by Lee Crystal
I turned my attention back to Taryn, who was still sobbing onto my chest, and pulled her in tighter. “Hey, you’re okay, Taryn, you’re safe.” It was the only thing I could think of to say in this clusterfuck of a situation.
“He’s going to get me this time,” she choked out as she grasped me around my neck. Okay, that got the hair on the back of my neck to stand straight up. Who was going to get her? This time? What was she talking about?
Disgusted that I wasn’t getting any help from the three shitheads, I did my best to calm her. I started rocking her again, and as I brushed the hair back out of her face, she looked up at me. The fear and despair I saw in her soulful eyes made my heart break.
“I’m tired, Carter, so tired,” she said as her eyelids started to droop.
“Rest, sweetheart, I got you,” I responded quietly. I ran my fingertips down her jaw, and traced her soft lips. The thought of kissing those soft lips was extremely tempting, but this was not the time or place to have our first kiss. A few minutes later, she had fallen asleep.
After laying Taryn down in her bed, I took stock of her room. The walls were painted a light yellow and were adorned with several paintings and posters, most with motivational quotes scrolled on them. On the wall above her bed, stenciled above the headboard was the phrase, Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. –Thomas A. Edison. The script was large, taking up almost the entire wall.
She had several glass Mason jars filled with collectibles lining a shelf above her dresser: spiral seashells, rough cut geodes, bird feathers, butterfly wings. In the corner was her desk, cluttered with papers and a well-worn copy of “The Norton Anthology of English Literature.” A framed photo of a bright-eyed blonde child and a tall brunette man with glasses sat on her bed stand. I recognized that child. The two stood embracing each other and grinning at the camera, her arms clasped tightly around his waist. Her room fit her completely. Knowing she tried to surround herself with things that would motivate her was telling of her fortitude and determination.
I looked down to Taryn, she looked so peaceful sleeping. She lay on her side, her hands cupped under her cheek, and her hair fanned out behind her. She really was stunning to look at. My nether region obviously thought so as well, and I decided it would be best if I got the hell out of her room.
I made my way back to the living room, to see Mr. Dalton, Ethan and Jim sitting on the couch, each with a beer. Their conversation came to a stop as I walked in. Having left Taryn, all my anger and frustration came to the forefront, and I was going to get fucking answers regardless if they wanted to share or not.
“What is going on? What was that letter?” I asked bluntly to all three, not caring who answered.
Without talking, Ethan stood up and handed me the wrinkled letter.
Your time is coming, BITCH!
M
My hands started to shake, every muscle in my body tensed, and I had an overwhelming sense of fear hit me like a tidal wave turning quickly into rage.
“Who is M, and why is her time coming?” I ground out between clenched teeth.
“Look, Carter, there is a lot you don’t know, and honestly I’m not sure if we have the right to tell you,” Ethan said. Before I could reply, Jim stood up.
“I have to ask, after seeing you with Taryn, what exactly are your plans with her?” Jim asked with a look of true concern and agitation directed at me. I was starting to get downright pissed at this point. I moved right in front of Jim, and bent down to put my face in his. He took a hasty step back, and his weakness only encouraged me.
“My plans with Taryn are none of your fucking business,” I snapped. “What happens between her and me is just that: HER and ME. Right now, you can consider me a close acquaintance. I put emphasis on CLOSE, because I’m not going anywhere! If you don’t like it, that’s too fucking bad!”
Jim’s eyes were large and round, I could almost smell the fear coming off of him.
“Carter?” Mr. Dalton said as he put a hand on my shoulder. I spun around so fast, I had to catch him before he fell. Jesus Christ, I was fucking losing it. My entire body was shaking with rage, and honestly, a heavy dose of fear, too. I hadn’t lost control like this since I was in high school.
“Carter, I need you to calm down,” he said evenly. “This isn’t going to get you any answers, and it’s not going to help Taryn.”
I pinched my eyes closed, trying to gain control, and took several deep breaths. Fuck, I wanted to kill something. More deep breaths before I could open my eyes, a few blinks, and I could focus on Mr. Dalton’s face.
