Thank you to limegreen124 for convincing me on who will die! I planned on killing that person from the start, and you pretty much confirmed what I was thinking! ;)

For the rest of you guys…..IM NOT TELLLINNNNG! ;D

And Thank You to Jace'n'FangLover for making me laugh! :P

~MPOV~

"Where did they go—what did you do to them?" I asked Dylan, furiously.

His eyes kept sweeping over me, hungrily. It sent shivers up my spine.

"They're scattered randomly among the house; you, being the main player, will find them as you go.

"The door to your world is at the top of the house, and it's open. If you and your friends can get to it, you can go," Dylan said.

IF.

That wasn't reassuring. At all.

My mind kept wandering to one thought: "Where. Is. Fang." I said, pronouncing each word very distinctly.

"Your—Fang—is at the top." Fang's name was said with clear distaste. "I'll be giving him my special attention. If you reach the top of the house, you'll get to see him." His expression was dark, but immensely lightened when he added, "If you don't get there, then you lose. I win. And you stay here, in this place—in my world—with me. As mine"

My eyes narrowed. "You're out of your mind!" I said, voice raised. "So this—all of this—was a set up? All to get me?" I shook my head. "Why?"

And that was when he said it. With one corner of his mouth turned up, he looked me straight in the eye; the expression on his face seemed familiar to me, and I realized Fang had worn it several times before.

"Because," Dylan said, "I've fallen in love with you."

I blinked rapidly, immediately shocked and unprepared for that response.

"Surprised? You shouldn't be. I fell for you the first time I saw you—I believe you were living in Colorado at the time?" he chuckled. "Cute little girl, you were." He stepped forward until he was a mere two feet away from me. "Have you heard of the story of Hades?" He made the distance between us as foot. "Greek ruler of the Underworld. Lonely, until he saw Persephone. He was love struck that very second. He wanted to make her his queen, but she would never go willingly..."

Despite my hatred for him, I asked, "So?"

"So he split the earth beneath her feet." There was now half a foot between us. "My point is that I could just take you, Max, but I'm giving you a chance." He stared at her with eyes like liquid sapphires, once again making it impossible to break his gaze.

"Who are you?" I asked, quietly.

"Who do you want me to be? I love you, Max; I'll be anything you want—I'll give you anything you want. Do you like jewels? No? How about...chocolates; candy to match your eyes…" he reached down to my face, but his fingertips never touched. "Clothes? You can have different outfits for every hour. Pets? A rabbit, a dog, a cat, a monkey, a tiger—Or what about places? I could take you to France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Taiwan, beaches in the Caribbean's, Germany—I can give you anything, Max…think about it."

"I think," I said slowly, "that you are absolutely crazy."

"Only for you, Max. I can make your dreams come true. Literally. Ask me for anything, something you could never have even if you tried. Ask now, Max, because I won't offer again."

I felt so insecure at the moment, I couldn't even speak if I wanted to. He was so...obsessed! I just want to go home with my flock, and never buy a game again.

"Do it now, Max, while I'm still your friend; I won't be so nice later on." he sighed when I made no advancements. "I really don't want to hurt you, Max; please don't make me do it. Give in to me, Max. It's going to happen anyway."

My insecurities suddenly started to vanish, being slowly replaced with a building anger inside of me. "What?" I snapped.

"I never lose, Max."

"I would rather die than give in to you. Remember that clearly," I said, clenching my teeth.

He nodded slowly, still looking at me. "Then I guess your friends will have to take the consequences, now that they're in the Game."

"What—no! Wait—"

He cut me off. "Too late, Max. You had your opportunity, but you refused it; now we have to play the Game."

"But—"

"Three things before we begin: One—if you get hurt in these nightmares, you get hurt for real. So don't die," Dylan smirked. "I already know for sure one of you won't make it."

I was so shocked that I couldn't even snap back at him.

