The Mistake Part II

Chapter Two














         Peter and Marie began their journey in the car once again with a more intense silence than ever before. After only twenty minutes, she couldn’t take the quiet any more and was forced to put on the radio so that they wouldn’t have to struggle with the awkwardness. At one point it seemed as though she were about to doze off into a comfortable sleep but with one glance over to Peter she straightened up and seemed determined to stay awake. It was hard to sit there with nothing to do and she was sore from being on her butt all day.
         “Are you sure you’re okay? It’s been a long day,” Peter said to her softly.
         In a daze still, she paused for not more than a couple of seconds. Her hair was swarming across the sweat on her forehead and around her shoulders as her mind wandered. “So you’re talking  me now?” She saw the pain and embarrassment in his facial features then felt the guiltiest she had ever felt. “You were right though, more than anything, I do owe you an explanation for what happened. I know that’s how the whole argument started.”
         “No, it’s none of my business, just like it’s none of yours what happens in my life.” Peter glanced at her and then, noticing that he wasn’t going to get a look back, he turned to concentrate on the road again.
         She looked at him in disbelief, and then realizing he was serious, Marie got defensive. “Right, so we should just stop talking altogether. Which means no more asking me stupid things like ‘are you okay’ because that has an obvious answer.” Temper flaring, Marie turned up the volume on the radio and snapped her head to look out the window.
         She just stared at the passing vehicles and trees that were seen only with the help of the moonlight through the darkness. She heard the turn signal go on and they turned off of the highway. A smile spread across her face because she knew that they were almost there. Peter drove as though he knew exactly where to go and had been here millions of times, after noticing this Marie commented, “How long have you known about this house?”
         “For a while, Mr. Williams used to bring me all the way up here, just so I would be used to the ride I guess. I also used to live around here, a couple of towns over. It’s a nice place, a beach nearby and everything. Somebody could retire here. Heck, a lot of people probably do, well at least those who can take the weather.”
         “Oh.”
         They drove for maybe five to ten miles, at the most, and stopped at the most beautiful house Marie had ever seen. As they pulled in, the porch light turned on to accent a swinging chair right underneath and she realized there was a slight breeze blowing it from side to side. The house was two stories high and a garage was attached on the left side. It was almost as if she were in a dream because it was so picture perfect.
         “There’s plenty of space here, so you can keep your distance if you want.” They began to walk across the stone pathway to the front door where Peter took out the house key from in between the porch swing. He then opened the door and flicked on the lights. “Kitchen is to your left, bedrooms are upstairs, and there are bathrooms up and downstairs. Take a look around and make yourself at home. I’ll go get your stuff and then I’m going to go to bed.”
         “Thanks,” Marie muttered under her breath as she began her tour and Peter went back outside. She found the kitchen and there was a manila envelope on the kitchen table by a fruit bowl that had her name on it. She left it for the moment and made her way to the cabinets to see what she could find. After eating a small snack she made her way upstairs with the envelope. Down the hall she could see two doors to the left and three to the right. She opened each one to find three bedrooms, one bathroom, and one linen closet. ‘This is a summer home?’ she thought to herself, ‘It’s definitely big enough.’ She grabbed a couple of towels and went to wash up.
         Peter’s voice could be heard through the door, “What room do you want?”
         “Doesn’t matter.”
         As she washed her face thoroughly she finally noticed how tired she had become and just wished for rest. She quickly finished washing her face and briefly patted it dry with a towel. As she walked through the hall, wondering which room he had put her in, she saw one of the doors slightly opened. She pushed it further to reveal a shirtless Peter about to undo his pants. He watched as her eyes widened and snapped to the ground after which she could only mumble, “Which room did you decide?”
         “The one right across the hall,” he replied as he motioned for her to close the door.
         She moved across the hallway and after her fingers grazed over the doorknob she opened it to see her bags on the floor next to the bed. Taking out her nightclothes she looked across the room and quickly locked it, just in case. She would have to get used to doing that because at her apartment she was alone. The big mattress was very comfortable and she slid under the covers, hoping to sleep away all of her aches. She glanced at the window that was across from her bed and then back at the door. A nervous expression came upon her face as the glass revealed the trees and bushes in the back yard swaying to the wind. Quietly she got up and with one more study of the outside, she found herself across the hall. She was delayed a few seconds until finally her hand reached out and knocked a couple of times.
