Four very happy Monkees walked into their pad well after midnight once again. After their meeting with Jynger and Maggie, they had headed to a nightclub and had a drink to their upcoming success. Micky had wanted to go see Elizabeth, but the others had convinced him she was probably asleep already.
"Oh yeah, what a day!" Mike shouted, tossing his jacket on the couch, "We're going to be rich!""And famous!" Davy added.
"Aren't we forgetting something?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, we should thank the Lord for this good fortune." Micky said.
"Yeah, I suppose he did help, though not through his heavenly messenger." Mike said.
"She was just doing her job, Mike." Micky replied, "Other groups might've got caught up in all the craziness, but we won't!"
"True, we?ll still be the same Monkees." Davy added.
"I'd still like to see Elizabeth tomorrow." Micky continued. "I want to tell her of our good fortune, maybe even be there when we sign the contract."
"Ok, but as long as you?re not late, Micky." Mike said, "We'll never get an opportunity like this again."
"Not to worry Mike," Micky replied, slapping him on the back, "I'll be there."
So, the Monkees went into their bedrooms to sleep-and forgot to thank the Lord.
++++
The next morning, Elizabeth glanced at the clock high up on the wall of the music store. Only a few more hours before her shift was over, then she would talk to her friends. It had been a busy morning in more ways than one. There had been a lot of customers, and Elizabeth had used that as an excuse to slowly move among the records, erasing all the music off the Ritzy Record albums and altering the album jackets. The records from the other record companies were left alone.
The angel was careful not to open up too much; fortunately, what she needed to do used only a little of her powers. Still, Estella looked in her direction a few times, perhaps sensing her holy power, but Elizabeth had already mastered the technique of burying her powers quickly before Estella could catch on. In the end, however, Elizabeth knew there would be a confrontation-Elizabeth couldn't let the old witch continue working here, using her unholy powers on the unsuspecting customers.
Elizabeth had just erased the songs off another album when Darlene walked over to her again. The angel smiled; this young woman was finally opening herself up to the Lord. It pained Elizabeth that she would probably never see Darlene again, but consoled herself knowing that her friend was on the right path.
"Busy morning today." Darlene remarked.
"Yes it is, Darlene." Elizabeth replied, "I'm glad to see you're wearing your angel pin."
"Yeah, I really like it." Darlene said, "This may sound funny, but I feel a sense of peace when I have it on."
"I don?t think it?s funny at all." Elizabeth smiled, then noticed Darlene's sudden interest at something over her shoulder. "What's the matter?"
"Isn't that Micky?" She said, pointing her finger, "Looks like him from the photo you showed me."
Elizabeth turned to see Micky coming into the store and her heart leaped for joy. Now she would be able to tell him about the evil records Ritzy Records were producing!
"Yes, that's him." The angel grinned.
"Why is he wearing a suit?" Darlene asked.
Elizabeth thought that odd too, but said, "I guess he's coming to apologize."
"Oh, you two had a fight, huh?" Darlene said, nudging Elizabeth in the ribs with her elbow. "I always liked this part where they come to beg for forgiveness."
Elizabeth chuckled and walked over to Micky before one of the other employees saw him. Though she had red hair instead of blonde, he quickly recognized her.
"Hi, sweetheart." Micky grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Hi, Micky." Elizabeth said, taking his hands, "What brings you here?"
"I wanted to say I'm sorry for my behavior a few nights ago, babe." Micky said softly, "I know you were just trying to protect us and I overreacted."
The angel looked with love at Micky. Finally he and his friends had come to their senses and realized Jynger and her promises were too good to be true.
"Oh, Micky my love, I forgive you." She wanted to hug him, but couldn't let Estella see what was going on. But what Micky said next put a cold clamp of fear around her heart.
"I also wanted to tell you that the Monkees are on their way up." Micky said happily, "In just a little while I'll be joining the others in Jynger Ritz's office. She's offered us a record contract!"
Elizabeth's mouth dropped open in horror, but Micky thought she was simply shocked with the good news.
"Yep, a two-album deal for a million dollars." Micky continued. "Not bad for a first contract, huh??
The angel found her voice. "Micky, if you and the others sign that contract, you?ll be on your way down, not up!"
"What are you talking about?" Micky asked."Jynger Ritz is a witch working for Satan and you'll be signing your souls over to him forever for a million dollars!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
Micky angrily pushed Elizabeth's hands away and took a step back.
