Author note: Okay, so, here's Chapter Two!

I walked silently down the streets, not even paying attention to the world around me. I stared straight ahead at the huge building I was coming up on, with a winding forest behind it.

My life was a game to him – Ned, I mean. Everyone's was. We lost many kids each day, and it didn't affect that coldhearted man. All he wanted was to see who would survive in the end, and to make my life a living hell. I knew that if I died during this 'game' of his, then Daniel would be doomed for sure.

My father wasn't doing any good with helping me either. He was making thousands off of all of this. That's right; they pay parents to put their children through this. If I died then that meant no more money for my dad, and trust me, if Daniel's life wasn't in danger then I'd already be dead so my good for nothing father would lose all of his riches.

I clenched my fists as I inched closer to the building, but stopped right in front of one of Brooklyn's many millionaire houses. I slowly ascended the stairs and to the door. I sighed deeply as I twisted the knob and entered my father's house.

I closed the door shut behind me and cursed myself for entering the house.

"Anomie," one of the maids said, stopping in her tracks. I stared at her blankly and then walked right past her.

"Where is Christopher?" I asked, referring to my father. Never in my life would I ask where my 'father' was.

"He is out, Miss," the maid said, following me up the staircase and to the second floor.

"Where did he go?" I asked bluntly.

The maid struggled to keep up with me, tripping over her feet from time to time as we started on the staircase for the third floor. "He had a meeting," she said.

I rolled my eyes and sped up. "He doesn't have a meeting; he's out spending every penny he has!" I then made it to my temporary room, when I was home, and slammed the door in the maid's face like she was never there.

I fell backwards onto my bed and stared lifelessly up at the ceiling. So many mysteries to uncover and so little time. Sometimes life just didn't offer enough time.

I sat up slightly and propped myself up with my elbows, glancing around the luxurious room that was sometimes mine. Ned let us stay with our families on the weekends, when we didn't have tests, and I felt more safe here than at that damned school. It was true that I hated father more than Ned, because this was his fault, but I loved living here more than living at that school.

To me the world was rotating in the wrong direction; has been for the past five years. Everything was a huge blur, and I was pretty sure I was going to wake up from this nightmare, or at least I believed that many years ago.

I laid back down on the bed and turned over to my side, staring at the window. Today was Friday, so Erica wouldn't have to go through her task until Monday. All I knew was that Erica would need my help, but I couldn't help her when Ned was everywhere.

I closed my eyes briefly until I heard a knock at my door. "Go away, I'm plotting a murder!" I screamed, not even moving from my position.

"Uh, Miss. Parker, your friends are here," came a frightened voice from the other side. I rose from the bed and opened the door, staring at the maid.

"Thank you," I said with no emotion, which probably made me look scary. I carelessly walked past her and down the endless flights of stairs until I came upon Stephen and Erica on the first floor.

"Anomie, why did you leave?" Erica quickly asked once she saw me walking down the stairs.

"Why stay when there's a bonehead trying to showoff at your table?" I asked with a slight shrug.

"Oh Anomie, Spot was just being a jerk. That's what he is, a jerk. Has been since ever he became king of this wretched land," Erica said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well, he can fall of the damn bridge for all I care," I said, escorting my two best friends into the study. I sat down on one of the leather couches and watched as my friends did the same.

"You guys can drool over Spot later, right now we need to talk about the upcoming task," Stephen said with a roll of his eyes. I stared right through Stephen easily, giving him an icy look.

"Drool over that buffoon? Sorry to spoil the fun, my dear friend, but any girl to ever fall for that cockroach has to be way over their heads," I said, never looking away from Stephen.

Stephen sighed and shook his head. "Focus, Anomie, focus!" he said.

"I am focusing; maybe you'd like to try."

"Okay, you two shut up! I need help, and if I don't survive through this…this fire then I'll…be dead!" Erica exclaimed. I switched a softer gaze over to my less strong friend and laughed slightly, something I didn't do often.

"Really now? I honestly didn't know that would happen," I told her. Erica scolded, but laughed it off.

