Finding the doctor wasn't as hard as Gareth had feared. With Wren to guide them, now back in his disguise as Dr. Connors, they found him easily, tied up and gagged in a broom closet, only a few doors away from his office. The bonds were tied up in a sloppy way and it wasn't hard for Gareth to untie him.

Your hands are so big, Olban said. Are all humans in your world so... clunky?

"I'm going to ignore that," Gareth snorted, rolling his eyes. "My hands work just fine."

Only because the bonds are so loose. Wren really is rather incompetent, isn't he?

"Jeez, Eloise, no need to be so rude. Wren's on our side now, and he's helped us so far. Besides, wasn’t taming him your idea?”

Sorry, Eloise said, sounding genuinely remorseful. You’re right.

When the doctor saw Wren behind them, he was stirred into a panic— probably because Wren looked like his doppelgänger.

“Uh, Wren, you might want to shift into a different form. You’re scaring the doctor,” Gareth muttered. “Man, this is gonna be a weird conversation.

Wren sighed.

“It’s too bad, I kind of like this form. It suits me.”

Dr. Connors moaned his dissent, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Wren shrugged.

“Ah well,” he said. As they watched, he changed from Dr. Connors, to a formless monster, and then into a middle aged woman with big ears and greying hair.

“Tina?” Dr. Connors whimpered, the gag finally off his mouth. “Why are you…”

“Relax, dude,” Wren interrupted, his voice now high pitched and feminine. “I’m not actually Tina. I just look like her. My name is Wren.”

“Oh,” Dr. Connors said, gulping so loudly that it sounded as if he’d swallowed his Adam’s apple. “I- I see.”

“Why do you have to be someone he recognizes?” Gareth asked.

“I can only shift into someone I’ve seen before. Currently that list is very short, especially with my memories mostly gone. He’s gonna have to live with Tina.”

“Gareth… what’s going on?” Dr. Connors asked, finally recovering enough consciousness to speak.

“Dr. Connors… we’re here to tell you about magic. Although it seems you’ve already had your first encounter.”

“M-magic? But, Gareth, that’s…”

“I know how it sounds. But you’ve seen Wren. It’s obvious he’s not from our world… and that’s why I’m here. In order to properly do what I need to do, I have to make you understand what’s happening.”

“Why? What’s… what’s going on?”

“You might want to sit down, Wren said with a dry chuckle. I’m sure these travelers have quite a story. After all, if the Nameless One wants them dead, they must hold monumental power.”

“I… I think I’ll sit down,” Dr. Connors agreed.

Is this a good idea? Olban asked. After all, this could be another minion. Wren could be leading us into a trap. Do we really want to reveal everything?

Olban has a point, Eloise says. I hadn’t thought of that.

Maybe just leave out a few key details. And whatever you do, DON’T tell them about the armbands. This kind of power is best kept hidden. Explain as best as you can.

“Jeez, you guys are so paranoid. Whatever, I’ll do it. I see where you’re coming from, anyway.”

“What?”

“Oh, just talking to myse— haha, wait. No use lying anymore. I guess I’ll start with that. Dr. Connors, I don’t have Dissociative Identity Disorder. The person in my head— well, I guess it’s people now— they are real, and they are both from different universes. Wren is from Olban’s world, and Eloise— she’s the new member— is from a world similar to mine.”

Dr. Connors looked completely confused.

“But… what… how…”

Maybe tell him to save his questions for the end, Eloise suggests. Otherwise we’ll be here all day.

Gareth continued, and soon he’d gotten the whole story out. Well, almost the whole story. Per Olban’s request, Gareth removed a few key details whenever he could, just to be safe. Dr. Connors, understandably, had many questions, and Gareth did his best (with help from Olban and Eloise) to answer. Even so, some confusions would never be cleared up. Dr. Connors, by all accounts a practical man, would never be the same.

And as Gareth and Wren returned to Gareth’s apartment, Dr. Connors got up and did something he hadn’t done in over a decade.

