"Initiates you have one more fear to face tomorrow before your rankings that evening. Then you will have a day off and stage three will begin." Eric's cold voice rings through the dining hall as we eat our dinners.
I haven't spoken to him since the fears yesterday, the day he left before I finished. For my fears today he didn't say anything, and he was gone again when I woke up.
I twirl my spaghetti around on my fork before I notice all my friends are staring at me.
"What?"
"You look mad. Like really mad. What's wrong?" Harry has always been the caring one since we got here, sometimes I wonder why he didn't choose amity.
"It's nothing"
"Doesn't seem like nothing" Adam chimes in.
"Well if you must know I had a fight with Four yesterday" I lie, I know Tobias and I resolved everything. As if not listening at all Adams eyes drift behind mine before looking back to me.
"He's staring at you"
"Four?"
"Eric" I could always tell Adam hated Eric, he definitely showed it. Any time I or anyone else mentioned him it would put him in a mood for the rest of the evening.
It's awful but I can't help feel a sense of happiness that he is still looking at me, at least he's thinking about me. Not half as much as I'm thinking about him though I'm guessing.
"Doubt it. Hey how was everyone's fears today?" I change the subject, although I still feel his eyes burn holes in the back of my head.
"Mine was awful, I was thrown into a pit of spiders"
"Drowning"
"Thrown off the chasm"
"Killing my parents"
"Clowns" all eyes turn to Danny and laughing erupts.
"Clowns?" Adam says in between fits of laughter.
"Killer Clowns. Hey shut up! What was yours Alex?"
"Execution"
-~-
I stand here in front of this crowd of people. A faceless man in a cloak stands mere meters away from me.
I here the crowd jeering and screaming terrible things. I look and see the people standing in the crowd. Harry, Jane, Danny, Jack, Adam, Tobias and even Eric.
They are shouting awful words.
"Kill the bitch"
"She doesn't deserve to live"
"She's weak get rid of her"
I turn back around to face the man in the cloak. He raises his hand and I see a silver steel pistol.
Bang
Everything goes black
-~-
"That's rough, Hey we only have one more fear to face you guys"
"Thank god. I don't think I'd survive any more"
"I heard the next stage is pretty similar" Adam's words send shivers up my spine. More fears?
"You've got to be kidding me" I huff.
"Wish I was al wish I was"
"Al?" I raise an eyebrow, a trait earned from spending time with Eric.
"Can't I call you al?" Adam defends and I just put my hands up in defense.
"Go ahead" I laugh lightly.
+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+•+
"Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat?" Tobias plops down on the sofa beside me.
His apartment is smaller than Eric's, but it's cosy. The living room and kitchen are together with a small circular dining table in the far corner.
"I missed nights like this" I admit, cuddling up to my brother.
"So did I, you don't know how many times I thought about those cold winter evenings we would lie on your bed just talking for hours. I craved it"
"Those nights were the best. Hey at least we can have nights like that again now" our conversations flow so easily.
"How's things going with after hours training?" My heart sinks.
"I don't do that anymore" my voice is steady, steadier than how I feel.
"Oh, why?"
"Eric decided it would be best" I swallow hard before drawing my lips into a straight line.
"Oh well, more free time for you I guess" little does he know I don't want the extra free time. Truth is I enjoyed the training with Eric. Not because he was working me to a pulp but because I got to spend time with him.
"Earth to Alexa" Tobias is wearing a small frown.
"What?"
"I asked how's training going?" I must have completely zoned out.
"It's awful"
He laughs lightly.
"You'll get through it, I promise."
"I hope so."
"Anyways how are the fears going?" Tobias' question may seem simple to a normal person but I know better. He wants to know if Marcus has made an appearance.
"He wasn't in them yet" again, this would make no sense to anyone but my brother.
"Good. You still have one fear to face. I know you might not like the sound of this but it's most likely him. He's my last fear, it's always your worst one. It's what you fear most"
"I'm not scared of him anymore" I argue.
"You might tell yourself that, but deep down you always will, we both will"
Silence. Neither of us say anything because there is nothing to say.
Tobias' words are true, I was lying. I am still and will always have a fear of Marcus. The only thing I can change about that is whether I face that fear or I cower from it,
And I've never really been a coward.
"It's getting late, you should probably get back to the dorms" Tobias suggests and I nod. I stand from the comfy couch and stretch with a yawn.
"Yeah I better go, I'll see you tomorrow" before I make it to the door Tobias' voice calls.
"Alexa, if Eric's being unpleasant to you then I can administer your serum tomorrow?" I think for a second.
"Family can't test family"
"I can bend the rules" he argues.
"More like break them. I'm fine I can handle Eric" the words spill out of me without me processing them.
"Suit yourself. I'll see you at the party tomorrow evening at rankings then. Good luck" he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a hug.
"Thanks, if the fear is what you say then I'm going to need it"