Mae
I have never dropped so many things in one pull. Truly an embarrassing moment.
It all happened so fast, but there was hoodie guy, in all his glory, holding a baseball bat. At first, I was frozen terrified, but when I heard his shaky voice, I knew he wasn't a professional hero. But yet again, I sensed that he wasn't afraid to use his bat. And that did scare me.
I obeyed his order and emptied my pockets, but couldn't help but flinch when he knew I had inside pockets too.
I had to keep something from this ordeal; a little payment for my hard labors. But he wanted that too. I couldn't, so I kicked his side and made my escape. That sounds harsh, now that I think about it, but who could resist such a cute little thing?
My glance shifts to the glass duckling, sitting on my nightstand. It stands only a pinkie's length tall. A pastel pink ribbon hangs around its neck, tying into a little bow at the top. I could never pass that up in a million years. It is the cutest thing I've ever seen and I wasn't going to give it up to that hoodie guy.
I lie awake in bed, hardly able to contain my smile.
Without warning, the sound of the front door closing alerts me. Quiet footsteps trod the wooden floor. I thought everyone was home already. Who could it be? My curiosity burns inside me and I creep out of my bedroom, leaving Karen's soft snores behind me.
I hear the washing machine door closing and then more footsteps.
Making my way to the kitchen, I see Jake holding his hamper, lost in thought. He stands in the middle of the kitchen, looking like a lost puppy.
"Hey, Jake," I whisper and he turns toward me, eyes snapping back to the present.
"Hey." He matches my volume. Noticing my eyes on his hamper, he clears his throat. "Just doing some laundry."
"Oh, okay. I thought you were already home," I stuff my hands into my flannel pockets. "so, I came to investigate the noise."
"Just, um, me on a late-night laundry run." he chuckles, lifting his bag to reveal a large wound on his elbow. Dried blood makes little trails down his arm.
I gasp. "Jake, what happened?"
"Oh." is all he answers, seeming to just remember his bloody mess. It takes him a moment to respond as he processes. "There were nails poked through the chairs at the laundromat. I was the unlucky one that felt like sitting down." he attempts a smile but ends up with a sheepish grimace. "I was just going to take care of it, actually."
I stare at his elbow. "Why were there nails sticking out of the chairs?"
"Beats me." he shrugs.
Without a moment's thought, I take his hand and lead him to the stuff drawer. He leaves his hamper on the floor.
"Well, too bad your title of stuff keeper is revoked. I'm the stuff keeper now, remember? You couldn't even treat that wound if you wanted." I state.
Jake gives a reluctant nod and I pull out the alcohol. I clean the cut as he stares at the floor, deep in thought. I watch his jaw tick, in and out. What could he be thinking?
"Does your cut feel like a cheese sandwich?" I ask, my voice filling the quiet kitchen.
He turns to me with a frown. "You weren't lying when you said you wouldn't let that go."
"Nope," I grin. I begin to wrap his arm with gauze.
The quiet relapses.
"This is a deep cut," I say, trying to fill the void. "I hope it doesn't get infected." I tear the wrapping and place it back into the drawer.
"It should be fine," Jake says, looking over my work. "Thanks."
I nod and give him a smile. "It's my job. I'm the KEEPER OF THE STUFF." I square my shoulders, causing him to laugh for the first time.
"You just wait, Traeger. I'll get my position back someday," he warns with a teasing smile.
My heart lightens with relief. He's back to himself. I hope.
"Ha. We'll see about that." I say over my shoulder as I make my way back to my bedroom. "We will see."
I climb back into bed and close my eyes, unable to get the picture of Jake so lost, out of my head.
I wonder if he's actually okay?
With a few last worried thoughts, I shut my eyes and drift to darkness.
...
It's happening again.
I'm running.
The piercing cries and heart-wrenching sobs slice through the dark and I'm running. But I'm not going anywhere. My legs are moving but the voices never fade, never stop.
I reach my hand into the dark, but I feel nothing. See nothing.
My legs stop cold as I see chains wrapped around my ankles and wrists.
I yank and scream with all my might, but the chilling cries only grow louder and outdo my weak calls. I scream at the top of my lungs but nobody can hear me.
I already know this, though. It's all too familiar. No one ever hears me in this place.
The sobbing screams grow louder and louder and I wince, covering my ears.
'Stop!' I try to yell, but only my mute breath escapes my throat.
It's all too much.
Too much.
I hiccup with a sob as my eyes open to my bedroom ceiling.
Tears slide down my cheeks as I take in the moonlit room. Karen's sleeping figure appears on the other bed and I give a shaky sigh.
It's okay. It was all a dream. An awful dream. A night terror, as the doctors call it.
I sit up, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. I had hoped to have at least, a month's break from these nightmares but you can't have everything.
It's always the same dream. The same screams and cries. The same suffocating darkness and cold chains.
'What does it mean?' I had asked my dad one time. He couldn't answer. He only rubbed my back and sat in bed next to me, making sure I didn't fall asleep alone. Sometimes I would dream it all over again, on the same night.
We visited a couple of doctors. They all gave the same answer; pills. Stress relievers. Anti-depressants. It got old fast and I decided to bear it. The last thing I wanted, was to be addicted to drugs; reliant on them to keep my fears at bay. I decided, maybe with time, it would stop.
But here I am, four years later and they haven't gone. They haven't gotten worse at least. That's the bright side. The only bright side.
We agreed to stop talking about it. What's the point of repeating something that was experienced last night? And the night before? I hated talking about it. It was a mutual understanding between me and my family. They didn't ask and I didn't have to think about it. They all understood what I was feeling and there was no need to dwell on it.
It catches me off guard, sometimes. Weeks go by with dreamless sleep and then boom. It comes back again. My only question is, why aren't I used to it yet?
Knowing I won't sleep, I pull my calculus book out of my backpack. What better distraction than a confused mind?
I turn on my night lamp and scoot against the wall, pointing all my focus to the first equation on the page.
Jake
I hate lying.
It feels like I'm stabbing that person and they don't even know it.
My thoughts turn back to what I just told Mae and I grimace. It was either tell the truth or show her, just how insecure I really am.
I try to imagine the replies she would give.
"You could have been stronger."
"Why didn't you fight back?"
"You're so weak."
I turn to my side, torn. What should I have done? How could I avoid this?
I couldn't. That was my only option.
"I'm sorry, Mae," I whisper. "Next time, I'll tell the truth."
*************************************************************** May-25-20
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Wow. Okay, this chapter is so much darker than the title.
Like, everyone was expecting a fun one. Maybe, Jake calling Mae a cute little thing?
Ahem. That would actually be really nice... *Coughs*
But NO. *Throws hands up, exasperated* We're getting nightmares, insecurities, and sad stuff.
Oh! How could this be happening?
Where did this random character development come from?
Seriously?
Why is it getting so deep?
Lols. Is everyone shook? Because I certainly am. I'm the one writing this and I am just SHOOK. Okay, here is some tea and tissue. We will get through this together.
Just remember; all of my stories that I will ever write, will have happy endings.
Yay! *Claps hands, excitedly* (Just like that.) (That's how my stories will end.)
So, there ya go. Chapter eleven. We got through this. We are strong now, and can take anything this author is going to throw at us, right?
Ha ha, we will see. *Backs into shadows, chuckling* We will see.