*I know I'm like Cliffhanger obsessed, but if I'd written (squeezed) the whole thing in this one chapter, it would've been far too quick-paced and you wouldn't have understood a thing. So I'm splitting a chapter into parts for the last time, hehe. I hope you'll enjoy this. Be prepared for a twist at the end, everyone.*
Chapter Eighteen
Where did I go wrong?
Her plan... foiled.
Things did not go as simply, as smoothly as she had thought they would.
Obviously, things were much easier said, or in this case ‘thought’, than done.
It was supposed to be so easy, but somehow, something had gone wrong.
She limps away, miserably, sorely, hissing in pain.
Her sister walks behind her, slowly, dramatically, determined to finish what had already begun.
Without hesitating, without even as much as a flinch, a steady hand releases a bullet into her own flesh and blood.
In the blink of eye, a body hits the ground.
She yells, as the clock approaches twelve, its ticks taking her to the edge of insanity.
Twelve.
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10 Minutes Earlier
“Gwen?”
Gwen’s face is cut and bruised all over; she’s been beaten, maybe even tortured, although not as severely as Cole. Her head dangles low, and then, lifting it up slowly, she flips her hair out of her face.
“C...” She manages. Valerie chuckles, holding Gwen by the neck, leaving harsh, red fingerprints in her cheeks.
At this, he is ready to die.
To see Gwen like this...
It is much worse than death. In fact, it is a clear choice - he would rather die.
All the while that Valerie has been torturing Cole, Natalie has been standing with Gwen, deep in the warehouse darkness, guarding her.
Cole gags, close to vomiting.
Natalie finally steps away from Gwen and starts to pace away.
Valerie grabs Natalie and holds her by a shaking shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
“Just to...”
Without letting her finish, Valerie warns, “You better not do anything you’re going to regret.”
“I’m not. I won’t.” Natalie looks at Gwen, quickly, the kind of look that you would miss if you even blinked.
A knowing look.
Valerie walks over to the front of the room and picks up a large, drum of a clear liquid.
“You know what to do.” She says, handing the immense weight to Natalie.
After a few moments of silence, some spilling is heard and it becomes a constant spilling. It goes from all around the edges of the warehouse, to the very centre of the building and carries on pouring until the last drop is gone.
Natalie remains in the darkness.
“You’ve got about two minutes left. Anything you want to say?”
“No. Nothing.” He says, through pants, sweat pouring down his dirty face. His wounds sting, his bruises throb and blood still jerks out into trickles down his leg.
All of a sudden, from behind Valerie’s pacing body, Cole can see two pair of hands and a frantic face waving to him, signalling him.
Valerie cannot.
‘Be quiet.’ She signals, ‘Keep her busy. I’m going to help.’
Then, to Cole’s utmost surprise, Gwen slowly begins to rise and eventually, gets out of the chair completely, without even a limp.
“What’s wrong with your face?” Valerie queries, about to turn around, when Cole yells,
“No!” Then, a little calmer, “Nothing. Valerie, I do want to say something before you kill me.” Before he knows it, Gwen is in the room and is getting him out of the first chain. She works silently in the near-black room, almost ninja-like.
But how did she get free? How did she get the keys?
It comes to him in a second, and at the same time, he cannot help but smile.
Natalie... She came through for me.
They must’ve planned it all along.
Suspiciously, “’Before I kill you’? That sounds a little harsh for you to be smiling.”
“N-No, I...I-I’m just remembering all the good times that we had.”
“What, good times?” Valerie asks. All she can remember is the hurt he put her through – nothing else.
“You know,” He keeps it going, while Gwen gets the second chain. One more to go, “Those times.”
“I’m starting to think that this is just a load of bullshit.”
“It’s not, I promise.” Cole smirks, unable to contain his joy.
Clink.
Last one down.
I win.
You lose.
“It is.” She snaps, finally, “You never loved me; it was always about Gwen. Gwen this, Gwen that! Well, Gwen, you don’t even deserve that child. That should be me. That should be our child!” Flinging herself around, she fumes at the empty seat.
With a raging roar, Valerie pushes the button, releasing the gas into the room.
BANG.
The door is very easily booted open, by a furious Valerie.
It can’t be...
Empty.
The room is deserted; the chains are on the floor.
“No...” Valerie mutters.
Her eyes widen at the smell of the gas.
This isn’t...
She yelps in shock as the thin, metal door slams shut behind her.
“Methane.” Natalie says, reappearing with a lock. But she isn’t quick enough to fit it onto the door and Valerie bursts out, slamming the metal into Natalie’s fragile face.
Natalie flies onto the floor, landing on her back with a thud, while Gwen and Cole make a run for it, with Gwen supporting Cole’s limping, weak body. Valerie stops the flow of the gas, but already, it is spreading and distributing itself around the warehouse.
Just one spark could blow the place.
The slippery gasoline on the floor reminds them of just how hazardous any fire will be.
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Where did I go wrong?
Her plan... foiled.
Things did not go as simply, as smoothly as she had thought they would.
Obviously, things were much easier said, or in this case ‘thought’, than done.
It was supposed to be so easy, but somehow, something had gone wrong.
She limps away, miserably, sorely, hissing in pain.
Her sister walks behind her, slowly, dramatically, determined to finish what had already begun.
Without hesitating, without even as much as a flinch, a steady hand releases a bullet into her own flesh and blood.
In the blink of eye, Natalie’s body hits the ground.
Valerie yells, as the clock approaches twelve, its ticks taking her to the edge of insanity.
Twelve.
Panting, Gwen and Cole embrace for a few seconds. It’s not a long time, but it’s long enough and it’s all the time that they have.
“Drop it.” He hands her the lighter, and with his hands still covering hers, he prays.
Click.
Click.