CHALLENGE FOUR: SHIFTING

"The secret side of me I never let you see. I keep it caged, but I can't control it, so stay away from me, the beast is ugly.

I feel the rage and I just can't hold it."

FOUR:

Toby Smyth

Long car rides are boring. I can't get my internet to work because we're constantly moving, I've beaten all of the games on my laptop and I can't download anymore because the internet isn't working. I've seen every movie I own. Basically I'm left with staring out the window and listening to the radio, sleeping, or talking. None of those sound appealing to me. I should also add that my ass hurts.

We try to eat some decent food at least. You know, none of this filling up on only McDonald's and Burger King crap. Don't get me wrong, I love it all, but it makes me feel like I ate about a ton of bricks. Cory got the brilliant idea to keep fruit and jerky in our stock constantly. I swear, he's a genius, funny as hell too. I still don't know yet if it's a made up fictional personality, or if they really are two separate people in the same body. Time will tell I suppose, but I kind of with Cory would make more appearances than T would. The guy has no spine. Yes, he did save my life, but he's so quiet I sometimes I want to punch him to see if he'd do anything about it. Makes me sound mean, I know, and I'm usually not, but for some reason he just rubs me the wrong way. I think it has something to do with his 'poor me' walk. Dad always talked about it back home. The people who wallow in their own misery and don't do nothing to change it. That's what T makes me think of. I don't know what he did, but he needs to buck up.

Three days of driving and we arrive in beautiful Florida. I'd never been away from home before. My family didn't go on vacation, too expensive. We sometimes would take day trips in state, but it never amounted to anything all that crazy or fun. Then when my 'condition' showed up, we didn't even leave the city. Let me tell you something about my home town: it's small and old fashioned. Like if I'm going to buy anything fun or interesting, I get it at Wal*Mart which isn't even in my town. It's in the next town over. The movies we get are all delayed. I'm sure you all can see why I got into my internet pirating hobby. Funny thing is, my mom fully encouraged it because it saved us money and kept me occupied.

I didn't steal everything. I bought a lot of games and things. I did have a job, and I had to have money and a legit copy of Final Fantasy XIV to get that up and running for so long. Without that, I wouldn't have met Moira. I love her, and my life wouldn't be the same without her. I'm still amazed that she's a part of the game. Amazed and worried. We are on different teams, and even if winning would change my life, I'm pretty sure it would change hers too. As much as I want to cure my problem, I also want her safe and happy.

We park at the coordinates on the GPS, which is the entrance to a park in the Everglades. Exciting huh? Only not really. I'm not looking forward to this one bit. It's hot and kind of sticky and it smells weird. Though I can't complain about getting up to stretch my legs. I rub my butt too, massaging out the numbness. Ipod sees me doing this and gives me a weird scowl.

"What?" I ask her. She only shrugs and turns to stretch. Then bounces off to start blabbing at T in sign language. Those two are always talking as though it's their secret language. I'm not quite sure how to feel about this. I don't like secrets. I spend so much of my life in them, but complaining about it also makes me feel like a hypocrite. I guess I just hate that they're so necessary. They're shady.

"Okay, we're here and there's supposed to be something to tell us what we're going to be doing exactly." Ryan says and she's searching for our instructions. She's always business. It's more or less annoying. Even when we stayed at a hotel, and that's saying if we did because she always wanted to keep trading with the driving so we were constantly on the go. Until Cory threw a fit over needing some solid sleep before we drove off the road. Anyway, at the hotel, she made sure to get us in bed early and up at the ass crack of dawn. Kind of irritated me because I finally had an internet connection that would let me do more than send off a fast email. I really want to kill something. I feel stressed and overwhelmed which usually leads to bad things.

Games have always been what kept me normal. School stressed me out a lot and so did my chaotic social life. I'd come home and play a game, and get to be me. Being the star football/basketball/baseball/track/golf/tennis player, I was naturally rather popular in school. Not to mention the fact that I have amazing abs. Girls were always all over me, but I was never allowed to date because of my 'condition'. It's also why I couldn't go to parties. Day trips to the mall or the movies, sure, but no parties, and I had to leave school dances early. An hour of fun didn't make it worth my time. Thus, games.

“This might help.” I point to a plaque nearby that has the big ol' Escape Show logo on it. We all crowd around it. “In the swamp you'll find what you need. A treasure to help you with your deeds.”

“And how are we going to find a treasure in the middle of one of the largest swamps in America?” T asks with a frown. “Especially since we don't know what we're looking for.”

Ryan investigates the plague some more and finds something that resembles a tracking device attached to the back. There's a red light that blinks every so often and a quiet beep to go along. “This perhaps?”

“Let's get moving.” I make a motion for her to step forward. “The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can have whatever the awesome reward is.” Not to mention I was curious as to what this treasure was.

“Um, g...guys?” T says in a shaky voice.

“Hunters!” Ipod spits it out for him and points behind us just as a group of suited men and women get out of a car. Unlike before, they don't hesitate to start running right off the bat.

Ryan bolts and we all follow. I have no idea if we're going the right way though because the beep is becoming even more spread apart than before.

“We need to go in a new direction.” I shout after her. “Turn around!”

“And get caught?” She shouts back, glancing over her shoulder at me.

“Pick a new direction then, just do something!”

“I think we're losing them,” T adds.

Ryan turns a sharp right on the path and then another so we start heading back towards where we came. At least we're on another trail, and she slows her pace as she tries to figure out which way to go next. We go left now. Stop. Turn around and go right. I'm not sure she knows what she's doing, but I also have realized that telling Ryan she's wrong and incapable is a bad idea. She's too determined and way too high strung. The only person who has the balls to stand up for her is Cory. I try, but she doesn't respect me enough to listen. Too bad he's sleeping, or wherever the hell he goes when he's not present.

We keep heading down this path, the beeping on our tracking device is becoming more steady and more frequent. Then of course we hit a dead end.

“Are you kidding me?” I groan, panting. “Now what?” In front of us is gross, smelly, swamp. Ryan takes a step towards it and the beeping becomes more excited. Figures right? That we'd have to go into the middle of a nasty ass swamp.

“I doubt it's deep. We can swim.” Ryan suggests.

“Gaters,” T says. “I don't think it'll be so simple.”

“I see canoes.” Ipod says. She's always the observant one. I've yet to see her miss a thing. Sure enough, there are canoes not too far off. They're on the other side of the protective railing.

Without any hesitation, Ryan hops on over and lands in the water. She climbs into one of the canoes. I follow after, I've never been in one before, but I figure if I'm going to be safe with anyone it'd be her. I'm not a fan of the water. Drowning scares the crap out of me. I know how to swim and all, but unless I'm in a pool, I don't want anything to do with it. If I can't see what's going on around me, then I'd rather not have anything to do with it.

The other two are close behind us. Ryan and I are already off, following the now persistent beeping. Thirty feet or so and it's one solid sound. It's giving me a headache, and that is never a good thing. They're another trigger for my ability.

