4 Leaf Clover - ᴹˣᴹˣᴹˣᴹ

43.

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It felt like forever that he was running down roads and streets, but eventually, he heard the sirens creeping closer. He stopped running, turning this way and that to see the flashing blue and red lights. The lights were bright in the night and moving fast, Clover ran to the main road. It was the only road that led to his secluded street. A car turned the corner, its white front lights blaring on the road, pointing out the imperfections of the tarmac. It skidded to a halt as Clover stood a few feet away in the middle of the road.

A man opened the driver's door and stuck his head out.

"Are you Clover Volvic?" He shouted and Clover nodded, "Get in son,"

Clover's tired, shaky legs carried him to the back of the police car. As soon as he was seated, the car began speeding down the road, the vehicles behind following. Clover was panicking, his heart pounding. Sitting in the car after running for what felt like an eternity made him feel like he was waiting by for Theo to find him or allowing his father to get hurt and the guilt felt immense. Clover's leg was bouncing in anticipation, the suffocating silence in the car was putting him more on edge.

"We're nearly there son, what can you tell me?" The officer asked and Clover shook his head.

"I..." Clover's voice was going, the pressure on his neck had severed his vocal cords.

"It's okay," The officer said calmly, "We have an ambulance on the way,"

Clover could only nod, the culmination of the night pounding him in full force. The camera in his office had brought the most primal outrage from his mother, and his father helped orchestrate it. The invasion of his privacy had violated him and he got enraged at his parents. All of that anger led to confessions and those confessions led to that terrifying emotion painted on his mother's face. Could she have hurt his father terribly?

The car halted and Clover glanced at his house. He glanced at the red bricks, with black decorations surrounding his house. When he was younger, he never favoured his house. It was tasteless, shrouded in darkness and the eeriness made Clover's old primary friends never step near it. Now, it was haunting, painted perfectly for Hallowe'en and horror. It wasn't a fantasy anymore. It used to ignite some imagination in Clover when he was younger but it had transformed into a genuine bone-chilling reality and Clover almost puked as he peered into the open door.

"Stay here son," The officer announced and got out of his car.

Clover wasn't going back into that house, he downright refused. He opened the door to the car and placed his legs onto his driveway. He leaned forward, his head sitting between his legs in case his food wanted to come up.

"Clover!"

Clover darted up at the shout of his name, the voice was panicked. A towering man with fair skin ran towards him, their eyes panicked and their steps inelegant. He descended to one knee in front of Clover, his hands picking up Clover's weighty head.

"Fuck," He cursed and Clover looked hard at Finley.

"Finley," At seeing his lover, he began crying pathetically. His voice was barely audible.

"It's okay," Finley consoled, "Look, I need you to stand up and come to the ambulance,"

Clover was oblivious to the condition of his face - his nose had a tremendous laceration, and it looked like it had been bleeding for the last half hour, the blood had run down Clover's face. The bruises weren't visible just yet, but everything was hurting. He nodded at Finley, finally acquiring some strength in his body to stand up on his unsteady legs. Finley put his arms around Clover's waist and guided him slowly to the ambulance parked near the police cars.

Clover watched as officers rushed into and out of the house. He was gently placed at the back of the ambulance, his eyes watching the front door. It was like an out-of-body experience, he felt like he was watching a show as the officers piled in and out, talking to each other and giving each other advice. It felt especially surreal when his mother was guided out of the house in cuffs.

Clover stood up, and his body began walking him closer to the woman. He heard the officer talk to her and pull her to his car.

"Anything you say, can and will be used against you in the court of law," He said monotonously, "Get in the car madam,"

Clover took a good glimpse at his mother then. She had blood covering her hands, and splatters of it on her clothes. She looked deranged, her hair a horror and an outlandish smile on her face. As they made eye contact, she began acting feral. Clover stepped back in horror, it was like she was an untamed animal, like rabies had overtaken her brain and started to feed on her. Just the sight of Clover set her off and she began to struggle in the officer's arms.

Clover turned away from his mother, a complete 180 from the woman he had known.

A sight coming from his front door had caught his attention. The medical professionals were wheeling a bed from the front door, a blanket covering a body. Clover's mind began to fall apart, his feet carried him to the moving bed.

"Dad!"

"Clover," Finley shouted, "No!"

Clover ripped the sheet off his dad. He didn't know what he anticipated but what he did see was going to torment him for the rest of his life. Finley placed the blanket back over the body and wheeled the medical team away. Clover felt hands on his shoulders, he felt his body being shaken, pulled every way but he couldn't pull himself away from the inside of his head.

His mother was a monster. She was the reincarnation of the devil. All the time, she condemned Clover but the devil was living within her. How could she rip a face off? How could she hit him so hard his skull concaved?

Clover threw up. In the grass, a little bit on Finley's boots.

"Fuck," Finley cursed again, "What the fuck is going on?"

"Officer Reeves," Someone called and Finley turned to them, "Get Mr Volvic to the station, we've placed his mother under arrest but she said she wants a lawyer immediately,"

"With all due respect sir, I want Clover far away from his mother," Finley spoke, "He won't want to stay in this place, allow me to take him home,"

"Your place?" The senior officer spoke in confusion, "Why would you take the boy there?"

"He's my partner, sir," Finley spoke, "Will you grant me permission to leave the scene and take the victim home?"

"Permission granted," He said, "I want you back at the station in 2 hours Reeves,"

Clover was in and out of consciousness, Finley picked up his head again and kissed his cheek gently. Clover felt Finley's breath but he couldn't bring himself to stay awake - his body was hurting, his face was hurting and more importantly, everywhere he looked, he saw his father. It was a lot of energy, but he remembered one thing.

"Finley," His voice was gruff, "Where's Theo?"

"Theo?" Finley questioned, "Who's that?"

"My cousin," Clover spoke, "He tried to kill me,"

Finley skimmed around, he stood up and whispered to another officer. Clover watched as they conversed. He strode away, to the plethora of cars on the street, their sirens blasting. It was then that Clover witnessed almost all of the neighbouring houses watching in terror and confusion. It was a horror spectacle and no doubt the Volvics would become the talk of the town for several weeks - the horrors of religious negligence and abuse would be discovered.

"Clover!" Finley ran back up to him, "Don't run off,"

"I don't feel well," Clover coughed out.

"Here," Finley said calmly, "Get in, I'll take you home,"

Clover clambered into Finley's vehicle, his mind feeling numb. The car startled rattling about as Finley drove, and Clover held his head.

"Finley," He groaned, the pain intensifying, "I really don't feel well,"

"Okay," Finley panicked, "I hear you, baby,"

Clover fell forward, his head colliding with the passenger seat in front of him. He desperately attempted to regain some composure and sit back up, but a suffocating darkness enveloped him.