October Academy

Chapter 69

i'm sorry for the late update. i just really want to draw out the updates because i'm sad it's going to be over soon :( 

"Could you shut her up for a minute?" Jackson gestures to me with his knife.

"No!" I cry. "Don't touch me."

Like a soldier on command, Callum walks over to me. He stands behind me, pressing his body against the back of mine. His hand clamps around my mouth.

I struggle against him, until my feet are lifted from the floor and all my weight is in his arms. I can feel something cool and metal in the hem of his pants.

But I can't do anything, and now I don't even have a voice.

Jackson returns to his video.

"Shut up, please," Callum says in my ear, just a whisper.

I keep squirming against him, even though my feet aren't even on the ground. He's got me completely trapped in his arms. I can't go anywhere.

"Jade," he whispers again. "Trust me."

I steady my breathing, my back rising and falling against his chest. He eventually loosens his grip on me, then slowly takes his hand off my mouth, hovering it there so that if Jackson turns around it will look like I'm still being detained.

"I'm going to get you out of here, ok?" he breathes.

"You came back... for me?"

"Yes, now play along."

With every slash Jackson makes on Darcy, I flinch and turn into Callum, unable to watch the horror unfold.

"Jade, you see," Jackson says, finishing up and wiping the blood on his hands on a towel, "it's about time that karma caught up with them."

I see Perry stirring across from me. I can't imagine how she will react to this image. My heart starts beating too fast, worrying about her. She can't manage this. She won't function. What will she do? Will she faint again? Scream?

"It's what they do with their power. They commit mass atrocities – they do evil things – and they get away with it. Like what they did to our mother, like what they did to our father, and like what they'll do to you."

I start struggling again, as Jackson walks towards me. Callum just holds me tighter, not letting me wriggle my way free.

I don't know if it's for show for Jackson, or if he is actually trying to subdue me.

"Let me take her for a walk, calm her down," Callum says.

I glance between Jackson and Darcy hanging behind him, head hanging and lifeless. Maybe he passed out when Jackson was tormenting him. I almost hope he has, so he doesn't need to endure this any longer. I need to get to him. I need to help him.

"So I gather you've met my best friend," Jackson says to me, smiling at Callum. "We grew up in the same foster home. He hasn't done the best job at protecting you, but I guess his feelings got in the way."

Callum grits his teeth. "Let me ease her into this."

"Alright, alright. I guess you can be a proxy for us, for now."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you," I spit as Callum's hand drops from my mouth.

"Feisty," Jackson laughs, turning his back on us and walking to Perry.

"No, no, no," I growl, but Callum has detached my hands from the beam and is pulling me forward and away from the train.

He walks me away to safety, and I can almost feel the danger falling away.