Coveted {FINISHED}

|Chapter Nineteen |

All the oxygen was ripped from my lungs. My body was completely numb as my head continued racing. Too much was happening it was like overload! But yet, here I was staring into Jeremy- no . . . It wasn't Jeremy anymore and that meant . . . He'd gotten his powers. But he wasn't supposed too! It was meant to be too late! He was supposed to be a squid the brother with no powers! And if that was Danny . . . Then . . . Danny was dead and thi- this was Jeremy's life for-

"Nancy." He said again, Danny's voice weaved itself from Jeremy's mouth throwing my mind into another whirlwind to the point it felt like I would pass out. How was this possible? Jeremy . . . Come back, please! But instead, he stood as he took in his new body twirling his fingers into fists and creaking the bones in his shoulders with a satisfied groan. "I did not see this coming but it feels good. Real good to get this chance again."

Run to Shane. 

The voice kept ringing in my brain like an alarm but my feet wouldn't move, my eyes unable to accept what they were seeing, my ears in denial of what they were hearing. This was impossible. This couldn't be happening . . .

"Do you know how long I waited for you? How many nights I spent searching for your worthless, pathetic ass?" He spat out, his eyes twisting in anger as spit flew across the air. That old feeling lodged itself into my stomach, the same one that warned me it would be another fight every time Danny had that look but this time was different. This time the voice in my head didn't warn me to stay quiet and curl up protecting my head from the damage . . . It warned me this was the end. This could be the last fight we'd ever have.

Cold dread leapt into my heart, that same fear I thought I'd never feel again, that I'd felt for years before bashing to life inside me came home.

"I died because of you," his voice was manic, his eyes wild. "I died looking for you! Did you even know that? Do you even care?! And what were you doing Nancy? Where were you huh? Shaking up with four brothers like a w***e! I should have killed you when I had the chance you dirty worthless piece of s**t!"

"D-Danny please-" his laugh cut me off, my foot taking a step back and creaking a branch.

"It's too late for that bitch." He breathed his eyes bloodshot. Even though it was still Jeremy's face . . . It was so contorted, so hollow and pale that I thought for a minute I was staring directly at Danny. The craze in his eyes was like nothing I'd seen before and I swear he'd seemed to grow inches taller. He took one step toward me, his lips pulling into a wild grin as his head titled closer towards me whispering, "Run."

That was it. Finally, my feet dashed and I turned running towards the brightly coloured tents but I should have known better.

Within a second one arm wrapped around my waist lifting me from the ground and pressing me hard against his chest as the other hand wrapped tightly around my mouth silencing the scream that I tried letting out into the air.

Oh God Shane, please! Oh god! 

He took large strides towards one of the tents bursting through and chucking me down hard on the ground so my back hit the side of the unused mattress. My fingers curled into the plastic, gripping for dear life as I lifted my head and peered through the strands of hair covering my vision. He stood by the entrance, his body towering above me as the air thinned. This was it. This was the end. And to think I thought I'd escape, to think I thought I finally made it out. Was this what Regan saw? Why did I f*****g run?! Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. Maybe I was supposed to die all along.

Fate. Huh. Funny thing.

Should have never thought I could change it. Should have never thought any of them could.

"Was it fun? When you were riding that freak?" He spat, the lines on his forehead deepening as I felt his anger wrap around my chest. "You know your brother came looking for you,"

My heart stopped. Everything at that moment stopped.

"M-my brother?" I breathed, lifting my chest from the ground slightly. But he didn't like that. His foot came flying into the side of my hip, my body crashing to the ground again as I rolled onto my back crying out.

"Yeah, your brother. I told him everything," he said, kneeling down and gripping my hair in his fist yanking tighter until he had lifted my head up from the ground and dragged me around to my knees. My hand wrapped around his wrist trying to ease his grip as I bit down on my bottom lip but it did nothing. He was so cold, so so cold. He looked down at me, wrapping my hair tighter around his fingers as he spat at me, his saliva dripping down the side of my cheek as fresh tears pooled their way from my eyes. "I told him how much you hated him. How much you despised him for what he did. Told him he'd broken you, that the night you went missing you were in tears because of him. You should have seen his face,"

"No," I cried, my lips trembling.

I didn't care about the pain, not anymore. My heart broke in my chest thundering around my body at the image of my brother standing there thinking . . . Thinking it was his fault.

