Thanks so much for all the positive reviews, guys! I know a lot of you have said that this story is pretty mushy, especially coming from Jerome's perspective. I was reading over the story the other day, and I totally agree. Thanks for the feedback, and I'll definately work on making the story better! (as you can probably tell, I'm pretty new to fanfiction, so sorry if this story isn't the greatest!)

Chapter 3: The Dream

Jerome's POV:

We are walking to class when it happened. We are on the sidewalk, the road to our right, when a black Hundai sedan pulls up alongside us, driving slowly to match our pace. At first I think nothing of it, but my curiosity gets the better of me, and I look past Mara at the driver.

Rufus.

And he has a gun.

Instinctively, I pull Mara to the ground, covering her body with mine. Rufus jumps out of the car and runs toward us.

"Give me the girl," he yells.

"Never!" I scream.

Rufus bends down and slams the gun into the side of my head. I instantly roll over, unconscious. When I awaken, Mara is not beside me, and Rufus' sedan is gone.

It all happened so fast. And I couldn't even save her.

I wake up to find myself sprawled out on my bed, drenched in sweat. It was all a dream.

Alfie is hovering over me. "Dude, are you okay?"

I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand and sit up. "Yeah, fine."

I dress quickly and take my time fixing my hair before running down to breakfast. Everyone is there except Mara.

"Where's Mara?" I ask, trying to act as disinterested as possible.

"She left early for a student government meeting," Nina informs me.

I sigh with relief. It was only a dream, I remind myself. It will never happen. Right?

Mara's POV:

As I walk down the sidewalk on my way to the meeting, I am thinking about what Amber said last night. She has something up her sleeve, I just know it.

I am so consentrated on this that I am completely unaware of a black Hundai sedan creeping along to a stop beside me.

Unaware of the blonde man with the piercing blue eyes that steps out of the car.

Unaware of reality as the man punches my skull hard enough to knock me unconscious.

Jerome's POV:

It is now 11 at night, and nobody has seen anything of Mara. It's a Friday night; she should be out with Mick. Well, in my opinion, she shouldn't be with Mick, but that's where she would be. If she was here.

Mara's POV:

I wake up lying on a cold concrete floor in a freezing, dark room, confused. Where am I?

I look down at my body, but there is no light. I run my fingers along my side and bring up a sticky dark substance. Blood. It trickles down my mouth, the side of my head, down my stomach and sides, and along my arms and legs. My shirt is inside out, and my shoes and socks have been removed. Basically, I'm surprised I'm even still alive.

A light flickers on and I find myself in what looks like an old wearhouse. I start to scream, but a large warm hand clamps down on my mouth, and I feel the cool blade of a knife on my neck.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, and no one will be able to hear you, so don't waste your breath. However, just to be safe, if you try that one more time, you're a dead girl. Got it?"

I nod, and he violently pulls the knife away from my throat.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" I cry.

"Not with you. With your friends. The ones who have something that belongs to me."

"What are you talking about?"

The man just smiles, and his piercing silver-blue eyes gleam.

He looks like pure evil.

Jerome's POV:

By 11:30, I am sincerely worried. So is everyone else, except Victor, of course, who is too busy talking to Corbiare (who talks to a stuffed bird anyways?) than actually doing his job and paying a smidge of attention to any of us. My worries are increasing, and by 11:47 I am downright terrified, because I just got a new text.

From Rufus.

"Missing someone?"

Ooh, drama! (: Oh, by the way, if you have any ideas for this story, please feel free to PM me them! I have some of the story planned out, but I'm always open to suggestions!