Encrypted

by Weaver, Nicole

  It was chewing on something. Explains where Mildred's tomatoes have been going. She's been complaining about that all week. Something about holes in the garden and bits of trash strewn about. Kinda weird. I thought tomatoes were bad for cats. Whatever, in my memoirs it will be a fearsome Daemon beast. She moved closer.

  Little mewling noises escaped the animal every so often as it chewed, too focused on its snack to notice the silent predator sneaking up behind it. She moved closer until she was right behind the cat.

  Samantha threw the ball of mud and hissed as angrily as she could.

  Without another sound, the creature wrenched itself out of the hole and whirled to face her. Shadowed white lines traced out a face like no alley cat she had ever seen.

  Her grin evaporated.

  It charged.

  Throwing herself backwards, she tripped over a patch of half-grown sunflowers and landed butt-first in a muddy hole.

  Wetness seeped into her pants.

  The creature leaped directly for her eyes.

  The plastic jug saved her face. Raised instinctively when she fell, the animal hit it with a thud, its weight pinning her in the hole and threatening to push the jug out from between them. It growled low in its throat, claws scrabbling for purchase against the smooth plastic.

  After a moment, confused by the stubborn obstacle, it leaned back on its hind legs to stand on her stomach, spitting and hissing ineffectually.

  The clouds moved past the moon, and a single beam of light slipped through the trees to strike the two of them. Samantha stared over the jug at the suddenly frozen creature. Its black eyes glowed in the light, half a foot from her own, and filled with rage.

  Oh shit. It's a raccoon.

  The raccoon's eyes widened; it dashed back through the sunflowers, leaving a trail of crushed vegetables.

  Samantha let it go. I hope I didn't pee my pants, not that I can tell now anyway. This is not making it into my Villainous memoirs.

  She slowly pulled herself out of the hole. The racoon hadn't bitten her, and other than a tender ankle, everything felt okay.

  The box was right where she'd dropped it when the racoon turned on her, and the jug was thankfully sealed and undamaged. Revenge doesn't count if the person doing it gets caught up in the damage.

  With the moon momentarily free of clouds, the trees in Christy's yard were easier to see. Counting from the house, she stopped at an unmarked part of the fence and pulled two boards loose.

  Who are they trying to impress with statues and manicured bushes? It's like they meant to move into a mansion, but ended up with a regular house by accident, so they compensated with marble and a weed-whacker. She set the boards aside and slithered into Christy Brown's opulent back yard.

  It was huge. Almost twice the size of the foster monster's, and meticulously trimmed. The manicured trees and bushes gave her plenty of places to hide as she limped over to the pool on the other side. Our plucky Villain survived dangerous traps and deadly monsters to arrive at the home of the Swamp Witch. Others had tried, and failed, to defeat her, but Phoenix Star had made an unbreakable vow—the arrogant Swamp Witch would be punished tonight.

  The box went in first, fistfuls of powder sprinkled evenly across the pool. Can't have chlorine ruining the dye. She poured the entire contents of the jug in next, turning the pool a deeper shade of blue, though she couldn't actually see the color change in the moonlight.

  Gathering up the empty containers, she hobbled swiftly to the tree that shielded her exit. Dumping everything through the fence, she ducked down to watch from behind the tree trunk and a few small bushes that would break up her silhouette among the shadows.

  She didn't have long to wait.

  The big porch light came on. "If that's another racoon dumping trash in my damn pool, I am going to hire an exterminator." Christy Brown, stopped on the edge of the porch, hands on her hips, to survey the empty yard. She wore an obnoxiously sparkling pink two-piece bikini and carried a fluffy beach towel as large as herself.

  In one smooth motion, she ran forward to the pool, dropping the towel as she went, and threw herself into a shallow dive.

  This is the best. She isn't going to notice the dye in the dark. Not until tomorrow, when she crawls out of whatever pit she sleeps in. I hope she wakes up late for something and makes it out the door before she realizes there's a problem. Stifling giggles, Samantha watched her swim a few laps.

  After surviving the Daemon raccoon, Phoenix Star successfully enacted her revenge. She turned to go...and a branched snapped under her foot.

