Author's Note: Long time no chapter, I know. But hopefully it was worth the wait! It's amazingly long, the longest of my chapters yet! But even better, this is not just a melodrama story anymore, but a crazy psychodrama one.. Trust me.. This is probably the craziest of my chapters yet. Y'all reviewers wanted Amber.. Well here you are! This chapter wasn't in my original plan for this story, but some of you requested more Amber, and I thought.. That isn't a bad idea! This chapter was really fun to plot out.. It's absolutely insane.. You'll see what I mean ;)
so thanks for reviewing, and here it is! Enjoy. :)
Peter sat behind his desk, in his office, alone.
What am I going to do with her? he wondered dismally. Juvie's a definite contender.. Her father definitely won't be pleased with me, but that doesn't matter now. She destroyed property to an irreparable degree, and she will have to deal with the consequences. It doesn't matter who her father is. She can't stay here.
He drummed his fingers against his desk absently, when a discreet rap at his door interrupted his train of thought.
"Come in," he said.
The door was slow to open as Amber entered the room.
"Amber," Peter addressed, motioning for her to sit down. "Feeling better?"
Amber seated herself, scanning his office with shifty eyes. "Uh, yeah."
"Good," he said simply.
Amber could barely contain herself seated in Peter's office, before his desk. Her feet shuffled under her chair nervously, but she was careful to betray no emotion in her voice or her face.
She'd racked her brain for the entire time in coming to his office. Only when she had awakened in the infirmary had she realized that during group that day, she'd lost control. One of 'them', one of her 'sides' had taken over, and had made her case look suspicious, and under the influence that she was under, she'd let it happen.
She cursed herself again for allowing it to happen.
The voices in her head were speaking all at once, and she didn't try to make sense of any of it. If she were to get away with her plan, she knew, it would require all of her concentration, all of her attention.
This was her only chance.
She looked over at Peter over his desk, who studied her curiously. "If you know anything about the fire in the boys dorm," he said, "I'd advise you to tell me."
Amber gave Peter a look. A practised look. "What makes you think I know *anything*?"
She was pleased with herself to hear that her voice didn't falter, that to her, she sounded convincing.
Obviously, the voices in her head were pleased with her too, but Amber didn't dare listen. She had to concentrate on the task at hand.
"In group today.."
Amber screwed up her face in a look of confusion. "We had group today?" she questioned, not letting her eyes waver from her headmaster. Lies are always more convincing when they are said eye to eye, she knew.
Although pleased with her performance thus far, Amber couldn't discern what her headmaster was thinking. She couldn't tell if he bought her story or not, his face remained impassive, as though it were carved out of marble. "Amber, Ezra let me know about you and the janitor's closet."
Amber suppressed a smile. If he bought her proceeding words, she'd laugh about it later for an eternity.
Damn girl, one of her voices sounded, echoing off of the walls in her head, you are brilliant!
And the best part of it was, it was partially true!
Damn I'm brilliant, she thought to herself.
Amber emoted what she'd call a blank stare. "So what, you're going to punish me for getting high?"
For a moment, Peter didn't say anything.
What on earth? Peter wondered. An alibi?
He scrutinized her face, and no emotion stirred at the surface that he could tell.
It was strange. He'd developed a knack for detecting lies, but his subjects weren't typically staring him directly eye-to-eye, as if in challenge. His subjects weren't typically stone-still, their words seamless, without a trace of a stutter, without a single misstep.
He couldn't tell if she was lying. He couldn't tell at all, and the prospect scared him.
He decided not to directly confront her. Not yet.
"Amber," Peter began, "during group, you gave some indication that you knew about the fire."
With disturbing ease, Amber smirked at her headmaster, her eyes portraying slight amusement. "You should probably disregard anything I said," she stated evenly. "I was not on this planet, I was pretty fricking high, Peter."
Peter maintained her gaze, watching her react to his words. "So you claim that you had Ezra help you into the Janitor's closet so you could get high?"
Amber shifted back into her seat, as if in complete ease. "Why else would I want access? I mean, really." As an afterthought, she added, "I'm sorry."
"And yet you claim to know nothing of the fire?"
"Have you not listened to a word I've said?" she questioned, allowing a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Hell, this is easier than I thought it'd be, Amber marvelled.
"I wasn't in class because I was too busy getting high," Amber continued, "I don't know anything that happened in that time span. I didn't even know there was a fire until someone told me about it later, and it was all already over."
