Dance with the Devil「Larry/Ziall/Niam」

Chapter 3

Written by @LucretiaDanger666

Liam and Zayn both looked up from their respective tasks in unison as they heard a loud, high-pitched shriek echo through the house. Zayn pushed past Liam, so frantic to find out what was making Niall scream that he didn't care if he accidentally bruised his friend in the process. He found him in a dimly lit corridor, leaning against a wall and trying to catch his breath. On the floor lay a familiar fake pigeon. It didn't take Zayn long to work out what must have happened. "Kevin! I thought I had that thing burned...have Harry and Louis really taken to carrying it round with them? One of these days, I really am going to kill them. I'm going to find a really pointy object and I'm going to kill them."

"Way ahead of you, Zayn." Liam walked in, dragging Larry Stylinson by the ears. He turned to them both, folding his arms and giving them a very stern look. Harry and Louis, looked at their shoes, trying to simultaneously look ashamed with themselves and pretend they weren't trying to hold back a fit of giggles. Liam was not impressed. "I have told you a thousand times; if you have a friend who has a phobia of pigeons, it is not okay to attack them with a toy pigeon! Apologise."

"Sorry, Niall..." they muttered, not trusting themselves to keep a straight face if they made eye contact with him.

After a few more pointed glares, they agreed to continue searching the house. Liam considered asking Niall to go and lie down again, but the look on Zayn's face told him that it would only serve to start an argument. He shook his head, engaging in a quiet conversation with Louis. "You know that I'm not asking you or Harry to change completely, right? You're my friends and I know that it's just part of who you are, but I just wish you could tone it down a little bit, especially when-" He was cut off by another shriek from Niall.

Zayn immediately whipped round to glare at Harry and Louis. This shocked Liam slightly; it was blindingly obvious that, whatever had just happened, they were not the perpetrators. Liam didn't want to start a scene, but he knew that Zayn had some serious issues that needed to be addressed at some point. "Back off," said Zayn, almost growling, "Whatever you're doing, stop it right now!"

Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, but Niall beat him to it. "No, Zayn, it's nothing to do with them, it's just...I could have sworn I felt something cold brush against my arm. It's probably nothing, but...I don't know; I'm just getting really jumpy. I think it's the adrenalin from my leg or something."

Zayn looked suspiciously at everyone. He considered the possibility that Liam was doing something untoward. In a sick, twisted way, it made perfect sense; he was always the sensible, quiet, polite one. In every psychological thriller on the planet, the seemingly strait-laced member of a group turned out to be an insane murderer. Was Liam cracking under the pressures of responsibility? Were they witnessing his slow descent into the gaping maw of madness? Who would be the first to fall prey to his lust for blood? It would probably be Niall — hunters always went for the injured animal in a heard, because they were easier to separate from the others and kill. On the other hand, maybe he would become sadistic and choose an able-bodied victim, whose death would be easier to draw out. Would he attack all of them at once, or would he pick them off, one by one, watching with malevolent glee as they began to panic and lose the tattered remains of their sanity until nothing was left.

Liam walked over to him and gave him a concerned look (no doubt feigning innocence so that nobody would suspect him). "Um, Zayn," he murmured, so that only the two of them could hear, "Are you okay? You seem to be a little bit…how can I put this? Neurotic. No offence, mate, but you're acting slightly crazy today."

"I'm acting crazy?" His voice came out much higher and more derisive than he'd intended. "I don't know what you mean. Given the situation, I think I'm acting in a totally valid manner!"

It was at that point that Louis ran over and tugged on Liam's sleeve. He had visibly paled. "Guys, I don't want to worry you, but…where did Harry go?"