by Rue Volley
“So… what is it that you want?” Jonah asked her.
Sara looked around the room and her eyes settled on the bookshelf, packed with movies.
“Sara?” Jonah asked her.
Sara’s eyes settled on him and she leaned back on the couch.
“I suck so bad,” she muttered.
Jonah tilted his head and grinned at her.
“I doubt that to be true, love,” Jonah said as he shifted in his seat.
Sara stared at him and tears started to run down her face. Jonah crinkled his eyebrows, not knowing why he felt sad all of sudden. He swallowed and waited for her to speak, since he felt a strange lump in his throat.
‘Could this be emotion? Fantastic,’ he thought.
Sara shook her head and placed her hands to her face. She started to speak but it was muffled by her hands. She started to blab on about everything and Jonah shook his head and rubbed his neck.
“I cannot understand a single word that you…” Jonah tried to say.
Sara ran to him and jumped on his lap. She cried so hard that Jonah was shocked at how her body was trembling. He awkwardly tried to pat her back and hold back his sympathy for her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shirt. He could feel her tears making his shoulder wet.
“I uh… oh dear,” he said, as he continued to awkwardly tap on her back.
Sara pulled up from him and sniffled. He blinked as he stared into her large sad eyes.
“I am the worst friend in the entire world. Rue is gone, Josh is gone. Kai hates me… so does Sam and Theodore… I don’t know about Johnathan; he is so hard to read anymore. I feel like a big pile of dog pooooooooo… ohhh gooood!!” Sara yelled out as she grabbed him around the neck and he grunted as she squeezed him hard.
He started to stand up, and she came with him. He had to grab her hands and pry them from his neck. He cleared his throat again and looked down at her. How weird a feeling it was for him… compassion? He touched her face as his eyes softened and then he shook his head as he stepped away from her.
“Well, you need to compose yourself. I would agree that we seem to be in the midst of a crisis, but after hundreds of years of experience… I can tell you that things tend to work themselves out.”
Sara blinked and looked at him.
“What?” she asked him. Jonah grinned.
“Okay, love, I will put it in ‘your’ language… Things suck and they may continue to suck, but we will survive it.”
Sara sniffled and nodded her head at him as she rubbed her hands. Jonah stepped forward and touched her hands. He looked down at them and saw how raw the skin on her palms were. She was obviously rubbing them to the point of causing sores to form.
“Oh my,” he said as he looked at them.
He walked her to the couch and sat her down. She looked at his hands and then watched as a glow started to form in his palms. He placed his hands over hers and she sighed as she felt the pain leave her hands. He watched her face relax. She looked at him and bit her lip. Sara leaned forward and started to look as if she was about to kiss him. Jonah’s eyes got wider; he rolled back from her and onto the floor. Sara stood up quickly and clinched her fists.
“I am soooo sorry. I just, I don’t know!” she yelled out as she raised her arms and then let them fall, hitting her legs. She started to cry even harder.
Jonah pushed himself up and held his hands out to her.
“Please… settle down, love,” he said to her.
Sara shook her head and ran into the kitchen; she grabbed a knife from the drawer and raised it to her wrist. She looked up at Jonah and shook her head slowly.
“I can’t do this,” she muttered.
Jonah flashed to her and grabbed the knife. It barely cut her wrist and small amount of blood welled up. Jonah smelled it and squeezed his eyes shut. He took a deep breath and then held it. The blood made his stomach flip out of control.
“Oh,” Sara said as she looked at her wrist.
She watched the blood start to move across her skin. Jonah peeked with one eye as he quickly threw the knife in the sink and flipped on the water. He simultaneously grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her wrist, tying it off to stop the blood from flowing. He slammed her down at the kitchen table and then flashed to the living room, where he took a big breath as he shook his head at her. Jonah raised his finger to her and shook it.
“You are very naughty,” he yelled at her.
Sara sat there and sniffled.
Everything had happened so fast she didn’t even know when she had been placed in the chair.
“Ohhhh gooooood!” Sara cried out.
She placed her hands over her face and leaned forward. Jonah rubbed his neck and Sam flashed into the house. She looked at Sara and then at Jonah. He had some of her blood smeared on the front of his shirt.
“What did you do!?” Sam screamed out at him.
Jonah shook his head and took a step back.
“Oh no… no… NO!” Jonah cried.
Sam lunged at him and they rolled across the floor. Sara stood up and yelped; she wanted to stop them but they were rolling in a flash. They came to a stop and Sam head-butted Jonah. He grabbed at his forehead.
“Completely unnecessary!” he yelled at her.
“Oh yeah!” Sam yelled at him as she grabbed him by his shirt.
She threw him across the living room, into the movie shelf. Everything came crashing to the floor, including Jonah. Sam lunged at him and Theodore caught her around the waist. She struggled as he held her above the ground.
“Samantha Barrington!” Theodore yelled at the top of his lungs.
Sam stopped and pointed at Jonah.
“You said that you would not drink blood... not in this house!” she yelled.
Jonah pushed himself up and tried to adjust his vest. He rubbed his hand through his hair and looked at Theodore. Sara ran in and looked at all three of them.
