The Last Animega

Return to Mazeville

"For the last time, no." I scolded.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because I said so!"

Richard chuckled. "What's so bad about a couple of hours? Come on, Sam."

I groaned and crossed my arms over my chest. Two days ago we had arrived in the town of Mazeville. And let me tell you, this place brought me some bad memories. "Dillon, back me up here." I demanded.

He held his hands up and laughed. "Sorry, no can do. I agree with these two. It'll be fun."

I eyed Serena desperately. "What about you?"

She shrunk behind her big brother. "It sounds like fun." She whispered.

Amber giggled. "You're outmatched, Samantha." She tossed a dress at me. Then she proceeded to push me into the bathroom of our hotel room. "And you are not coming out until you put that thing on!" Amber then slammed the door to prove her point.

Sighing, I did as she said. The dress was a light sky blue color that flowed all the way to the ground. The fabric was light and soft against my skin. If anything, it made my red hair stand out even more. I hugged my arms and stared at myself in the small mirror above the sink. The sadness in my green eyes reflected back at me. The last time I wore a dress, it didn't end so well. And in the same town too. This wasn't a coincidence, this was fate's cruel joke.

I knocked on the door. "Amber, I put on the stupid dress. Let me out." The door opened to reveal her smiling face.

"You look amazing!" She squeaked.

My eyes closed and I took a shaky breath. Everyone's staring eyes made me feel like screaming and running back into the safety of the woods.

"Sam, you okay?" Richard asked.

My eyes snapped open. "Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't dare make eye contact with anyone. I was afraid they might see the fear. Accidentally, I let my eyes rake over Serena.

She wore a sequined red dress and black flats. Her long black hair was tied back into a braid that reached the middle of her back. Suddenly, Katie stood in her place. My eyes grew wide and she waved at me. I blinked and Serena was standing there instead, Katie had vanished. I hugged my arms and leaned against the bathroom door. My breaths became quick and shallow.

"Sam?" Amber asked, concerned. "Sam, what's wrong?" I didn't answer, instead I pushed past them and dashed out the door. My bare feet slapped against the brown carpeted floor and down the concrete steps. The cold wind bit into my exposed skin as I darted outside. My shoe-less feet stung with cold against the recently fallen snow. My jerky breaths stood out in white puffs in the chilled winter air.

"Get yourself together, Sam." I muttered. Tears started to blur my vision. "Bottle it up, don't let anyone see." But the tears began to fall. I didn't wipe them away. The bitter cold stung the trail that the salty droplets left behind.

"Why, of all places and times? Why did we have to stay here?" I sobbed.

"It isn't coincidence." Alex observed. "Someone knew about your connection to this place."

My hands rubbed up and down my arms, trying to keep the heat. "But everyone in the group agreed to go. Which one of them knows?"

"Think, Sam. Remember months ago, when you defeated the Guardians." Alex pressed. "Remember that voice that taunted you, and that claimed to have saved you. Who sounds like that person?"

"You think...it's Richard?" I asked.

"It seems likely." She replied.

Something crunched the snow. My head spun around to the ally behind the hotel. Slowly, I walked toward the noise. My feet were beginning to numb from the freezing snow. Two blue orbs floated in the darkness of the ally. They seemed to follow my every move. Then they came closer. My breath caught in my throat, I couldn't move. Something touched my shoulder and I jumped.

Richard stood behind me, his hand placed firmly on my shoulder. "Sam, you're going to freeze out here. Come back inside, everyone is worried." My eyed flickered back to the blue orbs, but they had vanished. He steered me back inside.

"Sam! What happened? Why did you just run out like that?" Amber demanded. I was shivering too much to answer.

Dillon sighed. " I guess we're going to have to wait a little longer for the winter dance."

Richard lit a fire in the fireplace and sat me in front of it. "No, it's fine." I shivered. "You guys can go without me. I'll catch up later."

"I'll wait with you." Amber offered. "I still have to get dressed anyway." She was right, everyone was all dressed up except for her. Richard was wearing a black tux and tie. Dillon was in jeans and a black dress shirt. And Serena was wearing...you know. My eyes flickered back to the orange flames of the fire. The soft tapping of shoes reached my ears and then the creaky opening of the door. I waited until they had left until I stood up.

My feet were bright red, the toes were a bit purple. I looked at my reflection in the window. My lips were tinted blue and my cheeks were almost as red as my hair. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to run out into the freezing cold wearing only a dress. I saw Amber walk out of the bathroom in the reflection of the window. Turning around, I looked at her outfit.

The dress was a mint green color with thin spaghetti straps. Sequins were sewed on from the middle of her rib cage up. The bottom consisted of many light layers that couldn't possibly hold any heat in at all. Her face was covered in a small amount of makeup. Lipstick only a few shades darker than normal coated her lips. Mascara defined her long lashes and sparkly eye shadow coated her eyelids.

"There is one thing missing." She pouted. I groaned, as if this night wasn't going to be long enough. Now I had to wait for her to figure out what she thought her already perfect outfit needed. "Not on me!" She protested. "You need some makeup, it just doesn't look right without it."

"Do I have to?" I whined.

"Yes!" Amber pulled me into the bathroom and did a bunch of stuff to my face. Which included, but is not limited to: Rubbing various brushes on my face, plastering lipstick on my blue-ish lips, and pulling on my eyelashes with some kind of round brush. When she was done, I could barely recognize myself.

"Come on!" She ordered excitedly, "let's go!" Amber threw me a pair of heals and dragged me out the door after I had hastily put them on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam: UGGH, why do I have to wear a dress again?!

Aiden: you look beautiful in it

Sam: And I should care because....

Dillon: both of you shut up.

Aridis: okay, Don't forget to Vote and Comment and be Awesome and that shiz

Amber: *squeals* ooh, a dance! This is going to be so fun!

Aridis: *mutters* ya, until I make something bad happen.

Amber: what?

Aridis: NOTHING!!