A/N: Thank you everyone for all of your reviews. I love every single one of them; they really brighten my day and get me to keep writing. So uh…don't stop. Sorry about the long delay for an update. So now without any further adieu…
The grass was dewy underneath Christine's feet as she walked with Meg along the grassy hilltop. On the bottom of the hill lay a small playground, but no children ran amongst it. The sun was setting in the sky and all of children were most probably getting ready for their suppers. It was the day after they had gone to the theatre; Christine still hadn't heard any word from Raoul. Many times she had stared at the phone intending to dial, and many times she did dial his number, but she would always chicken out at the last minute and slam the phone down before he could answer her.
Christine wondered if things would ever go back to normal between her and Raoul. Would he still want to marry her after all of those awful things that she said about his parents?
"You're parents are stuck up and overbearing."
Christine cringed at the memory.
"Christine?"
She was jarred from her thoughts as she heard Meg address her, obvious concern laced into her tone. Christine smiled at her friend.
"Yes Meg?"
"You ok?"
Christine merely nodded and began to walk down the hillside towards the playground. Meg followed close behind her and stopped and watched as her friend slowly sat down on the park bench and stared out into the rolling ocean waves.
"He hates me Meg," she muttered almost inaudibly.
Meg sat down beside her and offered her a small smile. "No he doesn't Christine, he loves you. He loves you a lot."
Christine closed her eyes and listened to her friend's words, trying hard to make she believe them, but somehow she couldn't. Meg said nothing more, finding it utterly impossible to think of anything to say that would make her friend feel better and not risk upsetting her more.
"I have to go to the washroom," said Meg quietly at last. "You stay here, I'll be back in a moment."
Christine nodded and turned her head to watch her friend walk over to the large washroom building that was located at the edge of the park. She sighed, happy that she had a few minutes alone in her own thoughts.
Christine turned back to the rolling ocean waves and tried to loose herself in their soothing sound. She tried to only focus her mind on the steady crashing of them, but found it wandering to Raoul.
Christine couldn't help but let a small tear roll down her cheek.
Meg walked in through the thicket of trees to get to the door of the washrooms. She hadn't remembered how far it actually was from where she left her friend. Meg was beginning to feel helpless in the issue of Christine, she wasn't sure if she and Raoul would ever make up, and that fact saddened her greatly. Christine had been happy with him, or so it seemed to her. If Raoul didn't call her soon he would have some explaining to do, and Meg would happily beat him to the ground.
The world around her was beginning to turn from light to dark as she trekked onwards, catching sight of the bathroom stalls she walked at a faster pace. As much as she didn't like the thought of being alone in the dark herself, she didn't like the thought of Christine sitting there all by herself either.
Besides, who knew what creeps or monsters that wandered those tickets at night?
Meg froze to her spot and spun around, fearing that she'd find some sort of attacker behind her, but only the whistling wind was there to greet. Meg turned back quickly and started walking faster towards the washroom. She was sure that someone was watching her, she couldn't hear or see it. But she could sense it, with every fiber in her being.
She was only a few yards away from the building she screamed as she felt a large object whack her atop the head and blackness enveloped her.
Christine sat in silence and tried to loose herself in the steady crashing of the ocean waves once more. But she couldn't help but look behind her every few seconds to make sure that Meg was returning. She felt nervous being left alone all by herself and the sun was disappearing over the trees. Christine wrapped her arms around her small frame in an attempt to stay warm. The unforgiving winds seemed to blow to her very core.
Christine's head snapped around to the thicket of trees when she heard Meg scream from within them. She had heard her scream so many times from joy or excitement that there was no mistaking the sound of her friend's voice. In an instant she was on her feet and heading towards the thicket.
She was too scared to speak or yell out her name, but yet Christine didn't know what else she could possibly do to help her friend. She couldn't just run away and leave Meg to die in the thicket. Her eyes swam with gruesome images and new stories of girls being killed in forests at night. Her heart clenched as she thought that her friend could possibly make the next headline.
Christine began to run, a new found strength radiating within her.
She would not let her friend die.
"Meg?" she called desperately into the darkness.
Christine's chocolate orbs searched for a flash of blond hair or her friend's petit form. She turned a corner and entered the trees and there, propped against the trunk of her tree was her dear friend. Her eyes were closed and her blond hair was tousled and messy over her face but she didn't look hurt.
"Meg!" Christine screamed, kneeling beside her. She placed her delicate fingers on her friend's shoulders and tried to gently shake her awake but Meg's eyes remained closed.
"Help!" Christine yelled into the wind, better judgment fleeting. She didn't think that maybe Meg's attacker could be nearby; she didn't think about anything, she just wanted to see her friends eyes open. "Help, Please!"
Christine heard footsteps travel there way and she wasn't sure whether she could scream or be thankful. Those footsteps could end her life or save her friends and she just had to take that chance.
"Where are you?" a deep hypnotizing voice called out into the darkness.
Christine swallowed before replying; knowing that telling him where they were could be the end of both their lives.
"Over here! Please…Please help me!"
Christine didn't breathe as she heard the footsteps grow closer to her.
The saw a dark shadow,
An outline of a man,
And the glare of a porcelain mask.
"What happened?" he asked, his eyes flickering down to her unconscious friend.
"I…I don't know. I don't know what's wrong with her. I heard her scream and then she was…"
"Hush…" he said softly kneeling beside her, Christine's voice had ridden into hysterics and he didn't want her to pass out from hyperventilation.
"Tell me Christine," he began, his eyes not leaving her blond companion, "do you live around here?"
Christine nodded wordlessly, her face painted with concern.
"Is that the best place to take your friend?"
Christine nodded dumbly.
Erik nodded and in one swift motion had Meg's limp body cradled in his arms.
"Please direct me to it."
Christine stood and began to walk towards were her house stood, Erik following closely behind, a look of triumph radiating through his piercing green eyes.