He went to church, and he prayed.

Gareth and Olban slept easily, but Eloise was trapped in some realm between consciousness and sleep. She couldn’t really be awake, because her host body was asleep, but she couldn’t sleep, either. It was a dangerous line, although Eloise had no way of knowing that. And in this blurred realm between dreams and reality, the Nameless One crept silently into her mind.

Do you want to know a secret, little girl? it’s voice asked, shrill and wispy in the fogs of Eloise’s fragile mind.

Who are you? Eloise called out. Olban? Gareth?

They cannot hear you, the Nameless One hissed, horrifying laughter emanating from everywhere at once. You are alone, Eloise, as you will always be.

You’re wrong, Eloise shouted. When this is all over, I’m going to go back to my body and everything will go back to the way it was. To the way it should be. Her voice broke into whispery sobs. All along, she’d been harboring her regrets, nursing her doubt, her anger, her pain. Why did I have to try and kill them? Why couldn’t I have just left it alone?

But are you certain, little girl? Are you certain that you will be allowed to return?

Of course I will! Olban and Gareth are making the rings to transport us all!

She realized her mistake a moment too late, clapping a hand to her mouth.

The damage had been done. The Nameless One now knew what the three of them were up to. And, worse, he knew about the rings.

It seemed to become a great snake in the darkness, curling tighter and tighter around her as it laughed.

Ah Eloise, said the Nameless One, his voice as raspy and dry as a snake’s hiss. Suddenly he sounded so much clearer, as if he were speaking right into her ear. As if he were more real now, more solid. So young, so naive… what are you doing here, in this world of monsters and magic? You don’t belong. You can’t belong.

Leave me alone, Eloise sobbed, her voice suddenly small and insignificant. Please, just leave me alone.

They plan to trap you in Olban’s world. Out of place, out of time. They believe you are a danger to everyone around you. A threat to the universe itself.

Eloise’s breath caught in her throat.

No, that… that can’t be right. You’re lying.

I am not, it said, almost sounding offended at the accusation. Why would I lie to you, when the truth is more damaging than any lie?

I refuse to believe it, Eloise cried. You’re wrong. You’re evil and you’re wrong!

The serpent laughed as it retreated, formless, back into the darkness and the mist.

Think about what I’ve said, little girl. And the next time you are alone and awake in the night, I will return.

Despite the violently churning thoughts in her head, Eloise found herself slipping, falling, into a dark abyss of dreamless sleep. Deeper and almost evil, somehow. The kind of sleep that felt like death.

And from the shadows of a distant void, an ancient evil laughed with scornful glee.

Being one of many can make life everlasting.

Always chaos and wrestling,

As your sister's scream is blasting.

Never getting the bathroom

With four rooms one bath.

All trying to eat and catch the bus before your first class.

In school the children seem to be dressed better than you. No money for lunch, so a free lunch will do.

Home from school in the evening, chores need to be done. Do your homework and chores before you have fun.

Same routine until you're grown.

Now it's time to be on your own.

Get an apartment and pay your bills. Find a job that enhance your skills. A career is built on dreams and know-how.

Once you land it,

You will survive some how.

what is love in the end

after it splits

and turns a bit

sinister

what is love in the end

or even when it begins

how does it twist

and turn

what is love in the end

i sometimes forget

because it it gets blown aways in the wind

that is Love in the end.

John, Chris, and I had talked about it. We knew what we were doing. We didn't have the chance for questions. We just knew it had to be done. I saw the fear in their eyes, but I was strangely calm. Hoping the outcome to all of this would be what we want. He took a breath and held my hand. Smiled at me before saying, "I hope we dont land." I took my breath before I gave it to grace. And Chris just stood there saying his prayers. We were three people with a death sentence...and off that bridge we jumped, hooked like fishes.

