To Keep Her Safe is All I Know

Chapter 12

It burned.

That really is the best way to describe it. It burned. It burned like Hell. Maybe this was actually his descent into Hell. Wouldn't be surprising after all he'd done. His throat burned from the inside out and his chest and lungs and stomach felt like they were on fire. His head felt so full, like it could burst at any moment. His eyes felt like they could literally pop out of his head. He tried to fight his survival instincts, but they eventually kicked in and he found himself with his hands around his neck, his legs kicking and flailing, trying to do anything to relieve the pressure. Nothing happened though. The room was quiet for the most part and he couldn't hear much other than the sound of his blood pumping. The TV had been on in the living room. The last thing he heard was Sadie laughing at something she had been watching.

Then it was black.

x

"When we get to the house, I'm going to get Sadie out and ask her if she knows what happened. You go straight to the garage and see if you can find any of John's tools or anything we can use to get his door open. If not, we'll just break the door down." Melanie says to Chris in the car on their way to John's house.

"What do you think he did?" Chris asks.

"I don't know, but I'm afraid to find out."

They arrived to the house shortly after and quickly got out of the car. Chris went to the garage as told and Melanie went to the front door. She tried to open it, but it was locked. Melanie knocks.

"Sadie! John!"

No answer.

Melanie waits a minute, but there was still no answer, which raised her worries. She began to knock a bit harder and more frantically.

"John! Sadie! Someone!"

The door is then opened by Sadie, who greets Melanie with a smile.

"Hi, Mommy."

"Oh, thank God!" Melanie exclaims, throwing her arms around Sadie, "What happened?! What took you so long to answer the door?!"

"I was in the bathroom." Sadie says, clearly confused as to why Melanie was so distressed. Sadie was worried too, but not nearly as much as Melanie.

Melanie walks into the house and shuts the door, frantically looking around.

"Is Chris here too?" Sadie asks.

"Yeah, he's just looking for something." Melanie says, "Okay, Sadie, I need you to tell me what you think happened."

"I think Daddy is making a swing in his room."

Melanie furrows her eyebrows in confusion, "A swing?"

"Yeah. He got a rope. He even took a chair in there so that he could reach the ceiling."

Melanie's gut falls, "Oh my God."

"What's the matter?"

"N-Nothing...Listen, um...stay here and don't go anywhere, but why don't you go in the back yard and play on the swing set?"

"But it's dark out."

"It's okay, you can go anyway. Just put your coat on because it's cold out, and stay back there until either I or Chris come to get you. Please."

Sadie decides not to argue and shrugs, "Okay."

Sadie puts on her coat and boots, then walks outside.

Once Sadie is gone, Melanie calls, "Chris! Help! Now!"

Chris runs inside through the side door that connected the house to the garage.