Alex's (POV)
*Intense Scenes Ahead*
Pain.
That's all I feel. That's all I'm capable of feeling.
A deep throbbing, hot pain in my calf that spreads out to every inch of my body.
I take a shuddering breath, my eyes half lidded from drowsiness.
I'm sitting down in the corner of that little room. My back is up against the cold wall, my shackled wrists laying on my lap, legs stretched out in front of me.
I glance with heavy eyes down at my right leg.
Blood.
My stomach turns.
Rats' handiwork doesn't look so good.
My pants leg from my knee down is none existent, my calf covered in messy, itchy stitches. The skin underneath them a sickening reddish purple.
I close my eyes, leaning my head back against the wall.
It's been two days now since my leg was almost chewed off by that dog.
My breath catches.
Four days since Tom was killed.
A deep despair settles in my head, and a thought refuses to leave me.
I'm never getting out of here.
I swallow, my throat dry like sandpaper.
When was the last time I had a drink of water?
I mentally shrug.
It doesn't matter.
I wince, grinding my teeth together as another wave of hot pain washes through my leg, pulses being released in forceful spurts.
I push my sweaty head further back against the wall, a fever burning at my skin.
My thoughts are all cloudy, a headache pounding away - like thorns in your skin.
I jerk my eyes painfully open as the door to the room opens.
Razim.
My heart speeds up, and I feel myself involuntary tense up.
He walks up to me, his expressionless mask on.
He stops a couple feet in front of me. "Alex." He looks me over - like an insect getting ready to be dissected.
"What a mess you've made indeed." He suddenly kicks my bleeding calf.
I gasp as sharp knives run through my leg, black spots invading my eyesight. I lean forward to grab at my knee, taking deep shallow breaths as I try to lessen the pain.
It doesn't help much.
Breathing hard and with my headache feeling like nails being driven into my forehead. I look up at the face of my enemy.
He smirks, clearly enjoying my pain.
He walks over to the other side of the room. Taking a device out of his pocket, he presses a button.
What's he doing now?
He gives me a smile and I glare back at him.
His smile turns into a frown, then another smirk shows up. "You'll soon learn not to challenge me, Alex." He taps the device in his hand. "But I would of thought you'd of learned that already." He stares back at me.
Tom and Jack.
I feel myself wilt, and I look away. "That's more like it." I hear Razim say to himself.
I bite my lip, ashamed of myself for being such a wimp.
The door opens again, and Stick walks in carrying a large soggy looking towel in his arms.
Blood covers his clothes, a horrible smell following him. He stops in front of Razim, an evil smirk plastered across his face.
Razim looks over at me. "Oh Alex, we have something for you." Razim singsongs, walking towards me.
I tense up more.
They both stop in front of me, and Razim nods his head towards Stick.
Not wasting a second, Stick drops the wet blanket.
It lands with a sickening plop onto my lap, the top unfolding open.
I stare at it, my eyes widening in horror. I feel bile rise in my throat, that smell becoming unbearable.
There, wrapped up in the wet - No. Bloodied blanket.
I can't look away.
Is a freshly amputated arm. Blood still falls freely from the shoulder joint, white bone sticking out from the end. An odd warmth emitting from it.
I stare in shock, the world frozen with me.
It's weight suddenly feels like a thousand pounds, crushing me.
Can't breath!
I blink.
Quickly, I jerk my shackled arms up.
The arm tumbles out of the blanket, landing with another sickening plop onto the ground about ten feet away from me. Blood flying everywhere.
Stick laughs.
I ignore him, my thought only on that.....arm.
I can still feel the weight pressing down on me, the horrible smell. I gag, the urge to throw-up becoming too much.
I continue gagging as nothing comes up. My stomach already empty from not eating anything in days, and the fact I've thrown up way too many times this past week to be considered healthy.
I look down at my lap. Blood completely soaks it, clothes sticking to my skin. I hastily wipe at the bottom of my shirt - the spot that has the most of it.
It's not coming off!
