u/Ivy_So_Savvy

Hello hello! It’s Ivy, the author of Nothing Without You, here with a bit of an update on the story! :)

First off, I’d like to apologize for the incredibly long delay; a girl starts high school and suddenly almost two months have gone by without a new chapter 🥲

Having said that, I’m slowly but surely getting my life back in order and hope to get back into my old writing groove. Chapter 20 has been sitting in a Google Doc for the past 54 days unfinished, but that shall change very, very soon 😈

Thank you so much to all the wonderful folks who’ve been there during this little creative journey of mine. Your compliments and criticisms alike are what keeps me going! 😁

Take care everyone! Hoping to see you in the next chapter! 👀

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Andrew.

Andrew could hardly believe the words coming out of his sister’s mouth. His eyes darted nervously to Tyler, their waiter, currently getting their sodas in the corner of The Lovers’ Diner.

“Are you actually being serious right now?” Andrew hissed. “Do you honestly think killing this fucking guy is even a remotely good idea?”

“I dunno,” Ashley shrugged nonchalantly. “I just think it would probably solve a lot of our troubles. I mean, you can’t deny the resemblance is pretty uncanny. Taking his place would probably be a piece of cake.”

Andrew swallowed hard but stayed quiet, and Ashley nudged his side with her elbow, “Besides, it’s not like this’ll be the first time we’ll have done something like this …”

The memories of what the two of them had done to Nina all those years ago suddenly flooded Andrew’s mind, and he quickly shook his head, “No, this is fucking crazy! Do you have any idea how many things could go wrong here? Even if we do kill him, how the hell am I supposed to assume his identity when I don’t have the slightest clue of who this fucker even is? What if he’s got, like, seven kids and a bitchy wife at home? Or what if he still lives with his mom or something?”

Ashley sighed, “Look, all I know is, we’re two underage runaways with no money, no home, and no prospects. As far as I’m aware, most places aren’t gonna be all that keen on hiring a 17-year-old with absolutely zero professional or technical skills, let alone a 15-year-old. What other options do we have here?”

“I … I don’t know!” Andrew cried in a hushed voice. “But there’s no way in hell this is our only choice! I could just apply to a place like this myself! Restaurants shouldn’t be that hard to get into.”

Ashley scoffed, “Apply? With what address? What phone number? How would they even get into contact with you? On a payphone? We’ve got a golden opportunity right in front of us, and you’re saying we shouldn’t take it?”

Andrew ran a hand through his hair and sat there in silence for a good minute before finally responding, “Alright, I’m not saying we’re doing this yet, but … Hypothetically, how would we get away with this?”

Ashley looked up in thought for a moment before meeting his gaze, “Well, you still have that biker’s switchblade, don’t you?”

Andrew gulped. He did, in fact, still have that biker’s switchblade. It was nestled snuggly in his front pocket.

“Leyley, I don’t … want to,” he said anxiously.

His sister stuck her chin out, “Well I do. Just wait for him to bring us our food and then we’ll talk to him. Find out whatever you wanna find out. Then we’ll take him out back and … y’know. Easy-peasy.”

“I’m not shanking him in the middle of his fucking shift!” Andrew huffed. “And we’re not killing anybody anywhere near my place of work, thank you very much.”

Ashley smirked, “So we are killing him then.”

Andrew closed his eyes and gritted his teeth before slowly reopening them, “Yeah.”

Ashley beamed triumphantly, “See? I’m super helpful.”

Andrew rolled his eyes, “Just let me do the talking, okay? I’m gonna try and see if I can get him to invite us over to his house. That’ll be the safest place to take care of business.”

“Good luck,” Ashley snorted before something caught her attention. “Oh, look! Here he comes!”

Tyler approached their table with a small tray in his hands. “Here we are,” he said as he placed the dozen chicken wings and two colas the siblings had ordered onto the table. “Anything else I can get for y’all?”

Andrew flashed their waiter the best fake smile he could muster, “This is perfect, thanks! We haven’t eaten for god knows how long, haha …”

Tyler blinked, “Uh, why’s that?”

Andrew sighed dramatically, “Oh, I wouldn’t want to bother you with the details.”

Tyler shrugged, “I mean, I don’t really have much else to do. Business is kinda dead right now. A-assuming you wanna share, that is.”

What a sucker, Andrew thought as he tried his best to hide a smirk. He instead motioned towards Ashley with longing eyes, “Well, we’re just two young lovers trying to get by. Our parents never approved of our relationship, but we knew we were soulmates from the day we laid eyes on one another. So, we had no other choice but to run away together. Isn’t that right, darling?”

Ashley’s entire face went as red as a tomato as she squeaked in agreement, and Tyler whistled, “Y’know, I was about to say … Y’all do seem really young to be on your own. But I guess it makes sense now … I think y’all made the right choice. What is it they say? Love trumps all? Something like that.”

“Yeah, but it’s been rough fending for ourselves with no money and no home,” Andrew looked away as dejectedly as he could before meeting Tyler’s gaze once more.

Tyler swallowed hard, “Oh, uh, s-sorry to hear that.”

Come on, asshole. Take the fucking bait …

The silence stretched awkwardly before Andrew cleared his throat, “Anyway, how about you? What’s your story?”

Tyler threw his hands in his pockets, “Oh, I’m nothing too special. I’ve been working here at the diner for the past year or so, but I usually just keep to myself to be honest.” He then chuckled lightly, “I’d bet most of the people who live on this tumbleweed of a town don’t even know I exist.”

Andrew’s ears perked up immediately, but before he could say anything else, Ashley stifled a giggle, “Wow, you sound lonely as hell. We should all be friends.”

Tyler’s eyes darted between the two of them, “Uh, sure? Mind if I ask y’all’s names?”

Andrew pointed a thumb at himself, “I’m An— ahem! I’m Anthony. And this here is Alexa.”

“Mhm!” Ashley nodded approvingly. “Or Anty and Lexi for short.”

Andrew tried his hardest not to cringe.

Anty? Seriously, Beloved?

Tyler smiled, “Well, it’s nice to meet y’all. Say, I gotta start bussing some tables, but I get off in like half an hour. If y’all don’t mind waiting, maybe we could hang out ..?”

“We’d love to!” Ashley beamed. “We’ll be right here whenever you’re ready!”

“Cool!” Tyler’s smile widened. It was pretty obvious the guy hadn’t had the chance to socialize in quite some time. With that, their waiter walked off with a bit of extra pep in his step.

Andrew turned to Ashley, “Well that was a rather blunt approach, don’t you think? ‘You sound lonely as hell’.” He then scratched under her chin affectionately, “You’re fucking insane.”

Ashley purred under his touch before flashing him a devious grin, “It worked, didn’t it? Now he wants to hang out with us. Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”

Andrew grinned back, “Yeah, I suppose. You did good, Lexi.”

Ashley let out a quick cackle, “Why, thank you, Anty.”

He winced playfully, but as the two of them dug into their chicken wings, the only thing on Andrew’s mind was how he was about to get his hands very dirty, very soon.

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Ashley.

The sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time Andrew and Ashley had reached their destination. Ashley had no clue where they were or even how long they’d been traveling; she’d been far too preoccupied with basking in Andrew’s presence to contemplate such comparatively trivial things.

Andrew pulled into a small parking lot next to an equally small building. As the siblings dismounted the motorcycle, Ashley looked up at the dim, neon-pink sign above the building’s doorway.

The Lovers’ Diner.

“Wow,” Ashley remarked as she cast her brother a teasing sideways glance. “I never knew you were such a sap. We finally make our great escape, and this is where you take us?”

Andrew scoffed light-heartedly, “You’re acting like I had any idea this place even existed before this very moment. I’ve been looking for a restaurant for the past half hour, and this is the first one I’ve seen.” He then shot her a similarly teasing smirk, “Besides, I know how much you secretly obsess over this lovey-dovey bullshit.”

Ashley felt her face heat up as she averted her gaze and pouted, “You can just never let me win, can you?” Her face got ten times hotter as Andrew wrapped an arm around her as the two of them started walking towards the diner.

“That’s right,” he answered, smirk widening. “I’ll always be here to make things difficult. Just for you.” He then pulled her closer and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Ashley giggled as she looked up at him, eyes glistening with mischief, “Oh yeah? Two can play that game. I’m the queen of making things difficult.”

Andrew let out an amused huff, “Trust me; I know.”

They both stepped inside the establishment, and Ashley’s nostrils were immediately assaulted by the scent of burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The whole place looked like one of those 1950’s restaurants where the waitresses would come out with your food on roller skates and all the employees wore those weird pointy hats. Although by her estimation, the diner had clearly seen better days. At least a quarter of the lighting didn’t work, there was a noticeable leak in the ceiling, and in the corner was a vintage jukebox that looked like it had been kicked in a couple dozen times.

