This chapter has been edited due to content. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
ALEX CASEY
Saga Anderson had left me alone with Alan Wake. I had forgiven him years ago but seeing him made old feelings resurface. I didn’t want to sit here and have nothing to do but think. I wanted to focus on the case and the vague hope that Jash was alive.
But Saga was the hero and if we wanted this nightmare to end, she needed to continue the investigation. It didn’t matter how antsy I was getting, it mattered that we all got out of this hellhole alive.
The worst part of this situation was that when I looked at Alan I couldn’t find it in me to hate the man. I could glare at him and act intimidating, but when our eyes met I couldn’t hate him.
****! How long had I been pacing around like an idiot?
I tried to act like I was fully in control when I sat in front of the writer. By the way he ever so slightly leaned back for a moment, I could tell that the act had worked for him. He wasn’t an actor by any stretch of the imagination.
“I didn’t know about what Scratch was doing to me.” Alan apologized again. “Maybe I let him in at some point and forgot about it. I didn’t intend for that to happen to Jash.”
Jash had explained to me how Alan had thought he had driven Alice, his wife, to suicide. That was an important piece of the puzzle that I had held back. If I brought up Alice then it could very well lead to Saga reading my mind and figuring out that the photographer was still alive.
While I trusted Saga more than most, it would only take one mistake to force Alan to make another plan.
“Jash didn’t hate you.” I said and found enough anger to put venom into my voice. “And in his memory, I won’t hate you. Jash knew exactly what danger he was getting into.”
“And you’re counting on me to save him.” Alan replied.
The way he said it made it so easy to be angry at him again. It provided enough for me to pretend I hated him like before. Even when I looked into his eyes now I could feel that old hatred bubbling underneath.
“Yes.” I said coldly. “I know you can rescue Logan so you sure as hell can rescue my husband.”
“I used your life.” Alan said. “I became famous because I used you. I thought it was just inspiration but that’s no excuse.”
“Alan, Jash explained everything to me.”
“I know. I heard everything you said in the car.”
Alan was doing his damndest to make me feel like he was hurting to make me happy. But no matter how I yearned to feel some fleeting amount of joy from his pain, I couldn’t. Before Jash I could have hated him enough in this moment.
But that time had gone.
“I ****** up my own life.” I said and allowed my voice to sound kinder. “You didn’t **** up my life, you couldn’t have. You can’t manipulate things if they couldn’t happen without you. The reason your books sold was because you found someone ****** up enough to draw a crowd.”
“I could have tried to make your life better.” Alan said and immediately looked towards the window.
What the hell?
“I met Jash.” I said as soon as I had control of my voice. “If I wasn’t so messed up he might not have come to me. Him and Saga are the only people I can depend on.”
Alan slowly turned to look at me. It was the only peace offering between us that I could offer. I wanted to offer him more but past wounds still needed to heal.
“And at least you stopped writing those books.” I said.
“I can’t do anything about the adaptations.” Alan said with the hint of a smile. “Before I went into the Dark Place there were talks about a prequel show.”
“What?”
“Maybe that never went forward…”
At least I was going to Skyrim before I had to endure that hell.
Wait! I had researched him and never found the hint of a prequel series!
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