Murder Haven

Little Creepy World || Hayla

asgoodas--gone-blog

“Yeah.” Kayla agreed, her eyes meeting the facial expression on the unusually weird girl. ‘It’s alright,” The younger girl nodded slowly. “I didn’t either. I just liked it because the cover was pretty.” Kayla looked at the bookshelf that she was closest to, inspecting the spines around her. “You can have the book, miss. I’ll find another one.” Kayla began to walk away when she heard the frail voice behind her practically whisper her name. Turning back around, Kayla offered a small smile. “Haven’s a pretty name. I’m Lala… Well, Kayla, but, Lala. Please and… I don’t know because I’ve never really read anything big.”

#little creepy world #cprpau

"Thank you," Haven replied. She was noticeably calmer now. "Kayla is pretty too but Lala- that's a cute nickname. I like it." She smiled at the girl and spoke with a gentle, lighthearted tone: the one she'd use for the children she babysat sometimes; not to be patronizing but to convey that she wasn't a threat. "I tend to like big books," she added, changing the subject while she thought about her school back home that had provided textbooks along with the occasional works of fiction. Haven had thoroughly enjoyed all the books she'd ever read and she was eager to share that passion now, especially with someone who seemed to have a decent imagination. "What's the biggest book you've ever read?" She asked, genuinely curious.

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

“Oh wow,” two simple words were all that Jaxon was able to manage. Jaxon didn’t have to see Carter die, he just knew it. He was shocked to find out that they were around the same age when they started seeing and hearing things. “That must have been devastating,” he said after a long awkward pause. He saw her squeeze her eyes shut and he saw something in her he rarely saw in other people. The same pain that he went through everyday. The pain of loss and fear merged together. He rested a hand on her back for comfort, “I know,” he continued, “it gets really hard some times. If you ever need someone to talk to. Unless I’m with Farren I’m always ready to talk.” He promised her. Even if he was with Darleda she’d probably be more help than he would be.

The silence spoke volumes between them. No one ever knew what to say when you told them you'd lost a sibling. And the stunned, quiet spell was even more prominent when you admitted to seeing things that were impossible. Haven felt bad for saying everything to Jaxon all at once. It was overwhelming and he had demons of his own to deal with. She prepared an instinctive apology but she choked on the words and, a moment later, she was pleasantly surprised to find that he offered her comfort and understanding. His touch didn't bother her the way contact with most other people did. Haven managed to keep herself still and calm so as not to offend him. "Thank you," was all she could say at first. "And, same to you," she promised. "I'm a good listener and... it helps that we kind of understand each other." Biting her lip, Haven paused just long enough to debate asking about the name he'd used. It was clear that 'Farren' was a priority in his life but Haven was busy selfishly wondering if there could be another person like her and Jaxon.

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

“Well growing up on the streets you start to notice things. You notice where people go at night. Who has homes, who has families. Carter didn’t. Like me. But he didn’t go home at night or stay on the streets. I followed him one night. He went underground. It was smelly, scary. It was an underground fighting arena. Dorms for all the fighters and the trainers. He caught me following him,” Jaxon laughed at the memory, “He needed a sparring partner. He wanted a two on two fight but had no partner. We lost, I think. My trainer, or Jax, took over a lot during the fights until I got better. It took a while. But we did two on two for a long time. We went up to the top but I got greedy. One day we got in a fight, a fight got arranged. My first one on one fight. Carter vs Jaxon. it was a big deal,” Jaxon’s smiled faded now and a tear fell down his cheek, “I beat him to death. Killing him. Or eventually killing him. I can never forget his face, and I see it all the time. He’s one of the few people who offers me helpful advice. I heard him talking and then before I knew it he was sitting next to me. Who was your first?” Jaxon wondered when she first saw a ghost and why.

