Chapter 4: The Lockdown “Dad, stop!” Melly shouted, panting for breath as she stumbled over the thick roots of a giant tree. Her jeans were ripped from running through the woods, and she was exhausted. James paused, hesitant to stop when he couldn't guarantee the danger was gone, but at the sight of his daughter in such a haggard state he stopped and leaned up against a tree, feeling his body slump into it, eager to rest. Melly sat down on the ground, ignoring the slightly clammy feeling of the leaves. Her breath was ragged as she tried to calm her pounding heart. Her wrists ached from the metal handcuffs that bound them. From around them, every sound seemed magnified. Her body was tense, ready to run at the slightest danger. The sky was blocked out this deep into the woods, and she barely could see her father even though he only stood a few feet away. Even so, Melly figured they couldn't have made it far. At last she nodded to James and stood, her body aching all over. She thought back to earlier that day and realized that she had been running most of the day with nothing to eat and no rest. Her body had been fueled by pure adrenaline, but now she only felt fatigue. After a few more minutes of walking, Melly saw a light from ahead. Despite her curiosity, Melly was wary. “Do you see that?” she asked her father. James had indeed seen it. He hoisted the gun underneath his arm and kept his finger beside the trigger. “Stay behind me Melly,” he cautioned, stepping forward with deliberate slowness. The light was unnaturally bright and James knew it had to be man-made. There was no indication of humans in the area, so James made his way forward at a painfully slow pace until he finally stepped from the woods and saw the shining metal of a car. His eyes opened wide as he recognized the dark red jeep. He could smell blood in the air and saw the remains of a body that lie in front of the jeep, noting the dent in the front fender. Panic set in and James rushed forward, ignoring Melly's gasp behind him as she saw the car. James ran to the driver's side and saw the door had been ripped off the hinges and was hanging haphazardly with one corner brushing the ground. The jeep was empty, blood stained on the steering wheel, and dirty hand prints across the cloth seats. James extracted himself from the car, just as Melly came up beside him. His eyes met hers and he couldn't hide his emotions quickly enough. Her hands flew to her mouth in shock. “No...” she hiccuped, tears flowing freely from her eyes. “Dad, don't say it!” Screaming the last part, she ran off into the darkness. “Melly! Melly!” James shouted, grabbing the gun awkwardly with one hand as he rushed after her.
But... I'm now a bit lost... What was so bad in that particular jeep? Was it the jeep with Josh or something? BUMP SO I CAN FIND OUT!
Melly ran, her feet pounding on the uneven ground. It wasn't long before she tripped and fell, her bound hands stretched out to catch her fall. The headlights of the jeep looked far away as she laid there with tears across her face. Her hands were scratched up from breaking her fall and she looked at them, the blood streaked with dirt seeping into the crevices of her palms. Her body was exhausted, but she only could feel the aching of her legs, the soreness of her shoulders and the weariness in her eyes. The most taxing on her now were the plethora of emotions that were swarming her brain. Foremost grief was tearing her up inside, the grief for Natalie and her mother as well as the other people she had met and lost today. She pounded a fist into the ground, hearing her father approaching her, his footsteps heavy and reassuring. He had dropped the gun now and swept her into his arms, holding her tightly as wailing cries erupted from her throat. Her tears soaked into his shirt as she cried and screamed, frustrated at the entire ordeal that she had been put through. James just held her, knowing how she felt and wishing he could make it better for his daughter. Despite his bitterness over the entire situation with Raven, he never would have wished this upon her. Yet he couldn't help the nagging hope in the back of his mind that without a body he could not prove that she was alive nor dead. Although at the present time, it was looking to be the latter. Melly wiped at her tears, giving an exasperated shriek as she rubbed dirt over her face. She felt dirty and sweaty, and wanted nothing more than a warm shower and a bed to curl up in. Maybe if she slept, when she woke up she'd find out this entire thing was just a nightmare. James suddenly froze as he heard a snapping twig. Without warning he felt a cold metal barrel pressing up against his head. With none too gentle a shove from the gun, he gripped onto Melly tighter. Melly felt her father tense and looked up, her eyes wide. “Human? Answer quick or I'll shoot,” warned a voice. “Human!” James said quickly, his arms still wrapped around his daughter. “Don't shoot. I'm Sherriff James Lenart of the Holly Glen Police Force. This is my daughter Melly.” The gun didn't move from the back of his head but it eased pressure upon him and James straightened. “Prove it,” the voice said again. James slowly extricated his arms from around Melly and with some difficulty of the restraints he reached into his coat pocket. That's when he realized his badge was missing. His brain wracked for an explanation and quickly he concluded that it must have been taken when he had been commandeered at the high school. “I don't have my badge,” he said slowly, his voice as calm as he could make it. “It was taken by the military.” “What kind of police officer doesn't have his badge?” He heard a noise of discontentment from the man behind him. “Stand up, slowly. Hands where I can see them, and don't you dare try anything.” James slowly stood, feeling Melly shaking as he left her on the ground. He slowly turned around, his arms on his head. He faced a tall, older man who looked just as worn as they were. James recognized the gun he was holding as the one he had dropped when he found Melly. Cursing himself, he stood under the scrutinizing eye of the man. “I could almost believe you were a cop,” the man said. “But I didn't survive this long by believing what people say.”