Page 104 of Castle

Devin laughed again. “You know what I want? I want you dead! I’d considered killing you since you lost your memories, but what’s the fun in that? I wanted to look into your eyes and put a bullet in your head as you recall how you ruined my family! I wanted you to remember every goddam thing!” He said, his voice dripping venom.

He had become completely deranged as he took a swing at Castle, who did not react. The hit was too hard because Castle spat blood, but he continued to regard Devin with the same coolness. “Stop this foolishness.”

Devin was circling us, but he was distracted enough. He wouldn’t notice...

It was a gamble.

I could get killed.

When he walked behind me, I gathered up all the force and the courage to stab my elbow into his crotch, hard.

That made him groan loudly, and he lost the grip on the gun as I watched it flying out of his hands and falling onto the tiled pathway in the gardens. I crawled away from there and got up on my feet.

“Millie! Run!” Castle shrieked.

Feeling my heart jumping out of my chest, I blindly ran into the labyrinth garden maze.

The ground was all mud, and tall trimmed shrubs surrounded by all sides with English roses blooming; pink and yellows. It was a maze, stretching on all sides, circular and huge. It looked breathtakingly beautiful in the morning.

Theo, Chandler, Castle, and I used to play here all the time. Theo would always win because he was at an expert level for finding the routes and knew all the corners. I was the only one who would always get lost.

I darted through the maze walls without looking at which way I was going.

I came to a space I thought was safe. I hid there. Running fast had consumed my energy. I was breathless.

Then I heard it, the sound of the branches crunching.

“Ooooooh Millie...” came Devin’s teasing voice. “Come out, come out…”

I heard the gun being reloaded.

“We can play this all night, if you want, but I’m not leaving until I find you.”

I could hear his voice drawing closer.

I started moving away from there when something tugged my gown. I stopped to find the thorny stems of rose jutting out and tearing into it. I jerked at it angrily, tearing the fabric a bit.

And then the sound of gunfire filled the air.

My heart almost stopped completely.

Who had Devin shot?

Castle!

I sneaked out of the space desperately. He couldn’t die like this! Castle wouldn’t go down without a fight. I turned the corner and stopped short, gaping at the scene before me.

Dayana lay on the floor, her eyes vacant, blood pooling on the ground.

FORTY

No one movedas the reality of the situation sank in. The only sound heard were coming from the unknown wild animals of the night deep in the woods.

“Noooooooo...” Devin shrieked at the top of his lungs, “No. No. No...Daya...oh god...”

She lay on the floor, her eyes staring lifelessly ahead. Scarlet streaks painted the pink and yellow roses behind her. Truly a macabre scene.

Devin thumped the ground with his fists, wailing loudly, and pushing the gushing blood towards her as if putting it back into her body. He grabbed her body and rocked, “Daya...Dayana! Wake up!” He was bordering on hysteria.

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