Hearing voices was not the same as seeing them and feeling pain without movement frightened me more. One voice I did recognize was that of Carla’s. A woman I both liked and despised. I felt her hand touch my forehead. Her caress was sweet and loving. It was something I never felt before.

“Marianna,” she said in her usual demur voice. “You must wake up. Come back to us.”

So this was the truth. She wanted Mary and not me. I don’t say I blamed her. I was in fact the killer and not Mary, but I so hoped she would be my friend, too. I never had a friend before, and I thought it would have been nice.

I felt my eyes fluttering until I was sure that they were opened. My vision remained blurred as I tried to focus on my surroundings, but all I could make out was Carla’s silhouette as she spoke.

“That’s it, Mary. Wake up.”

“I’m not Mary,” I said through my weakened state. My eyes became more focused as I was able to make out Carla’s face. She wore a shocked look with her eyes filled with fright and her mouth dropped open. “I’m not Mary,” I screamed.

“Shadow,” she whispered. “Please, let Mary come back. Can’t you see you’re not helping her? Killing is not the way.”

For the first time I realized that I was bound. No wonder I was unable to move. I screamed in fright and realized not only was I bound but trapped in my demon state.

“Release me,” I demanded.

“I can’t do that, Shadow. You killed six good men. That makes you a threat. So we can’t let you go. You’re too much of a risk.”

“I had to do it. They were hurting us,” I cried in pain but I felt no remorse for the dead men but for my own failed venture. “I’ll do it again. I’ll kill anyone who hurts Mary. Let me go, and I’ll let you live.”

“I can’t do that,” Carla said, “not until you bring Mary back.”