Shelby lay, awake, her eyes were closed, but she was very much alert. It was difficult for her to find sleep on any normal circumstance, let alone one where thunder crackled between her thoughts, and rain poured relentlessly. Daisy was wide awake in the bunk next to hers. She had taken out her tarot cards and was flipping certain cards face-up. Every so often, she would mumble something along the lines of, 'hmmm, very interesting.'
Kat sat upright in a hard wooden chair, reading. Erika was to become her responsibility for the night. But she was beginning to wonder if the newest admit would show.
Juliette was sound asleep, the only member of the female Cliffhanger's dorm. But she was suddenly awakened at the sound of loud footsteps entering the dorm, and the latch of the door shutting.
All four of the female Cliffhangers turned to Erika, who had just entered the dorm. Juliette rubbed her eyes open.
"Erika?" Juliette squealed drowsily.
A flash of lightning alighted the room momentarily, to reveal that Erika was completely drenched. Her long blond hair dripped with excess water on the hardwood floor, as did her clothes. Beads of rain were present on her countenance.
"Not the smartest thing in the world to run in the middle of a storm huh?" Shelby taunted.
"What are you guys doing up?" Erika asked, wringing her wet hair.
"You try sleeping during a full-out storm," said Daisy. "By the way, Erika, I think there's something you ought to know," she continued, pointing to the tarot cards laid out before her.
"I don't believe in that crap."
"You might when you hear what they have to say," Daisy said mysteriously.
"K, let's see this," Erika walked over to where Daisy had her cards laid out on her bed. The top card was one bearing the image of a queen sitting on a throne with a raised sword in her left hand.
"What's it supposed to mean?" Erika asked skeptically.
Daisy met Erika's gaze. "This is the card of the Queen of Swords. You're fighting an emotional battle, and it's not going to get any better until you put it behind you."
"Whatever." Erika went back to her bunk and changed into dry clothes.
"So Peter busted you huh?" said Shelby, sitting up in her bunk.
"You were crazy to go in that storm," Kat commented, still absorbed in her reading.
"Yeah, Peter dragged me back here, and yeah, I'm probably crazy. But what's it to you?"
"Just wondering what's up in that world of yours," Shelby mumbled, shifting in her bunk.
"My world doesn't involve you, Shelby," Erika said objectively.
"We don't always get to choose," muttered Daisy, still engrossed in her tarot cards.
"Cool it, Erika. I didn't ask to be stuck here with you either."
"So we're clear on that, then?"
"Guys, just give it a rest," Kat intervened, irritated and tired.
"Come on, how far did you get?" Shelby pressed, smirking.
Erika sat up in her bed to face Shelby, locking her gaze with hers. "Further then you'll ever get."
"Why? Because I never ran from here?" Shelby questioned, smirking. "I know what I have here."
"Like you have anything here."
"Well hun, I do," said Shelby, genuinely smiling to herself. Daisy smiled to herself also.
"Well it's no mystery to me why your parents wanted to get rid of you so badly," Erika muttered.
"You don't know anything," said Shelby.
Erika smirked. "You're weak," she said.
"You don't know anything," repeated Shelby.
Kat had momentarily looked up from her reading, observing the scene unfolding before her. "Guys, get to sleep."
Erika curled up in her bunk, closed her eyes. The events of the day swirled in her thoughts, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Shelby tried to do the same. But sleep would not come. She merely stared out the window, watching the storm ensue.
"Erika, get up! Get up!"
Erika awoke drowsily. She could discern Kat's voice. "Not a morning person, huh? You're on kitchens."
"Oh, joy," Erika muttered. She decided to rest her eyes a few moments longer..
"Erika.. We only have a few minutes."
Erika rubbed her eyes and dragged herself out of her bunk. She glanced outside, to find that the storm had cleared way for bright sunlight. Erika dragged herself to the bathroom and looked in the mirror to find her hair thoroughly dishevelled. But she couldn't have cared less. She didn't have anyone to impress here. She quickly ran a brush through her hair, and brushed her teeth. She returned to her bunk and dressed.
Erika advanced towards the door. "You comin'?" She asked Kat.
"Yeah," She responded. "Let's go."
Kat and Erika exited the dorm, still awakening.
"God I need my caffeine fix," muttered Erika.
Kat chuckled. "You're not gonna get that here."
