"Guys!" shouted Alex. "I think I found the door!"
 "So, can you open it?" I asked.
 "The doorknob's buried in slime, let's see if I can kick it op-Ahhhh!"
 The door swung open upon the slight pressure of Alex's kick and sucked us right through it.
 Man this just keeps getting suckier and suckier! Wait a minute, suckier? Is that even a word? I wondered to myself as I tumbled down the goo-covered stairs, into the hallway we may have once walked through, weeks before. I was emerged in the slime, but it quickly drained into the gutters along the sides of the hall. I looked around, trying to determine whether or not this is where we basically started our trek through this castle.
 "Oh MAN!" Alex screamed with anger. "This is right back where we started!" He sighed and dropped on the ground in despair.
 I would've fell down too, if I wasn't already lying on my back. "@#$!" I muttered.
 "FREEZE!" A loud, low voice boomed from down the hall. Then bright lights were shining in my eyes and I could hear people running toward us.
 I was the closest to them, so they got to me first. A bright light was shining right in my eyes.
 "Get that thing outta my face!" I yelled, swatting at the air in front of me.
 "My god!" yelled someone with a British accent. "Who the hell are you?" They took the light off my face and leaned down next to me.
 "Hey, Daniel," yelled another voice with the same accent, "we've got some more over here!"
 "Alex!" yelled yet another English voice. "Guys, it's Alex!"
 "You're damn right it's Alex!" he growled. "Now get that freakin' thing outta my eyes, are you trying to blind me, you putz!"
 "Sorry Alex, we didn't know it was you! You've been missing for over a month and we've got to stay on our guard. Girls have been down here asking about you and they're still snooping around."
 "Hey, are these your friends?" asked the guy next to me.
 "Yeah, they're awesome, treat ‘em well." Alex called out. He'd already been helped up. The guy next to me grabbed my hands and was about to pull me up when Frederick stepped over.
 "I'll do that, thanks anyway." he said.
 "C'mon, let's get you back to the dorm." One guy said. "It's not safe out here."
 We began walking back and I heard them talking with Alex. "We're so glad you're back Alex, the place has gone down hill since you left! We appointed William our new leader a few weeks after you were gone, but he's just not as good as you. We didn't mean any disrespect, but we had men searching these tunnels day and night looking for you."
 Alex was their leader? I couldn't believe it. He had abandoned them because Frederick and I suggested we head off into the unknown. I felt like such a worm. These people nearly fell apart without him. Fred and I just stole him away! We didn't even stop to think that other people may need him.
 "We even cleaned out all the machinery, in case you'd fallen in. Of course we hoped to God that hadn't happened, no one could survive in those things!"
 "Speak for yourself!" Frederick interrupted.
 The guy gave him a look and then continued on. "So, what were you doing all this time!"
 He sent the three of us a glance, and we began laughing. Although it was not a happy laughter, they we more like sad tears.
 "There'll be plenty of time for that later." Alex explained.
 
 The showers were disgusting. They looked like they hadn't been cleaned since the wheel was invented. That's just what happens when you leave it up to guys. It did feel good to scrub off all that stuff though. Alex was right, it did do wonders for my skin. It was like a body wash, in fact.
 That night, lying in an extra bed in the dorm room along with Steph, I tried hard not to give up. A month of my life went down the drain, literally, and for what? A permanent tattoo, a ruined pair of pants and hair that was beyond repairing? Now I was right back where I started. "Why not give up?" I asked myself. Just then Frederick, who was on the bed next to mine, turned over in his sleep and faced me. He opened his eyes and when he saw that I was looking at him, smiled. I smiled back.
 He brought his hand up to his eye and pointed at it. Then he brought it down to his chest and placed it over his heart. Then he pointed it at me.
 A warm feeling jolted through my whole body. I gave him my greatest smile, which up until now, I didn't even know I had, and blew him a kiss. He caught it, placed it on his mouth, and then signalled "good night" in sign language. I said it back and fell asleep. It was the most fantastic sleep yet.