Leah POV
I've been lying on the guest bed for hours, and yet, I have still been unable to fall asleep. I've tried taking some of my sleeping pills, but they haven't worked. Maybe it's the feeling of being in an unfamiliar house and an unfamiliar bed.
I sat upright on the bed and scanned the room for probably the hundredth time. It was all the same. Nothing had changed. Not one item out of place. So why the hell am I not falling asleep?
"Damn it," I muttered as I pulled myself out of the warmth of the bed onto the coldness of the tiles. Without a second thought, I took the blanket with me and wrapped it around my body.
I waddled out of the room, looking down the dark hallway before choosing to go right. I walked as quietly as I could down the hall, careful not to wake anyone up. I kept at this slow pace until I reached a door that lead outside onto a balcony. I headed to the door in a quicker walk.
Whenever Lucas was abusive, I either found a safe space when I drew or outside under the stars. I didn't have my drawing pad with me, so this was the next best option.
I threw open the doors, cringing when they hit the wall and echoed through the hall. I stood motionless for a couple of seconds, waiting for anybody to wake up or complain, but nothing came. I quickly stepped through the door frame and closed the doors, gently this time.
I moved to the barrier of the balcony, leaning my arms against it as I peered up at the stars. I took a deep breath of the fresh air as it blew gently against my face. I mentally thanked myself for taking the blanket with me when I felt the cold against me.
I missed this. It was such a simple thing, but people really underestimated how such things could so much peace. I felt myself smiling as I stared at the stars, pointing out the bigger ones, the brighter ones, and the ones that had yet to make their debut.
"Can't sleep?" I looked over my shoulder quickly, relaxing when the person leaning against the doorframe was Vlado. I nodded noiselessly before looking back up out at the stars.
I heard him move towards me, stopping when he got to the fencing. He mirrored my body placement and stared up.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He stated, causing me to smile.
"Never took you as the type to stargaze," I teased, looking at him for a moment.
He let out a chuckle as he sent me a glance. "I'm full of surprises."
"I'm sure you are," I agreed before we fell into a short silence.
"So why are you up?" I asked, keeping my gaze set on the sky.
"Same as you. Can't sleep," he answered simply, his mouth in a straight line. "...just bad memories replaying in my head." He elaborated.
I tore my gaze away from the stars and looked at him for a short moment, then turning back to the sky.
"The same happens to me sometimes," I replied in an attempt to make him feel better. I saw him send me a glance, but I didn't return it. Instead, I kept looking at the dark sky.
"I try to explain it to others, but they always say that they never understand, or that I'm being sensitive and that I should just forget about it," he looks at me again, and this time, I return it. "But it's nice to have somebody who understands the feeling."
My stomach twisted for a split second, but I covered it with a small smile. He returned it, and we both went back to looking at the stars in silence as they grew brighter in the dull sky.
Mary POV
Earlier...
"Hey, Mary." I blinked up to Romero as he sat opposite me. "Could you please clean the kitchen when you're done? Amelia put all of the equipment away, so you'll have to get it from the cupboard." I sent a quick look to Amelia as she gulped down her pasta.
"Yeah, no problem," I nodded, sending him a quick smile before looking back down at the food on my plate.
* * * * * * * *
I snuck through the halls, throwing a look over my shoulder every couple of steps. I know that everyone was awake, but that wasn't why I was being quiet.
I was being quiet because I wasn't going to the cleaning cupboard. Although the people are amazing, it feels like they're hiding something from Leah and me. The house. The buttload of money. The secretive looks. It's definitely not normal. So I was going to the one place I was sure would give me answers.
Vlado's office.
I crept around a corner, stopping when I found myself in front of Vlado's door.
This was it. I could find everything or nothing.
I took a deep breath, psyching myself up for what I was about to do.
"Ok, I got this. I got this," I whispered to myself, shaking my hands free of their nerves.
Before I could rethink my decision, I swiftly pulled open the door and slid inside the room. I quickly but gently closed the door, waiting for the click of the door to take a breath.
I turned around and faced the room. It wasn't that flashy, but bits and pieces stood out more than others. The cream-coloured walls made every object and piece of furniture in the room seem darker than it actually was.
My eyes scanned the room from the left first, moving its way to the right. Although, it stopped when its gaze landed on the desk on the other side of the room. It was in the middle, closer to the back wall, giving off a powerful feeling.
I made my way over to it, creeping around to the front of it. I stood next to the chair that was tucked under the wood desk.
I scanned the top of the desk first. There wasn't anything that really grabbed my attention. A desk light. A stack of paper, A pen holder with some pens. Nothing interesting.
That was until I moved on to the drawers underneath.
I opened the first drawer, finding a few loose papers. I took the top one and skimmed the words.
Ambush at warehouse.
Nine members.
Six casualties.
Three deaths.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
I shut the first drawer, moving on to the second. I pulled it open and found more papers. I didn't bother to read these ones though. They would probably have the same kind of thing as the other one.
Not long after, I pulled open the third drawer, expecting to find the same things before.
But what I saw made my stomach drop.
Only one object was in the drawer, but it was enough to prove my suspicions that they were hiding something.
My hand trembled as it reached down to grab the item. I pulled it out of the drawer, my hand struggling against the weight of the object for a moment. I stared in horror and disbelief at the thing I held, something I thought I would never have in my hands.
Its cold metal contrasted with my warm hands, and I felt my heart beat faster and faster the longer I held it.
Why the hell would he have this in his office drawer?
My thoughts were almost immediately cut off when I heard a click come from the other side of the room. My eyes instantly darted to the door that stood on the opposite side of the room. I knew in the back of my mind what the noise was, but I couldn't comprehend it.
I held the weapon tight in my hand as I took step after step to the door. There was no other noise made after that, just the click.
The rest of my body had come to the realisation, and bolted to the door. My free hand instantly went to the handle and turned it.
It didn't turn though.
I tried again, trying to convince myself that I just hadn't put enough pressure on the handle, but I knew I was kidding myself.
I pulled on the handle frantically, trying to open the door. But it wouldn't budge. Not one bit.
I took two steps away from the door and set the object in my hand on the closest table. I bounced on the balls of my feet before throwing myself at the door. Other than the throbbing pain in my shoulder, nothing happened. I repeated the action, again and again, failing to keep my face from contorting to one of pain. I gave up after a couple minutes, stepping away from the door and leaning against the closest wall.
I was stuck in here. But it wasn't on accident. I was sure of it.
Somebody had locked me in here.
But why?