“Move it!” he growls, leading me around to the side of the building and forcing open a door marked, For Employees Only. We make our way down a long unlit hallway, the smell of mold and dust tickling my nose. I trip over something on the floor and fall forward onto my knees; something sharp slices into my skin.
“Damn it!” Jake mumbles, stumbling beside me. “Get up!” he yells, jerking me up by my hair. I let out a yelp, which only makes him laugh.
How is it that someone who used to be so loving and gentle with me could now get pleasure out of causing me pain? I have to do something. I have to get out of here. I turn quickly, shoving Jake in the chest with all my strength. He shuffles back a few steps, and while he attempts to regain his balance, I take off, thinking only of getting to the door. I’m almost there; I can see it, the door looming ahead of me. Just a few more feet, I’m going to make it.
My hopes sink, like the Titanic, as a strong set of hands grab me by the hair, hurling me to the ground.
“You really thought you could run from me?” Jake screams, yanking me to stand up and then grasping my arms tightly, forcing them behind my back once again. He pushes me down the hall, his grip on my arms unrelenting and painful.
What happened to him? Where is the Jake I knew and loved? Where is the Jake I wanted to spend the rest of my life with? A harsh beam of light blinds my eyes and refocuses my mind.
“Well, well, I see our guest of honor has arrived,” Zack says from behind the light.
My heart does a somersault when I hear my little brother’s voice. Jake lets go of my arms, shoving me toward Zack. I lose my footing and fall, my head bouncing off the hard, dusty floor. Pain shoots through my nose, and then I feel a warm wetness spreading across my face. I can only assume that I’ve busted it. A searing pain wracks my scalp and cramps seize my neck as someone yanks my hair, dragging me like a rag doll to the other side of the room. The dust swirls up and around me, clogging my nostrils. It’s too much, I sneeze, and my skull swells with intense pressure. I flail and kick, desperate to escape.
“Stop fighting, Alex!” Zack yells, his voice echoing against the bare walls, but I continue my futile attempt to free myself. I reach up, clawing at his arms, reaching, grabbing, trying to make contact. My brother hisses at me. “I warned you to stop, but as usual, you don’t listen!”
A swift kick lands against my ribs, knocking the breath out of me. A low, guttural gasp escapes my throat. Accepting that this is how it will end, I quit fighting.
They drag me a few more feet, then Jake and Zack lift me up, thrusting me into a hard, wooden chair, nearly tipping it over in the process. Zack places his hand under my chin, forcing my head up to look at him.
“Hey, Sis,” he says, but when I look up, the person staring back at me is not the Zack I know, not the one I’ve grown up with. This Zack is a stranger. He stands up straight, his shoulders pushed back, looming over me. His eyes burn into mine with the fire of a thousand suns. His lips twist up into a half smile, taunting me.
My emotions are scattered and all over the place. I’m angry at myself for causing all these problems. I’m angry at Zack for turning into a cold-hearted monster, but I’m also sad and heartbroken for him. I would take all his pain away in a heartbeat if I could. How could I have gone all these months and not seen the signs? How did I not see the hatred brewing inside of him? My voice comes out raspy, a soft whisper. “Zack, why are you doing this?”
“Why? Like you don’t know!” With a snort, Zack lets go of my chin and steps back so Jake can tie my arms behind the chair. I hurl myself forward in a mad bid for freedom, but with a furious snarl, Zack yanks my hair and Jake wrenches my shoulder, slamming me back into the chair. Pain shoots up my spine and spreads through my shoulder blades. Jake binds my wrists, the ropes cutting deep into my skin. Zack paces in the eerie darkness, adding to my panic. Beams of moonlight shine through the cracks in the boarded-up windows, providing the only illumination in the room. I can see a clock on the wall behind Jake and broken shelves along the walls. A cracked and splintered reception desk sits a few feet from us, the top scattered with old papers and books. We must be in the main area of the library; the area where kids would come to fall in love with Prince Charming or to lose themselves in the thousands of stories of faraway lands. Now, this place that once gave birth to hopes and dreams will soon host my death. I wonder how long it will take someone to find me here. Will it be soon, or will I just remain here, tied to this chair to slowly decompose and be eaten by rats and bugs? Just thinking about it sends a shudder through me.
