Read Rockstar Ghost PG-13 Version Page 15

  Chapter 11: Psycho Killer

  Blake left Ro's body and the medium stumbled forward as she got used to being in control of her body again. She watched the ghost float away from her with his head hanging down dejectedly. Ro quirked her head at the ghost wondering what had upset him. She looked back at the stage where Vincent and Devon were currently being introduced to Joey's parents - his real parents.

  Ro had been surprised to learn that Joey had poor parents just like her. But Joey had worked hard and become an exception bass guitarist. He was now a millionaire. Ro wondered if she could work hard at something too and better her family's financial situation. Maybe after this was all over and she had discovered Blake's murderer she could go back to trying to get hired as a nurse.

  Ro was feeling a little envious that Joey had been so easily accepted by his fellow band mates despite his origins. She wondered how they would react when the truth eventually came out that she had been lying to them as well. We're more alike than I thought. Ro thought as she looked at the stage where Joey was embracing his parents. Ro felt a pang of pain in her chest. She had just had to pretend that her parents weren't her parents too, but for very different reasons. She was just trying to protect them but?it had still hurt. Ro hadn't seen her mother since she left their house all those years ago. Mom. It was good seeing you again. Ro found Carrie, and the two girls headed for Blake's Maserati. However-

  "Hey! Ro! Carrie! Wait up!" Sadie called after the two girls rushing towards them. Ro and Carrie turned around to regard Sadie curiously. The female rockstar was bent over with her hands on her thighs as she panted for breath.

  "Hey girl, what's up?" Carrie asked casually.

  Sadie looked up and smiled. "I just wanted to invite you both to the Christmas party Devon and I are hosting back at his place. You're the band's new singer?" Sadie looked at Ro and then turned to Carrie. "And you're the band's stylist. You both have to be there."

  Ro was so moved and surprised by the unexpected invite that she just stood frozen while gaping at Sadie without giving the female rockstar an answer. The medium had never gone to a Christmas party with friends before. She'd always spent her Christmases with her family and after Belladonna had left Ro and her father, Christmases had become a very simple affair with just the two of them celebrating. Now Ro was down to just herself and had been planning on spending the rest of Christmas alone?or rather with Blake at his apartment.

  She blinked at Sadie Skellington. A friend had never invited her to a party before. During all her school years she had been too busy studying to make friends and keeping everyone at arm's length so that they wouldn't think she was crazy because of her condition that she could see ghosts.

  Sadie raised an eyebrow at the gloomy girl and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

  Luckily, Carrie had been with Ro and the witch agreed to the invite on both their behalves when she saw that her friend was unable to answer. "We'll definitely be there. Thanks for the invite, Sadie."

  Sadie's mouth twitched as if it wanted to frown at the Goth, but she just laughed to cover up her awkwardness and smiled. "No problem. I'll see you both there later then at eight o'clock." Sadie skipped off.

  Carrie watched her go suspiciously. "She's totally up to something. I so don't trust that two-faced punk?"

  Ro frowned at the Goth. "I think she's nice."

  Carrie gave Ro a disbelieving look. "You would."

  Ro drove Carrie and Blake to the Blu Beverly Hills apartment building where Devon's apartment was on the top floor. They arrived at Blu Beverly Hills and Ro parked Blake's silver Maserati in the underground parking garage. The trio walked past the reception desk and took the elevator to the 7th floor. Devon's apartment was number 707. The elevator door opened and the medium, witch and ghost made their way down the hall and towards the apartment. Carrie rang the doorbell boldly.

  "Coming!" Came a sing-sing voice and then Sadie was opening Devon's apartment door. Sadie stared at Carrie and Ro a moment before smiling widely. "Hey girls, welcome! Come right in, the party's already getting started?"

  Sadie threw the door wide open and ushered the girls inside. Ro and Carrie gaped at the sight before them. Sadie had decorated Devon's apartment from floor to ceiling with flashy Christmas decorations. Draping garlands of pine and red ribbon, frosted pinecones, colorful ornaments and gilded ribbons, potted red poinsettias, decorated pine wreaths, and twinkling Christmas lights. There was even a beautiful eight-foot-tall Christmas tree with a blue, silver and white theme.

  Sadie had set up special festive cocktails and yummy looking hors d'oeuvres on the kitchen island. Punk rock music was pouring out of the speakers of Devon's entertainment center and the thumping bass was making the floor vibrate. Carrie recognized the song from the band Bad Religion called American Jesus. The girls spotted Devon, Joey and Vincent standing around the foosball table. Devon was playing against Joey while Vincent watched. Devon had a cigarette perched between his lips as he played, a look of concentration on his face. Joey was grinning and laughing like an idiot. Vincent was sipping a beer and smiling.

  Ro was very impressed with the elaborate decorations. She had never seen anything like it before. "Did you and Devon do all this?" It looked a little like Winter Wonderland or the North Pole in Devon's apartment. Ro wouldn't have been surprised if an elf peeked its head out from behind a potted poinsettia, or if Santa Claus walked out of the bathroom gripping his stomach, or even if a reindeer waked inside from the balcony.

  Sadie looked surprised Ro had spoken to her. The girl was so weird and quiet! "Ah, actually I did this all by myself. Devon didn't even want to have a party, but come on - it's Christmas! Who doesn't have a party on Christmas or at least go to some party on Christmas, right?" Sadie took out a cigarette, lit it with her pink Zippo and took a drag.

  "Right?" Ro readily replied, trying to act natural.

  Carrie whistled as she looked around Devon's plush apartment and the sparkling decorations. She was also extremely impressed. Especially, by the artwork that hung in Devon's apartment. "This is a awesome apartment?there's even a popcorn machine?"

  Sadie grinned. "It's only fitting that my killer boyfriend has a killer apartment. You are what you own after all. Isn't that right, Ro?"

  Blake frowned at Sadie's careless comment: 'you are what you own after all'. Blake used to be able to agree with that. When someone had asked him in the past who he was he would list his occupation and some of his assets. But now that he was dead and he had left his precious possessions behind, he wondered what he had been left with. Without his penthouse suite, Maserati, and Lamborghini coffee maker, Blake wouldn't help but think to himself: Who am I? Blake put a hand on his chest. There was this deep emptiness inside of him along with an unquenchable thirst for revenge.

  "Ah, yea." Ro said agreeably. But at the moment Ro wondered what she really owned? Blake had given her everything she currently had. She barely owned the shirt on her back. What then was she left with? Who was Ro Ripper without all her expensive clothes and accessories? Who was Rosalie Galloway? Who am I? A nurse? A stylist? A singer? A nobody? "Who am I?" Ro murmured to herself softly in a voice only she could hear.

  But Blake was standing right next to Ro and heard her words. He was surprised Ro was echoing his own dark thoughts. "You're?you. Rosalie Galloway. Duh." Blake informed the medium.

  Ro jumped a little since she hadn't been expecting a response and smiled at the rockstar ghost. If she didn't know any better she'd think that the ghost was trying to comfort her.

  The rockstars - Devon, Joey, and Vincent - caught sight of the girls as they walked in.

  Predictably, Joey immediately became distracted, grinned at Ro, and waved. "Hey! Ro! You made it! Sweet. Get your butt over here so you can give me good luck!"

  Good luck? More like I'll probably end up cursing him. Ro smiled softly and waved at Joey in a shy manner.

  Chance! Devon took Joey's distraction as an opportunity to score a goal against Joey
with a flick of his wrist he made his foosball player kick the ball into Joey's goal. "Goal."

  "What?" Joey looked down at the table with a horrified expression on his face. "Crap?best out of ten?"

  "You're on." Devon agreed and they dropped the ball in the center of the table and began another fast-paced game. Devon kept quiet while he played but Joey was incredibly vocal and made several exclamations as he played: "Ooo?ahhhh! Oh no! Yes?yes?yes! No, wait!"

  "If you're this vocal playing foosball I hate to think what your girlfriend has to put up with in bed, Joey Bones." Vincent chuckled at their antics. His friends could get super competitive! Joey flushed at Vincent's comment but chose to ignore the playboy drummer. "Ladies, come over here." Vincent waved at Carrie and Ro.

  Carrie blushed at Vincent, who was still dressed in the red suit she had designed for him for the concert and looking quite handsome in it. Vincent noticed that both girls had shopping bags in their hands. Ro and Carrie approached the foosball table while Sadie headed back towards the kitchen. "Hey, what can I get you girls to drink?" The female rockstar called out.

  "I'll have a beer. Thanks!" Carrie shouted.

  "What about you, Ro?" Sadie asked.

  "Uh?um?" Ro stuttered, she didn't really like beer?

  "Hey, Sadie, hun?open that bottle of champagne I bought, would ya? The M?et and Chandon Ros?. I bought it specifically for Ro since she likes sweet drinks and it has a low alcoholic content. She should like it. Be a dear and bring Ro a glass, would ya?" Devon said in a casual drawling tone as he took a drag from his cigarette.

  Sadie's eye twitched and she tried to keep a straight face. Devon had bought that champagne for Ro?! She thought Devon had purchased it for her?! Grrrr?.Sadie bit down on her cigarette angrily and nearly chomped it in two.

  "Of course, darling." Sadie called back, her voice slightly strained and with a tinge of sarcasm to it. "Ehehehe." The female rockstar fetched a beer from the fridge and began to open the bottle of champagne.

  Ro looked at everyone and decided that now would be a good opportunity to give everyone the gifts she had for them. "Um?excuse me?" Ro got everyone's attention and blushed when everyone's eyes fell upon her. "Ah?presents?" Ro held up the bag before her.

  Devon raised an eyebrow at Ro. "You got us all presents? That was really sweet of you, Ro. You didn't have to do that." He blew out a long stream of smoke.

  Ro shook her head. "I made them?"

  "Made?" Devon echoed. Now everyone was curious.

  Ro reached into the shopping bag and handed Devon a crocheted, black and blue checkered scarf. "This is for you."

  Devon immediately wrapped it around his neck. He touched the scarf, which was surprisingly soft and warm. "This is nice. Thank you, Ro."

  "Ooo. You got a present in there for me too? Right? Right?" Joey asked excitedly as he bounded over to Ro.

  Ro nodded, smiled, and reached into the shopping bag and pulled out a crochet knit hat with a fuzzy ball on top. It was yellow and had black horizontal stripes. She handed it to Joey. "Sweet!" Joey put the hat on his head. "It fits perfectly."

