Suffocated

Crossroads
Chapter 10
"Boo!" I heard a familiar voice say from my bedroom doorway.
"My, my. You look quite handsome today." I grinned as Zacky strutted in. He was wearing a red, black, & white plaid button up shirt, a pair of dark jeans, red & black Converse, & a black beanie.
"What do you want to do today?"
"I just woke up. I haven't even thought about breakfast yet."
"Already got ya covered." he smiled, holding up a bag of McDonalds in one hand & a chocolate chip mocha iced coffee in the other.
"You are incredible." I smiled back, excitedly. We started eating breakfast & Johnny walked in.
"What'd you bring me, fucker?"
"Eat up." Zack said, tossing him a sandwich.
"I was just kidding, but thanks." Johnny laughed, catching it with one hand.
"I wouldn't forget about you, buddy."
"So what shall we do today?" I asked them.
"Well, I have to go to the police later to take care of that bullshit." Zacky replied.
"I propose we gather everyone & go to the old spot. Get some alcohol, cigarettes, & have a fucking adventure." Johnny piped up.
"You won't be getting the 40's this time, though." Zack laughed, sipping his coffee.
"Why?" I asked, confused.
"We went to the liquor store a few months ago. Johnny went in while we waited in Matt's SUV. Fucker dropped all 5 of them bitches."
"What the fuck, Johnny?"
"Shut up." Johnny blushed.
"Needless to say, Brian went in & bought us the alcohol. Jimmy went in & helped him carry the bottles, though."
"Come on Let's get this show on the road." Johnny said, scarfing down the last few bites of his breakfast. A few hours later, we were all gathered together at the old spot in the park. We were all sitting around on the ground, popping open our 40's as Johnny lit up a cigarette.
"You have the best cigarettes known to man & you didn't even bother telling me? What the fuck, dude?" Brian said, playfully punching his arm.
"Sorry, bro. Here."
"I kind of need a lighter."
"Oh. Ha ha. Yeah."
"Wow, Johnny." I laughed.
"Hey, fuck you." he chuckled, taking a drag off his cigarette.
"Remember when we used to play James Bond out here?" Matt said, taking a couple chugs from his bottle.
"Johnny would always end up getting shot or something. Jimmy was a good shot." Brian laughed.
"Ah good times, good times." Valary sighed, taking a drink from her bottle she was sharing with Michelle.
"So how are you doing?" Michelle asked me.
"I'm good. Better now with a big drink in my hand." I laughed, looking over at Zack. He winked at me, so I walked over & sat beside him on the ground. His bottle was already halfway gone. I wasn't too far behind.
"What up?" he waved, putting his arm around me.
"Not much. Enjoying a big bottle with some good friends & a bad ass boyfriend." I grinned, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"I would have said the same thing but switch the boyfriend with girlfriend."
"Right." I giggled.
"Look at those two lovebirds over there." Brian said in a loud, obnoxious voice.
"You're just jealous." Zacky slurred.
"Of what?" Brian said, confused.
"Because everyone knows I'm more bad ass."
"Right. Keep on dreaming, dude." Brian laughed.
"Wait, what makes Zacky more bad ass than Brian?" Matt asked.
"Uh, I don't know. I just am." Zacky laughed, almost falling over on his side.
"He is definitely drunk." I said with a small laugh, helping him to balance himself again.
"You are very correct my lady." he laughed, clapping his hands as he started rolling around in the grass.
"What. The. Fuck." Johnny grinned before he chugged his bottle a few times.
"I think it's time." Matt said, standing up.
"For what?" I asked, confused.
"Ready guys?" he asked everyone.
"Let's do this." Brian smiled, standing up with everyone else.
"Not it." Matt said first which seemed to set off a chain reaction of everyone else following suit. Zack didn't make it in time.
"Zack's it. Move!" Brian yelled as everyone scattered.
"Shit." Zack whispered, looking around.
"Sorry, babe." I laughed as I ran off into the park around us. I hid behind a tree just waiting for Zack to pass by. I heard screams of people being found in the distance. Then I heard rustling in the nearby bushes.
"Is that you Taylor?"
"Johnny?" I said, curiously.
"Yeah. Good spot to hide out, huh? Being this short doesn't suck so bad sometimes." he laughed, quietly. We played a few more rounds, but this time I had decided to hide behind a group of trees. It provided the perfect coverage. Brian was it this time. I still hadn't been caught along with Michelle, Valary, & Matt. Jimmy almost got away, but Zack had finally caught him, but just barely. I was waiting for a minute or two before I could hear leaves rustling nearby. Thinking nothing of it, I just stayed hidden.
