listen (rio g.g) 1

10

"I will be brutal."
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Alivia plopped down onto one of the couches in Beth's living room after returning from her own place. She had to pick up her dog since she would be staying the night to keep an eye on the man upstairs.

She kicked off her shoes and removed her jacket before grabbing a blanket and covering herself with it, Levi quickly lying down in a ball by her feet.

She lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes, exhaling loudly.

What had she gotten them into?
More importantly, why?

Her eyes shot open when her dog barked at the front door opening a few hours later. She noticed Annie lying on the other couch while Beth was seated in front of it, eyes wide open and slightly red.

"Hey, I brought chili," Ruby said as she closed the door behind her, making her way over to her friends. "Stan made it, so it's very spicy."

Annie stretched and yawned loudly, "mm, thank you, I'm so hungry."

"Did you stay up all night?"

"Well, she did," Annie said, gesturing towards her sister. "We slept like babies."

"Is he still out cold?" Alivia mumbled tiredly, sitting upright on the sofa. She smiled as her dog crawled onto her lap and laid down, happily wagging his tail.

"Either that or he's dead," Beth groaned. "Maybe we need, like, smelling salts or something."

Annie raised a brow and spat out sarcastically, "Because it's 1892."

Ruby looked down at her friend incredulously, "you want him to wake up?"

Beth spoke tiredly, "I want him to not die in my house."

A loud thud echoed from upstairs and they all stiffened, glancing nervously at each other. Alivia looked over at Beth's panic-stricken expression, "Well, he's not dead."

She turned and told her dog to wait before following her friends up the stairs and into the bedroom, finding it empty.

Alivia looked over to Annie and Ruby standing by the door, "Go get his gun."

"Uh, okay, where is it?" Annie wondered, her voice slightly shaking.

"In the closet," Alivia ushered.

Annie's voice echoed back to the room a few moments later, "There's no gun here, Liv!"

A light click sounded as the man revealed himself from his hiding place, gun held high and pointed at them. Alivia took a deep breath, "found it!"

Annie and Ruby waltzed back into the room and gasped at the sight.

He narrowed his eyes at them as he spoke, "Where am I? Where am I?!"

"You're in my house!" Beth uttered shakily.

"Who the hell are you?" He pressed on, looking at each of them.

"Uh, we're friends of a friend of yours," Annie said as if almost asking him.

He stared at them for a moment longer, contemplating his next move. "Give me your car keys."

Ruby raised her brows, "you do understand that we actually saved you-"

"Give me the keys!" his voice boomed.

"It's the black jeep out front, just take it," Alivia said as she took out her car keys from her pocket and tossed them over to him. He caught them easily and quickly made his way out of the room and down the stairs, heading for the vehicle.

Alivia raised her brows and pursed her lips, "how many guns to the face are we up to now?"