The truth to the matter was that after she'd finished planting the fire, she'd gone back to the open janitor's closet, huffed a couple chemicals, and wasn't entirely sure what proceeded after that, except that she'd been brought to group, where she'd subsequently passed out, and awoke in the infirmary.
If Peter wanted a blood test, she'd gladly take one. It would only solidify her 'alibi'.
"I see," Peter said simply, still eying Amber suspiciously, but subtly.
"Someone probably tipped over a lamp without knowing it," Amber suggested. "I don't know. Besides, why blame me? That is what you're doing, you know."
Peter was getting tired of these games. He decided to confront her words, head on. "Your past history, Amber," he said, as if to remind her. "I can't help but be more than a little bit suspicious."
Amber all but ignored his indirect accusations. "Besides," she said, "why would I want to burn down the boys dorm? There's no motive."
Peter didn't need Amber to tell him what he already knew. "In any case, until we learn more, you're on restriction for the week for admittedly getting high while you were supposed to be in class. But I want you to take a blood test, head off to the infirmary first."
Amber couldn't help but be pleased with herself. She suppressed a grin of satisfaction in knowing that Peter couldn't punish her any more than he was doing. No one had seen her in the act, she'd made certain of it. No one could pin her down. She was a free woman.
She rose from the chair and turned towards the door to exit, when a thought occurred to her.
You can get out of even this punishment, a voice told her.
As soon as she heard it, she knew exactly what the voice meant.
Amber slowly turned around to face Peter again. To confront him, head-on, again. "Do you know what my dad would say if he heard I was being put on shuns?"
Peter didn't bother trying to conceal the annoyance in his voice. His prime suspect, his only suspect, suddenly had an unquestionable alibi, and now she was testing him further. "Amber, get to the infirmary."
As soon as Amber finished giving a sample of her blood for the blood test, she headed off to the girl's dorm.
In the outdoors, the free, breezy outdoors, she couldn't suppress that satisfied grin she'd hidden for what had seemed an eternity.
Bliss, she thought to herself. I pulled it off.
Not only is Adrian's stuff gone, forever, Erika's on shuns, and Adrian has hopefully given up on Erika! And if he hasn't yet, it's about damn time!
Oh, perfection, she cackled to herself.
Damn, I'm good.
She was so engrossed with her thoughts, with the voices that rang in her head, that she didn't notice the hostile stares that her presence evoked when she entered her respective dorm.
But her world became shatteringly real when the voice, the one voice that sounded to her like nails against a chalk board, spoke.
"So... When are you being sent off to juvie?"
The casualness of Erika's voice sent her temperature boiling. How dare she! Amber thought to herself.
Despite that she knew Erika was taller, and more physically capable than her, and very able to beat her to a pulp, Amber sent a hostile glare of her own Erika's way.
"Please.. For what?"
"For burning down the fucking boys dorm!" Erika exclaimed. Erika had been lounging on her bunk, but now, she was on her feet. "They have to stay in the main lodge because of you." "I'm not going anywhere," Amber said haughtily. "And I didn't do anything."
"Adrian lost everything he fucking had, because you couldn't handle that he didn't want to screw around with you anymore."
Amber spoke through a clenched jaw. "I didn't do anything," she said as evenly as she could. Although she was intimidated by Erika, she would not give Erika the satisfaction of knowing such. "Excuse me," Amber continued, and made her way to the bathrooms.
She locked the door once she reached the bathroom stalls.
Heaving suddenly, out of anger, out of trying so long to control it, Amber placed her hands on the sink to steady herself as she gazed into one of the mirrors.
Damn, she thought to herself, I'm gorgeous.
Her gaze then shifted. Her eyes landed on a cup, in which was placed the toothbrushes of the Cliffhanger girls. Suddenly struck with an idea, Amber removed one of the toothbrushes, careful to select the right one, and suppressed the evil cackle she could feel welling inside her.
Knowing she didn't have much time, Amber dashed into one of the stalls, and leaned over the toilet. She scrubbed the bristles of the toothbrush over, and inside the toilet, cleaning it, until she believed it to be thoroughly clean.. And the toothbrush nasty.
Quietly, she replaced the toothbrush inside the designated cup, and exited the bathroom, trying to look innocent.
later...
"What the hell happened to my toothbrush?!"
Some of the Cliffhanger girls ventured into the bathroom where Erika had suddenly exclaimed in the midst of relative quiet.
