Ephemeral //H.S

Chapter 40

-Harry Styles-

... days?

My mind is completely blank as I ran as fast as I can, my feet took off the second the words left her lips and now I'm running back towards the house, not even hearing them running as well behind me, or the dead leaves crushing under my shoes, the only thing I can hear is the buzzing in my ears.

If he found something it better be good, it has to be because otherwise Devon wouldn't have run all the way to the docks to tell us this, she wouldn't have this looks in her eyes that almost made me fall backwards in the water when she said those three words. Louis found something.

I burst through the open back door, already out of breath because for a few moments I forgot that the pills were still lingering through my bloodstream, but I push the dizziness and the sick feeling in my stomach as I stop in my tracks once in the living room. Seeing Louis sitting at dinner table, Alice stood behind him with the laptop open in front of them, all of their eyes simultaneously look up to gaze into mine. Tears are flooding down Alice's face, she sobs quietly.

"I can't watch anymore.." She says with a thick voice, hiding her face in her hands as she walks away and up the stairs, sobbing into her palms, and the moment I look into Louis eyes I feel my heart starting to pound against my chest. His brows are dipped down as he looks at me as if it pained him to knows what he knows, to know something that I don't right at this moment.

My mouth feels dry and my feet are stuck to the ground, and right now I'm not sure if I actually want to know, because by the looks of it, it can't be anything good. I breathe heavily, hearing Finn and Devon coming inside the house and walking past me towards Louis as keeps his eyes on me, not saying anything, I notice the way he frowns slightly as he takes in my disheveled state but I don't really care, I already know he's gonna find out that I took something one way or another. I take a few seconds to myself, not keeping my mind from making up these horrifying scenarios, maybe she's dead, and what he's seeing is her dead and soulless body on his screen. Her death would probably be the worst thing that could happen right now, or maybe a remake of what happened to her in college, that would be the worst thing actually.

But still, I somehow find the strength to lift my feet and take a step forward towards them.

"It's a bit hum, violent.. just so you know." He says quietly and I feel my stomach drop to my shoes, a lump form in my throat and I don't wait another second and walk around the table, standing behind him to look at the computer screen.

The screen is black at first, but then a light turns on and the first thing I see is a door. It almost looks like it's being filmed by a hidden camera strapped to someone's body, then a man's hand opens the door, probably the person carrying the camera, he walks into what looks like a hotel room, and then the camera faces the bed, and my heart skips a beat.

There she is, laying with a blanket covering her legs in just her underwear and a tank top, it's been so long since i've seen her smooth skin. But then I remember that the only reason i'm seeing her is because someone just broke into her room and she's asleep, unaware of what's happening. My hand thats resting against the table closes into a fist and my blood runs cold when he pulls out a knife.

He's fully aware of the camera he's carrying, it's almost as if he knew this footage would end up here somehow, because he's clearly taking advantage of being the only one this close to her, the only one being able to touch her, to hurt her. My eyes are glued to the screen as he steps right behind her, placing the tip of the blade on her hip bone and running it down her leg, she doesn't even flinch, I feel like vomiting right now, but it only gets worst from there.