Cruel Boundaries

by Michelle Horst

  “Great time,” I manage to squeeze the two words out. Feeling nervous, I tug at my sleeves, pulling them over my hands. I wrap my arms around myself, hoping he’ll stop talking to me now.

  “You like to swim?” he asks.

  A shiver runs through my body. Actually, it feels more like a jolt of electricity has hit me. I glance up at Wyatt, frowning. Were Cole is the serious and quiet one Wyatt is the joker of the four, known for his pranks. I wonder what he’s up to.

  Fear grabs hold of my chest just because Wyatt mentioned the word swim. I hardly have time to shake my head in answer to his question, when he grabs hold of me.

  His hands dig hard into my hips as he pulls me up. I try to yank free from his grasp, but he is twice my size and so much stronger. He yanks me up into his arms as if I’m nothing. The light of the fire is blocked out by his huge frame, as he carries me into the darkness.

  At first I’m overwhelmed by the mere fact that I’m in Wyatt’s arms, but then he starts to run with me right into the inky black of the night. Panic grips at my chest as he keeps running away from the fire.

  From behind us someone shouts, “Dunk her!”

  I grab hold of Wyatt as people start to cheer all around us. “Dunk her!”

  Soon my ears are ringing with the words as they all chant, “Dunk her, dunk her, dunk her.”

  Wyatt starts to laugh and runs faster, jostling my body in his arms. “Wyatt,” I choke on his name as I peer into the darkness. The lake’s flat surface glimmers only a few feet away. My body goes ice cold and I feel the old familiar shivers start deep in my belly. They are going to pull me down! My breathing speeds up with each step he runs until I’m gasping for air.

  The darkness closes in on me, until I see nothing but the different shades of black, and then there’s nothing when I hear the splashing of the water. There’s nothing left but it – the skeleton.

  ~*~

  I want scream and beg him to stop, but it feels as if terror is trying to claw the flesh from my bones. I feel the wetness of the water claim me, and then the horror swallows me all over again. I can’t suck in any air! I’m back in the closet. I can feel the hunger gnawing at my insides while I stand barefoot in my own urine.

  I’m too scared to move.

  I’m too scared to make a sound.

  I can hear the song about the skeleton echoing in my mind long after it stopped playing. I can hear him whispering, “I’ve got a skeleton in the closet and she ain’t ever coming out.”

  I believe him with every beat of my heart. His voice becomes the very darkness that surrounds me! He is the Bogeyman. He is what my nightmares are made of. He comes at night to sing me those words through the closet door.

  Flashbacks paralyze me, letting the water suck me under.

  Something hooks around my waist and I’m yanked up. It keeps yanking at me until my head breaks through the surface of the water back into the dark night. I start to cough, horrible burning coughs. It feels like my body is on fire from the inside out. It feels like it’s happening all over again. I’m eight all over again, living the nightmare that will never end.

  Someone drags me out of the water and then arms circle me, caging me against a hard chest. Fear shudders through me! Not again, please not again!

  I choke on a whimper, waiting for hands to grab at me. I wait for more pain but all that comes is confusion. Whoever is holding me is rubbing warmth into my back, not ripping the clothes from my body.

  “Wyatt, you’re such a dumbass!” The person yells, scaring me halfway to death. “You could’ve drowned her!”

  I can’t control the shaking, the fear pulsing through me. I yank free from whoever has me and scramble backwards. A wounded sound slips from my trembling lips. I pinch my eyes closed, so tightly so all I can see are the tiny dots. It’s something to focus on.

  “Bridget?” a voice breaks through the terror. “It’s okay.” The confusion in the voice forces me to open my eyes, and I look right into Cole’s icy eyes. Shit! The one moment I freak out and it has to be Cole who sees it?

  He reaches out to me, and when he sees I’m not freaking out anymore, he slips an arm around my shoulders. Only then do I notice the water dripping from his face and his wet clothes. Cole was the one that pulled me out?

  “Bridget, I’m sorry for what Wyatt did. Are you okay?” he whispers as he sits down next to me.

