Blood Sonata

Alex stepped back in the kitchen, ignoring Sophie's demand for the time being. He quickly made a bowl of chicken soup, and brought it back, handing it to Manx. "Careful, it's hot."
He turned to everyone, crossing his arms. Marya asked him to wait. "Alright," he said calmly, waiting patiently while she called Chase. A short conversation ensued, then Marya hung up. He glanced over at Sophie, and made a quick exit, returning with a strawberry pop-tart which he handed to the blond.

Knowing Chase, she'd arrive in a few minutes, somehow running halfway across town in that short period. Alex found a seat on the other side of the couch Manx was on. He scratched at his palms subconsciously as he waited. A few minutes passed in an awkward silence that seemed to stretch several times longer than the actual passage of time. He thought he heard somebody coming up the driveway, so he got to his feet and opened his door. Nobody was at the door, nor the driveway. What he did see, however, was Chase coming down the street. He could hear her skateboard though. But not just that.

For the first time, he realized he could hear much more than usual. Birds flying and squawking, squirrels chirping and running around. Leaves rustling, branches scraping against buildings. He heard a laugh from his neighbor's house. He breathed in sharply, his fingers twitching. There's no fucking way... he thought, color draining out of his face. What the fuck happened to us...? he thought. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage. He stole a quick glance at Marya.

He continued to stand there, with the door open while Chase came down the street, and eventually up the driveway. "Hey," he said distantly, his tone matching his expression. He closed the door behind her, and walked to the middle of the room, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He was still slightly pale. "Since this is important, I'm cutting right to the point," he began. "This is Manx, Chase. We found him at the lake, in that underground room. The one with the bodies." He paused, crossing his arms. He paced as he spoke, stopping at the end of his sentences and focusing his gaze on somebody. "That's right. That 'dream' you had wasn't a dream; it really happened. Now, I can't explain how it's still today, or how we all thought it was a dream, but what I can tell you is that Nathan is gone. I don't know how, or why, but he's gone. I'm just as freaked out as all of you are, but all I can say is this: Nobody else can know about this. It's our secret, and I plan on burying it. We don't talk about the lake, we don't talk about Nathan, and we definitely don't talk about those grey things." He paused again, meeting Marya's gaze. He held his tongue for a few seconds, just staring at his friend. He looked away, back towards Chase, then Sophie, then Manx. "But Manx wasn't killed by those grey fuckers, like everyone else was. He's lucky. I, for one, don't want to go back, ever, but I know that's not the case. We're going to have to back some time, because whatever those grey-skinned demons are, they're dangerous and have a taste for human blood. I don't think the cops can kill them, but I know that I can. While I'm still breathing, I don't intend on letting them find anybody else. I'm going to wait a while, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks, for the cops to leave, then I'm going back. I don't expect any of you to come with me, but if you want, you're welcome to. I'd sure appreciate it."

Alex finished his speech with a smirk, black eyes traveling to each of his friend's faces in turn. He sighed, uncrossed his arms and crossed the room to stand next to Marya. He listened to the outside world, people talking, birds and squirrels chirping in the trees. "Can you hear it all too?" he asked, his voice barely audible. He didn't want anyone else to find out about Marya and his strange new abilities, though he'd probably already spoiled that from what he'd said moments before in his speech. They'd most likely have to find out later, but he wanted to keep it secret for a little longer.

Marya closed her phone, taking delight in the fact that Chase was on her way. Alex had done his thing and brought food to Manx and Sophie, but her stomach churned and she looked away from it, though the smell still hit her nose strong even though she was quite a distance away. She sighed and looked through her texts. There were only a couple, and she answered them even though her mind was so distracted by what was going on. After what seemed only a few moments of tranquil silence which turned out to be minutes actually, Alex approached the door and looked outside. It seemed as though Chase was there at last which meant that explanations were coming. Alex took his place in the center and spoke about the happenings at the lake, saving Manx, Nathan's death--essentially painful memories that would never truly fade away. He even spoke about going back, and with those things still out there, how could they not? If they could somehow stop these things--or at least Alex--then they had a responsibility...or he did. But Marya would back him up no matter what; she had faced worse in her oddly real nightmares, and she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. She would go back.

