The Pier

The world was a blur of motion and rain. Declan felt himself being dragged. The smell of wet leather. The slam of a car door.

He was in the driver's seat of an old sedan. His hands were on the wheel, but they felt like rubber. He couldn't make them grip.

He looked to his right. Ivy was in the passenger seat. Her hands were zip-tied behind her back. There was duct tape over her mouth. Her eyes were wide, filled with terror.

"Mmmph!" she screamed against the tape.

Declan tried to speak, but his tongue was thick. The sedative was heavy.

Outside, the storm raged. Through the rain-streaked windshield, he saw the edge of the pier. The black water churned below.

Kael stood by the window. He reached in and put the car in neutral.

"Goodbye, Mr. Moore," Kael shouted over the wind. "Try to make it look convincing."

Kael walked to the back of the car.

Declan tried to find the door handle. His fingers slipped.

The car lurched forward.

It rolled. Slowly at first, then gaining momentum on the slick wood.

Declan looked at Ivy. He saw the reflection of the dashboard lights in her eyes. He saw the boy in the backseat from years ago.

* Not this time.*

The front wheels left the wood.

The car tipped. Gravity took over.

They plunged into the dark.