"We thought you might like to see this first before we show you something else." Razims' voice breaks through my frantic thoughts.
No.
This is too much. I-I can't take anymore!
My chest tightens, my breathing hitching before it switches to hyperventilating.
I pull my left leg up to my chest, my right calf completely numb now. Resting my forehead on my knee, I try to control the panic that's building up inside me.
Just STOP!
It's too much! Too much!
Arm.....to a person.
Bone, blood.
I start rocking back and forth. Tears flowing freely from my eyes.
The smell.....I can still smell it.....Feel the weight!
I cry out as more hot knives flash through my calf, my upper body jerking.
I look over to see Razims' foot positioned directly over my calf.
"Quit your whining, or else I'm going to give you another well deserved kick!" Razim shouts, venom in his voice.
I whimper, curling up as small as possible. Through my loud breathing and heart thumping in my ears, I hear him sigh.
"Bring her in." He tells Stick.
That one word breaks me from my panic.
Her.
Dread once again fills me.
I look up.
No.
My eyes land on the last person I ever expected to see here.
Sabina Pleasure.
I can barely recognize her.
Her black hair is in total disarray, face smeared with dirt, blue eyes empty but wide with fear.
And just like Tom, she has a gag in her mouth, hands tied behind her back.
Not her too.
Her gaze lands on my figure as she scans the room, her eyes filling with relief for a split second before being replaced back to that blank expression.
Relief that I'm still alive, probably. I have been missing for about a week.
But that doesn't help our predicament now.
What did they do to her?.....That blank face, that's not Sabina at all.
"So you've already been reunited with Tom." Razim counts on his fingers. "Mr. Pleasure.....Well, what's left of him." Razim continues.
What?!
My stomach turns.
I glance over at the discarded arm on the floor, piecing the puzzle together.
No.
He's.....dead?
I look over at Sabina again. She's staring at the arm on the floor, a haunted look in her eyes.
Anger stirs inside me.
They killed him, with her....watching.
Sabinas' blank expression is suddenly replaced, and she burst into tears, her body trembling.
Stick slaps her in the face, and she falls to the floor.
"Stop!" I try shouting, but it mostly comes out as a desperate croak.
I use my hands to try crawling across the floor to her, my calf coming alive with fresh pain. I bite my lip through it, my leg dragging behind me.
The chain on my shackles suddenly goes taut, and I hear the crack of a whip before something tears into my back. My skin rips, leaving a smoldering hot mark in its wake.
I cry out, curling up on the floor as I get hit again on the shoulder. The crack of the whip signaling it just seconds before the burning pain hits me.
"Oh no you don't." Stick picks up my chain, harshly pulling it backwards.
My shoulders scream in pain as I'm violently jerked back to my original position. Stick showing no mercy.
"Stop." I gasp out, all energy leaving me once again as I slump against the wall. Fresh, sticky blood dribbling down my two new festering wounds.
I look over at Sabina.
She's staring down at the floor, an empty expression on her face.
Eyes broken.
She's given up.
My heart sinks.
"I don't think so, Alex." Razim walks over to Sabina, cutting the rope off that bound her wrists. "Besides she's already witnessed both her parents deaths." He places a hand on her head. "She's already an empty shell." He smirks. "Guess she wasn't as strong as you, Alex." He roughly grabs her, pulling her up into a standing position.
"An empty shell that needs to be removed." Razim walks her over to the table, placing her hand on the surface.
She doesn't even try to do anything to stop him.
That emotion I saw when she first came in, no longer existent. Gone.
She is only a shell of her former self.
I try rising to my feet, only to be shoved back down by Stick.
"Don't do this." I plead, my dry voice barely louder than a whisper. "Please." Tears start falling down my cheeks.
All my fault.
Those three words repeatedly circle in my head.
Razim ignores me, turning Sabina so I can see her face.
Empty eyes.
My heart aches. Why? Why does this have to happen? What did I ever do to deserve this?
Razim takes out a large knife, positioning it over one of Sabinas' fingers.
