hayloft, daniel le domas

four

     "I'm sure you don't want to hunt your best friend, but as much as I hate to say this, you are a part of this family. You have been since the first day Daniel brought you here. I know you don't believe it, but the fact that you've been brought back to us proves that you are a Le Domas, just without the surname," Tony told Josephine, who had tears streaming down her face out of pure fear. "So, if you don't participate, you will die."

     "Give me the fucking gun." She seethed. He practically shoved the gun into her chest, causing her to stumble back. Daniel put his hand on her lower back to help her stand up straight. She glared up at him, rolling her shoulders and staring straight ahead.

There was a few minutes before the hunt began. Daniel walked beside Josephine, so close that if it were anyone but them, it would've been uncomfortable. They walked aimlessly in complete silence, for about five minutes before they heard a gunshot.

"Uh, you can stay back, I'll go—"

"Fuck you, I'm going with." She scoffed.

He nodded, the two of them quickly running to follow the sound of Emilie's cries. They walked into the room to see that one of the maids had been shot in the face. Josephine winced, trying to avoid looking at the corpse. Emilie wouldn't stop crying, so Daniel walked her out of the room, Josephine following. She didn't know Emilie that well, she was so young back then. She had no opinion of her, other than she was kind of dumb.

"One second, I forgot my gun!" She quickly walked away, Daniel and Josephine turned to see Helene and Tony carrying the body of the maid. Daniel rushed over to help.

Josephine tuned out the conversation until everyone stopped walking. She looked up to see Grace like a deer in headlights, she then turned to run the opposite way. Emilie appeared, screaming and firing her gun like a maniac. Josephine felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, then loud ringing in her ears. She looked down to see the blood dripping down her arm, which was now becoming numb.

"Shit," she whispered to herself. Daniel dropped the body of the maid and immediately used wrapped his tie around her arm.

"You could just let her bleed out. We have no time, Daniel." Helene snapped.

"Fuck you, hag." Josephine retorted. Daniel smiled at her, letting out a short laugh.

When he finished tying it as best he could, he grabbed her good hand. "I'm going to get a drink."

He quickly pulled her away into another room, ignoring anything else that was going on. He immediately planted his lips on hers, but it was cut short when they heard quick and heavy breathing. They slowly turned to see Grace, helplessly standing against the wall.

Daniel reached for his gun, Josephine stopped him. "Don't you fucking dare."

"Who's side are you on, Josie?" Grace asked, her voice breaking.

"Yours. Go." She told, still holding Daniel's hand to keep him from hurting Grace, who ran away quickly. She then held her finger up, waiting a few seconds. "She's in the study!"

Daniel sighed, walking away from Josephine to get a drink. "You're unbelievable."

"You're the one with a family full of fucking psychopaths."

"Hey, you're a part of the family, aren't you?" He said, handing her a glass. She took it, walking around the room and ignoring when the rest of his family walked in. She opened a secret compartment that she remembers playing with a long time ago, and pulled out a first aid kit.

"It was you! You let her get away!" Helene charged at Josephine with her comical axe. Josephine, completely tired of everything, pointed her gun at Helene's chest.

"Woah, woah, woah, Josephine, come on now," Tony held his hands out in surrender. "We can come to an agreement."

She laughed loudly, Daniel laughed aswell. "You people fucking suck. 'Come to an agreement'?" She mocked. "Go fuck yourselves."

    She pushed past them and tossed the first aid kit on the desk, sitting down on a chair while they acted like she wasn't there. Daniel walked over to her, taking his blood soaked tie off of her arm. She grabbed the alcohol wipe from the kit and cleaned her wound with it, wincing in pain.

     Josephine looked to the side to see Emilie wielding the crossbow, of course, it fired and the arrow lodged itself into another maid's mouth. She turned away, Daniel did the same. He began to wrap the bandage around her shoulder while Helene tried to talk, constantly being interrupted by the maid who still wasn't dead. Josephine's eyes followed Helene as she walked over and swung her axe down onto the maid's neck.

     "Oh, what the fuck!" Daniel kept his eyes focused on Josephine, who shook her head, looking up at him as he finished wrapping her wound. He sighed and drank what was left in his glass. She wiggled her tingling fingers, trying to regain the feeling in her arm again.

"Tony, take Daniel and turn on the damn cameras." Becky said. "Josephine, you—"

"Nope. She's coming with me. I'm not leaving her alone with any of you." Daniel snapped, holding his hand out to her. She hid her smile, taking his hand, he put his arm around her.

While walking through the hall, she noticed the camera's were switched on. She nudged Daniel and pointed up to the camera.

"Shit, Alex," he sighed. He told his father about the camera and the three of them began to run to the control room.

18 years ago.

Daniel held onto Josephine's hand tightly as they ran through the halls, the girl's giggles echoing through the house. They took a turn and he pulled her into the maid's quarters.

"Sneaking around like this is so fun," she laughed quietly. He smiled down at her, pressing his lips against hers. He began to kiss down her neck, her heart racing in her chest. "Why do your parents hate me so much?"

He hummed against her skin, pulling away. "Because you have a heart and a soul."

"Ah, I see," she laughed. He pursed his lips, his hands on her hips. "And you?"

"What about me?"

"You don't have a heart, or a soul?"

"I think you'll help me find them."

present.

The pain in Josephine's arm had gone away slightly, but the numbness was still awful. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as they ran past the maid's quarters. When they reached the control room, she stepped away as Tony banged on the door, shouting at Alex to open it. After a while, he managed to get it open and bursted in.

Josephine stood back while everything went down, Alex nearly killed his father—she was upset that he didn't.

"Come on, Josie, you know this isn't right. You want to help your best friend, don't you?" Alex asked desperately.

"I do..." Her voice was quiet, she began to chew on her lip, turning around and walking out of the control room just before Tony hit Alex over the head with the fire extinguisher.

It was a big decision, save her best friend who she had only known for four years. Or save Daniel, the only person she ever loved, the only person who could do no wrong in her eyes. If she saved Daniel, she would be saving the rest of his family, who she hated. But if she saved him, she'd be saving Emilie, and her kids. It was the worst decision Josephine had ever had to make in her life. But an important decision nonetheless.