“Jonah saved me,” she yelled out.
Theodore and Sam looked at Sara and tilted their heads.
Sara swallowed and grabbed the towel on her wrist.
“He did… I was going to cut my wrist and he stopped me,” she said as she caught her breath.
“What?” Sam asked as she looked back at Jonah.
Jonah shrugged his shoulders and cracked his neck. He sighed and walked to the couch… dropping down on it. He leaned back and crossed his arms on his chest. Sam looked back at Theodore.
“Put me down please,” Sam said.
Theodore lowered her to the ground and looked at the mess in the house.
“Sara Reece,” Theodore said, like a father getting ready to distribute punishment.
Lily came running into the house and had her hands behind her back. Everyone looked at her. She tilted her head and hissed. Sam started to move towards her and Jonah flashed in between them. He held his hand up to Sam.
“She felt my distress, Samantha,” he said as he kept his eyes fixed with Sam’s.
Lily leaned around him and looked at the room.
“Are you okay, Jonah?” she asked in a small voice.
Jonah nodded and turned to her.
“Yes, love,” he whispered.
Lily looked up at him and grinned. She pulled her hands from behind her back and had two small black rabbits in them. They squirmed a little.
“Oh,” Jonah said as he reached towards one.
Lily pulled them to her chest and rubbed her chin on both of their heads.
“They were alone… Their mother’s dead; they need a home,” she said as she looked at him.
Jonah smiled at her and touched her face.
“You are kidding me?” Sam said as she looked at Theodore.
Theodore smiled.
“Well, this a safe house it would seem. All distressed creatures find their way here sooner or later,” he said as he looked at Jonah.
Jonah laughed and Lily walked to the couch and sat down with the rabbits in her hands. She gent
ly let them hop onto the couch and protected them as they hopped dangerously close to the edge.
“Oogie and Ogabon,” Lily said as she watched them.
Jonah smiled and then he laughed out loud.
“You named them...? Of course you did,” he said.
He sat down on the floor and watched them twitch their noses and look all “baby” cute.
Sam placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.
“Try to keep your teeth out of them,” she said to Lily.
Lily shot her look and then shook her head. She picked one up and snuggled it to her chest.
Sam sighed and walked to her bedroom, slamming her door behind her.
Theodore looked at Sara and stepped to her. He lifted her wrist with the towel wrapped on it. Sara tried to say something, but Theodore took her arm and walked her to the porch. He sat her down on the swing and sat down next to her. He started to swing them and Sara stared into the forest.
“What was the plan, my love...? Perhaps you wanted Jonah to eat you,” Theodore said as he continued to look towards the trees.
“I deserve it,” Sara said as she rubbed her arm.
Theodore turned and touched her face.
“No… you do not. You must not think of yourself so little. I mean what am I to say to Rue when she returns...? ‘Oh, I apologize… but your dear Sara decided to jump into the arms of death...? What a messy end’,” Theodore said as she grinned at her.
“I am the worst person in the entire world… the worst friend ever!” Sara said as she fought back her tears.
“Oh my,” Theodore said as he pulled her head to his shoulder. “I fear that I completely disregarded how heavy a heart you are burdened with.”
Sara snuggled into his shoulder and cried.
This time it wasn’t psychotic, it simply left her like a weight being lifted from her soul.
Theodore rubbed her head and rocked her.
“I would assume that now you may consider allowing me to strip you of this pain?”
Sara raised her head and shook it slowly.
“Nope… I own this, Theodore.”
Theodore smiled and shook his head.
“Oh humans… what curious creatures you are,” he said.
“Theodore?” Sara asked.
“Yes, love.”
“Could you pick out a movie?” Sara asked.
“Oh… really?”
“Yes… something funny,” she said.
Theodore smiled and held her head to his shoulder.
“Sure, little one… movie night,” he said as he closed his eyes and sighed.
***
Johnathan and Brooke dropped into the elevator through the mirror in the ceiling. Johnathan fell first and Brooke landed on top of him. She quickly rolled off of him and scooted to the wall. Johnathan sat up and grinned at her.
“I am so not going to try to ‘hump’ your leg,” he said as he shook his head and laughed.
“Good,” Brooke said as she pushed herself up and rubbed the front of her skirt.
She stepped forward and started to pick up one of her heels, which had fallen off when she dropped through the mirror. Johnathan picked it up and handed it to her. She took it and held onto the side of elevator as she placed it on her foot. Johnathan cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders, causing them to crack.
“Gross,” Brooke muttered behind him. He turned and grinned at her.
“Trust me, I could do grosser things in here.”
“What is that... some kind of come on?” Brooke asked him.
“No… no, I meant bodily function stuff… Oh never mind.”
Brooke laughed and held her hand to her mouth. Johnathan grinned and looked at the door. “Well. I guess we should figure out a plan now,” he said.
Brooke stepped up behind him.
“What...? I thought you had a plan?” she said.
Johnathan shrugged his shoulders.
“No… I just kinda wing it usually.”
Brooke shook her head.
“Oh that’s perfect; it’s a wonder that any of you are still alive.”
