Fractured

Chapter 67

"I want to go with you," I said up to him.  "Above ground or in this pit buried... I want to be with you.  I-I want to die with you," I whispered.  "I don't want to go through another hell with no life or no control," I said as I felt a thick wave of hurt move up my throat.  I wasn't afraid of going on; don't get the wrong idea.  I wasn't afraid to continue on without Luke, no matter how... painful that would be.  I was strong enough to want to die because I didn't want to go through hell again.  I didn't deserve that, to continue on a shitty path with no control.  If I die now, that would be in control and I'd be free of suffering too that I wasn't looking forward too.

Looking away from his begging eyes, I looked down to the bag holding my little sister's body.  Before one more thought could enter me though, Clare got our attention.  Her dark laugh reached the air in disgust.  "Christ, both of you...."  She looked to me.  "I liked you better with an actually shred of a personality and not this sappy shit.  You're fucked anyway," she whispered, teeth grinding together when she spoke to me, leaning forward over the shallow pit to stare hard at me.

"How did you get by the cops?!" I heard Luke growl from next to me.  Which, though in a very disturbing spot in this pit and in our lives, this was kind of a must know.  Because this shit... everything we wanted to know could be answered here, even if he was going to die.  It bothered him; I could hear it in his words.  As if he needed to know why this was happening.  Unlike me, he didn't think I was at fault for this at all. 

Clare offered him a slow, creeping smile that reached her face.  Showing teeth and a glint in her eye, she looked crazy and happy all at once.  "Why... what do you mean, sweetie?" she asked in a high voice.  "What cops?  I didn't see any," she said in a clueless voice but her slow smirk gave it away.  She knew more than we thought she did....  She was behind more and in control more than we figured.  It made my stomach roll even more with how my whole body seemed loose and shook up. 

When all we could do was stare at her, with wide eyes and confusion, she took pride in sharing with us her next words.  Seeing her in the light of the dimming sunset, she looked so... proud and accomplished as she started to speak.  As if she had been looking forward to this moment for a long time of just explaining everything to us.  And... it changed my view on everything.  I know it really didn't matter.  Our lives seemed over and with Luke's fate circling in my head, I felt more tears come at just that isolated thought.  And even more too at not having a clue of Francis's fate too.

"You both... never had any clue about just how much I was ahead of you.  I'm disappointed my skilled police officer husband never figured it out sooner. How he never noticed how Mark got into this bitch's room that night," she nodded to me, "without a sound through her window," Clare said, making us recall that time he came into my room that one time and tried to strangle me.  She continued.  "Never figured out why the cops never responded to your backup of her crashing in your truck when Mark almost killed you.  Never realized that maybe I was doing other things besides hanging out with friends at night," she said with a smirk.  It made me pale as I stared at her - and no doubt Luke too.

We suspected she was hiding shit, like what she was doing with 'friends' and stuff.  But... what?  She helped Mark?  I mean, that's what it was sounding like she was saying.  And that was a long while ago.  It didn't make much sense because she still loved Luke at that time; I know she did.  Why risk his life too....  But it made sense to not accept she was involved.  With Mark... she must have unlocked my window or gave him a key to get into my room.  And she must have connections still with the sheriff.... After all, she just said there is a reason no back up came for Luke when he discovered me before Mark tried blowing us up in the truck.  She must have helped in that.  But Luke... he could have died too.