"Two—you have 'til dawn. Exactly six-eleven tomorrow morning. Then the door at the top will close. If you can't get out by then, then you are stuck here." He handed me a slip of paper. "Three—the answer to this riddle tells you what I want from you; give it to me and I'll let one of your friends go," he said. I looked down at the riddle:

I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold.

I'm the parent of numbers that cannot be told.

I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course,

And I'm yielded with pleasure—when taken by force.

"Tick tock, Max," I heard him say.

"What the hell is—" I stopped when I looked up from the paper, finding Dylan gone. Someplace else, a clock began chiming. I counted ten.

Damn, I thought.

Eight hours and eleven minutes left.

Tick tock, indeed.

I found stairs in the parlor that led up to the hallway on the next floor. It reminded me of The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. Candles in brass holders lit up the hallway.

After several minutes of wandering down this everlasting, endless corridor, I spotted a small figure struggling against the wall.

"Gazzy!" I shouted, relief washing over me. One down, five to go, I told myself. "Are you—um, hello? Gazzy?" I started to ask if he was okay, but he was ignoring me—fully involved with trying to slam shut a door. "GASMAN!" I shouted.

He stopped and looked up at me sheepishly. "Oh, hi Max." *SLAM!* He continued harassing that poor door.

"What are you doing, Gazzy?" *SLAM!* That's when I heard the growling behind the door.

"Well, they keep trying to break down the door!" *SLAM!* "I figure if I—" *SLAM!* "—make enough noise, they'll—" *SLAM!* "—GO AWAY!" *SLAM!*

The growling ceased.

Gazzy stopped running into the door and grinned at me. "Problem solved."

I was still puzzled by his actions. "Um. Gazzy? What was in there?"

"Oh, just your average, butt-ugly monster."

He was pretty calm about the whole situation, I thought, Good for him.

"Well, we should look around, Gazzy. See if we can find the rest of the flock. And Ella." I said, taking his hand and leading him away from the door.

Soon after we started walking, Gazzy pointed at a door on our right. "That's a door."

I almost laughed. "Yes it is, Gazzy. I'm glad you can tell."

He shook his head swiftly. "No, no—haven't you noticed? That door I was slamming on back there was the only door down the hallway for a long while." Oh. Nooope, I didn't catch that, I thought.

"We should open it."

I looked at him incredulously. "After trying to close the last one? I don't think so."

"Max—what if one of the others is trapped in there?" He pleaded, blue eyes wide.

Damn. He had me there.

I groaned, but agreed reluctantly. "Okay, fine. But be ready to shut it fast!"

He grinned and went over to the door. He paused briefly; we couldn't hear any growling, so I nodded, giving him the okay.

He flung the door wide open—

—to find his bedroom; The one from the E-House; The unorganized, bomb-filled one; The one with a window that had a view of the mountains, just like the window in this very room.

After stupidly staring at Gazzy's replica of room, we cautiously walked in.

*SLAM!*

The door had shut behind us, making Gazzy and I jump and whirl around. Only this time, the door was gone.

Gazzy groaned loudly. "So what—we're trapped in here now?"

"No," I said, thinking this through. "We're probably here for a good reason."

And then I remembered the nightmares.

"In order to get to the top, we each have to face our nightmares..." I said, pondering aloud. "Okay then...um, Gazzy? Does anything in here look like the nightmare you drew?"

"I'm not gonna tell you what my nightmare is!" he exclaimed. Then he changed his mind, grinning at me slyly. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Well crap. I didn't actually...draw my nightmare earlier. I sort of doodled around the edges...

I was about to tell him this when bright, white lights suddenly shone through the bedroom window.

It soon stopped, allowing me time to carefully peak through the window.

I shrieked and stumbled back into Gazzy. "Gazzy! What the hell did you draw?"

I had peaked out to find a...THING pressed against the glass. An ugly, four foot tall, person—that didn't even look human! Its skin was milky-white, and the head was the size of its torso, housing two black, gigantic round eyes the glinted dangerously.

Gazzy was backing away from the window now, looking almost as pale as the alien dude.

