Drip.

Third Person:

The man leaned backwards in his chair. He was thinking. What would he do with Leah? Would he do anything? Could he stand to do anything to her? Would he let her kick at the foundation of the game he’s so painstakingly set up until it crumbled to the ground? He hadn’t planned on doing anything. For some reason he found he actually didn’t want to do anything. Did he want his game to end? Even he wasn’t sure.

Earlier in the kitchen he’d realized that they wouldn’t kill her no matter what. She was the kind of person who made quick friends. She didn’t even have to try. Was there a point in trying to get rid of her? Did he want to get rid of her? One thing he knew is that she was one of the few people he definitely did not want dead. No one would kill her anyway, right? Arielle wouldn’t hurt a fly to begin with, so hurting a friend was out of the question. Arielle had always been big on friends. Zayden wouldn’t hurt her either. There was a glimmer in his eyes that told the man that Zayden wouldn’t let anyone else hurt Leah either. The man could see why.

He glanced at the screens, but was instantly bored. They were all sitting in the same semi-circle as before. Amazingly not even Britnay has moved yet. The man had been looking to her to stir things up.

The man grunted before getting up to find a puzzle book, or word search. He hated being bored.

The man sat with the cap of his blue pen between his teeth. He’d found a crossword puzzle to work on while he waited for something to happen in the ‘dark room’ as he called it.

“Five down. An old ugly woman. Three letters.” He tapped the pen against his lip and looked up at the screen, still thinking. Britnay had moved so they were in a square. “Oh!” He yelled. “Hag.” He muttered as he wrote the three letters into the little white boxes.

On the screen their mouths were moving. Curious, the man turned up his volume so he could hear their voices.

“Mine’s my dad’s hamburgers from the grill with white American cheese.”Arielle’s voice rang out. “It’s heaven on a bun.” The other three were all giving her odd looks.

Leah smiled. Things looked to be going her way. The man half smiled then switched his face into a scowl. He shouldn’t be happy about that. He wasn’t supposed to be happy because she’s happy. He should be happy with her despair. He glanced at the little book in his hands again.

“Eight down. A serious lack of contentment or happiness; despair. Six letters.” He wrote in ‘misery’ before looking back at the screen as Leah spoke.

“Okay, next question goes to Britnay.”

“Family?” Britnay asked.

“I have an older brother, Josh, and then my mom.” Leah said quietly and sadly. He looked back down at the puzzle book. He couldn’t look at her face then. He couldn’t look into her eyes.

“No dad?” Zayden asked quietly.

“Nope. We don’t talk about him either. I never knew him. I guess he ran off before I was born.” Leah mumbled. The man stared intently down at his book, but the words blurred together and the blocks formed pictures.

“Oh… and your brother?” Arielle asked.

The man blocked them out. His fingers itched to press the mute button. He didn’t want to hear that. “Nine, down. Sixth color of the rainbow. Six letters.” He didn’t even have to think before penning it in. “Indigo.” He muttered. How easy was this puzzle? Why couldn’t it be more challenging?

“Well, I have a snotty baby sister and my parents who stick up for her no matter what.” Britany muttered with an annoyed look on her face. Family issues? The man managed a chuckle.

“I have a twin sister and then a younger brother. My parents are divorced and I live with my mom.” Zayden said quickly, not wanting to get into it.

“I have two older brothers and my dad.” Arielle said sullenly. “I miss them.”

“No mom?” Leah asked.

“No.. she died when I was little I really don’t remember her.” Arielle murmured and then shrugged slightly.

“Oh.” Zaydan mumbled. He was tired of sad stories, that much was obvious. “Your question Leah.”

Leah sat quietly for a moment before looking up at them, though none of them except for the man could see. “What all do you have on you? Other than clothes.” The man blanched.

“Wow, uhm… I have a pack of gum?” Britnay murmured. “He took my purse. I had my cell in there! Dammit!”