In the Shadows

XIII

"Peter and I met in the square. Oh, it was love at first sight. I was seventeen, it was two years ago. He came from an incredibly poor family, and me from one that managed to get by alright. My mother and father didn't approve, so we started meeting in secret..."

"Oh, June, there's nothing that could ever keep us apart. I love you, and I want to have a life with you."

"And I you." young June nodded, excitement and passion swimming in her eyes. Peter pulled her into a deep, lasting kiss.

"But Peter, my love, my parents forbid me from ever seeing you again." tears began forming in June's eyes.

Peter cupped his hand on her chin, his eyes suddenly wild. "Then we'll run away."

"What?" June sat up on the bench they were sitting on, smiling with intrigue.

"We'll just, take off! We can find a little house, we can make it by! We can save up to get married, and have children, and grow old together. Everything we've always wanted." Peter was yammering a million miles a minute, a newfound gleam in his eyes.

June kissed him fiercely. "Let's do it."

"June, what a romantic story! Something out of a romance novel." Kiana was engrossed in the forbidden love story of June and Peter. The two of them blushed and smiled, rekindling their young feelings. Silence settled.

"Dear gods," June stood up quickly. Peter and Kiana mimicked her. "The noise. It's stopped." she turned to the window and surveyed the square.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Kiana asked, following June into the kitchen.

"No. It means they're starting to go into people's homes." Peter placed a palm over his forehead.

"What?! The attacks started maybe a half hour ago. You said they go into homes a few days later!"

"That's what they normally do." Peter began pacing.

"This is bad." June held her stomach nervously.

Kiana stood for a moment, thinking. Her eyes widened with realization. "We are safe, right?" Her voice rose in pitch as hr worry grew.

"I installed the security after the last attack.." Peter admitted. "We haven't tested it out yet, but I'm confident that we'll be alright." He took a few steps towards his almost-wife and squeezed her hand lovingly.

Three armed men burst into the restaurant downstairs, out of earshot of Kiana, Peter, and June. The one in front, who appeared to be the leader, spoke in a deep, scruffy voice.

"The restaurant looks empty. Check behind the counters just in case." He pointed to the bar in the back. One of them stomped over to the counter, the other opening drawers and throwing tables and chairs to the ground. The leader paced, his boots clop, clopping on the dark wooden floor. Suddenly, the stairs caught his eye. He inspected them, looking for signs of people or noises of chit-chat. He began to head up the stairs.

Kiana heard the faintest noise of footsteps and automatically clicked into defense mode. "Someone's coming." she whispered urgently. She pointed to the kitchen window. Peter, understanding her idea, opened it quickly and as quietly as possible. Kiana and Peter helped June onto the roof first. Then, Kiana swung her leg over the windowsill and Peter hopped over as well. He quickly shut the window as the three of them inched along the back of building on the roof.

They heard the apartment door slam open and heard the footsteps of a large man. He opened drawers, threw furniture on the ground aggressively and checked every nook and cranny. After a few solid and petrifying minutes, he left.

Kiana found herself exhaling sharply, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Peter and June did the same. They waited for a while longer, just to be sure that the intruders were really gone. Finally, the three of them opened the window and climbed back inside.

"Gods, what a long day it's been." Kiana breathed.

"Are you alright?" June asked, sitting down at the table once more.

"Yes. No. Ugh.." Kiana paused. "Thank you. I don't want to talk about it." June nodded respectfully.

"Kiana, I can never thank you enough for saving the lives of me, my wife, and my child."

"I just did what anyone would have done. I acted in the face of a crisis." Kiana said humbly.

"No, you did so much more than that." June gushed, beaming and holding her hand over her stomach. "We really do owe you."

Kiana thought for a few moments. "Well, if you do want to do something for me," June and Peter straightened up, eager to help. "The next time the castle hosts a ball, I want you both on the guest list." They both looked shocked at her request, but eagerly accepted. Kiana smiled at them, her new friends.

A/N 

Hey friends! As promised, here is today's chapter! It's not too long, and frankly, I'm not too fond of it, but oh well. I think I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block. I might be getting tired with this story, even though I promised myself I wouldn't. Nonetheless, I'm going to continue to struggle through, because I don't think it's fair to cut you guys off like this. Thanks for your understanding. 

Mazie