It Was of Ash

Ch. 4: Monsters in the Walls.

That night I lied in my bed, Axel was fast asleep across the room from me, and I still felt like I was being watched. I sat up and took a look around my dark room, the shadows moved around, making me sink back down into my bed. I was a dead eye, Dr. Williams said so. So why couldn’t I defend myself now?

I got out of bed; I opened my door quietly and walked out. “Ash, go back to bed.” Axel’s voice ordered. I turned; he was looking right at me. I knew there was no fighting it, so I did as I was told bitterly. I pulled the covers to my nose and looked at Axel, “What were you going out for, Ash?” Axel asked a little softer. I didn’t answer; I just turned over and tried to go to sleep. “Do you trust us Ash?” Axel went on. My eyes shot over to him, he was looking at me with soft eyes, “I really hope you do, because I trust you.” He said, turning around in the chair he was sitting in and trying to get as comfortable as he could before falling asleep again.

I stared at him still; his peaceful sleeping face was still in the dark. His dark brown hair fell in front of his right eye and his freckled nose sniffed a little. He was adorable; he wasn’t sexy adorable, but little brother adorable. I wanted to hug him and keep him safe from the horrors of outside; I wanted to let him know that he was okay. I wanted to take care of this kid, no matter how annoying he was sometimes. I tore my eyes away long enough to see something close. My wall, my wall closed. I fell out of bed and looked over at Axel, he was still sleeping peacefully. I crawled slowly over to the wall, hoping to whatever god there was to keep that door from opening again. I made it over to the wall and sat on my knees, I touched the wall, yes indeed that is a pretty good wall. I felt around the wall to see if there was and indention or a parting in the wall, I couldn’t find one. The only thing that came to mind to do then was to knock on the wall. I wasn’t going to do that; I probably wouldn’t like what came out. I sat and looked the wall, wondering what was behind it. My curiosity grew the more I looked at this wall, I saw it open, there was no questioning it. It opened and then it closed and I saw it and I was going to knock on that wall. I raised a balled hand to the wall; I could see it shake in the darkness.

Boy was I nervous.

I knocked on the door lightly and waited, nothing happened. Maybe I wasn’t doing it hard enough; I knocked on the wall again a little harder. I waited in the dead silence for something to happen, for the wall to swing open and for someone to come out and raise a sword above their head and bring it down on me, for a monstrous figure to come out and devour me. I sat there, waiting for something; I could feel my limbs trembling in horror. Why did I knock, why would I do that? I should have just gone back to bed; I should have let the cannibalistic monster with the sword alone, I was so dumb. Suddenly there was a knock on the other end of the wall, I jumped a little. I raised my fist again and knocked back, questioning my own hearing. They replied fast, I knocked back. Their knock was the same pattern:

Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I started to do the same pattern, soon they stopped replying. I began to stand when suddenly the tapping was back, this time with a horrible force.

BANG, BANG.

Dear lord what is there?

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG.

Why was Axel still asleep, this racket is louder than any hydrogen bomb ever created!

BANG, BANG, BANG.

Whoever this was obviously didn’t like me; I stood quickly and fell back into my bed.

BANG.

I pulled my legs close to me, holding them in a death grip with my arms.

BANG.

I buried my face in my knees.

BANG.

I wanted to go home.

I didn’t know where home was.

“Ash, what’s wrong?” Axel asked. I fell over, I felt tears streaming out of my eyes, and I couldn’t put them back. “Ash, what are you doing? Are you okay?” Axel asked me, it was only then when I realized I was breathing heavily and shaking more than someone naked in a snow storm. “Oh my god, you’re shaking like hell! What happened, did you have another nightmare?” If only he knew, I couldn’t tell him anything. I didn’t have the voice to. “Hold on, I’ll get Lori.” Axel told me as my hand shot out for his wrist, I gave him the best “Please don’t I beg of you.” Face I could muster. “Do you want Desmond?” he asked. I shook my head; he looked around as another tear fell from my eye. I didn’t even know where they were coming from. “What do you want me to do?” he asked. I let go of his wrist and pulled myself into a ball again. “Damn it…” Axel muttered as he sat down next to me and put a hand on my back, my arms shot out for him and pulled him into a hug as I buried my face in his shirt.

I sat like that for a while; Axel kept his hand on my back and lied there with me. “You know, I never thought I’d lay in a bed with a girl. Well, at least I thought more would happen, at least…” Axel joked. I didn’t find it funny, I was too horrified to even move. It was silent; Axel was rubbing my back, trying to keep me from shaking. “I’m guessing you don’t want anyone to know about this, right?” Axel asked. I looked up at him, after a moment I nodded. “I thought so. You know, I don’t know what you’re so afraid of. This is the safest place for miles! Man, I wish you trusted us.” Axel smiled, he looked down at me and sighed, “You’re really shaking, maybe I should get Lori.” Axel mumbled. I shook my head, “I’m sorry Ash but you don’t look good.” Axel pulled my arms off of him and stood up.

“Please, I don’t want anyone to know!” the module begged.

“Know what?” Axel asked.

“I just don’t want anyone to know.”

Axel sighed and sat back down; I hugged him tighter and fell asleep.