Blade (Ch.23)

Blade (Ch.23)

23
From first glance, I saw that most of the crowd outside our door thought Tom had beaten me, because he had his hands glued to the sides of my face, accompanied by the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. But they should have known he wasn’t like that; Tom wouldn’t throw me out a window or give me a black eye. Mandy raised a pointing finger to him.

“No,” I said, calming all their fears. “He wouldn’t do that. Mauve did.”

“Mauve?” Mandy questioned. I realized that only Eli knew my pursuer’s name.

“My attacker.” Neighbors looked to each other in terror.

“He was in your apartment?!” someone gasped.

“Did he beat you up like that?!” another panicked. I nodded reluctantly and gazed back at Tom, who I knew would be outraged sooner or later when I told him that I knew my attacker’s name this entire time, and never told anyone, just like Eli had been.

The neighbors dispersed to call their relatives and friends and tell of the horrors that occurred, which meant Mandy would call the lot of our friends, and they would all be worried, along with the entire school because Mandy knew just about everyone, and came off strongly as quite the gossip girl. Tom got me into the car and took me to the hospital yet again. I was so sick of that place by now, it wasn’t even funny.

On our way there, my phone vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t laugh in my usual ticklish manner and quickly dig it out. I let it ring itself silly and finally answered it on the fourth call.

“Hello?”

“Jen, I heard from Mandy,” Eli murmured solemnly.

“Already, huh? Mandy practically saw me fall out of the bathroom window, so I guess it’s not surprising.”

“Black eye? Did he seriously sock you?”

“Guy manners don’t matter to him. It’s not about chivalry in their world.”

“Which eye?”

“My left. He backhanded me, too.”

“You know this has to stop, Jenna. I don’t know how, but it has to before he ends up killing you. Out of all the people in New York, I just wonder why it had to be you. He’s picking on someone who can’t really fight back; it’s like killing a mockingbird.”

“No it isn’t. Killing a mockingbird would be picking on someone who never did anything.”

“You never did anything to him, so yes it is!”

“Maybe not directly to him. It’s complicated, and you shouldn’t know, anyway.”

“Where are you?”

“In the car on the way to the hospital. Again.”

“Would you mind if I came to visit you there?”

“No, but you could always visit me at the apartment when we get back there—

“I’ll see you at the hospital, then.”

And he hung up. I sighed and looked at Tom. “You’re going to have to keep an eye out for Eli while I’m being poked and prodded.”

“Is he coming to see you?” I bobbed my head, and Tom winked at me twice.

“I’m not in the mood, Dad.” That was harsher treatment than Tom deserved, but my mood reflected my words and vice versa.

“I just don’t see what you don’t like about him.”

“I never said I didn’t like Eli, Dad, I just said I didn’t like him in that way.”

“That’s what I meant.”

“I’m set. I need to go back home, and I need to work this out where I’m safe.”

“Work it out? Now who gave you the inspiration to do that when you were saying how that boy tore you apart?”

“Eli once told me that a part of marriage is realizing that there’re going to be differences, and that you can work through them together. He also said that just because that fight may have been the worst time of your relationship, that doesn’t mean there won’t be better times to come.”

“That’s true,” Tom agreed, but he looked sorrowful. “And I realize as long as the police haven’t caught this Mauve person, you’re not safe, because somehow he made his way into our house, too. But you’re my daughter; it was hard enough letting you go the first time, but for a second time…”

“It’s not like I’m saying goodbye forever,” I told him. “I won’t disappear and forget about you just like that; that’s not me. I’ll never stop thinking about you, because you’re my Papa.”

“And like any papa, I want you to be secure. But just give this place another try, Jen. Please. I won’t being going anywhere if you have to, so just give living with me another go. Mauve might have given up on you now that you’ve slipped through his fingers again.”

I could only hope. But it wouldn’t happen, I was sure. “I’ll try again.”

“It’s risky to try again,” Tom considered, “but I know you’ll be okay. If you even see him again, I’m giving you back to them. I believe they can protect you where I can’t.”

“Deal. And, Dad? I love you, forever and always I love you.”

“Love you too, hun.”

