"Oh, come on! One evening out isn't going to hurt you!"

I sat on Sheila's bed, watching her brush out her long, blonde hair. We had been friends for two years starting on the day we both arrived at the university as freshmen. We were eager, excited, and just a bit apprehensive. No two young women could have been more complete opposites. I was short, athletic, serious and studious. Sheila was tall, fashionably thin and far more interested in keeping up with the campus social scene than with her chosen major, commercial art. My dormitory room was clean, neat, and very modestly decorated with a quilt on the bed and framed needlework pictures on the walls. It was depressingly Spartan compared with my friend's room which held an eclectic assortment of stuffed animals, posters, scattered clothes, (under which her books and current class projects were usually well hidden), candles, pottery, and an incredible assortment of plants which seemed to thrive despite Sheila's absent-minded neglect. I picked up a stuffed white cat dressed in bib overalls and stroked its plush acrylic fur.

"Mid-terms are coming up in a couple of weeks," I reminded her.

"So?" Sheila turned from the mirror set up on her dresser. Her face seemed to be a bit flushed and her blue eyes were bright. "I want you to come out with me to The Barn."

I knew that look...I had seen it too many times before. "Okay, who's going to be out there, huh? Let me guess. Michael from English class, or could it be Jim from Photography?"

Sheila sat down beside me, both hands holding her hairbrush in a deathgrip. "No, no! Last night when I was out at The Barn I saw this totally incredible guy. Jean, I swear I almost lost it when I saw him."

I couldn't help but grin, caught up, as usual, in her infectious enthusiasm. "Why did you go out to The Barn? I thought you hated country and bluegrass."

She gave a slight shrug. "The band at the Dungeon really stank and Robert had become obnoxiously drunk. So I left and walked over to The Barn. I just wanted to get a beer and sit by myself and chill. And that's when I saw him!"

"At The Barn?"

She nodded. "He just seemed to materialize out of nowhere! One minute I was watching the band, then the next I saw him standing near the back by the stage." She lapsed into silence, staring off, lost in the memory of the previous night.

I put the stuffed cat back on the bed beside its companion, a stuffed Dalmatian. "So how do you know he'll be there tonight?" I asked.

"He's working with the band."

I looked at Sheila, feigning shocked surprise. "You mean to tell me you've actually fallen for a roadie? Whatever happened to finding a doctor, lawyer, or son-of-a-billionaire?" I picked up the Dalmatian and looked into its shiny, black button eyes. "Did you hear that, Manfred? Your mistress has fallen for a commoner!"

"Oh, cut it out!" Sheila cried, playfully shoving my shoulder and pushing me back on the bed. She stood and walked back toward her dresser, then stopped, turned, and faced me. "Please, you have to go out with me tonight! If I see him again I might die!"

I sighed. "Okay, I can't let my best friend die alone in a country western bar."

"Great!" she cried.

I stood and walked toward the door. "Guess I'd better go find something to wear," I said.

"Wear jeans. This place isn't fancy," Sheila responded, looking down at my worn blue denim.

I looked at her, skeptically. "Is that what you're wearing?"

"Sure!" She opened one of her dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of very expensive black designer jeans. I gave her a wry look, then left.

It was a late October evening. The air was cool and still, and a bright moon hung low over the tops of the downtown buildings. Bennu stood at the rear service door of the night club, eating an apple and taking advantage of a last opportunity to breathe clean air before the club opened. Once the college students started to arrive and the bluegrass band started to play, he would have to stay inside, nearby to help out with the lighting and sound equipment or any minor emergency that might arise. The previous night had tested his endurance. The loud music, cigarette smoke, and rampant emotions magnified and unbridled by copious amounts of alcohol had left him feeling exhausted the next morning.

It was not the type of job he would normally have taken, but he needed the money to better his finances and purchase a bus ticket to Nevada. Besides, he reminded himself, his current situation wouldn't last forever and moving on was something to looked forward to. Another bright point was the close proximity of the university library. After cleaning up the club and preparing things for the Friday night customers, and still suffering from what best could be termed a psychic hangover from the previous night, he had walked to the campus and found the library. The dim aisles of books on shelves almost reaching the ceiling of the stacks was a quiet refuge. Finding a solitary desk tucked away at the end of one of the canyon-like rows of shelved books, Bennu had spent an hour reading before dozing off. He awoke to the voices of two students, a young man and woman, in the next aisle, discussing plans to go out that evening. Bennu stretched and smiled ruefully. It was too bad the young woman was not privy to the thoughts he was picking up from her companion. The young man was definitely hoping for more than a platonic outing at one of the downtown bars. As Bennu left the library he could not help but feel a small amount of pity for the inability of the people he had encountered to develop their mental abilities. They would never fully know the intriguing levels of flirtation and courtship which occurred when a couple could convey, both mentally and verbally, their thoughts and emotions.

Bennu finished his apple and tossed the core into a nearby can. Looking up one last time, he saw dark clouds racing across the dull yellow face of the moon, pushed by a high altitude wind. An involuntary shiver ran through him - an unaccountable feeling of dread which raced through his nervous system but failed to leave its source in his brain. He looked sharply along the street, but saw nothing that would account for his sudden unease. Unconsciously, he touched the amulet he wore beneath his shirt as he continued to study the red brick buildings and concrete sidewalks. Only one thing was capable of creating such an intense feeling of foreboding - Yago! Yet try as he might, Bennu was unable to sense the other's presence. Reluctantly, Bennu opened the rear service door of the club, and went inside.

