A/N We have passed the interval! Dani Harmer actually tweeted me during the interval of the show I watched (after I'd very excitedly tweeted her in the dressing room after our first dance in the show I was in), which was really awesome! She said she hoped I'd had a good day, although I was still there, so I was having a good day, and good? Really? I don't think good really summed it up. Amazingly fantastic would have been better. XD

I've managed to find myself a window seat in college (we have 16 dotted around for one, two or four people), and I've put 'Don't Stop Believing' on repeat. (I did this for an hour last week and dad thought I was mad! XD) It seems to work well, and means you get chapters to read. :-)

Thanks to Holly-leaves-in-winter for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and your reviews always make me happy. :-D

Charlotte POV

I was in the kitchen with Carmen, Gus and Tracy. Tracy was cooking some spaghetti hoops in a saucepan, Gus was checking how far away the storm was, and Carmen was listening to the radio that Tracy had put on to listen to whilst she was cooking.

"The storm's getting closer," said Gus. "Last time the thunder took six seconds, this time it only took four."

Tracy nodded, and when there was another flash of lightning Harry ran in, running straight into Tracy.

"It's alright, Harry," said Tracy. "It can't get us in here."

"Storms aren't that scary," I said. "Me and Mum used to watch them, watching the lightning make everything light up and then go dark again. It was cool!"

I saw Mum every day now, sometimes twice. Tracy was always with me, and that meant she got to see her mum too.

I wondered what Mum was doing now.

"Shh," said Carmen.

We all stopped what we were doing, and looked at the radio.

"That's when prisoner Henry Lewis escaped..."

Just then it went dark.

"What's happened?" I asked.

"It's probably a power cut," said Gus.

"What about that prisoner?" asked Carmen.

"It'll be alright, Carmen," said Tracy. "As long as we stay in here we'll be alright."

Everyone started coming into the kitchen, asking what was going on (whether or not it was a 'Tracy trick', whatever that was), or asking what they were supposed to do now they had no power.

Mike then came in, hitting Tracy on the head with his hat. She turned around.

"Would you be alright to stay here for a bit?" he asked. "I've got to go and get some more torches, and Gina can't get here for a while, so..."

"But I was meant to be meeting Seth tonight," said Tracy.

"Please," said Mike.

Tracy sighed. "OK."

"Thank you," said Mike, and then he left.

Tracy sighed again. "I haven't got any phone signal to call him either." She then smiled at us. "But, I have some good news." She went over to the kitchen drawer and got out a leaflet. "Emergency takeaway pizza."

Liam took it off her and we started to choose what we wanted whilst Tracy left the room.

Tracy POV

I went into the office, sitting down on a chair, using the light from my phone to see.

I wouldn't be able to call Cam tonight, although I had seen her today because of Charlotte calling Alexia.

I was glad Charlotte liked storms, because otherwise she would have been scared.

As if on cue, Harry ran in, once again running straight to me.

"Hey, it's alright," I said, giving him a hug. "Do you want to stay in here with me?"

Harry nodded.

I gave him a smile. "Does Jeff not like storms either?"

"He's a bit scared," said Harry.

"Well," I said, "when I'm scared, I usually do something so I don't have to think about it, and then I forget I'm scared. So, why don't you and Jeff go and find a game and someone else to play with, and then come back in here and we can all play, yeah?"

Harry nodded, before he and Jeff went off to go and find a game.

I smiled to myself, knowing deep down I should probably do some sort of paperwork, but very happy that Harry had got me out of it, before I heard some voices.

I went out of tbe office and saw Tee and Tyler sitting on the floor, things all round them.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Tyler opened the cupboard of junk looking for torches," said Tee.

I gave him a look, but was nearly laughing. Tyler always managed to make a mess of some kind with his practical jokes, and even when he wasn't trying he usually messed something up or did something annoying.

"I didn't know!" said Tyler. "No one told me, and Tee was busy talking to Mike about the last power cut."

I gave Tee a look then. That had been partly my fault, and partly Mike and Gina's (well, mostly Mike and Gina's actually), but of course we were never going to repeat it.

Tee gave me a look back, and we both laughed.

"Can you make sure you tidy it up before you go to bed?" I said. "I'd rather not have anyone tripping over this lot in the dark."

Tee and Tyler agreed, and I went back into the office, where Harry was standing with Charlotte, 'Snakes and Ladders' in the hand that wasn't holding Jeff.

I gave them a smile. "Sorry, I was just sorting out the mess Tyler just made, as usual." I then set down, and got them to grab a seat each as well. "Let's play!"

To say they thrashed me was an understatement.

I fell down pretty much every snake, and missed every ladder by one or two squares.

Harry and Charlotte, on the other hand, did the exact opposite, with Harry just beating Charlotte to the top by three squares.

