Cruel
Twists of Fate
2012
Lori wrapped her coat closer around her shoulders.
The bandage around her neck seemed to be a constant reminder that she was no
longer safe in this world. She stepped up to the counter, staring with
wide eyes at a burly police officer whose rotund stomach had to be twice her
size. "Um...Excuse me, Officer. I'm here to speak with a Lt. Collins
about my er....my mugging."
The police officer looked down at the petite
teenager. She couldn't be a day over fourteen. "You were
mugged?" He seemed horrifed by the suggestion.
Lori swallowed hard,
the reflexive action causing her freshly stitched wound to burn. "Well,
Sir, I mean....Yes. He tried to kill me, but didn't succeed."
The
mountain of a cop shook his head in disgust. "Too bad we can't give the
scum the electric chair. You just come with me, little darling, we'll get
you all set up."
Lori cringed inwardly. She despised those
degrading pet names older people always
seemed to bestow upon her. Her
diminutive stature, rich black hair, deep blue eyes, and ivory skin tone made
her appear to be fragile. She wasn't a little porcelin doll. She had
an IQ which was practically off the charts. She was capable of a lot more
than people thought. No one seemed to give her any credit. She was a
pretty face or a walking brain, nothing more, but she kept her mouth shut.
The police officer showed her to a door, actually knocked, and announced
her presence like a butler. Lt. Collins immediately stood. "Miss
Davis, I'm glad you could make it in. Are your parents here?" He
asked, gazing behind her expectantly.
Lori shook her head quickly.
"My father died two years ago. My mother is at a Women's Club
meeting. It's just me." She saw the flash of diapproval in the man's
eyes. He apparently did not know her mother. Lori's attack was the
hottest thing on the gossip mill, and Lori's mother was the most popular woman
at the Club for the moment. There would be no prying her away.
Lt.
Collins offered Lori a chair, followed by a cup of coffee. Lori only
accepted the former. "Well, Miss Davis, I wanted to talk to you about this
mugger of yours."
Lori stiffened. "Yes,
Sir..."
"Please, call me
Rick." He smiled congenially. "Well, Miss
Davis...."
"Lori." She
interrupted smoothly.
"Lori," Rick corrected. "I believe
we've captured the boy who attacked you. He's in custody right
now."
"How? I mean, I couldn't really describe him...I barely saw
him." Lori insisted, her pretty brow furrowed.
"We caught him a few
blocks down the road. He wasn't wearing a shirt. The boy confessed
to the mugging. We just need you to fill out some paper work so we can
draw up charges..."
"May I see him?" Lori asked
tentatively.
Lt. Rick Collins stared at her blankly. "You want to talk to
the guy who mugged you...who tried to kill you?"
"Yes, Sir. I
just...I don't know if I'll ever feel safe again. I need to know why he
did it. Please..." Lori bit her lower lip to hold back a sob.
It was all just an act. She felt perfectly safe. But, she did want
to see the boy, and this seemed like the easiest ploy.
"They could have
my badge for this, but I suppose I can get you in an empty interrogation
room. I'll give you an hour. After that, you come and fill out the
paperwork for me, all right?"
"Yes, Sir. Thank you."
The
Lieutenant led Lori to an empty room and helped her into one of the seats at the
table. Rick pulled another out and began to lower himself into it.
"Lieutenant? I was actually hoping I might speak to him
alone." Lori looked up pleadingly.
Lt. Collins looked as if he was
about to argue, when the door opened and the suspect was led in. Rick
glanced at Lori, sighed and followed the guards out. He had no intention
of leaving her alone. He'd watch through the mirror.
The boy was
staring at her in shock. His large brown eyes seemed even larger with the
surprise of finding her in the room waiting for him. He'd been expecting
another long interrogation. He would have prefered it. "You."
He observed softly, a slight tremor to his voice.
Lori smiled
wryly. "I'm glad you remember me. Then again, I'm not easy to
forget." She reached up to grab the guaze which covered her wound.
Deftly, she ripped it off. "18 stitches."
