Nettle sits cross-legged on her bed in the horizon realm, watching one of her favorite movies: "A Nightmare Before Christmas." She hasn't eaten all day, nor did she sleep very well the night before because of an irritated, antsy-feeling that has lodged itself into her gut. She was currently trying to take her mind off of it, but not doing a very good job.
Staring blankly at the screen with her face in her hands, Nettle watches Jack Skelington traipse through the surreal Halloweenland forest, suddenly coming upon a circle of trees-each with a door carved into them in the shape of a holiday symbol. She watches Jack choose the Christmas tree-shaped door by opening it and falling inside. Her head suddenly rises up, and she begins scanning the room quickly. Not seeing anything, she shakes her head-thinking that she should probably find something to eat.
As the music to the next movie-song, "What's This?" bursts from the TV, Nettle sees the white flash from the corner of her eye again. But this time when she turns her head, she sees a woman in a black cloak with leaves and vines all through her hair standing by her bookshelf reading a book she's selected. Nettle stares at her in disbelief for a few seconds before dropping to one knee on the ground beside the bed.
"M-my l-lady," Nettle stammers with her head bowed. The avatar looks up and smiles, placing The Mists of Avalon back on the shelf. Walking purposefully up to Nettle, she raises Nettle's head with one hand, and speaks.
"Nettle, you know you have no need to bow before me-- and please call me Ivy." Nettle stands up and sits on the edge of her bed. Ivy continues. "The time has come again for you to progress in the Ascension. Your mind has been a tangle of knots lately, and I'm here to try to help you comb them out." Nettle nods in understanding with a look of awe on her face. "But this place is of the dead and the unborn, and the church and city are repugnant to me. I have a guide to lead you to me," Ivy tells her-- letting her eyes flicker across the TV screen for a moment. Suddenly from behind Ivy's cloak flies an energetic, ghostly little dog with a white sheet for a body and a red, glowing nose.
"Zero??" Nettle laughs as the dog flies up to her and pushes its head under her arm. "I wish Sam could see MY dog-- it kicks Spider's ass!" she laughs. Ivy tries to repress a grin as she disappears, and when Nettle looks up again, she is gone. Zero launches out from under her arm-- his ghostly bark reverberating eerily off the walls. Pausing by her door, he looks up at Nettle expectantly and pants. Nettle laughs delightedly, turns off her TV, throws her shoes on, grabs her bag and coat, and opens the door.
Finding herself traipsing through the woods of the nearby Wasatch Mountains an hour later, Nettle watches the sunset dreamily until Zero nudges her hand with his nose. "All right, Zero! I'm still coming!" Grinning, she thinks about how much more exciting life has been since she Awakened. The grin falters for a second as she remembers that Alec is currently out on a date somewhere. Nettle feels an odd sense of loss and her mood darkens subtly. Crunching through the leaves, she can barely make out a human shape a little ways ahead of her.
Emerging into the little clearing, Nettle sees Ivy standing by a grouping of three enormous trees. Zero takes one last look over his shoulder at Nettle and barks cheerfully, disappearing behind Ivy's cloak. Nettle gives a short outburst of laughter as she really sees the trees for the first time. "Ivy-- you're too much!" she thinks as she sees that there are doors cut into these trees. Each door is cut a little differently, but they are all recognizably doors-- each with a brass doorknob. The only major difference is that the door on the left is painted black, the door in the middle is painted red, and the door on the right is painted white.
"Nettle-- come sit near me," Ivy commands, letting her cloak fall open to reveal a shimmering white gown that looks as though it's made of moonlight. Nettle walks forward reverently, and sits cross-legged in front of Ivy. "Feel the spirit of this forest-- the trees, the earth, the animals watching us. THIS is life�not that polluted bowl of concrete in the valley below. Close your eyes." Nettle obeys, thrilled that she's back in the presence her avatar.
"You are a goddess-- a piece of Gaia, herself. Yet you have let the tragedies of life shadow your potential. This is expected, and I am here to set you on the right path before you start chasing your tail." Getting down on one knee, Ivy takes Nettle's face in her hand once again. "Nettle, you have been through much pain and sorrow, but this is the fire that will forge you into the higher being you are destined to become. All that you are encountering now was given to you to test your ability to overcome." An unexpected smile on Ivy's lips, she continues lightly, "And you might just find lasting joy if you stay open and centered!" An image of Nettle and Alec making love flashes through Nettle's mind, and she blushes and rubs the ring he gave her.
