Heart of Ice by P. Jameson

Author:P. Jameson [Jameson, P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paper Zombie Press
Published: 2018-06-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Vegas stayed very still, waiting for Monster’s answer, but it never came. Instead, he pushed a small throw blanket under the bed for her and disappeared into the bathroom.

She pulled the blanket close and wrapped it around her as best she could in the confined space. Still, she was cold. It was worth it though, because she felt safe under the bed. Her safe place. She knew it wasn’t rational, but there’d been too much change for one day. Too many raw moments. Too many unanswered questions.

And too much… good.

If she was honest, there’d been too much good to come of this day. The semi-freedom, the food, the knowledge that Marlee was safe. It was throwing her all off balance. She needed some sense of normalcy and sleeping under the bed offered it.

Vegas stared at the mattress above her, comparing to the one she’d been with for so many years. This one was clean. And there were boards holding it up instead of squeaky wires.

A dark rectangle in the corner near the foot caught her eye and she reached up to see what it was. It was stuck between the mattress and the second slat to the end. She wrestled it loose and realized it was a book of some sort. Leather-bound with a strap to keep it closed. A journal maybe.

Was it Monster’s?

Maybe she could learn something about him. About why she was here. What he wanted from her.

She slipped the strap free and turned to the first page.

Dear Eddy,

That’s what I’m naming you. Eddy. Don’t know why, it just seemed like a good solid name. Mama Kitty says the Fathers will start training us to be Alley Cats soon. She said there’s no getting out of it, and that we have to become hard or we won’t live through it. I’m not sure what she means, but I’m scared. I told her so, and she scolded me. “Never speak the things that scare you,” she said, “Never show your weaknesses.” She told me instead, to take this journal and pretend it was my closest friend. To give you a name, and only ever admit my secrets to you. Because you could never use them against me. She also said to hide you well. Very well, so that no one could ever find you. I’m good at hiding from pops when he’s angry so I think I’ll be good at keeping you a secret. So, I’m Monster. I’ll keep your secrets and you keep mine. Deal? You can’t answer so I’m going to pretend you said yes and shook on it.

Goodnight for now,

Monster

Vegas frowned and flipped to the next page. But in the dim light, she only registered a few words—cut me, so sad I can’t breathe, have to get tougher—before the bathroom door rattled, warning her Monster was coming.

Heart hammering in her chest, she shoved the journal back under the mattress and pulled the blanket up, trying to ignore the ominous details she knew were written there.

Monster

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