The Number Of Six

Naamloos deel 18

I woke up the next day, expecting a sore back and rocks underneath it until I felt the soft sheets, tangled around my legs. I was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, my t-shirt wrinkled, my pants too tight. After I changed, I opened the door and immediately took a step back. I'd forgotten the guards. They were still standing there, the same as yesterday, as if they had not slept at all.

''Have you been standing here, all night long?'' I asked. They looked at me as if I were crazy.

 ''Of course not,'' the one in the middle replied, ''the sons of Abby took over.'' Another one finished. 

''And what are you planning to do?'' the third guy curiously asked. 

I smiled. 

''Guess I'll go back inside, sit in my room for a couple of hours.'' They all grunted and I couldn't help but laugh. ''Are you guys that bored? You make a terrible guard. '' The middle one sighed and leaned against the wall. 

''What do you expect? We've been standing here for over eight hours yesterday, five today. It's utterly and completely boring, all we do is stand. ''

 I looked at the trio a little better. I hadn't realised it before, but they were just teenagers, young adults. I guessed between eighteen and twenty. Their muscles and hooked jaws made them look older. 

''Well, '' I started, '' what can you do around here?''. One glance was enough to see I had made them excited again. After a quick breakfast, we went outside and I got a tour from the boys. The one who had spoken first this morning was Rickon, twenty-two years old. 

Even though he was the oldest of the threesome, he acted like the youngest, which was Brandon, eighteen years old. In the middle, there was Amon, celebrating his twentieth birthday in a couple of days. They had a little band they called R&B, R for Rickon, A from 'and' for Amon and B for Brandon. 

They played a song they had written but afterwards I wished I hadn't asked them to perform. The lyrics didn't always rhyme and the music didn't feel right. I even got a headache and I swear I heard a mirror break somewhere. Mental note: never ever ask Rickon to sing again. At noon, 

Annabelle brought us pancakes which we ate at a river nearby. The weather was beautiful, the sun warm on our faces. My feet were cooling down in the cold water when someone pushed me in. I screamed but didn't get out, the riverside was too slippy. 

''You ruined my pancake!'' I yelled at Brandon. The pancake was slowly sinking to the bottom, wasted. The two sons of Abby found us all splashing in the river, soaking wet. Before a word was said, they jumped right in beside us and we played games with the ball they later got. I didn't think of Jake most of the day, I didn't have time to. 

-And for once, I actually thought about nothing but how to keep my balance in the water. It felt good, a careless day, even though it was with people I didn't even know. The day was soon over and I'd almost forgotten where or why I was where I was, until we went back inside Abby's house. It gave me a reminder of yesterday, when I was told this house was going to be my personal prison for a while. The table was set with four plates.

 ''There's one missing,'' I pointed to the table. Abby shook her head and smiled. 

''Dani will not be joining us for dinner, she's with a friend.'' Her brothers exchanged a quick glance, but I'd seen it. I had wanted to get to know Dani at dinner, she was the only one I hadn't spoken to. Well, I'd be here for a long time so I'd probably get the chance some time. 

Abby had made the best spaghetti I had ever tasted. It's my favourite dish from now on, I told myself. After explaining the recipe, I just told her to teach me and she agreed.