‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
17
Zac looked up again hours later when footsteps were again heard. Taylor only turned his head to the door when he heard them stop and the door being unlocked.
“Stay down,” Zac whispered, as Taylor gave him a curious glance.
Two men came through the door this time holding something in their hands. They walked in to a spot just in front of Taylor, and dropped whatever it was to the ground. As they turned to leave, Taylor’s chain started moving. He barely had time to duck back out of the way before a dark shape hurled itself in front of him, lunging for what was on the ground.
“Woah!” Taylor fell backwards, suddenly realising there were more dark shapes that were fighting over it.
At a quick count he guessed four. By the time the door was locked again, it was over, and the people Taylor had seen had retreated to their corners again.
“What was that?” Taylor whispered, now very aware that they weren’t alone in the dark.
“Feeding time,” Zac responded just as quiet.
Taylor turned to him, well aware of how short his brother’s chains were.
“How were you supposed to…?”
“I’m not,” Zac swallowed heavily.
Taylor hesitated, his mind racing. There was nothing left on the floor.
“How often does it happen?” he asked.
“Once a day, I’d guess,” Zac shrugged, “it’s happened twice since I’ve been here.”
Taylor’s head darted to the side when he heard a quiet burp from the darkness.
“Same thing every time?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Zac nodded.
Taylor’s mind worked overtime for a moment, before he tested the chain again to see if it would let him get any closer to his brother now that whoever was attached to the other end had moved. It wouldn’t.
“Still got my beanie?” he decided to change the subject.
Zac shook his head, “sorry.”
“Just wondering,” Taylor glanced up at the door again, “surprised you still have that jacket.”
“Me too,” Zac smirked, “especially… now. You’d think they’d sell it.”
“Maybe it’s part of your deal,” Taylor joked.
Zac rolled his eyes, shifting so that he was laying down onto his back. He coughed a little as he did so making Taylor give him a worried look.
“Taking your meds?” he asked.
Zac nodded.
Taylor watched him a moment longer, before taking a look at the space he had and awkwardly managing to lay down in a similar position.
“So a lady bought you, huh?” Zac turned his head slightly to make eye contact with him.
“I guess,” Taylor closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, “when she found out about you she seemed interested too. And she wanted to hear some of our music.”
“That sounds weird,” Zac frowned, “why?”
“I don’t know,” Taylor said softly, “but there’s a chance we could be together then, right?”
Zac turned his head back to the ceiling and closed his eyes.
“I’m not going to count on anything right now,” he said decidedly.
“Stay down,” Zac whispered, as Taylor gave him a curious glance.
Two men came through the door this time holding something in their hands. They walked in to a spot just in front of Taylor, and dropped whatever it was to the ground. As they turned to leave, Taylor’s chain started moving. He barely had time to duck back out of the way before a dark shape hurled itself in front of him, lunging for what was on the ground.
“Woah!” Taylor fell backwards, suddenly realising there were more dark shapes that were fighting over it.
At a quick count he guessed four. By the time the door was locked again, it was over, and the people Taylor had seen had retreated to their corners again.
“What was that?” Taylor whispered, now very aware that they weren’t alone in the dark.
“Feeding time,” Zac responded just as quiet.
Taylor turned to him, well aware of how short his brother’s chains were.
“How were you supposed to…?”
“I’m not,” Zac swallowed heavily.
Taylor hesitated, his mind racing. There was nothing left on the floor.
“How often does it happen?” he asked.
“Once a day, I’d guess,” Zac shrugged, “it’s happened twice since I’ve been here.”
Taylor’s head darted to the side when he heard a quiet burp from the darkness.
“Same thing every time?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Zac nodded.
Taylor’s mind worked overtime for a moment, before he tested the chain again to see if it would let him get any closer to his brother now that whoever was attached to the other end had moved. It wouldn’t.
“Still got my beanie?” he decided to change the subject.
Zac shook his head, “sorry.”
“Just wondering,” Taylor glanced up at the door again, “surprised you still have that jacket.”
“Me too,” Zac smirked, “especially… now. You’d think they’d sell it.”
“Maybe it’s part of your deal,” Taylor joked.
Zac rolled his eyes, shifting so that he was laying down onto his back. He coughed a little as he did so making Taylor give him a worried look.
“Taking your meds?” he asked.
Zac nodded.
Taylor watched him a moment longer, before taking a look at the space he had and awkwardly managing to lay down in a similar position.
“So a lady bought you, huh?” Zac turned his head slightly to make eye contact with him.
“I guess,” Taylor closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, “when she found out about you she seemed interested too. And she wanted to hear some of our music.”
“That sounds weird,” Zac frowned, “why?”
“I don’t know,” Taylor said softly, “but there’s a chance we could be together then, right?”
Zac turned his head back to the ceiling and closed his eyes.
“I’m not going to count on anything right now,” he said decidedly.