Back in the Rain

by Elen Chase

  "I bet it was that old shit," he added. "It’s not the first time he has come snooping around." He was angry, and his voice was full of hatred. Then he pointed the torch toward us. It's over. I looked at Dan. Forgive me. I don't want you to die because of me. I closed my eyes, ready to capture any signal of danger so I could jump out at least to buy enough time for Dan to run away, but unexpectedly the light moved away from us. The man looked around the whole room and, with disappointment, advanced to the first floor. We heard his steps fading toward the entrance, along with his yelling. Only in that moment I realized I was shaking and covered in cold sweat. I had no control over my body whatsoever. I was still trying to understand what was going on, when Dan stood up, grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs. When we were back in the library, instead of walking toward the exit, where the man had gone, Dan brought me to the left side of the hall, through the kitchen. There we took a small exit leading to what once was the maze area of the garden. I followed him through the burned ground to the back entrance of the guesthouse. We entered the building in a hurry, and as soon as we went in, Dan let go of my hand and fell on his knees, throwing up on the floor.

  "Dan!" I rushed close to him and put a hand on his forehead to sustain his head. It was burning hot, and the coughing was so strong I feared he was about so suffocate. When he finished, I helped him sit down in a corner. "You have a fever. We need to get you back home as soon as possible."

  "That man could be still around," he said with a weak voice. "Look; I think from that window we should be able to see the main gate. As soon as he goes away, we'll run from this place. Before somebody else comes."

  "Somebody else might come before he goes away."

  "We’ll think of something when that happens."

  I sat next to the window, as he said, to look at the gate. I could see the man still talking on his watchpad and walking in circles. I wasn't able to look at him properly in the room with the altar, so this time I never took my eyes off him, trying to memorize his appearance. He was a small man with short black hair, dressed as a soldier, with a gun on his belt. I took a picture of him with my watchpad.

  I was worried for Dan; he was pale, his breath was irregular and he looked like he could faint anytime. Sure, he wasn't feeling well even before going there, but our little adventure in that dark room was the final straw. In that condition, if somebody found us, would he be able to run away or hide? I didn't know what to do, so I tried talking to him to keep him awake.

  "I wonder what this guesthouse was for," I told him.

  "I think it was for the servants to live in."

  "Why?"

  "’Cause the back is leading right to the kitchen where we came from. And the rooms in the villa were way too big for the servants."

  "I see. I think you're right."

  "Don't come back here tomorrow."

  "I won't, I promise. I think I already found the answers I was looking for," I said, touching the necklace in my pocket. The guesthouse was much smaller than the villa. It had only two floors: the one we were in included a living room-kitchen, two small bedrooms and a bathroom. I didn't feel like going on the second floor to search it, but looking at it from below, it looked like there were just a couple of rooms.

  Around 5 p.m., the man finally left. We waited a little longer to see if anything else was happening, and then we rushed toward the gate. I was ready to be shot anytime, but fortunately, nobody came. We ran to the woods, and when we were far enough, we stopped to catch our breath. Dan's conditions seemed to be getting worse every minute. Before I could even tell him anything he lost consciousness, and I barely managed to catch him before he fell to the ground. It was already about to get dark in the woods, so I decided I shouldn't wait for him to wake up. I loaded him on my back and started walking back to the cottage at a slow pace. He was heavy, and by carrying him, all my muscles hurt. However, I was determined to get him home as soon as possible, so I got used to the pain. I was shocked from the visit to the villa, but also worried sick about him. His skin was dreadfully hot, and it seemed like he couldn't even breathe right. Sometimes weak moans would come out of his mouth, like he was in pain. Each one of them made my anxiety grow, and I tried to walk a little faster.

  "Drew..." he softly called my name.

  "Dan! Are you awake? We're almost home, try to resist a little longer," I answered, happy to see he had regained consciousness.

  "Drew, it burns."

  "You have a high fever, but you're gonna be fine soon."

  "Everyday… it hurts so much."

  "Eh?" That's when I figured out he hadn't really regained consciousness, it was the fever talking. It was probably higher than I thought.