The clouds grew thicker, blocking out the stars and covering the full moon until it appeared as a wan yellow glow in the dark gray sky. In the small city park by the river, a cold, damp wind began to blow through the tops of the trees. The shaking of the brown and rust colored leaves sounded like the wings of enormous earthbound birds trying to take flight. Shadows flashed and danced across the ground in the dim moonlight - dark grays against darker grays. One shadow detached itself from the dance, gliding forward between trees and park benches. For a brief moment, moonlight shone brightly through a rent in the clouds, it's light striking the tall, thin form of a man standing amid the shadows. He was a solitary form cloaked in the darkest of darkness, clothed entirely in flowing black. His dark hair the darkness of ravens' wings, and this eyes gleaming with the cold darkness of a starless, eternal night. The light of the moon accented the sharp, hard angles of his face, and his eyes glittered coldly for a brief moment before the moon was once more darkened by clouds.

He slowly turned his head as if picking up scent or hearing a distant sound, then, bared his teeth in a feral grin of triumph. Without a sound he walked toward the sidewalk, heading for the lights and sounds of downtown - and his quarry...

Bennu!

It was an unusual night, a night that seemed more appropriate for Halloween. There was a tangible - something - in the air, almost as if the night, like a frightened animal, huddled in on itself, listening and waiting for the sounds of its pursuer. Sheila was beside me, walking quickly and talking animatedly about something; I wasn't following her conversation as closely as I should have. I was more preoccupied with looking over my shoulder and watching the light gray clouds racing across the face of the moon. With a sense of relief, I hurried with Sheila toward the lights shining too brightly near the entrance of The Barn.

We entered an old warehouse building that had been cleverly disguised inside to look like a huge New England farm barn. At ground level was the raised stage for the band and a small, wood floor dance area flanked with small tables. A second, higher level overlooked the floor level. This area, dark and mysterious, held more tables. It was here that Sheila went with me closely in tow.

"Why are we going up here?" I asked as we threaded our way between occupied tables and cigarette smoke. Well, maybe not all cigarette smoke, I thought, seeing a very bright red glow accompanied by a scent sweeter than tobacco. Just what I needed to ease my sense of - what, - foreboding? A contact high! Sheila found a table almost directly overlooking the stage below.

"I hope he's here," she stated, breathlessly.

"So do I," I admitted. Boy, this had better be worth it. Why did I allow myself to be talked into this? Didn't I have a test to study for?

"Do you want a beer?"

"What?" I replied, distractedly.

"A beer. do you want one?" Sheila asked again.

"Sure," I nodded. "Your choice."

Sheila waved down a waitress and ordered. The place was beginning to fill. There was the blue jeans crowd. True country boys and girls from small towns most people had only vaguely heard of, kids raised on country-western or bluegrass and who were homesick for the sounds of home. Then there were the rich-poor; kids from upper middle class homes trying to pass themselves off as the down-to-earth, but who had never experienced dirt beneath their fingernails or the joys of barefoot summers - their families could afford shoes all year 'round. To liven the mix were the music majors, the arts majors, students of philosophy, and the rebels of society.

Our beers arrived and Sheila sipped hers as she watched the band members warming up on the stage. This was one of those bands that mixed rock and roll with country and bluegrass. I took a long, deep gulp of my beer trying hard not to make a face as the cold, slightly bitter liquid went down my throat. The lights gradually dimmed and I saw a tall man walk over to the light and sound control board to the side of the stage. As the band began to play, Sheila grabbed my arm and I grabbed my bottle of beer before it toppled off the table.

"There! There! Do you see him?"

"Where?"

"By the sound board!" I looked more closely at the man by the control board, but his back was to me and he was in the shadows.

"Are you sure that's him" I asked.

Sheila made a sound of impatient annoyance. "Yes, I'm sure!"

As the band went into its first song, the roadie, satisfied with the settings for the amps and the lights, left the control board and weaved his way around the crowded tables, heading toward the far side of the stage. As he passed beneath a brighter beam of light, I saw his blond hair and handsome face more clearly.

Sheila sighed. "What I wouldn't give to have someone like that!"

"You don't even know him!" I protested. "You don't know what kind of a guy he is. What if he turned out to be a real jerk?"

"No way! I just have a feeling about this."

It was my turn to sound impatient. The band wound down from their first number and I looked down toward the stage, but there was no sign of Sheila's current interest. When I looked back, she was absently playing with a paper napkin as she searched the shadows surrounding the rear and side of the stage. As the band started into their rendition of a Willie Nelson standard, Sheila suddenly stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked, warily. I already knew what she was up to.

"Umm, down stairs, to the bar. I need another beer." I picked up her half-full bottle from the table and held it up to her. She returned a wan smile.

"It's too warm to drink. You know I hate it when it gets that way."

"Good try," I remarked, dryly. "I'll give you fifteen minutes - then I'm leaving."

Sheila started to say something, but my expression told her that I knew what she was going to do, and that I didn't fully approve. She sighed with mock resignation.

"Okay, fifteen minutes."

I sat back, watching her thread her way between the crowded tables toward the stairway leading down to the first level. It was not the first time Sheila had used me as an excuse, (and had sought my unspoken consent), in chasing some guy. There was something I found a bit amusing in the whole thing - like watching a very young cat stalking a sparrow and knowing full well that the bird was in no peril, whatsoever. However, there was that one possibility that, someday, the little bird would turn out to be a vulture in disguise. So I found my role in all of this to be as much a protector as a friend.

I finished the last of my beer and pulled Sheila's bottle to my side of the table, the dark glass wet with cold droplets of condensation. The band had started the last song of the first set, and energetic bluegrass tune. Several couples were out on the wooden dance floor and the music became wilder as the enthusiastic whoops and rebel yells from the patrons grew louder. I looked over at the bar and tried to spot Sheila amid the crowd, but the dim light in that area made it difficult. After a few moments, I saw her, not at the bar, but standing off to one side by herself - or so it appeared. As I watched, something moved in the darkness beside her, momentarily detaching itself from the shadows before melting back. Only the long-fingered hand resting on her shoulder, possessive and talon-like, remained in view. A cold shiver ran through me. An uncontrollable wave of panic overtook my senses and my body felt paralyzed - unable to respond to a mindless urge to flee.

