Read Online The Rise of the Fourteen by Catherine Carter - Free Book Online Page A

gas
mask!”
    Ámpelos hunches his shoulders . Feign innocence. Look
weak. Look vulnerable.
    “You know what difficult times we’re going through. Do you
know how much I struggle at work each day? And that’s not including catering to
your wild midnight extravagances!”
    Ámpelos tenses, like a rabbit preparing for flight. He
closes his eyes in a grimace. Jumping through a flaming hoop couldn't compare
to dodging this bullet. He bows his head in meek surrender, comforted only by
the thought that feigned innocence would only hurt him more in this case. “I am
truly sorry for staying out so late. The traffic was quite bad, and I was
unable to make it back before curfew. I also had some food that didn't agree
with me. That is why I was vomiting.” If they believe that, I will believe
it to be a God-sent miracle.
    “Do you expect us to believe those lies?” And Atheism now
has a new convert. “We know you’re hung over. We know you were out late
partying, and we also know that you spent 65 euros on shots of tequila!”
    Somehow, drunk Ámpelos had thought that it was a good idea
to use his credit card to buy drinks. It wasn't like his parents monitored his
purchases or anything.
    “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Ámpelos stands
silently, his lips pursed into a fine line. “Well?”
    Ámpelos just stares down at his shoes. He barely hears his
mother warning him against being an alcoholic or his father telling him about
the responsibilities of life. All the words wash away in a stream of blood,
rushing to his face. And so the walk of shame begins. The short flight of
stairs seems to stretch miles into the clouds.
    Ámpelos shuts the door behind him and leans against it, his
face hardening into a sneer. His parents don't understand. At these parties, he
feels so alive. He gets energy from the chaos. The chaos that pushes others
away, he thrives on.
    Redemption is on the way. His sixteenth birthday bash is
coming up soon, and it's about time that planning started. His parents are
thinking of nothing of the sort, but Ámpelos grins.
    His features light up as he digs through his school bag to
find his laptop. Party planning was always his strong suit. And using his
father's government position would help to pull a few strings. He eagerly begins
to find caterers and DJs and all sorts of entertainers. He is so engrossed in
his search that he does not hear his door click shut.
    “Do you think that locking him in his room will help?”
    “Castalia, he needs to have some sort of confinement if he
is to reconsider his actions! Doesn’t he?”
    “I guess you’re right. When will you let him out?”
    “When I’m ready.”
    Castalia gazes sadly at her son’s door, worried about his
future, but Stefan has already gone downstairs to make a fresh pot of coffee.

8
accidentally attracting evil, one of the unfortunate results of family conflict
    Luna’s tea is cold. It's cold, and it has sugar in it. The
taste sours in her mouth as she dumps the tea into the kitchen sink. It gurgles
as it trickles down the drain, in a way echoing her mood. After the “Soylent
Green” fiasco, Arden hadn't remained in the same room with her for more than a
minute, and their mother had suddenly become engrossed in a hot new lead for
her latest story. The fact that Luna had never told them that the slimy
substance was just spit may not have helped. When Luna isn't sulking in her
room, she goes out for midnight walks. The frigid night air and the endless
drizzle are warmer companions than the ones she has at home.
    Luna fills up the kettle and begins to boil more water. She
waits by the stove as the water heats up, gazing into the gas flames with a
listless stare. A floorboard creaks and jerks her out of her stupor. Arden
stands in the kitchen doorway, shivering despite his thick green jumper.
     “When that water's done, could I have a cup?" Luna
nods distractedly. The “family reunion” seems to have affected him more than
she