Endangered {H.S}

Four

This past week had been hell. I learned that Harry is the leader of Charnel so I've been avoiding him at all costs. I barely come out of my room and he doesn't come into it. The only human interaction I've had this entire week has been Louis coming to check up on me and Avery when he brings my food up for me. I woke up this morning with a pounding headache that I couldn't seem to shake. I was alone in my room, so I stood up and walked down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen where I smelled the magnificent smell of eggs and bacon. To my surprise, it wasn't Celeste cooking, it was Harry. I must have made a noise, because he whipped around and looked at me.

"Hungry?" He asked. I shook my head, suddenly losing my appetite. "Come on, you've been asleep for over 24 hours, you've gotta be hungry. Please eat something." My eyes went wide. 24 hours? How the hell did I sleep through a whole damn day?

"Where's Louis?" I ask, my head still throbbing.

"I thought he told you the last time he was over?.." Harry says, but it comes out as more of a question. I shake my head, keeping my distance from him. "Oh. Well, he thinks he has a work thing, he won't be back for a few weeks." A work thing? A few weeks? What the hell?

"Oh." Was all I could manage to say. He gave me a weird look, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed.

"Please eat something." He whispers in the softest voice I've ever heard him use before. I nod, giving in to his request. He exhales in relief, setting a plate in front of me as I sit down. I eat 2 spoonfuls of scrambled eggs and a piece of bacon. Harry watches me intently, making sure that I'm actually eating my food. I don't understand why he wants me to eat so badly, and why he insists on watching me. Just as I'm about to ask why, he answers as if he can read my mind.

"Louis told me about when you were 14." Oh.

"What did he say, exactly?" I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"He told me everything about that year. He told me to watch your food intake and make sure that you're actually eating. He told me what happened with your dad, also."

"Why did he tell you?"

"Because he wanted me to know, to keep you safe, I assume." We make eye contact for a split second before I look away, my anxiety getting worse. "I know you're scared of me." He says calmly.

"I'm not scared of you, Harry."

"You act like it." He says, raising his voice a little as he stands up. He grabs the plate from in front of me and clears it off before putting it into the sink.

"I'm sorry?" I try to say, but it comes out as more of a question.

"Don't be sorry, it's better if you're scared of me."

"Why's that?" I ask, not really wanting to know the answer.

"It'll make everything easier in the long run, Nani. Trust me on that." He says, running his hand through his hair and letting a sigh escape his lips.

Just as I'm about to ask what he means, I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach and I know exactly what it is. I run to the bathroom, barely making it there in time. I kneel down in front of the toilet, the small amount of food I had just eaten being cleared from my body, leaving me with only my gut and a headache worse than before. Harry rushes in after he realizes what happened, but he missed the show. He kneels down in front of me as I slump against the sink, my eyes drooping so they're barely open.

"Heyheyhey, are you okay? Nani, look at me." Harry takes my face in his hands, making me look into his eyes. "Do you feel sick? Do you have a temperature? What hurts?" He rests his hand on my head, checking for excess heat coming from it. He takes his hand away, shaking his head, obviously having realized that I did in fact have a temperature.

"I'm okay, Harry." I give him a weak smile and a thumbs up, making him laugh. I'd never heard him laugh before, the sound was angelic. It was like listening to your favorite song. You could just hear it over and over again, never getting tired of it, each time being better than the one before it.

"I can stay home if you need me to, I don't have any important work to do anyways." He offers, but I shake my head, declining.

"Go." I shoo him off to get ready, lifting myself off the floor and onto my feet again.

I spent most of the day laying in my bed, watching anything I could find on TV. When I finally decided to get up, I took a long shower, letting the hot water ease the built up tension in my shoulders. I could've stayed in there forever, but I knew I shouldn't, so I got out, putting on some lounge clothes and walking out of my bedroom. I decided to look around at all the places in the house I hadn't got to before, but most of the rooms were off limits. Maybe going outside wouldn't be such a bad idea, it might make me feel a little better.

I walked outside, taking in the fresh air and the beautiful blue sky above me. Usually I don't like the sun, but today I needed it. I looked at the trees, watching the branches sway subtly due to the slight breeze in the air. I walked over to the flowers that were planted on the side of the fence, their scent being strong enough to smell from across the yard. The birds flew overhead in a way I hadn't seen in a while. I lay down on the grass, looking up at the sky as my mood started to lighten up. My head began to hurt less and I think that was due to the clean air out here. I closed my eyes, listening to the subtle noises that the outside world had to offer. I was enjoying myself for the first time in a while until I heard a sound that was all too familiar.

Gunshots.