Once Upon a Disaster

by Holly Copella

  “It’s only temporary, Jade,” the social worker assured her. “I know how hard this has been on you; losing your parents and your aunt in that car crash, but he’s hurting too.” She managed a warm smile. “Just try to get along for a few weeks until we can find something more permanent.”

  Her words hit hard. Jade hadn’t actually thought about her uncle’s pain. After all, he lost his wife in the same crash. She frowned and nodded. The social worker rang the bell. There was a long, silent wait. Both fidgeted slightly at the lack of response. The door finally opened to reveal Rafael Quinn. Although his usually neat brown hair was slightly mussed, he was meticulously dressed and clean-shaven. Unfortunately, he maintained the same distant look in his eyes from the funeral. He stared at them a moment and seemed almost puzzled by their presence. Despite attending all three funerals, Jade wondered if he even recognized her.

  “Oh, was that today?” he asked timidly and without emotion. “It must have slipped my mind.”

  Jade eyed the social worker and sharply raised her brow as if giving her a firm ‘I told you so’. The social worker offered a tiny smile and nudged her into the house.

  §

  The next two days passed incredibly slow, offering zero adjustments between the unlikely duo. The small, immaculate study was filled with antique furniture and didn’t appear to have a paper out of place. The entire house was the same way, without as much as a dust bunny out of place. Rafael sat in the chair behind the expensive desk and stared blankly at the computer with the same glossed over expression in his eyes while holding his head in his hand. He was supposed to be working, but he hadn’t moved since he sat down several hours ago. There was a faint knock on the closed door. Rafael didn’t move nor look up.

  “Come in,” he barely muttered.

  The door opened to reveal Jade. She looked around the tidy study then focused her attention on the man behind the desk. He remained in his trance and didn’t bother looking at her. She drew a deep breath and attempted to be pleasant. He seemed unable to function after losing his wife, making Jade wonder how he survived before they’d been married.

  “I made dinner,” she announced in the most cheerful voice she could manage under the circumstances.

  “Uh, huh--” Rafael muttered, clearly not hearing a word she said.

  She stared at him a moment longer, waiting for a reaction. “Are you going to have some?” she finally asked.

  “Uh, huh--”

  Jade groaned, shook her head, and left, shutting the door behind her.

  Chapter Seven

  Three days later. The once immaculate living room decorated with antique furnishings now had cracker crumbs spread along the floor in front of the sofa. Jade lay upside down on the antique sofa with her feet dangling over the back and her head hanging down to the floor. She munched on crackers while talking on her cell phone with her friend, Lily, in dramatic boredom.

  “Well, it’s sort of like living alone,” she explained to her friend, “except there’s only one bathroom and sometimes he’s in there for an hour or more.”

  “Doing what?” her friend squawked.

  “Making himself pretty,” Jade remarked then groaned. “How should I know? He just sits and stares at his computer all day.” She then considered her comment. “Well, sometimes he sits and stares at the kitchen table. I’m not even sure if he’s eaten anything since I’ve arrived, and the bills are piling up on the hall table. He hasn’t even opened them. I’m considering writing out the bills myself and forging his signature.” She lost a cracker to the floor but didn’t bother picking it up. “Lord knows he’ll never know the difference. He rarely says a word, but at least he smells good.”

  “Think you should call someone?” Lily asked.

  “Who? Neither of us has any family, and I doubt he has any friends,” she remarked while frowning. “He’s supposed to be self-employed. Computer repairman or something, but he certainly hasn’t done any sort of work since I’ve been here. He never leaves the house.”

  Rafael passed by the living room with his head down and the same lifeless expression on his face. A moment passed. He reappeared in the living room doorway and stared at Jade draped across the expensive antique couch. His mouth fell open as he pointed at the floor.

  “Are those crumbs?” Rafael suddenly demanded.

  Jade glanced at Rafael from her upside down view, startled having heard his voice for the first time. “Oh, my God! It speaks,” she gasped into the phone. “I’ll call you back.” Jade sprang upright on the sofa and looked at him with mild surprise. She extended the sleeve of crackers. “They’re crackers. Want some?”

