Just a dream (I can feel you staring at me)

Chapter twelve: Griffin's turn

Waking up on the day – well the last days could have also been described as those but today felt different – one of your friends was supposed to be kidnapped by a serial kidnapper and murderer in the making was one thing. (Knowing that it was the day because you felt literally sick to your bones also wasn’t something Finney planned on doing again.)
Having to pretend in front of your sister and every other person – except the other future kidnapping victims – was another thing.

Two days have gone by with nothing happening. Others would maybe think that everything was going to be okay, that maybe the Grabber had had somewhat of a change of heart, but Finney for sure knew it wasn’t like that.

The van was still in front of the school each morning, a dark figure lingering at the drivers seat.
Each morning he was outside when he and Paperboy came to deliver the newspaper.
Each morning it was clear he was renovating something.
Maybe he was preparing the basement for its first victim.

Finney felt sick to his stomach at this thought. He knew, the man had to be planning to take Griffin. Nobody just looked at a child and went like ‘don’t mind if I do’.
But if the Grabber was planning to change his order, which he actually could do at any given point so it was dangerous to just hope he wouldn’t, that meant they couldn't -

Finney sighed heavily. He should just get up, it was time to get up.
But there was this heaviness. His situation was so hopeless. If the man continued to live they had no chance of living a peaceful live again. They’d be hunted down like prey by its hunter.

He’d pick Griffin up today, together with Paperboy of course, and then they’d go to school. There they’d meet up with the others and discuss their next steps. Hopefully Vance and Bruce got the bats ready. Robin had promised to look for pocketknives at the mall. Paperboys parents actually had barbed wire in their shed, but no nails. So this is something left for Finney to look for.

With another sigh, Finney finally got out of bed, the covers slipping off his body, but Finney didn't care much.
He would certainly have time to do that in the afternoon. (He probably wouldn't have since a movie night was planned at Bruce's. Though they for certain would only watch what was on TV)

Getting up was probably the hardest part of his morning routine. It just felt so exhausting just the thought of getting up, but Finney forced herself to get up anyway. After all, he didn't want to let his friends down.

When he got up, firmly on his feet, he looked around his room. He had slept alone for the first time in days. Robin had spent last night with his uncle while Griffin had dinner with his mother and Paperboy was forced by his parents to spend the evening and night with them, because some businesses-partner of his father was going to show up. And Bruce and Vance just didn’t really did sleep overs, though they had finally chewed Bruce to agree for one at his house.

And to be honest, Finney had enjoyed spending time with Gwen. He had missed her. He had missed his whole life in this basement. He had thought that he would die without ever seeing his sister again and in the same place in the same hands of the same man as his Robin.

He shook his head, trying to get the thoughts out of his head. He wasn't dead. Neither was Robin now, or any of the others. And they would make sure it all stayed that way.

Huh.. that thought was actually empowering.
And yet he couldn't get rid of this burning sensation in his neck.

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“I hate this guy.. I hate that he is one of the last houses.” paperboy whispered. He actually was a lot
more careful while throwing the papers.

Finney nodded in agreement, then glanced towards the house.
The sacks, which he was now convinced were filled with cement, were gone. What other sacks could he need, if he could be possibly renovating his murder-chamber-basement?
But that wasn't the thing that made him falter.
The window that had looked down at him so mockingly in his memories, which should actually have been hidden behind bushes, was open to see.
And a grid was attached to it from the outside.