Yago stood near the entrance to the night club, trying to remain within the concealment of the shadows cast by the brick building walls. He assessed the young patrons with a cold, dispassionate scrutiny, studying their faces, their movements, their thoughts. He evaluated each weakness and flaw for an opportunity. Someone would have to be found soon to be used has his tool...his weapon to destroy Bennu. Yago was sure Bennu was aware of his presence, especially now that he was directing so much of his will toward maintaining a corporeal form. He uttered a soft, deep-throated curse never before uttered on Earth. To be so close to his goal...yet, still, so far away!

As if some invisible breeze had shifted, carrying to him the scent of his prey, Yago was suddenly aware of two young women walking along the sidewalk toward the main entrance. He could hear the taller blond talking to her shorter, dark-haired companion. Straightening almost imperceptibly, Yago deftly dissected the thoughts of the blond, his potential assistant. He chuckled to himself as he discovered that she was seeking the same person he was, and her strong motivations for meeting Bennu would be quite easy to manipulate.

Waiting for the two women to enter the club, Yago looked up at the pale glow of the moon shadowed by clouds. A pale ring had formed around the moon - a good portent of things to come. With a wolfish grin, Yago entered the club, unseen and unnoticed. Poor Bennu, he thought. That self-righteous ambassador of Eldebran would never know what hit him!

"You seem to very interested in that young man."

Sheila nodded, "I wish I could meet him. Do you know who he is? What his name is?"

The tall man standing beside her deftly smothered an involuntary, sarcastic laugh. His voice, deep and silky, wove a hypnotic spell which riveted her attention to every word he spoke.

"I'm sorry, I really have been rambling on and I didn't catch your name", Sheila said, distractedly. She looked up at the stranger. His face, partially hid in shadows, was sharply chiseled, and his dark eyes - shining like polished jet - held hers with and animal-like intensity. In the back of her mind, Sheila was vaguely aware of a rising sense of dread. An inner voice was trying to tell her that she was in serious trouble, but the words the stranger spoke were things she wanted to hear. They held her transfixed, like a moth caught in the flickering light of a candle. She was barely aware of his hand on her shoulder.

"His name is Bennu," Yago stated, smoothly evading her question.

Sheila had shifted her attention from him to the stage. "Bennu? That's an odd name. I don't see him anywhere."

"He'll be in the back," Yago replied, "I'm sure he will be glad to meet you."

"They don't allow anyone except employees in the storerooms and office..."

"No one will stop you."

"I don't know..." Yago fought down a strong desire to shake her.

"You want to meet Bennu," he told her in a seductive whisper. "You want him to like you - to love you. You two are destined for each other."

Sheila nodded in agreement. Oh, she would do anything to be close to Bennu. Everything the stranger beside her said was so true!

"I can help," Yago said.

"You can?"

"Yes! I can provide you a way to make your heart's desire become a reality."

Sheila watched as he held out his slightly cupped hand. On the center of his palm rested a small, dark, iridescent crystal.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Drop this into a glass of water and wait for it to dissolve. Take the water to Bennu and make sure that he drinks it. I assure you, he will fall deeply in love with you."

Sheila gave a soft laugh. "What, this is some kind of a love potion?" As she reached out to take the crystal, Yago's long fingers folded quickly around it. He glared down at her.

"Do not mock me!," he hissed. "I will give this to you only if you promise to do something for me in return."

"What do you want?" she asked, quickly, afraid he would change his mind and refuse to give her the strange black stone.

"Something simple. After Bennu has taken this - potion, he will be momentarily weak, complacent. He wears a medallion he borrowed from me and forgot to return. I want you to obtain that medallion and bring it to me, tomorrow, this time. I will meet you at the park by the river. do you understand?"

"Yes, I bring you the medallion tomorrow night."

Yago nodded. Suddenly his dark eyes grew cold, hard. His fingers dug into her shoulder and she winced from the pain.

"This is my price. if you fail to bring me the medallion, I will be forced to take some less pleasant form of payment from you. Tell me now! Do you accept my offer?"

She nodded. "Yes, yes, I understand and I do." There was no mistaking the seriousness of his threat if she failed to honor the agreement.

Yago slowly smiled. He released his grip on her shoulder and slipped the black crystal into her hand.

"Go now," he commanded.

"Thank you," Sheila whispered as she looked down at the glittering stone in her hand. But when she looked back to the stranger, he was gone.

His headache had returned with a vengeance.

Seated on a metal folding chair in the dimly lit storeroom, Bennu wearily rubbed his eyes, only vaguely aware of the band starting their next set. He knew he should check on how things were going, but he had no desire to be buffeted by the noise, smoke, and emotions on the other side of the storeroom doors. To complicate everything, Yago was near, very near. Yet in his present debilitated psychic state, Bennu could not focus clearly enough to locate his nemesis. Drawing a deep breath, Bennu held his throbbing head in his hands.

"Hi."

Looking up quickly, Bennu saw a young woman standing six feet away. How did she find her way back here - and why hadn't he been aware of her presence before she spoke?

"Can I help you?" he asked, standing.

"Umm, yes...I mean," she stammered, glancing down at the glass beer mug she held. "I was told to bring this to you."

Bennu frowned.

Now, what was all this about?

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just a glass of water from the bar." She shrugged and gave him a hesitant smile. "It's kinda hot in here tonight and I..." As her voice trailed off she held the sweating mug out to him.

After a long moment, Bennu accepted the proffered drink. "Thank you," he said. He looked down at her and smiled, "It is warm, tonight. What's your name?"

