Some of you may have already started reading this, but hopefully there's some new material that you haven't read. I'm going to use a few posts in one go, because it's already quite long and I hope to add some more tonight! I hope you enjoy ^.^

            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 okay, 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 passport 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.

I also apologise for the odd format, copying from Word into this doesn't seem to go so well!

              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 passed the
hotel and carried on, going deeper into the town centre this time. She passed
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 pass 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.

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.

               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 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. 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 okay. 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 in 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 muffled 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.

             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 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.

                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.

The effect of the new coat was
even more noticeable inside. Robyn had only been in the lobby for a few seconds
before she felt too hot and had to take the thick new coat off. Dropping
everything off in her room she then made her way down to the restaurant,
already running through the things she might like to eat in her mind. She
hadn’t got two steps into the restaurant however, when a voice made her turn
around again.

“Robyn? Hey, Robyn!” It was
Zack. He walked across the lobby, unzipping his own coat as he went.

“Oh, Zack. Uh, hi,” Robyn
said, trying to smile but not quite managing to meet his eye.

“How are you feeling today?”
Zack asked, his eyes searching her face for any clues.

“A lot better, thanks. I’m
sorry you had to see me like that...”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s not your
fault. And I’m glad I was there, I would’ve hated it if you’d had to go through
it on your own.”

“Well, thanks. I guess I would
have totally freaked out if you hadn’t been there.”

“You mean you didn’t? Wow, if that was you not totally freaking out I’d hate to see
it when you do,” Zack teased with a cheeky grin. Robyn looked at the floor, the
blush rising in her cheeks. Zack looked awkward for a moment and then coughed.

“Uh, anyway, I was just
thinking... have you had lunch yet?” Robyn shook her head. “Um, would you like
to go out for lunch? Or coffee maybe? There’s this really cosy looking place
called Café – ”

“Café Chocolat? That place up the road?” Robyn suddenly interrupted,
and then blushed even harder at her own rudeness. Zack looked down at her and
smiled.

“Yeah, that’s the place. So...
how about it?” Robyn just stared at him for a moment before nodding.

“I’ll have to go up and get my
coat first though...” she managed to croak.

-------

To anyone and everyone who's read all of this so far, thank you! I hope you didn't get bored or put off by how much there is ^.^" I know this last excerpt doesn't end on much of a cliff hanger, but there'll be more coming soon :)

The latest update and final excerpt of the night!

              “Sure, I’ll be waiting over
there.” Zack gestured to the armchairs in the corner of the lobby and favoured her
with another of his winning smiles. Robyn nodded and called the elevator, still
blushing heavily. I can’t believe how
forward I’m being... what is it about him?

               She was back in the lobby five
minutes later, coat back on and her purse stuffed into her shoulder bag. Zack
rose from the armchair he’d been in and came to meet her.

“You ready?” he asked. Robyn
nodded again and followed him out of the hotel. Argh, come on! Speak! This afternoon is not going to be spent in one long awkward silence!

“Cat got your tongue?” Zack
asked pleasantly, turning to look at her as they walked down the road. Robyn
nearly nodded again out of sheer reflex, but just managed to stop herself.

“Sorry, no. I’m just nervous I
guess,” she said shyly, keeping her eyes on the pavement. This time it was Zack
who nodded but he didn’t reply, just kept smiling serenely as they drew closer
to the cafe.

They settled down in the cosy
dimness of Café Chocolat, coffees
ordered. The only words spoken by either of them so far had been to the
waitress when they ordered, but it was Zack who broke the silence. Unsurprisingly...

“Still nervous?” he asked with
an impish smile, his eyes sparkling in the gloom.

“No, well, yeah, I mean, a
bit...” Robyn suddenly felt uncomfortably hot and struggled out of her coat.

“It’s okay, I won’t bite,”
Zack replied with a wide grin. Robyn glanced up at him and then wished she hadn’t.
The blush was rising again, uncontrollable and inevitable. I must look like such a gushy schoolgirl, I mean blushing at
practically every word he says? Get a grip, Robyn! And somehow, she did.
When she next spoke the nervous tremble in her voice was more or less gone, and
she was able to meet his eye.

