Hidden Secrets - A Beau Brooks Fanfic

Chapter Three

"Where is he?!!" the man screams making me cry harder than before. I didn't know where he was. And even if I did, I would never tell him. I continue staring at the ground until I feel him grab a handful of my hair and yank my head back causing my neck to jar.

"If you don't tell me where he is, I swear to god I will-"

"Sir we have him!"

Shit.

A patrol of armed guards walk into the building, pulling a struggling body with them. They then stop and push him to the floor, taking off the bag that was on his head at the same time. I let out a choke as my eyes meet his. They were no longer emerald, instead a grey colour and all bloodshot. He looked worn out and tired. His perfect tanned skin now plastered in cuts and bruises and his hair, messier than I remembered. That thick Australia accent that I now dreaded to hear. It would surely break me. Destroy me.

I see one of the guards bring his gun up to the boys head. I see a look of fright in his eyes. My heart jumps at the sound of the trigger as his body falls to the floor. I scream..

I wake up still screaming. My forehead is plastered in sweat and tears have dampened my face. It was a dream I tell myself. At least I hope it was, however every part of it seemed more than real. And the worst thing is, I knew that this would only be the start of a long train of bloodthirsty nightmares.

I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand then proceed to rub my eyes. Being 2am, it was still dark outside but I needed some space. Everything was closing in around me. No where felt safe anymore. I pull on some jeans, my pumps, a hoodie and coat over my pyjama top then head downstairs and out the front door.

The rain hammers my skin and the wind whips around my head. I pull my coat tighter to my body, attempting to enclose any heat that was in me.

A noise captures my attention to the left of me making me jerk my head towards it. A dark shadow starts to appear from within the distance. I quickly turn on my heels and start to walk in the opposite direction, only when I glance back, I notice the shadow has sped up its pace. Panic builds up within me and I turn my walk into a run, the rain and wind stronger than ever, making my vision unclear.

"Wait!" I hear a voice bellow from behind me but I choose to ignore it, running faster and faster. I shouldn't of come out here. I should of stayed at the house.

The scenery of what once was the soothing city of Melbourne had now turned into a blur of greenery and leaves. Mud sticks around my pumps making it harder to move my feet. Step after step I take until eventually it becomes to much and my body collapses into a heap in the bog I had now dragged myself into. I feel myself slowly sinking but I make no attempt in wriggling to escape.

"Wait!" the voice bellows again, this time nearer. I crane my neck around to meet a face, that I was neither pleased nor disappointed to see.

" B..B.....Beau?" I ask, barely understandable though over the roar of the wind. He smiles before walking further towards me, wading his way through the water that I been unaware of going though myself. The pressure around me increases as the mud creeps its way up, now reaching to just below my waist. He moves nearer and nearer towards me and I reach out towards him. He does the same, our finger tips almost touching. He takes one more step, grabbing my hand as he leans forward, pulling me towards him. A groan escapes his mouth as he puts all his strength into lifting me. I feel my waist become free, then my legs and then my feet as heaves me out and I topple onto him, his arms wrapping around my back.

We lie there for a few minutes, not speaking, just listening to the heavy breathing of one another. The beat of his heart against his chest was so comforting, so soothing....

"Not the first time I've saved you from her"

I didn't need to look up to know that he was smiling, his lips pressing against my temple.

"Her? Who's her? I'm the one who's-"

"I know" he interrupts me mid flow "but its a part of you your trying to fight"

I scrunch my face up then laugh

"No dont laugh" he smiles " Its true, your at a constant war with yourself. If you really wanted to...you know......uh...commit...then you probably wouldn't be lying here with me"

There's another silence between us as I think over what he's just said. He was right. Something was stopping me from committing, and deep, deep down inside, I knew that that something was him. A boy I had met for maybe a few minutes. A boy who I had spoken maybe a few words to. A boy, who no matter where I went, followed me to save me from myself.

Slowly I nod

"C'mon then, we cant lie around in the mud all night" he laughs again, pushing me off him and standing up before giving me a hand to.

"where are we going?" I ask him, brushing of the few remaining leaves from my coat. Most of the mud that was stuck to me had now dried and fallen off, but the smell of festering water clung to my clothes. He ignores me, wrapping on arm around my waist and pulls me in tight ot his chest. I felt safe.

"So" he begins "Tell me about yourself" he smiles, never taking his eyes off mine.

"Where do I start?"

He lets a laugh. It was cute. Like a young boy laughing. "How about with your name" he reply softly, brushing his lips close to my hair. I swallow hard, noting down the tension that was thick in the air.

"My names Dahlia. I'm 17 years old. My star sign is Gemini. I love reading and long walks along the countryside however I hate sports. My first and only pet was a hamster called Terry but he died because he fell off his cage and broke his neck. My father left me when I was 2 years old so I live with my mum and stepdad, Ian who....." I stop. Beau squeezes my hand, urging me to go on, but I cant. I've never told anyone about this. No ones ever asked me, and for once in my life, I don't know what to say.

"Go on" he prompts me, his green eyes softening to his voice.

"I...I mean...Ian....he...well he....he sometimes...um..." my mouth goes to form the 'r' but no sound comes out. Tear sting my eyes and the memories of yesterday evening flood back in. I remember the way he threw me down on to my bed, he fingers digging into my skin, bruising the tissue. The constant throbbing down there after he left, the gash in my head as I fell and hit the floor.

"Dahlia...?" he whispers. I look over at him, a stray tear running down my cheek. His finger reaches out a catches it just before it falls. I shouldn't be here. Beau will just get hurt in the end...

"Thank you Beau. Thank you for everything" I give him a weak smile then wiggle out from within his grip and start running again.

"Dahlia! Wait! Please Dahlia! You're stronger than this!"

His voices echo's around my head causing more tears to fall only this time, there was no Beau to reach out and take them away. It was just me running away from him. The trees around me soon turn back into tall tower blocks and roads. The rain hand now stopped, but the wind was still strong, blowing me further towards where I wanted to be. I turn back around the corner of the street I once called home and ran up to my door and grab the keys from under the mat. I seemed to have lost Beau on the way back here, or maybe he chose to loose me himself...

I push the key into the the lock and turn it quietly , then shut it behind me once I was inside. The tell tale sounds of Ian snoring hinted to me that both him and mum were still asleep. I gently creep up the stairs, being careful not to step on any of the creaky floor boards.

Once I reach my room, I shut the door behind me and slump back down onto my bed. What had only been about 3 hours seemed to have been over 3 weeks. All the energy within me had disappeared, leaving me with a limp lifeless body. All I wanted to do was sleep and soon enough I felt my eyes close and my mind be taken else where......