  Feeling pleased with herself, Ro reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of blood-red gloves next that had black crosses on them, and handed them towards Vincent. "For you."

  Vincent gave Ro a surprised look. "For me? Thank you, my dear." Vincent looked touched and surprised by Ro's gift.

  "Your hands?I noticed that they're always so cold?" Ro said softly in a voice that only Vincent could hear.

  Vincent gave Ro a surprised look and smiled fondly at her. "Thank you for thinking about me, dear lady. That was very sweet of you." He put the gloves on and flexed his fingers.

  Ro blushed. Vincent was crazy attractive. Even the simple act of putting on a pair of gloves?was kind of hot.

  "Ah, that reminds me." Carrie piped up suddenly. "I was shopping with Ro for my family when I came across something I thought would suit you, Vincent." Carrie held her shopping bag out to Vincent. "I bought it on a whim?it doesn't mean anything?" Carrie explained as she waved her hand through the air.

  Vincent's ruby-red eyes were wide as he took the shopping bag from Carrie. "Thank you, my lady." Vincent reached into the bag and pulled out a long, red silk scarf. It had golden tassels on it. "Wow?this is beautiful. Isn't this Prada?"

  Carrie nodded.

  Vincent immediately put the scarf around his neck and smiled sexily at Carrie. She couldn't stop her cheeks from heating up at the sight of that teasing smile.

  Blake was looking back and forth between Carrie and Vincent with a huge scowl on his face. "No?no, this is not good!"

  Ro fished around in the shopping bag and pulled out a crocheted cell phone protector that was purple and black, and held it out to Carrie. "For you, my friend." My first true friend?

  "Wow?a cell phone protector. Thank you! My other one is crap!" Carrie surprised Ro by giving her a big hug. "Thank you so much. You're such a sweetheart."

  Ro felt warmth spread through her chest. It was nice to have a friend.

  Sadie had arrived with Ro's glass of champagne and Carrie's beer by this time. She eyed everyone's handmade gifts curiously. "You made those yourself? By hand? Impressive?though I would think a Pro Stylist would be able to make something more complex and profession that a few crocheted items." Sadie declared as she handed Carrie her beer and Ro her glass of champagne.

  Meanwhile, Blake was fuming. He had specifically told Ro that she wasn't supposed to get these guys anything for Christmas, and yet Ro had ignored him and made everyone handmade Christmas presents anyways.

  "ROOO! What the hell?" Blake growled at her. "Didn't I tell you not to get these guys presents? Why aren't you listening to me? Are you frickin ignoring me, beggar girl? I'll kick your butt!"

  The lights in the apartment began to flicker ominously and a lamp that was on a nearby table began to sway so that the crystals that hung from its shade began to tinkle.

  "I prefer gifts like this that are obviously made by hand. They have more meaning to them." Devon drawled as he blew out a cloud of smoke in Sadie's direction.

  Sadie coughed and frowned as she waved her hand in front of her to dispel the smoke.

  Ro moved to stand in front of Sadie and held the shopping bag out to her. "I made you something too." She smiled tremulously at the incredible rockstar.

  Sadie gave Ro a surprised look. "You did? For me?" Sadie reached into the bag and pulled out four, pink and black, handmade, crocheted coasters. The first coaster had a flower pattern on it, the second a skull, the third a skull with a princess crown on it and the last one had the design of a flower with a skull in its center. They were very Sadie Skellington.

  Sadie wouldn't admit it aloud but she really liked the coasters. They were definitely her style and were really Gothic-cute. "Uh?thanks." Sadie seemed at a loss of what to think about Ro's gift, and different emotions flickered in her blue eyes: happiness, sadness, and guilt among them.

  Ro smiled, happily oblivious to Sadie's inner conflict and thinking that the singer had liked her gift. As the party continued, Vincent pulled Carrie aside and began to dance with her to the thumping beat of the punk rock music that was floating out of the speakers in Devon's apartment. Carrie tried to escape Vincent's grasp, but he began to spin her around he room. Carrie began to laugh and Blake glared at the couple disapprovingly. "Definitely not good?"

  Joey meanwhile challenged Ro to a game of foosball and creamed her. Devon and Sadie sat on the couch intimately close while the female rockstar fed him mini hot dogs. The party was going smoothly, until-

  The doorbell rang.

  "Oh! I'll get it!" Sadie declared as she quickly stood up from the couch and bounded for the door.

  Joey looked at the door curiously. "Was anyone else invited?"

  Devon shrugged. "Hell if I know." I didn't even want to have a party. Devon took out a new cigarette, lit it and took a long drag from it to calm his nerves. He had a bad feeling about
who might be at the door. He noticed Vincent eyeing him and held his pack of cigarettes out to the drummer. "Would you like a smoke?"

  "Sure, thanks, man." Vincent took a cigarette, put it between his lips and lit it. He took a long drag and hummed happily to himself as nicotine entered his lungs.

  The door to the apartment opened and-

  The Necromancers entered Devon's apartment! Damion Hellsing, Morg Di Morte, and Gol Gotha - the party crashers had arrived. Vincent's top three fan girls known as his 'brides' were also at the door. Annabel was a tall, pale-skinned Asian woman with long, thick black hair and straight bangs. Annabel was the Leader of the Vincent Sangre fan club. She had a sophisticated air about her and was dressed in a high-necked Victorian style dress.

  Candra was the cute one. She had blonde ringlets of hair that framed her face and wide blue eyes. She was wearing a black and white Victorian-style dress that was all ruffles and lace. Candra looked just like a porcelain Victorian doll and even had a bonnet on her head.

  Scarlett was the fiery redhead of the trio. She was also the most sensuous with her voluptuous curves. Scarlett had flowing red hair that went past her shoulders, bright emerald green eyes and a wicked smile. She was wearing a red, medieval style dress with a tight lace-up corset.

  Damion Hellsing - the lead guitarist of The Necromancers was a total Goth. He had his orange rockstar hair with black tips perfectly spiked up with gel. His face was painted white and his lips were painted black. Even though he was wearing white face makeup it couldn't hide the dark shadows that were under his eyes due to his insomnia. Damion was wearing a long-sleeved, fishnet shirt with a t-shirt that had a vulgar image on it over top. Over that he was wearing a long, black leather trench coat, black leather pants and some black boots with lots of buckles. The several piercing in his ears, his nose piercing, and his lip piercing gleamed as the many decorative lights shone upon him. Several silver chains dangled from around his neck also catching the light - most of them had satanic images like upside crosses and demonic faces.

  Morg Di Morte - the seventeen-year-old bass guitarist of The Necromancers also had his face painted white with black accents. He was wearing a neon-green, half-shirt with a black skull on it that showed off his abs and his bellybutton ring. He was wearing a pair of shorts that were made out of a tight, green, faux leather material. There was a belt around his waist with a radioactive symbol on it that was green and black. The bass guitarist had on a pair of combat boots with green laces. His overall look for that evening was 'toxic'. His tongue was dangling out of his mouth as he eyed the hors d'oeuvres and he looked a little like a panting, hungry dog.

  Gol Gotha - the drummer of The Necromancers was wearing his usual white skull mask that hid the features of his face. His shaggy, black, rockstar hair hung about his shoulders in a wild manner. He was wearing a long-sleeved, chain-mail shirt with wider rings this time making the shirt almost see-through. He was wearing a pair of black leather pants with metal rings on them and a pair of black boots. He looked like some kind of modern Gothic knight.

  The three heavy metal rockstars entered Devon's apartment as if they owned the place?

  "Hey darling," Sadie said in a singsong voice. "My band mates decided to stop by, as well as Vincent's brides. Isn't that great? They wanted to meet the new lead singer of Erotic Corpses."

  "The party beast has arrived!" Damion announced as he sauntered into the room. "Me."

  Devon's temple began to throb in irritation. "That's great, honey?" Devon tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

  Devon, Joey, and Vincent immediately seemed on their guard.

  Candra, Scarlett and Annabel sashayed over to Vincent and began to drag him towards the pool table while begging him to teach them how to play. The drummer had no choice but to go along with the lovely ladies and leave Carrie behind. In fact, Vincent completely ignored Carrie and acted as if she weren't there.

  Carrie frowned. Vincent was acting like their intimate dancing moment had never happened. And that surprisingly hurt.

  Blake was looking pleased with this development as he shooed Vincent away from Carrie with his hand. "That's right?shoo, you playboy and leave Carrie alone. I'm on to you, buddy."

  Damion looked around Devon's apartment with a critical eye and snorted. "This is it? These are the only people you invited to your big Christmas party? Where are the babes? LAME." Damion sneered as his lips twisted oddly with the word. He walked over to the entertainment center and turned the volume up all the way so that the walls of Devon's apartment began to vibrate from the now blasted, thumping rock music.

  "Let's get this party started. We need to kick things up a notch! YEA!" Damion yelled punching the air with his fist. "Where's the booze? I need to get wasted?"

  Blake slapped a hand to his forehead as he watched Damion's antics. "Some things never change."

  "Who the hell invited these jerks?" Joey muttered to Vincent.

  "Who do you think? The Pink Demoness." Vincent muttered back.

  "Crap?" Joey swore.

  Damion looked around until his eyes settled on Ro and Carrie. "Which of you girls is the new lead singer of Erotic Corpses?" Damion demanded as he stalked toward the girls.

  Vincent left his brides for a moment so that he could go stand protectively in front of Carrie. Joey made a similar safeguarding gesture and stood in front of Ro. Ro swallowed, beginning to feel nervous due to Vincent and Joey's watchful behavior. Should I be worried about something? The medium wondered.

  Blake floated next to Ro. "This punk is Damion Hellsing - the lead guitarist of The Necromancers. And let's not forget a murder suspect." Blake reminded Ro, in order to keep her on her toes.

  "I-I am." Ro managed to get out as she moved to stand next to Joey instead. She recalled seeing Damion celebrating with champagne at Blake's funeral and recognized him from the high school photos she'd seen.

  Damion looked Ro up and down with a critical eye. He shrugged. "Doable."

  Joey lunged at Damion as if he wanted to punch him, but Vincent grabbed onto Joey and held him back by putting the bass guitarist in an arm lock.

