Young Writers Society

After talking for awhile, a distant sound pierces the night, sort of like a wolf but a bit more human and far more... pained. The air around us tenses like a bow string, vibrating and strained. We look towards Blue, the natural leader of our group. He seems to be thinking and shifting his weight from foot to foot.
"Blue?" Coral asks. Blue sighs and looks us over one by one.
"Okay," he says, "cautiously." But the warning falls on deaf ears, swiftly, quietly picking up weapons and beginning to slide through the forest, like spiders navigating over their webs. This is the first time I've felt so connected to these people; like I coud actually put my life in their hands and trust them with everything. We move as one. The adrenaline pumps through our veins, heightening our senses; making us all painfully aware of the snap of twigs under Jessica's foot, the moist, humid air around us, cogging our lungs with fog, the smell of dirt and minty leaves, the salty taste of the air as it whistles along our tongues, the sound of a moan being ripped from someone's throat, followed by a cruel laugh.
"This should bring the rest of their group, if nothing else, the screams of their teamate will." Blue motions and we stop, listening. It's silent for a time. This is the worst time, I decide, not during the fight, but right before the fight when you have time to think, when you don't have anything to occupy your brain and your hands, when you have to look around and wonder will that doll still be standing an hour from now? The goosebumps creep up my spine even though the humid air is suffocatingly warm, and I'm forced to shiver. Next to me, Alia jerks down, ducking. Then everything goes black.

Francie ~ Tied to a Tree

So, the battle really hadn't gone well. We were all - except for Kayli, she was lying on the ground with her arrow still through her shoulder. I wasn't sure if she was even alive or not - tied up to a tree and I could tell Hayden seemed to think it was all his fault. Lorcan didn't make it any better, whispering sometimes about how we could've gotten out of this mess if Hayden had payed better attention. Eventually, though, Trina told Lorcan to shut it, and he didn't say anything else, just sat with his arms tied to the tree behind him.

I watched as Kayli slowly woke up and realized she still had an arrow in her shoulder.
Even though I didn't really trust her, I felt bad for her and when she let out a moan as the guard tied her up to the tree, I said, "Come one, can't we at least take the arrow out? Please?"

Before the guard could answer, the slithery voice Red-Eyes came out of the trees, "Yess, let them take out the arrow."

I could see his eyes peeking out from the tree.

"Untie the barbie doll and let her heal her friend."

I blushed at being called a barbie doll. Obviously, I wasn't, but some dolls just didn't want to learn that.

"But sir-" Started the guard.

"Don't question me!" Snapped Red-Eyes.

The guard came over to me and cut me loose.

I scrambled over to Francie, hating the way the guard and Red-Eyes were looking at me.

Ok, I thought to myself, what would Coral do?

First, she'd take out the arrow... I grabbed the shaft of the arrow as close to Kayli's shoulder as I could and yanked it out smoothly.

Kayli gave a yelp and I squeaked, "Sorry!" I ripped a piece off the bottom of my dress and pressed it against the hole to try and staunch the bleeding of her shoulder. When I touched her wound, though, she gave another yelp and moaned again.

Then, she'd look for splinters... "I... I have to get some splinters out." I pulled back the cloth I was holding to her shoulder and poked my finger through, holding my breath and trying not to look at the blood that was staining my hands and dress.

Kayli gave a shrill scream while I was poking around for the splinters and I could see Red-Eyes give a twisted smile, "This should bring the rest of their group. If nothing else will, the screams of the teammate will."

I gave a sad little sob. Because of us, everybody was going to be killed.

I fished out the last splinter and lay Kayli down on the ground, pressing gently against her shoulder with the cloth, still trying to staunch the flow. I ripped off another piece of my dress and replaced the first with it.

"Shh.. Shh.." I said quietly to Kayli as a few tears fell down my face. What was I doing? I wasn't Coral. I'd give her an infection and kill her!

I moaned in unison with Kayli and rocked back and forth, still holding the scrap of my dress against her wound. The only thing I could hope for was that Blue would bring everyone else, and ambush Red-Eyes and his group.
That was the only way we'd all survive.

Kayli

I bit my lip as soon as I heard red-eye say that. Gosh! How could I be so stupid! Crying like a baby like that, when Jessica didn't so much as scream when a spear went into her stomach. I hung my head in shame. Now everyone's going to come and get ambushed. I guess I really did betray them all, just like Alia predicted. A small tear fell down my cheek.

