Max stood stoically staring at the wall, which was stained with small spatters of Liz’s blood. He could barely breathe, thinking back to the pain, her pain that he had felt when he assumed she had been thrown again the wall. His heart ached to think that Liz had suffered that pain because of him.

Suddenly Alex blurted out “Isabel, why don’t you try to dreamwalk her? She might be unconscious.” He added carefully, noticing Max wince at his words.

Isabel looked over at Max sympathetically, “I could try; maybe she knows where she is.”

Max looked back at his sister, his eyes threatening to spill the tears they were holding back. He was so grateful to have friends and family he could count on, who realized just how much Liz meant to him.

Isabel sat back in the lawn chair that was Liz’s favorite spot and closed her eyes. Within moments her breathing evened and she appeared to be asleep. An anxious Max held her one hand tightly and looked up at Alex who was standing on her other side. Alex smiled reassuringly and gazed back down at Isabel whose face was now clouded with some unseen discomfort.

Isabel found herself standing in a dark damp stale-smelling building. It felt strangely familiar. She peered around, her eyes adjusting to the darkness when she heard it. A faint sobbing was coming from the shadows to her left she turned to seek it out. The sight that net her eyes nearly tore her heart in two. There was Liz lying crumpled in the corner of the wet floor. Her body was bruised and her hair was matted with blood that was seeping from an ugly gash at the back of her head.

“Oh my God Liz!” Isabel exclaimed as she fell to her side and gingerly laid a hand on her arm. She was immediately assaulted by a wave of blinding pain that knocked her back to the floor.

“Oh Liz, what have they done to you?”

Liz looked up and at seeing Isabel, her eyes clouded with panic. “No Isabel! You can’t be here. Nicholas… it’s a trap… for Max…for all of you!”

Isabel tried to soothe her. “Shh Liz, we will get you out of here…”

“No…”

“Liz, do you honestly think my brother is going to give you up without a fight? Of course it’s a trap, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to help you after all you’ve done for us.” Her words seemed to calm Liz a bit and Isabel stoked her hair gently, marveling at the strength of such a fragile-looking girl. Suddenly footsteps were heard coming towards them and Liz’s head shot up, hurtling Isabel back to reality.

Isabel sat up with a start, shocking the others back into reality as well. Max kneeled in front of his shaking sister as Alex stroked her hair to help calm her down.

“Oh God, Max.” she gasped. “Liz… she’s in bad shape. It’s Nicholas. I think he has her at the old soap factory. She says it’s a trap for you.”