Ashley's Asylum (3)

14 | Ashley Asylum

Being around Michael all day was oppressive, his capability to remain silent for such long periods of time weighted down on Ashley. Not that she wanted to talk to him, she was afraid of what else he might know, what else he might tell her. On the other hand, watching him stand by the window all day without a word was wearing her down. Now and then he'd glance round to check she was still there or he'd do a circuit around the house before returning to the front room window.

Elsie didn't seem affected and happily sat on the sofa engrossed in her knitting while the television played old films like 'Heaven Knows Mr Allison'. It remained on the same channel all day because it was the kind to only play films and television series reruns which meant no risk of Ashley catching the news. Michael didn't want Ashley watching the news and that made her wonder what was going on out there.

As soon as it began to get dark Michael announced he was going out for a walk.

Ashley was glad to see the back of him, especially after he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head before he left. She could still feel the uncomfortable tingle on her scalp where his fingers had been.

Soon after he departed to go skulk in the night, Ashley put herself to bed under the close observation of Elsie. The old woman may have warmed to her on the surface since Michael had dropped the sibling bomb on her, but Ashley could tell Elsie still hadn't let her guard down. They hadn't even spoken a word about what had happened. Running away from here was still far from likely.

Running away right now wasn't an option anyway with Michael and Sam out there in the darkness. Running into either of them would be a very dark reality for her, not to mention the soles of her feet were still messed up. It pained her to admit it, but all she could do was wait.

Once in bed Ashley wondered how long Michael would stay out searching for Sam. Wouldn't Sam come back on his own?

Ashley didn't bother getting her hopes up that he'd been caught by the police, she didn't believe she was that lucky. Despite having such a pessimistic outlook it didn't stop her from experiencing the one daydream of armed police smashing down the front door and whooshing her to safety. Deep down she hoped he'd somehow met his demise. Perhaps a gaggle of girls recognized him down a dark alley and had beaten him to death. Wouldn't that be an ironic form of justice?

In reality she doubted any normal group of girls were capable of over-powering Sam but it didn't need to be realistic.

She rolled around the bed in a struggle to sleep as her mind filled with too many scenarios.

What if Sam didn't come back?

What if he did?

What if the police did find her?

Yes. What if the police did find her? That was something that had been niggling at her since she'd managed to regain her calm. Even if the police did find her, how long before they found out her relation to Michael? She didn't want to consider it but how long before they began to consider her involvement in Sam and Michael's escape; even she could appreciate how guilty she looked. A girl just happens to apply to work at the same Asylum holding her estranged brother captive and then he and his accomplice escape with her as a 'hostage'. It made her blood boil just thinking about it. Michael was so disgustingly cunning it made her want to scream.

She lay above the covers of Elsie's bed staring at the light fixtures. Now that she had sunken down to her lowest point there was a noticeable calmness within her. Was that normal, or was that the part of her she shared with Michael? Her mind felt clearer and now it seemed like any news couldn't really surprise or affect her anymore. Was that normal? What was normal anymore? Now every oddity she owned had a double meaning.