Temptation in Wake
Henry stood in the last hour of moonlight before the sun would awaken upon the frosty town. His hands in his pockets and pink nose buried in the large scarf around his neck. It smelled like snow, but none fell. Jasper opened the door to junk n stuff and they made their way to the elevator for another slow day of work. Lately, the crime in Swellview had been almost non-existent. At 18 years of age, Henry had certainly exceeded Rays expectations for the job. As great as that was, now there was no one left to fight. Pretty much anyway.
Henry let the warmth of the building bathe his chilled bones as he stepped into the cave. He settled in with a cup of tea to thaw the rest of him out. Ray and Schwoz wandered back and forth doing trivial things while Jasper shared a cup as well. Almost startlingly, Ray broke the silence.
"Charlotte, do you have a quote that relates to this moment?"
"Yea, I love these!" rejoiced Jasper for the girls quirk he'd come to love.
"She's not here you dumb dumbs. Speaking of, shouldn't she be here?"
"Hmm... I think this is the first time she wasn't ten minutes early to work actually." Jasper muttered, mocking her punctuality.
"What time is it anyway?"
"Uhhhh.." sputtered Henry as he checked his watch. "Woah, it's ten already!"
"Wow," started Jasper, "well now we know how long it takes to chip all the paint off a mug." he admitted, drawing everyone's eyes to the dusty pile in front of him.
"Whatever, Im gonna call her." stated Henry. After a few minutes of several calls, his anxiety was getting the best of him.
"Why don't you just call her house phone?" suggested Schwoz.
"I did, and her parents are gone for the week. I'd feel better if we just went and checked on her."
"Alright lets do it." said a surprisingly agreeable Ray. He was a goofball but he wasn't one to shirk his responsibilities. That included everyone he'd put in danger by allowing them to be apart of his life. Not only this, but an obligation as the guardian of his apprentices that happened to still be very young.
Down her street they drove, as glistening rays replaced cloud covered stars. Their stiff legs climbed her steps as Henry frigidly tapped her door. He received no answer and saw no lights inside. He jiggled the door to find it locked. He broke the lock and busted his shoulder through the door. Jasper, Ray, and Schwoz should have been shocked, but they all would have done the same at this point. From the bottom of her stairs they could hear an alarm clock blaring.
A pang of panic threatened as they climbed more steps. They came to her room and didn't bother knocking this time. There she was in bed, sleeping like a rock. A deceitful wave of relief washed over them.
"Yo yo Char, let's go little miss heavy sleeper." poked Ray as he looked around the beautiful room. Billowy, satin bedding and perfect little trinkets surrounded by divine drapery that hung from her ceiling and surrounded her bed. Even a cute little outfit laid out for the day, hanging on her mirror. Her celestial cove quite contradicted the rest of the house.
Henry turned off the extremely loud alarm coming from her phone. He watched as she didn't so much as flinch when Ray yelled for her. He broke through the golden veils to sit down beside her. With a heart that beat fiercely with fear at the sight that grew worse with clarity, he tore down the sheer drapes. Now they all anxiously studied her for the boys instinct they'd learned to rely on and her bothersome resistance to consciousness.
Henry looked closer to find she was sweating. He felt her cheek with his cold knuckles that clashed with her flame. He ripped the covers off the bed to reveal her shivering in a long, plum colored, silk night gown. Besides the few trembles, she still lie completely motionless, in a coma like sleep. Henry softly pulled her up by her shoulders as a final attempt, speaking her name into non-receptive ears. Her neck was unsupportive as her head dropped and her eyes could not produce a mere flutter.
Schwoz was now taking a look, checking her vitals and doing things that Henry could not force himself to concentrate on. His heart beat so loudly in his ears he was almost embarrassed at the thought the others might hear it. Ray hovered over Schwoz's shoulder with paternal worry in his bearing.
"Time to go." Schwoz commanded as Ray gathered her and a bed sheet up in his arms, understanding what he already knew. In a haze they made it to the cave.
Ray kept his hold on her as Schwoz drooped with a face of dissatisfaction. He was lost for an explanation and hated himself for it. They couldn't help but stare at her. She was curled up and wrapped up, so small and fragile and horribly innocent. Her body quaking worse now and head resting on him unknowingly. This distressed silence was broken by the phone ringing. Henry had a sinking feeling as he accepted the call. Every instinct screamed at him that something was off and that whoever this was would bring disappointing answers. Henry awaited a voice before revealing his own. A man on the other end gave the simple demand of meeting him at an address and that's where they would receive their cure. He hung up before they could reply.
