Seeking Deeply The End

I couldn’t make out whether it was Ethan or Luke with Keller. Who ever it was was on top of him now.

I raced down towards them. Keller raised his fist and punched. It was Luke. The punch gave Keller enough time to shout to me.

“Get Robin, now!”

I stood on the stairs. My head was trying to process the sight in front of me. What Keller was saying and why we were here. I couldn’t think, my body wouldn’t move. My head was just confused.

It was like seeing a car about to hit you and run you over, but being unable to process the thought that would make you run.

“Run Vanessa!” shouted Keller. “Go and get Robin.”

Someone screamed from upstairs and it was enough to wake me up. I spun round. It was defiantly female, but I knew it wasn’t Robin.

I glanced back down at Keller and Luke. I had to choose. Robin or Keller? I swallowed and left Keller.

Angry tears were running down my face. Keller wouldn’t want me to go back for him. I had to save Robin. If I couldn’t save anyone else then so be it.

I rounded the corner at the top of the stairs. The landing went into T shape. A figure sat tied to a chair by the upstairs phone, its cord lay across his knees. He had a sack over his head, but I could tell it was Mark. He looked at me with terrified eyes as I lifted the sack.

His wrists were raw and bleeding, he tried moving his uninjured hand after I had untied it as if he was trying to get the feeling back into it.

“Can you stand?” I whispered after I had untied his legs. Someone had strapped his leg up where they had shot him earlier, his jeans stained with blood.

“I think so.”

“Do you know where they are keeping Robin?”

He shook his head and his eyes threatened tears. “Is Keller here?”

I stopped and bit my lower lip. “Yes.” I said.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Your grandparents are here, they are in this bedroom next to me.” He said changing the subject.

I opened the door to the room that Mark had pointed too. The room was dark and I had to let my eyes adjust. The darkness seemed thick; I could feel there was someone in there without having to see them. Their presence pressed heavily against my skin.

I had to put the gun into my left hand so I could reach round for the light switch. I couldn’t take the chance that Ethan was in here too.

“Vanessa?” said a voice as I turned on the light.

“Vanessa is that you?” The voice was husky, scratchy almost as if who ever it was, was deeply out of breath.

I had to take a step in a little further just to see.

“Grandpa?”

I rushed over to him. He sat leant against the side of the double bed.

My gaze fell down to my grandmother. She was laid between his legs. Her back and head resting against his chest. He had his arms around her, covering her, but I could see the blood soaking through her top.

I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a thick dark red pool that had collected just under my grandfathers legs. I bit back the tears not wanting to cry in front of my grandfather, but inside I was breaking. She was dead and I felt like I had lost a mother not my grandmother.

I looked at my grandfathers’ face and hoped he didn’t see my watery eyes. Did he know she was gone? He didn’t appear too.

“Grandpa? I’m going to get you out of here ok?”

He shook his head and ran his hand through my grandmothers hair adding reds streaks to it from where his hand had been resting on her chest.

“Grandpa you have to.” I said.

He opened his mouth to talk but his voice was raspy. I could hear his chest rattling as he took a breath. His voice was almost to faint to hear.

“Leave me here Vanessa. You get Robin.”

“I can get you out.”

“No.” he said shaking his head. “I’ve lived my life. You help that little girl. My place is with Mia. I don’t work without her.”

I knelt down next to him and reached for his other hand.

“Please Grandpa.” I said crying. “I can’t leave you here.”

“Vanessa, you would have made your parents so proud, just as you have me.” He said. “But this is my time and my place, here with Mia.”

He reached his hand up and ran it gently along my cheek. “We’ll always be with you Vanessa.”

I just watched my grandfather for a moment. Even in death, his last thoughts were for those he loved and not for those who had killed him.

The thought made me smile sadly. I lent over and placed a final kiss on his cheek and my tears fell onto his face.

“Goodbye Grandpa.”

Mark was stood behind me, leaning on the foot of the bed for support. I turned and faced him. His eyes were so full of sadness and pain. I stepped slowly towards him. Would he push me away even now over Keller?

Watching my grandfather die while he still clung to my grandmother just showed that love; true love can survive anything, even death.

It was time for me to admit that Mark was mine. This was why my father had died. For love. I understood that now.

I stood in front of Mark and looked at him. Really looked at him. I was going to fight for my daughter and then I would fight for him. They were the two most important things in my life and I wasn’t going to let anything happen to either of them.