Secretly
Sit tight, I'm going to need you to keep time, come on just snap those fingers for me.
Good, good, now we're making some progress, come on just tap those toes to the beat,
I believe that this may call for a proper introduction,
Don't you see? I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue.
Swear I'll shake it up if you swear to listen,
Still so young and desperate for attention.
I aim to be your eyes (heart& mind).
The Multiplex was forced to close for the night. Hundreds of customers had to be refunded as dozens of police officers locked down the theater. It still wasn't clear which of the employees had called 911; most of them were still in shock. No one was in worse shape than Eva. Long black streaks of mascara had dried on her cheeks and her nose wouldn't stop running. She'd been crying on and off for hours and she'd gone over her story about a hundred times. She pulled her fire department issued blanket tighter around her shoulders feeling a chill run down her spine; she was so cold. She just wanted to get out of this place; every time she closed her eyes she saw Mike's lifeless body hanging there so limp and she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
"Okay," Officer Giry sighed, "Lets go over this one more time." Officer Megan Giry was the youngest policewoman Eva had ever seen. She was fresh out of the academy and Eva was beginning to wonder if this was her first assignment.
"We've been over it a million times." Eva grumbled, feeling bad for her snappish tone. She felt especially bad when Megan's brow creased with concern and she placed a comforting sisterly arm around Eva's shoulders.
"I know this is hard, but the sooner we finish up here, the sooner you can go home and get some rest." And so they went over it again, and again; then Eva went over her story with the lead detective, and finally she was free to go, Meg's number securely in her pocket, just in case she remembered anything. She trudged home slowly through the mud that the freshly fallen rain had created feeling empty. It was like her body was on autopilot, not exactly sure how she was still moving, but knowing that she was steadily making her way home.
"Eva!" she turned, seeing Wayne chasing after her. She stopped, more out of surprise than anything, and waited for him to catch up. "What are you doing out here alone, it's freezing," she knew what he really meant, why was she out here alone and venerable, not protected. He had a point though, it was cold, but Eva barely felt it on her exposed arms, but that wasn't what was causing her uncontrollable shivering, it was how cold she felt inside. He was pulling his windbreaker over his head and Eva blushed a little as his uniform rode up with it, revealing his flat, tanned stomach. "Here put this on."
"No, I can't really, you keep wearing it," Eva rushed out quickly, "I was just on my way home."
"Well let me walk you." He insisted thrusting the bundle back into her arms. Defeated, Eva pulled the wind breaker on and they walked along in silence. She couldn't help but notice how much the coat smelled like Wayne and how comforting it was. The smell of his cologne mingled with popcorn and something sweet lingered faintly in the zipped up collar and she found she was involuntarily burying her nose in it. She looked up to see him looking down at her; amusement mingled with concern made his a strange expression.
"What?" She asked, feeling heat rise on her cheeks.
"Nothing, I guess…" he paused and looked skyward as if searching for the right words, "I guess, I think we should talk about what happened tonight…" He was still looking up, deliberately not meeting her eyes. Oh god, does he think I'm like imbalanced or something? Her mind thought wildly, but he was going on, "What exactly happened before you screamed and everyone came rushing in?" not another interrogation.
"Look, my story hasn't changed, I was mopping, I was singing and then all of these people started whispering and someone touched the back of my neck that's all I know." She looked at him disgruntled.
"Okay, I believe you, it's just, when you screamed everyone in the whole building heard it, and well, those theaters are supposed to be soundproof," he stopped walking and met her eyes for the first time and Eva had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from gasping out loud. His eyes were all bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in a month. They hadn't looked like that before.
"Are you okay?" she exclaimed.
"What? Oh… yea I'm fine," he looked away again. "I'll be straight forward with you, I was really worried tonight, and if anything were to ever happen to you…" he trailed off stuffing his hands in his pockets. Eva felt her eyes widen in shock, was he saying what she though he was saying? But then he didn't say anymore on the subject and kept walking, switching instead to talk about the new movies that were opening that weekend. Feeling disappointed, she kept walking, occasionally giving him directions; she forgot it was such a long walk from the theater to her house. "Are you with me?" he asked laughing.
"What?"
"I asked if you worked tomorrow, but you were on another planet or something."
"Oh my god, sorry!" Eva exclaimed realizing that she had been absorbed in her own thoughts much of the way home.
"It's okay," he said still looking amused, "I realize tonight must have been a huge shock. If you work I'll see tomorrow." Then before she could say anything he swooped in and kissed her lightly. It was only a second or two, but it was sweet and tender. It took Eva a minute to realize that they were standing on her front porch. He playfully tugged on one of her pigtails before retreating back down the steps, calling "See you later," over his shoulder. She was still rooted in place, shell-shocked, with her fingers pressed lightly to her lips and he cheeks aflame.
"Bye," she managed to croak out when he was halfway down the block already. She put her hands in the pocket of the windbreaker searching for her keys, before realizing that this wasn't her coat and that her jacket was still at the theater. She swore under her breath and then her hand closed around something in the pocket. Feeling curious she pulled out a tiny plastic bag full of what looked like Tylenol. "What the…" They were not Tylenol, upon closer inspection she saw that they were round and had a little bunny with X's for the eyes printed on one side. Eva was not an idiot, she knew exactly what these were, and the longer she stood their gaping in shock at them, the more stupid she felt. Maybe they aren't his, her brain tried to reason with her, maybe they're his brothers, or his friends… yea right, who am I kidding. She felt tears spring to her eyes again and whipped them away angrily. She didn't have the energy to deal with this tonight. She twisted the door knob in frustration and felt it turn easily in her hand. Her old fear was back instantly and she hastily shoved the drugs back in Wayne's coat pocket.
"Hello?" she called hesitantly, her voice shook; she pushed the door open a little further.
"Hi sweetheart, what took you so long to get home?" Eva jumped a mile as her mom hurried into the entranceway.
"Hi mom," She looked around for anything out of the ordinary, and saw nothing. She relaxed a little. "I decided to walk, why are you still up?" Now she was searching her mom's face for the telltale sign's. She was so stupid, how could she have not noticed Wayne was high when she came home to her mother every night. Not waiting for her mom to think up an excuse, Eva pleaded exhaustion and hurried up to her room. She wanted to get into bed and sleep for a hundred years. She pealed off the coat and her uniform and made for her bed, taking her long red curls out of their constricting pigtails and froze as she noticed something white standing out against the royal blue of her pillow case. A Polaroid. She swallowed a scream and tried to fight the felling that someone had just poured a bucket of ice water over her head; now more than ever she felt like she was being watched. With a shaking hand she reached for the photo and turned it over. It was taken only minutes ago, Wayne kissing her on the porch, but the photographer had scribbled Wayne out with a red sharpie and written three words across the bottom in angry capitol letters: YOU ARE MINE.