Forever Indeed
Keenly ripping the quilt from her sweating body, Elizabeth braced herself against the wall. Staring straight towards the hallway door, she heard Julia downstairs shouting at Bill who seemed to be arguing with the news report. Looking left, she spied that the bathroom door was not properly shut. As she tiptoed towards the en-suite, her hand brushed against the blinds of the window.
Halting, she gazed at the bland blinds. Swallowing, she timidly passed two fingers through a split opening and parted the gap further. As it widened, she bent down and keenly looked through. She grunted when the sunlight adorned her engagement ring. The stones glistened, assaulting her drowsy eyes.
Though various strangers walked the street upon that early morning, she could not pinpoint if the silhouette she had seen the night before was among them. Pulling away from the sunlight and retreating to look again towards the bathroom, Elizabeth sighed. "Sam, are you up?" she called.
The door whooshed open, startling her. His bright blue eyes, eagerly absorbing the sunshine that penetrated the blinds, gazed upon her broody figure. "Yeah," He threw a fluffy towel onto the bed and took her into his arms, hugging her closely, "What's with you sweetheart? You're usually the first one up."
Attempting to oppress the sneer that had flitted over her visage, she kissed his neck. "Sorry, I suppose it's that jet lag thing people always talk about."
Laughing loudly, Sam moved away to get a shirt from the wardrobe, slowly buttoning it. "Well, you're going to want to perk up really quickly." Grinning at her confused expression, he smugly continued, "I may be going to the office with Dad, but you're not getting off the hook sweetheart." He moved back to her, stroking her arms as she began to do up some of his buttons. One hand coming up to stroke her cheek, he tenderly murmured, "Mom wants to start going through the wedding magazines today."
Eyes swiftly closing and nose scrunching, Elizabeth refrained from releasing a distasted 'Ugh'. Sam smiled down at her, reassuring her, "You'll be fine. Just explain that you're tired and I'm sure she'll go easier on you." She pressed her left palm to his chest, internally thriving on the strong pounding of his heart, and thanking him. "I have to go," he dourly droned.
A large smile overcame her pursed lips. Brown eyes wide, Elizabeth teased, "That's too bad, because we've got a bed right here that could do with being christened."
He whined, nudging her away as she grasped the bottom of his shirt and tugged his body closer to her own. "Don't Lizzie-beth – that's not fair!"
"Are you ready?" breached Bill's voice.
Elizabeth jumped, releasing Sam's shirt and pushing him away. Lightly snickering at her anxiety, he heaved a heavy sigh. "I'll be back later tonight. We'll start looking at houses if you like. I think Mom knows someone that could help."
Smiling impishly at him as he sauntered from the bedroom, Elizabeth breathed out an 'okay'. He was able to shoot one last beaming grin at her as he tottered down the staircase, his flaxen hair bouncing as he went.
Julia giggled, laying another plate onto the table. Elizabeth grimaced at the sight of the pancakes, turning instead to gaze at her cereal despite her lack of liking for it. Sugared fragments peered up at her from a cream bowl. She dug a large spoon into the mixture and lifted out a helping of soppy grains. Tilting the spoon, she allowed the sludge to slop itself downwards and into the creamy pottery. Sniffing indignantly, she hurriedly discarded the spoon and grabbed a glass of water sitting to her right.
"He got most of his father's features." Julia abruptly commented, holding a photo frame out to Elizabeth. "He only got my eyes. I was hoping he'd at least have my hair, but I suppose you can't have everything."
Humming, Elizabeth placed the frame in front of her cereal. A younger Julia stood holding a much smaller Sam whose bright eyes and fair hair shined even in the shade of a large office building. His skin-kissed flesh glowed and Elizabeth laughed, quickly glancing up to catch her reflection in the kitchen window. Her own, much more pale, skin did not glow as his. The sun that soared through the glass and immersed the home in sunlight tore at her features. Her skin seemed washed against the orange vest top she wore that blazed under the penetrating rays. Her blue jeans, also enamoured by the light, beamed. Her eyes, sunken due to the darkness of the bags around her brown eyes, were overshadowed by her black eyebrows. Her fingers snagged on un-brushed knots, as she ran a hand through her lengthy light brown hair.
Elizabeth recoiled, as a magazine slammed down upon the table. Julia plucked the photo frame away, suggesting, "We should get started dear." She sat beside Elizabeth and began to pick at the pancakes, "Would you like to start with the dress, venue or perhaps," Pouring cream atop the cakes, she emphasised, "You'd like to begin with the food."
