addison // jack avery

Part 20

we got home last week, everyone stayed at logan's. we're all awake now, everyone's heading back to their places except for madds and i. we decided to go get food for madds' new place. i turned to magcon to ask. 

a- hey can i go out with madds?

n- as long as you're home by noon

jj- we still have to unpack

a- of course

i kissed them all on the cheek and we went out the door. madds car had been dropped over last night, we hopped in and started driving. 

we saw walmart in sight and pulled into the car park. we found a cart and i immediately jumped in. she wheeled us in as we got strange looks. we went straight to the candy isle and stocked up. next was the real food. 

once finished, we paid and head back out. we stopped at a nearby cafe and ordered drinks. i took some photos for madds until she decided she wanted a croissant. i watched as she disappeared back inside. 

once madds was out of sight something switched inside of me. i felt like i was being watched. i dialed jack's number only to be sent to voicemail. she quickly finished what she had to say before being faced with a man, about 45ish years old. 

?- i'm sorry but my daughter is a huge fan, do you mind if i get a picture?

a- oh of course

i stood up and his friend came over to take the picture. his friend smiled before hiding his face behind the phone. the man came and stood next to me, we smiled until i felt something point in my lower back. 

i tried to turn around but the man grabbed my arm. 

?- don't bother darling, just do what you're told and jack won't get hurt

i gulped back pain as he threatened jack. 

a- please don't hurt him

?- then come along

we walked over to his car, quickly. i tried to look back for madds but it was no use, he threw me into the back of a van before i could see her. 

i heard door slams and they drove off. what is going on? i start banging on the wall that separates me from them until i hear a faint voice behind me. 

it is a boy, looks younger than me. he looks at me with wide eyes, looks like he hasn't slept in days, maybe weeks. 

a- oh i'm sorry

he smiled at me. he waved me over, stumbling over as the car continued to move, i reached him and sat down. he laid his head on my leg, looks like it hasn't been brushed. 

i brush my fingers through his tangled hair and it eventually softens. 

the car stops and the boy shakes as we hear footsteps. the door opens and the daylight blinds us. without adjusting to the light, we are hauled out of the van. sunlight, dim, darkness. we are thrown downstairs into a basement with no light. 

i could barely see the boy in the dim light creeping in behind the boxes. he scurried over to me while the familiar footsteps reappeared. they came closer, downstairs and reached us. we looked up to meet the faces of our kidnappers. 

k1- well you've made a friend boy

k2- one more than you had on the streets

i felt tears stain my shirt as i hear silent sobs from the boy next to me. 

a- leave him alone you heartless assholes

k2- ooh she's got a snap to her

k1- well we were coming down here to explain but i guess you don't want to hear anything that comes out of our heartless mouths. 

they throw a bag of chickpeas at us. strange. they leave up the stairs, laughing at us. they must've turned on a light because the whole basement lit up. not impressively but enough to see the majority. 

i notice a bathroom, barely any plumbing, a mattress on the floor, stained and ruined. to my left was a stove and sink. i pick up the boy and wrap him in a nearby blanket, i moved over to the mattress and laid him down. i shuddered at the moment my touch left his. he slowly stopped and i could hear faint snores from him.

i got up and did the only thing i had on my mind at that moment, cooked the chickpeas. 

once finished i took them over to the boy. he had woken to the smell of food. when it was placed in front of him he quickly shoveled the food into his mouth. 

?- t-thankyou

a- you're welcome

i took the empty pot and placed it in the sink, washing away the remains. i look back to see the little boy sitting on the edge of the mattress, watching the floor as his head lay in his knees. 

a- do you need anything?

he shook his head and i sat down beside him. he once again fell into my arms. i ran my fingers across his face as he looked around with fear in his eyes. 

?- can you tell me a story??

a- of course

a- once upon a time, there was a little boy called sam, he lived in a nice house with his mother, father and older sister addison. one day, his sister took sam out to his first football game, you see sam adored the game, wanted to play professionally one day. they successfully made it into the arena and sam spotted the hotdogs. we got one each and sat down. watching the love in his eyes as he watched the game, his sister never understood it. on their way back home, there was a drunk driver on the road. addison was unaware but sam saw the car swerving towards them. he attempted to move addison but it was no use, they were both hit. days later addison woke up in the hospital with sam no where in sight. she didn't see sam after that night, he passed away at the scene. she always considered him her hero. now you may think our story ends here but it certainly does not. sam snuck his way into heaven, cheeky little guy and lived on thriving. he never stopped watching over addison, and she knows it. sam is never lost, nor forgotten, only remembered as the young hero he was.

the little boy looked at me with sad eyes and hugged me. the smell of streets lingered around him. 

?- my name is kole

a- my name is addison

his eyes widened as he realised the connection. 

k- you're addison? sam's addison?

a- yes

k- oh i'm so sorry

he hugged me again. 

k- i'm sorry for hugging you so much, i haven't felt warmth in months

a- it's fine, but tell me about yourself

k- oh um well i'm cole and i'm 7 years old

i was taken back by his age, only 7? i could tell he was not ready to say more so i left it. 

the light behind the boxes faded into darkness. the light in the room switched off and another blanket was thrown down the staircase. i quickly grabbed it and found kole already back in the blankets on the mattress. 

i laid beside him and he swarmed my warmth. 

a- goodnight kole

k- goodnight addison