The silence that Haven kept was a result of horror just as much as respect for Jaxon and his past. She couldn't imagine how awful those fights would have been. There was certainly no underground fighting organization in her district. Then again, there very well could be. The whole entire country was obsessed with bloodshed and the suffering youth. Haven tried to hide from even the idea of death and anything that could bring her close to it... but it was always there. When Jaxon mentioned his trainer, he didn't sound arrogant like the Careers did. He was so calm about it. This was someone he knew and trusted. She fought the urge to ask about him and she had to be grateful when Jaxon changed the subject. She was, but only for a moment. The way he talked about the fight with Carter made Haven cringe and look away, knowing he could be dangerous. Under the influence of pain and the voice's torture, he could probably do anything without a hint of guilt; but then she forced herself to look back and the tear that escaped his eye broke her heart. It was genuine and she hated herself for that instinctive fear. She was about to offer a sympathetic apology when his next question took her by surprise. She bit her lip and blinked several times before she finally managed a pained whisper, "Rachel. My sister- my, uh, my twin. She died when we were twelve. I saw it happen and, as soon as..." Haven squeezed her eyes shut as if that would do anything to help the ache or the guilt she felt. "As soon as she died, I saw her. And I've been... seeing ghosts ever since."

Little Creepy World || Hayla

asgoodas--gone-blog

Kayla really wanted to read something big- prestigious. A book bigger than herself- perhaps… Looking through some of the library books, little that they had, she found that maybe a small chapter book would suit her more- one about an adventure from long ago about a girl just like her, possibly, but, maybe not. Maybe it would be about a talking animal or a village making soup with what little resources they had. Reaching her hand for a book, Lala picked the one with a bright red spine- appealing to her small eyes. Her hand was grasped by a girl much, much older than her. “I-” She started, a little bit frightened by the small force given by the other girl. “It’s… It’s alright.” Kayla nodded, pulling her hand back to her side, waiting to see whether or not the girl would continue to take the book.

#little creepy world #cprpau

In spite of her shyness, Haven recognized the need to speak up, even if she sounded ridiculous in process: and she certainly did. "I think we were both going for the same book." She averted her eyes instinctively, ashamed that she'd frightened a girl younger and smaller than herself. "I didn't even see what it was..." Haven confessed shyly, not quite sure why she kept talking. "But most of the books here are about weapons and plants and the old Games. I'm sorry," she cut herself off, looked back at the girl and even managed a smile. "I'm Haven. Reading's a good escape sometimes, right?"

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

She doesn’t understand us. Do not explain farther! Jax commanded but Jaxon ignored him. “Its tough some times. Holding all of them. Some of them really want to get out but I would prefer they didn’t.” He chuckled sligtly. He sat down slowly dangling his legs over the edge, “what you saw when I came up here was them trying to get out. The only way I can shut them up is either drinking myself to near death, being with someone I loved, or being caused pain. The latter is always the quickest and the easiest,” he said frowning. It was true. When he couldn’t find Farren he would piss off a security guard or another tribute just to get punched in the face. “Some of the voices,” He began again, “Like Carter. Listen to me. Out of respect I guess. Some of them don’t hate me like the others. I have voices to guide me and to hurt me, sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which.

But are they real? Haven wanted to ask but she stopped herself before the words came out. It wasn't a fair question and asking it would essentially make her a hypocrite. She'd read about Schizophrenia in one of her classes. Being influenced by things that weren't there wasn't a good sign. It rendered people unstable and, even worse: dangerous. Thus far, Haven's ghosts had yet to harm anyone but her. That had to be a major difference between her and Jaxon. He'd just admitted to helping people just as much as he hurt them both under the influence of his voices and out of his own free will. "Yeah," she agreed in a soft murmur. He was right. It was hard enough to know which people could be trusted. Dealing with the ones only you could see made it so much more complicated. Nodding with an emphatic display of empathy, Haven finally averted her eyes when she forced herself to ask, "Um, but how did you know Carter?"