  Damion laughed, amused by Joey's hotheaded antics. "I heard you sing over the radio, Ro?you weren't half bad, but not as good as my eternal rival Blake White used to be. But still?very close?" Damion praised Ro but he had this deep scowl on his face.

  Damion looked at Joey and raised an eyebrow at him. "Chill dude, I'm not going to deflower your little girlfriend on Devon's expensive carpet. I'll leave that to you - make sure you do a good job. Well, as good as you can. Heh." Damion looked pointedly at Joey's crotch and gave the bass guitarist a pitying look.

  Damion looked at Carrie next, looking her up and down and his eyes settled on her breasts that were being pushed up by her black lace corset. Damion licked his lips unabashedly as he leered at Carrie's breasts. "Vincent Sangre. You always did have good taste. Heh."

  "We're not together." Vincent quickly stated and looked at his brides out of the corner of his eye nervously. He knew that they were watching him very closely. "Carrie Ashmore is our new stylist."

  Damion ignored his obvious lie and tossed Vincent something. Vincent easily caught the item and when he opened the palm of his hand realized that Damion had given him a condom.

  "You're large - at least according to the tweets your former conquests put up on your Twitter page. Make sure you use protection so that after you dump her butt in a month I can have your sloppy seconds." Damion licked his lips in a lewd gesture.

  Carrie turned bright red and clenched her fists at her sides. I'm so going to place a curse on this jerk! He has no idea who he's messing with!

  Damion handed a condom to Joey next. "You're size small, aren't you?" He teased.

  "Freakin punk!" Joey tossed the condom aside. "You're dead!"

  Again Joey lunged at Damion violently, but Vincent held his struggling friend back. "Calm yourself, Joey."

  "Let me the hell go, Vincent!"
Joey raged as she struggled in Vincent's grip. "Argh!"

  Damion cackled loudly, throwing his head back. "You guys are so uptight! What's the point of a party but to get drunk, drugged up, listen to rock music and then have wild sex? DUH? What kind of rockstars are you guys? It's a good thing I came here?" Damion looked directly at Ro again - who blushed. This rockstar was sex, drugs and rock 'n roll incarnate. Damion grinned. "Be gentle with this one Joey. I'm getting the 'virgin vibe' from her!"

  Ro's eyes widened with surprise. Was Damion a mind reader? "H-H-How did you know?"

  "Idiot!" Blake shouted at her.

  Damion's eyes widened in shock. "Ahahaha! I was right?" Damion's attention was suddenly caught by Carrie's pentagram necklace though. He reached out and grabbed it before she could react. "Is that?? Ah, no, it's just a normal pentagram. I happen to have a similar necklace. I am a Satanist. I assume you are a Wicca Witch, a worshipper of the Goddess?"

  Carrie nodded. "I am."

  Damion let go of Carrie's necklace and stepped back. "Sweet." He grinned at her. "Lilith is one of the Goddess' forms, you know. For those of you who don't know who Lilith is?she was Adam's first wife but she refused to lie below him and so was thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Then she met Samael (one of Satan's forms) and became his lover and spawned hundreds of demon children. The Goddess and the Angel of Darkness need more followers." Damion was distracted by the sight of Sadie and Devon getting comfy on the couch together next. A flash of jealous crossed his visage.

  Damion abruptly left Ro, Carrie, Vincent and Joey and made his way to Sadie and Devon next. The heavy metal guitarist tossed a condom to Devon who caught it between his index and middle finger out of reflex.

  "Extra Large, right?" Damion teased.

  "That's right. Thanks man." Devon said casually as he put the condom in his pocket.

  Damion laughed at that and plopped down onto the couch next to Devon and slung his arm around Devon's shoulders. "You're like way more normal than your band mates, man. They're acting like a bunch of prudes over there! You and Sadie have to make up for those guys being idiots and have a lot of fun tonight."

  "Oh we will." Devon smirked smugly.

  Damion cackled in amusement, watching Sadie out of the corner of his eye.

  Meanwhile, Morg Di Morte had gone over to the kitchen island and was eating all of the hors d'oeuvres and washing them down with beer after beer. His shirt had mysteriously disappeared and his pierced nipples were now visible.

  Sadie noticed that Morg was eating handfuls of her painstakingly crafted hors d'oeuvres and immediately became incensed. "Ah! Morg! What the hell do you think you're doing, punk?!" Sadie got up from the couch and went over to punish Morg.

  "Whaaa?" Morg asked innocently, his mouth full of food.

  "Argh! You glutton!" Sadie reached out, grabbed Morg's ear, and twisted it.

  "Ow! Oh?oh?ahhh! Oh yes, Sadie?hurt me more?" Morg cried out in pain but then let out a moan of pleasure as a sudden wave of desire crashed through his trained body. His body began to tremble. He pinched his chest with his hands as he began to get aroused by Sadie's rough treatment.

  "I brought something to liven this party up." Damion declared as he took out a large block of plastic wrapped cocaine and slammed it down on Devon's coffee table.

  "Holy crap?" Devon muttered, the blood draining from his face.

  Meanwhile, Gol grabbed himself a bottle of rum at the bar, a glass with ice, and took a seat directly across the table from Devon and Damion. He calmly and silently poured himself a drink and stuck a straw into his glass. He then took a slow sip of the rum through the straw while still wearing his mask. He watched Devon and Damion intently, curious to see what the outcome of his band mate's crazy antics would be.

  Damion took out a piece of paper, poured some coke onto it, and began to divide the powder into doses to be snuffed. Damion rolled a hundred dollar bill into a tube, leaned over and snorted the first dose up his nose.

  "Mmm?yea?that's good quality stuff. This half a kilo cost me only $6,500." Damion began to make another dose and handed Devon the rolled hundred dollar bill. "Come on, man, live a little."

  Devon hesitated.

  "CRAP." Blake groaned as he caught sight of what Damion was up to. "Damion that jerk. Devon was a drug addict for a while and even had to go to rehab. He's finally clean again. At least from what I can tell?" Blake said to Ro with a surprisingly worried expression on his face.

  Ro's eyes widened in horror and with concern for Devon. Devon used to do drugs? Damion was actually doing cocaine at this house party?! She felt faint. What if there was a drug bust or something? She thought wildly. Her heart beginning to hammer within her chest a mile a minute. Ro reached out and grabbed Joey's shirtsleeve. "Joey?do something. Devon is?"

  Joey looked at Devon and froze. "Oh crap?" Joey ran over to Devon and Damion, and glared at the heavy metal guitarist. "What the hell? Damion?you know Devon's got to stay away from that crap! Haven't you read the tabloids?!"

  Sadie crushed her cigarette out on Morg's bare back.

  Morg hissed in a combination of pain and pleasure as the cigarette burned his flesh with a small sizzle. "Ah?"

  Sadie sauntered over at that moment, done punishing Morg, and took the rolled hundred dollar bill from Devon, leaned over the table, and snorted the dose of cocaine. She plopped back down on the couch next to Devon. "You need to relax." She purred in his ear.

  Before Ro even realized it she was alone?Carrie and Vincent had gone out on the balcony to speak alone, and to avoid Vincent's brides, and so Morg spotted her and strut over to her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

  For some reason the young man no longer had his shorts on and was now standing in front of Ro in nothing but his black boxers that had tiny nooses all over them.

  "Hi." Morg said as he stood in front of Ro and stared at her. "I'm Morg Di Morte."

  Ro looked at the half-naked seventeen-year-old in shock. "I'm Ro?"

  "Yea, I know, Ro Ripper. Cool name. So Ro are you really a virgin?" Morg leaned forward to ask, his face only about an inch away from hers.

  "Yes." Ro squeaked.

  Morg gave Ro a confused look. "Why?"

  "I-I'm saving myself for-" Ro stuttered as she tried to explain how she was saving herself for marriage. She knew her thinking was old-fashioned but this is what she had decided for herself.

  Morg cut her off and leaned even closer so that she could feel his breath on her lips. "Sex is a lot of fun. I love sex. I have sex all the time?and I like older women. You look older than me?but I usually like older, experienced women who know what they're doing and what they want." Morg whispered in Ro's ear and licked her earlobe causing Ro to shudder. "Would you like me to help you get rid of your pesky virginity? You can use me any way you want?like a toy. You can tie me up and do whatever you want to me."

  Ro blushed bright red. The medium looked around, expecting someone to come to her rescue. Where was everyone?! Apparently, she would just have to save herself. Morg was still nibbling Ro's earlobe when she put her hands on Morg's shoulders and began to push him backwards. "I'm sorry, I-"

  "Hey, have you ever seen a you know before?" Morg asked suddenly while flicking his gaze down to his crotch.

  Ro stiffened up at that. Of course I've seen what one looks like?in medical books that is.

  "If you're a virgin you've never seen one?how about I show you mine? I bet you're curious. I have this really neat piercing?" Morg was saying conversationally as he began to slide his boxers down.

  Oh my God! Ro was beginning to get freaked out. And then the person she least expected to save her did-

  BONK! Sadie hit Morg over the top of his head with her fist. "Morg! You perverted idiot! What the hell, are you doing? Can't you keep your clothes on for once! You are so embarrassing! Gah!" Sadie threw her arms up into the air.

  Morg rubbed his head, grinning. "Ow?Oooo?Sadieeee. Hit me again, please?"

  Sa
die made a noise of disgust with her hands on her hips and gave Morg a repulsed look. "Go eat some more snacks and try to behave. I have to talk to my friend Ro about something important." Sadie declared and kicked Morg's butt in the direction of the kitchen island making sure that her sharp heel dug into Morg's soft flesh painfully.

  "Ah?!" Morg moaned in delight. "Yes, Mistress! Right away Mistress!"

  Sadie turned and gave Ro an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry about that?he has no sense of decorum. He says he just doesn't like wearing clothes. That they feel?confining. He's always just taking his clothes off - it doesn't matter where we are either! Gah! So embarrassing?but he is a really good bass guitarist. Can you believe I found him on the street like a stray cat? But anyways, here." Sadie handed Ro a glass of champagne. Sadie was holding one herself. She gave Ro a conspiratorial look. "Look, I need to talk to you about Devon."

  "Devon?" Ro's interest was immediately piqued.

  Sadie's expression turned worried. She looked behind her at Devon, Damion, Gol and Joey at the coffee table. "Not here?I need to speak to you alone. It's a matter of life and death."

  "A matter of life and death? Okay?" Ro instantly agreed.