"Whoa, Erika," Kat remarked, casting a disgusted glance towards Erika's toothbrush, the handle part of it emerald green, a shade of green that matched her eyes. It was in this manner that Amber had identified it as Erika's.
"It smells like shit," Erika remarked. "Did someone fucking sabotage my *toothbrush*?"
Erika angrily strut into the main area of the Cliffhanger girls dorm, and looking around, cast a knowing look towards Amber.
Amber met her gaze indifferently.
"God, that's low," Erika muttered.
"Don't look at me," Amber whined. "You hurt my eyes."
"You make me want to puke," Erika concluded, and chucked the ruined toothbrush towards Amber before turning away. It landed in her lap, and Amber jumped as the toothbrush she'd ruined made contact with her.
Erika shook her head, the only reason keeping her from setting Amber in her place, was knowing that she had enough punishments already. She definitely didn't need more, especially over such a petty thing.
"Any news?" Sophie asked her fiancé, as she entered his office.
Peter shook his head dismally. "None that's any good. The investigators can't determine the cause of the fire. There's not enough left of the dorm."
Sophie sighed, and sat down beside him. "How did it go with Amber?" she asked.
"You wouldn't believe it, but she has an alibi."
Sophie furrowed her brows. "An alibi?"
"Yes. Unbelievable, I know."
"And no one saw *anything*, how it started, when it started?" Sophie questioned, trying to clutch at something, at anything that might help their cause.
Peter shook his head, again. "No one. It was during class. Everyone was busy. I don't know what to do. Amber could be lying through her teeth, she could be telling the truth, I honestly have no idea. But in any case, she's got a week of restriction."
"Okay," said Sophie. "It's a start."
"A start that doesn't lead anywhere," Peter muttered. "I really don't know what to do with her. It's hard to just dismiss considering her background, but no one seems to know anything."
Sophie clasped his hand in hers, trying to give him some kind of reassurance, even if there wasn't any. She could discern the frustration, the exasperation of the ineptitude of their investigation lined in his face. "I understand," she said simply.
Peter met Sophie's gaze a moment, before it brightened suddenly. "You know what we need to do?" he said.
"What."
"Get away from this place, away from the drama, go away on a hike."
Sophie smiled despite herself. "Really? You think so?"
"Get some fresh air," Peter continued, "and you know, by the time we get back, the boys dorm will have been rebuilt. Everyone will come, for some serious bonding time. It's perfect."
the next day...
The Cliffhangers had gathered to the main lodge, towing large duffles. It was anyone's guess as to how long they'd actually be out there, in the utter wilderness.
"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Peter remarked, as he slung his own camping gear onto his shoulders.
Sophie Becker stood beside him, and her presence alone calmed his nerves.
Peter couldn't help but wonder what he'd do without her.
"Let's just get this over with," said Shelby. Needless to say, she was less than pleased about this sudden trip, one that could span any number of days.
"Alright," said Auggie, looking very ready to tackle the elements and the outdoors. "Let's do this."
Peter looked around at his participants, assuring that they were ready.
Juliette studied her nails intently, her trusty nailfile in her pocket. Hiking in the remote outdoors was not her idea of fun, and it showed.
Shelby looked equally disinterested, but more annoyed than anything.
In contrast, Erika looked eager. Aside from the buddy hike back that she'd done in what had seemed ages ago, back when Scott was here still, she hadn't yet participated in one of Horizon's famous hikes.
"Let's go," Peter asserted, leading them outside the main lodge, onto a worn, rugged path.
------------
As Peter led the gang, Erika and Adrian walked side-by-side through the forestry.
"Adrian?" said Erika.
"Yeah?" he asked, meeting her gaze.
"Thanks," she told him, a small smile on her countenance.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me," she said, and her smile broadened.
It had been too long since she'd last smiled, Adrian decided, but that only left him wondering if he'd ever even seen Erika smile before this.
When she smiled, her face was aglow. He decided that she should smile more often.
"Thank *you* for brightening my world," he replied, and clasped her hand in his.
They were, however, oblivious to Amber, glaring at them from behind, and there was heat in her gaze, like she wanted to burn a hole in their backs.
When the hell had this happened?! Amber thought to herself miserably.
It seems, a voice rang in her head, it seems that your little stunt brought the two together.
Amber shuddered, and wanted to puke at the sight of Erika and Adrian holding hands. Instead, she looked away.
Adrian is yours, the voice said.
And Erika will pay for taking what's mine.
She ran her hands through her hair dismally.
