by A. E. Murphy
I look at her, then at the roses and I move them closer, petals first, then stems.
Molly takes a piece of black satin ribbon from the braids in her hair and uses it to tie the roses together.
“What do I do with these?”
“Wait and see.”
She motions for me to place them on my lap and then reclaims her mug. “Your final question is a difficult one to answer as there are many outcomes and he has many enemies. Your uncle will never truly be defeated by you, but he can be dethroned. You have the power to do that and you know you do. It is your choice whether or not you use it, it is for the fates to decide whether or not they need it.”
“He will come after me, won’t he?”
“A powerless man can accomplish very little.”
“Will the box make him powerless?”
She smiles brightly again and looks at the roses in my lap.
They have changed. They are fully formed, perfect roses, with no thorns on the stems and a complete set of beautiful petals. Our colors blend so well together.
“I think no matter what you decide to do, you’ll thrive. It’s up to you if you want others to thrive with you.” She places her hand on my knee and holds my eyes. “You were not his only victim; wouldn’t you like to be his last?”
The door opens and three laughing patrons enter. They’re in the middle of a conversation and don’t see our intense moment. Why would they?
“Thank you, Molly. I’ll pay you back.”
“No need.” She winks at me and pats my knee one more time. “Go be a badass.”
That’s something I absolutely can do.
“Wait,” I say when she starts to walk away.
Her smile is blinding and I find myself mesmerized in its beam. “You can do this. Have courage.”
I stare at the thriving roses and my trembling hand holding them tight. Courage. To do the right thing. I can do the right thing.
“Don’t you have like a wand or something I can shove up his ass?”
She laughs and nods for me to go, and with my roses clutched tightly in one hand, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
Before she joins the ladies looking over bottles of many kinds, I turn back once more, another thought in my mind. Presley’s mom.
“Mol—”
“I cannot help her,” she replies sadly.
“How can you be sure?”
“Magic,” she breathes, ushering me out the door. “It is an incredible thing, but sometimes, it can be so entirely useless.”
I make it back by four, and head to the junkyard. I wasn’t expecting to find Stanley there after everything. I had hoped he would be a little too sad and distracted for work. Never mind, I need to speak to him anyway.
When he sees me approaching, he puts down his coffee and utters my name. He wipes his sweaty forehead on his grease-stained arm and raw emotion shines from his eyes.
“I need that business card that you took from that journalist,” I say, keeping my tone flat despite the fact I want to scream at him some more. “If you still have it.”
“I do, it’s in my wallet.” He lumbers to his jacket hanging over the back of his chair. “Are you okay? I got a call saying you didn’t go into school today.”
I don’t reply, I reach for the card he holds out but then he pulls it back at the last second.
“What can I do?” he asks sadly. “Tell me what to do to make everything okay again.”
“Erase my past,” I reply, “until then, I’ll never forgive you.”
“I love you.” His tone is pleading. “You have to know that much is true.”
“I hope it’s true, because then maybe, just maybe you’ll feel a fraction of the pain I feel when I never speak to you again.”
He shakes his head, a somber look pulling together his thick brows while pursing his lips.
“Give me the card, Stanley.”
“Why do you need it?”
“Because it’s the only thing I have left to live for.”
He hands it over at last and holds back whatever it is that he looks like he needs to say. “I’m so sorry, Scandal.”
My heart pangs at the desperation in his voice and even I’m not immune to it. I love him and Lane, or the version of them I thought I knew. As much as I wish for their pain, I also don’t want them to feel it. It’s so conflicting.
“I know you are,” I breathe, feeling my lip tremble. “But that’s not my name anymore.”
Then I turn and walk away, towards the trailer with the new backpack I picked up in New Orleans slung over my shoulder.
It’s unlocked when I arrive but empty, and there’s a note on the table waiting for me.
“Went to school. Worried about you. Call me. Don’t do anything rash.
I love you.
P”
His handwriting is a disaster. I love that. I smile and clutch the note tight.
I head into the bedroom where I left Presley sleeping this morning and recall the feel of my hand in his hair, my lips on his skin, his arm around me. If only Carter could have been here too, maybe I’d have been able to say a proper goodbye.
Chances are I’m not coming back. My uncle will have me locked away or worse. I’ll likely anger his fucked-up descendants in this chain of child abuse. Or I’ll die, but funnily enough, I’m okay with that. Maybe it’s that freaky red crystal talking for me, giving me the courage I need to take these final steps to justice.
I sit at the table, pen in hand and in neater scrawl I leave the guys a note.
“You changed my entire life, giving me the strength I need to go on and change the lives of others. I’m going against my uncle because apart from the both of you, I don’t have anything left and I think this is why. I’ve been selfish for too long. I’ve been silent for too long. And in the meantime his other victims are still suffering. I’ve been a coward.
I’m sorry I can’t dance with you anymore.
I’m sorry I couldn’t choose, but the truth of it is, I love you both. I guess being selfish doesn’t end just because you will it so. Letting you both go fucking sucks. We were great together as a three.
