by J. J. Melvin
Nurse Michelle was in her late twenties and even though this guy was younger, you could tell she could not ignore just how handsome he was. I couldn’t help but stare and wonder who the two strangers were. I was focusing on reading their thoughts when the younger guy looked straight at me. I was mortified. He smiled at me. I wanted to die. Nurse Michelle turned to see what he was looking at. Now all three were looking in my direction. I looked forward as if I were watching TV, but what I really wanted to do was pull the blankets over my head and hide.
Great! Could this be more embarrassing?
Just as I finished that thought, they all started walking my way.
You have to be kidding. Nurse Michelle is not bringing them in here. Oh my God, she is! Why didn’t I at least brush my teeth this morning?
I tried frantically to comb my hair with my fingers. I twisted the bottom of my hair and pushed it to one side.
“Erika,” Nurse Michelle said as she entered the room, “this is Professor Blithe and Liam Malloy. They would like to speak to you. Would that be okay?”
“I guess.” I sat up straight making sure I was completely covered. I wondered if my breath smelled.
It was obvious that Nurse Michelle only let these two guys see me because of the way Liam looked. I was sure he got his way a lot. All other visitors except for Mrs. Wong and my mother had been denied.
“I’m going to be right outside. Remember, buzz if you need me.” Nurse Michelle exited the room, but not before giving Liam a final smile.
I looked out the window and watched her running towards a group of huddled nurses, no doubt to talk about the handsome guy who now stood before me.
“Hi Erika,” Mr. Blithe said in a thick English accent as he shook my hand. I was surprised by the accent. I didn’t expect the stranger in my room to be English. He continued, “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Hi Erika.” The young man took his turn shaking my hand. I hated that I was meeting this guy in a hospital gown.
“Ouch, you shocked me!” he exclaimed as a jolt ran through my body when we touched.
I wondered if my hair showed the static electricity that was emanating through me. But that thought was quickly replaced by another. Liam was American. After hearing Mr. Blithe I’d expected that he would be English and speak with an accent as well. I said his name in my head, Liam Malloy… it sounded English, maybe Irish.
“I’m sorry,” I said, apologizing for electrocuting the most exquisite man I had ever seen in my life.
He laughed, making his blue eyes glisten, and his smile made a little dimple appear on his right cheek.
“I think she’s her,” Liam said as he looked at Mr. Blithe.
Mr. Blithe just smiled.
“Who’s ‘her’? What are you talking about? Are you guys reporters?” I was confused.
“No Erika, we are not reporters, and please excuse my assistant. He’s just excited to meet you. You are famous, after all.”
“Oh,” I said, remembering what had made me international news.
“Erika, is it true that you have a birthmark on your neck shaped like a diamond?” Mr. Blithe rubbed his chin as he spoke.
“What? Why? You are the second person to ask me that question.”
“Do you mind if I see it?” Mr. Blithe began to turn down the shades in my room.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. If you guys aren’t reporters, who are you and why are you here?”
“I am a professor at Oxford University, and Liam is my assistant. I study ancient history, and the diamond birthmark is something of particular interest to me.”
People study birthmarks in ancient history? I was surprised that the two men in my room weren’t there because of the shooting, and were instead there to see my birthmark.
“How do you know about my birthmark?” I was fidgeting more now. I played with my hair, tucking it behind my ears.
“A doctor friend of mine notified me that you have the rare marking of the Diamond.”
The mysterious Doctor Nanjit, I thought.
“Do you mind if I take a quick look?” Mr. Blithe placed his own hand on the back of his neck.
“Ohhhh…kay, I guess.” I hesitantly leaned forward to make sure I was completely wrapped in my sheets. I twisted and lifted my long uncombed brown hair.
Mr. Blithe walked over and studied my birthmark. Liam asked if he could take a look too. Why didn’t I take a shower this morning? I held my breath as Liam walked to stand beside Mr. Blithe. A shiver went down my spine as Liam traced his finger over the diamond-shaped marking on my neck.
