Isabella said. "I mean, that's what being a chaos magician is, right?"

"Um, kind of. It's hard to explain."

"He's trouble, like I said," Nora said.

"Listen, can we just talk about something else?" she asked.

The band obligingly switched topics for her. They played cards, tried to cool off, and finally went to bed. Maryann chose to pitch a tent and sleep outside.

The next day the band dressed up in light versions of their stage costumes and joined the throngs of ordinary festival-goers. They watched some performance art, heard a few bands, ate some greasy food, and talked with people who had seen their unintentionally extra-long show from the night before. They did not, however, see Alex.

"Oh, go find him, Maryann," Isabella finally said. "It's obvious you're miserable. Go hang out with him. You know when we're leaving."

"Thanks guys," she replied.

"Why are you encouraging her?" Leah asked when Maryann was out of earshot.

"Maryann is the kind of girl that finds a guy who's trouble even more attractive," she answered.

"Yeah, I guess that's true, which is why her crushes always get us into trouble."

Maryann found Alex's camper. She knocked on the door.

Alex opened the door. "Hey, Maryann. It is Maryann, right? The way you guys dress all alike on stage throws me off."

"Yes, it's me."

"I didn't think you'd want to hang out with me after yesterday's trouble."

She shrugged. "Yesterday was yesterday."

"So you do think I'm the cause of all the mess yesterday?"

"You might be. You invite chaos. But we're both adults. I'm not going to give you some kind of long lecture about how you should use your magic. Nora probably would, but that's her thing," she answered.

"I saw your show last night. You played a lot longer than I thought."

"The Widgets' lead singer and drummer were out."

"Life is hard for drummers," he said with a slight smile. "But not usually lead singers. So, do you want to come in?"

"Sure."

Later that afternoon, Maryann said goodbye to Alex and rejoined her band mates.

"Well?" Nora asked. "Did you tell him how stupid he was for having that damn demon?"

"That's your thing, not mine." She shrugged. "Anyway, there's nothing wrong with wanting life to be interesting."

"But people could get hurt. Did you ask him what he did with that panic demon?" she countered. "Why does he have it if he doesn't let it out every now and then? What's the point of that? Just to laugh at people?"

"Nora, I wasn't going to lecture him. I just wanted to spend a few hours with a cute guy. He's pretty smart and he's funny. Sure, I think what he's doing is a bad idea. And I think in a few years he'll probably get tired of all this trouble. And I think he'll find it's a lot harder to un-invite trouble from him life than it was to invite it in. But that's for him to deal with. He was fun to hang out with, and that's all I wanted, alright?"

Nora sighed. "Alright." She forced a smile. "Well, I hope you had fun."

"Sure did," she said brightly.

"Great," Leah said. "You're happy, we're happy, people saw our show, we've got leads, so can we get out of here before something else happens to Abuela's RV?"

"That sounds good to me," Nora said.

"Me too. I've had enough Pandemonium to last me for a long, long time," Isabella said.

"Hey, did you just make a joke?" Leah asked.

Isabella smiled slyly.

"Clearly we have all been in the sun too long. Let's go," she said dryly.

The band changed out of their costumes, packed up, threaded through traffic, and finally left the festival behind them.

The Lyrics:

People plan so carefully,

Meticulous responsibility,

Perfectionist strategy

Plans so bright, so very organized,

The best laid plans,

of mice, and men!

Chaos comes, chaos goes

Where it stops, no one knows

Variables you thought were moot

Demand their due

And must be heard

Make your plans

Count on a forecast of no rain

A flap of wings and you get a hurricane

Chaos comes, chaos goes

Where it stops, no one knows

Now your calculations

Just don't compute

Find the shredder, start from scratch

Every last detail

Thought out to the Nth degree

All in vain; the butterfly prevails

Chaos comes, chaos goes

Where it stops, no one knows

**Track 3: Secretly a Drow**

The Interview:

Brad: The next track, "Secretly a Drow," has the heaviest usage of a minor-key and guitar of all your tracks. It also has the highest angst quota. And I had to look up what the word "drow" meant. I asked before, but doesn't this show some inspiration from the dark fantasy genre? Or at least some familiarity with table-top role-playing games?

Lee: I will say one of us may be, in our real lives, a bit more of a geek than the others.

Belle: That said, we still don't know what you mean by "dark fantasy genre." Drow are pretty common in mainstream fantasy books. They used to be more common than angsty vampires with a soul.

Brad: Okay, inspiration aside, this is a somewhat dark and disturbing song. It's about human sacrifice.

Lee: Yes. Drow do that sort of thing in the fantasy novels. You may imagine they are not very popular.

Brad: So is this song meant to be taken at face value, or is it a warning for anyone at college who has a weird roommate to be nice to them, or is a warning to anyone at college their weird roommate could be a psychopath?

Lenore: Take it anyway you want. College is a strange time. How many other times in your life, unless you join the military, will you be expected to be in close, even intimate quarters, with a stranger for at least a year?

Anna: Sometimes that forced closeness results in friendships that last for life. Sometimes it results in one person counting down the minutes until they can get the hell out of there. Sometimes it leads to feeling really alienated that the person you live with doesn't even really know you're there. Being civil to your roommate, while it doesn't necessarily result in best friends forever, at least usually averts the counting down the minutes situation.

Brad: I see. So, which one of you had the bad roommate?

Lenore: Who says any of us did? But we've all heard stories.

Anna: My friend's freshman year roommate was convinced she was a vampire. I have no idea why.

Lee: My friend's sophomore roommate was so messy her side of the room was nearly six inches deep in paper and other junk.

Anna: Another of my friends lived with a guy for a whole year, saw him a semester later, and couldn't even remember his ex-roommate's name!

Belle: My friend's freshman roommate failed out the first semester because all he did was play a certain extremely popular MMORPG all day instead of going to class.

Brad: Ah, so this does tie in with your other tracks.

Lenore: There is a method to our madness.

Brad: So this is sort of a worst case scenario?

Belle: Sure, if you think dark elves really go to human college.

Brad: [laughs] Well, obviously that's just artistic license to protect the innocent.

The Flashback:

"Every time I visit my sister, I forget how awful Philadelphia traffic is," Nora sighed as she looked at the gridlock.

"Anything for a gig, right?" Leah said. "Traffic, high hotel costs, obligatory family visit..."

"Sharon's not so bad. Oh, I need to find out the weekend of May Day. I'm going to have to skip out that weekend."

"What? Why?" Isabella asked, inching the van forward.

"It's yet another Bryn Mawr tradition and apparently it's very important to Sharon that I go to this thing. And what Sharon wants, Sharon usually gets," Nora answered. "Some things aren't worth arguing about. By the way, if we don't make it big, my parents will disown me."

"You've said before," Leah replied.

Finally the band managed to make it to Bryn Mawr and find a parking space.

"Parking costs alone are going to negate any money we make from the gig," Leah said.

"Oh, come on," Nora sighed.

The weather was a nearly perfect spring day but it was just slightly too warm. Nora, as always, looked the nicest in a lilac dress, while Maryann wore an orange jumper with a red t-shirt underneath which was typical of her eclectic taste, and Leah and Isabella wore t-shirts and denim shorts.

A woman a couple of years younger than Nora but with a strong resemblance met them near the parking lot. She was a little shorter than Nora and had not straightened her hair, although she kept it short. She shared Nora's fashion sense, although her style ran towards more relaxed looks as opposed to Nora's carefully casual looks. She was wearing a slightly rumpled button-up light blue shirt and denim capri pants.

"Sharon!"

"Nora!"

The sisters hugged each other and Nora introduced the band.

"I'm glad you could visit. I know you're working hard trying to make this music thing work out," Sharon said.

"Thanks," Nora said, mostly without anger.

"Come on; let me show you around the campus. It's really beautiful. I'll also show you the statue of Athena. There are still offerings piling up in anticipation of finals week."

"Um, what?" Nora asked.

Sharon kind of laughed. "Oh, there are so many traditions here. The school's patron goddess is Athena. The students make offerings to her throughout the year. They make a lot of offerings near finals week."

"What happens to all the offerings?" Maryann asked.

"The Tradition Mistresses keep it all, except anything that might rot, of course. See, the whole university is covered in owls too."

The school was actually quite beautiful. The architecture and building materials for the most part all matched and most structures were adorned with owls. Then Sharon took the band to her dorm, which was Erdman Hall.

"Okay, with all the beautiful buildings on this campus, how in the world did you end up with the one ugly dorm?" Nora asked.

"The architects didn't set out to make it ugly. They were trying to satisfy a lot of design requirements," Sharon said. "But yeah, the kindest thing to say about it is that it really doesn't fit in very well. Come on, I'll show you my room. I hope my roommate isn't in. I know Mom and Dad give you all sorts of grief for not going to college, but at least you get to miss out on the joy that is living with a total stranger in close proximity with no escape until the next school year."

"Is it really that bad?" Maryann asked.

"It's just weird." They entered Sharon's room. "See, weird." There was a very clear demarcation in the middle of the room Sharon's side of the room and her roommate's side of the room. "It's not like she's really messy or she plays alarm clock games. It's just, well, you see."

"If you didn't tell me you had a roommate, I'd never know," Nora replied, looking at the practically bare side of the room.

"She's got clothes in the drawers and clothes, but not very many. She just keeps everything really neat. Like, too neat. And she's got no posters, no pictures; even her laptop wallpaper is nothing but a standard selection. All of her clothes are weird too."

"What, she dresses in black leather and chaps?" Leah asked.

"Oh, she's the funny one you talk about," Sharon said to Nora.

"Hey!" Leah snapped.

"No, they're ordinary clothes, but no name brands or logos or anything. The only thing I think she looks for is something that's natural fibers."

"Oh, so she's a modern hippie. That's not so weird," Isabella said.

Sharon looked skeptical. "She keeps weird hours, even for a college student. She joins in all the traditions, but she doesn't seem to have any friends. I've tried to make friends with her but she just doesn't want to talk."

They heard the doorknob turn and Nora abruptly switched topics.

"Are you coming to the show tonight?" she asked as the door opened.

"Oh, hey, Frieda, come on in and meet my sister and her friends," Sharon said.

Frieda was a tall, thin girl with light brown hair and unremarkable facial features. Her clothes were plain and all neutral colors. "I didn't know you had company," she said in a low voice. Even her voice was forgettable. Everything about her was bland and ordinary.

"That's fine. Like I said, meet my sister and her friends. They're in a band and they're going to play tomorrow night. Where are you playing again?"

"I forget. I'll have to look it up," Nora answered. "Hey, where did she go? Did she just leave?"

Sure enough, the door was closed and there was no sign of Frieda.

"She does that all the time," Sharon said. "I told you, she's just weird. I'm about convinced she's an alien or something," she laughed.

"Well, being afraid of Nora doesn't make someone an alien," Leah said, still stinging from Sharon's offhand remark.

"Hey!"

"It's not just the disappearing thing. Sometimes there are things she acts like she's never seen before. Like she's got a computer, but had no idea what a computer game was, and she was completely baffled by online games."

"Maybe she's from a Quaker background," Isabella offered. "This is a Quaker-founded college, after all, so I'm sure it's not unusual to have Quakers and maybe even Amish attend."

"Hey, yeah, I never thought of that. Maybe that explains what she eats too. I think she's vegetarian or vegan or something but she didn't know what tofu was. Who doesn't know what tofu is, especially a vegetarian?" Sharon said.

"Are you sure she's from the U.S.?" Nora asked.

"Well, she's not enrolled as a foreign student or anything, but she doesn't talk about her family. Anyway, you guys don't care about my roommate issues. But I'll tell you that coming and going without a word thing is really annoying. But she's not breaking the honor code, so I can't complain. I just hope I get someone else next year."

"Then take us to meet your other friends."

"Are you saying that because you honestly want to meet them or because you hope to sell some more tickets to your show?"

"Both," Nora answered without embarrassment.

"That's fair," Sharon agreed. "Come on."

The band spent the rest of the day with Sharon and her many friends, who regaled them with the history and traditions of Bryn Mawr, of which there were many.

"Hey, can you take me back to the Thomas Great Hall, please?" Maryann asked as the visit drew to a close.

"So you can see that ugly statue of Athena again?" Nora said. "Er, no offense, sis."

"Hey, none taken. The original is better, but those Haverford boys ruined it for everyone. The plaster replica really is not flattering to our patron goddess," Sharon said.

Nora raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Sharon obligingly led them back to the statue of Athena. There were already a number of items placed at the foot of the statue. Mostly there were pieces of paper with requests but there were also small plastic trinkets and a few odd food items.

"Are the Tradition Mistresses going to keep the Twinkies for all time?" Leah asked. "Because I'm pretty sure those things don't ever go bad."

Sharon laughed. "I don't know, but that's a good point."

Maryann pulled out a small bottle of olive oil she had brought for exactly this purpose. She wrote, 'I am at your service' on a piece of paper and taped it to the bottle. Then she knelt down reverentially and placed the bottle near the foot of the statue.

"Is she serious?" Sharon asked Nora in a low voice.

Nora nodded.

Maryann stood up. "Thank you."

"Is she even your goddess?"

"She's not one I regularly worship, no, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't be respectful. This is her place and I know she's here. At best, it would be rude of me to offer nothing while I'm here."

Sharon gave Maryann an odd look, but the other women didn't think Maryann's behavior was odd at all. Sharon escorted them to the parking lot and they braved the Philadelphia traffic to find their hotel for the evening.

Maryann looked around. She appeared to be a grove of olive trees in the shadow of a mountain. There were no signs of buildings around her and it was very quiet, even though it seemed to be about mid-afternoon. She was wearing her usual style of clothing but felt she was probably out of place. "Oh, so this appears to be a dream," she thought. She realized there were also owls asleep in some of the trees. "Hello?" she called.

A tall, lithe, handsome woman walked into the grove. She had dark blonde hair, gray eyes, and an olive skin-tone. She wore a long, white tunic, sandals, a helmet, and was carrying a spear and a shield with a snake-headed woman's head emblazoned on it.

"Oh," Maryann said, recognizing this woman. "I'm humbled and amazed you've come to talk to me, Pallas Athena. Should I, um, bow, or something? I really don't know much about ancient Greek etiquette."

"As long as you are respectful, I will know it."

"Oh, good. I am totally respectful of any deities, or I try to be."

"You are surprised to see me?" the goddess asked.

"Surprised does not begin to describe how I am feeling right now," Maryann replied nervously.

"Good. You made an offering to a statue today, did you not? You said you were at my service."

"Yes, yes I did. I didn't want to be rude."

"I appreciate your consideration. It happens there is a matter that bears investigation, and I believe you and your group are uniquely qualified to do so."

"Is this dangerous?"

"It could be. There is a student here who is not what she seems to be. I dislike illusions and glamours. As the motto says, 'I delight in the truth.' Find out who this girl really is. Once that comes to light, I believe a plan of action can be developed," the goddess said.

"Um, how does someone hide from one of you?"

"That is your first clue, is it not?"

"What's the girl's name? I mean, there are hundreds of girls here."

"Her name is not her real name, but you have already met her. She goes by the name of 'Frieda.'"

"Oh! Sharon's weird roommate! I hope this doesn't get too dangerous. I don't want Nora's sister to get hurt."

"That is something you'd do well to keep in mind. Have you any other questions about the task I have set before you?" Athena asked.

"No," she answered. "No, ma'am," she added, because she felt that was more respectful.

The tall goddess almost seemed to smile.

Maryann woke up. "Oh, the others are going to get so mad at me for making that offering," she thought. Since it was nearly time to wake up anyway, she got out of bed and procured breakfast.

"Hey, doughnuts," Leah said, exiting the room had been sharing with Maryann. "Wait a minute. You never get breakfast. What's going on?"

"Um."

The other women made their way over to the common area of the suite. "So what's up?" Isabella asked.

"I had a dream last night," Maryann answered.

"So did I," Leah said. "I dreamt I was a giant Great Dane cooking hamburgers at a carnival. It was weird."

"No, a different kind of dream." She proceeded to tell them about her dream. "You guys don't have to believe me," she finished, "but I have to find out who this girl is."

"Which means you won't be rehearsing with us until you do?" Nora asked.

"Yeah. Listen, when a god gives me a task, and it's not unreasonable, I generally don't refuse. Anyway, I did ask for this."

"And we get dragged in with you."

Maryann shrugged. "Well, Frieda is weird. I mean, I can't even really remember what she looked like. I know she was tall and thin but I can't really picture her face. Can any of you?"

They thought for a moment.

"No," Isabella said.

"I think her hair was dark blond or maybe light brown. Definitely not red or really blond," Leah said. "But I can't think of a single defining feature about her except tall and thin."

"Ok, so we agree it is weird and maybe does mean we should investigate, but we do have a show," Nora said.

"Nora does bring up a good point. We need to rehearse, and we need you," Isabella said. "So we'll help you find out about this girl, because the sooner you get your answers, the sooner we can take care of business."

"Because despite our supernaturally themed misadventures, solving mysteries is not actually our job," Leah said.

"Do you have any idea where to start?" Isabella asked.

"Not really," Maryann said. "We should at least try to get her last name, even if it's not her real name."

"Don't be thinking I can hack school records or anything," Leah said. "Geek I may be, but hacker I am not."

"Well, you can run ordinary internet searches, I guess," Isabella said. "Although I doubt we'll find much."

"I'll talk to my sister and get into her room. I'll look through Frieda's stuff, but I doubt there're any clues there. And I'll have to think of an excuse for why I care, so that'll be fun," Nora sighed.

Nora's sarcasm was justified. Leah spent several boring hours and money she should not have spent at the local coffee shop using the free wi-fi. Maryann tried her hand at some divination spells. Nora's day was the least boring in that she got to spend a few hours with her sister, although her sister was confused that she wasn't rehearsing. Isabella prepared for the show as best she could missing most of the band. They regrouped at their hotel room with only a couple of hours before their show.

"What a waste of time," Leah said. "She has no presence on social media. Also, I had about three iced coffees, so I am pretty buzzed right now."

"Great. I got another look at her side of the room," Nora said. "There are no books, no magazines, no pictures, no posters, and no clues to her personality. There is absolutely nothing personal about her. Everything she owns is generic."

"I tried a Tarot reading. I got the Moon, the Magician, and a whole bunch of swords. But not much of it made sense in context," Maryann said.

"I don't speak Tarot," Nora sighed.

"Well, swords are the suit of air, which is intellect, and the Magician is also a scholar, so clearly she has something to do with academics."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Leah retorted.

Maryann glared at her. "And the Moon is hidden power and sometimes deception, so she's hiding something."

"Oh, yes, I'm so glad you spent your time on that divination," she replied wryly.

"Listen, ladies, we have a show to do and Maryann, I know this is important to you, but we can't spend any more time on this today," Isabella said. "We'll get in a quick rehearsal and then we need to get made-up and head out."

"Oh, fine," Maryann said, "but I don't think we should leave Philadelphia until we get this figured out."

Nora and Leah started to look upset, but Isabella defused the situation. "We'll worry about that after the show. Now, focus on the show, alright?"

The band managed to get their act together and put on a pretty good show. They could see Sharon in attendance with several of her friends. It was late that night, or early that morning, before they finally got back to their hotel room.

"Too bad Frieda didn't show up," Maryann said with a yawn.

"What good would that have done?" Nora asked.

"At least we would have figured out her taste in music."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure that would lead us to figure out her identity in no time at all," Leah said.

"Sleep now. We'll make a plan in the morning," Isabella said.

Maryann hoped to have another dream to help guide her to answer, but she only had the usual types of dreams and awoke with no particular insight.

"Any dreams last night?" Isabella asked.

"No."

"So what's the plan?" Nora asked after breakfast. "We need to hit the road. And I can't think of any more options. No social media, no personal belongings, no friends, what else is there? I mean, she certainly isn't normal, and maybe Sharon's right that she's an alien, but how are we supposed to figure that out?"

"I think we should just talk to her," Leah said.

"What, just come right out and ask, 'Are you an alien?'"

"Well, no, but tell her the truth."

"Oh, yes. 'Frieda, our friend Maryann had a dream where the goddess Athena told her you're not what you appear to be. So what are you really?' Yes, I'm sure that will go over well," Nora said snidely.

"Do you have a better idea?" Leah snapped.

"Ladies, ladies," Isabella said. "If it works, it's certainly going to be quicker than anything else. Since this is Maryann's task, I'll leave it up to her, but you ought to know we're leaving no later than 11 this morning."

"That doesn't give me a lot of choices," Maryann protested.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get on the road."

"Fine. I'll talk to her, if I can find her. Nora, you have to come with me so I have a way to get on campus."

"That's easy. I can get us all on campus, as long as any of Sharon's friends who saw the show want to meet us," Nora said. "And I think there's a few."

"Oh, so one solved mystery and new fans. Sounds like a good plan," Leah said.

"What if she's dangerous or something?" Maryann countered.

"Hey, I have to hang out with Sharon," Nora said.

"And I need to go with Nora," Isabella said. "I'm sorry, Maryann, but Nora's the most outgoing of all of us and I might have to answer some of the logistical questions."

So it was settled. Some of Sharon's friends did want to get together with the band, so the excuse to get on campus was easy to obtain. Maryann and Leah went to wait for Frieda in front of the dorm since they couldn't get inside.

"I really wish we knew where she was going to be," Maryann said. "We could wait here the whole time and she might not even show up."

"Well, without knowing a darn thing about her, the best thing we've got is where she lives."

Suddenly, Maryann remembered her divination attempt. "Not here! The Moon Bench!"

"What?"

"Didn't you pay any attention to Sharon's tour?"

"Yes," she retorted. "But maybe not all my attention."

"Come on," Maryann said, and started walking.

"Wait, I thought this thing was something only a senior could sit on or something?"

"No, not exactly. But the Moon came up in my reading, so I'm going to take a chance."

"And if that doesn't work, are you going to find a magician or some swords?" Leah asked wryly.

"If you can't be nice, I'm not going to talk to you."

They hurried across the campus to the Moon Bench. It was a bright, sunny Sunday morning and the bench was completely empty.

"Unless Frieda is invisible, she's not here," Leah said.

"Darn it."

"Excuse me, but why are you looking for me?" asked a low voice.

Maryann and Leah whirled around.

Frieda was standing right behind them. She was holding a plain, cloth satchel and wearing clothes just as ordinary as the day before.

"Okay, that's just weird," Leah thought. "I know she wasn't just standing there a second ago. No one is that forgettable."

"You're not going to believe this, but..." Maryann started, and then explained the situation to Frieda.

The tall, thin girl blinked a few times, and then looked as though she was going to cry. "This place is so hard! I-I'm just trying to fit in and finish my studies. I'm not trying to bother anyone at all but everything just happens so fast and I can't keep up with it all!"

"Um, we're sorry. It was just a dream," Leah said quickly. "No one is trying to hurt your feelings. If you're having trouble with your classes, I'm sure the counselors here would be happy to help you."

Two tears rolled down her face that managed to make her plain features seem almost beautiful. "They can't help," she whispered. "But I just want to learn!"

"Maybe we should sit down and you tell us the whole story," Maryann said. "Not on the bench, of course."

She sniffled cutely.

Leah shook her head slightly to clear it. She didn't have the best senses for supernatural happenings, but something about the girl was making her think of an animated character.

Maryann, while not thinking of the same thing as Leah, was making the same observations. She gently led Frieda to a bench not so loaded with tradition.

"It's always been my dream to come to a place like this. There's so much tradition and structure and so much to learn. Everything is so old and yet modern. I studied so hard to get here so I could study your history. I thought I could keep up with the pace, but I'm starting to fall behind. Everything happens so fast. And everyone here is so busy with other activities. I'm getting so overwhelmed!" A gentle breeze artfully wafted a stray lock of her dark blonde hair across her face.

"'Your history?'" Leah thought.

"I try to keep to myself so I have more time for study. I try not to distract myself. But it's difficult. And the culture is so different from my home." Her eyes shone preternaturally bright. "It's nice you're worried about me, but I will make it through." The sun highlighted the gold in her hair.

"Cue dramatic scenery," Leah muttered to Maryann.

"That's it!" Maryann said.

"Um, what?" Leah asked.

"Um, what?" Frieda asked, suddenly looking plain again.

"The name 'Frieda' means 'elf.' And now that you're dramatically telling this story, you get scenery effects. It's a glamour. You're trying to hide it, but you can't resist showing off a little bit," Maryann said.

Frieda blinked a few times, and then tossed her head haughtily. The wind and sunlight caught the free tendrils causing them to shine gold. "You've caught on. I don't know how."

"Athena said you weren't what you seem," Maryann said. "Why would an elf be here?"

"To study our history," Leah offered.

"Yes! I told you the truth," she said, her eyes bright again. "I am here to study. I want to study your history. But your world moves at a much faster pace than mine. We would have barely scratched the surface of any one topic in my time here, yet you demand mastery in only a few short months. I knew your world moved at an accelerated pace, but this is simply overwhelming." Her voice had turned slightly musical.

"I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. Do you have to return home after you graduate?"

"No, I don't suppose so. Frankly, everyone would be quite shocked if I returned home so very early," Frieda asked. "But after I graduate, what else is there to do?"

"If you're serious about studying, you can stay in school for a long, long time," Leah said.

"How so? I have funds sufficient for a diploma but I can't pay for study indefinitely."

"This is what graduate programs are for. You can get your bachelor's, and then your master's, and then your PhD. That'll take up to ten years right there. Then you go on to a post-doc which could be another two to three, then to an adjunct position, and finally try to find your own teaching position at any university. You will, of course, be expected to teach, but most importantly you'll be expected to publish. And if you want to publish, you'll need to keep learning."

Her eyes were really starting to shine. "Is this true? I could stay in school for years, and I would get paid for it?"

"Well, you won't get paid very much for it," Maryann said. "But you don't look like you care too much for material things anyway."

"And you can apply for grants and scholarships which will help," Leah said.

"I had no idea this was an option! I know of course the professors here had to learn how to be teachers, but I didn't realize they were also paid to be scholars. This is most wonderful news!" Frieda looked almost pretty.

"But everything is still going to move fast," Leah said. "Once you get your first degree, you'll be able to focus more on the subjects you want, but this is how a human university works."

"Yes. Your world is in a great hurry and it knows not its destination."

"If you do get in trouble, you should talk to the counselors anyway," Maryann said. "They may surprise you with some good study tips and strategies."

"Yes, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Thank you! You have given me new energy and direction for my studies," Frieda said.

"You're quite welcome. If it doesn't offend your religion, you may want to leave something for Athena."

"Yes, that would be wise." Frieda picked up her satchel and stood up. "Thank you again."

"And don't forget, we have a band," Leah said.

"Oh, I have no time to study music along with history," she replied, and dashed off towards the Thomas Great Hall.

"Well, that figures. Help a gal out, and get nothing in return. Do you think that's good enough for Athena?"

"I hope so," Maryann said as they starting walking. Along the way, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye in a tree. She turned to look and saw a small owl sitting on a branch, fully awake even though it was morning. It blinked its great eyes at her just once. "Yes, I think Athena is satisfied," she said.

"If you say so," Leah replied dryly.

They rejoined the other two and updated them as soon as they could.

"Is it a good idea to leave my sister with an elf as a roommate?" Nora asked. "Elves and fairies in stories are not very nice."

"Elves are a lot like people. Generally they aren't good or bad; it's their motivations that matter," Maryann said.

"I think stealing children is bad."

"Well, their motivations certainly aren't human motivations," Maryann conceded. "And they are notorious for being liars, or at least using glamour and illusions."

"That isn't making me feel better about my sister."

"But if she wants to study, and is serious about it, I think this is a good place for her."

"True. Academia is a refuge for any number of socially awkward people. Why not a scholarly elf?" Leah asked.

"As long as she delights in the truth, I think she'll be fine," Maryann said.

"All the same, I'll suggest to Sharon to be nice to Frieda," Nora said. "And I'll make sure I send her an antique horseshoe, you know, for good luck. And cold iron."

"I think that would be a wise idea," Isabella replied.

The Lyrics:

So I arrived at college,

Fresh and clean and bright,

Little did I know

My roommate's up all night

She won't go to sleep

Then she won't get up

Her alarm rings in my ears

Then she skips class anyway

Refrain: If she only knew I'm secretly a drow

She would fear me and my evil ways

But if she found out it wouldn't help her now

I will sacrifice her soul to my dark god

I met a human boy who was cute

Whenever he was around I became mute

But oh could she talk and talk

And she talked him into dating her

She invites him over all the time

They talk and make out and get drunk

And when it's time for me to try to sleep

They bump and grind on the upper bunk

Refrain

She doesn't study and she doesn't care

She parties all night and stumbles in late

I wake to the sound of her retching

How does she pass in that mental state?

I just want to focus and study

I just want some time alone

But she's always in the room

And always talking on the phone

Refrain

It's only a matter of time

I only have to wait

Once the semester ends

My roommate will meet her fate

Refrain x2

**Track 4: Pet Rattlesnake**

The Interview:

Brad: Not that I intended this interview to go track by track, but I have to say each song seems so different it seems worthwhile to do that.

Lenore: Whatever works for you.

Brad: Your number 4 track, "Pet Rattlesnake," is, well, a country song. It's not even a country-pop song, but more of an older country-western style reminiscent of Johnny Cash or the Outlaws.

Lee: Yes. Was that supposed to be a secret?

Brad: No, but it's certainly a surprise. I know I didn't expect it.

Lee: That's why made sure to note the style change in the liner notes.

Brad: [laughs] That was nice. So, what in the world made you decide to record a country-western song?

Belle: Our agent, Mr. Bert Rafel.

Brad: Is he a fan?

Lenore: No, it's just not real picky about where he books our gigs sometimes. So we ended up in the middle of a small town in the deep South and realized we were about to go on stage playing the wrong music.

Lee: A la "Bob's Country Bunkhouse."

Anna: Don't get us wrong, Mr. Rafel gets us the gigs, but, well, he really should do a bit more research beforehand.

Brad: Well, it seemed to work out for you. "Pet Rattlesnake" made the Country Billboard chart. It also credits a Mr. Billy Ray Nickel. Who is that?

Belle: A very talented country-western singer who never quite made it.

Brad: That puts this song in a whole new light.

Lee: We really aren't as frivolous as we pretend to be.

Brad: [laughs] I can see you Ravens are determined to defy expectations.

The Flashback:

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Maryann asked worriedly. "I haven't even seen a gas station since we turned off the state highway."

"I'm following the GPS," Isabella said, glancing at the portable global positioning system stuck on the front windshield.

"Where in the hell did Mr. Rafel book us this time?" Nora said irritably.

"The middle of nowhere, clearly," Leah replied. "Does anyone else feel like we're in some kind of horror movie and just made the wrong turn?"

"Yes," the others agreed.

"And the GPS just lost all the roads," Isabella sighed as the screen turned green.

"Well, if we end up in a horror movie, Nora's getting killed first."

"Why?" Nora snapped.

"You're black and I run faster."

She looked like she was about to make an angry retort, but then she nodded. "That's true. But it doesn't matter if I go first, because if we're in a horror movie, you're still getting killed. You're a token minority, and you're the comedienne. That's two strikes against you."

"True, true. My spicy Latina nature and sense of humor all but guarantees my untimely death at the hands of the killer in the woods."

"Can we please stop talking like that?" Maryann asked with a nervous giggle.

"Nora, please pull out the directions," Isabella asked. She continued to navigate the band's van through the thickly wooded southern countryside. Finally they turned off the country route onto a gravel road, which went through a mid-sized town that had clearly seen better days. "This is it. Peach Falls."

"This is it? There are no people to watch us play," Nora snapped.

The town was so small there was only one traffic light. There were few street lights. All the store fronts, and there weren't very many, were adorned with a banner that had a picture of a peach on it. Isabella drove to the only hotel in the area, which was a locally owned place and also had a banner of a peach. "Peach Falls Inn. Well, let's get checked in and figure out where the gig is actually supposed to be."

There was only one clerk, an elderly gentleman who clearly spent more time reading fishing magazines than taking care of customers. He shoved a flyer in MaryAnn's hand and returned to his magazines as soon as they had keys. They were the only ones checked in.

"So we've got what, about eight hours to kill in a town that clearly has nothing happening?" Nora said.

"There's this Peach Festival thing. We could go there," MaryAnn suggested.

"Hell no."

"Oh, it doesn't look like it starts until tonight's concert anyway," she said, looking at the flyer she got from the desk clerk.

"Well, maybe we can go see the site of the gig tonight," Isabella suggested. "Just to make sure it's the right kind of place."

"Or if we have to explain our concept to Mr. Rafel, again," Leah sighed.

After consulting with the clerk for directions, they headed to the site of the gig.

The site was called the Rock Hall and it appeared to be a fairly large auditorium.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all," Maryann said brightly.

They parked the van and went inside to try to find the manager. There was a nervous looking middle-aged man overseeing some activity on the stage.

"Excuse me; are you the manager of the Rock Hall?" Isabella asked.

"Yes, I'm Mr. Daniels," he said with a pronounced southern drawl. He adjusted his glasses and looked at the girls. Nora was wearing a stylish summer ensemble of a light purple halter-top shirt and skinny denim capri pants, Maryann was wearing an orange t-shirt with a bumblebee and a knee-length red skirt with pink polka-dots in her usual eclectic style, Isabella was wearing a minimalist white baseball-style t-shirt with blue and orange trim and cargo shorts, and Leah was wearing a practical green tank top and brown corduroy shorts. "Y'all aren't what I expected. You sure you're a country band?" he asked.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Mr. Rafel."

"Wait, isn't this place called the Rock Hall?" Maryann asked.

"Of course. It was named for the Rock of Christ church next door," Mr. Daniels said.

Leah smacked her hand against her forehead.

"So are you a country band?"

"Sure, sure," Isabella said. "We just don't look like it right now because we don't want to mess up our stage clothes."

"Oh, well, that makes sense."

"We'll figure something out," Isabella said in a low voice to the group.

"Well, come on, y'all be the last act of the evening. I'll show you where to set up." They followed the nervous man to the back. "I didn't think y'all sounded like a country band, but Mr. Rafel said you was and well, I need people to play for the Peach Festival. Hard to get acts in these days."

"I'm not surprised," Nora said in a low voice, noting how run-down everything appeared to be.

"Oh, it ain't because the theater needs some fixin' up," Mr. Daniels said.

She flushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Well, of course, when people don't come I don't get money to fix 'er up which makes the problem worse."

"Why aren't people coming in?" Isabella asked politely.

"Well, they just aren't," he answered, suddenly looking flustered. "Aw, heck, I'd better come clean. The others will tell you soon enough. The place is haunted and no one wants to play no more."

"Haunted? Seriously?" Nora said.

"Yes ma'am, haunted by Billy Ray Nickel."

The girls looked at each other in confusion. "I'm sorry, we've never heard of him."

"Oh, Billy Ray was an up and comin' country singer in these parts some sixty years ago. Died, tragically, of course, right after he got his big break. The Rock Hall here used to be the Peach Falls Music Hall. Billy Ray haunted the Music Hall too, but mostly he just played his guitar in the middle of the night. Well, the Music Hall was in bad shape so we finally tore it down and built the Rock Hall a couple of years ago. I guess Billy Ray didn't much like the change and he started acting out, I guess. Started scarin' off bands at first, and then started scarin' off regulars. We ain't used the place much, but this is the Peach Festival. It's the biggest event in town!"

"Yes, that's obvious," Nora said sarcastically.
Mr. Daniels didn't notice or didn't react. "So none of the local bands wanted to play and I had to look for folks who wasn't from around here. So that's how I got y'all."

"Well, it's nice to know our musical talent is so appreciated," Leah said, equally sarcastically.

"Tell me, Mr. Daniels, when does Billy Ray Nickel usually appear?" Isabella asked.

"Well, I don't know. It's been awhile since people keep avoidin' the place. I think if he's gonna bother anyone, he'll do it durin' the show, which is the worst time of course."

"Of course," Nora sighed.

"Y'all probably think that's nothin' but a load of country bull," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, no, we take these things very seriously," Isabella said.

"But you're not scared?"

"We'll see what happens during the show."

"Oh, good. Well, it's nice to know at least one band will be playin'," he said. "Well, I've got some other stuff to do, so I'll leave y'all for now."

"Thanks!" Maryann said brightly.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Nora turned to Isabella. "Look, I know a gig's a gig and all that, but we've all seen The Blues Brothers and that stage is a lot bigger and there's no chicken-wire!"

"I've got a plan. Leah, take the laptop and find an internet connection. I don't care if you have to bribe the librarian to use their land-line connection. We need sheet music and fast."

"I don't know anything about country music! And we don't have a lot of time to rehearse," Leah replied.

"Do a web search for country music hits from the '50s and '60s and get some titles that way. That sort of thing should be easier for us to play. Find something by Patsy Cline or the Outlaws."

"I'm going to assume that will make sense when I do the search," Leah replied. "I hate it when we're stuck playing nothing but covers."

"Well, maybe we'll write a country song if we survive this gig. Maryann, find out everything you can about Billy Ray Nickel."

"But if Leah's got the laptop, how am I supposed to search?"

"I'm sure the library has newspaper archives and maybe microfiche. Search that," Isabella said.

"What's microfiche?"

"Oh, come on," Leah sighed, and pulled Maryann out of the room.

"Nora, I need you to get us some costumes for tonight. There's a general store in town that should have something."

"I am not wearing gingham and a cowboy hat," she retorted.

"I'm not asking you to wear this all the time. It's just a costume. And remember, there's no chicken-wire between us and the audience."

"Right. I'm sure I'll find something I can live with," she sighed. "What are you going to do?"

"Get the gear ready while you guys take care of everything else."

"That's it?"

"Look, just trust me."

Nora gave Isabella a skeptical look, but headed out.

The band reunited in about two hours.

"You would not believe the trouble I had getting a decent connection," Leah said. "Or the fees."

"It's fine. Let me see what you got," Isabella said, taking the slightly smudged photocopies.