  I drag in a deep breath of air and start to cough again, my lungs still on fire. Tears flood my eyes and my vision blurs. Cole starts to rub my back again and for the first time in a really long time I welcome someone’s touch.

  I let someone hold me for the first time in five years.

  I let Cole Trenton rub my back with only a wet shirt between his hand and the scars, and it hurts deep inside, because I know no man would ever want to touch me if they could see the scars.

  “Come on, I have a towel back at my truck,” he says, and then his arm draws me close to his chest and he stands up with me. He tucks me under his arm as he steers me away from the water, and towards the lights of the parking area.

  I feel his body heat through the wet clothes, warming me. It was dawning on me that Cole was holding me. The only boy I’ve ever had a crush on, was holding me.

  Cole guides me to the back of his truck. He slams down the tailgate and then his hands go around my waist and he lifts me to sit on the back of his truck.

  “Be right back,” he says and I’m relieved when he walks to the passenger side, it gives me a moment to calm my racing heart and gather my thoughts.

  He comes back with his gym bag, smiling the Holden’s family trademark smile.

  “I have a dry shirt that I always keep for after practice,” he whispers the words carefully, standing a few inches from me, as if he’s scared that I will run. It’s actually a bit funny. Cole Trenton isn’t known to be scared of anything.

  Link said that he had heard that Cole and Trend was joining the Navy. I cried the night Link told me. This town is going to be a ghost town without Cole here.

  He just offered me his shirt, and is holding it out to me. My heart starts to pound faster. It not that I’m scared of Cole, not at all. I just don’t want him to see what I myself can’t even look at.

  Cole smiles, places the shirt next to me and starts to walk away. “I’ll wait on the other side of the truck while you change.”

  I look down at the washed out, blue shirt I’ve seen him wearing before. Cole Trenton’s shirt! It’s all a bit dreamlike that he’s talking to me, helping me, and being so gentle with me.

  I glance over my shoulder to make sure he’s not looking. I can see the width of his shoulders stretching his shirt across his back, as he stands with his arms crossed, starting at the ground.

  I slip off the truck and quickly peel the wet shirt off. I rush to pull Cole’s shirt over my head, and his musky scent engulfs me. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with his scent, before tucking my left arm through the sleeve. It’s only when I slip my right arm through the sleeve that I realize my mistake. My scars are showing. Cole is going to see the scars!

  They draw my eyes like a magnet. The skin is still pink like cherry-pop flavor bubblegum, chewed and stretched, and stringy.

  Panic wells up so fast, scorching through me. For the first time in my life I’m glad for the darkness covering me. My heart pounds in my head, making it hard for me to think clearly.

  “Bridget, you okay back there?” Cole calls, and it makes a blast of anxiety crash over me.

  I don’t know what to do! I only know I don’t want him to see it.

  I hear his shoes crunch in the gravel and for a moment I think of running. I grab the shirt and start to pull it off when I hear a gasp behind me. I swing around and seeing the look of horror on Trend’s face is a hard blow to my already frail nerves. I didn’t even notice Trend! How long he has he been standing there?

  My breathing speeds up until I can hear it.

  I really thought I died that night. When they foun
d me, I thought the policeman was an angel. The pain only lasted a few seconds before my body went numb. But then I woke up in hospital, Everyone looked at me with horror and pity, just like Trend is looking at me now.

  “Please, don’t look.” The words are hoarse, and they don’t help, because he’s still staring at me.

  Anxiety claws its way up my spine, settling deep in my chest.

  “What happened to you?” Trend finally manages a few words.

  Cole wraps a towel around me, and keeping his arms around me, he snaps, “Back off, Trend!”

  He pulls me in the direction of the passenger side, forcing me to stop looking at Trend. “Let me take you home.”

  I get in, clinging tightly to the towel. I can hear Trend asking Cole something. I don’t want to know what it is!

  I keep my head down, my eyes on a piece of the carpet tearing up in the corner by my feet. I feel the truck dip as Cole gets in, and when he doesn’t start the engine immediately, my stomach bunches nervously.

