The Night Of August 15th

16

Amber  knelt close to the hole  with weak knees , "Iris?"  she said in a soft tone, but she couldn't stop her voice from shaking. "Are you okay?" she asked Iris, albeit her eyes were glued to the guys. Iris replied with a single nod,  she didn't look up. She kept her eyes glued to the unconscious guys in front of her. She knelt down and placed Emerson's head on her laps. There was some wetness on Emerson's face, Amber could tell that it was Iris's tears. 

Iris never liked crying, she never liked showing that she had such emotion. She always wanted to be the strongest person in any group. Weakness was something she could not handle, she did not know how to be weak, she did not know how to act around people that were. She couldn't look up so that they would not see the vulnerability she felt at that point. Emerson, who she had in her arms was her one true love. They dated for two years in high school and they knew each other for three years. He was the only guy she ever loved, the only one she ever gave her all to. They had to part ways five years ago when they all decided to go their separate ways. Being away from him was the hardest part for her, she missed her friends but she knew that they were replaceable. He, on the other hand, was irreplaceable. 

"They're alive," she announced, weakly. Amber let out a sigh of relief and then she stood up. She turned to Rowan and gave her a look that said they were in big trouble.

She walked closer to Rowan "How do we get them out?" she whispered.

"I've asked Gerald to bring a ladder, he should be here soon," she said, and then she checked the time on her phone.

"What? we can't involve anyone," Amber yelled, still maintaining her whisper tone.

"Calm down honey," Rowan snapped "he'll give me the ladder and leave."

"And don't you think he'll ask questions?"

"Gerald knows me enough not to ask any stupid questions," she said with a dull expression on her face.

Bekah stood silently, as far away from them as she could, but close enough to see everything going on in the hole. She watched Iris and the two guys that lay unconscious in there. Her body shook a bit-- slightly from the chilly air that surrounded them, but mostly from fear of what could happen to her.

 Earlier in the day, Iris had said that she wasn't afraid of whoever was threatening them because she felt like they had no proof of what happened that night. Even if that was true, it did nothing to calm Bekah's nerves down. Their tormentors might be phonies in some aspects, but she knew for sure that they were not scared of hurting them. They might not have proof, but they sure knew what happened, they were furious about what happened, and they wanted each and everyone involved to pay, no matter how little the involvement was. She desperately wanted to include the police, despite what the consequences might be for her. She knew that whatever she would face in the hands of the police would be far better than the agonizing torment that was rushing her way like a violent wind. Bekah jerked once she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around to see that it was Amber.

"Are you okay? You've been uncomfortably silent," She asked, there was much concern  in her tone. 

"I'm fine," Bekah nodded and then she turned back to look into the hole, although she knew that she was lying to both herself and Amber. She was not fine, she felt sick to her stomach. She could feel herself almost throw up, the discomfort was already in her throat. She looked away from the guys in the hole and just rested her gaze on the ground. "Just thinking," she said.

"About?" Amber pressed. 

"About what's next for us," she confessed, and then she looked at the guys again.

"Whatever it is, we're  in this together, and we'll all protect each other," Amber assured. She knew that with Bekah, she needed to constantly reassure her that everything will be alright, even if she did not know that for sure. She had the same fears that Bekah did, only that she was better at hiding and controlling them.