Along came Avery

1 1 . e m p t y p r o m i s e s

He's lying. Delusional! He knows he wouldn't even do it himself. "W-what?"

"Calm down, I just want you to stand on the other side of the railing. I'm going to be right here, Bubbles." His smile is deceiving, I can tell. It isn't to try and comfort me one bit. He pulls my hand a bit. "Come on. Climb over."

I'm crazy for even thinking this makes any sense. I know what he's doing. He's trying to scare me by having me half hanging over a building? The insanity of his is on another level and I refuse to be treated like a choice-less doll. He's taking advantage of my vulnerability.

"Avery, this is crazy. I'm not climbing over the railing. One mistake and I could die!"

Instantly, he frowns. "You didn't think of that when you killed Michaela, so what are you so concerned for?"

I don't even respond to him. I instantly pull my hand out of his and back away from him and the railing. "I'm not doing it. Okay?"

"Zinhle."

With hands dismissing him, I turn back around and head back towards his car. Two steps do me no justice, because suddenly and I cannot be surprised, he turns me around with the tug of my arm and then bends, immediately lifting me over his shoulder and holding my legs across the underneath of my knee.

I'm screaming, and I don't believe I've ever been this loud when I've screamed before. With my top half being upside down, I see his legs move ahead and I know he's heading towards the end of the building. My arms grip him tightly as I continue kicking, trashing around. Eyes well up instantly and my throat clogs.

"Avery! Put me down right now! Stop this!"

I can feel him bend, and when he does, my feet touch the ground. Then I partially peek, to see me on the other side of the railing. I'm frantic, holding him as he moves himself partially from me and to his height on the safe side.

"Avery! This isn't funny!"

"Death is never funny, Bubbles." He breathes out.

"Avery! Avery, please!" Now, both arms are around him like I'm hugging him, and it would seem like it to an onlooker since his arms are round my midsection as well. My fingers are literally gripping his shirt. If I go down, he's coming with me. But I don't want to go down. "Please don't drop me, please! I said I was sorry, I did!"

"Let go of me and turn around." I cannot even believe he finds this amusing as he chuckles.

"You're going to push m—"

"If you don't let me go, I'm have no hesitation to force your arms open and then push you. Let me go, and turn around."

Tears are streaming out now, and the adrenaline and panic in every nerve found in my body is skyrocket and on extreme high alert. I force myself to let go of him and immediately hold onto the railing, just incase he decides to catch me off guard and shove me to end my misery. I'm sucking in air greedily, watching as he takes a step back, which only increases my worry and fear.

"Avery!"

"Turn around."

With the unwanted — okay, maybe it's wanted in a sense — help of his hands, I'm fully turned around and facing forward. I'm way to terrified to even peep a glance down, because I know we're high enough to shatter my body if not kill me instantly, if he decides to push me. It feels like I'm Rose in her old age, except below me is certainly not an ocean. It's hard concrete. And my Jack, oh he's beyond willing and ready to give just one wrong move to send me to my death. For good.

I hold back sobs as my jaw starts trembling, and my eyes do not look down, but rather ahead at the beautiful mountains long ahead of us. Maybe people kill themselves here with the last memory being this scenery. But I don't want to go out yet!