Fox in the Hole (III)

Incase you missed Chapter One or Two.

“You’re awfully quiet. Is everything alright?” Alastor whispered in Elyana’s ear, as he lovingly pushed a few hairs out of her face.

She glanced over her shoulder and looked into his dark hazel eyes. “Mhmmm.” She hummed with a small smile, then turned back to Emily.

Who paused in her rambling as her eyes darted between the two of them.

Emily realized she was gawking and snapped out of the daze, then emerged with a playful smile. “Are you two planning another escape attempt?” She inquired, with a mischievous hook in her brow.

“Of course not.” Alastor huffed with a look of discontent.

“I just got out,” Elyana protested. “I don’t need a return trip to the hole, thanks.” She added with a mischievous grin and lifted her hands in surrender.

Tempest and Emily giggled in response.

“Well, I certainly hope you aren’t planning anything because I won’t be a part of it,” Alastor stated as he puffed his chest out in superiority.

“She was kidding Alastor,” Elyana explained as she watched him and sensed there was something more to his unrest.

“Well, it’s not something to joke about anymore.” He retorted as he furrowed his brow. “It’s time we settle in and get ready to move on with the next phase of our lives.” He explained with a nod as he waited for one of them to agree.

“What’s the next phase of our lives?” Elyana challenged. “We graduate in a couple of months and then what? Become a teacher?” She offered.

“Yeah, like they’d let you teach.” Tempest laughed in irony.

“Okay, then become a guard?” Elyana countered.

“Unlikely,” Emily commented with a smug smile.

“So then, what does that leave me? Work in the cafeteria?” She suggested with a smile of disbelief.

“Again, not likely to happen,” Tempest replied.

“So all that’s left for me is to become a permanent attraction in the zoo.” She deduced.

“It’s an observatory.” Alastor corrected, as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“It’s a zoo at best,” Tempest argued with pursed lips of annoyance.

“Where are you going with this?” Alastor deflected as he glared at Elyana.

“I’m just saying there is no future for me here, or at least not one that I’m willing to partake in.” She explained as her gaze moved from her friends to her boyfriend.

Whose face flushed with growing rage.

The four friends sat quietly in a tension-filled moment, the three girls waited for Alastor to explode.

“Now, now, you two,” Emily burst out, unable to handle the suspense. “Save the lover’s quarrel for another time. We’ve got-“

Suddenly her interruption was cut off by the buzzer that signalled it was time to assemble on their floors for pre-lights-out count.

With a sigh, Alastor returned to his regular shade of golden beige and the group of friends got to their feet. They gathered their belongings and fell into step with the crowd around them as the mass of residents filed into lines, either to load onto the elevator or to climb the stairs.

The quickest by far was the line that leads to the stairs, because the Facility Officer who ran the elevator was the only living dinosaur in existence. Not literally but his leathery skin would argue differently.

The man moved slower than anything Elyana could imagine. He scanned his card slowly, and it beeped to indicate the doors would open. But he refused to allow more than eight people on the elevator because of load capacity. Which made the lines and wait time more than a tad excessive in the opinion of most residents.

“I’m taking the stairs,” Elyana announced as she stepped away from her friends.

“I will too.” Alastor agreed as he grabbed hold of her hand, then turned to their friends in expectation.

“They make my hair frizzy. I’ll just wait,” Emily dismissed with a wave.

“And I’m not climbing ten flights tonight,” Tempest replied with an exhausted sigh.

“It’s not worth us waiting for the elevator for only four floors. We’ll see you both tomorrow.” He expressed then leaned in to hug the pair of them.

Elyana debated pulling her hand from his grasp, but thought better of it as she waited impatiently at his side.

“Have a good sleep, you two,” Tempest spoke with a smile as she let go of Alastor.

“Bye, guys,” Elyana called over her shoulder, then she and Alastor headed for the stairs, which no longer had a lineup. 

They disappeared into the stairwell and climbed up, only able to go at the pace of the residents ahead of them.

“You better not be planning another escape plan.” Alastor threatened as his gaze fell to the stairs below their feet.

“Would you let it go? I said I wasn’t actively planning anything.” Elyana sighed in annoyance.

He gave her hand a jerk. “You also never said you weren’t going to plan something.” He stated with a leery look.

“And neither did you, so what’s your point?” Elyana countered with a huff of impatience.

“I need you to promise me you won’t try to escape anymore.” He requested, his brows pinched together in concern.

“What? You know-“

“Just promise me.” He begged, his eyes pleaded in desperation.

“No.” She denied him, “You know I can’t promise that.” She added as she watched him with a look of confusion.

“I need you to.” He pleaded, his eyes searching hers in desperation.

“I can’t.” She admitted, “Why are you-“

He tossed her hand back at her. “I just need this from you, okay? I shouldn’t have to explain everything to you.” He snapped, and a fire grew in his gaze.

“Well, I’m not making a promise I can’t keep, so you need to ask yourself how important this is to you.” She explained as she searched his eyes for an answer and felt her stomach drop when they grew cold.

The pair of them remained still as he attempted to stare her down and force the answer he wanted from her lips.

“If that’s how you feel, then maybe this isn’t a good idea anymore.” With extra emphasis on the word ‘this’ as she spoke, but as it escaped her lips she immediately regretted it.

Elyana’s stomach tied itself in knots as she turned away from him and climbed the now-empty stairwell.

“How can you say that?” He called after her as he hurdled up several stairs and grabbed her hand again. Alastor wore a new expression of desperation as he pulled her to face him again.

“Look, I don’t want to fight about this. All I want is to get upstairs and get some rest,” she sighed with a look of fatigue.

He nodded in understanding. “You’ve had a long day. I get it.” He agreed and climbed the stairs alongside her again.

They climbed the rest of the way in silence, but Alastor still clung to her with the hand he held in his.

Author’s Note:

Unfortunately this is all I can give you for the sample of my book 'Fox in the Hole' , I hope you liked what you have read thus far!

Please feel free to leave me feedback, a review on amazon or even buy the book. I am always up for a book swap; where we can exchange buying each other's work!

Thank you for reading and supporting,

Donna Fox (HKB)