Anger and rage heated me, and I kicked him in the shin, my body
struggling as I gathered all of my energy.
He yelped in pain and turned facing me, his eyes filled with the dark
violence they held when he murdered my best friend. He leapt for the knife and
held it to my wrist, slicing in. A hot fiery pain escaped from my arm, as it burned
and stung. I put my tongue, trying to keep myself from screaming. Warm, scarlet,
blood spilled from my wrist as he cut deeper.
"I wouldn't make that choice again, if I were you.
" he warned, a sharp danger
clung in his voice.
Of course, he was telling the truth. He was a manic human, so I wouldn't put my
murder past him. I heaved myself up onto my knees, stretching outward towards him. He
craned his neck, and his eyes remained the solemn darkness they were for so long."So tell me, Violet. What was it that drew you so closely to Calloway? Was it his
mystery? Or his inevitable desire to be an asshole at all times?" he kept his gaze down at
the utensils. I bit my cheek, debating how to answer his question.
"I feel safe with him.
" I implied flatly.
He raised his head.
"And do you not feel safe with me?" he questioned.
"Not when I'm all tied up.
" I said, forgetting about the overwhelming pain in my
wrists.
He stood for a moment, debating whether to free me or not, I assumed.
"If you promise to stay put, can I let you go?" He asked, the dark circles in the
chilling mask now staring down at me.
"Or, should you look at your friend's rotting
corpse in the corner, eh?"
"I will stay, I promise.
"
He pressed a scalpel to his fingers, thinking carefully. He then crouched by my
side, and began cutting at the zip ties. In that amount of time, I could come up with an
escape plan. I could just run for it. My mind screamed. Once my wrists and ankles broke
free, I massaged them with my hands, feeling the release of the tightened ties was a
relieving feeling.
The cloth hung around my neck, and I lifted it off. He stood up, and outstretched
his hand to me. This was the moment that I could escape. So, I did the thing any logicalperson would do; I ran. I leapt to my feet, running as fast as I could to do the door,
throwing it open as I dashed up the wooden steps. He chased after me, beginning to gain.
I realized I was in a small cabin that lay in a deep corner in the woods. Mind racing, I
peered out the window, taking in my surroundings.
I'd seen this house before. It was on its own across the lake, no one ever came to
it. It was swallowed by vines, and dust, which had been abandoned for God knew how
long.
I kept running, swinging my arms, as I approached the front door; my exit. I reached for
the knob, ready to see sunlight. All of the windows in the house had been boarded up.
Just as I reached, my legs were dragged out from underneath me, and I smacked my body
hard against the wooden floor, and my body turned cold and still. I was picked up, and
dragged screaming down the steps, back into hell. I scratched and bit and punched as
hard as I could, but it was no use. My body was thrown down onto the card concrete
floor, and new zip ties were becoming tied around my arms and legs.
"Bad decision.
" Cade warned.
He blindfolded me, and put the cloth back around my mouth. Everything was dark,
and I had no idea what he was going to do. I moved my head around frantically, shaking
and shivering in the cold. I felt a sharp pain drag down from my right jaw down my neck.
I screamed in agony. I felt a hard blow to my head, as I slumped over, blood
drooling from my mouth. I had no tears to cry anymore, now just a numbing feeling thatspread all over my body. Weakly, I tried to sit up, my body purging itself to give out. I
felt the blindfolded being lifted off of me, and my eyes adjusted weakly.
Cade's mask now looked different, decorated in dark brown hair. Dylan's hair.
Anger and rage fueled me as I kicked and screamed which made him laugh, in a mocking
tone. He slowly moved down, sitting above me, and leaning over me. I could fully smell
the mask, the scent filling my nose. It smelled of blood and rotting parts, making me
nauseous.
He began moving his hands on me, lifting up my shirt. I squirmed and kicked, but
his grasp held me still. He placed the cold knife' blade to my stomach, and it cooled my
body. He pressed harder and harder, until blood began to spill from the blade's indention.
