赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Ashleigh swallowed as she took the envelope in her hands. She looked up at the young woman with a genuine smile.

"Thank you," she whispered.

The young woman nodded and walked away to continue her deliveries.

Ashleigh looked down at the envelope. This could contain the report that she had been waiting for. She needed to see it now. But looking back at the door to Axel\'s office, she knew he wouldn\'t care. He had his mate right in front of him. So why should he be in any rush to help her find hers?

Taking a deep breath, Ashleigh walked away from the door. She could always give Axel the summary later. He was the one that was too busy to receive the report. For now, she would read it and then tell Myka, and with any luck, they would be ready to go the following day.

With renewed hope, Ashleigh hurried back toward her temporary home. But she did not expect to run into someone along the way.

"Ashleigh!" Bell called out with a bright smile, hurrying to catch up to her old friend. "I have been looking for you everywhere. I haven\'t seen you in a few days… It seems almost like you\'ve been avoiding me."

Ashleigh didn\'t stop walking. She took a breath as Bell increased her pace to keep up.

"I\'ve just been busy," she said. "I still am, actually."

She lifted the envelope in her hand.

"I need to read this. It\'s important."

"Okay," Bell replied. The smile remained on her lips, but it had fallen away in her eyes.

Ashleigh swallowed and turned her head as she put the envelope inside her jacket. She knew that she had been unfair to Bell. It was true; she was avoiding her. But it was also true that she had been busy trying to find a way to save Caleb.

"I just…." Bell began. "I was hoping we might be able to spend a little time together in the next couple of days."

Ashleigh felt a jolt in her heart. She stopped and turned to Bell.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why?" Bell scoffed with a gentle laugh. "We haven\'t hung out in a long time, Ash. I miss you."

She meant it. Of course she did. Ashleigh never doubted Bell\'s words or her sincerity. Still, something in the request left an uncomfortable feeling in Ashleigh\'s chest. That same heavy feeling she had outside of Axel\'s office.

"Why the next couple of days?" Ashleigh clarified.

"Oh," Bell replied, and then she smiled.

It wasn\'t just any smile. It was a warm smile. An affectionate smile. It was the smile that she used only when thinking of her family, of Galen and Ren. That was how Ashleigh knew the reason for the sudden interest in hanging out before Bell said it.

"You\'re moving to Summer," Ashleigh said quietly. "In a few days?"

Bell looked up, the smile brightened, and she nodded.

"Galen will be here to pick us up in three days," she said.

Ashleigh\'s hands tightened into fists so hard she felt the sting of her nails digging into the flesh of her palm. She swallowed and took a breath, releasing her hands. Mustering the energy to smile back at Bell.

"That\'s good," she said. "Really good."

"Yea…" Bell said.

They stood quietly, awkwardly.

"Tomorrow night," Ashleigh said softly.

"What?" Bell asked.

"We can watch a movie," Ashleigh replied. "Like we used to."

Bell felt a warm nostalgia in her chest. She thought of them and Renee in Ashleigh\'s living room during one of their all-night movie binges. They laughed and threw snacks at each other. Took turns pranking Axel, though Renee was too scared to go through with it most of the time.

"That would be nice," Bell replied. Her voice shook a little as she was caught up in the emotions of her memories.

"Good," Ashleigh said, her smile falling away as she turned back in the direction she had been going. "I\'ll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yea," Bell nodded. "I\'ll see you then."

Ashleigh didn\'t reply. She just walked away. Bell watched her for a short time. She was worried. She knew that Ashleigh had to do things her own way. She had to process what had happened and find a way to grieve. But that didn\'t stop Bell from worrying about her friend.

***

Entering the house, Ashleigh quickly shut the door behind her and rushed into the kitchen. She turned on the faucet, gathering a handful of water, and splashing it on her face.

She saw the warm smile on Bell\'s face. She heard the happiness in her voice at moving to Summer with Galen. Then she saw another look on Bell\'s face. Heard different words from her lips.

Bloodshot eyes, an angry redness on her lids, and tear stains down her cheeks

\'It\'s time for you to do your duty.\'

That was what Bell had said before giving her blood to heal Ashleigh. To send her to Summer to find Galen.

The feeling was crawling over Ashleigh again. The heaviness. Her chest felt tight, restricted. It was difficult to breathe, as though she had been running for miles in the freezing winds of a blizzard. It wasn\'t enough. No matter how deeply she inhaled, it wasn\'t enough.

\'We should probably start thinking of some names.\'

Axel\'s voice echoed, the soft laughter between him and Alice as they talked sweetly about the family they were building.

\'Ashleigh,\' Caleb\'s pained voice whispered through her memory. \'Do you not want to have a family together?\'

She couldn\'t breathe. It was too tight, too heavy. She was choking. She was dying.

Ashleigh\'s hands scratched at her throat and her jacket. She tore at the fabric, trying to rip it off her body. Finally, she pulled the buttons apart and quickly removed the coat.

She took another quick, deep breath. It was easing. The weight on her chest was beginning to subside.

Ashleigh leaned heavily on the counter, taking several deeper breaths. Finally, her eyes fell on the yet unopened envelope. She took one more deep breath and then reached for it.

***

It was late in the night when an envelope was slipped under the door to Axel\'s office. One that he would find and read the following day.

Because of this envelope, Axel would approve Ashleigh and Myka\'s request to go to Moonguard and explore the old village and the mound.

Then Myka would tell Peter it was safe, and he would decide it was an excellent opportunity for the children to use the techniques he had taught them about camping and living off the land.

Knowing it was safe, Peter would agree to let Sadie and Stefan join Myka on the trip while he stayed and prepared the house they would all share once they returned.

Because of this envelope, Ashleigh, Myka, and a troop of six children would set out for Moonguard at the earliest opportunity. Their trip was planned to be for an entire week.

The children would camp, fish, and test their skills. While Ashleigh would investigate the village for anything that might lead her to Caleb. And Myka would use his abilities to search for any indication that the ley line was still accessible from the mound or the village.

And it was because of this envelope, slipped late in the night under Axel\'s office door, that Ashleigh would be forced to learn a terrible and painful lesson.

That the consequences of her actions would not be suffered by her alone.