CALAMITY (h.s)

FIVE.

FIVE. || DOGS

When you're little, asleep in the car and all of the sudden that turn is made, somehow internally, our bodies know we are home. You wake up groggy and tired, but excited, knowing your bed is only minutes away.

That's how Emaline felt when she woke up after two hours of solid sleep.

She rolled her neck in a circle, cracking all of her tired bones.

Jo flicked her eyes up to the rearview mirror, a small smile painted on her face as she watched the girl wake up.

Any conversation that was going on immediately stopped when the sounds of Emaline yawning were heard. Once she realized she wasn't a child asleep in the backseat, while her parents were turning onto her street late at night, It took Emaline a moment to get reacquainted with her surroundings.

Being squished between two men, one who which she was unfamiliar with, wasn't the most pleasant scenario to wake up to. Especially when you are being held hostage.

"I have to pee," Emaline announced to the car, hoping they would be stopping soon.

The car is silent.

"I said, I have to pee," Emaline repeats herself a little louder.

Again, silence.

"Do you want me to piss in your fancy car? Because then you'll not only have a mess to clean up, but—" Emaline begins rambling.

Harry runs his hands roughly through his hair and grumbles, "Jesus fucking christ. We are almost there."

Ever since Emaline realized that she has the upper hand in this situation, and is more useful alive to the Styles-Wright family than she is dead, she has felt more comfortable with being bolder in her choices. She doesn't necessarily feel safe, but she doesn't feel threatened either.

The worst of their torture was making her listen to Eminem on repeat for hours. Which was terrible. But they didn't touch her. In fact, Louis got scolded when attempting to leave a mark on her.

Emaline decided to begin testing her limits.

"Almost where?" She asked while looking out the window to see a familiar area.

As she asked that question, she realized where they were. The town she was born, in upstate New York. She lived here for probably about 6 months, but she obviously didn't remember any of it. She admired the group's thoroughness, but she didn't think they would find anything on Luca here. However, she was familiar with the area. Emaline's first home belonged to family friends of her parents, so they would visit occasionally when Emaline was a child.

Emaline started to feel sick to her stomach.

The van pulled up to a long gravel driveway attached to a small farmhouse.

"So this is where Matty and Cora live?" Zayn looked at Emaline with a quirked brow.

It disgusted Emaline. How Zayn could just speak to her as if they were good pals having a chat. Zayn knew Matty and Cora from his parents. A lot of people in their world were and are connected. But, to Emaline, that didn't give him the permission to act like nothing was wrong.

Emaline didn't answer and directed her attention to Jo as she began to talk, "We are going to take your cuffs and chains off. Do not run and do not scream.." Jo looked at Emaline through the rearview mirror, hesitating to finish her sentence.

Jo shifted her eyes over to Harry, not being able to get the words out.

"Don't run or scream. Or we will kill you. Kapish?" Harry says nonchalantly.