I screamed more, as a stinging pain rose from my body. I slid the knife down my side,
making a slit from my middle torso to my hip. I could feel how deep it was.
Not deep enough to kill me, but deep enough to keep me from escaping. My chest
heaved, gasping for breath. A shrill laugh escaped from Cade's mouth, as he slowly
exited the basement. My body collapsed to the ground, drowning in a hopeless feeling of
despair. I now knew that I was trapped here, doomed forever. I would never see my
family again. Jack would grow old without me, my parents would grow to forget about
me.
My body curled, trying to warm myself on the floor. The cement was thick with
bugs and dirt, and even flabs of skin at times, yet I was determined to stay alive.29
(Meanwhile; Milo's perspective)It's been over a week and a half since I last saw Violet. Usually, I would catch
wind of her passing my house, or trying to reach out to me. At this time, Leo hasn't
contacted me about either of her whereabouts or Luke.
's My journal has somewhat
disappeared, which makes me grow suspicious of the things happening back in
Wenatchee. Something feels off, and dangerous almost. Here in Boston, it's cool and
brisk, with little to worry about. I decided to spend the rest of summer with my mother
and sister. It's eventless, and dull.
But, it beats the overwhelming pain I felt back in Washington. Every day, I simply
stay awake, and walk through the city. Marie is glad to have me near her, which helps
keep me grounded. My mother only stays in her bed up here, never leaving. Marie
informed me that this is still normal for her. I would have thought she would have grown
out of it here, and put it aside, at least for Marie's sake. My sister wasn't a difficult person
to take care of; I of all people knew that.
Still, I felt drawn to focus on Violet. All of my thoughts turned to her. I spent
hours thinking about what I could possibly say to her, to make things different. How I
could have changed in the past, and how I wanted the future to be. I never thought it
possible for someone to occupy my thoughts as much as she does. She is a constant
reminder of a feeling I may never dismiss, love. Though it felt impossible for me to
experience, I felt it. I don't believe I will be able to feel that with anyone else. She and I's
connection won't end, ever. That I was sure of.Sunday afternoon, Marie convinced me to spend the entirety of the day with her. It
was her last day before she officially moved into boarding school. I agree, somehow, and
we sit down on the couch, her head rests in my lap. I flipped on the tv, and scrolled
through the channels. My heart stopped as I watched the screen. A new person had gone
missing in Wenatchee. Just as I began to watch deeper to, I began to wonder who it was.
Leo's call answered my question. I pick up the phone, placing it to my ear.
"Leo?" I ask
"It's Violet. She's gone.
" He sounds like he's been crying, his voice breaking.
I spring up from my seat, running my fingers through my hair.
"Listen, I know that you left her. But, you need to come down here. She needs
you.
" he pleads with me
Without a second thought, I am on a plane back to the place I never thought I'd be in
again. I am back in Wenatchee, and I am going to find Violet. If it is the last thing I do, I
am going to find her.
30Cade still hadn't moved Dylan's body. And it's decay grew more and more
noticeable. Her body had lost it's tan complexion, and was now pale and green. She no
longer smelled of cigarettes and cinnamon, she now smelled like a sickening sweetness,
almost like rotting meat. I would gag everytime I looked at her, so I realized there needed
to be a new approach.
I pictured her in a new light, the old Dylan. Everytime I would look, I saw the lively
Dylan, who was filled with angst and passion. Sometimes, I would converse with her,
talking about school and how hard geometry was.
She was my only friend down in the basement. I rarely saw Cade, there were times he
would come down, and feed me some of his leftover food and water. Other times, we
would remind me what would happen if I ever attempted an escape again, and cut
somewhere in my body. So far it had been my ribs, toraso, neck, wrists, and back.
I prayed he would stop, but I was losing hope of God as well. I wondered if Dylan was in
heaven. I almost felt at peace and content when I was down in the depths of hell. I could
talk to Dylan if I felt lonely, or I could sleep, both were tempting choices. I wondered
what I looked like. Maybe my hair was a different pigment, or my nose was smaller.
