Chapter 13 - The Price of the Truth
"I want answers." Meredith demanded. "I want to know why my father was shot, why William was taken and why I'm bleeding from two freaking holes in my wrists!"
"I pormised you answers and I will stay true to that promise." The man on the other line said. "I want to give you them but you have a choice to make young Meredith. A choice for you alone. You must remain at home until I give you my present. You must remain at home, and cannot return to check your father nor can you say anything about what I am offering to anyone. I'll give you an hour to make your decision. Might as well have a shower. Your beautiful curls are getting dirty."
"I want answers now."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk Meredith. All good things to those who wait." He said. "And waiting is what you will do, unless you want to pull the offer right out from under your pretty little nose."
Meredith heard the phone click. She turned onto her street and pulled up to her beautiful house, currently empty except for her cat. She locked the door and went into the house, ripping off her shoes angrily. She slumped onto the couch, not believing what she had to do for answers. This would be the longest hour of her life. She leaned back, her wrists almost bleeding through the bandages. She got up, deciding the least she could do was change the bandages. She climbed the stairs, tired and hungry having nothing but IV fluid in her. She came to the bathroom and collapsed onto the tiled floor. She took the first aid kit from the under the bathroom sink, thought about it, then looked under the bandages.
The wounds were still bleeding underneath the stitches. She looked at the redness of the wounds. She would wash them along with her hair.
The water running along the stitches hurt...a lot. Meredith was careful not to get any shampoo on them. She clenched her teeth, the pain moving up her arms. She had to leave the shower twice before finally her hair was clean along with the rest of her. She thought about it. Why was this so hard? Why was choosing between her father and answers so hard?
"Because I'm becoming sympathetic." She said to herself, ignoring the phone ringing. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She heard the answering machine go and the beep come.
"Meredith? Honey are you there? Sweetie please pick up." Meredith refused. SHe picked up the roll of bandages and bandages the wounds which had slowed but were still bleeding somehow through the stitches. She didn't care anymore, just as long as they didn't get in her way. The message ended, her mother probably pissed off from not knowing where Meredith was. She couldn't face her parents right now. Not yet.
She was certain her mother wouldn't try for another while. She slumped on the couch, trying to fall asleep for a while, thinking too much to sleep, then eventually drifting off in a peaceful light nap, from exhaustion. Her wrists continued to bleed. She cried to herself a little, afraid for herself, for William, for what she was planning to do.
The phone rang, awakening Meredith. Her darned curls in a wet mass from her shower. She reached her hand for the receiver. She felt her breath come out in shallow puffs, her throat dried.
"Hello?" She said slowly.
"Well Miss Doggett I've given you plenty of time."
Meredith took a deep breath.
"I want answers, but you have to swear to me nothing happens to my father, my mother, or anyone else I even remotely know."
"I give you my word." The voice said. "But you must understand me Miss Dogget, this is the truth, nothing more nothing less."
"I understand." Meredith was up and off the couch now, ready to go somewhere.
"Put on your coat." The voice said. She went to get her jacket. She slipped on her boots, zipping up the knee high boots. Her senses sent prickles up her spine. She whipped around, the phone still by her ear. She felt the sensation of breathing on the back of her neck even though she couldn't see anyone. She glared.
"I apologize..." Meredith felt a hand cover her mouth. She fought it, flipping the invisible figure over her head. She ran out the door, knowing there was only one place she could go, away.
She ran left, as fast as her legs would carry her. She looked behind her, watching the figures dance and come out of her house. She hurried faster, beating herself up for not taking the car. She turned around, when she fell back, bashing into something, her legs giving out from under her.
"Miss Doggett you are a hand full." Someone helped her up, her head spinning. She collapsed into that person his features unseable. Her eyes closed and with a sharp prick on her arm, she was lost.
"I want answers." Meredith demanded. "I want to know why my father was shot, why William was taken and why I'm bleeding from two freaking holes in my wrists!"
"I pormised you answers and I will stay true to that promise." The man on the other line said. "I want to give you them but you have a choice to make young Meredith. A choice for you alone. You must remain at home until I give you my present. You must remain at home, and cannot return to check your father nor can you say anything about what I am offering to anyone. I'll give you an hour to make your decision. Might as well have a shower. Your beautiful curls are getting dirty."
"I want answers now."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk Meredith. All good things to those who wait." He said. "And waiting is what you will do, unless you want to pull the offer right out from under your pretty little nose."
Meredith heard the phone click. She turned onto her street and pulled up to her beautiful house, currently empty except for her cat. She locked the door and went into the house, ripping off her shoes angrily. She slumped onto the couch, not believing what she had to do for answers. This would be the longest hour of her life. She leaned back, her wrists almost bleeding through the bandages. She got up, deciding the least she could do was change the bandages. She climbed the stairs, tired and hungry having nothing but IV fluid in her. She came to the bathroom and collapsed onto the tiled floor. She took the first aid kit from the under the bathroom sink, thought about it, then looked under the bandages.
The wounds were still bleeding underneath the stitches. She looked at the redness of the wounds. She would wash them along with her hair.
The water running along the stitches hurt...a lot. Meredith was careful not to get any shampoo on them. She clenched her teeth, the pain moving up her arms. She had to leave the shower twice before finally her hair was clean along with the rest of her. She thought about it. Why was this so hard? Why was choosing between her father and answers so hard?
"Because I'm becoming sympathetic." She said to herself, ignoring the phone ringing. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She heard the answering machine go and the beep come.
"Meredith? Honey are you there? Sweetie please pick up." Meredith refused. SHe picked up the roll of bandages and bandages the wounds which had slowed but were still bleeding somehow through the stitches. She didn't care anymore, just as long as they didn't get in her way. The message ended, her mother probably pissed off from not knowing where Meredith was. She couldn't face her parents right now. Not yet.
She was certain her mother wouldn't try for another while. She slumped on the couch, trying to fall asleep for a while, thinking too much to sleep, then eventually drifting off in a peaceful light nap, from exhaustion. Her wrists continued to bleed. She cried to herself a little, afraid for herself, for William, for what she was planning to do.
The phone rang, awakening Meredith. Her darned curls in a wet mass from her shower. She reached her hand for the receiver. She felt her breath come out in shallow puffs, her throat dried.
"Hello?" She said slowly.
"Well Miss Doggett I've given you plenty of time."
Meredith took a deep breath.
"I want answers, but you have to swear to me nothing happens to my father, my mother, or anyone else I even remotely know."
"I give you my word." The voice said. "But you must understand me Miss Dogget, this is the truth, nothing more nothing less."
"I understand." Meredith was up and off the couch now, ready to go somewhere.
"Put on your coat." The voice said. She went to get her jacket. She slipped on her boots, zipping up the knee high boots. Her senses sent prickles up her spine. She whipped around, the phone still by her ear. She felt the sensation of breathing on the back of her neck even though she couldn't see anyone. She glared.
"I apologize..." Meredith felt a hand cover her mouth. She fought it, flipping the invisible figure over her head. She ran out the door, knowing there was only one place she could go, away.
She ran left, as fast as her legs would carry her. She looked behind her, watching the figures dance and come out of her house. She hurried faster, beating herself up for not taking the car. She turned around, when she fell back, bashing into something, her legs giving out from under her.
"Miss Doggett you are a hand full." Someone helped her up, her head spinning. She collapsed into that person his features unseable. Her eyes closed and with a sharp prick on her arm, she was lost.