The Tiffany Box- ONC 2021 Shortlister

22- The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.

The sun's first rays weaved through Haven's long hair and woke him. He had spent the night by Ash's side, Eli had fallen asleep on the armchair nearby.

Neither of them had said anything about how worried they really were yet as the night had progressed Ash had little spasms which Eli thought were her spirit trying to smash its way out of her. Haven had to give him a shot of Cognac he kept for winters when the heat went out to calm Eli down. When Eli began to settle in the armchair, Haven knelt before him and rubbed his legs, whispering that everything was going to be alright.

Haven believed everything looked different in the day. As the sun beamed through the windows, he saw Ash's face had returned to its normal shade. Leaning into her chest, he heard her heart beating normally. When Haven touched his hand to her head, he saw the fever had vanished, yet she was not covered in sweat as people often are after a fever breaks. When Ashlyn opened her eyes and smiled at Haven, it was as if she had never been ill.

"Hi ho," Ash said sleepily. "I was sick, wasn't I?"

Giving her a relieved smile, Haven nodded. "You had a pretty bad fever and you passed out after Eli harvested."

"Yah," she said before she licked her lips. "I remember dreaming then burning up. I also remember the way the room swayed like I was on a failed cruise." Entwining her fingers, she rested them on her chest. "You guys took care of me?"

Haven nodded."Eli was really worried."

"Meh, he doesn't have to worry. I've got nine lives." When she saw they had both camped out by her, she asked, "You were worried, too?"

Not wanting to let her know just how much, Haven chose his words carefully. "I knew you'd be ok."

"Because you work miracles."

"Bullshit, Ash," Haven said softly. "It wasn't a miracle. It was tea and –"

Looking at his pale hands, Ash interrupted. "Ain't bullshit." Tapping his knuckles, she lifted her gaze to him. "I've been sick a handful of times in my life. Any sort of ailment knocks me out for at least two weeks, so...miracle." Seeing his lips curve up into a faint smile, Ash reached for his wrists and turned them to inspect the wounds she'd seen in her dreams. There were rope burns on his skin, cuts on his palms. "Does he know what happened to you?" she whispered jerking her chin to Eli.

Pulling back his hands, Haven held them to his chest. "I..." Haven looked at her sadly. "Yes, he does."

"Remember Eli said I dream other people's dreams? I've dreamed yours too." For a moment, she worried she may overstep the line, but knew she couldn't hold back what she knew. "Some bad people did this."

It was at that moment where Eli began to slip out of his sleep. He spoke Ash's name when he realized she was awake. A sleepy smile spread across his lips momentarily. But it was Haven's confession which shocked him awake.

"Sam and Roach," Haven winced. "An asshole with a bat and his buddy, a pock-faced idiot who offered me twenty dollars to fuck me after he'd slashed me with his knife."

Wriggling out of the chair, Eli dropped his blanket and moved to Haven's side. His heart beat anxiously. "I know them," he said looking at Haven.

Ash looked from one of her new friends to the other. Had the men she'd seen in her other dream – where someone was hanging out of a truck, offering cash to see someone's junk – been the losers she saw in Haven's? Had she witnessed Eli's dream of them? It was too much of a coincidence. But when Eli admitted that's how he knew Sam and Roach, Ashlyn blanched. "Oh, man..."

Both turned to look at her. Eli spoke, "Please don't tell me you know them too?"

"I kinda saw them in what I now believe was your dream. Did they uh," she wasn't sure if she should admit what she saw, but did it anyway, "offer you money for something unsavory?"

Blushing a deeper red than the fever that had stained Ash's face, Eli slowly nodded. "Yes."

When Haven looked at Eli, Eli looked away and shut his eyes. "I was almost broke. The guy with the marks asked if I was selling..." he paused before adding, "sex. I said no. Then he said he'd pay me just to look at it." Though he opened his eyes, Eli's gaze remained on the floor.

"There's no shame in that," Haven gently said as he took Eli's hands in his. "We all do what we've got to."

"Haven's right, Eli," Ash agreed.

The room felt heavy with what they had all been through. Their secrets connected all three of them now. It was a good five minutes of silence before a realization came over Eli like a sledgehammer. "Holy shit!" he yelled breaking through the silence. "I just remembered something they said."

Two pairs of eyes turned his way.

"The driver said something..." Eli began to pale. "He said, Hurry up, Roach, we've got to find that albino. Hell, Haven," Eli choked back a tear. "I think they're looking for you."

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