The Proxy Trials 2... Annihilation (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 4 - what if she's still alive?

Axel's P.O.V.

I crouched down beside Ulrick's gravestone, remebering the relief I felt when I killed him. But why did I feel so terrible about it now? No one seemed to care I killed my kidnapper as much as I did. Yet I didn't get as much happiness as how I thought I'd feel afterwards.

Two shots - one in the head, and one to the right of the heart.

The shots were quick and clean, and from here on I vowed never to intentionally kill someone ever again. The wind blew my hair gently, and a cold current of cold air brushed against my burning cheek. I fingered the ends of my now blood-red streaked tresses, which fell just past my shoulders on one side.

Two days ago, when the Fourth Trial was held, I was confident I wouldn't survive. I had to live through Ulrick's kidnapping all over again, but it wasn't THAT bad, and I did manage to knock Dark Axel out, not that I have a grudge against Dark versions of people. Especially not against dark versions of Link. Like, say... Dark Link maybe. Now I found I COULD survive it, I felt so much stronger. So much more powerful. It was certainly a good feeling.

I was so sure I'd feel much better about this... I brought the shovel down into the soil, but just before I could dig some dirt out, Rose came running into the empty woods - it was quite peculiar digging a gravestne in the middle of the woods, but oh well, the more proud I'd be. She caught up with me, gasping for breath. "What's wrong hon? You look slightly freaked out." I slung an arm over her shoulder, letting her catch her breath. "It's... Rinwana... she.. Rinwana... gone.. missing." She almost collapsed out of exhaustion, and I almost collapsed out of surprise. "WHAT?! Are you sure, what happened, just... WHAT?" I sucked in a deep breath, and aided her towards a craggy rock for her to perch on.

"Wow Axel, you really meant it when you wanted his gravestone to be isolated from everyone else. Couldn'tit have been a LITTLE closer to the Mansion? I mean, no one knows about you killing Ulrick except me, Ben, Slender and Violet. Not even Masky's allowed to know. If you'd told anyone else, they'd give you a two hour lecture about other forms of punishment and the like. BUT WHY SO FARAWAY FROM THE MANSION?!" I couldn't believe she could talk about Ulrick at a time like this.

"Rose this isn't even funny, where was she last?"

"Getting her Trial done with Slender - apparently the story goes like this: Rinwana spent longer than average to complete her Trial, so Masky and Hoodie came over to check up on Slender and her. When they broke into the Surgery though, it was deserted and Slender and Rinwana were nowehere to be seen. Next day Slender's back in his miserable out Surgery, and he just blanked anyone if Rinwana was mentioned."

"What happened then?"

"I really don't know, Axel. Oh yeah, but theories are that maybe she...um... d-d.. died. And Slender wanted to keep her body, because we all know that obsession he has with her. Personally, I think it's kinda obvious he's hiding something from all of us - he knows something about Rinwana we don't, even the Proxies go silent when I try to get Rinwana's back-story out of them. Things got desperate, so I even went back to the forbidden filing room Ben told me warned me to stay away from - y'know where I caught Sakura doing something dodgy?"

"Oh, right."

"So yeah. I found Rinwana's file. Someone had had it emptied."I blinked. Not much mystery in who done that. "Well... what's so terrible about Rinwana's past which can't be shown to the rest of us? I mean, I was KIDNAPPED for goodness' sake. What is she hiding from?"

Rose shrugged. "I don't care. I just want her back. First Heidi. Now Rinwana. Next it'll be Emily or someone. Ugh, WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO US?" We had learned to control our emotions, cry out our sorrows and homesickness only in the privacy of our own rooms, or through the Proxies (That option's better though. Masky and Toby tend to smuggle up sweets and ipods and stuff for us.)

"We won't cry about it yet Rose. We'll wait. Rinwana can't be dead. She's braver and stronger than ME. Rinwana isn't dead." I closed my eyes, remembering how it was like during the Trial. There wasn't much of a fight between that though. It was more cracking YO MAMA cusses out to each other. Though we have the same mother technically. She body-slammed me, and suddenly it was like she WAS me, she could look into my memories. make me feel them, what memory could be so bad you'd rather die than live through it again?

We mooched back into the house. E.J. and Maria came bursting into the kitchen, chasing each other flirtatiously. If it was Violet and Masky, or Rose and Ben, or even Xandra and Jeff, I really didn't give a shit - but I took the time to give them my very best death-glare. Mine could win 1st place in creeping someone out.

Rose and I walked over to the living room instead, where Emily, Xandra, and Dawn lolled, chatting cheerfully. I still couldn't get over Dawn's goth phase. E.J. didn't deserve an amazing girl like her.

All of a sudden, D.L, L.J, and a weird red dog-thing entered the room. I completely lost thought for the creature, and my heart skipped a beat as I watched D.L. I couldn't stand this. The way those biceps underneath clothes were literally busting to escape, all muscle and toned and gorgeousness. Then the mischievous red eyes, which always looked like he found something so amusing. And the way he made any situation so much more fun. That's it, I was gonna tell him soon enough. I was gonna tell a killer that I fancied him ever so slightly, for an unknown reason. Ugh, focus Axel, you're meant to be thinking about Rinwana - one of you're best-est friends.

"Where's Violet?" He asked suspiciously. I bet they were starting to worry Vi had disappeared too. Emily shrugged, chewing her nails nervously. "Um, I think she went skiving off with Masky out front." Duh. Eventually, Xandra and Dawn screamed in fear as they watched the lobster thing - picture a dog who had peeled it's skin off. That's what it looked like. D.L. grinned. "Smile Dog, girls. Girls, this here is Smile Dog. He doesn't do much, 'cause he's just a lazy mongrel, you'll get used to him, trust me. It took me ages to get comfortable around Seedeater, but he's too busy trying to eat Maria." HEHE I liked the sound of this Seedeater already.

Where was everyone else? Looking for Rinwana I hope. This was getting out of hand now. Rinwana wasn't dead, otherwise Slender wouldn't have been so okay about, but so worried at the same time. Subsequently, I thought I saw a flash of silvery- blonde hair and blue-grey eyes, and quick as a flash, I snapped my head back towards the French panel window. I could've sworn I just saw... Heidi?