(spun off from the Blackout thread)

Holding out her hand and ready to lead her new friend through the darkened halls, Violett smiled softly.

"I'm Violett Small, by the way..."

"My name's Diana. Nice to meet you." I took her soft, frail feeling hand. Most of her was covered by shadows. I then remembered what the other girls had said about monsters. I shuddered at the thought. They wouldn't dare...

"That's a beautiful name," Violett replied shyly as she helped the other girl to her feet.

"Okay, the important thing is, don't panic. I have all kinds of flashlights in my room... We just have to get there. But if something bad happens, forget about me and run, okay? I'll... I'll..."

She sighed, turning away.

"I'll survive."

I smiled softly at the sweet, young voice. I stood up, brushed off my skirt and began following her. "Violett, trust me, if anything happens, I'm hardly one to abandon friends." A friend. It seemed I never actually had made any friends. Well, officially. There was my first orgy back in Sondra's room, but we never "officially" became friends. As I followed the small blond, my face was blank in thought.

Violett stoped, glaring at Diana.

"We won't be able to be friends if I feel guilty every time I see you. If something happens, I want you to be safe."

She started moving again, sighing softly. "I mean, I hope nothing happens... But I'd feel awful if it did and you went through something bad because of me."

I looked at the girl with a slight bit of pity. "Come on, lighten up. Nobody would mess with us, we're fearsom!" I pretended to flex my imaginary muscles like I had seen the wrestling team at my old school do whenever I walked by. I put an over-done expression of strain and anger on my face.

Violett gasped softly.

"Don't say things like that! A monster might hear you... Or worse, what it it's Priss insteaad!?"

I giggled slightly. "Oh, you're right, I should probably stop. I wouldn't want to actually hurt the monsters." I sighed and took a nervous glance around me anyway, just to calm my coincience. "So, uhm, where to now, Violett?"

"If... if something takes it personally... It... we're the ones who'd get hurt. I... I don't want to provoke anything is all..."

Slowly, she led the other girl down the hall. "We're going to my room. I think I heard one of my roomates in the... the... the big thing in the commons room, but she can handle herself and I didn't hear anything bad making noises in there, so everything should be fine, and we'll have some quiet to talk in."

"Alright, sounds good to me. Maybe we should keep quiet along the way? In case anything is lurking in the shadows." I quietly walked on, keeping close enough to Violett so that I could see her silhouette, yet far enough so that we didn't bump every few seconds.

Vioolett nodded, clamping her hands over her mouth and suddenly feeling very stupid. Holding a shushing finger up to her mouth, she held out her hand to Diana.

I limply took the hand. Her skin was warm. Her hands were very slender and her fingers were smooth to the touch. I struggled as hard as I could to see more of her, but I couldn't, the pitch blackness holding strong.

Holding Diana's hand, Violett mover as quietly as she could through the halway, stopping briefly in front of a window at the end of a hall as moonlight poured in. Turning towards the other gilr, she waitied for a second, hoping they could see each other now that they had a little light.

Violett's skin was paler then it normally would be, the moon beams giving her a mystical glow. A soft redness glowed from her cheeks. I could almost feel a redness of my own glowing from the same spot. Although she looked very fragile, she still looked beautiful. It was amazing how so many beautiful women had made their way to Shokushu.

Violett smiled shyly, starting to lead DIana towards her room... Then turned and headed towards the stairs.

She hadn't told Kari or KAtrina, but she'd never told anyone that she wasn't using room 417. And every so often, she'd sneak some of her stuff up there, slowly but surely building her own little safe haven for when she didn't want the world to bother her.

Now seeemed like as good a time as any to use it.