Chapter Thirty
Murderer.
Joshua covered his ears, hiding his head under his pillow to cover his head. He was huddled under his blanket on his mat and the tent was dark. Everyone was asleep but him.
Joshua had managed to pull himself together long enough to do something to help Freya, but now all had gone silent he was left alone with his screaming thoughts.
Murderer, his mind screamed. He was one. He had killed a man. One man was dead today because of him, and for all Joshua knew he could have had a family waiting for him to come home or have made some promise that he could never break without hurting or killing someone.
Murderer.
Without realizing it, he had fallen asleep, only to meet something worse than he had to endure while awake. Worse than the screaming of his mind, he saw the man fall at his hands again.
The man’s skin shriveled and grayed, clinging tightly to him. It was wrinkled and his sockets hollowed out, his eyes missing and in their place maggots squirmed as they ate at him, making Joshua want to puke.
“You killed me,” the man hissed, grabbing Joshua, the stench of death hanging around him.
“Yes, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Joshua yelled, but no sound coming from his mouth.
The half decomposed face grinned at him and forced him down. “Now I’ll make you suffer the pain of death over and over, so you’ll never forget it,” it laughed, pulling out a needle and thick thread.
“First things first though boy, I need to make sure you won’t scream for me,” it showed its smile with great gaps in it form missing teeth.
Joshua saw something move in the dead man’s mouth and closed his eyes, feeling a sharp pain tug at his lip.
He tried to scream but only part of his mouth moved.
It was being sewn shut, but before it was completely closed a boiling liquid was forced down his throat, burning his insides.
Joshua wanted to die. He wanted it all to stop. He deserved to die, and hoped his death would be a retribution for his sin.
On and on the pain went, the man starting at his fingers and toes and working his way to Joshua’s chest, but never doing enough to kill him.
Holding a wooden stake over Joshua’s heart, he pulled out a hammer, satisfied to see Joshua crying from pain, fear and from trying so hard to speak.
“Night, night,” he crooned, bringing the hammer in his hand down, driving the stake deeper into his heart with each whack.
Warm blood came from his chest, and he imagined it burning all it touched.
A moment later he was looking up at the concerned faces of Jean and Markl.
“Dude, what the hell?” Markl said in a whisper. “You were screaming for someone to kill you.... You don’t really want to die, do you? I mean... what about Sharon?”
“I was screaming?” Joshua asked slowly, his hands going to his chest where the gaping hole should have been. Finding none, he felt partially relieved, but a part of him wished that had been real.
“Aye, like a madman kiddo. Was it a dream or summat?” Jean asked, glancing over his shoulder to nod at Karaugh.
“A nightmare,” Joshua chocked, noticing how thirsty he was for the first time when he saw Karaugh bring a bowl of water.
YOU ARE READING
Ashes
Mystery / Thriller"Once a being has been named, it has power. Be sure to take care of yours. I'd know how important it is, because I lost mine." Joshua is always fretting over the "what ifs" in life, but never trusts his gut feeling because it's always wrong... at...