“I’m okay, I’m good,” I said, more to convince myself than him.
“You sure, son?” he asked, looking down at my clenched fists in his shirt. Okay, maybe I wasn’t quite there yet. I unclenched my fingers, and released my hold on him. He took a step back with a smirk. Smug old bastard.
With a deep breath, I exhaled, “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Well, I’m certainly happy to hear that,” said Jim.
I looked over to him, and gave a small smile. I wasn’t going to apologize for what I said, and I certainly wasn’t sorry for scaring him.
“Carter, sit down,” ordered Ethan. Normally I would have told him to kiss my ass, but he looked resigned, and I could only hope he was going to start talking. I sat down on the recliner facing the couch that held all three men now.
Ethan looked to Mr. Dalton, who gave him a nod. “I don’t even know where to start,” Ethan let out a long sigh, running his hand through his hair. “On New Year’s Eve three years ago, my dad was killed in an armed robbery at a convenience store. Taryn was with him, and witnessed the entire thing. The robber shot her in the right hip. I was in the car, saw what was happening, and called 911.” He cleared his throat. “Malcolm McCarty is the man’s name who shot Taryn, and killed my Dad and the cashier. He was high on meth, and thought he had killed Taryn also. Thankfully, he was too consumed with grabbing what money he could, he didn’t realize she was alive and trying to plug the hole in my Dad’s neck. He was immediately arrested and put in jail without bail.”
Jesus Christ, I was completely blown away. I had been shocked, stunned, and bewildered more in the week since I had seen Taryn than I had in all my life. And, the shit just kept piling up.
“A police officer carried her out, and I rode with her to the hospital. She had surgery, but obviously they weren’t able to fix her completely. She had to go to rehab for two months, until she could walk with a walker. It was hard to watch, she was in so much pain.”
He stopped, seeming to gather his thoughts. I watched as his eyes turned stormy, and waited.
“Malcolm had a twin brother. His name was Maddox, and he was a mean son of a bitch. Taryn was home not quite a month, she was home alone, and she wanted to practice walking. She took her walker outside, and had made it to the corner about a block from our house. Maddox was waiting for her… he took her.”
He stopped again, coughed, and I could tell this was hard for him. He was trying to hold back his emotions. Frankly, so was I. I was livid, scared, and the ache in my chest was borderline unbearable. God—when we were down at the lake, I joked with Taryn about kidnapping her. What had I done?
“His girlfriend had known what he was planning and called the police. Apparently he blamed Tare for his brother being in jail, and going to prison for thirty plus years, because of a plea bargain. He wanted to punish Taryn,” he growled out.
“Son of bitch,” I muttered.
“He got her into his car… and he hit her… until she passed out. Thankfully, he was dumb enough to take her to his house.” He coughed again, and this time tears were visible on his cheeks. I took a quick glance at Mr. Dalton and Jim, and noticed tears in their eyes as well. Fuck, to be honest, I was feeling like balling my fucking eyes out, too.
What the hell did he do to her? How much could one person suffer? God, I was physically ill.
�
�By the time the cops got to her, he… he had stripped her to her underwear, and he… beat her. She was so bruised and bloody, he, God, he scarred her back.” His voice cracked and morphed into a sob, and I knew tears were leaking down my cheeks. I couldn’t remember the last time I cried, but knowing what this precious woman had gone through destroyed me.
Ethan took a deep breath and wiped his cheeks. “He carved the word Bitch on her back… with a knife.”
Jesus, I didn’t know how much more I could hear. It was worse than anything I would have ever imagined. Hell, only a sadistic psychopath could imagine that shit. No wonder she had nightmares. Christ, I was going to have nightmares. I wiped my cheeks, too dazed to think of anything to say, and continued to sit and stare at Ethan.
Ethan looked back at me and the pain in his eyes was staggering. All I wanted to do at that moment was to go curl up with Taryn and hold her. I wanted to make sure nothing ever hurt her again. I found my respect for Ethan increased exponentially; I knew I would never know the hell it was for him to witness all that he had.
