Feared

Forty-Four: Head Games

Well Charlotte was pining over James, angry and despondent. James ran the risk of seriously injuring Matt at any time... and well... in the end, he was just the cumbersome human, the weakling among the elite. He didn't fit in with them. It was hard to believe he ever thought of a time when he could have fitted in with them.

Matt shifted his weight gently in his seat, not wanting to disturb Wallace. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone. Its screen was dead, the way he knew it had to be, but he wondered if Freddie and Rhian had tried to contact him. They had to be worried. He knew they would be furious, but now... months had passed. Or at least it felt like months, years, a lifetime. Time didn't really matter. He just wanted to hear their voices. He wanted to know that Freddie was still healthy, that Harris' intervention had been successful. He knew it had, but after years of dealing with his illness, it was hard to remove the worrying thoughts and concern.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket. He didn't need the temptation. He would be in contact soon he hoped. They just needed to get through the next few days.

Ian finally slowed down, turning the car from the road to a dirt track. The car ambled along, a cloud of dust blooming behind it. Wallace stirred. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Are we here?"

Matt concentrated on the growing lights of the house, pushing all immediate thoughts of Wallace from his mind.

"This is it," Ian said. "Is Kiya awake?"

Wallace reached over and shook Kiya's shoulder. "Ki, wake up".

Kiya bolted up. "What's going on?"

"Your time to shine, Ki," Ian grinned. Matt could see Charlotte unfurl herself in the front seat, leaning forward as the farmhouse loomed before them. She didn't speak and he wondered where her thoughts were. He remembered how he had found her, the husk of a girl, broken and too close to death. The thought of what they had done to her, the injuries they had caused her, could never be erased from his mind. And he could only imagine how returning to Nicholls' would affect her, but for now they still had time. One more night before they had to lay eyes on that place.

Matt felt Wallace's gaze land on him, her hazel eyes reading him. He rubbed his chin and tried to think of something boring, of anything that would clear his mind of thoughts he didn't even want to think about.

Ian brought the car to a stop. The gravel crunched beneath the tyres. Annakiya exhaled a steadying breath, reaching for the door handle and clambering out. Wallace followed her. Matt watched them go. His stomach tightened as Wallace approached the house. He noticed her look back at the car for the smallest of moments, but he didn't think she was looking for him.

"Don't worry about her," Charlotte grumbled.

Matt opened his mouth to protest, but Ian replied first.

"I'm not worried about her," he said. "It's just... she's so tiny and the world is so big. What if...?"

"Stop it," Charlotte warned. "You're giving me a headache. Trust her".

"I do trust her. But I also want to protect her – and don't even pretend you would do any different if it was..."

"Well it's Annakiya," Charlotte snapped, a little angrier than either Matt or Ian had expected. "She's not stupid and she's honest with you. She's strong and..."

"I get it Charlotte, relax," Ian grumbled, his tone wounded as the front door of the house opened. Matt leaned forward peering through the space between the front seats. An older lady, probably in her early seventies answered the door, a halo of gold light surrounding her body.