Encouraged, she took a small step toward him. "Sheila"

"Sheila, this was very kind of you. Please thank whoever sent you back here with this." Bennu took a sip of the cool water. "Now, I will have to ask you to leave. Unfortunately, my employer has this area closed to the public."

She watched as he drank again from the mug.

"Okay, I don't want to get you into any trouble," she admitted. She looked at him, closely, trying to ascertain some change brought about by the crystal she had dissolved in the water. But all she could see were small droplets of perspiration forming on his forehead. That was not too unusual considering the sweltering heat. Awkwardly, she tried to continue the stilted conversation.

"Have you been working here very long?"

Bennu shook his head, then immediately regretted his action. The room swam in a sudden cacophony of sound and color that gradually imploded on itself. He sat down ungracefully on the folding chair.

Stepping closer, Sheila looked at him closely. His head had dropped to his chest and he held the glass mug loosely in one hand. His eyes appeared to be glazed, staring down, unfocused, at the ground. This was definitely not what she had expected. From all she knew about love potions, which was strictly limited to fairy tales and gothic romances, he should have been down on his knees pledging his undying love for her. Instead, he looked like he was drunk or on a very bad drug trip. She could see a gold chain around his neck that disappeared beneath his shirt. That had to be the medallion that the stranger had spoken about.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

From a great distance, Bennu heard a voice. He looked up and saw an indistinct form standing in front of him. He was fine, just very tired. He wanted to drift into sleep. He weakly nodded, then slipped from the chair to the floor as a cloud of darkness enveloped him.

Sheila stared down, frightened. What had she done, had she killed him? Panic rose swiftly, blinding her, robbing her of judgment. If the stranger who had given her the crystal had been intent on killing this man, he would be equally intent on killing her if she did not comply with his payment. Quickly, she knelt beside Bennu, found the gold chain around his neck, and removed the medallion. Without looking at it or the prone man on the floor, she shoved it medallion into the pocket of her black jeans and quickly left the room.

Sometime around two in the morning I heard Sheila return to her room. I'm not sure what it was that woke me, whether it was the sound of the key being fumbled into the lock, or her muffled sobs. I pulled on my terry cloth robe and padded through the bathroom we shared between our rooms and knocked softly on her door. After several moments, it opened and I went inside, closing the door behind me.

The room was dark, but I could see Sheila as a darker form, huddled in a tight ball on her bed. I suddenly thought that my worst nightmare had come true - Sheila's supposed prince had turned into a demon. I sat down beside her and did my best to console her and try to find out what had happened. After several long moments, I could make out some of what she was saying .

"I killed him," she sobbed, "I killed him!"

"Who, who did you kill?" I asked, lamely. I had a good idea who she was referring to.

Sheila pushed herself up from the bed, sniffing loudly. "I killed Bennu!"

Bennu? Who or what the heck was a Bennu?

"I killed him!" Sheila drug her silk sleeved arm across her face and sniffed loudly again. She picked up the Dalmatian and buried her face into its plush fur.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to pry the stuffed animal from her arms.

Sheila took a deep breath to steady herself and spoke with more clarity.

"That roadie, Bennu. I met this guy at the bar who said he had something that was sure to make Bennu interested in me. He gave me this weird stone, sort of a crystal, and told me to put it in a glass of water and make sure that Bennu drank it. Well, I did what he said, and Bennu , he..." She began to sob again. I shivered, remembering the tall, gaunt man I had seen standing beside Sheila.

"You...you gave some guy a hit of LSD?" I stammered.

"No! It wasn't LSD. It was some black crystal. I don't know what it was. The guy told me it was a love potion."

"How do you know he, ah, Bennu is dead?"

"Because he fell down on the floor and didn't move. Not even when I removed the medallion around his neck that he was wearing. He had to be dead."

I sat back. Not only had Sheila just confessed to being an accessory to the murder, she was also a thief. Stunned by this confession, I waited for the next bombshell to drop. But there was nothing more, only Sheila's soft moans and sobs.

"Maybe he isn't dead. Maybe you just drugged him," I suggested. "Did you check to see if he was still breathing before you left?"

Sheila shook her head and wiped her wet face with the back of her hand.

"Well, maybe we should go back there and check..."

"No! I can't do that!"

"You have to return that guy's jewelry."

"I can't!" Sheila started to cry again and it was hard to make out what she was trying to say. I gave her shoulders a small shake to center her attention back on me.

"Tell me again," I demanded "Why can't you return it?"

With a deep, shuddering breath, she replied, "I have to give it to that guy who gave me the crystal. I have to give it to him, tomorrow, at the riverfront park. If I don't..." Her voice trailed off in a strained whisper.

How could all of this have happened, I asked myself. I knew we shouldn't have gone out tonight. I stood and paced about the small room, trying not to stumble into the potted plants and piles of clothes.

"Where's the medallion?" I asked.

Sheila got off the bed and pulled open the bottom drawer of her dresser. When she turned back to me she held out her hand. I reached out and took the chain, lifting the medallion up in the air. It was heavier than I had expected, solid. In the dim light shining in from the street lights outside the window, the piece seemed to glow softly. It was an odd design; a gold phoenix rising from gold flames within a triangle. Gold! No wonder the medallion felt heavy and no wonder the stranger wanted it. It must be worth a small fortune! For a moment I wondered if I held the payments for the remainder of my college education in my hands. It would be wonderful not to ever have to worry again where the money for tuition and books would come from, to say nothing about my next meal. I heard Sheila sniffling and reality came crashing back. I had to find a way to get her out of this mess.

"Look, we have to find out if Bennu is still alive. And, if he is, this has to be returned to him. I'll go, but I'll need to borrow your car."

Sheila found the keys amid an assortment of scattered items on the dresser top and handed them over to me.

"He was in the back storeroom."

