|| TWELVE ||
As Mike and Chris creep toward the front door, Mike with his gun raised and Chris empty-handed and kind of scared-looking, I make my way over to the couch. Sam, Emily, and Ashley are still squished together on the couch, so I plant myself on the arm on Ashley's side. She jumps when my knee bumps her shoulder, but when she sees it's me, she relaxes. "This is so spooky," she says quietly.
"You believe me, don't you?" Emily asks. She's calmed down quite a bit from when she first got back to the lodge, but there's still an edge to her voice. "There really is a monster out there. I saw it."
I reach a hand behind Ashley and rub Emily's shoulder. "Of course we believe you," I say soothingly. "We'll get this all figured out. Don't worry."
Emily exhales slowly and nods. "Right. Okay," she says, leaning back into the couch cushions. I draw my hand back into my lap and give Sam a smile when she catches my eye. She still seems unsure about the situation, but it's better to be reassuring and keep everyone calm than add fuel to the hysteria fire.
There's the sound of a scuffle coming from the direction of the front door and the four of us tense up immediately. Mike exclaims something that I can't discern, and then footsteps start coming in our direction. "Take it easy, grandpa," Mike says. I can hear him much more clearly now.
"Okay, everybody just calm down," says a stranger. His voice is low and rough. He steps into view seconds later, wielding what I think is a flamethrower. From what I've seen in movies, I think I'm right, but who knows? The guy has a scar across one of his eyes and is missing some of his teeth, which I notice when he speaks again. "Now just move over there. Go on, move! Let me say what I came to say."
Chris and Mike scuttle over to where the rest of us are seated. Chris falls into the armchair adjacent to the couch, and Mike comes to a stop beside me, arms folded across his chest. Emily looks the least surprised out of all of us to see this older man standing in front of us.
"I'm here to tell you what you're up against being back on this mountain," the stranger says. "You should have never returned. I don't know why you did, after what happened last year."
The younger people all look alarmed, except for me. I'm silently disappointed that it wasn't Josh at the door. I can't believe Mike just left him alone, all tied up... I shake my head. There are more pressing matters at the moment. I have to stay focused.
Ashley is the first to speak up. "You mean with Hannah and Beth?"
"Yeah, how could you know without being involved?" Chris asks. I want to cut in and remind him that it was all over the news after it happened, but I keep my mouth shut. Sam is speaking, anyway.
"Or responsible?" she says accusingly.
The stranger rolls his eyes. "You hold onto your horses. I don't take kindly to you kids coming up here to my mountain."
Mike scoffs. "Your mountain? I'm sure the Washingtons would be very surprised to hear that."
The man laughs casually, almost nonchalantly, and shakes his head at Mike. "Well, this mountain don't belong to me, it's true. But it don't belong to the Washingtons." We're all silent. It's like he's trying to build tension. "This mountain belongs to the Wendigo."
Chris looks at each of us in turn, seeming very confused. "Who?"
"What's he talking about?" Sam asks.
Mike seems to be getting more irritated by the minute. "What the hell's a Wendigo?"
I know what a Wendigo is. At least, I think I do. I used to have a friend when I was young whose dad would tell us scary stories whenever our families would get together and have a bonfire. He was really into old Native American folklore and superstitions, and he would tell us about all sorts of monsters. The Wendigo was one of them, though I don't really remember what all he said. I thought it was just scary stories, meant to keep us out of trouble.
And then there was that episode of Supernatural that Josh and I had watched together. There was a Wendigo there, too. But the show is based on folk tales and imaginary monsters. They're not supposed to be real.
"Let's hear him out," Sam says, cutting off my train of thought.
Mike rolls his eyes and sighs. "Not like we have a choice."
"Now I'm only going to tell you this once," the stranger says warningly. "It doesn't matter to me if you believe it or not. I got reasons I want to...get it off my chest."
"See? I told you," Mike bursts in. "He's guilty as shit. Guilty of something!"
I jab him in the side with my elbow at the same time as Sam says, "Shut up, Mike."
The stranger waits for Mike to quiet down before he goes on. "There is a curse that dwells in these mountains. Should any man or woman resort to cannibalism in these woods, the spirit of the Wendigo shall be unleashed." Mike mutters something quietly under his breath and his eyes go out of focus, but the stranger ignores him and continues. "You're going to need to find somewhere safe."
"The basement might be okay..." Sam says, trailing off. No one knows what to make of the situations, it looks like. I know I don't.
