Ashes to Ashes

Chapter four

Chapter Four

"This place in the darkness could be anywhere"

Error #4: Always something left behind to remind me

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The car vibrated around me as I drove, knowing full well I shouldn't. I could barely even see what was two metres in front of me.

Reaching blindly around on the seat next to me, doing that thing everyone does when you're groping around for something in the dark. I grabbed the unopened bottle, and brought it too my lips.

One second too long.

The car swerved, out of my control, and veered off the side of the road.

I don't remember much, just that my head hit the window, and I woke up with my own blood this time, spattered all over my dress.

∙∘☉❍☉∘∙

"Cola!" My mum's scream was hysteric.

Running down the stairs, I saw her, staring intently out of the window.

"What?"

She spun around, already running to the kitchen. The panicked look in her eyes was scaring me.

"They're coming."

Nothing could explain exactly how I felt then.
Confusion.
Fear.
Anger.

How could they have found us?

"Cola!"

I spun around. Caitlyn.

"Go." I told her more severely than I meant to. "Lock yourself in dad's room." It was the only room in the house that actually had a lock. "Don't come out. Not for anything, okay?"

Caitlyn stood there, staring at me blankly for a second. Then her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to say something.

"Go!" Caitlyn fled.

The door blew apart.
I snorted unattractively in spite of the fact that my heart was trying to make the great escape out of my chest. Way to make a smooth entrance.

In the kitchen, I could hear mum sobbing.

Not long now.

Out of sight, I gripped the window frame so hard my knuckles turned white.

They were here. Even after all they'd done – everything they'd put us through. What had we done to deserve this?

I moved my hand away from the window frame. Gripped the curtain instead. Tried to even out my breathing.

Mum appeared in the kitchen doorway. Her face clean of tears. Knife in hand. She smiled. A don't-be-scared-everything-will-be-alright smile. Because right then that's all I wanted to know. That everything would be okay.

Then she mouthed, "Go."

I shook my head. Terrified as I was, I wasn't going to leave her on her own.

Across the room, she raised her eyebrows. 'Remember what you promised?'

I did remember. Because she had known this moment would come.

If you ever have to make a choice between me and Caitlyn," she had said, "You choose Caitlyn. Promise me. Whatever happens."

I promised. I didn't think the moment would come.