Stargazer (Write Awards 2013)

Chapter 13 (Write Awards 2013)

We all stood speechless. How did she find us? A noise cracked through the air, drawing my attention to the floor, at the base of the house I could make out men sawing at the trunk.

"Hello June," Brenda called up. Greed was written all over her face and I could see it in her eyes. Like a kid getting more than he should at Christmas. I inhaled a sharp breath and the smirk grew on her face. I badly wanted to smack it off but I figured that would get us nowhere.

"What is with this chick?" Stephen pushed his way to my side. I could feel Aaron as he came up next to me, breathing heavy.

"You have one minute to come down here and no one will get hurt," Brenda called up to us, holding out her hand. The men at the trunk halted in sawing the tree, looking towards her for the order to continue.

"June, don't go down there," Aaron hissed to me. I quickly looked at the men. There had to be atleast twenty down there. Each wore a suit and had guns slung around their torso's. If I had to guess, no one would survive if we went down and tried to run. I was there best bet.

"June!" Stephen cried after me, but it was too late. I dropped to the floor and imminently men swarmed around me, grabbing at my arms. One yanked my hands behind my back and cold hoops slid around my wrists.

Up top I could hear the boys murmuring something, but I tried not to look up to see their faces. Instead I focused on Brenda who was slowly walking towards me, hands behind her back.

"Wise choice, June." She looked up at the house before turning around. "Blow them up!"

My eyes widened. "What! No! You said that they won't get hurt!" I screamed at her turned back. I started struggling against the bonds but the men behind me held my arms so tightly that it started to hurt.

I could hear shouts and cried from the boys before a white noise drowned out everything. I gasped as the same pain flooded through my skull, making my ears pop and ring. My knees gave way, sending me crumpling to the ground. White dots exploded in front of my eyes and for a few terrifying moments I was blind.

"Look!" It took my mind a moment to realize the side of my top was lifted, the cool air licking at my skin. Slowly my vision returned but for the moment all I could see was grey shapes on a white background. I tried to compose my thoughts into something I could handle but it seemed that someone had mixed my thoughts into one big clump of everything.

The pain subsided for a moment and I was aware I was being lifted and carried. I forced my eyes open just enough to see some black vans parked in an open area. A dirt road connected the area and led off into the woods and out of sight.

I was carried to the largest of the groups van. Two men opened the doors and I was placed down on the hard flooring, before I heard the click of the doors shutting.

By now my body was feeling numb, dead. My short, raspy breaths were coming out in little pants which made the dust from the floor of the van rise up into the air. I heard a scuttle outside before the van lurched forwards, rumbling like a beast.

I don't know how long I was left in that van for and I had no idea on how long we were driving for, but at some stage I propt myself upright against a wall and finally took notice of my surroundings. At the far wall there was a small grate, cut into the wall. The window was painted black, making it almost impossible to see anything outside. Other than that, the van was about an arm's length apart and bare.

Time passed by and I think I sup out of what was real and what was not. My entire body felt sluggish and heavy. When I blinked it brought on another wave of fake reality. I saw the stars on the floor of the van, twinkling like it was in the sky. I saw many constellations my dad showed me when I was a child and they flowed like water across the floor.