• Without another word the void disappeared and the pain broke through numbness of his mind. He screamed in agony, tears swelled in his eyes, his fists were balled in anger, he clenched his teeth tight, but still the pain exploded through his body. A sick, twisted smile appeared on Mary’s face, Dr. Marlow had never seen this side of her, he stepped away from this woman who could enjoy such suffering. She ordered him to increase the voltage, reluctantly he follows her orders, and a final scream escapes ESP-I’s lips.

    The air in the room seemed to tighten as Mary and Dr. Marlow became unable to breathe, it seemed as if their chests were on fire. The air then began to crackle and pop as a strange red glow emanated from ESP-I’s body. Then crimson lightning began to arc around ESP-I as if he were a lightning rod. It seemed almost alive, as if it had a mind of its own; its only goal, to entomb his body. Slowly, the pain seemed to ease as the lightning surrounded him, like it was protecting him, but the calm it brought was abruptly ended. A new pain tortured his body, unlike any he had every endured, it was as if now the lightning was tearing him apart from the inside. Panic quickly set in as his body turned against itself but the pain brought on something else, something unexplainable.

    ESP-I’s body began to distort itself, his tortured, broken body was now smooth and supple, his short black hair became blond and grew down to touch his shoulders, his body itself became smaller, effete. Then his clothes changed, his white prisoners uniform became a white lab coat, suddenly there was a hat on his head; he was no longer himself. The lightning faded and Mary and Dr. Marlow stood aghast, there on the table, strapped down was Mary. She can’t be looking at herself, that can’t be her, she is experimenting on ESP-I, but she is standing over herself. She starts to wonder if she is going crazy, she slows her breathing to calm down, but in that moment ESP-I took his chance. He opened his mind to her whispers, and the once gentle blanket of his consciousness was now tearing its way through her mind. Black.

    From the darkness emerges a single ray of light, shining down on a slender figure. The light grows stronger, brighter to reveal a young woman holding her knees tight against her chest, here she is all alone. Slowly she stands and the light illuminates her, a snow white dress clings loosely to her body as if made of air. Her hair hangs below her shoulders and a the light catches it , golden streaks dance within the hazel brown. Her soft, delicate completion captivates him as she stares into his eyes, into his soul. He glimpses her eyes, liquid sapphire twinkling in the pale light, her lips, a cherry red, she is perfect. As she walks towards him her body sways gently from side to side, drifting on some unseen current. Her lips part, she inhales the cool, crisp air and softly sings with an angelic yet frightened voice,

    “One in fire, Two in blood,
    Three in storm and Four in flood,
    Five in anger, Six in hate,
    Seven fear and evil Eight,
    Nine in sorrow, Ten in pain,
    Eleven death, Twelve life again,
    The Thirteen steps to the Dark One’s Door,
    Won’t be turning back no more.”