Hellbound ⇢ The Edge Of Winter {Bradley Baker}

Chapter 20 - Survive.

"Brad, come on!" Carson whispered loudly, tapping her fingers anxiously on her leg waiting for the boy to get out from underneath the house. She'd heard Elliot burst into the flaming room the second she and Bradley had been under the tiles, and she couldn't bear the thought of being caught by the madman.

Bradley crawled onto the snow a second later, Carson taking a breath of relief before grabbing his arm, pulling him farther out and making sure he was ok.

"Did he see you?" She asked frantically.

"No," Bradley replied, but the calling of his name from inside the house stopped whatever he was going to say next.

The two looked at each other for a moment, then they started sprinting through the trees, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the burning cabin as possible.

"Bradley! Carson!"

Elliot's voice only pushed Carson to run faster, push harder through the snow, Bradley still running next to her. They had to get to the truck before Elliot caught up to them, and Carson's karma following close behind. She knew what her fate was in this situation, and she was actually surprised she'd lasted this long.

Elliot called out Bradley's name again, and this time he sounded far closer than before.

Carson stopped dead in her tracks, and Bradley looked at her questioningly.

"What are y–"

"He's too close," Carson explained, looking around frantically for someplace to hide. "If we keep running, he'll hear us and catch us. We have to wait, hide somewhere until he's farther off."

Bradley closed his mouth –which had been hanging open, waiting to finish his previous sentence– and nodded, grabbing Carson's hand and pulling them both under the thick branches of the closest tree.

Carson's back was to Bradley's chest, and she watched, horrified, as Elliot got closer to them. Every fiber in the girl's body to stay still, holding her breath as the man stood in front of her, only a couple of feet away. She subconsciously grabbed Bradley's hand, him giving it a squeeze, reassuring her he was there.

"Caleb!" Elliot called, and Bradley took a step back, a branch breaking under his weight, and Carson's eyes widened. They had been caught.

Carson turned immediately, going to run away from the man, and Bradley followed suite, but Carson felt his presence disappear from her side, and she turned around, her eyes filling with fear and horror when she saw Elliot grabbing his arm.

"Come here," Elliot growled menacingly, only making Carson's fear rise.

"No! Dad, please! Dad! Stop!" Bradley yelled, trying to raise him arms to protect himself.

Elliot was holding his shotgun, and he wrapped held it tightly in both hands, Bradley's neck between the barrel and his chest.

Elliot hadn't seen Carson yet. She could have easily turned, running away and leaving Bradley behind. Save herself. Instead, she did the one thing that anyone would define stupid.

"Hey!" She called out, gaining the attention of the two.

Elliot's eyes landed on her, and they were completely covered in madness, bloodlust, even.

"They're gonna find us, you know?" She said, holding her voice steady.

"We can't leave," Elliot responded, and eerie sound to his tone. "We can't go back. They're gonna take you away." He paused for a moment, mistaking Carson's fear for hesitation. "I know what I'm doing."

"No," Carson replied, a plan fixating in her brain as she spoke. "No, they won't take us away. They won't take me  away." She suddenly felt a presence behind her, but she didn't have to look to see who is was.