"I got some copies too," Maryann said. "This is everything about Billy Ray Nickel."

Isabella grabbed the smudged papers and read through them quickly.

"And I got us some costumes," Nora said. "No cowboy boots though. You wouldn't believe how much those cost."

"Is that gingham?" Maryann asked. "This is very Laura Ingalls Wilder."

"I didn't have a lot of options," Nora replied with a frosty sigh.

"It's fine. We have a lot to do before we go on. I talked with Mr. Daniels and he says we're going to probably be the closing act for the night," Isabella said.

"What if that ghost shows up?" Maryann asked.

"Then we go on sooner," Leah answered.

The band rehearsed as well as they could in the cramped green room. They could hear the show had started and hear the music from the other bands. They spent so much time rehearsing they barely left themselves enough time to get into costumes. They all had gingham skirts and blouses that were matching in style if not color and everyone except Nora had their hair braided in two pigtails. All of them had large straw hats with a black feather stuck in the hat bands.

The band before them was just finishing up when the lights in the green room started flickering. They heard the music dissolve into confusion.

"Is that part of the show?" Maryann asked.

They heard the other band running past their door in a panicked fashion.

"I'm guessing not," Nora said acidly.

"Then it's show time!" Leah said.

The band made their way through the confused backstage to find Mr. Daniels standing near the stage entrance.

"Oh, y'all cain't go on now! It's Billy Ray! He scared off Slim and the Pickens band. I don't know what he'll do."

"We can handle this, Mr. Daniels," Isabella said. "Come on, y'all."

"Did she just say 'y'all?'" Maryann whispered to Nora.

"I think she did."

Lead by Isabella, the band walked on-stage and set up their instruments. The lights were still flickering on and off but the audience didn't seem to know what to do.

"Do we need spirit sight?" Leah asked Isabella.

"No. I think Mr. Nickel will manifest," she answered. The band set up calmly, which seemed to calm down the audience.

"This is our opening number?" Nora asked, looking at the sheet music. "Isabella, you want to draw the ghost out?"

"Yes I do." She took the microphone. "Hello, Peach Falls. This is a lovely town and we're happy to be playin' for your Peach Festival," Isabella said, now sporting her own southern accent. "We're Nevermore and the Ravens!" She gave the cue and they started to play a cover of "Ghost Riders in the Sky."

Halfway through the first song the lights shut off for nearly a minute before they came back up at half power.

"No more," said an ethereal voice. The ghost of a middle-aged man wearing jeans, a flannel button-up shirt, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and a very large belt bucket manifested near stage left. He was slightly transparent, his face was very sunken even underneath the beard, and he had no eyes, only a cold, unearthly glow where his eyes should have been. "Ever since the Music Hall got torn down, there ain't been a band worth a lick play here. I hate it. As long as I'm around, no one will ever play the Rock Hall again!"

Several members of the audience started to scream and panic started to spread.

"They're going to panic, and then we'll have trouble," Nora said worriedly.

Isabella grabbed the microphone. "Stay in your seats, y'all. We aren't going to be scared off by a ghost. We mean to play this here festival, even if you don't like it, Billy Ray Nickel!"

The ghost laughed hollowly. "What, you think you can play country? You might be nice young ladies, but the music business ain't no place for nice young ladies. So either you can't play, or you aren't nice young ladies."

"Listen here, Mr. Nickel. Music has changed a lot since you died, and nice young ladies most certainly can be in the business," Maryann retorted. "We can play, and there are lots of other up and coming young acts that should be allowed to play in this nice place. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you have the right to scare everyone away!"

The ghost laughed again. "Well, well, you're a feisty filly. But what are you gals goin' to do about me?"

"We'll battle this out, of course. If your music is better, then you win and no one plays the Rock Hall again. But if our music is better, you're out and you let these good people use this Rock Hall they paid good money to have built," Isabella said.

"Fine, little lady. I challenge you. What's your weapon?"

Isabella pulled a stringed instrument out of a case. "The fiddle of course."

"Is she crazy?" Maryann said worriedly. "I know she took violin lessons, but that's not the same thing at all."

"Relax," Leah said, suddenly catching on. "Remember, our girl is a bonafide Southern Belle."

"Always with the puns," Nora groaned.

"Well? Care to duel with me?" Isabella said.

"Sure thing, little lady." Billy Ray held out his hand an ethereal fiddle appeared in it. "But who's going to judge this?"

"Oh, I think we'll both know who is the winner by the end," Isabella said.

"Well, if you don't mind, then I'll start this show," he cackled, and rosined up his phantom bow. Then he started to play. After a lengthy and impressive solo, he finished.

The audience applauded. The band was nervous.

"Well, you're pretty good Billy Ray, but sit right back and let me show you how to play," Isabella replied.

"Why is this starting to sound familiar to me?" Leah muttered.

Isabella rosined up her very real bow. The band and audience held their breath for just a moment as she touched the bow to the strings. Then she started to play, and play hard. She played so fast and so hard rosin particles rose off the strings making it look like the fiddle was actually smoking. After several minutes, she finished her solo.

The audience burst into loud applause.

The ghost hung his head. "Well, I know when I've been beat. I guess I was wrong about you, little lady, and about music. I had my chance. And I'm goin' to keep my promise to leave the Rock Hall forever."

"Mr. Nickel, it would be an honor if you'd join us for the evenin'," Isabella said.

"I am not sharing billing with a dead guy," Nora hissed.

"Oh, lighten up. He just got his butt whupped by Isabella," Leah replied. "She's just giving him a chance to say good-bye."

The ghost appeared to brighten up. "You mean that? Well, you're all right by me," he said. "But I don't know modern music."

"That's fine. We have music," Maryann said. "I'm sure a musician as talented as you were will catch on in no time."

"Everyone, please give a big round applause for Nevermore and the Ravens' guest artist, Mr. Billy Ray Nickel!" Isabella said.

The audience clapped enthusiastically. They were somewhat confused but much less frightened and willing to stay for a good show.

Billy Ray stepped forward and pulled out a phantom guitar. Leah gave the beat, and they re-started "Ghost Riders in the Sky." They played all covers, but the audience didn't seem to mind. The penultimate song was an original by Billy Ray. The final song was, "On the Road Again."

The audience gave them a standing ovation and the stagehands brought down the curtain.

"Thank y'all," Billy Ray said. "That was the best send off I could ask for."

"I'm glad we got a chance to play together," Isabella said.

"You ladies got talent. Just don't waste it the way I did. I'm guessin' you know how I died?"

"The newspaper said it was a drug overdose."

"Yep. I was on my way to the top but I just couldn't handle it. My daddy told me the drugs was like a pet rattlesnake. Danged stupid and dangerous thing to keep around and eventually goin' to kill me. He was right too. Right after my big break too."

"I hope you find your peace, Mr. Nickel."

"Well, maybe it's time I go lookin' for my peace instead of hangin' around here wishin' things were different. You take care, little lady, and keep at that fiddle. Maybe one day you'll be great too." He tipped his hat to her. "Y'all don't forget ol' Billy Ray Nickel. I'm headin' out to find that great Peach Festival in the sky."

The ghost tipped his hat to the band, and vanished.

"Oh, Mr. Daniels," Leah said as the nervous man ran up to them.

"Oh, thank y'all so much! You know, we all liked Billy Ray but didn't know how to reach him. And that was some of the finest fiddle playin' I ever did here. Y'all really are a country band! You're welcome back in Peach Falls anytime! You comin' the Festival tomorrow?"

They looked at each other a bit uncomfortably.

"Of course we will," Isabella answered.

"That's great! Well, I have to get things packed up here, but I'll see y'all tomorrow if you aren't down at the bar for dancin' later," he said, and shuffled off.

"'Bye Mr. Daniels," Leah said.

"Why did you say we'd be staying?" Nora asked.

"We just saved their Rock Hall. Anyway, it wouldn't be polite to refuse their southern hospitality. We should at least get some good peach cobbler out of it," Isabella answered.

"All right, but I am not wearing gingham," she retorted.

"That's completely fair."

"That was nice, what you did for Mr. Nickel," MaryAnn said.

"After I read the information on him, I figured that was the best approach. I'm glad it worked."

"May God help him find peace," Nora said, suddenly very serious.

"I second that," Leah said.

"I agree," Maryann sighed.

"Yeah. But we've still got work to do. Help me pack up," Isabella said. "If we're lucky tomorrow, they'll let us be judges for the peach cobbler competition."

"Ooo, I hope so!" Maryann said.

The band packed up their gear and headed back to the hotel.

The Lyrics:

Met a man who was up to no good

Knew he was bad; didn't know he was a fake

Oh, he had all the right things to get me high

But I didn't know he was a lyin' snake

Drug dealin' man; drivin' around in his van

Greasy hair, forked tongue, and a tan

Got a pet that rattles around

But when it strikes it don't make a sound

Refrain: Life's like a pet rattlesnake

You never know when it's gonna bite

But even if I don't get a break

I'm still strong enough to fight

Oh, my woman done threw me out

But I didn't scream and I didn't shout

I saw the man with the van to get my stuff

I could quit anytime; I was tough

I could have made it to the top

But I just didn't know when to stop

I was on a run of good luck

But that's when the snake struck

Refrain

In the end, I lost it all

I should've know I'd fall

I quit but it was too late

Too bad; I would've been great

Refrain (x2)

**Track 5: Perchance to Dream**

The Interview:

Brad: This next track is also pretty dark with the heaviest metal influence of any of your songs, no pun intended.

Lee: We aren't offended by puns.

Lenore: Speak for yourself.

Brad: Are any of you insomniacs?

Belle: We don't have any time to sleep, but that's probably not the same thing.

Anna: You could say we're insomniacs by default.

Brad: Is this song really just about bad dreams?

Belle: Yes, but aren't bad dreams just an expression of our fears?

Brad: So the song is an expression of fear?

Lenore: I thought the critics were supposed to tell us what we meant.

Brad: Well, some do that, but I don't do that. At least not yet. What made you decide to write a song about nightmares?

Anna: It fits in with our theme, doesn't it?

Brad: I guess I can't argue with that.

Lenore: Our society talks about dreams coming true, and that's great, but we thought we'd explore the darker side of what that means. Nightmares are dreams too.

Lee: And no one ever talks about how they want to see their dream about being chased by zombies come true.

Brad: [laughs] I can agree with that.

Belle: Dreams do have a lot of power. When you're dreaming, you think what you're seeing is real. Your own mind can be your worst enemy.

Brad: So was this song inspired by a particularly bad dream?

Lenore: For once, we'll give you a straight answer. And that answer is "yes."

Brad: Wow, a straight answer. I'll have to make a special note of that in the final article.

Lee: Your sarcasm is noted, but does not offend us either.

The Flashback:

"That was some show," Maryann said, dragging her luggage into the hotel room she shared with Leah.

Leah tossed herself face-down on one of the two beds. "Oh, sweet pillow, how I've missed you," she said in a somewhat muffled voice.

There was a knock from the shared door.

Maryann opened it.

"I think we're going to just go to bed," Isabella said.

"That's fine by us. I think Leah's already passed out."

"Not yet," she said.

"Nora's nearly there too."

"It was a good show," Nora called from the bathroom, her voice somewhat muffled as she brushed her teeth.

"Well, once we hit it big, hopefully we'll have shows even better than that," Maryann said.

"We're not going to hit it big without sleep," Leah said. "We'll talk about our awesome show in the morning. It'll still be awesome then."

"She's got a point," Nora replied.

"Ok, goodnight!" Maryann said.

"Goodnight," Isabella said, and shut the shared door.

Within half an hour, they were all asleep.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer yelled. "I give you Nevermore and the Ravens!"

The crowd went wild.

Leah set the beat with her drumsticks and brought them crashing down on the drums.

The stage lights lit up the stadium so brightly none of the band members could see the audience, but they could hear them screaming. They played to the crowd of thousands cheering them on. The pyrotechnics behind them lit up the stage. The metal in their Steampunk costumes glittered dramatically. They switched around instruments and lead singers and the crowd demanded more.

Isabella heard something discordant in the music. Leah heard a beat drop even though she knew Nora never dropped a beat. Nora felt the crowd's energy was off, somehow, and Maryann felt the same about the pyrotechnics. The set finished, the lights went dark, and the band walked off-stage to change costumes for the next set.

"Ah, so this must be a dream," Leah said out loud, looking at the huge dressing room full of elaborate and expensive costumes.

"Of course it's a dream," Nora said. "We haven't made it this big yet."

"And I'm pretty sure the last thing I remember was going to bed after our gig in Austin," Isabella said.

"Wait a minute," Maryann said. "I know this is a dream, but why are you guys acting like you know it's a dream too? Are you in my dream or are we all sharing the same dream or is this just some really hyper-real dream of mine?"

They pondered this a moment.

"I don't think it matters," Isabella said. "I know this is a dream, and I think we're sharing a dream, so I'll treat you like we're sharing a dream. If that's not the case, then the dream will change and I'll know it."

"But what if you're dreaming we're sharing a dream?" Maryann asked.

"It still doesn't matter as long as you act like that is true."

"I'm not sure that makes sense to me," she said.

"What sense is this going to make?" Leah asked. "This is clearly the mandatory dream sequence episode."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Nora replied.

"You guys never do."

"So, is this a spell or something?" Maryann interrupted. "And if it is, what kind of spell? And who cast it on us?"

"I think the first two questions are more important than the last one."

"I hope we didn't walk through the wrong door again," Leah said. "I hate it when that happens."

"Hey, as far as I remember, I just went to sleep," Nora replied.

"Well, this may not be a dream at all, just someone's spell that makes us think it's a dream," Maryann said. "We could be trapped in another place altogether."

"That really doesn't make me feel any better about this," Leah said.

"Well, let's stay together and look around. Maybe we'll find some clues to help us figure out what's really going on," Isabella said.

"If this is just a dream, don't we just have to wait until we wake up?" Nora asked.

"Maybe. We may be under a spell that keeps us asleep."

"So we just need a Prince Charming," Leah said.

Isabella ignored her. "Or if we get really hurt in this dream, we may not wake up at all."

"Sleep is the brother of Death, at least in Greek mythology," Maryann offered.

"And in the DC Universe," Leah added. "Well, Dream is the brother of Death anyway."

"That is so not helpful right now," Nora sighed.

"And what are we going to do about the show?" Maryann asked. "We've got another set and probably an encore."

"It's our dream," Nora said impatiently. "We can control it."

"I don't know. I'm bad at lucid dreaming," Leah said. "I try to give myself superpowers and it never works right."

"And anyway, we don't know for sure this is one of our dreams," Isabella said.

There was a knock on the door. "Ladies, hurry up," called an unfamiliar female voice. "The crowd is waiting."

"Be right there," Maryann called. "So, what do we do?"

"We could finish the show and find out what happens," Leah offered.

"That's not a bad idea," Nora replied. "If there's something else at work here, it's clearly invested in the show. Just look at these costumes! Or, if it's just a dream, damn, it's one hell of a show. So let's do it."

"Okay. We can search for clues afterward just as well," Isabella agreed. "And if the show is the focus, maybe the dream will end right after."

They quickly changed into the best Goth costumes they could have dreamed of and hustled back onto the stage. The crowd's cheers nearly deafened them. Nora was on drums for the next set and started the show.

It was more obvious to each of them in the second set that something was wrong. Leah could hear the beat was off, Nora felt the crowd's enthusiasm was forced and artificial, Isabella could hear discordant tones in the music, and Maryann thought the pyrotechnics weren't hot enough to be real. After the second set, Isabella said goodnight the crowd. The lights went dark again and they made their way backstage. They could hear the crowd chanting for an encore.

"Well, the show is over now," Leah said, "unless we want it to continue. And nothing's changed."

"No, but something was definitely wrong during that set," Nora said.

"Yeah, something was definitely off with the music and the show," Maryann agreed.

"So now what do we do?" Leah asked. "Something is wrong, so I really don't want to keep playing just for that reason. And something is going on, but I don't know what."

Isabella dug around in the gear and pulled out blank pieces of paper and a pen. She ritualistically wrote the Japanese kanji for 'be gone evil spirit' on each piece of paper.

"Are you making those charms?" Maryann asked. "Do you think they'll work?"

"No idea, but I'm going to make them just in case."

"So what are we going to do?" Nora asked impatiently.

"We'll leave and look around, like I suggested before the second set," Isabella said, annoyed. "If someone is behind this, maybe they'll show themselves. If not, hopefully we'll find a way out or wake up." She finished and stuffed the charms into her pocket. "Alright, let's go."

A gorgeous, thin woman in a stylish black dress was waiting on the other side of the dressing room door. "Ladies, they're calling for an encore out there. Get changed and get back there and give the crowd what they want," she said.

They looked at each other and shrugged to indicate they did not know who the woman was or who she was supposed to be.

"We've done the show and we're tired," Isabella said. "We'll do an encore for the next show."

"Oh, alright then," she replied.

Suddenly everything went dark.

"Ladies and gentlemen," bellowed the announcer. "I give you Nevermore and the Ravens!"

The lighting rig came to life and the spotlights shined down on the band, which were still in their Goth costumes. Leah tapped out the beat and they started to play. However, on their first song they realized they were still in the dream and that something was still wrong with how they were playing. They played a few songs until Isabella cut the set short and they all dashed backstage.

"This is all wrong," Maryann said. "Something's wrong with the music. It's too draining to play. I'm getting tired and I'm supposed to be resting."

"What could be doing this?" Leah asked.

"Well, it could be almost anything," Isabella answered. "A god, a demon, a fairy, or some other kind of spirit. There's really no way to know."

"What about your spirit sight?" Nora asked.

She shook her head. "I can't trust it. I won't know if I'm seeing what I want to see or expect to see."

"Can we stop whatever it is?"

"I don't know. We've already encountered a few... entities, I guess, out there that are more powerful than we really are."

"What do we do?" Maryann asked.

"I have an idea," Isabella said. "Give me your guitars." The guitars were handed over and she stuck the evil spirit charm on the back. "Nora, put this on the drum when you get out there. Let's see if we can get whatever's put us in this dream to show itself."

"Will this even work?" Nora asked.

"I don't know. But even if we're under some kind of spell, we should still have some power. This is a dream, after all. Don't forget that, whatever happens."

There was a knock on the door. "Ladies, time for the second set," said an unfamiliar female voice.

"I'm not changing," Leah said. "I really like this get-up. It's all vampire-slay-y and stuff."

"Is that a word?" Nora asked snidely.

"It is now."

They scurried back to the stage and started up the second set. With Isabella's charms stuck to the instruments, they didn't feel that wrongness in their music and the show they'd felt before. Within two songs, they got a reaction.

"Enough!" said a female voice.

The stage abruptly disappeared although their instruments remained. The phantom concert venue disappeared and was replaced by a throne room. The room was made of black and white shiny stone with impossibly high vaulted ceilings and gold everywhere. At the opposite end of the room from the band was a throne, and there was a woman sitting in it who resembled the one who had knocked on their door in the last part of the dream. She was thin with a very pale complexion and an odd, heart-shaped face, and thick black hair that pooled around her feet on the floor. She was wearing a large gold crown, a black dress with gold accents, and her large eyes were gold with slit pupils.

"What is she?" Maryann whispered.

"I have no idea," Isabella answered.

"Well, well," the woman said. "I thought you were enjoying the dream. You have fame and fortune and everything you want, right?"

"Who are you?" Nora demanded.

"I am the dream-like Empress," she answered.

"Empress of what?"

"The Empress of my realm, which you are guests in right now," she replied, smiling unpleasantly. "I brought you here because I like your music. And I gave you all you wanted. So many dreams of fame and fortune go unrealized. I can give you all of that. All you have to do is play."

"We'd rather take our chances in the real world," Nora retorted.

She laughed, which was just as unpleasant as her smile. "Real world? This world is real."

"It's a dream."

"This is my world, and it is as real as yours, especially while you are here. You want to play. I want to listen. This seems like a mutually acceptable arrangement."

"We want to play in our world," Maryann said. "We don't mind doing shows for people, but we're not going to stay and play just for one audience forever."

"I'm not asking you to play forever," the Empress said. "But I want you to play some more. I haven't finished listening to all your music."

"Well, it's nice to have a fan and all, but we're pretty tired and would like to get some useful sleep before we have to get up in the morning," Leah replied.

"Oh, don't worry about that. So, what do you want to keep playing? A bigger audience? Better costumes? Better instruments? Whatever you want, I can make it happen."

The band members looked at each other.

"We really appreciate the attention," Isabella responded, "but we're going to opt out here. Maybe another time."

The Empress stood up, showing that she was quite tall, and took a few steps toward them. Or, at least, she moved towards them. Her dress was so long it hid her feet and she glided across the floor rather than stepped. "There may not be another time. Do you want to give up everything you wanted?"

"This isn't what I want," Nora snapped. "This is a dream. There's no substance. We didn't earn our fame and fortune here. You gave it to us. I want us to succeed or fail on our own merits."

"You know the odds are not in your favor?"

"We all knew that when we started down this road," Maryann replied. "But we believe our dreams can come true in our own world."

"Then they can. But first, play here, for me, now," the Empress said, moving forward.

Isabella strummed a chord on her guitar.

The Empress winced and stopped.

"Listen, we're trying to be polite," Isabella said. "This is your world and all, but we don't want to stay here, and we don't appreciate you trying to force us to stay. So thanks again, but I think we'll be leaving now. Ladies, take the charms. You'll need them."

They pulled the charms off the guitars and put them in their pockets.

The Empress's small mouth turned into a thin line. "But I want you to play," she snapped, her gold eyes glowing slightly. "I need your dreams. I need them now!" She lunged forward at inhuman speed with her mouth open and fangs showing.

Isabella calmly stuck the evil spirit charm on her forehead.

The Empress halted in her tracks and screamed.

The four huddled together and Isabella pulled out another charm.

"What are you?" Nora snapped.

The Empress ripped the charm off, but it left a burn mark on her forehead. "Mortals," she hissed. "I am the Empress. And I feed on dreams. Your dreams are sweet and potent and I want them. Play play play!"

"No," Maryann snapped. "We aren't food!"

"Play!" she screamed and charged Maryann.

Maryann squealed and ducked, but Leah came to the rescue and smashed her guitar into the Empress's face. She fell to the floor, temporarily stunned.

"This is the part where we'd better get running," Leah said.

"There's a door!" Nora said, pointing to a door past the throne. They ran towards the door as the Empress stood up.

"It's won't be that easy! You can't just run away!" she yelled. "You can't run away from your own nightmares!"

They yanked the door open and scrambled inside.

They found themselves inside an odd place, very unlike the Empress's throne room. Each band member recognized part of the place as a house they had once lived in, so the overall effect was both familiar and strange.

"Is she following us?" Maryann said in a low voice.

"I don't know and I don't want to find out," Nora said. "But I think we're outside of her direct control. This looks kind of like my house."

"Mine too."

"Mine too," said Isabella. "I sometimes have these dreams where I'm in my house but it's not really mine. This must be something like that."

"But what if she comes after us?" Maryann asked.

"Then we'd better find an exit or wake up soon," Leah said.

"Come on, and be careful," Isabella said, and they started to explore the weird amalgam house.

"What if we do run into trouble?" Maryann asked.

"It's a dream. Control it," Nora answered.

"Oh, I don't know," Maryann replied. "I'm not good at lucid dreaming. Sometimes I try to fly, but usually I need a running start and I can't stay up, even if I'm not thinking, 'oh, I can't do this.'"

"Then you'd better hope the rest of us can do something," she said.

"Not me. I told you I'm bad at this," Leah said.

"I wish I knew whose dream this was," Isabella said.

"Why would that help?" Nora asked. "We're all stuck here."

"Yes, but I think the person whose dream we're actually in would have the most control."

"Well, we'd better hope it's not Maryann's or Leah's."

"Nora, be nice," she sighed.

"No, it's fine. I don't want this to be my dream," Maryann said.

They all heard a loud groaning sound and something strong started pounding on one of the doors.

"Okay, if this was my house, that would just be the bathroom," Nora said.

"Are there usually people groaning in your bathroom like that?" she asked.

"Well, Dad has issues with spicy food, but not like that."

The door splintered and a decaying hand in a tattered sleeve punched through.

"Ewww, zombies!" Maryann said.

"Damn it, I think this is my dream," Leah said, as they backed away.

The zombie started to tear through the door.

Isabella pulled a charm out of her pocket and stuck it on the door.

They could now see the zombie bellow and part of its jaw fell off.

"Gross! You were reading sci-fi again," Maryann said.

"I like sci-fi!"

"But you were reading about a zombie apocalypse! How many books about zombie apocalypses are there?" Nora asked.

"You'd be surprised," Leah answered.

"That isn't going to hold," Isabella said. "Run!" They scrambled away as the zombie kicked through the door. It was followed by several more.

"You and zombies!" Nora said.

"Just keep running!"

They dashed down the stairs.

"My dreams aren't like this," Leah said. "There's something I'm missing."

They ran through a kitchen with the zombies in pursuit.

"Right! We need a way out!" she said as they paused for Isabella to put a charm on the door.

"Oh, brilliant observation!" Nora snapped.

"No, look, let me think. This is my dream. They don't end like this."

The zombies rattled the door.

"It's just not going to hold," Isabella said.

"We need doors!" Leah said.

"You are just full of helpful observations today," Nora retorted.

"Just follow me," she said, and led them away from the kitchen through what looked at first to be a closet door.

They looked down a hallway of six doors; three on each side of the hallway.

"Which way is out?" Maryann asked.

"I have no idea," Nora answered, "I'm not sure whose house this is anymore."

"Pick any door and we'll try to find the exit," Isabella said.

They split up and all picked a door and ran inside. Then they all ran out of an entirely different door.

"What the hell?" Nora asked.

The zombies burst through the door behind them.

"Oh no!" Maryann squealed.

"No, this is right. This is going to be okay. Just stay with me," Leah said.

"Are you crazy?" Nora demanded.

"I always have dreams like this," she answered, and yanked open a door. They all ran inside, followed by four zombies. They all ran out of different doors, each followed by a zombie. They criss-crossed each other's paths and at one point Maryann found herself chasing her zombie until she reversed course. Finally they all came out at once and nearly crashed into each other.

"I think I can help," said a dark-haired man in a beige suit with wide-legged pants. "I'm an exterminator."

"This guy looks familiar to me," Maryann said.

He patted a canister on his back as the zombies moved forward. "Would you believe I have enough Zom-B-Gone in this canister to wipe out a whole horde of zombies?"

"No, I don't believe that," Nora said.

"Okay, would you believe I have enough to wipe out these guys?"

"I believe that," Leah said. "So do it."

He turned on the sprayer and the whole hallway filled with green-yellow gas.

The band started coughing and when the gas cleared, there were no more zombies and no more exterminator.

"I feel like I should have known who that was," Maryann said. "Some spy show my parents liked..."

"Oh, come on," Nora said impatiently. "That's got to be the exit," she said, pointing at a new door that had appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Are all your dreams like that?" Isabella asked Leah.

"Well, kind of. Bad dreams usually involve being chased by monsters," she answered. "Normal dreams usually have silly chases, although usually there's a talking dog or a sniggering cat."

"You are so weird," Nora said.

The door did not lead to an exit, but it lead to what appeared to be a school or university.

"I don't think we're in my dream anymore," Leah said.

"This may be mine," Nora said. "This kind of reminds me of my high school."

"Wow, you went to some high school," Maryann replied, looking at the long, clean hallway.

She shrugged. "It was considered one of the best prep schools in the country."

"So I'm chased by zombies through silly doors; what happens in your dreams?" Leah asked.

A middle-aged woman in a suit exited one of the classroom doors. "What are you doing out here? The test has already started! Hurry up and take your seat!" she ordered.

The band was so stunned they did as she said.

The classroom was empty except for four desks which all had a piece of paper on them. They sat down at each and turned over the paper.

"What is this?" Leah said. "I can't read any of this!"

"No talking!" the teacher said.

"I haven't studied!" Maryann wailed.

"I said, no talking!" she snapped.

"I don't even know what subject this is. How am I going to pass?" Isabella murmured.

Nora was just staring at her paper as the others struggled to answer questions written in gibberish.

"I can't stress how important this is," the teacher continued. "If you fail, you won't get into a good college and you'll never make anything of your life."

"I never took physics in high school," Maryann muttered. "Or calculus! I barely got through algebra."

"Oh, no, I haven't read any Voltaire. He was French, right?" Leah said in a low voice.

Nora hadn't written anything down.

"Your entire future depends on this test. And time is up!" the teacher called.

"Wait, I'm not finished," Isabella cried.

The teacher pulled their papers away from them and quickly graded them. "Oh, I'm so sorry but you all have failed. You'll just have to take the test again until you pass."

"Oh no!" Isabella said. "I don't fail tests!"

The teacher passed out another piece of paper. "Next time study more and try harder."

Nora abruptly stood up. "No."

"Excuse me?" the teacher asked rudely.

"I'm not in school anymore. I don't have to study. I don't have to take tests. I don't have to care what you think of the decisions I make in my life." She walked over to the other desks and tore up the tests the others were working on.

"Now we'll never pass," Maryann wailed.

"Maryann, stop it!" Nora snapped. "This is just a dream. This isn't even your high school. Now, let's get the heck out of here."

The others slowly stood up. "You're right," Isabella said. "I'm not in high school anymore. I'm in a band, and I'm stuck in a dream and I don't want to be here anymore."

"You sit down this instance!" the teacher ordered. "Or you'll never make anything of yourself!"

"I don't have to prove myself to you," Nora said, and marched out of the room. The other three quickly followed.

They were out of the high school and in a land of grey mists.

"So that's one of your nightmares?" Leah asked.

Nora sighed. "Yeah. There you go. My greatest fear is disappointing everyone who expected better of me."

"I think I'd rather be chased by zombies," Leah said sympathetically.

"Everyone hold hands," Isabella said sharply.

"Um, what?"

"This is my nightmare. Hold hands or you'll get lost."

They all obediently linked hands.

"So what exactly is this place?" Nora asked.

"A bad place. Let's walk."

"Where are we going?"

"To the door," Isabella answered. "There's got to be a door. We just have to find it."

"And we're holding hands why?" Leah asked.

"You'll see," she said, and started to walk.

They could start to see pale shapes converging in the distance. The shapes seemed to be people, but as they approached, they could see animals and even ghostly buildings. The mists hid most of the landscape. The people didn't seem to mind them at all as they went about what appeared to be the business of living. Details of the people, buildings, and animals were vague. However, even if they couldn't identify the individual people, the people seemed to recognize them. They waved at the band and some even said hello to Isabella in echoing voices.

"What is this place?" Maryann whispered.

"My nightmare," Isabella answered grimly.

"Hello, Isabella!" called one of the ghosts.

"Wait, that sounds kind of like me," Nora said.

"We need you on drums today," the ghost continued.

"Oh my God, that is me. I think it's me. What is this?"

"Just keep walking," Isabella replied, ignoring the ghost.

They passed the ghostly Nora and the mists closed in behind them, blocking their view of her. It was clear if any one of them hung back a few steps, they would get hopelessly lost.

"Isabella, come home," said another ghost; this one resembled an older woman.

"That's not your mother, is it?" Maryann asked.

"No, it's not. Mom's still alive. But I think this is the way out," she said, and lead them into the house where the ghost was standing.

"Why do you leave us for so long?" the ghost asked.

Isabella steadfastly did not answer, but she led the band through the ghostly house. Everything inside was white, wispy, and translucent. Even in the house, the mists rapidly closed behind them. Isabella put a charm on the door to her room, and then opened it.

Beyond was darkness.

"Um, is this an improvement?" Leah asked.

"Yes. Come on," Isabella answered, and pulled them all through.

Now they were in a dark space, but they could all see each other.

"I'm sorry, Isabella," Maryann said. "I guessed being a medium was awful, but I didn't realize how much it messed up your life. I mean, that is what we were seeing? Everything was dead except you, even people who weren't dead yet?"

She nodded. "I live with one foot in the grave. It causes some problems. But now we've gone through everyone's dreams except yours, Maryann. So, what are we going to find here?"

The ground started shaking slightly.

"Um..."

"'What did you do, Ray?'" Leah asked.

Suddenly the black and gold palace rematerialized around them. The Empress was sitting in her throne at the far end, laughing.

"Did we go in a circle?" Nora hissed.

"It's a dream. We could have, but going in a circle doesn't mean it wasn't the way out," Isabella answered. "Maryann, this is your dream. Why is she here?"

"Because your little redhead fears me, that's why," the Empress answered in a mocking voice. She stood up and her eyes glowed. "She's afraid that I am too powerful for you to defeat, and she's afraid you all will be trapped here until I drain away all your delicious dream energy. She's afraid because of her you'll never wake up again. And she's right to be afraid of me."

"Maryann, this is your dream," Nora snapped. "Don't be afraid of her. You've got us with you. Use you magic. Call on your gods. Do something. Do anything!"

Maryann was shaking her head. "I always fall," she murmured.

"We're not asking you to fly. We're asking you to stop her," she retorted.

"Look, the way out is behind her throne," Isabella said. The first door behind the throne had been replaced by a door that looked exactly like the hotel room doors.

The Empress was slowly moving forward in her strange, gliding fashion. "By the way, I really did not appreciate getting hit in the face with a guitar."

"And I don't appreciate being dinner for some kind of dream vampire," Leah snapped, holding out her crucifix.

Nora held out her cross. "Stay away from us, whatever you are."

"Your faith holds no power over me," the Empress replied disdainfully. "I am not of your world."

"Maryann, you need to do something," Isabella said, pulling out her last evil spirit charm.

"This is a dream," the Empress continued. "The rules of the waking world do not work here." Her eyes flashed and she was suddenly right in front of them.

Isabella slapped the charm on her forehead.

She stumbled back a step and ripped it off.

"You're a liar," Isabella snapped. "The rules apply if we believe they apply. Maryann, this is your dream. You have as much power here as you want."

"Silly children. How little you understand about my realm," the Empress said. She fixed on Maryann. "I like your dreams. They are full of passion and energy."

Nora and Leah stood in front of Maryann and held out their holy symbols.

"I'm pretty sure we told you to back the hell off," Leah said.

The Empress seemed reluctant to try to push past them. She snapped her fingers, and the room went completely dark.

"Everyone here?" Isabella asked. She couldn't hear a response.

"Guys, guys, are you alright?" Leah asked. But she didn't hear a response either.

The Empress suddenly appeared in front of Maryann. "Oh, poor little redhead," the Empress said to Maryann.

"Aaahhh!" she yelped.

"Now you're done it. You've lost everyone. You've failed. Too, too bad. Now you will play for me, by yourself. And then they will play for me. And I will win."

Maryann didn't reply.

"Too bad, little girl," the Empress said. "You have so many gods and they can't help you here. All is lost. Lost little girls. You were even named after two lost girls."

All she could hear was the Empress. "I always fall," she murmured.

"Yes, you do."

"But the others are counting on me."

"And that's their mistake. They thought you had some power here. You don't. You never did."

Maryann clenched her fists. "But my friends are counting on me. They wouldn't let me down."

"Well, that's because they're stronger than you," the Empress sneered.

"You know what I like about dreams?" she asked, trying to shut out the terrible feeling of defeat. "I can do all sorts of crazy magic that I can't do in the real world. I don't have to call on gods and I don't have to spend hours preparing. I can even fly if I want to."

"What are you prattling on about?"

"And you said the rules don't apply here. So there's no reason I can't fly. And there's no reason I can't do this," she said.

"Do what?" the Empress asked.

Maryann's eyes blazed with fire and suddenly the whole room lit up again.

"Okay, so she's glowing. That's good?" Leah said.

"A bit of light and fire isn't enough to get past me to that door," the Empress said. She snapped her fingers, and vaguely humanoid black shapes crawled off the walls and stood behind her to block their path. Their features were not defined but the band could see they had sharp claws. She gestured to a new stage. "Just play. It'll be easier."

"And if I can do crazy magic, they can do crazy magic too, or have superpowers, if they want," Maryann continued, surrounded by a fiery aura.

"Ooo, I've always wanted telekinesis," Leah said. "And then I'd grab that stage with my mind and toss at those creepy shadow things like this," she said, and gestured at the stage. The drum kit lifted into the air and smashed into several of the shadow monsters. "Oh, that is as awesome as I imagined! You guys have got to try this." She chucked the remainder of the stage set-up at the creatures.

"I just want more charms," Isabella said, and suddenly her hand was full of them. "And be able to throw them." She took the handful and threw them in a wide arc. The charms flew across the room and stuck to the forehead area of the shadow creatures like they were magnetically drawn to them. The creatures screamed but seemed immobilized.

The Empress looked very upset. "Fine. They were merely diversions. You still have to deal with me." She stared at Nora. "They have magic powers or superpowers. What about you?" she sneered.

Nora lunged at the Empress.

She was too surprised to dodge.

Nora tackled her and yanked the crown off her head, then stood up. "You're no Empress," she snapped. "You're nothing but a predator pretending to be something better. You have no power over me, or them." She crushed the crown with her hands.

"Noooo!" the Empress wailed.

"Now, let's get out of here," Nora called the band.

The Empress gibbered on the floor, keeping her head down, and they walked right past her to the door behind the throne. Isabella put an evil spirit charm on the door, just in case, and they walked through.

They all abruptly sat up in bed. Their alarms weren't set to go off for another few hours. They all got up and went to the shared door.

"So how do we know we're awake?" Leah asked.

"Details," Isabella answered. "Dreams don't have details. Your brain just doesn't fill in all the blanks."

"Okay, so we'll look around and make sure everything has the fine print," she replied.

"Pretty much."

After an hour of looking over nearly everything in their own rooms, and the other pair's rooms, they were satisfied that they were really awake.

"So, how did all that happen?" Nora asked. "And how do we keep it from happening again?"

Isabella shrugged. "I don't know how that happened, or why. There are nasty things out there, some mundane, and some not. We just keep ourselves armed and aware, just like you would with any mundane threat."