Do not tell me that burning down the boy's dorm backfired, she thought to herself.
But oh, it did.
You brought them together.
Amber put her hands to her ears, in an attempt to block out the noise she heard, the noise only she could hear.
It was useless.
I had to kiss Ezra in order to set fire to the boy's dorm! she thought in disgust. And to think, in the end, it wouldn't even have any effect.
This is not over, she thought to herself determinedly.
---------
"God dammit, I won't be able to talk with Scott for a week!" Shelby complained to the others as they hiked.
"Sorry, Shel," said Kat sympathetically. "But think of it this way, when you get back, there'll be what, two weeks until the morp?"
This brought a smile to Shelby's face. "A week and five days," she corrected.
"Keeping track are we?" Daisy questioned.
"You're surprised?"
"No. But that's another matter entirely."
---------------
Auggie and Juliette hiked side by side.
"Can you believe it Jules?" Auggie said to her. "We'll be out of here before you know it."
"I don't know that I want to get out of here," Juliette confessed. "I don't want to go back to my mom, my old life."
"The real world is a scary prospect, I know Jules." Auggie wrapped a protective arm around her.
Juliette looked at Auggie with a sudden hopefulness. "We'll be together, right?"
Auggie smiled. "Twig, I'd have it no other way."
"Thanks Augusto," Juliette responded happily.
The cliffhangers had spent the day traversing through a jungle of wilderness, hiking through paths of dense trees and steeps hills.
Now it was night, the sky dark like ebony, and only the natural sounds of the wilderness could be heard. Leaves rustled, insects chirped, and overall, it was peaceful.
The night sky, only visible in patches through the foliage, was clear, and adorned with aureate stars. It was more than picturesque.
But because no human noises could be heard, meant by no means that no one was awake.
Amber's eyes were alert and awake, despite that she was buried in her sleeping bag, and pretending that she was asleep. She certainly wasn't, as she watched them, their faces bathed in the moonlight, not touching but sitting beside one another.
Inside, Amber was fuming.
"Is everyone asleep?"
"From what I can tell, yeah," Adrian responded. His hand snaked towards her and clasped her hand in his.
Erika didn't resist when his warm hand enclosed hers. The night was cold, but at his touch, she felt warm inside. It was unlike anything she'd ever known.
Adrian didn't know who the Erika was who sat beside him. Whoever it was, it seemed as though another person had overtaken her body, and it mystified him to no end. She went from being incessantly hostile to following him in a blazing structure, and subsequently kissing him.
He watched her, with his artist's eye. He could spend forever just looking at her, memorizing the angles of her face. The green eyes that shone in the moonlight and seemed to bore into his soul. He didn't know what love was, but he was almost certain this was somewhat like it.
The Erika who sat beside him now, this was a softer Erika, a side of her that until just the days before he didn't know existed.
"Listen Adrian, I'm sorry."
"For what?" he asked.
Erika looked down, her gaze falling towards the forest floor. "For treating you like shit before. I'm sorry."
With his free hand, Adrian lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "Hey," he said softly, "it's alright."
Adrian brushed away a lock of her blond hair that had strayed behind her ear, and removed his hand. He found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.. She was too beautiful, in her own way.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"From what?"
"The fire."
Adrian tensed, as he thought of the artwork he'd lost. He'd brought everything he had to Horizon when he came, every last art piece. Art was personal, he'd poured himself into his drawings, his paintings.. And now it was all gone. All of his possessions were gone. "I guess I'll have to be," he said eventually. "It's not like I can do anything about it."
"I wish I could do something."
Adrian smiled weakly. "You're doing a lot just right now, just being here."
Erika returned his weak smile, and with their hands conjoined, brushed her thumb over his knuckles, as if in reassurance, in comfort.
And then there was silence, no words needed. The locked gazes, locked hands.. It was serenity.
"We should get to bed," Adrian said eventually.
"I know."
And with that, they made their way towards their sleeping bags, tip-toeing quietly so as not to awaken anyone, not knowing that there was already someone wide awake, watching their every movement with restless alertness.
Oblivious, Erika and Adrian climbed into their respective sleeping bags, which sat side-by-side.
Adrian couldn't help but marvel at the beauty that surrounded him. The aureate stars and moon, shining in the midst of forest foliage, and of course the beauty that lay beside him in the sleeping bag next to his.
Happy, and at peace with himself and his surroundings, Adrian drifted off to sleep.
She'd seen it. She'd seen their every movement of every moment.
