If there was a place revolved solely on hallways and doors, I have found its Utopia. I aimlessly wander this prison home of mine; taking in the same artwork and same interior and wonder if it will ever end. I turn my head to the right to see the next set of pictures and notice the hallway has stretched out to an impossible length. Tension starts to prickle in the back of my neck as I turn to check the other end of the hallway which is clear and sprint in that direction. I round the corner and see I'm hit with another hallway and start kicking open the doors - for what, an exit? - As I make my way down. I'm halfway through opening them when I hear a bulb go out behind me, and then another. I glance behind me and see the darkness approaching me fast, my throat closing in anticipation. I look at the destination at the end of the hallway, Damon's room, and knowing there would not be enough time to get there, hurl myself into the closest open door. Before my eyes can adjust I find myself downstairs, the main door within distance and the shadows nowhere in sight. I run for the door, swing it open and come face to face with what nightmares are made of; Malachai Parker. His stance reads tense as his intense glare blazes me from head to toe, keeping me locked in place as my eyes shift to the ascendant in one hand, and a knife in the other. The most chilling part of the scene playing out in front of me is not the man himself, but the thickness of black smoke that's surrounding him. Engulfing him would be a better description, as it's slowly making its way around him and up his legs. He cocks his head to the side, a come hither look playing at the corner of his mouth as he puts his hand with the knife behind his back and gives me a nod over his shoulder signaling "follow me". I watch him step farther back into the darkness slowly disappearing from view and my adrenaline starts to kick in; should I go? Will he kill me? Will I kill him to stop him from going? My moral and selfish obligations were clashing so hard I could feel my vision blurring and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. I looked into the vast emptiness, took a deep breath, and ran as fast I could... straight into the opening of the cave. The dark and dreary night was my first clue that something was terribly off, the magic sizzle that surrounds this Hell vortex not feeling quite so snug. I made my way into the cave looking for Kai, or the ascendant, even the knife would give me some satisfaction but all I found was a lone stack of CD's left on the ground illuminated by the moon's light. Reality hit me so hard it knocked me off my feet; Kai left me, and I was truly alone.

Bonnie woke up to the sound of her own voice screaming Kai's name. She heaved herself out of bed and hit the floor running, frantically opening doors trying to find him. She rounded the corner and hit the next hallway, adrenaline in full swing causing her to kick open the doors. An overwhelming sense of de ja vu and flashes of her dreams hit her in waves as she turned into the next hallway and saw Damon's door at the end. She swung open the door so hard it nearly broke off its hinges, causing Kai to roll over and fall out of bed from a deep sleep.

"Holy shit!" he coughed, still sitting on the floor. "In case you were curious, yes, I do have a heart because it just stopped beating."

"You - you" she exclaimed, so worked up that words were failing her.

"Me? How about you? You wanna rip the door right off next time, Hulk Hogan?"

She stood in the doorway, exasperated, needing to seek him out to make sure he is in fact still here, and tear him a new one for being a conniving, evil sociopath who is the reason she is trapped here in the first place. While these thoughts clashed back and forth she had one clear thought of I do not want to talk about this. With that in mind she turned on her heel and walked swiftly back out the door.

"Woah, what?" she heard behind her as he scuffled to his feet and followed her out the door.

"What was that? Are we doing random scare test in the middle of the night? Did you miss me that much?"

She tried to ignore his words and continue down the hall but he held onto the back of her forearm and encased her between himself and the wall. She looked him up and down and had wondered briefly if all men slept in just their boxers.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?"

"I hate you," she spat, trying her best to keep her voice strong.

A flash of - confusion, hurt - crossed his face as he searched hers. "Why?"

"Why? WHY?" she gritted, her teeth audibly grinding. "Do you need me to make a list for you? You're a murderer, a sociopath, there's a prison world here with your name on it!"

"None of this is new information," he responded calmly. "And yet I don't see you busting down my door every night. What could I have done from dinner to now to make you hate me more?"

"Maybe I just see you for what you really are."

She heard him sigh and then she was over his shoulder, her hands on his lower back to keep from face planting on the ground.

"Are you crazy?!" she yelled, flailing her legs as he walked back the hall.

"I think we've already established that," he said as he stepped back into Damon's bedroom, putting her down and then shutting the door. "So why don't you tell this crazy person what's got you ready to stomp me out from up there on your high horse?"

