Carnelian

by B. Kristin McMichael

  Big guy was now close enough to get me. I pushed up fast on my hurt hands, but I was too slow. He reached down and grabbed my twisted ankle, twisting it more.

  “That wasn’t real nice, girly,” the man said, spitting out his words as he sucked in air. I guess he wasn’t used to running. “My friend there is going to need a moment to compose himself before he can join us for our fun.”

  “No shit,” I said as I tried to struggle against his grip. I wasn’t going down without a fight. I had no idea who these guys were, but it wasn’t ‘fun’ they were planning for me. He laughed and dragged me closer to him, causing more pain in both my knees and hands. He didn’t help me stand, but kept a hold of my foot instead. He was being more cautious to keep me away now that he already knew I’d fight back.

  As quick as I was being dragged, I felt him release me with a scream. I flipped around in time to see Seth land a second punch on the guy. Ty was already kneeling by me to pick me up and put me away from the fight.

  “You alright?” he asked, looking at my bleeding hands.

  “Yes. There’s a second guy on the bridge,” I said, not being able to take my eyes away from Seth. This was obviously not his first time fighting. He was landing three or more punches to one of each of the big guy’s punches.

  “We know. Dee is taking care of him, but it didn’t look like he was in any fighting condition. I have no idea what you did to him or how you fought him. Where I come from most women don’t try to fight two men at once,” Ty replied, staring at me in awe. Ty set me down on the wooded path away from the fight.

  “Aren’t you going to help him?” I asked, pointing to Seth who had blood on him now. I wasn’t sure if it was Seth’s or the other mans.

  Ty looked up and shook his head. “I’d only get in the way.”

  I pushed myself up on my knuckles to avoid my bleeding palms, and limped my way over to the blue emergency light. It would have been easier to use my cell phone, but it was dead. I already knew Seth, Ty, and Dee didn’t have cell phones on them either. They were more old-fashioned about a lot of things, even more than my own grandfather. I stared at the tall pillar with the blue light. I had never heard of anyone using one of these things before, and really didn’t know what to expect. I limped over and looked at the box. It had a button to push, and I pushed it. Immediately, a scratchy voice tried to talk across the speaker. I couldn’t make out a single word. Of course, when I was running to the emergency phone it wouldn’t work.

  Ty was right behind me, curiously watching as he helped me back over to sit down on the wooden ties to the dirt walkway. Dee was hauling the smaller man down the steps by now. He was no longer yelling in pain, but shooting me daggers with his eyes. I guess he didn’t especially like where I kneed him. Too bad for him. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if needed. Once down the steps, Dee hit the man in his back, and he crumpled to the ground. It looked like Dee was similarly trained to fight. Who were these guys? Dee bent down and began going through the man’s pockets while Seth continued with the larger guy.

  The fight was unequal. Seth was at least eight inches shorter than the man, yet getting in double or triple the punches. I watched Seth move fluidly; I was in awe of his ability. He was amazing. He had to be trained, and this was absolutely not his first fight. As the large guy was slowly losing, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a knife. Flipping the blade open, he swiped at Seth. Seth backed up, and the tip of the blade only left a scratch down his cheek. With the fight turning serious, Seth turned serious. It only took him two more blows to knock the man unconscious. Seth let the man’s body drop to the ground before he turned to find me.

  Ty stood and dragged the man over to the other man as Seth came and squatted before me. A line of blood dried on his cheek from the blade swipe, but other than that Seth looked fine.

  “Are you okay?” Seth asked, worry tinged his voice.

  “Yes,” I replied, still watching the men. Part of me thought that they would stand up and try to attack again. Neither was moving, but my adrenaline was not completely gone.

  “Seti, what do you think all of this is for?” Dee asked, pulling Seth away from me. In Dee’s hands were zip ties and duct tape. I shuddered at the thought, knowing what they were for. I had watched the news too many times to know why two guys would attack a girl and have zip ties in their possession. Dee seemed genuinely confused. Seth looked at the zip ties also and seemed unsure.