"Okay. Michelle got caught. We're done. Come on out everyone." Brian shouted. I started to walk towards the clearing where everyone else was until someone came up from behind me. I don't remember anything after that. When I woke back up, I was in a very dimly lit room tied to a chair with a raging headache.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" I heard an eerily familiar voice say from the darkness. I didn't even have the corage to speak.
"What should we do now?" a mans voice said from nearby.
"What do you want, Gina?" I said, scared & annoyed.
"You out of the picture." she laughed.
"You do realize that if anyone finds me, you are so dead, right? Zack will flip the fuck out when he realizes what's going on."
"Oh, honey, he won't find out. No one will save you. We are out in literally the middle of nowhere." she giggled.
"Oh, fuck," I thought. "I might just die here."
"Just leave her here for a while longer. She needs to suffer a little more." & After that, everything went dark.
~Zacky's P.O.V.~
"Johnny, have you seen Taylor? I can't find her anywhere." I said, running over to him.
"No, I haven't. Brian told everyone to come on out & that we were all done."
"I'm sure she's around here somewhere."
"Hey, where's Taylor?" Matt asked us, the others following close behind.
"Shit. Johnny, something's wrong." I said, turning around & starting to panic.
"Hey, chill. We'll find her. It'll be okay." Brian reassured him. But an hour later & we still hadn't found her.
"I'm going to the police. This isn't good. She's not here." I said, rushing to my car.
"Zack, wait up. I'll come with you. She is my sister after all." Johnny said, chasing after me. We got into my car & I sped over to the police station, explaining to them what had happened. After some questions & some panic, they told me that they'd send a search team to go out looking for her the following day.
"I cannot believe this. I have a feeling Gina did something to her." I said, tears streaming down my face.
"Hey, man. Come on now. We'll find her. She'll be fine." Johnny reassured me.
"How do you know?" I asked him.
"I don't. You just need some faith. Believe me, if she has even a scratch on her when she's found, Gina is toast."
"That's the biggest understatement of the year." I chuckled, wiping away my tears. I drove back to my house with Johnny, no Taylor. We went to Johnny's, still no Taylor. We even went over to the group's houses & she wasn't over there, either. Finally, when we arrived at Matt's, it was the last stop, I lost it. I fell to my knees on his porch & cried.
"Go get me a box of tissues, Matt." Val said, running out to help me to the swing on the porch.
"Got it." he nodded, running back inside.
"What am I going to do? I was supposed to protect her. She's not safe now. She could be dead. What have I done?" I sobbed.
"Don't say that. It's not your fault. You couldn't have avoided this. Gina will get hers." Val said, hugging me close.
"I just hope she's still alive wherever she is." I whispered, sadly. We sat on Matt's porch & I sat there crying until I couldn't cry anymore.
"I'm going out to look for her." I said, standing up.
"Zack, it's 3 a.m. You can't go out there now." Matt said, stopping me.
"I don't give a fuck. I need to find her now. She could be dead. What if it was Valary? Would you stop?"
"Okay, I see your point. Fine, but we're coming, too. You take your car. We'll take ours."
"I'll cover an area & you guys can cover another area."
"We'll help, too." I heard Brian say from behind me. I turned around to see Brian, Michelle, & Jimmy standing there.
"Thanks, guys." I struggled to grin. We mapped out ours paths & set out looking for her. I wasn't going to sleep until she was found. I drove around town, looking everywhere I could. No sign of her. We all tried to keep in contact with each other using our phones & no one else had seen her, either. About 2 hours later, still no one had seen Taylor. It was almost as if she just vanished.
"We all need to go home, get some rest, & pick back up the trail tomorrow." Matt finally called me.
"I guess. The police will start their search tomorrow, too so that'll help." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.
"I'm sorry, man. We'll find her. Just stay strong." Brian assured me, giving me a hug.
"I'll try. I guess I'll go home now." I sighed, walking to my car. The drive home seemed like it took an eternity. But once I arrived, my blood started boiling. My house was a wreck. There was trash all over the floor, my furniture had been moved, my clothes were scattered everywhere. It looked like a tornado had gone through my home. I crept through the house from room to room to see if maybe they had left or if they were still here, but there was no one. There was a note on the table, though.
"If you ever want to see your precious little whore of a girlfriend, you'll meet me on Cherry Beach Road tomorrow at 10 p.m. Come alone. If you bring others, she'll die. If you alert the cops, she'll die."