"Nora, how did you know to take her crown?" Maryann asked.

"It was clearly the symbol of her power. It made sense to me that taking it and destroying it would weaken her," she answered.

"Thanks, Nora."

"It's not a big deal. We all had to face our fears. I liked your superpowers and magic. It's just not me, you know?"

"I see that. That was a pretty good tackle you pulled off there. Did you fight with your sister a lot?" Leah asked.

"Of course I did. I was also on the girls' varsity rugby team."

"Yeah, that explains a lot," she replied.

Nora yawned. "So, are we going to get moving for the day or go back to sleep?"

They all looked at each other.

"Get moving," Leah said.

"Absolutely," Maryann said.

"I'll get some coffee," Nora offered.

"That sounds good," Isabella replied.

The Lyrics:

I used to know these places

Here I've lived and worked

Filled with people I once knew

But they have unfamiliar faces

I see loved ones since passed on

First there is confusion, then sorrow

When in the dream or when awake

I remember they're really gone

Refrain: To sleep, perchance to dream

To enter another world

All is strange and vague

And nothing what it seems

In our mind live our fears

Pushed back in the daytime

Behind work and stress

But in dreams all too near

Out of the dark nowhere

Come monsters that chase

We run without escape

Caught by nightmares

Refrain

Sometimes I try to fly

But all I do is fall

Waiting for the impact

And I don't know why

Sometimes I take control

And can make things happen

But then I lose my grip

And don't know where to go

Refrain x2

**Track 6: Tricks O'Pedia**

The Interview:

Brad: The next track, "Tricks O'Pedia" is a hard alt-rock tune. Am I going to get any explanation for this one?

Anna: It's Dave's fault.

Brad: Who's Dave? A boyfriend?

Band: [laughs]

Belle: Oh, goodness, no. Dave is Mr. Rafel's son. Unlike his dad, Dave gets our music. He's working on breaking into the music scene, so he helps his dad out with his clients.

Lenore: Which means sometimes he books our gigs. And usually does a good job.

Brad: That's good to know, but how does this relate to séances?

Lee: Let's just say that Dave has a very eclectic group of friends.

Anna: To be fair, that does include us. Dave also tries his hand at song-writing every now and again too.

Brad: Oh, I see now he has a song-writing credit.

Belle: We do try to give credit where credit is due.

Brad: So is this really about a séance?

Lee: Yes.

Brad: So you believe in that kind of supernatural stuff?

Lenore: Whether or not we believe in the supernatural doesn't matter. We don't particularly care for someone profiting from another's grief.

Anna: And the song is sort of a lesson in watching what you wish for. Sure, maybe you want to talk to a long-dead relative, but what if they tell you something you don't want to know? Or tell someone else something you don't want other people to know?

Belle: If you had a relative who always told secrets, why should people change so much once they're dead?

Lee: Séances don't have all be reassurances that everything is, in fact, better, on the other side.

Lenore: Who wants to have a loved one tell them they've been consigned to the sixth level of Hell? Or that everything they believe about the afterlife is completely wrong?

Belle: And all that assumes the medium is real and isn't just some con-artist.

Brad: Wow. I think I understand why you picked such a hard key for a song with lyrics that would suggest a more pop tune.

Lee: I'm glad we could totally blow your mind.

Brad: [laughs] You really are making it hard for me to wrap my head around your music and your inspiration.

Lenore: It's not that complicated, really. You like the song, or you don't. It's just that easy.

The Flashback:

"Dave really gets it," Leah said as Isabella steered them through Miami traffic. "He gets our music, and he gets the scene. And he gets that it's a lot better to be in Florida in April than August."

"We really aren't going to have a lot of time to relax," Isabella said.

"Oh, no, that's not true," Nora said. "We've been super busy and here we are in Florida in April just after the Spring Break rush and before the summer rush. Aunt Claire and my cousins happen to be on a cruise this week, and asked me to house-sit for them for a few days. Oh, and did I mention they have a house right near a beach?"

"That's awesome," Maryann squealed.

"What about our other jobs?" Isabella countered.

"I already checked on this with Dave," Nora answered. "He knows what his dad booked for us. He says we're clear for a couple of days, but he does want to crash with us."

"Doesn't his sister live here?"

"Yeah, but why would he want to stay with his sister's family when he could stay at the beach house? He says every time he visits his sister he's stuck babysitting her kids while she and his brother-in-law go out. He also says the kids are little hellions," Nora said.

"That's fair," Isabella agreed. "Will your aunt mind another person?"

"Nope. She's fine as long as we don't wreck the place. And there's plenty of room to store the gear."

"Awesome," Leah said.

The band was running slightly behind schedule so they headed directly to the site of that evening's show.

"Hey guys," Dave said, greeting them. He was tall, pale, very near-sighted, and tended to wear a lot of black clothes, especially t-shirts with skulls on them. But he knew his father's business and he knew his father's clients. "I'm glad you're letting me crash with you while I'm here."

"Not a problem. Just a way of thanking you for getting our music," Nora said.

"Dad means well."

"Oh, and he gets us jobs. Don't think we're not grateful," Isabella said.

"I know. He's kind of clueless. I'd do more, but school just takes up a lot of time, even with as many online courses as I'm taking."

"Say no more, Dave," she said. "We're cool."

"Um, also, there is something else."

"Oh, no, here we go spoiling our nice vacation," Leah muttered.

"I'll tell you guys more after the show, but I'll just say Vanessa is really concerned about some of her patients," he said.

"Damn it Jim, we're musicians, not doctors!" Leah said.

Only Dave smiled. The other women rolled their eyes. "Well, I think once I explain what's going on, you'll see the problem. In the meantime, what can I help carry?"

The band played with extra energy that night knowing a long-overdue vacation was waiting for them after they finished. They dragged into Nora's aunt's beach house late at night or early in the morning.

The next day Nora found out that her aunt had thoughtfully left the refrigerator well-stocked, so she made breakfast for the group. Despite the late night, they were all laying out on the deck listening to the waves by mid-morning.

"I love my aunt," Nora said. She was wearing a tiny lavender two-piece bikini, stylish and expensive sunglasses, and updating her social media on her tablet.

"I love your aunt too," Leah agreed. She was wearing a bright green one-piece swimsuit, cheap sunglasses, and reading an Asimov story on her e-reader.

"I love having time off," Maryann said. She was wearing a red one-piece and a wide-brimmed hat with an orange ribbon and almost comically oversized sunglasses. She was also sharing the shade of an umbrella with Isabella while she jotted down song lyrics in a notebook.

"I love having an agent that gets our music," Isabella said. She was wearing a light blue modest two-piece bikini, practical sunglasses, and crunching the band's finances.

"And who doesn't get up until noon," Nora added. "Which means it'll be another two hours before he bothers us with whatever he was getting at last night."

"Just once I'd like to have a normal vacation," Maryann sighed.

"Since when have we had a normal anything?" Leah asked.

Maryann kind of nodded. "Good point."

The band had time to laze about on the deck, get in a swim in the ocean, clean up, and make lunch before Dave finally emerged.

Maryann was now sporting a pair of glasses with thick frames. "I don't get how you can keep wearing your contacts after that dunking in salt water," she said.

Isabella shrugged. "I just rinsed them out and they're fine now. Oh, hey Dave."

He was wearing all black and sunglasses indoors. His shirt had a picture of a skeleton in a cowboy hat at a poker table with two black aces and two black eights showing and an unknown hold card. "So, that was a good show," he said in a low voice.

Nora, who knew where the medicine cabinet was, gave him some headache medicine and some water.

"Cheers," he said, taking the medicine.

"It was a good show, and now we get a good break. Right?" Leah asked.

"Well, yeah, that. So you know my sister Vanessa, right?"

"She's the elderly care nurse?" Isabella answered.

"Yeah, that's her. So she's got a pretty nice job at a pretty upscale retirement community. Her patients are in pretty good shape, you know, for being old. They get out, they play sports, they do stuff. Most of them are all there, mentally."

"Sounds like a good place," Maryann said. "Good elderly care is hard to find."

"It is. And usually there's no trouble except what you'd expect with old people. But Vanessa thinks something is going on. She says lots of them are suddenly interested in mediums and psychic phenomenon."

"Well, they are pretty close to death themselves. Maybe they're just getting worried," she replied.

"Yeah, I'd think the same thing too, but there's other stuff," Dave said. "She says she's noticed some of her patients are missing pieces of jewelry they've always had, but no one has reported any thefts or that they lost anything. She says they are usually right on top of that."

"I suppose they accuse the nurses and other orderlies?" Nora said dryly.

"Yeah, sometimes, or other residents. Either way, it gets real ugly real fast. But it means Vanessa is always on the look-out for that kind of stuff, you know? She also says there are a couple of old ladies who are just not themselves. She says they've lost all their spunk and she's worried they're going to just up and die."

"Does that really happen?" Leah asked.

He shrugged. "Vanessa swears she's seen some of her patients just lose the will to live, especially after their spouse of decades dies."

"So what do you think is going on?" Isabella asked.

"Well, I think these old people got taken in by a con-artist pretending to be a medium. Except the missing jewelry makes me think some of those people are being blackmailed, you know? I mean, they've got great retirements if they're living in that kind of community, but they are on fixed incomes, and personal items are easier to turn into cash than trying to pull from a pension or stock portfolio. But then that makes me wonder if maybe the medium isn't pretending. Maybe there's someone else who can talk to spirits and is finding out all sorts of dark secrets on these poor people."

They looked at him, stunned.

He took a drink of water. "But that's just a theory, you know?"

"So it's either a con-artist pretending to be a medium who's really good at cold-reading, a con-artist pretending to be a medium who's got one or more accomplices who are also private detectives..." Isabella said.

"So then she's hot-reading?" Maryann asked.

"Right. Or it's an actual medium actually making contact with the spirits. Maybe even summoning them, which would be a little worrying. I guess we can make sure everything's normal, or not," Isabella said. "But there's nothing we can really do if this is just a con-artist, and probably less if this is an actual medium."

"Yeah, but maybe you could talk to this person," Dave said.

"What, convince them to turn from their evil ways and use necromancy for the greater good?" Leah asked.

He shrugged. "Whatever works for you guys."

"Do you even know the name of this medium?"

He threw down a card.

"Wait a minute, if you got this card, it means your sister already thinks there's a con-artist at work," Maryann said in an accusing tone.

"Half of being clever is making people think you're smarter than you are," he said with a smile. "Yeah, she's pretty sure this is a con but the residents don't want to talk to her. They're either embarrassed or scared."

Nora picked up the card. It was completely black with white lettering in a pseudo-gothic font and the motif of a black bird outlined in red. "'Curses, Hexes, and Potions Occult Store featuring Madame Crow Jinx, Psychic Medium and Fortune-teller.' That doesn't really roll off the tongue very well. I'm surprised she didn't call herself 'Raven.'"

"Surely someone with real talent wouldn't be so tacky," Leah said.

Isabella shrugged. "I don't know. I think people start to expect certain things when they're poking into the paranormal. Would you go see, 'Agnes Jones; a person who can talk to dead people?'"

"Presentation is everything," Nora agreed. "We don't wear costumes on stage for our health, after all. But if the card is anything to go by, she'll have a dark room with lots of curtains, a crystal ball, and ask us to cross her palm with silver."

"So if she's real, what if she sees that Isabella's a medium too and it scares her?" Leah asked.

"Unlikely. I can usually tell if someone has a death aura, but that doesn't mean she's a medium," Isabella answered. "So if she's got the same gift I do, then she probably can't tell either. I'd really need her to try to call on a spirit to know if she's for real."

"I certainly don't want someone calling on the spirits of my dead relatives. Let them remain at peace," Nora said.

"She can try to get my grandpa Charlie on the line," Dave offered. "He was a World War II vet. He died when I was four, but he used to tell me the most hilarious and awful stories. Drank like a fish too."

"Sounds like she'll regret calling him," Leah said.

"Hey, if she's going to disturb the dead, she gets what she deserves," Nora said.

"That's true," she agreed.

"You sure you don't mind your dead relatives telling some random person all your dark secrets?" Maryann teased.

Dave shrugged. "Hey, if she wants to blackmail me, she can go right ahead. I don't have any money; just debt. Speaking of which, we better do this today. Can I use the wi-fi for my classes tomorrow?"

"No problem," Nora answered. "But the card says 'by appointment only.'"

"That's pretentious," Leah said.

"But it figures. Well, I'll see what I can do," he said, and pulled out his phone. In a few minutes he hung up. "Good news, I guess. She's had a cancellation for this afternoon."

They finished up lunch and reluctantly left the haven of the beach house for Miami traffic. Curses, Hexes, and Potions was located in a strip mall and looked like any other occult/metaphysical store the band had seen. They walked inside to find a half dozen elderly women milling about and looking somewhat embarrassed by it and a small pack of teenage girls milling around not looking embarrassed at all. There was a bored-looking teenage boy with a number of tattoos and piercings stationed by the cash register.

"Hi. We're looking for Madame Crow Jinx," Maryann said brightly to the cashier.

He looked up from his copy of Voltaire. "You want the door over there," he said, gesturing to the far wall. "But she's got a client in now."

"Oh, that's fine," she said, seeing the door on the far side of the shop. It had a black bird on it. "We'll wait."

"Hey, man," the kid said, addressing Dave. "Nice shirt."

"Thanks."

When they got to the door they could see the words "Madame Crow Jinx" written on it in sparkly pseudo-gothic font. They opened the door and found a small room with another door opposite the door to the shop. That door had been painted black. There were half a dozen chairs covered in brightly colored drop-clothes and a couple of tables with magazines with esoteric titles. Two old women were clearly waiting and talking to each other excitedly. The medium's fees were detailed on a poster hanging near the black door.

"Fifty bucks for a Tarot reading!" Leah said. "Fifty bucks for a half-hour spirit session! Ladies, we are in the wrong business."

"Except we have standards," Maryann countered.

"Damn. But do we have the cash?"

"Don't look at me," Dave said. "You know I'm broke."

"I'll take care of it," Isabella sighed. "We can take it out of the petty cash fund."

The band and Dave settled into wait. In ten minutes, two old women emerged from the black door. One seemed upset, and the other was comforting her.

They peered inside, but the light was dim they only got a glimpse of some shiny, hanging decorations before the door closed again.

The two waiting women looked puzzled, but resumed their gossip.

In five minutes, the door opened again and a female voice said, "Next."

The two waiting women looked at the band, and then went inside.

Isabella started to lift up the drop-clothes and poke around the waiting room.

"What are you doing?" Nora asked.

Instead of answering, Isabella texted Nora a response. "Those two ladies were talking about their dead relatives. I want to find out if this medium has a microphone in here and uses that."

"Good thinking," Nora texted back. The others got the message and all started to poke around looking for cameras and/or microphones.

"Well, if the place is wired, the stuff is hidden really well," Leah texted.

"Good; I'll cast a spirit sight spell," Isabella texted. She just finished when two teenage girls walked into the waiting room.

The band quickly resumed doing nothing suspicious.

"Are you all here waiting?" one of the girls asked in dismay. Both were wearing a lot of black and spangled jewelry.

"Don't worry, I'm the only one who's going to get a reading," Dave said. "They're my support group."

"Oh," she said, clearly relieved.

Now they took the time to look up Madame Crow Jinx on their various portable devices and favorite search engines.

"Tacky website - check," Leah texted.

"Ugh; she's selling love spells? I hate it when people do that. It's so wrong," Maryann replied.

"Not a lot of info on her, though," Nora texted.

The door opened and the two women emerged. One looked very angry and the other looked puzzled.

"I never!" declared the angry one.

"I'm sure she was just a lucky guesser," said the other.

The band didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation as they two left the waiting room.

"Remember to not react to anything you see unless she does," Isabella sent. "She doesn't know you can all see spirits right now."

"How do we know if a spirit has actually manifested or if it's just your spell?" Maryann asked.

"I'll say something first," she replied.

In a few minutes, the door opened. "Next," said the female voice.

They all walked in.

There was enough room to fit all of them and the medium, but the room seemed small. There were, as predicted, a lot of beaded curtains hung up in the room and it was decorated with a lot of chimes and mobiles, many of which looked to be merchandise from the store next door. The room was only dimly lit by a number of fragrant candles which made it seem even smaller and made it stuffy. In the center was a round table with a long table cloth. In the center of the table was a crystal ball the size of a baseball that surprisingly for the cheap surroundings appeared to be real quartz crystal. The medium was not there, but emerged in a moment from one of the many curtains.

Madame Crow Jinx was about the same height and build as Isabella. Underneath the make-up, she appeared to be the same age. But her hair was jet black, probably dyed, and she was even paler than Isabella. She wore heavy eye-liner and had thick eyelashes, probably false. She had a black tattoo that resembled the skeleton of a snake going up her left arm. She was wearing a short-sleeved black gypsy-style blouse, a long crushed velvet black skirt, and a black bandana around her head with blacker roses. With Isabella's spirit sight spell, they saw an aura of death around her, but it was approximately the same strength as Isabella's.

"I would ask that you turn off your mobile devices," she said. Her voice even sounded like Isabella's, only slightly deeper, but that may have been a deliberate attempt to sound more mysterious. "Such devices interfere with the etheric energies."

They looked at each other, but shut off their devices as requested.

She took one of the two seats at the table. "You are Dave Rafel?"

"Yep."

She gestured to the other chair.

He sat down.

"You need not have brought so many. I appreciate that the paranormal and supernatural can be frightening, and there is comfort in groups, but so many people may make it difficult to contact the spirits."

At this point, the band was thinking that Crow Jinx was a complete fraud.

"Well, you know, the more the merrier," Dave said.

"Whom do you wish to contact?"

"Aren't you supposed to know that, being psychic and all?" he asked, managing not to sound condescending in anyway.

She smiled coldly. "I am a medium, not a mind-reader. Not to dwell on trivial material matters, but the fees were posted outside and the clock started when you entered the room."

"Oh, right, it's my half-hour so I'd better hurry it up," Dave said amiably.

"If you wish to phrase it as such," she said.

"Ok, then see if you can contact my grandpa Charlie."

She pushed the crystal ball to the center of the table. "Please place your hands upon the gazing stone," she said.

Dave did so.

She appeared to take up a meditative position while he had his hands on the crystal ball.

"Shouldn't she be using the 'gazing stone?'" Leah whispered.

"If she's a con, I'd say definitely," Isabella answered. "But she didn't ask any questions, either."

Crow Jinx cleared her throat loudly. "I need silence in order to hear the spirits," she said pointedly, but did not look up. She started to mutter but no one could quite catch the words.

To the band's surprise, they could see spirit energy start to gather in the crystal ball and around the medium. In a few minutes, the pale, etheric shreds coalesced into the translucent shape of a young man wearing an old-fashioned Army uniform. The ghost was not very well formed; it was difficult to see his features although he did appear to be wearing old-fashioned coke-bottle glasses, showing that near-sightedness was a family trait.

"What is all this then?" the spirit said irritably.

"Oh, wow," Isabella said, as a cue to the others to let them know they should see the spirit without the spell.

"Is this not your grandfather Charlie?" Crow Jinx asked mildly.

"Hey, Grandpa, it's me, Dave," Dave said.

"Dave? Hells bells boy you've done grown up. And four girlfriends? That's my grandson," the ghost said proudly.

"Yep, that's Grandpa Charlie alright," he agreed.

"I like the redhead. She's a pretty little thing, even with the glasses."

"Hey, my eyes are up here," Maryann snapped. "Aren't you supposed to be an officer and a gentleman?"

He sort of shrugged. "Well, I wasn't much of a gentleman when I was alive, and I got less reason to be now that I'm dead. So, what in tarnation am I doing here? I was somewhere else a minute ago, I'm sure of it. Hey, who's the sweet young thing in the bad Halloween costume?" the ghost asked, looking at Crow Jinx, who did not seem to appreciate the comment.

Leah couldn't stifle a giggle.

"If your grandmother is still alive, perhaps your grandfather would like to hear how she's doing?" Crow Jinx asked stiffly, glaring at Leah.

"Sure, sure, how is Betty these days?" the ghost asked.

"Old," Dave replied.

The ghost laughed. "I knew that woman was going to outlive me. I had no idea how long though."

"Aren't you going to ask if your grandfather misses your grandmother?" Crow Jinx asked.

"It's my money; I'll ask Grandpa what I want to ask," Dave retorted.

She smiled coldly.

"So, you never did finish the story about that time you stole a jeep and tried to drive to Paris."

The ghost laughed. "Oh, that was a good one too. I don't think my CO ever forgave me, and Alvin never did either. He even married that girl! It all started at the Officer's Club..."

While the ghost told his story, the band watched Crow Jinx. As far as they could tell, she was remaining perfectly still in a meditative position. With the spirit sight, they knew she had cast the spell, and assumed the crystal ball was some sort of focusing agent, which is why the questioner had to be the one to touch it, not her. In short, she was working real spirit magic and was not a con-artist.

The ghost finished his story and was laughing. "...So, there you go. One stolen jeep, one night in Paris, and one really bad hangover."

Dave looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and the band, who had heard enough of the story, were aghast.

"Wow, Grandpa, that's really something," Dave said. He looked at his watch. "Listen, Grandpa, I don't have enough money to keep going with this."

"That's fine by me. I feel like I really ought to be somewhere else right now. In which case, young lady," he said, addressing Crow Jinx, "it is very rude to pull us from our final resting place. I think you should stop with these shenanigans and look for a new job. Also, if you have this kind of gift, for shame charging money. I don't want to leave my final rest very often, but I certainly wouldn't want my Betty to pay her meager savings to you just to get another chance to say good-bye to me. For shame."

"It is time for the spirits to return," she said through gritted teeth.

"It was nice talking to you again, Grandpa," Dave said.

"Good to talk to you too, boy, but don't be asking for me again. You got all the time in the world to be dead. You don't got much time at all to be alive, and you should live out every moment to the fullest, not talking to your old dead grandpa."

"Ok, Grandpa."

"Good-bye, David," he said.

Crow Jinx moved her hands and the spell was broken. "I hope your séance was satisfactory?"

"Sure."

"You may take your hands off the gazing stone now," she said.

He moved his hands. "Oh, sorry."

"Cash or credit, please," she said, pulling a small credit card reading out from underneath one of the drapes.

Isabella handed over a card.

Crow Jinx ran it through and then handed all five of them one of her cards. "Shall I make another appointment for you, Mr. Rafel?"

"What? No. You heard Grandpa Charlie. It sounds like he wants to just be left alone. I respect that."

"And you have no other relatives you would like to speak to?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to disturb their final rest like I did Grandpa Charlie, so thanks but no thanks."

She sort of frowned. "Ladies, would you like to make an appointment?"

"We'll, er, think about it," Maryann said.

"Yeah, we'll think about it," Isabella replied.

"Very well. But such psychic efforts take a tremendous amount of energy, and it is best if I can set aside time and resources. My schedule fills up quickly."

Dave stood up and they moved toward the door.

"We'll think about it," Isabella said more firmly, and they exited the small, stuffy room and quickly made their way back to the beach house.

That afternoon they were all on the deck again, including Dave, who was wearing swim trunks but the same black shirt and was sharing the large umbrella with Maryann and Isabella.

"Well, she's for real," Leah said.

"Your grandfather is quite something," Maryann said. "Do you remember him being like that?"

"Well, honestly, I do remember my parents telling him not to tell me stuff, but I'm sort of surprised he just told me outright he spent a night in a French brothel after getting engaged to my grandmother. Maybe when you're dead you don't have any tact," he answered. "Isabella?"

"The dead do tend to lack the social filters we have," she confirmed. "My grandmother Ami told me it was because from their perspective, there was no reason to be tactful. Tact is to spare the feelings of others, and the dead don't have the same feelings as the living. Either they don't understand empathy anymore, or they don't see any reason for even the smallest lie. After all, no matter what you do, for good or bad, everyone ends up dead in the end. She said death is the great equalizer that way."

"I knew there was a reason I never wanted you to contact my dead relatives," Leah said. "Who needs to hear that their beloved grandfather was a womanizing thief instead of a war hero? No offense, Dave."

"Hey, I said I was only sort of surprised he told me about the French prostitute."

"That's some family you have there."

"Tell me about it."

"You know, other parts of the world don't have the same view of death as the Western world," Isabella said. "Ancestor worship is very popular in many religions. Death is not always seen as bad thing."

"I love the Day of the Dead," Leah said.

"Yeah, that's all well and good if that's your culture, but it's a hell of thing to those of us who aren't used to it, which is, well, most of us," Nora replied.

"So if she's real, that means she's not a con-artist?" Maryann asked.

"It doesn't mean she's not running a con," Nora snapped. "She was trying to get Dave to make another appointment. Maybe she's not blackmailing any of those people at all. Maybe they just don't have the ready cash to pay her fees. And maybe they're not as sensible as Dave and his grandpa and just won't leave the dead alone."

"Wow, Nora, you seem really upset," Maryann replied.

She sighed. "My Uncle Jesse died when I was ten. I don't really remember him too much. I only saw him at the big family gatherings, you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, and Easter. Sometimes anniversaries and birthdays. He was cool. He always brought presents, even if it wasn't a gift-giving holiday. He'd take me and Sharon out for ice cream when our parents were busy with all the other drama you get at a family event. But he died of an undiagnosed heart condition. Aunt Claire came home and found him dead on the floor. I remember she was devastated. Mom was really worried about her. Aunt Claire was still mourning when I turned thirteen. But she got really into the paranormal in those years and tried a number of psychics and mediums to try to talk to Uncle Jesse. She finally got into therapy for my cousins' sakes, and she's a lot better now. But she might still go see this medium, especially if she thought was for real. Those frauds she saw all those years ago took her money and trampled on her memories, but at least they left Uncle Jesse out of it. I don't know how Aunt Claire would react if Uncle Jesse had some deep dark secret he just blurted out to her. Even if that didn't happen, seeing him again would undo all those years of therapy and I know she'd go back as often as she could."

"What if your Uncle Jesse told her not to call on him again?"

"I don't know that it would matter. I mean, the medium summons the spirit. I don't know how much choice the spirit has. What would a spirit do if they were summoned week after week to talk to a living relative, even if they just wanted the living person to let go?"

"Well," Isabella said, "I don't know. I think Crow Jinx has a lot of talent at this, but it's really draining to summon and hold a spirit. That focusing crystal helps, but she's still got to be exhausted at the end of the day. It's even harder to hold a spirit that doesn't want to be held, but it doesn't mean it can't be done. I wouldn't do it unless there was some sort of emergency. The dead that have passed beyond don't generally want to come back to the world of the living."

"So what do we do about Madame Crow Jinx?" Dave asked. "Con or not, it's low taking money from people like this, even if she actually delivers."

"I don't know," Isabella sighed. "Honestly, I think she's on a short path to self-destruction. Like I said, it's hard to summon and hold spirits, especially if they don't want to be held."

"I don't want to wait for that," Nora said. "Her reputation is going to spread and I don't want my aunt to hear about this. I don't want her to go through that kind of grief."

"I'll give my grandmother Ami a call. She taught me spirit magic, so maybe she'll have some insight on this."

"Thanks, Isabella."

"So what's it like meeting your goateed twin?" Leah asked.

Again, Dave was the only one that laughed.

"Oh, come on, that's a classic cliché. Ok, if Isabella had an evil doppelganger, that's her - gypsy meets Goth meets stereotypical witch."

"She's not my evil doppelganger."

"She totally is," Dave countered.

"Now that I know what Leah is talking about, I kind of have to agree," Nora said, glad for a lighter topic.

"She's got your powers and she kind of looks like you," Maryann said. "It's really weird."

"I've heard everyone has a doppelganger," Dave said. "That's like a gag on TV even."

"Guys, seriously?" Isabella asked.

"Hey, with all the weird stuff you see, why is this so hard to believe?" he replied.

The band nodded in agreement and turned their attention back to some well-earned relaxation.

Isabella did talk to her grandmother later that day and they came up with a plan, which she shared with the band and Dave.

"Wow," Leah said. "Your grandmother is hardcore."

"She takes this very seriously," Isabella said. "Now I just need to get an appointment." It turned out there was an opening on their last planned day of vacation.

Isabella had stuffed several paper charms in her purse, just in case. Maryann had a few items in her purse for magic, just in case, although she was not well-versed in spirit magic. Leah put a rosary in her purse, which she did not normally carry, and Nora just kept her cross close. Dave wore a shirt with a raven standing on a skull. It had no special significance; he just liked it.

As before, they had to wait a little while, and then were beckoned into the dark, cramped room. As before, Isabella gave the group spirit sight, just in case. Isabella took the chair across from the medium.

"Whom do you wish to contact?" Crow Jinx asked in her affected deep tone.

"My great-grandmother Hana."

"Place your hands upon the gazing stone," she said.

Isabella did so.

The medium muttered what seemed to be the same words as the last séance, and neither the band nor Dave could quite catch what they were. Again, the etheric energies gathered and a translucent form took shape. This was a woman with long, flowing dark hair who was wearing some sort of robe-type garment. There was an aura of small, slowly blinking lights that moved around her in a spiral, like fireflies.

"Is this your great-grandmother Hana?" Crow Jinx asked.

"For shame, child!" the ghost said to Crow Jinx. "How dare you perverse your gifts like this! Those who can speak with the dead should not do so for profit, especially at such cost to those still leaving."

Crow Jinx smiled coldly. "Is this your great-grandmother?"

"Of course that is my great-granddaughter Isabella," the ghost snapped. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"Don't you want to ask your great-grandmother some questions?" she asked pointedly.

The ghost leaned over the table and touched Crow Jinx's face.

This startled the medium and she waved her hands in the same fashion she had done before to banish the ghost of Dave's grandfather.

But the ghost of Hana did not vanish. "You cannot banish me like that, child," she snapped. "I am well-versed in the ways of spirit magic, and being dead has only given me more time to learn."

"I summoned you!" she snapped, finally losing her cool. "You come when I call and you go when I tell you to leave!"

The ghost straightened up and laughed. "You are an ignorant child who knows not what forces she meddles with."

"In the name of the Goddess, I banish thee!" she shouted, holding up an ankh necklace.

"Perhaps that would work with a lesser spirit, but not me. Now, you and I are going to talk about your business and why you should close it down."

"Don't you want to talk to your great-granddaughter?" she asked, trying to move away, but that was all but impossible in the small room.

"I should hope by this time it would be obvious if I wish to speak to my great-granddaughter, I could do so at any time," the ghost replied. "Now, we are going to talk, Ms. Rowan Weber."

All the color drained from the medium's face at the mention of her real name.

"That's a way better name than 'Crow Jinx,'" Leah said.

Dave chuckled.

"Now is not the time for quips," the ghost snapped.

"Sorry ma'am. I'll be quiet now."

"Thank you. Kindly leave us be. I'm sure Ms. Weber here doesn't want all her guilty secrets blurted out in front of strangers."

The pale medium looked hopeful as Isabella removed her hands from the focusing crystal, but the spirit remained even though that should have broken the connection to the living world. As the group moved to the door, she called to them. "Hey, wait; don't leave me here with this ghost!"

"Ignorant child," the ghost of Hana snapped. "I will not hurt you, although do not make the mistake of thinking I can't. Many ghosts and other types of spirits could hurt you, and you are not powerful enough or knowledgeable enough to protect yourself from their attacks. I am going to educate you and you will learn how dangerous it really is to use your talent this way. Isabella, take your friends and leave us."

Isabella obediently herded the group into the waiting room.

"Um, so what do we do now?" Leah asked.

"We wait and let Great-grandmother Hana talk to her. Hopefully she'll set her straight. If not, well, I think my great-grandmother can prevent her from summoning other spirits by magically warding her shop against it. I don't know if Crow Jinx knows enough magic to detect that kind of thing," Isabella replied.

"Remind me never to make you mad," Dave said.

"I only get upset about some things," she replied.

They amused themselves on their portable devices. An old man entered the waiting room.

"You all here for an appointment?" he asked.

"Yes," Leah lied immediately.

He scowled at the black door. "Should've known," he said irritably, and left.

After forty-five minutes, the black door opened and Crow Jinx stomped out. "That was a terrible thing to do!" she said to Isabella.

"Excuse me?"

"Argh! You must have known your great-grandmother was a powerful spirit! You didn't act surprised or upset or anything!"

"Evil doppelganger," Leah muttered as the two women stared each other down.

"Totally," Dave agreed.

Nora and Maryann nodded their agreement.

"My great-granddaughter is wiser than you are," the ghost of Hana said, floating out. "You should thank her. By staging this...what would be the word?"

"Intervention?" Maryann suggested.

"Yes. By staging this intervention, my Isabella may have saved your life and your soul. There is nothing about magic that should be trifled with, and that is especially true of any magic that involves beings with willpower. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said sullenly.

The ghost turned to Isabella. "I believe this matter is settled. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"You're welcome."

The ghost gave a very Eastern-style bow, which Isabella returned. Then the ghost faded away.

"You've ruined my business," the medium said sullenly.

"I'm sorry."

"At least I was an honest medium!" she snapped.

"If not a happy medium," Leah muttered.

Dave sniggered.

"You don't have to do what my great-grandmother said."

"Yeah, well, I think I'd rather find a safer job. But you don't know what it's like being a real medium and sometimes hearing dead people and seeing spirits."

"Everyone has some issue," Nora said before Isabella could reply. "At least you've got all your limbs and all your brains. You can do another job. If you have issues, you deal with them, or you don't, but whatever happens is your responsibility. And here you've been given a great gift from strangers; you got a warning you were going to hurt yourself, and bad. Now you feel like you've been sucker punched. Maybe you were, and yeah, that sucks."

She blinked, looking surprised.

"But you've got your health and your soul, and clearly enough money to rent out this store. You've got resources. Use them. Owe up to your mistakes and stop taking advantage of people for your own gain. And sure, it's probably creepy and weird to hear dead people and see things no one else can, but now you know there are at least five other people in the world who treat that as a perfectly normal thing."

"I-I guess I didn't think of it like that. Why aren't you freaked out anyway?"

"Because we know there are more things on Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in conventional philosophy," Nora answered.

"We know weird," Leah clarified.

She clasped her hands nervously. "Fine. My gift has been getting me in trouble since it manifested. Why should now be any different?"

"I think if you use your gift responsibly you may find you'll resent it less," Nora said. "Believe me, I don't envy you. But we're not going to tell you to ignore those warnings and go back to taking advantage of the grief-stricken. I mean, that's damn low. I don't think there's any lower than that. You can do better than that. Like I said, you've got some resources and some business know-how. Put that to good use."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered.

"It's always easy to say," Nora replied in a softer tone. "It's always easier said than done. But here you are with a chance to start over and on a better path this time."

"Maybe."

"That's up to you. It always was." She turned to the band. "Come on, it's time to move out."

They followed Nora out of the store and to the van.

"Why didn't you want me to tell her I knew exactly how she felt?" Isabella asked. "She could probably use someone to talk to who understands her."

"We never did find out if she was blackmailing anyone," Nora replied. "That kind of information is better kept a secret, especially around an unscrupulous person like that."

"She seemed sorry," Maryann said.

"It's easy to seem sorry. There's just no reason to trust her with that kind of info."

"But you told her we weren't freaked out," Leah said.

"But that much was obvious, and she would have realized it when she calmed down. I brought it to her attention to try to calm her down a bit. If you want to call her up and tell her you're a medium, you've got her card."

"No, no, you're right," Isabella said. "She'll probably find people like her eventually."

"We do seem to find each other," Maryann said brightly. "I really hope she comes around and mends her ways."

"Well, it's out of our hands now," she replied.

"I'll keep you updated, if you're interested," Dave said.

"Sure. I'd like to know how this story ends. Isabella, are all your ancestors that hardcore?" Leah asked.

"Not all of them," Isabella said.

"Good, because that would be really scary."

She kind of laughed and they headed back to the beach house to pack up and get on the road to their next gig.

The Lyrics:

What I see before my eyes

Has got to be all in my head

Must be a trick just like the lights

We can't be talking to the dead

Tricks O'Pedia

Call the media

Someone come and prove this wrong

Tricks O'Pedia

Call the media

Can't take it my heart's not that strong

Someone tell me what to do

This ghost spilling secrets I dread

This can't be real at all

You can't really talk to the dead

Tricks O'Pedia

Call the media

Someone come and prove this wrong

Tricks O'Pedia

Call the media

My heart is failing it's not that strong

Talking to this ghost

It mocks me to my face

Must not let it talk

Have to get out of this place

This woman has to be a fraud

Doing tricks to mess with my head

Yet she saved me on this very night

Perhaps she did summon the dead

Tricks O'Pedia

Call the media

My heart revived even though it's not strong

Tricks O'Pedia

Call the media

Someone come help me prove this wrong

**Track 7: Crushed Velvet and Black Lace**

The Interview:

Brad: Now we'll discuss your most controversial song, "Crushed Velvet and Black Lace." This is a very angry, bitter song that reminds me of both Joan Jett and Carly Simon. The song was met with outrage from the newly formed Unified Pan-Pagan Anti-Vilification Sodality who accused you of "trying to bring back the Burning Times," culminating with a protest in a state park.

Lenore: Which was cut short because they nearly caused a forest fire with all those candles and incense they had burning.

Lee: Which proves earnest but clueless college kids plus flammable materials just don't mix.

Brad: Yes, that's true, but I have to say, I would think the people you're angry at in this song would be your target audience.

Anna: You need to understand that we take religion very seriously.

Lee: Very seriously. We don't like religious hypocrisy or disrespect for religion. Typically this manifests in Christianity as people who proclaim Christ's love but then tell people they'll burn in Hell if they don't convert.

Lenore: Or otherwise attempt to force the beliefs of their loving God on others despite the beliefs of others.

Anna: Now, paganism is a bit different because it's new. "Paganism" is really a broad term that means anyone practicing a religion that is not Judaism, Islam, or Christianity. Technically Hindu, Buddhists, and Shinto would qualify.