#cprpau #you think

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

Dead people? Jaxon thought. But Carter…he’s not dead. He was just in a coma. Jaxon then realized what had happened. His condition got worse and he must had died recently, no wonder his visions of Carter had gotten stronger recently. “You can’t be crazy…” he said slowly, “i’ve already got that card claimed.” he said with a light chuckle trying to keep the mood upbeat. “Thats pretty interesting. I don’t see dead people persay. I see well people who have effected me or who I have effected. People I killed or hurt or loved or even sometimes just knew or thought about.” It was weird being open about the voices to this stranger. This honesty was something he was not used to. The voices remained silent as he talked to the girl. “Sometimes its more voices than actually physical people,” he explained further. ” So you don’t have to know thse ghosts?” He asked curiously, he was so happy to not be the only one.

"You can have it," Haven forced a weak smile and her first attempt at humor. "I don't want to be crazy." After a beat, she shut her eyes and tried not to think about it. She'd watched her sister die four years ago and, since then, the ghosts of Panem had tormented her on a pretty much constant basis. "I don't know exactly how it works," she confessed with her eyes still closed. "But not everyone who dies becomes a ghost. Most of the ones I've met claim that they have unfinished business in this world. But, no, I never know any of them- except one..." she trailed off awkwardly and tried to redirect to what Jaxon had just shared with her. "But yours are all real people. I mean, real in your life but, in your head, maybe..." Haven shut herself up and shook her head, refusing to go on. She never doubted for one moment that he was telling the truth and that was even more terrifying than whatever lie he could have fed her instead.

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

“LEAVE US!” Jaxon’s voice boomed loudly towards Carter and he vanished but his precense but still easily noticed to him inside his head. “You saw him!” Jaxon jumped up, shocked at this girl’s ability. “How are you inside my head! How did you see Carter! Who are you?” He shouted at the poor girl. She had done nothing wrong but he was so startled. I’m not just a voice in your head man, I’m also a ghost. Carter explained calmly. Jaxon’s chest was heaving heavily. He had no idea what was going on or how to react. “Haven. I remember you now. I saw your reaping video.” He saw them all, that is how Carter knew her name. “Please tell me how you saw him? Did you know him?” There was no way she could have. He whispered quietly now, but he still stood looking down on her.

Haven shook her head to confirm that she knew nothing about the ghost beyond the fact that he was one. Jaxon had seen it too but that wasn't the scariest part. The spirit had vanished as soon as Jaxon commanded it to. Ghosts never listened to Haven. They took turns clinging to her, always freezing, whispering, and begging for her help. She rubbed her eyes subconsciously, wiping away the tears that had dried there. Jaxon's other question was a little more difficult to address. "I..." she shook her head. This was crazy. She always tried so hard to keep this secret. Only Camp and Ember knew about her gift- curse -and that was only out of necessity. She'd fainted in front of them when one of the ghosts tried to take control of her body. There was no easy way to say it and Jaxon was still a stranger but she had to consider the fact that he saw it too. "Everyone thinks I'm crazy," she whispered, forcing herself to meet his eyes even as she trembled. "I see... and hear and talk to, um, you know: people. Dead people."

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

“Mentally or physically?” Jaxon joked with a loud chuckle, “No I’m quite alright don’t you worry. What brings you up to my humble abode?” Jaxon asked with a smile. He spent more time up here then he did in his room, unless he was with Farren but that was a different story. This girl seemed different. He didn’t know what it was but there was something about her that linked them. He just couldn’t explain it. He sat down next to her. “My names Jaxon, and you ar-” Jaxon’s words stopped as he saw Carter sit next to her. Carter was looking right at the girl as if he was expecting her to see him. You’re wondering what that connection is aren’t you? Carter whispered inside his mind. “Hello Haven,” Carter said aloud, Jaxon watched carefully, frozen in place, to see if she would react. After that he would have no idea what to do.

