Page 31 of Of Mercury and Mist

I was so fucked.

I’d really done it. I’d ruined my life with one impulsive decision and now it was over. Nothing had been stolen; how could I steal when I had no idea someone even left those pills there? Ipomoea’s scorched earth policy was too extreme.

Every second I remained on this earth was at the whim of these two tyrants and there was no way I could make it up to them. Josiah had literally threatened my life moments ago over a nonevent. I hadn’t even made it out of the room with the pills so how was this fair?

Possible intent—the annoying voice of reason in the back of my head reminded me. I was being punished for what something merely looked like.

Della’s voice sounded over the line. “Ashley? You still there?”

“Yeah.” The pathetic acknowledgment was all I could get out as I sat there in a daze.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. Josiah never bothered to fill me in.” Bitterness colored her voice. “Things will be weird for you for a little bit, just go with it. Trust me on this,” she quickly whispered, like she knew something I didn’t.

Several seconds passed and again, I thought I’d been hung up until Josiah’s voice filled my ear. “Whatever you two are planning, just know it won’t work.”

I had no clue what he was talking about. “Okay.” My brain felt like a lead balloon, and I laid down, unable to remain upright a moment longer.

“I hope you fully appreciate the friend you have in my wife. In respect for that relationship, I will allow you to switch to part time employment.” His voice filled with warning, “Do keep in mind there is no exit given you other than that by Micha’s hand.”

Uncertain whether I should cry or express enthusiastic gratitude, I only said, “Thanks.”

“My wife and I have a wedding to attend, I’ll pass along the pleasantries for you.”

Josiah hung up and I let my device slide down to the bed. Who was he going to pass along “pleasantries” to for me? I groaned out loud. Everything was much too strange for me lately.

My sleep was fitful once I finally dozed off, and rife with nightmares. I dreamed Micha and Josiah took turns biting me and chewing on clumps of my flesh, blood dripping down their faces, with Della laughing in the background while a servant fed her grapes.

I dreamed of Samuel chasing me through the woods, my legs seemingly moving through quicksand while crows dove and pecked at me, flying off with chunks of my hair clasped in their beaks. The orange fog in the sky turned crimson before raining down and coating my skin red in perfect, tiny droplets.

Sweating, I rolled over and hopped out of bed, rapidly heading to the bathroom to shower and hopefully rid my head of the terrifying images.

The familiar scent of my bodywashes and lotions helped soothe and I carefully conditioned my curls before diffusing them dry. My hair looked better than usual, shinier even, after Micha had treated them so gently. He’d done a better job with my hair than me.

Scowling, I unplugged the machine and threw it under the cabinet.

I sent a message to the group chat on my phone between me, Karissa, Andy, and Mike, inviting everyone to Central Park. I wasn’t going to wait to do what I wanted. I knew it was short-lived, this freedom I felt, but I was going to make the most of it, including coming clean to Karissa.

There’d be no open chapters going with me to my grave. A mental health expert, I wasn’t, but I knew my nightmares were an acknowledgment of my possibly artificially cut short life. I’d have to come to terms with it and live the last minutes as fully as I could.

It could take months, or it could be minutes—I didn’t know and I sure as hell wasn’t going to give Micha any more power than he already had over me by asking.

While I didn’t truly believe he would be able to go through with “terminating” me, I did not feel as confident about Josiah, not after what he’d said to me on the phone. All I could do was try to get on with my life.

After I ate breakfast, Andy stumbled out of his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before opening the fridge and grabbing a beer. “Really?” I asked.

He laughed. “Yeah, I’m in the mood.”

“Did you see my text?” Clearly, he wasn’t ready for Central Park.

He grunted. “No.”

I watched him chug down half the bottle. “Oh my God you’re going to turn into an alcoholic, stop that. We’re going to the park.” I dropped my empty cereal bowl into the sink. “I texted Mike and Karissa, too.”

My cellphone chimed on cue with notifications from them. “They’re meeting us there.”

“What’s gotten into you?” He asked, peeling a banana.

I winced at his disgusting breakfast combo. He was so gross sometimes. “I talked to Josiah.” Andy’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m switching to part time; I can’t handle the stress.”

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