To Fight Back, To Change

Chapter 15 In Which The Strong Man Goes

*Ace’s POV*

GAH! I smashed my fist painfully into the house wall then cringed and cradled my hand. Stupid, I thought. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I sighed.

“Just get the answers.” I chanted under my breath. “Just get the answers then you can go home.”

Home. I missed it already.  Sliding down the side of the wall I leaned my head on my knees and sighed again. My tiredness was interrupted by the beep of my phone. Groaning, I grabbed it out of my jeans pocket and looked at the screen.

Bozo! The text read.

 I need a report, NOW!

<3 Cass

There were about 10 others of these texts each one escalating in obscene language.

I smiled at Cass’s way of contracting me. Then frowned. A small, stupid part of me hoped that it was Ash. I crushed it fast enough.

Flipping the phone up I punched in the number for Cass’s mobile and let it ring.

“ACE!” Her voice screeched into my ear painfully. I held it out at an arms width as she yelled into the phone. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, NO FREAKING CALL! COME ON ACE,  THAT’S NOT FAIR. I’M STUCK HERE IN NORMAL LAND AND I NEED DETAILS. DETAILS WOMAN!” I snorted and interrupted her lecture before she woke the house up.

“Cass, I’m fine!” I could feel the scowl emanating from her through the phone. “I’m fine, here’s fine, everything is fine.”

I could feel her disbelief from miles away. “Nothing’s happened Cass, I’m just tired.”

 Cass sighed knowing she wouldn’t get much more out of me and changed the subject“Well, everything’s is  A-O.K here.  Blace misses you a lot and I heard that you got Mason posted as your back-up. Which I think is interesting. We’re all placing bets on how long until you snap him in half. Mine’s on a couple of days.”

“There will be no snapping in half” I protested. “….unless me really does piss me off.”

She let out a small laugh and then turned serious. “How are you, really? This can’t be easy on you Ace.”

I rolled my eyes; I can never catch a break from this constant emotional talk. Honestly, I’d rather punch my own face – multiple times- instead of ‘talking’. “Fun.” I clipped out, lying. ”It’s quite interesting actually. So far I have not killed, maimed, injured or burnt down anyone or anything here…yet. I’d like to see how far I can keep control before I get really, really mad.” I decided not to tell her of the kitchen incident and how I came so close to loosing it.

My forced laughter blended in with the cold atmosphere of night.

“You going to actually sleep?” her concerned voice spoke.

I snorted. “Not that tired. Don’t trust these people for shit.”

Cass snarled lowly “Any signs of trouble?”

“No.” I let out, short and abruptly, and then changed the topic instead onto how things were surviving out back at home. Cass rambled on for a couple of minutes and I gave the occasionally yes and uh-huh and a small smirking laugh when she told me how the fighting lessons were going. Thankfully no one was dead yet, but they never seemed to learn the lesson well.

Honestly I wasn’t really listening; my eyes seemed captivated by the shining moon where my mind imagined that I was under a different moon at this exact time. It was hard to tear myself away from it but footsteps were closing in on my location, far too close for my liking.