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“Papa Rich,” Ember says tentatively, “I don’t—”
“Silence!” His lip curls as he seethes his venom. He reaches out and strikes her upside the head, causing her to tighten her fists in front of her, focusing on the floor in complete silence. He straightens his shoulders as he takes a deep breath. “My apologies. My daughter is usually much more submissive and obedient. She normally does not talk out of turn. But I assure you I will school her in the ways of being a proper bride as I groom you in your duties as a husband. I give you my word as a man I will take my responsibilities seriously.”
Ember’s face reddens with a quick glance my way, and she stares back down toward her hands as her brows pull together.
“You want me to marry your daughter?” I ask. Even saying the words seem unreal. I feel as if I am floating in muddy water, suffocating, struggling to hold on to life.
Ember peers at me through her thick lashes. Her face is now a sheet of white, her chin quivering in anticipation of what can possibly come next. I wonder if she is a mirror, reflecting my internal struggle with my new reality.
“Not immediately,” he says casually. “I do believe a proper time is required for courting.”
“You hit me over the head, knocked me out”—I lean toward him as a raging fire erupts inside of me—“to marry your daughter?”
I have never killed a man. Never considered it before now. Now… I will.
“Correction,” he says, crossing his arms under his chest. “I hit you over the head as a consequence for your rule breaking. You were trespassing. But then, God spoke to me. Rather than dragging your body to its death, I spared you. I am offering the hand of my daughter to you. You should be grateful.”
I lurch forward, determined to inflict pain and massive amounts of blood. “You sick motherfucker!” The chain prevents me from reaching him, throws me off balance, and forces me to my knees.
The ranger charges me in instant retaliation but freezes in his tracks. I brace myself for the punch to the face, in fact, I welcome it. Something, anything but this insanity I’m thrust into. I slam my fist down, hard enough to make Ember gasp and scurry toward the door.
“You want to kill me?” I shout. “Go for it, you sick fuck.”
He straightens to his full height and takes a few steps back. Without removing his eyes from mine, he crooks a finger at Ember. She wipes away traces of tears from her eyes and walks back to where she once stood by his side.
“I’m going to leave you and Ember for a while so you both can become acquainted with each other better. I don’t feel your initial meeting should be with me hovering over you both.”
“You can’t keep me down here,” I begin. “People know where I am. It’s just a matter of time until the authorities will be combing every inch of this fucked-up town looking for me.”
A slow-growing smile forms on his face. “It’s a shame that you fell to your death in the acid pits. It happens every year, sadly. People get careless as they take pictures and not pay attention to all the warning signs. It’s a dangerous, dangerous place here in Hallelujah Junction. You should see the amount of paperwork it causes me, but the local police are aware it’s just part of our environmental hazards. But then again, if you had only followed the rules, you would still be alive. I did recover pieces of your camera near the pits, however. So, your family may be able to have some sense of closure, though we will never know if you tripped, or if a beam or floorboard gave way. No real way of knowing considering the shoddy condition the old mill is in. And a body will never be found of course, not with the way the acid will fry your flesh and bone to nothing. But your poor, poor mother. I’m sure she was always worried your job was too dangerous. I’m sure she always wished you would have just taken over the family business. If only she had not bought you your first camera when you were a child.” His smile never leaves his face. “Shame. Shame. Another young soul has lost his life. Shame.”
“You plan on keeping me locked up down here forever?” I ask.
Cords twang in his neck as he looks over his shoulder at Ember. His smile never deflates. “Of course not. I have a plan, son. A plan for our future.”
“Plan?”
“No worries to you both. I’ll be a good father-in-law. I know kids these days need a leg up, and I’ll provide this to the both of you.” He puts up his palm to stop me from speaking. “And yes, I know you aren’t quite a kid. You are older than my Ember, but I do believe she is an old soul, and though she is only twenty-five, she will be able to match you as a partner. And I’m old fashioned. I believe having an older man to help guide his wife is beneficial to any union.”
