Mary: "This is absurd."
James: "The word 'duh' comes to mind."
Mary: "I mean really, completely absurd."

James: "Then why are we doing it?"
Mary: "There's probably a better, easier, less messy way. Unfortunately, I never went to med school and I am highly suspect of the methodology used in 'Flatliners.'"
James: "Which reminds me, if your sins come back to haunt you in the form of creepy-ass eleven-year-old boys carrying sledgehammers, you're on your own."

Mary: "So noted. Remind me, why isn't Markus here?"
James: "He'd never allow this. Besides, he has to stay on Dr. Waltham. Not to mention the fact that he'd lose his job."
Mary: "This Velvet Oblivion is starting to do really well, right? He won't really *need* a day job much longer…"
James: "Mary, if you want to back out, just say the word."

Mary: "No. I'm ready. Can I have something to knock me out first? Some drugs… maybe a blow to the head…?"
James: "Abigail is right, it's best not to introduce any more variables. We'll have our hands full with simple hypothermia."
Mary: "Simple hypothermia. Right."

James: "You do realize how cold this will be, don't you? You're going to want to get out of the tub."
Mary: "Well, yeah. But I won't."
James: "I mean you're *really* going to want to get out. You won't be in your right mind. It's going to be painful."
Mary: "I'm sure I'll be too numb to move."
James: "Eventually."

Mary: "While I realize that I could kick your ass under normal circumstances, I expect you'll be able to hold me down while my brain is freezing."

James nodded uncomfortably, and Mary turned to Abigail and Tristan.

Mary: "Let's go over the plan one more time. I get in the tub. James holds me down as necessary. I freeze to death. There will be absolutely *no* thermometers shoved into any orifices. James will monitor my vitals with his spidey vampire senses. As soon as I lose consciousness, Deanna will alert the ER to my arrival. Abigail will work the mojo on Tristan, and he should pop out of the world when I die. Once that happens, James takes me down the hall to the ER, where I get resuscitated."

Mary took a deep breath before continuing.

Mary: "If something goes wrong and Tristan doesn't disappear, James will keep tabs on how long I've been dead and pull me out at the last possible second while Abigail continues trying to send Tristan through. I don't really like that plan, so Tristan--don't fuck up."
Tristan: "Me?!"

Mary: "Abigail knows what she's doing. Just… keep your focus or whatever."
Tristan: "Sure. Will do. Try not to float off to the Underworld without me."

Mary: "Now, how about the rest of the plan?"
James: "The rest of the plan?"
Mary: "I'm assuming that our entire plan was not to just kill me and banish Tristan to the Underworld. Because I gotta tell you, I'm not in for that."
James: "Right. Abigail?"

Abigail shrugged. Mary, Tristan and James stared at her.

Tristan: "Um… little help here?"
Abigail: "I have the knowledge to get you there. Theoretically, at least. I have no idea what happens once you're there."
Mary: "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Abigail: "I may be an old woman, but I'm not dead. And the people who have died caught a glimpse and then returned--they tend not to remember much. Memories as we experience them are recorded in the brain. Only intangible truths are recorded in the soul. I know there is a world after this one. I know that at one time, that world was more connected to our own. There may be grains of truth to many of the myths and legends that have existed since recorded history. But as for which are true? This I cannot say."

Mary: "Shit. Really wishing I hadn't dropped that Man, Myth and Mystery class in college."

Tristan was now pacing the room, running his fingers through his hair. Deanna watched him from the corner, arms crossed loosely over her chest.

Tristan: "We don't have time for this. We need to go. I've read most of the myths. There could be challenges, riddles, tests of character… and an exchange, a life for a life."
Mary: "We knew that one."
Tristan: "We'll be fine, we'll make it. We find Emily and we get out."

Abigail: "Tristan, drink this. It will allow you to pass through to the Underworld with your body. You need to stay close to Mary, anchor her. The presence of something material and tangible is necessary for her to know where she is and why."

Tristan downed the vial of liquid that Abigail handed him in a single swallow. He grimaced and held back a gag as she led him to a small circle drawn on the floor with what appeared to be a mixture of ground bones, blood, ashes and fur. It didn't smell much better than it looked, and everyone present had silently agreed on a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Mary took one last look at them before stepping toward the tub full of ice and water.

James: "You sure?"
Mary: "Yep. Turn around."
James: "What? Why?"
Mary: "Because this will go faster if I'm not wearing these clothes."

James turned around without comment. If she wanted to play at being modest, he might as well go along with it.

Mary stripped down to her underwear, then put one foot into the tub and stood there for a moment, testing the water. She pulled it out after a few seconds.

Mary: "It's not cold."
James: "What? It's full of ice!"
Mary: "I don't know, something's wrong. It's burning hot."

James turned around, keeping his eyes averted from Mary. He dipped his hand into the water. It was cold. Just as cold as one would expect a tub of ice to be. He wondered for a moment if perhaps it was too cold.

James: "It's not hot, it's just *extremely* cold. I told you this was going to hurt. We could take out the ice, it should still be cold enough to do the job."
Mary: "No… the tub is too small. I don't want to risk my body heat equalizing the temperature."

Mary stepped back into the tub, this time with both feet. It felt as though the fluid in her feet was crystallizing. She told herself it would be okay, it would probably only be fifteen minutes before she lost consciousness. She could bear it that long.

James watched carefully as Mary slid into the tub, fully submerging herself, and immediately gasped so sharply he thought her lungs might explode. She immediately began flailing, splashing water out of the tub, unable to get a grip on anything. Deanna checked her watch, then left the room.