[b]"Dana..."[/b] Aislin watched the tear she wiped from her eye.

[i]"I was not there for you before, but I promise you I will not leave your side until it's over."[/i] She said, confidence brimming in her voice. The tense knot in Aislin's stomach loosened, and she gave Dana a look filled with gratitude. 

Adam rose to his feet at her conclusion.[i] "Ms. Rose,"[/i] Oooh shit, he took off the glasses. [i]"This is completely unacceptable. I will not stand by and let my students be put in danger like this."[/i]

She grimaced. [b]"Yes sir."[/b] His reaction was the type she expected. Ah, her story did her no justice. She left without a word into a jungle filled with the unknown. And she stepped into the gaping mouth of a snake, her and her stupid naïveté. It was almost a relief to hear the school being locked down, that meant Adam took her seriously. [i]Maybe... Maybe we can finally relax.[/i] She thought, releasing a slow exhale. 

As Mr. Blackmore spoke with the headmaster on his phone, a very strange thing happened. A brief flash of light sparked behind the blinds, and a deafening sound echoed through the halls. For a terrifying moment Aislin found herself back in the depths of the caves, the smell of gunpowder souring the air. 

Fate, it seemed, was not without a sense of mockery. With the lights out the office quickly plunged into darkness. Aislin raced to pat herself down; she needed a light, pronto. Something to push away the stinging, creepy feeling the blackness brought with it. It was to her great dismay that her pockets turned up empty as her phone was lost in the tsunami wave. Her only other source, the lighter, was abandoned in the caves. Aislin fought to suppress her panic, slowly allowing her eyes to adjust. She had friends here, there was no reason to worry... 

[i]"Aislin, can you shine a light on me?"[/i] Dana's warped voice was back, causing her to wrinkle her brow. Perhaps Dana's form change was an involuntary thing, but why would she want her form revealed? Aislin was confused as to the specifics of her powers, but she knew the power of observation had something to do with it. 

Aislin shrugged in the darkness, clutching the plush of her armchair. Gah, this made her uncomfortable. [b]"I would, but I don't actually have one. Going to the shop for a new lighter was on my to-do list."[/b]

A cellular light shone out, pushing back the silhouettes and re-orienting Aislin. [i]"Everyone stick with me."[/i] Adam said, still standing. 

Aislin searched for the source of Dana's voice in the dim lighting. Thank goodness one of them was prepared for anything. Of course, Mr. Blackmore had the reputation of divine luck. 

Well, the situation was certainly unique. In her mild paranoia Ailsin voiced her thoughts. [b]"Anyone else thinking this might have been too well-timed? I mean... Bad weather is one thing, but what if the blackout was intentional?"[/b]