Haven was too stunned to answer. She'd always been a shy person but her usual apprehension coupled with the horror of what had just happened and rendered her speechless. Her mouth opened a few times but no words came out. At the boy's introduction, however, she prepared herself to say something. Her name was only two syllables. Surely she could manage at least that but Jaxon cut off suddenly. She couldn't be sure what made him pause but she did recognize the chill that meant she was no-longer alone with him. Haven didn't understand how it worked and she doubted that she ever would but she knew by now that most of the ghosts connected with Hunger Games tributes knew how to find her. This one even knew her name. He was young, her age or maybe a little older and she had no doubt that he was here with a purpose. "Hello," she gasped, responding to the spirit without thinking. She looked from him and then back at Jaxon. Her eyes widened at the expression on her human companion's face. She wanted so much to ask but she only managed to mumble the first word: "You..."

#kayla switch #cprpau #little creepy world

Little Creepy World || Hayla

Combat training was one activity that Haven had no interest in joining. The other tributes intimidated her and she knew in her heart that even if she turned out to be some kind of genius with a weapon, she wouldn't have a chance against them. She didn't even have the option of killing in self-defense because anyone she hurt would come back to her as a ghost. Instead, she'd resolved to accept her impending death and enjoy the rest of her days as much as possible. She did this by getting fresh air on the roof and in the gardens, borrowing books from one of the small training center collections, and spending time with the friends she was growing to love- no matter how painful it would be to part from them, they remained dear and important to Haven. She was in a small room now with two chairs and a single bookshelf that didn't deserve to call itself a library. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that she wasn't alone until she reached out and grabbed not a book, but the hand of another tribute. She immediately let go. Physical contact had always made her uncomfortable but she had no trouble managing a smile and a whispered apology, "Sorry. I didn't see you."

You Think you Have it Bad |Haven + Jaxon|

The voices were acting up. They did that from time to time. They all wanted out. They all wanted their three cents heard. But Jaxon didn’t want to listen but at the same time he was forced to. Wherever he went it was too noisy. It was all too much. He had to escape from everyone. He ran up to the roof. He took the stairs. The elevator was too enclosed for him to deal with right now. He ran out on the roof and the voices only got louder. They were all screaming, yelling at him. Do this. Do that. He had no idea what to do. He couldn’t focus. He started screaming insanely and did the one thing he could. He ran off the roof. Screaming like a mad man hoping the net wouldn’t catch him. But it did. His screaming came to the stop the same instant his flying did. He landed with a loud thud and then he realized something. He was not alone. There was a tribute sitting on the roof staring at him. The voices went silent at her precense. “Hey Kid,” Jaxon said brushing himself off as if nothing at had happened.

It had been hard enough to focus when the ghosts in the training center merely wanted someone to talk to. Haven could understand that. She knew what it was like to feel helpless and invisible, but her sympathy only went so far. The majority of these spirits had been enduring that sort of existence for years before Haven was even born. She genuinely wanted to help them but she was just one girl. Not only that: but she was well on the way to becoming a ghost herself. Some days, it was bearable. She had studying and Capitol luxuries to distract her, but others, she would wake up screaming, terrified that her body was not her own, that, somehow, one of the spirits that constantly tormented her had figured out a way to get what it wanted: a chance to live again, through Haven. Today was one such occurrence and Haven couldn't help it when she cried. Closing her eyes was only part of the solution. Covering her ears blocked most of the whispering but the problem was that she could still feel the constant chilling presence.

"Leave me alone," she begged in a whimper. Without an audible answer, she sprinted for the nearest set of stairs with her eyes still closed. Haven hated elevators but she loved fresh air. She could find her way up to the roof blind and she did just that. It wasn't until she collapsed in her usual alcove that she even realized that she wasn't alone here. It also took three full seconds for her to process that the screaming she heard was external and that it wasn't coming from her ghosts. Her tearful eyes snapped open and she stared in stunned horror as she watched a boy her own age rush for the edge of the roof and then jump off it. She stayed where she was, frozen and more than concerned but still powerless. It was then that an impossible force sent the tribute flying back onto the rooftop. He landed just beside her and, for a moment, she could do nothing but stare. But then he spoke and she exhaled at the relief that he was, at least, alive. "Hi," she managed in a stunned whisper. "Are..." it was a stupid question but Haven forced herself to finish anyway. "Are you okay?"