“Who's going down there to-.” I begin.

“I got it! Then I can tell you if something is going on.” Ipod says and starts to strip off her shirt so she can hop into the water. I'm not complaining. T of course is trying to not look and be all gentlemanly but I have a feeling he's not complaining either. She jumps in and goes under. “I think I see something. Like a light or something.”

We all watch, our eyes fixed on the water. There's bubbles, the canoes start rocking, and hunters appear at the shoreline. They don't get into the water, but they don't need to yet. One of them points and a gust of wind blows over us, threatening to tip us into the water as well.

“Something has my leg!”

T stands up and jumps into the water, probably without even thinking first. The wind gusts are getting stronger, one hunter walks into the water, and it makes me think of Terminator a little too much. I shiver. And that's the last thing I remember beyond falling out of the canoe and hitting my head against something in the water.

When I come to again, I'm in a bed, and I know what happened instantly without anyone having to say a word. They all had the same unsure, shocked, scared expression.

“What the hell did you do?” Ryan finally demands. “You could have killed us all! Why didn't you tell us that you turn into some kind of a monster?”

“Do we know what you can do?” I snap back. “I barely know anything about any of you. Why should I share all my deep dark secrets?”

“Because this one could have killed us!”

“Ryan,” T says and shakes his head. “Let's not scream at each other.”

I think this is the first time I've liked the guy. Wait, no the second time. The first was when he saved me from the box. Without him I'd be dead.

“It started when I was about thirteen. I was attacked by a dog, blacked out, and my parents were freaking out because I turned into whatever it is I turn into. I don't remember anything that happens when it does. I just go by what people tell me, and I guess it's bad.” Real bad, and I hate it. People don't tend to think I feel remorse though. After all, the monster is me, right?

Ipod grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze before she hugs me. I like her, but she also seems like the only sane person in the group.

“So what happened?”

“You went unconscious.” T says. He's pacing now. “I tried to pull you back onto the canoe, but then you started changing. Your body shifted, got larger, became this weird purple and black color, and wings.” He shudders. “You saved Ipod. The hunters were holding her under. I don't know if you....”

Killed anyway, got it, but I did some damage. I groan, my head hurts. It usually does right after. “We get the thing?”

“We did,” Ryan says. I can tell she's still pissed as hell. “We were waiting for you to come to first before opening it. It's some kind of a box.”

“Well, I'm up now.” I mumble.

She nods and grabs a white box. She pops off the lid and holds it for all of us to see inside. Inside are five envelopes, each with our names on it, a brass key, four tickets for Disney World, four flashlights, and an LCD screen.

“A gift for you. Something personal, something fun, something to protect you, and something for your future.” Ryan read a small strip of notebook paper. “These must be for protection.” She points to the flashlights. “We used these against the hunters in the fun house. I'm not sure what this thing does.” She points at the screen. “I guess we're going to Disney World though.” She then hands out all of our envelopes.

Ipod opens hers first and smiles as she sees a picture of what has to be her family and her boyfriend at a picnic. She reads a note. “Remember your goals.”

T opens his next and chews on his lip. He doesn't show anyone the picture. “My note says the same thing.”

I rip open my envelope, curious as to what I'll have. A picture of my family no doubt. I miss them, but at the same time, I don't like the pressure they've put on me to 'get better'. I'm surprised to find a picture of Moira. My heart beats a little faster, and I smile like a nerd.

Ryan opens hers and scowls. In fact, I think I see tears in her eyes and she quickly leaves.

“Are we done now?” I ask.

“For now.” T says. “I think we can all use some sleep though.”

I nod, and reach for my laptop so I can send Moira an email. I can talk to her, and I don't even want to question why. If I mention it, I'm afraid someone might try to take her away from me.

“Thinking of you. I just wanted you to know. Love you.”

I put her picture under my pillow, but I never let go of it. Then I fall back asleep.

CHALLENGE THREE: IT'S MY BODY, I'LL DO WHAT I WANT TO

"Here's the situation: been to every nation. Nobody's ever made me feel the way that you do. You know my motivation given my reputation.

Please excuse me, I don't mean to be rude."

THREE

CORY RANOVER

We walk into the carnival air and I'm all grins. There's a lot to be proud of, and I'm especially happy that my bro was able to step up to the plate so well. Good kid, and he's earned his time to rest. Ryan is quiet, Toby is quiet, and Ipod is trying to sign at me. I put my hands over hers to stop her.

“I'm not T hon, I'm sorry.” I say quietly.

“I'll tell him later.” She says. “So what now?”

“I need to unwind,” Toby says. “And eat something. My stomach hurts.”

Ryan's chewing on her lower lip. I remember this look. Ryan and I met a lifetime ago, once, and only once. She was just as uptight then as she is now. Obviously she doesn't recognize me because the last time we saw each other, I wasn't in T's body. I was in my own. As much as I want to say something to her, that she's not as alone as she probably feels, that she isn't with complete strangers, I keep it to myself. The last time I saw her, I'm pretty sure she wanted to make sure it was the last time. Our relationship is definitely a story.

“Some down time would be nice.” I agree with Toby. I nudge her, trying to get her to bend a little, but I'm nervous. I don't want to give myself away. Though, she doesn't remember my name, so that could be a good sign.

She looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “Did you just touch me?”

I poke her shoulder, “I've touched you twice now. Yes.”

“Don't.”

I back away from her and scowl. Maybe she did. Maybe I should ask her?

“Sorry,” I mumble. “Loosen up a little though okay?”

She rolls her eyes. “Go play. Let's meet at the entrance in about two hours. Then we can figure out where we're going to sleep for the night.”

“Awesome!” I pause. “Can I huge you first?”

“Why?” She raises an eyebrow. “I don't like being hugged by strangers.”

That answered that question.

“When we get to know each other better then,” I say. “You get a hug. Go ahead and give it when you're ready. I just think you could use one.”

“I like your brother better.” She says and walks away from the group. Toby bolts in the opposite direction as her and Ipod looks at me while scratching her chin.

“You're weird.” She says with a smile. “I like hugs.” She comes up and gives me one, and I can't help but laugh. “You going to be okay or do you need a chaperone?”

“I should be asking you if you want an escort.” I wink.

“I'm a tough cookie. But I'll be at the bouncy castle if you need me.”

“Cool,” I nod and watch her leave. Not gonna lie, both her and Ryan are hot. Ryan is more petite in size, and definitely more curvy and sultry. Ipod on the other hand is bubbly and adventurous. She's got long legs and good proportions. You can tell she works out a lot too. I watch her go and shake my head. They can go on my to-do list for later. I need to focus on the now.

Two hours is a lot of time to kill on my own. Yes, I understand why everyone wants their own space right now, but this would have been a good time to really get to know each other. Whatever right? I start by getting a corn dog and watching the locals. I win myself a few liters of pop: Coke, Fanta Orange, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper. Should be good for while we're traveling right? I'm thinking practically, though I'm devouring the Mountain Dew now.