"You're a conniving, evil -"

"BONNIE."

"YOU'LL LEAVE," she blurted, stunned that the words came out of her mouth.

"What - are you talking about? I've been up three minutes, maybe less, you're gonna have to form longer sentences here."

She couldn't stare at him dead on so she walked around him and into the bathroom, turning on the faucet to cool down her face and neck. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath, knowing he wasn't going to let this go. Gripping the counter for support she started from the beginning; endless hallways and doors, the darkness, finding him in the darkness, and the new piece of information she just found out. When she was finished she walked over to the bed, suddenly exhausted after replaying what she keeps envisioning, and sat down on one side.

"I can't - I can't escape you. You're everywhere, all the time. What I would do to not have that be a constant in my life. But I can't let you leave this prison Kai, like you said my moral high horse won't let me. I don't want to leave you here, but what is the alternative - you leaving me?"

"No." He sat down beside her. "The alternative is us both leaving this place, no tricks, no betrayal; clean slate."

"Clean slate?" She scoffed.

"Oh come on Bon, I like you! You're fun to argue with and you're witty, and I can siphon your magic with a flick of the wrist. It's all good things! Okay so I shot you with an arrow, to be fair you stabbed me with a pic-axe and pen and killed me both times.

"You're still here."

"Like that itch you can't scratch," he retorted with a wiggle of his eyebrows. He moved one leg and then his lower half was under the covers, leaning back against the headboard. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Yeah right," she laughed. "The last place I'll be making myself comfortable is in your bed."

"Technically, it's Damon's bed. But I think I have full reign since I've been sleeping here for over a decade."

As she listened to his voice she could feel her eyelids getting heavier, her posture slouching. In one swift movement he had her pushed backwards to fit her feet under the covers and moved back to his spot.

"Ah, that's better, now let's get some sleep."

"Kai -"

"You know I'm not going to try anything, keep your magical little hands to yourself and you'll be fine. You don't look like you could get out of this bed if you tried; forget walking back to your room." He scooted down and readjusted his pillow, doing the same to hers.

"You'll be able to sleep easier, knowing someone's in the room with you. When I'd get really bad nightmares and couldn't fall back asleep Josette would stay up with me and we'd talk, play games, and watch TV until it wasn't the first thought on my mind anymore."

She turned to her side to face him as he lay on his back, his head towards her.

"By the time we'd go back to sleep I'd be so tired that I wouldn't dream for the rest of the night." He laughed, "It's weird but having someone else there, even if they aren't doing much, or sitting as close as I am to you now, it helps."

"It's a comfort thing."

"Hm?"

"Comfort," she said again, snuggling up more into the blankets. "Knowing you aren't alone and that someone is there for you. Guess it's a good thing you have a twin that couldn't get rid of you."

"At least for a while," he answered under his breath, looking up at the ceiling. He turned his head back towards her. "I'll be your comfort buddy," he said with a cheeky smile. "I mean it is no snuggle buddy, certainly nothing compared to a fuck buddy but it's a step in the right direction."

"I think you make me hate you a little more every day."

His laugh was wholehearted and genuine, and she couldn't help but smile in return. She closed her eyes listening to him and felt herself starting to slip into sub consciousness.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mm?" she grunted with half her face in the pillow.

"When you're opening all the doors in your dream, do you think you were looking for me?"

She opened one eye to give him her best bitch please look. "Don't flatter yourself I was looking for a way out."

"I think you were looking for me," he said again, "Maybe to help you, or see if I left without you. The same way you just were 20 minutes ago, breaking doors down in a panic."

She snorted and closed her eyes again, ignoring the shift in the bed and sensing he was closer.

"Bon," he said awfully close to her face. "How about this, If you don't try to leave without me, I promise I won't leave without you."

"Easier for you, this is Hell and I'm trying to keep Satan locked inside."

"Mm, feel like making a deal with the Devil?" He purred, laughing at her nose crinkle while her eyes are still closed. "Oh come on, I'll give you an offer you can't refuse."

"Okay Mr. Cliché," she retorted.

"You jump, I jump, right?"

"Are you kidding me with this? I'm going to sleep now. Stop talking."

He gently bumped his forehead against hers. "Sweet dreams, I'll be here when you wake up."

She was asleep before he finished his sentence.