24 Hour Lockdown

by Virginia Henderson

Her words annoy me. Why doesn’t she just go away and leave me alone? “Melody, abusive relationships don’t work like cancer or depression. There’s no special medicine I can take to fight it. And support groups only last for a few hours. What happens in the dead of night when he decides to use me as his punching bag? I’m the one who has to live with him!”

  My sudden outburst startles Melody, but I don’t care. With some people you just have to raise your voice and be rough.

  Melody looks away and plays with the ends of her wig. “I know I don’t have the right to compare our situations. But I also have those battles in the dead of night. I still have suicidal thoughts. I still feel ugly and unlovable most of the time. Medicines aren’t magic wands you can wave around. It takes a lot of time and determination. And as for prince charming, your fairytale isn’t over yet. You’re in charge of your own story.”

  I sigh. People like Melody like to make mountains into mole hills. Granted, she has a point on some things, but she has no idea what I go though. I don’t see how I could ever take charge of my story.

  I’m so glad Amelia isn’t here right now. I know I have to be strong for her, it’s just hard right now. I’ll have to thank George for watching her. It is nice to talk about all this with another adult.

  I force a sad smile. “Thanks for letting me rant.”

  Melody nods and smiles back. “Any time. We all need to rant sometimes.”

  George

  I wonder when Susan is coming back. It’s been a while and I’m sick of just sitting here while the kid occasionally kicks me.

  Suddenly, she lets out a small whimper. Her face is scrunched up like there’s something wrong. Then she starts crying softly.

  Oh boy. I’m not up for this. I lean over and stare at her. “Hey, kid. You okay?”

  She thrashes around a little and cries out for her mom. I think she’s having a nightmare. Not sure what to do, I cautiously poke her stomach. “Hey, cut it out. It’s just a dream.”

  To my astonishment, she grabs my hand. The kid has a surprisingly strong grip. Then she sits up and buries her head in my chest. Amelia is still crying, and now she’s getting kiddie tears and boogers all over my semi clean shirt. Great.

  What do I do now? I assume if I were writing this scene, the character would try to comfort the kid. I can barely handle my dogs when it’s storming outside. Which reminds me, they probably wrecked the apartment last night during the storm.

  Amelia is still attached to me, crying and whining. I wish Susan would hurry up and get back. This is her job, not mine.

  Awkwardly I pat Amelia on the back. “Hey, there’s nothing to cry about. You’re fine.”

  I’m not sure if she responds to my voice or my touch, but she starts to calm down a little and lets out a couple hiccups. Her hand grabs a fistful of my shirt and she hangs on for dear life, like I’m going somewhere.

  Her small voice says, “Mr. George? Please tell me a story.”

  Marc

  I decided to give up working on a speech for the news report. I’m still a bit startled at the thought of spending days in here. Surely it won’t come to that, but I’ve never been in a lockdown before, so I can’t say for sure.

  I check my watch. It’s a few minutes before one. It’s past time for lunch. Right about now, I should be at an important lunch meeting. I can’t recall who I was supposed to meet with today, my secretary handles all those minor details. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I spent a lunch break alone.

  My stomach rumbles as if I need reminding. I have a sudden craving for tender ribeye steak, medium rare of course, and a fresh garden salad with juicy tomatoes, crunchy croutons and creamy dressing.

  Stop it! I’m positively starving and all I can do is daydream about food I can’t get. It just isn’t fair! I decide to leave the makeshift office and check on everyone else.

  In the main room I only see George and he’s talking to Amelia. I assume Susan is still away on the phone and Melody is probably with her. It’s hard telling where Joseph is. I haven’t seen him since we split up.

  Walking over to George, I catch the tail-end of an odd conversation.

  “…And in the end, Stan and Ollie agreed it was better to share the squeaky toy.”

  I clear my throat and George whips around to look at me. He’s blushing at being caught and I have to smirk. It would be wrong to let this prescious moment slide.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting story time.”

  George removes Amelia from his lap and sets her on the couch. Gruffly he says, “We just finished.”

  Amelia grins up at me. “Mr. George is good at telling stories!” She looks back at George and starts to climb on his lap. “Tell me another!”

  As intrigued I am to hear what kind of stories George tells, that’s not the reason I’m here.

  “It’s the lunch hour,” I inform him.

  Suddenly I hear Joseph come up behind me and ask, “Did someone say lunch?”

  Joseph

  I thought being upstairs would help clear my mind. Turns out it didn’t help. But I seem to have returned at the right moment. I’m starving!

  George leans back and frowns at me. I know just what he’s going to say. “Where you upstairs just now?”

  I causally shrug because it’s no big deal. Personally, I don’t see the difference between being down here and up there. “Yeah, for a little bit.”

  George raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything else about it. It’s not until then that I notice Amelia next to him.

  “Are you trading in writing for babysitting?” I tease.

  George starts to reply but Marc is quick to jump in and say, “That’s his new editor.”

  George shoots a glare at Marc. “Cut it out. The kid had a nightmare and I was trying to calm her down.”

  As ever, Marc enjoy getting his digs in when he can. “And whom, may I ask, are Stan and Ollie?”

