by SK Thomas
Melissa took off the rose colored glasses long ago when it came to Clayton, but wondered how hard it would be to see him taken away. In his quiet times, she could sense his loneliness and almost hear as he questioned his path. She felt empathy as some people get caught up in greed and let their egos take over. “How can such a man start off on the right path and veer so far off course along the way?” She still felt for him, just in a different way. Even after all he put her through, she wanted to hold his face in her hands and tell him it’s going to be alright like an empathetic angel. She knew it wouldn’t change anything and still wanted him to be someone he could never be. She then checked her cellphone recordings of their conversations making sure she had what the police were looking for. Jack insisted she not chance it, but it’s another piece of evidence to get him out of her life for good and provide the closure they all needed.
Father Clayton enjoyed a stroll before going to collect from Tony and later over to visit Melissa. He came to an abrupt halt when he spotted police cars outside Tony’s bar. “What the hell is going on?” he mumbled. He waited until he saw with his own eyes, Tony forced out in handcuffs by the police and Jack trailing behind. He casually backed up and took off in the other direction hoping no one had seen him.
Joseph made the call informing Jack only Clayton still remained. Jack agreed his end was also secured. “Let’s go fishing.” They said in unison.
Clayton ran back to the motel and barged into her room slamming the door behind him as he leaned back onto it.
“What are you doing?” I asked dressed for the evening because he had promised to take me out for the night.
“The police, they’re closing in.” he stated frantic.
I waited for him to explain as I studied his demeanor.
“Wait, why aren’t you upset?”
“I’m just assumed you’d say more.” I said as I took a couple steps back.
“What did you do?” he said practically frothing at the mouth.
“Colin, you’re scaring me. Stop, please I haven’t done anything!”
He turned as I hoped he would leave but instead locked me in. I scurried for the bathroom when his grip snagged my shirt and yanked me back to keep me close. I again sank into survival mode as I demanded to know, “What’s happening, Colin?”
“Don’t do this, you weren’t shocked.” He surmised.
“Please, I shouldn’t be in the middle of you and Jack. I’m here for you.”
“Bullshit!” he screamed in my ear practically busting my eardrum.
“Colin, Father Clayton stop!” I didn’t know which one he’d respond to so I used both which confused him for a second until he cast me down onto the floor.
“Shut up!” He yelled.
I was so sick of being treated this way. I rebounded and found my strength as I thrust my elbow into his Adam’s apple striking a blow that left him literally speechless. Again, I had seconds to spare and raced to the door as he snatched ahold of me wrapping his forearm around my neck.
“I can’t deal with another Max.” I expressed to myself coming to the conclusion I would do whatever made him stop. I didn’t have any strength left in me to fight. God only knows why I’m being held down again by a man like this after what I’ve already been through. “I give up, he can finish me off and this is how I’m going to die.” I thought to myself. It was just too hard and my life has come down to this horrifying conclusion. I knew Colin would feel proud of his accomplishment in all his delusion.
“Ok men, there’s only one left standing. Our mission is to take him down, but it’s late and we’re all tired. We’ll have to attack tomorrow so no one gets hurt.” The police chief acknowledged.
Jack and Joseph shot looks towards one another but knew it was probably for the best. “It’s only one more day.” Jack said as Joseph agreed.
Colin took it upon himself to tear the room apart searching.
“What are you looking for?” I asked but as usual he didn’t answer. I scooted over to a corner out of his way watching as he smashed one item after the other and turning over anything in his path. “He’s eventually going to find the recordings.” I frantically speculated and maybe I wasn’t ready to give up after all.
“Father, please look at me.” I said calmly while standing behind him. “Please, take a minute to help me understand.” He slowed as my words were having an impact. “Explain how I can help.”
“It’s not easy to explain, Melissa. I apologize for the fact that you’re stuck in the middle, but it has to be.”
“No more games, Father. I desperately want to be with you no matter who you are. It doesn’t matter anymore. I am choosing to stand by you and only you. I need for you to understand.”
“I do.”
“But you still don’t trust me?” I questioned.
“Jack is a liar, he’s coming after me, don’t pretend you didn’t know. You’ve been part of this.”
“I’ve changed and I’m with you now. Jack is going to do whatever he wants with or without me. But you can’t possibly think he’s hiding evidence in this room, do you?”
Jack came back to the motel and dropped on his bed after long days and no sleep. He didn’t even bother to take his clothes off as he dozed almost immediately. Shortly after, I burst into his room and woke him, “Jack, he knows and is leaving. He’s headed for the church right now.”
“What…who?”
“Jack wake up, this is serious. He’s leaving and you’ll never find him again.”