My chest tightens, breathing picking up speed again.
"No!" I shout this time.
Razim swipes down, the knife cutting off her little finger.
Sabina suddenly comes alive with a heart wrenching scream of pain. Blood sprouting form her missing finger, bone sticking out the end.
I watch as her finger falls to the floor with a quiet thump.
My heart hammers in my ears.
Stop.
He cuts off another finger, blood pooling on the surface of the white table.
I flinch as another scream fills the room, echoing in my ears like a nightmare.
I bite my lip, putting enough pressure on it to feel pain. My back and shoulder smarting with the new whip marks. My calf hot like lava.....All pain that I deserve.
My eyesight blurs with tears. "Stop!" I pathetically try again.
My limbs feel like they weigh a thousand pounds each, head growing foggy once again.
I glance down at my leg.
A puddle of blood is steadily growing beneath it.
I'm going to lose consciousness.
I look back up at Sabina, only to see she's staring over at me, a look of betrayal on her waxy face.
I betrayed her.....I betrayed all of them!
I wasn't strong enough to stop it.
I curl up as another blood curdling scream fills my ears. Razim having cut off her whole hand now.
I whimper.
I'm weak.
Pathetic.
I try placing my hands over my ears in a sorry attempt to block the screams out. But my shackles stop me from doing so.
Pain.
She's in so much pain.
All pain I deserve.
I bite my lip harder, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth.
Another scream.
I flinch.
Not what she deserves.
I just sit there in a daze for who-knows-how-long. An hour? fifteen minutes? five hours?
It feels like forever.
I sit there, pathetically huddled up in my corner. Unconsciousness nearly in my grasp, but not yet close enough.
Sabina's nothing but a bloody mess now. Her long black hair having been chopped off, one of her arms hanging limp by her side.....Sliced through.
She's barely alive. Hanging on by a thread.
Thankfully.
She needs to be taken from this hellhole.
I can see a look of relief on her face as she realizes just how close she is to leaving this world.
She's now laying across the table, not having the strength to support herself anymore.
Tears continue to fall from my eyes, and I'm trembling uncontrollably.
"Oh Alex." Razim's says, getting my attention.
I slowly look over at him.
He's holding the knife right above her throat, teasingly running it across. "It's time to say goodbye." He flashes a mad smile.
I try catching her eyes, and this time she holds my gaze.
I try telling her through my eyes that I'm sorry.....That it's all my fault and I accept all the blame.
Hoping.....hoping, that maybe she'll forgive me.
My heart sinks and a overwhelming guilt envelops me as I get my response from her.
Right as Razim slits her throat. I see her mouth work, then she whispers out two gut wrenching words. "Your fault."
Then I watch as Razim runs the knife across her delicate throat, a dark red seeping out the thin line....Pouring out.
I watch as her eyes fade to a dull grey. What little life that had been in her, draining out along with the blood.
I watch as she dies.
And I do nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sit up, the covers falling down to the floor.
Blood pounds in my ears, my lungs working overtime to try and match the rapid pace of my breathing.
I look around.
Dark walls, furniture.
I'm in my room.
Not there. Just another nightmare.
I pull my knees up to my chest, wincing as my calf throbs in rhythm with my irregular heartbeat.
I tuck my head down, those memories fresh in my mind.
The screams still echoing in my ears. The smell still drifting in my nostrils.
I lift a trembling hand up, running it through my hair.
I'm honestly surprised I didn't wake anyone up with that dream. I'm sure I must've made some noise throughout all that.
I get back to the business of concentrating on my breathing and relaxing my still tightening chest.
I place both hands on each side of my head, taking a couple deep breaths.
It's already happened. Just a memory.
When I feel I've got it somewhat under control, I look back up.
My eyes immediately zooming in on something I don't remember seeing before.
About six feet over to the left of the wall, is a red streak that goes through the wallpaper....like a tear.
I think back to when I'd just woken up. It wasn't like that before.
Was it?
