Kidnapped By Cannibals- Leah Marshall

Chapter Fourteen

As soon as Leah discovered that Theo wasn't breathing, she scurried backwards on the ground and let out a piercing scream, which signalled the entire family to come upstairs immediately- Leah could tell by the sound of galloping that they were running. They were going to see that he was dead.

Gabriel and Jared came barging through the door and Leah swung her head round to view them, her mouth was still wide in shock and her eyes scarred. She'd never witnessed a dead body before. Especially after the person being so unwell, and she couldn't get the feeling out of her fingertips- when she'd touched his wrist, the germs from his dead body seemed to linger, causing her to cringe.

Gabriel knitted his brows together, a serious look on his face. He looked Leah up and down who was still kneeled on the ground, then settled his eyes directly on Theo in the bed. He took enormous steps over and repeated Leah's actions by placing his thumb on his sons bony wrist. It's as if he knew this day was bound to come. Leah didn't have to speak for him to know what she had screamed over.

Gabe knew he was dead when he felt nothing.

At this very second, Lindsay came bursting in, gasping for air, as she placed her frail hand against her chest, the other placed against the door frame. She noticed Gabe in front of her son, and her eyes were suddenly glued open. Jared stared at his mother, trying to communicate through his eyes with her, but she was having non of it.

Gabe's ear twitched at the noise she was making- she sounded like a dog in the summer. He turned around and his eyes narrowed into two angry slits when he saw her.

" What are you doing?" Gabriel shouted. " I told you to wait downstairs!"

" What's wrong with Theo?" Lindsay asked, her voice soaked in concern as it broke completely. It was like she already knew the news which was coming next. It was incontrovertible.

Gabriel's face was stolid- his expression was too calm, and his eyes were fixed on his wife. He placed his hands behind his back and took slow, dangerous footsteps towards Lindsay who shrivelled, feeling smaller than ever beneath his intimidating eyes.

When he reached her, she stared up at his manly figure, awaiting a response; she knew not to rush him.

" He's dead," Gabriel said emotionlessly, and quicker than anything Leah had ever seen, Lindsay dropped to the ground, letting out a painful wail, and her hands landed on Gabe's mucky shoes. All heads darted in her way, and she stayed, shaking on the ground.

The crying only got louder and louder, and Leah couldn't take her eyes of Lindsay's crumbled figure- she looked as if her bones had audibly shattered. Unfixable. She'd cracked completely, and there was no way she could be mended. It was so sudden, but Leah could see it clearer than water on supermarket shelves. It was so strange seeing her this way- Lindsay was always one to try remain strong, despite her crying yesterday. She was bound to break at one point, but Leah never imagined it like this.

This was heartbreaking.

Gabe huffed and focused his attention on his now only son. Although, Jared was staring into space, not looking his fathers way.

" Jared, help me carry him into the back garden," he ordered, and Jared sprang up from the wall, jumping out of day dream. Leah had watched the look of his face when Gabriel explained Theo had passed, and there was no affect on him whatsoever. But surely he must be sad. It was his brother, and despite their arguments, they loved each other. Theo had even said so to Leah in the basement.

When Lindsay heard Jared rushing over to Theo's corpse, she flung up from the ground, tears still streaming down her face.

" W-wait, no!" Lindsay cried, her words rushing out too fast to understand. " I need to, I need to see him before he goes. I need to say goodbye."