I was surrounded by hoards of people, countless hoods casting their faces in shadow. They were a mass of flesh and weapons and I'd have to fight them off. I was rushing them, running with my shield up and my sword at my side. Demi ran behind me. Saris and Zack were nowhere to be found. I rammed into each figure with my shield and forced them out of my way. I broke through the walls of hooded people and as I passed them, they would vanish. I never used my sword. My shield was enough. Maybe Demi was finishing them off when we passed. We never stopped running. I kept thinking that I saw a clearing, somewhere without enemies, but every time we got close to the opening, more shadows approached us. A fog settled in, dulling the colors of the battlefield and making everything thick, like a creamy soup. Once my opponents were dealt with, I kept running.

I woke up slowly, my tiredness lingered but there was no reason to go back to sleep other than to be lazy. My aches from yesterday were faint and the smell of baked goods encouraged me to sit up. Drool was thick on the back of my hand and I wiped it on my pants. I stepped out of the booth and stretched as I yawned. An uncomfortable tug in my back reminded me that I had slept curled up awkwardly on an extra firm booth seat. Despite my aches, it felt like I had been asleep for a long time. Wasn't I supposed to take watch during the night? I looked around. Demi was no longer in her seat. Glancing around the cafe, I saw my three allies sitting at a corner table, talking quietly. I could hear sounds but couldn't make out any of the words. I walked over to the trio, avoiding the few shades lined up in front of the counter and making their way towards the door. I didn't have to avoid them, I just thought it was creepy to walk through people.

Zack looked up at me and smiled, "oh good! A prince finally came and woke up Sleeping Beauty," he said and the other two looked my way. I liked Zack. In the short time that I had spent with him, he had been friendly, joking around and generally easy going. He had offered some advice about the game and had even given me quite a few tips while I was training with Saris. At one point, Saris asked Zack to stop talking so much and Zack just laughed and started giving me advice twice as often as he had been. He seemed to have accepted the game as his life and he was making the best of it.

"We were just discussing where to go next," Saris said.

I lifted an eyebrow, "I thought we were going to stay for a while."

Saris was about to say something but Zack put his hand up in front of Sari's face before he could say anything, "I got this." Then in an over-exaggeration of how Saris talks, Zack announced, "it's not going to be safe here for long. We checked with Demi and she said she's okay to be on the move. So relax, we're going." Saris rolled his eyes but Zack's imitation was spot on.

"Saris wants to visit the graveyard," said Demi. "I'm not sure if that's really necessary. We've got a team of four now. We shouldn't need more than that. Besides, I thought we were going to the thrift store. What changed?"

"You did," Saris said, raising his eyebrows to remind her that she was injured. "The graveyard would be a good place to stay for a night. We wouldn't have to worry about being attacked."

"Why is that again?" I asked.

"It's a safezone," Zack stated. "Actually, I wouldn't mind going there too."

"We should focus on taking out the other teams before they find us," Demi argued. "Going somewhere safe is only going to delay things and reveal our position. If we go to the thrift store, we can find others on the way and make a plan from there. The graveyard will just complicate things once we try to leave."

I felt like I should chime in. I wanted to back Demi up, but I wasn't sure I agreed with her. I didn't really see the benefit of going to the graveyard, but it would be nice to avoid fighting for a bit till Demi had time to heal. She wanted to narrow down the competition but I didn't want her injury getting her narrowed off first. I caught her eye, "how are your ribs?"

"I'm doing fine," she said casually, sitting taller in her chair. Saris raised an eyebrow and poked her in the rib. "Ow!" She yelped, deflating in her seat. She swatted at Saris' hand, muttering something about him being a jerk before shrugging. "Fine Sherlock, you caught me! I'm still a bit bruised but I can manage."

I shook my head, "if we have to go, I'm voting for the graveyard. If it's a neutral zone like everyone says it is, you'll get more time to heal. It would suck if we were attacked with you being injured like this." Demi sighed in frustration but mumbled an agreement as she crossed her arms. I looked at Saris. "I assume you don't want to stay here much longer, do you?"

"Probably not," he said. "The night was quiet. Seems like it's a low traffic area but I don't trust it to stay that way."

