Lila Spencer - Vengeance is Mine




Dear Diary (the last entry) ...

Today is the day that I've been anticipating for what seemed like forever. The
past three years of writing down about my experiences here have been torturous
to say the least, but I had been a good girl, appeasing the doctors and
listening to the nurses all the while counting the days until my eventual
freedom.

And now it is finally here, and I get to home like I always wished. Except,
there is no more home to go to anymore I had discovered ... only memories of
when times were happier, before I was locked up in this godforsaken place.

I have lost everything that was dear to me, and all I have left now is anger
and hatred towards the ONE person who was to blame for all of this ... that
bitch, Lila Spencer!

And I'm going to make her pay, and pay dearly!

Lila Spencer opened the door to her locker for her early class books. Already
a month-and-a-half into her Junior year, and she was loaded up to her armpits
with homework, not to mention getting quizzes every week it seemed like, and
she had another one in her trig class this morning. Even though she had always
dreamed of going off to college, if this overload of schoolwork was a prelude
of what post-high school would be like, then Lila considered maybe choosing
another course for her life, like maybe singing up for the military or
something. Yeah, like I can see myself doing push ups and firing a rifle ...
she thought glibly to herself.

But at the moment, her thoughts were squarely fixed with the upcoming
homecoming dance tonight after the big football game, and since she was a
Junior now, she was able to finally attend it. She couldn't wait to get on the
dance floor with her boyfriend, Chris Marlin, in what will be their first
formal date, and she intends to knock his socks off with the dress she plans
to wear.

Seeing someone approach from the corner of her eye, she turned to see her best
friend, Ashley Emerson, walk towards her. Lila's mouth gaped open at the sight
of her normally shy friend for she looked nothing like the mousey bookworm she
always projected. "I have to say your appearance certainly has changed every
since you've been modeling with Tina," Lila spoke as Ashley was within earshot
of her. "I just never thought you'd take your new look out in public."

Ashley had finally taken Tina's advice and signed up with the modeling agency
on a part time basis, and has been enjoying the whole experience for the past
three months. She stopped in front of Lila, standing a good five inches taller
than her in a pair of purple 'Ashley' pumps (her favored footwear now) on her
nyloned feet. Her ensemble was equally impressive as she sported a white laced
top underneath a short purple jacket, and a short pleated purple skirt with
decorative black trimming along the hem. Her faced glowed immensely as she
projected a strong confidence that Lila, and no one else, had ever seen
before.

"Ash ... you look gorgeous! You're a vision in purple," Lila exclaimed in
reference to her friend's favorite color, and was still in disbelief that this
was Ashley, the formally bashful person, she was actually seeing.

"Thanks ... " Ashley said sweetly, enjoying the rush at looking beautiful.
Looking back at it now, she wondered why she didn't do this transformation
sooner.

"I see you're getting a head start with your long overdue reunion with
Nikolas," Lila teased lightly as the young prince was currently in America and
spending some time with Ashley's father, who was free on bail pending his
upcoming trial, but couldn't come up to see his daughter due to the
restrictions set by the judge.

The mention of Nikolas' name sent Ashley all weak in the knees as she looked
as though she was going to pass out right then and there. "I'm literally
counting the hours until I see him this evening," she beamed happily.

"Is that Ashley Emerson I'm seeing? ... " the voice of Chris Marlin spoke as
he approached the two teen girls. He looked amazed at the stunning blonde all
dolled up in fancy clothes. "You look spectacular," he said to her before
giving Lila a quick kiss on the lips. "Nikolas is going to be one lucky dog
tonight."

"Hey ... " Lila interjected harshly, and elbowed her boyfriend softly in the
stomach. "And what am I ... yesterday's leftovers?"

"Of course not, dear ... I just wanted to make Ashley feel better than she
already is," Chris said while holding his girlfriend warmly.

"Just wait until you see what dress I'll be wearing for tonight," Lila added
that one bit of info, leaving Chris to fantasize how beautiful she'll be at
the dance.

"How does this dress look?" Jayne Patterson held up the delicate garment in
front of her cousin, who scratched his head momentarily, which was a mistake
as she noticed that gesture immediately. "Why do I even ask you in the first
place," she replied all perturbed, admiring the white-laced dress draped in
front of her. "You obviously have no sense of style." Jayne felt pleased to
able to wear fancy clothes again after being released from the Montgomery
Institute three months ago from serving a three-year sentence.

"It's just that ... it looks more like something my grandmother had worn when
she was our age," sixteen-year-old Toby Baldwin tried to defend himself
without instigating anymore anger from his fiery cousin.

"Exactly ... I want a more retro-classic look, not like the type of flashy
cheap looks the girls are wearing now," she noted merrily, and placed the
delicate garment over a chair. The feeling of being released felt so
invigorating to her, being able to come and go as she pleases like before,
plus having the opportunity to dress the way she wants.

Hearing someone approaching, she turned in that direction and saw two more
people enter""a large-built teenage boy and a plump looking girl. "Is
everything all set for tonight?" she asked keenly to them.

"Yep ... we just got the old generator up and running," the rugged-looking
boy, named Joe Divola, responded dutifully. He had an intimidating quality to
him in his tall stature as he was decked out all in black with a leather
jacket to boot.

"Good ... " she replied happily to him. "Andrea ... what do you think of my
dress for the dance?" she held it up again, asking the chubby girl. Looking at
it, Andrea Freeman noticed Toby standing next to his cousin, gesturing to her
silently that it looks good.

"It looks very nice. A classical appearance, which suits you very well," she
responded, choosing her words carefully.

"See, she knows style when she sees it!" Jayne turned back to her cousin with
an 'I told you so' stare. Toby was the son of Jayne's Uncle George, who was
responsible for nearly drowning Lila and Tina in that swamp three years ago.
Toby was understandably distraught from losing his father again, and had
harbored ill feelings towards Lila and Tina since then. It was when his
cousin, Jayne, had contacted him again after being released from the institute
that he too desired revenge on his own shattered life.

Andrea had known Jayne from the hospital as she too was committed. Andrea
suffered from a strong case of depression, which at one point she almost
committed suicide. Jayne took in the shy, dejected girl, and the two became
close friends during their stay at the institute. When Andrea was released
before Jayne, the two continued to stay in contact. Andrea now no longer
suffers from depression, but her submissive personality allowed the
strong-willed Jayne to talk her into her demented plan of revenge, and Andrea
for the first time felt like she was accepted.

Joe, on the other hand, was trouble ever since he held up a gas station when
he was just thirteen. Joe came from an extremely bad upbringing as a child as
was physically and emotionally abused by his deranged father countless times.
At seventeen-years-old now, Joe had spent the past four years in and out of
juvenile detention. He quit high school during his freshman year, and had been
primarily living on his own doing whatever pleased his sick mind. Toby was a
neighbor of his, and the two knew each other as children. Jayne had her cousin
recruit Joe for his obvious size and strength, not to mention his thirst for
crime.

"So, when do we hit them," Joe asked with an eagerness in his voice. His
piercing hazel eyes bordered on wild obsession, which, along with his
Goth-type look, made him all that more menacing.

"Patience, Joe ... " she responded evenly, knowing how to calm him. "I've
waited three years for this, and I'm not going to rush it being so close now.
In about eight hours, Lila Spencer, and her stupid friends, will be all mine
to do whatever I please ... " she added with a sinister quality in her voice.

Parking his parents' silver Cadillac CTS in the driveway of the Spencer
residence, Zach Marlin offered to chauffer his younger brother and his
significant other to the dance. Chris sat in the back of the luxury vehicle a
tad nervous. He had been on so many dates with Lila that he lost count, but
tonight's was to be special in more ways than his girlfriend could understand.

Noting his brother's hesitancy after turning off the engine, Zach looked at
him in the rear-view mirror. "So, are you going to the front door, or I am
going to take Lila to the dance?" he asked smartly, trying to use his off-beat
humor to shake Chris' obvious tension he was feeling now.

After taking a deep breath, he rubbed his hands, and then opened the door.
Seeing Zach sitting in the driver's seat, Chris spoke to him, "Don't embarrass
me tonight, okay?"

"You're doing that just fine all by yourself," Zach responded candidly, then
turned serious at Chris. "It's just a dance ... Loosen up and enjoy it. It's
not like this is your first date with her."

"I know, you're right ... I'm okay now," Chris said with added confidence, and
trotted up the stone walkway to the front door of the large two-story house.

After ringing the doorbell, the door opened almost immediately, and standing
there to greet him was Susan Spencer, looking overjoyed at seeing Chris.
"Chris, please come in ... You look positively handsome!" she exclaimed
excitedly as she ushered him inside the house.

"Thanks, Mrs. Spencer ... " he replied genially at her for he always found her
to be sweet with him.

"Bruce ... come here, Chris has arrived!" she called out towards the living
room. A few seconds, Bruce Spencer came into view. He looked pleased at seeing
Chris all decked out in a navy blue suit with a pressed white collared shirt
and a rose colored satin tie. He sported a red carnation on his jacket
lapel""one of Lila's favorite flowers.

Bruce shook Chris' hand warmly. "You nervous, Chris? ... You're palm is a
little clammy."

"Just a little bit, sir ... " he replied modestly. Then a sound was heard from
the upper floor, and looking up at the top of the stairs, Chris was transfixed
at seeing Lila descending down slowly. In all the times he's seen her,
including before they were a couple, never has she looked so beautiful than at
this very moment.

Lila smiled happily as she made her way down. The teen girl was dressed in a
stunning red chiffon dress with spaghetti straps. The length of her skirt
rested to just above her knees, showing the lower portion of her nyloned legs,
which she wore red platform sandals with a flattering five-inch stiletto heel.
Her long hair was beautifully coifed in an ornate design.

She stopped in front of Chris, looking at him even with the tall heels on. Her
face glowed brightly in the soft light of the foyer as she tried to her calm
her own nervousness that threatened to overtake her. He smelled her perfume,
which was a sweet blend of fragrances that made his heart beat a little
faster.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," Chris said softly to her, holding her hand
gently.

"And you are very handsome tonight," Lila replied right back at him, impressed
with his tailored look.

"I need a picture of you two first," Susan spoke up while holding her digital
camera. The happy couple stood next to each other closely arm-in arm, and she
snapped the picture with a bright flash.

* * *

Chris' uptight mood earlier evaporated almost instantly the moment he and Lila
were in the car, heading for the high school. "You plan on wearing those
sky-high heels the entire evening?" Chris asked his girlfriend, always
appreciative when she wears stilettos for him.

"I intend to, just so you can give me a nice foot massage later tonight," she
said teasingly and kissed him hungrily on the lips.

"Hey, no fooling around back there," Zach announced after taking a quick
glance in the rear-view mirror. "I promised dad that I would return his car
unsoiled, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, we do Zach ... we're not eleven back here," Chris retorted smartly.
Lila giggled at Zach's comment, imagining her and Chris making out in the
backseat. Of course, if we had more time ... she thought a bit mischievously.

"Don't worry, Zach ... " Lila spoke up, " ... I plan on keeping Chris pure,"
she said rather boldly, which made Chris' face as red as his tie.

"I knew I always liked you, Lila," Zach said. "Just take things slow, okay?"
he then spoke more serious as he didn't want to see them do something they
both may regret later.

