Being around Michael all day was oppressive, his capability to remain silent for such long periods of time weighted down on Ashley. Not that she wanted to talk to him, she was afraid of what else he might know, what else he might tell her. On the other hand, watching him stand by the window all day without a word was wearing her down. Now and then he'd glance round to check she was still there or he'd do a circuit around the house before returning to the front room window.
Elsie didn't seem affected and happily sat on the sofa engrossed in her knitting while the television played old films like 'Heaven Knows Mr Allison'. It remained on the same channel all day because it was the kind to only play films and television series reruns which meant no risk of Ashley catching the news. Michael didn't want Ashley watching the news and that made her wonder what was going on out there.
As soon as it began to get dark Michael announced he was going out for a walk.
Ashley was glad to see the back of him, especially after he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head before he left. She could still feel the uncomfortable tingle on her scalp where his fingers had been.
Soon after he departed to go skulk in the night, Ashley put herself to bed under the close observation of Elsie. The old woman may have warmed to her on the surface since Michael had dropped the sibling bomb on her, but Ashley could tell Elsie still hadn't let her guard down. They hadn't even spoken a word about what had happened. Running away from here was still far from likely.
Running away right now wasn't an option anyway with Michael and Sam out there in the darkness. Running into either of them would be a very dark reality for her, not to mention the soles of her feet were still messed up. It pained her to admit it, but all she could do was wait.
Once in bed Ashley wondered how long Michael would stay out searching for Sam. Wouldn't Sam come back on his own?
Ashley didn't bother getting her hopes up that he'd been caught by the police, she didn't believe she was that lucky. Despite having such a pessimistic outlook it didn't stop her from experiencing the one daydream of armed police smashing down the front door and whooshing her to safety. Deep down she hoped he'd somehow met his demise. Perhaps a gaggle of girls recognized him down a dark alley and had beaten him to death. Wouldn't that be an ironic form of justice?
In reality she doubted any normal group of girls were capable of over-powering Sam but it didn't need to be realistic.
She rolled around the bed in a struggle to sleep as her mind filled with too many scenarios.
What if Sam didn't come back?
What if he did?
What if the police did find her?
Yes. What if the police did find her? That was something that had been niggling at her since she'd managed to regain her calm. Even if the police did find her, how long before they found out her relation to Michael? She didn't want to consider it but how long before they began to consider her involvement in Sam and Michael's escape; even she could appreciate how guilty she looked. A girl just happens to apply to work at the same Asylum holding her estranged brother captive and then he and his accomplice escape with her as a 'hostage'. It made her blood boil just thinking about it. Michael was so disgustingly cunning it made her want to scream.
She lay above the covers of Elsie's bed staring at the light fixtures. Now that she had sunken down to her lowest point there was a noticeable calmness within her. Was that normal, or was that the part of her she shared with Michael? Her mind felt clearer and now it seemed like any news couldn't really surprise or affect her anymore. Was that normal? What was normal anymore? Now every oddity she owned had a double meaning.
She fell into a light, restless sleep until the sound of a door closing stirred her. She sat up half suspecting to see Elsie but the vague shape that moved away from the door was too big. Rolling over she flicked the bed side light on.
The warm light gave her little comfort. In his absence Ashley had forgotten just how vibrant and wild Sam was, and now he stood just a few feet away, sopping wet and about as surprised to see her as she was to see him. How did he get in? Did Elsie know he was here!
His expression alone told her if she so much as whimpered he'd pummel her into the mattress.
He'd seen better days. The bruising on one of his cheeks had fully blossomed and his upper lip looked sore as hell but somehow it only suited him more. A dangerous look for a dangerous man.
Ashley had given little thought to how Sam must be feeling about all this, she had been a little tied up with her own feelings on the matter but she was very concerned about Sam now he was here. Michael had kept this secret from him, and after everything they had probably been through now Ashley had been propelled between the two of them.
"Well look who it is. The psychologist, the hostage, the girl we were going to kill and now the long lost baby sister. What next, are you a police officer?" he jibed.
Ashley swallowed thickly. She spared a glance to the window, it was raining which explained why he was wet. The sight of him soaked sent prickles up her arms as she thought back to their struggle on the beach.
"I think Michael's out looking for you" she offered weakly.
He sniffed indignantly. "So what, to make sure he doesn't get caught because of me, yeah that sounds about right."
