The sun was setting, the surface of the world gradually going cold. People were going about their business doing ordinary things; arriving home, cooking dinner and bathing children. Normal things. From the back seat of a car on a random road a young, tired-eyed girl sat watching the world fly by. Every passing minute felt like a grain of sand falling in an hourglass to her and at any moment her time could be up.
This girl had a name, it was Ashley.
A short while ago she was doing something normal too, she was among friends at a party; it had been her leaving party.
Ashley had tried to cut herself loose from a job that was slowly devouring her soul, a job that involved working with serious criminals who were mentally unsafe to carry out their prison sentences in an ordinary prison environment. Her job had involved many things; none of which had been real in the end. Ashley had blindly enjoyed her work at first until bad things seemed to happen one after another, people got hurt and she felt by leaving bad things would stop happening. She had been wrong. Through trying to leave the worst thing of all had happened. People were dead now and in an indirect way, she'd killed them. The bad times didn't stop there, people were dead and more people were going to die, girls mainly, and she still didn't even know why.
Ashley rubbed her tired eyes. She was the worst psychologist in the world. There was a reason youths couldn't work in Asylum's and high security institutes, a reason why years of study and experience was required before you could jump into a pool with the big fish. She'd been swimming with sharks this entire time and now she was ensnared within the jaws of two very dangerous ones.
Michael Wilton and Samuel Hanz, two infamous serial killers who laid waste to the police department for a few years. They killed dozens of young girls and a few who had clearly been in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were sat in the two front seats of the car; Michael was driving and Sam was taking a rest. There was nothing normal about this moment. Ashley doubted she'd ever truly experience a normal moment ever again.
Remaining silent had been the safest thing to do and so she'd barely uttered a word and neither had they. In the time since they'd continued on their journey, Ashley had surveyed the car and thought deeply about the events that had recently passed.
A discarded briefcase on the floor in the back revealed to her this was David's car which explained why the keys were left ready in the ignition making the grand escape so smooth and ultimately possible. It confirmed to her that it had all been planned. Michael had confessed to the conspiracy involving her employment because he predicted she'd leave because of it. Ashley made herself into the perfect shield. It was almost laughable how clear it all was. Almost.
With friends and family present the security and emergency police backup couldn't just shoot Ashley when Michael and Sam used her as a shield. Taking out a hostage on purpose would have caused havoc for the police department. A single shot to make a flesh wound would have sufficed but there had been a moment of indecision amongst the first responders, she understood that, they realised they couldn't shoot and stopped to think. Hesitation had been all Michael and Sam had needed. The ordeal was over in seconds.
What Ashley couldn't work out was how her patients escaped from the secure basement where all inmates were locked up. No matter how she visualised the moment neither Michael or Sam had the means to escape. The security on site couldn't have been available for David to bribe otherwise no alarms would have been set off, the security team wouldn't be dead and the boys could have made a sneaky exit without anyone knowing till it was too late. Even if Sam or Micheal managed to grab a hold of one guard for his keys all guards were armed with taser guns and other equipment. Her mind couldn't comprehend how they had managed to escape.
It played on her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch. Not only did their full escape have her confused but also David's motives for helping them. What was in it for David? Why had had a man of his mind and stature risked so much to help two serial killers? Her only conclusion was that Michael had slowly broken his mind over the years.
While remaining frustrated about the near-magical escape that had occurred, she also tried to reassure herself that Michael and Sam wouldn't kill her. After all, she'd been an accessory to their escape so maybe they would show mercy and ditch her somewhere instead. She wasn't sure what provoked them to murder girls but surely they wouldn't select her as their psychologist, not if she'd drive them to the point of murder? She recalled that they had lashed out at her on several occasions and felt nothing but dread. Was it all that hopeless?
It added to the frustration boiling up in her at the fact she was even in this situation and over the lack of options she had. The sudden realisation that she was an idiot was the source of most of her frustration. In the end she was angry with herself more than anything.
