by Keya Jay
***
Sidney could see Nate with Ryder down at the station. She hated seeing Ryder like this.
“Hey,” she said silently to Nate so as not to disturb Ryder.
“Hey,” he said as he got to his feet and followed her to a bench so that they could talk.
“So what happened?” she asked as she looked at the back of Ryder’s head.
Ryder comes down to the station whenever he contemplates leaving Coconut Grove; he pulled the stunt many, many times.
“His dad came today.”
Sidney sucked in a lungful of air at the news. Robert was one man Ryder could not stand up to; he was the only man who was able to tell Ryder what to do, and the only man who could physically just as well as emotionally hurt Ryder.
Sidney looked over at Ryder and then back at Nate.
“What did he tell you?” she asked hesitantly.
“He said that he wasn’t doing anything drastic he just wanted to get away…he asked to use my car.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“I didn’t tell him anything I called you,” he said gratefully.
Sidney sighed and hunched her shoulders knowing Nate wouldn’t like what she had to say next.
“Give him the car,” she told him while still looking at the back of Ryder’s head.
“Are you fuckin crazy?!” Nate whispered hollered.
“No, there’s only one thing other than running away that Ryder might have use for that car,” she explained.
“And what’s the hell would that be?” he asked.
“His mother.”
Sidney could feel the tension rolling off of Nate at the mere mention.
“You’re crazy you know Ryder wouldn’t want to see her.”
“Maybe it’s time he does,” she said as she picked up Nate’s keys and made a bee line toward Ryder.
“Sid!” Nate hollered.
“Nate I know what I’m doing and if I just so happen to be wrong we will get him ok?” she asked not yet rising to the occasion to yell.
Sidney could see his posture slacken and she knew this was his way of giving in.
My Dearest Aaron
“What are you doing?” the woman asked as she caught him in the corner of the room huddled around a note book.
“I’m weak and you know it, there is no saving me so just give up,” the man slurred as he hovered around the notebook more protectively.
“You know I’m just trying to help,” the woman said softening her voice hoping he would succumb to the sound of her forgiving tone.
“You’re not helping!” he screamed. Though it was hard at times to hear some of his words because of the speech impediment he knew that she learned long ago to decipher enough of his words so that she could figure out the rest.
“You’ll see Aaron I have your best interest at heart.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked accusingly.
“Doing what? Saving your life? BRINGING YOU BACK FROM THE DRUNKEN STUPOR YOU WERE ONCE IN! HELPING YOU ACHIEVE AND RECLAIM WHAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN TAKEN FROM YOU! MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF WHY YOU’RE SO RELUNCT TO ACCEPT MY HELP!” the woman screamed in anger.
“I don’t want your help,” he said sliding farther against the wall for protection.
“Well I’ll remember that the next time I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO MAKE A SACRAFICE FOR YOU—FOR US!”
“You’re not doing this for me, I would never encourage this,” he said back.
“Well guess what? You’ll have a week to think about it and I will not be providing any distractions,” she sneered.
And by distractions she meant distractions as in food and water, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s stripped him of his right to eat.
“How do you expect me to get better if I don’t have the proper nourishment?” he asked not entirely caring whether or not she fed him or not.
“Maybe on an empty stomach you’ll be able to function better. Maybe you’ll see just how SERIOUS your situation IS, because if it WASN’T FOR ME you wouldn’t have food AT ALL!”
Aaron wanted to roll his eyes though it was a very child-like move.
“If you hadn’t “found me” my life would be a whole hell of a lot better; trust me.”
There was no doubt in his mind that she knew where he was this whole time. No one can just stumble into a ‘cemetery’ as she claimed and immediately come to the conclusion that someone is buried alive in there. Either Richard told her or there’s something more going on here.
The woman slowly shook her head as she clucked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, making a sound of disappointment.
“It hurts, you know?”
He didn’t respond he was way to use to her shows and outburst, they’re no longer entertaining.
“After everything I did for you…” she made a dramatic sweep of her hand to clear the tears she had managed to squeeze out.
“You still don’t understand. This is your rebirth Aaron I’m giving you a chance to live again.”
He never took the energy to ask her questions, he never really wanted the answers to them but now he thought he’d risk it; just this once.
“Who are you?”
The woman looked at him as if she was surprised he asked the question and as if she was disappointed he didn’t know the answer.
“I think that hurt a lot more than I thought it would,” she said in a broken whisper showing real emotion for once and just like that it was gone.
“Well Aaron if you play your cards right I’m the one who’s gonna show you redemption,” she said holding her head high.
Would it kill her to seem even remotely human? He thought as he watched her walk away.
Her voice echoed down the halls, it was the same stupid shit the woman had begun to recite every night. It stuck in his head and he doesn’t want it there so he covered his ears with his tightly bound hands and squeezed his eyes shut trying to shut her voice out completely but it only seemed to have gotten louder.
“You tried to overcome the whip, thrash, switch of all the bestowed lashes
You died inside yet I was what you needed in order for you to rise above your ashes
I gave you hope to take with you, nothing remains as it once was
Where once you were no more below as you were once above…
I have to get out of here Aaron repeated like a chorus in his head. He looked around the room or whatever it was he was in.
There were no windows, it was nothing but a fairly small room; white enough to drive someone crazy. Whenever she couldn’t make it back she’d leave him a laptop so that she could send him messages about how everything she does she does for him it seemed to be her got to line whenever they spoke.
Aaron had already managed to set his feet free and she hadn’t even noticed. He’s been working to get to the metal he knew was in the twine used to bind his hands once he unravels all of the yarn. Those things pinch into his skin and leaves burn marks with every twist of the wrist and he wanted it off.
That stupid poem the woman would repeat again and again began to play—once again—and he could do nothing but sit there and listen to the insanity of it all.
…Where before there was dark, I introduced you to light
Where once you were grounded, I introduced you to flight
Where before there was fortune, I introduced you to fame
Once you had pride but now there's just shame…
Over and over again the moment the poem stopped Aaron frantically tried to work the twine from around his wrist. With every hesitation the poem would continue.
…I've brought you back from the colorless world of despair
I introduced you to life, your rebirth I've repaired
How will you thank me for all that I have done?
You can give me no more than I've already won.”
