reticent

44

• ARCHER •

"Archer." A familiar voice says as I walk out of the theatre. When I turn around, the sight of my mother knocks the smile off my face.

     I hold on tighter to Ally's hand. She wanted to come watch Amalia with me.

     "Mum." I say.

     Her lips tilt up at the corners. "Hi. I came to watch Ally."

     "You did?" Ally asks excitedly.

     She nods, her smile widening.

     "We have to get you ready for that, Ally. Come on." I whisper, tugging on her hand. My mothers face falls as I walk away, my baby sister in tow.

     "Mum came to watch me!" She exclaims excitedly.

     "I know." I respond, but part of me hurts because I don't know if this is another happy phase, or if this is her from now on.

• AMALIA •

Archer is the first to find me. He beams at me, wrapping me in a hug. Then he kisses my forehead. "You looked amazing." He tells me.

Ally nods from where she's holding his hand. "You looked like a princess!" She squeezes I smile and thank her.

"You wanna walk around for a bit?" Archer asks me.

"I need to find my dad." I say. Hope fills my words as I say: "I think he remembers."

He opens the door for me before I step through it. The grin that's appeared on his face at my words fades as he looks beside me, panic slowly etching itself into his expression as he nudges Ally behind him.

I follow his gaze, pausing when I feel a gun press into my temple.

My classmate Nathan stands there, smiling.

"I told you I'd come watch you, didn't I?"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Archer asks. He goes to step in front of me, but Nathan pushes the gun into my temple.

"Don't be a hero, Archer. Take your sister and leave."

"Archie." Ally says, her voice quivering.

"Go, Archer." I order. "I'll be fine."

The door behind us opens, and optimism fills me until I see that it's Jess and James, their own sadistic smiles titling up their lips. The former has a gun in her hand, too.

"We got room for two more?" Nathan asks her.

Jess laughs. "Absolutely."

"Jess." Ally whispers. "Help!"

"I don't think I will." Jess replies.

"She's a kid." Archer says, voice full of a desperation that makes my heart ache. "The fuck's wrong with you?"

"Please keep them out of this." I say quietly.

Nathan smiles at me again. He brings the barrel of the gun down my cheek, then beneath my chin, using it to tilt my head up a little bit. "No."

Then he brings the gun up and slams it down on my forehead, rendering me unconscious.

•

I wake up groggily. I try to move, but my limbs are tied together. My ankles are locked, so are my knees and my thighs. My wrists are bound, and my arms are restrained tightly to my stomach.