Asylum

Road Less Travelled

Kya Carter

Ren actually had the guts to suggest cooking some of the dogs. Because they're both like savages, Elektra agreed with him and claimed that we should use their fur for coats, considering that winter is slowly getting near. Surprisingly, Sarah agreed. She claimed that it would be more shameful to take from the world without proper reason – that by using the dogs we "calm their spirit." So we used four dog corpses.

Yes, I did eat. No, I didn't take a dog coat.

The whole cave was silent as we ate until someone finished their food and began talking about how to proceed with our plan: Elektra. "We should head out right after we finish eating. I think we should be looking for any landmarks: roads, signs, banners. We're a couple miles out from Asylum, and now that we're at our top notch," she flashes a side-eye my way. "There should be no reason we don't succeed in finding something to go off."

"What about when we get to civilization?" I pitch in, voice sounding odd from disuse. "We need money for plane tickets."

Ren shrugs. "I mean we don't, really. We could just sneak on board and..." he looks at my disproving face and sighs. His shoulders sag. "We'll figure that part out once we get there. One step at a time, guys."

I furrow my brows and look away from him. It isn't like Ren to give into something I say. He'd either make a point at how I'm too afraid to get my hands dirty, or call me babyish and scold me for not taking one for the team. Something's up with him, but I'm not complaining. Finishing my meal, I look to the others, who also finish up. Ren leans over to me. "You didn't eat much."

"I'm not that hungry," I lie. In reality, I just feel sick to my stomach for what I did. Or rather, what I didn't do. I could've prevented those dogs from getting cooked. I could've warded them off easily. But I didn't and I feel selfish for doing so. I'd be able to such a thing by using the darker side of my power – the side that murdered my parents. But I was too scared to.

"Hmph," Ren sounds, scrutinizing me. Nevertheless, he leaves me alone. "Everyone finished?" We all nod. "So we're ready?"

"Baby," Leo sighs as he stands and stretches. "I was born ready."

"...right, okay. Let's head out, then."

Elektra leads the group, followed by Ren, who takes Leo and Sarah in his wake. I take caboose. Ren and Elektra burned the remains of the dogs to ashes to cover our trail. Certainly, Asylum is after us. Ahead, Leo and Sarah fervently whisper and cast glances my way. Sighing, I catch up to them. "Guys, I know you're talking about me," I disclose.

Sadly, Sarah smiles. "We're just worried about you. Those dogs dying seemed to bring you to a whole different world. I mean, you looked at the bodies, but your head was somewhere else."

I'm reverted to a memory that I try to push back. "Maybe we just shouldn't be together anymore!" Dad yells, liquor picking his words for him. "I can't stand you."

Mom cries in the kitchen, but they're tears of anger. "I've wished you were dead for years now," she furiously yells, hands balled into fists. I watch the scene from behind the corner wall, peeking out.

"So why don't you just kill me?" Dad challenges, stepping closer to my mom. "Or are you too stupid to know how to even do that?"

Mom punches Dad in the jaw, a clicking sound resonating in my ears. Retaliating, my father grabs my mom by her neck and squeezes. Panicked, I step forward. Raising my hands and bringing them together, I create jerky movements that eventually result in their demise and the beginning of mine.