The commanding sound of Mary’s voice sucked away Zin’s strength. Mary was halfway into the real world, but she dug her heels in, and each time she spoke, Zin felt weaker.

“I will not be forced out of Everlost!” Inch by inch Mary pulled herself back through the portal.

‘I will not be beaten by a by a sniveling, illiterate fool!”

“Help!” Zin cried to Nick. “Sir! I need your help!”

But Nick was not himself. He was barely anything at all. He was a lumbering boneless mass. His fingers were dissolving until there was not enough of him to reach out, until there was not enough of him to know why he’d even want to.

“Help me!” Zin cried.

What is this all about? thought Nick. Why am I here? What’s happening? I have to stop and think. So he crawled away into a corner, leaving bits of him behind as he went.

“I can’t do this alone!” yelled Zin

What is that commotion over there? It has to stop so I can think. If only I can clear my mind, I’ll know why I’m here. I’ll know who I am.

And so the dissolving spirit closed its eyes, and melted into a corner, spiraling down into the bittersweet darkness of its own thoughts, trying to find something to grasp on to that wasn’t chocolate. In a moment he was gone, and a layer of chocolate slowly spilled out across the floor like a lava flow, burying the green shag carpet.

Nick had lost. And now Zin was losing, too.

Mary had pulled herself back through the portal into Everlost, and although Zin still grabbed at her, trying to push, it was useless. There was no way she could fight against the monumental force of Mary Hightower’s overwhelming presence. Mary pulled the last of her head through, and behind her the portal began to close. She grabbed Zin by the front of her uniform.

“You will be rehabilitated,” Mary bellowed, her will still magnified. “You will learn to use your powers for good. You will learn to use them for ME.”

Mary took a step forward, but something snagged in her hair. She tried to pull free, but whatever it was pulled back—hard enough make her chin jut upward—and all of a sudden she felt that tingling sensation in her head again. She began to lose her balance, falling backward, and in front of her, the ripper lunged at her once more.