  "I don't like fire...it hurts," he said, tightening his arms around my neck.

  "Dan..."

  "I don't want to burn to death, I'm scared," he whispered, and I felt his tears falling on my neck. My stomach began to twitch and ache once again. Was it really only because of the fever? Did seeing that villa shock him somehow? Did it remind him of something else?

  "Don't be scared, nothing will happen to you," I replied, hoping that my voice would reach him.

  "That man will kill me," he said, crying, with a voice so weak I could hear it only because he was so close to my ear. "I don't want to die."

  I kind of figured he wasn't talking about the man we saw together. I felt shocked by his words, but I never got the chance to ask more, since he lost consciousness again soon after that.

  "Saying things like that… you're scaring me." I needed to get home. I felt like going insane in that situation. Fortunately, I was close.

  When I got back to the cottage the girls were waiting for us, worried. We put Dan on the sofa close to the fireplace and Sara had him drink a medicine, even though he was still unconscious. I found myself hoping he wouldn't become aware of being so close to the fire. After that, I decided to tell the girls about our progress so far. I had the evidence I needed now, and I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I told them about Shallie, the help Dan was giving me, and about the villa, even though I omitted the fact that we risked our lives there. They were both listening carefully to me, and I detected, especially on Sara’s face, a shade of worry.

  "And what are you gonna do now that you have proof?" Chloe asked me. "My dad is a detective. Maybe he can help you so you can uncover the truth."

  "No, Chloe, those people own the police forces. Your dad will just put his life on the line for nothing. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of this," I replied, with my eyes on Dan. I had been saying that all the time, but if he stayed with me, I wasn’t sure I could keep him safe. I wasn't even able to take care of myself. In fact, Dan was the one taking care of me. I was extremely confused on how to act from that point on.

  "Don't push yourself too hard. You have a lot people who love you and support you," added Sara, gently putting a hand on my shoulder.

  "Thanks, Sara."

  "For now go take a bath and eat something, you must be starving," she said. The bath helped me feel better. We ate the dinner Sara had prepared for us, and we agreed to always have someone close to Dan that night, since even after taking the medicine he didn't look better at all. Sara got the first turn, Chloe the second, and I got the third. Since that night I couldn't sleep at all anyway, I sent Chloe to bed earlier. I sat on a chair by his side and changed the wet cloth on his forehead. Then I covered him better with the blanket and looked at him for a while. He seemed so defenseless, like when I first talked to him fourteen years before. At the time I considered myself stronger than him and An. I wanted to be the one to always protect them, yet since I had met him again all I had been doing was being protected by him. And he seriously saved my life back at the villa.

  "Why are you doing all of this for me?" I asked, knowing he couldn't hear me, caressing his face with the back of my hand. My touch was probably too sudden and he opened his eyes, startled, reminding me of that morning I woke him up. I took my hand back, and he looke
d at me for a moment. I wasn't sure he had recognized me.

  "Drew..." he slowly called my name, and I felt an unknown sorrow deep inside. "Did I… say something?" he asked me, looking almost scared. My vision blurred, and as I let my tears go I put a hand on my chest, hoping that the ache would stop.

  "Who hurt you?" I asked, "Who did this to you?"

  "Don't feel sad for me," he said, lifting his hand up and drying my tears, "please."

  I did my best to stop crying. Then I held his hand until he fell asleep again. This time I had no excuse; I lacked the courage to ask more. But those feelings rushing inside of me weren't going to disappear. I wasn't sad, neither was I feeling sorry for him. I was angry. Whoever made him suffer so much, I could never forgive them.

  Is there a way to change a person's past? Dan told me that regret could only stop you from moving forward, and he was right, indeed. Still, is there a way to erase all the suffering? Is there a chance to let him go back to the way he was? I was too late for An and Shallie, I could only let them go and do my best to preserve their memory. Is there still a chance for me to help him? I want to find a way. I have to find a way.

