The Sisters: The Curse of Gabriel's Gardens

Possessed

"Yet another one," Diane mumbled, holding a tablet computer.

"Is it about that strange 'Teenage disease'?" Alexis asked, standing in the kitchen and preparing lunch. This was purely Alexis' task since her sister's cooking skills narrowed to ordering pizza.

Diane nodded. "Yeah, exactly that."

"Who this time?"

"A young girl, seventeen," Diane replied. "She suddenly passed out at a party. Not a trace of any suspicious chemicals in her body, she wasn't even drunk. One of her friends said that she was just dancing and having fun... and a few seconds later BAM, she was lying on the floor, unconscious."

Alexis continued: "And now, she's at the hospital in a strange coma caused by a complete loss of energy."

"Pretty much."

It started about two months ago - a strange condition which received a nickname "Teenage disease" began to spread in Gabriel's Gardens. Young people between thirteen and twenty just started to pass out randomly - at a party, at home, on the street. The victims entered some kind of coma and none of them had woken up so far. The doctors only knew that the cause of coma was a complete loss of energy, but no one knew what its cause was. The doctors were clueless and the number of victims was still growing.

Alexis stopped filling tortillas with her secret quesadilla mixture. She borrowed the tablet from her sister and read an article. "How many?" she asked.

"Twenty two," Diane replied. Twenty two teenagers had already fallen victim to the strange illness.

"Do you think there is a human behind it?"

Diane shrugged. "Who knows. But if you wanna know my opinion, it looks more like a job for us. But it may also be an experiment of one of those nasty pharmaceutist companies."

As Alexis continued reading the article, her eyes behind glasses widened in terror. "Oh no..." she gasped.

Diane frowned. "What's up, sis?"

"The girl... the most recent victim," Alexis said and pointed at the photo of smiling petite Latino-american girl with braces, eyes colored like a dark chocolate and equally brown hair. "That's Marlene. My best friend from the elementary school. She talked to me when no one else did."

"No wonder considering what goddamn nerd you were," Diane smirked, but she felt a sting of guilt when she looked back at her sister who seemed genuinely devastated. "Sorry," she added.

Alexis ignored her stupid remark and quickly began to dress herself.

"Where are you going?" Diane asked.

"I have to visit Marlene's family," Alexis raised her glasses and wiped out a teardrop rolling down her cheek. "Ask what happened. Investigate."

Diane rolled her eyes. "Oh no, she used that I word. That means you're into it."

"I want... I need to solve that mystery of Teenage disease. I'm doing it because of my personal interests and I won't get paid for it, so I don't force you to join me. I can handle it myself... I hope."

Diane put on a black tank top with AC/DC logo and jean shorts. "Of course I'm going with you," she sighed. "Admit it, you wouldn't solve a single mystery without me and my common sense."

Alexis smiled. "Thank you, Dee."

The sisters caught a Tube Express link to the Blue Street district, birthplace of Marlene Sanchez. Alexis still remembered the way from TEx station to Marlene's house. She used to spend a lot of careless days there as a child and even though the life divided them later, they still kept in touch and maintained their friendship even when Marlene found a boyfriend.

Alexis anxiously knocked at the door of small, neat family house that belonged to the Sanchez family.

A minute ago, the door were opened by Santiago Sanchez, an obese man with a heroic moustache. "Alexis, my dear!" he shouted with a thick accent. "Long time no see, but I'm afraid that today is not the..."

"I know about Marlene," Alexis interrupted him. "I'm here because of her."

"Come in," Santiago said and entered the house followed by both girls. The living room was already occupied by Maria Sanchez, Santiago's wife. She was short and a little plain-looking, but her smile was always charming and heartfelt. The sisters received a warm welcome from both husband and wife.

"What happened to Marlene... it's terrible," Mr. Sanchez muttered. "She just went to a party, like almost every week... she never came home drunk or drugged, she was so responsible... but now... we were waiting for her to come home, but then someone knocked at the door, it was the police, dios mio, and they were like 'Sir, we have unpleasant news for you' and I was like 'What happened?' and..."

"Mr. Sanchez! Slow down," Diane said as the man's speech became gradually faster and less intelligible.

"Okay, okay. Lo siento," Santiago apologized. "They said that Marlene was affected by that Teenage disease that has plagued the city for the last two months... she was just laying on the bed, so pale, looked like dead... I'm afraid that she'll never wake up!"

"Can we see her room?" Alexis asked.

"Of course. Of course," Santiago nodded furiously. Alexis knew the path to Marlene's room. Diane followed her. The room was a combination of a neat organization and a teenage mess. Everything was in its place, but the walls were filled with posters of various musicians and framed photos. Most of them depicted Marlene with young, quite handsome man with blue eyes and pleasant, but a bit overconfident smile.

"Her boyfriend," Alexis muttered. "She never told me much about him... this is actually the first time I've seen a picture of him. Maybe it's my personal bias, but they don't fit very well together. Marlene always looked for intelligence and kindness, and this guy... he looks like that kind of macho man with a girl on every finger"

"I agree that they look somehow weird together," Diane agreed. "No offense to your friend, but he's too hot for her. I'd expect him with a cheerleader or a beauty queen."

"Oh... look at this," Alexis whispered and touched one of the photos just with the tips of her fingers. There were Alexis and Marlene when they were younger, maybe thirteen. The photo was taken in an amusement park named Starlandia located in the Serenity Square district. The girls depicted were so happy and carefree.

Alexis again had to wipe a tear. "Sorry," she said. "I'm probably getting too emotional over this."

Diane put her hand on sister's shoulder. "It's okay."

"Did you find anything?" Santiago barked at them as soon they entered the living room again.

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing yet."

"My poor girl! My little Marlene!" the man wailed.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Diane ensured him.

"We've put our hopes in you," Maria Sanchez sighed; her accent wasn't as strong as her husband's. "Please, don't disappoint us. If Marlene doesn't wake up..." she bursted out crying.

"For now, we just need to make some research," Alexis chanted with her trademark lecturing voice. "Learn more about the disease."

"Green Day said: Know your enemy," Diane added.

"We need to know the most common place where the victims fell in the coma," the second sister muttered, mostly to herself, while wandering around the room. "It can tell us many things. If more people passed out at a party, then it's possible that someone is poisoning the alcohol..."

"No way," Maria interrupted her speech. "Marlene didn't drink alcohol. Never. I've heard she was even ridiculed by her friends for it, but her belief was firm."

"Maybe she snapped when her boyfriend asked her to try it," Diane hinted.

"Marlene has already introduced him," Santiago said. "He seemed like a nice guy. Although something about him wasn't perfectly right, but I can't tell you what it is."

Maria nodded. "He acted somehow... fake, nervous. Insecure."

"What's his name?" Alexis asked.

"Kyle. Kyle Fletcher. He lives in The Centre."

"The Centre you say," Diane muttered. "He has to be some prominent son of a rich businessman, right?"

The Centre was a district in Gabriel's Gardens only accessible for the richest, most influential families and people. Although it wasn't located exactly in the centre of the city (it was actually on the northwest), it received the name because it was the financial, cultural and business centre of the city.

"In which bar did she pass out?" the girl continued her research.

"It was also in The Centre," Santiago replied. "It has such a funny name... something like... Young Aliens?"

"Alien Youth," Diane belched. "It's a fancy bar for the youth of The Centre. I'm not sure if a Blue Street girl belonged there... she must've been an outcast."

"She changed when she began to date Kyle," Maria admitted. "She used to be so humble and modest. But recently... she began to both act and dress too flashy. She started to dress in more revealing outfits and even caught the slang of Central kids. It didn't seem honest. I know she had to pretend because of him."

Alexis couldn't even imagine shy, introverted Marlene in revealing clothes hanging out with Central teens in Alien Youth. Kyle really had changed her.

"That seems to be everything for now. Thank you," Alexis said.

"Good luck! God bless you!" Santiago wailed while shaking hands of both sisters. Then they left.

"Did we find out something useful?" Diane asked.

"I don't know if it's useful for our case," Alexis answered, "but it at least explains why did Marlene text me so seldom lately. I have a sudden urge to talk to Kyle. Marlene was always critical when talking about Central kids... she said they're so shallow, spoiled and irresponsible. What did that guy do to make her one of them?"

Diane shrugged. "The power of blind love. I have to admit, that guy is hot. And if he was interested in a nerd like Marlene, I bet she was willing to do anything to stay with him."

"I still can't believe it," Alexis mumbled. "Marlene was never so shallow. She wasn't that type who completely changes her life when a handsome man winks at her."

"People change, Lex. You can't expect her to be the same weirdo like she was when you were thirteen and used to play together. The hormones start to rage. It's sad how many awesome girls turn into basic brainless bimbos because of a guy, but it's a fact."

Alexis sighed. "You may be right."

>><<

Back home, Diane occupied the computer and started to dig all possible info about the victims of Teenage disease. When she had a task she could focus on, she managed to stay quiet for hours.