He grabbed a corner of the bed comforter and wiped at his face and hair. He staggered mid movement and then swayed back to Ashley's horror.
"You've been drinking" she whispered anxiously. Where had he even got alcohol from?
He looked up from the bed, and his dark eyes suddenly focused. "Why are you still here?" he hissed.
She didn't respond. She was a prisoner, where else would she be?
He took two fistfuls of the quilt and tugged it in his direction. Ashley's entire body jolted down the bed towards him. "Sam, no." she snapped immediately.
She scrambled back in retaliation as he continued to pull and pull until the quilt was entirely at his feet. All the while he was asking why she was still here, why, why, why!
He lunged across the mattress and hooked one hand in her t-shirt and then another in her hair. He dragged her back over to his side and released her hair only to knit his fingers into her t-shirt and push her forcefully into the bed. Her entire body jolted painfully.
"Stop!" She cried out.
"Why are you here!" he spat. "Why! After everything, after everything that has happened to me why should you be here! Why has it turned out like this!"
He grabbed her forearms and forcefully yanked her upright.
"Everyone I ever loved is dead! They're dead, they're gone and I will never see them again and it's all his fault!" His voice cracked in the middle.
His crushing hold on her arms shook and his breath smelt like pure spirit. All Ashley could do was look straight into his tortured eyes.
"When will it be Michael's turn to suffer?" His jaw began to tremble as his eyes wobbled with tears. "When do I get to see Michael cry?"
His expression was unbearable. He was so emotional he could hardly get his words out. Tears overflowed in his eyes as he moved one huge hand and wrapped it around her mouth. His fingers bit into her cheeks and squeezed.
"I should kill you and leave your broken little body for him to find" he hissed his hand squeezing tighter. "You should be dead anyway, he never said you were alive! After all this time he had you and I have nothing!"
Ashley's eyebrows knitted together, she blinked and tears dripped down onto Sam's hand. "I'm sorry." She was barely audible behind his giant hand. She didn't know what else to say.
Sam clenched his teeth together as his huge chest heaved. His entire body was trembling in front of her.
"Don't say that" he gasped furiously. "Don't look at me with those eyes."
He caved over as his whole body shook with tears. His grip on her face fell away and slid down her front. "Uh god," he cried into his arms, "You're so fucking beautiful."
He shoved her away from him and managed to stand up straight on his own and stagger away.
"Just get out of here," he mumbled, his voice low and thick with emotion.
Ashley watched the back of his heaving form in confusion. She'd never met someone so wretched and drunk. She felt physically sick from the way he made every inch of her body scream. So why did her heart ache at his show of weakness? Why was she more afraid to see him like this?
Before Ashley really knew what she was doing, her hand was hesitantly reaching out towards him. Very slowly she moved closer and dared to touch part of his soaked back.
"Sam..." she murmured softly.
She jumped out of her skin when he turned on her with a furious, dark expression and walloped her hand away.
"Get away from me!" he snarled.
Ashley shrunk back and clutched her throbbing hand to her chest in unpleasant surprise "But-"
"Why are you still here! Why are you still watching!" He rounded upon her and poked one solid finger into her chest. The sheer force caused her to stagger back. How had he turned ugly again so quickly, a mere moment ago he'd looked so broken and diminished but now he was growing, towering back up with that formidable hurricane-like temper of his.
"Do you think this is funny! Seeing me like this!"
Ashley shook her head furiously when he closed the distance between them again with two heavy steps. He ripped the bed side table up off of the floor and held it above his head.
"You want to laugh? Well go ahead and laugh!" he roared, smashing the table into pieces against the wall before her eyes.
Ashley flinched and shielded her face in horror as he picked up the arm chair in the corner of the room and smashed it into the floor. Splinters of broken wood flew across the room as it crashed against the floor over and over.
Foot steps came running and Elsie burst through the door in her dressing gown a picture of absolute shock.
"Oh my goodness! Samuel?" she exclaimed in alarm. She turned in bewilderment to spot Ashley and beckoned her over vigorously. "Quickly child, get over here!"
Ashley hurried over to Elsie as from the corner of her eye she observed Sam turn and pick up the double Chestier-drawers before she shut the door and watched it violently shudder and buckle from the weight of the drawers being thrown at it.
Ashley stood down the hall trembling, listening and jumping nervously at every new crash and bang. Every sound resonating from his furious tantrum, every ounce of his rage, it was all meant for her.
