CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - THE MOSEY
It was still raining outside. Harder now.
She sat up. From the floor. One arm on the side of the bed. The other holding the side of her jaw. Where he'd hit her.
There was no blood. Just a red spot. That would most likely become a bruise.
He was breathing hard. Surprise in his eyes. Pain in his forehead. From where he'd hit her. Not in his chest. Like he'd dreamt.
"Are you okay?" She slowly stood up. Using the bed for balance. Still top naked. Looking down. She wrapped her arm around herself. Suddenly embarrassed.
The alcohol costume had worn off.
She rummaged to find her top. And put it back on. Followed by her sleep pants. Before coming back over to him.
Catcher still upright on the bed. Shirtless. Still surprised. Working things out in his head. He'd never had a violent dream before. Like that. Not the he remembered.
"What happened?" He was looking at her now. Worry in his eyes. That he'd hurt her. "I don't understand..."
"You're alright." She was comforting. Despite the pain in her jaw. Climbing back up onto the bed. But not close to him. "You had a dream." Her head was really woozy. He'd struck her hard.
He whimpered. Covering his head with his arms. His eyes cinching. "I'm sorry. I don't like dreams..." He hunkered down. Ashamed at hurting her.
"Do you remember what the dream was about?" She was worried. More about him. And his reaction. Than her silly. Aching. Jaw.
"My heart fell out..." His hand went to his heart. While the other stayed across the top of his head. He finally looked up at her. "I'm sorry." He said again looking at the welt. Covered by her hand.
"It's oka....ah..." Something panged her. Most likely her tongue. Where she'd bit it. When he'd hit her. Accidentally.
He was ashamed. And he got off the bed. Hurriedly. Going to the door. "I'm sorry Lara, I'm sorry I hit you..."
"Catcher? Where are you going? Come back you didn't mean to!" But he was out the door. Running down the hall.
She tried to get up. To follow. But a rush of blood spattered across her eyes. Dimming the dim lights. Making her head heavy. She stumbled. Before she fell. Blacking out.
On the floor. Dark. And blue.
"Mommy?" Agatha came to the door. Holding Mosey. Her plush cat. Stretched. And old.
She'd heard the thumps. And commotion. Now she found her mom on the floor. Breathing lightly.
"Mommy!" She ran towards her. Kneeling down. Tapping her shoulder. "Mommy wake up..."
Lara jerked. But didn't open her eyes.
"Mommy? Where's Catcher?" She shook Lara. But Lara just slept.
Below. She heard the door slam.
She ran to the window. Mosey still clutched tight. She watched a figure in the slashing gray rain. Running madly. Stumbling. Falling. Picking itself up again and running again.
"Catcher!" She called through the window. But he didn't turn around. Didn't stop. Just kept running. He couldn't have heard her anyway.
She bolted. Back towards the door. Down the hall. Down the stairs. Through the entryway. Past the pictures. Opening the door. Through the porch. And out into the pouring rain.
With nothing but Mosey.
In nothing but her jammies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She found him sitting at the edge of the lake. On Agatha's old swing set. Swinging lightly.
As she came closer. She saw his shoulders jumping. His head in his hands. His coat around him.
He'd grabbed it when he ran out.
She came up. Silently. And got up on the swing next to him. Watching him cry.
She hugged Mosey tight with one arm. Fending off the cold rain.
"Catcher?" She whispered. Leaning over towards him. The swing chains groaning crooked.
"Leave me alone." He turned away. His face still covered. His shoulders still bouncing. He was covered in mud. From when he'd fallen. She could see it from where the coat didn't cover. Where his hands didn't cover.
"What happened?" She asked. Ignoring his curtness.
"I hit her..." He cowered.
The lake beyond was grumbling with raindrops. Screaming because they were stabbing its skin.
"Why?" She asked.
"I was dreaming..."
"What were you dreaming?"
"That my heart fell out of its place."
She got down off the swing. And came towards him.
He saw her coming and cringed away. She pulled back. Confused.
"I don't want to hit you too." He said.
