Confusion. Terror. Pain. And arching over all of these, the darkness. Gods it was so dark here, she couldn’t see anything, she didn’t know where she was. All she could make out was the sound of something scrabbling and scratching in this pitch black place. This hell. She wanted to scream, but her throat had closed up and she couldn’t take in any air. She was choking, suffocating in the dark. Help me, she thought. Please, someone, anyone. But there was no one to hear her thoughts, no one to hear her stifled, terrified sobbing. I’ve got to get out, she thought, panic rising in her like a tide, threatening to drown her in its maddening embrace. Help! Please! Help me! He’s going to come back, he’s going to come back and hurt me again, please someone get me out of here, I don’t want to die, I do want to die, I want this to stop, just stop, stop, STOP...

She woke up to the soft rasping of a tongue on her nose. She tossed her head a few times to try and get rid of the sensation, but it carried on relentlessly.

“Okay, I’m up, I’m up,” she moaned groggily. She stretched her arms, yawned and slowly opened her eyes. There was a pair of glowing emerald eyes staring back. Just a dream, she thought. Thank heaven, it was just a dream. But it wasn’t just that, and she wasn’t foolish enough to really believe it was.

“Morning, Neko,” she whispered and softly stroked the small black cat between his ears. “What time is it?” The cat flicked his ears once or twice, as though trying to chase a meddlesome fly away. She sat up almost at once, suddenly wide awake. 

“What? That late already?!” she cried, and threw back the covers. She leapt out of bed and began to get dressed; grabbing the first things she could see in her wardrobe:  a pair of faded black jeans, a dusky plum coloured camisole top and a black cardigan. Neko jumped lightly off her bed onto the floor and joined two other cats who were sitting on a threadbare rug under the window. Miles, silvery-grey with sapphire blue eyes and Theo, a ginger with amber eyes lounged on the rug and basked in the morning sunshine.  Neko meowed softly as he reached the rug.

“Yes, I know I’m going to be late,” the girl replied and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. She turned back to the mirror and began brushing the tangles out of her waist-length black hair in rough, hurried strokes.

“Robyn! Hurry and get breakfast, you’ll be late to the airport!” she heard her mother’s voice call up the stairs.

“Yeah, mum I’m coming!” she called back. She hurriedly pulled some socks on and slipped her feet into her old black converse. Robyn lifted her short black coat from its hook behind the door and put it on, doing the zip up almost to her chin; it was April but still chilly when the wind blew. She grabbed her large rucksack (packed the night before) and swung it over one shoulder.

“Well boys, I’ve got to go now. I’m going to miss you.” She bent down and held her arms out, and her three cats came trotting over and climbed all over her. They nuzzled her face and Robyn found herself trying to hold back tears. Was it really all that strange though? After all these three cats were closer to her than if they had been her brothers, her own sons even. “I’m sorry; you know I wish I could take you with me. Behave for mum, okay?” She gave each cat one last kiss on the nose and went downstairs, her blue-grey eyes the colour of dusk shining with repressed tears.

Robyn rushed into the kitchen and almost fell onto her chair at the table. Her mum placed a plate of toast in front of her and she began to eat as though she hadn’t eaten in a week.

“Slow down! I know you’re in a hurry, but the taxi isn’t here yet,” her mum said. “I can’t believe you’re really going. Are you sure you’ll be all right?” 

“Yeah, mum, I’ll be fine. Besides, if I don’t do something like this now, I’ll never get better. You know it and I know it. So don’t give me any excuses to stay, I need to do this.” Robyn wolfed down the last bite of toast. She stood up and crossed the kitchen to where her mum was standing looking nervous. “I’ll be ok, I promise,” she hugged her mum just as a car horn sounded from the front of the house. 

“That’ll be your taxi now dear,” her mum said, sniffing. “You take care, now. And remember to e-mail me whenever you get a chance, and –“

“Yeah mum, I know. I’ll miss you. But I’d better be going.”

“I’ll miss you too, dear. Have a safe trip."

Robyn gave her mum a kiss on the cheek, grabbed her bag, did one last check to make sure she had her pa.ssport and plane tickets and left the house. As the taxi pulled away, she turned and waved. Her mum was stood on the front doorstep, crying but smiling as she watched her daughter leave. Well, no turning back now, Robyn thought. She settled back in the taxi, closed her eyes and prepared herself for the journey.

