Chapter 5

Door 1

Patricia watched as Mara threw the vase at the wall, sending glass water and flowers everywhere. They shielded themselves from the shards. "I HATE THIS PLACE!"

No one knew what caused this, but she just erupted and started yelling. Patricia ran to Mara, she did not want Mara to go through what Patricia had. She tried to calm her down, Willow and Eddie were as well. Then, she felt Mara put some paper in her hand and then push her away. Patricia looked at the paper.

Now is your chance. Go now.

Patricia gaped at it for a second before running up to the attic. It suddenly all made sense. Earlier, Patricia expressed to Mara how she wanted to check out the attic. Obviously something important was in there if the other three were stopped from entering. Mara shot the idea down immediately.

"Shh, you can't!" she had said. "You'll get caught. We're monitored at all times while we're in here. You'd need a major distraction. A big one."

Patricia used a bobby pin to open the door and ran up the steps. What she saw were four hourglasses. All of them had different colored marbles in them: green, purple, blue, and red. The first three were full at the bottom and empty at the top. The last one, some marbles were at the bottom, but most were clear and at the top. She watched as a clear marble turned red and fell to the bottom with the others.

"They've literally lost their marbles." Patricia said. "And I'm next."

Quickly, she ran down stairs. Mara was still yelling, but she knew she wouldn't have much longer. She grabbed a bag and ran back upstairs, just as another marble fell in the red hourglass. She grabbed the red hourglass, turned it upside down, and pried it open. She reached inside and took out a marble.

Suddenly she remembered the time she and the two goofballs, she still unfortunately couldn't remember their names, were up late and the shorter one was posing as a psychic to contact her best friend. Whoever she was, wherever she was.

She looked down at the marble, it was clear again. She took out another marble, and she smiled as her best friend's name was slipping back into her memory.

A thump downstairs caused her to drop the marble, and it shattered. Annoyed, she emptied the red marbles into the bag, and did the same with the other three. She ran downstairs, put the bag under her bed, and ran to the first floor in time to see Mara taken away.

She came back hours later, unconscious and pale. Willow and Eddie took care of her, while Patricia tried to think of how to show them her findings without the other people finding out. It took her a while to think about it. Then she remembered while eating dinner, what Mara said. "We're monitored at all times while we're in here."

While we're in here.

"Can we go somewhere?" Patricia said suddenly over the dinner table. The others, Mara included, looked surprised.

"Uh... sure." Willow shrugged. "Where? When?"

"Right now." Patricia said. "If you're okay with it."

Mara shrugged, "I'm not very hungry."

Willow and Eddie looked at each other, before agreeing.

"I know where we can go!" Willow grinned.

"Great!" Patricia said getting up. "Give me one second."

She ran upstairs and took the bag from under the bed and came back down.

"We're not going to go hiking..." Willow said slowly.

"Don't worry about the bag, just open the door." Patricia said. Willow shrugged and opened the door, to a beautiful grass and flower field with a shining sun, despite the fact that it was evening. Similar to the beach, she ran outside without shoes. Patricia followed them out and closed the door. She let them run around for a while. There was a blanket on the side, it seemed to come with the meadow, she spread it open and sat on it. Soon they sat next to her on the blanket as well.

"So what's in the bag?" Mara asked.

Patricia smiled and emptied the marbles onto the blanket. A few were cracked, but they were all there.

Eddie picked up a blue one. "Pretty."

Mara picked up a purple one and gasped. Patricia watched the purple marble turn clear. "There was a boy, a blonde boy! He wasn't- he was just running, and I was timing him! Who was that?"

Patricia thought back, but couldn't think of a name. This prompted her to grab some of the red marbles. Memory after memory flowed into her head.

"What's happening?" Eddie asked. He picked up a few marbles, but only the green one began to go clear and he had a dazed look.

"There was a boy... he was eating orange stuff, I was... laughing at him."

