We marched on restlessly for hours, anxiously waiting. I was tired of walking. I was tired of trudging onward hoping we would make it to the finish line. I just wanted to get the obstacles over with and be done with it. The continuous walking just left a moment of tension that I didn't want.

A steep slope approached, and I climbed it with caution. Last time there was a hill, a liquid had sprayed in my eyes and had blinded me. I held the urge to squeeze my eyes shut as I reached the top.

There was only a single tree, which grew so tall that I had to crane my neck to see it. On one of the thick branches was a swing. The chains were rusty and uneven. The swing itself was a simple piece of wood, like the homemade ones you'd see in someone's backyard.

A slide, monkey bars, and now a swing.

"Now we have the whole playground." I cracked a smile. I looked past the swing and at the cliff under my feet. Across from it was another cliff, which had a net swinging loosely from the edge. We just had to jump off the swing.

"Let's get this over with," Aster said. He placed his foot on the swing, causing it to sink. Aster lifted his whole body on top of it, not hesitating to lurch his body back and forth. The plank moved with him, causing the chain to rise higher and higher.

It took several attempts, for the uneven chain made it impossible to function properly. Aster managed to get high enough to jump, though. He threw the swing backward and flew through the air. It nearly hit me in the forehead as it came down. Aster caught onto the net, only making it by a few inches. He climbed it and made it to the top quickly.

Tilly hopped on the swing next. It took more time for her to get as high as Aster had, but she did it. Once she felt like she was high enough, Tilly took a deep breath and jumped off. She shrieked as she got closer to the end of the cliff, barely grasping her fingers through the gaps in the net.

My heart clattered against my chest. It took awhile, but Aster and Tilly had made the swing look easy. What if I couldn't do it? It didn't take much of an imagination to think of what could happen if I didn't catch the net.

I placed my feet on the wood. The lopsided board caused my body to lean against the chain, which I was gripping to the point that my knuckles had turned white. I lurched my whole body in an attempt to move the wood. I swung higher and higher, grinning as every push brought me closer to the edge.

When I was satisfied with how high I was, I released the rusty metal and pushed off the swing.

My first intention was to scream. I had jumped over plenty of abysses, but the fear I felt when I was doing it never left. My eyes focused on the net ahead of me. I latched on the bottom. My weight caused it to swing, but it didn't hit the wall. I hooked my feet into the holes. I grunted as I lifted myself up, placing my hands and feet in the gaps of the net before climbing up to meet with Aster and Tilly.

"Let's go," Aster told me as he grabbed my hands, hoisting me up. "The next obstacle is right here."

I stared at him, confused. He grabbed my wrist, nearly dragging me onward. I looked behind me. Tilly wasn't with us. Where was she?

It didn't take long for that question to be answered. Tilly was only a couple feet away, standing in front of three slides.

I stopped in my tracks. Aster released my hand. I only stared. Three slides. Just like what we faced as our first obstacle. I remembered the horrors of running through the course for the first time and practically determining how I was going to die. Then I had been pushed off, only surviving with the luck and prayers that I had.

I wondered if Caden had watched me since the beginning. If he spent his days and nights restlessly staring at the TV, clenching his fists with tears in his eyes. Had he expected me to die? I couldn't blame him if so. Just that morning we were eating cereal and I was tying his tie. Were those two kids still there, or had we both changed?

My heart didn't ache at the thought of his name like it used to. I had gotten used to the absence of him. I just hoped that he was all right.

I began to search around, immediately referring back to the strategy I had used last time. I hunted for rocks by searching behind any trees nearby. When I didn't find any rocks, I began to tear off branches, grabbing the ones that I was content with. Aster nor Tilly tried to stop me. They only watched as I slid one of the branches down the first slide, resting my ear next to the metal. I heard nothing. I slid more pieces of wood down the other slides. I couldn't help but feel disappointed when nothing happened.

"Maybe we should try something else," Aster suggested. I nodded. There had to be something heavier that would allow the sound to be audible. Without giving it a second thought, I tore my shoe off of my foot and rolled it down the slide. A faint plop came from the bottom. I grinned, moving onto the next slide. I rolled my other shoe down it. Nothing.

I turned to Aster and Tilly. Tilly already had her shoes off. She handed me one. I gratefully took it and rolled it down the third slide. Nothing. I rolled Tilly's second shoe down the third slide once more. I was rewarded with another round of silence.

"What about the first slide?" Aster suggested.

I shook my head. "That one has something under it."

"What is it?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to risk the chances."

Aster didn't reply. We all stood there for a second in silence. Aster then took his shoe off, rolling it down the first slide. I shot daggers at his back. I swore that I had just told him that the first slide was out of the picture. So why was he wasting the last two shoes we had on that one?

He stood up, grimacing when he saw my frown. "We have to go down this one."

I shook my head. "It's one of the other ones. I heard something—"

"Kat please," Aster pleaded. "You have to trust me."

I sucked in a deep breath. I trusted Aster more than anyone. If he felt so confident that we had to go down the first slide, then he must have heard something that I hadn't. I nodded. Smiling, Aster propped himself on the metal slide, pushing off and sliding to what I hoped wasn't his doom.

I hopped on once I couldn't see him. Tilly sat behind me, gripping my shoulders as I slid us down. Several twists and turns made me grasp the edges so I didn't fall off. I kept my legs close to my chest, my feet causing us to slide down slowly. My heart crashed against my chest and blood pounded in my ears. I hope Aster is right, I thought. I really hope.

My feet landed in a puddle. We met up with Aster. He was staring ahead, mouth gaping and face bone white. It didn't take me long to discover why. Standing in front of us was a man, bodies piled at his feet.

Who's the guy they met? Is he to be trusted, or not so much? What do you think will happen? Find out next week!

Vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. Try to vote with your Halloween costume, or favorite candy (that's right, Halloween's today, isn't this a fun treat?). While you're at it, comment down what you're wearing for Halloween or your favorite candy. Stay amazing, as always.

This song is Skin and Bones by David J. Roch. Enjoy. :)

Who's the guy they met? Is he to be trusted, or not so much? What do you think will happen? Find out next week!

Vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. Try to vote with your Halloween costume, or favorite candy (that's right, Halloween's today, isn't this a fun treat?). While you're at it, comment down what you're wearing for Halloween or your favorite candy. Stay amazing, as always.

This song is Skin and Bones by David J. Roch. Enjoy. :)