“Well this sure is cheery,” Ashley muttered as she subconsciously laced her fingers through Andrew’s.

Andrew sighed as he led her to a booth in the corner of the restaurant, “Let’s just hope the 14 bucks I have in my wallet will be enough for the both of us.”

As the siblings sat right next to one another, waiting to be attended, Ashley’s brow furrowed, “Fourteen bucks? That’s all you have? What about your bank account?”

Andrew scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Well … I may or may not have left my card back in the apartment.”

Ashley scrunched her nose, “Great going, genius.”

Andrew scowled, “I barely ever used that thing. Besides, it’s not like I’ve got some secret fortune hiding in an underground vault. But whatever I do have, I should be able to take out without needing my card if we just go to the bank when they open tomorrow.”

Ashley just sighed, “Maybe this whole running-away thing isn’t going to be as rosy and romantic as I thought.”

“Well, we didn’t exactly leave under ideal conditions,” Andrew mumbled before shrugging, “but hey, I can think of at least one good thing about skipping town.”

Ashley tilted her head to the side, “What’s that?”

Andrew looked away with a small smile, “Nobody knows who we are.”

Ashley raised a brow, “I mean … yeah? Isn’t that obvious? What’s your point?”

Before she could even react, Andrew hooked a finger under her necklace and pulled her forwards, and Ashley’s mind went completely blank as their lips connected for the first time since they had been reunited. The kiss ended just as abruptly as it had begun when Andrew pulled away, “That’s my point.”

Ashley’s brain had completely short-circuited in that instant, and her brother’s stupidly handsome grin certainly wasn’t helping. She squirmed involuntarily as that same pool of heat from when they were in the woods began forming at the bottom of her stomach. Ashley’s hands gripped at Andrew’s shirt, and now it was her turn to pull him.

Their lips locked once more, but Ashley wasn’t letting Andrew get away this time. Now that he was right where she wanted him, she wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. She didn’t even realize how badly she needed this, but in the span of about two seconds, every cell in Ashley’s body was screaming Andrew’s name.

Just as Ashley’s back arched towards him, however, they were both interrupted by an awkward cough. The siblings broke apart and turned to see a scrawny waiter with shaggy black hair and green eyes standing by their table. The waiter laughed nervously, “Damn, I know this place is called The Lovers’ Diner and all, but you two seriously need to get a room.”

Andrew and Ashley simultaneously flashed him a look of annoyance, and the waiter sighed, “Yeah, bad joke, I know. Anyway, uh, my name’s Tyler, and I’ll be serving y’all tonight, so, um … Can I get y’all started with anything to drink?”

Andrew cleared his throat, “Look, I’ll be honest with you: we’ve got about 14 dollars to work with here. What can we get with that?”

Tyler blinked, “Uh, like, 12 chicken wings and a couple drinks?”

“Sold,” Andrew nodded. “What kinda sodas do you have?”

“Well, we’ve pretty much got the entire ToxiSoda collection here,” Tyler replied. “We even have their newest flavor: Apple—“

“Cider Vinegar,” Ashley cut him off. “Yeah, we’ve heard about it. No thanks.”

Tyler shrugged, “We also have regular ole cola. It’s made in house … allegedly.”

Andrew and Ashley traded unamused glances before Andrew rolled his eyes, “Sure.”

“Cool,” Tyler said with a tight smile before turning around. “It’ll be right out.”

Ashley crossed her arms as their waiter walked off, “Sheesh. Talk about a fucking mood killer. He kinda looks like you, though.”

“Yeah,” Andrew muttered as he casually wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “but it’s whatever. We’ll be outta here soon enough, and then it’ll just be the two of us again.”

“Where are we even going after this?” Ashley asked, instinctively leaning into Andrew’s side.

“I’ll let you know once I find out,” Andrew sighed. “We pretty much have the entire rest of our lives to contemplate.”

Clearly whatever carefree optimism Andrew had after rescuing her had worn off, and Ashley frowned, “Well, at least we never have to go to school again. But speaking of, weren’t we and Mom and Dad supposed to be meeting with Principal White tomorrow?”

Andrew snorted, “Yeah, well, that’s Renee’s problem now. Frankly, I’m more worried about where the hell we’re gonna sleep tonight. And the likelihood of me having to get a fucking job …”

“It’s a real dilemma,” Ashley hummed before pecking Andrew on the cheek, “but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You always do.”

Andrew blushed but still scowled sarcastically, “Yeah, thanks a lot for your help.”

“Hey!” Ashley’s brow furrowed. “I help! I have ideas!”

In fact, a rather ingenious idea had just come to her at this very moment.

Ashley’s eyes scanned the restaurant until they landed on Tyler, who was currently trying to hide the fact that he was picking his nose in a secluded corner.

Yeah, he REALLY looks like Andy …

Ashley turned back to her brother, “Say, Andrew my dear … How would you feel about spending the rest of your life as Tyler?”

“What?” her brother’s face scrunched in confusion. “You mean working a less-than-minimum wage job and having to scrape by with tips while smelling like grease and sweat all the time? I’d rather not.”

Ashley shook her head, “No, dummy, I don’t mean spending the rest of your life as someone like Tyler. I mean spending the rest of your life as Tyler.”

Andrew’s face slowly started to pale, “What exactly are you suggesting?”

Ashley scoffed, “You know exactly what I’m suggesting.” She then leaned in even closer to him and lowered her voice, “I think this episode’s about to be titled ‘Andrew and Ashley and a Very Bloody Beginning’.”

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Andrew.

Andrew didn’t think he’d ever seen Ashley look as happy as she did right here and now. The abandoned warehouse suddenly shined ten times brighter as she gave him the biggest, most adorable smile he’d probably ever have the pleasure of witnessing in his entire life.

“ANDYYYY!!!” Ashley shrieked with pure glee as she immediately began violently struggling against the rope that bound her.

Andrew had been so overjoyed to see his sister that he was just now taking in his surroundings: four dead bikers, one dead neighbor, and one hopefully-not-dead ex-girlfriend. “What the fuck happened here?” he asked Ashley.

“I’ll explain later,” she replied. “Just hurry up and cut me loose! The scrawny creep over there has a knife.”

Andrew nodded as he dismounted the motorcycle and sheepishly pried the switchblade out of the skinny guy’s hand. He wasted no time in freeing Ashley, who immediately scrambled to her feet and pounced on him just as he put the knife in his pocket.

Ashley buried her face into the crook of Andrew’s neck as she wrapped both her arms and her legs around him in a koala hug, “God, I missed you so fucking much.”

Andrew staggered backwards at the sheer force of her lunge but hugged her back fiercely, “I missed you, too, Leyley.”

Renee couldn’t have kicked him out of the apartment more than two hours ago at this point, but Andrew didn’t care.

Two hours away from Ashley was two hours too long. Any time spent without her felt like an eternity…

“So, um,” Andrew cleared his throat as he continued holding Ashley, “Julia’s … still alive … right?”

Ashley pulled away just enough to give him an annoyed pout, “She is, unfortunately. She’s been out cold since before I even got here. But who cares anyway?”

Andrew let out an amused huff, “Well, I can think of a few people. Having said that, we’re leaving her here. This place is about to get swatted, which means we gotta get the fuck outta here right now.”

Ashley raised a brow, “Huh? Why do we have to run? We didn’t even do anything wrong.”

Andrew blinked, “Ashley, I want you to picture this scene with me: The cops come rushing in here, and what do they see? Five dead bodies inside a giant circle of blood and the two of us standing here with a stolen bike and the tied-up girl who they know has been kidnapped. I’m sorry, but there’s no amount of smooth talking that could possibly explain whatever the fuck happened here.”

“I can talk to them,” Ashley suggested. “I’ll just tell them the truth: these biker guys summoned a demonic entity to feast on our souls, but for some reason, the demon was actually really nice to me and gave me this weird trinket thingy and took their souls instead. Simple as that.”

“Wait, what?” Andrew’s brow furrowed. “This isn't the time for jokes, Ashley.”

“I’m not joking,” she insisted as she unhooked one of her arms from around his neck and opened her hand, revealing a small talisman. “This is what it gave me. It told me it was a ‘symbol of a new beginning’, or whatever.”

Andrew frowned as the two of them naturally pulled away, “Uh, okay ..? Let’s say you’re telling the truth—and I’m not saying you aren’t—but … Do you honestly think anyone’s gonna buy that?”

