You're Not Alone (Austin Carlile)

23. Youngbloods

Title credit: Blessthefall

5 days later

Holly's POV:

As it becomes night, the familiar noise of the car pulling away flips a switch in me. I sigh in relief, now I can get some alone time. Today I was extra quite while they beat me, they even burnt me today. Gielle took a lighter and held it to my skin as Maddie held my arm. It's going to be one ugly scar I can already tell. I didn't even try to stop it, I just took it and cried mercifully. On the bright side, a few days ago I found that the vent in here has rusty nails, and could easily be pried open. Like I said before, they never thought this plan through. Tomorrow is my planned escape day, I will finally get out of here. It WAS suppose to be tonight but they burnt my arm pretty bad, it's hard to move it.

I lay on the filthy mattress, staring at the black ceiling with a clear mind. Then, I think of my friends, the band, everyone affected by this. I can't even imagine how they are feeling right now. Keirsten can't be doing too good either. Now my thoughts wonder to Austin; Oh Austin. He must be in rough shape. I wish this never had to happen, it's putting everyone I love in so much pain that they don't deserve to go through. It hurts my heart to know that everyone I love has no clue where I am, and I'm stuck in a house in the middle of the woods with two lunatics and possible a third one. They don't even know I'm alive, what if they just give up? I roll on to my good arm and lay on my side. I long for the way Austin holds me at night and how it makes me feel secure. I miss how he nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck and kisses my skin lightly. I miss the way he lightly drapes his fingertips over my sensitive skin and the way it gives me goose bumps. I long for the feeling of his lips and how our lips mold oh so perfectly together, and also the way the slots in between our fingers fit perfectly for each other. It's like we were meant to be. I miss his sweet kisses and his heart warming hugs, I miss everything about him. This is why I have to get out, I will not die in this rat hole. I will get out of here and be with Austin. I'm determined to put these horrible people behind bars for this injustice they are putting me through.

I close my eyes and attempt to sleep, feeling exhausted from crying and being physically abused. My mind is still on Austin though, every night I always think of him. I-I love Austin more than anything, being locked up all alone made me realize how much I really do need him in my life, I can't do this on my own. I've never felt this alone in my entire 21 years of existence. I might just be going crazy from being here, but I think that one day; I want to call that magnificent man my husband, and have children to call him daddy. I give an upset sigh, the. Drift off into a rocky sleep.

Maddie's POV:

"Gielle where are we going?" I ask, highly dumbfounded as she drives down a random dirt road. An evil smile forms on her lipstick stained lips.

"We are finding a new place to take her tomorrow. Then when we move to a new location, we will text one of the guys saying where she is from a random number. Give them the location of the old address, and when they show up, they will realize she isn't there. This will dwindle their hope to nothing." She's a lot more hateful then I ever thought. I'm regretting wanting to work with her, she's putting an innocent girl's life in danger, over a guy. I know realize that. She has me so manipulated I couldn't even think straight. Holly has never done anything to her, but lash out at her when she antagonized her. I know I hurt her, but it's because I'm forced to, Gielle forces me too, or else she threatened to kill me. I want to help her. Holly doesn't deserve this, and I don't deserve to do this to her. I know I did this to get Alan back, but it isn't worth it, he's happy now and I need to move on. I'm finally realizing this. I nod, not knowing what to say back to her, knowing her demented mind would warp and twist my words and use them against me. We continue to drive until she finds another house. As she checks it out I think of all these ways to help Holly out of there. Gielle is a psychotic bitch, and she will go down, I'll make sure of it if it's the last good deed I ever do.

Alan's POV:

The bus has been filled with silence for almost the past 3 weeks. Every since Holly has been gone, we have done little to no socializing. I propose they are also thinking of places she could be, like I am. Search teams told us they are giving up once it hits the marker of a month, claiming she could be dead by then. This news brought Keirsten into a fit of screams and cries. I didn't dare tell Austin, he would go into the woods himself and look, insisting no one help him. He would kill himself just to find her. Nothing is the same without her being with us. Knowing that some lunatics abducted her and we don't know if we will see her again scares me. None of us will give up though, we declared we will stay in Texas and keep tour postponed until she is found. She means too much to Austin and everyone else to just leave her like an abandoned animal.

Early next morning

Holly's POV:

I'm awoken by the sound of people talking and shuffling around. The windows show no sign of sun light, so I'm guessing it's still super early; maybe like 4? What are they doing here so early? I quickly jump up and try to pry the vent off. This is my chance, I need to get out now. I grunt in pain, having to use my bad arm. Adrenaline starts to course through my veins, subsiding the pain and allowing me to rip the vent off. I crawl into the air duct and put the vent back on and the screws. I move away from the vent as the door slams open.

"Where the fuck is she?!" I see Gielle's feet and cover my mouth to not make a sound. I now understand how actors in horror movies feel like, one peep could get you caught. "Don't just stand there! Search the house!" She yells at her minions and leaves the doorway, running frantically down the hall.

I start to crawl through the vents as quietly as I can, with my heart almost thumping completely out of my rib cage. As I quietly crawl through the cramped vent, it keeps making creaking noises. I really don't trust this vent, but it's my only way out of this prison. I come to a halt when the vent suddenly drops off to the first floor. I sigh; aggravated, of course I didn't think about this. The only thing I thought about was sweet escape. I put my feet down first and to my relief it isn't too much of a drop. Lowering myself down, it becomes even darker, making me freak out even more. Such a shame I'm afraid of the dark. The vent makes a loud thump as I crawl on and I stop like a deer in headlights and hold my staggering breath.

"I heard something!" Gielle says.

"Shit." I mumble under my breath.

"Where are you Holly? Come out, come out where ever you are. You can't get away from us." Gielle taunts. I hear a stampede of feet roar up the stairs and I frantically start to crawl as fast as I can. I hope they don't find the vent. Not being able to see caused me to ram my face into another vent, which it falls off. With the adrenaline pumping throughout me I didn't even feel it.

I place my hand out and feel dewy grass, relief washes over me, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I snake my way out, then jump to my feet and begin to run into the woods. Thank god for the cover of darkness or else they would have seen me. It's also a shame I'm afraid of the woods, well not exactly the woods, just whats in them. At this point though, I could care less. I'd rather be eaten by a bear then be in that house. I push my weak legs to run as fast as I'm capable of. I have no idea where I'm running to, but all I hope is that it's straight to help.

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Cliffyyy :o Huehuehue. I'm trying to also write in my Jack story but I have so many ideas to write for this one! Thanks for reading you lovely unicorns. Okay, time to go write a Jack chapter! One, two, three, break!
-Holly