Escaping Grace: A Turning Grace Novel

by Davis, J. Q.

  Before I could leave the table, Charlie stopped me. “Wait.”

  I stood still and waited.

  She didn’t look at me. She shook her head slowly as if to be frustrated with herself about giving in. “Sit down.”

  I did as I was told.

  Chapter 12

  The Fence

  “I thought I had it all. I was young, just finished cosmetology school...”

  I couldn’t believe Charlie was going to tell me her story. With the nasty treatment she had been giving me over the past few months, I thought she would never budge. However, I guess I didn’t really try till just now. I thought just avoiding her would be best.

  “I got my own apartment, had my own money, my own car, great friends…it was amazing. Then I met Jared. I remember being at a bar with my friends, watching all the frat guys play beer pong. He wasn’t playing. He was watching too…or at least I thought so. Whenever we talked about that night, he would tell me he was watching me the whole time.”

  Tristen’s face and the night before I left home came into mind, when he confessed that he liked me the moment he saw me.

  “We started dating, and it wasn’t long before I fell head-over-heels for him. He moved in with me. We talked about marriage and kids, but decided that we were too young. I got a great job and he worked for his dad in construction. Everything was fine and perfect…until I found out I was pregnant. When I told him the news, he wasn’t happy at first. But, I was.”

  I knew the ending to this story, just not the details. I knew that it wasn’t going to end well, and my heart began aching.

  She continued. “He asked me about abortion, but there was no way I was going to do it. And the first time I heard her heartbeat, I knew I had to have her in my arms.”

  I smiled as I watched her grin from this memory.

  “Jared finally gave in and things got pretty normal. The months went by and it seemed he was getting more and more excited about her. We moved into a bigger apartment, set up a nursery…my friends threw me a baby shower and Jared and I picked out names. It was like a fairytale.”

  “We decided on McCall, from one of my favorite movies.”

  Hmm…what an odd name for a girl. But I liked it, and I could totally envision Charlie with a daughter named McCall.

  “Then the day came. My water broke while I was cutting someone’s hair.” She chuckled. “It was embarrassing, but I was too excited to care. My co-workers rushed me to the ER, and Jared met me there. The labor was nothing. I don’t know if it was because I was so happy about finally being able to hold her that I just didn’t even care about the pain. I pushed and pushed, cursing my body because I thought it was taking too long. I needed to see her.”

  “But on my last push, when she finally came out into the world, it got quiet in the room. The nurses and the doctor didn’t say anything…and I couldn’t hear her crying. I looked at Jared and asked what was wrong because I just knew something was wrong.”

  “He was pale and didn’t move. He just stood there. I asked the nurses and the doctor what was happening, but they were huddled in a corner with her. It took me almost getting out of the hospital bed before a nurse finally came to my side and told me to calm down.”

  “I watched them take her out of the room and I began yelling. I just didn’t know what was happening and no one would tell me.”

  My heart was breaking with every word that came out of her mouth. I wanted so badly for this story to have a different ending, but I prepared myself for the worst.

  She continued to look down at her hands, never looking up the entire time she shared her tragic tale. I knew those tears were getting ready to rush down.

  “The doctor came back to the room after what felt like hours. But he didn’t have McCall. I asked him where she was, and he said she didn’t make it. Her little heart stopped, and they couldn’t bring her back. They asked me if I wanted to see her. It was the hardest decision I think I will have to make in my life. How do I look at this tiny baby that wasn’t even breathing? Was that how I wanted to remember her?”

  She took a deep breath. “But Jared didn’t want to see her. And he convinced me not to either. We went home, and I sat in her nursery for days. I slept in there. I ate there. I didn’t want to leave. Weeks and months went by…I stopped going to work. I lost weight. I had no energy to do anything. I hated myself. I hated that I didn’t hold her. I felt like I betrayed my daughter…like I left her alone.”

