Cloud looked between the 2 people at the door and said nothing. He had been out for an hour now, going trick or treating with his daughter. He had forgotten where Layla lived. He just turned his gaze away from Layla and looked towards Jackson with a frown. He could see that Jackson was limping slightly and he had to hold back a smirk at satisfaction for Jackson being hurt. Layla whimpered softly as she tried to take a step forward but Jackson held her back. Cloud was about to tell Jackson off but he heard his name being called. He clenched his jaw and grabbed his daughter's arm gently.
"Come. We are being called. Say thank you and let's move on. Lots of houses to go to" he spoke softly to her but loud enough for Jackson and Layla to hear.
Layla flinched slightly at his words and turned away, thinking he didn't care about her anymore. His daughter nodded and turned, leaving with Cloud. Cloud walked down the driveway and towards his friends that all had their children in the wagon. Cloud grabbed the wagon, since he was the strongest, and he started to drag it. He glanced back at the house and frowned at what he saw. Layla was backing away from Jackson as he turned to her angrily while closing the door. He heard the sound of a slap just as the door shut but he peeled his attention away and to the next house where his daughter was. He stayed at the end of the driveway and just stared at Layla's house. Finally his friend tapped his shoulder. Cloud turned to the African American man and the man spoke in his usual deep voice.
"Cloud? What are you staring at? You've been staring at the house for so long it's like you're trying to see into it. You went up there, did you see a hot girl? Someone you wanting?" The male teased but Cloud just ignored the tease and answered truthfully.
"Yes Damian. I don't know if it's pity but I want her...I want to get her out of that house. I want her to stay beside me and, more importantly, I want to protect her" he spoke with determination and his friend just stared at him in shock. Damian just stared at his best friend in shock. Cloud had never really wanted to be in a relationship since his wife left him so saying he wanted someone, was a shock. Damian just shrugged it off, thinking Cloud wasn't serious. He watched his daughter with Cloud's then turned to change the subject with Cloud but Cloud was gone. He looked around confused and with a frown.
"Cloud? Cloud?!" He called for him but tried to stay silent so the kids wouldn't be worried.
Cloud groaned as he climbed over the fence and fell into the backyard. He got up and looked around. He slowly crawled around the house so he wouldn't get caught and he tried to find the basement window but it was boarded up. He held back a growl of frustration and he crawl towards the back door.
Cloud peered in and almost flew back into hiding when he saw Layla making a sandwich and Jackson waiting at the diner table. Layla had a hand mark on her face and her throat was red. Her eyes were also bloodshot and tear stains were going down her cheeks. Cloud stared at her the longest he could and the best he could. He couldn't keep his eyes off her and just staring at her, knowing she was alive, made him happy. He hadn't realized his feelings before and he didn't understand them but he knew he needed to act on them and act fast before Layla got more hurt. He had missed her whenever he'd go to the school to drop of his daughter and he had heard Amelia was pulled out of the school so it made him worried. Since he didn't see Amelia at the moment he thought of the worst thing, Jackson had killed her.
Cloud watched as Layla dragged her feet while she walked to Jackson, giving him the sandwich. Jackson grabbed her hair and pulled her down so he could talk into her ear. He whispered something into her ear that Cloud couldn't make out but he could tell it was bad when Layla tried to get away from Jackson but he had a strong grip on her hair. Cloud wanted to run into the house and beat Jackson but he held back. He knew Layla would get beaten more if he did. He heard jingling and he instantly froze, turning around slowly but he stopped when he saw it was a cat. He raised an eyebrow and tried to shoo away the cat but it didn't move. The bell on its collar jingled more as it walked closer to him and Cloud tried to shoo it away more. He glanced back into the house once he heard the chair moving and he lurched back from sight when he saw Jackson glaring at the back door. Cloud started to panic and he tried to look for somewhere to hide. There were no bushes or anything to hide behind. Jackson opened the door and looked around the backyard. He frowned when he saw the cat but nothing else. He shrugged and turned towards Layla again.
"Nothing here. Just a cat. God, it better move before I kill it like I killed the other one" he spoke harshly before walking back inside, closing the door.