"Are... Are these our memories?" Mara asked picking up another purple marble. "Is this what you found in the attic?"

"You went in the attic?" Willow asked. Her fingers hovered over a blue marble, before she finally picked it up. The marble went clear and Willow smiled. "Some party... a lot of people were there. There was cake!"

And suddenly they were all grasping for their marbles, until the only marbles left were clear ones. Patricia looked up at her old friends, they were staring at her with admiration.

"Patricia..." Mara said looking tearful.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Yacker." Eddie smiled. Patricia smiled too. But she still had a hole in her memory.

"Can someone tell me my best friend's name?" Patricia asked. "I dropped that particular marble, ironically." Willow giggled.

"Joy Mercer." she said.

Patricia breathed a sigh of relief. "Joy."

Door 3

Fabian was awoken by coughing, and was surprised by the heat radiating off of Nina's sleeping body. He sat up, the day was just beginning and Maya was awake. She looked over at him when she heard him moving. Fabian gulped, Nina was the only one he talked to since he arrived, besides KT and Mick.

"Uh... Maya..." he gulped again. "Do you have something for her fever?"

Mara stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. She went out for a little bit, but came back with wet moss. He thanked her, and place the moss on Nina's forehead. Maya came over and ripped open Nina's shirt. Fabian blushed and looked away as Maya placed moss on Nina's chest.

Nina didn't wake up for hours, but when she did she was startled by how empty the warehouse was. "They went out for more supplies." Fabian explained.

Nina quickly sat up, letting the moss drop off of her. She got a new shirt and was about to put it on when Fabian stopped her.

"What are you doing, Fabian?" Nina asked. "I'm a gatherer, I have to help-"

"Maya already exempted you for the day, because you are sick." Fabian said. "So you can take a break from being Tarzan for a little while and lay down."

Nina continued to put on the other shirt, but she did as he said and sat back down. He put the moss back on her forehead after she took a sip of water. Not much, she was afraid to use up all of the resources. Fabian had to convince her to take more by reminding her that they were getting more as they spoke.

"Being here has really helped me in appreciating what I had." Nina said. "And I didn't have much to begin with."

"I'm never going to get used to going to the bathroom out here." Fabian shivered. Nina laughed.

"Once, KT and Mick and I wiped ourselves with poison ivy." Nina reminisced.

"That sounds horrible!" Fabian said trying to stop himself from laughing.

"Believe me it was at the time, but looking back it's just funny." Nina smiled, which was enough for Fabian to know to laugh. "We were rubbing our asses on the ground, it was awful."

Fabian couldn't stop the snort that escaped him. "Maya didn't help you?"

Nina shook her head. "This was earlier in the year. I didn't know Maya, none of us did. But thanks to her, now I'm an expert at knowing plants and which ones are safe."

Fabian smiled. "If I ever want to go camping when we get back, you're definitely coming with me."

Nina sat up. "Fabian... there's no way back. We tried everything."

Fabian shook his head. "I came here to take you back to our world."

"This is our world-"

"No our real world." Fabian interrupted her.

Nina stared at him. "Do you see all of my scars? This place is as real as Anubis was."

Fabian stared at her. "You're saying you don't want to go back?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't not say that." Fabian pointed out. "Don't you want to go home?"

"Yeah..." Nina said. "I just don't know how I'll readjust is all."

"I'm sure you'll find a way." Fabian said.

Nina sighed and laid down. Fabian thought she was going back to sleep, until she spoke again. "If there was a way back, we'd have found it."

Fabian shook his head. Nina fell asleep again, he could tell by her breathing. He was tempted to go back to Anubis and try the door again, but he didn't want to leave her. The others came back at evening with some dead animal that they cooked in the same clearing Sibuna used to meet at. When Maya gave him the meat on tree bark, he wondered what kind it was. Then he decided, he actually didn't want to know.

He woke Nina up and fed her, before she went to sleep again. While she rested, he tried to think of ways to convince Nina not to give up. Maybe if he got Mick and KT back, she'd be motivated again.

