Chapter 5 - The Lawn

Margot's POV

A tall soldier stood on the other side of the door, towering over me with a face like thunder.

His jaw was tight, eyes narrowed, as though my existence alone clearly irritated him.

"Answer quicker next time," he hissed sharply. "I don't have all damn day to wait."

I flinched slightly at his tone. "S-Sorry..." I muttered automatically, my voice small as confusion twisted through me.

What the hell was going on now? Why was he here?

But before I could even try to figure it out, the soldier quickly stepped aside-

And my breath caught.

"Cara?!" I practically sang her name in excitement.

She stood behind him, her messy bun somehow even worse than when I last saw her, eyes red-rimmed and exhausted looking.

The second she saw me properly, she blinked, as relief flooded across her face.

"Oh thank god!" she breathed out, evidently not knowing why this guy had even marched her over here in the first place.

Then she was moving at me, fast.

I barely had time to react before her arms wrapped around me tightly, almost knocking me backwards into the doorway.

And honestly? I didn't mind it. I hugged her right back just as hard. Like we'd been apart for weeks instead of only hours.

Because after the day we'd had... the hours did feel like they had been endless.

"Apparently," the soldier muttered dryly from behind her - breaking us apart, "you requested a sleepover on your first night here?"

His mocking tone dripped with disapproval, but I barely even paid him any attention. I was too busy feeling the tension leave my body.

Because Cara was back here... with me.

She was actually allowed to stay in this house with me, at least for tonight!

Laura had done it!

She'd actually kept her word.

And strangely enough, that shocked me more than anything else. She didn't have to help me, and yet, she had?

"Oh - and right on time," the soldier added sarcastically. "Pizza night for the girls."

Cara slowly stepped to see past him, brows furrowing. "Pizza night?" she echoed blankly.

I looked past the soldier too and quickly realised what he meant...

Further down the street, another military truck had stopped, its back doors wide open while two soldiers unloaded stacks of pizza boxes.

Actual pizza boxes.

My mouth parted slightly in disbelief.

This place was giving me emotional whiplash.

One minute we were being handcuffed and screamed at like criminals... pulled and punched...

And the next?

They were delivering takeaway to our perfect little pastel houses, like this was just all some weird suburban neighbourhood block party.

It made my stomach twist.

Nothing about this felt genuine or normal.

Nothing.

"Everyone around here just acting like half of you girls ain't fucking snakes anyway..." the angry soldier spat out bitterly under his breath.

My brows pulled together instantly.

Snakes?

What did that even mean?

Half of us were snakes?

A chill crept slowly down my spine, what did he know? What was the real reason for us all being held here?

What had actually happened back at the prison that had ended it all so abruptly...?

Before I could dare to ask him anything though, the two other soldiers carrying the food started walking up the pathway towards us.

One of them glanced between Cara and I.

"Two of you staying here tonight?" he asked casually, his tone a whole lot lighter compared to the first guards.

Cara only nodded from beside me over at him, as we stood on the little porch staring down at them.

The angry soldier snorted loudly at the whole thing, drawing the attention back to himself once again as he spoke-

"Managed to get special privileges already, this one," he muttered with obvious irritation, pointing his thumb toward me as I instantly felt directly under his attack.

I swallowed hard, suddenly uncomfortable under all of their attention now.

But thankfully, the two delivering the food seemed to ignore him entirely.

"Half a pizza each," the taller of the two explained calmly with a loud sigh. "There's different sides and other things in there too incase you don't like the pizza."

He stepped forward and handed one box to me with a carrier bag balanced on top as his buddy moved to give Cara the other.

The warmth from the box seeped down instantly into my cold hands as the heavenly smell drifted up to hit my nostrils...

"There's some soda in the bags and a few other things," his buddy added.

I blinked down at the bag carefully balanced on top of the pizza boxes in confusion. The whole thing seemed too kind, too generous, but why?

We had gone from one extreme to the next so far...

Was this all part of their game? Part of their tactic? Criminals to being cared for?

"Uh... th-thank you," I managed awkwardly, pushing a smile.

The angry soldier scoffed loudly again from the second I spoke, making my shoulders tense up at the harsh sound.

Seriously - what the hell was this guy's problem?!

Cara clearly thought the same because I felt her shift slightly closer beside me again.

"Come on, Margot," she whispered carefully under her breath. "Let's just go inside..."

Yeah, that was a good idea...

Because I really didn't want to be left standing out here alone with Mr Sunshine killer.

The two somewhat 'better' soldiers had already started heading back down the path toward the truck while the angry one lingered near the porch for a few more seconds, arms folded tightly across his chest.

Watching us...

Watching me...

Like he expected me to suddenly make a run for it or to do anything to give him the chance to beat me senseless...

But I ignored his stare, and tightened my grip slightly on the pizza box before stepping backwards into the house with Cara right behind me.

And the second the door shut again? The both of us just stood there silently in the hallway for a minute.

Holding takeaway pizza in a luxury house while guarded by armed soldiers outside...

The absurdity of it all finally hit me full force all over again.

And judging by the look on Cara's face? She felt it too.

"What the actual fuck is this place?" she whispered.

I shook my head, puffing out a breath. "I... I have no idea..." I blinked, feeling that same eerie tension swallowing the space around us.

Lifting up my free hand, I instantly snapped the front door lock to the right, hearing it click. My gut was not for trusting the man lingering out on the lawn for a little longer than he needed to...

"Well... let's go eat this, I guess?" I pushed myself to walk forward, headed for the kitchen straight ahead, hearing Cara's steps fall in line behind me.

I felt numb. My mind and body, all entirely numb. But one thing was clear now - I was definitely hungry.

Survive Margot...

We just have to survive whatever comes next...