Drawling her index finger over the glossy cover and staring at the pleased model coated in white, Elizabeth blithely sighed. "I'm still quite exhausted actually. Maybe we could start with something smaller – less important. I might find that easier." She delicately murmured.
Crossing her arms and leaning on the table, Julia peered more closely at Elizabeth. She scraped her nails into the young lady's hair and brushed it away from her face, morosely exclaiming, "You do still seem drained, but we must have at least one of the big decisions out of the way. We'll start small and work our way up. Now finish your breakfast."
Brows twitching downwards slightly and ignoring the mushy mess in the cream bowl, Elizabeth mumbled, "How many decisions am I to make today?"
"Just a few," Julia cried out, wildly waving her arms and motioning for Elizabeth to open the magazine.
"Right…" Elizabeth muttered miserably.
Snatching her jacket from the banister, Elizabeth dashed towards the front door. Her hair lashed at her neck as she heatedly turned her head, calling back towards the kitchen with a colossal smile, "I'll be back soon! I promise I will. I just really need some fresh air – this headache won't cure itself!" She tore the door open and ran down the pathway, leaving Julia with ten magazines and three solidified decisions.
Stomping on weeds, Elizabeth snorted. She held tightly to the chains of the swing, faintly swishing back and forth. "What family is coming?" She lowly jeered, failing to imitate Julia's accent. "What about your mother? Don't you have one?" using her foot to break the stems of the small weeds that grew in the cracked ground beneath her feet, Elizabeth continued to mutter nefariously, "What about you father?"
Barring her teeth together and gnashing, Elizabeth growled, "What father?" She stomped, pushing the swing back and dragging the weed along the ground as she went. Bleeding, the entrails of the plant blew away in the slight breeze. Panting, Elizabeth moaned, "Why is it so hot?" She threw her head back and stared at the blue sky. "Like his eyes," she fondly murmured, "Sam… why does your mother have to be so insufferably nosy?"
Straightening, she continued to swing, backwards and forwards.
Eyes closed, Elizabeth listened to the patter of feet. Children waded home. The glare of the sun was not so upfront now and she absentmindedly sighed, as the heat lifted from her shoulders. Trainers stuck to the ground, Elizabeth leaned backwards and forwards somewhat swaying the swing. She leaned her head against the chain and her left hand, feeling the point of the ring digging into her skull. "Sam, please come find me." She whispered. Opening her eyes a little to stare out across the park, she focused on the entrance gate.
No one came through it.
Sighing, Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and looked up at the sky. No grey clouds hung over the landscape as they would have back home. There was no sea-salt air blowing in from the north and she whimpered when she realised Sam was unlikely to come for her and convey the way back to his parents' house.
Groaning, she pattered her feet. She felt too lazy to get up, but was too disturbed by the thought of being lost not to search for the Grant house. Letting her head tilted downwards, she stared at the ground. Her trainers left harsh dents in the earth and the majority of the weed she had slaughtered remained splayed. Offering it a pitiful apology, she leisurely began to swing again. Rocking herself, Elizabeth stared back up at the sky and watched the stars awaken.
"It's so pretty," she crooned, "An accumulation never to be found elsewhere, but in the most parched of places."
A hand pushed on her back.
She squealed, as her body was thrust forwards.
As she swung back, the hand reached out again. "What?" she stuttered, attempting to turn her head and catch a glimpse of the person. "Sam?" she hesitantly ventured, feeling the power stored behind the palm that continued to push her.
"Why parched?" the intruder inquired.
Throttling another alarmed cry, Elizabeth uncomfortably explained, "Parched, because there is no life."
"Continue." He instructed.
"Parched, because this place seems void of life and the world seems to thrive upon life. There is little life here. Thus, it is parched for life. Though I suppose if it were to have life it would likely steal it of the view above." Elizabeth attempted to clarify, her voice dwindling with uncertainty.
Gruffly chuckling, he retorted, "Ah, but there is so much life beneath the sand. You'd be surprised." As she tried to twirl round on the swing to see him, he pushed her more sternly, "You're only talking about humans though, stealing the light of the stars away with their bulbs."
Scowling, Elizabeth snarled. She reached back, as the swing returned to the stranger's clutches and pushed him. Her hand met a firm chest. Eyes widening, her mouth opened with a shocked cry as he grasped her arm with both hands. As she pushed him back, he took her with himself.
Landing on him with a pained 'ouch', Elizabeth swiftly scuttled to her feet. She jammed a knee into his stomach as she did so, but he did not seem to mind. He stared up at her, as she loomed above.
