“Maria?” Liz called out apprehensively. She wasn’t sure if Maria was there alone, or even there at all. Both thoughts terrified her.

Liz trudged forward through the thickness. If anything, she was determined to find Maria and bring her out of her evident misery. Whatever Khivar had done to her, it must have been bad, because Liz found herself wanting to retch at the cloudiness that engulfed her.

“Maria, answer me,” Liz coughed. Liz pawed at the increasing smoke with one hand while her other hand covered her mouth. She was amazed that a mind could create such gloom, such desolation. She was even more stunned that Maria’s mind could produce this world.

“Maria, hun, I’m here for you… please answer me…” Liz gazed up towards the gray and seemingly lifeless sky. She could feel the menacing chills through her whole body, and she willed them to leave her. To leave Maria too.

Liz continued on in her endless journey through Maria’s concoction of her mind, and it seemed as if she were going nowhere. Liz had to stay sane while she was in here, so she thought back to all the times Maria had been there for her, and vice versa. There was that time when Liz had gotten the chicken pox. Maria had been so grossed out by the red spots, yet she promised to stay with Liz and watch cartoons with her all weekend. Endless Pooh and Bugs Bunny cartoons had danced across Liz’s television all weekend.

Or the time when Alex had twisted his ankle when the three of them had been sneaking out to go to one of Kyle’s blowout parties. They were sneaking back to Alex’s house and he tripped over a fallen twig. Both Maria and Liz had pounced him, covering his mouth so he wouldn’t scream or make any sort of noise. His parents finding them coming back from a party was not a risk they were willing to take. They practically dragged the poor, injured boy through his window and threw him on his bed. They made up some cover story the next morning about Alex falling off his bed in the middle of the night and twisting it.

Liz’s eyes broadened as the dirty clouds begin to thin little by little in front of her. Liz knew her thoughts were impacting Maria, so she continued.

“Maria, I remember when you, Alex and I would spend everyday together just talking about stupid, little things. But at that time, it meant the world to us. Even our teeny bopper phase was so important to us!” Liz smiled at the memory. It was from before the aliens. Their pre-alien stage.

“Or on your fourteenth birthday, you were so depressed about not having your dad around. Alex and I showed up on your doorstep, Alex with his guitar and me with a pan of brownies. We sang and ate the whole nightlong. Do you remember that song we kept making Alex play so we could sing along? For days afterwards, we sang that song nonstop.” The clouds were still thinning, gradually.

She's a fallen angel
She's just flesh and bone
She's the Rock of Ages
She's a Rolling Stone

The lyrics flowed smoothly from Liz’s lips, lyrics she and Maria had spent a week memorizing. They both had fallen in love with the song, not just because of the music, but because the lyrics reminded them of themselves. They were at that point in their lives where they had been marking their path towards their future, their life, their growing independence.

She's nobody's girl
She walks this road alone
She calls her soul her own
She knows she's on her own in this world
She's nobody's girl

Liz reminisced over the memory of her and Kyle’s first breakup. She had caught Kyle making out with Vicky Delaney behind the school bleachers. She had been so naïve back then, thinking her entire world would lead a path with Kyle Valenti. How wrong she had been.

It had been Maria’s turn to bring the brownies that night. Alex again strummed away on his guitar while the two girls twirled and sang to their delight. The three of them had danced, laughed and comforted each other in the way only young innocence could.

She's some kind of devil
She's some kind of saint
And if her hands are dirty
Well her spirit ain't

Something was missing here. Or rather someone.

Liz became silent for a moment and vanished. Not a moment later, she reappeared, accompanied by a somewhat confused Alex. Liz put her index finger to her lips in a signal to quiet his questions. She waved her hand over his, and a guitar appeared in his hands. She winked and began to sing again.

She's nobody's girl
She walks this road alone
She calls her soul her own
She knows she's on her own in this world

Alex quickly caught on and began to play his music, letting its melodic tune stride against the harsh coldness of his surroundings.

