Venus:

I ran inside with Nick, he was rushing me up the stairs and I wondered why. He told me something about Jake and I worried, what had happened when I was gone? He led me to my room door and paused before grabbing the door handle and pushing my door open. I looked inside to see Jake lying on my bed, my bones were pulled out on the floor and one was beside him. He opened his eyes to reveal his glistening brown eyes. I automatically knew something was wrong once I came through the thresh hold of the house. I ran up to the bed and Jake began to wag his tail. I gave him a kiss on the nose and hugged him.

"Venus" he whimpered

I looked at him, I could sense death lingering in the room. I pet his long shiney black coat and looked into his eyes. He was dying, and had waited his final days for me to come home.

"Im so happy your back" He barked quietly

"So am I buddy" I said scratching the back of his ear lightly

He looked like he was grinning as he pushed his head into my hand. I smiled as I remembered the days when I would do that and he would push his head into my stomach and lay down on me.

"I love you Venus" He whimpered before closing his eyes

I began to tear up as I felt his body rise and he gave his last breath.

"No Jake no, Jake please" I sobbed as I continued to scratch the back of his ear in hopes he would awaken as his youthful self

"I got a seconed chance Jake no!" I cried

I knew he was gone, but I to had experienced death. Why was I able to live and not Jake? I knelt there at my bed, crying into his fur and taking in his smell as I knew this was going to be the last time I could smell him this way. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Nick who was also in tears. I got up and hugged him, crying into his shirt as I felt his tears land on my hair. After several minutes I pulled away and wiped my tears.

"W-wheres Dad?" I asked as he wiped his own

"Hes outside in the garden" Nick said, choking slightly

He began to lead me out of the room but I looked back to see my little cub, my only pack member, forever sleeping on my bed. I realized he had gone to sleep with a big grin on his face. He was happy, happy I had come home, happy that I had made it back to him in time. I turned around and gave myself a smile as I shut the door. He was happy, I should be happy to. I found Nick at the top of the stairs and we walked down together, I was clutching his arm as he led me to the backyard. I realized the only thing that had stayed alive was my flower garden. I had tended to those plants since I was a child, making sure they had water, talking to them when they looked sad, and curing them when they were sick. I realized through out this whole time I had been in the games, that plants do have mind and hearts of there own. Nick began to lead me to the center of the garden where the gazebo is, flowers standing straight up as I passed. The flowers had stayed alive for me, because I was there friend and they hoped for me to come home. I looked awat from my plants and had the feeling of nervousness wash over me. There standing in the middle of the gazebo was my father. I thought on how he didn't have the right to be called 'Dad' because Dads take care of there children, they don't hide life changing screts like that im sure. I stopped several feet from the entrance with Nick. Father turned around and his eyes brightend as he saw me standing along side my brother. I had no facial expression as he stared at me, frozen with joy. Nick pushed me forward and I began to walk up the steps slowly. Father is a government official, Venus you are scared, terrified even of officals of such brutality. Father rushed up to me to hug me but I pushed him away, still maintaining my serious facial expression. He looked down on me and frowned, the way his eyes filled with confusion as if he didn't know angered me. I shook my head slightly and smacked him.

"Venus!" Nick yelled from behind me

"When where you going to tell me?" I yelled as my father recuperated from my hit

"Tell you what?" he asked, a sudden wild look in his eys

"Tell me that I was just an experiment! How about maye that me and Nick have an older sister? Maybe how our mother that we never met died? How about maybe that you're a government official? You know, the ones we were told to stay away from?" I questioned

Father had a look of guilt and sadness in his eyes, he had been caught red handed and there was no stopping it.

"Is that true?" Nick asked stepping beside me and crossing his arms

"Nick I don't know wher she go tthat from, did Harriett tell you that Venus?" He asked me

The son of a gun thought he could get away with a lie? No no no, not happening sir.

"Oh, oh no! No harriett didn't tell me anything. Julia did" I said crossing my arms

His eyes widened, the name mustve it him like a stone.

"B-but shes dead!" he exclaimed as he stepped back

"Well yeah, but when you're a dimensional being you don't really care much about death." I said crossing my arms

"Did you know our mothers name was Amber?" I asked, turning to Nick

"N-no" he stuttered

"Exactly. Wanna know why she died?" I asked him

He nodded his head slowly and I raised an eyebrow.

"Because father over here, decided to stick with the authoritys and do his job in letting them take our older sister. Not that im saying he was wrong in trying to defend his daughter but, he knew the consiquences of even starting the expirement, so why do it?" I stated pointing at father who was now shaking

"you have got to be kidding" Nick said looking over at father

"Dad answer me this question. Why?" I asked crossing my arms and stepping forward

He mumbled something and I could hear it clearly well but im sure Nick couldn't.

"Im sorry we didn't catch that, we would like to know WHY" I said

"For the money and a scientific break through!" he yelled out

The first time he had mumbled 'For a Scientific Break Through' but I stumbled back when I heard 'Money'. I looked at him with sheer anger and disappointment. He had sacrificed the life of his loving wife and first born, and probably my own for the sake of money? Anger boiled in me and my fist balled tight. I felt a sudden pulse in my neck and I fell out of councious. The only thing I could think about was the death of the man before me.

"Kill him" was what I heard in my head, a familiar voice repeated the words

Uncounciously I sprang forward, hearing Nick call my name faintly and my father terrified expression.

***

Shawn:

I stepped out of te car in front of my home, I was eager to see my family and show them in person that I was alive. The front doo swung open and my mother ran out with my father tagging along behind. They embraced me in a extreamly tight hug.

"Okay, guys I have to breath!" I whispered as there grip tightened

They laughed and let go. My mother looked me in the eyes and brushed my cheek with her hand. I grabbed her hand and nestled my head into it. Aalyiah suddenly came running out the front door screaming my name before jumping on me.

"Woah hey!" I said as I twirled her around and set her down on the ground

"You made it back!" she said hugging me around my waist

"Welll if it wernt for that promise I wouldnt have" I said bending down to her level nad brushing the hair out of her face

"Where is Venus?" She asked looking around

"Shes at home at the top of the hill" I said pointing up to the hill

Then I noticed something that shocked me. Venus ran from around side her house looking completely shocked and confused. Her brother ran up behind her and grabbed her hand, pointing to the woods frantically. Was she running? Suddenly Keepers came from behind the house on the other side, Harriett sitting in the car in the drive way. Venus took her brothers hand and they ran into the woods.

"Venus?" I said out loud

The Keepers saw her vanish into the woods and they ran after her. What was going on?

"I'll be right back" I said not even bothering to look back at my family

"What? Shan where do you think your going?" My mother asked crossing her arms

"Its Venus, somethings wrong shes in danger!" I yelled for I had already started running down the street

Something WAS wrong. Keepers were chasing Venus into the woods but why is the question. Why were they even there in the first place, like why did they stay? My viehcle just drove off once I got out. I finally got to the edge of the woods and without stopping ran in. I had light footsteps against the forest floor and could suddenly hear Venus's quick heavy ones stop. I slowed down as I approached the clearing Venus and I had met in when we were little.

"Venus what happened back there?!" I heard her brother yell

"I- I don't know, I wasnt myself s-something made me do it" I heard say in shock

I walked in closer until I could finally see the inside of the clearing. My eyes widened at what they saw. Venus's hands had blood on them, her floral dress teared and her boots scruffed up. I stepped in and there heads snaped in my direction.

"Venus, what DID you do?"