But I Shall Tell

Chapter 24 - Apprentice

Dec 13, 2019

The person on the phone didn't answer this time. The call was ongoing. The network was good. But why?

"Ash!" Josea said again.

The person came running towards her. She had a knife in her hand.

What had she done? Had she killed anyone down? Or did she just found it lying and freed herself?

"Ash, thank God." Josea cried.

The person was running very fast. Was she going to miss the girl tied to the chair? The door was wide open. She could just run away, leaving the others to die.

The person snatched the phone from Josea's hand. Looking at the phone, the person cut the call, and went to the call menu.

Why?

There was sigh of relief from the person holding the phone. "So you really didn't call 911." Said the person.

"Ash, what's happening?" Josea looked puzzled. Her friend was standing inches away but she didn't understand anything.

"Bitch, you almost gave a heart attack." Said the person/ said Ashley.

There must be something wrong. She didn't know what it was exactly. Josea could now hear her friend laugh out loud. She saw her move towards the door and lock it.

"Rain, Rain, Rain." Ashley said. "Bitch, all he does is talk about you. Rain this, Rain that." Ashley looked at Josea's hand. Just one had was free, the other was still tied tightly. She pulled the rope, it came out easily. She caught hold of her free hand and tied it.

Josea tried to fight back but the other girl was stronger than her. She was back to being tied up like when she first was.

Ashley moved to check on Maan, he was bleeding, she pulled him upwards - she was way stronger - and put him on the chair.

"But why, Ash? Just why?" Josea said, she wasn't finding the words to describe what was going on. Was this really happening?

She went to the kitchen and brought a clean clothe and a water bottle. She poured the water on his head to clean the blood and any big glass pieces that was on his head. She carefully placed the clothe and put her one had on it to stop the blood from flowing.

"Because I love him, Bitch." Ashley said. She was happy that he wasn't dead. She tried to shake him, might be shaking him would wake him up.

It did.

Maan opened his eyes and let out a small scream. He pushed Ashley with a force and she fell backwards on the ground. Things didn't look clear to him, the impact of the hit was hard. He pressed his hand to his head to stop the pain. Blood dropped from his hand. Things were taking shape properly. A girl tied up to a chair, another fallen on the ground. He looked around. A body cut into pieces. A body bleeding. A third body.

Ashley looked in shock at Maan. He needed to stop that bleeding or else he might loose a lot of blood. Was he in shock?

"Beshi," Ashley called. She steadied herself up on her feet. Her clothes were soaked in blood, Bruce's and Simon's blood. "Beshi, your head." She pointed with a finger to his head.

It was a double shock for Josea, first Ash turning into a Villain and now Maan opening his eyes. "Nooooo, no, no, no, no, this cannot be happening," she cried shaking her head. Her hair was moving uncontrollably. Where was she getting all this energy from?

A nightmare needed to end, but this was worst than a nightmare, a one sided lover turning into a psychopath and a best friend gone nuts.

Pressing his head even harder, Maan looked at the girl in front of him. He was missing his glasses.

"Beshi," She couldn't hold herself. She called for him again. But a fear came in her which she could not understand what?

"Dumb," Maan said and he got up.

Never in her life was Ashley ever happy to be called 'dumb'. Dark clouds vanished from her thoughts and she ran, she ran and hugged him. "You know how scared I got? Don't you ever do that to me again. Beshi." Her grip was crushing him.

"Blood, Crime Scene Investigators use Luminol to find traces of blood, even if someone has cleaned or removed it," Maan said.

"I know beshi, you already taught me that. I'll get the chemical to remove your blood from the floor." She let go of him. "But first, let me bandage you."

"What a love, Ash." Josea laughed. She saw Ashley disappear into the dark.

"Today was the first day of school." Maan said, he sat on the chair like a small baby.

"Something is with your head, you need a doctor." Josea smiled.

"And if I let you go, you wouldn't speak to anybody about this?" Maan said.

The question took her by surprise.

"But you won't." She laughed. "I see what makes people such terrible creatures, fear? What are afraid of, Maan?" Didn't she fear anymore?

"Tell me more. I need to hear to you today. I might not again." Maan said.

No more vine for the birthday boy.

"I'm not your Rain, Maan. I have read all your poems, each and everyone of them. I had to. I'm so sorry but we weren't destined for each other. I love Simon, even if he dies I'll never love you. Things don't always go as planned." They were both eye to eye. And tied to something. What was he tied to? "Do you sometimes get any good dreams? If yes, what are those?" Josea asked.

"The Universe is a vast place," Maan said. He heard the basement door open. "I'll always find you, Rain."

Josea looked from one psycho killer to another. They worked in sync aiding one another in trouble.

"Atte, how is your arm?" Ashley said, but did not look towards her. As a reply she heard just silence. She kept the first aid kit on the table and dragged a chair to sir near them making a trio. "Don't move, beshi. It may hurt a bit."

After a stupid amount of time, a somewhat bandage was put on the wound. The blood had clotted in the multiple bandage cover which in turn made the bleeding stop. A good role of bandage covered Maan's head rolling down under his chin.

Time to time Ashley kept a check on the rope on Josea but still no response from her side.

A scream broke Ashley from checking the injured Man anymore, she turned. It was Josea, she looked scared. But why now?

Due to excess loss of blood, Simon had gone in a Cardiac arrest.