Now if the world don't claim you
It don't own you too
She don't belong to me; no, no
She don't belong to you

Liz’s soft but demanding voice rumbled overtop of Alex’s music, the lyrics pouring from her lips freely. And the clouds thinned even more so, much to Liz and Alex’s delight. Liz sang louder, and Alex strummed with energy playing in his bones.

She's nobody's girl
She walks this road alone
She calls her soul her own
She knows she's on her own in this world
She's nobody's girl

Liz was about to continue in another chorus when she heard a slight whimper. Alex’s abrupt stop to his music indicated he had heard it too. They exchanged frightened glances and started to walk towards the cry. That sad, painful cry split Liz’s heart in two, she already knew it was Maria. Max had been right, Maria was lost in her own mind.

“Maria, sweetie, we’re coming,” Liz called out as she began to run with Alex treading behind her. Liz would have missed Maria if she hadn’t tripped over her. There lay Maria, curled into a tiny, tight ball, her head buried in her knees. Her whole body was in disarray, and it reminded Liz of when Maria’s father left. The dismal cry that escaped Maria lips was too much to take, and Liz wrapped her arms around her best friend.

“It’s all right, Maria, we’re here.” Alex crouched on the other side of Maria and he too put his arms around her. Liz placed both of her hands on the sides of Maria’s face and made Maria match her tear-streaked eyes with Liz’s. Liz gave Maria a comforting smile, letting her know that both of her best friends were here to help her.

“Maria, what happened?” Liz asked softly. Maria was silent for a moment before answering.

“I don’t know exactly. One minute I w-was in the Crashdown, and the next minute I’m in here. Lost. And scared. Oh god, you guys, I’m so scared. I tried so hard to get out and warn you, but he d-did something. H-he…” Maria’s sob rang in both Alex and Liz’s ear, and from that moment on, they both swore revenge on Khivar. The terror that plagued Maria was too frightening for her to handle by herself, and they were ready to assist her in anything she needed them for.

“Liz,” Maria cried as she locked eyes with Liz again. “I-I don’t think he knows where you are. I tried to block him, like you taught me. He kept trying but I wouldn’t let him in. That’s why… why he trashed the rest of my mind.” Maria tearful eyes penetrated Liz’s. Maria added quietly, “I want out.”

Liz couldn’t help but smile at Maria’s statement. No matter what happened to Maria, she always had fight in her.

Liz stood up and waved her hand over the air that surrounded her. It instantly became clear. “Maria, don’t you see? This is your mind, and your mind alone. You can do anything in here that you want. If you want out, then leave.” Maria looked at Liz questioningly, as if disbelieving her. Timid at first, Maria stood up by herself. Following her, Alex stood too. They all looked at each other and smiled. They quickly enveloped each other in an enormous hug.

“See? Maria, this is your mind and no one else’s. I’m so proud of you for blocking Khivar. Not because you know where I am, but because you stood up against him. You’re stronger than you think, girlfriend. I knew I told you for a reason,” Liz stated, winking at her. Alex raised his eyebrow at the two girls.

“You know where Liz is?” he asked Maria. She nodded. Liz glanced over at Alex, obviously thinking deeply about something.

“Maybe it’s time we all reunite,” Liz commented. “Khivar knows I’m not in Roswell now, but he doesn’t know where I am either. You guys need to get out of Roswell, he’ll probably try and find another in the group and pry out information.”

“But if we meet you, he’s going to find out where you are anyways,” Alex replied. “Wasn’t the whole purpose of you leaving was to make sure he didn’t find you?”

“Yeah… I guess I have selfish reasons for wanting to see you guys.” Liz grinned sheepishly. She wrapped an arm around Maria’s shoulder. “I just miss you guys.”

“Lizzie, we miss you too. As you can tell, things have gone kind of crazy without you.” Maria smiled tiredly at her. She looked exhausted, and still a bit spooked, but she’d make it. She always did.