"Rise, Nettle. The test begins." Looking started, Nettle gets up quickly and glances at the trees. "You see three trees before you, each carved with a door. The black door is Death. The red door is Betrayal. The white door is Pleasure. You must enter each of these doors, so choose now which one to open first.
"How about if I just stay in the pleasure-tree!" Nettle responds nervously, eyeing the black and red doors with dread. Not hearing a response from Ivy, she glances and sees Ivy looking at her steadily with no expression. "I'm sorry, Ivy. I will take this more seriously. How about if I save Pleasure for last, then?" Walking over to the black door, she takes a deep breath and opens it.
Expecting to suddenly start falling like Jack Skelington when she steps through the door, Nettle is surprised to find herself standing in the basement of the chantry. Looking behind her, she sees the steps leading up to the main level through the doorway she has just come through. Turning back around, she sees Jason, Jacob, Tania, and David standing nearby talking excitedly. Jason sees her standing there, and motions her to come over. Walking up and standing next to Tania, Nettle asks, "What's going on?"
Jason opens his jacket, and Nettle can see the cross burning brightly around his neck. "The Nephandus is coming back, Nettle. We�"
Cutting him off, Nettle waves her hands and says, "I stopped him the first time, and I can stop him again. Jason looks as though he's about to say something, when suddenly there's a flash of light, and the Nephandus appears before them-- looking exactly the same as he did when they first saw him. Grinning confidently, Nettle presses her rune-ring into her hand and begins envisioning the blot-clot forming in the man's brain. Releasing the clot, she opens her eyes and watches the man with a smile on her face.
Suddenly, the Nephandus begins screaming and writhing around while holding his head. "See, Jason! I told you I could�" but her sentence is broken off as a demonic voice fills the room.
"Thank you, little Verbena! By destroying this mortal shell, you have allowed me to come forth in all my splendor and glory!" Turning in horror, Nettle watches as the Nephandus' body bursts apart to reveal a huge, dark form crouching in its remains-- open sores all over its limbs, and green saliva dripping from its jaws. Nettle gasps and stumbles backwards, trying to calm her scattered mind so she can retaliate.
"Back, demon-plague!" Jason shouts as he rips the cross from his neck and holds it aloft. For a moment Nettle's vision doubles, and it looks as though Jason is holding a guitar instead of a cross. Blinking her eyes several times to clear them, she looks back and sees that it's just a cross after all. Jason advances on the creature with the cross burning bright, when suddenly the creature shoots out an arm and smashes its fist into Jason's face-- Jason's head exploding in a burst of blood and gore.
"NOOO!!!" Nettle shrieks, but finds herself frozen to the spot with terror. Tania, completely in shock by what has just happened, doesn't see the creature whip its arm around, hurling sharp spikes right at her chest. In an instant, she is thrown against a wall-- the spikes impaling her and holding her fast. Nettle suddenly finds her feet, and runs up to Tania while snapping off the hematite necklace and placing it around Tania's neck in desperation. Looking into Tania's open, unseeing eyes, Nettle knows she is already dead. Murmuring words, Nettle concentrates on saving the life of the unborn baby within her womb, but she feels nothing as she reaches out with her magick.
Jacob kneels on the ground typing furiously on his lap-top, tears streaming down his face and his teeth clenched in fury. The monster laughs at Nettle's futile efforts to save life, and waves away Jacob's magick with a negligent wave of his arm. Grabbing a candelabra-stand from nearby, the creature swings it at David's head. Jumping back just in time, David is knocked to the ground, but not injured by the stand. However, his new position on the floor offers no maneuverability to the peaceful Native American, and the next blow from the creature's weapon sends him to the world of the spirits. For a moment, it appears to Nettle that David is lying on a colorful blanket in Liberty Park-- the features of her late friend Cruz's face superimposed over David's own. Covering her mouth with her hands, Nettle falls to the floor in a slump.
Jacob keeps typing more and more furiously, glancing up every so often to see if anything he is casting is having an effect. Frustrated, he glues his eyes to the screen. From her swooning-position on the floor, Nettle sees the monster conjuring a huge fireball. Getting to her knees, Nettle cries, "Jacob!!" Jacob looks up distractedly, sees the fireball, and on pure impulse, grabs the laptop and holds it in front of his head. The fireball hits dead-on, and Jacob is thrown back against a wall. Angrily, Nettle jumps up, grabs the choker from Tania's neck, and runs to Jacob's side. Pulling the lap-top out of his charred hands, she places the choker around his neck and chants while watching the monster with a look of danger on her face.