She climbed out of the taxi, once again swung her bag over her shoulder and staggered into the hotel. She checked in and wearily climbed the stairs to her room. As soon as she got in, she dropped her bag to the floor and collapsed onto the bed. Geez, what a long day. 18 hours of solid travelling, not to mention the waiting in between flights; a 2 hour flight from London Heathrow to Madrid, a 13 hour flight from Madrid to Santiago and finally a 3 hour flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, Patagonia. At least it’s a month before I have to get on a plane again. Without even bothering to get changed, Robyn drifted off to sleep, completely exhausted by the journey. Her last thoughts were: And if this doesn’t change me, nothing will... 

Robyn woke up to a crisp autumn day in southern Chile. The sky was blue, the trees glowed with their coats of golden leaves and a cool breeze rustled them playfully. She showered, dressed and went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Before sitting down, she gathered a few leaflets and guides together so she could read while she ate. Robyn opened the first one whilst munching on her cereal. 

                “Punta Arenas is perhaps most well known for its connections with the great explorer, Magellan. His statue can be found in one of the main squares and it is considered good luck for travellers to rub his foot before continuing their journey.”

                Maybe he’ll give me some luck too, I could use some, she thought. She continued reading and found out that there are many stray dogs on the streets, so tourists should take care not to aggravate them or feed them for their own safety. Poor things, they must have it so hard living on the streets with no one to care for them. I wonder if I’ll be able to help them... or if I won’t be able to understand them this far from home?

                One of the leaflets had a map of the city, so she put it aside to use later. A quick glance told her that Punta Arenas was laid out in a grid system, so it should be quite easy to find her way around.

                Robyn closed the map and got up to get some coffee. Still feeling half asleep... and is it any wonder from all the travelling and jet lag? But I’m determined this time. Things will be different, I can’t get lazy. While she was waiting for the machine to finish pouring the coffee, someone bumped into the back of her. She jerked forwards, startled. She half-looked over her shoulder to see who had done it.

                “Sorry,” she mumbled, and went to turn back to her coffee. No. What did I just tell myself? Well it’s too late now, they’ve probably gone...

                “No, no, it was my fault. I’m really sorry,” said the guy who had bumped into her. Robyn steeled herself to look at him, adamant that she wasn’t going to freeze like she normally did.

                “Oh, don’t worry, it’s fine,” she said, trying to smile.

                “Well, okay. It won’t happen again,” he said with a nervous grin. He turned to the baskets of rolls and resumed getting his breakfast. Robyn stayed staring at his back for a few seconds, then shook herself mentally. Come on, coffee’s ready... He seemed nice though. And I actually turned to face him! This is going to work, I can feel it! She sat back at her table, for some reason suddenly feeling as though she should be shaking with excitement.  She felt better than she had done in years. Looks like a change of scene really does help, she thought, but in the back of her mind a little voice whispered that it wasn’t just the change of scenery that had lifted her spirits so miraculously. That guy, it whispered. His part isn’t over yet. And although she told herself that she didn’t hear this voice, Robyn had that strange guy on her mind for the rest of the day.

                With map in hand, Robyn started exploring the town. She came across a supermarket called Abu Gosch that will be useful for supplies and close to the hotel too. While she was walking around she saw that the guide book was right; there really were a lot of stray dogs on the streets. They ran in the road with no concern for traffic; in fact they made the cars slow down and snapped at their wheels. Every time this happened she stiffened, sure that she was about to witness a dog get run over. But it never did, the locals seemed used to it and always made sure not to hurt the dogs, however annoyed they may be. She carried on walking past the supermarket, looking around her and taking in everything she could.

On the other side of the road she saw several souvenir shops and a cosy looking place called Café Chocolat. Further up the street the shops began to thin out and give way to housing, but she spotted a small internet café and crossed the road to check it out. The prices seemed reasonable (well, anything here does really, I mean just over 900 Chilean Pesos to the Pound? I could live like a king...), so Robyn fixed the place in her mind and returned back down the street. She pa.ssed the hotel and carried on, going deeper into the town centre this time. She pa.ssed lots of outdoor clothing shops which had all of their new winter stock on display. Robyn stopped to look in the windows of a few, admiring the warm looking coats and fur-lined boots. I may have to treat myself to something...well, winter is on the way here and I’ll need some warmer things.