The boy flinched and
looked away. He wasn't supposed to feel guilt. Killing wasn't
supposed to be a problem. But...for some reason he couldn't fathom, he
felt almost suicidal about having hurt her. They sat in silence for a few
minutes. Occasionally, he would look up to observe her expression.
It was unreadable. She really was beautiful, the boy realized with a pang
of regret. He hadn't given her much thought when he'd followed her those
first few days. But, now he saw how breathtaking she
was.
There were few words or phrases
which could describe the peculiar nature of Lori's beauty. The short
sundress she wore tastefully showcased a superub figure, perhaps even more
superub considering her young age.
Lori's thick black hair had settled
around her head to frame the perfect oval of her face and cascade down her back
like a midnight waterfall. It's color was that of finely polished
obsydian, shining almost blue under the bright lights of the room. Her
exposed skin was as transparent as egg-shell china; smooth, soft, and without
blemish. However, this was not where Lori's irrestible charm lay. It
was not so easy to delineate.
Perhaps it was her eyes. They
did not appear blue, or green, or gray, but all colors at once. They were
a whirlwind of hues dancing in her irises. It gave her eyes an almost
ethereal quality. Her cheekbones were high, almost sculpted. Her
full lips, shaped like a cupid's bow, were painted a light mauve.
How
painful it was for him to realize that he'd marred her beauty with his
violence. She would forever carry the mark of that night, stitched so
hideously into that soft, ivory throat. It was the first time in his
fifteen years he'd ever considered taking his own life. Now, death seemed
a rightful punishment.
Lori watched with a conflict of emotions. He
actually looked like he was in pain. Then, she remembered the time
restraint. "Why?" She finally asked. "Why did you stop?
Why didn't you finish the job? Why did you apologize?"
The boy
looked away. His words still seemed bitter. "It was something in
your eyes." Those deep sapphire eyes which threatened to swallow his
soul. He sighed, searching for a better explanation. "I couldn't
follow through with my objective. You...you were so innocent, pure.
I couldn't kill you."
"You didn't want to kill me? Then what did
you want, my money?" There was no anger in her voice now, only
curiosity.
"Yes." He answered, shame creeping into his hard
tone.
"I would have given it to you if you'd asked me." She
continued, her melodic soprano voice sounding almost tender.
He looked at
her incredulously. "You would have *given* it to me if I'd *asked?*
Yeah, right."
From her purse, Lori pulled out a wad of bills totalling
over three hundred dollars. Carefully, she counted them, laid them on the
table, and pushed them towards the confused teenager. "Take it.
Consider it a downpayment on your bail."
"My bail?"
Lori
nodded. "For some reason, you don't trust people. You look at the
world through gray-tinted glasses. I'm going to show you that not everyone
is bad. You see...I forgive you. You didn't kill me. So, as
far as I'm concerned, you did nothing wrong. You're the product of a
screwed up society. I'm not goin to press charges against you for the
assault. Instead...I'm going to ask my mother to use her connections at
the DCF to hurry through the adoption proceedings."
"Adoption
proceedings?" He stammered, taken off gaurd. Lori laughed. She
was even more beautiful when she laughed.
"Yes, adoption. My
mother will agree to adopting you, because it will be such a nice topic of
conversation at the Club." She rolled her eyes at this. "The world
can be a beautiful place. Somehow, I'm going to show you
that."
"What's going to keep me from robbing you blind and running
away?" He continued haltingly.
"Nothing." Lori
answered. "But, you won't 'rob us blind' for the same reason you didn't
kill me. There's a good person inside you. I can see him when I look
into your eyes. Your parents...or someone in your past, tried to turn you
away from that goodness. I'm going to help you find it again. You
can leave whenever you want. I won't be holding you prisoner."
Of
course, he realized, he would have no desire to leave. Her words were so
honest, her face so full of hope. He could feel his heartbeat quicken at
the presence of a smile on her face. What was wrong with him? It
certainly was akin to nothing he'd experienced before. He'd escaped from
Manticore to be free. Now, he realized with a surprise, he was no longer
in possession of his liberty. At the same time, he hoped that he might
finally have what he'd always wanted. For some reason, he was being given
another chance.
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me..don't hesitate to email me at Ottiga@aol.com