I don't own any of the characters!

I only own some of the idea, while the other ideas belong to the amazing L.J smith!

Chapter 4

"Previously on The Forbidden Game,"

-Noura

He looked at me and smiled a wicked smile and said.

"I told you, I will see you at nine My Rose"

Rose POV

I started to scream in hysteria, causing everybody to panic with me.

"NO! NO you're not real I'm just hallucinating" I kept screaming over and over again, while hugging myself.

Dimitri hugged me from behind and caressed my hair. He started to whisper some Russian words to calm me down. I turned around and buried my head in his chest. Hard sobs built in my chest wanting to explode. I tried to hold it, tried to be strong, but the only result I had, is the sob ripping through my chest, making me sob more from the pain it caused. I heard sobs all around me that I recognized, Jill, Mia, Lissa and surprisingly Mason.

Something inside of me exploded, something I never felt before. This thing that exploded inside of me made me get out of Dimitri's arms and face that guy in the store. I looked at him with hatred and screamed at him saying.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM US?" his smile vanished from his face and was replaced with a serious one. Making him look even more frightening. He was suddenly in a second was in front of me. I gasped making him grin. Dimitri was about to push him. When he suddenly wasn't in front of me. He was behind Dimitri. He smirked and pulled Dimitri from behind, throwing him at a far wall. Dimitri grunted in pain.

I whimpered in fear. I was scared for Dimitri's life. The guy in the game store was standing in front of me. He was really close that I could feel his hot breath on my face.

"Do you want to know what I want Rose?" he asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. I nodded my head. He raised his hand bringing it close to my cheek, but not touching it.

"Are you sure?" he asked making me get frustrated.

"TELL ME WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT" He smiled making my heart stops for a moment. He leaned closer to me. Our foreheads were so close to touching.

"I want you Rose, you're the one I want," he said in a possessive voice making me shiver in fear. Then I heard a battle cry coming from Meredith. She was right behind the guy and he didn't even take his eyes off mine. He moved his hands in an incredible speed, blocking her fist from hitting his head.

He disappeared in a moment and then he was standing on the stairs looking at me. I felt goose pumps filling my whole body.

"So, the game is to face you're worse nightmares, that you'd rather die then tell anyone about it, the only way to win this game is to face you're nightmare and then reach the top of the stairs, just like the game snakes and ladders" then I saw a long snake coming towards me. I gasped in fear. The snake was touching my feat. I was so close to scream in hysteria. The snake suddenly went back and was in an attack gesture. I held my breath ready for the attack, but it never came. I felt a light tap on my foot and when I looked down at the snake. It was taping my foot. I looked up at the guy and saw him smiling amusingly.

"Would you really think for once that I would let it attack you?" I just nodded. I couldn't talk. I was speechless. He looked down at the snake and started to say weird things. Mason suddenly gasped.

"He's talking to the snake!" I looked at the snake and saw its head started moving from right to left. Then the snake looked at me and its eyes changed color. It turned red and opened its mouth. There was a golden key inside its mouth.

"Take the key my Rose, it's the key for the door that would set you free, that's if you reached it before midnight" he said. I sat on my knees and opened my right hand. The snake came towards my hand and dropped the key in my hand. Its tongue tickled my hand, causing my hand to fist. I couldn't help, but ask.

"Who are you?" he smiled wickedly and said.

"I'm everybody's worst nightmare, I exist in their nightmares, I'm the shadow man, but I'm also called Julian" then he grinned. " Or more like Prince Julian" I swallowed hard.

"Why do you want me?" I asked getting more curious than afraid. He smiled and said.

"That's for you to find out later, the game's rules are for each player to face their own nightmare; to reach the top floor and use the key I gave you to open the door, there is no guarantee that the key wouldn't be stolen by the snake, the main player in this game is you Rose, if you lost the keys, your friends will die and you will be mine forever" and his last word started to echo over and over again. The lights went out and I heard everyone screamed and then silence filled the air.

I felt hot breath on my neck. I froze in my place. Breathing fast.

