Chapter 2

Nicole Wilson lay in bed, sound asleep, dreaming of her boyfriend, David. He'd be away on that stupid field assignment for another two weeks, and she missed him so much. She was then awakened by a sparkle of lights surrounding her body. She asked, "What's going on?"

She heard a soft voice say, "David needs you."

She felt herself lifted from the bed and then she was standing up in an underground chamber. She looked around and saw the circular stand with the jewel, but her attention was drawn away. Then she saw him. David was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood!

She ran over to him, ignoring her nudity, and grabbed him. He said in a voice barely more than a whisper, "Don't. You'll only speed up blood loss."

"David, what happened?"

"Accident. Dying. Just wanted to say good-bye."

"No! No, I don't want to hear that. I can't lose you, David."

"Unavoidable."

"No!" Then she screamed to the air, "Why bring me here if there's nothing I can do to save him?!"

The disembodied voice said, "You were brought here because he needed to say good-bye."

Through tear streaked eyes, she looked down at David. "But I need him. I... can't be without him."

She held David's hand for a few seconds before the voice said, "There may be a way to save him."

Nicole was about to ask how when she heard David whisper, "I thought you said you couldn't..."

"I cannot, but if I had an avatar, a mortal representative of my power, then you would be saved."

Nicole blurted out, "I'll be your avatar!"

"Alone you cannot. Alone he cannot. Neither of you alone has enough love for me to fill with my essence. But together you have enough love to spare. Only if both of you accept can I bond with you and bond you together in ways you cannot imagine to save him."

"I accept." She shook David's hand. "David. David, you have to accept or you'll die."

David whispered out, "What does being an avatar mean?"

Nicole said, "David, this is not the time to read the fine print on the contract. She is offering you your life. If for no other reason than for me, accept!"

David looked up at Nicole, barely able to see her through the haze in his eyes. Finally he said, "I accept."

Before either could say another word, the voice said, "Quickly now, get the gem from the stand." Nicole ran and grabbed the gem. As soon as she held it, it separated into two halves, each looking like a perfect heart shaped gem, but with a flat back. "Now place one half squarely in the center of his chest, and the other between your breasts."

Nicole did as she was instructed. As soon as her half of the gem touched her chest, there was a huge flash of light and she felt suffused with Love. Then all went black.