"No!" I said forcefully to myself quietly. My look hardened and my face became determined. I will never cry or show pain again, I promised myself.

"You guys, we need to get out of here." I whispered low enough so that the gaurd wouldn't hear.

"No, really," Lorcan retorted out of the side of his mouth.

"Seriously! We're going to escape," I told them.

"Do you have a plan?" Trina asked.

I smiled devilishly, "Of course I do." Slowly, as to not catch the gaurd's attention, I moved my foot over to where Hayden's hands were tied, "Hayden, I have a lighter in my boot, do you think you can get it?"

Hayden nodded, "I'll try."

"Good, what do you think about burning our ropes? It'll be dangerous, but worth a try, right?"

"Yeah, but how will we destract them?" Francie motioned to our captors.

"What if we burned their supplies?" Lorcan suggested. We all nodded, but then I remembered a small problem.

"But we need the lighter for our bonds!" I said disapointedly. "Come on guys, think!" I knew we didn't have much time. I didn't show it, but I had lost a lot of blood and wasn't feeling too hot. And Blue was probably already on his way, and we had to escape and stop them before they walked right into a trap.

I talked to Alia for a few minutes. At first, I really loved her behavior. You know, the lemon sucking and all. It made me laugh and happy. So, I decided I would make friends with her. But after I got to know her, I didn't trust her very much. First her target was Trina, and then Kayli. How does she imagine me to trust her, if she bounces off before even asking? I pretty much didn't know the answer to that. I had a good friendship with Francie. She was a brave, kind and friendly doll.

I finally had the guts to ask her something I wanted to ask way before.

"Why? Why are you like that? Why do you never trust anyone, or consider anyone a real friend, or care about anyone? Why are you so cold?"

I knew that hurt Alia big time. I'm not usually like that and neither do I like keeping questions on my mind. It just hurts my head. Now, that I've got it out, I was relieved. I could see a big depression on Alia's face. Then, she said something that really shocked me.

"I know it is not possible, but I started to remember stuff of my owners. Before the Humanity Chip was put into me."

"You... You really think I would believe that?" I asked.

As soon as I said that, she got up and gave me a screwed up face. Sort of like 'You'll Never Understand', face. She took her bags and was heading over to the forest.

"Hey you!" Blue called out to Alia. "Where are you going? We are already missing some five members!"

"I am not stupid like them to get lost. Or to wander too far." she shot back.

"Take someone with you."

To that, she just laughed and shook her head. What is wrong with this girl? She doesn't know the way back!

Blue told Angeline to keep an eye on her. He can't do that. Then we'll loose another member. She nodded and quietly followed Alia. Blue turned around with hands on his head. He was upset. Terribly upset. Jessica was eyeing me. I decided I would talk to Jessica.

I walked over to her. "Jessica... I need to talk to you."

"Go on, Coral. What is it?" she returned her response.

"I can go with Alia. I know--,"

"No, Coral. Not you. We need you here. What if one of them returns injured? Only you know how to heal."

Don't say, she's refusing to it after what all I had done for her. No. I'm going to fight!

"Jessica. That's just one doll. 7 of them have gone! One returns, 6 of them are left. Don't you think we should use the majority? Plus, take these herbs. Just use them on the wounds and it'll be alright." I handed over the herbs to her. "Please talk to to Blue."

Jessica thought for a few seconds and then walked over to Blue. She was murmuring and I could see another worried expression on Blue's face. After talking, he came to me.

"Coral, I'm not sure. You don't know the way back." he said.

"Of course, I know the way back! I found Kayli in the forest and I came back with her, here. I know the whole forest. I'm a nature person too. " I pleaded him to send me.

He nodded and I ran to the forest with my Snowflake Wand. "Be careful!" I heard Blue yelling behind me. I could hear distant footsteps. Alia and Angeline! I was worried. Incredibly worried. I can't loose them. Both of them are strong. I can't loose Francie or Kayli. And Trina's clumsiness. I don't want to miss that! Hayden and Lorcan. I don't know. They are after all my teammates. With all these thoughts in my mind, I couldn't concentrate where I was going but I was sure I wasn't lost.

