Chapter 24 - Part I

Ellie's P.O.V

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the slightly creaky and rusty door open and stepped in. Once I fully stepped into the smelly, dusty, filled with cobwebs and spiders, room, the whole weight of what I was about to do fully registered in my mind.

I hadn't even thought of anything and just took off from my house, with no help, no phone, and worst of all, no idea who I would have to deal with. Too late to think about all that now. I've already crossed all levels of idiocy.

When Jason and I had stepped into the building, we hadn't actually been able to check out the whole thing. We had just checked out a few rooms and figured that the place was pretty huge and there were tons of rooms.

Out of nowhere, a spider dropped down in front of my face, dangling on its cobweb. I screamed, backing away rapidly. I stumbled onto a broken chair on the floor, and fell backwards with a loud thud.

I groaned as pain shot up my spine. I got up nevertheless, and quickly made my way through the building, wandering around in the dark rooms aimlessly. Mom, I really hope you're alright. I thought silently, praying to God that she was, indeed, alright.

After about what felt like an hour, but was really only about five minutes, I stumbled into a room filled with light. The bright light blinded me momentarily, and when my eyes adjusted to the light, I could make out broken furniture strewn here and there, all dusty from age.

I cleared my throat. "Mom?" I called out tentatively, my heart thudding in my chest.

I stepped in further into the room, and as I did, another light flashed on right above me. I narrowed my eyes, trying to remove the spots dancing in my vision.

"I can't believe you really came, Elora. I was beginning to think you were actually gaining sense, since you're ten minutes late, but it seems you are still as naive as before."

I froze completely, not being able to move. I knew the voice. Of course I knew the voice. But it couldn't be. I whirled around, and my jaw dropped slightly, and fear came back full force.

"Well, hello there, babe. Long time no see," Luke chuckled darkly, taking a step forward. I, of course, took a step back.

"W-where's my Mom?" My voice wavered as he took another step forward. "What did you do to her?" Another step.

At that, Luke let out a long and hearty chuckle. My mind instantly flashed to those movies where the villain has the evil laugh perfectly mastered. Seems like he had mastered it as well.

"Ahh...I knew you would jump into action without thinking it through. I know you so well, Elora. It's a shame I have to force you to do anything. I would have enjoyed being with you without force. I think." He chuckled once again.

I stepped back. "I don't know what you're talking about. Where is my Mom?!" I all but shouted.

The dark playfulness in Luke's eyes vanished. All traces of mirth gone, he covered the distance between us in three long strides, pushing me roughly into the wall. I shrieked in pain.

Luke grabbed my face in one of his hands, squeezing my cheeks painfully. "You don't talk to me like that, understood?" I looked down on the floor, my eyes filled with tears. "UNDERSTOOD?!" He put more pressure on my cheeks with his fingers, and I screamed out a quick 'yes'.

"Good." He let go of my cheeks and stepped maybe an inch backwards.

Taking a deep breath, I cautiously looked up. "W-where's my M-mom? Please let her go, you c-can keep me here, just let my Mom go," I pleaded.

"Oh Elora, you stupid, stupid girl. You still haven't figured it out, have you? I don't have your Mom. In fact, she's probably in the plane right now, about to land in about three hours," he smirked.

I think I stopped breathing. How stupid could I be?! "No. No no no. You're lying," I whispered, grabbing my face in horror. I slid down the wall, able to hear the obnoxious thumps of my heart.

"Get up. You know as well as I do that I'm not lying." I didn't respond. Just stared in horror. "I said Get up!" He grabbed me by my hair, yanking me to my feet. I clutched his hands, trying to get rid of the pain on my head.

Luke laughed. "You think you can get rid of me that easily?" He pulled me to him by my hair, making me smack straight into his chest. "Your 'badass' boyfriend is probably out there somewhere, thinking and being jealous about your kiss with Nick," he chuckled. "No one to save you now babe."

My eyes widened more, filling with more tears. "H-how do you know about that?" Luke pulled my hair back even more.

"He works for me. He's just like you, you know. Willing to do anything for his family. One little threat was all it took to convince him to work for me," he smirked and leaned closer to me.

I turned my head to the side. "L-let me go!" I screamed in desperation.

"Once I set my eyes on someone, they can't get rid of me," he whispered in my ear.

"Why are you doing this to me! I left you alone even after you-you violated me!" I screamed in his face, struggling.

He moved back a bit, cocking his head to the side, a pensive look on his face. "I didn't violate you. I know you liked it, that's why you didn't call the police. And we didn't finish what we started that night, especially since your brothers kicked me out. It's okay, you'll enjoy it." He looked so genuinely confused when he muttered the first few sentences that I felt sick. He was insane!

"You're a sick bastard!"

He laughed a deep laugh, then suddenly crashed his lips to mine, roughly biting and sucking on my lips. I literally gagged in his mouth, and he moved back.

I jerked back when I felt his mouth on my neck. He pulled me back as if I was a rag doll, then slapped me hard. I flinched.

He then began sucking on my neck.

I felt nauseated. The need to get away from his disgusting mouth overwhelmed me so much, that I brought my knee up and slammed it into his crotch. He howled in pain, dropping on the floor.

I bolted out the open doorway, running blindly into rooms with two doorways. It was like running in a maze; I had no idea where what door lead to. At some point while running, I tripped on something hard, and my ankle started swelling immediately.

That didn't matter. What mattered was the need to get out. I limped into rooms, trying to find the exit.

As I entered another new room from one doorway, Luke stumbled out of the other one. I gasped, and whirled around to go back the way I came. Biting my lip hard due to the pain in my ankle, I ignored it and started running, but before I made two steps, my injured ankle was grabbed and pulled back.

I screamed in agony and went sprawling on the floor on my stomach, letting out a loud 'oomph.'