“No, no, no. That asshole can’t leave we’re too close, not now.” He uttered as he snatched up his shoes, a gun and jetted out of his room. The first call he made landed onto Joseph while the second woke up half the police department with new information that caught their attention. He felt compelled to go after Clayton before the others arrived, sure to keep his wits about him he crept up the church steps questioning how to get through those big doors without being heard.
“Shit, this sucks.” His other idea is to go around back; however, it left a lot to be desired by being pitch black and leaving him at a huge disadvantage. This is a bonus for Clayton, hence probably why the lighting never got replaced.
Father Clayton bolted out the back door after grabbing some vital paperwork and stayed en route back to the motel.
Finally, Joseph arrived to give Jack some help. He waved Joseph over and together they broke the threshold to the front entrance searching every nook and corner.
Clayton rammed into Melissa’s door expecting it to fly open, when in fact, he bounced off it jarring his body. “Melissa, open this fucking door.” I swung it open trying to keep his trust for survival sake when he took hold of my arm and pushed me into the nearest corner. His gun slid into position against my head being held by his grip. I didn’t blink, my mind went blank and I didn’t dare to even guess why this was taking place now. He lunged in only to plant a kiss on my lips, I jerked afraid the gun might go off. He brazenly brought the gun down positioning it on my inner thigh and then jabbed the cold steel upwards before coming at me for more. I let him in an effort to stall, hoping someone would check back and find him in my room.
Jack busted through the door, “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” I said lingering by the window.
“You said he’d be at the church. Melissa, who’s side are you on?”
“Jack, don’t you fucking question me again. He came back here before he left again. I have no idea where he was going and the gun he held to my skull kept me from asking!”
“Fuck! Where would he hide?” he turned asking Joseph.
Joseph put his hands in the air feeling defeated, “I don’t know. His house is too obvious, the bar was raided, the warehouse is locked down, he’s not at the church, the girls are locked up…the school, the one next to the church. Nobody would think to look there.”
“What do you think?” He asked Melissa.
“He never mentioned the school to me.”
Cla
yton unlocked the doors making sure to keep the lights off positive no one would guess this place. He never spent time over here unless the children came for classes not thrilled with the old, dingy rooms but it’s the only place they had to teach. The building included two stories with a fire escape, two bathrooms and plenty of wiggle room to find an exit, if necessary. He climbed the stairs making his way to the second story and entered into the bathroom to store his belongings. Outside and down the fire escape led way to a huge playground and past the playground stood his garage holding his car for another getaway. He heard the door behind him creak open and immediately became disappointed he hadn’t picked a better spot to buy himself more time.
Jack slipped the door open telling Joseph to go first since he knew the layout. Once inside, they split apart each one taking a level to better their odds of beating Colin at his own game even though Jack didn’t have firsthand knowledge of the building, only what Joseph had told him.
Jack made his way downstairs trying to focus his eyes in the dark feeling like a sitting duck. “This is not a decent game plan”, he mumbled when he heard a shot ring out that shocked his ears. Immediately he ran up the stairs, tripping on the landing before rounding the banister and onto the second flight until he found Joseph rolling from side to side in excruciating pain. He leaned over to assess the damage when he heard Joseph say, “Just go, it’s a shot in the leg. He headed down the fire escape.” Jack rushed over to the escape door that was already hanging wide open, leaned around to see something move in the near blinding darkness. He slid down the escape stairs and hit the ground running across the playground hoping to catch Clayton squeezing the gap as they both sprinted for the garage that Jack figured was Clayton’s disappearing act.
I couldn’t stand not knowing and had to break out of that motel room to get a front row seat. As I crossed past his house but before I snuck to the church I heard them, both running as Clayton tripped and fell close to his garage. I then saw Jack flying through the air tumbling on top of him, when behind me cars were heard with sirens stinging the cool night air and lights flooding the darkness while an ambulance was also heard not far behind. I stood shocked and baffled at the circus being played out before me.
“Where are they?” the police asked.
“Over there, by the garage.” I pointed. They sprinted over guns drawn with flashlights bouncing around trying to spot them. The officers pulled Colin off Jack as they quickly grabbed his gun, cuffed him and read his rights. The ambulance headed around the block to assist Joseph and take him to the hospital if needed after a police officer informed them of the situation on the two-way radio.
“Hey wait…” Jack motioned the officers to stop Father Clayton in front of me.
“Melissa, do you see this right here with your own eyes? They’re taking him, he’s in custody.”
“Yes.” I stated nodding my head.
“She has recordings, officers. In case you need them along with Joseph’s testimony.” He informed as he made his way over to comfort her.