"So... what are the results?" Alexis asked when her sister finally shouted that she's done.

"Look," Diane opened a text file she created. "There are twenty two victims right now. And eleven of them passed out at some kind of party. That's a half. Isn't it suspicious?"

"What about the others?"

"Six of them passed out at home. Three randomly on the street, one at school and one in TEx."

Alexis nodded. "This supports the theory about poisoned alcohol. People drink the most at parties and at home. And someone could just smuggle a bottle to school or TEx. Teens can be inventive when it comes to booze."

"I've noticed one more thing," Diane opened a gallery of pictures. There were all the victims - young people, eight males and fourteen females. They were usually smiling on the photos, usually selfies, unaware of the horrible fate that awaits them.

The last one... Marlene.

"They all have something in common," Diane noted. "Do you see what I see?"

Her sister looked closely at the portraits. "There's no one conventially attractive," she muttered. "They all look like that type of kids who got bullied at school."

"Exactly! They all look like wimps. Thin, fragile nerds. Coincidence? I think not."

"Maybe the chemical which causes the coma has little or no effect on bodies from a certain weight, but is deadly to the thinner ones," Alexis guessed. "After all, that's how alcohol works, too."

"Or we have something to do with a serial killer who wants to exterminate all the nerds," Diane jeered.

"Dee, please. This is a serious matter."

The girl rolled her eyes. "You've always been annoyingly serious, but since that friend of yours fell victim to that coma, you're literally unbearable."

"She's my friend," Alexis stated seemingly without emotions.

Diane put on the most serious face she could at the moment. "So was I," she grumbled.

Alexis sighed. "Twenty two people are in danger and all you can do is a Marvel reference? Oh my god, Diane, you should finally wake up! This isn't a game! It never was!"

Diane just stared at her sister, surprised by her burst of anger. "Sorry, sorry," she uttered.

Alexis sat down on the couch and started massaging the temples on her head. "No, I should apologize," she said. "My head hurts and I'm completely stressed out. The Sanchez family is counting on me and I don't want to disappoint them. Besides... you really have no idea what Marlene means to me. We were two outcasts, just nerds that no one liked. She... she showed me true friendship for the very first time. And even if she changed, I still want to save her somehow."

Diane hugged her - it was something so unusual that Alexis gasped in surprise. "I know it's hard for ya, sis. I ain't even mad at you. You had to endure all my moods through the years, so now it's my turn. And I promise I'll do everything possible to find the source of that goddamn chemical and save Marlene."

Alexis smiled, her eyes filled with tears. "That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me - which is kind of sad, when you think about it."

"If you tell anyone, I'll deny it. But now, pull yourself together, Lex. We have a case to solve."

"What's the plan?"

"My genius mind has found out that half of the incidents happened at some kind of party. So we should go to one. I want to visit Alien Youth, investigate a little and maybe even meet that Kyle, Marlene's boyfriend Mr. Sanchez talked about."

Alexis frowned. "We? To Alien Youth?"

Diane shrugged. "Why not? Besides that, a party is the best way to get rid of bad moods."

>><<

Saturday evening. The sisters were walking towards a TEx station, willing to take a train to The Centre. Diane, slightly made-up, was wearing dark blue cropped top revealing her flat stomach, black shorts and some flashy pieces of jewellery. Alexis stuck to sleeveless white blouse and knee-long skirt.

"They're gonna eat you alive when they see you," Diane uttered.

"At least I probably won't be a target of harassment," Alexis scolded her.

Diane sighed. "It's obvious that you haven't been to a party yet."

They entered the tube train and arrived to The Centre in slightly more than fifteen minutes.

"Wow... I'll never get used to this," Alexis gasped. The Centre was a paradise of luxury with neat skyscrapers, neon lights and beautiful, successful people everywhere in sight. Some parts of the district, especially parks, were covered in green with trees, grass and flower bushes. The district was always vibrant, roaring with energy. The stores full of the most luxurious wares were saying: Only the finest. Nothing for commoners.

They walked through Angel Square, the beating heart of Gabriel's Gardens.

The huge city square was the most frequent place of various meetings and cultural events. The most prominent point of the square was a giant white statue of a naked girl kneeling in silent prayer. She was huddled so well that nothing inappropriate from her body was visible. She had long hair running down her shoulders and a soft, delightful face with closed eyes.

Two giant, feathered wings were spreading from her shoulder blades. An angel, the only openly religious symbol in the whole city.

"I'm always amazed how beautiful she is," Alexis echoed in awe while looking at the statue. "The person that created her... such an amazing talent." She was right. The sculptor perfectly captured even the slightest detail of the girl's curled body.

"Yeah, she's pretty hot," Diane noted.

They spent a couple of minutes looking at the peaceful statue; Alexis used the sight to calm down. Diane understood and hugged her around their waist.

"Sometimes you annoy me to no limit," Alexis whispered, "but sometimes I'm sure you are the best sister I could ever wish for. I like you, Dee."

"Same here, sis," Diane replied. "Look, I really love our private emotional moments, but now, we have to go back to work, don't you think?"

Alexis nodded and gave the statue one last look.

Fortunately, Alien Youth wasn't so far away. It was right next to a luxurious restaurant called Interstellar. It was quite benefical - the adults usually sent their teen children to have some fun at Alien while they had a business dinner in Interstellar.

Both of the restaurants were built in a space theme, but while Interstellar's noticeboard offered calming sights of planets and galaxies, Alien Youth presented two stereotypical gray aliens clinking glasses with each other.

"I'd rather go there," Alexis pointed at Interstellar.

"Nah, this one is boring," Diane jeered. "Besides that, one meal would cost us a whole monthly budget."

They entered Alien Youth and were immediately attacked by hundreds of sensations. The sound of laugh, shouting and heavy electronic music. Smells of cigarette smoke, alcohol, sweat and various perfumes. Flashing lights and a mass of bodies in motion.

"This place is already making me queasy," Alexis uttered.

"I love it here!" Diane cheered. "Who said that our work can't bring some fun sometimes?"

>><<

The sisters started moving towards the bar.

While Diane put all her effort in looking cool and confident, Alexis looked around. The Central teens were all so attractive. Handsome guys with trendy hairstyles in perfectly fitting suits. Perfectly made-up girls either in clothes from the most expensive brands or designer dresses. Skin decorated with tattoos or piercings, ocassionally accompanied by outrageous hairstyles and colors. Alexis already felt like an outcast. She knew that she'd never fit into this high society. And neither would Marlene.

Shortly after they arrived, one of the guys noticed them. "Oh look, some normies!" he called and approached Diane. "Who's that? Your girlfriend?"

"No, she's my sister," Diane replied.

"But you still do it sometimes, right?" the guy grinned and winked at her. He was handsome like almost every other male in the room, but Alexis was already disgusted by him.

"Normies?" Alexis whispered her sister.

"That's what they call non-Central people," Diane explained and sat on the bar. Alexis insecurely sat next to her. The brunette sister took a look at the drink menu. "Hey, are those prices of drinks, or are you trying to sell me the whole business?" she shouted.

The blue-eyed blonde guy sitting next to her laughed. "Our prices are probably out of your league, normie."

A guy with long dark hair and a fedora sat next to Alexis. "Hey, I like normies," he said. "They're so cute and naive. Would you like a drink, sweetie?"

"No, thank you. I don't drink alcohol."

The fedora guy laughed. "What? You don't know our rule that no one leaves Alien sober on Saturday?" he waved at the barista who handed Alexis a shot of dark liquid. Alexis smelled it. Whiskey, probably.

"I'm gonna be the first one, then," she said and hurled the liquid straight into the fedora guy's face.

"What the...?" he shouted.

A few girls joined the group. "So much sass for so little style," chanted one of them, a dashing brunette in a tiny red dress showing her massive cleavage. "Your sis is kind of alright, but you...? These second-hand rags make you look like a secretary in-training. And glasses? Really? If you don't have money for a laser surgery, you shouldn't even think about going here." Her friends giggled.

Alexis blushed and didn't know what to say. Diane, who ordered a glass of the cheapest red wine available, started talking instead. "We're not here to bash our style, girls," she said. "We need some info."

"You've come to the right place," the red dress brunette said seductively. "But you know, information isn't free. And since I doubt you can pay me well enough..." she sent Diane a flying kiss.

Diane made a disgusted face. "I think we can do just fine without you."

"Fine," said the brunette and walked away; the crowd of her friends followed her.

"Maybe I should tell you something. For free, of course," said the blonde guy next to Diane. "Whatcha need to know? I'm all yours."

"We need to know everything about Marlene Sanchez," Alexis tried to sound confident.

Another guy joined the discussion; this one was quite short with bright red-dyed hair. "Marlene? She was Kyle's chick, wasn't she? She was a normie, a tiny nerd. I don't know why Kyle wasted time with her when he could have literally any girl he pointed at."