Johnathan looked back at her and crinkled his eyebrows.
Brooke reached past him and pressed a button. Johnathan looked as “three” lit up.
“Why the third floor?”
“Well, that is where we get some clothes,” Brooke said.
Johnathan stared at her.
“What...? I was here before… remember? Theodore helped me meditate and I was Rue’s nurse.”
Johnathan smiled, realizing suddenly why Theodore sent her with him.
He’d hoped it wasn’t because he thought Brooke was smarter than him. No… right?
The door dinged and Brooke peeked out; she didn’t see anyone. She grabbed Johnathan’s hand and pulled him out with her. They walked down the hallway and to a silver door that said “employees only”. She opened it up and pulled him, shutting the door behind them. Johnathan turned to see rows of lockers. They guessed this was where they all changed into their asylum gear. Brooke ran to a locker and opened it. She grinned as she pulled out a white dress. She looked at Johnathan and raised her eyebrows.
“You need to change,” she said.
Johnathan ran to a locker and opened it. He pulled out a dress and looked at it grinning.
Brooke looked up and smiled.
“I don’t think that you should cross-dress in here, may get some attention.”
Johnathan laughed and dropped the dress back into the locker.
He stepped to another one and opened it up.
“Here we go,” he muttered as he pulled out a shirt and pants.
Brooke started to unbutton her shirt and Johnathan glanced at her.
“Don’t get any ideas,” she said as she pulled it over her shoulder.
Johnathan turned his back to her.
“I wasn’t,” he said as he started to pull his t-shirt over his head.
Brooke sat down and looked at Johnathan’s back. His muscles twitched as he started to pull the shirt on. She cleared her throat and rubbed her neck. Johnathan grinned and buttoned up the front of his shirt. He rubbed the front of it and turned around. Brooke stood there in her white dress, same heels on… bright red.
“Well, I guess the shoes will have to do,” he said.
She looked down and twisted her foot, looking at it.
“What...? These shoes cost a lot of money,” she said. Johnathan smiled.
“Worth every penny,” he said.
Brooke grinned and shook her head.
“Listen, we have to get to Rue’s room. Unless things have changed here, we are on the right floor already.”
Johnathan looked at her and waved his hand.
“Well… you lead the way then.”
Brooke walked to the door and opened it slowly. She peeked out and looked back at him. “Come on… this way,” she said.
They both stepped out of the locker room and walked to the corner. They were about to make the turn towards Rue’s room and a girl stopped right in front of them. Johnathan stopped and looked at her. She looked just like Sara.
“Oh… sorry,” the girl said a she stopped right before she ran into Johnathan’s chest.
She looked up at him and grinned.
“You are new,” she said to him.
Johnathan looked at Brooke and bit his lip.
“Yea… ummm, first day. Brooke here is going to show me around.”
The girl looked at Brooke and her grin faded.
“I don’t remember you,” she said as she looked at Brooke’s face.
Brooke smiled and rubbed her hands.
“I am actually a transfer. I worked here last year… left, came back. Just couldn’t stay away, I guess.”
“Oh… I see. Well, I have been here for only a month… but I would be happy to give you both a tour.”
Brooke looked at Johnathan and he cleared his throat.
“Yea… okay I guess,” Johnathan said a
s the girl started to walk back from where they came from.
She looked back and held her clipboard out in front of her.
“Come on,” she said.
Johnathan shrugged his shoulders while Brooke mouthed the word “No.”
Johnathan grabbed her hand and turned to follow their new friend.
Brooke squeezed his hand and looked at him.
“We don’t have time to dilly dally,” she said.
Johnathan smiled and leaned over to her.
“Just let her give us a tour, could help… you never know.”
Brooke muttered, “Ridiculous.”
Johnathan sighed as the way she said it, reminded him of Rue.
The girl stopped at the locker room and smiled when she looked back at them.
“Ummm, we already came here,” Johnathan said.
“Oh, I know… you changed. Well, I just wanted to show you the showers and stuff.”
Brooke rolled her eyes and they followed her into the locker room.
She walked past all the lockers and looked back at them. Johnathan let Brooke’s hand go and followed her. Brooke stood there tapping her expensive red heel on the tiled floor. Johnathan looked back at her and waved her on as Brooke lifted her hands and let them fall.
“Come on,” Johnathan said.
They all stepped into a large shower room. The girl turned to Johnathan and smiled.
“This place is for late nights. I usually take a shower in here every night.”
Johnathan rubbed his hand on his neck and Brooke started to tap her foot again.
“Thank you for letting us know,” Brooke said as she leaned up and tapped Johnathan on the arm.
The girl stood there for a moment and then turned, clutching her clipboard to her chest.
“Okay then… over here is an extra room for towels, clothes, extra shoe covers.”
“Shoe covers for what?” Johnathan asked.
Brooke tugged on his arm and shook her head.
“Well, sometimes people have accidents here… Trust me, you don’t want your shoes all funky,” she said as she walked past him.
Johnathan looked at Brooke and she had a sour look on her face.
He grinned, knowing she was probably grossed out.