* * *

After Chris and Lila departed the Cadillac, Zach tooted the horn, wishing them
well, and drove off into the early evening hours. "Were you serious about what
you said in the car ... You know, about keeping pure?" Chris asked nervously
before heading into the school.

"Why, you have plans of that nature this evening?" Lila pried a bit, seeing
the tenseness on her boyfriend's face.

"Well, to be honest, I had been thinking about it ... for a while actually."

Lila faced him directly, giving him a warm look. "I've been thinking about,
too. But let's not get that in the way of tonight, okay?"

"Okay ... " he said finally, taking in another deep breath to calm his nerves.

"C'mon ... we have some people to impress," she said a bit haughtily while
taking Chris' arm, and headed towards the main entrance of the school.

The huge school gymnasium was completely decorated in blue and orange colored
streams (the school colors), the large overhead lights were dimmed enough to
still see adequately, and music played loudly through the array of speakers
along the bleachers on either side. The main floor was jammed pack with
elegantly dressed students as it seemed like the entire junior and senior
class had attended.

Lila and Chris made their way over to the other end as they spotted a familiar
face. "Love the red dress, Lila!" Tina Palermo announced merrily at the
crimson colored girl.

"You look like a million bucks," Lila responded back to the Cuban, admiring
the bright pink satin strapless gown she wore, complete with long sliver
gloves and strappy high-heeled sandals. "You look just like Madonna from the
'Material Girl' video," Lila added, except that Tina's long brown hair was
done up in a classic retro style.

Lila noticed another girl approach them, and went over to hug Amber Jensen
looking ravishing in a form-fitting sparkling white gown with white peep-toe
stiletto pumps. "You both decided to do the Marilyn Monroe thing tonight?"
Lila noted as Amber resembled the iconic blonde's moment when she sang happy
birthday to President Kennedy.

"You can't go wrong with the timeless styles of Marilyn," Tina said, giving
Amber a quick kiss on the lips.

"So, how did your dad take it about you going to your first formal with
Amber?" Lila asked curiously ever since Tina broke the news to everyone that
she was gay over the summer.

"I didn't know if he was going to either pass out or break the camera for our
picture together," she noted to Amber. "My mom came in and saved the day while
my dad needed to take a seat." Lila giggled at the thought of poor Victor
Palermo possibly having a daughter-in-law someday from his own daughter, Tina.

"Actually, he finally did give me his consent after my mom had to reason with
him that everyone is different," Tina added that one happy detail, which
pleased her friends that Tina and Amber were officially a couple now to the
public.

"Has either of you seen Ashley yet?" Lila asked, eagerly wanting to see what
her newly blossomed friend was wearing for tonight.

"I think she's here now ... " Amber spoke up, peering over from behind Lila
and Chris. Turning around, Lila had her second shock of the day at seeing
Ashley. The blonde beauty was a revelation in gold as she wore a very
flattering shimmering gold gown with a low v-neck showing ample cleavage. Her
long bright locks sparkled in the dim light, as it appeared that gold glitter
was lightly sprayed on her neatly brushed strands.

Standing next to her was an even more captivating sight, as the tall,
statuesque form of Nikolas Parnassus looked absolutely regal in a classic
black tuxedo with a gold colored rose on his lapel jacket.

"It's James Bond ... " Lila said in wonder at the elegant Mediterranean Prince
appearing so much like the classic debonair spy. They were without a doubt the
most well dressed couple at the dance. "Are you sure you're at the right
party? You two fit more at a Hollywood premiere than some high school dance,"
Lila added, still in shock at the sight of Ashley really glammed up""even Tina
never looked this good before.

Ashley blushed at all the attention she was receiving as her shyness wasn't
completely gone from her. Tina walked up to her, getting a closer look at
Ashley's stunning gown. "There's no way you could've gotten this fabulous
dress on your own," she said enthralled at the craftsmanship of the alluring
outfit.

"I didn't ... Nikolas gave it to me as a present, along with the shoes ... "
Ashley replied, sticking her leg out from the bottom of the floor-length gown,
revealing a shiny gold pump with a four-inch stiletto heel on her foot. Tina
whistled softly as she was thoroughly impressed with Ashley's transformation
into a blonde goddess.

After shaking Nikolas' hand heartily at seeing the prince again, Chris leaned
over to him. "You know this dance is more semi-formal," he said, noting the
fancy tux the prince wore.

"So, I see ... " he replied smoothly, scanning around the multitude of fairly
dressed up teenagers. "Forgive me, but I'm still not fully knowledgeable of
your customs in social gatherings."

After giving Nikolas a kiss on his cheek, Lila looked around him. "I don't see
a traveling entourage with you this time," Lila noted, recalling Nikolas'
uncle and those goons who tried to kill him at their first meeting.

"My mother finally allowed me to travel on my own since I am now of age to do
so," Nikolas replied happily. "And that means I get to see more of my beloved
Ashley now," he smiled warmly at her, holding her close to him.

"Well, well, well ... if it isn't the cute lesbian couple,"
seventeen-year-old, and senior classman, Brittany Olsen mocked openly at Tina
as she approached the well dressed group of teens. The current Class
President, and nominee for Homecoming Queen, was rather striking herself in a
maroon silk gown, which accentuated her very curvy figure.

"Give it a rest, Brit ... " Tina barked back at the snooty girl. "It's
yesterday's news already, so why don't you go and find your date, or did you
come by yourself, again!"

Brittany gave a the Cuban a nasty scowl on her round face as their ongoing
rivalry still continued ever since junior-high. Her hazel eyes suddenly perked
up at the captivating sight of Nikolas standing close by. The voluptuous girl
sauntered her way over to the tuxedo-clad young man, obviously infatuated by
his dreamy looks.

"I don't believe we had the pleasure of meeting ... " she extended her hand
out towards him, when Ashley suddenly got in right front of her.

"Why don't you do us all a favor, and get lost!" she said squarely, but
forcefully at the stuck-up girl.

Brittany was annoyed at that rude insult, but then was taken aback as she
realized who that girl was. "Ashley Emerson? ... " she said in shock, looking
her up and down in total disbelief at her polished good looks. It's as if
little shy Ashley had an identical twin sister who was the total opposite of
her.

Turning around, she noticed everyone staring at her in a contemptible manner,
and the high and mighty girl took the hint, marching off audibly in her
matching platform-heeled shoes.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've now become Tina!" Lila exclaimed
jovially, admiring the gusto her blonde friend was now displaying.

"Please, there's only one of me ... " Tina responded back in her typical
haughty tone. "But, you do have the attitude now," she then said straight as
Ashley with a nod of approval, which meant a lot to her as she had always
wanted Tina's consent.

The newest single from the latest album of teen popstar, Alisa, began to play
thunderously from the large speakers. "Oooohh ... I love this song," Amber
announced excitedly, and pulled Tina over towards the center of the gym.

"You heard the girl ... let's dance!" Lila roared happily.

An hour into the festivities, and the group was exhausted from dancing, save
for the stylish couple of the evening as Ashley and Nikolas continued to wow
the crowd as Nikolas demonstrated his impeccable dancing skills. Ashley was
obviously having the time of her life, trying to keep up with her boyfriend's
moves.

"Is there anything he can't do?" Tina asked as she gently leaned next to Amber
while sitting at the bleachers.

"Well, Nikolas is of royal lineage, and has had some formal training in a
variety of skills," Lila reasoned as the auburn beauty sat next to her friends
with her shoes off at the moment. "It's sort of strange us watching Ashley
making a spectacle of herself, instead of the other way around, like usual."

"Ever since she's started dating Nikolas she has become another person," Tina
said with a sullen tone to her voice. "I'm almost afraid we might lose her
altogether. I mean, what if Nikolas asks her to move with him to Europe?"

"Well, if he does, and she accepts, then we have to respect that as her
friends," Lila noted plainly as she was coming to grips that all of them were
changing, and after graduating high school, they might all go their separate
ways.

Just then, Chris walked over carefully holding four cups of punch from the
refreshment table. Lila grabbed one as she smiled at him, then Tina and Amber
each took one themselves. "So, how's our super dancing duo?" he asked, taking
a seat next to Lila with his own cup of fruity punch.

"Look for yourself ... " Lila stated. "This is their sixth song in a row, and
Ashley's feet must be killing her in those pumps."

After the present song had finished playing, Nikolas and Ashley started
heading back to their friends as the crowd of onlookers applauded and whistled
energetically in appreciation of the show.

"How does it feel to be the most popular girl of the evening?" Lila asked
Ashley, noticing the fatigue setting in on her flustered face.

"I never knew I could dance like that ... " she said out of breath while
sitting down on the lowest bleacher.

"You did marvelous, darling," Nikolas said pleased and kissed her softly on
the lips.

Seeing the perspiration on her boyfriend's face, Ashley realized that hers
must look worse with all the make up she has on. "I need to go use the
restroom for a moment," she suddenly said, and stood right back up on her
high-heeled feet.

"I'll go with you ... " Tina offered when another song started to play, which
caused Amber to smile with delight. "This is the song we've been waiting for
them to play ... you can't go with Ashley now!" Amber tugged at Tina back to
the dance floor.

"That's alight, I'd rather go myself," Ashley said, and walked the perimeter
of the gym to other end where the locker rooms were located.

Entering the quiet space of the girl's locker room, Ashley's stilettos clicked
clearly in the quietness of the room, even the loud music sounded much softer.
Despite the exhaustion she was feeling right now, not to mention the
discomfort she was feeling from her tender feet, she was on cloud
nine-hundred, and didn't want this enchanted evening to end. The time apart
from Nikolas after their first meeting made her think a lot about their future
as a couple, and now with him back in her life again, Ashley realized for the
first time how much she really loves him. Of course, she hadn't mentioned that
to him, but she intends to before this magical night is over.

Approaching the door to the girl's room, Ashley heard the soft sounds of
someone weeping close by. Moving closer to the noise, she could make out a
teenage girl huddled in a darkened corner with her hands over her face. The
fancy blue dress she wore told Ashley that this girl must be a student from
the school, or at least someone's date that goes here.

Standing over the sobbing girl, Ashley bent down to face her. "What's wrong?"
she asked caringly with sorrowful eyes. She wondered did this girl have a
fight with her date, or worse ... was she perhaps sexually assaulted?

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Ashley inquired again, reaching out slowly
towards the distraught female.

"No, but you are ... " the girl suddenly said as she looked straight as Ashley
with no tears present on her plump face.

Ashley was stunned at the moment by this peculiar change of events, but before
she could get back up, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around
her from behind, pinning her arms down tightly. An instant later, the "crying"
girl pressed a piece of cloth firmly over Ashley's face, muffling her panicked
screams.

Her green eyes widen in shock by the surprising assault, as Ashley smelled a
strong odor coming from the cloth over her nose and mouth, which started to
make her feel lightheaded all of a sudden. The grip on her was too strong to
break free, and with her long legs tucked underneath her, Ashley was powerless
to escape.

Several seconds later, Ashley's eyelids began to close, and her head drooped
down as she completely lost consciousness ...

Watching Tina and Amber display some rather risqué moves on the dance floor,
which had caught the attention of Mr. Sanders, one of the faculty chaperones,
Lila moved over to Nikolas as he sat alone. He noticed the auburn-tressed girl
and smiled warmly at her.

"You look very beautiful tonight," he said charmingly at her with that dreamy
accent of his.

