“Why do you have to be such a child?” She spat.
Celeste stomped across the room and found her way to the bathroom in the hall. Why was he even here? He had just left a few minutes ago. Damn his sense of humor, she thought as she put her leg up on the counter. She peeled back her shorts and looked down. It wasn’t too bad, just a few scratches across her left thigh. Must have been the grill brush or the tongs, she realized. She would have to be wearing her favorite shorts. Great, now they were ruined.
Celeste reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled out the first-aid kit. With any luck, it wouldn’t leave a scar. She finished doctoring her leg and turned back toward the hall. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw John standing there. He was hunched over, his face obscured by the tangles of black. His breath gently stirred his hair─ it was rhythmic as it drew in toward his mouth, and then was blown slightly out like a pendulum. Celeste paused before his bent form, and for a moment─ she watched him. This was completely out of character, even for him. Something wasn't right. Without thinking, her arm reached out and she gently brushed the tangle from his face. Two pools of liquid sapphire appeared, staring blankly. His breathing calmed, but his face was flushed an angry shade of red. His hand lashed out and clamped around her neck. She clawed at his vice-like grip, helpless against his strength. He shoved her hard into the door, the empty expression still remaining on his face. It was as if he wasn't really there, attacking something in his sleep. His sleep─ Sleepwalking, of course. She'd read somewhere that most sleepwalkers were harmless, but he could sometimes become violent. She managed to choke out, “John”, before his grip finally loosened and his hand fell to the side. She backpedaled and shoved herself onto the bathroom sink, gasping for breath.
After gulping in mass amounts of air, Celeste froze. Her eyes wandered from John’s vacant stare, then down to his neck and chest. Sweat poured from every surface the button-up shirt was torn to bits. Fragments of it remained around his arms and collar, the rest was nowhere to be found. Angry, purple bruises covered his chest and stomach. He seemed to barely be able and stand. Celeste snapped out of her fear and moved beneath his shoulder to support his weight. She eased herself under his arm, so he wouldn’t mistakenly attack her again. His dream states could be very scary and he had been diagnosed with PTSD some years ago. He would never open up and tell her what had happened, but he continually had seizures and flashbacks.
"John, my God─ what happened?" Celeste stuttered. Her unease grew with every second of silence. She looked up and caught his far away gaze. His breath was labored. Not now, not now, she chanted silently. His eyes turned skyward. “No, no, John don’t you do this,” She called to him frantically, “come on baby, keep those eyes open for me,” but he wasn’t listening. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor, taking Celeste with him. She struggled against his death grip as his body convulsed on the floor. Celeste clawed at John’s arm pinning her, and finally managed to rip herself away. She cursed, tripping over the piano bench as she ran into the living room. Finally, she reached her purse and found what she was looking for. Her wallet in hand, she ran to him and shoved it into his mouth. She sat on top of him, pinning his body to the floor until the convulsions subsided. When Celeste was sure that no more would come, she gently removed the wallet. She laid it on the floor and lifted John’s head into her lap. Her hand found its mark along his neck. Good. She sighed in relief at the strong pulse that beat beneath her fingers.
"I won’t do it,” his voice startled her. It was feverish─ as if he were in a half-drunken state. She caressed his cheek, softly murmuring words of comfort to him. John must have been talking in his post seizure state. He sometimes did after one of his episodes. “I’ve worked too hard for this and you’re not going to ruin it,” He continued, “not you, not anyone." His low voice chilled her. It came out clear and calculated. Celeste swallowed thickly before asking, “Not going to ruin what, John?” Ignoring her, he continued to chant softly to himself. "I won't−I won't." His eyes shot open and he shoved her off of him. He was on his feet in seconds, his chest rising and falling as if he had just finished a marathon. She blinked and stared after him dumbly from the ground. John was already ten feet away. How had he gotten there so fast? John stumbled a few times and looked around before recognition reached his eyes.
