The Beginning Of Our Forever [1]

23. Josie's Sacrifice

Elijah opened the car door for Josie and helped her out, carefully surveying the surrounding area as he did for any possible escape routes that Rebekah could use to her advantage when the fight surely kicked off. Taking Josie's arm, Elijah walked her slowly up the path towards the house that Rebekah had told him to meet her at. The house was derelict and fading away into the ground beneath it, the perfect place Elijah thought, to take someone hostage.

Feeling no need to knock, Elijah pushed what remained of the front door, the hinges creaking and squealing as the door swung open. The inside of the house was just as miserable as the exterior, with paint peeling from every wall and every inch of the floor covered in mud and leaves. Both Elijah and Josie immediately noticed that a path had been made through the dirt, covered in shoe imprints and the occasional splat of blood.

Josie looked up at Elijah, confused that Rebekah was nowhere to be seen. She had half expected her to be patrolling the perimeter like a savage guard dog, mauling anyone that came in close proximity of the area.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Josie whispered, taking a step forward into the entrance hallway. The floor let out loud groan underneath her feet, which made Josie wince, knowing that Rebekah would have surely heard her. Elijah followed her, not surprised that he was able to step right over the threshold. No one in their right mind would want to own a house like this.

"I'm certain this is the right place," Elijah answered confidently, but on the inside he wasn't sure. He knew better than to believe that Rebekah wouldn't be playing a game with them.

Despite the darkness in front of him, Elijah's impeccable hearing was able to pick up the sound of the faintest scratching on the floor boards. He ignored it initially, putting the noise down to rat or similar creature that had taken up residence in the house, until it was followed by a familiar voice.

"Is anyone there?" the voice croaked. Both Elijah and Josie looked across at each-other, immediately recognising Elena's voice. Josie rushed forwards into the darkness and followed the voice into a room at the back of the house. As she walked around the corner and through the doorway into the kitchen area, she gasped, stopping dead in her tracks.

Elena was tied up on the far side of the room, sat on the floor as her hands were bound behind her back to something, Josie presumed. Elena was slumped forwards with her head resting on her knees, a fresh scratch on her forehead covering her knees in blood. Josie could see old, dried up blood on the bottom of Elena's dress and on her arms, but was more concerned about the fresh, bright red blood that was pouring out from the back of her head and making a trail down her shoulder and onto the top of her dress.

Even as Josie tiptoed across the creaky floorboards towards her, Elena didn't move an inch. She knew that if she did, Rebekah would hurt her further or worse, make Josie suffer. Josie knelt down on the floor in-front of her with great effort and attempted to set her arms free from the pipe behind. Elena moaned, clearly aware of what was going on, but lacking the strength to do anything to help.

Elijah immediately came dashing in through the door and stopped in almost the same place Josie had, speechless at the awful state Elena was in. Elijah could see that Josie had almost managed to undo the knots that held Elena's hands in place, and began to walk towards her to help.

Rebekah, from the darkness in the other room, raced forward before Elijah had the chance to move, and snapped his neck sending him falling to the floor in a heap. Startled, Josie stopped trying to set Elena free and turned to face Rebekah instead, placing herself between Rebekah and Elena.

"I wouldn't bother trying to stand in my way Josie, you are no match for me," Rebekah smiled and stepped casually over Elijah's body, moving closer to Elena. Josie struggled to bring herself to her feet. Age was kind to no one, especially Josie, as her joints had began to seize up as she got older she found that every move she made seemed to take twice as much effort as it used to. She couldn't complain though, Lizzie was in much worse shape than she was.