Nicole shook her head.  "I don't believe you.  This is a joke, right?"
   Richard looked Nicole in the eyes.  "I would never...could never lie to
you.  I was blackmailed into stealing this machine from this guy Randy.  We
got into a fight and fell into this...portal or wormhole thinge and the
device messed up and BANG!  We're sliding with no way to get home."
   Nicole's eyes had widened considerably in the last few minutes.  Richard
paused to let the information sink in.  He could feel his heart falling as
Nicole's eyes narrowed at him.
   "So you're not even Richard?" Nicole said.
   "I'm Richard," Richard said, "just not the Richard of this Earth.  On my
world, I loved Nicole...a lot.  She was pregnant like you were and...I was
stupid...I made her get an abortion." Richard felt the eyes shooting holes
into him.  "I saw you and I thought, 'Hey!  A chance to get you back!'  No
one was in the picture, but--"
   "Get out," Nicole said flatly.
   "Nicole--"
   "Now," Nicole said firmly.
   Richard walked back into the living room.  He made it to the door.
   "I thought I could just let you walk out," Nicole said as she rushed into
the living room, "but I can't."
   Richard turned around and found a hand slap his face.
   "Who do you think you are?" Nicole asked.  "You said you would never lie
to me, but that's exactly what you did when you pretended to be my Richard.
What would you have done if he had shown up, huh?"
   Richard rubbed his cheek.  "I thought--"
   "You didn't think," Nicole cut him off.  "You just play with peoples'
feelings like you did."
   Richard looked down at the ground.  He opened the door, but paused.
   "Think what you want," Richard said.  "I love  you.  I probably always
will."
   He shut the door before Nicole responded.  He did not think he could take
any response right now.

   Randy had to grin to himself.  The busboy had given him a key to Anya's
room.  Funny how being a god could be useful.
   He entered the room.  It looked like any other luxurious room. Anya's
mirror might be bigger than most.  Besides that, nothing was out of the
ordinary.
   He looked around.  He approached the drawer.  Would Anya keep poison
there?
   Randy picked up a vial.  There was his answer.  Now...
   CLICK!
   Randy dove for the bed.  He crawled under it before anyone could see him.
  His eyes saw two pairs of feet enter the room.
   "So you know what to do?" one voice said.  Randy recognized it as Anya's.
   "Yes, Priestess," the other voice...Emma's...said.  "I will get rid of
the poison.  Then I will return and set the illu so it'll look like you'll
dissolve when really it is a..."
   "Hologram," Anya said.  "Remember the ten second blind spot so I can
escape unnoticed."
   "Of course, Priestess."
   "We should also arrange something for the Tashlytes," Anya said.  "They
should be grateful that one of them lived so they will give us their
secrets."
   "Yes, Priestess."
   "Here is the poison.  Now let us go.  We only have a few minutes."
   The two feet quickly left.  Randy crawled from under the door.  He dusted
himself off.
   "What am I going to do?" Randy asked himself.  He looked around and saw
that the illu had been left on the bed and it was near a telephone.  "I
think I know."

   Joel glared at his boss Daniel Peckin.  It was suppose to be his day off
from being a cameraman.  Then Daniel thought that taping and recording the
death of Priestess Tara might be good for ratings.  Now Joel had to tape it
because of some lame excuse.  What Peckin wouldn't do for ratings never
ceased to amaze him.
   "Is that camera on?" Peckin demanded.
   "Yes, sir," Joel said.
   "Good.  Now wait 'til something good happens.  This reminds me of..."
   Joel zoned out.  He did not feel like hearing how Peckin singlehandedly
'fixed' one of his shows.  No wonder he wasn't married.
   "Look, it's starting," Joel said.