Belle: That kind of religious hypocrisy tends to manifest as people who take fragments of ancient religions and cobble together their own religion either without due respect to the source or in order to further their own agenda, which is a common problem with Christianity as well.

Anna: So you have someone, for example, who wants to worship Dionysus because they think he's all about getting drunk and partying hard. That's not entirely untrue, but it leads to a pagan who's using religion to justify acting like the worst of frat-boy stereotypes.

Belle: And they tend to ignore or downplay the less socially acceptable acts of their gods. In the case of Dionysus, a worshipper would do well to remember the Maenads also worshipped Dionysus, and they were known for going into a blood frenzy and ripping men apart with their bare hands. Dionysus, in the myths, did not condemn this behavior and that's a crucial insight into the god which should not be ignored.

Brad: Wow. I'm really surprised you're taking all of this so seriously. I guess I didn't expect that.

Lee: You don't get a serious song without serious passion, or anger.

Brad: So you're not making fun of pagans?

Anna: Yes, and no. We're trying to highlight problem areas in pagan religions that we feel denigrate the ancient religions they're supposedly modeled on and denigrate modern worshippers who have put more thought and effort into constructing their own religion.

Lenore: Basically, if people are going to use religion to justify whatever they already want to do, we're going to call them out on it.

Brad: Wow. I see. I didn't realize this was such a calling.

Belle: It's not a calling. It's just a principled stand. Many famous musicians have taken principled stands and written songs on those principles.

Brad: But they were protesting against war and capitalism.

Lenore: And we agree with that, and maybe in our next album we'll have a song protesting against more global concerns like that.

Brad: Is that a promise?

Belle: It's a possibility.

Brad: Are you going to write a similar song about other religions?

Lenore: Probably not. We've done it once; we don't like to repeat ourselves.

Anna: And the umbrella of paganism gives us more to work with, lyric-wise, than older religions.

The Flashback:

"Maryann, why am I here?" the fourteen-year old boy with auburn hair whined. "Ren Fairs are stupid. It's hot and there's nothing I want to buy."

"It's not that bad, Skipper. You shouldn't have worn that black t-shirt," replied his older sister, who was wearing red shorts and a pink tank top with yellow flowers. She also had a wreath of flowers in her hair that she had made with items from the craft store. "How about a sword?"

His eyes lit up and he dashed over to the blacksmith table. But in a few minutes he returned, more disgruntled than ever. "They're like three-hundred bucks! I can't buy that." He turned at the sound of another teenager calling his name. "Oh, there's Jamal. Please, Maryann, can I go hang out with him and Matt? Pleeeese?"

"Oh, fine, but you meet me back at the main gate no later than seven, you got that?"

"Sure, no problem," he said, and ran off.

Maryann stopped at a few booths to examine the merchandise. "It is pretty expensive," she thought, stopping at a jeweler.

A blonde girl about her age was nearby, also examining the wares. She was wearing shorts and a plain gray t-shirt. Her long hair was in a high ponytail. She was shaking her head slightly.

"It's too much," Maryann said brightly.

"What?" the blonde said, surprised.

"Too much money."

"Definitely."

"Hey, the Swordsman show is starting in five minutes. You want to come watch it with me?"

"Um, okay. I guess."

"I'm Maryann Blake."

"I'm Isabella Nesmith. And please, please don't say, 'oh, like the Twilight girl.'"

"Okay, I won't," Maryann replied cheerfully. "Anyway, I don't like the Twilight girl."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one."

They walked over to the stage and watched the comedy skit. It was funny and they were still laughing as they walked away.

"I love those guys," Maryann said. "'Bold and stupid men.' It's great."

They passed a fortune-telling booth and Isabella gave it a critical look. "People pay for that?"

"Yeah, they do. It's too bad too. Most places like that pull out the Major Arcana that would upset their customers, like Death or the Devil or the Tower. Even if the fortune-teller can actually tell the future, they can't do it without a full deck," she replied.

"I guess I'm not surprised," Isabella said. "I see you're wearing an ankh pendant. Are you pagan?"

"Yes. I'm still working out my path. It's sort of eclectic, so I know a lot about occult stuff and fake occult stuff."

"I've been reading up on that stuff myself."

"Really? Cool. Here, you want something to drink? We can compare notes," she said enthusiastically.

"Um, sure," Isabella said.

They stopped at the food court area. A band was playing on the small stage with their hats out for tips.

Maryann chatted amiably about esoteric and occult topics and showed no signs of being offended when Isabella asked her some pointed questions about paganism. Maryann took a moment to find the restroom and Isabella started to actually listen to the music.

"You know, the drummer's pretty good," she said to Maryann when she returned.

"Yeah. Better than the other two people she's with. I can play drums, but I'm not good at it. I'm much better with a guitar."

"Oh, you play guitar too?"

"Since I was about seven. I can also play the flute too. My high school didn't offer guitar in band."

"I started with the violin. My high school didn't offer guitar in orchestra," Isabella said. "I've always wanted to be part of my own band."

"Me too!" Maryann said. "Hey, if we get that drummer and then maybe someone who can play keyboard and sing, we'd be all set."

"I can sing, actually."

"Oh, me too, but I don't know if I'd always want to be the lead singer. We could switch off and it'd be great," Maryann said. "I'm going to go talk to the drummer," she said, and abruptly ran off.

"I didn't agree to form a band," Isabella started to say, but the redhead was gone. "Well, she's certainly enthusiastic."

The band had finished up their set when Maryann approached the drummer. The drummer was wearing a flowing dark brown peasant-style skirt and a tan peasant blouse. Her thick brown hair was pulled back in a braid that was stuck with fake flowers.

"Hi! I'm Maryann Blake and I wanted to tell you that I think you're really good."

"Wow, really? You know, drummers never get any respect," the brunette replied. "My name is Leah Ramirez and I'm going to get something to drink."

"Oh, good, you can join me and Isabella. We were just talking about a band!"

"Um, what?"

"Come on! I'll buy you lunch too."

"Um, sure," Leah said uncertainly, but she joined the other two. "So, what do you two play?"

They told her.

"Cool. I can play guitar and bass but no one wants to play the drums so I usually end up stuck doing it because you've got to have drummers. But at least I haven't spontaneously combusted yet."

Isabella laughed while Maryann looked confused.

"Clearly one of you has seen This is Spinal Tap," Leah said with a smile. "Maryann, put that on your to-do list."

"Sure!"

"You know, I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not."

"I'm pretty sure it's not," Isabella said.

"Hey, can you sing?" Maryann asked Leah.

"Well, sure, I've done my time in choir. I've never done lead singing though."

"And we still need a keyboard player. Well, I'm sure it'll come together. Come on, there are some more shows to see."

Looking confused, the other two nonetheless followed Maryann as it was clear she was a regular attendant of the Renaissance Festival and knew which shows were the good ones. They passed by another music stage and stopped to listen. The four person band had a young woman who was playing an actual lyre.

When they finished, Maryann walked up to the young woman. She was wearing a fashionable purple jersey dress with a halter top that didn't match the costumes of the other people in the band. Her black, straightened hair was pulled into a loose, low ponytail.

"That was awesome! You really can play that thing!"

"Sure I can," the woman said proudly. "It's just a small harp, after all."

"You play harp too?"

"Yes, I do. And piano. My parents were very into classical musical training," she said a bit wryly.

"Oh. Then why are you here?"

"I'm crashing in Chicago with a friend. I didn't know she worked the Ren Fair circuit and she's sick today, so she asked me to fill in. You can clearly see I don't have the right costume."

"Can you sing too?" Maryann asked.

"Of course I can. But why do you care?"

"I'm Maryann Blake."

"My name's Nora Jackson. So why do you care that I can sing?"

"I just had an idea. Hey, are you done for a bit? I'll buy you some lunch and show you the good shows."

She stared at the redhead for a minute, trying to gauge her sincerity. "Sure, I guess. I am hungry."

"Great! You can meet the others."

"Others?"

But Maryann had already dashed off. Nora finished packing up her lyre and started to wander to the food court when the redhead returned with a tall blonde and a short brunette following her. Maryann made introductions and the girls started to talk about music. She escorted them to more shows throughout the afternoon as well.

"Maryann! Maryann!" called a young woman from a ceramics booth.

"Oh, Brittany," the redhead said.

The young woman nearly tripped over her long, dark purple crushed velvet skirt as she joined them. Her many necklaces glittered in the sunlight. "We're doing a ritual tonight! Do you want to join us?"

"What are you doing?" Isabella asked.

Brittany gave her a disdainful look. "You wouldn't understand. So, Maryann, please say you'll join us. We really need your air energies!"

"What's the ritual?" Maryann asked.

"We're trying to get in touch with the Morrigan tonight!"

"I thought your coven worshipped Brigid."

Brittany almost rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course, but we have to have a goddess of light and dark. Then we need a third one in the middle so we've got a triple goddess. Tonight's a good night to get in touch with our darker selves. Please join us."

"I'll try, but I've got to take Skipper home and I may not have time."

"Ok, great! We'll be in the grove at 7:30," she said, and ran off.

"Air energies? You're a fire girl if I ever saw one," Nora said, and then she blushed as the others looked at her in surprise. "I mean, um, that was weird."

"Oh, no you're totally right," Maryann said. "I keep telling her I'm totally a fire type but she insists that I'm just mixed up. Like I don't know my own energies. So, you're interested in occult stuff too?"

"Well, I'm not, not really, but some of my friends are, so I picked up a few things," Nora explained.

"Wow, we seem to have a lot in common. Leah, do you know anything about occult stuff?"

"I'm Catholic. Depending on who you ask, my whole religion is nothing but a cult to Babylon," she replied sarcastically.

"And we all play instruments! This is great!"

"You don't really think your friend is going to try to call on a goddess?" Isabella asked. "I mean, I'm sure it wouldn't work, but it still may not be a good idea."

Maryann abruptly looked very serious. "Brittany is very nice, and her coven, as she calls it, is very nice too. But they really don't know much about magic or even paganism. I don't think they have a very good idea about the gods they claim to worship. I've never seen any of their spells work, but they've also never tried something like this. And the grove she's talking about does actually happen to be along ley lines. There are also so many people with so much energy here. It's unlikely something could happen, but if it did, this would be the place."

"Um, so is this something we should do something about?" Leah asked.

"I don't know. I have to check on Skipper. Come on," Maryann said.

"Who's Skipper?" Isabella asked.

"My brother."

"Wait a minute. Your name is Maryann and your brother's name is Skipper?" Nora asked.

"My parents really loved Gilligan's Island," she said with a shrug.

The four young women made their way back to the entrance.

"Hey, Maryann, Jamal's invited me to his house for dinner. His mom already said she'd take me home. Can I go, please?" Skipper asked. "Who are they?"

"These are my new friends, Isabella, Nora, and Leah. And I guess you can go, but make sure you call Mom when you get to Jamal's house."

"Sure, no problem," he said, and rejoined his friends.

"He sure couldn't get away fast enough," Nora said wryly.

"He's my little brother. Of course he doesn't want to be seen hanging around his lame older sister," Maryann said brightly. "Come on. We should go see the juggling show. If he asks you to pick stuff for him to juggle, make sure you pick stuff that's different sizes and weights. It makes it harder for him." They again followed Maryann to the show.

Isabella laughed as the juggler lamented Nora's choices for him to juggle when suddenly she saw something small, fast, and ethereal zip across the stage. She couldn't make out what it was, but another small fast thing with wings zipped by and she could hear it saying something in a language she didn't understand, but it sounded frightened.

"Show's over," Maryann said.

"Oh, right. Hey, this is going to sound weird, but where's that grove your friend was talking about?" Isabella asked.

Maryann pointed in the direction the small spirits had been flying away from. "Why?"

"I'm thinking of going to take a look. I've never seen a coven at work."

"Well, you weren't invited."

Another small spirit sped past them.

Isabella was very worried. While she did have spirit sight, she normally couldn't see un-manifested spirits without doing a spell first.

The wind direction abruptly changed and turned the early summer evening chilly.

"Yeah, that's not ominous," Leah said.

"Then again, it wouldn't hurt to see what's going on," Maryann replied.

Nora and Leah both pulled necklaces out from underneath their shirts, and then gave each other a suspicious look. Nora's was a plain silver cross; Leah's was a silver crucifix.

Maryann led them to the outskirts of the Ren Fair property. Isabella saw more and more of the small spirits running away from the area. The others were more focused on the very physical number of birds they could see, all of which seemed to be black.

"This is going to sound crazy," Leah said hesitantly, "But something's not right here."

Nora looked up at the trees. "That does sound crazy, but it doesn't mean it's wrong. I'm not like, a bird expert or anything, but why are there suddenly so many ravens?"

They others looked up as well.

"Some could be crows," Leah said.

"Yeah, a bunch of carrion birds staring at us doesn't make me feel better," Nora replied.

"They couldn't really have gotten the Morrigan," Maryann muttered. "I really hope not anyway."
They continued to the grove and found a group of ten young women, their age, standing in a circle around a small campfire. A woman who looked college-aged was reading a spell from what appeared to be a leather-bound journal. They were all wearing outfits similar to Brittany's; there was a lot of long skirts, crushed velvet, some lace, a lot of necklaces and bracelets, and a several corsets.

"Maryann," Leah said in a low voice, "Do you know these girls?"

"Well, sure, they're Brittany's friends. That's the high priestess, Lady Sunfeather, I mean, Monica."

"I was going to ask if she had any idea what she's saying, but if she calls herself that, I'm going to guess she doesn't," Nora said. "Do you know what she's saying?"

"Well, I think she's reciting Badb's prophecy about the end of the world."

"That sure as hell isn't something I'd be incorporating into a spell," Isabella hissed.

"I agree."

"Should we stop them or something?" Leah asked. "I don't want to be rude, but I've just got a very bad feeling."

"I'll break it up, don't worry. Or else something bad might happen," Maryann started to say, but was interrupted by a burst of energy.

Silence rolled through the grove like a shockwave absorbing all sounds. The fire turned a dark green color and started to smoke profusely. The girls coughed mutely until the silence passed and the smoke cleared.

All of the women in the coven had passed out and were lying on the ground. The fire had gone out and a creature was standing in the center. It seemed to be tall and humanoid but hooded and cloaked in shadows and smoke so that no feature could be made out. The hood was very hooked, almost like a bird's beak. Every branch of every tree was covered with mostly black birds that were all watching in rapt attention.

"What is that?" Nora hissed.

"I have no idea," Maryann said. "If that's the Morrigan, that's no depiction I've ever seen. That looks maybe more like one of the primordial Greek deities, like Nyx or Erebos."

"Maybe they dialed the wrong number," Leah offered.

"That is definitely some kind of spirit and an ancient one," Isabella said. Her spirit sight allowed her to see tendrils of ethereal smoke and shadows and pale fragments that reminded her of ghosts. "And I'm not going to assume it's friendly."

"Then I'll talk to it," Maryann said firmly, and walked into the open.

"Ok, so this day has taken a turn for the weird," Leah said. "But I'm not letting her go alone." She quickly followed Maryann.

Nora and Isabella scrambled right after.

The spirit in the middle of the circle turned to focus on the four women. The cloak shed black feathers as it moved.

"Hi," Maryann said brightly. She could see no face in the endless depths of the hood.

"Who are you?" it snapped in a hollow, croaking voice that was impossible to identify as male or female.

"Um, a curious bystander."

"And wise enough not to use your name, fire-haired worshipper of many pantheons," it said.

"Who are you?" Maryann asked, wondering how it knew she was an eclectic pagan instead of a Kemetic worshipper as the ankh would indicate.

"I am one in a legion of forgotten gods," it replied. "But still I exist in the trees and in the land and in the birds."

"Are you dead?" Isabella asked.

The forgotten deity now focused on her.

Isabella gulped. She could see pinpoints of cold spirit light in the depths of the hood.

"I am neither dead nor alive, which you can see, airy firefly child of no gods. I am the walker between worlds, the one who comes and goes hither and yon. I have been called harbinger or messenger but always my name was greeted with fear and dread. The carrion eaters are my dutiful followers." The birds quorked and croaked loudly until the deity cocked its head to one side, and then they were silent.

"Why are you here now?" Nora asked.

It turned to Nora. "Daughter of the most high God, why should you be here? Those who belong to your god typically give little thought to the rest of us. You are like the rivers or the oceans; always moving and changing with no anchor. Should not my very presence shake your beliefs to their core?"

"The Commandment says, 'Worship no gods before me,' not that there are no other gods," she answered. "And Jesus is my anchor. And you didn't answer my question. Why are you here now?"

The dark figure almost seemed to laugh. "Long have I slept, forgotten and alone. The stars spin in the sky and I dream of the past. Then these foolish mortals came to my sacred place, knowing not what it was, on my sacred day, and performed a ritual to call on the one known to them as the Morrigan, whose home is a small island so very away from here across mountains and plains and an ocean. But they opened a door, nonetheless, that the Morrigan would not enter, but that I could enter. I so longed to be awake again that I entered their door."

"Why did you knock them all out?" Leah asked. "St. Vincent help me," she added in Spanish, looking at all the black birds.

"Another daughter of the most high God, but you are solid and sturdy and grounded by your nature. You do not change so easily. Again, why are you here as your God cares not for others?"

"I just want to make sure you aren't going to hurt anyone."

Now its invisible gaze seemed to encompass the four of them. "Strangers all who only met today banded together to try to protect mortals who had no understanding of the power they were invoking. What do you think you could do against a god, even a forgotten one?"

"Whatever we have to," Nora said defiantly, holding her cross tightly. "I have faith."

"God will protect us. Even if we die, you have no power over our souls," Leah added, clutching her crucifix. "Although I really, really hope it doesn't come to that."

"I will ask Sekhmet to protect us as well," Maryann said.

"Just because I don't have faith doesn't mean I don't know how to use magic," Isabella said, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket. The Japanese kanji written on it translated most closely to, 'Be gone evil spirit.' "I'm particularly good with spirit magic."

"Are you going to hurt them?" Leah asked.

The strange, thin god seemed to laugh again. "I am not one to stand in judgment. I will not harm them. Their condition was caused by their own ignorance of the magic of the place, the position of the stars, and what they tried to invoke. They would not be strong enough to do any such magic had the stars not been in their proper alignment or they had not tried such an act in a sacred place. They will recover in due time and I can only hope they will awaken a little wiser."

"What happens to you?" Maryann asked.

"I am neither alive nor dead. Even though I entered the door, I never fully left my own realm. In due time, I will fall asleep and leave this world again."

"But what about you? You've got no followers and no home," Isabella said.

"Would you worship me, airy firefly child?"

"Er, don't take this the wrong way, but no. No I wouldn't."

The pinpoints flashed in the depths of the hood. "Would you worship me, fire-haired worshipper of many pantheons?"

"I, er, don't know," Maryann said. "I don't know anything about your pantheon and you make me nervous."

"Then I will be forgotten again. But I will exist in the land and the trees and the birds until the stars spin in the sky to the right alignment and I fully awaken. Then all will know my name again. Farewell, strangers all who banded together against the ruler of the raven, rook, and crow." With a shower of feathers and clamor of a hundred birds, the ancient deity disappeared from the circle.

The four girls ducked their heads while birds shot through the trees. In a minute, they straightened up and looked at each other.

"So, now what?" Leah asked.

"Let's check on the others," Isabella answered, and walked over to the unconscious girls. However, the first thing she did was rip the invoking spell out of the high priestess's Book of Shadows and stuff it in her pocket.

Maryann walked over to her friend Brittany, who was already stirring. "Hey, Brit," she said. "How do you feel?"

"Whoa. I was having the weirdest dreams...hey, did I really fall asleep during the ritual?"

The other girls were starting to regain consciousness.

"It looks like you did," Maryann replied. "And I guess I didn't miss much after all."

"Oh, damn it. I was really hoping for something special," she said, completely oblivious to the unusually large amount of bird feathers that were now in the grove. "Oh, you brought your friends too?"

"They wanted to see a ritual, so I was going to ask. I wasn't just going to barge in."

"Oh, I know you'd never do that, Maryann," Brittany said.

"But I'm sort of curious; what would you have done if you actually contacted the goddess?"

"Talk to her, I guess."

"But she's a goddess. Why would she want to talk to you?" Maryann asked gently.

"Because we asked, of course." Brittany rubbed her forehead. "Maybe that's not such a good idea after all. I don't know. We'll talk about it the next time we meet."

"Okay. Well, me and my friends are going to head out. It's getting dark and the Fair's going to close soon."

"Sure, sure," Brittany said vaguely.

The four young women made their exit from the grove.

"Wow!" Maryann said once they were more or less alone. "Do you know how few people I've met that really understand the arcane and occult? I mean, you two are Christian but you weren't even a bit surprised. And Isabella, it sounds like you're atheist but you're a medium."

"I'm not atheist, not exactly. I just don't see a reason to believe in gods anymore than I see a reason to believe in the mailman," she said defensively.

"That doesn't bother me at all," Maryann said. "How about you two?"

"That is the least of things that occurred this evening that is going to bother me," Nora replied.

"Who am I to judge?" Leah said with a shrug. "But, um, what do we do now? I'm pretty sure we just met an ancient death god. I'm no stranger to weird happenings, but I have to say that was way weirder than anything I've ever seen."

"Me too," Nora said.

"Yeah. I mean, I have spirit sight and that's way beyond anything I've ever come across," Isabella said.

"I think we should stay together," Maryann said.

"And do what? Go around solving supernatural mysteries and bailing out stupid people?" Nora asked wryly.

"I'm pretty sure that's the plot of a 1970s Hanna-Barbera cartoon," Leah said.

"Well, we could do that too. I mean, magically we all fit the Western elements. But actually I was thinking we'd make a great band!" MaryAnn replied.

"I'm pretty sure that's also the plot of a 1970s Hanna-Barbera cartoon," Leah said with a bit of a laugh.

"We can play all the instruments, we can all sing at least a little, and it would be the best thing ever," Maryann said.

"You're making some pretty big assumptions here," Nora said.

"Well, look, you can come over to my house for dinner and we can talk. Skipper won't be home so there will be plenty of room."

"All right, I guess," Isabella said.

"I have to tell my band but otherwise it shouldn't be a problem," Leah said.

"I need to let my friend know I'm coming in late," Nora said. "But sure, why not?"

"That's great!" Maryann said.

"What would we even call ourselves?" Nora said as they walked towards the main gate.

Isabella picked up a black feather. "Maybe the Ravens?"

"How about Nevermore and the Ravens?" Leah suggested. "Just to get that whole Goth feel to the band we haven't decided to form yet."

"I like it," Maryann said. "I know this is the start of something great."

The Lyrics:

I see you hippie dippie chickie

With your silver jewelry and black lipstick

Keeping your necklaces untangled must be tricky

You're not empathic; you're dense as a brick

Leather-bound journals and athames of plastic

Spangles and bangles on polyester gauze

Casting spells with your coven of the clueless

With no reason to use magic than just because

Refrain: Emo, poser, faker, fluff bunny Goth wannabe

You don't know magic, you don't know ennui

Pretending to be cool but you're such a disgrace

Prancing around in crushed velvet and black lace

You have plenty of religion

All pantheons are open to you

Whatever everyone thinks is cool

Well, those are your gods too

Yesterday you worked with the Greek gods

Today you're into Celts and fae

The gods and spirits guide you to enlightenment

By telling you to do what you were going to anyway

Refrain

You're so clueless you don't think this song is about you

You've don't need trite props; you have a different view

Your words of full of wisdom; you're so mature

Well, your words are full of something; that's for sure

As long as facts and logic are incidental

And no one is the least bit judgmental

Except of course to things you find detrimental

Then depth and substance are merely accidental

Refrain

If what you believe is complete fabrication

And orthopraxy and orthodoxy have no place

Nor does reason nor does investigation

Then you're just crushed velvet and black lace.

**Track 8: Tintinnabulation**

The Interview:

Brad: The song "Tintinnabulation" really shows your Gothic literary influences.

Lee: If you say so.

Brad: This is clearly referencing a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, and your name also references a poem by Poe.

Lenore: Poe was an underrated author. Most people associate him with Gothic and dark romance, but forget he created the modern detective story. However, I'll admit we utilize the more well-known dark aspects for our stage personas.

Brad: But "The Bells" is not particularly dark and receives a lot deal of criticism.

Belle: The first two verses are not dark but the third verse is about a fire alarm and the last is about funeral bells. The literary merit of the poem is not under consideration as far as inspiration.

Anna: Although to be fair, the music is not particularly dark.

Brad: No. It's kind of an upbeat folksy indie rock tune with, of course, lots of bells in the background. So what was your inspiration?

Belle: To showcase a different instrument. Bells are pretty much everywhere and almost no one thinks of them as musical instruments. Everyone's heard church bells, or at least electronic chimes imitating bells.

Lee: Or we could be writing it about Belle. You never know.

Brad: That's why I'm asking you!

Lenore: And we'll never tell.

Brad: [laughs] You may be the oddest band I've ever interviewed.

Lee: Is that a compliment? I can't tell.

The Flashback:

The band called Nevermore and the Ravens was on the road again.

"Why can't Mr. Rafel book our December gigs in Florida?" Leah sighed, staring out the window at the snowy night and pulling her brown jacket more firmly around her. "I'd love to go the beach around Christmas instead of sleeping with the instruments so they don't freeze in the van."

"Mr. Rafel gets us the work, and that's really all we can ask from an agent," Isabella said.

"Although it'd be nice if he'd remember what kind of music we play," Nora replied drily. "But I get to visit Sabra, and that'll be nice. I haven't seen her since, well, since we all got together."

"Oh, she was the lyre player?" Maryann asked.

"Sabra has an interest in all sorts of weird instruments. That's why she's here. She wants to be a professional carillonneur."

"A what?"

"A carillon player."

"You know, that still doesn't explain anything," Leah said.

"I can't find that online unless I know how to spell it," Maryann said, tapping at her phone.

Nora sighed. "She wants to play an instrument called a carillon. Think of it like an organ, only instead of pipes there are bells. And one of the largest carillons, if not the largest, is at the University of Chicago. I think she's crazy. She spends four years at Berkeley getting a music degree and then decides to move to Chicago to make a living."

"I guess she doesn't like fun fun fun in the sun sun sun," Leah said. "But it is nice of her to let us crash with her. I hope she has enough room."

"I think we'll have to double up and probably sleep with the instruments, as you insist on putting it, but there's room."

"Better than paying hotel fares. Saving money is good," Isabella said.

"Yeah, but I'm really tired of sharing bed space with an amplifier," Leah retorted.

They were silent for a few more minutes as Isabella followed the GPS through Chicago to their destination.

"So, is anyone going to talk about it?" Maryann said.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Leah replied dryly.

"Something's wrong."

"That's still not very specific."

"You know what I mean," Maryann said. "At least, I hope you do. Something's wrong. I've been feeling something's wrong for a few weeks now and it's getting stronger. There's a chill in the air."

"It's winter," Leah said flatly. "That's kind of the definition."

"Not normal," she snapped. "Come on, I know I'm not the only one here."

Isabella sighed. "You're right. Something's off with the world. I don't know what it is but I've been seeing things out of the corner of my eye."

"Like what?"

"Like snowflakes."

"Again, there are snowflakes everywhere," Leah said.

"Not inside. I feel drafts of cold wind where I shouldn't. Something's stirred up in the spirit world too."

Nora sighed. "I didn't want to say anything, because I usually don't notice these things, but I feel like something's wrong too. I haven't seen anything, or heard anything, but I feel restless and uneasy, like something's going to happen soon and I don't know what."

"So I'm the only one who doesn't feel like something's wrong?" Leah asked.

"Hey, you may be right and we may be crazy," Isabella said.

"Your Billy Joel quote does not make me feel better," she replied sullenly.

"Don't worry about it. We all have our own gifts and strengths and weaknesses," Maryann said brightly. "You're an earth girl. It would probably take something really wrong before you notice."

"Is that a compliment? Sometimes I just can't tell with you."

"It's just how it is," Maryann said with a shrug.

Isabella made her way down the plowed streets and to a place to park near Nora's friend's apartment in the South Side of Chicago.

"And again, parking will bankrupt us," Leah muttered as they hugged their coats to themselves and trudged through the snow.

"Please, don't get into that. Sabra is giving us a place to stay," Nora snapped.

Sabra Davri was a pretty woman Nora's age. She greeted them warmly and put on her own coat to help them haul their luggage and instruments up to her apartment.

"You really don't have to do this," Maryann said on the second trip.

"I'm happy to help my friend. I haven't seen Nora since I asked her to stand in for me at the Ren Fair. I heard she did a fine job too and my band asked if she could join full time."

"Why didn't you tell me that?"

"You already had a band by that time," Sabra answered. "Anyway, it's a hard gig and the tips are usually pretty lousy. I'll tell you, even at a place like a Ren Fair where people are dressed up like fairies and pirates and medieval lords, people don't always react very well to my hijab headscarf. But hey, that's their problem, right?"

"Exactly," Isabella said firmly.

"I've got dinner just about ready and I'm very excited to see your show tomorrow. I hope you have time to come to the university with me. I really want you to see the chapel and hear me play."

"It won't be a problem," Nora replied.

"I didn't even know a carillon was a thing until this afternoon," Leah said. "So I'm up for seeing what one is and how it's played."

"That's great. You know, getting near Christmas is a really good time for the carillon. The bells just seem to fit so well in the winter." Over dinner, Sabra filled them in on the history of the Rockefeller Chapel's carillon and the specifications of the instrument.

"Seventy-two bells and a hundred tons of bronze. That is a truly massive instrument," Leah said.

The others groaned. "Have you ever met a pun you didn't crack?" Isabella asked.

"I'll refrain from making one about the Liberty Bell, just for you."

The evening passed pleasantly and the next day the band got up early so they could take the tour with Sabra and still have time for some rehearsal before their show. The chapel, a marvel of Gothic architecture and no structural steel, was a sight on its own. Sabra took them first to the practice keyboard.

"Wow, this thing is way more complicated than I thought," Maryann said. "It's like an organ keyboard."

"Sort of, yes. It's a lot of work to coordinate hands and feet. And the instrument is strange to play since the bells can interfere with each other. I've been working on my own composition, but I just realized how much more I have to learn. Come on, we need to go upstairs and see the real thing."

Nora eyed the staircase. "How many stairs?"

"Um, almost three-hundred."

"Great."

"Hey, it could be worse," Sabra said. "You're only taking the tour. I have to go up every time I want to play. And until the mid-60s, the practice cabin was upstairs too. Not quite as high as the actual cabin, but still over two-hundred steps."

"I can see how that would get annoying."

Isabella in particular seemed fascinated by the bells. It was clear to the other three band members she was not paying full attention to Sabra but they were not going to draw attention to that.

"They always make me think of that poem by Poe," Sabra said. "'Hear the sledges with the bells - silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells!' Don't you agree?"

Everyone but Isabella nodded. She still seemed to be listening to something else.

After the tour of the chapel, Sabra gave them a short tour of the university until the band had to leave for rehearsal. They parted ways with Sabra for the afternoon.

"So what were you seeing in the carillon that we weren't?" Leah asked.

"I wasn't seeing anything. I was hearing the spirit of the carillon," she answered.

"Do inanimate objects have spirits?" Nora asked.

"In my experience, rarely, but maybe I just haven't run into the right kinds of objects. This is an old instrument, and possibly the largest musical instrument in the world. Music animates it. Music gives it spirit," she said. "It's all about the music. But something's wrong. They were upset. When Sabra recited the poem, I didn't think of the first verse. I thought of the third. 'Hear the loud alarum bells - brazen bells! What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!' Something is coming, and spirit of the bells was warning me."

"What do we do?" Maryann asked.

"We take what precautions we can."

"But we don't know what's coming, so how can we protect ourselves?" Nora asked.

"We try to prepare for anything at all. Something's happening, and I don't actually think it's coming from the spirit realm, so that eliminates some possibilities."

"I'll ask for guidance. Maybe that will help," Maryann said.

"And we also have to try to find time to rehearse," Nora reminded them.

"I still can't feel anything," Leah muttered. "But we should make sure our emergency kit is good to go."

After a few hours of a scavenger hunt to stock what Leah had dubbed the emergency kit, the band finally started their rehearsal. Sabra and several of her friends were at the show, and they had a pretty long after-party. They returned to Sabra's apartment quite early the next morning. Sabra went to bed, but the others met up in the spare room.

"There was something wrong during the show," Leah said immediately. "We hit the notes, we got the applause, but it wasn't right."

"There was an echo or something," Isabella said. "Like some sort of feedback, but not electronic. I think something's happening already."

"How do we find it?" Nora asked.

"I don't know."

Leah yawned. "We need to sleep. We can't be driving aimlessly around Chicago in the middle of the night in the middle of winter."

"I don't like it, but she's right. There's nothing we can do while sleep-deprived. But first, I'm going to put some protections on this apartment," Isabella said.

"I'll ask for protection as well," Maryann said.

Soon the band went to bed, but all slept uneasily.

They awoke in the morning and nothing seemed to have changed.

"I had a dream last night," Maryann said.

"So did I. I dreamt we were lost in a swamp and met the Harlem Globetrotters. It was weird," Leah replied.

The others ignored Leah.

"I dreamt about a small black dog with pointy ears I met walking through a field of snow. The dog barked something, and suddenly this door appeared in the field, not in a building or anything. Just a door without a frame sitting in the snow. The dog looked at me and said, 'You will know how to make the door when the time comes.' I heard some music in the distance and then I woke up," Maryann said.

"Oh, it was one of those dreams," Isabella said. "Any ideas what that means?"

"I think the small dog might have been Anubis. He is the Opener of the Way. Something is going to happen."

Isabella got to carry the overly large bag that served to hold their emergency kit. As soon as they got outside they realized something was wrong, and it was stronger than before. Light snow was falling from the sky, causing the world to seem muffled and still. Even Sabra seemed agitated. It was slow going to the chapel because the snowplows were busy on the major roads. Finally they made it and went to the chapel. The wind was bitter cold and the walk seemed to tire them out more than it should have.

When they got inside Sabra sat down in one of the pews. The chapel seemed oddly empty for a Sunday morning. They didn't even see a minister.

"You can go up without me," she said. "I'll be right there. That wind is just so cold I need to catch my breath."

The four looked at her but ascended the steps.

"She should have just come with us," Leah panted, unzipping her brown jacket. "I'm good and warm now."

They reached the carillonneur cabin. Sabra was not right behind them, so they checked out the view from the tower.

"It's wrong," Maryann said, looking out at the gray, muffled world. "It's Chicago but it doesn't feel like a city full of life. It feels frozen. It's not even snowing that hard outside. It shouldn't be like this."

Isabella was staring at the carillon itself. "'In the startled ear of night how they scream out their affright! Too much horrified to speak they can only shriek, shriek, out of tune...How the danger sinks and swells by the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells.'"

"Isabella, what's wrong?" Nora asked. "Why are you reciting poetry?"

"'Iron bells! What a wrong of solemn thought their monody compels! In the silence of the night, how we shiver with affright at the melancholy menace of their tone!'"

"Isabella, snap out of it," Leah ordered, putting her hands on her shoulders and turning her around.

Her eyes were completely white from edge to edge.

"Oh, I've never seen that before," she said, backing away.

"That means a very powerful spirit is speaking to her," Maryann said. "Maybe even through her. Yes, probably through her."

"That does not make me less freaked out," she replied.

"Me neither," Nora added.

"We need to get Sabra," Isabella said. "The spirit of the bells is crying out for help and we need her to play. We must get her to play!" She dashed down the steps.

The other three followed quickly after her.

Isabella found Sabra who was still sitting in the pew but her eyes were closed. "Sabra! Sabra! You need to play!"

But the young woman didn't respond.

"Is she dead?" Nora asked, but then put her hand on Sabra's wrist. "She's not dead. But what's wrong?"

"The silence has taken her. She can't hear me. It's taking over the city. We must make some music!" Isabella said; her eyes still white. "We need to get to the van. I think there are some charms there that can help."

"Isabella, what's going on?" Nora demanded but the blonde ran outside.

The other three followed her.

Isabella had suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Now what?" Nora said, and then she saw the problem. "What is that?"

Standing about thirty feet in front of the chapel was a tall, thin woman with white skin and white hair. She was wearing a long dress and a crown made of frost. "Why are you speaking?" she demanded haughtily.

"Why shouldn't we be?" Leah replied.

"Because the silence should have taken you. I see why it has not quite taken your friend," she said, indicating Isabella. "But the rest of you have no such force guiding you. Why have you not been taken by silence? What are you that my spell has yet to work?"

"What spell? What are you?"

"She's a fairy, I think," Maryann said. "Some sort of Unseelie fairy, clearly."

"You know, that doesn't actually help explain anything."

"She's a bad fairy," she clarified.

"I am a resident of the winter-touched realms," she roared. "But I will not give you my name."

Isabella could still hear the spirit of the bells, but she found it difficult to react.

"I will be the Queen of Winter here," she replied. "And all will be my subjects, once the silence takes everything. I know not why it hasn't already taken you."

"How did you get here?" Nora asked.

"The same way you get from one place to another, of course. I entered through a door. I am sure those that opened it did not intend for my passage, but I saw an opportunity to extend my power and I took it. Your world was not what I expected. It is so full of noise and light and humans going hither and yon. And your churches and your chapels are the worst with all the bells. How I hate the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!"

Nora, Maryann, and Isabella were starting to feel cold and numb.

The woman in icy white took a few steps forward and the snow glittered around her. "But it doesn't matter. I have cast my spell and soon all will fall into silence and worship me. It will be beautiful, perfect, silent, and cold."

"We'll never get past her to the van. We need to get back into the chapel," Leah said, tugging at Isabella's arm.

Isabella didn't move.

"Come on, girls, we need to go," she said again, looking at Maryann and Nora.

They all seemed entranced by the glittering snow.

"What is going on here?"

