My Greek Project

by CB Colin

  Chapter VIII-

  The last day. The dream.

  Laurence was very silent, he really was seating there on the back seat, with his arms crossed, and he was paying attention to the road. I was looking to him thinking, not knowing what exactly happened to him.

  “Lars, are you ok?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He answered me short and cold.

  “Are you sure? You look swept.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

  Clearly was something between. A terrified thought drove my attention, namely that Laurence found out the truth. I was about to ask Jay about Laurence’s mood, but was not the time for that, therefore I put my head how I could in the car, to take a little nap.

  I felt coldness, but not understanding from where. I got up from a huge bed, to detect the breeze’s source. A big mirror reflected me and I remained stoned because I was dressed in a nightdress, white and very airy, easy I can say. I turned around and I saw that I was in a big room, quite antic style, like it was someone’s rich bedroom. And I’ve noticed the source of the breeze. Was coming from the opened balcony, the silk curtains was waving in the hands of the wind. I got in the balcony to see where I was, but was dark outside, but as far as I saw, seemed to be that I was in a house and in the front of it was a big yard, being framed by tall hedgerows.

  “Abigail!”

  I looked around to see who was calling me. That voice sounded so familiar but in the same time not to friendly for my ears, having a cold tone. I looked down and saw him. Was a blonde boy, with long hair until the shoulders, dressed in white.

  “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “Abigail, come down.”

  “No.”

  “Abigail. Come down.”

  Even if I was too stubborn to do it, I wanted some answers, like for example, where the hell was I. I observed some stairs, to the left and right of the balcony where I could got down, so I upper my dress and I noticed I was wearing high hills. I lower slowly to that pretty handsome boy, but I didn’t had a clue who he was, and after his accent he seemed to came from Europe, most precisely from England.

  “Who are you?”

  “Abigail, I contacted you to talk.”

  “Who are you actually? Where am I?”

  “All in good time, now let’s go for a walk.”

  He showed me a path, which was spread among the hedgerows, and incredible, it was illuminated by lanterns. Why didn’t I saw that detail?

  “Ok.” I said, wanting to know where I was.

  He smiled to me and it reminded me about someone, someone like. “Good, let’s start. Where am I?” I said fast.

  “You are at the Jones mansion.”

  “What? Jones?”

  “Yes. My mansion, rather my parent’s mansion, to be more precisely, considering that I gave away my title and this…the mansion.”

  “What title? Hold on, who are you actually?”

  While we were walking, the blonde boy smiled, looking down, then he stopped turning around towards me. His eyes were so familiar to me.

  “My name is Robert Augustus Jones the second.”

  “I’m lost. Jones? I know only one Jones…”

  “Yes. You know Damian Edward Jones, the third if I can say even the royal name. Which is null of course.”

  I was shocked when everything got more precisely. Of course was familiar to me, he was…

  “You’re Damian’s father.”

  “Bravo, clever girl.”

  He smiled to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. I was still in shock.

  “But…I don’t understand.”

  “Abigail, you are…”

  “Abby. Please.”

  “Ok. Abby, you are my last hope.”

  “Hope?”

  “Yes. I contacted you in your dream; otherwise, I could not possibly do it. You are the only person which stood near my son, who can help him.”

  “Wait a second. You’re telling me that you brought me here? Sorry Mr. Jones, but I…I don’t actually believe in this paranormal things.”

  “Nobody said that this thing how called it, is a matter of magic or science fiction, my dear. It is a dream. And in dream I can play. But it is not a game.”

  “What you want from me?”

  “And I thought you have some manners.”

  Ouch.

  “I am so sorry, I’m a little scared that I’m here talking with Damian’s father in my mind.”

  “And in my dimension.”

  “It’s weird, especially that you…you know.”

  He watched me with curious eyes.

  “Died? The world does not live for ever.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t actually die by your hand! Especially that your own kid can watch and see.”

  “Abby, do not throw rocks on me. You do not know what actually happened that night and it is not my fault that Damian saw me doing what I have done.”