“Let’s see.” Zack’s booming voice grabs my attention and pulls me out of my thoughts. Rays of moonlight catch his icy blue eyes, and the fury radiating from them leaves me with no hope that he will spare my life. I have to get through to him. I have to make him see that this isn’t the answer. I have to make him believe that I am truly sorry for what happened, for letting Dad go to jail for my mistake, for taking someone’s life. He has to listen. There has to be a part of the Zack I know and love hidden behind all this hate and anger. I hope and pray that I can bring back the brother I know. I’ve never been big on religion, but right now that’s all I’ve got. Some people say hope is the only emotion greater than fear. Well, I say bullshit. Whoever said that obviously never faced fear head on. Fear in the shape of a person bent on ending your life. Nope, fear definitely trumps hope.
“Why am I doing this? First, because you’re a spoiled little brat and I’m sick of Mom always thinking you’re so perfect when we both know that’s the farthest thing from the truth. You killed someone! You’re a murderer! You’ve never had to face consequences for ANYTHING!” Zack spits in my face. “But that all changes tonight!”
I flinch, caught off guard by his harshness. Zack has never sounded so coldhearted, so uncaring. What happened to him?
Jake bends down and tightly fastens my already sore legs to the chair.
Enraged, and no longer caring what happens, I spit at him. A wet ball of saliva hits Jake’s eye. He roars in rage and rears back. His resounding slap splits my cheek as white hot pain explodes through my face. Blood spews from my nose, dripping down my face and filling my mouth. I spit it away, my stomach rolling with nausea from the taste. Jake steps back, a cruel snarl twisting his lips as he raises his fist to pummel my face.
“Stop!” Zack yells, shooting daggers at Jake.
“She needs to understand her place,” Jake says, stepping toward him in challenge.
“We don’t have time for your petty nonsense. This is my plan, I say what goes.” With that decided, my brother turns his attention back to me. “Now, where were we? Oh yeah, this is for thinking you can always get your way,” he says, slapping me hard across the face. More blood spews from my nose, but I don’t even have time to think about the pain before Zack comes at me again. “And this is for letting Dad take the blame for your stupidity.” He punches me in the stomach, and I double over, the pain felt clear to my spine. Burning acid rises into my throat. I try to swallow it down, but it’s too much. I can’t control it. My mouth fills with the sour taste of bile. I can’t hold it in any longer—vomit erupts forth, covering the floor and my shoes. The stench lingering in the air, and the acid still coating my mouth, makes me heave again.
“What’s wrong, Alex? Not feeling well?” Zack asks, cocking his head to the side. He and Jake laugh, obviously taking pleasure in their little game.
I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. I almost wish he would kill me and get it over with. Begging is my only hope of getting out of this alive.
“Please, Zack. You don’t have to do this. Let me fix it. I’ll go to the cops. I’ll tell them everything. Just don’t do this, please.” I’m surprised at the confidence that rings in my voice when the only thing I’m confident about at this moment is that my life will soon be over.
“Save your breath, Alex. Your words mean nothing to me.”
>
I give up. I have no fight left in me. The pain overwhelms me, both physically and mentally. My heart is ripped in half, all the love I still hold for Zack draining away, but he doesn’t care. He is no longer the loving brother I grew up with. I could plead more, beg him to change his mind, but what’s the point. It’s clear I’ve already lost him.
“Shall we continue?” He rubs his hands together menacingly. “This, my dear Alex, is for ruining our family. He lifts his foot and comes down hard on my right ankle.
A cry of shear agonizing pain rumbles from deep in my chest. “Aaaaaahhh!” The sound rattles my mind, hearing it as if someone else were screaming. Any composure I had regained after the last blow was lost with the cracking of my bone. “I’m sorry, Zack,” I manage to force out despite the pain coursing through my leg. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I swear. I’m so sorry,” I cry.
