Young Writers Society

Kate nodded, shoving another spoonful of her bloody concoction in her mouth. "You still talk too much," she said to the guy and turned, gesturing for James to follow with her spoon before digging it back into her snack. "Let's find some less annoying company."

Maybe it was just the pretentious tone, the 'better-than-the-rest' demeanor, but something about that guy made her want to shove ghost peppers up his nostrils.

xXx

Queenie had found a bedroom that was a little too much like her own. Queen sized bed with the lavender curtains tied back, a balcony with glass french doors, paintings on the walls. All it needed were the hidden weapons and safe. Were her tastes really that stereotypical?

She added redecorating to her to-do list.

Still, the walk-in closet served a purpose other than reminding her that her home was an uninspired waste of space. Inside, there were clothes - adding some proof to the 'someone actually lives here' theory - and from them she picked out a hoodie to put on over her swimsuit. Easier to hide at least a couple of weapons if she found them.

This task finished, she left her evil twin's bedroom and went to wander the halls. She'd considered sneaking around, making sure she wasn't heard or seen walking around here, but if she got caught doing that it would be far more suspicious than just acting all confused and sweet. Innocence was an easy act, after all.

She rounded a corner, casually as her act allowed. She kept a mildly confused look on her face, like she didn't quite know where she was. Well, she didn't, but the look didn't feel at all natural.

Still, a place like this wasn't unlikely to have cameras.

Alyss shifted her weight outside the door. Benji had gone into it to check for clothes, which made sense, Alyss wasn't exactly happy with hers either. She just wished that she could get home as soon as possible, and Benji was holding her up. Gripping her piece of glass tightly, she searched the halls for any sign of a threat.
She started when she heard another voice inside the room. Even though Benji didn't talk much, she remembered his voice, and there was no way it sounded like that. Someone was inside with him, and that meant she was probably going to have to fight.
"Stay behind me," she whispered to Genevieve. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Pushing open the door, Alyss surveyed the situation. A new man was sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs crossed and a smirk on his face.
"Benji?" Alyss asked. "Who is this?"

Daniel looked up.

"I didn't know you had friends, Benji," he said, a look of mock surprise dancing across his face. Benji hated it - he hated the fact that Daniel was here, that Daniel seemingly knew him so well, and that Daniel seemed to be getting a kick out of all of this. "They don't know your secret, do they?"

Benji stiffened.

He could barely find his voice.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," he whispered. "I don't have any secrets."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Daniel said. "We both know you do, Benji. Why try to hide it? They're going to find out the truth eventually, especially if you keep acting like you did at the pool."

Benji took a step back into the closet, almost jumping in surprise when he felt one of the hanging shirts brush up against his arm. "You were watching me?"

"Of course I was," Daniel said. "I am the most successful one in my field."

Daniel hopped off the bed and turned to Alyss.

"Since Benji's being rude and stubborn, I'll answer the question in his place."

He gave her a smile that didn't look remotely human.

"I'm Daniel," he said. "Daniel Leeds. And I'm the most successful cryptid hunter in the entire world."

It took every muscle in James's body to turn, but in the end, he couldn't quite do so. Turning his back to Carter felt like an invitation for any number of attacks, so instead he backed up a little before turning to the side, keeping Carter in view at his side.

Because Carter was following.

"Okay. So we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry. I'm just as confused as I assume you guys are, and I don't know where we are. I'll shut my sparkle-mouth or whatever you said the hell up if I can just stick around. Something about this place doesn't sit right and I'd rather not be alone if there's something lurking in the shadows."

"No," Kate said firmly, "Try to follow us and I'll add you to my snack." She flashed her fangs before taking another bite to emphasize her point.

No way was he playing the empathy card. She didn't want anyone just hanging around, and especially not someone who made James so stiff. How was he supposed to focus on spotting whatever monster, army of evil puppets, or whatever hid in this big-ass house if he was too distracted by this long-haired dufus?

Alyss stared at Daniel. Cryptid hunter? She wasn't a crypid, not really, but she definitely wasn't human and she was guessing Benji wasn't either. Not that she was judging. Alyss knew what it was like to hide her true self, heck, she did it everyday in her world.

She scowled at Daniel. For someone who claimed to hunt cryptids, he didn't seem awfully human to her, especially when he smiled.
"Good for you," she said. "Benji, do you want to keep looking?"

"Keep looking?" Benji quietly repeated - the words were registering, but their meaning wasn't. "Keep looking for what...?"

"Clothes, probably," Daniel helpfully added. He crossed his arms, scrunching his face together in thought. "Oh! She might mean looking for the ones who brought us here. I'm sure that'll be a very easy task, considering that you still haven't told them your secret."

Benji clenched his hands into fists.

"I don't have a secret," he repeated, his voice weak and pathetic.

Daniel frowned and tilted his head to the side. "Why keep on lying, Benji? It's obvious you have something to hide."

Daniel took a step towards him.

Benji took a step back towards the closet.

"Could it be that you're scared?" Daniel asked. "Are you worried that they're not going to like you when they find out the truth? Because you're a monster, and the reason why that bridge fell?"

"The bridge fell on its own," Benji barely was able to protest. "I...I didn't have anything to do with it. I was just there. I wanted to help, but I...I..."

Daniel gave a wise nod.

"I get it," Daniel relented.

Benji's fingernails dug into the palm of his hand.

He smirked. "You're just a coward."

Alyss stepped forwards. She didn't know this Daniel guy, but she had faced guys like him before and she instinctively hated his guts.
"Leave him alone," she said, gripping the piece of glass tighter and walking forwards until she was inside of the room and standing beside Benji.
"We should probably keep exploring, unless you're going to change." She motioned toward the clothes on the floor.
"We can look for another room if you want, since Daniel here is occupying this one."

James made a beeline for the door. He caught a glimpse of Carter's face in the corner of his eyes. Sad. Hurt. Full of regret. James could feel a knot of bitterness twist in his stomach, getting tighter and tighter.

When he made it to the door he opened it stiffly and hurried out with Kate. Carter didn't say another word as he left, but James had a gut feeling: this wouldn't be the last he saw of him. If they were both stuck in this mansion, they would run into each other again, eventually.

He paused outside the door for a brief moment, waiting for Kate.

Genevieve peered over Alyss’s shoulder. She had some idea of what was going on. Something about another person, Daniel? Maybe there were people all over the mansion. And if Benji got someone that didn’t like him, and he didn’t like, then her luck was run out. There were too many people out there wanting her dead. It wasn’t her fault she was so successful. “C’mon Benji, let’s get out of here and find some suitable clothes to wear. Gigi grabbed Alyss by the wrist, trying to drag her out of the room, humming the tune to successful by Ariana Grande while doing so.

Kate followed him out the door. She balanced her bowl in one hand as she reached behind her to close the door. It clicked shut, and her spoon clicked on the bowl, and Kate was, for once, fine with a little clicking.

"Let's go find something else to deal with," she grumbled.

In her attempt to turn the corner, she bumped into something soft. She hardly avoided dropping her snack. "The hell-"

"Oh, sorry," the girl from the pool, the one who vanished without Kate noticing, "I wasn't watching where I was going." She had a bashful blush on her cheeks. We get it, you have blood.

"Damn right it was your fault," she growled and shoved another spoonful of her snack in her mouth.

Alyss let herself be dragged out of the room, reminding herself that it wasn't a good idea to kill anyone. Right now.

As soon as they had gone a distance down the hallway, Alyss jerked away.
"Don't ever touch me again," she hissed. "If you do, I won't be responsible for your death."
She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down.
"It's nothing personal," she continued. "It's just that I've had bad experiences with that sort of thing."