"No caffeine here either! You have got to be kidding me-"
"Nope, no caffeine, no anything."
"What, they're afraid we'll try to get high off caffeine?!"
Kat smiled. "Wouldn't you?"
"So? How do they expect us to get up in the morning?!"
"They expect us to find a way. This place is about leaving behind all those things you used to depend on."
"This has to be some kind of sick joke."
Kat laughed. "You'll get used to it," she said.
Erika had a disgusted look on her face. "They've done a good job of brainwashing you." she said.
"They have," Kat agreed.
"I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind."
"A word of advice- try to keep your argument without profanity."
"Ugh.. Make that a piece of my fist."
"Seriously, Erika."
"Whatever."
"Really, you might as well not bother. It's a lost cause, I have yet to see anyone bend Peter's rules."
"Guess you haven't seen enough of me yet."
Kat stared at Erika. "No, I've seen enough of you. I think the question is, have you seen enough of Peter?"
"More than enough."
"There you go."
"Whatever."
Kat chuckled and led Erika to the kitchens.
Sophie, Scott and Ezra were already there as Kat and Erika arrived.
"Right on time," Sophie remarked, referring to Erika and Kat. "Ok, gang, Ezra, Kat, you'll be drying the dishes. Scott, Erika, you two'll be doing the washing."
"Oh, joy," Erika muttered sarcastically. The other Cliffhangers were silent and accepted their duty. They were accustomed to the rules here. Scott and Erika walked over to the kitchen sinks.
"Hey," said Scott to Erika as they were washing the dishes side by side.
"Hey," she responded nonchalantly.
"Heard you ran."
"Word sure gets around fast here."
"Yeah, it does."
"Why is everyone so fascinated with what happened last night? I mean seriously, I couldn't have been the only one to ever run."
"You're not. I ran too, my first day here."
"Really."
"Yeah. And two months after that."
"Twice? Once wasn't enough, huh? I thought our stay here was supposed to get better with time," Erika said sarcastically.
"It did, it's just.. stuff happens."
"Yeah, stuff sure does happen," Erika said.
"Yeah."
"Do you like it here?"
Scott was taken by surprise with the question. "Yeah, it's alright I guess," he answered.
Erika shook her head. "I'm never gonna understand it.."
"I'd rather be here than at home. I chose Horizon over home."
Erika stared at him. "Are you mental?"
"I couldn't leave it."
"Why?! I'd kill to be at home right now."
"Because of Shelby," he sad simply.
"Shelby? You and Shelby?" Erika said, incredulous. "You actually like that bitch? Oh my god, you really are mental," she continued, her control slipping from her grasp, suppressing a laugh at the thought of it.
Scott looked as though it was taking all that he had to restrain himself from knocking Erika over the head. "Give her a chance, you don't know her like I do."
"Oh God, I don't want to know her like you do, I want to be able to sleep at night."
Scott halted abruptly to face Erika. "You keep running your mouth, and you won't be able to sleep at night."
"Why? I'm not scared of you! Oh, the macho football captain, I'm shaking with fear," she laughed.
Ezra and Kat had turned to see what had caused Erika and Scott to raise their voices, when they saw Scott lunge at Erika.
"Scott!" Kat yelled, unimpressed, running over to the two.
Erika had anticipated the fight- she had provoked it. Scott threw a punch at her, which connected with her jaw. She was thrown back slightly due to the force of the blow. He said angrily, "When you don't know shit, keep your mouth shut."
Erika put a finger to her lower lip, and found a drop of blood. Scott looked at her angrily, and she returned his glare. As he was about to return to his work, she drew closer to him and returned his punch.
"You bitch!" Scott yelled as he realized what she had done, and tackled her to the floor.
"Guys!" Kat yelled., trying in vain to pull Erika off of Scott. "Ezra, get Peter!" she ordered.
"Or somebody!" Kat continued as Ezra darted out of the kitchens area.
Kat watched in despair as Erika and Scott wrestled relentlessly, throwing punches at one another. "Guys, stop it!" she yelled. Kat eventually succeeded in prying the two apart, in pulling Erika off of Scott. But it only ignited Erika's temper. She grasped the nearest plate within reach and flung it across the room. It landed against the wall and shattered entirely. The remnants of the plate glided onto the hardwood floor in a scattered pile.
"Get your hands the fuck off of me!" she screeched at Kat. It was then that Peter walked in..