Lana was shaking her head. "I'm sorry Michael, there is nothing we can do."

"No," he said, hot tears running down his cheeks. "There has to be something I can do. Something we can do."

"You should know that we can't bring someone back if it's their time," Ashtar said.

Through body racking sobs, Michael screamed. "THIS!" he pointed to the water. "This wasn't her time. It wasn't her time! This was a ritual of our people! None of this has anything to do with when it's her time. There has to be something we can do! So do it! Now!"

"There is nothing, Michael." Lyson said.

"Unless..." Sintama started and then shook her head. "No, nevermind."

"What?!! Please, I'm desperate!"

"Sintama, no! We don't want to lose them both." Ashtar said.

"It has to be his choice."

"What? What has to be my choice?" Michael begged, feeling a small spark of hope. "I'll do anything! Sintama please! I can't live without her."

"Stop your heart." Sintama said.

"What?" Michael said, not sure he had heard her correctly.

"Use your powers and stop your own heart. You are still connected with her. You just need to make her come back with you. It may take some convincing but it is the only way. You have very little time, less than a minute, before she wakes up brain damaged. Do it now! If your feelings for each other are pure, you should both come out alive."

Michael nodded. "Thanks. And if I don't come back, it was nice to know you all."

Michael placed his right palm over the piece of flesh that covered his heart. He closed his eyes and concentrated on each beat. One, two, three, four, five, *NOW!* He pushed with his mind and he felt his heart stop and his spiritual body left his physical body. It was the most excruciating pain he had ever felt.

*****

He was in a room. It was painted black and had white and black checked tile. There were no windows, but there was a door at one end. He heard a sob and turned around immediately to see Maria sitting in the corner, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Maria? Why are you on the ground?"

"Michael? Is that you?" She asked, utterly confused.

"Yes, it's me! Look we have to go!" He tried to pull her off of the floor but she fought him.

"No! I don't want to go. I like it here. It's quiet." She looked at the ground and then up at him again. This time she was pissed "Why didn't you help me? My brains felt like they were going to explode and you did nothing!!! Why?"

*****

"25 seconds" Lana counted, as she stood anxiously next to the couple's lifeless bodies.

*****

"I tried. Look, I'll explain it to you when we get back but we have to go. Now!" Michael pleaded but she wouldn't budge.

"No! I like it here. Do you want to stay here with me? Let's stay here, it's nice."

"If you like it so much, why were you crying?"

Her eyes flashed up at him. "Because I'm lost. I have somewhere I'm supposed to be and I can't remember where it is."

"Yes, Maria. You have somewhere to be. With me! You have to come back with me! Now, please."

"I'm with you right now. Where else can we go?"

Michael pointed to the wall behind him. "We need to go through that door!"

"Why should I?" she asked, jutting out her chin. "Because we're...dying."

"Very funny, Michael. Don't lie to me. Tell me, why should I go with you?"

*****

"38 seconds."

*****

"I'm not lying. We're dead, Maria. You died and I stopped my heart to come get you. We are desperately low on time. We need to go now." Michael said. *Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!* The word repeated in his mind.

"Why?" Maria asked, stubborn to the end. "Why would you stop your heart for me?"

Michael sat down onto his knees and looked her in the eye. "Because, I don't want to live in any world without you. I love you way to much. And we just found each other. I'm not willing to give you up."

*****

"53 seconds. It's going to be too late."

*****

"Do you really love me that much?" she asked, her eyes shining with happiness.

*****

"58 seconds."

*****

"You know I do. Now lets go through that door. Okay?"

*****

"One minute," Lana said gravely. "It's too late. If they wake now, Maria will have brain damage. And I don't think he'll come back without her."

The faces around the room reflected shock. "Maybe it wasn't mean to be for these two," Disora spoke sadly.

"No, I felt it. Rusu said it was meant to be! I know what I felt. They were meant to be!" Lana said, her eyes shining bright with tears.

"Quiet! Please! Let us have a moment of silence," Ashtar commanded.

*****

Maria reached out for the door handle. It wouldn't turn. "Michael, help me please."

"Step aside, little lady. This is a job for a real man." He tried to turn the handle but it still wouldn't turn. "Oh, no! No, this can't be! Maria! We're stuck."

"Michael, what does that mean?" she asked fearfully, tears shining in her eyes.