Circumstances Unraveled

by Jean Kelso

  My teacher, Mr. Landers asks if I’m alright when I enter. I nod my head and go to my seat. It’s the last class of the day, I just want to get it over with and get home. If I’m late again, who knows what dad will do.

  The bell rings. I gather my stuff and go to my locker. I pack my bag, put on my jacket, and rush out the door.

  We don’t live far from the school, but dad said he will be waiting for me and I don’t want to disappoint him. I look both ways before I cross the road and begin to run.

  I hurry in the door and look at the time. I blow out a breath, thankful I made it home in time.

  “Sydney, that better be you.” My dad bellows as he comes down the hall.

  I tremble with fear as I take off my jacket and set my bag down. “Yes, dad. I’m home.”

  He enters the foyer and looks me up and down. “You are very lucky, little one. Did anyone question your black eye?” He narrows his dark, thick eye brows and looks sternly at me.

  Standing still and as calm as I can, I answer. “I told them I tripped and hit my face on the door knob, sir.” I try hard not to be rude as I speak, but God forbid anyone finds out that my father, the senator, beats his child.

  He growls his anger toward me. “If anyone comes knocking on my door about you Sydney…” He raises his hand…

  I wake. I can’t breathe. Alarms start sounding around me. I feel the bed move, sitting me up. A tube is wrapped around my face and a fresh slight breeze is forced in my nose. I open my eyes and see Jack. His face is etched with worry.

  “It was just a dream, baby. Just breathe.” Jack whispers to me as he pushes my tussled hair out of my face.

  Baby? I try and shake the dream and just breathe as I’m told. Slow, deep breaths. The cool air coming in my nose is helping a lot and Jack caressing my head is relaxing me, too.

  I’ve been in the hospital now for a week. It feels like longer, but no, only a week. Jack hasn’t really left my side. Belle and Gabe come and go, but I know they both have jobs they need to be at. But Jack? I guess he works freelance, so he can work whenever.

  The results from all the tests had come back and we got good news and bad. The good news was that the CSIS was able to get a hit off the DNA and now there are warrants of arrest for three men. Two of the men are the men that Gabe was talking about.

  The bad news (which is part of the reason why Jack hasn’t left my side) is that I was raped—and more than once apparently. When I was told this, I didn’t know how to react. Shock was a big part and tears came. I can’t fathom how people can treat others that way. But the look on Jack’s face—the hurt, the pain—it’s like he’s being tortured for something I went through. In a way, I’m thankful that I can’t remember, but then again how am I supposed to get over it, to deal with it, if I can’t remember?

  As I calm myself, I reach for my note pad. Thank you. I write to Jack.

  He stops rubbing my head and reaches for the pad. He smiles as he looks to me. “I’ll do anything to help. I won’t let anything happen to you. Want to talk about the dream?” He asks and leans on the bed rail looking all sweet and sexy. Endearing and caring. His smell is divine and does things to me. Sexy things. I get this funny feeling in my belly and a tingly feeling in my private parts.

  How is it that a man’s smell can turn me on? Maybe it’s just Jack, part of the connection that seems to be growing. Over this past week, I’ve noticed that when I first wake up he’s the person I want to see, the first person whose voice I want hear. We must have a past, or present of sort. This memory thing is taking too long. I want to know who I am and what Jack is to me. Especially now that he’s calling me “baby”. I must mean something to him. I know I want to mean something to him.

  I take the pad from him and have the urge to bite my lip, but not being able. Damn it, when will this wire crap come out?

  I think my name’s Sydney. I turn the pad to him, raising my eyebrows and hold my breath. I keep dreaming about this Sydney so that must be my name. It feels right, it sounds right.

  He frowns as he reads it and shakes his head. “No. Your name is Melanie. We call you Mel for short.”

  I grunt, feeling frustrated. I stab the pen to the paper again and write. In every dream, I have, I’m Sydney. It feels right. I’m Sydney! I want to put a hundred exclamation marks to make my point, but I don’t. I just turn the paper toward him and glare.

  Jack immediately stands up and rubs his hand down his face. “I don’t know what dreams you’re having, baby. But, your name is Melanie Snow.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and starts typing.