   "Are you sure?" Melissa asked for the upmost time.
   "Yes, I am fine, Ms.--Melissa," Professor Brown said.  "How much longer?"
   "Fifteen minutes," Melissa answered.  "I hope Randy and Richard are up
here."
   "So do I."
   The taxi dropped the two of them off in front of the Dominion.  Melissa
got out quickly.  A few feet away was a stake surrounded by logs and straw.
Anya and the sisters were leading Tara to the stake.  Tara looked at her
feet.
   "Wait!" Melissa yelled.  "Don't!"
   Anya and the sisters stopped their march.  Anya looked at Melissa and
Professor Brown with a cold stare.
   "This is our law," Anya said.  "If we do not process then people will
wonder...we have to.  Now, move away."
   Anya and the sisters continued their march.  Melissa looked at Professor
Brown.
   "What are we going to do?" she asked.
   "Maybe if--"
   "STOP!"
   Anya stopped and turned.  Melissa saw fear cross her face.  Randy stood
with Emma.  He held some device that looked like a laser attached to a metal
platform.  She smiled.
   "What do you think you are doing, Tashlyte?" Anya demanded.
   Randy ignored her.  Instead, he walked past her and over to a cameraman
and another man.  Melissa and Professor Brown ran over as well.
   "Hello, I am one of the Tashlytes," Randy started to speak into the
camera.  "I called this meeting to announce that you are being deceived by
all of us.  We Tashlytes are scientists who have invented a way to leave
this world by using the ERP bridge."  Randy smiled wickedly.  "We thought it
would be a great way to get you the people to worship us.  We gave Anya the
power to use solid holograms to make it look like magic actually existed.
Observe."
   Randy pushed a button on the gun platform thinge.  He aimed it near Anya
and an image emerged near her.  Melissa felt a shiver in her spine.  It was
the image of Anya turning into dust.
   "You were saying, Melissa," Professor Brown whispered to her.
   "Oh, hush," Melissa whispered back.
   The sisters looked at Anya now.  Melissa could see different expressions
on the sisters' faces. Some sisters were still in denial.  Other sisters
looked angrily at Anya.  Melissa wondered what the public would think.
   "Also," Randy continued as he looked at Emma, "I have a witness here who
admits that Anya, not Priestess Tara, was responsible for the poisoning of a
Tashlyte."
   Emma grinned at Anya.  "And we all know what the punishment is."
   Melissa's eyes widened.  She knew what the punishment was.  Death.  He
saw that Anya knew as well.  Terror was on Anya's face as several sisters
approached her.
   "No," Anya said.  "You can't do this."
   "Remember, Anya, it is the law," Tara replied.  "Tie her up."
   "No, I will not accept this," Anya said.  "I worked too hard to die now."
   Anya pushed past a sister.  She headed down the street.
   "Oh, no you don't," Melissa said.  She threw the timer to Professor
Brown.  "Hold that."
   Melissa dashed after Anya.
   "After her!  I want boob shots!" Peckin barked at Joel.
   Joel started to run after Melissa.  He was followed by Tara and the
sisters.  Emma glared at Peckin.
   "What?" Peckin asked.
   "Boob shots?" Emma said.

   Anya ran.  She felt tears coming, but they could wait.  Her plans were
ruined.  Her life was over...literally.  Even if the Tashlytes haven't
revealed her tricks, they had revealed that the whole movement was a fraud.
There was no magic involved.  They had the government wrapped around their
finger.  Now the government would not back them.
   Anya turned a corner.  She bumped into a guy.
   "Sorry," Anya mumbled.  She started to run, but a hand grabbed her arm.
   "What's your hurry?" Richard asked.  "Oh, yeah.  You framed Tara."
   Anya struggled with Richard.  "Let me go!"
   "I'm guessing that Egghead proved everything," Richard continued as if
Anya had not said anything.  "What am I going to do?"
   "You're going to give her to me," Melissa said as she came around the
corner.
   "No!" Anya said.
   "Yes!" Melissa said.  "And just so you don't struggle..."
   Melissa's fist connected with Anya's jaw.  She was out cold.  Richard
grinned.
   "That brings back memories," Richard said.
   "Don't start," Melissa said flatly.
   Joel and Tara came around the corner.
   "What did I miss?" Joel asked as he aimed the camera at Anya's
unconscious body.
   "Just a catfight," Richard said.

