Tears of Gold: House of Anubis

Amber XII

Amber couldn't help but shake slightly as she wiped away the dirt and grime from the tunnels. She stared blankly as the dirt from the tunnel washed down the drain, yet it didn't seem like enough. A sob escapes her as she scrubs harder at her arms till, they turn red and raw. All she could see was flashes of what would have happened if Fabian hadn't come to her rescue. She could still feel the spiders running all over her body and the ceiling crashing down on her head.

A knock on the bathroom door shakes her out of her thoughts. "Amber?" Nina's voice comes through the door. "Are you alright? You've been in there for a while".

"yeah... I'll be out in a moment Neens".

"Ok, take your time. We are all regrouping in our room once you're done". Stepping into a pair of comfortable sweatpants Amber analyzed herself in the mirror. She looked better now that the dirt and blood was washed off. Her face was littered with cuts and her arms were red from the merciless scrubbing. Deciding not to put on any makeup she pulled her hair into a messy braid. Zipping up Alfie's old sweatshirt, she took one last look in the mirror and made her way back to her room.

Opening the door she found Fabian and Nina working on a game plan while Alfie was curled up on her bed quietly. Making her way over to the bed she settled down next to him. Rolling over he wrapped her in his arms. Letting out a breath, Amber felt like she was finally safe. "How can I help Ambs?" he whispered.

"Just hold me ok. I just need reassurance that I'm not still stuck in there". He quickly agreed and held her tighter to his chest, drawing comfort from holding her as well. They remained that way for a few more minutes until Patricia finally joined the group.

"Ok!" called Nina. "Let's recap". Amber and Alfie readjusted so that they were able to see the rest of the group.

"The tunnel is the next official trap, not a walkway like the others. It seems that it was able to sense our fears and turn them against us" Fabian provided.

"Well I knew that I was claustrophobic already. Last year took a crazy toll on all of us and being locked in that cupboard in the cellar really heighted my claustrophobia". Alfie talking about this to the others was a big step for him Amber realized.

"I'm definitely bug-phobic, especially spiders!" she revealed.

"This is good!" Nina encouraged, "Not your phobias! But by sharing our phobias we can figure out what the tunnel is likely to hit us with and work around them".

"Yeah, I didn't really want to say" added Fabian, "but I'm really bad with worms. I'm not phobic, I just HATE them".

"After the car crash and funeral I developed a strong phobia of skulls and bones in general". Nina revealed pulling her knees up to her chin. Fabian grabbed one of her hands to provide her a measure of comfort.

Patricia studiously studied the floor clearly not in the mood to share. Amber motioned for Alfie to go and comfort her, as they had the best relationship amongst the Sibunas. He got up and joined her on the floor by the door wrapping an arm around her. "What about you Trixie? We want to help so that if we all have to go through the Tunnel of Doom, we can successfully reach the other side."