"Rose" whispered Julian lovingly causing me to gasp in shock. He was in front of me now and was standing really close. His hands were reaching from my hair.

"Julian" I whispered trying to stop him from touching me. He leaned more closely. His eyes were making me got lost in them.

"What do you need Rose?" asked and I felt like I was another person.

"I want you to touch me Julian" and I felt his warm hands cupping my cheeks. He leaned closer. His eyes were so hypnotizing it's like they can control me. I then remembered my friends. I started to remember Meredith and her ninja kick moves, Jill with her sweet voice, Lissa my best friend since kindergarten, Mia the fashion freak, Mason the skater boy, Sweet Eddie, Adrian with his green gorgeous eyes and last Dimitri. Just by remembering Dimitri realization hit me like a cold bucket of water.

I remembered we're in a game that could cause everyone's death. It would let Julian take me with him. I don't want that to happen.

"Stop" I said panicked. He backed off with an annoyed look. That's weird. He backed off as soon as I told him to. Then an idea formed in my head.

"Take a step back from me" I ordered him and he took a step back and I couldn't help, but laugh happily.

"Don't be happy, this only works when you don't want me to come closer to your personal space, but this won't work in the game" his eyes were sparkling humor were in them.

"When does the game start?" I asked sweating a bit. He leaned closer to me, causing my breath to hitch. He smiled amusingly and then his eyes looked at me with a loving look.

"Now" he whispered and just like that he was gone and I held the key tighter. I can hear the snake's tongue making an zzzz.. Sound. I knew that the snake is close. Then the lights went on. I saw the staircase the carpet was half green and half hot pink, making me more determined to save my friends.

I walked up stairs slowly. The only sound coming from this house was the click of my heels and the snake's zzzz sound. I felt eyes on me, so I turned my head towards it and saw red eyes in the shadows. Those are not Julian's eyes, but how can I be sure? The snake's eyes turned into another color.

The staircase seemed like it's going forever. I've been walking and walking. Still not reaching the room. I then heard a faint sound of music. I climbed faster each time the sound of music getting louder and louder. Till I stood up in front of a giant monster, I gasped in shock and saw Mia on top of his head. Holding on to the monsters head.

It was the music of an amusement park. Mia was screaming for help. Oh god what can I do.

"You have to find out what is Mia's worse nightmare and make her survive in it, or she's going to die," said Julian from behind me. I didn't look back afraid that I would get distracted and Mia would fall from the giant's head. She probably would die, because of the height.

I took a deep breath and started to think. What could be Mia's worst nightmare? Let's see she has always hated amusement parks. She have always said that their music freak her out. Wait! There is an amusement park's music. What else does she hates? Something that has a giant in it? Okay think Rose there has to be a story for it, but I can't remember. I can see Mia's hand slipping and she was holding the giant's grip with one hand. There isn't!

"You're right there isn't, since you found out about it, there are 2 things that are in her worst nightmare and one is my own invention," he said. I could feel him inching closer to me.

"So I have to find out what else she's afraid of and her nightmare would end?" I asked. I was getting more and more impatient Mia's hand is so close to slip and she would fall.

"Uh! Uh! Ah! Not that fast my Rose" Gosse pumps filled my body. "You need to stop the nightmare, but how? I can't tell you that, then you would probably win and trust me I don't want that to happen"

I couldn't, but cry in frustration, my best friend could die now and I am standing here not doing anything to stop it from happening. I took a deep breath and started to remember one of the lesson's Meredith has given me.

"In desperate times don't give up, find a weapon to defend yourself"

or in this situation defend your best friend and I started to look from right to left. Searching for anything that is considered as a weapon. It was dim and I couldn't see anything. Don't give up Rose you can do it. I heard Mia's screams and closed my eyes afraid that she fell and that I was too late, but then I heard more screams. I looked up and saw Mia looking down and screaming. Poor Mia she must be afraid of heights.

