Beyond the Palms

by Amanda Aggie

“I’m not sure, I mean I can sleep anywhere, but that’s on a whole new level.” He paused, thinking about a deeper subject that came to his mind.

  “Honestly, though, I am just really proud of how well you’re handling everything. I thought that it was going to be harder bringing you back to being you again after what we saw, what we went through, and what could’ve happened. You’re one hell of an amazing woman.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes watery.

  “Thank you!” she held back her tears and hugged John as hard as she could.

  Meanwhile, Alex observed Thea, who now looked vaguely out the window. She seemed calmer, but he could tell it was going to be hard for her to recover from all of it. He reached over and intertwined his fingers with hers.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.” He said, his voice was sweet and sincere.

  “I’m thinking about a lot of things.” She said, her gaze fixed on something outside the window.

  “Well, tell me one then.” He prodded for some insight into what could possibly be running ragged through her mind.

  “I am thinking about the woman in that room being your ex-fiancée, and I don’t want to end up like her. At the same time, she did say that you probably didn’t know she was there. You also came back to me. I just don’t know if that is enough to make me forget.”

  Alex stroked his thumb across her hand. She didn’t take it away from him, so there was hope.

  “She was, I didn’t know that she was there. I thought that she had gone off and started life somewhere else. Somewhere free of all of this. I didn’t know that she was there until right before the convention. That was when I told you that we couldn’t see each other anymore. I didn’t want whatever happened to her to happen to you too.”

  He paused and took a deep breath.

  “Of course, I came for you Thea, and your family. If I had known about Elizabeth, I would’ve done the same thing for her. I just didn’t, I would’ve gotten her out too, but she was too far gone. I couldn’t risk her pulling a stunt again that could’ve taken my one chance to get you and your family out safely either. I decided to set her free the best way I could. She’s at peace now.”

  He took his hand back and rested it on his lap.

  “Thea, I don’t expect you just to forgive me. I hope that you can, but if you can’t, then I understand. I’m ok knowing that you’re safe, that’s all I need. I just want to make sure that you’re ok. I don’t expect you to just up and start where we left off either. If you want to be with me after everything you’ve been through, then I’m here. If not, then that is ok too. I want you to be happy. Take as much time as you need.”

  When Alex finished speaking, silence fell between them. It wasn’t until an hour into the flight that she finally reached over and weaved her fingers back into his. A smile crossed his face that he couldn’t control. Alex looked at Thea; her baby blue eyes stared back at him.

  “Baby steps?” She said quietly.

  “Baby steps.” Alex murmured before bringing their clasped hands to his lips.

  23

  No Turning Back

  When the plane landed, all of the passengers piled off and trailed their way into the terminal, down the escalator of San Diego International Airport, and made their way to the baggage claim.

  The crowd pushed and shoved their way through to claim their luggage as is spun around the oval baggage claim track.

  “Well, bright side Dad, we get to avoid that madness. We all know how much you hate crowds and luggage carts.” He teased.

  “Oh, shush, I had to leave behind my good jeans.” John joked back.

  As the escalator descended and the steps disappeared under the track, each of them stepped off onto the tile floor.

  “Oh, it feels so good to be home!” Eleanor shouted, she held her arms up in the air and spun around happily.

  Thea smiled at her and readjusted the bag that was slung over her shoulder.

  “Well, I guess this is where we will leave you guys. I will be checking in often to make sure you all are ok, and if you need anything, please reach out!” Alex said.

  Jane stood beside him, smiled at Jack.

  “Leaving? Oh, no. We have enough room for the two of you if you need to stay with us for a little bit. It’s the least we can do after both of you risked your lives to save us.”

  “Yes, but we are also part of the reason you were there in the first place. I have a home in Santa Maria. I am sure that ill have to be moving out of it soon all things considered, but with Jane going to UCLA this coming semester, we won’t be far.”

  “Nope. I don’t like it.” John commented, crossing his arms across his chest.

  “I think it would be better for your two to stay with us. So that I can keep an eye on you both as well as so you can make sure my son doesn’t have any lasting injuries.”

  Jane looked at Alex, waiting for a response. Excitement filled her eyes as she sent a silent plea for him to agree to stay.

  “Fine. We will stay but only for a few days.” Alex finally caved in.

  “Yay!” Jane yelled as she danced around in excitement.

  “Looks like you’re stuck with me!” She said to Jack.

  “Eh, I’m not so sure that you will be saying that in a couple of days,” Eleanor said to the girl.

  She hugged him before standing at his side.

  “Well, in that case, let’s get home,” John said before walking outside of the airport to catch a taxi.

  The taxi pulled into the driveway of the beautiful two-story stucco home at the end of a cul-de-sac. John shuffled through his back pocket in an attempt to grab his wallet. However, before he could get his card out, Alex had already unlocked his phone and tapped it against the block device, the taxi driver held in his hand. The block dinged to confirm that the payment was made.

  John froze, holding his wallet open, staring at the block before shifting his gaze to Alex.

  “What the hell was that?”

  “It’s an electronic wallet. It allows you to pay with your phone.” Alex replied.

