GOODNIGHT, SWEET PARTRIDGE
CHAPTER 11
The footlongs and fries were warm in her hand as she followed Keith up the path to the Rain Forest. Her other hand was in his, limp and unfeeling, as if she wasn't sure she even wanted to be with him at all. He hadn't noticed her change of demeanor, which would be typical of someone all caught up in himself the way Keith was. He didn't care about her; he'd lied. For six days he'd lied to her, pretending to like her; no, love her. Well, he would be sorry he'd even met her before this day was over!
The loud crashing of the water and the humidity greeted them once again as they entered the cavernous area and he stopped, taking in the beauty all around them. To Keith, it was pure heaven and he took a long, deep breath while she let go of his hand and walked over towards a long bench by the immense waterfall. He hadn't even noticed she'd left him.
She flopped down on the seat, staring down at the food in her hand, having no appetite whatsoever now. She picked at the hot dog bun, tossing little pieces of it into the water and watching the goldfish gobble it up.
He was at her side. "That does it. I'm gonna buy a house in Hawaii," he said, taking a seat beside her.
She didn't respond and he looked at her with a strange expression. "Carly? Something wrong?"
She shook her head, trying not to look at him. "No." She continued to feed the fish, now with the french fries.
"You seem upset. Ever since sound check, you've been acting…funny. Are you sure everything's okay?"
She forced herself to look at him. "You wanted to tell me something. You told me to remind you," she said, her voice showing no emotion.
He hesitated. "Oh…yeah." There was a long pause. "They…the authorities tracked down your parents, Carly. They're coming to get you tomorrow after we get back to San Pueblo."
She stared into her lap, determined not to cry. There was a hint of sadness in his voice, but she wasn't convinced that it wasn't part of an act.
"I guess you'll be glad to be rid of me." She said it softly, and with the thundering of the water, it was all he could do to hear her.
He shook his head. "Now, what makes you say that? I've loved every minute you've been with us."
She began to drop, no, throw the french fries into the water. "I don't believe you." She shouted it and at first he thought she was just trying to be heard over the water, but she whirled on him, her eyes wide.
"Carly…" he started, but she began to cry.
"You LIED to me, Keith! You led me on. I thought you loved me, but you don't!" she screamed, standing up and turning away from him.
Angrily, she threw her food, wrappers and all, into the water and when she turned around again, he saw the knife in her hand.
"Carly, please! What are you doing?" He clambered to his feet. If she was going to kill him, it would be the perfect place. No one would hear him cry out.
"You're nothing to me, Keith! You're just a phony smile in a magazine centerfold! You never liked me; you just felt sorry for me! I don't need you! I hate you!"
Without hesitation, she started slashing at her wrists and he was shocked to see the blood.
"Carly, no!" Keith cried, his heart pounding hard. "No, please! Give me the knife!"
She was completely hysterical now and he lunged forward, reaching for the weapon. She fought him tooth and nail, screaming that she hated him and what he'd done. It was like taming a wild cat!
Then, after a moment, he felt the knife plunge into his right side, just below his ribcage. She saw the horrified look on his face.
Clutching his side, he staggered backwards. He looked down, his eyes wide, and saw blood on his hands.
Carly stopped dead still, now, her own arms still dripping with blood. She just stared, gaping at him as he sank to his knees, his face twisted in pain, clawing at the bench with his left hand. He didn't make a sound, then again, she was numb.
"Keith!" she screamed, dropping the knife. It, too, hit the cobblestones in silence.
He looked at her, fear and pain in his eyes. He could only shake his head, trying to breathe, but, god, it hurt to do so. He began to lurch forward.
She dashed to him, grabbing him before he was all the way to the floor. "Oh, god, Keith, no…don't die on me! It was an accident! I didn't mean for you…" her words trailed off. She held him against her, feeling the warmth of his blood as it mixed with hers. The cuts on her wrists were superficial compared to the wound she'd put in his side.
He clung to her, eyes fading; coughing hard. He was moaning, now, and she cuddled him, trying to think of what to do. If she left and got help, he could end up dying alone, but if she stayed and did nothing, he would surely die…
So, she began to pray. Please, God, help me…tell me what to do…send someone in here to find us…
Within seconds, her prayer was answered. She heard Danny's voice over the roar of the falls. "Keith!" It echoed.
Holding Keith tightly, Carly looked up, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Danny! Get some help! Keith's hurt! Oh, god, hurry!"