   "A catfight?" Peckin barked.  "Do you know how that could have upped our
ratings?"
   "Is that all you think about?" Melissa asked.
   "How about you hush up and show some skin?" Peckin countered.  "You're
going to be on TV."
   Melissa approached Peckin.  "Aren't you just cute...NOT!"
   Melissa's knee flew up and hit Peckin in the crotch.  He fell over
screaming.
   "Pervert," Melissa mumbled as she walked away.
   Joel looked down at his boss.
   "Did it hurt, sir?" he asked.
   "Yes," Peckin said in a little girl voice.
   Joel grinned.  He mumbled.  "Good."
   Melissa saw Emma and Randy talking.  She listened in.
   "So you're not going to tell my part in all of this," Emma asked.
   "No," Randy answered.  "Your confession on Anya was on tape.  You're free
to do whatever."
   Emma wrapped her arms around Randy.  "How can I ever repay you?"
   "You could get your arms from around his neck," Melissa said.
   Randy blushed.  "Just stay good."
   Professor Brown watched the scene with some amusement.  Young people
could be so funny at times.  He looked at Richard who stood near the
Dominion's doors.  They could also be so jaded.
   "Mr. Hall?" Professor Brown said.
   "What, Proper?" Richard said.  His eyes gave an angry feel to his face.
   "Granted I do not know everything that has happened here...yet," Brown
started, "we do have to leave.  If we stay, people will likely kill us
because they think we are part of the deception."
   "Whatever, Proper," Richard said.  "I don't care."
   "Thank you for your help," Tara said to Randy and Melissa.
   "I'm sorry, but--" Randy started.
   "You had no choice," Tara said.  "I know.  We will get by.  We always
do."
   "It is time to go," Professor Brown announced.  He aimed the timer and
pushed a switch.  A hole appeared in front of them.  Joel aimed the camera
at the wormhole.
   "Cool," he said.
   "Ladies first," Professor Brown said to Melissa.
   "You're such a gentleman, Brown," Melissa said.  She smiled and jumped
into the wormhole.
   Professor Brown followed Melissa.  He jumped into the wormhole.  A loud
whir sounding to prove he left.
   Randy looked over at Richard.
   "I'm coming," Richard said darkly.  "You made sure of that."
   "I'm sorry," Randy said.
   He jumped into the wormhole next.  Richard looked behind him at Tara,
Emma, and Joel.  They were amazed at the sight of the wormhole.  They also
weren't alone.  Nicole had come out of the Dominion's doors.  She looked at
Richard with a sad glance.  He saw another figure come out of the doors.  He
couldn't make it out though.  Was it his double?
   Richard jumped into the wormhole.  It closed behind him.

   "Where is that waitress?" Richard asked.
   "She'll show up," Melissa said.  "It's packed in here."
   Richard looked around the coffeehouse.  They still had not made it home
yet.  Instead they landed on a world where coffeehouses were
everywhere...literally.  Everyone seem to be workaholics.  Richard couldn't
sleep so he went out.  Melissa agreed to come along and here they were.
   "So...still having trouble sleeping?" Melissa asked.
   "Yeah," Richard answered.  "When I do sleep...I see her face and
our...her son."
   Melissa put a hand on his shoulder.  "When we get home--"
   "IF," Richard put in.
   "We will.  Randy--"
   "That Egghead can't seem to do anything, but ruin lives."
   "Richard."
   "I don't want to talk about this now.  Where's that--"
   "Hello.  May I help you?" a voice asked behind Richard.
   "Yeah.  I want--" Richard started to say as he turned.  He jumped up.
His seat fell to the ground.
   Melissa looked at the waitress and gasped.  It was Nicole.  Well, it was
this world's Nicole.
   "Is something wrong?" Nicole asked.
   "It's...a reflex," Richard covered.
   Melissa nodded.
   "Have we met before?" Nicole asked.
   "No, he's with me," Melissa said quickly.  "You must be mistaken.  You
know what?  I'm not hungry.  Let's go."
   Melissa grabbed Richard and pulled him out of the coffeehouse.
   Nicole scratched her head.  Was it something she said?  Did she have bad
breath?  What?

   THE-END

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