  Frustration over takes me and tears pool and fall down my face. How can I have two names? I know my name’s Sydney, but Jack’s fighting me on it. I don’t want to upset him. Damn you, memory, what are you doing to me?

  Jack rushes to my side when he sees I’m crying. “Don’t cry. Please, baby. I hate seeing you cry.” He takes my hands in his and kisses the palms of both. I cry a little more. How sweet is this man? He holds my hands in his and gently rubs his thumbs over my knuckles. “Gabe and Belle will be here shortly. Maybe they can help with this little mix up.”

  I sniff my salty tears and blink a few times to hold the rest back. I nod my head in understanding. Then it hits me. My last name. I have a last name. I pull my hands free from him and grab the pad. According to my dreams, my last name is Waters. If that helps. I turn it to him and give him a small smile with hope.

  “It just might. Thank you.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead. I swoon for the man that keeps doing simple naughty things to me. A kiss on the head here, a gentle caress there. Story of an amnesiac falling in love. I laugh to myself and smile.

  I try and clear my throat. It’s very dry in this place. Jack hands me a cup of water with a straw and I gladly accept it. Over the past week, I have aced a maneuver on how to drink without spilling. I drink my fill and hand it back to him. All my tubes are gone and I’m only hooked up to a monitor for my vitals. I’m able to get out of bed and walk around. I have showered once with the help of a nurse and it felt amazing. Belle brought in a suitcase with a bunch of my stuff so now I’m able to wear my own clothes and brush my hair as well. After getting my hair washed, getting all the blood and dirt free from the rat’s nest, pulling a brush through my long locks felt heavenly.

  The swelling has decreased on my face, so has the bruising. You can actually make out cheek bones and see my actual eyes. My ribs still hurt, but not as much. My arms and legs are marked with yellowish green spots as the bruising fades from them as well. All in all, things are looking up. Now I just need my jaw to heal so they can take the stupid metal out. Keeping my teeth clean and my mouth fresh is near to impossible. I can just imagine what Jack thinks when he gets close enough to smell me.

  Mel’s doing a word search I bought her and I’m checking my emails on my laptop when Gabe and Belle walk in. A tray of coffee in hand and what looks like a box of donuts from Timmie’s. Score. I could go for a nice sweet treat right about now. Gabe hands me my large coffee, then hands Mel an iced coffee. I don’t know how anyone can drink cold coffee, but it’s something Mel loved to drink before all this. She hasn’t complained yet, so to each their own. Gabe and Belle then go and sit in the other chairs with their hot beverages.

  The smell of the coffee is intoxicating, I can’t help but start drinking it. It’s hot as hell, but I need a caffeine fix. After my first sip, I sigh. Everyone in the room laughs, even Mel, well as best as she can. I didn’t realize how loud I was. “What? Can’t a man enjoy a good cup of coffee?” I smirk and shake my head.

  Belle starts right in. “So, Jack says you had another dream, Mel?” Damn woman couldn’t just ease in, could she?

  I hear the breath Mel takes and watch her look to Belle and nod. She then scrambles through her notes and holds up the piece of paper that mentions her name. I think my name is Sydney.

  I watch Belle read it and then look at me, questions beaming at me with no words.

  Mel sta
rts to scribble on paper and holds it to Belle again. Sydney Waters.

  I’ve never seen anyone look dumbfounded before, but if I was to ever see it, now would be it. Belle looks so lost and dumbfounded. “What do you mean your name is Sydney Waters? Your name has been Mel Snow for the entire time I’ve known you.” She looks to Gabe and then to me again. “Jack? What does this mean?” She asks.

  “Mel’s been having these weird dreams, sometimes scary ones, over the past week. In every one her name is Sydney Waters. I don’t know if they’re memories or what. I have emailed my source with the CSIS and they are checking the name out for me. I hope to get an answer back soon.”

  Gabe reaches for Belles hand and frowns. “How can she be two people? I mean, her memory is supposed to come back, but she isn’t remembering who she is.” Gabe growls. “Fuck, I mean, is she remembering someone else’s memories? Is Mel not Mel?”

