Alan walked as fast as he could with his injured leg. He had been in such a rush that he had forgotten his crutches, so he had to lean on the wall to keep his weight off his leg. Pain shot up his leg, screaming for him to stop, but he ignored it and pushed on. He needed to find Zeke. He needed to save him, but he knew the only way to do that was to face his father. His one fear, but there was no other choice.

He stopped in front of a small door and looked down at the note. On the back of the note was a crudely drawn map, a map leading here. This was it. He took a deep breath then knocked once before sliding the note under the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Alan stepped inside. He heard the door close, and he looked up to see his father holding a knife to Zeke’s small throat.

Zeke was crying and bleeding in more spots than one. His small frame was covered in bruises and gashes from his father’s strong hands. Zeke’s eyes lit up when he saw Alan. “Alan, you’re here. I knew you’d come; I knew you would,” Zeke said, his voice weak.

Alan looked at his father and said, “I’m here now; let him go.”

His father smiled, then threw Zeke at him. Alan caught him and slid to the floor, holding Zeke close. “Oh, Zeke, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault,” Alan said, tears in his eyes as he hugged Zeke tighter.

Zeke didn’t say anything; he just cried in Alan’s arms. Alan’s father grabbed Alan and pulled him to his feet as he said, “Now we leave, freak.”

Alan looked down that word stung, freak, that was all he was just a freak, nothing else. As his father had always told him, he would never be anything but a useless, little freak.

“Hey, he’s not a freak you’re just a big meany!” Zeke said, getting to his feet.

Alan’s father turned to Zeke. “Quiet!” His father said, striking Zeke across the face.

Zeke screamed in pain and fell to the ground, limp as a rag. “ZEKE!” Alan yelled as he tried to free himself from his father’s grasp.

His father slung him to the ground. Alan yelled out as pain shot up his leg. His father smiled as he said, “What’s wrong freak, hurt your leg while running away.”

Alan clenched his teeth as he said, “It was worth getting away from a monster like you!”

He then felt a hard kick to his stomach; he gasped for air. His breaths coming in shallow raspy, gasps. He couldn’t breathe; he looked up at his father.

“Don’t ever talk to me like that again, or it will be more than a kick to the stomach, understand freak?” His father said, looking at him.

Alan nodded. “Yeah, I do. It won’t happen again,” Alan said, wheezing.

His father smiled, “Good.” Then he bent down beside Alan and forced his hands behind his back as he started to tie them. The ropes were tight, so tight that Alan’s wrist began to bleed. But he didn’t let the pain show. If he let his father see the pain, his father would only make it worse.

His father pulled him to his feet roughly and said, “Time to go, freak.”

Alan looked down, but then the door burst open, and Ky, Dev, and Captain Redthaw came into the room with other rabbits he didn’t even know. But there was one thing he knew; he and Zeke were saved. Grace must have gone and got help, but it wasn’t over yet. His father threw him to the ground and threw a knife hitting Ky in the chest. Ky fell to the ground with a cry.

Hope you liked this chapter....

Jaidie