Her stroll took her past a large department store on a corner, a huge post office building and a few banks. Just beyond the banks she could see a square with tree-lined paths and statues dotted here and there. There was also a charming little wooden hut; a sign atop its green roof identified it as a tourist information centre. But the thing which had drawn her attention (as it was surely meant to) was another statue right in the middle of the square. It was larger than all the others, and was of a determined looking man standing proudly on top of a high plinth, his right foot resting on a cannon and a sword hung at his side. He had the look of a Victorian explorer about him, and about the four sides of the plinth were other sculptures and carved bronze images. On one side a bronze globe bulged out of the stone, on another a creature that was possibly a mermaid held something aloft.

Robyn walked towards the statue, towards the most important side. Set in the stone was a carven image of a ship in stormy seas and above this was a statue of a heavy-set man sat with one leg dangling over the side of his platform, a bow held across his lap. He was the double of the proud man at the very top. Robyn had read about this in her guide book at breakfast. This memorial was for the explorer, Magellan. He discovered Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, and the pa.ss of water that lies between the mainland of South America and this last outcrop of land before Antarctica was even named after him: the Magellan Straits. The dangling foot of Magellan was the only part of this statue, of any of the statues on this memorial, which was still a shining golden colour instead of a dull, weathered blackish brown. Had she not also read about this at breakfast, Robyn wouldn’t have been able to say why that should be so. As it was, she approached the statue and, feeling rather silly, briefly rubbed the foot like so many others before her. This was a gesture that was supposed to bring good luck for those on a journey, many an explorer had done so before journeying onwards to Antarctica. Robyn stepped back and looked up at the monument again, and took a few pictures. This is where my journey really begins, she thought.

Loved the way the cat was named Neko ^_^  And the end leaves me wondering, will this be a realistic story, or will there be a twist of fantasy?  And that man she met at the hotel, when will he show up again.  So many unanswered questions that I will wait eagerly for ;D  Can't forget that dream in the beggining, either.  Can't wait to see how that ties into the story.  Oh wait!  The man!  Does it have something to do with him?  Hopefully I'll find out soon~

Really ashame that this has been overlooked by many.  Good luck on continuing this!

Robyn spent most of the morning exploring the centre of town and getting a feel for her surroundings. After a while she became aware of something following her. She began to get nervous, but finally steeled herself to turn around. She found herself facing one of the stray dogs which looked up at her mournfully. It stood about as high as her hips, had honey coloured fur which was unkempt and straggly in places and sad brown eyes. Upon seeing it was a dog, Robyn relaxed and walked towards it. The dog took one step back as though it was about to run, and Robyn saw that the poor dog was just as nervous as she had been only a moment before.

“Hey there. It’s okay, I won’t hurt you,” Robyn said softly, bending down slightly. She slowly stretched out her hand so the dog could get her scent. The dog tentatively stretched out its neck and sniffed her hand. It gave her hand a single small lick and came closer, wagging its tail. Robyn giggled.

“There we go! Do you have a name?” Robyn crouched and began stroking the dog. The dog huffed and sat on the pavement.

“No? Well then, I’ll call you Cookie. You remind me of a cookies and cream milkshake,” she said smiling. The dog closed his (for it was a male dog Robyn now realised) eyes and let out a small, quiet whine.

“You’re hungry? I’m afraid I don’t have anything on me at the moment but... I know, follow me. But behave!” Robyn set off down the street towards Abu Gosch, the supermarket she had seen earlier that morning.

The dog had followed her down the street willingly and carefully enough, so Robyn was hopeful that he wasn’t going to kick up a fuss and get her into trouble.

“Now you wait out here for me, and I’ll be back as soon as I can with something for you to eat,” she told Cookie. She was encouraged by the fact that Cookie sat down immediately, looking as though he could sit there patiently all day if required. Robyn turned and walked into the large supermarket. Looks like I needn’t have worried about communication problems after all. We seem to understand each other pretty well, which is nice. With a pang she remembered Neko, Miles and Theo. She wondered if they were okay without her, and suddenly felt a wave of homesickness. But Robyn was a determined person, and this often gave her strength she never thought she had. No! I’m not going to cry off and run home, I’m going to give this a proper chance. And so, pulling herself together, she headed purposefully through the supermarket trying not to let her emotional turmoil show on the surface.