After walking for a long time, I was about to pass a bridge. Before passing the bridge, my left eye got sight of something blue. I stepped back and looked more carefully. TRINA! I walked through the bushes and stopped again. I saw all five of them. Hayden, Lorcan, Kayli, Trina and Francie. Francie was on the floor helping Kayli. How come other's are tied up? I looked around the surroundings. I saw a red-eyed doll. It looked pretty creepy and I saw guards around. I tried signalling Francie. After 3 seconds, she caught my eye. I waved at her and told her not to smile. Trina followed Fran's gaze and saw me. She looks brave.

"Do NOT smile." I showed Francie and Trina with my hands.

Francie was about to laugh but she changed it into a cough. I sighed, a relief running through me.

Alia | Walking through the woods. | Camp.

~~"Honey! Honey look! I got you a doll!" Tom Sr. said. His wife exclaimed with joy, and she hugged her doll.
"What do we call her?" She asked, looking at her husband.
"I was thinking, Alia?"
Mrs. Alisha smiled, and she hugged Tom Sr. "Wait," she said suddenly, pulling back, "Your not going to let her go for the Toy Box, right?"
"Of course not!" He laughed. Then, becoming serious, "Keep this away from Tommy. He has a sudden obsession with the Toy Box, and I'm afraid he might send her off."
Alisha nodded.~~ The dream wavers, and is settled by another. Alia's most recent one. ~~"Woah woah! Is that a doll you're carrying, Tom?" Tom's friends had gathered around him, staring at his doll. The doll with black hair, and black eyes. The one he had stolen from his mother's room. "You're taking part in the Toy Box?" Tom Jr. shook his head.
"No. This is my favorite doll." He said, unaware what that would cost him.
"Wait, this is not a fighting doll?" His friends snickered. "You are such a girl!" They would push him against the lockers, and bully him.
"Alright!" He said, one day, afraid of the snickering. "I was told to keep this a secret. But I am going to start an army and send them off to the Toy Box!"
He lied, to get away from the taunting. He would sacrifice his best friend, for the sake of his reputation. But soon after, did what he say come true.~~


Alia ran her hands through her hair. Why? Why did she feel this? Why were her eyes sweating? Alia bite her lower lip, and wiped her eyes. Not turning around, she said, "What?" Angeline had called out to her. After a small brief talk, Angeline and Alia started to walk back to the camp. Alia decided to talk less, as she was kind of embarrassed being caught sweating from her eyes. She has never done that, nor had she felt like the whole world was squished inside of her, before.

Angeline stopped abruptly, and pointed at the marks on the ground. Scanning the area, Alia immediately found an arrow. A very familiar arrow. "That... I've seen that arrow somewhere." She said. Picking it up, she closely examined it. Suddenly, dread filled the atmosphere. She looked at Angeline, knowing that she too thought the same thing. Their team-mates went missing. Blood filled the mud around them. Drag marks. That could only mean one thing.

"Let's get back to Blue." She said, "Maybe he will recognized it." Too.
"Worth a shot." Angeline replied. Alia knew Angeline was probably thinking more or less the same thing she was. Blue better have a solution for this, and quick. Worry, for the first time, settled in her for her team-mates lives. I hope he didn't send another doll after Angeline and I left. Or else, we could lose. Both, the game, and our lives.

_______________________________________________________

At the camp, everyone gathered around the campfire. "Where's Coral?" He asked us. Alia shot a questioning look at Angeline.
"She wasn't with us." Angeline replied. Blue swore under his breathe.
"Anyways," Alia starts, but Coral comes running back from the forest.
"I found them! I found them!" She said, as she came running up to them.
"Who?" Jessica asked, as she tried to stand up.
"Trina and all!"
"So where are they?" Blue asked her.
"They're held captive."
"WHAT?!" Everyone jumps onto there feet.
As if on cue, distant sound pierces the night, sort of like a wolf but a bit more human and far more... pained.
"That... must be Kayli." Coral winced. When everyone turns questioning towards her, she explains that Kayli is hurt.
Alia took some of her dust bombs, spikes and lemons, and worn her helmet.

On Blues' orders, the remaining of the team starts moving into the forest, with Coral and Blue at the lead. Jessica and the rest, following close behind. Cold laughter fills the air, and everyone slowing takes out their weapons. The Tra'qaz turning round and round in her hand. Suddenly, Blue yells "DUCK!"

