Petals For Brains | Number Five Book II

CHAPTER 8: Reggie on The Grassy Knoll

By the time the group of Five, Eleanor, Diego along with the unwanted addition of Lila, arrived at Elliot's flat, the sun was on its way sinking into the horizon. Before night would come and darkness would befall Dallas, the warm orange glow of the setting sun encases it in a cozy light, rays of which bled into the space above the television store. The group walks up the stairs leading to the lounge, Five looking forward to another cup of coffee, in order to celebrate the small victory of getting a semblance of a team together. Much to his displeasure, this would not come to fruition with ease as a crazy looking Elliot had just exited the kitchen, eyes wild, clothes very much disheveled and his hair looking as if he had run his fingers through it multiple times beforehand. Most unnerving of all a rifle aimed right at them.

Unlike anyone who would be held at gun point by someone who had clearly not been in the right frame of mind, the Hargreeves were calm, looking attentively at the gunman that approached them earnestly. "Where did you get the film?" Elliot spits out, voice shaky and even cracking. "The Frankel Footage, The truth this time?" Eleanor could feel his fear and confusion, prompting a bubbling bout of curiosity in her. She looks at Five, and then Diego, neither one expressing any concern, instead there were traces of annoyance on their faces, both tired of dealing with the nuances of their chaotic circumstances.

"You know this lunatic?" Diego says lowly, turning towards the couple for answers.

"A new acquaintance, he's harmless."

"Are you sure about that?" Lila butts in, questioning the straight forward answer of the boy as she stared at the man still very much insistent on threatening them with a gun. The small chatter, however, seemed to only rile the man even further, he shifts sharply and lifts the weapon higher, voice getting hoarser and words becoming strained.

"Are you? Or are you not an enemy of the people?" The group, the Hargreeves in particular looked each other, pondering the question even further.

"I mean that's an open ended question." "Really depends on the people." The Hargreeves men spoke quickly, words overlapping each other, garbling the message. Ellie rolls her eyes at the lack of progression, deciding to walk towards the man, carefully. Elliot did not miss her swift movement and aimed the gun right at the girl, stopping her in her tracks.

"You move one more muscle and I blow your brains off." Elliot threatened, but his words would fall on deaf ears as she took one more step forward. True to his words, Elliot did fire the gun, but he was more surprised that she had disobeyed, and instead of her head the bullet merely grazed her arm.

Five and Diego call the young woman's name, both of them about to go and attack Elliot, but both were halted with a simple raise of her hand. Elliot was bewildered as he watched the gash on her arm close up and heal as if it were not there mere seconds ago. In an eerily fashion, Ellie turned her head towards the man, eyes filled with what Elliot could only guess was ire. His blood seemed to have run cold as he realized the shadows that begun to pool larger and larger behind her. With the man seeming very much catatonic, Five took the opportunity to grab the gun and allow Ellie to release her hold on his mind.

Elliot's knees collapsed under him, eyes still a bit dazed. The sight of him in such a state had guilt eat away at the girl, and so she reaches up to pluck a petal and place it into the man's hand. As he sat motionless, Ellie shakes her head deciding to guide his hand into placing the petal in his mouth. "Eat, go on. It'll make you feel better. But if you shoot at me again, I sweat to whatever god you believe in." It was not long before the effects of the petals took place, lulling Elliot into unconsciousness. As his body grew limp, his body eventually thudded onto the floor.