She nodded silently. "Perfect. They're heading straight home." Her eyes glazed over in thought. "Let's go!" She whispered and hid behind a large crate. Vii could hear another person's light footsteps leap into the truck, but she thought it must be her imagination. Soon enough, the drivers got back into the truck and started driving. She settled in a corner, waiting for a long ride.

"So, you're from Manchester too? How'd they get you?" she asked Andrew, curious. Vii seemed to sink back into the shadows, drifting out of reality. "Please, talk to me." she begged, her voice sounding as if from far away. "I need an anchor to the light.."

Her brown eyes closed for a moment, before snapping open, the only things visible of her. Again, they snapped. "It's too dark in here." she said, struggling to not fall.

All of a sudden, the truck stopped.

Briar ambled along, pushing through an unseeable path. "Didnt you see it? It was huge, all shadowy. It had turtle-like silver armor, but really sharp claws. I only saw it in flashes, though. I wonder if it's real." She continued treading lightly, casually pointing out things to Richard like, 'Don't step on the flowers' or 'Watch out for the slippery moss.'

Finally, they arrived at a street, behind a grey stucco house. It was large and mansion-looking, though it wasn't really. "Here we are. I hope they haven't moved away." Briar hummed a tune as she fished for a key under the small deck. Her fingers found it and she unlocked the door. "Come on in, just put her on the couch while I check things." Her checking didn't take long as she merely glanced at a calender and pressed the message button on her phone. It played some sort of woman's voice, sad but weary, talking about how 'if you get this, Briar, we'll be home in a month, maximum." The official voice reported that it had been recorded just a week ago. Briar brushed it off as she pulled out medical materials and a few blankets. "I'm afraid I have no idea what to do now. How about you?"

(I'm just going to post this in Manchester, seeing as her house has not been made yet.)

Richard walked into the house with Briar. He looked around at the house as he listened to the message that Briar played on the machine. Her parents would be really happy that she had come home. But seeing as the time they wouldn't be back anytime soon. He brought Vii over to the couch Briar had indicated and layed her down on the couch. He sighed as Briar asked what they should do. "I really don't know what to do. She looks uninjured at least, so I don't think anything like first aid is going to work. I think she probably needs some rest." After stating the obvious Richard glanced around the room he had been let into. It seemed like a nice house. Nothing fancy, but well used. He liked it. His house was constantly a mess. "So his is your house?" He asked absently.

Briar nodded. "For now, at least. I'm moving out as soon as possible." Her hands seem to wander as she sat down on another couch. They reached through the cushions to pull out a notebook, colors and pencil included. A small smile slipped onto her face as she quickly sketched the ballroom scene and the two hanging from a tree. Briar flipped the page after the outlines were done. "I hope you don't mind if I draw you, Richard." She smiled benevolently and used a pencil to draw a rough portrait of him, going over it again to add details and finesse.

"Oh!" Her head shot up. "I almost forgot. Would you like to use the phone?"

Richard looked as Briar started to draw him. He looked over and confirmed "Yeah, I don't really mind" He figured that his process usually takes a while so he began to sit down, until the realization came over him that he should probably remain standing, for the sake of the picture. Richard's head was still spinning from the day's earlier events. He just decided to remain standing there awkwardly as Briar sketched him. It felt kind of wierd being sketched, like taking a picture and people telling him to move his face to the left or to the right, except nobody was doing that. Soon, a realization came over Briar. She asked if he wantd to use the phone. Well, he probably shoudl return to his house soon, he had to see the status of whatever happened there. But he soon decided to surprise them. He would just show up at the door. It would be nice to be home again. But also it wouldn't hrt to stay here and talk to Briar some more. He hated to admit it but this was probably the most he had talked with somebody at one time, especially a former stranger, at on etime since he had moved to Manchester.

Briar didn't even look up from her sketch as Richard stood. She waved her hand, motioning him to sit. "I don't need you to pose, I've got it in my head." Her pencil hand pointed at her head. "Are you planning on staying the night? You can, if you wish. It is getting rather late."

She propped her feet on a ottoman as she finished up. Flashing Richard a smile, she pulled out a black colored pencil. "I'm soory I'm being such a bad host. I don't usually get company. Would you like anything? Food? Drinks? A deck of cards?"

Vii sat up from her spot on the couch, stifling a yell when she saw Richard and Briar near her. She put a hand on her forehead and fell back, sighing. "What happened? Why am I- No, where am I?" Her eyes closed, but underneath they darted about, confused. She had such a headache. "Augh.." She muttered, rubbing her skin. Vii was tired, so tired...

But no she had to stay awake and find out where she was and why. It was probably safe to guess she was in one of their homes, but which? Frowning, Vii relaxed. As long as her eyes were closed she couldn't see the shadows.

Briar offered Vii a small, kind smile when she woke up. "Chill - you're at my house. You fainted after battling the dar- shadow monster." She figured it was probably wisest not to directly name the thing, as it might trigger trauma or something.

"So, you can stay the night if you want, Vii. Tomorrow's a Monday, but I doubt school will care we'll miss one more day after the time we've been gone." She shrugged at Richard. "Looks like she's fine. We should probably report our kidnapping to the police. They might want to know. There were more of us, after all. Can-" Briar paused, unsure of how to continue. "Did you find you can do anything special, Richard?"

Richard looked at Vii as she got up. She was awake already? That was good. He walked back over to the couch and knelt down. "You okay? You got knocked out." But at the same time Briar had brought something up. They probably should tell the police. There was probably a missing person's for all of them. Knowing his parents there would at least for him. He waited for Briar to finish before responding. "You're right, we probably should go to the police about this. After all, we've been missing for... a while. I can't even tell how many days it's been. But as for strange things... there's one thing. I... bent a steel door. I know it sounds crazy but after I go tout of the restraints of that... place. The door was locked though. And I punched it, and it bent. I don't know how it happened, it just... did." As Richard related this story he looked down at his bruised knuckles from the same time.