What About The Girl?
By Risty Maskell
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, I don't own it. If you don't recognise it, it's mine.
Summary: It's getting more intriguing...even to me! Read and Review like a good little reader, now, okay?
~*~*~
1995
~*~*~
It was a warm Friday afternoon in Florence. Juliette was up in her room, finishing off a report for Signora Giovanni, her Litriture teacher. Having just finished reading 'When the Wind Blows South', she had to write a book report on the characters and the plot line. She put down her pen with a sigh. Finished at last. She packed her books away just as Alexandra walked into the room, grinning like an idiot.
"What are you so happy about?" Juliette asked, smiling. It had been a week since her Uncle had tried to sodomize her, and she still didn't go near him for fear of what he might do to her.
"Mum wants to know if you want to come to the carnival tonight?" Alex said, opening the closet. "C'mon, it could be fun." She searched through her clothes until she found the jeans she was looking for. She opened a drawer and found a short sleeved blouse and then went searching for her sandals.
Juliette sighed. Carnival. Italian Carnivals were always fun, her father had said. They were loud, had plenty to see and do and everyone was friendly. She nodded. "Sure. Why not? It'll be fun." She opened her own closet and got out a pair of good jeans, a yellow T-shirt and white bouse, then got her own boots out of the bottom of the closet. "I bags shower first!" She said, grinning wickedly. Alex rolled her eyes.
"Beat me to it! I'll get you next time!" She said, grinning. "Can I read you're book report?"
"Go for it. Boring as anything, but it will do." Juliette gathered her clothing and went to the bathroom, having a quick shower and freshening up before changing into her clothes for going out. She came back to the room and Alex was still reading the book report.
"You call this boring?" She asked as her cousin walked in. "Geez, this is more interesting that the book itself." Juliette laughed.
"Mindless drabble, really." She said. "Better hurry while the bathroom is free." Alex got up and raced to the bathroom, taking her clothes with her. Juliette put her book report away and walked down the stairs. Katrina was helping Renee put on her shoes and tying the laces for the little girl.
"Hey, Juliette." She said, looking up. "Glad you decided to come. You haven't been to one of these Carnivals yet, have you?"
"No." Juliette said. "But dad talked about a whole lot, saying they were so much fun." Katrina laughed.
"He went only for the pleasure of your mothers company." She chuckled. "She would laugh so much and to him, I suppose it was the most beautiful sight ever." Juliette smiled and looked in her wallet. She counted how much money she had and smiled.
"Well, when are we going? I'm getting impatient!" She joked and went into the living room, where Timothy was watching a movie on the television. He looked up when she entered and grinned.
"Have you seen this movie? It's kind of strange." She looked at the TV. It was an American movie with Itlaian subtitles. She laughed and shook her head.
"No, I've never seen it. But you would think they would cast Italian voice- over."
Tim grinned. "I like American films. They're funny. Italian films are usually documentry-type thigns that don't make sense."
Juliette nodded. "I'm with you on that one. Come on, let's go. The Carnival will be starting soon." Tim switched off the TV and got up. They both went into the hall where Katrina, Alex and Renee were waiting.
"Where's dad?" Tim asked.
"He'll be waiting for us down there. He had to work a little late today." Katrina replied and JUliette let out a sigh of quick relief.
~
Dr Fell could hear the makings of the Carnival outside. It seemed to be popular this Friday afternoon. He wouldn't be attending though. He had a little matter to clear up with a "friend" first. He put on his hat and walked out of his small, but elegant, apartment and locked the door, exiting onto the street. He walked in the opposite direction of the Carnival and toward a small marketplace. Upon arriving at a small shop that sold bronze goods, he tapped the bell patiently. The proprieter came through the curtain. Seeing Dr Fell, he smilled an oily, toothy grin.
"Ahh, Dott Fell! Che cosa posso fare oggi per voi?"
"Ciao Jabez. Potete dirmi dove posso trovare Walen." Dr Fell said coolly. Jabez froze, the smile slipping from his face. He looked frightened. It was almost comical.
Almost.
"Walen è andato ottenere alcune cose dal mercato." Jabez said, nodding toward the outside market.
"Smetta di trovarsi, Jabez. So che è qui. Per favore, trasmettalo fuori. Devo comunicare con lui." Dr Fell smiled pleasently, but there was something in his eyes that Jabez didn't want to cross. He nodded.