I quickly released my hair, surprised by the feeling Liam produced in me.
“It is her. I can’t see her past or her future.” Liam directed his comment to Mr. Blithe as I gathered myself.
“What are you guys talking about?” The two strangers were beginning to scare me.
“We match,” Liam said, lifting the sleeve of his shirt over his well-sculpted bicep to show me a birthmark on his right shoulder, one that was identical to mine. I smiled at the way Liam had to struggle to lift his sleeve up past his bicep, at how amazingly wonderful it was that his plain white t-shirt fit his arms and chest so snugly but hung loosely down to his faded jeans.
My fear immediately dissipated and I couldn’t help blushing. “Okay, and what does that mean?” I was trying to be serious and not sound like a giddy school-girl.
“Erika, I know this is going to sound crazy.” Liam sat on my bed and looked directly into my eyes.
“You and I...” he started to say, but then stopped mid-sentence and turned to Mr. Blithe. “Mr. Nixon, the lead detective on the case, is coming up the elevator. He’s going to place a guard at Erika’s door. We don’t have much time.”
“Erika,” Mr. Blithe said, reaching into a satchel type briefcase he was carrying. He pulled out a book that looked to be over a thousand years old. “Erika, we are trusting you with this book. It tells of all our secrets. It is for your eyes only. No one else, especially the police, can see it. Do you understand?” he asked as he handed the book to Liam to hand to me.
“I don’t, I don’t understand.”
“Please Erika, promise us that you will keep the book a secret. It is for your own safety and mine. We will explain it all soon. Just keep the book hidden, read it, and you will start to understand.” Liam reached towards me, lifting me up. A chill ran through my body as he gently tucked the book behind my pillow. I breathed in, smelling his cologne, the aromatic scent of firewood and spice; everything about him was captivating.
“Do you promise, Erika?”
How could anyone say “no” to this guy?
“Yes, I promise.”
“The detective’s going to be here any minute. We must go.” Liam rushed to the door, Mr. Blithe following closely behind.
Mr. Nixon opened the door, coming face to face with my visitors. I wondered how Liam had known that Mr. Nixon was approaching.
“Are you relatives of Ms. Martin?” Detective Nixon asked in a stern voice.
“No sir, I am a professor at Oxford University and this is my...”
“How did you get into this room? I gave strict orders that no one was to enter this room other than immediate family,” Detective Nixon said, his voice growing louder.
“We apologize, sir, but…” Liam started, only to be interrupted in the same fashion that had quieted Mr. Blithe.
“Nurse, Nurse!” Detective Nixon shouted out the door.
Nurse Michelle came running in.
“I gave you strict orders that no one was to be allowed to see Ms. Martin except immediate family. Why are these men in here?”
“I, I, I’m sorry detective,” Nurse Michelle said, starting to explain herself.
“Detective Nixon,” I interrupted, “I invited them here. It’s not Nurse Michelle’s fault.”
The nurse looked at me, stunned. Stunned because I lied for her. But I wasn’t lying for her, it was for him, for Liam Malloy.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too, sir, I am sorry. It will not happen again.” Nurse Michelle played with the ID that hung from her neck as she apologized.
“And for us, I do apologize, dear sir. We did not know this rule was in place. We will be going now.” Mr. Blithe moved in front of Liam in a protective maneuver, standing toe to toe with the angry detective blocking the door.
Detective Nixon and the tall police officer that stood by his side moved out of the way.
“I will see you again soon, Erika.” Liam gazed at me from the doorway with his shining blue eyes and his lopsided smile.
“Yes Erika, we will be in touch shortly.” Mr. Blithe put his hand up to wave as he walked out the door.
I blinked in confusion. Mr. Blithe had the same symbol on his sleeve as Dr. Nanjit; a diamond with two eyes. I was certain now that Dr. Nanjit was the one who had called Mr. Blithe.