  “Let’s get you home,” he says. His tone is light as if we’re old friends.

  I lift my chin and clearing my throat, I attempt to save the little pride I have left. “Thank you.”

  He smiles and then starts the truck. I only realize I didn’t give him my address when he pulls into my driveway. The tough that Cole knows where I live brings a smile to my face.

  “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ll be leaving tomorrow.” I swallow the sadness pushing up my throat and look at him. I want to drink in every inch of his face, before he goes. I never want to forget the deep brown of his hair, the pale blue of his eyes. “It’s still early, Bridget. I could wait while you change and we can go do something?” I blink at him, shocked that he wants to spend time with me. When I don’t answer he quickly adds, “That’s if you feel like hanging out with me. I’ll understand if you just want to go in.”

  I nod quickly and then say, “I’d like that. I’ll be quick.” I run inside, my heart beating so hard with excitement. Cole wants to spend his last night in Lyman with me!

  ~*~

  We stop at Cole’s house so he can change into dry clothes, as well. I don’t take his offer to go inside. I’d rather wait in the truck. As soon as Cole goes inside the house, I open my door so the light can come on inside the cab.

  Minutes later he comes out looking devastatingly good in a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. When he gets into the truck he looks at me and smiles. “Sorry about the black, but I’ve already packed, so this will have to do.”

  No need to apologize to me! He looks hot and it’s just another reminder why I’m in love with him.

  We drive in silence for a while. The road is dark, the only light coming from the truck. When I dare a glance in Cole’s direction, I can only make out his profile. He turns off onto a dirt road and it gets really dark, and bumpy.

  I feel like a ragdoll being tossed between the seatbelt and the door.

  “Sorry about the road. We’re almost there,” Cole says and I try to make out where we are. Cole slows the truck down and I try to see where we are, when Cole unsnaps my safety belt. My eyes dart to him as he puts an arm around me, and pulls me to his side. “You’re so tiny. My truck is abusing you. Sit closer then you won’t be tossed around as much.”

  I flush red-hot! I’m sure he can feel the heat coming off my body. He starts to drive again and now I keep bumping into him, with every bump the truck goes over. We drive for a few more minutes and I’m hyper aware of Cole’s arms around my shoulder.

  When we reach the destination, which is pretty much the middle of nowhere, Cole takes my hand and pulls me out behind him, into the dark night.

  I hold tightly onto his hand as he starts to walk away from the truck, away from our only light.

  “Where are we going, Cole?” I hate that my voice is trembling. I hate that I’m scared. I finally get the one thing I’ve been dreaming about and fear has to creep in and spoil it!

  “Don’t worry,” he whispers, “it’s just up ahead.” He let go off my hand and put his arm around me, tucking me close against his side as we walked. I couldn’t see anything. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  We reach an old tree, its shadow making the night seem even darker.

  Cole helps me to climb a rope ladder to the top, to where there’s a treehouse. The first thing I see as my head pops over edge of the wooden platform is the size. It isn’t much bigger than a closet. There is only one exit. It’s a space I could be confined in.

  Cole’s hand settles on my lower back, urging me to go inside. I crawl to the side, staying as close to the entrance as I can, while conflicting emotions starts to war inside of me. Cole makes me feel safe but the environment is scary as hell!

  “It’s small,” I squeeze the words out.

  “It’s cozy,” Cole says as he comes to sit next to me. Together we take up most of the space. I pull my knees in under my chin, hugging then tightly to my body.

  “It’s dark,” my words come out sounding breathless. It’s too dark and small!

  I hear the strike of a match and a little flame flickers to life. With an overwhelming sense of relief I watch Cole light four candles. They are stuck to the floor in pools of wax. He leans back to sit next to me again, and the light from the candles quickly drowns out the darkness.

  “You don’t like the dark?” he asks, settling his elbows on his knees. He tilts his head to look at me and a wave of self-consciousness floods me.

  “No,” I answered truthfully.