"Okay," the stranger says. "Get down there, now. All of you. And wait."
"What? Why?" Sam asks, seemingly alarmed. "For how long?"
Emily's voice is quiet when she speaks. "Until dawn."
Mike shakes his head, apparently coming back into focus again. He sets a hand on my shoulder. "Guys..." We turn toward him, the stranger included. "I ran off and left Josh when I heard screaming."
The gravity of the situation doesn't take long to dawn on me. I whip my head back to look Mike in the eyes so quickly I hear my neck crack. I don't even feel it. "You did what?" I knew this. Of course I already knew this. But I didn't know what was going on in these woods before.
"Where did you leave him?" the stranger asks.
"In the shed," Mike says slowly.
The stranger nods once and hums to himself in affirmation. "Your friend will already be dead."
I'm on my feet in seconds, Chris half a breath behind me. "Excuse me?" I snap. "What the hell do you mean?"
"No, he can't be," Chris says, coming to stand beside me. "We were just with him!"
The man shakes his head. "A lot can happen quickly on this mountain."
I make to step forward and get in the stranger's face, but Mike grabs my elbow and holds me in place. "Like hell it does!" I'm close to shrieking. Normally I would be embarrassed about losing my temper like this, but I couldn't give a shit right now. "That's bullshit!"
"No," Chris says. "I'm gonna go get him."
"You can't go out there, Chris," Ashley says from the couch behind us. There's worry in her voice. But she's worried about Chris, not what could have happened to Josh. I can't blame her; I'm feeling the same thing she is, just for someone else. "No, he let you down, Chris. He let all of us down!" I turn toward her with a cold glare; she meets my gaze with hard eyes. Mike squeezes my elbow and moves me back a step.
Chris sets a hand on my back for just a second. He halfway smiles at me before looking back to the redhead. "I don't care," he says. I restrain a smile. "I'm going to get him."
Ashley is having none of this. "No, you can't go!" she pleads. The steeliness of her expression fades quickly; now she's begging at me. "Charlie, tell him he can't go!"
I don't know why she thinks Chris would listen to me. I'm not his mother. I don't control him. Right now, I don't really want to. I lay a hand on his shoulder and he turns toward me, that same determined expression on his face. There's desperation there, too. Don't ask me to stay, those eyes are saying. There's no need for him to worry - about me, anyway.
"Bring him back safe," I say quietly. He smiles and nods. "Do you want me to go with you?"
He shakes his head. "No, I'll be fine. Stay here and keep the peace between everyone else."
The stranger steps up beside us, still holding his flamethrower aloft. "I'll go with you," he says to Chris.
"I don't need your help," the blonde says.
The stranger looks unimpressed. "Going alone is suicide."
Chris frowns, but it doesn't take long for him to make up his mind. "Fine."
Satisfied, the stranger turns away and looks from me to the rest of the group. "The rest of you, get down to the basement. Be safe. Don't go outside again until we're back."
Mike pulls on my elbow again and drags me away from where Chris and the stranger stand, conversing quietly. Moments later, they make their way toward the front door. Ashley pushes herself off the couch and follows, her eyes looking a little red. I feel bad for her; she must be worried sick. But so am I, just for someone else. And my feelings toward the situation are no less significant than hers.
"Charlie, com on," Mike says, tugging at my elbow again. Nodding slowly, I follow along behind him and the others, down the stairs, back to the basement where the first nightmare had been plotted out. Josh could never have planned for this, though. He couldn't have known.
Mike closes the door behind us as we reach the "safe room". It's one of the rooms Josh had been scheming in. I sit on the floor and scoot back against the wall, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. Emily and Sam are on the other side of the room, sitting on desks and talking. I tune them out.
"You doing okay?" Mike asks, sitting down beside me. He bumps me with his shoulder. "You know you can tell me if you're not."
I smile faintly. "Yeah, I know." I shrug and lean my temple against his shoulder. "I'm fine. A little stressed, what with everything going on, but I'm okay."
He smiles. "Tired?" I nod, moving around the fabric of his jacket. "When's the last time you slept?"
I give a short laugh. "The last time Josh used that gas mask on me and knocked me out."
Mike makes a face, but he doesn't comment on that bit of information. "Okay, when's the last time you slept of your own free will? And actually slept well?" I shrug again. "Come on, it couldn't have been that long ago."
It wasn't super long ago. I can remember exactly what night it was. But that's not something I want to talk about right now. "Couple hours every few nights. I can't get much more than that. It's like my body doesn't let me." I shrug. "It's not that big of a deal. It's been like this for a while now."
