echo [completed]

chapter 7

everything went along the schedule - isaac was already in the kitchen ready to make noise and james already hidden inside a cabinet near the office - except for when the guard who beat up kyle and chloe noticed that james wasn't there with them.

"where's your twin?" mr. collins, kyle remembered, bit on his loaf and dropped crumbs on his vest.

"kyle dared him to eat three broccolis and drink down his milk."

mr. collins' nose scrunched in pure disgust and left the two alone, scared to have his dinner thrown on the floor.

"that's great. now all we need is -"

a loud bang came from the kitchen and screams pounded through the walls.

all the guards currently inside the common room abandoned their dinner and headed to where all the noise was coming from, except for mr. collins.

he's putting a watchful eye on kyle and chloe, who were tensed on their seats.

"breathe slowly, that's it. and breathe out. the fire alarm will be out in a minute."

a minute has passed by and hope was dwindling down kyle's mind.

just when they were about to make the only decision they have left, which was to run to the office and risk getting caught, when the alarm boomed and scared the shit out of everyone, even mr. collins.

seeing as it was their only chance of escaping, kyle and chloe leaped out of their chairs - which everyone thought of as a panic attack and got everyone on their feet as well - and pushed their way out with adrenaline rush pumping in their veins.

free! almost free!

when they got to the door where they were supposed to exit, james wasn't there and one look on chloe's face made him sure that something was wrong with james.

they both ran in the office and slowed down when they were only a few feet away.

"put it down, kid. i'm not going to ask you thrice."

it was mr. collins.

"no." and they both heard how james tried to run, but then there was a loud gasp and metal clanks.

kyle entered the room and saw a bleeding james on the floor, a metal pole sticking out of his chest.

"james!" before kyle could stop chloe, she ran to her brother's side, crying on his shoulders.

kyle seized mr. collins from behind and threw him on the ground. a man as big as mr. collins would've been hard to take down - or so kyle thought - but his rage got the better of him. he landed punches on the greasy man's face multiple times until mr. collins gained back enough strength to push kyle off of him.

the gun flew across the room and now it was only two men with four fists.

they circled each other like vultures, one bleeding and the other one seething with rage.

"kyle!" chloe called out from the corner. "he's barely breathing."

if kyle was seething with rage earlier, a demon had now possessed his body and attacked the man with a muh higher force. he was blinded by so much anger that he was unable to avoid hitting a shelf full of glass souvenirs - some of them which fell on his foot and sent pain up to his senses. he slumped down and tried to detach the glasses as fast as he could.

"you missed your chance, boy." he heard the click of mr. collins' gun and closed his eyes in defeat.

but before mr. collins was able to pull the trigger, he got hit in the head with something hard - like a trophy.

kyle's eyes shot open and his first instict was to reach out to james. based on the amount of blood pooling around him, kyle could tell that he's losing so much blood like a waterfall.

"kyle.." he croaked.

chloe decided to be a lookout for kyle at the door, not able to see her twin in a situation like that.

"kyle..promise me something." he breathed in one last time and exhaled his last wish:

"take care of chloe and i'm sorry for-"

"no, no! you're not supposed to leave like this, james. wake up!" kyle, with tears blurring his vision, tried to pull the metal out of james chest, but it wouldn't budge.

"kyle, i hear a lot of shuffling! they're coming! we have to leave!"

kyle looked at james one last time and kissed the top of his head, keeping the promise tight around his chest.

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A/N: i can't believe my holiday break just started today 🙄

but guess what made me feel better...

KNOWING THAT CHRISTMAS IS LITERALLY IN TWO FREAKING DAYS!!!!

hahaha, anyway...i wanna know what you guys thought of james' death 🕵

12/23/2015

- lani