The Hurt One

Maddie woke to a black swirling against her closed eyelids—the after effects of the poison that had been coursing through her veins hours ago. Slowly it dissipated as she became more aware of her surroundings, and she opened her eyes.

She'd expected to wake up somewhere entirely foreign, but instead she was lying on a handful of pillows and patchwork quilts on the ground. To her right was the wall of fire she'd seen before: a fireplace. She looked up and above the fireplace were several framed pictures, the light of the fire illuminating the framed faces.

Celia, Robert, Cassiopeia, Jason and Ethan Ravenwood. She was in the Ravenwood mansion.

The soft crackle of the fire and the glowing light made her feel drowsy and she was about to return to sleep, but then she heard a familiar voice at her feet and raised her head again.

"Don't go to sleep, or you'll never wake up again." Jason said in a low murmur.

Lauren sat up, leaning against the nearby couch. "You're joking, right?"

He was sit