***********LEE**********

Inside, I quietly walked up to Huntress, but she bowed her head and smiled, “Lee…”

I smiled. “Is that why you aren’t scared? You have your senses up?” I teased.

“It’s a factor I guess.” She said, grinning.

“Well, I don’t think you’ll get off the hook that easy. I mean, Jed is pretty crazy about this place so he’ll be more excited than scared really. While Nayre, you do have a chance, but not that big either.”

“What about on you?”

“On me?” she was looking at me through the dim lit room we were in. “Maybe, a very low chance, I’m feeling very kind right now.”

She laughed, suddenly a dummy dressed as a corpse popped out behind her, she turned and looked at it, “Hm, impressive for a first year.”

“Very detailed, I must say.” I added.

She looked back, “I wonder where the others are.”

“The freshmen divided us into pairs,” I stifled a laugh, “Nayre was paired to an exchanged student, and I’m pretty sure he is oblivious of what’s happening around him right now, giving you greater chances of winning.”

“Well, we’ll never know, I mean one could probably just pop out in front of him without him expecting it.” Then we heard a low scream not far from us, then a laugh- “I heard you Nayre!” Jed shouted.

We laughed, “See? It works for me.” Huntress says.

Then we walked on, meeting more dummies along the way. I watched Huntress as we walked through the corridors in silence, without even a sense of fear on her face. Then I broke the silence, “Nayre is right you know.”

“About what?” she asked looking ahead.

“What he said earlier, that you don’t have to deal with your own feelings by yourself all the time.”

“Oh, that.” She looked away and at the path we were taking. “I know. I just don’t want to burden you guys with it.”

“Why not?” I asked. “You make us worry all the time, and that doesn’t seem to bother you.”

“That’s different. I can’t make you not worry when you want to.” she pointed out.

“Then why not?”

“Because…” she started, “it’s often times pathetic and embarrassing.”

“Pathetic and embarrassing how?” Huntress didn’t answer. Then I reached for her hand and she looked up at me. I smiled, noticing that my touch didn’t scare her. “Huntress, you do know you’ll tell me sooner or later about this, right?” she nodded, looking away. “Nothing’s wrong with now.”

“I can’t…” she whispered.

“Huntress,” she looked up at me, “you flinch every time someone touches you, even if it is your dad. The only one who can reach you is Hunter, I often pull back whenever I want to comfort you or even as much as to make contact with you like this.” it was making me worry and I know she knows that as well, “And it hurts to know that I can’t protect you from whatever is causing you this pain, knowing that even after you do tell me about it, there is no assurance that I can change the fact that it hurts you, that it scares you.” she looked down at our hands, then I felt a hot drop of tear on my hand, she was crying, then she looked up at me and reached for my face, I closed my eyes as she let me watch through her memories. How her guards dragged her to the room, how he pushed her on the floor, and beat her up. How he injected her with some kind of drug making her feel dizzy, he tore off her clothes and was feasting on her. I flinched, anger running through me, Huntress was crying and fighting him off but he was too strong, he pinned her down, two other men were laughing and watching behind him. The man then leaned toward her, but I couldn’t take it any more. I grabbed her wrist, pulled her hand away and pulled her toward me and hugged her. Huntress was crying, sobbing and shaking. I held unto her tighter, scared that if I let her go she’ll crumble and run off. Besides, I was still too angry to the men in her memories, I can feel Myst wanting to appear but Huntress wouldn’t like that. So I suppressed my anger before I let go and talk.

 “Shh… I’m here… no one will ever harm you.” I whispered, “I won’t ever leave you Huntress.” Then I looked down at her and wiped away her tears, “I promise you that.” She gave a small nod, “Now, dry your tears, or else your brother will deal with me when he finds out.” I grinned and stifled a laugh. I pulled out my handkerchief and wiped off her tears. Then she stifled a laugh and took my handkerchief and raised it up showing it to me.

“I use to give out handkerchiefs and I’ve never been given one.” Then she put it in her pocket, “This one’s mine.”

I snickered and nodded. “Well, use it first, we will be reaching the end of this horror house.” Huntress laughs and looked around.

“Pretty pathetic,” she says, “crying inside a horror house.”

I laughed, “Well, to tell you the truth?” I looked around and leaned forward and whispered, “It’s a pretty lousy horror house.” Then I heard her giggle and nodded.

“It is, isn’t it?” she said, “Well, it’s their first year, they have time to learn about this art.”

“True, true…” I said, nodding, and we started walking again. “But I heard that your batch swept off the seniors butt when you were in your first year.”

“Oh my…” she stifles a laugh, shook her head and hid her face, “I don’t want to remember that. I laughed, watching her. “That was the stupidest year ever. Last year was better. Way better.”

“What isn’t good with using corpses and bloods?”

“You didn’t know how we got those corpses.” She whispered.

“Would you tell me?” I asked.

She looked at me, turned and walked away.

>>> next please