"Thank you ... " she replied back kindly. She had always found Nikolas
engaging ever since their meeting back at Coral Castle. Even though her heart
belonged to Chris, she couldn't help wonder what it would be like to date the
handsome prince. Of course, she was thrilled for Ashley finally finding
someone to care for deeply, which was why she had approached him now.

"Nikolas ... I was wondering, have you and Ashley discussed about your future
together?"

He looked directly at her with his dark eyes, not prepared for such a
question. Noticing his stunned reaction, Lila realized that she may have
overstepped the line regarding her friend's business. "I'm sorry I asked ... "
she said embarrassed.

"No, it is alright ... you are her close friend, and the question was fully
valid," he responded, trying to ease her awkwardness. "What do you wish to
know?"

"Well, for starters ... if you two were to become closer, then living on
opposite side the ocean will make that very difficult."

Nikolas smiled sheepishly at her, knowing she was exactly right. "Yes, we have
discussed it several times over," he admitted.

"And have you two come to an agreement?"

"The only way that I could live here, would be for me to abdicate my throne,
of which Ashley would not ask of me. I did offer that she could live with me
instead since it would be easier, but she has not given me an answer."

Lila found that last statement of profound interest to her, as that confirmed
her suspicions that Ashley was at least thinking about moving to Genovia in
the future. "You look troubled, Lila ... " he then said, reading her face
correctly.

"I'm so happy beyond words that Ashley has found someone like you, but the
thought of her leaving here for good does concern me. We've been best friends
for ten years now, and I can't imagine my life without her."

Nikolas placed his hand gently on her bare shoulder as a sign of comfort. "I
understand your apprehension on this, and I assure that I am not pressuring
Ashley to do anything she does not want to do. This is a decision she needs to
make on her own."

"I know that ... " she smiled back at Nikolas at what a remarkable man he
really is. "Ashley would make a fabulous queen someday."

Now it was Nikolas who look flustered, which was rare for him as he always
maintains a cool demeanor. "Well, that would be a whole other discussion I
think both of us are not ready for. Your questioning was not all that
different than from Mr. Emerson."

The mention of Ashley's father piqued another interest in Lila's curious mind.
"I hope that he was wasn't too hard on you, what with Ashley being his baby
girl." Lila could relate being the youngest born in her own family, and could
definitely see her father giving the third degree to someone like Nikolas as
that was his personality.

"No, he was very gracious, almost like he wanted me in her life," he replied
as he recalled their in-depth talk earlier today.

"Well, I'm not completely surprised by that statement since it seems like he
may be unfortunately going to prison for the foreseeable future, and would
want Ashley to be taken care of in his absence."

"I am so pleased that Ashley has wonderful people in her life, as that is a
testament to her kind spirit."

"Well, you need to be included in that group also as you have made her happier
than I have ever seen," Lila said with a smile as she fully accepted Nikolas
as one of them now, of which the prince appreciated that sentiment.

"The nerve of Mr. Sanders telling us that we were bumping and grinding!" Tina
said heatedly, as she and Amber returned to their seats on the bleachers.

"From what I could see, I'd say he wasn't that far off the way you two
expressed yourselves so explicitly," Chris offered his opinion on the matter,
which elicited a nasty glare from the Cuban girl.

"Oh, c'mon, Tina ... " Amber cooed softly to her edgy girlfriend, " ... we can
always go back to that teen club for some real dancing." Tina smiled at that
suggestion and realized it was silly getting all worked up over someone else's
taste at dancing.

Looking around, Tina noticed something was amiss. "Did Ashley get back from
the restroom?" she asked.

"I haven't seen her," Lila replied, wondering about that now.

"I knew I should've gone with her. She probably messed her make up and is
afraid to show herself," Tina said and got back up to her feet. "I'll go with
you ... I could use some freshening up myself," Amber offered, trailing after
her girlfriend.

"You coming, Lila?" Tina asked as she stopped for a moment.

"No, you girls go on ahead. I think Ashley has enough help on her hands."

* * *

At that moment, a sleeping Ashley was being loaded in the back of a dark SUV
parked out back of the school by the strong burly women, Gabi. "Okay, that's
one down," she then said coping a quick feel on Ashley's exposed leg before
closing the rear door shut.

"Now on to our next target ... " Jayne said pleased with their first capture
of the night.

"Well, at least we put on a good show for the boys watching," Amber said all
pleased to Tina regarding their "tasteful" dance.

"Yeah, but these school functions are so goody-goody with their rules of
conduct ... " Tina replied still miffed by that mild scolding she received
from stuffy Mr. Sanders. "I can imagine what Prom will be like."

Entering the girl's locker room, the fabulously dressed duo made a direct line
for the restroom. "Nice locker room you got here," Amber gazed over the
cleanliness of the place. "Which one is yours?" she asked her girlfriend out
of curiosity.

"Please ... I go just to show up for a passing grade," Tina replied drolly as
Gym was her least favorite class, and that's saying a lot.

Opening the door to the restroom, the girls noticed right away that Ashley was
nowhere to be seen. "That's strange ... she couldn't have gotten past us,
there's only one exit out to the gym."

"Do you think she stepped outside for some air?" Amber asked, trying to narrow
the possibilities.

"That or maybe she's in the locker room ... " Tina suggested.

"Let's split up, you check the locker room, and I'll look outside," Amber
offered, which sounded good to Tina.

Amber noticed the exit door near the restroom, which was why she thought
Ashley might actually be outside. Opening the door, she peered out and no sign
of the blonde beauty as far as she could see. Shivering a bit as her arms
exposed to the chilly night air, Amber went back inside, figuring that there
was no way Ashley would be caught out there with the delicate gown she had on.
Thinking that Tina would end up finding her instead, she proceeded to the
locker room.

Tina walked over the row of lockers searching for any sign of her friend. She
was puzzled as to why she would be apparently hiding. Maybe she did something
really wrong with her make up, and she's ashamed to show her face to everyone
... she thought as the most sensible reason for Ashley was still Ashley
despite her breathtaking transformation.

Reaching the far end of the room, Tina saw no sign of Ashley at all. She
wondered if Amber might have found her instead, and headed back towards the
restroom.

Suddenly, a plump-looking girl wearing a bright blue dress appeared right in
front of her, startling the pretty Cuban. "Oh my God ... you startled me ... "
Tina said in surprise, when she then felt being grabbed from behind as a pair
of strong arms grabbed her arms and forced them behind her back. Andrea smiled
wickedly, and then went over to the alarmed girl, pressing a cloth over her
face.

Tina instantly recalled the smell from the cloth as chloroform, and knew she
has only seconds to escape before the powerful drug would overcome her. Still
thinking clearly, she reached up with her leg, and struck the girl's arm with
her foot, knocking the soaked cloth away from her face. Then, an instant
later, she slammed her other foot at her other assailant, jabbing her tall,
pointy heel right in her denim clad leg.

The attack was enough for Gabi to relax her tight grip on Tina, but not enough
to let her go completely. She took advantage of that and pushed herself
against the large woman, sending them both against the lockers, with the burly
girl slamming her back onto one of them with a loud BANG!

This time she did let go of Tina, and the Cuban immediately ran from her.
Andrea looked very annoyed at Tina, and managed to grab her from behind and
twisted her right arm painfully behind her back, she then tried to press the
cloth over her face again. During the struggle between the two girls, Amber
happened upon them in the distance, and looked completely shocked at she was
witnessing.

"Amber ... run, get help!" Tina yelled out, and then grunted as a kick to the
back of her knee forced her to her knees. Tina then felt pain erupt from the
back of her head as Andrea punched her hard against the back of her skull.
Dazed by the reapeated blows, Tina fell to her stomach and collapsed on the
floor out cold.

Amber gasped at seeing her girlfriend being assaulted like that, and did as
she was told despite wanting to help Tina. She ran down the row of steel
lockers as fast as her five-inch stilettos would take her, but before she
could reach the exit towards the gymnasium, Gabi tripped up the blonde cutie
by grabbing her legs in a diving grab.

Amber fell hard on the concrete floor and she grunted in pain. Hearing the
music playing from the dance, she went to scream out, but Gabi's large hand
clamped itself over her mouth, muffling her cries for help. Andrea quickly ran
over to them, and shoved the cloth over Amber's face until the chloroform
knocked her out fully.

"That was too close ... " Andrea said relieved to her partner in crime.

"What do we do with her, she's not on the boss' list?" Gabi asked in regards
to Amber now sleeping on the floor.

"We'll take her as an added bonus since she's that other girl's close personal
friend," Andrea replied, noting to Tina.

"You mean, they're ... " Gabi said in fascination as she had never met a
lesbian couple before. Suddenly, she was finding this little venture more and
more interesting.

"I'll take this one, and you get the other quickly," Andrea ordered, and
started dragging Amber's limp body by her arms.

"With pleasure ... " Gabi answered happily as her back still ached from that
locker assault.

"Exactly what do you girls do while in the restroom, besides the obvious
reason?" Chris asked a bit smartly to Lila as the threesome of Ashley, Tina,
and Amber still haven't returned.

"I can't betray the sworn secret of the sisterhood of the girl's room!" Lila
replied in mock aghast, which drew out a wry smile on Chris' face as he
should've known better than to ask a silly question. But was there some truth
to that? ...

"They do seem to be taking longer than normal," Nikolas agreed with a concern
to his accented voice.

"Alright, alright ... I'll go flush them out," Lila conceded as it seemed that
she was out voted in the matter, if there was even a vote to begin with.
Placing her shoes back on, Lila walked over in the direction of the girl's
locker room.

Maneuvering her through the crowd of teenagers milling around, Lila paused for
a moment as she saw a person nearby""a girl in a white dress. Something about
her looked familiar to Lila, but she couldn't quite place who she was.

The girl went in the direction that Lila was headed, and she disappeared in
the locker room. Making double time, Lila trotted in her high heels as became
more fluent in wearing them.

Reaching the locker room, there was no sign of that girl, but then she spotted
the exit door nearby starting to close shut. As she ran for the door, Lila
passed by the girl's restroom and quickly poked her head inside, seeing no one
at all present. Not missing much of a beat, she opened the exit door and
stepped out to find that girl standing right before her.

Taking a much closer look at her, Lila did indeed recognize her. "Jayne
Patterson? ... " she said in a hushed tone, remembering that time three years
ago when she kidnapped Tina in a twisted effort to keep her away from the
middle school Spring Dance, and then later her sadistic uncle almost succeeded
in drowning both herself and Tina in that murky swamp. Given that three years
can change a young person's features quite a bit, Jayne looked almost broken
in the way she gazed at Lila.

"I'm so glad you remembered me, for I have not forgotten about you ... " she
said in quiet sounding tone in the still night air.

"I last heard you were in a hospital as part of your treatment in getting
better. Did you just get out?"

"Yes ... the good folks at the Montgomery Institute declared me legally sane,"
Jayne answered flat out. Lila recalled that place as the same hospital that
Jennifer Fowler was incarcerated just last year.

"Well, it's really good seeing you again, and I hope there are no more hard
feelings," Lila said carefully, but with genuine sentiment.

"Actually ... there is some unfinished business I'd like to discuss with you
... " Jayne said as she approached Lila slowly, her green eyes were now etched
in malice.

