House of Forbiddens [COMPLETE NOVEL]

21: I'm Really Starting to Hate These Cloud People

Kaden

I stuffed a biscuit into my mouth as Riley rolled a map of the greater Houston area across the kitchen table, pinning the edges down with pots of zombie-fighting plants and plates and cups for breakfast. I was starved! It seemed everyone else had the same feeling, too. The last night/this morning was long and confusing. Now, a whole new set of problems presented themselves to me, and there was a deep, agonizing feeling in the pit of my stomach, only partially brought on my hunger. No matter what we did, the next line of the prophecy would have to be fulfilled.

For now, though, we had our minds set on one task: Finding our friends. However, Will had left, and now we were all alone, with absolutely no leads on where to find our missing friends. Cue the lecture by our residential genius:

"Okay," Riley pulled a hot pink marker out of his polo shirt's front pocket, "Let's start by marking where we've had cloud people sightings." He began making circles at different spots on the map. "They were at Christine's house, and in the woods in that area." He stood over the table, chewing the marker cap and knitting his eyebrows. "And... that's it," he said in disbelief.

Jack shifted the bandage slung across his shoulder. "What do you mean 'that's it?'" It didn't take a residential genius to find out that he was growing excessively worried about Audrey.

Riley spread his hands. "There's just nothing else to go on. Unless y'all can think of something..."

I was about to reach for another biscuit from the kitchen counter when the right side of my butt started vibrating uncontrollably. It took me a second to realize that my phone was going off. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered the call.

"Hey!"

I immediately recognized the voice. "Audrey!"

"Christine and I were captured, but we broke out, so it's all good."

"Where-" I was interrupted suddenly by frantic sounds, filled with static. There was a distinct thud, which could only mean that the phone was dropped, and then silence.

Slowly, I looked up and the phone slid from my own hand as it grew numb.

Audrey

Wow. Even after such a short time being held captive, it felt amazing to be free, again.

Christine sighed, looking around, and Magnus, our new buddy, fingered the pendant around his neck anxiously. They had taken his away when they captured him, but not mine. Come to think of it, it doesn't make any sense that they even left us with our clothes on. We got out, though, so I'm not terribly concerned with the how and why.

I pulled my phone out of my jacket pocket. I love winter, merely because it is the only season in which I can wear a light camo jacket, and wearing camo makes me feel cool. Not cool as in, like, actually cool, but cool as in, you know, cool.

I turned to Christine. "I'm going to call Kaden." She nodded, and I clicked on the contact picture of the crazy chick with blonde curls popping out everywhere, taking up the whole screen. Admit it: You think she's adorable, too, just from that description. The Medusa curls are simply the essence of adorable.

I waited for a bit, listening to that obnoxious sound that's somewhere in between buzzing and ringing, until there was a click, and I knew she was on the phone.

"Hey!" I yelped, relieved that she hadn't been eaten by monsters or anything. She was likely relieved that I wasn't, either.

"Audrey!" she yelped back. Yep, she sounded pretty relieved. Good to know I'm loved.