by Angela White
The light began to dim.
“Remember that choice as you mourn the chance to live in truth and light.”
Sure that I’d been tricked, I shouted, “Wait!” but the light was gone.
I snapped awake to the sound of a familiar car pulling into the driveway. It sounded like my mother hadn’t made it to Sterns after all. I felt the earth shake again.
We were about to be caught in bed together.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Paying the Piper
Marc
“Go out the window!” Angie hissed, fleeing our warm embrace to grab her nightgown.
I wanted to. We might even get away with it, but my pride wouldn’t let me leave her here to deal with the chaos.
“No.”
I hurriedly pulled on my jeans and shoes as Angie did the same. We were both in the middle of adjusting our shirts when the door to her room opened and both of our nightmares filled the frame.
“You little son of a bitch!” Georgie lunged forward, catching my shirt and arm. “I’ll kill you!”
“Wait! Let me–”
Georgie slammed me into the bedroom wall before I could say more.
I fell to the floor, head ringing.
“Get back in that bed and wait for me!” Georgie screamed at Angie as she yanked on his arm.
I didn’t notice the pain or the blood, though. All I heard were his words.
“Leave him alone!”
Angie kept pulling and Georgie delivered a nasty punch that knocked her into the bedpost. I heard the ding when she hit, but I was helpless as blood flooded my vision and little birds danced merrily around my head. I’d thought that was only in the cartoons.
“Don’t kill them!” Mary snapped. “Get him out to the car.”
I understood they were splitting us up, but I had to wait for my body to recover. I was limp as Georgie dragged me through the room by my hair and arm, growling threats.
“Just wait until she gets him out of here,” Georgie warned. “You’ll be sorry!”
I tried to move my arms and found that my legs would respond now. Fair enough. I began to kick.
“You can’t stay here!” Mary argued.
Georgie landed a fist in my ribs and then went on hauling my body toward the door while I gasped for air.
“I need your help with him!”
“You’ll have it covered,” Georgie stated, tossing me into the wall by the door.
Mary must have made him stop then because there were no more blows. I couldn’t be certain with the darkness swimming in and out of my vision. I never would have thought these walls could do so much damage, but he kept using my face to absorb the impact.
A ringing noise made me think of Angie. She was back there! We wouldn’t see each other again.
“I’ll find you!” I shouted drunkenly, positive that vomiting was on the way. I spat out blood. “I will find you!”
“Brady!”
Thick chunks blew all over the trailer door, but Georgie didn’t let me get my stomach under control. He dragged me through the muddy slush and shoved me into the car, hefting my wooden arms when I couldn’t.
He slammed the door in my face, muffling the sound, but not blocking the words.
“Get him out of here!”
“You have to come along!”
“I have business here!”
“Not with that little tramp!”
“She’s mine!” Georgie screamed, meaty fist rising.
Still gagging, I rolled onto my side and kicked at the window. I couldn’t stay upright anyway.
The glass shattered on my fifth kick.
The fight stopped, and my mother sounded out in triumph, “Now you see why you have to come along!”
Georgie didn’t answer. He was out of breath from fighting to get me into the car.
Mary hurried into the driver’s seat and Georgie came around to slide in next to me. After locking the doors, we were on the way, leaving no witnesses. I struggled to keep from succumbing to the blackness as pain lanced through my bleeding face.
“Is he okay?”
“Why do you care?” Georgie snapped, wiping mud and dirt from his big arms.
“Eventually, he‘ll come home to take his place.”
“What happens to Angela?”
“That depends.”
“What does that mean?” Georgie asked resentfully.
“It will bring trouble that we don’t need. You have to wait.”
Georgie scowled and didn’t argue. He also didn’t agree.
“What about the base commander?”
“The man I spoke to is guilty of many sins. Blackmailing him wasn’t hard. He agreed to take Marcus without the official signature. He won’t be able to leave for two years.”