"Walen! Siete desiderati giù qui!" There was a slight rustle on the stairs and Walen, a small, wiry man with a face like a rat, walked into the room. He froze when he saw Dr Fell and tried to go back up the stairs
"Buon pomeriggio, Walen." Dr. Fell said, looking calmly at the shaking man. "Dove eravate questa mattina? Avete mancato il vostro appuntamento, ancora."
"I-I ha avuto alcune cose da fare..." Said Walen, looking pasty pale. "Spiacente, Dott Fell."
"Abbastanza tutta la destra, Walen. Ma, vorrei continuare l'appuntamento. Venuto al mio ufficio in mezz'ora, dire?" His eyes gleamed behind the dark glasses he wore. Walen was visibly spooked.
"Si, Dott Fell." Dr Fell smiled pleasently and tipped his hat at the two men before walking out.
~
Juliette and Alex were walking from stall to stall, trying on trinkets, tasting foods and wondering what to buy. They found a stall that sold wines. The old woman who ran the store grinned toothily at them but didn't say anything. Alex put a hand on Juliette's arm and led her away.
"Don't ever talk to that lady, I swear."
"Why not?" Juliette asked.
"She's strange."
"How? I bet people think we're strange."
"Never mind. Come on. Let's go on the 'tour'!"
Juliette grinned. The 'tour' was a little truck pulling a string of trailers for people to ride around on. They paid their money and waited for the truck to start. Alex was looking through the things she'd bought. Things that included jewellery, sun glasses and a few other trinkets. Juliette watched the passers-by blandly, her eyes barely taking in anything. Suddenly her attention was drawn to something walking away from her. The figure wore a white fedora. She hadn't seen her father since she'd had coffee with him. The figure was lost in the crowds and she was left, staring where he disappeared before the truck moved on again.
~
The tour finished and the family met up again near Rigatoni Pizza for dinner. Katrina bought the two younger children their meals and Alex and Juliette bought their own. David was talking avidly to a collegue from work who was eating with them. Juliette ate her salad quickly and smiled at her Aunt.
"Zia Katrina?"
"Si?" Her aunt smiled.
"May I be excused? I haven't finished looking around the carnival and I want to see just a bit more before we go home."
"That's fine. Off you go." Katrina smiled, picking up her pizza and chewing thoughtfully. Juliette smiled, got up and ran off, toward where she'd seen the man in the white fedora. Alex watched her cousin go and grinned.
~
Juliette was looking for the man in the white fedora for a while, before she finally gave up. The man had disappeared, and everyone was dressed in bright colours. She stopped at Side-Show Alley, looking at all the games that you could waste your money on. She sighed and pulled out her wallet to pay one of the people to play a game. She smiled as she got the correct amount of points to win a stuffed toy cat. It looked at her with its button eyes and she sighed again, thinking of her dad. She continued to walk along, looking at all the different games she could play. A hand tapped her hsoulder and she spun around.
David Fordman stood behind her, looking bored and his eyes glinting. "Your Aunt want you to come back now." He said, crossing his arms in front of him. "Come on."
He walked past her and out the other end of Side-Show Alley. She followed him, not getting to close, as she didn't trust him when she was with him alone. Not after he'd tried to molest her. He wasn't paying any attention to her and was just walking along. "Hurry up, Juliette." He said, using her name for the first time. She hurried after him. It was soon after this she realised he was leading her away from the family home. He stopped about fifty feet from the Capponi Library, and waited until she was beside him. He roughly grabbed her arm and dragged her into an alley way, away from the Carnival. He slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming and slapped her.
"Shut up." He said, fiercely. He still had one hand over her mouth and the other hand had grabbed her wrists. Juliette's eyes widened and she tried to scream. She kicked her legs and tried to hurt him, but he had learned and dodged it. He pressed his hand to her mouth and released her wrists so that he could undo his fly. Juliette saw her chance and bit his hand. There was a moment of silence before David screamed and held his hand to the light. There was blood on his hand and he balled it into a fist before punching Juliette in the side of her head. He sat, whimpering in the alley as her head banged against the stone wall. She fell down, almost unconcious. Her eyes opened and she managed to get up, shaking and run out. David followed her but again, her hell connected with his crotch and he fell again, into a foetal position. She got up again and ran for dear life, blood dotting her clothing from her head. She ran, dizzy from loss of blood, to the stairs of the Library and fell, in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, unconcious.
~
Light... light was streaming in and hitting her face. She squinted her eyes before opening them. She was on a couch. Elegant, but simple living arrangements surrounded her. She was covered with a blanket and her vision was partially cut off by a thick white bandage around her head. She blinked slowly, waiting for the vertigo to pass before she sat up.
