Well, here's the next chapter! I'm going to be graduating soon! :D I did this chapter really fast, so If you see any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me!

Chapter 2; Don't You Believe Me?

Slyly

I stared long and hard at the enigmatic white shine. It flickered on and off continueously, until it stopped and stood at a stand-still bright shine, as if focasing on one thing. It stayed there, I counted, for about ten seconds before it disappeared all together. I didn't move all at once, my heart rate beginning to increase. What was that thing all about? What is it? What if...what if it's a person? Up there? Trying to signal to us, to anyone with a mirror?

-Narrators P.O.V.-

It is a person! Her mind began to toy with her helplessness.

A person is up there!

Someone is up there!

They might need help!

-Hannah's P.O.V.-

I turned abruptly and bounded easily back towards the other three, the flower I had previously placed in my hair flew out, forgotton. In my haste, I almost triped twice, then almost barreling into Leo my arms flailing as I tried to catch myself.

"Hey!" He began to protest. While doing so, he lost concentration and let the football fall back to the ground with a dull thud. I cut him short as I stopped in front of a surprised and bewildered looking Marie.

"M-Marie!" I panted, mostly because I was anxious as to who was up in the hills, just waiting for us to rescue them!

"What is it, Hannah?" She inquired, her facial features contorted into a confused look. She shifted a little, then stood up in front of me and gripped my shoulders. In an effort to calm me, I suppose because I realized I had paused. Victoria side-glaced at me, but said nothing.

"Hannah? What did you see?" She asked again, her tone more serious and gathered. Marie gave my shoulders a little shake as I gathered my thoughts about this whole episode.

"I-I.." I paused, racking my brain for the right words to explain what I had just witnessed. "I think, there's someone in the hills! Over there!" I turned but only slightly to point at the slightly red rocky hills behind me. "I seen it! A flashing- - -thing! You know, when you see those rescue shows and people are flashing those mirrors in the light to get attention?"

She gave me, what looked to be, an incredulous look. I groaned dramatically. "You've got to believe me! I seen it, I know I did!" I whined to her.

Leo snorted. "She's obviously crazy." He said unnecisarilly loudly, and I glowered in his general direction. I was tempted to pick up a rock and chuck it at his inflated head, but I resisted as Marie turned me back around to look at her.

Marie looked concerned still as she spoke softly. "Hannah...there are lava rocks here, and some of them are really shiny..."

Bullshit! I wanted to scream. There is something going on here, random things don't just shine in the middle of nowhere!... Okay, I'm probably just being paranoid. I tried reasoning with Marie, and dang...she was probably right.

"Better?" She asked gently as she brushed my damp bangs away from my face. I wasn't better in the least, but I wasn't going to get all worked up and spook the others. So I nodded and brushed her away.

"Yep, I'm fine."

x

We all huddled around a fire made of sage-brush that Leo managed to make. To be honest, it was more smoke than fire, but it worked to warm me up none-the-less. That feeling of dread and the absolute feeling of being alone still clutched at my chest. I couldn't help my feelings, I actually felt like a small ant being looked down upon by an ant-eater. The ant-eater not yet eating me, but just being there purposfully to scare the shit out of me before it ate me. Yeah, I know, a little weird but that's seriously what I was feeling right now.

Before Leo built the fire, I managed to help him retrieve a few granola-bars from Victoria's and Tristan's vehicle and a flash-light from our over-turned jeep. Now, Leo held the flashlight in his hands, looking into the - barely visible through the smoke - orange flames as he clicked the thing off and on, looking lost in thought. As for Victorai and Marie, they both looked to be in the same dampened, desolate state.

I didn't blame them. One look at my face probably told them I'd lost it way before the fire was made. Long lost in my thoughts.

The thing that bothered me more than anything, actually stomping out the 'random shiney' inncident, was the fact that Yovan and Tristan were still gone.

I mean, sure they started walking a bit late and it was now dark, admitedly expected, but surely they'd have been back by now? Right?

