SURREAL

Ashton

"Why do they keep us here?"

"I don't know, Ash."

Ashton tugged on his hair. "Why did you tell me to kill them?"

Niall's answer was cold. "Do scum like that deserve to live?"

He shrugged. "I guess not."

Niall resumed pacing around the little cell.

"Why don't they let us out of here?"

He looked at Ashton with a level gaze. "I know exactly what you do. I've got no idea."

Ashton rubbed his eyes, frustrated. "I don't get it."

Niall's smiled wryly. "You murdered two people. Ever think about that?"

Ashton glared at him. "I wasn't going to. You told me to!"

"And it was the right thing to do."

"Do you ever get sick of talking to yourself?"

Niall and Ashton both turned to look at the guard outside their cell. "I'm not talking to myself!" Ashton protested. "I'm talking to Niall."

The guard sighed. "Niall, right. They always assign me to watch the crazies."

Ashton's eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you calling crazy?" he demanded.

The guard scoffed. "Your friend, who is so very clearly in the cell with you."

"Don't talk about him like he's not there," Ashton snapped.

"But he's not."

Ashton clamped his hands over his ears. "Why do they all hate you so much, Niall? Why doesn't anyone believe you exist?"

Even though he was covering his ears, he could hear Niall perfectly. It had always been weird like that. Niall was almost a part of him, they were so close. "They're rude, mean, hateful people. The whole world is full of them. And they want to take you away from me."

Ashton shook his head, his ears still plugged. "Officer Kelly promised they wouldn't take you away. Even though you told me to kill that bitch and the stupid bastard she cheated with."

Niall smiled.

"They can't."