CWG: Okay, so I realize that the last chapter was really crappy, really short, and the dividing lines didn't show up so I apologize for being sloppy with my update.

DISCLAIMER: Ha ha, funny. (smiles)

WARNING: Well…honestly if you've disregarded the last twelve chapters' warnings, I don't think I need to bother anymore, but just in case: OOCness!!!

Chapter 13: The Shed
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The street lamps shot on as the last rays of sunlight fell behind the horizon. Izzy and Tala ran ahead as they 'raced' to the entrance, or rather, the end of the incredibly long line outside the entrance. Everyone watched as Tala hung back a bit letting the shorter girl pass him easily. He smiled as she made a move for what looked like a victory dance. The girl in front of her smiled and looked as though she wanted to laugh at how silly the Isabella looked. She politely refrained but seemed to cough a little in what sounded like a mangled giggle. Izzy beamed at the stranger and began to talk about the band who was supposed to play in a few moments. The stranger spoke with her excitedly as they both conveyed their affections for the lead singer; Izzy didn't seem to notice how Tyson shifted awkwardly beside her. The girl introduced herself as Natasha. She was of average height with long, dark brown hair. She brushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes as she spoke revealing a small star tattoo at the corner of her eye. Upon seeing the small shape, Izzy was instantly caught up in a whole new conversation.

As the line dragged on for what seemed like hours, Hilary seemed like she was the only one without anyone to talk to. She glanced over at Aleks who was fighting with Tyson about something or other while Tala and Kai spoke about some sort of champion overseas. She felt herself cold and bored just standing around doing nothing and couldn't help but feel her mind slipping away on its own. She recalled the grinding sound, the footsteps, and the feeling of being watched. She shuddered visibly at the memories, but no one seemed to notice. She tried to think back further, but everything seemed hazy. She could feel as though she was forgetting something important but didn't know what…

"Hilary?" a small voice called out. She couldn't see anything from her hiding place, but she could hear the fear rising in Mathew's voice. She smiled thoughtfully as she looked below her. She could barely see anything through the dusty floorboards below her, but she could, however, see the vague form of a small child directly below her. She noticed a small candle in his hands, the flame dancing around, lighting the features of his face. She smiled brighter as she realized just how perfecta spot this was, and couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy. She knew he was terrified of the dark and that he would never find her. She shifted her weight carefully as she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Part of her hoped Mathew would move on and give up, but another part of her hoped he'd hear her and know she was with him.

She watched as her younger brother yelped at the sound of the creaking floorboards, but couldn't tell if it was his footsteps or her movement that had caused the sound. He seemed convinced that it was neither and started to whimper. The sound made Hilary's heart drop as she looked down at her brother. She knew the game had lost its fun, but couldn't bring herself to give away her hiding place. She waited a few moments after she was sure he'd left the dark shed before sliding across the floor to the loose board in the corner. She quietly lifted it off its rusty nails and slid her body through the small hole. She could feel a sharp pain in her knee as a splinter dug into the skin, but she ignored it as she dropped down onto the piled up boxes. She lifted the old piece of wood and set it back in place.

She dusted off her navy blue skirt and tried to straighten out her already dirt covered white shirt. When she thought she'd done all she could, she jumped down from the tower, letting the tingling sensation in her feet pass before taking a step towards the door. She had felt the floor creak painfully when she had landed and hoped that Mathew hadn't heard. When she stepped forward, however, she began to feel the creaky floorboard bend under her foot. She hardly had time to scream before the board snapped under her weight completely. She felt sharp splinters pierce her skin as the boards collapsed around her.

As soon as she could comprehend where she was, Hilary began to cry. She held onto her leg trying to stop the blood from escaping from the open wounds. She could hear the distant cries of Mathew as he searched for her, but she didn't have the energy to call out. She leaned against an old support beam and tried to get a hold of herself. She muttered a few words that would've only earned her a spanking if her mother had heard, but she didn't care. She had heard the boy next door yell the very words at the top of his lungs when he was upset, and she thought they were fitting words for her current situation. She wiped the salty tears from her face and tugged at her hair as she tried to unhook the knotted hair tie from her brown curls. She gave up when the pain shot through her scalp all too quickly and threw her hands to her lap in frustration. She tried to lift herself on her better leg as she tried to reach for the hole above her.

