Chapter 10

* I* *

Jase

I dropped the young girl on te ground and left her body in the alley.I had found the place I'd been planning on bring Lana and Everly to, now I could hunt.

The place was an abandoned hotel not far from where I stood. The hotel sat in a deserted part of town, so no suspicion woul be aroused. We would have to travel a bit for hunting, but with Everly's eating habit's we'd have to anyway.

I directed my attention towards the sky. I couldn't see any signs of sunrise yet. To be safe I checked my watch. Four-thirty a.m., might as well head back.

I darted through the streets to our new temporary home. I dropped my backpack inside by the dor and peered around.

It was in excellent condition. The only reason it had been abandoned was a fire a few years back. It only affected a few floors, but the management decided renovation wasn't worth the revenue.

The room consisted of a small kitchen we would never use, two bathroom, also unusable, a master bedroom, a smaller bedroom behind the second bathroom, and a living room in the center of it all.

I grabbed the remote from the table next to the sofa and clicked the power button. Miraculously the television turned on and a drama popped up onto the screen. Amazing the place had power at all.

I grinned, "Sweet now we have something to do in spare time." I said to myself.

I relaxed on the couch and began channel surfing. There wasn't much on before five in the morning besides paid programming and local shit.

I decided to get ready for sunrise. I grabbed some two by fours I"d picked up earlier and began boarding up the few windows in the rooms. I finished just as the sun started to rise. I was in luck though, for in the distance I could see thick clouds rooling in, hopefully the absence of the sun would make my sloppy boarding of the windows less important, at least for today.

I sighed, hopefully Lana was having more fun than I was.

Lana

Dave lat go of my hair and let me hit the wooden floor. He then grabbed my wrists and began to tightly bind them.

"Dave! You know me! I'm friends with you daughter, Cat! Why are you doing this?" I asked desperately as he dragged me across the room. He tensed when I mentioned Cat's name but otherwise ignored me.

I hated bringing up Cat. It was terrible to think what her death must have done to poor Dave, she was all he had.

Dace yanked me up and tied my wrists with more rope. Then he madd a little noose at the end of the rope binding me and looped another long strand of rope through that and attached it to the ceiling fan. I was hanging in midair staring at Dave's bruised face. He was glaring at me, his fists kept clenching and unclenching at his sides. I saw flickers of sadness flash on his face before the deep hatred returned.

"Why?" He didn't phrase it like a question, he was referring back to my previous question.

"Because you murdered my Cat!" He yelled punching me hard in the jaw. I gasped and my head snapped back. My lip began to bleed the mixture of blood from my victim's, I hated the feeling.

How could Dave know I killed Cat?" I wondered. I opened my mouth but said nothing, I only shook my head in confusion.

Dave nodded, still fuming, "How do I know, Lans?" he asked and reached into his pocket. He pulled out two bracelets, Cat's and ine, the one I'd give to her on the night of her death. I looked down to his my sudden tears.

'Are you crying?" Dave asked in disgust, "Imagine how I felt,you bitch!" he smacked my again. I bit down on my lip to hold back a new flood of tears that threatened to break out. I wasn't crying fro the pain, that I barely felt, it was more the thought of what I'd done to Dave, and Cat.

"Don't worry, Lana, you won't have much to cry about soon," He promised.

I had no doubt he intended to keep it.

Jase

I roamed about my new house for the first few hours. I explored the rooms and imagined how they'd be once Lana and Everly arrived.

I turned to the window, for the millionth time as a sudden crash of thunder sounded overhead. I took a risk and ripped down the boards I'd put up earlier. It was pouring outside. Lightening brightened the sky, and thunder crashed soon after.

I groaned and stepped away from the window. I usually liked listening to thunderstorms but for some reason the mere thought of watching one annoyed me. I guessed I missed Lana and Everly.

I wished I was holding Lana and I was dying (sorry about the pun) to see my baby girl, Everly.

The storm raged on outside. The thick clouds outsides made the world dark and dreary.

An idea suddenly popped into my head. It was crazy. Absolutly crazy and insane and stupid. But, it could work.

I glanced outside again. Could it work? It is really worth the risk to find out?