Where am I?
A figure came through the door behind the couch. She looked at the figure, her vision clearing a little.
"I'm glad to see you awake." Dr Fell said, setting down a tray that held a cup of warmed milk and a piece of buttered toast. "How are you feeling, Juliette?"
"Dizzy." She said, quietly. "Dad... w-what happened?"
"I was hoping you could tell me." The rasp of his voice sounded threatening to any person but her. She held her head in her right hand and closed her eyes. Slowly, it came back to her and she opened her eyes.
"I don't know." Dr Fell tsked and set the tray down.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" It was not a question. It was a statement.
"Don't lie to you, I know." She said quietly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. "It ... it was Zio David..."
"What did he do to you, Juliette?" His violet eyes were flashing dangerously.
"H-he came to the Side-Show Alley at the Carnival... said he was to take me home...I followed him." She said, squinting her eyes shut. "He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the Alley way down the street..." The throbbing was getting worse. "And then..." She shook her head, not able to say any more. She didn't need to. He was looking out the window with a murderous gaze in his eyes.
"Did he violate you?" Juliette shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "Did he try to?" She nodded, burying her face in her hands, crying bitterly. He sat next to her and cradled her sobbing form in his arms. Who knew such a psychopath could have a loving side? After about five minutes, Juliette wiped her eyes and sniffled. Hannibal looked at her, his gaze piercing hers. "Has he tried it before?"
She nodded. "Once. About a week ago. I managed to fight him off though." She hung her head. He closed his eyes and hugged her, comforting her as she remembered the terrible ordeal.
"I've stitched your head," He said. "Come back in about two weeks to get them out, all right?"
Juliette nodded and got up, realising she was still in her jeans and the yellow T-shirt she'd gone to the carnival in. She closed her eyes a minute and opened them, looking at her father. "How long are you staying in Florence?"
"I'll stay until those stitches come out. Now, it's best that you get home. Tell them the truth."
"Okay..." She said, squinting again. "I love you Dad." She hugged him. "Thank you."
He hugged her back. "It's all right. Now, off you go. I have some plans to take care of." Juliette picked up her white shirt and put on her boots before kissing her fathers cheek. She walked out and Hannibal Lecter, M.D sat down at the table to write down the main course for his dinner that night.
Minestra fatta di David.
By Risty Maskell
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, I don't own it. If you don't recognise it, it's mine.
Summary: It's getting more intriguing...even to me! Read and Review like a good little reader, now, okay?
~*~*~
1995
~*~*~
It was a warm Friday afternoon in Florence. Juliette was up in her room, finishing off a report for Signora Giovanni, her Litriture teacher. Having just finished reading 'When the Wind Blows South', she had to write a book report on the characters and the plot line. She put down her pen with a sigh. Finished at last. She packed her books away just as Alexandra walked into the room, grinning like an idiot.
"What are you so happy about?" Juliette asked, smiling. It had been a week since her Uncle had tried to sodomize her, and she still didn't go near him for fear of what he might do to her.
"Mum wants to know if you want to come to the carnival tonight?" Alex said, opening the closet. "C'mon, it could be fun." She searched through her clothes until she found the jeans she was looking for. She opened a drawer and found a short sleeved blouse and then went searching for her sandals.
Juliette sighed. Carnival. Italian Carnivals were always fun, her father had said. They were loud, had plenty to see and do and everyone was friendly. She nodded. "Sure. Why not? It'll be fun." She opened her own closet and got out a pair of good jeans, a yellow T-shirt and white bouse, then got her own boots out of the bottom of the closet. "I bags shower first!" She said, grinning wickedly. Alex rolled her eyes.
"Beat me to it! I'll get you next time!" She said, grinning. "Can I read you're book report?"
"Go for it. Boring as anything, but it will do." Juliette gathered her clothing and went to the bathroom, having a quick shower and freshening up before changing into her clothes for going out. She came back to the room and Alex was still reading the book report.
"You call this boring?" She asked as her cousin walked in. "Geez, this is more interesting that the book itself." Juliette laughed.
"Mindless drabble, really." She said. "Better hurry while the bathroom is free." Alex got up and raced to the bathroom, taking her clothes with her. Juliette put her book report away and walked down the stairs. Katrina was helping Renee put on her shoes and tying the laces for the little girl.
"Hey, Juliette." She said, looking up. "Glad you decided to come. You haven't been to one of these Carnivals yet, have you?"
"No." Juliette said. "But dad talked about a whole lot, saying they were so much fun." Katrina laughed.