For a moment, Danny just stood there, staring at them, then he turned on his heel and ran out.
Carly looked down. A deep crimson penetrated both their shirts, now, and she could see Keith struggling for breath. She was sure he was in the throes of death as he moaned, limp and lifeless there in her arms. His chin was on his chest and she thought she saw blood coming out of his mouth; but with so much of it around, she couldn't tell from where it was emitting. She sobbed, petting his head and talking into his ear.
"Come on, Keith, stay with me…you can do it. Please…think of your family…you can't die on them, now. They need you. I need you."
She heard a commotion and looked up to see Shirley and Laurie running toward them.
"Oh, dear God…Keith! Carly! What's happened?" Shirley wailed, falling to her knees and gathering her son to her.
Carly let him go to his mother, sobbing into her blood-stained hands. "I stabbed him…it was an accident! I was trying to kill myself and he tried to stop me. The knife slipped. Oh, god, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Shaking, Laurie stood the girl up, hugging her. "We know…calm down; this isn't helping Keith any," she told her. "Reuben's calling an ambulance."
Shirley looked up at them. "Go out there and meet them."
Laurie nodded, pulling Carly away from the scene, glad to be away from it herself.
The girls stumbled out of the entrance and were greeted by Reuben, who, upon seeing all the blood, seemed completely in shock. "What happened?"
Now, Laurie was sobbing, too. "There was an accident with a knife. Keith's in there in a pool of blood…" she put her hand over her mouth and bolted down the path.
"Who had the knife…are you okay?" Reuben began firing questions at Carly. Had they been attacked by a stranger? What in Hades was happening, here?
She nodded, still sobbing. "Please don't let him die, Mr. Kincaid…"
She sank down to the pathway, almost in a faint, as Reuben decided his place was with his star.
Danny was standing over her, now. "What did you do to Keith?" He was angry, no doubt about it.
She couldn't look at him.
He moved off, his tennis sneakers pounding into the Rain Forest.
Carly just continued to sob. Now she wished she really were dead. She'd injured, and possibly killed, the one person in her life that she really, truly loved, besides her parents. Her own life was meaningless, now. How could she have been so careless? She crumpled down to the warm sidewalk, sobbing hysterically.
continued....
CHAPTER 11
The footlongs and fries were warm in her hand as she followed Keith up the path to the Rain Forest. Her other hand was in his, limp and unfeeling, as if she wasn't sure she even wanted to be with him at all. He hadn't noticed her change of demeanor, which would be typical of someone all caught up in himself the way Keith was. He didn't care about her; he'd lied. For six days he'd lied to her, pretending to like her; no, love her. Well, he would be sorry he'd even met her before this day was over!
The loud crashing of the water and the humidity greeted them once again as they entered the cavernous area and he stopped, taking in the beauty all around them. To Keith, it was pure heaven and he took a long, deep breath while she let go of his hand and walked over towards a long bench by the immense waterfall. He hadn't even noticed she'd left him.
She flopped down on the seat, staring down at the food in her hand, having no appetite whatsoever now. She picked at the hot dog bun, tossing little pieces of it into the water and watching the goldfish gobble it up.
He was at her side. "That does it. I'm gonna buy a house in Hawaii," he said, taking a seat beside her.
She didn't respond and he looked at her with a strange expression. "Carly? Something wrong?"
She shook her head, trying not to look at him. "No." She continued to feed the fish, now with the french fries.
"You seem upset. Ever since sound check, you've been acting…funny. Are you sure everything's okay?"
She forced herself to look at him. "You wanted to tell me something. You told me to remind you," she said, her voice showing no emotion.
He hesitated. "Oh…yeah." There was a long pause. "They…the authorities tracked down your parents, Carly. They're coming to get you tomorrow after we get back to San Pueblo."
She stared into her lap, determined not to cry. There was a hint of sadness in his voice, but she wasn't convinced that it wasn't part of an act.
"I guess you'll be glad to be rid of me." She said it softly, and with the thundering of the water, it was all he could do to hear her.
He shook his head. "Now, what makes you say that? I've loved every minute you've been with us."
She began to drop, no, throw the french fries into the water. "I don't believe you." She shouted it and at first he thought she was just trying to be heard over the water, but she whirled on him, her eyes wide.
"Carly…" he started, but she began to cry.
"You LIED to me, Keith! You led me on. I thought you loved me, but you don't!" she screamed, standing up and turning away from him.