I sit up straighter, leaning over towards it. Deciding to investigate, I get up, hesitantly walking over to it.
Strange, it doesn't look like it's part of the wallpaper at all.
I reach out towards it.
It looks like......
I place a finger on it, only to immediately frown. It's.....warm.
My stomach twists.
This isn't right.
My eyes widen as it suddenly begins to dribble onto my finger. The warm substance sticky, and.....red.
Blood.
I jerk my hand back to my chest, hoping that'll be enough to stop it.
But it just continues to run down the wall, onto the floor as it makes a puddle.
What's happening?
My breathing picks up again, the only sound I can hear being my heartbeat.
I watch in stark horror as the other walls begin to get cracks of dark red, spreading out like spiderwebs. I watch as they begin to come alive, dripping down to the ground.
Blood.
That sickening smell assaults my nose, making bile rise to my throat.
No.
What's happening!
I back away to the middle of the room, frantically looking around with wide eyes.
It's happening to everything!
The bed, the hamper, the drawers, the ceiling.
I reach up with both trembling hands, placing one on each side of my head.
Blood.
I run towards the door, swinging it open so hard it swings back and hits the wall. Taking a right, I run over to Macks' room.
Opening his door, I run in.
I take in the room.
Empty.
Blood rushes to my head, black spots invading my eyesight.
Where is he?
"Mack." I try calling.
The walls start dripping red, filling in the cracks like a color by number.
A whimper escapes my mouth.
Frantically, I run out of his room, moving onto the Browns room.
Everything around me starts turning a rich red, the smell following me wherever I go.
I have to find them!
Swinging their door open, I'm greeted with another empty room.
My heart skips a beat, sweat dripping down my face.
Where are they?
No.
"Don?" I quietly yell.
I back out of the room, watching as that room also begins to turn a vibrant red.
This can't be happening!
I reach up, pulling on my hair as my mind tries so hard to comprehend what's happening. Another whimper making its way out.
Help!
Where is everyone?!
The sound of my loud breathing fills the empty house. The only other noise being what sounds like water trickling down a fountain. Following me.
Quickly, I run down the stairs. The red following right behind me - like a river.
I run into the kitchen.
Empty.
"Lucy?" I whimper out before heading into the living room.
Empty.
"Guys?!" I try shouting.
No answer.
No, No, No, No!
I turn in a circle, the whole room turning red. Encasing me. Choking me!
What's Happening!!
My chest feels so, so tight, and I can't take a decent breath.
I stumble towards the front door, practically crawling in my desperation. Opening it, I'm met with a sea of bright red.
Stepping onto the deck, I look around with wide, horror filled eyes. Everything still has its shape, but it's all a liquid red.
Blood.
A sob gets trapped in my throat.
Where are they?
I fall to my knees, the overwhelming despair too much. I wrap my arms around my waist, a hot breeze blowing a few strands of hair over my eyes.
Tears fall down my cheeks.
"What's happening?" I whisper out to myself.
Where are they?
"Tsk, tsk. What a mess you've made, Alex." I swing my gaze around behind me, shocked to find the last face I'd expected.
Razim stands in the threshold of the door I'd just walked out of. A pretend sympathetic expression on his face.
I feel anger overwhelm me, taking over at seeing his smug face.
Everything else forgotten.
In one quick movement, I stand up, grabbing Razims' shirt collar with my hands. My face only mere inches from his. "What did you do to them?" I calmly ask, my face set in a hard stare.
He's not beating me again.
Razim merely smirks at me, only looking slightly surprised at my suddenness.
"What did I do with them?" He places a hand on his chest. "I didn't do anything." He pulls my hands off his shirt, taking a step back. "No Alex, the question you should be asking is." He taps my chest. "What did you do to them." He stares at me a second, then starts laughing at my shocked expression.
With my heart thumping and black spots filling my eyes. I look around again.
My eyes widen in horror as they land on three prone bodies that are now laying over at the bottom of the deck steps.
No.
My heart stops.
