Tortured Love (One direction Fanfic)

Chapter 25

McKenna's POV

I squeezed through the vent, thinking that it was a miracle Liam got through this tight space last time. That couldn't have been easy.

I shimmied up to a larger vent and pressed my hand on it to pop it up. I struggled to pull myself up and out of the vent but managed to after a few minutes. I seemed to be in some kind of office.

I slipped out of the room and into a dark hallway. I crept along the wall down the right hall and turned the corner. I tuned again and was faced with a kitchen and a closet to the left.

The kitchen was nice. Everything was stainless steal and black marble, including the tile. Voices drifted up the hall behind me and I felt immediate panic and fear. I was so exposed here! I would be caught for sure.

They got closer and closer and I spun around, looking for something to do or a weapon I could use. The closet!

I slipped in and shut the door just as the voices passed and into the kitchen. I held my breath as my heat pounded.

"That's bitch! I just want to go back and rip her head off!" That sounded like Lucy.

"I know, honey" an older woman said. I think it was Lucy's mother; Jenny. I remembered he vaguely from the horrible 'family dinner' the made us take part in.

"But you know you don't do anything without your fathers permission. These are his experiments" Jenny continued. Experiments? What was she talking about?

"You think they will notice we won't be here tonight?" Lucy asked. My heart fluttered at the possibility.

"The rooms are sound proof. They won't be able to tell the difference" she answered. They are leaving and it seemed like they didn't know the vent was left open.

I heard a sharp intake of breath and Jenny said sharply "hold still Lucy!"

"It hurts" Lucy whined "but I got her good. She will defiantly be hurting for a while" Lucy kept talking about a 'she'. That must mean something happened to Charlie! Was that Charlie's blood in the basement? But then where's Niall?

"Billy!" Jenny screamed, making me jump. I heard shuffling feet enter the kitchen.

"Baby, would you get me a towel from the closet? I need it to wrap an ice pack" Oh no! Bully approached my hiding place and a fist grabbed my windpipe. I got to the side of the closet and flattened myself as much as possible. I didn't breath or move.

The closet opened and the light made me squint. Billy reached in, grabbed a towel, and closed the closet behind him. I left out a sigh of relieve.

"Thank you" Jenny said and judging by his footsteps, Billy went back from where he came.

"What should I wear tonight?" Lucy wondered.

"Oh, I love that blue dress one on you!" Jenny gushed.

"Oh I love that one" she said back.

"Alright. I've done all I can, just ice it to get the swelling down. How will you explain it?" Jenny asked.

"Billy had one of his fits" she replied simply.

"Okay. Why don't you go have a shower?" Jenny said.

"Okay" Lucy got up.

"Oh!" Jenny added "and turn the temperature down ten more degrees, would you?"

"Of course Mom" Lucy sounded pleased to do so. She walked away.

Bad news: they are going to turn the temperature down further. Good news: we wouldn't be here much longer.

I heard Jenny walk away too after a few minutes. I silently slipped out of the closet and back where I came from. I turned the corner and Jenny was walking back!

I retreated into a room and pressed myself into the wall. I heard her pass and she began messing around with pots in the kitchen. A glisten caught my eye. I focused on my surroundings and realized sharp knives and weapons of all sorts covered the walls. I considered taking one but they might notice. I couldn't risk anything now, especially when we were so close to escaping. This room scared me; this is where they took us to torture us. I shut my eyes, trying to ignore the weapons around me. Take a deep breath and calm down, I told myself.

Should I leave or hang around here. I was so exposed here though! I peaked out and saw her back turned to me, mixing something on the stove. I took advantage and ran out, relieved when I turned the corner.

What room did I come out of? I ran to the room I thought it was and went in. Thankfully, it was the right room and it was still empty. I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could. I pulled the vent cover off, got in, and put the cover back on behind me.

Damn it, I got in facing the wrong way! And there defiantly wasn't enough room to turn around. I crawled back, preparing for when I hit the end. I felt it and pushed it open with my foot and backed out. I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath.

We had a chance to escape. But where was Niall? The panic returned and I stepped around the mess to scamper up the stairs. I shuttered at the temperature change. I could see my breath now. That ten degrees made a real difference.

I burst into his room to see if he'd come up from the basement because it was slightly warmer on this level. He wasn't in his bed either.

"Niall?" I said. I came back into the hall and finally saw a lump on the couch. I went up and sat next to him on the edge of the couch.

"Niall?"

He rolled over "good morning, love. How'd you sleep?"

"Um...fine. How about you?" I said awkwardly.

"It's very cold" he responded and opened his arms to me "let me help you keep warm so you can sleep"

Shaking my head, I said urgently "I need to get everyone in here. It's very important"

Niall looked confused "why?"

"I'll explain soon" I assured him. Niall sat up as I went and woke everyone up and brought them to the living room.

"This better be good" Zayn said, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

I sat on edge, rubbing my hands on my knees. I didn't know how to begin!

"McKenna?" Niall encouraged, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Okay" I started "so I got up this morning and I went to go get Niall because it was so cold in here and I saw the mess in the basement" I looked to Charlie and her face was swollen, bruised, and cut.

She cradled her face, self-conscious "I did the same earlier and went back down for some blankets and Lucy was there and we got into it"

"You alright?" Liam asked. She nodded.

"Anyways, I didn't notice Niall on the couch and went down and saw the blood. I thought they had taken Niall. I also saw that the space under the sink was open so I went in to find him. I had to hide in a closet and I overheard them talking. I don't think they know they left the space open. I also heard them saying they are going out tonight"

Everyone was silent, processing the news.

"We could get out" Harry gasped.

"We can see our families again" Claire said.

A weight lifted off my chest as reality set in. We had a fighting chance.

We could live.

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Sorry for the short chapter! What do you think, will they get out? Thanks for reading! Please fan, vote, and comment! Hope you enjoyed :)