by Willow Rose
July 2016
“I’m going to bed.”
Peggy looks at Richard, who has fallen asleep on the couch, as usual. He doesn’t answer, as usual. She is happy. For the first time in weeks, she has spent the entire evening writing. Almost twenty pages of the story are so far on paper. She has finally cracked the story open and if she had been younger, she would have stayed up all night, enjoying the story flowing from her fingers.
“I said I am going to bed,” she repeats.
Richard still doesn’t answer. He snores loudly, and Peggy knows he will continue to do so once they’re in bed. Peggy decides he can stay on the couch as long as he wants to; she is no hurry to get him in there.
She walks back to the bedroom, takes off her clothes, and puts on her PJs. It’s a little too warm to sleep with the pants, so she leaves them in the drawer. She brushes her teeth and pets the cat that comes out to her in the bathroom, sliding through the almost closed door.
“What a day we had, huh, Lucy?” she says, after spitting and rinsing thoroughly. The cat answers with a soft purr. “Finally, a breakthrough. Finally, I got some words down. This is going to be a good book. I can feel it. Can’t you?”
Peggy thinks briefly about the strange visit from the couple looking for their son. As someone who devoted her life to caring for kids, it makes her so frustrated and angry both at this kidnapper but also at the parents.
Why weren’t they taking better care of the kid? These types of things would never happen if parents took better care of their children. And why not involve the police in the search?
Peggy turns off the light in the bathroom, then walks to the bed and gets under the covers with a sigh. Her old legs feel tired. It’s been a long day.
The cat joins her at the foot of the bed. Peggy tries to fall asleep with the covers over her, but it gets too hot real soon. She wonders if the AC is even working. It has been so hot in the house all afternoon and all evening.
I hope it didn’t break again. We can’t exactly afford to have it fixed now and we can’t live with no AC in this heat either. This summer has been unbearable.
Peggy pulls off the covers and sleeps with just a sheet instead. She puts her head to her pillow and closes her eyes, but she can’t seem to find rest. Lucy is sound asleep already.
Oh, to have the life of a cat. Always being taken care of, being fed, loved, and petted.
Peggy tries again to fall asleep, but still no success. She knows why that is. It’s not just the heat. It’s not just the awful noise from the street, from people playing jazz music with their windows open. It’s something else that is bothering her. She doesn’t like to admit it, but it does. Just thinking about it makes her blood boil and she sits up in the bed to better breathe. She feels like her throat is tightening and it is hard to breathe.
Come on, Peggy. It’s so many years ago now. You can’t keep doing this to yourself. Let it go.
Peggy takes in a deep breath and tries to focus on something else. That old story shouldn’t be getting to her like it does. Even though…even though three people have been killed. Three people that were all connected to…
Don’t. Stop it. It’s a coincidence. It’s just because you have started writing about these things again. That’s all that it is. You’ve got to stop thinking about it. You’ve got to keep calm.
Peggy swallows and does a couple of breathing exercises with her eyes closed, thinking about good things, like Claire when she was just a child, forcing the thoughts to disappear. When she is finally feeling calm again, she leans her head back on the pillow, without noticing the dark figure standing outside on the porch, looking in.
Chapter Seventy-Four
July 2016
She wakes up because something hits her in the face. Not just once, but again and again. When Peggy opens her eyes, she realizes it is a ball. A dark figure standing at the end of the bed keeps throwing it at her face, then catching it again as it bounces back.
“What the he…?”
Peggy blinks her eyes and in the light from the street, she sees the axe over the shoulder of the person throwing the ball.
That’s when she knows.
Peggy gasps and sits up. The ball hits her face again, this time harder and it hurts. Peggy knows she needs to get out of there, so she jumps out of the bed and starts to run towards the door. But a gloved hand grabs her arm and pulls her backwards, so she lands on her back on the bed.
Peggy screams. The figure bends over her and she looks into the eyes of the person inside of the cloak.
“I-I-I know why you’re here,” she says.
“Good,” the figure says.
“I know what y-y-you did to those other women. And I know why,” she says.
“Good,” the figure repeats.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” Peggy says, her voice trembling.
The figure is holding the ball between their fingers and rolls it in their hand. The silence is terrifying.
“I d-d-did everything I could. I didn’t know any better,” Peggy says, pleading for her life. “I swear I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
“So you claim in that book of yours,” the figure says. “But it still happened, didn’t it?”
“I swear, if I could go back…”
“But you can’t, can you?”
Peggy swallows hard. “N-n-no.”
The figure places the blade on the ball and slits in half. Peggy whimpers as the two parts fall to the carpet.
“Listen, I am really sorry…”
“Shut up,” the figure says. “It’s too late.”
“But…I can…”
The figure grabs Lucy by the neck, then holds the axe awfully close. “Shut up or the cat will go first. You’ll watch it bleed to death.”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Peggy yells.
Quicker than the figure can react, she reaches under the bed and grabs the baseball bat she placed under there a long time ago. She swings the bat at the figure and hits the side of the head covered by the cloak. The figure screams.
“What the heck?”