Everyone seems to have heard, except Angeline. She falls unconscious as a boomerang hits her. Alia quickly pushes Angeline aside into the bushes, so that she doesn't get hurt or come in the way. Plus, if she does regain conscious, she'll have the element of surprise, since Alia was pretty sure the opposite team didn't notice her. Standing up, a doll with red-eyes faces them, with his goons standing at the back, one of them holding the boomerang. Alia noticed, that the boomerang was covered with spikes. Let's just hope none of those spikes hit Angeline, now. Behind them, were her team-mates tied up against the trees. Kayli shoots a look towards them, but no one but Alia seemed to notice it. The look was a plead of distraction. Slowly, Jessica turned towards Alia, and raised an eyebrow. Alia nodded. So she noticed too.

Gulping, Alia looked back at Kayli. I'm going to trust you on this one, new kid. And a distraction is just what they got.

Angeline

I wake up coughing. My throat burns, my eyes water and sting. The air is full of a bitter grey smoke. The smoke is so thick, I can't see people until they almost step on me and I roll out of the way. Alia's cutting through the ropes of the captured dolls with her tra'quaz. I try to stand, but fall to the ground, dizzy. There's no way I'm going to be able to walk out of here.
Then I see why everyone's running, besides Alia. Behind all this smoke, I see deadly yellow flames dancing and leaping for the sky, falling into the underbrush, igniting nearby trees. This is going to turn into a forest fire, really fast. I have to get out of here.I grab the trunk of a nearby tree and slowly, painfully step up. I lean against the tree and breathe heavily to fight off the dizziness. My vision goes black for awhile, but I don't lose consciousness and, thanks to the tree, I don't fall. I open my eyes. Using a low lying branch to help, I take my first step. And vomit into the underbrush. I hear the roar of the fire behind me as it gains strength. I'm not going to get out of here.I just can't make it.
Now the only people in sight are Lorcan, Alia, who's still cutting Lorcan's rope, Kayli, and Francie, who was helping Kayli walk out, her shoulder really hurting her. I had to get moving.
Alia looks towards me and her eyes widen.
"Get out of here!" she cries. Her voice sounds muted and far off I shake my head. Something wet slides down my neck. I wipe it off and find blood on my fingers. I feel and find the entire right side of my face covered with dried blood. No wonder I'm having so much trouble walking. It's entangled in my hair and still dripping from my ear, which seems to be the source of it. My knees start to go weak under me and I sink to the ground. I think Alia's yelling at me, but I can't hear a word she's saying. Even the sounds of the inferno seem to be falling away. I feel so tired, I just want to lie down and fall asleep.
No. If I faint again, I'll be dead, and I'm not going to slip out of life quietly; I'm not going to go down without a fight. I struggle to stand up again.
Then Alia and Lorcan reach me and help me stand up. We begin to slowly stumble away. The fire is probably starting to move behind us. We can feel the heat on our backs. We might be moving, but we're not out of the doghouse yet.

Trina | Captured, running away (Or something like that... xD)

Trina sat uncomfortably on the forest floor, her wrists burning because of the tight rope that kept them tied to the tree. She was panicking now. The doll with the Red Eyes was talking, but Trina couldn't hear him. She was feeling dizzy, and her head was paining terribly.

She saw something rustling in the bushes and watched as Coral's face peered out from behind the leaves. She looked at Trina, and Trina looked at her. Then Trina looked at Francie and saw her looking at Coral. Coral signaled to both of them, telling them not to smile. Trina took the hint, and quickly changed her smile to a look of pain.

"Ah. Another doll is wincing, I see. Do you feel pain?" Red Eyes looked at Trina, smiling evilly. "You. Barbie. Help her." Red Eyes ordered Francie, and pointed at Trina, who actually winced this time, for a sudden pain had shot through her shoulder. She looked down at it, and saw it covered in blood. Clearly, it would've been wiser to have healed this when she was still near the camp.

Francie walked over to Trina after she had finished helping Kayli. She bent down and checked Trina's shoulder. "This wound is too deep. We'll need to ask someone else to do it for her. It can't be wrapped up, or anything. It needs full on healing." Red Eyes looked at Francie for a moment, as though suspicious of what she was saying. "We don't have time to waste on bait. Let her bleed. It'll be better for us." Red Eyes grinned evilly once more and turned away. "Burn this place," he commanded. "Let these dolls die. Then we'll see how much their team mates really care about them."