  Sadie let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Follow me." Ro and Sadie snuck out of the apartment and took the elevator down to the first floor. The girls exited the apartment building and Sadie led Ro over to a bench.

  The two girls took a seat. Sadie took a sip of her champagne before she began speaking. "Ever since Blake died?Devon has been suffering greatly but has been hiding it from everyone. Even his two best friends. After we make love and we both fall asleep?he usually wakes me up around three or four in the morning. He gets up and leaves the bedroom to go sit alone at his bar and drinks. He drinks until he passes out. He doesn't know that I know?and I think maybe he's doing drugs again?" Sadie chewed on her lower lip.

  Ro gave Sadie a worried look and took a large gulp of her champagne to try and steady her nerves. "Oh no?"

  "You don't know this but Devon was in Rehab?he had a serious drug problem and almost died from it. I don't want to see him fall apart like Blake did?I don't want to lose him too?" Sadie turned her head to reveal that her blue eyes were filling with tears. "Oh Ro, I don't know what I should do!"

  "This is crap." Blake growled from where he was floating next to Ro. "I never fell apart! I never did cocaine or shot up heroin either. Protecting my voice and my body are my top priority. I mean, it always was my top priority?"

  Ro took another gulp of her champagne. "I think you should just stay by his side and continue to support him, Sadie. But I don't think you should do cocaine either?"

  Sadie blushed. "Ah, that was?so Devon wouldn't have to do it, ya know?"

  "I see?" Ro's eyelids felt heavy for some reason and she let out a yawn. All of a sudden she felt so tired. Ro stood up on unsteady legs. "We should get back?" Ro stumbled forward as she tried to walk towards the apartment building and Sadie stood up to catch her before she could fall flat on her face.

  "Ro! What the hell is going on? Sadie, you punk! What did you do to Ro?!" Blake yelled at the female rockstar.

  "I'm so sleepy?" Ro suddenly passed out.

  Sadie grinned and set Ro's unconscious body down on the bench. She then whipped out her cell phone. She sent a quick text message and sat down on the bench next to Ro to wait.

  Ten minutes later, a black Mercedes Benz convertible with tan leather interior, pulled up in front of the Blu Beverly Hills apartment building. A man wearing a black fedora, a long gray trench coat, and a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses got out of the car and approached Sadie and Ro. Blake didn't recognize the man until he took off the sunglasses.

  "Dr. Cole?" Blake spat. "Holy hell!" Blake swore and tried to possess Ro's body. But because she was drugged and completely unconscious this was preventing Blake from possessing her body. "Oh crap!"

  Dr. Cole approached Sadie and the sleeping Ro, a wide smile on his handsome face. "You used the drug I gave you?"

  "Yes." Sadie nodded.

  The handsome doctor looked Ro over. "It looks like it worked perfectly. You've done splendidly, to deliver my sleeping beauty to me."

  "Yea, yea, hurry up and take her." Sadie groused.

  Dr. Cole easily hoisted Ro up into his arms and carried her over to his car. He opened the passenger side door and gently placed Ro inside before closing the door after her.

  "Crap! Crap! Crap! Ro is being kidnapped! That idiot!" Blake swore loudly. "Joey?you fool! You were supposed to be looking out for her!"

  Dr. Cole headed to the driver's side door of his Benz.

  "Oh no, you don't, you bastard!" Blake yelled as he charged towards Dr. Cole and flung a punch at the jerk's smug face.

  But Blake's fist just passed right through Dr. Cole's face.

  "Crap! That freakin punk!" Blake spun and sent a roundhouse kick at Dr. Cole's chin. But Blake's combat boot just passed through Dr. Cole's chin as Blake's trench coat billowed behind him. The ghost swore as he continued to punch and kick Dr. Cole, but his efforts continued to have no effect. Dang it?!

  Dr. Cole got in behind the wheel and leaned out over his lowered window to smile at Sadie. "Who would have thought that behind that sweet attitude and cute face of yours existed such a cruel girl?"

  Sadie put her nose up into the air. "And who would have thought that behind such a professional fa?ade Dr. Cole was actually a psycho pervert."

  Dr. Cole's dark blue eyes flashed. "Touch?."

  Sadie flipped her hair. "Besides, what are you talking about Dr. Cole - I am a sweet girl?this never happened. Well, I better get back to the party. Devon Decayn is waiting for me."

  Dr. Cole saluted Sadie and sat back into his seat. He looked at Ro's unconscious form in the seat next to him and smiled. "I have you caged now, little bird. You won't escape. Your heart belongs to me."

  "Dang it!" Blake swore as he floated into the car and into the back seat. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled as his anxiety began to steadily increase. There was really nothing he could do for now except see where Dr. Cole was taking Ro.

  The heart surgeon pulled into the street, drove down the road for a few minutes before turning left onto a busier freeway, and smoothly merged into traffic. He began to make his way back to his Beverly Hills mansion at top speed. Dr. Cole was incredibly impatient to return home.

  Ten minutes later, Dr. Cole was pulling up in front of a pretentious iron gate. The doctor pressed a button on a remote he had inside his car and the gate began to open. Dr. Cole drove onto the graveled driveway and continued towards his mansion home. Several Doberman pinschers surrounded and barked at the Benz ferociously as Dr. Cole parked his Benz right in front of the mansion's main entrance. The doctor got out of the car and walked to the passenger side of the Benz before opening it. He scooped Ro up into his arms and made his way to the front door.

  Blake floated behind Dr. Cole as he carried Ro to the front door. He looked up to take a good look at the Beverly Hills mansion. It was an impressive building with three floors, pink stucco walls, and Spanish tiled roofs. There were lots of windows and balconies. The front door was made of a deep brown mahogany wood. There were glowing wall sconces all around the exterior of the building. The foliage surrounding the mansion was a combination of tropical plants, and palm trees.

  The jerk has a nice place. It reminds me of my family home that was burned down. Blake though with a conflicted pang.

  The dogs surrounded Dr. Cole and barked at the sleeping Ro in his arms. Dr. Cole turned his fierce gaze upon them. "Down boys. Sleeping beauty here is mine." The doctor declared and the dogs immediately fell silent.

  Dr. Cole opened the front door while balancing Ro on one leg and entered his mansion. The heart surgeon closed the door behind them and Blake was just about to float right through the door when the Dobermans started barking at him and blocked his path.

  "Hah?" Blake turned to face the barking and growling dogs. "Can y
ou flea-bitten mutts see me?"

  The Dobermans responded by lunging at Blake in an aggressive fashion. Blake dodged out of the way out of pure reflex. "Whoa! Bad doggies."

  The dogs turned to attack Blake again but the ghost dodged for the hell of it. They would have just passed right through his body anyways. Blake positioned himself between two Dobermans and stood still as both Dobermans lunged at him from the right and left. "Boo!" The Dobermans passed right through Blake's body and collided in midair. The two dogs hit the ground in a rolling mass of fur, snapping maws and raking claws.

  Blake laughed at the attack dogs. "Serves you right!" He said before turning and floating towards the front door. Blake passed through the front door and entered the mansion's foyer. As soon as he was inside the mansion he realized that he had lost sight of Dr. Cole.

  The foyer comprised mainly of a sweeping staircase, which led to the second floor. The floor was black and white marble, expensive vases could be seen sitting in curved alcoves, tapestries hung on the walls, paintings from famous artists also hung on the walls, a large, upright stuffed bear could be seen off to the side. Dr. Cole's hobby apparently seemed to be hunting since stuffed animals heads could be seen mounted here and there upon the walls. The stuffed grizzly bear had a strange scar on its chest as if it's heart had been ripped out.

  Blake heard footsteps coming from the second floor and floated up the curving staircase. He floated down a hallway and stopped outside the door of a room he thought he heard noise coming from. He floated right through the door and entered a bedroom. Blake quickly looked around the femininely decorated bedroom and was about to go when something caught his eye. "Ro?" Blake asked aloud as he floated over to a dresser that had a few framed photographs on top of it.

  In one of the photographs, the one that had caught Blake's eye a young woman with long, wavy black hair and eyes just like Ro's was staring back out of the photograph. She was wearing a long pale blue dress and her hand was clasped with the man who was standing next to her. Blake looked at the man next, and his eyes widened when he realized the man must be Dr. Cole.

  Dr. Cole was dressed casually in a blue, button-down, long-sleeved shirt, a pair of black slacks and some leather dress shoes. His rectangular shaped glasses were gone and his slicked back hair was messy and hung around his face in soft layers. His hand was clasped with the young woman next to him and he was smiling at her warmly, his eyes on her. He actually looked sincerely happy. He looked?normal.

  Blake curiously looked at the other photographs and saw that there were more photographs of the couple inside of the picture frames. Dr. Cole looked about a decade younger in these photos.

  "Just who is that woman?" Blake wondered aloud. And then there was a sudden thud coming from the room directly next to that one and so Blake decided to just phase right through the wall. Blake floated inside the room, which was illuminated. The sight that met Blake was a macabre one.

  The room had been decorated like a lady's parlor with a couple of French settees situated around a rectangular-shaped coffee table. A smaller round table had comfortable looking armchairs around it, and a piano was positioned off to the side. Seated upon the furniture were several young ladies. The young ladies were wearing long flower print dresses, had long, wavy, black hair and they were all wearing feathered and sequined masks on their faces as if they were going to go to a masquerade.

  Blake frowned when he realized that the women weren't moving. At all. Their chests were not rising and falling as they took in a breath.

  Blake narrowed his eyes at the unnaturally still women - making Blake think at first that the young women were actually dolls or manikins.

  But the truth was much much worse?

  However, Blake noticed the scars on their chests where their hearts had been ripped out of their bodies.

  These women were corpses. Preserved human corpses. These women were dead.

  Blake knew this without a doubt because standing behind their corpses were the ghosts of the murdered women. The ghosts were different from any of the fellow ghosts Blake had seen before. The ghosts of the young women who had died in nurses' dresses looked tortured and haunted. They had sunken eye sockets, were crying black tears that seemed to be oozing out of their eyes, their chests had gaping holes where their hearts had been and black goo was oozing and dripping down the front of their white nurse dresses. They looked less 'human' than the ghosts Blake had seen before and he knew with a sinking feeling in his gut what they were - poltergeists.

