Ashly found herself standing in the high school garden. It was dark and the night was clear. Everything was like it should be. This wasn't the fantasy garden Jerome had gotten her into. She was in the normal, dull, high school garden. She fell to her knees, her energy stolen from her body. She placed both hands on the ground and stared at it for a moment, studying the shadows over the grass. She was so weak, she felt so defenseless. If Jerome did come back for her she wouldn't be able to fight him. Something glittered in the darkness and she stared at that spot for a moment. It looked like a rose, a small rose, with a ring around it. Her hand reached forward and closed around the little gem. Her vision began to blur. Warmth touched her hand so softly.

"I belong to no man," she whispered softly to it. And Ashly fainted.

A soft humming sound filled Ashly's head. A gentle tune; slow and soothing. It reminded her of something Nicole would hum to. Oh , her best friend in the whole world was dead. Will, her true love for as long as she dared to remember; no longer was her true love. Joey was no longer the tough fighter he used to be, not since the hour they found Nicole dead. The humming grew a little louder and Ashly realized she was waking up. Tears began to stream down her face and she also recognized the fact that she was crying. The humming stopped and she felt a cool hand touch the side of her face.

"Hey Ashly, wake up," frowned a voice that sounded too much like Nicole's. Ashly cried even harder. Nicole was dead!

"Ashly, please stop crying," begged the voice.

"No, Nicole's 's all my fault." she sobbed, finding her voice. Her voice was hoarse, like she hadn't used it for ages.

"No I'm not," replied the voice. "I'm right here Ashly, open your eyes."

"NO! If I do she wont be there," Ashy sobbed pathetically.

"Yes I will," snapped the voice. Slowly Ashly opened her eyes. And Nicole was there, right in front of her. Her fiery red hair was a tangled mess; her face was pale. She sat up quickly and flung her arms around Nicole's neck, bawling like a child.

"I thought you were dead," she sniffled.

"I thought so too," Nicole smiled. "It's quite a place up there." Ashly looked to her, her face holding a look of confusion.

"Up where?" she frowned. Nicole smiled and jerked her head up towards the ceiling.

"You know, up there," she grinned. Ashly looked to Nicole in astonishment.

" were ?" she choked out. Nicole beamed.

"Well yea, what did you expect?" she chuckled. Ashly smiled softly.

"I don't know. It's just been a long few hours," she sighed. "Do the others know you're alive?"

"Yup. We turned up at the prom, it was going on right where we left off, as if time had frozen in place." Nicole began to blush. ".I woke up in Joey's arms. Will had walked into the auditorium the very next second and started freaking out about you and where you were. He caused a real riot. Almost everyone started looking for you and they were about to call the police. Then Dravin walked in with you in his arms. You should have seen the look on everybody's face," she laughed. "You know. Cute gothic guy walking in with innocent angel girl asleep in his arms." Ashly nodded a bit faintly.

"Will was actually worried about me," she frowned blandly. Nicole looked to her curiously.

"What do you mean by that? Of course he was worried. He's your boyfriend," she snapped. Ashly looked down, her face holding a scowl.

"You obviously missed a few things while you were away on vacation. Will isn't my boyfriend anymore," she replied softly. Nicole put a soft hand on Ashly's shoulder.

"It'll be all right," she said soothingly. "Besides, you don't need Will. You've got me as a friend, Joey as a big brother, and all those other people." Ashly smiled a bit more genuinely and nodded.

"Thanks Nicole. I'm just very glad you're alive," she grinned. Nicole nodded.

"Me too, Heaven's nice but not really the same without you guys there with me," she chuckled. Ashly smiled even wider. There was a soft knock on the door and they both looked to it.

"Come in," called Nicole. Ashly's mom and dad walked inside of her room. Her mother noticed right away Ashly was awake and burst into tears. She raced to Ashly and flung her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry!" her mother began to sob. Ashly looked to Nicole curiously over her mother's shoulder. Her dad began to stammer away, a very rare action he used. Ashly's mother was always so chic and on top of everything, including business. And her father was naturally calm and almost never had to apologize about something.

