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Thank you for taking the time to read my book!
I’ve published this before but realized rather quickly that I did not like the way I wrote it, at all.
So here is the freshly rewritten version of the original!
Haddonville was a quaint little town, most people knew each other and those that didn’t often had chosen for it. Though Haddonville is a fairly quiet town it actually harbour’s a rather chilling story. It is where the government’s new rules were first implemented after countless of casualties, both human and non-human.
Something caused Lina to stray away from her normal walk home from work, as if something were pulling at her chest to follow a different path this day. While usually she’d walk down Haddonville’s main street ‘Hastings road’, but today she opted for a small detour. One that would her still have home with more than enough time to spare before curfew. “Who do you think you’re talking too, asshole?” A sudden voice spooked the girl as she turned a corner, taken by curiosity she couldn’t help but to see where the ruckus seemed to be coming from. Almost as if she had been expected in Lina ran into her childhood friend, Bryce.
His fist was nearly shaking with angers, the knuckles a pale white to his otherwise lightly tanned skin. “I don’t care who you are, you’re supposed to help someone if you knock them the fuck over and cause them to spill their shit.” Lina took a deep breath as she watched another young man help and older man with two bags. “Old man should’ve looked where he went.” The third man replied. The muscles in Bryce’s jaw tensed visibly underneath his skin, causing Lina to swiftly step in. “Bryce.” She spoke softly, just loud enough for his attention to waver from the other man.
As the young woman lays one hand on his shoulder she used the other one to take his wrist. “Come with me.” She muttered out, staring at the other man. “Apologize to the man and leave.” She hissed out before turning on her heels to lead Bryce away. Fire was practically oozing Bryce as he sent one last glare at the man, following Lina away without much protest.
For some reason there was something about Lina that always calmed Bryce down, perhaps it was her voice holding a gentle tone to it or the way she knew exactly what to say he didn’t know. He just knew that in such moments he needed to listen, something that had happened occasionally in the past but even more so as they got older.
Lina had guided him to take a seat on a small brick wall, the tense energy still remaining in his every features. “Sit.” Lina commanded him, followed by Bryce doing exactly as told. “I’m proud of you.” She spoke brightly this time, squatting down between his legs to take both his hand in her own. Her dainty, pail fingers wrapped around them for as much as they could, compared to his fairly large ones. ‘Focus on your breath, focus on her.’ A soft voice spoke in the back of Bryce’s mind, a low hum he often ignores, but in times like these he opted to listen to his inner monologue. “He isn’t worth it, Bryce.” No reaction came from him. “He’s a jackass, everyone knows this.” He nodded to her words, watching how Lina searched around in her bag to present a bottle of water to him. “Drink, let it cool down that fire inside of you.” Again he nodded, opening the bottle. “I’d much rather punch the living fuck out of him.” The words came out in a low mutter before downing it nearly entirely, a small smile playing around Lina’s lips.
“I know you do, but remember last time?” A smirk found it’s way onto Bryce’s features. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He replied after a few moments, though he asked himself the question more than he asked her, who in return stood upright again after shrugging lightly and letting go of his hand. “I’m just an amazingly awesome friend, I guess.” Bryce’s posture changed as she spoke, shaking his head with a small laughter. “That you are, Lina. That you are.”
The pair had sat on the wall for a short while, staring up at the sky while talking over some bits and bobs when the sky had slowly started to change to an orange hue. Bryce slowly got up, glancing down at Lina who imitated the motion. “We should get going, curfew will start soon and I’d hate it if I were the one to possibly put you in danger.” Lina nodded shortly to his words, staring down at the clock on her phone.
It was still quite a walk before she’d be home, and it would honestly surprise her if she’d actually make it back in time. Especially considering she didn’t live in the best guarded area around town. “You look like you could use the ride home, want to join?” Bryce suddenly asked. “A ride home would be nice, I don’t think I’ll make it back in time if I’m honest.” With a small nod he headed into the direction where he had parked his car. “Not an issue, I’ll drop you off on my way home. Should make it in time.”
Traffic however decided to put a plug in that plan entirely. By the time they had arrived at Lina’s apartment Bryce had only about 5 minutes to make a 15 minute drive home. “I think it might be safe if you stay the night, B. I’ve got a spare bed and enough food to make dinner for us both.” Bryce visibly pondered for a bit. “I could make it in ti-“ Lina held her hand up and interrupted him. “Absolutely not. Curfew is in 5 minutes, the bells will ring the second you exit my street. I’m not taking that risk, mister.” With a dramatic sigh Bryce parked his car. “Fiiiine.” He drug out the word as they both got out of the car, Bryce quickly grabbing a bag from the back before they headed inside.
“Can you get the shutters in the living room? I’ll do the rest.” Lina asked when they had stepped inside of her rather small appartement, she quickly dropped her bag on her couch and headed into her bedroom and bathroom to close the shutters there while Bryce took care of the ones in the living room. The second Lina had set foot in her living room again loud bells were heard around town. “There it is.” Lina softly muttered, taking off her light jacket. Bryce did the same and picked his duffle bag up from the floor before setting it on the couch.
The duffle bags were a small ‘survival’ kit the government had suggested everyone kept in their cars or with them in case something like this had happened. In Bryce’s case it contained 2 spare changes of clothes, some pyjama’s and some personal care products.
“I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch? I still haven’t gotten the time to put the spare bed together.” Lina asked Bryce while starting on dinner preparations. “I mean.. I can put it together for you while you cook, if you’d like?”
“Oh you don’t have to do that, B. I just need to stop being lazy.”
“No it’s fine, I’ll do it. That way I’ve got a bed to sleep in anyway.”
With those words Bryce headed into the spare room, it was a small room and a bed barely would fit in it, so it would be a rather tight fit. But that didn’t stop Bryce in the slightest. By the time Lina had finished up on dinner the bed was nearly put together already and the pair would continue on the small ‘construction’ work after dinner. Followed by that they would spend the rest of the evening watching television with a restless evening outside.