Angrily, she threw her food, wrappers and all, into the water and when she turned around again, he saw the knife in her hand.
"Carly, please! What are you doing?" He clambered to his feet. If she was going to kill him, it would be the perfect place. No one would hear him cry out.
"You're nothing to me, Keith! You're just a phony smile in a magazine centerfold! You never liked me; you just felt sorry for me! I don't need you! I hate you!"
Without hesitation, she started slashing at her wrists and he was shocked to see the blood.
"Carly, no!" Keith cried, his heart pounding hard. "No, please! Give me the knife!"
She was completely hysterical now and he lunged forward, reaching for the weapon. She fought him tooth and nail, screaming that she hated him and what he'd done. It was like taming a wild cat!
Then, after a moment, he felt the knife plunge into his right side, just below his ribcage. She saw the horrified look on his face.
Clutching his side, he staggered backwards. He looked down, his eyes wide, and saw blood on his hands.
Carly stopped dead still, now, her own arms still dripping with blood. She just stared, gaping at him as he sank to his knees, his face twisted in pain, clawing at the bench with his left hand. He didn't make a sound, then again, she was numb.
"Keith!" she screamed, dropping the knife. It, too, hit the cobblestones in silence.
He looked at her, fear and pain in his eyes. He could only shake his head, trying to breathe, but, god, it hurt to do so. He began to lurch forward.
She dashed to him, grabbing him before he was all the way to the floor. "Oh, god, Keith, no…don't die on me! It was an accident! I didn't mean for you…" her words trailed off. She held him against her, feeling the warmth of his blood as it mixed with hers. The cuts on her wrists were superficial compared to the wound she'd put in his side.
He clung to her, eyes fading; coughing hard. He was moaning, now, and she cuddled him, trying to think of what to do. If she left and got help, he could end up dying alone, but if she stayed and did nothing, he would surely die…
So, she began to pray. Please, God, help me…tell me what to do…send someone in here to find us…
Within seconds, her prayer was answered. She heard Danny's voice over the roar of the falls. "Keith!" It echoed.
Holding Keith tightly, Carly looked up, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Danny! Get some help! Keith's hurt! Oh, god, hurry!"
For a moment, Danny just stood there, staring at them, then he turned on his heel and ran out.
Carly looked down. A deep crimson penetrated both their shirts, now, and she could see Keith struggling for breath. She was sure he was in the throes of death as he moaned, limp and lifeless there in her arms. His chin was on his chest and she thought she saw blood coming out of his mouth; but with so much of it around, she couldn't tell from where it was emitting. She sobbed, petting his head and talking into his ear.
"Come on, Keith, stay with me…you can do it. Please…think of your family…you can't die on them, now. They need you. I need you."
She heard a commotion and looked up to see Shirley and Laurie running toward them.
"Oh, dear God…Keith! Carly! What's happened?" Shirley wailed, falling to her knees and gathering her son to her.
Carly let him go to his mother, sobbing into her blood-stained hands. "I stabbed him…it was an accident! I was trying to kill myself and he tried to stop me. The knife slipped. Oh, god, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Shaking, Laurie stood the girl up, hugging her. "We know…calm down; this isn't helping Keith any," she told her. "Reuben's calling an ambulance."
Shirley looked up at them. "Go out there and meet them."
Laurie nodded, pulling Carly away from the scene, glad to be away from it herself.
The girls stumbled out of the entrance and were greeted by Reuben, who, upon seeing all the blood, seemed completely in shock. "What happened?"
Now, Laurie was sobbing, too. "There was an accident with a knife. Keith's in there in a pool of blood…" she put her hand over her mouth and bolted down the path.
"Who had the knife…are you okay?" Reuben began firing questions at Carly. Had they been attacked by a stranger? What in Hades was happening, here?
She nodded, still sobbing. "Please don't let him die, Mr. Kincaid…"
She sank down to the pathway, almost in a faint, as Reuben decided his place was with his star.
Danny was standing over her, now. "What did you do to Keith?" He was angry, no doubt about it.
She couldn't look at him.
He moved off, his tennis sneakers pounding into the Rain Forest.
Carly just continued to sob. Now she wished she really were dead. She'd injured, and possibly killed, the one person in her life that she really, truly loved, besides her parents. Her own life was meaningless, now. How could she have been so careless? She crumpled down to the warm sidewalk, sobbing hysterically.
continued....