#cprpau #you think

In All My Dreams, I Drown || Haven and Vera

What was she talking about!? Vera asked herself. What couldn’t she do? Vera watched as Haven dove beneath the water, trying to pull herself to the fountain. Was she suicidal? Was she bi polar? Because two seconds ago she was trying to scream at some thing that wasn’t there, then she seemed like she wanted to get out, and now? Now Vera and Haven were seconds away from death. Haven dove under the water again and Vera let go of her axe. It was weighing her down, and she had to rely on her floating skills now. Haven came back up. She told Vera that she could fix it, but Vera just closed her eyes and floated. She wasn’t going to have her last moments be frantic and arbitrary. She’d rather go out calm, if she wasn’t going to fight to the death, then what was the point of fighting at all?

#Vera Sanders #Farren Rogers #camp reilly #death

She should have taken a deeper breath but it was too late to go back now. Holding the knife between her teeth this time, Haven pulled herself toward the fountain with both hands. She found the drain once more and pulled at it but it quickly became apparent that her hands weren't strong enough, not when every element of the room was working against her. She released a tiny burst of air that escaped in bubbles heading for the surface and took the knife into her right hand. Gritting her teeth in sheer frustration, she scraped the blade along the metal grating, struggling to stay in place and use what little force she could to pry at it. Getting the cover out of the way was only the first step but Haven was already running out of time. She willed herself not to panic. That would only make this harder; but, finally, the metal piece came apart and Haven was left with a simple hole in the ground. That was her only hope. She'd never been in a swimming pool but she had read about them once. She scrambled now to recall what little she knew about their draining systems but while she hesitated, something extraordinary happened. Maybe the Gamemakers had planned it all along, but regardless, the drain had been engaged. Water rushed toward it but the fountain was still flowing. This might not be enough. Haven was beginning to feel the effects of holding her breath. She'd been under for nearly a full minute which meant that the water above her must have almost reached the ceiling by now. She and Vera would both drown if she couldn't think of something. Foolishly, she let out what little air she had left and just held on to the fountain edge with one hand and her knife in the other. It was then that the drain's power intensified- tripled -pulling everything, including Haven toward it. She panicked then. There was nothing else to do and before she knew it, she was pressed flat against the floor with her arm underground. It felt like her body was being ripped apart with a hundred pounds of pressure on either side. NO! She screamed internally. No, no... Farren appeared beside her once more, this time expressing actual concern. "Take the knife!" The ghost screamed, not effected by the water at all. "Cut your arm off- you can live without it! You can still get out of this!" Miraculously, Farren was right. Haven was still holding on to the knife in her right hand but her left was trapped inside the drain up to her shoulder. It was all she could do to even hold on. It didn't seem possible to cut thought bone with a simple folding knife while working against hundreds of pounds of water pressure. In fact, she knew that was the truth. There was no way. She knew that but her last minute of air and her last ounce of strength commanded her to try. Her lungs were burning. She wouldn't be surprised if they actually exploded. Her eyes hurt like never before but that was nothing compared to the pressure on her arm and the thought of what she was about to do to make it even worse. Shaking uncontrollably, she forced the knife toward her left shoulder and pressed down with all her strength. Her teeth were clenched and now her eyes were closed but she kept going until she felt a cold touch against her face and a heart-breakingly familiar voice whispering her name. Haven frozen in place but she opened her eyes in disbelief. Camp. In that moment, her heart hurt even more than her lungs did. She could barely make out the figures of the two ghosts keeping her company but while Farren snarled an order for her to keep going, Camp reached out gently with the love she needed then. Shutting her eyes once more, she dropped the knife, barely even hearing Farren's shriek of protest. "It's okay," Camp whispered. "I'm here. I love you." It was almost as if he actually held her. In just another minute, he would be able to. Haven could surrender now. She opened her eyes one last time, staring up at the surface. Maybe her dying mind was playing tricks on her, but maybe, just maybe the sight was real. The water level was slowly but surely lowering even with Haven's arm blocking the majority of the drain, she could feel it rushing past her. Farren was right about one thing. The Gamemakers were satisfied with one death for now. Vera would be able to get out as soon as she could break though the glass wall. Somehow, saving her friend made the pain bearable. Haven let out a final, silent cry before she surrendered and slipped into a world she already knew so well.