The hospital brought me feelings of dread. Just the lights were enough to make me sick now that I’d been there so many times for so many different causes. All the nurses knew my name now after the last scare because an attacker in New York pursuing one defenseless girl was good new gossip material, and the ladies at the counter recognized me as the ‘poor thing’. My black eye, mistreated cheek and wounded arms with little glass shards in them caught their attention at once.

“Same guy?” a blonde woman cooed, talking with Tom. I waited patiently in a room for the doctor or one of his nurses to pick the glass from my skin with tweezers and appraise my newest flaws. She came soon after a slow day since he had no important surgeries to do at the moment, picked me free of shards and grimaced at my eye, after which she cleaned the cut on my cheek either caused by the backhand or Mauve’s nails.

Eli came in with Tom when the torture was just about over, and I sat sedately on the hospital bed edge. I wanted so badly to go home and sleep, but I wouldn’t be able to now. Not with the growing fear that Mauve would slice and dice me in my sleep.

“You look tired,” he grieved. I picked up my head to come eye to eye with him, which only worsened his worried expression. “Good god.”

“I can’t hide these at school,” I grumbled.

“Not that it would do you any good if you could; I’m sure Mandy has the entire college informed by now.” He flipped his two-shades-of-green striped scarf over his shoulder, which always made me think of Dezeret’s piercing emerald eyes.

“Great.” He came to sit by me and ruffle my hair, which I didn’t appreciate quite so much now since my head hurt from having it slammed back against the glass window.

“Sorry,” he apologized by reflex when I flinched. “Did he injure you there, too?”

“He slammed my head against the window after he hit me. No big deal, though. It’s just giving me a massive headache.”

“Why’s he picking on you? Lord knows you don’t deserve that,” he whined again.

I huffed a breath out. “I want to go back home.”

“Will you be safe there?”

Out of Tom’s hearing range, I replied truthfully, “No.”

“You can get cops to guard your house all night.”

“What difference would that make?” I whispered to him. “He attacked me in plain daylight today, and he’ll do it again, Eli. Even with cops there twenty-four seven, he’ll still attack me.”

“Well then what’ll you do? Let him kill you?”

“I promised Tom I would give it another try, to see if maybe he caved this time and realized that he wasn’t going far with me because I wasn’t giving up. If I even so much as see him again, I’m leaving for Utah again to stay with my fiancé’s family, where I’ll be alright.” So I pretty much knew I would be moving out soon. Better start packing my bags.

“So you’ll be leaving, I know it,” he mumbled. “I thought you were mad at your fiancé.”

“I’m going to try to make things right again,” I explained. “Because I can’t stay like this forever.”

“I’m glad you’re going to try. And we’ll miss you over here.”

“Miss me how much?” I poked, toying with him.

“Oh, lots,” he laughed. “Bundles.”

I smiled; it would be hard to leave such good friends who took me in just like that, no questions asked. “I’ll miss all of you, too. Way to make me feel bad for having to leave.”

“They’ll understand just like I do because we all want you to be out of harm’s way. If someone’s assaulting you violently, anyone would wish for you to move away where they couldn’t hurt you anymore,” he chuckled.

“If I get things worked out and live long enough to move out of danger, I’m sending an invite to all of you for the wedding.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world; except it would have to be on a long weekend or during the summer so that we don’t miss out on too much school. I always wanted to see Utah.”

Tom called us over and we left the hospital, departing in the lot to each of our cars. I slept the rest of the day away at home—Tom called Basil and told him I wouldn’t be at work, and I knew he told him why, because Basil would beat me down without a good reason. Chuck called as well as Prudence, though I didn’t answer and went back to sleep, Tom watching me like a hawk in case Mauve decided to pop up out of thin air again. I’ll give it another try, I had said to him. I think even he knew by the way he was guarding me that I would see Mauve again. And it would not be a good day.

I slept during the day easily, but I did not sleep at night. Every shadow…every noise that might have just been the apartment creaking or Tom getting up temporarily coaxed my eyes open and kept them that way. I didn’t want to wake up to his hideous, grinning face, and I didn’t want to go to sleep and never open my eyes again. Not that staying awake would save my life, but at least I would know and be aware when death came calling. I didn’t know why, but dying unknowing that you were going to seemed to be the worst fate in my eyes.

