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“Come on, Sean,” Ryan urged. “We know you can do better than that…”

“Shut-up, Ryan!” Connie defended. “You are not man enough to do even that!”

“Man enough!” Ryan angrily stepped forward. The thorns clutched his shirt. “What’s that got to do with anything…?”

Sean slowly kissed Saramine on the lips. When he sat up, there was another flash of light. The thorns disappeared, and as Saramine sat up, a golden key lay under where she lay.

“That coo-coo clock scared the life from me!” she cried out, holding her chest.

Ryan smirked. “Right you are. Don’t you know what happened?”

“Of course I do!” Saramine brushed off her skirt. “I jumped because the clock startled me and I fell back onto the spinning wheel. I pricked my finger,” she added sadly as she looked it over. Angel rolled her eyes, and quietly spoke to Saramine in Inzi. Sean did his best to ignore the two and went on his way picking up and inspecting random weapons that he had no interest in.

Saramine didn’t know how to react, and timidly walked up to Sean, who disregarded her presence until the last moment. “Thank you,” she said. Her voice sounded low and cautious.

“You’re welcome.” He sounded different too.

“You know, Angel,” Ryan sat on the bottom rotted stair and crossed his arm, “you didn’t have to say anything to Saramine. She didn’t even know!”

“That wouldn’t be fair, Ryan,” Sean argued, still in a low tone.

“Bother your fair,” Ryan answered, standing and throwing out his arms. “Who cares? It’s only a kiss! It’s not like you didn’t want kiss each other anyway!”

Sean’s mouth dropped open in shock, and Saramine’s blush was so strong it showed even through her dark skin.

“Don’t stare at me like that! You two aren’t exactly subtle.” Ryan stretched and stood. He couldn’t have made the situation more awkward if he tried. “Now let’s go already! Halabalo, or whatever it is you warriors say.”

“It’s ma-hali, Ryan,” Angel muttered, following Ryan out of the door. “Ma-hali.”

“Whatever.”

Connie and I tried to remain invisible as we walked around Sean and Saramine, following Angel outside. The surprise didn’t wear off.

The barren landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. A few gray, sorry excuses for trees broke up through the dry ground. Rocks of various sizes dotted the scene. No grass, no animals, nothing alive could be seen A gray hazy sky spread above, clutching an angry red sun. The sun gleamed red as a garnet, releasing a dry, dull heat that seemed to flicker all around. Still, everything felt cold, dark and empty.

“Dumplings,” Ryan muttered. “It’s like some bad dream.”

“It is terrible!” Connie cried out. From far off, her own voice mimicked her. Alarmed at the magnitude of her echo, she added in a whisper, “what is this place?”

Angel shook her head. “I do not know. But we must go through it.”

We followed, but the sound of our own steps seemed to crash around us. The thin air felt ice cold against my skin, but I felt so feverish. I pulled at the top of my frock, trying to air it.

Chapter Fifteen

Key Seven

Someone watched us.

 I spun to my left just in time to see a dark shadow hide behind a rock. Or did I? Nothing but my imagination. Nothing more.

“I don’t like this place,” Saramine whispered. “I’ve never felt such grief.”

“We must to go on.” Angel’s voice lost all sternness. “We cannot go back.”

We would go forward. The time passed in silence. I turned back to quickly glance at Sean, who sulked next to Ryan.  Ryan must’ve embarrassed the two to death. They hadn’t been so far apart from each other since we met each other. Now, Saramine led the line, far ahead alongside Angel.

I shivered and clutched my arms around me. My skin was prickled with goosebumps, yet I sweat and my face felt hot. Such an odd sensation! The ground felt as if it were made of dying embers, yet my toes froze at each step.

Which tale? I scanned the horizon, but there wasn’t anything to be seen. Just red dirt set against the hazy sky. The wind blew icy gusts that burned my skin and hair. I pushed the frizzed strands from my eyes. Someone walked next to me.

No one.

I spun around. No one there. I don’t know what I expected. Someone? Something? I looked to my sister. Her hands hung loosely at her sides and she smiled. All was well. Certainly, I didn’t detect something that she couldn’t? A strong hand gripped my hair.

“Shhh.”

I spun around. Nothing. No one. Anywhere. Ryan gave me a sideways glance as he and Sean walked past. Was it even there to begin with? It? What was ‘it’?

“Behind you.”

The deep voice that whispered in my ear was nearly inaudible. I stopped, but didn’t turn. It stood too close behind to tell what it was from the corner of my eye. Did I even want to see it? Each raspy pant resonated in my ear. Close. So close that I could feel the warm breath against my skin.

“Are you afraid?

I jumped away and spun around in circles. No one there.  Nothing. Nothing. Nothing there. Nothing anywhere…

“Quicker next time.”

 The others were far ahead. I stood still as the distance between us grew. Only Sean paused to look back.

“Gabby, what’s the matter…?”

A strong force hit me squarely in the back, sending me to my chest into the red dirt. What happened? The others ran back towards me. Did I trip? Did I simply lose my balance?

I rose shakily to my feet.

“Stay down.”

Another hard shove. This time, I fell to my back, knocking my head against the ground. The dirt was soft, but I still needed a moment to recover.  Sean and Ryan bent at my side.

“What is it?”

 I blinked quickly, trying to find my senses. A large, dark mass stood close behind Connie. “There!”

Angel spun a dagger in each hand and bent into fighter stance. The mass wasn’t bothered and ran circles around us.

“What is it?” Connie clutched her skirts. “Something lives in this horrid place!”

“Come out!” Angel demanded, planting her feet. A deep, raspy voice laughed loudly in response. The sound echoed through the deserted land before slowly fading. “Where are you?”

“Come get me.”

I unconsciously grabbed Connie’s hand. I didn’t want to get him. Angel did. She set her jaw and turned around slowly, surveying the area. Her reflexes were quick. Had I not been watching her so carefully, I wouldn’t have even seen it. A large, flat-faced man appeared behind her. In that same instant, Angel stabbed her knife backwards... but just as quick, he was gone. I wasn’t even sure what I saw. He ran so very quickly.

Even Angel appeared unnerved. Her jaw still set strong, but a flash of concern passed her eyes.

“What shall you do?”

Ryan stumbled forward when the figure dashed behind him. 

“Stand still, and I will show you,” Angel challenged, spinning the daggers again in her hand. Always the daring one. The figure lunged at her, but she didn’t even