ash's pov
on that day i had wished we got caught. bray and athena slobbered all over me, my hatred for drugs and what they had done to jawsh festering in my chest. i would often sit in front of my friends and complain about how much i wished people hated me, but still nobody ceased their co-dependent behaviors. i was angry.
kassidy's pov
jawsh began to call us to the middle of the room about an hour after the sun went down. ash was standing next to him, and the others clung to his sides. jawsh started to read from this book, and my head felt more and more clouded. my vision became more and more dull until i was unaware of what was going on in front of me. i felt dead.
my eyelids peeled back to reveal a change in setting. there were soft white wood beams above me, i was laying on my back. i was corrupted with fear, my body shook as i sat up. it was him. "ah! you're awake! drink this." ash said with excitement.
"is this tea?" i sipped the contents of a small china tea glass. it tasted of pizza rolls and asparagus.
he giggled and dropped his head into his hand, "no. it's dishwater." he laughed as i spit the vile liquid out and back into the cup.
i noticed that i was sitting on a small loveseat, in a shack with a devil worshiper who fed me dishwater. that should have scared me but it didn't. the wood on the walls and the panels above me were all white, but the paint had chipped and worn away somewhat. the air smelt of candles and weed. there was a kitchenette in front of me, and an area full of candles and rocks and paintings behind me. there was also a ladder, which i was very curious about.
questions began to add up in my mind. how did i get there? actually, where was i? what happened? this was all very overwhelming for me and i found myself oddly calm throughout my awakening moments.
"i feel that there may be some things that you are unsure of." he said, sitting down on the small kitchen counter. "i understand that you have no reason to believe me, but you aren't in any danger."
i nodded and grinned. "can i ask you some things?" i tried not to seem obnoxious while analyzing my new location.
"is there anything you need? yes ask away." he hopped off the counter and began filling a pot with water.
"uh, well, what happened? where are we, why are we here? y'know, that stuff." i pulled my phone from my waistband to check the time, and see if i had service.
"well you passed out, probably because you were anxious. i wasn't planning on staying the whole trip anyways so i offered to take you home with me. that was last night." he told me, while spooning things out of some jars into small black cups.
"sorry about that, that's so embarrassing." i blushed, continuing to look through my phone.
"eh, it's okay. what was i gonna do, leave you with those idiots?" i payed a little less attention to what he was doing and focused on my phone.
it was three in the afternoon, and i had slept all night on his couch. i looked out of the window that was next to the door. there were trees. just trees. i had perfect cell service, but all i could see was trees.
i had a few texts from unknown numbers. the first one i opened read, "hey i don't know if u remember me, but it's alyssa! feel better soon sweetie, sorry you couldn't come along." i smiled and typed a short thankful response.
the second was from zahra: "hi girlie it's zahra, i love super close 2 ash & i won't b traveling w the kids! hope we can b close or sumthin" i felt warm inside when i read the text from her and regretted judging her and her friend the night before. i texted her back as well, saying that i hoped we could hang out soon.
i stood up and walked from the couch to the counter ash stood in front of. "so this is your house, eh? where is this?" i questioned him.
"yeah, home sweet home i guess." he poured the now boiling water into the tea cups. "it's about three miles into the woods from my parents house. my friends and i built it." he handed the cup, and i stirred it while listening.
he took a sip of his own tea before continuing, "up the ladder is the loft. it has a bathroom and a wood burner. keeps it warm." he smiled as he gazed at his tiny messy hut, in the forest.
"what it all the rest of it?" i gestured to the small bookshelf, devil altar, racks of jars and candles. all of it. i felt curious and giggly as i sipped my tea inside of the dark prince's hipster shack. comfy.
"things for the spells and the candles and the books and the plants. all of it. very important." my attention was excited when i heard him say plants. first i wanted music then i wanted shrubs. he was a shrub. i was going to make him my shrub.
"i'm done with my tea and i have work to do, find me if you need me." he tossed the cup into the sink and dashed away, out the rounded door that reminded me of elves.
i was alone inside of the isolated shed of sin, finding excitement sprout from my insides. why would i not be happy about being inside of my drug addicted cousin's friend's gardening and witchcraft cabin.
