Hidden passages and secret rooms ((opennnn!))

Sunday. It was Sunday. Ari sighed, a smile flickering accross her face as she stared at the ceiling above her head. She was laid on her bed, tangled sheets were thrown over her floor by the bed, so Ari was just laying there in her oversized t-shirt that she used as a nightgown. Thanks to the vampire fact she didn't really feel heat or cold that much so not having any covers didn't phase her. The reason they were on the floor was because Ari was a restless sleeper, she moved around a lot in her sleep, mostly due to nightmares. But Ari always knew they were just that, nightmares. Always. So that was why she wasn't upset or scared or anything like that when she woke up, though normally she woke up in a panic thinking it was a school day and she was going to be late. But...it was sunday. Which meant Ari could go around the school and do whatever she wanted.

Ari's smile grew, and she allowed it a little freedom in spreading accross her face and showing her teeth...including the sharp fangs that she so often had to try and prevent the humans from seeing. It was nice to smile such a full smile and not have to worry about anyone seeing. A day to do whatever she wanted. One where she didn't have detention or any coursework to worry about. Just a nice normal day. Ari pulled herself into a sitting posistion on the bed, her feet dangling a few centimeters off the floor, strethcing her arms wide above her head and waking up properly. She glanced at the clock. It was 9am. Later than she normally slept. She pulled open one of the curtains on her window, wrinkling her nose ever so slightly at the sky. It looked like there was going to be a storm. Big black clouds covered the sky, making the great schools vast grounds look creepy and filled with an almost endless shadow. It was going to be an inside day.

Ari closed the curtain again and grabbing the first clothes out of her wardrobe she walked over to the bathroom, stripped off, and climbed in the shower. The warm water woke her up fully and by the time Ari got out the room was misted up and damp. Ari got dressed in record time, and today, for once, she didn't bother with the dramatic appearence. She left her curly blonde hair alone, left her face make-up free (well...mostly. She applied a little eyeliner and mascara.), and her clothes were just simple skinny jeans, converse high tops, and a black t-shirt that said 'cocktails and rock tails', also a plain black jacket. Absolutely and utterly normal. She doubted anyone would recognise her.

Heading towards the door of her room Ari paused and looked back at the bedside table. On it lay a book, bound in a black cover it had no writing on the front or sides to indicate title or author. Ari had found the book some weeks ago and had read it cover to cover. It was a detailed collection of all things Masquerade. Things about the schools history, things about the teachers, and best of all detalied maps and writings about all the secret passageways and doorways in the school. Ari had found the book in the library, on the shelves between two scripts. It had caught Ari's eye and she had taken it back to her room to study it more, and now it seemed she could finally put the book into practice.

Ari flipped to the first page that showed a secret passage that she hadn't seen yet. She had discovered a few in the years she had been at the school. The first one was in the library. Apparently one of the wooden panels on the side of the bookshelves slid back to reveal a thin passage that got larger and led to some kind of study. It seemed to be a nerds paradise, but it sounded cool. Ari wanted to go check it out.

So, slinging a bag over her shoulder she ran out of the room and headed towards the library.

She found the doorway after some searching, and eventually the catch that kept it closed. She managed to open that after a minute or two, and like the book said it slid open. Ari smiled and walked inside, not noticing that a person in the library had actually seen her, and was most likely going to follow her.

Bridge sighed at the silence of the library. It was a Sunday morning, about 8:00, earlier than most people awoke. He hadn’t seen the librarian on his way in. This was odd, as she was normally here this time in the morning. However, it being Sunday probably explained her absence. Not very many people were active on Sundays. That’s why Bridge came to the library. Here, he could take off his mask, rehearse lines, all without being judged by others. He didn’t have to hide himself, both literally and metaphysically. He loved Sundays in the library. He rummaged in his bag for a second, pulling out a script for a Shakespearean Classic, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Because he was new to theatre at Masquerade, Bridge had been cast as the understudy for “Puck”, a mischievous fairy.

In the silence of the library, Bridge removed his mask, and cleared his throat. He looked down at his script, and began to read.
Thou speak'st aright;
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Oberon and make him smile
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal:
And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab,
And when she drinks, against her lips I bob
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,
And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted there.
But, room, fairy! here comes Oberon.

Bridge hated the way it was written, as he couldn’t figure out what half those words mean. All his brain power, and he couldn’t figure out simple old english.

I'll put a girdle round about the earth
In forty minutes.

Bridge had no idea what that was supposed to mean. How could one, even a fairy, put a belt, which was what he figured a girdle was, around the earth in forty minutes?

The door to the library swung open. “Curses,” Bridge whispered, fixing his mask back on his face. Why on earth was someone here? Bridge didn’t want to be seen, so he stepped back against the stacks, fading into the shadows. Someone walked passed him. She didn’t look familiar, but her blond hair would make it eaiser for Bridge to find her later. She began to mess with one of the shelves, and a door opened in the library wall. She walked inside, and naturally, Bridge followed.

The passage was brown stone, and Bridge felt it was like a scene from Phantom of the Opera. All he had to do was put some arms with candelabras in the walls, and lead the girl to wherever this passage went. Bridge finally spoke up, his voice raspy. “Where are we headed, exactly?”

Ari walked down the passage, the brown stones on the wall made it look more earthy, and the smell was damp as well. Ari thought she heard footsteps behind her as she walked, but putting it down to echoes of her own walking she shrugged and carried on, ignoring the raised hairs on the back of her neck that usually indicated she was been followed.

In fact Ari would have carried on going if the person following her, a boy with a raspy voice, hadn't spoken. "Where are we headed, exactly?" Ari spun around, her blonde curls flying up around her as she did so, to face the boy. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the passage, making her less human, and the fangs that she was bearing really didn't do her any favours at all. Her eyes widened slightly and she lowered them to the ground, her fangs hidden by her now closed mouth. She opened it again to speak, couldn't think of anything and closed it again.

Then she took a breath, raised her hand with her finger pointed at the boy and frowned. "You...didn't see anything. Okay?" She said, trying to compel him. Not that it would work, Ari hadn't yet mastered the art of compulsion or glamouring. Not yet. She would one day...Hopefully. Not all vamps do.