I argued with myself for a moment before grabbing my sweatshirt and jogging downstairs. At the lobby dors I stopped and watched the rain splattering to the ground. Very cautiously, I pushed open the glass door. The sound of rain smacking the ground increased and it made everything more ominious.

I hesitated at the door, wondering for the second time if I should go through with this. I closed my eyes and took my first step forward. I was outside. I braced myself for searing pain. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes and took three more steps outward, I was completely outside in the rain now. I grinned when, again, nothing happened. I was outside, during the day!

I laughed, "Hell yeah!" I cried out cheerfully. With a new confidence I ran through the streets, happily allowing the rain to hit my face. I stopped after a small journey and lifted my face. I pulled down my hood and felt the rain hit my face. Another bolt of lightening shot across the dark sky and only seconds later, a loud crash of thunder. I pulled my hood back up and began running again.

Wouldn't Lana be surprised to see me in daylight?

Lana

Dave's words echoed in my head. Don't worry, Lana, you won't have much to cry about soon.

What did he plan on doing? He had thrown my to the floor where I now lay after he was done interrogating me. My ankles and wrists remained tied.

He was walking around the living room, tearing down the planks from the windows to block the sun. I cringed away as a feeble attempt to shield myself as he tore more down. Lucky for me, it was raining out.

"Shit." He muttered when he saw the sky. He checked his watch and then nodded. It was then he noticed me watching him from the ground, "Don't worry Lana, it's still early. If the weather is correct, the sun will shine soon enough."

Had a had one, my heart would've sunk. He wanted to burn me. A tear slid down my cheek, not for self pity but at the thought of leaving Everly behind.

I'd been watching Dave to make sure he didn't get near her room. SO far he hadn't. It also helped that she was still asleep, even with my screaming, crying and Dave's cruel beatings.

Please don't come out, Everly. I silently prayed. You're the only thing worth going through this torture.

Terrible as it was, Dave was right. As the hours passed, the storm cleared and the rain lessened to a drizzle. A few clouds remained in the sky, but they too were drifting away.

I'd come to terms with what Dave was going to do to me. I could live with his killing me. Oh, that was a bad pun, I realized and laughed humorlessly at my dark joke. All I wanted was for Everly to be spared. I feared she'd wake soon and become a victim to Dave. Dave left me on the floor crying and silently praying. He was in the kitchen doing who knows what.

I heard a door squeak. I turned my head to see Everly standing half way out of her door. My worst fear. I mouthed to her, "Go! Get back inside!"

She looked at me with a confused expression, "Why?' she whispered back.

Tears slid down my face. Damn, Everly! Listen to me and go backto your room. "There's a bad man here," I whispered as quietly as possible.

Her eyes widened with fear and she started slid back inside. She stopped when only half her head was visible. Her eyes were, like mine, glistening with tears, "Will you be okay, Mommy?'

I nodded and turned to hide my own tears. Everly was causing me more pain than Dave.

I turned back to get one last glimpse or my daughter. "I love you," She whispered and silently shut the door.

I turned away and a sob escaped from me. Tears freely flowed down my face now. Dave came in as my tears intensified.

"You deserve this, Lana. You deserve it and you know it." I did deserve it. I wanted desperately for it not to happen. But deep down I know I deserved my fate.

Dave grabbed my arm and 'helped' me to the couch. He undid the rope around my ankle and lifted me back up.

"Walk," He commanded giving me a shove. I did so, tears trickling down my face.

"It's time." He said. I looked to the window. Although it was wet outside. The sun still shone brightly in the now blue sky.

I turned to the clock on the coffee table to the right of me, three fourty. What a difference a few hours can make.

Dave led me to the roof. I was shaking by the time we got up there.

We stayed in the small doorway for a few moments. I looked fearfully into the sunny sk. I could already fell its burn.

'Ah, sunlight. Nothing like it. Do you miss the feel of it, Lana?" Even knowing what was coming next, I answered, in a chocked up voice, "Yes, I do."

"I bet Cat missed it too," He said in a darker voice, "I thought you were her friend, I really did, Lana. But apparently food was more important," he said making me guiltier with every word, " You disgust me. I hope you burnin hell." With those as his parting words, Dave shoved me forward, Directly into the brigt sunlight.

I screamed as I burst into flames on contact.