"You can tell I never played board games as a kid!" I said. "I was too busy making a mess like Tyler!"

"Yeah, Cam said you used to put flour bombs everywhere!" said Charlotte.

"I thought I told you not to tell anyone about that!" I said, but I wasn't angry. Cam often talked about how naughty I was as a child, to show the difference between me and Charlotte, and, as Alexia had rightly said one day, Charlotte was an angel compared to me.

I probably couldn't be an angel if someone paid me a million pounds!

But, as Cam had always said, she loved me just the way I was, and that was all that mattered.

"Do you want to play again?" asked Harry.

I was about to say yes when I heard a "Fight! Fight! Fight!" coming from the living room, and so I ran to see what was happening, Harry and Charlotte following close behind me.

When we got there Tyler and Johnny was fighting.

"Stop it!" I shouted, and quickly split them up. "What are you doing?"

"He keeps interrupting my scary story!" said Johnny angrily. "He won't let me tell it properly: he keeps messing it up!"

"That's only because everyone knows how it goes," said Tyler.

He then proceeded to tell the plot of the story, and Johnny lunged at him.

"Johnny," I said, grabbing him. "Don't let him wind you up, OK?"

Johnny sighed, but when I sat on the coffee table he sat next to me.

"OK, my turn," said Tyler. "And I've got a true story."

Johnny rolled his eyes.

Tyler paused for a moment, before beginning to tell a story about an electrician. I could see Charlotte and Harry were both scared, so I gestured for them to come over, and put my arm around them.

Tyler was still telling his story. "And then... Got you!"

He jumped up at us, and we all screamed. Charlotte was nearly in tears.

"Tyler!" I said. I pulled Charlotte onto my lap and gave her a hug. "That wasn't nice."

"I didn't mean to!" said Tyler. "It's not my fault she got scared."

I glared at him and he shut up.

"Do you two want to go up to bed?" I asked. "It's getting late."

Harry and Charlotte both nodded.

I gave them a smile. "Come on, then." I took one of their hands in each of mine, and then took them upstairs, telling the others to behave as I left.

"Can you tell us a story?" asked Harry.

Because only Charlotte and Harry were going to bed, and they were both scared (Harry from the storm and Charlotte from the story) I'd decided to ignore the rules about boys and girls in bedrooms. Charlotte's mattress was on the floor in Harry's room, and I'd just got a book after Harry's request. As I began to read, Harry snuggled down to sleep, but Charlotte crawled onto my lap, curling into a ball. I smiled, stroking her hair.

When I'd finished the story I closed the book, before I sat there for just a moment, watching the two sleep peacefully.

"Tracy!"

I heard my name being called.

"TRACY!"

I quickly put Charlotte into her bed, and then ran downstairs.

There was a scream.

"Tracy!"

I paused for a moment, deciding who to go to first, before I ran down to the front door where the shouting had come from.

"The door's wide open!" said Liam.

"But I locked this when I went up with Charlotte and Harry!" I said. "Do you know who did it?"

There was the thundering of footsteps, before Charlotte came running down the stairs.

"Tracy!" she said, running into me. "There was someone in our room, a man, he..."

Whoa whoa whoa, what?" I said. "There was someone in your room? Was it one of us?"

"No, I, I didn't know him, he came in and when I screamed he left again," she said. "He was coming to get us."

"Liam, can you go and get everyone?" I said.

Liam went to the living room and came back with everyone.

"Did any of you go up to Charlotte's room just now?" I asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

"No, why?" asked Johnny.

"Because there was someone in Harry's room," I said. "They scared Charlotte."

"Maybe it was the escaped prisoner," said Carmen.

Liam started telling Carmen it wouldn't be, but I froze. The door had been open, and everyone else said they hadn't been up there.

I doubted anyone would have tried to scare Charlotte and Harry anyway.

"Right, everyone, we need to search the house," I said. "Everyone search their rooms, and I'll search everywhere else, OK?"

"Why?" asked Johnny. "You don't really believe Carmen, do you?"

"I, um, I, I just want to be sure," I said. "I have to keep you safe."

"Fine," said Liam. "Come on, everyone."

Everyone went upstairs it go and check their rooms, and I checked downstairs, but I couldn't find anyone. After I'd checked and then made sure everyone was alright, we all went to bed.

I couldn't sleep. I was reading a book in bed with my torch, worrying about the safety of the kids.

Johnny was probably right, but I couldn't dismiss the evidence either.

As I thought heard some noises from downstairs I slowly got out of bed, and quietly crept down the stairs.

As I got to the hall I looked around, making sure no one was around.

But they were.

Someone jumped out from behind me, putting their hand over my mouth.

I tried to scream.

They pushed me to the ground, holding me there.