In All My Dreams, I Drown || Haven and Vera

Vera stood, shocked, as she watched Haven lose herself. Lose her mind. Vera didn’t know what to do. The water was rising fast. It was at her chest. She didn’t know what to do. She had no idea how to help Haven with whatever was happening to her. All she could do was watch as the water quickly rose. “FARREN!” Haven screamed. Who was that? A friend at home, family perhaps? Maybe she was trying to tell whoever they were that she loved them. It seemed kind of weird, because it didn’t matter how loud she said it, if the person was watching tv, like they were required to, they would hear it. “What?” Haven said to someone who Vera couldn’t see. Maybe she thought she could hear ‘Farren’s’ reply. Vera was beginning to panic. How was this helping at all.

All of a sudden, Haven dove under the water, sacrificing all of their food supply. Vera’s eyes widened. What the fuck was she doing. The water was very clear, so she watched as Haven pushed to the bottom and scooped something up. Vera couldn’t see what. She shook her head silently. There was no way they were going to get out at that rate. It was crazy of her to think so. When Haven resurfaced, she was holding her stupid foldable knife. All of their food supply gone, for a simple knife, when they had a staff and TWO axes? Haven looked at her, and Vera shook her head and nodded when she said, “Vera, p-please just trust me?” What point was there being mad at her now, when they were going to die anyway. In a few seconds.

#Vera Sanders #Farren Rogers

"What should I do?" Shaking, Haven turned back to Farren, barely managing to speak with that desperate whisper. The ghost, however, had her eyes on Vera. She was glaring as though the solution should be obvious but finally she had to actually spell it out for the girl. "Kill her." Haven's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in silent horror but before she or Vera could say anything, Farren snarled the rest of her explanation. "They want death. They want drama and they don't care how they get it. She won't see it coming and if you kill her, they might let you go." "No," Haven objected out loud, finally finding her voice. "I'm not doing that. I can't." Vera was her friend and she wasn't a killer. There had to be another way. Acting on a senseless impulse, she took another deep breath and dove under the water once more with the knife still in her hand. Forcing her eyes to stay open, she held her arms out and grabbed onto one edge of the fountain, pulling herself toward the bottom of it. The water pressure tried to push her away but she was desperate and finally, she found what she was looking for. There was a circular drain near the base of the fountain with metal grating to cover it. Of course, the drain wasn't working now but she had an idea. The water it normally took away had to go somewhere, right? Haven let go of the fountain and kicked her way back to the surface. Vera was also off the ground now. The water was too high for their feet to touch the bottom and there was barely a foot of space between the water and the ceiling now. "I know how to fix it," she gasped an explanation for Vera's benefit. "It's my fault. I set it off..." she bit her lip to suppress a scream of mental agony. "But I can fix it. Just... hold on." Without waiting for an answer, she dove under the water again.

In All My Dreams, I Drown || Haven and Vera

Vera took a deep breath. The axe, that would get them out. Haven was clearly in a state of panic, now that the water was to their knees. They would be fine though, because all Vera had to do was break the glass with the axe. She went to swing it, but then realized it was not that easy. The weapon was heavy, and Vera didn’t know if she would be able to do much good with it. She closed her eyes. She could do it. If she wanted to get out of there, if both of them wanted to get out of there, Vera was going to have to call up her non-existent brute strength and just wail away at the glass until it shattered. She lifted it once again. She pulled back and swung it, smashing it against the glass. Nothing happened. The glass was totally solid and unharmed.