By Sunday night (since I went to the shelter in the morning and didn’t have time to sleep) I was becoming seriously deprived. Sleep was the one thing I really enjoyed over anything else, and not being able to sleep made me cranky and sluggish for Monday morning. I didn’t try hiding anything, because it’s not like I could, but I even left my neck still uncovered, uncaring about passerby opinions.

“Be careful today,” Tom said before he stepped in his car and I turned to get in mine.

“I will, Dad,” I swore, “I will.” My promise wasn’t as lively as I wanted it to be, but I couldn’t get what little bit of energy I had left to go very far.

School was a disaster. Not only did everyone look, everyone asked. And so I told everyone the same story that they most likely already heard from Mandy over and over again. Our group (except Eli) came together at some health food place on the corner for lunch, though I didn’t eat; I just napped on Chuck’s shoulder. Prudence (who began dressing a little easier now, and actually wore white one day out of every week somewhere on her body since the sleepover awhile back) played with my hair, braiding it and un-braiding it; petting it, too. There wasn’t much to talk about, and the silence stunned us all. Mandy twirled her ponytail around her finger, stumped, and Dylan texted on his phone to his soul mate.

The rest of the day went extremely slow. My professors wondered out loud after class, inquiring about my eye and if I needed to go home for the day, which I would not do. I preferred brick teachers; they didn’t bother you unless you did something wrong, unlike soft ones who felt the need to baby people, even when they’re nineteen and counting.

Eventually, I got some sleep at night, though not for awhile—homework was stacking up fast now, reports, essays, and all. But after a couple weeks (giving my eye enough time to lighten a little), I crashed and slept at night, regardless of Mauve’s threat. Teachers stopped asking, and worries lifted on Eli’s side. He liked to think optimistically, which may have been the reason he tried telling me Mauve was gone and that I would get to stay for awhile. He didn’t believe it himself, but I had to give him a merit for trying.

I wouldn’t take the risk of being anywhere alone, despite the emergence of May, and then June, and still no sight of Mauve. Tom’s spirits bubbled; he didn’t seem quite so afraid for me anymore, but I stood on-edge. Mauve supposedly disappeared last time, and I let myself think things that weren’t true like he was now. And look where that got me; black-eyed and bruised. He was out there, and he was watching. The knowledge that he was smartly out there, looking for an open moment to slaughter me was driving me insane during the day, when I wasn’t completely out at night due to fatigue.

By the end of the first week in June, I wanted to leave and know for once that I could sleep in peace and never worry about Mauve again. I wanted to run outside and say, “Come get some, Mauve, I’m right here!” Just so I could go home. Just so I could sleep.

But I didn’t, and I didn’t see him, which brought my laughter levels down low.

My eye was hardly noticeable now. A slightly darker piece of pigment around it, but nothing people saw and actually took heed of. My cheek had healed by far, and my neck, too, and I looked normal again, not savagely hurt.

Riley must have called me at least fourteen times in the last couple months since the attack, but I never got around to returning her beckon calls until Sunday, after I came back from the shelter. It would be nice to sit down and talk to her in a relaxing spot; to hear her voice again and think that I would get to see her again soon. So I punched in her number and held the phone to my ear.

“Yes?” came a deep response after three rings. “If you’re looking for Riley, she’s not here.”

“Frederick?” I murmured, unsure whether I could work things out with him over the phone. He always appeared less irritable in person…well, for certain matters. “Why do you have her phone?”

“This is my phone, not Riley’s.”

“Oops,” I gasped. How could I punch in the wrong number? I knew his by heart still, but I thought my reflex to call it had faded. “Sorry.”

“Did you want to leave a message for her?” His tone lightened only a tad.

“It was sort of…something I wanted to tell all of you.”

“That you were attacked? We know. Why else did you think Riley called a dozen times?” he snorted.

“There’s that, and there’s something else all of you should know. I also…wanted to talk to you. But if Riley isn’t here, then I can call back later—

“No, go ahead. Richard pulled into the driveway with her outside just now. Perfect timing.”

“Well, because of recent happenings, I’m most likely to be coming home.”

He choked on something. “What?”