A blonde girl in a sport bra and high-waist shorts smirked. "It's pretty naive to think that she was Kyle's only girl. She probably offered some kind of benefit to him, so he let Marlene join his harem."

"But when she passed out last week, he seemed genuinely devastated," said the red-haired. "That disease is a bitch, really. Maybe Kyle isn't that kind of playboy like everyone thinks."

"Maybe I should tell you by myself." A loud, confident voice echoed through the bar. Its owner was tall, muscular, handsome. A black suit, short dark hair and intense gaze of blue eyes. And a pendant hanging on his chest - a ruby shaped like a human heart. Not the stylized one, but actual heart with chambers and veins.

Everyone stopped talking. Kyle Fletcher, an authority of the bar, has arrived.

>><<

Alexis couldn't help moving a few inches away from him. Yes, Kyle was really attractive and charismatic, but she had to cringe at the sight of him - he radiated some kind of sinister aura which unsettled her. Was it because of his confidence bordering with arrogance? Or because the heart-shaped pendant?

Kyle waved at the barista and received a glass of wine. He began to sip it as he spoke: "Yes, I really loved Marlene and actually, I'm pretty let down because you think I'm some sort of player. The fact I am attractive and affluent doesn't automatically mean I can't be loving and faithful, you know."

Some of the golden youth began to stare at the floor in shame.

What a narcissist, Alexis thought, but didn't say it aloud.

Kyle continued. "I was so sick and tired of all those girls who wanted me only for my money or my body. When I offer some girl my company, she usually screams and starts to behave like a crazy fan who just met their favorite celebrity... Marlene was different. She didn't come easy. I admit that she was initially more like... a project, an experiment, but later, after she rejected me for the first time, I realized that this is what I need. She became a challenge. I had to do much more than just smile and open my wallet."

His speech was basically nice, but Alexis still felt a needle of anger towards him. Project? Experiment? What did Marlene mean to him at the start? Probably just a fun thing to do, a tool to hone his skills.

Kyle looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "It seems you don't trust me, right? Let me tell you that shallowness works both ways. You probably preach the inner beauty, that even unattractive people deserve love and respect. But you should also know that a handsome man isn't always a playboy and a beautiful girl doesn't have to be a slut. You either accept both sides of the coin, or none. It's simple."

Some of the bar visitors began to mumble in agreement.

Alexis' face turned red. She ran out of words which didn't happen very often.

Kyle had a chance to roast her even further, but he decided to not do it and changed the topic instead. "About Marlene... what happened to her... I have no words to say," he sipped the wine again, looking genuinely grievous. "The first time I felt real love... and it ended so fast."

Alexis felt a sudden wave of compassion, but got rid of it quickly. Despite his words, she decided to not trust him, even though this dramatic moment would require master-level acting.

"She was standing right there when it happened," he pointed at the dance floor where a few of the visitors danced in passionate hugs. "One second she was talking to me, smiling... and then..."

"I can confirm that," the red-haired guy said. "It was like someone turned her off, it was weird."

Kyle looked at Alexis. "If you want me to keep talking, tell me the reason why are you so curious about Marlene. Are you some kind of... investigators?"

"You got it right," Diane said. "We want to solve the mystery of Teenage disease. We're like that team from Scooby Doo; we solve mysteries, chase ghosts and unmask the bad guys who shout: 'I'd be successful if there wasn't you darn kids!'"

Kyle laughed. "That's nice! You are funny. Now, what's the real reason?"

Diane opened her mouth to argue, but Alexis was faster. "Marlene was my best friend," she said. "I've known her since we were young. I just wanted to know more about her fate."

"I see," Kyle said quietly. "Look, I'm sorry if I was somehow rude to you. You remind me of Marlene so much and it threw me out of balance, I guess. May I offer you something to drink?"

"That's okay," Alexis replied. "We're leaving."

"C'mon, sis, I want to st-" Diane said, but her sentence was interrupted by a scream. A crowd began to form around one of the bar seats - a boy was laying there without showing any signs that he was still alive. The sisters made their way through the crowd and looked at him.

He was small and thin, with a really outdated haircut, dressed in a suit much bigger than it should be - he probably hoped it made him look bigger. They immediately knew that his money were probably the only reason why was he tolerated in this society.

"Oh no... not again..." Kyle muttered.

There was no doubt - they were looking at another victim of the Teenage disease.

>><<

The bar was immediately sealed by the police and the rescue team and all the visitors were forced to go home. There was nothing they could do to the young man. He fell in a coma with a minimal chance of waking up.

"Freaky," Diane noted when they arrived home. They began to undress since their clothing smelled of cigarette smoke and many other unidentified smells. Alexis put on her oversized sleeping T-shirt while Diane stayed in her bra and shorts.

"Indeed," Alexis nodded while washing the smell off her hair.

"What do you think about that Kyle dude?" Diane asked. "He seemed really cool to me. It seems that he really loved Marlene. And yes, he was so hot and classy."

"I don't like him," Alexis spitted. "There's something about him that seems fake. He can't be trusted."

"Sis, you're just angry because he seduced your bestie and managed to beat you in an argument," Diane smirked. "Yeah, he's kinda cocky, but you have to admit that he has a right to do so. Besides that, he was hitting on you. It was pretty clear."

Alexis put on her glasses and frowned. "No, he wasn't!"

"C'mon, it was so obvious."

"Even if he did, I have absolutely no interest in him. That type of guy makes me sick."

Diane shrugged. "Then, I guess, you're missing a great opportunity. I admit that I'd most probably accept it. What's so bad about having a boyfriend on the level?"

"Can we please stop talking about Kyle?" Alexis uttered. "We saw a victim of the Teenage disease pass out right in front of us. It's getting faster and faster and I think it's really because of poisoned alcohol. That reminds me... why the hell did you drink that wine, Diane?"

"I wanted to fit in better. I was afraid that they won't even talk to me if I don't order something."

Alexis stood up, infuriated. "Do you know how goddamn irresponsible it was, Diane? We're probably dealing with a tainted alcohol and you drink like a boss! And besides that, you almost told everyone on that bar who we really are. We want to conceal it, not flaunt it, goddammit!"

"Hey, just because something pissed you off, you don't have to yell at me like I'm some little brat!" Diane exclaimed. "I'm an adult and you're not my mother."

Alexis' face filled with sorrow. "Don't you remember, Dee? I thought we promised to not use our mom in our arguments ever again," she mumbled.

Both girls sat down and let their anger cease. "You're right. I'm sorry," Diane said. "I'm also sorry for that wine, even though I think that alcohol isn't responsible for this - if it was, there'd be much more victims as almost every teenager in Gardens drinks." She laughed. "He more likely passed out because of that annoying song that was playing when it happened."

Her innocent joke grabbed Alexis' attention. "Which one?" she belched.

"It was Possessed by The Beatflyers," Diane answered, slightly surprised by her sister's sudden interest. "I thought you know that one. It's a number one hit these days."

"You know I don't follow current trends very much," Alexis said. It seemed that all the discords between the two were gone in a few seconds. "What do you know about that song?"

"Aren't you taking this too far, sis? That song just played when he passed out. It's just a coincidence."

"I'm not taking the risk. Let's play that song."

Diane sat by the computer and opened the video streaming site of Gabriel's Gardens. They didn't have to search very long: the song Possessed was the very first on the Trending list. Diane clicked the link.

>><<

The song was a typical fast-paced, catchy pop piece. The background music was created with drums and electronic synths. The vocals were female, high-pitched and melodic. The lyrics compared falling in love to possession - nothing too deep and easy to remember. The song's key point was the chorus:

You're possessing my mind,

you're possessing my body;

There's nothing I can do,

I'm forced to fall for you;

And now I'm possessed, oh

Possessed, oh

Possessed, woah-oh...

"Is there any valid reason why did this become a number one hit?" Alexis uttered. "This song is annoying, but I doubt it's dangerous in any way."

She closed her mouth when the song continued. After the second chorus, the song escalated into a rapidly spoken rap verse. The voice changed, this one was male without a doubt, but sounded somehow distorted, deformed. None of the sisters understood a single word from this short passage.

"What the hell was that?" Alexis frowned.

"I know that The Beatflyers use rap in their songs, but this is weird," Diane replied. After the rap verse, the chorus played two more times and a short outro ended the song.

Alexis rewound the video to the rap passage. The sisters listened closely, but the words the rapper spoke were definitely not English. Diane downloaded the song and slowed it down in a special program, but it didn't help them decipher the strange gibberish.

"Okay, this is creepy," Diane stated. "What's the point of making a verse that no one understands?"

"Maybe it's in a foreign language," Alexis guessed.

"It's possible, but The Beatflyers' rapper always performed in English so far."

They listened to the rap verse two more times. It didn't advance them any further.

When the verse started playing for the third time, Alexis sighed and collapsed on the table.

"Sis! Alexis!" Diane shouted and began to shake her unconscious sister. Fortunately, she opened her eyes soon after. "I'm so tired..." she whispered. "Strange. I was feeling pretty fit a minute ago."