Robyn sat on a park bench and munched on a cheese and ham roll, while passing slices of salami down to Cookie. She hadn’t bought any dog food, her reasoning being that she was clearly a tourist and she didn’t want to make it obvious that she was going to feed one of the stray dogs. Cookie seemed happy enough, though. The dog sat companionably enough by her feet, as patient and well behaved as any trained pet. The wind ruffled his coat and blew Robyn’s hair into her eyes. She brushed it away and shivered. It was only just 1o’clock in the afternoon, but already the temperature was beginning to drop. Tomorrow I’ll definitely consider buying myself a new coat; this one is nowhere near thick enough. She shivered again and decided she couldn’t stay out for much longer today without suitable clothing. But that raised the question of Cookie. Would he want to follow her all the way back – and then into – the hotel? She hoped he would be as well behaved as he had been so far and understand that he couldn’t do that. Robyn sighed, and bent over to talk to the dog.

“Right, Cookie. I’ve got to go now. But I’m afraid you can’t follow me this time, if you do the humans will get angry at you.”

Cookie looked at the floor, his ears drooping, but he wagged his tail slowly and gave her a quick lick on the nose. He wouldn’t follow, but he would be sad to see her go.

“I’m sorry, perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow? And I’ll bring some more salami if you’d like.”

Cookie’s ears perked up at the word ‘salami’ and he wagged his tail a bit more enthusiastically. Robyn smiled. He would be okay, and she would make sure she saw him tomorrow. The poor thing looked so lonely. She stood up, brushed the crumbs off her coat and headed out of the park back to the hotel. Although she didn’t know it, Cookie wasn’t the only one watching Robyn leave: a pair of golden-brown eyes watched Robyn from behind a tree until she was out of sight.

Hehe 'wow'? Really? -grins happily- thanks! lol erm... it doesn't have a name yet, usually I have a ti
tle in my head straightaway when I'm writing, but this one seems to be a bit more difficult!

[[At last! I has more! >:D]]

Robyn hurried gratefully into the warmth of the hotel lobby and made her way swiftly to the elevators. Once in her room she changed into the soft warmth of the one other jumper she had brought with her. I really did come unprepared... mum would have a fit if she knew. She shivered, and decided to go down to the hotel’s restaurant for a coffee to warm her up.

                Coffee ordered, Robyn turned to find somewhere to sit. A bookcase in one corner caught her eye and she made her way through the tables to get to it. Robyn loved to read and, although she had brought a couple of books with her, they were ones she had read time and time again. She was hopeful that she would find something new to read. She bent to examine the spines, head tilted. She walked slowly along the row and suddenly stopped with a bump.

                “Oh, I’m really sorry, I didn’t see y...” Robyn tailed off as she looked up and realised it was exactly the same guy she had bumped into this morning. Robyn suddenly felt that a warming coffee was no longer necessary as she sensed the redness rising in her cheeks.

                “Don’t worry, I wasn’t looking either,” the stranger said, in an utterly charming voice. If I blush any more I think my head might explode like a volcano, Robyn thought, her heart racing as she felt herself verging on a panic attack. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself, determined that she wasn’t going to make a scene.

                “Are you alright?” the stranger asked, his brow creasing in concern. “It’s you isn’t it? From this morning?”

                Robyn managed a nod, not meeting his eyes. She took another breath and let it out slowly.

                “Yeah, I’m fine thanks,” she said in a voice that was barely more than a croak. She cursed herself silently for being so inept at dealing with people. “And yes, it is me from this morning,” she said, trying again. At least this time he could hear me, she thought bitterly.

                “I thought so. Funny how both times we’ve bumped into each other have been in the presence of coffee. Are we making a habit of it do you think?” he asked with a smile, his eyes dancing. Robyn looked at the floor, not really knowing what to say, but trying to stop herself from letting out an inappropriately childish giggle.

