A Twinkle In The Stars

Chapter 23

I tried many ways to piece together this story. I tried so many scenarios and situations. But there was no scenario. No situation, that would warrant my own sister to turn against me. And my friends? To turn their backs on me and allow this, whatever this was, to happen. I was tied up in a chair in the middle of Madame Zay's living room. Everyone was busying themselves and avoiding my glare out of guilt. I couldn't speak due to the thick strip of duct tape over my mouth. All I could do to display my anger was contort my face into a look of disapproval at the people who claimed to love and care about me the most.

*

I had been tied up for almost two days. No food, no water, no bathroom. Just resentment and the never ending plot and scheme of how I would get out of here. How I would get out of this.

I played out every solution.

I couldn't use Ailita because she was already too far in and too close to Madame Zay.

Denver and Star were off the table considering Star would sell her soul for money and Denver would be okay with anything Star was okay with. 

And then there was Margo.

Although she tends to play the victim I allow myself to believe she still loves and cares about me and is only sucked into this because she is weak willed and is easily swayed. But she still cares about me otherwise she wouldn't be slipping me water and a pop tart right now.

"Hurry. You have to eat and drink fast before they all come back." She tilted the water bottle up so I could drink faster.

I finished both and she placed the duct tape back over my mouth.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to me as Denver stalked around the corner.

Her apologies and nice gestures led me to believe she did want to help me but it was her against four. That was not a winnable battle, especially because she's Margo.

The day passed slowly and night crept in. It was dark and silent but I knew I wasn't alone. They were watching me. To see if I had been defeated. But that pop tart and water had done more than it should have. It gave me the energy to keep trying. 

After a while everyone went outside and dispersed doing whatever it was they wanted to do. Margo sat alone in the living room watching me from afar.

I already had my plan, now it was just time to execute and now was the perfect time.

I groaned folding over in the chair.

Margo came over to me and knelt down.

"What's wrong?" Margo questioned.

I forced myself to cry and she immediately removed the duct tape.

"Margo please. You have to get me out of here. I don't know what's going on and why I'm the one that's tied up. But please, even you know this is wrong." I cried.

"I don't want to do this to you. They forced me in. I told them it was wrong but no one was listening to me." She replied.

"It's up to you to do the right thing. Untie me and we can both get out of here." I pressed my forehead against hers.

She glanced at the open sliding glass door where everyone was a few feet away and then back at me.

"You promise you won't run? We can maybe talk to Ailita or Madame Zay and get all of this resolved." She pleaded.

I just nodded.

Quickly, she began untying the rope around my arms and then she untied my legs.

I rubbed my aching wrists as she stood up. As soon as I regained feeling in my legs I swiftly pushed her down and darted upstairs bringing attention to myself.

"Shit! Grab her!" Ailita yelled as everyone ran after me.

I ran as fast as my legs would allow. I looked  for a room to go in and I went into the first room that was open. It was the room with the balcony. The double doors were opened and the curtains were swaying in the wind. I tried to close the door behind me but they were fresh on my heels. I sprinted toward the balcony and planned on jumping into the pool and making my great escape into the wooded area behind the house. I got to the railing and pushed myself off in direction of the pool then:

POW 

POW 

POW

Three shots fired at my back all embedding themselves into my skin and driving deeper into my body. I was literally blown off course and landed nowhere near the pool. Concrete. My body slammed onto the poolside. I was destined to die in the same place my Aunt had some weeks earlier. Before the lights turned out all my potential slayers surrounded me, wide eyed and fearful looks painted on their faces as if some sliver of them still cared for me. I died seconds later. 

Now I'm Aracely, the friendly ghost.