“Jo─”
He was down the hall in seconds. Celeste jumped to her feet and failed to match his step. By the time she was at the top of the stairs, he was out the front door. Celeste charged outside and heard the car door slam. She screamed at him as he peeled away, the Infinity GI’s tires spinning from the accelerator hitting the floor. Celeste stared mutely from the sidewalk at the tail end of the car as it disappeared from sight.
* * *
*
4 lain
Celeste looked at her email for the hundredth time, sighing in frustration. She closed her laptop and walked out to the sun-room. Maybe a little sun and a nice book would help. She knew it was another one of John’s moments. He had been having those more frequently. Still, it didn’t sting any less that he refused to let her in when he would have a breakdown. It was hard for Celeste’s father to accept him as a boyfriend. Her father, being the strict man that he was, had found it suspicious that no one called or messaged for John. He had found it equally bizarre Celeste had never even met his parents. Truth be told, she had wondered about it and anytime she had mentioned it, John would shut down.
Of course, the minute she would bring up these concerns to her dad, he would always have this ‘I-told-you-so’ tone. It drove her insane. To be fair, John hadn’t exactly helped with that image lately. She had flat-out lied to her father when he called earlier asking how they were doing, and if she needed anything sent over. She had managed to keep the tears back, and surprisingly held it together. Scott wasn’t the type to mess around, and she knew that if he found out about John’s little episode there was no way in hell he would allow her to marry him. The best case scenario here was to just keep it to herself and try and get John to go to a therapist. Maybe they could start going together since they both seemed to have─ issues. The only clue from his past that she had managed to drag out of him last year was where his family had come from, and various high school stories. So what if he was more reserved? Lots of people were that way. It wasn't like the two of them hadn't spent the last few years getting to know one another. The past was something that he more than likely wanted to leave behind. She knew that sentiment all too well─ people could be cruel. She frowned, thinking back to his meltdown earlier that day. For as long as she had known him, John had never behaved that way. It was really starting to worry her. She jumped, screaming as a loud chime rang throughout the house. A split second passed and Celeste sighed in relief, realizing that it had been the front doorbell.
Then it clicked, today was Saturday. Lain─ talk about bad timing, she thought. Racing down the stairs, she winced at each step that she took. It felt like someone was beating a hammer on the back of her skull. The adrenaline from the earlier encounter with John must have worn off. In all the excitement, Celeste had hit the wall when he had thrown her off of him. She reached the bottom floor and pulled open the door. Standing on the porch, was a very quiet little Lain. Her head was tilted down and she was dragging her shoe across the concrete.
Her heart ached the instant Celeste saw her. Lain’s face was swollen and puffy. It was obvious that she had been crying. Pushing her own troubles aside, she tried her best to smile in front of the young girl. Lain had more than enough trouble in her own life, she shouldn't have to worry about anyone else. What, like the fact that your ‘normal’ life is crazy and your boyfriend is going completely mental? She shook the thought from her mind. What mattered most was taking care of Lain right now.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Inoue,” Lain mumbled under her breath. Though the girl was obviously feeling distraught, she put respect first and foremost. It never ceased to amaze her how well Lain could pronounce he
r Japanese-native name. Most of her colleagues would simply call her Celeste, or the more formal ones, 'Ms. Ino'. If only they knew that it was short for ‘pig’─ they were calling her Ms. Pig. She patted the girl’s head, “It’s Celeste dear, you don’t have to be so formal with me” she scolded politely. Everyone had thought it odd that Celeste had kept her mother’s maiden name instead of her fathers. Everyone except her father. He had insisted that she keep the family name alive and to be proud of her Japanese heritage. Kotone’s family was delighted and agreed to keep it that way. She smiled down at the girl before adding, “Besides, it’s Saturday. How about we have a little fun before lessons?” She squeezed Lain’s shoulder and moved aside. “Come on in.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lain said. She removed her shoes and left them on the low shoe cubby by the stairs. Sighing, and shaking her head, Celeste led the girl up the stairs. She was such a sweet, and sensitive girl. Lain was well beyond her other primary school students. They would often get into college level compositions and even those began to bore the girl. She was no doubt a genius, and she was barely seven years old. Celeste frowned, remembering the day that she had found out about Lain’s past. A robber had been taken by surprise, unfortunately for Lain’s parents, and with the sound of two gunshots, he had effectively ended three lives.
