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Chapter 29
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2021-06-17 16:24:45“Perfect timing,” a voice like warm velvet growls from an open door across the hallway. “Come on in, Cupcake. Join us. I like your outfit, by the way.”
I turn around slowly, imagining Alastaire sprawled out on the bedroom floor, lying nude on a polar bear rug with a red rose between his teeth, surrounded by a harem of naked girls he somehow smuggled into the cabin. That’s what the sultry ‘come hither’ tone of his voice brings to mind, anyway.
The reality isn’t quite that, but it’s pretty close.
Alastaire’s sitting on the edge of his bed. He’s wearing slouchy grey sweat pants, but he’s naked from the waist up, and I catch a glimpse of his chiseled chest and toned arms, a beautiful light tan despite him spending the past month in the eternally gloomy shade of the forest.
He’s drying his head with a towel, and I feel a lump ris
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Knock. Knock. Knock.An insistent tapping against my door wakes me up from a dreamless sleep. The last thing I remember before passing out was staring at the book on my bed, page 63 ripped out by some mystery intruder while I was in Alastaire’s room.How long did I sleep for? Is it morning yet, or is it still the middle of the night?The room is pitch black, so it must still be dark outside.I reach for the lamp on my bedside table, knocking over a mason jar filled with fairy bells and lily-of-the-valley in the process. I swear under my breath, wishing that just for once I could actually get a decent night’s sleep.I tap my hand around blindly on the bedside table, but the lamp switch has probably fallen down behind the bed.Damn.
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I'm struggling through darkness.Far from all light, and love, and life.Death has swallowed me whole.Gasping for breath, I struggle against the black embrace of the ocean, bindings of frozen ebony velvet that hold and smother me, pulling me down, down, down.Far below, the bus falls through the shadows; far above, a maelstrom of shattered glass dances through the water.My body is tired.Thrashing wildly against the tide, I gasp for breath, and take in a lungful of burning saltwater.As I choke, their faces emerge out of the gloom.One by one, like drowned silvery moons, the pallor of the drowned.A girl with a shard of glass embedded into her eye socket; a boy with half his face missing. Ms. Blyth with a gaping hole in her throat. Mia
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It’s midmorning by the time we arrive at the entrance to the Oswald West State Park.Unsurprisingly, there are a few other cars in the carpark – it’s a popular area after all, a suggested daytrip mentioned in just about every Oregon travel guide on account of the magnificent scenery and countless hiking trails.At least the beach probably won’t be crowded – Smuggler’s Cove is a popular surfing spot, but it’s too far from Portland for casual beachgoers. Alix mentioned it to me one time. He said Smuggler’s Cove has the best waves along the whole coast, and there’s meant to be some sort of waterfall cascading down into the ocean on one side of the beach.I always thought it sounded nice, but I never really imagined myself coming here to check it out. Not after everything that happened.The parking lot i
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It’s too late to hide.Alix and Zee are standing just a few feet away, their surfboards towering over me as they stare down in disbelief.“I thought you were visiting your aunt in New York for the summer,” Alix says, his voice barbed. “What’s going on?”“Ash? You know them?” Kitty asks, dropping her nail polish in the sand as I scramble to my feet.Zee tries to say something, but Alix cuts her off.“No, let Ash speak for herself,” he says.“It’s complicated,” I say. “I can explain.”“Damn right you’re going to explain,” Alix says.Before I can speak, I feel a hand on my shoulder, gently pulling me back. Alastaire steps between Alix and I, his sun-dazed champagne stupor gone in a flash.“And who exactl
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“And that’s how I ended up vomiting in Madonna’s handbag,” Ben says proudly, while Alix slaps him on the back, howling with laughter.The firelight flickers and dances around their faces, sparks flying in the air as they laugh so hard that tears stream from Ben’s eyes.Alix’s ultimatum to Zee of only staying an hour turned into two hours, then three, then the whole afternoon and late into the night.The availability of free beer and champagne might have something to do with it, plus the instant connection he formed with Ben.The second Ben heard that Alix was a drummer, they got talking about Keith Moon and Ringo Starr and techniques, and it was basically a case of insta-BFF.The rest of us have been burying Lyall in the sand, telling stupid stories, roasting marshmallows over the fire (even Felix) &
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A hush falls over the group as I step out of the darkness into the ring of light cast by the bonfire.I might have been walking up and down the beach for a few minutes. Or maybe a few hours. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter.I lost track of the time, as the thoughts tumbled around in my head like the raging ocean just a few feet away.I thought about everything – the dreams, the silver ring I found in mom’s jewelry box, Mia’s grave, the accident, Evan, the worried looks my friends have been trying to hide from me all day – and I know what has to be done.I sit down between Zee and Elliot in front of the fire, crossing my legs beneath me.“Is everything alright Ash?” Elliot asks, his face glowing in the flamelight as he pokes the fire wit
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“Ash,” Felix says. “Come to me.”He reaches his hand out, beckoning. His hazel eyes are shadowy and distant; the wan moonlight gleams on his dark hair, strands of silver starlight streaked through blackest night.I stand frozen in place. I can’t tear my eyes from the incandescent serpent twisting through the air behind him, slow and rhythmic as the ocean currents.“What is this?” I manage to choke out, fighting the urge to turn around and sprint in the opposite direction.Now’s not the time to run away. I have to be brave.“Ash, I– ” Felix begins, taking a step towards me.“No!” I yell sharply, bringing him to a sudden halt. “Don’t come near me.”Felix’s expression is veiled, inscrutable.Without warning the giant serpent
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Wait.My voice sounds hollow and distant, like it’s coming from far away. Felix hovers over me, a darkness dawning in his eyes as I speak.“Wait, Felix,” I whisper. “This isn’t… I can’t do this.”His dark hair falls in front of his eyes, and he pushes it back as he nods, releasing me as he sits up, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree we lie beneath.I stay on my back for a few moments, trying to catch my breath as I stare up at the canopy of brilliant bright red leaves overhead. As I watch, a single, delicate leaf drifts down, landing on my breast like a drop of blood.Felix reaches for it with a faraway look in his eyes, his fingertips leaving echoes of prickling electricity where they brush my skin.He holds the frail crimson leaf up into the silver moonlig
