Different
Page 4
Her Gran nodded. “Some men came out of the hut carrying you, and the girl—your mother—
was crawling toward them, pleading with them to give you back to her.
“The one with the shotgun blasted her again, killing her.
“‘Tape the freak’s daughter inside a rubbish sack and throw her into the swamp,’ he said. ‘Leave the hut but get rid of any evidence. The Primeval experiments never happened, understood?’
“As my vision faded, I saw the bag containing you thrown into the middle of the swamp. I heard a voice cry, ‘Jay be free!’ The bag sank below the surface, then, just for a moment the swamp changed and it was like looking into clear water. I could see your bag had sunk to the bottom of the swamp, but was moving steadily along.
“Somehow, I knew it would surface in the stream where Tom went fishing, on Catherstone Chase. That’s when I came awake again and went and told Tom what I’d seen.”
“I guess you think we’re crazy,” Tom said.
Jay got slowly to her feet and shook her head. “No, I don’t,” she said. “It’s horrible and scary, like something out of a horror film, and I know now why you were scared when you thought that I was having sex. It was in case I’m like that other girl, the one that laid an egg, but I’m not. I have monthly periods just like all the other girls. I’m no different to any of them.”
“I’m afraid you are, love,” Tom said. “You’re very different and it’s time you were allowed to remember.”
“What do you mean allowed to remember? And why didn’t you go to the police?”
“We couldn’t go to the police without telling them about you, and they’d have taken you into care. What do you think that American, Russell, would do if he found out that there was a survivor—a witness? We told all our neighbours that you were our granddaughter, one of your Uncle Peter’s children. Do you remember Uncle Peter?” Tom asked.
“Yes, he came to my fifth birthday party. I can remember meeting my cousin Scott, I liked him.”
“That’s right. Peter flew the family over from the States. Before he arrived, I used my training in hypnotherapy to block out some of your memories, so that you’d act the same as any other girl. But now it’s time to remove the block I put in place. It’s time for you to remember, Jay.”
“Not now, Tom,” Anna said, “or she’ll be late meeting Mary and the others. Besides, she’s got a lot to think about.” She pressed the pack of condoms into Jay’s hand. “Just in case,” she said. Jay nodded and put them into her pocket. “I don’t think I’ll need them, though,” she said. “I feel like some kind of freak.”
“No!” Tom said angrily. “You’re a wonderful, beautiful girl—different perhaps, but not a freak. You go and enjoy your film and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“What did the scientists do to me?”
“I don’t know, love.”
“Like that girl,” Jay said, “and the boy who killed himself.” She took a deep breath and tried not to let her fear show. What if she was some kind of freak? One thing was for sure. She couldn’t risk having sex with David or anyone else. It wasn’t fair. Why her? Why couldn’t she just be the same as everyone else?
Chapter Four
Mary was nervous when she joined Alex, Carl and Julie Thomas outside the Miner’s Arms. To her dismay, Alex had his arm around Julie and it was Carl’s huge hand that took Mary’s. Alex smiled at her unpleasantly. “You know the score, Mary. We’re going back to Carl’s place to fuck you and Julie. You girls are going to let us do anything we want, right?”
“Yes,” she said, wishing now that she’d got there before Julie and then perhaps Alex would have picked her instead. They made their way towards Carl’s parents’ house. Alex, with one arm around Julie’s shoulders, had already slid his free hand up inside her jumper and was groping her breasts. At least Carl’s not doing that to me in public, Mary thought, and tried not to think about what he would be doing to her later. Carl wasn’t exactly ugly, but he could never be described as handsome, not like Alex. Carl’s hair was a lank mousy brown and flopped down over his forehead, giving him a threatening look. Alex’s blonde hair was flicked back to reveal his movie star good looks. It was the thought of having Alex for her first lover that had driven her almost to welcome the fact that tonight she was going to break her promise and get herself laid. But now it was going to be Carl who did it to her. They’d both be naked and he’d be shagging her and grunting like an animal until he came. All too soon, they turned up a path that led to one of the small townhouses. Carl unlocked the door and led her inside, with Alex and Julie following behind. The living room was surprisingly clean and tidy. Carl released her hand and walked into the kitchen. He returned with a couple of cans of beer and two open bottles of Alcho-pop. He passed her one and gave the other to Julie. Alex took his beer, popped the top of the can and took a couple of swallows.
“What time’s your mum get back?” he asked.
“About half-seven,” Carl said. “She works nights at Tesco,” he explained.
“So we’ve got all night,” Alex said. “C’mon, Julie. Is it okay if we use your mum’s bed, Carl?”
“Yes, but the girls don’t have to do anything they don’t want to. I deleted the disc before I came out.”
Mary looked at him in surprise.
Alex looked as though he was about to throw a punch at Carl. “You fucking did what?”
“Deleted the disc,” Carl said. “I decided that I wasn’t so desperate for sex that I was prepared to blackmail a girl into it.” He shrugged. “The photo’s are gone, Alex.”
“Have you gone crazy, or what?” Alex released Julie but she surprised him by taking his hand.
