“I don’t know where my parents are,” Jenna whispered. “They were going out to do some shopping. They wouldn’t have gone far though. My mom hates the fact we have to walk everywhere now, but I didn’t see them anywhere near our house after this happened. I don’t know where they are. I waited for hours, and then I ran into Cade…”
I glanced back at Bret, frowning as he met my gaze. Where were his parents? I wondered. It was only then that I realized just how scattered, awful, and heartbreaking this whole situation was. Just then I realized the families that had been, and would continue to be destroyed by everything that had happened today.
Including my own.
I looked to my immobile mother. We still had her in our possession, there was still hope that she would come back to us, but was there really a chance? Even if there wasn’t, there was no way I was going to let those things get a hold of her.
“I waited, but they didn’t come back.” My attention was drawn back to Jenna. It didn’t appear as if she were talking to me anymore. Instead, she seemed to be trying to work through her guilt and distress. I wanted to comfort her, to assure her that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but my words would do little good and I knew it. She would blame herself until the bitter end. “I looked for them, but I was afraid to go far. I left them a note. Maybe I should go back.”
“There’s nothing you could do Jenna,” I finally managed to assure her. “We can’t go back now, that thing is right behind us.”
Her vivid eyes drifted behind us. “I left a note…”
“They’ll find it.”
“Will they find me?”
My heart was breaking for her. “I hope so,” I answered honestly.
“Are we going to survive?” Jenna asked tremulously.
There was no answer to that question; I didn’t even know why she had asked it. “Go left,” Cade ordered from behind us.
I veered to the left, pushing Jenna and Abby with me, forcing them deeper into the trees. It was grueling enough for us to make our way through the thick underbrush; the three guys holding our mother were having an even tougher time. I doubled back, slipping behind them as I searched the woods. I was trying not to lose my control, struggling not to give into the panic that was clamoring against my skull, and pounding through my veins. But I was frightened that I was going to crack and fall apart. I had held up through my father’s death, but this…
Well, this was Hell on earth.
“Bethany!” Bret whispered harshly. I ignored him as I slipped a few feet deeper into the woods. That thing was out there, somewhere. “Bethany get back here!”
I bristled over his commanding tone, but I didn’t obey him, I didn’t know why he thought I would. There was some commotion, and then someone was grabbing hold of my arm, trying to pull me back through the trees. “Bethany,” Bret whispered in my ear. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”
“I know that.” I tried to tug my arm free, but he refused to relinquish me. “Bret!” I hissed, impatience tearing through me. He didn’t release me as he pulled me forward, tugging me behind the others. There was no way that we were going to be able to outrun that thing, it was impossible. If we didn’t stop it, it would only follow us to the store. “We have to stop it, it won’t go away!” I panted. “We can’t outrun it Bret, it will only catch us.” It was true, we were already wearing down. Other than Bret, none of us were exactly athletes, though Cade was a lot stealthier than I'd ever thought possible for someone I'd never even seen in gym class.
“Finally!” I shouted when he continued to pull me along, ignoring my protests. “We have to finally stand up for ourselves! Bret, stop!”
My voice was bordering on shrill, and I could barely breathe, but I was right. If we didn’t make a stand we were going to die. There was no way for us to outrun it, no way for us to escape its ruthless approach. No way that we would lose it before we made it to the antique store. “This is it Bret,” I whispered. “This is it.”
His eyes were shadowed in the night, but I knew their clear green color well. I also knew that stubborn set of his chin well, and the muscle that was twitching in his cheek. He was torn, annoyed, but beneath it all I could sense his concern for me, for himself, for all of us. “Bret.”
He turned away from me. “Do you have any more guns?” he demanded of Cade.
They had stopped running with us and the plywood sat on the ground between him and Aiden. I couldn't see Abby and Jenna but I sensed them in the night, waiting breathlessly for us to join them. Cade’s eyes were hooded, his upper lip curled as he studied Bret. A trickle of sweat slid down my spine, but even so I was chilled.
“Cade?” I inquired, hoping to divert his attention from Bret.
The sneer slid from his lips a Cade glanced briefly at me. He pulled his bulky duffle bag forward, tugged open the zipper and tossed something to Bret. It was only when the dim radiance of the moon flashed across it that I realized it was another gun. I was tempted to ask him where he'd acquired the weapons, but now wasn't the time. He pulled the shotgun from his shoulder while Aiden motioned Abby and Jenna forward.
I dug the key from my pocket; my hand shook as I handed it back to Cade. “Take mom.” Aiden had a hold of Abby’s shoulders as Cade handed the key to Jenna and explained how to get into the room. Jenna was pale and shaking, Abby looked about ready to cry as she tremulously hugged Aiden, and then me.
“Come with us Bethany,” she pleaded.
“I can’t. Go on now Abby, get to safety.”
“I think you should go Bethy,” Aiden said.
I shook my head, refusing to relent, refusing to cower and hide. I had been hiding for years, slinking silently through my life, trying to remain unseen in the world. I wouldn't be silent tonight, and I would do anything I could to keep my little sister safe. I had to. If we couldn’t all escape, I was at least going to buy Abby enough time to get to relative safety.
I hugged Abby, turned her away, and nudged her toward the plywood still holding our mother. I couldn’t watch her walk away. The two of them would struggle with our mother, but they would get her there. Abby was one of the most stubborn people I'd ever met, she wouldn’t fail.
“Bethany…”
“I’m fine Bret.”
“I love you.”
My mouth dropped, my heart plummeted in much the same manner. I knew how he felt about me, knew he dreamed of things that I never had, mainly because I rarely dreamed of anything. Life was too precarious for dreams that may never come true. But he had never said those words to me before, let alone announced them in front of my brother, and Cade.