                “Um... I don’t know, maybe. I was just looking for a book...” she finished lamely, as though the fact that she had been bent double to inspect the books hadn’t been clue enough. She reached out and grabbed a book at random. “I should go, they’re probably ready with my order now. Next time I get coffee I’ll keep my eyes open so I don’t literally bump into you again, um...” Robyn turned and hurried to a table, sinking into a soft and squishy armchair. Her face felt like it was on fire and she suddenly felt the urge to crawl into a hole and just curl up away from the world. I’m 20 years old and I still can’t hold a proper conversation. How pathetic.

Her coffee arrived a moment later, and she murmured her thanks to the waiter. As she stirred in the sugar, a thought occurred to her: How did he know I was getting coffee? It’s a restaurant, I could have been getting anything especially as it’s still lunchtime. She took a tentative sip of the hot coffee and placed it back on the table to cool. He must have overheard you ordering, it’s not hard part of her said. She supposed it was possible, but she never talked very loudly so unless he was right behind her she doubted he could have heard. And I’d have noticed if he’d been right behind me, wouldn’t I? She looked at the book she had picked up and saw that it was The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. Not bad for a random choice, she liked Stephen King. She opened it up, intending to start reading but she hadn’t got past the first sentence before her thoughts were occupied with the stranger again. He really had been quite handsome with shaggy dark brown hair that was almost black and his golden-brown eyes, the colour of rich honey. They were especially striking against his dark hair; they sparkled from beneath his bangs. He was also English, she noticed from his accent. Which was a crazy coincidence, I mean how many people from England would you expect to be in Patagonia, in April? In Patagonia full stop really, it’s so remote Robyn thought to herself. She glanced over the top of her book towards the book case, but he was already gone. It’s silly to be thinking about him this much; I mean I still don’t even know his name.

“Sorry, it’s me again. My name’s Zachary, but most people call me Zack. I thought I’d introduce myself seeing as you seem to be English as well, I didn’t expect to meet another person from England all the way out here! Pretty coincidental,huh?”

Robyn licked her suddenly dry lips and willed her heart to slow its rapid beating. She hadn’t even heard him approach; she’d nearly jumped out of her skin! She forced herself to turn her head and answer him.

“Oh, yeah it is a coincidence I suppose. I... I’m Robyn,” she managed to get the sentence out without having a heart attack, and counted it as a win.

[[Mwhaha even more! Sorry sm, you really do have a lot to catch up on! And sorry about the random different size font in the last paragraph, I can't seem to get it to change...]]

What is with this guy? Can he read my mind or something? Something in her ex
pression must have caught his attention, because he spoke again.

“You probably think I’m being really annoying, don’t you? Sorry, I guess I’ll just... you know...” he made to leave.

“Oh, no not at all it’s fine! Please, have a seat,” a voice said suddenly. Robyn started to look around before realising it was her own. She hadn’t even meant to say anything, let alone that quickly or confidently. Zack looked down at her a moment, his slightly stunned ex
pression suggesting that he was as surprised as she was at her sudden assertiveness. He blinked once and seemed to recover himself.

“Er, sure ok. Thanks,” he said, manoeuvring around the squat armchairs and sitting in the one facing her. Embarrassed by her recent show of confidence, Robyn once more found herself looking down at her knees, unable to meet Zack’s eye. But I did manage to invite him to sit with me, even if I wasn’t exactly planning on asking... that’s got to count for something, right?

“So...er,” now he was actually sat down, Zack was struggling for things to say. Robyn found herself suppressing a giggle at how awkward he looked, but it was tinged with bitterness and frustration. That must be how I look every single time anyone says anything to me. Zack opened his mouth to try again.

“Whereabouts in England are you from, then?” he asked in a desperate attempt at conversation.

“Er, just outside a town called Chelmsford in Essex. I doubt you’ll know where it...” she trailed off as she caught Zack’s ex
pression. He was grinning. “You do know it?”

“Of course I do. I live in Brentwood. I know it’s not exactly close, but considering all the places in England, heck the world, we’re practically next door!”

“Yeah, that’s... crazy when you think about it,” Robyn said faintly. She felt light headed and was staring straight through Zack. She heard his voice as though her ears were padded with cotton wool, asking her if she was alright.

