by J. L. Drake
“Asshole.” Dad shrugged as he emerged from behind her.
“Well, I was going to say jerk, but asshole works too.” She took his hand and kissed it while we laughed harder. “Doesn’t matter, though. It’s important that we go.” She stood and fixed her hair. “Even if we’re counting the minutes to when we leave.”
“Damn straight.” El dodged Dad’s swat to his arm as he slipped out of my room.
“Darn, you mean darn.”
I rolled off the bed and grabbed my purse. “No, Dad, in this case, it’s damn.”
After being squashed in a tiny car, followed by meeting a million people who didn’t give a crap about who I was, we were finally left alone downstairs with the rest of the employees’ kids.
Two hours in, and I couldn’t take the fighting over Monopoly, I needed to leave. I called my friend Darcy, and she said her mom would swing by and get me.
I weaved through the sea of big hair and smoke, determined to find my parents to let them know I was leaving.
My father’s assistant appeared, and I stepped in her way.
“Have you seen my parents?”
“Oh, well, hello, sweetheart.” She studied my face. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Now, how long has it been?” Really, old biddy, you wanna do a trip down memory lane right now? I just saw you two days ago!
“Ms. Hazel, I really need to know if you know where my parents are.”
“Umm, I thought I saw your mother upstairs, or was it the garden?”
“Come on,” I hissed, climbing the tall staircase. I would be nicer, but she apparently wouldn’t remember this conversation in a day.
I saw an open room at the end of the hall and made my way down.
“Wow.” I stepped into the room and took in the view. A solid wall was covered in different color wine bottles. It was pretty neat the way it reflected the light. The other was full of photographs, mostly black and white, but the one in the center was of a woman who looked very familiar. I walked over, letting my curiosity get the better of me.
There was Maci, my father’s boss’s wife, in a bright red blouse, with bright red lips that matched her nails tucked under her chin. She was staring at the cameraman, and the flash made her eyes glow. It was beautiful.
My spine prickled at the sound of footsteps behind me. I quickly looked for another door and dashed across the room. A hard tug told me it was locked. Oh no! I heard a voice, and as it grew louder, so did my heartbeat. If I was found in here, I would be in so much trouble, not to mention my father would be too.
I spotted a closet and slipped inside, in near panic before two people entered the room.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” I tried to close the door, but a strap of a golf bag was jammed in the middle hinge.
I had to leave the door the way it was, as I was scared they would hear me fiddling with it.
My heart was pounding, and when I heard a voice I recognized, I wanted to cry. I really wished I hadn’t realized who it was. I thought it must be God’s way of punishing me and my family for not wanting to be here in the first place.
“Fine,” I mouthed to the ceiling, “you win! Church once a week!”
His black suit appeared by the door, and I froze. There were wooden slats in the door, so I could see out, but they couldn’t see in. Once I was sure I wouldn’t be spotted easily, I leaned against the wall and watched and listened as Father Kai spoke to Maci. I shifted so I could see out the door better.
“Please, Father,” she started to cry, “not here.”
He moved to stand in front of her. Father Kai was tall and skinny, but he was strong in other ways. He had power over some of the townspeople. I’d heard my parents talk about it. My father wasn’t overly religious, but we attended church on holidays for my mother, because she enjoyed it.
“Now, Maci, you know it’s whenever the Lord feels it’s the right time. I am here to serve his needs.”
Her lips pressed together, but a sob managed to escape. “What if someone comes in? What if someone hears—?”
His shoulders pulled back as he cleared his throat. “Knees, now!”
My stomach sank. What the hell was going on here? My hands started to sweat, and my heartbeat thundered in my ears.
I watched in terror as she slowly lowered to the ground and with shaky hands removed her shoes one at a time. Then, to my surprise, she carefully removed her blouse and hung it on the stool next to her.
The urge to look away was strong, but for some reason I couldn’t.
Father Kai slipped his hand into his pocket and removed a long leather strap. The part that made my knees go weak was the hard little ball on the end, with what looked like spikes all over it. He dropped it at his feet and waited.
Maci let out a long breath before her pink tipped fingers swiped toward the floor, picking up the strap. She held the handle and waited.
“Say it.” His voice was low and scary. The tone of it would stay with me for a long time.
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”
He nodded once. “Do it.”
She closed her eyes and flipped her hand up and behind her, whipping her own back with the thing.
Holy shit! I bit my lip to stop the cry that was now lodged in my throat.
“Again,” he ordered.
The sound of the leather cutting through the air and the sound of the ball hitting her skin was making me lightheaded. I was way too terrified to try to stop it. I remained frozen, hidden in the closet.
None of this made sense. He was Father Kai, our church’s beloved priest for many years and the one person in town who had everyone’s respect. People went to him for everything.
“Again.” His voice brought me back to the horrible event that was taking place—the torture of Maci.
“I…I can’t.” She fell forward, and I got a good look at her skin.
I almost vomited. I couldn’t take it. I started to silently sob. Her skin was beet red with tiny holes that bled down her back.
