by Mya West
Chapter 2
Elle
Sunlight through cloth drapes hits me like a bag of bricks. I stretch my arms out and feel light fabric between my fingers.
I slowly open my eyes to a dark room, only illuminated from the sun outside. I am in a queen-sized bed that’s seen better days. The sheets have a strange odor to them, as if they have not been washed in years. The room is painted in a light-yellow color, that may have been a children’s room at some time. With some of the paint scratched off, and what looks like a beer bottle smashed against one side of the wall, it’s certainly not anymore.
The only thing I am sure about is that I’ve never been in this room before in my life.
A quick thump in my skull causes me to put my hands to the sides of my head with constant pressure. I feel like my head is about to explode. I notice I am wearing the same slim dress I had on before.
I slight breeze comes through an open window, tossing the stained cloth drapes. I sit up in the bed, and my foot hits something that sounds like tin. I look down, and a bucket is placed at the side of the bed.
Another eruption inside my head between my eyes causes me to almost yell out in pain.
I come to my senses and realize I am in a room I’ve never been before and feel like complete shit. The last thing I remember was Jaxson holding me, and a voice that sounded like…Nathanial Price?
The bedroom door is closed, and I stare at it intensely.
Wherever I am, and who ever took me here could have heard me hit the tin bucket.
I look at the doorknob, expecting it to start to moving. I wait several moments, holding my breath, but nothing happens, and I breathe out slowly.
I notice my cell phone on top of a nightstand beside the bed. I grab it, but it only has less than three percent left on it. I have a ton of missed messages. I think about calling 911 but decide to save my battery and turn off my phone. I am going to need all the battery life I can muster when I call the police.
I stand up quietly. Across from the bed is the words ‘FUCK RYLAND’ etched into the wall.
I am not sure what’s happening, but I can completely agree with the writer of the message.
Another headache bursts in my brain.
What the fuck did Jaxson and Nat do to me? Where the fuck am I?
I sneak my way to the bedroom door and slightly turn the doorknob, but it does not move.
“I’ll check on her,” a deep voice says from outside the door. I can hear footsteps coming towards the bedroom, and I freeze in place. The deep voice I instantly recognize as Jaxson’s.
Another voice calls out to him. A female. I cannot make out what she says, but Jaxson yells back, “Okay, fine!” His footsteps sound like he’s going farther away from the bedroom now.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
I move carefully over the wooden floors back towards the window, careful not to make much noise or step on anything sharp, having no shoes on. While whispering, “Oh please, oh please, oh please,” I get the open window, move the cloth drapes out of the way, and almost scream out loud with joy when I realize I’m on the ground floor of a house. The air is cold, and no one is outside. Like most houses in Ryland, the one I am in is spaced out from any others. All I see is a street and a car going by.
I hear Jaxson again and footsteps of multiple people coming down a hall.
I look outside and know it’s now or never. I pop out a screen window and jump out. Without much thinking, I run down the street, shoeless.
Besides the one car I saw driving down the street, the road is completely empty. The air is chill, and I feel like it must be early morning.
I ran by a large home and think about pounding on its door screaming for help. I worry though that whoever is home won’t open the door to the plea of some beat up looking girl with no shoes.
Instead, I plan on running and not stopping.
Fuck Ryland.
Chapter 3
Lance
I sip my espresso while sitting out on the balcony facing our large property. This may be one of the last times I enjoy this view, so I take my time taking it in.
I have a plan, it’s all set into motion.
I rub the side of my face and can feel pain in my left eye. Jaxson hit me fairly good last night. He got a few good shots in on me. He is tougher than I thought.
Marta comes up to me and asks if I would like more, and I nod my head holding out the cup. She pours until it spills a bit onto my fingers. I wince a bit of pain from the burning dark coffee, and she apologizes continuously.
“It’s okay, Marta, don’t worry.” I smile. “This time, I’ll put the cup on the table to save the rest of my fingers.”
She nods her head. “Sorry, Mr. Cain.”
“What have I told you about that, Marta?”
She gives a thin smile. “Not to call you Mr. Cain?”
“Please. You have been with us for at least a decade now, right? I’m sure that warrants a Lance now and then.”
Marta asks if I would like anything else, but I decline. I go back to taking in the view and going over my plans in my head. There is no room for error with them.
I peer behind me and see Marta still standing there. “Everything okay?” I ask. She nods her head but does not move. “You sure?” I ask again.
“It’s just, Elle, she didn’t come home last night. She went out with some boy, but never came back.”
“I see,” I say. “Who was the boy?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I have seen him here before, but I don’t know his name.” That is good. One less thing to worry about. “That security guard, the dumb one…”
“Bart?”
She nods her head. “He said you took off when he told you she went off with this boy? He said his name, I think it was Jason or something like that.”
“No, I wasn’t going after Elle. I forgot I had an important meeting with the school guidance counsellor. Getting some things ready for my application to university.” Marta looks at me. She is giving me her best poker face to not give off the idea that she thinks I’m full of shit. “Elle’s a big girl, I’m sure she will come back soon.”
