Mommy

Chapter 8: The Stake

I threw the blankets back over my prize, quickly jumping behind the boxes with Jen— leaving the bolt-cutter safely hidden in the pile of blankets. Relief leaped inside of my chest.

I found the bolt cutter.

I could hear the quick footsteps come into the room, nearing by the second. It didn't seem like just one, and I began to feel nervous. I peeked around the corner of the box, hoping to recognize whoever it was. I could feel my body stiffen.

"It's the Seekers..." Jen hummed in a rather soft, taunting sing-song voice.

It was Alex and Carson. They both had their weapons at their sides and seemed extremely wary of something. I knew they weren't the Finders. I knew they were the ones trying to stop us. Whether they wanted to or not—they had no choice.

Their eyes were cold and empty as they scanned the room, walking forward with such intent--such vigor that it scared me. They looked around the boxes, seeming to look for something...for us.

I swallowed. I knew if they caught us, they would put those weapons to use. And I knew that they couldn't stop even they wanted to—it was the rules. And rule breaking was a big thing around here.

I glanced at Jen as she placed her hand firm on my shoulder. A chill ran over me as she met my gaze, her eyes flickering above the box to the two older boys in the room. I hoped she wasn't thinking what she was thinking as she room blew over with a chill.

She smiled. A chill ran up my spine as I realized for a fact what she was about to do. I held my breath and shuddered in fear as she roughly pushed me, attempting to use me as a distraction method for her to get away.

But before I could roll into view of Alex and Carson, I ducked down, causing her to fall from the force of her push and roll right past me. The stake fell out of her pocket.

I quickly slid back into the shadows as they noticed her, holding their weapons above her body. They had no choice.

She began to scream and stumble away, attempting to pull the now-missing stake from her jean pocket. She looked violently around, her eyes widening in horror as she realized she didn't have it.

But she let out a relieved, almost panicked laugh as her eyes found and locked on the stake on the floor, right in front of me. Her eyes glimmered in hope. She yelped, holding out her hand to me as both Alex and Carson stalked forward, oblivious of my small figure.

"Hand me the stake!" She screeched. "Give it to me! Now!" she screamed and yipped at me, expecting me to throw it to her for her own protection. My heart hammered in my chest.

I watched in silence. I didn't know exactly to do as they neared her, blood-lust in their eyes. My body wouldn't move, as though it was telling me to stay out of it.

She tried to push me to them.

She tried to equal her fate now to mine.

She tried to get me killed.

But before I could do anything--before I could make a decision as to whether I should or should not help her— it was already too late.

I watched with horror as Alex slammed her to the floor, knocking out her breath. Her eyes locked on me with anger and hatred as Carson took over, pinning her down and driving his screwdriver into her hand multiple times, the red liquid flying and spewing against the walls as the screams of agony and horror swallowed my ears.

For some reason, I felt she was lucky. That wasn't the worst thing they could do.

Jen begged them to stop; she begged them to let her go as she screeched in pain— Carson drilling the rusty metal deep into her already wounded skin. She kicked and flailed around, but it was no use to two older boys who were holding her down.