I sat on the bed quietly, twiddling my thumbs. I stopped abruptly.
I was alone. For awhile at least, that was. What the hell was I doing
sitting idly?! I got up and walked to the heavily curtained window and
pulled them back just a crack. I was startled to realize I knew where I
was. I was in my own building. Higher than my apartment, maybe two floors
higher. I sat down on the window seat. What now? It made me so angry to
think I was just a mere two floors away from my parents and I couldn't do
anything to get closer. I grabbed a red pillow on the window seat next to
me to bring it to my face and scream into it, when I saw what it had been
covering. I stopped breathing. The vent. The central air vent. My pulse
raced making me feel dizzy. I heard footsteps approaching. I placed the
pillow neatly next to the vent and plopped down on the bed, pretending to
look over my chewed nails.
Mikes came in with two plates. He handed me one. I tried to stop my hands from shaking as I accepted it. I was more than a little scared at what I was attempting. I had pissed them off before.true, but I hadn't dared to ambush their whole plan. While they wouldn't kill me for just being an annoying teenager, but for screwing up their job, I wouldn't doubt they wouldn't hesitate in killing me.
I took a big bite out of the sandwich, thinking I might never eat again. I tried to say as normal as possible, "What do you think about that Avril girl, do you think she's a poser or do you think she's ok?"
Mikes gave a shrug as though he didn't care one way or another, "She's alright."
"Did you hear her new song? Did you think it was any good?"
He moved his head, as though he were thinking about it, "Yeah, I guess so."
I started to sing the song.
Are you aware of what you make me feel
Baby
Right now I feel invisible to you like I'm not real
Didn't you feel me lock my arms around you?
Why'd ya turn away?
Here's what I have to say
I was left to cry there
Outside there, grinning with the lost stare.
That's when I decided
Why should I care?
Cause you weren't there when I was scared.
I was so alone
You! Ya need to listen!
I'm starting to trip
I 'm loosing my grip
And I'm in this thing alone.
I was just going into the willowy "crying out louds" when the door to the room slammed open. I stopped singing abruptly. Patrick stood still and tense in the doorway, like a snake about to strike. He had heard. He lashed out with all of his strength, striking Mikes' whole head.
"What did I say about noise?" He asked softly, full with disbelief.
He then turned to me, straightening his wrist watch which had turned over when he had hit Mikes. He leaned in a little and whispered coldly, "Daddy's smart little girl, aren't ya?"
I stared at him unblinkingly.
"You better hope your mother didn't hear that." He threatened.
He spun around and slammed the door behind him.
My ears buzzed. I heard murmured voices outside of the door. And then there was silence. Even the buzzing had stopped. It was as though someone had muted everything. It was a waiting silence. Something was coming. An image flashed through my minds eye of a jack in the box jumping out at me with that malicious smile.
All around the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought it all was fun
Pop! Goes the weasel
POP!
The door banged open so hard I thought the glass would shatter.
Goes the weasel.
"We're out of here!" Patrick barked the order. His head turned to me and his finger flew to point, "Bring her!"
Before I knew it I had sprung from the bed to the vent.
"MOMMY, MOM! I'M UP HERE MOM! MOMMY I'M UP HERE!!!!!!"
I don't know how I was allowed those three sentences or why I wasn't sent sprawling forward by a large fist but all Mikes did was grab my arms and dragged me away from the vent still screaming.
I was pulled into the hall past B, who was till sitting at the table looking at the screens disbelievingly. I heard Patrick order quietly to him behind me.
"Take care of her."
I started to fight then. Teeth and nails, this wasn't controlled, this was a frenzy of blows that I aimed at Mikes, hitting at him any possible way I could.
A slightly rough hand covered my mouth. I don't know how we finally reached their silver jeep (most likely stolen) but as soon as we were, I was shoved into the front passenger seat, I stilled and was quiet. Patrick got in beside me and Mikes in the back. As soon as he got in he glared at me with shaking fury, and I looked back with a tremor of fear running through me followed by the unbearable heat of my anger.
He started the engine and with another scalding glare at me he drove away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We drove in silence for a long while. After a while Patrick pulled out his cell and pressing a button the phone started to ring.
"What's on your mind, Nathan?"
A truck passed us and I made the honking gesture a second later he pulled the string and honked back. Patrick whipped to me nearly snarling in rage. I tried to put on an innocent expression, but I failed.
"You have forty four minutes, Nathan." He paused then said, "Forty three minutes." Then he hung up.
My goal the entire road trip was to annoy Patrick. I turned on the radio. Patrick turned it off. I turned it on. He turned it off. I moved to turn it on again and Patrick grabbed my wrist, twisting it in his tight grasp, never taking his eyes off the road. I cried out.
"Leave it off." He ordered quietly, throwing my hand away from him as though it disgusted him to touch me. I rubbed my wrist tenderly. I could see purple lines begin to appear on my pale skin, like branded fingers curled around my wrist. Damnit he had made me bruise. I started to think about ways I could pay him back.
He seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't appreciate being made a fool of. I was racking my brain for ideas of revenge when the car came to a stop in front of a Quickie-Mart.
"Mikes." Patrick commanded. Mikes got out and opened my door. I looked at him questioningly but I slipped out of the seat. Patrick got out and came around to our side. He towered over me.
"Don't make any noise and stick close to Mikes. Do you understand?"
I kept my eyes on the black concrete below me.
Patrick grasped my chin in his hand and roughly forced my head up to look at him.
"Do you understand?" He growled.
I nodded.
"Say it." The growl trembled in his throat.
"I understand." I said through gritted teeth. His grip lessoned but his fingers hesitated, brushing over my cheek. He smiled.
"Good girl."
He turned and walked into store. Mikes took my arm gently but firmly and led me in behind him. Once inside I tapped Patrick's shoulder. He turned rather surprised to see me there.
"Can I go check out the Zines?"
"The what?"
"Zines. Magazines?"
He looked at me in a calculating way. He then looked over my head to Mikes and nodded, "Mikes got with her."
We made our way over to the Magazine stand. I flipped through a couple and then we turned to leave.
Patrick it looked like had a bag of snacks and soda. He was talking with a fairly attractive young woman, actually he was heavily putting on the charm. He was flirting like mad.
An evil idea formed in my mind. I knew just how to embarrass him. I started to walk up to him from behind.
"Jessie?" Mikes asked low.
I waved my hand at him, telling to leave me alone. I was close enough now to hear Patrick say, "Why thank you, but no, I'm not involved with anyone."
I smiled an evil smile.
I came up beside him and snaked my arm around his waist and placed my other hand lightly on his chest in a possessive gesture. He turned to look down at me stupefied, his eyes wide with shock.
"Hey lover," I purred, "You ready to go?"
Patrick was stunned. He opened his mouth to protest to the woman when I put a finger to his lips.
"Shhh, baby, you'll want to save your strength. You're gonna need it tonight I can guarantee it."
The woman had not enjoyed the little show and made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and walked haughtily away. I waved her goodbye, wiggling each of my fingers in turn and smiling wickedly. I began to walk out of the store when I was stopped by Patrick's firmly placed hand on my arm. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I'm going to kill you as soon as you step out of this store."
I pulled back smiling sickeningly sweet, "Baby!" I exclaimed, "Wait till we get to the hotel room to do that!"
That comment got everyone looking at us. Patrick's grip tightened brutally on me. I leaned in just as close as he had, "Besides you need me. And until five, I'm safe to screw you over." I pulled back once more and pinched and slapped him twice on the cheek. I then turned and walked out the door. The bell signaling my departure. Mikes was waiting right outside the door and led me to the jeep. A few short seconds later Patrick joined us. Roaring the engine to life he scowled. I smiled and turned on the radio.
Mikes came in with two plates. He handed me one. I tried to stop my hands from shaking as I accepted it. I was more than a little scared at what I was attempting. I had pissed them off before.true, but I hadn't dared to ambush their whole plan. While they wouldn't kill me for just being an annoying teenager, but for screwing up their job, I wouldn't doubt they wouldn't hesitate in killing me.
I took a big bite out of the sandwich, thinking I might never eat again. I tried to say as normal as possible, "What do you think about that Avril girl, do you think she's a poser or do you think she's ok?"
Mikes gave a shrug as though he didn't care one way or another, "She's alright."
"Did you hear her new song? Did you think it was any good?"
He moved his head, as though he were thinking about it, "Yeah, I guess so."
I started to sing the song.
Are you aware of what you make me feel
Baby
Right now I feel invisible to you like I'm not real
Didn't you feel me lock my arms around you?
Why'd ya turn away?
Here's what I have to say
I was left to cry there
Outside there, grinning with the lost stare.
That's when I decided
Why should I care?
Cause you weren't there when I was scared.
I was so alone
You! Ya need to listen!
I'm starting to trip
I 'm loosing my grip
And I'm in this thing alone.
I was just going into the willowy "crying out louds" when the door to the room slammed open. I stopped singing abruptly. Patrick stood still and tense in the doorway, like a snake about to strike. He had heard. He lashed out with all of his strength, striking Mikes' whole head.
"What did I say about noise?" He asked softly, full with disbelief.
He then turned to me, straightening his wrist watch which had turned over when he had hit Mikes. He leaned in a little and whispered coldly, "Daddy's smart little girl, aren't ya?"
I stared at him unblinkingly.
"You better hope your mother didn't hear that." He threatened.
He spun around and slammed the door behind him.
My ears buzzed. I heard murmured voices outside of the door. And then there was silence. Even the buzzing had stopped. It was as though someone had muted everything. It was a waiting silence. Something was coming. An image flashed through my minds eye of a jack in the box jumping out at me with that malicious smile.
All around the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought it all was fun
Pop! Goes the weasel
POP!