All my love… I need a new name.”
I pack my bag with the necessary things as I bring my phone to my ear.
“Talk to me.”
“Mackenzie?” I ask, wishing it’s her.
“I was hoping you’d call.” She sounds relieved.
I sigh heavily, finding the courage to go on. “I’m ready.”
“You are?”
I nod even though she can’t see me. “It’s time.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
I hang up, look around the trailer once more, smell my beautiful roses and then place them on top of the note. The petals have already started to wilt and my stem has new thorns around the bottom.
“Magic is incredible,” I whisper and touch the note one more time.
“Wait,” Stanley calls when I’m about to climb into Mackenzie’s Prius. He dips his hand into his pocket and pulls out a wad of cash and starts to count it, but then just decides to hold the entire thing out to me. “Take it.”
“I won’t need it where I’m going.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” he asks, visibly horrified. I slam the car door closed. “What the fuck does that mean, SCANDAL?”
Mackenzie puts her foot down before he can rip my door open.
“Thanks for coming,” I tell Mackenzie, buckling myself in with the box on my lap and my bag in the footwell between my shins.
“That’s the evidence?” she asks and I nod. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“I don’t, but I’ve seen your articles and the things you’ve done… you’re the only person I know to give this to other than Dr. Conway and she’s busy saving lives right now.”
We pull up to her motel room less than an hour later and head inside. It’s not the fanciest place but it looks clean enough. Not that I’m a snob, I’ll sleep anywhere there’s clean bedd
ing. Not that I’m staying here. I’m not sure what I’m doing after this. I just have a feeling my uncle will be in touch before the night is out and I’ll be heading somewhere. This is why we’re doing a video testimony, just in case. Same as with Dr. Conway.
She sets up a camera on a tall tripod and points it at un uncomfortable, dusty-looking, floral-patterned chair. She’s nice enough, offers me drinks and such. I’m really nervous.
She sets it to record after asking me repeatedly if I’m okay and thus I begin the story of my wretched life. I leave out no details, I spare them none of the mess, the pain, the gore. If she wants my story, she will get it, no matter how uncomfortable it makes her or anyone else.
I tell it all from start to finish, sometimes crying, sometimes cussing because of how fucking angry I am, other times calm and displaced.
But when it’s done, I vomit into the toilet so hard my entire body lurches forward with it.
Mackenzie is waiting for me when I’ve freshened up with a tumbler of whiskey. I do not like whiskey but it helps calm my nerves.
“You did good,” Mackenzie soothes, putting her arm around my shoulder. “You did really good.”
I lean into her for a moment, accepting her strength.
“Have you been hanging around, waiting for me since that first time we spoke?” I ask, staring blankly ahead.
“Yep.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t blame you for not wanting to talk about it. That was brutal to hear, let alone live. You’re brave.”
“So are you for taking him on.”
She pats my leg and moves to the box on the side.
“I’ve got a contact from the FBI coming in about forty minutes. He’s been watching your uncle for some time now. He’s good people.” She doesn’t touch the box, likely because it’s full of evidence. “What’s in the box?”
I don’t answer, not yet. She’ll find out soon enough. “How’s my mom? You said you spoke to her?”
“Over a year ago,” she replies, biting on her lip and I know there’s something she’s not telling me.
“Is she a mess like she was when she left me?”
There’s a long pause and my blood pressure hits new heights.
“Is she dead?”
“Basically, yeah.”
“Basically?” I frown deeply. “What does that mean?”
“She’s an addict in all sense of the word, a dangerous one. She doesn’t have any love left in her. She’s better off dead in your mind.”
I look down at my bouncing knees. As much as I wanted her to be dead, I also wanted her to be alive. Maybe she could have done a Stanley and come back to be a good mom. I’d have never forgiven her either but at least she’d have been there.
“I’m sure she loves you, deep down. It’s just some people are so controlled and consumed by their monsters inside that there’s just nothing left of who they were anymore to take control.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
She gives me a sad smile but doesn’t elaborate further and I don’t ask.
When there’s a knock on the door, Mackenzie peeks out the window, her silver eyes narrow as she tries to see who it is. “Did you tell anyone where we are?”
I shake my head. “No. I mean, Stanley saw me get in your car but—”
She motions for me to get back and then reaches for a gun on her belt. I notice a pink ribbon tied around the handle as she readies a bullet into the chamber.
I move away from the door, pressing myself against the wall.
“Is it my uncle? Is he coming for me?”
“Whatever happens,” she whispers, “don’t stop trying to bring him down.”
I scream when the door is kicked open and three men enter the room. Mackenzie starts shooting, loud blasts echo around making my eardrums shake and ring painfully, and my heart palpitate. I cover my ears and duck.
“GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!” Mackenzie screams, fighting for her life.
I stay as calm as I can and wait. I know now isn’t the right time to strike, I’ll just end up hurt and unable to escape later. This isn’t my first rodeo.
They toss a bag over my head. I knew this was too good to be true. They bark orders at each other and my body is lifted over a shoulder. It digs painfully into my navel.
