Page 58 of Chained

"Good night," Coal said or rather snapped.

He turned and left the room, clicking the doo

r firmly shut behind him. I heard his feet thudding back down the stairs a few moments later.

Sighing, I tucked Taylor in carefully and headed into the bathroom for that shower.

Chapter Twenty

I let the filth, sweat and blood of the last three days disappear slowly down the drain until I felt human again. The cut I had gained below my eye wasn't deep but it was angry and red and stung when I touched it. I still had a lingering bruise from where Grey had punched me shadowing the left side of my face.

Apart from that, I looked almost like I had in the city, though I didn't feel the same at all.

When I moved back into the bedroom, I found that someone had left me a fresh set of clothes and removed my filthy ones. I put on the soft vest top and pants and was relieved to find that they fitted me well, although they were a little long.

Refreshed and smelling a damn site better than I had in days, I crept back out onto the landing. The windows in the house were all securely shuttered from the outside and I moved to one at the end of the landing to inspect it.

I peered through the glass at the thick layer of metal and sighed. It looked like I still wouldn't have a room with a view. There was no way for me to tell the time, but it felt late and I didn't want to wake anyone.

My throat itched with thirst so I slipped down the stairs towards the room I had guessed was the kitchen. As I headed past the living area, I heard soft voices talking.

"It wasn't planned, it was like I was pulled to do it by something outside of myself." I recognised Coal's voice.

"Well if something outside of yourself told you to do it, that makes sense then." Alicia replied sarcastically. "I don't get why they went along with you."

"Most people would choose escape over death," he countered.

"Precisely, they were saving their own skins not interested in helping us."

"With what, our cause? Are you sure we're even interested in it? I don't remember getting much choice." There was a pause before Alicia answered.

"Of course we have a choice, you know that. Besides, what else is there?" she said finally.

"Who knows, maybe there's more to life than fighting." Coal sounded exhausted.

Alicia snorted. "You love a good fight."

"I do. But that doesn't mean that's all there is." He laughed.

"You've been talking like that a lot recently. Is this about her? I saw the way you looked at her," Alicia said suddenly.

"Well if you're so observant you will have also noted her boyfriend," Coal said bitterly.

"Not particularly, he wasn't exactly friendly."

Coal laughed at that. "I don't suppose he was."

I peeked around the corner and saw the two of them sitting on a lumpy couch with their backs to me.

"Are you sure about these people? Can we trust them?" Alicia asked, turning her head so that I had to duck back out of sight again quickly.

"As much as we can trust anyone I suppose," he replied.

"Well, seeing as you don't trust anyone, that doesn't mean much." I heard a noise that sounded like she might have thrown a cushion at him.

"I trust you," Coal said seriously.

"I don't count."