         “Yeah?” his voice was tired as though he might have been partially asleep already.
         “Can I come in?” her tone wavered a bit and the nervousness could be heard.
         “Sure.”
         The door was opened by Marie’s hand and her foot stepped through the frame. She walked slowly to the bed and Peter seemed to be entirely confused, wondering what she could possibly want. She just kept her eyes on him and proceeded forward. “I was just wondering if you would mind.”
         “Mind what?” He was still extremely tired and it could be heard in his voice.
         “If I stayed in here with you. Just for the night.”
         “I guess not, did you see something?”
         “No, I’m just not...  the windows don’t have shades.”
         He chuckled a bit, but still moved over on the bed and then replied, “Are you a little scared of the dark?”
         “No,” she laughed with him, “maybe a little bit, but wouldn’t you be if the big bad was after you?”
         “I don’t know.” He motioned her to stop for a second before she got on the bed, “You’re not going to, you know, kill me in my sleep or anything, are you?”
         She came closer and while lying down replied, “I don’t know, maybe. You‘ll have to take that risk.”
         She finally laid down on the right side of the bed and got under the covers as Peter turned over to face the opposite way. There was some shifting before each got comfortable and Marie could almost swear she heard him say goodnight but she wasn’t entirely sure so nothing was said back. She felt somewhat uncomfortable at first but with one more look over at him her mind was at ease and she was able to fall into a deep sleep.
         Marie’s head was on her mother’s shoulder as she rested on the couch, watching the television late at night. It was her old house and her father was nowhere in sight, which made her extremely happy. She knew that she was only about ten years old but her mother was still right there with her. She felt the comfort flow through her from the touch of love that she was not used to. Her mother looked at her and pointed to Marie’s chest. “This is where I am, and where I always will be.”
*  *  *  *
         Marie awoke and instinctively reached out to feel the other side of the bed. Her hand found nothing so she rolled into the middle and sprawled out her limbs. Her forearm was stiff and itchy from the cast. She wanted to fall back asleep to go back into the comfort that she had just felt but her stomach and arm wouldn’t let her. She was incredibly hungry, her mouth tasted dry and she knew that she had morning breath. Peter’s footsteps were heard at the door so she automatically closed her eyes again to pretend to be sleeping, a habit acquired during the time she was under the care of her father.
         He came over to the bed with only a towel around his waist, “Marie, you awake yet? I need to get dressed.” His voice was soft and gentle to her ears and she couldn’t help but smile.
         She let out a little sigh, opened her eyes, and turned her head in his direction to show she was. She was about to remark about her arm pain when her stomach began to growl, distracting her from the past soreness. She flipped her legs over the edge of the bed to get some breakfast. “What’s there to eat?”
         “I’m sure you’ll find something, there’s a lot down there. After I get dressed I was thinking about looking through some files. You want to help?” He shifted his feet and waited for her reply.
         “Yeah, isn‘t that why we came here in the first place?” Marie walked out into the hall and went down the stairs to find some food.
         After finally finding something to eat Marie went back to her room from the other night. She found her clothes from the other day and found with them the envelope with her name on it.  She opened it slowly and read the letter inside.
         Marie,
Find Hearts and he will help you with your research. Don’t ever question Peter because he has taught me much. This one task I have left you two because you must learn to trust one another. In your case Marie, you will find some information and I’m sorry that you’ve never heard it before. As much as I hate to say this, you two must work in haste for the end may be closer for you than we would both like. I know that my end is already here and I must warn you one more time that there are few you can trust in the world now. Don’t be afraid. In case I didn’t get a chance to tell you, find your mother, and keep her safe.
                                                 Jake Williams

         Marie quickly found Peter and they both went into a room that looked like an office. As they walked in there were five filing cabinets across from the door that almost looked like dressers. Papers were strewn all over the desk on the left wall that also held a computer. Marie looked over at Peter who was already looking through some papers and said, “This is going to take us forever.”
         Peter smiled back, “Well we really should get a head start then.”
         Being an employee at the bank she felt comfortable using computers so she turned it on and started to browse through all of Mr. Williams’ files. At first it felt a little morbid to be looking through the files and folders but then it began to feel like a scavenger’s hunt. It also took her a while to get used to typing with the cast but after she learned she still couldn’t manage to find anything. He hid all of the interesting facts she needed well because she wasn’t finding anything except for old computer games and tax information.  “So are we looking for a person or something? I’m so confused. Mr. Williams wasn’t exactly mega specific in that note thing.”