Frightened by Jayne's advance, Lila reached over for the door handle behind
her, when she was grabbed instead and in less then a second both her arms were
twisted behind her back. Twisting her head behind her, she saw a large
black-clad female holding her tightly with a sneer on her severe face. Not
able to break free of her firm grip on her, Lila started to scream, but that
was cut short as another girl came upon her and shoved a strip of cloth in
Lila's mouth, thus gagging her.

Lila was the forced to walk towards the rear parking lot as Jayne led the way.
The lofty heels of her shoes prevented Lila from gaining any traction to halt
her advance. She grunted and mewled through the thick cloth she bit down on,
but her plaintive cries were thoroughly muffled. A dark SUV began to appear
from the shadows, and the plump girl that gagged her opened the rear door.
Lila looked positively shocked at what she saw inside ... the inert forms of
Ashley, Tina, and Amber all passed out!

Sitting in the rear space of the SUV, Lila was now tied up hand and foot as
well as gagged""it was a predicament she's experienced far more than she would
want. The ropes holding her wrists behind her back were tied so tight that she
began losing circulation in her hands.

Lila had repeatedly kicked at her sleeping friends, hoping that one of them
would wake up as they were all not trussed up as she was. She guessed that
they were most likely drugged to keep them compliant for wherever Jayne had
planned for them.

Looking out through the dark tinted window, tears rolled down her cheeks as
she prayed that Chris would find her somehow ...

* * *

After giving Lila five more minutes to come back, Chris was getting very
restless now. Nikolas still maintained his cool exterior, but inside he was
just as anxious as Chris. "Stay here for a moment, Nik ... I'm going to get
them," he said while stepping off the bleachers.

"You are just going to walk right in their private sanctuary?" Nikolas asked
in astound as that was so ungentlemanly to even consider.

"No, I'm going to have some other girl do it for me."

Walking around the dance area, Chris bobbed his head looking for some familiar
faces. He then spotted Holly Marks dancing with a couple of her other friends
to another upbeat song. The cute blonde looked very fetching in a shiny
turquoise dress and matching high-heeled sandals.

"Holly ... can I have a word with you?" Chris asked as he stepped right in
front of her.

"Chris! ... " she said happily at seeing his presence. "I need a dancing
partner," she added, placing her arms over his broad shoulders.

"I would love to, but I need your help, please ... " he implored urgently at
her. Seeing the strain in his eyes, she took her hands off him. "What do you
want?" she asked warily.

Escorting her over the locker room, Chris waited anxiously at the entrance as
Holly stepped inside. After a several seconds had gone by, he was getting more
nervous now, wondering if this locker room was actually some kind of portal
that sends whoever enters to another dimension, or something like that.

Suddenly, a crashing sound was heard, followed by a loud shriek. Going on
instinct, Chris dashed inside and soon found Holly outside the restroom. A
fire extinguisher lied on the ground next to her. "What happened ... are you
alright?" he asked quickly as his adrenaline started pumping throughout his
body.

"I'm fine ... I just tripped on my heel and backed into the extinguisher. I
guess I still need more practice in them," she noted down to the four-inch
stilettos she stood on.

"Are the girls in there?" he asked regarding the restroom.

"No ... there's nobody in there."

Chris exhaled in frustration as he tried to calm his stress. Just then, Mrs.
Taylor, the vice principal, walked in on the two teens with a hardened look on
her middle-aged face. "Just what is going on in here?" she demanded in her
usual tone the students of Hamilton High were accustomed to hearing. "And what
are you doing in the girl's locker room, Mr. Marlin?" she inquired skeptically
at him.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Taylor ... I just asked Holly to look for my girlfriend," he
replied ashamedly.

"And did you find her, Miss Marks?" she directed her attention to the winsome
girl fidgeting in her tall shoes. "No, ma'am ... Lila is not here," she
answered in the same nervous tone as Chris did.

"Then if you have no further business here, I suggest you leave, Miss Marks."
And with that order, Holly trotted out quick enough in her dainty heels.

Mrs. Taylor then noticed the fallen extinguisher, and glared back at Chris
with a stern look again. "I'll get that, Mrs. Taylor ... " he said quickly.

After placing the large red canister back in its fixture on the wall, Chris
promptly exited the locker room without looking back.

Outside in the gym, Chris ran right into Nikolas. "Is everything alright?" the
prince asked tensely as his calm demeanor was beginning to evaporate.

"No ... Holly said there were no sign of any of them," Chris answered with a
resigned tone.

Nikolas began pacing in a small circle as he looked deep in thought.
"Something has happened to them, I just know it," he stated, which alarmed
Chris now.

"Whoa ... hold on there," Chris interjected. "We don't what happened to them,
they could be ... " he stopped as he tried to think of a reason that would
make sense. "Maybe they all took a walk outside!" he then offered excitedly.

"Without their shawls on ... very doubtful with the temperature dropping
outside," Nikolas countered back.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Chris pulled out his cell phone and called
Lila's number. After a short while later he terminated the call as it just
kept ringing like it was left on. His face looked pale all of a sudden as he
was beginning to suspect that Nikolas was indeed correct that their friends
were all in some sort of trouble.

Chris was still baffled as to what happened to Lila as well as well as Ashley,
Tina, and Amber since it seemed likely they were all in the same predicament,
if what Nikolas said was true.

Going out through the main doors of the school, the two young men went around
to the rear end of the massive building. Stopping at the door where the girl's
locker room was situated, there was no sign of the ladies, or anyone else for
that matter.

Chris noticed Nikolas bent down on the pavement of the parking lot. "You find
something?" he asked while approaching the prince.

"Automobile oil ... and it is very fresh," Nikolas responded thoughtfully,
rubbing a small sample of it on his fingers.

"You think they were away taken by a car?" Chris asked.

"It seems very plausible under the circumstances," he stated, then stood back
up, searching the immediate surroundings.

"But who would want to take all of them?" Chris wondered in rising
frustration. In the time he started dating Lila, her getting into some sort of
fix seemed to be an occupational hazard. "You may want to prepare yourself of
this happening to Ashley in the future ... " he then said to Nikolas, but
noticed that the prince was no longer standing next to him. He spotted him in
the distance, heading for the large trash bin at the edge of the lot.

What caught Nikolas' attention was not the garbage, but the person rummaging
through it. A disheveled-looking person saw the handsome young man, and looked
frightened by his presence. "Don't be alarmed, I mean you no harm ... " he
spoke soothing at him, which seemed to calm the beggar down somewhat.

Chris suddenly arrived after a quick sprint, and the man looked nervous again
now that there were two of them now. "Chris, stay back ... this man is
obviously scared of us," Nikolas placed his arm out towards Chris as a gesture
not to come any closer.

"Did you happen to see a vehicle of some kind right over there?" Nikolas
pointed in the direction of the school. The man just stared at him as he
appeared to be dazed.

"This guy isn't going to help us!" Chris shouted in even more aggravation than
before.

"Please just give him a chance." Nikolas carefully bent down over to him""his
dark eyes were full of compassion. The man responded to his kind gesture, and
coughed a couple of times.

"I-I saw a ... a large car ... and some people around it," he finally spoke in
a ragged voice. Chris approached a little closer to get a better listen on
what the vagrant was saying.

"How many people?" Nikolas asked again.

"Two girls ... and a really big female," he continued. "There were some other
girls being carried into the large car."

The two boys guessed that those had to be their girls. "What kind of vehicle
was it that you saw?" this time Chris asked as he edged even closer now.

"A dark one ... really big with a back door."

"Sounds more like an SUV, especially to fit four girls inside," Chris
reasoned.

"Do you know which direction it went?" Nikolas asked again, grateful to be
getting some answers. The man pointed, indicating where the mystery vehicle
drove off. Reaching into his back pocket, Nikolas withdrew his small wallet
and opened it, giving the less than fortunate person a twenty dollar bill.
"You use this to buy some food ... and thank you."

The smiled happily at the money, and quickly pocketed it in the tattered coat
he wore. "I hope you find your friends ... " he spoke up with some sympathy.

Leaving the trash bin area, Nikolas marched back towards the school with Chris
following right behind him. "That direction he gave was so vague they could be
practically anywhere," he ranted with emotions.

Nikolas suddenly stopped and turned to face a disheartened Chris. "I am going
to find my Ashley, and her friends, if it is the last thing I ever do," he
spoke with such vigor in his voice, it snapped Chris right out of his despair.
"I'm sorry ... I'm just upset that I may never see Lila again," Chris
lamented, feeling powerless at the moment.

Giving Chris a small grin, Nikolas placed his hand on the other's shoulder a
sign of comfort. "I too am frightened myself, but we must stay focused if we
are to succeed in our mission."

Chris was very thankful that he wasn't alone in this, and Nikolas' commanding
presence brought some hope that they would be able to find the girls.
Suddenly, his face brightened as an idea came to him. "Lila's phone ... "
Chris blurted out, and reached back into his jacket pocket, retrieving his
cell phone again. Nikolas looked somewhat confused by his friend's behavior as
trying to call Lila didn't work before.

"I had Lila's phone programmed into my GPS system recently. I just hope that
it's is still on ... " Chris explained as he was busy fiddling with his phone.
After a several tense seconds, he yelled out, "Bingo!"

Nikolas leaned over next to Chris to see what was happening with his mobile
phone. A digitized map was shown on the tiny screen, and a red dot moved along
the roads listed. He smirked at what a clever way to locate someone. "Now to
acquire some transportation," the prince spoke up, anxious to get underway.
"Did you come here yourself?" he asked Chris, hopeful that he did.

"No, my brother drove us here," Chris replied dismally, really wishing he had
his driver's license already and not some permit. He guessed that Nikolas was
also driven to the dance for him being a foreigner, he would not have a permit
to drive in this country.

"Actually ... I think I know how we could get us some wheels ... " Chris said,
as another idea presented itself to him.

The first sensation Ashley felt when she began to wake up was a raw chilliness
across her delicate skin. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw something pink
right in front of her. As she was fully awake, she realized instantly that
pink was Tina's dress, with her still in it.

Rising up from the dirty ground she laid on, she saw both Tina and Amber lying
beside her, still sleeping. She turned to look where she was, and judging by
the long vertical metal bars on one side of the enclosure she was in, it
appeared to be some sort of large animal cage like the ones found in a zoo.

She crawled over to Tina and checked her pulse""thankfully one was present,
just a little weak. Amber checked out okay too, and Ashley breathed a sigh of
relief, but that didn't make her feel much better knowing that she, and her
friends, were abducted in the first place. But for what purpose? ...

Still feeling a bit dizzy from the drug she induced, Ashley attempted to stand
up using the concrete wall for assistance. She still had her heels on, and had
some difficulty standing in them for the moment as her senses continued to
whirl.

Grasping the iron bars that kept them in here, Ashley noticed a steel chain
with a padlock attached, which kept the door locked in place. She peered
around her surroundings and confirmed that they were indeed in a zoo that had
been abandoned for quite sometime judging by the dilapidated conditions of the
other structures present.

Ashley thought hard as to where they could be, and then it hit her that they
were at the Beardsley Zoo. She remembered coming here as a little girl with
her mother and sister to see the large array of exotic animals on display. The
zoo was shut down suddenly after reports of animal violations, which had
occurred several years ago. Recalling where it was located, Ashley deduced
they were well over twenty miles away from the high school. If no one had seen
them being taken away, then the likelihood of any rescue seemed dim at best.

