The Forest

Chapter 26

"You have to hide.. he can't see you. I'll handle it" I tell Suzanne and start to walk down the staircase, she grabs my shoulder

"Don't let him come in, okay?" she says in a whisper

"I won't, don't worry" I respond and hold on to staircase as I make my way down the stairs. I could hear a loud knocking on the door over and over again. It matched the speed of my heart racing. The banging got louder and louder as I got closer to the door. I just stared at it, maybe if I didn't answer he'd have no choice but to leave in defeat. However, I didn't think that would happen. He was not one to easily walk away and give up.

I let out a heavy sigh and opened the door. He stared at me.

"So you just up and dissapear? Is that what you do? Is this some kind of game to you?"

"I don't know, you tell me. I'm surprised you didn't come here first...I'm pretty sure you're very familiar with this house. I just think it's probably bad memories, you know? Thoughts of how life used to be seemed to catch you at your weakest moment..it happens to the best of us, well in your case the worst of us" I say

"Memories of what? What are you getting at?"

"I'm not stupid, I know everything. I know you know everything too"

"Stop saying crazy things, it makes you look foolish"

"But whose the real fool? Me or you?"

"What's your deal? You seem to be confused, did you hit your head too hard when those guys attacked you?"

"I think you need to leave now. You aren't needed or wanted.." as I tried to shut the door he foot slammed into the door way.

"I know my daughter's in there"

I paused for a second, "Excuse me?"

"I know my daughter is in there and I think that these games of hide and go seek with her have come to an end" he says and tries to open the door, but I slam his hand in the door way then let it go as he backed away in pain.

"You honestly think if she were in that house I'd let you in? You're nothing but a sick, twisted bastard"

"What you say?!"

"I said you are a sick, twisted bastard. You beat on your daughter and your wife! You purposely allow people to live in this house despite the fact that you know more than you lead on"

"Nothing about my life..has anything to do with yours"

"Well see that's where you're wrong. MY BROTHER IS GONE. You know who's fault it is? Yours! You made your daughter stay away from this house even though she wanted to save us. If you hadn't let us move in none of this would have ever happened!"

"Your brother shouldn't be so curious..."

"Don't say a damn thing about my brother!" I scream at him through the door way, "Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted? To see another family destroyed? Do you even care or are you just so selfish and cruel?"

"..Let me see my daughter" he reponds, not answering any of my questions.

"Why should I? It's not as if I can see my brother. Why should I let you have the luxury of seeing the ones you love? Or do you even love her?"

"Why would you care?"

"Because maybe unlike you, there are people in this world that care about your daughter"

"Never touch my daughter"

"I don't take orders from people like you"

Sheriff grabs my shoulder out of the door way and throws me onto the ground. The shock of his throwing me caught me off guard, as he tried to punch me in my face. I dodged it and his fist met with the ground. I tired to push him off of me, but he pushed pressure onto my injuried foot. I groaned in pain and elbowed him in the face. He was stronger than I, but I wasn't willing to give up. Blood started oozing out of his nose onto my shirt.

I felt his fist finally meet my face. It stung. I didn't know if it was my head spinning and the ringing in my ears, but I heard a sound that I couldn't make out. It sounded like the roaring of an engine. Was there a car driving by? Why were they driving so fast? What's happening? I suddenly felt weight being lifted off of me.

"Get off of him!" I hear a women scream, with a voice I think I've heard before.

"Dad! Stop!" I hear Suzanne scream

I tried to regain my vision, because the world kept spinning. Someone put their hand on my shoulder, "Are you alright?" she asked

"I think so, but I think the person you should be asking that is him"

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and opened them again. Everything started to align, it was Suzanne's mother.

"..How'd you get here?"

"Suzanne called me, said it was an emergency. I can see why" she says, remorsefully looking at my body. She probably regretted not stoping me when she had the chance. She knew this wouldn't end well.

She helped me off the ground and I could see Sheriff staring at me, infused with anger on his face.

"You don't want what you just signed up for" he says, fuming.

"I'm pretty sure the rest of the officers at the station will love to hear about you attacking an innocent teenage boy" Suzanne's mother says threateningly.

"You won't say a word! Not to anyone!" he screams at her and surpringly she shows no emotion. You'd think a women tormented by her husband would shudder in fear of words like that.

"You don't scare me..not anymore. Now leave, I'm giving you a head start. Hope you have a good hiding place" she says, and I noticed that under the him of her pants was a gun. Would she shoot him? I don't know, but I'm sure she wanted him to know that she had it.

"Suzanne" he says, looking in her direction, "Come home now"

She scolds him and says, "Never" with hurt in her eyes

"You all will get killed by Jasper" he says in a weary tone, storming toward his car. He speeds away and I could feel a huge pain in my stomach.

"I'm sorry" Suzanne says, wraping her arms around me. I haven't felt this type of embrace in a while. It felt good.

"It's not your fault..." I say into her shoulder

"He's never going to stop" Suzanne's mother says, "He won't stop untill Jasper is gone. He wants to protect us, by hurting us if we disobey him. He'll never leave. He'll never stop trying to fight us back into his control. That's what he craves, control. He couldn't control what happened to his son now all aspects of his life consist of trying to fix the mistake he had made"

"What mistake?" I ask

"The mistake of letting his son wonder into the forest"