Alice woke up.She had seen the cat again in her dreams.It was always the same cat.A cute,white house cat with a peculiar black patch around its left eye.It purred at her,beckoning her to follow it.Alice loved cats,and she did as she was told.Right now the cat had leaped out of her lap where it had been napping.Alice took care not to disturb the three boys that had brought her here.She quietly tip toed past their sleeping forms and stared expectantly at the cat,which had settled in front of a door,twitching its ears in expectation.She smiled at it and the cat meowed in turn,tilting its head towards the door it was in front of.Alice examined the door and saw the words 'Enter Quietly' written messily in white paint.She squatted in front of the cat and stroked,murmuring,"Thank you Mr. Kitty." What the thanks was for,Alice did not pause to fathom as she savored the sound of the cat purring for her.Once her hand broke contact with the cat's fur,it loped past her and curled up on the cushion Alice had been sleeping on. Alice giggled,admiring the cat's gracefulness.It was then she heard whispering from behind the door.
Alice pressed her ear against the door,wondering who was talking.She vaguely remembered someone telling her it was rude to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation but she could not remember who.The voices in her head whispered,"It doesn't matter dear,just do it." Alice listened to the voices behind the door.Hush-hush,as her mother had once said.
"I'm too old for bedtime stories."
"Its only to pass the time."
"But..."
"Shh,J.No more noise.I don't want you to wake those outsiders."
"But they could be nice..."
"You said that last time when those,those thugs knocked on our door."
"And I lost my eye to them even when I killed them all."
"Please don't say that."
"Alright,anything for you."
Alice heard the first voice again,but it was only loud enough to be heard as a murmur.She felt a hand on her shoulder.She did not cry out in surprise or fear,just smiled and whispered,"Is that you,Aki?."
It was.Aki smiled at her best friend and her smile widened as she looked upon Alice's beaming face.They embraced,enjoying the moment of being reunited again.Alice whispered,"Where did you go?Aren't Hannah and the others supposed to be with you?" Aki broke the embrace and replied as quietly,"No.They're not coming back." Alice,in disbelief,asked,"But why?We're all friends.Friends stick together.Besides,I'm sure they'll wan to see the cat I found." Aki shook her head and only now did Alice realize that her friend's smile had turned sad.Aki said,"I'm only visiting.I'm not here to stay." Alice gripped her Aki's arm and shook it,saying,"But you can't leave me." Aki tugged her arm away and replied,"I can't stay,I have to be somewhere.You can't follow me anyway.At least not yet." Hope swelled in Alice's heart."You'll let me know when I can come?" Aki bluntly said,"No.You'll know when.Just listen to yourself sister.You'll know.We...I'll be waiting." Aki got up,leaving her friend kneeling on the floor.She placed both hands on her best friend and whispered,"Bye BFF." Alice nodded. As Aki walked out the apartment,Alice teared and curled up into a ball.She started to cry softly.She did not notice the weathered but young face peering at her from the crack of the opened door.
Jordan pitied the crazy girl the outsiders had brought.His harsh words earlier today had been a show.He was concerned for her,but could not break away from his own responsibilities.A small hand tugged on his sleeve and he bent slightly to hear the words meant for him alone.
"We should let them stay,brother."
He sighed.
"Alright,Jackie."
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Monday, 25 March 2013
A New Friend?
Leon knocked the door and waited.William and Kumar waited.Alice giggled to herself but she waited too,swaying in her seat on William and Kumar's arms.Leon heard hurried footsteps,a door being slammed,then the door opened a smallish crack to reveal a suspicious eye.A guttural voice,which made Leon's hand drift nearer to his iron bar,sounded.It said,"Go away." The door closed forcefully,but not loud enough to attract any lurking adults.
Leon knocked the door again.The door clicked and swung open,this time opening fully to show part of a hall that seemed well-kept.The problem was,no one was standing in the doorway to welcome the four teenagers.Before Leon could call out for anyone,a boy stepped out from behind a wall in the hall.He held a strung sporting bow and was dressed all in black.Hoodie,jeans and socks,all of them were black.What startled the three boys but not the crazed girl was that the boy was missing his left eye.A clean white patch covered the hole where the eye should have been.Leon recovered and opened his mouth to say hello when the boy raised his bow and loosed an arrow.Not at Leon,who stared aghast as the arrow flew past him and punched through William's shoulder.William fell with a cry and he fell,clutching his shoulder.To his credit he did not scream.Kumar dropped Alice on instinct,swearing at the sudden attack.Alice fell to the ground,whimpering,"Owie." Leon tried to draw his iron bar but the sight of another arrow aimed squarely at his throat stayed his hand.The boy's expression did not change.His eye revealed a cold hate for everything outside the home he resided in.The boy,in that guttural voice of his,growled,"Now,will you leave me in peace?"
Leon swallowed,well aware of the arrowhead pressing against his throat.Despite the circumstances,he felt his humor stir and he said slowly calmly,"Even if we leave you alone,the adults won't exactly leave you in peace." The boy said nothing,but his eye mellowed a little.Leon was painfully aware of the arrowhead still digging into his throat.The two boys stared each other down.A bead of blood dripped from Leon's throat.Kumar stood,helping first Alice then William up,whose shoulder was bandaged.Alice giggled again,enjoying herself in her own world.The boy's gaze flickered towards her,then shifted back to Leon's.Leon betrayed nothing.After what seemed an eternity to the two sides,the boy lowered his bow.Leon heard signs of relief from the two boys behind him.Alice did the same a second later,mimicking the boys.The boy said,"One night thats it." Leon nodded thanks.The boy beckoned and the four teenagers followed him inside.The boy scanned the surrounding area before closing the door and its gate.
