by Donald Wells
“Do you think they’re still alive?” She said.
“I don’t know, but even if they are, they’ll be on the run for the rest of their lives.”
“Mirror image,”
“What was that?”
“They were like mirror images of us, a funhouse mirror, crazily distorted, but still a reflection,”
He shook his head in disagreement.
“Reflections require light, and those two were lost in darkness, they were shadows, nothing but shadows.”
“And light destroys shadows,”
“It did in my case; if not for you, I don’t know what I would have become.”
“You were never as dark as Jeffrey, Jeffrey was evil; you were just lost.”
“And then you found me.”
“And you found me.”
“Jessica?”
“Yes?”
“Let’s go home.”
And they walked away from the water and toward the setting sun, leaving long shadows in their wake.
TAKEN! 5 – YOUNG LOVE
Jessica White inhaled a great gulp of air as she prepared to scream.
However, the scream died in her throat as he cut the rope that bound her left hand. The boy made three more quick moves with the knife and she was free.
She lay atop an old mattress that had been covered with a sheet. She was naked, trembling, and more afraid than she had ever been.
The boy, who she guessed was about her age, eighteen, placed the knife back on the table and then bent over to grab her clothes from the floor.
Even amidst her terror, she marveled at him, at the way he moved. Every motion he made was fluid grace, without a stint of wasted effort. And that face, how could someone who had done something so ugly be so beautiful?
He spoke to her as he gave her the clothes.
“Get dressed and I’ll take you home. And then, and then... I’ll go have a talk with the police.”
She took her clothes from him while looking up into his eyes and was shocked by what she saw there.
Shame.
He was ashamed at what he had done to her, at what he had planned to do to her.
He walked away from the bed and sat on a large wooden reel with his back turned.
Jessica hustled into her clothes and then just stood there, watching him in fascination.
He spoke to her while his back was still turned. “Are you dressed?”
She nodded her head, and then realized that he couldn’t see her.
“Yes... yes, I’m dressed.”
He stood, when he took a step toward her, she flinched.
He stopped moving and let loose a sigh.
“Right, you don’t want me to drive you home; you must not want me anywhere near you.”
He reached into a pocket and took out a set of keys, afterward; he tossed them to her.
“Those are the keys to my van; it’s parked out back there.” He told her, while pointing at the other end of the long building. “When you get it, drive around to the front here and take the road to the right, it will take you out to the highway.”
After he spoke, he sat back down and grabbed a length of rope, the same type that he had used to tie her to the bed. He then played with it loosely in his hands, as his head hung low.
Jessica spoke to him. “What are you going to do?”
He looked up at her, startled by her question.
“Don’t worry; I won’t get away... I promise you that I’ll be here when the police come.”
After saying that, his hands moved in a blur of motion. When he was done, the rope had been fashioned into a noose.
Jessica looked down at the keys in her hand and then back at him. With something akin to reluctance, she began walking away.
After a dozen paces, she stopped and looked back at him.
“...Goodbye,”
“Goodbye, and Jessica? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,”
She nodded her head in acknowledgement and then continued toward the van.
When she left the building, she had to watch where she walked. Although the rain had just ended, it left behind puddles everywhere.
The door of the van was unlocked and she climbed inside and found her purse sitting on the dash. Then she had the van moving, easing it around scattered debris and potholes. As she turned left toward the front of the derelict building, she saw the promised road on the right.
A minute later, she parked in front of the building and tooted the horn.
He walked out the open overhead door and gazed at her, perplexed.
Jessica scooted over into the passenger seat and said two words.
“You drive.”
***
As they pulled onto the highway, he said. “I don’t know where the police stations are around here. You’ll have to give me directions.”
“Just take me back to my car; and after that...”
He said nothing in return, and so they rode in silence.
Then, she asked him a question.
“Why me?”
“What?”
“Why did you take me? Why not someone else?”
After a moment, he answered.
“You’re perfect,”
“What?”
“I’ve been planning this for a while, looking for the right girl, and then I saw you, and you were perfect.”
“But what’s that mean, ‘perfect?”
He took his eyes off the road and stared at her.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She lowered her eyes and spoke softly.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you; what did you say?”
“I said I’m not a thing.”
“I know; it’s why I didn’t... couldn’t...”
“Were you going to rape me?”
He nodded.
“Kill me?”
Another nod, but this one also carried with it a look of pain.
“Why did you stop?”
“I saw the fear in your eyes, the terror, and I... look, Jessica, I’m so sorry, but you don’t have to worry; I’ll pay for what I did to you, and I’ll never bother you again.”
“What’s your name?”
He told her and she repeated it.