"They are falling under the spell," the woman said. "You are hardier, though. But it doesn't matter."

Leah she pulled a horseshoe out of the emergency kit and chucked it at the woman in white. She was actually trying to hit the woman but her aim wasn't very good so the horseshoe only landed at the feet of the woman in white. The woman in white jumped backwards as though it was a snake trying to bite her.

"Come on, girls!" Leah shouted, and tugged at Isabella again.

The cold iron lying at the feet of the fairy broke her concentration and her spell. The band hurried back into the chapel and shut the doors.

"I am so glad close enough counts in horseshoes," Leah said.

The others didn't even groan at her pun.

"Now what do we do?" Maryann wailed. "I was falling under her spell and Isabella protected us last night and we can't get to the van."

"We need to make some music before the spell is complete," Isabella said. "And we need to wake up the bells!"

"But all our instruments are in the van and Sabra won't wake up!"

"Then we sing," Leah said firmly. "She can't take our voices. We'll sing until we're hoarse but we'll make music and keep her spell from taking hold completely."

"What do we sing?" Maryann asked.

"Anything. We're a band! Here, we'll keep it simple and sing Christmas carols. We all know them and can sing them from memory," she answered, and started singing 'Jingle Bells.'

The other three hesitantly joined in.

Outside, they could hear the woman in white screaming at them to stop.

By the time they started, 'Silver Bells,' Sabra was starting to stir. Nora pulled her to her feet and she opened her eyes, although they weren't focused. Without pausing in the song, they helped Sabra climb all 271 steps to the cabin and sat her down.

"What do I play?" she asked muzzily.

"Anything you can," Nora answered.

"And play it loud. Turn this thing up to eleven," Leah said.

"It doesn't have dials," Maryann said.

"Not literally!"

They could feel a storm coming outside and knew they had to stop the power of the fairy.

Sabra blinked a few times and put her hands on the keyboard. She took a breath and suddenly seemed far more focused. She pressed down on the keys and seventy-two bells burst into joyful noise as though they were alive. 'The Carol of the Bells' rang out across the grounds.

Leah looked outside to see the woman in white clutching her head in pain. "It's working! Come on! It's time for a big damn heroes moment!"

They ran back down the stairs.

"What are we going to do?" Maryann asked.

"She's a fairy. Send her back to fairyland!" Nora said.

"There are lots of fairy realms!"

"That's great!"

They ran out the doors and could hear church bells in the distance ringing out in response to the carillon.

"I hate the noise!" the woman screamed. "You're breaking everything!"

Maryann's eyes flashed white and she remembered the dream from the night before. "I know where to send her," she said, and started to cast a spell. "But you must get her through the door."

Isabella, now feeling much better, pulled another horseshoe out of the emergency kit. "I think I know how to do it." She gave another horseshoe to Nora and they ran towards the fairy. Leah picked up the one on the ground and they surrounded the fairy.

"You!" she shrieked. Her features had turned harsh and angular and not remotely pretty any more. "I hate you!" She raised her hands as though to cast a spell but the band held up the cold iron and she shrank back.

"You need to get out of here," Isabella said. "Maryann!"

A glowing portal of energy appeared near the woman in white.

"Go home, winter fairy. This is no place for you," Maryann ordered.

The fairy hissed at them. "Fine. I want nothing to do with this mundane, noisy realm anyway," she snapped. She turned on her heel and marched into the portal.

It immediately closed and Maryann dropped to her knees in the snow.

The others rushed to her.

"Are you alright?" Nora asked.

"I'm fine," she said as Leah helped her up. "I need to make an offering of thanks later."

"We'd better get back to Sabra before she starts to think something weird is going on," Nora said.

"Something weird? Like everything?" Leah said.

"I wonder how that winter fairy got here. She's an Unseelie, which means she was probably looking for trouble, but who would be stupid enough to let her in?" Isabella asked.

"We'll probably never find out," Maryann said. "It probably wasn't even on purpose. Remember my friend Brittany at the Ren Fair when we all met?"

They nodded.

"Yeah, this is why I don't like people practicing magic when they don't understand what they're doing or the consequences," Isabella sighed.

"I think we're all in agreement with you," Nora said.

"Yes, but I'm still a little confused about what just happened. The fairy surely didn't come out that door you just made. So how did you know that door was right there?" Leah asked.

"The door where the fairy got in doesn't matter. Well, it does, but not for getting her back to her world. Anubis showed me how to open a door to her realm even though there wasn't one here to begin with," Maryann explained.

"Oh, okay. If that makes sense to you, I'll go with it." Leah looked at Isabella. "Your eyes are normal again. Don't do that ever again, okay? Because it's totally freaky weird."

"She's right," Nora agreed.

They re-entered the chapel and slowly climbed up the 271 steps again as Sabra continued to play Christmas carols. The church bells outside slowly faded into silence but the carillon rang out merrily.

She turned to the band as she finished her recital. "You guys went outside?"

"Well, we wanted to hear the recital from all angles," Nora answered.

"But it's so cold and you had to climb all those steps."

"Tell me about it," Leah grumbled.

"I may not have a chance to hear you play again, so I figured I'd get the whole experience," Nora said.

Sabra kind of shook her head. "Well, I always knew you were dedicated to music even if you decided against going to Juilliard. So what do you think of the carillon?"

"It's a fabulous instrument more people should know about," Isabella said. "This one has so much history."

"It really does. Sometimes I think it even has a personality, but I'm not the only person who thinks so. But then again, we musicians are kind of weird." She stood up. "Well, we should probably get going. It's weird, but I feel a lot better now than I did this morning."

"Oh, that's not weird at all. Sometimes I feel way better after a show than beforehand," Maryann said. "That's the magic of music, right?"

Sabra laughed. "Sure. Come on, I'll treat you guys to lunch."

They walked down the steps again and exited the chapel to find it had stopped snowing and the sun had come out. The sky was brilliant blue and the snow sparkled like diamonds. It was a good day after all.

The Lyrics:

From the tops of churches

You can hear them chime

From the tops of schools

Calling out the time

From the medieval streets

Comes the dead bell

Its mournful cries

Are a soul's death knell

Refrain: From the tops of the towers

Hear the bells singing

Brass and bronze and iron

Hear the bells ringing

From the Eastern temples

Comes the rolling sound

The deep and slow tones

Across the land resound

From the sleigh harnesses

Warding off winter's tingling

Tiny, tinny, merry bells

In a song about their jingling

Refrain

With tongues of iron and copper

And bodies of bronze and brass

Their voices can be soft and treble

To alto, baritone and booming bass

Whether one voice or many

Creates such a clamorous noise

With resonance and harmony

For all to listen and enjoy

Refrain x2

**Track 9: Tango and the End of Pompeii**

The Interview:

Brad: This next track is an almost pop tune, but it's about the destruction of a civilization.

Lee: Yep.

Brad: Why write a song about the end of the world but give it such an upbeat tune with such catchy pop hooks?

Lenore: We're hardly the first band to do that.

Brad: I guess that's true. But it creates kind of a disconnection between the music and the lyrics.

Belle: Not all civilizations viewed death in the same way our modern Western society does. No one wants to see their world end, but for many civilizations, death was only the beginning.

Anna: The ancient Egyptian dynasties are famous for this kind of thinking. There have also been many civilizations that practiced ancestor worship and still do.

Brad: So death is good?

Belle: No, but when something like this happens, what can you do?

Anna: 'Sit pretty in the dust that was a city?'

Lenore: 'Listen to yourself churn?'

Lee: 'Just purse your lips and whistle?'

Brad: Am I missing out on some kind of inside joke?

Belle: The song contrasts harsh imagery with a peppy tune so the lyrics are more palatable.

Brad: Well, why didn't you just say so in the first place?

Lenore: I thought we did.

The Flashback:

"So, Mr. Rafel booked us on a holiday? That's nice of him," Nora said from her usual spot in the front passenger seat.

"We work when we can work," Isabella sighed, driving the van. "Anyway, Valentine's Day isn't a big holiday or anything."

"Well, not if you don't have a boyfriend," Maryann replied.

"You don't. None of us do. We spend too much time on the road," Leah said pointedly.

"Yes, but if I had a boyfriend, I'd want to go out with him tonight."

"So we make other people's dates tonight awesome. And we get paid."

"Leah does make a good point," Nora said. "Fine, playing on Valentine's Day. It's not the end of the world, and we don't have anything better to do."

"Anyway, this one might be fun. The club is apparently hosting some sort of masquerade theme for the night," Isabella said.

"But we always wear costumes," Maryann said.

"Well, a masquerade isn't necessarily a costume party. It's probably supposed to give the whole evening an air of mystery, as a writer would say. Usually before someone finds a body. But anyway, it should be fun," Leah said.

"As much fun as anyone can have in Buffalo in February," Nora replied.

"More fun than I'm having driving, how about that?" Isabella asked.

"Mr. Rafel," Maryann said, shaking her head. "Good agent, bad timing."

Eventually the band reached the gig, which was a trendy nightclub in the West Chippewa Street district. It was still snowing lightly when they parked and started to get their gear in order.

"I hope we don't get stuck in a blizzard or something," Maryann said, looking up at the grey, cloudy sky. Her voice was muffled by her thick red scarf.

"Don't jinx us like that," Leah sighed, her breath freezing in her brown scarf.

"The weather forecast says light snow, all night," Nora replied, tapping at her phone. Her leather gloves gave her no difficulty operating the device.

"Right, and that makes me feel better now because weather forecasts are always hundred-percent accurate," Leah said sarcastically.

"I was trying to make Maryann feel better, not you," she shot back.

"Ladies," Isabella interrupted. "I leave you alone for five minutes to talk to the manager and you're sniping like this. It's too cold to bicker. Let's get the gear in and then find a place to get into costume. Cocktail hour has already started and we're scheduled to go on in about an hour and a half. And yes, we have to wear masks too."

Eventually they got their gear in and set up, which didn't leave them with as much time to get into costume as they might have liked. They wore identical long-sleeved black dresses with high necklines and short skirts, black hose (except for Nora), and black wigs pulled back into buns (except for Nora whose own black hair was pulled back). They all had identical black leather ankle-high boots and identical vaguely cat-looking black masks.

"Come on, Nora, you look fine," Isabella said as she hung back a moment.

"Yeah, you're simply irresistible," Leah added with a smile.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Right, right, I'm coming," she said, with a final touch-up, and then joined her band-mates on stage.

"Wait, did you guys feel that?" Leah asked suddenly.

"What?" Isabella said.

"I felt an earthquake."

"That's the bass line," Nora said impatiently.

"No, it wasn't. I know it wasn't."

"There are no earthquakes in Buffalo."

"Actually, the intercontinental US has the largest recorded earthquakes in the country's history, and Ohio at least is over I think it's an interstitial fault, so there could be small earthquakes in this area, or at least aftershocks from one," Maryann said.

The other three stopped at stared at her.

"Skipper, I mean, Jason told me."

"You jinxed us, Maryann," Leah said. "That's just great. It starts with an earthquake..."

"Oh, come on," Nora said, and resumed walking toward the stage. The rest followed.

The DJ had already gotten the audience ready for a party, so the band found an enthusiastic crowd waiting for them. Although it was hard to see anything outside the stage lights, the club appeared to be pretty full. Their first set went without any problems. After an hour or so, they stopped for a break and the DJ took back over for the duration.

The band went to the bar to get water as all of them had done at least one song.

"You guys are pretty cool," said a good-looking young man wearing a trendy take on a tuxedo. He was wearing a white mask that contrasted with his dark complexion. "I like the costumes. Clearly you're a fan of classic music videos and Robert Palmer."

"Thanks!" Maryann said brightly. "There are four of us. How could we resist?"

He laughed. "My name's Derek and I'd like to buy you a drink."

"Which one of us?" Maryann asked.

He looked down the bar. "All four of you. Order anything you like."

They all ordered water or unsweetened tea.

"So, did you make that offer because you were pretty sure we weren't going to order cocktails with another set coming up?" Nora asked.

"Why can't I be both generous and smart?" he asked, taking a sip of rum.

Maryann laughed.

"Not again," Leah sighed.

"You know how she is," Isabella replied in a low voice. "Although it looks like Nora's trying to break this party up."

"It won't work. It never works."

"So, Anna, is that your real name?" Derek asked.

"It's my stage name."

"So what's your real name?"

"Nuh-huh. Not while in costume," Maryann replied.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Every time," she sighed, and moved away, leaving Maryann with Derek.

Leah was checking the weather forecast while she chugged her water. "That is a nasty storm system coming across the lake. I said she jinxed us."

"You're being paranoid," Nora said dismissively.

"And that's weird," Isabella replied, suddenly sounding worried. "Leah is not paranoid. I'm paranoid. But she's not."

Nora lowered her voice. "You really think something's wrong?"

"I don't know." She glanced at Leah's screen. "But I think she's right; that's a nasty storm system and we need to get through this and get to our hotel. I think we're going to be snowed in."

"Great. Snowed in, in Buffalo. Yeah, that's fun."

"Hey, I only told Anna over there that this might be fun," Leah said, looking at Maryann. "And she seems to be having fun."

Maryann laughed at some joke Derek told.

"Every time," Nora sighed.

"At least we got a drink out of it," Isabella said. "I'm going to talk to the manager about the storm moving in. I don't know this area; maybe these sorts of things blow over or something." She finished her unsweetened tea and started to push her way through the crowded club. It took her a few minutes to get to the manager's office. She saw him inside listening to a radio.

"Excuse me, Mr. Linkowski, but it looks like there's a storm coming. We're from out of town, so I was wondering if we should cancel the show and head out," she said.

He was in his early forties wearing a black fashionable suit that was in a style too young for him. He was also wearing stylish, bold glasses. "If you want to forfeit part of your pay," he replied.

"Seriously, it looks bad."

"It'll be fine. Storms like this don't hit so close to the lake. Now, when it gets south and hits that colder air away from the lake, that area is going to get hammered. But we'll be fine. Finish the show. Heck, do an encore. It'll be fine and the crowd's having fun."

"And when the crowd has fun, they keep paying for drinks?" she asked.

He sort of shrugged. "It's just business, Ms... you know, I can't tell you apart except for the, erm, for Lenore."

"I'm Belle, and thanks." She returned to the bar and found Leah talking with a young man and Nora surrounded by a small mixed group asking her questions about her singing and the band. "We finish the show," she said.

"Hey, that's great," said the man talking with Leah. "I'll buy you a drink after the show, Lee, right?"

"Yep, I'm Lee."

"Lenore, you want to dance?" asked one of the young men talking with her.

"Sure. But our break's almost over."

"No problem. There's a lot of time after your show is over," he said, escorting her to the dance floor.

Maryann was still talking with Derek.

Isabella sighed and took Nora's empty seat at the bar.

"Don't worry," Leah said. "I'm sure someone will stop by soon. Lots of single guys here."

"You want me to be like Anna over there?"

"No. She's in love again. This is just fun."

A young man walked up next to Isabella. "Hey, I like your music. Can I buy you a drink?"

"See?"

She rolled her eyes at Leah, but turned to the young man. "Sure. Just water with ice, please."

"Nothing stronger?"

"Maybe after the show."

"Ah, of course."

"So, do you think this will be an exciting night, Anna?" Derek asked Maryann.

"Every show is exciting," she replied.

"Well, I mean that there's this storm coming, and there was that earthquake earlier... It just seems like something should happen."

"Oh, I keep hearing the storm will pass by," she said, not noticing he mentioned the earthquake. "I'm not worried. I'm sure if we get snowed in, it won't be too bad."

"You really aren't from around here," he said.

"Well, I try not to worry anyway. Life's too short for a lot of worries," she said with a winning smile.

He smiled back. "I think I like you, Anna."

"Thanks!"

"Anna!" Isabella called in a couple of minutes. "Show time!"

"Sorry, I've got to go," she said to Derek.

"Well, come back when your show's over and I'll buy you a real drink," he said.

"Sure!" She joined the others on the stage and they started their second set.

The storm hit with such force Isabella nearly dropped her drumsticks and she did drop the beat. The others heard her drop the beat but didn't know what it meant. A few minutes later, the power flickered off and the music died. There were several minutes of confusion as the lights gradually powered back on, but they were considerably dimmer than before.

"This place has emergency lighting?" Nora asked.

"I don't know. It could be tied into a hospital or university or something," Isabella replied.

Nora strummed the guitar but the sound was weak. "It's not enough for our instruments. Now what?"

"I think we should figure out what's going on," Leah said.

"You guys hold down the stage," Isabella said, standing up and handing the drumsticks off to Leah. "I'll go find the manager."

Leah stared at the drumsticks a moment. She could hear the uncertain murmur of the crowd, so she took off the guitar and sat down at the drum set. "Hey, everyone," she shouted, hitting the cymbals. That got the audience's attention. "It's time for an awesome drum solo!"

Isabella found the manager in his office on the phone. Several staff members were already gathered around him. He seemed agitated before he hung up. "Alright, I need to make a few announcements," he said, standing up. He straightened his glasses and walked out on stage.

Leah saw him raise a hand so she ended her solo.

"Can everyone hear me?" he bellowed.

"I'm pretty sure Canada can hear him," Leah murmured to Maryann.

"Okay, here's the situation. We're in the middle of a blizzard and the cops are telling everyone to just stay where they are. It's not even safe to send the plows out."

The crowd started to murmur nervously.

"We're going to be stuck here for about six to twelve hours. We've got emergency power, though, and we've still got drinks and a band." He turned to the band. "You can keep playing, right?"

"I think we've got some acoustic instruments in the green room," Isabella said.

"Great! So, we're going to make the best of this, people! Like I said, we've got drinks and a band. All cocktails are now half-price! I've got a landline and radio in the back, so I'll monitor that and keep you updated. I'm sure the band will even take requests, right?"

"Um, yes?" Isabella said.

"Great! So we're snowed in! So what? It's Valentine's Day, it's a party, and we're going to have fun."

A few people clapped nervously.

"And here's your band back," he said, exiting the stage.

"Hey, everyone, we've got a little problem with the instruments, so we'll need just a minute to go get some old fashioned acoustic guitars," Isabella said, projecting her voice since the microphone wasn't working. "Also, we'll take requests. We can't promise we'll be able to actually play them, but we'll try."

"What are we going to do?" Nora hissed.

"Keep the people happy and make the best of a bad situation," she sighed. "I'll get the DJ and see if he'll record the requests for us. His equipment isn't going to work with this emergency power."

"I am not going to die in Buffalo," she snapped, and walked off to get the instruments. Maryann rushed after her.

"We won't die," she said. "At least, I hope not. But it's a good thing we always bring back-ups in case of amplifier failure."

"I am amazed you can be so optimistic."

"Thanks!"

Nora rolled her eyes.

"Hey, DJ," Isabella said. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."

"DJ Evilseed," he said with a slight lisp.

She blinked in surprise at the college-aged, skinny young man. "Seriously?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"Okay, do you want me to call you Evilseed?"

"If I have to call you Belle."

"Okay, listen, can you just take requests for us, please?"

"Sure. I've got nothing else to do tonight. I just hope my computer doesn't run out of juice," he said.

"You can always use a pencil and paper."

"That's so retro," he said.

Isabella managed to keep from rolling her eyes. "Thanks, Evilseed." She returned to the stage.

"Do you think there's anything other than natural going on here?" Leah asked. "I mean, besides the freaky weather."

"I haven't felt anything. Maybe the earthquake was just coincidence."

"Is anything ever coincidence with us?"

"I'm sure it has been; we just never noticed because of everything else. Anyway, Evilseed is going to take requests for us."

"Really, Evilseed?" Leah asked in exactly the same tone Isabella had used.

"Hey, if it works for him, who are we to judge?"

"Fair enough."

Nora and Maryann returned burdened with instrument cases.

"It's really an eclectic mix," Maryann said, "since we weren't planning on doing an acoustic show."

"We'll make the best of it. The key is to keep these people entertained and not panicking," Isabella said. She pulled out a violin and started to tune it up. "I am sorry to lose the keyboard though. We'll finish our set as planned and then figure out where to go from there." Then she spoke to the increasingly agitated audience. "Alright, people, we're all in this together so let's make this one hell of a party!" She turned to Leah to set the beat.

They played their planned second set with some modifications due to the instruments and then paused for a break. The crowd was so far well-behaved despite the crisis situation.

"Hey, I just thought of something," Maryann said. "Derek mentioned the earthquake."

"What?" Isabella asked.

"Right before our set, he said something about the earthquake and freak storm like he thought something was going to happen."

"Well, we should talk to him," Nora said.

"That doesn't mean this is his fault," she replied.

"No, but it doesn't hurt to find out," Isabella said, and cast spirit sight on herself and the others. "Maryann, go find him. I'll go with her. Nora, Leah, talk to DJ Evilseed over there and see what requests we got and if we can even make this work."

"Evilseed? Really?" Nora asked.

Isabella shrugged. "Whatever works for him." She walked off with Maryann.

"We may need to do a duet to give them time to talk," Leah said.

"I'll see what I can find," Nora said.

Isabella and Maryann had to search for Derek. Much of the crowd was at the bar getting drinks, both because cocktails were half-price and because getting drunk seemed like a good way to deal with the dangerous weather. Everyone had heard the manager's report but they were all afraid the blizzard would be worse than predicted and they could be stranded for days.

"Whoa," Isabella said, spotting Derek. His aura was white and ghostly.

"Um, what am I seeing?" Maryann asked. "I'm not used to this spirit sight like you."

"He's had some run-ins with death, or death spirits, or ghosts, or something."

"He's not actually dead, is he?"

"I don't think so. Anyway, zombies smell pretty bad."

"But vampires don't."

"I think he's a live one, but you have some taste in men," Isabella replied.

"Oh, like it's my fault they find me," Maryann pouted. "Is he even human?"

"Um, I think so. More or less anyway."

"That's great. Do you think he's responsible for this?"

"I have no idea, but I guess we're going to ask. Actually, you ask. He likes you."

"But-but..."

"Don't worry; I stuffed a few charms in my pocket, although I really don't want to be doing that kind of thing in such a public place."

A young woman lurched by them on her way to the bathroom.

"I wouldn't be too worried about that," Maryann replied. "I'm not sure many people are going to remember tonight anyway."

Derek saw the two women and waved them over.

"Isabella..."

"You'll be fine. I'm here with you."

Maryann took a deep breath and walked over to Derek.

"I'm glad the cocktails are half-price," he said. "Rum and colas tend to be expensive." He smiled. "Oh, so I was right about you four. Let me guess, you see something different about me?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

He took a sip of rum. "Derek La Croix. I'm just a guy, but I've been around, seen some things, met some people, and learned a bit about the world."

"How did you know about the earthquake?"

"I felt it, same as you probably did. Or at least one of you."

"Did you cause that earthquake, or this storm?" Maryann demanded.

He laughed. "I'm flattered you think I could that since you just met me. But, no, what's going on is not my doing, although I knew something was going to happen."

"Wait, wait, then who did this? Do you know?" Isabella interrupted.

"I'm just a guy. I don't know everything. I know when things are going to happen. That's why I'm here."

"In Buffalo, or in this club?" Maryann asked.

"Both, I suppose. I get around. I go where I think things will happen, and where I might meet interesting people. And here I am."

"In the middle of a freak blizzard," Isabella said.

He shrugged. "But with interesting people. I've got kind of a relaxed attitude about these sorts of things. We may get through the night, and we may not if the emergency power gives out. But it's an exciting time," he said, and took a drink. "I really wish I could smoke. I might sneak a smoke anyway. What're they going to do, throw me out?"

"I don't understand this at all," Maryann said.

"Better run back to the stage and play something before the people get restless. Don't worry, I'll be here. There's only one place I can go, and I don't think I'm quite ready for that journey yet." He looked at Isabella. "Ah, you're the one. Tsk, tsk, such an unhappy medium. Come back after a few songs and I'll buy you all some drinks."

"I don't think it's a good idea to get drunk during a crisis," Isabella replied stiffly.

"I didn't say get drunk, although I don't think it matters. Have a drink, loosen up, lighten up. It's a party at the end of the world," he said, and drained his glass.

Nora and Leah were calling to them and they recognized the crowd was getting impatient, so they left Derek and returned to the stage.

"So how's Maryann's taste in men?" Nora asked.

"It's not my fault!" she said.

"I don't know. He's seen death, but he's not afraid. It's like he finds all of this funny, even though he's got to know there are probably people dying out there," Isabella said. "He claims he's not responsible for the storm or the earthquake."

"Do you believe him?" Leah asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to control the weather or cause earthquakes."

"Thank God for that," Nora said.

"Agreed," said Maryann. "But it's still weird how calm he is about all this."

"You still think he's cute, don't you?" Leah asked.

"Um, shouldn't we start playing now?" she said.

"Sure. Do we play this straight or try to have some fun with a bad situation?"

"How the hell can we have fun?" Nora demanded.

"Fine, let's try not to think about the situation," Isabella said. "And focus on giving the crowd a good show. They're going to need it."

They picked a few songs and started to play mostly pop songs from the '50s and '60s and soul tunes from the '60s and '70s, which were easier to play since all they had were acoustic instruments. The crowd was lackluster and reckless, but they did their best. Finally they asked for people to join them on stage to sing with the band, which got a better response.

Derek hopped up on the stage with them.

"Wow, that's not normal," Leah said, seeing him with the spirit sight.

"What's normal?" he replied. "Do you ladies know REM?"

"You mean, 'It's The End of the World?' Isn't that a bit macabre?" Nora asked.

"It's upbeat. There are other songs. 'Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true,'" he sang. "'You'll see it's all a show; keep 'em laughing as you go; just remember the last laugh is on you.'"

"Monty Python?" Leah said as the others looked confused. "You're quoting British satire?"

"I'm just glad someone knows what I'm referencing."

"It's not funny. It's bad out there," Maryann said. "I don't want people to get hurt or die or anything."

"I don't either, but there's no point in getting worked up about it. Life's too short, right, Anna?"

"That was easier to say before we were all snowed in," she replied.

"Please try to relax. It's all just a show right now, like the song says. We need to keep the audience calm, so keep playing," he said.

"He's right," Isabella said. "Let's keep the show going as long as we can."

"Don't worry; I'll help you out," he said.

It turned out Derek had a good voice and was a decent singer, and it was nice for the women to get a break from singing. He also managed to catch the crowd's attention in a way the band hadn't managed despite the somewhat depressing nature of the songs he chose. The crowd seemed more relaxed the more he played with the band.

Mr. Linkowski waved at the band and Isabella wrapped up the song.

"Can everyone hear me?" he roared.

"Somewhere there's a Mountie wondering who's talking to him," Leah muttered.

Derek sniggered.

"Well, looks like we got lucky tonight. The storm's passed and the plows are out. The highways should be cleared in about an hour. That means this is final call. I'll keep you updated. And let's give a big hand to the band for playing for us."

The audience clapped and cheered, but the band was pretty sure their adulation was for the snowplows, not for them. Then they headed to the bar.

"Right, ladies, I'd better get your drinks now," Derek said.

"What the hell," Nora said. "We've still got an hour before the highways are cleared. We'll probably be here for a few more hours at least."

"See, I like that attitude."

"But I'm sure lots of people got hurt," Maryann said. "It doesn't seem right to celebrate that."

"We're not. We're celebrating the fact we're alive. Anyway, you may find when get a chance to watch the morning news that the situation wasn't as dire as it seemed," he said. "I have a good feeling about that, and I'm usually right about these things."

"What did you do while you were singing?" she asked.

"I have a relaxed attitude about the macabre..."

"We noticed," Nora said dryly.

"Sometimes, under the right circumstances, with enough rum and other favors, I can pass that attitude onto others, at least for a little while. So, that's what I did."

"Well, that was nice of you," Isabella said. "We sure weren't doing a great job at that."

"It was much easier to use the music," he replied. "So I appreciate your playing back-up band for my magic."

"Thanks, I think."

"Now, it's still Valentine's Day, and I'm still looking to share it with a lovely lady, or four."

"Yeah, that's not really our thing," Leah said. "But I think I'm flattered."

"That's fine. I'll still get you drinks, and then hopefully Anna will sit at the bar with me for a little while?" he asked.

She blushed under her make-up. "Oh, alright."

"Great," he said with a wide grin, and walked away.

"I hope he's right that the storm wasn't so bad," Maryann said.

"Well, we'll find out when everyone else does," Leah replied.

"Yeah. And as the poem goes, we've still got miles to go before we sleep," Nora added.

"I think the old saying is, 'smoke if you got 'em,'" Leah said.

"That's what I said."

"Ladies. Let's just relax," Isabella interrupted. "It's been a long night, and it isn't over. But at least we know we'll get out of this."

Derek returned with drinks that were exactly what the band wanted, even though they hadn't given him an order. He held out his arm. "Anna?"

She tucked her arm through his. "You guys don't mind handling the gear, right?"

"It's fine," Isabella said. "Go have fun."

"Thanks!"

"And we do the work," Leah sighed.

"She sure knows how to pick 'em," Nora said. "What am I even looking at?"

"Someone who's comfortable with death," Isabella answered. "And good for him. And I'm glad he helped us out with the crowd." She took a sip of her drink. "Well, let's start breaking down the gear."

They got to work. Four hours later, they were cleared to leave the building. Isabella got them to their hotel, and they gratefully went to bed as the sun was just coming up.

The Lyrics:

I'm ready for a party; I've put on my dress

The guests are coming; everyone's invited

The band is ready and tuning up

It'll be the biggest blast this town has ever seen

Even the gods would love this happenin' time

The party's started and everyone's having fun

Praise Bacchus and pass along the wine

The only one who's upset is that silly Vulcun

Refrain: Vesuvius has turned red and hot

We're havin' so much fun we don't care

The ground is rumbling and shakin'

To the beat of the music in the air

Then there's a sound that splits the sky

The ash, it coats everything,

The pyroclastic flows go by

Maybe we should have evacuated

Whoops, it's time for the afterlife,

To the Elysium Fields I go,

To see my friends from Herculaneum

And continue the party with Pluto

Refrain x2

**Track 10: Spectrum of Black**

The Interview:

Brad: This one is a more alternative rock song with hooks that lean towards prog rock. What inspired you to write a song about the color black?

Lee: Black gets a bad reputation. It's associated with death.

Belle: And aggression. Scientific studies have shown athletes who wear black are more aggressive. This is probably because we associate black with death.

Lenore: A lot of carrion birds are black.

Anna: And it's associated with bad luck and other bad things. Black cats are unlucky. Black dogs haunt England.

Lenore: So we wanted to show some positive associations.

Brad: Not all the verses are very positive.

Belle: No. Some are not. Some are neutral.

Brad: Is this song actually about death?

Lee: No. It's about black.

Brad: Is death the inspiration?

Anna: Death is a common inspiration for artists, right? Why should we be any different?

Lenore: Some artists were almost obsessed with death. Poe, for example, and Dickinson.

Brad: That's kind of morbid.

Belle: Death doesn't have to be morbid. Death is just death. Black doesn't have to be unlucky or aggressive either. It's just a color. Our emotions make it more than it is.

Brad: Black or death?

Lenore: Either, or both.

The Flashback:

The band calling themselves Nevermore and the Ravens had paused their rehearsal and were taking a break in Maryann's basement. Leah and Isabella were relaxing with a video game.

"So, what's this thing again?" Leah asked. "The thing you were talking about this morning?"

"'The Thirty-Fourth Annual Central Mid-West Tri-County Monster Mash and Fourteenth Annual Battle of the Bands,'" Maryann repeated patiently.

"Why is the Monster Mash thirty-fourth annual but the Battle of the Bands is only the fourteenth annual? Darn it, Isabella, I hate it when you do that," she said, her attention half-occupied by the game.

"Well, about fifteen years ago, some kids egged the mayor's house, so he came up with the Battle of the Bands as a way to keep kids too old for trick-or-treating off the streets and out of trouble."

"Has it worked?" Nora asked dryly.

"The mayor's house hasn't been egged on Halloween again."

"The way you say that makes me think the mayor's house has been egged on other occasions," Isabella said. "But anyway, tell us more about this event."

"First prize is a consultation with Bert Rafel, a real music agent!"

"And we have to play in a barn?" Nora asked.

"No. It's held at the tri-county fairgrounds. We'll be on the main stage."

"It looks like a big barn," she said, examining the flyer.

"Well, it is where the fair holds the livestock show."

"That's a barn."

"Darn it Isabella!" Leah exclaimed. "You ran me off the track!"

"Well, look, do you guys have a better idea to meet a real agent?" Maryann asked. "We can keep playing high school homecoming dances and proms."

"Do we get a contract with this agent?" Isabella asked.

"Um, no. Not exactly. But we get to meet with him!"

The rest of the band looked skeptical.

"Hey, at least it's a chance, and a better one than we've got now. Look, I know your parents aren't happy with this," Maryann said. "Leah, I know your parents wanted you to go to college closer to home."

"Only so they could get me married off," she sighed.

"And Nora, what do your parents call this place?"

"Podunk University," she said acidly. "They're really trying to get me to transfer to Juilliard."

"See? This could really be our chance."

"She's right," Isabella sighed. "This whole band thing is crazy, but this is a real opportunity. We win over the audience, and then we get a chance to win over a real agent."

"Fine. We'll play in a barn," Nora said. "On Halloween."

"You don't think anything weird will happen, do you?" Maryann asked. "I mean, considering how we met and all?"

"That would be pretty cliché, wouldn't it?" Leah said. "I'm sure we're not going to be chased by monsters or visited by ghosts or anything."

"Well, then we should figure out how we want to present ourselves. What are the rules?" Isabella asked.

"Um, let's see," Maryann said, adjusting her glasses. "Ok, there's a limit of fifteen bands. Everyone gets to play the same set of instruments, provided by the organizers."

"That's good because our instruments are kind of junk," Nora said.

"The order for the first round will be random. We get to pick two songs from this list..." Maryann continued, handing the others a flyer. "No songs will be repeated so the bands that go first get the best choice."

"That doesn't seem fair," Leah said. "Later bands are going to get hosed if they haven't practiced all the songs."

"Well, I think it's to balance out the fact that earlier bands will have to warm up the crowd, you know?"

"I suppose that's a good point."

"Right. So we have to do covers."

"Very Halloween-themed selection," Isabella said. "I'm surprised 'Thriller' isn't included."

"It's kind of long. Anyway, the 'Thriller' dance comes after the first round. There are two judges and the audience gets a vote with applause. Three finalists are chosen and the order will be random again. The finalists get to pick two of their own songs, within reason."

"Good Lord, what time does this thing start?" Nora asked. "With having to switch bands, the first round could last three hours!"

"Starts at seven sharp. The Monster Mash usually runs way past midnight, so don't worry that," she replied. "Anyway, two judges again and an audience vote. And then the winning band plays a two song encore, time permitting."

"Well, this sounds fairly serious," Isabella said. "And how much is the entry fee?"

"Oh, don't worry; I already paid it for us."

"We didn't agree to do this thing until just now," Nora said.

"I know. But I was sure you'd jump at this chance so I went ahead and paid the fee," Maryann said. "So we should figure out the kind of show we want, right? I want to win this thing!"

The other three looked at her for a moment.

"I-I didn't know you felt so strongly about this band," Nora said.

"Oh, that's fine. Now, let's get to work!"

Fueled by Maryann's enthusiasm, they did just that.

Halloween was shaping up to be a nice autumn evening, weather-wise, with a bright waxing moon rising in the sky. The evening was crisp but not chilly. The Monster Mash had three main attractions: the main stage housed in the livestock building, a haunted house, and a corn maze. All three structures were well lit on the outside by high-intensity lamps. The nearby food court was illuminated by the high-intensity lamps and a carefully watched bonfire. The livestock building was a large, long metal structure with large sliding doors at both ends and several regular-sized doors along the sides. A stage had been set up at one end with a decent set of equipment. About twenty feet from the livestock building was the haunted house. The corn maze had closed at dark for obvious reasons. Apart of the well-lit main attractions and food court, the only other well-lit area was a string of street lights that lead to the parking lot.

The band arrived at six to register and find out their performance order. The costumes they chose resembled ravens. They had short black dresses with long, flowing sleeves, and sleek hats with beak-like fronts that were decorated in black feathers and sequins. They wore sheer black panty hose, leather ankles boots, and identical heavy black make-up meant to make them look more bird-like. The costume was spoiled slightly by the black purses they carried with them, but there was no way around that and they didn't plan on having the purses on-stage anyway.

"I'm glad your parents don't expect us to babysit your brother," Nora said.

"Nah, they're not like that. Anyway, they know why we're here and don't want us to have anything else to worry about. Skipper's hanging out with his friends. He probably won't even say 'hello' to us," Maryann answered.

"Too bad he's not a fan," Leah said.

"He's a big fan of us winning this thing so he can use the basement again. He was really looking forward to me moving out when I graduated high school."

Isabella joined the others with the registration information. "Well, we're number 6. We got 'Superstition' and 'Witchy Woman.'"

"Not our first choices, but not bad, I guess," Nora said.

"What do we want to do until our show?"

"Oh, there are lots to do," Maryann said. "There are food and costume contests and scary story contests and a pumpkin carving contest and of course listening to the other bands!"

"Oh, that sounds great," Nora replied dryly.

"Come on, let's get some food," Leah said.

They wandered around the attractions at the Monster Mash and ate some standard fair food while Battle of the Bands got underway.

"So," Maryann asked around a mouthful of corn dog, "does this time of year make it easier for you to see stuff without spells?"

"Depends on the year," Isabella answered. "But I think in general the Veil is thinner between All Hallows Eve and All Souls Day."

"Hey, that reminds me; Mom sent me some sugar skulls. They're really more for tomorrow, but I brought a few if you want to try some tonight," Leah said.

"That's just morbid," Nora replied.

"Depends on how you grow up," Leah shrugged. "I got to go to Mexico City one year for the Day of the Dead celebrations. It was pretty cool."

"Being raised like that might have made things easier for me," Isabella said. "Well, at least I've got my grandmother Ami."

