Bats in the Belfry

by S C Jones

  “No, she was alone.”

  “Good, get her inside with the others. I have some business to tend too so you’ll need to look after them until they’re ready to be shipped.” Shipped, she thought. Shipped where? She wanted to yell.

  “And when exactly is that because I have things to get back too.”

  “And what might that be? School?”

  She heard Cas sigh, and his frustrated voice followed. “Look, how long do I need to be here because I have a life to get back to. You can’t keep pulling me away anytime you feel like it for stupid shit I don’t want to be a part of.”

  The man snorted a chuckle. “Hasn’t it become apparent that I don’t care what you want? Whether you want to or not, you do as I fucking say, and I say you stay here till I get back. Now get the girl inside so I can go.” She listened as the man’s footsteps disappeared until he was gone. Cas grumbled something she didn’t quite hear before she felt his hand around her arm pulling her up.

  She fumbled getting out, and once her feet touched the ground she stumbled since her legs hadn’t quite adjusted to being straight again. Quickly walking, and pulling her along she said, “it would seem we're both being forced into this.”

  He huffed. “Shut up. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Really, because it sounds to me that he’s doing to you, what you’re doing to me. Doesn’t feel nice does it?”

  He stopped, causing her to jolt as he turned her body to face him. Her beauty was astounding, he thought. Even with a cloth covering her eyes she was mesmerizing, and he could see what everyone else would the moment they laid eyes on her. That made him mad. “I said shut up,” he growled, tugging on her arm while forcing her forward.

  She tugged back trying to stay in place, and was glad when she felt him stop, coming closer. The heat from his body like a blanket she desperately wanted to get under, played with her head, making her think back to the car ride, before all this went down. “Why? If I’m about to die I should at least get a few last words. Apparently sobbing and begging for my life wouldn’t work,” she said angrily pulling on her arm to get out of his hold.

  “You’re not about to die okay. At least not by me, and not today anyway.”

  “Wow, that’s comforting,” she said sarcastically.

  “Would you just shut up and come on. I don’t have time for this,” he said exasperated pulling her along. His mouth turned into a smile because he knew she couldn’t see. He liked how she was standing up to him. He actually found it…fun.

  “Can I at least use the bathroom?” she whined causing him to huff once more.

  “Come,” he said as they walked a little farther into wherever he was taking her.

  He pushed her back until the back of her legs touched something hard and cold. The toilet? “You know I can’t actually use the toilet with my hands behind my back. How am I supposed to get my skirt down?” She waited for him to untie her thinking once he did, she would jump him, and get the hell out of dodge, but instead, she felt his hand on the edge of her skirt lifting it up.

  “Don't you trust me?" she cooed, when she realized what he was doing.

  He snorted. “Do you trust me?"

  When no answer came from her, he grabbed her underwear shoving it down her thighs while keeping his eyes focused on her face. Once it was mid-thigh, he pushed her down on the toilet seat and said, “Don’t worry, I didn’t look, if that’s what you’re worried about. Now hurry up I have other things to do,” he said dryly.

  After the whole toilet fiasco, she was forced into another room, before being pushed onto something soft. It felt like a bed, and it was confirmed when she felt her foot tap the wooden frame. The door shut and the lock turned, and there was a moment of silence. She sat there, pulling at the ropes, but they wouldn’t budge. After a few minutes of pulling with them finally cutting into her skin with a slight burning sensation and the smell of blood in the air, she gave up.

  “You shouldn’t pull on them. You might quicker take an arm off than get out of that rope. I should know I’ve been trying for two days now,” said a female’s voice from the left of her.

  “Same here,” said another causing her head to snap in the other direction.

  “Who said that?”

  “Oh, sorry if we scared you. I’m Casey, and the other voice is Andy, but I’m guessing you can’t see like us.”

  “Yeah, that would be right. Where are we?” Olivia asked sliding onto the floor. She preferred the hard coldness of it, because she didn’t want to get comfortable in a place, she wasn't meant to stay in.