He decided that was his next mission. He had to get Mick and KT back. And soon. Patricia, Amber and everyone else would be waiting for them.

Door 4

Amber studied her friends while they drove to... wherever they were going. They were not happy when The Commander told them Amber would be joining them on their next job.

"She's not ready!" Alfie insisted.

"It was months before we started them." Joy pointed out.

The Commander was persistent. Amber was pretty happy. She'd finally be let in on the secrets. She'd finally be told the truth. She wouldn't have to be left alone for hours. They were given two pictures. One of a man, Andrew apparently. One of a car license plate. They were told where to go, and they found the car with the license plate. They parked and watched the car. Soon, Andrew got in the car and drove off. They were now following him.

They had to stay far enough away so that they weren't noticeable, but close enough to see him. When he parked, they parked as well, and watched as he went inside of an apartment building.

"Amber, stay in the car." Jerome said as he took the key out of the key.

"What? No way! I-"

"Seriously Amber..." Alfie said. "Stay. In. The. Car."

He closed the door and the three ran inside. Jerome picked the locked, and slipped inside. Amber sat down for a good four seconds before saying, "Screw them."

She ran to the apartment building, luckily she knew how to pick the lock too. They all did after finding out how useful it was. Eddie and Jerome taught them. It took her longer, but she managed. She ran up the steps to the top door, which was cracked open a little bit. She wasn't sure it was the right door until she heard voices, but when she peaked in no one was in sight. She slipped inside and followed the voices. They were all in the kitchen. She peaked through the kitchen door.

"A'ight," Andrew said backing up into the wall. Amber was unfamiliar with his accent. It wasn't British or American..."Tell your boss, I don't got the money yet. I was told three days."

"He's been watching you." Joy said. "Apparently you got a bus ticket from one of your friends."

Andrew looked surprised and scared. "Ok, Ok, I was gonna dip, but I knew what he'd do to me if I ain't 'ave the money. It's hard out here, and I can't get you the money yet."

Jerome nodded. "I understand not having bank. I've had that problem plenty of times."

Andrew looked hopeful. "Look, you let me go 'nd I'll disappear. Never have to see me again."

"Is that right?" Alfie asked.

"Yeah yeah!" Andrew assured him. "You can even tell ya boss ya finished me off.?"

Andrew slid his finger across his neck. Amber could nearly hear Jerome's eyeroll.

"Here's the thing, Drew." Joy said stepping forward. Andrew backed up, or at least tried. He was already against the wall. "If we don't hurt you, he hurts us?"

"Yeah, I don't know about you Drew, but I'm not in the mood to deal with an angry boss." Alfie said.

"Also there's the fact that you managed to buy yourself a new watch, and a new hat and yet... you don't have enough money for us?"

"So here's what's going to happen." Jerome said playing with the stove. "You're going to give us the money right now-"

"I believe you owe 800 pounds? It's not even close to the amount this one guy owed him," Joy laughed.

"-Or we're going to kill you." Jerome said. Both Andrew and Amber winced at the word 'kill.' That couldn't be right. It had to be a scare tactic.

"I don't 'ave it man!" Andrew yelled.

Jerome whistled. "Bummer."

"So how do you want to do this?" Alfie asked casually.

"I'm tired, I want to do it quick." Joy said. "We didn't get any orders to draw it out, so can we just finish it?"

That caught Amber off guard. If they were trying to scare him, why would they say they would make it quick? If Amber were scaring someone, she'd say to draw it out with as much pain as possible. Without flinching, Jerome took the knife and sliced his throat. The blood, so much, dripped down every part of him as he gagged and fell to the ground. Jerome handed the knife to Alfie, who cleaned it in the sink, dried it, and put it in the dry wrack.

Joy turned around, squinted at the door, then her eyes widened. "Amber!"

The other two turned to look at Amber and she chose that time to sprint from the house, into the car.