Thoroughbreds//The Turning [COMPLETED]

Chapter 18 - Intimidated

I could feel my heart pumping aggressively in my chest. My face was warm from the blood and adrenaline darting through my veins. I continued to sprint as fast as my legs would allow, bolting back through the maze. 

I passed many pathways between the hedges, not realizing I was lost. 

I stopped, checking behind myself, expecting to see a figure in white approaching me. No one. 

I brought my hands up to my head, grasping my hair tightly, "Fuck," I spoke aloud after noticing my mistake, "Hello?" I raised my voice slightly, hoping Kate, Miles or Flora would hear me. No one. 

I spun around, facing the open path I had just run down, then to my left and right. Three options, well, two as I was not going back the way I came. 

I sighed and decided to take the left route, bracing myself for either a long walk back to the mansion or a short one. 

---

(Time skip - around 12 am) 

I had been pacing the maze for a few hours, my legs about to give way from the lactic acid building up within my muscles. 

I fell to the ground, exhausted. 

No, get up! You can't give up! Keep going.

No, stay down, someone will have to find you.

But, what if it's Miss Jessel? 

Or worse, Quint...

---

I slowly opened my eyes, revealing a bright light shining into my hazel eyes, my pupils contracting in a desperate attempt at shutting it out. 

"She's here! Kate!" I heard a boy shout as I felt pressure on my arm. 

I looked around, my eyes not wanting to focus. I turned my head to the right, my eyes locking with someone else's. 

"Oh, are you okay?" I saw a woman run towards me, planting her hands on my cheeks. I pulled back slightly, hesitation mocking my movements. 

"K-kate?" I finally managed to stutter out, slowly awakening from my recent slumber. As I began to wake up, I stood up straighter, the person next to me (who I assumed was Miles) rested his hand on my arm, like he was ready to catch me if I was to fall.

I stared my aunt in the eyes, her spooked blue ones gazing upon my hazel ones. She seemed to be in even more of a mess than before. Her hair was in chaotic bundles which closely resembled a bird's nest, her lips were dried so badly they had cracked in multiple places and her skin was so pale she could pass for a corpse fresh from the morgue. 

"You-you've been missing for hours," She spoke, her voice raspy and catching in her throat, "We found Flora" 

I sighed a sigh of relief and for a moment I forgot about what I had seen a few hours ago. I turned to the boy beside me, his hand still grasping at my arm.

I studied his expression. He carried both an alarmed and satisfied look in his eyes, giving me an uneasy feeling. I peered down at the boy's jumper, noticing the fabric had multiple holes in it like someone had been grasping at it, resulting in it ripping. 

"C'mon, let's get you back" Miles spoke, he sounded almost sympathetic for a second.

Kate and I nodded in response as Miles led us out of the maze.

"How do you know where to go?" I blurted out as I walked beside Kate, Miles ahead of us by a few feet.

He glanced back at us, "I've lived here for a long time"

---

(Time skip - 10 am)

After Kate, Miles, and I had gotten back to the mansion safely, I was put to bed by Mrs. Grose as Kate went to check on Flora. I had laid awake for the rest of the night, well morning once we got back. 

Once I woke up at 9:30 this morning, I had thrown on some clothes and headed downstairs to check on Flora as I didn't get to last night. 

"Hey, Flora?" I asked aloud as I walked into the living space. She was nowhere in sight, in fact, no one was. 

"If you're looking for Flora, she's down at the stables with Miles" A voice intruded on my thoughts. I spun to meet the gaze of Mrs. Grose. 

I smiled at her, "Thank you, is Kate down there too?"

The elderly woman shook her head in response as she wiped down the coffee table, "No, she's probably still asleep"

I only hummed in response as I made my way towards the door, throwing it open and making my way out of it, slamming it shut behind myself.

 As I made my way down to the stables, I could feel eyes on me. I stopped suddenly, staring off into the distance where tall hedges and trees lay. No one was in sight. 

I sighed and continued walking to hopefully see Flora again.

---

I approached the stable door, which remained open. 

"Flora?" I called out, hoping she was still in here. Still, no reply, I was only greeted with deafening silence. 

As I walked into the stables, I could feel an ice-cold breeze stun my muscles instantly. The air was so cold and thick I almost struggled to breathe. 

"Flo-" As I turned the corner around a stable, I was stunned to see someone stood before me, Miles. He was perched in an upright position, leaning on the stable wall beside him. I glanced down at his jumper to see that it was no longer that tatty red one, but a green and brown one with a blazer on top. 

"She doesn't want to see you, Elizabeth," He spoke, hatred coating his voice, "You and Kate should just leave already, I mean, you're not family, and Kate is clearly insane" 

I wasn't thinking, I just did it. In a swift, quick motion I brought my hand up and swung it down to his face, the impact causing him to stumble back a few strides. 

He gasped, grabbing the cheek I had slapped. He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded by what I had just done. He stared me dead in the eyes. He looked enraged at my actions and strode over to me, closing the gap between us so only an inch remained.

"You're going to regret that," He whispered, still grasping his face with his hand. I looked at him, being eye level and the same height I could, and caught myself eyeing his full lips instead of his eyes which were filled with fury.

"You deserved it, don't talk about her like that," I told him. He gave me another smirk. 

"Oh, so you do care?"

"Just, shut up," I instructed the boy as I pushed past him. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

God, what's wrong with me? I never get embarrassed...

 I placed my hands on the stable door behind him, "Flora, what did Kate do?"

"She doesn't want to-" I spun around and cut Miles off by placing a finger to his lips. I could feel myself tremble as I came into contact with them.

"I heard you the first time," I muttered, a smirk creeping onto my face. He scowled at me, taking my hand in his, squeezing it tightly. I let out a low gasp as he roughly placed it down at my side. 

"Flora," I said, spinning back around and entering the stable. I was greeted by her standing in the far corner of the stable, head facing the wall, "What did Kate do?"

"She hurt me"