After Hours

Chapter 29.

Ember's POV.

   I wake with a start, unsure what woke me. I'm scared for a second as to why I can't see, then remember I have a blindfold on. It's really starting to annoy me.

  "Grayson?" I ask, but no response.

   I smile to myself as I hear him snore from his place in the room. I sit up and turn my head from side to side, trying to loosen my neck. I sit for a second and listen to the steady sound of Vanessa beside me before getting up. I have a horrible thought. I can't possibly do this, Grayson would be so mad at me. But I need to know where I am! Plus, Grayson is sleeping so he'll never know unless someone tells him and I'm sure I won't tell him. I shakily lift my arms behind my head and untie the blindfold. For a second, I stop, scared of what I might see. My curiousness is overtaking my fear though, so I let the blindfold drop to the floor.

   I keep my eyes closed for a few seconds, then slowly open them. I stagger backwards at what I see, as if someone pushed me.

  "Oh my gosh," I whisper, tears filling my eyes.

   I take in the large cell I'm sharing with Grayson and Vanessa. But I was right. Grayson was lying. There is more than just us in here. I cover my mouth in horror as I see Eva, Vanessa, Jess, and Ethan lined up next to a mirror. I look into the mirror and I loose it.

  "Oh, Grayson," I whisper and turn around.

   What has happened to him? His arms are being held up by two ropes and he is balancing on a bucket barely big enough for his two feet. The once healthy, muscular boy I met several days ago is barely recognizable. His t-shirt hangs limply on his skinny torso. His skinny jeans are fitted loosely around his bony legs. His face is what makes my heart hurt the most. His hair is lying limp and greasy on his forehead. I walk closer, squinting in the darkness. His face is sunken in and very gray. He has dark bruises around his eyes and a deep cut on his forehead. Someone has been torturing him and I know who it was.

   Cameron.

   I turn around and realize that my friends lined beside the mirror are all dead. Or almost dead. Jess is hanging by a rope around her neck and I know she's dead. Ethan hangs, shriveled up and skinny by his own rope. Vanessa has her hands over her ears and her ankles chained to a metal post. Eva, well Eva looks like she has turned into one of Them. She lays, blinking up at me, not moving, not trying to attack me. I feel tears run down my face. How could Cameron do all of this to me? To my friends?

  "I should have kept on the blindfold," I whisper.

  "Yeah, you should've," a voice says, making me jump.

   I turn around and see Grayson has awoken.

  "I'm-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this has happened to you!" I say and run to him, wrapping my arms around his small neck.

   He doesn't answer as I cry into his shoulder. I finally release him and put a hand on his cheek.

  "What has he done to you?" I ask.

   Grayson puts his face down and lets a tear drop down his cheek. "I don't want him to hurt you," he whispers.

  "I need him to stop hurting you, Grayson. I don't care what he does to me-" I'm cut off my the door banging open.

  "You took the blindfold off?" Cameron asks.

  "What do you want, Cameron?" I ask, getting very angry.

   Cameron doesn't look angry, he actually look sick. Tired even.

  "I'm not going to hurt you," Cameron says, holding out his hands.

  "You leave my friends alone and let Grayson go," I say.

   Cameron doesn't smile, doesn't react at all. "I need you to stay with me."

  "She's not!" Grayson says.

   Cameron glares at me, then looks back at me gently. "I really do like you, Ember. That kiss? That wasn't an act," Cameron says.

  "A kiss?" Grayson says, looking at me in confusion.

  "I'm sorry, Grayson. I don't know what came over me," I say.

  "I know you feel the same, Ember. Whether you know it or not," Cameron says, walking to me and grabbing my hand.

   I jerk my hand away, getting a hurt look from Cameron. "I do not feel for you in that way, and I never did. You caught me off guard with that kiss. I know who my heart is with and it's most certainly not you," I say.

   Cameron takes a step back, but still doesn't look angry. "I'm offering you a way home. You can go home, see your mom and release her of her worry," Cameron says.

   Mom.

   How I miss her. I want her back and I want her to know I'm ok. "Grayson, Eva, and Vanessa get to go home too," I say, folding my arms.

  "I can't do that," Cameron says simply.

  "Then I'm staying here," I say.

   Grayson looks at me and frowns. "Go, Ember. I'll be ok."

  "No, Grayson! You won't be ok. I'm going to loose you again," I say.

   Cameron walks over to me and pushes me out of the way. He takes Grayson by the neck and breaths in deeply.

  "What are you doing?" I scream, and grab his shoulders.

   Cameron pushes me away and I fall onto the ground. I watch in horror as Grayson's body gets lifted up and a misty, smoke comes out from his mouth. Cameron releases him and Grayson drops his head limply.

  "Cameron, this is a horrible way of flirting!" I scream. Why did I say that?

   Cameron takes me close to his body and I feel him breath into my hair. "I'll have you one day."

   He releases me and leaves the room. I run to Grayson and take his head in my hands. He opens his eyes and I feel the tears come again.

  "What did he do?" I ask.

  "He takes my spirit, a few breaths at a time," Grayson says, his voice barely audible.

   I decide to untie Grayson's arms and he flops over my shoulder. I have a easier time than I think lifting him and lying him gently on the floor. I cradle his head in my lap and run my fingers through his hair. I jump when Vanessa starts screaming and Grayson winces.

  "My head. It hurts," Grayson croaks.

   I gently lay his head down on the ground and rush over to Vanessa. I kneel beside her and lift her hands off her ears. She opens her bloodshot eyes in surprise and grabs onto my hands.

  "Please make it stop," Vanessa says. "I want to go."

  "What do you mean?" I ask. "Where do you want to go."

  "It's time. Make sure Eva's safe. Please, just make it stop," she says, covering her ears again.

   I know what she wants and it brings tears to my eyes. "How do you want me to do it?" I ask.

   She motions for me to come closer to her lips and whispers in my ear, "Shoot me."

   I look at her in horror. "Vanessa, I'm not going to shoot you! You will be ok," I say.

   She puts a shaky hand in her pocket and pulls out her hand gun. She puts it in my hand and looks at me, tears in her eyes.

  "Please," she whispers.

   I take the gun. I can't believe I'm about to do this. She looks at me, eyes filled with tears and nods. I pull the trigger, hear the gunshot, then hear nothing.

   She's gone.

Hope you liked this chapter!

Make sure to vote and follow me!

Thanks for reading! :)