"Oh yeah, why didn't anyone wake me for my shift of the watch?"

Zack smirked, "You looked way too peaceful, Sleeping Beauty. It seemed downright unethical to wake you without finding a noble prince to pucker up. Saris and I split the night so you kids could get some decent sleep."

"I could have done my share," I said defensively. "Aren't you tired?"

Zack shook his head. "Not at all. We let you sleep in longer than normal. I got a solid five hours of sleep." Saris nodded in agreement.

I knew that I had fallen asleep early, but how long was I out? Where was that clock again?

"You missed breakfast," Saris said. "We were going to wait for you to eat lunch." He noticed me searching. "Clock's behind you on the wall." I turned to see that it was almost noon. "We thought it would be best to let everyone get as much sleep as they could. We'll arrive at the graveyard before nightfall; it's only a few hours walk from here. But we'll also need to leave the graveyard early tomorrow, so being well rested today should help with that."

"Why leave early if it's safe?" I asked.

"There will be teams stalking it," Saris explained. "They look for teams resting there. When they leave the graveyard, they're free game."

"The earlier we leave, the more likely they'll leave us alone," Zack added. "Too many of them will be asleep to make it worth the trouble of getting everyone else up. Plus, if we're rested enough, we'll be fresh and ready to go while they're hopefully groggy and still waking up. Odds would be in our favor."

I couldn't help but be impressed with how much they plan ahead. Considering every advantage they can get for fights or how to avoid fights is something I try to do, but I don't have the experience or foresight that they have. My only thought was to keep our team healthy. With that in mind, allowing Demi time to heal was the only objective on my list, but it seems like Saris and Zack thought about so much more than that. They didn't only consider the destination and its function but their approach and exit plan. I know that they've been here a lot longer than me, but it was then that I realized just how much planning it takes to stay alive and how much my thinking would have to change to increase my chances of survival.

"So," Saris said, "are we all in agreement to go to the graveyard today?" Everyone nodded, even Demi, though she still seemed hesitant. "Alright. Let's eat! After lunch, I'll scope out the area and if we're good, we'll head out." No one argued and we went behind the cafe's counter to find food, Saris leading the way.

Saris seemed to be a born leader. No one really appointed him to that position, he just had a confidence and certain air that he naturally stepped into it and he did it so well, that no one argued. I think if someone did step up or disagree with him, he'd take whichever plan was best, not just his own. I don't think he necessarily assumes himself the leader. He knows we're all a team on equal, or mostly equal, footing. He just has a plan and doesn't want us to hesitate.

We found some soup in the kitchen. I chose the broccoli, ham and cheese. Demi and Zack took the corn chowder with red pepper flakes. Saris opted for a tomato soup. We all had sandwiches and breads with our soups and it was, by far, the best meal I had since Saris and I left, what I now refer to as, the training house. There was a microwave in the back room and we were finally able to have a hot meal. As I finished my food I turned on my phone. I didn't have any new messages, but I wrote one to both Tommy and Michael.

Still alive

I hesitated before sending it. The message felt empty. I wasn't really telling them what had happened and part of me felt like I was lying by leaving out so much information. Why shouldn't I tell them everything? I wasn't going to see them for who knows how long. It's not like they'd be in danger of knowing what's happening to me, right? Was I worried about them thinking this was an elaborate prank or something? I shook my head and wrote more. I told them about meeting Demi and how I liked spending time with her. I admitted to how scared I was and how I wanted to come home. I mentioned my dream and what weapons and ability I chose but I had trouble describing it, so I was brief and didn't give much detail. I also told them that we were still on the move and where we were going. This time, I reread the message, when I was satisfied, I hit send, took a long breath and turned the phone off.

"What'chu up to?" Zack said from behind and I jumped in my seat. I still had chills from being near him. We all did; well, maybe not Saris. He spent so much time with Zack in previous cycles that I wondered if they still got chills around each other.

I held up my phone. "Just texting some people."

"Oh," Zack said sadly. "Look, it's great to hold out hope, but they can't get to you here. Even if they do get your texts, you don't get them back. It's something weird about this place."