“Yes, I think so,” she replied, unable to say more, for she suddenly felt that meeting Zack was much more than just coincidence. She had never believed in such things, but even so the sensation making her spine tingle and her head swim felt like the chilly, inevitable hands of fate.

“Robyn? Robyn!” Zack’s voice was getting farther and farther away. She tried to say that she was fine, but all that came out was a mumble. Fuzzy darkness was creeping into the edges of her vision until all she could see was the indistinct shape of Zack in front of her, as though she were looking down a tunnel. She could make out his mouth moving, but couldn’t hear him.

“I can’t hear you, speak louder...” the words came out in a mumbled whisper, and suddenly the hotel restaurant was gone, the squishy armchair beneath her was gone, Zack was gone and there was just darkness. And the sound of something scrabbling and scratching in this pitch black place.

[[and more... I'm in the groove tonight it seems :P I hope I get some more comments soon...]]

Light. There’s light above me, if I can just get to it...

“Robyn! Are you awake now? Are you okay?” A male voice. She couldn’t place it. There was deep yellow light above her, cheerful and warm. There were fuzzy shapes standing over her as she slowly moved her eyes to see where she was. The realisation hit her like a train – she was in a hotel in Punta Arenas, Patagonia and she had just passed out. In public. She scrambled to get herself into a sitting position, but her arms wouldn’t support her at first. Strong hands grasped her shoulders and gently pulled her upright before she could fall back. She looked up to see Zack’s honey coloured eyes peering at her, brimming with concern.

“Are you alright?” he repeated.

“I... yes I think so,” Robyn replied, and she suddenly remembered that she was surrounded by strangers who were all staring down at her. The panic began to rise in her throat and she managed to make herself stand up, propelled by sheer fear and embarrassment. It made her head spin but she headed for the door to the lobby, the elevators and the safety of her room.

“Robyn, wait!” Zack called and he started after her. “You shouldn’t be moving so much yet!”

Robyn barely heard him, her head completely occupied with the task of getting out of sight. Zack caught up with her just as she stepped into the elevator, and he swiftly entered before the doors could close. She didn’t look at him. Couldn’t.

                “Robyn, what are you thinking moving around so much after... are you okay?” he looked at her properly. She was deathly pale beneath her black hair and she was shaking. “Robyn, what’s wrong? Do you feel sick?” Robyn slowly shook her head. No, not sick. Scared. But how could she tell Zack that? She’d have to explain why and there was no way in hell she was ready for that yet. She’d only found out his name about ten minutes ago for goodness’ sake. A tear rolled down her cheek as the elevator stopped on the 5^th floor. She got out of the lift as the doors opened and made straight for her room, fumbling in her jeans pocket for the room key. She knew Zack was following her; she still couldn’t hear him but she could sense him this time. She got to her room, and for reasons unknown even to herself she decided not to shut the door straightaway. Zack followed her in and closed the door behind him, his concerned gaze never leaving her for a moment.

                “Robyn...” Zack started to say, but before he could finish Robyn turned and, on the same impulse that had caused her to ask him to sit with her, buried her face in his chest and cried. Tears of shame, fear and loneliness coursed down her cheeks and stained Zack’s sweatshirt. Slowly, tentatively, Zack lifted his arms and gently wrapped them around her.

                “Why don’t you sit down,” he said softly, and gently steered her towards the bed. Robyn sat down, still shaking and sobbing. Zack went into the bathroom and returned with tissues. He passed them down to her and then took a seat beside her. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer so that Robyn’s head was leaning on his shoulder. Robyn wiped at her streaming eyes and tried to make herself calm down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself, but the darkness behind her eyelids was so absolute that she found herself hearing those awful scrabbling sounds again. Robyn quickly opened her eyes to the harmless scene of a hotel room and was suddenly very aware of Zack’s presence; his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. She had never been this close to a guy before. To anyone for that matter, except her mother.

                “Can you talk now? Can you tell me what’s wrong?” Zack asked softly, his hand gently stroking her arm. Robyn wrestled with her thoughts for a moment, trying to decide what to tell him if anything at all and finally found her voice.

                “I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t know why I’m sitting here with you, I never get close to people, I mean I know that’s why I came here in the first place to try and change that, but this has happened far more quickly than I thought and I don’t know why or how, but I feel like I trust you and...”

