Chapitre 62: Chapter 62: A Lesson For The Children
Deandre and Serenity rubbed the cold from their skins. They were almost sure they would have either frozen to death or become pieces of meat from the rotating fan inside the vent. Thankfully, they had found a way out and now stood on the outside of the house. The warm air engulfed them, putting them in a sense of temporary relief.
The two took a deep breath— filtering the frosty air from their lungs. The next step of the plan would bring them into the face of danger. If they failed, then all hope was surely lost.
Serenity wore a worried expression across her face. She wasn't sure if they'd be able to pull off the huge task ahead of them. Zane had entrusted everything to them. It showed he still trusted them and that he had faith that they could complete the task. However, Serenity was losing confidence. They were up against cannibals and a Rank 5 Apocrypha. She didn't see how they could overcome such an obstacle.
Deandre looked at the worried face of Serenity. He needed to encourage her to move forward. Worrying about the situation would only work against them. They just had to do their best with the hope that luck was on their side. Deandre placed his hand on Serenity's shoulder, stealing her attention. He needed to find the correct words to encourage her.
"Serenity... We can do this! Don't worry yourself too much!"
Serenity's expression didn't change. It would take more than just a few optimistic words to bring her back to her normal self. "But what if we can't, Deandre..? Everyone's depending on us, and if we fail then they all die..."
Deandre folded his fists and looked her in the eyes. He didn't want to hear Serenity being so pessimistic. "Being pessimistic should be my job! Serenity, look. You're really smart— much smarter than I am. We'll only fail if you can't get yourself together! You need to be calm to use that brain of yours."
"But I can't force myself to be calm... I know I have to be calm to think straight, but what if I fail Zane..? I-I don't know what I'd do..."
"Serenity! Do you know why Zane was so calm when he gave us this task? He was calm because he had faith we could do this. He was confident because he knew that you were smart enough to get us through!"
Serenity looked up at Deandre. She never expected to ever see him being this optimistic. Not to mention, he was doing it for her sake because he also believed in her. His words were true and genuine. She couldn't betray their hopes. She couldn't allow herself to worry and fail. In a situation like this, it was best to keep her confidence tall and tell herself that everything would be okay.
A warm smile then came across Serenity's lips. She was grateful to have Deandre by her side. He wasn't a perfect person, but he was the perfect person to stand by her side.
"Thanks, Deandre... Your words really encourage me!" she said sweetly.
Deandre scratched the red from his flushed face. He had never had a cute girl praise him with such regard before— especially since it was Serenity.
"Y-Yeah! No problem! A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!" he replied awkwardly.
Serenity chuckled at his awkwardness finding it cute. However, she knew there was no time to flirt. They had to hurry and help the others before it was too late.
"Let's hurry and find the others!"
"Wait! What's the plan?" asked Deandre.
Serenity placed her hand to her chin as she thought. She had already thought of a plan, but she was unsure if it would go as smoothly.
"I want to rescue Brandon since he's in the most danger... However, we can't do that until we get the others. Honestly, I think we should find Anastasia first, then get her to release Layla and Nick from their hypnosis. After that, we can hurry and help Brandon before it's too late."
Deandre agreed. It was the most reasonable course of action. All they had to do was keep themselves hidden as they moved through the house.
Carefully, the two climbed through the broken window, Nick had been smashed through before. Tiny bits of glass crunched slightly underneath their feet as they moved.
The interior of the house was mostly dark, only supported by the flickering flames of candles. This was where the real danger started. Being careful had to be their number one priority.
Slowly, the two crept through the house. They had no clue as to where either Brandon or Anastasia was being kept. Thankfully, if they needed help, then they could simply release Zane and the others first. They had memorized the path to the freezer, which would make their job a lot easier.
Carefully, they crept towards a wooden door. They had no idea what was awaiting them behind the door, but they had to take the risk. Softly, they pushed the door open. They were filled with hope that they would meet upon Anastasia or Brandon. Unfortunately, the room was empty. They had to keep searching.
"This house is really big... It might take us a while to find them," whispered Deandre.
"We've just got to hope that luck is on our side. We can do this before anyone dies!"
Serenity had to be optimistic. She didn't want anyone to die. Anastasia was a good friend and they had promised to take Brandon with them if his parents didn't return. She had to find them, no matter what.
Suddenly, both Deandre and Serenity felt two cold hands wrap around their mouths, pulling them backward. The two let out muffled screams as they thought all hope was lost. They had been caught and failed their task.
"Shh—" suddenly hushed someone from behind.
Serenity and Deandre looked up into the eyes of Layla who stood above them. They couldn't believe she was free... or was she? What if she was an Apocrypha under disguise? But then again, the odds of an Apocrypha getting her blood was slim. Either way, they had to be sure.
"L-Layla?" suddenly called Deandre.
