(Derek's point of view)
Why would I do something that stupid? I thought to myself. It was bad enough that I took her there, not one of my best ideas, but I didn't even have the sense to look around. And worse than that, because I took her there not knowing what or who she would find, Chloe was having a massive breakdown.
She laid in her bed curled into a ball shivering under heaps of blankets. She refused to close her eyes, and every time she would let her guard down and drift to sleep she would jolt up in bed and start bawling. I was starting to think she needed to be institutionalized, but erased the thought as fast as it came. Yeah that was a good idea, locking up a necromancer in a mental hospital with the real crazies.
After about the seventh time she sat up in her bed and started crying I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to know what happened. Maybe I could help.
"Chloe," I whispered gently. She jumped slightly at the sound of my voice but then slowly turned to me. Her eyes were red and bloodshot and her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "I need to know what happened in there." I said as quietly as I could. I expected to have to talk her out of it, but just the simple statement was all the invitation she needed to tell me everything.
She explained what she had read and told me about her uncle who had jumped off a roof, probably running from ghosts. She then explained the insane necromancer in the room, trapping other souls in a place where they would never be released; and how she was now trapped there by her own spells.
When she was done I was speechless. I sat down on the bed and pulled Chloe and all her blankets onto my lap. "You won't be like that." I told her once I could finally speak.
"You don't know that." She said resting her head against my chest.
"Yes, I do." I told her firmly, turning her face to look me in the eyes. "You're terrified of even the thought of it. I know you Chloe; you would never do anything like that." Our eyes locked for what seemed to take forever until I finally bent my head down to kiss her. It was quick, but when I looked back down at her she was smiling; something I was beginning to think I'd never see again.
"NO!" Chloe suddenly snapped looking of toward the corner of the room, the smile replaced by a horrified grimace. "I don't know what will happen if you try to go there. You could be stuck somewhere forever like those others. Please don't." She pleaded. She starred off into space for a moment before finally sighing a content "Thank-you, Liz."
Next thing I knew she was snuggling into my chest and falling asleep. A whack on the back of the head brought me out of my thoughts. On Chloe's dresser she had a notepad and a pen. The pen was no longer lying across the pad though, it was levitating above it. The tip came down on the paper and scribbled out a messy Hi Derek.
"Uh hey Liz," I said staring at the notepad.
Don't mess this up. The pen scribbled quickly and I felt like someone was glaring at the back of my head.
"Screw what up?" I asked hoping no one would walk in and see me talking to myself.
She loves you, don't mess that up. If you do, who knows what will happen to her. Liz was really starting to make me mad.
"I don't plan on messing anything up." I said scowling in the direction I thought she was in. "Why don't you go try and talk to Tori or something, she'd appreciate it more than me." The pen whirled toward me, I would have caught it, but my hands were caught in Chloe's blankets. I rolled over, propped up above Chloe. The pen flung at the wall, getting stuck in the drywall.
"Bye Liz." I said rolling back over onto my back. She'd gotten more of an attitude since she'd been dead apparently.
Apparently telling me about everything that had happened helped Chloe, because she slept the rest of the night. Tori came in around nine thirty to go to bed. She saw me lying with Chloe and shot me a disgusted look.
"Hey Tori!" I said plastering a fake smile on my face. The look of surprise and disgust made me want to crack up laughing but I just made my smile look all the more convincing.
"Hey mutt!" She said imitating my grin.
I snapped my teeth and let out a low growl. She jumped back and I couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.
"So tall dark and gruesome, how are you going to hurt your girlfriend tomorrow? Maybe you could lose her in the woods, or oh even better; why don't you turn her over to your wolf friends for lunch." I felt my fists tighten and I had the urge to hold her up against the wall by her throat.
"Or maybe I'll knock her out and tie her up in an zombie infested crawlspace." I said rubbing my hands together like all the criminals do in corny movies when they make their evil plans. "Ooops, looks like you beat me to it."
Tori opened her mouth as if she were going to comment, but just closed it and grabbed her pajamas off the bed. "Don't want to have to smell you while I sleep." She muttered before heading off toward the bathroom to change. When I heard her footsteps coming back down the hall I prepared myself for another smart comment, but she walked right passed the door and down the stairs.
"Guess she'll be sleeping on the couch tonight." I muttered under my breath.
Chloe let out a violent shiver shaking the bed. I was automatically kneeling on the bed, pressing my hand to her forehead. She was running a high fever. I ripped down the blankets, her skin was moving, her muscles re-arranging.
I cursed under my breath and grabbed her in my arms making a run for the stairs.
"What's wrong now?" Simon asked as I passed him on the stairs.
"Look at her arm." I told him in a rush.
Simon's eyes grew wide with horror. "Where are you taking her?" He asked following me down the steps.
"To the woods," I said pulling open the front door.
"Are you crazy?" Simon asked appalled. "It's freezing out there."
This time I grabbed his hand and placed it on Chloe's forehead. His hand jerked back instinctively from the heat. I just nodded to him and took off into the woods.
I found a clearing and sat on the ground with her still curled in my arms. The cold was helping her fever a little, but if she would change it would be tonight. I knew it, and I couldn't stand it.