Detective Nixon eyed me suspiciously, noticing the confusion on my face as my visitors left the room.
“Erika, this is Officer Cooper. He is assigned to guard your room,” Detective Nixon introduced the tall red-haired police officer who had stood quietly by his side the whole time.
“Officer Cooper, please wait outside.”
The tall quiet police officer followed Detectives Nixon’s orders and left the room without saying a word. I wondered if he could speak.
“Why do I need a guard?” I asked as Detective Nixon pulled up a chair to sit close to my bed.
“Erika, there have been threats made against you. The guard is here to ensure your safety.”
“Why would someone threaten me?”
Mr. Nixon explained to me that there were people who believed there was no way a girl of my size could disarm such a large boy. People believed my intervention was staged. There were conspiracy theories circulating about what Robert had meant when he said, “remember what I told you.” People were actually convinced that I helped plan and carry out the shooting. I could tell that the jury was still out on what Mr. Nixon thought.
“Erika, I want you to know this is serious. I need you to tell me what the message meant. The one Robert gave you before he committed suicide.”
“I don’t know what he meant. He was crazy! I don’t understand why anyone would think I was involved.”
I still couldn’t bring myself to reveal the meaning of Robert’s message, because I would have had to believe what he said. I would have had to believe that someone could say I was beautiful.
“What has Trevor said? He told you I wasn’t involved, right?” I hoped Trevor would tell the truth.
“Mr. Drake refuses to answer any questions on the advice of his attorney. He is pleading the fifth. Erika, if you have anything to tell me, you have to tell me now, or I will not be able to help you.”
I felt attacked; I’d done nothing wrong and was being falsely accused of a horrific crime just because I wanted to help.
“Detective Nixon, I swear I was not involved in the shooting.”
“Will you take a polygraph to prove your innocence?”
“Yes! Yes, of course I will.”
“Well you may just have to. Erika, when you are discharged tomorrow, please stay where you can be contacted. There is no leaving Riverton without my permission. I am sure I will have more questions for you.” The detective stood up and exited the room.
I couldn’t believe it. I was so pissed off. I do something good and everyone thinks I have ulterior motives. Has everyone lost their fucking minds? And now to add to all of this craziness, I have some sort of ancient birthmark. What is going on?
I felt like I was trapped in some sort of nightmare. I grabbed the book the strangers had left for me from behind my pillow. It had an old musty smell to it, but it also had a hint of Liam’s cologne. I held the book tight against my chest. Am I crazy? My infatuation with a boy was what landed me here in the first place, and now here I was again getting all giddy over some other guy who was probably just as crazy as Robert. But I couldn’t help but feel there was something different about Liam—as if we were connected in some way. It was different than the way Robert had made me feel… still, I refused to let myself think of Liam any longer. I was tired, frustrated, and angry. The last thing I wanted to do was read. I placed the book back behind my pillow.
I wanted to run and scream. Why would anyone think I would ever do anything to hurt people?
My heart started to race again. I tried to calm down, so I wouldn’t have one of my blackouts. I slowly breathed in and out, trying to calm myself. I glared out my window at the lights that illuminated the hallway. My head throbbed from the fluorescent lights. I stared at them, wishing they would just turn off… and suddenly everything went silent. I could feel my body pulsating with every beat of my heart, every pump of my lungs. The silence was broken by a big crashing sound. I watched stunned as the hall lights exploded, showering the floor in a beautiful array of illuminating sparks. Officer Cooper drew his weapon and ran into my room.
“Ms. Martin, are you okay?” Officer Cooper was in a panic. He acted as if he were sure we were under attack.
“I’m fine,” I replied nervously.
He got on his walkie-talkie and asked for backup to secure the perimeter.
What just happened? Are we under attack? I watched as police covered the halls, running from one end to the next. Officer Cooper never left my door, gun drawn, his knees slightly bent, his eyes, gun, and body scanning from side to side. His feet finally moved approximately 20 minutes later when he came in my room to explain there had been a malfunction in the lights and that everything was okay. I didn’t have to worry; I was safe.
