Sebastian tensed as he heard a small scream from inside. Was she alright? Had someone gotten inside of the house with both Annelise and Leighton in there? Oh God, he should have taught Leighton how to use a gun! He prayed Annelise had it under control. To his surprise, she was unlocking the door soon after he'd returned with his Winchester rifle. Pulling it into an offhand position, he hurried into the house and swept his gaze across the room. Where was Leighton? Why wasn't Leighton with Annelise? Questions rushed through his head, causing his head to pound.
"Leighton!" he shouted, turning toward Annelise with a wild expression in his eyes. "Where is she?! Is she okay?"
"I-I looked away for a minute to talk to you!!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes and streaking down her cheeks. "I looked to s-see where he took her and didn't see anything!" The crazed expression seemed to melt from his face, replaced instead by a look of distress.
"...oh God," he whispered, his hands shaking so that he almost dropped his rifle in the hall. For a second, his grip did falter and the loaded gun fell toward the ground with a thump as it hit the hardwood flooring. "Oh God, Leighton..." He shot a glance at Annelise, his brow furrowed in worry, but didn't bother growing angry. In a flash of movement, Seb snatched his gun up and hurried into the yard with it raised in offhand position again.
"Leighton!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the surrounding forest. "Leigh! Leigh, where are you?!" The footsteps in the thin, remaining snow were easy to track. Seb sprinted after them, clutching his rifle tightly in his hands as he lowered it to his hip. The tracks led into town and then, suddenly, the track went cold. Too many footprints cluttered the walkway and, even then, not much snow still laid on the sidewalks. A few pedestrians hurried away from him. Who wouldn't have? He still looked crazy with an angry glint in his eyes as he held the gun tightly. Sebastian's knuckles had turned a bloodless white from the pressure and his face had also blanched with worry.
"Oh, fuck," he choked out. Without warning, he turned on his heel and sped out of town and back toward his home. Only minutes after he had left, he was back in the house and storming through toward the end table where he keys were. "Annelise! We're going after her, come on!" he shouted, gathering up the keys to his F-250. He hurried out to the truck and climbed in fluidly with the gun across his lap. Once she'd gotten in the car, Sebastian slammed a foot on the gas pedal and rode into town. "What did he look like, Annelise? Did you recognize him?!" Unintentionally, he was yelling at her and, in the space inside the car, his voice rebounded and sounded much louder than usual.
"Leighton!" he shouted, turning toward Annelise with a wild expression in his eyes. "Where is she?! Is she okay?"
"I-I looked away for a minute to talk to you!!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes and streaking down her cheeks. "I looked to s-see where he took her and didn't see anything!" The crazed expression seemed to melt from his face, replaced instead by a look of distress.
"...oh God," he whispered, his hands shaking so that he almost dropped his rifle in the hall. For a second, his grip did falter and the loaded gun fell toward the ground with a thump as it hit the hardwood flooring. "Oh God, Leighton..." He shot a glance at Annelise, his brow furrowed in worry, but didn't bother growing angry. In a flash of movement, Seb snatched his gun up and hurried into the yard with it raised in offhand position again.
"Leighton!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the surrounding forest. "Leigh! Leigh, where are you?!" The footsteps in the thin, remaining snow were easy to track. Seb sprinted after them, clutching his rifle tightly in his hands as he lowered it to his hip. The tracks led into town and then, suddenly, the track went cold. Too many footprints cluttered the walkway and, even then, not much snow still laid on the sidewalks. A few pedestrians hurried away from him. Who wouldn't have? He still looked crazy with an angry glint in his eyes as he held the gun tightly. Sebastian's knuckles had turned a bloodless white from the pressure and his face had also blanched with worry.
"Oh, fuck," he choked out. Without warning, he turned on his heel and sped out of town and back toward his home. Only minutes after he had left, he was back in the house and storming through toward the end table where he keys were. "Annelise! We're going after her, come on!" he shouted, gathering up the keys to his F-250. He hurried out to the truck and climbed in fluidly with the gun across his lap. Once she'd gotten in the car, Sebastian slammed a foot on the gas pedal and rode into town. "What did he look like, Annelise? Did you recognize him?!" Unintentionally, he was yelling at her and, in the space inside the car, his voice rebounded and sounded much louder than usual.