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The Woman In Chains
Eli and Adam watched from the doorway as Jake attempted to comfort his sister. But she continued to shake back and forth, mumbling words that no human could understand.
Adam gave up his bed to Clare, who was currently wrapped up in his blanket, wearing Jake's flannel draped over her tiny frame, with Eli's pair of boxers as shorts.
"Come on Clare...talk to me...it's Jake, it's your brother."
Ever since Jake and Clare were little, he was always protecting her-keeping her away from the bad people in this world. But seeing Clare in such a condition proved that he was a failure, as a protector, and a brother.
"Ew! Gross! Girls can't play with action figures, they're girls!" a six year old snobby boy, that went by the name of Fitz told Clare, as she nervously held the action figure closer to her chest.
"I-I like playing with action figures too...m-my brother told me that I can play with his. He said I'm good at it too, see," Clare made airplane noises, rolling her tiny pink lips, while her Superman action figure traveled in the air.
Fitz laughed at his friends who stood behind him, "That's pathetic! Girls play with dolls and do make up, not play with action figures. That's a boys job!"
"I like playing with action figures more than dolls!" she shouted, standing up for herself because that's what Jake told her to do. He told her that first grade is full of people who want to bully her, but with his helpful tips, Clare was able to make a stand.
"I don't want to play with you boys anyways. I hope Santa Claus doesn't leave anything under your tree for Christmas," Clare turned on the balls of her feet, feeling mighty high at this point, heading in the other direction, when she heard a response.
A response she didn't expect.
"Santa Claus isn't real you big baby!" Her chest tightened, her superman action figure falling to the concrete.
"Y-You're lying. Lying is wrong! My mommy says that God doesn't accept liars in heaven! You won't go to heaven," she whimpered out, but it didn't effect Fitz, he only laughed in her face.
"God doesn't exist...neither does Santa Claus, or the Tooth fairy, or the Easter Bunny. Happy first day of school, have fun with your action figure," Fitz swayed his foot over a pile of dirt, which coated Clare's flowery dress.
Tears streamed down Clare's face, absorbing in her long auburn curls. She clung to her action figure, holding it tightly, unsure of what to do. Her tiny frame shook in the middle of the playground.
All she wanted to do was be accepted in his group, to play with them.
"Aw, look at the baby crying," Fitz teased, rubbing his fists over his cheeks to show that she was a 'baby'.
"You're just a big meanie!" Clare shouted, not having an extensive enough vocabulary to call him something she would've in present day.
Fitz just continued to whisper words into his friends ears, taunting Clare's mind. Her first thought was to run back into the school, find Jake's classroom and cry to him.
But the next thing that happened, had prevented her from doing so.
Fitz had ripped her glasses from her face, dropping them on the floor, and a loud crunch was heard after-signaling he stepped on them. Clare sobbed, falling to her knees, in a pathetic attempt to search for her shattered glasses.
Her tiny heart was thumping rapidly, salty tears mixing between her lips. The fingers of her frail body moved nervously over the concrete, and the boys watched her struggle, watching her obvious distress.
"Hey! What are you doing to my sister?"
Jake had been looking out of his second grade classroom, and didn't even answer the teacher before darting out to his sisters silent plea for help...
And ever since he held her on that playground floor during recess, crying in his arms, he made a vow to protect her. He promised himself to never let what those boys did to Clare happen to her again.
As he sits here on Adams bed, with Clare in his arms, crying hysterically, he knew he had failed her. He failed his parents, he failed Clare, and he failed himself. He let her slip through his weak fingertips, and in the end, she was the one who got burned.
"I'm so sorry Clare...I'm sorry I let you down," he whispered, guilt evident in his voice.
Clare clung to her brother, her head resting in his shoulder, feeling at peace-something she hasn't felt in years. It was a foreign touch that was greatly appreciated.
But if Clare was so calm, why was she so upset? Why couldn't she breathe through her nose, and out through her mouth to stop the shakes?
