CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
( TIME'S UP )

     CARMEN FROWNS AT Zach. That night, the boy had insisted on doing everything for her while she lay in bed. And this was all because she had tripped over Corbyn's shoe, and fell on her broken arm. Her cries of pain were enough to make Zach flip out on the boy.

Carmen had attempted to assure him she was fine, but he wouldn't listen. After making sure she was fine, he left their bedroom to scold Corbyn again. But of course, Carmen decided she was going to intervene, and followed him into the kitchen.

"It's not his fault," Carmen says to Zach. "I just tripped over his shoe."

"It's fine," Corbyn assures her, relaxing on a bar stool. "I left it laying."

"See?" Zach says. "He's taking it because he knows I'm right. And you should, too. How's your arm."

"I'm fine," She sighs, taking the stool next to Corbyn. "I've already told you two times."

"I just wanted to make sure you-"

"Ask me again, and you'll be sleeping on the couch," Carmen smirks, grabbing an apple from the island. "That's a promise."

"Or really?" Zach raises an eyebrow, seemingly not fazed by her authority. "Challenged accepted."

"Zach, I don't think you-"

"Are you okay?" Zach asks Carmen, cutting Corbyn off.

"That's it." Carmen states, standing from the stool, and placing her apple back on the island. "You're on the couch."

"Oh, do I hear drama?" Daniel asks, following Carmen up to her room. "What's the latest scandal?"

"Zach is sleeping on the couch tonight," Carmen says plainly, pulling two pillows from the bed, and handing them to Daniel. She then proceeds to grab a sheet, and met her way to the living room.

"Oh, you can't be serious," Zach groans as Carmen begins to fix a bed on the couch with Daniel's help. "I was worried, Carmen. You can't put me on the couch for that."

"I can, and I will." Carmen says, stepping back as she glances at him. "Well, I hope you enjoy sleeping down here tonight. I'm gonna get some sleep, I'm exhausted."

"No," Zach pouts, grabbing the girl's uninjured arm. "Please don't leave me down here with these idiots."

"It's only for tonight, Zach. This will teach you to not be so overprotective."

"But I wasn't-"

"You kinda were," Daniel points out, cutting him off. "You have to admit. You worry way too much. She's a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"See? Daniel gets it," Carmen crosses her arms over her chest. "Now stop arguing, I need to get some sleep."

"Can I at least get a kiss?" Zach questions, smiling innocently.

"Nope," Carmen chimes, placing a chaste kiss on Daniel and Corbyn's cheeks. "Night, boys."

"What the heck?" Zach throws his hands in the air. "What about me?"

"Nope," Carmen chuckles, making her way up the stairs and into their room, before settling into the bed by herself.

---

Carmen stares at the ceiling hours later, sleep deprived by her thoughts. One of which happened to include the absence of Zach- something that usually brought on her nightmares.

And another that included the text message that she had received from Jackson earlier on in the week.

One that she got three days ago.

And since then, she hadn't had any sort of contact from the boy. And if she was honest with herself, she was completely terrified. Especially by the fact that she hadn't bothered to tell anyone.

She was the only one that knew, and she hoped it would stay that way. Carmen still had fear, though. Fear that he would stay true to his text message. And that definitely wasn't something she could sleep through.

And so she stayed up, listening to the crickets chirp outside the window next to her, and watching the stars twinkle in the night sky. As the bed was empty, she felt the same. The darkness mocked her, and so did the bright shining moon.

Hearing a door open from downstairs, the girl sat up immediately. Her breaths grew deeper, and she ached to move from her position.

Moments passed before the girl realized that she was overthinking everything. There were six other teens in the house- of course the door opening could've been any one of them. Any door would've made that sound. Maybe someone was using the bathroom.

Despite being on edge, Carmen lays back down, letting out a relieved sigh. She closes her eyes, relaxing into the memory foam mattress.

But her eyes were opened once again by the sound of footsteps that echoed down the hall outside of the bedroom. Jumping from the bed, she scrambles for a place to hide- one that happened to be underneath the bed.

Holding back her scared screams, she watches the door as the footsteps stop just outside the bedroom. Covering her mouth as the door opens, she breathes heavily.

She doesn't dare rethink her decision of hiding, as the intruder had boots on. Why would Zach- or any of the others- have boots on this late at night?

The only situation that could possibly include boots was Jackson coming for her, like his text reflected three days ago.

And now she wished that she had told someone of the text.

The footsteps continue through the room, the boots clicking like the familiar ones she had remembered from Oregon. But how had Jackson gotten into the house? All of the doors were securely locked, and the windows, too.

And how hadn't anyone else heard the footsteps?

Carmen begins to panic more thoroughly as the footsteps stop right next to the bed. She covers her mouth even more tightly as the figure bends down, before yanking her out by the foot.

"Let me go!" She yells, but is unsuccessful as her captor covers her mouth with a white cloth.

She thrashes around in his arms, but stops as Jackson tightens his grip on her broken ribs. Carmen cries out in pain, of which is drowned out by the cloth. Her unshed tears begin to fall as he forcefully shoves her from the room, and down the stairs.

Once reaching the front door, Carmen protests against his grip, and screams as loudly as she could for Zach. Staring into the living room, where he sleeps soundly on the couch, she cries out again.

The only response she got was from Jackson as he pushes her out the door, and onto the patio outside. The impact of the tile against her head was enough to dizzy Carmen, before she was lifted into the arms of Jackson.

"Time's up, Carmen."

That's where she finally got a look of his twisted expression, one a complete psycho would wear as they killed someone.

And then she closed her eyes, hoping that wasn't something he planned for her.

_____