I'd no intention of opening that door now. I'd seen too many things that made me question Luc's innocence. I didn't like thinking of Luc as a murderer, but I felt that in order to survive I needed to assume the worst- it was the only way I was going to get out of this slaughter house alive.

Laura watched me impatiently from beside the door, she rolled her eyes at me and said, "Come on, Hayden. You don't really believe that Mr. Tall-dark-and-handsome is a killer?"

She lifted her hand and rested it on the door handle, and began to gently twist it.

"Don't," I warned her.

"Why not," she asked with a smirk, "I saw the way he looked at you when he was carrying you up to the apartment, all besotted and in love with you."

"Looks can be deceiving," I replied.

She rolled her eyes at me again and said, "Please can we just try the handle? We might be able to open it now."

I shook my head and said firmly, "It stays shut."

"Hayden, you're not fooling anyone – I know you're in love with him, even if you say you're not," she said.

"What's that got to do with anything, Laura? Luc might have killed people, don't you understand," I cried.

"Or he might not have," she asked shrugging her shoulders, "have you thought of just asking him straight up and see what he has to say."

"I don't think it's a good idea," I sighed.

"For fuck sake Hayden, if you don't do something you're going to be stuck in this limbo for the rest of eternity. Just talk to him, and maybe he'll give you some answers that might surprise you or help you to make up your mind- I don't understand why you're being so stubborn," she snapped.

"You don't understand," I repeated impatiently.

"No, I don't," she yelled.

"Laura, do you not understand for the past month I've been haunted by murder victims! While you're busy panting over my husband like a dog in heat, I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep me and my baby alive. If this was your call, then fine, I'd let you wager that good looks and charm are not personality traits of a killer. But this is not your call, Laura, and if by chance you open that door and Luc comes in and he is the killer, then it's my neck that's going to be on the block," I shouted back at her.

She stared back at me stunned, like she'd never seen me lose my temper before.

Feeling guilty I heaved out a long drawn sigh and explained, "Listen, let me try and explain it to you in a way that you might understand. For the past month I've been haunted by murdered women; women who've been killed in horrific ways. The first one I met was killed when a large wooden stake was driven straight through their heart. The second one I think was burnt alive as she'd barely on skin on her body. The third, which is you, had their heart ripped out of their chest. These are really fucking nasty ways to go, and I don't want to go out like that. I don't want to end up like those other girls."

She stood quietly on the other side of the room looking like she'd just had the wind knocked out of her sails. Her hand dropped from the door handle and she stepped away.

I knew she was trying to help, but she didn't understand the risks or the dangers. I had to tread lightly if I was going to give me and unborn baby the best chance of survival.

I raked my hand through my hair and said, "I make choices based on what I know- not on what I think I know. Deep down I want to believe that Luc is innocent in all of this horror, but I can't ignore the evidence against him. If I did then I'd be taking chances with not only my life, but my baby's life too. This might be hard for you to understand, but I need to stay focused and objective. I cannot afford to be naïve; I've got too much at stake to lose."

Laura lowered her eyes to the floor and murmured, "I get it where you're coming from, Hayden, I just don't think it's him – and I know I can't prove it for sure, but I've this hunch that it wasn't him."

"I hope you're right," I said softly, although I'd this sinking feeling that it was unlikely considering all the evidence that had come to light.

"So what now," she asked.

"Now we try and uncover the truth. The old queen's journal mentioned the name of a scholar. She said that person knew something important, so I guess I'll have to pay them visit, which will be fun with Luc keeping me under lock and key."

"Oh," Laura announced excitedly, flapping her arms up and down, "do you remember you asked me to talk to the other ghosts, well I managed to talk to the burning lady, although it wasn't much of conversation and more of her muttering broken sentences, she did mention a book about Colin, and I think it might be helpful to you."

"A book about Colin, or by an author called Colin?" I asked puzzled.

She shrugged, "I don't know. For some reason, I can't speak to the other ghosts that well. It's like trying to talk to someone on a really bad phone line that keeps breaking up. I don't why it's like that, or even if it's supposed to be like that, but I can't seem to talk normally to them like I do with you."

"Did she say anything else," I asked.

"She did but I couldn't hear it, she just kept repeating this name that sounded like 'Colin'. I mean, it must be important otherwise she wouldn't kept saying it over and over," she explained.

"Yes," I murmured in agreement.

I wondered what on earth was so special about this Colin book, I suppose the only way to find out was to wake up and find it. However there was one tiny matter that I'd need to address before I could get out of bed and go searching for it - and that was Luc.

*****

Hello!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a Dream Cast so far! If you want to send me your dream cast then all you need to do is send me a PM on either wattpad or facebook with your cast suggestions for all these character: Luc, Mia, Jacques, Nico, Jacques, Henrietta, Louis and Casper!

With your cast suggestions, I'll make a beautiful Pinterest board which I'll share on social media and the image sections of the chapters!

Plus each week, I'll be posting your cast suggestions on the official story's cast!

This week's cast is a Vampire Diaries inspired cast by Vincent!

Luc – Ian Somerhalder

Mia – Nina Dobrev

Nico – Joseph Morgan

Jacques – Paul Wesley

Henrietta – Candice Accola

Louis – Michael Trevino

Casper – Logan Lerman