  "Is someone there? Come out or Daddy will have you arrested." Christy's voice wavered. Clutching her arms to herself, she huddled in the lights of the pool, surrounded by darkness and the shadows dotting the yard. "Daddy is super important, you don't want to steal anything from us."

  Phoenix Star, caught in the act by the imperious Swamp Smurf, reminded herself that she had already won. Her enemy would suffer.

  Torn between leaving and seeing more, she stepped out into the thin light of the moon. "Don't have a cow Smurfette. It's just me and a rabid racoon."

  "Oh, it's Bitchface. Delightful. What do you want?" All trace of fear gone, Christy swam to the ladder and swiftly pulled herself out.

  "Not a thing, was just in the neighborhood, and thought I'd check up on the local Swamp Smurf." Samantha smiled her toothiest smile.

  Christy stopped a few feet away, all fear forgotten. It was tough to see in the light of the pool, but her skin seemed darker than normal as she jabbed a finger at Samantha's face. "Get off my property Bitchface, or my daddy will have you thrown in jail, again."

  "Look, you and your daddy had me arrested for no reason. All I wanted was to introduce myself and make new friends. You could have just told me you didn't want to hang out." She leaned into Christy's face. "You told them I was a stalker!"

  "I could tell when I first saw you, dirty and ugly on our porch. You were trash then, and you are trash now. The police agreed." She backed towards the house. "Everything you do proves me right too. Now I'm going to get Daddy and have you arrested again."

  "You started this, Smurfette, now you have to deal with the consequences of my eternal wrath." Wrath is a good word. Implies retribution...heaven’s, or hell’s.

  "I'll end it too, with you in jail, Freaky Sammy." Christy said gleefully.

  Samantha clenched her fists and followed Christy to the porch. "You can claim I was here all you like, but there's no proof, so daddy will tell you to go back to bed like the spoiled brat you are." She laughed. "Face it, he treats you like a yappy chihuahua, ignored as long as you haven't taken a dump on the floor lately."

  Christy sputtered and hiccupped, a hint of red faintly visible beneath the blue in the light of the porch. "I was wrong, you were garbage the day you moved in, but you turned into a crazy stalker freak." She ran turned and ran.

  Samantha called after her. "Whatever, tell Gargamel I said hello." She slipped through the fence and quietly replaced the boards. Mental note, acquire a legion of trained attack raccoons to use whenever someone calls me Bitchface.

  Pulling her shoes off, she wiped her feet on the porch mat and combed a couple of loose twigs out of her hair with her fingers.

  Phoenix Star, ever a clever Villain, once again defeated the Swamp Smurf. The small window was still open, a sliver of light in the darkness. Perhaps I should celebrate my victory with a dye job. Blue and red for freedom? Or solid red for battle? If it's red I could use Red Vengeance as my code name.

  Just before she slid it closed, she heard a faint shriek.

  "BLUE? YOU TURNED ME BLUE?"

  Samantha laughed softly all the way to her room.

  Chapter 8

  Wednesday May 19th, 2010

  Drifting to sleep. Not quite dreaming, a rush of memories from the year before.

  Eddie smiling. His long black hair tied back in the stallion-tail he refused to call a ponytail. His sad brown eyes looking down at her.

 
; "Don't worry, I will be back before you know it."

  "I want to talk to you while you are gone. Why can't you send email? You said it's just a regular job and regular jobs have email." The wind was picking up, sending white puffy clouds racing across the sky.

  "You can totally write letters. I just won't be able to read them or send any back until I am off my shift in a few months. I'm sorry I can't do more, but it's all top secret. I don't know where I will be, and I can't even tell you which agency I am working for." He shook his head. "They were very clear, no outside communication for eight months on shift, then a four-month vacation."

  "That's forever, and I have to celebrate my birthday without you." She poked him in the chest. "Couldn't you wait a few more days?"

  "You aren't alone here." He paused. "Little sis, it’s not forever, and I can't wait if I want this job. The bonus is enough that I can afford to get you out of the system early. We'll throw you a real Sweet 16 party to make up for it, I promise." He leaned against the last of the luggage still hanging out of the back of his Mustang.

