ok. The ORIGINAL will come back after this. Yes, I delayed The ORIGINAL because it’s Evermore time. 

Season 5 (ikr!) Part 1

Some Strange Encounters 

Arianna 

The light was switched on. I imagined hissing noises like a vampire would make, but I didn’t make them. 

    “Arianna.” 

     “Aiden.” 

     My cousin (yes, he’s my cousin) glared at me. That girl Harper was standing behind him. “Aiden, go call Jos and Cayla. See if Cayla got pulled over—again.” She whispered. Aiden stepped out of the room. 

     I heard a scream of help-me-terror-run-away-now (whatever that’s supposed to mean) and the voice sounded familiar.    

     It couldn’t be— 

I will protect Cassia Sierra with my life. 

     You most certainly will. 

     And then it hit me. 

     What did I just say back there? 

Cassia

I screamed like a kid on a rollercoaster (which is really terrifying- you don’t want to hear that) as Josh kicked the trunk open. “WHY’D YOU DO THAT?” 

     “Shut it!” He demands back. “Sorry, but Aiden’s coming…”

     That explains enough. Aiden is code red. After all, he was the first Raven I met.

     Josh grabbed my callused, shaking hand and he ran. Too fast. I was practically being dragged! “Stop.” I panted, and regained the balance I never had. Phew. 

     He kept going. 

     “CASSIA.” It was Aiden. He wasn’t 20 feet away from me, and he had some sort of...stick. 

    “Don’t hit me with that thing.” I smiled awkwardly and then slapped Josh lightly. “GIDDYUP HORSEY.” I demanded. I suddenly realized how *very* awkward that was and sheepishly grinned. “Whoops.” 

     Josh still ran. 

Arianna

If one Evermorian spell can create enough of a diversion...I might just be able to get out of here. 

     Harper had a weapon. I didn’t know what the Whitaker (yes, that’s my favorite new “swear” word) that thing was but I didn’t want it near me. 

     “Live or die.” Harper states bleakly. 

     “Uh...live. Duh.” Doesn’t everybody choose to live? 

     “Okay, enter something...higher as the stakes. Live or die?” Harper asks again. 

     “What the Whitaker? I don’t get it! Live!” I’m growing impatient. 

     “If the stakes were...someone else’s life? Live or die?” 

     Will she EVER stop? “LIVE. Judging that that is probably a Raven, l-l-l-liiiiive!” 

      “Cassia’s life.” Harper sneers sweetly, and does something to the rod. 

     “DIE.” I immediately switch my choice, and I’m nearly out cold because of it. 

      But I lived. I’ll tell you that. 

      I manage to grab the rod and I glare into Harper’s eyes. “Live or die?” I touch the same button she did. 

    “Die.” She chokes, and falls to the ground. 

     She didn’t live. I’ll tell you that. 

Livia

Cayla already got pulled over—how many times? Let me count…—3 times in the past 20 minutes. 

    The police didn’t check the trunk or I’d be safe, right? As soon as we reached Shadow Creek (ick ick ewwwwww) I was dragged out of the car. I said something, and I’m not going to tell you because it wasn’t a nice word. 

    OK, it was a swear word. 

     Yes, I put a pebble in the Swear Jar. 

     Yes, I’m sorry. 

      Yes, I won’t do it again. 

      NO, YOU MAY NOT KEEP ASKING ME THESE QUESTIONS. 

     That’s another pebble in the jar. 

      Off that topic, the Holding Room (where we question people) was in weird shape. Arianna Westphal-West-Weston-whichever-one-it-Is was half-dead, but breathing tied up, and Harper was aimlessly on the ground, the thing we (they) use to force our—oops, their—answer out of the captive. I mean, a yes or no question could be a no with a flip of the switch. 

     Harper was dead. 

     “Oh…” and there goes another pebble. I am on fire in a terrible way. 

     “What the WHITAKER did I just do?!” Arianna seems shocked. She clearly hasn’t used the Right Answer machine before. 

     “Forced Harper to answer the question how YOU wanted her to answer, resulting in her death.” I recited. “The RAM did that.” 

     “What the Whitaker?” 

     “You’ve got to stop saying that.” I chuckled, and looked around. “Yes,” I added in a whisper, “Cayla and Jos left me here.” 

    I manage to escape from the bonds (ha, I’m an escape artist now) so I go over to untie Arianna. The first thing she does is pick at the scarlet stain caked onto her forehead. 

     Blood. 

     Pebble. 

     Bad, bad Livia. 

     Arianna grabs my wrist and stares into my soul. “C’mon.” 

Cassia

Where we’re running, I don’t know. All I do know is that Josh is holding my hand (it’d be nice if it stayed that way) and we’re running, and that Aiden is 21–wait, now it’s 17–feet away from us. 

    “Where are we going?” I pant, wanting but not wanting to stop. 

    “Wherever!” Josh shouts, and I scan the path ahead of us when I see a cabin. 

    “Look! Look, over there!” I show him the cabin. We burst inside, and something about it seems familiar. 

    I know it is when I see something lying on the ground. “Um, Josh?” 

    “Oh, shoot, oh shoot, oh shoot.” Josh covers the body with a blanket. 

     “Um...care to tell me what’s going on?” I groan. 

     Nothing.

    “Like...whose body that is?” I suggest. 

    Josh stops for a moment. ‘It’s Amy.” 

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN. 

1. Where is Arianna taking Livia and why? 

2. Is it really Amy…? 

3. Will the RAM make another cameo?