"I think we heard Anomie laugh just a second ago," she told Stephen.

"Yeah," Stephen agreed. "The dead can laugh?"

I threw one of the throw pillows at Stephen and retained my blank expression. "Shut up you goose!" I said.

"Goose? All you could come up with is goose? Anomie – the best name caller of all times – came up with goose? Okay, this world has officially reached its limit!" Stephen laughed and threw the pillow back at me, and I caught it with one hand like it was nothing. Well, it was nothing actually.

"Hush up Stephen. Concentrate!" I scolded my clueless friend.

Stephen shrugged and looked at Erica, a more serious expression now pasted to his face. Yeah, pasted. "Have any of us actually had that test yet?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I have, idiot! I've been through almost every test there is," I told him.

Stephen shrugged, "So tell us about it."

I sat up straight on the couch and pushed my hair behind my ears. "Well, the fire is a simple test to see how well you can take heat. They'll literally set the room on fire for a certain period of time, and you have to survive. They can't keep the fire going too long, because they'll end up spreading it."

Erica scratched her head in confusion. "But how do you survive in a room completely on fire?" she asked.

I smiled mischievously at my friends. "The key is to find the key," I said. Stephen rolled his eyes.

"Explain," he said.

"Well, you can't just stand there in the room waiting for them to open the door; you have to find the key to unlock it. Trust me, you won't be alive by the time they open the door. So, they mainly hide the key in the places you'll never think to look. All you have in the room is a bucket of water and a key."

"What do you do with the water?" Erica asked.

"Well, some people have tried pouring it on the flames, but what's the chance of you getting rid of the whole fire? What I did was poured the water on me," I said, shrugging.

"That all?" Stephen asked.

Erica stared at him in disbelief. "That all? That all? Are you kidding me? That's too much for me! There is no way in hell that I'm surviving that task!" Erica yelled.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice. You either survive, or you die," I said.

"See ya in the afterlife," she said, pretending to wave goodbye. Stephen chuckled and leaned back.

"You two are a handful," he said, running his fingers through his dark brown hair.

"That's not my fault," Erica shrugged. She grinned as she rose from the couch and observed the many books on the shelves. "Anomie's the one everyone can't handle."

"Yeah, well, that isn't my fault either," I said, fiddling with my fingers. Erica pulled one of the books off of the shelf and flipped through the pages.

"Good story," she said, closing the book shut and returning it to the shelf.

"Well, I have to go see Spot," Stephen said, looking down at his pocket watch.

"Miss your man already?" I asked, grinning. Stephen sent me a glare and rose to his feet.

"That's gross, Anomie, real gross," he said.

"Oh, I want to come, please? Will Blade be there?" Erica practically jumped on Stephen with questions. I rose to my feet.

"Whoa there lover girl," I said, prying her away from Stephen. "You know the rules, no falling in love."

"But you disobey the rules," Erica whined.

I sent Stephen a look and rubbed my chin. "Yes, yes I do. But I'm a bad example, don't be like me," I said, patting her back.

"But why? I really, really like him! He's so handsome, and funny, and sweet and-"

"Doesn't know about your secret," I said, cutting her off. "Listen, Erica, I'm going to be honest with you. One of these days you may not come out alive, and then he's going to be wondering where his…his…beloved is, and won't ever know the truth."

"Yeah, Erica, it'll be harsh," Stephen said.

Erica frowned and sighed. "I know, but I'm willing to take that chance. I really like him," she said. "Can I still go?"

"Yeah," Stephen said.

"Are you coming too, Anomie?" Erica asked me.

"Oh, uh, no thanks," I said, clasping my hands together.

"Please, please, please?" Erica begged, attaching herself to me. I blinked a couple of times and pried her off of me.

"Okay, okay, I'll go," I said, sighing. "But don't expect me to get along with dog-boy."

Erica giggled and literally dragged Stephen and I out of the house. Sometimes I wondered if people were curious about the white bandages around our wrists…

Author note: No newsies action in this story – not much anyways – but it shall come soon, so keep your chin up!