Because of Owen-a boy, a man, that Jake let take his little sister take away from him. A man who harmed Clare, and broke her down, back into the little girl in the playground during recess...
The worst part-there was no going back, she was in too deep.
ADAM
"Can you take over for me for a little bit Adam? I need some air," Jake begged, his cheeks flushed with a deep crimson color, the closeness of him and Clare becoming too heated. Not in a sexual way of course, but with her heavy sobs, and the way she clung to Jake was not helping the temperature in the room.
She was wrapped up in blankets, shaking as if it was below zero, meanwhile Adam had turned up the heat in attempt to stop her shakes. But it seemed like a failure, considering they only became more violent as the clock ticked by.
"...sure, I'll take a crack at the ole' Clare," I teased, trying to loosen up the tension in this apartment.
Jake shot me a glare, almost lunging at me with his fists if it weren't for Eli holding him back.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, staring my closed bedroom door, that had a crying Clare behind it. I looked at Jake, tears rolling down his cheeks, "Relax man, I was just joking. We all need to take an Eli pill and calm the fuck down. A lot has gone on in one night, in fact, too much has gone on. I'll take care of Clare, I'll make sure she doesn't go anywhere. Eli, will you take Jake out to eat or something? He needs food and a nap, then you can come back. Until then, everyone out of the apartment."
Eli wrapped his right arm around Jake's waist, pulling him close to him, as they walked out of the apartment.
"Don't worry Jake, she'll be here when you get back."
I closed the door, making my way into the kitchen, trying to distract myself from the woman curled up on my bed. I put up a pot of water, waiting for it to boil so I could give her some hot chocolate.
When the hot chocolate was finally complete, I slipped a couple of marshmallows in it. Not the gigantic ones that make the cup overflow, mini marshmalows, the ones that make you smile when you see them. I opened the fridge, my eyes scanning it's contents. I rolled my eyes at the bucket of cold fried chicken, that had a post-it on it,
Don't even think about throwing this bucket out! It's my emergency stash incase we have an Apocolypse. You never know. -Jake
I nearly threw up my lunch, looking at Eli's post-it, which was adjacent to Jake's...
Aw! I love you baby cakes! Adam don't throw out this chicken, my boy has to eat ;) Love ya' Marshmallow! -Eli
"God, it's like they're having a full on conversation on a bucket of chicken! This shit is rediculous," I shook my head, retreaving the chocolate chip cookies, and balancing the hot chocolate in my hands.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, pushing the door lightly open with my foot. The room was dark, the shades pulled over, blocking the sunlight. I walked over to my bed, resting the plate of cookies on the bedside table.
"Um, here's some hot chocolate. I-I promised you this, and I don't like breaking promises," her arms were wrapped around her legs, which were pulled tightly to her chest.
When she didn't take the cup from my hands, I set it down, and made my way to the shades. I pulled back the shades, letting the sunlight shine through. I glanced over at Clare, who had eyeliner smeared on her cheeks, along with tears. Her light pink lip gloss was beneath her lips, and I smiled, reaching out with my thumb to wipe it away when she retreated back, hitting her head on the wall.
"...I'm not going to hurt you Clare," I whispered, and she shook her head, clenching her eyes shut tightly, "I-I want Jake, where's Jake? I want my brother."
"Jake had to step out for a little, he'll be back. He needed to get some food in him," Clare nodded her head, wiping away her tears, "I'm just a burden, I get it."
"You're not a burden Clare, that's the last thing you are to us."
I took a seat beside her, taking the hot chocolate cup in my hands. I slowly lifted the cup up towards her lips, "Come on Clare...you have to drink something, and eat too."
Her tears fell onto my blankets, as she began to sip the hot chocolate. I held the cup for her, watching her elegantly sip back the liquid.
