ok so you're all probably going to hate me when you hear that this chapter has been sitting on my computer for weeks...I thought I had entered it but apparently I hadn't...and then I got busy so I hadn't had time to update with Chapter 18...but not to worry because today i fixed it so now you can have the next 2 chapters all at once!! sorry for disapointing everyone that reviews!!

Chapter 17

Day 12---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday was just as hard as Monday had been. Jess once again had only slept a couple of hours, setting an alarm to wake her up every hour to avoid slipping into nightmares, and the circles under her eyes were getting darker. Reid's 'beast' was demanding so loudly that he use that he could barely hear his own thoughts let alone anyone else. Jess had looked up in Chemistry to see Reid shaking, jaw and fists clenched, and had tried to calm him down, but to little avail.

Reid seemed to be having the worst time, apart from Jess. Caleb at first laughed, knowing it was because of how much Reid normally used, but soon saw how much his friend was hurting. The whole group tried all of Tuesday to calm Reid down, but nothing seemed to be working. No matter how hard Jess tried, she couldn't unclench his fists, so she resorted to rubbing his back soothingly all day.

Tyler, who rarely ever used, if only to get Reid out of trouble, was suddenly faced with more temptation than ever. He could feel a wild craving deep within himself, and he didn't know if he was strong enough to resist. He resorted to swimming laps in the pool, but even then he had to swim for hours before he was exhausted and the beast within him quieted.

Pogue and Caleb seemed to be the only ones capable of keeping the wild beast within them down. They figured it was because they had ascended so long ago and the consequences were now greater for them, meaning they rarely used as it was. Jess figured it was because Chase knew he couldn't beat them all, and it would be easier to force the two younger boys to use than the two older ones.

Becca, Kate, and Sarah tried to keep everyone calm that day. Becca was having a hard time with Tyler, and they had gotten into a couple fights, something unusual for baby boy. Pogue had been so surprised at Tyler's outburst at lunch, he hadn't even defended Kate when Tyler began yelling at her. Unfortunately for Pogue this meant that he got an earful from Kate later. Reid in the meantime had avoided everyone except for Jess. He had tried to worm his way out of her grasp, feeling it would be safer for him to be alone, but Jess was having none of it.

Day twelve was probably the longest day any of them had ever endured. Between Reid and Tyler, the group didn't know who was acting worse. They all agreed they should probably take shifts watching over them to make sure they didn't use.

Day 13----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things got a little more intense on Wednesday. Jess could hardly focus on her school work, expecting Chase to come running through the doors at any moment. She had taken several sleeping pills the night before to avoid nightmares, but they hadn't worked the way she hoped. Instead of getting rid of the nightmares, they had made the 'dream Jess' incapable of movement, making the already horrifying dream even more horrific. It was only after the drugs had worn off that Jess could get out of the nightmare, and the worst part was that no one knew she was having a nightmare because like 'dream Jess', she hadn't been able to move. Caleb had already lectured her for what felt like hours, as if Jess didn't realize that it might have been a bad idea to take the pills.

Jess decided that she was no longer speaking to Caleb for the day. The way he talked to me this morning! You'd think he was Reid! I swear I'm going to kick his ass when all of this is over, Jess thought glaring at the back of Caleb's head during second period.

"Who are you cursing," Reid asked lazily as he sat down next to her.

"Caleb. Who else?"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. He can't help being an overbearing dictator," Reid said, raising his voice near the end.

Caleb turned his head and was met with Jess' fierce stare. Raising his eyebrows, as if to ask, "Do you want to say something to me?" Jess cowered then, knowing she shouldn't be mad at him, and Reid just chuckled.

"See, I told you so. He can even boss you around without uttering a single word."

"Humph."

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"There is no way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight," Jess sighed as she stood in Caleb's living room.

"Yea, I've been thinking about that," Caleb said entering the house. "I think we'll all just take shifts tonight watching each other you know? Chase is bound to try something tonight, I mean we only have one night left."

Jess nodded, immediately feeling safer. "Ok sounds good."

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Caleb, being the dictator that he was, took the first shift, watching everyone sleeping in the living room in sleeping bags. He had already decided that he was going to take Reid and Tyler's shifts too, knowing the last few days had not been kind to them, so he had set up the rotation so that they would be after him.

At first Caleb tried to just sit quietly, but after an hour or so, he could feel himself drifting off, so he decided to pop in a movie on his laptop and put on headphones. Too bad doing this kept him from seeing Jess begin to go into a nightmare.

psh...wait? what does that mean? don't worry the next chapter is just a click away!!