  “They are zip ties,” I replied, surprised none of the guys had ever seen them before. I pushed myself up on my knuckles again to stand and limped over to them. “This end goes in here and you pull them tight. They are impossible to break out of, and you need scissors to do it.” I put the zip ties in a loop and pulled. Seth tested them and nodded before handing the loop to Ty. He tried to break it without luck.

  “And what would be the purpose of someone carrying them?” Dee asked. Who were these guys? He truly was clueless.

  “I am guessing their plan was to take me, and it’s a lot easier to do things to a girl if her hands are tied up.” I looked at the unconscious men. I wanted to puke. Just saying it out loud made the situation more real. These guys were planning to rape me… or even worse. A glint of anger showed in Seth’s eyes as I looked back up at him. He seemed ready to continue beating the unconscious men. Ty reached for him as he saw the same look.

  Police cars pulled up beside the wooded trail, sirens wailing. At least the newcomers broke Seth out of his hateful rage that was building. Who knows what he would have done if given the chance?

  The next hour passed in a blur. The police came running when they saw the two men down. As the whirlwind of questioning started, Seth helped me hobble toward a place to sit. I could answer questions just as well sitting as standing, and it made my ankle throb a lot less. After the police came and hauled the two men away, plain clothed officers showed up for more questioning. It turned out the two men that attacked me were wanted for more than just attacking me. As the detectives finished with questioning Ty and Dee, they returned to me and Seth.

  “Do you want us to take you to the hospital to have your ankle looked at?” the officer offered.

  I shook my head. “No, that’s fine. I’m just going to go back to my room and lay down. I’ve had a twisted ankle before. This is nothing new.”

  The officer nodded while putting his pen and mini-notepad away. “How about you let us give you a ride at least.”

  “Not needed,” Seth replied, standing and catching me off guard as he swooped down and cradled me in his arms. “Our car is right there in the parking lot. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.” The officer nodded and walked away as Seth carried me to his car. He placed me gently in the back seat and moved around to sit beside me. Dee climbed into the driver’s seat, and Ty sat next to him.

  Dee took off out of the parking lot. I took me a moment to realize we weren’t going to the dorms, but to his home off campus. Dee pulled into the driveway and all three men exited with Seth coming over to help me. I stayed in my seat.

  “I want to go back to my dorm room,” I complained as Seth opened my door. He didn’t even listen to my request as he bent over and picked me up like I weighed nothing. “Seth, I mean it. I want to go to my dorm room.”

  “After I’m satisfied that you’re safe, I’ll return you to your room. But first I need to look at your scrapes and check out your ankle.” Seth walked through the open doorway, and Ty shut my door behind me. Seth turned and immediately climbed stairs to an upstairs hallway. He passed several doors, which, if I wasn’t irritated, I might have peeked in.

  We ended up in a large room that had windows overlooking the lake. At first I wondered about the color scheme, mostly white with some natural wood that looked very yellowish and blue thrown in, but then it occurred to me. It was like a beach. The walls and curtains were clean white while the wooden floor was a sandy, brownish-yellow color. The only real splash of color in the room was the deep blue bed. I didn’t get to analyze it
more as I was carried into an adjoining bathroom. Seth finally set me down on the sink counter top.

  After digging under the sink, Seth grabbed a washcloth and ran cold water on it. Kneeling between my knees, he began wiping the dirt and dried blood off my scrapes. It stung as he touched the open sores, but I kept my mouth shut. Silently, he went from one knee to the other, making sure to not miss a bit of dirt. Once he was finished with my knees, he stood and washed the washcloth. Gently, he took my right hand and began to clean it up similarly. I didn’t pull away as his touch caused the hum that I was getting used to by now. He wiped my hand clean before taking the other hand in his. Once he was thoroughly happy with how clean the cuts were, he reached back under the sink, pulling out an aerosol can.

