by C. S Luis
His shape leaped upon the bed like blurry light and reached out, I screamed but awoke once more upon my bed. Dr. Black and Michael were both beside my bed. I looked around, but I could not sense or see him any longer.
Was I afraid of him? No, I was afraid of what I was becoming when close to him. I wanted him more than I could sense, but being around him made me something very dangerous. It made me something I couldn’t control. And soon I feared I wouldn’t care; I feared I wanted to be out of control.
19
Dr. John Black
Claudia fell limp in my arms. I lifted her easily, and her head fell back, and I cradled her close to support her limp body. Michael rushed forward in a panic. “Quick! Take her into the bedroom upstairs!” He hastily said. “I’ll send everyone else home.”
I did as he asked and went out the other end of the kitchen with her cradled close in my arms; her face fell against the side of my cheek. She smelled of something sweet and flowery.
I carefully carried her upstairs and kicked open the first bedroom door to my right. This had to be her room; it had the feel of a young girl’s bedroom. There were drawings and art materials upon a table at one end near the bedroom window; by the bedside table there was a picture of her family with another one of her grandfather next to it.
Nearby the bookshelves were covered with books by writers like Anne Rice and Chuck Palahniuk. There were also some comics with illustrations by Robert Kirkman and Frida Kahlo. Paintbrushes cluttered a crafts table with its drawers overflowing with paints and paintings. By the dresser, a mirror, a bottle of perfume, some lipsticks, and clothes were scattered at the front of the closet, which was partially open, showing me its spilled contents: a pair of black dress shoes, sneakers, and other items.
John Slater was in her bedroom.
Take it easy John.
I came to the side of the bed and gently laid her upon it. I could hear the commotion downstairs as our visitors seemed to be gathering and leaving out the front door. I wasn’t worried about Mr. Claypool and Mr. Vasquez, and as long as Karen suspected an earthquake, we were going to be fine. I heard her briefly, and I could still hear Mr. Claypool and Mr. Vasquez downstairs. They were probably just as worried. I expected them to come upstairs, but no one came up.
I laid Claudia’s head upon the soft pillow carefully and gently; she didn’t move, and she looked peaceful, like a beautiful princess. I folded back the creases of the fabric of her dress and pulled off the laces of her boots carefully, and finally I took off her shoes.
Claudia still didn’t make a sound. She was still and very beautiful; the only indication she was alive was the moving of her gentle chest up and down. Her flowing, long hair spread beneath the side of her head and down her shoulder and upon the pillow.
“God, you’re beautiful,” I whispered to the mere silence. I put her shoes beside the side of her bed, and only now as I sat there did I feel the breeze and finally noticed the window partially open. I rose and walked over to the window; the curtain was shifting in the breeze. I pushed it away and looked out the window. A giant oak tree startled me. It was like a gigantic presence, and for a moment I thought I saw a shadow in the tree branches, but then I realized how such monstrous things could simply be the mere darkness casting shadows from the light of her bedroom.
I pulled myself back inside and stood before the window and closed it. Looking towards the art table, I found an unfinished drawing buried beneath the clutter of pictures and other artwork. It was a drawing of me in a blue suit. The Man in Blue in all his glory. Did I really look that serious?
Impressive, Miss Belle.
“John?” I heard a voice from behind ask. I carefully put the picture back upon the table; I turned to see Michael standing in the doorway looking in. He slowly came in, looking over at the bed at Claudia’s motionless figure.
“How is she?” he asked, glancing down at her and then back at me.
“Still out,” I offered, slowly stepping over to him.
“I hope she’s okay,” Michael said, looking slightly worried and concerned as he came to stand over her. I came closer, standing at the foot of the bed and staring at her silent figure, mocking me from the bed. She was still no different from when I had brought her up and laid her upon the mattress. She was a beauty, a reminder of how different we both were. I was too involved.
Claudia suddenly stirred, then screamed, and I rushed to her bedside, and Michael followed, two grown men at her beck and call; it didn’t surprise me at all.
She opened her eyes, gasping frighteningly.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” I said, but she looked honestly scared, looking all around the bedroom and then over at me like there was something more she wanted to tell me. Why won’t you talk to me, I wanted to ask her. Why won’t you tell me what you want to tell me? Something was keeping her from me.
“Claudia, are you okay?” Michael asked, kneeling next to the bed. She seemed to settle down, and then she looked up at us.
“Where is everybody?” She simply asked, looking around her room, confused as to how she had gotten there.
“They’ve all gone home,” Michael answered. Claudia glanced over at me, and I knew she was wondering why I was still here.
“I couldn’t leave, not until I knew you were alright. You gave us quite a scare Miss Belle,” I said with a smile, and she lowered her eyes.
“What happened? How did I get up here?” Claudia asked, realizing she was still in her maroon dress. She could see she was no longer wearing her boots, and the smile upon my face alerted her. I was grinning my big grin, my John Slater grin. She knew it, and strangely enough, no longer feared it or me.
I came to the side of the bed and sat beside her. “You passed out in the kitchen, so I carried you up here,” I finally said to her, and her eyes met mine briefly.