"I told you, Nancy. I own you, I own your life. You were nothing without me, I made you." His words settled over my ears like they had so many times before but I felt hard to it now. "You. Are. Nothing. Unless I say so."

"You're wrong," I forced out. If I was going to die, I was going to die on my own terms. I wouldn't go out weak, I wouldn't die letting him think he'd broken me. Letting him think he'd won.

I watched his face contort into confusion and then anger. His grip in my hair tight until his fist came flying down into my face as the world blackened for a second. The pain radiated through me, my eye swollen shut. Finally letting go of my hair, he thrust me forwards, my forehead slamming against the ground. 

It felt as though my body had fallen down the worlds largest flight of stairs, his foot repeatedly slamming into my sides until every inch of me was sore and bruised. Until I couldn't move let alone scream. My throat too hoarse.

"You think you can take me? Think you can leave me whenever you want?" His words fell like needles on skin, biting away at the small consciousness I clung too. 

There was no point in replying, no point on edging him on more. I could feel the anger bubbling away from here, I'd triggered him enough yet all I could see behind my eyelids was my poor brother. I'd left him that situation. A part of me knew I caused this, all this pain and regret washing over me was because I was too late to face my demons. But I couldn't let him win, I had to get out somehow. 

If I died . . . My brother . . . He'd think it was his fault and it wasn't. 

It never was. 

But I could feel every inch of my body begging for peace, begging me to let my mind slip into that warm tempting blanket of blackness that promised to take me away. 

No! Don't give in! Not this time . . .

Never again. Never again Nancy. 

Hold on . . . 

"Open your eyes!" Danny roared, his voice inches away from me as I slowly peeled one lid open. The other was glued in its place but he reached down, his large hand wrapping around my throat tightly lifting me from the ground slightly as my hands automatically wrapped around his, my lips parting begging for air as every bone screamed out in protest. 

I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my throat, my fingers itching to cut into his skin but I needed more time. There was no way I could run. 

"This didn't have to happen you know," he whispered. His eyes looked softer, the sudden contrast making my chest restrict in pain, in confusion. "I never wanted this. I never wanted to hurt you," his voice shook like he was forcing back tears as his other hand lifted gently stroking the side of my cheek, his thumb rubbing the purple bruise at the corner of my lips as his eyes taking in the damage he had caused to my eye. I shuddered at his touch, my legs wanting to kick until he let me to. "But you made me. You just left, left me to die. You made me so angry and you deserve this. You deserve to learn a lesson. You can't leave me, baby. In no world are we ever apart and by the end of the night . . . You're going to be with me. Maybe then. . . Maybe then you'll understand, maybe you won't piss me off and maybe I'll be able to forgive you."

The pressure around my neck tightened until I was gasping again and he was in his feet throwing me down to the ground so the back of my head slammed down. 

"Danny . . . Plea-" his fist came back at me, landing on my mouth sending a roaring wash of stabbing pain through me as I felt my teeth slam down hard against my tongue, the skin of my lips parting to let a fish of blood pour down my chin. 

"Don't f*****g interrupt me. Did I interrupt you when you were f*****g those freaks?" Well. . . Yeah in a way you did. That voice would get me in trouble at some point, yet the pain wrapping itself tightly around me was the only thing keeping me sane, keeping me hanging on and searching for a plan. But if I opened my mouth again the way I did before it would be game over. 

"N-Nancy?" The shaky voice lifting through the tent had us both frozen, my body stiffening under his shadow as I rolled to my side despite the screaming protest of my limbs. 

How was I even still awake?

I peered through the blood, every feeling in my body numbing suddenly as I took in her wide eyes, her pale face lingering on me and jumping to Danny in fear. Yet all she would see is Jeremy. 

No. Run! Get out of here!

"Audrey. . ." the words trailed from my lips a whole new kind of fear grasping my heart. 

Please! Please get out of here now!

"Audrey? What a pretty name." Danny mumbled, his body twisting to full-face the small frame trapped by the entrance. "And here I thought it'd be like us two, I guess you can be the practice round."

I watched as he green eyes suddenly latched onto the kind of danger she was in. She turned running out and Danny took a step forwards but I grabbed at his ankle trying to keep him back, trying to give her time. He can't hurt her! Not her! Take me instead! But that was his route. He wanted to take his time on me and by the way, I had reacted seeing her, he knew it would be torture. He knew he had one more playing card. 