Mouth opening and closing repeatedly, she exuded nonsense sounds. Elizabeth revelled in the mirrored starry image in his black eyes. Hazily, her mind wandered to moonless nights by the sea back in England. She shook her head. His pale hand reached for hers, though there was no vibrancy to his veins. Her own blue veins thumped, as his cold claw slid over her skin. He firmly gripped at her right hand and pulled himself up. She shuddered, as the cold seeped through her clothes. It wrapped round her bones and she shivered a second time. He peered down at her, callously.
"I'm sorry," she stumbled, gasping, "I shouldn't have pushed you. That was uncalled for."
He licked his lips, smiling. Bending down, her gaze following him, he grasped a misplaced apple. Elizabeth stared as he straightened, watching as he rubbed the apple against his clad chest. He raised the fruit to his lips. Absentmindedly she nipped at her own pink lips, her tongue darting out to moisten them. Steadfastly, his teeth glowered at her as he bit away a chunk of the fruit.
Elizabeth blinked. Looking at him look at her, she felt her body burn with something akin to embarrassment. Thanking that her cheeks were unlikely to have reddened, she coughed. "I'm Elizabeth."
He did not reply, merely staring at her, licking the apple juice from his lips. His tongue slid slowly across his teeth. Elizabeth gulped, averting her gaze to their shoes.
She balked, gasping, when he finally spoke.
"I'm Jerry."
Infected by his smile, her own lips widened massively and strained the muscles in her cheeks. His grin grew as well.
Jerry wordlessly held the apple out to her.
Smile rapidly vanishing, Elizabeth gawked at the offer. Her eyelashes furiously fluttering, she timidly reached out. She took the apple. He nodded to it, then to her. She turned it round to a side unscathed. Raising it to her parched pink lips, she looked up at him as he watched her take an inconsequential bite. His smile became more frivolous, as he remarked, "I don't believe you bite so small with a grin that large." He towered over her, clasping her shoulders and pulling her closer. Elizabeth tightened her grip on the apple, her breath faltering. "Take a proper bite love… You look like you need it after being out here all day without even some breakfast."
"Have you been watching me?" Elizabeth queried, forgetting the apple.
"Have you been watching me?" he returned, taking hold of her hands. She tried to pull them free, compressing the apple between her hands further as she yanked. His grip did not wane. Elizabeth found no release. Her cheeks puffing up with air, Elizabeth twisted her arms. She failed to build up enough strength from the movement to wrench away from him. "Let me go." she gasped.
Jerry freed her.
He shook his head, as she staggered back. Clumsily Elizabeth grabbed the stand of the swing, regaining her balance. Amused, he snickered. Crossing his arms, Jerry lifted a hand to cover his mouth to evade her from catching the smirk that breached his impassive facet.
Dropping the apple, Elizabeth glared up at him. "Who are you?" she demanded.
Chuckling, Jerry uncovered his mouth and allowed his lustrous teeth to shine upon her shorter being, "I told you. I'm Jerry." At her silence and sustained scowl, he continued more casually, "I live opposite the Grants."
Eyes widening, brows quickly rising, Elizabeth exclaimed, "You live near the Grants!"
Nodding, one eyebrow raised, Jerry stepped closer and leaned against the post she was holding onto.
Elizabeth coyly stammered, "Cou-could you… take me back there?" She leaned towards him, looking up into his eyes and puckering her lips.
Laughing loudly, he shifted away from her, "Of course"
Dubiously staring after his imposing figure, Elizabeth watched his phantom-like figure drift further away from her.
Clambering after the suspicious spectre, she trod on the apple. Its sides divided and juice spilled over the wrecked weed that sat beside her swing, mingling.
Most of the homes they passed were unlit. Having left her phone in her other pair of jeans, likely to have remained splayed on the bedroom floor, she would not have been so ignorant of the time. The trail he took her on seemed longer than necessary. However, to pass the time, he seemed content asking questions.
"I saw the two of you arrive last night." He told her.
Elizabeth shivered and though it was growing colder still, she suspected it was his fixed stare that caused the act. "Yes, Sam and I have come to visit his parents." She crossed her arms and stroked them, hoping to buffer herself from more than the cold.
"Ah," Jerry whirred, "He's brought you to meet his parents."
Tentatively Elizabeth murmured a quiet, 'aha'.
Halting, he grabbed her left hand. Shredding her arms apart and leering, "That's an exquisite engagement ring." He held her hand above her eyesight and tilted it side to side, studying the flickering echoes of the street lamplights nearby. "Diamonds," he murmured, "You know you could scratch a window with those and they'd never smear."
Tugging her hand from him, Elizabeth huffed, "I know I'm not a simpleton."
Jerry's smile lingered, "He would have you that way though, wouldn't he?"