The room and the bar were most likely locked up for the night. With any luck, someone may have found Bennu and had taken him to the hospital. I wanted to believe that, but something gnawed at the back of my mind. I felt that he was still there, somewhere. I clutched Sheila's car keys in my hands and gave her a weak smile of encouragement as I left her room.

The world was gone. Only swirling colored fragments of disjointed images remained. Sanity was a faint mist intertwined with the miasma of emotions that erupted haphazardly. Like a drowning swimmer, he tried to find his bearings to the surface, back to reality, but currents of memories and emotions kept dragging him back downward. He cried out too softly for anyone to hear the screams that echoed in his mind.

At some point he had found his way to a small room off of the main storeroom. It may have been a utility room or a broom closet. It didn't matter which. Instinct more than reason had driven him to find seclusion and to close himself off from anyone else who was determined to do him harm. Curled up in a tight ball on the cold floor Bennu had ridden out the nightmare. As the first glimmers of sanity began to return, the confusion in his mind was replaced with an aching loneliness. Never before had he felt such a sense of complete isolation and abandonment. The pain was as acute as the fear he had had over loosing his sanity. He felt his heart breaking and he wept, giving into the sense of utter despair.

It was two in the morning when I pulled Sheila's Honda up to the back entrance of The Barn. Turning off the lights, I surveyed the empty alley for several minutes. I also asked myself again what it was that I thought I was going to do to get Sheila out of this situation. I fervently hoped Bennu was still alive and that he had left the bar. I also hoped I wouldn't get caught breaking into the place. After all, the only truthful explanation I had was one that was sure to land me in greater trouble. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I reached up and disabled the interior light before quietly opening the car door.

The back service door was securely locked, as I had suspected. But the loading dock doors were held closed by a loose chain run through the door handles. There was enough slack in the chain for me to pull one of the doors open just enough to allow me to squeeze through, but just barely. Once inside, I pulled the door back in place and looked around. I was standing in a huge room, most likely the receiving area for the building when it once served as a warehouse. Empty beer kegs were stacked against one wall and a metal folding chair sat near the opposite wall. At the far end was another closed door leading to the interior of the bar and to the far right and left were other doors. The place was damp and chilly, and stank of stale beer and cigarette smoke. There was no signs of Sheila's Bennu. Maybe he had left or had been taken away. And if that were so, what the heck was I doing here? As I turned to leave, I heard something. It was indistinct, vague. Immediately, I froze while images of scurrying rats made me shiver involuntarily. I wanted to check those two closed doors, just to convince myself and Sheila that Bennu was okay and that he was long gone. Of course that left the problem of the medallion - but one thing at a time.

The door to my left was locked. The other door, however, opened easily. The room beyond was utterly dark, but I could sense that something, someone, was inside. I reached into my jeans pocket and took out a small penlight. The tiny beam of the light swept the room erratically. It was a storage area used to hold everything from brooms and buckets to seasonal decorations and extra folding chairs and tables. My light swept the floor the beam caught the figure of a man curled up tightly against one wall. As the light reached his shoulders, he raised his head and stared directly at the beam's source - and me. Involuntarily, I gasped and jumped back. The eyes that had met mine were glassy and devoid of any animation. I heard him stirring as I moved away from the doorway, back into the storeroom. He moaned softly.

"Please - please, don't leave me!"

As I watched, he came to stand by the open door, leaning heavily against the frame for support. This was the man I had seen earlier that evening, but just barely. His hair was disheveled and his face was drawn. Gone was the gracefulness I had observed. Now, every movement seemed to take an immense effort and he appeared ready to collapse. He stared down at the floor, his forehead pressed against the door frame, his shoulders shaking. He was silently crying.

"Are you Bennu?" I asked in a soft, strained voice. I was at a complete loss as to what I should do.

He drew a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."

There was a long, painful silence. "Are you okay?" I asked lamely and immediately regretted the stupidity of my question.

Bennu, continuing to hang onto the door frame, made a sound that was something between a sob and a sardonic laugh. In the darkness, I could not clearly see his expression, but I sensed he was looking at me.

"Why did you do this to me?" he asked in a quiet strained voice. There was no anger in the question, Instead, he sounded hurt, confused, as if someone he deeply trusted had betrayed him. I swallowed hard. I didn't want to tell him that it was Sheila who had put him in the state he was in...at least, not yet.

"It was someone else, not me. I only want to help, if I can."

I didn't think he believed me at first. After a long moment, Bennu straightened, on had still on the door frame and the other at the collar of his shirt.

"Please, take me outside. I can't stay here." He started to walk toward me, then faltered. I met him halfway as he fell. There was no grace in my actions, only an attempt to prevent him from crashing to the hard cement floor, further injuring himself. We fell together, Bennu on top, his weight driving me down to my knees. Incredible pain lanced up my spine as I fell to my side. I was blind except for the bright points of light that zipped around inside my head.

It was a few minutes before I could draw in something that could justly be called a breath. As my vision cleared, I saw Bennu above, looking down at me. Even in the dim light, his eyes blazed with such intensity that I was mesmerized. I couldn't look away. In the same moment, I was washed over by a wave of profound loneliness and my throat tightened.

"You are hurt?" he asked. I nodded mutely, overcome with the pain of incredible emptiness.

He was beside me, kneeling on the hard concrete floor, one hand touching his chest for a moment. I reached out and took that hand in mine. Our eyes locked and I was again submerged in a sudden onslaught of complete and utter loneliness. I squeezed his hand, hard. He gently released my grip, then ran both of his hands along my sides and down my legs, resting briefly on my knees, which I was sure were swollen to the size of melons and taking on the coloration of late afternoon thunderclouds in summer. I flinched involuntarily at his touch, preparing for more pain. Instead, there was warmth, gentle and soothing. The sharp pain gradually melted into a dull, throbbing ache. Bennu's face was strained, his eyes locked onto my knees in deep concentration. After another long moment, he drew a deep breath and removed his hands.

