𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 ⇻ 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦

chapter viii

❝ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴜɴᴅᴇʀ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʀᴀᴄᴇ.❞

Music seeped through the sound speaker as the car pushed through the waves of wet weather. Effie would've liked to sing or hum along, but Allison's grim mood stifled any feelings of self-expression she was willing to let free.

"Should I take over?" Allison was startled from her memories by Effie.

"Can you even drive?"

"Yeah? I look sixteen but that's technically the legal driving age, here."

"No. I'll do it." Allison subtly wiped a tear from her cheek as she reminisced all the cruel and cold-hearted things she had gotten with her power.

"I heard a rumour you wanted to be my friend."

"I heard a rumour you left me alone."

"I heard a rumour that you loved me."

The words ground against her skull, seeing all the slack-faced expressions, milky eyes, all behind her vision. They pounded at her, tearing pieces from her soul and leaving the wound weeping tears of red. The guilt she felt now couldn't undo the past, nor make it right. It had been her decision, and she had to live with it and the consequences.

The night passed and faded into the morning as Effie took over driving- Allison guiding her where to go as she'd never visited Jackpine road before. The older woman checked the file for the right address, and when the two matched, she urged Effie to exit the car and follow her into the house.

Effie and Allison crept around the house, peering through old window frames and keeping lookout in case of Peabody. When Effie spotted Vanya's black violin case through a window, she nodded to Allison that they were definitely in the right place.

"Thank god. Peabody gives me the creeps and I've only met him once."

With the other car abandoned, Allison sat at the wheel in a massive traffic jam, just outside a tavern. Whilst Effie urged her not to, Allison left the car in a huff, and after stepping over some police tapes, made her way towards the officers on duty. Effie switched to the driver's side, making sure she had her ID with her in case of curious police officers.

She pulled on some music, humming along as the sweet ukulele melodies filled the car. As her eyes watched Allison, she sighed. Had Five woken up? Was he okay? She didn't know. But she was a long way from the Academy, and there was no use driving back and leaving Allison stranded.

It'd been an hour or so by herself, in the car, when Allison jumped in the passenger seat and explained everything. How there'd been an incident at the tavern, how three guys had been paid to start hassling a guy and his girlfriend, (who Allison later thought was Peabody and Vanya), and how two of the guys hadn't made it. The traffic jam had long cleared up, and the car's engine burst to life as Effie's foot lowered down on the accelerator.

As the two arrived at the house, the wonderful sound of a violin being played dribbled into the air like the blood that had dribbled from Five's wound a day ago. It was beautiful, of course, but didn't sound quite right. Allison led Effie into the house, wincing as the wind thrashed at the cottage. The wood walls creaked and groaned under the pressure, only putting Effie more on edge.

"Vanya? Is that you?" Allison called, hair being flung back and forth by the raging wind. She opened the door, and the violin halted. "Vanya, there you are. What is going on?"

Vanya only looked at the two in shock. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came to find you. Are you okay?"