The Animator (Larry Stylinson)

CHAPTER ELEVEN - WHITECASTLE BAY

They all froze and Harry blew out his candle like that was going to help, he knew they'd been spotted, the person had probably watched them lifting the floor up.

"Who are you?" The voice asked, to Harrys surprise it was a girl speaking and everyone watched as a girl probably younger than them walked out of the shadows.

Her skin was tanned and her eyes dark. Her black hair flowed down her back and her dress was a little dirty and torn like she too had travelled a long way.

She was looking at them all sharply and Harry could tell she was worried by their sudden appearance. She didn't look like she was about to attack them but Harry wasn't about to test that theory.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude into your home," Liam said and Harry looked around him. It didn't look like a home, more of a cellar of some kind. It was empty except for what looked to be a pile of apples.

"Where did you come from?" She asked unsurely.

"We followed a passage from the church in the woods," Liam replied to her.

"Right," She said taking a few steps backwards towards some stairs leading up.

"Hey, Z, come here right now," She shouted and Harrys eyes widened as he realised she wasn't alone. He had no idea how many people would be coming and which was worse, being attacked by a group of people or a giant.

"What is it Saf?" Someone spoke as they walked down the stairs, Niall and Liam pulled themselves out of the hole in the floor and Harry helped Louis up before he pulled himself up too.

The figure came to the bottom of the stairs and stopped beside the girl, there was a moments pause where he obviously saw them.

"Liam!" The man gasped and Liam dropped the candle he was holding as he stared at the guy.

"Oh my goodness, it's you!" Liam gasped, "Why are you in a random basement?"

Harry had a lot more questions to ask than that, like where exactly this random basement was, who this guy and girl were and why there was a pile of apples behind them.

"Why are you coming through the floor of a random basement?" The man replied and gave a laugh before walking over to Liam and pulling him into a hug.

Harry was watching them in confusion waiting for Liam to introduce him to them.

"Guys," Liam said pulling back from the guy and turning to look at them instead, "This is Zayn who I was telling you about."

"I was worried you wouldn't find this place," Zayn said sitting down on one of the broken stones and looking around at them all like he had just realised Liam was not alone, "who are your friends?"

"We were all on the run from Zaphiors men and teamed up," Liam said and looked briefly at Harry, as if wondering whether to tell Zayn about him or not. It seemed he decided not to because he didn't say anything else.

"Why did you have to get away from them?" Zayn asked sounding concerned.

"They're really active at the moment, they picked me up when I was making my way here, it's why I'm a bit late." Liam replied, "I managed to escape and met these guys."

"Can they be trusted?" Zayn asked looking at them critically. Louis made a sound of protest and gave a fierce look to Zayn. It was almost as bad as the look he'd given Harry in the bookshop years ago.

"Us be trusted? Can you be trusted I think that's the real question. Who hangs out in an abandoned creepy basement and kidnaps random people that come through the floor." He crossed his arms once he'd finished and Harry rolled his eyes.