“Bitch!” I got out, before Georgie wrapped his hands around my neck and started to squeeze.
I don’t know how much time passed before I woke up. I didn’t move. After being strangled until I lost consciousness, I felt lucky to be alive at all. It didn’t stop my rage, however.
My mother had tricked me, again. I wanted to attack, but Georgie was her muscle. My best bet was to wait for the car to stop and make a run for it. I could circle around, hitch a ride, and collect Angie while they were searching for me here. If I made it away from the car. My entire body was rubbery, like I didn’t have fully-formed bones yet.
“Is that him wheezing?” Mary asked.
“He’s just waking up,” Georgie grunted. “Pull over.”
My stomach dropped again.
“Okay,” Mary murmured. “I’ll find us a place.”
A short while later, the car stopped under a dark overpass. I looked around nervously, hurting and not sure what to expect.
Mary pinned me through the mirror. “We’re going to talk for a minute, Marcus. Maybe we can come to an arrangement.”
“I’m not making any more deals with you!” I spat, forgetting about her muscle. “You have no right to do this. We’re in love!”
Georgie, angry at not getting to extract his revenge on Angela yet, punched me in the ribs again at the reminder. I cried out as the weak one fractured.
Mary didn’t protest.
“We’re at the literal fork in the road, Marcus. If I turn right up ahead, it takes you to the Marine base, where you will stay until I tell you otherwise. To the left is the police station, where you’ll be arrested for rape. Either way, Angela’s fate is mine to determine.”
Georgie shifted angrily next to me, but he didn’t interrupt.
“I want a military connection. You want to be a Marine. You want to be away from me. You’ll get two of things you need.”
“No.”
“Jail it is,” Mary chirped sharply. “A few hours from now, it’ll be Georgie sliding between that whore’s legs.”
“I’m going to stretch it out,” Georgie commented, staring out the window at occasional cars passing by.
It didn’t take long to figure out I was trapped.
“How do I know she’ll be safe from him?”
“She’s mine!” Georgie screamed, punching my leg.
I struggled not to scream.
“You don’t,” Mary answered, ignoring her brother’s outburst. “But you do know what will happen if you refuse me again.”
“Maybe I’ll tell your secrets if we go left,” I threatened in a gasp. I absolutely would now.
“I stand by my word, Marcus. She’ll be gone before they can stage a rescue, and it’ll be your fault.”
With no other choice, I tried to cross my arms and glare out the window. “Make the right, but as soon as I can, I’m coming and there’s nothing you can–”
Georgie punched me in the face this time, and the lights went all fuzzy as I slumped over.
Mary got the car rolling.
As we sped down the highway, I was able to put together a few more of the pieces. She’d known we would cross those lines. She’d just been waiting for us to grow careless, I assum
ed. Would begging help?
“Please!” I forced out, trying hard to sound sincere.
“You’ve put me in an awful position. You have to go away for a while, Marcus.”
“If he hurts her, I swear, I’ll bring you down.”
“By the time you can hurt me, I could have cleared things up with all the evidence gone. You give yourself away repeatedly.”
“I’m telling you,” I insisted, bracing for another blow when Georgie tensed. “I’ll find a way. I’m your blood. Remember that.”
“Your threats hold no power over me, young man. I’ve already protected your cousin as much as I’m going to. Considering what was done to me, I’m still owed a serious debt!”
“What the hell happened that caused all this hatred for someone who wasn’t even born yet?” I demanded roughly. My throat felt like I’d eaten ground glass.
The truth rolled out like a bitter snake set to strike.
“Your father wanted Frona!” Mary shouted, making even Georgie flinch.
“Neither of us was good enough after having Angie’s mom!”
“Wait.” I tried to process the new information. “Are you saying that Angie is my…sister?”
Georgie obviously hadn’t known either, because his mouth dropped open and his face darkened.
Mary shrugged, visibly calming herself. “It’s hard to tell. They both denied it, but she has his coloring. That’s why I hate her. She might be his daughter.”
