It was well past midnight as she walked down the alley that led to the back entrance of the club. It was where she had first met him, an odd stranger who acted like he knew her. She was scared at first, but then warmed up to him. They spent the first night on the couch that was perched on the balcony of the club. He said his name was Scott. He called her ‘Angel’, but that wasn’t her name. She decided to let him continue this. She always wanted an odd nickname, and he had given it to her. Angel went to the club almost every night, but had never seen him before. He wasn’t in town for long, his job made him move around a lot, but he told her the date he’d be back. And this was it.

She’d thought about not showing up, thinking maybe he wouldn’t either, that the one night was something that was not to be repeated. After brooding about the house for a week before he came, she got a letter in the mail. How he knew her address was a mystery, but then again so was everything else about this man.

Looking at the back entrance, she waved at the bouncer, and he let her in without a question. Usually, they would engage in conversation for a while. The bouncer, Brad, used to date her. They were inseparable, until a week before she met Scott. Maybe that was it, she thought. She just wanted to get back at Brad. She shrugged, and brushed past him without a word. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and blinking lights of the club. A song by Stretch Princess blared from the huge sound system. Without even thinking of getting a drink, she made her way to the couch they had sat on.

He was there, in all his post-grunge glory. He was drinking something, and didn’t notice as she took the empty cushion next to him. Absently, Scott turned his head, and began to say something, but stopped. He barely believed she was there.

"Well, I’m here. Aren’t you gonna say anything?" She commented, noting his surprise. He smirked.

"Of course…I’m just not sure what yet." He rose and motioned for her to follow. She rose hesitantly, wondering where they were going. He led her out to the parking lot, and stood beside his jeep.

"What are we here for?" She demanded.

"You are coming with me. I don’t know why, but you have to leave with me tonight. It’s just a feeling." She stared blankly at him, letting the confusing words sink in.

"Umm, what? I just met you once a while back, and now, I’m coming with you? You expect me to get in that car? Just let you drive me away?" she turned to leave, but he grasped her shoulders.

"Please, Angel. You have to trust me. I…" he lowered his eyes, "I had a dream about this."

"I’m listening…" She put her hands on her hips, and opted to listen, more out of curiosity than anything else. He sighed before started, speaking slowly and carefully.

"That club. Tonight, a lost soul is going to come back, and exact revenge on everyone there, because he doesn’t know what’s right. I think this is a premonition. I don’t know why, but I think so. About a week ago, I dreamt this. I saw you in there. You look as you do now. Same clothes, hair, everything. He comes in, and starts with Adam. Dragging him into the club. I’m not going to even tell you what he does. It’s awful." His voice lowered to a whisper, so she had to lean in to hear. "Everyone in there feels pain, the same pain that the lost soul felt. Until he gets to you…I had to come and get you. I was amazed that I had a dream about you, but when it all came back to me, it was clear what I had to do. From what I know of fate, this can’t be changed, no matter what I did, so I decided to take the direct approach. I have to get you, and take you away somewhere, where he cant get you."

She was silent for a long time, pondering the words she had heard. It all seemed like it was from a movie. Stuff like this really happens, was her first thought. And then, she wondered if it was real, or just a ploy to lure her away from the club. The emotion in his voice told a true story, and as far as she knew, from what Brad had said about this man, he was safe. True, he had a somewhat dark past, and an odd career choice, but nonetheless, she had no reason to distrust him.

So, she made her choice. She went with a man she barely knew, to possibly save her life. It wasn’t until they had arrived wherever they were that her thoughts drifted back to the club.

"Oh god…Brad." she looked up at Scott, nearing tears at the thought of Brad’s death. "How can you let all those people die? Scott, you said everyone dies. Why didn’t you save THEM? What do I mean to you? You don’t know me…"

"Angel, you made the right decision. I could have saved them, but it would mean letting my Angel die. As selfish as that sounds, I couldn’t let that happen. True, I don’t know you, but I have had…. Visions… We are supposed to be together, and the future visions remain unchanged." She looked at him questioningly.

"Future visions? You mean, you’ve seen me in the future?"

"Us. Together. And even after the dream of the club incident, you were still in them. So, I decided that it was fate that I save you from what may have been yours. You haven’t seen them, the visions. We’re together, Angel. I’ve never seen anyone in my dreams before, until you. As much as I wish I could have saved all those people, I knew I couldn’t. It wasn’t my place." She just sat through this, open mouthed.

"You have dreams about me? You should have told me before. And now, Brad’s dead, isn’t he? Adam too." She sighed deeply. "And we can’t do anything now, can we? I wish you would have told me, I would have told them, and spared them…" tears rolled down her cheeks at the thought of her friends, dead.

"But, Angel, it was their fate. If the gods wish it, then they will still be alive. It was a goddess who brought the lost soul back. It had to have been inevitable in this life, or else it wouldn’t happen." She tried to comprehend this, and gave up. She still thought her friends could have been saved.

"I shouldn’t have gone…I should have stayed and saved them…even if it meant my death. Just to save them…" he glared at her in disbelief.

"You know you wouldn’t do that. You did love them, but you wouldn’t do that. There was no way to save them, unless you stopped the lost soul, an impossible task. This is how it is meant to be." He stressed the last words. She ran her hands through her hair, a nervous habit.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked hopelessly.

"We survive."