  I almost wish I hadn’t mentioned anything about Amelia. George’s face is slightly red from embarrassment. I feel bad for the big guy.

  To help him out, I decide to step in. “Lay off, okay? He’s just trying to help Susan.”

  Marc has that devilish smile of his and replies, “Isn’t that just sweet of him to help Susan? She is nice, isn’t she.”

  I can’t believe this dufus! Of all the thoughtless things to say. Amelia is right here, listening to every word! Without warning, I grab him by the shirt collar and pull him away so we are well out of ear-shot.

  Still holding a grip on his collar, I lean near his face. “Won’t you ever grow up? Whatever you were trying to imply back there was just wrong. Even if you didn’t have anything to do with my mom’s death, I’d still despise you. Your attitude stinks and you act like the world owes you a favor every time you take a breath.”

  I sigh and continue in a gentler tone, “Look man, we don’t mind the banter or the sarcasm. But knock it off with the cheap digs and heartless comments. Amelia was right there and kids pay more attention than you think.”

  I let go off his shirt and he makes a show of straightening his collar and tie. His aggravation is coming through loud and clear by the icy stare he’s giving me.

  Stiffly he says, “Leopards never change their spots.”

  I answer back, “that goes double for you.”

  Melody

  I help Susan to her feet. After we talk some more, she reluctantly agrees to rejoin the group with me. I think it’s important that she doesn’t close herself off. Besides, her daughter needs her.

  We walk in silence through the kid’s area and into the main room. I can faintly hear the guys talking. I hope they are still acting civil. The last thing poor Susan needs to hear is fighting.

  Amelia is the first to spot us coming and she crawls down from the couch and runs into Susan’s open arms. It’s a tender moment and I feel like I’m intruding by watching.

  I walk over to George who’s still near the couch and smile at him. “That’s really ni
ce of you to watch Amelia. I know Susan appreciates it.”

  He nods and looks over at Susan. “She okay?”

  My smile fades and I slowly shake my head. It’s not my place to share what Susan told me. George wears a stern expression and walks over to Susan.

  Marc is marching away from Joseph. I’m not sure what happened, but Marc looks offended. He walks by me and bluntly asks, “What are we having for lunch?”

  I shoot him a hard look. “Excuse me? Are you trying to imply something? Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean it’s my job to prepare meals. Go make your own lunch.”

  That’s just the kind of offensive attitude women shouldn’t have to put up with. I didn’t mind it earlier, but Marc’s attitude set me off.

  Marc throws his hands up. “I’m not implying anything! I’m just hungry!”

  From the side, Susan pipes up, “I’ll go make lunch.”

  Chapter twenty-one

  Susan

  I’m aware that I’m getting some looks for volunteering so suddenly, but I ignore them and head towards the breakroom. Amelia grabs my hand and swings it back and forth. I almost envy her ignorance.

  Back in the children’s area, Melody kept insisting that I need to stay with everyone else and not isolate myself. I agreed at the time, but rejoining the group only succeeded in giving me a headache.

  George asked me what my husband said and wanted to know if I was alright. Of course, I told him I was fine and that Mitch was just angry. It’s bad enough they know I live with a monster, they don’t need all the details.

  After that I just needed to get away. Also, I hope making lunch will keep me busy so I don’t have time to dwell on things.

  Inside the breakroom, I close the door behind me and look around. Aside from an empty plate and foam cup on the counter, everything is the same as the last time.

  While Amelia skips around the room and crawls under the tables, I start rummaging through the cupboards for lunch. I know there isn’t much of a selection, but Marc will just have to get over it.

  I pull down a plastic tube of crackers and lay them on the counter. Next, I open the fridge and spot a container of grape jelly. Not a typical lunch, but it will have to do.

  As I pick up the jelly, I say to Amelia, “Do you like grape jelly, baby?”

  Instead of answering me, she starts bawling. I look over and see that she’s under a table with her hands on top of her head. I’ve seen this scene enough to know what happened.

  “Oh, baby.” I replace the jelly and hurry over and carefully help her come out from under the table. Tears are falling freely and she’s in desperate need of tissue.

  “Show mommy where it hurts.” Pitifully, she leans over to me. I pull her hands away and gently part her hair. I feel for any knots and look for bruises but there’s nothing.

  I hug her and kiss her forehead. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’ll be fine.” I reach over for some napkins on the table and have her blow her nose.

  After a few minutes she calms down and I go back to preparing lunch. Amelia sticks to my side like glue, occasionally sniffling and shuddering a sigh.

  George

  I don’t like being lied to and I know without a doubt that Susan lied right to my face. Her swollen eyes and sad demeanor spoke volumes. Whatever her husband said was really bad. It needs to be addressed.

  “Something really shook up Susan and we need to find out what it is and see if we can help her.”

  Marc smirks and folds his arms. I can tell he’s dying to get a jab in, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. Smart move.

  Joseph steps closer and shrugs. “Why don’t we just leave her alone? If she doesn’t want to talk, then she doesn’t want to talk.”

  I make a face. He has a valid point, but somethings need to be brought out in the open. I decide to go straight for the fountain of information.

