Finally -- chapter 10! I have to say, I'm REALLY proud of this one. I love how it turned out, especially Eve's and Jamie's parts. I hope you like it too.
Well, I kind of got to live 4 days in Kurt's shoes. I got a boyfriend who was freakishly obsessed with me. He called me 30 times total over the weekend, and 10 times on monday. I talked to him over AIM, and I had to do something, so I said, 'brb'. After a minute or so, he kept asking, 'are you back yet' over and over and OVER again! Then he said, 'if you're not back yet, I'm going to call you'. And he did. Three times in 10 minutes, which bumped the monday calling number from 7 up to the total of 10. It was like he had to know what I was doing at all times, and expected me to answer each time. Out of the total of 40 times he called, I only answered the phone twice. I mean, he's a dude: he's into aerosoft guns and biking. I'm a chick: I'm into makeup and fashion. What the fuck do we have to talk about 10 times a day? Honestly.
Not only that, but he was telling me that he was in love with me, when we had only just met and hooked up friday-ish. His auto away response on AIM was 'waiting for Melissa to log on' and his AIM info just said, 'i love you always forever Melissa' (Melissa's my real name, by the way).
Then today, I found out from others that he is a lying jerk that only liked me for the way I looked, and had been saying vulgar things about me on his bus. He also tried to destroy two friendships with two girls in my class by lying to me and telling me that they were talking about me behind my back, when I found out that they actually weren't. He just said that because they didn't like him.
Hehe, so when he came up to do his obnoxious little 'gush over u and stalk u' routine in the cafeteria, I turned to him and said, "I'm dumping you. So see ya."
And that was the end of my Kurt-in-Nina-relationship experience. It was...interesting. I'm definately not going to think about dating for a while. That was my fourth relationship, and frankly, I'll admit: I do a pretty shitty job at picking boyfriends. The sad thing is that 3 out of 4 of those boyfriends only dated me because of what I looked like, not who I was. That frustrates me. Boys at my age suck. I'm fourteen (yes, I know it seems way too young to be writing a story like this. And I'm not even emo or anything...), by the way. And 14 year old boys are stupid.
Chapter 10 -- Promise
The next day, there was still no sign of Kai. Wendy didn't quite know whether she suspected there to be or not -- but even still, she was worried and bothered by the events. That hadn't changed.
Looking at the clock on her bedisde table, Wendy gasped, realizing she had slept in 'till 11 AM. The young farmer leaped out of bed in a flash, dressed and washed as fast as possible, and flew out the door.
It must be some after-effect of that damn concussion! she thought bitterly, racing to the barn to begin her chores.
"Woah there! Man, Wendy! Take it easy. We don't want you getting hurt again."
Wendy had crashed straight into Bob upon bursting into the barn. He looked at her in surprise, a small smile on his face.
"Bob? What are you..."
"Didn't Alex and Gina tell you? We'll be helping you on the farm until the doc thinks you're fit enough to work on it on your own," interrupted Gwen, stepping out from a stall.
"Oh...that's right..." Wendy murmured, the memory of what Gina had told her coming back. "Sorry for spazzing out like that. I forgot." Wendy smiled embarassedly.
"Eh, don't be," Gwen replied dismissively, waving a hand and flashing a kind smile. Bob nodded in agreement.
His tone darkened, however, when he said, "Nina was supposed to come too. But she absolutely refused to. We don't know why."
Wendy blinked. "Oh...r-really?"
"Yeah," Gwen said, "It was weird. Though Nina always struck me as odd. She...really doesen't like you."
Wendy thought for a moment, remembering past experiences with Nina, and finally said, "Yeah...I kinda noticed."
Silently, they all set about to work.
Hours later, the work was done.
"You sure got your work cut out for you. This is a big farm. But that's a good thing. And your animals are in great shape." Gwen snorted and added, "Sure can't say the same for Jamie. I hope she gets out of the sanatorium soon so I can have give her a piece of my mind!"
Wendy shrugged. She felt sympathetic towards Jamie, personally. Though it was quite obvious Gwen didn't, which was why she said nothing.
"Nevermind that. We've all had a long work day. So why don't the three of us go out and get something to eat?" Bob suggested as the three of them left the barn.
Wendy agreed -- it seemed like a good way to get her mind off things. Gwen agreed very enthusiastically. Wendy couldn't help but notice the secret little smile she gave Bob.
Wendy felt awkward at the sight of Duke, Eve's uncle, praying in her mind that he would not question her about his neice. She received a solemn look from him as she, Gwen, and Bob ordered their food, but luckily, he mentioned nothing.
"How's your head, Wendy?" Bob asked suddenly.
Wendy nodded. "It's ok. I'm just a little tired."
"Yeah...that's normal. I got a concussion once when I was 13 -- fell off a horse," said Gwen.
That got Gwen and Bob talking on the subject of horses, as both were great animal lovers. Wendy took a moment to close her eyes, but it was far from relaxing. It only made her think about the incident with her mother, and how Kai was missing. And then there was Kurt and Joe...
"Wendy?"
"Huh?"
Wendy's eyes snapped open, and she looked to see both Gwen and Bob giving her looks of concern.
"Something wrong?" Gwen asked, head tilting slightly.
"No...well...kind of. I-it's nothing, really, just got a lot on my mind..." Wendy muttered, shaking her head slowly.
"Do you...want to talk about it?" said Gwen.
Wendy sighed. That wasn't a bad idea...
