“Good?” Kansas laughed. “Everyone here is basically pedophiles.”
“What are you even talking about?” Emi rolled her eyes. “I’m calling the cops. I should have done it on the way, but I wanted to see your face when I called them. Now you can join your husband in jail.” She smirked at us. “I’m sure he’ll be so excited to hear about what happened to land you there.”She began typing on her phone, and I jerked forward, slapping it out of her hand. It flew into the air and skidded along the dirt floor, landing underneath a flowerbed.
“You bitch,” she snarled and dove for it.I dove with her, taking us to the ground. We rolled, and she reached for my hair, yanking it hard. I yelped and closed my fist, aiming for anything that was hers. I landed on her shoulder and pulled back to do it again.
She rolled onto me, and I shoved her off. She leaped to her feet and looked around for her phone. I saw it before her and quickly rolled under the elevated bed and snatched it.
“Give me that you crazy manic bitch!” she screamed.
I rolled again until I reached the other aisle and then stood, looking for something, anything, to fight back against her. I ran to the hoses, and found a bucket under them, already filled. Looking back at Emi, I made sure she saw me drop her phone into the water.
“Don’t call me that.”
She let out a guttural scream that was so loud, so shrill, I leapt back. Emi looked around and found a hand tiller. I began to back away, looking for the door. It was behind her. I’d have to get around to get out.
“You stupid, crazy slut,” she screamed and jumped over the beds and ran toward me. I ducked in time as she swung the till.I screamed and ran, looking for something to defend myself with.“Everything was fine until you threw a fit about the documentary,” she accused.
What? I paused, and she glared at me from the other aisle.
“Everyone just let you do your little thing. Drink your gross tea, practice your dumb witch spells, and show off your ass to weird guys on the internet, but then you had to get all high and mighty and everything went to shit.”Emi dropped her arm and shook her head. “Spencer’s dead now. So is Soleil. All because you couldn’t just let us be happy.”
“Emi.” Baffled, I said, “I was a victim of the Minister. You know that.” I pointed to my chest. “I sat in a basement room for five years of my childhood, praying that I’d survive another day, and you’re complaining that I don’t want to relive it?”
“It was ten years ago,” she protested. “Who cares? They stopped my check, you know. The bonus I got for getting you to the set. And because you were upset, Spencer was looking at quitting too. Right before he died. And then of course Soleil bailed after. You’re messing everything up!”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“What?” Her face fell, and I saw genuine confusion.
“Soleil and Spencer were killed right after they said they were dropping out of the documentary.”
She blinked rapidly, and then her mouth fell open. “Do you think they’re the ones doing it?”
“Well, it’s not Constantine.” I crossed my arms. This was all so childish! I was covered once again, in dirt and scrapes and bruises, and trying to figure out who was murdering everyone.
“If that’s the case, then the next person to die is the last person to quit the project,” she explained.
“And who is that?”
“You.”
The air intensified, and my eyes shifted to the till still in her hand. I swallowed, and my stomach tightened.
“I need the money, Eisley. I don’t have a golden spoon.” She took a step forward. “And I can’t shake my ass for a little cash.”
I put my hands up and began backing away. “I get it. Emi, you don’t have to hurt me.” I glanced at the door, and then I remembered I wasn’t alone. Where was Kansas? “Did you hurt Spencer and Soleil?”
She shook her head but didn’t stop creeping closer. “No, but I think I get it now. That’s the angle. It wasn’t just a straight documentary about the Sinister Minister. They were always complaining about how boring the real story was.” She nodded, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “It makes so much sense. Go to make a documentary, and everyone starts getting murdered. It’s genius.”
“Emi. Whatever is going on, you don’t need to be involved.”
She shook her head. “No, don’t you see? I figured it out. Now I have two options. I could help, or I could blackmail them. Either way, I’m getting paid.”She raised the till over her head, and finally, our eyes met. “Sorry, Eis, it’s just business.” She screamed and lunged.I turned and bolted to the door and then I heard a loud clink! And a large thud. I spun around, horrified.Kansas stood with a shovel, eyes wide, glasses falling off his nose, and looking as surprised as I was.
Emi lay on the ground, unconscious. I hurried to her.
“Emi, Emi, wake up.” I shook her, but the only thing it produced was a trickle of blood out of her mouth.
“Eisley.” Kansas's voice brought me out of the fog. I looked up at him and saw his grim expression. “I need you to get out of here.”