She hadn't been close enough to hear their words, but from what she saw, it was enough to get her blood boiling.
Amber wanted to explode.
She turned over in her sleeping bag. But it was over now. For now.
Her stomach churned when she realized that their little romance sessions probably weren't going to cease. She'd have to witness the clasping of hands and midnight talks again.. And probably again and again.
God, what am I going to do with myself? she thought miserably, closing her eyes. I can't sit through that again.
Get rid of them.
Amber had heard the voice. It sounded in her head again, a large, echoed voice that rang in her mind.
Get rid of them.
Amber shook her head as she thought about it. How?
The matches.. The matches..
Her eyes snapped open in realization. Her fingers seemed to have a life of their own as they made their way towards her pack, located beside her sleeping bag.
Her fingers slid the zipper, and reached inside the bag, searching for them.
Finally, she located them, and her fingers closed around the package.
The matches.
Setting fire to the boy's dorm had only required one of the matches, and she'd kept the package.
Amber brought the matches close to her, to study them with what light the moon filtered.
I could do it, she thought. I could use the last of these things.. It's not like it wouldn't be a worthy cause.
Do it.
Amber thought for a moment. She'd get caught, she decided.
What the hell does it matter if you're caught? Imagine it, Amber. *Them*, enveloped in fire.
Amber shifted in her sleeping bag as she thought about it. It would be a cremation. No one will stop me.
Amber looked at the matches, mesmerized. It's about time I put you guys to some real use, she whispered to the matches, as though they were living things.
But are they asleep? she wondered.
------------------
Time passed at seemingly sloth's pace, as Amber waited. She didn't have the slightest clue how long she'd lied there, just waiting for the right moment, or what time it was.
But does it matter, really? she wondered. Now is the time.
Amber quietly crawled out of her sleeping bag, matches tucked away in her hand.
Moving towards the two, she didn't stop to think about what she was about to do. Didn't know how she was going to do it. All she knew was that Adrian and Erika were vulnerable, and that she had matches. It was time for her to fully extract her revenge.
Adrian will think twice about dumping me again, she thought bitterly.
Finally, she stood over the two.
It is said that in our sleep, we are more vulnerable, more innocent. Amber watched their peaceful expressions with heaved annoyance.
Not thinking, Amber removed a matched from the pack.
Erika stirred in her sleep as she heard footsteps approach. Her eyes opened slowly as she registered another noise, one loud enough to wake her.
The ignition of fire.
Her eyes snapped open. It was then that she assessed fire on Adrian's sleeping bag, Amber standing over them with another match lit.
"Adrian!" Erika cried, shaking him awake.
Amber's heart nearly stopped as she saw Erika awaken. Without a second thought, she fled, darted from the scene of her crime.
Erika was as equally quick. Seeing that Adrian was awake and able to take care of himself, she didn't just watch as Amber ran. Erika followed her.
Amber ran into the dense forest, where she hoped no one could follow her. Her match was still alight, guiding her.
She ran like she'd never run before. She ran for her life.
Risking a look back, Amber saw that things were getting more complicated by the second. Erika was after her, and Erika was a former track star.
Despite this, it didn't deter Amber's reckless determination.
When Erika ran into the forest after Amber, she found that it would be harder than she thought. She could barely see anything, could barely discern tree branches that lay across her path, obstacles in her way.
No stray ray of moonlight was in that forest. The foliage covered the sky completely.
The only way she was even able to follow Amber, was due to the brightness of light, moving quickly. Erika merely followed the lit match, well ahead of her.
Erika just ran. She didn't know where the hell she was going, but like hell she was going to let Amber get away. Erika wanted Amber to deal with her wrath, before Amber would have to deal with Peter's.
This was personal.
Erika ran breathlessly. A couple times she thought she'd lost sight of the light, but it would reappear seconds later.
She knew she was drawing closer. Erika could now discern Amber's footsteps, and the light was growing brighter. With renewed determination, Erika didn't let her pace slow.
She had been running at breakneck speed, but suddenly halted. The light was gone. All there was, was the darkness, the ebony surrounding her. Erika looked around in desperation. She couldn't have had lost Amber! She had been so close.
Erika cursed herself, but suddenly wondered where she was.. Undoubtedly deep in the forest, but it was impossible to know....
All train of thought was shattered when she felt a huge blow across the back of her head. A strike with the fortitude of a ton of bricks.
Erika collapsed onto the ground.