I fall back to my knees, a coldness creeping up my spine as my eyes stay glued on the bodies.
The bodies of Lucy, Don, and Mack.
Laying in the sea of red.
Their bodies viciously torn from the inside out, blood spilling out to join the sea. Faces barely recognizable, intestines sticking out, white ribs clearly seen.
No.
Dead.....
"It's your fault, Alex." I hear Razim say in the background. "And now it's your turn!" He shouts.
I turn, just in time to see him lunging at me with a jagged knife.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mack's (POV)
"No!" Alex shouts, and I suddenly lose my balance as I'm shoved backwards, the air escaping my lungs in a giant whoosh as my back hits the hard floor. My crutches falling beside me.
Okay....What just happened?
Alex currently has a knee on each side of my waist, his hands pinning both my wrists in a vice like grip to the floor just above my head.
I look up into Alex's face that's hovering a foot above mine, his eyes wild and frantic as he stares down at me. His face hard and dangerous.
My heart thuds in my chest, fear wrapping around my throat at the blank expression on his face as he stares at me....like, like he doesn't know it's me.
His chest rises and falls rapidly, the air leaving his lungs in quick, but controlled spurts.
All that lasts for about five seconds before his face suddenly clears, recognition filling his eyes as he stares down at me.
They quickly fill with horror as he realizes he practically just tackled me to the floor.
He stands up in one quick motion, still looking down at me with wide eyes, his breathing once again picking up speed.
I groan, rubbing my sore wrist with my right hand, my back feeling bruised from the hard landing.
He swallows, his eyes leaving me as he looks around the room. Him seeming uncertain about something.
Well, that went well.
I mentally sigh, looking over at the clock hanging on the wall.
4:10 A.M
I'd been asleep when I heard something over here in Alex's room. And being me, I went to investigate.
And what did I find?
Alex was thrashing around in his bed, sweat running down his face, eyebrows scrunched together.
Another nightmare?
I can only assume so.
But after hearing everything about him being a spy yesterday, I guess that would explain it a bit.
I shiver.
It looks....Horrible.
He looks so scared, so helpless.
I'd gone over to his bed, planning on trying to wake him up. But as soon as I'd touched him, he'd sat up, yelling "No!" Right before he tackled me to the floor.
Which would explain why I'm currently on the floor right now.
Because I just got ninja tackled.
I look back up at Alex.
He's still standing there, breaths coming out in giant gasps, eyes still slightly wide with fear.
"Alex." I hesitantly say.
His gaze snaps back down to me, dark eyes continuously flickering between me and the walls.
He reaches up with a trembling hand, running it through his hair. His other hand coming up to touch the necklace that I'd noticed around his neck the other day.
I frown.
He still doesn't seem right.
I watch as he takes a deep shuddering breath, his eyes back to searching the room.
What's he looking for?
I look around too.
Everything looks normal to me.
Alex suddenly moves, stumbling towards the door.
Where's he going?
I hear the creak of someone going down the old stairs.
Guess that answers that question.
I get up, rubbing my sore back. Grabbing my crutches, I head down the stairs. As I reach the bottom of the steps, I hear the screen door slam shut.
He must be going outback to that tree. I've noticed he likes doing that when he gets.....upset.
I turn, walking towards the door.
I wonder how Don and Lucy didn't wake up from all the noise Alex was making?
I feel dread settle on my chest.
Must be all the stress from......that financing problem they're having.
I shake my head. No point in thinking about it right now. I open the door, stepping out onto the back deck.
I look out over the dark landscape.
I've always thought it was peaceful when it gets dark out, the summer heat cooling off to a comfortable degree.
I look over towards the big oak tree, looking for the silhouette of Alex.
I frown again. Nothing's out there.
I'm sure I heard him come out here. I mean, no one else would of.
I step down the steps, almost crashing down them when one of my crutches gets caught on a loose board.
"Stupid walking sticks." I grumble, pulling my crutch loose. I shake my head, continuing down towards the tree.
