What had felt like an endless search through out the forest, minutes ago, now didn't matter as he reached his destination.

Max had finally found the hide out, where they were possibly keeping Kate. Deep down in his heart, he believed that she was still alive.

He held onto that strongly.

From where he was hiding, he watched carefully as Dr Brown dragged a body along with him. He couldn't tell who it might be, but his appearance convinced Max that he was close to saving his friend.

Like a predator he crept up on an occupied Dr Brown, pulling out his knife from one of his pockets. He fixed his grip on the knife, the closer he got.

The moment he was close enough, he launched forward and stabbed the doctor from behind.

The doctor fell with a groan, the impact proving to be powerful. The doctor had no time to react when Max pulled out the knife and struck him again, but on a different part of the body.

He shoved the fact that the man who lay before him was Kate's father. To him, the doctor got what he deserved.

He felt greedy to strike the Doctor once again, but when he saw the body that he'd seen being dragged, he dismissed the thought.

He rushed over to the person whom he now recognised and felt for a pulse. It was faint but still there.

This relieved him greatly.

" You're holding on, good." He said.

She fought hard to not only keep awake, but to not fall victim to the effects of the drug in her system. She could feel him watching her as she struggled to keep herself in her right senses. She noticed him draw near until he was kneeling infront of her.

She whimpered, trying to move away from his touch, when his hands began exploring parts of her body.

'Please no.'

As if her prayer was answered, the music suddenly stopped, which diverted his attention.

She felt relieved when he moved away to change the music. For a short while she could breath and not be suffocated by this man.

Unfortunately he returned close to her before she could process anything. She shuddered in disgust as he began planting kisses along her skin, she wanted to die right then and there, when moved up to her neck, trailing dangerously close to her face.

"Say the words Ezra," he murmured close to her ear.

"W-what?" She quietly asked.

"Say the words now!" He repeated through clenched teeth, voice hard and tense, making her flinch.

She squirmed when he took off his hoodie, revealing the thin shirt he wore and his face. When he shot her a look, she swallowed hard.

" Say them or I'll have to give you seconds,"he threatened while twirling the syringe between his fingers, taunting her further.

She sighed, knowing she had no choice but to comply.

"Twinkle twinkle in my eye,
let the sigh of breath be mine,
sign of venom in my blood,
hush away into the -" she stopped mid sentence, when she heard a sound coming from the hallway.

When she glanced down to him, she realised that he had heard it too. He looked distracted and she took advantage of that.

While he looked towards the entry way, she took the opportunity to shove him, causing the syringe to fall out of his hand.

" What are you-aah!" He cried out when she plunged the syringe that she had picked up, straght to his neck.

She then pushed him away from hef before she rose to her feet. Desoite how unsteady her legs felt, she pushed through and made her escape.

It almost discouraged her that instead of being outside, she was busy trying to find an exit in that hallway.

The effects of the drug were taking its toll on her body, many times almost tripping on her feet. Had she not found her balance in time.

She busted out in a sob, when she saw the slightly opened door at the end of the hallway.

This encourages her to push her feet more, as she could feel how close she was to freedom.

" Ha!" She cried out, when she felt a hand grab at her hair.

The action caused her to neck back and almost lose her balance.

" How could you think you of leaving me, huh?!" He said close to her ear, pulling her even closer towards his chest.

" L-let me go!" She tried to struggle but it felt like fighting against a wall.

" You're not going anywhere. You are mine, do you hear me?!" He screamed at her.

She couldn't understand how it happened, but images and thoughts of her friends lives, especially Nick, who were harmed by this man's hands, filled her with rage. The rage fueled her willpower, with all the strength she could gather, she slammed her head against his before she she struck her elbow in his face again. Both stumbled in different directions, due to the drug in the systems.

This time when she missed a step, she landed on the floor. Her body was exhausted and she didn't know how much longer she could hold on for, before her body gave in. She tried to shake her head, fighting to clear the haze that was in her head, almost making everything before seem blurry.

Before she could even attempt to rise to her feet, Shade reached her and made sure to straddle her waste so she would not escape.

" If I can't have you- no one else can!" He reached as he wrapped his hands around her neck, now strangling her.

She scratched and hit his arms but to avail, the man was determined to finish her off. Being drugged certainly didn't help either.

He tightened his hold and in the midst of losing all the fight she had left, he was suddenly shoved off her. She gasped for air as her wide eyes stared at the ceiling.