Ashley averted her gaze, “Well …”

Andrew’s ears immediately perked up at the sound of sirens in the distance, “C’mon; we gotta go.” With that, he hopped back onto the motorcycle and patted the space behind him, “Get on.”

He watched Ashley’s eyes widened in shock as her gaze fell upon the etched heart on the side of the vehicle, and she looked up at him in impressed disbelief, “You didn’t …”

Andrew just smirked, “Oh, I did. I’m technically only borrowing the bike, but … I say we keep it.”

She squinted at him with a playful grin, “Oh, my … Such a naughty boy~.” She then mounted the motorcycle behind him and wrapped both arms around his waist, “Take me away, Andrew my dear.”

Andrew chuckled at that, “Your wish is my command, Beloved.”

Just as he was about to take off, however, Julia’s eyes slowly flitted open. “Andrew ..?” she called out weakly. “Is that you ..?”

Ah, fuck.

Ashley immediately groaned, “Oh, so now she wants to wake up …”

Andrew smiled nervously, “Uh, h-hey, Julia! Glad to see you’re alright.”

Julia struggled faintly against the rope, “Wh-what’s going on? What happened?”

“It’s a long story,” Andrew answered. “What’s important is that everything’s gonna be okay now. You’re gonna be safe.”

Julia blinked as she was slowly coming to her senses, “Are you … are you leaving me here?”

“The police will be here any second,” Andrew replied, trying to hide just how anxious he was to get the hell out of there already. “You’ll be fine.”

He then turned on the motorcycle, “Oh, and Julia? I’m breaking up with you.”

Before Julia could even react, the siblings were off.

Ashley cackled as they zoomed out of the abandoned warehouse, “Oh my god, did you see the look on her face when you told her that?”

Andrew should’ve felt bad. In fact, he wanted to feel bad.

But as the two of them hit the main road and got out of dodge just in time, he couldn’t help but feel oddly ecstatic.

“Meh,” he shrugged playfully. “It’s like you said: Who cares anyway?”

Ashley giggled happily before resting her head in between Andrew’s shoulder blades, “So, where are we headed?”

That was a great question.

By this point, they had just made it onto the bridge that would take them out of town. The sun was starting to set over the large body of water below them. There probably should’ve been a million doubts and concerns in Andrew’s mind, but all he could think about was how blissful it felt to have Ashley at his side again.

Andrew just smirked as he finally responded, “We’re headed wherever the road takes us.”

“Oh?” Ashley hummed amusedly. “Whatever happened to my little overthinker?”

“He has a annoyingly adorable gremlin on his back to keep him grounded,” Andrew snorted.

He then turned his head back just enough to look at her fondly, “It’s just you and me, Leyley. From now on, nothing can get between us.”

Of course, Andrew had absolutely no idea of just how wrong he truly was.

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Ashley.

Ashley grunted as the bikers Skid and Turbo tossed her onto the cold, hard floor of the abandoned warehouse. Her eyes frantically shifted from side to side in an attempt to gather her bearings. To her right was Mr. Narcolepsy, who the bikers had mistook for Andrew despite his numerous denials. To her left was an unconscious Julia, her face oddly peaceful given the circumstances. All three of them had been bound by their wrists and ankles with rope.

Standing in front of them were Skid, Turbo, Chase, and a fourth biker who’d already been here with Julia when they had all arrived. Just like the other three, he was wearing a black T-shirt with the name “Drift” written in bloody text.

“What the hell happened to crybaby over here?” Turbo asked Drift, pointing at Julia’s motionless body.

“Fuck if I know,” Drift replied casually. “One second she’s bawling her eyes out and the next she’s out cold. Must’ve fainted outta fear or something.”

“Let’s have some fun with her before she gets sacrificed,” Skid licked his lips. “It’s better when the body’s still warm.”

“Yeah, no,” Chase put a hand up with a tired but amused smirk. “I swear to god, you belong on a fucking list.”

The four bikers cackled like frat boys before Chase, who Ashley had already assumed was the leader of the gang, sighed contently, “Alright, let’s get this show started already.”

“Who are we gonna use to make the circle?” Turbo asked with a massive burp.

“I say the brother,” Skid suggested as he glared at Mr. Narcolepsy with a twisted grin. “I wanna make him pay for what he did to Jet.”

Chase shrugged, “Knock yourself out.”

Skid beamed with malice as he pulled out a switchblade and slowly prowled towards Ashley’s neighbor.

“No! Please!” Mr. Narcolepsy begged as he struggled against the rope. “For the last time: I’m not her brother! I got nothing to do with this!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Skid narrowed his eyes maliciously. “Keep squirming. I love it when they cower.”

With that, Skid sunk his blade into Mr. Narcolepsy, who immediately wailed in pain. Turbo and Drift immediately got to work harvesting the blood and hastily preparing a large circle around the three of them.

“Hurry up,” Chase ordered unenthusiastically while he picked at his own fingernails. “We won’t be able to use his soul if he bleeds out.”

Ashley silently observed the bikers complete the circle, and Chase raised his arms dramatically, “O, Great Entity, we call upon thee at this wicked hour with a most delectable selection of human souls. Appear before us, Sower of Despair, and rejoice in the unholy ritual we have prepared in your name and your name alone!”

Nothing happened.

Drift let out an annoyed scowl, “I told you we shouldn’t be doing this without Jet here. He’s the only one who’s ever gotten this shit to work!”

“Just do it again, Chase!” Skid nodded encouragingly. “Maybe it didn’t hear ya or something.”

“Can I try?” Turbo mumbled stupidly.

Chase put his arms down and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Just shut up! Shut up already! Let me
fucking think! Christ!”

Chase started pacing around the summoning circle before stopping after just a dozen or so paces, all while Mr. Narcolepsy continued to writhe in pain and agony. Chase immediately whipped around to face his buddies, pointing to the part of the circle right next to his feet, “Well maybe if somebody was paying attention, they’d realize they didn’t fucking close the circle properly.”

The other three bikers traded timid glances, and Chase simply sighed, “God, I have to do everything around here, don’t I?”

Despite the harrowing situation she found herself in—or perhaps because of it—Ashley couldn’t help but let out a quiet snicker.

Skid immediately glowered and pointed his knife at her from outside the circle, “Hey, look; the emo bitch with the big fat tits is laughing at us.”

“Dude, she’s a fucking kid,” Drift scolded as he smacked Skid on the back of head. “Why are you even looking there, you freak? We seriously need to send you to fucking therapy after this …”

Chase’s gaze fell on her as well, “Is something funny to you, little girl?”

Ashley continued to giggle, “Well, yeah, actually. You guys don’t know what the hell you’re doing, do you?”

“Not really,” Turbo admitted, much to the rest of the gang’s chagrin.

“Jesus, Turbo,” Drift facepalmed. “Always running your big fat mouth. Go eat a fucking donut or something.”

Turbo’s ears perked immediately, “We have donuts?”

Chase, clearly more than fed up with his cohorts, stepped inside the circle and kneeled down to Ashley’s level, “Y’know, we’ve been at this for a while now, and you’re the first person who’s ever had the gall to laugh right in our faces during one of our rituals. I actually admire that, short stuff.” He then got up and stepped back out of the circle, “Too bad my admiration won’t be enough to save you.”

Chase dragged his foot across the circle, thus closing it completely with Mr. Narcolepsy’s blood.

Ashley immediately felt all the hairs on her body stand straight up. Everything suddenly felt colder. Her vision was temporarily blurred by a mysterious darkness that soon took the shape of what could only be described as a floating black cloud with red eyes.

The bikers quickly got down on one knee and bowed their heads. “Master,” Chase swallowed hard. “We are eternally grateful for your arrival. Please accept our humble offering.”

The Entity looked down at Ashley, Julia, and Mr. Narcolepsy for several seconds before speaking in a demonic, distorted voice, “YoUr offEr iS Denied, GriMe SouL.”

Chase blinked in shock, “Wh-what ..?”

All of the Entity’s eyes focused on Ashley, “A SouL WitH sUch potenTiaL sHaLL nOt bE sacRificed.”

Ashley’s eyes darted from side to side, “Uh … thanks ..?”

The Entity then shifted its attention to the bikers, “A potenTiaL wHich fAr exCeedS aNy of YoUrs.”

Skid, Turbo, and Drift looked at one another in horror before Chase stood back up and shook his head, “Y-you can’t be serious … We’ve devoted our lives to you for months! This … this isn’t the vision you promised us!”