Trina didn't know what happened next. She remembered watching a yellow-orange flame erupt out of nowhere, and her vision became blurred. She felt something cutting her wrists free of the rope and a voice telling her to run. Too afraid of what was happening, she ran, as fast as her legs could carry her, away from the blazing fire. As her vision cleared, she saw figures moving ahead of her, and followed them.

They were almost there. They'd reached safety. She could see the camp a few feet away from her, and ran faster. She slowed down, stumbled, and then everything went blank.

Francie ~ Captured?... Running?...

As I was wrapping up Kayli's wound I saw Coral's face peek out of the bushes behind Red Eyes and I almost smiled with relief, but she motioned at me not to. I saw Trina looking at her, too, and gave her a look like, 'Maybe we will get out of here.'

When I'd just about finished decorating Kayli's shoulder I heard Red Eyes say, "You. Barbie. Help her." And he pointed at Trina.

I noticed a deep wound in Trina's shoulder, slowly oozing out blood all over her.

I sighed and walked over to her. When had I become the nurse doll? Oh well.

I bent down and checked out the hole. It was deep into Trina's shoulder.

"This wound is too deep. We'll need to ask someone else to do it for her. It can't be wrapped up or anything, it needs full healing." I announced.

"We don't have time to waste on bait. Let her bleed. It'll be better for us." Red Eyes grinned and turned to the guard. "Burn this place. Let these dolls die. Then we'll see how much their team mates really care about them."

The guard doll took out a small fire-thrower and powered it up. My eyes widened at it and I stepped back in shock, totally forgetting about the dolls behind me. I tripped over Lorcan but he didn't say anything, he was still watching the flame thrower as it spit out its poisonous fire.

Then, Hayden was helping me up and grabbing my arm as he ran away from the clearing. I couldn't see where we were going or how he'd gotten away from the tree trunk but I ran to keep up with him.

Soon we were out of the clearing and away from the other bushes and trees that had started to decorate themselves with flames.

He and I coughed together for a while, before I finally said - after extracting the last bit of smoke out of my lungs - "Are you ok? What happened?"

Going to be away for a few days.

Alia

It didn't seem like the needed a distraction, now. Though Alia had the entire thing planned out. Red-Eyes lit the whole place up. He made sure Alia and the others were well surrounded, and then burn the place before them. Trapped inside in yellow flaming circle, Alia cursed under her breath. She should have done something earlier.

Blue and Jessica taking the lead, they run through the fire, and Alia starts to feel her pocket going wet. Her lemons were melting.

Alia runs towards Hayden, who was the closest to her. She swung the Tra'qaz she held in her hand down to the ropes that tied his hands together, and....

....it didn't cut.

Alia stared in dismay. Gulping down, she took another swing, this time adding some force. It still didn't cut. The Tra'qaz was no longer hers, as she felt other emotion than anger. She cared for her team-mates, however much they hated her, and vice-versa.

She pressed it down against the ropes, trying to cut through it as hard as she could, as worry settles over her. It was like using a butter-knife and trying to stab someone. It is possible, but incredibly hard.

Once that was done, she then ran to Trina and cut her ropes, frustrated. Alia yelled at her, telling her to hurry up and go!

Alia looked around, squinting through the flame to see if anyone was left behind. As she was about to go, she saw Angeline, slightly dazed, as blood split all over her head. "RUN!" she yelled at her. But Angeline couldn't. "Hey! You!" She said, pointing at Lorcan. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Angeline." She pointed at the leaning figure against a tree some feet away. He immediately understood, and ran with Alia to help her.

Carrying Angeline was a little hard, since the fire was growing, and the heat burned their backs. But Alia couldn't leave her to die. However stingy Alia was, she wasn't that low. She'd rather die saving someone who had at least bothered asking how she was, than die saving her own sorry back. And so, she held on the Angeline.

Trina | Near/At the campsite

Trina slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see stars. At first she thought they were her imagination, but then she realised she was looking at the sky. She got up and looked around. She was in what seemed to be a forest, yet she didn't know how she had reached there. She must have fainted, because her arms and legs had been in a very awkward position till then. She tried to remember where she was. But more importantly, she tried to remember who she was.