I was stunned as the car rushed me over the ramp that would take us to the base I’d been dreaming about for a long time. Everything that I’d feared about our familial ties might be truer than we’d thought. It all fit with what I’d gleaned from Angie and Douglas, and from being around Larry and Judy.
“Build our connections in the service, Marcus. Do it well, and maybe the future you want will be waiting. I have a job for Angela. George will not be allowed to harm her so long as she cooperates. With you locked away, she will. If you try to come home, I’ll send the van for her. Do your duty.”
Georgie didn’t react. Like me, he was thinking it through. Only, he wouldn’t care about the blood connection because he was mentally ill. I cared a lot. If she was my sister, our love was worse than wrong. It was a true abomination.
But I love her! I screamed mentally. And she loves me! Why would fate do this to us?
It never occurred to me that Mary was lying.
“He’ll never leave her alone,” I growled lowly, not wanting another beating.
“Yes, he will,” Mary insisted, increasing our speed. “George doesn’t want to go to prison for murder. Do you?”
She pinned her brother in the mirror this time, and he shook his head, glowering hatefully.
“No.”
“Angela won’t be around to be a distraction to any of the Brady men anymore,” Mary informed us coolly. “I have a very nice house near a beach picked out for her. She’ll have cash and peace outside of the family business. She’ll be happier than you will once those Marines you admire so much start working on your attitude and sloppy habits. In the future, if she wants to see you, I’ll arrange a short visit here and there. Douglas has the same setup with his cousin.”
Mary made another disgusted face. “I’ll never understand why the Brady men are cursed with a predisposition for incest.”
Knowing I couldn’t trust her didn’t make any difference. Neither did her threats. What sank in and burned through to my guilt was the blood connection. Without a DNA test, we would never know who Angie’s father was. And because of that, I had to walk away. Her life would be ruined. People wouldn’t forgive a brother and sister relationship, no matter her innocence. We would be hunted and hounded. I could never put her through that.
“Will you at least try to understand what I’ve done?” my mother pleaded, reverting to logic. “I’ve saved her future. Neither of you can screw it up now.”
True or not, only my love for Angie allowed me to agree. I couldn’t sentence her to a life of shame. “You’ll tell her about this conversation?”
“Every word,” Mary promised. “I’ve already been discussing a position with her. Now I’ll make my final offer and we’ll all go away content that we’ve done our duty.”
“We’ll want to write,” I pushed, hoping, but Mary shook her head. “You’ve crowded her as much as the man next to you. Give the girl some time to decide what she wants. You robbed her of something precious, Marcus. You owe her peace and a life without the shame you’ve forced on her.”
Sharp. Merciless.
“I’ll sign up,” I told them, trying to close down my screaming heart. I’d loved Angie for too long to destroy her. I could do the right thing, no matter how hard it was.
The choice made, a part of my soul seemed to wither and die right there. She couldn’t be my Angie anymore. She would have to belong to herself now.
Angie
“She’ll settle him down,” Frona murmured, patting my arm. “It’ll be okay.”
Stunned at how fast things had gone bad, I stared at my mom in horror. “We have to get out of here!”
“Leave Georgie?” she repeated in drugged concern. “He loves us, and uh…he cares for us!”
“He hurts us, mom. We can leave. I’ll work and take care of you until you’re better!” I begged. “Then you can get a job. Marc will help us.”
It was as if I’d slapped her. Frona recoiled and scrambled toward the door to my bedroom.
“If you leave, he’ll kill me!”
She slammed my door before I could grab it and the new lock clicked. Georgie had put it there last week.
I stood there, crushed again. My mom had finally betrayed me as fully as she could. I was trapped in here to wait for Georgie’s wrath.
Terror flowed as that inside voice gave me the words that I’d been waiting to hear.
It’s time to go. Gather your things.
I didn’t wait to be told twice.