         “I would imagine that it is definitely a person from his use of ‘he’ in there. Whether it’s his first or last name beats me. Just keep looking.” He gently brushed his hand through his hair once again and started to pull some more folders off of one enormous stack which were on a filing cabinet.
         After looking through countless piles of papers, Peter decided to take a break. That’s when he saw the manila folder sticking out of the stack next to him. It seemed like it could possibly be nothing at all but he couldn’t help but look at it closer. It was labeled ‘Sam Hearts.’ He picked it up and flipped to the first page which said at the top, ‘You never know everything until the end.’  Under this heading it listed five different books and authors.  They were possibly books of the psychology genre but he couldn’t be absolutely sure.
         “Found something, it might not be anything but I think it’s a start.” Peter declared as if he had won. Flipping to the next page he smiled, “It says here that Sam Hearts lives in the asylum a couple of minutes away in room two-oh-one.”
         “Sam Hearts? So what do we do now? I don’t know if I’m ready to see some crazy person. I guess I could look up some information on him if you want me to.” Marie got onto the internet and entered ‘Hearts, Sam’ into a search engine. One result was from a newspaper that was published close by and so she went to the website. “It says here that Sam Hearts was arrested for the murder of…” her voice drifted off as her lips mouthed the name.
         Peter came closer to her and said quietly, “Your mother.” They looked at each other until she finally looked back at the screen. Peter broke the silence, “Okay, it also says that he pleaded insanity and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the asylum.”
         “I don’t get it. I was told that she died when a truck hit her,” Marie’s voice held no sign of sadness.
         “Well, how old were you at the time?” His tone was soft, trying not to stir any possible tears of sadness, but he needed for her to question her previous beliefs.
         “I don’t want to talk about this any more. I just remembered something that I need to do. I’ll be back.” Marie walked thorough the doorway, up the stairs, and into the room with all of her stuff in it. She just sat on the edge of the bed, completely still.  A minute of silence past before her head fell into her hands and tearless sobs escaped her mouth.
         Ten minutes later a soft knock on the door brought her quickly out of her sorrow and she was just about to try and make any sadness invisible when she noticed that Peter was already standing in the doorway. “You don’t have to hide from me, even under these circumstances. I might still be a complete stranger to you but I can still give you some comfort. Of course that’s only if you let me.” He stayed there for a second and almost left when finally Marie cleared her throat, which was the first sound she made since he’d shown up. “Fine. Let’s talk.“
         Peter led them down the stairs into the kitchen where they sat across from each other drinking coffee like two old friends, Peter offering Marie more comfort. Her head was down at the table when she said in a hushed voice, “Peter?”
         “Yeah Marie?” He stopped stirring his coffee and tried to look across at her until he noticed that she was still hiding her face.
         “About the other night, you wanted to know what happened between that guy and me. It was kind of scary at first, like the moment I met Mr. Williams.” She looked out the window as though the outside view would give her the right words. “A comfort crept up and it was like I was being pulled back in time. Even though Mr. Williams showed me what I always wanted to see, it was nice that this other guy showed me what the truth was.” She cleared her throat and would have shuffled her feet if there was no possibility of hitting his so instead she shifted her weight in the chair and became still once more.
         “I don’t think you ever told me about when you first met Mr. Williams; I know he didn’t tell me. What happened exactly?” A frightened look was upon Peter’s face but he just continued to stare at the ceiling.
         “Well, it was the first time that I met him. He sits me down and stares at me, or into me. Kind of weird, but it was comforting. When he did, a memory came forward, that’s all. The same kind of thing happened that day with the fat guy.”
         “I’m still not following, what memory?”
         “My mom,” it felt as though a knot were moving up her throat that would result in more crying. She swallowed hard and after catching her breath continued. “My mom’s death scene keeps on playing out in my head. When I first saw Mr. Williams, he showed me what it would be like if she had stayed in my life. I’ve been wanting it that way ever since she died, and it was as though I were actually living it. That other man helped me see what I have to come to terms with before I can move on.”
         “Well maybe you have to find a perfect happy medium. Both are extremes, and even though you must move on, you still have to keep a part of her with you.” He paused, waiting for her reply to break the silence consuming them.
         “What happened between you and your wife?” She heard him inhale and exhale deeply and she prepared herself to be involved in an argument.
