Page 110 of Deviant Illusions

Loose stones litter the ground but that won’t be enough to distract the dogs, so I ignore the pain as I push my hand through the gap in the gate to punch into the dog’s throat with tears streaming down my face. “I’m sorry.”

Kicks rain down from above as Kane grits, “Move.”

Blood is dripping down the chin of the dog, staining the white fur around its jowls. It whimpers when it takes a knock to the top of the head, allowing Kane to pull himself further up. But the dog acts within its nature, barking to alert the others.

Kane manages to make it over the spikes with burns tearing through his shirt as he lands beside me. Breathless and in pain, we find each other’s hands, lending each other enough strength to stand as the gate rattles from the force of the other dogs jumping up, knocking against it.

Trees line the road we’re on and he pulls on my hand, dragging me into them. The barks echo around us, leaves and moss crunching under our feet and I ignore the scratches against my soles as he asks, “Can you run?”

I nod. It’s a lie because I freeze at the sound of the electric gates creaking open.

“Good girl.”

“Can you?” I whisper.

He lies too. “Yeah.” Then curses. “Fuck.”

We run in a zig-zag pattern through the trees, dragging each other, forcing the other to carry our weight and slippinginto the rough bark. I’m sure I’m seeing shit when blurry faces hide within the densely packed trees. The barking is still there. Loud. Deafening. Fucking driving me crazy, but there are faces too. Small faces, like we’re surrounded by thousands of small children.

Something falls from one of the trees, hitting my cheek and I swipe it away, but it’s quickly replaced by another. Then another. Until the sound of rain replaces every other noise, even my own heartbeat and breathing, as Kane drags me through the mud that quickly turns swampy.

The rainfall is heavy, breaching the cover of the branches above us, and reducing our visibility.

I look behind, trying to see if I can see a dog chasing us, but the sheets of rain are difficult to see through with the leaves it’s pulling down. It’s like an echo chamber, and the sound is so loud that it diminishes my other senses.

My foot gets caught on a root and I scream as I fall forward. He tugs on my hand, attempting to keep me steady, but I end up dragging us both down.

He rolls into me, knocking me into a patch of mud that slides out from underneath me and I scream louder as I try to snatch at the air to pull myself up.

“Fuck, Delilah!”

Kane wraps his arms around me, rolling with me as we get battered with the rain, the mud, rocks, and branches then fall through air as the elements continue assaulting us.

This fall isn’t like the others. There’s no freedom, only fear as we land in shallow water. My entire body aches, but I can’t breathe through it with his weight bearing down on me.

“You’re okay,” he whispers, lifting off me and holding my face in both hands. “You’re okay. Please tell me you’re okay.”

“We’re okay.” I cup his face, closing my eyes to protect them from the rain.

The water we’re laying in begins to rise and there’s a loud crack as a large branch falls overhead. It’s too long to tumble down and hit us, but I wrap my arms around Kane’s shoulders like that will protect him.

“Look at me,” he grits. I do it automatically. “I’m sorry, Delilah. I am so fucking sorry for not talking to you. For everything I did. Okay?”

I nod as he softly kisses me. It’s not out of lust, or to cause pain; he just kisses me like he’s trying to tell me something. Then moves back and lifts me with him. The lace trailing behind me floats on top of the water as we trudge further away from the lit-up house. Without the trees covering the sky, I’m able to see the faces we pass. Every single tree has a doll tied to it. Some are broken, weathered, while others have missing eyes or limbs. But there isn’t a tree without a doll watching us.

I can’t breathe with the rain clinging to me and Kane doesn’t make it any easier as he pushes against my back. “Run.”

My steps slow. I’m too lethargic to move. But he stands in front of me, brushing my hair off my face and neck. “We’re in a ravine. It’s going to fill up and we won’t be able to move once it’s above our knees. I need you to move, my pretty girl. Can you do that for me?”

I turn my head, looking at each wall surrounding us, and he’s right. The edges are wet, rainwater running over them, the murky water dimpling with the heavy raindrops splashing up against them.

I can’t move though. I don’t have the energy to.

“Delilah.” Kane gently shakes me. “Hold my hand?”

Rain clings to his lashes and I squint to clear my vision as they drip down my face. There’s something beautifully tragic about the fact that we’re lost right now, stuck in a ravine that’s slowly filling up, yet I’ve never had more mental clarity in my life.

“I remember everything.” My voice is barely audible over the rain but I smile, repeating, “I remember everything.”

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