Bowing her head down in despair over this frightening situation, Ashley heard
moaning sounds coming from Tina, and she walked over to her. Tina tried to sit
herself up when Ashley helped her. "Take it easy until you get your strength
back," Ashley said softly to her woozy friend, placing her up against the wall
for support.

Amber, too, began to stir, and Ashley assisted her as well. The two Marilyn
Monroe lookalikes both sat next to each other alongside the wall as they both
still felt dizzy. "Ooohh ... my head feels like a spinning top ... " Amber
complained with her hand on her forehead. "What was that stuff they used on
us?"

"Chloroform ... " Tina answered her slowly, remembering again what its nasty
effects felt like. "Where are we?" she asked Ashley with a fearful look on her
face.

"We're at the old Beardsley Zoo in Brooktown," the blonde replied somberly.

"Who were those people, and why did they assault us like that?" Amber asked
the same question that was on all their minds.

No one seemed to have an answer, which made this scary predicament even
scarier.

* * *

Lila struggled in the chair she was now tied to. Her mouth was still gagged as
she grunted and groaned in her futile attempt to escape from her bonds. She
wished she knew where her friends were being kept as she was carried away from
them after arriving at this decrepit location.

Her fear was at an all-time high now being held prisoner by a certifiable
psycho with a grudge against her no less. Judging by this unstable and
dangerous behavior Jayne Patterson was exhibiting, there was no way she
would've been allowed to go free from that institution. But she was, no doubt
by fooling the doctors and the police in convincing them that she was "normal"
again.

What confused Lila the most was why would Jayne risk being put away for an
even longer time by pulling this cruel stunt? Unless she really was crazy, and
didn't care about the consequences of her actions.

If that were true, then what was to stop Jayne from killing her, and her
friends, in a most gruesome way. Not able to stay strong any longer, Lila
began sobbing, wishing for her, and her friends, some bit of mercy at the very
least ...

"I still cannot believe that a member of the faculty from your school would be
willing to loan out their car to someone who is not permitted to drive,"
Nikolas said in a scolding form of tone while Chris drove along a darkened
single lane road.

"It wasn't the teacher who gave me the keys, it was his son who managed that
for me," Chris explained evenly while still tracking the signal from his cell
phone he held. "It looks like Lila's phone finally stopped."

"Are you telling me that we borrowed this car without the consent of the
owner?" Nikolas asked aghast that someone of Chris' moral stature would do
such a thing.

"You're pretty sharp, Nik ... you know that?" he replied glibly to the stuffy
prince with a smirk on his face. "Like you told me earlier ... I will do
anything to find the girls, even if I have to 'steal' a car to do it."

Nikolas grinned sheepishly at his friend's proclamation as he probably
would've done the same thing himself. "Still, I do hope your friend will not
be in any trouble because of this."

"Actually, Greg told his dad that he was taking the car out all evening, when
instead he was hitching a ride with some of his buddies to Lake Winder. So,
the car will not be missed all night," he assured Nikolas that everything was
under control, at least for the time being.

"You mentioned that Lila's phone signal has now ceased its motion?" the prince
asked, gazing at Chris' cell phone.

"Yeah ... it looks quite a bit away still, over in Brooktown," Chris noted
with some puzzlement. "I wonder what could be all that way out there."

* * *

Lila's wrists felt sore from the constant struggling to break of the ropes
holding them together. She sighed in defeat as Jayne was taking no chances of
her escaping. What started out as an enchanted night with her man had now
transformed into a hellish nightmare with her very life at stake. Lila was
certainly no stranger when it came to having her life in mortal danger, but
this particular peril had her frightened more than any other, because she
doesn't know what that insane girl will do to her.

As if right on cue, Jayne Patterson stepped inside the dimly lit room Lila was
held in. The thin blonde-haired girl smiled evilly at her prisoner. "Enjoying
your accommodations?" she asked sweetly in a mocking tone at the imperiled
girl. "Oh what's that ... you have a rag in your mouth and you can't talk?"
Jayne chuckled gleefully as just Lila stared at her silently.

Standing right in front of her now, Jayne bent down and faced her captive
eye-to-eye. "I suppose I could take that gag off as I'm sure it's very
uncomfortable." Lila nodded timidly, informing her that she does want it
removed. "If you scream, it goes back on and stays on!" she shouted, and then
pulled the cloth from Lila's lips.

"Where are my friends?" she asked a bit forcefully at her captor as she was
very afraid for them.

"Your friends are tucked away somewhere around for the time being," Jayne
answered cryptically. "I wanted to start with you first!"

"Why are you doing this? I mean, I didn't have you sent to that hospital, and
besides it was only three years, and you're now free to go back to your life
before that all happened," Lila desperately tried to reason with the unstable
girl now that she can.

"WRONG!!!" Jayne yelled loudly in front of Lila's face that it startled the
captive girl. "I have no one left now ... " she said quieter as her words came
out a bit choked up.

"I don't understand? ... " Lila wondered in bewilderment as she could see that
Jayne was clearly upset now.

"When I was sent to the institution ... my mother took it really hard, so hard
that she couldn't face the embarrassment of her only child locked up in some
mental place. So one night, she took some pills and never woke up again," a
tear ran down Jayne's cheek while recalling the first time she heard about her
mother's tragic death.

Lila looked so heartbroken at Jayne's sorrowful tale that she wanted to
comfort the poor girl. "I'm so very sorry for your loss ... "

"What do you know about loss!?" Jayne asked heatedly as her emotions were
pouring out now. "You don't know what it's like to lose the one person who
meant everything to you. My mother was all I ever had, and now I'm all alone!"
Jayne began to take control of herself now, wiping the tears from her face.

"Jayne ... I want to help you, really. If you untie me, I can ... "

"You've done enough help already!" she interrupted Lila harshly. "And you've
done enough talking also!"

"No, please ... I just ... hhhuummppphh!" Lila pleaded quickly as Jayne forced
the gag back in her mouth.

"I don't need your help, or your pity," she said back with the same cruel tone
as before. "I'm going to make you wish you were never born."

Lila looked positively frightful now as she realized fully that she wasn't
going to live through this night!

"Help! ... Somebody help us, we're held captive here!" Amber screamed loudly
in the stillness of the night, hoping that someone other than their abductors
would hear her cries.

"It's no use, there's no one around here at all ... " Tina said in defeat as
she had also yelled out for help earlier.

"Probably why they chose this location," Ashley surmised as to the remoteness
of this abandoned facility that at one time was enjoyed by children.

Rising up on her bare feet, Tina went over to the bars with an angry look on
her face. "Hey, you jerks that grabbed us! ... Show yourselves, or are you too
coward to face three girls imprisoned in a cage!"

"Tina, what're you doing?" Ashley asked all jittery at her friend's bold move.
The last she wanted right now was to antagonize their captors.

"I'm tired of just waiting here not knowing why we've been brought here," the
Cuban answered back heatedly. "Come on, you chicken-shits!" she yelled out
again.

As if on cue, a noise was heard, and appearing from the shadows was two people
who all three girls instantly recognized as the ones who kidnapped them. Joe
looked very pleased at the three gorgeously dressed girls as he gave them a
wicked smirk.

"Who are you, and why did you kidnap us?" Ashley suddenly asked, getting on
her shoe-less feet also.

"A friend of ours wanted you as her guests," Andrea replied plainly.

"What friend!?" Tina bellowed. "You two don't scare us!"

Joe chuckled at Tina's fiery spirit. "I liked you the second I saw you," he
said right back at her with a gleam in his eye. "And now I like you even more
... and your girlfriend."

Tina placed a protective arm over Amber. "Don't you dare touch her!" she
exclaimed vehemently at the haughty rogue of a boy.

"She said they're not to be touched until she was done with the first one,"
Andrea told Joe flat out, reminding of him of their task in this plot.

"First one ... " Ashley said wistfully. "Who else is here?" she cried out.

Just then, the overheard lights began to flicker like they were losing power.
A moment later, the distant cries of a person were then heard, which sounded
distinctly female.

"Oh my God ... You're torturing someone, aren't you?" Amber spoke faintly as
her face turned white with terror.

Andrea just stared back at that remark, then she and Joe started walking off,
leaving their captives silent in a state of shock. The three teens sat back on
the ground, and held each other in absolute fear figuring that they all will
experience what that poor girl was apparently going through.

* * *

Lila eventually passed out from the onslaught of electrical shocks she
endured. Jayne was very upset that her captive ruined her fun and no longer
wanted play. "Wake her back up, I'm not finished with her yet!" she screamed
at Toby, who stood idly by.

"I think her body took as much punishment as you gave her, and needs to
recuperate," Toby theorized, observing the now passed out girl bound to the
chair.

"I don't care if she can't handle it, I'm still not through with her!" Jayne
yelled out in a crazed state, holding the long electrode sticks dangerously
close to Toby's nervous face. "Have you forgotten what she did to your father?
Sending him back to prison!"

At that moment, Andrea and Joe returned as the verbal clash between the two
cousins escalated. "Wake this bitch up!" Jayne yelled towards her other two
partners.

"It's no use, she's not coming around," Toby announced again after examining
Lila more closely. "You came so close to actually killing her," he noted as
Lila's pulse was very weak.

Grumbling in aggravation, Jayne dropped the electrodes to the floor. "Untie
her, and bring me back that other bitch ... Tina!"

The frightened girls continued to huddle close to each other as their
situation looked very bleak. "Who would do such a vile thing? Kidnapping and
torturing?" Ashley asked as she was running through a list of possible
individuals in her mind that would harbor a grudge against them. Assuming that
this wasn't some random act by a sick person.

Tina remained eerily silent now as her toughness melted away and underneath it
was absolute fear. Amber stroked her girlfriend's partially undone hair as she
was trying to calm her own anxieties.

Another sound was heard again, and the girls all gasped in total shock at what
they saw approaching""a girl being carried by that creepy black clad female
... "LILA!!!" they yelled out in unison at seeing their dear friend
unconscious. They realized instantly whose screams they heard a little while
ago, and it sickened them at the thought of poor Lila undergoing some form of
cruel torture.

Ashley wept openly at seeing her injured friend, unable to find any words to
say. Tina, on the other hand, began to clench her fists as the anger in her
began to bubble up again.

Lila was placed down in a large cage right next to theirs. After locking it
up, the two captors then went over to the hapless females. "It's your turn
now, sweetie ... " Joe pointed right at Tina with a glimmer in his eye.

Both Ashley and Amber stood in front of Tina in a vain effort to shield her
from those two despicable people. Joe smirked disdainfully at the brave effort
those beautifully dressed girls were showing""admirable, but pointless in the
end.

"If you don't come quietly, then I'll have no choice but to see to it that
you're friend over there ... " he gestured over to Lila, " ... doesn't wake up
at all ... and believe me, I'll do it," Joe threatened evenly at the trio of
prisoners.

Tina parted her friends aside, and began walking towards the cage door slowly.
Her anger still seethed inside of her, but her composure was placid at the
moment. Andrea unlocked the chain, and opened the door.

Joe reached over and grabbed Tina by her arm, pulling her out of the cage
forcibly. Ashley and Amber held onto each other, shrieking at what just
occurred. Andrea locked the door back up with the chain, and started walking
off with Joe trailing her with his captive in his meaty grasp.