I began to mull over the various possibilities for their 'lateness' as I rubbed my now sweaty hands on my bare white splotched knees. I felt hot and anxious. Raw fear bubbled up inside me as I kept churning through my thoughts, but my body was cold, even though we were in the desert it turned surprisingly cold when night fell.

A single thought bubbled up to surface, one I hadn't thought about. The tires, all four of them were popped on both vehicles.

I didn't have much time to think about it though, because I heard the shuffle of sand and dirt. Boots scuffing the ground, but it only lasted for a small, small moment. I perked up from my slouched position imediately, my heart raceing faster.

We all were sitting down, so who - what - the hell was that? I wasn't the only one who heard it. Victoria, beside me, perked up just as fast.

"Did you hear that?" She whispered, looking into the dark beyond.

"Hear what?" Leo mumbled, sounding half asleep. I knew he was far from falling asleep.

"That...shuffling noise." Victoria elabarated, using hand motions to motion toward the dark where she was looking.

Leo grinned mischieviously. "Probably some wild, rabid animal out to get you, Victoria." Leo pucked up a stray stick and poked Victoria in the arm lightly. "Boooo!"

Victoria was about to yell at him, when Marie clapped Leo on the back of the head. "That's enough! Now, stop! This isn't funny!"

I wasn't looking at them anymore. I was looking into the dark, my eyes following the dirt road. That same thought emerged, and I spoke up. "Maybe me and Leo can go see what popped all four - er, eight - of the tires?" I asked distractedly.

"No!" Victoria screeched, shaking her head. "The safest place is by this fire."

Leo rolled his eyes. He grabbed a dry stick and stuck it into the fire for a moment, then pulled it out. "See? Now we'll have mobile fire." He smirked, holding the torch out to me.

I smiled. "Yeah! This'll work!" I took the stick and looked at Marie, pleading with my eyes.

Marie stared at me for the longest time, then errupted into a fit of good-natured giggles. "Alright, you got me with the innocent look. But be careful! You never know whats out there!"

I nodded and stood up, taking my sweet time to stretch out my long legs. I nodded at Leo, and we took off, heading down the dirt road.

.-.-.-..-.-.-

The entire walk was eerily silent, especially because I was with Leo, and he usually talks to fill space. He was walking behind me, I could hear the thump -scuffle- thump of his shoes.

I frowned. "I haven't seen anything on the road yet, we've been walking for like..." I paused mid-sentace to think, and during that time I didn't hear Leonardo walking. I thought he was just taking a rest and looking around, so I didn't stop to wait for him.

"I swear," I continued, trying to look through the darkness surrounding us. "We've been walking for an hour." I was probably exatuating , but at this point I didn't care. I was slightly cold, tired, and a little afraid.

Just then I could hear Leo's foot steps again, coming faster. I could also hear his breathing. I rolled my eyes. "Jesus, Leo! You can't be that tired-"

I turned around to scold him, but he wasn't there. I frowned. "L-Leo? Where've you gotten to?" I moved my torch around, and a little ways off I could see a tall, broad figure standing in the middle of the road - opposite direction to where I've been walking.

"Leo? Come over here!" I yelled at him, but he didn't move. He was holding something in his hand, I noticed. A stick? I started to walk towards him, and upon geting closer, I could see that this big man was defintelly NOT Leo. And I noticed then that in his hand, he was holding a bloody axe. With wide eyes and an open mouth, I looked up at his face. I screamed, noticing how deformed his face was.

The man laughed a gutteral - slightly childish laugh. I screamed, and turned to run the opposite way, but I bumped into another man. I looked up into brown eyes, noticing his gray hair before I screamed a third time.

"Ay, bitch!" Then he slapped me so hard upside the head I fell down, knocking my head against a rock. After that, I knew nothing for a time.

OKAY, I hope this chapter was okay. xD I did it rather quickly, and if you see any mistakes don't be afraid to tell me! Like I said, I did this really fast.