Marya met his gaze, and kept her eyes focused on him as he sidled over to her. When he was at his side, she didn't look at him, but only straight ahead, though her expression was somewhat soft. She let out a small breath and closed her eyes. "I can. I've had great senses since the end of my psychosis, but now they seem even more...prominent, I guess," she responded in a hushed tone, somewhat reassuring him that he wasn't alone. Did that mean that they...that they shared the same power? What does it mean? I just can't figure it out. We have to find answers. Somehow, she thought, trying to keep the worry from her visage and succeeding luckily. She didn't want Alex to worry about her. They had to stand strong together no matter what was going on.

“Hey,” Chase said when she made it to the door. She took her board and propped it up against the wall and took a seat on the couch arm, keeping a fair distance away from Sophie. She didn’t even notice Manx until Alex mentioned him, and even then she thought he made a mistake when he referred him as a guy. A manly chick and a girly dude, what a coincidence.

She listened to Alex’s speech intently, although some of the information went straight out the other ear. She chuckled nervously, trying to lighten up the mood a little bit. It was getting a bit too gloomy for her, especially when he mentioned Nathan’s death. “Ha…Should’ve known it was ‘bout that,” she said, trying to smile. “Can’t do everything by yerself, Wolfy. If yer goin’ back, I’m comin’ with, ya son of a bitch.” She’ll need a proper weapon, though. She remembered that her uncle kept a gun in his “special” drawer just in case (and to keep it away from her brother). Well, Uncle hadn’t brought a lady home in months, so he probably won’t even notice.

Sophie accepted the pop tart simply becahse she was hungry. They weren't her favorite, and honestly, she was in no mood to argue. She nibbled on it as Alex spoke and when he was done, she shook her head. "You're a fucking moron, peasant. And any good queen would ride into battle as well. I'm helping you." she said with an eyeroll. She reached into her purse and found her nail file and started filing away absentmindedly.

"No one really even knew who Nathan was. But what grey things are you talking about? I wasn't down in that hole, remember? I want to see it though. But what exactly were they like?" she asked, not looking at any of them.

Alex nodded at Marya, breathing a slight sigh of relief. "I think we're connected somehow...you, me, and those grey things," he said. He wanted to elaborate further, but he decided to answer Sophie's question first. "Well, when we were down there, this grey...thing came out and literally tore Nathan's heart from his chest. It looked like a person, just...grey-skinned and red-eyed. It was really creepy, to be honest. I can't even tell you how I killed it the first time, nor can I the second time, when we saved Manx. All I can say is that I felt like I had to tear it apart, to sink my teeth into it's flesh, to utterly annihilate it." He sighed. "Then I tore it's throat out with my teeth and it's remains just...turned into ash." He shrugged.

Alex sighed again and leaned closer to Marya. "I'm surprised they want to help," he whispered. "I'm not even sure that they realize what they're up against. Hell, I'm not even sure I know what we're up against." He leaned back against the wall with one last sigh.

"We...can't go back sooner?"

Manx had been rather quiet the whole time, and even after he spoke he fell silent again. A small pulse of shock seemed to explode around him, perhaps felt mostly by himself. Shock and confusion. Of all people who wouldn't want to go back, he should've been the most adamant. Of all people in the worst shape to go back, he should've been the first and foremost. He had stitches down his back from shoulder to the base of his spine, and even now at the mention of the grey things his fingers began to shake so badly that the bowl of soup started sloshing around.

For some reason though, for some reason he couldn't explain, he had to go back. He was drawn to the place. Something about it...he had to. His feet itched. He wanted to go back now.

"I...I think I've been there before".
Manx stared at his soup, voice not as smooth as before; much more shaky. Sort of like his hands. It wasn't red, was it? The potatoes were kind of looking like organs.

"More than o-once, I mean. Above ground at least. Maybe".

Goddangit. If he could just remember a little more, maybe he'd be able to explain.....

Manx squinted his blue-gold eyes at his soup. Yup. That potato definatley looked like it was throbbing. No way was he eating a throbbing potato.
He exhaled a bit, smiled sweetly, and set the bowl a bit too quickly to the side.