She stood up and heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw a few people (or were they dolls...?) running either towards or away from her. Those that were running away ran to a clearing, where a bright fire was blazing and more people-doll like things were standing.

The three that ran towards her quickly came to a stop when they were a few steps away from her. One of the people, who looked a lot like a Barbie doll exclaimed, "Trina! Oh good, you're alive! And safe!" The doll felt confused now. Who was Trina? Alive? Safe? What was this person talking about?

The other two saw her confused expression. One of the dolls, who had short black hair and was horrifyingly tall, said, "You were running, remember? You were tied to a tree, and then that Red Eyes dude told his cronies to set the whole place on fire and I cut you lose. You ran and then ended up fainting here, near the campsite."

"Campsite? Running? Red Eyes? What... What are you talking about?" The doll said, confused about what this person was going on about. The third doll, who was short and had dark brown hair said, "Look. We don't have time for your stupid jokes. We need to get out of this place. Blue's already telling all the other dolls to pack up. So just quit fooling around." Dolls. So that's what they were. Then maybe she was a doll too. "I... I'm not joking. I don't know who you are or who they are," she pointed at the other two dolls standing next to him. "All I know is, I'm in a forest, and I'm confused out of my wits as to what you dolls are talking about. And who's Blue?" she added. The dolls looked at each other and then, probably realising something, started talking amongst themselves. "We could tell Blue-" "What's Blue going to do about it?" "May be Coral can help her-" "Her wand heals, not return memories." "So she does have Amnesia then?" "We can be sure of that. As stupid as she is, she wouldn't pretend to have lost her memories in such a bad situation." The three dolls looked at her, then the boy-doll spoke slowly, as it trying to explain 2+2=4 to an unsatisfied baby. "You can come with us. We'll take you to a safe place."

The doll, feeling thoroughly annoyed at being treated like a child said, "You can talk normally. I can understand what you say, you know. I'm not a troll or something." The Barbie-like doll looked hopeful and said, "Well, her personality's still the same. That's good right?" "Let's hope so," said the tall doll, darkly.

The three dolls started walking towards the clearing and the doll followed them. She had no idea about what was going on, but somehow, deep inside, she trusted these dolls. And so she followed them to the clearing, and the fire.

Angeline

I was fighting a losing battle: to outrun the fire, to stay conscious, to keep my feet moving; the ony question was which one was going to give out first.
The smoke seemed to seep through everything, making my lungs pained, my skin feel dirty, my voice scratchy and my eyes watery. But I wasn't going to be the first to give up; if Alia and Lorcan could still move, then so could I.
I glared down at my feet and forced them to keep moving, though most of my weight was supported by Alia and Lorcan. I was still staring at them when Alia gave a sigh of relief and I looked up to see we'd made it to water. All we had to do now was wade out a few feet and we'd be safe as we circled our way around the fire. I almost sinked to my knees with relief. Almost. The chill water felt refreshing on my tired feet. I just wanted to lie down in the water and fall asleep, though I know that wouldn't do us any good. We still had to find the others. We still had to make sure everyone else had escaped. And we still had an unknown number of dolls trapped on the same island as us who were bent on killing every last one of us.
The full pain of my ear finally reaches me now that I've escaped the smoky haze and the adrenaline has begun to recede. My head feels like someone's pounding on my ear with as much force as they muster, and there's an awful ring that won't go away. Everything still sounds muted, I wonder if my ear's damaged or if it's just all the blood clogging it.
"Thanks," I say to Alia and Lorcan, my throat still raw from the ashen smoke. Alia shrugs, still breathing deeply from supporting half of my weight. Lorcan just seems embarrassed and looks away, back towards the shore and the destruction of the trees as they burn to the ground.
Neither seem to be extremely talkitive, and that's fine with me. I'm glad to just enjoy the sand between my toes as we wade our way along the sea line, content to have a moment where I'm not worried I'll die the next for the first, and most likely only, time on this awful island.

Hayden

Hayden, for most of the time, hadn't been concentrating. His mind had been in another place, worrying, with thoughts in his head. He didn't know if he was running or NOT. It was as if his brain had taken over, his humanity chip struggling to catch up. He couldn't even tell what he was saying.

All he remembered was saying that he'd help Trina who'd forgotten everything. Then he found himself, in the water feeling light headed and unable to distinguish the colour of the sky. All he knew was that he was exhausted, as if his instincts kicking in had drained half his energy and the ordeal had drained the rest.