"Well, I never told you, but...my mom and her friend Julia set up an arranged marriage for me and her son Kai. He's really nice, but we both don't want to marry eachother. So Kai and I made a plan to earn up money so we can file something against the document my mother has. But the thing is, Julia really abuses Kai, and after a fight, he ran away... I don't know where he is, so I'm kind of worried... And...I'm worried about Kurt, too...and then there's Joe...I..."
"Go on," Bob said, nodding encouragingly.
Wendy took a deep breath. "Kurt came to see my in the hospital. He's really upset. We...had broken up before then because of some feelings Joe and I have for eachother... Joe and I broke it off, but if I get into a situation with him again, I don't know if I can hold back...the feelings are still there. But I still care deeply for Kurt."
There was a long period of silence.
"Wendy, I...I never knew," Gwen stated, looking shocked.
"Yeah. Is there anything we can do?" Bob asked.
"Well...I could use some advice. I mean, what do I do? Kai could be in danger, Kurt could be in danger, and...oh, I don't know..."
"I don't know a solution, but I'll think about it. We both will," said Gwen, nodding reassuringly. Bob agreed.
Wendy smiled, feeling a little less troubled. Bob and Gwen were always so kind.
"Thanks, you guys," she said.
But before anything else could be said, the three friends spotted Dan jogging towards them, his gaze locked on Wendy. He was there in seconds, and he didn't waste a moment as he said, "Wendy, have you heard from Eve?"
"Yeah, just the other day, but...why do you want to know?" Wendy answered suspiciously.
"That jerk Ray, that's why!" Dan snapped.
An alarm seemed to go off in Wendy's stomach.
"Ray? Dan, what are you talking about?"
"That fucking dick who treats her like shit! Eve hasn't told you anything, I'm guessing?!"
People in the cafe were beginning to look over curiously. Wendy looked across the table at Gwen and Bob, but they seemed just as confused as she did.
"Dan, please...explain what you're talking about," Wendy said, heart thumping.
"I found out that Ray's been beating Eve, Wendy. She's bruised -- I saw it. She was crying and everything..." The heartbreak was plain in Dan's eyes.
Wendy swallowed, shock overcoming her. She remembered that night Eve had run to her house in a storm and spent the night.
"When...when did you see...all that..." she uttered, brown eyes round and wide as she gaped at Dan.
"Yesterday evening. I'm telling you, Ray's no good. He beat me up, and now he's taking his problems out on Eve, and in turn, taking the problems out on their unborn baby. She's safe for now, he's still out of town, but he could come back any time," Dan replied.
Wendy felt as though her heard smoldered from rage and despair. She stood up quickly and left the restaraunt, Dan at her heels, with Bob and Gwen calling her name in surprise. The eyes of every customer were upon her as she burst out of the cafe.
Dan and Wendy quickly made their way to Eve's house, the evening sun shining warmingly in the sky. But Wendy failed to notice it as the word 'Why?' repeated itself in her mind.
At last, they were nearly at the house.
"Wendy, wait!"
Wendy and Dan turned around to see Bob and Gwen running towards them, panting.
"Wendy, calm down...you'll upset Eve if you freak out about this," Bob said.
Wendy knew he was right, but it was almost impossible to calm down.
"Look," she said with a sigh, "Gwen, Bob, thanks for everything, but I don't think we should all storm in like this. I want to talk to Eve alone."
Gwen and Bob exchanged sad glances, and after a moment, they promised not to interfere, and turned and left quietly.
"You're not going in there alone, you know," Dan snapped.
Wendy glared at him. "Please, Dan. Just let me do this."
"No. I want to talk to her again too, you know."
"Dan...!"
"I'd like to see you stop me."
He strode past Wendy and up to the door, promptly knocking on it. Wendy hurried after him, disgruntled.
They waited for a while, then knocked again. Still nothing.
"Dammit!" Wendy growled, pounding on the door. "EVE, LET ME IN!"
Still silence. Both feeling dismayed, Wendy and Dan stood and waited for a while longer.
"We'll try again later..." Dan said quietly.
Wendy nodded, almost in tears, and turned on her heel swiftly, striding from the scene. She was filled to the brim with anger and sadness, and now more tired than ever.
When she returned home, Wendy angrily slammed the door behind her, tears rolling down her cheeks, wondering where Eve was and why she had tried to hide the problem from her. And it was then that she spotted a note on the kitchen table...
With a trembling hand, Wendy picked up the note. It read:
Wendy,
Maybe this is the only way out. If they can't find me then they can't force us to marry, can they? But if they do, maybe the hope is gone. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I don't know how we can earn the money to stop this shit from happening. I'll hide until some miracle comes along.
I'll find you soon, and we can talk more about this then.
I'm sorry.
Kai
Wendy let out a wail and ripped the note to pieces.
"Good girl...you didn't say a word," Ray sneered, watching as Eve peered through the blinds of the bedroom.
Eve watched Dan and Wendy leave, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"Well, look at that -- Eve is showing some emotion! I thought you had no heart, Eve...seeing as you don't care that my father is dead. Not once when I called did you pick up the phone. Not...one...fucking...time!" Ray spat.
Eve spun around to face him, her face red and blotchy from crying and being hit. "I SAID I WAS SORRY!"
Ray seized Eve by the front of the blouse and yanked her towards him.
"THEN TELL ME WHY YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME, AND DIDN'T ANSWER THE MOTHER FUCKING PHONE!" he screamed.
"I didn't forget about you! Ray, there is only one phone in this house, and I was never in the room to hear it ring! It's sheer coincidence!"