I make eyes with a local girl. She's an itty bitty blonde thing, cute as a button, and she's doing the flirtatious smile thing too. After about two different booths of her practically stalking me, I finally approach her coolly. It was easy for me to become confident in my brother's body. He's a good looking guy. Shorter than me by about five inches, but he has a charming smile and he takes care of himself. We both have the same blue eyes too, so the adjustment wasn't difficult or traumatizing for me. If he had been a fat slop, or a twig, that might be a different story. He is a little thinner than me as well, but the muscle tone makes up for it. I don't feel weak. I don't feel pathetic. I've almost always felt like myself. It's made the whole situation easier to manage for me.

Her eyes roam over me and she smiles. “Hey there.”

“Hello, I kept noticing you were looking at me. Was wondering if I got something in my teeth,” I tease her.

“I didn't mean to stare.” She says with a blush. “I just notice strangers pretty fast. We don't see a lot of them come through here. I've seen a lot of them tonight, but I especially noticed you.”

I can tell she knows how to play the game, which is good. I don't like girls who are oblivious in the ways of 'hooking up'. I avoid them actually because I don't want to be one of those 'assholes' who manipulates and then runs. I want my fun, sure, but I don't want to devastate anyone to get it. We walk around the carnival, looking for something fun to do, or a good place to go and connect.

Yes, I realize I'm in my brother's body. This has always been a stress relief for me,among many other complicated factors. I'll leave it at I have some baggage I'm dealing with, you know, just like everyone else on the planet does. It's not a big deal. When it comes to T and I? We have a don't ask, don't tell sort of policy. I don't go out of my way to tell him what I do in my free time beyond vague details. He has yet to ask for specific ones.

I think deep down he knows what's going on, and he doesn't want it to be confirmed. In his mind, he's still a virgin, and I suppose if we go based on the fact that he hasn't had sex yet, yeah, that's true. I know it's important to him to fall in love and all of that sappy mushy stuff. I've been there, done that, and it had its ups and its downs. It was a good life experience, and I'm sure some day he'll have it. If he knew some of the things I did in his body, he would probably have a meltdown though and he might stop believing in it himself. I don't want to see that kind of destruction happen. Naturally, whatever I do, I'm extra, extra careful.

I have rules in place. One is no sleep-overs. Two is no psychos. Three is going out of my way to go to a place where I will for sure never see anyone during the daytime. The morning hours are his, and I don't know if he'd have any clue how to handle a run-in with a girl he's never met before. Like I said, meltdowns, and T is an expert at those.

“How about this one?” I point to the tunnel of love. She puts her hands on her hips and raises an eyebrow at me. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

“If you're thinking you're going to have all the fun, you've got another thing coming.” She says matter of factly, and I'm amazed by her boldness.

“Then let's just focus on you,” I say with a shrug. She raises both her eyebrows this time. I think I confused her, especially since my tone was nothing near sarcastic or mean. I nod at her encouragingly and take her on the ride. I'll keep this PG and just say she had a good time. That's kind of all you need to know right? She's clinging to my arm when we get off the ride, almost like she's afraid of letting me go.

I look down at her and give her a big, toothy, smile. “Thanks for indulging me.”

“Night's still young.” She says with a wink. “Are you sure you want to say goodbye so soon? I'd really like to return the favor.”

I glance at my watch and think this over. I'd say I have about another hour before I need to meet up with the others. There were a few other things I want to do too of course. One of them is get something for T. He did well. He needs some kind of positive reinforcement. I know I shouldn't get too much stuff because the space is limited, but there are a few things essential for traveling. If there's one thing I know, it's road trips.

“If we keep it quick, I have a curfew in half an hour.” I say.

“Then let's go play in the mirror maze.” She smirks and starts to drag me towards the fun house. I don't move a muscle. There were parts of that adventure I wasn't present for, stuff I'll hear about later, but the stuff I was around for was enough to scar me from going into mirror mazes for life. “Something wrong?”

“I already went into the fun house, it was kind of lame.” I say, trying to stay cool and not let on that my knees are shaking. “What about the bouncy castle?”

“Too many kids.” She pouts at me. “Did you see the princess fun house, or the haunted one?”

“The haunted one.” The fun house certainly didn't look anything like a princess castle to me.

“Did they finish remodeling it? I was told it was closed.” She shrugs. “Sad that it's lame. It used to be so cool! I'll show you the princess one. Trust me, you'll like this.”

I sigh and let her take me. The outside of this house is like a castle, pink is everywhere, and it's not exactly what I would call sexy. Still, she's a local, and they tend to know more about what's cool and what isn't better than anyone else I've ever met before. She hands the clerk a ticket and a twenty, and we waltz in.

“What was that for?” I ask. My paranoia is starting to warm me that maybe this isn't such a good idea because the clerk shuts the door behind us.

“Just insuring we'll have some privacy.” She says and drags me through a tunnel, over some shaking steps, and down a slide. She kisses me at the bottom of the slide and plays with T's trademark cowlick. I've tried I don't know how many times to get rid of it. It's near impossible. For whatever reason, his bangs just want to fly up, ya know?

I close my eyes, trying to relax. I have nothing to be so paranoid over. We're on a break. We have some time off. I'm fine.

“You're so tense.” She says. “Let me help you loosen up a little.”

“Please,” I whisper. I just want to be lost. I don't want to think about any of this stuff, about life, anymore. I want distraction. I want to be happy. I want to be me, or as much of me as I can.

With another kiss, she helps me up off of the slide, and takes me into the mirror maze. While the other had been dark, with smoke, and trippy lighting affects. This one was bright with neon pink and green brightening up the world. Day and night difference, let me tell you. I actually feel safe for the first time since I entered the attraction. She pushes me up against a mirror and kisses me, hard. Her fingers are flying over the buttons on my shirt and then over T's ripped abs and then down....

I have about ten minutes to kill when it's all said and done. We go our separate ways, and I start to search the games to see if there's any other cool prizes I can win. I'm at the entrance with about five minutes to spare. In my arms I have a large duck pillow-pet thing for T which should help with his motion sickness. I'm the first one there, Ryan is next and she's walking with Ipod oddly enough, and Toby is late by about ten minutes.

“What is that?” Ryan asks, and points to my goods.

“Snacks for the ride,” I gesture at the candy and soda-pop I've won. “Pillow.” I hold up the toy. “Do you got a problem with it?”

She stares for a moment and then shakes her head. I notice Ipod has a small plush, pink, unicorn in her hands that she's wringing the life out of. Toby also has something, but I can't quite make out what it is.

“Let's get going,” Ryan says at last. Then I see she has a small stuffed banana. Hilarious right? We go back to our car and see an envelope taped the windshield. “Looks like we have our next set of instructions.”

AT LAST - PART TWO

A collaboration with Team Promethiad.