She twisted her eyebrows. "Would you hit me? On purpose?"
"No."
"Did you hit mommy on purpose?"
"No."
She came closer. Despite his silent protest. And came up between his knees. Leaning the side of her head against his chest. Listening.
He shuddered with his breath. She looked down. At Mosey. Then took his hand. And made him hold him. As she leaned in close again. Listening again.
She cupped her free hand against her other ear. Blocking out the rain. Closing her eyes.
"Your heart's where it's suppose to be..."
He could feel her shiver.
The way she'd done. When they'd walked to her house. In the rain.
She leaned back. Smiling. With chattering teeth. Pulling her arms around her. Her jammies soaked through. "It was just a dream."
"I don't like dreams." He said. As she began to climb. Climbing his knees like a rock wall. Up into his lap like the final plateau. Still shaking.
"Not all dreams are bad." She commented. Leaning in close. Feeding off his warmth. The back of her head at his bare belly. Her hair tickling his skin. "You just had a bad one is all..."
He shrugged off his coat. And pulled it around on top of her. Curled on his lap. The rain now piercing his back. Stinging his shoulders. Stabbing his flanks.
"I forgive you." She whispered. "You didn't mean to." Huddling. Still shivering.
"You should go inside."
She looked up. Noticing he was top naked. "What about you? You'll freeze out here."
"I'm fine." He lied. Already cold. "Go inside."
She went to protest. But he cut her off. Turning stern.
"Go inside Agatha. Go check on your mom. She needs you."
"Catcher..." He straightned his legs. Making her slide off. Forcing her onto the ground. Still holding the coat about her. Loosely. The bottom drug in the mud.
"I need to be alone."
She began to unshoulder the coat.
"No," he held out a hand. Keeping it on her. "You keep it."
She bit her bottom lip. Scowling worriedly.
He looked down. Tears still in his eyes. Noticing Mosey.
He stretched out his arm. Offering her the cat.
"No," she shook her head. Keeping it with him. "You keep it."
And she turned. With a lingering sigh.
Then she left. Letting him think.
With Mosey.
It was still raining outside. Harder now.
She sat up. From the floor. One arm on the side of the bed. The other holding the side of her jaw. Where he'd hit her.
There was no blood. Just a red spot. That would most likely become a bruise.
He was breathing hard. Surprise in his eyes. Pain in his forehead. From where he'd hit her. Not in his chest. Like he'd dreamt.
"Are you okay?" She slowly stood up. Using the bed for balance. Still top naked. Looking down. She wrapped her arm around herself. Suddenly embarrassed.
The alcohol costume had worn off.
She rummaged to find her top. And put it back on. Followed by her sleep pants. Before coming back over to him.
Catcher still upright on the bed. Shirtless. Still surprised. Working things out in his head. He'd never had a violent dream before. Like that. Not the he remembered.
"What happened?" He was looking at her now. Worry in his eyes. That he'd hurt her. "I don't understand..."
"You're alright." She was comforting. Despite the pain in her jaw. Climbing back up onto the bed. But not close to him. "You had a dream." Her head was really woozy. He'd struck her hard.
He whimpered. Covering his head with his arms. His eyes cinching. "I'm sorry. I don't like dreams..." He hunkered down. Ashamed at hurting her.
"Do you remember what the dream was about?" She was worried. More about him. And his reaction. Than her silly. Aching. Jaw.
"My heart fell out..." His hand went to his heart. While the other stayed across the top of his head. He finally looked up at her. "I'm sorry." He said again looking at the welt. Covered by her hand.
"It's oka....ah..." Something panged her. Most likely her tongue. Where she'd bit it. When he'd hit her. Accidentally.
He was ashamed. And he got off the bed. Hurriedly. Going to the door. "I'm sorry Lara, I'm sorry I hit you..."
"Catcher? Where are you going? Come back you didn't mean to!" But he was out the door. Running down the hall.
She tried to get up. To follow. But a rush of blood spattered across her eyes. Dimming the dim lights. Making her head heavy. She stumbled. Before she fell. Blacking out.
On the floor. Dark. And blue.