Suddenly, Jacob begins moaning, and she looks down to see his flesh pinkening and then covering over with new skin. Elated, she reaches into her bag and brings out a short, green candle and lighter. Lighting the candle, she holds it aloft and says in a soft but deadly voice, "As I pinch this flame out, so, too, will I pinch your worthless life out." Looking steadily at the creature, she pinches the candle out with her dry fingers. The creature stands looking uncertainly at her for a moment, and then lets out a shriek as smoke starts pouring out of its mouth. Soon flames begin licking out of his jaws, and his skin blackens like a hot dog on a barbecue. Screaming and whirling around in circles, the creature is soon consumed by a large bonfire. Nettle grabs Jacob's arm, pulls him up, and places it around her neck for support. Together, they hobble from the basement through the doorway�
Emerging from the doorway, Nettle finds herself standing in the forest again. Looking behind her, she sees the black door disappear-- the tree whole once more. "Nettle, you did very well." Nettle stares at Ivy with unaccustomed silence, and Ivy continues. "Joining the cabal was an important step in your life-- the only other cabal you've ever known was your group of friends who were destroyed by the Technocracy. You are afraid that by joining the Chosen, you will see more friends die, and that you'll stand by helpless once again as they are picked off like flies. You have now proven that you can put your fears aside and channel your power effectively no matter what is going on around you. Remember your victory today-- someday it may save the lives of your cabal, and yourself."
Turning to face the other two trees, Ivy directs, "Choose the next tree." Nettle-- feeling stronger and wiser-walks to the red door. Tracing her finger down the crack for a moment where it and the tree come together, Nettle takes a breath and opens the door to Betrayal.
She is suddenly hit in the face by a steady stream of warm water, and turns her head-- discovering she's standing in the shower in the Palace of the Cross' bathroom. Fumbling for the faucet, she gets the water turned off, and realizes she's naked. Nettle steps out of the shower, and sees a white, fluffy robe laying over the sink counter, but no other clothing anywhere else. Putting on the robe, she ties the belt around her waist and brushes back her wet hair while looking in the mirror. Opening the door, she looks down the hall and doesn't see anyone, but notices the kitchen light is on. She turns right, walks into the kitchen, and sees Alec standing by the coffee machine-- holding a joint in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
"Well, love, that was a quick shower!" Alec comments as she enters the kitchen. His words are more slurred than normal, and his eyes look glazed. He puts down his cup and approaches her, wrapping his free arm around her waist. As he kisses her deeply, her mouth is filled with the taste of pot-smoke. She unintentionally pulls back, and a look of surprise crosses Alec's face. "What�is it the pot?" he asks, peering into her eyes.
"No, no�I, um, just didn't want you to work yourself up so early in the morning�that's all," Nettle answers nervously, trying to walk past him to get a cup of coffee for herself. His hand suddenly shoots out and grabs her upper arm painfully.
"And what if I WANT to get worked up this early in the morning, hmm? Do you have a problem with that??" Alec's tone has suddenly changed, and there's a look of fierceness in his eyes that's Nettle's never seen before. He yanks her back into his embrace, and she cries out in pain.
"Alec, you know I like it rough, but this is stopping now! What's gotten into you?? Or is this the POT talking?" Nettle exclaims in surprise. Suddenly her head is rocked back by a powerful slap across her face.
"Yes, I know you like it rough, and that's exactly what you're going to get-right here and right now!" Alec backs the stunned Nettle up against the counter, picks her up, and sits her down hard on the counter-top-- forcing her legs to open with his body. As she struggles in panic, he takes another drag from his joint, blows the smoke in her face, and put the joint out on her upper thigh. "How was that for you, darling?" he asks sarcastically.