"Oh my god." I whispered as it sunk in. I sat down on my couch & tried to think about what I was going to do. Not sure how long I sat there for, but I woke up in the same spot the next morning. Opening my eyes, I noticed my house was still a total wreck. I also re read the note from the night before. This wasn't a dream. This was actually happening to me. I had to figure out what to do before something even more terrible happened.
~Taylor's P.O.V.~
I'm not sure how long I'd been sitting in that chair, but I had been trying to get out of the rope my hands were tied in. It was practically impossible, however, because the knot was tied so well. I needed to get out fast. I just wasn't sure how I was going to do it. Then I heard a door open & footsteps coming downstairs. A light was switched on. I looked up to see a tall man with dark slicked back hair. He walked behind me & untied my hands, but still kept them bound together. He then led me upstairs & tied me to another chair. There, I sat in front of Gina. I was so exhausted, I could barely keep my eyes open.
"Look at me." she snapped. I looked right at her.
"They'll never find you here. You'll probably die here. I haven't decided yet." she laughed.
"He'll come looking for me. So will the others. They'll find me. When they do, you're going to be so dead."
"See, that's where you're wrong. Zack will not look for you forever. After some time, he'll forget about you. That's where I come in. By that time, I'm sure you'll be dead. I may just leave you here to rot."
"You are such an evil bitch."
"Oh, honey, you have not a clue. Before you came along, I was 'it' for Zacky. He was all mine. We were so happy together. Then you came back & everything just fell apart. You were all he would talk about. Not anymore. It's all about me now."
"He'll never truly love you." I said.
"Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, he'll be mine & I'll be happy. That's all I care about. I don't care if you're happy or he's happy."
"You do realize it's not going to be worth shit if he's not happy when you two get together, right?"
"He'll learn to get over it. I'll make him happy somehow. You'll be just a faded memory by the time I'm done with him."
"You'll never make him feel the way I do. I was his first love. I am his only love." Then she punch me in my jaw. I could taste blood & it only added to the pain I was feeling. I was already sore all over my body from sitting for so long.
"This is the part where I get to have lots of fun." she grinned. For the next few hours, she abused me by punching & kicking me everywhere. I had never felt so much pain before. I was bleeding terribly & I felt like dying right then & there.
"I'm crashing. Stand guard." she motioned the man over to me. He sat on the couch & just stared at me with his arms crossed.
~Zacky's P.O.V.~
It was finally time to go meet up with my mystery person. I almost knew it was Gina, but I was really hoping it wasn't. She was the last person I wanted to deal with. The drive was a little ways away, but for Taylor, I didn't care. I didn't want to lose her again. After about an hour & a half of driving, I made it. I got out of the car & started walking towards the car ahead of me. I saw Gina get out of the car & I tried my best to hold it together.
"Hey, babe." she strutted over to me.
"Where is she?" I growled.
"Around."
"I want to see her. Now."
"That's not gonna happen. Not right now anyway."
"What do you want?" I asked her, trying to keep calm.
"I want us to be together again."
"Besides that because that's never going to happen again."
"Well, I guess you don't really want her to live then, do you?" she smirked.
"What the fuck, Gina? Just fuck off & leave us alone. I'm sick & tired of you fucking shit up. It started out small. I let it go. Whatever. But this is fucking psycho. You are an evil sadistic bitch."
"Oh, you're too kind, baby." she smiled, walking towards me.
"We're not getting together. Ever. Again." I said, angrily.
"Okay then. Tell Taylor bye bye."
"No! Wait."
"Yes?"
"If we get together again, she lives? You won't touch her?"
"Yep. You and her break up, you & I get together. She lives."
"Fine. Fine." I said, throwing my hands in the air.
"Aw, I knew you'd come around. Now, we can be happy again."
"Where is she?"
"You'll see her in a few days. I'm not letting her go just yet."
"But we're together now. What do you want?"
"Just go home, relax, & I'll be there soon. Don't you worry." she winked at me before she walked back to her car.
"Oh my god." I sighed. On the drive home, I called Matt.
"Matt, I need you to do me a huge favor. I think I know where Gina is keeping Taylor. Or at least the general vicinity."
"Where?" he asked me, surprised.
"Cherry Beach Road. Somewhere out there or close by."
"What happened, Zack?"
"She wants me to break up with Taylor to be with her. If I don't, she'll kill Taylor. If it keeps Taylor alive, fine."
"Oh, shit. Whoa, dude."