Marta lowers her head. “It’s just, with what happened at Mr. Aldridge’s property a few weeks ago and the fire, she has no one out here, you know? I worry.”
“She’s fine, Marta. I promise you, she is fine.”
Marta looks at me with a worried face. I answer her before she can ask, “You should see the other guy.”
“Are you okay? Why did you get into a fight?”
I nod my head. “Boys will be boys, right?”
My father joins us on the patio, and Marta almost immediately leaves. “Mr. Cain,” she says, and my father gives the slightest of nods before she makes her exit.
I turn back to look out at the view, not letting my father’s presence ruin the moment. I can sense him staring at the back of my head.
“What is it now?” I ask without turning.
“Principal Aldridge called me this morning. Apparently, Jaxson never made it home last night. Apparently, Nathanial Price was with him. I checked, and apparently, he never came home last night either.”
I turn to him and smile. “Apparently, they probably went out and are drunk in a ditch somewhere in Ryland.”
“What time did you come home last night?” he asks without acknowledging what I said.
“I don’t usually pay attention to things like that. I came home when I came home.”
“Where did you go?”
I take out a cigarette and light it between my lips. I blow out smoke before answering him. “I don’t think you have ever asked me or cared about my comings and goings. Apparently, you think I’ve done something.”
Arthur Cain thinly smiles. “Noelle Maven hasn’t returned home either. I suppose that’s a coincidence?”
I smile back. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Me neither. So I am going to not beat around the bush, son. Di
d you see Jaxson or Nathanial yesterday?”
“Not at all,” I say quickly. I think a moment and say, “Actually, Jaxson picked up Elle at the guest house last night. A security guard saw her leave with him.”
Arthur Cain nods his head to that comment. “The same security guard told me you ran after them. I’ll ask again, son, where did you go last night?”
I take another drag of my cigarette and put out the bud in the espresso cup, looking at him intensely. “I took our talk yesterday to heart. I do not want to let you down. I figured Jaxson came here to pick up Elle to finish the Ritual. I did not want him to win. I wanted to be Alpha. I tried to stop it, but couldn’t find them.”
“I see,” my father says, not changing his expression.
My phone rings in my pocket. I take it out and see its from an anonymous number. I intuitively know who it is, but let it go to voicemail.
My father looks at me sternly. “You actually wanted to win, son?”
I nod my head. “Looks like I was right, too. Elle went out with Jaxson and never came back. Looks like I lost.”
My father nods his head. My phone starts to ring again, breaking the tension. I reach into my pocket and turn off my phone. “Sorry, I know I let you down.”
“So where is Jaxson then?”
“How should I know? Maybe celebrating with his scumbag friend Nat somewhere.”
“Who is calling you, son?”
I laugh. “Wow. You went from a complete hands-off parent to be a helicopter one. Since when do you care what I do? It was—”
“The guidance counsellor? You have your application coming up, right?” He thinly smiles at me again and leans in closer. “I can smell your bullshit a mile away, Lancelot. If I can, others will too. Did you kill them? Tell me now, son, and I can help you.”
I stand up. “Help? Me? You have done enough already, getting me into your murder cult. I cannot believe you did this yourself once. Who was she? The one you murdered.”
My father pushes me back down into my chair. “I don’t know what you’ve done, but I hope it isn’t what I think it is. You know the rules if a member hurts another member, right?”
I nod. “Out of the billion rules we have, I know that much. I do not know where Jaxson, Nat, or Elle is. Any other questions?”
Arthur Cain folds his hands together. “Everything I gave you in this life, and you threw it all away, didn’t you?”
“If I knew what you paid to get me this lifestyle, I would have happily been an orphan.” He did not like that answer. “Or mom would have happily divorced you.” His whole face tenses.
He really did not like that answer.
I stand up in front of him and meet his gaze. I wait for him to make a move. If he touches me again, I do not think I would be able to contain myself. Luckily, he doesn’t. Arthur Cain unfolds his arms and leaves the balcony.
I turn back on my cell, and sure enough, I get a text almost immediately.
“Come to the house right now!”
I park my car a few blocks away from the Smithson’s vacant house to not make it so obvious. Wearing some workout clothes, I start with a light jog down the street until I get closer to the Smithson’s house.
Earl Smithson was famous in Ryland, but not for good reasons. A rich and powerful businessman, who lost everything in the 2008 recession, was now a scary reminder for his rich neighbors. When Earl Smithson lost everything, he packed up what belongings he could, and him and his family took off to who knows where, leaving his billion-dollar house behind.
Nobody bought it. Even when the house was eventually discounted to half of its original asking price, nobody would even go for a viewing of it. Rich people are funny like that. Its completely superstitious. They do not want to go where dead money is buried. It is bad luck.
Now it is just used as a secret party house, or in our case, a secret hideout.
My cell phone buzzes several times in my pocket. It is an emergency text from The Beasts. I open the message and it states, “Calling all members. This is an emergency message. Notify a ranking member immediately if you see Noelle Maven, Jaxson Davis, or Nathanial Price. Delete this message now.”