"Not half as good as this will feel!" a familiar voice yells from the kitchen door. The impact of the Glock knocks Alec forward into a crying Nettle where his head slumps against her shoulder. Looking up, Nettle sees another Alec standing in the doorway with his smoking gun trained on the motionless Alec in her arms. Glancing down in confusion at the wounded Alec, she sees blue liquid running out of the giant hole in his back. "Just what I need-- another clone of mine running around causing problems! And a sick bastard, at that!" The second Alec whips out his vaccine gun and discharges a hit into the clone's neck. Pulling the clone from off of Nettle, he throws the body to the floor as it begins to dissolve. "That's how you take care of those," he says looking at the giant, blue puddle with distaste.
"Alec?? What�? You're the real Alec??" Nettle stammers with emotion. Alec takes a paring knife from the wooden block on the counter and slices it down his forearm. Normal, red blood oozes through the wound, and Nettle lets out a sigh of relief and throws her arms around his neck-- sobbing into his shoulder. Alec hugs her back, and lifts her off the counter-top. Pulling her robes closed, Alec picks her up and carries her back to his room where he'd been sleeping moments before. Sitting her on the bed and handing her a glass of water, he waits while she drinks it down, and then puts the glass back. Kneeling in front of her, he takes her hands and looks into her eyes. "Do you want to talk about what happened in there, love?"
At the mention of that term of endearment that the clone had used before, Nettle gets a look of fear in her eyes and pulls back. Suddenly mixed up and afraid of offending another Alec, she throws her arms into the air and shouts, "what do you want from me??" Realizing how stupid that sounded, Nettle puts her face into her hands and moans in confusion. Alec reaches up to pull back her hair, and she suddenly flinches back with a look of terror on her face.
"Oh, baby-baby, I'm not going to hit you! Come here!" Alec cries, folding her into his arms. "That's one hell of a shiner you're going to have tomorrow, though. I killed that clone too quickly, me thinks." Pausing for a moment, Alec whispers, "I would never hit you, Nettle. Never. I know you were abused as a teenager by someone you loved who was stoned, but I'm not that man." Sitting her upright, he holds her shoulders and looks steadily at her. "You're going to have to understand that I use drugs as my main foci. It's just who I am, and that won't change in the foreseeable future. If I ever do anything to hurt you while I'm high, you have my permission to kill me where I stand. Deal?"
Nettle looks shocked for a moment, and then an uncontrollable giggle starts�growing stronger until she's out-right laughing. "I'm sorry, Alec! I-- I don't know what's gotten a hold of me!" Calming herself down, she gives him a tight hug. "Thank you for being who you are. I promise to respect that. Just give me a little leeway while I'm getting past this pot-phobia, OK?"
"Sounds just fine!" Alec smiles in relief. "Now, I believe there's a mess we need to clean up in the kitchen�"
Following Alec though his bedroom door, Nettle once again finds herself standing in the grove of trees with Ivy watching her. "Nettle-- you have faced your darkest fear about Alec. You have encountered a stoned, violent Alec who abused you-- only to realize it wasn't him at all. Do you see? Not every man who you allow yourself to love will try to harm you!"
"Ivy, I don't know if I love�"
"Hush, child. Your thoughts are all an open book to me." Nettle looks down and flushes. "Show more tolerance toward Alec, and he'll bring you out of this ravine. Now I believe there's one door left." Ivy motions to the white door.
"If the red door was Alec, what could the Pleasure behind the white door possible be??" Nettle asks Ivy. Ivy only looks grave, and moves her eyes from Nettle's, to the door, and back. Nettle nods in understanding, opens the last door, and steps inside.
Her forward motion carries her out through the employee exit of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts where she works, and into the crisp night air. Almost as suddenly, a dark form appears from out of nowhere and sidles up next to her.
"Nettle�.at lasssst we are alone," the voice hisses like a seductive snake. Nettle looks at the form's face and realizes it's Derek-- the vampire who seems so fascinated with her. Panic-stricken, Nettle looks all around her for a car she can smash the window out of, hop in, and attempt to hot-wire, but the parking lot is empty. Turning her face back to face his with his grave-cold fingers, Derek looks deep into her eyes, and Nettle feels her limbs growing numb. "His eyes�are so�beautiful!" she thinks, and no part of her mind nor body want to turn away from them.
"Nettle�.I know you, Nettle. I know what you want, Nettle! You want what only I can give you!" He puts his mouth behind her ear so the puffs of air leaving his mouth as he speaks tickle down her neck. "Wouldn't you like to feel these fangs sink into your flesh? I assure you-- the pain would be exquisite! Oh Nettle-- how you long to feel my kiss!"