"Umm... actually, I have gotten responses."

"What?" Zack nearly shouted, disbelief plain on his face.

"Well, yeah. I've been letting them know I'm alive and they've been covering for me." Zack just looked at me, dumbfounded. "Uh. Would you like me to send something to someone?"

Zack was speechless for a moment but then closed his eyes and shook his head, coming out of his daze. "No," he finally said. "I don't remember their phone numbers. Besides, it's been so long, they've probably all but forgotten me." I was trying to figure out what to say. I wanted to comfort him, but he spoke before I could come up with anything. "You should ask the others though. Not on the road, but when we stop somewhere. A lot of us have been here too long and a connection with the real world like that could bring some real hope or at least a reminder that this isn't all there is to life anymore. " He put a hand on my shoulder and spoke more seriously than he had since I met him. "Hope is hard to come by, so try to give it when you can." Taking his hand back, he smiled and said, "thanks for asking."

Saris came in the front door. I had forgotten that he had left to look around after he had eaten. "Looks clear," he said. "Everybody ready?" We all agreed and headed towards the door. It occurred to me that I had never been here before the game and I mentally promised that if I ever got back to my normal life, I would return.

We walked along in a single file. I watched the shades wander by while I followed Saris, who took the lead, Demi was behind me and Zack held the rear. Demi seemed to be in rough shape and I worried for her. I slowed so I could talk with her a bit easier.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Still a bit beat up, but I'll manage." I matched her pace to walk by her side and watched her face as she spoke. She had talked big at the restaurant but she couldn't keep the pain and concentration from her face. She held her side, chose her steps carefully and already sweat was glistening on her forehead.

"We can take a break if you-"

"No. I'm fine," she cut me off. "Don't worry."

"Alright." I felt like I upset her and wanted to change the subject. "Have you ever seen the Hunger Games?"

Her face seemed to light up a little and I inwardly cheered at myself for going to a good topic. "Yes! It's like we're in like a weird, Hunger Gamey scenario? Also, the books are way better."

"I'm sure they are." I thought about the movie and why the districts had to fight. "Do you think someone's out there watching us?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, the traveller is kind of like President Snow." I had nearly forgotten about the traveller. "Maybe he's more like the game makers. Either way, someone is watching us."

I was starting to regret my choice of conversation. Memories of the traveller invading my dreams and controlling them started to put me in a funk. Shaking my head to put it out of my mind, I asked, "How did you sleep?"

"Ahh," she seemed to deflate, "it was a rough night."

"Sorry. Is it that painful even when you're laying down?"

"Not that," her eyes darted around and lowered her voice so that only I would hear her. "I just...I've been alone for a while now and all of a sudden I'm in a team with three other people. It's not that I don't trust you all, I just...don't know you."

I don't know why her words surprised me. It's not like I trusted Saris the moment he came in and saved my life from the time stopper. I was nervous that he would kill me too. I guess I was just sad that she had lost sleep over it. "Well, for what it's worth, Saris trained me for a week before I met you and he hasn't made any attempts to kill me. Trust me, he had plenty of chances. And obviously, I don't know Zack any better than you do, but I trust Saris's opinion. I think they're good guys. The person you really have to worry about is me," I said with a boastful sigh, folding my hands behind my head. I raised my voice without meaning to, "I'm a real bad boy, ya know."

Zack bellowed with laughter, "you hear that, Saris? Princess over here thinks he's a bad boy." My face blushed like a cherry and I tried to ignore everyone but Demi.

Demi smiled but said nothing. Still, I got the impression that I made her feel at least a little better about our team. I need to remember that Demi was a loner and that this is still an adjustment for her. She seems so natural and casual around us, but there are times when she's quiet. Maybe those are the times she struggles with.

I stayed beside Demi, hoping to continue talking but not wanting to force a new conversation if she wasn't ready. Our chat died out and I began to concentrate on the walk itself. It was hot and boring. It didn't take long for my feet to get heavy and it felt like I had been walking for hours; although it was probably less than one. It was all in my head. If I had something to keep my mind busy, my feet wouldn't bother me, but here we were.

