The Girl In The Cabin

Chapter Six: Chipping Away

Am I dying? I awake on the living room sofa with voices echoing in my head. I try to move, but only manage a groan. "What...what happened?" I mutter. I remember arguing with Alex...I remember him firing me...but the last thing I remember is turning the key in the ignition. "How are you feeling, missy?" I open my eyes to see the weathered face of an old man, a bone-thin Albert Einstein. He smiles and I note he's missing several of his teeth. "Dammit, Deacon, you're scaring her." A familar voice says. Alex steps forward, now wearing a shirt, and pulls the older man back. "Are you sure nothing's broken? Why does she look so pale?" He demands. The old man nods, "She'll have a few bruises, but she'll be fine." I look between the two of them. "Wh-what happened?" I ask. "You decided to introduce your car to some trees." The old man slaps his thigh and laughs. "Who...who are you?" I ask. My eyes slowly adjust to the light around me. "He's the closest thing Bayless has to an emergency room." Sheriff Caldwell says, arms crossed as he stands on the other side of the couch. "Sheriff?" I ask. I still don't understand what happened. "Stacey, Deacon is going to ask you a few more questions to make sure you're okay. He's a doctor, so you can answer him." Alex says, a hint of worry in his voice as he casts a dubious look at the older man. He's a doctor? What kind of doctor diesn't take care of his teeth? I grimace at my own judgmental thought. After Deacon fihishes, he says it's a miracle, but I'll be fine. He instructs Alex to keep an eye on me overnight. Sheriff Caldwell explains what happened to mee. "I'm going to report that the car skidded due to bad weather." He says. "I don't remember." I sigh. "It'll make the insurance claim easier if we stick to that story." Sheriff Caldwell laughs, "You didn't drive into the trees on purpose, did you?"
"Of course not!" I exclaim. "All right then. We'll be out of your way. You two be careful." Sheriff Caldwell says with a tip of his hat, and guides Deacon to the door. "Mr. Carter," Sheriff Caldwell calls out, "it would behoove you not to send your employee on errands in the middle of a thunderstorm." He raises an eyebrow at Alex, but Alex ignores the warning. "Thank you two for coming out so late and helping her get back inside." I notice the clothing of all three men is damp from the rain. "I'm so sorry." I add and go to move, but stop. I clench my teeth at the pain. "I don't know what happened." I sigh. "Don't worry, Miss. We're just happy you're safe." Deacon says with a smile and turns to Sheriff Caldwell, "Let's go, Dan. these two young ones need some peace and privacy."

    After the two men leave, I try to get up, grimacing through the pain. Alex whirls on me. "What the hell do you think you're doing now?" He demands, "If this is some sort of ploy to get workers' comp...forget about it. I fired you before you got into an accident." He crosses his arms and stares down at me. "You think everything is a ploy." I sigh, "You think I knocked myself out so you'd feel sorry for me, accused you of assult so I could exort money, and now this?" I motion to myself, "I think all that money's making you paranoid." A muscle in Alex's jaw twitches. "It's not uncommon for people to try and get things from me." He says. "Well, maybe you should try getting a heart." I state. Alex casts his gaze to the floor. "So what really happened then?" He asks, voice calm and even. "I told you...I don't remember." I sigh. I dare a glace over at Alex. his arms are crossed at his chest– utterly confused. "While Deacon was examining you, I checked your room again. I found more leeches. I don't understand how they got in there." He adds.
"I didn't put them there, if that's what you're asking." Alex glares at me, "Did I say you put them there?" He catches himself before his voice rises, stopping and looking at me gently. "Are you okay?"  Is he worried about me? No– impossible. "I wanted to ask you." He says. Alex shifts his weight from one foot to the other, more uncomfortable with every word. "I found something strange in your rental car..." He says quietly. "Something strange?" I repeat. What the hell is he talking about? Alex leaves for a moment, only to return with the ominous rag doll. "This..." He holds it up. I feel a knot grow in my stomach. "You found that in my car?" I ask. Alex nods, "It was on the seat when I found you." Hands shaking I turn and look at the floor infront of me. "I locked it in the storage shed..." Alex raises a brow. "Is that so?" He holds the doll by its burning red hair and says, "What I thought was strange was, before I found it in your rental car...it was in your bedroom." A moment of silence pases as we both look at eachother. "You're sure you didn't just bring the doll out to the car?" I ask. Alex nods, "I'm pretty sure. It's just really strange. You locked it in the storage shed, then I saw it in your bedroom and the rental car. What do you think it means?" I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I watch a myriad of emotions pass over my former employers face. He holds the doll up with a sigh before looking back at me. "Explain to me again why you thought I attacked you." He says. I hesitate before answering. "I don't know...it felt like someone or something was pushing me down. It was weird. One moment, I was dreaming about my stepdad, and the next, I woke up with this hickey on my neck and you at the door." Alex nods, "I only came to your room because you were screaming." I watch him tap his chin with two fingers, thinking things over. Finally, he sits in the loveseat across from me, stretching his long legs out before crossing his ankles. "I'll make you a deal, Stacey Green." He says. "A deal?" I ask. He nods, "Let's both just forget about what happened earlier." I take a deep breath, calming myself before answering. "Wh-what did you just say?" A ghost of a smile appears on Alex's face. "I don't want to be known as a man who fired his assistant right before she got into a car accident. I'm not that petty. I'll overlook tonight if you promise to do your job without any other incidents. Is that clear?" He asks.
Rent. Food. Survival. The reasons why I need to lower my pride march through my head like a parade. I look back at Alex, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "What do you say?" He asks, leaning back in the seat, his eyes fixed on the ceiling fan rapidly spinning in circles. "I have to agree." I reply, "I don't have anything else to fall back on." A ghost of a smile crosses his face once again. "That's very honest of you to admit. I'm going to change now. These clothes are still we and I detest the smell of clothes that don't dry properly." He says. From the corner of my eye, I watch  him ascend the staircase.