Lockwood Highschool Breach

Chapter 17

Mason

The teen sat on the couch in the living room with his little sister Abby. The small girl was sound asleep, huddled close to her brother; they were all each other had left. Mason sighed and ran a gentle hand through her long, chestnut colored hair, making her stir a bit. Her button nose and the corners of her eyes were red as she had been crying earlier, small hands gripping onto his shirt as if she was scared he would disappear at any second. To think he had almost lost her as well back in the woods was a thought alone that made his eyes sting with the threat of tears. His mind began to wander as he stared blankly at the muted cartoon playing on the TV.

He couldn't help but to think of Cassidy. What he had done to her back then was something he regretted everyday, a mistake he wished he could undo. The girl who he saw as the best thing that ever happened to him was living in the same house, and so was the one that caused their downfall. After the break-up there wasn't a day that went by that he hadn't felt like running up to her and sweeping her off of her feet, to apologize and give everything he had to show his sincerity to her, but that was only a fantasy he knew he couldn't make reality. With a sigh Mason sunk a little more into the soft cushions of the couch, cocking his head to the side.

"Did you sleep well last night?" a female voice asked, breaking the silence that blanketed the room. The boy looked over his shoulder and saw Macy's mother standing in the doorway, drying her hands on a small white towel. He only nodded, turning his gaze back to the TV. There was a moment of silence that followed before Kate spoke again, voice gentler. "How old is she..?"

"She turned seven last week." He heard the older woman inhale sharply as if someone had struck her, followed by another uncomfortable silence that he didn't feel like filling.

"She's so young..." Mason only nodded again; he didn't have the energy to make small talk. "Well, whenever you need anything you can come to me." Her voice grew quiet, detecting the slightly negative aura of the room and deciding to end the conversation there. The boy listened to the sound of her retreating steps, sighing and resting his head in the palm of his free hand. The others had been gone for well over an hour now; something about it was making him uneasy.

As if they heard his thoughts of worry, the loud whinnying of horses and the barking of that large dog that had helped save them announced their return. Getting up, he placed a pillow in place of his body so that Abby didn't wake up and rushed out to go meet them. Nearly tripping in his haste to slip on a pair of slides left at the door, he jogged out and could hear an argument growing.

"What do you mean they didn't follow?!" he heard Ashley yell. Hitting the corner of the barn house, he did a quick head count with a single sweep of his eyes over the group; everyone was there except Cassidy and Anthony, his stomach twisting in worry. "They had to follow, where else could they have gone??"

"I don't know! They acted on their own... There's nothing we can do about it now," the red head said as calm as she could, but her voice was shaking. "They're fine, they have to be."

"What happened out there?" Mason spoke up. He silently demanded an answer with his hard gaze, looking to each person as he waited for a reply.

"We were finishing up at the store and Anthony wanted to check the back storage of the Pharmacy for the stronger prescription drugs. It looked like some shoppers that had been there when this first started tried to take refuge there and turned. We were chased out by a stampede of the things and left all together. It wasn't until we were in the woods and halfway here did I notice that Cassidy and Anthony weren't with us." There was a long pause as Mason sucked in the information, the atmosphere heavy.

Oscar trotted around, going up to every person and sniffing them, only to walk away and whimper afterwards. He smelled everything and everyone repeatedly, then barked. The teens watched as he ran back and forth along the fence, the distress of Cassidy's missing presence clearly disturbing him. No other words were exchanged, Mason seeing the way Macy tightened her grip on the reins atop Bella, her jaw clenched as she glared at the ground. She took the heavy black bag she had and lowered it to the ground, sitting back up and taking a deep breath.

"I'm going back," she said with a look of determination. Ashley began to protest and so did her mother who had just got outside to see what all the commotion was about and heard the announcement. Dean was holding Oscar now as the dog's sides heaved from how panicked he got, still barking loudly as if it was the only way to show his discomfort. "I'll be fine. I can't just stand by and worry; I have to go look for them." Mason took a step forward and looked up at Macy on her horse.

"Let me come with you, I can hel-"

"You're staying here. You'll only get in my way and give me another person to look out for." He frowned, hands clenching into fists at the way she dismissed him so easily. Macy held his glare with her own before she flicked the reins and got Bella walking. Oscar's barking grew more rapid as he saw one person getting ready to leave, fighting against Dean's hold on him. "Be sure to get all the supplies inside. Organize it all so we don't lose a single item. I won't come back until I find them." Her mother walked over to her and reached up to grab hold of her daughter's hands.

"Please, just stay Macy. I don't want you going out anymore today," she pleaded. Macy met her scared eyes and smiled sweetly to give her some comfort. Before she could speak, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot in the distance made everyone freeze. It was faint, proving it was quite the way out, but loud enough to alert not only them, but any creature within the radius as well.

Macy let out a shrill whistle and tapped Bella's sides with her stubbed spurs, the horse jumping the fence and taking off across the land back the way they came. Oscar gave one final, strong tug and broke away from Dean, running after the girl without making a sound. Mason watched as they left, feeling useless as all he could do was wish for their safe return.