-HIATUS- ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ - ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀᴡᴛʜᴏʀɴᴇ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ (ꜱᴇQᴜᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀᴍʙꜱ?) -HIATUS-

Chapter 43

The roof is peaceful. I found a place behind a chimney, close to the edge. No one would think to look for me here. If they think I am missing, I honestly don't care right now. I don't care about anything. I just want to sit here and do nothing. I know this silence won't last forever. I know I can't stay up here forever. I only wish those things would. I know I have been up here for a few hours, I watched the light turn to night. I know they would find me soon enough, tell me I am not allowed to run off without telling anyone where I am going... I am tired of living this life. Sometimes I wish life could go back to the way it was before such as now. I want to go back to my old life, my old school, and my old friends. Most of all, I want my mum to be alive. There's an eerie hand on my neck. Not eerie. REAL. MY NECK. My chest tight, I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have come here. The hand pulls my body up, they are well aware that I noticed them.

"Don't you think it is dangerous? To come up here alone?" the man says, his voice is strangely familiar, too familiar, I need to turn around. I need to look at him.

"No, I think it is dangerous for you to be up here," I laugh, I feel the man's breath on the back of my neck. His hand still on my neck. "What do you want?"

"What do I want? You mean, what does The Sheriff want," the man says, I need to turn around. Look at him. "You can turn around, you can look at me, but what will happen to you if you do?"

"The Sheriff wants me. He can have me as long as he keeps everyone out of this, as long as he keeps Toby out of this. I will go if Toby is released to my sister's custody," I shout hoping someone can hear me.

"No guarantees Queen. No guarantees," the man behind me whispers. I know something terrible will happen if I turn around, but honestly? It is going to happen anyway. When he least expects it I remove his grip on my neck and jump onto him. I don't see his face. He falls to the floor and I stay on him, his arms behind his back. "Hah! I didn't think you had it in you."

"Of course I do. Now you don't really stand a chance do you?" I pull out my phone from my pocket with my free hand. He is waiting for the perfect moment to strike, but I don't plan on loosening my grip on him for a second. Unlocking my phone I head straight to my contacts. Oren. I wait a few seconds until Oren picks up. Putting the phone on speaker I hold it tightly, "Oren! I have a man on the roof! Hurry, I have him pinned but it won't stay this way for long!"

"All men to the roof, all men to the roof." Oren says probably into his handheld transceiver, "On my way," Oren says calmly. "Jameson take care of Avery, Amber has a situation on the roof," Avery? Is she okay? Is she hurt? The man below me knocks my phone out of my hand, it flies a meter away.

"Show me your face. You're getting caught anyways," I say into the man's ear. I let out a quiet shriek as our positions swap in a second, now I am the one pinned on the floor. I can see his face clearly now. Michael. "M-M-Michael. You're-"

"I am here. I finished my time in prison, this time I am sure to stay longer," he chuckles looking at my face, admiring it. His fingers trace my jawline.

"You missed me huh?" I laugh and he has a grin on his face.

"I know you have those boys now, but do they really care? Why aren't they here right now?" He asks me a smug look on his face. "If it were me, I would have-"

"You would have?! You were barely there for me!" I shout but he just slaps my face. Déjà vu. "You see? You wouldn't care and you don't care!"

"STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!" Oren barks just as Michael hits me again, this time a punch in my stomach. I gasp in pain. 

"They would always care," His hand is a fist above my face, and I close my eyes. I shouldn't have continued, but I can't show my fear of him, my fear of Michael. Especially in front of him.

"Do you want this?" Michael bellows from above me.

"STAND UP! HANDS IN THE AIR!" A man shouts, and Oren came. Michael doesn't move. "HANDS IN THE AIR! Everyone stay back." Stay back? I open my eyes, Michael's hand is no longer a fist, he holds a gun pointed at the group. The group consisted of Oren, Rosie, Jameson, Avery & Xander. Oh lord, I'd rather die than have them watch this. Michael aims his gun at one person, in particular, Jameson. I try to struggle out of his grip, but he holds my wrists tightly.

"Oren! Just do it!" Xander shouts but Oren doesn't move. "Oren!"

"I don't think that is a smart choice there," Michael laughs aiming at Xander. What do I do? My legs are available-

"MICHAEL," I shout raising my knee to kick him in the balls. I need to be fast, slipping my hand out in his moment of weakness I grab the gun but he still holds it in his hand. "Michael, don't do this." The gun in our hands aimed at the floor next to me. He pulls the trigger. The sound deafening, he was threatening. Why isn't Oren shooting? Am I too close to Michael? 

"Amber! You're going to get yourself killed!" Avery shouts, one of Oren's men pulling her back. Rosie stands there terrified and Jameson is glued to the spot.

"I SAID STAY BACK! GET INSIDE!" Oren barks and Rosie goes down the ladder but the others don't. "AVERY!" Everyone is frozen, they look almost terrified and are definitely not obeying. "Hands where I can see them!"

"Michael, don't do this. Do whatever you were planning on doing with me and take me to him. Make everyone else forget." I whisper in his ear. I try to get the gun out of his grip but he is stronger than me by a mile. "Michael," I say softly in a second a flash of gray appears behind Michael. Gray? There is only one person that I know who wears gray and his name is Grayson. Grayson... No, no, no! He is going to get himself killed. Michael stands up knowing what I had seen, he pulls me up with him, holding a gun against the side of my head. He presses the gun firmly against my temple. I tremble in fear.

"Let go of Amber," Grayson says, staring daggers into Michael. Michael just laughs, he just laughs. He isn't threatened by Grayson, at least not anymore.

"Michael just do what you planned on doing with me, just don't hurt anyone else. Take me to him, that was your job, right? Your plan of action?"

"Amber, what do you think you are doing?!" Grayson shouts and he steps forward. I hear the group shouting at us, Jameson is being pulled back by one of the guards and so is Avery.

"Grayson, don't do this. It doesn't matter, I don't have to matter," Grayson stares at me fury in his eyes, objections are being made by Oren and the others but right now. Grayson doesn't care, he throws himself onto Michael as I duck, I know Michael isn't going to shoot me, but I do it anyways. Grayson has Michael pinned but Michael holds a gun aimed at Grayson. No. This is all my fault. "Grayson, you are going to get yourself killed! MICHAEL! Stop this!" I shout throwing myself onto Michael and pushing Grayson to the side, Michael pulls the trigger... A loud bang, my ears won't stop ringing at the sound, and there is a sudden immense pain in my arm. Did he shoot me? My body is grabbed and I land with a thud. Not my head though, not my head. My arm burns, it burns. I feel numb all over for once. I can't breathe- I can't breathe-

"No, no, no- Amber, listen to me. Amber! Can you hear me? Amy-" A voice says from above me. Grayson? I feel nothing, my body feels like nothing. My body starts to lift, arms below me. "DO IT OREN!" Another gunshot rings. Not me this time, who? I feel my mind drifting off-

(1460 words)