Limbo

RACHEL:

By the time the last note of the encore fades, and the house lights start coming on, we're all drenched in sweat, and my voice is almost gone from screaming. We wait for a couple of minutes and let some of the crowd clear out before we start back to the exit, making sure we keep Paige in sight so she doesn't get lost in the throng.

As we start across the parking lot to Ed's truck, Paige giggles and says, "I thought you guys were gonna get into a fight earlier, when Ashley hit on Rachel. Most guys would've punched him, so how come you didn't?"

"Because he wasn't being an ass or anything about it," Sawyer explains. "I mean, it's not like her ring is one of those big attention grabbers, so I can see how he might not have noticed it. If he'd been pushy, or tried to feel her up or something, then we would've had a problem. But if she's not offended or anything, there's no need to start crap that might have gotten us kicked out."

"Not like it's anything unusual, guys are always hitting on her," Mandy observes. "The last time we went to the mall, some dude walked right into the flippin' fountain because he kept turning around to look at her."

"Geez, guys, give it a rest, willya?" I groan. "Do you have any idea how bloody damn irritating it is to have people act like my sole purpose in life is to be some sort of a decorative item? Like it doesn't matter if I have a brain, or any sort of ambitions, or any sort of value beyond my face or my bra size? Hell, my bosses wife has to check over the schedule to make sure that someone else is working on my shift, because she doesn't want him alone in the store with me."

Sawyer slings his arm over my shoulders and gives me a squeeze. "Not everyone thinks that way, you know," he says. "I know that you're smart, and talented, and one of the nicest people I've ever known. The fact that you're hot was just a nice bonus."

As we get to the car, Sawyer's phone buzzes, so he pulls it from his pocket and looks at the screen. When he does, he stops in his tracks and says, "Oh, crap! I was afraid of this."

"What are you talking about?" I ask. "Who was it?"

He turns the phone so the rest of us can see it, and there is a text from his older brother, Wade, who neither of us have talked to for two years, since just before we got married:

Since the day we both turned our backs on the insanity we grew up with, and decided to live our lives the way we wanted to, instead of letting it be decided for us. The text reads:

"S.
You guys were right about everything. He's totally lost it, and I don't think it's safe for me here anymore. I need to get out, call me when you get this. W"

He looks at me, wide-eyed, and asks, "What should I do? I know he took their side before, but he's my brother. I can't just turn my back on him if he's in trouble."

As the rest of the group watches us, I reply, "That's your choice, hon. You know that I won't deal with my family anymore, but I can't tell you what to do about yours." He pauses for a second, then punches the number into his phone, and puts the call on speaker.

It rings a couple of times, then the call connects and we hear a whispered, "Hello? Is that you, Sawyer?"

"Yeah, it's me, bro. What's going on?"

"He's gone completely nuts, starting up the whole "rebirth" thing again," Wade replies, sending shivers through both of us. "And apparently I didn't show enough enthusiasm at the last meeting, or something, because he's been having me followed. I managed to ditch the guys, but I don't know what'll happen if I go back, or if they find me. Can you come get me? Please?"

He turns to look at Ed, who only hesitates for a second before he nods, and Sawyer inquires, "Where are you right now?"

"I'm hiding out in the toolshed at the old Mullin's place. I didn't want to try to walk into town, because he'll probably have somebody driving around looking for me soon."

"Yeah, I remember the place. We can probably be there in thirty minutes or so. Just hang tight, we'll see you soon."

We climb into the back seat of the truck, along with Paige, as Ed and Mandy get up front. "So where is it that we're going, exactly?" Ed inquires.

"It's the empty farmhouse about a mile and a half before you get to Rachel's dad's place," Sawyer explains. "He says he's in the toolshed, so if we go into the driveway and pull up alongside the house, nobody should be able to see us from the road."

Ed nods, and says, "Okay, lets get this done, then." We pull out of the parking lot and start driving through town, until we get to the outskirts, where the houses are further apart, and the traffic isn't as heavy. And the further we go, the more uneasy I feel. I've made a point of not coming out to this area since the day I left home, and just knowing that I'm this close to it again makes my stomach do flips.

Sawyer sees how tense I am, squeezes my hand, and whispers into my ear, saying, "Rach, it's gonna be okay. We're not going to the house, and we don't have to see your dad, or any of the others. I promised you that I'd get you away from there, and I won't go back on that, no matter what. Even if we're not together, you'll always be one of my best friends."

This is what the others don't know, the reason he was so relaxed about what happened with Ashley. We've talked about our relationship, and we've both realized that even though we do love each other, we're not "in love" anymore. So, we've decided that as soon as we get our tax refund back, we'll be using it to start the process of getting divorced. He was there for me when nobody else was, and I'll always care about him, but we want different things, and this way we can both have the chance to try to get them, and end things before we start making each other unhappy.

When we finally get to the turn into the Mullin's place, I'm still so tensed up that it's all I can do to keep from throwing up. Paige is looking at me sort of oddly, since she doesn't know as much about our situation as Ed and Mandy do. Since she's only thirteen, Mandy didn't think she needed to be clued in to everything, so all she really knows is that I don't get along with my family, but not exactly why, or what sort of people Sawyer and I grew up with.

As Ed drives around to the side of the house, we see the shed door open just a crack, and the outline of someone peeking out. Then it opens, and Wade steps out and starts walking toward the truck. Sawyer starts to open his door, but Wade comes around to my side, and as he gets to the door, Mandy yells, "What the hell is this about? Who the fuck are they?"

As the words leave her mouth, several other people appear around the truck, and Wade pulls the door open and grabs my arm, yanking me out onto the ground. He and another person pull me to my feet, and I hear another, familiar voice say, "You were both fools to think that you could defy me, or change what is destined to be. But now you've lost your chance to be a part of our glory, Sawyer Monroe, and you and your pathetic friends will suffer the consequences."

Then all I hear are shots, and I see the muzzle flashes of multiple guns, so I start struggling against Wade and whoever is helping him, screaming as loudly as I can, and kicking anything in reach. Wade puts his hand over my mouth, and I bite down on his thumb as hard as I can, until I taste blood, and he swears and yanks it away. I finally get a solid kick in on the other person, and they gasp and let go of me, giving me the chance to pull away from Wade and start running back toward the road.

I get almost to the end of the driveway when I feel someone grab a handful of my hair and nearly pull me off my feet. A voice snarls in my ear, "That hurt, bitch! So I guess I'll have to show you how to behave." Then I feel a blow to the side of my head, and the last thing I'm aware of are the fading sounds of my husband and my friends moaning in pain, as their lives bleed away.

Notes