Diane gave her a glass of water and Alexis pulled herself together again.

"Do you have an idea how much you scared me?" Diane grumbled.

"But at least... we have an answer," Alexis replied with slurred, hardly illegible voice. She had to wait a few more minutes before she could speak without problems again. "It's not a coincidence that I blacked out while listening to the song even though I was feeling fine before. There's something fishy with that rap verse."

Diane nodded. "I think you're right. The question is: how will we use this information?"

"We need to..." Alexis said.

"...investigate," Diane finished. "But one thing is for sure, you're not listening to that goddamn song any more today. If it's really able to suck your life out of you, then I ain't taking the risk. Imagine how screwed would I be on my own. I have to admit that I sometimes need your brains."

Alexis grinned. "That's probably the nicest thing you said to me today. We also need to analyze the words of the rap verse; it's highly probable that it's dubbed in some language we don't understand. But it's gonna be a difficult task since I don't have any good voice-recognition software."

Diane smiled. "What if I know someone who does?"

Alexis' eyes widened. "Do you?"

"Of course I do, socializing can bring some benefits. We can visit that person right tomorrow, but now, you should go to sleep. You're probably gonna hear that song tommorow and I want you to endure it. I'll isolate and cut out the rap part so we have a file ready to work with."

"Thanks for your care, Dee, but don't listen to it too many times. I don't want to find you comatosing in the morning. That thing seems to be dangerous."

"No worries, sis. I can take care of myself."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Really? That's probably why I can't leave you alone for twenty minutes." Both sisters laughed and Alexis entered her room. She could barely stand, like the song had extracted all her life energy. So this is how the victims of Teenage disease feel, she thought as she fell asleep.

>><<

Next afternoon, the sisters caught TEx to the Serenity Square district. Alexis was feeling better, even though her head was throbbing because of a headache. She had to take an aspirin despite the fact that she didn't like synthetical medicaments and preferred to cure her problems with natural remedies.

According to her, Serenity Square was the best place to live in Gabriel's Gardens. While being nearly as luxurious as The Centre, it had many green areas and parks. The sisters promised to themselves that once they become richer, they'd rent a flat here. Right now, this dream was far away from becoming reality, but they still hoped that one day, they'd be able to live in an upper-class district.

"What's his name?" Alexis pried.

Diane smiled mysteriously. "Wait and see."

They walked through one of the beautiful parks which was, during this season, a paradise for roller skaters, bicycle riders and other people interested in sports. They arrived to a small housing estate consisting of numerous blocks of flats.. Diane scratched her head while searching for the right one. She used an augmented reality tool on her phone to scan the surroundings and find the correct flat.

"Here," she said and headed towards the building. At the main door, she scanned a single-use QR code which she received from the resident yesterday and which allowed them to enter the building. They used the elevator to get to the 5th floor. Diane knocked on the door labelled Lightfoot.

There was nothing for a long time. Then they heard a quiet buzzing sound.

Alexis looked mildly frightened. "Is that alright?"

"You bet it is," Diane smiled. The door opened and the girls had to look a bit down to see who opened - it was a girl on a wheelchair. She was roughly as old as the sisters, had honest blue eyes, shoulder-long black wavy hair and a little pointy nose. Something in her look seemed tomboy, like she had just arranged an innocent prank and waited for people to fall for it. She was wearing a simple black T-shirt and capri pants.

The girl theatrically opened her arms. "Welcome to the humble residence of Anna Lightfoot, the Queen of ironic surnames!" she said. Her voice was soft and melodic. "Nice to see you again, Dee!"

"My pleasure," Diane replied.

"Come in," Anna said and drove further into her flat. That buzzing sound from earlier was coming from the blue, shiny wheelchair controlled by a joystick set near the girl's left hand - she was apparently a leftie.

"How can she help us?" Alexis asked quietly.

"Annie is pretty damn artistic," Diane replied. "We met at the photography course and became friends soon after. She's good at photography, drawing, writing and even making music. She's got tons of various software on her computer we had so much fun with. I'm certain that she'll be able to help us."

"How did she...?"

"A car accident when she was little. Her legs have been paralyzed since then."

The girls heard another voice coming from a room which was probably the kitchen. "Anna, you have guests over?" The voice was a bit slurred and seemingly annoyed.

"Yeah," Anna replied. "We'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending we don't exist."

"Good," the voice replied.

"Who's that?" Alexis came with another question.

"That's Augustus, Annie's brother," Diane explained. "Her only relative who's still alive. He's pretty grumpy, but you'll get used to it. We had a joke that they should switch names - hers to Augusta and his to Anus."

Alexis laughed. "That's not very nice."

They followed Anna to her room. Alexis took a peek at Augustus in the kitchen. He was tall and skinny with somewhat crooked figure, shaggy black hair, glasses and an acne problem even though he was probably around twenty-five. Definitely not the most handsome man on the planet, she thought.

Then she looked at Anna. Despite her handicap, she seemed to never stop smiling. Alexis expected some kind of overweight, geeky IT expert living in a tiny, smelly apartment, but Anna was way better than that, she was... yeah, cute. That's the word. Her room was bright, filled with books and computer apparature. The walls were decorated by pictures and photos, probably her own work. She's good, Alexis thought.

Anna smiled at them. "How can I help you?"

>><<

Before they started their business, Diane introduced Anna to Alexis. After a heartfelt handshake, Anna began to keenly describe her life and her work. Anna was a natural-born talker and her speech was really long, but Alexis didn't mind. She had probably never seen so much enthusiasm in just one pair of eyes. Her mood was contagious and they engaged in a friendly talk for about an hour before they started.

Alexis noticed that the girl didn't talk very much about her past and the accident. She was full of hope and plans for the future - her dream was, of course, being a famous artist with her own exhibitions. She wanted as many people as possible to see her work and understand her world a little better.

Alexis immediately started to adore the girl.

She clapped her hands which seemed to work alright. "So? I doubt you came here just to greet me. I know you well enough, Dee. You have this look only when you need something."

Diane laughed. "You know me well enough, Annie. Do you know about the Teenage disease everyone is talking about now?"

Anna frowned. "Of course I do."

"The truth is that we probably know what's behind it," Alexis said. "But we need your help to bring it to the end. Listen to this recording." She put a flashdisc to Anna's computer and played the file. The disturbing rap verse began to play from the speakers. Alexis' head swayed a little.

"Isn't that a part from Possessed?" Anna asked.

"Exactly. We think that this verse can be a trigger for Teenage disease. We need you to find out which language is that and what do the words mean. Can you do that?"

"I think I can."

"But please, don't listen to the record more than necessary," Alexis pleaded. "If you listen to it enough times consecutively, you may pass out and never wake up. This is not a joke, Anna."

"I believe you," Anna said. "I'll try to shield myself as much as possible. But I'll do it."

"Annie, be careful... like really," Diane urged. "Alexis nearly went comatosing yesterday and you... with your condition... don't risk it, okay?"

Anna smiled. "Got it. It's especially dangerous for cripples."

Alexis was pretty shocked how casually Anna used the word. She understood that Anna was not the type who demands compassion and special treatment. She even told a few jokes about her handicap during the "initial interview". She was not angry with the whole world because of her injury. She was glad that she got a second chance to live and thinks that she has no right to complain.

Anna drove her wheelchair to the computer - the computer desk was probably made specially for her because the chair fit perfectly into the desk and allowed the girl to freely use the mouse and keyboard. Her fingers started to fly above the keys as she opened numerous complicated-looking programs. Then she uploaded the .mp3 file Alexis gave her to a voice recognition software.

"It's probably gonna take a while," she announced.

"How could you afford such an awesome gear?" Alexis wondered. Some of the programs would definitely help her during their ghost-hunting missions.

Anna shrugged. "That guy who caused the car crash was pretty rich. The court made him pay a compensation which wasn't low at all... but it was still too little considering we'd never see mom and dad again." She tried to remain pragmatic, but Alexis noticed the sorrow in her voice and eyes. "We still have more than half of the money. Gus didn't have to work, so he could take care of me when I was younger. It has been rough sometimes. It took me a long time to get used..." she looked at her paralyzed legs.

Alexis didn't know how much emotional response will her question would trigger and she wanted to apologize, but she realized that Anna's already heard sorry so many times that she has to be annoyed by it. Instead, she announced: "Diane, we have one more job ahead. Let's leave this work to Annie." She smiled at the handicapped girl. "We'll return soon," she said.

>><<

"So... what do we need to do?" Diane asked.

"In the morning, while you were still asleep," Alexis frowned at her sister and emphasized the second half of the sentence, "I found some info about the victims who passed out randomly at the street. I have a theory and if it proves to be right, we'll be sure that there's something wrong with Possessed."

One of the victims lived in the Serenity Square, only a ten minute walk from Anna's residence. This time, it was a small, neat family house. "His name is Brian Cox," Alexis said. "He passed out a week ago. The witnesses say that he just collapsed and hit the pavement without any warning."

