Ashes of Fire (#1)

Chapter 23: Don't Kill Me, Don't Leave Me

Essie's POV 

        My heart beats twice faster from the first time. Every voice sounds bizarre and just ear-splitting to me. My eyes start to tear and I choke on my own breath. The whole room twirls and dances through my teary eyes. Before I know it, Gemini stands beside me.

            “Don’t cry,” he says under his breath; nearly unheard.

            “How uncharacteristic of you,” I sniff. “But thank you.”

            “I was saying that to myself,” he clears his throat.  

            I chuckle for a second and catch a glimpse of Gemini who is smiling too.  The sound of cheering voices becomes our background. “Kill, kill, kill!” people chant. Some even bet which one of us will win. 

            “We’re going to kill each other—” I remind Gemini who is examining the ocean full of people chanting for us to start.

            “—or not.” Gemini looks at me in a straight face. My mouth is agape as his facial expression tells me exactly that he’s so calm about it.

            “Or not?” I repeat in almost a British accent.

            “Yes, exactly. Ruby is capable of running out of this maze-like prison,” he points out. He’s right; maybe it is easy to have such a simple escape. “Listen here,” he continue, “you have to play dead, no breathing, pretend like I killed you. We have to show ‘em a good show, don’t we?”

            “But how are you going to escape then?”

            “You’re concerned.”

            “I’m just curious,” I shrug; hiding the blush from escaping. I will look like an utter idiot if I did blush.

            “I’ll make my way to you,” he wink with a flirty voice. I shudder in response. “Ready?” I nod.

            He shoves me and I fall to the cold hard floor that doesn’t really greet me friendly. He fall on top of me as he ‘strangles’ me. This is an awkward position I must admit. Ignoring my own thoughts, I continue to act as if I have breathing problems and lack of oxygen. Then finally I’m dead. I close my eyes but I can hear the crowd clapping and cheering to Gemini.

            The trolls’ mighty hands then carry me to the outside world.

***

            “Why does Indigo Wolfgang wants this girl so badly?” One of the troll ask while carrying me.    

            “I don’t know. This girl is definitely dead anyways.”

            I should’ve run by now… but does my dad actually know that I’m not dead? Or does he want me dead?

            The door swings open as they rest me on a hard bed. The air is very cold due to the AC, and there are murmurs that sound like buzzing bees. The beeps of electronics have been the background voice of the murmurs.

            “Essie, I know you’re not dead…,” a deep, shaky voice tickles my ear.

            “What?” I groan and finally dare to open my eyes. It’s my dad—Indigo Wolfgang. He has white hair and a kind smile unlike Aunt Judith’s. He also wears a white coat that seems like a uniform.

            “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. Well, Judith would, however she’s not here,” he smiles again. “You’re a grown up now, my child.”

            Why did he put me in this misery then? But all that can come out my mouth is, “how do you know?”

            Then, a guy walks into the white room that we’re in. He has his head down, but he pulls it up and meets my eyes.

            “Gemini has been working for us all these years.”

            Gemini…

            A/N: I’m... sorry?