“I’m still up for it if you are, Alex,” she said. “I was looking forward to getting shagged by you.”
He relaxed and smiled. “In that case, let’s go.” He winked at Mary. “You can have some fun with Carl, if you’ve got the bottle for it.” He slid an arm around Julie’s waist and led her out of the room. Mary heard them going upstairs.
She took a sip of her drink. It was sweet and she could hardly taste the Vodka. I can just walk out and go home, she thought. I don’t even have to let Carl touch me. Then she remembered that her dad was going over to Miss Hollinghead’s and wouldn’t be home until late. He thought that Mary was spending the night at Jay’s place, and anyway, now that Carl couldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to, she wouldn’t mind doing a bit of snogging and stuff.
“Let’s go up to my room,” Carl said, as though reading her thoughts. When she hesitated, he shrugged. “It’s up to you, Mary. I won’t try and attack you or anything.”
She decided to trust him and followed him upstairs.
Carl held the door of his bedroom open for her and she walked past him into the room. In front of her was his bed. There was a computer set up on a table by the window but she was fixated on the bed. Mary wondered what it would feel like having someone undressing her and kissing her all over before making love to her. She took a bigger swallow of her drink and when Carl came and stood behind her, sliding his hands around her ribs and cupping her breasts, she didn’t object. Her emotions were in turmoil, and she didn’t know whether she wanted things to go any further or not. He nuzzled her ear and her neck and she could feel his hardness pressing against her. Carl unbuttoned her blouse. She put her drink down and undid the sleeves so that he could take it off. He turned her around to face him and pressed his mouth against hers while fumbling with the catch of her
bra. Kissing him wasn’t half as bad as she’d expected and she was quite enjoying the way he was kissing her, while he struggled to open her bra.
He couldn’t manage it and, despite everything, she started to snigger and broke off the kiss. When she looked up at him, he was smiling too.
“I haven’t had much practice at opening bras,” he said. “To be honest, I’ve never opened one before.”
“You what?” She stared at him in surprise.
Mary couldn’t meet his eyes. He was right, and she could picture her and her friends sniggering and making those and similar comments whenever he and Alex walked past. “I’m sorry,” she said, and started to unfasten her bra for him, but he reached out a hand and stopped her.
“No, you don’t have to do that,” he said. “Look, why don’t we put on some music or watch a video and get to know each other a little better. Okay, so I fancy you like mad and I’m as horny as hell, but I’d rather wait until you’re sure you want to go all the way.”
She nodded and then looked him in the eye. “Look, I don’t really mind if you want to do some heavy petting and stuff, but this ring I’m wearing…” She raised her hand so that he could see the silver ring on her middle finger. “…is a promise that I wouldn’t go all the way until I get married. It’s something some of us girls from the chapel decided to do.”
He looked at her uncertainly. “You mean you actually want to snog me?”
“Yes. I got it wrong about you, Carl. I’m sorry about that, really. You seem like a nice guy when you’re not with Alex.” In fact, when he held his head half-cocked and smiled like he was doing now, he was almost good looking.
Mary unfastened her bra, took it off and walked into his arms. They kissed and she opened her mouth to accept the probing of his tongue. She felt slightly light headed, and was acutely aware of the feel of his shirt against her breasts. His hand closed over her buttocks, squeezing them through the material of her skirt and, all of a sudden, she wanted him—wanted him to take her. She pulled away slightly and tugged his shirt from out of the waistband of his jeans and unbuttoned it. His hands were exploring her breasts now and when she dropped his shirt to the floor, he pulled her closer still. He was using his hands to explore the bare flesh of her back and then he scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed.
He gently set her down on it and then straightened up. “Let’s respect your silver ring,” he said.
“While I visit the bathroom, you get undressed and get under the sheet. We’ll keep the sheet between us while we make out, and that way we’ll both keep our virginity.”
She’d be safe and the thought of exploring each other’s body with only a thin sheet between the two of them excited her. “Hurry up, though,” she said, laying back on the pillows and pulling up the sheet to cover her breasts.
* * * *
Jay met David outside the cinema, and he looked at her curiously.
“Are you alright, Jay? You look a bit pale.”
“I’ve got a bit of a cold,” she said, hoping that he wouldn’t realise she’d been crying. The shock of what her grandparents had told her and the possible consequences of her having sex had only sunk in after she’d left the house. She couldn’t risk letting anyone get too close to her now. Not now she knew that she wasn’t normal.
“We can always do something else instead of going to see the film, if you don’t feel up to it.”
She shook her head. “Thanks, David. But no, the cinema will be okay.” The prospect of sitting in the dark where she could think appealed to her and she knew that he had been looking forward to seeing the movie so she didn’t want to spoil his evening.
He nodded and, taking Jay’s arm, led her into the foyer of the cinema to buy the tickets. They sat down in a row of seats that were near the back of the auditorium and he draped an arm over her shoulders. She didn’t mind. It made her feel safe and secure.