Leah turned around to find a trash can when she saw a person dressed in a female skeleton costume walking around. The skeleton was dressed in an old-fashioned fancy dress, which made Leah think of the Catrina figures. As the skeleton costume passed near her, she suddenly realized that it wasn't a costume. She tugged on Isabella's sleeve. "I see dead people."

"I was wondering when you'd pull out that tired line," Nora sighed.

"No, really, look."

They turned and looked at the skeleton.

"Oh, yeah, um, that's the real deal," Isabella said. "I don't even need to do a spell to see that."

"What do we do?" Maryann asked in a low voice.

"This time of year they have as much right to walk around as we do. So I know what to do," Leah said, after first patting her crucifix necklace reassuringly. She walked up to the skeleton woman. "Hello."

"I can't believe she did that," Isabella said.

The skeleton woman looked at her with empty eye sockets.

Leah gulped but continued, undeterred. "So, what brings you way out in the middle of the country?"

"You clearly see what I am. You aren't frightened?"

"It's All Hallows Eve. I mean, as long as you aren't one of those souls out for vengeance, there's no real reason to be scared."

"Interesting. I am not out for vengeance. I am passing through, and thought I would look around. But tonight is not without danger. There is something lurking outside the bonfire and the Veil is thin."

"Thanks for the advice. We're playing in the number 6 slot if you want to listen."

The skeleton woman almost seemed to smile, which was a neat trick for someone without muscles. "Thank you kindly for the invitation."

"Oh, also, this is traditional in my culture," Leah said, and pulled a tiny sugar skull out of plastic bag in her purse and offered it to the skeleton.

The skeleton woman seemed puzzled for a moment, but then she reached out to take the skull. She touched the skull in Leah's hand and pulled away a ghostly skull, leaving the actual skull. She put the ghostly skull in her jaws and seemed to eat it. "Thank you," she said, nodded slightly, and then wandered off.

The other three joined her. "I can't believe you did that!" Maryann said.

"Seriously; I never assume the dead aren't dangerous," Isabella added.

Leah shrugged. "Different culture, I guess." Then she ate the skull in her hand.

"Ewww," Nora said.

"Really, they're good. Anyway, it'd be a shame to throw out a perfectly good sugar skull."

"But a dead person touched it!"

"A spirit touched it, not a rotting corpse. How else was she going to take the offering?"

"You are so weird."

"That could have been dangerous!" Maryann said.

"There's no reason to assume they're any more dangerous than we are, at least not right now," Leah replied. "Now, if I saw a dead person on any other three days, I'd probably be freaked out. But this is their time of year. Oh, and she did say there's something hanging out outside the bonfires and the Veil is thin."

"Okay, not sure what she meant by a thing outside the fires, but it's obvious the Veil is thin," Maryann said. "I mean, I can see her without Isabella's magic."

"No, there's more to it than that," Isabella said. "I mean, she would know that's obvious. She must have meant something else. I hope she doesn't mean living people could cross over as easy as the dead can tonight."

"What happens if someone living does accidentally cross over?" Nora asked. "Are they dead?"

"I'm not really sure. It doesn't usually happen. It usually can't happen," she answered.

"Do we need to check out what's going on outside the bonfire?" Maryann asked.

"We'd better," Isabella sighed. "But after we play. Come on."

They finished their dinner and hastily headed back to the main stage. The crowd had been warmed up by the other five bands and was in the mood for a good show. The fact there were four young women showing a lot of leg probably didn't hurt their chances to win. They played their two songs and were rewarded with loud applause and lots of people talking to them as they made their way back outside the livestock building.

"I think that went well," Maryann said. "Don't you? I really hope so. I think we did well."

"Maryann, calm down," Nora replied. "We've done our best. Now we wait and see. I think we're the best so far no contest, but there are still nine more bands after us."

"Ok, I'll try to relax. So, um, are we going to check out the thing outside?"

"I guess we'd better. Here, if the Veil is thin, this may be useful," Isabella said, and cast a spell for spirit sight on herself and the others.

"That is just weird," Leah said.

"It's really not usually this, um, sharp," Isabella replied. "Do we know which way to go?"

"She didn't really say. Maybe we just walk in a circle until we see something?"

"I guess that's all we can do. Come on."

The group milled through the crowd and eventually left the ring of lights. The fairgrounds was flat without a lot of trees or even tall grass except for the corn maze and the minimal lighting outside the main attractions created plenty of hiding places. Leah pulled a small flashlight out of her purse, but the small light seemed to only create more shadows.

"It gets creepy fast," Maryann commented after they completed a second circuit around the grounds. They hadn't seen anything lurking, but they had seen more ghosts entering the circle of lights.

"I thought bonfires were supposed to keep spirits out," Isabella said. "That's traditionally why celebrations like this have a great big bonfire."

"Maybe that's only malevolent spirits," Maryann replied. "Or maybe those rules don't always apply."

On their third widening circle they heard a low, threatening growl. They slowly turned to look at a pair of low bushes.

"I really hope that's just a dog," Maryann whispered.

A very large, black, shaggy dog with slightly glowing red eyes stepped out of the bushes, growling.

"I, um, think that might be a black dog," she said.

It took a threatening step toward them.

"Of course it's a black dog," Nora hissed. "I can see that!"

"No, 'black dog' is a description for a ghost dog."

"Which is why it's glowing all weird with this spirit sight?"

"Now what?" Leah asked.

"I think we run back to the lights," Isabella answered.

It howled and charged them.

They screamed and ran towards the food court. They couldn't tell if the black dog was pursuing them but they didn't stop until they ran past the bonfire and nearly into the crowd. A couple of people gave them odd looks but no one really paid them much attention. The band paused to catch their breath.

"Ok, running from a terrifying monster is exactly as much fun as it looks like in the horror movies," Leah puffed. "What was that again?"

"Well, there are a lot of legends of the black dog," Maryann said. "Most are malevolent. I don't know why it's here or how we get rid of it."

A skeleton man dressed as a farmer walked up to them. "You'll need to go back out there."

Nora almost made a rude retort but held her tongue when she realized the skeleton man was dead. "Why?" she asked instead.

"The drummer for the next band has fallen through the Veil," he said.

"Life is hard for drummers," Leah sighed.

"The living have no place beyond until they cross properly. And I want to listen to the rest of the show." Somehow, without eyes, he managed to wink.

"Oh, okay," Maryann said, sounding surprised.

"You may find him in that direction, but you should hurry. He is moving farther in," he said, pointing.

"Oh, great, that's where the black dog is," she said. "Can't you help us?"

The skeleton man shrugged. "I have no more power now that I did in life."

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know."

He shrugged again. "That's alright, little lady."

"Would you like one?" Leah asked, holding out another skull.

"Oh, I heard about this." He took the skull in the same manner as the skeleton woman. "Thank you kindly and good luck," he said and wandered back into the crowd.

"It's so weird they don't even notice," Leah commented as she ate the sugar skull, looking at the crowd who had no reaction to the skeleton people they could see walking around.

"We should be grateful they don't notice," Nora replied. "It would cause a panic. I'm pretty freaked out and this isn't even the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Also, eww again."

"It's good," she said defensively.

"What about the drummer? And the black dog?" Maryann asked. "Isabella, can we even get someone from the other side?"

"Well, I think it's possible right now. I don't know how hard it would be, though."

"And the dog thing that wants to eat us?" Nora said.

"Well, I could make a charm, but I'd have to get close to it to stick the charm on it, and I don't want to do that."

"I have an idea. Be right back," Leah said.

"I think I've got some charms in here for evil spirits but I'm going to need to make some for the door," she said, fishing around in her purse for paper and a pen.

Leah returned a few minutes with a greasy sack. "Ok, let's hurry up and do this thing," she said.

"What's in the sack?" Nora asked.

"Hot dogs. The good ones; all beef franks."

"Is this really the time for a snack?" she asked dryly.

"Yes. Now, let's do this before I realize what a bad idea this is and change my mind."

They headed back outside the safety of the lights and bonfire.

"Ok, the next band up was Bad Apple, so that means the drummer would be dressed in overalls," Isabella said. "So we're looking for someone who's lost dressed like a farmer."

"And watching out for a black dog," Maryann said.

"Um, how are we going to see this guy, and if we can, how do we get to him?" Leah asked.

"I have no idea right now. His name is Jacob, by the way."

Maryann grabbed the flyer Isabella was holding. "Oh, Jake Digory. I know him. Well, Skipper knows him. He plays drums in the marching band."

"Life is hard for drummers," Leah said again.

They made two circuits of the area with no sign of the black dog, a door, or the lost drummer. On their third, wider circuit, Maryann thought she heard a voice, so they followed her until they all could hear the voice of a young man, although it sounded like it was coming from a long way off.

"I can't see anything," Maryann said. "I thought there would be a door we could see with this spirit sight."

"It's not usually that easy, even on a night like this," Isabella said. "And distances don't exactly line up between this world and the spirit world. But there must be a weak spot around here somewhere or he wouldn't have fallen through." She took a minute to look around. "There, I think. I think I'll still need to open a door or we won't be able to get out."

They all heard a low, threatening growl.

"Tell me that won't take long," Nora said in a low voice.

"Um, not long but I don't know how much time we have," she answered.

"Then I suggest we move quickly towards the weak spot without running," Nora said.

They did as she suggested but the low growling seemed to follow them.

Isabella pulled out a charm and started to recite a spell.

"There it is!" Maryann squealed as a pair of red eyes came into view. "What do we do? What do we do?"

Leah opened up the greasy sack, pulled out a hot dog, and threw it right over the black dog's head as far as she could.

The ghost dog focused on the blur of movement and ran towards the hot dog. Back-lit by the bonfire, they could see it sniff at the thing on the ground and then bite at it.

A round portal of ethereal light the size of a door appeared in front of Isabella. "Ok, let's go," she said.

With some hesitation, but not too much since they weren't sure if the black dog would return quickly, the rest of the band followed her through the Veil.

Once they were all through, she put a charm on the portal. It hung on the portal of light like it was glued there. "That should keep it open for us."

"It really looks pretty normal," Leah said. "I mean, I know I'm not where I was, but there's the livestock building and there's the haunted house and there's the corn maze. It's still dark and my flashlight is still working. Why are we glowing all funny with all these colors?"

"You've got an aura of life here," Isabella explained.

"But you've still got that ghostly white in your aura," Maryann said.

"As the saying goes, I have one foot in the grave. Come on, let's find this drummer and get out of here."

"The voice was coming from that direction," Maryann said, pointing.

They paused to listen, and started to walk.

"Should we start calling his name?" Nora asked.

"Not until we're sure he can hear us. It's not really safe to be here," Isabella answered. "We don't want to attract attention."

"Like black dogs?"

"Or worse," Maryann answered with a shudder.

The lights from the main fairgrounds seemed to fade behind them more rapidly than just distance would dictate. In contrast, the waxing moon seemed to get brighter in a starless sky.

They could clearly here the lost drummer calling to his band mates. His voice sounded thin and hollow.

"How did he get so far in?" Leah asked.

"He doesn't know he crossed the Veil," Maryann answered. "He doesn't have spirit sight and can't see what we see."

"What would be so different if we didn't have spirit sight right now?" Nora asked.

"Well, we wouldn't have auras. But I guess not too much would be different, but we're the type of people to actually see what we're looking at instead of making up something," Isabella said. "Poor kid is lost and scared and doesn't understand what he's seeing or why he can't seem to find the fairgrounds."

"I guess I understand that," Leah replied. "It's really quiet here. I thought it'd be more populated, or something."

"I think a lot of spirits who might be here are visiting our world right now," Nora said. "I counted at least a dozen skeleton people before we left."

"Maryann, I think you'd better start calling to him," Isabella said. "We're getting in farther than I would really like to. I don't want to get out of sight of the door or we may not make it back at all."

"Jake!" she bellowed.

The others were startled at how loud she was.

"Jake! Over here! The show's going to start!"

"Maryann?" came the thin, hollow response. "Where are you?"

"What am I going to do? I can't see him," she said.

"Tell him to stay put," Isabella said.

"Jake! Stay there! I'll get you!" Maryann shouted. "Ok, now what?"

"I don't know," she answered.

"I know," Leah said. "We'll go as far out as we can and still see the door. I'll hold the flashlight and Nora will go out as far as she can and still see me." She dug around in her purse. "Nora will hold my penlight and Isabella will go out as far as she can. And does anyone else have a light?"

"I always keep a lighter in my purse," Isabella said.

"I usually just keep matches," Maryann said.

"You guys smoke?" Nora asked.

"No," Maryann said. "It's just that fire is very important for spell work. So Isabella holds up her lighter and I go out as far as I can and hopefully find Jake."

"Exactly!" Leah said.

"Where did you get this idea?" Nora asked.

"Um, I saw it on a TV show once."

"Great."

"It's better than nothing," Isabella said. "Let's try it and hope for the best."

"And I should get a bigger flashlight. Hell, if this keeps happening, I should just put together some kind of supernatural emergency kit," Leah said.

The band did exactly what Leah suggested, using the real lights as a guide in the spirit world. Finally Maryann got the point she was afraid of losing sight of Isabella's lighter. "Jake! Over here!" she called, and lit a match.

"Where?" His voice sounded much less thin and hollow.

"Here! I've got a light!" Afraid Jake wouldn't see it, Maryann muttered a prayer. "Lady of the Temple, please help me return the lost boy to the land of the living. He has not gone through the rites; he does not belong here yet." Maryann's ankh glowed slightly under her shirt and the feeble light of the match turned bright white and took a shape resembling a bird. After a just a minute, a young man of about sixteen walked came into view.

"There you are! What the hell is going on here?" he asked, walking up to her.

The match flared out.

"Ouch!" Maryann cried, sucking on her fingers. "Come on, you'll miss the show," she said, and started to walk back to flickering light Isabella was holding. "Thank you, Nephthys," she thought. The ankh felt warm for a moment.

"Man, I don't know what the hell is going on," Jake said. "I mean, the fair isn't this big. I just needed to clear my head before the show and I run right smack into this dog! I don't know who let their dog loose, or if it was just some stray, but it was mean."

Now they caught up to Isabella. "You found him; let's get out of here."

"So this dog chases me and I ran away from it and I guess I got all turned around because I thought I was running toward the haunted house and I ended up way out here. Weird," he said. "Nice of you guys to come get me. But don't think I'm going to throw the contest or anything."

"Of course not," Nora said as they caught up to her.

"Because, we're like totally awesome. You don't even know. So the costumes are kind of lame, but when we get big, we'll get better costumes," he continued.

Soon they caught up to Leah.

"Um, how are we going to explain the door?" she asked Isabella in a low voice.

"He won't even notice. You watch," she answered.

"How can he not notice the glowing doorway with the paper floating in the middle of it?"

"I don't know, but if he hasn't noticed anything up until now, he won't notice that either."

And Isabella was right. They walked right up to the door and he followed Maryann through it without reacting in any way. Isabella pulled her charm off the door and walked through last. The paper turned to ash in her hand. The portal abruptly faded from sight. While Jake didn't admit to being scared, he was walking very fast toward the clear lights of the main attractions.

Then they heard a low growl.

"Oh, not that dog again!" he said.

"Just keep moving quickly and calmly," Isabella said.

When the red eyes came into view, Leah pulled another hot dog out of the greasy sack and flung it away from them. The dog ran after it.

"Now we run," Isabella said.

They dashed into the ring of lights where Jake promptly left them and headed straight for the stage. There was some commotion as the band gathered that Bad Apple had been pushed down in the order while they waited for their drummer and that Jake had returned only just in time. The band took the stage and started to play.

"So, the hot dogs were a good idea, right?" Leah said, looking at Nora.

"I'm surprised a ghost dog would be hungry," she replied.

"Hey, I figured if the skeleton people ate the sugar skulls, maybe the dog would be hungry too. All the dogs I've ever met are."

"You know, I don't think the myths about the black dogs really go into what they eat," Maryann said thoughtfully. "I guess I never really thought about them eating. Attacking people, sure, that's in the stories."

"Still, I don't want to bet my life on a hot dog," Isabella said. "I don't know how to get rid of the black dog, though. I hope it just goes away on its own."

"Maybe now that it's full of hot dog, it will," Leah said. "I sprang for the good ones too."

They joined the crowd at the main stage to listen to Bad Apple play and wait the results of the judging.

"Jake's a nice kid, but I think his band needs more practice," Nora said after they finished.

"Well, I don't think they got to play the songs they wanted," Maryann replied.

"We rehearsed all thirty songs," she returned.

The band cleared the stage and a middle-aged woman dressed in a sexy witch costume that didn't really suit her took the microphone. "Okay, everyone, we'll announce the results after the 'Thriller' dance! Everyone line up!"

"Oooo, I love this," Maryann said.

"She is not serious. You weren't serious," Nora said.

But the announcer and Maryann were quite serious. They piped the music through the sound system and everyone in the area who couldn't escape was forced into a line. For the band, who still had spirit sight, everyone pretending they were zombies in a '80s music video was made all the more surreal by the presence of actual dead people, who were gamely following along.

"This may be the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Nora said to Leah.

"It's the weirdest tonight at the very least, and we've been in the land of the dead."

The dance concluded and the witch got back on stage to announce the three finalists. The last band she named was Nevermore and the Ravens. But the order was random, so they played in the middle.

"Oh, I was hoping to go first and get it over with," Maryann said.

"I wanted to go last so the audience would be thinking of us," Nora said.

The first band played their original two songs, then Nevermore and the Ravens, and then the last band.

"Ok, everyone back up here for the final judging!" the witch called.

All three bands stood on the stage, and all were clearly nervous.

"Ok, show how much you like them by applause," the witch said, and pointed at the first band. The audience returned a thunderous round of applause.

"We'll still win; we'll still win," Maryann said.

The witch pointed at the second band, and the applause seemed just as loud.

"Maybe there will be a tie," Leah said nervously.

Finally the witch pointed at Nevermore and the Ravens. Applause filled the livestock building and bounced off the metal walls so loudly it was nearly deafening.

"So that's what turning it up to eleven means!" Maryann screamed at Leah.

"Yes!" she shouted back, barely able to hear her band mate.

After a few minutes, the witch managed to make herself heard. "Well, I think it's pretty clear our winner is Nevermore and the Ravens! Ladies, it's time for your encore!"

While the encore was only scheduled to be two songs, the band ended up playing a double encore of another two songs before they finally said good-night. Once they were off the stage, they were congratulated by a bevy of people and only escaped because the witch announced it was time for the costume contest.

"Wow, we really won! We won!" Maryann squealed. "I've never heard anything like that applause."

"Did it sound, um, bony to anyone else?" Isabella asked.

"Bony? What do you mean?" Nora asked.

"Like, bony."

"Like the dead clapping with their bony hands?" said the skeleton man who had told them of Jake's accidental crossing over.

"Yes, like that," Isabella answered.

"We liked your band the best," he said.

The skeleton woman from earlier joined him. "The black dog appears to have wandered off. I don't know what drew it here, and I hope it will not be back."

"Thank you for your support," Leah said. "I'm not sure we could have won without you."

"It was nice to get out for a change," the skeleton woman said. "And it was good that you faced the danger of the black dog and traveling beyond to save that young man. We couldn't help him; we're glad you did."

"This is apparently what we do," Leah said dryly.

They seemed to shrug. "It is not for us to question why we are gifted or cursed; it is only for us to use those gifts as we can and overcome what curses face us," said the skeleton woman. "Good luck in your endeavors."

"Thanks!" Maryann said brightly.

They seemed to smile, more or less, and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Does this mean you're finally moving out?" asked Skipper, who was dressed as a zombie.

"Well, we still have to meet the agent and convince him to sign us on," Maryann answered.

"Okay, you do that and then move out."

"I'm so glad you're happy we won," she said dryly.

"Yeah, congrats. Anyway, the costume contest is starting and I need you to vote for me," he said.

"Did you vote for us?" Leah asked.

"Of course I did."

"And did you vote for Bad Apple too?"

He shrugged. "No one said we could only vote for one band. Anyway, come on. Oh, by the way, don't bother with the haunted house. It's lame. Like real dead people would ever come to the Monster Mash."

"Oh, no, of course not," Leah said sarcastically. The others stifled their giggles.

"So come on already," he said, and disappeared into the crowd.

Isabella yawned. "I'm suddenly exhausted."

"Well, let's go show our support for Skipper in the costume contest and then we can go back to my place and get some sleep."

"That sounds like a plan to me," Nora said.

And that's just what they did.

The Lyrics:

A veil on a lady's hat

Increases mystery

With a twinkle of glamour

From onyx used in jewelry

Ties for formal affairs

The quintessential little dress

Trench coats of leather

Worn plain or with finesse

Refrain: In the absence of light

Is the spectrum of black

From sunken stars far away

To Death, the debt all men pay

Oil, remnants of a long-dead era

The iron foundation of industry

Smoke which chokes the air

Every color of a Ford Model-T

A newspaper with no blank spaces

Penciled notes in books on history

Charcoal sketches on white paper

Ink used to compose great poetry

Refrain

The ghost dogs of Avalon

Feline killers with razor claws

Or smaller witches' familiars

Stalking prey on silent paws

Skeletal trees in winter

Silhouettes and shadows

In the dark of the night

Ravens, rooks, and crows

Refrain

Before the movie starts

When we close our eyes

After the curtain drops

The night before moonrise

Called the color of mourning

The hue of funeral attire

Long cars for the formerly living

The garb of a widow, human or spider

Refrain

**Track 11: Blood-sucking Fiend**

The Interview:

Brad: You Ravens certainly exhibit familiarity with a variety of song genres and eras.

Lee: To paraphrase - if we can see farther than others, it is only because we stand on the shoulders of giants.

Brad: Okay then. So I guess as a group of four women, you felt you had to put in a song that is very reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s girl bands such as the Chordettes or the Shondelles or others?

Belle: I wouldn't say we felt we had to, but those bands, as much as they are derided as nothing but bubble-gum pop and critically worthless, did help pave the way for other women in music.

Lee: That's what I said.

Anna: Anyway, there is a place for bubble-gum pop and other music that critics call worthless.

Lenore: Yeah, it sells if nothing else.

Anna: That's the cynical view, I guess. But if people like it, and it doesn't hurt anything, what's so wrong with it? We all have something that we like that other people will call worthless or lame or whatever.

Belle: Even the fluffiest pop princess dance number ever has some merit to it.

Lenore: Maybe not much.

Belle: Not critically, but again, what's music for if not for people to enjoy?

Brad: Wow. I guess I never thought about it that way, especially considering my magazine. Although I have to say your track, "Blood-sucking Fiend" isn't about the typical topic of the 50s girl pop tunes.

Belle: It's not? How is it so different from, "My Boyfriend's Back" or "Mr. Sandman?" It's about a boy and a girl and their romance.

Brad: But he's a vampire.

Lenore: Well, vampires are the hottest trend in emo angsty sensitive bad boy romantic interests.

Brad: I'll concede that point, although I get the impression from this song you're not exactly on board with that trend.

Anna: No. None of us are going to claim to be experts on romance, but we think dating monsters is universally a bad idea, no matter how romantic it may seem.

Belle: As a rather wise comedian once said, and I paraphrase, women who actually stay with bad men tend to end up on an episode of Cops telling the police who are hauling away their bad man to "Lock him up this time!"

Anna: In short, the real-life consequences are as far from romance as possible and we think it's a shame that somehow pop culture has convinced so many people that being emotionally broken is a desirable quality in a significant other.

Brad: So you've turned a silly song into something with a message?

Lenore: If you want to read it that way. All the song actually says is that dating someone who has to actively work to not kill you is a bad thing. Which, you know, ought to be common sense.

Brad: So what was the inspiration for this song? The musical genre or a real life event?
Belle: You think we met a girl dating a vampire?

Brad: [laughs] Of course not! I was asking if this was based on a woman you know in a bad relationship.

Anna: We prefer not to say too much about the inspiration for our songs. You know, just in case someone else gets the same idea. The music business is hard enough without imitators.

Brad: But ravens are imitators and this song imitates a certain musical style.

Lee: Clearly we have said too much.

The Flashback:

"You guys are going to love Seattle," MaryAnn said. "And you'll love my cousin. It's so nice of her to let us crash at her place for our gig."

"I'm all for saving on hotel costs, especially if it means we don't have to sleep in the van again," Leah said, "but is she going to have room for us?"

"And the instruments? I really don't want to leave the instruments in the van," Isabella said, in her usual role as the driver.

"Are we going to see any sun while we're here?" Nora asked despondently, looking at the rain stream down the glass.

"I'm going to go with yes, yes, and no," Maryann answered. "Ooo, turn here."

Eventually they pulled up to a nice house in the Queen Anne neighborhood.

"Oh, that should have plenty of room," Leah said dryly. "What in the world does your cousin do for a living?"

"She's a computer systems analyst. And she got through college on scholarships so she's debt-free with a high-paying career without any kids."

"Oh."

"Come on, you'll like her."

Maryann pulled on her bright yellow rain slicker and popped a bright red umbrella. Isabella had pulled the inner liner from her surplus military trench coat to serve as a raincoat and opened a white umbrella with blue trim. Nora wore a fashionable dark purple windbreaker style coat with a hood but opened up a light green umbrella anyway. Leah had the jacket half of a dark green set of rain gear from a camping store and an extra large, black golf umbrella. They walked up the stone pathway in the well-kept lawn, and Maryann rang the doorbell.

In a moment, the door was answered by a woman a couple of years older than Maryann but who looked remarkably like her except her hair was pale blonde. She was wearing a fashionable casual outfit in pink. "Maryann!" she said, hugging the redhead.

"Steph!" she exclaimed, returning the hug. "These are my friends, Leah, Nora, and Isabella."

"Oh, like the Twilight girl!" Stephanie said.

Isabella was about to correct Stephanie but was interrupted.

"I love those books. I love those movies. That's great! I also love Sookie Stackhouse, but who doesn't? Come on in, everyone! I'm so excited you finally got to come see me, Maryann!"

"Oh, my lord," Nora sighed. "We've got two Maryanns on our hands."

"This may be a long couple of days," Isabella agreed.

They followed their hostess in the large house. They were shown their rooms, and the house was big enough that they didn't even have to double up. There was even space for all their instruments. Stephanie was even more bubbly and cheerful than Maryann. She talked almost continuously about anything at all even while in the middle of preparing dinner. Maryann managed to shift the conversation to the band.

"Oh, I'm so excited to come see you play!" Steph said.

Maryann started to reach into her pockets.

"Oh, no, you don't need to give me any tickets. I've already bought my own. Oh, and you can meet my new boyfriend! He's coming to dinner tonight."

"Steph! You got a boyfriend? I thought you worked like 60 hours a week."

"I've really been trying to re-establish a proper work-life balance. I've started telecommuting a few days a week. And I started dating again. You guys will love Nicholas. He's sensitive and sweet and seriously hot." Then she continued on that topic for quite a while. Nicholas was a struggling artist who had to work two part time jobs at two different gas stations.

"Steph, Steph," Maryann managed to interrupt. "When are we going to meet Nicholas?"

"Oh, he said he's stop by tonight after his shift and he's definitely coming to the show tomorrow night. Oh, and he'll come over Sunday if he can switch around shifts. You will really love him. I know we've only been dating for six months, but I feel he could really be the one. Oh, and I'm sorry if dinner isn't up to my usual standards. Poor Nicholas has acid reflux and he can't eat onions or tomatoes or garlic or citrus and I feel like I have to learn how to cook all over again." And she continued along those lines. She was interrupted by the doorbell and abruptly jumped up from the couch. "It's Nicholas!" she squealed and ran off.

"Maryann, I'm sorry I ever made fun of you for being you," Nora said.

"Oh, that's okay. I know you didn't mean it. I wonder what this guy is like."

"Is Steph usually like this about guys?" Isabella asked.

"I'm going to guess yes," Leah said wryly.

"Yeah, she is. But it's just her personality. She's very excited about everything. She has to be enthusiastic to a computer systems analyst. I mean, I can't imagine a more boring job. But, well, she's not her usual peppy self."

"Are you kidding us?" Leah replied. "If she was any more bubbly, she'd be a club soda. If she was any peppier, she'd be rallying a football team."

"I'm telling you she seems a little less energetic than usual."

"If she was any more energetic, she'd be a circuit breaker."

"Hush," Isabella said.

Stephanie returned in a few minutes with a very handsome man. He was tall, well-built, pale, and disheveled, yet stylishly so. "Everyone, this is Nicholas Roberts. Nicholas, that's my cousin Maryann and her friends Isabella, Leah, and Nora. They're in the band we're going to see tomorrow night."

He smiled a dazzling smile. "I've never met a band before. I'm looking forward to hearing you play tomorrow."

Maryann, Leah, and Nora were trying not to stare. Only Isabella didn't seem enthralled by his looks. In contrast, she suddenly looked pale and a bit ill.

"Isabella? Like the Twilight girl?" Nicholas asked.

"No. Nothing like her," she retorted somewhat rudely.

"Sorry I asked."

"Dinner's ready," Stephanie said. "This is going to be great. Nicholas, tell them all about yourself."

"Well, I think my life will be pretty boring compared to the life of a real rock band. Why don't you tell me about your band instead?" he said with an easy smile.

Maryann, who was seated next to Nicholas, did start to talk about the band. Isabella was almost completely silent, which was worrisome to the others.

Finally Isabella spoke up. "Nicholas, what kind of artist are you?"

"I'm a painter, and a sculptor, but mostly I'm unemployed," he answered with a laugh.

Stephanie laughed with him. "You're so funny."

"Where do you live?" Maryann asked. She had noticed Isabella pointedly try to turn the conversation back to Nicholas, so she stayed on that topic.

"I have a small place in the University District. You ladies do not want to go there. My place is a mess, and the neighborhood has got kind of a reputation for too many student parties and occasionally violence. I think it's a pretty justified reputation, but my place is cheap and there's a lot of inspiration."

"He always looks out for me," Stephanie said.

"Where did you go to school?" Leah asked.

"Never went to college. Self-taught and living off a trust fund. But I believe in my art and that one day I'm going to make it."

"I'm sure you will, sweetie," Stephanie said. "You're so talented. I've got a few of his paintings in the house. I should have pointed them out earlier. Don't let me forget to do that, Maryann."

"I'll try not to, Steph. Hey, how did you two meet?"

"Oh, it was so romantic. I was leaving work late and found out some horrible person had slashed one of my tires. I called up AAA but I had to wait there for the tow truck to take the car to the dealership. Then Nicholas walks up to me as the tow truck is loading up my car and says, 'Hey, you look like you've had a pretty lousy day. Would you let me buy you a drink and maybe a bite to eat?' Well, it was late so I figured, why the heck not? We got a cab and went out to dinner. It's been so wonderful. Nicholas and I share so many interests even though he's an artist and I'm a computer systems analyst. We like the same movies, the same music, even the same food. It's just amazing how much we have in common."

"Yeah, amazing. Did you ever find out who slashed your tire?" Isabella asked.

"Oh, no. I filed a police report, but they decided it was just random vandalism. I thought the car would be pretty safe in the parking garage, but I guess someone else in the building had a very bad day and took it out on my poor car."

Nicholas then turned the topic of conversation to the acceptance of violence in society and the band got no more information about him.

"Oh, it's so late!" Stephanie said suddenly. "Nicholas, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to throw you out."

"That's fine. I know you don't mean it," he replied.

"I really don't. I'll meet you at the show tomorrow night." She practically pulled him to his feet and escorted him to the door. "Well, isn't he wonderful?" she said breathlessly when she returned.

"Oh, he's great," Maryann answered as enthusiastically as she could manage.

"I knew you'd like him. Well, I have to get some work done in the morning, so I'm going to bed now. I know, I'm so old! But after I finish up work, I'm going to take you to see Seattle. So make sure you get up before noon, Maryann."

"Sure Steph."

The women got ready for bed and after Stephanie's door remained shut for fifteen minutes, the others silently crept out of their rooms to go to Isabella's room.

"So you didn't like Nicholas?" Maryann asked. "Because he was kind of starting to give me the creeps."

"He has an aura of death," Isabella answered.

"What does that mean?" Nora asked.

"It could mean a lot of things. Not all of them are necessarily bad, but it's definitely worth investigating. That's why I was trying to find out more about him, but I guess he didn't want to talk with a bunch of strangers."

"Don't you have an aura of death?"

"A slight one, yes. So like I said, it may not be bad, but it's worth investigating. But I'm afraid there are a lot more options for bad than good."

"Like what?" Leah asked.

"Well, he could be undead, like a vampire or a manifested ghost of considerable power," Maryann said, "or he could be a practitioner of necromantic magic, or he could be a serial killer. Or he could just be a natural medium or have very strong spirit sight like Isabella or he could have had a near-death experience and part of his soul crossed over. Or he could have had the great misfortune in his life to be around a lot of people when they died, like some soldiers or firefighters do."

"Any of those things sounds like something Stephanie really ought to know," Leah said. "So how do we figure out what's the truth?"

"Well, an internet search may turn up something, especially for the non-occult possibilities. Otherwise, while Stephanie's working tomorrow, I'm going to put some magical wards on her house. Depending on Nicholas's reaction, that should tell us if his aura of death is magical in nature," Isabella answered.

"And if he's just a serial killer?" Leah asked somewhat sarcastically.

"I don't know. Maybe tip off the police? If he's innocent, they'll let him go," she answered. "And I'm sure he'll make a charming story out of it."

"Even if he's innocent, I'm not sure I like him," Maryann said. "Steph doesn't seem like herself and does anyone else think it's weird how they met since it doesn't sound like he works anywhere near her building and weird how he seems to like everything she does?"

"Yes," the other three answered in unison.

"What's your cousin's dating history?" Isabella asked.

"Yeah, does she have your tendency to fall in love at first sight?" Nora added dryly.

"Well, we are a lot alike, and she's really into the idea of romance. Her favorite play is 'Romeo and Juliet.'"

"Yes, because it's so romantic when two stupid kids meet, think they've fallen in love because what do they know at age thirteen, and are both dead within the week," Leah replied snidely.

Maryann shrugged. "Well, it's romantic for most people."

"You included?" she asked.

Maryann blushed a bit. "Well, except for the dying part, it's romantic. Mostly. Anyway, this isn't about me. Steph has a history of dating guys who just don't treat her very well. The relationships last maybe four to eight months, and then she usually breaks up with them because they've stolen money from her or cheated on her."

"Seriously?" Nora said.

"She dated a guy for a whole month after she learned he stole a thousand dollars from her. He begged her for another chance, and she gave it to him. She broke up with him after he stole another hundred. Frankly, Nicholas, except for the whole aura of death thing, is one of the better guys she's dated. At least as far as I can tell right now."

"Lordy, why do women date men so clearly bad for them?" Isabella sighed.

The next morning Stephanie was up bright and early to make breakfast, and then she disappeared into her bedroom to work remotely for a few hours. Isabella and Maryann took advantage of her absence to perform several spells of protection and warding on the house. Then the four made plans to deal with Nicholas when they found out the reason for his death aura if that turned out to be dangerous. When Stephanie was finished working, she did what she told them she would do and took them out site-seeing in Seattle. They returned several hours later with cheesy postcards of the Space Needle and slightly buzzed from having drunk a lot more coffee than they were used to. They packed up their gear and headed to the site of the gig.

The gig went well and afterwards they found plenty of people in the crowded bar willing to buy them drinks, although they mostly refused. They found Stephanie and Nicholas at the bar.

"You were really great!" Stephanie shouted over the noise. "But I can't tell which one of you is which."

"Nicholas, could you tell us apart?" Isabella yelled.

"You were on bass last song, with Leah as the lead singer, Maryann on drums, and Nora on guitar!" he answered.

"Wow, you're right!" Maryann screamed. "We should buy you a drink!"

"That's not necessary!"

"It's all good fun!" Stephanie shouted.

The band, and Stephanie, did not return to her house until quite late, or quite early.

Stephanie didn't get up quite so early the next morning, but she did make breakfast for the group.

"Is it raining again?" Nora asked, yawning.

"It rains like over two-hundred days a year," Stephanie answered. "But it's really not that depressing. At least not for me. Do you want to go out for a bit and see some more of the city? Nicholas should be showing up for lunch."

"Oh, no, Steph, we just don't have the energy like you do," Maryann said.

"That's fine. Not many people do," she replied brightly.

"I do need to go out and pick up a few things," Isabella said.

"I can take you anywhere you need to go," Stephanie said.

"Oh, no, I'll just take Leah. We won't be gone long," she said, and pulled Leah away before Stephanie could protest any further. This left Maryann and Nora to talk to Stephanie. Isabella and Leah returned as Stephanie was starting to make lunch but said nothing about Isabella's mysterious errand. "Oh, please get the door," Stephanie said, hearing the doorbell.

Isabella walked to the door and opened it.

Nicholas was folding his umbrella and made a motion to walk into the house, then suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking confused.

"Is something wrong?" Isabella asked politely.

"No, I just, well, no, nothing's wrong. So, aren't you going to invite me in?"

"It's not my house. Anyway, I thought you were already welcome."

He forced a smile. "Of course I am. Steph?" he called in a loud voice.

"Why are you standing in the rain, silly? Come in before you catch your death of cold," she called back.

"That seems unlikely," Isabella said.

"What?" he asked as he walked inside.

"Nothing."

He went to greet Stephanie while Isabella quietly joined the band.

"Pull out your necklaces," she said. "And watch to see if Nicholas reacts to them at all."

"Lunch is ready!" Stephanie called.

They all sat down at the table, each band member had a necklace prominently dangling on a silver chain. Nora's was a plain silver cross, Leah's was a crucifix, Maryann's was an ankh, and Isabella's was an enamel firefly. Since they were paying attention, they could tell Nicholas noticed the necklaces and seemed slightly uncomfortable. Isabella gave a signal to Leah, who got up from the table. In a minute, Stephanie's cell phone started ringing.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," she said, and went into the bedroom. She returned in a few minutes. "I'm sorry; I have to go to work! It's an emergency. I'll be back as soon as I can. Nicholas, see yourself out," she said, and was gone in rush of breathless energy.

