I tried to take deep breaths and calm my pounding heart as I just stood waiting for him to come through the door. I was in more pain than I ever remembered being, but adrenaline and determination were keeping me upright.
Images of the guys came to me, images of their handsome faces, of their soft smiles which never failed to make me feel safe and comforted. I was going home to them. I loved them with everything in me. I was going to spend the rest of my life with those four amazing, wonderful men and there was no way I was letting The Shadow steal that from me.
For eight years he had robbed me of my freedom. He had stolen the time I could have had with my parents, stolen my childhood and my innocence. He had made me feel weak and alone, and I had thought he had broken me forever. But he hadn’t. The guys, Xander, and their family had shown me that. They had shown me I could be strong and brave. They had given me a life worth fighting for. I wasn’t a frightened child any more. No matter what, I would not give up this time. I would fight until my last breath to stop The Shadow from taking anything from me ever again.
When the door gave way a moment later and The Shadow stumbled through, blood still flowing down his head and to his crimson soaked shirt, I was ready to finish what he had started all of those years ago, and resolved to be the one walking out of that cabin in the end.
He turned as if he sensed where I awaited him, and smiled, looking even more chilling than usual in the light of the cabin, blood all over his face and clothes. I had no idea how he was standing with the amount of blood gushing from the open wound on the side of his head, but he was.
He lunged for me and I reacted quickly, lifting the can of bug spray and aiming the flow right for his eyes. He cried out as he stumbled back and I took that as my chance to hit him again. I dropped the can and grabbed the gun with both hands, swinging hard and aiming for his head once again. I didn’t care if I killed him. I’d do what I had to as long as it meant me getting out of there and away from him.
What I hadn’t expected was for him to look up and grab the gun before it impacted his head. He caught it with one hand and slammed it back into me, knocking me off of my feet and to the ground.
I screamed as I landed against my right side, my ribs crashed into something hard. My vision blurred for a moment and by the time I got myself together enough to breathe, he was coming for me, lumbering to where I lay uselessly. I needed to get up, but knew I would be slow to do so. Instead I reached back for one of the knives tucked into my waistband. I gripped the handle tight and as soon as he reached down to grab the front of my sweater I stabbed out, slamming it down into his arm. He snarled as he released me, then hit out with his other hand, landing a hit to my temple that left me dazed and made my vision darken.
“I….I told you…..t-to run.” Chris gasped. He was laid out in the cabin, right beside the door in the floor, down to The Darkness. He had told me to run and I had. I had fled the cabin and run for a few minutes, then hidden behind a tree waiting for Chris to follow as he had promised.
When moments later footsteps had approached, I had stayed hidden and watched hopefully, but it wasn’t Chris who shot past me. It was The Shadow. That was why I had circled back. I couldn’t leave him. I needed him.
I had found him on the floor, beaten beyond recognition and surrounded by a puddle of blood. A knife protruded from his chest and there were other wounds I knew were from him being stabbed.
“We….we h-have to go.” I whimpered to him, trying hard not to cry at seeing him so broken.
“You have to go. I…..I’m not going to m-make it, kiddo,” He rasped. Blood was trickling from the side of his mouth and his words were barely coming out. “You h-have to run.Get…….get far away.”
“No! I won’t l-leave you.” My voice was rough, little more than a rasp, but he understood.
“You have to. I’m going to die. You….you can b-be free now.”
“I can’t go….I need y-you. You said…..you….we h-have to have burgers.” I whimpered. He couldn’t leave me. I didn’t want to be out there alone. I was terrified. He promised he’d be with me. He promised we’d both get out.
“You’re gonna get th-those burgers for both of us now.” He whispered, his voice even feinter.
“No!” I cried. I was sobbing and shaking all over, clutching Chris’ blood covered hand against my chest, the t-shirt I wore smeared with red.
“Go Kiddo….run….be free f-for both of us.” He barely got the words out before his eyes closed and his hand became completely limp in my grip.
I knew he was gone as I laid my head on his stomach and cried hard. He was too still, his heart no longer pounding as it should be. He was dead and it was all my fault!
I laid there with him for as long as I dare, but soon I realised he was right. He had died to save me, and I couldn’t let him down. I had to escape. I had to be free, for both of