"Yes�." Nettle drones almost sleepily. "Your kiss�on my neck�" Suddenly Nettle's eyes clear, and a look of concentration replaces the haze. Derek gets a look of surprise of his face, and a snarl of rage escapes from his lips.
"Do not think for a moment that your petty human magick can have any effect on me!" Derek grabs her face in both hands and grimaces as he concentrates back at her-- his eyes flashing a brilliant blue. "I will have your will before I have your soul!" The two beings wrestle vigorously without moving a finger for long, agonizing moments until a small smile creeps across Nettle's mouth. Making it appear as though she is once again under his control, Nettle intones, "You are right�.I am weak�and yours�" Derek looks at her with his eyes squinted, and then pulls her by the arm down a dark alley nearby. Nettle follows without a fight, not letting him see the eagerness in her eyes.
Finally the vampire stops and pushes her back against the wall. "This is your destiny, then, my fair beauty. To be my Childe!" Opening his mouth wide with a look of ravenous hunger in his eyes, he lunges forward and sinks his teeth into her soft neck while wrapping his arms around her shoulders. A loud moan of pleasure escapes from Nettle's lips, and she throws her arms around Derek, pressing him tight against her. Derek is caught off-guard, but too consumed by the hunger to care, and continues to suck harder as she claws at his back. Nettle's eyes fly open, and she stares all around her in waves of sheer ecstasy as the vampire clings to her throat.
From the corner of her eye she sees two more dark shapes approach her from the sides. When they get closer, she recognizes one as Sylvan, and she's not sure if she's seen the other one before or not. "Yes! Come, my lovers of the night! Come and feast on my blood!" she screams, flinging out her arms. Her passion is so great that the two vampires cannot resist, and each snatch a wrist and bite into it hungrily. Nettle shrieks into the night-- never having felt so much raw pleasure before. Forgetting everyone�everything�suddenly she realizes she's feeling faint. Faint�and�hungry? The sucking slowly stops, and the three vampires face her with her blood reddening their lips.
"Yes, child! You must be feeling very hungry right now, yesss?" Derek asks deviously. "Would you like a bite?" Sylvan smirks at the younger vampire's joke and nods. Nettle shakes her head to try to clear it, but there's a faint buzzing that she can't get rid of. Suddenly, she slumps to the ground in a near-faint. Derek quickly squats down beside her. "Here, my lovely. I will feed you." And with that, Derek takes a quick bite out of his own wrist and forces it to her mouth. Nettle tries desperately to think things through-- to remember what will happen if she drinks-- but she cannot. All she knows is that she's consumed by a hunger for Derek's blood. Taking the arm in her hands, she bites deeply and begins to suck as though she hadn't eaten in days.
Derek's eyes widen in surprise, and then he closes his eyes and exhales. "Yes�.yes�wait!" Derek tries to pull his arm back, but Nettle has it tight in her hands. "Sylvan!" Derek cries, and Sylvan slides forward, waves his hand slightly, and Nettle immediately releases Derek's hand. Suddenly feeling sick, Nettle bends and holds her stomach while crying in pain-- drops of blood from her lips falling and staining her dress. Staggering to her feet, she tries to pull herself out of the alley where she can call for help-- the vampires' laughter echoing behind her. "Give in to the death, little sister!" Derek calls after her. With her last moment of consciousness, Nettle throws her body out of the alleyway in hopes a passerby will help her.
Falling to the soft, grassy earth, Nettle lets out an "oomph!" and tries to catch her breath. Sitting up quickly, she grabs her neck and begins feeling around for the wounds. Not finding any, she inspects her wrists in terror of what she'll find, but finds nothing. "Don't you see, Nettle? That is what will happen if you give into these thoughts of pleasure! You must be stronger than your fetishes or it will end your life. Unlike these first two doors, the threat of Derek looms very near. Use caution, and strengthen your shields, Nettle. Ask Veil and Alec for help-- they know the Mind sphere well. You've felt the fangs in your neck-- let that tide you over the next time they're offered to you at death's door!"
Ivy helps Nettle to her feet and holds her face tenderly in her hands. "You are my most valuable possession, Nettle. Take care of yourself, and listen to Veil." Stepping back, she gives Nettle one more look of tenderness, and walks behind the last tree. Nettle runs to see where she went, but she is gone. Sighing, Nettle starts the trek back to the chantry, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.