"Well, he is just a child, after all," Mrs. Riley said quietly to Leo. Mrs. Riley was an often guest, one who ate dinner with Leo and often did...other things. Things Kat didn't have the luxury nor the need to want.

"Quiet, Sapphire." Leo murmured. "He is a child that should know better."

Dinner was quieter than usual, with the loss of Archie's din. Kat couldn't help it; her blood felt cold, like lead in her body, and her anger was near palpable. She had a torrent of uncouth words she wanted to spit at Leo, each one a calculated cocktail of venom and precision.

"I'd like to say he was very passionate about his point, even if he was still communing with those other children." Leo swallowed. "It's good to know where he got that from."

Katherine wanted to leave, to go fish him out of the small room in which he was locked in, but that wasn't an option. She felt a-fool for even thinking it, however a thousand scenarios ran through her head seeing the .22 strapped to Leo's pants. There were so many horrible ways that this could go.

Sapphire Riley was a young, good-looking woman; the kind that thought she really meant something to Leo. It was always the spectacle when these girls realized how disposable they were to the manipulative lad. She had coiled, light-brown hair, yet no freckles to match it and instead a pair of spectacles that pinched her nose in a sharp way. She had a soft stomach and a slouchy posture and she smelled of Christmastime. She had a square-shaped face but the harmony of her facial features seemed to thread it all together. She had a mellifluous voice, however most of what it spoke was quixotic to Leo.

"I can't say I've ever heard such a young child so quiet." Mrs. Riley paused, then after a beat passed, she quietly added, "Any child for that matter."

Leo Marley nodded, as if it meant something to him. As if Archie meant something to him, though that dream was a miracle and a mile away. He glanced at the fire, as if looking for something in its incandescence.

"Thank you for your time, Sapphire..." He murmured, his tone both jejune and suggestive. It was clear what he wanted from her, nothing more and nothing less. They both stood, Leo promptly and Mrs.Riley in a timorous way. Le's hand grazed her back with reverence, near-gripping her blouse, overexcited.

Katherine could see the hesitance in Mrs.Riley's eyes, however still there remained a quiet determination. She seemed almost petulant, in a way, and her stance seemed to speak "I can change him." Kat snorted softly to herself. She'd seen that more than enough times with Leo's past women, not just Lolly. He's brought many shooting, kicking, hissing and fitting women into his home. Katherine couldn't even be sure how many made it out alive. Or safe. It was all a matter of mercy and mood.

"Katherine. Clear the table. We'll be back in two hours."

Kat tried to ignore the flush spreading across her cheeks as she began handing dirty dishes to Macbeth. Those are dirty, dirty thoughts to be thinking, Kat told herself. She was right, but she couldn't help it. She didn't like Mrs.Riley, but nobody should be subjected to whatever fantasies he held with her. Not in the twisted minds like his. It was almost sickly how fast Leo moved on; how fast his lips brushed her forehead. How fast goosebumps bloomed across Mrs.Riley's skin.

As soon as they were gone, Kat wandered right over to the so-called "holding room" where Archie was being kept. She rapped on the door four times.

"Archie?" She dared. It was a dangerous game to be playing- he could freak out any second and get her in trouble. she mentally scolded herself for even knocking on the door, but there wasn't else much to deter her.

"Missus?"

Katherine felt her knees weaken. "Yes, Archie, it's me." She croaked. She couldn't help but feel over-attached to the little boy. It didn't feel exactly wrong, but it was very clear that it wasn't correct either. It made her stomach feel a bit lopsided, sideways, even, but not flipped like it usually felt.

"Can I come out now?" He whimpered, and she could hear him pressing his palms and forehead to the cold door from the other side.

Those four words finally flipped Kat's stomach. Suddenly, she was back at the shops with her friends, laughing and giggling.

Before everything went to fire.

It was her best friend's birthday, and it was one of the lovely traditions of the event to go wherever the special girl wanted to go. This time, it was Bella's birthday, and of course she wanted to go to the movie theaters at the mall to watch a scary movie. It had been a chilly October afternoon, and the usual gloom of the rain outside had been lifted by the spirit of the six carefully chosen guests and their equally-as-cheerful chaperone.

They all heavily sighed, as the line was as long as the Nile from a child's perspective, and had sat down on a nearby bench while Bella's mother held their place in line.

"I have an idea," Bella chortled as she pulled her friends into the bathroom. "It's only proper that we do it since I'm turning fifteen."

All the girls squirmed in anticipation and eyed Bella's purse like a vice, watching her pull out a small package. The rest of the girls squealed in surprise, seeing a very small back of cigarettes. It wasn't a pack, really, but just maybe ten cigarettes hastily crammed into a small perfume sample box. And out of a small wallet she pulled a box of matches.

"So much for birthday candles." Agnes whispered in surprise. "You have birthday rolls."

"Shh, quiet!" Bella giggled, her eyes scanning the room. "Is there any smoke detectors?" She said, her expression unserious but voice whispery gruff.