Amber smirked, pleased with herself. She set down the thick, heavy tree branch that she had found on the forest floor moments before. The same broken branch she'd used to strike Erika across the back of her head, like a batter would a baseball..
She'd snuck up on Erika behind her, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to outrun her. So instead, she cheated.
And damn, did it work.
Now it was over, she decided, letting the branch drop to the ground. My pursuer is no more.
Amber glanced at Erika, who was barely holding herself together, and noted the blood on the back of her head.
Amber knew how to swing a baseball bat. A branch was no different.
Satisfied, Amber fled, again, the scene of her own crime.
Struggling to get up, her vision fuzzy, blood coming from an opening in her head, Erika tried to pull herself together, and could only watch as Amber fled.
Steadying herself on her feet the best she could, Erika put one foot in front of the other.
She could barely see, but the sound of Amber's footsteps were still audible, albeit barely. Blindly, she followed them, stumbling on the way.
Erika was not yet ready to give up.
Though her head throbbed with pain unlike any she'd ever known before, Erika found it inside herself to continue on. Every step was a struggle, every step was agony, but she gave it everything she had.
Thoroughly out of breath, Amber sat down on the forest floor. There wasn't any place left to go, either, so it made sense. A steep cliff lined with haphazard trees, and nature's follies was mere feet away.
A smile formed on her lips, despite that her breathing was rugged and heavy.
She never even saw it coming, Amber reminisced, cackling.
What are you going to do now? one of the voices asked her.
I don't know, she thought in response.
You have to do something.
Like what? Amber questioned.
Something.
Amber rolled her eyes. Sometimes the voices in her head annoyed her.
Tell me something I don't know, she thought in response.
Amber's breathing steadied. It had been a couple minutes since she'd been running like a madman, but still she was tired. More than tired, exhausted.
The only thing she could be thankful for was that at least now, Erika wasn't pursuing her anymore. Erika was long gone, she thought maliciously.
Or so she thought.
Thinking she'd rid herself of Erika, she didn't expect it when suddenly she saw her, emerging from the trees.
Amber's heart nearly stopped.
Instinctively, Amber scanned the forest floor, and picked up a heavy enough, broken branch to arm herself with.
Amber rose tentatively, watching as Erika drew closer to her.
They were mere feet apart.
Amber swung the branch wildly, if only to prevent Erika from drawing any closer.
But like a football player, Erika rammed into Amber, tackling her to the ground with all her might, with every ounce of strength that she possessed.
Thrown backwards, suddenly Amber was scared. Death could be nearby.. Literally, as she thought about the steep cliff that led to oblivion, mere feet away.
Amber looked into Erika's determined eyes. "What are you going to do, kill me?"
Erika didn't know. "You tried to kill Adrian, crazy bitch," she said.
"He would have deserved it," Amber replied cooly. Her grip tightened around the branch, miraculously still in her grasp. "Just like you deserve this."
It was like a repeat performance. Amber whacked Erika over the head with the branch with all the might she could manage.
Truly dazed, Erika's grip on Amber loosened. She felt like she was going to pass out.
The pain was unimaginable.
Although the thought of passing out, freeing herself of pain momentarily was incredibly tempting, Erika fought it. She couldn't pass out.. Not now.
Cackling, Amber slipped away from Erika. Dropping the stick, Amber stopped to admire her handiwork. Erika was barely conscious.
Grinning, Amber took Erika's hands, and dragged her limp body a few feet.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Erika managed.
"I have to get rid of you somehow," Amber replied, smiling. "This way looks more painful, which is all for the better. Sweet dreams, sweetheart."
And with that Erika suddenly realized she was against a cliff. Life or death.
"I won't be sleeping for a long while," Erika retorted.
With a swift kick that required all of her will and energy, Erika sent Amber toppling over.
Amber lost her balance, but managed to hold on, as the steep cliff lay just beneath her.
Erika turned to Amber, who was hanging on to her life by the threshold.
"It's amazing how fast the tables can turn, isn't it?"
With a terrified scream, Amber's grip failed her.
Erika, exhausted, allowed herself to pass out.
Flashlights shine in the darkness of night in the dense forest. Taking place is a search for Amber and Erika.
Adrian flashes his light frantically around. Where in the hell was Erika?
It is so dark. The darkness reigns.
On a whim, Adrian ventures further than he'd been told to go, only to suddenly come across Erika's unconscious body.
His insides grow cold at seeing the sight of her limp form in the light of his flashlight.