February fourteen
Leah winced from the view in front of her. The room filled with the smell of burning flesh as Lily screamed in pain. Tiny held the metal rod with a big, round, hollow metal plate at the end of his right hand.
He pressed the crimson end of the rod deeper into Lily's bicep, smirking while the girl wailed, unable to move from the pain as Diesel gripped her shoulders, repelling them to the armchair.
"This." Tiny removed the rod. "Will remind you who you belong to. So you won't get any more ideas about running away." He turned around, placing the rod near the fireplace.
The pain seemed too much for Lily as her head slammed to the left side of the armchair and she fell unconscious. Diesel released his grip on Lily's body and moved toward the kitchen. A loud melody interrupted the sound of the crackling fireplace and Diesel took his phone out. He inspected the phone screen with wide eyes.
"It's Mario." He lifted his head, peering at Tiny. "What are we going to do?"
"We?" Tiny lifted his brown eyebrows. "It's your fault the girl is dead, so you figure something out. I will take care of this one." Tiny took Lily, carrying the girl toward the corridor.
"Hey, Mario." Diesel lifted the phone to his ear. "How have you been, man?"
Leah shook her head as Diesel continued his phone call in the bogus chipper voice. She followed Tiny instead as he moved toward the bedroom. Turning left to the room, she stood in a doorway as Tiny undressed Lily.
Leah felt anxious and rushed to the end of the bed as Tiny took off jeans from Lily's long legs. She felt useless in the situation, but it seemed more like an instinct to help her friend. She sighed loudly as Tiny put Lily's pants on his forearm and left the room.
Leah felt like Lily slept for a year as she stepped back and forth, frequently changing her walking patterns. Somewhere outside the bedroom door, the men argued for a while, but with the loud thud of the outside door, the shouting stopped. Leah presumed one of them had left the cabin. Leah decided not to look at what happened outside the room. She felt nervous to miss when Lily would wake up.
Leah stood in front of the windows as the day progressed slowly, hiding the sun behind tall trees. The sound of metal rubbing against metal captured her attention. She turned around to the bed.
"Leah." Lily's voice appeared weak.
"I'm here." Leah rushed to the bedside.
"What happened?" Lily opened her eyes.
"You passed out after."
"The branding." Lily finished Leah's sentence.
"Yes," Leah whispered, tilting her head down. "How are you feeling?" She lifted her head, looking at Lily.
"It hurts everywhere." Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "Did they give me more drugs?"
"No. Why?"
"I feel dizzy, but that might be from the fall. Leah, there will be occasions when I can't see you."
"What?"
"The drugs, Leah. Remember, I told you before," Lily said, and Leah nodded. "If they keep giving me drugs, I won't be able to see you."
"I will still be here, I will stay with you the whole time," Leah promised and Lily nodded as tears left her right eye. "I have bad news."
"What can be worse than this?" Lily moved her shackled hands, metal grating against her fragile skin.
"I heard guys talking, and it looks like the woman backed out from the deal."
"A woman?!" Lily shouted.
"Yes, you were right, these men planned to sell us," Leah explained as Lily nodded. "This woman came yesterday, and she checked me out and she said someone will pick us up on Sunday. But now they don't want you. Diesel told them about my death and they won't come to buy you."
"In other words, I'm unwanted. Are they planning to kill me?"
"Not yet. Tiny has been calling on the phone, I guess trying to find another buyer."
"That just gives me a bit of time, Leah."
"I have a plan," Leah said with a smile.
"If it's Oliver, don't bother, say it yourself, he can't see you."
"He can't see me now, but if he knew I'm dead, he would do anything to talk to me."
"And how will he find that out? You were supposed to be on that ship, remember?"
"He is already worried. When I visited him, he was calling me. I just need to find a way how my body would be discovered."
"What is that?" Lily's eyes widen, hearing the harsh shuffling noises outside the door.
"I'm going to go check. Okay?" Lily nodded.
Leah halted in front of the door, stretching her hand and touching the door with her palm. She didn't feel the splintered surface but felt surprised that her hand didn't pass through the wooden surface.
"It doesn't work," she said, bumping her knees to the door.