They were connected? Marya seemed to roll the idea about on her tongue as her expression became thoughtful, eyes shifting from one side to the other. Now that she pondered the idea, it appeared to be quite likely that what Alex said was true. They both had the enhanced senses and abilities, with the strength and agility, and even though she hadn't turned into anything, she highly doubted that she wouldn't be capable should the need arise. So perhaps they were. She tried to block out Alex's small speech about the grey creatures, for she didn't want to think back to what she had witnessed in the underground chamber beneath the lake, granted if they ever went back, and they had decided that they would, then there would be plenty more to bear witness to. You already know you got the gall, so stop pretending like you can't take it, she thought to herself. Though I know...I just don't want to take it. Damn nightmares... It didn't matter what she had been through; she was in this for the long run.

"They're our friends," Marya whispered back to Alex nonchalantly, her lips barely moving. "I would be surprised if they didn't back us up, you know? We all have each other's backs; that's the way it should be," she concluded with a small trace of a smirk on her face. So it seemed none of them wanted to go back to that wretched place, yet they knew what was down there. By discovering the secret of what was happening at the lake, it had become their responsibility to put a stop to it where the normal cops could not. Granted, they didn't all have super power like her and Alex, Alex even more so for the time being, but they were all determined to do what they had to in order to bring peace to the city of Arkham once more. Something tells me there's a lot more to it than just that... a final thought passed through her mind as she gazed out over at her other friends passively.

Sophie stood up, confused. "So, basically, we're walking into a horror movie. A horror movie where people get their hearts ripped out. And you want to just waltz back in there and not just, say, plug the hole where you went in to find those grey things? Or maybe, like, not touch it at all and just like, leave it alone and not get yourself and the other people who are so readily volunteering to come to your aid killed? Do you realize how incredibly selfish you sound? Are you some form of dumbass? Well, not that I didn't already know that, but it still would be nice to hear you actually admit it. So yeah, what are you doing? Stop being stupid."

Sophie's pretty face that had won the hearts of the popular crowd was in an "Are you fucking kidding me?" expression. She looked so much like her mother, but she never showed anyone pictures of her. But still.... she still wanted to come. Even if she did get herself killed. It would be nice to see her mother again. How long had it been? Would she be proud of her today? What would she say to her? Maybe being this reckless and stupid was one way to find out.

Alex nodded, smiling nervously. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just...didn't think that they'd be eager to go." His eyes lingered on Marya's face for a few seconds. He felt his eyes suddenly shoot to Manx, who was shaking slightly. That caught him off guard too, though it wasn't the shaking that did it. It was the fact he noticed such a minute movement and immediately locked on to it. Alex spoke up. "I would assume you've been above ground at the lake if you were attacked," he replied nonchalantly.

He looked back to Marya, like he wanted to say something else, but Sophie spoke up. Alex's hands curled into fists momentarily, and a scowl contorted his face. "'Plugging the hole' won't work, Sophie. You weren't down there, but those things just appeared...I'm fairly sure just shutting the door isn't going to stop them either. So that's why I'm going back down. Call me what you will, but it won't change my actions." He shook his head. "Selfish...Heh. I saved Manx's life, and it's for the same reason I go back down. The selfish don't readily risk life and limb to help people."

He snorted and shook his head, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Should have known she'd say something like that. So be it," he whispered.

Manx blinked, his stomach growling. The boy tilted his eyes and looked inquisitvly at Alex through his eyelashes with all likeness of a girl. A small blush was on his cheeks. Well, duh. Either he was stupid or he was still winded from meds.

"Oh...yeah....."

He blinked, a bit dizzy from the hunger, and decided maybe he better eat the soup anyways. Food for the mind if nothing else. He needed it, especially if he was going to recover well enough to go back to the Lake, which he desperately wanted to do. With trembling hands Manx picked the bowl of soup back up, looking longingly at it and then rather glumly at the blonde. Sophie. Why were blondes such bitches? He didn't understand.
Something flickered on and off in the back of his mind, like a fading memory, but it was too faint to be of much concern. Manx smiled with inner gratitude for the situation he was in and focused back on the soup.

It looked okay. He'd probably been seeing things before. The boy picked up the spoon with his delicate fingers, subconsciously twirling it in such a masterful way that the metal looked almost flexible, like it was slithering in between his fingers. The trick was amazing, truly, but he seemed completely unaware that he was doing it. With a shrug he dug into the meal, happy to finally have something to eat again. Especially after...
Manx cringed, looking back at the soup broth. It kinda looked like blood. He frowned, and set it down again.

