Chapter 2

The next morning came quickly, the bright rays of the sun, shining in the netted top of the small tent with intensity. Madison woke up alone and rolled away from the light to try to get a few more moments of peace. The faint sounds of her friends already but caused her to look outside to see only Kathy cooking something on the grill. The sizzling from whatever she was cooking was the source of the noise.

"Morning." Madison said letting the words slide from here mouth and stumbling out of the tent.

"Hey, We let you sleep, Lucas said you looked so peaceful but we had some problems." Kathy said, although she didn't seem too worried about it.

"What?" Madison said a little annoyed. "That's all we need."

"The car won't start and we can't get home or anywhere for that matter. We're in the middle of no where." Kathy motioned to the car, flinging the fork she had in her hand around in the air.

"Well, we have enough food until tomorrow." Madison said hopefully, looking down at the grill and all the food at Kathy was preparing. It looked like she was cooking for an army, or she was just worried they actually wouldn't get out of here.

"Yeah, but Lucas and Kyle went to see if they could find some help, they should be back any minute." Kathy said standing up. Madison sighed deeply just as Kyle and Lucas came back into sight, emerging from the woods, as if on cue. Lucas looking unfazed but Kyle brushing leaves and bugs off him with every frantic step he took.

"Did you find anything?" Kathy asked, standing from her position at the camp fire.

"Yeah, we found a strange looking house up that way a little ways. They might have a phone. We're going to go back and find out, you want to come?" Kyle asked still wiping bugs from his collar.

"I'll go!" Madison said getting up from her place on the log next to Kathy.

"Cool." Kyle said beginning to walk back towards the woods.

"Who's staying here with me?" Kathy said in a whine, looking at each one of them. "I'm not going to some creepy strange house.. Even if it is our only chance."

"I will." said Lucas walking back towards camp after kissing Madison lightly on the lips.

"If we're not back in a hour..."Kyle started

"Okay." Lucas agreed with a nod. Kyle nodded back and started out in front of Madison, determination marking his stride.

It wasn't long before Madison and Kyle started up the hill towards the abandoned house. As the trees cleared, Madison saw the all glass house for the first time. She stepped back in amazement, letting a small gasp escape his lips. Stepping a few feet closer, she began to try to read the writing on the walls, it was magnificent gold and in some sort of language she couldn't quiet recognize. She'd never seen anything like it before.

"Oh, my gosh! Someone rich must live here!" She breathed as Kyle bounded towards the house in great strides. Madison turned back to take one finally glace at the wall she'd been studying before following as Kyle knocked on was they guessed was the front door.

"Hello!" Kyle yelled inside, the door swinging open on it's own. Madison and Kyle were taken back and just stood there looking inside for a moment. No one in sight.

"Should we go in?" Madison asked, a look of panic showing on her face.

"I guess. There's not another house for miles." Kyle said slowly entering the house in search of someone to help. Madison followed behind looking around cautiously. There was no one in sight in either direction from the hallway either. This house seemed almost abandoned, if not in such good condition, that's what she would have thought.

"Okay, we should split up and look for someone or a phone or something." Kyle said still looking around.

"What if we get lost?" Her face turned up to him in fear.

"Just keep taking lefts, then rights to get back." He reassured her, turning to head the opposite direction of her.

"Okay, I'll go this way." Madison said, "Meet back here in 20 minutes."

"Okay." Kyle said going to the right, as Madison went to the left.

Madison slowly walked down the hall, looking in each room before continuing. She came to a staircase that lead to the basement and she thought about if to go down or not, then decided she would. It could be the only way to find someone.

Royce sat on his car in his chamber as a noise came from the door leading down to the basement from the main floor. He sighed in contempt assuming it was most-likely David, Cyrus' evil son, come to torture them and tease them that they were locked in cages like animals. He glanced up as the figure descended the staircase and to his surprise there in the hall stood the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He stood up fast causing Dana to look up and see this girl too. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, look out! Snow White at 9:00!" Dana joked. Royce didn't say anything as he approached the glass slowly and looked through helplessly. She stood there in a pair of faded jeans with a slight rip in the left knee and a pale pink sleeveless sweater. Her dark blond hair shined in the florescent lights of the basement and she had it pulled back into a loose ponytail at the back of her head. She acted as if she had heard Dana and looked around to see where the voice had come from, looking mysteriously into Royce's chamber. She slowly lifted her hand to the glass, looking at the writing that was engraved into the glass. She still could not pin-point the inscription. Royce raised his hand to the glass and put it against the opposite side of the glass. He wished she could see him.

Madison let her hand fall. There was nothing there, she thought as she looked further down the hall at the other strange looking chambers, they all had different writing on them.

"What is this?" She asked herself out loud in confusion before turning to walk back up the stairs. Royce watched her go and wondered who she was. As soon as she was gone. The Jackal laughed loudly,

"Look, the Prince finally found his Princess!" He said with a laugh, "Only problem is he's dead!"

"Stop, Ryan!" Dana yelled as Royce came back to reality.

"Man, what I wouldn't do to get a piece of her." Ryan said licking his lips.

"Don't you touch her!" Royce yelled. The Jackal just laughed at him,

"You sound like a school boy!" The bound woman said with a laugh. "Besides what she want with you anyway!" Royce returned to his car and sat down with a sigh, it was hopeless anyway, he thought. She was right, the girl wouldn't even look twice at him, he was dead and decomposing anyway.

Madison returned to the upper floors of the house and looked around, there was something weird about this house. Her mind wondered as she returned to the main hall to wait for Kyle. She sat down in one of the chairs and leaned on her hand to wait, there was no one here. She had a nagging feeling they were going to be stuck in the woods for a while.