Trevor intercepted with his gun. “Back up. I won’t ask again.” She hardly broke stride and he fired, hitting her square in the chest.
She stopped for a second and continued walking, the next three bullets doing nothing. They penetrated nothing, only shifting her shoulders with each blast, the bullets disappearing into the abyss. She knelt down, providing Erin with enough distance for her own comfort zone. “My sweet dear… I knew you were lovely from the beginning. I could see inside you. There was decency along with the darkness. I’m sorry for your pain, but you had to see. Did you see?”
A warm elixir bubbled inside of Erin. It felt like silk and peace. Comfort swarmed her, wrapped its arms around her, swaddling her until her heart slowed down. Heat rose to her face and chest. “Very few are able to find it again.” Teresa was beaming with pride and love. “You, my dear, will be just fine.” Her hand extended and touched Erin’s face. Her touch was transcendent. Unconditional love was the only thing Erin felt. “You belong with us.”
Trevor stared slack-jawed, ass in the sand. “Erin, don’t touch that crazy bitch. You hear me? Don’t listen to her. They killed Skye! They did!”
Bruce stepped off the boat and looked at the family. The reverent silence drew a smile upon his old round face.
“We’re leaving. You’re letting us leave!” Trevor demanded.
Sebastian smirked. “Go on then.”
Trevor looked back at the boat, then at Bruce. “Where is Arnie?”
“Arnie has been taken care of.”
“What are you talking about?” Trevor stood and grabbed Bruce by the collar. “You’ve been lying to me?” Trevor grabbed his throat. “You’re dead. You’re all fucking dead. I’ll see to it. And you want to kill me right here, right now? My father will come for you. He will ruin you all!”
Sebastian stepped forward. “You’re right about your father. Not your choice of words now, but what you’ve been feeling at the center of you. It’ll progress slowly, but progress nonetheless. You wouldn’t have handled it well. We’ve already played it out I’m afraid.”
“You don’t get to talk about my father.”
“Do we need to spell things out for you, Trevor?” said Sebastian.
“You’re scaring your girlfriend,” said Bruce. “You’ve been my silent partner. We’ve accomplished quite a lot.”
Trevor’s face was blank. Bruce patted him on the shoulder, pity in his eyes. “It’s blurry, like a distant memory. It feeds on you because it can and it should. You think your innocent outside of this place? You’re as quick to screw the next as some of the worst, Trevor. You should know that by now. Or at the very least just own up to your corrupt ways. So they show you how bad you really are. That’s the magnificence of it all. It’s just the way it works. Like a well-oiled machine running on sinful gasoline.”
“You’re all nuts.”
Sebastian placed his hand on Trevor’s cheek. “Think about it.” Trevor’s eyes rolled back and then he jerked away and staggered back, short of breath.
“Killing us won’t get you anywhere. It’ll just invite a whole bag of problems for you. I have money. Let’s make an arrangement,” said Trevor.
“This is our arrangement. And we are lucky to have you.”
Trevor pointed his gun and Bruce and pulled the trigger. It clicked. Cassidy stepped out of the shadows, wearing a stunning dress. She was beautiful. “Trevor, please stay. We can be together.” Sebastian scowled at the request, deeming Trevor far from worthy of his daughter’s affection.
Erin was a bystander, absorbing everything, still feeling a warming sensation. Like morphine.
“Can’t you feel it yet?” Cassidy asked, her anticipation resting on glass, waiting to be broken.
“Feel what?”
“You have to let go first. It’s amazing when you do. We can be together. Don’t make me beg.”
Sebastian turned to Erin, ignoring Trevor as something of the past and of little consequence. “Our pain has been insurmountable. You couldn’t even fathom.”
Teresa spoke, “Sweet Sebastian. He did everything he could. We did everything we could. This was our only option.”
“A new start.”
“I love it here. It gets lonely though. Loneliness is a horrible feeling, slowly eating away at you,” Cassidy said, her hand grazing her arm as she stared into Trevor’s eyes.
“Then those horrible men came. They wouldn’t take no for an answer. We were only given one warning; there was no second. They stormed the beach and there was no escaping. Our alliances wouldn’t be back for days, as they were out collecting supplies. We were stranded, and they came from all angles. They were stronger than us. So we split up, used our knowledge of the small landscape to try and elude them. But they had nothing but time. And weaponry. I went with Mother. Cass went with Dad. But they found us. They were always going to find us, and there was nothing we could do. The blade of the knife hurt so badly. I was scared,” Jhett said.
Cassidy’s eyes were tear-filled as she spoke softly after her little brother. “We were cornered on the rocks. I always struggled with my breathing since I was a baby.” She ran her hand over her chest. “I couldn’t breathe. Father tried to stop them, but then I witnessed the spear go through him… He had begged me to keep quiet, but I screamed. I couldn’t stop screaming. The bullet went through my chest. I only remember thinking… I didn’t get to find a nice man. To fall in love.”
Teresa was strong in the midst of listening to her children’s final thoughts before their deaths, deaths she couldn’t help them avoid. “No mother should have to watch their children die. Those people took no consideration for human life. They only took for themselves. Sinful demons. They exist within so many. Too many to fight off. But we fight for pure life anyway, and we’ll never stop. Not a dirty soul will step foot on this island untouched by their own transgressions. They all must pay for what’s been done.”
“It’d be good to have a friend.” Jhett looked to Erin with hope.
“Jhett hasn’t been able to stop talking about you, Erin.” Teresa was glowing with joy, while Jhett looked at her bashfully, waiting for her acceptance nervously.
“I don’t… No.”
Sebastian nodded at Bruce. “It’s time to get on with the ceremonies.” Bruce nodded, turned, and butt ended Trevor as he was about to protest. He crumbled to the ground next to Erin, who wasn’t able to muster a squeal.
“Don’t be afraid,” Teresa tried to assure her. “We look after one another.”
Chapter Twenty-six - Trevor
Trevor sat helplessly in the empty room. The four walls of concrete were covered with oddly patterned stains. Without anything to distract himself, he worried for his father. Had he been harmed?
His older sister’s passing had taken a toll on the family, as it would any. Her death drove his parents apart as their grief didn’t sync well enough for them to go on living together. At a young age, though he didn’t want to, he had to choose. He remembered his mother urging him to not feel guilty about it. It was all right, she had said. It was the best for everyone, she had said. He didn’t blame her for leaving. There was no blame to give to anyone. She couldn’t stay. She couldn’t be a mother anymore. She had to be something else. They would still exchange emails a few times a year, and get together at least once for lunch, but that was all.