He drove into the park and pulled up behind her car, and again she marveled at the way he moved. Before she had even opened her door, he had left the van and was bent over tinkering under her car’s hood.
She walked over to stand beside him and watched what he was doing.
“You’re the reason my car broke down?”
“Yes, I did something to the carburetor.”
“You know a lot about cars?”
“I learned a little from one of my mom’s old boyfriends.”
“Is your father still living?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t remember him and my mom never talks about him.” He said, and then he walked around and started the engine.
“Thank you, for fixing my car.”
He shrugged. “I’m the one that broke it.”
And then they stood there by the car, just staring at each other.
Their reverie was ended by the squeal of brakes, as a car came to a sudden stop across from them; next, Dr. James White emerged, while wearing an angry expression.
“Jessica, thank God, I became worried when you didn’t come home from work.”
Jessica went to him. “I’m sorry daddy, but my car broke down.”
He gave her a kiss on the forehead, as the look of anger turned into one of relief.
“As long as you’re all right; that’s all that matters. I started to fear that someone had... never mind... it must be the work I’m doing now; I think I let my imagination get the better of me.” He then looked over at him. “Who is he?”
Jessica introduced them and he stood before her father with a solemn look on his face.
“Mr. White, I—”
&nb
sp; “It’s Dr. White young man. I’m a psychiatrist.”
“I’m sorry, Dr. White, I need to tell you that I—”
“He fixed my car!” Jessica said, cutting him off.
Dr. White grunted and took out his wallet, a moment later, he held out money.
He stared at it dumbly.
“Well, take it young man; it’s a reward for fixing my daughter’s car.”
“A reward?”
“Yes, and is that your van?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then it looks like you could use it.”
He straightened. “I don’t want your money.”
Dr. White put the money back.
“Very well, now Jessica, get in your car and follow me home; it’s getting late and I’ve a meeting to attend.”
“All right daddy, but give me a pen first,”
“Why?”
“Never mind, just give me a pen.”
Dr. White looked over at him. “I don’t have one.”
“Yes you do, you always have one, now stop being silly and let me have it.”
The doctor reached into his suit coat and came out with a pen. “Here,”
Jessica took the pen from her father and then walked back over to him.
“Let me see your hand.”
He gave her a quizzical look and then held out his right hand, after which, she wrote upon it.
“That’s my number, call me.” Next, she stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. “You’re better than you know, don’t go to the police; it would only ruin your life.”
Afterward, she got in her car and followed her father out of the park.
A long time passed before he could stop staring at the numbers written on his hand.
***
He returned home to find his mother in the living room with her new boyfriend, Roger. The two of them were drinking and an empty pizza box sat on the coffee table. At first sight of the box, he became hungry, and remembered that he hadn’t eaten since morning.
“Hi mom,”
“Hi yourself, and don’t be looking at that pizza, we ate it all.”
“I see that.”
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “I came home.”
“Um hmm, where you been?”
“Out,”
“Up to no good, I’m sure, just like—never mind.”
“Just like who? My father? How come you never talk about him?”
“I got nothin’ to say on that subject, but I do have something else I wanna talk about.”
“What’s that?”
“Get out!” Roger said. He was a tall man with muscular arms and a soft belly.
“What?”
His mother got off the couch and walked over to him; the scent of whiskey was strong.
“Now boy, I always told you that when you turned eighteen you’d have to find your own place, well, now’s that time.”
“But mom, I’m only seventeen.”
“That’s close enough.” Roger said.
“You’re kicking me out because of him, aren’t you?”
“I told her it was me or you boy, and guess who she picked.” Roger said, and then he laughed.
He walked over to the couch. “You’re number thirty-nine.”
“What?”
“You’re the thirty-ninth boyfriend that my mother’s had; soon there will be a number forty.”
“You got a smart mouth,” Roger said. He stood up and pushed him.
He went with the push while grabbing Roger’s wrist and pulling him along. A second later, Roger landed on the floor.
He popped back up and threw a punch, which he easily avoided and then sent a kick into Roger’s gut. This time Roger stayed down.
“Ooohh, hey kid, where’d you learn that karate shit?”
“From number twenty-eight, and it was judo.”
While his mother tended to Roger, he went into his room and packed his belongings, which consisted of very little, and then he left by the back door, got into his van, and drove away.
***
He called Jessica from a payphone.
“Hi, it’s me,”
“I know. Where are you? I mean do you live nearby?”
He told her where he was and she gasped.
“You’re all the way in the next state, but I guess it’s not that far, maybe an hour or so?”
“Yes,”
“Are you all right?”
“Am I all right? Why would you ask me that?”