I couldn’t help but wonder if I had something to do with the explosion. I’d been staring at the lights, wanting them to turn off, when they exploded. Did I make them shatter? No, that’s impossible, there is no way I could have done that—besides, Officer Cooper said there was a malfunction in the lights. I put the ridiculous notion out of my mind and closed my eyes to sleep.
In my dream, I was still in the hospital. I was wearing a flowing white gown, following a glowing light that shone brighter and brighter. The light was a floating diamond. I followed it, transfixed. It floated out of the hospital window, and still I shadowed it. I stepped out on the hospital ledge and looked down. I was at least ten stories up, but I wasn’t scared. The night wind felt good; the breeze brushed against my face, blowing my hair and nightgown back, flowing behind me. Liam, the handsome guy I met earlier in the day, was there, waiting for me on the ledge. He took my hand. A shock ran through my body as he touched me. Together we followed the diamond as it floated past the ledge and hung in the night sky. Liam and I walked off the ledge unafraid, hand in hand. We glided safely to the ground. Liam looked at me and smiled, his eyes twinkling as bright as the diamond we trailed. His smile made me feel at peace. On the ground, we were met by Trevor. He was holding a gun. He stood about five feet from us. He pointed the gun directly at me and pulled the trigger. I watched the bullet slowly come towards me. I caught it, and when I opened my clenched fist, it revealed a hand full of ash. Liam gently put his hand under mine. Bringing it up to his lips, he softly blew the ash from my hand.
I woke up, with a longing and desire to know more about Liam. I laid there wondering about the stranger. The stranger, Liam Malloy, who had just entered my life.
Chapter 5
SPOTLIGHT
Later that day, I got released from the hospital. My mom, sister, and brother came to pick me up. This was the first time I’d seen my sister and brother in days.
My sister, Alyssa, was barely a year older than me. She was a straight-A student; I was not. She was the smart, pretty child. I�
�� well, I wasn’t ugly… my sister and I did look a lot alike; some people even thought we were twins. She was just the prettier version. We both had long brown hair with reddish golden tinges throughout. But while my hair was thin and dull, my sister’s was thick, full, and shiny. My skin was pale and washed out, my sister’s golden and rosy. While I was skinny, my sister was the perfect weight. When I was younger, my school wanted me to skip a grade because of my test scores— which I guess showed I was smart, but I’d never been like Alyssa, driven to do well at school. I was glad my mom chose to keep me in my grade. Could you imagine how much more I would be compared to my sister if we were in the same grade?
My little brother Kai wore big round glasses that covered most of his small round face and he was super skinny like me. He looked and acted like a young Harry Potter. His intelligence and mischievous ways seemed to always get him into trouble too. I thought as I looked at him, I hope he gets bigger, or high school is not going to be fun. Kai wasn’t the athletic type either. He loved his video games. He never knew his jerk father, my stepfather, who left us when he was a baby. I wondered how difficult it must have been for a boy being raised by three girls. Did he long for a father? For male companionship and guidance?
“Hey E,” Alyssa said as she walked in, jumping on the bed. “Oh my God Erika, there are TV crews everywhere. You are going to be so famous.”
“Erika, Erika,” my brother squeaked, “can I be on TV too?”
“What are you guys talking about? I don’t want to be on TV.”
“Erika, we have reporters calling night and day. They are offering us a lot of money for interviews. We can be rich, and you can be famous!” my sister said, jumping up and down.
“I don’t want to be famous.” I grabbed the blanket and pulled it over my head. “I just want it all to go away.”
I was always shy, always quiet. The spotlight was a place I never sought and never felt comfortable in.
“Erika. Come on, stop acting like a baby. You’re famous. You should be proud. This can actually open up a lot of opportunities for us. Maybe we can buy a house.” My mom’s excited voice came through the blanket that I was hoping would be my shield.
