Gone in an instant

Chapter 11: Friday, 12:05 PM

My heart stopped beating for a second. My grandpa smiled at me. An evil, vile, cruel smile that made my skin crawl. “Hello Josh. Nice of you to join us. I believe you came to have a visit with them.” He said, pointing to a large TV screen that was hanging on the wall on the left. My heart skipped a few beats. There were four people kneeling on the floor of a plain empty room. Bags tied around their heads, hands tied behind their backs. Ordered from tallest to shortest. No one had to tell me who they were. Jessie, Mom, Harry, and Luke. I could hear poor little Luke screaming and crying. My mother trying to whisper comforting words.

I couldn't bear to look at them. I turned to my grandpa, he always seemed kinda looney, it was obvious now. I looked right in the eye and spat out with disgust, “You monster.” His rage boiled in me. Charlotte could tell I was going to do something stupid because of my anger, she squeezed my hand even tighter. Then I fell to the ground. The world slowly faded into blackness. The last I remembered was Charlotte's terrified scream.

I woke up on a bed. I was on my side facing a wall. My head was pounding. I lifted my head up and noticed there was a small pool of blood on the sheet under my head. I felt my face. Blood was covering my face. I guess my nose had started bleeding. I heard a voice. “Josh? Are you alright?” The voice asked. It sounded like the voice of an angel but I'm pretty sure this wasn't heaven. I turned towards it. Charlotte was sitting on the side of my bed looking at me with concern. “I-I think so...What happened to me?” I asked her. “I guess you were worrying the guards with your anger, so they whacked you on the back of the head with the bottom of their gun. You've been asleep for an entire day.” She told me. I was alarmed at how long I slept, but I smiled and corrected her, “It's the butt of the gun, not bottom.” She laughed a little.

I looked around the room. It was a bleak, gray room. Everything was gray, the walls, the beds, the pillows, the doors, the sink. I sat up and walked to the sink, then I rinsed the blood of my face. I looked back at Charlotte. “How did we get here?” I asked. “The men dragged you here and threw you onto the bed. But they threw you too hard and you hit the wall face first,” That explains my nose, “We're in one of the rooms that were in the hallway we hid in yesterday.” She said, “What about you?” I asked her, afraid they had done the same to her as they did to me. “I'm fine. They let me just walk here.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

I noticed another door in the room. It was simply just a wooden door. I could easily break through if I wanted to. “Charlotte, what's behind that door?” I asked, not sure if she knew. “I think it's the next room over.” She answered, unsure. I walked over to it and knocked on it. I heard some rustling around and someone pressed against the other side. “Who's there?” They asked. A tear of joy fell from my eye. It was my Mom.

“Mom!?!” I shouted. “Josh?” She shouted back. I heard several more footsteps run to the door, I heard Luke screaming “Joss! Joss!” I'm pretty sure there was no sweeter sound then that. I knelt down, reaching my fingertips under the door. I could feel my family doing the same, our fingertips just barely touching. We sat there for a good ten minutes, grasping each others fingertips. Then I had an idea, “Guys, back away from the door.” I said, I heard hesitated shuffling around. They had listened. I stood up, this was the first time I had noticed Charlotte since I realized my family was in the next room. She was standing above me crying right along with me the whole time. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Oh the glorious sight it was! I felt energized by the events, then I focused. I backed away from the door.

I set myself in the fullback stance I heard learned years ago when I was learning the position. Then I charged at the door as if it was a line-backer. I smashed into it and it went sailing out of the hinges. Crashing to the ground on the other side. Dust flew into the air, but it didn't matter. Because for the first time in days. I could see my family.