[Shenandoah]

"A little while longer," informed Robyn, looking at her watch. "It's a bit past three now... and we can head towards our homes in about two hours. Gives us time for the shadows to die down when we drop into bed."

Robyn looked at Shannon. "You can't tell your family, you realize. They'll just try to have you checked out by a psychiatrist or have you committed... I made the mistake once, at the very beginning, and I got to visit a therapist for a few weeks before I just got out of all of it by saying 'I was acting out'."

She looked him up and down with a disapproving frown. "You are a prime target right now," she told him. "But then again, the first few nights are the hardest, I suppose. You'll get used to the hours soon enough."

---

Rick smiled in a wry manner. "It is a good thing. I wonder what makes this all possible, though... I mean, normal people can see us at night, but they can't see our weapons or the monsters. The monsters can see us and our weapons, but they can't attack regular people. I've seen them phase straight through normal people before."

It was a thought that had been on his mind for a long time now. It wasn't something that was exceptionally dire, but it nagged at him for some reason. Ever since he became part of this Game, he'd been fighting for his life... granted, that was nothing new for him if you considered the eye patch and the scars and hollow beneath it. But it was new to be an adult and at times still completely incapable of protecting another individual or even himself despite the strength and physical abilities he had gained.

Even though he was a part of the Game, he still had to remember there were regular people out there... and there had been a few times where he had to face muggers or other not-so-nice people. And there were other times he had gotten hassled by police officers, too, because he looked suspicious.