“Lily!” a deep voice yelled. That voice was so familiar.
I was suddenly running faster than I could keep up with. I realized Scott was pulling me across the main entrance of the theater. We were halfway across the small room when something hard caught my foot, and Scott’s hand slipped from mine. I tripped and landed on my hands and knees.
I felt like screaming. I had tripped over someone’s body. I used my feet to push away. I winced and cried out, pain searing through my left ankle. Scott was grabbing under my shoulders.
“Lily! Come on!” he said, trying to pull me up.
“My ankle!”
Scott stepped in front of me.
“Lily, I’ve been looking all over for you,” a dark voice said. Flashbacks came at me a hundred miles an hour. Pull, Lily, pull! Let me in there now! Shhh, it’s okay, Lily, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I sucked in heavy breaths as I heard echoes of his voice. Tears slipped down my face.
“Daddy?” I whispered so faintly no one heard me.
“I’m not going to let you hurt her!” Scott yelled. I knew it was my father. I couldn’t see him because Scott was standing in the way, but I didn’t need to. The voice was all too familiar—that deep, rumbling voice that I could never forget.
“Why are you even doing this? We haven’t done anything to you!” Scott shouted.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you, boy. Now move so I can do what I came to do,” my father said.
“No!” Scott said loudly.
“You want all of these people to die in vain?” my father asked. I saw a little piece of paper in his hand, then he started reading it.
“Lily, sorry we aren’t home, I have to take Ashley to her dentist appointment. Be back in a little while! Love you! Mom & Ash! P.S. I love you! Ashley.” He said all of it with fake enthusiasm.
My note! I must have dropped it when I was running. Oh God, please let Ashley be okay. Please let Mom be okay. More hot tears rolled down my cheeks. Please let them be safe.
“I found this outside your work, Lily. I was waiting for you, but you were never alone. You dropped this little note. That’s how I knew for sure it was you. I followed you home, and then here with your little friends. And now I have you right in front of me. I’ve been wondering how your mother was. And little Ashley can write now! I’ve missed you all so much.” He chuckled a deep and throaty laugh. When he was done killing everyone here, he was going to kill Mom and Ashley too.
“No!” was all my mind could muster. Tears slid down my cheeks as I stared at my father.
22
Sarah
Seeing Lily and Scott bolt around the corner made my heart speed up even more. I looked toward the voice coming down the hall and knew I would see the man running after them. And he was.
Suddenly, Emily’s flash of blond hair rushed past me, her body lunging off the ground. She landed on his back and reached for the knife in his hand. He tumbled forward from the unexpected impact. Emily jerked up and started pounding her small fists into the back of his head, but it didn’t seem to do anything but make him angry. The man reached his arm back so fast I didn’t know what happened until I saw the blood. Emily screamed. He had stabbed her leg. The man reared up, sending Emily to the ground. He was around the corner in a second. I scrambled to Emily’s side where she was wailing and crying.
“Emily!” She was curled into a ball, holding the bloody spot on her leg. Blood was starting to drip down onto the floor. I brushed her hair back gently.
“I’m so sorry, Emily” In that moment, I felt as powerful as a superhero. I bolted off my knees and around the corner to join the rest of them.
The man was taking a step toward Lily and Scott. I focused on him and nothing else. Emily had inspired what I did next. I leapt onto his back and tightly wrapped my legs around his waist. I grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pulled with all my strength. This made me morbidly happy since this was the treatment he had been giving me and Emily all night.
“How do you like it?” I screamed into his ear. I felt him flinch away, and then a sharp stinging pain stung both of my ankles. I yelped and crashed to the ground. I reached for my ankles and felt the warmth of blood, my hands covered in red. I stared, shocked for a moment. Burning tears rolled down my cheeks. When I looked up, Lily’s eyes met mine, full of worry and fear. That broke my heart completely in two.
