Fort Oakley | Part One

19 | Jewelry Boxes And Escape Plans

3 March 2022 - Thursday

''Who's going to kill who?'' I ask Jacey frantically. Instead of answering me, he collapses onto the ground. ''Jacey!'' I call, rushing towards him. Ignoring the blood, I take his face in my hands, searching for any sign he's still conscious. ''Who are they going to kill, Jacey?''

His eyes flutter open. ''Mason. My little...'' he doesn't finish his sentence as his body goes limp against the ground.

His little brother

I never even knew Jacey had a brother before that night in the meadow, and now the little guy was in danger.

I wanted to know who was going to kill him and why, but I already knew the answer: Diego and Carla Andino.

Without wasting another moment, I hooked my arms underneath Jacey's shoulders and dragged him towards the house with all the strength I had. I didn't know the extent of his injuries, but there was blood soaking through his clothes everywhere, so I dragged him into the guest bathroom on the ground floor and managed to get him into the tub so that he was lying on his back.

''Please don't bleed out,'' I whispered to his broken frame before hurrying upstairs to my bedroom. I didn't know Mason, but he was a little kid, Jacey's brother, and he needed help.

The least I could do was at least try to go help him.

Pulling on a pair of shoes, the gun Vance gave me, which was buried beneath a stack of shirts, caught my eye.

Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I took it and slid it into the waistband of my jeans.

Then I ran.

↟↟↟

The Andino's house was the same style as Claire's house, so I knew I would be able to climb to the second floor if need be. I had snuck out of my bedroom window many times during the night when I went into the woods so that I wouldn't wake Claire up by using the backdoor.

The only problem was that I didn't know where Mason's room was located.

The house loomed before me, it's exterior casting long shadows under the faint light of a nearby streetlamp. My heart pounded in my chest as I scanned the upstairs windows, looking for any sign of life. The one bedroom with a faint light emanating from within caught my attention. I knew it wasn't the main bedroom, so it had to be my best shot.

I began to climb.

Gripping the window sill, I peered into the room, looking for any sign of a boy whose parents were going to kill him.

The little boy was sitting on his bed, crying silently. His room was barren, devoid of any toys or personal belongings, except for the bed he was sitting on and an empty nightstand.

This was not a room where one grew up.

It's one you were trapped in, and I wondered if Jacey's room was the same.

Tapping softly on the window, I watched as Mason looked over at me, his face red and puffy. I placed my finger over my lips, telling him to be quiet before motioning him closer to the window.