CHASING ASH (GXG MAFIA) BURN THE DEVIL SEQUEL

Chapter Thirteen

Life has gone back to normal, well, somewhat normal. If you consider Carmilla showing up at the worst times normal, then I guess it's been a pretty ordained couple of days. I feel horrible for pushing her away like this, but I can't have both. It's time I made the decision on who I'd rather have as my own. For Adeline's sake, I cant have Carmilla around her, she would become an immediate target. I am willing to risk losing everything, but not her.

Being stuck in traffic certainly didn't help my dwell, rethinking all the moments I spent with Carmilla. God, she knows how to make me weak. Snap your head out of the gutter Jane!. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel, letting my foot off the brake as traffic moves along slowly. Just the memory of our nights makes me want to turn this car around and speed to her apartment, but I can't, Adeline needs someone to pick her up from school after all.

Speed walking through the car park, I make my way to the entrance. A new girl stands at the door pick up spot, her ginger hair curls around her bun innocently as she converses with the mothers at the entrance. "Hi, who are you here for?" she asks softly, her voice matches perfectly with her face, delicate yet loud pitched enough to not want to hear her drunk at a bar.

I give my biggest fake smile as I glance at her, not wanting to be surrounded by these soccer moms for longer than I have to. "Adeline, Adeline Henderson '' I clarify as my car keys dangle in my hands, insinuating my impatience. Her once smiling expression morphs into a confused one as she wrinkles her freckled forehead.

"Oh that's weird, someone already came to pick her up" she says softly but her words turned into an echo as my stomach drops to my gut. George is at work, and we are the only ones that can pick her up.

"W-what do you mean? no that doesn't make sense. She's 3 years old, is there another Adeline in the school?" I try to ration, not wanting to jump into panic when this could be a misunderstanding. It must be. She's new, maybe she's mistaken.

"No Mrs. Henderson, she was picked up by her mother, your wife?" she states, her features just as confused as mine. The other moms' silence turns into little whispers as they talk between each other, and I don't blame them. I don't have a wife.

"I am her mother, and she has a father, George. He's the only one apart from me that is allowed to pick her up " I argue, my gut telling me this is no longer a misunderstanding. Before she gets the chance to respond, it clicks. Carmilla. How could I be so naïve? An overflowing dread flies up to my chest as the world closes in around my chest. "What did she look like? Did she have brown hair? With a scar on her neck?" I frantically interrogate.

"Yes, she said she always does the pickup" she explains, her tone unsure as I glare at her, my face heating at her incompetence

I let out an angry groan, fighting the urge to knock the freckles off her face, but I have to find Adeline first. "What direction did she go in?!" I chastise in hysteria. I quickly turned in the direction she pointed in silently, running towards the left side of the car park. Please be there, god, don't let me lose her. My legs take over my body as I shift through the parked cars around me, eyes and ears scanning the havoc of the after school rush. "Adeline?!" I call out, my voice croaking as my heart starts to beat into my ribs. I feel the heat rise to my head as I spiral into oblivion, completely ignoring the concerned parents asking to help. I'm going to find her, she must be here somewhere. I reassure myself as much as I can but it is fighting a losing battle to the reality of Carmilla's ability to take her and never let me see her again. "Adeline!" I scream as loud as I can, hoping she might hear me and run to find me. My forlorn sprint halts as my eyes fall on a car at the far corner of the car park, Adeline's pink light up sneakers peaking through the bottom of the open car door. I exhale loudly as I chase the car, stopping as Carmilla's figure stands up to look at me, Adeline hand gripping onto her finger.