Trapped

Four

"Four months." I said helping Greyson walk to the lobby.

"Do you think we'll ever get out?"

"Yeah were close I can feel it." I said as he shifted his wait onto the window.

"They're smashed." He said looking at the cars. "There are more now."

"The mini van, the truck, the cavalier, and the bug are new." I said looking at the bent up cars.

"What are they here for?" He asked looking at them.

"We don't know."

"Do you know hear them at night?" He asked watching me.

"Who?"

"The kids screaming?"

"No Greyson. I don't hear them." I said leaning my back against the wall. "I hear the glass and I have that dream."

"The screaming dream?"

"Yeah. But I still don't see their faces just endless holes of pain." I said shaking my head.

"But you don't scream back anymore?"

"No I just sit there, all stiff facing them. Every time there is another one that wasn't there before." I said looking up at him.

"Eli killed two this morning."

"I know Bayla told me."

"He hasn't talked in weeks."

"Four." I said pushing off the floor.

"He sleeps and kills stuff." He said looking at me with weak eyes.

"I know."

"He's gunna get himself killed." He said putting his arm across my shoulder.

"I know."

"Alana."

"What?"

"Stop saying I know. Say anything else."

"The cafeteria got new food last night."

"Alana."

"What?" I asked stopped leaning him on the wall.

"I can't handle this any more."

"What do you mean?"

"The never ending quiet."

"What are you talking about? It's never quiet."

"Nobody talks. Cole is always reading with the board in the library, Klarissa sleeps or helps Cole, half the time Bayla is in the basement looking for clues, and Eli sleeps in the gym and hunts for them at all hours of the day and night. Then you act like we're all okay."

"We're not okay? We are not okay. I know that. I do. You don't need to yell. Cole is trying to find some answer to a question he's never been asked. Eli thinks we can kill our way out. Klarissa is still healing and so are you. Bayla cries every five minutes and nobody can hear her down there. Then there is me who cooks and tries to keep you all from killing each other over the littlest crap. We all want out. Okay? We just can't beat him." I said putting my arm back around him leading him to the lounge. I sat him in a chair and told him to wake Rissa.

"Get up." I said kicking Eli in the arm. "Go get Bayla out of the basement and go to the lounge." I yelled walking out of the gym.

"Your turn." I said putting my hands on the back of Cole's chair.

"For what?" He asked looking over his shoulder.

"Cole sweetie I am having a mental break down."

"Okay. Are you okay?"

"No. See I'm making every one go to the lounge so I can yell at them and you."

"Oh okay. I'm coming." he said standing.

"Thank you." I said walking out in front of him.

"What's going on?" Bayla sniffled.

"I'm going to yell a lot." I said standing straight as they all turned to me. "Okay. We are all acting like little kids and that's not okay. NOT AT ALL. I'm having a bad few days. So are you guys. RIGHT?" They all nodded. "Thought so. So we're gunna change that. Mkay? We're gunna work together, not get our selves killed, take off and cry, hide out, or avoid each other anymore. OKAY?" I asked watching them nod. " now we all want out of here really freaking badly. So how about we act like mature people who can get stuff done. Sound good?"

"Yeah." They chorused.

"Good. Maybe I can get my damn sanity back now." I said sitting down opening my water for a drink. "Thank you."

"Is she okay?" Bayla asked Cole.

"No but she is doing way better tan before." He said sitting back.

~

"They where worried after you where yelling this morning." Cole said laying down next to me putting his arm around me.

"I know. I was to." I said handing him his book.

"No. I'm not reading tonight I want to talk to you."

"Okay shoot."

"I'm sorry. I have been reading and writing and I'm not here. I'm not keeping Eli in line or helping you I have been avoiding everything. So I'm sorry."

"It's okay everyone is avoiding. I was avoiding the yelling and sleeping." I laughed taking his hand. "Really it is okay."

"You've been sleeping more."

"How would you know? Most nights you pass out in the library."

"You don't scream anymore."

"That doesn't mean the dreams are gone."

"I'm sorry. Really Alana. I'm back now. All better."

"You better be I don't like yelling. Also I don't sleep well without you here. I guess I got used to it." I said setting our books down.

"Sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Those library chairs really suck to sleep in." He said laying down putting his arm across my waist.

"I can imagine." I laughed burying myself in his chest. "Good night Cole."

"Good night Alana. Sweet dreams." He said kissing the top of my head.

That was the first time I'd slept all night in an entire month. Cole snoring next to me, shuffling every now and again. I didn't hear the glass breaking or dream of scream people. I just slept warm and safe in Cole's arms.