  “This might sting a little,” he warned. “But it helps the healing a lot.” Seth looked deep into my eyes to make sure that I was okay that he was going to hurt me while fixing me. I nodded. He wasn’t kidding that the spray stung, but like my knees being cleaned, I kept my mouth shut and let him finish.

  “You can take a shower and clean up while I get your clothes washed,” he offered, pointing to my ripped shirt and dirty shorts. He opened a closet in the bathroom and gave me two freshly-laundered towels. It was strange that even the towels reminded me of the ocean, like his bedroom did. “Just toss your clothes outside the door, and I’ll go get them cleaned by Miller.”

  “Miller?” I asked. That was a brother I hadn’t met yet.

  “He’s our housekeeper. Our father wasn’t sure we could handle a house on our own. He cleans, cooks, does yard work and washes our clothes,” Seth explained, helping me stand. “I’ll look at your ankle after you’ve showered.”

  “What are you now? A doctor?” I asked. “I didn’t think you were pre-med.” Actually, I was sure he wasn’t pre-med. I had his school files back in my dorm room still.

  Seth smiled his crooked grin and didn’t reply as he shut the door. I was left alone in his spacious, pristinely-white bathroom. While I wanted to refuse him telling me what to do, the shower sounded inviting. The dorms had shower stalls built in the early 1970’s that were never upgraded even though people in general were a bit bigger. Seth had a spacious shower, and even a standing tub sitting next to it. The tub was very tempting. It had been a long time since I had sat in a tub and relaxed, and right now, all I wanted to do was relax. I eyed the tub up again, but decided on a shower. If my ankle gave out, I could always sit.

  I enjoyed the warm water as it washed away all the dirt from my last few hours. I hadn’t yet had a moment alone since Seth came to my rescue. He was there the whole time, answering the police and detectives questions and repeating them to me when I forgot to answer. The water stung on my knees and hands as it washed over me, but soon the pain dulled. I looked around and found an assortment of shampoos and conditioners. Typical of a guy that brought ladies home all the time. I wanted to hate him for that, but found now that I could not. He saved me. He didn’t have to come looking for me after I left, and he didn’t have to jump into a fight with a guy that had at least eight inches of height and fifty pounds on him. He just did. And those strange tingles when his skin touched mine... it was growing more intense.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Seth asked from the cracked doorway. Too many thoughts swirled around in my mind that I didn’t notice how long I had been in there until I heard a knock.

  “Yes, I’ll be out in a minute.” I hurriedly washed away the suds. How many times did I end up washing my hair? I couldn’t even remember.

  As I stepped out and grabbed the towels before I could be interrupted again, I noticed a stack of clothes on the sink. I dried off as best I could, though my hair still hung wet. I grabbed the shirt first, and it had to be one of Seth’s. It was gigantic on me, but that was fine. I just needed to wait until my clothes were cleaned. The pajama pants with the shirt had a tie at the waist I could pull as tight as I needed. I cautiously pushed the door open into his bedroom. Seth was seated at the window seat, watching the water outside his bedroom window.

  “Do you feel better?” Seth asked, turning slightly to view me.

  I looked at my hands that were now red from the shower. At least they were no longer throbbing. I nodded. They didn’t hurt even half as bad as they did before.

  “Can I look at your ankle?” he asked.

  Even that was feeling better after my shower. I nodded and sat down next to him, placing my foot up on the window seat beside him. Seth picked up my foot and twisted a little left and right. There was a little residual pain, but nothing compared to even an hour ago. I studied Seth as he examined me. He did seem to know what he was doing. His dark eyes looked at every little detail as he moved my foot. He had taken time to shower.

  I reached up and touched Seth’s face. Where I was sure the man had cut his face with his knife, there weren’t any marks. Seth dropped my foot and stared at me touching him. I pulled my hand back quickly. He looked more shocked than anything.

  “But you were cut,” I said in a whisper. Big warnings were going off in my head to get away from him… something was very off with Seth. But I couldn’t move. The hum at touching him was even louder now, and felt like a chain binding us now that I had touched him for the first time.

