“No!”
I screamed, trying to wiggle out from beneath Max however as he stomping down on my ribs, I fell back.
Giving up, I let my eyes which were filled with tears spill over and that was in everything happened at once.
In the corner, Calum shot to his feet, elbowing Connor in the face before making a dive for the door at the same moment that James did. And Jay, who had been sneaking up on Tristan, with a tray, brought it down on his head, making the blonde boy crumple to the ground.
Lunging for the button, Calum punched it and the doors slid open. Not wasting a moment, James dove in. Glancing around and finding the no longer hot fire poker within grabbing distance, I reached out and just as Max noticed I had it and lunged down to take it from me, I cracked him in the temple.
As he clasped I struggled to my feet, staggering over to where the others were gathered, watching in horror as James dove down towards the bottom of the massive tank in the floor, towards Charlie and Luke.
Looking around widely for the shark, my heart sunk as I saw it swim slowly out of the depths.
“Oh God!” Calum cried, “I’m going in there!”
“No!” Jay cried, holding him back, “We can’t risk losing anyone else.”
“That’s my best friend down there!” Calum screamed.
My heart hammering, I watched as James struggled to kick to the surface with both Luke and Charlie.
“Let me help him!” Calum cried.
“No!” Jay shouted, “They’re already gone!”
“No they’re not.” I replied, kicking off my shoes.
“Ashton don’t!” Lauren screamed behind me.
Ignoring her, I jumped though the hole.
Immediately, the salt stunk my eyes, however blinking, I was able to make out James swimming up from below me, the shark circling below them lazily, and then as if it were in slow motion, I watched the small trail of blood coming from Charlie’s shoulder, reach the shark’s nostril and then something switched inside him, and he was swinging after them.
Panicking, I kicked down, reaching out a hand. Struggling to reach me, James handed me Charlie. Wrapping my arms around her, I swam upwards until my head broke the surface.
“Ashton!” Calum cried, kneeling down and taking Charlie from me, as I took in ragged breaths.
Then, after taking a deep breath as I could manage, I went back under, swimming down to James who to my dismay I realized was no longer swimming but sinking. Panicking, I grabbed Luke under his armpits and holding Tristan by his shirt kicked up, however just before I reached the surface, something pulled me down.
Looking down horrified, my heart stopped, as I found James’ leg in the shark’s mouth.
Knowing that If I didn’t get Luke to the surface in the next two seconds he was a goner, I forced myself to release my grip on James’s shirt and swam up, breaking though to the air above.
“Take him!” I gasped, as Calum and Jay hurriedly took Luke from my grasp.
Calum then reached a hand out for me, however taking a deep breath, I ignored him and went back down. Immediately my stomach churned, realizing the water was red. My lungs burning I struggled to make out anything however after what felt like an eternity I found James, sinking towards the bottom, a large bite sized chunk missing from his leg.
Glancing around for the shark and seeing no sign of it, I dove down, swimming as fast I could towards James’ lifeless body. Starting to get light headed, my ears popping the deeper I went, I finally managed to grab a hold of one of his hands, pulling me up to me, I held him under his armpits and kicked up, desperate for air, my lungs screaming.
Struggling to swim, carry James and see though the blood while getting light headed, I finally spotted the light above me, however just before I broke though the surface, something pumped into me. Whirling around I turned to find Erin’s face staring back at me, her eyes wide open, her mouth open and her hair fanning out around her.
Screaming, I kicked away from her, inhaling a mouthful of water. Choking, I inhaled more water and began to sing, the door growing smaller and smaller as I began to lose consciousness, and then I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and I was moving up again.
Going in and out of consciousness and it took me a moment to realize that I was no longer in the water anymore but being heaved over the side and onto the floor. Struggling to get a breath, I worried about the others, however before I could think about it too much, I felt like I was falling and everything went silent.
“Ashton?” a voice demanded, leaning over me, “Come on Ashton, don’t make me give you mouth to mouth. I already had to do that with Luke.”
I felt myself be sat up and then someone pounded on my back violently until I coughed up enough water to fill several lakes. Fluttering my eyes open I thought I had perhaps died and gone to Heaven because kneeling next to me was a very wet Michael.
“God!” he cried, pulling me into a hug, “Can you stop getting yourself in near death situations for like five minutes!”
“Luke?” I questioned, “Charlie, James? Destiny?!”
“They’ll be okay.” Michael sighed, pushing his hair out of his face and pushing me away from him, "Destiny's calling for help, and the other three will bee alright."
Looking around I found Luke sitting next to Charlie, holding his shirt to her heavily bleeding shoulder, while Calum and Jay knelt over James, who had a belt secured tightly around his leg as a tourniquet.
