Chasing Shadows

Part One ~ Chapter Eighteen

          "I was lying through my teeth, but it seemed like what she needed to hear." -Matt

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  “There’s probably another way to get in.” Amy offered. “Just try and find it.”

                “How do we know that isn’t rigged also?” Johnny asked. “It could be a trick. He might just be luring us to him so that he can kill us.” He shivered and I rubbed the nape of my neck.

                “I don’t think he’s going to kill us.” I muttered. “He wants to mess with us, not kill us right away. If that’s what he wanted we wouldn’t be here right now.”

                “Look,” Tim started. “I don’t know what the fuck you guys are talking about, but pick up the pace. We can go in through a window or whatever, but we have to do it now. If this is where she is then we made it in time, but if she isn’t here then the time is pretty limited.” He kicked the toe of his sneaker into the ground and shoved his hands into his pockets.

                “Yeah, alright, okay.” I mumbled. I was still nervous about our safety in this a little though, so I told the others to stay behind. “Just in case.” I whispered to Amy, Julia, Johnny, and Ethan.

                “Are you coming?” Tim grumbled, annoyed.

                Nodding my head, I followed Tim down the hallway. The others were close behind us, but they would be waiting outside of the window we climbed through. Narrowly avoiding the man at the desk, we sneaked under his suspicious gaze and through the entrance. Putting the building into perspective, I pictured the inside location of room 23 and ran over to where I thought the window should be.

                “How do you guys plan on getting up there?” Julia asked.

                “It’s the ground floor; shouldn’t be too bad.”

                “I think she meant how you were going to get the window open.” Ethan shot me a look with his eyebrows raised.

                “Smash the window if you have to.” Tim cracked his knuckles with a grin on his face.

                “You aren’t going to let him break the window, are you?” Amy hissed in my ear. “Do you know how obvious that would make it that we are here? Breaking and entering?” I cringed at her words.

                “I can’t really control Tim; I don’t even know why he is here.” Giving a pitiful shrug, I went over to the window alongside Tim.

                “Are you really sure this is the room? I’m not smashing someone else’s window.”

                “We shouldn’t have to smash anyone’s window.” I muttered under my breath. “But yes, I am sure.” Two and three had been very prominent numbers in our past with Mr. Grey.

                “Alright then, and it’s on you if you’re wrong. Not like it will matter, this shitty place doesn’t even seem to have security cameras.” With a mouth agape and eyes wide, I watched as Tim rammed a rock through the glass panes, effectively shattering them. “Come.”

                In the center of the room, Kelly was tied up to a chair, much like the way we had been with Mrs. Grey in the cabin two months ago. Tears were streaming down her face, and she looked lost and confused. Her mouth had a towel shoved in it to prevent any screams. Noting that Mr. Grey wasn’t in the motel room, I rushed over to Kelly to untie her.

                “Shhh.” I tried to soothe her. “It’s going to be alright, Kelly. Nothing is going to happen to you, okay?” When I had her completely extracted from the chair, she collapsed into my arms with a sob, griping my shirt with shaky hands.

                “A man…he…” Hiccups prevented her from working out the right words that she wanted to say. “I was just…”

                “Take your time,” I whispered, rubbing her back. I ran my other hand through my hair and turned to face Tim. He had lit another cigarette and was back to smoking, uncaring about what was going on. I raised my eyebrows at him, trying to communicate with him to do something helpful.

                “Hey Kelly.” He said. I groaned, knowing that Kelly’s reaction to him probably would not be a good one. He had, of course, practically broken her heart.

                As I suspected, Kelly’s head whipped around to face him and then she started crying a whole new round of tears. She was shivering in my arms, and I figured that the shock still had not worn off. It probably never would. The only thing pro about it being Kelly was that I knew she had a whole support team behind her, no matter what happened to her, and that she would probably have the resources she needed to get over this; if you really could get over something like this. She could probably begin to move on from it at least.

                “How did you know to come?” She finally managed to get out after turning back to face me.

                “We got a letter with a tip.” I supplied part of the details, leaving out a good majority of things.

                “I don’t understand…” Kelly trailed off. “I was just…walking around the park or something, and then…Everything’s so confusing that it’s almost fuzzy in my mind.” She sighed. “I just…I don’t understand.” She repeated those three words over and over, gradually getting softer and then raising in volume again.

                “Everything will work itself out though, you’ll see.” I was lying through my teeth, but it seemed like what she needed to hear.

                “Look, if you guys are done with me, I’ll be leaving.” Tim gave us one last look, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, and turned towards the door. Not entirely focused on what he was doing, I was paying more attention to keeping Kelly intact, I didn’t realize Tim was leaving through the doorway until it was too late.

                A loud boom echoed throughout the building, the floors shook, and smoke filled the room.

                And there, laying on the floor, was the lifeless body of Tim.

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And the drama has kicked up another notch, huh?

Sorry that this chapter is both a day late and pretty short. I didn't really know how to make this part any longer, because this is what happens at the motel. Dragging out stuff like this makes it sound dull, and this is the stuff that needs to be dramatic.

Also, some people have asked about Andrew...

He will be back in about three chapters, when they go back to Hamilton after their Thanksgiving break is up. Just a few things have to happen before then, but afterwards I am really excited to get back to HA.

I have really missed that place. It feels like that is their actual home, not their houses their families live in. Anyone else feel like that?

But, yes, Andrew will be back ASAP. Which character are you most excited to hear from again when they get back to Hamilton Academy? Is it Andrew? Kyle? Charlotte????

xx

Ella

Comment, Vote, Fan<3