9. Ash
Chapter 9
Ash
The room was the same again—the one with the two beds. Except this time, there was a third bed—a crib squished between the bed I sat on and the one across the room. A pink blanket wrapped around my shoulders as I stared at the two sleeping forms occupying the other beds. The window let in a small bit of gray light from the early morning.
A baby, so small and fragile, rested in the crib, his body covered in faded blue pajamas. He looked so peaceful with hair so blonde, he almost looked bald. In the other bed was the boy that constantly ran through my dreams, his arm thrown over his eyes as he slept.
The door creaked open, and the woman I called Aunt Izzy poked her head inside. She smiled and moved inside the room, stepping out of the way so someone else could enter. The male form moved into the room behind her and shut the door. He had a hood pulled low on his eyes, so I couldn’t see his face. He tenderly reached up and pulled his hood off. Light brown hair and bright blue eyes that looked so similar to mine shone in the early morning light.
“Daddy!” I jumped off the bed and rushed into his arms. He picked up my small figure and crushed me into his chest. The baby stirred in his crib, and the boy jumped out of his bed at the sound of my squeal.
I peeked my head out from my father’s chest. Aunt Izzy put her finger to her lips as a sign for me to be quiet. “Try not to wake William,” she whispered.
I turned to my father with wide eyes. “Where have you been, Daddy?” My tiny lip wobbled, and tears threatened to flow out of my eyes. He had been gone for so long; it was only me and the boy most days. Why didn’t I know his name?
“I’m so sorry, baby girl.” He looked so miserable, like being away from me took all his strength. “I’ll make it better for us one day, so we can be together always.”
I looked at the boy, who stood next to his bed with his hands in fists and a strange look on his face.
“And Aunt Izzy?” I asked. I couldn’t leave the boy here; he was my best friend. Wherever I was, he needed to be, but I didn’t want Daddy to know that, so I asked about Aunt Izzy instead.
“Of course, she can be with us, too.” A small smile turned up my lips. Noises sounded from outside the door and Daddy gave Aunt Izzy a look that I didn’t understand.
“I must go now, baby girl. I’m so sorry. I love you.” He gave me a lingering kiss on the forehead, and I clutched tighter to him. Please stay .
“I’m sorry, I have to go.” His voice sounded tortured, and he tore me off his chest, handing me over to Aunt Izzy. I tried fighting my way back into his arms but couldn’t reach him before he gave me one last sad look and moved out the door. I finally pushed out of Aunt Izzy’s arms and ran to the boy, whose arms were open wide for me. He picked me up, and I hugged him, letting my tears flow onto his shoulder.
A shot rang out from a gun, and I jerked my eyes up. The smooth metal of the gun caressed my hand in front of my body. I held it, pointed at the man in front of me. Diesel’s sad eyes morphed in pain before turning lifeless as he fell to the ground at my feet. Blood streamed out of his chest from the wound where I had shot him. My finger had pulled the trigger, taking his life from him. I dropped the gun in horror, and it splashed in the puddle of blood surrounding me. My knees gave out, and I landed in it at Diesel’s side. No—what had I done? Blood everywhere. No—blood covered my hands—they shook with terror. No.