                “Slow down! Take a deep breath and think for a moment. Start from the beginning, you’re not making much sense.” Robyn stiffened as he said this.

                “From the beginning? I...don’t know if, if, I don’t know...”

                “If you can? Then don’t. It’s okay I don’t mind, I can tell that you definitely have a past...”

                “Well of course I do, everyone has a past,” Robyn said, confused by this seemingly stupid statement.

                “I meant a past. You know, full of dark and emotionally scarring things...” He said this almost lightly, and Robyn began to regret her decision to let him into her room in the first place. “...but can you at least tell me what happened down in the restaurant and if you’re alright now? I’m... I’m worried about you,” he finished almost shyly. Robyn gave in. This was why she was here wasn’t it? To break down her barriers and start being able to build relationships with people, like a normal 20 year old girl. And here was an opportunity right in front of her, yet she had nearly let it slip away.

                “I... I think I’m fine now. Just a bit shaken. I haven’t passed out in a while, so it took me by surprise a bit. And I get nervous very easily in public, so when I saw all those people looking down at me I just... panicked. Thanks for looking after me,” she finished, and felt the blush rising in her cheeks again.

Wow, this is great. I couldn't get enough of these posts. x3

The only thing I have to tell you is that when you say 'ok' in the writing, I think you're supposed to use okay. That's the full word.

Honestly, your deion is great; I can always tell what the characters are feeling and can always get a feel of their surroundings. It paints a great picture in my mind. I don't even need to tell you to keep writing because you will either way. ;D

[[And I has more :3]]

                Robyn’s eyelids fluttered open and allowed the light of a new day to stream into her eyes. Squinting against the autumn sunshine, Robyn pushed herself up onto her elbows and tried to work out why she felt so drained. One by one the events of the previous day floated to the surface of her mind like bubbles, showering her with recollections as they burst. She’d convinced Zack she was alright (though in reality she’d felt far from it) and he’d eventually left looking troubled. She felt bad about lying to him, but she couldn’t burden him with the truth. Maybe if they got to know each other better... but even then, her past was something that she felt uncomfortable admitting even to herself, let alone anyone else. Robyn sighed and hauled herself out of bed, whatever she may be feeling it was pointless to lie around in bed all day.

                Standing at the coffee machine (it was only in use at breakfast times), Robyn found herself looking around to see if Zack was nearby. She told herself it was so she could make sure not to literally bump into him again, but that voice in the back of her head spoke up again. You’ve only been here a day and you’re already used to seeing him around. Who would have thought you’d go from being Miss Socially Awkward of the Century, to actually wanting to see someone in just a day? And besides, you’re later down to breakfast than you were yesterday so he’s probably already eaten. Robyn grabbed her coffee and went to finish her breakfast, all the while trying to ignore her own thoughts.            

        Dear Mum,

                Well, I arrived here in one piece! I spent yesterday exploring the town and I think I’m going to like it here. There are some nice parks, loads of nice shops and good looking restaurants too. I’ve already met someone from England in the hotel I’m staying at, his name is Zack and I think he’s about my age. And he’s from Brentwood: I know, we couldn’t believe the coincidence either! I’m still quite anxious around people as you can probably guess, but I think I might be able to make at least one friend in this guy. He looked after me last night after I had a bit of a... moment in the hotel, made sure I was OK and all that sort of thing. Anyway, I’m about to go and look at getting a new coat, it’s colder here than I thought it would be. Don’t worry, I’m being sensible!

                I miss you loads, hope you’re well.

                Love Robyn xxx

                P.S. give Neko, Miles and Theo a big hug from me and tell them I miss them loads too! X

                Robyn pressed ‘Send’ and logged out of the computer. A carrier bag containing salami already lay at her feet; she had been to the supermarket on the way to internet café, and it was only a blessing that she hadn’t run into Cookie before she got here, otherwise she would no doubt have forgotten to e-mail her mum. Robyn scooped up the bag and left the café, planning to head towards the outdoor clothing stores. She’d actually got her hand on the door to the first one before she heard Cookie whine at her.

                “Hey, Cookie. Sorry but you’ll have to wait a while, I need to buy a new coat first.” He put his head on one side and whined again.