"That is all I can do. I am sorry the pain is still there," he said, wearily.

I flexed my left leg experimentally, then my right. The pain was definitely there, but only a ghost of the intensity that it had been only minutes before.

Bennu slowly rose to his feet, steadied himself, then reached down his hand to me and pulled me to my feet. In the next moment, I was hugging him tightly as if his physical presence was a barrier which could hold back the loneliness and despair that threatened to overcome me. He returned the embrace, then with great reluctance, gently pushed me away.

"No...this is not real. What you are feeling is not real." he told me, his voice soft, but firm. "Do not give in to it...it's a trap." Stepping away, Bennu watched me. No longer in his physical presence, the intensity of the emotions which had assailed me faded. He was right, it wasn't real. At least, not for me. Then , it was not from me...

"You?" I asked, not quite sure of the question I was posing.

He lowered his head and nodded. "Yes," he said, "I am sorry." He looked back at me.

"Please..." He left his request unvoiced.

Again, his hand unconsciously went to his shirt and lightly rested momentarily over his chest before dropping back to his side.

"I'm not sure I can open the back doors wide enough for you to slip through," I told him.

"I have a key to the lock," he responded. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and removed a small ring of keys. Finding the right one, he handed it to me and stepped back.

"Open the door. There is something I have to get. I'll be right back."

As I opened the lock of the side service door, Bennu returned with a canvas bag hung from a strap over his shoulder. As we left, Bennu took the keys from me and tossed them back inside with a soft clatter as they struck the floor. Closing door with a soft click of the lock he explained, "I won't be coming back."

"Sheila, open up!"

I was softly scratching at the door which separated her room from the bathroom we shared between our two dorm rooms.After a moment, the door opened and I pushed my way into Sheila's dimly lit room.

"He's alive, but...something is wrong with him," I said. Exhausted, I sat down on the floor, my back resting against the dresser. I drew up my knees to my chest and closed my eyes. I heard Sheila move to sit down on the floor beside me.

"Where is he?" she asked in a voice strained with worry. "In my room," I replied, trying hard to stay awake.

"Why did you bring him here? You know we can't have men in the dorm, especially at night!" I wearily looked into Sheila's frightened eyes.

"I couldn't leave him. Whatever you gave him really messed him up. He asked for my help and the only place I could think to bring him was here." I yawned. "Besides, tomorrow is Saturday and there won't be too many people around here. He should be okay by then. We can give him back his medallion and send him on his way." I yawned, again.

"But tomorrow night! What will I do about..."

I shook my head. "It's going to be okay, don't worry," I muttered, my eyes refusing to stay open. "Everything will be fine in the morning."

I curled up on the floor and was dimly aware of Sheila taking the blanket from her bed and draping it over me.

I woke with a start. The room was bright. I sat up, trying to remember where I was. It had to be Sheila's room...the clutter was familiar. Stretching, I could hear snoring sounds coming from my friend's bed. If Sheila was still in bed...I tried to climb to my feet, but the throbbing pain in my knees made me clumsy and I leaned heavily on the dresser for support. It was then I remembered.

The clock on the dresser told me it was late morning. Time to get going. I had slept in my clothes and I desperately wanted to get cleaned up. I heard the sound of the shower stop and, afar a few minutes, the door between the bathroom and my room open and close. In the light of a new day, the previous evening had melted into a misty tapestry of memories and emotions. Dully, I wondered what had possessed me to bring a strange man to the dorm and secret him away in my room. If Bennu was discovered, I would be kicked out of the dorm, and that would soundly end my college education. So much for being a Good Samaritan!

I looked into the mirror on the dresser and saw my haggard face. As I picked up Sheila's hairbrush, I saw the gold medallion, and my stomach knotted. It had to be returned to Bennu but how would he react? Would he accept it, grateful for its return? Or would he be furious, knowing I was somehow responsible for its theft and, perhaps, the wretched ordeal he had endured. In the mirror I saw Sheila roll over, tangled in blanket and sheets. She smiled in her sleep, oblivious to everything except her dreams. I sighed, angry with the knowledge that I would likely bear the initial brunt of Bennu's anger. Dragging the brush through my hair in a last futile attempt to delay the inevitable, I decide to get it over with. The odd medallion with its gold flame s and rising phoenix seemed unusually warm and heavy in my hand as I walked through the bathroom to the door that led to my room. After a moment of indecision, I turned the door knob and slowly opened the door.

Bennu, sitting on the edge of my bed with one of my textbooks open on his lap, his hair still wet from the shower, looked up. His eyes, now devoid of the anguish and confusion which had clouded them, shined and he smiled slightly.

"I believe this is your room," he said, softly. "Please, come in."

I did as he said, closing the door behind me.

"I heard the shower...I wasn't sure if you were decent," I said.

Bennu raised his eyebrows slightly, then looked back at the book. "I don't think I have ever been otherwise," he replied, solemnly. Despite the seriousness of his voice, I noted the effort he took to hid his smile. When he looked back at me, the laughter shone in his eyes. I felt the tension drain away from me; I became totally relaxed in his presence as though he were and old and dear friend.

"You look much better, I remarked. He nodded, closing the book and laying it down on the bed beside him.

"You may have saved my life last night," he said. I started to protest and he raised his hand to silence me. "I would have died had you not come into that storage room when you did."

He looked at me with an intensity that reminded me of the knowing gaze I often saw in my grandmother's eyes when she knew I was withholding something from her - hiding something I thought would lead to the unbearable punishment of her disappointment in me. I tried to look away, but mesmerized, my attention returned completely to him. The unvoiced question hung in the air - what was I doing there last night and how was I involved in what had happened to him? As if I were removed from my body, I watched as Bennu slowly but deliberately held out one hand, palm up, toward me. My hand reached out, depositing the warm medallion into his waiting hand. Bennu's long fingers folded over the gold disk, then he raised the chain over his head, allowing the disk to rest on the center of his chest, near his heart. The spell broke and I once more found myself looking into Bennu's eyes. The anger I had expected was not there. Instead, he smiled at me gratefully.

