by C. D. Taylor
“You know I’ve missed you baby girl, all the fun games we used to play at night…I know you liked them too Maggie, didn’t you?”
“You are a sick bastard!”
He let out a bone chilling laugh. “Maybe I am, but one that loves his daughter. You know…it wasn’t even hard to find you after you left home. I looked you up shortly after, and have made sure you’ve been safe and sound ever since. Chicago is such a nice city too, I have enjoyed living there.”
“No.” I whispered.
“Yes Maggie, I’ve been there the entire time, there was nothing left for me here. Your mother was a nut case, and she knew I didn’t love her anymore. She was jealous that you and I were so close though…”
“Please just let me go.” I cried.
“No can do sweetheart, you belong to me. And that man you have been with while you’re here, I’ll make sure he’s out of the picture too so you and I can have a happy life together.”
“You are delusional! Leave Tyler alone!”
I saw the knob on the door start to turn and then it stopped. The room fell silent, and then a horrible crashing noise permeated the space. I jumped back just as the door came off its hinges and flailed across the room. I was trapped again.
He grabbed my hair and threw me onto the hallway floor. I was running out of mental and physical strength to battle him and I couldn’t move. I knew no one could hear me but I started screaming.
Twenty-Three
When Tyler left Maggie, he felt like his heart had been ripped to shreds, and scattered in the sea. He was numb. Ever since Maggie had stumbled into his life, he felt like maybe things were looking up, but he was wrong. He thought back to the conversation they had when she stormed out of his brother’s house earlier.
I don’t meet a stranger and fall for them…
He had to know, so he did a spontaneous U-turn and started in the direction of her house once again. Dammit this woman was complicated, but she was also the one person in the world that held his heart in the palm of her soft hand.
As Tyler hopped down from the cab of his truck, he thought heard screaming coming from the interior of the house. Maggie.
He barged up the wooden steps of the porch and put his ear to the front door. For a brief moment there was silence, and then a shrill scream cut through the air like a machete on a corn stalk. She was in trouble. Tyler went into battle mode and threw his leg up and kicked in the door with ultimate force. The wood splinted into a million pieces and landed in the foyer. He did a quick sweep of the room on the lower level of the house, and couldn’t find anyone so he went upstairs. He heard another scream coming from the bedroom at the end of the hallway. When he peeked in he was sickened by what he saw. Maggie was being held down by an older looking man, and she was struggling to get free.
Tyler jumped into action and took a few strides into the room. He grabbed the man by the shirt collar, jerked back and slammed him up against the wall.
“Tyler!” Maggie shouted.
Tyler toned out her terrified voice and commenced to punching the man until he slumped to the floor. Once he determined that the man was unconscious, he went to make sure Maggie was okay.
“Are you hurt?” He looked her over.
“No Tyler I’m okay, oh my God I was so scared.” She started shaking.
“It’s alright I’ve got you.” He soothed.
They stood there for a few moments, and Maggie seemed to calm down in the comfort of his arms. Tyler wanted to keep her there and safe for as long as he could.
“You son of a bitch!” The man yelled from across the room.
Tyler spun around readying himself to clock the guy once more, but found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol.
“You think you can come in here and ruin everything don’t you. Well she’s my little girl and I won’t let you have her!” The man screamed.
Tyler knew he had to get the gun away from the deranged lunatic and soon. He took one swift motion and knocked the firearm to the floor, it landing at Maggie’s feet. When he turned to look at her, the look in her eyes was almost terrifying even to him. She picked up the gun and walked forward, looking like a cheetah stalking its prey on the plains of the Serengeti. She raised the pistol toward the man.
“I won’t let you have control over my life again! You have hurt me for the last time…Dad.” She said.
The next thing Tyler heard was the loud bang of the gun firing. He watched as a bullet hit the man right in between the eyes and blood splatter on the wall behind him. The man’s body fell to the floor with a thump. Tyler couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.
When he turned to see Maggie again, she looked different. It wasn’t the same person he had come to know in the past weeks. She looked fearless, and strong.
“Maggie, put the gun down.” He cajoled.
She lowered the pistol to her side and let it slip from her hand to the wooden floor. Tyler immediately pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed 911. He gave them their location, and then hung up.
“Police will be here in a few minutes.” He told Maggie.
“Am I going to jail?” She started crying.
“No Maggie, it was self-defense, at least that’s what we are going to say alright?”
“I just killed him Tyler, he’s…dead.”
“I know, but everything will be okay I promise.”
