K A D E N

Weeks passed turning into a month. They were quiet, with no sound of Dante but that did little to reassure me. I kept my head down. I avoided Zach at all costs. I invested more time into my studies instead of beer bottles on the nights I couldn't sleep.

I got another job. I went to school, came back and again. It turned into routine and for a moment I welcomed the stability.

It didn't last.

For a while though, I was content. Most of the time it was when I was alone, nobody to bother me. Only sometimes I enjoyed the company.

Phoenix came by at times and then more and more often. I grew to having her around. I didn't have to tell her my every waking thought and that was okay. In the same way, I didn't asked her about her demons.

Sometimes, I did wonder. Like when she was sleeping, her forehead would crease for a moment before smoothing out. I'd hear her shallow breath before it evened out. Or her hands curling into a fist before going slack.

Tonight, I didn't see any of those signs. She remained in her curled position on my mattress. Breaths even, no sign of waking up anytime soon.

I began to get dressed, pulling on the t-shirt I'd thrown aside a few hours ago. It was just past eleven. Since I'd started working at the garage, my hours had changed. Rather than the day, I was taking night shifts which suited me fine.

Grabbing my jacket and keys, I glanced back into my room. Phoenix would leave after a while. I'd come back to an empty mattress but for a second I stayed where I was. I pulled the covers over her a bit more and brushed the hair away from her face.

Then I left.

-

It was a quiet night at the garage. Nothing much came in or out. But by the time I was done, I was covered in oil, the smell of petrol clung to my skin.

I was even let off early that night, earning a clap on the back from my new manager who told me to 'get some sleep'. I didn't know whether to be glad or irritated. There were still hours left until the sun rose.

Just as I was getting into my car, thinking about how I'd fill in the time, my phone rang. Without looking at the caller ID I pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, stranger."

"Taylor?" I frowned, holding the phone away from me to see her name glowing off the screen.

"Who else would it be?"

"I haven't heard from you since the day you stormed off."

"I didn't storm off."

"You--"

"Where are you? I really want to see you."

I frowned again, looking back in the direction I'd come from the garage. The lights were barely visible from this distance.

"Where are you?"

"Right here." The voice didn't come through the speaker but from directly behind me and it certainly didn't belong to Taylor.

I didn't want to turn around to confirm what I was already dreading. What I wanted was to close my eyes and wake up hoping this was all a bad dream. Anything would have been better than what would follow.

Yet, I seemed to be stuck in reality and I had no choice but to turn around. I saw Dante and with him was Taylor. She cut the call, folding her arms just as my own fell away from my ear and limp by side.

"What are you doing?" I accused in a low voice. She stayed quiet.

"Taylor here, thought she'd come pay you a visit. Isn't that right?" Dante put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She brushed him off to which he laughed.

"I have something for you." He addressed me this time, tossing something my way. By instinct I caught it. It was a package of some sort, lightweight and all too familiar.

"No." I said, holding it at arms length.

He grasped hold of Taylor's arm then. She glared at him. "Let go of m--"

Before she could finish, the sound of a loud slap resonated in the air. It was enough to make her stagger back a few paces clutching her cheek and make me flinch.

But I stayed quiet.

He rose his hand again and my teeth ground together. He paused midway and smiled whilst Taylor cowered away from his grasp.

"You know what to do. Address is on there." He gestured to the post it on the side.

I stared at it for the longest time. It felt like no matter what I tried, my past would always come back to strangle me. It didn't matter how hard or far I ran, my nightmare was standing before me. I stared at that nightmare and said, "Why me?"

"Because," He drawled out. "That package is going to a more. . . respected side of town. It would look suspicious if one of mine went there. You, on the other hand, it would just be like a couple of friends meeting up."

"I know it was you." I blurted out all of a sudden. "The newspaper, the article-- it was all you."

"Congratulations on figuring it out. I bet all the girls are falling at your feet by now. Right?" He didn't let me answer. "Anyway, you better get a move on."

"I'm not doing it," I said through gritted teeth.

He sighed. A moment later I saw a flash of silver and suddenly there was a blade against Taylor's throat. My own went completely dry.

"I tried not to do it the hard way." He warned.

For a moment, I considered holding my ground. I could've tossed the package, got in my car and drove away. And it was that thought that terrified me more than the thought of what would unfold before me.

My heart pounded through my chest, so loud it filled my ears. It didn't lessen either when Dante lowered the hand holding the knife. He already knew what I was going to say next. "She comes with me."

"You drive a hard bargain." He laughed but let her go anyway. Taylor ran towards me as soon as he loosened his grip. Her arms wound around my torso in an embrace as mine stayed limp.

"Don't think you can try anything by the way. There's a tracker on your phone so I'll know exactly where you're going." He paused for a second. "You can thank your girlfriend for that."

I looked at Taylor but she wasn't meeting my gaze. I saw the red mark from where she'd been hit and I wondered if I made the right choice.

"You have an hour. Good luck." He smiled once more before walking up to a car which I hadn't even noticed was there in the first place. I watched him drive away with an empty feeling in my stomach.

Once he was out of sight I turned to Taylor. "I'm sorry." She choked out.

"Save it." I got behind the wheel, slamming the door as I did so. My head fell into my hands as I heard another car door. "Get out."

