After quite a while, the laughing fit had subsided. he just decided to sit on the rock. Yep. Quite peaceful here. He patted his chest lightly, looking for something. He opened up the velcro lining in the front of his bunny costume, and reached inside, and found what he was looking for. Of course, trying to grasp it in his furry paws was a challenge, but he suceeded.  he placed the toothpick in his mouth, and chewed on it lazily, looking out towards the ocean.  Ocassionally, one of his long, pasted whiskers twitched when he ground on it too hard. He crossed his legs, and rested his elbows on his knees, with his hands (paws) folded under his chin. He thought over the present events up to now: the Cindy Crawford look-a-like on the rocks who caught waves without a surfboard; Sinny's arrival, and her painting basically  a huge target on him, as if it really was open season on wabbits; a re-emergence of his old nemises "Puzelle"; the sensation of Stormy watching him, and feeling huge waves of sadness spill from her; the return to this Castle of Mistress Sin; and a lone voice whispering in his head to "dig deep".

Hah? 

All-in-all, pretty standard for the type of events which seemed to follow him throughout his Undead existence.  This time, however, he decided he was just going to stay put and keep his whiskered yap shut. He reasoned that if he just stayed quiet-like,  and stayed out of Sinny's way, out of Stormy's way, out of Ms. Crawford's way...then what the fuck? The broken fang, and repaired repeatedly, now throbbed with a dull ache in his mouth. He gently prodded it with his tongue, trying to make the pain go away. He was about to get uo and head (hop?) back inside to his room, when he saw something quite extraordinary. He saw a shooting star, zipping across the oceans horizon, in a blazing arc. As a mortal kid, he remembered what Uncle Zack used to tell him what one did when witnessing an event such as this.

"Make da wish, Boyo. Even if it don't come true, it's still don't cost nuttin'"

He closed his eyes, and that's just what he did.

All of a sudden, he didn't  feel like being in a rush to get back to his room. It seemed kinda....well....swell...just to sit here and take it all in.

It was now 12:00 a.m.

Precisely.

"BOO!"

Hellana nearly jumped at the sound behind her, and was mortified to see Midnight in his bunny rabbit suit grinning wildly at her.

"Mid! I thought you had disa----"

"What??", he said, cutting her off, "you think I'd leave you here alone on this here beach,  with all of these dangerous waves landing around??  Hah?"

She really didn't know what to say. She just looked at him with a slight shrug.

"Well", he continued, "we got have to get hustling here!!!  Pronto, Girly-Q! Now come on!"

He suddenly grabbed her by her wrist, and started ushering her across the beach,  towards the main door of Stormy's castle. He kept talking to her as they went, with the pace of a machine-gun, and Hellana was trying her best to keep up with all of the information, but was also trying to balance it out with understanding him.

"Okay, " he quickly said, "This is what we need to do...off in the distance there, my wheels are parked. I need you to go to it, charge her up, and pull up outside the front doors here. If you happen to see a lady with a starfish on her..ummmm..errr....pay her no mind. The same goes for someone I think is a vamp who gives even ME the chills....although he's probably a nice guy. if you see either one of them, and they start asking questions, swallow the car keys, and tell them nothing. Got that? Don't talk to anyone...don't interact with anyone...just GO!"

They finally reached the front door. Midnight hurredly turned Hellana by her shoulders, and looked her square in the eye.

"Mid..what's going on??", she asked.

"I made a wish, hon", he said, "now go! Hurry!"

She turned and headed for the spot he told her to go to. Midnight scrambled inside, and ran up the main staircase leading up to his room. When he got inside, he frantically started packing, and even tripped onto his face once, so rushed was he. When he was done most of it, he sat at the desk in the rooms corner, pulled out a sheaf of paper and an antique fountain pen...and started composing a letter to Stormy.........