  “I don’t know. I was on my way home from soccer practice when someone grabbed me from behind. The next thing I know I was smelling something sweet that made me dizzy and fall asleep. I woke up here two days ago,” Casey said. Olivia still had no idea where Casey was, but she sounded close enough to touch. Her head turned in the other direction as the sound of Andy’s voice grabbed her attention. It would seem that the loss of one sense heightened the use of another, because she could hear better than she could before.

  “Pretty much the same thing happened to me except I was an orphan about to be shipped to yet another foster home when I decided to run away. I didn’t even make it to the bus station. What happened to you?”

  “Hmmm, I was probably the easiest to catch, since I walked right into his car. Pretty stupid huh. Your parents warn you about taking rides from strangers and I just walk into a stranger’s car giving him permission to take me.”

  “Don’t blame yourself,” Andy said.

  “Who else should I blame? I fell for his charm and good looks and went with him. I let him take me.” She said matter- of- factly.

  “Wait, you met him?” Casey asked sounding surprised.

  “Yeah, didn’t any of you guys?”

  “No, whoever it was grabbed me from behind,” said Casey. Without her sight it was becoming easier for her to determine which girl was which, and where they were situated.

  “Me too,” said Andy. That was strange she thought. Why’d he let her see his face and not the others? He let her know his name and that he liked her favorite band. Maybe they were all lies to get her to let her guard down to make it easier for himself, or maybe they weren’t. Whatever his reason, it worked all too well because here she was like the rest of them.

  It was quite for some time after that. Maybe an hour or two had passed where nothing was said and no one came. She drifted during that time, and had only realized it when she heard the lock on the door turn, and the door squeak like it did before. Jerking awake, she listened as someone walked in, placing something metal on the floor on the other side of the room. They stayed a few minutes, maybe ten at most before their footsteps stopped in front of her.

  It was him. She knew his scent after spending such a long time in the car sitting next to him. It was a mixture of sweet and expensive, reminding her of a cologne she had once sampled at the mall, but couldn’t remember anything about it except the scent itself. “Here, eat up,” he whispered close enough so only she could hear. With her hands still tied, she wondered how she was supposed to eat, and was about to ask when the smell of peanut butter flooded her nose before the bread touched her lips. She didn’t even know she was hungry until she smelled it, and gratefully opened her mouth for the offering.

  She was glad he wasn’t a complete monster to let them starve to death before they died, so she swallowed and took another bite then another and another until it was gone. When he placed a cup to her lips, she opened her mouth allowing the cold water to slide down her throat. After the cup was gone and no other movements were made, she leaned against the bed knowing he wasn’t gone. It was almost like she could feel him watching her, sensing there was something he wanted to say, but was holding back.

  He had no idea why he was still sitting there staring at her, but after the first bite of that sandwich it took everything in him not to groan at the sight of her tongue when it peeked out and licked her upper
lip. He desperately wanted to see her eyes again, to see that sparkle she had when they spoke. Cas knew if he pulled that cloth away the sparkle wouldn’t be there, it would be lost forever because he’d be compelled to tell her about her faith. So, he did the only thing he could and walked away.

  When he was gone, Olivia's anger flared. She wanted to hit him, wanted to cause him pain and make him hurt. How dear he treat her differently when the outcome was still the same. She felt so stupid for believing his lies, so naive for trusting his words. She didn't want to be there anymore, and she didn't have to be.

  ***

  Lane…

  Lane shuffled awake to some yelling coming from somewhere within the walls. Her body hurt, she couldn't see, and she had no idea how she had gotten there. Last thing she remembered was going to sleep, and now she was bound laying on the cold floor. Her head was resting against the wall, and she could feel the grainy texture of a vent of some kind close to her ear. She didn't know what to do, for one thing she couldn't move very far, and then somewhere within the walls the muffled sounds of an argument transpired between two people.