Diane knocked at the door.

After a minute, the door was opened by a thin, nervous-looking woman with dark hair. "What do you need?" she uttered. "I don't have time or money for girlscouts."

"No, that's not it," Alexis said before Diane could make any rude remark about the woman's assumption. "We're here to ask you for help. We're trying to solve the Teenage disease mystery which apparently made your son fall into coma."

"That horrible thing!" the woman wailed. "Isn't this some kind of prank?"

"We're dead serious," Diane said.

"Come in."

As soon as Mrs. Cox closed the door, Alexis began investigation. "Does your son wear headphones outdoor? Does he listen to music when he's running his errands?"

"All the time. Every Thursday, that's when it happened, he goes shopping to Icaria. He has always his earbuds on and plays music. It's pretty annoying sometimes. He's like isolated!"

"Do you still have Brian's mobile phone?" Alexis asked.

"Uhm... of course I do," Mr. Cox replied.

"Can I see it? Just for a second?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Look, just unlock the phone and open Brian's music player. That's all we need. We'll just take a look at his playlist and leave - that doesn't invade his privacy very much, does it?"

"Well... I guess it can't hurt," Mrs. Cox mumbled, still confused by their strange request. She left the room and returned with Brian's phone. She unlocked it, tapped the music player app and handed it to Alexis. She began to scroll among numerous songs - it seemed that Brian didn't have a preferred genre. There were mostly pop songs, but also many alternative, rap, rock and metal pieces.

"Here it is," Alexis hummed and pointed at one of the songs on the list:

Possessed

The Beatflyers

"So... it looks that we have the culprit," Diane said.

"We have to go through the playlists of all the 'street victims', or at least as many as possible," Alexis said while giving the device back to Mrs. Cox. They thanked the woman and left the building with a promise they'll contact her as soon as they find out something more.

They visited the families of all the victims who passed out in the outdoor area. Two of them were more than suspicious and one rude father refused to give them the phone at all, but what they found was enough. All the victims had the song Possessed downloaded in their music library.

"Okay, now we are certain," Alexis declared when they arrived home in the evening. "Possessed is responsible for this. Now we have to find a way how to stop it."

Diane yawned. "I'm glad to hear that the today's marathon was worth something," she uttered. "We'll head back to Annie tomorrow to see if she found out something."

Alexis nodded. "Yes. It would really help us if we could understand the words from the rap verse. I hope that Annie is as good as you told me."

>><<

Unfortunately, Anna wasn't succesful.

The paralyzed girl shrugged. "I'm sorry, really. But this piece seems to originate in no known language. I tried to run it through literally millions of voice recognitions, but they were as unsuccessful as me trying to ride a bike," she jeered. "Well, sometimes it caught a word or two, but the rest of the speech was impossible to translate in the given language."

"In other words, it's complete gibberish," Diane noted.

Anna nodded. "It's either something completely random, or some kind of obscure language nobody has spoken in ages. Either way, I'm afraid that I won't be able to help you with the translation. I'm really sorry, girls. I thought I'll be useful just for this once."

Alexis put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, Annie," she said soothingly. "We know that you did a great job and I hope we'll be able to solve the mystery even without the translation."

Anna smiled. "Thank you, Alexis. You are so kind. Unlike your sister."

Diane looked offended. "What did I ever do to you?"

The black-haired girl raised her eyebrows. "I think that hiding my belongings on the top shelf is a pretty asshole thing to do to a paraplegic."

"You did what?" Alexis laughed, joined by Diane and Anna.

"Long story," Anna said.

They ended up staying in Anna's room for several more hours. Diane and Anna told Alexis their stories and all three laughed. They had so much fun that at one point, Augustus entered the room and looked at the guests.

"It's you again," he uttered. He pointed at Diane. "I know you." Then pointed at Alexis. "I don't know you."

"My name is Alexis Warren, nice to meet you," Alexis said.

"Gus. Augustus Lightfoot," Anna's brother said and left.

Diane bursted out laughing. She made a funny face and chanted with deep, caveman voice: "You again. Me know you. Me not know you. Me Augustus."

Anna laughed, then put on a serious face. "Even though he's sometimes ridiculous, it's unfair to joke about him," she said. "If it weren't for him, I'd be probably dead or homeless. He took care of me when our parents died, and I have to admit it was hard. I had a hard time settling with my new condition and I even tended to have hysteria attacks. He endured it all. Of course, he used to be different; the accident changed him and now he may seem even rude, but it's all because of the stress and the responsibility that literally fell on him."

"I see," Diane mumbled. "Sorry, Annie."

"Come on, Dee, it was funny," Anna smiled. "He really behaves like a caveman sometimes."

Alexis started to like Anna more and more. She understood that she was Diane's friend just as Marlene was hers. She had already met a few paraplegic people - they tended to be grumpy and oversensitive, except for a few cases. Anna was, on the other hand, optimistic and lively and she laughed at jokes other people would find offensive because of their condition.

Alexis promised herself that she had to get to know Anna more.

"So... what are your next plans in your case?" Anna asked.

"We have to get right into the source," Alexis replied. "We have to meet The Beatflyers."

Anna frowned. "I doubt it will be possible. I've heard that they're not very welcoming towards their fans. No backstage tours, no meet & greet opportunities. They'll never let you talk to them."

"We'll find a way. We have to," Alexis said. "We must ask the members why did they curse the song and which formula did they use to do so. They're probably the only ones who can stop this!"

Anna started to browse the Internet. "It seems you're lucky. There is a music festival taking place in The Centre in three days and The Beatflyers perform there. It may be your only chance."

Alexis nodded. "And we'll take it. Thank you, Anna."

"Good luck, girls. If you need me, I'll be right here."

>><<

Back home, the sisters found some info about the band. It had three members - the lead singer called nGee (pronounced "Angie"), an Afroamerican rapper nicknamed The Kinglord and a DJ Stu-ART. The girls listened to their records. Just another generic, slightly alternative pop. No song contained a part as unsettling as in Possessed. They looked at their artworks and album covers - nothing linked to occultism or anything similar.

"It's strange," Diane said. "I'd guess that something like cursed song will come from a death metal band."

Alexis shrugged. "If the goal is to make as many people as possible listen to the song, then pop is the safest way how to do it. Like it or not, it will always be the most popular genre, hence the name, and is easily accessible. Metal can be better both musically and lyrically, but the circle of the listeners is more narrow."

"Your knowledge would make you a successful villain," Diane noted.

Alexis jeered. "Be glad that I work for the Light side of the Force."

They had no choice but to buy the tickets, lowering their already tight budget. "I hope it will be worth it," Diane muttered. "We'll have to eat only oatmeal for a month because of them."

"It'll be worth it, I promise," Alexis said.

The days passed. Three more people fell victim to the song - the sisters desperately wanted to warn the people somehow, but who would believe some crazy theories about a cursed song? If they wanted to save more people, they needed to act. Quick.

The sisters entered the Whateley Arena, the biggest sport and culture centre of Gabriel's Gardens named after the mayor, Wilbur Whateley. The place was already stuffed with people who couldn't wait to hear their favorite musicians live. Fortunately, The Beatflyers were supposed to open the festival, so they didn't need to stay there for a very long time.

"I love concerts, but this is not a concert," Diane uttered. "Look at those so-called artists. Most of them are only appealing to thirteen years old girls with no actual music taste."

Alexis sighed. "Dee. Just try to survive the concert somehow and get ready to realize our plan."

"Okay."

Soon after, The Beatflyers showed at the stage. nGee was a short, thin girl in her early twenties with blonde hair with pink highlights dressed in high heels, tight, glittery leggings and a black cropped top. The Kinglord was seemingly twice as big as her. His head was shaved and the tank top revealed his giant, tattooed muscles. Stu-ART was tall and slim with messy red hair and big, protruding ears dressed in formal wear as a part of his image.

The concert began, but was barely audible because of the screaming of the fans. nGee's speciality were generic crowd heaters like "You want one more piece?" or "Put your hands in the air!" The Kinglord tried to maintain the gangster pose while rapping, but failed miserably. Stu-ART was just handling his turntables like all the fuss around him didn't exist.

Near the end of the performance, they started to play Possessed. The people went all crazy over hearing their biggest hit. Even the sisters paid attention now, but not because of the music. They waited until nGee came to the part which was followed by the cursed rap verse.

They just skipped the verse. Stu-ART just pulled a short solo on his apparature and nGee immediately followed with the last two choruses.

They played two more songs and said goodbye to their fans. Then they left the stage to make place for the next artist. The sisters razed through the crowd and followed them. The band headed to the backstage, which was, obviously, guarded by a bald muscular man with SECURITY tag on his jacket.

Diane smirked. "It's time for an acting class."

>><<

The girls just walked into the backstage like they belonged there.

"Stop right there!" the man called. "You are not allowed to go any further!"

"But... we are nGee's relatives," Diane said. "We have a permanent access to the backstage. Your boss forgot to tell you?"