Ari sighed and let hand drop back to her side and glanced back at the boy, examining him more closely. He looked...strange. And not in a dramatic way like she normally did, it was more of a creepy way. She smiled, trying to make a joke out of it saying, "dude, I know this place is called masquerade, but that doesn't mean you have to wear a mask" Of course she felt really bad after saying it so she mumbled something that sounded like an apology and then looked ahead in the passageway again.

"I have...no idea. Apparently it's supposed to be some sort of study, a private heaven for nerds. I don't know, I found a book that showed me it, I just came to investigate." Ari hadn't meant to tell him about the book, she had wanted to be kinda mysterious about it, but she wasn't in the mood today, plus she really did need someone with her as a just in caser, this place was probably going to be full of booby traps. "I'm Arriane- Ari - Ravenwood. Not Arriane Ari...just Ari...Or Arriane...but most people call me Ari...umm...I'd say nice to meet you, but I don't know if it is yet...."

The girl whirled as soon as Bridge had spoken. Her blond curls whipped around, and Bridge had to lean back to avoid being hit in the face. Her eyes were blue, and seemed to glow in the faint light, and from her mouth protruded fangs. Bridge’s eyes widened. He knew he shouldn’t stare, and he knew that some of the students at Masquerade weren’t human, but he didn’t think there were vampires! Her eyes widened, and she looked at the ground, her mouth now closed. She opened it again, as if to speak, but nothing came out, and it closed.

The girl took a breath, pointing a finger at Bridge. "You...didn't see anything. Okay?" Bridge nodded. “I saw nothing, vampire girl.” He promised. “Your secret dies with me. Not that I want you to kill me, or anything, but....” His voice trailed off. He was making a complete fool of himself. The girl sighed, letting her hand fall to her side. She seemed to study him intently, and Bridge cocked an eyebrow. “Uh...can I help you? Like what you see?” Bridge really didn’t have any expriernce with girls. He didn’t have expirence with people in general, but that was beyond the point. "Dude, I know this place is called masquerade, but that doesn't mean you have to wear a mask" the girl smiled. Then she mumbled an apology. Bridge laughed. “You don’t need to be sorry. I wear a mask for personal reasons. The less people see my face, the less they know who I am.” He said. looking toward the dark omnius tunnel before them.

"I have...no idea. Apparently it's supposed to be some sort of study, a private heaven for nerds. I don't know, I found a book that showed me it, I just came to investigate." Bridge nodded. “Books are wonderful places to learn things. Maybe there are more passages hidden in the school. I wonder if someone’s ever mapped them out...” Bridge placed a finger on his chin, thinking. "I'm Arriane- Ari - Ravenwood. Not Arriane Ari...just Ari...Or Arriane...but most people call me Ari...umm...I'd say nice to meet you, but I don't know if it is yet...."

“Nice to meet you, Ari Ravenwood. I’m....” Bridge paused. He didn’t think this girl had earned his name just yet, so he gave her a psuedonym. “I’m Erik.” Bridge silently laughed. The first name that came to his mind was the name of Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera. “Yeah, I’m Erik, Erik Leroux. And yes, it is nice to meet me. Not many people get the chance. Not many people care to notice, not that I want them too.”

The boy had nodded when Ari told him he saw nothing, and Ari actually thought she had managed to compel him...until he spoke. “I saw nothing, vampire girl. Your secret dies with me. Not that I want you to kill me, or anything, but....” The boys voice trailed off until he noticed Ari examining him. "Uh...can I help you? Like what you see?” Ari had decided to let that comment go, instead she had kinda attacked him about his mask. Which he apparently wore for personal reasons. That made Ari feel not so bad about saying what she had.

When she had mentioned the book he said, “Books are wonderful places to learn things. Maybe there are more passages hidden in the school. I wonder if someone’s ever mapped them out...” Good, so he had just assumed she had found just this one passage from the book, not others. That would save the secret..kinda.
And when Ari had introduced himself he introduced himself back saying, “Nice to meet you, Ari Ravenwood. I’m... I’m Erik. Yeah, I’m Erik, Erik Leroux. And yes, it is nice to meet me. Not many people get the chance. Not many people care to notice, not that I want them too.” Ari had to give it to him, the boy had courage, and was probably a bit clever. Obviously full of himself from the way he spoke then. However, Ari had noticed the pause in introducing himself, like he had to think of a name to give. Which meant he was lying. That didn't matter though, after today she probably wouldn't see the boy around again. Most people and faces seemed to blur by now-a-days. She'd meet someone once, forget about that meeting, and then never see them again.

"Hmm..Well...it looks like you wanted me to meet you then. So, Erik, tell me...Why did you follow me? Do you normally follow pretty girls into strange places? Or is this a one off? And also...you know what I am...but what are you? You're certainly not a human..I can sense that much..." Ari trailed off frowning at the boy. She never did know what a person was if they weren't human or vamp, she wasn't very good at identifying other species, even if they did have certain give aways. But this boy was not human, ari could tell that much. Smell that much as well, though he did have a human taint on him.

"Well...Are we going to stand here and chat all day or actually carry on with this? Going back isn't an option now...And I don't like standing around doing nothing...so walking it is." Ari asked and answered her own question that was intended for the boy, he really never had a say in the matter. So smiling once more Ari carried on walking through the narrow passage that got wider and wider as she went on. Eventually they reached a door, a big black thing with golden handles. "My, my...this looks intresting...right, Erik...you go first. Careful not to get yourself killed..I might actually need you."

"Hmm..Well...it looks like you wanted me to meet you then. So, Erik, tell me...Why did you follow me? Do you normally follow pretty girls into strange places? Or is this a one off? And also...you know what I am...but what are you? You're certainly not a human..I can sense that much...” Bridge visibly flinched at the emphasis of his pseudonym. She knew he was lying. No matter. He would come clean soon. She was wise enough to earn his true name. “I don’t normally follow anyone into anywhere. A lot of people don’t even know I exist. Not that I mind that at all. As for what I am, I’m a Changeling. Fairy-boy and what not. And no, I don’t have wings.” Bridge shook his head.