"I CALLED SO MANY TIMES, YOU LYING BITCH!"
Eve trembled, staring into Ray's eyes, trying to get some sympathy. But there was no trace of human in his blue eyes...just insane rage and hate.
"Ray, but what about the baby...?" she whimpered meekly. "Please...stop this..."
"Not until you learn some respect!" Ray shoved Eve to the ground, and she let out a gasp of pain. Before she could get up, Ray had her pinned down, his faces inches from hers.
"Now...tell me why you didn't call me..." he hissed dangerously.
"I-I already told you..." Eve answered, voice quavering.
Ray grabbed her face, leaned in closer, and growled, "Your answer was bull! You were cheating with Dan again, weren't you!?"
"No!"
"ADMIT IT!"
"STOP IT, YOU'LL HURT THE BABY!" Eve lashed a slender fist out and struck Ray in the cheek.
There was a stunned silence, where Ray sat shocked. But then that rage returned, multiplied by ten.
"DON'T...YOU...EVER...DEFY ME!" he bellowed, striking Eve repeatedly across the face. Fresh tears streamed from Eve's eyes as she cried out in pain, knowing that no makeup was enough to cover these bruises...and the old ones had hardly just healed...
And suddenly, the beating stopped, and Ray backed away from her face.
"Huh...?" Slowly, wincing, Eve looked up. She thought perhaps that nightmare was over, that Ray had come to his senses.
That was not true -- it was now made worse.
Ray was bent over her, removing her skirt. Eve knew what was coming next. She screamed and kicked out, trying to get him away, but he easily overpowered her. The skirt was tossed aside carelessly, and in seconds, Eve's panties lay next to it.
A blood curdling scream rang from Eve's throat as Ray forced his length into her all the way, and she knew he intended for her to feel such pain. It was far from any act of love -- he did it out of rage, hate, and false feeling of betrayal.
Ray pleasured himself at Eve's expense, frequently hissing foul words in her ear. Eve's mind flashed to the time they first had intercourse, which was lovemaking then. There had never been such a wonderful feeling that night, which felt so long ago -- and how ironic that the man who had given her such love now gave her the most pain. She closed her eyes, wanting to die.
The only positive thing there was to say about the nightmare was that it was quick. Ray released and promptly pulled out, with Eve laying limp and broken on the ground, fearing the worst for her unborn child.
"You're a dirty slut Eve, and as so you will be treated..." Ray said darkly, roughly twisting a lock of her blonde hair around his finger.
"You don't love me at all...I know you don't..." Eve whispered in a broken tone. She would have started crying again, had her tears not all been spent.
"No, my darling, I DO love you. But I don't respect you or your whoreish ways." A rough kiss on the lips and then Ray left, leaving Eve still lying on the floor.
She rolled onto her side and hugged her knees, trembling, feeling ill. Things couldn't go on like this, they just couldn't. But there was no way out.
Blue paced through the fields of Blue Sky Ranch, the silence being absorbed into his heart like a sponge. Things had been depressingly quiet all day, because the previous night's event was still fresh in both his and Popuri's minds. He had only seen her once that day, and it was just watching her walk into the barn to milk the cows. His courage felt sapped, and he was embarassed by the fact that he was so unnerved by it all that he avoided the barn entirely.
However, Blue had mustered up the courage to watch over Ellen frequently. She still would barely leave her room. She seemed more down than usual that day, and that made Blue a little nervous. He was so afraid of what she might do if left alone...
This thought brought him to return to her bedroom and check on her once more.
"Ellen?" He pushed the door open gently.
Ellen was seated by the window. She did not speak, did not turn around.
"Erm...are you...ok?" he stuttered, face flushing. The sight of her still made his heart thump. He was relieved that he had finally gotten the courage to look at her despite it.
"I'm fine," Ellen said, ever so quietly.
"That's...good..."
There was a long, awkward silence, but Ellen did not seem to notice. Blue felt his face growing a brighter shade of red.
"Can I, uh...get you anything?"
"No thank you, Blue."
"R-right...alright... Sorry to bother you..."
Blue left, shutting the door gently behind him. He sighed, retreated to his own bedroom, and fell back on the bed, feeling tortured by his night with Popuri and Ellen's state. And although Hank wasn't getting any worse, he wasn't getting any better yet, and the pressures of running the farm were growing. It was a lot to handle.
"Blue, do you think we should, well...tell someone else about this?"
Blue met her eyes, hardening his face so much that Popuri winced. "What do you mean?" he demanded.
Popuri blinked away her look of apprehension and said firmly, "I mean someone professional. Suicide is a big deal. And I heard Alex just called in a new psychiatrist temporarily..."
"But then what would that do to Ellen? Word spreads so fast in this town. Everyone would know about this incident in a few days' time!"
Popuri studied him, her eyes narrowing slightly. Softly, she said, "Are you feeling that Ellen would be embarassed? Or is it actually you who would feel more embarassed?"
Blue hated himself, remembering the jerkish way he had behaved to Popuri's idea about helping his cousin. He knew she had been right -- selfishness was the main cause of his reluctance to find Ellen help. It hurt so much to see Ellen like a stone, a shell of her old, bright self...
Maybe, he thought, Just maybe, I should talk to Alex about this...
Half of him screamed against the idea, with the other half whispering to him, telling him that he should do something now before there was another chance for a suicide attempt. Blue lay there, contemplating the pros and cons, and then finally decided that talking to Alex was the best bet. He didn't think he could handle it if Ellen died.