"I am glad you protected this for me," he said, touching the gold disk briefly with his fingertips. He paused for a long moment, thinking, then added, "There are some things we need to discuss, but not just now." I nodded in agreement.

"I, ah, just need to grab some fresh clothes and take a shower."

"I can leave if..." He started to rise from the bed.

"No! You can't!"

Bennu gave me a quizzical look.

"It's...you're not suppose to be here. This is a women's dorm and there are very strict rules about having guys in here. I've broken them by letting into the building after hours and hiding you in my room, but considering last night and the condition you were in...well, bringing you here was the best I could think of on short notice."

"I am grateful, but I don't want to get you into any trouble," he replied.

I went to my dresser and closet, pulling out clean clothes and a towel.

"Wait here, I won't be long," I said. "And when I come back, I'll tell you what I know about last night."

As I headed toward the bathroom door, I heard Bennu pick up and open the textbook. "I'll be looking forward to our talk," he replied.

When she left, closing the door behind her, Bennu put the book aside. Outside the window, the sun shone brightly and the sky was the clear blue of flawlessly glazed porcelain. The girl, Jean, had the window up about six inches and the breeze that stirred the pulled back calico curtains was clean and scented with the fall spice of fallen leaves. A shaft of sunlight entered through the window. Bennu rose and walked into it, the light falling on the golden phoenix rising from golden flames within the circle of his medallion. He closed his eyes and opened his shirt further to allow as much of the light to strike him and the medallion as possible, willing his body to drink in the energy as the medallion absorbed it. The warm sunlight strengthened him, revitalizing and renewing.

He moved away from the window and the sunlight as he heard the sound of the running shower stop. Several minutes later, Jean re-entered her room. And true to her words, she told him all that she knew of the events leading up to her discovery of him in the back storeroom of the bar. He listened patiently, occasionally stopping her to ask a question or prompt her memory for more details. When she was finished, Bennu frowned in thought, pacing the distance from the window on one side of the room to the door leading to the hallway outside on the other side.

As he suspected, Yago was at the heart of all that had befallen him and Sheila had, unwittingly, become Yago's pawn by virtue of her impetuous desires and ability to be swayed by false promises. Now both girls, and most especially Sheila, were in mortal danger. Yago expected delivery of Bennu's medallion, not so much for the amulet itself, but as a symbol of Bennu's defeat and inevitable death. Yago's poison was not intended to kill his victim outright. Instead, it was meant to emotionally and spiritually disable him so that life should become unbearably painful and death a welcome alternative. Bennu angrily clenched his jaw, realizing how close Yago had actually come to bringing about his demise. He stopped pacing and faced Jean.

"Your friend must carry out her meeting tonight. What that man told her is true, he will destroy her if she does not turn over my medallion to him. There is no place she could hide from him. I can assure you, he would find her." He paused for a moment, thinking. "You said that you actually saw him?"

Jean nodded, "Yes, and I also felt...something. There was a feeling of dread, foreboding...and I was very cold."

Yago had taken physical form! To do so would require a great effort and tight focusing of will power. Almost all of Yago's thoughts would be directed toward maintaining corporeal form. Perhaps that was why he, Bennu, had no warning other than a vague uneasiness. Maybe. But more importantly, Yago would again have to transform into a physical entity tonight for his meeting with Sheila. If this manifestation masked Yago's presence from Bennu, then the reverse might also be true. Yago's ability to sense Bennu's presence without the aura generated by the medallion might be greatly diminished so long as Yago was concentrating on maintaining a physical form.

"There might be a way to save your friend, but there would be a great risk she would have to be willing to take. I think it is time I spoke with her," he told Jean. She agreed.

"Give me a few minutes to get her."

It turned out to much longer before Jean, with a contrite Sheila in tow, returned. The young blond woman looked quickly at Bennu, then averted her eyes to the floor. Jean positioned her self near the window, leaning against the wall. Sheila stood beside the dresser, almost, but not directly, in front of Bennu, who was seated on the edge of Jean's bed. Bennu spoke softly but firmly to Sheila.

"Your friend has told me what happened last night, about you meeting with the stranger and the drug he gave you to give to me."

Sheila continued looking down, her cheeks flushed. Jean watched her, then looked to Bennu. As much as she wanted to intercede and protect Sheila, she was aware of Bennu's command of the situation and she know she had to remain silent.

"I have every right to be angry with you, Sheila. Not so much for your desire to persuade me to be attracted to you, but more for the means you chose." He paused. "I know the person you met last night, I know him very well. It was his intention to end my life."

"I didn't know..."Sheila said, softly, "I never wanted to harm you."

Bennu studied her. "I believe you," he said. Standing, he looked out the window.

"Jean told me about the price you are expected to pay." He opened his shirt enough to show her that he was wearing the medallion. Sheila looked at it, glanced up at Bennu, than at Jean, who nodded toward Bennu. Sheila looked back up at him.

"You will have to meet with him tonight, as you promised."

"But he wants..."

"I know what he wants," Bennu replied, his eyes growing cold, "and I have no intention of giving it to him."

Sheila blanched. "He'll kill me!" Her eyes widened with panic.

Bennu shook his head. "No, not if you do exactly what I tell you..."

"I can't...."

He reached out his hands and held her shoulders, his eyes holding hers in a steady gaze. "You have to. And you won't be alone, I'll be right there with you."

