Sorry for my lack of updates! Been busy…it was also my birthday recently, my mom's birthday, and a friend of mine's mother had a baby girl (who they named Pauline). Plus I've been trying to finish up some songs I've been writing. Man, I wish I had scissorhands right about now…acoustic guitar is painful…although, I'd probably cut the strings if I had scissorhands…hmmm…not a bad idea, actually…I'm really mad at my guitar…it's getting out of tune every 1.8 seconds and it's driving me nuts.
I think you'd like my songs though. One's about death, the other compares popular girls and bullies to ice cold robots, one is about scars (which I got inspired to write after reading an article about Johnny Depp practicing self-mutilation in his childhood) and then I have a bunch of other ones with similar bizarre themes.
But enough chatter, story time!
Chapter 13:
Time seemed to pass slower ever since Pamela's death. Edward and Kim just found themselves lying near each other on the rather small bed in their apartment, almost always when they were not at work.
The somewhat tragic event opened their eyes. They both came to realize that this was life, and that their time together, unfortunately, was limited, just like everything else. So they would rest next to each other every day, looking out of the rusty window, barely ever saying anything. Jonathon would always be on the other side of the room, the scratching noise produced from his pen rubbing against paper being the only sound in the room.
Well, until…
"Edward! Kim! Come quick!"
Jonathon ran over to the bed, holding a piece of paper covered in handwriting illegible to Edward and Kim and lots of sloppy sketches of hands.
"I think I figured it out, how to give Edward hands!"
"No kidding, really?" Kim could hardly sit still, while Edward couldn't find the words to express his gratitude.
"Well, there are a few obstacles..."
"Like what?"
"Well, first, I need to actually find human hands, amputated off of a real body. But, I have a friend from a long time ago who 'owes me' and since he works in medical arts, getting the hands shouldn't be too hard. There is, however, one more problem…"
"Which is?"
"Oh boy, how do I say this? The hands, regrettably, won't be permanent."
Kim smile suddenly faded away. But Edward's remained the same.
"What do you mean? Why not?"
"Well, hands off of a dead body will rot over time. I'm afraid his hands will only last a few days, at most. Then the scissorhands will have to be put back on. I'm so sorry. I have no idea as to how to imitate life, as that was my brother's gift, not mine. The best I can do is give him hands for a moment in his life, so Edward can know what it feels like. I'll leave him to decide the days he wants to install the hands."
"Thank you," Edward finally said. Kim though, for a second, she saw a tear on his face, but she was probably mistaken… because he was smiling. He could've had hands for a minute and he'd be just as grateful. She loved this about him. She hoped one day she could be more like him, in this sense.
"So Edward, what day will it be?"
Edward thought about it, and whispered it into Jonathon's ear, so Kim couldn't hear and she could be pleasantly surprised.
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"I got the tape."
A black video cassette was placed on the white sheets wrapped around Leon's legs. A rather plump man stood over Leon, who smiled devilishly as he looked at the object before him.
"It has all the footage?"
The man did not reply. Instead, he took the tape and pushed it into the VCR near the television set that hung off the ceiling in the pastel-colored hospital room.
The screen was fuzzy at first, but then a tall, bushy-haired figure became visible. It was Edward.
The first minute of the film revealed footage of him getting angry and shoving his shears into a set piece, finally causing it to collapse, when he saw Kim being bullied by Pamela. After that the screen turned dark, with only Kim's screaming audible. After that the screen turned red, when Kim turned on the red lights and Leon was inches away from Edward's shears. Finally, the tape ended with Pamela slowly dying at Edward's feet, from being impaled. But, at the angle it was filmed, it looked like Edward had thrust his knives into her and killed her. The tape ended abruptly.
Leon let out a chuckle as he sipped sparkling water out of his glass. He was hardly ill, but, looks being so important to him, he refused to leave the hospital until every bruise and scar was completely healed. That, and he wasn't quite ready to face Kim yet.
"This is perfect! Thank you, Ramsey."
"Um, sir?"
"Yes?"
"There's something you should know."
"Well? Go on, tell me!"
"They're engaged."
'Who? Who's engaged?"
"The girl …and the freak."
The glass Leon was holding suddenly snapped in his fist. Blood dripped on the sheets. Leon ignored the stinging pain.
"Well, well, well. Hurt me even more, that's what she wants? Fine. Two can play at this game."
"What do you mean, Leon?"
"I'll let them marry, sure. Then I'll show the cops this tape. Edward will be arrested, and Kim, not having him around, will see the error of her ways and become mine. Sure, the process will be painful…but our love will cure the pain. That monster is manipulating her…with his innocent eyes and his 'handicap'. It's my job to save her from his trap. Now… leave me alone."
The man left the room, calling a nurse to bandage Leon's wounds. Leon looked out of the window, and watched as a bird attempted to fly, but couldn't, because of its broken wing. Leon slowly got out of his bed, opened the window, and threw the black bird off of the window ledge, killing it.
He smiled, pretending it was Edward.
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Kim took in a deep breath. She was going to do this, after all this time. She had to do it. She had to.
She put a coin into the slot and picked up the corded phone in the glass booth. She tried to remember the phone number, but it took about a minute. With a trembling finger she dialed it. The phone rang two times before a familiar female voice answered it.
"Hello?"
Kim couldn't answer. She wanted to, but her words ran dry.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
"…Hi mom."
"K-Kim?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH?"
Kim jumped up. That was foolish of her, holding the receiver so close to her ear.
"Mom, listen-"
"NO! You listen! I've been worried sick! My hair is gray from worry now! I look like I just aged 15 years!"
"I'm sorry but-"
"But what? BUT WHAT? For God's sake, I thought you were lying dead somewhere! I thought I'd never hear your voice again!"
Peg began to break out in tears, as far as Kim could hear.
Kim decided she had to say it now.
"Mom, Edward is alive."
The sniffling on the other end stopped suddenly.
"What?"
Kim regretted calling.
"He's…he's alive."
"What are you talking about? Who's Edward?"
"You know…Edward…"
"I've only known one Edward, Kim-"
"And that's who I'm talking about."
"The one…who lived…up there?"
"…yes…"
"But how?"
"Let's just say…I wasn't telling the whole truth when I said he was dead."
"You…you lied?"
"I'm so sorry."
"You lied! Oh my God! Kim, how could you? You fooled the whole town! You fooled me! Your own mother!"
"I'm sorry….but it was to save his life."
"But I thought you didn't even like him that much!"
"I thought so too. But I guess…we were both very, very wrong."
"Is he still up there?"
"…no…"
"No? Where is he?"
"He's….with me."
"And…where are you?"
No answer.
"Where are you, Kim Boggs?"
"New…New York, mom."
"NEW YORK?"
"Yes…"
"Kim?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you call me? Why did you wait so long and suddenly call me now?"
"Because I want to invite you…to a wedding."