Dancing With The Devil (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 3: Fade to Black

"Danger is a feeling that brings along a chill. One you can't deny that you love. In that moment you become more than yourself. Running for your life yet you feel that importance...it could happen to many others but it chose you. You're special. I'm special."

Third Person P.O.V

"Sage!" the thunderous yet gentle tenor tone filled her ears and a small trail marked the page of her diary which she'd been lost it. Never being one to complain, she closed the book and slid it into the sponge of her pillow, zipping it shut and pulling the pillow case over it. "I'm coming!" She yelled, a phrase she'd grown accustomed to. Grabbing her phone and her wallet from the desk at the corner of the room, laden with books that she meant to read or reread this summer.

She really didn't want them to leave. Unlike the mainstream teenagers who'd rejoice in the idea and throw parties every night, Sage respected her parents and hated the idea of breaking their trust. Her footsteps could be heard from the hall as she ran down the stairs, skipping two at a time. The denim jumper and white tee inside fit the weather outside, she thought. The luggage had already been packed into the trunk and it seemed to her that they were eager to leave her behind yet she smiled and took her father's hand in her's.

He gave it a light squeeze, walking out the door to a complaining mother ranting about the millions of reasons they could be late and miss their flight. Her father shook his head and Sage stifled her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand as he held open the back door of the car for her.

What seemed like a drive, too short for her liking, they arrived at the airport. The car was trusted into her care and her father spoke as though it was a newborn.

"Feed it transmission oil. Bathe it. Blah blah blah."

She couldn't blame him as he was a mechanical engineer after all. The dismissal was dragged out as long as possible and warnings were thrown their way as they left. "Don't forget to take pictures! And bring me back a t-shirt!" She laughed. It still hadn't hit her that they'd be gone for a little over two months and school hadn't even closed yet.

In the Aldaine Residence

One...two..three..
He waited for Thalia to yell his name--there it was. "What?!" He yelled. Liam was a smart guy. Fairly, a pretty good package. Footballer, great in academics. He was a cross between a geek and that guy the girls at school followed around like lost puppies. The four of them; Thalia, Liam, Robin and Jane, had gathered at the Aldaine's residence to await Sage's return. "She left the bed in a mess!" The high pitched voice reached him and he groaned, dragging his way up the stairs and into the room of one of his closest friends.

The scene of the diary that Sage seemed to want to keep a secret being pushed under the pillow only a couple of days before played back in his mind and before he knew it, he was lifting the pillows off the bed. his Curiosity always got the best of him. Thalia raised a brow, mocha hues inspecting him. "What are you doing? Cleaning or making a mess?"

He looked up at her and took a deep breath, the words gushing out of his mouth like a river whose water threatened to break it's bank right after a rainy night. It was something simple but he was curious and in no time so was she. Team Montgomery started their mission; find the forbidden diary.

Meanwhile, outside Sage's room stood a beautiful self-proclaimed princess;

Jane pursed her red lips pressed with lipstick as she held the device out in front of her near the kitchen window, the natural light streaming in as she captured the photos. Robin walked past with an empty glass and a carton of milk, raising a brow in question at the slightly shorter girl in shorts. "What?" Jane stared back at her, her face holding an expression that screamed that Robin was missing a plain and vital thing.

"The lighting is good! When God gives you light, take a selfie!" She chirped and went right back to angling her face to get the model-like picture. Robin shook her head and headed straight for the fridge. Her disgust for the other girl wasn't extreme but her obsession with perfection was enough to make Robin choke herself to death.

Staring into the beauty that was the refrigerator, Robin's eyes stopped on a dish of stringy cheesy tomato sauce dipped nacho salad. A messy meal, yes, but delicious beyond explanation. Her eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning and she licked her lips greedily, placing the glass and carton on a shelf in the fridge and forgetting about it completely as she dragged the dish out whilst staring at it as though she'd just seen heaven in the bowl. "Yesssss" she whispered audibly, stretching the 's' out and Jane turned to see what she was going on about.

A smirk almost immediately claimed her red petals as she spoke. "I remember when I made that!" She grinned and Robin turned, the draw of the cabinet open and a fork in her hands. "You can make these?!" Her tone implied one of shock. Mainly because she thought Jane wouldn't dare mix up something this messy but also that Jane would risk ruining her nail polish by being in the kitchen often.

"Yeah? I brought that over late last night," she explained, shrugging her shoulders as though it was no big deal but oh..it was a big deal. Robin could've fainted then and there and almost blurted out a 'we need to live together' but stopped herself. Jane was still as annoying as an old grandmother's pet parrot.

Polly wanna cracker?

She hid her smile at the thought. "Well..if you had any intentions of eating it, it's gone," Robin murmured just as she stuffed her mouth. Jane narrowed her eyes, "I was, actually. But eh..eat, drink and be merry." She shrugged it off again, masking the smirk. She was impressed with herself. Liam never once approved of her eating or making that around him yet here Robin was...and half the bowl was empty, tomato sauce all over her mouth. Jane directed the camera at Robin, one click later, she grinned wildly. Robin's eyes widened and just then an evil whisper came from Jane's ruby red lips; "Snapchat!" She cackled out.

******

She sighed again...there was a thing for sighing today. The plane had taken off around ten minutes ago and she was making her way to the car, her father's other daughter. She wondered if he'd name it.

"Selena, Sapphire, Serene."

She cracked a smile. From across the large parking lot, she caught the eye of a man, dark hair and a tall figure, handsome and built. He carried two suitcases as he moved toward a vehicle but he paused briefly, just to flash a smile that reached her eyes and there it was...the danger. That feeling. Was he "the danger?" "You're thinking like a child.." she told herself and unlocked the vehicle to get it. She could make out the smile..he had a nice smile and he kept staring until she got into the car and then him..."the danger" as she was lucky enough, turned away and went back to his business.

She pulled out her phone to text Thalia indicating that she was heading home and then she knew..he was "the danger". Just more gentle. His eyes connected with hers through the tinted glass and she felt it. Light headed, she struggled to send the message 'I'm not feeling well...I'm in the par-' it didn't send, she hadn't even selected the contact yet before it was too late and it had gotten the best of her and her world slowly faded to black.

(A/N) I would like to thank all our readers for putting up with us and the wait so here is another gift. Chapter 4. Another will be posted very soon, most likely during the weekend as we, OctoVice, dive into the essence of this book. -Vice