This chapter is... um, weird. The next is stranger still. I think I must have written it on extreme lack of sleep. You have been forewarned. In any case, if anyone is wondering why Charity and her friends act the way they do - let's just call it a nice dose of mind control. Unlike Julian, Kadar does not practice Gamemanship. Anything is fair game.

Happy holidays to all! Have a great rest of the year no matter what you do (as long as its not sacrificing virgins, because that's just creepy). ;)


Chapter Eleven

Seeing no immediate solution to their situation, the group decided to lay down and wait the night out in sleep. Kevin volunteered to be the first guard, but since his eyes had been glassy and faded since the ordeal with the shark, Charity found herself unable to trust him with her life and lay awake, her eyes fixed on the shivering fire that danced on the beach before her. David hadn't lost his skills as a boy scout, and was able to give them orders to find dry brush to burn while he set to work with stones he'd found.

The fire was like a ray of hope in their eyes, something alive and familiar, and although it had the potential of being deadly, now it warmed and comforted. Charity watched the golden flames lick the edges of the wood and was entranced. When she focused, her mind blurred at the edges and she was able to escape the despair that gnawed her insides. Even a few moments rest was paradise in her mind.

Besides the crackling of the fire, the night was strangely silent. Charity lifted her head. Kaori had stopped crying and was nestled into Halena's sisterly embrace, tear stains drying on her cheeks as she slept. David was curled into the fetal position next to his sister, who, Charity saw, was also awake and watching the fire, her eyes bleak. Kevin sat lotus style a little ways from the group, leaning back on his hands and staring into the darkness.

Charity sat up slowly. She didn't know how the others could sleep. Of course, they weren't burdened by the role of leader, but Charity couldn't close her eyes for a minute without fear that something awful would happen to them.

The place was eerie and so unnatural. The stars gleamed in the night sky too distant and cold, and the moon watched like a giant eye. There were no animal noises – this, Charity realized with a start, was what had been bothering her. No chirping of anxious birds greeting the night, no hum of insects. No rustle in the woods of curious locals come to check out the newcomers. It was like they were alone on a distant star, as far from life as possible.

"Of course, it's not real," she reminded herself, frowning. "Why should there be animals?"

"Did you say something?" Kevin's head bent backwards, looking at her.

She shook her head. "No. Sorry."

He shrugged. "Don't be."

And that was it.

Charity gritted her teeth, annoyed and slightly hurt. Granted the date had gone horribly wrong, but during the entire night Kevin had not shown the slightest interest in her as a female. She shivered, feeling very alone, and then with her old stubbornness and determination she stood and walked over to him, feet digging in the cool sand.

He looked at her in surprise as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Charity…" he started but barely got out her name before she kissed him.

She knew it was a bold move, something she wouldn't try under normal circumstances, but tonight, under this strange moonlight with imminent doom hanging over their heads, Charity didn't care. She figured they were all going to die, no matter how long the Shadow Men dragged the Game out, and this might well be the only chance she would have to tell Kevin how she felt.

Show him, rather. Charity kissed him, one hand on his shoulder, the other on the back of his head, pulling him towards her. She kissed him fiercely, a little desperately, and was shaken when within seconds he pushed her away. Charity looked at his hands on her shoulders in shock, and for a moment there was silence between them, before Charity felt her desperation wrench inside her.

"So that's it, then?" she said, more nastily than she intended. She wanted to jerk away, throw his hands off her and run, but couldn't conjure the effort.

Kevin stared at her, his expression perfectly blank. They eyed each other for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You don't want to do this," he said, which of course enraged her.

"I think I can tell the difference between what I want and do not want to do," she said, glaring at him. In that moment she hated him, hated those blank, emotionless eyes, hated that dark hair that was falling over his forehead in a way she once thought charming but now found repulsive.

"Okay," he agreed, with a small nod. "I don't want to do this. Not now."

Charity's insides were blazing. "If this is about Julie…"

"Julie?" For a moment Kevin looked genuinely puzzled and then he smiled. "She means nothing to me."

"Then you hate me?" Charity knew this wasn't true, but couldn't help the words. He didn't know her well enough to hate her.

"Of course not," he snapped, and then sighed. "No, listen… it's not me you want. Well, maybe it is or was, but not like this. Trust me. You're messed up because of everything that's been happening and you want someone to take your mind away from what's going on. But I am not the person for you, Charity. You need to keep a level head and stay alert. This isn't going to help either of us."