Part Two

She liked the feel his hand against hers. It was comforting and somehow familiar, but at

the same time a little exhilarating. “The back seat sounds like a perfect place for Panda.”

"Yeah, Panda likes to roll that way I'm thinking." He said with a smirk. They got into the

little boat, put Panda in the back where it would be nice and safe, and he casually placed

his arm around her as they ventured into the dark tunnel. At first, yes, he was a little

afraid. After the encounter with the hunters, he couldn't help but feel a little on edge.

Once they were completely surrounded by darkness and there was nothing more than the

sound of the water splashing against the walls, his body relaxed against her.

She jumped a little when Toby’s arm went around her shoulders, but then she relaxed.

Nothing was going to hurt her here. She tried to choke back the panic that was

threatening to rise. She had to remind herself that this was nothing like the little room

she had been trapped in, and that Toby wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. She

snuggled closer to him, willing herself to calm down. She took a deep breath. God,

he smelled good! “This is nice,” she commented, and then cursed the way her voice

quavered a little.

"Mmm," he agreed. His arm tightened around her protectively as they sat there. He could

sense she was feeling the same kind of fear he was. He was determined to help her forget

those nightmarish moments. Granted, he didn't know what had happened to her exactly,

but if it was anything like his experience...He shivered slightly.

A glow of light came up ahead as they were coming up on a 'scene' of some kind. No

doubt something cutesy with unicorns like the tunnel from back home. In the past he'd

always gone on it with his friends and made hooting and howling noises to annoy the

lovebirds who were no doubt making out. They'd always laugh at the low-end displays

that reminded him of the cardboard panoramas he'd made for class back in elementary

school.

Now though, his mind was only on her. As the light grew brighter, he used it to look at

her face and really study it. God she's so freaking beautiful. Gently, he cupped her chin

with his hand and tilted her face towards his. "I promise I'm not going to let anything

happen to you ever. If you're ever in trouble, I'll find you and I'll help you. I will find a

way to."

Was he going to kiss her? He was staring at her so intensely. She held his gaze. Where

was a time-stopper when you needed one? This would be the perfect moment to

freeze. “You know I’m telepathic, right?” she blurted. Great job, Moira. Way to kill the

moment.

"Tell me what I'm thinking," he said with a smirk. Close your eyes.

“Okay,” was all she said, smiling at him as she complied and closed her eyes.

He laughed a little and then leaned down and kissed her right as they started passing the

lit up 'scene'. This was his first kiss, so he wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but his

lips were on hers, and he had no intention of pulling them away just yet.

Her heart leaped into her throat when his lips touched hers. She didn’t know what to do.

She reached one hand up and experimentally ran her fingers through his hair. It felt like

silk. A small sound escaped her throat, and she wrapped her fingers around his hair and

used it to pull him closer.

Wow, she wanted more. Good sign. He adjusted his lips, opening them slightly just like

he had seen in more than one movie. After all, that felt more than natural to him. He tried

to keep it slow despite the urge to want to rush the movement. At the same time, he did

just want to saver it. His hands rested on both of her hips. That felt like the only safe

place for him to put them.

She opened her mouth slightly and began to move it slowly against his. She really hoped

she was doing this right. She reached her other arm up behind his neck. Kissing him was

even more amazing than she had imagined! And she had certainly thought about it a lot...

After a long minute or two passed, he pulled back needing some air. Wow. And he hoped

she was reading his mind then because he wasn't sure he could say a word.

She opened her eyes when he pulled away from her. “Are you okay?” she asked, a little

worried. Had she done something wrong?

"I'm fine." He said. "I mean, wow. I just...that was my first..." He gave a small blush, glad

it was dark again so she couldn't see it and then leaned in to kiss her again.

She wondered what he was going to say. She was tempted to read his mind to find out,

but she didn’t want to invade his privacy. She didn’t like to read minds unless she was

asked to, or unless she had to. All thought of what he was going to say halted when his

mouth met hers again. Then all that she could think about what how he felt...how he

tasted...

He truthfully didn’t want to admit that she was his first kiss even though he was pretty

sure he'd already said something about it a few times before. Still, it was more or less a

little embarrassing for his studly jock image. After all, he lied to his friends about it a lot

just to avoid being teased or thrown onto the school hussy.

He went back to doing what felt right, his arms around her, his mouth open to hers, eyes

closed. This was a dream he didn't want to wake up from, and a moment he didn't want to

see end. Their time together was limited. He had to make the most of it.

She was well aware that the ride would soon be ending. She knew that she shouldn't be

thinking about that, that she should just be enjoying the short time they had together.

She wanted to feel what he was feeling. She didn't want to invade his mind, but she

wanted to see if he was feeling what she was.

She tentatively opened her mind to his and was instantly assailed with emotions. It was

like everything she was feeling had been intensified a hundred times. It was so strong that

she had to pull away from him for a moment, to break the physical connection.

When she pulled away, he frowned a little. "I..." He paused for a moment, trying to figure

out the right thing to say. He wasn't quite sure if he should ask her what's wrong, or keep

the mood light. He decided to say something honest. "I love you."

She stared at him for a moment as short as a heartbeat, tears threatening to spill over her

cheeks. She was overwhelmed with emotions, both her own, and his. “I love you too,

Toby.”

He smiled, not noticing the tears because he was kind of an oblivious boy. He did notice

something was different about the way she was asking but he was afraid to ask about it.

His emotions had shifted. Was she not supposed to say it back? Was he upset because

she had pulled away in the first place? She was seriously confused. “What’s wrong?” she

finally asked him.

"I was gonna ask you that," he said, “Cause you're all like..." he paused trying to mimic

her facial expression only minus the tears. "I just thought I did something wrong."

“No no no!” She touched his arm, trying to reassure him. “You didn’t do anything

wrong.” She was embarrassed to admit what she had done. She hoped that he would still

trust her, still love her...Well, best to be honest, she supposed. “I, well, I wanted to feel

what you were feeling. When I opened my mind to you, I got kind of overwhelmed and

I couldn’t separate my emotions from yours. I kind of freaked out a little.” She cringed,

hoping that he wouldn’t yell at her or something.

"Huh?" He understood what she was saying, but at the same time he didn't. "Like, you

felt what I was feeling?" At least then she'd know he meant what he said and not think

it was some kind of line. Though he kind of figured she'd know better than that. "Look,

babe if you wanna go in my head, you can. I don't have anything to hide from you. But

you gotta tell me okay?"

“I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t technically go in your head. I couldn’t hear what

you were thinking. I can feel emotions—strong emotions—just by opening my own mind

to someone. It’s usually easier if I’m touching them. Since we were so close, I guess it

just kind of threw me. Please don’t be mad!”

"I'm not mad, but I'm confused. In some ways, it's easier this way because I'm not all too

good with words anyway. I can never say the right thing. You know me, I'm all rambles."

He gave her a weak smile. "So...find anything good then?"