  “Dad I have to go. How much longer is this going to take? I can’t keep sitting here waiting for you to decide when it’s time to leave. I’m not a God damn babysitter," yelled one voice.

  “As long as I say and right now you are getting on my last nerve with all these fucking questions. I have never seen you act like this before. What’s the problem now? Why the hell can’t you just do as I say?”

  “Because I’m fucking tired of just doing what you say. I’m trying to build my own fucking life away from you and you keep pulling me back into this fucking shit. Why? You’re the one who made a deal with that prick and made this into a business. I never wanted to be a part of this.”

  “No, but you’re staying a part of it as long as I say. You know exactly why I keep you around, so stop acting so stupid.”

  “Right, I’m just your fucking puppet. I’m your son!” he shouted causing Lane to jump. “Why the hell can’t you let that secret die along with everything else?”

  “You should know me by now, Son. I don’t let anything die unless I want it to. I protected you by making your problem disappear or did you forget?”

  “No dad, you never let me forget.... How much longer?”

  “If you must know we leave tomorrow night. I already called Arron to let him know we have the girls. Once I get the money, you're free to go, until I need you again.”

  “Fuck you, I’m tired of this shit,” he mumbled as someone walked away slamming the door behind them. She assumed it was the son because his father’s laugh was a little too close.

  When it was quiet again, she rolled to her other side sliding to the floor. This had to be a dream, she thought, these things never happened in real life. People didn't sell people, but the conversation she'd heard couldn't mean anything else. This had to be a dream, a seriously messed up dream, she just needed to wake up. Suddenly a noise echoed across the room, followed by a creaking sound. A door. Someone entered; footsteps followed, coming closer and closer before stopping nearby. She could feel whoever it was standing over her. She wanted to scream, as her body shivered and she swallowed the bile in her throat. When they leaned in, she felt a hand cup her breast over her shirt, kneading callously making her wince. “Hmmm, you are fucking delectable.” It was the other voice, the older one. The father. He moved his hand down her stomach, as she tensed trying not to make a sound, but her body betrayed her when a sob escaped her lips.

  “If we weren’t on a timeframe, I’d have kept you for myself. Maybe I should find someone to replace you,” he rasped moving his hand under her shirt, and pulling her bra down, tweaking her nipples. She wanted to scream when he pulled and tugged at them as if trying to tear them off.

  “Would you like that? You would, wouldn’t you? I’ll strike a deal and just maybe you can.” Pressing a soft kiss to her quivering lips he was soon gone, leaving her in tears huddled on the floor.

  “I need to wake up. Please, let me wake up,” she sobbed.

  ***

  Olivia…

  She came back when he did. Cas fed her a peanut butter sandwich almost like a last meal of sorts, and in between bites she swore she heard him say forgive me. Maybe he did say it, maybe he didn’t, but it was nice to think that there might be hope for him yet.

  She knew when night fell that evening because she heard as the order was given. “Go get them in the van we leave in twenty. I’m going to call the pilot to see if the planes ready.” The voices died, and she curled into a ball silently hoping that she was wrong about him. That he wasn't the monster she made him out to be.

  When she heard the door a few minutes later, and his footsteps headed toward the other side of the room, she waited, holding her breath for her turn. She listened as Casey’s screams faded into nothing, followed by Andy's. She was alone, breathing in and out so rapidly she was about ready to pass out.

  The silence was torture, but it didn’t last very long because he was back and lifting her to her feet. In no time she was being pushed to walk ahead. “I’m sorry,” he whispered with remorse.

  Turning her head away not wanting to hear any more of his lies she said harshly, “that’s all you keep saying, yet I’m still here and still being sent away.” That was all he’d done since the day they met, and now he wanted her to believe he was sorry. “I don’t forgive you. You can never be sorry for what you are.”

  She felt the cool air on her skin when they stepped out into the night. Wherever they were was very quiet, and cold, and smelled like grass and nothing. The sound of crickets filled her ears as she tried hard to be stronger than she was.