  Frustrated with the whole situation, my patience running thin, I hit refresh on my email with hopes of answers. “Gabe, man. She’s still the same woman. Fuck.” I return his growl just as my email pings.

  I look down to see that Dex has done his job well. I hit the attachment that is with the email and my jaw drops. It’s an obituary notice from Washington, DC.

  Sydney Jane Waters

  Age 15

  Daughter of Senator Douglas Waters and Marsha Waters(deceased)

  I stop reading and look to the photo. It’s a spitting image of Mel, but younger and with blonde hair. No fucking way. Is it possible? I look over at Belle and Gabe and glance at Mel as she now sleeps peacefully.

  What the hell is going on here? Is Mel really Sydney? My mind is spinning, searching for answers only that Mel or Sydney can give. I stand and walk over to Gabe and set my laptop in front of the pair. If I’m as shocked as I am, I can’t imagine the reaction Belle will have.

  “Oh, my God!” Belle shouts as she stands up and starts to pace. “No way! How is this possible?” She moves toward her friend and kneels beside the bed. “Why would she not tell me?”

  Gabe stares at the screen, you can tell his mind is running a mile a minute by the way he clenches and unclenches his fist. He’s thinking. He’s probably thinking the same as me. “She’s obviously hiding something huge, something that puts her in danger.” He looks to me and then to his weeping woman crouched beside her best friend.

  Following his gaze my heart thumps with wonderment and curiosity. What could be so bad that Mel would need to change her entire identity? I take my laptop and go sit back down beside the bed. I read over the email to see if any of the information can give a clue or two.

  Pulling up a search bar, I do a search for Douglas Waters. Maybe if I had information on the man, dots will connect. As I read, I make quick note of some information that I think I’ll need. Mother found murdered in the home; house burglarized. Sydney missing and found dead less than a week later. Douglas Senator of Washington State for the past sixteen years. One scandal with a prostitute stating the Senator abused her.

  “Hey.” Belle says and I look up. Mel is waking up. “Have a good rest?” It was a short nap, but she needed it.

  Mel nods and smiles. She’s getting better mouth control now that the swelling is going down. She looks around until she sees me. She stops and smiles bigger. Her eyes sparkle, shining bright as she stares momentarily.

  I smile back. “Hey, you. I love seeing that smile.” Instantly her cheeks flush. She reaches around on the bed for the note pad, once she has it she starts to scribble things down.

  Thank you. Why does Gabe look so serious?

  She nods toward Gabe and looks back at me while she hands me the note.

  I didn’t realize Gabe was still in his “think” mode, so I clear my throat to get his attention. He immediately averts his eyes to us. “Yeah?” He asks. He must have been in his own little world or something. When something is on his mind, when he is processing something, he tunes everything out.

  “Just checking to see if you were with us, man.” I chuckle and reach for Mel’s hand.

  He smiles and nods. “Yeah, sorry. Was just thinking.”

  I give Mel’s hand a little squeeze. “Mel, I had my friend look into Sydney Waters.”

  Washington, DC

  My laptop pings with an alert notifying me of email. I move from my kitchen table to the living room where my computer sits. Opening my email I see one flagged. Why, I wonder. Clicking on the document, it opens and immediately my heart stops. It’s a notification that the CSIS has done a check into Sydney Waters. Shit. This isn’t good.

  I remember the day I saw her run from the house, tears streaming down her face. Her arm was bent at an odd angle. I knew Douglas had a mean streak, but I never thought he’d hurt his family, so I followed Sydney. Once I caught up to her and calmed her down, I listened to what she had to say. My jaw dropped at it all. My loyalty was to the Senator, but there was no way I was letting his teenage daughter suffer. I gave her the cash I had on me and told her to go to a specific hotel and wait for me. I was going to confront the man who I thought was a true family man.

  The Senator called and said there was a break in and he needed my help. I (of course) didn’t believe him—not after seeing Sydney in such distress and hearing what she had to say. My loyalty to his cause took precedence, but not necessarily to the man himself. I was told that men broke in and attacked his wife and daughter. Douglas’s story didn’t match his daughter’s. But I have two eyes and I believe what I see, so while still hesitant I helped deal with the situation.