I didn't stand a chance my arms too weak as he shook me off, the back of his shoe connecting with my jaw as he raced after her. 

Now Nancy, go now. 

I tried forcing myself to my knees, my palms flat against the ground holding most of my weight as I yelled out in pain. I had to do something! I could hear her screaming outside, footsteps pounding on the ground as I tried standing only to hear the air turn quiet again. 

Surely someone heard!

A few seconds later and burst through the tent with Aubrey in his arms as he chucked her to the ground. She immediately screamed but by the way, his eyes narrowed in pure anger I knew this was it. He dropped to his knees stranding her waist, her legs kicking at the ground as both his hands collapsed against her throat. I crawled over to them, my fists weakly slamming at his chest as I tried to push him off but I was too weak. 

I could see her eyes wide, her arms frail with every passing second from the corner of my eyes. 

"Danny stop please!" I begged coughing up blood. "Please!"

The more I cried the wider he smiled. 

"Leave her alone!" Her green eyes fell on mine, her hands weakly falling to his wrists as her face turned a few shades paler than I had ever seen. I watched as the life drained from her but yet there she was, lying in the ground pinned by a monster and her eyes weakly darting from me to the exit. 

I knew what she was telling me, my mind was screaming it too. 

There was no way I could save her, no way I could push him off and my only chance to escape was now. I was too weak to run away without the head start and her death . . . That was the opportunity I needed. 

But I can't! How can I just leave her to die? She's my friend . . . And her kid . . . I can't-

"G-g-go," she wheezed, her lids becoming heavier and heavier as I fell back away from them. 

Run now or he'll kill you and this would have all been for nothing! Kill him once you get help but get help!

I forced myself up backing away as my legs shook with pain. Yet a moment, a single breakthrough and I pushed it down as my arm wrapped around my pain-filled stomach. I turned and ran; or at least tried to limp myself as far as I could hearing him curse under his breath. 

But there was no chance he'd stop. He'd have to kill her first before coming after me. 

The image of her blood-red hair sprawled around her like a halo filled my mind, her deep green eyes giving me that moment of salvation edging my body forwards through the unspeakable pain. This was it. Now or never. Something in me told me to run away from the tents, Shane wouldn't be here. To get him as far from the people as I could so I hurried through the woods, my free hand pressing against trees as I tried to keep standing forcing myself forwards. 

My heart hammered painfully against my chest, tears mixing with my blood soaking my face as the realisation that she was gone hit. His voice teasing me filling the air around the woods now clear. 

That little boy . . . He'd grow up orphaned alone in this world because of my mistakes!

Not now! You can't think about that now just run get out of here. 

I let my body carry me forward, the pain a reminder that if he caught me it would all be so much worse. He'd win. Audrey's death would be for nothing. I can't let that be. I can't let that happen. 

"Nancy, come out come out wherever you are!" His voice sang in the chilly night air, blowing against my skin as I felt it for the first time, I felt anger and not at the pain he'd inflicted on me. It was different, like nothing I'd felt before. I felt my blood boil in the urge to kill him, to watch as every ounce of life drained the hell out of him all over again. I wanted to kick his ass right back to hell where he belonged but first I had to survive. I had to make it out of here. 

He was close I knew that but not close enough that he could hear me. 

I staggered pausing behind a tree for a second taking a mouthful of air into my lungs but the longer I stayed paused the more the pain in my body would rise, the more I couldn't bear it and I needed it bare it longer. 

Just a bit longer!

I pushed myself from the tree and lunges through the thick branches across my view, black dots filling my the corners of my vision. I blinked them away refusing to let it swallow me yet. 

I'm going to make it. One way or another. He won't win. Not this time. 

Finally, I reached a clearing and for a second I thought I recognised it until a breath of relief washed through me as my car came into view. I almost couldn't believe it. I wiped the sweat from my head and raced towards it practically dragging my legs across the overgrown field. 

It wasn't wrapped around a tree like the last time I had seen it. please, please tell me one of the boys had fixed it! Please!

I yanked open the door and fell into the seat, the keys still in the ignition. Thank god! My hands shakily took grasp of them turning it a few times until the lights kicked to life, the engine rumbling but I didn't have time to thank the gods for this miracle. 

"Found you!" I jumped, my throat letting out a cry as Danny slammed against the window next to me, his hand yanking open the car door. 

