"There's no time Max! I'll tell you on the way." She had exclaimed, clearly on the verge of breaking down. "Just come. We may already be too late." "Just tell me..."Max had asked, his hands clenched. "Is it Liz?" Tess had just stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"I'm sorry Max. C'mon! We don't have time for this..."

Max reached down to help Tess up when she tripped over a rock. He was amazed that she was so concerned and upset.

It must mean that something is really wrong, Max thought, beginning to really panic. What would he do if Liz was gone from his life?

He had no clue and he didn't even want to contemplate it. He forced back his terror. He had to be completely with it when they got wherever they were going. He was the only one who could potentially help Liz...if it wasn't too late.

Max wondered where on Earth they were going. They had been running through the trees for a good ten minutes now. "Where are Liz's dad and the Sheriff?" Max asked breathlessly as he and Tess paused for a rest.

"They went down to the lake to wait for the winner of the scavenger hunt." Tess explained. "Michael and Maria were a team and me and Kyle and Liz..." Max blinked, as they started to walk again, still trying to catch their breath.

"Michael agreed to that?" He asked, amazed. Tess shrugged.

"It was his idea." Max began to get really worried. What the hell was Michael up to? He realized that it wasn't the time to wonder though - he had to concentrate on Liz.

"Are we almost there?" He demanded impatiently. Tess nodded.

"Just another couple of minutes. After Liz was hurt, Kyle and I carried her to an abandoned ranger's cabin and then I came to find you." Max was relieved that Liz was not alone. He might not like the idea of Kyle and Liz together but he knew that Kyle cared about her. If he couldn't be with her, then he was glad that someone who loved her was...

"What happened to her?" Max asked again. "I need to know if I'm going to help her at all."

"I don't really know Max. Kyle was helping me find a specific leaf for the hunt when we suddenly heard Liz scream. When we went to find her, she was unconscious and bleeding all over the place."

They emerged into a clearing. Max could see a small cabin about twenty feet away. Kyle was sitting on the porch, his head in his hands. His head snapped up when Tess called out to him. He quickly jumped to his feet. "Finally!"

"Is she okay Kyle?" Tess asked, her voice quivering.

Max could tell that Kyle was too upset to talk. He had tears in his eyes. He just shook his head. Tess went to him, hugged him, buried her head in his chest.

Max couldn't breathe. It couldn't be true...Liz couldn't be...dead. How could this possibly have happened?

And she didn't even know that he still loved her.

An unbidden thought appeared in Max's mind. MICHAEL. Somehow Max knew that he was responsible for this.

He could feel rage beginning to build...he pushed it away. He had to go to Liz.

Max felt like he was walking through a nightmare as he mounted the steps to the porch of the cabin. He pushed the door open, saw her lying on a small cot in the corner of the room.

There was blood everywhere.

He forced himself to move. He was at her side in an instant, on his knees beside the cot. He didn't even hear the door of the cabin slam shut behind him.

Max raked his eyes over her beloved form. Liz's eyes were closed, her expression serene. He couldn't see an injury, a scratch, anything. All he could see was blood...it covered her and was dripping onto the floor as well.

He noticed almost immediately that she was breathing...her chest rose and fell shallowly...he didn't know how it was possible since it appeared that she had lost every fluid ounce of blood in her body...but it was true.

There was still hope...

He would save her - even if he had to kill himself in the process. He didn't want to live without her anyway.

Max gently placed his hands on her temples, shuddering as they came into contact with the sticky blood in her hair...

He had to connect with her - find out what had happened. He began to get fuzzy images, things that made no sense. Mainly he could feel her calling to him..."MAX! HELP ME!"

"Liz, please try..."He pleaded. "Can you open your eyes- just a little bit? It'll make the connection stronger." Nothing happened.

Suddenly Liz's eyes flew open and she was staring right into his soul.