Mike bumps me with his shoulder again, making me sit up straight. "You should really see somebody about that. Have you thought about it?" I shake my head. "Well, you should. I think it'd do some good for you." He smiles a genuine smile at me.
"How are you holding up?" I ask, changing the subject. He's silent. "You can talk to me too, you know."
The smile fades just as quickly as it came. Mike sighs. "I know, I know." He doesn't say anything more for a while, just sits in silence beside me. The only sound in the room is the soft hush of Sam and Emily whispering to each other. I can't believe we're in this mess. This like this don't happen to people. Why us? Why tonight?
"I know he didn't do it," Mike says after a little while. I lift my head and look at him. He's staring straight ahead. "I should have known before. There was no way he could have done it. She got pulled through the window in the door. He couldn't have done that." Mike sighs. "I should have known. I think I did. I just lost my head, and I was looking for someone to blame." Now he looks at me, a small, guilty smile on his face. His brown eyes are sad. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize to me." I bump his shoulder with mine. "But I understand."
Mike's smile grows a little cheerier, and he says nothing again for a while. After a couple of minutes, he stands. "Ashley's still upstairs waiting," he says. I hadn't even noticed she was still gone. "I'm gonna go wait with her."
I smile up at him. "Be safe. Don't let anything bad in."
He grins. "Well, I'll try my best. See you in a bit."
He closes the door behind him when he leaves. Once he's gone, I pick myself up off the floor and make my way over to Emily and Sam. Emily is shaking a little, but otherwise seems like she's okay. Sam, ever the one with nerves of steel, seems unfazed by everything. "Hey," I say awkwardly, giving a short wave. "How's it going over here?"
"Where did Mike go?" Emily asks, looking toward where the two of us had been sitting before. "He was just here."
I flash a small smile. "Ashley is still upstairs waiting for Chris and that other guy to get back with Josh. Mike said he was going to wait with her - to make sure no 'Wendigos' or whatever get in, I guess."
Sam nods, but Emily looks angry. "What, so he just left us down here by ourselves, totally defenseless in case anything does get in?"
I set a hand on her shoulder; Sam does the same. "We don't need Mike to protect us," I say, rolling my eyes. "We're strong enough on our own."
Emily rolls her eyes right back at me. "Yeah, but Mike has a gun. All we have is, like, chairs."
Well, she got me there. "It'll be fine," I say after a brief pause. I pat her shoulder before dropping my hand back to my side. "Mike, Ashley, and Chris will be back with Josh soon, and then we can figure out what to do from there."
"If Josh is still alive, anyway," Emily mutters, turning away from Sam and I to stand on the other side of the room.
I can feel my face start to get warm and I turn away as well, folding my arms across my chest. Sam makes a distressed noise, and I briefly feel her fingers brush my shoulder before her footsteps head over to Emily. She's just being her normal, pessimistic self, I think, trying to convince myself of the fact. Josh is still alive. Chris and the flamethrower dude will be back with him soon.
But I can't shake the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, the sense that tonight is very far from over. There's so much left unsolved about what's gone on so far. Where's Matt, for example? And did Jess actually die, or did Mike just jump to conclusions? I won't believe anything until I'm shown bodies. That's the only way to know for sure.
Stop thinking about this. Don't let Emily get to you.
"Hey, Charlie?" I turn toward Sam, who is still standing beside Emily. "I was just thinking about something you and Josh had said earlier - when we had just found out it was a prank, and you were arguing?" I know what she's referring to. This isn't a conversation I want to have. "Charlie, did Josh try to - "
Sam is interrupted by the sound of thundering footsteps rushing down the stairs and toward this room. I grab the back of the chair beside me instinctively. There's really nothing else in here to hit someone with.
But Chris and Ashley burst into the room, breathing heavily, and Mike darts in behind them, quickly shutting the door. I let go of the chair as my breath catches in my throat. Where's Josh?
"Oh my God!" Emily says. Her and Sam are both looking relieved. "Guys, thank God!"
"What took you so long?" Sam asks.
Chris is looking paler than usual. "It's not so good up there right now," he says quietly. He goes to sit on a desk in one corner of the room and sets his hands in his lap, staring down at his fingers.
Mike smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Understatement of the night," he says, coming to stand beside me.
"Chris, where's the flamethrower guy?" Sam asks. Is that really what's important right now?