Ashley had danced her way into Dale-Creek Hill and she'd taken David's word for everything. She realised now that none of her friends were doing the job of a real psychologist; David had literally allowed them to do what they presumed right just to keep them all busy. They had been playing a game of dress-up; Sam and Michael pretended to be insane; David pretended to be sane and; she had been pretending to be a psychologist. Now the game was over.
Ashley dreaded to imagine the amount of illegal things that had taken place and the amount of regulations that had been ignored and broken. Michael and Sam weren't even suitable to be in such a low-security facility, she'd known that subconsciously, yet she failed to report upon it. Ashley had been so captivated and impulsed to play Sam and Michael's games and learn about them it was embarrassing to reflect upon. Sam and Michael's escape plan had been relying upon the stupidity of a bunch of teenagers; it had all been relying on her stupidity.
Ashley physically shook her head. To think she thought she was better than her colleagues and somehow more equipped; it was laughable.
"What?"
Ashley jumped at the unexpected speech. Micheal gazed at her through the rear view mirror. Her angry movements had been noticed.
Ashley tucked her hair behind an ear consciously.
"I just can't, I don't understand how you escaped" she mumbled fiercely.
Sam chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Technically we're still in the process of escaping, but in case you hadn't noticed, we escaped by car."
Ashley scowled, looking from Sam to Michael she puffed out her chest like an angry bird. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the cells. How did you escape your cells?"
Sam and Michael stared at her unhelpfully. It made her even more impatient.
"David left the keys in the ignition for you to escape in his car, you used me as a shield when faced with the obstacle of being shot at I get it. I get that. What I don't get is how you managed to escape from your cells in the first place. David was the only person helping you. I know that and he couldn't have passed you any keys. Security was too tight." She wasn't sure if David was the only one helping them, she only hoped with all her heart that it was the case.
She could tell by his eyes that Michael was smirking. "Nothing gets past you does it Ashley."
She knew it was an insult, considering the tsunami of things that had gotten past her. She noticed how Sam's face had suddenly come alight with a smile, evidently relieved there was finally a conversation. Going without talking must be difficult for someone who never ever shut up, at least that part of him was real even if it wasn't beneficial.
Michael watched her via the rear view mirror for a few moments more before he turned his eyes back to the road. Ashley was thankful he did, he had a smoldering gaze.
"When Sam grew tired of the cafeteria and decided to take a detour, I presume you were told I was sitting in the kitchen" he began.
Ashley nodded fiercely. "Yes, with a large kitchen knife. It was like you were stopping the other patients from leaving."
Michael's eyes smiled. Sam grinned and murmured the word 'patients' under his breath like it was amusing in some way.
Michael continued with his explanation. "Assumptions, assumptions. The large knife was a distraction you see, I took a normal butter knife from the kitchen and hid it. When security arrived they took the large knife and didn't bother to search me."
Ashley worked the rest out herself. "You sharpened the butter knife. You presumed no one would search you after thinking the large kitchen knife was the only threat."
She could see it all now. They coaxed one guard over to their cells and grabbed him, the others would have rushed forth to his aid and with a few premeditated jabs of the improved butter knife all three guards would have been dead. No alarm. No fuss. With that knowledge in mind, it meant Melissa had set off the alarm and at that realisation Ashley's heart sunk.
She couldn't believe it. She couldn't physically believe it all, in fact she wanted to laugh hysterically at the sheer brilliance and luck of it all working out for them but she couldn't do that either. She couldn't show she was impressed because she was furious.
She sniffed and folded her arms as a thick lump threatened to form in her throat.
"So it was all a lure, everything was apart of some grand plan, Sam breaking out, attacking people" She looked down at the arm that had healed since the incident. "Nice."
Michael frowned at Ashley's mumble and glanced at Sam. The blond was staring out of the window but his muscles were ridged and the veins in his clenched fists were popping.
Ashley did her best to push aside the horrid feeling it all gave her. Sam had been partially telling the truth in a past interview when he indicated Michael had premeditated things. Everything that had occurred at the Asylum had potentially been plotted out from the moment she'd been employed to the moment Sam hurt Karl; it all must have benefited them somehow.