  I don’t know what came over him, but he then put a hit on his own daughter. The senator went crazy. I did everything I could to stop him, to change his mind—even to figure out why he would do such a thing to his own family. I couldn’t control my anger and shock. Douglas could tell I was ready to turn him in. Then came the threats. Death threats. I was only twenty years old, the youngest boy in the family. My mother depended on me for medical bills and what not. I wasn’t ready to die. I wasn’t ready for my parents or siblings to die. I was stuck. Nowhere to turn, nowhere to run. So, I swallowed what pride I had left in me and struck a deal with the devil of a man, the senator. Only, it wasn’t a deal I planned to keep.

  With help of a body from a mortuary and Sydney’s car, I faked her death. I did what I could to fake all the documents to prove that it was her in the car.

  Just because I signed my death warrant with the devil, doesn’t mean I had to actually sign one for his innocent daughter.

  With the senator happy that she was gone, I proceeded to getting Sydney a new identity and recommending where she should try going.

  After I got her set up, I haven’t seen her since. This is the first I’ve heard anything about her. This isn’t how I wanted her to pop up.

  I stand and start to pace the room. Something serious must have happened for the Canadian government to be looking into her through FBI alliances. I sit on the couch and look at the email again. It can’t be real. Not possible. Sydney wouldn’t screw things up. She wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her life or mine—I’d hope—especially when it comes to her father.

  Shit. I stand again and clench my fists in frustration, pacing around the room. I should have ran away myself years ago, but I was scared. Douglas Waters has the means to harm so many people, it isn’t even funny. I just hope he doesn’t find out that I helped her escape or I’m dead.

  My cell rings. I look at the ID and it’s Douglas. I gasp. “Shit. He must know.” If I don’t answer, he’ll think something is up.

  I answer on the third ring. “Hello, sir, what can I help you with?” I do my best to contain the fear in my voice.

  “How is that lovely daughter of yours, Sebastian? Well, I hope? I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her, would you?” The senator says in a stern voice. A chill runs up my spine. Shit. No. I can’t let him touch my little girl.

  I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “She is great actually. Playing with the neighbor’s
kids right now.” I know I’m kicking myself for asking, but I won’t play games with him. Not now. “Why do you ask?”

  A growl comes through the phone. “Let’s talk emails.” I hear teeth gritting. “Did you happen to get one recently that might upset me at all, Sebastian?”

  I clench my eyes shut and calm my breathing before I speak. “I haven’t checked my emails today, sir.”

  “DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME!” Douglas yells and blows out a breath. “I know you read your emails.”

  I pull the phone away from my ear for a second and look up to my ceiling. I can’t do this. I start pacing the floor again. Putting the phone back to my ear I start back in on his game. “Alright, sir. Yes, I’ve read my emails. What would you like to know?” I wait for more screaming, but it doesn’t come. I get silence. “Sir?”

  “You remember when your wife had that little car accident and didn’t survive? What a tragedy it was.”

  I think for a moment. Why would he mention the accident? Then it dawns on me. It wasn’t an accident. Fuck! My heart starts racing and I rush to my daughter’s room and start packing some clothes.

  “It wasn’t an accident, was it, Douglas?” I grit my teeth and sneer. In return I get laughter. The little hairs on my neck stand and I don’t know what to feel anymore, fear or anger, both maybe.

  “Of course not, friend—and with what looks like my daughter being alive, you need to learn another lesson.” The phone goes dead. I drop my phone, grab Lilly’s back pack and head to my room to pack. I need to pack up the car and get the fuck out of dodge with my daughter. If I can, I’ll find Sydney where I recommended her to run to and warn her.

  Looked into her? So…am I her or not? Tension builds inside of me. My mouth and throat get dry. I’m actually nervous to find out the answer.

  Water, please. I scribble quickly on the paper and Belle hands me a cup with a straw to drink from. I take few soothing sips and swallow deeply. Handing the cup back to Belle, I put the pen to the paper again. What did you find out? I turn the paper to Jack and look to him as my anxiousness increases.