Suddenly they heard Charlotte take in a shaky breath through her teeth while shifting into consciousness. They gathered close as she sat up and looked at Ray with confused, young eyes. She brought her hands to her cheeks, her long nails breaking through the fallen tendrils. She could see the unspoken burden in each of the eyes that examined her now. Moments like these made Henry regret the prison he'd built for himself. He wanted to touch her in some way to assure her of his presence, to comfort her as people often do. But still he kept his distance, despite the agony.
She waited for an answer and would have spoken if she knew what to ask first.
"Char, you've uh.. well," stuttered Henry. Jasper slapped a releasing hand on his friends back as he took over the regrettable task of breaking news. He sat down next to her with an oddly soothing nature that made her feel a little better. Schwoz gave her a water bottle with a wrapper she tore off and fiddled with (a habit she had yet to break) as Jasper gave a thorough explanation. She gave no response other than a slow nod as she stared at her hands. No one expected her to have the words but they were surprised how cool she kept it. Mature acceptance was a foreign concept to the boys of this particular man cave.
They agreed they had to go for lack of alternative and time. They first stopped off at Charlotte's house so she could change. She fidgeted with her outfit in front of the mirror before sliding on her coat and scarf. She wore a long angel-sleeved, chiffon, black dress that flared out above her knees and accentuated her waist. She paired it with black tights and high top, navy blue converse.
She headed out the door on Jaspers arm, enjoying the foggy frost that weaved through the road ahead. Wild hanging branches from trees of bounteous green, clinging to the summers final bloom. Each leaf she crunched and deep, crisp breath of air awakened not only her mind, but the contentment of her heart and the blood in her cheeks. The guys waited patiently at the end of her drive.
She took a tired step into the van as Henry helped her in, whispering to be careful in her ear, giving goosebumps.
"Do you have a quote for us dear?" asked Schwoz.
"Hmm.." she pondered cutely with her finger on her chin.
"Jane Austen said "There is no charm equal to the tenderness of heart." Today I find that to be very true." she said smiling brightly at them in a way they couldn't help but reciprocate.
After half an hour of everyone but Ray being fast asleep in the back, they were brutally awakened by the slamming of brakes. Jasper glared at him after his head was whipped against the dash.
"This is it." Ray announced as the engine hummed in front of a large metal gate. It was practically falling apart, riddled with rust and neglect.
Charlotte still shook with shivers that made her nauseous. She tried to suppress them and it killed Henry to watch. She shut her eyes and relaxed into her seat as a remedy for her piercing headache. She clenched her jaw, turning towards the window and wrapping her arms around herself tightly. He knew her better than anyone had or ever would. Her disguise was wearing thin. Not to say he didn't still see her as quite the puzzling thing, wrapped in a perfect perplexing package. The moment had passed and she sat up, feeling a bit better after rolling down the window for a breath of crispy, winter air.
Suddenly, some sort of security guard walked out of the booth by the gate. They were all surprised by a sign of life in the place with abandonment written all over it. He looked very angry at how Ray was very close to the gate due to the fact he was thinking seriously about ramming right through it. He began yelling in a vaguely familiar language, but it was nothing they could begin to understand. Ray stumbled over an inarticulate excuse when Charlotte leaned out the window and interrupted him.
"O skýlos mou étrexe edó, boroúme na doúme?... Please?"
Anger dropped like a rock from the mans face.
"Uh sure.. here." he said opening the gate. They all darted their impressed eyes toward her as they drove through. She pulled her sleeves over her hands and rolled up her window, oblivious to her audience.
As he drove further, they found themselves in an old marina. A few lifeless boats and rickety docks were all that remained. The salty air swept passed them as they heard the gravel being kicked below them and seagulls circling above. Charlotte barely gripped Henry's arm as they walked and so he felt no reluctance in pulling her closer. As much as they'd avoided each others touch, she simply needed him and for that he would throw anything aside. Perhaps it was to protect themselves from getting hurt or losing their friendship. Or maybe he knew that if they started something, he would do things he would be responsible for at too fragile an age. As they walked, he could feel her will being depleted like her feet were weighed down. Her hands fell lifelessly around his arm and her barren spirit showed itself in her gaze that watched the ground without focus.
She sympathized with the misty boatyard and it's loss of luster. One ship stood out at the end of the walkway. It was an ancient, genuine warrior vessel crafted of cedar and oak. Elevated decks above the stern and the bow paid homage to the days of life at sea. At the moment, this sea was blocked by other boats at dock, keeping them in the dark about what they were missing. A man stood at the helm. He was nearly 7 feet with broad shoulders and a long black coat with the collar flipped up, covering half his face. They boarded and cautiously approached the man from behind.
"Finally." grumbled the gravelly voice behind the shield.