Cloud panted hard as he popped his head out of the pool. He gripped onto the side of the pool and coughed. He looked around at the neighbor's back yard and he got out. He shook his drenched hair and tried to squeeze his wet clothes.
"Who puts a fucking pool right beside a fence?!" He snapped angrily.
Cloud jumped at the sound of the back door of the house opening and he stared at the door in shock, frozen in place. An older woman walked out onto the deck and looked to Cloud. Cloud slowly tried moving then frowned when the old woman didn't react. He waved his hand but the woman still didn't react. Cloud leaned forward and he finally realized that the woman's eyes were clouded over, meaning she was blind. He shrugged and just walked out of the woman's backyard without a reaction. He walked through the small space between the 2 houses and he walked out onto the street. He was surprised when he saw Damian still there with their daughters. Damian was surprised when he saw his best friend drenched in water.
"What the fuck happened to you?" Damian questioned his friend but Cloud just waved him off, saying he would explain later at the bar.
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Layla watched Jackson come back in and she sat silently. She thought she had saw Cloud but it seemed like she was just seeing things. She frowned as turned back to her husband.
"It was just a cat?" She asked innocently.
Jackson snarled "that's what I just fucking said!" He snapped at her then pulled her hair from her ear "are you not fucking listening to me?!" He yelled into her ear.
Layla flinched and turned away fast to not become face to face with Jackson any longer. Jackson let Layla go and walked off "I'm not hungry anymore. Feed it to the kid" he called over his shoulder as he walked down the hall.
Layla grabbed the plate with her shaky hands and she picked it up slowly. She walked to the basement door and unlocked it, carefully walking downstairs. She walked onto the cement floor and looked to where Amelia lay, still asleep and chained. Layla walked to her and made sure not to make a sound to wake her. She walked on her toes until she reached her daughter's sprawled out body. She bent down and shook her gently. Amelia slowly opened her eyes to show her now dull brown eyes. Amelia whimpered softly when she saw her mother's face.
"Mommy?" She spoke weakly yet hopefully. Layla sighed softly and passed the plate to Amelia. Amelia slowly reached towards the food but stopped and looked to her thin mother. She pushed the food to her mother, urging her to eat instead of her. Layla stared down at the food and didn't advance towards it like Amelia had wanted her to. Amelia nudged the plate once more and Layla shook her head/
"No thank you Amelia. You need to eat more than I do I promise I'll be fine" she tried to explain it to Amelia without hurting her feelings but Amelia just got angry.
"Mom I already ate! Please eat the food! It looks like you haven't eaten for a very long time and you're sick"she spoke with attitude, making Layla flinch and Amelia instantly regretted it. She tried to speak calmer and softer "mommy please. I want you as healthy as possible because I love you" this time Layla slowly reached over to the uneaten part of the sandwich and took a small bite.
Amelia watched her mother in joy but her smile dropped when she saw her mother's body rejecting the food but Layla refused to throw up the food her daughter had given her. She coughed slightly as she slowly calmed down and she rubbed her throats before swallowing the big lump. She turned to Amelia once again.
"I ate so please feed yourself as well..." she spoke softly and with a kind tone, pushing the plate closer to Amelia's fragile body. Amelia let out a soft whine but nonetheless she grabbed the plate, eating the rest of the food. Layla's face broke out in a small smile but it instantly dropped and she flinched when she heard her name being roared from upstairs. She glanced at Amelia then kissed her cheek.
"I must go. Your father will be angry if I'm not there soon. Don't worry you are safe. I promise" she cupped her daughters cheeks as she tried to explain softly. She got up, letting her fingers brush against Amelia's cheeks as she stood weakly.
She walked up the stairs slowly while staring at her daughter. She opened the door with another creak and shut it as quietly as she could. She walked upstairs and looked around slowly. She walked into her bedroom and stopped when she heard the shower running. She walked to her spot in the corner and curled up slightly. She closed her eyes but they snapped open as Jackson walked out of the shower. He stared down at Layla with a deathly. Jackson snarled down at her and grabbed her by her hair.
"The next time I see you around Cloud, I'll kill the both of you"