"My life is officially over!" I complained for the fourth time. We'd just got off the coach. Funnily enough, we arrived in a forest in the middle of nowhere. The coach journey took three agonisingly-long hours. I was stuck next to Macbeth. For. Three. Hours. She glared at me, threatened me, yelled at me and almost hit me, but I refused to say anything. She confiscated me headphones too! I just hope she doesn't find out how to work the communication system.

Vin gave me a sympathetic look, although he couldn't even imagine how bad it was. Trixie was drumming her foot against the floor, racking her brain for answers. "What would Macbeth want with you?" She asked, staring at me like I was some kind of bug under a microscope.

"For the millionth time, I don't know." I grumbled, tired of the same questions being repeated. If I knew then I would've said! Then an idea hit me. Macbeth wanted information, but we refused to give it to her but Macbeth isn't the type of person who gives up easily. "Spider!" I shouted. Trixie spun around in alarm, Vin jumped out of his skin for the second time in three hours. I began brushing my clothes desperately. "It's on me! It's on me!" I yelled, spinning around and doing some kind of crazy chicken dance.

Vin was staring at me like I was insane while Trixie tilted her head curiously, realising it was some kind of gag to cover up my real intentions since I don't normally freak out around spiders, imaginary or not. "It's on my back! Vin, get it off! Please, get it off!" He cautiously reached out and brushed my back in an attempt to get rid of the imaginary spider. I ran my hand across the lapel of my jacket and found it. The hidden microphone. "It's still on me!" I wailed while pulling the microphone off and dropping it on the floor.

I stamped on it several times with the heel of my shoe, keeping it pinned and twisting my foot making sure I crushed it; the microphone gave a high-pitched crackle of electricity, wires spewed out of the holes before I managed to completely destroy it. I panted before giving it an enormous kick, watching as it spun off into the foliage, disappearing from view. I smirked up at Vin and Trixie. "I think I found out why."

"A spider?" Vin questioned, one eyebrow raised in a thin arch.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disbelief, while behind Trixie faced-palmed. Vin looked even more confused because of our reactions. "No, stupid. It was a microphone!" I explained, watching as Vin's confused expression faded. "Macbeth must've put it on me when she pulled me away from you guys on the bus." Vin released a small oh, as he finally understood, nodding his head in agreement.

"She must've wanted to find out what happened to Newton. And others things… We can't say anything about… Things we are a part of… got it?"

"Yep." Me and Vin chorused, grinning at each other when we realised we said it at the same time.

"Move it!" Macbeth screamed at everyone. "Form a group, now!" The other kids slowly walked over to Macbeth, scuffing their feet across the ground and avoiding eye contact at all times. They formed a small group in front of her.

I rolled my eyes. Vin covered his ears with the palms of his hands, completely milking it, pretending the noise was deafening. "Ah!" He moaned. "My ears! My eaaars!" He continued this for a little while, stumbling around making me laugh until it hurt until Trixie, the killjoy that she is, reluctantly told him to be sensible.

We smirked at each other until just a look would set us off. Trixie tutted disapprovingly, but smiled a little. At least we were acting normal, that was the main thing. "I said, MOVE IT! Unless you want detention!" I exchanged a glance with Vin. I sighed and grabbed his arm, dragging him behind me as we joined the group. Trixie just stared at us, shaking her head slightly and smirking, a knowing look on her face, before jogging to catch up with us.

I perched awkwardly on a rock, a huge boulder to be exact, pushing myself up in desperation while underneath me a figure clawed at the air just below my feet. It was cloaked in shadow making it even harder to identify it but right now it was sitting on its haunches and staring up at me. I could see the light reflected off its eyes giving them an eerie yellow glow. It launched upwards again catching my boot and almost taking it off. I bit back a scream and tore my eyes away, my hands searching for a decent enough ledge to help haul myself up, while my feet dangled dangerously close to the predator.

There! My hand found a small crack in the rock. I wedged my fingers there and tested to see if it would hold- to my relief it did- before swinging my foot up onto a ledge and reaching up with my right hand to find something to grab on to. A stone whizzed past my ear and hit the predator on the shoulder; it gave an enraged roar before trying even harder to make me its next meal. A second stone smacked it right between the eyes, slowing it down, a third on the tip of its nose and a fourth tearing into the predators back.

"Keeping going, Aaron!" I panted, slowly but steadily climbing the small cliff to reach the group. It was ironic because last school trip, we'd lost Macbeth and Soper, after heading back the way we came and found the bridge broken, we had split into groups. Aaron had told me he didn't want me in his group because I had a short fuse. Now we were working together after I shared some rare Zero wisdom.

