Thanks to SorrowJunky, JuneBug, Allie and Guest(s?) for the reviews! I hope this chapter continues to thrill! :)

Also apologies! Because apparently for a while there this chapter somehow got completely jacked up and swapped out with a chapter from NV?! No idea. Seriously, none as to how that happened since in my Doc manager they are labeled completely different things, and in completely separate folders in different places on my drive...so yeah. Weird. And also embarrassing! Like yikes. :P

Why did no one message me to say Wtf?! ; D

Chapter Seven

I have never had so much hot water to sit in that it covered my entire body and reached my chin. The steam curls up off its surface reminding me of Bryn's coffee cup that first morning. The mud that coated me has turned the water almost coffee colored. I pick another sprig of dried grass of the surface of the water flicking it over the tub's edge. I would care more about that if it were not so gloriously warm.

I do not know exactly how much time has passed but after a while I open my eyes rolling them to watch the door handle twist slowly. A wash of dark almost black hair pokes in. "Charlie?"

Libby. I feel my gut relax. I was worried it was Bryn.

"I'm naked," I warn her.

"I don't care," she tells me pushing into the room the rest of the way leaning against the door with her back. She stares at me a little wide eyed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I nod. "I am sorry that Bryn yelled at you, it was not your fault."

"Well, it kinda is." She tells me. "I should have warned you about the Geeks better, or gone with you, or made you stay inside…"

"I am my own person." I narrow my eyes. "I will go where I want." I am not going to be trapped ever again…

Libby collapses onto the closed toilet lid, her feet propped up on the edge of the metal tub. "Yeah okay I get that, but you're like a newborn baby!" she tells me. "A wet, really pink newborn baby," She adds grinning a bit. "All defenseless and sweet, and I almost let you get eaten because I was distracted drawing your picture."

I sit up straighter. "You drew my picture?"

She nods, stands up to pull a folded square out of one of her back pockets, she opens it handing it to me. I grip the edges with my wet fingertips leaving slowly spreading water spots on the heavy white paper. It is me, sitting on a couch with grey shaded stripes with a book in my lap—just like downstairs.

I stare at her. "Thank you,"

"Don't thank me, it was almost your memorial." She flops back down onto the seat. "Promise me you won't do anything like that again—and not just 'cause I got my ass chewed off by Bry."

"He chewed on your ass?" I ask a little incredulous trying not to look.

"Damn right he did, shit still hurts." Then she cackles suddenly. "You think I mean that literally don't you?"

I'm starting to wonder… "I think you might actually be the one who is crazy." I tell her, which earns me a brilliant teeth and tongue grin.

When I try to empty the tub a while later with Libby's help working the little rubber plug the mud leaves a film on the bottom. She leaves the bathroom and comes back with a bucket, and a bright blue brush with short white bristles and a yellow rag.

"What are you doing?"

"Bryn's making me clean the floor as punishment, even though he's the one who got it filthy." She rolls her eyes. "So I guess I'll start with this tub!"

"I will do it." I tell her. Then I stare at the bucket and the brush. It must show on my face.

"I'll show you how." Libby grins.

I realize why she's grinning so hard ten minutes later when she tells me she's never seen anyone clean a bathroom naked.

I put on clothes and move down the hall helping Libby scrub and wipe the rest of the mud and water spots from the hallway, stairs and front entryway. We're moved onto the kitchen floor when Bryn appears. His feet bare and hair wet hanging in darkened locks around his head when I glance up from my spot. My body half under the kitchen table in a way that makes Libby peak around the tables rim to tell Bryn to 'Stop staring at her ass.' grinning again. I do not mind, as long as he does not chew it.

"I need to talk to you,"

"You already gave me third degree burns dude! Seriously my ass is chapped; what more could you have to say?!" She grumbles.

"Not you," Bryn says and my stomach drops like a rock, twisting with nervous knots. "Ethan's ready to take you home anyway."

"Where is Ethan?" Libby asks still sitting on the floor.

"Cleaning up the mess in the yard." Bryn answers.

He must mean Roger. I feel myself frown. "You're leaving?" Everyone is always leaving.

Libby stares back at me and grins, "I'll be back no worries," she tells me sliding out from under the table smacking my butt cheek with one hand as she does. "Was that necessary?" I ask and she grins.

"That's how you say goodbye!" Libby chimes. "Good hustle!" She runs in place for a second then moves forward to drop the bucket in the sink throwing both hands in the air. "Score!" She flails around for a moment in a way that makes me want to ask if she's okay until Bryn grips her arm with one hand shoving her towards the door. "Out, now."

"Jeeze, Bry maybe you should take another nice loooong shower you're still a lil bit crankypants….maybe not a cold one this time. Just get it out of your system!" His jaw clenches and he shoves her toward the door while I crawl out from under the table standing to watch them walk to the front entrance where Ethan just emerged, barely wet since it has stopped raining.