"Well you won't get away with this" she muttered, going with the oldest line in the book.
Sam glanced over at this. He looked at her with a strange expression. "Is that so?"
Ashley didn't bother looking at him.
"Yeah." She replied firmly.
She could tell them the reason as well as there was no way they could do anything about it now, not on this lonely back road to no where.
"You took David's car, everyone knows it's a company car. The police are most likely tracking our location via the system in-built in case of theft. If you were smart David would have parked a random car in the parking lot. He must have known this vehicle was traceable. Maybe he hasn't got your best interests at heart after all."
Sam looked over at Michael with the slightest hint of concern but relaxed immediately after.
Michael searched for Ashley in the back seat. "You know you're actually quite smart despite what I've witnessed, spend a little time with us and I reckon you'll be quite the asset." He remarked casually.
Ashley glared at him irritably but her stomach swooped. Was he suggesting they were going to keep her? The thought of being alive but stuck with them was both a relief and a horrific turn of events. She'd never be an asset to them. Never.
"I didn't see what was in it for David anyway." She murmured after a quiet moment.
Michael merely maintained a vague smile and kept his eyes on the road.
'You'll see' is all he said.
After half hour or so Ashley caught the first sign of civilisation since the petrol station where they'd stopped so Michael and Sam could change into some clothes David had left in a duffel bag in the boot.
It was only a small speck ahead. Since she woke the roads had only become more derelict, any sign of people had grown less and less until now. Save for the speck ahead, Ashley could have pretended they were in an apocalypse film. It might as well be an apocalypse, her world was certainly on the verge of ending.
The closer they drew to the speck the more Ashley could make out. Before she knew it, Ashley could make out the silhouette of a car in the headlights.
Her heart beat quickened as a man waved them down.
If that was an innocent bystander waving them down for help, they couldn't have chosen a worse time to break down. Ashley realised she shouldn't have mentioned the car problem but surely fate wouldn't be so cruel as to put the solution right in front of them.
They were already pulling over.
It was dusk and the second car was parked to the side of the road. The man was lent against the bonnet waiting. Ashley caught a glimpse of his face and felt her insides harden. David.
So that was what Michael meant.
The engine turned off and they sat for a moment in silence. Sam reached for something in the glove box of the car before he gingerly popped open the car door and got out. Ashley watched him stretch out his legs and loosen up before she turned her gaze back to Michael. He made no motion to move.
"You see Ashley," Michael began. "David agreed to help us escape when we promised to give him a little something in return, that little something being you. He wasn't on board with the plan until after you started working at the asylum, I guess he took a fancy to you."
Ashley's mouth formed into a horrified "O" as her eyes darted to David outside. They made eye contact and he gave her a wave. Her heart blew up in her chest until it was lodged in her throat like a rock.
She was the benefit? They were exchanging her over to him like some product of business. There weren't words for the disgust she felt and the worst part of it was no one would know. Ashley could end up locked in some basement for the rest of her life. Bile threatened to rise in her throat. To think of his hands on her and all the times she'd been near him at the Asylum; every exchange they'd ever had now held a second, more sinister meaning.
She looked back to Michael desperately to see him watching her via the rear-view mirror thoughtfully.
"You are quite lovely," he murmured softly.
Her heart stuttered in her chest. She felt dizzy and sick. To think going with David would frighten her more than remaining in the company of two serial killers. At least she knew what to expect from them!
With wide frightened eyes Ashley searched for some form of escape but her mind argued with her over what the point was. It was wretched but she couldn't get away, she couldn't outrun all three of them.
"You're a special girl Ashley" Michael added unexpectedly, his gaze having turned back to David. "You were right about David," he gave the man a wave. "Which is partly the reason we can't let you go with him."
David's expression had immensely altered within the past five minutes. Michael remaining in the car seemed significant to him and Ashley could see that fear had awakened in his eyes.