I fell in love last Tuesday

But with my lips I couldn't say

So I told you with my fingers and hoped you heard my voice within

I traced it very lightly

On your neck then down your body

I heard you say it back with the bumps upon your skin

Blue eyes. Oceans so deep, you could feel the waves crashing on you. And that laugh, so long and so sweet you would stop and listen. The face, so innocent so sweet, you'd be blind to miss it. That love, so pure and so deep your heart would burst of you felt it. Those lips that kissed you goodbye. Those hands that never wanted to say bye. The kindness in the soul, those arms that never wanted to let go.... undescribable.

“I think I fell in love with you when called me an asshole. Crazy, right? And I very well could be an asshole, depending on who you ask. Anyway, everyone always said you were the sweetest person. You got along with everyone. You helped our classmates out without ever appearing annoyed. Somehow we ended up sitting close by. There were few people I talked to and you were the one I wanted to talk to the most. You were so cute! You fidgeted with pens all the time and your smile was always small and slightly crooked. You hunched over your desk laughing when something was extremely funny. You didn’t do that too often, but you did it around me the most. ‘I’m special’, I thought. I was 100% delusional, I know but, could you blame me? I liked you so much and I didn't even know it! One day, I said something, something you didn’t like. I made your shoulders tense and your eyes hardened to a deep chestnut from its usual soft caramel. “You’re an asshole,” you said and turned your body away from me. I remember my jaw dropping in shock and my heartbeat building in intensity in time with my breaths. I was scared yet enlightened at the same time. ‘I’m special’, I knew. Because you cared about what I said more than other people. You showed a side to me that none of our classmates had seen. I was special and the need to keep that place in your life outweighed any overdue assignments I had. Priorities, am I right?

We didn’t talk for the rest of the day or a few days after that. I knew what that empty feeling in my chest was. You were missing. We still sat near each other, what were we supposed to do? Change our unassigned assigned seats? Head spinning and ears ringing, I gave you a note crumpled and damp from the unyielding grip I had on it. I remember it very clearly. It wrote: ‘I’m so sorry for what I said. I crossed a line and made an awful ‘joke’ about something I really had no business speaking about. I’m sorry that I upset you. I just want you to know that I truly am sorry.’ It’s not really a great apology, but I was 17–I hadn’t apologized for much at that time and I didn’t really know what “accountability” was. But by some miracle you read the note and started talking to me again and you never stopped talking to me. And since then I’ve never stopped loving you.”

If I were to describe our love story and time shared, I would say it was like Friday. It was fun, exciting, passionate, and extremely full of emotions. One day we are on cloud nine, and some days we are fighting like animals. Being with you was intoxicating. Your presence was so hard to let go of, invigorating that I craved it when we were apart. You were someone I always looked forward to spending my time with. You were my safe space. We had fun, we had our silent and comfortable days while lying down in bed, and we had our misunderstandings that tested the limits of our emotional and mental capacity. But just like any Friday, when you’re enjoying life, getting drunk, dancing to the beat, laughing out loud without a care, a day full of exhilarating moments has come to an end. And when it did, it hurt. It hurt like hell knowing those crazy Fridays would never happen again. Our adventure has ended, and just like having withdrawals, it made me go wild, crying, gasping for air, and battling emotions I don’t want to feel. But I know, deep within, letting go of you would lead me to better days. I know our end would create a hole inside me while slowly building me up again. You are the kind of love I will always long for, crave, remember, and cherish. You are my Friday, my bliss, my adventure. It is tragic that our time has ceased when I thought our time would be never-ending. But I hope we both have better days. I hope you and I get to meet our Sunday love. The kind of love giving us warmth, stability, comfort, and safety.

Staggard breaths

Gosh, that's it!

I never saw the dang thing.

It sounded like it had bad lung problems.

No one believed me!

Every night I would hear it creak up the stairs.

I would hide under my blankets.

I told mom, dad, my sister, everyone!

They didn't see it I didn't see it so nobody believed it.

I decided I would see it.

When I heard the foot steps top at my door I chickened out.

I never saw it

But it

Saw

Me.