  I was silent, watching the house, being very beautiful.

  “Here Damian lives?” I asked curious.

  “No. Here once I lived until I rebelled against everything.”

  “You rebelled? From what exactly?”

  “From the title. My family was royalty, but I have quite that life, I fall in love with Kate, Damian’s mother.”

  “Really? You gave up your royalty?”

  “Yes, I had to. My family did not agree for me to see a usual, peasant, a commoner human. I felt like I was cast into a war between mortals and immortals, and I wanted to become one of the mortals, therefore I gave up on the title when I turned 18 years old and I got married one year later, she was already being pregnant with our beloved son.”

  “And why you look so young to me?”

  “I am at your age now. It is much easier to communicate this way.”

  “Ok, but why I’m here? What actually it’s going on?”

  “My dear. Damian…it is not longer.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “He is not himself anymore.”

  I didn’t get it. He died or what? Why was I with his dad in a dream? Chatting and stuff.

  “I don’t get it. Please be more specific.”

  “Abigail, he entered into the door to the illness room.”

  That news felt on me like a lightning bolt.

  “W…Wha…What? How do you know that?”

  “Believe me, I know. He is still my son, and I am always with him no matter what. Damian still loves me, he wears me in his soul all the time.”

  “I didn’t know that. What he told me was that he and his mother don’t get that well. But with his father…”

  “I am not surprising. Is Damian we speaking about. That is why Abigail, do everything that can stands in your power to help him!”

  “How possibly can I do it? He is back to England; I don’t know an address, nothing.”

  “I can tell you the address.”

  I remained somehow amazed. A ghost to tell his address, where he lived. Couldn’t my dream be much weirder then that?

  He handed me a note. Was blank.

  “When you will wake up, you will find it in your pocket, with the address written on it. Here you cannot see it. You are my only hope.”

  “I will try to do everything possible.”

  He smiled to me and without warning, took me in his arms with warm. Me, even if I was dreaming, I blushed because I didn’t feel Damian’s dad, but Damian himself. He kissed me on my forehead like a parent, and I opened my eyes.

  I was still in the car, and Laurence was sleeping like a baby, with his arms crossed.

  “Did you wake up Abby?” Jay asked.

  “Seems to be yes. It’s Laurence ok?”

  “What do you mean?” His mother asked.

  “I mean that he is cold with me, did he told you something?”

  When to open his mouth to answer, Jay was interrupt.

  “I am fine Abby.”

  I looked amazed at Laurence, which still stood with his
eyes closed.

  “I thought you were sleeping.” I said.

  “You know well I cannot sleep in the car. You have to remember before you ask my parents about me.”

  He opened his eyes, watching me. I was more red then the tomato itself from the garden. I was frustrated because Laurence lurked at the conversation.

  “If you want to know something, why you just don’t ask the source?”

  I kept silence watching on the window noticing that we were in Malia, heading to Hersonissos then after that towards Heraklion. I felt a hitch, because Laurence took my arm and turned me to him.

  “Hey! I’m talking to you!”

  “Laurence, behave yourself!” His dad raised his tone.

  “To behave myself? Why do to so when Miss Woods cannot control her curiosity and ask everyone around. I asked her something at Mara’s place, making her to promise me. And what do you think she did?”

  “It’s not that.” I started to panic.

  “Come on Abby! Really? Who you think I am? I’m not stupid, I know that Mara told you everything. She too damn kind.”

  “It’s not true.”

  “Why are you trying to deny, and to not tell the truth?”

  Checkmate, he got me in the corner and I didn’t had a single way to escape. Ok, the truth…did he wanted the really truth or the truth that I spoke with Mara?

  “What do you want to know Lars? That I spoke with Mara why we came just for a single day there?”

  “So you did speak with her.”

  I kept silent again, watching my nails --I had to give them a new layer of polish--, not knowing what to say, I had to find a good lie before I would give myself away with everything and to risk being killed by him.

  “Yes.”

  “Perfect! A fine girlfriend you are!” Said he very angry, and he kicked the front chair.