“Let go of the cat. I said, let go of the cat!” Peggy yells, hitting the figure again and again, harder and harder. The cat screams and lands on the floor as the figure lets go of her, but Peggy doesn’t stop hitting. The figure swings the axe and cuts the baseball bat in half, but still Peggy continues. Pieces of wood, splinters, fly everywhere, while Peggy screams and yells all of her anger and years of frustration out, sounding like an Amazon warrior. The figure tries to swing the axe at her and hits her on the shoulder. Peggy screams as the blade goes through her flesh, but it doesn’t stop her. As soon as the axe is pulled out again, Peggy looks at the blood gushing from her wound, soaking her PJs, then feels the anger rise even more. With the broken bat in her good hand, she storms towards the figure and pierces the pointy parts into their stomach. The figure screams and comes at Peggy with the axe again, blood dripping from the blade, her blood. Peggy sees the blade come towards her, just as the door is slammed open.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Richard yells, lifts his shotgun, and fires.
Peggy falls to the ground, covering her head, knowing her husband’s sight isn’t at all what it used to be back when he liked to go hunting. As she looks up again, she sees The Axeman disappear out the window and jump onto the porch, the cloak fluttering in the air.
Part Four
O’ BE CAREFUL LITTLE MOUTH WHAT YOU SAY
Chapter Seventy-Five
July 2016
Joey puts a coin in the vending machine and pushes the button. A bag of chips falls down and he picks it up. Someone comes up behind him and, as he turns with his bag in hand, he looks into the face of Ian Marks.
“What the…?”
Joey can’t stop smiling. For so long, he has wondered about what happened to him. To see him alive, standing right in front of him, is a huge relief.
“Hey, man,” Ian nods. He is on crutches, but he looks happy.
�
�How? What happened?” Joey asks.
“He shot me in the thigh. I fainted, so he must have believed I died. He ran after you, but apparently he must have lost you. I lucked out, I guess.”
A small face behind Ian peeks out. A little girl with soft brown eyes.
“You remember Mia,” Ian says. “The flower of my life. I think God spared my life that day in the alley because he knew I had to take care of her.”
“Hi, Mia,” Joey says, and feels even more relieved that Ian didn’t die.
“How about your son?” Ian asks.
Joey can’t stop smiling. “He’s right in there,” Joey says and points at the door with the number one hundred and twenty-four on it. The hospital room where they have spent the past three days holding Salter’s hand while he fought for his life.
“He had a bad infection, but the antibiotics are finally kicking in. They say we might be able to take him home tomorrow.”
“That is great news, man. I am glad you got him back. I’m getting out of here today, they say. Can’t wait to get home with my girl. Hey, remember that black guy I told you about, the one who lived in my shed?”
“Yeah, the ghost?”
Ian blows raspberries. “Ghost, shmost. It turns out he is just as real as the two of us. Mia figured it out. She was left alone at the house while I was out cold here in the hospital, and when I didn’t come home she was scared. The guy must have known I didn’t come home, because he came to her, suddenly standing in the living room, and then they got to talking and it turns out I know him. What do you know? Apparently, I met him once while very drunk and brought him home and told him he could live in the shed, since he had nowhere to stay. Guess I was too drunk to remember, huh? Well, as it turned out, he took care of Mia while I was in here.”
“That’s great. Did you tell the police who shot you?” Joey asks.
Ian bites his lip, then shakes his head. “I’m not risking my life again. I’m done with all this and just want to go home.”
“I can’t blame you. That’s how I feel too,” Joey says. “I just want to take Salter, and go.”
They haven’t talked about it, but Joey hopes Mary feels the same way. It has been three days since they got Salter back, and now that he is finally in the clear, it might be time to take it up with her.
“Well, it was great to see you again, man. Hope you’ll be well soon.”
“I already am,” Ian says and looks at Mia. “I am really well.”
Joey smiles, then turns and walks towards Salter’s room. He opens the door and spots Mary sitting by the bed, Salter deep asleep. She is reading a book that she hasn’t been able to put down for the past twenty-four hours. He hands the chips to Mary, who opens the bag and starts to eat. For minutes, the only sound in the room is that of the beeping machines monitoring Salter’s heartbeat and Mary eating chips.
Joey walks to the window. In the distance, he can see New Orleans and the French Quarter. How he has grown to loathe this city.
“I can’t wait to go home,” Mary whispers and walks up behind him. He puts his arm around her and kisses her forehead.
“Me either,” he says.
They stare at the city in front of them. “So, where do you think he is?” Joey asks.
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore. I mean, I still want him to pay for what he has done to us, to our son, but right now I just want to go home to Cocoa Beach.”
“Me too,” Mary says and kisses him. “Right after I have done one last thing.”
Chapter Seventy-Six
December 2005
By Christmas time, they’re in Fresno, California. They’re staying at a Best Western. The hotel is small, but nice. They eat in the restaurant along with just a few others, then go back to their room.
“Do you think Santa will be able to find me here?” Suzy asks on their way up in the elevator.
“Of course,” Robyn says. “Santa can find you anywhere. Don’t you worry about that.”