“It’s not that, it’s just...
look I can’t really explain it right now. I’m sorry. I don’t really know you
that well yet and there are things that I can’t even explain or admit to
myself, let alone someone I’ve only just met. The one thing I can tell you is
that I’m not... used to socialising. But you could probably tell that from a
mile off,” she finished, her gaze dropping once more and the brief burst of confidence
fizzling out. Zack said nothing for a moment, only looked at her curiously.
Just when she thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, the waitress arrived
with their coffees. Robyn was grateful for the diversion it presented and felt
the awkwardness lift a little. They each thanked the waitress and tasted the
coffee to see if it needed milk and sugar.

“Okay,” Zack said as he
stirred in a splash of milk. “I’ll try not to bring this subject up again for a
while. But you said that you couldn’t tell me yet, so I’m taking that as invitation to ask you at some point.”
Robyn watched as the milk combined with the coffee until it looked like Zack
was stirring a mug of coffee coloured silk. “And you’re right, I could tell that you weren’t particularly
gifted in social situations,” she flushed violently, “it was in every movement
you made. I don’t think it’s even something you realise you’re doing, but
whether you’re walking around or sitting in the restaurant it’s as though you’re
trying to make yourself fade into the background. As though you don’t want to
be disturbed. As though you don’t want anyone to notice your existence, ever.”

Robyn remained silent, staring
fixedly into her lap so he wouldn’t be able to see how hard she was trying to
stop the tears from spilling over onto her cheeks. What the hell is his problem? One minute he’s Prince Charming, all
smiles and flirtatious remarks, the next it’s like he’s seeing straight into my
heart and picking out all the worst things. And then telling me as if I didn’t
already know.

“It’s no use hiding your face;
I know you’re trying not to let me see how much you want to cry. But please,
don’t. I’m not saying this to hurt you; I’m saying this as part of my
explanation as to why I bumped into you in the second time around. I remember
thinking after we met the first time that there was an air of sadness about
you, an air of loneliness too. I wondered what on earth could make a person
feel that way and I guess... I just wanted to help you.”

Despite her own determination
and Zack asking her not to, Robyn couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. He saw. He saw how I felt and he didn’t run
a mile. He actually wanted – wants –
to help me. She scrubbed at the tears with her napkin and made herself look
at him. Zack was gazing down into his coffee mug looking confused, helpless and
somehow very young. Robyn felt her heart moved; this was no act, there was no
pretence here. Just a guy who honestly wanted to help her achieve what she came
to this remote place to do (although he didn’t know that was why she was here)
and suddenly realises that he has no idea how.

“Zack?” Robyn whispered, “Thank
you. I’m sorry I seem to keep crying around you, but I’ve never met anyone who’s
been as kind to me as you have. Except my mum of course.”

Zack looked up at her, his
normally glowing amber eyes temporarily dimmed by the sinking mood. The light began to
rekindle when he saw that Robyn really meant what she said, and although they
didn’t speak much more during that time in the cafe, the silence no longer
felt awkward.

Today's excerpt ^__^ I apologise again for the format, but copying from MSWord into here just doesn't work. However, I find it easier to carry on a story in Word than typing straight into here!

----

They walked back to the hotel
in companionable silence, the late afternoon sunshine seeming to give a golden tinge
to the very air itself and the autumn breeze tugging prankishly at their hair.
Robyn caught herself stealing glances at Zack every now and then, noticing how
the somehow lazy sunlight picked out shimmering mahogany tones in his dark
hair. Wow, girl. You got it bad... come on;
you may as well admit it. You’re attracted to him, aren’t you? Yes, she
was. The admission sent a tingle down her spine, causing her to shiver.

“You all right?” Zack had seen
the shiver and naturally assumed she was cold.

“Yeah, I’m fine. The breeze
just found its way through my jacket, that’s all.”

 Zack stared at her for a moment, perhaps
surprised at the directness and swiftness of her reply. She supposed that in
any other person, they way she had responded would have raised no comment; she
had, in fact, responded the way a normal, socially comfortable young lady
usually would. It’s happening. She
thought. And so fast, too. It’s his
doing, Zack’s. Meeting him has to be
fate, I came here to become normal and this guy appears and helps me do just
that. Her spirits lifted for perhaps the first time in about fifteen years.
Oh, she had been content at home with
her mother, but no more than that. Always the shadow of her past hung over her head
like a storm cloud, ready and waiting to drench any possibilities of true
happiness. A smile touched her lips; it felt strange yet wonderful.

