To Cry Ophelia
Part Three
Pulling open the heavy door of The Haven and descending into it's dark depths was comforting. Not bothering to look at anyone, Ophelia went to her table and sat down. Just as she was settling in, she saw someone look over at her. There was no mistaking the fact that they had seen her. There was a look in those eyes that held her as they stood up and walked over.
"Just water right?"
Ophelia blinked and found herself face to face with a lovely woman. " Ah, right."
The woman smiled and sat down across from her. " I've been watching for you. Tell me something, if you don't mind."
"Umm, I guess not." Ophelia shifted in her seat and felt the shadows close in her.
"Why do you always come to this table?" The woman's eyes were intensely bright in the dark. " What brings you here?"
Her words spilled out before her brain could stop her. " This is a place where I feel safe."
"Safe? From what?" The woman asked lightly.
For a moment the words were stuck in her throat before they spilled out. " My life I guess."
Something moved across the light causing Ophelia to blink and shake her head. The woman sat back and watched her as she sipped at her water. Her hands were shaking and she didn't know why.
"Well in that case," The woman said as she stood gracefully. " This is the last place you want to be."
"Then why did you call the Haven?" Ophelia met those eyes and there was no pull to them.
The woman regarded her for a long moment and then smiled. " Just be careful is all."
"Why?" Ophelia couldn't explain the sudden rush that over came her. " What do I have to be afraid of?"
"I thought you knew." The woman left her with that and disappeared into the crowd that had swelled into the club.
When close came that night she still hadn't seen the strange lady. Although she had searched for her, it was like she had actually disappeared. As the doors closed and locked behind her, she drew in a breath of damp air and felt exhausted. She hadn't slept much the day before and Jason still hadn't called her. Making her way down the street she chased pebbles with her shoes as she made her way home. As much as she wanted to know about her sister, she was tired of it all. How many times had she begged Regan to leave him? How many nights had she suffered because her sister refused?
A cold hand slid down her back and she stopped a second. Searching the shadows of dawn she shivered and quickened her step. It wasn't her fault that Regan was in the hospital. It wasn't. No matter what people said about it. Opheila had stopped blaming herself years ago. After five years of putting up with the pain and the torment, she had lost her ability to really care about anything. There just wasn't anything left that mattered.
"Hey there."
The sudden voice made her jump, what she saw made her want to scream. " Carl?"
"That's right," His voice was a whispered promise of pain. " Where's Regan?"
"I...I don't know." Opheila moved back and step and his hand lashed out. The blow staggered her and she hit the wall. She spit blood out and leaned against the broken brick as he loomed up in front of her. " Honestly, I don't know."
A cruel smile cut across his features as he stood over her. " That's okay," He said gently, " I was waiting for you anyway."
With the sun rising over the city it turned a blind eye to the scene on the street below.
Part Three
Pulling open the heavy door of The Haven and descending into it's dark depths was comforting. Not bothering to look at anyone, Ophelia went to her table and sat down. Just as she was settling in, she saw someone look over at her. There was no mistaking the fact that they had seen her. There was a look in those eyes that held her as they stood up and walked over.
"Just water right?"
Ophelia blinked and found herself face to face with a lovely woman. " Ah, right."
The woman smiled and sat down across from her. " I've been watching for you. Tell me something, if you don't mind."
"Umm, I guess not." Ophelia shifted in her seat and felt the shadows close in her.
"Why do you always come to this table?" The woman's eyes were intensely bright in the dark. " What brings you here?"
Her words spilled out before her brain could stop her. " This is a place where I feel safe."
"Safe? From what?" The woman asked lightly.
For a moment the words were stuck in her throat before they spilled out. " My life I guess."
Something moved across the light causing Ophelia to blink and shake her head. The woman sat back and watched her as she sipped at her water. Her hands were shaking and she didn't know why.
"Well in that case," The woman said as she stood gracefully. " This is the last place you want to be."
"Then why did you call the Haven?" Ophelia met those eyes and there was no pull to them.
The woman regarded her for a long moment and then smiled. " Just be careful is all."
"Why?" Ophelia couldn't explain the sudden rush that over came her. " What do I have to be afraid of?"
"I thought you knew." The woman left her with that and disappeared into the crowd that had swelled into the club.
When close came that night she still hadn't seen the strange lady. Although she had searched for her, it was like she had actually disappeared. As the doors closed and locked behind her, she drew in a breath of damp air and felt exhausted. She hadn't slept much the day before and Jason still hadn't called her. Making her way down the street she chased pebbles with her shoes as she made her way home. As much as she wanted to know about her sister, she was tired of it all. How many times had she begged Regan to leave him? How many nights had she suffered because her sister refused?
A cold hand slid down her back and she stopped a second. Searching the shadows of dawn she shivered and quickened her step. It wasn't her fault that Regan was in the hospital. It wasn't. No matter what people said about it. Opheila had stopped blaming herself years ago. After five years of putting up with the pain and the torment, she had lost her ability to really care about anything. There just wasn't anything left that mattered.
"Hey there."
The sudden voice made her jump, what she saw made her want to scream. " Carl?"
"That's right," His voice was a whispered promise of pain. " Where's Regan?"
"I...I don't know." Opheila moved back and step and his hand lashed out. The blow staggered her and she hit the wall. She spit blood out and leaned against the broken brick as he loomed up in front of her. " Honestly, I don't know."
A cruel smile cut across his features as he stood over her. " That's okay," He said gently, " I was waiting for you anyway."
With the sun rising over the city it turned a blind eye to the scene on the street below.