Chapter Twenty-Four

Everyone was up at 6:00. They had hardly slept. Rogue kept the ball in front of her, while the others surrounded it.

"Okay," Scott said," We must get out of here and fast."

"If we don't," Jean said," Then this will be the end of all of us."

They quickly walked down the tunnel. Rogue was in front again. The flashlight was dead. Gambit walked right next to her. They came to a two way tunnel. They were silent for about five minutes. They didn't know which way to go. Everyone was hopping that Jean would know.

"Which way?" Rogue asked," Did you read about this?"

"Let me think," Jean said," Go left."

"Why?" Lance asked," We should go right. Becides, right is the right way."

Lance walked passed everyone. Pietro was carrying Kitty, after Lance nearly droped her. Lance walked down the right tunnel. Everyone kept a close eye on him. He turned to the others.

"You should get back here," Jean said," That tunnel is not safe."

Lance rolled his eyes and turned back around. Just then something black surrounded him. The others heard a scream and the blackness went away as fast as it had come. Everyone was silent for about ten minutes. Lance was no longer there.

"Lance," Kitty whispered, a tear running down her face.

"It might come back," Scott said," So lets continue."

They headed down the left tunnel. Kitty had started to cry. She had really cared for Lance.' He is gone,' Kitty thought,' Gone. No more of his funny jokes. No more of him holding me. He's gone.'

"Where do you think this tunnel goes, yo," Todd asked.

"Hopefully to an exit," Rogue said.

They started to run down the tunnel now. There was stil hardly any light. After about five minutes of running they stoped.

"This must to very long," Pietro said," I feel like I'm runnin up hill."

"We are going up," Scott said.

Rogue was looking around, then noticed that there were trees around them.

"We are out of the tunnel," Rogue said," We are heading up the mountain."

"How come we never noticed?" Pietro asked.

"Because," Jean said," It's so dark that we couldn't see the trees."

"Lets get going then," Scott said," We can do this."

Just then the darkness surrounded Scott, who screamed. Then the darkness was gone and so was Scott. Everyone was silent. Jean looked a little shocked.' He's gone,' Jean thought,' Now I remember.'

"I just remembered," Jean said," The thing goes after people who care for you. Lance cared for Kitty, and Scott cared for me. It wil go after people who want to protect the others. It feeds off of love."

"It would of been helpful if you would of told us that earlier," Kitty snaped.

"Wait," Rogue said," What if a girl cares for someone, will it go after them?"

"Yes," Jean said," What? Did you think it just went after boys and that we were safe?"

"No," Rogue said," Just thought I would ask."

"Lets just go," Pietro said,'' Before it comes back."

They quickly started running up the mountain. They passed the place where the spirite were supposed to be, but there was nothing there. They ran for about a half an hour, before they stoped.

"There is no way we can keep this up," Rogue said.

Everyone sat down. Pietro sat Kitty down before he sat down.

Thoughts

Kitty: He's gone. He's gone. He's gone.

Jean: Poor Kitty. Scott is gone. I'll never know if he liked me or how a date would of turned out.

Todd: I didn't die today, but it will get me tomorrow. Wait I don't care for any of these people. I shoule be safe.

Pietro: Lost Lance. , if I make it out of this, then I'm the leader.

Rogue: I care for Gambit, so it will come after me. I know he cares about me, so I'll come after both of us.

Gambit: Not'ing is going to get Rogue. I won't let anything happen to her.

End of thoughts

It was 10:00, but no one slept. They feared that the shadow would come in the night and get them all in their sleep, which it probably would. Everyone surround the light ball, which Rogue had put on the ground. Everyone was silent the whole night.