  “Melody, you know what happened. Her husband said something to her, didn’t he?”

  Melody looks helpless and conflicted. This reminds me of the time Dylan Dell interrogated a suspect for two hours straight. He had critical information and Dylan had to get rough with him. It was one of my better scenes I’ve written.

  I nod. “I’m going to take that as a yes. What did he say? Did he threaten her?”

  Again, there’s only silence. This is getting frustrating. No one seems to understand how urgent this is. Guess I’ll have to put things in no uncertain terms.

  “This lockdown could end at any minute. And when it does, you can be sure he’ll be waiting outside for her. And if he has threatened to hurt her, Susan and Amelia could be in danger.”

  Marc frowns. “But the police will be here as well. He wouldn’t dare try anything.”

  I shake my head. “But what about when we part ways and go home? She’ll be on her own again.”

  Melody raises her eyebrows and bits her lip nervously.

  In a softer tone I say, “Please, Melody. I get that you want to respect her privacy. But what’s more important? Saving her from temporary shame or possibly saving her life?”

  That last part really got through to her. Nearby, Joseph obnoxiously clears his throat. Melody glances over at him and that’s when we notice Susan and Amelia are walking over.

  I let out a sigh. We blew it.

  Marc

  If there’s one thing I learned in the world of business, it’s to never be obvious when talking about someone behind their back. And a sudden awkward silence when said person enters the room is a dead giveaway.

  In my normal tone of voice, I jab a finger at Joseph. “Listen, wise guy. I’m sick of the lack of respect I’m receiving. I deserve better treatment around here.”

  Confusion flickers over Joseph momentarily until he understands what I’m trying to do. “If you don’t like it, then leave.”

  Nothing unusual about that conversation. They’ll thank me later.

  Susan doesn’t even seem to be listening. She just sets a plate on the table and announces, “Lunch is ready. I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I could find.”

  I lean closer and study what’s on the plate. “Are those…” I stop and scrunch up my nose in displeasure, “crackers with jelly?”

  Melody smiles warmly at Susan. “It looks great. Thank you.”

  Susan nods but the movement is forced. Maybe George was onto something after all. Perhaps we should find out what upset her.

  Joseph is the first to pick up a cracker. He doesn’t smell it, pick at it or anything. He just stuffs it in his mouth and chews. How disgusting!

  He notices me watching him and swallows. “Jelly crackers have always been a favorite in our family.” He turns to Susan, “Perhaps a little lighter on the jelly next time? The sweetness can overpower the salt.”

  I can only shake my head. Is he serious? What sort of people am I dealing with. It’s a wonder I’m still as sane as I am. I raise my chin in defiance. “Well, I won’t be eating it.”

  Joseph takes another cracker. “More for me then.”

  Joseph

  I guess Marc never had to make do as a kid. I wouldn’t consider our family dirt poor growing up, but money was tight and mom was inventive with meals. Jelly crackers was one of those snacks that I just got used to. No offensive to Susan, but moms were better.

  We all pull out chairs and sit around the table. Melody and George help themselves to the crackers and Susan gives one to Amelia. Other than the crunch of crackers, everyone is quiet.

  I glance over at George. He can’t keep still. I know it’s killing him to just blurt out what he’s thinking. I understand his concern, but this is Susan’s problem that she has to handle on her own.

  I had to come to my own decision to forgive Marc. And now it’s still up to me to figure out what to do with my life. Besides people offering advice and listening to my problems, no one can fix it for me.

  It’s like George wants to step in and fix everything for Susan. I don’t think any of us like the fact that she’s abused, but
what can we do about it?

  As if George was listening to my thoughts, he says, “Susan? Do you want to talk?”

  Susan frowns and sharply answers, “No.”

  George isn’t phased by the rough answer. In fact, he continues as if he didn’t even hear her. “We don’t want to make you uncomfortable…”

  Abruptly, Susan stands to her feet. “Then don’t.”

  Her daughter is watching with big eyes and listening intently as she slowly eats her cracker. Susan takes her by the hand and they leave the room.

  I watch the scene in surprise. I haven’t seen Susan this upset since we first found out about her home life.

  Melody

  I can only sit in stunned silence. I don’t think anyone else expected her to be so upset. My heart goes out to the poor dear.

  I shift my gaze to George. I can’t tell if he’s upset with her or not. I think it’s sweet that he wants to help, but I think Susan’s right. This is defiantly something she has to sort out for herself. She has to want a change bad enough, then she’ll reach out for help.

  I find myself biting my lip again. It’s a bad habit that I’ve been trying to stop for a few months. I came so close to telling George what Susan told me. Should I have? I strongly believe that it’s her news to tell, but George laid out the problem so clearly.

  I watch Susan and Amelia until they are out of sight. Should I follow her? Or maybe it’s best that I let her cool down.

  “Melody?”

  I’m pulled out of my wonderings and see George waiting expectantly for me to say something.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  George blows out a breath. “I said what do you think we should do?”

  I glance over at Joseph who seems only mildly interested in the conversation. Whereas Marc is busy biting at his fingernails.

  “I think she needs space for now.”