"Now,who are you people?" asked the boy.The five teenagers had settled in the hall.The boy fixed a mug of Milo for Alice but did not offer the same to the three boys.They said nothing,knowing that to provoke their host could mean their hospitality or even their own lives.Kumar cleared his throat and said,"We're all under eighteen if thats what you're asking." The boy snorted,"Hmph.Thank you Captain Obvious.You ain't some shambling wreck of an adult for sure." Kumar continued,unperturbed by the boy's remark,"I'm Kumar,you shot William,he's Leon and the girl's name is Alice." The two other boys nodded at their introduction while Alice suddenly let out a laugh that made the males jump.Leon glared at Alice,who hid behind her mug,still chuckling.the boy shook his head and asked,"What's up with your girl?" Kumar retorted,"First off,she's not my 'girl'.Second,if you got a bone to pick with us then at least don't have a go at Alice.She's been through a lot." Without another word,the boy swiftly took up his bow and fired an arrow at Leon's hand.It landed on the table the hand was on with a thunk,barely missing it.The action shocked Kumar into silence.Alice murmured,"Should have been hush-hush." The boy set down his bow and stared at William.He said,"You.How's your shoulder?" William croaked,"It's getting better." The boy nodded and directed his next words to Leon,"You all can sleep out here.There's food in the pantry.Take only the tuna and sardines.If anything goes missing,you're dead.Sleeping bags in the storeroom next to the fridge." Leon nodded mutely.The boy got up and took his bow.He was about to turn into another room when he stopped and said,"Oh and one more thing.Don't enter this room I'm going into.I'm Jordan.Don't make our lives harder."
He closed the door just as Alice said,"You're a good kitty." William swore he could have seen a faint smile on Jordan's stone-cold face.
Leon knocked the door again.The door clicked and swung open,this time opening fully to show part of a hall that seemed well-kept.The problem was,no one was standing in the doorway to welcome the four teenagers.Before Leon could call out for anyone,a boy stepped out from behind a wall in the hall.He held a strung sporting bow and was dressed all in black.Hoodie,jeans and socks,all of them were black.What startled the three boys but not the crazed girl was that the boy was missing his left eye.A clean white patch covered the hole where the eye should have been.Leon recovered and opened his mouth to say hello when the boy raised his bow and loosed an arrow.Not at Leon,who stared aghast as the arrow flew past him and punched through William's shoulder.William fell with a cry and he fell,clutching his shoulder.To his credit he did not scream.Kumar dropped Alice on instinct,swearing at the sudden attack.Alice fell to the ground,whimpering,"Owie." Leon tried to draw his iron bar but the sight of another arrow aimed squarely at his throat stayed his hand.The boy's expression did not change.His eye revealed a cold hate for everything outside the home he resided in.The boy,in that guttural voice of his,growled,"Now,will you leave me in peace?"
Leon swallowed,well aware of the arrowhead pressing against his throat.Despite the circumstances,he felt his humor stir and he said slowly calmly,"Even if we leave you alone,the adults won't exactly leave you in peace." The boy said nothing,but his eye mellowed a little.Leon was painfully aware of the arrowhead still digging into his throat.The two boys stared each other down.A bead of blood dripped from Leon's throat.Kumar stood,helping first Alice then William up,whose shoulder was bandaged.Alice giggled again,enjoying herself in her own world.The boy's gaze flickered towards her,then shifted back to Leon's.Leon betrayed nothing.After what seemed an eternity to the two sides,the boy lowered his bow.Leon heard signs of relief from the two boys behind him.Alice did the same a second later,mimicking the boys.The boy said,"One night thats it." Leon nodded thanks.The boy beckoned and the four teenagers followed him inside.The boy scanned the surrounding area before closing the door and its gate.
"Now,who are you people?" asked the boy.The five teenagers had settled in the hall.The boy fixed a mug of Milo for Alice but did not offer the same to the three boys.They said nothing,knowing that to provoke their host could mean their hospitality or even their own lives.Kumar cleared his throat and said,"We're all under eighteen if thats what you're asking." The boy snorted,"Hmph.Thank you Captain Obvious.You ain't some shambling wreck of an adult for sure." Kumar continued,unperturbed by the boy's remark,"I'm Kumar,you shot William,he's Leon and the girl's name is Alice." The two other boys nodded at their introduction while Alice suddenly let out a laugh that made the males jump.Leon glared at Alice,who hid behind her mug,still chuckling.the boy shook his head and asked,"What's up with your girl?" Kumar retorted,"First off,she's not my 'girl'.Second,if you got a bone to pick with us then at least don't have a go at Alice.She's been through a lot." Without another word,the boy swiftly took up his bow and fired an arrow at Leon's hand.It landed on the table the hand was on with a thunk,barely missing it.The action shocked Kumar into silence.Alice murmured,"Should have been hush-hush." The boy set down his bow and stared at William.He said,"You.How's your shoulder?" William croaked,"It's getting better." The boy nodded and directed his next words to Leon,"You all can sleep out here.There's food in the pantry.Take only the tuna and sardines.If anything goes missing,you're dead.Sleeping bags in the storeroom next to the fridge." Leon nodded mutely.The boy got up and took his bow.He was about to turn into another room when he stopped and said,"Oh and one more thing.Don't enter this room I'm going into.I'm Jordan.Don't make our lives harder."
He closed the door just as Alice said,"You're a good kitty." William swore he could have seen a faint smile on Jordan's stone-cold face.
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