He was ignoring her. She was left with the truth behind the man. He wanted her and she knew it. As soon as he got what he wanted he threw her out of his bed. The reasons for his actions were reeling like clips from discarded movie footage.
“You will regret this, Rory. If you don’t, you are not the person I have loved for twenty years.”
She slammed the door behind her as she held back the tears that threatened to spill. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. Getting on a plane and leaving for anywhere was the only thing that she wanted. The battery on her phone was dead and the charger wasn’t compatible with the piece of shit car she was driving. She needed to leave town, now. She dreaded the days and the nights that would haunt her for the years to come. She has had to live with the possibilities that never had a chance to be a ‘what if?’, but now she was forced to live with the truth of ‘what is’.
Every day since she left Crater City as a child, she always felt like a piece of her was missing. Being back here, in the town full of memories that would frighten any normal person, she was content and complete. Being with Rory was right; there was nothing wrong about them being together.
She knew there was more to his phone call, but she couldn’t be treated like that by anyone. She lived in the shadows of her father as a child and she would never be treated like that by a man again. Rory was supposed to be different. He was her hero.
The car unlocked with the push of a button. The sun was rising from the east and clouds were threatening from the west. Turning the radio on, a loud alarm blared through the speakers. She reached for the volume to turn it down when the alarm was replaced with a voice,
“This is a weather warning for all counties in the Red Rock area. Including Crater, Bolton, Nimus, Milton, and True Lake. All highways have been closed to protect the citizens of the area. Airlines have grounded all incoming and outgoing flights through True Lake Airport. Please, travel as little as possible as the storm moves northeast over the next forty-eight hours. Thank you.”
Laurel couldn’t take it anymore. The tears that threatened to spill were flooding her cheeks as the realization of not being able to leave shakes her to the core. She needed to get away, but where would she go now? She couldn’t go back to Rory; he had already cast her away. Any fight out of this god forsaken town was impossible, and she was driving a piece of shit rental that had already proven to be unreliable. Any chance at a replacement was a humorous thought at this point.
As the sun continued to rise through the sky, the clouds were matching its speed moment for moment. Wouldn’t be long before there was nothing left of the blazing light and the snow-capped peaks of the mountain gained a fresh coat of powder. Thunderstorms were a promise based on the color of the sky, and the snow would only fall to the peaks. She hit the gas and made her way to the main road. She knew of only one place that she could stay with hope for no explanation. The roads were clear as the townies rushed in to the stores to pick up last minute necessities. It wasn’t a crisis rush by any means, they lived through this many times a year; it was more of an inconvenience for them. With any god given love, there would be enough of a storm to prevent the carnival from opening.
The Carnival.
If the storm continues through the next couple of days, there will be no tourists to bring business to the carnival, no roadways to get them there, and no reason to open it. This snow and rain may have done the opposite of what the radio DJ said. The epic change in the weather may have just saved hundreds of people from meeting their untimely death.
Laurel didn’t know how many red lights she drove through, but making her way to the B&B without stopping, ensured that there was at least one or two that went unobserved. She pulled in to the driveway just as the sun disappeared behind the edge of the blackened clouds. The air was cooler as she opened the door and prepared for the interrogation that she rightfully deserved. Running out without paying properly and returning looking like a hot mess. Her puffy eyes stood no chance at lying about her morning and the tear stained cheeks couldn’t be erased within the minutes she had expected to have to make it into the building. She had all of her bags in the trunk, untouched from the night before.
Miss Terri came to the door with her arms crossed as she stepped out of the car. She looked up to the older woman and silently pleaded for her room. Terri understood, opening her arms to Laurel, welcoming her back in through the screen door. Laurel popped the trunk and grabbed the one bag that she knew had the necessities she needed for a shower. She needed to erase any sign of Rory and the night before.
With an am over her shoulder, Miss Terri ushered Laurel in to the living room, pointing up to the room that she had originally occupied, “Thank you.”