It was evening as Blue walked along to Alex's clinic. The summer air felt warm, with a nice breeze. He let it creep into his very being, desiring the comfort that nature always gave him. He needed some sort of reassurance, whether it be from a human or nonhuman source. And minutes later, Blue looked up to face the clinic.
"Well...here goes nothing, I guess..." he said under his breath, pushing past the doors and into the small, white building.
He heard a gasp emit from some chairs next to the door. Mildly surprised, Blue turned to see Dia, a delicate hand resting over her heart, staring up at him in shock. Blue was now made aware of the fact that in his nervousness, he had entered the clinic more than just a little loudly.
"Oh...sorry..." he grunted.
The corners of Dia's lips turned down slightly, but regardless, she said, "It's ok."
"Is Alex around?"
"He's busy discussing things with that Dr. Laye woman. He'll be out soon."
"Dr. Laye?"
"Yes. The psychiatrist." Dia let off a cold smirk, ran a hand through her short black hair, and added, "The one that's tending to Jamie."
Blue gazed at Dia's face, not liking the amused look upon it. In his opinion, there was nothing funny about someone who was ill.
"Guess you're not friends with her then..." Blue snorted quietly. The words were intended only for him, but Dia caught them, and Blue cursed his luck.
"Friends? With Jamie? She has no friends. A broke, foolish loser of a girl shouldn't have any friends. Don't you agree?"
Blue was rather taken aback by Dia's sudden arrogance. She was so quiet on any other topic.
"Don't you?" Dia repeated.
"Not really."
"Well, isn't that a foolish thought?"
Blue felt his face heat up. He wanted this conversation to end, so he looked away from Dia. And yet, she went on.
"The girl is a complete mess, you know. Stubborn as a mule, too. She just won't let anyone help her -- but I do suppose that's a good thing. We're all sick of her at the sanatorium. Her behavior is just too much to handle. I feel so sorry for Alex and my dear friend Gina... Gina absolutely despises Jamie, and Alex is getting frustrated. He's the one who brought her to the sanatorium, but I think it's hopeless. She's starving herself to death, everything like that. She is just as close to death in his care as she was living on her own. Not saying that Alex isn't a wonderful doctor, of course..."
Blue was definately not liking Dia at all. He always thought there was an air of "better than everyone else" about her...and now he knew for sure. But what, he wondered, had Jamie done to Dia to make her hate Jamie so much? Dia seemed passionate about that hate. From the few times he had seen Dia before, this was the most Blue had heard her talk.
Thankfully, Alex strode in.
"Alright, Dia, now -- Blue?" The doctor paused, looking at Blue curiously.
"I, uh...wanted to talk to you about something," Blue said quickly.
"Of course. But first, I need to take care of Dia. Can it wait a few minutes?"
Blue swallowed, thinking of Ellen back up in her room, possibly alone, if Popuri wasn't with her. He nodded.
Alex smiled warmly, nodded in return, and escorted Dia to one of the back rooms.
Blue stared at the clock and waited. True to his word, Alex arrived back minutes later, followed by Dia, who promptly left.
"Come to my office, Blue."
Blue slowly got to his feet and followed Alex to his office. The doctor shut the door behind him, and pointed to a chair. Blue took a seat, and Alex sat behind his desk.
"What is it you wanted to talk about?"
Blue swallowed, his throat feeling dry now. This was nerve-racking... What was the best way to go about something like this?
"I hear you got a new psychiatrist in town," he said suddenly.
Alex nodded. "Yes, I did. She is very good at what she does. I'm confident in her ability to aid certain patients of mine."
"That's...good."
"Now, what is it you wanted to tell me?"
Blue's palms sweated nervously. He just barely managed to force out the words, "What if...what if I knew someone who might need some help?"
"Help?" Alex frowned.
"Y-yeah... With...that, that psychiatrist..."
"Who did you have in mind that may need to speak with Dr. Laye?" Alex asked gently.
"...Ellen..." It hurt to say that. Blue felt like he was ratting her out in a strange way, but he told himself, it was better that than letting her kill herself.
"Ellen?" Alex seemed quite surprised. "What happened?"
"I..." Blue knew he couldn't talk about it, not now. Just couldn't...
"I gotta go. We'll do this another time," he said hastily, getting up and rushing out despite Alex's protests.
Blue felt humiliated as he reentered his house and pounded up the stairs to make sure nothing bad had happened while he was gone. But before he could get to Ellen's bedroom, he paused before Popuri's, standing in the open doorway.
Popuri stood by the bed, packing a suitcase. Blue gaped at her, and a look of hurt crossed her delicate features.
"I'm sorry, Blue. But this place is just too full of iniquity. It's not you -- it's this whole town."
Blue couldn't believe what he was hearing. Popuri looked away.
"It's for the best. It was a mistake I came here in the first place. Please...understand why this needs to happen."
That was impossible. In Blue's heart, another candle was snuffed out.
Kurt moaned in his sleep, feeling uncomfortable. Since when was his bed so cold and hard...? Something wasn't right. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Kurt's vision was blurred in a strange way, but it cleared after a moment. It took him a second to register the fact that he was not lying in bed at all, but in an alleyway in the city.
Kurt let out a gasp of shock and sat up, but he nearly toppled over. He was feeling strangely dazed and unbalanced...not normal at all.
He tried to remember what he was doing here, but the pieces of his memory didn't seem to be coming together right. It took him a while just to remember that he had been sent to the city to buy something for Woody. And yet, he couldn't even remember what he bought...
I drove here to the city...but...then what?
