Caged in Darkness (Caged #1)(15)

I frowned at his back, but he stopped in the veil between the kitchen and the hallway leading to the front of the house. He looked over his shoulder and said, “I promised Griffin I’d meet up with him and I’m already late. See ya later.” Ash then looked me directly in the eyes and disappeared into the hallway.

“Bye!” Maye and I shouted in sync.

“What was that about?” I asked Maye, though I don’t know why I thought she would have the answer.

“You tell me. I wasn’t the one in here talking to him. Did you sleep well?”

“At first, no. Later I did though.” I polished off my apple and addressed the elephant in the room. “What time are we leaving?”

Maye paused between sips. “We are going to leave as soon as I finish my cup of coffee. Be a dear and fetch my shoes. The black flats with the little swirls on the side.”

I headed to the room in search of her flats. While sorting through the debris of shoes tossed haphazardly into a pile at the back of Maye’s closest, I came across an album.

On the cover of the album was the name “Cross”, which was my line. I opened the album to the first page to find a family tree, which dated back to the original members. When I continued to turn, the family tree was replaced by drawings, then portraits, and eventually pictures of people. I grabbed the album and the shoes.

After placing the album beneath the covers of my bed, I jogged downstairs to greet Maye. She was waiting at the door with her car keys in her hand and a large tote over her shoulder.

“Good, you found them!” She beamed and sat to place the shoes on her feet.

Our ride to my parents’ estate was riddled with silence. Too many emotions overwhelmed me and Maye seemed tense. It wasn’t long before we pulled up in front of the house. I sat still in the seat after the car went silent and built the courage to go inside.





Ash





I climbed into my SUV, but didn’t put the car in drive. I looked out the windshield at my house. When Savannah fell against me it had been difficult to pull away. Our noses touched and I felt a pounding need to close the space between our lips. I wanted to taste her.

I shook my head; trying to wipe the thoughts from my mind. When she first came to live with us, I was protective of her, but over the years we had become closer. She began to eclipse everything in my world, which is why I needed to stop these kinds of thoughts.

Last night, I woke to Savannah’s nightly screaming, but it was worse than usual. In response, I tried to quiet her. She had been in a deep, fitful sleep and remained unaware of my presence when I slipped into her room.

Careful not to wake her, I eased myself onto the bed and her restless movements quieted. I held her face, smoothed her cheek with my thumb, and sang lightly in her ear. Savannah curled her body around mine.

I felt strange being in her bed when she wasn’t aware I was there, and tried to detach myself, but she pulled me in closer. I laid on my back with her legs tangled in mine, and her head resting on my chest. Her smooth legs twitched, and I gently eased her shoulder away, but she lifted her head.

“Ash.” Her eyes were mere slits. I paused in the hope that she would fall back to sleep. “Ash…”

“It’s me.”

“Mmmm… stay.” Her voice was barely audible, as she grazed her lips against mine and her head fell back against the pillow into a deep sleep.

I don’t think she remembered her actions from last night, but considering my reaction to the memory, my body did. I spent most of the night calming her with my presence and voice. However, at dawn I managed to remove myself and get back to my room. It had been a painful night. I winced at the memory.

My best friend, Griffin was usually the one who had the heightened sex drive. Lately, mine had kicked into high gear when I was around Savannah. It was beginning to worry me. Maybe Griffin was right and I needed to get laid, but I was never one of those guys who had casual hook ups.

Groaning, I pulled out of the driveway. If there was ever a good time to visit Isis, it was now. Somehow, the relief that she would provide, left a bitter taste in my mouth. Instead, I turned my car towards the preserve. Maybe a walk would clear my head.



Savannah





I mimicked Maye’s foot placement towards the deceptively plain house. The lower section of the house was multicolored stone and the upper portion was painted light yellow. A wraparound porch gave the home a Victorian air. The grounds were unkempt from neglect over the years, but the house was still beautiful. It stood calm against the suburban storm raging around it. The thunder screamed across the sky slapping the clouds into a heated turmoil that flew towards the south.

I wasn’t surprised my parents’ estate took this long to sell. From the outside it looked like an ideal family home. However, its history was not conducive towards “baby making” and family holiday dinners.

My mother and father had been discovered on the property; their lifeless forms frozen solid against the kitchen tile. Horrified expressions were taped across their features, and strange markings left angry welts against their flesh. Maye kept this information from me until she felt I was strong enough.

The police came to the house to investigate my parents’ deaths and found the answer to serial vanishings in the area. In the basement, the police found a giant freezer filled with vials of blood from each of my parents’ victims. The police found evidence they considered proof of their involvement in a cult. The world pronounced my parents, as participants in a serial killing spree, encouraged by a satanic cult. They were considered the greatest mass murders the state had ever seen. That was one point I completely agreed with. This house was not a home to build happy memories, but a museum echoing the nightmares of my past.