He ignores me, continuing his torture. “And this, you selfish bitch, is for never having the decency to come out and tell the truth.” He rears back with his fist, and I close my eyes tightly, bracing myself for what I’m sure will be a devastating blow. The one that will either kill me or knock me out, but that’s fine; either would be welcome at this point. “I’m so sorry, Zack,” I whisper as I force my eyes open against the pain.
Just as Zack is about to swing his fist forward, the front doors of the library burst open, sending wood splinters flying across the room.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” Zack yells at the intruders. I force myself to focus despite the pounding in my head. Two blurry figures stride quickly toward me, but I’m in too much pain to form any coherent thought. I don’t know if they are here to help me or hurt me, and honestly, right now, I don’t think I have the energy to care. One way or another, I just want it to end. I need it to end.
“You two need to get the hell out of here right now. This no longer concerns either of you.” Zack’s demonic voice fills the room, vibrating in my head.
“The hell it doesn’t,” one of the intruders growls back defiantly. I think I see him shoving Zack, but that’s all I can make out. The pain in my head spreads like an oozing pool of black oil, blotting out my consciousness. I can no longer decipher the muffled voices. Suddenly, a loud bang splits the air, then…silence.
WHAT’S HAPPENING? IS SOMEONE CARRYING me? Whoever it is jostles me, and I start to come out of my fog, but I just want to drift back into oblivion. I don’t want to be here. I need to rest, to hide away from Zack’s hateful words. He hates me. My brother hates me and wants me dead. I open my eyes as reality sinks in but I am unable to bring anything into focus. A blur of colors race by my vision. Ripples of pain awaken in my body with a terrible intensity. I want to scream, but I don’t. Not because I can’t, but because I’m afraid it will only add to the tidal wave of agony that is taking over.
“Come on, man, hurry it up or we’re gonna lose them.”
Who said that? I try to turn my head in the direction of the voice but that slight movement shoots a fresh round of pain spiraling my head.
“I’m moving as fast as I can! You try running with a comatose person in your arms.”
Luke? Was that Luke? Luke, help me, I think, but I’m unable to say it out loud due to the bass drum that is beating out an unrhythmic tune on my skull.
“Just quit whining and come on.”
What is going on? Am I okay? Is it over? Did Zack leave?
I blink several times, trying to clear my mind and vision, choosing not to give in to the mind-numbing pain. I open my eyes again. It’s still dark out, but the streetlights above cast a shadow on Luke’s face, bringing his warm green eyes into focus. He has a gash over one eye and his face is covered in a light sheen of perspiration, but otherwise he looks good. He saved me. He got me out of there and away from my psycho ex-boyfriend and brother. I try to lift my hand but I just don’t have the strength. Instead, I press my head into his warm chest. I breathe in the scent of his woodsy body spray tinged with sweat, and nothing has ever smelled so good. I drink in his smell and pull every last bit of drive I have left to force out his name.
“Luke,” I whisper. He slows his pace and looks down at me.
“Hey you. How are you feeling? Just hang in there and we’ll get you some help,” Luke tells me, worry etched clearly on his face.
I’m about to respond when I feel it. Oh, God, it’s coming. I swallow a few times to try to stop the bile rising in my throat, but being jostled around in Luke’s arms isn’t helping the situation. I clamp my lips tightly, but it’s no use. I feel the warmth rising higher and higher in my throat. It explodes out of me like a geyser, covering both Luke and myself.
We both let out a moan. His, I’m sure, in disgust, mine, part relief, part humiliation.
“Here, get her in the car,” someone, I’m guessing Tyler, I mean Jeffrey, hell, I don’t care who it is, calls to Luke.
Luke slides into the car with me still cradled in his arms. I try to sit up, but pain crashes over me like a tsunami, causing me to yell out in agony.