"Whatever, doc," Charity muttered, but not as angrily. She knew he was right: the same thoughts were going through her mind. Although in the happy days of yesterday she had wanted to be with Kevin, that Charity was light years away and this new one only wanted to be comforted and forget, not caring who she was with so long as kissing him took her far away. She could have substituted Ryan for Kevin easily, and since David was off limits, Kevin was the only one who fit her needs.

She edged away, and his arms fell into his lap. She couldn't look at him, knowing she had been a fool, but at the same time wouldn't apologize. She didn't speak.

"You should get some sleep," he suggested gently, and she nodded.

"Yeah." She stood. "I guess so." Kevin smiled a little and turned away, and Charity stood for a second watching him, her face burning. What an idiot she was. But he had forgiven her, and honestly she had bigger things to worry about.

She turned and was walking back to the fire when she heard the laugh and froze. A high-pitched giggle, like something a little girl with a secret would make. She stopped and listened, muscles frozen in horror as the sound continued softly and somewhere from the woods. She stood listening long after the sound died until Kevin looked back at her, his face scrunched in confusion.

"Something wrong?"

"That laugh," she said, feeling a little silly. "Didn't you hear it?" How could he not, when the sound sent shivers down her spine?

"Laugh?" He was looking at her fully now, worried. Charity stared at him very still, and then lowered her eyes and shook her head softly.

"Never mind."

"Get some rest." Once again, Kevin Blackson turned from her, and Charity made her way to the fire on shaky legs and collapsed in the white sand. She dug her fists into the ground and sat, listening for another few minutes to the silence that dominated the area. She spent the rest of the time before falling asleep staring into the dark forest beyond the rim of the firestones.

Something was out there. Only question was when they were going to meet it.

0 0 0

It was several hours later when Charity woke and knew she was being watched. An instinctive fear washed over her and she lay still, breathing as little as possible. So this is what the mouse feels like before the cat pounces, she thought in an odd, abstracted way. Her body tensed, ready to move at the first hint of danger.

She heard whispering in the wind… the presence was behind her. The hair rose on the back of her neck, and she had to fight the urge to shiver. It was coming closer, creeping now, slithering. She moved her hands slowly in position to thrust herself to her feet, but found herself frozen in the cool sand.

A low roar was going in and out of the campsite, louder and louder as the wind carried it. The dying embers suddenly burst into flame, and she squeezed her eyes shut knowing she was alone.

When the hand touched her shoulder she screamed.

0 0 0

"Charity! Charity? Honey, it's just us."

Charity sat up shivering and blinked. The dream dissolved and she saw David in front of her. "It's okay," he said, hugging her. "I'm here."

Charity's teeth chattered and she let him hold her for a few seconds before ducking out of his embrace. She couldn't let the others see her as weak.

"Charity?" David looked surprised.

"A dream," she said with a tight-lipped smile. "Nothing more." But was it? Everything moments ago had felt as real as now… if now could be called real. The feeling of being alone, knowing she was being hunted… waiting for teeth to rip into her skin…

She shivered and straightened, looking around. Only then did she notice her surroundings.

"Hey… where the hell are we?"

They were no longer on a quiet island beach but in the middle of a desert. Several yards away, Kevin was poking a cactus, a thoughtful look on his face. The sun was bright and beating down on them. Charity felt beads of sweat form on her forehead and anxiously wiped them away.

"What is this, bizarro world Survivor?" she muttered angrily, and in the course of such strong emotion, started to feel better.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" she asked, looking at David.

He shrugged. "Figure out whose nightmare this is. Then maybe we have a chance. But no one's talking."

Charity looked around: she saw what he meant. Kaori was sitting huddled on the ground, knees pulled up to her chin, and there was a hollow look in her eyes. Julie had stopped crying finally, but she was shivering despite the heat and kept looking around as if expecting to see jabberwocks rising from the ground.

Halena stood with them, shaking her head. "I don't see what they're planning to do unless it's having us collapse with dehydration, and then watch as vultures eat our livers like Prometheus…"

"Quiet," David hissed. "You'll give them ideas."

"I don't see how anything I say could possibly make things worse. We're in a bad enough situation as it is." She was irritated with him. Charity bit her lip. They were falling apart, even calm, composed Halena.

She took a deep breath. "We need to think. Everyone needs to stick together if we're going to get through this. What's the first thing we need?"

Kevin unexpectedly raised his hand. "Water," he said matter-of-factly. "We won't get far without it."

