141 | | ash

➳ twelve

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OH MY GOD THIS GOT OVER 100 READS SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER AND 100 VOTES GUYS IM SO HAPPY YOU HAVE NO IDEA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING AWESOME EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!!

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Everyone is silent for a very long time. Dana paces the room holding her hand to her chin. She's thinking of something to do with us. I'm not even sure what her game plan is, entirely, because she could easily just let all of us go and end this madness. I'll even testify on the sake of her insanity so she gets help instead of goes to jail. This is ridiculous.

"How long as she been pacing like that," I whisper to Reid who sits beside me. His eyes are glued to the serial killer standing before us trying to find the right time to open his mouth so she won't snap.

"About fifteen minutes and thirty two seconds," he responds swiftly. "She did the while you were upstairs with Ashton, too. What was that even about?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and shrug. I refuse to mention the kiss to anyone. It didn't mean anything, right? No. "Uh, she wanted us to play a game of twenty questions. If we didn't ask each other the 'deep stuff,' someone would've died."

Reid nods slowly. "So, how'd you get out of it."

"Ashton was dying. His wound was clotting, and he couldn't feel his arm anymore. When he finally passed out, I begged Dana to give him help, which she did. She's obsessed with Ashton. No one else."

Reid furrows his brow and turns to me. "So, what's the point in keeping all of us here if she just let her main target go."

I swallow again. My throat is dry from lack of saliva because I just keep swallowing it all down. "I don't know. That's what I'm afraid of."

Reid lets out a deep sigh, and I bite my lip. Dana finally turns around and looks at us. Her expression isn't angry; it's more or less confused and generally upset.

"This is not what I envisioned," she says looking me right in the eyes.

I muster the courage to respond. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," she spits almost right away. "I wanted Ashton this whole time. None of you were supposed to be in here. He was not supposed to get in the way of that shot, and now he's gone."

"What?" Luke squeaks. "What do you mean by gone? He's not dead, is he?" I see beads of sweat form on the blonde boy's pale skin. The rest of the band looks at Dana hoping for the best response.

She just shakes her head and sighs. Odd reaction. "No," she simply says. "He's not dead. Dying, but not dead."

Luke doesn't move. He's stiff as a board as he processes what is going on with his friend. I can only imagine what it feels like to have your best friend take a bullet for you and then hear the news he's dying when it should've been you. I instantly feel bad for Luke. I can't imagine the guilt he's feeling.

But, Ashton isn't dead. I have to keep reminding myself that. Ashton is not dead.

"So, what are you going to do with us?" Michael speaks up. "You can't just keep us here forever."

Dana smirks. "Sure I can. I have them, remember?" She points a finger at Reid and me. "If the little party outside even makes a move towards this house, the agents' heads will be blown off." She smiles at this, which only makes me hate her ten times more than I already do.

"Please, just do something already." Reid jabs me in the side with his elbow as I say this, but I ignore the slight pain and continue. "Michael's right. You can't keep us here forever. If you're going to do something, please do it."