Gravitate

by Jo Duchemin

  My musings were interrupted by Sam’s return – surely ten minutes hadn’t gone by in this time.

  “Darling,” he said, before he entered the room, “your older boyfriend is having a senior moment and forgot his wallet – how will I ever keep my Princess Claudia in champagne at this rate?”

  He stopped dead when he saw me holding the key. I looked at his face.

  “Why is this in your pocket?”

  He strolled up to me as calm as if I’d asked who ate the last biscuit. He reached out and took my hands in each of his, in what, at first, appeared to be a kind gesture. Then, his hands moved up to grip my wrists and he pinned my hands behind my back and slammed my body against the kitchen cabinets, trapping my hands. He leant the full weight of his body against me, freeing his hands, but leaving mine trapped. He reached one of his hands past my head, to one of the cupboards, opening it and grabbing an object. The other hand reached into my hair, his fingertips winding the strands, pulling and twisting, venomous pleasure on his face as he watched shock, fear and pain sweep across my face. I was sure I could fight him off, until I saw the gun in his hand – the object he had retrieved from the kitchen cupboard. He held the gun against my temple.

  “And you thought you had to fear that lunatic Tim. He hasn’t got shit on me. I can’t believe you worked it out on the night you were finally willing to give it up.”

  “You killed my parents.” The fact had just dawned on me, but he’d assumed I’d known the moment he entered the room.

  “I should have killed you, too. Why didn’t you go with them? Hey? You could all be together like you wanted.” I tried to shrink away from him, but he grabbed my arm, rooting me to the spot.

  “But I thought you…”

  “Loved you? I’d love to fuck you, like any other red-blooded male. No, that’s not fair. I did love you. I fell in love with you the moment I met you. But you never loved me. You always held out on me. You were a great challenge. I could have made you happy. If you’d never found that key, you’d never have known. I could have been the one.” He leant against me and I trembled. “Don’t worry, Princess, everyone is nervous their first time. I might be gentle, I might not.”

  “You’re going to kill me.” It all became clear. In my fear, I fleetingly thought of poor Ben, being the son of a murderer. But mostly, my mind was filled with Marty and I felt like I was going home.

  “I think I might have some fun first…conquer some virgin territory, if you know what I mean.” He moved in closer, holding me in place with the weight of his body. Summoning all my strength, I kicked him in the testicles. He winced, not expecting the onslaught, releasing me as he recoiled in pain. I ran as fast as I could. He’d told me himself that the guestroom could be locked from the inside. I was praying that he hadn’t been lying then, as I threw myself up the stairs. I ran inside the room and locked the door. I headed towards the window and cursed myself for leaving my mobile phone in the kitchen.

  A sound from behind the door froze me to the spot. Metal on metal. Sliding bolts. I watched with horror as the lock reversed and became unlocked. Sam flung the door open, the silhouette of him holding a penny in his hand.

  “Those grooves on the locks – they fit a penny so that parents can unlock a door if a child becomes stuck. Kind of ironic, since you’re young enough to be my child. That’s why your dad didn’t let us meet – he knew my reputation for bedding younger women, he knew I’d be attracted to you, though he never worked out what your mum and I did.”

  I felt sick, realising that he’d been the man my mother had had an affair with. I figured my only chance of escape was to keep him talking.

  “It was you – you had an affair with my mum.”

  “Hmmm, yes I did, and I’m going to try the younger model. It’s far more exclusive. I did laugh when my own son couldn’t close the deal with you.” He threw me on the bed as though I was a rag doll. All my resistance was decimated by his anger and force.

  “Get off me!” I screamed, hoping that the dog walkers might still be near enough to hear and call the police.

  “No chance. I’ve been waiting ages for this. Just think, if you hadn’t been nosing around, we could have lived our lives together, we could have been happy.” He used his body weight to stop me squirming around and his hands wrapped around my wrists, holding them above my head. “Lie back and think of…well, Heaven, seeing as you won’t be in England for long after I’ve had my way with you.”

  Chapter 34

  The fear was exceptional. I’d never known anything like it. He’d gone from being a man I would have trusted with my life, to being a man who would take everything away without a second glance. I couldn’t breathe. Everything became blurred at the edges. Unconsciousness came as a welcome relief – at least it would numb the pain. I could feel myself leaving the pain of my body and rising up. I was fainting and my soul was leaving my body. I remembered what Olivia had told me about letting my soul leave my body, but I couldn’t care less about the risks – I was about to be raped and killed on Earth, so what if my spirit never found its way back to my broken and bruised body.

  As I reached the ceiling of the room, I looked back on the scene below me. I was sprawled on the bed, pinned down and passed out, while Sam held me down. It was sickening. I no longer cared about what was happening on Earth – I had a much better place to be. I allowed myself to fly upwards, through the roof and up to the clouds. I had an angel to find.