At that same instant, Hellana approached Mids car. She gaped. It was shiny black, with windows tinted the same. Its front end had headlights that slanted inwards, giving it the appearance as if it was leering at you in a sinister way. She knew she should hurry, but had to give this oddity a once-over. As she was walking behind it, her eye caught a bumper sticker: "HIGH-TONED HONEY". Mid, she thought, you need help. She also noticed that the two doors on both drivers side and shotgun seat, opened by swinging upwards...NOT outwards. She stood outside the drivers side, and pulled out the key, and pushed the remote attched to it. The drivers door swung smoothly upwards with a "HSSSS". Hellana nearly jumped. She peered inside, but could make out no details. Damn, she thought again, and got in after a moments hesitation. She slid into the drivers seat, and brought in her boots. It was like the outside...black. Leather seats, with a plush feel. She did admit she loved these seats. There were dials, gauges and instruments all over the place. The steering wheel was one of those kinds that were like a crescent moon, except with the top half missing. She took out the key Midnight gave her, and inserted it into what she guessed was the ignition slot. She turned it.

She almost screamed again, as the dials and gizmos inside suddenly came to life. The engine purred to life, sounding smooth..yet also that it meant business. And then she went over the edge when she head a female voice spek to her from within the car itself.

"Hello Master Midnight. How are you?", it asked.

Hellana sat there, frozen. Hearing a sudden voice was bad enough, but she KNEW that voice....she knew that southern lilt. Should she answer? She decided she'd better.

"Ummm...aahhhh...I am not Midnight...I am...ahhh...CDD Hellana."

Momentary silence followed.

"Good evening Madam Hellana.  How may I be of service?", said the voice. Oh god!, she thought. It really DID sound like HER, but different somehow; like it was......she didn't how how to describe it.

"Uhhh...who are you?", asked Hellana.

"I am the automated on-board computer for this vehicle. I have a proper designation, but the acronym for that description is J.A.S.M.I.N.E. I am programmed to respond to that name."

"Ahhhh.....hello ......Jasmine", said Hellana.

"How may I be of service, Hellana?", Jasmine asked again.

"Well," she said, "we have to go pick up Midnight at the front doors of the Castle quickly, for starters...."

"Understood", said the computer. "Destination?"

Hellana had a pretty good idea of where they were going.

"Mistress Dark Lair Castle...Clan of Dark Desire", she answered.

The switches and dials took a moment to clickety-click and whirr.

"Course trajectory computed and laid-in. Desired speed?"

Hellana considered that for a moment, but decided to ask Jasmine a question instead.

"Ummmm..Jasmine?  You KNOW where the Dark Lair castle is?"

"Affirmative", it replied. "It is stored in my data banks under another designation...of which I am programmed to respond to if necessary."

"What designation is that?", asked Hellana.

"H.O.M.E.", answered Jasmine.

Hellana immediately felt a lump rise in her throat. Awww, Mid,  she thought. Should have figured you long ago to be the type to never give up anything so easily. You have all of these immortal powers at your beck and call, and you still get a thrill out of mortal toys like this....and if there was any doubt of you giving up either HER or our "Home"...well, those doubts are now gone.

Time to get moving here.

"Alright,  Jasmine, " she said, "take us there....take us....home." 

"Desired speed, please, " asked Jasmine.

Hellana couldn't resist a chuckle.

"Gimme all ya got, baby!!", she said.

Things started happening in that car. Ominous things. Lights came up suddenly. Dials blinked. Gauges spiked. The engine started building up in a crescendo. Jasmine spoke again.

"Speed computed. Course logged-in. Plutonium delivery systems at nominal capacity. Fusion alignment within normal parameters.  Initializing fuel-cell progression."

Hellana almost choked. PLUTONIUM?? Fusion??? She was about to blurt out for it to stop, but at the point it was much too late. With horror, she noticed a blue flame start to spew out of the rear of the car. As the engine reached its sound zenith, the car shot forward as if it was bolting out of the very pits of Damnation itself.

Hellana didn't really notice anything else, as the car hurtled towards the front door of the Castle to pick up Midnight.

Because she was far too busy screaming.

 (to be continued......)