  Ghosts that had been on the Material Plane too long and began to lose themselves?forget who they were and turn into monsters that only had hate and fear and negative emotions inside of them.

  This is what Carrie had warned Blake about?that he should cross over and move on because the longer he remained on the Material Plane - the more likely it was that he would lose himself and become a poltergeist. A ghost that would hurt indiscriminately - putting Ro in danger.

  Dr. Cole had obviously murdered all of these poor young nurses and ripped their hearts out and preserved their bodies - turning them into 'Corpse Dolls'. Erotic Corpses. Blake couldn't help but think to himself. He felt sick. But why? Blake wondered. Dr. Cole had dressed the women up to look like that mysterious woman in the photograph. Just who is she? Where is she? Or is she already dead?

  Crap! Blake swore in his mind realizing that Dr. Cole was a perverted, psychopath and apparently also a serial killer.

  In the very center of the room was a large metal cage. Blake's attention was drawn to it next when he could hear the sound of the cage being locked. Dr. Cole was bending down in front of the cage and a chill went down Blake's nonexistent spine when he spotted Ro inside the cage. Dr. Cole stepped back and stood up, giving Blake a good view of the cage. The cage was eight feet long, four feet wide and four feet tall. It was a gigantic dog cage with metal grating. It had a main door that locked and a tiny door what could be opened and closed to put food inside of the cage without having to unlock the larger door. Ro was lying on her side on the cage floor still unconscious.

  Dr. Cole tucked the key into his pants' pocket and patted it. He smiled at Ro. "We'll have a nice chat when you wake up in a few hours." Dr. Cole declared and then he left the room, leaving Blake alone with Ro still in the cage. The door closed leaving behind a bleak sense of finality.

  "Ro!" Blake flew towards Ro's cage and hovered just outside it. "Ro wake up!" Blake hovered in front of the lock and punched it and kicked it, but his blows just passed harmlessly through the lock. This feeling of helplessness and futility welled up inside of Blake and threatened to overwhelm him. "Crap?what should I do?"

  Blake stared down at his useless transparent hands and truly felt dead for the first time since he had woken up wandering around Rodeo Drive aimlessly.

  Useless. Powerless. Pathetic.

  Blake White was powerless.

  Impossible! The great me can't be so powerless! Blake clenched his fists at his sides out of frustration. "What should I do? What can I do?" Blake continued to try and break the lock for the next few hours to no avail when Ro finally began to stir. Blake floated closer to the cage and watched intently as Ro woke up.

  "Mmm." Ro groaned and sat up. "Where??" She was about to look around the room, but before she could look past the metal grate, Blake flew right in front of her in order to gain her attention.

  "Ro! Don't look past the grate. Don't look at what is inside of this room. Just look at me and concentrate on me." Blake ordered her sternly.

  Ro focused her ice-blue eyes on Blake's lavender ones and nodded. She trusted Blake White. "Where??" What's that awful smell?? Formaldehyde?

  Blake's expression was grim. "You're in Dr. Cole's mansion."

  A look of confusion formed on Ro's pretty face. "Why?"

  "He put you in that cage but don't worry, Ro. We'll figure out a way to get you out of there before that perverted bastard comes back. Ro - I'm going to possess you and see if I can break
the lock, okay?"

  Ro nodded slowly, still feeling drowsy.

  Blake flew into Ro's body and possessed her with a whoom. When 'Ro' opened her eyes they were now glowing lavender colored.

  Blake looked around the cage and focused his attention on the lock. He crawled over to the front door of the cage, raised his fist, and let it fly at the lock.

  POW. The cage rattled. But the door remained closed.

  Blake punched the lock again and again until his knuckles began to bleed. He looked at his hand and stopped. He could keep going but this wasn't his body and the body he was hurting was Ro's.

  Blake left Ro's body and floated outside of the cage. He looked at Ro worriedly, concern etched in his handsome features. "I couldn't break the lock. I can't get you out of there. I can't help you?" Blake truly looked distraught. What good was having millions of dollars when they couldn't buy him the power to help Ro. He couldn't buy his life back from Death.

  Ro flinched at the pain in her hands. The medium had never seen Blake with that kind of hopeless expression on his face before though and it surprised her greatly. He was finally caring about someone other than himself. He looked near tears even.

  Ro immediately felt the need to reassure him. She reached her hand out to Blake and shook her head. "You did everything you could?don't worry?"

  Blake reached his hand out towards Ro's. Their hands were almost touching when-

  The door opened, Dr. Cole stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. He was wearing a slick, dark blue Armani suit, which brought out his dark sapphire-colored eyes. He took his glasses off, folded them neatly, and put them into the front pocket of his jacket. He smoothed his hair back with his fingers. He approached the cage and stood in front of Ro. "Good morning, sleeping beauty. I see that you are finally awake."

  Ro lowered her hand and clenched it into a fist on her lap. She turned around to face Dr. Cole, her legs folded beneath her. "Dr. Cole?what do you want from me?"

  Dr. Cole chuckled and got down on one knee before the cage so that he could look Ro in her eyes. "I think I already told you. I want your heart to be mine. I want us to be lovers, Ro."

  Ro clenched her fists in her lap and stared at Dr. Cole, directly in his eyes. Perverted psycho. "If you're going to take advantage of me why don't you just get it over with, so that I can go home? I'm sure it will just take a few minutes." Ro declared bravely, a tremor in her voice, even as her body began to tremble in fear.

  Dr. Cole's expression darkened. "Oh my dear Ro?I've decided that I won't force myself upon you. A girl like you?I want you to yearn for me. I want you love me. I want your heart, your love, your soul - everything." He spread his arms wide with a smile on his face.

  Ro gave the mad doctor a look of disbelief. "That will never happen."

  "Oh really? But don't you want to get out of that cage? If you give yourself to me willingly I will let you out of there immediately." Dr. Cole offered. "Be mine, Ro. And then, I too, will be yours."

  Ro's eyes went wide at that.

  Blake snarled and growled at Dr. Cole. "Frickin pervert?"

  "I would never give myself willingly to a man like you, Dr. Cole." Ro stated firmly.

  Dr. Cole stood up and let out a frustrated huff. "We shall see. Let's see how long you can put up with being in that cage, Rosalie. You'll be begging for me to let you out soon enough."

  Don't count on it. Ro thought savagely.

  The heart surgeon opened the miniature door on the cage that was about a foot wide and a half a foot tall, and set a cup of hot tea inside of Ro's cage. "If you have to go to the bathroom you can use the bucket over there?" Dr. Cole chuckled. He stood up, turned to go, and left the room once more.

  Ro looked at the tea thoughtfully. "Do you think it's safe to drink?"

  Blake shook his head. "Probably not?I'll go spy on him when he's preparing it in order to find out. You just have to hang in there until someone comes to save you."

  "Hmm." Ro agreed, but deep down in her heart she knew no one would be coming.

  Three days passed, and during this time Blake spied on Dr. Cole as he made Ro her tea and let the medium know when she could drink it and when she could not. Blake didn't know what he should do. No one else could see him or hear him except for Ro. Who could he possibly turn to for help?

  Blake continued to spy on Dr. Cole and as was his usual routine followed the doctor all around the house. Blake followed Dr. Cole into the living room where a young woman was seated on a couch. Blake couldn't see her face because they had just entered the living room, and so only saw the back of her head of long black hair.

  "Freya, my love, did you miss me?" Dr. Cole asked as he came over and took a seat next to 'Freya' on the couch and slung his arm over her shoulders. "Let's see what's on TV before dinner, shall we?" Dr. Cole asked as he picked up the remote control, turned the TV on, and began to flip through the channels.

  Blake floated around the couch to see who this mysterious 'Freya' was and a chill crawled up his spine when he realized it was another dead girl - a feathered mask on her face, a scar on her chest.

  Dr. Cole was hanging out with the corpse of some dead girl like it was perfectly normal.

  "Freakin psycho?that's just wrong on so many levels. Who is Freya?" Blake wondered aloud.

  Blake continued to observe Dr. Cole as he watched TV with Freya and made witty comments about the show they were watching directed towards her. He laughed at his own jokes and even seemed to be 'responding' to things Freya was 'saying'.

  Blake's eyes widened. "He's freakin crazy?"

  After Dr. Cole finished watching TV he turned it off and told Freya he'd get started on dinner. "I'm going to get started on dinner, my love. We're having your favorite?pig's heart." Dr. Cole smiled lopsidedly.

  Blake followed Dr. Cole into the kitchen and watched as the man tied on a white apron before beginning to skillfully cook dinner for him and Freya. He boiled two pigs' hearts, cooked wild rice, and steamed green beans. He opened a bottle of red wine and sipped from a glass as he cooked. Once Dr. Cole was finished with dinner he prepared two plates that he took out to the dinning room.

  Dr. Cole's dinning room was large and impressive. A long rectangular shaped mahogany table sat in the center of the room and could seat up to eight people. The chairs had emerald green material on the cushions. The drapes matched the cushions and were also a deep emerald green. An oil painting of Freya was hanging on the wall. Blake frowned at it. Obsessed much? He thought.

  Dr. Cole set the plates of food down on the table and went to get the bottle of wine and two glasses. He set the glasses down next to each plate and poured Freya a glass of wine.

  Blake watched as Dr. Cole reentered the living room and walked over to the corpse. "Freya, my love, dinner's ready." Dr. Cole said before sweeping the corpse up into his arms and carrying it into the dinning room.

  Dr. Cole sat the preserved corpse down into a chair and then took a seat across from it at the table. The mad doctor raised his glass. "To us?soon my love I will have a suitable heart to give you and bring you back to me." Dr. Cole declared as he clinked his glass against Freya's.

  Dr. Cole began to eat his pig's heart and spoke to Freya throughout the meal and acted as if he were responding to Freya's words and laughing at Freya's jokes. "Freya, my dear, you have such a marvelous sense of humor!"

  Once dinner was finished, Dr. Cole stood up and went over to the entertainment center and put on some dreary classical music. Dr. Cole walked over to Freya and offered her his hand. "Would you give me the honor of this dance, my beautiful lady?" Dr. Cole purred with a charming smile on his face. He swept the corpse up to its feet and put the corpse's feet on his so as he began to waltz across the dinning room floor the corpse moved with him.

