"How you been Sera?" he inquired.
"Fine," she managed to choke out.
"You look good, but then you always did. Would you like to know how I've been?"
"No."
"Well, I haven't been too good. Some people actually believed that nasty little lie you told about me. I was kicked off the football team, and lost my scholarship to college thanks to you."
She met his gaze. "It wasn't a lie."
He laughed and took a step closer, his solid chest brushed against hers. A shudder of revulsion ripped through her as he leered down at her, disgustingly close, and amazingly real. Looking at him now, she couldn't recall why she had thought that he was so perfect. He was handsome, in the classic, all American sense, but there was a wealth of depravity in his blue eyes. She didn't understand how she'd never seen it before. It had to have been there, but she'd been so enamored with him that she had refused to acknowledge it.
Now the evil inside of him blazed at her. Now it seeped into her soul, caused her mind to go numb and her legs to tremble so much that she was afraid she was going to collapse.
"We both know you wanted it."
She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to ward off the chill that was wracking her. He turned away and began to walk around the room. She frantically searched for the nearest thing to hit him with. "Nice place you got here. You're roommate's kind of a pig though," he remarked.
"I think it's time for you to leave Jacob."
He stalked back to her. She lurched desperately for the lamp on her desk. Her trembling hands knocked it over as she clumsily grasped at it. "Oh God," she cried in frustration as it tumbled to the floor and broke in half.
He grabbed hold of her arm and spun her around. She screamed as he lifted her up and flung her onto the bed. The breath was knocked out of her but she somehow managed to find the strength to scramble back. He grabbed her leg and jerked her toward him. "No!" she screamed as she kicked crazily at him. "Get away from me!"
He pulled her across the bed and climbed on top of her. Sitting on her legs, he grabbed hold of her hands and pinned them above her head. She screamed again, bucking wildly as she tried to rip her hands free. He squeezed her wrists as he shifted both of her wrists into one hand and placed his other hand over her mouth. Tears of frustration rolled down her face as she fought to get free.
***
Liam stood by Mike as the next group went by. "There are only two groups left. Then we can go party. Or, at least I can." The wolf man mask covered Mike's face, but Liam knew he was grinning beneath it. "Then again, I'd rather be at your party."
Liam shook his head. "I'm sure that you'll find your own."
Mike laughed as he pulled the mask off. "God this thing is hot. I need a beer."
Liam winced as screams from children echoed through the halls. He was beginning to get a headache from all of the high-pitched shrieks. Glancing at his watch, he was amazed to find that it was only quarter after nine. He rubbed at his pounding temples. He couldn't wait to end these tours. His throat was sore, he was hungry, and he was tired. He had led ten groups of screaming children, and their parents through. He just wanted to get out of here and see Sera. It was the only thing that was keeping him going.
Mike began talking again but Liam had stopped listening to him. A deep knot began to make its way into his belly. He frowned as he tried to figure out where it was coming from. Becoming completely still, he used his mind to probe the area around him as he scented the air for the source of the unexplained fear. He turned into himself, searching for something, for anything that would explain it.
Then he realized that the fear was coming from Sera.
"I have to go," he blurted, cutting Mike off in mid-sentence.
"What?" Mike asked dully.
"I have to go. Find someone else to do the last tour."
"You can't just leave Liam."
"I have to. Get my car and meet me at Sera's dorm."
"Liam wait!" Mike grabbed hold of his arm and swung him around. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Let go!" he ripped his arm free. "It's Sera; she's in trouble, just meet me there."
Mike gawked at him but Liam didn't wait for a response as he turned to run. Liam burst through the front door as the next group was getting ready to come through. They stared at him in astonishment, but he barely noticed as he started to run toward her dorm.
***
