She knows - A Ziggy and Nick story

Dead

I shine the flickering flashlight down the small entry. I could hear Deena shuffle/crawl a few feet behind me. The cave was darker, smaller, and creepier than I have remembered.

We reach a part where we can stand, so gladly stand up and stretch my limbs before trenching forward again.

My feet begin to drag against the stone. I was tired and close to giving up, but knowing I was close, kept moving. I was also to deep in thought to remember Deena was just at my tail.

"You good back there." I ask her.

"Yeah. It's just dark." Deena replies. I can't help but let out a giggle.

I tilt my flashlight all different ways, trying to find the any form of light. I sigh happily when I see the first glimpse of a candle.

I grab Deena's arm and point. She shoots her head in the direction of the dimly lit end and grins. We finally found it.

We walk soundlessly through the cave. It's walls widening as we inch closer. Every step, Every crunch, the closer we are to the source.

"Deena Johnson." We hear faintly. My eyes grow wide and Deena went pale. Like a ghost. A terrified one.  With one look at each other, our walk breaks into a run.

Quietly sprinting as he shouts the names of the devil.

The light becomes wide and we reach the end. I can see the book , the blood, him sitting down with the cult mask over his face. I freeze.

What am I to do next? Do I charge in? But Deena was more of a do first, think later person. Her fists were clenched and her face serious.

She runs in, a scream escapes her lips. She removes his mask and he looks of a hundred things. Mad, scared, sad, happy. No telling what it meant.

Deena pushes him down and pins him to the floor. I stand in shock. Frozen. Feet glued to the floor as I watch these unbelievable events unfold.

Deena grabs a knife from her jacket with her free hand, attempts to plunge it into his chest, but Nick catches her hand. Holding it mid air. She was struggling, and so was he. Adrenaline over load.

Deena looks at me over her shoulder, desperate, but I am still unable to snap out of my trance. I don't k is what to do. I'm just stuck.

During Deena's moment of weakness, Nick is able to whack the knife out of her hand, get up, and pin her to the wall. The knife hits the ground with a clatter.

"You think you can waltz in here, put my wife and child in danger, and get away with it?" Nick says, barely audible. Deena his squirming, deeply terrified by the man towering over her, threatening her.

"Well that's to bad that you thought that. Now I'm gonna kill you, and your shitbag of a brother, and I'm gonna get a fucking medal. You hear me?" Nicks chuckles. Deena is pouring tears.

"ZIGGY! ZIGGY!" She screeches, begging for my assistance. I see the glint of a blade being pulled from Nick's pocket. His hand, his blade. I snap.

I reach in my pocket, and throw it right into his back. Dead center. He has no time to scream. Deena pushes him onto the ground. He whimpers as he pulls the knife out of his back.

I run in and and get on top of him. A knife in my hand in case. Deena backs into a wall opposite of us.

He studies my face. I reek of anger and sadness. He know what it meant. One wrong move, and he's a goner.

"Ziggy...", his voice trails off distantly. I don't loosen my grip on him. My knife is out, ready to stab him at any moment.

He doesn't sigh. His face is blank. Just sorrow. He knows. He knows he fucked up and it's his fault. No more secrets.

"You know. Don't you." He breathes. His voice not shaky. Or scared. Just calm.

"Of course I know! You act like I won't find about something. Not in a county where there is murder every 10 years!" I half yell.

He's holding my waste. Like he always did. Holding my scars. Protecting them like he did.  He has no more defense.

"Please... Jane..."

I hesitate. I forgot about Jane. And he utilizes this to spin us around. I'm now being pinned to the floor. He hovers above me dangerously.

" You're not leaving alive." He says like it like it was something he said everyday. I lay scared. He strokes my hair.

"You are very pretty."

" But don't worry...", he pulls a 8 inch blade from his pocket; "I'll make it painless."

He puts the knife above his head, ready to strike. Hearing deflates and everything around me is still. Just me and Nick. And the knife.  We lock eyes and I all I see is black.

Goodbye Jane

A warm spray of red splatters my face before I feel the blade cut my stomach. 

We're dead.