“My dad decided that it’s too dangerous for me here as long as Mauve’s around, which I agree with. I promised him after the last attack that I’d give Brooklyn another try in hopes that Mauve would go away, but if I ever even saw him again, and if he tries to hurt me again, then Tom’s sending me back to you all.”

“Because he wants you to be safe,” Frederick concluded.

“Like any father would.”

“I’ll tell them in a minute. And you wanted to talk to me?” he egged.

“I thought that talking to you would be easier in person, but I guess it can’t wait.” He remained silent, waiting. My heart sped up. “A friend of mine over here said to me once that part of marriage is knowing there’ll be differences, and knowing that you can work through them together…that sometimes some days won’t be the best days, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get better. And I realized just how much I let it go. Yeah we had issues getting along sometimes, but that didn’t mean I should have given up on you.”

“I know…that you probably hate me because of the way things worked out back then. I didn’t take into consideration what Richard said; I didn’t process the fact that you’re not human and so sometimes it’s hard for you to show feelings in a certain way. I didn’t know then that defeat wasn’t something you handled well, and I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you for the way you reacted to my having to leave. It’s all my fault…but what I’m trying to say is that I’m just completely lost feeling your total absence and carrying it with me. I loved you and I always did, the whole time I was here, but I didn’t understand it until that friend brought it to my attention.”

“You don’t have to love me back, but I just need to know that you’re not with me in a way that weights down my heart like it’s a piece of lead.”

“Hold on just a sec, Jen, I think he’s just a little shocked,” Riley giggled.

“Eh?” I said, totally baffled as to who was listening to all that. She laughed.

“You were on speakerphone the entire time since I poked my head into his bedroom door, right about where you started your speech,” she told me. “Hold on, we’ll be right back.”

I waited impatiently on a blank phone, listening to bits and pieces of incoherent mumbling that it picked up in the distant background. After awhile, they got closer.

“I love you too, not to worry,” Frederick told me, half-stunned still. “I can’t believe you’re finally coming back…well, I don’t wish Mauve upon you, but all you have to do is see him and you’re coming home!”

“That was quick,” I laughed, my nervousness letting loose.

“He was aching for you all along, Jen!” Riley squealed. “I though you might’ve guessed that!”

“But—

“I thought you were done with me, and I tried to act the same,” Frederick admitted.

“You made it sound easy to do; I was trying to act in the same way, because I thought you were totally burnt out with me,” I said, wiping tears from my eyes that came out of nowhere.

“You both fail!” Seth bellowed.

“We both fail,” I agreed. “Quite.”

I talked to Richard then about my situation, and after telling me to call an say if and when I’m coming, he hung up, and I flopped to my back on my bed, utterly relieved. My heart didn’t feel like a weight anymore; it felt like a balloon holding me up, encouraging me to fly, and that’s what sustained and kept me going until the birth of summer, when the temps were hot and the air was fresh with the chirps of birds new to the skies and the smells of sprinklers on lawns.

Eli noticed my change in attitude almost at once, and though he didn’t know why I suddenly perked up, he appreciated it all the same. College let out for something of a break, only to start again toward the middle of August, and that left time for us to come together more often and just goof around. The girls and I went shopping together, and hung out at the mall in flip-flops and tank tops, and when the entire group was involved, Dylan and Eli joined us at a little park nearby to get some fresh air in a place everyone felt at peace. But peace was far from what greeted me there.

“I feel old,” Chuck grumbled, kicking off her shoes. “I never go here anymore to run around and play anymore; isn’t that sad?”

“Don’t you come here with Abe?” I questioned, finding it odd that she never came to the park with her energetic, way-younger sister.

“No, Abe doesn’t like parks since she got hit in the face by a soccer ball here and got a bloody nose,” Chuck clarified. “She also fell off the monkey bars and broke her leg when she was smaller, which is another reason why she won’t come here; not even for a birthday party.” Eli and Dylan jumped to the floor and rolled down the hill before us. Prudence shrugged and joined them, while Chuck and I ran down on foot to the fields where soccer games occurred. The field was empty, which left plenty of open space for us to sprint out hearts out, and then drop and roll in the clover. Chuck stopped to save a ladybug, and I scrambled up to dash to the water fountain and nab a drink—the summer sun parched me fast.

