After Hours

Chapter 16.

Ember's POV.

  "She was here just a second ago!" Cameron protests.

  "How far could she have gone?" I ask.

   Vanessa crosses her arms. "Either she got taken, or she betrayed us."

   I turn to look at Vanessa. "Really, Vanessa? She didn't betray us."

  "You know this how?" Vanessa shoots back. "She could be calling all of Them and their Leader to come and finish us off."

  "How do we know she wasn't taken?" I retort. "You only see the worst in people, Vanessa. Follow me, we're going to find her." I turn to leave the Castle.

   I open the doors and turn around. "Coming?" I ask them, but look at Grayson.

   Grayson walks towards me. "I'm gonna stay here. You can go with Cameron."

   I frown at how he says Cameron. I furrow my brows and cross my arms. "Why aren't you coming?"

  "Go with him, ok? You seem to have hit it off pretty nicely with him," he says with no hint of laughter in his hazel eyes.

   Cameron walks up to me and smiles. "I'll go with you. I don't believe that Jess betrayed us."

   I smile up at him and Grayson gives me a glare and goes back with Vanessa. I notice Vanessa glaring at us and she crosses her arms.

  "We'll be back, but we might have to see you tomorrow. When we come back tomorrow night, I mean," Cameron says.

  "Fine, go. But I can't promise that we'll be back waiting for you," Vanessa says.

   She jerks her head toward deeper into the Castle and Eva follows. Grayson gives me a look and walks into the darkness with them. Cameron smiles at me and we leave the Castle.

  "Where do you think They took her?" I ask.

   Cameron shrugs. "They might have taken her to the Leader, but they also might have finished her off."

   I shudder at the thought. "Lets hope not."

   We walk in silence for a while. I can't help feeling Grayson is mad at me for something. I didn't do anything, though. He's the one pushing me away when I wanted to comfort him over his loss of Veronica. He's the one being distant, not me. I guess that my small crush on this boy was only temporary. Apparently the crush wasn't mutual.

  "Hang on," Cameron stops suddenly, his phone's flashlight pointed at the dumpsters in front of us.

  "What is it?" I whisper, getting behind his protecting arm.

  "I don't know, but we need to be ready," he says, pulling out his gun.

   I grip my small dagger in my hand, heart pounding. I hear some scuffling behind the dumpster and see a hooded figure come out from behind them, hands in the air.

  "Please don't shoot," he begs, keeping his face down.

  "Who are you?" Cameron says, firmly.

   The boy doesn't answer, but removes his hood. "I'm Ethan," he says once the hood is removed.

   Ethan looks about 16, maybe 17. He dark brown hair that falls into his bright blue eyes. His skin is slightly tanned, but seems to have scratches on it. His t-shirt and jeans are dirty and his converse are all scuffed up. And a nice jawline, I must add. What? I'm just being detailed.

  "Can you help me?" he asks, deep voice filled with fear. "Where am I?"

   Cameron lowers his gun and turns to whisper to me. "He's a newbie. First night, I'm guessing."

  "Hey," I say, walking out from behind Cameron. "We can help you, Ethan."

   We then begin to explain him everything that's going on, a horrified expression on his face through the whole story.

  "I'm stuck here?" he asks.

  "Until we find a way out," I assure him.

  "I'm Cameron, and she's Ember, by the way," Cameron says.

   Ethan just nods, a look of fear still on his face. But something is tugging at my stomach. Cameron, being so cool with this boy all of the sudden. He might as well just ask him to come with us!

  "Do you want to tag along?" Cameron asks.

   You've got to be kidding me.

  "Sure, I guess," Ethan says, shooting a weird look at me, then back to Cameron.

   I see Cameron give a slight nod of his head and I frown. "Off we go, then," I say, walking away from the dumpsters.

   Something's not right; Jess missing, Ethan showing up, and Cameron being so cool with it. I fall in step with Cameron, but don't speak. I shake away my weird feeling, not wanting to believe that he's the one that might be behind all this. He's been here almost as long as Vanessa and Eva and they seem to know him quite well.

   Cameron stops suddenly and I look up at him. "What?"

  "How could I have forgotten?" he says, looking at me frantically. "Tonight is Vanessa and Eva's last night before they can't ever go home again."

Glad you liked this chapter!

Have a wonderful day!

The picture is of Ethan.