“InDeeD,” the Entity replied. “MonthS of uSeLess, untainTed SouLs ThaT pRovided neitHer utiLitY NoR tRue Satiation. A worThY repLacemenT haS Been idenTified, anD So OuR fLeetinG parTnerShiP sHaLL HenCe bE terMinated.”

Ashley’s vision went dark once more, but once it returned, she stared in stunned surprise at the four lifeless bikers strewn out in front of her. The Entity’s cloud-like form wobbled as a small object began to levitate out of Chase’s jacket and towards her.

The Entity spoke to her once more, “TaR SouL to be, aCcEpt ThiS tRinKet aS a sYmBoL oF a neW beGiNNinG.”

The trinket slowly descended into Ashley’s lap, and she looked up at the Entity, “Wh-what does that even mean? What am I supposed to do with this?”

“In Due TiMe, TaR SouL to be,” the Entity answered as it began to fade away. “We sHaLL meeT aGain sOon.”

Before Ashley could ask any other questions, the Entity had vanished, leaving her still bound and helpless in the middle of the abandoned warehouse. Ashley just sat there in silence for several moments before sighing, “Well, Mr. Narcolepsy, I gotta say: I was a little skeptical about all this demon shit before, but now …”

Her eyes landed on her motionless neighbor, his body laying limply in an ever-growing pool of his own blood. Her brow furrowed, “Hey …”

No response.

“Aaand he’s dead,” Ashley muttered. “Great.”

It was at that moment that she heard a motorcycle approaching, and her stomach twisted.

Oh for fuck’s sake … How many of these slimy assholes are there?

The motorcycle in question practically flew into the warehouse, and Ashley’s heart felt like it was suddenly set ablaze as it came to a screeching halt right in front of her.

The rider was most definitely not another slimy asshole.

Andrew smiled warmly at Ashley, “Hello, Beloved.”

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Andrew.

Andrew and Jet stared down one another in the hospital room for several moments before Jet snorted, “Damn, kid … First you sucker punch me in the face this morning, and now you saunter on in here like you own the place just to fuck with me when I can’t even defend myself. That’s a bitch move, bro.” His eyes then drifted over to Jane, “Who’s your hot friend?”

“I’m not here to fuck with you,” Andrew replied as he started pacing back and forth in front of Jet’s bed. “I’m just here to ask a couple questions. Should be pretty simple, even for a bonehead like you.” Andrew stopped pacing and pointed a thumb over to Jane, “And her? She’s the sister of the girl your cronies decided to kidnap on her way back home from school today cuz you failed to take my sister with you this morning.”

Jane took a step forward, fists clenched and lip quivering, “Th-that’s right! I want my sister back, you monster!”

Jet’s eyes shifted between the two of them before he sighed, “Alright, runts … I’m not gonna play any games with you. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m smart enough to know the only reason I’m still sitting in this nice comfy bed and not in a jail cell right now is because the pretty boy over here didn’t snitch on my ass. And as much as I hate to admit it … I respect that.” He then forced his eyes shut with a wince, as if the confession pained him.

Jet continued, “Look, I’ve been here all day, so I have absolutely no idea who my brothers may or may not have picked up within the past several hours. But I can tell you this: If we have your sister, she’s gonna be at the hideaway we scoped out when we first pulled up to this shitty city last night.”

Andrew crossed his arms over his chest, “And where would that be?”

“Meh, nowhere special,” Jet shrugged. “Just some abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.”

Andrew felt a chill go down his spine, but he did his best to hide his emotions. Jane, on the other hand, put a hand over her mouth in shock, “B-but that’s where her friend Nina …” She shook her head violently, seemingly in an attempt to steel her nerves, before speaking once more, “I need to know that she’s okay.”

Jet scratched his chin awkwardly, “Like I said: I would have absolutely no way of knowing that. But if she got snatched only an hour or so ago, then nothing bad should have happened to her yet. You’re running outta time, though.”

Jane swallowed hard, “What do you mean, ‘running outta time’?”

Jet looked her dead in the eyes, “I mean if somebody doesn’t go over there right now, you’re not gonna have a sister anymore.”

The message was clear.

Andrew and Jane traded a single glance at one another before they both booked it towards the room’s exit.

“Hey, kid!” Jet called out right as Andrew was about to pass the doorway.

Andrew stopped to look back at the biker, who immediately averted his gaze, “You didn’t hear this from me, but … it’d probably be a good idea if you checked up on your sister right about now, too.”

Andrew’s heart came to a screeching halt.

This changed everything.

“What did you just say ..?” He asked in a low voice, eye twitching involuntarily.

Jet let out a nervous laugh, “Well, y’know, when my brothers found out I was hospitalized and came to visit me this morning, I may or may not have told them who was responsible and where they lived.”

In an instant, Andrew was already back in the room and had both hands wrapped around Jet’s neck. The biker choked as Andrew squeezed tighter, “You son of a bitch! I’m gonna fucking—“

“Andrew!” Jane cried as she tried to pry him off of Jet. “Get it together! We don’t have time!”

Andrew was absolutely livid, but deep down, he knew she was right. Reluctantly, he slowly loosened his grip on Jet’s neck.

What the fuck am I gonna do now? We only have one car for fuck’s sake, and I can’t be in two places at once anyway!

Just as the compounding stress of the situation had reached its peak, Andrew’s heart soared.

He had a solution.

Andrew immediately started rummaging through Jet’s clothes that were neatly folded on the bedside table. “What the fuck are you doing?” Jet coughed, clutching his own neck tenderly.

Andrew didn’t respond until he found what he was looking for: the key to Jet’s motorcycle.

Jet instantly knew what Andrew was thinking, and he groaned, “It’s in the parking lot. I had it towed here so I could leave on my own once I’ve recovered. We better be even after this, kid.”

“You’re lucky to still be alive after what you’ve done,” Andrew spat before scowling, “but whatever … I just better not see your face ever again once this is all said and done.”

“Um, hello?” Jane threw her hands up in confusion. “What are we doing here?”

Andrew turned to her, his eyes ablaze with determination, “You’re going to the police station right now. Take your car and tell them everything we just found out here.”

“And what about you?” Jane asked.

Andrew looked down at the motorcycle key in his hand and clenched his fist around it, “I’m going back home, and I’m going to save Ashley.”

Jane just stared at him for a solid three seconds before lunging towards him in a tight embrace.

“Thank you for everything,” she said tearily. “You’re a good guy, Andrew.”

Andrew winced at her words but hugged her back regardless, “You make sure Julia’s okay, you hear?”

“Mhm,” Jane replied firmly, and the two pulled apart for the last time before running out of the room and towards the hospital’s exit.

Andrew didn’t even acknowledge the very confused-looking Marie at the front desk as both he and Jane dashed outside and went their separate ways. “Be safe!” He called out to Jane as he spotted Jet’s motorcycle in a distant parking space.

“You too!” She responded as she climbed into her car and started the engine.

Andrew made it to Jet’s bike and smirked as his eyes landed on the giant heart that had been crudely etched onto its side with the letters “A + L”. Of course, he’d never operated a motorcycle a day in his life.

Eh, how hard could it be? It’s just a bicycle with an engine.

Andrew mounted the bike, ignited the engine, and swept up the kickstand with his foot as he twisted the handle, immediately lurching forward and almost slamming into the car parked in front of him.

“Alright, Andrew,” he muttered to himself, “let’s maybe put it in reverse first.”

After fumbling around for a good minute, Andrew had successfully backed out of the parking spot and cautiously made his way out the lot. Once he hit the road, he picked up the pace and raced back to the apartment complex. It wasn’t until he was over halfway there that he realized he wasn’t even wearing a helmet, but as he narrowly dodged the eleventh vehicle that he deemed was going too slow, he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind.

You’ve got way more important things to worry about, like Ashley. God, please tell me she’s okay! I’ll do anything! Anything!

Andrew came to a screeching halt as he finally made it to the apartment complex. The entire building was surrounded by cops, but that wasn’t what made his heart sink into an endless abyss.

No, it was the single lone ambulance off to the corner that made Andrew want to crawl out of his own skin.

He immediately hopped off the bike, letting it fall unceremoniously onto the asphalt as he sprinted over to the emergency vehicle. The back was opened, and Andrew felt a wave of conflicting emotions wash over him as his eyes fell on Renee wrapped up in a blanket. She was seemingly unharmed but most definitely dazed.

Renee blinked distantly as she looked up at him, “Wh-what are you doing here? I thought I told you to get the hell away from here …”

Andrew didn’t even bother wasting time with an explanation. It wasn’t like she deserved one, anyway. “Where is she?” Andrew demanded, fists clenched and heart pounding harder than he thought it ever had before. “Where. Is. Ashley?”