He turned to look at Sam as the blond made a few gestures with his arms and said a few things she couldn't hear from inside the car but they made David look ever more panicked. There was a second of tension before David turned and fled. Sam gave chase like a dog provoked and they disappeared into the night.
Michael twisted around to look at her properly, it's casual. "He'll understand."
Ashley couldn't control her expression, it had to be a mixture of relief and horror. The silence that proceeded was loud in her ears until Sam returned alone. She knew what had happened, what has taken place out there in the now pitch black.
She should feel sorry for David but she couldn't bring herself to feel a thing. David had made a grave mistake ever trusting Michael and Sam. He bargained everything for her and they weren't willing to give her up. Did it mean they wanted to keep her around? After all she was special, she was lovely? She didn't want to wait around to find out.
Ashley's eyes drifted from Sam over to the second car. The only escape route she'd ever have. Sam was close but there was a gap, a space to run.
Ashley reached for the car door before she scared herself into staying put. She didn't look to see Michael's surprise.
When she fell out of the car door into the brisk night air a mixture of things hit her. Relief, surprise, adrenaline and a very real fear. She was half way there, she could do this.
Rushing for David's car her hands barely brushed the door handle before two rock solid arms wrapped around her waist and ripped her away.
"No!" She hollered desperately. "Let go of me! Let go!"
Breathless laughter came hot against the back of her neck. "You're high maintenance aren't you? Third day in and you already want a car of your own."
Ashley began to sob hysterically. Fighting against Sam's hold was like punching a shark after it had its teeth in you.
Michael approached. He didn't look angry or irritated she'd made a break for it; he looked tired. A sigh escaped his lips as he reached towards her.
"No please! Please don't!" She cried out. "Don't hurt me."
Two hot hands clasped either side of face and forced her to look. Michael's face was inches away from hers. His eyes were pools of ebony, bottomless and glittering in the headlights. His thumbs swobbed at the tears under her eyes.
"Why so eager to leave my little orphan?" He teased cruelly.
He smiled at her, a heart breaking smile with no teeth that made her insides feel strange. A larger hand from somewhere behind her stroked hair off of her forehead; a hand that could just as easily crush her skull; the same hand that had most-likely ended David.
She knew Michael was manipulative, her experience of him suggested he was borderline inhuman. No doubt he was born wrong with little to no empathy or understanding of normal human emotions and yet Ashley could see eyes in front of her that were smoldering with passion.
He gestured around at the night with one hand. They were surrounded by blackness. Only the three of them existed here, in the glow of both head lights.
"What are you trying to run from Ashley?" He shrugged his shoulders and answered for her. "Us? You can't run from people like us. If you ever escaped I would find you, Sam would find you."
Her body shuddered from a sob. She sniffed and tried to stifle her crying. She was petrified.
Sam's lips pressed against her ear. "There are two options, I think you know what they are. Choose now" he hissed behind her.
Ashley knew what the options were: stay with them or die. They'd kill her, she could feel it. Ashley could feel the buzz in Sam's muscles as he held her up off the ground, her tip-toes barely grazed upon the tops of his shoes. It was now or never. Sam could snap her neck in this position. Would she feel it? Would she even know?
Michael was still staring at her with his hands softening around her face.
"Stay with us" he whispered. His eyes were boring into hers as he nodded subtly, willing her to agree.
Ashley's heart was battering against her rib-cage as she came to terms with the decision she had to make. Dying was such a daunting thing; usually it just happened and there was no control over it, to be given the choice was devastating.
Fresh, warm tears overflowed down her cheeks and her body convulsed in response. It was difficult in the restricted position they had her in but Ashley nodded.
Michael looked genuinely relieved.
Ashley on the other hand felt like a coward. She thought of how she'd declared to herself previously that if the time ever came she'd rather die then be stuck with them. It was all too easy to welcome death when the threat wasn't there, but to actually die, here, like this...
Sam's hands tightened around her, they were brutal instruments and they squeezed like a trigger happy finger on a gun. He wanted to do it, he wanted to tighten his arms around her in a snake-like hold until she couldn't breath. He could do it and it would be back to just him and Michael.
