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Melissa pulled away from Mat, blushing deeply at what she had just done. Mat blushed too, too astonished to say anything. They stood there, staring at each other, for a few moments, and then Melissa broke out in a run toward the grotto. Mat kept calling her name but she kept on running, and even when she tripped and scraped her knee she didn't stop running until she reached the entrance.

"Melissa, are you okay?" I asked, concerned for her immediate safety. (I would ask about the kiss later.) Melissa didn't answer; she looked at me, with a look that would make even Poseidon cry, and dashed up the stairs to her room. When I came in to check on her, she was already asleep even though it was still early evening. "Let her sleep," Jetsam said from behind me. "She's had a long day."

(It was the first time I had heard him speak. I hadn't imagined him sounding so gentle. Then again, he had been unconscious when I had first met him and Flotsam and had one of his thoracic vertebrae stuck in his windpipe. redface I decided to ignore my fluttering heart for the moment. stare )

That night, I dreamed of Phantom. He came straight through the entrance of my cave without fear and strolled along the sand with swaying gait to rival that of the Goblin King. It seemed as if I could hear his footsteps, even though he made no noise, right outside my bedroom door. I thought he was going to turn into my room and whisper sweet nothings in my ear, but he was off by one door and went into Melissa's room instead. It was as if I could see through the wall adjoining our rooms as he whispered to her to help her make his midnight music.

'Good thing that was a dream 3nodding ,' I thought as I sat up in my clam shell bed, wide awake. 'I would hate if what he whispered would come to pass. stare That should have been me in that dream! evil '

The next day, Mat came by to check on Melissa who had locked herself in her room. "Is Melissa here?" he asked.

I brought him up to speed by saying, "Yes but she's locked herself in my guest room and won't come out."

"I'm worried about her."

"That makes two of us, and I have no idea what's wrong."

"Me neither, but I think we should check on her later."

"Agreed."

After Mat had helped me organize my stocks of snail slime, fish oil, and defensive spells, we went to check on Melissa. I had left her watching my Phantom of the Opera DVD earlier that afternoon; when I got to the door, I put my ear to it to see what part she was on. "All I Ask of You" played back to me. I could hear Melissa sobbing as a voice said in the back of my head, "Don't be frightened. Come find me." I could only hope that this didn't mean what I thought it did.

Mat and I knocked on the door, just to make sure she was all right. "Melissa, come out. PLEASE," I pleaded.

"You've been in there all day," Mat added.

"Is this because of Jordan?"

Damn. rolleyes I had said the taboo because Melissa exploded, "I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!!! evil "

Mat and I urged her to come out, despite being yelled at. We were genuinely worried about her. Nothing seemed to work until Mat said, "Melissa, open this door. NOW!"

I hadn't realized Mat could get so angry and still sound so calm. I envied him that he had such control of his temper. (When I lose it, a hurricane could happen behind me and it wouldn't distract me from my rage.) However, it seemed that Melissa had calmed down a bit. "Mat?" she asked through the door.

"What? Melissa, what is it?"

"If you two don't leave me alone, I swear that the two of you will wake up very lost and confused. NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"

At that moment, I realized that it was not only hopeless to try further but also to push her farther. I took Mat by the arm and led him down the sloping ridge of rock that served as stairs and into the main room of my grotto. "You can spend the night if you wish," I told him. "I have a feeling she'll want to see you when she eventually decides to come out."

Sorry to end here but Jetsam's calling me. He's been working on a new potion that will allow Mat to breathe underwater and I have to go check his work. Also, Flotsam has just mastered the air-bubble spell I invented a few months ago. I have to see if he's done it right. Until next time.