The Elemental

Chapter 10: Candle

"Open up!" Peter bashed his fist repeatedly against the door, causing the wall to tremble. "I know who you are, Maxwell."

"What do we do?" Alyssa asked in a hushed voice, turning to Tommy.

The boy closed his eyes and lowered his head, pressing his fingers against his temple. "Johnny, help," he said aloud.

"Is he coming?"

"He's too far; I can't tell if he heard me."

"Open the goddamn door!" Peter shouted, throwing his body against it.

"You have to hide," Alyssa instructed.

"What?"

"He wants me, not you. Just— keep calling for help." She grabbed the dresser and shoved it up against the door as the child crawled beneath the bunk bed. "Peter," she called cautiously.

He yelled in rage and slammed against the door again, causing cracks to splinter through the wood.

"Peter, I'm on your side," Alyssa explained in a trembling voice.

"Murderer!" he cried, slamming repeatedly into the door in the span of only a few seconds. "Face me, coward!"

"Peter, I didn't know. My father never told me anything!"

"Liar!" A small chunk of the door broke off and Peter glared through the hole. "You have nowhere to go," he said. He disappeared for a second, and suddenly the door shattered. Alyssa gasped, backing away.

"Peter!" cried Danica, grabbing his arm. "What're you doing?!"

"That's Alyssa Maxwell," he said her name as though it were a bitter poison in his mouth, pointing through the broken door. "Jeff Maxwell's daughter."

"What?" Dani turned to look at her with a confused and frightened expression. "Is that true?"

Alyssa crossed one arm over her chest, backing up toward the far wall as tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't know," she pleaded.

A dark look crossed Dani's eyes and she took a step back, releasing Peter's arm. "Traitor," she accused.

Peter blinked through the hole and stood in front of the dresser, blocking the exit as Alyssa slowly backed up toward the bathroom.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't know!"

Peter glared at her with hatred in his eyes. "Your father took everything from me. I'm alone now because of him— because of you!"

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her back pressing against the wall.

He rushed forward in a blur and she gasped, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands as a gust of wind blew past her.

There was a crash across the room, accompanied by a grunt from him. She opened her eyes to see him laying on the floor in the corner, glaring up at her.

"You're dead," he seethed.

She ran for the door, but not fast enough. He caught her arm and slammed her against the adjacent wall.

"It was an acci—" her sentence was interrupted as his hands wrapped around her throat. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she grabbed at his wrists, struggling against his grip. "I'm sorry," she mouthed as dark spots swelled across her vision.

I deserve this.

"Sorry doesn't bring her back."

She gasped in a breath of air as she suddenly fell backward, sprawling onto the ground on the other side of the wall. Johnny stood above her with his hand against it. Peter's arms were stuck partway through, holding him immobile.