Claudia touched her head and looked embarrassed. She even blushed and couldn’t look up at me again. Perhaps the thought of me carrying her was now an image she couldn’t comprehend in her mind. I couldn’t stop thinking of her in my arms, so close as I had lifted her fragile figure so easily.
She finally looked up at me with that shameful sparkle in her eyes. I knew she was embarrassed, perhaps if not about me lifting her in my arms, then about being seen unconscious and unresponsive in my embrace.
“They didn’t see, did they?” she asked, embarrassed. It didn’t matter to me; after all, I had carried her up here and placed her in her bed while Michael sent everyone else on their merry way. No one had seen her, as far as I knew.
“Don’t worry, honey. They all left, so no one saw anything. Although Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Claypool were quite worried,” Michael suddenly offered.
“And Ms. Stephens?” Claudia softly asked, curiously looking up at me.
“Especially her, she didn’t see anything,” I offered, looking over at Michael for clarification regarding whether Karen had even asked about her.
He shook his head. “She thought it was an earthquake,” Michael humored, and I moved closer towards her bed. I pulled away a strand of her hair. She briefly grinned, touching the top of her head again.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” I again asked, and she nodded. I feared she didn’t want to speak with Michael. I thought perhaps she trusted me more than her guardian.
“Perhaps we should leave you to get some rest,” Michael suggested, and Claudia immediately sat up.
“No, please,” she said, and Michael glanced back. “I can’t sleep,” Claudia immediately said.
Michael took a deep breath and offered, “Well, you need your rest.” He took another breath. “I might have something that could help. I’ll get you some water,” Michael said. “Why don’t you get ready for bed, and I’ll be back?” he again said.
Michael disappeared. I was just about to rise and leave myself to give her some privacy when she suddenly pulled herself towards me and wrapped her arms around me. I could tell she wanted to say something, but she stayed silent.
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“What is it?” I whispered. “Why are you trembling?” I asked, very worried and concerned.
“I’m afraid of the dark,” she said, but I knew it was far more than that. She wanted to tell me something else, but for whatever reason could not.
“You know you can tell me anything. You trust me?” I asked her, and she slowly gazed up at me.
“Yes,” she whispered, bringing a smile to my face.
“By the way, I bought some flowers for you,” I suddenly said. I wanted her to know. Claudia blinked up at me; there was a slight appearance of a smile, followed by her blushing.
“You did?” Claudia asked. “I thought they were for Ms. Stephens.”
I smiled and said; “Now, why would I bring Ms. Stephens flowers?”
Claudia blinked up at me again. “I thought you liked her?” Claudia said.
“Well, I came to have dinner with you,” I said and then quickly added, “And Michael. I didn’t even know Ms. Stephens was going to be here.” I smiled, and she blushed again realizing this.
Then she looked right up at me. I thought for a moment she had sensed what I had sensed; the odd and strange connection, and I wondered if I had lost the mind scrambler, and panic started to sink in. But I could feel upon my wrist that it was still secure, and then I realized she wanted to tell me something but was having a hard time revealing it. She wasn’t ready.
“I’m—” She started to say.
I put a finger to her lips. “Tell me when you’re ready. I want you to get some rest now,” I simply whispered, holding her tightly.
“But I’m afraid it might be too late then,” Claudia again said.
I pulled her away and gazed down at her beautiful brown eyes, and her lips parted. “Claudia, what is it?” I asked in my demanding voice, the voice of The Man in Blue.
Tell me sweetheart; tell me how to protect you. I’ll do this for you. I want you to be safe.
And then suddenly Michael reentered the room with a glass of water and a pill in his hand, and I couldn’t ask again or demand a response.
“I had better change,” she only whispered, looking lost at me. My desperate expression alarmed her as she had alarmed me. Claudia rose from the side of the bed and walked over to her dresser. She took a few items from the top drawer while Michael put the water by the side table. She glanced back at me, and our eyes met again briefly, and then she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I heard her inside, briefly flushing the toilet and then turning on the faucet.
I glanced back at Michael as he pulled the pill from under a napkin, and I rose to stand beside him.
“What’s that?” I asked with slight concern. He noticed the expression on my face.
“Just an over the counter sleeping aid,” he said. He cut the pill in half. “I take it when I can’t get any sleep,” he offered, which concerned me; he wasn’t getting any sleep himself. There was always questions regarding that— why couldn’t he sleep well?
“Is that happening a lot?” I curiously asked him.
“For her? No, this is the first time,” he answered, but I was referring to him.
“No, you. Are you getting any rest?”
He sighed, folding a lip. “Ever since Neil’s death it’s been a little hard. I’m just always worried, and now with Claudia…she’s very important.”
I nodded in understanding, but the guilt was running through my cold veins. The Man in Blue didn’t care; all he wanted was his money and to ignore the link to her. And he always got what he wanted. That concerned me a lot. Michael had a right to be worried and no right to trust me, but he did trust me. That’s why I felt great guilt.
You are guilty, John. This is what you wanted; this is what you do. Since when do we care of others?