  He always had more stuff than I did. "Fine, but I want a pink tiara. I'm going to write a lot, and you better read all of them when you get back."

  He laughed and jumped backwards, throwing his weight on the over-full trunk. It clicked shut on the third bounce. "That sounds great. We can trade stacks when I get back. Just don't forget the most important things you have to do while I am gone."

  Samantha sighed. "I know. Always take my meds, and never let anyone adopt me. I'm not a child just because I'm not as serious as you are, and besides, new parents aren't exactly knocking down the door to adopt someone like me."

  Eddie leaped angrily off the trunk to wrap her up in a hug. "Hey, none of that. The System sucks and we both know it. It isn't you and it wasn't me, it's definitely them."

  She sneezed at the overpowering aroma of cheap cologne but clung to him harder when he tried to pull away. "Maybe, but they have more reasons to hate me."

  He gestured to the orphanage with the one arm he could get free. "You are better than them, with all of their fake smiles and lies. They don't deserve you."

  "I'm allowed to be scared, okay?" She clutched him tighter. "They aren't good to me when you are gone. They say horrible things, and you know they get nastier if I fight back. I'm lucky Mom and Dad took me to the doctor before they died, or things would be even worse. At least they can't deny my meds now." New clouds had moved in, dark and threatening.

  He smiled. "Six months. Six months and you will never have to deal with these people again."

  "You promise?" I hate how my voice sounded back then. I still hate it sometimes, but never as much as I hated how much it broke the day he left me alone.

  "You promise to never give up, and I promise I will always be here for you." He hugged her close again.

  I miss you so much big brother. Why didn't you come back for me?

  "I promise Eddie," she said.

  He stood there and watched as a woman from the orphanage gently dragged her inside, waving goodbye as the sky opened up and it began to rain.

  ****

  The lunchroom was quiet and nearly empty. Freshly scrubbed blue walls gave it a bright and cheery feel, a refreshing change from the bedrooms with their horrifying peeling green paint and scent of mildew.

  Have to make things look good for the prospective parents, but the people here don't actually care.

  The only other occupants, two kids sitting at opposite ends of the big table, were both focused on their cereal. Twins, they shoveled food into their mouths, teeth clicking noisily against the metal spoons in their haste.

  Samantha sat in her favorite corner, where she could see the TV, even though it wasn't on. I kept hoping if I finished fast enough, Miss Trawl wouldn't assign me all the dishes in the sink. I don't know why she hated me, but she always gave me the worst jobs.

  Miss Trawl swept into the room, eyes locking on Samantha. Her thick brown sweater clashed with her pink dress skirt, though the woman had already proved she didn't care if her clothes matched. Some of the other girls swore Miss Trawl hadn't been put in charge, she just took over and everyone else was afraid to tell her no.

  I was expecting dishes for sure, and maybe a spot of floor scrubbing. Not the utter disaster that came next.

  "You, Sam Gray. Yes you. Breakfast is over." She spoke fast, clipping off every word, as if saving the extra letters for later. She looked Samantha up and down. "Good, already dressed. Come with me."

  "I'm not finished yet, and we aren't supposed to waste food." Samantha pointed at her bowl of cereal, realizing too late it was almost empty.

  The other kids, sensing their precarious position, appeared next to the sink and dumped their dishes. They had the back door halfway open before Miss Trawl noticed them.

  "You two, get back here and clean the dishes. Take Sam's too." She faced Samantha. "It's time to go."

  All the energy swept out of the twins as they moped their way back inside.

  Samantha stood quietly near the overbearing woman, struggling to hide her shock. Go? Go Where? They can't transfer me to another orphanage, Eddie is supposed to be back in a few more months.

  Miss Trawl watched her reaction through lidded eyes. "I'm sorry child, but the orders came down from above my head. This couple are willing to take you in, despite your situation, and we want to give you a family, before you age out."

  "No, no. I have a family. Eddie will be back soon." She wiped tears off her cheeks, but more kept coming.

