by Willow Rose
"Almost there," he said satisfied, then walked back to the other side. "Just a few more drops."
Susan felt the drops leave her body, then opened her eyes a little, just enough to see that he had once again turned his back on her to polish his clocks. Cautiously, she reached out three of her fingers and managed to grab onto the handle of the scissors with her pinky and pulled them from the table onto the bed. It made a very small sound and she paused to make sure he didn't hear it.
He didn't. He was whistling Waltzing Matilda while polishing his old clocks, then he sang a line from it:
"And you'll come a-waltzing, Mati-i-i-lda, with me."
Susan pulled the scissors closer still, till she managed to pull them under the covers.
The man in the mask then turned his head and looked at her. He exclaimed, "That's it." He walked to the bag of blood, then looked at her. Susan kept as still as possible, her eyes closed.
"And you're still alive. Way to go, little girl. Guess we have at least a couple more portions coming from you. Gotta say, you have been good to me. Better than any of the others."
The masked man removed the tubes and cleaned up the blood that had dripped onto the floor, then left the room, whistling. He turned out the lights, then chirped, "Sleep tight, my princess, and remember what they say: Blood is meant to circulate. Pass it around!"
Part III
Three days later
Chapter Thirty
The entire island was at the funeral. At least that was what it felt like. So many people came that it was hard to find a seat in the church. I went with Morten and Maya, while we left Victor at home with my mom and dad…and, of course, Skye. Sophia and Jack were there too, sitting next to Maya.
I introduced Skye to Morten on the day after she jumped into our lives. He came over for breakfast before work and saw her. I had allowed Victor to stay home and called the school to let them know he wasn't feeling well. So, he and Skye were sitting with me in the kitchen. I had baked cinnamon buns in my eagerness to make her feel at home, and she was eating as he walked in.
I meant to tell him about her, how I didn't know who she was or where she was from, I really did, but somehow, I couldn't get myself to do it. Morten was a police officer. He was a man of the law, and I knew he would alert the authorities and they would come and take her away from me, from Victor, and we would never see her again. If they never found her parents, she would become a number in the system, a system that wouldn't understand her or how to handle her.
So, instead, I told him she was visiting. That she was a child from Victor's new school and that she didn't speak; it was a part of why she was at Fishy Pines.
Morten was way too distraught to even question anything since his mind was with Susan Ludvigsen and her disappearance. He had been up most of the night before, so he didn't really care much about anything else.
The following evening when he came over and she was there again, I told him her parents were having a hard time and that I promised to have her for a little while. I felt awful for lying to him like that, but at the same time, I was terrified of what would happen to her if I was honest. I just had a feeling that I had to be very careful. Meanwhile, I had done my research and found all I could on missing children both here on the island and the rest of the country. It wasn't that hard since Denmark is pretty small. There was no one who matched Skye's description. No one seemed to miss her. So, there I was, keeping a flying girl in my house that I didn't know what to do about. It was probably very illegal, and on top of it, I was lying to my boyfriend.
Sitting in the church, I wondered if I had completely lost my mind.
"We're gathered here today to say goodbye to one of our island's dearest citizens," the pastor said as he started the ceremony.
People were already crying. The pastor then spoke about Asgar and how he had been a joy to his parents as a young boy. The pastor pointed at Mr. and Mrs. Dragstedt in the front, while speaking about the great tragedy of losing your child and how it wasn't God's will for him, but there were other forces on this earth, forces we allowed to rule here.
The door to the church squeaked open, the hinges complaining loudly, and everyone turned to see a woman come in, hurry to the pew behind us in the very back, then sit down.
Sophia made a noise that to me sounded slightly like a gasp.
"Who's she?" I asked.
"Leonora Dragstedt," Jack said.
"Dragstedt?" I asked.
Sophia nodded. She leaned forward to better be able to speak without being heard.
"Their daughter. Asgar's sister."
"I didn't know he had a sister. She's our age?"
Jack nodded. "I w-w-went to school with her. She disappeared b-before we graduated. Rumor has it she ran away. "
"With a boy," Sophia said.
"Someone the f-f-family didn't approve of," Jack said.
"Who was he?" I whispered.
"His name was Sven. Sven Evald. He came back to the island a few years later. Works down at the harbor."
"So, they're not together anymore?"
Sophia shrugged. "Probably not. My guess is she didn't want to come back after how they treated her."
"Or maybe they d-d-didn't want her back," Jack said. "After the scandal she created."
Chapter Thirty-One
Maya cried and found it hard to keep herself composed. Once the ceremony was over, she walked outside following her mother. Asgar's parents were standing by the door to the church, greeting each and every person, thanking them for coming.
Maya stepped up and reached out her hand towards Mrs. Dragstedt. Her eyes were stern, her facial expression cold as a stone.
"I am so sorry for your loss," she said.
"Thank you, Maya," Mrs. Dragstedt said and took her hand. "Thank you for coming. The reception will be held at the golf course."
Maya felt tears pile up in her eyes and she sobbed. "I’m going to miss him so much."