Kurt remembered buying something, but it wasn't what Woody wanted. But what had he bought? And why had he passed out?
He rubbed his temples, still sitting in the alleyway, still trying to remember what he had done to end up in such a sorry state. At the moment, however, that seemed hopeless.
Luckily, one thing he DID remember was where he parked his car. Kurt fished around in his left pocket for his car keys, but they were gone... Regardless, he set off to the spot where he had parked, which was easy to trace from his current location.
"No fucking way..." he murmured in disbelief as he saw, with horror, that the car was gone from where he had parked it.
"No!"
Kurt guessed he must have searched for half an hour. And yet, there was still no trace of the car, or the keys. And worst of all, it wasn't even his car.
Kurt hurried into the nearby police station and made a beeline for the desk. Two officers looked up at him curiously.
"May I help you, son?" said the older of the two, glancing up from some paperwork.
"Yes, my car...well...my neighbor's car...i-it's been stolen. I've looked, but it's nowhere around," Kurt said.
"Where did you park it?" the other officer asked.
"At the gas station down the block..."
Kurt began to feel ill again. The policemen seemed to notice.
"You ok, kid? You look kinda funny."
"I'll be fine..."
"How long has the car been missing?"
Kurt ran a hand through his brown hair, trying to think of an answer. If only he could remember a thing...
"Well..." he said, "I...I really don't know... See, I can't remember much...I passed out last night in this alleyway, and I don't know why..."
Kurt cursed himself at that. He knew that was the wrong thing to say, as the officers exchanged dark looks.
"Well then, son, there's not much we can do for you except suggest you get some help."
"What are you talking about?" Kurt demanded.
The officers looked at eachother again. Then the younger one said, "We get a lot of druggies like you in here, expecting us to find things they may have hocked to get a fix. Then they don't remember a thing."
"I'm not a druggie!" Kurt insisted.
"Look like one to me. Now, please leave. And next time, if we see you buying the stuff, we'll arrest you -- you're lucky you haven't been caught in the act."
Angrily, Kurt turned on his heel and stalked out. The only other option he had was to hail a cab. Waiting on the side of the road, he finally managed to pull one over, and got inside.
"Where ya headed?" grunted the driver.
"Flowerbud Village."
"That's about a good 45 minutes away, kid. It'll cost ya about 45 bucks."
"Yeah, ok..." Kurt went through his pockets, trying to make sure he had the money. Nothing...except...
Kurt reached into his right pocket, feeling a small box. He opened it, and saw nothing but pills inside.
"What the hell...?"
"You got the money?" the driver snapped, growing irritated.
"No, sir...I'm sorry...I don't know what happened to it."
"Dammit, boy! Then get out of the cab!"
"But I have no other way home!"
"Ain't my problem! If you go around spending money on your little habit --" he nodded to the box and continued, "Then ya can't expect rides. This is the city, kid, y'know? Transportation costs money! Now get out!"
Frustrated and worried about how he was going to get home, Kurt roughly opened the cab door, got out, and slammed it hard behind him. It drove off.
He stood there on the side of the road, staring at the small box of drugs, wondering if this was where his money had gone... Had the police officers been right? Had he really stooped that low? Absentmindedly, Kurt pocketed the box.
Did I...did I really take something last night? Is that why I feel so shitty, why I woke up in an alley, why I can't remember anything?
Frightened, Kurt began walking up the sidewalk, trying to think of how he was going to get home, and wondering if he really had taken something. And the pills in his pocket...what were they, and why did he have them?
I really should throw these things out...but I won't. Maybe, just maybe, it could --
Just then, a very beat up old car pulled up next to Kurt. The window of the driver's seat rolled down, and Joe glared at him.
"Joe!?"
"There you are. Get in the fucking car. Now," Joe snapped, with a look in his eyes that could kill.
Without a word, Kurt went around to the other side and climbed in. Joe drove off in the direction of Flowerbud.
"Would you like to tell me just WHAT THE FUCKING HELL YOU WERE DOING!?" Joe yelled, rounding on Kurt, who flinched.
"That's the thing...I don't know..." Kurt had rarely seen Joe so angry.
He gasped as his older brother grabbed him by the front of the shirt and jerked him closer.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON'T KNOW!? AND WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!? YOU LOOK LIKE A FUCKING DEAD PERSON!"
Kurt didn't know what to say. 'Sorry Joe, but I think I got hammered and passed out in an alleyway' didn't seem like the right choice. But if he didn't say something, anything, then Joe would probably kill him.
"Joe, I don't remember anything... Please, let me go, you're hurting me..." Kurt answered weakly.
"LIAR! NOW WHAT WERE YOU DOING ALL NIGHT LONG!? WOODY AND I LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR YOU! AND WE SPENT A TON OF MONEY JUST TO RENT THIS PIECE OF SHIT CAR SO I COULD FIND YOU!"
"I woke up in an alleyway and found that the car was stolen, and that all the money I had with me was gone!"
Joe looked shocked.
"What?!"
"I don't remember anything... I just woke up in some alleyway this morning..." Kurt decided to leave out the part about the pills he was keeping in his pocket.
Joe still seemed angry, but concern was creeping into his face too.
"Are you injured?"
"No..."
"Then you can't have been mugged. Though, knowing you, you're probably hiding something, Kurt." Joe shot him a glare, and Kurt became angry.
"Hiding something!? Joe, why do you always treat me like some sneaky liar?! Don't you ever trust me?!"
