I own nothing but the story idea...so yeah. Enjoy!


Dawn skipped out of the lodge into the sunny, yet freezing afternoon.

This day was going quite perfect. She had done a great job at Big Eddie, she made friends and Scott talked to her.

Quite a feat in her opinion.

She crossed the yard in front of the lodge, fresh faces staring at her all around. 'You know, this isn't that bad.' She thought to herself.

Suddenly, a boy wearing a plaid shirt and khakis jumped in front of her. "Your it!" He screamed, and Dawn could see Peter, Sophie, and Hank running towards her. "You're the one!"

Dawn was knocked to the ground. She screamed. "What do you want?!"

The boy bent down and grabbed her shoulders. "The Key! You're the Key!" He whispered. Dawn's eyes widened.

Peter wrestled the boy until he finally got a good hold on him. Sophie helped Dawn up. "Hank, take him to the Psychiatric Ward. Get Alison to get a good look at him."

Dawn was trembling from head to toe. The Key...that guy knew she was the Key. But how?

A struggling Hank pulled the boy away.

Peter turned towards her. "I'm sorry, Ms. Summers. He's from our mentally challenged program. They were eating lunch and I guess he got out."

Dawn nodded, but felt hot tears coming to her eyes.

Sophie noticed this. She put a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Look, he's not right in the head. He's been in the same grade for four years. He killed three people before they realized that he was insane. Normally we have a restraining jacket on him, but we usually take them off around lunch."

Tears now ran freely down Dawn's face.

Sophie hugged her. "Okay? He didn't mean you any harm. He's really sweet on most occasions. Okay?" Dawn nodded.

Sophie smiled. "Good. Now run along to your cabin. A-and Group's in about three hours, so I'll see you then."

Dawn stalked off, shaking, towards Cabin 12.

Sophie turned to Peter. "I'm worried." She bit her lip.

"Hmm?" He asked. "Why?"

"Well, the whole M.C.I.A.H. (Mentally Challenged Institute at Horizon) center today has been berserk! Alison said the people have been tugging at their jackets, scratching at the door, muttering to themselves...I wonder why?"

"Sophie! Like you said, they aren't right in the head. I'm sure they'll stop eventually." He walked away, leaving Sophie all but certain.


Dawn slammed the door to the cabin, both Juliet and Daisy jerking their heads up.

Juliet smiled weakly. "Hey Dawn, I heard you aced Big Eddie."

Dawn smiled nervously. "Nice to see you're out of the Clinic, Juliet."

"Yeah...I felt better so they let me go."

Dawn sat on her bed, thinking about what that boy had said earlier.

Flashback

"Your it! You're the one!"

"What do you want?!"

"The Key! You're the Key!"

End of Flashback

It was just like what that guy said back in Sunnydale outside of the Magic Box, and those people at the Hospital. Dawn felt more tears start to form, but she shook them away. She didn't want to worry Juliet and Daze.

Instead, she tried to get her mind off of it. "S-so, what's planned for next week?" She asked.

Daisy looked up from her book. "Oh, we go on our monthly hike."

Dawn's jaw dropped. "Hike? Like, here? Through the treacherous woods? I don't think so." She shuddered at the thought of it.

Daisy shrugged and smiled slightly. "It's like 30 of our monthly evaluation."

"Well, what do you have to do?"

"Peter pairs you off into 3 groups of 2, but one group will have three. And you spend three days in a tent, with your group members, writing stuff down in a journal about what you learned on the trip. But, I have been on so many; I usually just copy crap down."

Dawn giggled, and secretly hoped that she would be in one of the two person groups with Scott.

Juliet spoke up. "I wonder where Shel is."

Daze rolled her eyes. "They are behind the WindWhistlers cabin, macking at each other. I saw them when I went to get a drink."

Dawn's gut grumbled. Lucky bitch, she thought about Shelby.


It was 8 o'clock and Group was starting. Dawn, Juliet, and Daisy hustled out of their cabins into the freezing below 0 temperatures and into the warm Main Lodge. Shelby still hadn't arrived yet.

When they got there, Ezra and Auggie were already sitting down on a couch. Scott wasn't there either. Probably still out with Shelby. Dawn felt a twinge of jealousy run throughout her soul. But then she realized that they were in sub-zero temperatures, and she felt like she had gotten the better deal. Even if it wasn't with Scott.

Peter walked in with Sophie and clapped his hands. This signaled that Group had started.

"Okay Cliffhangers!" He did a headcount. "It seems we are a little short on numbers."

Just then, Shelby and Scott burst through the door, their teeth chattering. Boy, had they been busy. Shelby's hair was a mess and her lip gloss was smeared. So was Scotts, with the exception of the lip gloss.

