ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 45

Alana didn't know how long they had been in the warehouse, a few hours? How many? All she knew is that it was becoming increasingly hard to hide the fact that something was dreadfully wrong from Snow. She kept peering at Elias suspiciously, but thankfully not saying anything. Alana kept her mouth shut too as much as she could and gave Snow encouraging smiles and looks. But one thought spun around her mind on a sickening loop: Riley is dead. Riley is dead. Riley is dead. 

For all of their faults she and Riley had been friends since they were fourteen years old. They had known each other at school before then, but it wasn't until one day when they were in a woodwork class together and were paired up that they had become real friends. Both had proved to be equally disastrously at making things out of wood. They were given the simplest task - to make a box - but they had managed to completely screw it up and there was no box at the end of the project, just some planks of wood. They didn't pass that part of the class but they had so much fun and laughter that neither of them cared.

To think of her now ... Alana couldn't, she just couldn't. It made her want to be sick. What had he done with her? She felt like sobbing right there and then. But it wasn't an option. Meanwhile Elias busied himself at the dining table. Strangely enough, as if all of this wasn't already seriously weird, he was preparing a meal for them. Snow sat in silence, tentatively watching him. She was hungry, Alana could tell. So was she. They hadn't eaten or drank anything since breakfast.

As Elias busied himself he chatted to them continuously, telling them about his parents and how much he had loved them when they had been alive. For long stretches he seemed to make perfect sense, expressing his sorrow when they died and how he had to get on with his own life without them. But then he would say something that made Alana's blood run cold like, 'I have you now,' or 'dad always said I should never give in, never.'

He was so involved in his food preparation activities Alana began to wonder if there might be a chance for them to get out the door, or perhaps one of the windows. A few of them looked as though they could be pushed open and crawled through. She made a mental note of which ones. He had his knife, and god knows what else stashed in here. She had nothing but the pen knife, and that was currently in her bra.

She decided it was time to somehow get that pen knife into the sleeve of her shirt, closer to her hand. He was chopping peaches, making a fancy display which presumably they would be eating some time soon. He was telling Snow about his love of horses. She loved horses too and he seemed delighted to have found some common ground with her. She gave him one word, shy answers but it was enough to fill him with delight.

Alana hid her disgust and began to wriggle her bra a little with her upper arm. She kept her eyes on him - seeing that his eyes were on Snow. She crossed her arms over her chest and began to dislodge the penknife with her fingers. Just as it fell out, down her stomach and onto her lap underneath her shirt, Elias snapped his attention back to Alana.

'Do you know how depressing it is to cook for just one all the time?'

Alana feigned interest.

'I've never really had to ...'

He scowled briefly.

'No of course you haven't.'

He looked her up and down. He knows I'm up to something. He walked over to them, the knife he was using to cut the peaches still in his hand. Alana held her breath, ready to put herself between him and Snow. The knife danced in his hands in front of them, but all he did was smile and ask them if they liked tomatoes. As he walked away Alana let out the breath she had been holding and felt for the penknife under her shirt. Whilst his back was still turned she shoved it up her sleeve, wedging it in once again.

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