It was heartbreaking, knowing that Lain's family didn’t support her. Especially since they were all that she had. They called the arts pointless and a waste of time. It made her sick every time Celeste thought about Lain’s foster parents and the girl's obvious talent. She could have lived a different life─ one full of love and support. The child reminded Celeste of herself, eager to learn and in love with classical music. Something that was incredibly hard to come by in children.
“Alright” Celeste began, “would you like any tea or cakes before we start?” She of course knew that Lain would love them, yet always knew to ask. She once forgot to ask and Lain had thrown a fit yelling that she didn’t need anyone to feel sorry for her. The girl was sensitive when it came to such things. Celeste had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t being fed properly. She wanted more than anything to adopt Lain but it wasn’t an option. As long as a relative lived, it was near impossible to take a child away. The family the girl stayed with was living off of social security checks that arrived for her every month.
Judging by Lain’s clothing, not a single thing had been purchased for her in quite some time. She wore hand-me-downs with large holes in them that had obviously been worn by someone twice her size. And the shoes on her feet (one of maybe two pair that she owned) had to have the soles glued back on to them at least once every few weeks. Lain's hair was long, and was often in need of grooming. Which obviously no one at that house knew how to do. So, every Saturday Celeste would allow the girl time to do as she pleased around her home. Which usually involved a bath, some tea, and T.V. She was quite grown up for a six year old, not bothering to run or play like most. She would buy Lain clothing and shoes, but after trying that several times, realized they would use them on their own child, or sell them out of spite. It was as if they wanted her to suffer.
Celeste knew that it didn't matter. This girl would grow up into a beautiful woman. She always marveled at Lain’s long, flowing curls. Her natural color was a stunning golden blonde with strawberry highlights. Lain’s eyes sparkled like the dew on two fresh mint leaves, and her skin was a flawless ivory. No amount of rags could hide this radiant being. The girl nodded at Celeste's question as a smile broke out across her face.
“Yes, please. May I have the strawberry filled kind?” She was practically gushing and it warmed Celeste's heart. Nothing could make Lain light up more than sweets. “Of course, sweetheart,” Celeste called as she stepped into the kitchen. She placed the kettle on the stove top, peering over the counter as Lain started her scales. She smiled at the girl’s exquisite piano playing. A few more years and she would be teaching Celeste a thing or two.
She prepared the tea as her mind wandered back to what happened earlier. Why did he come back? The biggest question was why were his clothes torn and he looked like he had been beaten so badly? She glanced over at her cell, playing with the idea of calling John. Though tempting, she quickly decided against it. The last thing Celeste needed was to talk with him so soon. She needed to give him space and hopefully she would hear back from him tonight. If there was anything that she had learned, it was his need for space. At times, his aloof nature could be infuriating, and yet other times he was wildly affectionate. He was a walking contradiction. Celeste sighed and pulled the squealing kettle from the stove. She arranged the cakes on the plate, and then walked over to the dining table. Lain started her warm up piece as Celeste sat down, admiring the young girl's playing. She watched as the tiny prodigy swayed back and forth, lost in Mozart’s Piano Sonata. She had not mastered that until her Fourth Grade Year. Such talent.
* * *
Celeste waved goodbye to Lain and closed the door. She had barely reached the top of the stairs when a loud knock sounded from the front door. She jogged back downstairs, annoyed. Why on earth did I want these stairs again? She thought as she peered through the peephole. Celeste slowly opened the door and shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun.
“May I help you?” She asked, her voice trembling.
“Hi there, are you miss─” he trailed off and looked down at the clipboard he held in his hand.