His chest heaved out and he dropped her down roughly. She was turned briskly to face him and a massive hand enveloped her chin in a tight hold. He stared down at her, his muscles warmed up and ready to hurt things.
"If you ever run away from us now-" His stare hardened. He didn't need to continue, she knew.
Michael placed two hands upon her shoulders. He was close behind her, they were both so close. Sam released her chin and stood back. He and Michael shared a look and she felt the hands on her shoulders flinch tighter instinctively, pulling her closer.
Sam's expression was serious and his mood was as black as the night, she could see it all over his face and in his body language, a tightly wound darkness had welled up inside of him.
"Get in" he grunted.
He yanked open the car door to the drivers seat fiercely and went to climb in. Michael released Ashley and grabbed the door before it could slam.
"Sam-" he paused before beckoning Ashley closer. "Why don't you sit in the back with her" He suggested calmly.
Sam's eyebrows rose. His face cleared up momentarily before growing dark once again. He got back out and straightened out his t-shirt. "Fine."
They all climbed in and Sam instructed Ashley to sit in the middle seat next to him. She did as she was told, still too shell shocked with tears to do anything else. The darkness rolling off of him was suffocating; it was the same raw aggression she'd witnessed when he'd broken out of the cafeteria back at the Asylum; it was danger at its very peak.
Michael grabbed a few things from their original vehicle before they started off again in a new, untraceable car. Sam threw an arm over the back of the seats while they waited.
Michael put the radio on and allowed the car to fill with a low, relaxing noise. Sam's body, which was as solid as a rock next to hers, began to soften very slowly. Ashley however, remained ridged beside him as there was no gap between them both. Being so close was too much for her. Michael's suggestion was a terrible one, with Sam in this kind of mood she was bound to get hurt before the night ended. He was angry and there was no where for it to go. Ashley worried that the plan had been to kill both her and David out here and if that were true Michael had changed his mind and Sam was furious about it.
She could see Michael glance frequently at her and Sam through the rear view mirror, like he was waiting for something.
She sensed Sam look over at her.
"Go to sleep." He murmured. His voice sounded throaty and deep. Miles softer than before. "I'll keep you safe."
Safe was a funny word to come out of Sam's mouth. Keep her safe from what? It seemed like a poorly conceived joke.
He shrugged his arm off of the backseat and positioned it around her. Wrapped into his side, his body heat was similar to an open fire and it surrounded her. He smelt like clean air, copper and something musky which was alien to Ashley who was used to the smell of Lynx and other male products. She'd never smelt an actual person. After a few rigid minutes, she allowed her body to relax. She half expected him to smell awful, like blood and sweat.
With an ear on his side she could hear him breathing and the steady beat of his heart, like a drum. He sounded strong, if that made any sense, like his loud heart was telling her he would be alive and strong for too many years. Perhaps she wasn't thinking straight due to exhaustion, one would think she couldn't possibly be tired at a time like this. After what had literally just taken place she should be wide awake but that regretfully wasn't the case. Everything felt heavy, including her eyelids. She readily let go of the stress and fear that was pulling her down.
The heat Sam radiated helped to melt her cold rigid limbs. For someone so frightening and cold, his decision to pull her into his side gave off deceptive and unwanted feelings of comfort and warmth. It was apart of the game of course. Right now he had her in his vice hold so that she couldn't escape and though that knowledge had her heart in panic she was falling asleep.
He seemed to be weighing up what it felt like to have his arm around her. How it felt to have her pressed against his side by the way his arm fidgeted.
Michael smirked in the front seat. Sam seemed to gradually settle meanwhile Ashley had fallen into a restless sleep. She believed Sam would keep her safe in his own way. Nothing would touch her unless he wanted it to. He'd keep her safe. Safe from all the good people. Safe from the people she needed.
Suddenly the tables had turned. The biggest threat every girl now faced, was for now maybe the least of her worries.
Was this what it was, to be the safest, unsafe girl in the world?