Chapter 29-All on Her Own

I sat up and stared out to the sea for awhile. I glanced down at my dress. The beautiful white fabric was muddy and smudged with grass stains. The rain mixed the colors together, creating interesting swirls that I found myself staring at when suddenly I heard a voice behind me. I wasn’t sure who it was at first. It could have been anyone-I wasn’t really paying attention. They could have been there to kill me or to be my savior. Finally, I looked back. Joseph was standing behind me. His expression was concerned and heavy black locks hung in his face from the rain that soaked them. Small streams curved down his face and dipped in and out of his eyes. I stared at him for a few moments before saying, "I’m sorry, did you say something?"

I knew I sounded distant, unfeeling, and I could see the shock registering on his face the moment it passed from my lips. "I asked if you were okay," he said and came and sat down on the lawn next to me.

I turned back to the sea, watching it churn with the rain and wind that had developed from the breeze earlier. "No," I said. "I’m not. None of us are. Mitch is gone now too you know?"

"No," he whispered.

I nodded. "Yes," I said. "We were running through the woods and I tripped, knocking myself out from the force of fleeing. When I came to I think I heard them off in the woods and I tried to get to him but I couldn’t find them." We sat in silence for a few minutes. Then I said, trying to sound distant, "Joseph, you should stay away from me."

"Why?" he demanded.

"Because everyone has been taken when they’re near me," I said, suppressing a guilty sob. "It would be safer if you just stayed away."

He put a hand to my chin and turned my face to his. We stared in each other’s eyes for a few minutes without saying a single word. "I won’t leave you," he whispered. "I love you Mel and I won’t leave, I don’t care if it costs me my life."

I wanted to kiss him and slap him at the same time. The kiss because I loved him so terribly and the slap for the same reason. I didn’t do anything though because of the conflicting actions and because Mitch’s words kept repeating in my mind. "We don’t know him," his voice said over and over. "I do know him!" I told myself but yet, I did not do anything.

"Mel?" he asked.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Is there any other reason you want me to stay away?" he asked.

"No.." I said on guard.

"You don’t think I could have done this," he said. "Do you?"

I stared at him and wanted to scream no and tell him that I didn’t because I love him but I just kept on staring.

"You do," he said, his voice grave. "Don’t you."

"I didn’t say that," I replied defensively.

"But you didn’t deny it," he said and he rose from the ground, his back turned to me.

"I’m sorry Joseph," I said. "I’m just so worried and-"

"You don’t have to explain," he said stiffly. I stood and placed my hand on his arm but he started walking away.

"Where are you going?" I asked. Tears began to creep from my eyes, but they were the first tears I had cried for myself in days.

"Away," he said. "Like you asked me too." Then he began walking on a trail through the woods.

Something in his manner told me not to follow. I just stood on the tree line, watching him go, and when he was out of sight I began slamming my fists into a tree in frustrating. They began to get bloody but I kept on doing it anyway and crying. I kept watching the trail as I did it. "He’ll be back," I told myself, deciding to go after him if he didn’t come soon. Then I heard the scream, well, as well as a man can scream. It was Joseph and this time it would really be my fault. I tore down the trail faster than I had ever run. I hoped beyond hope that he had followed it and I would get to him in time.

I heard his voice calling to me. "Mel!" he said. "Its-" Suddenly there was a huge crack that I even I could hear, as far away from him as I still was, and his voice cut off. I felt tears coming and I kept running until I came to a wide spot where there were signs of a fight. The ground was kicked this way and that, grass was trampled and trees were broken. On the ground, next to a branch, was blood streaked across the ground and it was also on the branch.

I shook my head back and forth and said, "Not Joseph too, not Joseph too." I wasn’t surprised though. I had slowly lost them all and soon, whoever this was would get me too. I began wandering back down the path slowly. The rain was coming down hard now and it pounded against me. My dress swished from the water that soaked it. I was alone, completely alone. I broke out into the lawn yet again. All paths seemed to lead there eventually. The bad weather around me and progressed into a full on storm. The wind howled through the trees and whipped the rain back and forth.

I glanced up at the house. Its windows glowed like the eyes of monsters in the dark night. Silhouetted against the light I saw a shape running for me. It was Cerant. He had abandoned most of his tuxedo and he called my name, "Melanie! Melanie! Please! Stay there!" I wasn’t going to trust him though and I ran across the line to the side of the island I rarely went on, where Mitch and Kyle had searched before. There was no path through the trees but they were sparser than those on the other side of the island and I wove my way through them, running from him. He was never far behind me and began gaining on me quickly, but I kept running and running. Suddenly I was on the edge of a cliff and I managed to stop myself before I went hurdling off. I was trapped though. There was no where in front of me to go and Cerant was behind me.