It only registered that she was now free from the strangle, when cough after cough broke out of her. Rolling to her side, it was then she witnessed a fight. She blinked a couple of times, pulling herself up to a sitting position, when realised that the one before her was Max.

She couldn't understand how he was here, but she felt joy and relief to see him. Max  seemed to have the upper hand from where watched, as he landed punch after punch on Shade.

In a cheap move, Shade made use of what he had and cut Max on the arm, before landing his own punch.

"Kate, get out of here!" She heard Max call out to her, as he tried block the punches laid out for him.

His words reminded her of Nick, which did something to her heart.

Being distracted by Kate gave an opening for Shade, to land a punch on Max's face. Believing this was it, Shade took the opportunity to pull out his machete, with intention to end Max's life.

" Max!" Kate cried out when she saw the blade too, fear gripping her whole body.

While Shade believed he'd been given an opportunity, he wasn't aware that another witness thought the same for themself.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded, echoing around them, putting everything to a standstill. Someone had been shot.

It clicked to her that the one shot was none other than killer, who Max shoved off him when he realised this too. The killer landed with a thud and a groan, the effect of the shot piercing throughout his body.

At the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, Kate trailed her eyes up to see who the shooter was. She gasped when she saw that it was her father.

In Max's eyes, Dr Brown was the same man who had harmed his friend, so to see him with a gun in hand made him tense. So many thoughts rang in his mind, as he tried to come up with a plan to keep Kate safe.

His priority was Kate.

Dr Brown's next move both shocked and confused the two friends, when he threw the gun in Kate's direction.

Kate did not move, but would glance between the gun and her father.

" End this." Dr Brown said, gesturing to the gun.

Kate hesitated for a minute before she took the gun. On unsteady feet she made her way over to Shade.

" Ezra!" He called out but it fell on deaf ears.

All Kate could see was this man harming her friends, but not a wounded man. Without a word she pointed the gun at him before she fired, twice in one place.

She finally ended it.

" Ah!" She let out a gasp, looking down at the gun in her hands.

" My Amileen." Dr Brown said, gaining Kate's attention.

" I'm not Amileen anymore."

He didn't say anything for a moment but stared at her. That darkness that overshadowed him, didn't intimidate her as deeply as before.

She opened and closed her mouth but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. The image of her standing and facing her father, simply didn't measure up to this moment.

She couldn't tell whether he was a threat at this moment or he was her sick father.

She blinked at him, when he took a step forward before dropping to his knees.

" End it." He repeated his earlier words, shocking her.

She shook her head.

"End this misery once and for all."

She shook her head again, "I can't."

"You can."

" I don't want to be a monster." She blurted out the truth, silencing him.

A minute passed with them staring at each other before he spoke again. 

"You never were and you never will. You are far different from me. You are just like her, good." Those words didn't come from a sick man but her father.

The wheels began to turn in her head. The reference to her mother had a sense of nolstagia wash over her.

" Finally end this chapter"

" You will haunt me." She admitted her another fear.

Little Amy's fear.

" I won't. I will leave you alone for good."

A sob tore from her when she heard this.

" I won't hurt you anymore." There was promise in his voice which affected het heart.

" Kate!" Max called out with wide yes, when she raised her hands  towards Dr Brown.

Not being able to watch, she shut her eyes tight.

"End it now Amileen!" Those were the Doctors last words before the trigger was pulled.

She let out a gasp as the gun dropped from her hands. Exhaustion like no other took over, overwhelming her. Meant to drop to the floor, instead she landed in Max's arms.

He had ran over to her the moment she swayed side to side, no longer being able to stand. It relieved him that he was able to catch her in time.

He secured her in his arms and he walked away with her.

He made sure to keep her head hidden, so she wouldn't see the dead before her.

He felt the tension leave his shoulders the moment they stepped out side. He stopped and glanced down at her, expecting to see her asleep. Alas, they eyes met.

" I've never had doubts, never will." She said quietly, he almost missed it.

He smiled down at her.

This was her answer, to what he'd asked before she left for Paradise Island.

" I'm glad to hear that." He said.

" Max?"

" Hmm?"

" We'll be okay this time, right?" She asked, her eyes already fluttering closed.

" I believe so." He responded.

He didn't mind that she didn't hear him, seeing as she looked far gone in sleep. She had gone through too much already.

She proved him wrong, when she said, " I'm glad to hear that."

He chuckled, knowing she was repeating his words.

                    THE END

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