He lay back in the water, watching the sky, before he felt a tap on the shoulder and saw one of his team-mates - he couldn't tell who for their face was barely lit - stooping over him in the knee-high water.

Eleanor – At the Shore

Eleanor took her time wading out into the water. Above her the sky was obsidian black, the stars dancing gently in her vision. Looking up at them, she thought about the universe. At some point of her blurred life she had been taught that the universe was expanding. It was an odd idea. They were so small compared to the stars; their lifespans, whether they managed to survive the games or not, so short. Here on the island, she would fight to the death, but she was not afraid to die.

The inferno roaring behind her was beginning to die out. She knew it would not spread any further than the trees, and the ones in the centre were beginning to blacken and char. The branches once abundant with life were now bare and sparse. Although the roaring flames still leapt with life behind them, she sensed a very small shift in their presence and knew they were beginning to die down. She felt a certain sense of calm possess her as she waded out into the sea, her dress billowing around her as it reached past her knees.

There was a doll lying in the water before her. It seemed that he had started off by trying to float, but he was now nearly sinking into the water. His dark brown hair was soaked, his green eyes unfocused and swimming. She picked her way towards him, switching off from the cries of pain and terror behind her.

“I wouldn’t fall asleep if I were you,” she told him, stooping over him in the darkness. He blinked but although he seemed to regain a little more focus, his eyes were still misty and the rising of his chest was laboured, that of an exhausted doll. “You don’t want to drown. And you may be tired, but dawn will come before you know it. We’ve got another long day ahead of us.”

He stirred in the water. He was still floating on his back, but his eyes were now completely focused on her. “Who are you?” he managed.

“Eleanor,” she said. “Yes, I’m on your team. Yes, I realise you didn’t notice me. Not many people do.” She tried to keep her voice calm and unaffected as she spoke. Realisation slowly came over his face.

“I’m –“

“Hayden. I know.”

“But how do I know I can trust you? You’re right – I don’t think I have seen you before.”

“You don’t. None of us do. We have to rely on our instincts.” She looked down. “If I wanted you to die, I’d have just let you fall asleep and drift away. It would be a peaceful death, wouldn’t it?”

He eyed her with narrowed eyes. “Where have you been? Were you fighting today?”

In her mind’s eye she skimmed over the memories of the day. She had kept apart from some of the group, twisting in and out among the rest of them. Her violin bow was soiled with the blood of the opponent. She had killed two dolls and harmed more – the reflection of the simultaneous pain and understanding in their eyes had been reflected in hers and she had taken it in, letting the icy chill wash away the remorse. Burying it.

“Yes,” she said. “I was fighting.”

He seemed to relax. Slowly, carefully, he stood up again in the water, smoothing down his hair with the back of his hand to dry it somewhat.

“Come on, now,” Eleanor said. “They need us. Some of our team are wounded, and we’re not doing them any good standing here.”

She cast a glance around. Unknown to anyone else she had been keeping a careful track of her teammates. Now most of them seemed to have arrived at the shore. Trina – the doll with the vibrant blue hair – was looking confused, and was gently edging towards the campsite, aided by Francie and Alia. She felt a feeling of relief wash over her as she realised that most of the dolls were still there – although she could not see Coral, Scary Sara or Soldier Doll, she felt and hoped that they were nearby. A doll she didn’t know was sitting in a pained position on the sand, clutching her shoulder. As the fire turned from roaring flames to wisps of thick smoke, they all began to hesitantly make their way back towards the campsite, some of them still uncertain and looking around for others, some of them still in pain.

Above them, the sky was turning from its relentless shade of black to a deep navy.

Time was running out.

Sorry it's so short.

The flames began to die away and the sun began to gain territory in the sky, taking its slow time rising. My ear's been cleaned, and I can already hear a bit better, though not as well as I used to. Some people are still missing, but most have escaped the inferno and there's a good chance they're on some other side of the island.
Blue and some of the other dolls are debating strategies. On one hand, we need time to recuperate and rest; on the other, so do the other teams who were threatened by the fire, and now would be the perfect to catch them by surprise in their weakened state. Some suggest splitting the group so the injured can rest and the others can hunt, but considering how well splitting up worked last time, Blue wisely vetos the option.