  “LARS! I’M DRIVING!”

  I remained shocked. I never saw his father so nervous. The truth was that Laurence got crazy. I started to think that Mara talked with him much more details then need it, even though I didn’t believe at all this theory and I was just thinking again at Damian, because that dream wasn’t that usual, especially that I talked with his dead father. Was strange, and I wanted to know what he was up to, if everything was ok with him.

  Laurence pouted and he slams his head on the back, looking up. On the other hand, myself was looking down, Damian’s face coming into my mind.

  Maybe I didn’t know what to do, or how to act in his favor, but Laurence didn’t gave me a break, wanted so bad to talk with me, but I just wanted to go the airport, by me a ticket without returning to London.

  “Abby! Wait, we need to talk!” He said serious to me, when I put my hand on the latch and got out, heading to the hotel, to start packing.

  “What is it Laurence? What do you want?” I said irritated.

  “What do you mean what I want. We need to talk. What happened yesterday with Mara.”

  I did not wanted to open that subject, but seemed to be that he didn’t want to give up that easy on it, so I agreed to stay for a while at his place, to see what he really wants. He garbed my hand, but I took it back like he was burning my skin. He didn’t say anything and we went to his room, seating on the bed. I remembered that there I was near Damian, speaking animated with Laurence, trying to become friends with him, and Damian didn’t had a clue what to do, trying to lie nicely.

  “Say it!” I said cold.

  “I don’t understand what’s wrong with you. Why you act like this with me?”

  “How to act different with you, when you aren’t saying a damn word to me? You’re really making me seeking the truth from other sources.”

  “You see! This is the problem Abby. You found out the truth from other source, a source I believed in would be safe, but seems to be that nothing is safe around here.”

  “Mara is a extraordinary psychologist Lars, she can help you a lot.”

  “This thing is not your business Abby! This is the main problem!”

  His attitude angered me so much; he had the nerve to raise his tone with me, who the hell he thinks he is. I was already starting to regret the day I met him, and the impatience was rising upper and upper. I just wanted to go far away from him, to run back to the hotel, and from there to disappear from Greece, to go to England, where I knew that someone was waiting for me. Therefore, I raised, wanting to leave.

  “Abby! If you’ll make just one step throw that door, you will loose me for good!”

  I remained turned away, I pushed the latch and I whispered to him.

  “Then…Goodbye Laurence.”

  At the hotel, I was somehow happy that I’ve got rid of Lars, and it was much better without him being around, because he could find in every minute what was all about. And I really didn’t want to throw away my dream, just because of a boy, I didn’t yet end up that idiot. The love I cared for Laurence started to pale in comparison with the care I had for Damian, thinking that in every minute he could kill himself.

  A soft knock on the door.

  “Yeah.” I shout without any energy.

  Inside came no one else then Helen. She was the last person I wanted to see her in that night, probably coming to me to tell me a new gossip story, but instead I was surprised to see her very serious and quiet.

  “Hey Helen.”

  “Hello Abby, can I speak with you something?”

  “Yeah sure, come in. Take a seat.”

  She walked a bit stiffed, and took a seat on a chair near the bed, where I was seating a little confusing.

  “It’s something wrong?”

  “Yes Abby, a lot of things happened lately.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You are seating there, pretending as if you don’t know? You ran away from the hotel with that schizophrenic guy…”

  “Hold on, don’t even start Helen. I’m so sick and tired of all this. I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “You could be hurt or something horrible happen to you.” She didn’t give up, irritating me so much.

  “And why are you worry about me after all? I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself. I don’t need another mother.”

  “You are rude. You are not realizing how much I worried and…”

  “Listen, who the hell are you to tell me what to do? With what you helped me besides telling me shit stuff about what should I ware, which by the way, it sucks.”

  “Those advices would’ve been very good for you, if you had a little bit of tastes.”

  “Get out!” I said firm, seating straight up, pointing to the door. I couldn’t resist no longer, I was finished, my nerves were shot, I was about to explode if she would say a word.