  "I'm sorry but this is for the best. If Edward comes back for you, I will personally tell him where you are and help him with the paperwork. Now stop crying and come with me. Your new foster parents are eager to meet you-" the older woman said. "You'll like Mildred the most, I think. She has experience with kids like you."

  Numbly, Samantha followed, her thoughts churning. "Not if, when."

  The couple stood alone in the foyer. The man, Jon, towered a head taller than Samantha, athletic, and sporting a blue business suit and red tie. His trim brown hair and neatly cleared face put his sharpened his cheekbones on display. A man who demanded perfection in himself and others.

  "They will be good foster parents." Miss Trawl whispered. "Jon is the Head of Security at a big company, and Mildred is a writer. Best of all, they still want you, despite your situation."

  The woman, Mildred, was shorter and mousy. She stepped forward and offered a kind smile. Her brown hair was the same shade as the man's.

  "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Simmons. This is the one you were asking about." Miss Trawl gestured towards Samantha, then to the duffel bag at their feet. Samantha’s clothes. "I see my assistant has already delivered all the personal items. We filled out the necessary paperwork earlier, so you are free to go whenever you are ready to take Sam home."

  Samantha kept her eyes on the floor. I didn't want to go and risk Eddie failing to find me. I'd hoped if they thought I was depressed they would pick someone else. I think Terry would have loved to go with them, even Helen would have been happy to get out of there.

  Mildred spoke up first. "Samantha, we are so glad to meet you. I'd like you to think of me as your new mom, and we hope you will be happy living with us in our wonderful home." She elbowed the man next to her, but the frown never left his face, so she came forward by herself and took Samantha's cold hand in one of her own.

  Daring to look up, Samantha saw a kernel of fear in her eyes, nearly swallowed up by the warmth and determination radiating out. Mildred's eyes used to be full of life and love. She used to argue passionately for what she wanted. She made Jon take us camping all the time, and we had so much fun, but the fear was always there.

  Jon stayed where he had been when she walked in. Not frowning now, but not smiling either. "That’s enough Mildred. Let’s get out of here. I want to get Sam settled in before dinner."

  "Of course, Jon." She turned to the beaming Miss Trawl. "Thank you so much. We'll call if we need anything."

/>   Grasping Samantha's hand, Mildred drew her towards the yawning door. It swung open at Jon’s touch, as inescapable as gravity.

  Jon glanced down as he held the door, a sneer spreading across his face. "You will like it with us Sam. We have everything you need to grow up right. Maybe we can even fix some of the damage you've already experienced."

  Mildred's smile disappeared. "Jon, we talked about this. I am not going to fight with you right now."

  If anything, his sneer deepened. "Yes, honey." He moved ahead to open the car door.

  None of us knew Kevin then. It wasn't good with Jon being cruel while Mildred was so kind, but it was better before Kevin came along and told Jon he could fix me. Make me be the person he wants me to be.

  At the time, she hadn't thought to run. It had to be a mistake. Any second, she'd expected everyone to admit they had the wrong girl and let her go back to her room, but Mildred pulled her out of the open door. I just want my real family back.

  Jon carried the suitcase containing all of Samantha's worldly possessions.

  Mildred gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be ok, honey. Jon's a hard man, but he means well. We will be good foster parents to you. I promise."

  Jon waited at the car, holding the door to the back seat open. It yawned dark and hungry, her duffel bag of clothes already inside.

  A little push from Mildred brought her into Jon's reach.

  He snatched her by the arm and shoved her inside, slamming the door on the edge of her skirt, narrowly missing her fingers.

  ****

  She was pinned to Jon's puke green couch by a riot of emotions and she realized her mouth was moving. She had wanted to scream, but the words came out calmly instead. "How do you know? Maybe it's someone else."

  "I'm sorry, honey, it's true. The call came today." Mildred didn't look up from her knitting. Mildred didn't used to knit, and mom always said you should never trust someone who knits in front of other people.

  "No, no, it can't be. Eddie wouldn't leave me like this. He couldn't be a Villain." Struggling against accepting their claims, she shook her head mechanically over and over.