"Well...Are we going to stand here and chat all day or actually carry on with this? Going back isn't an option now...And I don't like standing around doing nothing...so walking it is." Bridge nodded, following Ari as she walked down the slowly widening passage. Eventually they reached a door, a big black thing with golden handles. "My, my...this looks intresting...right, Erik...you go first. Careful not to get yourself killed..I might actually need you." Bridge shrugged. “Name’s Bridge Scott. But you can call me what ever you like.” Bridge grasped one of the golden handles, feeling the cool metal in his palm. He gave the handle a slight tug, and the giant black door creaked open. When Bridge saw what was behind the door, he gasped.

It was a giant circular library. Bookshelves lined the walls, with desks here and their. Candles lit the room, and Bridge wondered if magic was keeping them lit. “This place is amazing.” Bridge said, walking toward one of the shelves. He pulled a volume of the shelf. It was bound in faded reddish-brown leather, and had flaking gold lettering on the cover. “History of the Strigoi” Bridge read aloud. He opened the tome, and read a passage out loud. “In Romanian mythology, strigoi are the troubled souls of the dead rising from the grave. Some strigoi can be living people with certain magical properties. Some of the properties of the strigoi include: the ability to transform into an animal, invisibility, and the propensity to drain the vitality of victims via blood loss. Strigoi are also known as immortal vampires.” Bridge blanched. “Ari? Come here for a second.” He turned, stepping on a panel in the floor that caused the door to slam shut.

The boy flinched when Ari said his name, a sign that he knew that she knew he was lying. “I don’t normally follow anyone into anywhere. A lot of people don’t even know I exist. Not that I mind that at all. As for what I am, I’m a Changeling. Fairy-boy and what not. And no, I don’t have wings.” The boy said in response to her question about what he was. Ari smiled slightly, "I wasn't gonna ask if you had wings, I know you don't...most fae don't....and I met a faerie earlier..."

After Ari said the boys fake name for the second time he eventually gave his real name saying, “Name’s Bridge Scott. But you can call me what ever you like.” Ari grinned, she liked been right. Bridge then proceeded to open the doors, revealing one of the most amazing rooms Ari had ever seen.

The room was huge and circular, most of the walls covered by shelves full of books. There were desks with chairs scattered about, and some bean bag chair things. The room was well lit with candles creating a good atmosphere and it made the place look old and cool. Ari decided immediately that she liked this room, and would probably become one of her favoured hang-out spots.

While Ari was stood gaping in the doorway Bridge was exploring the room, mostly looking at the books. Ari saw him pull a book down, and read the title aloud, ari cringed when she heard what it was, most, if not all, moroi feared the strigoi. They had a habit of kidnapping and forcefully turning (or using as snacks) the Moroi. Getting turned strigoi was ba, it meant you would loose your soul, and loose yourself. You would only know the lowest of all low...you'd be evil. With chalk like skin and red eyes and a strong aversion to sunlight Moroi were easy to spot, but extremely hard to outrun. Their strength was heightened as was their speed. You could always run into a church, but then the strigoi could easilly burn that down, obviously they would have to stay away from the fire, fire killed after all.

After reading a paragraph aloud Bridge called Ari over, turning around as he did so. Ari had just made it through the door when it swung shut, closing with a bang. Eyes wide she looked at Bridge, then back at the door...that wasn't there. Well, it obviously was there...but you couldn't see where it was unless you had extraordinary eyesight, and even then you could just see faint cracks in the wall. "umm..what did you do?" Ari said running her hands along the wall. This was obviously one of the booby traps Ari had been worried about earlier. She turned back to look at Bridge. "Brilliant...Of course they let us find the place and enter it, but they wont let us leave." She said dryly. "Well while we're here we might as well get a good look around...what was it you wanted me for?"

Bridge let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Ari had made it through the door before it closed. He looked at her, then back at the door. Or the wall. The door had disappeared. His eyes could barely pick out hairline cracks in the wall. Typical. You get into the secret room, you don’t get out. "umm..what did you do?" Bridge scoffed. “Me? What makes you think I did it? Oh, I know why. Because I’m in the mask. That’s right. Blame the freak in the mask every time something goes wrong.” Bridge fumed. Ari ran her hands over the wall. Then she looked at Bridge. "Brilliant...Of course they let us find the place and enter it, but they wont let us leave." She said dryly. "Well while we're here we might as well get a good look around...what was it you wanted me for?" Bridge nodded, setting the Strigoi book down. He began to look at the books on the shelves.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious. As for why I called you, you’re not a Strigoi, are you? Because if you are, I’m much to gamy to eat. I taste terrible. He furrowed his eyebrows, running his hand behind one of the shelves. “Don’t just stand there! Help me. There’s got to be a switch or something.” Something crossed Bridge’s mind. He went looking for the biggest book in the room. He pulled it, and there was a grinding noise behind him.

“Never fails!” He declared loudly. “Find the biggest book in the room and it’s almost guaranteed to spin a bookshelf or something.” The bookshelf in question had swung open, revealing a dark passage beyond. Bridge grabbed a candle to use as light. “Bet your little book didn’t tell you about that. Now, are you coming or not?” He called back to Ari as he started down the passage.

. “Me? What makes you think I did it? Oh, I know why. Because I’m in the mask. That’s right. Blame the freak in the mask every time something goes wrong.” Ari cringed slightly at the changling boy's sharp words.
"I don't think you're a freak...You're different but not a freak....Hell..we're at Masquerade...if you look around you'll see someone who looks like they belong in a horror film! Now thats freaky...." Ari grinned and rolled her eyes. "Seriously though..a little self confidence can go a long way... and if you're a freak then what the hell am I? I drink blood for crying out loud!"