"I'm sorry, I can fix this."

"I don't want to see you ever again."

"Please." She pleaded.

I breathed through my mouth, my hands curling into fists. "You put a tracker on my phone?"

"I know. . . I," She paused, eyes beginning to glass over. "I just really needed the money at the time."

"When?"

She knew I was asking when she'd painted the target straight onto my back. She swallowed. "Last time I was at your place."

"I can't believe you." A thought crossed my mind. "Did you bug the rest of my place when you were there too?

"No! I would never do that." It was hardly easy to trust anything she said now. "But I can fix it."

I closed my eyes, hoping once again that I'd wake up and this was all a dream but Taylor's plea's pierced through those wishes. "How?"

"Give me your phone."

I did. Not knowing how much worse it could get.

"What now?"

"Now drive."

-

The address on the sticky note was on a more well-off part of town. The houses here were much bigger, grander. Just looking at them filled me with even more dread.

I made sure to stop somewhere we wouldn't be spotted. It was traumatic, to say the least, reminding me of when I would hide and sneak around to avoid getting caught.

"How's it going back there?" I looked back at where Taylor was in the back seats. Torch in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. The innards of my phone spilling out.

"I need a little more time."

I took a cautionary glance at the dashboard. Of the hour, we'd used up 38 minutes just getting to the place. "We don't have time."

Just then there was a beeping sound. Taylor and I stared at each other in alarm. She looked down at the phone and carefully turned it over.

"It's from Dante." She read aloud. "'I'm expecting a call in 20 minutes from a happy customer'."

I muttered profanity under my breath. My fingers ran through my hair in agitation. It felt like I'd never be rid of Dante. He was there at every corner I turned. Ready to torment.

After sitting there in a couple minutes of frustration, I got out of the car. I heard Taylor tell me to wait but I was already going on. I moved quickly and quietly, using whatever I could to show as little as possible.

Instead of using the front door, I looked for a back entrance but when I found it, I discovered it was already open. It led me into a kitchen or pantry of some sort but I couldn't tell since it was so dark. I thought about leaving the package by the door and making a run for it but I remembered what the text message had said.

Every fiber on my body was screaming at me to turn back around but there was a more hopeful and stupid side of me. A side of me that thought that there could be a chance Dante would leave me alone after this. It was a stupid thought. But it was the thought I went with.

With cautios steps, I passed the threshold. All the lights were off. I took more steps hoping to find one that was already on. It wasn't until I reached the passage to the front door that I realised the reason why.

A single strand of moonlight shone through the windows so I saw a glimpse of something grey. I stepped closer, making out a leg clad in jeans. And then another leg, a torso, arms and a head. The floor surrounding the person looked a lot darker than the rest of the space.

"Crap." I muttered to myself and shielded my nose from the stench.

It all clicked then.

All the pieces started to come together that for a minute I didn't want to believe it. I tore the paper from the package to find pebbles and bits of foam falling to my feet. One of the stones rolled away into the dark pool of blood.

To make matters worse, I heard the sound of sirens becoming louder and louder. My body went on full alert. My hands shook but still managed to cling onto whatever was left of the package.

Then I ran.

I ran through corridors, past the pantry or kitchen, and through the back door. The sirens were louder than ever, I was blind with fear. I stumbled, dropping the package before getting back up and back to my car.

Only it wasn't there anymore. And neither was Taylor. I had no choice.

I kept on running.

-

The house was quiet when I came back. I only heard my shallow breath and pounding heart. I had to stop running for a second. My whole body was drenched in sweat. My clothes stuck to my skin as I grabbed a black plastic bag wrapping it around the remains of the package. I took it out to where the empty pool was along with a lighter and watched the events of the night burn away.

Except it wasn't so easy.

The burning smell clung onto my clothes as I made my way to the landing. My hand was on the bathroom handle when I realised there was light coming from underneath. Too tired to be suspicious, I opened the door to find that it was just Phoenix. I didn't know whether to be angry or relieved.

She was in the tub, phone in one hand and earphones plugged in. Her hair was in a hasty bun exposing her neck and tattooed collarbone. She didn't see me standing in the doorway, or when I came closer.

I took my sneakers off and my jacket, my shirt, my jeans. When my belt hit the floor I looked up to see Phoenix silently watching me. She didn't say anything as I lowered myself into the tub opposite her.

I plucked one of the earbuds from her ears and into mine. I didn't recognise the song. It was a sad tune, one that made my vision start to blur. At least, that's what I put it down to.

Her knees poked above the waterline so I focused on that. She had a scar that ran across her left cap. It was faint, barely noticeable but under the lights of the bathroom, the scar seemed angry and harsh. We'd been naked around each other before but this was different somehow.

I felt her fingers brush the hairs on the back of my neck, making a spiral on the surface. She looked troubled. I didn't think to ask her what was behind it.

I leaned in and kissed her. Another time and it would have gone further than just a simple kiss. But right now she was my only lifeline. The only thing right in this whole mess. She let me kiss her until she pulled away, brushing a thumb across my lips. She smiled sadly. "We can't do this anymore."

Five letters were all it took. The events of the night came crashing down in an unbearable tornado.

And for the first time in a long while, I cried.