Jump | ✔️

Chapter 29. Greatest Loss - PART TWO

WARNING: UNEDITED

[ a/n ]: quick update, right? i'm quite proud of myself for updating faster than usual. :)
ps// gif of Connor (dylan o'brien) on the side>>>

Chapter 29. Greatest Loss - PART TWO

  Cole straightens up a bit and pulls out his gun, pulling the hammer back and cocking it. He clenches his jaw, making his jaw bone more visible when gritted. He pulls his foot back and slams it on the bathroom door, making it crash open with a loud thud. Some déjà vu occurs when I remember the first time I met Cole in the girls bathroom.

"Where are you, Griffin?" he shouts angrily and Jackson grips his shoulder and pulls him back hastily.

"What's the matter with you, Cole!" Jackson whispers furiously, stopping Cole from his flamboyant behavior. "Do you want to reveal your location to him?"

"I want to catch this guy." Cole mumbles and I begin to feel apprehensive.

"And we will, as long as you don't go running around like you're on a rampage." Jackson hisses to his brother.

Cole waves him off and everyone begins to merge around the corner of the hall, but I stay where I am. Cole turns around with his gun in hand and then does a double-take when he catches a glimpse of me away from the group. He freezes and stands straighter instead of staying low and hidden in the darkness. He waves Connor and Lila to move on and follow Jackson while he leads them back down the stairs.

Cole strides towards me and I stay frozen, feeling numb and disorientated. He puts his warm hands on either side of my face and glances from one of my eyes to the other one, quickly.

"I won't let him hurt you, Eleanor... not again." he murmurs and I lock my gaze with his, feeling uncertain.

He drops his hands from my face and pulls me into an embrace instead. He rests his arms around me loosely and I wrap my arms around his torso tightly, burying my face into his warm, blue and black, flannel, plaid shirt.

"Come on," he whispers in my ear, "We have to stay with everyone."

I nod and we let go of one another and quickly speed off back down the stairs to meet up with Jackson, Connor and Lila. Cole walks ahead of me and enters the kitchen before me, but when the kitchen swing door is shut after Cole goes inside, I don't make another move to get inside the kitchen, because something seems off.

I slowly raise my head to look at the ceiling. The smoke alarms are cut out and the wires hang loose. I cough slightly at the smell of smoke coming from up stairs. I cough even more when the smoke goes into my lungs, which clearly attracts some attention, making Cole and Connor open the kitchen door to see what's going on.

"Why are you standing out here-" Connor suddenly coughs.

"Smoke," I whisper more to myself than the others.

Cole covers his mouth with his hand so he can breathe through the smoke. I cough some more and quickly sprint up the stairs again without another thought. I ignore Cole's urgent calls to get back down the stairs, and book it to where the smoke leads to.

Since Jackson is with Lila, I feel better knowing that she is safe, but my brother is still in here and I need to find him. I stay on my toes and keep vigilant while quietly moving about my house. The smoke fogs my vision and I squint, beginning to cough more repetitively. Heavy footsteps follow after me and I turn left, going towards my room where the smoke is coming from.

I stifle a gasp when I enter my bedroom to see a dark silhouette with a bandana over his mouth, and just as I suspected a scar right beside his eye, going all the way down his jaw. I widen my eyes in complete horror at the sight of all of the flames brewing up on my bed, the curtains and the wood floor. The flame grows, lighting up the dark room.