I looked up to find that I was nearly there, the edge on the cliff was barely three metres away. I sighed, ignoring the pain shooting through my body and my muscles begging me to stop before continuing to climb, almost falling as some rocks dislodged underneath my foot, crashing sounding as they tumbled down the rock face, almost hitting the predator as it attempted to climb up after me. I could hear that Aaron was still pelting the predator with rocks by the way it repeatedly shrieked with pain.

I stretched, my arm going into an awkward position as I searched for something strong enough to hold while I pulled myself up. Ideally I would find a tree root, but my search found nothing; only grass and dirt. "I gotcha." Aaron said, grabbing my arm after firing the last of his ammo at the creature. He groaned as he hauled me up onto the safe, even ground at the top of the cliff.

"Don't groan when you lift me." I said, feigning an expression of hurt as I rolled over the top. He just rolled his eyes. I panted, still lying on the floor; Aaron was collapsed two metres across from me, looking similar to a starfish. "Hey, you can't complain. You didn't just scale a bloody cliff and run through a freaking forest with that thing on your tail."

"But I did shoot that thing with your slingshot, preventing it from snacking on your foot." He reminded me, shooting the response back as if he had previously though it up, and passing back the contraption I made from a forked stick and a rubber band. I scooped it up and stuffed it in my pocket. "What the hell was that anyway?" He questioned, airing my exact thoughts as he reluctantly climbed to his feet.

"Beats me, but it's definitely a carnivore since I was on the menu." I replied, taking his outstretched hand. I used my other hand to push myself off the ground. My chest was killing me, my throat had closed up, my heart was still racing and I was nursing a painful stitch.

"You have dirt smudged all across your cheek." Aaron stated, guiding me as I attempted to scrub it off with the sleeve of my jacket. Most came off, leaving a thin line that almost looked like a scar running across my face. I knew my clothes, especially my left side and all along my back would be muddy too. Not to mention my hair, I could still feel the murky water dripping out, hitting my shoulder and streaking down my neck.

"Where are the others?" Little Fred asked, after breaking away from the group and tottering over to us, tugging at my jacket with his free hand. I rolled my eyes at Aaron. Didn't this little kid have any respect? I just nearly died from exhaustion, and was almost mauled by the predator below us.

I firmly pushed his hands away. "We'll find them." I promised; swatting a mosquito as it attempted to gorge on some of my blood. It left splattered bug insides on my arm which was gross. I wiped it away with a leaf I plucked off a nearby tree. I discarded the bug-innards-splattered-leaf as soon as possible, hurling it over the edge of the cliff. In the background I could hear Aaron's sarcastic Nice but he couldn't really talk, he'd squished one as it landed on his nose just five minutes earlier.

"But I want to know now." Little Fred whined, pouting as he balled his hands into tiny fists. "I want to go home!"

I gritted my teeth and double checked what I was going to say, making sure that it didn't sound mean because I didn't want him bawling on me. "Look, we're trying to get home and find the others, if I knew anything I would say, okay?" He sniffed and nodded, all teary-eyed which left me mystified. I was sure I hadn't said anything hurtful. "Don't cry." I said as soothingly as possible. I was being remarkably patient for me.

"I don't like the woods." He whispered, giving a frightened glance around at the trees as the whipped around, making the leaves give menacing rustles. Little Fred's pupils dilated with fear as he protectively clutched his stuffed rabbit closer, drawing comfort from the little animal he carried everywhere.

After what I had just been through, I actually didn't blame him. I crouched down next to him so I was level with his face. "Look, just stick near me if you're scared, but don't pester me, okay? I'm just as lost as you." My mind drifted to thoughts of Vin and Trixie and what they might be facing where ever they are. "We all are."

Aaron raised an eyebrow; it created a thin arch and just highlighted his amusement. "You seem to have an entourage."

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to look back to where I knew Little Fred was stumbling after us. "Last time I checked, one person doesn't make up an entourage." I replied curtly, before slowing down to a speed Little Fred would be able to keep up with.

Shaking his head, Aaron slowed his pace to match my own. "Why is he tailing us?"

I sighed before leaning closer, making sure we weren't over-head. Little Fred probably wouldn't be happy if everyone knew his little secret. "The kid's scared of the forest so I said he could stick close if he wanted." Aaron gave a snort. "I didn't want him crying on me or anything." I added defensively.

"He's scared of the forest? A bunch of trees?" Aaron asked, smirking.

I tutted loudly. "So what?" I hissed, my eyes gleaming with mild fury. "After that thing chased me, I don't actually blame him."