                “Because I’m cold and I can’t sit in the park with you if I don’t buy a warmer coat.” Cookie hung his head resignedly and huffed through his nose.

                “I know you’re hungry, but I’ll be with you as soon as possible. Please just wait here?” He turned slowly and lowered himself onto the pavement, head on his paws.

                “Good boy, I’ll try and be quick,” Robyn said and finally entered the warmth of the shop.

                She left the shop twenty minutes later, her new purchases in large bags. She had bought a new black coat (padded with a faux fur lined hood), a dark grey jumper (made from Alpaca wool) and a pair of soft black boots (suede and lined with sheepskin). So I splashed out a bit, Robyn thought. At least I’ll be warm now. Cookie immediately leapt to his feet as she exited the shop, all but jumping up and down in his excitement.

                “Yes, Cookie we can go to the park now,” Robyn said, and set off down the street with Cookie following at her heels, his tail wagging happily.

                Once in the park, Robyn set her bags down on a bench and unwrapped the packet of salami slices for Cookie. With him finally eating, Robyn decided to change into her new coat and put her old one in the bag. The difference was immediate and gratifying; she instantly felt warmer and able to stay out longer with Cookie. She turned to sit down, and froze. In front of her, and completely unheeded by the gobbling Cookie, was another dog. This one was much larger than Cookie, with deep mahogany coloured fur that darkened to black around its muzzle, paws and the tip of its tail. Glowing amber eyes looked warily at Robyn.

                “Hello there. Are you... are you hungry too?” Robyn asked tentatively. She was a little afraid of this dog, its fur looked well groomed and she had to be honest she thought it looked more like a wolf than a dog. Probably just a German Shepherd or something like that, she thought, trying to stay rational.  The dog padded closer and sniffed her hand before delicately licking it. Robyn relaxed and sat down heavily on the bench, relieved that this dog also appeared to be friendly.

                “Would you like some salami? Cookie, share some of your salami please.” Cookie, now aware of the newcomer’s presence, began to growl.

                “Cookie! That’s no way to behave! Come on, you’ve had lots already.” But Cookie wouldn’t budge... and neither did the new dog. Robyn thought that was odd, surely it could smell the salami and would try to get it... but the newcomer just sat there, looking up at Robyn with those luminous eyes like living gold. Cookie continued to growl menacingly.

                “Fine. If you won’t share then I suppose I’ll just open up another pack,” said Robyn offhandedly. Cookie stopped growling immediately, and his eyes followed her hands raptly as she reached into the carrier bag and brought out a new pack. Cookie snorted derisively and turned back to his own salami, defeated. Robyn took out a slice of salami and held it out to the new dog. He took an experimental sniff and promptly gulped it down. Robyn giggled and placed the whole pack in front of him, as she had done for Cookie.

                “Do you have a name?” she asked, stroking the large dog between his pointed ears. The dog appeared to think for a moment, looking almost suspicious before huffing and turning his attention back to the pack of meat.

                “No? Then I’ll have to think of a name for you too I suppose...” Robyn looked down at the dog and suddenly laughed. “You know, somehow you look like a Zack!” The dog stopped chewing suddenly and let out a small yelp that was muffled by the salami, but Robyn was still laughing to herself and didn’t notice.  She calmed herself and once more looked down at the dog, who had now resumed his meal.

                “I’m just being silly, I just met this guy yesterday and... anyway, how about Max? You look like you could be a Max.” The dog wagged his tail once or twice, an action which allowed him to finish the salami without interruption. “Max it is then. Well Cookie, Max, I’d better be going. I should drop these things off at the hotel and grab some lunch for myself. You boys had better not start fighting while I’m gone,” Robyn said sternly, gathering up the empty salami packets and putting them in the bin. Cookie hung his head and whined, while Max simply gazed raptly at her. “Good. I’ll try and be back tomorrow, with more salami if you’re hungry.” Robyn bent down and stroked both dogs between the ears, then gathered her bags and set off back to the hotel. Cookie let out a small whine as he watched her go, but he quickly left the park himself to go about whatever business he had. Max sat where he was a while appearing to contemplate something before he too set off, Robyn still within his sights.

Thanks, I'd really hoped that there was enough depth to her! And lol, I love Zack too xD