Lawless

Chapter Three

The next morning Dad and Max weren't home. Ma and I anxiously wait for their arrival. It wasn't long before the sun started to go down and I was sent out to retrieve the hamper of food each family got for the week from High Class.

Not a lot of people are out, a few meandering here and there with some guards and their dogs sprinkled in between.

It's cold today, my cheeks and nose red from the icy wind. My hands are covered by gloves and feet sheltered in boots. My jacket is bright red, worn and oversized, being a hand me down from Max. There are muddy puddles just about everywhere with boot and dog prints etched into the ground.

I reached the town centre where the only grocery shop in Class sits.

"Here, quick! Hurry home Dove, it's getting dark and your mother will start worrying" Mrs Higgins, a plump older lady with crazy greying hair that flew around her head in a mess, hands me our hamper.

"Thank you, have good night" I wish her. Although she is pushy she was on the nicer side compared to everyone else in Class.

It isn't long before I have to stop and put the hamper down on the ground, the bottom of the cardboard box soaking up the mud. Normally one of the towns men would help me take it home or on occasion we'd have it delivered, but tonight it was too late for either of those options.

I stop a few more times before I make it home, the bottom soaked through and pretty much falling apart. I push the front door open and slide it along the floor

"Ma! The box is at the front door, I'm going to Penelope's!" I make a quick exit, not wanting to deal with the repercussions of the hamper falling apart.

My feet slosh in the puddles and I hold my hood over my head as I ran the path along the fence. Penelope's house is five house's down. She's what I would call a friend, I dont know about best friend though. We have very different views of the world, she thinks just like everyone else in Class, although she's not rude like them.

I knock on the door and Mr Pope, Penelopes father answers. He's a tall man and works alongside Dad and Max in High Class. He's much like them, stern and emotionless. He's much more intimidating though.

"Dove" he addresses me.

"Hello Mr Pope. Is Penelope home?" I ask nicely.

"She's in her room" he steps to the side. I thank him and make my way inside. The Pope home has that cold, unlived in feel. Penelopes mother died when she was 5. A Lawless had got over the fence and broken into their home, Mrs Pope surprised them and she died as a result. I dont know what happened to the Lawless; I assume they didnt leave Class alive. After this the safety measures along the fence were put in place along with the armed guards.

I push Penelope's door open and find her sitting on her bed, painting her nails. Her room is small and consists of a bed, mirror and a set of drawers.

"Hey Dove" she smiles at me and puts away the nail polish.

"Hi" I waved at her before going to sit on her bed.

"What've you been up to?" she asks.

"Not a lot, I just got back from picking up the hamper" I exclaimed with a tired sigh.

"It's dark? You should've told me, I would've gone with you" she says "especially with what happened last night, its dangerous to be out by yourself right now, Dove" concern laces her voice, her eyebrows pulled together.

My skin prickles as she brings up last night and the hairs on my arms stand.

"No I was fine, I'm sure you had other stuff to do" I brush her off "you know what happened last night?" I asked apprehensively.

"Yeah, your Dad and Max didnt say anything?" she asks.

"No, I havent seen them since they ran out to help last night" I explain.

"Oh, Dad said that it was two guys from Lawless. They caught them as they were going back over the fence, apparently shot them both, neither died unfortunately" I say nothing about the fact that I saw everything she had said play out with my own eyes.

"Oh" I quietly mutter, playing with my fingers.

"Yeah, Dad said they broke into Mr and Mrs Kents house when they weren't home and took their medical kit and medications they had lying around this was a surprise to me. I didn't see any medical supplies last night with them, although it would've been easy to throw it over the fence and into the bushes.

"Wow" I said disbelief in my voice. Not only had they made it over the fence, they had gotten into someone's home without being caught. Not only that, it was a house that was only at the bottom of my street, a two minute walk tops.

"Yep, crazy huh? Got to have some balls to do that" Penelope shakes her head in a huff and I nod. "Anyway want to watch a movie?" she suggests. Her blonde hair bounces around her shoulders as she sits up.

It's close to midnight before I decide to leave. We had watched the Titanic but fallen asleep half way through while eating left over spaghetti.

I leave Penelope asleep as I sneak out of her room and downstairs. Mr Pope is sitting at the kitchen bench and although I'm sure he hears me, he says nothing so I continue on to the front door. It's frosty as I open the door, the sky starting to spit rain drops.

I carefully run down the front steps, out onto the lawn and along the fence line.

I avoid looking into the bushes on Lawless side, not wanting to see anything. I watch the muddy path as I run and avoid puddles. I skid to a stop when I notice the foot prints embedded in the mud, too large to be a ladys.

I continue on assuming it's one of the guards and hope he doesn't come back to find me out so late. Who am I kidding; of course it's a guard. There's no way a Lawless would be back already, especially after the close call last night.

I step through the front door, all the lights are off and Dad and Max's boots are still missing, indicating they either havent been home or came home and left again, either way they aren't home now.

Ma's most likely already in bed and fast asleep. I kick off my shoes and quietly walk up the stairs. The hallway is eerie as I creep along, my hand feeling the wall as a guide.

I reach my room and push the door open; I use my hand to feel up the wall for the light switch. My hand graze's a shirt before feeling a warm body beneath the material.

I open my mouth to scream but before the sound comes out, a hand grabs my face, covering my mouth and the other arm goes around my body before I'm hauled into my room and the door quietly shuts behind me.