Mrs. Dragstedt exhaled. Their eyes met and, for just a second, Maya thought she saw something in hers, a glimpse of sadness behind the cold exterior. But then it was gone.
"Thank you for that. Thank you for coming."
Maya shook Mr. Dragstedt's hand too, then moved on to where her mother stood. She was bawling her eyes out, her makeup running down her cheeks in black stripes.
"Oh, God, Maya, he was so young, you know? Who would do such a horrible thing? I can't believe it."
Her friend Sophia hugged her and held her while Maya's mother cried and blew her nose loudly. Maya looked back at Asgar's parents, who stoically greeted each and every guest and thanked them for coming, like they had just visited for a social event. Why weren't they grieving the way Maya's mother was? Why were they so calm? It made something inside of Maya wrench. She couldn't stop thinking there was something very wrong. What mother didn't cry at her own son's funeral?
They arrived at the golf course for the reception. It was held in the main building with views of the course from the big windows. It was a beautiful landscape all dressed in white. Maya loved the snow. Except for today. Today, it filled Maya with a deep sadness when thinking about the snowball fights she used to have with Asgar.
Samuel came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Maya turned around and smiled when she saw him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother. She was staring at them, biting her lip between sobs.
Maya and Samuel walked towards the tables with appetizers and started to fill their plates. Maya was starving and started to eat even before she was done loading her plate. A man with a tray asked if she wanted a glass of champagne. She declined with a, no thank you, while wondering if it was customary to serve champagne at a funeral.
They found a quiet spot to sit, away from all the people, while they ate. Every now and then, Maya felt overwhelmed by sadness when thinking about Asgar and all the fun they had together and now it happened again.
"I just miss him so terribly," she said.
"He loved you
so much," Samuel said.
"And I didn't love him back. I’m an awful human being," Maya said.
"Don't say that."
Maya leaned her head on Samuel's shoulder, then she spotted Leonora Dragstedt entering the building. Maya lifted her head.
"It's her," she said.
"Who?"
"That lady who just entered over there. That's Asgar's sister. I heard my mom and our neighbors talking about her in church."
"That can't be true. Asgar doesn’t have a sister."
"Apparently, she ran away with some guy before we were even born. That's what they said, but that's not the strange part."
"What is?"
"It's the same woman from the profile picture. On Facebook. The lady Asgar had written to and asked to meet with."
"Ah, I see," Samuel said. "So, Asgar went behind his parent's back to see his sister, and that probably didn't land well with mommy and daddy dearest."
"You think they killed him because of that?" Maya asked.
"Doesn't really sound like motive enough to me," he said.
"You're right," Maya said and ate a strawberry. "She must have remarried since her name on Facebook was Bergman."
"Or she changed her name because she didn't want anything to do with her parents or her family anymore," Samuel said.
"Either way, there’s bound to be drama once they see her," Maya said, just as Mr. Dragstedt spotted Leonora in the crowd. Maya and Samuel watched as he spoke quietly to Mrs. Dragstedt before they both approached her.
Chapter Thirty-Two
I could barely hold it together. I hated funerals, but I hated it even more when it was a young kid being buried. I couldn't believe Asgar was gone. I had loved the boy so much and had to admit I had kind of hoped he and Maya would fall in love, especially since they spent so much time together and seemed to care deeply for one another.
But now she was hanging out with her friend Samuel, and the two of them seemed awfully fond of one another in a way I had never seen before with Maya. She had a look in her eyes that I had never seen. All day, I wondered if Samuel was the mysterious night visitor that used the ladder outside her window.
I had to admit they were awfully cute together.
"You want more to eat?" Morten asked as I finished my plate. I looked at him. "Do you even have to ask?"
He laughed, and I got up and went to the buffet, Sophia by my side also ready for a second round. The food was extremely good. Every now and then, I broke down and cried helplessly while eating, thinking about poor Asgar and how he used to come to my house and we would all sit in the kitchen and have coffee and cookies or chocolate and chat.
I looked at the Dragstedts and wondered how they could keep so calm when burying their only son. I don't think I would be able to even stand up if I lost Victor or Maya.
The very thought made me finish my glass of champagne in one drink. Morten was driving me home, so I didn't have to worry about the alcohol. As I put the glass down, I spotted Mr. and Mrs. Dragstedt immersed in a conversation and, seconds later, they were both walking with almost aggressive steps towards the entrance, where I now spotted Leonora Dragstedt.
"Uh-oh," I said and grabbed another glass of champagne from some well-dressed guy with a tray.
"What?" Sophia asked.
"Look. Possible drama coming up."
Sophia looked in the direction of the door and spotted Leonora and the parents now approaching her, their steps determined and faces angry.
"Oh-oh," she said.
They were now talking to her, still keeping their cool. Mr. Dragstedt grabbed Leonora's arm like he wanted to pull her away, but she pulled it free.
"I am sick of this, Dad," she yelled.
Mrs. Dragstedt looked around, corrected her perfect hair with a gentle hand, then smiled at the people around her who had started to stare.
"Leonora, dear," I could hear her say. "Please, just…"
"No," she yelled. "I am sick of this, so sick of the two of you pretendi…" her dad grabbed her arm, forcefully this time, and pulled her away.
