𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘐𝘕 / 𝘋𝘈𝘔𝘐𝘈𝘕𝘖 𝘋𝘈𝘝𝘐𝘋

XVI

palaye royale — mad world

18+

Everyone stood motionless, afraid to move a muscle. Dette sat on the floor near the fireplace, occasionally glancing at the statues at her feet, Ethan and Thomas stood behind the couch where Vic and a weeping Malvina sat, Damiano leaned his shoulder against the wall.

" Where's Louis?" asked Bernadette, raising her green eyes to Dami. He stared at the floor in silence." He was upstairs," replied Victoria, hugging Mal.

"Could it be his jokes?" asked Ethan gently, tightening his grip on the back of the couch. He was afraid, too. So was everyone else. The friends didn't look toward the chair, which flew into the wall and broke.

"Not his style," David replied sullenly, shaking his head and clenching his jaw, "but we have no other option."

Dette gulped, rising: "We need to check him out," she turned to her lover. 

The lamp in the floor lamp flickered, attracting the attention of everyone in the room: "Not that," Thomas replied, coming closer and striking the lamp several times, after which it stopped working altogether, the only source of light remaining the fireplace. 

"The phone isn't charging," Malvina said in a shaky voice, nodding toward the gadget on the coffee table.

"The power's out," Damiano exhaled tiredly, wiping his brow with the pads of his fingers, "I'll go down to the basement and check the electrical panel."

"I'll go with you," Dette took a step toward the dark-haired man, but he put his palm forward, stopping her.

"Stay here and be safe," he nodded, turning on his heel and heading for the stairs. However, the girl didn't listen to Dami and followed him, to which she received a heavy exhale from the guy, who did put his palm on her waist, "Fuck. Stay here and don't split up."

Everyone nodded, escorting the couple with a glance. They disappeared into the basement. There was a tense silence, a silence that pressed on their ears and caused even more panic. Malvina sniffed her nose again as the fire in the fireplace went out abruptly.

"Shit," Ethan shined the phone flashlight on his friends, making sure everyone was in place and not hurt, "Mal?" the guy moved closer, noticing how the girl pressed her knees against his chest and tucked her nose into them, shaking, "Are you okay?" he touched her exposed skin on her ankle with his fingertips when Malvina immediately pushed him away and ran off toward the kitchen. Ethan collapsed on the couch across from her, breathing heavily.

"I'll check on her," Thomas said, taking his phone in his hands, "damn, the charge is low.

"Damiano said not to split up," Victoria said quietly, looking hopefully at the boys.

"I'll just get Malvina in here," the guy gave Ethan a hand to get up, shook himself off, and headed for the blonde, "stay here."

He walked quickly into the kitchen, where he saw Vic standing with her hands raised at her head, her face was covered with dried tears, her nose and eyes were red, but it was hard to see in the light of the flashlight. He placed the phone on the table so that the light reflected upward and walked over to the girl, hugging her tightly and holding her to his chest.

"Are you okay?" asked Thomas quietly, lifting the girl's face by the chin with his index finger and thumb. She sniffed her nose in response. Through the dim light, the boy noticed that her eyelashes were sticky with tears and her lips were slightly swollen, "Would you like a drink of water?"