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[WilloweWolf]

Awesome! You've definitely got me captivated. Keep going, bliss!

[peachy keen-]

Awesome! You've definitely got me captivated. Keep going, bliss!

thank you!! ^-^


i plan on posting the third chapter tomorrow. cx

[naturalharmony.]

ovo looks great so far!! this'll definitely be interesting to see what happens next

[peachy keen-]

[yikes yikes yikes. late chapter, sorry. i've been SO busy these past two days. this is a really sorry excuse for a chapter. apologies for both it's shortness and its content.]

“Aspen.” The name spoken was muddled. A hand shook the girl’s bony shoulder. Aspen groaned, rolling over. Another shake and another mumble of her name, this time rougher and louder. Aspen’s eyelids fluttered open and she found herself squinting at a boy with short, dirty blonde hair. Hayden. She blinked several times, forcing herself to sit up and lean against the wall. She looked upward at the glass ceiling. Stars blinked their hellos. Silvery moonlight spilled into the room, illuminating Hayden’s outline.

“It’s still nighttime. Why did you wake me?” Aspen croaked out grumpily. She rubbed her eyes with balled fists.

“Sorry,” the boy mumbled. “I brought you dinner since you missed it. You slept for, like, twelve hours.” He pressed a hard piece of brown bread into her hands.

“Yeah, well, I was tired.” Aspen shrugged, giving him a suspicious look as she folded her fingers over the bread. “This is all of it?” Aspen questioned, arching an eyebrow. Hayden nodded.

“What, do you think I ate it? I wouldn’t if you paid me. That stuff is as hard as a rock. I had a hard enough time choking my own down.”

“Okay, okay. I believe you. Guess whatever guilt they felt for us was short-lived.”

Hayden flickered a smile.

“Is there any other reason you woke me up in the middle of the night?”

Hayden pressed his lips together. He hesitated before finally shaking his head. “No.” He didn’t sound convincing.

“Okay, then I’ll just go back to sleep.” She laid back down, her back to the boy as she focused on getting back to sleep.

It took several minutes, but he finally spoke again. “There is something, actually.” He paused, and Aspen began to think he wasn’t going to keep going. “I couldn’t sleep, and I needed someone to talk to. Aspen, I hate it here.”

“We all do.” Aspen mumbled, her lips barely parting when she spoke.

“I know.” The boy pulled his knees up near his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. “But, it’s not just that.” He fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “Here.” He handed it to the girl.

“What is it?” Aspen inquired curiously as she used the palm of her hands to push herself into a seated position.

“Just read it.”

Aspen unfolded the paper gingerly. In bold, black letters, four words were written: YOU’RE NEXT. GOOD LUCK. The ominous letters seemed to float around in Aspen’s mind, corrupting whatever thoughts she might be having at the moment. She didn’t feel tired anymore. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know. I found it on the floor.” Aspen could tell Hayden was attempting to keep his voice even, but it wavered slightly.

“It could be for anyone, then, right?”

“Maybe.”

“Hayden, don’t worry, it’s probably some sort of –”

Hayden shook his head. “Don’t you get it? We both know it’s for me. I’m going to die, Aspen. I’m going to die – you know as well as I do that they can do that and anything else easily. You know, with … Karen” – He fell silent, his gaze dropping to the floor. Karen had been Hayden’s sister. She’d disappeared one of the first nights – “and all the others. Frankly, Aspen, if I’m terribly honest with you … I’m scared to death.” A tear rolled down the boy’s cheek. Aspen didn’t know what to do at first, but finally she pulled the boy closer to her, wrapping him in a hug. Anger for whoever threatened her friend like this bubbled up inside of her and seethed out.

“I swear, Hayden. You’re not going to die. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure of that. I swear.” The two fell asleep like that, with Aspen’s arms wrapped around the sniffling boy.


↘ ↘


Aspen was rudely awaken the next morning by Rose, who was shouting something at her and shaking her shoulder roughly. Aspen had learned several days ago to be immune to the redhead’s complaining and blaming. She could always find something to be unpleasant about.

“Stop that!” Aspen muttered, swatting Rose’s hand away.

“Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” Rose demanded, her hands on her hips. “Stay. Away. From. Them.”

“Stay away from who? Rose, what are you talking about?”

“Atlas and Hayden. Especially Hayden. I saw you two … doing whatever you were doing last night. Acting like you were.” She spit the words out as if they were poison.

Aspen almost scoffed out loud. “Look, Hayden’s just my friend, and I have no idea what you’re accusing me of with Atlas. Besides,” she grunted with effort as she stood. “You’re pathetic for acting like this. Are you oblivious to our circumstances? You’re really thinking about romance while we’re trying to survive? We don’t have time for that.”

“Whatever.” Rose muttered as she strutted off.

Aspen couldn’t believe that girl! They had bigger problems than fighting over who was paired with who. Hayden was her friend; probably her best friend. She didn’t love him. They weren’t dating. She stumbled over to their leader, and just as she was about to open her mouth to ask him something, he raised his hand, which was curled into a fist, almost smacking the girl in the nose.

“Everyone, listen up! This is important.” It took a few moments, but the chatter eventually died down to a lulled silence. “Olivia’s missing.”

← chap. 2xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[url=linkhere]→[/url] chap. 4

[peachy keen-]

Ah this is getting so good <3333
Rose and Aspen are about to rumble, me thinks!

haha, thanks skamp!
i just love to add conflict when writing, and rose and aspen are certainly going to have a lot of that. <3

[Guest]

oh boy
I liked Olivia. Don't ask me why.

[peachy keen-]

oh boy
I liked Olivia. Don't ask me why.

why
she may come back.
or maybe not.
OR MAYBE SHE'LL JUST COME BACK AS A MUTANT LIZARD THING LIKE IN THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN OR SOMETHING.
dun dun dun.

[peachy keen-]

when i said the mutant lizard thing, i was joking.
or was i.
BUT I HAVE THE GREATEST PLAN IN MIND AND YOU GUYS WILL EITHER HATE ME OR LOVE ME FOR IT.

[Dizzy socks]

This. Is. Fantastic.

[WilloweWolf]

I'm about to die. You're certainly good at cliffhangers.