Ember was struggling to keep it together, not able to forget the look in Kenny's eyes as he stared at her. Not only that, but the reaction that he had elicited from her had her terrified. This had never happened to her before, and she had absolutely no idea what was going on. She buried her face in her hands, glad to be away from the commotion of the quad and the dorm. It was against the rules, but she had fled into the woods, mostly to hide from Kenny. What is wrong with me? She asked herself, her fear obvious even in her thoughts.

"I shouldn't be afraid of him…" She whispered breathlessly, taking a deep breath to calm her shaking body. He was just so intimidating, and the dreams that they had shared… they were so amazing. A crimson blush spread across her cheeks as she realized where her thoughts were headed. God damnit! He's a stranger, you shouldn't even know he exists! She scolded herself, standing up and beginning to pace. Ember chewed on her lip, her thoughts a jumble of hormones and confusion. First, she needed to figure out why this was happening to her, and how she could stop it. Second, she needed to get as far away from Kenny as possible, someplace not even their dreams would be able to connect them.

"Where am I supposed to go, space?!" She cried angrily, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She sat down heavily against a tree, rubbing her temples as exhaustion rolled through her. A sudden snap of a twig close by had her on high alert. She didn't recall the headmaster or the student representative saying anything about dangerous wild animals. Ember swallowed, grabbing hold of a large stick before standing and looking around. There wasn't anything that she could see, but that didn't mean something, or someone, wasn't watching her from afar.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" She called, holding the branch above her head. Not that it would make a good weapon against a mountain lion or a bear, or a certain well-muscled young man… "Really, even when I'm in potential danger?" She growled to herself, narrowing her eyes as something moved in her peripheral vision. Ember whirled, the stick held menacingly in her hands, only to be lowered as she realized what it was. A chipmunk sat in front of her, looking up at her with sparkling black eyes. It sat there for a few seconds before scampering away, getting lost in the bushes. A sigh of relief left her and she let her makeshift weapon fall to the ground.

"Well, you're certainly on edge." The deep male voice made her freeze, and she all but shivered with fear. Slowly, she turned to face the speaker, dreading who she might find. Kenny's friend stood in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied her. She swallowed, taking in his broad shoulders and flashing grey eyes. He exuded an aura of power and arrogance, with just a tinge of danger mixed in.

"W- who are you?" Ember asked softly, her voice breaking as she stared at him. He was one of the men she had seen in her dream, the one that had demanded that she choose him. Was he there to ask her what was going on? Because if so, she didn't know what she was going to tell him. She took a step back as he took a step forward, trying to keep her distance. A smirk settled onto the man's lips, and she had the distinct feeling that she had just fallen right into his trap.

"My name is Eric, but my friends just call me Cartman." He replied with a wink, taking another step forward. God, but he was intimidating, even more so than Kenny. Maybe it was his cocky attitude and the way he walked, but whatever it was it worked. What exactly did he want? She hadn't heard him say anything about Kenny…

"What do you want? Did you come to talk about Kenny?" Ember snapped, her irritation at the whole situation getting the better of her. Cartman's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he took several steps forward, causing her to back up against the tree. She was trapped, unable to get away from his intense gaze. An unsettling smile twisted his lips, and he placed both hands on either side of her head, effectively keeping her from moving away. He leaned in close, his lips settling at her ear.

"Now why on earth would I come all the way out here just to talk about Kenny? No, I came out here because I saw something I wanted, and I plan on getting it." He whispered, his warm breath fanning across her skin as he spoke. Ember's eyes widened at his words, and she pressed back against the tree as much as she could.

"What is it that you want?" She asked through gritted teeth, pushing down the fear that bubbled up in her chest. There was no way she was going to let this big idiot intimidate her into doing something she didn't want to do. A chuckle filled the air as he pulled away, and she kept her best glare on as he studied her intently.

"You of course. But I'm a patient person, so I'll give you some time to make up your mind. After your time is up however, I'll take what I want, no matter what you say." He said all of this with a calm smile on his face. Shock went through her as he spoke, and she swallowed hard, wanting to get away from him as fast as possible. Cartman heaved a sigh and looked around, then smiled and turned, giving a small wave as he walked away.

"I'll be back soon!" He called before disappearing into the trees. Relief flooded through her and she slid to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees and bringing them to her chest.

"What the hell is happening?" She whispered her voice shaking. Her world was crumbling around her, and nothing made sense anymore. She buried her face in her arms and sat in the silence of the woods, trying desperately to figure out why her life was being turned upside down.