Wait, that's it—aliens!

I held Gazzy in front of me tightly. I sternly asked him, "Gazzy... Did you draw aliens? Is that what this nightmare is about?"

The sound of his tiny gulp reached my eyes. "Sort of...more like Aliens in UFOs..."

My gaze snapped back to the window and behind the alien-dude, who had stepped away, I was able to make out a half-sphere—flat side down—hovering gently over the ground.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me..." I muttered.

Just then, the lights came again—brighter white lights—and we felt ourselves being lifted in the air, as if by an invisible force.

"Max...?" Gazzy wondered aloud, both of us hovering several feet off the floor.

"Gaz, this is your nightmare! I have absolutely no idea what's going on—" I said, but then I cut myself off, screaming as the two of us were suddenly launched through the bedroom window.

I blacked out again.

This time when I woke up, I found myself unable to move (though I wasn't physically restricted by anything) on a cool, metal table. I couldn't even open my eyes. The blinding white light that hung directly above me was something I couldn't stand. It was like being back in the School, minus the smell of the antiseptic.

I was only able to move my head and neck, and kind of wiggle my torso. But that was it.

I turned my head to my left and saw Gazzy in the same position as me. I was about to say something when I heard a whoosh sound on my right.

Through the sliding glass door (which oddly looked like my Mom's) came in four white alien-dudes.

I saw Gazzy's eyes widen in fear as they went directly to his table.

One more came in, pushing a cart with sharp, sharp metal tools. Very pointy sharp tools.

This guy was obviously the leader, I thought. He was little taller than the rest, and though none of them made a sound, the rest looked like they obeyed him through some sort of unspoken communication.

He picked up a long, skinny blade and went over to Gazzy, who began squirming madly. "Max!" he shouted, sounding near to tears.

I began squirming too; the white light above each of us seemed to have some sort gravitational power, holding us in place.

An idea started to form in my mind.

I started rocking back and forth, and Gazzy was watching me with a confused expression.

He suddenly yelped as the leader pressed the blade into his leg; not too deep, but deep enough to draw blood.

Gazzy whimpered and looked at me helplessly.

I gestured to myself and rocked again.

My light dimmed as I rocked. Gazzy noticed and began rocking on his table.

That made his brighter, and mine dimmer. I felt the invisible restraint start to ease away as the light dimmed.

I was able to eventually roll onto my side and then with one last rock, I went over the edge. I shut my eyes, not wanting to watch the way to the floor.

But the impact never came.

I opened my eyes and found myself an inch above the ground.

Lifting my head, I saw the tall alien had turned the white light back onto me, disallowing me to hit the ground.

I glared at him.

I heard frantic footsteps and turned my head to look. Gazzy had rolled off, too—escaping the white light's gravity.

He, being smaller, crawled under his table and stood, shoving the metal cart into all four of the aliens; this took them by surprise, all of them falling over each other. The tall one simply left the room.

Gazzy grinned as he approached me, pulling me out of the light.

"Thanks, Gaz. Glad you picked up on the plan," I said, referring to the rocking. "Are you okay?"

He looked down at his leg, which had stopped bleeding. "Yeah, I think."

In the corner of my eye, I saw the tall leader approaching the door. He'd be back here in seconds!

I spotted another glass door that looked exactly like the other.

I pulled Gasman over to the door. "Okay, Gazzy; we're gonna have to jump, alright?" he nodded, just as the leader reentered the room. I swiftly slid the door open and launched myself out, shouting, "Now!" and dragging Gazzy with me.

We were falling through the clouds, now; falling so fast that it was impossible to open our wings without snapping them.

And then seconds later, we were flying into Gazzy's bedroom, slamming into a door. It was like a giant had tossed us in sideways through the broken window.

We both groaned as we sat up. Gazzy looked at the door with sudden interest. "Well, I guess I faced my nightmare; the door's back."

I nodded, but thought to myself, If I gotta go through this six more times…ugh.

