Sacrificial Loyalty

Chapter 15- The death game

Ava jumped and yelped as four knocks sounded through the door.

"Jessica will be worried about you. You should let me in Ava. I have your phone, and you can text Jessica from it. I'll let you." Lachlan bargained.

"Leave me alone!" Ava yelled, keeping her crouched position.

An angry bang on the door caused Ava to gasp and protectively cover her face, wrapping her arms around her head.

"Let me in you little fucking bitch!"

"No. Go away!"

"Fine! Stay in there. I'm going to find something better to do!" He shouted, stepping away from the door.

Then silence.

Ava lifted her head and listened carefully, holding her breath as she listened for the footsteps moving away.

Still silent, and then a door banging shut.

Carefully, Ava crawled out from her space and stood up, tentatively staring at the door as she edged her way towards it, her footsteps almost silent against the soft carpet.

Her hand hovered above the door lock, hesitant to open it, but in a rush of adrenaline, she pulled up and swung the door open, ready to dart out.

"That's better." Lachlan laughed as he shoved Ava back into the bathroom roughly and jumped in after her, standing over her, intimidating her as she timidly ducked away from him.

"Here." Lachlan whispered, holding the black phone out to Ava. "Message Jessica. Tell her you're okay."

Ava looked at the phone and then shook her head.

"No. I can't."

Sighing, Lachlan shook his head, pulling out a pocket knife from his pocket and opening it up, flicking the sharp, shiny knife.

"Message. Her." He mumbled.

Nodding quickly, she grabbed the phone from Lachlan's hand and typed her password in.

Before she could message, the phone was taken back.

"Thanks." Lachlan said as he scrolled through Ava's contacts, quickly finding Jessica and messaging her.

'Hey! I'm okay! Sorry for worrying you. I'm actually not feeling well so I've gone home. Sorry for not telling you.'

Message sent.

Lachlan switched the phone back off and sat down on the floor in front of Ava, watching her and smiling away cheerfully as she tried to slow her heart rate, breathing deeply.

'Ava messaged back. She said she's apparently not well.'

'Well maybe she isn't. We could just hang out instead if she's not feeling too good?'

'Something doesn't feel right though. She usually tells us when she's not feeling well. She wouldn't just disappear like this without telling us. You know how bad she would actually feel is she walked away without telling us what's up. I'm telling you, this isn't right. I'm going to her house and I'm going to check on her.'

'Alright. I'm sure she's fine though!'

'Melvin. Answer this right now!!!'

'Bloody hell Jessica, what's up?'

'Ava isn't home! Her mam said she isn't home. She's literally gone somewhere!!! What if she's collapsed?'

'Hold on and I'll meet you outside the bus stop near Ava's house. Don't go anywhere else.'

'Please hurry because I'm worried about her. I think something bad has happened to her.'

"Everything will be over soon." Lachlan whispered, nodding to himself, playing with the knife in his hand as Ava whimpered.

"Right. Let's think about exactly what happened."

"Ava is gone Melvin! She's not home!" Jessica panicked.

"We'll figure this out." Melvin tried to ease Jessica's worries as he thought about where Ava could be.

"Where would she go Melvin? She's not at home. Why would she tell me she was at home if she isn't? This isn't her Melvin!"

"Jessica please just calm down! I know this isn't good. We'll find her, don't worry."

Melvin reached into his pocket, pulling his phone out.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked as she watched Melvin typing something into his phone.

"I'm messaging Lachlan. Maybe he can help us."

"Lachlan!? I get he's cool and all but how will he help us!?"

Melvin shrugged. "I don't know Jessica. I'm just trying to do what I can."

Ping.

Lachlan looked at his phone and then leaned over, showing it to Ava.

"Oh look. The cavalry is here." Lachlan said emotionlessly as he leaned back and began texting back.

'Yeah. She's with me. Come and get her if you want.'

Message sent.

Lachlan leaned forward again, showing Ava the message that he sent.

"Sound good?"

Ava nodded submissively.

"Good. And when they do arrive, you're going, and Jessica is going with you, and Melvin and I? We're also going. Far, far away."

"What do you mean, going?"

Knife still in one hand and his phone in the other, Lachlan lifted both of his hands and pointed one finger at his phone and one at himself, his face reflecting in the knife's side.

"Melvin and I are going far, far away, and you and Jessica," he began, now changing his finger's directions to point one at Ava and the other at her phone, "Are going far, far below."

He lowered his hands back down to his lap, tilting his head slightly.

"Any questions?"

Ava silently shook her head.

"Good."