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Chapter Four
REESE
Drip. Drop. Drip. Drops of blood trickle down over Snatcher's dirt covered fist as he presses it against his right eye. I exhale slowly through my nose.I'm not afraid.His top lip curls into a snarl as his nostrils flare in and out. In and out. I try not to blink, tremor, or breathe too heavily as I take small steps toward him.I'm not afraid.I force my lips into a tiny grin—bravery will hide my fear—and I take the remaining few steps up to where his shadow begins.I'm not afraid.
With his free hand, he reaches to his hip, retrieving his gun. He told me he didn't want to kill me, which means he only wants to hurt me—to make me suffer. He points his gun at my face, but I don't think he'll shoot.
Another shadow covers the light from behind Snatcher, forcing a pause in the action. "What are you doing out here, son?" he shouts. "This ain't anything you need to concern yourself with."
Son. It's Sin.
"Don't hurt her," Sin says. His voice is soft and rough just as I remember from the other day.
"Boy, you really have gone crazy, haven't you now?"
"Don't hurt her." His calm demeanor is soothing in a way that makes me believe he has power over Snatcher, but I shouldn't be fooled to think such things.
Snatcher's harrowing laughter bellows as Sin's shadow grows larger, covering more of the light. "Why don't you join her in there if you care so much?" Snatcher waves his arm toward me as his laughter continues to echo inside of the shed and my head.
"You don't know what you're doing. Don't you hear that?" Sin asks him. "This roof is coming off today. She'll die in here." I close my eyes to listen for whatever he's talking about, but I only hear the slight howls of wind in the distance.
"That tornado ain't touching us," Snatcher growls.
Tornado? Here? They come here? There hasn't been one in the three years I've been here, and we didn't have tornadoes where I lived—warnings sometimes, but never anything too bad. We would get hit with bad thunderstorms and hurricane winds from the coast, but other than that, the weather was never a concern.
"You see that?" Sin says, pointing off into the distance.
"She's fine," Snatcher grunts. "Now, get back to work. That wood ain't chopping itself."
Snatcher pulls the door shut, locking me back in, locking themselves back out. Sounds of wrestling and thumps against the door make me jump back a couple of feet. The clatter of their groans and enraged words clash against the sound of the growing wind.The roof is going to get torn off, Sin said.
I drop down in the corner beside the hole in the wall, tucking my knees into my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around myself. I wish I didn't still feel the fear. Out of everything I can't feel any more, fear is the one thing I wish I could forget.
As whistles of wind seep in through the cracks on both sides of me, I peek out through the hole, scared of what I might see.I should be scared.Ghostly dark clouds are kissing the sprigs of grass in the distance, confirming Sin's assumptions.
I turn around and look in each corner of the empty shed, wondering which corner might be safest. But I don't think anywhere in here is safe. Pulling myself up off the ground, I run to the door and press on it slightly, checking to see if Snatcher had time to seal the lock before their scuffle began. I wonder if they're even still out there.
The door gives way a couple of inches, enough space to see the two of them grappling on the ground—Sin getting in most of the punches. Snatcher looks like he's giving up or becoming too weak to fight back, and I can only hope that to be the case. Sin's shirt is torn nearly in half, exposing his back and the muscles that contract and relax every time he moves. I've never seen muscles so defined and large.
"You caused this," Sin grunts. The veins on his forehead are thick and red, and sweat is dripping down his face. "I was put into that nut house because of you. You killed her. You did."
"Don't be a fool, son. Everyone knows you did it."
Killed who?
Sin's fist pounds directly into Snatcher's cheek bone, which seems to knock him unconscious, but Sin doesn't seem to care as he stands up and pushes his fingers through his dark, thick hair. He spits blood and gives Snatcher another kick to the side. "Shithead," he seethes.
Should I… My pulse races with hope as I press the door open a few more inches, causing a moaning sound within the hinge. Sin's focus meets mine, but I can only look at him for so long as the dull, grey light in the sky nearly blinds me. I haven't been in the presence of this much brightness in three years, and it's completely overwhelming and painful.
Another hard gust of wind takes me by surprise and pushes the door and me backwards, sealing me inside once more.No. No. No. I quickly regain my balance and press into the door again, this time falling directly into Sin's arms.
Warmth.So much warmth.
"Let's go," he says gruffly.I'm free.Am I free? The soft dirt tickles the bottom of my feet as Sin pulls me away from the shed. The wind, while harsh and angry, feels amazing on my face, and the way the material of my shirt brushes up against my bare flesh makes me smile. I don't fight against the force Sin is using to drag me away, but maybe I should. And maybe I should focus on the black clouds threatening to swallow us whole, but I don't want to.
"Where are we going?" I ask, breathlessly.