With only a nod and a smile, she walked towards the kitchen, busying herself at the stove. Laurel made her way quietly up to the top of the stairs, turning to her room. The bed was clean and made, welcoming her back after a very long night and a tormenting morning.
She dropped her bags on the floor by the door and made her way to her bathroom. The water ran warm as she collected her things. She arranged everything in its place, knowing it was going to be a while before she was leaving. With swollen eyes and a soreness between her legs, she gently scrubbed her body, trying to erase the memory of last night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him, the lust, the hunger, the love. The love was an illusion created by many years of hope and fear. Hope that one day he would take her back in, love her back as she has loved him. Fear of the unknown, the pain and heartbreak of being forgotten. Used was never something she thought she had to worry about.
Climbing from the shower, she wrapped the oversized towel around her body and stared at herself through the condensation on the mirror. Swiping a single streak through her face, she saw everything she wanted to avoid. The girls that loved a boy that wouldn’t love her back. Turning from the broken image in the mirror she collapsed on the bed. Her tears were unavoidable, although she wanted to suck it up as a fate not worth finding.
If it was possible to cry yourself to sleep, she had done it. Opening her eyes was almost impossible but the tears had stopped. She hadn’t dreamed in years and today was no different. Rolling over on to her back, she realized she was naked, cold and smelled… bacon?
Her cami and jeans would have to do. Just as she pulled her jeans up and laced her tennis shoes, there was a knock at the door, “Come in.”
She was hoping for Terri to be bringing her some of the bacon that she wouldn’t deny. The plate of food entered the room fort, but she didn’t expect the person delivering it.
“I knew you liked bacon,” he said as he entered the room with a look of defeat.
She was speechless and confused when he handed her an icepack and a plate of fresh cooked bacon, “Terri said you would need that. Rough night?”
“Dale, what are you doing here?” She couldn’t believe he was here, or even talking to her. She left him for Rory and thought for sure she had ruined any friendship that was there.
He smiled that perfect smile, and left the room. She was relieved and panicked. Why in the fuck was he here, and why was he being nice to her. She certainly didn’t deserve that.
Laurel couldn’t resist the bacon though, grabbing for a strip, she greedily ate it since she hadn’t consumed any food in too many hours. Devouring piece by piece, she was thankful for the food and the cold pack. Her eyes were sore and begged for the coolness promised by the touch.
She gave in to the urge for relief, laying back on to the bed she rested the pack against her eyes and thanked the man that invented such an amazing product and Terri for knowing she would need it. Rory. Rory knew she needed one, too. Damn him for fucking with her emotions and leading her on. Any amount of pain she had before her emotional breakdown was replaced with anger.
She knew as soon as he entered the room that Dale had returned, “Why are you here?”
He laid a something on the table beside the bed before sitting down on the chair in the c
orner.
“I had to come see you,” he said with an exasperated breath, “Terri told me you were in bad shape, and I wanted to make sure you were ok.”
Laurel pulled the pack from her face in shock, “After what I did to you, why would you give a shit?”
He laughed and hung his shaking head, “Honestly, Laurel. I have no fucking idea.”
She smiled at his attempt to hide his feelings, but he was actually cute when he was honest.
“Don’t look at me like that. I know there was no reason for me to act like an ass and assume there was something more between us. I just…” his sentence wasn’t finished and she begged to know what he was going to say. Moving to the edge of the bed, she coaxed more from him by nodding.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, I like you I have never met anyone like you, Laurel. Rory is a luck guy to have such a great girl pining over him for so many years.”
She raised her hand to stop him, “Rory and I are over, Dale. I don’t know if I am ready to talk about it, but I do know there is no way he deserves me.” She needed to choke down those words as she reached for the orange juice he had brought her. She would rather drink than cry. She placed the empty glass on to the table and looked at him with a smile. She appreciated everything he had done for her. He was there for her when Rory wasn’t.