Chris swallows hard. "Uh, yeah..." He trails off and clears his throat, still looking at his hands. "He, uh..."
"He didn't make it?" Ashley fills in the blanks easily. Chris shakes his head slowly.
Emily is back to panicking. "Oh, no."
"What happened?" That's Sam again.
Chris is starting to look a little sick. Ashley sets a hand on his shoulder, but it doesn't seem to do very much. "The thing, it - " He shakes his head again. "It tore him apart. Right in front of me."
Now Sam's face pales. "Oh, God."
Everyone is in some form of hysteria, but here I am, numbly gazing out at the group like none of this is bothering me at all. Yes, the stranger is dead, and we don't have him here to light things on fire for us. But we hardly knew him to start with. It's terrible, but it's not the worst thing in the world. Why are they so concerned with him? Why don't they see that someone else is missing, too? Why aren't they worried?
I stare at Chris until he looks up and catches my eye. I don't even have to say anything. The paleness of his face and the way he's been avoiding looking at me until now says everything on its own. The slight shake of his head is just the nail in the coffin.
My mouth falls open but I don't make any noise. I wrap my arms around my torso, blinking in disbelief at the ground. I don't look at anyone. I can't. The stinging behind my eyes is sign enough that I shouldn't be around any of them. I just want to be alone. But that's the worst thing I could do tonight.
You already thought he died once tonight. Why are you acting like this now?
Because this time it's real. It's not just a prank.
"These all the doors?" Mike asks. I hadn't even noticed he'd moved away from me. He's checking the doors to make sure they're locked, I'm guessing. I don't know. "Are you sure?" he asks once Sam assures him that yes, that's all the doors.
"What are you looking for?" she asks.
Mike doesn't stand still for a moment. "Another way out."
Sam's like the voice of reason we all need in our life. She's that friend. God bless Sam. "Mike, I really don't think that's a good idea," she insists. "We should stay put, right here, until dawn. At least we're safe down here."
"Oh yeah?" Mike counters, whirling around to face her. "All wrapped up like a little present with a bow on top for that thing to tear us apart on Christmas morning?"
Sometimes I don't understand what he says, but I get the gist this time. I think.
"People will come for us," Sam says. "In the morning." Her voice wavers.
Mike flicks one eyebrow at her. "You don't sound so sure."
Sam turns toward Emily, who is looking startled by everything taking place. "That's what'll happen. Right, Em?"
Emily nods slowly after a moment's hesitation. "Yeah, I mean...right?" Great.
Mike scoffs and continues looking for another way out. "Well, you can wait. I'm leaving."
Emily finally seems to find her voice. Thank goodness. She had us so worried. "Mike, there's no key for the cable car."
"Josh!" Mike says. I lift my head fully and fix my eyes on Mike. "He's gotta have it."
Sam is confused. I am also confused. "Josh?" Sam asks. Josh is dead. There's no way to get the key from him, unless you're taking it from his corpse. We don't even know where it is. At least, I don't think so.
"One of his dirty little tricks," Mike says. I glare.
"Great." Sam throws her hands up. Her calm demeanor seems to be waning a little. "Great!"
Mike looks at me now, almost sympathetically. "If that fucking thing got a hold of Josh, then we're shit outta luck."
Um, yes, "that fucking thing" got hold of Josh. Chris pretty much confirmed that for me.
Or so I thought. "I don't know, Mike," Emily says slowly. "It's possible."
Now I turn toward Emily, as does everyone else in the room. "What's possible?" Sam asks.
"It may have taken him down to the mine."
Mike's brows furrow. "What?"
Emily turns away and starts rooting through a duffel bag on the floor. "I saw some horrible stuff down there. I think it's where that thing lives, and...huh."
We all pause, waiting for her to go on, but she doesn't; she only digs through the duffel bag. Where did that even come from? "...Em?" Sam finally says. "What?"
"Fuck it," Mike says, ignoring the fact that I'm really the only one paying attention to him now. Everyone else is focused on what Emily is doing. "I'm gonna get that key. Right from that thing's goddamned bedroom, and then I'm gonna get us all the hell out of here." I don't know if he actually will, but if he leaves, I'm going, too. Proof. I need proof that Josh is gone.
I walk over to where Sam has now joined Emily. "Em, what is all that?" Sam peers over Emily's shoulder, trying to see what she's looking at.
Emily grabs the bag and sets it on the table, pulling things out of it. "It's that old guy's bag," she says.