“I don’t know, it’s just that you sound... funny, like something’s wrong.”
“No, it’s been just another average day.” He said, and then heard silence on the other end. “Jessica?”
“I’m here. Was that a joke?”
“Yes, I’m sorry,”
“Don’t be, I liked it.”
“Something did happen today, I mean, something else. My mom kicked me out of the house.”
“Oh my God, did she find out about, well, about, you know?”
“No, it wasn’t that, her new boyfriend didn’t want me around.”
“Wow, so who are you staying with?”
“I guess I’ll sleep in the van.”
“There’s no one you can go to, family, friends... a girlfriend?”
“My mom’s my only family and... no, no one.”
“When you were planning my... kidnapping? Did you follow me?”
“...Yes.”
“Well then you know where I live, come here.”
“What?”
“Come here, you can’t sleep in that van.”
“I’ll be all right.”
“Come here, as soon as you can, I’ll be waiting.”
“What about your father?”
“I’ll handle daddy, will you come?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not lying, are you, you’ll really come?”
“I might kidnap you and tie you up, but I’ll never lie to you.”
“Was that another joke?”
“Yes.”
“Good,”
“Jessica, what you said before, about me being better than I know, do you really believe that?”
“It’s why I didn’t call the police. You did a very bad thing, but you’re not a very bad person, I can tell.”
“How?”
“Because you let me go,”
“I also took you.”
“Nobody’s perfect, now get here as soon as you can.”
***
When he arrived, he found her sitting out on a porch swing with another girl. The girl was Megan Canfield and she was Jessica’s best friend. He had seen them together often while he had been following Jessica. Megan was nearly as beautiful as Jessica was, with dark hair and green eyes. As he approached them, Megan sent him a disapproving look and he wondered if Jessica had told her how they met.
After Jessica made the introductions, Megan rose from her seat and gave Jessica a peck on the cheek.
“I have to go, but I’ll call you later. Oh, and Jessica, when is Kevin coming home?”
“Soon, why?”
Megan spoke to him.
“Kevin is Jessica’s boyfriend; he’s on vacation with his family right now, but he’ll be back, back to stay.”
“That’s very interesting,” He told her.
She sent him another sour look and then walked off down the block.
He looked over at Jessica.
“I don’t think she likes me.”
“It’s not that, it’s just that she really likes Kevin.”
“Oh, did you tell her about how we met.”
“No, no one needs to know that; she just knows that you fixed my car.”
“Where’s your father?”
“He should be home soon.”
“And your mom?”
“She died years ago.”
“You don’t have to do this; I can always find someone else to stay with.”
“I thought you sai
d that you would never lie to me.”
“I know, it’s just that—why are you doing this, being so nice to me?”
“I don’t know, I think I feel sorry for you.”
“So, it’s pity,” He said, and sank into a padded wicker chair. He then reached down and grabbed something off the floor. It was a doll with a frilly lace dress.
“That belongs to my little sister, Gabby, Gabriella; I put her to bed earlier.”
“I didn’t know you had a sister.”
“Some stalker you are,” She said, and watched him hang his head. “I’m sorry, that was a bad joke.”
“It’s okay.”
Headlights shone on them, as Jessica’s father arrived home.
When Dr. White found him sitting on his porch, he did not appear pleased.
“What is he doing here?”
Jessica walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I asked him to come by, and I need to talk to you.”
Dr. White took her by the shoulders. “Is something wrong, has something happened?”
“No! Daddy, everything’s fine, now let’s go inside and talk.”
As they walked into the house, she sent him an encouraging smile.
***
“There’s nowhere else you can stay?”
“I can always sleep in my van.”
“Good God,” Dr. White said. “All right, but you have to promise me that you’ll find another place soon.”
“Yes sir,”
Jessica jumped up from the sofa. “I’ll go make-up one of the guest rooms.”
“No you will not,” Her father said. “He’s not staying in this house.”
“But daddy, you just said that—”
“I know what I said, and I meant it, he can stay at Jimmy’s place.”
“Oh, okay,”
“Who’s Jimmy?” He asked.
“Jimmy’s my brother, he moved out last year, but when he was here, he lived over the garage. It’s tiny, but it’s a nice apartment.”
“It beats living in a van,” Her father mumbled.
***
A short time later, he settled into the apartment.
Whitewashed wooden steps ran up the side of the garage and ended at a small landing. Jessica stood there in the doorway, saying goodnight.
“Come down for breakfast in the morning; we eat around seven, just tap on the back door.”
“Thank you Jessica, for everything, and that includes not turning me in.”
“You just need a second chance.”
He looked around.
“This isn’t a second chance; this is a miracle,”