  “I was,” he replied and didn’t explain more. He stood and pulled back the covers of the bed. “Miller changed the bed while you showered. I’d prefer if you stay here tonight.”

  “But,” I sputtered my reply. Staying overnight was not part of my plans.

  “I’d feel better if I can watch over you tonight and be close,” he answered, patting the bed. My traitorous body agreed with him, and I found myself walking over to his bed. I really should have been running, but I couldn’t convince my brain to do so. My body wanted to rest. “I’ll be in the room right next door. I just don’t think you should be alone in the dorms tonight.”

  “I have Sim,” I reminded him of my roommate.

  “I called her and she went home for the night. That’s why she wasn’t there,” Seth explained as I lay down in his bed. I had forgot that much. He pulled the covers up around me, tucking me in like a small child. “I’ll be right next door if you need anything.” I melted into the softness of the bed.

  Seth walked to the doorway and paused to turn out the light. He gave me one last look before leaving the room. He shut the door softly behind him. At the click of the door shutting and me being locked into complete darkness, I couldn’t help the thoughts racing through my mind. I could feel my heartbeat pick up pace as I remembered running from the larger man. I had repeated the story several times to the police, but now I could feel it again. My mind went ahead and started to wonder what the men would have done to me. My naivety of the world was good was gone in an instant tonight. These men weren’t planning on just talking. I wanted to cry and scream at the same time, but the darkness of the room kept me tucked tightly into the bedcovers, shivering. I began to analyze every little sound; a creak here and a snap over there. My heart kicked in more. The handle turned before the door opened, and I tried not to scream out.

  “It’s just me,” Seth replied, walking back into the room. He knelt beside the bed and touched my face. My heart began to slow to a more normal beat. In the hallway light I saw the concern etched all over his face. “I shouldn’t have left you alone. I thought you were handling this strangely well for what had happened to you. I’m sorry.”

  I wanted to ask more questions, like how he knew to return at that moment, but the warmth of his hand made my eyes droop. It had been a long day. I didn’t even know what time it was, but I was sleepy. Seth smoothed my hair with his other hand, never letting go of my face. He seemed to be able to tell his presence was keeping me content.

  “I’ll stay here,” he said softly. “I’ll just sleep on the window seat. You don’t need to get scared.”

  Warm, fuzzy thoughts were taking over my brain. At this point I didn’t care where he slept. He was easily lulling me into sleep. Seth p
ulled back his hands and stood up to walk to the window seat only feet away from the bed. The warmth trickled away as he walked away. I was no longer sleepy. He laid down and unfolded the blanket sitting there to cover himself. Why was he being nice, and how did he know I was scared? The blanket didn’t hide that he was shirtless. I could see that his perfectly formed chest and arm muscles in the faint light coming through the window.

  “Go to sleep, Mari,” Seth said softly, making me blush that I was caught watching him.

  “How did you know?” I got my question out before he could tell me to sleep a second time.

  “Know what?” Seth asked, turning to face me. The slight moonlight peeking through the curtain fell across his face, now giving me an excellent view of him while I was covered in darkness.

  “That I was scared,” I replied, snuggling into the covers. It was cozy, but I wasn’t feeling the same overwhelming urge to sleep as I had when he was touching my face only moments ago. My mind was waking up now that he was a little ways away.

  “I’ll explain that all tomorrow after my game,” he replied. Not the answer I wanted to hear, but that was all I would get from him. I didn’t ask any more and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would take me soon.

  I listened to his breathing as I tried to sleep, but thoughts kept rambling through my head. I wasn’t scared now, knowing that my defender was just feet away from me. Maybe I should have been scared. Something was different about Seth, but he proved quite well tonight that he was an excellent protector, my own knight in shining armor. But that didn’t stop the images of what might have happened if he didn’t arrive when he did. My brain was a mess. First I was thinking about my night, but then I was thinking more and more about Seth. Every time I tried to shut off my thinking, I’d just change subjects. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice that Seth was standing next to the bed.