I knew I had to look rough, considering I hadn't showered or brushed my hair in-
I had no idea how long.The day that I was fearing came sooner than I had expected. The day where I gave
up. I was always known as the girl who never gave up hope. And, that trait was now
gone.
If no one had found me now, they were never going to. Cade was coming down
less and less, people were beginning to forget about Violet Hargrove. But, in a terrifying
happiness, I accepted what I needed to. I took some moments, and thought about
everything; my entire life really. This semester had changed my life, and it was now all
going to end. From the party, to when I was living with Milo, I didn't regret a single
thing.
Everything happens for a reason, and I was going to join Dylan soon. I felt a deep
pity for Jack. He was never going to see his older sister again, but he was a strong kid.
I began to lie down, pressing my skin against the cold, hard ground. As a peaceful
smile grew across my face, I closed my eyes, taking in my last breath of life. I was in too
much pain and too sick to keep going, fighting and fighting until I was too weak. I
exhaled, and felt the world begin to fade around me. Just as I heard the silence rise, it
slipped away, and the sound of a door breaking drilled into my head.31
My eyes shot open, and I sat up quickly. Yelling roared from upstairs, and I began
to scream and yell as loud as I could, praying someone would hear me. I heard a few
grunts, and things being thrown. Then, the door swung open, knocking it off its hinges.
Sunlight poured into the room, blinding me. Milo Calloway stood in the doorway,
his fists clenched, painted in red blood. Something jumped onto him, throwing him onto
the concrete floor. He caught himself as Cade threw a punch at Milo.
As his hands began to move, it was caught by Milo, inches away from his face.
Milo's eyes were filled with anger and rage. He shoved him onto the ground, punching
him over and over again. Cade still wore the mask, decorated with his victim's body
parts. Milo hit him harder and harder, Cade beginning to grow weaker. In a moment of
fierce anger, Milo tore the mask off of Cade's face, and once he saw Cade's true
appearance, it set off something inside of him.
Milo began stomping into Cade's face, breaking his nose and jaw. Cade gagged
screaming and yelping in pain. Milo angrily grabbed him by the collar, lifting him from
the ground and shoving him into the wall, beating him, then throwing his body to the cardground, his head knocking against it, leaving a bloodied indention. Cade raised his arms,
begging for Milo's forgiveness, yet he would give him none. He just kept stomping and
kicking him.
Cade's face seemed unrecognizable, his nose crooked and bloodied, showing his
bone and muscle. The skin around his eyes had been ripped, and his cheekbones were
exposed. Thick layers of skin hung by a thread on his face, about to fall off, blood
dripping from them. I screamed in terror, watching Milo maul the killer.
Cade's body went limp, and Milo stepped off of him, his nose curled and his
eyebrows furrowed. I saw the wrath in his eyes, the same kind he had shown Luke. It
almost scared me. He ran over to me, stroking my hair with his bloodied and bruised
hands. I couldn't speak or move. He saw that I was bound to the wooden beam, and ran to
find something to free me with. My eyes wouldn't leave the new corpse that lay
motionless on the floor. Milo stayed silent, as he grabbed a pair of scissors and began to
set me free.
My wrists and ankles were a deep greenish purple, bruised from the zip ties. Once
I was free, I threw myself onto him, embracing him in my arms.
He wrapped himself around me. Our eyes closed, we became one again, and I
regained the missing part of me. I didn't care where I was anymore, all I cared about was
him. He had come back for me. As my eyes opened again, they stared into his beautiful
blue eyes. I cupped my face in his hands, and I felt the warmth of him, and wanted tobathe in it forever. My eyes began to wander to where the corpse was, except it wasn't
there anymore.