Jay wasn’t really watching the film as she was too deeply engrossed in her own dark thoughts. Granddad would be removing his hypnotic block tomorrow and she was fearful of what she would discover about herself. She glanced at David and smiled. He was completely entranced by the movie and she’d just decided to start watching it herself when something bounced off David’s shoulder and fell with a metallic clatter to the floor. He turned and looked behind him and Jay turned, too, just in time to see someone toss another empty beer can at David.
He swatted it away and turned towards them. “Pack it in, you morons. We’re trying to watch the film,” he said, and was met with guffaws of laughter from the group of boys sitting on the back row. There were about six of them, and Jay could see the red glowing tips of their cigarettes. She reached up and caught hold of David’s sleeve. “Ignore them, David,” she said. “They’re just looking for trouble.”
“Yes, and they’ll find it if they don’t pack it in,” David muttered.
“Hey, Darlin’,” one of the gang called out. “You’re wasting your time with him, he’s gay. Hasn’t he told you?”
“Perhaps he thought you were a boy,” another one laughed. “Why don’t you come back here and get it on with us?”
Even in the semi-darkness, Jay could see that the barbs had struck home. The colour had drained from David’s face and he scrambled to his feet and hurried towards the exit. Jay caught up with him as he reached the doors and followed him into the foyer.
“Wait, David,” she said. “Being gay’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’re still friends, aren’t we?”
He turned towards her and seemed unable to find the words he was searching for. “I should have told you.” He sounded as though he was on the verge of tears. “I thought…I thought you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me if you or Mary found out.”
Jay shook her head, stood in front of him and looked up into his face. “We’ve know each other and been friends for as long as I can remember, you idiot. Okay, so I fancied you and I admit it.” She grinned. “Just my luck to pick on a boy who’s gay, but on the other hand no other girl’s going to steal you away from me, are they? You’re my friend, David. My very best boyfriend and I won’t let anything spoil that, no matter what.”
He hugged her to him and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you too, Jay,” he said.
“Friends forever,” she said.
Arm in arm they strolled out of the cinema and walked towards the McDonalds on High Street. Jay was relieved that David had overcome his initial embarrassment and that they were still friends. Okay, so he couldn’t be her lover but he could be her brother and that was good enough for her. Suddenly, some boys ran out of a side-passage on her right. Fanning out, they stood in a line facing her and David, blocking the pavement. It was the gang from the cinema and all of them had the hoods of their sweatshirts pulled up to avoid being identified by the CCTV security cameras fastened to the buildings.
David released her arm and then stood half in front of Jay, as though to protect her. “We’re not looking for any trouble,” he said.
“No, but we are!” The biggest of the boys moved towards them. “Morons, are we?” He lashed out a foot, aiming at David’s groin, but David sidestepped as his attacker’s foot flashed harmlessly past. But then the others fell upon David, punching and kicking him to the ground. A foot slammed into his head and he cried out in pain, trying to curl up into a ball to protect himself.
“Kill the bastard!” One of them yelled and the intensity of their kicking increased. A few pedestrians, afraid to interfere, stood watching helplessly like Jay. Then from somewhere within her, a fury awoke.
She launched herself at them. Grabbing the nearest attacker by the scruff of his neck, she hauled him backwards so hard that when she let go, his momentum was so great it sent him crashing through the plate glass window of a shop.
Jay tossed another couple aside as though they were toys. Her one thought was to help David. The other three stopped their attack on David and turned on her. A glint of light on metal gave Jay just enough time to block the knife’s thrust with the palm of her right hand. Her hand felt as though it was on fire and she stared for a millisecond at the blade that had impaled it.
Her other hand gripped her assailant by the throat and lifted him off his feet. She threw him into the other two men and all three of them fell in a tangle of bodies, arms and legs.
She wrenched the knife out of her hand and, ignoring the blood that poured from the wound, she dropped to her knees beside David.
“David, are you alright?” she cried. She felt power flowing down her right arm, through her injured hand and then a blue fire shot out of it, covering him. The flames died down until they were only about an inch high and looked like a covering of solid light. It faded almost immediately and David stirred and sat up. He looked around him at the stunned pedestrians and then at the groaning thugs. “What happened to them?”
“I did,” she said and became aware of the wail of approaching sirens. She hauled David to his feet and then ran over to the boy who had fallen through the shop window. He was sitting up and looking dazed while trying to stem the blood that was pouring from a huge gash in his right arm. In the garish illumination from the streetlights, his face seemed almost white and, without hesitating, Jay placed her hands on him. The healing power shot out of her with such force that instantly she felt drained of energy. She felt so weak she thought she would pass out. Then David was helping her up and staring transfixed at the blue translucent glow covering the injured youth.
“How…?” he began, without looking at her.
She interrupted him as the urgent wail of approaching sirens filled the air. “Let’s get out of here. Otherwise I’m going to be in big trouble.”
He didn’t argue, and none of the growing crowd of onlookers tried to stop them as they hurried away. David had an arm around her waist supporting her but, by the time they turned into the same passageway that the thugs had emerged from, Jay’s strength had returned.
“I thought I might have killed that boy,” she said. “I just threw him away from you and he seemed to fly through the window. Like in the Superman films, you know?”