"He went only for the pleasure of your mothers company." She chuckled. "She would laugh so much and to him, I suppose it was the most beautiful sight ever." Juliette smiled and looked in her wallet. She counted how much money she had and smiled.
"Well, when are we going? I'm getting impatient!" She joked and went into the living room, where Timothy was watching a movie on the television. He looked up when she entered and grinned.
"Have you seen this movie? It's kind of strange." She looked at the TV. It was an American movie with Itlaian subtitles. She laughed and shook her head.
"No, I've never seen it. But you would think they would cast Italian voice- over."
Tim grinned. "I like American films. They're funny. Italian films are usually documentry-type thigns that don't make sense."
Juliette nodded. "I'm with you on that one. Come on, let's go. The Carnival will be starting soon." Tim switched off the TV and got up. They both went into the hall where Katrina, Alex and Renee were waiting.
"Where's dad?" Tim asked.
"He'll be waiting for us down there. He had to work a little late today." Katrina replied and JUliette let out a sigh of quick relief.
~
Dr Fell could hear the makings of the Carnival outside. It seemed to be popular this Friday afternoon. He wouldn't be attending though. He had a little matter to clear up with a "friend" first. He put on his hat and walked out of his small, but elegant, apartment and locked the door, exiting onto the street. He walked in the opposite direction of the Carnival and toward a small marketplace. Upon arriving at a small shop that sold bronze goods, he tapped the bell patiently. The proprieter came through the curtain. Seeing Dr Fell, he smilled an oily, toothy grin.
"Ahh, Dott Fell! Che cosa posso fare oggi per voi?"
"Ciao Jabez. Potete dirmi dove posso trovare Walen." Dr Fell said coolly. Jabez froze, the smile slipping from his face. He looked frightened. It was almost comical.
Almost.
"Walen è andato ottenere alcune cose dal mercato." Jabez said, nodding toward the outside market.
"Smetta di trovarsi, Jabez. So che è qui. Per favore, trasmettalo fuori. Devo comunicare con lui." Dr Fell smiled pleasently, but there was something in his eyes that Jabez didn't want to cross. He nodded.
"Walen! Siete desiderati giù qui!" There was a slight rustle on the stairs and Walen, a small, wiry man with a face like a rat, walked into the room. He froze when he saw Dr Fell and tried to go back up the stairs
"Buon pomeriggio, Walen." Dr. Fell said, looking calmly at the shaking man. "Dove eravate questa mattina? Avete mancato il vostro appuntamento, ancora."
"I-I ha avuto alcune cose da fare..." Said Walen, looking pasty pale. "Spiacente, Dott Fell."
"Abbastanza tutta la destra, Walen. Ma, vorrei continuare l'appuntamento. Venuto al mio ufficio in mezz'ora, dire?" His eyes gleamed behind the dark glasses he wore. Walen was visibly spooked.
"Si, Dott Fell." Dr Fell smiled pleasently and tipped his hat at the two men before walking out.
~
Juliette and Alex were walking from stall to stall, trying on trinkets, tasting foods and wondering what to buy. They found a stall that sold wines. The old woman who ran the store grinned toothily at them but didn't say anything. Alex put a hand on Juliette's arm and led her away.
"Don't ever talk to that lady, I swear."
"Why not?" Juliette asked.
"She's strange."
"How? I bet people think we're strange."
"Never mind. Come on. Let's go on the 'tour'!"
Juliette grinned. The 'tour' was a little truck pulling a string of trailers for people to ride around on. They paid their money and waited for the truck to start. Alex was looking through the things she'd bought. Things that included jewellery, sun glasses and a few other trinkets. Juliette watched the passers-by blandly, her eyes barely taking in anything. Suddenly her attention was drawn to something walking away from her. The figure wore a white fedora. She hadn't seen her father since she'd had coffee with him. The figure was lost in the crowds and she was left, staring where he disappeared before the truck moved on again.
~
The tour finished and the family met up again near Rigatoni Pizza for dinner. Katrina bought the two younger children their meals and Alex and Juliette bought their own. David was talking avidly to a collegue from work who was eating with them. Juliette ate her salad quickly and smiled at her Aunt.
"Zia Katrina?"
"Si?" Her aunt smiled.
"May I be excused? I haven't finished looking around the carnival and I want to see just a bit more before we go home."
"That's fine. Off you go." Katrina smiled, picking up her pizza and chewing thoughtfully. Juliette smiled, got up and ran off, toward where she'd seen the man in the white fedora. Alex watched her cousin go and grinned.