Fuck, that is going to make things more difficult.
I jog onto the property and run my way to the Smithson’s backyard. I knock on the backdoor lightly until it opens, and Jaxson is staring at me.
“What the fuck is it?” I ask him.
He ignores my abrasiveness and looks at my eye. “How’s that shiner I gave you?”
I ignore him. “How’s Nat?”
That shuts him up.
Danna shoves Jaxson out of the way and smiles at me. “Thank god you’re here! She’s gone!”
I gesture for her to lower her voice. “How? Both of you were here, right?”
Danna raises her eyebrow. “The window in her room, she jumped out of it.”
I roll my eyes at Jaxson. “You had one fucking job!”
Jaxson lowers his head. “I don’t think it happened too long ago. She couldn’t be that far.”
I nod my head.
“One more thing,” Danna says. “She took her cell.” I look at Jaxson, who raises his hands in a who me gesture. Danna chimes in before I give him shit. “I left it there for her. I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t want her to wake up scared in some strange room. I thought it would be comforting.”
“Let’s hope she didn’t call the police,” I say. “She does that, it’s all over. The Beasts will find out right away where she is.” I bite my lip to not let more nasty words escape and think for a moment. “Okay, you both stay here. Danna try and call her cell. Do not stop until you reach her. Get her to come back.”
I turn to leave, and Jaxson starts to follow me. I look back at him, putting a hand on his chest, stopping him from moving. “Stay here.”
“We can cover more ground if I go too,” Jaxson says defiantly.
I wave my head. “Word’s out that you and Nat are missing. That is all we need, for people in the area to see you running around looking under cars and shit. Stay here.”
Jaxson nods his head, but hates taking the order. I turn and leave. After a few moments, a feel a tug on my arm. I turn and see Danna looking at me with a look of concern.
“The more we fuck around, Danna, the more likely it is that Elle is found by the wrong person.”
“I hate staying at that house. Jaxson tried to kill her, and you’re making me stay with him?”
I nod my head. “I know it’s messed up, but Jaxson is going to be in a world of trouble, like us, when everything comes out. He’s in the same position we are, which is deep shit.”
“And what about Nat?”
I sigh. “I know this isn’t ideal, but I’ve got a plan. We’re getting the hell out of Ryland.”
Chapter 4
Elle
The empty streets of Ryland seem more ominous than usual. I continue to run through different neighborhoods. At first, I thought of waving down any car driving by or stopped any person asking for help, but now I am starting to remember. I am starting to put the pieces together.
Danna was right.
How fucking stupid was I that I could not see what was plain in front of me?
Jaxson, Lance, and even Chase. They are all part of The Beasts.
Danna said whatever was happening in town had something to do with me. Now I know in my heart she was right.
Jaxson and Nat Price were going to do something to me when I blacked out.
Did I black out? Did they drug me?
Whatever evil shit they had planned for me, did they already do it, and I did not know?
What were their plans exactly?
I turn on my phone and see I only have two percent left. I quickly turn off my phone.
I look around the community I find myself in. The large houses are getting smaller. The large property lines are getting smaller. I almost gasp when I realize I am near Bryce’s home.
I had only been to his home a few ti
mes, but recognize the area instantly.
I make my way up his block. Once at his front door, I knock several times loudly and ring the doorbell.
When Bryce opens the door, he looks shocked. I smile and jump at him, giving him the strongest hug I can manage.
“Thank. Fucking. God!” I yell walking into his house. Bryce stares at me with a look of shock. “I feel shittier than I look,” I joke.
“What happened to you?” he asks. “You’re still wearing your dress from last night?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but first, I need a big bowl of cereal!”
Bryce leads me to the kitchen and prepares me a large bowl of Cheerios. It’s usually not my favorite cereal choice, but it tastes like heaven.
Bryce puts the cereal box back in the pantry, comes out, and watches me down the bowl. He walks back into the pantry and grabs the box again. “Will need more for sure.”
I wipe my mouth and cannot hold back my smile. “Hey, how did your band thing go last night?” Bryce looks at me unamused. “I’m serious! I want to know.”
“Well, it was going great, even though both of my friends disappeared on me. I got a trophy for my solo. The trophy was some dude playing a sax, even though I play clarinet. It is a bit of a band scandal actually, but fuck all that. What happened?”
I tell Bryce everything I remember from last night and this morning. The more I tell him, the more anxious he seems.
“I know The Beasts freak you out, but I know Danna was right now about them. You said she didn’t show up either last night.” Bryce nods his head. “She didn’t text or call or anything?” He shakes his head no.
“I haven’t heard a word from either of you until you popped up at my door looking like a train wreck.”
Bryce looks deep in thought while I finish my second bowl of cereal. “That house you described, I think I know it. Earl Smithson’s house. It’s been vacant for years.”
“What if Danna is there?” I ask him. “They took me there, so she might be there too. Maybe we should check it out?”
Bryce ignores me and looks at the time on a kitchen clock. “You should probably go soon. My mom is out shopping, but my dad sometimes comes home for lunch. You still have a few hours anyways, but it’s better to go now.”
