Ashley's POV:
Red stumbled back and clutched his jaw. He looked up at us, and I saw the jagged scars across his face, and the murdering look in his eyes that screamed pure rage. I didn't recognize his face, but I knew I should'nt have seen it. Six was behind him, and looked mortified as he saw his partner unmasked.
"IDIOT!" he bellowed. "THEY KNOW TOO MUCH NOW. WE HAVE TO KILL THEM." Red nodded, seeming unfazed by his words, and reached for his gun. Six reached for his too, but came out empty handed. He cursed, realizing it must've fallen out of his pocket. Then he went for his knife, but it too, was missing.
"Give me your gun, Jeff." Six said, voice shaking. "I'm going to rid us of these fuckers once and for all." Red held fast to his gun, and lifted it up, his eyes twitching wildly.
"No." he said in a raspy voice. "This son of a bitch is mine." The he lowered his gun and his expression screamed crazy.
"But we're not going to make their death's easy." he said menacingly, chuckling like the crazy person he was. I realized then why they called him Red, as he stumbled toward us and laughed manically, with his aura that practically glowed red. I was so terrified tears sprang to my eyes and streamed down my cheeks, and Mitch and I backed away as far as we could go, hand in hand. If I was going to go out, it was going to be with him. Yet before we could make that call, Red lunged at me, sealing his hands around my neck. My fingers escaped from Mitch's grasp, and I instead wrapped them around Red's and struggled for air.
"You're going to give Brad what he wants, one way or another you stupid little prick." he spat. Then he threw me over to Brad, who grasped my neck even tighter than Jeff. I struggled to breathe, clawing hopelessly at his hands, but it was no use. He held me in the air by my throat, and I felt myself losing the light, my eyes unfocused.
I had to be flying, I thought then. I couldn't feel anything, and I strained to take one final breath before I blacked out.
Mitch's POV:
Tears clouded my vision as I watched Ashley struggle in Brad's arms, Jeff holding my arms and pinning me down so that I was forced to watch her until she lay still, her body limp. I tried to call out, but Jeff gagged my mouth, preventing me from doing anything but making a few muffled sounds.
I lost her. I wasn't able to save her. I was weak and useless, and it was these men who took her away from me. I lost it then and there, I thrashed and cried and cursed everything and everyone, because the one I loved most was gone.
I wanted to tell her, I wanted to let her know how I felt, but I thought then I would never have a chance. She had been my world ever since that night, and I knew she cared about me, but I was too much of a bastard to tell her I cared too. Eventually, I stopped struggling in Brad's arms and laid still. I thought there was no point in living if she was gone. But Jeff and Brad just looked at me, amused.
"Aw, look at that, Pretty Boy thinks she's dead." Jeff laughed with no humor. "Oh no, we're going to do much worse to her, and you are going to watch, whether you like it or not." I felt relief and hope for but a second because she was alive, but his words crushed that hope and turned it into fear, making me thrash and kick again.
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The next hour was the worst in my life. Jeff and Brad tortured Ashley, binding me to a wall making me watch her pain, knowing there was nothing I could do but sit there hopelessly. I listened to her muffled screams as Brad pinned her against the floor, leather jacket thrown off, engraving something on her skin with his knife while she was gagged with tears streaming down her face in a never-ending waterfall. Every time she looked into my eyes it felt like I was being stabbed a million times in the chest, and I willed them so many times to just shoot me, shoot me, shoot me.
After they finished torturing her, they smiled maliciously and let her go, knowing she was too weak to do anything. They also let me go, and I managed to crawl over to her and I saw the blood covering her arm, her clothes torn, her soft skin a dangerously pale shade. When I looked down at her arm, despite all the blood, I could make out the engraving in it. It said Mitch.
I sobbed over her trembling body, saying I'm sorry over and over again, afraid if I touched her she would break. Her eyes were unfocused, staring into space as if not knowing I was even there. Brad and Jeff just watched, no pity in their expressions. I wanted to kill both of them, but I was afraid if I even made a single move they would hurt Ashley even more. I knew we were going to die. Why else would they let us know their real names? Ashley didn't deserve the pain. She was beautiful and whole and innocent. I should've been in her place, going through her torture. She was so brave, and I loved her.
"I love you Ashley. And I'm so sorry." I whispered to her, kissing her head. She had no response, and Brad and Jeff moved over to us, shoving me away from her. I sobbed silently on the floor, and Jeff leaned over me.
"How you would like us to put you out of your misery, eh?" he growled. "This is what you get, Pretty Boy. It was your choice."
MY CHOICE? I thought. I DIDN'T CHOOSE THIS, YOU BASTARD. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. IF IT WAS MY FUCKING CHOICE, I WOULDN'T BE HERE AND YOU WOULD BOTH BE DEAD. My anger flowed through, and all I saw was red as I jumped up and closed my hands around Jeff's throat. I was going to kill him. I was going to kill this bastard who didn't deserve to live. I tightened my grip, seeing his face turn purple, and feeling pleasure from it. But no. I thought. I wasn't going to be like him. I was turning into him, and I saw Ashley, her eyes finally in focus, staring at me in horror. Although before I could do anything, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head, and I crumpled to the ground, the sound of muffled screaming echoing in my head.
~
