The Faceless Forest

41

"First I killed all of her animals, then her father, I left shortly after, her mother got sent to jail, they couldn't press find any evidence so they let their mother go, I told Zoey not to anyone what really happened and gave her a fake story for her to tell people." his smile shifted to Emily "did you like the story she told you about her father's death, humorous I would say," his eyes were deadly as he stared at Emily.

"I'm so sorry," Emily said as she pulled Zoey into a hug, soon after her friends joined in. Emily looked back and saw that Noah was playing with his knife, when he saw her looking he smirked. She quickly turned back.

When they got out of there group hug, they all had made a decision on one thing, "RUN!" Emily shouted as soon as they broke free of their group hug.

They ran like the wind, but just like her father Noah had some speed on him, "must be a part of the family," Emily thought as she ran. Just as they were all getting tired and out of breath, Zoey ran into a homeless man and shortly after, so did the rest of the group.

"Hey watch it," Zach fumed and pushed the man out of his way, making the man stumble and fall over.

Emily felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned around as fast as she could and almost fell because of it. Their again was her brother but with a new addition, her father was also their. Her eyes widened but before she could speak, she felt a hand go over to her mouth, she noticed it as her father's.

She kicked him, flailed her arms trying to cause any commotion she could. That's when her father's temper rises and he kicked her legs out from under her, she fell to the ground.

Her friends felt the ground shake after the 5th kick Jake had done. They turned around and they all had gasped, it had turned night and the wind felt good against their skin, other than that they were not ready for a fight. But that didn't mean that they weren't going to fight.

Zoey was the first to attack, catching Noah off guard, but not Jake. Jake had lived with them enough that he knew their strategy. Then came Zach, fighting alongside him was Ethan and finally Steph.

"I'll make a deal with you," Jake said out of the blue, it made them stop fighting but only for a second.

"And what would that be?" Zoey asked punching him in the stomach. It made Jake let go of Emily, she ran as fast as she could to her friends, helping them fight. She always loved to go to karate or boxing lessons, to her it didn't matter what they were called, she just loved learning them.

"What would that deal be?" Zoey asked, throwing another punch to the stomach,

"That we," he looked over top Noah " get to keep one of you and we let the rest go," his eyes drifted between all of them, but he focused on Steph.

"You," he pointed towards her "you would be nice to play with," he smirked and let out a laugh, Noah suddenly grabbed Steph and wrapped his arms around her,

"Deal?"

The group looked into Steph's eyes "go," she said, "it's fine,"

A tear rolled down Emily's cheek as she said "deal,"

And that was it, her brother and her father had brought one of her friends away for a chance at their freedom, but their was always a catch, always one. She knew her father more than her friends. They wouldn't be done with him, not one bit. If they were ever going to be done with him it would be when he was dead. And from what Emily gathered, that day would be far from the one she was in. 

****

A week after her and her friends had let Steph go into the mouth of her father and brother the world seemed different. When she would try to talk to a teacher about it, they would think nothing of her sneaking suspicion of what was to come.

It was only her friends that would listen to her, because they too were worried about Steph, Noah, and Jake.

Emily was glad they were still friends. They knew if they told the police, Jake would never be found, he would make it hard for Steph and even the rest of them. So police wasn't an option. They didn't really have many options other than to talk to each other, about their fears and what if he wouldn't keep up his part of the deal. If they should break their part of the deal. All those questions and little to none answers to any of them.

"Should we try to do something?" Emily asked her friends

"If it's about Steph than I don't think we can do anything" Zach said defeated.

Emily let out a sigh, she closed her eyes and thought, she knew her father wasn't going away without a bang, she thought about if she should have made the deal she did with her father. She'd had way to much I don't knows in her lifetime and questions without answers that she could be covered with them, head to toe.

All Emily wanted was to go back to er normal 18 year old life, get a job or go to college and only worrying about if she would get her homework done on time. Instead of making sure one of her friends doesn't end up dead and making sure she doesn't get kidnapped by her father or her brother. A whole lot of problems and not enough girl.

Emily knew life was hard but she didn't realize that it would be as hard as it was for her.