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Maynia -- Day Nineteen -- 2,094 words
I waited for the coffee to brew as I pulled out the plastic biscuit tray that contained my favorite almond cookies, but the quietness of the morning was mostly ruined when I turned around and almost dropped my tray of cookies in shock, “Jesus Jack! Give a guy a break sometime, would you?” I only watched as I saw Jack silently made his way to the dining table as he groggily sat down while rubbing the sleep off his face.
“Good morning to you too, doc—” He let out a yawn before he continued, “—she still asleep?”
I nodded briefly before I turned back around to pour us both our morning fuel, “Her slight fever seemed to have broken out some time in the middle of the night, guess gramps chicken noodle soup recipe works wonders.” I laid the mug of coffee in front of him, also offering some of my cookies but he refused, muttering something about ‘old man tastes’, before he took a couple of sips from his mug. It seemed to have given him the energy he needed to speak out what was on his mind all night.
“I’ve been thinking about.. whether Shiela would want to stay here a few days, you know? Just to get her mind off things..”
“She wouldn’t want that.” I simply said as Jack narrowed his eyes at me, waiting for me to further explain. I sighed as I took the seat across from him before saying, “Sheila’s fine, Jack. I see it in her that she’ll get through this on her own terms. Let’s just respect that and try to give her the space that she needs.”
“You’re really going to do that again, Luke? I thought that technique didn’t work for your mom?”
I felt myself tense at the mention of my mom, barely hearing Jack curse at himself and start at an apology, but I cut him off, “She’s not staying Jack, and I can’t leave town—I wouldn’t, because gramps needs me here. And unlike you, I can’t really come up with a reason for her to want to take a chance on me.” I crossed my arms as I stared back at him, though Jack only stared back at me evenly, a determined look on his face.
“That’s why I need your help, Luke. I may not be enough of a reason for her to decide to stay but—”
Jack got interrupted at what he was supposed to say when the main door of the house suddenly opened and closed before I heard the familiar loud footsteps of Z, coming back from his morning run while also stopping by the tower to get his motorcycle that he left there yesterday. “I smell coffee!” He said as he trudged in with a look of enthusiasm on his face, before he stopped as if noticing the tense atmosphere in the air as he looked between Jack and I.
“Whud I miss?”
“Mommy, why do you like those water towers so much?” I looked up into mommy’s pretty green eyes as I asked, then she smiled.
“It’s not about liking them, Shiela. It’s more about.. running the family business.”
“Then where’s your family, mommy? When can I meet your mommy and daddy?” She only smiled and held my hand, giving it a kiss.
“The only thing you need to know is your blood, Shiela. Our blood, it has the power to save or hurt the people around us. You need to learn to use it wisely.”
“Mommy! Daddy!” I cried out as I held my bleeding knee after falling from my bike.
“Shiela?!” Daddy came running towards me with mommy behind him, she held me close while daddy stood still and seemed to be looking for something. “It was that bad dog, daddy. It came running out of nowhere and made me crash!” I cried as I pointed at Mr. Jenkins' house, he was our neighbor who owned the big mean dog.
Daddy didn’t say anything and only looked at me and mommy before we went back inside our house where mommy treated my knee.
“We can’t discount what Shiela said, Alexander! We both saw Mr. Jenkins bury his dog in his backyard the other week! What if—”
“No Sheena, what you’re saying is impossible! I closed the rift just like you told me to, I saw it get sealed shut with my own eyes!”
I watched daddy while he walked around the room, he wasn’t looking at mommy but they sounded like they were fighting about something. I sat at a corner out in the hallway and watched them quietly, waiting for mommy to come up and sing me to sleep.
“What if something didn’t get sealed in with it? You know my blood in those water towers were only good at making the people forget, that’s why I’ve been pushing you to start with the telecom designs instead so you don’t keep hunting those demons down yourself!”
I saw mommy stop dad from walking around the room, making him look at her while she kept talking, “Promise me, Alex.. You’ll do things right this time—if that thing comes for me or Shiela—”
“Nothing will happen to you or our daughter! I’d die before that happens!”
“But we still need to be prepared..” I saw mommy hand daddy a piece of paper as she said, “Call Mrs. Chip if you have to when Shiela starts to forget.. I don’t want her to remember how I couldn’t fight for her—how I couldn’t prevent this from happening. Make her strong, Alexander. Don’t let her past be a reason to pull her down.”
Then mommy started crying as daddy hugged her. I cried too that night, because somehow maybe I already knew something bad would be happening soon. I just didn’t know what.
From the entryway, I saw mom. She was lying on the floor, her face the only thing I could see because our big sofa was blocking the rest of her. But what I really noticed was the blood on her face, her eyes staring unblinkingly towards the entryway but I wasn’t sure if she saw me, or if she was still alive.
