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"What light? I was talking about the icky thing that seems to be really focused on us. Don't you feel it?" Ray scrunches up her nose at Larry, as if surprised he can't see things she sees...well, feels.

Derek looks at Clarissa and notes the look. He discreetly checks his folding knife and his longer blade still in his coat.

He asks Clarissa, "How many more of these are there?"

[very sorry everyone for the ubrupt leave my mother board decided to croak so had to save up to get a new one and all that stuff but I am back now]

John being very weak from the loss of the blood and injured speaks in a very tiredly tone "Someone else is going to have to give blood the next time...." John then closes his eyes to get some rest

"All I see is some spot light that follows us around," Larry says. "But if you say something icky is behind it, I believe you. Anything we can do about it?"



"Three more", Clarissa says as she directs him to stop at the next location. She quickly finds the entrance to the basement this time, it being in roughly the same location as the others.

"Who's next?" she calls as she heads into the basement.

Jacob levers himself out of the back seat of one of the cars, wincing as his wounds open a bit. He walks around, stretching his legs.

"This is devil's work, to be sure," he exclaims. "I'll have nothing to do with it."

He faces into the light and begins praying softly.

"I don't know," she whispers softly to Larry. "I...could try to talk to that man again...m-maybe I should go with Clarissa. Help me?" She hears Jacob's words and frowns, "Someone needs to stay with Jacob and help him...comfort him..."

"That old goat would spit in the Devil's eye," Larry says. "He'll be fine. If you want to give something a try, though, I need to take a turn in the blood mobile, so I'll help you in."

Larry helps Ray out of the car and into the basement, cautioning her when she needs to duck and guiding her around the debris on the floor.

The two of them take up a position where Clarissa directs, inside one of the symbols painted on the ground. It's a bit tight for two, but Larry doesn't let Ray get far from him in any case.

As Clarissa starts chanting, Ray feels herself drift away from the scene, rising upward. She can, in the way of dreams, see everyone huddled around and in the cars, and the light that shines from the Tower in the Sea onto them.

She floats along the shaft of light, drawn toward the Tower. She ends up in the same circular room with the same old gentleman. An addition to the room is a huge screen TV that shows the scene around the cars.

"Welcome back, my dear," the man says. His manner again attempts to be charming, but Ray senses the corruption beneath the veneer he projects.

"What are you and yours trying to do in those basements?"

"Leave us alone," she states without hesitation. "We just want to go home, sir. Please." She reveals no more and no less. "Who are you and what do you want? Why are you tormenting us?"

"Might I remind you that you are the visitors here," the old man says. "I neither invited nor desired your presence, and would be happy to see you go."

"As to who I am," he continues, "your kind hasn't the words or concepts for me. I was gone from your realm long before your ape forefathers left the trees."

"If you're leaving, don't tarry on my account." He turns back to the screen showing the cars, and waves his hand negligently. Ray feels drawn back along the shaft of light, thumping back into her body in the basement just as Larry finishes the ritual shedding of blood. She can't see how pale he is, but can feel the coolness of his skin.

"Let's go Ray, one more stop before we see if we're all nuts or not."