ignored him as I slipped a few feet deeper into the woods. That thing was out there, somewhere. I strained to see it through the darkness. “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 woods. “Bethany,” Bret hissed 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 snarled, 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 and 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 had ever thought possible.
“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 nearly hysterical, my heart was hammering painfully, I could barely breathe, but I was right. If we didn’t take a stand we were going to die. There was no way for us to outrun it, no way for us to escape its steady, ruthless, approach. And 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 dark 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 fear for me, for himself, for all of us. “Bret.”
He turned away from me. “Do you have any more guns?” he asked Cade.
Cade’s eyes were dark, hooded as they slid toward me. They had stopped running with us. The plywood sat on the ground between him and Aiden. I could not see Abby and Jenna but I sensed them in the darkness, waiting breathlessly for us to join them. “Cade?” I inquired softly.
He pulled his bulky duffle bag forward, tugged open the zipper and tossed something to Bret. It was only when the dim light of the moon flashed across it that I realized it was another gun. I wanted to ask him where he had acquired the weapons, but now was not 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 whispered.
“I can’t. Go on now Abby, get to safety.”
“I think you should go Bethy,” Aiden said softly.
I shook my head, refusing to relent, refusing to cower and hide. I had been hiding for a long time, slinking silently through my life, trying to remain hidden in the world. I would not 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 help buy Abby enough time to get to relative safety.
I hugged Abby tight, turned her away, and pushed her toward the plywood stil l holding our mother. I couldn’t watch her walk away. It was too painful. The two of them would struggle with our mother, but they would get her there, that much I knew. Abby was one of the most stubborn people I had ever met, she wouldn’t fail.
“Bethany…”
“I’m fine Bret.”
“I love you.”
I felt my mouth drop, my heart plummeted in much the
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 woods. “Bethany,” Bret hissed 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 snarled, 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 and 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 had ever thought possible.
“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 nearly hysterical, my heart was hammering painfully, I could barely breathe, but I was right. If we didn’t take a stand we were going to die. There was no way for us to outrun it, no way for us to escape its steady, ruthless, approach. And 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 dark 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 fear for me, for himself, for all of us. “Bret.”
He turned away from me. “Do you have any more guns?” he asked Cade.
Cade’s eyes were dark, hooded as they slid toward me. They had stopped running with us. The plywood sat on the ground between him and Aiden. I could not see Abby and Jenna but I sensed them in the darkness, waiting breathlessly for us to join them. “Cade?” I inquired softly.
He pulled his bulky duffle bag forward, tugged open the zipper and tossed something to Bret. It was only when the dim light of the moon flashed across it that I realized it was another gun. I wanted to ask him where he had acquired the weapons, but now was not 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 whispered.
“I can’t. Go on now Abby, get to safety.”
“I think you should go Bethy,” Aiden said softly.
I shook my head, refusing to relent, refusing to cower and hide. I had been hiding for a long time, slinking silently through my life, trying to remain hidden in the world. I would not 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 help buy Abby enough time to get to relative safety.
I hugged Abby tight, turned her away, and pushed her toward the plywood stil l holding our mother. I couldn’t watch her walk away. It was too painful. The two of them would struggle with our mother, but they would get her there, that much I knew. Abby was one of the most stubborn people I had ever met, she wouldn’t fail.
“Bethany…”
“I’m fine Bret.”
“I love you.”
I felt my mouth drop, my heart plummeted in much the
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