Ashley's Asylum (3)

01| Ashleys Asylum

Ashley is on a one-way road trip, down the longest highway known to mankind and with the worst passengers imaginable.

Deaf, dumb and blind to the ordinary emotions of a human being they sat silently in the front seat and only the radio made a sound, even that was quiet. There was no baggage for the journey, she was the only luggage they brought along. Ashley's drowsiness was wearing off from the concussion they gave her but clarity only brought her greater misery. There was nothing for her to cling to for hope or support.

When Ashley woke up properly she would remember, she had been kidnapped by the most notorious serial killers of all time and soon she would be dead.

The car was stuffy and hot but to Ashley the world had gone ice cold. In fact, the world didn't matter anymore; it could stop spinning for all she cared. Nothing mattered anymore. Deep inside she knew terrible things had happened and there was no way of fixing them.

As Ashley laid in silence things began to seep back; flash backs of something horrific and so graphic she rushed to try and stop the memories from resurfacing. Ashley fought to smother the truth and the overwhelming pain that came with it but the memories were fresh and raw. Her heart ached. Things had gone terribly wrong; the world had turned topsy turvy.

Ashley dragged her knees up into her chest. Her stomach was cramping and her chest burnt like she'd been running in the cold for miles.

A pair of enigmatic eyes peered into the back seat. She made eye contact with Michael, his face blurred thanks to the tears bunching up in her eyes: they streamed out from the corners until she could make out the frown on his face. He looked conflicted but Ashley knew better.

He glanced furtively in Sam's direction before slowly reaching his hand into the back toward her. Panic hit her in the chest like an arrow at the sight of his reaching hand.

A dark growl rumbled from the driver's seat.

"Michael," it warned.

Michael's expression switched to a look of innocence. His outstretched hand hesitated before it slithered back where it came from. Sam shot him a loaded look before he glimpsed at her himself. He looked surprised to see her awake.

Sparing a glance from the road he gave her a full once-over with his eyes.

"Well, well look whose awake."

Ashley stared back at him with a grey-faced glare, behind the glare her mind reeled. She didn't know what to do or say after all what could she do? She was stuck in a car doing at least 70 mph. There was nothing she could do other than sit back and allow the reality of the situation to sink in.

Ashley sat up slowly until she was propped up in the middle seat and looked around warily; she had the advantage of being able to see both Michael, Sam and the road clearly from her position. She gazed ahead bleakly; there was nothing but trees and a straight road ahead; it might as well have been a straight road across the entire world from the way it stretched on.

Ashley felt her arms where tiny hairs were raised on end. A numbness had embraced her, maybe it was from the forced sleep she was put under or maybe it was due to the surreal situation she found herself in. People were dead; people who were alive before her leaving party were now dead; People like Melissa. She couldn't bring herself to think of it but the flashbacks came readily, from bloodied hands to the empty expression death had left on her colleagues face.

Ashley rubbed the skin on her arms until it burnt slightly.

She couldn't believe how calm she was. Was it normal to be so subdued when she should be throwing herself out of the car door to escape?