  “They’re crumbs, and I’ll ask you to pick them up,” he boldly cried out.

  She stared at him with some surprise and hid the devious smile that followed. “Oh?” she enquired slyly. “Does the mess bother you?”

  “Yes, it does.”

  Jade faked a serious look with added drama. “Then you may not want to look in the kitchen.”

  Rafael appeared bewildered then concerned and hurried down the hall. Jade smiled and casually stood. She pivoted on the balls of her feet a moment and waited.

  “What happened to my kitchen?” he cried out from across the house.

  “He’s obviously never met a teenager before,” she remarked then grinned slyly. “This could be fun.”

  §

  Jade casually leaned in the kitchen doorway and ate more crackers, purposely making crumbs, while watching Rafael scrub the stove with cleaning gloves and a sponge. He cleaned like a madman possessed by a demon. She found it rather amusing. It was the most life she’d seen from the man.

  “I’m making spaghetti tonight,” she announced cheerfully with a mouthful of crackers while spitting out crumbs as she spoke. “Will you be joining me for dinner?”

  Rafael stopped scrubbing and turned to look at her with horror on his face. “You’ve done enough damage to my kitchen already,” he informed her. “If you want spaghetti, I’ll make it.”

  “Suit yourself,” she replied with little emotion then straightened. “I’ll just get started on the laundry.”

  Jade was about to turn and leave the kitchen with her pack of crackers.

  Rafael quickly turned and stared after her. “I don’t want you touching the laundry.”

  She turned back around and immediately hid her humored smile. Jade’s look was once again serious. “Should I start on the bills then?” she asked while pointing toward the hallway. “There are quite a few of them on the hall table.”

  “No, I’ll take care of them,” he retorted and returned to scrubbing the stove. “You just go clean those crumbs you made.” He stopped and spun to face her. “I want you to strip the linens from your bed and put your dirty clothing in the laundry basket.” He returned to the stove. “If you’re staying in my house, you’re not going to run around in wrinkled clothing like that.”

  “As you wish.” Jade turned and left the kitchen with a satisfied smile. She’d finally found Rafael’s ‘on’ switch. Perhaps his self-pity days were over.

  §

  Two days later. Jade sat on the sofa, her feet tucked under her, and her laptop set up on the coffee table. Her frilly blonde friend, Lily, was visible on the computer screen while they talked to each other face-to-face. Jade propped her temple to her fist while giving her friend a dreary look.

  “I think I liked him better when he just sat around all day and stared at things,” Jade remarked with a groan.

  “What’s he doing now?” Lily asked.

  “Cleaning everything,” Jade announced. “He spends an hour in the bathroom primping, another hour cleaning up after himself, and another hour cleaning the bathroom after I’ve showered. I think he’s going Norman Bates ‘Psycho’ or something.”

  “He’s grieving,” Lily responded with little reaction. “Right now he’s in denial.”

  “No, he’s nesting,” Jade corrected and sat up straight. “The only time he speaks to me now i
s to tell me what needs to be cleaned. When I do clean, he ends up cleaning up after I’ve cleaned. There’s no pleasing the guy.”

  Rafael entered the living room with his duster and dusted the furniture without acknowledging Jade. He glanced at the computer screen as he passed the back of the sofa. He suddenly paused and looked at Lily on the computer screen. Lily looked back at him, smiled cheerfully, and waved.

  “Hi, Mr. Quinn,” she chirped with enthusiasm.

  Rafael stared at the monitor and appeared stunned at what he saw. “Oh, my God--”

  “It’s Skype,” Jade cheerfully explained, guessing he was unfamiliar with the concept.

  “Look at the state of that bedroom,” he suddenly cried out. “You need to do some serious cleaning, young lady!”

  Lily looked back at Jade with disbelief. “Hmm, I see what you mean.”

