Jameson's Spiral

Chapter 2

"You're nothing," He growled, "that's all you'll ever be, you hear?"

I crawled further into the dark shadows under my bed. Dust tickled my nose and throat, but I wouldn't let myself cough. Sharp nails from the floorboards scraped my bare arms and legs, making the floor sticky with warm blood.

He banged on my bedroom door.

"Let me in, you rats!" He yelled.

I could hear six-year-old Mason crying quietly from his hiding spot in the closet on the other side of the room. Anger stirred within me.

That...man...wasn't going to hurt my brother.

The doorknob wiggled. He was trying to unlock the door from the outside.

Panic shot through me.

I scooted out from under the bed and padded towards the closet. I opened it.

Mason, small and thin, cowered under the hanging clothes. He flinched as I opened the closet.

He looked up at me, his eyes large and terrified.

"Zak! What are you doing?" He cried.

"He's trying to get in! Come on!" I beckoned for him to follow. After some hesitation, he did.

I led him to the bedroom window and, after some effort, cracked it open a little less than a foot.

Behind us, the knob began to click.

It would have to do.

"Get out of here!" I instructed Mason. He looked at me, confused, then at the door.

"What about you?"

I pushed him towards the open window.

"I'll be right behind you."

"I'm older," he argued, "I should make you go first!"

I groaned. "Only by three minutes! Get out!"

He didn't argue.

Mason put his head through the window, then wiggled through.

As his feet disappeared, the door slammed open behind me.

He filled the doorframe, huge and dark and dangerous.

"What the-"

"Zak!" Mason cried from the ground outside the window.

In that moment, I had a decision to make.

I braced myself and turned towards the window.

"Go to the clubhouse. I'll meet you there."

Before he could argue, I slammed the window shut.

There was a deep, raspy laugh.

"Foolish boy."

I felt something hit me in the spine, and the pain knocked me into darkness.

* * *

My eyes snapped open, and the breath in my chest froze.

I lay there, dim light filling the room, unable to breath for several seconds.

Just a dream, I told myself, He isn't here anymore.

Air filled my lungs slowly as I was able to relax. I could feel my hands shaking and a faint pain pulsing in my back.