Their Situation, Our Problem

Chapter 9: Sofia

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Sofia

Elijah and Colton walked in through the sliding doors behind her. The second intruder froze momentarily, then charged at them. Elijah faced him, while Colton rushed to Sofia.

Colton kneeled down in front of her as he asked if she was ok, but the first intruder was already getting up behind him.

"Behind you," Sofia shouted as she slid away. The first intruder attacked Colton but Colton easily dodged him. Sofia slid farther away from the two ensuing fights. Elijah was duking it out in the middle of the room with the first intruder. They were bumping into everything possible. The vase in the corner shattered, the CD rack fell on the ground, and Great Granny's portrait went tumbling down. Colton wasn't doing any better.

"Get back to the SUV, don't let Nik out, and get ready to get the fuck out of here," Colton yelled at her as he pummeled the man.

Sofia nodded and made to get up before she saw the envelope from earlier a few feet from where they were rolling around. She hesitated before she tentatively crawled to it. She wasn't even that close before Elijah was yelling at her to get out. Frankly, she didn't need to be told twice, but she couldn't leave without that envelope. Call it what you will. Say it was sheer stupidity, but in her defense, she thought she had a right to be a little disoriented and foggy on her priorities.

The envelope was under the coffee table near the sliding doors to the backyard. She quickly bent down and grabbed it but she wasn't fast enough to avoid Elijah and the Attacker as they bumped into her. In their struggle, they pushed her into the corner of the stand beneath the TV. She hit the stand with her back and she swore she saw stars. The pain was immediate and agonizing. Tears formed in her eyes. She felt paralyzed. She didn't want to move for fear of making it hurt even more.

She slowly looked up to see Elijah and the other man still going at it. It looked like they were in an MMA fight. A punch here, a kick there, why not throw you across the room, and her personal favorite, let's just drop you on the glass coffee table and smash it into a thousand smithereens. Glass went everywhere and she blocked her face as best she could. She just continued to sit there as Elijah and the second intruder rolled around in pain, and Cole roughed up the second intruder.

Although, for a brief second everything, was still. Maybe she should have rushed to help. Maybe she should have knocked the man out, grabbed a lamp and conked him in the head. Maybe she should have run like a sane person would. Maybe she shouldn't have just sat there like an idiot, but she did. And who could blame her? Her back still felt sore from earlier and now it felt like it was on fire, but just a second later her ears popped and everything came back into focus?

Sirens.

She could barely make them out but they were definitely sirens. Colton clearly heard them because the first intruder used Colton's distraction to push him off. He tripped past Sofia and went straight for his accomplice.

He helped the second intruder up and dragged him towards the back glass doors. Colton had the same idea because he rushed past her and helped Elijah up.

She guessed the cops really help with a detente.

The first intruder stopped at the back doors and turned to look at Sofia, "I'm going to kill you like you killed him," he said before exiting into the backyard.

Well, shit.

"We have to go," Elijah spoke urgently as he stumbled onto his feet. Colton kneeled beside Sofia and helped her up. Together, both Elijah and Colton helped Sofia back to the SUV, which was a real feat because the slightest touch to her back made her flinch.

Colton ran ahead to open the truck's door. Colton climbed into the backseat, next to a really frazzled Amara. Rachel was in the driver's seat ready to bolt as soon as everyone was inside. Nik hadn't moved at all. Elijah ushered Sofia in before him and then followed. He hadn't even shut the door before they were moving. Everyone was shouting. The sirens were louder. Elijah was shouting of directions. Nik was shouting questions. Amara was freaking out. Rachel was shouting at her brothers to get off her back. Colton was just shouting. She was too dazed to question what was going on. Again.

Déjà vu much.