Sophie was just about as full of bull shit as she always was, but Marya knew in truth that she really just had everyone's best interests in mind. The only reason she wanted them to just walk away was that she didn't want any of them to get hurt. By now, however, she should have known better. Before he spoke back, she had looked up at him, and their gazes met which seemed to be happening a lot lately. She turned away and blushed very lightly at the thought of how she could just stare into his eyes all day, though that only came recently. Due to all the things that were happening, she just found comfort in them. Regardless, she sighed and regained her composure which was rather easy to do, and she kept her expression rather stony at hearing the obvious irritation in Alex's comeback to Sophie which was to be expected. With her sharp hearing, she could hear the utterance, but before she could respond, she had to react to something else.

Marya's eyes widened, her black pupils dilated wide as she noticed Manx cringing in a subtle manner....before abruptly tossing the bowl of soup he had been inspecting through the air towards her. What should have taken seconds seemed to be in slow motion in her eyes. She could hear the bowl whizzing through the air, and beyond it, she could see Manx performing some kind of acrobatic maneuver to get back behind the couch--probably afraid that Marya would tear him a new one after this. However, Marya had no plan on getting hit. In everyone else's normal motion vision, the bowl would have whizzed over at her in seconds only to have Marya raise her hand in front of her and suddenly knock the bowl away from her to the side away from Alex as well. Her hand didn't tremble as the bowl made contact with it, nor did she even flinch. She just knocked it away at full strength sending the bowl crashing through one of the walls of Alex's house.

Before she even realized what was happening, she breathed in suddenly. She hadn't breathed at all for the few moments that she was dealing with the rogue bowl of soup, and after the ordeal, she suddenly felt short of breath, not to mention she was overcome with regret at the damage she had done. "A-Alex, I'm....I'm sorry," she managed to mutter, the glow in her eyes that had started up fading slightly. She blinked and looked over to the couch where Manx was most likely still hiding, and she looked back to Alex, not sure how he would react.

Alex reacted only a few milliseconds after Marya. She'd already raised her hand and deflected it, though. What the...? he thought, though he kept his expression calm. Even though one of the walls was demolished. "That's going to be hard to explain," he remarked nonchalantly. His calm demeanor betrayed his inner thoughts. If his inner and outer self were one person at the present, he'd be screaming in a high-pitched voice while shaking Manx violently and looking at Marya inquisitively.

"It's alright," he muttered kindly to his friend, setting a hand on her back. He noticed her eyes were glowing faintly for a split second. He chose to ignore it. "Don't worry about it," he said with a slight smile. He crossed the room, going around the couch to stare at Manx.

Alex's expression was cold, his black eyes staring deep into Manx's. "Why did you throw that?" he asked calmly. Behind the boy's cool facade lie a wall of rage. He really hated it when someone attacked his friends, whether it was actually a danger to them or not.

Manx blinked, and nearly fainted. Surely he'd been eating his soup on the couch? But when he opened his eyes, he wasn't. There was a sort of fabric wall in front of him, and he was on the floor. He felt kind of dizzy. His face was bright red, and his hands were shaking so badly that he had to sit on them to get them to stop. Where was he? The ceiling looked the same. His stomach sunk, heart pounding harder and harder. Blue-gold eyes were wide, staring around.

He was behind the couch. The fuck? What the fuck? He'd been sitting on the couch eating his soup, he swore. The boy moaned and rubbed his eyes, noticing only now, not so dazed with confusion, that his back hurt like hell. He swore he hadn't moved.

But he was behind the couch.

Where was the soup?

He needed to....to eat something or...or...what was going on?

Alex rounded the couch now, and Manx nearly felt himself melt with sudden comfort. His appearance, if nothing else, meant that he was at least in the hou-
Why did he look so angry? The boy's expression chilled Manx to the bone, and he stared back, wide eyed, unable to answer the question that was eerily asked with such a calm for at least ten seconds. He shook hard. But he did answer, eventually, honestly.

"What?"

Alex's mouth twisted into a snarl. He reached out and picked Manx up by the collar of his shirt one-handed. "What do you mean, what? You threw your soup at Marya," he replied. His voice was still cool, eerily so. He was obviously taking out all of his anger on the boy. He seemed a little shaken up. Maybe it was the drugs...

