Page 22 of Ring Around the Rosie

Sol stopped and groaned. “I know he’s your brother, but I really don’t like that guy, Aster. And I don’t care what anyonesays, I saw the look in that kid’s eyes when he fired his arrow. I swear, that kid was aiming for me.” I remembered how Foster mentioned it wasn’t an accident. “Something in my gut tells me there’s something really off about those two. I don’t like it. And I don’t like you being alone with either of them. Especially him.” He looked over at Sabbath. His face was clouded by smoke, but I knew he was watching us.

I shook the chills from my body. “Sabbath won’t hurt me.” I wished I believed my own words. “You go on and head back to your cabin. I’ll deal with him.” I showed him the fake smile I always used. He hesitated, unsure of whether or not he should leave me alone with Sabbath. “It’s okay. The others will be back soon anyways.” I gently touched his arm. He eventually nodded and continued down the path towards his own cabin. I waited until he was fully gone from view before I charged towards Sabbath. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked. Sabbath blew a large cloud of smoke into my face, and I coughed. “And why are you smoking?” My hand waved around as I tried to clear my lungs. God, this felt like old times. “If Nurse B finds you out here with me, smoking, she’ll?—”

“Thisbe isn’t worried about me.” He lifted the cigarette and examined the nearly burned butt. “Trust me.”

I placed my hands on my hips with a loud huff. “Well, she’s worried about the rest of us. And the last thing I need to deal with right now is getting in trouble with her.”

Sabbath laughed. “Since when did you start acting so well behaved? You used to never obey the rules. Hence how we ran into each other.”

My brows furrowed. “Yeah, and look where that got me. I lost everything because of you and your little bad boy act.” He blew raspberries, and I smacked the cigarette from his hand. “It’s not funny, Sabbath. While you kept living your life, I was running. Every minute of every day. I didn’t just lose my family, I lost myhome. I have nothing but a bag full of clothes and a scar that constantly reminds me of a past I want to forget. So yes, I follow the rules. Because if I don’t, I wouldn’t just lose this job. I would lose a bed to sleep in and food to keep me alive.” His smile fell, and he looked at me with a pained expression. “You have no idea how hard my life has been since you burned it to the ground. I have been stumbling around with a constant cloud of fear and anxiety, always looking over my shoulder and waiting for the second you appeared. You have haunted me every second of every day, Sabbath. Those demons people claim to try to outrun in their lives? They’re nothing compared to mine. And you are my fucking demon.” I shoved past him and opened the cabin door.

Sabbath remained on the porch. He silently reached down and picked the cigarette butt up and squished it in his hand. “I told you to stay away from Sol.”

My head raised as I scoffed loudly. “Really? After everything I just said, that’s your fucking concern?” I whipped around and nearly slammed into his chest. Sabbath was now standing directly in front of me.

“Yes.” His hand raised, and his fingertips hovered over the wound on my head. “He hurts you, and you still choose to be his friend. But you won’t even smile at me.” His hand tucked my hair behind my ear and rested along the side of my neck.

I stared up at him as I spat my words through clenched teeth. “He didn’t kill my family, Sabbath. You did.”

His jaw clenched so tight I swear it would snap. “I wish there would’ve been another way,” he whispered. His hand fell with his eyes. “But there wasn’t.”

“Another way? You could’ve easily chosen not to do it! Any of it! Fuck, you act like you had no choice, but you did!” My head began to throb and ache.

Sabbath’s hands balled into fists at his side. “Ididn’thave a choice, Rosie.”

I’d had enough of his bullshit excuses. “You need to get out, Sabbath. And you need to leave me alone!” I pointed to the door, but he didn’t budge. “Get out! I’m sick of this game you keep playing and all the fucking excuses! You did a terrible thing and?—”

“I didn’twantto kill them, Rosie!” he snapped, and I froze in fear at his anger. He recoiled as he noticed it. “Fuck—I—” Sabbath grabbed his head. “I just wanted to protect you.”

“Protect me? From what?” Sabbath shook his head and refused to answer. “From what, Sabbath?” I pushed him. ”Huh? From what? Answer me!” My head hurt, and I nearly stumbled and fell against him.

Sabbath steadied me, but I ripped his hands away. “Rosie, you need to be careful. You’re head?—”

“Answer me!” I tried to shove him again, but I felt dizzy. I knew I needed to stop. Even if I didn’t want to. “Sabbath,” I whispered. “I-I need to lie down.”

He caught me before I could fall and cradled me close. “No, you need out of this fucking cabin. The dust isn’t good for you.” He turned around and began to walk.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

Sabbath adjusted his grip and walked in the opposite direction of the camp. “To get some fresh air. You need a break from this fucking camp. We both do.”

Sabbath carefully held me and trekked deep into the woods. So deep, the moonlight could barely break through the thick overhead foliage of leaves and branches. Everything was painted and soaked in the color of the redwood leaves, the entire forest just drenched and saturated in this distinct, thick red-orange color. It was as if we were transported inside a painting madeentirely of blood. It was frighteningly beautiful but made me uneasy.

I clung to Sabbath’s neck. “Why are we out here?” I asked.

Sabbath stopped in front of a large redwood and carefully sat me down on the ground, propping me up against the large tree trunk. “Your head was bothering you. I figured the fresh air would help.” I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Did Thisbe give you anything for the pain?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the strange pills along with the blunt he slipped me earlier. Sabbath smiled. “I’ll take that. You take those pills.” He grabbed the blunt and pulled a lighter from his jeans pocket. The pills sat in the palm of my hand as I stared at them. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of pills.”

I shook my head. “No, I just can’t take them without something to wash them down.” Sabbath took a large hit off the joint and blew the smoke into the night air. “What?” I asked. He immediately leaned down while he carefully pushed my head back and squeezed my mouth open. Before I could process what was happening, he spat into my mouth and dropped the pills onto my tongue.

“Now,” he whispered as he forced my mouth shut. “Swallow.” Without thinking, I did as he said. “Good girl,” he purred as he smoked. I sat there in horror at what just happened. He merely took another hit and grinned. “It’s just spit, Rosie. And we both know you’ve swallowed worse things.” He winked.

I wanted to vomit, but I knew I needed those pills, otherwise Nurse B wouldn’t have given them to me. So instead, I lunged forward and snatched the blunt from his fingers and took a large hit. Maybe too large.

“Easy.” Sabbath plucked it from my hand as I coughed hysterically. “That was too much, even for you.” He patted my back as I coughed and gagged on the stank smoke. I felt the drugroll through my body like a wave. God, I missed that feeling. “You good?” Sabbath raised a brow. I nodded.

The two of us sat there in the dark and just existed. After a while, my head eased, and the pain slowly went away. I just wasn’t sure if it was because of the pills or the weed. But it was nice to sit there, even with Sabbath. There was no talking or anything except sharing that single blunt as we stared off into the redwoods until there was nothing left to smoke.

Sabbath picked at the dead redwood leaves on the ground and spoke quietly. “I hear you’ve been using my name.”

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