After Midnight

Chapter 35

Standing in front of my door was the scariest thing I've done all week. Tommy would leave notes. He would tell me that it wasn't safe to go home, and this morning, Dalton told me that it was okay. He hugged me for a long time, then walked me home. And here I was, standing there, afraid to walk into my own house.

I knocked on the door instead of opening it. I felt like I didn't have the right to. My phone was shut off the whole week, and Barry told me there was a police report on me for missing persons. My heart started racing as I watched the doorknob turn. When it opened, my dad stood there with bloodshot eyes and his beard almost full. He hugged me tighter than he ever has and started crying. I've never seen my dad cry.

"David, who's at the door?", Ellie asked. She appeared next to him and started crying too. I hugged her, which was kind of hard to do when her belly was so big.

Bailey ran over and hugged me around my legs. I got on my knees and hugged her.

"Dane..", My dad started as cleared his throat before he continued."He's in his room"

I stood up and hugged him again before I went upstairs and into Dane's room. He stared blankly at me for a few seconds before he got up and hugged me. We just stood there, for a very long time. When we finally let go, he asked me what happened, and I told him everything but the part about the man. I didn't want to retell it. Not after I just did.

"How are you, though?"

"I'm okay", He smiled."I'm still kind of scared, or whatever. But I'm okay"

That conversation didn't last long before I went to bed, which also didn't last long before Ellie ran in my room and literally pulled me out of bed by my arm.

"What?", I asked as she pulled me down the stairs. Dalton was leaning against the wall next to the door. My dad, Dane and Bailey were surrounding him. Bailey was telling him to stop crying, and she was wiping the tears for his cheeks, while Dane was on the phone, and my dad was wrapping a wet towel around his arm. I ran over and kneeled next to him. He shook his head at me and held his arm.

"What happened?", I asked again. I pushed his hair out of his face and looked back at my dad."Dad. What's going on?"

He nudged his head towards the door as an answer. I turned back to Dalton and he moved back the towel a little. His arm was burned.

I put my hand up to my mouth and tried to hold back the tears I knew were coming.

"Oh my God", I shook my head and held his hand. He squeezed it right and closed his eyes. His hands were trembling along with the rest if his body.

"You'll be okay", I said.

"It hurts", He said and bit his lip.

"I know", I put my hand in his face."Don't focus on the pain. Focus on me"

Bailey wiped his face again and kissed his cheek. I smiled at her and so did Dalton.

"You have story", Bailey smiled, poking one of the scars on his collar, then she poked one of mine in my arm."Like sissy has story"

I looked back ana Ellie started crying hard.

Dalton looked back at me and shook his head."I can't do this anymore", He whispered. It was my turn to cry."I don't want to go on like this"

I heard sirens from down the street.

"It's okay", I caressed his cheek and smiled at him."You're gonna be okay"

He shook his head."No I'm not"

And then the paramedics ran in and Ellie pulled me back. I only let go if his hand when I was too far away to keep holding it. Ellie was the only thing keeping me from dropping and screaming.

But instead, she dragged me over to a chair, lightly pushed me down to sit and she ran over to Dalton. Dane came over to me and shoved me back down in the chair when I started to get up. I shook my head.

"No I can't leave him", I sobbed.

"You're not out to leave him. No one is leaving. They're just going to fix him"

"They can't fix him"

"They can try", He out more pressure in my shoulders and I shove him away. I got up and he caught me around my waist when I started running.

He pulled me in so my back hit his chest.

"Stop, Arin!", He shouted at me and I put my hand over his arm and shook my head. I turned around and hugged my brother. It was the only thing I could do without freaking out.

"Come on", My dad said, grabbing my arm. I turned to him and wiped my eyes."Were going to follow them", He said.

"Wait", I pulled him back to me.

"He doesn't have his parents, Arin!", My dad shouted at me. And then I understood."We have to go"

I picked up Bailey and he pulled me outside. I got in the car and put Bailey on my lap. Ellie and Dane got in after me and my dad followed the ambulance.

"I'm guessing you want an explanation"

"No, dad", I said sarcastically."I don't want to know what happened do my best friend who's whole arm is burnt"

"I don't know what happened. All I know is that I was going to leave for work, and when I was outside, I saw a black car throw him into our yard and he was screaming, so I went over to him and his fucking arm was burned, so I did what any logical person would and I helped him"

I looked over at Dane and he pulled me in to a hug. I had one arm around Bailey and the other around Dane.

"He's not going to die", My dad said, reaching behind me and patting my leg.

"He will be okay", Ellie smiled back at me, wiping the tears that fell down her cheeks.

The feeling that I had was worse than it has ever been. They had burned him. This had to end.