"Well while we're here we might as well get a good look around...what was it you wanted me for?"
Ari leaned back against the wall, where the door was and hoped to god, or whoever the hell was watching and laughing right now, that someone wouldn't come and open the door, because she'd end up falling through it and look like a right prat.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious. As for why I called you, you’re not a Strigoi, are you? Because if you are, I’m much to gamy to eat. I taste terrible." Ari gave a sound that was midway between a laugh and a cough...it sounded like she was choking.
"Am I hell a strigoi! Do i look like candle wax and have freaky red eyes and overly long fangs? Seriously! Sure know how to make a vampire feel welcome!" She took a deep breath and crossed her arms, starting to relax until Bridge spoke again: “Don’t just stand there! Help me. There’s got to be a switch or something," he said as he started searching the walls.

Ari sighed and walked over to a table where she dumped her bag and sat down before pulling out the book that had shown her where this room was. But just as she opened the front coover she heard a grating sound and another passage in the wall opened. “Never fails!” Bridge declared loudly. “Find the biggest book in the room and it’s almost guaranteed to spin a bookshelf or something.”
Ari laughed, shoved the book back in her bag and stood up. "Genius..Absolute Genius. Find a way out of here and you'll be bite free for the rest of your life!"

“Bet your little book didn’t tell you about that. Now, are you coming or not?” Bridge had already started making his way down the beginning of the passage by this time and Ari rolled her eyes again. "Yes...i'm coming...But if this is another trap and we get stuck there you might have holes in your neck by tomorrow night... just saying. I've never tried a Changeling before...might be a nice change." She said jokingly as she started to follow bridge down the dark corridor.

"I don't think you're a freak...You're different but not a freak....Hell..we're at Masquerade...if you look around you'll see someone who looks like they belong in a horror film! Now thats freaky...." Ari grinned and rolled her eyes. "Seriously though..a little self confidence can go a long way... and if you're a freak then what the hell am I? I drink blood for crying out loud!" Bridge laughed nervously, taking a deep breath of air. “Hehehe....yeah...”

"Am I hell a strigoi! Do i look like candle wax and have freaky red eyes and overly long fangs? Seriously! Sure know how to make a vampire feel welcome!" Bridge sighed. “Sorry. I have no people skills what so ever. It’s part of that people never notice me thing.”

Ari laughed, shoved the book back in her bag and stood up. "Genius..Absolute Genius. Find a way out of here and you'll be bite free for the rest of your life!" Bridge smiled from somewhere down the passage way. “Genius is one of my specialties. I also do creepy and mysterious. But that costs extra.” He continued further down the passage, using the candle to scan the walls. They were covered with all sorts of archaic drawings. “This is so strange.” Bridge whispered.

"Yes...i'm coming...But if this is another trap and we get stuck there you might have holes in your neck by tomorrow night... just saying. I've never tried a Changeling before...might be a nice change." Ari called back from somewhere behind him. Bridge stopped dead in his tracks. “Ari, when you reach me, do not move. This place can be full of traps. I was so careless before.” Bridge reached into his bag, pulling out the heaviest thing he could find. His French dictionary. That would work. He silently tossed it down the corridor, listening for any sort of sound. There it was. The “whosh” of something flying through the air. “Careful!” Bridge cried. “The entire place has pressure pads hidden all across the floor. One misstep, and we’re dead.”

Bridge apologised for the Strigoi thing, saying that he had no people skills, because apparently nobody noticed him. Ari rolled her eyes at that, though she was thinking that if she passed Bridge in a hallway she'd probably notice him, he was wearing a mask afterall.

After Ari called Bridge a genius he said,“Genius is one of my specialties. I also do creepy and mysterious. But that costs extra.” Ari laughed at that as she headed towards the passageway, her eyes made it easier to see in the dark, but in the passageway it was still dark. Ari was thankful for the candle, that bridge was now using to light up the strange markings on the wall. “This is so strange.” Ari heard him whisper, but she still hadn't reached where he was stood.

“Ari, when you reach me, do not move. This place can be full of traps. I was so careless before.”
"Ummm....Okay.... Is this something to do with you wanting to be fang free?" Ari said a big grin on her face as she walked slowly towards where Bridge was stood. She was too busy examining the walls to pay much attention to where she was going, so when she bumped into Bridge she jumped back startled. "Oops...sorry..."

She watched as bridge through something large that resembled a book down the corridor, though she disliked people throwing books around she disliked the idea of loosing her life even more, so she chose to let it go. There was a huge Whooshing sound as the book hit the ground, Ari guessed that it had hit a trip wire or something.
“Careful!” Bridge cried. “The entire place has pressure pads hidden all across the floor. One misstep, and we’re dead"
Ari gulped, "Well...This should be...fun... I'm guessing this is going to be our only way out.... Umm... let me just..look in my book..it might have a map or something telling us where the trip wires or pressure pads or whatever are... Um...I'll need to use the candle for light....."

Ari crouched down on the floor, putting her bag down and pulling the book out. She flicked through the pages, squinting in the darkness at the pages until she got to the library one. "Candle, Bridge...Just put it down here a second and help me look in here for any mention of these traps...."

"Ummm....Okay.... Is this something to do with you wanting to be fang free?" Bridge felt something bump into him, throwing him off balance. He flailed his arms, managing to keep his feel stationary. "Oops...sorry..." Bridge had to breath to keep his anger in check. “Oops...sorry?” he thought to himself. She could’ve killed him. But instead of lashing out, he didn’t say anything. Now was not the time to lose his cool. Too much was at stake. LIVES were at stake. And no one was dying on Bridge Scott’s watch.

Ari gulped, "Well...This should be...fun... I'm guessing this is going to be our only way out.... Umm... let me just..look in my book..it might have a map or something telling us where the trip wires or pressure pads or whatever are... Um...I'll need to use the candle for light....." Bridge nodded, turning back to the walls. The glyphs fascinated him. He would have to come back and attempt to translate them. Who knows what secrets they held.

"Candle, Bridge...Just put it down here a second and help me look in here for any mention of these traps...." Ari said, behind him. Bridge turned, stunned. “Oh...yeah.” He set the candle down, the light washing over the book. Bridge was tempted to lean over and look, but that would block Ari’s light. So he stepped back, pressing his back against the wall to avoid walking on any pressure pads or trip wires. The small passage got no air flow, so the air was stale and stuffy. Bridge began to unwrap his arm to let the charred flesh breath. He knew the light from the candle wouldn’t reach where he was, so he didn’t worry about Ari seeing him. He took off his mask, feeling the disfigured skin breath just a bit. Bridge wiped sweat from his forehead. “Any luck?” He rasped through his charred vocal cords.