  She looked up at me. “And then one day, Jared comes home and says that he was tired of it. That having McCall was a bad idea from the beginning and that he was leaving me.”

  There was hatred in her eyes, but it was finally not directed toward me. The detestation she held for Jared was more apparent than any emotion I had ever seen someone have for another.

  “I let him go. I didn’t fight him on it. I was too sad. So sad, that I wanted him to know how horrible he was for leaving me when I needed him most. And so sad, that I just wanted to be with McCall. So one night, I decided to do it. I cut my wrists and watched them bleed until I faded away.”

  You know those really sad Lifetime movies that play on Sundays? Yeah, this was worse than that. I almost felt uncomfortable; like there was so much sympathy and emotion running through me for Charlie that all I wanted to do was go to my room and curse myself for ever thinking I had it bad.

  But as much as I wanted her to stop, I also wanted her to continue. And she did. “My neighbor was worried about me, so she came over and found me. I was rushed to the hospital and died as soon as I got there. But apparently I was in the wrong place at the wrong time because Dr. Roberson was there. He injected me with Serum Z without even asking,” she said with noticeable anger toward the situation.

  I wondered if she treated Dr. Roberson poorly because of this. I have never seen them interacting with each other before, so I wasn’t sure. “Does he know that you didn’t want to be revived?”

  “Yeah, he knows now. He knows I’m not happy about it. Anyway, I was injected and then released. I went back to my sad apartment and my lonely life. I threw out everything that reminded me of McCall. Now I kind of wish I didn’t, but at the time I was just so mad.”

  “So, how did you end up here?”

  She grinned cunningly. “Well, I was a bad girl.”

  I was suddenly frightened by what was going to come out of her mouth next.

  I held my breath.

  “Jared decided to contact me. I agreed to him coming over and talking. So he did…and at first everything seemed fine. Well, there wasn’t any fighting until he apologized. After everything, after convincing me not to see my own daughter, he really thought that somehow I would forgive him. And then he said McCall’s name. That’s when I lost it.”

  I was afraid to ask, but I did anyway. “What happened?”

  She cocked her head to the side before answering. “I lost control. I was so mad that I couldn’t even see straight. So…I ate him.”

  Those last three words floated out of her as if it were the most natural thing a person could say.

  “That’s how I ended up here.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to what Charlie just told me. First of all, I got way more of her story than I imagined I would. And second, I was too afraid to piss her off.

  I didn’t want to slip and accidentally mention McCall’s name. And it seemed that she opened up to me, which could mean that a friendship may actually happen here.

  Ian and Destiny’s voices came in through the door and I knew it was time for dinner.

  Charlie straightened herself up and wiped the remainder of her tears off her face. She didn’t say anything, and stood up to meet Ian and Destiny.

  I didn’t know what this meant for her and me, but I wasn’t going to question it. I would just have to wait and see.

  Maddi, Estelle, and Sonny came in shortly after. Once everyone had their plates full of bloody meat, we pulled two tables together and began our family feast, only th
is type of banquet didn’t involve any friendly banter at the table.

  Before I went into my eating coma, I made sure to pay close attention to Sonny. I was curious to see how she was handling her new-found appreciation for raw meat.

  I grabbed my special plate from the bar, purposely taking my time to get back to the table. I wanted Sonny to start eating first so that I could examine the way she carried out the moment her mind and body began functioning on its own accord, without any control.

  I sat down next to her at the table. A part of me was expecting (and wanting) to see her throw food around while jumping up and down on top of her meal like a wild animal. After all, she was a very new Zombrid. I wasn’t completely sure that eating properly was something we could essentially learn because, well, our brains were not capable of anything other than focusing on the blood and guts and meat.

  But I should have known better when it came to Sonny Westwood. She came from a ritzy, high-end background. Those types of people threw debutant parties and glided across ballrooms with their noses in the air and mink coats dragging on the floor.