I gathered stuff as quietly as I could, not wanting Frona to hear. I was hoping the fear of Georgie’s would send her into a bottle of one kind or the other. Marc had told me it was a two-hour drive to the base, and I’d caught Mary’s thoughts about going there as the car pulled away. It sucked that she was going to make Marc pick between the service and me, but I was confident of what choice he would make.
I still had over an hour left when I slid from my window. The screen already had holes in it. I’d just had to widen them with the nail clippers.
It was very dark as I hit the ground and grabbed my bag. I took off running toward the clubhouse. There were things I wanted to take. As the trailer faded, I didn’t look back.
Frona had never been my mom. Patty was, I mourned as I wiped away cobwebs and ducked into the clubhouse. I still missed her every day.
I grabbed what I wanted, and reluctantly put the rest into the fire ring. When I lit the match, I took off, unable to watch it all burn. I couldn’t take it, but I wouldn’t leave it for our secrets to be exposed.
Marc had told me to go to the nearest hotel and wait for him if I had to run in an emergency. Neither of us had expected it to be alone or so soon, so we hadn’t finished those plans. I was very sorry about that as I jogged down the path to the cornfield. Once I got across and climbed the fence into Stricker’s Grove, I could use the payphone to call a cab. I would have it pick me up right there at the gates and take me to freedom.
Traveling through the plowed cornfield at night wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be, but the cold was worse than I’d prepared for. I pulled on more clothes as I walked, wishing I’d left some of these things behind now. I didn’t usually feel the weather, but that was during daylight, when I wasn’t shaking like a leaf.
It was a frustrating escape. My bag was too heavy to move fast, and my lungs were hurting after only a few minutes of jogging. Now I understood why Marc strengthened his body and worried over his health. In moments like this, it mattered and I was ashamed at being so out of shape. I would w
ork on that.
Climbing the fence into the park wasn’t as easy as I’d thought it would be either. I put the bag around my neck, but the freezing fence kept sticking to my sweaty hands. When I got to the top and dropped my bag down as gently as I could, I studied the ground for a long minute, trying to judge the fall. This was gonna hurt.
“Umph!”
I hit the concrete hard and twisted my ankle, falling awkwardly into the fenced kiddie area. I also skinned my palm and knee.
I now limped toward the pay phone, dragging my bag. I felt like Georgie had worked me over, and decided my climbing skills would also have to be sharpened. Until I was of age, I would be on the run and I would probably have to do something like this again.
The payphone was another disappointment. A healthy dial tone flooded my ear, but I didn’t have enough quarters. I dug for change, just to find myself a nickel short. It was frustrating and scary. The booths and empty concession stands mocked my bid for freedom as shadows lengthened and shortened by the light of the Valentines moon.
Something shiny on the ground glinted near my feet and I sank down to capture the coin in relief that was almost tearful. During all our talks, we’d never considered having change for calling the cab.
The dispatcher didn’t like where I was calling from or what time it was. I could hear it in his voice, but there was no way I could beg for the help that I needed. I settled for a quickly thought up lie and told him our car was out of gas. When I hung up, I wasn’t positive that the cab would show at all. Even if it did, the driver was expecting an adult with me, carrying a gas can. I didn’t know what to do. Marc and I hadn’t covered these possibilities.
The cold sank into my bones as I stood by the phone, sending chills and shivers over my body each time the wind blew. I reluctantly donned the rest of my clothing and stuffed my things into my pockets. I hid the bag in the empty trashcan by the phone, thinking it was evidence. I doubted anyone would find it for months, if at all. The park had been cleared of wrongdoing, but it still wouldn’t open until warmer weather arrived.
I hurried toward the front gate, glad this park hadn’t made the switch to security cameras yet. It was still just the same little amusement park that I’d grown up viewing nearly every day of my life–until now. I was never coming back. Even if the world ended, I was finished with Harrison, Ohio.
