Escape {COMPLETE}

~Chapter Eleven~

Don't tell me someone else is next....

The words whispered past my mind, echoing in my thoughts. It was still bright outside, yet I felt as if it were night time already. I searched around the yard once more, trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. "Anyone else hear that?" I asked apprehensively. "Hear what?" Patrick and Rachel said at the same time. Dammit.... I thought to myself. "Why, did you?" Patrick asked confusedly.

"Uh...no," I hurriedly lied, and instantly felt guilty. "Maybe...." I murmured. Rachel stared at me. "Hannah...."

"Okay, fine, I thought I heard someone in pain!" I growled. "But I don't see anything, do you?" They shook their heads in disbelief. "Great, what if someone else gets kidnapped?!" I felt panic rising in my throat, causing my voice to grow louder. "They won't, Hannah, it'll be ok," Rachel tried to calm me down, but she looked as if she didn't even believe herself. "Maybe we should head back inside..." Patrick announced, glancing up at the dark clouds in the distance. It was storming a lot that month...."Yeah, maybe we should," I agreed. We headed back towards the house, but the door opened before we reached it. Nick emerged with a solemn look in his eyes.

"Nick!" I ran over to him. "How are they?" He looked down at me. "They're fine now, everything's back to normal."

"I don't understand, why would the person do that??" I asked, sort of thinking out loud. "I don't know...maybe he was trying to scare us?" Rachel suggested. "Or distract us..." I mumbled. "That sound I heard--maybe he was trying to distract us from that?" I spouted. "That's actually a good idea!" Patrick insisted.

"But...why would we need to be distracted from that?" Rachel murmured the question. "I don't know...but I'll find out if it kills me!" I growled insistently. "I still don't know why we can't just go out looking for her...." I instantly shook my head. "No, Rachel, what if he finds us and captures us, too?! And besides, the police are gonna get us in trouble if we try and interfere." Rachel mumbled under her breath, annoyed, but knew I was right. If only we could do something....

"Wait..." I murmured. I turned around from where we were clustered on the back porch, towards where the sound came from. I strained to see, yet the afternoon sun did little to help. It sort of blinded me. "Look behind the fence." I instructed, hoping to God we would find something. We all snuck to a side of the fence, Nick and Rachel to the right, and Patrick and I to the left. We tip-toed across the trimmed lawn and stopped when we reached the pale brown back fence.

I climbed onto a wooden bar supporting the planks, peaking over the edge. Rachel and Nick followed my lead, and Patrick climbed on right beside me. We all saw the same odd sight. A boy about our age, holding his arm and sobbing silently to himself. He gasped when he heard us, looked up and yelled in alarm. He stood up and scurried away, his arm still bleeding.

Erin's P.O.V.

I didn't know how long I had been asleep, but judging from the throbbing stiffness of my neck, it must've been a while. I groaned as I sat up and stretched, popping my neck and making it hurt even more. "Ow!" I hissed under my breath, grabbing my neck and rubbing it gently with my fingers, trying to tease the pain from it. I stood up, trying to see through the darkness to find the fireplace. I lowered myself to the ground, poking my way through the carpet until I hit the metal grate in front of it. I grabbed a piece of firewood from a pile on the side of the brick fireplace and shoved it into the smokey ashes and found a box of matches.

I scraped the small red tip against the sandpapery side of the matchbox and i instantly felt the heat leaking down to touch my hand. I flicked it into the wood and it immediately burst ablaze. I glanced around the newly lit room, but I didn't see anything. Or anyone. "Blaze??" I whispered, scared. What happened while I was asleep?! My mind whirled with worry. I didn't know why my heart was racing so quickly at the thought of our kidnapper getting ahold of Blaze, but....it just made my stomach do back flips.

I felt my mouth become dry and I stood up, looking all around the room. I searched for any other sign of life than my own. I only spotted rows of books and the couch on which Blaze was when I met him. It was so hard to believe that it was only yesterday when we met. I didn't see him anywhere, which means that our kidnapper must've taken him somewhere. Maybe he was torturing him....

I felt a single tear spring to my eye at the thought of him being tortured. A vivid picture crossed through my mind of Blaze being strapped down to a table and cut slowly, bleeding to death, being reminded of every time his family banished him to be alone.....

"Blaze..." I whispered.

The small word echoed across the elegant room, making the loneliness press only further on my heart. I sat on the couch. I had only just met him, yet he seemed so...special, so different than the rest. I felt a stab of sadness pang through my heart and I sighed. In the silence I sat there, and I just stared into the fire.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps. They sounded as if they were coming through the walls. My eyes shot wide open and I nearly fell out of the couch. I snuffed the fire out as quickly as I could, pouring a bucket of water on it. (The bucket said 'Use for Emergency Fire'...whoopsies....)

I scrambled back into the bed, trying to make it look as if I were still asleep. I started to hear the footsteps grow louder, and soft, muffled speech. A familiar deep, rough voice and a stranger, rougher voice booming behind the bookshelves. I slammed my eyes shut, straining to hear what they said. The walls muffled it too much....

Suddenly, I heard the slight creak of a door being opened. I barely peeked from behind my eyelids and was astonished by the sight I saw. Blaze had emerged from a hidden doorway, followed by a shadowy figure at least a foot taller. The tall one growled, "Blaze, remember what I said. I warned you." Blaze simply nodded once, his face a pale white.

The tall figure stepped out into the doorway, and it instantly closed behind him, showing only the bookshelf. If I hadn't known, I would've never guessed...I thought that stuff was just in Sherlock Holmes books and such.

As soon as the unseen figure stepped out and I heard his footsteps melt away, Blaze sat on the couch, lighting the fire back. He didn't look up at all, but kept his eyes trained on his arm. His bloody arm..."I know you're awake." He suddenly muttered. I caught my breath, silently, stunned.

He turned and looked at me, a cold haze clouding his eyes. "What happened?" I whispered, sort of scared to speak. "If you know any better," He softly explained, "You won't ask again."

He turned back to face the fire. He must have hurt him, bad....