The first thing I'm able to sense is the smell of cold air in my nostrils.  Slowly, my eyes open to a dimly lit room.  I've been here before, it's Brendon's shed.  My ankles and wrists are bound by nylon rope, and my mouth with duct tape.  I'm lying on my side against the wooden floor. 

The door opens to reveal a shadowy figure in the nighttime, followed by cold air.  Brendon closes the door behind him and approaches me, grabbing me by the armpit and positioning my back against the wall.

"I'm gonna ask niceley, Rebecca."  His voice is cold and monotone as he removes the tape.  "Where are my things?"

"My pocket."

He gives me a hard glare, then reaches into my pant pocket, taking out the gold pendant.  Sarah's gold pendant.  He smiles and throws it to the other side of the room.  "And my other thing?"

"I don't have it."

Brendon grabs a clump of my hair and pulls me up, slamming my head onto the wall and resting the boxcutter on my throat.  "Ruby, I've been lenient with you.  I have no intention to end your life, but I will if you keep lying."

"I'm not lying, I swear!  It's not in my posession."

"Where'd you hide the book in your home?"

"It's not there.  I gave you the pendant because I had it!"

He slams my head again, digging the knife harder.  "Who do you think you're protecting?"

"No one.  If I'm gonna die, at least I'll die knowing you'll never get your book back."

"So you know where it is?"

"I never said I didn't, just that I didn't have it."

"Smart ass, are you?  I'll make sure your death is slow and painful, just like everyone else."  He smiles.  "Any last words?"

"Just a question."

"Ask away."

"What time is it?"

His smirk fades.  "It's... just about 6:00, why?"

Brendon's smacked hard on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.  His body makes a hard thump as it makes contact with the floor.  I look up to see Amber, holding a metal golf club.

"Where'd you get that from?"  I ask.

"Found it outside."  She drops the club and begins to untie my hands, then my ankles.  "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine.  Do you have the book?"

"It's safe in my inside pocket.  Does he know I have it?"

"No.  I'll get the pendant, then we can leave."  I walk over to the other side of the shed and pick it up. 

When I turn around, my heart stops.  Brendon's aiming a gun at Amber from the ground.

"Amber, move!"

She does it just in time for him to fire the shot, which lands into my arm.  I yell in pain.  I see Amber pick up the golf club and knock him unconscious again.

"Shit, Ruby!" 

I hold my arm.  "No, come on. We have to get out of here.  I know where we can go."

We exit the shed and run into the woods, farther and farther, until we reach the freeway.

"There's a police station not that far from..."  I fall down.

"Ruby!"  she picks me up.  "You're losing so much blood!"  Amber removes a scarf from her jacket pocket.

"No, it's freezing!  You need it!"

"You'll die, Ruby!"  she wraps it around my bloody arm, tightening it.  "That should hold until we get to the hospital."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it, where are we going?"

"That way."  I point. 

Amber supports me as we walk in the freezing weather along the desolate road.  We're shivering, me more so than her.  The minutes turn from 5 to 10, then to 20.  My fingers are numb, and our breaths are visible clouds of fog in the air.  I know Amber's hands are beyond feeling anymore.  Nonetheless, she keeps her arm around me as we venture forth.  30 minutes pass, not a car in sight.  At this point, our only sign of civilization is the clear, black road.  On both sides of us, trees and snowy, downward slopes.

Then, I hear something.  "Wait, wait, stop."

"What's wrong?"

"Do you hear that?"

"What?  I don't hear anything."

I flip my aid frequencies to 4 with my numb fingers, to the sound of running footsteps against snow, coming from our left. 

"Are you sure it's not an animal?"

"Animals Don't run on two legs."

They're coming closer.  Quickly, I take the pendant out of my pocket and give it to Amber.

"What's this for?"

"Trust me."  I push her out of the way, and she loses her footing.  He's here.  She props herself up just in time to see Brendon tackle me with enough force for us to tumble down the other side of the slope, sliding onto a frozen over lake.

"Ruby!"

Slowly, I pick myself up to regain my balance. Brendon grabs me and holds the box cutter to my throat once again.

"Where's the book?" He demands.

"She doesn't have it!"  I look at Amber on top of the slope, holding the book in one hand, and Brendon's gun in the other, aiming it in our direction.  "I do."

"Give it to me."

"No."

"Hand it over."

"Amber, don't do it!"  I yell.

She seems so conflicted.

He presses it harder.  "You're mistaken if you don't think I'll kill a child.  I've always wondered what that's like."

"Amber, don't listen to him.  At least if I die, I won't be another statistic to unsolved murders, I won't die in vain!"

"You don't want your best friend to be my next, also youngest, kill yet, do you?"

"Don't think about me, think about Sarah and everyone else in that book!"  Her hand starts to shake.  "Amber, you're smart.  I know you'll make the right decision." My voice breaks.

She aims the gun down and shuts her eyes, pulling the trigger.  It startles Brendon and I, enough for me to get out of his grip, careful not to slip.  I look at Brendon, he wasn't shot.

He smirks at Amber.  "You missed."

A cracking sound beneath us fills my ears.  His smile fades and we lock eyes.  The ice gives away.