  “You kids and your technology, I swear it gets weirder by the day.” John scoffed as they exited the vehicle.

  John and Alex grabbed a couple of bags from the trunk of the taxi before giving the driver the green light to leave. Eleanor checked the mail before following everyone else inside of the house.

  Alex and Jane admired the home and how cozy it was compared to what they grew up around. Both of them had very commercialized living spaces that were void of family memories and photos. Every inch of this home told a story about how Thea and Jack grew up or about John and Eleanor’s life. It was astounding to Alex and worshiped by him all the more. He wanted a family like this, and a home that resembled the love that they shared.

  “We only have one guest bedroom, but the couch upstairs folds out to a bed, so maybe one of you won’t mind sleeping on that?” Eleanor addressed the question to both Alex and Jane.

  Jane willingly volunteered as Eleanor gave the two of them the tour of the house.

  Later that evening, when everyone had adjusted to being home, Thea heard the soft knock on her room door.

  “Come in.” She announced.

  When Alex poked his head in, he tried his best to hide the grin that formed across his face.

  “So, this is where you live, huh?”

  He looked around the room, seeing decathlon trophies on an old wooden shelf, the photo collages that hung on the walls, the purple girly décor that screamed teenage girl.

  “Before you make fun of me, I just moved back and didn’t plan on living here long enough to justify redecorating.”

  “That’s right; you were in your dorms.”

  She nodded at his statement.

  “Everything I brought with me is in boxes downstairs in the garage. I just unpacked the clothes I needed for the trip.”

  “I see.” He said, playing with the high school graduation tassel that hung from the photo collage on the wall nex
t to Thea’s senior photo.

  “Why do you have to leave your house in Santa Maria?”

  “Well, my father paid for it, and I can’t afford it by myself, even if I am a Doctor. I am assuming that I will be cut off from the hotel money. Maybe it’s just time to move on from it all anyway and find a home that I want to stay in forever.”

  She nodded in response as she leaned against her headboard, her legs under the comforter that laid across her bed.

  “I’ve thought about looking closer to here too.” He added.

  Thea raised her eyebrows at him.

  “Oh, really?” she asked skeptically.

  “Well, I don’t see why not. San Diego isn’t bad, and there are plenty of jobs. I think that Jane would like to transfer to one of the colleges she’s had her eye on here. It would be a good move for her to be able to be close to home.”

  “This is about Jane?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t mind being closer to you either.” Alex followed up; his cheeks grew warm as she eyed him. He couldn’t tell if it was because she liked or hated the idea, but he assumed she would tell him either way.

  The awkward silence grew, and neither one of them knew how to end it. Thea wanted to forgive him, she tried to forget, and simply move on from it all, but she couldn’t help that as much as she wanted to push him away, the want to keep him close was stronger.

  She scooted over so that he could sit down on the edge of her bed. Once he was seated, she reached a hand up to cup the side of his face. She felt the scruffiness of his short beard and saw the confusion in his eyes. She sat up and kissed him softly, noting the way his mouth fit on hers. He closed his eyes and kissed her back.

  The sound of Jack celebrating in the hallway broke the two of them apart. Thea saw him standing in the doorway, both fists in the air.

  “That is what I am talking about!” Jack said to the two of them.

  Thea rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at the door that swung it shut. Alex laughed at the two of them.

  She turned her gaze back to Alex.

  “How are you doing?” He asked her.

  “Better, what you gave me on the plane helped quite a bit. I talked to Mom, and she thinks that I should start seeing a shrink.”

  “It would probably be a good idea. You all have been through things that no one should ever have to go through. Having someone to help you through processing that is never a bad thing. You can try it and if you don’t like it, then don’t go back.” He said encouragingly.

  “Yeah, I told her to make the appointment and that I’d give it a go.” She smiled lazily at him.

  “Well, I will let you get some sleep,” Alex said before standing up, kissing her forehead, and walking over to the door. He smiled at her before disappearing behind the closed door.

  24

  A Whole New World

  A year had passed since their horror story ended. One whole year, it seemed their lives had returned to normal as if they woke from a bad dream. The family resumed their daily lives as if nothing ever happened and pretended that this week when spring break began,when the Black Arbor Convention would resume and sentence innocent lives to the death, did not exist . Thea hated thinking about it, but she understood that if she said anything that they would come after all of them again, and they wouldn’t mess up this time. There would be no escape.

  Alex had rented a home a couple of blocks from where her parents lived. The two of them now lived together, though trying at times, Thea wouldn’t have it any other way. She still struggled with what they went through and still saw a therapist regularly. It helped to have Alex there, and it helped to know that they were ok, that they escaped. What haunted her memories was the woman in the cage, who she now knew to be Elizabeth. She couldn’t shake the woman’s image from her nightmares, her frail body, and thin skin. The woman’s ratted hair and broken rotted out teeth came to her thoughts. She couldn’t tell Alex, she knew he felt bad enough knowing that his uncle put her though that. She didn’t need to rub Elizabeth in his face too.