"What?" Lily lifted her head.
"In Oliver's office, I moved through the door. But look." Leah padded to the surface. "It doesn't work."
"Maybe you need to relax or concentrate."
Leah shook her hands, tilting her head to the sides. She put her palm on the door again and her hand disappeared into the wooden surface. She took a step and appeared in the corridor.
Silent cursing in the living room appeared as she moved through the narrow corridor. Tiny paced in the living room, putting clothes and some dishes into brown cardboard boxes. The place possessed the distinctive smell of bleach.
Foamy liquid poured from the red plastic bucket as Tiny stepped into the kitchen area, obstructing the can with his brown boot. He tossed some rags into the box and lifted the item before moving to the exit door. It appeared clear to Leah that the guys were planning to leave the cabin, and she felt fear taking over her spirit. She turned around and swiftly moved back to the bedroom.
"They are leaving the cabin!"
"What do you mean?" Lily furrowed her eyebrows.
"Everything is in boxes and they cleaned the living room."
Lily gulped. "They are probably planning to kill me before leaving." She looked at Leah with teary eyes.
Meanwhile, against all his better judgment, consumed by worry Oliver visited his father.
"I just think we should do something," Oliver said, standing in his father's living room.
James rested in an armchair, his left leg crossed on his right one. A silent fireplace cracking sound filled the space as he studied his son's demeanor. It seemed clear Oliver didn't take James' advice, as his hair stayed long. Appeared that Oliver had blackish circles underneath his eyes.
"Like what?" James furrowed his thick eyebrows. "She is an adult, Oliver."
"I know, but it's not like her to disappear like that." Oliver paced around the living room.
James followed Oliver with his eyes. "It's been a day, maybe she is busy, or she lost her phone."
"Did Cassie lose her phone too?" James' eyes widened. "I called her too, dad, and she is also out of reach."
"It's probably the reception." James motioned with his hand. "Is that the only reason you came?"
"Yes." Oliver knitted his eyebrows and stopped pacing.
"I thought we could have dinner." James tilted his head to the left side.
"Why?" Oliver's voice sounded like a whoosh. "We had dinner this week already." Oliver put his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans.
"We can have dinner more than once a week, son." James slightly nodded his head.
"I'm busy," Oliver blurred his answer. "But dad, I have a bad feeling about Leah, I feel—"
"You and your feelings," James scoffed, lifting his arms in the air. "Are you now some kind of psychic too?" Oliver parted his lips. "Maybe what you feel is some spirit, like the old man Flanders."
"Who?" Oliver squinted his eyes.
"The old man." James motioned to the porch door. "Flanders he lived down the street." Oliver nodded his head. "He died two weeks ago, from a stroke."
Oliver shook his head. His curls fell, covering his left eye. "No, I don't do that anymore. I told you I don't have my gift anymore." He tucked his hair behind his ears.
"Gift," James scoffed. "It was more like a curse. Be glad you are a normal man now."
Oliver gulped, feeling bumps forming in his throat. "Anyway. About Leah."
"I'm telling you, there is no need to worry!" James raised his voice. "I'm her father, I know what is best and you need to let go a bit. She is a grownup, and she needs to live her life." James shook his index finger. "And you need to let her." He raised his eyebrow. "Find a wife, people starting to talk that you are gay."
"Maybe I am," Oliver mumbled.
"Are you?" James' eyebrows bounced up.
"It shouldn't matter, dad." Oliver shook his head.
"Right." James nodded. "I'm sure she will call. But you should go now." Oliver lifted his eyebrows. "Kathy is coming for—Um, game night."
"Right, game night." Oliver laughed. "If I hear nothing from Leah until tomorrow, I'm going to the cops, dad." Oliver moved toward the entrance area.
"Okay," James shouted, still sitting in the armchair.
"Bye, Dad," Oliver said after putting his converse sneakers on.
Oliver couldn't hear his father mumble goodbye as he left the house. He hugged himself, tightening his black coat as the cold air stroked him. Oliver reached his black Chevelle, noticing Kathy walking on the sidewalk of the main road. He drove from the driveway, nodding to a woman as she reached the path walk of his father's house.