"Whatever," Alex snorted, letting go of Manx and pushing him back. "Alright. Everyone should clear out now," he said, eyes traveling to everyone in the room, though they lingered on Manx for a little bit longer than everyone else. His gaze then found Marya again. "Hey, wait," he said, walking over to her. "I want to talk to you." He bit his lip, waiting for everyone else to clear out. He'd just text them all later or something. Maybe talk to Manx again when he was sober.

For now though, Alex wanted the day to continue on as it had earlier. Alone with Marya. He wanted to talk to her some more anyways, but after what had just happened, his want to converse doubled. He ignored everyone else for the moment, which would probably bring up many a question later, but that concern was far from his priorities at the moment.

Manx was probably more surprised when Alex practically picked him up by the scruff than he was when he'd suddenly found himself in a new place with no recollection of how he'd gotten there.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN, I'M SORRY! I JUST BLINKED AND I WAS BEHIND THE COUCH, AND I- what? I...what?"

In reality all that came out was a horrified, confused "eep". Alex let go of him; he was pushed back. The motion sent such a jolt of contorting pain shooting through his spine that he nearly hissed, and his legs went weak, but he didn't fall. Not for a moment, at least. After he thought he'd regained his balance his feet decided they'd had enough, and he landed back behind the couch with a "thump". Auburn hair fell messily in front of his eyes, which were a threatening wet, but he refused to cry, whether it be from the pain, the confusion, or the feeling that maybe he wasn't as safe as he thought he was.

What do you mean, what? You threw your soup at Marya...

Had he really? The memory truly wasn't there, but then again, neither was how he'd gotten behind the couch....

“Da fuck was that?” Chase asked, raising an eyebrow. She stared at the hole in the wall as if it was just a normal accident, like when someone trips and breaks a glass. She glanced around the room, looking at Alex, then Marya, then finally Manx. She laughed nervously and buried her head in her hands. “Ya’ll are fucking insane.” Well, that’s why she’s staying around, right?

She peeked behind the couch to get a good look of Manx. “Come on, kiddo,” she said, offering him a hand. “We’ll figure out what the hell just happened later. Give them lovebirds some time to themselves.” Despite all the shit that’s been happening within the last few minutes, Chase’s still somehow calm and optimistic. In reality, she’s as freaked out as any normal person would be, but her laughing and joking was just how she dealt with it.

Sophie looked terrified at the hole in the wall. "The hell did that stupid hole do to you while you were down there? A better question, what did that wall do to you?" The annoyance was clear on her face. "You know what, I'm leaving too. You all can be such dicks sometimes. Thanks for the food, arrivederci."

And with that, Sophie grabbed her purse and left in a huff, getting into her car and driving off. Those two were so close, it was disgusting. She wanted to puke. Too many secrets. Weird secrets. Why the hell did she even elect to get involved? That was her question the entire way home, and by the time she ran another bath to clear her head, she still did't have an answer.

Marya was comforted by the fact that Alex wasn't angry, though he was sure to have a hard time explaining that to his family. She was pretty good with her hands; maybe she could fix it for free if he'd let her. Of course, her train of worry exploded when she noticed that Alex was confronting Manx regarding the bowl of soup. It was an odd reaction. Even if the soup didn't taste good to him, who throws the food across the room where it could hit someone? Marya figured there was more to it than met the eye and was about to intervene. Manx didn't seem to recollect anything that had happened, but luckily, Alex released him and told everyone to get out which was probably for the best. Letting out a long sigh, she was about to shuffle her way to the door when Alex quickly approached her, expressing his desire for her to stay so they could talk, probably about what had just happened and what to do about the hole in the wall.

"Sure, I didn't exactly have anything else planned anyway," Marya replied simply with a light tone, hoping that it was appropriate despite the damage she had just caused. She didn't want him to get the idea that she was happy about sending a bowl of soup crashing through the wall. She watched as Chase took it upon herself to take care of Manx for a while; it wasn't wise for him to stick around here after what had just happened. Sophie certainly didn't waste any time leaving with a huff and a puff. Fortunately, she didn't blow the fucking house down. Marya would never understand that girl, but for now, that's not what mattered. Silence fell upon the living room as it was just suddenly Alex and Marya. The latter's heart started to beat just a tad bit more quickly, but it went unnoticed. She turned to face Alex.