         “It’s complicated,” was all he could manage to say at that moment for the unexpected timing and tone of the question. Marie sighed and began to move her hand up and down her cast.
         “I can give you comfort if you let me,” she mocked his previous words, “Come on Peter, who will I tell? If you want me to be honest with you, you need to return the favor.” She leaned into the table a little and tried to get him to return her gaze, but he wouldn’t. He continued to look out the window, almost as though he didn‘t hear her.
         “I was never married,” the words came out in a rush but had the sound of sadness in them. He took his arm off the table and sat up in his chair, waiting for the questions he thought he might have to answer. Instead of verbalizing the question, Marie simply pointed at his left hand and stared at the ring she had seen on top of the building.
         “I don’t think you’re ready to hear and understand my explanation yet.  All you need to know is that I have never been married nor will I ever be married,” he stated defiantly to her. He got up and was about to go out the doorway with Marie behind him, but then he was stopped with her hand on his arm.
         “Why didn’t I forget everything this time?”
         “What?” He backed away from her grasp and moved back toward his seat, still standing.
         “Last time I was confronted by a possessed person I forgot all about you and Mr. Williams.”
         “That was different.” He moved slightly closer to her and his hand twitched in hesitation of moving closer to hers before going back to his side. “For one this thing, guy or whatever, has more motive and control over his power.”
         “And two?”
         “Two is that he has a lot more power than all of the possessed people you’ve come across combined. ” He began walking past her toward the doorway. “He doesn’t just temporarily invade some random person’s body, he takes control of it and eats it until it is too weak to hold his power.”
         “What does he want with me and my mother? We have absolutely nothing to give… I mean I don’t have anything…”
         The infamous quiet was broken but barely when Peter could only reply with, “I don’t know.” Before exiting he stopped to see if she was going to say something but instead he only heard her start to cry again. Slowly, Marie made her way over to where Peter was and barely hesitated before walking right by him to escape upstairs.
*  *  *  *
         The duster which surrounded her body was prepared to help her stay warm as they entered the cool outside weather. With Peter by her side, Marie wasn’t sure whether she felt awkward or comforted. The thought of seeing her mother’s accused murderer made Marie a little queasy, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was going to go wrong somehow. Peter tried to reassure her it was the right move and that it would be the choice of Mr. Williams. The car ride was shorter than she would have liked, the buildings seemed to pass in a whirl of colors even though they weren’t going that fast. The building that they walked to had a lot of windows, but all of them seemed to have either wiring or bars in them.
         “This seems nice and cozy, doesn’t it?” Marie looked over at Peter, and tried to shake her fears with this intentional humor.
         “Yeah, well we gotta go in there. Let’s just hope this doesn’t take too long, I’m a little uncomfortable around the criminally insane.” He began to walk forward, into the entrance, and Marie followed. His hair was stroked with his left hand, letting Marie catch another glimpse of the ring. Which still managed to baffle her in her state of nerves.
         Soon after entering, they were walking through the halls, following an employee. Every once in a while, they would throw nervous glances to each other, but both remained silent. The halls seemed to be getting dirtier and fewer people were being seen. Doctors of both sex were standing outside some rooms with clipboards, writing furiously while peeking inside of the door window every once in a while. As they went further, there was one door that could be seen that was partially opened. At first, Marie’s heart began to flutter, in fear of an escaped patient, or perhaps that was their room, which terrified her even more. Next thing she knew they were passing it. The strangest thing about the man she saw inside was the look on his face when he saw her and Peter. He began to fill with hatred, and it looked as though he were going to lunge out at them. He even attempted to, but he was tied down on a bed and was struggling with his bindings.
         The inevitable moment had come, and there she sat with Peter next to her, both glancing at the door.  They were inside of a small room, all metal, and no glass with strangers monitoring the conference. Only one camera in the corner recorded the happenings in the room. Peter and Marie stopped to look at each other and the door sprung open, a man in a wheelchair was being wheeled over to the opposite side of the table. Arms were trapped to his chest by a straight jacket, and his leg was cuffed to the bottom of the chair. The policeman who brought him into the room cleared his throat and tension built as the bald man in the chair glanced from Marie with a smile then over to Peter, where his smile changed to a fearful grin.
         “What is he doing here?” The man looked at the police man, “I thought only a woman was coming to see me. I don’t want him in here.” He began to shake and would not look up; Marie saw the intense fear painted on his face.
