Page 115 of Letters to the Lost

“Can’t have you waking up now, can we?”

I come too again but this time I can open my eyes. A hand stroking through my hair has fear gripping me as I come face to face with my monster.

I try to jerk back, to dislodge his hand from where he holds a lock of blonde hair between his fingers, but I can’t move. Trapped in my body from whatever I was given to get me here.

Charlie's face looms over me, a manic smile on his face.

“I found you, Little One.”

Epilogue

Dominic

“When do you think they’ll be back? I want to show my Cupcake what I’ve done for her,” I ask the others as we chill in the kitchen while we wait for Autumn to return from shopping with Ellie.

“They are shopping, they could be out for a while,” Atlas says.

The front door slamming shut has me bouncing out of my seat with excitement, but the smile falls from my face when only Ellie walks in.

Her face is streaked with tears, her nose snotty.

“Ellie?” Sebastian questions, “Are you ok?”

“I did something and I’m so sorry, but I thought it was the only way to protect Shan,” She sobs, her arms wrapped around her midsection.

“Where’s Autumn Ellie?” Zander asks, his voice deadly.

“I’ll tell you; I swear.”

Red coats my vision as I knock her to the ground, my knife pressed to her neck.

“What did you do?!” I scream into her face, my hand trembling as I feel my control slipping.

“Dominic get off of her!” Shan shouts as she enters the room.

Brenn attempts to pull me off her, but I throw him off, pressing my knife harder into her skin.

“What did you do Ellie? Tell us!” I shout.

“I-”

“Get off of her Dominic,” Brenn tries again, but this time Zander helps him.

“She’s done something to Autumn!”

Sebastian and Tobias watch on with concern on their faces as I lose my shit, but they make no move to stop me.

“Ellie, tell them you haven’t. This is all a misunderstanding,” Brenn tries to reason but it’s no use.

We all know her eyes give everything away as she ducks her head and looks at the floor.

“I had no choice. You have to listen; he was threatening Shan. I thought I could tail them, tell you where he’s taken her, and get her back. But I lost them, I’m so sorry,” She cries but I have no sympathy for her.

“You didn’t,” Brenn stumbles back.

Shan covers her mouth with her hand, silent sobs shaking her body.

“Who did you give her to? Tell us!” Atlas screams, his hand wrapping around her throat, pushing me out of the way.

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