United We Live

Seventeen

"This is ridiculous."

"That's because you're losing," Louis huffed, collecting the paper money happily from a distraught Harry.

"Remind me again why we're all sitting here playing Monopoly instead of doing something, I don't know, productive?" Zayn asked, rolling the dice.

"This is productive," Liam consoled, balancing the bank on his lap as he watched Zayn move around the board. "We're taking time to just enjoy each other's presence, in a relaxing fun manner."

"Yes," Harry quipped, watching as Zayn fell to the same fate as him, landing on property that was owned by Louis. "By playing the number one game associated with starting world war three."

Liam sent him a quick side eye, but kept his mouth shut in response to the sarcastic comment.

"Well, Payno, I didn't think you had it in you," Louis added, taking Zayn's money with glee. "But you know eventually I will take you down."

He took a moment to cough, causing all three eyes to turn on him in immediate concern.

"I'm fine; you insistent worry-warts. Quit treating me like I'm going to die."

"Lou," Harry sighed, "You took a three hour nap already today."

"So?"

"It's only ten A.M."

"So?"

Harry threw his hands in the air, clearly too exasperated to expand on his point.

A comfortable quietness settled over the room, only filled with the sounds of the teens messing around with the hotel's battered copy of the board game. It wasn't till Zayn spoke again that either of them had the intention of starting another conversation.

"Harry?"

The youngest singer looked up, his foot propped on a series of pillows beside him. He was leaned over the game trying to determine if Louis was cheating, but reluctantly let it go as Zayn addressed him.

"What's up?"

"Can you go over that night? Just one more time, from the beginning?"

All four band members shared a look of unease amongst one another.

"It's the same every time, Zayn;" Harry mumbled quietly, passing the dice over to Liam. "I woke up to a loud noise, thunder or the open door; I'm not really sure. I noticed that Niall wasn't in his bunk and checked all the rooms. I turned on the television, to check the weather, then found out the door wasn't shut properly. I saw a pair of footsteps leading out towards the woods; I assumed Niall had gone out in the storm since he was the only one missing."

Harry let out a deep breath, leaning back against the frame of the hotel bed.

"I came back and grabbed my jacket, shoes and my phone and headed out. I tried calling him, which led me to his phone at the edge of the woods before it dips down. That's when I decided to text Louis what was going on, not looking where I was going as I made my way deeper into the woods. I stepped into the hunting trap and that's really the last I can remember..."

The singer subconsciously rubbed his leg, as if the pain was still present.

"Pretty sure I was passed out for a couple minutes. Didn't really come too until I heard you guys calling out in the storm. I was hardly aware of anything other than the fact that... my foot was nearly... chopped off."

The others cringed, the memories of that awful scene was still burned into Louis and Liam's minds.

"You can't recall anything else?" Zayn asked, pulling on his hoodie strings.