  I’m filled with relief when he doesn’t ask why. We both stare at the flames, slowly licking its way down the wax.

  “You can’t swim?” he suddenly asks, his eyes still on the flames.

  “No.” I don’t dare to look up at him, fearing he will see too deep. I would die if he somehow found out about my past.

  “No one tried to teach you before?” he asks again. I glance up to see that he’s no longer looking the the candles, but that his eyes are on me.

  I shake my head. “No, I don’t like water that much.” I try to laugh, but it comes out sounding like one of those awkward laughs where it dies on your lips before it even started.

  “I’ll have to teach you when I get back then.”

  I don’t say anything to that. The idea is a conflicting one. Water scares the shit out of me, but being with Cole is a heavenly thought.

  “Are you looking forward to going?” I ask so Cole will stop asking me questions.

  “I am. I want to make a difference. I can’t just sit around and not do my part,” he says, sounding so proud to go and serve our country that it brings tears to my eyes.

  “Please be careful,” I whisper. I’m scared something will happen to Cole out there and he won’t come back.

  His arm slips around my shoulders and he pulls me against his chest. It’s a little uncomfortable but I don’t want him to stop, so I let my arm slip around his waist. He pulls me closer into his chest, until my cheek is pressing against the soft material covering his firm chest.

  This moment will always be on of my sweetest memories – just sitting with Cole like this.

  Then he murmurs, “Tell me about your live before you came to Lyman.”

  This question will only lead to another, and then another! I can’t answer any of them.

  Cole starts to talk when I don’t say anything, “For the longest time I’ve been watching you, Bridget, and it took my dumbass of a cousin throwing you into a lake, to get me to make my move. I was always scared of talking to you. I still remember the first day you came to Lyman. Trend and I was driving our bikes around town when a car stopped outside Pastor Beasley’s house … and then you got out of that car.” He takes breath and then goes on, “I remember two things about that day. You were the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, but you looked so scared. You looked right at me and Trend, but I don’t think you really saw us.”

  When I still say nothing he whispers, “I only have one regret in my li
fe.”

  I have lots, but none that I would dare to mention to him.

  Cole takes hold of my chin and lifts my face to his. “You, Bridget Liles. I should’ve spent time with you sooner and not waited until today.”

  I force a smile to my face, feeling nervous. Cole wanted to spent time with me? He noticed me?

  “I would’ve liked that too,” I whisper shyly.

  “Maybe one day I’ll get a chance to spend all that time with you. I really hope so,” he says, a stunning smile spreading over his face.

  When his eyes drop to my mouth my pulse speeds up. Never in my life did I picture this moment actually happening! His hand on my chin tightens and then his mouth is on mine.

  Delicious shivers run through my body, making me press closer to him. His lips are gentle and soft as they move against mine. The warmest feeling sweeps through my body.

  We stay in the treehouse for quite some time, just talking about silly stuff. It’s so nice, I can’t stop smiling.

  “I was so excited about leaving tomorrow, but now not so much.” I hear him take a breath and then he whispers, “Please don’t forget tonight. I’ll come back and then we can really get to know each other.”

  My eyes snap open. The moment between us vanishes as the bitter reality sets in. Cole is leaving.

  ~*~

  Coming August 31st…

  See where it all started with …

  Dark Boundaries

  Prologue

  Kristine~

  As I come to, I find my world spinning. I feel a hand on my side and pain shoots through my ribs as I’m pushed. And the world starts to spin faster as my body goes round and round.

  I’m hanging from something and can’t reach the floor to stop my body from swinging.

  “I always wanted to take up kickboxing. You know, like Van Damme in that movie Bloodsport. It’s one of my favorites.” Ice flows through my veins at the sound of Warren’s voice.

  It all comes back to me how Warren came into the hospital room, as if he was some long lost relative. I tried to call for help but he covered my mouth and whispered the words that made me leave willingly with him. “If you don’t come peacefully I will go and kill that redhead, or the blackhead, which do you prefer? Oh wait, maybe I should kill your master?”