I know I skipped part eighty-three.... Let's just pretend I didn't
Returning to the hotel I felt my stomach drop at the sight of the door to our room which stood ajar.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stepped into the room and looked around nervously. The place appeared completely empty. There was no sign of Halsey, no sign of any of the kids and no sign of a struggle, the only thing to show that they'd even been there at all was Andy's little shoe which was lying discarded on the floor.
Letting out a sob, Destiny dropped to her knees and picking up the little slipper, held it to her chest.
"Cooper?" Calum's voice rang out, as if he expected the deaf boy to somehow hear him.
"Preston?" Michael shouted, "Griffin?"
"Minnie?" Luke called, "Ashley? Andy? Halsey?"
Suddenly there was a loud bang from somewhere deeper in the room, moving so that I was in front of Destiny, I held out my hand to her as she rose to her feet.
"What was that?" Charlie whispered.
"It sounded like it came from the bathroom." Michael said quietly, in way of reply.
Releasing Destiny's hand, I pushed her until she was standing behind Calum and Luke with Charlie then took a small step forward.
"Ashton!" Destiny whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Don't!"
Too scared to cross over to the other side of the bed and turn on the light, I flipped on my phone flashlight and holding it up, illuminated the dark shadowy room.
"Michael go with him!" Destiny hissed.
"I am!" he snapped, shuffling forward to stand beside me.
Taking a shaky breath, I started forward slowly. My heart pounding I stared hard at every shadow, chair, bed and couch wondering if someone could be lurking behind it before stopping in front of the closed bathroom door.
Reaching out a tentative hand for the doorknob, I froze at the sound of a muffled scream on the other side. My eyes widening I looked back at Michael, who was clutching an umbrella in his hands like a sword.
Closing my eyes I took a deep breath before slowly turning the knob and pushing the door open.
Immediately something reached out and grabbed me.
Screaming out in terror I leapt back, dropping my phone in the process. There was another muffled scream and then someone or something was grabbing onto my leg.
Screaming, Michael pulled his phone out of his pocket and shined it down on the floor, causing me to instantly relax, because it wasn't a demon clinging to my leg, it was Halsey.
She was soaking wet, soaked with what I realized after a moment by its smell, was gasoline. A fact only made more horrifying by the candles flickering dangerously around her in a circle. Here makeup was running down her cheeks in streaks, her hair and clothes were a disheveled mess, her feet were tied together with rope and tied to the toilet. By the looks of it her arms had been tied also since her wrists were raw, red and bleeding, and her mouth was tuck taped.
Horrified, I dropped to my knees and gently pulled the tape off of her mouth, while Michael flicked on the light.
Letting out a sound which was a mix between a scream and a sob, she latched onto the hem of my shirt.
"Oh my God!" Destiny breathed behind me.
"What happened?" I demanded, "Where are the kids?"
"I don't know!" she wailed, "I don't know!"