"Not lately, because you're like a child, Kurt. You're going out with the craziest girl in Flowerbud. Nina's probably the one that tried to kill Wendy! Don't you understand!?" Joe laughed bitterly, and Kurt saw that there were tears in his eyes. "YOU'RE A STUPID, FUCKING CHILD, KURT..."
The two brothers fought eachother until both were hoarse for the rest of the ride home.
Once they were inside the house, Kurt made a break for the stairs, but Joe grabbed him roughly by the back of the shirt and shoved him face first into the wall.
"OW! JOE, STOP IT!"
Kurt tried to get away, but he was pressed so hard into the wall that he couldn't get his arms in to push himself away from it.
"I'M SICK OF HOW SELFISH YOU ARE, KURT! YOU NEED TO START ACTING LIKE AN ADULT! EVER SINCE YOU AND WENDY BROKE UP, YOU'VE BECOME SOME KIND OF LOSER!" yelled Joe.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT WE BROKE UP! YOU JUST LET YOUR DICK DO THE TALKING, YOU ASSHOLE! YOU STOLE HER FROM ME!"
"IT'S IN THE PAST! REMEMBER, I TOLD YOU I WAS WRONG, AND THAT SHE BELONGED TO YOU! AND YET YOU STILL CHOSE TO MAKE YOURSELF MISERABLE BY STAYING WITH NINA!"
"I HATE YOU! NOTHING IN MY LIFE IS ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Kurt screamed. Joe pushed him harder into the wall, if that was possible, but Kurt went on, "I WISH YOU WERE DEAD! YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THAT FIRE WITH MOM AND DAD!"
Joe had had it. He released Kurt from the wall and dragged him to the floor, and an all-out brawl began.
"STOP IT! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Woody cried as he entered the room, only to find Kurt and Joe mercilessly beating eachother. With no hesitation, he ran over to them and yanked Joe off of Kurt. It was a difficult task to keep Joe away.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT KURT! YOU'LL EAT YOUR WORDS!" he snarled, struggling against Woody.
"BOTH OF YOU, STOP IT! GO TO YOUR ROOMS, NOW!" Woody snapped, shoving Joe towards the stairs. He yanked Kurt to his feet and pushed him forward too.
"NOW!"
Both Kurt and Joe pounded up the stairs and to their individual rooms without another word to eachother.
Joe lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his insides still boiling with fury. How could Kurt say such things to him?
"I WISH YOU WERE DEAD! YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THAT FIRE WITH MOM AND DAD!"
Joe's eyes burned with tears just thinking about those words. They filled him with an ominous feeling of shock, despair, and anger.
He rolled over onto his side, wondering if Kurt meant that at all. The tone of voice he had used when saying it was a tone Joe had never heard from his brother before...
And what had happened with Kurt in the city? Joe hadn't been lying when he told Kurt that he didn't trust him lately. He didn't think that anyone could deny the fact that Kurt's childish behavior was getting absurd.
"Damn that stupid bastard...!" Angrily, Joe grabbed his alarm clock and threw it against the wall, knowing that on the other side of it was Kurt's room. The alarm clock made a loud 'bang' as it hit, and then smashed into pieces, coming to rest in a mechanical heap on the floor.
Joe buried his face in his pillow, wishing the past few weeks were just some terrible nightmare, and that he would soon wake up.
Joe emerged from his bedroom in a few hours' time, still upset, still not forgiving Kurt. And yet, the anger had vanished, leaving him feeling numb and drained.
Quietly, he crept down the stairs. Down in the workroom, he spotted Woody, pounding a nail into what looked like a dresser in the making. The melancholy, slow-working bang of the hammer echoed across the room. Woody's shoulders looked slumped. With a pang of guilt, Joe guessed that all the emotional conflict between himself and Kurt was affecting his teacher, too.
"Woody?"
Without looking up, Woody replied gruffly, "What do you want, Joe?"
Joe flinched, his brown eyes guiltily traveling downward. Slowly, he descended the rest of the stairs.
"I'm really sorry about all this, Woody. I don't know what all I can say to you...just that I'm really, really sorry."
Woody reached for another nail, still not looking at his apprentice. "If you're so sorry, then why don't you do something to fix the problem?"
Joe was a little offended. "What have I done wrong?" he said. "Isn't it Kurt that's ruining everything for the rest of us? He needs to grow up."
"That's a selfish answer, Joe. Makes you sound just as childish as your brother. If you really thought about it, you would see that you are as much to blame as he is."
"But..." Joe faltered. Was Woody right?
"Well...what do you see that I've done wrong?" he asked.
Woody let out a bitter chuckle. In his heart, Joe had a sinking feeling that his relationship with Kurt wasn't the only one becoming more and more strained...
"You didn't seem to have quite enough resistance when it came to Wendy. She was Kurt's first, you know. You have a good heart, Joe -- when I heard about what happened between you and Wendy, I was disappointed, because I thought you had more self control than that. And I am aware that Kurt's life isn't going how you'd hoped. Maybe you need to take a step back and let him make his mistakes, and hope he has enough sense to realize them. Intervene only if things are as bad as they can possibly be. If you interfere too much in his life, Kurt is going to get upset -- he's like that, I'm sure you know," said Woody.
"Things ARE as bad as they can get. You don't know the half of it," argued Joe.
Woody didn't say anything.
"Woody!?"
He still said nothing. Irritated and more frustrated still, Joe grabbed his fishing pole and left the house. He needed to relax.
If I don't get out of this house, I'll go insane...
Joe arrived at his favorite fishing spot: at the river that bordered Wendy's farm. He thought about her as he took a seat on the grass: his feelings for the girl weren't dead.