  "My dear, beautiful, kind Freya?how did your dance lessons go today? You love to dance so much don't you, my ballerina. You are as graceful as a swan?my love?my Freya?" Dr. Cole looked down at the mas
ked face and frowned suddenly. "I'm so sorry, my love?" The doctor reached out to cup Freya's cheek with his hand. "I'm so sorry?" Dr. Cole's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears?

  Blake crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at Dr. Cole. He waned to hate this perverted psychopath?but he couldn't help but feel for him in that moment of weakness. Obviously, whoever this 'Freya' person was Dr. Cole had loved her very much.

  She must have died somehow and Dr. Cole seems to blame himself for it. He obviously went mad with grief over Freya's death. Blake shook his head at the thought.

  But even though Blake felt for the doctor - the ghost had never loved someone quite like that. When Blake had been alive he had only been in love with himself. Dr. Cole was still an evil serial killer, a perverted psychopath, a kidnapper and a lunatic. Blake would not forgive him.

  After the dance Dr. Cole scooped Freya up into his arms and headed for the bedroom. Blake felt nauseous even though he no longer had a stomach. Hopefully, Dr. Cole was just going to sleep with the corpse and not make love to it?Blake shuddered. He really didn't want to know and so the ghost left before he could hear anything of the sort passing through the walls.

  On the fifth day, Dr. Cole entered the room with a tray and the customary cup of tea upon it. He opened the mini door and set the cup of tea inside Ro's cage. He gave her a thoughtful look. "You have very good instincts, Ro. You never drank the tea I dosed with sleeping medication. But what will you do if I just start to drug every cup of tea from now on? Will you allow yourself to starve to death? You're so stubborn, aren't you? There's sleeping medication in that cup, by the way." Dr. Cole stood up and chuckling left the room. It was only a matter of time before she broke.

  Ro picked up the teacup with trembling hands and brought it to her lips.

  "Idiot! Didn't you hear what he just said? There's sleeping medication in that!" Blake yelled.

  Ro just shrugged and drank the tea anyways. She was so tired of being on guard the whole time, of trying to be tough. So tired. I'm so tried of fighting him. I give up. I just can't take this anymore.

  Blake tugged at his hair in exasperation. Arghhh?Ro was so stubborn! Gahhh!

  Half an hour passed and then Ro fell into a deep sleep.

  An hour later, Dr. Cole entered the room with a shopping bag in hand. He peered into Ro's teacup and saw that she had drunk the tea. The medium was fast asleep, having been knocked unconscious by the sleeping medication as planned.

  A twisted smile spread across Dr. Cole's thin lips. He reached into his pants' pocket, pulled out the key, and unlocked Ro's cage. He reached in and dragged Ro out of the cage and set her down gently on the floor.

  Ro was still wearing the costume from the Christmas concert which consisted of the tight, black leather, lace-up corset and the long flowing black skirt that was covered in Swarovsky crystals.

  Dr. Cole brought his hands to the laces on Ro's corset and began to undo them with practiced movements.

  Blake watched what Dr. Cole was doing in mounting horror. "What the hell?! Don't touch her, you jerk!" Blake flew over and punched and kicked Dr. Cole, but Blake's kicks and punches just passed right through Dr. Cole's body.

  Dr. Cole unlaced Ro's corset and slipped it over her head, leaving her in a black, lacy, strapless bra. Next, Dr. Cole began to pull Ro's skirt down and over her legs. This left Ro in nothing but her bra and matching panties.

  "So beautiful?so pure?so innocent?" Dr. Cole murmured as he ran his hands over Ro's body lovingly. "So much like her."

  Blake continued to punch and kick Dr. Cole fiercely, before he then raked his nails down Dr. Cole's back hatefully and filled with rage.

  The doctor shuddered. A chill had gone down his back and the room temperature seemed to have dropped abnormally.

  Dr. Cole shook his head, he was just imagining things. The heart surgeon picked up the shopping bag and took out a powder-blue dress. He began to dress Ro in it, and even put a pair of stockings and shoes on her.

  Blake felt so frustrated and powerless as he watched Dr. Cole dress Ro up like a doll. Freakin perverted control freak!

  "Dang it!" Blake roared as he began to punch and kick the furniture that was inside of the room angrily. Blake sent a flying sidekick to an umbrella strand that was filled with several flower-print umbrellas, and it fell over. The umbrellas rolled across the floor.

  Blake didn't even notice that this phenomenon had occurred and continued to punch and kick at stuff out of rage and frustration and hate.

  The ghost swiped his hand across the coffee table and an expensive, Japanese porcelain tea service with matching cups and saucers was sent crashing to the floor.

  Dr. Cole stood up and looked around the room fearfully. First, the umbrella stand had been knocked over and then the tea set. "Who's there? I know you're there. Show yourself, coward!"

  Blake froze and looked at the mess he had caused! Blake looked at his trembling hands in awe. He had actually managed to move an object! Yes!

  Dr. Cole frowned and rubbed at his chilled arms. He had goosebumps and his back was burning. The doctor quickly put Ro back inside of the cage and fled the room. The poltergeists of the young women were cackling happily at Dr. Cole's terror.

  Blake flew over to the cage and waited for Ro to wake up. While he waited he concentrated on making umbrellas and broken tea cups move across the floor and found that if he really concentrated that after a few tries he could do it!

  A few hours later, Ro awoke. She sat up slowly and looked down at her new clothes. A sick, twisting feeling formed in her stomach. Dr. Cole had changed her clothes and what else had he done to her while she was unconscious? Had he?? The blood began to drain from Ro's face and her hands began to tremble.

  Blake noticed Ro's horrified look, however. "He didn't touch you. At least not inappropriately, if that's what you were wondering, idiot." Blake told Ro in a gruff voice.

  Ro let out a relieved breath and nodded.

  "I'm sorry." Blake began to apologize and Ro gave him a surprised look. "I'm here at your side and yet I can't do anything to help you, even when Dr. Cole is doing these sick and twisted things to you."

  "It's all right. It's not your fault." Ro was quick to reply.

  Blake sighed heavily and ran a hand back through his platinum blonde hair out of frustration. Ro's words didn't make him feel any better. If anything they made him feel worse. This was his fault. If it hadn't been for Blake recruiting Ro to help him with his revenge this never would have happened. Blake looked at Ro grimly, thinking about what he was about to do. But it had to be done. "Ro?you can't stay here like this. I need to tell someone that you're here?"

  Ro gave Blake a curious look. "Who?"

  Blake scratched the back of his neck. "I was thinking I would try and communicate with Carrie. She's the only one open-minded enough to believe a ghost was trying to communicate with her. Carrie is our best bet. Which is why I have to go?and leave you alone here."

  Ro was terrified by the prospect of being left alone, but understood that Blake was doing everything in his power to help her. Ro clenched her hands to keep them from shaking and looked Blake directly in his lavender colored eyes. She nodded. "I believe that you will save me."

  "Indeed." Blake offered Ro a dashing smile. "I won't let that sicko continue to treat you like his personal Barbie doll! I'll be back with help and we'll get you out of there, Ro. I promise you - I'll be back."

  Ro nodded. "And I'll be waiting."

  Blake flew out of the room, down the hall, down the sweeping staircase, and out the front door without looking back because if he hesitated even for a second he knew he wouldn't be able to leave Ro's side. Carrie. He needed to go to Carrie's house! Blake flew through the sky and headed for the Wicca witch's house. He used his new ghost senses to trace Carrie's unique soul signature in order to pinpoint her location.

  This was the first time Blake was truly acting like a ghost?flying through the sky, over mansions, cars a
nd treetops, and swerving around palm trees. Before now, Blake had liked to pretend he was still alive and had 'walked' next to Ro, and 'sat' next to her.

  But now he was glad for his ability to just fly through the sky. Blake flew to Carrie's house - a moderately sized dwelling for the witch's huge family - in record time. The house harbored Carrie's mother and father, who were never home, and the rest of her family. Carrie had two younger siblings Lily and Sammy, a younger sister named Rosemary and a baby brother named Draven. Blake flew into the house and began to search each room in turn, looking for Carrie's room.

  Blake flew into one room immediately realizing that this had to be Carrie's room. The room had a black light on and there were black light posters on the walls with scary demonic and angelic images. There was a poster of a crow playing guitar and the words 'Nothing Matters, tour 2003'. The walls had been painted dark purple. Candles were the only other source of light in the room and they were everywhere. Blake noticed one skull-shaped candleholder with a red candle stuck into the top so that it was dripping red wax all over the skull and looking like droplets of blood.

  Also decorating Carrie's Goth room was a red and black lava lamp, a beaded curtain, a cross hanging on the wall, a black blow-up coach, two black, beanbag chairs, and a pillow shaped like a cat's head but looking like a cat's skull. But the strangest and most out of place thing that was there had to be the poster of Vincent Sangre that was on Carrie's wall! Blake's jaw dropped and he gaped at the poster of Vincent behind his set of drums and his name written in swirly letters on the poster.

  "That creepy Goth girl?she said she wasn't our fan." Blake scoffed. "The liar?I need to figure out a way to keep those two apart." Blake shook his head. "Now's not the time to worry about that."

  Carrie was lying back on her bed on top of her dark purple sheets. The radio was on and playing Erotic Corpses' new anti-war song Zombie World featuring Ro's singing voice. "Kill, Kill, Kill! Everyone's getting freaking killed! Kill, Kill, Kill! Everyone's turning into zombies!"

  Carrie moved her head up and down to the beat, and tears slowly filled her eyes. "Ro?where are you? Did Blake's murderer kill you?" She said softly. Carrie flipped through her Book of Shadows absentmindedly but she wasn't really looking at anything on the pages.

  Blake flew over and hovered directly in front of Carrie. "Carrie! It's me, Blake! I know where Ro is!"

  Carrie just stared straight through Blake as if he weren't there. Carrie rubbed at her arms - it was suddenly chilly in her room.

  "Dang it!" Blake shouted out of frustration. He looked around Carrie's room. "I'll make you pay attention to me, witch!" Blake flew over to Carrie's bookshelf and began to knock books off the shelf with a sweep of his hand.

  Carrie sat up in bed, wide-eyed and watched as books were suddenly flying off her shelf. "What the?" Blake didn't stop there, however, and began to push her computer chair across the floor. Then Blake snuffed out a candle.

  "Blake?" Carrie called out into her room.

  Blake looked over at Carrie wide-eyed. "Yes! It's me! Carrie! Crap!" He made a candleholder vibrate in response.