"Is that a map?" I jump; I hadn't realized Mike was standing right behind me. He gently nudges me out of the way so he can get a closer look at the map in question. I politely move to the side and lean against the wall, observing their conversation rather than joining in myself.
Sam shakes her head in disbelief. "The guy was prepared for anything."
Mike does that thing where he smiles humorlessly again. "Not quite."
Emily points to somewhere on the map, but I can't see around Mike to tell where it is. "What is this place?" she asks.
"Oh, my God," Mike says, shaking his head. He scratches the back of his neck.
Sam jumps in, seeming confused again. "Wait, wait, wait, what is that?" I'm kind of curious as to what they're talking about, but not enough to get me to move over there.
"I was down there," Mike says. "It was horrible."
Sam's face is the only one I can see clearly. She looks shocked. "You were?"
"I found these plans - they knew the mine was a death trap, but they let the miners keep working anyway. And, I'm not sure what it means, but I found this chair with dried blood all over the place, like somebody'd been tortured."
Emily cuts in, and I have to stifle a laugh. "Michael, I'd like to maybe focus on how we're going to get the fuck out of here, please?" Ah, there she is. I was so worried.
I can practically hear Mike roll his eyes at his ex-girlfriend. "I'm just saying it's weird how much crazy shit's gone on up here."
"What's weird is that there's a tunnel leading from the lodge to the Sanatorium, see?" Emily says, pointing at some other place on the map.
Mike nods. "That's how I got back here."
Emily points somewhere else. From my angle, I can't see anything other than it's a piece of paper they're all looking at. "I saw this," she says. "When I was down there. That's where it lives."
Ashley crept up while Emily was talking, and now she grabs onto Em's shoulder. "Em...," she says, horror slowly seeping into her voice. "Em, what is that?" Emily turns around, her hand instantly going to her shoulder. "What is that?" Ashley is almost shrieking at this point. I step closer, trying to see what's going on, but Mike blocks my way again.
"Ash - "
Ashley cuts Emily off with her rapid-fire panicking. "Em, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Oh no, oh no, oh no!"
"It's nothing, it just - it bit me, and - "
"It bit you?" Ashley is definitely screeching at this point. "What bit you?"
Emily's voice grows a lot quieter, and a lot more unsure. I've never heard her like this before. Her voice shakes. "The uh... The Wendigo."
Sam, Mike, and Ashley immediately step back, putting some distance between themselves and Emily. I take that opportunity to step forward and set a hand on Emily's shoulder. I can see it now; the point where her neck meets her shoulder is bleeding, and there are bite marks indented in her skin.
"The what?" Mike snaps.
Emily's brown eyes are wide and panicked. "It's nothing, really." She turns to me, desperation on her face. "It's not a big deal."
After me, Sam is the closest to Emily. At least she's showing some sort of concern for someone other than herself right now. "You okay?" she asks.
Mike looks frustrated. "Shit," he groans.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Emily is almost to the point of begging; I can hear it in her voice. "Really. It's not that bad."
"Em, if that thing bit you..." I don't like the dark look creeping onto Mike's face. It's the same look he was wearing before hitting Josh with the gun - or attempting to, anyway.
Emily backs away from me, backs away from everyone. "I-I know what you're thinking, and I'm fine."
"Are you?" Mike's voice is cold.
"Yes!"
Sam tries to step toward Emily, but Emily skirts away. "Emily, at least let us check it out," the blonde says soothingly.
Mike has taken on a defensive stance, his fists clenched at his sides. That look on his face continues to grow darker. "Emily, if the Wendigo bit you, you could turn into one of those things."
"Oh, that's ridiculous," Sam says, snapping at him. I was about to say the same thing. Honestly, this is turning into mob hysteria. Everyone is jumping to conclusions too quickly; no one is taking time to listen, to think rationally about all of this.
Ashley is pacing, never turning her back toward Emily. "He said it was from eating each other - remember, he said that!"
Sam looks startled. "Wait, is that how it worked?"
"Yes!" Ashley pulls at her hair through her beanie, her doe eyes even wider than usual. "It happens if it bit you, you're gonna turn into one and then you're gonna turn on us oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!"
It'd be really nice if she'd stop freaking out. My ears are starting to hurt; the pounding in my head returns not long after.
Mike steps toward Emily, his tone icy. "You can't be down here with us."
"What?" Emily's voice is nothing more than a gasp.
"Mike!" Sam snaps.