  Suddenly he stopped, pulling her hard against his chest with hands moving around her waist. She felt his finger’s pulling against the ropes on her hands suddenly making them looser. “I am sorry,” he said close to her ear. “I know you think I lied but everything I said was true. I can’t do this to you, O.”

  “WH…what?” she whispered.

  Listen to me,” he said into her left ear. “I’m untying your hands and when I say run. You run. You run far and you run fast and don’t look back. Anyone asked, you never met me or know what will happen. Understand?” She didn’t respond because she didn't understand.

  He pulled the blindfold from her eyes and turned her to face him. Those beautiful brown eyes stared at her with intent, the same eyes she'd seen in her head for the past couple days; the same eyes that fooled her into believing he was human. “Do you understand me?” She still gave him nothing, because although she was scared, she was still royally pissed.

  “Run.” He let her go.

  And she ran.

  ***

  Olivia remembered the night she was taken. For years all she saw were his smile, and those trusting eyes as they looked at her, saw her, called to her. She was seventeen, stupid and naïve, and thought that nothing bad could happen to her. After being in that room blindfolded and bound, she didn't want to think of how her carelessness was about to end their life, so she hid, and Lane was left to suffer the rest. She saw when that bastard Garrett touched Lane, but Olivia felt nothing until the night Cas took her outside and released her.

  She remembered running through that field with air being forced down her lungs because she couldn’t keep her mouth closed from exhaustion. She had no idea where she was or where to go, but that didn’t stop her from finding a way. Hitching a ride from a woman named Dawn who was gracious enough to drop her off as close as possible to her home, she walked the rest of the way, allowing that night to become a painful memory, forgetting Cas along with it.

  Sixteen

  It wasn't a dream.

  Garrett, that son of a bitch was hard to forget. His voice, the distinction and harshness of his tone, the way he laughed at Cas's desires, the way his hand felt against her skin was hard to ignore. That was what Lane remembered. Why she felt such unease whenever he was around, she remembered his voice. She k
new who that voice belonged to without even seeing his face. She knew because the first thing she heard this morning when she walked into work was that same laugh. The same one she had heard that night against the vent. She knew because she was staring right at him as he ate his lunch between the two inches of glass separating them.

  Why she didn't connect the dots from the beginning was beyond her, because remembering Garrett now and back then was like comparing the black Michael Jackson to the white one, until he opened his mouth to sing. She hadn't seen his face back then, but his voice couldn't be hidden. He knew all along who she was, and let her back into his life like this was a game.

  “Why did I think it was a dream for all these years? Why can't I remember how I got there or how I escaped? This is ridiculous. This is my life; I’m supposed to remember my life.”

  “Maybe it was a bad memory and you suppressed it, like I do with almost everything shitty thing in my life,” K.C said.

  “Really, so why the hell would I forget that, but remember Mr. Knight’s sweaty body over me telling how good I felt,” she said sarcastically without thinking. The radio was on low while 'Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars played from the kitchen.

  K.C slammed the fridge. “Who the hell’s Mr. Knight?” she asked while standing with a bowl of cereal in hand leaning against the fridge.

  Lane inhaled sharply turning to face her. “He was the next-door neighbor that raped me,” she said finally out loud for the first time since it happened. It was funny how saying it out loud actually made her feel better. Almost like a serious weight was lifted and knowing he was dead made it all the more better, because now she had nothing to fear.

  “You were raped?” she asked in a small serious voice. Lane nodded flopping down on the couch. “Wow, you’re a walking head case, aren’t you?” K.C said jokingly trying to lighten the mood.

  Lane laughed and shook her head in agreement. “Yep, I’m beginning to think that’s an accurate description.” Lane's life had quickly become a series of unexplainable moments, things that made absolutely no sense, but did, and was happening. Things had been happening for a while. The blackouts, the unexplained misconception of time. Something was wrong with her, and she was scared to know what, because maybe she was like her father.