It was hard swallowing, tears converged on Andrew's eyes as he looked at Trevor who had given his last breath. A lump formed in his throat before it hit the two. The smell, rich, metallic and wrong as Trevor's blood trickled down his figure and onto the termite infested boards that seemed to give way at a mere step.
"Tre..vor?" Kevin seemed equally stunned, unable to process what he was looking at. 'He was outside how did he-When did he?!' Questions swarmed his mind but no answer seemed to quell his worries. "Trevor!!!" Andrew was the one who screamed, now tears streaming down his face as he slowly made his way underneath the corpse that was Trevor.
A rhythmic tap of Trevor's blood tapping the boards was the only thing audible aside from the sniffles from the two boys. "An- Andrew! We have to leave!" Kevin said, his words soft as he inched closer to Andrew who had crumpled to the floor, in his fingers now Trevor's glasses that were now bathed in his blood. "Andrew!! We have to leave! If the person who did this to Trevor is still around then-"
Andrew brushed Kevin's arm away, his despair now replaced with fury. "I shouldn't have let you gotten away with this! Now look what it's caused!" His hands gesturing at Trevor who watched the two with his lifeless eyes. "I, I get it but this isn't the place for this. Let's go back and there you can scold me all you want!" Kevin urged, his body tensing as if someone would lunge at him at any second.
Tightening his jaw, Andrew knew that Kevin was right and stashed Trevor's glasses in his pocket and brought an end to his tears but the pain was clear on his face. "Oh, it would seem that there are two more birdies to play with." The voice was calm with a playful edge to it however for the two, it made their scalps tingle.
A man emerged at the top of the staircase, a hammer in right and several seven inch nails in his left hand. His frame huge as he wore a black trench coat and a bucket hat. His face presented to the two, a smooth face, that didn't fit the man the two were looking at. Tufts of gold hair spilled from the hat and covered his forehead and the most eye catching feature of the man was his crimson eyes and devilish grin.
Kevin bumped into Andrew removing the latter out of his shock and stupor, Kevin tightly gripping Andrew's hand and the two rushed for the exit. Making their way outside, it was dark, any thoughts of being late irrelevant as the two wished to preserve their lives.
*Clang*
A few meters to the gate an undesirable altercation occurred which was followed with a groan of agony from Andrew. "AAARRGHH!!!" His right leg was caught in a bear trap, one they had failed to spot in their frantic hurry to escape. Kevin crouched to force open the trap but his twelve year body was far from capable.
He looked around to find something to help Andrew however other than a few patches of grass, nothing presented itself. As for Andrew, rivulets of blood stained his pants and coated the trap in his blood, his teeth grit as tears began to pool behind his eyes. The entire scene unfolded under the watch of the crows that went on with their grating cries, as if laughing at the pair and their predicament.
"I-I can't get this stupid thing to open!" Kevin shouted as he fell on his rump on the bare ground, his mind calculating as to how to save Andrew. "There's no need to bother yourself, just let him die." A voice echoed behind Andrew, the killer now out of the mansion with his tools in hand.
"I can't believe I'm going to die like this!" Andrew's words escaping his hyperventilating lips as he started to come to terms with his death. "No!! I can't let you die too! I admit I was wrong but I can't lose you too!!" Kevin tried once more to force it open to the point he felt his fingers on the verge of being cut off.
"As much as I admire your resilience Kevin, it would be best to let Andrew die." The man wasn't loud and yet the impact of his words landed like a truck to the two. 'How does he know our names?!' The two simultaneously wondered as their fear kept on building. "No, no I can't let you die like this.I have to try!" Kevin murmured to himself as with a newfound bravery balled his fists moved to divide Andrew and the killer.
"Hahaha! How adorable." The man dropped his tools to the side, seeing this, Kevin tried to reach for the hammer however the killer was faster as he landed a kick square to Kevin's stomach making him wheeze and fall to the ground.
Pain brutally assaulted Kevin's mind as he tried to regain his senses. The world was spinning, his eyes brimming with tears. He could faintly make out the killer reach for his hammer past his foggy eyes before approaching him. Lying on the ground, a look of disgust flashed on his face as he stared directly at the hatted man.
"Good night." The last words he heard before the sound of something hard came in contact with his head. The man grinning devilishly.
*Thwak*
"Uh?" Opening his eyes, what greeted Kevin wasn't the musky earth or stench of blood but rather a sterile room. The sounds of vitals background noise as he tried to recall what happened. "Mmmh!" A jolt of pain sparked in his head making him grimace before falling unconscious once more.