  It felt like it took less time than I remembered to reach the clouds. I put my feet down, just like Marty had taught me, and started running. I didn’t know where he’d be, but I trusted my instincts. I’d find him. Soon, I’d never have to leave him again. My heart sang with the thought. Maybe Sam was doing me a favour after all.

  My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. His back was turned to me, but I would have recognised him anywhere. I yelled his name and he turned around, slowly, as though he couldn’t believe he’d really heard me. His face didn’t break into a smile when he saw me. He looked angry. It hadn’t been what I expected.

  “Claudia, what are you doing here?”

  “I fainted with fear, aren’t you pleased to see me?”

  He pulled me into a fierce embrace, holding me tight. I never wanted him to let go. It was as though the months since he left had been erased, like waking up from a nightmare.

  “What could have scared you this much?” Marty sounded confused.

  “I’m about to be murdered.”

  “What?” Marty’s anger returned with ferocity and I could feel him shaking with rage.

  “Don’t be worried, it’s OK. If I get murdered, then I can become an angel and we can be together, forever.” It sounded so simple, so perfect, so insane.

  “No! This can’t happen.” He held my hand and pulled me behind him, walking briskly, calling out names loudly, “Olivia, George, Alfie! Help!”

  Through the mist of the clouds, I saw the other angels run towards us and I felt apprehensive. Things hadn’t gone well last time I’d been here with Marty. George, especially, scared me. Marty felt my hesitation and pulled me close to him, stroking my hair and caressing my face.

  “What are you doing here, Claudia?” Olivia sounded as confused as Marty had done when he saw me.

  “I fainted with fear, I’m about to be murdered.”

  “There must be a mistake. George?” Olivia turned to George, expecting an answer. He was strangely silent.

  “You were meant to be keeping an eye on her, George – making sure she’s kept safe – what’s she talking about?” Olivia stared at George. Other angels had started to arrive, joining the gathering in the clouds.

  “I had to stop watching her.” George avoided looking at anyone else in the group.

  “What? Why? Why would you leave her without an angel watching over her?” Marty was livid and he held me tighter.

 
“I thought she was fine. The older man was looking after her, she was resuming a normal life.” Even I could tell George was hiding something. I decided to speak.

  “That older man is the one who is about to murder me – well, he’s planning to rape me first.”

  Marty gasped and cradled me to him. The angels surrounding me looked horrified.

  “I told you he wasn’t to be trusted, how could you put her in danger like this?” I could feel Marty shaking with anger and George looked away.

  “I thought, we all thought, that your feelings for Claudia were clouding your judgement on the older man – you would never trust any man who showed an interest in your Claudia.” George was still looking away.

  “But I told you about the flowers – he was being deceptive then; and that was before you banned me from watching her.” Marty wrapped his arms around me, as though if he held me to him tightly, he could reverse time and I’d be safe again.

  “The flowers?” Despite the gravity of the situation, I didn’t want to be unaware of any of the facts.

  “The ones you thought Tim had left for you – Sam put them there. He played on your fear to make you dependent on him.”

  “But the note had Tim’s phone number…” I realised how stupid I’d been. “He planned to drop me off, to be there when I saw the flowers so he could make sure I didn’t phone the number and he took it with him so I couldn’t change my mind. I fell straight into the trap.” I shook my head. “No wonder he was there when I found out I was adopted, or that he was the one who told me my mum was having an affair. He made me need him by making me feel that I had nobody else left.”

  “And apparently, you didn’t,” Olivia commented, “George why did you stop watching Claudia?”

  “It wasn’t my assignment.” George avoided the gaze of those around him.

  “But you said you would watch over her. You promised Marty. You said Marty and I were too attached to Claudia to be objective. You said you’d keep her safe.” Olivia looked at Marty, her eyes telling him to calm down.

  “I had to stop.”

  “Why?” I wanted to know now. George reluctantly lifted his head and looked at Marty, not me.

  Marty answered the question. “He started to fall in love with you, too.”

  Several angels gasped and George hung his head in shame. George, the angel who had referred to Marty’s love for a human as an abomination, had committed the same crime. The other angels seemed frozen in shock. I looked up at Marty for reassurance and he gently kissed my forehead. Alfie was the first angel to speak.

  “We can deal with this later. What are we going to do about the current situation? I know time is almost frozen down there while Claudia has passed out, but she has to return at some point.”

  “It’s fine, let him murder me and then I can become an angel,” I said.

  “No.” Marty was resolute.

  “Claudia,” Alfie gently touched my arm, “we can’t stand by and allow you to be murdered.”

  “This man needs to be stopped and he must be punished for his crimes,” George finally spoke again, looking directly at me, “Claudia, I am so sorry.”

  Marty ignored him and turned to me, “Claudia, do you think you could fight Sam off and get away?”

  I shook my head. “No way, he’s much stronger than me and he’s already pinned me down. I can’t get away from him.”

