C a p t u r e d

29: Endlessly Unfortunate

Chapter Twenty-Nine- Endlessly Unfortunate

Hollow

1. Something is missing inside you, but you can't figure out what.

2. A space in your heart when you know the tables are about to turn.

Hayden was a darkness. An anger. A storm.

As I paced the floors, I finally heard Hayden and Aubrey inside his bedroom. The door was closed, but I could hear their voices bickering.

"Get the fuck out!" Hayden snapped.

Aubrey's high-pitched voice had led me to them. It was practically a scream.

"Hayden! Master saved your life!"

"He did not! But his sister killed me!"

I hovered just outside the door, in Tyson's midnight room. I was eavesdropping, yes. But what was the problem with that? Nothing.

Aubrey screeched in frustration. "Are you kidding me, Hayden? I know that you hate it here. But now you're here forever. Just deal."

"That's not true, Aubrey," Hayden murmured dangerously. "Sasha already left. We both know she's not coming back. She doesn't know any of us; nor does she care."

"What? No, she won't be able to handle herself out there. She's too delicate."

"Other than her young age, she's a normal vampire. Tyson can't track her. I guarantee she's at the Border, getting a permit to leave the caves."

My own heart was beating erratically. Would Sasha really leave? She promised me that we could figure out how to escape together. But if I'd been in her situation, I would've ditched us all too. It wasn't selfish. It was self-preservation.

Aubrey was still whining. Pleading. "Fulwe Kaonde is a sweet person. Don't deny that it didn't help them see."

"See what? That vampires are more than just monsters? I don't care that you're a little kid... If you tell me any more lies today, I will hit you."

"I'm actually thirteen... But Hayden!"

"Whatever. Tell Tyson you convinced me that he was right. I'm so done."

Aubrey screeched in frustration. She gripped the silver doorknob, and tore her way out of the room.

I was in the corner. By Tyson's old book collection. Either Aubrey didn't notice me, or she didn't care that I was eavesdropping. I watched her stride out of the room.

I knocked on the door, cautiously. "Yo. Hayden. We need to talk about things."

Hayden's voice came softly. He was trembling slightly. "No way."

I said, "Oops, sorry. I forgot the password: Tyson is a fucking asshole."

Hayden chucked softly. "Fuck it. Get in here, Laurie."

I smirked, pulling the white door open and entering Hayden's tiny room. The first thing I noticed was the massive assault of grey.

The room was plain white. So was all the furniture. But on every single wall, Hayden had taped tons of grey newspapers.

Hayden was sitting in a stiff chair by his window. He wasn't facing me, but even so, his senses were totally on point.

"I collect newspaper articles. It's nice to learn a bit about the outside world now... Especially when these old vamp motherfuckers don't use Wi-Fi."