"Thought you'd try and catch me did you?" he asked. "Thought you'd try and send me back to the police?"

I froze.

"Well, I'm not going to have you sending me back, when I've spent months trying to escape," he said. "So, you won't say a word, right?"

I nodded.

He smiled. "Of course you won't." He paused. "Maybe we'll just make sure, shall we?"

I began to panic as he pulled out a penknife.

"Just a little scratch," he said. "It won't hurt, much."

He laughed as he put the blade closer, closer, closer...

And then he was gone.

"Tracy?"

Mike.

He turned to face Henry Lewis. "Don't you dare touch her," he said bravely, although I could see his hand shaking. "You lay one more finger on anyone, and..."

He stopped as Henry punched him, before he punched him back, wrestling him to the ground. I got up and ran back upstairs, curling up on my bed, shaking with sobs and fear.

A minute or two later someone gently laid a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to face them.

"Are you OK?" Mike asked me. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I don't think so," I said shakily.

"I've locked him in the cellar with his hands behind his back because I've got no phone signal," said Mike. "We'll call the police in the morning."

"What if he escapes?" I asked.

"I'll sit outside the door tonight, make sure he doesn't hurt any of you," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were OK."

I nodded, but I was still shaking.

"Come here," said Mike.

I slowly sat up and Mike gave me a hug.

"Shh, you're OK, you're OK, you're safe," said Mike as I began to cry again, my body shaking with sobs. "Do you want to come down with me for a bit?"

I shook my head, scared about what would happen if Henry got out.

Just then there was a crash from downstairs, and Mike quickly pulled away.

"Get all the kids up here," he said. "And lock the door: there's a key in the drawer of the bedside table."

And then he ran downstairs.

I ran out too, frantically waking up all the kids and sending them upstairs. When everyone was there I shut and locked the door, before I shakily sat down on the bed where the kids had left a space for me.

"What happened?" asked Carmen.

"You were right: the prisoner is in here," I said. "I was looking around downstairs, and he attacked me."

Charlotte climbed onto my lap and gave me a hug.

"Are you alright?" asked Tee.

I nodded.

"Wait, where is he now?" asked Lily.

"Mike's locking him in the cellar," I said. "He just escaped."

Suddenly Liam ran over to the door, unlocked it and went out.

"Liam, no!" I shouted, but it was too late: he'd gone.

I shut and locked the door again, panic racing through me. Both Mike and Liam could be in serious danger.

We were all silent as we tried to work out what was going on, when we heard a shout.

"Tracy! Fire!"

Fire?!

"Everyone, out now!" I said. I ran to the door and unlocked it, ushering the kids through before I followed them. We all came down the stairs to see the hall on fire.

We were trapped.

"Everyone, this way!" shouted Mike. He was in the office, the window open. "Climb through!"

We all did as we were told, Liam going first to help people through, me and Mike going last when everyone else was safe.

The storm was still going, and we were all getting soaked.

But at least we were safe.

"The prisoner's gone," he said. When I looked at him confused as to how he knew who he was he added: "I heard it on the radio in the car." He put his arm around my shoulders. "He ran out after he set the hall on fire, and I didn't see any point in stopping him."

I nodded.

"Is everyone OK?" Mike called.

Everyone nodded or replied that they were.

"I'm not sure what to do about the fire," said Mike. "You haven't got phone signal have you?"

It was then I realised we couldn't call the fire brigade.

"We could get the hose and put it out?" suggested Tee.

"No, not you," said Mike. "I'll try, but I don't think we can stay here tonight in case anything reignites."

"But we're getting soaked!" said Tyler.

"We'll sort that out in a minute," said Mike. He went round to the hose and brought it round to the front of the house, all of us following.

When we got there the rain had put half of it out already, and Mike managed to put out the rest.

But it still didn't look very safe. The ceiling was burnt, meaning if we went upstairs we'd probably fall through.

The kids were dripping wet, tired and miserable.

And then I had an idea.

"Why don't we go back to mine?" I said. "We've all got our torches so we'll be able to see, it's warm, it's dry, it's not huge but I'm sure we'll be able to find blankets and pillows and everything for everyone... Guys!"

They'd already set off, Lily knowing the way from when she'd lived with me and Cam.

Mike gave me a smile, before we followed them.

A/N I think I've written too much again as I've had to split this chapter into two... Well, this proves I can still get writing done as well as my college work. XD It wasn't supposed to be quite this crazy, it was supposed to be like 'Shadows' and everyone playing tricks on each other and maybe a little bit more dramatic than that, but as I've said before, my plans never work! I'm about two thirds of the way through the second half of this chapter (which has a very awesome title that I will have to explain! XD), so hopefully it won't be too ling before I get that up. :-) Hope you enjoyed it, please review! :-D