CHAPTER NINE
( HEART OF GLASS )

     THE TIMER WAS ticking too slow; but it was all too fast at the same time for both of the young adults as the slab of steel begins to move downwards from the ceiling. It was a gut-wrenching feeling that ate at Ayson's insides as she watched Aidan build up the courage to press the red button to his left. With a steady face, he clenches his jaw and presses down on it.

Aidan yelps as the nails begin to dig into the flesh of his back. The pain startled him, making him jerk away from the button. The nails sink back down into the bottom slab of metal, waiting for Aidan to press the button again.

"Press the button, Aidan!" Ayson yells from across the room. "I know you can do this. Beat him at his own game!"

The girl knew that her encouragements probably didn't help a bit— and maybe they even made him aggravated. But all she could do was be supportive from the sidelines and encourage him. It kept her from crying, it gave hope that he would make it out of this alive. Otherwise, she'd have to watch him get crushed.

And so Aidan planted his palm firmly on the button this time, yelling out as loudly as he could. But as the pain singed into his body and made his limbs go weak, he closed his eyes and thought of nothing but the life he would have after he got out of this place. He thinks of how his life will change for the better; of how he'll truly get to know Ayson, and never take anything for granted ever again. He'll ride a rollercoaster with the girl, and take her to the beach while they eat ice cream. He'll build snowmen with her in the park, and collect leaves for a scrapbook.

He will change for her.

And suddenly, the thirty seconds is over. He was unaware of the fact that the nails had completely sunken into him, only realizing when they are yanked back out. Aidan gasps out, gritting his teeth as the straps are released, and the metal had stopped moving from above him. With a relieved but pained sigh, Aidan sits up, grunting in pain before standing.

"You did it," Ayson breathes, her eyes alight with a sparkle he hadn't seen before. "Well, that proves that nothing is impossible. But now . . . now I have to go."

She frowns at the mere thought of being dragged into a trap, scared and worried about how she would manage to get out. But she would have Aidan there to guide her through it. "Let's just go," she says quietly. "I want to get this over with."

As they moved towards the next room, Aidan limps, watching as the girl opens the door wide. Stepping inside, Ayson feels a bike ride up inside her throat at the mere sight. This room was large, so much larger than all of the others. A few steps ahead led her straight to a cage; an open one at that. It spanned out nearly a hundred feet, the floor inside completely covered in broken glass. The top half of the cage, starting at Ayson's waist and going up, was blocked off by large sheets of plywood.

Sinking to her knees, Ayson gets a good look at her task. There were jagged pieces of metal sticking into every corner of the cage, so sharp she could almost feel a stinging cut already. The metal was everywhere, and she releases a breath of terror.

"There's no way I'll make it out of there," Ayson chokes, her hand grabbing Aidan's as she stands up. "I'll bleed to death by the time I get out the other side."

"Listen to the tape, babydoll," Aidan tells her, trying not to show his fear for her. He needed to stay strong.

Ayson glances to the tape that hangs from a string, jerking it down and not hesitating to press play. As her name slips from the man's lips, chills run up the raven-haired girl's spine and goosebumps appear on her arms.

"Hello Ayson, I want to play a game."

Aidan grips Ayson's hand tighter.

"There was a party four months ago, and somehow you wound up going. You were never really the party type anyway, were you? And that night, you swore to protect your friend's drink, didn't you? But while she was away, you stepped away."

Aidan placed a kiss on her forehead, watching as a single tear falls from Ayson's eye.

"You had the chance to stay — to uphold a promise to a kind girl that put her faith in you. Instead, knowing the danger of the party atmosphere, you abandoned her trust. You were angry with her, weren't you? She knew you didn't like parties. But did that make your decision okay?

"The perpetrator will have a game of his own. But for now . . . it's your turn. Not only did that damaging decision tear you to pieces, you will have to do the same to your own body. As you're entering your trap, think of the metal and glass as the guilt that you never felt.

"As you can see, I have taken to your fear of claustrophobia. Inside the cage in front of you is the broken glass from hundreds of smashed bottles glued to the floor, along with quite a few pieces of scrap metal I found lying around. You will have to crawl through the cage, dodging whatever you can in order to get out through the other side. The timer will count down from three minutes when the cage closes behind you. After the given time is up, the cage will be locked and you'll be doomed to bleed to death inside.

"Good luck to you, Ayson. You will surely need it."

Ayson closes her eyes, her tears flowing freely now. "Aidan, if I don't make it out of here, I want you to know that you were everything I've been looking for. And although it's under horrible circumstances, I never thought I could meet someone who could put up with me. So thank you for being everything I needed."

His eyes sting as he pulls Ayson to his chest, holding her tightly. He felt like if he let go, he might not ever get to hold her again. "You're gonna do fantastic, sweetheart. And when we get out of here, we'll do all the things that make you happy."

