Running From The Past

Chapter 17

Charlie woke up. She didn't know why, she just wasn't tired anymore. The alarm clock on the table next to her said it was 2:36AM. Charlie sat up and looked around the room at the others girls. Katie had hooked a few battery powered lamps to the ceiling to give it a little light. Everyone seemed to still be asleep, until she noticed Captains bed was empty. She looked at the door and noticed it was ajar.

'Maybe she left? Left you all to take the blame...what are you gonna do about that? Hmm?' A sing song voice asked.

"Shut it!" She muttered.

Getting up she slipped on some flats and a jumper over her night clothes and headed out the door. She crawled through the hole and climbed out of the tree. Captain was sitting by the lake looking at the stars, playing with her locket. Charlie sat next to her and watched her but she didn't move.

off the sky.

Charlie followed her gaze.

"Yeah they are..."
"Did you know that it takes millions of years for the light of the stars to reach our planet? But it only takes eight minutes for the suns light reach us because it's in our solar system."

"Really? So, if the sun blew up tomorrow we would have eight minutes left before the world descended into total darkness?" Charlie asked laughing.

"Yeah, I guess we would," Captain laughed back finally looking at her.

They were silent again for a while. Captain was still fiddling with her locket. Charlie watched her wondering if that was why she was upset earlier. All the girls had the same two pictures in their lockets. They all choose to have it like that.

"How long have you been up here?" Charlie asked tilting her head to the side and resting her face in her palm.

"Since 2:29. What time was it when you came up?" Captain looked at her again.

"2:36, so almost ten minutes."

"OK."

"Tell me how did you get any sort of heat in that room? I mean its freezing up here and it's not the best heat but it's somewhat warm down there." Charlie asked curiously.

"Well when it was done up we cemented the walls, put a thick layer of insolation in and then bricked and plastered that. It was alright to do actually, well once we finally got all the things through that bloody hole! I swear to god we need to do something about that! Anyway, we got all the things off dad since he's a builder and all so it's pretty good. And in the storage cupboard remember Glinda and Naomi made that sort of boiler thing that gives off heat. I don't know how they did it!" She smiled blabbering on.

Charlie liked seeing her like this. It was like she was the old Captain.

"I know right! They can make bloody anything, especially Glinda! What should we do about the hole?... I mean it's quite tight but we can still fit OK. But every bloody time we got through that hole we get covered in fucking crap!" Pointing at their clothes they both started laughing and saying that they looked homeless.

When they finally stopped laughing they just looked at each other shyly.
"Captain?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Fire away."

Their faces were inches apart now. Charlie felt Captains hot breath tickle her face. Charlie took a deep breath.

"Why were you upset earlier? Was it ab-," Charlie started.

Captain stopped smiling, "It was about nothing! OK, I've already told you it was nothing!" She interrupted standing up

"Captain! I didn't mean anything!" She watched hopelessly as Captain climbed over roots and back into the tree, "Please wait!" She shouted after her before she disappeared out of sight.

Charlie stood staring at where Captain had just left.

"I love you...." She fished in her jumper pocket and pulled out the picture of her and Red. She kissed it.

"But no matter what I will never forget you..."

Putting the picture back in her pocket, she headed back inside before she froze. She laid in her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, wrapping herself up tight. Before she went to sleep she heard Captain say about two beds away,

"Dead or alive...She loves you and will never stop loving you..."

Little did Charlie know Captain had heard what she said...

The problem was she felt the same way...she couldn't betray Red like that...

F0U%e