  Chapter 18

  When I woke up the next morning, I found myself on the chair close to the sofa, with my head hanging off the side. My neck hurt, as well as my back. It was early morning, and Dan was still asleep, even though he looked a lot better. I checked his temperature, and the fever had gone down. He opened his eyes soon after that.

  "Hey, good morning," I told him with a smile.

  "Drew… good morning," he replied, a little bit disoriented. He sat on the sofa and looked around, as to figure out where we were.

  "You had a high fever. I had to carry you back from the villa."

  "I see…" he said, still looking confused.

  "You don't remember anything?"

  "I’m not sure, I don't know what was a dream or not."

  "I see..." I replied, wondering if I should ask about what he had told me the day before or not. I decided not to.

  "Drew, listen, di— "

  "Dan, you're awake!" Chloe's voice stopped him. She ran down the stairs and hugged him, then sat next to him on the sofa. She must have been really worried for him.

  "Chloe, I'm sor— "

  Again, she stopped him with a flick on his head.

  "Ouch!"

  "I told you, Dan, don’t you ‘sorry’ me! It's not cool risking your health to play the hero. If you don't feel like doing something, then just say it,” she said, and then turned to me. “Also, Drew, I didn't feel like saying this in front of Sara yesterday, but I think that before going on with your investigation, you should try to better plan what you want to do once you’ll get to face this organization. This seems bigger than you thought it would be, so be careful if you don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  I was a bit bothered by her way of throwing her opinion at me like that, but if I tried to see things from a different perspective, she was right. I have to get smarter so nobody will get hurt. Then she sighed, and said, "Well, I'm gonna go take some pictures outside. Dan, rest well today, okay? Also, you stink; go take a shower, please."

  "Okay, okay," he replied, smiling, and she went to the kitchen to fill a bottle of water to bring outside.

  "About that, can you do it on your own? You need help?" I asked him, seriously worried. Until just a few hours before he couldn't even walk on his own, and he hadn't eaten anything in almost a day.

  "Eh?" Dan looked at me as if I was an alien. It took me some time to really understand how embarrassing what I had just said was.

  "No, I mean, I..." I wanted to fall to the bottom of a hole in the ground and never come back.

  "Wow, I wish I was one of those girls who enjoy these things," said Chloe, coming out of the kitchen with an amused expression on her face. "Drew, let me teach you a trick. Next time you don't ask, you go directly in the shower when he least expects it and— "

  "Chloe! Don't you really have to go now?" said Dan. Chloe did her best not to laugh in our faces, put up her thumb to make the “okay” sign and left, saying, "Don't have too much fun without me!" When she closed the door behind her back, Dan looked at me as if he was about to laugh too.

  "Seriously, Drew?"

  "Don't say a word!" I stood up, trying to avoid his gaze. "Can you stand?"

  "Yes, I should be alright."

  "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm fine. A little hungry maybe."

  "I'll be in our room, right next to the bathroom. If you're not feeling well, call me, alright?"

  "It's alright, don't worry."

  I waited for him in our bedroom. I sat on the bed, legs crossed, and looked at the necklace I found, thinking about what had happened in the villa the day before. We had found out a lot, despite the risk we took. First of all, of course, Shallie had been there. Those politicians were really part of a sect. There was more of them, and the boss of the guy we saw wanted “it” to be taken away soon. He was probably talking about the altar. Also, he said that a man had gone to the villa to look around often. Who might that be? He wasn't killed, so it must be somebody who technically had the right to go there. Maybe a family member of the owner of the villa. It was time to check them out. Additionally, the guesthouse was a place the servants lived in. Of course, rich people would have servants with them to stay in that villa. So other than the family, I should look for more information on the servants too. Some of them might have been there or know something. Last but not least, the fire. Who burned down that place? And why? The first thing I could think of was that they meant to destroy all the traces of what they were doing. However, something wasn't right. It was rather easy for us to find that dark room. Moreover, the altar was still there. If the villa remained intact, it would have been much harder to find it. It would have been much harder to get inside in the first place. They could have just had it guarded, even by the police itself if they wanted. I decided to send a message to Lilian to tell her what we had found out and ask her opinion. I sent the message from Dan's watchpad, as we had agreed to do, since it was using an encrypted mailing system. Soon after that, Dan came back from the shower, with his hair still wet.