“Can my eyes be deceiving me?
Robyn smiling?” Zack was in his
teasing mood again, but for once Robyn felt able to handle it with good grace
and maybe even able to return it with humour or teasing of her own. Wonders will never cease... she thought,
and her smile widened. She felt almost giddy, as though she had just taken a
huge lungful of happy gas.

 “Yes, an event so rare that I feel almost moved to
make an especial note of it in my diary once we get back,” she replied.

As Zack looked down at her, he
was amazed – no, gobsmacked – by what
he saw. She had made a mocking reply worthy of himself and was now grinning up
at him, her eyes dancing. That he could see her eyes clearly at all was a
surprise in itself; to see those eyes lit up with good humour was staggering.
He had barely known Robyn two days but had already formed the certainty that
getting her to even smile would be a feat akin moving a mountain by hand. And
her eyes... eyes that, when he could see them at all, reminded him of the sky
at twilight now seemed to be sparkling as she smiled. Like the first stars in an evening sky... or perhaps the ocean in the
moonlight, Zack thought to himself.

Robyn giggled – yes, he
reassured himself, that was a bona fide
giggle – as she saw the nonplussed ex
pression on his face. Wonders will never cease... he thought, and managed to close his
gaping mouth enough to form a coherent sentence.

“Blimey! Uh, are you really
Robyn? You seem, uh... different.” Zack would be one of the first to admit that
he possessed few talents, but like many others who knew him he would also be
one of the first say that of the few talents he had, talking was one of them. Therefore
it was with difficulty that he suppressed the urge to cover his face with his
hands in a species of mild horror at the totally goofy sounding sentence he had
just uttered. His irritation wasn’t helped by the fact that Robyn’s first
reaction was to giggle once again, perhaps reading some of this inner turmoil
on his face.

“Yeah, it’s still me and I do feel different. In a good way.” Robyn
lifted her face to the rays of the autumn sun and breathed deeply. “You know
how people say that a change of scenery can help when you’re feeling low?” Zack
nodded, not allowing himself to speak yet for fear of sounding like a
blithering idiot instead of the cool,
calm, collected and charming person you portray yourself to be? said an
impish voice inside his head. Shut up,
he thought violently, at the same thinking what a terrible thing it is to be
ambushed by your own thoughts. Robyn seemed not to notice and carried on.

“Well, I think they’re right.
Whoever they are. It’s not even the
end of my second day here and I can already feel it changing me for the better.”
A slight flush infused her cheeks at this point, as though she was deliberately
missing something out. Zack saw this and labelled it as mildly curious for the
time being.  “I’m here for a month; I can’t
wait to see how much better I’ll get!” Genuine excitement had infused her
voice, and she practically skipped up the steps into the hotel lobby. Zack finally
trusted himself to speak.

“You speak as though you’ve
been ill.” Robyn seemed to deflate a little at this, and as she turned to face
him Zack saw some of her more usual demeanour reassert itself.

“In a way, I have been.” She
let out a hollow laugh that was utterly devoid of humour. “For about the past
fifteen years I guess you could say I’ve been ill. Or maybe sick is a better
word. Sick of everything.” Zack received these words with a chill, and at her
hollow laugh the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He found himself wondering
again just who this girl was. And what
has she been through? Nothing good, you can bet on that. He barely heard as
she thanked him for the coffee and said that she guessed she’d see him around.
He must have replied, because she went away quite normally. He lay down on his
bed as soon as he reached his room, still deep in thought. The room was warm,
and that coupled with a walk in the fresh air served to make him drowsy. As he
drifted off into a mid-afternoon nap, only one of the many thoughts that had
passed through his mind as he lay there remained: all I know is that I want to see her smile again. Because when she
smiles...