What had she been thinking? What was wrong with her! He didn't crush her face with his bare hands. So what? It was an act of unprecedented mercy and that was all! What had made her think it was okay to approach him in that state? The fact he'd hesitated one time too many? Did she really think he honestly wouldn't hurt her? Sam was clearly angry at Michael and hurting her would have made his point perfectly.
The way Sam had looked her in the eyes right before he crumbled flashed to the forefront of her mind. Yes, some crazy part of did believe he wouldn't hurt her. He was supposed to be a killer yet he couldn't even strike her, he had such raw, demonic rage and he couldn't even hurt her properly? Was it because she was Michael's sister now and he couldn't hurt Michael, or was it just her.
Half of her didn't even want to address what had just happened. She didn't want to think of the pain she had seen in his eyes and she definitely didn't want to think about the confusing words he'd spoken in his moment of weakness. She'd already put that down to a drunken slur.
Ashley stayed standing in the hall even when Elsie tried to move her downstairs. She didn't want to take her eyes off the door for a second if it meant Sam could come out without her knowing.
She waited until the room went quiet before she began contemplating looking inside. Ashley wasn't sure why exactly, but she wanted to see the aftermath of his temper; she wanted to see what could have happened to her if he'd only chosen it. Maybe it was in hope that she could shock herself into realizing how fragile her survival was around him.
At first she just stared at the door, building up the courage to open it. It suddenly occurred to her that she might not even be able to open it with half the chestier drawers embedded in the wood and blocking the way.
It was when she reached out and grabbed the handle to try anyway, that a hand lightly touched her on the shoulder. She turned in surprise to see Michael had crept up on her like a shadow. How long had he been standing there, observing her hesitation.
His face seemed tense as he pulled her back from the door and then proceeded to try and enter the room himself. With a few shunts from the side of his body it wedged open enough for him to fit through.
Elsie's hands were second to brush over Ashley's shoulders as she tried to prevent her from following Michael into the room but Ashley barely felt her resistance.
Night had long passed and at some point the darkness had turned to a dull grey light. Despite being dull it illuminated the bedroom and Sam who was lying sideways on the bed upon his back with his legs hung over the edge. His hands where knitted together over his chest and when Ashley looked closely she realized his eyes were open.
The bed room looked like a wild, savage animal had been unleashed inside. Bits of broken lamp-shade and shattered wood littered the floor. Ashley had to pick her way through the wreckage just to find a safe spot to stand.
Michael shot her a selected look over his shoulder that suggested he didn't approve of her following him in before he walked over to the bed and stood next to Sam's legs.
Without acknowledging the state of the room or speaking a word, Michael held out his hand to Sam. It seemed like a peace offering of sorts. Sam left it suspended in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time to the point Ashley was convinced he'd never take it; however he did eventually reach up and Michael pulled him to his feet.
Ashley observed them both stand opposite one another. They were both carrying battle scars from the bathroom brawl and now Sam had fresh, oozing wounds on his knuckles most likely from punching furniture. Michael also looked as if he hadn't slept in days, which could be true, Ashley hadn't seem him close his eyes since they'd arrived here.
Michael reached out a hand and patted Sam on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"
After a little consideration Sam half smiled at Michael and then slapped him across the face.
Ashley could barely believe it. It happened so fast she wasn't sure Sam had even moved until Michael's head snapped to the left.
Sam's smile melted away to reveal an expression that reminded Ashley of a feral animal.
Michael's briefly touched his cheek before his hand dropped away to clench and unclench at his side.
"I get it," he said flatly, "I kept her from you. It was wrong, but it doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything" Sam hissed back. "She will ruin everything."
Ashley wrapped her arms around herself conscious that they were talking about her like she wasn't there.
"She won't! She's not like the others" Michael retaliated hastily.
Sam narrowed his eyes. "Why? Because she's your sister?"
"She's ours!" Michael glanced over at Ashley and beckoned her forward. She froze at first but reluctantly made her way to his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and almost presented her to Sam.
"You shared your family with me, let me share mine with you!" He added.
Sam looked directly at Ashley huddled next to Michael, ensnared by his arm. After brief eye contact she glanced down uncomfortably as every awkward and horrific moment they'd shared flashed to mind.
The giant blond looked away too and shook his head gently. All his anger seemed to fizzle away in that moment as he turned his dark gaze back to Michael.
"It's not the same" he murmured.