I stop at the trunk of it, looking around.
Nothing.
I furrow my eyebrows.
Where'd he go?
"Alex." I try calling.
I look up as a limb breaks above me in the tree, and my eyes widen as I make out a large shadow in the leaves.
Huh?
Either that's a giant monkey, or Alex somehow managed to climb up a tree that has zero limbs until ten feet up the trunk.
And I'm pretty sure there aren't any monkeys here in Ohio....
"Alex!" I slightly shout up at the tree.
Silence.
A cool gust of wind blows over me, and I feel goosebumps raise on my arms.
"Mack." I suddenly hear a quiet voice reply.
I let a breath out.
For a minute there I thought I was going to have to make a run for my life.
But....how'd he get up there?
I examine the base of the tree.
The bark on the trunk is way too slick to make any good handholds, and the closest branch is about ten feet up.
My eyes land on the old tire swing.
No, he couldn't of...
The rope that's attached to the tire is one of those big sturdy ones, firmly tied to a thick limb that's about fifteen feet up.
Did he shimmy up the rope?
Only one way to find out.
"How'd you get up there?" I call up.
It's silent for a moment, and I hear the rustling of leaves.
"The rope." Is the 'duh' reply.
Geez, I'd never really thought about doing it that way now that I think about it.
Hmm....
I look around. No one in sight.
I shouldn't do this. I have a broken leg for goodness sake. But I can't help it, can't stop the urge. And I've always wanted to climb this tree.
My eyes land on a ladder that's leaning against the side of the house. Which was probably being used for cleaning out the gutters.
I quickly crutch over to it, bringing it back with only...slight difficulty. Leaning it up against the tree.
I step back to look at my brilliant handiwork, placing my hands on my hips.....Well the best you can with crutches.
It reaches almost perfectly to the first limb.
Setting my crutches down in the grass, I start to carefully climb up the ladder.
"What are you doing?" The voice in the tree asks.
I continue climbing. "I'm not really sure myself." I say, making sure I step on the correct spot.
As I reach the top, I grab onto the nearest limb. Though it's still a couple feet above me.
Now what?
Using both arms, I reach up, pulling myself up. I grunt with the effort. Because yes, I unfortunately do not have the best upper-body strength.
I jerk up, my foot swinging back and essentially hitting the ladder.
Great job Mack. Great job.
I pause, wincing as the ladder falls the the ground with a noisy clank.
Whoops.
I'm now currently dangling thirteen feet up in the air, my arms trembling as they try to pull my weight up.
I really shouldn't of eaten that donut yesterday.
My hand slips.
I close my eyes, waiting for the pain that's sure to come.....
Nothing happens.
What?
I cautiously open my eyes back up, looking down.
I didn't fall!
Looking up, I'm met with the annoyed face of Alex who's holding onto me.
I glance at my hands.
Hmm, somehow I didn't even notice he'd grabbed onto me. Guess I was freaking out just a tad too much inside.
Well, he saved me a bunch of pain.
But I suppose he's saved a lot of people in his life.
Alex gets a better handhold on me, then starts hauling me up. I help as much as I can, but it still seems like he's doing all the work.
Finally, after a few agonizing minutes of scraping my arms and body along the tree. I make it onto the branch.
Which I have to say is a very large branch. Hence the large tree.
I sit there, my back up against the tree trunk. Alex is sitting opposite of me, taking some deep breaths.
And that's when I realize.
He's still trembling, and those deep breaths aren't just from the work of pulling me up.
No, he's still trying to calm down from that....nightmare.
I suddenly feel like I'm intruding.
He probably just wanted some alone time Mack. That would explain why he climbed up the tree in the first place.
I suddenly feel like banging my head against the tree.
Sometimes I amaze myself at how oblivious I can be.
Maybe I should leave?....Oh wait, the ladder fell down.
Great, now I'm stuck.
"W-What do you think you were doing?" Alex says in between gasps for air.
I sheepishly smile, giving him a shrug. "I thought you might want some company." I simply say. Because it's the truth.