“Wait, now I’m confused. Are you saying you want me to read your mind?”

"I'm sayin' it's a part of who you are," he mumbled. "I just want to know if you do go

in there okay? If you do it all incognito, then I'm gonna have issues. You wanting to

feel what I feel though, I...it makes things easier sort of. But I don't understand what's

happening. I...my powers aren't...like yours."

“Well...wait, what are your powers? You never told me.”

"Because they're bad and I didn't want you to think I was some kind of a psycho," he

mumbled. "I mean, you didn't tell me about yours until tonight."

“I didn’t want you to think I was crazy! It’s not something you just bring up. The only

reason I said anything tonight is because I assumed you must have some sort of powers

too, because everyone on this show does. Also because you said that if I was ever in

trouble, you’d find me. I was going to say that since I’m telepathic, I could like, send a

message to you telepathically or something.”

"Right and that's a fair assumption to make cuz its true. One of the conditions. I didn't tell

you for the same reasons and...mine is...bad." He bit his lip.

She reached over and took his hand. She wished she could see his face better, but it was

so dark on the ride. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think. Will you tell

me?”

He gave her hand a squeeze. "It started a few years ago. It’s why I keep to myself.

I...change into a monster. There's no rhyme or reason to it." He frowned as light

approached them and the end of the ride could be seen.

She noticed his frown and wondered what it meant. Instead, she asked the first thing that

popped into her head. “What kind of monster?”

"Big. Claws. Teeth." He bit his lip. "Wings. Mom practically shoved me on the show so I

can get fixed if I win."

“I’m sorry.” She didn’t really know what else to say. The ride had stopped, but she made

no motion to get out. “Can you control it?”

"No." He sighed and slowly stood, fully expecting her to dump him now.

She followed him out of the boat, pausing to grab the panda. She reached up and placed a

hand against his cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”

He faced her when she touched his cheek and closed his eyes. "Sorry I shouldn't be gettin

all..."

“All what?”

"Depressing? Emotional?" Stupid, but he didn't say that one.

“You’re not being depressing. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

He shrugged, "I don't know if I do or don't, but I kind of owe it to you don't I? You need

to know this stuff."

“I guess . . . but only if you feel comfortable telling me.” She paused as they got jostled

by others getting off the ride. "But maybe we should go somewhere else."

He nodded, beginning to walk aimlessly. "I will tell you anything you want to know. I

mean, I love you. Its not changing how I feel."

“I love you too. And nothing you tell me will change how I feel either.”

She threaded her way through the crowd, past various food and game booths as she

followed him. “So...um...I’m sorry, I have to ask. You don’t have to answer if you don’t

want to. Have you ever—hurt anyone? I mean, I know you’d never hurt anyone on

purpose, but you said you can’t control it...” she trailed off uncomfortably, hoping she

hadn’t upset him.

"I hurt someone." He nodded, his hand tightening on hers as they walked. He searched

for something new for them to do. "First time it was a stranger and the other it was my

brother."

She stopped walking and waited for him to look at her. “I’m so sorry.”

He stared down at her. "Thank you."

She hesitated for a moment, not sure whether she should say what she was thinking. “Just

so you know, I trust you. This doesn’t change anything. I know you’d never hurt me.”

"I hope not." He said, but he wished he could promise he never would. "I'll try."

“Even if you do, it doesn’t change anything, okay?”

He stared down at her and then the ground. "Let's...not worry about it then." He hoped

she meant it though because that was the one thing that petrified him the most.

She could tell he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Time to change the subject. She

tugged on his hand as she started walking again. “So, what do you want to do now?”

"More games? Or another ride?" He glanced at his watch. How much time did he have

until he was supposed to meet the others? "Or find a quiet corner and suck face some

more?" He had a lot he could say still, and a lot he wanted to ask her, but their time was

limited. "I just...I've missed you and you're here now and..."

“I’ve missed you too,” she said. “I hate that we’re finally here together and now we’re

going to be separated again. I don’t even know if we’re always going to be in the same

place so we can sneak away and meet again.”

"I hate that you're my competition. Because that means...something bad happened or

something you need is...and...I don't want to stop you from getting it Moira."

“I don’t regret what I did. My mom wanted me to go on this show. I’d rather see you

win.”

"What...what did you do and what...what's your prize?" He wasn't so sure his prize was

worth all of this, and he really didn't want to lose her.

“Well, part of my telepathy is that I can plant thoughts in others’ heads. It’s not

something I use often. I mostly use it when I need to communicate silently with someone.

But this time, I tried to plant an idea in someone’s head and pass it off as his own idea. I

didn’t do a very good job of it. Anyway it was the president of some cosmetics company

that still tests on animals. He agreed that if my team wins on this show, he would drop

charges against me and free the testing animals.” She waved it off like it was no big

deal. “But he doesn’t really have anything against me, and there are legal ways of freeing

those poor animals. I’m not worried.”

He nodded as he listened to her speak. That was pretty intense. He hated the idea of her

being in jail or in any kind of trouble.

She didn’t know what else to say. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the

time. “What time do you have to be back?” she asked.

"I've got about fifteen minutes I would say." He said with a heavy sigh. "I seriously hate

my team."

“Me too. Although, one guy did save me in there, so I guess I kind of owe him now or

something.”

He nodded. "Yeah, someone had to...save me too otherwise I would have..." He bit his lip

and looked away.

She pulled him around a corner where it was quiet and leaned up against the wall of a

booth. “What happened to you in there? I mean, you don’t have to talk about it if you

don’t want to. We don’t have much time left together.”

"I almost died. There was a box. I couldn't get out. I almost drowned." He shrugged it off

as though it were nothing. He pulled her in close again, playing with her beautiful dark

hair.

“Oh God, Toby. That’s terrible.” She looked around for a place to set her panda. There

wasn’t one, so she had to put it on the ground. She hoped it wouldn’t get dirty. She put

her arms around Toby’s waist and rested her face against his chest. “I’m so glad you’re

okay. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I don’t want you to ever have to wonder."

“Me either,” she told him. “Ummm...I think it’s almost time to leave. I don’t want to

leave you, but I don’t want us to get stuck here either.”

He kissed her lips now. "We won't get stuck."

She smiled. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if we did get stuck here together...alone.”

He swallowed hard. She was so hot. "We need to stay in touch so we can meet up again

soon."

“Of course. I’d imagine we’d be in the same place most of the time. I brought my laptop

and my phone. Did you bring yours?”

"Of course! I couldn't leave without Petunia!" Which was the name he gave to his laptop,

his gaming machine. He couldn't live without it. He grinned. "We'll definitely be keeping

in touch as much as possible. We can have secret rendezvous! It'll be like a spy movie."

She smiled. “Sounds good.” She knew their time was almost up. Any minute now, their

teammates would come looking for them. She stood on her toes (he was so much taller

than her!) and locked her fingers in his hair. She pulled his mouth down to meet hers.

