Page 134 of Bound in Ashes

Jack fixed it.

I saw him fix it. I remembered it vividly.

But now, I stared, seeing what was in front of me, but not wanting to see it.

A hole, big enough for someone, something to slip in.

I hadn’t quite decided what those zombies were. Were they something? Were they someone? Were they both? I didn’t know, but what I did know was that one of those things hadn’t cut a perfectly straight line into the fence.

I stared at that hole, the precision of the cuts taunting me.

Sheriff Hayes? Had he…?

My mind, my body, everything froze as I stared more closely.

Saw the threads hanging off that pristine hole.

I got closer, lifting my flashlight.

Dropped it.

Three threads.

One green.

One yellow.

One black.

I picked up the flashlight.

Looked again.

Wondered if it would be preferable, if I could say this was all a dream, that maybe, finally, all the stress had gotten to me.

Cracked me into pieces.

I had flaws. Many of them, but lying to myself, at least not usually, had never been one.

I moved, no conscious thought guiding me, but found myself in the shed. And I wasn’t alone.

I lifted the flashlight.

“Asia, honey, what are you doing out this late?”

It was Bridget, smiling at me. She still didn’t have her makeup, but she had gotten Caitlin to trim her hair. And Jack had scavenged a box of dye. Given it to her with no ceremony at all.

I looked at her, saw her hair. The smile. The yellow, green, and black dress of Aunt Kathleen that I gifted her.

Realized I didn’t recognize her at all.

“Are you okay, honey?” she said, looking concerned.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“You don’t have to pretend. When you lose someone. It hurts. I know that.”

“I haven’t lost anyone,” I said.