"It is done," Antonia said. "We can never go back."

"Never," Toby said. He toed the earth. "I like you, Melissa. Always have, since I first saw you. We've made a choice. And I choose you. I hope that proves to you, proves . . ." Toby coughed, clearly unused to this sort of expression.

Melissa gazed at him through her long side-swept bangs.

"Can I hold you?" Toby asked. Melissa opened her arms. They embraced under the night sky.

"I feel the best I've felt in years," Pia said. "Thank you." She gave Antonia a hug, resting her head on her shoulder.

"You feel warm," Antonia murmured in wonder.

"I told you," Jordyn said to Kaila. "That I would prove my love. Now your friends are free."

"And we are free," Toby said, holding Melissa. "I love the feel of your energy."

"Can you do the same for everyone?" Kaila asked.

"That is part of our plan," Jordyn said. "We are going to remove the implants from every human we can. Free them from their programming. Let them wake up and know freedom. As we are doing now. All beings in the universe should be allowed to live free."

A buzzing, invading sound filled their ears. The hybrids jerked their heads, listening.

Viktor, Echidna, and Lucius appeared with Mrs. Bourg.

Melissa and Pia jumped.

Mrs. Bourg had pink rollers in her hair and white cold cream on her face. "Do I believe my ears," Mrs. Bourg said, "that you are defecting? To this?" She waved her plump hand. Jordyn, Antonia, and Toby said nothing.

"This is unacceptable!" Mrs. Bourg cried. "You are foolish and young. This will not be permitted."

"It's done," Jordyn said raising his fist. "We are free."

"Heresy," Viktor said. "You must be destroyed."

"Traitors," Echidna accused.

"Go back to the ship," Jordyn said. "We've made a choice."

"You have no choice," Viktor said. His reptilian eyes rolled back. His body began to vibrate, his red hair shimmering like fire. "I summon the Master," he intoned. "I summon the Creator."

"No," cried Mrs. Bourg. "Don't do that!"

Too late.

The crescent moon rolled and turned, lowering in the sky. The stars flew through the skies, streaming in fast forward as a thousand shooting stars.

Fog shrouded the ground. It crept over their feet, rose up their thighs, belly, over their heads. Now they stood enveloped, blinded in the menacing gray fog. Inside that mist, the minions of darkness crept on their tails.

The earth rumbled. A million cries of anguish and pain emanated up from the earth below. The trembling earth teetered them off balance.

Then seeking, red eyes glittered in the fog. Its power was immense, immeasurable, originating in the negative polarity, the darkest reaches of those black holes of the universe. Though largely unseen, it could be felt inside the back of the mind, the bottom of the heart, the pit of the stomach. This was the place of nightmares. This was the creator of doubt, the pit of despair. The master of alienation and isolation. This was the controller, the ruler, the dark lord.

I see you, I see all of you, it said.

You have no power. You are mine. And mine alone.

The red eyes glowed in the mist. The air grew warm, heavy in humidity. The earth quaked below.

I will take you, destroy you if you do not submit.

The red eyes burned in the fog. They brightened like embers, then in one split second, invaded and entered each mind. It claimed each mind and imparted violent visions. They were stripped. They were whipped, the lash lacerating flesh. They were tied to stakes. The stakes were set ablaze. Fire blazed through them, heating and burning till their vision was but a b.l.o.o.d.y red scream. Their flesh and hair blazed and they screamed and screamed, feeling the fire burning down to their very souls.

Kaila felt Jordyn's arms around her. Felt him quaking.

"It's her fault," Viktor growled, pointing at Mrs. Bourg. "She was responsible for us. As a mother she has failed."

"No!" Mrs. Bourg shrieked. "That's not true!"

A low, beast-like sound. Mrs. Bourg staggered as the ground below her split open. A deep red-hot canyon appeared. The screams of thousands echoed up out of the hole in the ground.

Mrs. Bourg screamed as she hurled down the canyon. Her cries echoed as she tumbled down unfathomable depths. The ground closed to dirt; her screams were heard no more.

Yet darkness and fog clung to them. Next to her ear, Kaila heard a deep growl. She shuddered, burying her face on Jordyn's chest. Kaila felt the eyes probing every atom of her mind. She felt faint and insane. She swallowed.

She could not be afraid. They fed on fear.

Help us, she called in her mind. All divine, all great, all good. I call to You. Help us!

The mist shrouded everything. Kaila could no longer see, immersed in total darkness. She felt Jordyn's arms, his heart hammering in his chest next to hers. She must not be afraid. She must summon her own power.

Kaila concentrated on her heart. Though she heard the growl in her ear, felt the red eyes' invasion in every mind neuron, she thought: I call out to goodness, I call to all high. I summon my light.

The growl deepened. She felt hot breath on her ear. Kaila squeezed her eyes shut. Focused on her heart s.p.a.ce. Summoned light to surround and protect.

I call out to goodness, I call to all high. I summon my light.

The growl at her ear roared. It bit her ear. Sharp, painful razor fangs.

Kaila yelped. Yet she would not be deterred. You have no power over me, she shouted telepathically. You must go.

Kaila turned her attention back to her heart energy.

I call out to goodness, I call to all high. I summon my light.