Mike shakes his head. "You gotta go." His eyes are locked onto Emily, in an almost predatory way. It's a bit scary, seeing him like this. It's not the Mike I know.
"Are you kidding me?" Emily backs up again.
"You're putting us all in danger."
"Like hell I am!"
He looks like he's close to snapping. I take half a step closer to Emily, still keeping my eyes on Mike. "Emily, her can't stay here," he says.
Sam moves a little more into Mike's line of sight, trying to direct his attention away from Emily for a moment. I can't be the only one thinking his behavior is unnerving. "Mike, just cool your head, okay?" Sam says calmly. "We don't know if it works like that. Maybe it's just a bite."
"I've seen what these fuckers can do." Everyone in the room jumps. Chris hasn't spoken up in the longest time; I'd almost forgotten he was here at all. His voice is low and ominous. "I don't want to see it again."
"What is this?" Emily looks terrified at this point, and it shows in her voice. "Guys? What are you doing?"
Mike motions behind him, still never breaking eye contact. "Door's right here. I am letting you do this voluntarily."
The fear dissipates for a brief moment and is replaced by anger. Emily's eyes are blazing. "Oh, no, you're just making yourself feel better about sending me to my death since you know there's a Wendigo out there ready to rip me to pieces like it did with - "
"Okay, oh my God! Will you just go? Go! Get out of here!" Ashley nearly screams.
Mike whips around, grabs a gun off of one of the desks - since when was it sitting there? - and points it at Emily, both arms held out stick straight in front of him. Sam leaps out of the way, but still tries to pacify the situation. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mike! Calm down!"
Emily has walked so far backward that she's against one of the desks now, which she promptly climbs onto, in order to get away from Mike and the gun. "You're going to shoot me?" She lays a hand on her chest; there's genuine hurt and fear on her face. "Mike, me?"
"This is the safe room, Em!" he shouts, still holding out the gun. "It's not safe as long as you're in it. Not for us."
Back against the wall, knees to her chest, Emily tries again. "No, don't do this!"
For a moment, Mike almost looks regretful. "I'm really sorry," he says. His finger hovers over the trigger. The fire has returned to his eyes.
I don't know that he'll shoot. I also don't know that he won't, but why risk it? He's not in the right state of mind right now, everyone is hysterical, and no one is making any sort of sense in their reasoning. Obviously, she's not going to turn into a Wendigo. The flamethrower guy never said bites were bad.
I place myself in front of Emily, close enough that I can feel her knees against my back. "Put the gun down, Mike," I say in a low voice.
His brown eyes widen, as do everyone else's. "Charlie - "
"Put the gun down, goddammit," I snap. "You're being ridiculous."
Mike is still holding the gun aloft, and since I'm standing in front of Emily, it's pointed at my face. But he won't shoot me. I do know him better than that. "But she could - "
"No, she couldn't," I say, cutting him off. "She didn't eat anyone. Right?" I glance over my shoulder; Emily frantically nods her head. "Exactly. The flamethrower guy said you have to eat another person in order to become a Wendigo. She just got bit by it. It's not the same thing. Now put that fucking gun down and stop acting like an idiot." I roll my eyes. "Honestly, am I the only rational one here?"
For a minute, I think I'm actually getting through to him. He lowers his arm for a second, but immediately lifts the gun again. The steel has returned to his gaze. "Get out of the way, Charlie," he says coolly. "I mean it."
"You're not shooting her."
"Move."
"No."
Our gazes are locked, Mike's angry, mine mildly irritated. Why are we even still debating this? Clearly, I'm right. But still Mike stares me down. For a moment, I wonder if he's actually going to shoot me just to get through to Emily, but then he exhales loudly and throws his hands up in the air, groaning in frustration. "Fuck, I can't do this."
"Obviously." I roll my eyes again. "Now go put that gun down."
He sets it aside, and I hear Emily let out a loud breath behind me. "Oh, my God," she says. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as she hugs me tightly. I pat her hand comfortingly. "Thank you." I just smile.
Sam gives Mike a small smile. "You did the right thing," she says reassuringly.
"I hope you did," Ashley says darkly. She's glowering at me. Did she really want one of her friends to get shot, though? She was acting so crazy.
Mike sighs. "Maybe, for now." He runs his hand through his hair. "Shit. Fuck, fuck." Whipping back around, he points at Sam and then the others. "Keep an eye on her. If you see anything weird, you guys know what to do."
"Yeah," Ashley says, agreeing. Jesus.
