"This time, I'll do the job right."

"No." I choked, digging my nails in and trying to pry his hands away.

"You should have died a long fucking time ago, you little insignificant fucking stain." He growled.

I tried to kick him but it was no use. He was bigger and stronger than I was.

"G-Get off of-"

I was cut off when he suddenly slammed my head into the ground. I was dazed for a moment, giving him the chance to flip me over and cuff my hands behind my back.

"Stop fighting it." He growled. I gasped for air, unable to do anything else.

"Ricky!" I heard through the door. "Are you done yet? I just heard someone talking about a missing cop at the 7/11 down the road. You gotta hurry."

He looked up at the door.

"Tell him that you'll be done in a few."

When I didn't respond, he grabbed my hair. I could yell to Jinxx to help me, but in the time it would take him to get to me, he could grab the gun off the table and kill me. I'm not sure that he's even noticed the weapons, but it's a chance I'm going to have to take. I won't let him do this again. I have to finish this.

"Tell him."

"Jinxx..." I started. "Help me!"

Before he could act, I heard the door open. Within seconds, he was off of me and on the floor. Jinxx kicked him in the head, holding a gun on him. "Don't fucking move."

I managed to pull myself to my feet. "Where are the keys for the cuffs?"

"In my back pocket." He said, reaching behind him and pulling them out, not looking away from him.

He sat on the floor in the corner of the room, his hands held up. Blood dripped down the side of his face, staining his shirt.

I unlocked the cuffs and dropped them to the floor. I took the gun from Jinxx, grabbed a silencer from the table and aimed it at his head. "You almost killed me once. Did you really think I'd let you get that close again?"

"If you kill me, it'll be tied to you. They'll figure it out. You'll go to prison."

I laughed. "How are they going to tie it to me? I don't fucking exist. How can they tie a murder to a ghost?"

I didn't let him answer. I pulled the trigger. He fell back against the wall, blood dripping down his forehead. He was dead.

It's done.

I'm finally free.

"How did that happen?" Jinxx asked. "He was in the chair when I left."

"He got out of the cuffs and attacked me." I told him, rubbing my throat. I glanced at the mirror, seeing the dark red hand prints around my throat. That was definitely going to bruise.

Just then, my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket. "Yeah?"

"Ricky? Where are you? You have to get home."

It was Ashley.

"I'm in Miami, Ash. You know this."

"Shit, yeah. Well you need to get home. We have a situation."

"...What kind if situation?"

"Cops."

"What? Why?"

"Turn on the news."

I looked over at Jinxx and pointed at the television. "Turn on the news."

He found the remote and turned it on. I watched the news. It was just the weather.

"What am I looking at? It's just weather."

"Just wait a second."

Sure enough, after a few seconds it changed. When I saw the headline, I nearly dropped my phone.

'Inmate Holds 6 Other Inmates Hostage in NY Prison'

The woman began speaking. "Convicted murder, Chris "Motionless" Cerulli is holding 6 inmates hostage in a prison in New York. He took a gun from one of the prison guards and has shot and killed the 4 guards that stormed the room. Cerulli has barred the door and refuses to open it until he sees someone named "Ricky." This is the security footage from the prison. The content is graphic. Viewer discretion is advised."

It switched to a video. Chris was sitting at a table with another man sitting across from him. All of a sudden, he attacked the man. He beat him half to death before attacking two more. Guards rushed into the room. Chris took one of their batons and attacked him. He took a gun and shot all 4 of them. He pushed a table in front of the door.

There was a woman talking. She was trying to get him to open the door. He repeatedly refused, accusing her of being the reason he can't remember anything. And then he told her that he wouldn't open the door until he got what he wanted.

And what he wanted was me.

My name was all he said.

"Holy shit."

"Yeah. You have to get back. There are cops here looking for you. They want to take you to him."

"Fuck. Tell them that I'm in Philly right now. Do not say where I really am. Um...Tell them I'll go straight to New York."

I hung up with her and grabbed the remote. I rewinded the video. I watched it over and over again.

He seemed off. It seemed as though there was something wrong with Chris. When he backed against the wall with the gun, it looked like he was whispering something. He had this blank, crazed look in his eye. He looked both scared and angry at the same time. The way he acted was almost animalistic. Something happened to him while he was in jail.

Something tell me that he's not my Chris anymore.

I mean, I knew he'd be different afterwards, but I didn't think he'd be like this. Especially not so soon.

I had to go to him. I didn't care about the people in there. They can die. But I need to see what's wrong with him. Something clearly happened to him.

"Are you going?" Jinxx asked.

"Yeah." I whispered. "I have to. There's something wrong with him."

"How do you know?"

"Chris is the most calm and collected person I've ever met. He'd never act like this. Something happened to him— or is happening to him— and this is how he's trying to stop it. This is the only way he can stop it. It's a cry for help."

"Oh. I mean, I've never met him, but I always heard he was a little crazy."

"He's not crazy. He just has ways of handling things that are not...conventional." I said.

Jinxx just nodded.

I stood up and put my phone back in my pocket. "Get this cleaned up. Put the body where it can be found."

He nodded.

I grabbed my stuff and walked back out to the car. As soon as I got inside, I took my phone out. I dialed Ryan Ashley's number and listened to it ring. 

"Hello?"

"There's been a change of plans. I have to go to New York."

"What? Why?"

"Where are you?"

"Home."

"Turn on the news."

"What channel?"

"Any one."

I heard her moving around. She was silent for a few minutes."What the fuck?"

"You see it?" I asked. "That's why I need to go to New York."

"Uh...Yeah. I'll tell the pilot."

"Hurry. Please."

"Andy! Put the news on!"  I heard her call. "Get everyone in the living room. Now!"

She hung up. I put the phone down and started the car. 

I headed towards the airport. I have to get there as fast as I can. 

He needs me. 

------

comment what you think is going to happen

~xxLux