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?-When did he?! Questions swarmed his mind, but no answer seemed to quell his worries. "Trevor!!!" Andrew was the one who screamed, 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 get away with this! Now look what it's caused!" His hands gesturing at Trevor, who watched the two with his lifeless eyes. "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 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 of them, 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 was 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 from his shock and stupor. Kevin tightly gripped 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 from the gate an undesirable altercation occurred, which was followed by 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-old 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 gritted as tears pooled 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 how to save Andrew. "There's no need to bother yourself; just let him die." A voice echoed behind Andrew; the killer was now out of the mansion with his tools in hand.
"I can't believe I'm going to die like this!" Andrew's words escaped his hyperventilating lips as he came 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 newfound bravery, he balled his fists and 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 across his face as he stared directly at the man in the hat .
"Good night." The last words he heard before the sound of something hard came into contact with his head. The man grinned devilishly.
*Thwak*
"Uh?" Opening his eyes, what greeted Kevin wasn't the musky earth or stench of blood but a sterile room. The sounds of vitals background noise as he tried to recall what happened. "Mommy!" 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 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's. Before Kevin could utter another word, a nurse's 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 vital signs of his circulation. With a heavy sigh, he turned to face the two, making the air tense. "It would seem that he has a mild traumatic brain injury. Nothing severe; all he needs is some rest, so please give him some space. He should be ready to 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 had 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 to the driveway, Kevin stepped out of the car, his mind recalling a few days ago him and his buddies were obliviously walking to the forest. His mother noted that his fists were 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 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 of 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, the doorbell echoed through the house. "I'll get it." The father mused as he made his way to the door. A man dressed in a 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.
"Connor Hale. I'm aware of how sensitive Kevin is right now. I'm with the police. If you or your son is ready for a conversation, please do." 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 a situation to be handling interrogations." Her words, laced 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 leaving his notepad and taking 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 the causing. "You didn't know what would happen back then, and it's okay. I'll have you know 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 may leave." Connor turned to face Clara Grale, Kevin's mother. The father was off on a business trip across the 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 afterwards you could touch with your books and finish up on your homework." The mention of homework 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, you have to move on."The two made their way to the car parked outside the precinct.
Bringing the car to life, Clara glanced in the rearview 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 slipped onto the main road. "Yeah… you cried so much that day." Clara gave a knowing hum. "Yeah, I thought I would forever be sad with the death of my mom, but you gave me something that I wouldn't trade for the world: you."
Kevin had done it at the time out of consolation; the picture of her mother crying invoked something inside him that wished her mother to wear a smile. "I know they were your best friends, but you have to move on, and I'm here in case you need someone to hug, sweetie."