“And that’s why you have to take care of yourself, Michael. You have to do it for her,” I lectured him. I’m not sure if he was ready for that, and he folded a lip back and took a huge breath.
“I know. God knows I’m trying.” He smiled up at me, and that just about tore me up inside. He said, “It’s nice to have a friend again.”
That about did it. And I think he would have said more, but at that moment Claudia stepped out and walked out from the bathroom. For a mere moment she stood at the door of the bathroom looking back at us as we shared a moment, a moment between two grown men. It made me feel like a fool.
She smiled. She was now dressed in cotton colorful sweats and a slim purple fitted shirt, and she looked lovely. She seemed embarrassed to still find me in her room, probably because she was dressed in her sleeping attire. Quickly she hurried over to the bed. I stepped aside, and Michael pulled back the covers for her. I think she felt like a child being cared for by two grown men. I could sense that, the way she staggered to the bed and slumped down into it. She had a long face, and her hair dangled over the side of her cheeks, and it hid her embarrassment well.
Michael came to the side of the bed and handed her the pill.
“What’s this?” she asked, glaring at the pill in his hand and then up at him.
“Something to help you sleep,” he offered, and she looked over at me, and I nodded as if only by my approval she would take it. I sensed it made Michael a bit uncomfortable that I had such a great influence upon her. He may have even been slightly jealous.
He gave her the water, and she drank deeply and swallowed the pill and then handed the glass back to Michael. She lay back upon the bed and the soft pillow. “Thank you for staying, Dr. Black,” she softly said.
“My pleasure, Miss Belle. Goodnight. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.
“Goodnight Dr. Black. Goodnight Michael.”
Michael and I walked out of the bedroom with Michael closing the door and turning the lights off behind him. Quietly we came down the stairs and into the dining area and stood by the table.
“Does this happen a lot?” I asked as Michael picked up the dishes from the table. I helped him with a few of the dishes, following him into the kitchen as he walked over and put them into the kitchen sink.
“No,” Michael answered, knowing what I meant. “She’s never lost control like that. I’m worried about her,” Michael said, standing by the sink and looking over at me.
“Me too,” I softly whispered. Something was triggering her abilities, making her lose control and making her dangerous. She was becoming unstable, what the ADA referred to as minders that went rogue and mad. But why was this happening to her? Was there some kind of trigger?
“Thank you for staying and also for not saying anything, Dr. Black,” Michael said. “Before Neil died, he asked me to take care of her, to protect her. And I made a promise to him that I would. I don’t want to fail him or Claudia.”
He wrinkled a curious eye at me then, probably wondering why I hadn’t mentioned anything about her abilities. Why wasn’t I running out of the house screaming and bringing in the authorities?
“How did you know, might I ask? You act as though you’ve seen this kind of thing before,” he simply said.
“No, not at all,” I offered, and he looked even more puzzled.
“I’m just not the kind of man that’s frightened easily by strange things. As odd as it might seem, it’s quite intriguing, and besides, you and Claudia have become good friends. That being the case, I think you should stop being so damned polite and call me John,” I again said, and I meant it, which was startling and scary for The Man in Blue. He didn’t care much for friends; he only knew what he wanted.
Friends John? Are you serious? You don’t have friends you asshole. I’m The Man in Blue! Stop this nonsense!
Michael smiled at me with teary eyes, and it was the emotion I wanted to avoid, but I had made a connection with him, and I hadn’t intended to.
“Thanks John,” he managed with a smile.
I put a hand upon his shoulder. “Your secret is save with me. Now what are you planning to do with all this food and mess?”
He blinked over at me. “How do you
feel about leftovers?” I merely grinned. “By the way,” he again said. “I see you and Ms. Stephens are getting quite acquainted.”
I was silent for a moment. “Was it you who invited her?” I asked; although, I already knew the answer to that question.
“I thought you’d enjoy her company,” he offered. Poor Michael, if he only knew the Man in Blue enjoyed no one’s company. Oddly enough, John Slater was beginning to.
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said. “I put in a good word for you.” He smirked. “But you should really be careful about keeping your relationship hush, hush; not a lot of teachers like playing favorites. Although I know you wouldn’t do that,” he again offered.
“Michael, Karen and I are not dating,” I tried to say, but he only winked back at me.
“That’s the idea. I almost believe you. Just make sure everyone else does too.” He grinned and winked again and then walked back out of the kitchen. I shook my head and smiled, following him out.
20
Claudia
Their shapes disappeared through the door of my bedroom, and the light of the moon came through my window. I blinked, turning my body away in the other direction, away from the window. My heart was beating in my head, and I wished the pill would work as Michael had said it would. I turned to face the window; it was now open, and a breeze welcomed the shape on the ledge. I sat up in the darkness.
I wanted to call out to Dr. Black or to Michael, but my lips froze, and my hands trembled. I didn’t move. I just gazed at the window, at the shape leaping from it onto the floor of my room. It disappeared for a moment in the darkness of my room and then crawled up the side of the bed and came closer. Slowly he came upon the bed, and he climbed, and I fell back against the headboard.
