Pulse and Perish || Luke Brooks.

Chapter 23

Dinning at a large table full of people, dinner plates placed freshly infront of each person. Luke clears his throat and rises in his seat next to me. Instantly everyone's interesting conversations aren't so interesting and all heads turn towards Luke standing next to me. We are sitting at the end of table, as if we are looking down on everyone else.
"Good to be back" Luke snickers. "Things are going to be different from now on, we have a lady in the house" Luke loudly speaks, referring to me sitting in the chair. I awkwardly shuffle in my place as everyone's eyes fall on me. "Pay your kindest respects and keep protecting the safe house" Luke raises his glass. "Good to be back" luke nods again and everyone raises their glasses as well, letting out a cheer before swinging down the alcohol in their sparkling glasses.

I must admit the food is really good, whoever cooks here deserves a good pat on the back. I keep to myself as all the guests throw around stupid jokes and stories about their day, Luke nudges my elbow lightly.
"You are quiet. What is wrong?" Luke sweetly whispers. I turn my body so it is facing towards him and give a hard glare. Luke puts his hands up in surrender and chuckles.
"I love the fire in you" Luke mumbles in my ear before involving himself into a conversation between two men to the side of the table. I tap my fingers on the table, making a little tune out of it and look around the room. I rise from my chair, even if I'm not allowed too and I begin to walk towards the exit. I slip off my shoes and walk out to a large hall with ancient detailed ceilings and watercolour painted portraits of deceased people, framed and hung perfectly on the wall. Following the carpet on the floor I'm taken to a what looks like an bedroom with a wall of unread books stacked in rows on bookshelves to the side of the room. The bed is large and messy and a faded black dresser stands against the wall closest to the door. I flick on the light and step into the room, observing. I pick up an old photo album and flick through old memories, each picture in black and white or a faded sepia. A Picture of a mother and 3 boys stand at the beach by the waves. Each all have a huge grin on their faces. I faintly smile at how happy they all look. Each page of the book seems newer, the family grows older. First days of school, family vacations, birthdays, Christmas's. After flicking through about 9 pages I notice one of the boys missing in the pictures, leaving the twin boys with their mother. The next page, one of the twins disappears on the row of pictures, leaving the mother with a child with dark curly brown hair with a cheeky smile on his face. The remainder of the book is only the remaining child, the boy growing older and older. The boy doesn't smile in pictures, he seems dark. He doesn't glow. I reach the last page of the book and gulp. A current picture of Luke standing broad in forest landscape. The book was Luke and his family, how he killed all of them. All except Jai..
"You shouldn't be in here" Luke bluntly speaks, standing by the bed. My body turns rapidly as I let out a gasp.
"How did you get in here?" I question.
Luke darkly chuckles.
"I could ask you the same thing".
"I didn't see you come in" I shake my head and tuck my hair behind my ear. Luke smirks and disappears into thin air, reappearing behind me within a second.
"That's the thing about being what I am, you don't see anything coming" luke whispers in my ear making me shudder.
"We should get back to the party" I clear my throat and straighten out my dress.
"Parties over babe. Time to go back to your room, we can't have you wondering the building this time of night" Luke speaks and opens the door wide enough for me to walk through. I remain quiet as luke walks broadly infront of me, leading me to the first floor.
"Keeping distance are we?" Luke snickers to himself.
"I don't trust being around you" I honestly speak. Luke stops dead in his tracks and turns around swiftly, taking me by surprise and I stumble backwards slightly.
"You don't trust me?" Luke asks, a little disappointment in his eyes. "Okay" Luke nods and cheekily smiles, turning back around and walks me to my room. Luke opens the unlocked wooden door to the room and I shyly walk past Luke and sit on the bed. "Sleep tight, we have a big day tomorrow" Luke winks.
"I'd rather just be alone for the rest of the time that I'm here" I sigh. Luke starts tutting.
"Honey you can't be alone forever"
"I won't be here long" I scoff and throw my legs onto the bed, putting me in a sitting position against the bed head.
"If you leave, you will die" Luke growls.
"Yeah well I think I'd prefer that than to be held captive against my will, now can you please shut the door" I articulate and lay myself down.
"Don't ever say that again Hamilton" Luke snarls and slams my door shut making me jump slightly.

The next morning I am woken up by soft whispers in my ear.
"Miss Hamilton" the voice speaks and I groan, rolling myself over in bed.
"Miss Hamilton Luke has ordered that you wake up" the voice whispers louder and my body is suddenly being shaken.
"What is it?" I huff and open my eyes to reveal Calum by my bed.
"Luke has something planned for you today, he wants you ready for breakfast" Calum smiles and throws a pair of jeans a singlet and a cardigan on my bed.
"Tell him I'm not going" I grumble and throw the blankets over my head. Calum sighs.
"I'll be back in 10 minutes Miss Hamilton, be ready or Luke won't be happy" Calum kindly orders before walking out of my door and locking it again. I roll my eyes and kick back the blankets, sitting up in my place. I let out a yawn and stretch my back, a few bones cracking in the process. I look down at the clothes at the end of my bed and snatch them up in my hand, putting them on. I brush my hair and teeth and slip on a pair of shoes left for me to wear. I think so myself "what kind of kidnapping is this? Why am I being taken care of instead of being tortured and killed like the other girls Luke has killed?"
"Miss Hamilton are you ready?" Calum's voice muffled through the door.
"Yeah" I answer back. Not a moment later I hear keys rattling again and the door creaks open, Calum walks in and chuckles.
"I knew you'd get ready"
"I'm only doing this because if I don't he'd probably kill me" I reply and cross my arms in a huff.
"Probably" Calum chuckles and leads me out the door, to the second floor.