Bridge put the candle down and light washed across the book creating shadows that danced with the flame. As Ari looked she sung a slightly out of tune version of Boys Like Girls song Great Escape under her breath. Bridge would probably only hear small parts of her bad singing, the parts where her voice went scratchy and pitchy. She wasn't at Masquerade for her singing. She was here to act...and to stay safe. Music generally helped Ari's concentration, which was why she was attempting to sing as she flicked through the book. Of course that split her concentration into trying to remember the lyrics, and trying to find the page and any information on this passage.

Ari stopped singing. The music thing obviously didn't work when she was the one singing. All it was really doing was starting to give her a headache, or was that the stale air? Were they running out of Air? It certainly felt like it. Ari was starting to struggle to breath, her eyes darting down the corridor as she tried to take in big gulps of air. the corridor started to seem thinner and smaller, more confined. She felt as though she was buried alive. "Calm down Ari! You're gonna give yourself a panic attack if you carry on thinking things like this!" She muttered to herself.

Somewhere close Ari heard bridge say, “Any luck?”
Ari took another deep breath and swallowed, her mouth was suddenly dry and her throat felt as though it was coated in sand paper. She coughed and then smiled shakilly. "Umm...no not yet... I'm still looking though..just give me a minute." Her voice came out nervous and shaky, and she mentally scolded herself for been so stupid. She shouldn't let her Claustraphobia get to her, it was stupid. Ari flicked aimlessly through the book for a few seconds, and then eventually she turned onto the page about the library.

Ari scanned it quickly, looking for any mention of traps and quickly found it on the final paragraph of the page. It listed a few examples of what they may face and then siad that on the next page was a more detailed map of the traps. "Yes..." Ari said, her smile going from nervous to relieved. She quickly flicked over the page which held a hand drawn map folded in half. She opened it and then peering close gulped.

"Wow....this looks...fun." Ari said trying to count the number of traps. There seemed to be one almost every three feet down the corridor....and the corridor seemed quite long. Ari stood up, picking up the candle and book and walked over to where bridges shadow seemed to be. As the light lit him up Ari let out a small gasp. Bridge had taken off his mask....and some bandages. Since she wasn't too close yet all she could really see of his skin was just an uneven texture, and in some places it looked slightly blistered. Ari frowned and stpped closer, lifting the candle to illuminate more of the burns. "What... What Happened?" Ari finally asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to... Did someone do this to you on purpose?"

Bridge looked up from his shadowed position against the wall. A song floated his way in the stale air of the corridor. The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls. The voice singing was Ari’s, but Bridge couldn’t fathom singing in a dark passage way rigged to kill. It seemed so....hopeful. Bridge joined in, singing Let’s Hear It for the Boy, the Stunner’s version, of course. Just moments ago, Bridge felt so hopeless. He thought they would be stuck in here for ever. But the two voices, neither adept at singing, two completely different songs mixing in the tunnel, gave Bridge a new found hope.

Suddenly, Ari stopped singing. Bridge, on the other hand, just began to sing louder. But, of course, he switched songs. Selena Gomez’s “Naturally” began to flow from his scarred lips. Bridge thought about how well the lyrics fit his current situation, when taken literally. Masquerade was about expressing yourself in your own way, as he had seen many of the students do. Of course, none of that mattered anymore. He and Ari were gonna die in here. Well, he was gonna die here. Ari could probably live for a month on his blood. Then she’d die. Bridge shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking like that.

After Bridge asked if Ari had any luck finding that page in the book, she coughed, then offered him a shaky smile. "Umm...no not yet... I'm still looking though..just give me a minute.” Her voice was nervous, like the air, shadows, and just generality of the situation was getting to her. Bridge stopped singing. “Ari, hey, calm down. It’s gonna be okay. Take slow, steady breaths. That’ll help conserve oxygen. Then a thought struck Bridge. Fire eats oxygen. “Ari, we need to put that candle out, now!”

"Wow....this looks...fun." Bridge assumed that meant Ari had found what they were looking for, and it confirmed his fears. This place was riddled with traps. They were doomed. Ari’s figure stood, picking up the candle and book, drawing closer to Bridge. “No, Ari, don’t.....!” But it was too late. Light began to wash over Bridge. His burns, his scars, exposed to her. Bridge drew his legs up, resting his arms on his knees, his wrists crossed, palms down. His scarred face hung down, as not catch Ari’s face.

What... What Happened?" Ari finally asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to... Did someone do this to you on purpose?" Bridge laughed. “No, it’s better we get this out in the open. But first,” Bridge licked his fingers, closing them around the flame of the candle. The room was filled with a faint green glow, but Bridge just assumed that was his Fae eyes. “What happened? I was burned alive, that’s what happened. The people of my village, they knew I was a Changeling, a Fae. It had long been superstition in the village that if you suspend Changelings in a basket over an open flame, they’ll escape out the nearest window. Well, the townspeople built a bonfire and suspended me over the town square in a basket, over the flames. A storm had been brewing that day, and the wind blew. The basket pitched, sending me falling into the fire. The kiss of those flames has been the greatest pain I have ever known. Now, I conceal it with bandages and a mask.” Bridge lifted his head up, and noticed the faint green light was emanating from his right palm. “Well that’s new.” Bridge said, nonchalantly.

As Bridge joined Ari in her bad attempt at singing Ari rolled her eyes to herself, thinking something along the lines of 'this is starting to turn into High School Musical', Something Ari was reluctant to admit she had watched once...and hated it. But Even watching it and hating it was bad enough, she was seventeen after all...

Bridge must have also noticed Aris slight panic attack as he said something that sounded vaguely reassuring, but like he didn't really believe everything would be okay. Then he stupidly said something about putting out the candle...if she did that then they wouldn't be able to see anything at all...Which meant not been able to see the book or the traps...or anything...