  Chapter Eight

  Five days later. Jade lay across her bed on her stomach with her laptop in front of her, talking with Lily. She was clearly upset as she wiped the tears from her face while Lily watched her friend with a concerned look.

  “Is it that bad?”

  “I’ve been here almost two weeks,” Jade informed her while sniffing. “If it weren’t for his compulsive cleaning, he wouldn’t even talk to me. It’s worse than being invisible.” She became animated while sitting up and hugging her pillow to her chest. “I lost three people I loved in that car accident. He lost one.” She tossed her pillow aside with a combination of sorrow and rage. “I can’t take it anymore. He’s not the only one grieving. Just because I don’t show it--” Jade again wiped her tears.

  Lily watched her from the computer screen and appeared frustrated. “Of course you can stay with me,” her friend replied. “You know my mother would love to have you.”

  “I doubt he’ll even notice I’m gone,” Jade snapped with anger then sniffed again. “At least it’ll be one less person for him to clean up after.” She attempted to compose herself. “I’ll throw my bag together and be over in an hour.”

  “It’s midnight. That’s quite a walk to my place,” Lily remarked with concern. “Tomorrow is Saturday. My mother can come get you in the morning.”

  “No, I’m not staying here one more night,” Jade insisted. “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”

  “I hear that,” Lily remarked while scratching her brow. “I’ll wait up for you.”

  “See you in an hour.”

  Jade shut her computer and jumped off the bed. As she frantically searched for her bag in the messy closet, she heard a thump from downstairs. She hesitated a moment then looked at her bedroom door. Another thump followed, definitely coming from downstairs. She was immediately curious by the unfamiliar sound, especially so late at night. As his usual pattern, Rafael was in bed by ten o’clock. She approached the bedroom door and left her room. Jade silently walked down the stairs and paused at the bottom to listen. The house was mostly dark except for a light on in the kitchen and the study. She was about to approach the study and check on Rafael when she heard another thump followed by grunts coming from the living room.

  “Where is it?” a gruff male voice commanded.

  Rafael sounded panicked while responding. “I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Jade listened only a moment before quietly approaching the living room archway. She looked into the living room and saw Rafael tied to one of his antique armchairs. His face was bruised and bleeding while an unfamiliar, moderately repulsive looking man stood over him and flexed his sore right hand.

  “I can do this all night, Quinn,” the intruder, Snyder, casually informed him. “We want that information. We know you have it.”

  “I can’t tell you what I don’t--”

  Rafael saw Jade standing in the living room archway, and his expression suddenly dropped. Snyder turned as well and saw her. Jade gasped when she saw the evil expression on the man’s hardened face.

  “Run!” Rafael shouted.

  Jade turned from the living room archway and ran for the front door. She attempted to open it, but it was dead bolted. As she reached for the deadbolt, she could hear the man shouting behind her, indicating she’d ran out of time.

  “Get her!”

  Jade looked back and saw two intruders, Flint and Carson, emerge from the study. Snyder stood in the doorway and indicated the girl by the front door. The two younger men spotted her and pointed before charging down the hallway for her. Jade gave up on the deadbolt, gasped at how fast they were moving toward her, and bolted up the nearby stairs as her only escape. Both intruders chased her, being a little slower on the stairs than the spry teenager. Snyder returned to the living room and smiled deviously as he approached Rafael, who remained transfixed and horrified while listening to the thundering feet running along the second floor practically above his head. The sound was almost deafening.

  “And here I thought you were all alone,” Snyder announced then chuckled. “Our evening just got a little easier and possibly a little more interesting.”

  “Leave her alone!”

  Snyder maintained his evil grin. “Oh, we will. If you tell us what we want to know.” He then casually shrugged. “If you don’t, the little girl is going to get herself a few new boyfriends.”

  They could still hear the sound of thumping feet running upstairs. Rafael looked at the ceiling and remained horrified while attempting to follow the sounds. He looked back at Snyder.

  “Leave her alone,” he cried out in fear that quickly turned to rage, “or so help me, I’ll kill you!”

