Page 49 of Irreversible

My eyes snap to his. “What did you do with her?” It’s a hoarse whisper.

“I told you, my dearIsaac.”He watches every emotion reflect on my face as the revelation sinks in. “I have the power here.Icontrol what happens;Idetermine your fate. If it suits me, I’ll put an end to your meaningless little life right where you sit.”

A weight crashes down on me. Ten tons of a reality I thought I’d been hiding behind a fake ID and a false sense of bravado.

He said my name.

Not Nicholas. Not Nick. He said…

“Isaac?” Everly repeats. It’s so soft I can barely hear.

But the psychopath hears, and slowly his eyes raise, focusing just above my head. “Or maybe…” His smile grows into something I’ve only seen in horror movies. He runs his tongue along his bottom lip, contemplating. “Maybe I’ll take hers,instead.”

I open my mouth, but for the first time, I find myself speechless. There are too many things to process. Too many revelations bombarding me in the space of seconds.

Before reality catches up with me, he’s turning on his heel. Pushing past Roger, who appears in the doorway holding a dustpan and broom like he was on standby for cleanup duty following his boss’ tantrum.

Time slows like I’m underwater. Like the black hole of his left eye sucked me in and spit me out into space.

I can’t breathe.

The man Everly calls The Timekeeper makes a hard right into the hallway, heading toward her room.

I should warn her, but I can’t form the words.

Glass tinkles as Roger sweeps shards of hourglass into the dustpan. I sit there in a daze as the door to the next room opens.

She sees him coming.

Yells.

That’s what sends me crashing back into my body and jumping to my feet.

“Hey!” The side of my fist connects with the wall, and again, as she shouts at him to stay away. Nerves quiver through her warning.

I pound three more times. “Hey, you motherfucking coward. Come back here and deal withme.”

She’s screaming now. Trying to fight him. Is this how it ended for Sara? Did Everly stand there, a last witness to my sister’s final cries, while this murderous bastard played the role of a mad God, deciding who lives, and who dies?

Something inside me snaps.

Sound warps.

The world is cast in a shade of crimson.

I don’t even process the words coming out of my mouth, or how long I pound on that damn wall, but when I pause to catch my breath, my hands are bruised, my throat burns, and I’m seriously considering tearing my own foot off to get out of this cuff.

Then I realize I'm not alone.

Near the open door, a hulking shadow stands, glowering at me, broom still in hand.

Being I haven’t yet heard a word from the ogre, let alone seen an emotion, I’m caught off guard by his glare.

“Got something to say, Rog?” My voice is a dry rasp.

His jaw tics, eyes narrowing with disdain. “I didn’t think you were that fucking stupid.”

He exits, leaving me to marinate in my failure.

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