"MATHEW!" she cried out in a weak voice. She knew her brother wouldn't hear, but it was worth the shot. She groaned as the stinging pain turned into an annoying ache in her leg. She was about to let herself drop back on the ground when she saw something move from the corner of her eye. She was normally very brave and reasonable in dark scary areas, but knowing that she was at the moment injured, out of shouting distance, and already losing a lot of blood, strange thoughts began to poor into her mind. Images of dark figures waiting to drag young girls underground where they would tie her over a fire and dance around singing songs like:

"Look at the yummy treat we've found.

When we chew her to bits,

No one will hear a sound.

No one will see,

As we slice and ground

Her yummy bones into a stew!"

She shuddered at the thought and couldn't help but smile at the little song she'd invented. She felt a pair of burning eyes on her. She wasn't surprised when a little light (though she couldn't tell where it was coming from) glowed into a pair of Crimson eyes that stared at her.

"Don't give up, my love." A dreamy voice whispered into her ear. She couldn't help but feel a sudden calm come over her as she took in the velvet tone. She felt an uncontrollable urge to reach out to the blazing eyes but her eyes felt so heavy. She felt the voice fade and a name slipped off her lips as she opened her eyes. She didn't remember falling asleep but couldn't help smiling a little at the memory of the voice…

"HILARY!" a frantic voice called to her. She could feel a pair of strong arms wrapped around her like someone was cradling her to their chest. She glanced up and recognized the familiar features of the boy next door. She looked towards the voice that had called her name and saw Mathew glancing up at her anxiously as they were walking towards her house. She could see her mother running down the steps towards them. She looked horrified for some reason. Hilary couldn't think of a reason for her to look so worried. She suddenly felt the strong need to check around herself.

She nearly fainted when she saw how much red was coated on her outfit. She felt her heart beat faster as she tried to remember what had happened. She thought of the eyes and the voice of a boy in her dream whose name was slipping from her memory by the second. Her dream…Was it a dream? She couldn't think but the only thing that filled her thoughts was the feeling of comfort she had felt. How she knew she wasn't alone and wasn't afraid anymore. She tried to remember the reality and the dream. She thought of the old shed…

A puzzled look crossed Hilary's features as she thought of the memory. It had been ages since she thought about the incident in the shed. She still had a few little scars on her shin from the fall, but besides that, there wasn't anything left to remind her of that day. She sighed quietly as she moved with the line. She could see the main door now, and the music playing inside was hard to miss. She smiled a bit as the music melted into her ears. She thought a little about the dream boy, but couldn't remember the name…She knew in her heart that she had seen those eyes before. Before she could try to push the memory further, a hand slid into hers. She glanced up and smiled as Kai kissed her cheek. She could see the love in his eyes and seemed to get lost in the unique coloring. His crimson eyes always had the same effect on her. She doubted she'd ever get over them. He always found a way to erase her thoughts and fill her with warmth with just one glance. She felt as though she could stare into his eyes for hours, but she also had the feeling that if she did that, she'd never be able to find her way out of their deep depths.

He smirked at her dazed look and whispered seductively in her ear. She instantly blushed at the words, but he simply laughed. She meant to punch him lightly on the arm for embarrassing her, but as the lamp light fell against Kai's face, Hilary couldn't help but gasp.

"Kai" Hilary whispered to herself as she opened her eyes. The boy from next door looked at her curiously. He didn't ask any questions just stared at her like she was his own little sister. Hilary knew that the boy was an only child. Her mother had told her once that he was an orphan, that he didn't have any family. She remembered asking if they could be his family, but her mother just laughed at her 'joke'. She remembered feeling hurt by her mother's answer but didn't push the subject. She didn't know his name. She only knew him as the 'boy next door'. He was a tall dual haired boy with kind eyes. She had only spoken to him once and he treated her as though she was the same age as her, even though he was a bit older. She liked him for that; she loved to talk with him because he didn't treat her like a baby like everyone else did.

Hilary knew that Kai was obviously confused, but she didn't care. She was staring at him in astonishment with her mouth wide open. She stared into his eyes and felt herself back in that old cavern beneath the shed. She thought of the velvet voice as he asked her if everything was alright. She couldn't believe how long it had taken her to realize.

"Don't give up, my Love."

The words played through her head over and over again. She smiled at her boyfriend, her hero, and gripped his hand tightly in her own as she said, "Everything is wonderful, my love."

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CWG: So that's it for now. I'll try to post again tomorrow, but school isn't looking like it's going to give me a break anytime soon so the next chapter will probably show up this weekend. Please tell me your thoughts, needs, desires, etc.