“Ms. I-n−”
“Inoue, yes, what is it? What’s going on?”
“My name is Detective Wallis, with the Richardson Police Department. I need to have a word with you.” “Of course,” she said. She stepped back, allowing him in. The man paused, looking at the shoe cubby and then removed his shoes. Observant and polite─ she liked that. It had taken John several months before getting that right. And he still walked on the floor with shoes from time to time. Celeste offered the detective a cup of tea as they walked upstairs to the living room. He waved his hand and denied the offer. He seemed to not have much time to spare. She walked around and took her cup off of the counter before returning. The detective removed his hat and got straight to the point.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your afternoon, ma’am, but I understand that a missing child was one of your students. We are searching for any clues that may lead to her whereabouts.” She gasped as he mentioned the missing child part and nearly dropped her tea.
“Would you mind answering a few questions for me, Ms. Inoue?” She blinked at his pronunciation of her name ─ the inflection was near perfect.
“Of course officer, that’s terrible,” she said. “Please, call me Celeste,” she added as she sat down. She drew in a breath and rubbed her eyes. This was the last thing she needed. Now, on top of John acting like a crazy person, one of her students was missing. She tried thinking back to who it could possibly be. Had any of her students not come this week? “Okay,” she started, “So, when did the child go missing? What did you say their name was again?”
“I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t,” Detective Wallis said as he flipped through his folder.
Celeste stared openly at him as he thumbed through his casefile. He was a tall, kind-faced man with brown hair, hazel eyes, and tawny skin. His attire didn’t read cop at all. Dressed in a cream pullover sweater and black slacks, he looked like the kind of man she usually saw in Daddy’s office. Complete one-eighty from John. The only thing that gave him away was the badge on his belt. She had always preferred the bad boy look, but this guy could give any man a run for his money. Maybe switch out the sweater for a tight T-shirt and some fitted jeans, oh yeah. Her cheeks grew hot, burning with shame.
What’s wrong with me, I have a man. A good one too− get your head out of the gutter, she scolded. Her eyes darted to the floor as she fought to control herself. Something about this guy drew her in. Clearing her thoughts, she went to ask him a question. He surprised her with a comment before she could ask, “Oh, I almost forgot, my name is Daniel.” He smiled warmly at her and
went back to his files. He found the page that he was looking for and leaned forward, gesturing at the girl’s photo.
“This is her, Lain Carrick,” his voice took on a professional tone, “she is mainly your─” a few shuffles of paper sounded as he read through, “Ah. Saturday student. Her adoptive parents reported Lain missing one week ago.” She blinked several times, trying to figure out if this was actually a prank, or really happening. She stared down at this badge and the shield number. It was definitely real, and so were his files. He cleared his throat and scanned a few more notes in front of him. “They have reason to believe she may have disappeared after one of your lessons─”
“I’m sorry,” she interrupted, holding up her hand, “but, what you are saying to me is simply impossible.” She said staring at the picture.
“Excuse me?” Daniel asked, looking up. He looked more surprised than annoyed. His eyebrows had raised, and his eyes were wide.
Celeste noticed for the first time that he had beautiful flecks of green and gold around the center of his eyes. They stared at each other for several seconds, the magnetism pulling her deeper within the earthy green and brown. They were beautiful, innocent eyes that should not belong to someone that has seen so much death and wrong in the world. Why am I thinking about this now? Caught off guard, she stuttered a bit before continuing.
“That can’t be possible,” she stated firmly, “Lain was here a few moments ago─ you would have seen her walking out the front door.” A strange look passed over the Daniel’s face as he stared at Celeste. After a few moments, he spoke, “Are you sure it was just a little while ago? I know sometimes I can let time slip away from me if I’m watching a show or say ─” “Mr. Wallis, I don’t mean to sound rude, but I know for a fact it was only a few seconds. I had barely made it up the stairs before you were at my front door.”
Hell's Gate: Awakening - Book One Page 5