He stopped and panted. "Why did you run?" he demanded angrily. "I told you to stay there." I backed away from him toward the edge slowly then he grabbed my wrist roughly, pulling me toward him. I clenched my fist slowly back and brought it forward toward his face with my fury for my friends driving it faster than I could ever remember throwing a punch. It connected solidly with his jaw and I could hear a crack. He released my wrist quickly and cried out in pain.

"That was for my friends," I said shakily and backed further. Then I turned to stare out at the sea, which churned around the base of the cliff below me. I raised my hands to the sky, the rain pouring down on me. I was alone, all alone and he would have me in a minute. No he wouldn’t. I stepped forward toward the edge and hurled my broken heart into the sea.

Behind me I heard him call out, "Melanie! No!" I plummeted toward the sea and crashed into the water. Salt water sucked into my nostrils and my mouth, causing me to gag and sputter. I treaded water quickly, my arms swishing back and forth through the sea. The churning water had brought me to my senses. What had I done? I didn’t want to die and what if Cerant wasn’t the killer and I had just broken is jaw. I cursed myself for being so stupid and letting my emotion get over me while trying to keep myself above the water. Suddenly a huge wave picked me up and slammed me against the cliff. I expected to feel bones breaking but the sides of the cliffs on this side of the island were mostly dirt at this level. It still hurt and I felt pain rising in my arm as the water pulled me back again.

I was slammed against the cliff as it carried me slowly down the side of the island. Each time I tried to wish away the pain but it came again and again. Suddenly a huge wave swept me high into the air and carried me so quickly I thought this was it. I closed my eyes as I was moments away from hitting but I didn’t hit the cliff. Instead I was flying through the air and then lost my inertia and fell to the ground. I landed in a few inches of water and some light sand. I looked up for a moment to see the roof of a cave before, again, I slipped into unconsciousness.

I suddenly could feel again. Pain thudded behind my closed eyelids and I forced them open. There was light in the cave, yet, there wasn’t. It was far away from me so it didn’t hurt my eyes but lit the area around me. Reflections danced in the clear water that brushed up against me. It’s funny how it can storm outside of an inlet and be completely peaceful within. I guess that’s the way I had been all these days. Everything was going wrong around me and when I began to surrender to the emotions, I would stop myself, I would stay the peace for the other’s that remained. That wasn’t what they needed though. They needed me to go berserk and make them leave. Everything was my fault. I had suggested this then when things went wrong I said we should push on. All my fault….

My whole body hurt and my mind was torturing my conscience for what I had done. I made myself get up though. I rose on my shaky legs and fell to the sand quickly again. I hadn’t been ready for the pain that shot through my legs but this time I was. I stood up again, bracing myself for it, and looked around. I had been beneath a small rise that I know saw over easily. A vast cave rose around me. The ground and parts of the walls were stone but the ceiling was made of dirt. I swept my eyes across the scene slowly. Someone had been, or was, here. On the right wall there were torches set up that cast the dim light I had seen before. In the center of the cave there was a long, wooden table and on the left wall..

I gasped in surprise and utter joy. Four forms hung from ropes that were suspended from the side of the cave. They were far from me but I knew them in an instant. They belonged to my missing friends. I hobbled over to them as fast as I could manage. I an empty ropes that were apart from the others and kept on going. I reached Joseph first. He obviously hadn’t been there long and the blood that matted the back of his head was still fresh. He was gagged and slouched limply, obviously unconscious. I pulled at the ropes but couldn’t do anything without something sharp. I checked his pulse quickly and he seemed okay so I went to check on the others.

Kat was next to him and she appeared to be sleeping. I shook her gently and her eyes shot open at me. They filled with joy and then fear. She wasn’t gagged but when she tried to speak only a croaking gasp came out. It sounded slightly like Mel but I couldn’t tell. I assured her that I’d be right back and moved to Mitch. He was covered with bruises and was gagged like Joseph. He was the worst beat up but conscious. He seemed to want to speak but I quickly moved to Kyle, telling him I’d be back. Kyle’s face had a pale seeming to it and he was washed out. I shook him, trying to wake up but he only opened his eyes groggily and tried to speak against the gag he also wore. I needed to get them out of those things so I turned to look around the cave for something sharp. Suddenly, a sound behind me made me turn in the direction of where the four were hanging and my eyes went wide with horror.