Chapter 11

Warning, this story contains dark scenes with graphic detail that some readers may find distressing.


“Please, no!” I screamed. I sounded desperate. But I was desperate. Push me? They were really going to push me to my death.
Bryce neared me and held my shoulders before gently leading me to the edge of the cliff, where I felt my knees buckling and my feet going numb. Looking down I saw the tall distance between me and the dark blue ocean. I’d always wanted to go to the beach and see the ocean. Growing up we moved a lot, yet I had never been to the beach. Be careful what you wish for. I am finally staring down at the ocean from rocky cliffs. Not exactly like I imagined it.
“If you don’t jump, we’re going to have to leave you here alone in the woods. And you don’t know your way back home.” Bryce uttered quietly before he took a few steps back and joined the other three waiting for me to jump. So, they weren’t going to push me after all. They wanted me to commit my own end. I may not know where I was or my way home. But what they didn’t know was I had no desire to go home. I knew what awaited me and maybe just maybe death would be better.
I looked back down at the ocean with tears blurring my vision. Is this it? Are these the last moments of my life? Is everything going to end here?
Come to think about it, my life was indeed hell. From being accused of killing my parents, being sent to the mental hospital to cure me of a disease that I never even had, to being adopted by a cruel and evil family and moving into this town and getting kidnapped by four high school boys, calling themselves heroes. Does Taylor even know their true colours?
And Taylor, my sweet Taylor. She was the only person who made my bad days better, always being there to listen to my rants, helping me out whenever she could and just being there, letting me know that I’ll be okay. I’m grateful to have a friend like her and to feel what it’s like to have the closest thing I’ll ever get to having a family before I end my life here. I looked back at Bryce who continued to look at me, waiting for me to take another step.
“Tell Taylor that I said thank you, for everything.” I sobbed. Before any of them could say anything, I took one step before letting myself fall freely.
The cold air bit my skin as I fell, closing my eyes and finally feeling the freedom I never had. In those few seconds, as I was falling to my death, I felt the weight being lifted off my shoulders, telling myself that I was finally free from my family’s wrath, my parents’ murder, and the dark years ahead of me. All the pain I endured day in and day out. Now I didn’t have to worry about that. I was free.
I fell to the sea hard, pain slammed into my body as the icy water crawled at my skin. I didn’t bother fighting for my life as the waves crashed and the current engulfed me, instead I accepted my fate, my death.
Slowly I drift to the bottom as my mind drifts away. My lungs hurt and my head pounds. Yet I have no desire to save myself. I can’t swim but I could try, but I don’t want too. I see a face getting closer. Kingsley, why did the one who pushed me to commit my own murder be the one to guide me to the other side? I reached out and touched his panic-stricken face before my world collapsed.
I woke up, coughing up saltwater. A blurred face hovered above mine and my chest screamed with pain. My head hurt so badly and the cold breeze biting on my wet body made me feel even worse. My stomach was filled with water and with every cough, it felt as if the water would rise to my throat. I am sure I had coughed up the entire ocean by the time the coughing fit died down. Pushing whoever was leaning over me away I collapsed back to the ground, my energy spent.

“I can’t believe she did it,” A voice spoke out. Blinking slowly, I looked around, my vision still a blur but I could make out the four same faces who told me to jump.
I felt arms underneath my back as I was being pulled closer and I turned to my side and saw Kingsley pulling me closer to him. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t make a sound. Too tired to move.
I watched as he turned to Bryce. “She needs to strip off her clothes. Bryce, give me your coat before she gets hypothermia.”
Carter took something out from a small bag, and it was a towel. I didn’t even notice them bringing one when they took me to the cliff. Carter neared me and handed Kingsley the towel.
“Here, use it to cover her body. We’ll turn around.”
I watched as Bryce handed Kingsley his coat and Kingsley gently put me down, feeling my body freezing and shivering from the loss of body heat. If I had the energy I think I would have jumped back into his arms. By now I was shaking violently.
“Hey,” He called to me softly. “I’m going to hide you in the towel, and you quickly take off your clothes, okay? We also brought you some dry underwear and a pair of sweatpants.”
Despite my freezing state, I shot him a questioning look because—really, underwear??—and his cheeks turned a bright shade of red as he looked away from me. I took the clothes from him with shivering hands, and he stood up from his crouching state and spread the towel wide to keep me from their view. Confused in that moment was and understatement. First, they try to kill me then they try to help me. What was with these guys?
“Don’t worry, we’re looking away!” Bryce exclaimed. I tried my best to focus my line of sight my vision was still blurry, and my eyes stung like they had been buried in sand. However, I managed to take off my clothes and struggled into the dry ones Kingsley gave me. Once I was fully dressed and had zipped up the coat, I felt a little better and warmer before I tugged at the towel to let Kingsley know I was finished. True to his word, he was certainly looking away as far as his head can take him. Once he felt the towel being tugged at, he looked down at me and he quickly scooped me up in his arms.
“Guys, come on, let’s go home.” He demanded. I couldn’t help staring at them. Why? It just didn’t add up. Maybe it was trick, and they were buying their time before they finished the job.
In union they turned on their flashlights and we made our way back to where they parked their car, Kingsley carrying me for the whole trek back. It was already dark out and as we stepped in through the woods, I had to shut my eyes and hide my face in Kingsley’s neck. Sleep, my body just wanted to sleep.
“You guys tried to kill me.” I whispered, my throat sore and the syllables just audible.
“Whatever you may think, that was never what we had planned nor tried to do.” Kingsley replied. That just made me more confused. If they didn’t want to kill me then why make me jumped from a cliff into freezing water? Not to mention it’s middle of autumn. Okay I was dealing with four psychopaths. For the rest of the walk back to the car it was surprisingly quiet in a comfortable manner, the casual quiet chatter and laughs from the three other boys ahead of us were the only sounds that could be heard aside from the crunching of leaves being stepped on.
I shouldn’t have felt comfortable or settled after everything. Yet I did. Perhaps it was because I had faced death. Accepted death. I didn’t fear dying any longer. Life was harsh, full of misery, pain and distrust. Whatever these four boys had install for me next, I would face it head on.
We finally reached the car and I gestured for Kingsley to put me down, my knees slightly shaking as I pushed myself to get into the car. Kingsley then following suit. Carter got in the other side, and I found myself sandwiched between the two. Once we were all inside, Bryce on the driver seat, and Elijah in the passenger seat, all eyes turned to me with smiles on their faces.
“What?” I frowned. I was still mad at them for kidnapping me and letting me jump into the cold and freezing water. I could have died. I should have died. Maybe it was time for them to finish the job.
“Lilith Archfiend, you are now officially a member of the Fab Five.” Eliyah declared. Punching Bryce in the arm playfully he added. “Come on man, rules are rules.”