'I'm not allowed to let anybody in."

Diane looked furiously into his eyes. "If you don't, you're gonna have some serious problems, my friend! I've heard nGee saying that she's highly unsatisfied with your work. Do you want me to quote her? She said 'If that huge bonehead with biceps instead of brain does one more idiotic thing, I'll fire him right away.' And I think she meant exactly you. So if you like your job, you should let us in."

The guard, surprised by Diane's rant, just shrugged and stepped out of the way.

"Thanks," Diane spat and headed into the backstage hallway.

"That was really effective, sis," Alexis admitted.

Diane jeered. "I guess that's just my talent."

They found the door labelled The Beatflyers. They opened the door without knocking and stepped in.

Sweaty and exhausted nGee screamed. "Who the hell are you? Who let you in?"

Alexis closed the door. "We'll just ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

"Frankie! FRANKIE! Make them leave!" the singer screamed.

The Kinglord sighed and stood up. "I guess it's time to go, girls. You're not allowed to be here."

Alexis raised her hands to stop nGee's hysterical screaming. "Look, we don't want any problems. We are neither crazy fans or stalkers. We're the paranormal investigation team..."

"Wait, I know you," Stu-ART said with a heavy nasal voice. "You are those girls who scam the people by telling them that their home is haunted."

"We are contacted by our customers, not the other way around," Diane objected.

"Angela, Stuart, I think we should at least hear them out," said The Kinglord, also known as Frankie. "Maybe they can help us." He raised his eyebrows and the other band members immediately realized what he was talking about. Alexis noticed it. Is it a good sign?

Even though The Kinglord wanted to look like a tough gangster, he was probably the calmer and the most accessible person from the trio.

nGee frowned. "One minute," she barked. "Then I'll call the security."

"Okay," Alexis tried to remain calm even though her heart was racing. "It's about one of your songs. Possessed. We have proofs that the song, namely the rapping part, is responsible for the so-called Teenage disease. Frankie didn't rap this part. The voice is not his. Who then?"

"You have to be crazy!" Angela screamed. "What the hell did you smoke to come up with such nonsenses? And about the voice... there's a thing called an autotune and when used right, it can make Frankie sound like me. So your arguments are invalid."

"Why wasn't that rap verse included in the live version, then?" Diane asked.

"It's a bonus for those who buy the album!"

The Kinglord sighed. "Guys, I think we should tell them. They seem like they can actually help us and I don't want to live with that anymore."

nGee widened her eyes. "You can't be serious, Frankie! You know what would happen..."

"I know! I know and I'm sick and tired of that sword of Damocles hanging above us. We'll tell these girls the truth and if we join forces, we can solve it for good!"

"Maybe Frankie is right," Stuart admitted. "We didn't know what it will cause. There are nearly thirty victims already and I really don't want this number to grow. It's all or nothing."

"You guys are crazy," Angela sighed. "But yeah, whatever. Tell them."

>><<

Frankie started to tell the story.

"It was during the time we were recording the album with Possessed on it. Our producer came and wanted to listen to the songs we have so far. We played them... there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. But he came back later and brought us a recording... it was that rap verse. He said that we have to include this in Possessed... he looked quite angry and disturbed."

"We asked why he needed it so badly," Stuart continued. "He didn't give us an answer and started to threaten us instead. Something like that he'll ruin our career and pull us into a drug-dealing scandal if we don't do it. It was weird, but we didn't know that it was capable of any harm, plus it sounded pretty cool, so we just included it in the recording."

"Looks like we have the culprit," Diane noted.

"What's the name of your producer?" Alexis asked.

"Ryan," Angela replied. "Ryan Fisher."

"Where does he live?"

"In The Centre. I think somewhere near Arlington Tower."

Diane smirked. "I think we owe Mr. Fisher a visit."

"But how are you gonna do it?" Angela frowned. "Fisher is a dangerous man. There are rumors that he's dipped into some kind of illegal business."

"A little talk can never hurt," Diane said. "Lex, do you have a plan?"

"I think I do," her sister replied.

In a few hours, they were on their way to The Centre. Once again, they passed the Angel Square and the bar Alien Youth. Using the augmented reality app, Diane was leading the duo to the address Angela gave them. They passed the Arlington Tower, a monumental skyscraper owned by the corporation Arlington Logistic and Transportation. Even though all of the Arlington family were dead and the company was led by someone else, it was still one of the most important corporations in Gabriel's Gardens.

"Here," Diane pointed at a house not far away from the skyscraper. They prepared their disguise: a voice recorder and a palmtop for making notes. Alexis knocked at the door. They were opened by Ryan Fisher - a tall, bulky man in his forties dressed in a white shirt and black pants. Although he wasn't really ugly, there was something sleazy about him - maybe it was because of his sweaty face and slicked black hair.

Diane was ready to say something about child molesters, but she bit her tongue for now.

"Who are you?" the man grumbled.

Alexis gave him a sweet smile despite his grumpy greeting. "We are Alexandra and Deedee. We are the reporters for a school magazine of Icaria Public High School. We're holding an event called The Week of Music and our task was to find someone deeply connected to music and interview him. You are the most famous producer of Gardens. May we talk to you?"

The man smiled a bit. "Okay. Come in."

His house included a recording studio and the walls were filled with artworks of albums he helped to produce. The girls noticed the pieces from The Beatflyers. Fisher sat on a couch and offered them a coffee - Diane accepted, Alexis satisfied with a glass of water.

They started to interview him. The initial question were innocent and they slowly started to gain Fisher's trust. Alexis was a good actor, too; she was able to act like a professional journalist and Fisher didn't suspect a thing. She started to ask important question later.

"Mr. Fisher, can you effectively... smell the hit songs?" she asked. "I mean, you hear the song and think this one is gonna break the charts. Is that true?"

Fisher smiled. "I estimate that more than ninety percent of my bets turned out to be right, so I guess yes, I can smell a hit when I hear one. It's not only about music, actually. You also have to know the market and a bit about human psychology. It's more complicated than you may think."

The answer built a perfect ground for her next question. "Do you think it's possible to manipulate people through music? I mean hidden messages or even tones which can alter the brain functioning. Are these only conspiracy theories, or do you believe it?"

Just like she expected, Fisher started to act a little nervous. "Why are you asking such strange questions, young lady? Are we talking about music, or about conspiracies?"

Alexis shrugged. "It's connected. If a person knows that the song will be a hit, it would be easy to just add something that will change the way people think to a way benefical to you."

Fisher's eyes widened in confusion and anger. "Who the hell are you?"

>><<

"So you admit that you put the Teenage disease to Possessed?" Diane barked.

"Those three," he uttered. "Angela, Franklin and Stuart. They told you, right? RIGHT?"

Diane smirked. "Calm down, sir. We just want to talk. We are smarter than you think and with a bit of luck, we managed to find out that these strange comas were caused by the rap verse in Possessed. You are the producer of the song. Please tell us something about it."

Fisher reached for something under the table - it was a gun. Alexis gasped, but Diane was quick - before he could even cock the gun, Diane, empowered by the power of her insignia, grabbed his wrist and yanked it so hard that the man screamed in pain. He dropped the gun.

While still holding him, Diane raised her fist, ready to deal a blow. "NOW SPEAK!" she shouted. Alexis shivered - she knew that her sister was just acting, but the sight of her infuriated face was still really frightening. The man started to babble something.

"I can't hear you," Diane chanted threateningly. "Did you order The Beatflyers to include the cursed verse in their song? And think well about your answer."

"Yes, it was me," the man finally snapped. "But I didn't know what is it capable of, I swear! I'll explain everything, just release me. My wrist hurts."

Diane kicked the gun further away and released Fisher's wrist. The man moaned in pain. "I got the record of that rap verse through a mail," he started to explain. "From someone anonymous. He said that I'll have to find an upcoming number one song and force the artist to include the record. I had no idea what is it or why does the sender want me to include it in a song so much, but he had attached another file... this time full of my personal details and even the photos of my family. He said that he can single-handedly ruin my life if I don't do it."

Alexis scratched her head. "So The Beatflyers were forced by the producer who was forced by some evil mastermind. Do you have any idea who could it be?"

Fisher shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'd tell you if I knew - I know he didn't leave me. He's watching and I'm starting to be paranoid. Please find him."

The girls requested him to show them the e-mail. The address was just a random flow of letters. The message was clear - the sender requested Fisher to find an upcoming hit and include the attached recording. If he doesn't, he and his family will suffer. In the attachments, there was an .mp3 recording of the cursed verse and a .pdf file containing Fisher's entire life.

"Do you believe me now?" Fisher asked, his face pale and expressionless.

"I guess we have to," Alexis said. "But still... how can a few seconds of audio footage completely devastate a human being? Do you have something to say about it, Mr. Fisher?"