Twenty-Four
What did I just do? I thought to myself. I saw the bleeding corpse of my father lying lifeless on the floor, and it took me a moment to realize that I did this. I literally shot a human being in cold blood. This wasn’t the kind of person I was, yes I was heartless to some extent I’d been told, but to take another human life was way beyond the person I was. But something in me had changed, he drove me over the edge long ago, and I couldn't stop my actions. When he threatened Tyler, it was the last straw, it was in my power to protect the man I loved, and I would have taken out an entire battalion of men to make sure he was safe. Was that what love really was? Making sure that the person who held the key to your heart was safe from all harm and wrong doing?
The scene laid out before me was of my own creation, and I had to admit that I wasn’t as sad as I should have been. I wanted that man out of my life for good, and what I did would make sure that he could no longer hurt me.
I heard the police sirens coming from the distance, and Tyler ushered me outside. I numbly sat on the rickety porch swing and wrapped my arms around myself for comfort. The officers pulled up and proceeded to enter the house. I registered someone talking to me but the sounds were muffled and sounded like they were speaking to me from the inside of a garbage can.
“Maggie, hey…they need a statement from you.” Tyler patted my shoulder.
“What? Yeah okay.”
The officer took me over to his car, and I had the sinking fear that I would be cuffed and thrown in the slammer for what I’d done to my father. My emotions once again bombarded me and I broke out into a horrible sob. Tyler was still on the porch giving his account of what took place and every so often he would glance my way, almost letting me know that everything would be fine. Somehow with him around I knew I would be just that.
After talking to the officer for about an hour, he asked if I needed medical attention. I told him no, and he thanked me, letting me go to Tyler.
“Tyler, I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess, I had no intention of doing so.”
“I’m just glad I came back when I did.”
“Why did you come back?”
“Let’s not worry about that right now.” He sighed.
I wondered what had been so damn important that he would come back. I was so glad he did, but my mind was racing with possibilities.
I knew that I couldn’t stay in this place a minute longer, but my flight wasn’t scheduled to depart until the next morning. The police told me I was free to go, and so I decided to drive into Dallas and stay at a hotel near the airport.
“Mag
gie, you can stay at Jake and Emily’s tonight, you don’t have to get a hotel room.”
“No, I really need to be alone. Its better this way.”
I kissed him lightly on his whisker roughened cheek, and told him goodbye. I didn’t look him in the eyes because I knew that if I did, I would crumble and not be able to part with him. I slid into the seat of my rental car, closed the door and started the engine. I was running again.
The entire drive to my hotel was filled with reflection of the events of the day, and all I wanted to do was continue to weep. I had to be stronger than that, I needed to pull my boot straps up and go on with the life I’d been given. I wouldn’t mourn the loss of my father, after all he was no father to me, only a nightmare that I was finally rid of. I would no longer wake in a sweat at night with the visions of him over me. I would no longer let him dictate what I did and how I did it. I was finally free.
Twenty-Five
Seven a.m. came early the next morning, my luggage was packed and ready, and my rental car was turned in. All there was left to do was board the plane that would take me back to Chicago. I was relieved and sad all at the same time. I pushed back the thoughts of Tyler, and boarded the plane. I wouldn’t come back to this place, the place of my fears ever again. My old life was waiting for me in the windy city and I was happy to be going back.
When the plane landed at O’Hare in Chicago, I got off the aircraft and headed to baggage claim. I heard a familiar squeaky voice calling my name.
“Mags!”
I turned to see Hayley running toward me with her arms open wide. She crashed into me almost taking me to the ground, and wrapped her arms around my body.
“Oh my God, I missed you so much Mags!”
“I missed you too.” I laughed.
“Come on I’m parked in the fire lane, we have to hurry before my car is towed.” She grabbed my bags and pulled me toward the exit doors.
We settled into her car and pulled away from the airport. I was happy to have my best friend with me again, and couldn’t wait to tell her about everything that transpired in Texas.
“You look lost Mags, what’s wrong?” She prodded.
“Nothing, I’m just happy to be home that’s all.” I smiled.
We rode in relative silence back to my condo on Lakeshore Drive. Hayley must have sensed that I wished to be alone, she didn’t offer to come up like she always had before. When she drove away, I went into my building and rode the elevator to the floor where my condo was. I slipped my key into the lock and pushed the door open. It was so lonely stepping into my empty place, and it was funny that I’d never noticed it before. I wondered what it would be like to have Tyler here. He would make my place so much more warm and inviting. I couldn’t think like that though, he had a life in Texas with his family there would have been no way he could survive here without them.