Scott was standing protectively in front of Lily, ready to pounce like a wild animal. The man had started toward them again, all but forgetting me and my small attempt at defeating him. Their words were like static; I heard the voices, but couldn’t make out what was being said. I fought back the pain enough to put weight on my ankles and rock forward to snag the man’s calf in my bloody hands.
“No!” I screamed, not realizing why I was screaming. There were too many thoughts in my head, but no was all my mouth could manage.
I pulled his leg back, trying to get him away from Lily, trying to make him trip or fall. Something! I saw a flash of silver and red, and then his knife was deep in my arm. I screamed and yanked back. I couldn’t stop the whines from escaping my mouth as I cradled my arm against my chest. I heard Lily call out my name. Warm liquid soaked through my shirt, and the horrible smell filled my nose. I gagged and my stomach heaved knowing it was my own blood. I already felt weaker. As much as I wanted to keep fighting, I knew I couldn’t. I hoped they got more time. I hoped the police would bust down the door at any second.
I was so tired and weak now. I knew I was dying. I was giving up. It killed me, knowing she was calling for help, but I had done my best to stall for Lily, to try to save her. This pain everywhere was too much. I missed my mom, and I would never her hug again. And my dog would never lick my face again. I hoped this would all be enough.
23
Lily
I peeked out from behind Scott just in time to see Sarah jump on my father’s back. She pulled his head back by his hair.
“How do you like it!” she screeched. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and she pulled his hair with her hands, trying to knock him down. He gripped the knife in his hands, raised it, then sliced both of her ankles in one fluid motion. She cried out in pain and dropped to the floor, releasing her grip on his hair. I still didn’t get a good look at his face. I kept my eyes on Sarah as she fell. She curled her legs to her chest. Blood oozed from her cuts, her hands covered in blood as she tried to stop the bleeding. She stared at me, her eyes glistening with tears.
“No!” Sarah yelled. She was on her stomach now, and her hands were around my father’s ankle. She pulled herself forward and held on tighter. He bent down, and the knife sliced her arm, right above her wrist.
“Sarah!” I shouted and tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I cried out and flopped down again. Scott was yelling and stepping forward now. I shook my head, but words couldn’t escape. It was all over. Emily, Sarah, Scott, Max, Angela, Luke, Ashley, Mom, and I would die. All of those innocent people surrounding me on the floor were dead. All because of me. I blinked as if everything were in slow motion and my heart pounded, blocking all other noise out. Scott swung a fist in my blurred vision and hit my father in the face, making him stagger back.
Sarah screamed again and jerked her arm away. She held her arm to her chest and curled up on the floor. Blood soaked her shirt. She looked at me, then back at the floor, and I knew she had given up. My vision all but disappeared as tears gathered.
I blinked, and Sarah’s expression had changed completely. She used her good arm and fished something out of her pocket. She threw the object at me, then cradled her arm and closed her eyes. A little ball of crumpled paper landed by my foot. I snatched it up, frantically opening the ball of paper, and trying to avoid the blood spots. I gasped, shocked. Names were scribbled on the piece of paper. Anger raged through me, heating my face and shaking my hands. I got up the courage to look at the horrible face of my attacker. The man . . . he wasn’t my father at all! If he wasn’t my father, th
en who was he?! Why would a random stranger go through all of this trouble just to hurt people he’d never met in his life!
“HEY!” I shouted. And it caught both men off guard. Scott took the opportunity for another punch, then stepped in front of me. I used his jeans to pull myself up so I could face this man head on.
I glared at him. He stared at me almost lovingly, but with a hidden hatred. His hair was brown, and his eyes were a green similar to my father’s. But who was he? How did he know my name? My family? Who were the people scribbled on the piece of paper? I looked at the names once more. Then it hit me. There must have been some connection . . . somehow. I couldn’t figure it out, but those names were important to him for some reason, and I was going to use it to my advantage.
“Put down the knife and fight me like a man!” Scott yelled and raised his fists.
“No, Scott! Just get out of his way and let him have what he wants! Everyone is dead because of me! I can’t let him hurt you too!”
