Hide and Seek

Chapter 20

*LOUIS' POV*

I'm bothered and dragged out of my wonderful slumber by an alarm clock that should be

quarantined or chucked off a cliff. I stretch my arms, careful not to bump Phoebe and rile her from

her sleep as well. Harry's nowhere to be seen.

I glance around the room, eyes searching for the curly-haired and dark-eyed boy I've been seeing

more and more of. I hear footsteps coming from above in the attic and immediately conclude that

he would be the source of the sound. Did he sleep at all? Or did he just spend the night up there

amongst the aged ruin and dust?

I have a quick shower, my mind cluttered with thoughts of immense injustice and all the

happenings of the past.....week? It hasn't been a very great amount of time yet the doings were just

so capable of capsizing my life. I was made many a time to question my sanity before I realized I

was surrounded by individuals who shared the same deficit.

I get out of the cascading hot water that smelt more like metal than purified municipal water.

Hastily I slip on jeans and my employment T-shirt with shoes I don't care to recognise before

jogging to the kitchen where Harry chats calmly to my baby sister while she munches on

Cornflakes on the opposite side of the breakfast/lunch/dinner counter.

"Good morning." I greet them and mess up Phoebe's hair as part of our ritual on every ordinary

morning.

"Morning." Harry mumbles, looking cross.

"Can we call the police now?" Phoebe cuts me off when I'm about to ask Harry what's nagging

him.

"Sure." I take my phone and dial the familiar number. I'd dialed it up many a time back in the

days of revolutionary thieving and rule-breaking.

Harry straightens his back before bending over the counter when I let the call rest on speaker

phone. It's ringing loud and clear.

"Middleston PD." The receiver answers.

"Hi, we're calling to speak to someone. Ed Tomlinson." I answer. "He was....he was listed on the

website as one of the survivors."

"What is your relation to Ed?"

Why the fuck is that important? "I'm his son."

"Hold on please."

I wait for a few moments of shuffling, we all do, with held breath and dead silence. The phone is

picked up again and a restless but tired voice comes through. "Louis? Louis, is that you?"

I let out the longest breath of relief. "Yeah, Dad. It's me, and Phoebe."

"Oh thank God." He exhales. "I was worried sick. I thought something happened when I got back and she wasn't in her room and-"

"Dad, we're okay. Phoebe's here in Dynasville with me."

"Oh good. How did she get there?" His voice picks up its edge all over again.

"I came and got here when I heard the news."