  "Holy Goddess?you really are here?" Carrie breathed. "Do you know where Ro is? Is she dead too?"

  Blake sat down in the chair and began to rock it back and forth?

  Carrie frowned and bit her lip. "If only I could hear your voice?it looks like you can move things now?ah! That's it!" Carrie leapt off the bed and ran to her closet. She flung the doors open and began to rummage around the bottom of her closet through her board games until she pulled out her homemade Ouija Board.

  The flat, wooden board was fifteen by twenty inches, and had the letters of the alphabet on it. The first line had the letters A through M, the second line had the letters N through Z, and the last line had the numbers one through nine and the number zero. At the very top of the board on the left side was the image of a sun with the word 'yes' in its center. On the upper right corner of the board was the image of a moon and the word 'no' written inside of it. At the bottom of the board the word 'goodbye' was written. The board came with a 'planchette' - a wooden device that looked like an upside down heart with a cutout circle in the middle of it.

  Carrie carried the Ouija Board and the planchette to the middle of her room and set the board down on the floor. She placed the planchette on the board and sat down cross-legged in front of the board. The witch reached out and placed her fingertips onto the planchette. "Okay, Blake, you can communicate with me using this Ouija Board. You just move the planchette and put it over the letters to spell out words. Understand?"

  Blake floated above the board and looked at it curiously. It looked pretty self-explanatory - the word 'yes' inside of the sun, the word 'no' inside of the moon, the letters of the alphabet to spell out words and phrases, the numbers, and the word 'goodbye' at the bottom of the board. This thing was pretty convenient! Blake furrowed his brow and concentrated on moving the planchette towards the word 'yes'.

  Carrie gasped as the planchette began to move.

  "Blake?" The Goth witch breathed. "Do you know where Ro is?"

  Blake moved the planchette away from the word 'yes' and then back again.

  "Is Ro alive?"

  Blake moved the planchette away from the word 'yes' and back again.

  Carrie let out a breath of relief. "Where is she?"

  Blake moved the planchette quickly over the letters: D, R, C, O, L, and E.

  "D?R?C?O?L?E?" Carrie murmured. "Dr. Cole?! That bastard is messing with Ro again? What the hell?did he kidnap her?"

  Blake used the board to answer 'yes'.

  "Crap?where is she? At his house?"

  Blake again answered in the affirmative.

  "Do you know the address?"

  Blake moved the planchette over to the word 'no'.

  "Useless ghost! You should have looked at the address before you left Ro there! Idiot! Well, is there anyone you know who would know where Dr. Cole lives?"

  Blake used the board to spell out the following word: 'Vincent'.

  "V?I?N?C?E?N?T." Carrie spelled out the name and sucked in a breath. Carrie took out her cell phone and hesitated upon dialing his number. She was still pretty angry with him for what had happened back at Sadie and Devon's Christmas party. First, Vincent had denied having anything to do with her and then had been flirting with his so-called brides?and after that he had dragged her out on the balcony to explain that he hadn't meant any of it. She didn't know what to think.

  "Please Carrie, you have to help Ro. That perverted bastard Dr. Cole has her in a cage!" Blake shouted at the top of his lungs at the Goth girl.

  And the strangest thing happened, the radio went staticky and a strange sounding voice filled Carrie's room:

  "Please Carrie?help Ro?pervert?cage?"

  "Blake?!" Carrie jumped and looked at the radio, eyes wide. Carrie's expression hardened and she dialed Vincent's number, which he had given her at the Christmas party, and which she had vowed to never use.

  Vincent immediately picked up. "Hello my dear, how are you holding up, this horrible morning?"

  "Vincent! I?would you think I was crazy if I told you that I know where Ro is?"

  "No, where do you thinks she is?"

  "Dr. Cole has her. Someone told me that you might know where he lives?"

  "I do?Dr. Cole is actually my doctor. Wait, so you're saying Dr. Cole has kidnapped Ro? Impossible. Whatever for?"

  "I think?" Carrie frowned. "Hang on a second." Carrie set her cell phone on the floor and knelt by the Ouija Board putting her fingers back onto the planchette. "Why did Dr. Cole kidnap Ro? Some kind of blackmail?"

  Blake used the board to spell out the following phrase 'lover'.

  "L?O?V?E?R. Lover? What? You have got to be kidding me! That freakin pervert. Poor Ro she's already so traumatized?" Carrie exclaimed and picked the cell phone back up. "Um, Vincent?er?"

  "I heard you yell something about a 'lover'? That bad, huh? Wh
o's telling you all this?"

  "Ah?um?"

  "Anonymous tip, huh? I get it. I'll call Devon and Joey and we'll come pick you up. Just give me your address. Then we'll go rescue Ro together."

  Carrie let out a breath of relief. "Thank you." She thanked Vincent before giving the drummer her home address.

  "We'll be right there." Vincent assured before ending the call.

  Carrie stood up and looked around the room. "Blake?we're going to go to Dr. Cole's house. You should probably get back to Ro since you left her there all alone."

  Blake nodded and flew out of Carrie's window and back to Dr. Cole's mansion.

  Meanwhile, Carrie paced back and forth in her room until thirty minutes later a car honked outside of her house. Carrie ran to her window and looked down.

  A burgundy red Phantom Rolls Royce was parked in front of her house. Vincent got out of the driver's side and looked up. He spotted Carrie in her bedroom window and as he lowered his sunglasses slightly their eyes met.

  "I'll be right down!" Carrie called out before running out of her bedroom, down the hall, down the stairs and through the living room where all of Carrie's brothers and sisters were watching TV.

  "Hey Carrie, where are you going?" asked her little brother, Sammy, as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

  "To save a friend." Carrie replied. She got her long leather jacket out of the closet and exited her house. She ran towards Vincent. "You're here." She greeted breathlessly.

  "Of course, my lady," Vincent said smoothly as he opened the passenger side door for her to get into the car. Carrie quickly got into the car and looked behind her to see that Devon and Joey were seated together in the back seat. Joey had a baseball bat in one hand and was hitting the palm of his other hand with it. Devon had brass knuckles on his fingers and was cracking his knuckles one by one. From the grim looks on their faces, Carrie knew that these guys meant business.

  "Hey guys?thanks for doing this?poor Ro, she must be terrified." Carrie said. I just can't believe that these guys are murder suspects?I better not think about that right now?

  Devon's expression was chill. "I don't entirely believe you, Carrie. We all know Dr. Cole and his immaculate reputation. But?Vincent says you're telling the truth, so I'm betting on him."

  "And if Dr. Cole really does have Ro we're going to kick his butt into next week!" Joey blurted out fiercely.

  Carrie nodded. "Thank you?"

  Vincent got back into the driver's seat and put his hands on the wheel. "Off we go?to rescue a damsel in distress. How splendid." He started the car and drove off down the street, heading for Dr. Cole's mansion as fast as Devon would let him go. He knew the way since he'd been there a couple of times before.

  About forty minutes later, Vincent was pulling up to the front gate. He rolled his window down so he could ring the doorbell and use the intercom.

  "Everyone get down?he probably has cameras set up around here somewhere." Vincent reached his hand out and rang the doorbell.

  "Who is it?" Came Dr. Cole's silky voice over the intercom.

  Vincent pressed on the intercom button so that he could communicate with Dr. Cole. "It's Vincent, Dr. Cole."

  "Now is really not a good time, Vincent. I'm?entertaining guests."

  "Dr. Cole?I really need to speak with you. It's urgent?it's about my?" Vincent shot a wary look towards his friends. "Condition."

  Everyone in the car gave Vincent curious looks. Condition? They were all wondering.

  "I'm in a lot of pain, doctor?" Vincent let out a pained groan for full effect.

  Vincent heard Dr. Cole let out a sigh. "Very well, but make it fast." Dr. Cole must have pressed the unlocking button because the front gate opened before them and Vincent was able to drive inside Dr. Cole's estate and make his way up the graveled driveway that led to the mansion.

  "What 'condition' were you just referring to Vincent?" Devon drawled off-handedly.

  Vincent gulped and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "My asthma?"

  "Asthma?" Joey frowned and scratched his head. "I didn't know you had asthma."

  I didn't know Vincent had asthma either. Carrie thought to herself before the sight of the impressive Spanish-style mansion that was coming into view distracted her. "Whoa. He's loaded?makes me hate him even more?"

  Vincent pulled his Rolls Royce right in front of the mansion's front door and behind Dr. Cole's parked Benz. The group began to get out of the car and almost immediately the sound of barking and growling could be heard. Five Dobermans turned the corner around the mansion and began to head towards the group.

  "Holy crap! Attack dogs!" Joey said as he readied his bat in front of him.

  Devon got into a fighting stance, his fists raised before him.

  Vincent moved to stand protectively in front of Carrie.

  The door to the mansion opened and Dr. Cole stepped outside. He raised a dog whistle to his lips but didn't blow it. "I thought you were alone, Vincent. Would you mind telling me why you're really here? Or should I let my dogs rip the truth out of you?"

  "Crap?" Joey swore nervously with a guilty look on his face.

  The dogs were almost upon them when Dr. Cole blew the whistle and the dogs halted in a circle around Vincent, Carrie, Devon and Joey.

  "I don't like uninvited guests. Nor surprise visits. I do not find this amusing in the least, Vincent." Dr. Cole drawled, his dark blue eyes glinting angrily.

  "Do forgive me, Dr. Cole, but we have reason to believe that a friend of ours is here - Ro Ripper." Vincent quickly explained.

  The doctor's lips thinned into a straight line. "And how did you come to suspect that I have the missing girl?"

  "We never said she was 'missing'." Carrie walked over to stand next to Vincent and glared at Dr. Cole. "A very reliable anonymous tip. We know you have her, Dr. Cole, so hand her over!"

  Dr. Cole frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen?Ro Ripper. Now, I think you all should leave before I call the authorities and have you all arrested for trespassing."

  "No way! Let us search your mansion and then we'll go!" Carrie shot back in a fiery manner, her hands on her hips.

  "If you enter my mansion without my permission I will considerate it breaking and entering and have my dogs here tear you to pieces. Don't doubt that they can and will do it and that I will allow it." Dr. Cole threatened in a low, deadly voice.