"Shut up." Elizabeth sharply ordered, re-crossing her arms and continuing at a more harried walk.
Chortling, he carried on with her
"You're accent suggests you've come a long way, Elizabeth."
Shocked, she turned to look at him as they strolled.
"That is your name, isn't it? You said so yourself." He questioned, feigning a frown.
Choking down a cry, Elizabeth cast her sight away from him in attempt to escape his seemingly fixed attention. "I'm just surprised you're using my name." she uttered, "You seem a little… detached."
Jerry nodded, though she did not notice as she took to counting the number of houses they passed, "I move around a lot, so it's odd knowing I'll be staying here for quite a while. Guess I'm not used to getting to know the people I meet."
Humming, Elizabeth fell quiet and hoped to sustain the silence despite the evolving awkwardness.
"You're from England, right?" He continued, as she closed her eyes and attempted to smother an irritated sigh.
Opening her eyes, she turned her head to him as they marched on. Glowering at his guiltless visage, she clarified, "Yes," a smirk overpowering her glare, "You've got an accent beneath that American yourself."
"True." He confirmed.
Glare returning, Elizabeth asked, "Have you ever been to England?"
"I've been a few times, all long ago." Jerry blatantly declared.
Looking to a lonely lit window, Elizabeth caught sight of two figures dancing behind the blinds. Jerry followed her eyesight, rolling his eyes with a discreet scoff.
Her ears picked up on the noise and she studied his indifferent expression, saying, "You live by yourself then." As he confirmed her voiced thought, she gingerly pushed, "Where is your family?"
Jerry's body juddered. Taking an excessive breath, his brows plunging and lips compressing, he confessed, "Gone."
"Oh." Elizabeth gracelessly responded.
She saw his fists clench and arms quiver. She boldly took hold of his right arm, squeezing it, "I'm sure there's more family out there, somewhere, right?"
It took a moment, but he howled. She jumped back, dropping his arm as he laughed vigorously.
"Yes!" he exclaimed, a few of the houses stirring, "Yes, there is always more family out there." He gazed at her, a smile pulling at his lips, "Above that is the capability of making new family."
Giving him an odd look, Elizabeth murmured, "Sure, I suppose that's what I'm doing myself. Sam's family will become mine."
"No they won't." Jerry intensely affirmed, fingers twitching.
Elizabeth, staggered, gaped at him.
"You're trying to get away, but by marrying him you're only pulling in more people you're already realising you seriously dislike." Jerry snorted, watching the scowl crawl over her astonished expression, "Maybe they'll even remind you of your old family." He tugged her closer and muttered, watching the front door open, "Overall, you're marrying him because he's safe, not because he has a family you can be a part of. They can't make you happy."
Stepping away from her, Jerry held his hands up in a surrendering fashion.
"Lizzie-beth!" Sam erratically bellowed, running from the house.
Before acknowledging her fiancé, Elizabeth muttered to Jerry, "I'm trapped either way, what with the internet and telephones and what not." He focused on her, ignoring Sam's blaring voice, "Do you know that? The sense of being trapped and the only potential escape… do you know that escape?"
Staring at one another, eyes fixated, they stepped closer. His hands lowered to his sides. Elizabeth wavered, as she held a hand up to caress his chilly cheek. His eyes gently closed. "Few escapes," she murmured, as he thrived not upon her touch but something sinister that upwelled within her voice. Her tone trembled, palm quivering and her breath clouding in the air between them, "You feel like death."
"Elizabeth," Sam tugged her away from Jerry and established himself between them, demanding, "Who are you?"
Jerry grinned at Sam, "I'm the new neighbour. I live opposite," he pointed to the house in question, "I've already met your mother – Julia," He waved to Bill who lingered in the doorway, "I'll probably be round some time… get to know you all properly."
Elizabeth smiled.
Sam grunted indignantly, pushing Elizabeth lightly towards the house. "Right," he said warily, "We should be getting in. it's very late."
"Early," Jerry corrected, "It is very early, for you."
"Good morning then." Elizabeth announced, as a fatigued smile overtook her once disturbed visage.
Smirking down at her, Jerry replied, "Good morning Elizabeth."
"Goodnight." Sam interrupted, trying to encourage her towards the house.
Jerry interjected their retreat, remarking, "A woman so pretty should be encased for eternity, don't you think Sam? Shouldn't she be forever, your love?"
Sam halted, turning from Elizabeth's tired form to stare at Jerry. "The best things are those that don't last." He sourly derided.
As the pair withdrew inside, Jerry wandered away himself, declaring, "I've got company soon anyway."
Opening his front door, he glanced over at the Grant house.
He keenly stated, "See you soon."