Stepping back, she swallows, and nods while wiping away her tears. "Okay, Aidan Tarver. Okay."

And so she lets go of his hands, allowing him to place a chaste kiss on her forehead, before she drops down to the floor and crawls into the cage. As the door slams shut behind her, she cries out at the immense amount of pain that comes as she crawls onto the first pieces of glass. Her palms get cut immediately, blood already beginning to drop onto the floor. Her knees crunch against the shards, sending shooting aches up her legs.

"You've got this, sunshine," Aidan says from outside of the cage. "Keep going, you can do it."

To his right, a door opens. With furrowed eyebrows, he moves towards it— only to find out that it moves into a hallway that leads to the end of the room. He can see the open end of the cage now, and sits down. Aidan decides that he will wait for her, and encourage her from the other side. "Ayson, I'm at the end! Keep coming to me, sweetheart."

"It hurts," she sobs, her fingers digging into the clear fragments. "There's blood everywhere."

A piece of metal snags her shoulder, ripping at the skin and making the girl scream out. She falls onto her stomach, screaming yet again— but this time from the glass that impale her torso.

"Come on babydoll, just keep moving. I can get you out of here after you finish the game. Keep moving, you can do it," he stares inside, wishing that he could fit into the small space and help her out. But those actions would have consequences, and it was too much of a risk.

"Aidan," Ayson cries, pulling herself back up and forcing herself forward. With every new gash, she cries even harder, barely getting any air. "Tell me about the things we'll do when I get out of here."

Aidan's heart clenches in his chest. "Oh sweetheart, we're gonna do everything together." He says, a smile tugging at his lips. "We can take painting classes, and then I'll take you to the park so you can finally paint like you wanted to. And then, in the winter—"

A piece of metal wedges itself into Ayson's thigh. Her scream is blood-curdling, and her tears kept on coming. Tanking away from the metal, she pushes forward. The pain was blinding; it fogged Ayson's vision like a cloud. But she also saw red— her own blood, pooling down from a gash just above her left eyebrow. The metal pieces were everywhere, and snatched her up with every chance they got. But Ayson needed to focus.

"—we'll build snowmen in the snow. And we can make a scrapbook of our own, and take jogs together in the morning. I can buy you ice cream, then take you to the beach. And the rollercoaster . . . "

"I feel so numb," Ayson murmurs, only a few feet away from the exit. Aidan jumps onto his knees, his lips parting at the sight of her. "Everything is so blurry."

"Come on, babydoll! Just a few more seconds—"

Tugging her sliced waist away from a new piece of metal, she falls into the open arms of Aidan. And mere seconds later, the cage door slams shut.

The pain in Ayson's body was searing, and it felt like she was on fire. It burned, and it raged, and consumed her entire being. The girl stares up at Aidan, placing a hand on his cheek as her bottom lip trembles. As his eyes find hers, he finds something that he never wanted to see . . . complete and utter loss for hope.

"Somehow I made it out . . . " she trails off, touching his bottom lip with her thumb. "But I won't be leaving here, Aidan."

"Sweetheart, you'll be—"

"I love it when you call me that," her smile is weak, but reaches her eyes. "I'm so glad that I got to meet you before I . . . you're so different."

"You deserve so much better," he shakes his head, tears of his own falling from his eyes. "You're the purest, sweetest thing I've ever met in my life, babydoll. You didn't deserve this."

Blood pooled at the floor, seeping from every cut and slash into her porcelain skin. It was daunting, and almost made Aidan sick— even more so than the holes in his back.

"Just remember me, alright?" She murmurs. "And paint me a picture of the park when you get out."

Aidan lets out a wracked sob, nodding as he rubs soothing circles on her skin. Her head rests on his lap as he stares down into her honey eyes. "I sure will. Anything for you."

And then she was blinking rapidly— a light from above her was hurting her eyes, and it stung. She felt a warmth spread inside of her chest, blossoming as Aidan places a soft kiss on her lips. It was a nice feeling; one that lingered as her limbs began to get too heavy for her to hold up. So she relaxes, and allows the warmth to take over her.

Then her eyes closed, and her heavy breathing stopped.

Ayson was very pretty, from where she lay— even with the harsh fiery red that glistened from her wounds. She was simple, her face was sweet and young. Her wavy hair glistened in the fluorescence, and her lips were parted. Now her rouged cheeks and reddened lips made her seem alive, and sleeping very lightly.

So as Aidan Tarver stares down at the love of his life, he convinced himself just that; Ayson Lee was only asleep.

And one day, when the time came, he would be sleeping right next to her.

THE END.

_______

❝ im fucking crying, what
is wrong with me, omg im sorry
but this is how i planned it to all happen
so i had to carry it out!! thanks for all
the support, i hope you enjoyed
this short little book! ❞