         “Peter,” the policeman came from behind the chair and over to the other two, “would you mind leaving the room?”
         Peter looked at Marie, waiting for her to answer the question, knowing that it was mostly up to her. She gave him a small nod, but her nerves were on the surface and he could tell that she would prefer him to stay. He bent over to her and whispered, “You’ll do fine, he won’t talk if I’m in here. I’ll be waiting outside.”
         It was far too soon that Marie’s comfort left her alone with this murderous, insane stranger. He sat across from her with no expression at all was on his face, which sent chills down her spine. His eyes were closed off along with his soul, leaving him looking like an empty well. The silence was too much and seemed to intensify the fear that rose from the pit of Marie’s stomach.
         “So what do you need from me?” Sam moved a little, trying to be natural although the straight jacket deprived that from him.
         Marie adjusted her seating, waiting for her voice to find its way back up to her throat. When it returned to its normal position, she said, “I need to know about my mother’s death, I guess.” Marie’s voice and confidence faded away once more.
         “You guess, but you’re not sure?” His smile remained as he said this and Marie truly believed this man was insane. “You want to know why I did it?”
         “Yes.” Her fingers began to tremble and she forced herself to move them under the table, out of view. “I just don’t get why somebody would kill somebody they don’t even know.”
         “I see... how do you know that I don’t know her?” His eye twitched for a second and his smile was wiped away. “I might have known her very well.”
         “That’s the kind of thing that I want to know. Need to know. " Her face was blushed slightly but her voice stayed steadier than before.
         "When you tell me why you need to know these 'things' you speak of, then I'll talk."
         "Look, I didn’t know her for that long because of you. I need to know what could have prompted you to kill her.” Marie waited in anticipation, but the man was closer to growing hair on his head then answering her.
         Sam began to whimper as his head bowed to stare at the ground. “No, just go away.” His voice stayed very calm and quiet, as though he were speaking to himself.
         “No, I won’t go away until you tell me some more.” She became silent as she realized that he wasn’t going to say anything back.
         He lifted his head with tears in his eyes and shouted, "Go away!"
         "Why should I? I think you owe me at least an explanation for what you ---"
         "I didn't kill your mother; I don't even know who you are so get OUT!"
         The guards ushered Marie out of the room to where Peter was standing. They began to walk back down the hall with the guard leading them the way once again. Peter glanced over at Marie, "So what happened?"
         "He didn't say anything helpful and the whole, switching personalities thing didn't help at all. He was about to talk about it, but then instantly he got really quiet and ---"
         A voice behind her called out her name in a slow, taunting manner, "Marie. I just met a girl named Marie - ah if only your mother could see you now. All the filth: sex and alcohol, she would have certainly punished you," Sam's voice drifted away as he was pushed around the corner. Marie stopped in her tracks; her hand sprung out to catch Peter's arm.
          Marie scrubbed the floor with a small rag, her knees bruised, her body weak, and the floor wasn't getting cleaner. Sharon walked through the door, her shoes dropping mud all across the linoleum which Marie had already cleaned. A hand reached out and grabbed a handful of hair, forcing her to look at the woman who gave her birth. "Filthy bitch, you were supposed to have this done before I got home - I don't want to watch you do this shit. Get your ass into bed." Marie obeyed her mother and stood but when doing so a fatal blow came to her face that flung her into the kitchen cupboards.
*  *  *  *
         "Marie? Marie wake up." The voice startled her into consciousness and she found herself lying in Mr. William's house on her bed. Peter sat in a chair next to the bed, holding her hand until her eyes opened when he pulled back his arms to his own body.
         "Why am I here?" Marie began to wipe the dried tears away and tried to sit up but the pressure against her skull kept her still.
         "You don't remember coming here." His arms crossed and he leaned back in his chair.
         "Well, obviously not. "
         Peter's voice became very silent. "What did he show you?"
         Her eyes grew as her voice shrunk lower than Peter's, "He who?"
         "Marie you know what I'm talking about. I can see it in your eyes and I know you need to talk, so..." he brushed his hand through his hair, "talk."
         "I have no idea what you're talking about." She slumped lower into the bed and tried to turn onto her side but his eyes kept her still.
         "He's the last one who talked to you before you went zombie like. We made it here fine, but you wouldn't talk to me the whole ride. When we got here I just brought you into your room and you passed out on the bed. That was two days ago."