~
Juliette was looking for the man in the white fedora for a while, before she finally gave up. The man had disappeared, and everyone was dressed in bright colours. She stopped at Side-Show Alley, looking at all the games that you could waste your money on. She sighed and pulled out her wallet to pay one of the people to play a game. She smiled as she got the correct amount of points to win a stuffed toy cat. It looked at her with its button eyes and she sighed again, thinking of her dad. She continued to walk along, looking at all the different games she could play. A hand tapped her hsoulder and she spun around.
David Fordman stood behind her, looking bored and his eyes glinting. "Your Aunt want you to come back now." He said, crossing his arms in front of him. "Come on."
He walked past her and out the other end of Side-Show Alley. She followed him, not getting to close, as she didn't trust him when she was with him alone. Not after he'd tried to molest her. He wasn't paying any attention to her and was just walking along. "Hurry up, Juliette." He said, using her name for the first time. She hurried after him. It was soon after this she realised he was leading her away from the family home. He stopped about fifty feet from the Capponi Library, and waited until she was beside him. He roughly grabbed her arm and dragged her into an alley way, away from the Carnival. He slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming and slapped her.
"Shut up." He said, fiercely. He still had one hand over her mouth and the other hand had grabbed her wrists. Juliette's eyes widened and she tried to scream. She kicked her legs and tried to hurt him, but he had learned and dodged it. He pressed his hand to her mouth and released her wrists so that he could undo his fly. Juliette saw her chance and bit his hand. There was a moment of silence before David screamed and held his hand to the light. There was blood on his hand and he balled it into a fist before punching Juliette in the side of her head. He sat, whimpering in the alley as her head banged against the stone wall. She fell down, almost unconcious. Her eyes opened and she managed to get up, shaking and run out. David followed her but again, her hell connected with his crotch and he fell again, into a foetal position. She got up again and ran for dear life, blood dotting her clothing from her head. She ran, dizzy from loss of blood, to the stairs of the Library and fell, in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, unconcious.
~
Light... light was streaming in and hitting her face. She squinted her eyes before opening them. She was on a couch. Elegant, but simple living arrangements surrounded her. She was covered with a blanket and her vision was partially cut off by a thick white bandage around her head. She blinked slowly, waiting for the vertigo to pass before she sat up.
Where am I?
A figure came through the door behind the couch. She looked at the figure, her vision clearing a little.
"I'm glad to see you awake." Dr Fell said, setting down a tray that held a cup of warmed milk and a piece of buttered toast. "How are you feeling, Juliette?"
"Dizzy." She said, quietly. "Dad... w-what happened?"
"I was hoping you could tell me." The rasp of his voice sounded threatening to any person but her. She held her head in her right hand and closed her eyes. Slowly, it came back to her and she opened her eyes.
"I don't know." Dr Fell tsked and set the tray down.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" It was not a question. It was a statement.
"Don't lie to you, I know." She said quietly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. "It ... it was Zio David..."
"What did he do to you, Juliette?" His violet eyes were flashing dangerously.
"H-he came to the Side-Show Alley at the Carnival... said he was to take me home...I followed him." She said, squinting her eyes shut. "He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the Alley way down the street..." The throbbing was getting worse. "And then..." She shook her head, not able to say any more. She didn't need to. He was looking out the window with a murderous gaze in his eyes.
"Did he violate you?" Juliette shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "Did he try to?" She nodded, burying her face in her hands, crying bitterly. He sat next to her and cradled her sobbing form in his arms. Who knew such a psychopath could have a loving side? After about five minutes, Juliette wiped her eyes and sniffled. Hannibal looked at her, his gaze piercing hers. "Has he tried it before?"
She nodded. "Once. About a week ago. I managed to fight him off though." She hung her head. He closed his eyes and hugged her, comforting her as she remembered the terrible ordeal.
"I've stitched your head," He said. "Come back in about two weeks to get them out, all right?"
Juliette nodded and got up, realising she was still in her jeans and the yellow T-shirt she'd gone to the carnival in. She closed her eyes a minute and opened them, looking at her father. "How long are you staying in Florence?"
"I'll stay until those stitches come out. Now, it's best that you get home. Tell them the truth."
"Okay..." She said, squinting again. "I love you Dad." She hugged him. "Thank you."
He hugged her back. "It's all right. Now, off you go. I have some plans to take care of." Juliette picked up her white shirt and put on her boots before kissing her fathers cheek. She walked out and Hannibal Lecter, M.D sat down at the table to write down the main course for his dinner that night.
Minestra fatta di David.