Aaron held his hands up in a surrender sign, his smirk instantly gone. "Whoa, no need to bite me head off, I was just joking." We walked in a quite tense and very awkward silence for the next couple of minutes.

I surveyed our group, counting their heads to make sure they were all there. Peggy, Aaron, Me, Little Fred, Kate, Kathy and Li were all accounted for. Kate was a tall blonde girl with blue eyes who wore a purple short-sleeved tee-shirt and while trousers. Li was a small, skinny Chinese boy with short black hair and grey eyes, who wore a green short-sleeved tee-shirt and brown trousers. Both had been in Aaron's group last time, agreeing with him when he refused to let us into his group. Li even joined in with throwing us away, saying Trixie always bossed people around, which was true.

Suddenly the forest was filled with some horrible tetchy music, shattering the peace. It made me jump. I knew it wasn't my phone, my ringtone was of a solo for a base guitar during one of my many favourite rock songs, but I was bewildered when my phone began vibrating, still blaring out the horrible music. "What is that?" Aaron exclaimed, clamping his hand over his ears.

I dug around in my pocket, retrieving my phone and pulling it out. I had returned it to my pocket when Macbeth wasn't looking as I had previously stashed it in my boot and played the innocent 'I don't have a phone' gag. "Vin's idea of a joke, he's gone and changed my ringtone." I answered before looking at the screen and unlocking my phone before answering it. "Hello? Vin is this you? Funny joke changing my ringtone. Hilarious. I'm literally in stitches."

"…"

"Is anyone there? Vin? Trixie?"

"…"

"Are you okay…?"

"…"

" Guy's? This isn't funny! Answer me, Vin, Trixe! ... Alright, how did you get my number?"

"…"

I swapped an alarmed glance with Aaron before putting the phone on speaker-phone so he could hear too. Not that there was anything to hear. "How did you keep your phone?" He whispered, referring to the fact that everyone had their phones confiscated by Macbeth earlier.

"I hide it in my boot." I explained, cupping the receiver with a hand to prevent whoever was on the other side from hearing us. Aaron rolled his eyes, obviously thinking along the same lines as I had earlier; Macbeth would murder me if she found out. I removed my hand and turned back to my phone. "Answer me!" Again I was met with the same silence filled with something that sounded like static. "Okay, I don't take kindly to prank calls. I'm gunna hunt your ass down and when I find you I'm gunna squish you like a-"

"…Help."

I stopped in mid-sentence of my rant. "Sorry?" I choked out, hardly believing I just heard a croaky voice on the other end on the phone. "Is this a joke? Vin, Trix, is that you?"

"Help… me…"

"Guys? Please let this be a joke." My hands were beginning to shake, I took deep breaths to calm myself but this phone call was freaking me out. I jumped to the conclusion that this was in fact not a joke. "O-okay… Are… Are you hurt? W-where are you? Who are you?" I asked, failing to control my shaking voice, Aaron looked pretty scared, he was mouthing something but it was too fast to make out. I knew it contained a lot of swearwords since something similar was running through my own head.

"Help me…" Again the creepy, pained voice wheezed into the phone. "Help me."

"I-I can't help you if you don't tell me w-what's wrong."

"Help me… Help me! HELP MEEEEEE!" The voice screamed out, an endless wail. I ended the call but the voice still screamed out of my phone. My hands were shaking so much I dropped my phone; my heart was racing as I brought my boot down on the surface, cracking the screen. "HELP MEEEEE!" Again and again I stamped on it until the wail was silenced and my phone was completely ruined.

I backed away from it, walking into Aaron as I stumbled backwards. Little Fred was in tears, sobbing his heart out while Kate and Kathy both tried to comfort him, although were actually as shaken up as Little Fred himself. Peggy looked close to tears as Li hugged her in an attempt to calm her down. I could barely feel Aaron as he poked my arm, he then jabbed me in the ribs. "Are you okay?" He asked, his face paler than usual, when I turned to him. "You look like you're going to faint."

I shook my head and stared down at the phone as I took a seat on a nearby tree stump. "Why do you care? You hate me!" I snapped, allowing the rest of my sentence to trail off, Aaron looked a little shocked and maybe annoyed about my outburst. It was true though, he'd never exchanged anything other than polite 'hello's' or 'excuse me's' when I was in the way. He walked off to check on the rest of the group, leaving me to my thoughts.

My thoughts were stuck with my friends, where ever they may be. I know had no way to contact them; Macbeth had confiscated my headphones and I'd just wrecked my phone so soon after fixing it. Let Vin and Trixie be okay. Please let just them be okay.

Someone, anyone protect them.

Please.