Savior

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I hurriedly pushed Jason back into my room, making sure the door was closed just as much as I had found it. I remembered it was slightly ajar, since I didn't want to make any sound by closing it the first time I left.

Part of me hoped the monster downstairs wouldn't notice we were here, but we were stupid enough to leave the door unlocked when we came in, so our chances of remaining undiscovered weren't looking good. He would search the house for intruders. I didn't want to think about what would happen if he found us.

I looked around my room in a panic. As quietly as I possibly could, I ushered Jason into my closet, along with the duffel bag and backpack. Unfortunately, it was a small closet. Jason barely fit in it on his own, so I knew there was no chance I would be able to hide in it as well. I quickly pulled the closet door shut. to conceal him from the rest of the room.

"Don't come out no matter what," I whispered to him as I heard the front door downstairs open but not close.

"Cole," he started to protest in a low voice.

"Promise me," I said.

"Cole you need to hide."

"I know. Please just stay here and don't let him see you."

"I won't."

I stepped back, nodding to myself slightly before realizing the contents of my sock drawer were still on the floor. I quietly rushed over to them and started to put them back. Anything out of place in this room would prompt him to search it further and I couldn't let him find Jason. If he was willing to do all of those horrendous things to his own son, then there was no telling what he would do to a stranger.

It was then that I decided I couldn't hide. Not at the risk of him finding my angel first. After sliding the drawer shut, I grabbed one of the trophies off of my book shelf and slowly crept outside of my room. I was sure to replace the door to its original position again as I crossed the hall to the rarely used study.

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, but I did my best to calm myself down as I listened for the heavy footsteps that were currently treading all over across the first floor. I knew for a fact that he had a shotgun stashed downstairs and would no doubt have gotten it to aid him in searching the house.

After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, I heard him starting to ascend the stairs. I held my breath and pressed myself harder against the wall beside the open door, ready to hit him from behind and make a run for it if he decided to try to go into my room. Hopefully that would either knock him out or get him to chase me away from Jason. Either way, it gave Jason a chance to escape, and right now, that was the only thing that mattered to me.

I could hear his footsteps getting closer. Just knowing he was a few steps down the hall made the panic rise up in my throat and nearly block my ability to breathe. I did my best to swallow it down though, knowing I needed to stay strong to protect Jason. I closed my eyes and counted silently in my head while I listened to his footsteps. Closer. Closer.

I heard the slow creak of my bedroom door and knew it was time to act. Without giving myself time to back out, I ran through the open doorway of the study and swung my trophy as hard as I possibly could against the back of his head. The shotgun went off as he registered the attack, but it was thankfully pointed towards the floor. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the impact had enough force to break my trophy into two pieces, it did not knock him out.

"Mother fucker!" he swore loudly, clutching the back of his head. When his rage filled green eyes snapped to me, I threw the base of the trophy that was still in my hands at his face and ran for my life. "I'll fucking kill you!"

I flew down the stairs about four or five steps at a time, desperate to escape him before he could follow through on that promise. I landed weird on one step and tumbled down the last half of the stairs. My adrenaline didn't even let me register the pain as I was already on my feet again.

I wasn't fast enough, because just as I regained my forward momentum, a hand clutched the back of my shirt and wrenched me backwards full force. I coughed at the pressure I suddenly found at my throat and realized quite suddenly that he was choking me with the gun pressed length wise against my Adam's apple. He had one hand at the butt of the gun and one at the barrel as he put all his weight into it, trapping me against the wall. I gripped the gun as well, pushing against it with all of my might to try to get myself room to breathe. I kicked at him desperately, black dots creeping into my vision.

"You shouldn't have come back here," he growled angrily at me. "You are not my son and this is not your house!"

"I... hate... you." I managed to rasp out in barely a whisper.

I heard a sickening thwack and suddenly the pressure disappeared. I fell to the floor, coughing violently and clutching my burning throat. I looked up to see that Jason had found my old baseball bat, and after a few more solid hits, the monster was unconscious... or maybe dead. I really didn't care.

Jason dropped the bat, breathing heavily for a second before he was at my side. He helped me to my feet and hugged me tightly. I could feel how rapidly his heart was beating in his chest. It nearly matched my own.

My senses felt muffled. All I could hear was this rushing sound in my ears that kind of reminded me of cascading sand. Maybe it was the sound of my own blood pumping through my veins, but I couldn't tell. All I knew was that that sound was slowly giving way to that of sirens. I wanted to ask who had called the police, but my throat was in so much pain I wasn't sure I could even make a sound.

I heard people enter my childhood home, but Jason just held me as chaos swarmed around us. I cried into his chest, some mixture of terror, shame, and appreciation making it impossible for me to stop.

After a while, I felt Jason lift me. He carried me outside bridal style and I slowly peeled my eyes open to take in the scene.

There were several police officers rushing around and two police cars parked in the driveway and front lawn. Two guys were carrying the monster, still unconscious but cuffed, to one of the vehicles. There was also an ambulance parked on the street.

What surprised me the most, however, was the boy with wide eyes, shaking hands, and auburn hair that still stood with his cellphone held close to him.

Ben.

He looked to be in shock as his eyes met mine. He looked so worried, terrified even.

I wasn't sure what he was doing here, but some part of me was glad. Now he knew. He knew what hell I went through and he knew how much I needed his help the night he turned me away.

I looked away as Jason carried me to the ambulance, hiding my face in his chest and closing my eyes.

It was over.

The monster couldn't get me anymore.

×××
A/N

GUYS THERE'S LESS THAN NINE DAYS UNTIL LAB PARTNERS IS OUT IN STORES! HAVE YOU PREORDERED YET?

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-Mora Montgomery

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