Ashley's Asylum (3)

19 | Ashleys Asylum

Ashley's ears told her what her eyes could not as heavy stomps crunched down onto the forest floor and a barely human growl erupted from the nearby darkness. Sam was past the point of chatter. If she didn't know better, she'd think a grizzly bear was approaching from the way Michael's body grew ridged upon her.

He pushed off of her chest to help himself stand, equally telling her wordlessly to stay down.

"You better fucking shoot me," came a barely distinguishable snarl from the darkness.

She caught Michael pat himself down hastily and quickly realised he was searching for the gun which was evidently absent. Michael gave his head an indignant shake, it looked like he'd have to take Sam hands on.

"I don't need a gun to deal with you" he taunted, though his evident scramble for the weapon a second ago implied otherwise.

Ashley watched the two of them come together, like two bucks about to clash antlers in a pre-rut.

Sam swung first, but his movements were wide and his fatigue was evident. His body couldn't take much more punishment, the alcohol he'd indulged before was most likely numbing the tip of his pain but he was in no state to start a fight. A normal person wouldn't even be moving.

Michael dodged the first lunge and then a second as Sam swung again, his clenched fist being treated like an impending sledgehammer.

"If you've hurt her I'm gonna fucking kill you" Sam threatened savagely, his temper accelerating with every missed hit.

"You don't get to say that!" Michael sneered back, his tone growing more livid with every word, "You of all people do not get to say that!" He pointed a forceful finger at the hulking blond, lurching abruptly into a shove. 

The blow went to Sam's chest and clipped his shoulder wound. His responding roar echoed through the trees.

"You backstabbing piece of shit" Michael spat, "You want to be on the wrong side of me? You've fucking got it." His fist sprung out and slammed into Sam's face with a defined crack.

Sam's entire frame shifted with the hit and he staggered left. His frame swung back, latching ahold of Michael's t-shirt and dragging him close.

"Go on, hit me! Just because she left you for me!" Sam slurred viciously.

"You fucking took her!" Michael snapped. He hooked his arm around Sam's thick neck in a headlock.

"I didn't take her" Sam rasped fiercely, his chest heaving, proof that it was taking almost all he had just to stay standing against Michael. "She came all by herself.  She fucking hates you! Who can blame her! What sicko wants to shag their sister."

Michael's fist flew into the side of Sam's head again and suddenly the two of them were on the floor. Michael managed to get on top of Sam, landing another punch as the two of them tussled violently. Michael had Sam fixed in a stranglehold within seconds, squeezing relentlessly whilst Sam clawed and pulled at the white-knuckled hold, failing to ease the death grip on his throat. His hands went to Michael's face, like the almighty paws of a lion swiping for freedom although it appeared his energy was entirely spent.

That is until his bloodshot eyes flickered past Michael to the barely looming shadow of Ashley. With her fingers tightly fixed around the handle of the fridge-freezer door she'd managed to pry off, Ashley swung it with all her might into the side of Michael's head. Connecting with a satisfying 'thunk', he splayed off to the side, releasing Sam's throat to balance himself on the dirt. He was disorientated, but that wasn't enough. The door made contact with his head a second time, propelling him into the dirt and into abrupt darkness.