Day 28
Who: Astor Bennett, Sidney Prescott, and OTA When: Day 28 What: Astor arrives Rating: Probably PG at most Status: Complete
Astor could feel the guard's rancid breath on the back of her head as he held her steady before Moloch. Cody was a few feet away, also restrained and she was angry. If anything happened to Cody on her watch, there'd be hell to pay. If only Dexter had taught them what they knew he knew, maybe she'd have been better prepared to defend herself - and Cody, too-quiet Cody, for that matter - but he hadn't and here she was, standing in front of what the weird guy kept calling "Moloch," her arms aching in the guard's tight grip. She could feel the sweat trickling down her back beneath her tank top and wondered if it was because it was so freaking hot in there...or if she was just more scared than she was willing to admit to even herself.
Closing her eyes, she held back her tears. She wouldn't let them see her cry. Not when she'd been such a smarty pants before they'd moved her here. No way. Besides, if Cody saw her cry, he'd lose it; she knew it. If Astor could help it, she wasn't going to let that happen.
Please, Dexter...come... she thought miserably. The weird guy had said that they were waiting for Dexter. Astor had expected, any minute, for Dexter to swoop in and save the day; to take she and Cody back to their mom.
But the minutes had gone by, and Dexter still hadn't come. She wondered if something awful had happened to him. It must've, because she knew in her heart of hearts, deep down beyond her seething Inside Shadow, that Dexter would come for her; for them.
She willed herself and Cody to be back in Sergent Debbie's car, back in time. Willed them back into their backyard where they'd been picking up their toys while Mom had been getting ready for the hurricane that was on the way. Willed them anywhere. Anywhere but here.
And then, suddenly, Astor felt cold. Very cold. The guard had let her go and her sandalled feet were wet and burning from the chill - how is that even possible?! - and the stench of sweat and blood was gone, replaced by something she couldn't put her finger on. Crisp and clean, maybe, but she wasn't sure. She opened her eyes, shaking, and wrapped her arms around herself, finally letting the tears fall freely. She wasn't in front of Moloch. Dexter hadn't whisked them away. ...Cody wasn't even here - wherever here was. There was white stuff all over the ground - stuff she'd never seen before but thought was snow - and Astor hadn't ever felt as cold in her entire life.
She looked around, shivering and teeth chattering. There were buildings in the distance that looked like where Mom had said Dexter lived. Apartments, she thought she remembered her mother calling them. Sort of like Dexter's, but not really, either. But most importantly, she'd realized it before, but it hit her hard now, like a punch to the gut. Astor was alone. Cody was gone.
"Cody?" she called out in a watery voice, whirling in circles to look for him. "CODY!"
She was sobbing now and hadn't even noticed, too busy looking for her brother. As much as she wanted to move, her whole body was stiff with cold and, as the tears froze to her face, itchy and painful, she called out again. "Cody, where are you?!"
Her voice echoed lightly and with a hiccuping inhale of air that stung in her throat and chest, Astor dropped down into the snow, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging herself tight against the chilly air. Unable to ignore the cold but not knowing what else to do, Astor dropped her head down onto her knees and cried freely. She was alone and she was lost. Wherever she was, Dexter wouldn't find her here. He wouldn't be able to bring her home to her mom, she was sure of it. And beside all that...would she ever get to see Cody again? Was he safe? Had she somehow abandoned him and was he hurt? What if Dexter didn't get to Cody, either? What if he was somewhere all alone and scared like she was and there was nothing she could do to help him?
Astor's skin was red and it hurt like sunburn, only worse, as the breeze hit her bare arms and nearly bare legs. The snow was leaking water into her shorts and right down to the skin. She looked up again and, hopelessly, wailed for help.