When I looked up from the fountain, I saw a not-so-busy neighborhood street, but that wasn’t all I managed to catch a glimpse of. I saw a knife and a throat collide through the window of a car parked on the street; an event occurring on the other side of the vehicle. I watched crimson liquid flow into the gutter with a sickening viscosity.

I whipped around and ran before I could confirm it was Mauve from his face. There really was nothing to confirm; I saw his crooked hand on the blade. Chuck smiled as I came sprinting back at first, but she analyzed my expression, and jumped to her feet to run beside me.

“Where is he?” she panted, her feet hitting the earth mercilessly, clomping down clover and grass alike just like mine did.

I shook my head, words escaping me. Up the hill, Eli, Dylan and Prudence talked casually by a park picnic table.

“Eli!” Chuck screamed. “Dill, Hal! Run, now!”

Eli’s head snapped around, saw us powering up the hill, and then saw Mauve behind us. I heard him cackle menacingly.

“You will die! Jump out of windows all you want, you’ll still die!” he howled. Dylan and Prudence took off hand in hand to the car they shared for today, and Eli waited for Chuck and me to clamber up the grassy hill. He seized my hand as soon as he could reach it, and I grabbed Chuck’s so as not to leave her behind, but she let go.

“I’m okay, I can run faster solo,” she told us, sprinting ahead to her car. Eli pulled me into high gear, and ran to his car, avoiding mine for the moment.

“You have to go,” he insisted, hastily thrusting the door open. He shoved me in and slammed it shut, then hurried around to the driver’s side and started the car, but he couldn’t drive off fast enough. Mauve practically flung himself at the side window where I sat and thrust his knife into the glass. I shrieked when the force he exerted broke the glass, but what frightened me most after was that Mauve had one hand clamped around my arm, nearing his blade closer to my neck. Eli hit the gas, but Mauve did not let go. No matter how much of a distance we drug him along the asphalt, he did not release.

His knife wasn’t near me now, but his hand crushed my arm. He laughed to the skies until, alas, he did let go, prey for the next oncoming car. I didn’t look when his laughing stopped; I didn’t want to know what happened to demons when crushed by such a heavy object. Either their heads and bodies were like steel and nothing happened, or they walked around perfectly fine missing a head, leg or any other appendage.

Eli made a harsh U-turn up ahead and sped to Tom’s apartment, dragging me to the door. He thrust it open, and Tom shot up from his chair in the living room.

“She needs to leave, now,” Eli demanded roughly. “Jen’s not safe here. What were you thinking? Mauve’s not just going to disappear, Mr. Belinger! I shook him off this time, but I doubt he’s dead or had enough of her torment!”

Tom took me in his arms. Never before had I seen Eli so serious. “Eli—

“Pack your bags; book a flight, any flight! Get her out of here, away from that monster!” he continued.

“Eli, your window,” I pointed out feebly.

“I can fix it, no problem. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself, damn it. You have a right to.” I thanked him before he stormed off and drove away, and I hoped he would be alright.

Tom immediately ran upstairs, went online, and booked a flight for tomorrow, amazingly enough, early in the wee hours of the morning. I packed my clothes into the suitcase I brought them in, and sat it downstairs. I wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, so there was no point in trying. Tom wouldn’t be able to sleep either, knowing that I was only a few hours away from pure safety, and he didn’t want anything to happen to me in that time. So it was a long, long night. I had time to call Richard and tell him I was coming, and the time the flight would land, and I had time to contemplate how early I would have to leave the house with Tom in order to catch the ferry and arrive at the airport. I also called the group, and told them that if they wanted to say goodbye, they could meet us at the ferry station.

I hardly expected any of them to rise that early, and so when I said goodbye on the phone, it was an actual parting token on my side, not just an ‘I’ll see you later’. I would miss them, and I felt bad about having to go after building such a glorious friendship that I would never forget, but they understood now like Eli did, because they’d seen Mauve at work, and most likely they wanted me to go and live on, rather than stay and die.

The sinking feeling came again when morning roused. Tom loaded my suitcase into his car, and I gave him the keys to mine so he could drive it home later. And then our departure to the ferry began.