  “Oh, so you want me to get out, right?”

  “You heard me. I’m thinking you are not deaf, beside stupid. Be careful for the door to not slam you when you get out.”

  She made me a face and she went to the door, when she opened it, she turned away with a sick and false smile.

  “I forgot something to tell you. Because you are such a bitch, your project and Damian as well got canceled by your teachers.”

  “E…excuse me?”

  “I took care of calling you teacher and to tell her what you’re doing on the island. Nighty night.”

  She exits. I was hearing a ringing in my head, I made large eyes, feeling my tears want to come out. That ringing started to got higher, until boom. I yelled and ran from my room outside, smashing the door on my way. An old woman right next, was trying to enter her room. Helen was seating in front of the elevator’s doors waiting for it.

  “You old slut!” I shouted, and the old woman hurried to open the door.

  “How did you call me?” Helen said, being shocked.

  “You heard me, you stupid, filthy cow. You stupid bitch, I’ll kill you here!”

  I didn’t know what I was doing, I was like possessed by demons. I jump on her and I grabbed her blond hair. She started to yell, putting hersel
f down on the knees because of the pain. The old woman ran away from the door.

  “I’ll show you, you stupid whore.”

  I couldn’t resist no longer, I just wanted to kill her. I applied a knee in her mouth, making her to spit blood.

  “HELP!” She started to scream.

  The elevator arrived and the doors opened. I put my legs between them for not closing and I raised Helen up, holding very tight her hair.

  “Get in and go in hell, you cheap slut.” I said to her, and I pushed her inside, hitting her head on the mirror, cracking it. When the doors closed, I realized that I remained with a hair tuft from hers, and with curious people around.

  “What’re looking at?” I said angry to them and entered my room.

  I was boiling, how the bitch could call my teacher and to tell her what I was doing on the island? How she dared? I didn’t grasp logic. I jump on my clothes and stuff, trying to put them fast in my bags, because I really wanted so bad to go away from there. Something was telling me that this all story wasn’t over yet. What could I do, if not act before the “fashion police” could catch me and arrest me because I kick the hell out of a very faithful costumer.

  I had to shut up and do it, I was afraid that my teacher already found out about my story in Greece, the part with Laurence and probably she cut my dream away, and if was like that I promised myself that Helen was dead, what good to live your life when your dream is dead?

  I took my bags, thinking to go. I didn’t want to stay in that hotel a bit, but until morning what should I do? An idea was to cry a little to Lars, to pretend that I was sorry, and some innocent tears didn’t hurt to no one. Yes, I think this I should do, otherwise I had to bare the cold hotel walls, and was the last thing I wanted to do in that moment. I couldn’t resist no longer, somehow I realized that the joke got too serious and was the time for me to bounce from there, without no one to know anything.

  I had to reach Damian, before he could make a reckless act and to regret all my life. I had a lot of faith in that dream, feeling that something wasn’t right, and somehow I was possessed by his father like his spirit got inside me to look for his son. Was like I had schizophrenia, and the disease was putting imaginary things in front. Weird.

  I grabbed the phone, hurrying to call Laurence. Finally he answered, exactly when I was about to hang out.

  “Yes.”

  “Laurence, thank God. I have a problem, I know we had our fight and I’m stupid, but please, we need to talk, can I sleep at your place tonight? I had a huge fight with Helen and…”

  “Your fitness instructor?”

  “Oh…Ohm yes. I beat her.”

  “You what?”

  “Yes, I beat her and know she called the police, I really need to get out of here.”

  “Ok then. Even if you do not deserve my help, and because I love you, I will help you. Only with one condition.”

  “What is it?”

  “I will tell you when I will get there.”

  “Ok them and please hurry up.”

  “I will try to do my best.”

  I closed the phone, but something in his voice made me asking if he really wanted to help me, and that condition thing was too suspect. I didn’t stayed and think too much, I could find out when will be the right moment, I had to go out from there even if I lied him about the police, but the lying thing can turn up to be the truth anytime.