"It's not just her. We're all here," stated Zane, emerging from the darkness.
The two turned their heads in astonishment to see everyone else present. The only person that was missing was Brandon.
"What? How did you guys escape??" squealed Serenity.
"I escaped and got everyone else out of the freezer," explained Anastasia.
"B-But you were captured too! How would you escape??"
Anastasia sighed as she scratched her head, "Well, all Hades did was capture me in hypnosis and lock me in a room. I managed to escape the hypnosis once I overcame my fear, and that's the reason we're all standing here."
"I didn't even know hypnosis worked on other Apocrypha..." muttered Deandre.
"Well, now you do."
Zane then clapped his hands grabbing everyone's attention. They had to take their chance and escape. The details could come later.
"We need to get out of here before the Simpsons and Hades realize we've escaped. This is not the place that I planned to die."
"For real, man! I wouldn't mind some good sunlight. I ain't gone make no man freeze my meat, yo!" exclaimed Lamar.
"Well, let's not waste any more time. If we have to use the backup supply from the Apocrabile to get out of here, then that we'll have to do," added Nick.
The group then got themselves ready to rush through the front door. However, Serenity and Deandre were reluctant to leave without Brandon. He was now their friend and he had lost his parents. Leaving him to die was just too cruel.
"Wait! Zane, what about Brandon?" Inquired Serenity.
"Yeah! Since we're here, we should hurry and get him!" added Deandre.
The rest of the group went silent. Zane was the only one who dared to look them in the eye. A nonchalant expression was cast over his face as the next words left his lips;
"He's already dead."
Horror slapped the faces of Serenity and Deandre. They refused to believe such words. Zane had to be making it up so they could save themselves, right?
"You're lying! You're just saying that so we can leave!" screamed Serenity.
"Deandre... Serenity... We have to go now. We can't afford to stick around any longer." persuaded Layla.
Deandre ignored Layla's words and looked into the cold eyes of Zane. He wanted the truth. Were they just leaving Brandon behind to save themselves?
"Zane, tell me the truth... Is Brandon really dead..?" asked Deandre in a brittle voice.
Zane gave a bothered sigh as he turned himself around, "Fine. You got me. He's tied up in the kitchen. Hurry and get him and return to us."
Layla looked at Zane in disbelief. She couldn't believe he would make them do something so cruel. "Zane! Why—"
Zane quickly stretched his hand forth silencing Layla. He already knew what she was going to say, and he didn't want her to ruin the moment.
"Deandre, Serenity... Reflect on my words while you help Brandon. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SAVE EVERYONE."
Deandre and Serenity had gotten the confirmation they needed... or the words they had just wanted to hear. They didn't dare waste another second. The two dashed towards the kitchen leaving the rest of the group behind.
Zane watched as the two ran away to try and save their friend. The rest of the group stared at Zane, unable to believe what he had just done. They were sure he had his reasons, but it was just too cruel.
"Zane! Why would you do that, bro??" cursed Nick.
"This is not like you... Usually, you would lie to save someone from the pain, not bury them into it..." added Layla softly.
Zane was silent for a brief moment as he paced towards the exit. In his mind, his actions were justified. "It's best for them to get used to the pain. Besides, I wasn't going to argue with two kids about whether or not their friend was dead. They'll only believe what they want unless they see it with their own eyes."
"Zane, pain isn't something you get used to! It's something that will always linger in one's heart!" reprimanded Anastasia.
"You're right, but it also teaches them how to deal with it. I'm sure they'll meet upon much worse further down the line. If they are affected by one friend they had only known for less than a day, then they are far from ready for what's to come." Zane paused as his expressionless eyes turned back towards the others. "This is my way of teaching them how to cope with pain."
"Still, yo! Isn't this just a little too cruel, man..? There must have been another way... They're just kids..." complained Lamar.
Before Zane could respond, a voice shouted through the house in rage;
"They've escaped!!!" screamed Mrs. Simpson.
Zane drifted his eyes back over to the kitchen. He needed Serenity and Deandre to hurry back to them. The Simpsons and Hades would soon be coming after them.
*****
Serenity and Deandre stood in the kitchen with a look of dismay over their faces. They should have just listened to Zane when he said 'He's already dead'. Just thinking Brandon was dead, was better than seeing his body in such a horrid condition. His head was severed, swimming in a pool of boiling water. His intestines, eyes, toes, and fingers were all being cooked in another pot that seemed to be soup. The rest of his body was hung up on the wall like a souvenir, dripping with blood that was being collected in a small bucket.
The horrific scene almost made Serenity faint. Deandre was also on the verge of heaving his stomach out. Brandon was dead, and they had learned a cruel lesson. Zane's words were echoing through their heads like a shriek to a tunnel;
"YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SAVE EVERYONE."
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone