Bloodlust | lrh

10. Psychopath

The house is livelier than it ever has been, four guys running around now instead of just the one angry one. Luke's temper has been even worse the last few days. He's snippy with everyone, not just Soka. She feels like she's on the outside, like everyone else knows what's happening but her. She obviously is, but it makes her feel helpless.

To her surprise, Luke has let her take over the bedroom. She has her own space now, which is where she usually stays. She doesn't want to get in Luke's way or make him mad, and the less she sees him the better those odds are.

"Would you rather fly or have x-ray vision?" The girls lays in her bed, knees up and eyes on the ball she's been throwing up and down for a half hour.

"Fly. That's a no brainer, give me something harder than that." Ashton sits with his back against the bed only a couple feet from her. They've developed a new habit and hanging out when the rest of the house is either asleep or otherwise occupied. Ashton hasn't been told he can't see her, but he doesn't want to risk an argument by making it obvious.

"Okay fine. Would you rather be able to talk to animals or read people's minds?" She grins, knowing this one should be difficult, or at least it would be for her.

"Read people's minds." Soka stops throwing the ball when she hears his answer. She doesn't know which one she would pick.

"Really? I feel like talking to the birds on the street would be so informative. Maybe even the stray dogs, I feel like they have a lot to say. The squirrels, too? Those things are hiding something, like plans for world domination." The girl rambles on, Ashton being the only person she's fully opened up around. The only other person she's ever opened up around other than Leah.

"The squirrels aren't planning to take over the world, what are you talking about?" Ashton laughs. He's laughed more in the last few days than he has in years. Soka has truly grown on him, and he tries his best to watch out for her.

"All I'm saying is it could be useful." She throws her hands up in defense.

"But reading someone else's mind isn't even more useful?" He presses, turning to see the girl has started throwing the ball again. She isn't sure where the ball came from, it was just sitting on the floor under her bed.

"I don't know, usually people tell you what they're thinking even if they don't put it into words." Soka is intuitive, resourceful. She's lived her whole life usually being able to read people like her books.

"Does Luke?" He asks, laughing when he sees her roll her eyes.

"No. I think I'd be okay not reading the mind of a psychopath, though." She chuckles and tosses the ball one last time. She flails her body over onto her stomach, letting her lanky arms dangle off the bed.

"I'm not defending what's he's done to you, but somewhere in there he's not a bad guy."

"I'm not saying he's a bad guy either. He just likes violence a little more than the next." Soka offers an innocent explanation, neither of them taking it seriously. He smiles at her and thinks about how glad he is that she hasn't lost her sparkle, even with how hard Luke is trying to take it.

"He likes you. He'll never admit it but he doesn't hate having you around. He's never kept one this long before." Ashton feels guilty for wording it like that, but when the girl doesn't bat an eyelash he lets himself off the hook.

"How many have there been?" She asks, the topic of Luke's past captives intriguing her to no end. Ashton does a quick tally, the longer he takes the more concerned she gets.

"Maybe ten. Twelve if you include the two he shot in front of you. Actually, thirteen if you add the one he shot after like an hour." The boy recounts the last one and how ridiculous it was. She wouldn't stop screaming. Luke lasted about forty-five minutes before going into that room and shooting her in the head.