Dream Wolf

31: The Hiding

"She is?" Ali asked, paralyzed. Maria nodded, cringing.
"I know, I couldn't believe it at first, but it's true."
"I thought she was just pretending to stay safe..." Ali's heart sank. "How could she?"
Maria shrugged, glancing at the boys, who had just arrived, panting. Tom's eyes widened as she saw that Ali was there. She grinned, timid, in return.
"She's awake?"
"Yes, I am." Ali crossed her arms. "Is it really such a big surprise."
"Yeah, it is when you've been unconscious for-"
A glare from Maria cut him short. "We need to get out," she said, checking her pockets in what Ali assumed was a check of lost items. Tom nodded, and Sandy and Ed ran along the wall they'd come from, stopping about halfway through. Ed took a key from his pockets and turned it in the lock Ali hadn't even noticed wad there.
"A secret hiding place..?" Ali whispered, Tom confirming her suspicions. Sandy shoved the door back, making it creak almost alarmingly.
"Ladies first," he said, making Ali crack a smile.
Once the group had crammed inside, the lightbulb crackling above their heads had flickered on, and Ed had relocked the door, Ali decided to get down to buisness.
"What happened while I was out?" she asked, trying to make it seem like she was shopping at the mall and not unconscious. "I mean, I know it was two weeks- that is what you said, right?- but it feels like an eternity."
"Maria and Ed confessed their undying love for each other whist Tom and I battled monsters that came from a portal under the bed," Sandy said, not even smiling. Ali, however, laughed uncontrollably.
"Seriously."
Ed shrugged. "Not too much, honestly. We hung out here, developed some skills, learned some Teltan history."
"Teltan?" Ali racked her brains before realizing that that was probably the name of the land they were in. A question popped into her head. "Did you ever find out why I was knocked out?"
"Er," Maria said, stifling a giggle, "the guard hit you on the head with one of those little kid plastic frying pans. Of course, there was a lot of power behind it, but..."
Ali put her head in her hands, shaking it. "Wow," she muttered. "That's pretty sad. Oh, one more thing. Is it actually possible to be unconscious for 2 weeks?"
"It was magic. They kept you under," Maria replied, reaching into a cupboard on the side. Ali could see some sandwhiches and a few bottles of water inside. Maria uncapped a water bottle and took a long drink before wiping it off and passing it around.
"I don't think they're here," a muffled voice said, driftng through the door. The 5 went silent.
Someone sighed. "But they had all the medical stuff that Ali would have needed... I guess they moved out. Let's hope she woke up," Roy said, his voice getting auieter and quieter as he walked away.
"Is it safe?" Ali whispered once she could hear the footsteps no more.
"I'll check. Ali, you and Tom should hide under the blankets just in case. Sandy and Ed, you squish behind the door. Let's hope they're gone."
Ali steadied her breathing, realizing it was incredibly loud. The door flew open and Maria screamed. Ali jerked her attention to her friend.
"Well, well, well," Roy said. Ali could imagine him grinning. "Fancy meeting you here."

A/N: I know, not much happened in this chapter other than, you know, them being caught and all. Things are gearing up to an end, so there will be more happening.
And someone or sometwo are going to die. *cackles evilly*
It's Nobody's birthday today.