Page 5 of Don't Look Back
Each time she looks at me, I swear it feels as though our souls recognize each other – one monster to another.
Trying the doorknob on the front door, I confirm it’s locked. Not getting in that way. Slowly circling the house, I try not to draw any unnecessary attention from the neighbors. Something inside tells me rumors or cops being called by a supposed good Samaritan are the last things I need right now. This feels private. A discrete rescue mission of sorts.
Rounding the house, I come to the side with a large bay window on what looks like the third floor. A startled scream catches in my throat as a doll’s face suddenly pops up in the window. Edith.She raises one small hand and points to a ladder-type structure a few feet from where I stand. Huh. She's…. inviting me up? The lattice and stone design remind me of a climbing wall. It blends seamlessly into the style of the grand house, so well that if I weren't looking for a way in, I would have missed the hidden ladder entirely. Nearing the top, I reach up to slide the window open. A sign of relief leaves me upon finding the window unlocked and easily open.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw upon entering Avery's room.
A choked gargle sound lodges itself in my throat. It feels as though all the air has been sucked out of the room, out of my lungs. Time slows to a painful halt. Everything moves too slowly, yet too fast, all at once. I can feel the blood drain from my face, rushing to the floor as my legs give out beneath me.
There’s Avery.
Broken. Beaten. Bleeding.
Lying in a crumpled pile on the floor as though her bed was too impossibly far away.
What… happened? What the actual fucking hell happened? And where had I been when my….myfriendneeded me the most? Friend. The word leaves a sour taste in my mouth. We were more than just friends. She evokes feelings in me that I never knew existed.
We never even kissed.
But I’m hers and she’s mine, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
And no one touches what’s mine.
The slow rise and fall of Avery’s chest is the only thing keeping me tethered in this moment. Sitting beside her, I brush some of her long blonde hair out of her face. I can’t quite find it within myself to pull my hand away from her just yet, so I let it gently linger on her hip. As if on autopilot, I run small circles along her waist and across her hip, then back up again.
“What happened to her?” I ask Edith. The question is so hushed, it’s barely a whisper. She hears me, though, and with a slight turn of her head begins to catch me up in detail.
“Her steaming pile of shit father. He arranged for her to marry the son of one of his grimy sleazeball friends. They paid for her and came to collect. She resisted. Beat up the guy so badly, his dad pulled out of the agreement and demanded his money returned…plus medical expenses. He said she was feral. Some sort of psychopath and should have been culled earlier due to poor breeding. That really set her father off. I have never seen him turn that shade of purple. For a moment, I had high hopes the big, bulging vein in his neck would explode. But sadly, it did not.” The doll, Edith, shrugs as if the man's veins not exploding was merely a small disappointment.
I’m not sure what I was expecting at that moment, but a doll speaking to me was certainly not it. Which seems strange since I swore I saw her move. The talking is just a whole other level of terrifying. Well, just one more thing added to the list of stuff I should probably get therapy for, but instead will use dark humor to cover up and cope. Good times. Oh well.
As Edith's words sink in, my blood turns to ice within my veins. He tried…. her own father… hesoldher?! Like she’s a fucking lawn chair and not a whole ass human being?! My hands begin to tremble as I force myself to take slow, timed breaths. Avery's father is a dead man. All I need to do is figure out how to getrid of the body so it doesn’t trace back to either of us. I must have been speaking out loud just then because Edith perks right up to join the conversation. I swear the doll has a spark of lively mischief in her eyes that is more than a little unnerving.
“Actually, I think I have an idea! Avery will need to read the letter from her Mom… and of course agree to let me help… but once she does… I have a feeling things will get very exciting indeed!” I never knew planning a homicide could make someone so happy, but here we are. Edith seems nearly giddy with homicidal glee. If she were a person and not a demonic doll about to possess the woman I have feelings for, I think we could have been good friends.
“Okay, Edith, I would love to hear your plans, but first, we need to make sure Avery’s okay. She doesn't look too good at the moment. Help me get her to the car somehow, and I'll drive us to the hospital.” Avery's skin has taken on a greyish tint, and small beads of sweat have begun to collect just in the time I’ve been here. Things are going downhill fast.
Edith's high-pitched elfin laugh rings out in an almost playful manner. “Silly goose! I can help with that!” She must read the skepticism on my face before continuing. “If you permit me, I can possess her! Just long enough to heal her up really quickly, so she’s not at risk of dying. Of course, after that, I’ll be forced out until she can give me permission herself.”
I mean…that seems pretty straightforward to me…and really, what other choice did we have? Narrowing my eyes on the doll, I take a moment to confirm that this won’t harm Avery in any way. I lean over to place a soft kiss on her temple and whisper,“Fight, Avery. I need you to fight. Come back to me so we can drown everyone in this creepy shithole town together. Let them all choke on their sins while we find happiness in their tears.”With one more soft forehead kiss, I turn to Edith and say the two words I hope won’t come to regret.
“Do it.”
6
AVERY
Everything hurts. My body aches in ways words will never describe. I may have been hallucinating, but through it all, I swear I heard her voice. My AllieCat. Begging me to stay. To keep fighting even as the darkness creeps ever closer.“Fight, Avery. I need you to fight. Come back to me so we can drown everyone in this creepy shithole town together. Let them all choke on their sins while we find happiness in their tears.”Her whispered words echo around my mind, over and over again. Lending me the strength I desperately need.
I knew there would be consequences for skipping that dinner. I knew. But I didn’t care.
I'd be damned if I ever let a man tell me what to do or who to marry. Knowing my own father tried to sell me off like cattle to the highest bidder was just another reminder of the typeof person he is. Who he’s always been. I felt no shame as I beat the living shit out of the presumptuous asshole who came to ‘collect me’ the next day, either. He was just like all the rest of them, trying to touch what they had no right to. Well, jokes on you, buddy – have fun trying to touch someone with no working hands. I crushed every single bone in both of his hands. One by one. Just to make sure he couldn’t hurt anyone else with them. Then, I used my handy boot knife to sever the nerves just for good measure. By the time he was picked up and taken to the hospital, not only would he have a hard time ever abusing a woman again…. He would also have a tough time ever being aroused by one. However, it’s okay, though; some people genuinely don’t need to procreate. The way I see it, I just did women everywhere – hell, the entire human race – a favor. One less sexual predator is a win in my book.
I also knew, however, that dear old dad wouldn’t be too thrilled about all the blood on his lovely marble floors. Or the hideous ornate entryway table that was “accidentally” smashed during the disagreement. Again, I knew… but didn’t care. Though I was not exactly looking forward to whatever punishment he would see fit to dole out. He could be a creative bastard sometimes.
So, I did what I always do when I want to attempt to feel some semblance of peace…or happiness…or anything really. I go to the lake. Sitting by the water reminds me of my mom. Sometimes I still talk to her. It gives me something to focus on while I try to pull at emotions or coax them back into existence. Usually, there's nothing. Occasionally, a whisper or a flicker of something just out of reach. But it dissolves like mist before I can ever catch hold.
That time was different.
