Chapter 25.

"What?"

Joy and Patricia fell over.

"Trudy`s moving in with Jasper?"

"No, he`s moving in here, so Trudy can still have her job."

"But... won`t they be like...all slurpy?"

"No, Joy, they will not. (I hope...)"

"And Jara?"

"Engaged..."

A loud shriek behind me made my skeleton shoot out through my head.

"Amber!"

"Jara wedding!"

"Yes, and no need to shriek so loudly. What if Trudy or Victor hear you? We aren`t supposed to be up."

"I did hear you, now get to sleep."

"Victor is such a girl..."

A giggle from Joy and Patricia.

"Girls, do a woman a favour and go to sleep. I don`t need to be up all night."

"Wow, I think she`s turning into a new version of old Vic."

"Didn`t she like, adopt you?"

"Yeah, that`s probably why."

We still have to get those gems. We agreed that it`d be easier when we had slept and cleared our heads. And left Trudy in her room. This could result in her getting badly injured and/or losing her life or baby or both. Yikes, I really do think up bad things... No, I`m leaving Mara too. I won`t risk their lives for them. I`ll face this one alone.

18 February 2012.

Dear Diary,

I don`t think this last task is going to be so safe, I think I want to leave Trudy and Mara in Trudy`s room. I don`t want them to risk their lives, and I don`t want Trudy to risk her baby either. Sure, they might argue, but I refuse to let them risk anything. I wish I had a safe plot for this, but I truly don`t. I have nobody to help me. Mara`s been dressing up in my clothes and using up the majority of my makeup. I ran out of my favourite black lipstick, due to Mara`s sudden Goth redo...

I hope they understand my decision.

Love always,

Dixie Sara Carson.

Mara shifted slightly in her sleep and I felt guilty that I`d got her into this. And Trudy too. Why did I do this? As I lay down with a sigh, Jasper ran in, frantic.

"It`s Trudy! She`s having a really bad nightmare and I can`t wake her! She`s crying and seems really upset! It`s never happened before and I`m terrified!"

I ran with him to Trudy. She was thrashing, crying and screaming. I sat next to her and said

"Hey, chuck us that water bottle. She won`t respond to normal waking."

He threw the bottle at me. I unscrewed the lid and tipped the contents over Trudy`s head. She jumped and woke up. I put my arms around her. She cried into my shoulder.

"What`s wrong with her?"

"She had a really bad nightmare. Didn`t you?"

She sobbed into my shoulder, and nodded.

"What happened?"

"It was terrible. I dreamed that you`d all disappeared and I was in this horrible place that stunk of pig doings. Then this person in a cloak came and shot me. Then you woke me."

Jasper`s jaw dropped to the floor.

"It was just a nightmare, Trudes. Look, you`ve got your Jasper. And he`ll never let you get hurt, and he won`t disappear."

"True, I won`t."

She curled up and Jasper came and sat with her. He cuddled her and she snuggled up to him, crying a bit.

"There, now, darling. I`ve got you. (Thanks, Dixie. I owe you one. Or 50.)"

"(Welcome. I`ll be in my room, trying to sleep if you need me.)"

"OK."

(TIME LAPSE: Next day.)

"OK, girls. I want you two to stay here."

They both exploded "WHAT?!"

"You both heard me. You stay here. If you don`t, you may be putting yourselves in danger. I don`t want to risk it. You two have a lot going for you, like your weddings and Trudy, your baby. I don`t have anything besides books going for me, so I should be OK. You two have lives to lead."

"But, Dixie, you have a whole life to lead. You could go on to have a fashion career or art. You`re smart."

"What`s smart to your two`s accomplishments? Look, tens of millions of people are smart. You two are unreplacable. Just stay here, I have no time for arguing."

I darted in and left before they could object.

*Mara`s POV*

"We should go after her. It`s not right to leave her."

"Trudy, you need to stay. Dixie may be right, it could result in you losing your life and/or baby. You have to stay."

"Yeah, right, Mara. My adopted daughter is in those tunnels, risking her life and you want me to stay here? No, I can`t and I won`t."

Trudy ran in before I could stop her.

I have to stop, my sister`s rushing me, so until next time, please review, remember the puppies. RandomDizzy. :D