“No, Lily!” Scott pleaded.
“I know! Just trust me,” I whispered.
“I would listen to my beautiful Lily if I were you,” the man said.
“What do you mean? Lily, do you know him?” Scott’s fists relaxed a little and his body wasn’t as tense.
“No, I don’t. But . . . look out!” I saw it coming. He raised the knife, then plunged it into Scott’s side.
“NO!” I shrieked. Scott exhaled heavily, making a huffing sound, and we both fell to the ground. I quickly took off my jacket and moved his hand so I could press it on his side to help slow the bleeding. My hands were covered with Scott’s blood. I bit my lip hard, trying to keep my stomach under control.
“Oh, Scott, I’m so sorry. Scott, please look at me. I’m so sorry!” I blabbered. Slowly his eyes focused on me, and he shook his head. It was a small movement. I sobbed and crushed my head into his chest. I heard Sarah groan.
“Finally,” the disgusting man said.
I closed my eyes as tears fell. Scott’s chest was pumping up and down ever so slightly now. He would die soon. Another person close to me dead. Then I got strength from a strange place inside me. I couldn’t just give up! I had to do something!
The man roared, and I looked up. Angela was leaning against Luke and holding her blood-drenched stomach. She was crying, but her face was full of anger and triumph. She was panting.
She spoke in a tone that even frightened me and pointed at her bloody stomach. “I pulled the fire alarm.” Her voice was frantic and high-pitched. It shook with emotion.
Angela swayed and collapsed to her knees and slumped against Luke with a smile on her face. Luke crouched beside her and stroked her forehead and cheeks. I hoped she would last a little longer. Help was almost here! I could already hear the sirens.
The man turned toward me speedily. Suddenly, he grabbed my hair and pulled me up. My anger raged again. I fought the urge to yell and kick and scream. I didn’t want to give him any satisfaction.
“Who is Mackenzie?” I looked him dead in the eye and saw the shock there. I smiled fiercely. He didn’t like his own games. His face went limp; he blankly stared into my eyes. Then through a dark undertone of evil, he smiled and a muscle in his face twitched. A hot pain flashed in my shoulder. This time I did scream. He had cut me! I felt the warm liquid spread down my arm. I felt the tip of the knife over my stomach.
“Who is Sophia?” I screamed.
He snarled like a wild animal and pushed the knife ever so slightly. My heart pounded in my ears.
“Who is Josie! Was she your wife? Did you love her more than anything? What happened to her? Huh? What happened that made you hate me and my family? What did my friends do to you? What did all of those innocent people do to you? What? TELL ME!” I screamed and yelled from somewhere inside myself that I had never felt before. He had killed my friends. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. My vision blurred with rage. I was going to take this man down.
His knife lessened its pressure. “Shut up! I did love her! I loved all three of them!” he panted. “They were my world! Josie. She got sick.” He looked defeated.
“She died,” I said.
He nodded.
“What about the other girls?” I asked.
“My daughters. They were always blabbering and following me and reminding me of my Josie! I couldn’t take it anymore!” His voice grew louder as he spoke, and his breathing was heavy.
“You killed them,” I barely whispered.
He nodded.
“Why us?” I asked quietly.
“Because. Your father had a family. One that was still alive.” He looked at me maliciously. “He had what was taken away from me! And I’m going to take that away from him! Your father finally began to love you all again, I saw it in his eyes. I couldn’t let that happen, and now he’s dead. And you will be too!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.
I sucked in a short breath.
There was a huge, crashing sound of shattering glass. The man jerked forward, pressing the knife harder into my stomach. As it pierced my skin, I thought of my mother and Ashley. Ashley, her innocent, round face and her bubbly, spring-like laugh echoed in my mind. Would I ever hug the little squirt again? Would I ever read her a story again and look at that princess nightlight as her chest slowly rose and fell in sleep? Would I be there as her shoulder to cry on when she had a broken heart? Would I see her on her wedding day with happy tears in her eyes? Would I ever look into those sparkling green eyes, full of the wonder and hope of a child?
