This is Not My Home

Chapter Fourteen

Years After

"Ollie."

She shifted in her sleep and protested with a grunt.

Tyler grabbed her shoulder and shook her. "Ollie," he said, stressing his voice.

"Five more minutes," she whispered.

He bent down and scooped her up, being as gentle as he could. He grabbed a blanket off the bed, her little rabbit, and her headphones, then ran into the bathroom.

Tyler wrapped her in the blanket and tucked the rabbit next to her head. "Ollie, please wake up."

"What's going on?" she asked, opening her eyes tiredly.

He tried to respond, but was interrupted with a muted gunshot from the room next door. Ollie stared at him, tears starting to sting.

"Shh," he coaxed, setting her down in the bathtub. "It's okay."

She started to cry, hugging her little rabbit close. She watched Tyler run out of the room and started to hear furniture being moved.

He must be barricading the door, the other voice said.

"We're gonna die!" Ollie wailed.

No, we're not. Shh, it's going to be okay.

She sobbed loudly, hearing more gunshots and screams.

Tyler dragged a chair into the bathroom, then turned the lights off. He shut the door and locked it, then placed the chair under the knob to keep it shut.

He went over to her and sat in front of her. He pulled a handgun out of a hidden holster and held it at the ready.

Ollie continued to cry, clinging to Tyler. He kept her close and wiped her tears away with the blanket.

"I know you're scared," he whispered, "but we're going to be okay. It's just a game of hide-and-seek."

"Hide and seek," she repeated.

"Yep," Tyler said, smiling through the darkness. He put an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.

She started to weep again as people attempted to break into the room. Tyler shushed her once they did, and deathly silence followed after.

Tyler took his arm back and put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "Stay behind me."

Ollie quietly scooted directly behind him, her heart thudding in her chest. Visualizations of her and Tyler's gruesome death flashed through her mind, and her heart sped up enough to make her wonder if it was about to break out of her chest.

Slow, heavy footsteps came up to the bathroom door. The doorknob started to turn. Tyler lifted his gun and forcefully slowed his breathing.

"We don't wanna hurt 'cha," the person from outside the door said.

Tyler kept quiet, narrowing his gaze. Ollie could see his hands shaking and started to shake, too.

"Just open the door up and we'll let 'cha go," the voice said. "We're only lookin' for the little one, Mr. Evans."

His breath hitched, and his grip tightened on the handle. He felt Ollie's trembling body press against his and tried to be strong for her.

"Open the door, Mr. Evans," the voice said.

Tyler looked for Ollie's headphones and held a curse back when he noticed they were too far to grab. Instead, he tucked her skull under his arm, covering her ears as well as he could.