the boarders

Octavia

Octavia tried to relax in the stiff dentist's chair as she was having a cavity filled, but she couldn't get Drew off of her mind. What was he doing?

And poor Aurelia, Octavia imagined her, terrified and small in a dark alleyway or thrown down a well, screaming for help. She gagged, imagining all the horrific things that could be happening to her, and her dentist quickly withdrew the instruments from her mouth.

'Miss Octavia? Are you okay?" The dentist said worriedly, looking at her strangely. Octavia studied the dentist's face, definitely a mother, probably married with five children. Her life must be so carefree, filling rich kids cavities and not worrying about what a life or death situation your friend was probably in.

Octavia breathed in deeply and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's fine, carry on." She waved her hand and leant backwards, as the drill began to sound again.

She looked out of the window, to distract herself from the slight pain that was beginning to surround her molars. The birds were flying high, a huge group of them disappearing into the clouds. 'There is no end to the sea or the sky'.

Octavia had never been religious, but now, as she stared up into the clouds from the dentist's chair, she prayed in her head, that Aurelia would be kept safe and that Drew would stay out of trouble. Please don't let him have anything to do with this, she prayed.

A sound startled her, as she watched a man saunter out of a shop, a huge bottle of whiskey in his hand. Octavia almost laughed, typical rich men drinking before midday. She watched him as he climbed into a unmarked car, squinting to see his face.

Suddenly, another person came running out of the shop, they must have stood at a height of about five foot three and had long blond hair cascading down their back. The woman laughed.

Octavia's blood ran stone cold; she knew that laugh.

The man in the car beckoned her in, and the girl stopped and Octavia could barely see her face, because she was wearing a mask. "Drew, darling, I don't need you." She said, holding up a gun.

Octavia had to get out of there, Aurelia was right there in the street, and Drew, fucking Drew, was right in the middle of it all. It was a sign that she was alive, but what had Drew done to her?

Octavia arched her back to get a better view, and all of a sudden, Aurelia's head turned and she could see those huge blue eyes through her mask. She was looking straight at her. But instead of smiling to see her best friend, Aurelia held up the gun and mimed shooting it.

You're next, she mouthed, before jumping into the car and speeding off into the quiet sunshine.