Taken by the fog

Change

I climbed further into thetree, Vaughn and Lilith were on the top, with my name closely under it. My namewas located near Orson's, practically the same level. What does this mean? 

"Sam!" I ran into the house. Where is this guy?
"Don't talk." Sam came from the garden. I looked at him confused until I noticed Orson and Judith behind him.
"Look who decided to show." Judith started off.
"Where were you?" Orson demanded to know.
"Didn't know I had to give my whereabouts every five seconds." I replied dryly. "I went for a hike in the woods."
"At 8 in the morning?" Judith questioned.
"Yes, I couldn't sleep anymore so I went for a hike."
"Whatever, there is a meeting in the cafeteria at 3. We are crossing over tonight at 8. Be on time." Orson said before they left.
"Hold on a minute, let me make sure they left." Sam walked to the window and came back after a couple of minutes. "What's up?"
"What do the markings on the tree mean?"
"Markings? What markings?"
"There were names on the trees, names of the people in the fog."
"I've never heard of that, maybe Vaughn has. We'll ask it the next time we see him. For now, you should prepare. They're up to something."

I arrived at the cafeteria with time to spare. Ayden walked up to me, together with Lilith.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked Lilith.
"Came to annoy my brother. These emergency meetings only mean one thing, another calling is coming up." Lilith replied. "I want to know more details, usually these things are talked through with Vaughn and I but ever since the last fog, Orson shut us out."
"Another calling? So soon?"
"Apparently. I have a feeling Orson has been scared ever since the last fog. The only control he has is when there are callings. The rest of the time, Vaughn and Lilith are in charge." Ayden explained further.
"Let's get this show on the road then."

"Welcome, today we will cross over once more. Instead of assigning you to your partners tonight, we will assign them now. " Orson started off. The room stirred and Orson slapped on the table to receive everyone's attention once more.
"Of course, another curveball." Ethan murmured next to me.
"I'm getting tired of this." Sharon sighed. I looked around in confusion.
"Ever since the last fog, he has been haunting us all." Katy explained. "It's getting old."
"Haunting?" I asked.
"He hasn't come to you? Lucky gal." Elijah sighed.
"He's been haunting us to join him. He wants to know what side we're on." Katy told me. "Apparently something is going on and he does not want to tell anyone but if you answer his name, you get more benefits. If you answer Vaughn or Lilith, you will be treated like trash."
"Why is everyone taking him so seriously?" I asked, earning me a glare from Ayden.
"Don't you know? Orson is the most powerful in the fog." Sharon sissed.
"According to?"
"The legend."
"What legend and who told you the legend?" My impatience was growing at this point.
"The legend of some sort of tree, Orson told me." Elijah said.
"He's lying." I chuckled. "He's not the strongest, Vaughn and Lilith are."
"How do you know?" Ayden asked in a warning tone.
"Heard it somewhere." I quickly tried to recover from my mistake.
"Let's find out, shall we?" Sharon started.
"No, we don't have to." Ayden tried to stop her. However, Orson already noticed the commotion.

"What are you guys talking about?" He demanded to know.
"Who is the strongest leader in the fog?" Sharon asked.
"Easy question, that's me. As I told all of you." Jackson looked at me from the other side of the room, knowing I was the one who started the trouble.
"Okay, thank you. Good to know." I tried to silence Sharon.
"Jen says you're not." Sharon continued.
"She says what?" Orson turned to me. Judith walked over to Orson's side, do honestly think it's not obvious they're dating? "Listen carefully, you keep undermining me, testing me and challenging me. You will be punished for it."
"Why don't you tell them the truth Orson?"
"Leave him alone." Judith jumped to his aid.
"Sorry, this is a conversation between him and me, if you can stay out of it, that would be great."
"If you can treat him normally, that would be great." Judith pushed on.
"Wow Orson, didn't know you needed a puppet to talk for you."
"I don't. Judith, stay out of this." Orson shushed her with his hand as she tried to jump to his defense once more. "You're a rookie, you do not have the authority to talk to me like that. There are only two people who can talk to me like that, both are not here. Keep on going and your punishment will be greater than death."
"Here I thought you were hoping for a challenge." I tested my luck.
"Go to hell." Orson laced his words with as much venom as he could. He was so close that I could feel his breath against my forehead. Jokes on him, I'm not backing down.
"With you in this world, I'm already in hell." I replied with as much sass as him. The vein on Orson's forehead was throbbing.
"That's enough." Vaughn intervened.

"What were you thinking?" Ayden asked as he walked me back home.
"I have my reasons. We have to gather everyone tonight and I'll tell you."
"Gather after the crossing?" I nodded in reply. "I can arrange that. Jackson might not be able to make it though."
"We'll gather without him." I didn't want to tell Ayden but I was hoping that Jackson couldn't. I don't trust him and he is too close with Orson.
"Okay, I'll put out the word. See you tonight."
"See you!"

An hour later, Sam walked into the room, followed by Jackson, Vaughn and Drew.
"We need to talk." Vaughn started.
"Can it wait?" I asked. "I'm practicing slicing Orson's throat."
"Hold your horses' samurai." Jackson snorted. "We have to talk about what happened."
"Fine, talk." I spat.
"What's going on? You're usually not like this." Sam questioned.
"There is a lot going on at the moment. Can we talk about it after the crossing? I'll explain everything."
"You're saying you did this on purpose?" Drew asked.
"I did, it has a reason and I'll tell you tonight."
"I can't tonight." Jackson told everyone. "I'll hear it some other time."
"Fine by me." Vaughn replied, to which everyone agreed. 

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