Leah re-emerged carrying something large, plastic, and brightly-colored behind her back as the door slammed shut.

"Well, I really need to go myself," Nicholas said, standing up.

"We need to talk first," Isabella said. "I think you've been lying to Maryann's cousin."

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"Ladies, present arms," Isabella said.

The other three brandished their necklaces.

"In the name of Christ, get thee behind me," Nora and Leah said in unison, although Leah spoke in Spanish.

Nicholas hissed and shrank backwards.

"As I thought," Isabella said. "An aura of death, and once I protected the house you couldn't get in without being invited. Saying you couldn't have garlic due to acid reflux is clever, Mr. Vampire. I'm guessing you probably slashed that tire so you could have an excuse to talk to Stephanie? And maybe you have so many interests in common with her because you studied up on her interests?"

"You stay away from my cousin!" Maryann snapped.

"It's not like that," he hissed. His eyes had turned red and his canines had lengthened noticeably. "Steph's really wonderful. If I wanted to hurt her, I would have done so. I'm not evil or anything. I just want to have a normal life. And Steph makes me feel normal."

"Why is she so down, then? You don't think I didn't notice? She's usually much more energetic."

"I didn't hurt her," he said defensively. "She doesn't even know I've been feeding. I'm not a monster or anything."

"You drink human blood!" Nora snapped. "You're a monster by definition! If you really didn't want to risk hurting anyone ever again, you know what you have to do. You should just walk into the sun and trust in God to take care of your soul."

"You don't know anything," he said sullenly. "You don't know what it's like to be cursed to be a monster and fight against the urge to kill. You don't know what it's like to watch everyone you know and love die around you!"

"Here's the thing, we don't care about your angst or despair or whatever," she retorted. "Maybe you're a reformed vampire, whatever that actually means. But you've been sucking blood from poor Steph without her knowing which is pretty terrible, and we're pretty sure you were stalking her in the first place. Maybe way back when you were turned into a vampire, that was considered romantic but now it's a crime, which you should know. So you can say you're sorry and all that, but when you steal someone's blood and stalk them so you can manipulate them into dating you, then that proves you're not really sorry at all. You're just being more careful about how you get at your victims so you're less likely to get caught."

He bared his fangs at them.

"And here's what's going to happen," Maryann said. "You're going to leave this house and never come back. You will never see Stephanie again. No calls, no letters, no tweets, no texts, no posts on her wall. It will be like you never existed."

"That's going to hurt her terribly. Do you really want me to do that?" he asked.

"Let's see. Let my cousin continue to date a stalker who is already draining her blood and will likely at some point give into his frenzy and possibly kill her, or break her up with a stalker which will cause some emotional trauma but far less than getting her blood sucked out of her by a fiend!" Maryann snapped.

He straightened up and suddenly looked a lot more menacing.

Isabella took the plastic thing from Leah.

"Ah, so you made the phone call to get Steph away?"

They nodded.

"I have been alone too long! I will not let anything stand in the way of my happiness!" he declared.

"And that makes you a selfish jerk in addition to being a monster," Nora retorted.

"Or in the way of Steph's happiness," he growled.

"Yeah, I know that totally convinces me of your sincerity."

"So what are you well-intentioned mortals going to do to enforce this break-up condition?"

"Well, once you leave we'll un-invite you from this house again," Isabella said.

"That's not going to matter once Steph invites me in again."

"You're going to have other problems once we force you out of this house."

"What do you mean?"

"Not all vampire hunters go by the name Van Helsing," Leah said. "But it doesn't mean we can't find them."

"You found a hunter? And you told him about me?" he hissed.

"I won't let you hurt my cousin!" Maryann said.

"You may be able to get away. But you probably shouldn't waste your time here," Isabella said.

"They have faith to protect them," he snarled. "But what will protect you should I decide to rip your throat out before I leave?"

She brandished the plastic thing behind her back.

"What is that?" he asked, nearly laughing.

"This, Mr. Vampire, is the Ultra-Soaker 3200, the latest in water-gun technology. It holds two gallons of water and when fully pressurized can send a stream of water nearly a hundred yards." She pumped up the gun quickly. "But most importantly, the water filling this water-gun is genuine, certified, bonafide, and sanctified holy water. So if you so much as blink at me the wrong way, I'll melt your face off."

He was no longer nearly laughing. "I see you mean business."

"And you get the hell out of here," Nora said.

"So to speak," Leah added.

"Girl, can you resist the puns even once?"

"No."

"So you leave, but move slowly, so we can see you."

He stared at them angrily, and then bowed very slightly. "Very well."

"If you say, 'you win this round,' I'll melt your face on principle," Isabella said.

He shut his mouth quickly, and then slowly sidled around the dining room and out the front door.

Isabella locked it behind her.

"He's not going to hurt Steph, is he?" Maryann asked, alarmed.

"No, no. Isabella and I went to find a vampire hunter this morning, just in case. Father O'Brien knew about our plan. He blessed the water-gun and I called him after I made the call to get Steph away. He sent another priest to watch out for Steph. She won't be alone for a minute, don't you worry," Leah answered.

"How could she not have realized he was a vampire?"

"Vampires aren't supposed to be real."

"And we didn't know either," Nora said. "He's pretty smart. As an artist, he can keep weird hours and break dates and it won't seem weird. I wouldn't date a guy like that anyway, but that's me. It rains for two-thirds of the year so he's not going to have to deal with a lot of sunlight. He doesn't eat garlic because of acid reflux and she doesn't have any silver."

"Then again, we don't know she didn't know. Look at her books and movies. Do you see a theme here?" Isabella asked, gesturing at the media collection in the living room.

Leah said, "But not anything from the Whedon-verse. She'd probably be into the whole Buffy-Angel thing, except that worked out about as well as I'd expect a human-vampire relationship to work out."

"I keep forgetting you have a geek card," Nora said. "Care to explain for the rest of us?"

"In short, it worked out badly and they broke up."

"So, should we ask Steph if she knew?" Maryann asked. "I really don't want her to go find him. I don't think it's likely she'll run into another vampire. I don't know if we can convince her that dating monsters is bad, though," she said, gesturing to the collection of contradictory media.

"I don't want to let her know he really was a vampire if she didn't know," Isabella said.

"Here, I think I know what can help," Nora offered. "Leah, go out and purchase this book," she said, texting the title to Leah's phone. "Vampire or human, this is a great book on dangerous behaviors. And you said she tends to date guys who treat her badly anyway. If we can help her see that pattern that would be good for her."

"But how are we going to give it to her?" Maryann asked.

"You have a heart to heart talk with your cousin and tell her the truth, or most of it. You tell her that you're worried because she's not her usual self. Maybe even skim the book before she arrives and point out some of the behaviors you've seen Nicholas exhibit. He didn't deny stalking her when we confronted him, so I'm going to guess he's exhibited other warning behaviors that she can identify. And if not, just tell her that it doesn't hurt to be armed with information and you just want her to be careful."

"Okay. I think that will work."

Leah went out and purchased the book, which was a well-respected text discussing the human fear response, the triggers for the fear response, and behaviors that were usually precursors to violent and/or dangerous actions. Isabella un-invited Nicholas from the house again and cast several spells of protection.

"That was weird!" Stephanie said when she returned. "I got to the office but no one was there and no one had called me. Oh, did Nicholas leave?"

"Yes, yes he did. Steph, can we go talk from a bit?" Maryann said, holding the book behind her back.

"Sure."

The two disappeared into Stephanie's room for nearly an hour.

"I'm glad that's not me," Leah said as the band packed up their van.

Eventually the two re-emerged. Neither looked nearly as peppy as usual.

"I'm so glad you could visit," Stephanie said.

Maryann gave her a hug. "I'm glad too. We'll be back again. You take care, okay?"

"Okay. Good luck!"

The band said good-bye and was soon on their way.

"Well?" Leah asked.

"I told her all my worries. She listened, I think, but she's still really into the idea of reforming the bad boy and having that kind of passionate romance," Maryann sighed. "But anything learned can be un-learned, and Steph's a smart woman. Hopefully she'll learn better."

"Hopefully," Isabella agreed.

"She's also still kind of mad at me, but she gets over stuff pretty quick. I'm sure we'll be just fine in a few weeks."

"I hope so. Having a talk like that isn't easy," Nora said kindly.

"Thanks."

The Lyrics:

Back in college, I met the coolest guy

A handsome and well read grad student

But a little reserved, a little mopey, and a little shy

I asked him out and a year sped by

I could tell he had something to say to me

One night he got down on one knee

And said, "I confess; I've been an awful liar"

"But here is the truth – I'm a vampire"

Refrain: I've read those stories; I've seen those shows

You don't have to tell me; I know how it goes

I don't need dark passion and tortured love;

That's not the romance I've been dreaming of

When he told me, I was stunned

How could I not have noticed he never saw the sun?

But the city was cloudy most of the time

Even I would go weeks without seeing sunshine

And then his aversion to garlic became clear

It explained his dislike of silver

And why he greeted any faithful people with fear

Which was something I'd always thought queer

Refrain

"It's not as bad as it seems

"I'm not evil, nor a blood-sucking fiend

"But this doesn't have to be the end

"With patience our relationship will mend"

"Just one little bite and you can have immortality

Forever young, never die, forever with me"

"Thanks, but no thanks," I said with dread

"But I just couldn't live life as an undead"

Refrain

He looked heartbroken and upset

"But listen, there's another way yet

If you will not accept the dark embrace

Perhaps you can be my saving grace!"

"I can be human," he said with elation,

"If our love is true and strong."

"Johnny," I said with hesitation

"I don't think I'm ready to be your salvation"

Refrain

"So you'll stay human; I'll be a vampire,"

"It could work; it's been years since I've seen my sire

I'm sure my past won't catch up with me

Like it did with the last six women of my desire."

"Johnny," I said, "I don't know if I can take this life

It sounds as though it would full of pain and strife

But would you think less of me if I said no?"

"No," he said, "And I would let you go."

Refrain

(slower tempo)

My common sense I could not defy

On love alone I could not rely

So with a heavy heart I told Johnny good-bye

Fate was not kind; it was outright cruel

But I was not going to be a lovesick fool

To avoid further encounters with such woe

I packed my bags and moved to San Diego

If my boyfriend can't stand silver or walk in the sun

That's my cue to break-up and run!

**Track 12: Centaur Express**

The Interview:

Brad: Okay, ladies, you can't keep giving me the runaround now. I asked you if you had any experience with role-playing games with "Secretly a Drow."

Lee: I thought we answered that.

Brad: Nope. You gave me a non-answer. But I'm going to pin one of you Ravens down. Someone here played table-top RPGs or knew someone very well who did.

Lenore: I think it's you.

Brad: Me? Why?

Lenore: You seem to think that's our inspiration.

Brad: This interview isn't about me. Come on, which one of you was it? All of you?

Lee: We'll say that one of us has more than a passing familiarity with the many uses of a set of Platonic solids plus two decahedrons.

Brad: Platonic solids? I'm sorry; I must have slept through that philosophy class.

Belle: I remember it coming up in geometry. She means a tetrahedron, a cube, an octahedron, a dodecahedron, and an icosahedron.

Brad: That's Greek to me.

Lee: That's funny.

Anna: A four-sided die, a six-sided die you're probably familiar with, an eight-sided die, a twelve-sided die, and a twenty-sided die. Plus two ten-sided die are part of the standard set for many games.

Brad: So you played.

Anna: We're not going to answer your question.

Brad: Hey, I'm not here to judge. Just do an interview.

Lee: It's not about judging, although gamers are often judged as immature. Then again, judgmental people always find something.

Lenore: Really, it just comes down to protecting our privacy.

Belle: As much as we can, anyway.

Anna: But yes, one of us is a big geek who played a big part in getting this song written and "Secretly a Drow."

Brad: Well, I'll take that answer while I'm ahead. So why did you decide to write a song about what seems to be some guy trying to win a girl over using gaming metaphors? And why did you pick music that sounds a lot like a '80s power ballad?

Belle: Not all songs have to be so serious. And with such a silly premise, we couldn't resist the power ballad. It's really the only backdrop to belt out these kinds of lyrics.

Brad: You know, I see your point.

Anna: Really, the lyrics don't make less sense than a lot of the songs we're affectionately borrowing inspiration from.

Brad: You mean ripping off?

Lenore: No, it's inspiration. We're putting our own twist on another genre.

Anna: It also gives us an excuse to have really wild stage costumes.

Brad: Do you go big hair and neon?

Lee: Absolutely, and mix in a few fantasy tropes while we're at it. It'll really be awesome when we start playing some seriously big venues.

Brad: So you're already thinking about the next step in your careers?

Belle: Absolutely. And it's coming at us like the speed of light.

The Flashback:

"I'm still not sure about going to one of these convention things to promote the band," Isabella said as they relaxed in their hotel room one night.

"Geeks and nerds are our people," Leah said.

"No, they're your people," Nora countered.

"Anyway AwesomeCon is the biggest board game, role-playing game, video game, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, comic book convention in the country. 'AwesomeCon! Because it's awesome!'"

"If you say so. You've got the geek card," Nora said dryly.

"Look, we'll be in town for a gig anyway, so why not try to get a few tickets sold?"

"Don't you normally need to register for a booth or something like that?" Isabella asked.

"Informal advertising. Word of mouth. Trust me. These are my people. At least, they were until I went on the road with you guys."

"Well, we can wear our stage costumes..."

"Oh, no, we can't do that."

"Why not? We're going to promote ourselves, right?" Nora asked.

"Yes, but not like that. That's pretentious. We can't look like we're pretending to understand the Con crowd just to sell tickets," Leah said.

"But we are," she retorted.

"Well, I'm not, so as long as you're with me, you're just newbies. That's not a big deal. You have to start somewhere."

"Ok, then what costumes do you suggest?" Isabella said.

"It's tough, you know? I'd like us to all have the same theme, but women are kind of underrepresented in most of those genres, and I'm not up on recent anime. Minorities are even less represented," Leah said.

"I am not dressing up like slave Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi," Maryann said.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that to you. It's so overdone."

"And tacky," Nora said.

"That too."

"And I'm not wearing a bikini in public like that!" Maryann said.

"Fine, fine, so the costumes have to have modesty standards. That makes this even harder."

"How about something not sci-fi or fantasy or comic book but still fun? How about Josie and the Pussycats?" Maryann asked. "We've got a blonde, a redhead, a black girl..."

"Woman," Nora sighed.

"And well, I guess Leah can wear a wig to get that black and white streak."

"Way to hang a lampshade, Maryann," Leah replied.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Of course you don't. Anyway, I am not dressing up like Alexandria. We've got time. I'll think of something," she said, firing up her favorite search engine.

By the time AwesomeCon rolled around, Leah had settled on a theme and procured costumes; some pieces she bought, some she altered, and some she sewed outright.

"Ah, Milwaukee. The land of beer and cheese," Leah said.

"Classy," Nora said.

"Please try to be a good sport," Isabella sighed. "Music is very important to this city."

"What? It's not like I'm coming to one of these things again. And what are the odds Leah will know anyone here?" Nora asked.

"Well, AwesomeCon is the one of the biggest conventions in the country. People come to this thing like they would the World Series," Leah said. "But the convention center is huge, so who knows. Now, does everyone remember who we're supposed to be?"

"Is there going to be a quiz on it?" Nora asked snidely.

"It's really better for you to know what you're wearing and why. You don't want to get a lecture from some nerd with way too much time on his hands about why your costume isn't right."

"Why would I even listen to that?"

"Nora, good sport," Isabella said sharply.

"Okay, so our theme is Birds of Prey from DC. We aren't the actual group, but this is the best I can do because of the lack of mainstream minority female characters. I'm Huntress in the most conservative costume of hers I could find; Maryann is Barbara Gordon as Batgirl..."

"I thought she was in a wheelchair or something?" Maryann said.

"I don't know. I can't keep track with as often as DC reboots their universe. So Isabella is Black Canary II..."

"Why is she called Black Canary? Aren't canaries supposed to be yellow? Is the word 'black' supposed to make 'canary' more intimidating? And if she's trying to scare criminals, wearing fishnet hose and a black leotard probably isn't the way to go," Isabella said dryly.

"Of course it's a stupid and impractical costume," Leah replied irritably. "But unfortunately, many comics seem to be drawn by and for 13-year old boys. That's why you're wearing fishnets and I had a hard time finding a costume with pants. Anyway. And Nora is of course Catwoman."

"I can't complain, actually. The '60s show was silly, but Eartha Kitt had style," Nora said.

"Oh, good, well, I'm glad that's one thing I won't have to hear about. So, here's what we can expect..."

After paying a high fee for parking and waiting in line to hand over their tickets, they finally entered the crowded convention center. The building had an outer perimeter that was lined with food vendors and a few short hallways with small conference room. On the main floor, there were hundreds of booths and the aisles were jammed with people, most in costumes of some sort. Leah, who was not normally so extroverted, lead the band expertly through the mob, found some people to talk to, and managed to get the conversation centered on the band.

"She is totally geeking out," Maryann said as Leah was chatting with one Klingon, one 'Star Trek' red shirt, two Wolverines, one Batman, one Princess Leia in a slave-girl outfit, and one young woman dressed like 1970s Iron Fist.

"And she was right about slave-Leia being overdone," Nora said.

"There's a character named Raven," Isabella said. "Leah, why aren't we all Ravens?"

"Way too obvious and I don't want to necessarily associate our band with a particular character just in case some lawyers start getting all trigger-happy to sue over copyright infringement," she answered.

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Nora agreed.

Suddenly the crowd opened up, and a short, stout man of indeterminate age walked up to Leah's group. He was probably closer to middle-aged, but his dark blonde hair was in a shaggy cut that obscured his eyes. He was wearing a long red, mage-style robe with gold trimming.

"So, you want to promote this band?" he said to Leah.

"Um, yes. And who are you?"

"This is the Gamemaster of the Knights of the Black Hand," said man in the Batman costume, sounding awed. "That's only the most elite role-playing group in Milwaukee."

"That's a high honor," Nora muttered sarcastically.

"Thank you, Gary," the GM said to Batman. "By the way, I have considered your application. You may try out."

"Wow, that's awesome! Just tell me when and where and I am so there!"

"Today, actually. Very soon." He turned his attention back to Leah. "There are a lot of people here who are just pretending to understand us. They're trying to sell something and they think we're too stupid to realize it. Who are you supposed to be?"

"Huntress."

"Which Huntress?"

"Oh, no, I am not getting into that argument. My name is actually Leah," she answered.

"Very good. Do they know who they are?" he asked.

"I told them, but this isn't their thing. Not yet anyway. Got to start somewhere, right?"

"I have a lot of influence in this community. I don't want con-artists taking advantage of my people. But I am also a fair man. So I'll give you a chance to prove if you're genuine. I am running a game in about a half-hour. It's a mid-level mini-campaign with several adventure hooks. I have room for five players. If you do well, then I'll take a flyer."

"Is this guy for real?" Nora asked, annoyed.

"I don't know, but he seems dead serious," Isabella replied. "And it looks like a lot of these people are taking him seriously too."

"And if I don't do well?" Leah asked.

"Well, if you have to ask, perhaps you shouldn't even bother," he said.

"No, only a moron starts a game without knowing what happens if they lose."

He sort of shrugged. "If you lose, I don't take a flyer."

She looked at the rest of the band. "Well?"

"How long will this take?" Isabella asked.

"Probably the rest of the afternoon, unless they do very badly," the GM said. "In which case it'll all be over very soon."

"Is he trying to be super-creepy?" Maryann asked the others in a whisper, although she hardly needed to bother given the noise level.

"Well, if he's not trying, he's succeeding anyway," Nora answered.

"Do you even have dice?" Gary asked, condescendingly.

Leah pulled a small, blue felt pouch out of a pocket. "Of course! I didn't come to a con without dice!"

"Maybe you bought them here," he said snidely.

"These are my dice," she snapped, pulling one out. "Look, the paint's fading on the d20."

"So you'll join the game?" the GM asked.

"Sure. Ladies, will you be alright without me?"

"I'm sure we'll find something to do," Nora said dryly.

"Then follow me, Leah, Gary," he said, and headed off.

They followed.

"You don't know how lucky she is," the girl in the Iron Fist costume said. She appeared to be high school age, but with the mask, it was difficult to tell for sure. "Jerome had to apply three years in a row to get a trial run. And she gets invited as part of a pick-up game? She better not blow this."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Maryann asked politely.

"My name is Sakura. No, really a Japanese girl named Sakura," she answered tiredly, "which is why I didn't dress up as an anime character. Jerome's my boyfriend. He's playing in the game this afternoon."

"Oh, okay. We're the rest of the band."

Sakura looked over their costumes. "Birds of Prey. Good choice. How did she find a Huntress costume with real pants instead of hot pants?"

"She made it," Maryann answered. "We sew a lot of our stage costumes."

"Oh. That's pretty cool."

"Hey, Sakura, come on! I heard a rumor the X-men writing team was going to show up," one of the Wolverines said.

"Be right there. Listen, if you head that way," she said, pointing, "you'll find some booths with ordinary board games and some artists who are selling dragon figurines and stuff like that. I don't know if you care about that, but it'll get you away from the main crowd."

"Thanks!" Maryann said brightly.

Sakura re-joined the other group and was quickly lost in the crowd.

"Well, I'm all for getting out of this crush of people," Nora said. They headed off in the direction Sakura indicated.

Leah and Gary followed the GM out of the main convention floor and into a hallway, and then finally into a small conference room. The table had a grid map set out and several pewter tokens of different character races and classes. There was a pile of props for the board and a GM's screen at the far end of the table. Like most GM screens, the stiff cardboard was folded into three sections and had a fight scene on it; in this case Leah saw a five-headed dragon fighting a group of adventurers and a sorcerer with one bat-like wing. Three people were already waiting for the GM. There was a young man dressed like 1970s Power Man, a middle-aged man dressed like Aragorn, and a college-aged man dressed like a Jedi master.

"I am impressed you decided to go old-school," Leah said to the young man in the Power Man costume.

"I'm impressed you found a Huntress costume with pants."

"I had to make it."

"Ah. But anyway, Luke Cage's latest costume is just like, jeans and a t-shirt. What's the fun in that?" he replied.

"Let's get started," the GM said, and took a seat at the head of the table. "You'll be rolling up level 10 characters," he said, handing out character sheets and pencils. "You have a limited list of character classes and I would prefer only one character per class. This game can be competitive, or cooperative. It's your choice to decide how you want to proceed. The rewards go to those left standing at the end of the adventure."

"Are there better rewards if there are fewer people?" Gary asked.

"Perhaps," the GM replied.

The rest of the band had found the area indicated by Sakura. It was less crowded and they were glad they didn't have to scream at each other to be heard. Suddenly, Nora passed out and fell into Maryann. Maryann fell into Isabella, and the three slowly and clumsily fell to the floor.

"Nora! Nora!" Maryann said.

"There's a nurse's station. Take hallway C and it should be a marked door," the vendor said worriedly.

"Ok, sure, we'll go take her there," Isabella said.

A Cylon and the seventh Doctor offered to help carry the unconscious Nora to the nurse's station.

"Oh, goodness, another one?" the nurse said. She was a middle-aged, bustling type woman who spoke quickly. "I'll bet she's overheating with that Catwoman costume. Come set her down. Thank you so much," she said to the two men. They blushed and then left. The nurse's station was actually a conference room that had a number of cots set up with curtains around them for privacy.

The nurse turned to the band. "I'll get some smelling salts. Does she have a change of clothes?"

"Um, maybe in the van," Maryann said.

"You might want to get those for her. You don't know how many Catwomen, Black Cats, and Black Widows I see that squeeze themselves into these hot fake-leather costumes and don't drink enough." She disappeared behind a different curtain.

"This is not normal," Maryann said.

"I know. I'm surprised the nurse isn't more worried," Isabella said. "I wonder if Nora's the only one."

"That's easy," she replied, and quickly peered behind the nearest curtain.

"That's rude!"

"Hey, it's that girl," Maryann said.

"What girl?"

"The one that talked to us; Sakura, I think," she replied.

Isabella looked behind the curtain. Sure enough, it was the young woman they had met earlier. They looked behind the other curtains. There were three more unconscious people besides Nora and Sakura. The nurse re-entered the area so they quickly moved to the side and tried not to look suspicious.

"What's going on here?" Maryann asked.

"I don't know, but we'll find out."

Nora found herself in an odd space. There didn't seem to be any features, only grey mist. Then she could see four other people. One she recognized as the girl in the Iron Fist costume she'd met earlier. There was also a skinny, college-aged man wearing a Deadpool costume, a middle-aged woman wearing a Professor McGonagall costume, and a clearly teenage boy dressed like a Jedi Padawan.

" _What in the hell is going on here?" Nora asked._

" _What, like we know?" answered Deadpool. "By the way, nice costume," he said, managing to leer through the mask._

" _Oh, please. Something weird is happening and you're staring at my costume? Honestly."_

" _You give cons a bad name," Sakura said._

" _Are you dressed like a dude?"_

" _What's wrong with that?" she snapped._

" _Whatever."_

" _Who do you think you are?" Nora demanded._

" _Wade Wilson, which you obviously don't know."_

" _You can call me Jen," said McGonagall. "I really don't understand what's happening here. The last thing I remember was looking at some dice for my son."_

" _I was waiting in line to see the X-men writing team," Sakura said._

" _I-I'm, um, Mike," said the kid. "Ryan left me at the Halo booth."_

" _Who's Ryan?" Nora asked._

" _My big brother. He's a Jedi Master."_

" _And he left you alone at this con?" Jen asked, looking upset._

" _I can take care of myself. Anyway, he got invited to play by the GM of the Knights of the Black Hand. He's been waiting two years for a trial game."_

" _Black Hands?" Deadpool said. He pulled off his mask. "Damn, that thing is hot. My brother got invited to that game."_

" _Gary?" Nora asked._

" _Yeah. How did you know?"_

" _Lucky guess. Your name?"_

" _Oh. Blaine."_

" _Jen, do you know someone in that game too?"_

" _Actually, yes, my husband is playing. Do we all know someone playing in that game?"_

" _It seems so," Nora replied._

They started the process of character creation. When they were finished, the GM reviewed their sheets, made some notes for himself, and handed them back. "We are ready to begin. First, since this is a trial game for four of you, I ask the others refrain from commenting when they feel another player is making a mistake, for instance, failing to account for all their bonuses. I want to know how well a player can role-play but also how well they keep track of the mechanics. Second, when you move your token on the board, you must act as though your character has also just moved. That is, if you move the character into threat range, your character is now in threat range. I also ask that you not second-guess the other player's decisions unless there is time to do so. Once you move that token, you must act."

Suddenly the grey mists vanished and they found themselves in a Medieval-era tavern. It looked large to hold about fifty people. It was lit by torches along the wall and a chandelier with candles. There were about a dozen people in the room wearing fantasy-style costumes. None of them were moving. It was like they had entered a scene of a movie that was on pause.

" _And it gets weirder," Nora said._

"Your adventure starts at the Crimson Wyvern Inn in Baron's Port, because all adventures start under the sign of the Crimson Wyvern. You have gathered in this place for your own purposes. Perhaps you answered the notice on the board from the Baron. Perhaps you've heard rumors of fame and fortune and are looking for a lead. Perhaps you know each other, or met on the way, or are complete strangers. Please describe yourselves."

" _Okay, so everyone heard that, right?" Nora asked._

" _Oh, yeah, I heard that," Sakura said._

" _Are-are we in the game?" Mike asked. "Because that sounded like the GM just started the game."_

" _Don't be stupid; how can we be in the game?" Blaine asked._

" _Do you have a better explanation?" Nora snapped._

" _Um, no."_

"Please, you go first," the GM said to man in the Aragorn costume.

"Ok. My character is an elf ranger with no multi-class named Galadhon. His specialty is the longbow, but he's also got two-handed dagger fighting. He was born in the High Elven city of Laeron...

As the player spoke, Jen's costume changed into a fantasy-style ranger costume. A longbow, a quiver of arrows, a pack, and two sheathed white-handled knives appeared on her back. "I think I'm Rich's character," she said, as the background voice droned on about the elf's back-story.

Blaine looked at Sakura and Nora. "Come on, chainmail bikini."

" _Oh, grow up," Sakura snapped._

In a few minutes, that voice stopped and a new one spoke.

" _That's Jerome!" Sakura said. Her clothes changed into plate armor and a giant sword appeared on her back. "He always plays dwarf fighters."_

Mike ended up wearing black leather armor, a black hood and cloak, and carrying a small pack. "Oh, man, rogues always get killed early in the game and I'm a Halfling too? I'm so so very dead."

Nora's costume changed to studded leather armor and she ended up with a nine-foot long staff.

" _Oh, man, you're a female barbarian and you're not even wearing a fur bikini," Blaine griped._

" _Shut up."_

Then Blaine's costume started to change. "Dude, is Gary playing a girl?" The Deadpool costume was switched out for a white, cropped halter top, a long, white skirt split at the sides, thigh-high white boots, a silver moon necklace, and a white hooded cloak. "Oh, damn, seriously? Am I seriously an elf cleric wearing this skanky outfit? Don't I get some armor or something?"

" _Um, I think the cloak is your armor. You know, spell caster penalties," Mike said._

The three women were sniggering loudly.

" _Hey, this isn't funny! We're still stuck in some game. What happens if we get hurt here? What happens if we die?"_

They stopped laughing. "That's a good point. I don't suppose we can refuse to play?" Nora asked. "I mean, what control do the players have?"

Back in the nurse's quarters, the smelling salts failed to wake anyone up. The nurse still seemed oddly unworried, so Maryann and Isabella quietly performed a spell to detect magic. Sure enough, the five unconscious people seemed to be under some kind of enchantment, as did the nurse, although she seemed to be under a different enchantment.

"What do all these people have in common?" Maryann asked.

"What do any of them have in common? The only thing I know is that Nora and Sakura both know someone in that game."

"That GM was pretty creepy."

"Well, it's a lead. I'll go try to find that guy," Isabella said. "You stay here and let me know if anything here changes with anyone."

"So," the GM continued, "you are all in the Crimson Wyvern Inn. What direction do you want to take your adventure?"

The frozen tavern scene started to move. The room quickly filled up with a smoky haze and low voices.

" _Can we talk to anyone? Can they hear us?" Jen asked, as they heard in the background the voices of the players going through awkward in-game introductions._

" _I'll find out," Nora said, and walked up to one of the patrons. "Hey! Can you hear me?"_

The cloaked man paid no attention to her.

The others repeated the experiment to no avail. Nora even went so far as to try to jam her staff down on a patron's foot. It connected, but there was no effect on the patron.

"The Rat King rejects your offer and throws a drink in your face," the GM said. "When you blink the beer out of your eyes, he's gone."

They saw a rodent-looking man in the corner suddenly throw his drink and then slink quickly out of sight.

" _So he reacted like I was trying to bargain with him," Mike said. "But I didn't hear Ryan fail his skill check. So we can hear the role-playing part of the game, but nothing about the dice rolls?"_

" _Great. So we have no way of knowing if our player just fumbled and could get us killed," Blaine said._

The GM continued. "So you decide to work together to earn the reward from the Baron. He is waiting in his opulent office. 'I need stout-hearted warriors,' he says. 'I ask you to visit the ruins of Castle Darkmoor. Legend says the undead dwell there, lead by a vengeful lich king. The castle has been quiet for centuries, but there are more and more reports of the undead attacking the Trade Road. Perhaps these are exaggerated. Perhaps they are not. Bring back anything with the seal of Castle Darkmoor with your report and I will give you the reward. I care not for any treasure you may find there. But be warned. I have offered a reward to three groups of stout-hearted warriors before you. None have returned.' Do you agree?"

As the GM spoke, the tavern faded and turned into the Baron's office. Then the office changed to a forest, then to a blighted land strewn with dead trees and tumbled boulders. It was within sight of a large, ruined stone castle.

" _Cheery," Sakura said._

" _Hey, I think I heard something," Jen said, nocking her bow._

" _What good is that?" Blaine asked. "We couldn't do anything before."_

Sakura and Nora readied their weapons.

" _Maybe the game plays differently for combat," Mike said, disappearing behind a rock._

Several walking corpses came into view from behind the large rocks.

" _Oh, my God, zombies. Those are really zombies," Jen squeaked._

" _Nora and I will stay at the front," Sakura said. "Jen, you and Blaine stay behind us and make sure we're not getting surrounded. Jen, try to stick with arrows as long as you can. Mike, sneak attack. Blaine, try to turn undead and then be ready to hit us with healing spells."_

" _This isn't even going to work," Blaine stuttered._

" _Do you want to find out if they can attack us?" Nora snapped._

" _Fine, fine, start killing them. I mean, killing them again," he replied._

Sakura swung her ridiculously huge sword at the zombies, chopping bits of decaying flesh from their bones. Nora bashed in their skulls with her staff. Jen fired arrows into the close combat. Mike popped out from behind rocks and the dead trees to stab the zombies with his dagger.

Blaine held out the necklace and said, "So, turn or something," which caused the necklace to glow with white light that spread out in a circle before vanishing. Half a dozen zombies turned to ash. "Cool."

Within minutes the combat was over and the zombies had been defeated. Nora and Mike had taken damaging blows from a few of the zombies, but Blaine cast a low-level healing spell on them.

" _I still don't know if anything I did with this sword had any effect on the combat," Sakura said._

" _But it was kind of fun," Mike said. "Except for being hit. That actually hurt. And it was gross. Totally gross."_

" _I'm still not happy about being trapped in some game, especially since that thing actually hurt me. Or at least, it felt like it hurt me. Where's my body right now?" Nora asked._

The nurse had asked Maryann to leave, but she insisted on staying, so the nurse gave up and went to her desk and started to read magazines. Maryann had to stop herself from chewing out the nurse for being so inattentive because she suspected the nurse was enchanted to be unconcerned and inattentive. But while the nurse wasn't paying attention, Maryann tweaked the curtains so she could see all five unconscious people from one spot. She noticed Nora flinch and take a deep breath like she'd just been hit in the stomach and Mike wince as his right arm twitched. She texted this information to Isabella.

The enormous size of the con made Isabella's investigation difficult. She eventually found a lead at one of the smaller, local booths. Then she hit pay dirt. The locals were a wealth of information on the Knights of the Black Hand, although oddly not one of them knew the real name of the GM. She was directed to a former member who was dressed like Wolverine.

"So your friend got invited to the trial run?" he said, after Isabella explained her interest. His costume made it hard to determine his age, although he was probably closer to middle-aged than not. "That's something. People have to apply, you know. Sometimes like five times"

"If it's that difficult to join, why are you a former member?"

"Emeritus member, actually," he retorted. "You don't really drop out. You just stop playing. It's hard to find that kind of time, and well, life gets in the way. Work, school, maybe even dating, then career, then marriage, then kids..." He shrugged. "But I still miss the game. The GM is a legend. He was great at setting up adventures that never seemed like railroading and in the four years I played I don't think our group ever caught him off-guard. He always had a back-up plan."

Isabella got another text from Maryann regarding the unconscious people. "Was there anything else about the Knights? Anything unusual?"

"Besides the fact I think the GM has been the same guy for thirty-five years?"

"Seriously?"

"Well," he said nervously, "that would be ridiculous, right? But I stopped playing twenty-five years ago and I swear that guy hasn't aged. I played with other GMs before the Knights and I can tell you that it is completely different. I always felt like I'd run a marathon after a session with the Knights."

Isabella looked at his bulging belly and doubted he had any idea what it was like to run a marathon but she said nothing.

"It was just really intense and draining. And, well, there was the curse."

"Curse?" she asked. "I thought I heard some rumor about that from those people," she said, pointing at a booth. "I thought it was just some story to make people want to join that much more."

"Yep, so did I when I joined. Yep, even at that time there were rumors going around. But I have to say, our group did have a run of some bad luck. Not in the game, but life in general. In the four years I played, there was a steady group of six, not including the GM. Over that time period, there were seventeen broken bones, and I mean different people breaking different bones at different times, not someone who had a really bad accident, five lost wallets, three transmission failures on three different cars, six burglaries, thirteen fender-benders, and my roommate, who was also playing, just lost the first three chapters of his thesis. This was the days before everyone had computers. The pages just disappeared. So maybe it wasn't a bad thing I got burnt out," he said with a laugh.

"Can you tell me where the GM would have his try-out game?"

"He probably rented a conference room. I have no idea which one, though. I don't recommend just barging in. That's really a rude thing to do."

"Oh, I just want to know where to meet my friend when she's done," she lied. "Thanks for the info."

"Glad to help."

"Oh, and I have a question."

"Fire away," he said amiably.

"Why Wolverine?"

He blinked at her in disbelief. "You must be new. Why Wolverine? Because it's Wolverine," he said, as though this should be sufficient reason.

She headed away from the main area looking for the hallways that lead to conference rooms. At this point she just called Maryann. "What's the status?"

"Something is definitely happening to them. They keep twitching and wincing like they just got hit," she said in a low voice. "And the nurse is just reading magazines."

"That's just great," Isabella said dryly. "I got some leads on this GM. Something is definitely off with his gaming groups. If the nurse isn't paying attention, start casting spells of protection. I'll be right there to help out. Then I'm going to try to find that conference room and get a hold of Leah."

"Will do."

In a few minutes, Isabella had returned to the nurse's station. The nurse barely lifted her eyes from the magazine. Isabella pulled out some evil spirit charms from her purse while telling Maryann the whole story. She tucked these in the hands of each unconscious person. "Well?"

"My spells are on too. I'm not sure how much that will help," Maryann said.

"Me neither. I think the others are probably safe, well, safe-ish anyway, but since Leah can't join the game long-term I'm really worried about Nora."