  She sat with a perfect posture. Her legs were crossed and her one elbow was off the table. She had her hair tied back in a neat bun, which wasn’t a bad idea for us girls. Having this raw, warm, slimy stuff in your hair was not fun to wash out. However, I did wonder how she managed to put her hair up with one hand.

  Her eyes were closed and she still possessed that sense of vital desire to experience the unrefined taste like the rest of us, but she did it with ease…with poise, and with only one hand.

  A pang of guilt shot through my body while I watched her use the only hand she had to feed her Need. Being a one-armed Zombrid could not have been an easy task. With the raging hunger in her belly, it must have been difficult to satisfy it with only one way to scoop what she needed into her eager mouth.

  But of course, she made it look like she had been doing it for years.

  Ugh! It was sickening to watch her.

  Once we were done gobbling up our raw cuisine, Estelle and Maddi got up to go watch their once-a-week Disney movie in the Malibu hut.

  Me, Destiny, Ian, Sonny, and surprisingly Charlie stayed behind.

  I leaned over to whisper close to Sonny’s ear while the rest of the group was engaged in their own conversation. “So, did you find anything out about Tristen?”

  “Well, he moved. The girls said that they saw the moving truck about a month ago.”

  “But did they see him?”

  “Nope. And they don’t know where he moved to either. It looks like you and I will never see Tristen again.”

  I wish I knew where he moved to. I wouldn’t go searching for him, but not knowing where he was bothered me.

  Sonny pulled out her phone and began thumbing through it. “At least neither of us get him,” she stated under her breath.

  I decided to pretend like I didn’t hear that little comment.

  “So, what do you guys normally do on a Friday night around here? Hey, does that bar have alcohol?” Sonny asked, pointing at the bar.

  “Unfortunately, it doesn’t,” Ian answered.

  “Why not?”

  “Because Dr. Roberson says alcohol could interfere with treatments,” Destiny explained.

  “But, don’t you smoke?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not a food or liquid,” she defended.

  “That makes no sense!” Sonny exclaimed.

  “Hey, I don’t make the rules.” Destiny pulled out a cigarette and held it up to Sonny. “Want one?”

  “Um…not really.” She caressed her cheek. “Wrinkles wouldn’t look good on me.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that anymore, doll. You’re a Zombrid now,” Ian reminded her.

  She looked over at me. “Is that true?”

  Why was she asking me for conformation? “I don’t know. I don’t smoke either.”

  “Well, maybe you should, Grace! C’mon, have one with me!” She was excited…like we were old girlfriends trying to decide if we should ride a scary rollercoaster together.

  I was confused.

  “Grace, you want one?” Destiny asked.

  “Please, The Golden Child isn’t going to do it,” Charlie chimed in as she examined her nails.

  Okay, I was confused by Sonny’s sudden interest in what my opinion was on things, but Charlie’s comment was even more baffling. I knew we weren’t best friends just by the talk we had earlier, but I figured the revelation of some of her dark former life would put us past the unpleasant remarks.

  I gave her a look, and could see Sonny’s expression through my peripheral vision. She was giving her a look too, of distaste. Now this could be interesting. At Everlasting Paradise, Charlie was known as the girl with the bad attitude.

  Sonny was the queen of bad attitude toward people she didn’t like back home. Two girls with bad attitudes either equaled fast friends or worst enemies.

  “Well, I’m going outside to have a smoke. Whoever wants one can join me,” Destiny announced as she got up from her chair.

  “We’ll all go with you,” Ian said.

  We followed Destiny out into the warm, night air. I glanced over at the Z lab and wondered how V was doing. He wasn’t around, so that was a good sign.

  Sonny took the cigarette that was handed to her and awkwardly held it between her fingers and her lips while Destiny flicked the lighter.

  She inhaled deeply before forming her mouth into an O to exhale the smoke.

  “You like?” Destiny asked.

  “Um…not really,” she said, trying her hardest not to cough. She turned to me and offered the lit cancer stick.