“Ashley?” Renee uttered her daughter’s name as if it were the first time she’d ever said it.

She then shook her head faintly, “Ashley’s gone.”

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Ashley.

Ashley couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The three glowing red eyes in her weird neighbor’s book were the exact same eyes on the backs of those bikers’ jackets. Their neighbor (or Mr. Narcolepsy, as Ashley had recently named him), now fully awake, darted his eyes from Ashley to Mom nervously, “Uh … a-aren’t you the family from next door? Why are you in my apartment? How are you in my apartment?”

Ashley completely ignored his questions and raised the book up to his face and pointed at the illustration, “What the hell is this?”

Mom threw her hands up in exasperation, “Ashley, we don’t have fucking time for that right now. We need a fucking phone!”

“Quiet!” Ashley snapped before turning back to Mr. Narcolepsy. “Well?”

Mr. Narcolepsy shook his head instinctively, “U-uh … nothing! It’s nothing!”

Ashley squinted her eyes and let the book drop to the floor. She leaned in and towered over him in his chair, “Listen here, mister: we got three murderous miscreants actively trashing our apartment as we speak, and they all have those same red eyes on their stupid jackets. You’re either gonna give us some fucking answers, or we’re throwing you off your goddamn balcony.”

“Ashley,” Mom hissed. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Mr. Narcolepsy’s entire face paled, “No … No no no … You’re lying. You have to be.”

Ashley put her hands on her hips, “Uh, no? Do I look like I’m fucking lying here?”

He gulped, “Y-you’re talking about the Red Eye Raiders, aren’t you?”

“The who now?” Ashley scowled.

“The Red Eye Raiders,” Mr. Narcolepsy repeated. “They’re a ruthless biker gang cult.”

“Christ,” Ashley muttered. “A biker gang and a cult? They couldn’t have just picked one?”

“They worship a demonic entity that feeds on the souls of humans,” he explained, “but it’s not the same as the one you just saw in the book. They go from town to town, snatching up anybody they deem as easy prey to use as sacrifices to summon it and make deals with it. They’re extremely dangerous.”

Ashley snorted, “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. They just broke into our home.”

Then, almost as if on cue, they all heard something shatter onto the floor through the walls.

Mr. Narcolepsy cleared his throat, “We should probably call the police or something.”

“Oh my fucking god,” Mom gritted her teeth and pinched the bridge of her nose before flashing him a sarcastic smile. “Wow, that’s a great idea, neighbor! It sure would be nice if you could tell us where the FUCK your phone is!”

“O-oh,” Mr. Narcolepsy blinked before pointing to a door on the opposite wall. “It’s in my room.”

“Thank you,” Mom rolled her eyes as she stormed off.

Ashley looked down at the book she dropped, its cover now clearly visible.

Demon Summoning for Dummies, Vol. 666.

Her eyes drifted back up to Mr. Narcolepsy, “So, that big scary thing in the book isn’t the same one these fuckers worship, huh?”

He shook his head, “No; the one you saw in the book is far more powerful. We call it Lord Unknown.”

Ashley raised a brow, “Who’s ‘we’?”

Mr. Narcolepsy’s eyes widened, “U-uh … No one ..?”

“Don’t tell me you’re in a fucking cult, too,” Ashley deadpanned.

He swallowed hard, “Well, y-yes, but ours isn’t nearly as bad!”

Ashley actually laughed aloud at that, “Oh? Is that so? Enlighten me then: how is your demonic cult better than the other demonic cult?”

“W-well, um … We have catering! Yeah! A-and free coffee during meetups!” Mr. Narcolepsy nodded eagerly.

Ashley scoffed, “Look, I don’t actually give a fuck as long as you don’t try to use me as a human sacrifice like the assholes in our apartment are.” She then lowered her voice, “In fact, if you ever do end up needing a human sacrifice, she’s in your room right now.”

Mr. Narcolepsy’s brow furrowed, “Isn’t she your mom?”

“Exactly,” Ashley muttered.

Before the conversation could continue, Mom returned with a sigh, “The police are on the way as we speak. We just have to hang tight and stay quiet.”

The three of them just stared at one another in awkward silence for several moments until their neighbor shifted in his seat, “S-so, um, how did you get involved with the Red Eye Raiders in the first place?”

Mom folded her arms over her chest and squinted, “Yes, Ashley, how did we get involved with the Red Eye Raiders in the first place?”

“One of them tried to fucking abduct me this morning, that’s how,” Ashley snorted. “He actually had the audacity to try and snatch me up the moment I stepped foot outside.” Her eyes fell to the floor, “I wouldn’t even be here right now if Andrew hadn’t saved me by punching the shit outta him.”

Mom unfolded her arms and averted her gaze, “Is that so?”

Ashley glared at her, “Yes, it is. Because unlike some people, he actually cares about me.”

“Oh, he cares about you alright,” Mom scowled. “More than he was ever supposed to.”

Ashley narrowed her eyes, “And what the hell does that mean?”

“It means it’s fucking disgusting, Ashley!” Mom snapped. “I’m not about to start this conversation with you right now in front of our neighbor. Now’s not the right time for this.”

“H-hey, uh,” Mr. Narcolepsy put a hand up sheepishly, “let’s try to keep it down, alright?”

Ashley completely ignored him and let out a humorless laugh, “Oh, well isn’t that just rich? Tell me, Mother Dearest: When has the time ever been ‘right’ to talk to me? You think I don’t know how you see me? You think I can’t tell that you’re embarrassed by my mere existence? How stupid do you think I am?”

Mom gritted her teeth, “You really wanna know, huh? For the record, sweetie, I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you’re just an ungrateful, uncivilized, unlovable bitch of a daughter who manipulates anyone and anything she can get her grubby little hands on because she has absolutely zero regard for the consequences of her actions.”

“Well look who finally decided to be honest,” Ashley clapped dramatically. “I’ll be sure to remember this for my next birthday. Sixteen years with no presents sounds good, doesn’t it? You wanna know who was the only person to ever give me anything for my birthday? Oh, well wouldn’t you know it; it was Andrew! I’m almost starting to notice a pattern here.”

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to Mr. Narcolepsy’s apartment flew off its hinges and fell to the floor. The three bikers stepped inside.

They had been too loud.

Each of the men were wearing black T-shirts under their jackets with names written in bloody text: Skid, Turbo, and Chase.

“That blonde bitch must’ve given us the wrong apartment number,” Turbo said in a deep voice, his rotund frame seemingly taking up half the apartment.

Skid, who might as well have been a twig compared to Turbo, snarled, “I told ya we should’a grabbed her. I wanted her for myself!”

Chase, the only one of the three who didn’t look like a circus freak, simply shook his head calmly, “Enough of that, you two.”

Chase then locked eyes with Ashley and flashed her a suave smirk, “It looks like we finally found what we came here for.”

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Andrew.

Andrew remained in Jane’s embrace as his mind finally processed her words.

“Julia’s … missing ..?” Andrew gulped.

Vanderbilt, who’d been standing there awkwardly with his buddy Davies, grunted, “Not just missing. She’s been kidnapped.”

At the word “kidnapped”, Jane broke down into yet another fit of sobbing, and Andrew gave her what he hoped would be a reassuring squeeze.

Davies sighed, “Real tactful thing to say, V … but he’s right. The poor girl got snatched up by a group of bikers in broad daylight, or at least that’s what was reported to us.” He then shook his head sadly, “What has the world come to?”

Andrew felt his stomach twist, “Did you just say bikers?”

“That’s right,” Davies answered, “and I already know what you’re thinking: this might have something to do with that guy who got his leg crushed by his own motorcycle this morning, right?”

Andrew blinked, “Well, uh, yeah, exactly.”

“No dice,” Vanderbilt interjected. “We’ve already sent a detective to the hospital he was carted off to for questioning, but the cat’s not saying shit. He’s insisting he had nothing to do with it, but his physical description and clothing match perfectly with the reports we’ve been getting about these other slimy fucks. The guy obviously knows something.”

Davies put a hand on Vanderbilt’s shoulder and smiled with a wince, “Let’s remember to keep our personal opinions out of the case, eh? Anyway …” Davies then turned his attention back to Andrew, “You never did tell me what you’re doing here, kiddo.”

“O-oh, uh,” Andrew stuttered. “W-well, Julia and I …”

Wait a minute … I can’t call Julia my girlfriend. I already told these clowns I was dating Ashley back in the cafe. But Jane’s literally right here in my arms. FUCK!

Andrew cleared his throat, “Julia and I are … really close. I just came by to see how she was doing.”