My body grew still, frozen. I couldn't speak, or scream anymore. I saw Cade,
standing above Milo, mouth gaping open wide. He raised the switchblade he always
carried with him, and stabbed Milo in the side with it, his body falling to the floor. I
screamed in anger, a hot feeling coursing through me.32
I no longer feared Cade. I felt myself grow hot with rage and adrenaline rushed
through my body, as I grabbed the scissors Milo used to set me free, and charged towards
Cade. I couldn't count how many times I stabbed him, but it was a lot. I wouldn't stop.
Not until, I watched him take his last dying breath, his body now completely soaked in
blood. I held no terrified or fearful expression on my face, only a face of bravery and
anger. Once the fury had left me, I rushed to Milo's side, as he coughed and heaved.
I held up his head in my lap, kneeling by his side.
"Get out of here.
" he said weakly.
I wasn't going to leave him. Ever. I screamed for help, hoping someone would
hear me. If I left to go find help, something could happen to Milo. But, if I stayed, he
could die. I felt Milo's cell phone vibrate in his pocket. Of course. I reached into it,
grabbing the phone from him. It was Leo. I quickly answered.
"Leo!" I exclaimed.
"Bring the police and an ambulance to that house across the
lake. Now.
" I hung up the phone and focused on Milo again. He was beginning to grow
weak, as I saw blood begin to pool onto his white shirt. I felt my eyes watering as theyhad when I held Dylan. This feeling was all too familiar to me; holding a dying loved one
in my arms.
"Milo. Just hold on. The police are coming.
" I pleaded, tears now streaming down
my cheeks, wet and sticky. His eyes were the kind and soft expression that they only held
in my presence. I brought his head closer, stroking his hair.
"I'm so sorry I have to leave you again.
" he said, growing weaker.
"Are you afraid?" I asked.
He was never scared.
"Yes. For the first time in the entirety of my life; I am afraid. Of losing you.
"
his face grew dim, the same way Dylan's had. His eyes began to close.33
To lose a loved one, is one of the greatest pains a person can endure. You spend so
much time getting to grow with this person, forming a connection with them. You can't
ever think of time without them, and when you do, you flood out that idea with thoughts
of happiness with them. You never think about losing them; until you do.
And then your heart is ripped out of you. And you cannot move, and you cannot
breathe; you simply stare into nothingness and reminisce in the times you two shared
together. And you realize you will never see them again. You will never hear their laugh
again. You will never feel their skin against yours again, in a warm embrace.
You will never see their eyes again, full of life. All of these things are ripped away
from you. And those memories will begin to fade, unless you only wallow in the past
with them. You are told "they are in a better place" and "everything happens for a
reason"
. But, are they? And does it? That person is gone forever. And there is nothing
you can do about it.
"No! No, Milo stopped. You can't leave me again. You can't-
" tears flooded down
my face."I can't lose you again. Please. Please don't leave me!" I sobbed, burying myself
into him. His face looked so peaceful. I couldn't lose him too. Without him, I had nothing.
His face grew expressionless, and I felt I had lost him. I only screamed "no" over and
over again, rocking his body in my arms. I heard the sirens roar as the ambulances and
police cars paraded the yard. I didn't move though.
I only held Milo in my arms. I was never going to leave him. I heard the officers
as they stormed into the home, checking throughout the house, then making it to the
basement. Once they saw me, their eyes became wide with fear, and some rushed to my
side.
"Miss. Miss are you alright?" the officer's words faded as did the sounds around
me. It only sounded like an echo in my head, like I was underwater.
"He, He needs help.
" I stuttered, struggling to focus.
I felt myself being picked up, and a stretcher came barreling through the doorway,
placing Milo inside.
My hand was still wrapped around Milo's arm, and the officers had to pry my
hand off of him. They wrapped a blanket around me, and put me on a bed in the back of
an ambulance. Milo was placed in another. I watched myself become carried out of the
basement. When I watched behind me, I saw the two dead corpses on the floor, the
puzzled officers investigating the scene.
"What the hell happened here?" I heard one mutter to another.Oh, you have no idea. I thought back.