The Family: Ties That Bind (VOL. 2)

Chapter 28

Dwight

We bounded across the yard, crossing the distance faster than Usain Bolt could have. I held tight to Deetz's hand, pulling her along behind me. With the baby in her arms, she was running slower than me but I wouldn't leave her behind. We were staying together even if it meant I had to slow down for her sake.

The woods swallowed us whole, shielding us from the house. The further we ran, the less the farm was visible. We didn't have a compass or map to tell us which was to go so we winged it and sprinted in the direction that felt right. No matter the obstacle, we didn't stop; fallen logs, massive stones, brush that batted us in the face and snaggled our close, none of it kept us down for long.

"Wait up, Dwight. I need a breather." Deetz shouted and I slowed to a stop. She leaned against a tree and heaved for breath. I kept a watch out while she recuperated.  "Just let me catch my breath. I-I don't think we're being followed."

For as far as I could see, we were the only two humans out there. Matilda's plan was working. She said she'd divert their attention and point them in the opposite direction, but for how long they'd buy her story wasn't certain. Eventually, they'd backtrack and move our way.

"Nuh-uh. Don't you dare make a peep, Squirt." Deetz sunk to the forest floor and laid the kid in her lap. He was stirring and contorting his face into grimaces that couldn've been the beginnings of a tantrum. All that running and jumping must've shaken him awake. We weren't out of the woods yet–literally–and he had to stay quiet for a little while longer.

"Put him back to sleep before he starts screaming his head off and calling the crazies over here."

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She resentfully laid him on her shoulder and patted his back. 

Something out of the corner of my eyes caught my attention; a glint of light beyond the treeline. I trudged through the layer of leaves coating the forest floor until I reached the edge of the woods. A field of overgrown, yellow, grass stretched on for yards, and on the other side stood a massive house two stories tall–three if you counted the attic. I could barely make it out from where I was without my glasses or contacts, but it looked promising.

"There's a house across this field. Maybe the owners will let us phone for help."

She met me at the edge of the treeline. The kid had quieted down, but she continued to rock him. "I don't know. It could be a trap."

"Or it could be our saving grace. It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

A twig snapped behind us and we both hit the ground simultaneously. We flatten our backs against another wide, oak tree. Deetz peeked around the tree ever so cautiously then drew back, covering her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut. Oh no.

It was my turn to sneak a glance. I poked my head out from around the tree to see the butcher standing several yards away with a chainsaw in hand. He made no noise and neither did the saw. He was listening, watching, waiting. With each second that passed, he drew nearer.

 "What do we do?" I mouthed.

She thought for a moment then whispered so faintly you'd wonder if she was making sound at all. "One of us needs to distract him so the other can get the house and call for help."

"No. I'm not playing bait again. Ghost bait is one thing, but I'm not going to be cannibal bait. No way."

She shoved the baby in my arms. "Fine. You take the kid with you to the house and I'll be bait if it'll settle the score."

I had no idea how to even hold a baby. He was awkward and squirmy. Support the head, right? I heard that on tv once. Tucking him into the crook of my arm like a football, I turned back to her to raise an objection to her plan, but she took off running before I could say another word.