He closed his eyes, kissing her again and wrapping his arms around her fully. He didn't

want to ever stop, to ever let go, but he knew he'd have to eventually. He savored the

kiss, hanging onto the moment for as long as possible.

She could hear her teammates calling her name. “Damn it,” she murmured against Toby’s

lips.

He deepened the kiss one more time and then sighed. "You should go. Don't want you

in too much trouble. We'll see each other again, and I want you to email me about what

happened to you. I love you Moira."

“We’ll talk soon. I wish I didn’t have to go.” She could hear the voices getting closer.

Her team couldn’t find them together. They’d probably be mad. She picked up her panda

and, gripping it in one arm, kissed him fiercely one last time. “I love you too, Toby.” She

turned and disappeared around the corner.

He clung to her while he kissed her, still not wanting to let go. When she finally pulled

away and disappeared he once more had to pinch himself to make sure this wasn't some

kind of a dream.

CHALLENGE TWO: BEWARE THE FUNNY MAN

"Jinke sar ho ishq kii chha.nh (He whose head is in the shadow of love). Pao.n ke niiche jannat hogi (will have heaven beneath his feet.) Jinke sar ho ishq ki chha.nh (Whose head is in the shadow of love...)

Chal chhaiyya (Walk in the shadow)"

*NOTE: IF YOU TURN THE CAPTIONS/COMMENTS ON IN THE VIDEO, THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION APPEARS FOR THE SONG*

TWO

COTY “T” RANOVER

I groan as another bump wakes me up from sleeping. I wasn't joking when I told them I got carsick, not just carsick, but so bad it was almost ungodly. Normally when the family took road trips across the country, I'd be doped up on Dramamine and sleep the entire time blissfully unaware of the ride. Now, I don't get that luxury. Still, if I can keep my eyes closed, I might be able to stop myself from vomiting all over the place. It'd help if I had a pillow, but that would have to wait until another time. The car started to slow as we approached a small town deep in the mountains. I'd never been to mountains before, and it was disappointing that I was missing so much of the scenery because I didn't feel well.

As soon as the car is stopped, I stumble out and put my head between my knees to stop the dizzy spells.

“Dude, you look kind of green,” Toby comments as he comes up to inspect me. “If you're going to hurl, at least try to do it away from me. I'm a sympathy puker.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” I mumble.

“Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to take over?” Cory's familiar voice asks. Obviously, we do our communicating via the brain to keep from looking strange. I felt crazy enough talking to him period, but doing so vocally would make it worse.

“I'm okay now. I promise.” I tell him, and I half believe it.

Another thing about sharing a body with someone is you can't lie to them too well. Sure, there are moments where he 'blanks out',as we like to call it, or I will. I guess you could say it's a lot like sleeping. Basically, we take turns shutting down for a part of the day so the one of us can function like a normal person and the other can rest. We try to keep this time even. I generally take the mornings right after waking up, and Cory has the night hours. He's always been a night owl whereas I like to go to bed early. He likes to party, I like to read, and if I'm blanking out at night, then I don't have to be aware of whatever he decides to do with my body. We have a system of rules, and I trust him enough to follow them. There are still things that I'd rather be oblivious too though.

Then of course, there is our overlap time where we work together. Now is one of those moments.

“Just say the word bro.”

“Yeah, I know. You'll be here.”

Yes, I do kind of want him to take over so I can disappear and pretend none of this is happening. But that's all I'd be doing, pretending, and in the end that's not going to help me or him. Too much is at stake for me to not 'man up' so to speak.

I took in a deep breath and then exhaled. The air is noticably thinner here than back home. I hope I don't get elevation sickness. Wouldn't that be the icing on the cake? My luck has never been too great.

“You okay?” This voice is female and I glance up to see Ipod leaning over me. She puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles. She has a warm and inviting one, and genuine too. I know she means exactly as she says.

“I'm fine.” I nod. “It doesn't take too long to pass.”

“Good, because we need to get to our next destination.” Ryan says and stands nearby with her arms crossed in front of her. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we can hopefully relax.”

I'm not too sure on this one, but I didn't want to burst her bubble just yet. My gut instincts and logic are telling me that moments of rest and relaxation will be few and far apart. I took in one last breath and then slowly stand back up. Low blood pressure too. If I get up too fast, I see all kinds of black spots. I adjust my glasses.

“Let's continue.”

Ryan nods and leads the way into the carnival. She scowls when Toby stops at a ticket booth. “What are you doing?”

“Gettin' tickets, duh. Ya need them to get into thin's like fun houses, last I checked.” He hands each of us a strip of small red tickets. “Yer welcome.”

“Thank you,” I say in a barely audible voice and stare down at the tickets. Toby rolls his eyes and half glares at me. I wince simply because I don't like hostility. Conflict and I were never good friends. Just thinking about it make me sick to my stomach actually. Surprising, I know, since I'm here for beating a man to death. Looking back on that night, I still remembering feeling queasy. I almost backed down as soon as I knocked on his door, but the minute he said 'Oh hey buddy!' like we were best friends? I completely lost it. The nausea replaced with pure hate. I hope I never feel that way ever again. But what was Toby's problem with me?

I take in the sights and sounds of the carnival as we walk, in search of the fun house Chance had instructed us to go to. I'm also on the look out for these hunters. They didn't come after us at the motel, but I think they were only trying to intimidate us then. Now, I have a feeling the gloves are coming off.

The place is busy. Lights are blinking all around to the point where I'm glad I don't have epilepsy because I probably would have gone into some kind of episode if I was. Loud music played from various different rides and stands, as well as the taunting and pleading voices of the workers trying to entice us over. And the smells! Grease, fat, and sugar fill my nostrils.

“Is that mini donuts?” Cory asks. “We need these.”

“Later.” I say.

“And a corn dog. A big ass corn dog. And cheese curds, and an elephant ear.”

“Just pace yourself, I don't want to feel sick in the morning. You know my stomach isn't exactly made for this kind of stuff. And you do remember I'm not exactly a fan of super sweet stuff.”

“Okay, I know you're grumpy from the car ride and the rude awakening, but will you please stop being a Debby Downer? I know how you are, thank you very much. Just trying to be a little optimistic.”

I bite on my lip, knowing he can't see it, and that he already knows the reasons why because one of the downsides to sharing a body with someone is they know all of your thoughts and feelings without you having to explain them. I can't help it though. He's right. Next I'm sure he'll be telling me I need to 'man up'.

“You need to breathe. Are you sure you don't want me to take over here?” He says in an unusually calm way.

“Yes!”

“Fine.”

I sigh, shoving my hands in my pockets as we speed up our pace. I see the fun house, and I shiver. It's ominous. Smoke pours out of its front doors, and it doesn't appear to be large in size, but I also can't see an exit so I don't feel comforted. We had the attendant our tickets and stare at the entrance.

“Here goes nothin'.” Toby says, and pushes Ryan in to go first.

“What a tool.” Cory says.

