The Good-For-Nothing Society | Completed

Chapter Twenty-Nine

We drive for twenty minutes, making sure no one is on our tail. It takes the same amount of time for my heart to slow and head to clear. For me to be able to think. When I was a kid, mum used to take us to a house near Cobham, it was in the middle of a forrest, not much else around. I think we owned it, but I'm not sure.

It's another twenty minute drive from where we are now. Then we can call Miss Gateshead and she can tell us what to do from there. It's not a great plan, but it's the only one I have. I tell Grace where to go.

"Amelia," Elijah says from the back of the car, his voice hoarse.

I look back and he's grey, his eyes dark rimmed. He doesn't look good at all. He doesn't have much longer, maybe two hours tops. I glance over at his brother, Stanley's eyes are closed and he looks equally as colourless. He looks dead.

"Stan?" I say, my heart spluttering in my chest. His eyes flutter open and he looks at me. I breathe a sigh of relief. "You and Elijah are injured pretty badly, I need you two to talk to each other and not stop until we've got you to safety, okay?"

Stan licks his lips as if they're really dry, and his voice is barely there as he says, "Sure."

There's a silence for a minute whilst the brothers look at me, slumped over and eyes glazed. I'm far too out of my depth here, they're relying on me to get them to safety. I just have to keep them alive. Help will come. I just have to make sure they live; that's my job. Keep us all alive.

"I approve of her," Stan finally says to Elijah. "Just so you know."

"Thanks," Elijah chuckles, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the headrest. "Not that I needed your approval."

"Of course not," Stan says, also closing his eyes and leaning his head back. They almost look identical, "But you could have done worse."

"I could have chosen Lily," Elijah sniggers. "Imagine that."

"Gross," Grace chimes in.

"I'm sure mum would have approved."

"Shut up," Elijah jokes. "It wouldn't matter if I brought home 007. They never approve of anything I do."

Stan chuckles this time, "That's probably true."

"If you die, it'll be my fault."

"I expect no less," Stan says, "I want you to wear a cone of shame at my funeral."

"I'm sure dad would love that. It will be my parting gift to you."

"Wonderful." Stan says, "When it comes to you giving a speech, I don't want one. I just want you to start singing Celebration by Kool & The Gang."

"Not Ding Dong the Witch is Dead?" Elijah asks.

"No. Celebration."

"I mean, if that's your dying wish then that's your dying wish."

"What's yours?" Stank asks him.

Elijah takes a second to think, his eyes still closed. "I don't want a funeral, I think that will really piss them off."

"It would." Stan gives a little nod.

Back and forth they go, the sounds of their voices filling the car. I don't listen to their conversation, not really. I direct Grace, until finally we pull up at the only other house from my childhood. This, you can tell, hasn't been visited for the last year. It means no one else knows about it, and that's as safe as I can get right now.

"Stay with them," I say to Grace, "Anything happens and you drive until you can get them back to school. You leave me behind if you have to. Understand?"