A Tortured Soul

Chapter 18

The next morning Justin woke up and rolled over to find a plate of food and a note. He studied it for a moment before grabbing the note. He expected it to be from JT or Tatiana, but it wasnt from either one.

'Good morning sweetheart,
You were sleeping so peacefully
I decided not to wake you. I made
You some breakfast so enjoy.
When you are ready please come inside.
I will be waiting.
Love, May.'

Justin's heart skipped a beat knowing he was busted. JT wasn't to happy about him leaving and neither was his sister. He figured one or both of them ratted him out.

He calmed himself down and ate the food Mrs. Thomas left for him and made his way to their back door. Jack let him in and asked him to sit at the table. May had a look on her face that resembled sad and worried mixed together. It seemed as if she tried to hide it for a moment and smiled at Justin, but he seen right through the smile.

"You know your parents are looking for you right?"
May began.

"Yes ma'am."

"Are you hiding from them?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Why?"
Jack asked.

"I'm sorry, but I would rather not say."

Jack noticed some dried blood on Justin's shirt and on the side of his head.

"You know you can talk to us about anything right? We are here for you, I promise we won't say anything. You can trust us."
May said trying to hold herself together fearing the worst.

Justin looked up at them. May looked like she was on the brink of bursting into tears like Tatiana did the night before and Jack was studying every aspect of Justin's appearance.

"Ok."
Justin said.

"Are they mean to you?"
May asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"Do they hit you?"
Jack asked.

"Yes sir."

"Oh my goodness."
May whispered cupping her hands around her mouth.

"You have blood on your shirt and your head. Is that because of them?"

Justin paused for a second, long enough to study their reactions.
"Yes sir."

May began crying unable to hold it in any longer.

"Why don't you get a shower and into some clean clothes. We will figure something out when you are finished."

Justin got up from the table and walked towards the bathroom when JT and Tatiana popped out in front of him. They had been in the den listening to the conversation.

"If you are thinking we ratted you out your wrong. We never said a word."
JT said.

"How did she find me?"

"I dont know."

Justin continued to the bathroom, turned the shower on, and stood in front of the mirror. He didn't know if Jack and May were going to take him back to his parents or not, but he didn't want to take a chance on it.

He thought for a moment as he looked around. There was a window beside the toilet. It was just big enough for him to squeeze through.

He ran into the woods behind the house all the way to the main road unaware of the danger that followed close behind. He remembered a conversation between Jack and Debbie about her antique shop not to far down the road.