…
"I saw his eyes flutter. Call the nurse!" A familiar voice filled Kevin's ears before he realized that it was his mother. "Where…am I?" Kevin's voice faint as he tried to recall once more before the pain from before assaulted him once more. "Don't stress yourself too much. Just try to relax." This time the voice was low and deep, his father. Before Kevin could utter another word, a nurses' figure filled his view before checking his vitals.
After some diagnosis, she turned around and left. "Where's Andrew?" His inquiry faint as he could barely keep his eyes open. An uncomfortable silence filled the air before his father spoke up. "When we found you, Andrew was nowhere to be found while Trevor was…" A memory surfaced, one that ignited anger and helplessness from Kevin. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have forced them to go to that place."
Before his parents could inquire, the nurse was back and this time accompanied by a doctor who checked his breathing and the vitals for his circulation. With a heavy sigh, he turned to face the two making the air tense. "It would seem that he has mild traumatic brain injury. Nothing severe, all he needs is some rest so please give him some space. He should be ready for leave in two days." The parents sighed before Kevin broke their ease.
"Mom, dad, have you found Andrew?!" The mother tried to come up with an explanation but the doctor stopped her. "It would be best for Kevin not to strain his mind for a while. Please if you would be so kind, it would be best to leave him for some time." The parents flashed reassuring smiles at Kevin who was still wondering what happened to Andrew.
'Have they found him or not?! It was my fault! I hope you can forgive me Trevor and Andrew… I hope you are safe.' Looking at the back of his departing parents, he could only hope for the best before drifting back to sleep.
*Two days later*
The drive from the hospital back home was silent, Kevin hadn't asked a question and his parents seemed unsure of how to tackle the situation. Pulling up at the driveway, Kevin stepped out of the car, his mind recalling a few days ago him and his buddies obliviously walking to the forest. His mother noted his fists now balled. "You couldn't have known. It wasn't your fault what happened."
A whimper escaped his lips, his jaw tightening. "It was my idea. I shouldn't have urged them to go there still." Once again the uncomfortable silence filled the air. He immediately rushed his way to his room without another word. "He needs to let it out, just give him some time." The father stated as he killed the engine to the car. "I know but it hurts me to see him like this. He didn't know." The mother said as the two made their way to the house.
Before they could take a seat, a doorbell echoed through the house. "I'll get it." The father mused as he made his way to the door. A man dressed in brown trench coat appeared, his face shaven and his black hair well kept in his hat. A glance was more than enough to tell what the man wanted. "Are you a detective, if so then this isn't the time. Come back later." The detective flashed his card, as if aware that he would be turned down.
"Connor Hale. I'm aware of how sensitive Kevin is right now. I'm with the police, if you or your son are ready for a conversation, please." Kevin's father flashed a smile as he inspected the card. "Thank you for your service however now's not a good time." The detective gave a knowing nod before taking his leave.
"Who was it?" Kevin's mother asked to be briefed about Connor. "I doubt Kevin is in the situation to be handling interrogations." Her words filled with worry as she went on preparing lunch. "What are you making?" The question playful trying to lighten the mood. "Something Kevin will like."
*Two months later*
"Is that all?" Connor asked as his eyes left his not pad and took a long concerned look at Kevin who was nervously fidgeting with his fingers. "Yes…" Kevin replied softly, his eyes already tearing from memories he cursed himself as being the cause of. "You didn't know what would happen back then and it's okay. I'll have you know that the mansion was taken down so that no other incidents such as yours can happen. You're a hero in a way, protecting other kids like this."
Connor's words however didn't seem to uplift Kevin's sombre mood. "That is all for his testimony, you can leave." Connor turned to face Clara Grale, Kevin's mother. The father was off for a business trip across seas. "Thank you detective." Clara said with a smile as she crouched down to Kevin's level who was slumping in his seat. "I know that it's rough for you to face something like this Kevin but I'm here if you need me." She reached out and cupped Kevin's face.
"Thank you mom." A bitter smile was now projected on Kevin's face. "How about we go out for some ice cream. Maybe after wards you could touch with your books and finish on your home work." The mention of home work seemed to make Kevin flinch making Clara realize her mistake. "I'm sorry if I upset you Kevin however you can't live in the past, whether you like it or not, you have to move on." The two made their way to the car parked outside of the precinct.
Bringing the car to life, Clara glanced at the rear view mirror to see Kevin once lively now slouched and reclusive. "Do you remember the day Grandma died?" She said out of the blue as the car now slipped into the main road. "Yeah… you cried so much that day." Clara gave a knowing hum. "Yeah, I thought that I would forever be sad with the death of my mom but you gave me something that I wouldn't trade for the world, a hug."
Kevin had done it at the time out of consolation, the picture of her mother crying invoking something inside him that wished her mother to wear a smile. "I know that they were your best friends but you have to move on and I'm here in case you need someone to hug sweetie."