“What happened? When did you get here?” I asked.
“Calum butt dialed,” Michael replied.
“How did you get here so fast?” I asked.
“Liz sent me,” he answered, “She knew you two screw ups would…. Well, screw up.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” I sighed.
“Yeah, yeah,” Michael grumbled, even though he was looking at Luke over my shoulder like he wanted to kiss him.
“What about Brad?” I demanded suddenly.
“Who?” Luke asked.
“Bradley Simpson,” I answered, “This is his house, he did all this.”
“I haven’t seen him.” Michael answered looking around.
“Wait!” I cried, my heart sinking as I looked around the room, “Where’s Lauren?”
“What?” Michael asked.
“Lauren was here!” I cried struggling to my feet.
“Oh,” Michael sighed, “It was just you guys when I got here.”
“Calum?” I cried, “Where is Lauren?”
“What?” Calum cried, “Shit! Ashton, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even notice she was gone.”
Feeling sick I looked at the empty chair where she had been sitting where a note was sitting, crossing over to it I picked it up and hastily scanned over it, my heart sinking with each scribbled line.
Hey Asston,
We have your sister.
And she's fine, but she won't be unless you quit the tour, meet us in the back yard at midnight to cough over yout fame, or the girl gets it.
~ Brad and Connor.
“Shit!” I cried, pulling at my hair, “What time is it?”
“Eleven fifty.” Michael answered, “Why, what’s wrong?”
“I have to go get Lauren!” I cried, running for the doors.
“Wait!” Michael called after me, “I’m coming with you!”
“What about me?” Calum shouted.
“Stay with the others until the ambulance gets here!” Michael replied, before we ran though the door, letting it slam closed behind us, leaving us alone in the strange, dark house.
“This is creepy as fuck?” Michael whispered, holding up his iphone flashlight, which miraculously still worked after he had dove in the water after me with it in his pocket.
“Let’s just find the backyard.” I whispered back.
“And then what?” he hissed, “We’re unarmed, “I’m like ninety percent sure your ribs are broken, and it’s two on two! I don’t like those odds! I’ve never hit anyone before!”
“Michael be quiet!”
“Sorry, I’m just freaking out here, I mean, I don’t mean to be blunt but if we screw this up we’re going to get your sister killed!”
“Don’t say that!”
“I’m just being real here! We need weapons and a plan!”
“We don’t have tim….that’s it!”
“What?”
“The back door!”
“Shit!”
Holding a finger up to my lips, I slowly led the way towards the large glass door, with Michael trailing behind me, grumbling under his breath about how he wished he was playing xbox instead. Reaching the door, my fingertips and just latched onto the handle when a light switched on behind me.
“Um, what are you doing here?”
Whirling around, and letting out a small shriek I was shocked to find a small tan woman standing behind us, her eyebrow cocked in confusion and a small Chihuahua in her arms.
“The real question is what are you doing here?” Michael demanded.
“I live here.” The woman replied slowly.
“Oh,” I mumbled, “Um…. Who are you exactly.”
“I’m Gretchen,” she answered slowly.
“Oh,” Michael answered, eyeing her chest, “Well, um, I’m Michael and this is Ashton and we’re…..”
“Are of friends of Brad?” she interrupted, “I’m his step mom.”
“No we’re not Brad’s friends!” I spat, “He’s nuts!”
“What?” she demanded.
“He’s holding my sister hostage outside! He’s been feeding people to the shark you whack jobs have in the other room! He stabbed a girl! He’s been torturing us for hours! And now…..”
“Woah, woah, woah!” Gretchen cried, “Are we talking about the same adorable little perv who thinks I don’t know that he tries to catch me in the shower?”
“I don’t know, I guess, yeah!” I cried, “And we kind of are in a hurry because he’s going to kill my sister so he can be famous and….”
“Wait what?” Gretchen cried, “That little creep!”
“I know right!” Michael replied.
Shaking her head, she thrust her dog into Michael’s hands, and pushing past me stormed outside to where Lauren was sat on the ground with Brad and Connor stood on either side of her, Brad clutching the box cutter and Connor holding a large knife.
“What the hell is this?” Gretchen cried.
Looking up stunned, Brad dropped the box cutter. Taking her moment of opportunity Lauren hastily rose to her feet and ran over to me. Never being more happy to see anyone in my entire life I bent down, opening my arms wide and she dove into them. Grunting as threw herself on my broken rib I took a step back to keep my footing.
“Ashton!” she sobbed.
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.” I sighed, “It’s over now.”
And based on the way Gretchen was hitting Brad with her purse, and he was cowering on the ground, it was.
I feel like that was a really bad chapter. I'll try to write another one. Was it too abrupt?