Escape Route (Decode Sequel)

Chapter Twenty Two - If You Love Me Let Me Go.

I didn’t notice my arms were tied behind my back and my ankles crossed and restrained until I tried to move. His hand lifted away but was immediately replaced by a piece of fabric wrapped over my mouth and around my head. I screamed agains the cloth but with no avail. He picked up my body with ease and ventured through the pitch black house until we were on the street illuminated by the orange streetlights. I caught a glimpse of his eyes as he shoved me in the back seat. He looked angry, livid, enraged. Liam turned around from the passenger seat, nodded at me but I looked away, squeezing my eyelids shut. This was bad. Harry shot off down the road breaking every speed limit and powering through every red light.

He pulled me from the car, his grip so tight it could stop blood flowing. I didn't dare look at him again. I blocked out the people close by no doubt talking about me. I didn't want to hear what they had to say, it wouldn't be anything good.

Once I felt the mattress dip down beneath my body I moved away from him. He pulled me closer again but only to take off the restraints. I felt like taking a deep breath but the voices came thick and fast. I whimpered as they filled my head. My hands clung to my ears as if they were going to fall off.

"You don't love him. You don't love him." Their voices echoed and repeated through my mind. "Hurt him. Show him you don't love him."

I growled at their request. My hands were screwed up tightly, trembling as I tried to fight what my body had been brain washed to do. I could vividly feel the sweat dripping down my face as I tried to fend them off. 

I heard the floorboard creak under the weight of someone coming closer. I still had my eyes tightly closed, I knew looking at him would distract my concentration and I would succumb to their commands. 

“You have to let me go Harry!” I screamed. “Before I hurt you.” 

“You’re already hurting me.” My heart should have shattered at his words, but it didn’t. It ached but my mind blocked out his thoughts and filled them with blank feelings. I was an emotionless wreck because of what they had done to me and I didn’t know how to escape it.

“Let me go.”

“Lennon!” He pleaded, desperation laced within his tone.

“Please let me go."

"What did they do to you?" He yelled storming across the room until his hands were gripped onto my shoulders. I was shaking my head violently. 

"Let me go for your own good." I sneered. I didn't want to argue or even show an ounce of anger with him but he needed to get the message.

"NO!" He screamed. "Tell me what is going on!" 

I shook my head again, taking shallow breaths as their voices filled my ears.

"Harry, maybe letting her go is the right thing to do." I hadn't noticed Louis was even with us until he spoke.

"I can't let her go," his voice now cracking. "I lost her too many times to let her just walk away now."

"Something is clearly wrong, you can't keep her here when she doesn't want to be."

"Louis," his voice cracked again. “I can’t.” This time I had to look at him, his head shifted away from Louis and focused on me. His eyes widened at the look of my face. 

“Please.” I begged.

“I love you too much.”

“If you loved me, you’d let me go.” 

He didn’t walk me to the door, he didn’t say goodbye, he didn’t try and hug me. He vanished into thin air, hurt so clearly by my words. I followed Liam back down the stairs, gripping the banister tightly as their demands filled my brain again. They told me to push, watch him tumble and break. But I resisted. I stopped walking and allowed him to walk down the stairs freely. I steadied myself and carried on until we were back at the front door. 

I felt like I was having deja vu as I stood on the porch, no way of getting home and not knowing what to do next. 

“Lennon, please just tell us what’s going on, who’s behind it. We want to help.” Liam pleaded, unfazed by my uninviting, demon like eyes staring back at him.

“I can’t tell you because I don’t know.” 

“We’ll get to the bottom of this. We’ll solve this, end it all. We’ll keep any eye on you, keep you safe."

“Okay,” I replied flatly, I tried to seem hopeful but my emotions had been pulled out of me.

“He’s heartbroken you know? He cried everyday you were gone and when he saw you today, it was the final straw. He broke down on the way home.” 

“I’m sorry.” I spoke honestly. “I wish I could feel the same.” I really did wish I could feel something, anything even if it was painful and heartbreaking but I only felt empty and un human. 

I didn’t care if it was the middle of the night and heavily raining, I walked home in the rain. I wished some of the drops on my face were my tears so I knew I was still human, but it was just the clouds spilling onto my skin. I was just a pawn in their game waiting for their next move.