         A lump caught up in her throat. She couldn't possibly forget the images that Sam gave to her because there was a possibility it was true. "Go away Peter."
         "Not until you tell me what happened to you." His concern was evident through the stare he held on Marie. "You've been crying off and on for the past few days and I know it has to do with him. I'm not stupid."
         His eyes had bags under them, telling Marie that he needed sleep but she knew his stubbornness would keep his head from hitting a pillow. The thought of sleep made her very tired and her eyes began to shut again. Her head turned away from him as she began to go on her side but a pull to her arm from his hand made her swing back over to look at him. He was suddenly so close to her she could smell him and as his head came down towards her she didn't struggle away from him. He continued to stare at her as his lips pressed up against hers. At first she gave a small struggle, more of surprise than anything, but she began to return his gentle kiss. She couldn't manage to close her eyes as she had done in the past with all of the other nameless faces.
         Marie didn't dare to break away from his stare or kiss even though something was tugging in her mind, a feeling that she had recently become used to. Peter remained on the edge of the bed but his hand still pinned her arm down without hurting it. Her nightmare came into her vision and she felt tears falling down her cheeks onto her neck as she relived it all again: the pain that her mother had given her as she hit the kitchen cupboards. Her mind went blank as the vision disappeared and became just a nightmare, no longer a possible truth. Marie's eyes closed and she wrapped her hurt arm around his neck while her right remained on the bed to hold her up into Peter's body. Although their lips remained interlocked, she managed to slide her tongue into his mouth but after a few seconds he backed away and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Marie remained still and although she wanted to chase him, sleep was too much of a comforting thought so she fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes.
         She stood in a long corridor, wind whipped against her but she refused to turn around. Peter was walking far ahead of her, closer to the light which either hid the end of the hallway or was the end. Marie felt the darkness behind her and she could hear Sam continue to say her name tauntingly but she was trying to yell to Peter. Her voice wouldn't work so she just screamed his name over and over in her head until finally he looked back at her. A look of horror came to his face as he held out his hand for her to stop and she did so. 'Don't look back Marie.' She could tell that his mouth wasn't moving but he continued to speak, 'You need to wake up. I'm still asleep but you can't follow me here.' She took another step forward but the corridor became a blinding white and his figure was lost to her.

         She turned over, attempting to fall back into the mind numbing sleep where she didn’t have to make any drastic decisions and her fate was only determined by her unconscious mind. Unfortunately her eyes could not stay closed for very long and she soon gave up, becoming restless in her current state. She jumped from her bed to hurry toward the closet where she retrieved the skirt and tube top that would reveal the most skin possible. She made her way outside to the car, noticing it was now nighttime and that she could actually make out some stars (something impossible to do back home). She wasn’t positive of where she was going quite yet but went in the general direction of town.
         As Marie approached the two open doors to the club she could hear the bass begin to control her heart beat. Her feet began to pound the pavement in sync with the music and each step brought her closer to dancing. After showing ID she paid and walked into the first room: a lobby with some lights and furniture covered with couples who could care less about the signed pictures framed on the wall of famous singers who lived around the small town before hitting it big.
         Her throat burned as the long island ice tea made its way to her stomach but when she consumed the last drop she knew she was more than ready to go onto the dance floor. Energy began  boiling in her as she found a man in the corner eyeing her over. He definitely didn’t hurt to look at and he could move to the beat without a problem so she kept eye contact as she slowly crossed the dance floor. As she got closer he took her waist closer, something she was never fond of but didn’t verbally oppose to.
         Marie turned around, rubbing her back against his stomach, with his hands roaming her front. He leaned close into her ear so when he spoke she could feel the warmth of his breath, “You want come over?”
         She didn’t say a word but took his hand and directed him toward the exit. Once she felt the cold air hit her face, Marie obtained leverage to shove him on the wall and, while pressing her body against his, interlocked their lips. After a minute she backed away to show him her devilish grin so he would lead the way to his apartment.
         The blankets were pushed away gently, very gently, as Marie came off of the bed. While obtaining her clothes she threw a few glances towards the nameless man to make sure he wasn’t stirring too much. As she quietly opened the door she heard a ruffle of sheets. She turned to see what the noise was before being shoved to the floor, a heavy weight pinning her to the ground. She struggled for a moment until she believed it was useless and she remained still. A hand wrapped around the back of her neck and as she finally felt the weight leave her, she also felt a tug. The severe pain to her neck and lack of oxygen only lasted a second to be replaced with the aching of her head and then to her back and legs.