The door banged open so hard I thought the glass would shatter.
Goes the weasel.
"We're out of here!" Patrick barked the order. His head turned to me and his finger flew to point, "Bring her!"
Before I knew it I had sprung from the bed to the vent.
"MOMMY, MOM! I'M UP HERE MOM! MOMMY I'M UP HERE!!!!!!"
I don't know how I was allowed those three sentences or why I wasn't sent sprawling forward by a large fist but all Mikes did was grab my arms and dragged me away from the vent still screaming.
I was pulled into the hall past B, who was till sitting at the table looking at the screens disbelievingly. I heard Patrick order quietly to him behind me.
"Take care of her."
I started to fight then. Teeth and nails, this wasn't controlled, this was a frenzy of blows that I aimed at Mikes, hitting at him any possible way I could.
A slightly rough hand covered my mouth. I don't know how we finally reached their silver jeep (most likely stolen) but as soon as we were, I was shoved into the front passenger seat, I stilled and was quiet. Patrick got in beside me and Mikes in the back. As soon as he got in he glared at me with shaking fury, and I looked back with a tremor of fear running through me followed by the unbearable heat of my anger.
He started the engine and with another scalding glare at me he drove away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We drove in silence for a long while. After a while Patrick pulled out his cell and pressing a button the phone started to ring.
"What's on your mind, Nathan?"
A truck passed us and I made the honking gesture a second later he pulled the string and honked back. Patrick whipped to me nearly snarling in rage. I tried to put on an innocent expression, but I failed.
"You have forty four minutes, Nathan." He paused then said, "Forty three minutes." Then he hung up.
My goal the entire road trip was to annoy Patrick. I turned on the radio. Patrick turned it off. I turned it on. He turned it off. I moved to turn it on again and Patrick grabbed my wrist, twisting it in his tight grasp, never taking his eyes off the road. I cried out.
"Leave it off." He ordered quietly, throwing my hand away from him as though it disgusted him to touch me. I rubbed my wrist tenderly. I could see purple lines begin to appear on my pale skin, like branded fingers curled around my wrist. Damnit he had made me bruise. I started to think about ways I could pay him back.
He seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't appreciate being made a fool of. I was racking my brain for ideas of revenge when the car came to a stop in front of a Quickie-Mart.
"Mikes." Patrick commanded. Mikes got out and opened my door. I looked at him questioningly but I slipped out of the seat. Patrick got out and came around to our side. He towered over me.
"Don't make any noise and stick close to Mikes. Do you understand?"
I kept my eyes on the black concrete below me.
Patrick grasped my chin in his hand and roughly forced my head up to look at him.
"Do you understand?" He growled.
I nodded.
"Say it." The growl trembled in his throat.
"I understand." I said through gritted teeth. His grip lessoned but his fingers hesitated, brushing over my cheek. He smiled.
"Good girl."
He turned and walked into store. Mikes took my arm gently but firmly and led me in behind him. Once inside I tapped Patrick's shoulder. He turned rather surprised to see me there.
"Can I go check out the Zines?"
"The what?"
"Zines. Magazines?"
He looked at me in a calculating way. He then looked over my head to Mikes and nodded, "Mikes got with her."
We made our way over to the Magazine stand. I flipped through a couple and then we turned to leave.
Patrick it looked like had a bag of snacks and soda. He was talking with a fairly attractive young woman, actually he was heavily putting on the charm. He was flirting like mad.
An evil idea formed in my mind. I knew just how to embarrass him. I started to walk up to him from behind.
"Jessie?" Mikes asked low.
I waved my hand at him, telling to leave me alone. I was close enough now to hear Patrick say, "Why thank you, but no, I'm not involved with anyone."
I smiled an evil smile.
I came up beside him and snaked my arm around his waist and placed my other hand lightly on his chest in a possessive gesture. He turned to look down at me stupefied, his eyes wide with shock.
"Hey lover," I purred, "You ready to go?"
Patrick was stunned. He opened his mouth to protest to the woman when I put a finger to his lips.
"Shhh, baby, you'll want to save your strength. You're gonna need it tonight I can guarantee it."
The woman had not enjoyed the little show and made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and walked haughtily away. I waved her goodbye, wiggling each of my fingers in turn and smiling wickedly. I began to walk out of the store when I was stopped by Patrick's firmly placed hand on my arm. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I'm going to kill you as soon as you step out of this store."
I pulled back smiling sickeningly sweet, "Baby!" I exclaimed, "Wait till we get to the hotel room to do that!"
That comment got everyone looking at us. Patrick's grip tightened brutally on me. I leaned in just as close as he had, "Besides you need me. And until five, I'm safe to screw you over." I pulled back once more and pinched and slapped him twice on the cheek. I then turned and walked out the door. The bell signaling my departure. Mikes was waiting right outside the door and led me to the jeep. A few short seconds later Patrick joined us. Roaring the engine to life he scowled. I smiled and turned on the radio.