“Again,” he repeated, and this time she sat straight up and continued her punishment. Father Kai rolled his neck, then leaned back. His hands moved out to the sides, palms toward the sky, almost like he was feeling God’s presence.
All I could feel was the Devil’s.
After three more lashings, he told her to stop. He held his hand out for her to place the weapon in it.
“Until tomorrow.” He drew the cross in the air above her, then watched as she scrambled into the bathroom, still crying. Her face was all blotchy, and her mascara ran down from her eyes.
He brushed his coat with his hand as if something was on it, then fixed his hair.
Who the hell was this person?
The moment he left the room, I sprang up and was about to run out of the closet, but then froze. Did I stop to see if Maci was all right? Or should I just leave? The faucet turning off was all I needed to hear before I bolted. I burst through the outer office doors and ran smack into the house maid.
“Miss Klein, what is wrong?”
I wildly glanced down the hallway and spotted my mother downstairs. Before the maid could say anything, I was gone.
I paused my story and looked over at him. My face showed so much fear because I felt like I was right there again. His hand twitched; I could tell he wanted to touch me. I paused, and he just covered his hand with mine and kept silent. I appreciated the gesture.
“Then what happened?”
I licked my lips and continued, seeing it all again in my mind.
I ran straight into my mother’s arms, and she wrapped them around me without question.
“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?”
I couldn’t get my head around what I just witnessed. Did I really want to say something so negative about a man who was so highly respected? What if no one believed me?
“Nothing, Mom, I just want to go home.”
“Darling, you are obviously upset. Tell me what’s wrong.”
I knew
I had to say something.
“I got in a huge fight with one of the girls over something, and I know she hates me now, and I want to go.”
“Oh, dear, you know I can’t just—”
I pulled away as tears burned a path down my puffy cheeks. “Tracy’s mom is on her way. She said I could stay there tonight. Please, Mom.”
Her soft hand brushed along my face. “All right, then. I know how much you and El hate these things. Don’t be late getting home in the morning.”
With a quick hug, I left.
I told them the next day that the fight was over a boy. My parents left it alone, but El knew something more was up.
After that, I seemed to run into Father Kai more than I ever had before. Gas station, mall, he even showed up at my school to do a guest appearance.
“Lovely to see you, Alexi,” he greeted me outside the gymnasium, looking sharp in a crisp, blue three-piece suit. My skin shivered around my bones as he peered down at me. He waited for the hall to clear before he tilted his head and gave me a smile. “Always lovely to see you.” His finger curled around my side ponytail, and his touch made my skin crawl. I wanted to step back, but I couldn’t. I was rooted in place. “You’re turning into quite the little lady. Soon you will be dating boys and committing all sorts of sins.”
“I need to go.”
Sick bastard.
“Yes, you do.” His eyes spoke more than his words did. “Say hello to your mother for me.”
If I found out he ever touched my mother, I’d kill him and carry that sin happily straight to the Devil.
One Sunday there was a town barbeque. I didn’t want to go, but my parents said Father Kai had invited us personally, so we needed to go.
I shook the whole way. El kept glancing over at me. It had been a month since I witnessed the darkness that was Father Kai, and I wasn’t handling it well.
“Dad.” El tapped his shoulder as we pulled into the parking lot. “Can we talk for a moment?”
“Sure, son.” Both our parents turned in their seats to face us.
What was he doing?
“You two have always said it’s the four of us, no matter what, and if one of us has a problem, we all do.” He looked over at me. “Lex, I’ve never seen you like this. Please tell us what happened at that party.”
I drew my bottom lip between my teeth to stop them from trembling. Here? Now? When Father Kai was fifteen feet away?
“Sweetheart, please, is there something you need to tell us?” my mother pleaded with me. My father looked concerned.
We were as close as a family could be, so maybe it would be better if I shared it with them. Then the lonely feeling I was carrying would leave.
With a deep breath, I unloaded what I had witnessed to my family. The whole time, I kept my eyes on my father’s face, which hardened in shock at my words. Mom’s mouth dropped open, and El just kept shaking his head.
When I was finished, I waited to see who would speak first. I was terrified. What if they didn’t believe me?
“Oh, my poor, poor baby,” my mother breathed.
“That sick bastard!” Dad started to move, but Mom put her hand on his arm. “We have to think about this. We can’t be too hasty. He has a lot of power in this town.”
“Oh my God.” Mom leaned back against the window. “I wondered why Maci hasn’t worn that backless swoop dress she adores.” She paused, thinking. “Plus, the other day Simon Waters knocked into her, hitting her back, and she totally overreacted with him.”
El glanced over my shoulder, then back to Dad. “What do we do?”
“If he is using his power to punish people like that, we need to report him.”
I cleared my throat as I tipped my head back to rest on the seat. The rain was coming down harder now, and it helped break up the tension. “He knew I told them.”
“How?”
“Turns out, the maid approached him, thinking he had hurt me. That’s when things got worse. Our family was basically pushed out of everything after my mother approached Maci, only to get yelled at. She denied everything. We found out from one of the few friends we had left that Father Kai had something on her.”
“What did he have?” he asked in a rush.
