Lost Nor Found

Chapter 12

"Laelynn! Thank God you're here. Please, we need your help-" Kayden started, but she shot him a withering glare.

"Get away from her!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, shoving Kayden and Elena out of the way. The knife dropped from Kayden's hand and she grabbed it, keeping it away from him. Tears stung her eyes as she crawled over to her mom, a sob escaping her lips.

"M-mom?" She mumbled, but her mom groaned in reply, her eyes shut. She had a hand pressed against her wound. The sirens were getting closer now. Closer.

"Stay with me, okay? We're going to get through this," she spoke softly to her mom, putting as much conviction behind her voice as she could. How could she help? It was as if her mind had shut off. She couldn't think of anything.

"Laelynn, we have to -"

"No!" She yelled, interrupting Kayden as he took a step forward. "Go away, you murderer." He flinched at her words, disbelief sprawled across his face.

"What?" Elena shouted incredulously. "What are you talking about, Lae-"

"Just shut up! I knew you guys were a part of something. I knew Carson wasn't lying to me. I knew you had to be a part of something bigger, maybe a gang, like the hints kept suggesting. But never in a million years would I have believed that you were heartless murders," she spat, not even sending a glance their way. She wiped a tear from her mom's face as blue and red lights flashed from the window. Kayden and Elena started talking, arguing, but Laelynn completely blocked them out, apathetic towards them. She didn't care about a single word that came out of their mouths. It was all lies.

An ambulance had arrived along with a few police cars, and she didn't stop to think how. She only cared that her mom was safe. They rolled in a stretcher and lifted her mom onto it. Tears spilled out of Laelynn's eyes, dripping off her cheeks. Police officers poured into the house, scanning the mess and asking a bunch of questions. But she could only head her mom's labored breathing, walking alongside her as the stretcher was pulled into the ambulance. She stayed by her mom's side the entire ride, not caring about her house or who she was leaving behind. She grabbed her mom's hand, begging her to hold on as the world spun around her. She wanted to collapse into sobs, but she refused to. She had to stay strong. For her mom.

They reached the hospital, everything a blur. They rushed from here to there, entering the blinding white hallways until Laelynn wasn't allowed to walk any further.

"Miss, you're not allowed past this point. But we're taking her into the ICU and we'll let you know once she's been stabilized, okay?" A kind doctor told her, shooting her an apologetic smile. She just nodded at him, her eyes not leaving her mom. Even after her mom was gone. She stumbled backwards, finding a bench to sit on, before collapsing.

She had only just realized how fast her heart was beating, and how dizzy she felt. She felt numb to the world, and she was stuck in her own mind, thoughts scattered and raging. The monster had let loose a wildfire - the flames scorching and curling. It crumpled her insides like a sheet of paper in a fist. She buried her face in her hands as hot tears dripped down. She hated herself for being so weak at a time she needed to be strong. But she was more or less completely alone in the hallway. It was hard to stay strong when she was so alone.

She couldn't stop crying. Sobs echoed in her chest, memories stained red burning into her eyes. She didn't know how long she sat there, her worries and fears spilling down her cheeks. Eventually, her body completely gave up, her sobs reduced to tiny hiccups and her eyes dried completely of moisture.

"Laelynn?" A crisp voice breathed out. She whipped her head up, scanning for the owner of the instantly recognizable accented voice. Just a few steps down the hall stood Kayden and Elena. Laelynn glanced at the clock, and gasped, seeing that it already been over an hour. She jumped to her feet.