Logan slithered close to me and I jerked back. My knees trembled and I caught my breath in my throat. I was petrified and Logan knew it.
“Oh. He’s not here, either. It’s just the two of us, Claire.” He inhaled sharply, his dark eyes appraising me and his putrid smell continued to make me nauseous.
The look in Logan’s eyes was terrifying.
“What do you want, Logan?” I demanded, attempting to sound in control, hoping my voice would not crack, giving away how afraid I really was.
“You,” he claimed, running his filthy fingers across my cheek and lips. I turned my head in disgust and he leaned in close. I felt his breath on me. He reeked of alcohol, and guilt pooled in my gut when I looked at him.
This was my fault. Kace wanted to get to me, and he used Logan to do it, possessing him with the Adherent. Another innocent person’s life was altered simply because of me. He was just a normal high school boy one day, and the next, he ended up here in this grotesque environment, layered in dirt and urine, drinking, in an attempt to silence the demons. This was all because he heard some rumors that made him not like me. It was depressing, and I was to blame. I wondered if there was any way I could help him. Maybe there was a way to extract the Adherent and free Logan.
“Logan, you’re wrong about that. You only think you want me because you’re entertaining an Adherent that Kace sent. You’re an Anchor, that’s all. You don’t really want to hurt me,” I pleaded with him, wondering if there was any way to penetrate the Adherent that was buried within him.
“That may be part of it, but you see, there’s another reason I want you. All summer, Claire, I had to listen to Layken go on and on about Brent. He’s so cute. He’s so nice. Blah, blah, blah. I really liked her. We went out a few times, and things were going good. Then Brent moved to town. She started acting like I didn’t exist. The way I see it, taking you from Brent will hurt him. That’s exactly what he deserves, especially how he came after me in the hall. His protectiveness towards you made me want to hurt you even more, just so I could watch him suffer,” he fantasized, increasing my fear. However, I stayed calm.
“You don’t really feel that way, Logan. Please, listen to me,” I pleaded harder, but he continued as though I hadn’t spoken at all.
“Oh, and then there’s Reese, little puke that he is. He came to talk to me at lunch, warning me to stay away from you. Reese, who always gets everything he wants. Logan, you want to be quarterback? Sorry, but Reese is quarterback. Oh Logan, sorry, but Reese is the Captain. He thinks he’s so damn special. He wanted you too, Claire, so by keeping you here I can make both of them pay.”
“Logan! This isn’t you. It’s just the…”
Logan interrupted. “Stop with the Adherent shit, Claire. I actually like myself better this way. I’m no longer some pathetic door mat that complies with everything. So, you can stop with your lame attempt to make me see I’m a better person. I’m not.”
“You are though, Logan,” I urged forcefully, endeavoring one last attempt to make him believe me.
“Shut up!” he shouted so loudly, that his voice echoed off the metal walls hurting my ears.
Logan reached back and landed a blow to the side of my head with the back of his hand. The force knocked me to the ground. Unbearable pain was the last thing I remembered before the room went black.
My head throbbed, and it hurt to open my eyes. The room was completely dark. Logan’s smell was still thick in the air; though I wasn’t sure he was in the room. I listened hard for any indication he was in the freezer with me, but it was completely silent.
Once I was positive I was alone, I rose to my feet, feeling the walls in the direction I thought the lamp might be. Beneath my fingers, I felt a thick layer of grainy dirt covering every shelf, and I tried not to think about what was there. I kept feeling around for the lantern. Relief swept over me as my fingers came in contact with the cold aluminum frame.
The light from the lantern was dim, but once my eyes adjusted I was able to get a better look at my surroundings, wishing I hadn’t. The floor was covered in mice droppings, tiny black pellets beneath my feet. Scratching from behind the shelves reminded me I was not entirely alone, as the little rodents clawed into something. Examining the walls, I noted there was no way out other than the steel door. My head was still pounding, a constant ache behind my eyes. My hands were black after running them across the shelves. I reached for my head anyway, trying to ease the pain.
I began weeping, and tears slid down my cheeks, one after the other. I had no strength to stop them. I was freaking out, like a caged animal. I should have gone to Reese, and Brent, and told them what Logan wanted me to do.
Omni’s words tormented me.
Most importantly, whatever you do, you must stay together.
Those were the last words Omni spoke before we left my aunt’s house, after he told us Brent was my Paramour, and Reese was my brother, my Aegis. We went there to find an Agent to ask for guidance. Omni gave it to us, very simply instructing me to trust Reese and Brent, stressing it would take all three of us. Stay together. I didn’t listen. How could I have been so careless?
I sunk to the disgusting floor, hanging my face in my grimy hands. I cried, not bothering to wipe the salty drops away, tasting each one as they fell into my mouth. I visualized Brent’s face the last time I saw him. His expression haunted me. No matter how worried he was then, it was nothing compared to what he must be experiencing now. Surprisingly, I found myself wishing he was here to protect me – to teach Logan some manners like he swore he would if Logan didn’t leave me alone. I had wanted to prove I didn’t need anyone to protect me so badly, that I foolishly thought I could handle Logan on my own. Brent was right, I really was stubborn. Would he have any idea where to start looking for me? Probably not. I wouldn’t have
a reason for being here. I continued to cry, wallowing in self-pity and helplessness.
Get a grip, Claire. You’re not helpless. You have abilities for a reason. Stop your whining and do something.
My subconscious was downright nasty. As usual though, she was right. I attempted to see if my abilities might help my situation, concentrating hard on pushing the door open, I waited for the magic to save me – nothing.
Remembering my ability to quake walls around me when I got really upset, I centered my anger, focusing on Logan, and what he did to Maggie. It was working. The small room started to convulse. I held onto my thoughts, clinging to that one life changing moment, hoping it would jar the lock on the door. Rattling of the heavy shelves as objects fell from them was similar to being trapped in an earthquake, and made me feel disoriented. The lantern fell and I managed to slide my foot under it in time to stop it from shattering.
Mice scampered across the floor in every direction, having been startled, looking for an exit. I screamed as I climbed the metal-framed shelving to escape the vermin. Mice were a phobia of mine. I started to panic. Pulling my thoughts away from the murky place I had stored them, the room calmed. Once I was sure the mice had gone back into hiding, I came down from my perch.
My legs were wobbly, unable to hold my weight. I collapsed to the floor, exhausted and scared. It had taken a lot out of me to move the walls. I prayed Logan would not return until my body recovered.
No such luck today. Logan’s rancid smell entered the room before he did. My luck felt like the life of a gambler, so deep in debt, clutching the small cubes in his hand praying to the powers that be, to roll an eleven. Just this once, please. The ivory pieces flying over the plush green felt, spinning in slow motion, a six yes, and a…no…wait…one last tumble…and…its snake eyes. The pit boss waiting and watching, grinning at the two ebony dots, the satisfied wave of his finger knowing the man can’t pay. That’s what my days have come to feel like, those unanswered prayers teasing me.