Witch {Book One} [UNEDITED]

XXII: Crucification

I buried my face in Sammy's shirt to avoid looking at the others. Callie, Atticus, Mrs. Hyde, and Mrs. Schade were dead because I trusted October Mae. No, because I trusted Ada.

See?! The voice in my head exclaimed. I told you! She was Ada! And you did not even think to listen to me!

I tore myself away from Sammy and marched up to Lucy. She raised one of her pierced eyebrows. My gaze drifted to the Hail Satan tattoo on her collarbone. I took a deep breath before grabbing her by the face and pulling her close to me, smashing my scarred lips on her pierced ones. A gasp escaped her lips and she widened her eyes in surprise. I didn't stop kissing her, though.

The others backed away from us, both confused and concerned as to why I was kissing the Devil and what this had to do with the Common massacre.

I ran my hand up her leg and stopped when I got to her belt. She kissed me harder, assuming one thing. What I did was not that thing. Instead of slipping my hand between her skin and jeans, I grabbed the black and red rhinestone-studded pocket knife she kept on her belt. I broke the kiss and flipped open the knife.

"You have to crucify me," I whispered as I yanked my sleeve up. Nobody dared to make a move as I started carving into my skin. Though I knew it couldn't kill me, it still hurt like a bitch. But it was worth it.

Finally, when I finished, along my wrist were four names: Atticus, Callie, Scade, and Hyde. I dropped Lucy's knife and looked at her with pleading eyes.

For once I didn't wake up in the hospital. Instead I was in my own house, in my own bed. I sat up and called out each name of the remaining members of Insomnia. Not a single one replied. I then scanned my room for any sign that they were there. The only thing that wasn't there when I left my house earlier on was a target painted on my window--in what looked like blood--along with the words "I CAN SEE YOU!" I rolled out of bed, heart racing, and reached for my phone. I saw that I had seventeen missed calls from Sammy, nine from Alice, twelve from Lucy, and a total of forty from the rest of Insomnia. I called Sammy back first. She answered on the fifth ring.

"Bandit?" She asked, her voice groggy, like she just woke up. "What the hell? It's like . . . hold on . . . It's one in the morning."

"No . . ." I looked out my window. Sun was shining in through the window and people were bustling through the streets below. "It's at least noon . . ."

"No, it isn't . . . Hold on . . . I'm coming over, that okay?"

"Yeah . . ."

"Be there in five. Don't do anything stupid." With that, she hung up and left me alone. I dropped my phone on my bed and walked over to the window. Sure enough it was daytime. Occasional cars sped down the street and a couple of teenagers were pressed against a lamppost, kissing. I looked at the target, one eye narrowed, and tried to see where the target was for. The only thing I could see was into my neighbor's window. The curtains were drawn but a sleek black cat with green eyes stared back at me.

"Simon?" I muttered, suddenly feeling lightheaded. The cat leaped from the window sill and scurried off, allowing me to be unable to see him.

I turned around and started walking downstairs. I stopped when I heard someone. I grabbed the closest weapon--a book--and tiptoed downstairs. I half expected it to be Sammy, but she always knocked once before coming in, unless it was a full-on Insomnia meeting.

"No need for the book, dearest Bandit," a very familiar voice floated from downstairs. I froze, gripping the book tightly in my hands. "I'm only here to say hello. Hello! I'm also here to warn you. I can't speak to you much any longer. She's cutting me off. Ask . . . Find Jemma and ask her for help. It's rather imp--"