Something cold and heavy drops onto my exposed abdomen and I flinch. "If you start helping." I stare up at him, confused.

           "But...I thought...." I sit up, feeling embarrassed as my bra flaps against my shirt. The shovel's head falls into my lap.

           "I know what you thought, Candace, and I promise you, that's not why I brought you out here." There is an edge of anger to his voice and I can feel a bit of my own surging up within me. I push myself into a standing position, using the shovel for support.

          "Then why did, Connor? Are you really going to stick with 'buried treasure' bit? Or can't you get it up? Is that the problem?" He stays quiet and I immediately want to slap myself. This was the one thing Alex told me not to do; to insult his manhood. The anger drains from me as quickly as it came. "If that's the reason, I know a few tricks, we can still..." I trail off as he turns from me, letting me see only his profile, his limp pants.

          "Can't you just dig?" He mutters miserably, still refusing to look at me. I look at the shovel in my hands and sigh. If this is what he needs from me... I shove the metal into the dirt, hoping the sound will lift his spirits. We stay like that, me digging and him, well, doing something else until a loud 'thunk' fills the air and my shovel refuses to sink further.

         "Connor! Connor! I found something! I found the treasure! Connor, come look! Connor!" We're going to be rich! I'm going to be famous! Oh my God, Alex is going to be soo jealous! This is way better than losing your dumb V-card...much better. Connor walks over to me, carrying the flashlight. He shines it down at the ground, at the narrow pit I've managed to excavate.

        "Great work, Candace." He grabs me up and plants an excited kiss on my forehead, but I'm too caught up to notice. "We're half-way there." All the excitement and dreams of crowns and jewels slip.

        "Wh-what? But...I found..." Connor laughs, making me feel stupid.

        "It's alright, Candace. You're almost done with your part. I'll take over here for a minute. Why don't you go get us a water bottle from the car while you wait?" I smile, relieved I won't be doing any more digging despite not having found the treasure.

        "Okay," I agree, leaning in, hoping for another kiss for being such a good girl. He gives it, and even slaps my butt as I scurry out of the giant hole he's dug today. I prance my way towards the car, dreaming of the contents of the chest and other, dirtier packages. I open the door and sit inside the clean, lit interior, checking my make-up in the rear-view mirror. No wonder Connor didn't want to kiss me.

         My eyes no longer look smoky and sexy like they had this morning, now they resemble a raccoon. I reach for my purse and pull out a tissue before grabbing a water bottle from behind the seat. I uncap it and wet the tissue before dabbing at my eyes. I clean them up, trying to make them look at least a little more natural. Finally, I give up. It's dark, I justify. I slick on another layer of lip-gloss and pull out my phone, debating on updating Alex to my night. I slide it closed again with a snap and shove it back into the bottom of my purse, I'll report when there's more to say.

       I grab a second water bottle and slam the door shut. I've got treasure to uncover. I walk back towards the hole, my heart beating faster as silence greets me. "Connor," I call, excitement building as I get closer, "I've got the water like you asked." I attempt to make my voice husky, like they do in the movies. I climb over the mound of discarded dirt and stare down into the hole. It's now illuminated by a ring of candles, Connor sits in the center, in a circle carved in the dirt. "Oh, Connor, it's gorgeous!" I slide my way down until I'm standing just beyond the nearest candle.

       "Stop, Candace. Don't touch them!" He rises to his feet, his hands held up in front of him. My eyes squint in confusion and annoyance.

        "I'm not an idiot, Connor, I know that fire burns." I roll my eyes and gingerly step between the flickering stubs.

        "Wait there," he orders while he bends down and wipes at a section of the circle carved into the dirt. When it's faded into non-existence he comes forward and takes my hands. He leads me until I'm standing just beyond it. "Stand there, don't move." I roll my eyes as he draws a second ring around me. When he's finished he goes back to the first ring and reaches for his pack, a thing I missed on my way down.

        "Connor, what are you doing? This isn't fun anymore. What was in that box?" He stands and slips something into the back of his pants.

        "It wasn't a box, Candace," he purrs, finally turning on the sexy I knew hid inside him.

         I grin and swivel my hips, showing of in the glowing light. "What was it," I ask, only half-curious now. He smiles and takes my hand, gently trailing his fingers up and down my arm.

        "An alter," he whispers, so soft I'm sure I missed it. With his free hand he whips out a dagger from behind his back and slashes it across my wrist. I scream in pain and grab the wound, trying to hold off the blood springing to the surface. Dimly, I'm aware of Connor stepping away from me and re-drawing the circle in dust. He crouches down again and for the first time I see what he was doing in the dirt while I held the flashlight. Markings, symbols in the dirt that I don't understand but send chills down my spine.

         "What about the treasure," I gasp, unable to comprehend what all of this means. Connor laughs, and I scream as another onslaught of pain bursts from my wrist.

         "Oh, there will be treasure. I told you, we were only half-way done. This second part requires a sacrifice," he pauses as a drip of blood forms along the underside of my arm, "a human sacrifice."

          Sacrifice...I know that word... "Doesn't...doesn't sacrifice mean death? Am I going to bleed to death?" He shrugs.

           "Possibly...Probably...Yes."

           I flinch and begin moving away from him, "You're going to kill me?" He shakes his head as my back runs into something solid. It's too early for me to be at the rim of the hole.

           "He is." Connor says, as I turn, meeting my death....

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