Ten Thousand Acres of May

A/N I know it's short, I know it's crap, and I'm not going to be able to write from Wednesday for a while because I'm going to Sweden.

Chapter Thirteen

When Sam leaves a room, it is the same as when Sam enters a room. She likes to be known.

When she slams the door, Tristan and I both wince.

Thursday morning, so far, has been uneventful. I showered (in one of the clean bathrooms), got changed, then came into Sam's room in search of Tristan (and I still don't know why), Sam slammed the door when she left, and now... Yeah. Now we're here. I'm trying to figure out why Sam was so annoyed, and Tristan is grinning.

Why? I don't know. Why don't I know? Because Tristan is damn impossible to understand.

"She's such a bitch sometimes. I suppose that's just what happens to actors."

Right. That makes sense. Sam would be an actress, she's so.. Sam.

"Y-Yeah, I can-- I can see that," I say, staring at the closed door. "She seems like-- Like the acting type. I-- I studied acting, too."

Tristan is nodding, shuffling one sock-clad foot against the side of the large fireplace.

"Yeah, I know. And Psychology. I studied Psychology, too."

It's starting to get a little odd that I'm meeting so many people who share my interests.

"What do-- What do you do? I-- I mean, out- outside of..." I make a hand movement. Tristan seems to understand. He smiles, leaning one arm over a candlestick.

"Well, I'm a Psychologist and-- whoah!" The candlestick gives way, turning to the side. When Tristan pulls back, he looks shocked, and it's.. still..

That isn't right.

There is a loud noise, grinding, as the fireplace opens.

I stand, shock still, and-- That isn't right. That- that isn't right.

The back of the fireplace, behind the unused logs, is open. The part where it should be the back of the chimney is--

I suddenly go cold, realising that from the outside... Maylands has no chimneys.

How did I not notice that before?! I've been in and out of Sam's room, it was Lucy's room, Gods, and--

Oh, Gods.

"T-Tristan.." I call to him. He is staring at the open fire place, frowning in confusion. He turns to face me. "That-- That-- That--" I lick my dry lips, feeling my hands start to shake. "That's-- Lucy's body disappeared. That must be--"

I can't finish the sentence. I just can't. But Tristan seems to understand what I am saying, because his features suddenly go cold, eyes wide, and he turns to stare at the open fireplace once again.

"Fuck." He says, slowly, looking completely bemused. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck--"

"P-Please don't swear," I reply, then promptly flush when he turns those dark eyes to look at me. "I-- I--"

"Do you really think that Lucy is in there?" His voice is shaking, though it is almost unnoticeable. He's-- He's scared. This is bad. This is really bad. Tristan isn't meant to be scared, it's meant to be comforting that he's not scared, and-- Gods. This isn't good.

"I-- I-- I-- I--" My voice isn't working. My hands are shaking too much, and- and--

"I should..." Tristan looks to the fireplace, then nods. "I should go through. See what's behind there."

"N-No!" My voice finally decides to work. "Don't-- Don't-- I mean, what if-- What if--?"

This makes so much sense that I feel dizzy. The window-- The window that I couldn't find must be in there.

"Theo, are you alright?" When did he get so close? He was across the room last time I checked, so-- So when--?

I feel myself swaying on my feet, head spinning, before a pair of hands rest on my arms, keeping me still. He is standing behind me, and practically holding me up.

"Tristan-- What if Lucy's--?"

"I'm going to take you downstairs to the others, then I'm going to look back there." He says, trying to steer me out of the room.

"N-No! You can't-- You can't--" I pull back, the dizziness starting to fade, and before I can think about what I am doing I have lifted my left hand to touch the hand resting on my right arm. "If you're going in there, I'm coming with you."

I can hardly believe I have just said that, I'm not brave, I'm damn terrified, but now Tristan is smiling.

"That's really sweet, Theo, but I don't need you to faint, do I?" I resent the fact that his voice has softened, and now he's trying to steer me out of the room again. I stop, planting my feet firmly on the floor. Tristan sighs.

"What is it?" He asks, tipping his head down, leaning over my body slightly as to look at me. Some of his dreadlocks fall over my shoulder, brushing against my chest, and I find myself staring at the stud just below the middle of his bottom lip, catching in the light. I swallow.

"I just-- I just--" Stop staring at his lips, you freak. I clear my throat. "What if something happens?" I tear my eyes away from the small smile gracing his mouth, and he's staring at me in a way that makes my face feel hot. And suddenly his hands on my arms feel like they're burning, and his face is too close and--

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." He says, very quietly. I watch as his eyes travel over my face, stopping at my lips.

This is-- This is getting weird.

"I'm-- I'm coming with you." I tighten my hand on the back of his, and he blinks. He looks as if he has just been brought out of a trance.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asks, and his hand turns to lace our fingers together. My hand is starting to shake again, so I pull it away from him, and turn to the fireplace.

No. I'm really not sure that I want to go in there, but I'm going to do it anyway. I can't figure out why I'm not freaking out when he touches me, because I do whenever anyone else does, I need time to think, I'm really, really scared of what's behind there and I'm just--

But I'm going to go through there anyway.

Curiosity killed the cat, right?

"Y-Yeah, I'm-- I'm sure." I lie, pulling away from him. His hands fall back to his sides, and he starts to walk toward the fireplace. It is on trembling legs that I follow him, and he turns to flash me a quick smile before ducking under the fireplace.

When his body disappears, I bend down and stop.

What if there is a body back there? What if there is a person? What if--

Tristan comes halfway back through and holds out his hand. I stare down at his dark arm for a moment, before wrapping my pale fingers around his.

Here goes.