I stood unable to move staring Colin down when he uttered those words I had wanted so desperately to hear, “I love you, Melissa. Don’t listen to them, you know what we have.”
“Colin, why don’t you tell her what Joseph told me. Tell her the last piece of the puzzle.” Jack requested.
He quieted down and refused.
“What is he talking about, Colin?” I asked.
Jack scanned the crowd until he saw Joseph with the EMT’s as they were helping him limp towards us. “Come here, Joseph.”
“Colin, what does he mean? What are they going to tell me?” I asked thinking it had to be horrible after all he had done, I didn’t know if I could handle anymore revelations.
“It might destroy her, I don’t know if I can.” Joseph stated sympathetically.
“Don’t do it, Joseph. She’s been through enough, it’s over.” Colin insisted.
“No, she needs to hear it.” Jack reiterated.
Joseph was reluctant, not sure how to present it and then lifelessly stated the truth, “That night you were passed out at Clayton’s…he took advantage of you sexually. I witnessed, he didn’t know I was there.” He lowered his head saddened that he had to say it at all.
I scanned around at each person in a state of shock. Everyone just stood there like statues, unsure how to react, like they were waiting for me to spontaneously combust. The shock washed away as anger and humiliation set in when I leapt forward breaking Jack’s grip making a beeline straight for Colin. I didn’t know what would happen when I got to him, but I couldn’t stop myself flush with regret of ever allowing him into my life. I stood before him for a moment before beating his chest as hard as I could. “You monster, I couldn’t defend myself! I put up with your manipulation and allowed you to push me to the brink! Why? Why?! I loved you! I am the only person who gave you a chance and this is how you treat me. You can’t destroy me. Do you hear me? You can’t destroy me!” Jack rushed over to hold me back as I screamed demanding he say something.
His lips were sealed and dread was written all over his face.
“Say something,” I demanded face to face with him.
When finally he spoke, he told his truth, “Do I know how to truly love? I tried, you got the best of me and this is how it turned out.”
Jack was there when I fell into his arms and broke down. My face buried in his chest crying uncontrollably at the end of my rope. I couldn’t hold back and I didn’t care who saw. Jack held me tight with tears of his own streaming down his face, so wanting to make it stop but he couldn’t. The pain cut too deep when I had to let it all completely go. My legs weakened but Jack kept a tight hold refusing to release me. They hauled Colin away as I broke down crippled by a man, as a priest, I should’ve been able to trust.
The next day at the crack of dawn, we packed our suitcases. I threw mine in the car without so much as a glance around, I didn’t want to see. I got in the car waiting on Jack trying not to think. He slowly drove us through town and as we passed the church I refused to acknowledge it. We crept our way out heading back to Barrington, I could only look forward.
“This is the edge of town. Do you want one more look back?”
I slumped in my seat and ignored the rearview mirrors as they tempted me, but I refused to look.
We were back at my old house soon enough, but it didn’t feel like home. It was empty and without life as I had left it months ago. “Thanks for helping me unpack. Can you stay until Alice arrives?”
“Sure, I can make us something while we’re waiting.”
Once Alice arrived, we moved out onto the patio listening to the stream of the creek gently trickle while sipping our tea.
“I need to move and get my own place.” I said.
“I think it’s for the best.” Alice acknowledged.
“I can help you move, just let me know when.” Jack said.
“I’m leaving everything behind, it’s all rented anyway. I’ll take my personal belongings, my laptop and a few odds and ends but all the big stuff stays. I can handle it myself.”
“We can help you through this. I can bring Maci by and Jack can check in every so often.” Alice offered.
“No, I need space to find my own way and figure things out for myself.”
“We understand, right Alice?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, we understand.” Alice said.
“I love you guys.” I admitted.
“We love you.” Alice said.
After that day, Alice focused all of her attention on her daughter and parents while keeping her life in order without a man. Jack returned to be with Luann and now that the bar was forced to shut down, Luann could start her own restaurant. They had created a strong friendship while Jack and I investigated and later admitted their feelings for each other when Jack kept calling her to keep in touch. He filled me in every now and again about his humdrum lifestyle in that small town and decided it wasn’t so bad after all.
; I, with my whole life ahead of me, found an average job to pay the bills and rented an apartment of my own. In my spare time, I sit at my laptop writing a story about this girl leaving a small town to discover her dreams. As I type one letter at a time stringing them together to make a word I rip away at the darkness until only light shines through my sentences, purging those crazy adventures paragraph after paragraph accepting it as my past while I embrace change, I’m embracing my future.
###THE END###