Finding my Forever

5

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Now

Elisa gasped for breath when a cold calloused hand slid around her throat, squeezing, cutting off her air supply. As the seconds passed the hand grew tighter and tighter making her lungs gasp and her heart pound uncontrollably. Her hands frantically clutched at the large hand trying to pry it off her throat. A low chuckle sounded above her, and the person ran their finger down the side of her cheek making her shiver in disgust and fear, the feel of cold metal from a ring scratched her skin.

The cold bit at her skin and the twigs stabbed into her back. Raindrops soaked her to the bone with her hair plastered to her forehead and covering her eyes. She could not see much of her attacker, and black dots began covering her vision. She could see the rain around them, the stars shining brightly while her attacker with the skeleton mask glared down at her.

Get away.

Get away.

Get away!

Her eyes snapped open hastily and scanned her surroundings with wild eyes, searching for the threat. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, and she realised that it must have been early morning. Motionless bodies littered the floor, and she felt her breathing pick up in confusion and fear.

How did she get here? What had she... what had happened? Elisa shook her head trying to shake away the daze the dream had left her in. She was not there. She could not be there.

She quickly checked herself; no hand around her neck, no pain in her body, no blood on herself, no evil towering shadow; she was safe as could be. Her hand rubbed against her neck as if she could still feel the hand cutting off her air supply. She calmed down as she saw the familiar face of Alexander on the floor opposite her. His lips pouting slightly and his face clear of stress, Preston had his head leaning on the sofa behind him with Andre laying on his legs. Finley was curled up in a bean bag, the remote in his limp hand. Roman, Owen and Karson were on the other sofa leaning against each other snoring gently.

She took notice of her own position and realised they had given her a whole sofa as she had fallen asleep earlier than them. She didn't know how to feel about the fact that they had picked her up without her knowledge but brushed it aside as they had given her space whilst still making sure she felt included.

Was she really that tired that she didn't feel herself being moved? The thought nerved her as she was always a light sleeper when she did manage to drift off. Elisa hardly slept in general for reasons her past foster families and Paige never knew and could never understand. Reasons she wouldn't willingly offer to them or anyone else.

She silently stood and stepped over the sleeping bodies on the floor to get to the kitchen, careful to not jostle them in any way. But she had a feeling that these boys could sleep through anything, the complete opposite to how she functioned. Running a hand through her knotty hair she sighed tiredly at the boys who slept with not a care nor worry in the world. How could they sleep without feeling vulnerable? She would wake up at the smallest of sounds. She felt a cool breeze and lifted her head towards the darkened kitchen which must have had the windows open. Elisa wasn't fond of the dark, but her eyes had adjusted, and she didn't feel scared, so she carried on ahead with the intention of grabbing a cup of water.

However, Elisa froze when she saw a figure sat at the dining table; a figure that had its back to her and sipped from a cup calmly. Her mind immediately calculated different plans, but the one that stuck out to her told her to protect her brothers and the boys. She reached for the living room door behind her and silently shut it, she then slipped into the kitchen further and closed the door.