“LET HER GO!” Mackenzie screams and I hear a thud.
“We got her,” one of the three men says, “we got them both.”
A crackly, radio static voice replies, “Good. Take her to the location. Kill the other one.”
I scream now that I know they’re going to kill Mackenzie, there aren’t enough of her in the world.
“Now now, boys,” comes an unfamiliar female voice in the room that definitely wasn’t here before. “Why don’t we talk about this?” I hear bed springs groan and squeak as though somebody is bouncing on it. “Ooooh, I forgot how fun this is.”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Mackenzie barks at whoever is now here. “You promised me I could do this legit.”
“I don’t make promises, I agree in the moment and then change my mind later.”
One of the men says calmly but dangerously, “Get the fuck outta here, lady.”
“So… which one of you burly-looking fellows wants to die last?”
“Kill her as well,” the man holding me says and starts to carry me forward.
The door slams and I feel the air in the room go cold.
“Shit, I hate it when you do that,” Mackenzie grumbles and I have no idea what’s going on.
“It’s why I do it.”
I’m dropped to the ground on my side, pain ricochets up my arm, bouncing around my bone. I don’t think it’s broken but it really hurts.
I reach for the damp-smelling sack over my head but Mackenzie grabs my wrists. “Don’t take it off. Whatever you do. Don’t look at her.” Her voice is no more than a whisper but I hear her and I listen.
“What… how…?” the man who just dropped me stammers. “That’s not possible.”
The mattress springs start creaking again and the woman sings without losing her breath, “And now that all is done, there is nothing to say. I’m going to kill you so effortlessly, on my own with a wave of my hand and it’s not impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!”
I hear a loud crack, like bamboo snapping, and two of the men start screaming. I hear a scuffle and Mackenzie helps guide me away while muttering curses under her breath. But then she gets bolder and addresses whoever is bouncing on the bed. “So fucking gross. And do you have to squawk like that? Your voice is not one of your talents.”
“You know, I come here at the risk of the wrath of my master, to help you, a bitch I don’t even like, and all I get are insults.”
Mackenzie just sighs, I hear the men yanking on the door. One of them starts banging on the window and screaming for help.
“Now,” the female voice continues and one of the men stop screaming and the other starts screaming louder.
“Is one of them dead?” I whisper and Mackenzie places a finger against my cheek. She can’t see my face so I’m assuming she was aiming for my lips and missed. “What’s going on?”
“Shhh,” Mackenzie hisses.
I do as I’m told.
“Tell me who is protecting your boss, so I can finally see him, locate him, and feed his heart to my pet hell beast.”
Hell beast?
What is happening?
I reach for my mask again but Mackenzie pins my hands to my chest. “Kid, don’t move. Trust me.”
“TELL ME THE NAME OF THE FUCKING THING PROTECTING EAMON NEWMAN!”
My heart drops like a cannon to the bottom of my stomach. She’s going after my uncle?
“Fuck you, whore.” I hear a crack before something heavy drops and Mackenzie gags.
The other man stops screaming and instead frantically stammers, “It’s Adram something… Adramamesh… I don’t know. I don’t
know. We’re just hired guard… that’s all! We don’t ask, we just listen to orders.”
“Adramelech?”
“Yes, I think so…”
“Huh.” There’s another crack and another thud. Mackenzie curses again. “Oops… nearly snapped his head clean off. Humans… so weak.”
“Was that really fucking necessary?”
The woman starts to laugh maniacally. “No, but it was really fucking fun.”
Humans?
“Well, Mackenzie, thank you for your assistance in this case. I’ve got it from here.”
“No, we do this the legal way. You said—”
“It’s a demon matter now; Eamon Newman will be dealt with. Do as you wish with the rest of the scumbags, but don’t get involved in our matters. I won’t save you next time. I shouldn’t have saved you this time.”
“Then, why did you?”
“Boredom I guess.” She starts cackling again and the sound goes through me. I hear the door open, but then the air charges again, and the woman inhales so deeply, it vacuums all the energy out of the room. I hear it, feel it, I see the sack pull outwards. My skin tingles and my eyes burn.
“Don’t you dare.” Mackenzie pulls me to my feet. “Don’t you fucking dare touch her.”
“But she’s so troubled. My sire would be so happy.”
“Please, I beg you, she’s had a hard enough life as it is.”
“I could make it grand.”
Mackenzie blocks me with her body. “You’ll have to go through me f—” She shrieks and then thuds and the mask is ripped from my face.
“That was too easy.”
The moment my eyes connect with excited, green orbs and pale hands grip my throat, a blinding red light fills the room. I grip her wrists with my hands where the light seems to be coming from and look away in fear of hurting my retinas. The creature with floating dark hair screeches and squeezes her eyes shut. She flies backwards and out of the room. She wails as though in agony until it tapers off, and the light in my hands starts to dim. I drop to my knees, feeling lifeless for a moment.
Mackenzie crawls over to me. “You okay, kid?”
I nod. “What just happened?”
