#
Ashlyn dragged her feet back to her room, wiping tears from her face. Ridley was a nice guy, talking with her, trying to calm her down. But there really wasn't much he could say. She was probably going to die. Laren wasn't going to help, and she might be the only one alive who could. She pushed open her door to find it completely dark. That wasn't unusual, since it was several hours after midnight, but the crack of faint light that entered the room when she pushed the door open revealed Laren sitting on her bed, huddled where the bed met the wall. "Ash. . . is that you?" Ashlyn choked away the tears. She wasn't going to let Laren see her so weak. "Yeah. Go to sleep." "What. . . what's with you guys?" "Laren, I'm sorry," Ashlyn said caustically. "I don't want to talk to you tonight. Go to sleep." Conversation stopped after that, but neither of them slept well. Tears were shed on both pillows and both heads were filled with frightening images.# The next day dawned, though no one saw it. There weren't many windows at the Institute, and the students were all at "classes" well before the sun rose anyway. The boys were skipping, risking quite a bit if they were caught. Ashlyn's test was scheduled for that afternoon, and they were feverishly trying to find a way to save their friend.