He suddenly heard an angry shout to his right, and looked up in surprise to see Wendy not terribly far away, angrily chucking rocks into the river.
Quietly, Joe approached her, curious.
"Wendy?"
Wendy gasped and dropped a fistful of rocks, turning around to face Joe. "Joe! Goodness, you scared me..."
Joe frowned, seeing that her face appeared red and blotchy, her eyes puffy. It was apparent that she had been crying.
"Wendy, are you alright?"
Wendy furrowed her eyebrows, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and turned back to the river.
"Fine," she answered stiffly.
"Well, you don't look like you're fine." Joe picked up one of the rocks she had dropped and chucked it into the river, watching the ripples on the surface.
"Ok then. I'm not fine. I can admit that."
Joe looked at her and asked, "Do you...need to talk?"
He couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked in the setting sun, but he thanked the Harvest Goddess for the fact that he was no longer speechless around her, and that she seemed the same way.
Wendy sighed heavily. "Well...Kai's gone missing, and he left me a note saying that he's backing out of the deal we made to stop the contract. And...I just found out today that Ray's been abusing Eve. I've been trying to get a hold of her all evening, but either no one's home, or no one is answering the door. I'm really scared, Joe."
Joe felt bad feeling that he derived some comfort from knowing that even more people he knew were in pain. Jamie, Wendy, Kurt, Eve, Dan...the list kept growing.
"What are you going to do about Eve?"
Wendy was thoughtful for a moment. Finally, she said, "I don't know." With a bitter chuckle, she added, "Probably yell my ass off at her for sticking with Ray. I'm in shock over all this..."
Joe nodded sadly. "That's understandable. Is there anything I can do?"
"Humph. Murder Ray, that's what."
"How about I keep an eye out for her too, and we can try to get Ray framed?"
"That might work..."
Wendy and Joe stood together for a while, like two lost ships at sea, drifting further and further away.
Jamie tried to ignore Dia, tried to pretend like she wasn't there. But it was as if her enemy took any opportunity she could to look over her book and give Jamie nasty, teasing looks. Trying to block out the sight of Dia, Jamie put her own book up so it covered her face and shut most things from view. She wasn't actually reading the novel, but Gina insisted Jamie get out of her room and try to do something to take her mind off of things, yet leaving her bed to go "spend time" with Gina and Dia in the lobby only made Jamie feel worse.
Gina was knitting, and didn't notice the invisible battle going on between Dia and Jamie.
"What's wrong, Jamie? Can't read?" Dia whispered nastily.
"What are you talking about?"
"You haven't flipped a page in half an hour. Perhaps you aren't really reading at all, hm?"
Jamie glared at Dia. "Don't you have anything better to do than wait for me to flip pages? That's sad."
Jamie knew that those words would probably trigger another beating from Dia some time later, but she didn't care just then. She had to vent.
"YOU'RE what's sad, you waste of a woman."
"Hmph." Trying again to forget about Dia, Jamie lifted the book up once more.
"Oh, going to do the 'big girl' thing and try to ignore me now, hm?" Dia sneered after a moment.
"SHUT UP, DIA!" Jamie angrily slammed the book shut, and the noise caught Gina's attention.
"What's going on?" the young nurse demanded, setting down her knitting and standing up.
"I don't know. Jamie's yelling at me, and I didn't even say anything to her..." Dia said slowly and honestly. Jamie cursed under her breath at Dia's ability to lie.
Gina glared tiredly at Jamie and said, "Jamie, you should go rest some more. And leave Dia alone."
Jamie dropped the book down next to where she had been sitting on the couch, and stood up angrily, stiffly walking to the stairs. A glance over her shoulder revealed that Dia was concealing fits of giggling behind her hand.
"Dr. Laye won't be coming to see you today, by the way. You'll talk to her tomorrow," Gina called after Jamie.
But Jamie gave no reply as she slammed her door behind her.
That night, Jamie lay in bed, fearing that Dia would come in that night to "punish" her again. On the side, her thoughts wandered to what had happened with Joe the night before. No one was ever that patient with her, not even Alex.
But what does Joe REALLY want with me, anyway? I shouldn't trust him. Maybe I want to... But I can't, can I...?
Jamie turned over on her side, worrying again, regretting saying the things she said to Dia back down in the lobby. Jamie didn't think her body could handle another round of abuse at the time... Every bit of movement still hurt from the other episode with Dia last night. And another beating would also be her oneway ticket to a hospital in the city, since no one believed that Dia would do such things. They all thought it was Jamie.
Eventually, Jamie drifted off, but not for long. Haunting her realm of dreams were vivid flashbacks of the attacks from Dia, and Jamie was jerked out of sleep. She lay panting in bed, wet with cold sweat. It took her a long time to convince herself that it was just a dream, but when she did, Jamie was left with an urge to flee.
No...I can't handle another night of Dia, I just can't. I'll leave before she can find me.
Jamie kicked off the covers and, quickly and quietly despite her aching wounds, she crept out of her room and down the stairs, unlocking the front door. And then, she was free.
The night air felt cold but wonderful to Jamie. The fresh air, and the fact that she was out of the sanatorium made her feel a bit better. Without wasting any time, Jamie enlarged the distance between herself and the terrible place.
Wandering around with no real purpose or motive other than freedom, Jamie's walk took her past her ranch. She stood at the fence, staring at the slowly recovering fields, the empty house. She missed only the good times in that house, but the more painful, recent memories that took place inside it made Jamie not want to venture any closer. With a last glance at it, she continued on.
