Monster

by Holly C. Webb

  “I do,” Ally replied, giving her a grateful smile. “But I’ll be okay; I promise.”

  “Okay,” Teddy sighed, pushing open the car door. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Cool,” Ally replied, smiling once more. “Goodnight, Teddy. Love you.”

  “Love you too, Silly Girl,” Teddy sighed before she climbed out of her car, then hurrying up the front steps of her apartment.

  We both watched until she got inside, then I slowly pulled the car away from the curb, heading back to Ally’s home.

  “I guess you think I’m pretty much a disaster,” Ally finally said after we’d been driving for a few minutes in silence once more. She didn’t look at me when she spoke. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

  “I don’t think anything, Mrs. Wallace,” I replied, knowing I needed to keep things as professional as I possibly could now. The lines were beginning to blur, and I needed to be careful.

  But it wasn’t a lie either. I didn’t think she was a disaster. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. I thought that despite everything, she was remarkably strong. When she had every reason to fall apart, she didn’t. Instead, she squared her shoulders, forced a smile on her face, and kept going.

  In my opinion, I think that took a strength most people I’ve met in my lifetime, and in my line of work, certainly didn’t have.

  “Why do you call me that?” She asked, surprising me with her change in direction.

  “Call you what?” I asked, unsure what she meant.

  “You call everyone by their first name,” she explained, finally turning to look at me as I drove the car. “Well, anyone you’ve met while you were with me, but yet you still call me Mrs. Wallace. Why do you do that?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged, unsure if I could explain to her why I did what I did. “I think it’s a respect thing, perhaps. You are the one I am responsible for, so I’m trying to keep things professional, so I can concentrate on the job I was hired to do.”

  “I see,” she replied, sounding almost disappointed with my response.

  “Why,” I asked, my curiosity now piqued. “What would you like me to call you?”

  “Well,” she sighed, as once more she returned her focus to the road ahead. “My name is Ally. You could call me that.”

  “Would that make you happier?” I asked, curious about her response.

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged, her face now flushed with embarrassment. “I just hate you calling me Mrs. Wallace.”

  “Then Ally it is,” I replied, giving her warm smile as she glanced over at me once more, giving me a grateful smile in return, and for a few more moments, neither of us said another word.

  “I guess you think I’m stupid for putting up with Jacob,” she said, turning to watch me as I focus on the road. I knew she was looking for a reaction, and I knew anything I did right at that moment, could change things between us, or make them more complicated than they needed to be. “I know I sometimes do.”

  “I think you do what you have to do to make your marriage work,” I shrugged, glancing over at her once more, but she quickly looked away and didn’t look back at me when she responded.

  “Jacob wasn’t always so… driven,” she sighed, and there was a sadness in her voice. “When we first met, he was so sweet and thoughtful. He swept me straight off my feet…”

  She didn’t finish her thought.

  “And what about now?” I asked after a few more moments of silence.

  “Now,” she sighed, still not allowing herself to look at me as she spoke. “Now Jacob lives in a world that I really don’t belong in. He has all these dreams and hopes, and I feel afraid that I will never fit into that box he wants me to live in.”

  “Have you talked to him about this?” I asked, but if I was honest, I already knew the answer to my question. Jacob Wallace wasn’t someone that was talked to. He was the one who talked, and the rest of the world was expected to sit up and listen.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start,” she admitted honestly.

  “You could start by telling him the truth,” I suggested, wishing I could say something that could actually help her. We stopped at a red light, so I turned to face her as I waited for her response.

  “That’s the problem,” she shrugged as she finally allowed her eyes to meet mine once more. “I don’t know what my truth is anymore. I don’t belong in Jacob’s world, but then again, I don’t know where I belong anymore. Now there is this thing with the stalker, and if I’m honest, I think Jacob is happy it happened in some ways.”

  “You think he’s happy you have a stalker?” I asked, surprised by her comment. I knew Jacob was a control freak, but I also knew he loved this girl deeply. I couldn’t imagine he would ever be happy her life was in danger. “Why would you think that?”

  “I don’t know,” she sighed, turning to look at me once more. “It’s a feeling I get. Maybe I’m wrong, or maybe I’m just being stupid…”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid at all,” I cut her off mid-sentence, but before I could finish my thought, the car behind us beeped because the lights had changed once more, and I was holding up traffic.

  We drove the rest of the way home in silence; each of us lost in our thoughts. When we reached the house, I pulled the car to a stop just outside the front door, but Ally made no effort to get out of the car.

  “Are you okay, Ally?” I asked as I turned to look at her once more.

  “The things I said earlier about Jacob,” she began nervously without looking at me. “I shouldn’t have said...,”

  “You don’t have to worry,” I assured her quickly, knowing exactly what it was she was worried about. “I told you already. I am here for you, no one else. Anything you say is between you and me. I give you my word.”

  “Thanks,” She said, turning to let her eyes meet mine. “And I just wanted to say, whatever happens, these last two weeks, well… they’ve been a lot easier to get through because I had you here with me. So, for that, I want to thank you. You’re a good man, Jaxson. Please don’t ever forget that.”