Mr. Dalton cleared his throat. “Maddox was killed by the police. They had no choice but to shoot him when they broke down his door and he was standing over Taryn with the knife. Thankfully, Taryn was unconscious, and didn’t witness it. We started receiving these types of letters about six months ago. We don’t know who is sending them.” He handed me a stack of letters, and I read them, filled with dread.
You can’t hide from me
M
You will pay, BITCH
M
Come out, Come out, time to play
M
I see you!
M
There were fourteen letters, all with the same premise, all taunting and promising retribution. My hands were trembling so badly when I laid the letters down on the coffee table. I couldn’t hear or read any more, I needed to get out, I needed to breathe. I made my way out the back sliding doors without saying a word. Inky darkness and the sound of chirping crickets surrounded me. I was compelled to burst forward into a run. I ran full out toward the lake, pumping my arms and filling my lungs with the night air. I kept sprinting along the shore, as I tried to banish the images of Taryn bruised and bloody, of Taryn screaming, of Taryn crying and at the mercy of a crazy motherfucker.
I don’t know how long I ran, but I had run the entire distance of the lake. I was coming back around to Taryn, and knew I needed to see her, to feel that she was safe. It didn’t matter if anything happened between us or not, I would not let her be hurt again. I wasn’t going to fight my feelings for her any more. I had strong feelings for her, and I didn’t think they were going to change. There was no explanation for it, no reason behind it, it just was. I accepted that.
Pulling the sliding glass doors of the house back open, I first glanced at my watch and saw it was almost two in the morning. I was completely spent. My legs and back burned, and my emotions were chaotic. I looked up to find Ethan on the couch, watching me.
“Hey,” I croaked. My mouth was so dry.
“Hey, can I talk to you?” he asked.
“Yeah, but I need some water first,” I replied, heading toward the kitchen. He followed.
“There’s some bottled water in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” I told him, as I retrieved two bottles. I gulped the first without stopping for breath, then quickly opened the second. After my mouth didn’t feel like I swallowed cotton anymore, I set the bottle on the counter and turned to him.
“I hope you understand why I couldn’t tell you everything at first,” he began quietly. “Tare doesn’t remember everything. Well, she won’t admit to remembering everything, but I think she does, and I think a lot of her nightmares are about the things she won’t admit to. I have to tell her that you know. She won’t like it, but I don’t want her to feel ambushed or betrayed later.”
I nodded.
“We haven’t told her about the letters. Usually it’s Grandpa or I who gets the mail, but she will want to know after she wakes up. If you have changed your mind about her, I want you to know that I understand, and won’t hold it against you. I know you said you could handle it, but you didn’t know everything then,” he said matter-of-factly, looking exhausted and mentally shut off.
“Ethan, I’m not going to argue the point that it is a lot to take in,” I said. “But I have no inclination to change my mind. Whether you like it or not, I’m staying with her. So, get used to it,” I replied with a shrug.
“Well, all right then, I guess you can have one of the rooms upstairs,” he said.
“Um, if it’s all right with you, can I just sit in her room for a while? I just need to know she’s okay,” I said, trying not to plead with him.
“Uh, yeah, sure… just, you know? Don’t do anything,” he stammered out. Okay, this was awkward.
“Jesus, Ethan, do you really think I would just go jump her bones tonight, after you told me everything? Come on, man. Give me some fucking credit,” I scoffed.
“Yeah, sorry. I just had to say it.” I couldn’t really blame him, and admitted as much.
“I didn’t think to ask earlier, but have you informed the police about the letters?” I asked.
“Yeah, we did when we got the first one,” he nodded. “The letters you read are just copies, they have all the originals. While you were out, an officer came and picked up the new one,” he answered.
“Well, what the fuck are they doing about it?” I asked, getting pissed off again.
“There isn’t anything they can do, there isn’t any evidence left on the letters, and they have no way of knowing who sent them, or where they came from.”