"Mom?" she said as he pulled her toward the door.
"You're making a spectacle of yourself, my dear," Mrs. Dragstedt said. "And of your brother's funeral. I will not have you ruin that too."
Mrs. Dragstedt snorted, corrected her dress, turned on her heel, and smiled as she faced the gaping crowd.
She clapped her hands at the waiters. "Now, if you'll serve the coffee, please. Chop-chop."
Chapter Thirty-Three
Maya watched the scene, then grabbed Samuel's hand and pulled him up from his seat.
"Come."
"Where are we going?" he asked as he followed her, running. "Maya? Please, wait up."
She rushed outside, Samuel right behind her. They found Leonora Dragstedt in the parking lot, approaching a car.
"Hurry," Maya said. "She's leaving."
The woman had her hand on the handle of the door and opened it. Maya rushed toward her and reached up a hand to signal for her to wait. She approached her and stopped in front of her, panting.
"Leonora? Leonora Dragstedt?"
The woman paused, then shut the door to the car. She looked at Maya with eyes red from crying.
"It's been awhile since anyone called me that. Can't say it brings back good memories."
"But you are her, right? You're Asgar's sister, right?" Maya asked, panting heavily from running.
The woman sighed. "And who might you be?"
"I…we are Asgar's friends," Maya said. "I’m Maya and this is Samuel."
"Okay, Asgar's friends, you have two minutes before this place drives me nuts and I run away screaming. What do you want?"
Maya glanced at Samuel, then back at Leonora. "I…we were just wondering…I mean…"
"Why did Asgar write to you before he died? Why did he ask to meet with you?" Samuel took over.
Leonora bit her lip. "He had recently found out about me. That was why he decided to stay home from the ski trip, that and because he was mad. Who wouldn't be? He wanted to see me, to meet up while they were gone, but I refused to. I couldn't get myself to face my past."
"So, they had never told him about you?" Maya asked.
"What do you think? I was a scandal. They would kill him if they ever found out he saw me."
Leonora realized the unfortunate choice of words, then shook her head. "I mean, not that…"
"Do you think they could?" Maya asked. "Kill him?"
Leonora shook her head. Tears were piling up in her eyes. "I can't…I can't go there again. It was wrong of me to come. No one benefits from me being here. I am sorry. I have to go. It was nice to meet you, Asgar's friends. Thanks for being his friends, while he was still…alive."
Leonora covered her mouth, then rushed into the Volkswagen Beetle. Maya watched as Leonora drove off, tears gushing down her cheeks.
Samuel approached her.
"So, that was Asgar's sister, huh?"
"And the family's best-kept secret, apparently."
"Apparently."
Chapter Thirty-Four
She fought to open her eyes. Her eyelids were so heavy she could hardly open them up. And, as she finally did, she struggled to see. Spots were dancing in front of Susan's eyes and she felt dizzy even from just lying down.
Between her fingers, she felt the scissors. They were still there. The clocks in front of her showed it was ten o'clock. It was light inside the room; light was coming from beneath the thick velvet curtain. It had to be morning. The man with the mask usually only came to her at night.
She shivered, thinking about him and his scaly skin.
Susan wiggled her fingers and got a better hold on the scissors. She managed to push them open using her two fingers, so she now had the sharp blade to work with. She wiggled it slightly, then managed to get it close to the leather straps around her wrists. It was only the tip of the blade, but by bending her wrist and using her fingers to move it back and forth, she managed to get the
blade to rub against the leather. She struggled to push down hard enough on it to make it cut anything.
Susan's wrist hurt like crazy and she groaned in anger and effort. The other blade was cutting into the palm of her hand as she moved it back and forth and soon she was bleeding. Susan felt dizzy watching the blood, thinking she wasn't certain her body could bear to lose more blood.
Susan moaned in pain but continued, using the one blade as a saw. She had to press harder down on it as the leather started to cave, but that also meant cutting deeper into her own palm, into the wound that was already shaping there. Susan closed her eyes and let out a loud scream as she pressed down hard, then moved it back and forth until, suddenly, the leather strap snapped.
"Ha!" she exclaimed.
Susan moaned in pain but laughed at the same time. She lifted her hand and looked at it, then moved her fingers and wrist freely. She could move her arm all the way up to her elbow, as she was strapped down across her chest and shoulders by another thick leather band.
With the bleeding hand, she moved the scissors to her right hand and cut the strap open, sawing it with the blade, and soon she could move the other hand as well. Next to go down was the strap around her chest, which felt like it took forever to cut through since the leather was so thick, but soon she could move her upper body and sit up, then take care of both her ankles and finally, she was free.
Susan sighed, relieved, and looked down at her body while catching her breath from the effort. She had gotten so skinny. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.
She had to hold onto the bed as the dizziness overwhelmed her. She breathed in ragged breaths, closing her eyes as the room spun around her. As she felt it calm down slightly, she opened them again, then looked around and finally dared to let go of the bed and take her first step toward freedom, toward the heavy wooden door in front of her.