“OK. Hurry.” They were there in a split second. Katherine saw everything. Lilly and the girls dead and Rebeca lying on the floor, trembling violently.
“What happened?” Katherine screeched. Alex came next to her and asked what was wrong. “That’s what’s wrong.” She pointed to the dead girls. Alex looked toward Jacob, rage in his eyes.
“Why would do this, Jacob?” Alex asked, snarling. “I thought you nice and cool. Not to mention that you were sweet with Lilly.” He looked toward Rebeca, who was still trembling and shaking. “But I guess I was wrong.” He went to Spencer’s and said, “She’s losing too much blood. You have to.”
“Bite her? Never. What’s my other option?”
“Katherine, grab my belt.” She did. “Now tie it above my hands. Now, go.” Katherine then went to help Hannah and Edward.
“Alex, what’s my other option?” Spencer asked louder.
“You’ll let the change happen,” Alex said. “Now, you have to bite her from letting the change happen.”
“You know I won’t be able to stop.”
“You’ll find the will to stop.” Spencer looked toward Rebeca.
“I’ll make it go away, Rebeca. I promise.” Then Spencer bit her to suck out the venom.
“Spencer, stop. The blood clean. You’re killing her.” But Spencer couldn’t stop. Rebeca couldn’t see anything. She was slowly drifting into a deep sleep.
As soon as Hannah and Edward helped Spencer, they took Rebeca to another hospital bedroom.
* * * *
“Hey, what happened?” Rebeca asked when she finally woke up. Spencer was there, along with Hannah, Edward, Alex and Katherine.
“You fell down the stairs into a window,” Hannah said. Rebeca looked at her sister, mystified.
“Rebeca, baby, do you remember any of that?” Spencer asked.
“No. In fact, I don’t even know who I am anymore.” Rebeca said, looking at Spencer.
“You don’t?” Edward asked.
“No. What happened to me?” Someone opened the door and came inside the room.
“Hey, guys. I’m back.” Karina said. “What happened?”
“Rebeca was attacked,” Alex said. “Where’s Catalina and Robert?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Oh, um, they wanted to stay a little while longer. They love it there. Look.” She showed them the pictures.
“Wow.” they all exclaimed.
“Where is this place?” Hannah asked. “It’s beautiful.”
“We can all go,” Spencer said. “Hey, Karina, do you know anything about amnesia?”
“Yeah. There are 16 types of amnesia. Anterograde amnesia refers to the inability to create new memories due to brain damage. Retrograde amnesia refers to the inability to recall memories before the onset of amnesia. Post-traumatic amnesia is generally due to a head injury, an example would be a fall or a knock on the head. Dissociative amnesia results from a psychological cause as opposed to direct damage to the brain caused by head injury, physical trauma or disease, which is known as organic amnesia. It can include a repressed memory which refers to the inability to recall information, usually about stressful or traumatic events in persons' lives, such as a violent attack or disaster. Dissociative fugue is also known as fugue state. Posthypnotic amnesia occurs when events during hypnosis are forgotten, or where past memories are unable to be recalled. Now, there’s lacunar amnesia which is the loss of memory about one specific event. Childhood amnesia is the common inability to remember events from one's own childhood.”
“Or,” Alex continued. “Transient global amnesia is a well-described medical and clinical phenomenon. Source amnesia is the inability to remember where, when or how previously learned information has been acquired while retaining the factual knowledge. Korsakoff's syndrome can result from long-term alcoholism or malnutrition. Drug-induced amnesia is intentionally caused by injection of an amnesiac drug to help a patient forget surgery or medical procedures, particularly those not performed under full anesthesia, or likely to be particularly traumatic. Prosopamnesia is the inability to recognize or remember faces, even in the presence of intact facial recognition capabilities. Situation-Specific amnesia can arise in a variety of circumstances resulting in PTSD. An example of this would be committing an offense or child sexual abuse.”
“Another form of amnesia would be transient epileptic amnesia. It’s a rare and unrecognized form of temporal lobe epilepsy, which is typically an episodic isolated memory loss.” Karina said.
“So, what, she has lacunar amnesia?” Spencer asked.
“Yeah. I mean, for one, she can’t remember the event.” Alex said.
“So? How can we fix it?” Hannah asked.
“Well, lacunar amnesia is the loss of memory about one specific event. It’s a type of amnesia that leaves a gap in the record of memory.” Karina said to her.
“So, we have to tell her and recreate the memory for her to remember?” Katherine asked.
“Yes, but if she doesn’t remember who she is, well, that’s normal.”
“Yeah, when I had my stroke, I couldn’t remember who I was at all.”
“Yeah, it’s true,” Edward said. “I was with her the entire time.”
“I can’t believe you guys are married now. It feels like just yesterday we were just 17 years old.” Rebeca said.
“Yeah, I know. Now, we’re 23.”
“Times flies if you ask me,” Spencer said. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He got out the black box and got down on one knee. “Rebeca?” She looked towards him.
“Yes?” she asked. He opened the box.
“Will you marry me?” he asked. A tear slipped down her cheek, making her cry.
