I finally feel like some of the tensions are lifted as I finish the story. We all sit quietly for a minute before Derek decides to tell his side of the story. He tells Liz about how he found me walking zombified and felt a need to pick me up. He felt drawn to me, is what he says. I didn’t know that part and I glance at him. He smiles at me sheepishly and I can’t help but smile back. He explains that he watched me sleep for about an hour before he fell asleep himself. The laughing that I heard was because he was talking to Liz about a blind date that she had the night before. Liz

While Meril gives directions to his house, I sit watching the girl from the bus. Her brother is watching her as she plays with puppets. I watch the little boy giggle and point. I don’t realize that I’m smiling with tears, until I feel Derek's hand gently squeeze mine."Mary Anne?" I hear Meril say.I shake my head and look back towards him. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"Derek looks

I gasp as I realize that he had just said my name and sadness creeps into my soul, with the news of my mother's death."I'm sorry, Alayna. I wasn't sure that I should say anything but your boyfriend insisted. He said that you would want to know everything."I glance at Derek gratefully. "He's right, Meril. I guess, now I know why my fake name Mary Anne seemed to be perfect for Bernie." I try to joke, attempting to help ease my uncomfortableness.Derek caught the tension in my voice and whispers in my ear, "Alayna is a beautiful name. Much better than Mary Anne." Derek smiles his dazzling smile that makes my heart stop. I can’t help but to smile back. My heart does stop when he gives me a quick wink before tur

"Neither one of them would talk to me. We camped under tents and soon my wound became infected. The fever that it caused, kept me from being able to stay awake. It took us five days to reach a castle. I was too weak to even fall off the horse, so the two knights carried me to a room that held other sick people. They threw me onto a cot and a few minutes later a woman came and cut my shirt and bandages off. When she saw the wound, she shook her head.""She hollered for two men and another woman to have water brought up and put in a large hole in the ground. While the woman was gone, she cut up my pants. I was too weak to say anything.” He says a little embarrassed. “When the woman was finished with the water, she ordered the men to carry me and put me in the hole. The water was freezing! I tried to struggle but I could barely move. She dunke

"We woke up just before sunrise. There were around a thousand Knights prepared to march against Zarius. A third of them were on horses. Just to see this with my own eyes was very intimidating. I don't even know if I could express it to you properly. Gabriel rode up to me with a black mare in tow. He gave me the horse as a gift and he wished me well. That was the last time that I saw him." He sounded sad, like he had become friends with the King. He heaves a depressed sigh. "For such a big army, it didn't take long for everyone to line up ready to leave. Breakfast was eaten on the road, which was pretty nasty. It took me about thirty minutes before I was able to sit comfortably in the saddle. I could feel the ground tremble beneath me causing my anxiety to rise. They were heading into war. In the back with me were the seven men that were going to be my