The Sinner

77

buckle. in.

____________

"Corrine,"

My eyes shoot open in a jolt. My breathing for a second becomes rapid, but then I realize where I am.

"I'm leaving. I wanted to tell you before I just left." It was Rafe, I was in his house. I was safe. I had taken a nap after the events from earlier today.

"Where are you going?" I ask, slowly sitting up from his comfortable bed. Rafe had chased Topper away from Sarah the last time I saw him. Where we learned that he apparently stalks Sarah by tracking her location like some crazy psychopath. But I guess that connected something in Rafe's mind too.

"We're going to get the cross," Rafe explains softly. He sits down on the bed, his eyes sunken in, not as droopy as before, but he did not look good. He was tired, I could visibly tell. "But I don't want you to worry-"

"How can I not worry?" I mumble as I bring my knees to my chest. His navy blue comforter was still wrapped around me like a glove. Everything about this bed felt like a big giant comfortable hug from him. Which was something I needed after this day. "You said yourself that Renfield isn't a good person."

"I can handle him, he's old as shit," his attempt at a joke didn't work. I instead start to worry about his health now. "I'll be okay, alright? You have to trust me on this one."

"Every time you say that it feels like everything is destined to go wrong," I explain. "I'm sick of bad things happening to us Rafe."

"I know," He says. "As long as we're smart about this, nothing bad will happen. I'll be back." He kisses the top of my forehead, and lingers for a second or so.

"Please, be careful."

He nods, "We need this cross. I'll get it for us, okay?" He's so set on this damn cross. Anything that has to do with money, it's like he gets tunnel vision. He hyper fixes on one scenario and can't let it go.

I nod anyway, "I love you."

"I love you too." My eyes follow him as he stands and walks around the bed to the door. He looks back once more, and softly shuts the door behind him.

The white walls in front of me hold my attention. After that nap, my mind is mush; this day was incredibly draining. Despite having just had two hours of sleep, it seems like my mind is not able to function properly.

Looking out the window, I noticed that it was getting close to nightfall. The sun had already set and the sky was orange, maybe one of the last pretty sunsets that we'd see once it starts to get cold.

I suddenly hear voices like they're right outside the room. I throw the comforter off my body, and walk across the floor to the door. I lean my head against it, and it almost seems as though the voices fade away. It was then that I realized they weren't outside in the hallway, I was hearing them through the vents.

I step away from the doors and look at the vents that were in the floor. I walk over and get on all fours to listen to the voices.

"Renfield, shut up for two seconds," Limbrey instructs him. "I can't think when you speak nonsense."

"I saw her location, they were back at Goat Island," it was Rafe speaking now. "We were in the right area, just not the right place."

"I'm confused, where else could it possibly be? It wouldn't be just thrown in the woods."

"It must be in the church we passed. There's nothing else on that island between those two places," Rafe explains.

"You two go get the cross," Limbrey says. "I'll get to the tarmac and stop in my father's warehouse in the back corner. Renfield knows where it is, he can show you."