As Hollow As A Mannequins Grin (Keveridge)

3 - From The Ones Who Died Screaming My Name

Shit, shit, shit! 

I had just knocked him out with a fricking rock! I just knocked the fricking Prince out! Oh God, this was a fucking brilliant way to start what was going on here! There was nothing else I could really do...that's kinda the reason that I brought him back to our hide out. Which was probably a bad idea cause of the Timids and their little 'no strangers being allowed in here', but they'd just have to live with it. 

I'd left him lying on my bed upstairs and was now pacing about downstairs. He should still be in the palace, he should be with those people that had stormed the building, not here with me! 

No, he couldn't be back there cause they would kill him. There was no way I was going to let him die. I'd saved him once, and again tonight. Hell - I'd do it as many times as I needed to just to make sure that he was always going to be okay. That sounded mushy.

I was pacing, back and forth, in the place we'd made our living room but I hardly paid much attention to that. I had a number of things on my mind: Laurence for one, the Timids were another and what would happen if they found out that he never died tonight. Oh God, what if they find him? What if they take him away? What if-

"Kier! You asshole, you better have some food, I'm starving!"

Drew. I guess now was the time that I'd have to come out with everything. Better they hear if from me than running upstairs and seeing someone they don't know lying on my bed. That would be something interesting to explain.

I stopped my pacing and looked up to where my two friends were walking through the door. The smaller of the two, Drew, had a massive grin plastered on his face and he was practically skipping with his light brown hair bouncing round his ears and face. His blue shirt was slightly bloodied and I almost panicked until I saw no entry wounds meaning the blood wouldn't be his - someone who got on the wrong side of the little Timid. For once though he'd come back with fully intact jeans - no ripped legs and knees or one leg of them there and not the other. 

Cyrus, the taller Timid followed in after: grease, oil and blood splatter covered him from his cheeks to his muddy converse. His shirt was ripped from the hem of it and he was missing one sleeve which I could see he had stashed in his jeans pocket for mending. From the looks of things he'd definitely gotten the worst of the fight. His goggles however were still balanced perfectly on top of his golden brown hair as they had been when he left here. That would probably be what set him off more than anything if something happened to them. The goggles and Drew that is. 

They'd both been out hunting and doing their usual nightly routine of catching the bad guys of Grandomina. Something also told me that from the lack of blood they were actually covered in for once that they'd gotten the information that they needed. Drew was the Vigilante of these parts and if someone had a problem, or something bad had happened then he was the guy to go to.

Though not many people knew him directly - he just caught whispers of conversations that people tried to keep as quiet as they could, no one wanted to make a fuss round here.

Cyrus was the Mechanist of the group and dealt with all the weapons we had to handle. All our guns were hand built by him, with me and Drew's occasional input when he wanted it, but that wasn't often as he said it was his alone time. Neither of us minded. He also did work in the palace and round about neighbouring towns for the few that had transport other than walking everywhere. It didn't pay very well as not everyone could afford it, but it meant that I didn't have to go around stealing everything that we needed for eating.

I half froze up. I'm a terrible liar to my friends - anyone else I'm perfectly fine with just those two know me too well to actually hide anything, "I, uh, haven't made anything for eating yet... one sec," and I quickly ran out the other door - before I'd either get a pillow thrown at me or questioned - and shut the door.

Once safely inside our little make shift  kitchen I leaned against the wall and looked around. There wasn't much to eat in fact, only some scraps of different meals from other nights that we either hadn't thrown out cause we'd forgotten or that we could use for something else. I started working on pieces of chicken bones that had a little meat still on them and putting them on some bread for sandwiches - Drew's favourite.

It only sort of dawned on me properly when I heard footsteps running upstairs that I failed to mention our guest... oh shit.

"CYRUSTHERE'SSOMEONEHERETHAT'SNOT - IDON'TKNOWHIM - STRANGER! CYYYRRUUUS!"

I mentally face palmed myself as I heard another set of feet running up and darted out the kitchen after them. I walked in and saw Drew pressing himself up against the wall, eyes wide as they inspected Laurence with a certain amount of fear. With what he saw near enough every day this always surprised me when he acted like this. Cyrus was standing with his arm extended towards the bed, holding a Winchester gun. Laurence was now awake from Drew's squeals and was sitting in a crouched position ready to move if someone came towards him.

"Stop!" I swatted the gun out of Laurence's way and stood in front of him, looking between the two Timids, "This is Laurence. Our Prince." 

I heard a squeak of terror more than anything come from Drew as he still didn't take his eyes off of him and I watched a lump that he'd been holding in his throat finally disappear, "W-What's he doing here?"

"Kier, you've got some major explaining to do," Cyrus growled. He wasn't exactly the most trusting person when it came to things like this and new people. Did I mention that?

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, "Yeah I gathered...but there's food downstairs that I made up... maybe it'd be better if we spoke while eating?" I was trying my best to make light of our situation but the air was thick with tension. 

I looked back at Laurence who's face was hard as he looked back at me. Kinda got some explaining to do as to why he was here too I suppose... I sighed again and looked at Drew, who was now looking at me with his eyes near enough popping out of his head. I beckoned him to lead the way downstairs, which he did after a slight hesitation but he kept his back against the wall as he made his way round. When he was beside Cyrus he dashed out and disappeared down the stairs.

Cyrus looked at me before pocketing his gun and pointing an accusing finger at me, "You have some serious explaining to do, Kemp. Get your ass down there," he hissed. Giving one last glare in Laurence's direction he followed after Drew. 

I turned round to face Laurence who was still in the crouched position but had shifted to one side slightly and was watching me intently. I sat down on the edge of the bed and felt it move as he shuffled away slightly. "I guess I should probably tell you where you are and what's going on."

"That would be nice," he said slowly, "But perhaps we should go join your... friends before they start trying to shoot me or something."

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch slightly at the sound of that, "Not that they would or anything, but I think that that's a good idea."

I stood up and, I don't know why the fuck I did it, but I held out my hand for him to take. He looked between my hand and my face before slowly slipping his hand into mine. I can understand his hesitation seeing as I had just kidnapped him but there was something that was telling him that he knew me - there must be. I didn't really mind. I smiled a little at him, hoping it was more comforting than anything else.

He slipped off the bed and I guided him downstairs where I could here the faint buzz of Drew's voice in a fast paced, panicked whisper and Cyrus trying his best to calm him down by keeping his voice soft.

This was going to be fun.