Natalie

Chapter 10

Ashton's POV

Who should I tell?

Who could I tell?

Whoever it was would probably think I was insane to read anything into a mad man's journals. But I couldn't help but feel he wasn't as crazy as everybody thought he was. He just had too much evidence that matched up so undeniably perfectly to be thrown aside. Books upon books that gave, though questionable, good theories.

Okay, having read through some, maybe they were more than questionable.

I wish I could tell someone about this. What would I say anyway?

"Hey my best friend's father wanted to give her away to a supposed God that has a Door to his realm in the Bermuda Triangle... Well his Door is the Bermuda Triangle... Anyway he wanted to trade her for somebody named Sabine. But he disappeared, supposedly into this God's realm, before Natalie could be born. So there's a slight chance he might still be alive but in a kind of Hell. And the only one who can help is a God called Amitabh, whose Door is somewhere south east of Asia.

Oh and I got all this information from Natalie's uncle who is now in a mental institution because he believes the Earth is flat and it being round is a conspiracy set up by the world's governments."

I didn't even bother sitting next to Natalie in class anymore. I knew she needed space after what I'd said. It could have been three days since I'd last spoken to her, I lost track of time in the Ira house.

I was on my way there when...

"Ashton!"

Natalie's POV

I was still angry at Ashton when I called out to him, but he was my best friend and I needed him, especially now with exams coming up.

I finally caught up to him, "Hey, you have time to talk?"

He looked almost bewildered, but nodded enthusiastically. I laughed at his reaction, I'd missed him even though it'd only been a few days.

"Listen I know I freaked out when you mentioned my dad. You understand my reasoning behind it, but I could have handled it better."

He opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him.

"No wait, if you want to tell me about my uncle's theories then you may. There's no harm in listening."

I smiled meekly, hoping he knew my sincerity and what it took for me to do this.

He simply stared at me, I waited for him to say something but it never came.

"Ash?"

He snapped out of it, "I... I was being stupid. It was nothing. I'm sorry I brought your dad up."

I watched him, he was putting an innocent smile on.

"Ashton?" I asked. I knew he was hiding something.

"What?"

"Ashton... what aren't you telling me?" I sighed.

"Nothing! It's just some crazy theories, apparently your dad believed in the world being flat stuff too but it's nothing serious," he said quickly, almost too quickly for me to hear.

Almost.

"What?" I said blankly.

"What what?" He said, as if confused at my question.

"Don't play this game with me," I warned.
He saw the patience melting away on my face.

"Let's rather sit down and talk about this," he said softly.

"Tell me right now or I'll start pulling your nails out."

I was exaggerating and he knew it, but he also knew I'd do something where the pain was just as strong.

He took a deep breath before letting it all spill out.

"Your dad believed in everything your uncle did. Maybe even obsessed with it. I don't think your mom knew though... but I'm not sure."

I could see him physically trying to hold back more words that were on the verge of freedom.

"And?" I was doing my best to compose myself, even though I felt something eating away at my chest at the thought of my father being a madman.

"Your uncle believes he disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle."

I just knew he had more.

"And?" I didn't want to know, but I needed to.

He paused. Nothing good could come of that.

"And nothing," he sighed, as if giving up.
I felt more disappointed with that answer than if he'd given me another insane story.

"I don't believe you."

"Nothing I would have said you'd believe," he looked tired... no... defeated?
"Try asking your mom some questions, I feel this isn't my place to say anything anymore."

He walked away, leaving me wondering about my life that seemed to be orbiting around a crazy conspiracy theory.

Since Ashton wouldn't say anything, and my uncle was completely insane I had but one option left.

I had to take a trip home.