         Marie turned upward to look at the figure towering her. The man’s eyes were closed but he moved toward her with quick speed and she felt a jolting pain to her head as his fingers prodded the scrape on its back. He brought his fingers to his face and rubbed the red onto his pale pink lips. His tongue lapped out and as it touched the first drop of blood, his lips curved into a giant smile. Once more his fingers came to his face but this time to protrude into his mouth. His eyes jolted downward to find only a small pool of blood.

         Marie slowly exited the car and approached the house, checking for moving shadows. As she came closer to the porch, a little voice began to echo in her ears. The high pitched wind was calling for her in the darkness, “Marie-ah.” She felt her legs move quicker, desperate to reach the safety of Mr. Williams’ house. Running up the steps she nearly tripped on the floor mat and began fumbling for her keys.
         “Oh my -” her scream was covered by a hand that caught her mouth as she walked through the threshold. The entire house was pitch black like she had left it and the figure only gripped harder onto her face. She wanted to cry out, scream to Peter until the other hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Her mouth was released but no words would come out.
         “What are you doing here?” she whispered.
         “Not now,” he replied even quieter, indicating quiet was a necessity.
         He shut the door and pulled back the side of the curtain while locking it. Without saying anything he grabbed Marie’s hand and brought her upstairs. Peter’s door was still closed and she assumed he was still sound asleep. He brought Marie into the room she originally was meant to sleep in. Dark maroon sheets hung down from thumbtacks on the wall, hiding the trees and the outside world. It wasn’t until he locked the door and sat on the bed that she realized her clothes were torn and blood dripped down her back.
         “What happened? Are you okay?” Even in her condition, she managed to laugh at the stupidity of the question given her appearance.
         “No. I think since you’re in my house, well my current living place, I should be the one dishing out the questions first. Like, why are you here?”
         “It’s not obvious to you?”
         “Well no, it’s not.”
         “Somebody was very ill and in a catatonic state not to long ago Marie.”
         “You’re point?”
         “Well, you do know I wasn’t using the whole, ‘I’m moving so I can do what I really want at a job that really wants me,’ as a line. I was telling the truth.” Mark’s thick brown hair swayed for a second as he returned to Marie’s standing position.
         “I know that. But why? Why would you be the one to come here? After a year of not seeing me did you just think it would be fun to ‘see an old friend?’ And does that mean you were here the whole time I was out of it?”
         “Well you needed medical help and Peter couldn’t do that for you so he did what he knew and that was to call a local doctor and here I am.”
         Marie moved past Mark and sat on the edge of the bed that still had wrinkles from where he had just been. The last person she wanted to see was standing right in front of her and her only comfort was what seemed like miles away in dream land.
         “Now it’s my turn for all of the questions.” When he didn’t obtain any reaction, wanted or unwanted, he continued, “Where did you go so late at night?”
         Marie returned from her zoned out phase, “Oh please.”
         “What? I was worried that you had gotten kidnapped or-”
         “So I’m a fucking kid now? I’m not an adult who can go out and do whatever the hell I want?”
         “Well, sure you can. But I just am a little worried when those things involve coming home with a huge gash in the back of your head.”
         “Now you’re worried? You never were before.”
         “Maybe you should get some sleep.”
         “Maybe you should kiss my ass.” Marie jumped off of the bed and walked swiftly across the room to open the door, almost hitting Mark in the face. “Get the fuck out of my room.”
         “Marie, wait a second. I want to talk.” Mark stood firm in his place and watched her face stand just as still as his body.
         “Thank you for being my doctor while I was out of it, but I’m back now. So get out.” Marie waited until Mark was out in the hallway, watched his face droop just a fracture then shut the door.
********

          Marie enters the house to the sound of  a knife hitting a wooden cutting board. “Mark? Is that you?”
         “In here,” The sound of his voice made its way across the kitchen, down the hall and to the door.
         As she moved closer to the voice, her nose was filled with the delicious fragrance of seasoned pork and chicken flavored rice. She lingered in the doorway of the kitchen to stare at him as his attention returned to the food before him. A story of his day came from his lips as she admired the man she was willing to spend the rest of her life with. His hair was a measly half an inch but its pitch black color gave it more volume and made his face seem less round than it truly was. His eyes were a deep green. So deep that she could just fall into them. Next she trailed down his neck to his bulging muscles that were covered by an inch of what he liked to call ‘skin.’  She loved him. All of him. Right down to his two inch toes that were attached to the flattest feet she had ever seen.