He seems surprised for a minute, reaching for a higher limb. "So y-you decided to climb up a tree....with a cast on your leg?" I hear amusement in his voice.
I rub my neck. "Seemed like a good idea at the time." I reply.
He shakes his head, then lifts himself easily up to the next limb.
"Hey, where you going?" I ask, pulling myself up to a standing position.
"Up." He simply states.
Oh joy.
So I follow him.
After making it up about ten more feet, I decide I'm high enough. Sitting down, I lean back against the tree trunk.
I sigh. My muscles are going to be nice and sore these next couple of days. Not to mention my leg is getting a uncomfortable ache in it.
You know, the broken one.
Alex hops down to a separate limb beside me. Him having already been higher. "I'm done, that's as far as I can go." I gasp out, wiping my sweaty forehead off.
Alex looks like he's pretty much back to his normal, serious self. The cool night air and the adventure of climbing the tree having helped with his....aftereffects of the nightmare.
He sits down, bringing his knees up to his chest, arms wrapping around them as he rests his chin on top of his knees.
We stay silent, just letting the night noises fill the air.
"Sorry I....tackled you." Alex quietly apologizes after five minutes of silence, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
I rub my back again. "Eh, I'll live." I joke.
Alex cracks a smile, but it quickly disappears. His face returning to his usual serious one.
He looks away, and I can tell there's something troubling him.
So I decided to break the ice.
"What's wrong?" I whisper.
He looks at me a second, his face turning forlorn before he looks away again. "Just a....nightmare." He takes a deep, shuddering breath, arms tightening around his legs.
That sucks.
"Wel-" I'm cut off as Alex suddenly places a hand on my arm, silencing me. He's staring intently out from the cover of the leaves, his body tense.
I lean forward, looking over where he's looking.
Ben's walking along, his hand holding a phone up to his ear as he rapidly talks into it.
My eyes widen. What's he doing? It's what four-thirty in the morning now? Even that's too early for farmhands to be up and about.
It's probably just some personal business.....Right?
I don't know why I feel like it's such a big deal.
But maybe. I look over towards Alex who's still in the same position. Maybe it's because Alex is acting like it's a big deal.
I strain my ears, trying to catch some of his conversation as he walks almost directly underneath us.
Thankfully he's too busy to notice my crutches that are laying discarded by the ladder.
"Yeah, yeah. I understand." He pauses. "They're leaving sometime this month on some business trip. It's the perfect time." He laughs. "Then it's all ours." He pauses again.
"Like stealing candy from a baby" His voice fades away as he walks out of hearing range.
I tense up.
That sounded like.....
We watch as he disappears into the distance, his dark silhouette entering the barn.
I lean back. Did that just happen?
Alex sits back in his original position, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Alex, what was that?" I question.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "You know the ATV accident?" He says completely out of nowhere.
I nod.
What's that got to do with anything?
"It wasn't an accident." He suddenly says, face straight.
My heart jumps.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I cautiously ask.
He stares me in the eye, everything about him serious.
"It was on purpose."
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A/N
Hiya!! *Waves shyly* So I'm really-Really sorry for the late update. You known there was Christmas and everything. So I hope your not to upset at me. 😊*Cringes* And wow 5079 words!! I amaze myself sometimes lol.
Anywho
Questions:
1. We're you confused when I did that dream inside a dream thing??
2. What'd ya think about it??
3. Who agrees with me that Mack is crazy for climbing up a tree with a broken leg??
4. Any ideas on what Ben was talking about on the phone??😏
5. Who's ready for some detective work here??
6. Did ya have a good Christmas??😍(I did!!)
I'd absolutely love you feedback!!!!!👍🏻
Thanks again everyone!!!!!
Don't forget.....VOTE!!!!.....Comment!!!!! (Love them all😘)
Happy holidays!!!!
Next update: Sometime this weekend. (I'm still busy😭) so bear with me.
Maggy❤
Edited: 6/21/17