#Vera Sanders #Farren Rogers

Haven's mind was racing faster than her heart. She couldn't tell if the water was warm or cold but she knew that it was flowing out too quickly. In less than a minute, it went from knee-level to covering most of her stomach. Vera's ax still hadn't made a dent in the glass wall and the panic was setting in. Haven had known all along that she didn't have a chance of surviving the Games but she didn't want to die like this. Sick of shivering and standing there uselessly, she sucked in a deep lungful of air. Suddenly the desperate idea actually made sense: Haven opened her mouth and screamed, only stopping when she realized that her insane cry had actually been a word- a name. The viewers (Vera included) probably thought she was insane. Hell, maybe she was insane but this was all she had. Holding what was left of the food supply above her head to protect it, Haven cried out a second time, "Farren!" The ghost had been gone when she woke up. Farren acted like she came and went as she pleased but Haven knew the ghost would never leave her side if it could be helped. Farren was weak now and Haven hated the idea of being manipulated by her in any condition but she also knew that the ghost would do anything to keep her alive- if only just to possess her body later on. It was the girl's strength she needed now but her cries seemed futile until she was almost ready to give up. It was then that she heard the familiar voice snap, "Are you fucking kidding me?" If Haven didn't know better, she would have tried to hug the ghost. Before she could say anything, however, Farren demanded, "Why are you in a swimming pool?" "What?" Haven shouted in desperate confusion. "It's not a pool, it's a trap! You have to help me out!" By now, she was certain that her display of insanity had caught Vera's attention but it was all she could do to add, "Us. Help us out, please!" Farren surveyed the scene and soon the panic in her eyes mirrored Haven's own expression. Although, she appeared to be standing beside Haven, she couldn't feel the water. There was no danger of her drowning in it but that made no difference; the ghost was horrified. She murmured something that sounded oddly like 'District 3' before she set into survival mode and snapped, "Where's the knife?" Haven looked down with an expression of agonized guilt. Surely the food was more important than the weapons. Vera still had her ax. What could Farren do with a knife? Haven was afraid to ask and she didn't even get the chance to. When the ghost told her to "get it," she didn't even argue. The water had almost reached her chest. She wouldn't be able to keep the food away from it much longer and if Farren thought a knife could save her life, then she was going to take that chance. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath before she dove beneath the surface, losing the food container in the process and scrambling blindly before her hand finally closed around the blade. It cut her palm but she didn't even notice the pain. She gasped when she made it back to the surface, relieved to find that it was still shallow enough to stand up in the water. While waiting for instructions from Farren, she finally remembered herself and turned to face her friend. "Vera," she stammered uselessly. "Please j-just trust me."

In All My Dreams, I Drown || Haven and Vera

"Right." She exclaimed. No big deal. They'd have to relocate, but that wasn't a problem. They needed to grab all of their stuff before it was completely soaked. She scooped up her things, her weapons, her water bottle, and the medical kit. It was time to go before something happened and they couldn't get out. Vera turned towards the hologram that was protecting them. She looked at Haven and smiled. "The water was probably just meant to ruin our stuff, but we beat it." She sighed, happy that Haven had woken her up before it had happened. Vera walked towards the hologram, but just before she walked though, she noticed it didn't shimmer like it had the day before.

She put her palm against it and was met with cold, hard, unforgiving glass. Cool as ice. It was too late. They were already trapped. Vera suspected that they had been since they'd stepped into the cover of the room. The water was rising quickly already, up to their shins. Vera looked at Haven. Yesterday this had been their paradise, their oasis. Today it just might turn into their sopping wet coffin.