A/N: Sorry for the late updating my few loyal readers!! I've been kinda busy with school and stuff. hehe. I've got more chapters to put up now. There's 29. I'm still only giving you them a few at a time though. Don't wanna spoil ya!! lol

Disclaimer: Need I repeat sad and pitiful statement from the chapter before??

Claimer: I don't feel like yelling at people today. So read the chap before this.


Chapter 7

"What?" I had to know. I had seen the face, so now to know the thoughts behind it, so to speak.

He just looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"You had your thinking face on. What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." He looked back out over the water. "It wasn't important anyway."

It was my turn to look at him with raised eyebrows. "How many times have you said that and it turned out to be important? I don't believe you."

"You don't want to hear it anyway." He still wouldn't look at me.

"Try me." I turned in the dirt to look at him square in the face and to turn my back on the water, if he ever turned to look. He did.

"You have to face your fear sooner or later you know."

I sighed. We had had this conversation moments before. And many times before then. "I know, but I'd rather it be later than sooner. Much later. Emphasis on much."

"I faced mine. You had no problem with going into people's minds. I did. And," he looked down briefly, "I still do."

"I don't go directly into people's minds right away! I don't want to know all their personal thoughts. That can be disturbing, and you know that. I just, send a general overriding thought, and search or control them from there." I had grown really quiet towards the end of that sentence, realizing that's what he meant. "Ex-nay the search part of that sentence."

Vis was quiet. I looked down and started tracing my name in the dirt. Then I wrote down the names of the other three one after another in a line so it made a sandwich, kinda, and underlined Vis', 'cause it was on the bottom. I made a little addition sign beside it, and then wrote FAMILY underneath that. At least they taught us something useful there, like math and spelling.

"If you're not going to face it, at least pretend not to look so scared." He said. I looked back up at him. "For the twins. You don't want them to think our fearless leader is a wimp do you?" I reached over and punched his arm. But, unlike any normal person, he punched me back. I wasn't prepared for it, so I went sprawling back. Close to the water. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and already felt light-headed. It was too soon, to free to face it. Next thing I knew I was inches away from the edge, and full out freaking. I curled up into the fetal position, and cowered before my little family. Vaguely I felt three pairs of hands under my back and someone's shoulder under my head. I hadn't started crying yet, so I knew I was in some control. I slowly calmed down as someone rubbed my back, something guarantied to calm anyone of us. My rapid breathing slowed, and I felt somewhat human again. I looked up from Vis' shoulder to see three worried faces peering into mine.

"I'm fine," I managed to say.

"Ok. You're sure?" Carebear asked me slowly.

"Yeah." I said. D-man looked at me, a question in his face. "I promise. Go swim. But stay where we can see you." I saw Bear roll her eyes then drag her brother back to the water. I looked up at the remaining member of my family. His face had a look on it I hadn't seen for a while. He was scared. Vis never gets scared.

"You're not okay are you?" He asked quietly, voice full of concern.

"I am too. I was more in control this time, and it took longer to freeze up. I think that's an improvement." I was still looking at him. He still looked scared, but as bad as before. "You were really scared weren't you?"

"Remember the last test you had to do, the one with water?"

I shuddered. "How can I forget?"

"You came out almost completely paralyzed. It took us hours to get you to loosen up, to return to normal. What if that happens again while we're out here? We don't have that kind of time anymore Ocean." His arms tightened around me.

I put my head back on his shoulder. "I know we don't. We're also not safe anywhere anymore. At least back there we had food, and shelter, and someone making sure we were alive every morning. Out here, we don't have that." I looked up at him again. "Whatever we do, we can't tell the twins about it."

"No, you're right, we can't. They'll just flip out. They're too unstable right now. What were we thinking?"

"Well we weren't going to leave them behind! Speaking of the twins…" My voice trailed off as I turned to look out to the water, wriggling out of Vis' arms in the process. One of my worst fears had come to life. The twins weren't in the water.



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Skye