“Seriously.” I agree.

I move in after her, Ipod follows me, and Toby takes up the rear. The thing is, I can't find Ryan there.

“Any sight of her?” Toby asks.

I shake my head.

Ipod signs 'f-bomb this s-bomb', and I nod back at her signing,

'I agree.' That got a smile out of her, but I figured it would. She did say she preferred to communicate that way, and I'm sure she's happy to be around someone who understands her. I certainly know what that's like, but for different reasons.

Toby is missing now too, and I don't know where he wandered off too or if I'm missing something and bad things were going on. Whatever the reason, I grab onto Ipod's arm firmly, but carefully. 'Stay close.' I sign, almost afraid to speak. My words are caught in my throat, plus I want to focus on listening. Maybe I could hear footsteps, talking, something that would help us out here. All I hear is the smoke machines.

I step forward, which is really the only way to go oddly enough, so it makes me more confused about where Toby had gone. I don't get it. At all. As I walk, I keep my grip on Ipod. If I can touch her, I know she's there, and then if for some reason something were to take her, I'd definitely notice. I don't plan on letting her get away as easily as the others had. She doesn't seem to mind. She shifts my hand so that she's holding it in her own. It's definitely in a platonic way. Just hands clasped, no intertwining or anything. Don't get me wrong, she's cute, and a nice girl, but we did just meet each other. Girls are kind of the last thing on my mind anyway.

We walk into a hall of mirrors. The smoke is still all around, and it's disorienting to say the least. I put a hand in front of me so I'll know if I'm coming up on glass or an opening. Ipod actually moves closer to me and she's shaking slightly. I nod at her, trying to be encouraging. I open my mouth to say something and she shakes her head, putting a finger over my lips.

“I'm picking up a frequency. I hope they can't pick up mine. It's staticy, but they're tracking us through sound.” She says in the strange way she does her mind speak.

My jaw drops, how clever. No wonder Toby was so easy to grab, he doesn't shut up. Neither does Ryan from what I can tell. She's always barking out orders or something. This is going to make things interesting. Especially since the further we venture into the maze, the darker it becomes. Black lights are everywhere making the white spots on my plaid button down and jeans stick out, not to mention the white glow of Cory's crystal. I identify Ipod by her teeth and visible bra strap.

I'm getting confused in this maze. Especially since now I think I'm seeing things, things like other people. I thought I saw Toby and Ryan in one mirror, and then the next I saw men in suits with night vision goggles on. What exactly is this place? Then Ipod's grip on my hand tightens and she stops walking.

“What the hell...?” I hear her voice popping in.

I face the same direction she is and see in red, gorey letters, all over the mirror. Beware the funny man.

“It's gotta be some kind of a riddle.” I say to Cory. Two heads are better than one right? Three are better than two. I can't exactly sign to Ipod anymore because it's too dark, and I'm afraid to talk because of what she had said about the hunters searching for us via sound. I want to ask her if she's picking up any other interesting frequencies, but I have to trust if she's picking up something useful she'll let me know.

“Seems too blunt for a riddle. I think it's a genuine -.” Cory starts.

“LOOK OUT!” Ipod screams in my mind and pulls me closer to her just as a clown decides to take a swing at my head – with a bat. Yep, a bat.

“What the hell kind of a show is this?” Cory takes over, which at this point is fine by me even if he didn't ask. He has better instincts though.

I duck, I roll, and then attack, knocking the clown to the ground with a quiet grunt. I bit my lip, hoping the hunters didn't grab me next because of the one slight sound. Nothing. Ipod is still nearby, but she's frozen in place, watching me as I pin down the 'funny man'. Something about his body doesn't feel normal to me. It feels...dense?

“Robot?” I wonder.

“I think so.” Cory says.

The clown body seems larger than a normal human, and more stiff. He still tries to swing at me every once and a while, but I've got him pinned pretty well at the arms and legs. And if he's a robot then there's got to be some kind of an off-switch, right? I start searching around the ears and the neck, and he snaps at my fingers with his teeth. Where is it? Just as I think I find it, a knee makes contact with my gut and I go sailing through the air and smash into the mirrors behind me.

“Seven years of bad luck.” The clown says and he walks towards me, ready to attack. This time he's planning on using his fists. I'm gasping for air. The kick took a lot out of me, and I'm pretty sure I got more than a few cuts all over too from the broken glass.

Cory's in charge still, but even he can't seem to make my body work.

The clown stares down at me. It's dark, soulless eyes, are glowing purple under the black lights along with it's make up. “Looks like you're pretty f-.”

He never finishes the rhyme because Ipod has the bat and is beating the tar out of the robot clown. Metal hits metal, and she's stronger than she looks because I can see the clown's body bending and denting with each blow. Cory moves my legs to trip the robot to the ground, and she goes to town on its head.

“I. HATE. Clowns.” She yells as she destroys the robot.

I'm breathing hard, still trying to regroup from my hit, and manage to sign a quick thank you to her. I don't know if she notices because her eyes are fixed on the clown, and she's panting.

“The others are close.” She says at last. “Are you okay?”

I nod.

“I think you can talk again. The hunters weren't the ones using the sound. It was the clown, you know, until we walked right into him. I guess the producers are pissed I broke their machine. Oops? But the hunters are watching. I've seen them.”

“Why do you think they aren't coming after us?” I ask quietly, in barely over a whisper. I'm still nervous. What if she was wrong and a hunter grabs me and takes me away next? Nothing happens though and I let out a quiet sound of relief.

Ipod shrugs and then offers me her hand. “This isn't over yet.”

“No shit.” Cory says. I decide to ignore him.

“Are you afraid of clowns?” I ask her quietly. She nods. “Thank you for helping me. That had to have been hard. Where are the others? Do you know?”

“They didn't say that much. I wonder if they know I can pick up on their walkie-talkies? Something about the fear room? Which is funny, because this whole place is like a freaking nightmare for me.” Ipod says.

“Tell me about it.” I mumble. I search around us, trying to find which way to go next. I see Ryan in a mirror, and she's sitting, holding her knees. “There! There's Ryan!”

Ipod looks in the mirror and then behind us, and we're surrounded by the same image. I'm trying to figure out which direction she's in based on the angle of the mirrors and how she's showing up in them all, but I'm still disoriented. Then a hunter pops into the image. The man in the suit and goggles moves towards us, arms outstretched.

“Run.” Ipod grabs my hand again and drags me in a random direction. The hunters were done watching us. It was time for the real chase to begin. I have no idea where we're going. For all I know we could have been heading back towards the start. Soon though we pass through the mirror maze and we're surrounded by nothing but darkness. I hear whimpering, and at first I wonder if Ipod finally melted down on me, but soon realize it's not her.

“Ryan,” I whisper. Then louder. “Ryan?”

“I'm here.” She says, and I detect a hint of hope.

“Are you okay?”

“I'm not hurt, but I'm stuck. I can't see, and my foot.... I think the walls are closing in on me. The room feels a lot smaller than it did before.”

