Dealing with the proxies

Chapter 18

I feel like he knows I'm here. That I'm hiding.  

"Yeah, I haven't seen a girl around here. Why?" EJ responded. 

"Just having trouble right now." Hoody responds. 

"Is it one of your victims?" EJ asks. 

"Kind of." 

"Okay, well, good luck finding her." EJ finishes. 

I pray that Hoody just leaves and continues searching.  

It was silent for a second, and I took a breath of relief. I took my hand off of my mouth, and in the process knocked over a shampoo bottle. 

Fuck. 

I hope EJ can make an excuse. 

"What was that?" I heard Hoody ask. 

"Um.. oh yeah! I forgot to tell you guys, but I have SeedEater in my room,  and he was exploring the bathroom. So, yeah, that's what that was." EJ explained. 

I have no idea who or what SeedEater is, but I hope that's a believable excuse. 

"Jack, we both know that SeedEater wouldn't fit in your bathroom." Hoody responds.

A few seconds later, Hoody flings the bathroom door open. 

"If you don't come with me, I will kill you here and make sure it's painful." Hoody says before EJ tackles him to the ground. 

"Why do you want to kill her?" EJ asks as he pins Hoody to the ground. 

"That's confidential!" Hoody says. EJ has him on his stomach with his right arm pinned behind his back in a really uncomfortable position. 

"Look, I just want to know if she's worth protecting!" EJ explains. 

I could actually die. 

I've escaped them so many times, and this may be the last time. I won't even be able to say bye to my parents... or Liam. 

I slid to the floor in the bathroom and started to shake. My death is inevitable. I can't stop it. No matter how much I try to run away, I will die.

No matter how long I last, that time will come to an end. And I can't stop that. 

I found myself unable to stop the tears coming from my eyes as my body shook. I sat like that for a minute, absorbed into this world of my thoughts, of my actions. Everything I have done in the past week has lead up to this moment. 

Next thing I know, Hoody picks me up by the collar of my shirt. 

"You seriously thought you could hide from me for long?" He asks. I don't say anything. 

EJ is a few feet away, on the floor. There's black goo and blood mixing in a pool near his face. 

Instead of responding to Hoody, I spit in his face. 

He uses his free hand to wipe my saliva off of his mask, and throws me to the floor. 

Just like last time, I may as well make the best of my last moments. 

"This reminds me a lot of the last time we fought." I comment. 

I could feel Hoody get angry. 

I looked at EJ's body. He probably got hurt trying to protect me.... he doesn't even know me!

These proxies have hurt me too much. They've taken too much from me. 

I stood on my shaking legs, and faced Hoody.