"You did good, Gazzy." I took Gazzy's had as we opened the door, finding ourselves back in the main hallway.

It had changed, this time; no more staircase, and the door to Gazzy's room disappeared.

We paused, not really sure what to do next. Gazzy surprised me and broke the silence by saying, "This hallway goes on forever. Can we split up, Max? I think we'd find the others much faster."

I looked at him in astonishment, now. It's as if facing his nightmare made him stronger—more confident.

And honestly, after what we just went through, we could probably handle this hallway if we split.

I had nodded slowly, but said sternly, "But if you find something, anything, you come get me before you make a move, okay?" He nodded and quickly jogged in the other direction.

I sighed and went the opposite way.

I was thinking about that riddle I had to solve...

I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold.

I'm the parent of numbers that cannot be told.

I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course,

And I'm yielded with pleasure—when taken by force.

If I didn't hate riddles before, I most certainly hated them now.

"How are you enjoying the Game so far?" There it was again. A voice like...silk; silk-wrapped steel.

I whirled around fast to find Dylan, leaning against the wall. He was now wearing black jeans and a black tee.

He was smiling, as if he knew something I didn't.

I took a wild guess. "It was you, wasn't it? Up there in the ship?" I asked,

He avoided answering, making me take it as a yes.

Dylan changed the subject. "Did you know when you're unhappy your eyes turn a dark color, almost black? When you're happy they turn all goldy-brown."

"How would you know? You have never seen me happy," I muttered.

"I know that your unhappy right now. Do you know why you're so unhappy right now?" In one slow, smooth movement, the distance between us became half a foot. "Because you've been missing something, all this time, Max. I could show you what you've been missing," he said.

I hated this.

I hated how he made me feel. Fang's touch made me feel safe, whereas Dylan made me feel weak. Vulnerable. Pathetic.

My breath hitched as he stared at him with those gorgeous eyes. "Will you let me, Max? Let me show you what you've been wanting," Dylan said softly. Before I could protest, his fingers were gently laced in my hair; his other hand lifted my chin so I could look him directly in the eye.

And then—his lips were bare inches from mine, and we were getting closer by the second. I had to force myself to whisper, "Please. Stop."

"Do you really want me to?"

"Yes."

And that was that. He dragged his fingers out of my hair and pulled away from me, stepping back to lean against the wall casually.

I can't believe it. I almost kissed him! Him, of all people!

My thoughts wandered to Fang, and a wave of guilt rushed over me.

"Why?" I asked him, voice cracking. "Why are you doing all of this?"

"I told you: I fell in love with you, Max. I didn't mean to; it just happened."

"Why bother going through all this Game crap? Why not just take me?" I questioned, thinking aloud.

He was silent, and then the answer hit me. "You can't. You can't do anything to me unless I let you. That's why you asked to touch my hair, isn't it? That's why you tried to make me kiss you?"

"Careful, Max." Dylan gave me a cold, steely look in warning.

I felt smug, but I didn't care. "If you can kiss me against my will, then show me." I laughed in his face. "Show me—do it now."

He didn't move. "Come osi!" I urged, remembering the Italian phrase that meant I dare you.

I smirked triumphantly when Dylan stayed still, but then he said, "You don't get it, do you Max? I will have you at any cost. Any cost. Even if you have to suffer. If I can't force you, I'll persuade you—and I'm a very persuasive man.

"You challenged me, Max, so now I must show you what I'm truly capable of." He nodded down the hallway, in the direction I was headed. "See your friend down there? She's in this Game, too. Remember that."

I looked down the hallway to see a flash of blonde hair. I turned back to Dylan to tell him to Stay the HELL away!, but he was gone.

OKAY GUYS I STILL NEED HELP! With one thing:

~Max needs a nightmare. Any suggestions? Something creative, but fitting her character.

You guys r EPICly awesome. :DDD THANKS SO MUCH! ;P

OH AND PS: did that seem kind of rushed? i didnt mean to, but i think i maybe rushed Gazzy's nightmare. Sorry. O.O