After Hours

Chapter 26

Grayson's POV.

   I wake with a horrible pain in my neck. But, much to my surprise, the bucket is back under my feet. I roll my neck around my shoulders and grimace at the pain. I have no idea what time it is, but my the silence above me tells me it must be late. I sniff the air and wrinkle my nose. Jess is starting to smell bad and her dead appearance is even worse than it was a few days ago. Eva is sitting on the ground, staring at me with those glossy eyes.

  "Hey, Eva," I whisper, knowing she won't care.

   The door handle begins to turn and I look to it. Cameron comes into the room and I frown. His appearance is bad. The dark circles under his eyes are know consuming his whole face. He is extremely thin. Even his skinny jeans are baggy around his legs. He runs a hand through his hair and smiles at me.

  "I've brought a friend," he says in a hoarse voice.

   Ember? Please not Ember. Please tell me she's ok. I mentally cross my fingers then Vanessa walks in after him. Her hands aren't bound and she seems to be unhurt. She won't look at me, just lets tears drip off her face and onto the ground.

  "Vanessa!" I say. "Are you alright?" I ask.

   She clasps her hands together and doesn't answer, just focuses on the ground. Cameron throws an arm around her shoulders making her flinch.

  "V here has a little something she'd like to tell you," Cameron says, smiling.

   I look at her and frown. "Vanessa, where's Ember?"

   Cameron's smile fades. "We're not talking about her. Vanessa? Go on, we're waiting."

   She shifts from foot to foot, not saying anything. Cameron slaps the side of her cheek and she whimpers. She looks up at me slowly, eyes red and puffy from crying. She opens her mouth and says shakily, "I'm so sorry."

   I look at her in confusion. "About what?"

   She lets out a shaky sob and laces her fingers together nervously. "I helped him. I was in on it the whole time. I betrayed you," she says the last part quietly and I can't hear her.

  "You what?" I ask, not wanting to believe it.

  "I betrayed you, ok?" she says, loudly.

   I can't believe my ears. "Vanessa, why?"

  "He said I can go back home! He said that me and Eva could go back home! I will do anything to help me and my sister get back. I'm sorry, Grayson," she says, crying hard now.

   I look at Cameron and he seems to be enjoying it. "Good girl," he approves her.

   I look at Vanessa and can't help feeling sorry for her. "This isn't you, Vanessa. You're better than this. You don't have to do this. I'll get us all out, you and your sister," I say.

  "How?" she yells. "How, Grayson? Wouldn't you have gotten us out by now? But look at you, tied up like a pathetic dog. Stop trying to comfort me. We can't get out with you," she says, and then looks guilty. "I'm sorry," she mumbles.

  "Is that why you were so obsessed with finding the underground tunnels?" I ask. "To lead us here, I mean."

   She nods her head. "Yeah."

   I look at Cameron and scowl. "You let her and her sister go now. She lead us to you, now let her go."

   Cameron taps a finger on his chin. "Hmm, maybe. But maybe not," he grabs Vanessa by her neck and she claws at his arms, gasping for air.

  "Put her down!" I scream.

   I can see the muscles ripple in his arms as he squeezes her neck harder and harder, cutting off her precious air. She claws at his hands, eyes rolling in the back of her head.

  "Let her go!" I scream loudly, making Eva get up and grunt. Vanessa catches sight of Eva and looses it, crying and gasping for breath.

   Cameron suddenly doubles over and lets her go. Vanessa coughs and gags, but takes deep breaths. Cameron takes a shaky step towards me and catches my throat in his hands. He looks deep into my eyes with his dark, bruised, and wrinkled ones. He releases me after a while and goes after Vanessa, who was trying to reach Eva. He grabs her hair and pulls her to her feet. I look into the mirror as he goes behind me and grabs a spiky chain.

  "No, please," Vanessa begs through her tears.

   He grips her hair harder and takes the spiky chain. He ties her wrists, making her cry out when the spikes penetrate her skin. He ties her feet as well and then I realize why the mirror is here. And why he is putting all of my friends here. The mirror so I can see myself get thinner and thinner and sicker and sicker. And the bodies of my friends in front of me to remind me that I'm powerless against him.

   Piercing screams from Vanessa pulls me out of my thoughts. She has her hands clasped over her ears and is screaming loudly. Cameron looks at me and I get nervous. He unties my hands from the ropes and takes my roughly by the arm. He leads me to a corner of the cell that I couldn't see. A trough filled with water sits before me with straps around it. Cameron takes me roughly again and straps me onto the mat. He flips the mat over to where my head is almost touching the water in the trough.

  "What are you doing?" I ask.

   He turns on the tap water and the trough slowly fills up. I then realize what he's doing and I start to pull on the straps. The water is slowly going to fill up in the trough until it reaches my head and drowns me. While I'm upside down.

  "I have the other girl. Ember was her name?" Cameron says, pacing back and forth in front of me.

  "Don't hurt her please!" I beg, feeling panicky.

  "I will do whatever it takes to get her spirit out!" Cameron screams in my face.

  "What are you talking about?" I ask, feeling the water reach my forehead.

  "It's only a matter of time before I kill you all. I need to feed," Cameron says.

   This is insane. What does this boy mean, needs Ember soul? Does he need all our souls? The water reaches my nose and I begin to sputter and cough. Cameron turns it off and flips me back over. I cough and hack, doubled over. Cameron ties my hands back to the ropes and stands in front of me. His eyes turn pitch black and he takes a huge breath. I feel my body shake and it feels like my breath is being knocked out of me. I feel my body lift up, chest pushing forward. I look in the mirror and see some wispy, smoky stuff coming from my mouth and Cameron breathing it in his nose. I'm starting to feel woozy and I need him to stop. Cameron finally inhales again and then releases me. I feel light headed and look at myself in the mirror. I look just about as good as death looks.

  "What did you do?" I ask, gasping for breath.

   I then notice he looks younger. The dark circles are still there, just faded a bit. He takes another deep breath and winks at me.

  "I'll bring her in tomorrow," he says.

  "Don't hurt her," I beg.

  "Unhurt then," he says nodding.

  "I don't believe you for a second," I say.

  "That's probably a good thing," Cameron says.

   He walks past Vanessa and snaps his fingers. She begins that horrifying scream again, making Eva grunt and growl.

  "Have fun listening to this for the next, well, forever," Cameron says and leaves.

   I look at Vanessa, hands over her ears, screaming her throat out. I look at myself in the mirror and decide Ember can't see me like this, can't see my friends like this.

   I'm so sorry.

Hope you liked this chapter!

Have a lovely day!