That night was the most unnerving by far, not for lack of noise, in fact the very increase in such may be the cause of the knots that formed in my stomach.

On a normal night, the only noise was the rustling of trees from outside and the occasional snore or toss in a bed by fear of the Matron's bat ears and belt; but tonight was loud.

Boys were whispering excitedly, spreading the rumors of the Matron devouring whole corpses for meals.

There was no distant growling of a sleep-deprived Matron; just silence.

I couldn't ignore it, something was going to happen.

I got up and began to quietly climb down from the top bunk.

"You sense it too?" Jasper sat up in his bed under mine.

I nodded slightly.

"It's too loud."

He nodded back.

The floor was cold under my bare feet.

"I can't believe you let her eat it," Fay hissed from the bottom bed next to ours. "You guys are sleeping away your last living moments."

"Worry not, I don't plan on dying in my sleep." I forced a grin. "I'm gonna see what the rat eater is up to."

"Suicide. Why do you hate life so much?" Fay seemed to always be vocalizing my inner conscious. But as usual, I tuned it out.

I shook my head and headed for the hallway.

"Wait."

I stopped to see a shirtless Jasper roll up and out of bed. No matter how many times I've seen his bare chest and abs, I won't get used to it.

I instinctively looked away and heard the teenage boy slip a shirt on then walk up to me.

"I'll back you up."

I smiled at him and jerked my head for him to come.

Fay groaned then forced himself out of bed to follow us.

Jasper and I slipped out the door, succeeded by the clumsier Fay.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to get caught." I didn't bother turning to look to the brunet and instead focused on the hallway to the left and right.

No one was there.

"I hate only hearing news through the grapevine."

I quickly pat Fay on the back for his adventurous decision then glided down the hall to the left, where the Matron's chambers lay.

We came to a stop to listen against her door.

She was a notorious snorer. Even the deepest sleeper amongst the orphans had difficulty tuning out the hyena cackle that was the woman's unconscious exhale.

But tonight, there is no snoring from the bedroom, not even the steady hiss of breathing.

I swung open the door, much to Fay's fright, and confirmed my suspicions. The Matron was not in her room.

Jasper nodded having come to the same conclusion beforehand. Fay gasped.

We then heard the low grumble of a stranger's dissatisfaction.

"Did you hear that?" Fay whispered clinging to Jasper's arm.

"Want to check it out?"

I nodded and advanced toward the noise origin, the conversation growing more audibly into an argument.

"This number of healthy young men is worth more than a pearl necklace."

A deep grunt preluded the clatter of metals against wood.

"I'm sure this should be more than enough than."

Fay and I pushed against Jasper's head to get a better look at what was through the window.

There was a large man with a strange pale spot around his eye and a confident glimmer in his smirk. There was admirable youth in his expression despite his seemingly kept grey hair.

Between the large man and the suddenly pleased Matron was a small pile of shiny circles.

The Matron lifted one circle to the light revealing it to be a coin, a gold deblume.

She rubbed it between her thumb and pointer then nibbled the edge and cackled.

"I think we have a deal."

The large man turned to nod at the even larger dark chocolate man standing silently in the corner. The darker man made his way across the room like a ninja.

I grabbed Fay and darted a couple doors down. Jasper was quick to get the Matron's bedroom door open then slid closed behind us.

"Wait are they planning what I think they're planning?" Fay hyperventilated as he paced behind us.

"Sh!" I warned as the ninja-like man with dreadlocks approached holding a small tank. Fay went silent. The man passed.

I left little time for deliberation.

Flinging the door open, I grabbed the framed certificate off the wall, leapt into the hallway, jumped, and smashed the wooden frame over his head. The frame broke, but not the man's calm.

He turned, a very everyday expression of boredom on his face, pulled a sheet over his muzzle and pressed a button on the tank.

I lunged in for another attack but suddenly grew weak.

"Cal!" I heard Jasper yell as his footsteps grew closer yet sounded further.

In this moment, as my surroundings grew dark and my senses dulled, I found myself thinking of the Matron. Though she was never my favorite person by a longshot, I had always pinned her crookedness on her lack of a Y chromosome and thus felt she must've been a good person deep, deep, deep down inside. But now, as my stoic attacker, who was probably paid by the woman to do this, casually walked along, I found myself thinking even male genitals couldn't help the monster.

I never thought I would have thought such a thing until I thought it, but before I was totally out I had a single last thought:

What a bitch.

Then blackness.

*Author's Note*

As promised- here's another chapter!
I just realized not many people are going to read my story since I categorized this as movie misc but that's okay... It's not like I'm getting paid to do this, it's mostly for my own enjoyment (though it'd be nice if at least someone else could benefit from my writing...).

I promise this is a romance! It just won't come for a couple chapters, but if you stick through this less interesting stuff, you may be rewarded with a little spicy stuff (not past T rated though of course).

Anywho- hope you liked what you've read! Look forward to another chapter tomorrow! XD