"See you," Libby grins following Ethan out the door. Bryn moves in the entry way locking the front door, like that would help with all that glass. I frown, he turns catching my expression, frowns at his own feet silently.

I wait.

"I think tomorrow I should make sure you know how to use a knife." He says throwing me for a total loop.

"What?" I stare at him and for some reason it makes my heartbeat little too fast.

"A knife." He stares back, eyes dark. "Defense, you almost got eaten tonight by one stupid Geek."

Part of me is ashamed. Part of me is furious. And part of me wants to tell him that stupid Geeks name used to be Roger, and he wasn't always just a something… that he got eaten trying to save his wife and little boy…I shudder and turn away. Because it doesn't matter, it never does…

"If that will help," I tell him trying to keep my voice even and flat moving towards the stairs. He stops me with a hand suddenly wrapped tight around my wrist. I turn staring the few inches up to his face feeling my stomach clench again with nerves and heat. "What?" I ask trying not to shake, not sure if I'm successful.

He drops his hand. "I'm sorry, about earlier…in the yard. I shouldn't have done that." His eyes dart away from me. And the words hurt, ache and expand through my chest like superheated air pressing tight against my ribcage threatening to make me explode. I swallow. Of course not, that must be why no one has ever done it before. It was a mistake, and one he regrets.

"I know what they did to you, and I'm not going to do that…take advantage of you, use you. I'm not like that…"

My eyes are suddenly wet, "I wish to forget it." I tell him and even my throat burns. Then I turn and flee up the stairs. The squeaks so quick underfoot they are almost one sound as I move.

I close the door to my room. Press my back against the cool flat surface trying to breathe normally. I don't understand what a Playhouse is, but whatever they do to girls there is stopping Bryn from touching me in the way I desperately want. But if I tell him the truth about where I am really from he will have no reason not to turn me in.

I can stay with Bryn and Libby and Ethan, as long as they believe this lie. But Bryn will not look at me now, and something I can't define slips through my fingers. I wish I did not have to lie.

I am learning that lying hurts.

I move to the bed pulling off clothes that remind me of him and bury myself under the covers. My eyes catch an outline on the dresser that wasn't there before. I stare at it in the darkness. The little glass bird; the one that was blue and green and smooth, it should be sitting in a box of things that did not match. I don't know how it got here.

I turn away so I do not have to see it. The ache in my chest makes it impossible to think of anything else. I squeeze my eyes tight and tell myself over and over again that it will be fine, I do not need him to survive.

As the blackness pulls me down a disconnect voice in the back of my mind whispers liar.

I am running, but this time the ache in my muscles the throbbing in my thighs in time with my heartbeat makes my heart sing. My lungs burn and my lips pull back into a fierce snarl. Freedom. The night air on my skin, the dark press of the forest around me full of the sound of little things. They freeze when I draw near, sensing my presence and going very still; or darting away. I like when the do the later, I give chase. But not for long, they are too small to hold my attention. They are not what I hunt, I want something bigger, something slower something that will scream and mewl when I bury my hands in its throat…

There.

I see them where the trees end, the grass tall here brushing against the bare skin of my backside as I run. It tickles and I shiver they look up, but it is too late. I am already air born, leaping falling; hands formed into slashing claws. I hit and strike driving him into the ground with all my weight. Yes that makes it easier, this body is growing stronger, faster they thought to keep me weak but no more.

I tear and rip and slash and pull and when I am done I wait listen to the sounds of the night. The soft earth pressed to the balls of my feet. Something tickles my foot. I cock my head and something small and glowing lifts off, flutters in front of my face.

I snatch it with one quick hand, stare at my closed fingers for a moment wondering before opening them. I did not crush it, satisfaction curls through me as it winks again illuminating the black gore coating my hands. I watch it lift away, flaring a bright spec of green against a vast darker sky. A single beacon in the night.

I turn back to the form on the ground. I am hungry, I am always hungry, it is just one more constant I cannot escape. It is who I am. I bury my hands reaching deep, wet sucking flesh to my elbows squelches and protests audibly when my hands once more slip free. But I have found it, unspoiled. They do not know what the best part is to eat.

I am distracted by the little green light again. I tilt my chin to watch it waver and dance, it moves out and it becomes two lights, a reflection smooth as glass in the night. I slide closer as the little green light on the bottom skirts around the bright white orb of the moon. The trees captured perfectly reaching towards the smooth glass center of reversed sky. Two sides. mirror images separated by an invisible line, it is impossible to tell in the stillness that only one of them is real. Beautiful. My feet touch the cool water, ripples fanning out distorting the glass.

It is fitting. I think, a sour burn twisting in my gut. I ruin everything I touch. Then I dive deep.