I screamed and collapsed to the floor. When I opened my eyes, police were filling the room with guns raised. I looked up at the man and smiled. The knife was raised above his head, and he looked just as shocked as I was, guns pointing at us from all directions.
“NO!” he yelled.
“Put your weapon down!” a voice called. He looked down at me with a crazed rage expression. My eyes widened in shock. He raised the knife higher, preparing for the moment he had been waiting for. I winced—my mother and Ashley’s faces flashed before my eyes.
A shot rang out.
The man fell to the floor and groaned in agony. He grabbed his leg, screaming profanities. He still sounded exactly like my father. I shivered. I closed my eyes and clutched my stomach, my breath coming in shallow bursts. With every inhale, the wound flared with pain.
Police officers swarmed around the foul man. I realized that they had shot him in the leg.
“Search the building for survivors! Get the paramedics in here!” a man shouted.
I was confused for a brief moment, and then I was aware that it was finally over. I looked over at Scott. He was so pale, but his chest was rising and falling. Scott was okay for now, and I thought Emily was too. Sarah was only hurt. Her wounds would heal. My wounds would heal. It was over. I relaxed for the first time all night. My muscles appreciated that greatly.
24
Lily
A police officer and a man in a long, white coat, a pale-blue shirt, and pale-blue pants ran over to Scott and I. More men in blue and white rushed over to help put Scott on a stretcher. They mumbled medical things I didn’t understand. The police officer started to lift me onto my own stretcher.
“No! I want to be with Scott! Where is Emily?” I screamed hysterically.
“It’s okay, Miss. Don’t worry about your friends. They’re in good hands now. Be still now and we’ll get you cleaned up,” one of the paramedics said in a kind, gentle voice.
They wheeled me through an open door. I heard little crunching noises as their feet crushed the small glass fragments. He rolled me to an ambulance and loaded me into the back. A woman with dark-brown hair was wearing the same pale blue—the color swirled in my head and made me nauseous. My vision started blurring and I was woozy and dizzy. The woman started to wipe my face with a cold substance. I flinched away.
“Sorry it’s so cold. It’s just antiseptic,” she said in a kind voice and continued cleaning my face and moved to my arms.
“Oh, that’s a nasty cut. What other injuries does she have?” she asked one of the EMTs.
“She’s got a stab wound on her stomach, most of the victims do. Her ankle is sprained or broken, there’s a scratch on her shoulder, and that’s all,” he replied quickly. That’s all? It seemed like I had broken bones and painful, stinging scratches everywhere. My whole body ached and pulsed.
“Thanks,” she said. He nodded and jogged off.
“My name is Lisa,” the woman said. “Let’s get you to the hospital and take care of you, okay?” she continued. I nodded.
I blinked a few times and tried to mumble something, but I was shushed by the woman in pale blue. My vision blurred again, and everything went black.
25
Lily
“Lily?” a voice called my name, pulling me out of the darkness.
“Honey, are you awake?” The voice continued to pull me further into the bright light ahead of me. I felt my eyes flicker, and I fought to open them. I blinked and tried to focus on one thing. It was very bright.
“Lily!” the voice said, and a pair of hands touched my face. My eyes finally focused and I saw my mother.
“Mom,” I said, lifting my hand to her arm. My voice sounded hoarse.
My mom grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “The nurse said you might be a little groggy. How are you feeling?” she asked.
I only grunted in response. I looked around the room and realized I was in the hospital. I tried to remember why, and then everything hit me like a punch in the stomach. I gasped and tried to sit up. Mom gently held me down, but she didn’t need to. The pain in my stomach alone kept me down. I sucked in a breath and took in a few short breaths.
“Honey, you need to rest! What’s wrong?” she said frantically.
“My stomach hurts,” I said quickly. “Where is Emily? Is Scott okay? What about Sarah? And what about . . .” I rambled.
Nightmare in Niceville Page 9