Lol, yeah I know so their relationship is gonna relapse a little bit I think... hehe, yay for suspense! and thanks, I can't remember who else was reading this before but I wish I had a few more people critiquing it... I haven't shown any of my friends or family yet, mainly coz I know they'll get worried that I've based Robin on me and then start grilling me about my life >.< but I'm glad you're reading it again, I appreciate the feedback from you because I know you're a talented writer!

your siggy makes me want cupcakes 0.0 now angel cake is no longer good enough. *throws angel cake at wall*

                Robyn sat on her bed, thinking about her afternoon with Zack. It had gone really well, right up to the part down in the lobby. Sick of everything? Well that was one way to put she supposed. It seemed like the most acceptable way to put it anyway, and hopefully a way that wouldn’t scare Zack off. But how could one even begin to express the pain, the loneliness, the fear and eventually the hatred that comes with fifteen years of abuse? No mere words could express that. Robyn sighed and stared out of the window. It was pleasantly warm in the room, but unlike Zack, Robyn wanted to do anything but sleep right now. Sleep meant dreams. Nightmares. And she really didn’t fancy that at four in the afternoon. It was still pleasant enough outside, perhaps another walk in the park would calm her down; especially if Cookie and Max were there for company. Sighing, and missing her cats terribly, Robyn once more donned her coat and left the hotel.

                The wind had strengthened somewhat since she’d been inside, so Robyn walked along with her shoulders hunched and her chin pressed to her chest. I should have bought a scarf earlier too... a job for tomorrow perhaps. It did serve one good purpose, though; the cold wind blew away the fuzziness that the warmth of the hotel had caused, allowing her to think more clearly. Being with him is like being on a rollercoaster; full of ups and downs, twists and turns. It’s hard for me to deal with, sure it is but... I think that’s what I need. It’s how everyone else lives, right? I think... I think I need to spend more time with him. She felt warmth spread across her cheeks just at the thought of it. Wow. This really is going to be difficult. Blushing at your own thoughts? Come on, grow up, this is just pathetic! Robyn heaved another sigh as she grappled with her emotions. It’s really come to something when your own thoughts gang up on you she thought. At least the park was in sight now, and the scent of grass and dew filled her nose. She breathed deeply, savouring the sensation as she strolled leisurely around the park. All of a sudden something cold and wet was pressed into her hand. Robyn jumped and almost screamed, but she suddenly saw that it was nothing more than Cookie nuzzling her hand with his nose.

                “Oh, Cookie! It’s just you!” Robyn let out a relieved laugh. “Boy, you scared me out of my skin!” Cookie whined and looked up at her with his brimming brown eyes. “It’s ok, I’m not mad at you,” she said, and knelt so she could scratch him behind both ears. Cookie closed his eyes and wagged his tail happily.

                “There we go! Who’s a good boy?” Robyn stood again and resumed her walk, Cookie trotting obediently by her side. She looked around for Max, but saw no sign of him. He certainly seemed like a more independent dog than Cookie, so she told herself not to worry. As if reading her thoughts, Cookie huffed in an indignant way, as if to say “I can look after myself too, thank you very much.” Robyn smiled and scratched him behind his ear again.

                “I know you can, but people bringing you salami is much easier, isn’t it?” Cookie hung his head, the very picture of shame and embarrassment. Robyn giggled and stroked him. “I don’t blame you; it must be hard taking care of yourself in a human city.” Cookie’s tail wagged once in agreement and licked Robyn’s hand.

                “Yeah, I’ll miss you when I leave too. But that’s still a month away, so don’t be sad yet, ok?” Cookie raised his head and wagged his tail more earnestly, looking forward to the prospect of a month’s supply of salami.

l:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

                Robyn spent a good two hours in the park with Cookie before admitting that the cold had defeated her. She reluctantly left Cookie (he assured her he had a warm place to go) and headed back to the hotel, tomach rumbling. Dinner in the restaurant straight away, I think. Maybe some hot soup, something warming... She more than half expected to see Zack in the restaurant, but she had sat, ordered and received her food without catching a glimpse of him. She found herself feeling a mixture of disappointment and relief; disappointment because she found that she actually quite wanted to see him again and relief because it meant she could carry on gathering her thoughts without interruption. She started eating, another guidebook open on the table next to her. Trying not to spill tomato soup all over it, she read up on the restaurant section. I know this is all inclusive, but it will be nice to try somewhere different at some point. She turned a page, slurped some soup. Try somewhere different with Zack, perhaps? A mischievous voice said from a dark corner of her mind. Well why not? We’ve had coffee together, so why not dinner? She tried to think boldly, but the minute tremble of her soup spoon gave her true emotions away. Great, so now you’re having an argument in your own head? Better get control of yourself, girl, or you’re gonna end up loco. Robyn tried to blank out her thoughts, not an easy task. Can you all shut up just long enough so I can finish my soup without spilling it everywhere like a three year-old?­ She thought intensely, screwing up her eyes in an effort to quiet the raging voices. Somehow it worked, and she was able to finish dinner in peace. At least, until Zack came down.

