PSYCHIC PILGRIM's Progress

She was trying to remain OFF PROFILE for the moment. She didn't want anyone to find her after that disastrous DOUBLE DATE she had gone on. All her escort could repeat throught the night at odd intervals was 'NOT WAS'. She smiled at the strangeness of it all... *What a weirdo* She thought.

As she continued on her way through the gardens, the midnight hour was fast approaching. She stopped and looked up and saw the full moon. As if forced by OLD HABITS, she stopped and began to plan for her renewing ceremony... her SOUL SACRIFICE as it were. She dreaded the whole procedure as it always turned her INSIDE OUT.

The PSYCHIC PILGRIM continued on her journey, making progress in unscrambling the FUZZY LOGIC that clouded her mind. It all started on that FIRST MISSION to recover the mysterious book, OPEN HEART. It explored the DARKNESS VISIBLE in ones soul... and was just what she needed in this HALF LIFE she was forced to lead.

There had been established a NEW REGIME and she had put herself into MANDATORY REFUSAL. As she continued to hide from the forces seeking to oppress her, the pilgrim felt as if she were APPROACHING ZERO. *If only... if only there could be a THIRD PERSON in her life*... she thought sadly. She was so very tired of always being with the SPECIAL OPS... day in and day out. She needed... no... she craved love and affection!!!

As the path twisted and turned ahead of her, she kept her head down in her effort to untangle the confused maze of thoughts and questions that kept circling around and around in her sleep-deprived brain. Suddenly the path fell away from her feet and she tumbled down and fell off a small ledge and hit the ground with a HARD LANDING. She was knocked out cold.

The pilgrim felt about herself and discovered that she was in a small room and lying on the cold stone floor. She scooted herself into a corner of the small chamber and hugged her knees close to her body to keep warm.

She must have dozed briefly as she was startled awake suddenly by the scraping sound of the door opening across the chamber from her. Some- one entered and shuffled across the stones to her and shone a flashlight in her face suddenly... blinding her. The pilgrim put her hand up to block the light... hearing the person chanting something.

The pilgrim screamed out... "Stop!! What are you trying to do... BRAINWASH me??" The figure stopped chanting immediately and moved closer to the pilgrim and leaned down close to her ear. Speaking in a raspy voice it said harsly, "You will await the VERDICT. You are our prisoner of WAR and those VOICES you hear are not only NOISE... they are discussing how they found you to be out wandering around... MISSING so to speak."

The pilgrim was now truly frightened. This person spoke to her as if possessed... or maybe... OBSSESSED. He mumbled something about being a RECRUIT and used in GAMBIT, or, to gain the advantage. *The advantage... over who?" she wondered. She tried to remain INNOCENT looking so as not to attract undue attention. All the while she had her mind spinning over and over planning on who she could contact, via e.s.p., to RESCUE her.

Suddenly the figure stood and began to shuffle back across the stone floor towards the exit. The pilgrim had no CHOICE but to rise slowly to her feet and creep through the GRAY darkness and try and make her ESCAPE behind the unsuspecting figure.

Suddenly, the figure turned and the woman was thwarted in her plan. Shoving her roughly back into the corner, the young woman sat and cried for her MOTHER, whom she had never known. She had been convicted of TREASON many years ago, turned in by a FRIEND named SIMONE. She cried for the LOVE that she never knew... she cried for the CHARITY she had been forced to accept. She cried and cried... until she was completely spent.

As she was left in the darkness, hour after hour passed. Finally, the door opened yet again... and in walked her savior. As he stood before her with the early rays of dawn streaming in behind him, the young woman looked up to him. She let her eyes adjust to the light and she drew in her breath at the beauty of the man before her... his auburn hair curling about his head wildly... his green eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul... the straight and fine nose... the sensuous lips curved in a very slight smile... the broad shoulders that tapered down to his narrow waist... As her eyes traveled his figure from head to toe and back again, she noticed that he was holding a hand out to her.

As she raised a trembling hand to his... he spoke one word... and one word only..."NIKITA."

Placing her hand into his, he lifted her, and led her away to her new life.

The End... or is it the Beginning...?