She didn't know how long she had been wandering. Maybe it was an hour, maybe only 15 minutes. To Jamie, time seemed no longer existant, but that wasn't a bad thing: she was out of the sanatorium, and even her injuries bothered her less. But that didn't mean it was a perfect night...
Jamie saw something that deeply disturbed her as she found herself near Spring Farm. Her ears caught the sound of a chopping ax... But at so late a time, who would be out chopping wood?
The sound came from behind the seed shed of Spring Farm. Quietly, so as not to be heard, Jamie crept around to get a look at what was going on.
She could see right away that it was Nina using the ax -- her bright pink hair was unmistakable. From behind a tree, Jamie tried to peer into the darkness to see what she was chopping. From the sound it made, whatever was getting chopped was definately not wood.
"I didn't hit her hard enough last time... This time, things won't fail. This time, she'll get what was coming to her all along," said Nina darkly. Jamie's heart gave a violent jolt, for at first, she thought that Nina was speaking to her. But then, she realized that the words Nina spoke were intended for her ears alone.
And then, she saw it -- Jamie saw what Nina had been using the ax on. It made her sick... For grasped in Nina's tightly clenched fist hung the rotting body of a headless chicken. It was hard not to scream. So shocked that she barely cared if Nina saw her, Jamie dashed away, and only when she could no longer see Spring Farm did she stop.
Jamie finally stopped when she reached a clump of trees not so far from the woodshop. She doubled over, hands on her knees, panting heavily, her weak body trembling from the exertion. Like she had many times before, Jamie felt frustrated by the fact that her physical state inhibited her.
She sat down with her back against a tree to rest. Jamie fell asleep without intending to.
"Wake up... Jamie..."
Someone was gently tapping her on the shoulder. With a soft groan, Jamie lifted her head and slowly looked up at whoever had awakened her. A pair of soft brown eyes were staring into her sharp blue ones.
"What are you doing here?" Joe asked quizically.
"Why's it matter? What about you?" Jamie replied.
Joe chuckled and said, "Like you just said: why does it matter?" He extended a hand to Jamie, and she reluctantly took it. Joe gently pulled her to her feet and said, with an expression of concern, "You shouldn't be out here in the middle of the woods. You're still badly hurt..."
Jamie ignored the worried words and asked, "What time is it?"
Joe sighed. "About one in the morning. Still plenty of time for you to get back to the sanatorium... I'll take you there, if you want."
Jamie took a step back and shook her head. "I'm not going back there right now," she snapped.
Gazing blankly at her for a moment, Joe said nothing. He just looked her up and down, seeming to be deep in thought.
"Take a picture." Jamie turned her back.
Joe laughed slightly and said with honesty, "Well, you seem to have more strength and spunk than you did last night. Funny, how we keep meeting in these situations... But if you don't mind my asking, why don't you want to go back to the sanatorium?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Well, alright...I won't make you answer anything. But here...come with me."
Joe turned and started walking in the direction of his house. After a moment's hesitation, Jamie followed him, and together they entered the dark house.
Another wave of exhaustion hit Jamie, and it was actually hard to resist the urge to just curl up on the floor and go to sleep. Joe was somehow able to tell, and he quickly offered Jamie a seat on the couch. She gladly accepted.
"Hold on one second. Stay right there," said Joe, heading into the kitchen. Jamie nodded, quietly waiting for him to return.
He was back in a few seconds, baring a small plate with crackers and a glass of water. He offered them to Jamie.
"I don't want --" she started, but was cut off by Joe.
"Humor me, ok?"
Jamie sighed and accepted the plate. At first, she hadn't intended to even touch the crackers, but she couldn't help but eat every single one and finish the glass of water. But that left her feeling guilty for reasons she couldn't explain.
"Are you feeling a bit better than you were last night?" Joe asked.
"I guess..."
There was a long moment of silence. Jamie stared down at her lap, wondering if she should ask the question that nagged at the back of her mind.
"Why do you give a damn about me?" she blurted out.
Joe sat down next to her. He replied with a questioning look on his face, "I'm not the only one who does, am I?"
"Well, you are. But that doesen't answer my question. Now, why do you give a damn about me?"
Joe scratched the back of his head awkwardly while Jamie eagerly awaited an answer.
"I think you deserve a chance in life. You're horrible to yourself, Jamie, and you haven't given yourself that chance. I guess..." He sighed. "I guess I just wanted to let you see that it's there. It always hurts me to see someone's life wither and die. But that doesen't have to happen to you. I just want to help, Jamie...that's all."
"And you're not doing this because you're some kind of perv trying to get in my pants?" Jamie asked seriously, glancing at Joe.
Joe laughed. "No, I'm not trying to get in your pants. Promise."
"Well...whatever... I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But I don't get what you mean about all this crap with chances."
Joe got to his feet. With a small smile, he said, "Well, before our lives are over, I promise I'll make you see what it means."
"I'll be dead before you, at this rate."
"No, you won't. Please, don't talk like that."
Joe and Jamie studied eachother silently, with Jamie trying to figure him out. Looking into his eyes, she wondered what Joe was thinking.
He broke the connection of their gazes by saying, "You should be getting back to the sanatorium. I'll take you there. And remember what I said, alright?"
Although she dreaded going back to the sanatorium, Jamie truly didn't want to be a burden. She got to her feet and followed Joe out, thinking deeply about many things as every step brought her closer to her imprisonment. Her freedom was lost, for the time being. But in its place, new insight grew...