Davies raised a brow skeptically before the corner of his lip curled into a coy smirk, “Hmph. Sounds complicated.”

I WANNA FUCKING DIE!!!

Andrew just laughed nervously, and Davies shook his head again, much more amusedly this time, “Welp, I think it’s about time we head off. I trust the young lady over here will be safe in your care?”

Jane, who’d been crying into Andrew’s shoulder this entire time, nodded faintly, and Andrew swallowed hard, “Yeah. I’ll be keeping an eye on her.”

Davies smiled warmly, “We’ll do whatever we can to get Julia back. Isn’t that right, V?”

Vanderbilt grunted in agreement, and both officers headed back to the patrol car. Davies tipped his hat right before entering the vehicle, “You kids be safe now.”

And with that, the cops were off.

“Andrew,” Jane mumbled, her voice hoarse from crying. “What are we supposed to do now?”

Andrew pulled away just enough to look into her teary blue eyes, “I know exactly what we’re gonna do now: We’re going to the hospital.”

Jane’s brow furrowed, “Huh ..?”

“That biker guy,” he responded. “Ashley and I had a run in with him this morning. We’re the reason he’s there right now. He tried to abduct Ashley, but nobody else knows about it.”

“Wh-what?” Jane blinked. “Why didn’t you say something? You could’ve told the cops right now!”

Andrew shook his head, “That would just be giving all the power to the police, and we’d just have to sit around and hope they can figure it out. You’re forgetting something important here: By not telling the police, I still have leverage over this fucker, and I plan to use that leverage right now. I need you to drive me to the hospital, Jane.”

Jane was silent, and Andrew put both hands on her shoulders, “Please. This is our best chance of getting Julia back.”

Jane forced her eyes shut, clearly trying to fight back another round of tears. After a couple moments, she reopened them and sniffled, “Alright. Let’s do this. I want everyone involved to face justice.”

“And they will,” Andrew said assuringly.

Jane nodded as the two of them finally pulled apart completely. She rummaged through her purse and pulled out her car keys, but she immediately dropped them shortly thereafter. She looked down at her trembling hands before looking up at Andrew, “I … I don’t think I can drive right now.”

Andrew picked up the keys, “Don’t worry. I’ll drive then.”

The two of them walked the short distance up the driveway to Jane’s car and climbed inside. “Buckle up,” Andrew advised. “I haven’t driven a car since I got my license.”

“Ah,” Jane gulped. “Please be careful.”

“I will be,” Andrew replied as he backed out into the street and mentally planned a route to the local hospital.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Jane let out a shaky exhale, “Julia’s all I have, y’know. Our parents might as well be ghosts with how busy they are; they’re not even in the country right now.”

“Another business trip?” Andrew asked, and Jane nodded.

“I just need to know she’s okay,” she muttered. “Oh god …”

Jane closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and began whispering to herself in prayer. Andrew let her have her space and decided to talk to himself as well.

If I can actually do this and get Julia back, they’ll let me stay at their house forever, surely. A-and Julia will be safe, too! That’s also important …

Too bad I’m gonna do all this shit just to break up with her in the end, anyway. You’re a real gem, Andrew.

Before long, Andrew pulled into the hospital parking lot, and both he and Jane exited the car and made their way through the door of the main entrance. They headed straight for the front desk, but Andrew’s eyebrows rose in shock as he laid eyes on the receptionist.

Sitting behind the counter was Marie, the Buckstar barista.

Marie blinked, “Oh, it’s you! Hello!”

“Uh, hey,” Andrew smiled awkwardly. “You work here, too?”

“Mhm,” Marie responded. “My shift at the cafe just ended, so here I am!” She then averted her gaze, “I get about four hours of sleep every day, but … Well, it puts bread on the table. Anywayyyy, how can I help you?”

“We’re here to pay someone a visit,” Andrew answered.

“Oh, sure!” Marie said as she looked down at a large binder in front of her. “Could I get their name?”

“Uh,” Andrew shifted his weight, “I actually have no idea. But I know a detective came by not too long ago to speak with him.”

Marie put a hand up timidly, “Ah, um … I’m sorry, but if you’re not a family member of his, I can’t give out any patient information.”

Andrew leaned in and lowered his voice, “Please. You see this girl I’m with? Her sister was kidnapped, and I know that he knows something about it. You gotta help us out.”

Marie’s fiery orange eyes darted from side to side anxiously, “I-I’m sorry, I really—“

“Please,” Andrew begged. “You could be saving a life here.”

Marie held his gaze for just a few seconds before blushing and biting her lip, “His first name is Jet. Room 113.”

Andrew slapped a hand on the counter triumphantly, “You’re an angel. Thank you.”

Marie’s blush deepened as she squeaked out a “you’re welcome”, and Andrew turned to Jane, “Let’s go.”

As they started walking down the corridor to Room 113, Jane spoke up, “Everyone seems to know who you are. First those cops, and now that receptionist lady.”

Andrew snorted, “Let’s just say today’s been a very long day.” He then stopped dead in his tracks.

They had arrived right outside Jet’s room.

Andrew turned to Jane one final time, “Ready?”

Jane exhaled sharply, “Yeah.”

With that, the two of them entered Room 113.

Laying in the hospital bed was Jet, his left leg slightly elevated and completely covered in a cast from the knee down. The biker’s storm grey eyes widened as they stepped inside.

“Hey, greaseball,” Andrew smirked. “Did ya miss me?”

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Ashley.

Ashley threw herself onto what used to be Andrew’s bed as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Mom had banished her to her room shortly after kicking Andrew out, but she would’ve locked herself up in here either way. Ashley’s teary gaze fell upon her brother’s open closet, and her face crumpled further.

That bitch didn’t even let him pack any of his things.

Ashley couldn’t even comprehend how everything had gone from so right to so wrong in the span of less than a single day. It was all because she gave Andrew what he wanted. She let him make a whore out of her, fully succumbing to his cock-brained antics.

Yeah, right, a voice from the back of her mind snorted. Who do you think you’re kidding, Ashley? You’re the one who started all this shit last night. You’re not the fucking victim here; you really ARE a monster.

“Fuck,” Ashley whimpered, burying her face into Andrew’s pillow. “Andy … Where are you?”

For a terrifying second, the thought that she’d never see him again flashed through her mind, and she shook her head and groaned in agony as if the physical act would somehow expel the idea from her brain.

I have to find him. I gotta get the fuck outta here.

She didn’t know if Mom was actually serious about committing her to a mental institution, but she did know one thing for sure: she wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

She didn’t care if she had to scale down the apartment complex brick by brick with her bare hands or build a parachute of tied-up clothing; she’d find a way.

Filled with newfound determination, Ashley pushed herself up and got out of bed. She walked over to the window and looked outside to see just how far she’d have to go if she was actually going to escape through there, but her attention was quickly drawn to the three men on motorcycles parked right by the entrance to the apartment complex.

Ashley’s stomach twisted. They looked just like that greasy, grey-eyed creeper who had tried to kidnap her this morning. However, from this angle, she couldn’t help but notice the design on the backs of their jackets that she hadn’t caught a glimpse of before.

Three glowing red eyes.

Someone had just exited the building. It was the blonde lady who lived downstairs. Ashley never got her name, but she’d seen her around plenty of times. The men called her over, and the four of them started talking.

Ashley couldn’t shake this sense of unease. “Who the fuck are these guys?” she muttered to herself.

Her unease quickly tripled as the blonde lady walked off and the three men dismounted their bikes to enter the apartment complex. Ashley stepped away from the window and gulped.

Those guys were here for her and Andrew. They had to be. This was a revenge mission for what the two of them had done to their friend earlier. They had called the blonde lady over to ask where they lived …

Ashley gripped the sides of her head, panicked, “Fuck! Fuck fuck FUCK!”

Not wasting another second, she scampered over to the door and exited the bedroom. Mom, who was currently heating up a microwave dinner in the kitchen, immediately squinted at her, “I thought I told you I didn’t want to see you for the rest of the day.”

“Shut up,” Ashley said quickly as she made a beeline for the landline.

Mom race walked behind her and grabbed her by the wrist, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Ashley gritted her teeth, “We don’t have time for this, you cunt! We’re in danger. We gotta call the police.”

“We are not calling anybody,” Mom barked, “and you are going back to your room this instant.”

“I’m not fucking joking, bitch!” Ashley growled as she lunged for the phone.

Mom’s grip tightened, eye twitching, “Why you little—“

Both of them froze as someone aggressively knocked on the front door.