  “I’m okay,” I said. Smoking was just not my thing.

  “C’mon, Grace! Just do it! I mean, it won’t kill you!”

  I rolled my eyes. I hated being in the spotlight and if inhaling rat poison into my lungs would stop Sonny from peer pressuring me, then I’ll do it.

  I took the cigarette and wrapped my lips around the filter. It felt strange in my fingers, but I drew in a breath anyway. I could feel the hot smoke fill my lungs.

  Bleh! Definitely not for me.

  I frowned and handed it back to Sonny, who also frowned and pushed my hand away. “No, thank you! No more for me.”

  “Give me that!” Destiny said, swiping it out of my hands. “Awesome, this just means I don’t have to share my smokes with any of you.”

  “So, let’s do something,” Sonny pouted.

  “I’m up for nighttime skinny dipping if you all are,” Ian said nonchalantly while he shrugged his shoulders.

  I wondered how many times he has offered that suggestion.

  “Only in your dreams would you have four girls at one time,” Destiny snickered.

  Sonny unraveled her neat bun and shook her hair out. “Nah, I don’t feel like getting my hair wet.”

  “We can go to the jungle.” This time Ian had a slightly less sexual proposal.

  “Oh, yeah. Let’s go to the jungle,” Sonny shrieked excitedly.

  “What would we do in there?” I asked. Something about the night and walking through the jungle in complete darkness didn’t seem to interest me. There was no light out there. It was known that our Zombrid eyes could adjust to the night and dark rooms, but what about the animals? Apparently there was an endless supply of wild boar on this island. And who knew what else was out there.

  I may have been half zombie and capable of taking down something larger than I was, but I really didn’t want to put myself in that situation.

  “Um…hike,” Charlie said with a snarky look. She turned around and pulled Ian by the wrist. “C’mon, I’m going to get my boots on before we go.

  Sonny leaned into my ear. “What the hell is her problem?”

  I wasn’t about to tell Charlie’s story. She said only Ian knew about her past, and it wasn’t my place to disclose what she told me to anyone else. Who knew if she would have divulged as much information she did with other people around.
Maybe she was confiding in me in strict confidence.

  “I have no idea. But just remember that everyone here has a story…so you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” I chose an answer that would most likely shut Sonny up about it.

  The three of us started walking toward the beach.

  “She blames Grace for her not dying.” Destiny reiterated to Sonny.

  “What? That’s so stupid.”

  “More stupid than the reasons why you hate me?”

  She zeroed in on my eyes. “Whatever. I live with you now. So you’re just going to have to grow up and get over it.”

  Really? After all these years of making fun of me and bullying me and humiliating me, I’m the one who needed to grow up?

  “Besides, if anyone is going to be a bitch to you, it’s gonna be me.”

  I didn’t know how to take that. I guess with a grain of salt.

  Ian and Charlie met us on the beach and we made our way to the entrance of the jungle trail. I thought about V again, remembering that I promised to stay in my room all night. Hopefully, if the date was going well, he would just let the night go on without worrying about me. But I knew better. He was probably going to come check up on me in the suite, so I mentally swore to myself that I would be back in about an hour or two…with or without the crew.

  There was a gentle breeze coming off the ocean water. The sky was clear and the stars were shining bright in the night sky. The moon was our only light, but it was full tonight and lit up what it could in the dense jungle. Thankfully, we had the ability to adjust our eyes to darkness. If not, it would have been difficult to hike down the trail.

  Ian and Charlie guided the way, leaving Destiny in the middle and Sonny and I following close behind.

  We walked for about fifteen minutes in silence. It was actually kind of nice, almost therapeutic in a way. I could hear Ian and Charlie speaking in low voices ahead of us. Destiny was quietly smoking another cigarette, and Sonny had her head buried in her phone.

  It was nice to hear the soft sounds of insects buzzing around and frogs croaking in the distance. It was nature, and I loved the sound of nature.