Tortured Love (One direction Fanfic)

Chapter 28

"Oh my gosh, Zayn! Are you alright?" I asked.  

"Yeah" he grimaced in pain.  

"Tell me the truth"  

"My leg" he gripped it, gritting his teeth in pain.  

"You need to go first" I told him, looking at his leg.  

"No-" he started but I stopped him.  

"Zayn, your hurt. You won't do much good on this end if you can't stay on your own weight. There is nothing here. I'll be fine, please go" 

He still wasn't set on it but I dragged him over to the opening anyways.  

"Zayn's been hurt. He fell down the stairs so he's going first" I announced into the vent.  

"Do you want me to come back down?" Harry replied.  

"No, Zayn's coming it" that hint was less that subtle. Zayn sighed, giving in and pushed himself in the opening. I heard his grunts of pain as he pulled himself further in. The incline was the worst part. Eventually, I hear the boys lift Zayn out.  

"Okay, Charlotte! Your turn!" Harry called down and I got on all fours and got into the vent. McKenna was right; it was dusty in here. It had a musky smell combined with the dust.  

A groan in the metal made me stop. I felt the metal bend and I let out a small shriek.  

"Charlotte?! Charlotte, what's going on?!" Harry yelled "that's it, I'm going in" I didn't know how Harry thought he was going to fit in along with me.  

"No! The metal isn't holding!" I yelled back. The added weight would probably collapse it. My breathing was shallow, like exhaling would bring the vent down on me.  

"What do you mean the metal isn't holding?" Harry yelled. So much for being quiet.  

"I mean I think it could fall" I replied, shaking harder. What was under me? I doubt it would be a soft landing.  

I slowly dragged myself forward, the thin metal bending with the shift of weight. I struggled to get over the top of the incline but managed to by pushing forward by the walls.  

"Come on Charlie, just a little further" Harry coaxed, sticking his hand out for me to grab so he can pull me out. Just a few more inches and I would be out. I reached out to grab his hand but our fingers still couldn't touch. Another big bend sent my cowering and waiting for impact. I saw Harry's hand flinch.  

I felt tilted so I looked to my right and saw a big rip in the base. All I could see was darkness below but at least it was a room. I could feel the warm air leaking in which felt nice.  

"Hurry Charlie!" Harry said. I pushed a little further and hole widened with a loud snap that made me wince. I fell in half way was now dangling out into the room below. I braced myself on my elbows and hands to keep myself from falling but I was slipping further and further down. I made one last reach for Harry's hand.  

I felt the brush of his fingertips on mine but I wasn't close enough to get a good grip. My weight shifting was the final straw and I fell in, airborne for a second, and landed hard on the cement. I heard the impact of parts of the vent that left a ringing in my ears.  

I registered the feeling of a thin carpet under me that took some of the impact but I still felt pain radiating through my body. I was kind of dazed, not sure what I should do. Oh yeah, I need to get up and get out.  

"Charlotte?! Charlie!" Harry yelled frantically.  

"Yeah" my voice was rough and weak. My head pounded and I cradled my wrist. It could be broken or at the very least sprained. I pushed the sheet of metal off and and sat up. Looking around, I figured I was in a basement. There were boxes of paper near me and a desk with a lamp that was still on, thank god.  

"Charlie, the others are going to look for the room you're in" Harry told me.  

"It's a basement" I replied.  

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.  

"I think my wrist is broken" I winced at the pain. Out of curiosity, I pulled a box of paper towards myself, with my good hand, and sorted through it. Something heavy was at the bottom so I pulled it out. It was a big folder so I pulled some of the paper out and rooted through it.  

I found one piece was an adoption paper. It certified someone named Peter Carlson was adopted by a Laura Browne. The mother was listed as Julia Hoffman. That name was familiar. Wait, my moms maiden name was Hoffman! And my grandmothers name was Julia.  

Shock ran through me as I connected the dots. No, this is from the fall! I'm still unconscious and this isn't real. It can't be. Peter, the man who kidnapped and tortured me, could not be my uncle.  

The door opening above me did little to distract me. I was frozen, too shocked to move. My mother didn't have any siblings. I only had an Aunt on my dad's side. This isn't possible. I pulled a photograph from the folder.  

It was a younger version of my grandmother in a hospital, holding a newborn baby. There was no mistaking that was my grandmother.  

"Found her!" Louis shouted and came to help me up. I didn't want to share what I had just found so I stuffed it into my pocket and went back up the stairs with Louis and Liam. I couldn't tell then it was possibly my uncle that did this to us! 

We came up to a living room with two black leather couches, a flat screen tv, and piled of movies. We rounded the corner into a dark hallway and Harry came out of the room everyone got into from the vent and enveloped me in a hug.  

"I'm okay" I assured him, wrapping my arms around him.  

He kissed my forehead, murmuring "I was so worried" we pulled away after a minute of just holding each other while everyone made their way back.  

"Are you alright?" McKenna asked.  

I nodded with a smile "I'm good" 

"Guys, we can go that way" Liam pointed down the hall. I did a quick head count and saw that everyone was together again. We headed down the hall and turned the corner. A kitchen was ahead of us but McKenna stopped us to open a door to the right.  

Shark tools glistened from their resting place and I shivered.  

McKenna picked up a few weapons, saying "just in case" so everyone followed her lead. I grabbed a long, lethal looking blade and a short one I slipped in my pocket. We emerged back out and went into the kitchen.  

If you looked to the left, there was and entryway and a staircase directly in front of our exit. We all drew towards it. Out of the window above the door, I saw sunlight. Oh, how I missed the outdoors!  

Zayn grabbed the door handle but suddenly jerked back.  

"What?" I asked and as an answer, I saw the locks unlocking from the outside. That could only mean one thing.  

They were home.  

_________________________________________________________________________ 

3 updates in 3 days woohoo! ;) I want your opinion as to what's going to happen. Are they going to get out? Will someone get injured trying to get out or even die? What would happen if they got caugh or will they even get caught? Is peter actually Charlie's uncle? Let me know in the comments :) thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Please fan, vote, and comment!