She visibly relaxed and he released her. Looking down at her, he grinned. "But before I let you in on my plan, I think we should get something to eat. And I need some time alone to prepare for our confrontation with Yago." Bennu looked over at Jean, then back to Sheila.

"By the way, have you two thought how you're going to hustle me out of here, unseen?"

Sheila stood by the park bench, clutching the phoenix medallion tightly in her hands. It felt warm and alive, more like a living creature than an inanimate object. The dampness and cold of the night air was reaching her despite the heavy designer jacket she wore, making it difficult to stop from shivering. She wished with all her heart that it was over.

She also wished she could have waited by one of the trees, resting against its strong trunk, concealed by its shadow. But Bennu had insisted that she wait for Yago out in the open, vulnerable. Which was exactly how she felt.

Something moved toward her as silent as a cat. Sheila felt his presence before she heard his voice.

"You came, " he said in a voice as powerful and seductive as the dark. She turned to see Yago standing several feet away, entirely cloaked in black. She swore his eyes were glowing.

"Yes, just as you told me."

"And did you bring me what I asked?"

Sheila took a couple of steps back toward a large, ancient oak. She held up the golden medallion for Yago to see.

"Bring it to me."

Sheila carefully placed the medallion in the palm of her hand as she took another small step away from Yago.

"I can't," she told him. For a moment, she though she saw his form grow larger and her mouth went dry.

"You do not have a choice. Either give me the medallion now, or I will take it from you."

Sheila drew in a quick breath. "We had a bargain! Your love potion for this. Well, your potion didn't work, so our agreement is null and void!"

She turned suddenly and ran toward the tree, seemingly throwing the medallion at it. Yago's form wavered, his concentration disrupted by his surprise at her actions, his anger and his obsession to posses the amulet which seemed to vanish in the tree's shadow. Sheila continued to run past the oak, then tripped and fell to the ground. Looking over her shoulder she saw the man, Yago, coming toward her, his eyes blazing. An overwhelming wave of terror enveloped her and she buried her head in her arms, trembling uncontrollably.

"So Yago, you have resorted to using children to do your bidding."

Bennu stepped away from the oak, the phoenix medallion around his neck glowing brightly in the darkness. Yago turned, momentarily off guard and Bennu used the opportunity to attack. The bolt of energy seemed to strike home as Yago's physical form vanished. In its place was an amorphous cloud of dull red light. Bennu quickly positioned himself between it and the fallen girl. The cloud shifted to one side as if trying to go around him.

"Go! Leave this place, Yago! I have no more patience for you or your games."

Bennu moved with the cloud, keeping himself between it and Sheila. A heavy silence followed his words, even the dry sound of the blowing leaves had vanished. The air seemed charged with power on the verge of erupting. Behind him, Sheila moaned in fear.

"You are protecting her? The one who would have resorted to any means within her grasp to possess you?" Yago's disembodied voice reverberated in the stillness. "She is worthless!" The malevolent cloud shifted again, its color growing richer with Yago's venomous anger. A bolt of energy lanced from the hear of the cloud, aimed at the inert form of the girl, but Bennu intercepted it, deflecting Yago's assault. He returned the attack, striking the miasma. For a moment , the amorphous cloud appeared to glow bright red, then it dulled, sinking in on itself before vanishing completely. No sound followed its passing, only a cold chill that filled the air for several long moments before it, too dissipated.

Bennu waited ready to defend himself from another attack. One hand on the amulet, he narrowed his eyes as he peered into the darkness, searching for Yago. The moon appeared from behind a bank of clouds and its white light illuminated the park. Jean ran toward Bennu and Sheila from her concealment in Sheila's parked car. She dropped to her knees beside her friend, holding her cold hands in hers.

"I think she's fainted," Jean said. Bennu walked over to them and kneeled beside Sheila. He gently touched her forehead with his hand, then her cheek. Jean watched with concern as he picked her up easily in his arms and followed him as he carried Sheila to he car.

"Tell me again, the man I spoke with at The Barn turned into a ghost?" Sheila asked. She was sitting up in her bed, wrapped in a comforter and sipping hot tea.

"No, a cloud...I think. It was kind of hard to make out what was going on from where I sat in the car. I saw what looked like a couple of flashes of light, then the cloud disappeared."

"And I missed all that!"

I nodded. "You fainted. But Bennu told me to tell you that it was nothing to be ashamed of. It seems that Yago is a very evil being, sort of supernatural. He also said that what you did, confronting Yago, took a great deal of courage. And because Yago is after him, Bennu didn't want to stick around and risk us to Yago's revenge. He wanted to be far away from here as soon as possible. That's why he's not here to tell you all of this himself."

"Yeah, I guess so," she replied sadly, looking down into her cup of tea. "I just wish he had stayed around long enough for me to thank him...and tell him again how sorry I was, am, for what happened."

I smiled. "You didn't have to tell him, he knew. And he hoped that you had learned a valuable lesson from all of this."

"Yes, absolutely!" She paused. "I still wish there was some way I could have thanked him."

I shifted slightly from where I was seated on the edge of her bed and looked down at my hands for a moment. "Well, in a way you did, sort of."

Sheila looked at me with a blank expression and I continued, "He needed money for a bus ticket which was why he was working at The Barn. But he hadn't earned enough when all of this happened. I used one of your credit cards to charge a ticket." I looked over at the clock on the dresser. "He left about forty-five minutes ago."

"Where is he going?"

"Nevada"

Sheila's eyes became huge and she started to say something, then shook her head. "Considering what might have happened I shouldn't complain. It would do me good to do some penitence," she said.

I stood up and stretched. "I'm going back to my room to study. Don't forget tomorrow is Monday and you have an eight o'clock class." Sheila groaned theatrically and I grinned.

As I opened the door to leave, her voice stopped me. "Hey, let's plan to go out to The Barn next Friday night. It's Halloween!"

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