America's Suitehearts: Enter Sandman

Chapter 7: Death Valley And The Conductor

*Thanks again paperbackwriter92 for making some of these amazing edits for this story. She did the cover for this chapter*

*JEZ'S POINT OF VIEW*

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" I was in total panic mode. Where is Mr. Sandman? What the fuck is going on?

I froze. Seeing a house that look like it wanted to eat me didn't really click right away, so I stared in horror while screaming. Mr. Sandman was a few feet ahead of me. Still walking not noticing the houses. Only stoping when he heard my screams.

When I finally broke free of my icy trance. I turned and ran for him. He was facing me. Confused about why I was screaming at the top of my lungs. Mixed with concerned with why I was scared.

I lunge at his waist while death gripping my bag. I held him tight when I made contact. I was like a child griping the side of its guardian in need of protection.

He immediately dropped the luggage and hugged me. Shielding me for whatever harm I was trying to get away from.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why are you screaming?" Concern heavily laced his deep voice. I was too shaken up to answer him. I could feel his hold tighten. Trying to stop the pulses coursing right through me. He looked down at me with distress. Trying to decipher my dismay. "JEZ?!?!"

All I could do was unsteadily point at the houses. His gaze following my finger up to the houses staring down at us. They haven't moved from their original spot. Wait?!? What?? Them moving was just all an illusion!!!

"Oh fuck! Jez, it's fine. Calm down. Relax. Those are fake. They are only used to try to scare people to death. Their movement is just an optical illusion. I'm so sorry, Sugar." I'm in too much disbelief to yell at him for calling me Sugar. "I should have warned you we were entering Death Valley."

I concentrate on what he is telling me and my breathing. My shakes die down. He lets go of his grasp and falls to his knees. Regret and shame washes over his face. I'm still bent over, gulping for air. My face is blotchy due to the lack of oxygen taken away by yelling. Also, from running to him. I don't sports.

"I'm so sorry. I completely forgot to forewarn you when we were at the entrance of the valley. I'm not use to traveling with company. I'm so stupid. Please forgive me." He looks at me with his whiskey eyes. I'm still too out of breathe to give any type of response.

"We are in the middle of what we, America's Suitehearts, call Death Valley. An evil Suiteheart created fake buildings to kill any human who wondered into this forsaken place. The ones with faces usually frightens them to death. The regular ones are meant for people who try to climb them due to their weird structure." He looked uncomfortable with the fact that one of his kind would do such a thing to mine.

"I keep hurting you. I'm so fucking sorry. I should have never done any of this. I don't know what's up with me. I make stupid decisions all the time, but harming you in any way is the dumbest thing I could ever do." Tears were forming in his eyes. I had to stop him.

"No. You're fine. I forgive you. Like I said before, you saved my ass from continuing a life of pain. If you wouldn't have brought me here, I honestly don't know if I could have made it any longer in that life. I'm really fucking thankful you came along, even though at first I was too damn blind to see it. Yeah, you could've told me more about this world before we got here. However, the past is behind us. We need to keep looking forward." I fight a smile though the frightfulness that is still lingering in me.

"You're not stupid and you're not hurting me. I just get scared easily. I'm not use to this world so anything is going to startle me. I'll get use to it and then I won't get startled anymore. There is not much you can do. You can prepare me but I'll still react poorly to things. That's just how I am."  I stand up straight and offer him a hand up.