"Oh come on, how are you and Jake related? There's no way! That dude drinks and eats like a cow!" a smile crept up on her face, and I pointed it out, "There it is! That's what I've been waiting for."
My heart fluttered, watching her begin to sip the drink more violently. I grabbed the plate of cookies, pushing them towards her, "I baked these at three in the morning, but I'm sure they're still good. Well, I hope they are, I made them for you. It'd be embarrasing if you didn't like them."
"You baked...for me?" she asked quietly.
I smiled, "You are staying in Eli and I's apartment, I have to keep our guest happy."
The sunshine brightened up the look on her face, and it was illuminating her small smile. I slowly brought my thumb over her eyeliner, wiping the make up from her face. Little did I know, I was inches away from her face, when I whispered, "Y-You shouldn't wear this stuff...you look beautiful without it."
Her eyelashes batted, as I quickly pulled away from our close proximity, "I-I mean, so many women wear make up...and I just don't get it, they look so beautiful without it. Especially you, you look...I mean, you're beauitful, you know?"
She smiled, "I've never been called beautiful before...besides by Jake."
I glanced up at her, seeing her bite into a cookie hesitantly, "That's impossible, that's horrible. You-I mean, how come Owen doesn't-."
My lips clamped shut at the sight of her bottom lip beginning to tremble. Without thinking, I pulled her into my arms. Her head was resting against my chest. I smoothed my hands over her bicep, "If we're friends after this...I'll make sure that everyday I tell you you're beauitful. Whether it's by text, email, phone call, or mailbox...you'll hear it Clare, and it'll be loud and clear."
"Why c-c-can't all men be like you, Adam?"
ELI
I was nervous, hell, I was fucking scared right now.
Jake was staring down at a plate of fried chicken, not moving to eat, or even to drink his beer. Normally, he'd dig in before the waitress had time to put the plate down on the table.
But now, he was just glaring down at the food, giving it a blank expression.
"Jake?" I reached my hand out to put it over his, but he pulled his back, "Don't you get it Eli? I don't want to talk."
"When you say you don't want to talk, you want to talk. Come on Jake, just tell me what's wrong," he had tears in his eyes, pushing his food away, "I don't want to eat, I-I don't deserve to eat."
"Jake, that's nonsense," he laughed, "Do you have any idea what Clare has been telling me in that room the past night?"
"No one could understand her Jake, no-," he chuckled dryly, "I heard her, loud and clear Eli. She's my sister, I understand what she's saying when she doesn't talk!"
"Okay...sorry. What did she say?" his eyelids fluttered, "S-She's been hit Eli..."
"What do you mean? By a car? A unicorn? Talk to me Jacob," I walked over to his side of the booth, sliding in next to him. He leaned his head on my shoulder, "That Owen guy...he hit her...he took her away from me, from our parents. He's the reason why she left, not because she wanted to."
"In other breaking news, the Football Stars Owen Milligan's fiance has gone missing. Here's Dick with Owen on the scene," Jake's head shot up to the sound of the news doing it's round-up for the day. He eyed the television, resting easily against the wall in the resturant.
"P-Please, if you see her...bring her back to me. I just-I can't live without her. Please, anybody, bring her back to me. I-I feel like a piece of me is missing, and I can't live without that piece,"Owen was holding his hand over his heart, before apologizing to the cameras, and mumbling a 'I'm sorry, I can't do this'.
"The reward for Ms. Edwards is two million dollars, so if any luck pair of eyes gets a glimpse for her on the street, be sure to turn her in. Owen believes she's been kidnapped in the middle of the night, and he's mourning over the fact he was going to bring her out to a candle lit dinner on his new yaht. Please, if anyone sees Clare Edwards, report to the authorities for the sake of love."
I looked over at Jake, who was squeezing my hand roughly our of anger, and his veins in his forehead obvious to the eye.
"Ouch...Jake you're hurting me," he let my hand go, hissing, "He's a fucking dead man."
END OF CHAPTER 4
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