  "You're thinking too much," he told me. "Look at the wrinkles on your forehead."

  I took a deep breath and tried to relax, then focused my gaze on him. "I have been wanting to ask you," I told him, "do you hate hairdryers or something?"

  "What's that about?"

  "You never dry it, do you? You leave drops of water wherever you go."

  "It's just that it's too long now, it takes forever to dry."

  He sat on the other side of the bed, drying his hair with a towel. I was not satisfied with his answer, so I went to take the hairdryer from the bathroom.

  "What are you doing?" he asked.

  "I'm gonna dry your hair. Come here." I plugged the hairdryer and stood on my knees on the bed, and he sat down in front of me. "If you don't do it properly your fever will get higher again," I said.

  "Sure, Mum," he replied ironically, but closed his eyes and let me do it anyway. After a while, he let himself fall on the bed, resting his head on my knee.

  "Dan, what do you think you're doing?"

  "Nothing, it's just more comfortable this way."

  "For you, maybe."

  "Since you want to take care of me so badly today at least do it properly, or my fever will get higher again."

  A bit irritated by the irony, I grabbed his hair and slowly pulled it up.

  "Ouch! That hurts, you know?"

  "Serves you right… Uh?" Without his hair to cover it, I now saw a black line on the nape of his neck. "Is it a tattoo?" I asked.

  "Yeah." He moved his hair up and turned his head to let me see it better. It was the logo he, An and I made more than ten years before, the “3AN” one. Seeing it felt incredibly nostalgic. Somehow, it completely shut me up. "Drew..."

  "What?"

  "Did I say something strange to you yesterday?" Hi
s voice was so low I could barely hear it with the noise of the hairdryer. I kept directing the warm air on his head, passing my fingers through his silky hair.

  "Why do you ask?"

  "It happens sometimes, I talk in my sleep when I don't take my pills. But it's nothing too serious, just bad dreams."

  "Those drugs, why do you take them? Tell me the truth this time."

  "I told you the truth. I cannot sleep, and even when I do, I have nightmares. The pills give me a dreamless sleep."

  "Do you have some kind of trauma? Is that why you can't sleep?"

  "I did say something, then."

  "Please, tell me."

  "Something happened, but I don't want to talk about it. What did I say?"

  "You said that you're scared of fire. That a man will kill you."

  "I see."

  "If I have to be honest, this scares me to death."

  "Don't worry. The person I was talking about is already dead."

  "Wh— "

  "Don't ask. Please."

  Was it the man his mother ran with? I thought he never managed to meet him, but maybe he lied to me? I turned the hairdryer off. I wished I could see his face, but he seemed to intend not to show it to me.

  "Dan? Are you crying?" I leaned forward to try looking at his face, and in that moment, he turned to me, his nose an inch from mine, his breath on my skin. I felt relieved he wasn't crying, and lost myself in his eyes for a couple of seconds. When I was about to move back, the door of the room opened suddenly.

  "Andrew, Dan is not downstairs anymore, where could he be?" screamed Sara, getting in the room. Then she stared at us and remained as petrified.

  "Ah, no, Sara, this is not what it seems!" I tried to explain, but she left, slamming the door behind her back and screaming, "I knew it!"

  Dan seemed to find it extremely funny and he wouldn't stop laughing.

  Chapter 19

  She was serious this time. I got it from the fact that she had prepared a king's breakfast for Dan, and when I asked about mine, the answer I got was, “I believe your hands work just fine.” A nice way to say, “Make it yourself”. We spent the Sunday in the cottage, all four of us, eating outside and playing poker. In the afternoon, Dan said he was still feeling weak, so he lay on a lounger in the garden, reading or listening to some music. I gave him my watchpad to help him pass the time, since I needed his to check an eventual reply from Lilian and browse the internet anonymously.