  "Lying scumbag?" Carrie moved towards Dr. Cole but a Doberman immediately moved to stand in front of Dr. Cole protectively and barked and snapped its maw at Carrie viciously as drool dripped out of the dog's maw.

  "Some BACK UP would be really nice right about now!" Carrie complained loudly.

  Everyone looked at Carrie like she was crazy. No one saw Blake fly out of the front door - no one except for the Dobermans who immediately directed their attention towards the rockstar ghost.

  Blake grinned maliciously at the dogs. "Hello again you smelly, flea-bitten mutts. Let's play!" Blake began chasing, kicking, and punching the dogs that immediately began to go berserk - snapping at thin air. And then all five dogs inexplicably took off running in one direction and around the corner of the mansion towards the mansion's rear garden.

  Carrie was looking quite pleased with herself. "Where are your precious dogs now, Dr. Cole?"

  Devon stepped forward directly in front of Dr. Cole. "Out of the way, Dr. Cole. We're going to search your mansion."

  Dr. Cole's eyes flashed and he scowled at Devon Decayn. He hated rockstars. "No-"

  "Have it your way then." Devon shrugged before bringing his fist up and letting it fly into the side of Dr. Cole's face - brass knuckles biting into the doctor's sensitive flesh.

  POW! Dr. Cole staggered backwards and fell to the marble floor of the foyer.

  "Now!" Carrie said as she ran into the mansion, followed close behind by Vincent, Joey and Devon. "It'd be great if we knew where she was!" Carrie called out to the mansion.

 
Immediately, a vase was knocked over from its alcove to their left and then a vase was knocked over at the top of the left hand staircase that swept upwards towards the second floor.

  "She's upstairs!" Carrie took off running up the winding staircase, which took them to the second floor. Carrie looked left and right when a tapestry down the hall on her left was suddenly ripped off the wall. "This way!" Carrie took off down the hall in that direction with Devon, Vincent, Joey following the witch close behind and giving her curious looks.

  They were also witnessing the angry poltergeist's signs for what direction they should be heading in but made no comment. They were with a Wicca witch after all.

  Carrie heard a crash from inside one of the rooms and halted before it. She reached out and tried the knob only to find it locked. "Crap?it's locked."

  "Move aside." Devon said as he strode forward and kicked the door in, busting its hinges.

  Vincent, Carrie, Devon and Joey all rushed inside of the brightly lit parlor room to see Ro inside of a cage that was sitting on the very center of the floor. But the group's attention was soon drawn elsewhere.

  "What's that awful smell?" Joey brought a hand up in front of his mouth and gagged slightly.

  "Formaldehyde." Devon stated darkly.

  As the group searched the room for the source of the awful stench they noticed the two French settees situated around a low coffee table, another round table with several armchairs around it and a piano. Seated upon the furniture were several young women dressed in flower print dresses that had long black hair and that were wearing feathered masks on their faces.

  "We're not alone." Vincent stated grimly.

  But the group couldn't fail but note how these young women weren't moving or breathing. They also noted the strange scars on the women's chests and their slightly blue-tinged skin. A feeling of dread came over everyone as they began to realize what was going on?

  "Those women?aren't moving." Joey said in a trembling voice.

  "That's because they're dead." Devon said as he shook his head in disgust. "The formaldehyde was used to preserve those corpses over there."

  "Corpses?!" Joey exclaimed in horror. "I thought they were dolls." The blood drained from Joey's face and he looked faint.

  "They're so well preserved?they really do look like dolls." Carrie agreed. "They must be former nurses of Dr. Cole's."

  Vincent frowned at Carrie's comment. "Former nurses?" Vincent shook his head not wanting to believe it. The case of the mysteriously disappearing nurses from Good Samaritan Hospital?had it just been solved? Had Dr. Cole been behind it? He was the one who had spirited the girls away, killed them, ripped their hearts out and even decided to preserve their bodies with formaldehyde?! Had Dr. Cole - his doctor - really killed all those women? "I can't believe it?it's not possible."

  The stench of death filled the room. The stench of rotting flesh and formaldehyde.

  "This is like the set up for a very bad horror movie," Joey shuddered.

  "I think I watched that one with Sadie," Devon deadpanned. "Everyone died."

  "Thanks for sharing that tidbit." Vincent said.

  "Your welcome, bro." Devon nodded.

  "Ro!" Carrie and Joey both burst out as soon as they caught sight of Ro sitting in that cage on her knees, so calmly, and looking like a doll. Had she already been killed and preserved? "We're too late." They rushed towards the cage.

  Vincent and Devon soon followed. Devon keeping an eye on everyone's back.

  Ro turned her head slowly to see her friends and tears immediately filled her ice-blue eyes. "Carrie?Joey?Devon?Vincent?how?" Ro looked at Carrie with an intense gaze. "He was able to reach you?" Ro asked in a soft voice so that the others wouldn't overhear.

  Carrie nodded, tears in her eyes.

  Joey took a step back and eyed the lock on the cage. "Stand back Ro - I'll open the door." Joey raised his bat as if he'd take a swing at the cage door.

  However, Devon reached out and grabbed Joey's arm, stopping him. "Idiot?that won't open it."

  Joey spun around to glare at Devon defiantly. "But we can't just leave her in there! She's alive!"

  "Ahem." The sound of someone clearing his voice was heard from the doorway. Everyone turned to see that Dr. Cole was standing nonchalantly in the doorway with a darkening bruise on his cheek.

  "I believe you'll need a key to open that cage." Dr. Cole held up the key.

  Joey started towards Dr. Cole threateningly. "Give it here!"

  "Gladly," Dr. Cole said as he threw Joey the key.

  Joey caught it and began to unlock the cage door.

  Devon began to approach Dr. Cole, a dangerous aura flaring up around him. "I thought you said you'd never seen Ro Ripper."

  "Indeed, that girl is not Ro Ripper?her real name is Rosalie Galloway. Did you know she was deceiving you? She's a nurse?a nurse whom I fired. I can assure you she's no singer. Her father, Edgar Galloway, is dying of cancer. He's a patient at Good Samaritan Hospital. Rosalie's dream is to become a nurse, not a singer!" Dr. Cole revealed with a pleased smile on his face.

  Devon continued to approach Dr. Cole, fires blazing in his dark eyes. "So what? You lied about having her prisoner here, you sick freak. How can we really believe anything you're saying?"

  Dr. Cole shrugged. "I didn't harm her. And if you don't believe me ask her yourself. I just?wanted to break her into finally giving in to me. I want to make her heart mine. No woman has ever refused me before. She?intrigues me. What also intrigues me is how you all found out that I was keeping her here?" Dr. Cole stroked his chin and looked everyone in the eye. "I told no one?and I doubt the one who originally helped me to get my hands on Ro would have 'ratted me out'."

  Dr. Cole began to pace across the room. "And the strangest things have been occurring in my mansion as of late?objects moving on their own?as if a ghost or angry poltergeist was moving them. Did you all knock over those vases I saw broken in my hallway or was it something - someone else?"

  "Talk about having a guilty conscience." Joey muttered grimly as he looked at the corpses of the dead women. "Thinking the girls you killed came back to haunt you maybe?"

  Dr. Cole's attention suddenly shifted to Carrie and he noticed the symbol of Lilith hanging from a chain on Carrie's neck. "Ah, the symbol of The Goddess?you're a Wicca witch aren't you?"

  "I am." Carrie crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

  "I see?how interesting. If the one I believe is responsible for this is?he will pay." Dr. Cole muttered darkly to himself.

  Devon cracked his neck from side to side and his knuckles next. "I think?the one who is going to pay today is you, Dr. Cole." Devon declared before punching Dr. Cole hard across the face again. The doctor staggered backwards and Devon punched Dr. Cole in the gut next.

  Dr. Cole gasped and bent over clutching his stomach. "W-Wait! I wouldn't do this if I were you!" Devon grabbed Dr. Cole's head and slammed it into his knee.

  BAM! Dr. Cole staggered backwards once more and fell backwards to the floor, coughing.

  But Devon wasn't finished with him yet and kicked Dr. Cole in the stomach and began to kick the heart surgeon repeatedly with his steel-toed boots until a sickening crack rang through the air.

  Blake was nodding approvingly at Devon's actions. "Don't hold back, bro."

  Joey gave Ro his hand and pulled her out of the cage.

  Blake watched as Joey helped Ro out of the cage - so easily. He couldn't help the jealousy he felt that Joey was able to do such a simple thing and he could not. Jealousy. Envy. Not that Blake would ever admit it to himself. He was just happy that Ro was alright. She had been saved. No thanks to him.

  A single black tear trailed down Blake's face and he brushed it away absentmindedly with his thumb. He looked down and saw the black residue on his hand. A scowl formed on his handsome face and his expression darkened. Time is running out.

  "Stop?stop it." Ro began as she stalked past Joey and towards Dr.
Cole and Devon. "It's enough. As he said before he did not harm me."

  "Ro!" Joey looked scandalized. "That sick freak kept you locked in a cage for almost four days! We thought?" Joey bit his lip and looked at the preserved corpses sitting around and having a tea party. "And those poor girls?"

  Devon kicked Dr. Cole one last time and stalked out of the room. "Murdering scumbag."

  "He'll pay?he'll pay for this?you will regret treating me like this?" Dr. Cole began to laugh as blood dribbled down his chin.

  Ro shot Blake a worried look. Who was the 'he' that Dr. Cole was talking about??

  "Come on, Ro, don't listen to him. He's obviously insane. Let's get out of here." Joey took Ro's hand and began to lead her out of the room.

  Blake's heart clenched strangely in his chest at the sight of Ro and Joey walking out of the room hand in hand. He grit his teeth angrily but?this was the whole point. Ro was supposed to be getting close to his friends in order to investigate them. Ro was his gopher and nothing more. Right?

  Vincent was the last out of the room. "Why Dr. Cole? Why? I respected you?I thought you were an honorable man?"

  "There's a lot that you don't know about me, Vincent. I guess you'll be finding yourself another doctor but?it's already too late?" Dr. Cole laughed hollowly.

  Vincent felt his gut clench at Dr. Cole's cryptic words and a scowl formed on his handsome face. "Goodbye Dr. Cole. And good riddance."

  What Vincent and Dr. Cole didn't know was that Blake was still in the room. He gave Vincent a suspicious look. "Just what have you been hiding, Vincent. I'll have Ro find out."