"Mommy?" Agatha came to the door. Holding Mosey. Her plush cat. Stretched. And old.
She'd heard the thumps. And commotion. Now she found her mom on the floor. Breathing lightly.
"Mommy!" She ran towards her. Kneeling down. Tapping her shoulder. "Mommy wake up..."
Lara jerked. But didn't open her eyes.
"Mommy? Where's Catcher?" She shook Lara. But Lara just slept.
Below. She heard the door slam.
She ran to the window. Mosey still clutched tight. She watched a figure in the slashing gray rain. Running madly. Stumbling. Falling. Picking itself up again and running again.
"Catcher!" She called through the window. But he didn't turn around. Didn't stop. Just kept running. He couldn't have heard her anyway.
She bolted. Back towards the door. Down the hall. Down the stairs. Through the entryway. Past the pictures. Opening the door. Through the porch. And out into the pouring rain.
With nothing but Mosey.
In nothing but her jammies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She found him sitting at the edge of the lake. On Agatha's old swing set. Swinging lightly.
As she came closer. She saw his shoulders jumping. His head in his hands. His coat around him.
He'd grabbed it when he ran out.
She came up. Silently. And got up on the swing next to him. Watching him cry.
She hugged Mosey tight with one arm. Fending off the cold rain.
"Catcher?" She whispered. Leaning over towards him. The swing chains groaning crooked.
"Leave me alone." He turned away. His face still covered. His shoulders still bouncing. He was covered in mud. From when he'd fallen. She could see it from where the coat didn't cover. Where his hands didn't cover.
"What happened?" She asked. Ignoring his curtness.
"I hit her..." He cowered.
The lake beyond was grumbling with raindrops. Screaming because they were stabbing its skin.
"Why?" She asked.
"I was dreaming..."
"What were you dreaming?"
"That my heart fell out of its place."
She got down off the swing. And came towards him.
He saw her coming and cringed away. She pulled back. Confused.
"I don't want to hit you too." He said.
She twisted her eyebrows. "Would you hit me? On purpose?"
"No."
"Did you hit mommy on purpose?"
"No."
She came closer. Despite his silent protest. And came up between his knees. Leaning the side of her head against his chest. Listening.
He shuddered with his breath. She looked down. At Mosey. Then took his hand. And made him hold him. As she leaned in close again. Listening again.
She cupped her free hand against her other ear. Blocking out the rain. Closing her eyes.
"Your heart's where it's suppose to be..."
He could feel her shiver.
The way she'd done. When they'd walked to her house. In the rain.
She leaned back. Smiling. With chattering teeth. Pulling her arms around her. Her jammies soaked through. "It was just a dream."
"I don't like dreams." He said. As she began to climb. Climbing his knees like a rock wall. Up into his lap like the final plateau. Still shaking.
"Not all dreams are bad." She commented. Leaning in close. Feeding off his warmth. The back of her head at his bare belly. Her hair tickling his skin. "You just had a bad one is all..."
He shrugged off his coat. And pulled it around on top of her. Curled on his lap. The rain now piercing his back. Stinging his shoulders. Stabbing his flanks.
"I forgive you." She whispered. "You didn't mean to." Huddling. Still shivering.
"You should go inside."
She looked up. Noticing he was top naked. "What about you? You'll freeze out here."
"I'm fine." He lied. Already cold. "Go inside."
She went to protest. But he cut her off. Turning stern.
"Go inside Agatha. Go check on your mom. She needs you."
"Catcher..." He straightned his legs. Making her slide off. Forcing her onto the ground. Still holding the coat about her. Loosely. The bottom drug in the mud.
"I need to be alone."
She began to unshoulder the coat.
"No," he held out a hand. Keeping it on her. "You keep it."
She bit her bottom lip. Scowling worriedly.
He looked down. Tears still in his eyes. Noticing Mosey.
He stretched out his arm. Offering her the cat.
"No," she shook her head. Keeping it with him. "You keep it."
And she turned. With a lingering sigh.
Then she left. Letting him think.
With Mosey.