I sighed, that should have been obvious, but being overwrought with exhaustion, I didn’t see it. I finished off the second bottle of water, and threw both bottles in the recycle bin.
“I think I’ll head to bed then, I’ll see you in the morning,” Ethan said. “Just FYI, she will probably wake up from a nightmare, when she does, you can come get me, or just take care of her like you did earlier. Uncle Jim checked on her before he left, and she was still sleeping.” “Okay, I will,” I said with a little apprehension. I started for Taryn’s room as we both said goodnight.
I was happy to see her still sound asleep when I walked in. I pulled her desk chair over to the side of her bed, sat down and propped my feet on her bed. The chair strained under my weight, and I prayed it wouldn’t break. As I studied her face, and watched her chest rise and fall, I was consumed with sadness and grief. She was so gorgeous and innocent. I tried to understand or reason why: Why her? I could come up with nothing, and I soon let the exhaustion overtake me, and fell asleep. Until she started screaming.
Chapter 8-Taryn
Blood, too much blood, can’t stop the blood. His eyes, Oh God no, his eyes. Hands grabbing, pulling me, and pain so much pain. Cold eyes.“Bitch, you’re gonna pay!” I’m terrified, he’s ripping my clothes, I scream, he hits me in my face, my stomach, my back, God my back. Searing, burning pain, more blood, I’m cold. “It’s your fault, you fucking bitch!” Bitch, bitch, I’m choking, I can’t breathe, I see him, his vile eyes, I can’t get air, he’s choking me. “Bitches like you die.” He found me, he’s here, I scream. “Keep screaming bitch, no one will come for you!” No one will come, no one will stop the pain, no one will save me, I scream.
“Taryn, wake up!” I heard someone saying, but it seemed far away. “Taryn, wake up!” It got louder, and hands, I felt someone’s hands on me. I jerked awake with a scream, and tried to scramble from the hands holding me.
“Taryn, you’re okay! I’ve got you.”
Ethan? No, it was Carter holding me. I blinked my eyes, trying to focus, and I saw Carter’s worried gaze. I was in his lap, and he was brushing my hair from my face. I started to settle, but was too stunned to say anything. Why was Carter in my room? Was I in my room? I looked around, and saw that yes, I was in my room.
“Carter?” I sobbed, looking at him.
�
�Shhh, it was just a dream, you’re okay now,” he crooned softly. “I’ve got you, sweetheart,” he said while rocking me. I couldn’t hold the onslaught of emotion that always followed my dreams, and was instantly wracked with sobs. He continued to rock me, running his hands through my hair, and then he kissed my forehead.
I grasped his middle and tried to stop the crying, but when he squeezed me into him, I cried harder. I buried my face into his chest, knowing I was soaking his shirt. His clean smell was oddly comforting, and I breathed it in with every breath, soaking it up like I was a sponge and his scent was water.
“Shhh, baby, you’re all right now. Just breathe it out, sweetheart,” he whispered as he rocked and rubbed my back. I felt the calm with every breath I took, so I kept breathing, counted my breaths, until the crying stopped.
“There you go, you’re doing great, just keep breathing,” he soothed. He kept up the litany of encouragement and praise until I was completely still, and my breathing even. I shifted so I could see his face, his beautiful brown eyes, square jaw, slightly crooked nose and full lips. His hair was a total wreck, standing on end, and as I looked closer I could see he looked tired, and maybe sad.
“Carter? What are you doing in my room?” I managed to ask.
He chuckled softly. “Well, after you scared the sh—uh, crud out of me, I wanted to sit in here while you slept.” He smiled sheepishly.
“Ah, I’m sorry about that.” I started to say as I moved off of him, but he tightened his hold on me. I looked up to him in confusion. His eyes were locked on mine.
“I just need to hold you a bit longer, sweetheart, that’s all,” he said, so I leaned back into him, resting my head on his chest. Honestly, I was really liking him holding me. It was disconcerting how much I liked it. I felt safe and secure, probably because he was such a giant of a man. At least that’s the only conclusion I cared to admit.
