Maybe later I would be able to see them again, but I didn’t hold out much hope for that. This was not the world I had always known anymore, I was gripped by the knowledge that everything I had always known was gone. That nothing would ever be the same again, and that there would be a lot more losses before all of this was over.

   “The antique shop.”

   “Where Cade works?” Jenna squeaked.

   I blinked in surprise. Even Jenna had known that Cade worked at the antique store. But of course she had, she may have her sights set on Bret, but Jenna was one of the people that would know where everyone she considered of importance worked, hung out, or lived. “Yes.”

   “Why?”

   I didn’t answer that question. I simply didn’t want to, and I wasn’t entirely sure I knew why we were going there. I glanced behind me, but the dark night was enclosing in on us. The ship was fading from sight; only the slithering sounds alerted me to the fact that we were still being hunted. Still being toyed with.

   Abby’s jaw was set in determination; she was moving swiftly along, her dark eyes intent as she searched the night. “I don’t know where my parents are,” Jenna said softly. “They were going out to do some shopping. They wouldn’t have gone far though. My mom hates the fact we have to walk everywhere now, but I didn’t see them anywhere near our house after this happened. I don’t know where they are. I waited for hours, and then I ran into Cade…”

   I glanced back at Bret, frowning as he met my gaze. Where were his parents? I wondered. It was only then that I realized just how scattered, awful, and heartbreaking this whole situation was. Just then I realized the families that had been, and would continue to be destroyed by everything that had happened today.

   Including my own.

   I looked to my immobile mother. We still had her in our possession, there was still hope that she would come back to us, but was there really a chance? I wondered miserably. Even if there wasn’t, there was no way I was going to let those things get a hold of her. No way in hell.

   “I waited, I waited for so long, but they didn’t come back.” My attention was drawn back to Jenna. It didn’t appear as if she were talking to me anymore. Instead, she seemed to be trying to work through her guilt and shock. I wanted to comfort her, wanted to assure her that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but my words would do little good and I knew it. She would blame herself until the bitter end and it would be awful. “I looked for them, but I was afraid to go far. I left them a note. Maybe I should go back.”

   “There’s nothing you could do Jenna,” I finally managed to assure her. “We can’t go back now, that thing is right behind us.”

   Her bright eyes darted behind us, widening slightly. “I left a note…”

   “They’ll find it.”

   “Will they find me?”

   My heart was breaking for her. “I hope so,” I answered honestly.

   “Are we going to survive?” Jenna asked tremulously.

   There was no answer to that question; I didn’t even know why she had asked it. “Go left,” Cade hissed from behind us.

   I veered sharply to the left, pushing Jenna and Abby along with me, forcing them deeper into the trees. It was hard enough for us to make our way through the thick underbrush, the three guys holding our mother were having an even harder time. I doubled back, slipping behind them as I searched the darkened woods. I was trying hard not to lose my control, trying hard not to give into the panic that was clamoring against my skull, and pounding through my veins. But I was greatly afraid that I was going to snap and fall apart at any moment. I had held up through my father’s death, but this…

   Well, this was hell on earth.

   “Bethany!” Bret hissed. I ignored him as I slipped a few feet deeper into the woods. That thing was out there, somewhere. I strained to see it through the darkness. “Bethany get back here!”

   I bristled over his commanding tone, but I didn’t obey him, I didn’t know why he thought I would. There was some commotion, and then someone was grabbing hold of my arm, trying to pull me back through the woods. “Bethany,” Bret hissed in my ear. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”

   “I know that.” I tried to tug my arm free, but he refused to relinquish me. “Bret!” I snarled, impatience tearing through me. He didn’t release me as he pulled me forward, tugging me behind the others. There was no way that we were going to be able to outrun that thing, it was impossible and if we didn’t stop it, it would only follow us to the store. “We have to stop it, it won’t go away!” I panted. “We can’t outrun it Bret, it will only catch us.” It was true, we were already wearing down. Other than Bret, none of us were exactly athletes, though Cade was a lot stealthier than I had ever thought possible.

   “Finally!” I shouted when he continued to pull me along, ignoring my protests. “We have to finallystand up for ourselves! Bret, stop!”

   My voice was nearly hysterical, my heart was hammering painfully, I could barely breathe, but I was right. If we didn’t take a stand we were going to die. There was no way for us to outrun it, no way for us to escape its steady, ruthless, approach. And no way that we would lose it before we made it to the antique store. “This is it Bret,” I whispered. “This is it.”

   His eyes were dark in the night, but I knew their clear green color well. I also knew that stubborn set of his chin well, and the muscle that was twitching in his cheek. He was torn, annoyed, but beneath it all I could sense his fear for me, for himself, for all of us. “Bret.”

   He turned away from me. “Do you have any more guns?” he asked Cade.

   Cade’s eyes were dark, hooded as they slid toward me. They had stopped running with us. The plywood sat on the ground between him and Aiden. I could not see Abby and Jenna but I sensed them in the darkness, waiting breathlessly for us to join them. “Cade?” I inquired softly.

   He pulled his bulky duffle bag forward, tugged open the zipper and tossed something to Bret. It was only when the dim light of the moon flashed across it that I realized it was another gun. I wanted to ask him where he had acquired the weapons, but now was not the time. He pulled the shotgun from his shoulder while Aiden motioned Abby and Jenna forward.

   I dug the key from my pocket; my hand shook as I handed it back to Cade. “Take mom.” Aiden had a hold of Abby’s shoulders as Cade handed the key to Jenna and explained how to get into the room. Jenna was pale and shaking, Abby looked about ready to cry as she tremulously hugged Aiden, and then me.

   “Come with us Bethany,” she whispered.

   “I can’t. Go on now Abby, get to safety.”

   “I think you should go Bethy,” Aiden said softly.

   I shook my head, refusing to relent, refusing to cower and hide. I had been hiding for a long time, slinking silently through my life, trying to remain hidden in the world. I would not be silent tonight, and I would do anything I could to keep my little sister safe. I hadto. If we couldn’t all escape, I was at least going to help buy Abby enough time to get to relative safety.

   I hugged Abby tight, turned her away, and pushed her toward the plywood still holding our mother. I couldn’t watch her walk away. It was too painful. The two of them would struggle with our mother, but they would get her there, that much I knew. Abby was one of the most stubborn people I had ever met, she wouldn’t fail.

   “Bethany…”

   “I’m fine Bret.”

   “I love you.”

   I felt my mouth drop, my heart plummeted in much the same manner. I knew how he felt about me, knew he dreamed of things that I never had, mainly because I rarely dreamed of anything. Life was too precarious for dreams that may never come true. But he had never said those words to me before, let alone announced them in front of my brother, and Cade.