“Yes. I would love to,” she said. He then got up on his feet and put the ring on her finger. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. Hannah looked toward Edward and signaled to him that had to go.
“Hey, we have to go. But I promise that we’ll be here first thing in the morning.” Hannah said to her sister.
“OK, no problem sis. Love you.”
“I love you, too.” And they left closing the door behind them.
Katherine was sitting down in a nearby chair and was staring into space. “Hey, Kate what’s wrong?” Her question brought Katherine back to the present. She shook her head.
“Um, nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”
Alex chuckled and knelt down next to her. “You know that I can read your mind, remember?”
She breathed in deeply and said, “Well, yeah, but . . . OK, smart guy. If you can read my mind, then read it.”
“You’re thinking about our girls, about Hadassah, about Lilly, and about why Jacob killed them.”
“Yeah. I am,” she said, holding back tears. She looked toward Rebeca and Spencer. “I have to go.” She left, leaving Alex behind and he caught up to her.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said. “What’s wrong, babe?” He had her look into his soulful brown eyes. She didn’t answer. She just cried out all the sadness she had stored in her body, letting Alex read her mind. She stopped and controlled herself, letting herself breath and answer.
“I just can’t live without them. And Jacob is still loose killing people.”
“Well, I won’t let that happen, OK?”
“OK,” she whispered. He looked directly into her melancholy eyes.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said. He kissed her on her lips as he picked her up and carried her to the entrance of the hospital. As soon as they got to the car, she got into the passenger seat while her husband got into the driver’s seat.
She looked at him. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Oh, hey, tonight’s our anniversary. Where do you want to go?”
She looked depressed all of a sudden. “I don’t know, actually. I forget with the girls and Rebeca.”
He looked at her with understanding and she started crying. To get her to stop crying, he kissed her softly and tenderly. She immediately stopped crying.
“What did you do that for?” she asked.
He smiled at her and kissed her again. “Because I love you,” he whispered into her ear.
“I love you too, babe,” she said. They sped to a beautiful and luxurious restaurant.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Wow. That dinner was amazing. What’d you think, honey?” Alex asked. Katherine didn’t answer. Her mind was elsewhere. “Katherine?” he whispered into her ear.
“Alex, stop.” she giggled. She looked at him. “Do you love me?” she asked him.
“Of course. You’re the only one for me.”
“Then, let’s just do it. Let’s just have kids.” His expression said the opposite.
“Honey, I--”
She cut him off. “So you don’t want to?”
“Of course I want to, but do you remember what happened when we had the twins?”
“Yeah.”
“I almost lost you. I don’t want to lose you again.”
“I won’t let that happen, OK?”
“How can you promise me that?”
“Close your eyes.” He did and she kissed him deeply and tenderly. She opened her eyes to look at him. “I promise I won’t let that happen.”
“OK. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To our room, silly. I want to show you something.”
“Huh?” Instead of answering, he picked her up by her waist and took her to their room.
* * * *
“Hey, babe. How was work?” Hannah asked her husband. He looked toward and seemed depressed. “Baby, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“Can we go to the bedroom?” he asked.
“Sure, but why? We’re the only ones here.”
“Because of this.” He kissed her lips and kissed her neck. “Come on. Please?”
“OK, OK. You caught me. OK, fine we can go.” she laughed. “Just kiss me again,” she said. He chuckled slightly and kissed her with all the love he had for her. As soon as he finished kissing her, they raced each other to the bedroom. “OK. OK. You won.” she panted. Edward was behind her and put his arms around her waist.
“Do you love me?” he asked in her ear.
“Of course I do.”
“Then, let’s do it.”
“OK.”
* * * *
“Hey, honey. How’re you feeling?” Spencer asked. Rebeca looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Spencer, I--” She swallowed and said, crying, “The doctor found out that because of my blood, I have HIV.” She started crying again, Spencer stroking her cheek and hair, whispering in her ear how much he loved her and that he would do anything for her.
“Hey, guys, we’re back,” Catalina said. Robert was with her. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked.
Spencer looked up and said, “Rebeca has HIV.”
“Wow. From what?” Robert asked.
“A blood transfusion,” Spencer replied, holding on to Rebeca’s hand.
“Hey, guys,” Karina said. She looked at Catalina and Robert. “Hey, guys. You’re back early.”
“Well, I wanted to see you,” Catalina said.
“Um, thanks, I guess.” Wow, she’s changed, she thought to herself. “Um, hey, Rebeca, Spencer.” They looked up and saw that she was carrying a list.
“What’s that?” Spencer asked.
“It’s a list of pills that can help with the HIV, but it won’t take it away, it’ll just slow the process down.”
“How long do I have if I don’t take the pills?” Rebeca asked
“If you don’t take them, you have 3 years to live.”
“Well, what if I do?”
“Well, you have 3 years plus how long you take the pills, so it’s up to you how long.”
“Well, OK, fine. But I wanted to live with Spencer, married and have a daughter.”
“Well, that’s up to you. If you want to take the pills, then OK. But if you don’t, then it’s your loss. But you can take therapy.”
“What kind of therapy?” Spencer asked.