  “Why don’t you just appear in the room and fight him, Marty?” A female angel I didn’t know asked.

  “Nina, you know any action I take has to be realistic if we’re going to go to the police – I can’t alter his mind if he is to be punished for his crimes. He might not play by the rules, but we have to. There’s no plausible reason for me to appear in his house – as far as he’s concerned, nobody knows where to find Claudia.” Marty sighed.

  “I could ring the doorbell, do the old selling makeup routine?” Olivia suggested. “Then when he comes to the door, Claudia can get safely away.”

  “Do you really think he will stop what he’s doing to answer the door?” Marty trembled as he spoke and he rubbed my arm protectively. I could tell he was livid at the thought of Sam’s actions.

  “Perhaps Claudia could scream loudly and then I’d have a reason to run into the house to find out what was going on?”

  “Olivia, please think it through – it’s late at night, so why would you be selling make up; you’re a woman on your own, so why would you risk your life just because you heard screaming; and how do you convincingly overpower him when you’re even smaller than Claudia? There’s no logic to it. However we rescue Claudia, it has to be logical. Why would somebody be near this particular house so late at night?” Marty was becoming terse as he grew more tense.

  “The dog walkers,” I blurted out.

  “Pardon?” Alfie’s manners were impeccable, even in this stressful situation. I could see why he was Marty’s friend. I liked him, he was the definition of cool in a crisis.

  “I saw some dog walkers in the park near Sam’s house a few minutes before he attacked me. I did scream but they were too far away to hear.”

  “But if they were in the park at this time of night, it would be realistic for other people to be there, too. And those people might be near enough to hear Claudia scream, and to run to her rescue. I could certainly do with a late night stroll in the park and I wouldn’t mind giving this Sam man a quick punch either!” The angel named Nina was speaking again.

  “Angels would run to her rescue – normal people would only call the police. It could be too late by the time they arrive. We’ve got to think of a way to get Claudia out of the house and into the park.” Alfie had clearly had the same thought as Nina and seen the pit falls already.

  “Claudia, are you sure there’s no way you could escape from him?” Olivia was looking at me with great concern in her eyes, “we really can’t go in to the house to rescue you.”

  “I did kick him in the balls,” I immediately regretted my choice of words, “sorry, testicles, in the kitchen, but I’m not sure I could manage it now. He’s on top of me. I’m trapped under his body weight.”

  “If only you had a weapon…” Nina mused.

  “The key. The car key, it’s still in my hand. I could try to stab him with it. He has my hands held down, but if I can get one hand loose, I might be able to do some damage.” I looked at Marty, then glanced around at the other angels.

  “You’d have the element of surprise, certainly.” Alfie had a different look in his eyes to the other angels – a look of excited hope.

  “I hate to think of you taking such a big risk. What if you can’t get your hand free? What if it doesn’t hurt him enough to break his grip on you? There must be another way.” Marty gently stroked my face.

  “Don’t you think one of us would have thought of a better way, if there was one?” I gave him a bittersweet smile.

  Olivia spoke up, “I think this is the best course of action. Marty, you should be walking in the park, very close to the house – taking a late night stroll, as Nina suggested. Claudia, as soon as you get back into your body, you will try your hardest to get your hand free and stab him with the car key, using all your force. As soon as you can get away, run straight to Marty in the park. Marty, if she doesn’t appear within one minute of arriving back in her body, you go in and save her. Use any power necessary. I don’t care if it means he can’t be punished. Just keep Claudia safe.”

  “What about the rest of us?” George asked.

  “Marty should be the one to save her.” Olivia tipped her head back slightly, as though she was thinking of something else to say.

  “I will be right outside, you will be rescued, one way or another. I won’t allow any harm to come to the woman I love.” Marty kissed me.

  “My guardian angel.” I smiled at him.

  “Are you ready to leave the clouds
?” Alfie asked me and I nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ll go straight back into your own body, Marty will guide you, he won’t let you get lost.”

  “Claudia, I never asked,” Olivia said, “exactly how old are you?”

  “I’ll be nineteen next month,” I replied. “Why do you ask?”

  She smiled, but there was a strange look in her eye, a look I’d never seen before. She took a deep breath before she answered me. “Just curious. Good luck, Claudia.”

  Marty took my hands in his. It felt like we’d never been apart. If I did die tonight, at least I could die happy, knowing I’d been able to see my true love one last time. We stared into each other’s eyes and began to drift down for the battle that awaited us.

  Chapter 35

  Marty guided me as we began to gravitate back down to Earth. We couldn’t take our eyes off each other. All our moments together seemed to have an expiration date. Every moment together had been taken using borrowed time.

  “Marty, if this doesn’t work…I need you to know that I never stopped loving you.”

  “I know. I’ve always known. I could feel you in here.” He motioned to his chest, his heart. “You’re a part of me.”

  “It’s almost time, isn’t it?” I could sense the Earth looming below us.