"Sorry again for the hole," she apologized. "I don't think it was entirely Manx's fault though. He has been through a lot, as have the rest of us," she mentioned, trying to defend the fellow. She didn't want Alex to stay angry at him, especially when she herself wasn't particularly bothered by the attempted assault. "That said, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Yeah, it was a pretty pointless question, but she asked it pretty much just to put it out there.

Alex completely ignored Sophie. If she was going to bitch, she was going to bitch, and he didn't want any part of it. So he'd ignore it. She can deal with it, he thought. He let out a sigh. "Well, that's taken care of," he mumbled, turning to face Marya. He offered a kind smile, taking a few steps closer to her. He truly didn't know what he wanted to talk to her about; mostly he just wanted to be around her. Sure, they were friends and he wanted to hang out with her, but this was different. It was like whatever happened underneath the lake brought them closer.

"I, just, uh..." he began scratching the back of his head and averting his gaze. A small blush crept across his cheeks. "I, uh, wanted to know what happened...How you were able to react that fast. I mean, your reaction time is crazy anyways, but...You know what, nevermind. You probably have about as much of an explanation for that as I do for that transformation earlier." Alex laughed nervously. "But, uhm...I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out a little bit more today. I'm a little stressed out, what with the lake and those grey things, finding Manx, having my wall get destroyed by a soup bowl," he said the last part jokingly, but he was pretty serious about the first two. "So, uh...What do you think?"

He chewed on his lip some more as soon as he finished speaking. God dammit, Alex! Why are you acting so weird! He bit his lip harder, trying to clear his head. Why was he acting so weird? It was only Marya. They'd hung out together many times before, but Alex hadn't ever felt nervous or awkward around her like he did now. He took a deep breath to calm himself. It worked a little. It was probably just his hormones going nuts.

With a tilt of her head, Marya met Alex's gaze with curiosity. He seemed to be having some trouble getting out what he wanted to say which was pretty odd considering they always had such an easy time talking. Then again, after all that had transpired, his thoughts were probably kind of jumbled up. He mentioned how she knocked the soup bowl away so quickly with enough force to make a hole in the wall, and she smiled sheepishly. But before she had an answer, he ditched that thought, though that was probably for the best. She really had no answer. She was exceptionally strong and reflexive before, but now she was able to do things she couldn't even imagine doing before all this business with the lake and such, not to mention the fact that Alex could actually transform into something else. The idea would have baffled her had she not been stuck in the nightmare that was her psychosis.

So he was stressed. That certainly made sense, and she definitely felt sorry for him. Marya was just taking everything in stride, but for Alex, she knew it had to weigh more heavily on him than anyone, especially after seeing Sophie acting like such a bitch to everyone. She obviously didn't understand, but how could she when they were being so secretive? When the time is right, Marya convinced herself. Alex knew what he was doing; she trusted him.

"Of course I don't mind hanging out with you today," Marya said in a much more lighthearted tone, giving her friend a soft smile. What kind of question was that? For one, she was already at his house, and then for two, she really didn't know what she'd do all day otherwise. She'd probably go home and play her Nintendo DS or something of the sort--something generally unproductive. Hanging out with Alex would be a lot more fun, though similarly unproductive. The thought made her nearly laugh, but she managed to hold it back. "What did you want to do? Did you have anything in mind?" she inquired curiously, her hands clasped behind her back, still keeping her gaze focused on Alex's visage.

Alex chuckled nervously. "Uh...Good question," he said, scratching his arm. "I mean...we could just chill out and watch a movie or play something co-op, I guess..."

He met Marya's eyes, and stood there for a moment. It was like he forgot what he was going to say. Why am I acting so damn weird!? he shouted at himself mentally, breaking eye contact and blushing slightly. "But...uh, it's up to you. There's not really much to do here," he said quickly, trying to keep the conversation moving so he wouldn't seem so unnaturally awkward.

Alex seemed to be acting really weird, and she wondered if it was due to all the stress from the past couple of days. Or really the same day. Marya wasn't even quite sure anymore. Regardless, she mulled over the options, her eyes drifting upwards to gaze at the ceiling in thought. Playing games might have been relaxing this morning, but she didn't think that was going to cut it this time. "I think a movie would be nice actually," the girl voiced her opinion openly, returning her gaze to Alex's face, her eyes squinted slightly as if she were inspecting him or something. "What movies do you have again?" She paused afterwards as she thought. "And do you have any popcorn?" The latter question was spoken with a soft smile, though she wasn't so sure how happy she could be with how everything was turning out at the moment. Thoughts of Nathan's death and even Manx's close call came flooding into her mind, but she was quick to suppress it.

