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Annie sat on it, hands tied behind her, legs secured to the wood She was breathing fast, and her hair was in her eyes, lifting and falling with each rapid gasp

"Bryn, help," she whispered, but that was all she had ti behind her who slipped a plastic bag over Annalie’s head and twisted it tight at the neck Annie i sucked tight into her open, gasping un

"Careful," said thea point Look" He loosened the bag, and slipped it up just enough that Annie sucked in a deep, agonized breath "Play nice, Double Trouble I’ to tell you twice"

Double Trouble Oh, God

Theher sister was Fast Freddy Watson His smile was like razors, and there was bitter triu lunatic," she spat "Take that off of her Now!"

"Nah, I don’t think so; I love watching you squir back into place Bryn watched helplessly as her sister arched against her bonds, sucking plastic as she tried to breathe "How’s life after death?"

She fired a round right by his head, adjusted her aio," she said "She’s your leverage, you asshole!"

"Trustto kill her Just fuck her up a little bit"

"I swear to God I’ll shoot you"

"Gotta shoot her first!"

Behind her, she heard McCallister enter the kitchen When she glanced back, she saw he’d brought Mercer, and he had his gun at Mercer’s temple "Let’s call this a draw," McCallister said "I pull the trigger and you get no more antide-cay o"

Annie was gagging on the bag It was misted over froain She didn’t blink as she aze, just visible over her sister’s head "I’ll put you down, Freddy," she said "Don’t think I won’t"

"I know you would," he said, "but we both know I’ll get up again" He shrugged then, and yanked the bag off Annalie’s head "Whatever"

Annie coughed and sobbed and gasped, tears strearabbed Freddy, and shoved hiot him?" she asked McCallister

"Got hiun trained on the real threat Mercer

Bryn rued in the kitchen drawers, found scissors, and cut Annalie’s ties at the wrists and ankles Annie pitched forward into her ar wildly "Shh," Bryn said, and stroked her matted hair "Shh, baby, you’re okay It’s all okay"

"No, it’s not," Annie sobbed "It’s never going to be okay Never"

"She’s right," Freddy said His voice was ainst the floor, but he still sounded creepily sure of himself "Poor little Annie Not the first tiht, Annie?"

"What …" Bryn looked at her sister, scraped the hair back from her face, and looked into her eyes "Annie?"

Annie whispered, "It happened before The bag Co all over, and her face was ice white If Bryn’s eyes were haunted, Annalie’s were blindonly panic and horror "He likes it"

Mercer sighed "I told you not to play with her, Freddy"

"I was bored," Freddy said "She’s fine"

"She’s no good to us insane"

"Annie! Annie, look at ed her again, and got her to stand up with her Annie’s skin felt damp and cold Where she’d been tied, it was …

Discolored

"Annie?"

Her eyes weren’t just blind; they were ever so slightly cloudy The whites were discolored

There were livid red bruises on her skin where it had rested on the chair’s arms