" _You are the worst rogue over," Blaine said as Mike triggered yet another dart trap._

" _I really hope Ryan's just rolling badly with these traps," Mike said, pulling the dart out of his hand, "and not forgetting to have me look for traps to begin with. Hey, that's weird," he said._

" _What could possibly be weirder than anything that is happening right now?" Blaine replied._

" _There's writing on my hand. Look," he said, and held up his hand. "Is that Japanese or Chinese maybe?"_

" _It's all Greek to me," Blaine said._

" _Well, it's really obvious why you picked a Deadpool costume," Sakura said sourly. "Actually, that's Japanese. I think it says, 'Be gone, evil spirit.' I don't think that has anything to do with Ryan's character description."_

Nora pulled off her gloves. "Look, I've got it too," she said, holding up her hand.

Blaine and Jen pulled off their gloves. Sure enough, they also had the marking. Sakura looked at her vambraces and sighed. "Yeah, I'm not getting this off without some tools so I'm going to guess I've got the same thing. So what's this about?"

" _I think I know, and I hope this helps us," Nora said. "I have a friend who is good with spirit magic and charms. This probably means we're all together and hopefully safe."_

They continued exploring the dark labyrinthine tunnels beneath the ruined castle. Soon they came to another door.

" _Come on, Ryan, search for traps. Search for traps," Mike said._

The GM frowned almost imperceptibly.

"Hey, wait, you know what," Ryan said, before he moved his token on the board forward. "I think I'd better search for traps first."

The other players rolled their eyes. "About damn time," Leah and everyone else at the table were thinking.

He pulled out his die and rolled it.

" _Hey, you know what, I think I see like a dart or something embedded in the lock," Mike said. He carefully peered inside. "Yeah, the tip is metal and must have reflected the torchlight. Okay, now let's see if I can actually disarm this thing. I am really tired of getting hit by darts."_

Isabella tried to text Leah, but Leah had put her phone on vibrate at the GM's request and was so caught up in the game she didn't notice it. When that failed, she went in search of the conference room.

Once Isabella and Leah's protection spells took hold, the group started to fare better. The characters in the game could see details in the world that the players could overlook, and soon realized that on some level they could be understood. Ryan no longer forgot to check for traps. Jerome remembered his fighter had a ring of minor healing. Rich switched up the type of arrows in the ranger's bow. Gary started to use some of the cleric's offensive spells. Leah took advantage of the barbarian's rage to do more damage in combats. The GM's frown got a little more noticeable.

Isabella circled the outer perimeter of the conference center three times had no luck finding the room. She even used spirit sight but could not find the right door. She returned to the nurse's station. "I hope Leah is good at that game," she sighed.

"Well, let's help just a little bit more," Maryann said. "They roll die, right? I think I've got some lucky charms in my purse. I'd wish I'd given one to Leah, but I can't now."

"Well, I guess it's the best we can do," she replied.

They put a lucky charm in everyone's open hand and waited anxiously.

" _Tell me we are almost done with this game," Nora said._

" _Well, we've explored most of the castle and the underground tunnels, and now we're at a big, scary door," Mike replied. "I'm pretty sure the big boss is behind this door."_

" _Totally," Sakura agreed._

" _Probably a lich," Blaine said._

" _Okay, then if anyone has extra protection spells they can cast for the day, they'd better do it," Mike said._

" _Yeah, Gary," Blaine added. "Oh, here we go." The cleric cast a spell of protection against undead._

Mike found no traps on the door, and found the door was not even locked. "Boss fight," he said in a low voice. He carefully pushed the door open just enough to see inside. "Lich."

" _Told you," Blaine said._

" _Anyone else?" Sakura asked._

" _Skeletons, a few zombies, possibly a vampire or two."_

" _Then let's try to draw some away from the main boss so we don't get overwhelmed, Jerome," she said. They took up positions, and Jen fired an arrow through the narrow crack into the dark room. The final fight began._

"Critical success, again!" Leah said happily.

" _How are we doing?" Sakura yelled, lopping off a zombie head._

" _Not dead yet," Blaine replied, casting a spell that fired a beam of holy light at the vampire._

"Critical hit!" Jerome yelled.

"This strategy is really working," Ryan said.

Finally the players and characters destroyed the lich and played through the post-battle wrap-up.

"Thank you for playing," the GM said. "I will need to review your game play and I will let you know if you receive admission, need to participate in another trial game, or will be rejected altogether. Good day."

The unconscious people in the nurse's station woke up.

"What the hell is going on?" Nora asked.

Maryann and Isabella rushed to her.

"Hey, what's this thing in my hand?" they heard Sakura say.

"Oops, better get that," Maryann said, and collected the lucky charms and evil spirit charms from the confused people.

"Did I pass out or something?" Mike asked.

"You all just got too excited and didn't drink enough," the nurse said, finally taking charge. "Here, drink up and eat some crackers," she said, holding out a tray.

"What do you remember?" Isabella asked in a low voice.

"I was in the game," Nora ventured hesitantly.

"Yes, so were they, but judging by their reactions, they don't remember. Come on, we need to find Leah."

They got Nora to her feet and started walking around the outer perimeter again.

The other players were bombarding the GM with questions, so Leah took a minute to check her phone. She found the frantic text messages from Isabella and texted her the conference room number and location. About the time the other players had all their questions answered, the rest of the band entered the room.

Isabella had cast her spirit sight spell, and she could tell the GM wasn't entirely human, but it gave her no insight on what he actually was.

"The rest of the party is going to need a re-trial, thanks to you and your friends," he said, his eyes almost glittering under the shaggy bangs.

"What's in it for you?" Nora demanded. "Dragging real people into the game like that?"

"It's how I play the game, that's all."

"It's cruel!" Maryann said. "Whatever magic you use this for, it gives people bad luck. Someone could get really hurt!"

"These things happen," he said mildly. "But all players in my game have heard the rumors. Many quit within a few years. It's hard to keep a long-term campaign running. But even if the players knew the truth of what I was, and the consequences for playing in my game, do you think so many would choose not to play?" he asked, directing his inquiry at Leah.

"You do run a good game," she admitted. "But maybe you should give people that choice."

"I do, within limits. I am the GM, after all. I give the players choices, but only I know all the consequences."

"People aren't a game!" Nora snapped.

He shrugged. "That depends on your point of view. I know what yours is, and I know what mine is. But you did play well, so I will pass your flyers on to my gamers."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," Leah said.

"Well, you came here for publicity, and you have a chance for it. I realize it must pain you to know that I am something other than normal, and that you can do little to stop my games, but such is life. In the gamer parlance, you need a few more experience levels before you could hope to confront me."

"I don't want to owe this guy any favors," Maryann said.

"It's no favor. It's the deal. She played the game, everyone got through alive, although there was interference by you and you," he said, looking at Maryann and Isabella.

"Or maybe that was the point of the game to begin with?" Isabella asked. "To find out what we would do?"

He smiled slightly. "Perhaps. Do you want me to pass out the flyers or not?"

"No," Leah said. "If we'd just played a game, I'd be fine with it. But you risked my friend and four other people. And it sounds like if any of them join your game, they'll be in for a world of hurt. We won't have any part of that."

He inclined his head at them slightly. "As you will. If you will excuse me, I have errands to attend to," he said, and walked out the door.

"Wait a minute!" Maryann said, and ran out behind him, but he was already gone.

"Yep, not super-creepy in any way," Leah said dryly.

"So he just gets away?" Nora snapped.

"I don't even know what he is, much less what to do about him," Isabella said. "From what I heard, at least his games aren't fatal."

"Not yet," she retorted.

"Look, we know where he is. He's been here for at least thirty-five years. We'll do some research and figure out what we're dealing with and what we can do," she said.

"We can't get the bad guy every time," Leah said.

Nora shook her head. "Well, fine. Let's pass out these flyers anyway. It's been a hell of a day, and I want to see that club packed."

"Sure, we'll do that," Isabella said.

Disappointed, but undeterred, they went back to the main floor to drum up business. Whether by their efforts, or some influence from the mysterious GM, they did indeed have a full club at their gig the next night.

The Lyrics:

I knew the day I saw you

Magic was in the air

You were beautiful, graceful

The sunlight sparkled in your hair

One look and you caught my eye

One smile and I was under your spell

The way you laugh; the way you talk

It wasn't long before I fell

Refrain: My love is like a centaur express

A fantasy approaching at the speed of light

You know it must be magic

For something to feel so right

Be my beautiful princess

And I will be your errant knight

Give me any quest, name any foe

I will not shirk from the fight

Our love will be stronger than mithril

And burn hotter than dragon flame

It will be the stuff of legends

And put all other epics to shame

Refrain

Maybe you're afraid it won't work out

Go on, take a chance, roll the dice

With so many positive modifiers

You don't need to think twice

We'll travel the path of destiny

Heroic to paragon to epic and beyond

Bards will sing the songs of our love

Come with me; a new era will dawn

Refrain

**Track 13: Triskaidekaphobia**

The Interview:

Brad: So now we're at your last track. Sorry this interview has run so long, ladies.

Lee: We've got time if you've got time.

Brad: I find it ironic you have thirteen tracks and named your thirteenth track "Triskaidekaphobia."

Lenore: Is that actually ironic?

Brad: Well, maybe not, but it is an odd choice to cut thirteen tracks and then name your last track a word that means "fear of the number thirteen." Your song even uses that line.

Belle: We were almost going to call the whole album "Triskaidekaphobia."

Brad: And you decided to go with "Necromancy for the Greater Good" instead?

Anna: In the end, we liked that title better.

Brad: I have no response to that. So this is a minor-keyed alt rock song with a pop beat. It seems pretty light until the last verse. At first it sounds like you're making fun of superstition but then it sounds like you're confirming it.

Lenore: We're a bunch of contradictions.

Belle: Superstitions really don't make sense. Why is the number thirteen unlucky and seven is lucky? If you're on a craps table, and didn't roll a seven to start with, you don't want a seven to come up. So shouldn't seven then be unlucky?

Anna: In other cultures, eight is a lucky number.

Lenore: I'm sure you could find examples of pretty much any number being lucky or unlucky.

Belle: So it doesn't make sense. What's wrong with having a black cat? I've known plenty of people who have owned black cats and they don't seem to be any more unlucky than anyone else.

Lee: But animal shelters have, at least in my experience, more black cats than any other color because they're supposed to be unlucky. And I guess they are because they get stuck at animal shelters, but that's because of the silly superstition.

Lenore: Spilling salt makes a mess, and maybe back in medieval times it was a huge loss because of the price of salt, but is it really unlucky? I don't know.

Belle: And I think the act of breaking a mirror is probably unlucky because now you're out a mirror, but does it really bring seven years of bad luck? Most people don't even remember what happened last Wednesday. Are they really going to remember seven full years of all the bad things that happened to them and remember they broke a mirror?

Brad: Hey, I agree with you. But like I said, the last verses seem to confirm superstition.

Anna: Well, we don't claim to know everything. Maybe there is some reason thirteen is an unlucky number and you shouldn't walk under ladders.

Lenore: The ladder thing is just common sense. Someone might be on it with some tools they could drop on your head.

Anna: Well, see, then that superstition might have some basis in truth. Don't walk where people can't see you and could drop things on your head. Or you could accidentally cause them to fall.

Brad: So what do you think - fact or fiction?

Anna: Mostly fiction. But then again...

Lenore: "There are more things on Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio."

Belle: But that said, people should think about these things and not just accept them as true.

Lee: And they should go adopt those poor black cats.

The Flashback:

The band called Nevermore and the Ravens emerged from their gig in a decently sized and mostly reputable bar in New York City to find it was pouring rain. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed.

"It appears to be a dark and stormy night," Leah said.

"Brilliant observation, Sherlock," Nora replied.

"There's no help for it. Let's just get packed and get to our hotel. I'm exhausted and we need to roll out no later than tomorrow afternoon," Isabella sighed.

The band was soaking wet by the time they finished packing their van. Despite the late hour, the streets were still fairly crowded and the poor weather slowed down traffic. It took nearly an hour to get to their cheap hotel.

Thunder rumbled through the skies. "I don't care if the amps get stolen," Leah said. "I am not hauling them out of the van tonight."

"For once, we agree," Nora said.

Yawning and irritable, the entered the lobby of the fourteen-story building to find a surly and inattentive night clerk. It took three tries to get checked in properly. Finally they piled onto the elevator.

"Look, the building's so old there's no thirteenth floor," Maryann said. "Well, I mean obviously there is, but there's no button."

"People are so superstitious. Like no one is ever going to figure out floor 14 is actually floor 13 if they don't put the button in the elevator," Leah said. "They could put in a button that says 'top' instead of 13 or 14."

Then several things happened nearly all at once. Lightning struck the building causing the power to shut off and the elevator to screech to a halt. Isabella lost her footing and fell into Maryann, who fell into Nora, who fell into the side of the elevator with a heavy thump and much cursing. After a few moments of confusion and near-panic, Leah retrieved a small, forehead-mounted reading lamp from her purse and turned it on. The others regained their feet.

"I appreciate your resourcefulness, but why a head lamp instead of an ordinary flashlight?" Maryann asked.

"Because I figured in an emergency, I'd need my hands free."

"Okay, that's a good thought, but how does it help here?" Nora asked.

"I don't know," she snapped.

"Ladies, stop it," Isabella said. "Let's try to get off this elevator if we can. I really don't want to be trapped here all night."

"Assuming we can get out," Leah said, looking at the panel of buttons. None of them were lit, but she pushed the button for 14 anyway. There was a slight grinding sound, and the doors slowly slid open revealing a hallway dimly lit by emergency lights. "I wonder if we can even get into our room since the keys are electronic."

The dim lights made it difficult to read the room numbers, but the clerk had muttered something about the last door on the right, so that's where they headed. The door had no light on the electronic reader, but Leah put the card in and it opened up anyway.

The two-room suite was completely dark except for Leah's reading lamp. Nora pulled out her phone to use it for some light.

"No signal. That's great," she said.

"We don't really need it right now. We might as well get some sleep and hope the power comes on soon. If not, we'll have to drag our luggage down the emergency staircase in the morning," Isabella said.

Leah and Maryann went to the room on the left and Nora and Isabella went to the room on the right. As Leah brushed her teeth by lamp light, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned and saw what looked like a cat tail disappearing into the wall. "I'll add spooky to dark and stormy," she thought.

By the next morning, the power had been restored to the hotel but for some reason none of them could get a signal on their phones.

"That's weird," Maryann said as she pulled out clothes for the day.

"What?" Leah asked, only half listening.

She held up an orange sock with a small red flower on the ankle. "I don't remember packing this."

"Static cling," Leah answered, her voice slightly muffled as she pulled a green t-shirt over her head.

"Wait, no, this isn't the right sock. I mean, it is the right sock. But I lost the right sock to this pair months ago."

"Looks like it was just hiding in your laundry," Leah said with a shrug.

"I guess so," she said, putting it aside. She selected an orange t-shirt, red jeans, and a red denim jacket for the day.

In the other room, Nora had just finished pulling on a light purple retro-style shirt-dress when she saw something shiny in her suitcase and pulled it out. It was a pearl earring. "That's weird," she thought. "I'm sure I lost this a month ago. How would it have gotten into the suitcase? Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter." She put the earring in the tiny jewelry box she always brought with her and thought no more about it.

Isabella didn't notice anything odd as she got dressed. She wore a white button-up shirt with a subtle orange and blue pinstripe and jeans.

"Is anyone else having trouble getting signal?" Nora asked as they all entered the common room.

The other three immediately pulled out their phones.

"I got nothing," Leah said.

"But this is an old building," Maryann said.

"Yeah, but we're not staying at the Faraday Hotel," she countered.

The others looked at her blankly.

"A Faraday cage; a structure to block all electronic signals. Honestly, it's science," she sighed.

"Well, let's get some breakfast and make sure our instruments are still in the van," Isabella replied.

They headed out in search of breakfast. As they walked down the hallway, Leah saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned and thought she saw a black cat tail disappear through a wall. "I clearly need some breakfast," she thought.

The hotel was large enough to have a small restaurant, but they walked by it without a second thought. There was a different clerk on duty than the night before. He appeared to be in his late sixties or early seventies, very skinny and bald, and was wearing reading glasses. The lobby had a few people milling about.

"Does the lobby seem bigger to anyone else?" Leah asked.

"No, you just weren't paying attention last night," Nora said.

They walked to the doors and pushed one open. Rain was pouring down in thick curtains of grey, obscuring the street and the sounds of the city.

"So, maybe we can get breakfast in the restaurant?" Leah asked.

"Sure," Maryann said. They closed the doors and walked back through the lobby.

"That's weird," Isabella muttered, looking at a little tow-headed girl in a frilly pink dress playing with a worn-out stuffed elephant.

"What?" Maryann replied.

"That toy, that little girl has. It looks exactly like Mr. Snufflenose."

"Mr. Snufflenose?"

"Yes. It was one of the first stuffed animals I ever remember. I took Mr. Snufflenose with me everywhere. He was missing his right eye, just like that, and I always had two ribbons tied around his neck to make him look pretty, just like that. I lost Mr. Snufflenose at a mall when I was five or six; about the age of that little girl."

"That is weird," she replied, thinking about the sock she had found in her luggage.

"Hey, when's the check-out time?" Nora asked the desk clerk.

The old man sort of shook his head. "You can check out whenever you want," he said in a croaking sort of voice.

"Thanks," she said, and walked away.

But Leah heard him add, "But you can never leave." She turned to him. "What is this, the Hotel California?"

He shook his head in that slow way again. "You'll find out, soon enough."

She quickly backed away and joined the others in the small, diner-style restaurant. "This place is creepy and I want to leave as soon as possible. I don't care if I get soaking wet."

"Why is that little girl sitting in the lobby all alone at this time of day anyway?" Isabella said. "Shouldn't she be with her parents?"

"Everyone seems to be alone here," Maryann said. "We're the only group sitting together."

Isabella spent more time focused on the little girl than her breakfast. She saw a professional woman in her late 30s or early 40s sit down next to the girl and felt relief, thinking that was the child's mother. But after chatting with the girl, the woman left her alone. Then a strong, tall man in his early 60s sat down next to her and seemed to tell her stories. "Okay, so that's her grandfather," Isabella thought. But then he too, left the little girl alone and went on his way.

Leah watched people come and go from the restaurant and the lobby, but she didn't see anyone come in or out the front doors. "Maybe it's just the rain," she thought. "Maybe they don't want to get soaked anymore than we do."

They finished breakfast and went back to their rooms.

Isabella stopped at the front desk first. "Excuse me; have you seen that girl's parents?"

"Nope."

"Um, don't you think you should find them?"

"Not my job," he replied.

Quite taken aback, she joined the others.

"The elevator buttons are still out," Maryann said. "None of them are lit."

"They worked this morning; just push '14' and let's get out of here," Leah said.

She pushed the button and up they went.

Leah was the last out of the elevator. She saw a black cat enter one of the other rooms right through the door. "I have got to get out of here. Cats can't walk through walls."

They packed up their luggage and returned to the lobby to check out. The clerk checked them out with an amused expression. They opened the doors to find the torrential rain had not let up.

"Better out there than in here," Leah said, and walked out. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she walked right back into the lobby. "What the hell?" she blurted.

The others tried to walk out but found themselves somehow walking right back in again.

The desk clerk watched them, still looking amused.

After a few more false starts, they walked back to the desk.

"What's going on?" Maryann demanded.

"What makes you think I know?" he replied.

"You were the one that quoted the Eagles," Leah snapped. "So what's going on?"

He put his fishing magazine down and took his glasses off his nose. "I'll tell you what I know. You can't leave this hotel. None of us can leave this hotel. You can't make a call from your little personal phones or from the room. It's always raining outside, but it never floods. There is always food in the kitchen and water in the pipes. We are in a very small, very sustained world."

"What do you mean, we can't leave?" Isabella asked.

"What do you think? You tried the front doors. You're welcome to try the back door, or the side door, or the emergency exits, or even the roof access. There's no way out. The outside doors all lead right back in," he replied.

"What is this place?"

"It is what it is."

"What?"

The clerk shrugged. "I told you what I know. I didn't say it made any sense."

"How long have you been here?" Isabella asked.

He shrugged. "I've always been here, as far as I know."

"And no one leaves? How is there enough room?"

He shrugged again. "The rooms are always occupied, but there are always enough rooms when new people show up. Like I told you, there's always food and always water. Everything is sustained."

The band looked at each other and walked a short distance away from the front desk to have a huddle.

Isabella did a quick spell to give her spirit sight.

"Do you see anything?" Maryann asked.

She scanned the lobby, the part of the restaurant she could see, and the elevators. "This is strange."

"You got the eyes; you have to tell us what you're seeing," Leah said.

"I'd like to check the rest of the building."

"Well, I don't want to go knock on doors, but there's nothing to stop us from going up the elevator to at least look down the hallways," Maryann said.

So, carting their luggage with them, the band did just that, and ended up right back in the lobby. The little girl with the stuffed elephant had disappeared but the elderly man that had been talking to her was now seated on a couch doing a crossword puzzle out of a book. There were two young boys racing each other around the potted plants and again there were no adults to be found supervising them. Isabella opened the front door and shut it again. They huddled again.

"So?" Nora asked Isabella.

"There are spirits here, but they're disconnected from the spirit world. I've never seen that before. I think these people are human, or were human, but their spirits look strange. The boys' spirits look the most normal, and the clerk, well, I'm not sure what he is. And when I look outside, it's like looking into a void. Spiritually, there's nothing."

"Let's talk to the people here and see if we can find out any more information," she suggested. "We can also try the doors but I have no reason to doubt what the clerk says."

"So we're splitting up to search for clues?" Maryann asked.

"You and lampshades," Leah commented.

"What?"

"Never mind. Let's just do what Isabella suggested."

Still carting their luggage, they did just that.

Maryann approached the two boys. They were wearing clothes that Maryann considered 'old-fashioned' but she didn't know exactly how old. She guessed Victorian era. "Boys!" she said sharply.

They immediately stopped their racing and snapped to attention.

"What are your names?"

"I'm John," the older and taller one said.

"I'm Michael," the short one said.

Even with their child lisps, she could hear a British accent.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dunno," answered John.

"You don't know where your parents are?"

"Nope," said Michael.

"Are they in this hotel?"

"Don't think so," said John.

"When did you last see them?"

"Don't know."

"Then who takes care of you?" she asked.

"We do," Michael said proudly. "We have a room and toys and we get food in there."

"But don't you want to find your parents?"

"They're supposed to find us. And they haven't, so we're going to have fun," said John. "Tag!" he said, smacking Michael and they took off running.

Nora sat down next to the elderly man working on crossword puzzles. His outfit did not seem particularly old-fashioned. She guessed he was probably contemporary to her time. "Excuse me, but can I ask you some questions?" she asked.

"Ah, new faces. We get those from time to time. Sure, little lady, go right ahead," he said, putting down his puzzles.

"How did you get here?"

"Oh, same way a lot of folks get here."

"Through the doors?" she asked.

"No, no. Not many just come right in through the doors actually. No, no. I started coming to visit awhile ago. Didn't stay long, at first, maybe a couple of days. Then after a few years, I started staying longer and longer. Finally one day I checked in and just never checked out," he said.

"But how did you get here?"

"I was just here. Found myself in the lobby and then found myself back home just as suddenly. But that was more than a few years ago, I think." He sighed.

"Where was home?"

"I don't remember."

"Why don't you go back?"

He shrugged. "As the man says, once you check in, you never leave." He picked up his book of puzzles. "I'm afraid I probably can't answer any more questions."

Nora took the hint and left the elderly man alone.

Leah tracked down the waitress who had served them breakfast. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm new here and I have a couple of questions."

The waitress was a thin, pretty woman wearing an outfit that looked like a costume of a 1950s car-hop to Leah. "Sure. Sometimes even I get a break." She sat down at a table in the back of the restaurant area. "So, you're new?"

"Yes. We came in the door."

"That's odd. I've hardly seen anyone use the door."

"Well, technically I think we came in through the elevator door."

She lit up a cigarette, which made her look more than ever like she was wearing a costume. "That's pretty strange."

"How did you get here?"

"The more usual way. I was going to get my big break and be a star, like Marilyn Monroe. I worked hard and I auditioned all the time. But I started to get older and still had no luck. So I started coming in here. It just happened. I'd work my fingers to the bone trying to make a living at my day job and I'd be so exhausted when I came home I just didn't want to do it again another day. And I found myself here, still working. But what else was there to do? Girl's got to eat, right?" she asked, taking a drag off the cigarette.

"Wait, so you were trying to be an actress in Hollywood?"

"You're a bit slow, aren't you? Of course I was in Hollywood! Where else would I go to make it big?"

"New York?" Leah offered.

"I didn't want to do theater. I was going to be a movie star," she said. "But life didn't work out that way for me, so here I am."

"How long have you been here?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. Once you check in, you don't leave. You're stuck here just like the rest of us." She tamped out her cigarette. "Well, that's my break. Good luck, kiddo." She stood up and went into the kitchen.

Leah thought she saw a black cat walk through the far wall of the kitchen. She jumped up as the door swung shut. But when she opened it, there was no sign of the cat in the kitchen.

"Listen, honey," the waitress said, "I've got work to do."

"Sorry," she replied, and shut the door.

Isabella walked back up to the desk clerk. "You aren't like the others here. You may look human, but I don't think you ever really were."

He looked up at her with eyes that were suddenly very old. "So, you have a gift."

"What are you? What were you? And what is this place really?"

"What I was is of no consequence. I came to this place before it looked like this, and I am now the guardian of those who are here," he answered.

"What was this place before it was a hotel?"

"A different place. It changes somewhat based on the perception of those here. No one ever leaves, you see, but most will go to their rooms and never come out again. So the place changes, in a way, over time, such as it is."

"Are you a god?" Isabella asked.

"Maybe, once, and I have since diminished. Or maybe just a powerful being of a higher order. There is so much I can no longer recall from the depths of memory."

"Please, if you know of any way out, please tell me."

He shook his head. "Sometimes there is no way out."

"I don't believe that."

"Then that is your prerogative. Oh, before I forget," he said, and reached under the desk. "Alice left this for you." He held out the battered, stuffed elephant. "It came here, as many things do, as even Alice did, but since you are here, it should go back to you."

"Mr. Snufflenose," she said, taking the elephant. She examined it thoroughly. "It really is mine. But if the little girl wants it, she can have it. I'm way too old for these kinds of toys now."

He smiled. "Alice is a child. She loses interest easily and I'm sure there's something new to occupy her attention."

"How do toys get here?"

"Not just toys, but many things. They all come down the rabbit hole," he said.

"What does that mean?"

"Whatever you think it means. I have told you all I can. You're welcome to try to find an exit. I won't stop you. But I can't help you either."

"Would you leave, if you could?"

The desk clerk considered this for a minute. "I don't know. When you've been away from home for so long, you stop thinking of it as home. And perhaps after so long home is no longer home."

"Well, thanks for talking with me," she said.

He pushed door keys at her. "You'll probably need these."

She looked at the number on the keys. "This isn't the same number."

"Sure it is."

"No, our room was 1414. This is 1314."

"Right, same room."

"Thanks, but I'll come get the keys when we're ready."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The band rejoined and sat down in a quiet corner of the lobby to share their information.

"My grandmother warned me about this. All doors are dangerous," Isabella said. "In the mundane world, if you can go in a door, something can follow you in."

"That's cheery," Leah said.

"But in the mundane world, doors always work the same way. They open and they close and sometimes they need a key but lock doesn't spontaneously change. Magical doors are more dangerous still. Sometimes they don't open to the same place every time. Sometimes they don't open except at certain times or in certain places. Sometimes they only open from one direction. Sometimes you need a different key to lock it than you do to open it. You don't know what kind of door you're dealing with until you've opened and shut it again. And then it may be too late."

"What did we enter?" Nora asked.

"I don't know."

"We need to call the resident physicist," Leah said.

They all gave her a blank look.

"Honestly, do you guys watch classic television? Science-fiction? It's a reference to a Twilight Zone episode. Anyone? Maryann, you should know this."

"Oh, Mom and Dad liked that show but I never watched it. I thought it was creepy and depressing."

"Is this really the best time to make jokes?" Nora snapped.

"It's not a joke; it's a pop culture reference. Anyway, it's not entirely irrelevant. Are we in a pocket dimension with only one door that may or may not still be open or some other world entirely? How close is another world, like the spirit world?"

"Usually very close. But this isn't like any other world I've been in," Isabella said.

"Well, that makes four of us," Nora said. "What do all these people have in common? Maybe if we know what brought them here, we can figure out a way back."

"We've got an elderly man, two little boys, a little girl, a frustrated waitress, and whatever the desk clerk is," Leah said. "And us. What do we all have in common besides this place?"

"And why do you have that toy?" Nora asked.

"This was my Mr. Snufflenose. I lost it at a mall when I was a kid and it got here."

"And I found a lost sock in my luggage this morning," Maryann said.

"And I found an earring I thought I lost," Nora said.

"That's it!" Isabella said. "We're all lost. Items we lost have been found here. Those little boys were lost. The waitress's dream of being a movie star was lost. And that elderly man...well, I'm not sure."

"His mind," Nora said. "Some elderly man lost his mind. That's why the man here is doing crossword puzzles in ink."

"So we're in the place where lost things go?" Maryann asked. "That doesn't sound good. How did we get here?"

"The thirteenth floor," Isabella said. "We ended up on the thirteenth floor after all."

"Well, we were always on the thirteenth floor," Leah said. "The hotel just called it fourteen."

"No, that's the world we're in. The lost floor. The thirteenth floor."

"Does that help us get out of here?" Leah asked.

"What's lost can be found," Nora said.

"But it isn't always or this place wouldn't even exist," Maryann replied, looking forlorn.

"The cat!" Leah said.

"What cat?" the others asked in unison.

"I've seen this black cat wandering around the hotel. It walked right through the wall, so I didn't say anything about it. I thought I was crazy."

"You may be anyway," Nora said wryly.

"Look, everyone and everything here plays by the laws of physics except that cat. Maybe the cat is the clue."

"Or maybe it's just wandering around lost like the rest of us," she retorted.

"'Not all of those who wander are lost,'" Leah shot back.

"Ladies, please," Isabella interrupted. "We'll look for the cat. It's our only lead, and if it doesn't pan out, we're no worse than before."

"Anyway, when I was younger, we had a black cat named Tomas. I know, not very original. I thought we lost him but then he came back."

"Wouldn't Tomas have died by now?" Maryann asked gently.

"Well, yes, but I can't think of anything better. Now, he had a habit of hiding behind the couches in the living room, so let's start looking around the lobby," Leah said.

"But this isn't your cat," Nora countered.

"We're looking for the cat," Isabella said firmly. "It doesn't really matter where we start as long as we start looking." She tucked the elephant doll into her luggage.

The band split up and looked for the cat, although Nora felt very foolish for doing so. Leah caught sight of the black tail heading into the elevator.

"Guys, this way," she called.

They followed but the elevator door had shut. When it opened, there was no sign of the cat.

"Great," Nora said.

"Well, it's not like the cat could have pushed the button," Maryann said. "It must have walked through."

"What, are we chasing down the Cheshire Cat?" Nora asked.

Leah looked up. "Maybe," she said, pointing up.

There was a black cat tail clearly dangling through the roof.

"Everyone get in," she said.

They all jammed in the elevator and as soon as the door shut, it started to move up, although the buttons still didn't light up. The tail twitched back and forth through the roof until the elevator stopped at the top floor and the doors opened. The cat fell right to the floor and walked between them into the hallway.

"Is that your cat?" Maryann asked.

"No, Tomas was not that big," she said.

They walked off the elevator.

The cat proceeded straight to the end of the hallway.

They followed.

Then it turned around and stared at them.

"Oh, whoa, now that is really weird," Maryann said.

The pupils of the cat's eyes were silver and reflective, like mirrors. The slit pupils made its eyes look like broken mirrors.

"Um, nice kitty?" Leah ventured.

"You do not belong here," it replied in an odd, echoing human voice. They couldn't tell if it was a male or female voice. "You are not lost, or at least not yet. Fortunately, you did not check in."

"What are you?" Isabella asked.

"I am a traveler, forgotten and remembered, lost and found, always alone and one of legion. I come and go as I will, because I will. I did not want to speak to you in front of the...desk clerk... as he calls himself."

"Why not?"

"It is rude to interfere in another's domain, especially when it is not their domain by their own will. But that is not your concern. Very rarely does a direct door open to this world such that whole beings can enter. Such doors do not stay open long and yours long since closed."

"Can we go home?" Maryann asked.

"Yes."

"But what about those children?"

"They are lost, and they cannot leave."

"But they're children!"

"I cannot break the rules of the realm for those who came here through the right doors," the cat replied. "They are as well taken care of as you could hope for."

"Maryann, we can't help them," Isabella said. "I'm sorry, but this is beyond us."

"Unless you want to stay here and become lost yourself, follow me," the cat said.

"We've followed you this far," Leah said.

"You may find it easier if you close your eyes," the cat said, turning around with what appeared to be every intention of walking through the wall.

The four took a deep breath almost in unison.

The cat started to walk.

They followed, and all four of them closed their eyes right before they hit the wall.

Isabella, Nora, Leah, and Maryann all sat up in their respective beds. In both rooms, there was an obnoxious beeping sound, which turned out to be the alarms. Leah and Nora slapped the respective alarms off.

Nora immediately turned on her phone. In a moment, it found signal and confirmed it was the morning after the show. "Was that real?" she asked.

Isabella went to her suitcase and lifted the lid. She pulled out a tattered elephant doll. "It was real."

Nora found the pearl earring in her jewelry box.

In the other room, Maryann had pulled out the lost sock. "It was real," she said to Leah.

They dressed in a hurry and met in the common area.

"So what happened?" Nora asked.

"We went through a door that wasn't supposed to be opened," Isabella said. "And luckily for us, we were rescued. I don't know what rescued us, but I'm glad it did."

"So we really don't know what happened?"

"No. But it's over."

"For us, anyway," Maryann said.

"Let's just count our blessings," Leah said. "And let's go get some breakfast and make sure the world is back to normal."

"Do you always think about food?" Nora asked.

"No, but it's a good excuse to get us out of the hotel."

"I think it's a good idea," Isabella said. "Let's go."

They successfully exited the hotel onto the streets of New York City.

"So, the world is normal. At least as normal as this world ever is," Nora said dryly.

"And I see a deli," Maryann said.

"Deli nothing. After all that, I want doughnuts," Leah said. "Come on."

And they walked off on a quest for breakfast.

The Lyrics:

The elevator buttons go

From twelve to fourteen

Do they think we really don't know

What comes in between?

We all love weekends

And all like Friday

Except on the thirteenth

We want it to go away

Refrain: Triskaidekaphobia

What does it mean?

Triskaidekaphobia

Fear of the number thirteen.

An infinity of numbers

That barely get a mention

So why the fear of thirteen?

It's a silly superstition.

Like broken mirrors

Or paths crossed by black cats

Why do we fear such things

What makes us think that?

Refrain

Not spilling the salt

Nor walking under ladders

If these things happen

Why should it matter?

But maybe once upon a time

Somewhere in the past

Something caused these fears

And caused them to last

Refrain x2

**The Wrap-Up**

Brad: Well, ladies, I'm glad you took this time to talk with me.

Lee: It was fun.

Brad: I think you have an interesting take on rock and I'm impressed you're trying to cover so many genres. I hope you don't burn out.

Lenore: We wouldn't have tried this band if we thought we couldn't handle it.

Anna: And inspiration is everywhere. Sometimes in the least likely places.

Brad: So you're saying you don't want to be normal?

Belle: We're saying we don't want to be boring. We like our music, and we hope other people will like our music, and we'll see where this road takes us. Maybe we'll crash and burn, or maybe we'll get all the way to the top and stay there for a long, long time.

Lenore: We're hoping for the second outcome.

Brad: [laughs] Doesn't everyone? So, now that we've covered your current album, what are your plans for the future?

Anna: Keep playing, keep writing, and keep releasing albums.

Brad: Are you already working on a new album?

Lenore: Of course. This is business, and a really fickle business, so we need to capitalize on our success.

Brad: Would you like to plug it? And give the readers a time frame on when it'll come out?

Belle: Well, we can't make any promises, but we're hoping for the second album in about a year. We haven't quite worked out a title yet, though.

Anna: So, what nice things are you going to tell your readers about our album?

Brad: I'll tell them that it's as creative as it is weird.

Lee: Is that nice? I can't tell.

Brad: I'll also tell them I enjoyed your album and I'm looking forward to hearing more from Nevermore and the Ravens.

Lenore: Now that's an endorsement.

Anna: Thanks!

Brad: Okay, readers, I hope you enjoyed this opportunity to learn about the newest up and coming rock band. Stay tuned for their next album.

###

First - Thanks for reading! Yes, Nevermore and the Ravens will be coming back. In about a year, after the release of their second album, join the band as they discuss their new music and steadfastly refuse to tell the interviewer the real inspiration, which you, of course, get to read. In the meantime, please check out links my other work and social media here - <http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SJDrew>

Second - Thanks to the lawyers GH and AJ and the art history major KH and the crazy night we came up with this crazy idea for Nevermore and the Ravens. Special thanks to GH for inspiring the songs "MMORPG and Me (My True Love)" and "Pet Rattlesnake." Special thanks to AJ for inspiring the songs "Tango at the End of Pompeii" and "Quantum Butterfly" and helping with the lyrics. Special thanks to KH for just being KH (you're awesome!).

Third - Thanks to David Heath, a fellow aspiring author and writer of dark fiction and poetry. Dave is the inspiration for the character of "Dave Rafel" and wrote all the lyrics for "Tricks O'Pedia," which I can assure you is one of his lighter poem-style pieces. Please check out Dave's book of real-life inspired poetry titled Life, Love, and Regrets which can be found at www.authorhouse.com.

Finally - all trademarked and copyrighted characters references in this novel/collection of short stories are the intellectual property of their respective parent companies and corporations.