"You bitch," I was turned around by force, making me land on my back, then I felt Luke's leg connect with my side. Hard.

I uttered the loudest scream I've ever managed.

We heard a scream.

I felt the pain in Ellie's voice, and my heart lurched in pain itself. I took off for the door, but Jason grabbed my arm. Ulises pushed the door open.

"We all go different ways. There are tons of rooms in there, and don't call her name," he breathed out, and I was inside the building before he even finished.

I saw Ulises taking the right and Jason taking the left, so I surged forward. I stumbled a few times on broken furniture, letting out curses, but continued on feverishly.

I wanted to call out her name so bad, but Jason had warned me against it. And I understood. If I did, I might alert the person into harming Ellie even more.

There were so many freaking doorways in this building, and slight tears began to form in my eyes. I didn't care. I was afraid Ellie could be hurt, and from her scream, it sounded like she was.

I stopped in the middle of the room, which literally looked like the room in the middle of the building, since it had four doorways going in all directions. What is this building?!

I snapped my head to the right as I heard a loud thud. Then I heard a soft moan. And the voice I've been searching for.

"No...Jason!"

It sounded weak and hoarse, but I knew it was Ellie. I sprinted to the right, and slowed down a little, searching in both doorways, until I saw a sight that made my eyes widen.

Jason was slumped on the floor unconscious, with a small nasty gash on his forehead. But what made my heart stop was the small figure curled up into a ball, her ankle swollen and bloody, and her white shirt dirty from foot prints.

Ellie.

I watched in horror as Luke - Luke?! - landed a kick on the part where she already had a large footprint, meaning she was kicked there before. I flinched violently as she screamed again.

None of them had noticed me. Luke picked his foot up again, and was clearly going to land another kick. I lunged forward, my fist connecting with his face.

Hot rage flashed through me as I saw that he was still on his feet. I wanted him down on the floor, and in agony. My fist shot out again, this time on his jaw, and he stumbled/flew about ten feet back and hit the floor with a loud thud.

I ran to him, grabbing his shirt by the collar. "Didn't your mother," I kneed him in the stomach hard, drawing blood from his mouth. "Ever teach you," Another punch to his jaw, from which I saw with satisfaction, a tooth spill out of his mouth. "Never to hit a girl," I growled out, smashing my head into his, which lead to his head ricocheting off the wall.

I dropped him onto the floor, then realized that even that wasn't enough. Ellie's scream kept replaying in my head.

I was about to go to him once more but stopped once I heard her voice.

"...Ace."

I looked down at the still curled up form of Ellie. I walked over to her and crouched down immediately, and I felt pain just looking at her in pain. I softly touched her face, but she flinched, and I instantly removed my hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know..." I trailed off as I watched her struggle to sit up? Or turn, maybe? I couldn't do anything, in case I touched her where she's injured. My heart broke as I watched her struggle.

"I want...to stand up," she whispered. She extended her hand to me and I gently took it. I grabbed her by her waist, where there were no footprints on her shirt, and picked her up. She took a sharp breath, but she still stood up with my help. I kept my arm around her shoulders, holding up most of her weight.

"I'm so glad you came," her voice sounded stronger now. Then she giggled. It was a small one, but still a giggle. I looked at her incredulously.

"Glad you came. The song," she gave a small smile, and I shook my head. Even at a time like this, she managed to make a joke. A weird one at that. But I didn't have it in me to even smile. I couldn't, not when she was in so much agony.

Her eyes suddenly widened, and she yelled.

"Ace, watch out!"

I felt relief surge through me as Ace helped me up. He was here. I was safe now.

My eyes landed on Jason, and I was about to tell Ace to somehow help him, when I saw Luke getting up from the floor.

And then, what I saw in Luke's hand made me widen my eyes in fear. A knife.

Oh no. "Ace, watch out!" I yelled.

The first thing he did was gently push me back, and then turned to face Luke. I slowly limped towards the right of Ace, being discreet about it, and leaned against the wall for support.

Luke turned to look at me, his eyes dark, and his lips curled into a malicious smile. I shuddered inwardly. He moved forward, holding the knife in front of him, the tip facing Ace. Ace took a step back.

Ace didn't even look scared. He just raised his eyebrow and looked at the knife and at Luke in disbelief. "Scared, big, bad boy," Luke sneered at him. I could hear the police sirens outside the building. They were here, but they might be too late.

Luke didn't wait for any answer. He lunged at Ace with speed, holding his knife in front of him, ready to plunge it into his skin.

I can't let this happen, I thought. It's because of me and my stupidity Ace is even here. I can't let him get hurt because of me now.

With that last thought flashing in my head, I shut my eyes, gritted my teeth hard, and flung myself sideways at Ace. And just in time, too, because I felt the knife slash my back, ripping my shirt in the process.

I felt the excruciating pain consume my whole body and I gasped loudly. Even through the pain, I thought, 'at least I didn't get stabbed.' The pain grew worse and I arched my back, gripping tightly onto Ace's shoulders.

"ELLIE!" Ace yelled, his voice hysterical with panic. My head fell to the side incorrigibly, and smacked into the wall. My vision blurred. I felt drained of energy, and I tried to clutch Ace tightly, never wanting to let go of him, but my hands were beginning to feel numb.

"Ellie, please stay awake. You'll be okay," he whispered, clutching me tightly.

"Oh God, Ellie," Ulises's horrified voice sounded distant.

I could feel myself fading away. I have to do this now. I leaned forward with all the energy I could muster and put my face next to his ear.

"I love you, Ace," I whispered, starting to go limp in his arms. I didn't care. My eyes were shut tight, but I smiled at whoever was there. I have no idea why.

"I love you too," he choked out in a whisper, and I went limp in his arms.

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