Chapter 500

Darrien
It comes as a hit.
The feeling of his presence.
I didn’t even think it would happen so quickly. I am on my way to him, in a plane. It is an hour flight but the time seems to be moving at a snail’s pace. My hands are shaking because I am nervous, I have been nervous all day. Making the preparations to go to him. I know where he is now and that has been a comfort but at the same time, I am scared to go there and fail.
I am scared to fail him because I am the one that put him in this mess in the first place. I am the reason why he was taken in the first place and I need to fix it but I don’t know if I am strong enough. I tried to kill Lenny once, I don’t know if I will succeed this time.
I close my eyes as his scent, flashes in my mind. It has been days since I held him in my arms, like for real and now, that is all I want to do. I want to hold him, I want to kiss him, and I never want to let him go.
I open my eyes and I see the flight attendant as she walks over to me “Almost there,’’ she smiles warmly.
This is a private jet, I needed the fastest way to get to him. I nod even though I know how long it will take. She walks away from me and I watch her as she takes a seat at the back. My eyes stay on the door of the cockpit as I take deep breaths. I don’t have a plan.
I don’t know what I am going to do when I get there.
This is me just winging it and maybe it was a bad decision to come alone but I don’t want to drag anyone else into my mess. I don’t want to take Beau or Alanis. They have to protect themselves and will be selfish of me to drag them to this fight.
After an hour, the plane lands at the airport and I know what is left. The boat ride to him.
I get off the plane and the air is cold.
I see the water to the left of the airport, the boat is already waiting for me. The last time I took Jabi to an island, he was terrified. I just know that this experience would make him hate the ocean. The beach was once his favorite place to me and now, I don’t think he would ever want to set foot on one again. I wave at the boat, the captain wave’s back and I start towards him. The pavement is cold as I walk towards him.
I get there up on the boat and he smiles at me faintly.
“Hello sir, I got the directions on the map and I know you are in a hurry. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. I hope you don’t mind the boat. It is an old boat but it is the best we have for a quick getaway.” He replies.
“Of course,’’ I tell him because this is not what is important to me.
Getting to the island, finding Jabi is all that matters and as long as this boat gets me where I need to go, then I will be fine.
I get into the boat and I hear him as he starts it up.
It is cold on the boat. The sounds of the sea and the wind fill my ears and the smell of the ocean fills my lungs. I close my eyes as I wait for this to be over. As I wait for the boat to stop and to see the view of the island. I open my eyes and I see it from a distance, the grey clouds above me and the waters so clear below. I am at peace with the view. I can already see the house and it is a lot closer than I thought. I look at the house and it is exactly like I saw it.
He is inside these walls and I can feel him. It is so strong. I move forward and then I am on the shore. Slowly, I turn to the driver “I will be back,’’ I tell him. I look at the island and I can tell that the water is clear and I walk towards the house. I walk up to the front door with zero expectations.
I don’t know what I am walking into, I don’t know what to expect. I reach the door and I put my hand on the doorknob. I push it open and I step inside.
I walk inside and even though I don’t actually know where I am going, I walk up the stairs. A girl comes out of a room and furrows her brows in confusion. She doesn’t even look threatening.
“Who are you?’’ she asks me quietly.
“Where is Jabi?’’
She furrows her brows “The boy in the room?’’ she manages in question. I nod immediately and she points to a door at the far end of the room. I move away from her because somehow, I feel like something has happened and even though I don’t know what it is, I am terrified. I stop in front of the door and my hand lingers on the knob. My heart is racing because instantly, I smell the blood.
So much blood.
I hesitate for a split second and then I open the door. I step inside and there is blood everywhere. It is like someone painted the walls with blood. I don’t even know what I am looking at, this is a blood bath.
My eyes shift to a corner in the room and I see him crouched on the floor. He is covered in blood, it looks like he is crying but I am confused.
Did he do this?
“Jabi,’’ I call his name slowly.
He looks up and our eyes meet, they are a bright blue. They open wide in shock but he doesn’t hesitate to stand up and run into my arms.
I hold him because he is okay.
Because the blood is not his.