Chapter 6
The next morning Lilly accepted Jareth's protection without much of a fight. She didn't have the strength to refuse. He showed up at her door, cheerful and full of energy.
As they walked, he prattled on and on about how he was woken up last night by some strange noises, but she pacified him with a nod or a muttered, "oh." He didn't seem to notice. Soon, he was talking about how he and his brother might be starting up a newsstand of their own and how much money they could make.
"I think it's time to start settling down, you know? Getting a business together and with enough money, I'm sure I'll have enough saved up for a proper house in a year or two." he said searchingly.
"That would be fine." she said absent-mindedly. They had arrived in town and she excused herself and joined the other girls waiting in line to get fresh flowers. He called after her, saying he would meet her here in the evening to escort her home. She barely acknowledged him.
The day passed by in a fog. Flowers were sold, money exchanged – all of it done so mechanically. Lilly's thoughts lay elsewhere. The young man's face – he hadn't even looked human. So hideous, yet for a moment it had seemed almost natural, even familiar. She said a prayer for him, wherever he was.
Lilly stopped, for a while, in the early evening and had a hot cup of tea from a street vendor. As she sipped from the cup, she browsed through a rack of newspapers that had just come out with the evening editions.
Suddenly, her hand recoiled from one of them, as if it had burned her. She squinted hard at the print, trying to make sense of it. There, on the cover, was the handsome young man. She bought the paper straight out and began to read the article.
Promising Young Doctor Takes Own Life at Wedding: Guests and Bride Watch in Horror.
Lilly read on. The article outlined how Dr. Henry Jekyll, a promising young man in the field of medicine, committed suicide in front of friends and family at his wedding, only just that morning. Friends of the doctor say that his health had been declining over several weeks. Some colleagues confess that it may have been due to strange experiments that the doctor may have been performing on himself to test the boundaries of human consciousness. One colleague reported that the doctor's obsession was nothing short of "fanatical" and that he was convinced, that through certain drugs, the mind could be divided into two parts, one evil and one good.
Other members of the household, who wished to remain anonymous, said that his decline in health coincided with the taking on of a new assistant, one Edward Hyde.
I can't hold him off, go inside now!
Officials had been unable to find any trace of Mr. Hyde, but the search was on to bring him in for questioning on his part in the affair.
Doctor Jekyll died in the arms of his widowed bride, Emma Carew, who refused to be consoled.
Lilly lowered the paper and stared blankly ahead of her, the world was out of focus.
I can't hold him off, go inside now!
I can't hold him off
Hold him off…
Who are you?
Edward Hyde.
I'm fire pure fire!
Divided into two parts
One Evil, One Good.
Words and voices swirled in her mind as all the pieces seemed to fall from the sky and land to form a perfect picture. She traced a gentle hand over the picture of young Henry Jekyll, most likely taken while still at school. He looked so hopeful. A tear landed on the black and white picture. She wiped it away, before the ink ran.
Last night had been an apology. A chance to make amends the only way he knew how.
For the first time since he had given it to her, she thought of the purse. She pulled it out now and held it in her hand. She hadn't opened it, but she did so now and looked inside.
There must have been hundreds in there! Not only coins, but bills, lots of them, all tucked and rolled away together. She stood for a moment, gaping and dipping her hand in and out of the soft velvet purse, feeling the weight of the money against her skin. As she did, other words came back to her:
Now, you can be free.
Had this been what he meant? An end to the daily toil, free from living hand to mouth?
She paused, looking at the young hopeful face. It went deeper.
Now, you can be free
"No," she said aloud softly, "Now, we're both free." It was true. They were both free of Edward Hyde; he could do no more damage to anyone. He would never hurt another soul again. The game was over, but there was no winner, only a survivor.
She tucked the money away. It was growing late and it was almost time to meet Jareth. Jareth, with his simple ways and sweet nature - Jareth, who hoped to make a living at his news shop…and maybe even marry her. She walked on for a bit, her mind tumbling over and over.
Eventually, she found herself in front of the same pet shop she had been at a week ago. She saw the same puppies in the window, now sleeping and curled up next to each other. As she watched, one looked up with sleepy eyes and noticed her. It poked its head out of the warm blanket of sleeping brothers and sisters and pressed its nose against the glass. After a few moments, it stood up, its small paws waving at her as the little thing struggled to keep its balance. A smile spread across her face.
She turned and walked into the shop door. A bell jingled and a clerk came out from a back room.
"May I help you?" he asked warily, looking at her worn clothing and basket of flowers.
"Yes," she said, with head held high. "I'd like that one." She said pointing to the puppy who was now sitting and watching her with its head cocked to one side.
She reached into her pockets and produced a sum of money from the purse. The clerk's demeanor changed instantly and he hurried about preparing for the dog to come home with its new mistress.
As Lilly held the dog in her arms, she hugged it close, feeling its warm fur and its tiny heartbeat. She wouldn't be quite so alone now. The dog looked up at her and seemed to smile before settling down in her arms and began to doze contently. Now, there was only one thing left to take care of.
Jareth was beside himself. He had been waiting for almost an hour and still Lilly had not come. He was scanning the crowd every few seconds, but she was still nowhere in sight. He feared something had happened to her. Perhaps she had forgotten about meeting him? Perhaps she was at home?
He dashed in the direction of the brick flat and arrived out of breath and panting. He paused only to unlock the door, then ran swiftly up the stairs to her room and knocked. When there was no answer, he knocked again, this time more urgently. He called her name, but got no response. Fear overtook his sense of reason and he used his shoulder to force the door open. It wasn't hard; the doors were not made of strong wood and most of them had rusted through.
He looked around her room and found it empty. No clothes in the closet, no trinkets on the dressing table. Only the bed sheets remained. He ran a hand through his hair, confused by what he saw. Lilly was not there, and it looked as though she had left in a hurry. But why? There were no signs of struggle, and the door he had just broken was the only sign of forced entry. But it made no sense, why would Lilly just pick up and leave like that without a word? He couldn't understand it.
He closed the damaged door on the room and wandered, still puzzled, to his own room. He opened the door and found an envelope had been slid under it with his name written across the front. He tore it open as soon as he had closed the door behind him and sat on his worn red armchair, to read her final goodbye.
Dear Jareth,
I am sure you're wondering where I am. If I know you, you've probably broken down my door by now to see if I'm alright. I never meant to worry you and for that I am sorry. It is hard for me to say just why I must go, only that I must. I don't expect you to understand; I only ask that you please forgive me. You have been a kind and true friend, but my urgency was great.
Things have changed, around me and inside of me, and I can no longer go back to what I once knew. I have seen all that is good and evil within this world . . . and myself as well.
You may take heart in knowing that I am alright and I do this of my own free will and choice. I am not alone and have a new friend to keep me company. I don't know where I am bound to yet. I'm not even sure if that is important.
There is little I can do to make up for the pain I have no doubt caused you. I know you always had my best interests at heart and I will always think fondly of you. In appreciation, I enclose within this envelope a sum of money I hope will help you and your brother in starting a newsstand. When next I hear of you, I expect to hear of a wealthy businessman with a large stomach and a well-fed family.
My Fondest Wishes and prayers go with you,
Love Always,
Lilly and Henry
The End