There's someone shaking my shoulder lightly, as though they're scared of waking me up too suddenly, which is nice because jerking awake isn't the best way start your morning.

"Amelia," a voice whispers. "Hey, Meelie. Wake up!"

I open an eye to gaze into my mother's. She has a particular shade of brown. They're brown but then they're green. I guess you'd call them hazel.

I blink, trying to rid the sleep from my eyes. My mother leans back but, upon closer inspection, her forehead is creased and she looks worried.

"What's wrong?" I manage to ask.

She looks down at me, frown finally erupting from her face.

"Well, remember yesterday the police said they'd be back for Josh to do his further questioning?"

I nod sleepily.

"And you know he's gone?"

Again, I nod but it's only a reflex. What? Josh is gone? I still can't believe he went—I still can't believe any of them left us last night.

"Well," my Mum continues, "when the police arrive, they're soon going to find out that he's not here. That he's missing."

"So...?"

She bites her lip, glancing at the wall as though debating with it whether to tell me or not. I give her a few seconds before she finally looks down again.

"I think we should leave."

I don't say anything. It hasn't really sunk in yet.

My mother bursts into lengthy explanations. "We'll be in trouble too if the police come! And they'll only ask us more questions and it'll be highly suspicious if Josh and the others have gone—"

"It'll be even more suspicious if we leave too," I cut in.

"I know but we'll be far away before they even know it. We can follow the other's trail. They can't have gone far, can they? They were only travelling for a few hours and at night."

"But Mum. I thought you didn't want anyone leaving the house. It's a perfectly nice one."

"Amelia, what choice do we have? We have to do this is protect the others. I don't want your father or anyone else going to jail because..."

She trails off and it leaves a twang of guilt in my stomach at the thought of my betrayal.

"Anyway," she continues, seemingly breathless. "We'll use the food Josh left. And yes, he did leave some behind for us."

"So it's basically decided," I state. "We're going."

She turns around, hair swishing. "Yes. Get up and start packing. I want to aim to be gone in the next hour or so."