Wait, she is afraid of heights. I found out about it when we had gym class and the teacher ordered Mia to climb the rope. Mia climbed up without looking down until she reached the to and then did the biggest mistake. When she looked down. That caused her to faint and if the mats weren't underneath her. She would have broke her neck or worse died.

"MIA" I shouted at her waving my hands up in the air. Trying to catch her attention. She looked in my direction and screamed back.

"ROSE PLEASE HELP" she was still holding the giant's hair with one hand and the other was at her side. I noticed that the giant's hair was long. It reached the carpet and I quickly realized. That she has to climb down using the giant's hair as a rope.

I could hear a faint sneaker coming from behind me indicating that Julian was still there. I tried to ignore him, but it was difficult.

"MIA" I shouted. The giant was moving his head from side to side, while screaming angrily.

"YES" she screamed back, her voice was trembling.

"MIA DO YOU REMMEBER LAST YEAR WHEN OUR GYM TEACHED TOLD YOU TO CLIMB UP THE ROPE?" I asked her.

"YES" she screamed.

"DO YOU REMMEBER WHEN YOU RECHED THE TOP, YOU LOOKED DOWN AND FAINTED?" she was nodding her head. "I NEED YOU TO CLIMB DOWN THE GIANT'S HAIR WITHOUT LOOKING DOWN, USE IT AS A ROPE" I ordered her. I saw her taking a deep breath and she started to climb down slowly. The giant was stumping both of his feet angrily causing his hair to sway. Swaying a screaming Mia with him. I then noticed that his hands were chained. Thank god! They were or else she would have been dead. The chains suddenly started to break.

Julian started to laugh a cruel laugh, making me turn my head and look at him in anger.

"Everything you think about comes real here" he threw his head back and laughed harder. I started to breath hard. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill that asshole. I ran towards him and started to hit him on his chest. His laughter didn't stop.

"I HATE YOU," I screamed at him over and over again, while sobbing in frustration. He then suddenly stopped and held my hands bringing me closer to him. I felt my heart braking each time I hear the chains breaking.

"Do you want all of this to stop Rose? Then you have to give up and except the fact that you'll be mine for eternity"

"NOO!" I screamed at him. "I don't have to be yours to win this nightmare" I ran towards the stupid giant, who's unchained right now. I stood in front of the giant. Who's trying to hit Mia with his hands.

"HEY YOU GIANT UGLY MONSTURE" I shouted at the giant, while waving my hands at him. The giant growled at me and started to walk towards me. "MIA CLIMB DOWN FAST I CAN'T HOLD HIM MUCH LONGER" I ran down stairs fast, while the giant was walking behind me. Each step he took was an inch away from me. I looked behind me and saw Mia hanging on the swaying hair.

She was close and that's when I realized looking back is the biggest mistake. I tripped from the stairs that caused me to roll down the stairs. I felt pain all over my body. My screams echoed in the place. Finally I reached the end of the stairs and was preparing for the worst hit, but it never came. Instead of falling on the floor, I fell in strong arms that held me gently. The pain in my body left instantly with that touch.

I opened my eyes and saw a concern Julian holding me in his arms. His torques eyes were shinning with worry. It left me momentary speechless. He was inching towards me our lips were so close to touch. I snapped out of it when I heard a groan behind me. I jumped from Julian's arms and ran towards the groan. I found Mia lying on the ground.

"Mia are you okay?" I asked worriedly. Then she did something that shocked me. She started to laugh hysterically.

"We made it," she said astonished and then started to sob. I quickly hugged her, trying to soothe her.

I looked at Julian. Who was smiling amusingly. I tightened my hands and didn't feel the cool keys. I looked up at Julian and saw him holding the key.

"You made it, but can you make it in the next nightmare" and then I heard guns and explosions. He threw the key and it feel on another staircase. Where did that come from? I jumped up and ran towards the keys. The stairs were shaking from the explosions. I can hear a familiar battle cry, which belongs to non other than Meredith.

Rose has to face each of her friends' worst nightmares!

Will she make it or will Julian win and take her with him forever?