  I took my bags, and for my own luck, I didn’t carry from home all my dresser, only few summer ones, thinking that from Greece I could buy more of them, but non of them was on my taste, so my bags were light, I even could run with if it was necessary. I left the room, flying to the elevator. There was the old woman, who saw me when I smacked Helen, and when she saw me she and the wall were the same thing, and didn’t wait no longer for the elevator to come, and she just ran away into her room. I didn’t had time to stop and think about that situation or to amuse myself, therefore in the moment when the doors opened, I enter it with speed, feeling my forehead full of sweat. I was feeling like I have committed a crime or something, and was the time for me to run from the crime scene, before I would be caught and thrown into a cold Greek cell. I arrived to the reception, and for my relief was no one there except the young receptionist.

  “Already?” He said smiling.

  “Yes. To much sun it’s not good.” I said waling speedy.

  “Hold on a little miss, where you hurry? You have to sign for departure.”

  “I don’t have time. Here, take the key. Thanks.”

  I throw the key, hitting his head. He cursed me in his mother tongue, but I didn’t care at all, I had to get rid of that place as fast I could, before I will meet Helen.

  “ABIGAIL WOODS!” A voice yelled, making me freeze.

  Helen was coming towards me very fast, wanting probably to end up the boxing game. She was barefoot, so she got a very high speed. When I saw her I got freaked out, and in my craziness running in the parking space, I stumbled hitting my head over the asphalt. Beside that I felt the blood how was purring from my body, was too late to get away from Helen, because she was right next to me.

  “YOU LITTLE BITCH! WHORE. I WILL SHOW YOU!”

  And how I’ve been expecting, she started to kick me in the stomach, and I was already in agony mixed up with a huge pain from my head. I didn’t know what was going on with me, only that like in fog I saw a figure which pushed her away for her to not kill me and after a couple of minutes I felt lifted up from the ground, and my body surrendered and blank before my eyes.

  My mind blocked, and I felt something cold on my forehead. I was trying to move a muscle from my body, but it refuse to do so, feeling paralyzed. I even tried to do the same thing with my eyes, but even they were upset on me, because they refused to open. But something else kept intact and loyal, the hearing.

  “Abs, Abs, Abs. You trouble maker.”

  I heard Lars’s voice, which for my surprise was a lovely one.

  “L…Lars?”

  Seemed to be that even the mouth was loyal, and suddenly I felt that step by step I could take over the control of my body. Was mine again, and I moved a little. After a while, my eyes came back and I managed to open them. The first thing that I saw was Laurence’s beautiful masculine face. From what I was realizing in that moment, seemed to be that I was in his room, lying in the bed like a tuberculosis person.

  “Wha…what just happened?” Was my first question.

  “You passed out. I can tell, after so many hits, plus that you smash your head on the parking border. But don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

  “This time I will kill that blond bitch.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s a job already done.”

  I made big eyes, felting a big headache.

  “You killed her?”

  He started to laugh, putting the pledged on my forehead.

  “How hard did you hit your head? God no.”

  “Are you sure?” I said, without trusting.

  “Abby, really. I didn’t kill her. But I couldn’t let her to kill you. I appeared just in time and I thrown her on the ground, I grabbed you and took you here, at my place.”

  I forgot to mention, was not anymore nighttime, but daylight. Even morning after the pinky line, which would be the rising sun space, from his window.

  “What time is it?”

  “Six in the morning.”

  “You stood awake all night?”

  “Of course, someone had to take care of you.”

  My looks were on the ceiling.

  “You know what I still don’t get it. Why your fitness instructor wanted to beat you? You didn’t pay her classes?”

  I smiled but not in a good mood. I couldn’t stand no longer to hide or hold the truth in me. Was no longer needed to act and to have the courage to tell him. If Helen didn’t killed me, he will. Or under Laurence’s face or Alex’s mask. Therefore, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  “You know Laurence, it’s something that you
don’t know. Even if after I will tell you, you have the right to end what Helen started.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I looked into his warm and honest eyes.