Peter smiled. "Mr. Barringer, Ms. Merrick. So nice you have joined us! Maybe next time it could be on time, okay?"

They both nodded and silently took a seat next to Dawn. Scott had just sat next to her. She felt like she was going to explode in joyfulness.

Peter clapped his hands once more. "Now, back to business. As we all know, next week is the big hike of the month. I have already assigned your pairs, but I'm not going to reveal them until Tuesday when we leave. That way, you can all be tortured until then." He joked.

He cleared his throat. "And on another note, you should not make any contact with the people of the M.C.I.A.H, okay? Don't talk, touch, and even go near them. Understood?"

A small "Yes" was given.

"Good."


Later that night, Dawn sat up. It was pouring down rain, snow and sleet. She looked at the small alarm clock next to her. It read 12:30. Daisy, Shelby, and Juliet were snoring away.

Suddenly, Dawn heard a noise. "Your it." It whispered.

Dawn trembled. "Who's there?" She asked frantically. All of a sudden, the whole M.C.I.A.H department was scratching at the windows and the doors of the Cabin, moaning and groaning. She screamed and looked next to her, and Glory was standing at the side of her bed.

"Hey kiddo." She said.

Then, Dawn sat up, drenched in a cold sweat and panting loudly. It was a dream...it had just been a dream, but it felt so real.

She quickly looked at the doors and windows. Everything was normal, except for the snow, sleet and rain. And the other girls were sound asleep.

Slowly but surely, she laid her head down. Buffy would never let Glory find her. Thinking this, she laid her head down and went back to sleep.


The next week past by so fast, Dawn wished that she had some sort of Key powers to stop time.

The dreaded hike drew nearer and nearer, and Dawn became more and more apprehensive. She wouldn't be able to contact Buffy. If Glory found her, there would be no stopping her.

It was Thursday, and the previous night Peter made them pack. Damn the hot Sunnydale weather! All she had brought were tanks and capris. She'd worn the same jeans for three days straight.

Juliet smiled. "Don't worry Dawn. What size do you wear, a 3? I can lend you some clothes."

As Dawn began to pull out her blue fuzzy suitcase, Daisy stopped her.

"No no no no. We don't take suitcases."

Dawn's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"This," Daisy pulled a gigantic hideous puke khaki backpack out from under her bed. "Is what we carry. Peter says it adds spiritual meaning to the whole experience."

Dawn was horrified. Hiking? Backpacks? Overnight stays in the woods? Spirituality? What was this, Cub Scouts?

Daisy looked over at Shelby, who was primping in the mirror in the bathroom.

"Shel, you better pack. Sophie is coming by tonight to check backpacks." warned Daisy.

Shelby looked fancy, like she was ready for a date. She wore a hot pink halter top with a turquoise bow tied around the middle. On her legs was a short black silky skirt and on her feet were black sandal heels. Dawn hated to admit it, but Shelby did have good style.

Shelby replied by rolling her eyes. "Tonight's my date with Scott."

"Every night's your date with Scott." Juliet muttered, filing her nails.

"Shut up Princess." Shelby sneered. "When was the last time you and Augustus had some sort of interaction? Was it when you were flailing your arms about on a rock wall, screaming? Help! Help!" She did an impression of Juliet at Big Eddie.

Juliet looked away, turning red from embarrassment.

Daisy just stuffed a journal in her sack.

Shelby flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Anyways, I'm off. If Sophie comes by, I'm out to get a drink. Don't wait up." She slammed the door behind her as she walked out.

Just as the door shut, Juliet looked over at it, her eyes glossy. "We never do. Sorry if we lock you out...Gosh! I hate her!" She shook her head in frustration.

Daisy frowned. "Jules don't say that. You don't mean it."

"Why on earth do you stick up for her? She's so mean to me, to you!" Juliet yelled.

"Yeah Daze, why do you stick up for her?" Dawn asked, curiously.

Daisy shrugged. "I don't know, she's had a rough life I guess."

"Well, so have we. That's why we are all here!" Juliet yelled again, clearly steamed.

"Look, Scott's her rock. He keeps her grounded-" Daisy tried to reason before Juliet cut in.

"YOU CALL THAT GROUNDED?! If she's grounded, I'm in the Earth's mantle by now!!!" Juliet shrieked.

Daisy put her hands up. "Juliet! All I am saying is that her home life hasn't been good. Scott's something for her to look forward to, that's all." She walked in the bathroom and shut the door.

Dawn wanted to know what kind of home life Shelby had had that gave her special privileges to bring people down, but she kept her mouth shut.

Another day, another argument.


Yay! I updated again! Woo-hoo! Please R&R!!!-fb7