“Hold that thought, guys. I’m going to ask someone.”
“OK. Sure thing.” Robert and Catalina were outside talking.
“Hey, guys, do you know what type of therapy a person should take for HIV?” Karina asked them.
“No, I don’t. Sorry.”
“Me either. Sorry Karina.” Robert said.
“OK, well, wait, she could ask Dr. Granger,” Catalina said to her husband.
“Um, actually, he’s dead. So are Lilly and the girls. Jacob killed them before he was killed.”
“But who killed Jacob?” Catalina asked.
“Hannah, Edward, and Katherine. Alex and Spencer were with Rebeca.”
“But why would they kill Jacob?” Robert asked.
“Because Rebeca was being attacked by him, well, not attacked, she was raped in 8th grade.”
“Wow. But if she was raped, she could’ve turned him into the police.” Robert said.
“Actually, it gets worse.”
“How so?” Catalina asked.
“She went to go see her sister and Hannah introduced Alex, Katherine, Lilly and finally Jacob. When Rebeca and Jacob saw each other, he went crazy. Like he was in a different mind.”
“So, what you’re saying is that he was a sexual sadist?” Robert asked.
“I guess. Anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore. He’s dead.”
“Well, come on, tell us the rest,” Catalina said, anxious.
“Well, um, she left the room, Spencer, behind. Then, after that, she fled home and went to her room. When she saw who was there, she went to her thinking spot at the beach.”
“Anything else?” Robert asked.
“Oh my God. I totally forgot about Rebeca and Spencer.” Karina said. “I have to go.”
She went to Rebeca’s room to talk to them, but Rebeca was sound asleep, so she called Spencer. He wasn’t in the room.
“Hello? Spencer?”
“Yeah, Karina. What is it?”
“Um, nothing, nothing. Just needed to tell you about the pills that Rebeca has to take for HIV.”
“OK, sure. Tell me during dinner.” He hung up.
“What?” Karina said. Rebeca woke up.
“Hey, Karina. What’s wrong? You look like you just got off the phone with a stalker.”
“Um, yeah. I guess. Um, hey, Rebeca, do you know anything about players?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re fiancée, Spencer just asked me to dinner and he said that he just wants me there.”
“Really? OK, then, I’m going to call him to see what the heck’s going on.” She picked up her cell phone and called Spencer.
“Well, that’s good. How are you feeling?”
“Um, good.” Spencer picked up.
“Hey, babe. How’re you feeling?”
“Good, great. No need of you whatsoever.”
“Wait, babe, what are you talking about?”
“You want to take Karina out to dinner.”
“Yeah, to talk about your medication. What, you thought that I was going to cheat on you behind your back?”
“Of course I did.”
“I would never do that.”
“Hold on.” She put him on, Speaker. “You were saying?” she asked.
“I’d never go out with her or any other woman behind your back.”
“Then, why’d you say that you’d see me for dinner to talk about Rebeca’s medication?”
“Because I’m at work and don’t get out until after 4:30 p.m.” he said to Karina.
“Yeah, listen, babe, I wouldn’t harm you at all. Never.”
“Of course, you wouldn’t.”
“OK, then, if you wouldn’t hurt her, answer a quick question.”
“OK. Sure, go for it.”
“Why’d you hang up so quickly after you asked me out to dinn
er?”
“Because my boss was coming. He’d fire me if he saw me with my cell phone out during work.”
“Well, OK. That’s fine.” Karina said.
“Thanks, babe,” Rebeca said. She hung up.
“I guess I overreacted. Sorry.” Karina said.
“Oh, hey, it’s OK. I overreacted too.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“But that was when Jacob was alive, though.”
“Well, he raped you, for crying out loud.”
“Yeah, I’ll never be able to forget that horrible voice. He was so horrible to me that I can still remember what he did to me. I even feel it at night too. What he did to me.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Wow, that’s horrible. You might need to see a psychologist.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been thinking of doing.”
“Does Spencer know about what Jacob did to you?”
“Actually, I told him that he raped me, I just never told him what he did to me exactly or why he did.”
“Well, being honest in the sense of telling the truth isn’t the same thing as revealing every thought and feeling you’ve ever had. Couples should be frank and open with each other before making a lifelong commitment to marriage, but once the vows have been said it’s important to examine your motives and the intentions of the heart in determining how honest you should be. In fact, sometimes the loving thing to do is to keep your mouth shut.”
“That’s true.”
“To tell you the truth, Becky. I mean, I would tell him, just to not rile up his trust about why you never told him.”
“So, why don’t you have a boyfriend?”
“Because I don’t have time for one. I mean, I do, but I just don’t want one.”
“Why not? Having a boyfriend is the best thing that could ever happen to a girl.”
“Really? The last boyfriend that I had cheated on me with another girl, and I don’t want it to happen again. But I am talking to a guy.”
“Where does he live?”
“Mexico. The Yucatan.”
“Wow, that’s far away from here.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m going to live there.”
“How? You work here. Besides, you have Catalina here.”
“So? I really don’t care that much anymore.”
“What don’t you care about anymore? You can tell me.”
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