Mom blinked as her grip on Ashley loosened subconsciously, “Who the fuck—“

Ashley took the opportunity to cover Mom’s mouth with her hand. “Shut up,” Ashley hissed.

The knocking only continued to rise in frequency and intensity, and Ashley had no doubt in her mind that the door would come off its hinges if the people standing on the other side of it deemed it necessary.

Ashley and Renee were officially trapped in their own home, and Ashley’s stomach churned in fear and panic.

This is where we’re gonna die. This apartment is about to become The Coffin of Neyney and Leyley. God, of all the people to perish alongside me … Why her???

The entire door was now rattling, and Ashley was doing everything she could just to control her own breathing.

No, think! What would Andy do? He always finds a way, no matter how dire the situation is!

It was at that moment that a man started speaking from the other side of the door, “We know you’re in there, little girl. You and your little shit of a brother. We just wanna talk.”

Another man’s voice chimed in, “You haven’t done anything we can’t forgive … yet. But you gotta let us in.”

Like hell I will, Ashley thought as her eyes frantically scanned the apartment, desperately searching for anything that could somehow get her out of this.

Then she saw it.

Ashley removed her hand from Mom’s mouth and took her by the arm, pulling her towards the sliding glass door to the balcony. Once they were both outside, Ashley immediately turned to her left. There was only about six feet of distance between their balcony and their weird neighbor’s. “Ashley,” Mom spoke in a hushed voice, “what the fuck is happening?”

Ashley turned back to face her and swallowed hard, “You and I are about to take a leap of faith. Don’t look down.”

With that, Ashley climbed on top of the half-wall that served as the only thing standing between them and a four-story drop. Not allowing herself to overthink a thing, she immediately jumped.

The moment she spent in the air felt like an eternity and yet no time at all, and she thanked all that was good and holy as she successfully landed on the balcony next door. She looked back to see Mom still on their terrace, a look of abject horror plastered on her face.

“Well?” Ashley threw her hands up in exasperation. “Hurry up!”

“This … this is fucking insane!” Mom cried.

BOOM!

That was the sound of their front door getting busted open.

Mom clearly didn’t need another signal. She, too, climbed atop the wall and leapt across to the neighbor’s balcony safe and sound.

Ashley immediately started pounding on the glass door to their neighbor’s apartment, but Mom pulled it open. Ashley blinked, “Oh …”

Both ladies rushed inside only to see their neighbor passed out at his desk, currently drooling over what looked like a large textbook. “What’s wrong with him?” Ashley whispered. “Did he seriously not hear me banging on the goddamn door?”

“Who fucking cares?” Mom hissed. “Help me look for the phone.”

They both began scouring the apartment, all while Ashley could hear the sounds of breaking glass through the walls. Those bikers were clearly having a field day in their unoccupied home …

“Does this moron not have a fucking landline?” Mom ran a hand through her hair, the stress in her voice painfully clear.

“Why don’t we ask?” Ashley suggested as she began violently shaking their unconscious neighbor, much to Mom’s dismay.

The guy eventually started to stir, “Huh ..? Wuzzat ..?”

Ashley groaned in frustration before slapping him across the face, “Wake up already!”

His eyes immediately shot open as he sat up straight in his chair, “Wh-what? What the fuck?”

“Shhh!” Ashley jabbed a finger to his lips. “Nice to have you finally join us, Mr. Narcolepsy. Now, where’s your fucking phone?”

Before Mr. Narcolepsy could even respond, Ashley’s eyes wandered to the book on his desk, and her heart skipped a beat.

On both pages was an absolutely massive illustration of some kind of imposing demonic figure.

A demonic figure with three glowing red eyes.

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

You are Andrew.

Andrew could feel his heart in his throat as Mom commanded Ashley to remove his overshirt once more. He knew the jig was up the moment Ashley took that thing off, and his mind was desperately searching for quite literally anything to say that could buy them more time.

Andrew scoffed at Mom, “Oh, so now all of a sudden you care about what she does?”

“Shut your mouth,” Mom snapped before turning her attention back to Ashley. “I’m only going to ask one more time: Take. Off. The. Shirt.”

Andrew glanced over to Ashley, who was already staring at him like a deer in the headlights, clearly paralyzed with indecision.

As usual, he was going to have to be the one to claw his way out of this for the both of them.

Andrew took one step in front of Ashley, shielding her from Mom’s cold glare, “She doesn’t have to do anything you say.”

At that, Mom bolted up from the couch, and Andrew felt all his bravado evaporate in an instant. He suddenly felt like a little kid again, preparing himself for the scolding of a lifetime.

Except this time, there was no scolding.

Before Andrew could even react, Mom’s open palm collided into the side of his face, the slap echoing throughout the apartment like a gunshot.

He staggered sideways, the entire right side of his face stinging like he’d been attacked by a swarm of wasps. Mom stepped past him and gripped Ashley’s sleeve, yanking off the overshirt in one swift motion despite Ashley’s best effort to resist.

Andrew’s eyes widened in horror as Mom’s gaze fell upon the array of hickeys on Ashley’s exposed neck. Mom dropped the overshirt and put a hand up to her mouth in terror. Ashley opened and closed her mouth several times, but not a word came out.

The silence was deafening.

Mom stepped back instinctively until she fell backwards onto the couch once more, a hand still covering half of her now sheet-white face. Andrew straightened up reluctantly, clutching his cheek. For the first time in years, he truly was at a loss for words. There was absolutely nothing he thought he could say that could save him or Ashley now.

After what felt like an eternity, Mom finally broke the silence with a single word, “Out.”

Andrew blinked, “Wh-what ..?”

“Get out,” Mom replied shakily as her eyes locked onto his. “I want you out. Permanently. I’m never letting you step foot in this house again, and I better not see you anywhere near your sister for as long as I live.”

Andrew’s stomach twisted, Is she actually trying to separate us ..?

That was apparently enough to finally snap Ashley out of her stunned stupor. “Y-you can’t just kick him out!” she exclaimed. “He’s not even an adult yet! That … that’s illegal!”

“You two are the last people who should be preaching the law,” Mom spat, “and as a matter of fact, if he doesn’t leave this instant, I’m calling the fucking police.”

Mom was serious, and Andrew knew it.

He had to leave. Right now.

Where he was going to go and how he’d get there was anybody’s guess, but he wasn’t even thinking about himself as he glared at Mom, “What are you gonna do with Ashley?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Mom huffed bitterly. “She won’t be staying here, either. She’s going where she should’ve gone a long time ago: the fucking psych ward. You allowed her to corrupt you, and I’m not letting this monster roam freely any longer.”

Andrew’s blood boiled at her words, and he took a step towards Mom in rage before Ashley gripped him by the arm. “Don’t,” Ashley muttered sternly. Andrew looked back at his sister, and she shook her head, tears in her eyes, “Just go. Get out of here before it’s too late.”

Andrew swallowed hard, “But—“

“Don’t worry about me,” Ashley cut him off. “You have bigger problems to think about, dumbass. Go.”

Andrew was initially bamboozled by her swift dismissal, but his heart skipped a beat as the realization kicked in.

For the first time in her entire life, Ashley was thinking of someone else before herself, and that someone was him.

Heart heavier than lead, Andrew nodded slowly as Ashley let go of his arm. He didn’t even look at Mom as he turned around and shuffled over to the front door, opening it and closing it behind him like a ghost that never truly belonged. Back out in the hallway, Andrew simply stood outside the door to his former home in rigid silence.

I failed Ashley. I failed Mom. I just fucked up everything.

His eyes began to burn with unshed tears. This all happened because he didn’t put his foot down when Ashley came onto him the night prior. He had been weak, and as he thought about it more and more, he gave her exactly what she wanted, and look where it got him now.

Oh please, the voice of reason in his head scoffed at him. You’d been aching to get in her pants long before last night, you degenerate freak. You’re not the fucking victim here; you’re the predator.

Andrew wanted nothing more than to jump off the roof of the apartment complex this very instant, but his feet stayed planted to the murky-colored carpeting. What would Ashley do if she found out what he had done to himself? The thought alone was enough to push the idea out of his mind entirely.

I have to save her. I’m not letting her get sent to whatever fucked up asylum Renee has in mind.

How exactly he was going to prevent this from happening, he hadn’t a clue, but he did know one thing for sure: As badly as he wanted to, he couldn’t just sit around in the apartment complex. Dad would be coming home from work in a couple hours, and the last thing he needed now was to get spotted.

He seriously needed to think of what to do with himself. He had nothing to his name but the clothes on his back, 14 dollars and 32 cents in his wallet, and a backpack full of useless scholastic material. He just needed somewhere to gather his thoughts and start developing a master plan, and it wasn’t long before the lightbulb in his head began shining.

