I blinked. Then I blinked a few more times. I couldn't fathom the huge figure that stood before me. My eyes were first drawn to the bottom half. It was a brown horse, but taller and wider than any normal horse should be. With two big, white bird wings sticking out of the back. I had to stop myself from commenting on the CGI because there was no CGI.

This was real. This was real.

A giggle bubbled up in my throat. "What the hell?" I asked through it. "No seriously, what the hell?" The giggle bloomed into a full cackle as I realized the giant horse was wearing saddlebags. Like a pony. Ruby's sharp elbow jabbed me in the side and she hissed something too quiet to hear, but it was too late.

"I don't see the joke, to be honest." The voice was booming. Deep, like nothing I'd heard before. I felt it in my bones, like the bass at a crowded party but somehow even more consuming.

I suddenly remembered that centaurs were half horse, half person. And the person I was looking up made even the memory of laughter shrivel up and die.

Like his horse half, he was bigger than any person I'd ever seen. Handsome too, though the hard set of his chiseled jaw was more absolutely terrifying than hot right now. The wind blew his long brown hair out of his face, making it impossible not to see the glare directed right at me. I stumbled back, forgetting where I was and hitting the side of the car.

"Afternoon, Ant," Ruby said, her creepy grin wider than normal, like she was compensating for something. "I wanna go home so let's keep this short, hmm? You have something I want. Two somethings, in fact."

"Ah, you want your monsters back?" Which seemed ironic coming from the giant winged horse man, but alright. "Where are the rest of you? Defeated by a mildly sunny day, perhaps?"

"You're not funny, Ant," the scary centaur's jaw tightened. "Just give us back our people and we'll leave you monsters alone." Again, odd coming from the freaky vampire emo, but alright.

"You and I both know you're incapable of leaving us alone," he paused. "Gee, I'm blanking on your name. Was it Crimson? Scarlet? Something equally obvious and uncreative?" Ruby growled, and the scary centaur man let out a laugh that might literally have shaken the ground.

"Yeah fuck off, Ant. Just give Liam and Helena back or we're coming in there and taking them for ourselves." The centaur's eyes turned back to me, eyebrows raised.

"So my compound has to face a skinny little masochist and a...what is that supposed to be?" Ruby stiffened, just slightly.

"She's...a witch. Got flame powers, real scary stuff. And you know how I love the taste of roasted horse," Ruby said, her tongue slithering out to lick her lips. The centaur's--Ant, I guess--lip curled.

"Terrifying," he said blandly. "But I suppose you and your, ah, witch can't do too much damage. Besides," he grinned. "I've rather missed your company, Ruby." He turned around and started walking as a kitten-like growl began to emanate from Ruby.

"Fuck off!" Ruby shrieked, marching after him. With nothing left to do, I followed them down into the empty, sandy area by the side of the road.

"Ruby what the hell is happening where is the horse man taking us," I hissed when I caught up to her.

"Shut up and be cool, witch, he can hear you," she hissed back. The horse man laughed.

"No, no. Please keep talking, I won't listen to a word you say, I promise!" Growling, Ruby ran up and kicked him in his hind leg. She mumbled something I couldn't quite hear, and Ant burst out laughing.

How the hell was I feeling like a third wheel in what was apparently a hostage situation? It didn't seem like monsters actually knew how to kidnap people. Which is kind of ironic, because how can humans be better monsters than literal monsters? It kind of makes you think, doesn't it? I mean, really-

"Yo, space cadet, pay attention," barked Ruby. I jumped. I'd assumed we had arrived, so I took a look around me to find...literally just sand.

"What am I supposed to be paying attention to?" I asked Ruby. She looked at Ant expectantly, though he seemed to be too busy feeling around the air and muttering to notice. "Um, what's he doing?"

"He's supposed to be letting us into their little horse clubhouse. But he's a bit stupid so let's give him time." Still muttering, Ant flipped us off. I was about to ask for a bit more explanation (that seemed to be a running theme), when I heard the distinct clang of metal being hit.

"Oh! Found it!" Ant exclaimed, the bass in his voice rattling my internal organs. I'd never really gotten the hype about deep voices before but...I mean, come on.

Ruby elbowed me in the side and grinned. I blushed. "Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything," Ruby said, blinking innocently. I huffed and shoved her, before realizing that she could probably snap me in half. Hmmmm.

Before she could consider it, though, Ant opened a door from nowhere with a flourish, revealing a dark room inside. "Unwelcome guests, I introduce you to the currently unnamed place of residence of the centaurs."

"You still haven't named this shithole? Pathetic," she snorted, walking in like she owned the place.

"Yeah, well, no one asked you. Witch, are you coming?"

"Oh, it's Blythe. Not witch." I said automatically, before realizing I gave my real name to a potentially hostile monster. Again. Damn it!

There wasn't much time to kick myself, though. I had to keep my wits about me, so I scanned the dark room for any signs of danger as I entered. But not only was there no danger, there wasn't much else present either. Except for a giant metal trap door in the middle of the floor.

"Such overkill for a bunch of horses, this is ridiculous," Ruby muttered, yanking the floor door open and leaping inside.

"Hey, stay right where you are so I'll crush you on my way down. Oh wait, I forgot, you're into that," Ant yelled, opening his wings and swooping down after her. Leaving me alone.

I could have run back to the car right then. Turned right around and forget about this strange new life I'd stumbled into and run right back to normalcy. I should have done that. Most people would have, I think.

I couldn't imagine what would be waiting back at home for me, but I also couldn't imagine what was waiting beyond that door. And one optioned seemed a hell of a lot more interesting than the other.

I stepped back a few paces, ran forward, and leapt.

(A/N: Why are there so many of you all of a sudden!)