'I don't believe this." He said angrily. "We're about to start on the path to better things, and all you've done is disapprove of what we've done! I was going to ask you to come with me to witness the signing, to be a part of it all, but now I..."
"Oh, Micky I'm sorry." Elizabeth said, taking his hands again. "You're right. I said all those things because I was jealous and afraid that you would forget about me when you became famous."
"Oh, Elizabeth, I'd never forget about you." Micky said, his voice softening, "I love you with all my heart and all the money in the world would never change that."
Elizabeth gave Micky a sly smile. "What time do you have to be there?" She asked, fingering his collar.
"Twelve noon." Micky replied.
"Good, then we have a little time." She said slowly, "Follow me."
The angel let go of Micky's hands and led him over to one of the listening booths. With a seductive smile, she motioned for him to go inside. Micky smiled back and went inside, the angel right behind him. She shut the door and Micky turned to embrace her, but suddenly he found himself unable to move from the neck down!
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Now, my sweet, lovable, but brick-headed fool, you're going to listen to what I have to say, aren't you?" Elizabeth asked Micky as she turned him toward the record player.
"Sure, dear." Micky replied in a small voice.
"Good. I had known that the record jackets and sleeves from Ritzy Records were altered, but didn't realize anything else had been changed until I heard you four performing at the pad." She said as she pulled out a record she had hidden under the player. "So now I want you to hear a song by your buddies from Warmonger."
Elizabeth put on the record. It was the same song Micky had heard while at Jynger's party.
"You know I love you, I know you love me." Al, the lead singer of Warmonger sang, "Let's just leave the world and reality." Elizabeth took the needle off the record.
"Sounds like an ordinary love song, doesn't it?" She asked. "You hear them all the time."
Micky just nodded his head, the only part of his body he could move.
"But I heard, 'I hate this life, let me join you, dark master.' Elizabeth told him.
"Hmmph. Well, I certainly don't have this sudden urge to go and kill myself." Micky smirked.
"Good, because I just may kill you myself one day." Elizabeth smiled, pinching his cheek.
"Heh heh.." Micky tried to laugh, beginning to sweat.
"You have to hear it over and over again." Elizabeth continued. "And your mind must be young and impressionable, like the minds of those young boys who died had been. Now, let's give a listen to the song...backwards."
The angel put the needle on the middle of the record, let it play a little, then made a counter-clockwise motion with her finger. The record began to play backwards and this time Micky clearly heard: "Suicide is painless, leave the world behind!" The words weren't as straight-forward and clear as the 'regular' version, but Micky could still hear them. His eyes grew wide as the new lyrics continued about how wonderful it would be with all the other suicides.
"That's on all the Ritzy records?" Micky asked.
"No, some are about taking drugs, others about causing destruction and yet others are about going against the establishment." Elizabeth replied softly, "All are about causing harm." She looked in Micky's eyes and saw the realization dawning of what could've happened to the Monkees.
"That could've been our records..." Micky trailed off, unable to say anything else.
Elizabeth took the needle off the record, erased the offensive song, and released Micky from his paralysis.
"Do you believe me now?" She asked.
Micky sobbed and took Elizabeth in his arms. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, I don't know why I doubted you."
"Because you?re a sweet, lovable, brick-headed fool." Elizabeth replied, returning the hug.
"You got the brick-headed fool part right." Micky replied, kissing the top of her head.
A short distance away, Darlene discreetly watched Elizabeth and Micky. She couldn't hear what was being said, but through their actions, realized they were making up, the embrace proved it to her. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Darlene saw Estella look over at the booths and then begin to storm over to them.
Realizing she had to warn Elizabeth, Darlene rushed over to their booth as well.
Inside the booth, Micky and Elizabeth pulled apart and looked at each other in horror.
"We have to warn the others!" The said in unison.
"Are they still at the pad?" Elizabeth asked.
Micky looked at his watch. "They probably left by now." He said, "I was going to take a cab over to Jynger's office once I talked to you."
Suddenly, the booth door opened and a frightened Darlene stood there.
"You two gotta get out of there!" She said in a rush, "Miss Duke is coming over!"
Just then, Estella was there and she roughly shoved Darlene aside.
"There was no need to do that, Miss Duke." Elizabeth said angrily.
"Just what do the two of you think you're doing?" Estella shouted.