Chapter Eight

The words repeated in my head. I felt tears forming in my eyes but I blink them away.

"What do you want?" I shouted, not caring who heard me.

"You, my dear Ashley will just have to find out," the dark voice said.

"Or maybe you are not the scary man I thought you were, because if you were you would tell your plan to me."

"Maybe I like keeping my captures in suspense," the dark voice whispered behind me. I turned behind and stretch my hands to feel the person but all I feel is nothing.

"You won't find me, Ashely," the dark voice said, "I am invisible!"

"Stop acting so high of yourself. Everybody who speaks is a living creature," I said confidently, though inside I felt suddenly unsure. Was having even possible? Could non-living creatures speak in your mind?

"You will be surprised by what the world is hiding, Ashley. What your little roommate, Leon is hiding."

"Leave him out of this! And he is not hiding anything!" I told myself over and over again that the dark voice is just messing with my head, but deep inside I knew that he might be right. I had only known Leon for a few days. We didn't know each other well enough and long enough glad monks his secrets.

"Until we meet next time, bye my little Ashley." Before I can ask what he was talking about. The light on the elevator switched on and the elevator was continuing on its way to the ground floor.

I looked around the elevator to find any clues to how the dark voice came in but everything seemed normal. I wiped my sweating hands on my dress. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths trying to calm my beating heart down. I heard the chime of the elevator; I opened my eyes and saw the door opening. I walked out to an empty hallway. I fast walked to the meeting area and saw Leon standing alone.

Leon snapped his head toward me. A smirk covered his face as I walked closer to him.

"What?" I snapped at him, curious about what he found amusing.

"Nothing," he said.

"Come on," I said, "tell me."

"It is nothing," Leon said.

"You are not smirking for nothing. Tell me!" I encouraged him to tell me.

"Okay, but you are going to hate me. It is just that I walked down twenty flights of stairs and still beat you, who was in an elevator that is five times faster than me.

"So you the type of person that makes fun of people that is slow."

"No, it is just that I found it a little funny- never mind," Leon said.

"Where is everyone?" I asked looking around the empty entrance.

"There," Leon said pointing towards the forest.

"Where?" I asked as I squinted my eyes to see where he was pointing.

"Come on. Let me show you," Leon said pulling my arm to make me walk with me.

Leon let go of off my hand as soon as he touched it. We walked in silence to the spot. From the corner of my eye, I occasionally caught Leon looking at me. As we walked by a big tree Leon plucked a flower from the tree. He twirled it in his hand.

"Here," Leon said handing me the flower.

"What is this for?" I asked smelling the bright pink flower.

"Nothing," Leon said kicking the grass, "Here we are."

I turned my head back to the front to see everybody chatting together. I turned my head back to Leon to see a faraway look in his eye.

"Hi!" I twisted my head to the sound of the familiar voice.

"Helen! Hi!" I said.

"How have you been doing?"

"I have been doing good. This place is amazing," I said gesturing my arms outwards.

"I know right! I-" Helen was cut off by a loud voice.

"Everybody line up!" As soon as the man said that everybody was rushing to be in the front of the line. I felt a tug on my sleeve. I turned my head to see Julie.

"What are you waiting for? Come on!" I go to stand behind her.

"Where are we going?" I asked loudly.

"I don't know! In fact, nobody knows."

"Great," I muttered. The line slowly moved forward so there that we all were not squashed together. Gradually the line moved more forward so that we were all slow walking.

"Where were you last night?"

"I wasn't feeling too well so I went back to my dorm," I lied through my teeth.

"Oh, shame. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I am definitely feeling better. I think it was just homesickness."

"Is this the first time away from your home?"

"Yes, it is. My mom and dad go around the world for work but they never took me."

"I-" Julie started to say but was cut off by the loud voice.

"Everybody get in groups of four. There must be two girls and two boys in each group." A buzz of noise was created as everybody searched for their group.

"Ashley!" I heard a familiar voice ask me. I walked towards the voice to see Jared waving at me with one hand while his other hand is wrapped around Carrie who was standing next to him.

"Do you want to be in a group?" he asked me. I looked behind me to Julie who was looking around at everybody.

"Sorry but no. I don't want to leave Julie alone," I said. Julie snapped her towards me.

"Ashley go ahead I will find a group."

"No I am staying with you," I say firmly.

"Hey, we need two more girls. Anybody?" Keith asked with Jake trailing behind him.

"Sure, us," Julie said nodding towards me.

"Great."

"Hey man want to be in a group?" a boy asked Jared.

"Sure! Hey Christie!" Carrie said to the girl beside the boy

"Okay I am sure everybody has a group by now. I want all the groups in lined up in a straight line," the man said loudly. We all go to stand in the line.

"This is like grade one all over again," Keith said.

"I know right," Jake said, agreeing with Keith.

"Now I am going to give one blindfold to each group. You all will go alphabetically. The aim of this game is to reach the other side of the forest as quickly as possible. As soon as you reach the halfway mark another person from the group starts. You may use the walkway. Get in your positions!" the man said. As a woman walked passed us she gave a blindfold to me.

"Can someone tie the blindfold?" I asked feeling nervous.

"Here let me do it," Jake said taking the blindfold from my hands, "there."

"Thanks."

"No problem," Jake replied. I blink my eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. I closed my eyes and then reopened them trying to see which is more comfortable. I chose to keep them open because I could see slightly through the blindfold.

"Everybody ready, take your marks, get set. Go!" the man said blowing a whistle.

"Lets go little Ashley," the dark voice whispered to me.

*____________________________________*

Hi Everyone!

I am so sorry for not updating yesterday.

Hope you all liked this chapter!

Not Edited!

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