NINE
CONNOR
My momand dad were too quiet.
I knew them well enough now from family vacations that Dad snored and Mom mumbled in her sleep. Usually about something Nova was doing, or my dad, but I had never heard her sleep yell at me for anything, so I assumed I was her favorite.
But tonight, neither of them was making any noise.
We were all placed into different rooms; our family was given the downstairs basement area, which had pool tables, a few couches, and really soft carpet. I was on the floor in a sleeping bag, right next to my little sister, and my parents were on the pull-out couch, huddled close and from the sounds of it, whispering.
I held my breath, trying to listen. Thankfully down here the wind from the storm wasn’t as bad, and it was warm from the water heater or something like that. Dad explained it, but I wasn’t listening.
Not like now. I was right below their feet, so I should be able to hear them if I just…
“I can’t stop worrying that this is going to be the worst Christmas for our kids, and I know I’m being selfish, but they’re the ones I’m most worried about,” Mom whispered.
I heard my dad kiss her then reply, “They’re going to be okay, Pen. We’re together and that’s all that matters.”
“I know, but they’re not going to have any decorations or presents. Why can’t we leave and at least go to our house to grab a few things?”
I perked up at that. I really wanted to get my Nintendo Switch, and if we could at least go home to grab a few things, it would make all of this so much easier.
My dad waited a second then responded with a sigh. “Pen, they shot at us. On the road, in the middle of the day, while our kids were in the car. They knew where we were going to be…they are watching our homes. Which is why we’re here. We can’t go back, not until we know it’s safe.”
My mom seemed to accept that because they stopped whispering, and after a few minutes, they both seemed to fall asleep. Dad was snoring, and Mom was breathing in a way that told me she was out. I couldn’t seem to fall asleep, so I slid out of my sleeping bag and quietly walked toward the stairs.
I wasn’t even sure what I was going to do, but I knew that I wanted to walk around for a second. Maybe see if I could find some way to help with decorations. The door at the top of the stairs opened on quiet hinges as I slipped out. The howling from the wind was the first thing I heard. It was eerie and creepy, especially with all the lights off.
I always thought it was funny that this was supposed to be a dangerous motorcycle club, but any time us kids came around, it turned into an extra-large house that we were allowed to run and play in. No one so much as cussed around us, or at least hadn’t in a very long time. Most of the members became scarce when us kids were here, and I remember back when I was little, things weren’t always like that. Members used to stay, hang out, and me and Ford would just hang with them.
It wasn’t until that first attack after we were born that things stopped.
A creak on one of the stairs had me twisting around in a panic, but Royce was slowly making her way down the staircase, her finger up to her lips, telling me not to be loud.
“What are you doing?” I whispered as she got closer. She wore her unicorn pajamas that Ford made fun of her for being too old for. I liked them though, mostly because they were familiar. She’d been wearingunicorns on her pajamas since we were five years old; they were her favorite animal, even if they weren’t real.
Royce moved closer to me, ducking as if she didn’t want to be seen. “I wanted some water, what are you doing up?”
“I don’t know, can’t sleep.”
There was another creak from the opposite side of the house, and Ford crept out from where his parents were staying. Once upon a time, there was an apartment on the other side of the club, but Uncle Killian did something to it. From what I remember, he just made it to where the apartment was inside the club, all connected now.
“What are you guys doing?”
Royce let out a sigh before crossing her arms. It bothered me that the two of them didn’t get along. They were my best friends, but the older we got, the more it seemed they hated being around each other.
Ford walked past Royce, hitting her shoulder as he went.
“Hey!” I whisper-yelled at Ford, but Royce gently pulled on the back of my shirt to get me to stop. I didn’t want to though. Not with the way Royce had nearly lost her footing.
Suddenly Rook appeared out of nowhere, silent as ever.
“What are we sneaking?”
Ford and Royce froze, while I pushed past the two of them and walked into the kitchen.
“I think there’s cookies in the pantry.” I clicked the overhead light in the large storage room and scanned the shelves.