“Shh, sit still. I’ve got you,” Luke says, soothing me.
I hear another door close, and then the car’s engine roars to life. I’m jolted backward when Jeffrey pushes down on the gas pedal. I bite down on my vomit-covered lip to keep from screaming out in pain.
“Dude, take it easy, injured girl back here.”
“Sorry, Luke, but I have to catch up. I can see them just ahead.”
Who? And why are we chasing them? I think, but don’t ask. Get me to a hospital, take me home, hell, take me anywhere, just get me away from Zack.
“Forget about Zack and Jake. We need to get Alex some help!” Luke says loudly, his chest rattling against my side.
“No. I will not let them get away. Look at what they did to her,” Jeffrey says, taking a sharp turn. “Dude, what’s that smell?” he asks, sounding disgusted.
“She um…she threw up,” Luke tells him, but I’m in too much pain right now to care, and if he doesn’t slow down I may just do it again.
“That’s nice,” Jeffrey says sarcastically. “How’s she holding up? Is she okay?”
“I think she’ll be fine, we just need to get her to a hospital and get her checked out.”
“We will, but first we need to make sure they never try to hurt her again.”
“I think we made that point pretty clear back at the library. Just let them run. We really need to get Alex to the hospital.”
“No, Luke, we have to do this. We have to make sure this is over.”
Suddenly, a pothole grabs our front tire, jostling the car wickedly. I can’t help hollering as the drums start up an encore. “Owwwww!” I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to subside.
“And think about this, Luke,” Jeffrey continues with no apology. “If we take her to the hospital, how are we going to explain all her injuries?”
“What do you mean, how will we explain it? We’ll tell them that her crazy ass brother and ex-boyfriend did it.”
“And then they’ll want to know why. They’ll bombard us with questions and we’ll eventually be forced to tell the truth about everything, including the wreck that caused it all. Do you really want to do that?”
“Well, we’ve got to figure something out. We can’t just drop her off on her doorstep like this!”
“Hang on!” Jeffrey yells, jerking to the left, tires howling. “We’re right behind them now. I just have to figure out a way to get them to stop.”
“Who’s driving? Is it Jake?” Luke asks.
“No, it looks like Zack is.”
Zack? He can’t be driving. He doesn’t even have his permit yet. I hope he’s being careful. Wait, what am I thinking? He just tied me to a chair and beat the crap out of me. If it weren’t for Luke and Jeffrey, I’d probably be dead by now.
“Jeffrey, look out!” Luke’s ye
ll accompanied with the distinct sound of brakes squealing brings me out of my inner ramblings. Instantly, I feel myself flying forward, slamming against the front seat. My injured face smacks the middle console and I can’t help screaming as my battered nose takes another beating. A screeching, clattering sound grates my eardrums as metal grinds against metal. My head feels like it’s going to explode, and I feel the acid taking another journey up my throat as the sound of the two vehicles colliding takes me back to the accident that started this whole mess. Funny how things come full circle.
Our car spins like a top, and I watch, nauseously, as the trees zip past us. I feel like I’m on a tilt-a-whirl ride at the carnival. I hate that ride.
The car slams to a halt a few seconds later. I hear another crash in the distance and pray that it’s not Zack. I muster up every ounce of energy I can and push myself back onto the seat, ignoring the ever-increasing pain. Luke grabs me around the waist to steady me.
“Are you okay?” Luke’s voice is thick with worry.
“I think so.” My voice croaks while my heart beats like it’s trying to come out of my chest.
“Are you sure?”
I nod my head. Bad move. Horrible idea. The blood pounds in my ears and spots dance in front of my eyes.
“Jeffrey, you okay?” Luke asks.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Are you two okay?”
“Yeah, we’re good. Did you see what happened? Where are Zack and Jake?”
“They’re right over there.” Jeffrey rolls down his window and cranes his neck for a better look. “They brake-checked me, man, but I couldn’t stop in time. I rammed into their bumper and I think they hit a tree or something,” Jeffrey reports.
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