Screaming Schemes - Tyler Locke

Good At Being Stupid

1918 words
chapter seven

Charlotte can't even look at Tyler while Sam ties him to one of the empty chairs. Not because she's worried about him - well, partly that - but because she knows if she looks at him, she will probably forgive him too quickly and she needs an apology (at least) first. So, instead, she focuses on Kinsey, trying to communicate with the blonde while Tyler and Nina beg Sam to take one of them over Kinsey and Bode.

We'll be okay, Kinsey tries to tell Charlotte with her eyes as Sam allows the two youngest ones out of their chairs.

Don't die or do anything stupid, the redhead replies back.

Kinsey even manages a smile back before she glances between Charlotte and Tyler, avoiding looking at her mom. "If something happens to me," Kinsey begins, "remember to take care of Sally."

Charlotte glances at Tyler, wondering if that's the name of the stuffed animal Kinsey had hidden the key in, and sees the look of realization in his eyes. When they look at each other, she can't seem to look away, and neither can he. Nina's struggle is what catches their attention again, causing an idea to form behind Tyler's eyes.

"Lee," he mutters, "am I about to get hurt if I do what I'm planning on doing?" She rolls her eyes, resisting the urge to shake her head. She doesn't predict pain, she predicts death... and she can't exactly control that either so his question is useless. He breathes out. "Screw this." Nina doesn't even get her concern out before he throws himself backward. Charlotte winces when she hears the wood break under him.

Nina voices her worry for her son: "Jesus, Tyler. Are you okay?"

He struggles to get up but quickly starts releasing Charlotte. "Yeah," he stutters, "I'm all right." When the belt around her falls away, he goes toward his mom. "How do I..." Charlotte hands him a pair of scissors. He looks at them, then up at her. She doesn't say anything, just nods to them. Slowly, as if they're the most important thing in the world, he takes the peace offering and cuts the zip ties around his mom's wrists, returning to the situation at hand. "Where was Kinsey before Sam got here?"

"Winter study," Nina supplies.

Tyler hands Nina his phone. "Here," he mutters. He doesn't even have to look back to know that Charlotte is already on her way there before he gets up and follows her. She begins to rip open the whale stuffed animal's mouth as his mom comes into the room. "What did the cops say?"

"Five to ten minutes," Nina replies. "Maybe we should go out there." Then she notices the two teenagers trying to get the whale open. 'What are you doing?" Finally, thanks to Tyler's sudden strength that's completely coming through due to worry, they have the key. "What is that?"

For a moment, it feels like everything is working out for them. That is... until they hear the two gunshots.

Tyler grabs Nina. "Mom- mom, wait!"

"Get out of my way!" She yells. "He shot them!"

The door opens, making them all stop. Tyler quickly turns to Charlotte, his eyes wide and pleading for her to talk to him. "Did he shoot them?" She is processing everything - wondering if they had died since she didn't hear any voices - when he puts his hands on the side of her face, looking into her eyes with his startling blue ones. "I'm sorry. God- I am so sorry, Charlotte. I know what I did was stupid and I should have believed you and I shouldn't have said those things but I believe you. I do. I believe you." She stares at him in shock. "Please," he says quietly, "did he shoot them?"

She can hear Sam getting closer and shakes her head. "They're not dead. And they're not going to die. I know that."

He breathes out. His relief floods into her as well before she feels him tense back up as some kind of plan forms inside his head again. "I have an idea," he states. He focuses on Charlotte again. "It's probably really stupid-"