The Lines Between Us | ✔

|.17.|

September 18th, 5:55 pm,

Ash

After Bella fell asleep, I left. I need to find Liam and Mel. How can I let them roam the streets, knowing full well Bella isn't safe? Though my mind is trying to figure the situation out, it just doesn't add up. Why would Liam kidnap her, then return her 5 days later? I am sick of watching her. Knowing that she feels nothing for me. I saw the way she looked at me. I saw the way she shuffled to the other side of the bed, trying to escape from me. The slight fear in her eyes with every movement I make. The fear that deep down, she doesn't know whether or not to trust me.

I don't blame her. She has just been taken home by some random guy who claims he is her boyfriend, and she has no recollection of him. I would be scared too. It's the perfect crime. Bella's memory has been stripped back far enough that she forgets me, and only remembers Liam's good side. But how? There's no such thing as magic, so that puts a cross in that box. Surely there isn't a drug that technical. The only other option is an actual case of Amnesia. Which would mean Bella is blocking out her memory purposefully. Well, not intentionally. . . subconsciously. But this would mean that the events of the trip were so traumatic she had to block it all out. And she returned perfectly normal- give or take a few bruises.

Stop. Stop talking. I hear my voice shout in my head. I can't take the mental pressure any longer. So many loose threads left hanging. So many unanswered questions.

If Liam did indeed bring Bella back, then he must be around here somewhere. The problem is where. I must have circled the area a thousand times, but there was no sign of either of them. I figured I would start in the more active places- though I knew it would be the last place they would be. Then, I headed downtown. To the less. . . active places. Well, arguably they are more active. The drug dealing kind of places. The places where no one gives a fuck about who has committed what. The only places Liam would be welcomed into.

After scouting the more popular ones, I made my way here. Talons. It looks a lot worse than the first time I came here- about a year ago with Liam. I used to do drugs a lot. . . like a lot. We would be down here almost every day if we weren't partying. Looking at it now, it looks like a mess. Graffiti walls with illegible names. Pools of broken glass surrounding the entrance; ivy covering the rest. If a building could be dead, this is what it would look like.

The outside is pretty solid, made of mostly red brick. I am guessing it was a nice building before it was taken over. When I say it is mostly red brick, I mean that where there once was glass, there are now massive patches of gray stone. Poor attempts at filling them in.

There is no official name on the outside, just a J and an E about a meter apart. I am going to guess there used to be letters in between, but they are long gone- probably engulfed in the mass of weeds below them. The original founder of this place — the nightclub owner — went by Talon. Big, scary guy, but actually nice when you got to know him. Last I hear of him, he moved to Toronto with his Mom.

Stepping closer to the derelict building, I hear loud, blasting music. Whilst most places like this don't start partying till about midnight, Talons stays open all day. 24/7. The perfect place for the two. I can't quite make out the tune, the walls blocking out most of the sound, but it wouldn't be my first choice of song. When I open the door, all my senses are shocked. It's been a while since I have been, but apparently, I am not used to it anymore. My eardrums are smashed by the powerful music, my nose filled with the pungent smell of drugs and alcohol. If you'd have asked me a couple of months ago, this would have been one of my favorite places. But now. . . now I don't even want to associate myself with it.

Walking fully in, I struggle to make my way past people, casually bumping into someone every two seconds. The only light to guide me is a few flashing colors that could give someone a seizure. A few girls latch themselves onto me as I walk through the party. I don't purposefully try to hurt anyone, but shove them off me as fast as possible. If any guy touched Bella like the girls did just now, I would personally snap their necks. Marching my way through the crowd, I dart my eyes around, looking for any sign of Liam. I didn't have much hope with the other places I went to, but here. . . I can practically feel his presence. Just the thought of being in a 6-meter radius of that monster makes my blood boil. Even looking at his face causes my emotions to be encased with rage. The anger I feel just thinking about him could be shared across a thousand people, and they would have enough for a lifetime.

Gazing, I search through each and every face. It's hard, but I know I will recognize him in a second. After a few minutes of glaring, my eyes are caught by a pair of piercing blue eyes. In seconds, my legs are sprinting in that direction. I have no weapon, but I reckon my hands will suffice with all this anger boiled inside. Lifting my arms above my chest, I throw my body through the swarm, hearing several complaints from those I shoved past. Using one arm, I place it forward in a straight line, manually moving each person to the side. The other just hangs in a fist against my heart. A casual 'excuse me' leaves my lips a few times, not that anyone can hear me over the tunes.

The eyes have long disappeared now. I am playing an endless game searching for someone by their eyes. It feels as though I am in slow motion, never being able to reach the culprit in time. By the time I have pushed my way through the body of people, I find myself at a hard, metal door. Without hesitation, I exit, stumbling into an alleyway.

''Well, well, well. What do we have here?'' I hear Liam's sick voice say from in front of me. A gun hangs tightly in his hand, pointing directly at my head. 

''Shut the fuck up you. . . you sick freak,'' I spit in his face, causing a scowl to appear on it.

''You don't like me very much, do you, Ashton?''

''Aren't you observant?'' I reply, cockily. ''That's a fucking understatement.''

He moves his spare hand to wipe the wetness from his skin. ''What are you going to do? Punch me?'' Liam laughs demonically, looking at my balled fists.

''Yes. Actually, that was my plan,'' I answer, before lunging myself at him, knocking his gun to the floor. I have only ever fought Liam once, but I know him and his tactics. I know that I am twice as strong. I have the advantage, my fists tangling with his face. I am on top, placing my fists around his throat whilst his hands grapple against my flesh. His face turns purple rapidly, veins threatening to pop out of his forehead.

''Aww, is little Ashton going to kill me?'' He chokes, his teeth grazing along his bottom lip. I don't reply, just squeeze my hands harder to give him his answer. I can do it. Instead of clawing at my hands with his, they are scraping along the ground like claws, trying to reach out for his gun. I can't remove my hands for a second. If he doesn't pass out now, he could shoot me. Dead. I can see the light fading from his eyes, bulging red out of his head. I am almost there. Until I am not.

A large object collides with my head, my vision blurry. I am on the floor next to Liam, black spots forming in my eyes. Attempting to stand up, my hands push off the floor, and I stumble forth on them. I can see Liam catching his breath on the floor, choking still. My hands work slower than my feet, and I wobble, trying to use only my legs to move. But I just keep falling forward. As soon as I am on two feet, a cloth is placed around my mouth. I try to struggle, but whatever is on the cloth won't let me. In seconds, my sight is blank. I am not even sure if I am standing or sitting. 2 pairs of arms grapple with mine for support, and then I am gone.