Only Ever You (Jaythan)

Chapter 16

I was so hungry. I hadn't eaten in days. I quickly lost track of time as the minutes blurred into hours blurred into days.

Voices sounded outside the door.

"Please, do anything, we just need to get him out of there." Nano's voice.

"I'll get it open." This was a new voice. Probably a locksmith.

I panicked. I didn't want to be found. I didn't want help. I didn't want kindness. I wanted to be alone and in pain, like I deserved.

I scrambled under the bed and pulled the boxes around me. Maybe they wouldn't find me.

Several minutes later, I heard the door burst open.

"He's not in here!" Jay shouted. "Where the hell did he go?"

"He's got to be in here," Max said calmly. "The window is locked. He couldn't have locked it from the outside."

"What if he slipped out at night while we were asleep?" Siva suggested.

"He didn't," Jay said. Silence. Then, "I've, uh, been sitting out here every night."

I stifled a laugh. I could imagine his expression right now. Then I grew regretful. Jay hadn't slept at all because he's been waiting for me? This whole time he's been out there? How did I not know?

"Search the room." Scooter was here too. "We've got a missing boy."

I made myself as small as possible and quieted my breathing.

Heavy footsteps swarmed into the room. With my head against the floor, the noise amplified. My starved, tired, deranged mind made them even louder. They formed a solid drumbeat, pounding in my head. 1 2. 1 2. 1 2.

The drums-footsteps! They're footsteps! You can fight this come on!

The drums got louder and louder, taking over my brain. Stop it! I screamed in my mind. Stop! Please!

They got louder.

Louder.

Louder.

I felt as if my head would explode. My ears burned and rang. Suddenly, the drums doubled tenfold. Twenty pounding echoes screaming all at once. I squirmed and grabbed my head, aware of the noise I was making. I let out an ear-splitting scream before it all went black.

{A/N Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading and commenting and voting an the like! You're all awesome! :) xx But I'm going on vacation for a week and I'm not sure if I will have Internet :O Updating is not a guarantee. If I don't update, just wait for a week. I promise I'll have some good long chapters for you! ~Pickles}