Dale was trying to hide the excitement that filled his eyes; she noticed the change as he looked at her. Before she could reason with it, he… changed. His face dropped as he stood up slowly, moving towards her. She stared up at him, waiting for him to make a move. He leaned down, placing a light kiss on her forehead, “I really wish things could’ve been different between us. You have no idea how much has changed in the last twenty-four hours,” his voice carried off like an echo through the room. No, not the room; through her ears. Everything he had said was being multiplied. She looked up to him as he kissed her gently on the lips.
Laurel wanted to push him away, but she couldn’t. Her body wasn’t reacting to the directions she had been giving. Dale slid his arm under her legs, lifting her onto the bed as her arms lost all feeling. She couldn’t stay awake. She was fighting to keep her eyes open as he spoke, “I didn’t want to do this, but there is only so much Rory can take from me.”
He crossed my arms over my chest and pulled down my eyelids, “You were never supposed to be a pawn in this game, but he made you the Queen.”
Darkness overtook her and the voices stopped. She knew then, she was Rory’s queen.
Chapter Sixteen
Rory
What was the point anymore? She's gone. There is nothing else to stay straight for. The dream of the perfect family, all of that picket fence shit, had gone down the drain. Twenty years of what if's and after the perfect night, it was over before it really began. There are only so many times you could hear an echo before it dies.
He would do the job Yuri demanded, and he would disappear. Dale could come they could sell the bar and start over in the city. He didn't want the carnival to reopen and he didn't want Yuri looking for him, so he could kill two birds with one stone. His mind was made up, one grand gesture in the middle of the night and no one would get hurt. A crack of thunder followed by lighting that lit up his house signaled a storm coming. He had to hurry if he wanted to be able to get it done and be back before he was caught in the storm. He rolled out of the bed where he had been since Laurel left that morning. He thought about jumping in the shower, but decided he wanted to keep her scent with him a little longer. He grabbed the discarded jeans out of the floor and pulled them back on. He found a t-shirt laying around and smelled it. It smelled like it would be ok for another wear, and went downstairs to grab his boots.
Finally ready to take on his last job, he stepped into the night and didn't bother locking the doors. No one would mess with his stuff except Yuri and his men, but at this point a lock wouldn't stop them. He took a deep breath, and without the thunder and lightning, he would still know rain was coming. Without the pollution of the city, you could still smell the scent of rain. He had to stop wasting time and the job had to get done. He sat in his truck and looked at his house, her house, the house they should have shared. He started his truck and headed to the carnival site. The rain started as a downpour, there were no light sprinkles leading up to the storm.
He barely heard his phone over the sound of the storm raging around him. When he did hear it, his gut dropped with foreboding. He didn't know why, but without even looking, he knew the Russian was on the other line. "Nice night, huh Yuri?" he answered.
"Ah, мальчик, I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." He could see Yuri's glare from his tone
"I'm headed to work, what did you need?" He didn't know why he didn't just say he was going to do what he was told to do.
"See, I needed to make sure I got through to you, мальчик, so I picked up an insurance policy on the way out today. I can definitely see why you were smitten by her," he laughed.
That son of a bitch had Laurel! "Don't you fucking touch her," he growled through clenched teeth.
"Do what the fuck you are told, and you can have the bitch back." Yuri ended the call before Rory could say anything else.
He was close to the carnival, but he needed backup, he needed someone looking for her while he finished this. He dialed the only person he trusted. Even with everything that had happened, the distance between them lately, Dale was still his best friend.
The phone answered on the first ring. "Yeah." He could tell Dale sounded breathless and off, even with one word spoken.
Pushing the obvious aside, he needed to find Laurel. "I need help man. Can you meet me at the carnival?"
"I'll catch you there." Dale hung up.
