Rugged Lace

Chapter Twenty-Seven

*Here lies the dead we seek, nothing left to reap*

Alise's forehead is lined with sweat as she pushes her body forward, leaning until she falls onto the floor, a rush of air swallowing her whole before the ground welcomes her with a thud. Drop, drip, drip. Drop, drip, drip. The endless sounds of the sink are starting to drive her insane.

Her body scoots itself to the bathroom. The door is open, and she uses it to pick herself up. There she hops until the sink is in view.

With one movement she's turned off the water. Behind her she can hear the loud creak of the front door opening. Her blood turns to ice as she quickly hobbles back over to the bed, trying to get back there before he finds her. She knows what'll happen if he does.

As she falls onto the blankets the sound of his laugh fills the air.

"Alise! Oh, Alise. You'll never guess what I got?" Don's voice is singing before he starts to laugh like a maniac. All the times she thought she'd loved him come crashing down on her as she realizes, for the last time, how crazy he really is.

Don walks into the bedroom, his hair combed back and wet. He's shirtless, definitely handsome, and she tries to ignore any feeling she gets from him. In his hand there's a long piece of rope, her imagination throbbing at the thought of what, or who, is on the other end. "Isn't this lovely? Isn't this? Oh, you'll absolutely adore this. The old man's outta town, old bitch died, and Tyler's back. Oh, and that's not even the best part."

One tug on the rope draws a frail looking Tyler into view. There's a long scratch across her bare stomach, as well as tons of bruises. Her entire body looks beaten to a pulp. The only clothes left on her are her bra and underwear.

"The two of you can continue, just like before. God, you two worked well." Don grins sadistically, undoing the rope around Tyler's neck. She gasps for air, bound hands rising to touch her red and purple throat. "I'm going to go get scene set up. Why don't you two catch up on old times?"

He leaves them, footsteps loud even after he's slammed the door shut. Tyler looks to her friend, more tears in her eyes as she realizes that it's actually real. Shaking her head, Alise moves close to Tyler, the two huddling together, bodies cold where their skin touch.

"A...Alise." Each word is a sob, and Tyler can barely hold herself back. Her voice goes low as she speaks, "I'm so glad to see you. God, I hate that you're here..."

She starts to stutter and mumble incomprehensible words, and Alise still stays. She finds herself shushing her, like that of a parent to a whimpering baby.

"Jake, he, God...he sold me out." She starts up crying again at that, unable to do much more at the moment. She's in shock, Alise thinks. "He didn't mean to, I know, his sister. Family, you...you stick with family. You help them. You don't leave...you...oh hell. Oh freaking hell."

A low whisper of words escape her, something about people and love. Alise bites her tongue, just allowing her to cry it out. Tyler does, uttering all sorts of things about family and love and Jake, about how it's not right but right and about how the two of them just can't get out. After a full minute of that she's had enough. "Tyler--"

"Alise..."

She kisses the top of her forehead, leaning uncomfortably but not really caring. "Tyler, calm down. This isn't your fault. It isn't. None of this is. Okay? We've all made a bunch of really, really dumb mistakes. We should've actually told someone. We should have gotten the cops on him. We shouldn't have left each other. We shouldn't have been so ugly to one another. But we can't change that, Tyler. So shut up. Because right now, we're getting through this."