Better off [The Society - Luke Holbrook]

CHAPTER VII // WORDS AND LIPS

By the house got quiet, it was already dark outside. All the others were gone - collecting guns, working or searching for more evidence, except for Clark who sat outside, guarding me and Allie. We were in the living room, watching a cartoon on her notebook - something she suggested we should do. I just laughed about it at first, thinking she was joking. But when she finally convinced me to give it a chance, I realized that it wasn't all that bad. The drawn colorful characters distracted me with their songs and quests, and I must admit that it was a rather nice distraction.

Finally getting to spend some time with Allie was also a plus side. I smiled softly as she started braiding my hair, just like when we were little and had a sleepover in each other's rooms. The movements of her hands reminded me of a time long gone, when everything was good, simple, and happy.

The idyllic picture was short-lived for a knock on the door forced us to pause the movie. It was already 11 pm and I guess it was once considered rude to pay a visit at such a late hour. But things like that didn't matter anymore. We lived on our own now, but not because we were adults. In this world, everyday courtesies seemed irrelevant.

"Helena," I heard Allie's surprised voice from the doorway when I stood up, holding a now-empty bowl in my hands, once filled with chips. "Come inside."

"Thank you."

Her voice made my stomach turn and sent my mind on a race. Did she know? Was there even anything to know? I walked towards them, into the dining room slowly and carefully. I didn't want to be there - I wanted to run upstairs and hide under my bed in shame, not letting anyone see my red face.

"Hey," I said instead as I sat down on a chair.

Helena only nodded, placing a gun on the table. We both stiffened, staring at the object like it was a big, glowing cube from another world. With wide eyes, I glanced at Helena, then Allie. Images flooded my mind - Cassandra's limp body on the pavement, bleeding out; Campbell's face behind the pistol, his eyes dark. I swallowed, turning my head away before my dinner landed on the floor.

"My boyfriend's going around collecting these for you," she spoke finally and I forced myself to look up. We were their leaders now. We had to put up a brave, unified front even if her words felt like stabs. "We got into a fight about it. Luke doesn't even know where I keep the guns. He can't even find them in a house he knows."

"What's you point Helena?" my sister asked, but I remained silent.

Her gaze was fixated on me, like she was observing my behavior. Her almond eyes seemed predatory in the dim lights of the house, her posture or expression told nothing about how she felt. I didn't let myself flinch at the words that left her mouth, nor the look she gave me.

"Anyone who wants to hide a gun from you can do it. Piece of cake. You'll only get these from the people who want you to find them."

"You know all the people I-" I started, trying to find the right words as I placed my arms on the table. "I just gotta say, it just seems a little inconsistent. With the whole preaching in the church thing."

"Praying helps with some things. Others, you have to take into your own hands."

A shiver ran down my spine and I felt my heartbeat quicken. Her expression left no doubt - she meant it as a threat. She knew something - or at least, she suspected it. I didn't even know why I thought that she wouldn't.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Allie spoke up again. "You gonna go hunt down the bad guy? You gonna do a shootout on the street?"

"No."

"Then what? Guns don't keep people safe. Guns get people killed."

I grabbed her hand under the table, and I could feel them shaking under mine. She squeezed my fingers, and we found strenght in each other once again.