"No one leave. Okay?" Mike starts to head for a side door. "It's not safe out there. I'll be back soon."
I pull away from Emily and catch up with Mike quickly, grabbing onto his elbow. "I'm coming with you."
He scoffs. "What? No, you're not."
"You're going to get the key. From Josh, right?" He nods. "Exactly. I'm coming with you." I shove past him, walking out the door he's already halfway through. "Now, come on. We don't have all night."
I hear him sigh from behind me. "Fine. We'll be back soon."
oOoOo
It's late at night on a Friday when Josh calls me. I almost want to ignore it, considering he hasn't been responding to any of my calls or texts over the last few weeks. But I can't ignore him. Of course I can't.
That doesn't mean I can't be a little snarky, however. "Is there a reason you're waking me up?" I snap. Rebecca glances over at me from her desk, looking very alarmed and confused. She hears the lie immediately; obviously I wasn't sleeping. I had just been reading.
"Charlie," Josh says in a low voice. "I'm not an idiot. You and I both know you weren't sleeping."
I sigh and lean back against my pillows, setting my book aside. "Fine. I wasn't sleeping. What do you want?"
He laughs on the other end, and I all of a sudden find it very hard to remain irritated. "Why so hostile, Charlie?" he asks cheekily.
"You know why." I try to stay annoyed, but my voice is losing heat rapidly.
He laughs again. "I do. But let me make it up to you." He pauses, like he's waiting for me to say something. I don't. "Come see me."
I'm stunned. "What?"
"Come see me."
Rebecca has left her desk and crept her way toward my bed, which she now perches on the end of, eyes wide with interest. "Who is it?" she whispers.
I hold a finger to my lips. "When?" I ask into the receiver.
"Tonight," he says. "Like, right now."
I don't even know what to say. "Josh - "
"So that's a yes? Great. I'll see you in a bit."
"Josh!" He's already hung up. Sighing in frustration, I drop my phone onto the mattress and put my face in my hands. "Fuck!"
Rebecca scoots closer and sets a hand on my shoulder. "Okay, so, I'm assuming that was Josh," she says. I groan; she stifles a laugh. "I thought so. What did he say?"
I remove my hands from in front of my face and run my fingers through my hair instead, subconsciously trying to make myself presentable. "He wants me to go over and see him. Tonight. Now." I sigh again.
"Why are you sitting here sighing? Get up! You have to go see your boy." Rebecca is on her feet in seconds, grabbing at my hands to pull me off the bed. "Come on!"
I shake my head but can't fight a smile as I let her drag me out of bed. "You're too excited about this," I tell her, tucking my phone into my pocket. "Seriously. I don't know if I should even go, anyway. He's been ignoring me for weeks. It'd serve him right if I just left him hanging and stayed here."
"Don't be petty," Rebecca says, giving me a stern look. "Now get going; he's waiting for you."
I roll my eyes, but the smile never leaves my face. Putting my hands up in surrender, I grab my at keys and head for the door. "Fine, fine. I'm going. I'll see you..." I trail off. I don't actually know how long he wants me for. I'm not bringing spare clothes with me, so I guess I'll figure it out when I'm there. "At some point?"
Rebecca shrugs. "Good enough. Go have fun."
I don't really register how long it takes for me to drive over to the Washingtons' mansion. It feels like years, but then there are the gates. They're closed. Is anyone even awake to let me in? Maybe Josh already fell asleep. This was a bad idea.
Just as I'm about to leave, the gates open up, just enough to give my car space to get through. Lips pressed into a thin line, I creep slowly forward and park in my usual spot off to the side. I've only just locked my car when someone rushes up and grabs me from behind. I would have screamed, but the embrace is too familiar: one arm around my waist, one across my chest, head on my shoulder -
"Josh," I say, exhaling slowly. How could I have ever thought this would be a bad idea?
He nuzzles in closer, squeezing me gently. My heart is beating at an uncomfortable tempo. "I missed you," he breathes against the side of my neck, making my stomach flip and the hairs raise on my arms.
"Whose f-fault is that?" My voice shakes. Do I sound nervous? God, I must.
Josh lets me go. "Mine, I know." He grabs my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine. "And I'm really sorry about that. I'll explain all of it to you, I just - " He swallows hard and looks at me with the most genuine expression I've ever seen on him. "I just need some time." His voice is soft.
"Of course," I say automatically. I had wanted so badly to be annoyed with him, but how could I? Clearly something else is going on here. "Whatever you need."
