A Lifeless Soul (CURRENTLY EDITING)

Hide And Seek

We rode on our horses for one day. David had a map and told us where to go. It was so hot. We were riding in the woods. "Okay I'm gonna stop to clean the bandages. They're soaked with blood." I said to them. I jumped off Raspberry, which was a dumb thing to do since my leg has been shot. I winced and walked to the bag on my horse. I took out the bandages. "Let me help you." Emily said getting off her horse. "You know, I think we're gonna have to stitch that up. We need to rest tonight and stay here." Emily suggested. "Yeah, the bleeding won't stop and it still hurts bad." I responded. "Everybody look around and then take a break." I said. They all looked relieved. I walked over to a stump and sat down. "Here, give me them." Emily said putting out her hand for the bandages. I gave them to her. "You haven't talked as much since we left. Not even to Ben. What's up with you?" Emily asked me removing the old bandages. She began to clean the wounds on my leg. "I know I have been acting weird, but I don't know what's up." I tell her. And it's the truth. I don't know what taking over me. I've been quiet and secretive since we left. Emily stopped and looked up at me. "I believe you. But I don't know what everyone else thinks. By the way they see you, it looks like they don't know who this girl is. Hope, you were funny. You were fun to be around. You were so brave and awesome. What happened?" Emily said rubbing my hand. I couldn't help it and cried on her shoulder. "I-I don't k-know." I said between sobs. She patted my back and stroked my hair. "Listen, for now we're gonna keep this between you and me. But you need to talk to Ben. Me and Alex have been taking and he says that Ben told him that he thinks you don't love him anymore. Show him that he's wrong. You do still love him right? I mean Jennifer also noticed this and is hanging out around him. She makes him laugh now." Emily explained to me. 'Who am I? What am I doing?' I finished up the bandages and got up. "I'm gonna change. I'm gonna change because this isn't me." I told her. She smiled. "That's the Hope I know." Emily said hugging me. I walked over to Ben, who was laughing with Jennifer. "Hey Ben can I... Can I talk to you?" I asked him. He looked at me and looked guilty. 'Why would he look guilty?' "Yeah Hope." Ben answered. We walked where me and Emily were. "Uh, what's wrong?" Ben asked. I didn't answer him and instead pulled him into a kiss. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. I took a step back. "Listen I know I've been acting a little weird. I just don't know what up with me." I said looking down. Ben lifted my chin and cupped my cheeks. "Hope, I thought you were acting a little weird. When you started acting like this, Jennifer came up to me and began telling me jokes and stories. She's been doing this and making me laugh. But I wanted you back the entire time. I missed you so much that when Jennifer was talking to me... I thought it was you and almost, kissed her." Ben said and ran his hand through his hair. I was shocked. 'Ben almost kissed Jennifer because he missed me. He loves me.' I looked up at Ben and hugged him. "Ben it's okay. That shows that you really love me and I love you back." I said. I thought Ben was gonna give me a kiss, but he didn't. Instead he picked me up bridal style and then kissed me. He walked back toward everybody with me in his arms. I looked over at Emily and smiled. She smiled back and Alex have her a kiss. Ben set me down carefully, still being cautious about my leg. "Okay everybody, I know I've been acting really weird and not like I usually do. And I'm really sorry." I said to my team. "Hope it's okay. We thought that you changed and would t come back but you did and I'm happy." Daisy said. "Yeah. Don't beat yourself up over it." Laurence said. I nodded. "Okay so I wanted to do something fun today." I said smiling. Everyone cheered up. They were really happy I was me again. "I wanted to play hide and seek in the woods." I explained. "Oh I'm up for that. I'll beat all of you." Travis said laughing. "Well I don't think the same. Cause me and my girl are better than you." Alex said kissing Emily on the cheek. "Well two people get caught easily so I'm gonna win. Unless someone wants to tag along." Steven said winking at us. My smile started to get bigger. They were gonna enjoy this. "Alright!" Ben yelled getting everyone's attention. "You don't need to argue because me and Hope are obviously gonna win. No doubt about that." Ben said hugging me. I thought came over me. "Well Ben. I think that instead YOUR gonna count." I said pointing at him. He gave me a smirk. "That's how your gonna play then. Alright I see how it is. Just get ready for me to find you." Ben said smiling big. "Like you will find me. Of course, I'm the best." I said flapping my jacket like a pro. "Yeah right." Nancy said smiling. I smiled back. "Okay so as Hope said it, I'm gonna be the seeker. I'm gonna count to 20. Go." Ben said as he turned around and faced a tree. I ran to the tallest tree in the woods. "1. 2. 3." I heard him count. I started to climb the tree. I put my foot in the wrong spot and almost slipped. "11. 12. 13." I got my grip back and climbed again. I found a nearby branch and climbed to that. Since I'm really light, I thought that this branch could secure me. I sat right and looked down at the ground. And something spotted my eye. "Hope! It's me!" Emily whisper-shouted at me. They were in the biggest bush I've ever seen. And by 'they' I mean Emily and Alex. I just waved my hand back at them. "18. 19. 20!" Ben yelled 20. I brought my feet up to my knees and leaned on the tree trunk. I looked down and saw Ben walk over to another bush, but not as big as Emily and Alex's bush. "Gotcha!" Ben yelled. From the bush I saw Cindy, Kemberly, and Nancy come out. They smiled and then began looking for the rest of us. Ben was walking over to another bush but immediately stopped by a scream. "Dude! You stepped on my hand!" Travis said. My eyes tried finding him everywhere but I couldn't spot him. Then something came from the ground. A human form and I realized it was Travis. Maddy also got up. They were on the floor hiding under leaves. "Dude I'm sorry I didn't see you. That was actually a good hiding spot though." Ben said laughing. Travis walked over to where out horses were and shouted,"HEY HOPE! IF YOU HEAR ME, IM GONNA TAKE A COUPLE BANDAGES!" I nodded even though he wouldn't see me. Maddy followed him. Maddy helped him wrap them around his hand. I looked back to the others. I didn't noticed that Steven and Christian got caught. They all looked for everybody else. Steven caught Mike hiding near an abandoned well. I thought that after this we should go check it out. It was like minute by minute, people were getting caught. It was only me, Emily, and Alex. Everybody else was looking for us and I noticed that the sun was almost down. "Hope!" Ben yelled. I smiled. They won't find me. Before I knew, Emily and Alex got caught. Jessica found them, but they got caught kissing. I was the only one left. I was really hoping that Emily or Alex won't tell them where I was, but they did. "Hey Ben! Look up!" Alex yelled to Ben. Ben smiled big and looked up at all the trees. 'Alex why?!?!' I held my breath every time he looked at another tree. I then closed my eyes. "Hope?!" Ben said. I knew he found me. "I'm coming down!" I yelled. "Well I'm gonna catch you! Jump!" Ben yelled. I opened my eyes and looked at him, shocked. "I'm not gonna jump down Ben!" I yelled at him. "Sure you will! Your light, come on I can catch you!" He yelled back. I stood up and before I jumped down, I sighed. I braced myself for the impact and jumped. It was like a 2 second fall before I felt Ben's arms around me. "Told you." Ben whispered and then he kissed me. I broke the kiss and he set me down. "Well I thought that we would be able to play again, but it's almost dark." I said to everybody. "Yeah. I don't know how, but I'm really tired." Jessica said yawning. "Let's get some sleep." I said and walked over to my horse. In about 5 minutes, we had all our beds ready. I was sleeping with Ben, Emily with Alex, Travis with Maddy, and everybody else alone. We had one lantern to sleep with in the night. I drifted off to sleep while Ben hugged me.