         “Hon? Did you hear me?” The cutting stopped once more as his eyes bore a hole in her.
         “No, sorry. It’s been a long day. What’re you making?”
         “The only meal I know how to cook. Why don’t you go take a load off in the dining room. Suppers almost done.” His smile that followed his words made her realize she couldn’t deny her feet the rest they wanted.
         The second she stepped into the dining room she knew something wasn’t right. It was like an unsettling wind just swept through her body. The mood was perfect. Too perfect. The table was set, one dish set at the end of the short table. Two long candlesticks sat in the middle. As upset as her stomach felt, she sat at the seat farthest away from the kitchen and was determined to play her part. He came around the corner with the smile she had left him with and in that moment she realized just how artificial it was. He, however, seemed to think it was convincing as he placed the salad in the middle of the table and made his way back to the kitchen.
         She ate slowly, watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to break. His smile didn’t fade except to allow food in. His voice startled her, “How was your day?”
         She politely smiled, “Well, you know, being stuck in a cubicle all day isn’t the peach in my pie.”
         He opened his mouth as if to speak but no sound came out. To justify the pause he stuffed the opening with a mouthful of food. Marie looked down at her plate then back up at him.
         “So…”
         “Yeah?” He said through a mouthful of food. She noticed him glance down to her sparkling green ring on her left finger.
         She glanced at the candles and the food in the middle of the table with a quizzical look, “What’s the occasion?”
         “I have some exciting news actually,” he paused, waiting for her to reply or make a comment but got nothing in return. “I found a job.”
         Marie got excited. “Oh my God, where?”
         “Up north,” his voice waved in fear that she would object.
         “Well how far away is it?” She saw him hesitate a second. He knew she was going to ask him that question.
         “About six or seven hours. It’s in a great town that’s big enough to get patients but small enough so I’m not overworked.”
         Marie sat in silence. Her heart slowed to a soft thump. She couldn’t move and neither could he. She finally caught her breath, “Mark we can’t move.”
         “Why not?”
         “Because I’m pregnant.”

         Marie tossed her blankets to the floor and stood up. She creeped to the door and pressed her ear against the smooth wood. Since no sound came to her ear she peeked into the hallway, checking both sides. One leg came out, followed by another, and she made her way to the room Peter was in. The door wasn’t locked, as she knew it wouldn’t be, and as she opened the door she could hear steady breathing. Closer she moved to the lump on the bed until she was an arms’ length away. She took his hand into hers and wished for possibly the first time that he was awake. She needed somebody, anybody. After listening to him for a brief moment longer, Marie felt the desire to be in his state and made her way back to the room Mark had left her in.
         
********
         Marie awoke the next morning, her pillow covered with dried blood and her head pounding from the pain of it. There was no clock in the room to tell her just how long she had been unconscious. Her clothes weren’t in this room so she couldn’t change out of her dirty attire and her mind fought with going out to the rest of the house when she knew Mark was still lurking somewhere inside. A knock to her door distracted her thoughts.
         “Who is it?”
         “It’s me.” 
         Marie smiled. He was finally awake. She opened the door in a hurry, forgetting about her sore head, to embrace the man she hadn’t seen for what seemed like forever. Peter, however, pulled out of it fast.
         “Marie, what happened?” His face was more focused than she had ever seen it and his eyes almost glistened now. His appearance was sharper almost, not just his eyes but his skin, his hair, his overall structure.
         “Nothing happened. I just told Mark that I didn’t exactly want him hanging around here since I’m better. Not that he would listen to --”
         “Not that. Last night. You were attacked?” He began to inspect her head, slightly pulling her hair strands apart to see the damaged section until she pushed him away. He looked at her “Did that hurt?”
         “No. I just,” she paused, “don’t need to be babied.”  She walked past him, exiting the room when she felt a hand on the shoulder. It only made her pause for a second before she brushed it off and turned towards the bathroom.
         Marie had that building fear. The one that starts as a thought, a single voice in the back of her head, then spreads like spiders to the top of her skin. The goosebumps couldn’t be relieved by the warming steam surrounding her nor the water that streaked blood down her body. Her fingers massaged her scalp and scrunched her hair up before grazing down to her belly for a few strokes