EDIT: Robyn's name is now spelled correctly xD"

0.0 I didn't even notice that spelling mistake. It's fixed now xD"

Yeah, it took me like, half an hour to fix that /r/n/ thing, I think my problem is that this entire story is in MSWord which I copy into here. Maybe I should start writing in here then copy over to Word, that might work better...

And really? You would? ^3^ no one's ever said that about my writing before, thank you!

Hehe, yeah I kinda guessed it might be, Russ makes AMAZING banners n stuff ^^

Woot! I'm in the zone tonight! I think having a reader again has given me a boost =D

-----------               

Zack ambled into the restaurant, one hand running through his sleep-tousled hair. He hadn’t realised he’d been looking for Robyn until he caught a glimpse of the back of her head, over at a table by the windows. He sauntered over and found her reading a guide book. Sheesh, she’s always reading. Doesn’t she ever do anything else? Zack felt his face colour a little, realising how petty and mean that would have sounded had he said it out loud. He moved closer until he was standing opposite her, and was intrigued to see that Robyn appeared not to have registered his presence at all. He cleared his throat, and was both amused and ashamed to see her jump.

                “Hi, er, sorry to interrupt.”

                “No, it’s fine,” Robyn managed to get out (Zack didn’t notice how she nearly choked on a mouthful of water before answering, which was probably just as well). She didn’t meet his eyes and her voice wasn’t much above a whisper. Are we back to this again? I knew earlier was too good to be true, Zack thought.

                “Mind if I sit down?” he asked, hoping that she would answer and not just shake her head. Robyn shook her head. Zack sighed mentally and lowered himself into the chair.

                “You ok?” he asked. He wasn’t really expecting an answer anymore, but in this at least he was wrong because an answer is what he got.

                “I guess so. I’ve just been thinking. Went for a walk to clear my head, it sort of worked. Cookie helped.”

                “Cookie? Who’s Cookie?” Zack asked. As if I don’t already know.

                “Oh, he’s just one of these stray dogs, you know?”

                “Oh, ok. So... what have you been thinking about?” Gods, I sound so lame. But I can’t pry anymore than that, not after what she said when we got back earlier.

                “This and that, nothing much.” Robyn shrugged. There was silence for a moment, which Zack used to look at what was on the night’s menu. He wasn’t all that hungry, but it gave him something to do while he thought about what to say next. I never thought I’d be lost for words, but there’s something about her that just – well tell the truth and shame the devil – kills conversation. Except for earlier. Something changed on the walk back, I just wish I knew how to do it again... Robyn’s voice suddenly cut through his musings.

                “Hmmm? Sorry, I was concentrating on the menu,” he said. Zack looked up and could just about see Robyn’s blazing red cheeks beneath her veil of black hair. Christ, if she blushes any harder her head’s gonna catch alight. He saw Robyn take a deep breath before speaking again.

                “I said, do you... do you want to go f-for dinner somewhere else tomorrow? W-with me?”

Zack looked at her blankly for a moment. Did she just...?

                “I’ve been reading about some restaurants round here and well, some of them sound, uh, nice.” Robyn finished hopefully. Zack continued to gape; he couldn’t remember a time when words had failed him so completely. Robyn must have mistaken his silence for reluctance, for she carried on.

                “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought, maybe...”

Zack finally found his tongue, managing to speak before she talked herself out of it.

                “No! That is, sure! That sounds cool, why not?”  Zack could almost see the relief rising off Robyn like steam.

                “Really? Um, great. So... tomorrow night then?”

Zack saw the blush fading, saw her head tilt upwards just enough so he could see her eyes. Those twilight coloured eyes. His gaze softened as he composed himself. She’s scared stiff. I don’t know what she’s been through, but it must have been pretty awful to make her end up like this. I have to know what happened to her.

                “Yeah, tomorrow night. I’ll meet you in the lobby at, say, seven?” he finally managed to reply. Robyn nodded and took a sip of water. Zack noted how her hand trembled as she picked up the glass and set it down again.

                “Ok, seven it is!” he said with forced brightness. And if I do find out what happened, and who did it, they are going to be one sorry excuse for a human.