Tina stared back at Ashley and Amber with a solemn look, hoping that she'll be
able to see them both again. Tears ran down the girls' faces as they sobbed
uncontrollably while they watch Tina disappear in the shadows ...

"I thought that you would've put up more of a struggle like last we met at the
locker room," Joe stated to his obedient captive as they continued walking in
the dark. Tina didn't bother to comment on his observation as she just allowed
him to lead her further away from her dear friends.

Walking ahead of them, Andrea had a troublesome look on her plump face. Being
involved with a group was a thrill for her, even the kidnapping part was sort
of exciting with the adrenaline rush she felt. But now with this torture
business that Jayne was adamant about, Andrea wasn't feeling quite so excited
anymore as people were really getting hurt now, almost to the point where
someone could actually die.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Joe asked all of a sudden as he felt Tina go
limp in his arms. "Get back up, or I'll carry you," he added as he stopped for
a moment. Andrea also halted as well. "What's the problem?" she asked Joe with
an indication of concern in her voice.

"I don't know ... the chick seemed to have fainted. Probably nervous about
what's waiting for her," Joe snickered, and bent down to pick up the petite
teen girl. "Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!" Joe suddenly cried out in pain as he felt his
nose being bitten harshly.

Andrea suddenly turned to the sudden noise and was met by a forceful shove as
the chubby girl was pushed down to the ground harshly.

Tina bolted from her two captors, but had some difficulty due to the long gown
she wore impeding her strides. Taking a moment to stop, she tore the open slit
in the back of the dress to well above her knees""an expensive dress just
ruined, but the present circumstances made that little detail inconsequential.
Now with her legs more free to move, Tina took off into the darkness in the
search to find some help.

Reaching the boundary of the abandoned zoo, Tina ran right into a tall steel
fence that encircled the property. Looking up at the top of it, she no signs
of any barbed wire present so she began to climb it. Digging her painted toes
through the diamond-shaped mesh, she scaled it very quickly despite the
impractical garment she wore. After landing on the other end, Tina saw nothing
but wooded terrain along the fenceway. She then whipped her head around at the
sounds of heavy footsteps from behind her and knew right away that it was that
oaf of a guy right on her tail!

With no time to spare, Tina proceeded into the thicket of trees, hoping to
elude her pursuer as he reached the fence.

* * *

Joe grumbled angrily at the throbbing pain from his nose. That was the second
time that bitch managed to injure him, and when he catches her, she won't be
looking quite so pretty when Jayne gets to have her "fun" with her. He was
amazed that she managed to scale that fence so quickly""this was a prey
certainly worth chasing.

Running through the dense forest, he couldn't really see anything in front of
him, but he could certainly hear her up ahead, and could tell that he was
getting closer to his target with each long step he took. He smirked as he
anticipated the beating he was going to enjoy ...

* * *

Almost out of breath now, Tina began to hear what sounded like a rushing river
flowing from just ahead. A river was just as good as a road in finding some
form of civilization. However, her pursuer was slowly gaining on her, and knew
that it would be just a matter of time before she catches her.

Reaching the end of the dense trees, Tina suddenly felt the ground coming to
an abrupt end and stopped right away as her bare feet rested on the edge of a
cliff! The sudden stop caused her body to sway as she tried to maintain her
balance, but the momentum was too much for her to stand still. Tipping over
the edge of the darkened abyss where the crashing sounds of water echoed
eerily below, Tina fell over and screamed the way down!

Joe heard the loud scream and stopped just short of the cliff edge, realizing
that the little bitch had fallen over accidentally. He stood there for a few
seconds for any other sounds besides the raging river below, but none were
heard. "You got off easy ... " he muttered to himself, coming to the
conclusion that she didn't survive the fall.

Turning around, he made his way back towards the zoo with some news that will
make Jayne even angrier. Joe has met some nutcases in his days of crime, but
that Jayne was the queen of the whack-jobs, and even as someone as strong and
burly as him wasn't looking forward to telling her that she was going to be
denied of her next victim.

* * *

Amber continued to cry softly as a saddened Ashley held her in her arms. They
heard no sounds of agony like the ones that came from poor Lila (who still was
unconscious), and that made them both fearful of what was happening to Tina,
and whether they'll see her again.

The sounds of people approaching were then heard, and the two distressed girls
saw the same two captors again, but without Tina present.

"Where's Tina!?" Ashley cried out between sobs, trying to muster what little
courage she still had left. She noticed a large bandage on the boy's nose,
wondering if her feisty friend had administered that injury""it would be
something that she would do, which gave her some hope that she was still
alive.

"It seems your poor friend tried to escape, but fell off a cliff into the
rapids far below," Joe said a bit teasingly without any hint of remorse.

"N-no ... you're lying!" Amber cried out in hysteria now as the thought of
losing her love was beginning to be too much for her now.

"Believe me ... I would've preferred that she didn't off herself," Joe added
this time with some regret for his own selfish reasons. "You're next then,
goldie," he pointed to Ashley and opened up the cage door.

Amber held on to Ashley tightly as she tried to prevent that burly kid from
taking her, but he was just too strong with all emotional turmoil she was
experiencing. Ashley, in turn, also held on Amber, not wanting to be taken and
subjugated the way poor Lila was. She felt as her soul was being ripped apart
as Ashley lost her grip on the panic-stricken blonde girl, and was dragged
away from what very well could be the last time she sees Amber again.

Hearing Ashley's mournful cries in the distance, Amber curled herself into a
ball and continued to weep uncontrollably, praying that this was just a very
bad dream and that she'll wake up in Tina's loving arms ...

* * *

The borrowed car finally came to a stop after the lengthy drive. Stepping out
of the vehicle, Nikolas looked around their new surroundings with a tinge of
wariness in his dark eyes. "What vile place is this?" he asked, seeing the
decrepit structures from behind a steel fence.

Chris stood right next to the prince, waving a pocket flashlight he retrieved
from the glove compartment of the car. He stopped the light at a sign
overheard announcing what the place was. "The old Beardsley Zoo ... I thought
this place was already torn down," he spoke quietly in the stillness of the
night. He gazed the light over at another sign on the fence, a warning sign
for no trespassers allowed.

"It looks as though this place is scheduled for demolition," Nikolas noted by
what the sign also stated.

Another smaller sign was present and Chris read that with alarm as it was
another warning sign indicating that a natural gas pipe ran underneath the
property. "Let's hope that pipe is still stable," Chris spoke warily. Holding
up his phone, he saw that Lila's signal remained where it was for the past
hour, which was in that zoo somewhere.

The two handsomely-dressed young men slowly made their way through a small
opening in the fence towards what they hoped was their girls still safe and
sound ...

Jayne was fuming mad than ever before as her plan of revenge was coming apart
at the seams. First, that pathetic Lila Spencer passes out from her torture,
denying her anymore enjoyment, and second, that little bitch Tina Palermo had
to go and commit suicide, even if it was just by accident. This was not how
she envisioned it happening all those months she spent incarcerated.

The sounds of crying in the distance shook the crazed girl out of her mild
depression as she noticed her third victim of the night approach.

Ashley looked completely stunned at the unexpected sight of Jayne Patterson
standing before her. "Jayne ... you're behind all this?" she asked in total
shock, guessing someone who was a bit older, and male in gender.

Jayne rudely smiled at the hapless girl being held tightly by Joe. Admiring
Ashley stunning gold gown, she passed her hand along the shimmering fabric
causing Ashley to flinch at her touch. "This has got to be the most gorgeous
dress I've ever seen," she said in deep fascination. "I think I'll take this
exquisite gown for myself. Besides, you won't be needing it after I'm done
with you ... " she noted sinisterly at a terrified Ashley!

* * *

After leaving that cute blonde girl to Jayne's sick pleasures, Joe had his eye
on that other sweet blonde in the white dress ever since he laid eyes upon her
at the high school. Since she was not part of the original three Jayne wanted,
meant that she was up for grabs, and Joe wanted was to "grab" her.

Making his way to back to the lion cages, Joe had been anticipating this
moment for it had been a year since he had the pleasure of being with a woman,
and she wasn't all that complying to him either. Yes, this little venture is
sure becoming very satisfying indeed ...

* * *

Continuing to walk through the abandoned buildings, Chris let his phone guide
him and Nikolas, but the exact whereabouts of where Lila's phone was becoming
problematic as the GPS map wasn't displaying exact directions anymore.

"This damn phone is becoming more of a hindrance now," Chris said in
agitation.

"Put it away ... " Nikolas suggested, " ... I think we can find them ourselves
from this point on." He then led Chris to another pathway in the expansive
zoo.

* * *

After all the crying she had done, Amber just laid on the dirty floor in a
daze now. She already came to grips that Tina was indeed gone, and just waited
until it she can see here again in the hereafter, which she concluded that all
of them were heading there before this dreaded night was over.

In her dazed sorrow, she could make out Joe at the cage door with a wide smile
on his smug face. Realizing what that look meant, Amber knew instinctively
what he was after ... and it was her!

* * *

Making their way further down, Nikolas stopped for a moment. "Did you hear
that?" he asked Chris softly. Chris stopped his breathing for a moment and
listened very carefully. "It sounds like crying close by." With that, the two
men rushed their way towards the source of that faint sound.

* * *

Amber began to cry yet again as she watched Joe grab the key to open the lock
holding the door shut. She had always imagined her first time as being with
someone she loved, not like this being treated cruelly and sadistically at the
hands of a degenerate such as this rogue. With most of her strength already
depleted, she knew that she wouldn't be able to put much of a fight to stop
him.

At the corner of her eye, she saw two figures emerge from the darkness, and as
if her prayers were answered, she sat up with hope in her tear-streaked blue
eyes. "Help meeeee!!" she yelled out loudly.

Joe turned to where he noticed Amber was looking, and saw two teenage boys
standing in the distance. Judging by the fancy duds they were wearing, he
concluded that they were also from the dance. How in the hell did they follow
us? ...

"Step away from that girl!" Nikolas ordered forcefully as a wary Gabi still
stood her ground.

Being watchful of that rogue's hands, Nikolas began to walk very carefully
towards him. "Watch it ... she may be armed," Chris whispered alarmingly,
guessing that Nikolas took that into account.

Gabi did finally step away from the large cage, keeping her eyes on the two
well-dressed men. As he moved, Chris caught sight of the other cage next to
where Amber was placed, and his eyes grew wide in shock at what he saw in
there ... "LILA!!" he shouted at seeing his precious girlfriend lying prone,
not knowing if she was alright.

Nikolas caught sight of her too, and his heart ached at seeing her distressed
like that. He tried to calm his rising anger for he needed to remain focused
against that brute of a person standing before him. It pained him though that
he saw no sign of Ashley around, or Tina, for that matter.

"Nikolas! ... " Amber yelled out to him in urgency, " ... Ashley was taken to
be tortured!"

Now Nikolas began to lose his cool at the thought of his beloved being
ravaged. Chris noticed his friend's anguish now. "Go save Ashley ... I can
handle the super goth here," he referred to the intimidating form of Joe
Divola. "And besides, I can't leave Lila."

"But he is much bigger and stronger than you," Nikolas sized the two of them
up.

"You know the old saying ... 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall' ... "
he noted to his European friend with a determined look on his face, and
offered his cell phone to him.

Realizing that Chris was indeed correct, Nikolas took the phone, and started
to run off in another direction.

