Branden awoke to a most unwelcome sight: darkness. He could barely see his surroundings, but, fortunately, his phone was still intact, inside his pocket. He grabbed it and used its light to look around, and as he saw the familiar surroundings, he realized he was in Jonathan’s barn. Fear gripped his mind and his skin crawled as he remembered the family of spiders above him. He shined the light near the end of the barn, and gasped at the sight before him.
Julia, duct tape covering her mouth and ropes around her wrists and ankles. She had a black eye and cuts along her arms and neck, most of which had begun to heal. He wondered why Jonathan, who he assumed was the cause of this, didn’t tie him up the same as her. He rushed over to her and removed the tape from her mouth. He attempted to untie her but failed, as the knots were too tightly tied for his strength.
“Are you okay, Julia?” He asks her, and as she catches her breath, quickly nods, clearly too stunned to speak. Her face was covered in sweat and tears that made it look like she had just gotten out of a body of water, and her hair was frizzy and knotted. She’d clearly been here for a while.
“Don’t worry, I’ll call the police. Just stay here.”
He dials 911 and after explaining the situation, the dispatcher tells him to stay on the call for as long as possible. He complies until noise comes from outside the barn and he is forced to hang up, fearing that he will anger his captor. He hides his phone under a thick pile of hay and backs away from the door as it is opened and Jonathan’s burly figure appears from outside. Branden wasn’t able to check the time on his phone, but presumed it was the middle of the night. He could barely make out Jonathan’s face as he stepped forward and grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the barn.
Branden attempted to get back, fearing the worst, but Jonathan was much stronger than him and easily dragged him outside. Branden saw where Jonathan was attempting to take him, a shed that he hadn’t been able to look too closely inside, and eventually managed to squeeze himself from Jonathan’s hard grip. His heart was beating faster than it ever had at this point and he picked himself off the ground before Jonathan could process what he’d done.
He began running, which was easier than it usually was because of the huge amount of adrenaline coursing inside of him. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for the police to get here considering how remote the home was, but he hoped they would before his body got too exhausted to run anymore. He swiftly turned around and saw that Jonathan had emerged from the shed, with what he could barely make out as a shotgun.
He didn’t know very much about guns, but he did know that shotguns couldn’t hold very many bullets, and as long as he stayed far away, he should be able to avoid most of the shots. He turned back around and began mapping out where he would go to hide. He could go into Jonathan’s house, but he probably wouldn't have enough time to hide before he was found.
Bang!
A shot was fired, causing Branden to momentarily trip. He regained balance before he had the chance to fall and continued running. He changed directions, now aiming for the driveway. He could hear police and ambulance sirens in the distance. Relief that help was on the way made him have some hope that he could make it out of this alive.
Bang!
Another shot, which didn’t scare him as much as the first. Jonathan was beginning to get closer to him and Branden’s energy was running low. As he made it to the driveway, a third shot was fired, but this time, it landed on Branden’s leg. He instantly fell to the ground, and as he looked back, Jonathan was only a few steps away from him.
“Don’t move,” Jonathan said. Though he was attempting to sound intimidating, Branden could still hear the worry in his voice. He knew the police were coming.
Right on time, the first, then the second police car pulled into the driveway. The officers immediately stepped out of their vehicles, guns in hand, and ordered Jonathan to drop his weapon. He was already aiming for Branden’s head, and if he decided to pull the trigger, it would be clear what the outcome was.
Jonathan was clearly contemplating what to do. Branden prayed, something he hadn’t done in many years, that Jonathan would come to his senses and listen to the police.
Branden changed positions and laid on his back, looking directly into Jonathan’s eyes. He saw no fear in his eyes, but could tell that Jonathan was considering better options, and as he pulled the trigger, he stared directly into his wide eyes. The last thing he heard before the darkness consumed him was the sound of several other gunshots and intense shouting, and his last thought was of Maria. They wouldn’t be getting married anytime soon.
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Hey guys! Pretty sad ending, but it isn't over just yet! New chapter will be out next week (: be sure to share your thoughts and feelings until then!
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The Harvesting (ON HOLD)
Mystery / Thriller** Huge thanks to @fairsair6 for editing! ** Branden, who is soon to be married to his fiancé, Maria, receives a letter from her father, Jonathan, that invites him to stay at his home and assist him with the harvest. Wanting to get to know him bette...