And then when Ari had finally found something in the book and stood up to show him what she had found he had said, “No, Ari, don’t.....!” Of course Ari hadn't understood what he had meant by that at the time, but now she was stood staring at the burns that mapped up his arms and across his face and any other exposed areas of skin.
When Ari had asked him what had happened and then told him that he didn't have to tell her if he didn't want to, Bridge had laughed saying, “No, it’s better we get this out in the open. But first..." He proceeded to kill the candle and leave them in a glowing green light, kinda like the light that comes off of the boy in I Am Number Four's Hand...though Bridge was a Fairy and the boy in the book was an Alien...

“What happened? I was burned alive, that’s what happened. The people of my village, they knew I was a Changeling, a Fae. It had long been superstition in the village that if you suspend Changelings in a basket over an open flame, they’ll escape out the nearest window. Well, the townspeople built a bonfire and suspended me over the town square in a basket, over the flames. A storm had been brewing that day, and the wind blew. The basket pitched, sending me falling into the fire. The kiss of those flames has been the greatest pain I have ever known. Now, I conceal it with bandages and a mask.” Bridge explained.

Ari's eyes were open wide with shock, she couldn't think of what to say. Saying sorry wouldn't do anything, it was just a meaningless word really, plus she had nothing to do with how he got his burns so it wouldn't do much to make him feel better. "God...that is awful.... If you want I could go and hunt them all down....But I don't think that would help much. No matter how sweet revenge may be, it wouldn't be right...Plus they'd probably stake me then and there... Stupid humans... If they looked long enough in the mirror they would see that they're the monsters...not us." The right corner of her mouth lifted slightly in a small smile, her shoulders lifted in a 'but what can we do about it?' shrug.

Deciding that what they needed was a topic change Ari pulled up as much of a real looking fake smile as she could in a situation like this and spoke loudly, her voice echoing (sp? I wasn't sure on the 'drop the E, add I N G' rule here....) in the corridor around them, "Well...it doesn't look like that magic glowing is gonna fade any time soon... Maybe we could use it to our advantage seeing as how we no longer have a light to show us where to go..." Ari passed to open book to Bridge on the page of the map, "Here...look at the map...thats all the traps in the corridor...supposedly. Are we gonna try and move past them all?"

"God...that is awful.... If you want I could go and hunt them all down....But I don't think that would help much. No matter how sweet revenge may be, it wouldn't be right...Plus they'd probably stake me then and there... Stupid humans... If they looked long enough in the mirror they would see that they're the monsters...not us." Bridge shook his head. “They’re not monsters, just...misguided.” he said, softly. “Besides, with the way some of them look, how much you wanna bet they don’t own a mirror?” It was a sad attempt at a joke, but right now, it was all Bridge had. Ari offered a slight smile and a small shrug. “It’s okay, really. What’s done is done. Don’t worry about it.”

"Well...it doesn't look like that magic glowing is gonna fade any time soon... Maybe we could use it to our advantage seeing as how we no longer have a light to show us where to go..." Bridge was glad for the change of subject, and accepted the book Ari handed him. "Here...look at the map...thats all the traps in the corridor...supposedly. Are we gonna try and move past them all?"

Bridge studied the map. The passageway they were in was about 50 feet long, with traps every 3 feet or so. “I really couldn’t tell you where we are, so I don’t know if it’s safer to go forward or backward. Let’s look at the facts. We know what lies behind us: the secret room, but the only way out of there is through the door that’s now sealed into the wall. We’re sure of only one thing that lies ahead of us: traps. We don’t know where this tunnel leads...” Bridge had a thought. He turned the page, seeing if that would tell him where the passage lead. It didn’t. It said something about a passage from the theatre to the woods.He wasn’t sure how that would help.

“Alright, Ari. Your call. Do we go forward or back? If we go forward, I think it’s best we crawl, that way we have a way of seeing what traps are in front of us, and if we activate a trap, it’s most likely rigged for someone standing up, so it’s likely to miss us. That is, unless of course we run into like a pendulum or something, and then we’re dead....” Bridge bit his lip, and fixed his mask back on his face. “You may wanna decide fast, because the more we sit around and talk, the more oxygen we waste. And I don’t know about you, being a vampire and all, but I kinda need oxygen to live.”

Ari waited impatiently as Bridge studied the map, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip and rocking back and forth on her feet, toes, heel, toes, heel... Over and over slowly as she waited. Eventually Bridge spoke, "I really couldn’t tell you where we are, so I don’t know if it’s safer to go forward or backward. Let’s look at the facts. We know what lies behind us: the secret room, but the only way out of there is through the door that’s now sealed into the wall. We’re sure of only one thing that lies ahead of us: traps. We don’t know where this tunnel leads...” Ari didn't speak yet, she had a feeling that Bridge was going to say more, even if it was silent now. Bridge had turned over the page of the book, onto another passageway. It was a pity he looked at it, she had wanted to keep the book to herself for a little longer, but in a situation like this you just had to suck it up and get over yourself.

“Alright, Ari. Your call. Do we go forward or back? If we go forward, I think it’s best we crawl, that way we have a way of seeing what traps are in front of us, and if we activate a trap, it’s most likely rigged for someone standing up, so it’s likely to miss us. That is, unless of course we run into like a pendulum or something, and then we’re dead....” Ari frowned and stopped rocking, but carried on chewing her lip as she thought about that. It was a difficult decision that could cost them their lives if something went wrong. However, she was forced to hurry up her thinking as Bridge said, “You may wanna decide fast, because the more we sit around and talk, the more oxygen we waste. And I don’t know about you, being a vampire and all, but I kinda need oxygen to live.”

She glared at him, but knew he was right. "I think...that...we should go forwards...but we should walk...slowly.... A step at a time. I'm not been shallow here but crawling...it aint my thing... Plus, if something is wired to attack lower down and we were crawling it would not be good... we'll be faster at dodging and things if we walk..." Ari smiled a wicked smile, her blue eyes sparkling with dark humor "...At least I will be... Don't know about you, fairy boy, but I can be wicked fast if I want to... And now...i'll have my book back if you don't mind..." Ari held her hand out for the book and waited for Bridge to give it back to her. A selfish part of her wanted to snatch it back and stuff it into her bag again, hidden from sight, but she refused to let it take her over. It wasn't like Bridge could take it from her and hide it.

