Chapter Eight: Gone Away

Chapter Eight

Paisley

GONE AWAY

Performed by The Offspring

The blood dripping from the image of Jonas and her made her stomach lurch.

Whoever was doing this had been there on the street today. Watching them. Filming them. Why hadn't their security seen them? Why was this happening at all?

Landry!

Paisley grabbed the handle above the picture and thrust open the door. "Landry! Nikki!" she called into the quiet of the house.

There were a few lights on, a lamp in the downstairs living room and the can lights in the kitchen, but other than that, the house was still and shadowy.

"Landry!" Paisley cried again, scrambling for the stairs with Jonas and Trevor right behind her. She threw open the door of her sister's room with her pulse hammering. It was empty, but the outfit she'd had on earlier was tossed on the bed, which meant she'd been there.

Knowing Landry, she'd gone for a run around the pond. It was late and dark, but that hadn't stopped her the other night. Paisley turned to leave and saw Trevor throwing open other doors, calling for Landry and Nikki.

She heard Nikki's voice, groggy and startled. Paisley raced down the hall just as Nikki sat up in bed wearing nothing but a camisole and underwear. There was a glazed expression on her face that she often had when fighting her migraines.

"Have you seen Landry?" Trevor demanded.

Nikki shook her head, wincing.

They all ran down the stairs, searching the other rooms.

Later, Paisley would doubt what had sent her out the back door. It was as if she heard Landry calling her but from far away, like through a crowd that was loud and clamoring.

She flipped on the porch lights, stepped out onto the wooden slats, and rushed to the edge, searching the darkness. There. Down by the pond, a soft light like a phone glowed. Thank God.

"Landry!" Paisley called in relief.

She flew down the stairs and out toward the water. As Paisley drew closer, fear started to drift back in. The phone was on the ground, and a dark mound lay beside it.

"Landry…" Paisley called softly this time as her skin broke out in goosebumps, even though the night was hot and humid.

"Lan," Paisley called.

She was near enough now to know it was actually Landry on the ground. The bright-yellow sneakers she'd had made to match the Golden Butterfly daisy the world associated with her were glowing in the darkness. But Landry wasn't moving. She just lay there.

Paisley's vision blurred, ice filled her veins, and she had to force herself past it in order reach down and touch Landry's shoulder. "Lan…"

Her sister sagged, and that's when Paisley saw it. The blood. The gaping wound at Landry's neck. The unfocused, staring eyes. She screamed. She screamed Landry's name. She screamed at the horror. She screamed and screamed and screamed.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she fought against them before Jonas's deep voice spoke near her ear, "I got you, Paise. I got you."

Trevor appeared, stepping around them and grabbing Landry's wrist, checking for a pulse before blocking Paisley's view of her sister. But even with Trevor's muscled torso in front of her, all she could see was Landry's face and the dark, gruesome cut on her neck.

Paisley's voice was hoarse. Was she still screaming? The screams turned into violent sobs as she pushed her face into Jonas's chest.

"God, Paise. Jesus… Trevor, what the hell?" Jonas's voice broke with raw emotions.

Trevor put his arms around them both, hugging them tightly as if he could somehow take away what they'd seen. Make it better. Fix it. Fix her sister.

She dragged herself away from them both, somehow fighting off their muscled arms. She fell to the ground, hands pushed to her stomach as she knelt at her sister's side. "Landry… Don't leave, Landry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you. I love you! Do you hear me? God. Please don't die."