Without further hesitation, Andrew returned to the elevator, descended to the lobby, and exited the apartment complex, making his way to Julia’s house. He spent the entire walk there formulating his best course of action.

I’m just visiting my girlfriend. Totally normal. Julia doesn’t need to know anything … yet. I’m sure I can convince her to let me crash there for … however long is necessary.

Andrew eventually made it to Julia’s house, but he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

There was a police car parked right outside the residence, and two officers were currently comforting a dark-haired girl sobbing inconsolably on the curb right by the driveway, her head buried in her hands. Andrew felt his stomach drop; he recognized all three of them.

Davies, Vanderbilt, and Jane.

Davies was the first to notice him, and his brow furrowed immediately, “What the hell are you doing here, kiddo?”

Jane looked up, her sapphire eyes piercing right through him. She got on her feet and stomped over to him, and Andrew braced himself for another slap across the face.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a crushing embrace.

“Oh, Andrew,” she weeped. “It’s awful. It’s awful!”

Andrew’s whole body went stiff as a board before sheepishly returning the hug, “Jane? Wh-what the hell’s going on?”

Jane wailed in despair as she buried her head in his shoulder, his shirt getting soaked from her tears.

“Julia,” she replied shakily. “She’s missing.”

[Chapter 1]

[Previous Chapter]

[The Road Ahead]

You are Ashley.

Ashley’s eyes stayed glued to the floor as Andrew confessed everything to Principal White. White stayed quiet as Andrew assured him that their parents were in fact not abusive, and, much more reluctantly, that he had been forging their mother’s signature on Ashley’s detention records this entire time.

The room was dead silent for several moments before White finally sighed, “That was quite the admission of guilt … While I do appreciate your honesty, Andrew, I hope you understand that I have no choice but to call your parents and disclose all of this information to them.”

Andrew nodded solemnly, and Ashley felt her heart twist in despair.

She knew this was entirely her fault. If she had just kept her big fat mouth shut in Mr. Carpenter’s class, none of this would be happening right now. She glanced over at Andrew, but his eyes were also pointed at the floor.

Principal White scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he continued, “And I think it’s safe to say you’ll be accompanying your sister to detention this Saturday.”

“Fair enough,” Andrew mumbled.

No one said another word until White cleared his throat and straightened up in his chair, “Well then, I believe I’ll be making that phone call now. You two are free to go home, but I’ll try to coordinate a meeting with you and your parents after school tomorrow. Stay safe.”

Andrew immediately got up from his seat and headed for the door, Ashley quickly following suit. Principal White had just begun dialing as Andrew left his office and started walking towards the school’s main exit, Ashley sheepishly trailing behind.

The silence was killing her, and before she could think better of it, she couldn’t help but blurt out the only question that mattered to her, “Are you mad at me?”

Andrew kept walking, but he turned his head just enough to look back at her with one eye, “I’m not mad.”

“Then talk to me,” Ashley begged. “Please.”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked as he pushed open the door and they both exited the school.

Ashley huffed, “Something. Anything. I don’t care. Like, um, how are you feeling?”

“How am I feeling?” Andrew scoffed. “The principal’s probably on the phone with Mom as we speak, and we have no other choice but to go back home and suffer through her wrath. So I’d say I’m feeling pretty fucking shitty right about now.”

Ashley’s face crumpled at his words, “God, Andy, I … I’m so sorry.”

“I know,” he muttered. “You’ve told me like five times already. And I’ve already told you that it’s okay. We’ll survive.” He then stretched out an arm to her with a sad smirk, “Now come here before you start crying like a baby again.”

Ashley fell in step with him and immediately clung to his arm with zero hesitation, furiously blinking back tears as the two of them made their way back home.

Still clutching onto Andrew’s arm like a koala, Ashley swallowed hard, “How pissed do you think Mom’ll be?”

Andrew snorted, “On a scale from one to us getting disowned? I’d say a solid 9.5.”

Ashley’s stomach churned. Of course, she couldn’t care less if Mom was pissed at her; that happened more often than not as it was already. What she was actually worried about was how Andrew would take it. He’d always been more susceptible to Mom’s influence, and despite everything he said, Ashley knew he was secretly terrified of failing her, especially when it came to his duties as an older brother. They had gotten so close in just the past 18 hours or so, and the last thing Ashley needed was for Mom to try and turn Andrew against her now of all times.

Ashley’s mind was consumed by these thoughts as they returned to their apartment complex and entered the lobby elevator. As they began their ascent to the fourth floor, Andrew let out a sharp exhale, “Everything will be alright. We’ll be alright.”

It definitely sounded like he was trying to convince himself far more than anyone else.

The elevator opened, and the tension in the air was tangible as they made their way to their front door. Ashley rummaged through her bag and pulled out the key, slowly inserting it and turning the lock.

With one final glance at one another, Andrew pushed open the door.

Ashley had been praying to every god known to man that Mom somehow wouldn’t be home, but of course, she was sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, her back facing them. Dad was nowhere in sight, and Ashley quickly remembered him saying he had the night shift today.

Andrew quietly closed the door behind them, but it didn’t matter; Mom knew they were here.

“Well, hello, children,” Mom said, still watching TV. “I’ll admit, I’m rather surprised that you two are here given how horribly abusive your father and I have been towards you. So abusive, in fact, that one of you thought it would be acceptable to start forging my own goddamn signature to cover for his sister’s deplorable behavior.”

Andrew and Ashley didn’t dare say a word.

Mom turned off the television but still refused to face them, “Get over here. Now.”

The siblings timidly made their way towards the couch, stopping right in between Mom and the TV. Ashely didn’t think she had ever seen Mom look so irate as her eyes pierced right through both of them, “Andrew and Ashley Graves: I’m going to ask this one time and one time only … WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO???”

Ashley winced at Mom’s raised voice as she continued, “Almost two decades! Almost two decades of my life I’ve spent raising you, feeding you, caring for you, and this is how you repay me?”

Mom’s eyes fell on Ashley with disdain, and she let out a humorless laugh, “Frankly, I can’t say I’m all that shocked about you; every other word that comes out of your mouth is a goddamn lie.”

She then pointed a finger at Andrew, “But you … You betrayed me, Andrew. Forging my signature? Really? All just to cover for her? What the hell’s gotten into you? I’m so fucking disappointed in you, I don’t even know what else to say.”

Ashley swallowed hard, Fuck! Andrew’s gonna play right into her hands, isn’t he?

She cast a quick glance over to her brother, but much to her surprise, his expression was cold. Andrew squinted his eyes at Mom, “And what do you know about betrayal?”

Mom blinked in outrage, “Excuse me???”

“You heard me, Renee,” Andrew replied. “What the fuck do you know about betrayal, Renee?”

Both Mom and Ashley were stunned into silence by the sheer vitriol in his tone, and he continued, “You wanna talk about betrayal? Why don’t we talk about how it felt to be less than ten years old and saddled with the responsibility of raising a sister like she was one of my own? Why don’t we talk about the kind of person someone has to be to guilt trip and gaslight her own son into fulfilling every role for her daughter that she couldn’t ever be bothered to fulfill herself? That’s what I would call fucking betrayal.”

“Andrew,” Mom warned through gritted teeth.

Her threat clearly meant nothing to him any longer as he kept going, “And you know what? I’m not gonna lie; I hated it. For years, I used to fucking loathe having to be worried about her for every waking moment of my goddamn life. But then I realized something: Ashley loves me more than you ever will.”

Ashley felt her heart skip a beat at his words as she just stared at him in awe and disbelief.

“You wanna know why I forged your signature?” Andrew snorted. “I forged your signature because I realized something else: I care about Ashley more than you ever will, too. You already forced me to be everything for her, so why shouldn’t I be able to sign off on her fucking detention records? I’m a better guardian than you will ever be, Renee.”

The apartment was consumed by a heavy silence, the only thing Ashley could hear being her own heart pounding rapidly in her ears.

It was now Mom’s turn to squint at Andrew, “Something’s going on between you two.”

The siblings traded nervous glances. “What are you talking about?” Andrew scowled.

“Why is Ashley wearing your overshirt?” Mom asked, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms over her chest.

Andrew paled, and Ashley could feel the color draining from her face as well. Mom tapped her foot on the floor, and it was obvious that there were gears turning in her head. “First I find you two in the same bed last night, and now … whatever the fuck is going on here …”

Ashley held her breath as she watched Mom’s look of suspicious contemplation slowly shift into one of horror.

“Ashley,” Mom said in a hushed, fearful voice, “take off the shirt.”