"Well, I know about a few cases where a hidden message in a recording changed a sensitive person's way of thinking without them noticing it. These messages are really sneaky unless you know what to look for. This one, though, is pretty blatant. If the sender had an experience in the music industry, he'd give me detailed instructions about how to hide the message in the track."

"So we're not facing a professional," Diane noted. "But it's almost certain that the sender is more skilled in occultism than in putting secret messages into songs."

Alexis asked, "What are the most common ways how to hide a message in a song?"

Fisher scratched his chin. "Well... the most common way is backmasking. That means reversing the message so it becomes unintelligible. But our brain is still able to comprehend the message, even though it's backwards, and save it into our subconscious mind where it continues to do its job."

The girl's eyes widened. "That's it. Backmasking. Have you tried to reverse that file you received?"

"No, I was too scared. I actually didn't want to know more about it as it should mean more problems for me."

"So it's our job to try it out. Dee, we have to visit Anna. Immediately."

>><<

Anna smiled at the sight of the sisters. "You're back! Welcome!"

"Overjoyed," Augustus muttered, walking through the hallway behind his sister.

"We have some new info regarding the recording," Alexis bursted out. "Annie, did you try to reverse the recording while you were examining it?"

Anna did a resigned facepalm. "Oh my god, I'm such an idiot. It should've been the first thing I did! Quick, to the computer," she said as she navigated the wheelchair to her room. There, she turned the computer on and waited impatiently; the sisters were equally anxious. Fortunately, Anna's system booted in a matter of seconds and allowed the girl to use her magical software.

She opened a sound manipulation program and uploaded the rap verse. Then she quickly typed a few commands before clicking "Reverse" button. "God help us," she whispered.

The mysterious rap verse started playing backwards - or forward again in this case. The voice was still creepy and distorted, like a demon speaking, but at least it spoke English words:

May anyone who hears sacrifice their life essence;

May anyone who hears wither in order to empower me;

May anyone who hears send their life to the crystal heart;

May anyone who hears make me great.

"Now this sounds like a curse," Diane uttered. "Creepy."

Alexis gasped. "Wow... I know who did this. I'm almost certain. Anna, can you do something to remove the distortions and come as close as possible to original, unedited recording?"

"Of course, I can try." Anna sent the reversed recording through many filters to remove the deformations. After twenty minutes, she smiled. "I guess this is all I can do."

She played the recording again. The curse was now chanted by a young male voice. Even though it wasn't perfectly clear, even after Anna's efforts, its accent and mannerism could easily be heard. The mannerism typical for upper class of Gabriel's Gardens inhabitans.

"Hold on, hold on!" Diane jumped from her chair. "I know this voice! This is..."

"...Kyle Fletcher," Alexis finished. "Marlene's boyfriend. It was clear when the curse mentioned a crystal heart - just like the one Kyle wore on his neck."

Diane nodded wisely. "I knew it from the start. That dude was suspicious like a steak at a vegan party."

Her sister scanned her with a chilling look. "No, you didn't. You developed a crush on him."

"Okay, okay. You were right... again," Diane rolled her eyes.

"Now I understand," Alexis elaborated. "Kyle recorded the curse and used his influence to smuggle it into a song which would later become a hit. It slowly drains the life energy from anyone who hears it and sends it to the crystal heart Kyle wears. Maybe it drains only a little chunk of the life essence, but imagine that the song is heard by millions of people every day..."

"Kyle has to be immensely powerful by now," Diane said.

"Also, if the song is heard by more sensitive individuals, it can steal too much of their energy and drive them into the comatosing state we know under the name Teenage disease. I don't know if Kyle knew what this curse can cause... but we have to stop him before he becomes too powerful. The idea of a rich guy playing with occultism isn't very appealing to me."

"What would happen if he became too powerful?" Anna asked.

Alexis shrugged. "Who knows. It depends on if Kyle knows what exactly will he do with the collected power. If he doesn't, he can be even more dangerous than if he had an actual plan. An inexperienced occultist with too much power in his hands... it can be catastrophical for the whole city."

"That's not exactly what I wanted to hear," Anna mumbled.

"Either way, we have to talk to Mr. Fletcher in person," Diane said.

>><<

They had to wait until Friday which was surprisingly hard, considering they already knew who was responsible for the curse plaguing the city. Even if they found out where Kyle lives, they didn't want to visit him directly; it would be too suspicious. They decided to find him seemingly by a coincidence in Alien Youth. They had to progress carefully in order to not startle him.

The sisters walked into the bar once again. Diane already felt home; she seemed to enjoy the upper-class males admiring her body. Alexis felt insecure, so she was glad that her sister dragged all the attention to herself.

"Oh look, normies! You again?" said the red-haired guy they met previously.

"We started to like it here," Diane said seductively while running her fingers through her hair. "Do you have a problem with two cute normies invading your snobby bar?"

"Not at all," the redhead shrugged.

Diane ordered a glass of wine, Alexis satisfied with coke "Is the Big Boss here?" Diane asked while sipping the blood-red drink.

"Are you talking about me?"

Kyle stood right behind Diane, once again in an expensive suit, with a shot of clear liquid in his hand. He smiled at Diane. "Do you need me, sweetie?"

Alexis was disgusted that he was already flirting with Diane even though Marlene passed out not so long ago. That supported her theory that Kyle's love for Marlene was questionable. Despite that, she had to act friendly to not make him suspicious. "It's about Ryan Fisher," she whispered. "We have a theory that he's responsible for the Teenage disease. We want to bring him to justice and we need your help."

She caught a glimpse of sinister triumph in his eyes; it was exactly what he wanted them to think. He used Fisher as a scapegoat to turn the attention away from himself if someone would start digging in the case. "I was suspecting him for a long time," Kyle said. "If you have any actual proof, I'll gladly help you. I sincerely want to lock him somewhere safe for what he did to Marlene."

Alexis had to admit that he's a good actor. The grief in his eyes seemed genuine. No, not only that... he was manipulative. That was the right word. He was good at using his charisma, charm and good look to manipulate people - including Marlene.

"Would you mind if we talk about it outside?" Alexis requested. "You know... too many ears."

"I understand," Kyle nodded. He swallowed the liquid in his glass and put a 20-dollar note on the bar. "That's for me and the young ladies," he said to the barista. "Keep the change."

He left the bar accompanied by the sisters. The other visitors of Alien Youth looked at him, wondering who they were. Is it something serious after Marlene's incident? Or just a one-off threesome material? Kyle only replied with a mysterious smile. He enjoyed all the attention he was getting.

They left the bar and Kyle guided them into an empty side street where they could keep things discreet. "Okay, we're alone," he said. "What did you want to tell me about Ryan Fisher?"

"First of all, I have to confess," Alexis purred with an innocent smile. "That pendant you're wearing fascinates me. It's so stylish and anatomically correct. It's beautiful. Would you mind... if you let me try it on?"

Kyle touched the heart-shaped pendant. "I'm sorry. It's too expensive and it's a family heritage... nothing personal, but I can't let you wear it."

"Can I touch it at least?"

Kyle frowned furiously. "I said no!"

"You seem to be really protective about that pendant," Diane smirked. "It's almost like there's some kind of secret behind it, isn't it?"

The man started to act a little anxious. "As I said, it's really delicate and expensive. It also has a personal meaning for me," he explained. "Let us make a deal - if you help me with arresting Fisher, I'll get you an identical one, just a little cheaper. As a little token of our friendship."

"What if we want this one?" Diane raised her eyebrows.

"What the hell are you up to?" Kyle spat out. "I thought we're going to talk about Fisher!"

Alexis gave him a chilling look. "We already know Fisher is innocent," she declared. "We also know that you are the one responsible for the Disease. Give us the heart."

>><<

Kyle smirked. "You are smarter than you think. I underestimated you."

"How could you?" Alexis exclaimed; she no longer had to hide her anger. "Marlene is comatosing because of you. You said you loved her, but that's not quite true, is it?"

The man shrugged. "Marlene was just an accident. I didn't know that she listens to that song. Actually, I was quite upset when I found out. She was so sweet and fun to play with. So naive. I had actually a few possible uses for her, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"You son of a..." Alexis grumbled, her face red, her fists clenched. She had to control herself in order to not attack Kyle right away. He was just toying with her best friend all along. She wanted to scratch that cocky expression off his face.

"Watch your language, miss," Kyle jeered. The crystal heart on his chest started to glow dark red, infused by the power stolen from thousands of listeners of Possessed. "I haven't tested this power yet. I doubt you understand what are you facing, my dear ladies."

"I doubt you understand what are you doing!" Alexis barked.

Kyle touched the heart and gasped, like he just received an electric shock. "I do," he smiled. "This is my source of unlimited power. With my money and my new power, I can do everything. Rule the whole city. Make everyone kneel before me. And you're not going to stop me. You're nothing but two overly curious girls who poke their noses into the wrong business."

"And this is where you're wrong!" Diane shouted, her insignia already glowing. Before Kyle could react, she drove her empowered fist into his chest. The punch connected. Kyle gasped as he flew through the air and his back hit the wall of the nearest building hard. He collapsed to the ground.

