Page 106 of Equilibrium
Fuck it.
I didn’t have time for this shit. Memory lane would have to wait for some other time.
I pushed the photograph to the front pocket of my pants and headed out of the room. None of the bikers had come down and I called that being real fucking lucky this time around. I said it once and I’d say it again—there was no fucking way that I would be able to take out more than one of them.
I quietly walked upstairs, fucking relieved that the coast was still clear.
I knew that the exit doors were in the second hallway, right outside of the billiard room. But so was the exit to the backyard.
I contemplated my options for a hot minute. I couldn’t exactly jump through one of the windows in the lounge, so I was going to take my chances. I looked toward the lounge area and seeing that it was still clear, I dashed to the hallway getting closer to the door.
Laughter, loud voices, children, and adults, I could hear them all in the backyard. They seemed happy, content.
Well, good for them.
A bowl on the small table next to the door had one pair of keys inside, and the skull with the small cross on one of the key chains told me it was Creed’s. I saw him holding this same set of keys just yesterday and I knew what my transportation was going to be.
I grabbed the keys, but just before I could open the door, a blond boy appeared at the other door, looking at me funnily.
“Who are you?”
Fuck me sideways. I was okay with most of the kids in the club, but only because they knew me now and I knew them. But I have never seen this boy, and I felt lost. I never really knew how to talk to them or how to placate them. Do I talk to them like I would to an adult person, not that I was being extremely successful even in that, or do I talk to them with a baby voice? He was a younger kid, but for the love of everything, I couldn’t even guess how old.
“Hey, buddy.”Seriously, Ophelia? Buddy? What’s next, you’re going to pat him on the head?“How are you?”Wanna ask him how’s the weather while you’re at it?
“I don’t know you. My mom said that I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”
Smart kid.
“No, you shouldn’t.”
“I am going to call my mom.” God-fucking-dammit. “Mo—”
“No, wait.” I stopped him just as he was about to scream from the top of his lungs. These little monsters had very strong voices. He could wake the dead, not to mention Creed.
“Do you want to play a game?” His eyes lit up, and I knew I had him.
“What kind of a game?”
What kind of a game? Fuck me. I had no idea what these kids liked to do nowadays. I could go into a fight with the best of them and end up as a winner, but give me a small kid and I had no fucking idea what to do.
“Um.” I started thinking. “Hide and seek.” He didn’t seem taken by this idea, still wary of me.
“I don’t know.”
“Tell you what.” I smiled at him, or well, I tried. I was pretty sure that it looked closer to a grimace than an actual smile, but what the hell. At this point, I would try anything. “If you go back and hide, I will buy you your favorite toy.”
“Really?” His eyes lit up again. God, I am good.
“Yeah, really. But you have to keep quiet about this. I will come there in twenty seconds and if I am unable to find you, you can choose whichever toy you want to have.”
Har-fucking-har.
“Even the Batman one.”
Eh, what the hell. “Even the Batman one,” I agreed. “Now go. But remember, this has to be our little secret.”
He nodded but didn’t move from his spot. I looked at him expectantly as he started laughing at me.