"You ever see any bikes? Walking is getting to be a real pain, you know?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted saying it. Demi was injured, she was struggling to walk and here I was, complaining like some spoiled princess - Zack was already getting to me. Silently, I reminded myself to never call myself princess ever again.

To my surprise, Demi chuckled. It didn't last long and she held her stomach, "don't make me laugh."

"Sorry. It just sort of...came out."

"I know. Don't worry about it." She waved me on, "you're losing Saris, get moving."

I rushed up to reach Saris. Demi could probably use a break from me anyway. Besides, I wanted to ask him something. I still had chills from being around Zack and Demi. Well, maybe I was used to Demi by now and it was all from Zack. It was a strange sensation that I was getting used to. Constant goosebumps almost felt normal; almost. "Saris?"

"Hmm?"

"How long do the chills last?" I asked.

"Depends on how close you are," he said. "If you're a few feet from them, it usually takes about a day, sometimes a bit more. If you stay away from them, let's say from here to that fire hydrant," Saris pointed to one across the street and down to the stoplight. "It can take two or three days."

"Why does it take so long?"

"Why is anything the way it is in this game?" Saris said sarcastically, wiping sweat from his forehead. Then he shrugged one shoulder, "I don't know, Xander. Must be something the Traveler set up. One strategy is to stay just within range until the chill goes away, then attack when they aren't expecting anything. Maybe he wants to discourage that."

"Sounds like it'd be hard to do, too. Most teams are constantly on the move, right?"

"Right. Not to mention you also have to worry about other teams finding you. Or the team you're stalking could backtrack and find you or even know that you're there and attack you before you're ready. If that was the case, they could plan a trap for you. It's a real risk to try that. Smart teams will catch on. The chills will warn them and once they go away, it becomes more of a warning than when the chills appear."

"Sounds like more trouble than it's worth."

"Well, it can be done. It's just difficult to do correctly. And you need a bit of luck on your side."

"What if we get separated? Will we get chills again once we get back together?"

"No," Saris answered. "At least not if you meet up after a few days or so. There might be a limit but we've done it before," he gestured towards Zack. "We got separated and found each other three days later. I think the chills reset after each cycle."

That answers one question; Saris does still get chills from Zack. "Doesn't that make joining a team a bit dangerous? With all of us still having chills, couldn't anyone sneak up on us without us knowing?

"Yes, that's the risk you take when joining a team. If you decide to be part of a team, you choose to become vulnerable for a short time in order to gain those allies. I think it's a decent trade. Zack is a solid ally. We'll be more at risk for the next day or so, but we've gained an experienced and loyal teammate."

"Then why leave the cafe? Wouldn't it have been safer there than out in the open like this?"

"The game has a way of forcing you to move. That's probably the Traveler's doing. I think we talked about this earlier." Saris explained. "The building could collapse on us, other teams could be shown our location or it could start snowing early."

"Snow?"

"Do you remember me telling you about the lions?" Saris asked. I nodded. "They come after it starts snowing. If the game thinks too many of us are hiding or avoiding a fight, it starts snowing. Then we have three days to finish the game or the lions come and no one wins. Everyone dies in the same horrible way."

I tried to imagine being eaten by a lion but I stopped because I didn't like that thought. I should change the subject.

"You're improving," Saris said as if reading my mind. "Fighting, I mean. You seem very natural with your weapons and you're quicker than you think."

"You think so? I'm still miles behind you."

"You'll get there. We'll do more of an intense training tonight. But you have some real skill. Don't discount it."

I nodded, smiling to myself. Maybe I was too hard on myself. No one was saying that I wasn't holding my weight; no one but me. I decided to stop being so negative about my skill compared to the others. I wasn't bad and I was getting better. I knew I was. I could tell with the training between Saris and me. My hands and feet moved where I wanted them to now. I wasn't nearly as clumsy, I kept my footing well and had much better aim with where I wanted to attack. I knew how to react to certain moves. I wasn't great at dodging, but at least I knew to dodge attacks that would break my defense. Blocking was where I shined. My shield helped a lot but I was pretty good at it even when Saris told me not to use the shield. Maybe I wouldn't be able to take out all of our enemies, but I could hold my own.