  “I’m sorry but…I knew…I knew you somehow before we met personal. I knew about your illness from a file…”

  “Meaning?” He said calm.

  “Meaning that I am a student at psychology, and I had a project here, to study a mental illness case. In this one was about schizophrenia. You were my studying subject. Mine and Damian too.”

  I kept silence, even if my body was numb, I felt my heart beating with so much power, pushing fast the blood in all my cells, giving me so many emotions. Laurence looked down to the ground and smiled, I was prepared from any minute to wake up with a feast in my mouth, to be again filled with blood.

  “Come on. Get some rest.”

  I remained stupid by his calm. How this truth couldn’t affect him?

  “You are joking, right? Didn’t you hear what I said?”

  “Yes I heard.” He said, watching me with calm and smiling, taking my hand into his.

  “And?”

  “And what? Good for you.”

  “Good for me?” I said full of amazed. I didn’t understand his reaction.

  “Abby. It’s something that you don’t know too.”

  I frowned my eyebrows, asking myself what.

  “I knew.”

  From frowning, I made large eyes, almost popping from the orbits. I remained speechless.

  “You…just knew? Mara told you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes? Oh my God. She told you now, right? I mean when we where at her place.”

  “No.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Abby, because of me you are actually here.”

  I didn’t had words to spill, and to repeat amazed was not good enough.

  “How?”

  “So, if we speak about the truth, you deserve to know yourself one. Like I said, you are here because of me and of Mara. She helped me from a long time to be calm and temperamental. And she told me about your project. She already chose you and Damian for it, and asked my opinion. Of course, I agreed to become friends you guys and not a simple subject. When I saw you C.V. I was impressed. Not to mention your photo from it, I liked you since then. I said I want her, I don’t care. And with Damian, Mara explained to me that if I could be friend with him, then Damian somehow will not risk his mind to get sick in schizophrenia. And I said yes. The condition was to not reveal this plan to you, but to observe how you would try to not reveal your truth to me. Mara gave me advices how to test you in this job. You had traps in the project, but you managed them very good, even when I revealed my ill to you. Only one thing I didn’t like at you, the fact that you didn’t trust me completely and you shouldn’t find out that Mara was my psychiatrist.”

  Oh God…no. Was a dream…How the…how can everything be planned before? The thought that I was desperate for hiding the truth from Laurence frustrated me, and everyone around me was playing a scene and myself I was a joker-actress.

  “No…It’s impossible…means that…with the love thing was a plan?”

  “No! This feeling came across in time. I still love you; I regret so much that I didn’t took my pills when you met Alex. And Mara told me that it is a wonderful thing, even if was not that good for you to like me that much.”

  I kept silence. The truth was that a part of me was denying and the other one accepting.

  “I have still one question for you. Who the heck is this Helen?” He said, making me smiling.

  “It’s not my instructor of course. She is or was my supervisor teacher. She was supposed to watch me and Damian working at the project, how we do it, to send information to our teachers back home, and to stop us for getting drunk all the time clubbing all night. Things that she was doing for us.”

  He laughed, and his laughing calmed me. I didn’t had much to say about this, now that cards are shown.

  “Lars? You put me a condition for helping me, remember? What was it?”

  He silent got hardly up and sighed. He went to his desk and pulled the drawer, searching for something. I didn’t managed to see what he took from it, because that thing he found hide it from my curious eyes. He returned to my bed and he puts himself in the knees.

  “Abby, even if it’s not a romantic space, or much special but…”

  Then he shown me the thing he grabbed from the desk. Was a little black box, inside with a diamond ring.

  “Abigail Woods, do you want to be my wife?”

  “W…what?”

  The amazed thing that I had when he told me the all truth was nothing beside this proposal thing.

  “Do you?”

  “L…Lars, we just met a month ago.”

  “I know. But I love you so much and I want to spend my life with you.”

  I swallow dry. My mind flew to Damian.

  “I accept, but it’s my turn to put a condition.”