Life's alright in devil town
Yeah, right, no one's gonna catch us now
Dad has bought a new car now
We're fine, no one's gonna catch us now
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I slept funny again tonight. My alarm was going off and I felt like it was way too early to get out of bed now. The screams on the streets and the sirens of the police and ambulances kept me up again. You would think after three years I'd get used to them but I still got scared when I heard the sounds through my bedroom window. It's bolted shut - for safety ofcourse - but sounds still crept into my bedroom at the dead of night. I know I should trust our authorities to keep us safe but after all this time they still couldn't seem to stop it all.
With a big yawn, I stretched and decided to get up. I was awake now anyway. My back was stiff and cracked loudly when I stood up. I really needed a new mattress but according to Father there wasn't enough money to be spent on silly things. Funnily he said that after buying a new tv where he watched news channels all the goddamn day long.
He didn't like me very much. He would never admit it ofcourse, but I could see it in his eyes when he glanced at me whenever I was in his proximity at home. Unfortunately, I was home a lot due to all the safety measures.
I brushed my teeth and stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes took in a tired guy of just 18 with chiseled hair and dark circles under his eyes. I really needed to sleep more. Luckily I already laid out my school uniform for the day, so I could be out in a heartbeat without having to be fully awake.
It was simple, made out of a stiff fabric that itched like hell. It was colored in our school colors: Dark Greys and Blues, something the heat didn't agree with in summers like these. The left breast pocket carried the small letters of our school in a dull yellow. BS for Balta School. Whoever came up with that name obviously didn't think about the weird abbreviation since everyone called our school "Bull-Shit". A great addition to the fact we weren't the most popular school anyway. Partially because we had to wear school uniforms, but also because we were the cheapest school in our town. "Safety and Unity" was the Bull-Shit's slogan. What they didn't realize was that the uniforms separated us from the rest even more. We might as well have had a bullseye on our back.
When I came downstairs Father was sitting in front of the tv. He gave me a quick glance before grabbing the remote and turning up the volume. As always the morning news filled our small apartment.
'Goodmorning, do you want some coffee?' I asked walking towards the kitchen counter to see there was only a small amount of lukewarm coffee left. I guess Father had a long night too.
'No.'
Good. Saved me from having to make some more.
'We have two more.' Fathers voice drowned out the TV and I slowly put down my mug of coffee and turned around. When I looked at him I saw that he was unusually pale. His hand squeezed the arm of the sofa tensely as he was leaning forward to absorb all the information coming out of the screen.
'...found in his house after a distress call from his wife. As of now the cause of death is still unknown. We urge you to contact your local authorities if you have any information regarding the death of William S. Please make sure to comply with any safety regulations...'
Quitely I made my way over to the couch and sat down at the farthest end. For a moment I contemplated asking Father why he was more distressed than usual but something was stopping me right then and there. I didn't want to set him off by getting too personal. When I studied his face I noticed he was getting older. He've had wrinkles when I was little, but those adorned his eyes from laughter. His face was weathered now, his forehead wrinkled by all the frowning, and his once bright blue eyes now looked gray. He was visibly shocked by the news. My mind went haywire when I thought about my classmates. Would today be another Dark Day? Would I have fewer classmates today? Please don't let it be Liam.
'Are there any Missings?' My voice cracked from the anxiety. Please not Liam, I know he hasn't been Marked yet, but still, you never know. At the sound of my voice, Father jolted his head and gave me a stare that could only be described as disgust.
'There are two people who are just found dead and you are more worried about your friends?' His voice harsh and his finger pointed angrily at me. 'It would be becoming of you if you'd think about someone else instead of yourself for a change, Louis!' With these words, he turned around again and snagged the remote off of the coffee table to turn the volume up even more. The sounds of crying family members from the tv filling the room. Whether or not there were Missings, it already felt like a Dark Day.
The streets were a bit more quiet than usual. The morning sun shone mockingly over the empty streets through which I always walked towards the school. It's only a fifteen-minute walk, but I still occasionally looked over my shoulder. You never know, especially on such quiet days. Last year I always cycled, but after my bike was stolen twice I started walking. I didn't dare ask for a new bike a third time. Although it seemed as if Father had enough money to spend, he continued to insist that we couldn't afford it. Again, he didn't like me after all.
This neighborhood seemed to have given up all hope today. The stones were weathered and gray, and every now and then you had to be careful not to sprain your ankle because of a pothole or crack in the asphalt. The trash and remainders of last night's riot still littering this area. Probably several people saw the news this morning and decided to stay indoors today. Not the teenagers, of course. School was mandatory and if you had the whole family present at breakfast, you were simply expected to show up. I still didn't know if there were Missings but hopefully, I'd find out from Liam soon. At least if Liam wasn't one of them.
After walking for five minutes, I saw him at our usual meeting place. Thank God. Although it was questionable whether that was the right person to thank if there was someone up there looking down on us. If so, they sure had a sick sense of humor to let it all go to shit like this.
Liam was leaning against a lamppost and small puffs of smoke circled his head as he took long, deep draws of his cigarette. A bad sign as he tended to chain smoke when stressed. At first glance, you wouldn't think he was as much an introvert as I was. He was just a bit better at disguising the fact that he was quite awkward socially too. You couldn't blame him though. After his brother became a Missing, he apparently became quieter and shut out everyone around him. I was the exception, and I felt quite special because of it.
I got to know him when he was at his lowest point. That quiet guy at the back of the class, with his wispy dark hair tangled between his fingers and his leg bobbing up and down... Despite the awkward composure I knew he was smart and got good grades. And if I'm honest, that was probably the main reason I started talking to him. It couldn't hurt to hang out with the smart, quiet, and thus safe classmate.
As I approached Liam he seemed to notice me and quickly walked over to me. His long arms engulfed me in an embrace that answered my internal question if there was another Missing. He whispered in my ear and I heard his voice waver. 'It's someone from our class.'
YOU ARE READING
ANON. || l.s.
Fanfiction[FINISHED] Louis is 18 and in his last year in high school. He suffers abuse at home but tries everything to avoid being tagged for his safety. Luckily he has his good friend Liam who supports him in everything and potential hot date Zayn. But then...
