Laney POV

I'm awake…I refuse to open my eyes still. I don't want to see my burned body again; never again. I want to go back to sleep, but without dreaming. I dreamt that Darren had come to save me. I hope I never dream of that again. It's bad enough that I know it won't happen. I don't need a reminder of it. I hear…someone else's breathing?

I allow myself to take a look around. I'm not sitting in my usual position…and my arms aren't tied up; they're at my sides. I'm lying down in a bed. A pillow is under my head, with soft sheets wrapped around me. I'm curled on my side. I'm surprised that the warmth of the sheets isn't making me sweat – my burns had made heat intensify whenever I felt it.

I'm in a tent; it looks like that tent I used to stay in when I was with the Cirque (was it only a few weeks ago?). I see two other hammocks opposite of me. Only one is occupied. Sunlight shines on the tent, so I can clearly see the other resident.

It's Darren.

My body tenses, and I want to run. He hears my breath quicken, and turns to look at me. "Laney? You're awake!" He says excitedly, rushing over to me, a smile on his face. I sit up and move away to the other side of the bed. I stay gathered up in the comforter. "Darren's" face falls.

"Laney…? What's the matter? It's me." He says.

I stay frozen. What kind of sick game are Steve and Murlough playing? Was tricking me the first time not enough? Now they are going to drag this out? Fine. I'm not going to give them any satisfaction. I'm not going to give into the delusion. They'll get bored eventually. Then they'll have to stop this.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Come on, talk to me."

Talk to him about what? How he's crazy? How he's a twisted villain? How he's putting me through hell, even though he doesn't even know me, and never has? Sure, let's talk about the weather or something. I hate him. I hate him so much.

Steve leans over to try to touch my shoulder, but I flinch away on contact. Anger rises up in me. Maybe if I piss him off, he'll stop this mind game. Torture is better than this false reality. It just makes me feel even emptier inside.

"Don't touch me! Just stop this whole thing." I say through my teeth.

"What are you talking about? Laney, you're back at the-"

"Stop! I know this is a trick! Get out of my head!" I wait for the flicker in his eyes. There is none. Steve puts his hands – Darren's hands – up in the air with a sorry expression. He exits the tent. I stay sitting up for twenty minutes, waiting for the reality of the metal room to return, but it doesn't come. I might as well sleep, since I'm somewhat safe in this illusion.

Darren POV

I feel so much better than I have been the past few weeks. My attitude and mood have improved noticeably. I'm not longer a numb, beyond hope, wreck.

It's exhilarating to have Laney back – back to where I can see her and know that she's safe. She was in horrible condition when I got her out. Her skin was burned severely, and her clothes were blackened, and covered in dirt. She has multiple, jagged scars, mainly on her legs and arms. It looks as though the blade used to inflict them went in deep. It was a shock that she hadn't lost any limbs. This is what upset me the absolute worst, because I know what it's like to be burned – to be on fire. To feel and think of nothing accept for the flames. I shake my head to clear that thought from my head.

Laney's wrists were raw. The shiny, red skin there was exposed greatly, bleeding. We were able to clean them and get rid of infection, along with a particularly bad wound on her leg. There were no more injuries beyond that. The only other things that had to be taken care of – by Evanna of course – was the hose down. Laney was covered in blood. It wasn't fresh. All of it was dried blood, mixed with dirt and grime.

She was very dehydrated, and she's lost some weight from lack of food – maybe about ten pounds. Not to mention that her lungs suffered the whole time. Just being down there for a moment to get her was difficult. It was hard to breathe. Speaking of breathing, I hear hers quicken, and I look over at her, my ears almost literally perking up. "Laney? You're awake!" I say.

I nearly fall out of my hammock, trying to get over to her, grinning like an idiot. When I get beside her bed though, she backs away to the farthest side of her bed, her eyes blank…staring at me.

"Laney…? What's the matter? It's me." I say soothingly, trying to keep up an encouraging smile. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come on, talk to me." Her previous look of fear disappears. I take this as a good sign, so I get closer to put a hand on her good shoulder. I can see the anger flash in her beautiful eyes, and I swear I can hear her blood begin to boil as her pulse quickens.

"Don't touch me! Just stop this whole thing." Laney spits through her teeth. I pull my arm away instantly.

"What are you talking about? Laney, you're back at the-"

"Stop! I know this is a trick! Get out of my head!" She yells at me. I'm hurt by the rejection, and I don't want to upset her any further, so I hold up my hands to show that I wasn't going to do anything else. I back away and I leave our tent. My shoulders slump and I go to find Mr. Crepsley or Evra – I just need someone to talk to. What did the Lord of the Shadows do to her?

Whatever he did…whatever he said…he's going to pay for it.

A/N – Thanks for the reviews everybody! And thank you for reading, of course! I hope you still find the story interesting! :D