Joe saw that, and tried to intercept the handsome prince, but Chris used that
distraction and barreled himself into the tall black-clad boy, toppling him to
the ground as an ugly brawl commenced.

Ashley was securely tied to a chair with her wrists fastened to the arms, and
her ankles lashed to the legs. "W-why are you ... doing this?" she asked her
tormenter in absolute fear, not knowing how she'll be brutalized.

Jayne stood right behind her as she relished in Ashley's panic. "I thought
dear sweet Lila would've enlighten you gals as to why," she teased Ashley like
a little girl would. "I guess she still hasn't woken up from her treatment
with me, or perhaps she'll never wake up."

Ashley tried not to cry in front of Jayne and give her the satisfaction, but
the thought of Lila possibly dying or dead already, just added to the
devastating loss of Tina just minutes ago. In the corner of the small office
room, she noticed another teenage boy she did not recognize walk over to her
with a long thin black stick-like contraption. The tip of it gave off an
electrical charge, which caused Ashley to jump in her bound state.

"You're gonna ... electrocute me?" she asked in trembling fright, not taking
her eyes off that tip crackling with God knows how many volts. "But why me?
... I wasn't involved with you going to that hospital?" she asked Jayne
urgently, trying to somehow reason with this warped maniac.

"Because you three are like the 'Three Musketeers' ... and it wouldn't be
right to break up the set, would it?" Jayne replied back harshly. "Besides, I
never did like your pathetic cutesy look anyway."

All while this was happening, Andrea was sitting on the sidelines watching the
conversation at hand. The cute plump girl rose from her seat and began heading
out. "Andrea ... you're not staying to watch?" Jayne asked her
partner-in-crime a bit surprised.

"No ... I need some air ... It's too stuffy in here," she responded plainly
and left.

"She could never stomach the gruesome things in life ... she's so sensitive,"
Jayne spoke regarding her more quiet friend. "Toby, are we ready?" she asked
her cousin with delight.

"Yep, fully charged," he answered, and handed the electrode to her.

"Now, this will hurt just a bit ... What am I saying, it will hurt a lot,"
Jayne chuckled as she moved the charged tip slowly towards Ashley's upper
right arm.

Ashley's breathing increased dramatically as she watched in frozen horror the
pain that awaited her ...

A noise was suddenly heard, and Jayne & Toby both turned to see a man standing
there wearing a tuxedo. "NIKOLAS!!!" Ashley cried out to him. Jayne scowled at
the intruder as the latest bad luck in her torturous spree had occurred yet
again.

Looking down on the floor next to him, Nikolas saw another one of those
electrodes attached to a small generator box. He grabbed it carefully, taking
note of its powerfully-charged tip. "Unhand her at once!" he bellowed out in a
powerful tone, which despite its clichéd sound, came across as a genuine
command.

Jayne quickly handed the electrode back to her cousin, not wanting to take on
a strong man who wasn't restrained. "I should tell you that my cousin here was
a finalist in the state fencing championship for two years," she threatened
Nikolas as a form of intimidation.

"Is that right? ... " the prince responded evenly, taking note of the rather
lanky-looking teenage boy. "I wish not to fight you, so please stand down your
... " Nikolas' request was cut short as Toby lunged toward him, aiming the
electrode right at him. Nikolas easily dodged his quick attack, but found
himself having to deflect another swing with his electrode as the two long
pronged devices acted as fencing swords.

Jayne took the opportunity to make a quick exit as she didn't want to risk
getting accidentally poked by one of those shocking sticks they way those two
boys was handling them. Meanwhile, Ashley watched in awe as the duel began to
play out, praying that her Nikolas will come out victorious.

* * *

Jayne was expecting to find Andrea waiting for her outside, but the bashful
girl was no where to be found. Curious herself as to what Lila's state was,
Jayne headed over to her cage to make sure that she doesn't wake up at all ...

* * *

After knocking Joe to the ground while giving Nikolas a chance to flee, Chris
began to lead the large boy away from the imprisoned girls to keep them out of
harm's way, and to try to gain an advantage against the menacing boy.
Fortunately, Joe pursued him through the darkened zoo, wanting to smash that
pretty boy's face in. Besides, he reasoned that Amber wasn't going anywhere
anyway.

* * *

It wasn't long before Jayne reached the cages to find Amber still trapped in
hers, and Lila sleeping so peacefully in the other. She went over to Lila's
cage and began opening the chained lock on the door. Amber got the sense that
this white-dressed girl was probably the ring-leader of the kidnapping group,
and she began to fear for Lila's safety as she noticed the scowl on that
girl's face.

"Stop it, Jayne ... " a voice called out suddenly, and the demented girl saw
Andrea standing right behind her with a sad look in her eyes. "No more
hurting, please ... "

Jayne looked stunned at Andrea's betrayal, thinking that she had her trust
ever since they met at the hospital. "I'm so disappointed to hear you say that
... " Jayne said with genuine remorse. "I thought we were friends."

"We are friends ... " Andrea said back, " ... but this isn't right.
Terrorizing these girls just to satisfy your pain."

Standing right up to her, Jayne smiled warmly at Andrea and placed a hand on
her shoulder. Then it one swift move, she punched her harshly in the stomach,
knocking the wind out of her, and then pulled the plump girl with all her
might towards the steel bars of the cage, smacking Andrea's head hard against
them with loud WHAP!

Amber winced as the teen girl fell down to the ground out cold with a nasty
gash on her forehead. "I always thought you were the weak link," Jayne said in
a deep condescending tone to her fallen friend. She then went back to task at
opening Lila's cage, and then stepped inside. Amber watched in horror, unable
to help her. "Now you die for sure, bitch!" she hissed angrily at the
red-dressed girl.

Reaching down for her head, Jayne suddenly cried out as she felt crushing pain
from her back as a blunt object had struck her hard. Turning around in agony,
she looked in total shock at the sight of Tina standing over her with a large
wooden branch in her hands. The normally beautiful brunette was grimy from
head to toe, and had a wicked look on her face towards her opponent. Amber was
ecstatic to see that her girlfriend still alive.

"I should've known it was you who would do this. Only somebody as crazy as you
would go through all of this to hurt us!" and with that statement, she struck
at Jayne again with the stick to her arm with another painful whack. Jayne
screamed out in searing pain, knowing that her injured arm was most likely
broken. Tina delivered one more shot to Jayne's abdomen, knocking the wind out
of her as she collapsed to the ground.

Throwing the stick far out of the cage, Tina checked Lila's pulse and found it
to be weak, but still there. She then gently dragged her out of the cage, and
laid her out on the ground outside of Amber's cage. She then took the key that
was still in that lock, and used to open the other lock at Amber's cage.

The two girlfriends held each other tightly as they both began to cry. "I
heard you were dead falling over a cliff," Amber muttered while still sobbing.
"I almost did, but my hand somehow managed to grab a large tree root sticking
out from the side of the cliff, and I was able to slowly climb my way out,"
the Cuban replied back, thankful that she wasn't killed herself.

"We gotta rescue Ashley!" Tina suddenly said, noticing the gold clad beauty
was not around, figuring she was next after her.

"Chris and Nikolas are here!" Amber beamed happily as she wiped her tears from
her face. "They somehow found us, and Nikolas went to get Ashley, and Chris
had fought off that creepy boy and is somewhere around here."

After helping Amber out of the cage, Tina noticed Andrea still lying on the
ground near Lila. "She was trying to help Lila before her so-called friend did
this to her," Amber stated the events to Tina, feeling some sympathy now for
the plump girl as she seemed to have listened to her conscious.

"Let's keep that psycho girl, Jayne, locked up until the police arrive to take
her back to that hospital for good," Tina went over to where she left Jayne in
the cage only to find her ... gone.

If Nikolas didn't have to go and rescue Ashley from being tortured, Chris
really could've used his help in subduing this behemoth of a fellow who gave
chase to him. Taking him down initially when his guard was relaxed was easy
enough, but Chris needed to rethink his strategy if he stood a chance at
stopping him for he was definitely no match against him as Nikolas so
eloquently relayed to him.

Running through the darkened zoo, Chris recalled visiting here multiple times
as a child and the memories of this place was coming back to him now. He
decided to use his knowledge of this place to his advantage against this burly
opponent.

* * *

Toby kept on pressing his attack on Nikolas as the tuxedo-clad person didn't
seem to respond back in kind. These electrode sticks where a bit heavier than
a traditional fencing sword, but the smaller Toby still wielded it with the
grace and precision that him a state finalist.

Nikolas was amazed at how skilled his opponent was for he had underestimated
him somewhat, figuring that girl was just bluffing in an effort to psyche him
out. He too found the electrode to be a bit cumbersome to handle in the manner
he was using it, but he quickly got the hang of it. Fending off the fierce
attacks being administered on him, Nikolas tried to remain focused and not let
his attention dwell on his beloved Ashley, bound to that chair with a
frightful look on her beautiful face.

With the room they were all in on the smaller size, Nikolas' first priority
was not for these electrodes to strike Ashley accidentally, and second was to
subdue this boy before somebody got really hurt. "Ahhhh!!" he suddenly cried
out as jolt of electricity pounded his right arm, which held his weapon.
Ashley gasped in shock at seeing her boyfriend injured.

Toby grinned at making a strike on his adversary, hoping that he would drop
his electrode, but the regal-looking person didn't bow down as he thought he
would.

Stepping back momentarily, Nikolas cocked his head and raised his charged
stick up with a resolute look on his face. Toby paused also, but lunged at him
again to end this duel now. However, Nikolas was ready for the boy's assault
and charged at him as well as their two stick clashed against each other with
sparks of electricity creating an unnerving crackling sound. It was Nikolas
this time that seemed to gain the upper hand as the handsome prince didn't
hold back on his moves and was giving Toby the fight of his life.

In all the matches Toby participated in, never had he encountered an opponent
with such fluidity and aptitude as this foreign-looking person. He tried his
best to fend of the series of quick volleys being hammered on him, but he
could not gain back the advantage""it was almost like he was fighting a
different person now.

After the last strike, Nikolas twirled his dueling arm so fast and so precise,
he successfully wrested the electrode out of Toby's hand, landing safely away
from everyone inside. Ashley looked relieved to see that it was over and
Nikolas victorious.

Toby had his back to the wall, angry at being defeated so easily like that.
"Surrender and I promise that you will not be harmed," Nikolas ordered
respectfully, pointing his stick towards his foe. With a wicked scowl on his
face, Toby dashed over to the exit door close by, risking what may happen to
him.

Nikolas allowed the boy to flee knowing that he had bested him. Placing his
electrode gently on the floor, he proceeded over to a sobbing Ashley and began
to undo her restraints. Once she was free of her bonds, she hugged Nikolas
furiously and cried even harder. "It is okay, my sweet ... " he cooed softly
in her ear as he held her just as tight. "We must go back to the others now."

"Tina is dead ... " Ashley stammered out in tears, which Nikolas looked
positively sorrowful at hearing that alarming news. Supportive of her grief,
he held her very close as they both walked out.

Walking along the dirt path, Joe's body ached from all the punishment he
endured this night. Being the size he was this was new for him getting
assaulted like that ... a harsh bite to the nose, getting his back slammed
against a metal locker, and punched in the gut. He realized that he must be
getting soft when it came to good old fashioned fighting. Well, that was about
to change when he gets his hands on pretty boy.