  “It’s been my pleasure, Ally,” I replied, giving her a broad smile.

  She smiled once more before pushing open the car door. She didn’t wait for me to go inside the house. Instead, she walked up the front steps and waited for a moment before she pushed the door open and walked inside.

  I slowly climbed out of the car and locked it before I made my way into the house too. I held my breath as I stepped through the door, unsure of what would be waiting for me when I walked through it

  To my surprise, I was just greeted by silence as I stepped into the hallway. I stood by the door for a moment, unsure of what I should do, but I knew I couldn’t just stand there, so I made my way towards the stairs, heading straight up to my room. As I closed my door, I heard Jacob's voice echo down the hallway as he yelled at Ally, and I stopped dead, listening for a moment.

  I knew it was wrong to listen to another couple’s argument, but I needed to know that she was okay. It was evident that Jacob had a temper, and while he might be her husband, there was no way in hell I was going just to stand by and let him hurt her in any way.

  I opened the door once more, stepping back out into the hallway. His voice was clear now, and I could hear the horrible things he was saying to her. But then I heard her fighting back, and I was glad she was not simply taking his bullshit.

  But then I heard her cry out, and for a moment, there was nothing but silence.

  As I stood there in the hallway, my heart raced. I knew I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing, so I began to make my way down along the hallway towards the room. I had no clue what I was going to say or do for that matter. I just knew that doing nothing just wasn’t an option.

  I was about ten steps from the door when it opened abruptly, and Jacob emerged carrying a small suitcase. He hesitated for a moment when he saw me, but then he continued down the hallway towards me.

&nbs
p; “I’ve to go to New York for a few days,” he said without letting his eyes meet mine. “I don’t know if you remember me mentioning it the other day.”

  I thought for a moment, and while I liked to pride myself on my impeccable memory, for a moment, I couldn’t recall him mentioning his trip. I knew he had talked about having to go to New York at some point, but I was fairly sure he hadn’t mentioned a time frame.

  “I will be back on Monday,” he continued without waiting for me to reply to his previous comment. “I trust you can manage to keep my wife out of trouble until I return.”

  “Of course,” I replied, watching him as he brushed past me, heading straight for the stairs. He’d just reached the top when he stopped abruptly like he’s just remembered something important. He turned back to look at me.

  “I forgot to mention to Alexandra,” he said, looking in my direction, but still not letting his eyes meet mine. “Lynn has taken some leave. She received a call from her mother earlier today. Her father has suffered a stroke, so she needed to be with them. Can you let my wife know what is happening?”

  “Certainly, Jacob,” I replied with a nod.

  He stared at me for a moment, then without saying another word, he turned and hurried down the stairs and out through the front door, slamming it behind him as he left. Moments later, I could hear his car wheel spin across the gravel driveway. And just like that, he was gone.

  I stood for a moment, unsure of what to do now. My gut instinct was to check on Ally.

  I couldn’t be certain, but I was sure that Jacob had struck her while they were arguing, and I needed to know that she was okay. I turned and continued on to the door, but when I reached it, I hesitated.

  I had no clue what I was going to say to her. How could I tell her I’d listened to her and her husband arguing? I wondered if maybe leaving her alone was the right thing to do.

  I took a step back and turned around, deciding it was for the best to just leave her in peace, but I had barely made it three steps and turned back before I could change my mind, I knocked softly on her door.

  “Ally,” I said, pressing my head against the door. “It’s me. I just wanted to check to see if you’re okay.”

  I waited for her to respond, but there wasn’t a sound.

  “Ally, please,” I pushed, knowing I was now crossing a big line. “If you want me to go away, I will, but I need you to tell me to go.”

  I waited again, but still, there was no sound.

  “Ally…” I began again as suddenly a wave of panic rose inside me, but before I could finish, she spoke.

  “I’m okay,” she said from behind the door, and I could tell from her voice that she was crying. “I’m just tired. I think I’m going to call it a night.”

  “Would you like me to make you something to eat?” I asked, having no clue why. I just wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. “Maybe even a coffee, or some hot milk?”

  “No, thank you, I’m good,” she replied quickly, and I knew I was not going to get through to her tonight. “I will see you tomorrow, Jaxson.”

  “Good night, Ally,” I replied, wishing she would just open the door for even a moment.

  “Good night,” she replied, the sadness in her voice almost breaking my heart in two.

  I turned slowly and made my way back down the hallway to my room. I didn’t know why, but something inside me told me that something wasn’t right.

  I wanted so much for her to open the door, but clearly, she was hiding something. Or maybe she just wasn’t ready to face me yet. Either way, I knew she would have to face me sooner or later, and when she did, I would be there for her in whatever way she needed me to be.

  When I reached my room, I flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

  I was tired, but my brain was too full to rest properly. Still, I closed my eyes and soon exhausting won over, and I was fast asleep.

  I couldn’t breathe. My chest hurt more than anything I’ve ever felt before.

  What the hell happened? I thought to myself as a feeling of panic rushed through my entire body.

  Suddenly the sound of screaming came for outside the Humvee, and I knew I needed to get out of here, I needed to help my squad.