  Snyder suddenly laughed and casually looked at the dirt under his fingernails with mild disinterest in the threat. “If I only had a dime for every time I’d heard that--”

  Chapter Nine

  Jade ran into her bedroom and attempted to slam the door behind her. Flint shoved the door open with amazing force, tossing her across the room. She spun around near her bed to face her attacker and attempted to weigh her options in the split second that followed. Before she had a chance to react, he tackled her to the bed. Jade screamed and struggled against his hands as the large man attempted to subdue her. Her heart was pounding as she fought against the man, possibly fighting for her life.

  Carson appeared in the bedroom doorway, practically out of breath. “You got her?”

  Flint grinned deviously while pinning her to the bed. “Yeah, I’ve got her,” he announced with a low chuckle. “Give me a minute to tenderize her before I bring her down.”

  Carson shook his head in disgust. “Make it quick.”

  Once Carson left the room, Flint looked at Jade beneath him while keeping her wrists pinned to the bed. The large man weighed heavily upon her, nearly suffocating her beneath him. She stared into his eyes as if reading his thoughts and stopped struggling, wasting precious energy.

  “And here I thought tonight was going to be boring,” Flint teased.

  Jade gasped with surprise and horror as he kissed her harshly on the mouth.

  §

  Rafael fought against the duct tape binding his wrists to the arms of the antique chair in a frantic attempt to free himself. They heard someone coming down the stairs, alarming him. As Carson entered the room, thumping sounds indicating a massive struggle was taking place on the second floor above them. Snyder glared at Carson, silently demanding a response.

  “He’ll bring her down in a minute,” Carson informed his partner.

  Rafael stared at the ceiling while listening to the sounds as his expression shattered. Anger and rage crossed his face as he slowly lowered his eyes and glared at Snyder.

  Snyder met his gaze then grinned and shrugged. “What can I say? He enjoys his work.”

  Rafael stared at the man with an unpredictable look in his eyes. “I’m going to kill you,” he snarled in a tone never used by the docile man before.

  Snyder laughed, mocking his rage. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before from guys a lot tougher than you,” he replied then casually shrugged. �
��Not that any of them are alive to tell about it.”

  The thumping finally stopped.

  Snyder chuckled and looked at his watch. “Wow, that’s fast even for him.” He grinned at Rafael, attempting to enrage him further, although it wasn’t necessary. “He likes them young.”

  Rafael stared at him with a cold, hateful look. Snyder stared back at him, but Rafael didn’t look away. Snyder’s jovial expression mocked him.

  “Now, do you tell us what we want to know, or does she get to know the rest of us just as intimately?” Snyder teased.

  “I am going to kill you,” Rafael again snarled.

  Snyder stared at Rafael a moment then punched him in the face. Rafael spit out blood then slowly turned his head back to him. His expression remained unchanged and nearly psychotic.

  Snyder straightened at Rafael’s reaction then frowned and turned to Carson. “Go get them,” he ordered. “Bring the girl down here. He needs more convincing.”

  Carson nodded and left the room heading for the stairs.

  Snyder leaned down and looked Rafael in the eyes. “Maybe you’ll be more cooperative when we do that little girl in front of you.”

  Rafael didn’t take his eyes off him as his fingernails dug deep grooves into the antique wood of the armchair.

  §

  Carson entered Jade’s dark bedroom and looked at the mussed, empty bed. He looked around the empty, silent room for either his partner or the teenager. When he didn’t find Flint or Jade, he appeared bewildered.

  “Flint?”

  Something thumped from the bedroom next door. Carson left Jade’s bedroom and entered the dimly lit master bedroom one room over. The bed was neatly made and there wasn’t an object out of place. He looked around then approached the closet without hesitation, removed a gun from his shoulder holster, and threw open the louver door. Jade cowered on the floor with a frightened look on her face while clinging to her aunt’s leather jacket she now wore. She had blood on the corner of her mouth, some blood on her shirt, and bruises on her wrist. He smirked and, with his gun, motioned her out of the closet.