War of Praisers

Chapter 15:

In a little town in the middle of nowhere in Australia, meant to be a hideout for the ones living here, and meant that you wouldn't get any newcomers. So you could imagine our surprise when Joshua and Mike show up at our porch. I don't greet them in a very friendly matter, I shouldn't if they found our hideout and I don't know if we can trust them. Robin and Grace didn't care, as soon as they saw who it was they gave Mike a quick greeting and left again. Gloria on the other hand was very happy to see Mike again, and she was certainly charmed by Joshua. She flirted with him shamelessly, but he ignored her almost entirely, instead his watchful gaze was on Ora. Now she had an absolutely different approach to the newcomers. At first she came out of the living room with a rifle aimed at the strangers. That took us all off guard, sweet Ora stalking out, in her red swimmers with a rifle. Fortunately before she could use it Yakov pried it off her and explained to us that he had invited them if they ever needed to get away from the danger. Ora became her happy quirky self again and practically dragged Mike and Joshua to the kitchen and made them food and drinks. She was happy that she had more company. Me on the other hand didn't like the crowded space. The house was big and we all had more than enough space, but when the majority of us where mostly in the same rooms, the kitchen, the living room, and the porch.

We are all in the kitchen and watch as Ora dances around the kitchen again making everyone food, she loved cooking, especially baking. Right now she was making cookies.

"What happened Josh?" Yakov asks after Josh had finished his sandwich Ora had made for them, Mike was still at it, eating is second one. Ora is rolling out the dough on the counter in front of them, and she looks up with the others. All of us are at lest mildly curious in why they are here. I am especially curious how Mike is here.

"Our house was attacked during the gathering as you know." I nod as does Yakov. "We escaped, most of us, but many still died. My father wanted to make sure that everyone was out before he left, and that cost him his life, and Ariana died too." His voice drops to a whisper. We all give him sympathetic looks but Ora brushes her hands on her apron and goes to give him a side hug. Josh's expression was filled with surprise and pain, and something else I couldn't register. He places a hand on her back as she hugs him, she lets go after a while and slowly walks back to her place on the counter and starts cutting out the dough in different shapes. "We had nowhere else to go, we had been on the run until now since then. Scared that if we stayed in one place for too long then the same thing would happen." Mike and Josh share knowing looks and then Mike goes back to eating, but this time he seemed deep in though.

"But how is Mike here?" Robin asks from his chair behind the group.

"Ariana was my master." Mike mumbles uncaring, but he quickly casts a cautious look to Josh who just shrugs his shoulders slightly, not caring that Mike had no care for his sisters death. So Josh's sister, Ariana, was the 'nut job' woman who bought Mike and Barrett. The woman who had used them as sex toys, I can understand why Mike might be relieved that she is dead. "So I just tagged along with Joshua and protected him when it was needed."

"And Barrett?" I question him. Though he shrugs again, "I don't know, we got separated. But I am not worried, he's tough and I am sure he survived." I wish I had his faith in our ability.

"Whose house is this again?" Joshua asks around politely. Yakov indicates to Ora who was shoving the tray of uncooked cookies into the oven.

"Mine. Well sorta." She keeps her back to us and I hear the light quiver in her voice. I think I was the only one who heard it. She misses her father and she is really worried about him. Not that I understand what she is going through, I don't have a father or any one like that, but I can imagine her worry. I lean further into the wall next to the door.