He didn't even ask why or when. The sky, pitch black and rain coming down from all sides, made it nearly impossible to navigate the mountain roads. Lucky for him growing up here, he knew them like the back of his hand. He spotted Dale’s truck as pulled into the overgrown parking lot and parked beside him. Turning his truck off, he grabbed a toll bag from behind the seat that he carried with him for these kinds of jobs that may pop up. There was no end to the rain, so there was no choice but to deal with it. He took the flashlight out of the bag and opened his door. He was drenched right away. He slammed his door and went to the driver side of Dale's and tapped on the window. It was too dark to see inside, he waited a minute and opened the door. The cab was empty. Where the hell was Dale? Slamming the door, he turned and called his name. He waited and called out again, still nothing.
He couldn't waste any more time. Yuri didn't tell him how long he would wait, and he couldn't risk Laurel's life. He made his way through the swamp that was quickly forming from the rain. The rain stung his face and he was freezing, but he hardly felt it. His mind was only on one thing; saving her.
No matter how dark it was, or how hard the rain continued to come down, he knew exactly where he was going. The Ferris wheel, or what was left of it, was coming up on his right. The echoes of the screams from that day could still be heard in his mind. He sped up and nearly fell on his face. He tripped over some of the wires that were still attached to a seat from the swing, even though the swing wasn't anywhere near here. He pictured the wires snapping that day, slicing through the passengers in the seats behind it. The way the bodies seemingly split perfectly in half. The way the blood didn't even splatter because it happened so fast. He shook the memory away and kept going. He passed the spot to test your strength, it had been tagged along time ago by kids. He was getting closer to where he needed to be. His walk turned into a jog as the memories hit him at every turn. Blood, screams, and cries were attached to everything he passed. The scrambler was ahead on his left, he and Laurel were supposed to be on it. They were supposed to be enjoying one last ride. Even though they both knew they'd be in trouble for staying out so late, they risked it to spend even a few more moments together. He stopped and dropped his hands to his knees and bent over. He dry heaved over and over
thinking about what their fate could have been.
He finally caught his breath. His chest hurt from the cold and dry heaving, but he had to push it down. He slowly took the extra steps to the one place that had sealed his fate. The electrical box that Laurel's dad had dragged her to; the spot the wire had fallen. Rory had only meant to scare him off, no matter what he had done, it was her dad and Rory was just a child. But he could remember the burning smell that had stung his nose, her dad writhe in convulsions as they current traveled through his body.
The electrical box had been replaced, as had all of the wiring to get this place up to code. He pulled the plastic cover out of the bag and worked quickly, trying to keep the underside as dry as he could. This would be a waste of trip if he fried himself in the process of taking the park down. He had the flashlight between his teeth as he worked. The bag was under the plastic, but he had laid it on the ground to work and he knew it was getting wet. He was smart, one of the few things that drew Yuri to him. He pulled the small explosives out of the bag in the metal box it was stored in. He dried his hands as best as possible before opening it, and finished the job. The plan was to flip the main power near the entrance. Once the current hit here, the explosion would take out everything in this area. Burning away the memories of what he did that day, shorting out the rest of the park, and officially delaying the grand opening tomorrow. If it couldn't open on time, he knew most of the allure would be gone. People were drawn to tragedy, it was the reason they left the original site almost untouched. Their plan had worked, seeing as the town had been a buzz, and tourists took every available room in town and the surrounding towns. Everyone wanted to be there in the anniversary of the Carter City Carnage.
The job was done and he didn't bother cleaning up the tools and mess he left around. After the explosion, there wouldn't be any evidence left of his actions. He turned around and headed back past the echoes of his past. He had one place he wanted to go before leaving. There was one memory that haunted him more than any of the others. He had to visit the last place he had seen his mother alive. He still remembered Laurel running towards his mother's open arms. She wasn't going to make it before she would be crushed. He looked up when he heard the cracking above him, and everything after that happened in slow motion. He looked to his mother and back to Laurel. He was a child, he had no idea how he would save them both.
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