My body kicked in, my foot slamming down as I reversed leaving the door wide open and going straight back until I was on the road and away from him. I spun the car driving straight for the mansion the car door wide open as I raced down the road my eyes vibrating with the need to close. 

No. Not yet. Please, we're almost there! You can do this Nancy. 

I took in another shaky breath, my eyes darting to the review mirror checking to see if I could see him but the speed I was going at, there was no way he could catch up. 

"Please Regan, be home . . . Ian please," I begged the minute I saw the house come into view. The chimney poking through the head of trees. I hadn't realised how close I was, how much I had run in this pain. 

Swerving towards the porch, I left the car and haggard my way out, my hands gripping to the car door for support for a moment before I hurried up the steps falling against them and crawling the rest of the way to the door. I bashed my fists hard against the door, blood splattering from my lips as I screamed out their names. "Ian! Regan! Open up please!"

Nothing. 

"Shane please!" I tried it again. 

Nothing. 

"Please someone help me," I cried, my eyes scrunching closed as my forehead fell against the wooden door. 

He'd be close by now. The house hadn't been that far, to begin with. 

"Please help me. . ."

"No ones going to help you, Nancy. Not this time." His glee filled voice hit me square on and I let my lips fall closed as my body fell weak against the door. This was it. I tried. I really tried but this was the end. This was fate catching up with me again. At least I tried this time. 

I'm so sorry Audrey. 

I forced myself to turn, my back resting against the door as I took him in standing in the porch steps in front of me. I let a chuckle escape my lips. Suddenly that fear that was there before had left a cold gaping hole in my chest. 

"You just gonna stand there or are you going to finish this?" I forced out, my mind reeling with every nerve on fire, every inch of me drowning in pain. I watched as his forehead creased taking me in. "Come on, you came back from the dead to what? Beat me around some and then stare at me like a p***y?"

"You f*****g b***h-" he started, his feet pounding in the steps as I cut him off. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard it before. You b***h, you cunt you worthless piece of crap. Got any new material?" Within seconds he was standing in front of me, his fists slamming into my stomach until I bent over screaming in pain. He threw me to the ground and I lay there coughing up the blood forcing my words out. "Guess you can't break me with all the fists in the world Danny boy."

Screaming in anger, he grabbed the back of my head yanking my hair and throwing me back against the door so I could stare up at him. I could see his lips parting ready to speak so I took it from him. "C-come on, t-t-that all you got? You keep t-telling me in the weak one but . . .you're the weak one. You're the broken lost little boy Danny and you'll never have me . . . You'll n-n-never break me. Give me your worst."

I watched through a blackening vision as his face turned crimson his fist connecting with my face until the pain seemed to numb itself away and my eyes unable to open. 

It was happening. 

I could feel my heart slowing but I wasn't done yet. Not yet. I had one last thing to say to him, I had to break him more like he'd tried to do to me for months. 

I forced my eyes open staring at him through various coloured spots, blood pouring out with every word. "You lose Danny. I killed you first . . . You can g-go to hell w-with that. I killed you first and w-w-while you w-w-were dying, I w-w-was f-f*****g m-my brains out. Y-you al-always lose."

The emotion draining from his face as he stared down at me before his closed hand reached back ready to come forwards against me but a second later and his eyes slammed shut, his body falling to the floor at my feet as Ian stood towering above us with a metal pole clung in his hands. 

He dropped to his knees next to me, his hands gently taking hold of my face as he looked me over with worry, pain spreading over his features and his hands hesitated to touch me like he'd break me. 

I forced a smile to my lips, the realisation of what was happening to lose amongst the blurriness in my mind. Even his voice sounded like a distant echo but hey at least I wasn't in pain anymore. "Hold on Nancy, just wait for a second more I'm here now."

"I won. I f-f-finally d-d-did it," I breathed, my body falling against his as my eyes began to shut. 

"You did. You kicked his f*****g ass, you destroyed him I saw it, you kicked his ass like the strong ass woman you are. Now just be a little stronger for a little bit longer," he whispered, his hand stroking my hair as I felt someone else rush up the stairs and pause next to me, their hand brushing my shoulder. 

"Shane is almost here," Regan breathed, his lips pressing against the skin on my shoulder. "Please Nancy. Stay."

Huh. Wouldn't that be great? 

Maybe I can stay . . . Maybe this wasn't my fate . . . Maybe . . .