WHEN THE DARKNESS COMES I NICK CLARK

Waiting On The Edge

Waiting On The Edge

The four of them crept through the dark garden, Lourdes glancing involuntarily up at the dimly lit window where her father and Madison were, Daniel and his family now installed in Alicia's bedroom. She had reluctantly shut Timmy up in her father's small study, promising to patch him up as soon as she came back, Lourdes then leaving, ignoring the crash of books and papers that followed in her wake, Timmy immediately causing chaos.

As they approached the fence that divided their property from the Tran residence next door, Chris's hand found Lourdes's, pressing his sweating palm against hers, Lourdes giving his fingers a swift squeeze. Despite everything, he was her brother, protecting her as she protected him, Lourdes involuntarily remembering the flash of the razor as he brought it down on one of her attackers, sinking it into the stranger's flesh.

Still shaking at the memory, she pulled Chris's hoodie closer around her, Chris gripping her hand like grim death now, reminding her of the frightened little boy he'd once been. They were in this together now, Chris wordlessly admitting he had been wrong, now reluctantly accepting what he was seeing. The siblings staggered onwards, Alicia just up ahead, Nick leading the way. This wasn't their world anymore, but there was no time to find their place in it, to forge a way forwards; they only had literal heartbeats to keep their heads above water, to stay one step ahead of the current that threatened to drag them under.

"Stay close," Nick flung at all three of them over his shoulder, "and keep quiet." Without another word, he awkwardly scaled the trashcans, then he was over the fence, disappearing from sight. Hesitating, Alicia followed him, hauling herself upwards with some difficulty. Then she too was gone, her long brown hair billowing out behind her. Taking a deep breath, Chris clambered up, before swinging himself over the side of the fence, Lourdes following, dropping like a cat onto the crazy paving path beyond, framed by the wooden maze-like fruit cage clumsily constructed by Patrick Tran, the structure looming out of the darkness like a large animal.

"Shouldn't we have brought weapons?" Alicia hissed as Nick dusted himself down, Chris and Lourdes standing side by side again, both suddenly looking very young, throwing the familial resemblance between them into relief.

"Keep up, Lish," Nick snapped. "We're here for said weapon."

"Yeah, whatever, Monopoly Man," Lourdes muttered. "Maybe we should have brought a shoe along."

"You still freaking out over that?" Nick retorted. "You sure know how to pick a time and place to throw a hissy fit" -

- "We were out there," Lourdes spat, striding over to him, "and you know exactly what's out there, yet you just hid in the house, playing bloody board games!"

"Alright, alright, I acted like a flake," Nick said, flinging up his hands, "and I'm sorry, okay? So can we now focus on the matter at hand" -

- "It's that hoary old chestnut of us versus them, isn't it?" Lourdes cut across him, mouth a sarcastic moue. "As soon as the shit hits the fan, you, Madison and Alicia batten down the hatches, and screw the rest of us who aren't called Clark" -

- "Hey, we're in this together," Alicia interrupted angrily, "I mean, we're all here, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but you weren't there for opening night, were you?" Lourdes said, becoming hysterical, her dark eyes wild. "There was nearly one great big gang-b" -

- "Lourdes!" Chris cried, lunging forwards, grabbing her arm, only for Lourdes to violently shake him off. "Goddamn don't" -

- "You missed the strip-show, guys," Lourdes laughed manically, tears falling thick and fast down her face, Nick and Alicia staring at her in horror as the realization of her meaning sunk in. "Fucking free for all" -