Page 24 of Ashes to Ash’s

I clenched my trembling hands on my lap where dad couldn’t possibly see them. Was I really about to do this? Did Cal feel like this when he was setting me up? Did he feel nerves, misgivings, guilt? I remembered his behaviour that night, the way he played into what I wanted, just to trap me with her. No. He fucking enjoyed it, so I need to do that too. Fight fire with fire, that’s the family way.

I shoved my chair back, grabbing my coffee, and taking a large gulp.

“Cage the animals together. Throw in one weapon. I’ll decide what to do based on who survives.”

Dad’s mouth dropped open as he stood up too. “Seriously? You don’t want to do it? It’d be easier to control. What if they both refuse?”

I ran a hand through my dark hair and shrugged. “I’ll wait them out. They’ll get hungry and desperate. One of them will break. And if they don’t, I’ll kill them both myself.”

Dad looked at me with pride, and why the fuck should that make him proud of me? I just told him I’m winging this shit. It’s not control. It’s the complete opposite. It’s being weak and letting fate take over. Ha look at me. I have no faith or beliefs, but I believe in fate? No wonder I’m a fucking mess.

The buzzer at the door sounded, and dad ran over to let them in. Blaze strode right past me with his prey draped over his shoulder, silent and unmoving. Ethan was right behind him, and looking like he’d just had the most exhilarating time.

“Been too long since I’ve done that!” He said with a wide grin, and dad instantly jabbed a finger at him.

“To our fucking daughter, don’t forget that!”

Ethan shrugged carelessly. “She liked it. So what’s the plan now?”

“You’re done, fuckhead, you can leave.”

Ethan turned to say something to dad, and caught my eye. His grin disappeared, and his forehead creased, as he stared at me for an uncomfortably long time.

“Okay, who did what to you? Is that who we just grabbed? I’m fucking in. Don’t even try to keep me out of this.”

Huh. Guess the former ‘teach’ maybe really isn’t a good boy anymore. Dad turned to me and I shrugged, because it wouldn’t change what happened next. Nothing would. I had to see this through now.

Chapter Sixteen

Callum

Ithink I dozed off in that horrible place, because time has no meaning when you’re sitting in the silence, the dark, oppressive silence. It magnifies things and shrinks them all at once. Minutes could pass or hours, or days. It could be a small room, a huge room, an infinite cosmos, or yeah, a box. Was I in a dark box? Was I even alive? How long had it been, how long since I’d eaten? How long since I’d been for a pee. I was thirsty as hell, and that was the bigger problem, because a person can’t last long without water.

You know the weird part? I considered praying for rescue, for strength, for all the things I’m supposed to look to the Lord for, but I didn’t. What does that say about me, that even in this dark (literally) and terrifying time, that I didn’t fall back on my faith? I had faith, right? Hadn’t I been so sure, so fervent in my beliefs, that I should have been begging Him for help, for something? Or was it more that I knew He would never give me something I couldn’t handle? Does He believe I can handle whatever Ash does? Can I?

Noise somewhere in the darkness made me tense up, straightening my aching back, as I fought to see something in the darkness. Anything would be nice. Was it Ash? Was he finally coming for me? Sneaking in through the pitch black nothingness to kill me? I think I’d be ready for that right now, because this is hellish. The not knowing. The lack of anything to break the blankness. It felt like I’d gone blind, and maybe I had. Maybe that was my penance for what I did to him, even though my uncle would have me believe that God approved of such measures, to keep us from being filthy deviant sinners.

A muffled thud, and a soft groan, followed the brief sounds of motion, and then silence fell again. What was happening? Was it Ash? Was he hurt?

“Ash?”

Silence. I was straining so hard to hear something in the gaping dark hole I was in, that my ears were making a rushing sound, or was that my heart?

“Ash, dammit? Are you okay?” I started to crawl forward, not knowing where it might take me, but listening for sounds of life, of pain, of a human in need of help.

There was another soft groan, and I moved on my knees to listen for another sign of life, so I could move there. Was the room big or small? I couldn’t remember, but if I crawled forward, I’d reach something eventually.

“Ash! Can you hear me? Do you need help?”

A sudden crackle of sound made me freeze again.

“So cute, pretending like you give a shit about my wellbeing.” What the hell? If he wasn’t in here, then who the fuck was? What if it was some deadly predator he’d put in here to kill me? I squeezed my eyes closed and took a deep breath. Stop thinking up crazy scenarios, you moron. Of course he wouldn’t do anything that insane. Kidnap me and lock me in the box of doom, sure, but put something in here to kill me? That’s too crazy, right?

“Ash, what’s going on?”

“Do you want to live?” What kind of a question is that?!

“Of course I fucking do! Let me out of here.”