“You could at least look happy,” Matilda teased Leila. “It is your birthday, after all.”
Leila forced herself to smile. So much for a seventeenth birthday, having to stay cooped up inside with your family the entire day. It wasn’t exactly how she had imagined her super seventeenth. “Sorry, Mom. I really do appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to.”
“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s what we’ve got to live with for a while.” She squeezed her daughter’s shoulder in reassurance.
Leila looked around at the table. Neatly arranged placemats were at every seat, along with a little origami crown. They didn’t have a cake or birthday candles, not even a good meal. But they did have each other and that was a lot more than most people these days. She tried to shrug off the cloud that was constantly plaguing her.
A knocking at the back door startled her, nobody visited anymore. And they certainly didn’t use the back door. Leila stood frozen in place, her mind whirling with all the horrible scenarios that could be about to play out in the house.
Matthew hurried past her and answered the door, standing on the small back patio was Toby and Maree Sinclair. Leila sighed with relief, happy to see them. They entered with a round of hugs and kisses for all.
“You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger for me,” Leila scolded them as they handed her a gift, wrapped in an old newspaper. “It’s just a birthday, I’ve had a few of them.”
“We couldn’t miss your super seventeenth,” Maree grinned.
Toby and Maree had been friends of the family since Leila could remember. They had always been there for every family event and tragedy. They couldn’t have children of their own, despite the fact they would have made wonderful parents. As far as Leila was concerned, they were always a welcome surprise in their household.
“Let’s eat dinner before it gets cold,” Matilda suggested, gesturing towards the table. Everyone took their seat obediently.
The meal was nothing fancy, but it tasted better knowing they were all together. Leila hadn’t seen the Sinclairs for weeks, she was dying to hear how they were going.
“Was it scary coming here?” She asked, knowing they only had to walk down the street. But with the amount of criminals prowling around, it may as well have been across town.
“We walked quickly and stuck to the back of the houses,” Toby explained. “It’s not pleasant walking the streets anymore. Even if someone hadn’t stolen my car, I don’t know if I would use it. You’re just a sitting duck in one of those things now.”
“We keep ours in the garage in case of an emergency,” Matthew added, nodding in agreement. “I hope we don’t have to use it.”
“What are your plans, long term?” Matilda asked.
“We’re going to bunker down in the house,” Maree answered definitively. “We’ve got ourselves self-sufficient so we’re going to board up the windows and stay in there for the long haul – however long that ends up being.”
“Hopefully not as long as we all think,” Toby added. “What about you?”
“We’re still playing it by ear,” Matthew replied. “Perhaps we’ll throw some more seeds in the ground so we’re better prepared. We try not to leave the house at all.”
“You’re likely to get stabbed just buying groceries at the market – when it’s open,” Maree commented. “It’s getting scary.”
“Beyond scary,” Kate added, in her usual angst-ridden tone. Everyone ignored her, moving on so they didn’t have to think about just how scary it really was.
“Do you think it will go on for much longer?” Leila asked, wishing for some positivity to grasp hold of. She knew it wouldn’t come even before Toby opened his mouth.
“I think we’ve got to be prepared for anything.”
All the adults exchanged a glance, one that spoke of just how dangerous it really was without wanting to scare the teenagers. Like they weren’t already scared enough.
Leila didn’t want to listen to it, more than anything she craved to have a happy birthday. Just feeling like she might have a shot at making the next one would have been a huge improvement. She sat silently at the dinner table, trying not to let her sadness show. Her family and the Sinclairs had gone to a lot of trouble to try to make the day special, she didn’t want to disappoint them.
By the time the meal was over, she was ready to curl up in her bed and not come out for a week. It wasn’t like there was a point to getting up every day. All they were doing were existing, it definitely wasn’t living.
The family said their goodbyes to Maree and Toby before it started to get dark. There was no way of knowing whether they got home safely, but none of them voiced their concerns. It went without needing to be said.
After tidying up the kitchen, Leila watched the television until nightfall descended upon them. There were only repeats on every single channel, all the studios were closing down as the fears for the cast and crew’s safety increased. Their star assets were starting to turn into liabilities as they were targeted.
Fatigue soon gripped the newly-seventeen year old. She stood to go to bed, Emily and Kate already retiring for the night.
As she made the move, Leila glanced out the window like she always did these days. She gasped as she saw the man had returned. He was standing in his usual spot, just off the sidewalk at the end of their yard.
“What is it, Honey?” Matilda asked, seeing her daughter freeze in motion.
Thoughts swam through her mind about whether she should tell her parents about the man. Eventually, she decided she couldn’t keep it to herself any longer. Not when it could have affected the safety of them all.
“There’s this man, he’s always standing out there looking at us.” She pointed him out, careful to stay out of view as much as possible. She didn’t want to do anything to provoke the man.
Matthew and Matilda joined her, standing behind to get a good look over her head. “How long has he been doing it?” Her father asked, his voice full of concern.
“About a week. Ever since the Hudgen’s house was attacked. He was part of the same group.”
“And he just stands there?” Matilda could feel her skin prickle with the sight of the sole man staring.
Leila nodded. “He stays for a while and then runs off. I’m really scared about what he might do.”
Matthew placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing her arms in comfort. “Don’t worry about him anymore, let us do that. If he’s just standing there then he can’t be planning on doing anything or he would have done it already. No-one waits a week before attacking.”
“Or stand out in the open like that,” Matilda added.
“They do these days,” Leila argued. “What about if he attacks us like he did over the road? It could happen.”
“I’d never let anyone hurt this family.” Matthew bent down and kissed the top of her head. “Now off to bed, birthday girl. Sleep tight and put him out of your head.”
Leila turned around and took both her parents in a bear hug. She didn’t believe them but she wanted to. Perhaps that would be enough for just one night.
CHAPTER 6 - JEROME