The Beginning of the End (Peterick)

Chapter 9

-Pete-

I woke up with a throbbing headache, and the world upside down. Wait... I'm upside down.

"What the fuck is going on?!" I yelled to the surrounding people.

"Well, you were dumb enough to fall asleep in one of our traps, and we're hungry, so we are going to eat you and your friend too." A girl with dark skin and shoulder length hair said.

"What?! You can't just eat people! That isn't okay!"

"I do what I want."

"Where is my son!?"

"Oh him? Don't worry. We won't hurt him. We don't hurt children... We will keep him safe."

"What about Patrick?" I asked.

"The one with the hat? He's next after you. We have him locked away."

I wiggled and struggled, but only managed to get rope burn on my wrist. I took a look around, or tried. Being upside down made everything difficult. It looked like we were on some sort of warehouse. There were piles among piles of boxes and crates stacked up on each other.

"Can we eat him yet?" I girl with blue hair asked.

"Can we not? He's cute. And so is his friend. We should just keep them here." A boy with jet black hair said from next to her.

"You know.... You're right.... But I'm also starving. I choose food over hot men." She said, getting nods of agreement from the rest of the group.

"I have a better idea guys..." I said. "What if you kids don't fucking eat me! I have a son, and I just want to go south."

"You actually believe that?" The leader girl said.

"Yes. Who are you anyways." I asked.

"I'm T. And everyone south hears there's a better place up north, and vice versa. We've caught plenty of people headed to Chicago and down to Texas. There is no safe place. Grow up and stop believing there is something better out there because there isn't." T said coldly.

"I have to believe." I said falsely.

"But you don't. You know I'm right, so let us just save you the trouble of going all that way to die, and killing you now. Don't worry. We won't burn you alive. We'll kill you first." She says as she pulls out a knife and walk towards me. "Lower him!" She yells, and I feel by body fall a few feet. Far enough down for us to look each other in the eye. She pressed the knife up to my throat.

"This will only hurt a little." She said as she applied more pressure.

I closed my eyes and held my breath, bracing myself for the pain and slow death. Instead, I heard the crashing of wood, boxes, and shelves, then gun shots. I opened my eyes to see two men with guns aimed at the group of teenagers.

"Let them go." The one with the red beanie said.

"Why?" T asked.

"Because if you don't, I will not hesitate to kill you."

T clutched her knife and threw it to the side, sticking it perfectly in a wooden crate.

"Fine. Take him. But good luck finding the kid and that Rick dude." She said walking away. "And you can untie him yourself. Come on guys." All the kids followed her. I saw the kid with the black hair look back at me one last time before he disappeared into the abyss of the warehouse.

"Thank you! They were about to fucking kill me and eat me." I said as the dude with the red beanie and his friend untied me. I then fell to the ground as the robe broke from my weight after being untied and cut down. "Ow! Shit!"

"I'm Tyler," Red Beanie Man pointed to himself. "And this is Josh. I'm glad we could help." He said smiling.

"I know you already saved me and all that... But could you help me find my son and my friend. I have no idea where they are and I can't leave without them."

"Yeah sure. We're actually looking for our friend too." Josh said.

"Babe... How do you know we can trust him?" Tyler, who I guess is his boyfriend, asked.

"Because we just saved his life. He won't do anything. I have a good feeling about him."

"Okay... Your feelings about people have never been wrong before." Tyler said.

"Sorry about that, but you can't be too careful anymore. You know?" Josh told me.

"Yeah. I get it. Thanks again." I said.

"No problem. So let's get to looking."

We looked around that god forsaken building for hours. Finally we came up on several room in the back. The first one was open, and empty. The second was locked, so Josh shot the knob and lock. Josh slowly walked in, gun ready. After several seconds we walked out and to me.

"I think this one belongs to you." He said smiling gesturing in. I walk in slowly and found Bronx standing in fear and confusion with dry tears down his face. Before I know it, he's running into me and I pick him up for a big hug.

"Daddy! Where were you?! Where are we?!" He asked still crying a little.

"It doesn't matter. I have you now and that's what matters. Let's find Patrick and get out of here." I told him as I put him down. We leave the room in time to see a guy run out the next room.

"Gerard!" Josh says excitedly. "I, glad they didn't get to you!!"

"Me too. Let's just get out of here."

"Agreed." Josh said.

"Pete..." Tyler called. "The other rooms are empty. Your friend isn't here." Tyler said. "I'm sorry."

"No. It's okay. He must have gotten out. Thank you so much for helping ,e find my son. That's what most important."

"Right. Let's walk you out." Tyler said. We made our way out in silence, knowing it's always easier to find your way out of a maze from the end than the beginning.

"Alright, well I can see the house that we were captured in, so Patrick must be there waiting on us." I said. "Thanks again. And good luck." I turned and walked away with Bronx in my arms. He's getting to big for this.

Once we got back to the house, it felt too empty.

"Patrick?" I called. The car is gone, and there's nothing out like we had. When I got closer, I saw the tracks of the car. They went through the the snow, onto the road headed south. I put Bronx down, still trying to process it.

"He left us..." I said softly.

"He fucking left us!!" I said in a sudden rage. I kicked snow everywhere. I threw rubble and rocks. I pulled my hair, and I screamed into the sky. All for what felt like forever until I was too tired to do it anymore. Then I fell to the ground in tears I didn't know I had.

"He left us." I chocked between sobs. Patrick left me. The only person I loved since Ashley. The once chance Bronx had at living. I don't know what kills me more. Knowing that he's gone, or that Bronx and I are going to die. Actually, I do know that the fact that Bronx won't live kills me more.

Cold tears fell down my face into the snow as Bronx came up to hug me.

"Don't worry daddy... He'll come back, and if not, we will figure something out." He said using his entire hand to dry my face. I pulled him into a tighter hug.

"Yeah buddy. You're right." I lied. I couldn't bring myself to tell him we're dead.

But he left us.p to die alone.