A glow about Kaila became visible. She projected her light coc.o.o.n outward, intending to surround her friends. Her aura brightened. With utmost concentration, she envisioned her core, this Source light projecting and protecting. She was surrounded by a golden illumination. It spread outward and encompa.s.sed her friends. The group stood as a burning torch, a beacon in the darkness.

The fog thinned in the brightness of Kaila's candescence. The night sky became visible. The sliver moon expanded to round, white and glowing. Then another moon appeared and another. The skies opened up with saucers of light. One after another appeared, until the skies were filled with the luminosity of infinite moons.

Kaila looked up in awe. It was as if a magnanimous spotlight illuminated from her light on earth where they stood straight up to the skies, revealing the million ships. So many glowing, brilliant ships, the field grew bright as day.

With the light, the fog evaporated. The night air cleared.

Viktor tore Jordyn and Kaila apart. "Do you understand," he said to Kaila in a low tone, "that we are now at war?"

Kaila glanced at his reptilian eyes, but then lifted her eyes to the countless lighted ships.

Viktor yanked Kaila's arm. "Look at me!"

Kaila refused to look at Viktor. She kept her gaze up to the brilliant ships.

Viktor thrust his face one inch from hers. "Remember this: it is illusion." He nodded to the lightships. "Everything is illusion, you fool."

He shook his fist to the sky. "So let it be war!"

Viktor turned to Echidna and Lucius. "Are you hungry?"

"Always," Echidna replied.

"Let's go then and feast on the glands of mother Bourg."

Viktor, Echidna, and Lucius peered at the ground with black eyes. The cavern opened. From the cavern emanated the sound of groans, whips snapping and clubs. .h.i.tting flesh and bone, and screams.

"Ahhh," Viktor, Echidna and Lucius hissed as they flew down the hole. The canyon sealed up to dirt and tread gra.s.ses.

Melissa trembled, speechless in terror. Toby pressed his small lips to her ear. "We will protect you, dear one. No fear."

From the white ships, thousands of beams of light flowed down from the skies. Those on the ground were mesmerized with the brilliant lights streaming to Earth.

From one of the lights, Priscilla Snowden a.s.sumed form as she touched ground. She wore a light blue sparkling jumpsuit that made her eyes glow like sapphires.

"We heard you," she said to Kaila. "We will help you."

More and more light poured down from the sky.

"We've been up there, waiting and watching," Priscilla said.

Antonia, Toby, and Jordyn surrounded Priscilla.

"There are other dimensions higher than ours?" Jordyn asked.

"Several," Priscilla said. "They hid that from you."

"We understand," Toby said, gazing up at the lightships.

"What can we do? How can we be freed?" Antonia asked.

"You started tonight by helping others-Melissa and Pia," Priscilla said. "Look." She pointed. Three illuminations, like spotlights, flowed from the ships beaming to the ground.

Three men in white robes stood before them. They had long light hair and beards with serene eyes.

They said to Kaila, "You have called on us. We will help you."

"Who are you?" Kaila asked, humbled in their glowing light.

"We're here to guide," said one.

"We are you, your spirit reborn," said another.

"I don't understand."

"Look."

Another light streamed down from above.

From the light, a white-robed man appeared. He had a white beard and white hair beneath the hood of his robe. A comforting light emanated about him.

"Do you know me?" he asked smiling, as he approached Kaila.

Kaila felt drawn to him, as if she'd known him her whole life.

"If I called you *Goosy' and told you you're the apple of my eye, would you know me?"

Kaila flew to him. Hugged him. "I've missed you so," she sobbed.

She heard him in her mind then.

No tears, he said, embracing her in his light. We live forever. That is our gift. Live a good life and you ascend. You sent me to the light. Now when you ask for light I give it back. That is how the universe works.

Kaila pressed her cheek against his ethereal white robe, soothed and comforted in his arms of love and light. She was returned to the one she'd loved and would forever love. Love never truly died; loved lived eternal. His light surrounded and infused Kaila until they were but one celestial light.

Finally, she asked, "What should we do now?"

"Love," he replied.

"Will there be war?" Kaila asked.

"Look." He pointed to the sky.

The millions of illuminated crafts in the sky glowed brighter. Thousands of white spotlights beamed from the ships in a mult.i.tude of rays down onto the field.

Thousands of people in white robes stood on the field, bathed in glowing light.

We are here to help you, they said telepathically in unison.

"Holy s.h.i.t!" cried Pia.

We are here to help, they said in one strong telepathic voice. All you have to do is ask.

Kaila's mind flooded with telepathic communication that lasted a micro second. It said: This is an ancient war, the birds and the serpents. The light and the dark. Christ and Lucifer. Yahweh and Azazel. Buddha and Mara. Allah and Iblis. In the end, it is up to you. Don't let them take your spirit. That truly, is what they are here for. Do not be harvested. Do not be recycled. You have a choice. In the whole universe there is no other planet like this. We all watch you. Your choices affect the entire universe. Each and every one of you matters. Come back to us. Ascend. Gain knowledge. Live for more than yourself and you'll be free. But we can do nothing unless you ask. The others seduce and blind, take and manipulate you. They don't honor free will. Power and domination is their master. If you died today, you would see a holographic embodiment of every word, action, thought in your whole life. Do not succ.u.mb to the veils. Do not succ.u.mb to the deceit. Do not look outward. Look within. You hold the torch of the universe within. Come home, beautiful ones. Do not, we beg you, be lost. Come home.