Suzy nods and looks away. She hasn’t been her usual self for a long time. It’s like she is never really happy. Robyn hopes that getting her presents will change that.
The elevator reaches their floor and they walk out in the hallway. When inside the room, Robyn turns on the TV. Suzy soon dozes off and Robyn watches the news, like she has done every night since they left New Orleans. So far, there has been nothing about Melissa or a search for Suzy. No pictures of Robyn or Suzy anywhere.
So far so good.
Robyn watches Suzy in her sleep, with a smile on her lips. “Mommy,” Suzy mumbles, then smiles widely. “Mommy.”
Robyn feels a pinch in her heart. She knows Suzy misses her mother, even though she doesn’t say it.
You’re only doing what is best for her, Robyn. She can’t be with that woman. She simply can’t. She’ll understand once she gets older. You’re only protecting her. That woman is bad news.
Robyn sighs and gets herself ready for bed. She puts the presents on the table next to Suzy’s side of the bed, so she’ll see them first thing in the morning. Then she leans over and kisses the girl, before she turns off the light.
“He found us! He found us!”
Suzy’s screaming wakes up Robyn. It is still dark out. Robyn looks at the clock. Five a.m. She grumbles and leans back to sleep some more, but Suzy won’t let her.
“Look, Robyn. Look at all these presents!”
Robyn looks at her. Suzy has a present between her hands.
“I have never gotten this many presents before,” she exclaims happily. “Santa really went all out!”
Robyn chuckles, then decides she can sleep later and sits up in the bed. “Go ahead and open them.”
Suzy attacks the present between her hands. Her eyes grow wide as she pulls out the toy.
“No way!”
Robyn pretends to be surprised. “What is it?”
“It’s a Tamagotchi!! I can’t believe it. How did Santa know that’s what I wanted the most? How did he know?”
Robyn shrugs with a light laugh. “I don’t know!”
Suzy looks at Robyn skeptically. “Did you have something to do with this?”
Part of her wants to say yes, wants to say she bought it, to get the credit. Suzy hasn’t been very fond of her lately, not in the same way she used to be. She would like for her to think that Robyn only wants the best for her.
“No,” she says. “Santa must have just figured it out all on his own. He’s quite amazing that way.”
Suzy smiles, then throws herself in Robyn’s arms. “Tell him thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I am sure that’s what he’ll say,” Robyn says. “Now unwrap the rest of the presents, we have to get going as soon as the sun gets up.”
“We’re leaving already? Can’t we stay in the same hotel for one more day?” Suzy asks, pleading.
“I’m sorry, pumpkin. We can’t risk that. We gotta keep moving.”
Suzy looks disappointed, but then remembers her new toy and starts pushing the buttons. “I’ll take good care of you, Tamagotchi. Don’t you worry about that. I’ll be the perfect mommy.”
The mention of the word mommy makes both of them freeze for just a second. Robyn tries not to show it and keeps packing while Suzy unwraps the rest of her presents in silence. Robyn knows she is thinking about her mother, but neither of them dares to say anything about it.
Robyn called her. A week after they ran away, Robyn called her number, and Melissa picked up. It gave Robyn such great relief to know that she was still alive. She never said anything, but hung up as soon as she heard Melissa’s voice. She later told Suzy that her mother was fine, but never said how she knew.
Robyn turns her back on her and packs their clothes and the few other items they have bought along the way. Robyn is fighting her tears. The look in Suzy’s eyes is getting to her.
“Let’s go,” Robyn says and grabs the handle of the suitcase.
Suzy is holding all of her toys
in her arms as they leave the room in silence. Robyn feels awful. She can’t stop thinking that maybe she has made a mistake. Maybe what she has done is wrong.
A kid should be with her mother on Christmas.
As they walk into the elevator, Suzy grabs her hand and holds it, then looks up at her with those big wonderful eyes of hers.
“Thank you,” she says. “Thank you for all the presents. I have never gotten so many and expensive presents before. My mom could never afford anything like this. I really like them.”
Robyn smiles, but she is not feeling happy. She knows Suzy is only trying to cheer her up and it makes it even more unbearable. Suzy doesn’t even allow herself to be sad that her mother isn’t here to celebrate Christmas with her.
What have I done?
The elevator dings and the doors open. They walk out and put the suitcase in the back of the car. They get in and Robyn is about to put the key in the ignition, when she hesitates and looks at Suzy instead.
“What? What’s wrong?” Suzy asks.
Robyn sighs and leans back in her seat. She rubs her forehead, thinking about how foolish she has been.
Did I really think I could keep running like this? That I could just take a child and run away with her? What have I been doing?
“Robyn?”
“Yes, Suzy,” she says and looks at the girl.
“Where are we going this time?”
“That’s an excellent question,” Robyn says and starts the engine. “I think we might have been on the road a little too long. How about we go home?”
Suzy’s eyes light up and she smiles. “Really? I get to see my mom?”
“I think it is about time.”
Suzy’s eyes grow serious. “But…but they’ll arrest you, Robyn?”
Robyn puts the car in reverse and starts backing out. “That’s a risk I am willing to take. I am taking you home to be with your mother.”