Cal entered Emerson's 'cell' the next morning carrying a pile of clothes.

"Will you always be popping up out of no where all the time?" Emerson asked, crossing her arms.

Cal didn't answer her question, and instead handed her the stack of clothes, "Here."

"What?"

"Clothes, put them on," he muttered.

"Now?" She asked eyeing the boy.

"No, put them on when pigs start to fly. Of course now," he sighed exasperated.

"Umm, some privacy maybe?" She asked, gesturing to the room around her.

"There's a bathroom right there," he pointed to the opposite wall.

"No there isn't," Emerson argued.

Cal snapped his fingers and a door appeared, leaving Emerson in awe.

"How'd you, you snapped, and what? How? Can I do that?" She asked.

"If you aren't in there in five seconds, you'll have no bathroom to change in," Cal said irritated.

"Yeah, yeah," Emerson muttered walking into the bathroom.

The girl shimmied into a pair of black pants with pockets and zippers up and down the sides. Slipping on the top, she admired her reflection. She looked slightly washed out in black, but it'd have to do. The top was a black long sleeved high-necked shirt with a partially opened back.

She heard Cal pound on the door.

"Hurry up!" He grumbled.

"I'm almost done!" Emerson shouted, letting out an annoyed sigh as she put her bright red hair up in a ponytail. Her hair was so long it reached her past her shoulder blades in a high pony.

The girl slammed the door open, causing Cal to whip his head towards her. His leg was propped up against the wall as his body leaned against it.

"Where are we going?" Emerson asked, crossing her arms.

Cal looked at her, his jaw slack. 

"Well?" She demanded.

Cal clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes. 

"You'll find out soon enough," he muttered.

"So how am I supposed to get out of here?" She asked, looking at him expectantly.

Cal stared at her intently, and shook his head.

"No," he muttered as he started pacing the room.

"What?" She whined, a little annoyed. 

He looked down at her, conflicted at first, before grabbing her hand and running out of the room.

"What? how?" Emerson started, but Cal already let go of her hand. He was running down the hallway of some facility, and Emerson followed. She tried to ignore the judgemental looks a few people gave her as she followed behind Cal.

"Why are we running?" She shouted after him.

But he didn't pause to answer, instead he looked back at her with a smile.

"Come on!" He skipped, a wide grin on his face.

Emerson was shocked that he was capable of smiling, and couldn't believe he was actually looking....happy?

He blasted through a pair of doors and the frigid wind nipped at their skin. Cal's cheeks became rosy, and so did Emerson's.

Their was snow on the ground, and Emerson slowed,  violently shivering as she blew into her cupped hands.

"Come on," Cal smiled, grabbing her cold hand as he started jogging again.

"What are we doing out here?" She complained, jumping up and down when they entered a silent forest.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, his dark brown eyes lighting up in a mischievous glow.

"Um, you kidnapped me, brought me outside to some cold forest, are rude--"

"Do you trust me?" He repeated, grabbing both of her hands.

"Will you tell me--"

"No, but I think you'll like it," he added.

"I guess--"

"Good!" Cal said, and he tightly held onto her hand. In an instant her feet were off the ground, and faster than she could blink they were standing by a well. 

"You brought me out here to show me a well?" She asked incredulously.

"No, I brought you out here to jump down a well," he shrugged.

"What?" She shouted, her eyes wide.

"Ready?" He asked. 

"NO!"

Cal grabbed her hand and leaped into the air, and they were

falling

              falling

                            falling.

And Emerson was

S

C

R

E

A

M

I

N

G

as they fell 

                                        down

                          down

               down

    down.

And she didn't stop screaming until Cal shook her shoulders.

"Would you relax? I told you you'd be fine," He said rolling his eyes.

They were standing in a hollowed out cavern. In the corner their was a reflective pool the color of a night sky. In the opposite of the room their was green flames igniting the room.

"What is this place?" Emerson asked, looking up at the ceiling in awe. It was the starry night sky.

"This was my parent's hideaway," he said quietly. His eyes were closed and he breathed in the air deeply.

"What am I doing here than?" Emerson whispered. She could feel that something was special about this place.

Emerson's question snapped him out of his daydreaming.

He looked up at her, his bright blue eyes staring into hers, "You're here to show yourself the truth."

"What?" She asked, her eyebrows crinkling.

"Take out your contacts," he insisted.

"What?"

"Take out your contacts."

"I can't," Emerson stuttered.

"Yes you can," he insisted.

"What if--"

"Someone saw you? You don't need them here, don't you get that? You don't need to hide anymore," he added.

"No, I'm not like you guys. And I'm not hiding, and this is stupid. I'm not staying here long--"

Cal rubbed his eyes in exhaustion, "I was an idiot for thinking you were different. You know, I helped Tamara convince them that you were more than just some girl that happened to be 'stained', but they were right. You aren't like us, and I guess that's what you wanted."

He rushed past her, knocking shoulders.

"Cal! I'm sorry--I didn't mean--"

"Mean for what? To offend me? Please Emerson, I'm not offended, just disappointed that I even considered sticking up for you. But it doesn't matter does it? Cause at the end of the day, you can't even look at yourself in the mirror. Instead you stare into a foreign pair of eyes that look normal to you, even though it isn't you," he huffed.

Emerson stared at him, "I'm sorry, Cal."

He shook his head, "Safety nets snap, you can't rely on them."

"It's not a safety net!" She roared.

"Prove it. Stop hiding behind something that isn't  you," he added. 

"I'm not hiding!"

"We're late, come on," he sighed, walking towards the opening of the well.

"Cal--"

"Give me your hand," he demanded.

"What?" She asked, her face turning red.

"How else are you going to get out of here," he said giving her a pointed look.

"Oh, right," she whispered, placing her hand in his.

He squeezed hard, and leaped out of the well. Even before her feet touched the ground, he already let go of her hand.

"I'm sorry--"

"Save it Emerson," he muttered, walking ahead of her and leaving her to wander the woods in silence.

A/N: An interesting turn of events.

Thoughts On:

Cal?

Emerson?

Tamara?

The hideaway?

What do you think Cal was trying to do?

Why do you think Cal has such drastic mood swings?

ANYWAYS THANKS FOR READING!

VOTE
COMMENT
AND STAY BEAUTIFUL!!!
~Tapqueen101