He noticed a large carousel situated at an intersection. Looking around, he
tried to get a fix on Chris, seeing if he was hiding from him. "Come out, you
coward!" he yelled out in the stillness of the night. All of a sudden, the
lights on the carousel blazed on, blinding the thug momentarily, and the
calliope music began to play thunderously as the merry-go-round unexpectedly
came to life.

Joe figured this turn of events was no mere accident, as it suggested that his
prey was responsible for this. Moving towards the spinning ride for children,
he peered through the wooden horses moving up and down towards the center.
Seeing a shadow move, Joe climbed on board eager for some clobbering, but saw
no one present. Confused by what he thought he saw, a foreign noise was heard
close by, and he whipped his head around towards it.

Running to where he heard it, Joe was suddenly struck in the back. The harsh
blow caused him to fall on his hands and knees in pain. Looking up, he noticed
Chris standing over him with a metal rod in his hands. Upset at being attacked
yet again, he rushed over to Chris' legs and wrapped his long arms around
them, knocking the teenage boy on the wooden-planked floor of the carousel.

Chris tried his best in fighting off the large young man by kicking at him
with his hard-soled shoes, but Joe took his blows as he didn't yield his hold
on him. Picking up the rod that fell from his grasp, Chris went to strike at
Joe again, but the black-clad thug anticipated that move as he grabbed the
other end of it, stopping Chris' strike.

Chris immediately grasped the metal stick with both hands and pushed it hard
towards Joe, connecting the end he held right on his forehead. Joe cried out
more in aggravation than in pain, and went to lunge at Chris when his jaw
struck the hoof of one of the horses as it made its cycle back up.

Using that distraction to his advantage, Chris crawled away from his opponent
and got back on his feet. He noticed Joe rising up as well with the rod in his
hand. Not wasting anymore time, he ran back around to the other side of the
carousel as Joe quickly followed him with rage on his battered face.

Reaching to where he last saw Chris was an open door leading into the control
room of the ride. Stepping inside, he saw Chris with his back to the wall
looking fearful towards him. He gave his lanky adversary a wicked grin and
rose the metal rod high up, then in one swift move, he lunged it lethally
towards Chris with all his strength.

Chris dodged out of the way at the very last second as the rod struck the wall
he stood in front of, which were the controls for the carousel.

Joe trembled in searing pain as high voltage electricity from the control
panel traveled along the metal rod he still held, and caroused through his
large frame. The lights from the ride began to flicker erratically as Joe
cried out in sheer agony through his gritted teeth. Chris was very careful not
to touch him as he made way passed him through the small room.

Hopping off the now stopped carousel, the music stopped playing, and the
lights ceased flashing as they shut down, returning it to its quiet darkened
state. Breathing heavily, Chris heard no sound coming from inside the ride,
guessing that Joe was most likely dead from his self-inflicted electrocution.
After waiting a few more seconds just to make sure, he headed back to where
Lila was, eager to see if she was alright.

* * *

Toby wandered aimlessly in the darkness still upset from his embarrassing
loss; his pride was wounded. He walked around searching for his fellow
comrades as it seemed that their plan of revenge was coming apart at the seams
now.

In the distance, the young teen caught sight of his cousin, Jayne, staggering
unevenly like she was injured. "Jayne!" he called out to get her attention.
The blonde-haired girl glanced at him, and continued her trek. Toby started to
run towards her when he suddenly stopped as he saw where she was headed ...
the roped off area where the live gas pipe was situated underground.

A dreadful look came over the boy's face as he suspected what his unstable
cousin was up to ...

Chris picked up his pace as he wanted to get to Lila as soon as possible. This
night that started out magical and full of possibilities had now turned into a
veritable nightmare for everyone involved it seemed. Turning a corner as he
backtracked the way he came, the disheveled teen suddenly ran into another
kid, almost knocking right into him.

The short teen boy looked absolutely frightful as he stopped in front of
Chris. He wasn't sure if this lanky kid was part of the group that was
responsible for abducting the girls, but his presence in this abandoned zoo
did make him look suspicious.

The boy tried to run off again when Chris halted him. "Hold on there ... just
where do you think you're going?" he asked in a tone mixed with authoritive
and concern.

"She's absolutely crazy ... " Toby stammered shakily. "She's gonna kill us
all!"

"What're you talking about? ... Who's going to kill us?" Chris asked as he
kept a level head.

"She's at the gas pipe right now!" Toby yelled back, and wrested himself off
of Chris.

Chris watched the boy dart off into the surrounding darkness. He then recalled
reading that warning sign about a natural gas pipe, and then started to run,
not knowing how much time they all had left!

* * *

Jayne reached the bottom of the steps leading down to an underground work
area. The battered girl ached with each careful step she took, but her resolve
was unwavering as she methodically approached the large cylindrical metal tube
running horizontally above the ground.

Reaching it, she knelt down carefully to the ground, still tending to her
injured arm. Tears smeared her grimy face as she began to weep openly. "Mama
... I miss you so much," she stammered out in heaving sobs. "I just want the
pain to stop ... " she looked up with sad, pleading eyes as Jayne Patterson
completely broke down emotionally.

* * *

Trudging their way back through the gloomy old zoo, Ashley kept her head down
in deep despair while Nikolas gently held her close to keep her upright. He
kept thinking over in his head how close he was to losing her, and was very
thankful that she was now safe. He recalled what Lila asked earlier about
their future together, and after what had just occurred, Nikolas doesn't want
to risk almost losing Ashley again.

The sounds of voices were soon heard up ahead, and Nikolas' guard went up,
wondering if any of those other kidnappers were close by. As they got closer,
they saw thankfully that wasn't the case as it seemed that Amber and Lila were
free of their cages, and someone else was with them that Ashley recognized
almost immediately.

"TINA!!!" she yelled out in utter shock as she saw her dear friend looking
tattered, but very much alive. She broke from Nikolas' grasp and ran over to
her in a big hug. After their heartwarming reunion, Ashley noticed Lila still
prone on the ground, and that chubby girl who helped that demon, Jayne, with
her sick plan. Ashley wanted to wallop that girl for what she had done, but
Amber stopped the angry blonde in her tracks.

"She tried to help us, but her friend ended up betraying her," Amber spoke
sympathetically in regards to the forlorn teen girl as she had sported a
makeshift bandage over Andrea's forehead from a strip of her gown.

Ashley ignored the plump girl, seeing that she got what she deserved by the
look of that nasty injury on her head, and instead went straight to Lila who
looked to be awake now.

Bending down to her friend, Ashley held her hand gently with deep concern in
her wide green eyes. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly as she tried to
control her rising emotions. "I could certainly use a good bed right about now
... " Lila replied weakly, but gave her friend a slight grin on her face,
reassuring her that she wasn't quite as bad as she appeared.

Nikolas noticed right away that Chris was not present, and became fearful of
his well-being at the hands of that monster of a person. He went over to Tina
who still carried that large stick in her hand. "I must go and try to find
Chris ... He risked his life help to save us, but I am concerned for your
safety staying here," he confided in the Cuban quietly, not wanting Ashley to
overhear.

"You go on ahead ... I can take care of Miss Psycho and any of her pathetic
cronies if they come back," Tina replied with firmness in her voice, which
alleviated the prince's concerns seeing how protective she was for the
others""a trait he greatly admired about her.

Just as he was about to embark, Nikolas heard running footsteps approach, and
stood right in front of the girls, ready for what might happen ...

He then smiled broadly at seeing Chris appear looking like he was just in a
fight. "What happened to that other person?" he asked, observing that a wicked
brawl had taken place between them.

Stopping in front of the prince, Chris caught his breath after running so
fast. "He got a jolting experience," he said wryly, which confused the
foreigner as he was not accustomed to the slang the locals here use, but he
did get the sense that behemoth of a person was not coming back.

Chris then ran straight over to Lila, giving his girlfriend a very warm hug.
"Can you walk okay?" he asked her, seeing her still in a weakened state. "I
don't think I can even stand up right now," she replied in an aching tone. He
then gently lifted her off the ground and carried her in his arms. "We have to
get out of here right now. That gas pipe is going to blow any minute!" he
announced audibly to the shock of everyone assembled.

* * *

After a few more minutes of muted sobbing, Jayne stood back up, and reached
out for a sledge hammer nearby that she spotted.

Grabbing the weighted object with her good hand, she heaved it up, and with
all of her youthful strength she had left, struck the aged steel pipe with a
loud CLANG, which echoed noisily in the confined space she was in.

The adrenaline Jayne was feeling now was so invigorating that she finally
began to feel free from all the pain and heartache she had experienced over
the past three years, and began to smack the large pipe even harder with a
power she never knew she possessed.

After several more whacking with the hammer, a small breach in the pipe began
to form on a rusted seam""the strong odor of the gas began seeping out""then
after one more hit, a tiny spark flashed, and that was the last thing Jayne
remembered as the entire room was instantly ignited in a bright flash of fire!

The explosion Jayne had initiated caused a terrifyingly chain reaction as the
entire length of the subterranean pipe began to burst out in huge fireballs up
into the night air, obliterating the structures of the abandoned zoo in its
path with devastating results. The noise from the series of massive explosions
was so deafening that it shattered glass windows nearby.

The group of seven teens ran like they had never ran before, trying to steer
clear of the falling debris occurring all around them. Nikolas led the way
with Ashley tightly at his side, followed by Tina and Amber hand-in-hand with
Andrea right on their heels, and Chris, still carrying an injured Lila,
brought up the rear as every ounce of strength he possessed kept him in pace
with the others.

The intense heat from the raging fires ignited by the gas began to envelope
the fleeing kids as it felt like they were going to burst into flames.

Using his keen sense of direction, Nikolas backtracked the way he and Chris
came in the zoo. Suddenly, a building up ahead of them began to break apart
from the violent trembling of the enormous explosions, and the rubble of the
collapse completely blocked their only escape route!

In a rare moment, Nikolas looked positively frightful at this latest
development as it appeared they weren't going to survive this catastrophe.

"This way!" Chris shouted loudly over the all the crashing sounds, and began
leading the distressed group into another direction. Another building close by
also began to crumble, shooting debris everywhere as the fleeing group tried
to evade the onslaught of smoldering fragments raining down.

Using his memories of this place again, Chris led everyone down a narrow
trail, which he prayed would not cave in on them until they were through it
first. He remembered running through this very same pathway with his older
brother, Zach, when they were both still in grade school.

After several tense seconds of running for their lives, the group reached the
fence at the outer perimeter, and they followed it along until the main exit
was in view.

Finally coming to a stop at a safe enough distance from the zoo, everyone had
to rest for a moment from all the extreme running they did. Chris placed Lila
down gently against a large tree trunk, then sat next to her, holding her very
close to him. They all looked in both fascination and horror as the entire
place was now engulfed in flames, knowing that they barely escaped that
hellish setting.

Everyone was speechless as they all began to comfort one another, even that
misunderstood girl, Andrea, was greeted with tearful hugs by Ashley and Amber.

Lila looked deeply at the bright light of the fire, feeling some bit of sorrow
for Jayne who no doubt caused it in an attempt of taking everyone with her.
Despite the cruel things that she did to her, and her friends, Lila wished
that it didn't have to come to this, but understanding the core of Jayne's
turmoil, she hoped that the tormented girl would find some peace.