The yearning to just crawl up on the couch and forget some things sounded nice, but she knew the distraction would only be short-lived. She felt that Alex wanted much of the same, just to lose himself for a bit. He was probably way more stressed than she was, for she had dealt with craziness for the past couple of years--it was something she was accustomed to. She couldn't even begin to dream about what he might be thinking. We need this. Even if for only a day, she thought sadly to herself, trying to keep her expression light, eagerly awaiting to hear what kind of movies Alex had in his possession, though she was already pretty aware of what they would be...

Alex nodded, a small, albeit nervous, smile on his face. He disappeared to his room for a few seconds, picking up a stack of movies that he kept at his desk. It wasn't much, mostly things similar to Ghost in the Shell, which was currently on top of the stack. "I'll get some popcorn," he said, dropping the stack of DVDs next to the TV.

He returned moments later, with a bowl of popcorn. "I'm assuming you can stay for a while." He popped in a movie, sat down on the couch, and adjusted the volume so it wasn't painfully loud to his now super-sensitive ears.

Several movies and hours later, Alex yawned. It was getting late, and Marya decided to leave. He walked her to the door, watching as she rode off down the street. He sighed, closing and locking the door. He went to his room and browsed the internet idly for a few hours before falling asleep, hoping he wouldn't wake up and find out it was the morning of November 17th once more.

It wasn't, nor was it the next few days. However, Alex's parents didn't come back home, nor did they answer and phone calls. He hadn't had any police officers come knocking on his door to tell him that his parents died, nor was he really worried about them getting murdered. He was somewhat concerned that they hadn't returned. He just shrugged the thoughts away, figuring that they'd come back whenever they felt like it.

Monday came and went, and as Alex left school, he was glad it was a shortened week. Thanksgiving break couldn't come fast enough. He got home and did his homework, then pulled up a calendar on his computer, looking at dates for the next expedition to the lake. He'd saw on the news that another kid went missing after sneaking onto the lakeside the previous night. Alex shook his head sadly.

Wednesday afternoon the boy called up his friends again, asking that they meet up at his house. He asked Chase to bring Manx as well. He called Marya last this time, requesting the same thing he'd asked of his other friends, then voicing his concern of his parents still not returning.

"I don't know. It's not like them to be gone this long, but I guess I'll just have to keep waiting," he said. "Anyways, gotta go. See you in a bit." He hung up and waited on the arrival of his friends.

She thought she had escaped from it all.

There were no calls or texts regarding the incident at the house. Sophie deliberately avoided the news, except her phone flooded with gossip about the kid who went missing again, and questions about how she survived when she went down there. She honestly had no clue, and just brushed them off and changed the subject to more juicy gossip. With the gossip, it was mindless and good to have handy so she could blackmail people if she needed to or wanted to just for sport. Sometimes that was just plain old fashioned fun.

It was for several days it went on like this, until while she was on the phone receiving a particular tidbit of information that she liked and was jotting down notes about that a call interrupted it. Dammit, it was Alex. He wanted to meet up again. "On the condition that you don't throw anymore fucking soup." she snapped at him before going back to her other call.

And sure enough, on the day and time he wanted, she showed up at his house in her Mercedes, and knocked on the door.

Days went past after the Manx incident. Chase had brought the boy home, since it didn’t seem like he had any place to stay. Her brother gave her weird looks, but didn’t dare to ask what the fuck was going on here. Her uncle didn’t really seem to care, but then again, she never really sees him.

Thankfully, no police came to her house to question her or anything. People would approach her at school every once in a while, but, depending on her mood, she would always tune them out or just flat out tell them to fuck off. Other than those brief moments where she would snap at them for asking, she was still just the annoying cheerful Chase.

She was listening to the boy next door playing his cello when her phone rang. And it was exactly who she wanted it to be. “Got it. See ya in a few.”

She shut the window and shuffled downstairs, grabbing her keys on the way. She found Manx in her living room, staring into space as if he was in a trance. She sneaked up behind him and lightly poked his cheek. “Get ready, we’re goin’ over to Alex’s.”