"We didn't really 't have left sorry." her father fumbled around. Her mother was still bawling like Ashly had done only minutes ago.

"We were on our way to the airport to hit a flight for Canada and then we got a call from the hospital about how you'd fainted during your senior prom and honey I'm just so sorry!" she wept. Nicole looked like she was trying to stifle giggles.

"What happened to Will?" frowned Ashly softly. Will had been cut one too many times, no doubt he'd lost a lot of blood.

"He's just fine. It was like a miracle actually. You see, you fainted for mysterious reasons but were all right. Will had all those cuts but not an ounce of blood had been lost," replied Nicole. She murmured something only Ashly could hear. "Probably to the disliking of you-know-who." Her mother had calmed down more and she was looking at something in Ashly's hand.

"What's this?" she frowned, her voice still sounded wet with tears. Ashly looked to her hand. Clutched tightly in it was the rose and ring. She loosened her grip and gazed at the crystal rose and the silver and crystal ring. The fragile chain around it was like a strand of stardust in her hand. The gems had made no indentions in her hand.

"Oh, admirer gave it to me," shrugged Ashly.

"Wait, you got something," Nicole frowned. She lowered her voice again. "Probably from the same guy." She walked out of the room and back in, a silver rose in hand. There was a small note attached by a silver string to it. She handed the rose to Ashly. Ashly's parent's seemed very confused of where, or who, all of this stuff was coming from. Ashly set the rose down and looked to her parents.

"I'm very glad you guys came home, but I need to talk to Nicole in privet for a moment, please," she said softly. Her mother and father exchanged glances before they left the room quickly, no doubt they'd be eavesdropping by the door, curious of what was going on. Ashly picked up the rose again and looked to the note. Beautiful handwriting in a flashing silver caught her eye.

Dear my lovely Ashlyina,

I do hope you're feeling better from the prom. I decided to let your disappearance go unnoticed, but as

for you fainting in the garden, that was unexpected. The lack of food and water you and your friends

had during the game also went unnoted, and the same basically went for Willson's cuts. I hope you

enjoy your time of freedom, because when I've had things arranged, I will be back for you my love.

May that be a promise.

Jerome

Ashly felt shivers race over her spine. She set the rose down beside her and looked to Nicole. Nicole's expression was dark, her face was pale and Ashly had faintly become aware of how it had grown considerably darker.

"What's it say?" Nicole whispered, aware of Ashly's prying parents.

"He's not finished with us yet," Ashly replied just as silently. Nicole's face became paler and she looked to the note along with Ashly. The darkness surrounded them, compressing them and holding them to the positions they sat in. Ashly noticed, in the back of her mind, it was suddenly storming outside again. Lightning flashed in the sky and the power went out. The lightning crackled again and the silver writing glowed in the darkness. The words the frightened Ashly and Nicole most burned the brightest.

May that be a promise.
Well 's the end!

Kind of weird huh? The story's 92 pages and I just couldn't keep going so I plan to make a second book. Yey!

*laughs lightly*

Anyway, I want you're opinion on if anything should be changed, added, or taken away.

And I'd like to thank all of the reviewers!

Atoosha

evil-overlord

Silver Phoenix

Shadow

Roma

Kate

NightBlossom

*Moira*

Player Number One

lausie

AliceBowie

Kevin

Kat

watergoddess

Vincentfreak Davofreak

l.e.m.p

FR

poison ivy

Those were all of my reviewers and every one of them I'm thankful to, for with out you guys I would not have finished my story. So give yourselves a big hand!

*stands up applauding*

So tell me any changes you might have in mind or just tell me how you felt about the last chapter!

^-^

Bai everyone!

(or until my next story... . .)

Elexies