(OxBlood) (Asking Alexandria)

4: Days of Man

It was an unsettling type of quiet tonight. The barn wasn't a site of bedlam, not a soul was in sight, even the crickets had ceased their chirping, for they too must have sensed that tonight was a night that had earned peace.

The house was silent, the doll house white curtains blowing gently from the calm wind that crept through the open windows. The sills were painted white as well, standing out against the darkness of the room. Ben always kept candles lit in the bedroom, the soft light always adding just a subtle hint of much needed compassion; a feeling that could only be felt in the bedroom in a place like this.

Ben came in, treading lightly against the creaky floors. "Are you still awake? Danny?" He climbed into bed carefully, trying his hardest not to disturb him. Most nights they didn't sleep in the bed together. Danny tended to stay out all night in the barn dealing with the scumbags that passed in and out and Ben stayed in the bunkhouse with Sam and the others.

"I can't sleep." He rolled over to face him.

He moved to curl up against his front, letting his head rest against his chest. He closed his eyes as Danny brushed his fingers over his shoulder in gentle circles. It was a strange little motion, one that wasn't used very often. It was soothing, just around and around in a seemingly endless path; a path that almost felt like his life at times. It was the same day in and day out. The only thing that ever seemed to change were moods and tempers. Some days it felt like a security blanket to know that nothing would ever change, and others it felt like a permanent state of purgatory. He'd almost nodded off when a pop sounded in the distance, then another and another. He sat up, going to the window as he heard more.

Danny pushed him back out of the way of the window, moving to stand in front of him. He peered out into the darkness, not seeing anything, however, the sound didn't cease. It wasn't natural.

Ben poked back up toward the window, Danny using his elbow to push him back once again. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it. Lie down." He pulled a shirt off of a dresser top and headed towards the door.

Everything suddenly stopped as the window shattered, a shot echoing through the open air, this one obviously closer than the rest. Both had thrown themselves to the ground, shock striking out of nowhere. Voices could now be heard, none of them familiar. Danny stood and passed down the stairs quickly, Ben following on his heels. Windows in the kitchen shattered, the glass bouncing off the tile floor and sliding out into the dining room. Danny stood against the wall, peering around the corner before slipping out and dashing into the kitchen. He pulled the entire drawer out and let it crash to the ground, utensils flying. He dug through the pile until he caught a firm grip on a handgun. He checked it over quickly before scampering out of the kitchen and towards the basement.

Ben was gone, he'd already made his way out and across to the barn. More shots echoed through the air, these ones even louder yet. His feet were a blur across the grass, the night and shadows only offering minimal cover. He snuck in the back entrance of the barn and passed through the tables quickly. Cameron was crouched behind the bar, peeking out and giving a sigh of relief. Ben climbed over the bar, slipping back into the kitchen and fumbling around quickly. The room was clean, and in any other circumstance that would have been a great thing, however, in a moment like this, a mess would have been easier to work with. He shuffled through rack after rack, searching for the cutting block that always had to be hidden away. There had been just one too many fights that had ended roughly in the barn; the solution being to stash things away where only one person knew the location for. But who had it been? Sam. And where was Sam? Out in the bunkhouse. "Fuck." He came back out to the bar, his timing just perfect enough to land him face to face with several hooded figures bursting through the door.