"Yeah, you're telling me. Anyway, I need you to round up the guys & go get her. Gina won't release her until here in a few days. Gina will be here at my house soon so that'll be a perfect time."
"Roger that. Over & out."
"Thanks, Matt."
"Anytime, man. You're like a brother to me. We'll do what we can." About an hour later, Gina was at my doorstep with a bottle of wine. I hurriedly texted Matt & the guys giving them the green light before opening the door.
~Taylor's P.O.V.~
I woke up to gunshots outside the house while I was still tied to the chair. The tall man guarding me stood up & walked to the window. Looking outside, his eyes grew big. Then he looked pissed off & grabbed his shotgun, walking to the door. He shot a few rounds outside, peeking around the corner of the inside. He started reloading his gun & was getting ready to shoot again when he was punched in the face with the butt stock of a gun.
"Brian!" I smiled, excitedly.
"Hey, sweetheart. Oh my god. Are you okay?" he asked me, running over to me.
"For the most part, I guess. She fucked me up pretty good." I said as we both heard a few more gun shots outside.
"Can you walk?"
"Not really. My legs are really weak." I said, almost falling as he caught me.
"Come here. I'll carry you. Hold on, Taylor." he whispered, picking me up bridal style. He walked over to the door & peeked out front, checking to see if the coast was clear. Matt nodded. Brian carried me outside & all I saw were dead bodies all over the front yard. There must have been at least ten to fifteen guys.
"Brian, duck!" Johnny shouted as Jimmy pointed his M1911 at a man standing in the front doorway. Jimmy shot him twice. Once in the stomach while the other bullet grazed his jugular. It was close enough to make him bleed out & die, though.
"Taylor, oh my god." Johnny cried.
"Hey, little brother." I whispered.
"Let's go, guys. Let's get her out of here." Matt said as Brian put me in the passenger seat of his car & buckled me in. Shortly after, we left for home. I fell asleep on the ride. When I woke up again, I was in a hospital bed & everyone was standing around me. Well, except for Zacky.
"Where am I?" I panicked, sitting up.
"Hey, relax. You're safe. You're in a hospital." Jimmy told me, taking my hand.
"Where's Zacky?" I asked them. Everyone grew quiet.
"Taylor, I don't know how to tell you this. I don't even know if I should." Matt spoke up.
"Is he dead?"
"No. He technically saved your life."
"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused.
"He's with Gina now. They're a couple. She said if he wouldn't be with her, she'd kill you." I had totally forgotten about it. Time just seemed to freeze.
"I'm sorry." Matt whispered as he hugged me.
"Taylor! Thank god you're okay." I heard Zacky's voice say from the doorway. My heart skipped a beat just hearing his voice.
"Yeah, I'm doing okay for the most part." I said, tears streaming down my face.
"I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what to say. I love you, Taylor. I should've done more to protect you. I should've gotten rid of Gina a long time ago. I'm sorry." he said, running towards me & holding me close.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter now. You two are together. Her & I had our conversation about it. She knows you'll never be happy with her, but she thinks you'll forget about me. She probably doesn't even know I'm alive, right?"
"What makes you think that?" Zack asked me, confused.
"She was going to leave me there to rot. She was never going to let me live."
"That lying slut." Zack gritted his teeth.
"We went in there guns blazing. Brian saved her while we all shot everyone in the front yard to shit." Jimmy laughed.
"Where is Gina anyway?" Johnny asked Zacky.
"She went to go pick up some things from her house. I need to get back there before she does. She'll figure it out soon. We need to figure something out fast before she does something like this again." he sighed.
"We'll figure something out. Go ahead home." Brian said, patting his shoulder.
"Okay. Bye, guys. I love you, Taylor. Don't you ever forget that." he said as he kissed me one last time before leaving. When he was finally gone, I broke down.
"I'm going to have to leave. This is bull shit. I fucking told you Johnny! It wasn't worth the fucking struggle! Look at what that bitch did to me!" I said, angrily wiping away my tears.
"You can just stay with me. You'll be safe there." Johnny said.
"No, Johnny. You don't fucking get it. I have to leave. Leave like before. She'll kill me first chance she gets once she finds out I'm alive."
"What? No! You can't do that!" Valary said, shocked.
"I have no choice. Zacky & I will never be together again. This is horse shit. He was the main reason I even came back in the first place. I missed you all, but Zacky was my one true love. Not anymore. She can fucking have him. I don't even care anymore." I cried, laying back in hospital bed.