Then I heard the voice, I’d never forget how it sounded. Each word felt like it was creeping into your soul as it slowly asked in its gravelly voice, “What are you most afraid of?”
Then a big black shadow started to take shape in front of me, I felt the darkness seeping into me, looking for something it could twist further into a nightmare—BANG! BANG! BANG!
The shadow dissipated and I saw mom barely standing up as she held out a gun. “Shiela!” She only had time to scoop me up and had already placed me just outside our doorway when something started pulling her back inside the house again. “Mom!” I cried out and started going after her but she only held the door handle, preventing me to go inside with her.
She only looked at me sadly then as she calmy said, “Don’t run, Shiela. Get your father. Fight and always protect the ones that you love. Remember I love you.” Before she slammed the door shut and locked me out of that house.
I opened my eyes then to an unfamiliar room. I closed them again and held my head as I slowly sat up before I then took in my surroundings. I leaned my head back on the headboard with a groan, That’s right, I remember where I am.. And I seem to remember a lot of other things..
I thought that as I stared up into the ceiling and just let my long forgotten memories swim around in my head. Why would mom think that my past would be a reason to pull me down? And why would dad even let me forget about her in that way?
I was lost in my thoughts when I heard my phone chime for an incoming message, turning my head to see my things on the bedside table, I briefly took note that my clothes were still mostly on me, before I reached over for my phone. 3 missed calls and a text from Mayor Heins, “Meet me at the mines. There’s something you need to know.”
I frowned at that but was curious all the same. Now I had an excuse to go see the mines.. I had now already freshened up and gathered my stuff before I looked cautiously out the hallway. Seeing the coast was clear of any of the guys, I started to tiptoe my way down the hall when I suddenly stopped by a slightly closed door, sensing something there..
I went in when I saw no one was there and fumbled for the light switch. I somehow already knew I was in Jack’s home office when I saw the plotted Samheinrock town map and the pictures of Lancaster Tower, as well as a couple incident reports happening around town, but what really caught my eye was a banner that had the Heins Family Crest on it and the notepad that lay open next to it.
I went closer and leaned down to try and decipher Jack’s writing, it was like he was trying to decode something.. My eyes widened as I recognized the language and what it meant, stepping away from the desk as I roved my eyes on the surface in hopes of finding the signet ring here, I only stopped in my search when I heard loud footsteps from downstairs before the loud exclamation of Z rang out, “I smell coffee!”
I looked back at Jack’s desk before deciding to step out of that room, leaving to trace of myself ever being in there. I still needed to find out what Mayor Heins had to say, and why Jack had his signet ring..
I looked at Z as I watched him take in my proposal, I couldn’t help the smirk that formed on my face when I saw him almost sputter out his coffee. “You’re really that desperate to make her stay?”
“Why not? Sheila wouldn’t need to choose between the three of us and we get to watch over her while she’s here. I’ll even change my schedule to make time for her.” I looked at Luke who still had an unreadable expression on his face. I didn’t know about him, but I’ve never felt so assured about this, it’s like I’ve been more determined to keep Shiela here, in this town, close to me, ever since I got my hands on father’s—
The ringing of my phone almost distracted me, but I rejected the call, not really bothering to check who it was. “Are you gonna get that? It’s been ringing a couple of times now, it could be urgent.” That was the only time Luke spoke up but I now had my attention on Z, waiting for him to agree with me.
“Look Jack—we’re all like brothers here, growing up together and all—and I get the fact that we all got our eyes on Shiela, I mean I’m not blind for sure but.. watching over her like that? I don’t think she’s gonna like that—”
“That’s right, I wouldn’t.” I turned and saw Shiela from the entryway, I swallowed hard at the sight of her, I don’t remember feeling such a deep urge for her, like something was gnawing at me. “I really appreciate you guys for taking care of me yesterday..” She met our gaze one by one until those rich green eyes of hers settled on me as she continued saying, “..but I don’t need you to look after me every hour of the day. What happened last night was just.. a hiccup, I wouldn’t want to bother you guys again for that.”
She then gave us all a smile and told her thanks one last time before she turned to leave. Z was already after her just as I stood from my seat when my phone began ringing again, “Jack, you better get that. Look it’s even registered under some inspector..”
I almost growled out my irritation at Luke before I swiped the phone of the desk and barked out a quick “What?!” There was a momentary silence on the other line before a hesitant voice started to speak up.
“Sheriff Heins.. we’re actually calling about the Mayor.. A report came in and we—found his body here— at the mines..”
to be continued...
Image from Pixabay, by Phan Minh Cuong An: https://pixabay.com/users/minanfotos-9565064/ (edited with dreamscopeapp)