HOUSE OF RETURN

Chapter 30

"NO! TYLER!" Danya cries out.
"Someone has to help him!" Annika shouts.
"This is all my fault." Tears fall from Danya's eyes. "I have to save him."
Danya crawls into the hole.
"Danya! No!" Annika and Jamal shout.
Danya cries. "I'm coming for you, Tyler!"
Danya sees huge spiders and snakes and screams at the top of her lungs.
"Danya!"
"HELP ME!"
Jamal rushes in after her. "I've got you!" Jamal pulls her out and saves her.
He charges back in and sees the spiders and snakes and screams. "I don't like bugs!"
"You have to do this, Jamal!" Elayna shouts.
Jamal takes a deep breath and grabs Tyler, pulling him out and saving him.
"Tyler!" Danya shouts.
She runs into his arms.
"You tried to save me." Tyler says. "Why?"
"I was lost in the moment, I didn't know what I would do without you." Danya says, tears still falling.
Tyler runs to Jamal and hugs him. "Thank you for saving me."
Danya goes to Jamal and hugs him. "This is the only time you'll get a hug from me."
Jamal smiles.
"Let's go back." Annika says.
~
Meanwhile, Hunter goes to see his dad but Grace is there.
"Grace?!" Hunter exclaims. "Why are you here?!"
"He's my dad, too." Grace states. "I wanted to see him!"
"Grace." Their dad says. "Could you go get me a chocolate bar from the vending machine?"
"Of course, dad." Grace leaves to the vending machine.
Their dad whispers to Hunter. "I need you to come back alone. There's something important I need to tell you when you do."
Grace comes back. "Here's your chocolate bar!"
"Thank you, sweetheart."
They all sit down.
~
The next day in the student lounge, Sibuna meets.
"Okay, what are everyone's worst fears?" Annika asks. "My worst fear is the dark."
"Mine is bugs and snakes." Jamal says.
"Same." Danya says.
"Mine is tight spaces." Tyler says.
"Mine is death." Elayna says.
"Well, no dip!" Jamal says.
"All of these things could be in that hole." Annika says.
"We could die?!" Elayna exclaims.
"Possibly." Annika says. "We have to face our greatest fears to get through this task. I'll sleep with no night light tonight.... And Tyler.. You sleep under your bed, it's a tight space!!"
"I can't do that!!" Tyler shakes.
Annika grips his hand. "Yes you can. We all can. Together. Danya and Jamal.... We'll take you to the lab where the bugs and lizards are. Elayna, try not to die... I guess."
"Um... Okay??" Elayna says.
"Let's go to the lab." Annika says.
In the lab, Jamal holds the bugs and snakes but drops them.
And so does Danya.
Jamal and Danya run away, screaming.
Annika sighs. "This is gonna be hard."
~
That night, Danya visits Tyler in his room and sees him on his bed.
"You're supposed to be UNDER your bed!"
"I can't! I tried and started crying and screaming!" Tyler shakes.
Danya and Tyler sit next to each other.
"I believe in you, Tyler." She smiles at him. "I care about you. A lot."
She goes to hug him, but he pushes her away.
"What is it with you?!" Tyler yells at her. "One minute, you love and hug me... And the next, you're pushing me away and ignoring me! I don't know if I want to be with someone like that!"
"Tyler..." Danya says.
"No, Danya! I know the only reason we started dating was because of me. I practically forced it to happen! You have no feelings for me in this relationship whatsoever!"
"That's not true, Tyler! I really started liking you!"
"Well now you know how it feels to be hurt by someone you love..... I'm dumping you. You always pushed me away and were disgusted by the fact of us being together! And I loved you! Do you know how much that hurt me?! Now you know how it feels!"
"Tyler, don't do th-"
"Get out of my room. NOW." Tyler pushes Danya out and locks the door.
Tears start streaming down her face as she cries.
~
The next morning, Victor makes an announcement at breakfast. "I am aware some of you are wearing jewelry which is invalid! Hand it over!"
Victor takes off all of the Sibuna memeber's amulets and pockets them.
"That's ours!" Elayna shouts.
"Too bad." Victor walks out.
"That's weird." Sami says. "He didn't get the jewelry from the rest of us. Only you 5."
"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Danya asks.
"Victor needs the amulets to get into the tunnels! Because last time he got blinded!" Tyler says.
"Guys... Do you know what this means?" Jamal asks.
"Yes." Annika states. "Victor's trying to find the Mask, too. He's catching up to us and we have to get it before him."
END OF BOOK3