His smile is small, but at least it's there. "Right now, all I need is you." He squeezes my hand and leads me toward the front door. Thank God it's dark outside so he can't see the blush on my face. "Come on, let's get you inside."
It's warm inside the house, which I welcome; it's starting to get chillier at night. Josh puts a finger to his lips. "Let's not wake my parents up, yeah?" he says quietly.
I smirk. "Don't want them to catch you sneaking a girl into the house?"
He gives a soft laugh. "Nah, they love you. But considering it's one in the morning, they'd probably be pretty annoyed if we woke them up." Makes sense.
It's been a couple of months since I was in his room, but it hasn't changed at all. Josh drops my hand and crosses over to his closet. As he rummages around inside, I sit on the edge of his bed. He unzips his sweatshirt and hangs it up before shutting the door to his closet, and I have to admit that I'm shocked to find him in nothing but a pair of sweats.
"You - you weren't wearing a shirt under your jacket?" I ask, hating the way I stuttered then. I'm flustered, I'll admit it. It's hard to catch my breath, but I'm doing my best to hide it.
He looks down at himself in partial surprise, like he'd forgotten he was standing half naked in front of me. "Oh, yeah. Well, I was trying to sleep earlier, and this is what I was wearing. I put on the jacket just to grab you from outside." Now he looks at me, a slight tilt to his head. There's the faintest trace of a smirk on his face. "Would you rather I put a shirt on?"
I look away quickly and shrug. "If that's how you sleep, who am I to tell you otherwise?" It takes an excruciating amount of energy to keep my voice even.
The mattress shifts; he's climbed onto the bed with me. He exhales slowly. When I chance a glance over at him, there's a smile on his face. I don't succeed very much at keeping my eyes off his torso. Fuck, he's like a god. My face is warm. "God," he says cheerily. "I forgot how nice this bed feels. This is the first weekend I've been home in a while."
I raise an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting that he's shirtless beside me. "Um, why?"
Josh jumps, sitting up a little. He's wearing that expression of someone who has said too much. He clears his throat and settles back again. "It doesn't matter. Come here."
He holds his arms out for me and wiggles his fingers, like that's the way to summon me to him. I scoot an inch or so closer and lay back, leaving at least half a foot of space between us. Stop acting so stupid, I scold myself. You saw him shirtless at the beach. But he was swimming, it was normal then -
"Are you okay?" Josh asks, cutting into my train of thought. He had moved closer during my reverie.
"I'm fine."
He comes even closer now and throws an arm across me, pulling me into him. He rests his head on my chest and breathes slowly, closing his eyes. I tense up for a moment - Josh Washington is half naked and practically on top of me oh my God - but relax a little while later. Josh has laid on me like this dozens of times before. This is normal for us. This is normal.
I run my fingertips across his shoulders, down his spine, and back up again, marveling at the smooth feeling of his tan skin. I lean my cheek against his hair and close my eyes as well. This is normal. The rapid beating of my heart is normal. Shit, he must hear it.
"I missed you," Josh says after a while.
I smile. "So you've said." I can feel the smile spread across his lips. "I missed you, too." He smile widens into a grin.
Josh cuddles even closer into me now, throwing one of his legs over mine. His grip on me tightens. Minutes pass, but his hold doesn't loosen. "Josh?" He hums. "Are you alright?"
"I'm happy, Charlie." He lifts his head to look at me. There's a small, shy smile on his lips. "Just let me be happy."
It takes me a moment to respond. He's never answered like that before. Not so positively; not about himself. "Okay."
He settles back in, head on my chest once more. His eyes close. "Try to sleep, Charlie," he says. I make a noise of protest, which he promptly cuts off. "Just try. For me, okay?"
"Okay."
I lean my head against his again and wiggle a bit to get comfortable. Josh lifts his arm just long enough for me to move before he tugs me back against him again. "Close your eyes," he says.
"This isn't going to work," I say lamely. Already I'm starting to feel drowsy.
"That's okay," he says. "Just try." He presses his lips against my collarbone; I shiver. My eyes close. "You need sleep. I need sleep. We need this."
I know I need sleep. I've needed it for a very long time, but I've managed to make do without a whole lot of it. Maybe I don't really need sleep. But God only knows how much I need him.
I don't know what time it is when I finally drift off. Josh fell asleep long before me, still holding me close. But I do fall asleep. I do. And it's the best sleep I've gotten in a very, very long time.