"Jump.... Jump...." I woke up to a deep, hoarse voice. I looked around and got my dagger that was next to me. I got slowly out of the thin blanket and was being careful not to wake up Ben. As I got up, my knees felt weak. I walked closer to where the noise was coming from. "Jump... Jump..." Again the voice. It was at the well that Mike was hiding near. I walked up to the well and looked around. There was nothing in or on it. 'I'm just hearing stuff' I thought. I was about to walk back when I heard something else. "Hope.... Jump..." Hearing my name sent a shiver up my spine. I turned around and leaned on the well. There was no water in there. Then, I felt this weird feeling inside me like back at the base when the games were about to start. I couldn't stop myself and I started to climb the well. My feet were hanging in front of the empty well. "Jump.... Jump..." The voices got louder. I was starting at the deep hole that goes down until you reach the floor. "Jump..." I covered my ears. 'Your not gonna jump Hope! Your not gonna jump!' I closed my eyes. "NO!" I yelled. I heard people's voices behind me. People getting up. "Jump now!!" The voice yelled. But right then, something was pulling me down! I couldn't see anything grab my foot. But something was pulling me down the well. I gripped the wall of the well. The grip was stronger than me so, I let go. I was bracing my self for the impact I was gonna take. 'I'm gonna die.' I thought. But I wasn't falling. I looked up and saw Ben holding on to me. "Hope? Why?" Ben asked. I couldn't answer him. If I told him what had happened, they would all think I was crazy. But it was for my own good. Ben pulled me up and when I was back up, everyone was shocked. Ben hugged me close and didn't let me go. "Ben..." I began. "Hope, you almost jumped down. You almost killed yourself." Ben told me kissing me forehead. "Ben listen to me." I said. He let me go and was ready to listen like everybody else. I explained what happened to me and how something told me to jump. They stood there with their mouths hanging open until Dante spoke up. "We can't stay here. Maybe that THING wanted to kill Hope, or it wants to kill all of us. We have to go now. And clearly Hope, from all you've been through, something wants to kill you." Dante said. I stared at him. It's true though. "Yeah your right. Before I even came here with you guys, I felt like something kept following me. Haunting me. Trying to kill me. Let's go. Dawn is approaching and we will be seen if we're moving in the daytime." I said walking over to my horse. Ben caught up with me and said,"Hope, I'm sorry. I thought you were trying to kill yourself." I looked up at him and cupped his cheek. "Ben I wouldn't do that. Ever." I said. "I know. And now that I know something is trying kill you, I won't leave your side." Ben said. Then he leaned in for a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. I heard someone clear their throat. I looked to my left and saw Emily. "If you two are done," Emily said pointing at the group. "Some of us would like to go."  I nodded and got on my horse. We rode for another day, until we reached our new home.