  John and Eleanor decided to set a date to renew their vows now that their marriage was healthier than ever. John started as a gym teacher at Jack’s old high school, and Eleanor still teaches at the Elementary school. Thea accepted an offer to work at at her old high school teaching science and Alex started at a medical clinic close to home.

  Jack and Jane applied and started at California State University in San Diego, keeping them close to home and together. Their relationship flourished, and the two of them were inseparable. Thea and Alex were on their way to pick both of them up from the college campus for spring break. It was now deemed a tradition to have a staycation every year from here on out. Even though they could stay at home, the two of them chose to live in the dorms on campus. John hated the idea but after some persuasion allowed it.

  Jane hardly ever heard from her father. When he did call, the calls were kept brief, and she put forth the bare minimum of effort to hold a conversation. Alex worried since it was his uncle’s only request was to make sure that she stayed safe and to make sure that she called often. He tried to best he could to hold that deal up, but it seemed that both parties accepted that their relationship was irrecoverable.

  When Thea and Alex’s car rolled around the curve and turned in to the parking lot that Jane and Jack directed them to meet at, Thea began searching for any evidence of the two of them. The crowded area consisted of parents and college students walking in every which direction ready to enjoy their spring break.

  When she finally locked on to their location, Alex parked the red 4-door car in a vacant parking spot so they could go scavenger hunt for her brother and his niece. When they approached where she had seen them waiting, they were nowhere to be found. The two of them searched the entire campus and couldn’t see any sign of Jack or Jane.

  She called both of their cell phones and received no answer, the same as the previous 20 calls she had made.

  “That’s it I’m calling 911. Something is off.” Thea said, taking the phone from her ear as she started to press the corresponding numbers.

  “THEA!”

  She paused as she looked to find the owner of the voice that called her name. She saw Jack running down the sidewalk.

  “Oh, I am so glad that you waited. I’m sorry, my phone died. Jane said she had to get something from her teacher before she left. I waited for a bit, but she didn’t come back. I went looking for her but only found a note in her room. Did she get a hold of you by chance?” He asked, looking at Alex for a response.

  “No, Thea has been trying to call both of you, but neither of you answered,” Alex said.

  “What did the note say?” Thea questioned.

  Jack handed her the slip of paper.

  Jack,

  I can’t go with you. Something has come up. Please just go home, I will explain later.

  Love you,

  Jane

  “Well, she left a note, right? She should be ok right?” Jack said.

  Jack and Thea looked at Alex for answers.

  “I am not sure, but she wouldn’t have just taken off without reason, and she left a note, so let’s give her some time. If she hasn’t contacted someone by tonight, then we will call the police.” Alex hoped he made the right call, but something just didn’t sit right in his gut.

  By the time they made it home, Eleanor had already finished Jack and Jane’s welcome home dinner. The table was set, and the food was spread across the table in small glass containers. Eleanor took off her apron at the sound of the front door opening up and set it on the counter in the kitchen.

  “JOHN! They’re here!” She yelled up the stairs at her husband before bounding off into the entryway to greet her kids.

  “I am so happy to see you!” She said, squeezing Jack a little bit too hard.

  When she pulled away, she hugged Thea with the same enthusiasm. She let go of Alex and searched for Jane but didn’t see her. Eleanor instantly turned to put the blame on Jack.


  “What did you do!?” She asked out of anger.

  “Nothing, Mom. She left me in the parking lot and said she needed to go. She didn’t come back, so I went to her room, and she left me a note saying that I needed to go without her, and she would explain later.”

  Eleanor’s face contorted, not liking the sound of it.

  “You made her mad. You had to. She wouldn’t just go off like that.” Eleanor said, pointing the finger at her son.

  “Mom, can we please just eat? I am starving.” Jack pleaded.

  They all took their seats, and Eleanor took away the plate that she set out for Jane. They exchanged laughs and talked about things that occurred since they last saw each other.

  When dinner was over, Thea offered to do the dishes and piled the mountain of them inside the sink. Thea’s family conversed in the living room, leaving her to her thoughts and the sound of the water from the sink. If they hadn’t, she would’ve been too distracted to have noticed the figure in the dark walking along the sidewalk, stop and shove something into her parent’s mailbox. Thea turned off the water and watched as the shadowy figure closed the box and looked up to make eye contact with her.

  The streetlights gleamed down; the hooded person’s face was masked with shadow. Thea froze, not knowing how to handle the situation. They stared at each other through the glass for a moment before the figure took off running into the night. Thea ran past her family in the living room and through the front door. She ran down the driveway and out into the street, hoping to see what direction the figure ran off in, but whoever it was, was gone. She ran over the mailbox and pulled out the white envelope from inside.

  By that time, her family had followed her out into the night and waited for her to explain. When Thea picked up the letter, she noticed it was blank besides the return address and the recipient’s name. The message was addressed to Alex from his uncle. Alex finally made it where she stood and looked over her shoulder to see what she held in her hands. His eyes grew big; his breath stopped in his throat. Alex tore open a corner piece and took out the folded white piece of paper from it. Inside had a letter from his uncle.