“The fear room.” Ipod said. “This has got to be it.”

“This should be-.” Cory starts, but then his voice starts to fade. The glow of the crystal, which by now has been the only light to see by in this black room, disappears and now we are left in complete and total darkness.

“Cory?” I get no reply. “Cory?!” Now it's my turn to panic, because if I lost him, then I don't know what I'm even doing here to begin with. I'm here because of him. I'm here for him. Take a deep breath. That's what he'd say. Calm down. Help the others.

Ipod is gone. She's not touching me anymore. I'm about to ask her if she's still around when the room goes from completely black to blinding and full of light. I shield my eyes, and I see her in the corner, having just pulled Ryan's foot free from some kind of snare. Sure enough, Ryan was in a small box, so no wonder why she thought the walls were closing in around her. It was a clever contraption painting a great illusion for her. In the middle of this room is a glass box. Inside the glass box is Toby. He shields his eyes and looks at us. He mouths something, but I can't hear it since the glass is sound proof. He's gesturing though at what looks like the lid to the box. He wants out. Duh.

I walk over, investigating the box. I see a latch with a lock on it and a note: 'the hunters have the key'.

“Great....” I mumble. “We need to find the hunters to get the key.” I distinctly see Toby mouthing out the question 'what?' so I show him the note. He rolls his eyes. “Ipod, come over here and talk to him so he doesn't freak out? I don't think he can hear anything we're saying.”

She nods, and we swap places. I go to check on Ryan, and I try hard to not feel numb from the sudden absence of my brother. I try not to feel afraid, because isn't that just what the producers want? They're aim is to make me so afraid I freak out. I'm determined to not let this happen. I notice on the far wall an arrangement of three flashlights. Or they look like flashlights, but more high tech versions. A sign about it says 'hunter killers: one use per can.'

Ryan sees them too and gets up, hobbling slightly on one foot while she adjusts and stretches the other. She grabs one, hands it to me, and then gives the last one to Ipod.

“I suppose we have to wait for the hunters to come and get us?” Ryan asks.

“Or we could go out and find them, but I could personally use a....” I trail off when I hear a lot of thumping coming from Toby's box. A groan when I see it is starting to fill with water, slowly, but filling with water all the same. Are you kidding me? Looks like we weren't going to be getting any breaks any time soon. “We need to find them I guess.”

Ryan nods, examining her flashlight hunter killer curiously as if trying to figure out how it works. I look back at Ipod and nod at her. Her job is to stay with Toby and keep him calm.

Together, Ryan and I venture back into the mirror maze. “Don't suppose you have any ideas on how to stay not lost?” I ask.

“I have lipgloss? We can try putting that on a mirror and making a trail.” She says and pulls out a tube from her jean pockets. I'm skeptical, but it's better than nothing right?

The hunters don't wait too long to make their presence known. I see three in the mirrors and realize we only have two of the 'hunter killers' on us. But maybe one would be easier to take care of alone without the other two mobile? We could hope. The trouble was finding them and getting close. They move constantly, and the mirrors make it hard to tell what is physical and what is simply a picture. Ryan is having a hard time keeping up with her lipgloss as well.

“Dammit,” She says through clenched teeth.

It's a lot like a dance, and I barely know the steps. I'd never been good at this sort of thing in general though. All of the movement is making me dizzy and I wish Cory would help me and take over, but he's still gone. I can't even feel him. It's like he.... I can't even finish the thought. I stop trying to keep up, take a breath and close my eyes. I call upon my powers inside of me. They're complicated, hard to explain, and not all too reliable. But I'm desperate. Break the glass. Without the mirrors confusing us, maybe we'd at least stand a chance.

“Break the glass.” I whisper, and I hear a crack, followed by another, and another, until all around us the mirrors shatter one by one. I find the first solid hunter, and point my flashlight thing at him. As I press the button, a beam of light shoots out and the hunter falls over, completely stunned. I go to search the body, biting back my fears. No time to be afraid. We needed this key for Toby. Please be on this one. I silently plead.

I'm not the luckiest person on the planet, but this is apparently starting to change because there's a medium sized brass key dangling on the neck of this hunter. I yank it off easily. “I got it!”

“Great,” Ryan says. “I'll try to distract them and -.” I hear her grunt as a hunter makes a grab for her. She uses her beam and he goes down, which leaves the one. “Hurry!”

She doesn't need to tell me twice. I run through the black path, the light from the fear room glowing in the distance. I charge over the broken glass for the door, the hunter is hot on my heels despite Ryan's efforts to keep him away. When I enter the room, my eyes have to readjust and when they do I see Toby fighting to get air from every pocket he could find inside the box.

I toss the key at Ipod just as the hunter tackles me to the floor. He notices I don't have it anymore, and starts to go after her. Well, I'm not planning on letting that happen. I tackle him, and I'm surprised by my own strength. Just like with the clown, I'm able to keep him pinned, but he's much more feisty He feels like flesh and blood to me – for the most part. Something feels off to me though, but I can't quite place my finger on it.

Just as I get shoved off by the hunter, Ipod gets the lid to the box off. Toby scrambles out, gasping for air and falls to the floor with a loud thud. The hunter charges, eyes narrowed in anger. I lock eyes with Ipod, and she tosses her flashlight at me. I'm barely able to catch it, let alone point and shoot. Somehow though, I do so, hoping I hit the spot. There's a thud, and then quiet.

Ryan falls next to me onto her knees, breathing heavily and obviously exhausted. I'm pretty sure Toby is puking and I see Ipod briefly rubbing his back while he does this.

Then I hear someone clapping. I raise my eyes and see our lovely host Chance Cagney in the flesh.

“Bravo! Bravo! You did much better than anyone ever gave you credit for.” He says with a smirk.

I'm kind of irritated by his jab, but I'm too tired to care. I close my eyes, and smile because I start to feel Cory's again. It's funny, but as much as it sucks to have to share my body with him, I also like the feeling of security that comes with it.

“Are you okay?” He asks me.

“Yeah, you?” I reply.

“Yeah, I just had a force blank out. Weird huh? What'd I miss? You feel like hell.”

“I'll tell you later.”

Chance is talking, and I'm not even listening. Oops.

“So congratulations. You have made it to the top five in our competition. You are officially in the running to escape your past and start a new life for yourself. Tonight you should celebrate, and rest, because tomorrow afternoon your next challenge will arrive. If you thought this was hard, well, I hate to tell you but it only will get worse from here on out.”

Great right?

“It's a pleasure to meet you all.”

I nod, too tired to say anything else. “Okay, I'm blanking out. Have fun at the carnival, but try not to go too crazy? I really need to sleep.”

“Sure thing bro. I'm proud of you.”

I don't even reply. Now that the adrenaline's wearing off, all I want to do is sleep. Blanking out is the closest thing I'll get to doing that while Cory is awake. My exhausted body is now his problem.