Freaks

13- Goodnight, Dad

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They have Alice right where they want her, leading them into her house. The gun was stashed behind her shirt, and Jackson's hand shook uncontrollably when he hid his. Alice didn't get time to give Harper a gun, she told her to get Landon instead.

There's not a hint of originality inside as they walk in. No family pictures or even a picture of her mother, maybe only framed rewards or certifications. No pigmentation within the overly simple monochromatic theme. And the thin scent of linen and a new house smell. The walls are plain white and the ceiling is decorated with crown molding. The only other decoration, apart from furniture and sculptures, is wooden accents and tall fake plants collecting dust.

Alice stops them at the entrance, her eyes drifting to the living room on the left, "He's in there, I can hear him."

Even though Harper isn't the one with the intention to kill the man, she feels guilty. It bothers her that his own kid is wanting to do this all, completely prepared to see him dead. She planned this several months ago. You can't stop her unless you want to get killed too.

The house reeks of flavorless life and senselessness floods it like tears fill in pores.

Jackson and Harper look across Alice's shoulders. Andrew's tall figure lurks with his dark hair, standing with one hand in his pocket and the other raising a phone to his ear. He speaks with his hoarse voice, his vocabulary consisting of yes's and no's.

Alice's stance changes as she reaches for her gun hanging on the rim of her short culottes.

"Alice!" Harper whispers amid anxiousness.

She pauses angrily and looks behind her, "What?!"

Harper's pulse makes her eyes bulge from their sockets, "We're doing this right now?!"

Her face twists at the idiot before her, "Duh!"

"You're not gonna say something to him first? You can't just—"

"Shut up." Alice stops her, "Let me do this the way I want to." She looks back at Andrew, her eyes growing more and more serious, monstrous eyes, like snakes to mice.

The two other mice grow weary, they can't let this happen and not try to do something, anything. Harper stares at the front door window, what if they ruled out? Stood her up? Who cares, someone's about to get killed.

She shares her eyes with Jackson, his expression is just pure fear, he's wondering the same thing as her. She flinches a shrug unconsciously.

They start to suffocate in terror as Alice shifts her body behind a small pillar, her gun dragging out into the open air. Harper has to think quicker, no one can do this for her, especially not Jackson.

She hesitates at everything that she thinks of. Thinking of the worst endings possible but there's no time for daydreaming. She needs to save some time. Maybe change her mind.

"Alice." She says almost silently, walking to her side, grabbing back the gun with caution, "Not yet."

"What are you— what is your problem?!"

"He's still on the phone." Harper gives her that desperate look, downing her head in a nod to find the agreement.

It makes Alice stare considerately, her brows rustling up. Finally, she breathes and her arms loosen.