As if on cue, we were attacked. We had no warning and we were hit hard. Saris and I approached a corner that led to a small alley and a man and woman attacked us as soon as we reached the corner. Saris managed to push me out of range of the attack and block before it connected. At the same time, two more rushed Demi and Zack from the building on the opposite side of the street. Zack managed to hold his attacker off, but Demi was pushed into the building. I could hear movement and grunts so I knew she was still alive but I couldn't reach her. I had to help Saris. I couldn't put him in a two-on-one situation.

The girl was locking swords with Saris. She had a long sword that was almost as large as Saris' but it was much thinner. Her blonde hair was gathered into a ponytail and she wore bright-colored clothes. She was very pretty for someone mercilessly attacking us. She swore twice before breaking contact with Saris' sword. She hopped back slightly and stared us down, waiting.

The man that had attacked us with Ponytail Girl also carried a sword. His was shorter but thicker and looked more like an oversized meat cleaver attached to a sword handle. He was bald with thick eyebrows focused in a scowl as he fought Saris. He had a handlebar mustache but a smooth, tiny chin like an oversized baby. He was very muscular and didn't bother wearing a shirt. Maybe he had lost it. That didn't seem to worry him because he was rearing up for another attack. He rushed Saris, attacking with a strong downward strike, but Saris easily moved out of the way. This is what Ponytail Girl was waiting for because she was already where Saris was dodging. She swung her sword diagonally to strike Saris but I made it to him first.

Mustache Guy swung his cleaver at Saris' just as I arrived to his left. Saris blocked Mustache easily as I managed to protect Saris from Ponytail's strike with my shield. Then, without communicating or previously practicing it, Saris and I pushed back, staggering both of our attackers and forcing them backward. I was stunned at how well that worked but Saris pressed his advantage. He dashed towards the man and thrust his sword forward. The man dodged but not fast enough. Saris had buried his sword deep into the man's shoulder. The injured man staggered back, shock and pain on his face. Ponytail swung at Saris with a vicious cry. He dodged, pulling his sword free from the man's shoulder. I thought to go help Demi; surely Saris could manage these two now that one of them was injured, but then I saw blood dripping down Saris' sword arm. Ponytail had got him.

Saris swore then went into a defensive stance. I followed suit. Flames erupted from the woman and shot at us. We both dodged out of the way but my leg was caught by the fire. I yelled out in pain and surprise and I frantically patted my pant leg to put the flames out. Worried about oncoming attacks, I held out my shield, hoping it would protect me while I panicked. I was lucky that both Ponytail and Mustache followed Saris. They both attacked him at the same time and Saris barely managed to slide out of the way before he was killed. Even so, it looked like the big man grazed him. Saris twirled his blade around, swinging it down at first, nicking the man's leg, then twirling the blade around to strike the opposite way at a downward angle. The man didn't have time to bring his weapon up to meet Saris' but he grabbed Saris' sword by the blade and moved it away from his face. Saris didn't waver his strike and followed through, cutting the man's fingers off along with a small portion of his palm. Ponytail Girl tried to save her friend again but I pushed her hard with my shield and got between her and Saris. My leg pulsed with hot pain but I kept myself focused. I couldn't let her get to Saris.

Ponytail went in for another attack, this one, on me. Before she connected, Zack was by my side and he cleaved the woman in two with a heave of his large blade. She didn't see him come to my aid in time and disappeared before she had a chance to scream. I looked at Zack. He had the makings of a black eye but otherwise seemed fine. We turned to see Saris behead Mustache Man and the large man's body was gone before the head hit the ground.

Saris looked around, "is that all of them?"

"Looks like it," Zack said.

"Where's Demi?" I asked worriedly and we all frantically looked for her. "There!" I shouted pointing up at the third floor of the old apartment building she had crashed into. Demi was fighting off the last of them, the man with a large axe. She was moving sluggishly and I noticed that she was holding her ribs. She still needed to recover. Saris took off to try and reach her but it was too late. Demi tripped as she took a step backward. As she lost balance, the man she was fighting kicked her backward and she fell from the balcony.