Nowhere to hide

7. warehouse

today wasn't just dull. it was tedious. i couldn't get the thought of the events that went down these past few days out of my head. ash woke up and tried to go back home but i stopped her before she could go anywhere, asking about yesterday and what actually happened when she let out a loud cry outside.

although she knew i noticed her lie, she did nothing but deny all my unannounced theories and said she told me everything just the way it was. i still knew it was a lie, but i guess that's on her now. still, that adds to all of my queries and makes me wonder if it has anything to do with that she was telling me about the guy who's name i found out yesterday- aster.

as the sun left it's last peak behind the horizon, i shut the blinds in my kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. just as i was about to put on brooklyn nine nine on, my phone lit up with an ear piercing sound, my ringtone loud and unsettling, as the screen read "hails<3".

oh no. something really bad must've happened if hailey is calling me. i picked up the phone to be proved right from the first second i slid the answer call button, haileys stern voice scaring the life out of me. "come over right now. i need you. please be fast this is urgent" she hung up after her pleading. i really hope this won't be like last time when she called me because she burnt her lasagne and didn't know what to do.

nevertheless, i was scared shitless. she sounded stern and yet terrified, which caused my heart to jump out of its place a couple of times. nothing was scarier than your sister sounding like she has a gun to her head. i took my keys and ran out the door, once again, with no time to change or even throw something on, in my pjs.

——

once i arrived i contemplated knocking, but decided against it, taking out my spare key for her apartment and quickly unlocking the door. as i pushed it open, i saw hailey kneeling near a man covered in blood, his face totally covered from my point of view, her tears rolling down her face uncontrollably.

i rushed over to her in panic, slamming the door shut. she didn't even look to my direction and she mumbled "please, just help me, okay? i'll explain later i will i just,," she trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished as she abruptly got up off her knees and ran into the kitchen. my eyes followed her, watching her disappear before letting them land on the man in front of me. he looked oddly familiar and it took me a few seconds before i could realize who was in front of me.

the guy from the book store. the one who i spoke to when i asked for aster. the guy that told me his name. this time he wasn't wearing a sweater, but rather a shirt that revealed his tattoos. one that really caught my eye was the one with initials. it read- "A.V."

the blood in my veins ran colder than it already was, which was near impossible. i froze at the little flashback running through my mind. "it was necessary sacrifice", the words ricocheting in my mind like light from a thousand broken pieces of glass, from one to another.

my thoughts were once again interrupted by hailey storming back in with a phone in her hand a cloth in the other.

"stay with him while i call the police, i don't know what to do or where to go or how to a-" interrupting her i shot out a hand, grabbing the phone out of her hands.

"i don't think that's a good idea H, let's take him to the hospital, we can't waste time" i say as calmly as i could so to not scare her. i put the phone down and got up, dragging the body up with all force i had in me, as well as covering the tattoo with the palm of my hand as best as i could. hailey couldn't see this.

after my sisters trauma from what happened in the past, i can't believe this is about to start again. it won't, i'm sure it won't. this is nothing, it's just a stupid coincidence and it won't have the chance to make my sister feel scared for her life again.