Adopted by 5SOS

Chapter 12. Imaginary Friend

Shiloh's POV
On the way to the new place, we had gotten into a car accident. The truck became totaled, and my father had beat the other driver up before stealing his car. At the new location, there was the main floor, the upstairs floor with one bedroom, and the basement. I was obviously in the basement, and my father was upstairs. The basement had a mattress, pillow, blanket, a tv, a tiny shower and a toilet. "You shall receive five whip marks, for what you did." My father said coldly, as I was laying on the mattress. My back still stung from earlier when he whipped me.

"Turn around." He ordered as I heard him unbuckle his belt and fold it. He threw it five times, me screaming out in pain, begging him to stop. The slashes were burning and stinging, and I felt the blood running down my back. "That's enough for today, I'll be back tomorrow." He spoke as I watched him walk up the stairs and slam the door shut. I curled myself into a ball and stared at the wall, crying.

"Hey there.." The voice said as I squinted into the darkness. "Are you real?" I asked as the girls voice erupted into laughter. "No! I'm you, silly. I'm the voice inside your head, manifesting into something you can talk to." She explained as I muttered an "oh." I slowly turned onto my back and yelped in pain.  "I watched that, you know. I watched your dad whip you, and you crying in pain. Are you okay?" She questioned as I ignored her, and tried to sleep. "Hey! Answer me!" She roared as my eyes shot open.

"No I'm not okay! Do I look okay?!" I screamed at her as she showed a pained expression. "Well don't you worry, I'll be here watching you sleep." She said, trying to comfort me. "I won't be able to sleep." I pointed out as she crawled closer. She looked exactly like me, in the dim light of the tv. She had all my features.. Except, she was healthy and beautiful. "Why can't you sleep?" She asked as she propped herself against the wall. "Because you're here. You're watching over me, that's creepy." I replied as she giggled.

"I'm sorry Shiloh. I'll leave you now, I'll be back in the morning." She told me as I nodded and she began to disappear. "Oh and Shiloh?" She said as I looked over at her. "Sleep with one eye open tonight." She grinned before leaving my sight. I sighed, and tried to fall asleep; leaving one eye open. I hoped the boys were doing alright.

Luke's POV
It's been five hours since we last saw Shiloh. After Mikey and I came back downstairs, Calum explained what happened. Apparently, Shiloh and her father had gotten into a car accident. The news reporter had said that Shiloh's father had beat the other guy up, before stealing the other car. "What are we supposed to do? The old truck is totaled now, there's no way of tracking them!" Ashton asked, bags showing under his eyes at the lack of sleep.

"Ash, go get some shut eye. You too, Cal. Michael and I can take watch with the cops." I urged as Ashton rubbed his eyes and took a sip of coffee. "No Luke! I can't, I have to stay up in case-." I shook my head, pushing him off the bar stool. "No. Go to sleep, Mikey and I got this covered." I assured as Ashton and Calum trudged up the stairs. I decided to just finish Ashton's coffee and then make a new cup. "I feel like it's been a fücking week since she's been gone, and it hasn't even been a day!" Michael exclaimed as I nodded.

"Boys, we may have got something!" The cop said excitedly, as Mikey and I briskly walked over to the table. "What have you got?" I asked as the cop was watching the computer screen. "We called the police station that's near their supposed location. The police station is on the lookout." The cop explained as we nodded. "That's good news, I guess." I yawned, while taking another sip of coffee.

"Do you think Shiloh is okay?" Mikey asked as I shrugged. "I honestly don't know, I mean.. From when we saw her earlier.. The look in her eyes... Was pure and utter, fear. She was truly afraid of her father, afraid of what he might do." I replied, him nodding in agreement. The phone on the table rang, all of us jumping at the sound. "Answer it carefully. It might be her father." The cop said as I slowly picked it up.

"Hello?" I answered, watching the cop put the headphones on and trying to track the location. "Luke..." A voice said as my eyes widened. I covered the speaker end, and smiled. "That sounds like Shiloh!" I mouthed as Michael smiled back. "Shiloh?" I asked as the girl coughed. "Yeah, you could say that." It answered and I became confused. "Um, what do you mean?" I asked, waiting for her to answer.

"Well, I'm Shiloh... Just not.. The Shiloh that you know." It answered, me furrowing my brows. "What?" I replied and the line went dead. I put the phone down, and looked at the cop. "Did you get that?" I questioned and the cop nodded. "That was weird... The girl sounded like her, but then again it didn't." I spoke, Michael giving me a weird look. Both of our areas around our nose, were black and blue and swollen from the punches.

The phone rang again, and the cop answered it. "It's the police station calling... They found an abandoned house, in the middle of nowhere. But, they said the car is leaving... But it only looks like one person in the car." The cop recited as I frowned. "So Shiloh is in that house somewhere?" I asked, agitatedly. "She could be, or she could have been ducking in the car." The cop responded as I groaned.

"We're never going to find her, are we?" I muttered, my head in my hands. "Luke, you just have to have hope and faith." The cop commented, his hand on my shoulder reassuringly.