Lost Soul Down

FIFTEEN

Kylan looks so peaceful when he's asleep.

I hate to wake him up to this horrible news, but we have to get out of here as soon as possible.

He stirs awake, rubbing his eyes. He spots me, cross-legged and grim-faced, and immediately sits up.

"What's going on?" He asks, his voice sleepy. He glances to the clock. "It's two in
the morning."

I swallow. "We have to leave. Now."

He sits up higher against the headboard. "Why? What happened?"

"Your Aunt said she's going to turn us in to get the money," I tell him quietly.

"How do you know that?"

"I heard her on the phone with someone. She said she'd make a lot of money because there's three of us."

Kylan is silent for a moment. "She wouldn't do that."

"Maybe not to you, but she doesn't care about Leila and I." I counter. "She could easily turn us in and spare you."

"Let me talk to her, okay?" Kylan suggests. "She won't hurt innocent kids. Especially since Leila is only sixteen. She— she would never do that to her— or you."

He starts to get up and I'm about to object, but then I stay silent. I don't have a plan of escape or a plan if Lily turns us in. So, this is our only shot.

I follow him as he leaves the room, and watch from the crack of the door.

They are talking too hushed for me to hear, probably because they don't want to wake Leila who's mere feet away.

I sigh in annoyance and back up into the room, combing my hair to perfection out of boredom as I wait for Kylan to return.

He doesn't.

I inch back over to the door and gasp. I nearly fall over at the sight in front of me.

Kylan's sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, tied up. His Aunt tied him up. This is beyond insanity. She even duck-tapped his mouth shut, and now she's on the phone again.

She's hastily telling the phone, "hurry, hurry, you need to come now!"

I see Leila stir on the couch, and open the door without thinking.

Lily spots me and doesn't hesitate to grab a knife from the counter. She points it at me, setting the phone down.

"Don't try anything," she growls.

I can tell she's scared. She's scared of what I'm capable of doing. The thing is, I can't do much in scenarios like this. I can run, that's all. I can't have a knife fight.

But maybe Leila can.

"Leila!" I glance over at her, shouting. "Leila, wake up!"

"No!" Lily gasps, and instantly throws a hand over my mouth. Her other hand is holding the sharp tip of the knife to my throat.

I whimper in fear, my frantic eyes finding Kylan's.

Luckily, my shouting worked, and Leila sits up from the couch, and rubs her eyes. Her dirty-blonde hair is a mess from sleep.

"What the fuck is happening right now?" She looks from me to Kylan.

"Don't move," Lily hisses, digging the knife into my skin. I don't feel blood, but she's getting close.

Leila stands up, but puts her hands up in surrender. "What are you doing? Are you gonna send us back to that hell-hole?"

"You have no idea how much money I'll make," Lily says. "I can finally get a real house, I could quit my job!"