The Truth Behind Those Eyes

Chapter Sixteen

"Holy shit! Nikki? Nikki, are you okay?"

Nikki rolled onto her back, her head pounding. The room around her spun sickeningly and stank with the stench of bunt flesh.

"Talk to me, Nikki. C'mon sugar, tell me you're okay!" Sam was on his knees next to her shaking her shoulders.

She wanted to swat him away and sleep but there were much more pressing matters at hand. She lolled her head towards him, the wet and sticky floor beneath her cheek reminding her of Josh a few feet away, torn to pieces.

"Josh?" she whispered straining past Sam to see him.

"Oh, don't worry about him, he'll be fine, just give him," Sam glanced over his shoulder at the body behind him, "an hour or two. It's you I'm worried about, are you okay?"

He hovered over her, frowning with concern. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"I'm okay," she lied. Her head was throbbing and her limbs ached. Every inch of her sore body felt like she'd been through a giant mangle. Her hands and knees still stung from her earlier fall and her lungs burned with each shallow breath. But this was nothing compared to what Josh had gone through; she'd experienced every last serrated bite and slash, and the memory of his agony was still very fresh in her mind.

With effort, she pushed on to her stomach, managing to drag herself on to all fours but the exertion of her movements made her gasp and wheeze.

"Nikki?"

She ignored Sam as he steadied her; her full focus on the eerily still body of Josh sprawled in the centre of the room. She attempted to crawl across to him but her limbs protested and gave way beneath her.

"Let me help you." Sam offered, a sympathetic smile masking his worry. Gently, he picked her up and carried her to Josh. When they reached him, Nikki couldn't stop her trembling as she tried to stifle her tears. He looked dead.

Sam set her down but her legs weren't strong enough to support her weight. She splashed down next to Josh, in the puddle of his blood, trying to ignore the liquid soaking into her clothes. If she lingered too long on the thought of his brutal attack she was in danger of breaking down all together and before she did that she needed to see his face to check he really was going to pull through.

With a bloodstained hand, she moved the hair from his face and stroked his cheek. His eyes were shut but she knew he was conscious from the way he bit down on his bottom lip. Using the last of her strength she lifted his head into her lap as carefully as her numb arms were able.

"Josh?"

He flinched at her touch.

"You lied," she choked, toying with his tangled hair.His eyes flickered open and found hers and he struggled to concentrate. Once again her heart ached. He'd endured all that agony to give her a chance of getting away. Not only that but he'd known all along that it would come to this - this was what he'd meant by 'regardless of what happens'.

"You got hurt."

Josh closed his eyes and inhaled; misery was etched on every blood-splattered inch of his face. Nikki fought to ignore the whispering voice reminding her this was all her fault, that she'd been the cause of all his pain. Her mind cruelly replayed the gruesome violence and she couldn't ignore the nausea she felt. The horror she had witnessed and the agony Josh was clearly still suffering churned the pit of her stomach and she was glad she hadn't eaten.

Since she had watched Josh murder his twin, she thought herself inured to such brutality, but she now realised no amount of gore could desensitise her to this type of grisly attack. Nothing could prepare her for seeing Josh endure such a beating.