"I think...that...we should go forwards...but we should walk...slowly.... A step at a time. I'm not been shallow here but crawling...it aint my thing... Plus, if something is wired to attack lower down and we were crawling it would not be good... we'll be faster at dodging and things if we walk..." Bridge nodded. “True, true. Alright, forward ho!” he said, pointing. "...At least I will be... Don't know about you, fairy boy, but I can be wicked fast if I want to... And now...i'll have my book back if you don't mind..." Bridge handed Ari her book, standing, a smirk on his face. “I don’t need to be fast, if my opponents can’t see me.” Bridge threw his illusion up, instantly going invisible.

“Now, Ari, I’m gonna go ahead. I need you to follow the sound of my voice.” Bridge started off down the passage, holding his glowing hand in front of him to see. His pace was slow and measured. “Alright, Ari, do not turn, do not turn your head. Just walk toward the sound of my voice.” Bridge said.

He had to think of things to say, to keep her following him. “So, Ari. What brings you to Masquerade? I’m just here because I’ve got no place to stay. After my accident, I fled the town, living in the woods. Then I got the letter. I’m not sure how it found me, but there it was, stuck to a tree. It was the strangest thing. But I got here, and here I shall stay.”

Bridge realized he was rambling, but as long as Ari could still hear him, it didn’t matter. He had been walking all this time, and was surprised that he hadn’t hit any traps. Suddenly, a tile under his foot moved, and Bridge knew he spoke too soon. “Watch out!” he screamed at Ari.

Bridge gave Ari the book back, a smirk on his face. “I don’t need to be fast, if my opponents can’t see me," He said. Ari was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about...until he just disapeared. “Now, Ari, I’m gonna go ahead. I need you to follow the sound of my voice.” Ari heard nothing except the sound of Bridges footprints echoeing through the corridor for a minute and then he spoke again. “Alright, Ari, do not turn, do not turn your head. Just walk toward the sound of my voice.” Ari nodded and stepped forwards, slowly and cautiously at first but then sped up when nothing happened.

“So, Ari. What brings you to Masquerade? I’m just here because I’ve got no place to stay. After my accident, I fled the town, living in the woods. Then I got the letter. I’m not sure how it found me, but there it was, stuck to a tree. It was the strangest thing. But I got here, and here I shall stay.” Ari continued to follow the sound of his voice, and when he stopped speaking she started, still walking in the direction Bridge had last been in, she could probably follow his scent as well if she wanted to, but that would mean that she was in hunting mode, something she didn't use because it could cause her actions to become unpredictable.

"My family is one of the twelve ruling families accross the world, we don't control that much, mostly it's just the covens in England and such... I came to masquerade when I was eleven. My parents....were intresting. They were unstable, constantly fighting. They used to pretend when i was around, you know how parents do, tried to act happy and normal, like everything was fine. I didn't realise what was going on at fiirst, not really. I never saw my dad hit my mum until I was eleven. I...I lost it. I had come downstairs because I heard them shouting, and the kitchen door was partially open... I...Spied on them and then when my dad hit my mum I ran in. I was...so angry. I don't know what happened, but I attacked him. And a few minutes later I was standing over him holding a sillver knife to his throat. We weren't supposed to keep sharp silver items around the house, I was clumsy and Vampires and silver in the bloodstream isn't a good thing. If it gets into the blood you get really ill, and if you get stabbed in the heart then you're dead. I ordered him to get out.... I don't know how I did it... I think it was partially compulsion... But he agreed. I've never been able to compel anyone since... you saw my pathetic attempt earlier....Anyways... I was good at ordering people around, I had grown up spoilt and giving orders... But my dad left that night. Three weeks later i found the letter on my pillow and I came here. I haven't seen my dad since then... We've never heard of him. My mum, she's a good ruler....But I like it here... i never told anyone who I really was... the whole royal thing. I don't like using that... I'm not a spoilt brat anymore Like I was...." As Ari finished speaking there was a grating sound, and a second later Bridge yelled to watch out... he had hit a trap. Ari Jumped back as the trap set off...

((Ari, if you wanna join the thread in the theatre, please do. The more that participate in the plot, the merrier. Plus, it says open in the title, and you’re the admin. ))

Bridge silently listened as Ari explained what had happened prior to her coming to Masquerade. She explained about the royalty, silver and vampires (which Bridge had always thought was werewolves, not vampires...), and her abusive father. Compared to what she had been through, Bridge’s accident had been like a walk in the park. Even that day in the subway bathroom, which his knuckles still hurt over, seemed like a picnic next to Ari’s story. That’s when the trap sprang. Ari jumped back, just in time, too.

Bridge wasn’t so lucky. Several arrows flew from the wall, but he managed to dodge most of them. But the last one was the lucky one. It impaled itself in Bridge’s unburned shoulder. He yelped in pain, the gritted his teeth. “Ari, I’ve been hit. I need you to stay calm, and come to the sound of my voice. It should be a minor wound, only got me in the shoulder. Bridge held up his glowing hand to look at the wound. The black arrow had sunk a good 3 inches into his flesh, and from the looks of things, it was sticking out the back. It wasn’t barbed, thank god, because that would complicate things even more. A dark pool was beginning to form at Bridge’s feet. That’s when Bridge realized that he was bleeding profusely, and was going to pass out soon.

“Ari,” Bridge fought to keep his voice steady. His vision was going blurry. “When you reach me, do not be alarmed, but I am bleeding, a lot. I may pass out soon.” Soon wasn’t exactly accurate. Right then did it more justice. Bridge’s knees buckled, and he went tumbling down. He smacked his head on the wall on his way down, and when he hit the ground, the arrow snapped in two, splintering in Bridge’s shoulder.

((yupp...i shall post a reply in it soon...I have work soonish, so it may be before work that i post, but if I don't get round to it then i shall get one up tomorrow...))

