𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, bellamy blake ¹

12; look after you

"You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood."

― Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society

➳ ➳ ➳

"CHAR, COME HERE!" NAOMI WAVED HER HAND AT HER SISTER.The six-year-old skipped towards her, signature plaits clapping against her shoulders. "Look." Naomi moved forward to wedge a metal piece of panelling off the wall, a screwdriver laying beside her.

"Where did you get that tool? Did you steal it from Mom again?"

"Shh," Naomi replied. She took the panel off and lay it against the ground, revealing a hole inside the wall.

Charlotte peered forward. "Another hidey-hole?" she asked. "But I've already got my own. Over there," she said, pointing to where her hiding spot in the wall was.

Naomi smiled. "No, I figured out how to get into the vents. Watch." She picked up the screwdriver and moved into the hole, Charlotte following behind. She stuck the screwdriver into the wall again, moving at the screws against the vent hatch. Then she pulled the vent cover off and lay it inside the hole. "You're coming with me to see my friends," Naomi said, pulling up the panel to cover the hole from the outside, and leaving the screwdriver where it was. "Mom won't be back for another three hours or so."

"Noe," Charlotte mumbled. "I can't go see friends. I only have you as a friend. Mom says I can't leave."

Naomi put a finger against her sister's mouth. "My friend is a sister like you. I mapped out a path through the vents to each other's rooms."

"Really?" she squealed, squeezing Naomi's hands and nodding her head rapidly. "Yay!"

Noe smiled. "Mom doesn't know. Okay?" Charlotte nodded eagerly. "Come on."

As the two moved into the vent, a rush of cool air blew their hair around their faces. Charlotte giggled. Naomi smiled but motioned towards a sealed mouth. Sound echoed throughout the walls, especially in the vents. The sisters crawled through the vents, metal creaking as they did so. Hot and cool air blew through different passages.

"You're so good at exploring vents, Naomi," Charlotte said. "Because you use them to get food for me right? And toys?"

"Yeah," said Noe. "But it's not a good thing," she said. "It's stealing. And you should never do that."

Charlotte slowed, cocking her head. "But you do that."

Naomi turned her head towards her younger sister. "That's different. I have to look after you," she said. "And Mom and Dad couldn't fit through the vents to do it." Noe giggled, and Charlotte joined in quietly.

Noe turned a corner, leading Charlotte down another path. There was a sudden ledge down to another vent, and Naomi motioned to Charlotte to follow. She lowered herself off the ledge, before lifting Charlotte down. The two started to crawl again. They turned multiple corners, going up and down different drops. Charlotte was grinning, seeming to be enjoying exploring somewhere that wasn't the room she had grown up in.

Charlotte laughed as a gust of warm air an adjacent vent blew through her hair. Naomi grinned and smoothed it down for her, smiling and putting her fingers to her lips in a reminder. The vent ended in a dead-end.

"Mom will be back in a few hours," Noe whispered, pointing through the dim light at her watch. "We need to be back by then, okay?"

Charlotte nodded excitedly. She had spent her whole life only knowing her immediate family, in the same room she was born in. It must have been so lonely.

"Okay."

Naomi leant forward and knocked on the panel. Three simple knocks. Noe waited a moment before repeating the pattern again. Footsteps came towards the vent and Charlotte squeezed Naomi's hand in anticipation. Noe's heart beat in her chest. What if she got the time wrong? What if it was a guard waiting for inspection?

She blinked as someone pulled off the panel, and bright light flooded the chamber. When her vision cleared she saw a 16-year-old boy looking at her, dark hair splayed over his face. He wore a wide smile and Naomi stuck her tongue out at him. "Bellamy," she said, pulling herself out.

Charlotte squealed behind her, leaping from the vent. Octavia's arms wrapped around Naomi in a tight hug. Noe laughed, hugging her back and jumping up and down with her.

"We made it!" Noe giggled.

Charlotte peered around their room in awe, admiring the different scenery to our own. Their was smaller, their mother being in a lower ranking job, while Andrea Casterly was on the council. She rushed to the window and gasped, pointing. "You have a much better view than I do. Look, the moon!" She pointed a chubby finger against the window.

Naomi laughed and skipped over to her. "Charlotte, these are my friends. Octavia eleven—my age—and this is Bellamy! He's her brother."

Charlotte bounced on the balls of her feet. "It's nice to meet you!"

"I've never met someone from the outside other than Noe!" O exclaimed, pulling Charlotte into a hug. "I like you."

Charlotte showed her teeth in a wide grin. "I like you too, O'tavia!"

Naomi laughed and went to hug Bellamy. The two embraced, before the four children sat in a circle on the floor. "Tell us one of your stories, Noe," said Charlotte.

    "She does tell good stories," Bellamy agreed, and moved to rub Charlotte's hair affectionately.

"Please, Noe," Octavia agreed, moving to lean against Naomi's arm, her feet resting over Bellamy's bow legs.

The golden-haired girl laughed, sitting forward to clasp her hands over her ankles. Her coloured eyes shone like moons against the dim light above. The window showed a vast galaxy behind her figure, thin face shadowed. "Okay," she said.

Ω Ω Ω

A very short flashback chapter!

Vote and comment!