"Too easy," Diane smirked.

Her smile froze when Kyle began to stand up. "I see... you're not completely regular," he said. His whole body began to glow in the same shade as the heart, which was now pulsing like an actual organ. The man's pupils narrowed like he was drugged. He started to laugh maniacally.

"No good," Alexis uttered. "He uses more power than he can handle. This can't end well!"

"Just tell me what to do, sis."

"We have to get rid of that heart! You have to incapacitate him so I can rip the heart off his neck."

Diane jeered. "Sounds easy enough."

In the meanwhile, Kyle regained his stability. He pointed an open palm at Diane and clenched the fist. Diane fell to her knees and started to choke as Kyle laughed.

"Stop it!" Alexis screamed and ran towards Kyle. He pointed his other hand at her, but the girl managed to conjure a shield to protect herself from his powers. He stopped choking Diane, who started to cough and tried to catch her breath again, and focused at Alexis. She was still able to deflect the incoming energy, although she had trouble doing so. Kyle was uncontrollable, yet immensely powerful.

"And that's only a snippet of that force!" he gasped. "I can crush you right away if I wanted... heck, I should do it right now!" he laughed. "Goodbye!"

Alexis prepared for the lethal attack. However, it was interrupted by Diane who punched Kyle's face. Kyle was powerful, but the immense power dulled his guard and reflexes. Alexis rushed towards him while he was recovering and clenched the heart in her hand.

She immediately felt thousands of souls trapped inside it. Imprisoned, tortured, raped. For a brief moment, she managed to recognize Marlene's calling. It only fanned her anger towards Kyle. She started to absorb the heart's power - it was another one of her abilities. She was able to both give and take the power from a living being, although she used the latter very rarely. Now she began to overdose on the heart's power.

And it felt good.

>><<

The dark power started flowing through her veins. She was tempted. Tempted to drain it all and destroy Kyle in just one slight movement of her hand. For Marlene. For everyone whose energy was used to fuel the heart. The man screamed as if a part of himself was being torn away. It probably was.

"You're just a boy trying to play with fire," she smiled sinisterly. "You can't even handle it. Now I will show you how the true power feels."

"Sis! Alexis, that's enough!" Diane shouted. "Just tear that heart away!"

Maybe I should, Alexis thought. Or maybe I should keep the heart for myself.

The heart started to pulse again as Kyle regained his stability. He smiled and released a shockwave towards Alexis. The power surge was so strong Alexis started to scream. She felt like being crushed under the weight of the whole world. Kyle commanded the heart to turn against the intruder, but Alexis didn't let go even though the pendant threatened to explode the girl's hand.

"This can't end well for you," Kyle hissed. "Just let go and make things easier."

"Never," Alexis gasped. Her head was throbbing and her limbs felt like they belonged to a dead body, but she still kept pushing. She clenched her teeth and put the last bits of her strength into one last effort to break the chain around Kyle's neck. She yanked the heart towards her.

The chain finally broke. The heart was still beating in Alexis' hand, not knowing what to do. It just started to emmit the energy randomly, harming all three participants. The situation became even more chaotic. Kyle jumped and tried to get the heart back, but Diane tackled him to the ground.

"Don't...!" he howled.

Alexis was still overflowing with the force stolen from the heart. She used it to throw the pendant against the wall as powerfully as possible. The crystal shattered and the energy freed from the heart created the last shockwave. The trio fell to the floor. All was quiet and peaceful, like nothing at all happened.

Diane stood up - she was lying on Kyle's body for several minutes. The man wailed as the bruises caused by Diane started to hurt. She wiped the dust off herself. "Sis... you alright?" she asked.

Alexis' head was spinning and nausea started to kick in. She muttered something Diane couldn't understand. She felt drained and couldn't move at all. Diane rushed to her and supported her. With Diane's help, Alexis could make short, iffy steps forward. "Come on, sis," Diane said. "We're going home."

"Not so fast," Kyle said. "You are not leaving."

"Try to stop us," Diane hissed. "You can barely stay conscious. But if you wish for an ass-whopping, I'm still capable of doing so."

Kyle started to crawl away from her. "This isn't over," he spat out. "This was only one of my plans. A failure only means experience for me. And sooner or later... I'll take my revenge on you."

Diane rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah."

The girls returned home; Alexis kept losing and regaining her consciousness, which made the task difficult. On the first glance, it seemed that Diane was just carrying home her drunk companion. Nobody knew about the drama which happened near the Angel Square.

The sisters finally arrived home. Diane undressed Alexis' dirty clothes and carried her to bed. "Woah, sis, you're quite a weight," Diane sighed as she wiped her forehead. "But we did it. We defeated the bad guy and destroyed the source of the curse! When the heart is gone, the song should be harmless now, right?"

Alexis emmited a mild smile and nodded.

"Now get some sleep. After all, you are the hero of the day."

"Kyle didn't say his last word, though," Alexis said. "We have to keep cautious."

Diane jeered. "I'm always ready to kick that jerk's ass. Again and again."

She let her sister rest and enjoyed a hot shower. Then she wrapped herself in a towel and turned on the TV. The broadcast of Gabriel's Gardens channel was interrupted by urgent news - all victims of Teenage disease suddenly woke up. They are confused and disoriented, but alive.

The news were accompanied by shots of victims freshly returned to life. One of a few-second long shots was depicting a petite Latino-american girl in a hospital clothing, laying on the bed, looking around her in a confused way. Next to the bed were standing two people, happily cheering. Diane recognized Santiago and Maria Sanchez, Marlene's parents.

"Sis is going to be happy about this," Diane said to herself.

>><<

A few days after Kyle's defeat, Alexis was ready to go out. She needed a long rest before recovering from the heart's influence. She was plagued by nightmares and felt guilt that she almost let the pendant's power to take over her body and mind. The scenes of the fight still lingered in her mind. She also remembered Kyle's words that this plan is not his last.

If he gets some more experience... he'll be a dangerous opponent.

Her mood, however, greatly improved when she heard about Marlene's recovery.

Now she was ready to meet her friend again.

"I have to tell her about Kyle," she said. "If she keeps clinging on him, it'll be her doom... he admitted that she's only a game for him, some kind of tool. I can't let that happen."

"Got it," Diane said. "Good luck."

Alexis took a TEx to the Serenity Cliff district where the Everglow Hospital, the best infirmary the city could offer, was located. She entered and inhaled the familiar smell of the hospital. The place was busy like a beehive and it took a while until she could find a nurse willing to tell her where Marlene's room is.

She knocked at the door and entered. Marlene was pale and looked exhausted, but healthy otherwise. She smiled at the sight of Alexis. "Lex!" she said. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Oh, Marlene," Alexis sighed in relief. "How do you feel?"

"A bit weak, but it will get better."

Alexis sat on a chair next to her friend's bed. "To be completely honest... Diane and I solved the mystery of that illness which took over you."

"Really? Was it something... paranormal?"

She nodded. "I suppose you know the song Possessed. Someone cursed it so it stole the lifeforce of any person who listened to it. He gathered the stolen power for himself and he grew stronger every time the song played. Those comatosing states were caused because the song drained too much energy from a sensitive person. We managed to make the song harmless... fortunately."

"That's awful," Marlene muttered. "Who? Who did this?"

Alexis frowned. "You aren't going to like the answer, but you have to believe me."

"Okay. Go on," Marlene said, slightly worried.

"It was Kyle. He created the curse for the song and threatened the producer of The Beatflyers to ruin his life if he doesn't sneak the recording into a song. He was keeping the stolen energy in the crystal heart on his neck. He nearly killed us, Marlene."

Tears rolled down Marlene's cheeks. "Why... why would you say something so horrible?"

"Because it's true, Marlene. You were one of his victims. Also, he doesn't love you. He's dangerous and manipulative. He said that your naivity can be useful for him. Please, Marlene, leave him as soon as you can, or he'll use you in the most horrible ways."

"No... no!" Marlene screamed. "That's not true! Kyle came to visit me just a while before you. He's so gentle, caring... I'm not gonna believe he's evil. His love is genuine. You know what, Alexis? I think you are just jealous. You'll never be able to find someone so attractive and kind, so you just try to ruin my relationship, right?" she spat furiously. "I thought you were different, Alexis. I thought we were friends."

"Marlene, please... all I'm saying is truth. We can prove it to you."

"Alexis, please, leave my room," Marlene whispered.

"But..."

"Just LEAVE!" she shrieked. "If you can't respect that I found a man of my dreams, then GET OUT! I don't need you. Kyle is my everything. And I don't believe anything you said about him. I hope I won't see you ever again. Now LEAVE!"

Alexis took one last look at infuriated Marlene and, without saying a word, she exited the room. She could hear Marlene crying and cursing, but she didn't listen anymore. Her mission was unsuccessful. She only wanted to take off Marlene's blindfold... then it turned against her.

She took off her glasses and wiped off tears.