Finding Weaknesses

Back to Hell

I froze solid. Then dropped. If Malcom was back, I had to get out or he'd pull me back inside and make sure there was a lock on the tiny bathroom window I'd escaped from. My breath yet again left me as my feet hit the snow covered ground. I immediately slipped over on an icy patch where I'd landed. But I didn't hit the ground. A pair of arms had caught me and were now pulling me back onto my feet. I was praying to any and every possible god that might exist that it wasn't Malcom. 

It wasn't. Instead my eyes alight with the same boy who was new in my sewing class. Uhh, what was he doing here? 

"You'd better run Genevieve. He'll be back any minute now. He was just going to go get Damon then come back." He hung his face. "I've been hanging out with him. He's bringing Damon over to interrogate you and to force you to go out with Malcom. I'm sorry, but I had to help you. You've helped me already."

Awww he's so sweet. But that leaves me as I digest the more serious parts of his announcement. 'Uhhh.... You're that new guy right? The one in my sewing class?" Just to make sure.....

To my surprise, he actually blushes. "Umm, yeah, I'm Josh, about that class-"

I grin. Then race off. Dodging trees, jumping sticks (Meh, why not?) and get out onto the street. My heart pounds as I look for anything that's familiar. It's hard to tell, because of all the snow, but I'm pretty sure that's the main road up there. I find a cleared path and start half-walking-half-running up towards the road. Then I hear a car roar. I fling myself off the path and behind a bush. The dark red car comes round the corner. I actually start shaking as I see Malcom in the drivers seat, with Damon in the passengers. They're laughing their heads off, which makes me even more scared. Normally I don't get scared of them, but because I have practically no idea where I am, and the fact that they managed to kidnap me, well, I'm very very scared.

Once the car is gone, I dash back out and start running down the street. I have only minutes until they find out I escaped, and then they might come back out looking for me. Shitshitshitshit.

I've reached the road. There's Hayleys house there. It's another kilometre or so until mine, so I just run over to her front door and knock. No-one comes, but I'm panicking, so I find the spare key underneath a pot plant and let myself in. It's deadly quiet. 

"HAYLEY??"

A flock of reddish hair blocks my vision as someone hugs me and all I can hear is, "Gen! What happened? Are you ok? Was it Malcom? I've been so worried, but I didn't know what to do! I thou-" 

"Hays. It's ok. I'm ok." She nods and lets go of me. Thats when I see the big bruise forming on her head. It's a bit swollen too. I gape, trying to figure out how it happened. Whilst I'm staring at her, she's scrutinizing me, trying to see if I was injured at all. The roar of a car brings me back. Geez, Malcom should really get a quieter car. He keeps missing me because I know he's coming. 

I shut the door and lock it, put the deadbolt in and stack some chairs infront of it for good measure. Hayley looks at me questionally, and so I quickly recount what happened, finishing with, "-and he's coming now Hayley, that's his car, I'm sure of it."

Hayley responds by immediately grabbing my arm and pulling me upstairs. You have to go through a study to get to her bedroom, so she locks the study door on the way up. Then she locks her bedroom door and we slide her bed over to hold it shut. Her window looks onto the street, so we shut the blinds but leave a sliver open so we can see if Malcom is coming.

"If he does get in, I'm locking you in the ensuite, just as an extra precaution. Plus have a cricket bat." Hayley says, shoving one into my arms. She grabs her own weapon, a slightly dented baseball bat, and we peek through the curtains. I gasp as I see the deep red car sitting outside on the drive, and Malcom standing at Hayleys door, fiddling with the lock. Damon is standing behind him, looking around casually, but obviously fuming inside. Malcom stands back a little, mutters something to Damon that we can't hear, and kicks at the door. Hayley lets out a squeak as a huge bang sounds, along with a slight sound of breaking wood. They're in. Shitshitshitshit.

We can't see anything now because they're both off the street. Hayley immediately shoves  me into her ensuite. "Where's his house?"

I have to think for a moment. "At the end of Astor Avenue I think. But I'm not too sure." She nods and shuts the door. I lock it. I can hear thuds and then closer thuds and I'm pretty sure they're at Hayleys door now. I start shaking, praying that Hayley comes up with a good story and that they'll leave.

BOOM!

Hayley shrieks. One of the boys lets out a great "HA!" Then Malcoms growl:

"Where the heck is she Hayley? We know she's here. Is she in there?" I'm guessing he's gesturing towards the door which I'm hidden behind. 

Hayleys voice is surprisingly stong when she answers, "She's not here. This was just a ruse to hold you up. She's on her way back to hers now. In fact, she might be there already.

"You know what Hayley? I don't belive you. I don't think you'd let her go home on her own when you wont even let her walk to school on her own. Gen! Open up the door! We're going home." 

I don't move a muscule. 

"Playing the silent game are we? Well I'll fix that for you." Footsteps move towards the door, and something hits the wall. 

"Ahh, so she is in here is she? You wouldn't normally protect your bathroom like that would you now Hayley? Damon, hold her back." Again the footsteps move closer, but there's also a scuffle as Damon attempts to hold Hayley still. Malcom knocks on the bathroom door. 

"Gen? Open up darling!" I snarl at him calling me 'darling'.

"Ahh, there we go, knew you were in there. Hide-and-seeks over Gen, I found you, so now you come out." Despite everything in the world telling me not to, I open the door. When I see him standing there, reality hits me and I try to slam it shut again. Too late. He's stuck his foot into it. And he's much stronger than me. So I go flying backwards as he shoves the door open again. 

I grope for my cricket bat and wildly swing at him. Obviously I miss, and he wrenches it out of my grasp and chucks it behind him. Then he lunges for me. I shriek and struggle but in the end, he wins, by grabbing my wrists and hooking his other arm behind my knees, which immediately buckle. And seeing Hayley being held in a headlock makes me think totally that we're worth nothing, not even able hold our own.

So I start to cry.

Malcom notices first. Then Damon says, "Shit bro, you better get her back. Head out to the car and get her in then I'll knock this one over (he gestures to Hayley) and come out. You have to be ready to go though, cos I'm sure she'll come racing after us." 

Malcom nods and starts to carry me outside. I panic, and start flailing around. "No! No I'm not coming. I don't wanna go! No! Hayley! Arg--" Malcom covers my mouth until I calm down. Of course, I'm not really calm. Just pretending to be.

We reach the car. Malcom puts a cloth in my mouth but ties another over it before I can spit it out. Then he lightly cuffs both my hands and my feet, then flicks the child-lock on. The door shuts. He gets into the drivers seat. I wriggle over to the other door, intending to get out that one. 

"Oi, don't even think about it. That one's locked too. My heart falls. Then I hear a bang and a muffled shriek. Malcom hears it too, and turns the car on. Damon comes pounding down and jumps into the open passenger door, then shuts it. 

Malcom puts his foot down and we fly down the road. I twist around, trying to see if Hayley comes out. She does. Then she dashes back inside. I don't feel upset at her. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what she's doing.

I just hope she can do it fast.