  I tried desperately to move, but I was pinned and couldn’t move.

  “Gunny!” One of the men cried from outside. “I can’t move my legs.”

  “DOBBS, IS THAT YOU?” I shouted back, still struggling to free myself from beneath the seat.

  “Yes, Gunny!” He groaned before he let out the most horrendous cry. “I CAN’T MOVE MY LEGS!”

  “I’M COMING, DOBBS!” I cried out too. “I’M COMING.

  “GUNNY, PLEASE!” He begged. “I want my mom. PLEASE! I WANT MY MOM!”

  “I’M COMING!” I screamed again. “DOBBS!”

  I sprung up in my bed, gasping for breath, my whole body covered in a thin layer of sweat. Something had woken me. I knew it had because this time I hadn’t finished my dream. Something had disturbed me from my sleep, but I had no clue what that something was.

  Sitting up on the bed, I looked around the room, and I remembered where I was and why I was here. That’s when it hit me. I knew what had woken me up.

  “Ally,” I whispered to myself as I jumped up from the bed and hurried towards the door. “ALLY!”

  I ran down the corridor as fast as I could. The moment I reached her door, I began hammering on the wood.

  “ALLY!” I called out again. “Open the door!”

  I waited for a moment, praying she would just open the door, and everything was okay, but something inside me told me that something was very wrong.

  “ALLY!” I called out again, still banging on the door. “IF YOU DON’T OPEN THE DOOR, I’M COMING IN!”

  Still, there was no reply.

  I waited for a moment longer; then I reached for the handle of the door. I was relieved to find it wasn’t locked, but when I stepped inside, I found the room was empty.

  “ALLY!” I cried out once more, as panic rose up inside me. “ANSWER ME!”

  I hurried across the bedroom, almost like some invisible force was driving me on. As I reached the door to the bathroom, I banged on it hard, praying that she would just open it, and I would just look foolish, nothing more. But the moment I checked the handle and found it locked, I knew in my heart there and then that something was very wrong.

  “Ally,” I said, pressing my head against the door. “Ally, please just let me come in.”

  I waited for a couple of moments, but when I got no response, I knew there was only one thing to do. I stepped back and took a deep breath before I lifted my leg and kicked with everything I had inside me. The moment my foot connected with the door, it sprung open with a crash.

  “Ally,” I called out once more as I stepped through the door. The moment I did, my heart almost stopped in my chest.

  Ally was lying lifeless in the bath, the water-filled to the brim, almost overflowing. Next to the bath was a smashed empty bottle of vodka, and some pills scattered on the floor.

  “FUCK!” I cried as I ran towards the bathtub and pulling her lifeless, naked body from the water. “You’re not doing this to me, Ally! You’re not dying like this. Not today!”

  Chapter 9

  Jaxson

  After I pulled her lifeless body from the water, I carefully lay her down on the cold, tiled floor of the bathroom and tilted her head back, checking her airways were clear before I leaned down blew two long breaths into her mouth.

  I pulled my mouth from hers, then kneeled above her as I clasped my hands together, pressing them down against her chest.

  “You are not dying on me today, Ally,” I said with sheer determination as I began to pump my hands against her chest. “Do you hear me. I am not letting you do this. Breathe damn it.”

  I stopped the chest compressions, then leaned down to breathe into her mouth once more. Two long breaths, then I began with the chest compressions once more.

  “
Jesus, Ally,” I cried, wondering if I should stop and call 911, but I knew right now, I needed to try and start her heart once more. I had no idea how long she’d been in the water, or how long ago she’d stopped breathing. I looked across at the broken bottle on the floor next to the bath, and I wonder if it was the sound of that smashing had woken me up. If so, she wasn’t down that long. “COME ON. DON’T DO THIS TO ME! BREATHE!”

  I counted to ten then stopped once more to breathe into her mouth again.

  “COME ON!” I yelled as I began chest compressions for the third time. “BREATHE, ALLY!”

  After the third time I pressed down on her chest, she coughed suddenly, before she started to spit up some water.

  “That’s it,” I cried as I turned her on her side, placing her in the recovery position. As I did, she groaned and began to vomit.

  “That’s it,” I said, making sure that she could still breath. The last thing I needed now was her choke on her own vomit. “Get it all up.”

  She vomited once more and groaned again.

  “You’re going to be okay,” I assured her, as I brushed her wet hair back from her face, and for the first time, I noticed the mark beneath her right eye. It was like she’d been struck, and instantly, I knew by who. Other than the red mark, she was still deathly pale, and her skin was still cold and damp, but she was starting to come around a little more.

  I grabbed some towels from the towel rail and covered her in them, wrapping them tightly around her as I could, trying desperately to get some heat back into her body.

  “No!” She cried as she pushed my hands away from her, but I was not about to walk away from her now. I was not letting her do this, no matter how much she fought me. “NO! Just leave me alone.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I replied, as I used the towels that were wrapped around her, to dry her cold, shivering body. “So, you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.”

  “I just want to go to sleep,” she mumbled as she started to drift off once more. “Just leave me…”