I would just try and slip back into my life like nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. I would go to work, come home, and do what I normally did. But my life was anything but normal now.
Twenty-Six
“Dude, stop fucking pouting.” Jake teased.
“I’m not pouting, it’s called brooding, and I wish to do it alone so fuck off.” Tyler bit back.
“You really miss her don’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s written all over your face brother. So what are you going to do about it?”
“There’s nothing to do, she left, end of story. I’m not gonna go chasing after someone who doesn’t want to be with me.”
“I guess you’re right, no need in wasting your time.”
“Exactly.”
Tyler knew it was pointless to run after Maggie, she made her choice, and that choice was to return to Chicago where her life was. He could sulk about it or he could move on, and as hard as moving on seemed to be, it was time to pull his head out of his ass and do it.
“Jake, your mom is on the phone, she sounds really upset.” Emily called from the front door.
Tyler saw the look on her face and knew something terrible had happened. He watched Jake grab the phone from Emily’s hand and lift it to his ear. Jakes face paled, and he looked visibly ill. When he ended the call Tyler’s nerves were on edge.
“What’s going on?” Tyler nervously asked.
“It’s dad, he’s had a heart attack. They took him to Dallas.”
“What the fuck are we standing around here for? Let’s go.” Tyler headed for his truck.
The ride to Dallas was filled with thoughts and worry for his dad. He hadn’t spent much time with his parents since he'd come home, and now he regretted that fact. He only hoped that his dad would pull through so he could show him that he loved him.
When they arrived at the hospital, they strode through the doors and the smell of sterile environment hit Tyler in the face like a sack of bricks. He flashed back to when he was in Germany, injured and not knowing where his life would lead him from that point on. His stomach began doing flips, and he wanted to run as fast as he could away from this place. But he couldn’t, his dad needed him.
Tyler and Jake found the waiting area where his mom was, and quickly threw their arms around her in a show of support.
“Where is he?” Jake asked.
“They have him in surgery; he’s been back there for a while now. I’m so scared.” His mother cried.
“Mom, it’s alright, we’re here now.” Tyler soothed.
The fact of the matter was that he didn’t know if things would be alright. He wanted it to be, but Tyler knew life held no guarantees. As they stood there trying to calm his mom down, the surgeon entered the room with a somber look on his face. Tyler knew it was bad, and his heart felt like it was falling from his chest like a star from the night sky.
“Mrs. Bradford…I’m sorry.” The surgeon said.
The world stopped spinning in that moment. All Tyler could hear was the sobbing sounds that filled the room, his mom crying over the loss of their dad. He wanted to put his fist through something, and make the pain go away. It cut him deep.
“Mom, what do we need to do?” Jake asked.
“I…I don’t know boys.” His mom wept.
“Whatever you need, we are here mom.” Tyler added.
“I love you two, and I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for mom, this wasn’t your fault.” Tyler soothed.
His mom ran her hand across his jaw, and Tyler felt tears well up in his eyes. When he looked at his brother, Jake had tears streaming down his face, and Tyler let go. This wasn’t the time to try and be a tough guy; he’d just lost his father for God’s sake. He let the emotions go, and held onto his mom and brother for support. This was the only family he had left, and he would stand by them through this time of loss, no matter what.
Twenty-Seven
Once I regained somewhat of a normal life back home I began to feel like a human being again. There were times throughout my days I would think of what I’d done, and had to continue to reassure myself that what I did was for the best. I finally let the guilt go, and realized that it wasn’t my fault what happened to me. Of course there were many appointments to my shrink, and hours of me crying over the past, but I came to a place where I knew it would all be okay.
When I finally felt like returning to work, everything was just the same as I’d left it. My desk and office were still neatly organized, and my co-workers were more than understanding of my absence. I felt at ease with it all, and jumped back in with both feet.
There were tons of projects waiting for me, and so I sat down and buried myself in them. I was so focused that when my office phone rang I damn near jumped from my chair.
“Margaret Wells.” I answered.
“Hi Maggie, this is Emily Bradford, Tyler’s sister in law…”
Thoughts streamed through my head at why she would be calling me, did something happen to Tyler? “Hello Emily is everything okay?” I said nervously.
“
No, Jake and Tyler’s dad died of a massive heart attack yesterday. The funeral is this Sunday; I just thought Tyler might like the support of you being there.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry to hear that! Of course, let me make some arrangements to be there.” I gave her my email, and personal phone number to send the details of where the memorial would be held.
“Um I didn’t tell Tyler that I was letting you know about this, so if you could keep it all on the down low I’d appreciate it.”