"Water, yes." Charity nodded and stepped towards the two girls on the ground who were leaning against each other. She held out her hand. "Come on, pull yourselves together. Yes, things are tough right now, but we'll get through it. Come on, Kor, what would your mother say if she saw you falling to pieces like this?"

The chide worked. Kaori lifted her head and stared at Charity. "Falling to pieces?" she echoed. "Me? Ha! I've got more style than the rest of you put together!"

She sniffled and stood, pulling Julie to her feet as well. When she was ready, she turned to Charity with a sigh. "Where to, captain?"

They spent the next few minutes battling with the cactus, which, despite their efforts, didn't want to be pulled apart. Kevin originally tried to find a place to grab onto it, but he ended up with a fist full of prickles, complaining that the cactus had shot them at him. None of them believed him until David found an old, sun-bleached bone (no one wanted to think too deeply about what it was from) and tried to punch a hole in it. The cactus, not liking this at all, started dodging out of harm's way, until they were forced to give up.

David tossed the bone aside. "Now what?" he demanded, glaring at the cactus which had gone still again. Charity bit her lip.

It was Halena who spotted the trees in the distance. "An oasis!" she cried ecstatically and started to run. How does she know? Charity wondered, before realizing that it was extremely clear. Of course it was an oasis. The place radiated oasis. It was their salvation.

A tiny part of her wondered why the Shadow Men would give them an oasis, but only a tiny part. She was so thirsty that doubts didn't matter.

The lush green in the distance gave new life to the teens as they ran, each envisioning their own ideas of heaven. Water. Fruit. Shade. Cool greens to lay on. Paradise.

They were there in several steps. Charity fell to her knees by the leafy bank and dug her hands greedily into the crystal waters that glimmered in the sun. She lifted her hands to her lips and drank thirstily. Again. And again. Nothing had ever tasted so good. Nothing had ever given her such relief. Everything was going to be okay now. They were there. They never had to leave.

They were all on their knees, drinking from their hands, splashing water on their faces. David jumped in the pond and lifted his fists in the air with a whoop of delight. Wonderful.

Hands touched her back. Rubbing. Massaging. Hands wondrously cool, and smooth as newborn skin. Sliding under her shirt, caressing. Charity leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax.

"This is the stuff," she heard David say and opened her eyes to smile in agreement. He was out of the water now and three women surrounded him. Three impossibly, beautiful women in thongs and nothing else. One had golden skin, slick with lotion, and olive colored almond eyes, while the others were typical California beach bunnies, radiating light.

Julie and Halena were with men like Grecian sculptures come to life.. They had very beautiful eyes, those boys, especially the ones with eyes like the deep blue waters of the ocean after a hurricane, and the other with eyes that glinted gold, as bright as the sun. This one was kissing Julie's neck and she giggled, a very un-Julie-like sound. Kevin was with no one but he stood dancing, arms raised above his head without any cares. Dancing to a beat that surrounded them all.

Kaori, however, was sitting by the pond, very still. One of the men moved towards her, but she backed away, shaking her head uneasily. Afraid. Too bad, really. Probably still sad about her boyfriend. Why not forget him, though, and have fun with the rest? Her loss if she chose not to.

Charity scooted closer to the group at her massager's insistence. She turned and kissed him, tasting cotton candy, tasting cherries. Her arms slid against his chest, resting lightly. His arms were around her shoulders, pulling her close. Kiss. Shame Kaori was missing this…

Kevin dropped to his knees in David's entourage. He kissed one of the sirens. He kissed David. They kissed each other. Over the low pound of the beat was the sound of Julie and Halena giggling. No thoughts, just free feeling.

Kaori stood, breathing heavily. Scared. Why? Charity wondered. This is wonderful. Isn't this what we've wanted all our lives?

Not she, said the voice in Charity's ears. She's not like us. Moves to the beat of her own drums. Never satisfied. Never enough.

That was true. Wasn't it?

We don't need her, said the voice and Charity silently agreed. Kaori was no friend of hers. Never had been. She was always selfish, doing what she wanted, ignoring people unless she could get something out of them. Kaori with her flashing eyes and harsh laughter. Kaori the queen of the drama department, the star. The one they all wanted to know. No friend of hers.

Charity tilted her head back as the lips trailed to her neck. She let herself relax, completely resting her weight in his arms. Will you do something for me? he asked.

Yes. Anything, to make this never stop

"What?" she murmured.

Kill her.

Charity lifted her head and looked into his chocolate eyes. She smiled.

"Anything for you," she said.