“Maci planned to kill her husband, but at the last minute she couldn’t go through with it. She went to confession to get rid of the guilt. I guess Father Kai took it upon himself to cleanse her of her sins. The man is insane.”
His face dropped and I could see he was shocked.
“My father went to the police and filed a case against him. That’s when things went really dark. Instead of the town siding with us, they turned, and we started getting harassed. I even started getting death threats. El wouldn’t leave my side because I got jumped on the way home from school once. We were the black sheep of Richmond, and Father Kai did everything in his power to make sure everyone thought we were liars. Worst of all, my father got fired from the job he loved. That’s when my family decided it was time to move. It wasn’t worth the fear we lived in. So here we are in Boston.”
“And Father Kai?”
I rolled my heavy head to look at him. This was an emotional topic. “He’s still the head of the church, still cleansing people of their sins, and I’m sure he still has his eye out for me.”
His face dropped again. “You mean they never looked into it?”
“They did, but without Maci’s testimony, they have nothing but some fourteen-year-old girl’s accusations. He told them I was looking for attention and that he forgave me.” My voice dropped while I tugged my jacket around my body. A chill settled in around me. “Right before we left, he approached me in the grocery store, told me he’d be seeing me again real soon. He terrifies me, even now.”
“Do you really think he’ll come and find you?”
I didn’t even blink. “I watched him command a grown woman to whip her own back, during a party, no less, until she bled. He came to see me at my school. Do I think I’ll see him again? No, I don’t. Honestly, I think he’s moved on to someone else. It doesn’t make it right, but I learned I have to worry about myself first.”
My eyes blurred, but I kept my tears at bay. Keith ran his hand over his mouth with a huff. I knew it was a lot to take in. He leaned over, wrapped an arm around my waist, and pulled my small body against his. Surprisingly, I let him. I even rested my head on his shoulder. Sometimes it was nice not overthinking things.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For listening.”
“Thank you for sharing.” He waited a beat. “You want to get out of here?”
“Sure.”
The lake was still, no wind to disturb the perfect mirror image of the street lamps. It was quiet and peaceful with no one around, just us. I settled into his side in the back of the truck. He had blankets to wrap ourselves in to keep warm under the starry sky.
I felt a light between us spark. Something about baring your deepest secret to someone could change how you feel, and it changed how you saw them. I shifted back to see him, his brows pinched together. He looked confused until he studied my hungry expression.
“What are you thinking?” I removed my jacket and unbuttoned my pants. “You sure?”
“I want to feel anything other than what I just told you.”
He tugged me on his lap and took my hand in his, holding me so I’d look at him.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then don’t.”
He eased me down, laying me on the blanket, and made sure I was out of sight. He inched my pants off, and then did the same to his.
With his warm body against mine, his hands trailed along my thighs under the blanket.
“I’m ready, Keith,” I mumbled, but he ignored my eager pleas. His lips caught mine, slow at first, but then it turned passionate. I could tell he was fighting his own control.
We had to break contact as he slipped a condom on, my nose scrunching at the smell
. Yuck, latex.
His lips found mine again as he straddled my hips. Fixing the blanket to make sure I didn’t get cold, he lingered at my opening. Lord, this is maddening! My back arched and a huff of air slipped past my lips as he slowly pushed inside me. Everything he did was thought out and gentle. He paused when I flinched, and touched my cheek when I made a face. I was battling my own hurt, and he was there to help me.
“Keith,” I gasped as he picked up the pace. He kept his body close to mine through each thrust. “I’m close.”
“Good.” He kissed me as I let go and gave myself over to him. I felt as if I shot up in the air, and then slowly floated back down to the sound of him finding his own release.
Both spent and fighting to catch our breath while staring up at the sky, his hand inched over and found mine.
The rest of the year, we were inseparable.
***
Keith
Nan wheeled into my room as I fixed my tie. Tonight was prom. She waited until Two left and made sure the coast was clear.
“So?” I couldn’t help but smirk at her through the mirror.
“Lookin’ good, my boy.”
I gave her a look. She was full of it. “Spill it, Nan.”
“One has a date tonight.” There it is. Nan had the entire family fooled that she was hard of hearing, but really my wheelchairin’ grandmother could hear just fine and used it to her total advantage. She knew all. I was the only one who knew the truth, and, well, I was her favorite.
“Should I be worried?”
“No.” She waved her hand. “It’s just the young chap Edward Silver from down the street. He wouldn’t know where to stick it, even if One gave him the map.”
“Awesome, Nan.” I rolled my eyes. “Not an image I need in my head.”
I heard the zipper retract on the back of the giant brown teddy bear that stood in the corner of my room. It was originally a gift from my grandfather, but it had become Nan’s secret liquor stash. She poured herself a generous shot of scotch. She sure loved her scotch.
“What about Four? She still seeing that weird guy?”
“Tuna Fish Breath?” she muttered, and it made me laugh. He did smell like a fish plant. “No, thank the Lord, that guy is history. Did you ever notice he had a wandering eye? I swear it followed me wherever I went. Like he was on to me and my abilities.”