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The first arrow was a warning shot. The rough wooden swing scraped one side against the dirty ground and the ragged rope, that used to hold it up, fluttered down beside it.
The second shot was to bite, but not kill. Instead of carving a hole into the ground inches from his muddy boot, possibly murdering an unlucky insect, it wedged itself into his upper thigh.
JJ froze mid swing, the steel fire poker hanging in the air, vibrating with JJ's adrenaline. His thigh immediately burning intensely.
Renfeild whipped around and took JJ by the throat, jerking him sideways and slamming him hard against the large oak.
"Nah, nah, nah, we don't do that here, Pal." Redfeild brushed JJ's grasping hands away and looked down at the arrow sticking out of the boy's left thigh. He took the shaft in his large grasp and yanked it out in a swift motion.
JJ grunted, but kept his steely gaze trained on Redfeild. Redfeild leaned closer, grinning wickedly. His thumb found the bloody gap in JJs leg and pressed into it.
JJ let out a gutteral sound and dizziness swept over him, his friends shouting and cursing in the background. Until one voice boomed over all the rest and everything went still.
"Take it!" Pope said again, his voice low and hostile.
Redfeild turned back to Pope, his sleazy smile still playing on his lips. Pope held the key at eye level. Glaring at Redfeild, daring him to try anything else on his friends.
"Take it. And leave."
"Good boy, I knew you'd make the right choice." Redfeild drawled, he swiped the key and turned his back to Pope, laughing as he and his men disappeared into the darkness.
No one breathed until they heard car doors slam and an engine start.
JJ let out a shuddered breath and slumped forward, but John B was there in a heartbeat and held him up against the tree by his shoulders.
"JJ, You good, bro?" Pope stood guiltily behind John B.
"Chill, man," JJ groaned, keeping his eyes squeezed shut, "I'm a million bucks."
"JJ, you're bleeding-" Kie put a hand over her mouth when she got a closer look at her friend's wounded leg.
"No shit, Kie! I got shot by an arrow!" JJ couldn't hold back his anger and the pain wasn't helping.
"Hey! J, take it easy, man." John B kept a tight grip on his friend's shoulders. "It's not her fault, ok? Let's get you inside and patched up, huh?"
JJ nodded, wincing from the sharp pain when he just barely moved his leg. Pope rushed to JJ's other side and they helped him toward the chateau.
Kie and Sarah followed behind them, sharing worried glances.
"Guys, he needs to go to the hos-"
"Don't even say it, Sarah!" JJ hissed, putting almost all his weight on Pope and John B.
"JJ," John B warned, "you gotta calm down, Bud. Take some deep breaths or something. You're not going to the hospital, ok?"
Sarah shot an annoyed glance at Kie, who rolled her eyes in understanding.
"John B!" Sarah gaped at him incredulously.
"He's not going to the hospital! Ok?!"
Sarah snapped her mouth shut, burning holes in the back of John B's head.
The boys shuffled in to the living room and awkwardly dropped JJ on the sofa. John B ran to the bathroom for a first aid kit.
He came back with a small red box and a pocket sewing kit, they had used for fishing in the past.
He hesitated before making eye contact with JJ, who licked his lips nervously and nodded.
"Just..." JJ groaned, resituating himself on the sofa, "just stitch me up, boss, I can handle it."
"We could cauterize it." Pope suggested. "The fire pit's still burning."
"Woah, hold up, I don't think I can handle that much."
"I don't think you have a clear understanding about stitches." Pope said flatly.
"Ok, Mr. Teacher man, lay it out for me then. Nice and slow." JJ's voice dripped with sarcasm. His face growing ever paler.
"Stitches. Needles going in and out the exact location, where you are already in immense pain, over and over again. The pain would be excruciating without anesthetics. You would most likely pass out. Cauterizing it would be quick, one big ouch and then it's done."
Everyone stayed quiet, letting JJ decide his fate.
"Cook me up like steak, I guess." JJ let his head flop back against the sofa in defeat.
Pope took no time and was out the door in seconds.
"JJ?" John B's careful voice was closer than before, "you're gonna be ok."
"Yeah, yeah, just a flesh wound."
"Can you lift your pant leg or do we gotta take 'em off?"
"Maybe we should go..." Kie said slowly, she and Sarah were squished together on the lazy boy, keeping quiet and out of the way. Not wanting to make things any worse.
"No," Pope walked through the door with JJ's fire poker, glowing red. "I need you both to help John B hold him down."
No one moved and Pope waved the fire poker in front of him, "we need to do it fast!"
Then everything went hectic.
JJ's eyes grew wide with fear when suddenly all of his friends were diving at him. Especially Pope with the hot metal stick. John B pulled his pant leg up and Kie and Sarah pushed him back against the sofa. Everyone was saying something, but it was all jumbled up.
"Wait!" JJ gasped. But Pope was aiming the hot metal.
"Hold on, don't move, JJ." John B had his whole weight baring down on JJ's leg.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
"You're gonna be ok, Jayje." Kie sobbed.
"Guys!!"
"Sorry, J." Pope.
"No! Wait wait wait! aaarghhghhhhhh!!!" Then the white hot pain. Nothing like he ever imagined. His father's beatings were heaven compared to what he was feeling now.
"Done!" Pope leaped backward off of JJ and threw the fire poker on the table. Feeling disgusted with himself and the stupid poker that put JJ in so much pain only seconds before.
"Guys..." JJ's slurred, "I'm either gonna puke or pass out."
The world suddenly tilted dangerously and John B caught JJ's head from lolling back.
"JJ? You with me?"
"...Still here." JJ mumbled weakly.
Everyone watched JJ for a moment. He took a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes. Kie found the disinfectant cream from the first aid kit and began applying it to JJ's wound.
"That was... kinda crazy." JJ said after a couple minutes of silence.
"Yeah." John B agreed numbly, zoned out into his own thoughts.
Pope kicked a cardboard box in frustration, making John B jump. "The key's gone. I'm so sick of this shit!"
"What are we going to do?" Sarah asked quietly. Holding a bandaid out for Kie.
"I'm gonna get back what's mine." Pope replied dryly.