Taken(H.S.)

Chapter 20

~HARRY POV~

"Welcome, home, princess."

I dropped the diaper bag on the floor, letting go of Preston's hand as he ran towards the stairs. "I love stairs!" He yelled, climbing each one with a grunt.

Emmy's eyes were wide as she looked around the empty two-story house, her hands reaching out and groping at the open space before her.

"Oh-em-geez. How many freaking steps do we have outside?" Hazel said as she stumbled in after me.

"Three," I smirked, setting Emmy's car seat down on the soft light colored carpet. She lightly punched me as she looked around.

"I can't believe we moved."

Her eyes scanned the empty living room, taking in our new home. "I know, right? I thought we'd spend the rest of our lives on Oakwood Drive."

Her mouth fell open as she prepared to say something, but was cut off when a loud BANG echoed through the apartment.

We dashed up the stairs, following the sound of muffled cries. "Preston? Preston!? Where are you, baby!?" Hazel yelled, her breathing erratic. We parted ways as she searched rooms.

I reached the end of the hallway, where a door was slightly open. I pushed through the threshold, being greeted by an unfamiliar staircase. I climbed the creaky wood, Preston's cries getting louder.

When I reached the top, I stood inside what appeared to be an attic. Preston lay sprawled across the floor at the bottom of a ladder, his face covered in dust and tears.

"Hey, what are you doing up here? Are you okay?" I rushed over to him, scooping him up in my arms. He pointed his finger to his head, jabbing it continuously. "My head hurts."

"It's okay. I'm gonna go get you some ice. Stay from up here, it's very dangerous," I said, looking around the empty space. A dim light shone through the cracked window, making the small area eerily dark. The floorboards creaked with my every movement, as if they would give out from under me any moment. "Come on, let's get outta here."

******

"Liam, be careful! That's my fine china!" Hazel warned as she cradled Emmy on the porch. "Oh hush. Your fine china will never be as fine as me."

It was around 6pm, and me and Liam were hauling boxes full of our belongings into the house. Our furniture had already been delivered.

"Yeah, for now. But not after I get done with you," she teased. She followed us into the house, where we dropped the boxes on the floor, along with the 2,000 others.

"Well, I think that's it," Liam said, his hands on his hips. Sweat glistened from both of our foreheads. Preston ran past us a box over his head. "FOR INFINITY, AND BEYOND!"

"You could stay for dinner, if you'd like," Hazel suggested, looking around the house. "Or not, we'll probably be eating pizza. We still need to go grocery shopping."

Liam chuckled. "I can't anyway. Tonight me and Soph are going out for dinner, its our anniversary."

"Oh, yeah. Congrats man. Tell her me and Hazel said hello," I said, patting him on the back as we headed towards the door.

After we said our goodbyes, we started unpacking. We took turns, one putting things up while the other watched the kids. An hour later, the kitchen was set and we were onto the living room.

"I'm gonna go order the pizza," Hazel said, grabbing her phone and heading towards the kitchen. "The regular?" She asked. I nodded. "Yep."

I started opening a box labeled 'decorations' as she walked out onto the patio.

I pulled open the tabs, and reached inside. I grabbed the first thing and pulled it out. It was a jack-in-the-box.

I opened it and slowly twisted the handle. A slow version of 'Pop Goes The Weasel' filled the silence.

As I waited for the big jump scare, I looked at my reflection in the little mirror. There was a swirl in the middle, that spun with each turn. My eyes followed the pattern, turning in full circles. I was being hypnotized.

The music abrubtly stopped, and I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. It had to be broken.

"BOO, DADDY!"

I jumped so hard that the jack-in-the-box fell and shattered.

"FUCK PRESTON!" I yelled,my breathing erratic. My heart beat pounded in my ears.

Preston jumped back, looking up at me in fear. His bottom lip quivered.

"Hey, hey. I'm sorry. Don't cry, little bud." I said, pulling him into my lap. "You just scared me for a sec there," I chuckled, my heart still beating furiously.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I didn't mean to scare you."

I rubbed his back. "It's okay, just watch out. You might give Daddy a heart attack one of these days."

"Harry, the pizza will be here in fift- what is going on in here?" Hazel said, looking at the broken toy.

Before I could answer, the jack-in-the-box went off, making all three of us jump. Hazel chuckled.

"Throw that away, it's creepy."

Preston jumped out of my arms as I picked up the broken toy. I carried it to the kitchen, examining it. A white piece of paper caught my eye sticking out the bottom.

I ripped it out, tossing the toy in the trash. I unfolded the paper, squinting to read the sloppy handwriting.

I gasped as the paper slid from my hands.

As it fluttered out of reach, 'POP GOES THE WEASEL' in big red pen could still be seen from the ground.