Arrows flew out from a panel in the wall, all very fast and all aiming towards where she guessed Bridge was standing. There was just the sound of arrows whistling through the air, and then a yelp. And then the scent of blood...it filled the air, a sickly sweet scent. Fairy Blood, it smelt so different to human good, smelt a lot sweeter, more mouth wateringly delicious. Ari almost forgot where she was and who the blood belonged to until Bridge spoke. "Ari, I’ve been hit. I need you to stay calm, and come to the sound of my voice. It should be a minor wound, only got me in the shoulder."

Ari inhaled sharply and closed her eyes, standing still. She needed to get over the blood being there before she could do anything crazy. She needed to get her head back on and not go into hunting mode. She had to hold her breath... that would work... But how long could she hold it for? That was something she had never tested... whenever she had gone swimming and gone under water she had always come up as soon as it started to feel uncomfortable... which was like five minutes. She was just going to have to see.

“Ari,” Bridges voice sounded weak now, Arriane opened her eyes and exhaled, then took in another breath and held it. “When you reach me, do not be alarmed, but I am bleeding, a lot. I may pass out soon.” Soon was an understatement, almost as soon as he finished speaking he blinked back into visiblity, and then he fell, hitting his head on the way down.

"Oh, crap.... " Ari whispered to herself, letting out her breath and taking another one. This time she actually held it as she stepped forwards slowly to the spot where Bridge was. One...two...Don't breath now...three...four... Almost there Ari...Just don't breath...six...seven...eight..there you've reached him. Now, you have to get the arrow out of his shoulder, and put pressure on the wound to stench the blood flow... Ari kept on giving herself the mental instructions, even when her lungs started to burn for air. She slowly reached forwards and with one hand grasped the broken arrow, and with the other grabbed onto Bridges shoulder. She pulled the half of arrow out quickly, that way it would hurt less. Now all she had to do was pull the rest of the arrow out of the other side of Bridges arrow. But now Ari needed to breathe...really badly. Cautiously, oh so slowly, she took a breath trying not to smell the blood as she did so."Okayy... Bridge....You are going to have to wake up... I don't care how bad the pain is...or how much blood you've lost... You have to wake the hell UP!"

Bridge’s eyes fluttered open. He was home, in his parents one room cottage. He was on his cot in the corner of the room, covered in his favorite threadbare blanket. “Oh, good. You’re awake.” came Mary Scott’s Irish drawl. Bridge’s hand instantly went to his face, but all he felt was smooth skin. He looked down at his arms. The burns were gone. Something wasn’t right. “Here you go, Bridge, honey.” Mary said, setting a bowl of her famous potato soup on his lap. She returned to the old wood stove in the opposite corner of the house. Bridge sat up, picking up the bowl of soup and looking around.

The house was just as he remembered it. A wardrobe and king sized bed were pushed up against one wall. Against the other, there was a bookshelf, and the kitchen. Bridge was tucked away in one of the corners, but the cottage was mostly bare. Bridge’s parents lived simply, none of that modern technobable. Suddenly the front door of the cottage burst open. There stood Travis Scott, a shovel over his shoulder. “It’s a chilly one, Mary.” He said, kissing his wife on the cheek. Then his eyes alighted on Bridge. “Bridge, me boy! When you fell on your way to town yesterday, you had us worried.” What? Bridge never went into town, and the last time he did that, the accident happened. That’s when he realized it. The accident hadn’t happened.

But that wasn’t right. He should be covered in burns. He should’ve lived in the woods for a year. He should be at Masquerade right now. He should be passed out in a secret passage way bleeding to death with a vampire. That’s when Ari’s word’s pervaded his dream. "Okayy... Bridge....You are going to have to wake up... I don't care how bad the pain is...or how much blood you've lost... You have to wake the hell UP!"

Bridge’s eyes snapped open, this time to reality. Ari had pulled half of the arrow out, but the front half was still sticking out his back. He slowly pulled himself up, wincing in pain. “Okay, Ari. I need you to pull this out of me, and then stop the blood. I don’t care how you do it at this point, just do it. And I’m sure this must be driving you crazy, but if drinking it is the fastest way to get the bleeding to stop, by all means.”

After Ari shouted at Bridge it didn't take all that long for him to wake up. The scent of blood was all around them by now and even with the minimum amount of breathing she was doing Ari was close to going insane and just biting Bridge, amazingly that wasn't something she wanted to do.

Bridge sat up slowly, wincing as he did so, making Ari wince at the same time. The arrow lodged in his shoulder looked painful. “Okay, Ari. I need you to pull this out of me, and then stop the blood. I don’t care how you do it at this point, just do it. And I’m sure this must be driving you crazy, but if drinking it is the fastest way to get the bleeding to stop, by all means.” Ari rolled her eyes at him, her throat getting increasingly dry as the scent blood continued to make its way into her nose.
"Dude, if I drink your blood your gonna die... You've lost enough as it is..." Well..that was that breath gone.. and there was the burning of the lungs... She was going to have to breath again.

Breath taken, Bridge still fang free, Ari decided that now would probably be a good time to get the rest of the arrow out of his shoulder. She took her jacket off, deciding that that would be useful in stopping the blood, and then moved around so she was knelt behind Bridge's shoulder. "Right...umm... Soo... this is gonna hurt... probably a lot... Feel free to scream... no-one's gonna hear you in here..." With that Ari took in another breath, this time through her mouth because breathing in through her nose right near some blood was not a good idea. "crap...crap....crap...crap..crap..." Ari muttered under her breath as she started to pull the arrow out, this time slowly because she didn't want to nick any of the bone, eventually the arrow came out nice and shiny and bloody.

"Umm...It's out!" Ari said with false brightness as she pressed her jacket against the wound to stop the blood...the only problem was the entrance wound was still bleeding, and she didn't have anything to stop that. "Umm... I can't stop it bleeding properly... unless you can get something to use on the front of your shoulder...And trust me...stopping it bleeding sounds like a really good idea right now..." Ari smiled a little shakilly, her face pale. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and shifted her jacket so it covered more of the gaping hole in his shoulder. "Umm... You okay? Not going to go down again? Hows your head? You went down with quite a bang you know..." She was babbling again, trying to focus on something other than the blood that was seeping through her jacket and covering her fingers.