Ivy Bathory

[45] : Snap.

"The words of rejection can cut in so deep..."

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Ivy's POV

This petrol station was as close to the cabin as it could. Surrounded by enormous trees and connected to one highway that split the forest into two bunches of green and nature. Standing here, in the corridors of the convenience store, brought back lots of memories. Each one more crazy and wild than the other. I sigh, setting down the skittles pack in my hands and turning around to look around the empty place.

Somewhere, the sound of consistent talk goes on, deep and low yet hushed and whispering. I frown, abandoning the snacks section and rounding a couple corners. The sound of my heels clicking against clean tiles must have alerted them of my presence, because the murmurings came to a necessary stop as I approached. My eyebrows slide down even more when I register what I'm seeing.

"What's going on here?"

Claude cocks his gun, swirling it around his fingers and fixing his oceanic eyes on me. They swim with amusement and mischief. "I'm robbing the place." He simply says.

The barrel points in the direction of the cashier, who I realized must have been new, hence Claude's quick advance to give her quite the harmless scare. The woman who must've been around her early twenties, had her arms thrown over her head in a plead for mercy. Her brown eyes shook with fear and her body quaked as she tried to keep from falling off the counter she stood on.

"Now." Claude smiles. "I want you to take those beautiful panties off, darling."

The woman's eyes stray to me in search for perhaps help. I blink lazily, undisturbed, and exhaustedly ask. "Where is Kent?"

He licks his lips. "Baby boy wandered off. Somewhere in the comic section looking for books. I don't know."

My heart clenches as the thought him trying to escape strings before me. I scowl at the gang leader. "You're supposed to keep watch of him."

I let out an irritated breath when he just puckers his full lips and winks at me. I back away, silently furious. I didn't want Kent to have any ideas about escaping, or even so much as looking outside the window. And giving him space, considering he is an over thinker, is a great catalyst. I didn't want him running into trouble, my mind was still struggling and doing it best to remember what had happened back in the Cobalt territory. I tried to push beyond the walls that sealed me off those memories. It took everything in me. But every time I struggled to step into those dangerous waters, it'd feel as though my fingers were just pushing against a black concrete. A dark black concrete that no eyes could see through. I knew how useless trying seemed, but i had to. I had to try cracking that wall.

However, I couldn't be at that while Kent is left unattended to. A part of me still wanted him close, alarmingly close. I still wanted his arms wrapped around my waist and his head buried in the crook of my neck. Lavender intoxicating me. It was the only haven for my haunted mind. And I needed a fresh breath of him every now and then.

My nails dug painfully into my palms as I matched down the corridor, meandering around to the comic section. My heels clucked and the tendrils of a disturbing over protective smoke began to wrap around me, as I come to a slow halt, eyes catching a flash of coffee hair. I take a step back and peer around, stalking the innocent hunched frame that seemed to be more absorbed in a book he held in his hands. Green eyes squinted at something in particular, pink lips puckered in concentration. A wide breath of relief washed over me as i finally came to terms with the fact that he's not trying to escape.

I released the tension that'd started to build up and sighed lightly, wondering if i should i approach him. He did look to be quite busy, and by far this has been the only thing that's managed to distract him since his incident two days back. He'd remained cooped up in the second guest bedroom at the cabin, sulking. Perhaps still over thinking. Claude had done his best of feeding the boy and trying to keep him company, but it didn't really help when he always had to run out to do his work. I myself hadn't been much of company. With my insanity edging over my head, i only caught a few awkward stolen glances and a little to no more than three sentences passed each day.