Until He's Gone

Chapter Ten

  "How do you know Kevin?" she said and peered at me out of the corner of her eye.

Kevin. Don't even spell his name on your dirty lips.

  "It's none of your business ma'am."

  "Oh really?" Edith exclaimed as she pulled my arm forcefully behind her and started running.

Yeah, she was way too fast.

  "Let go of me! Please. Stop." I screamed out of pain as my body rubbed against the rough asphalt ground. She stopped and locked her evil eyes with mine. I felt a sudden, soul-shattering chill.

  "Listen girl, you wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sunshine if you don't spit this out," she dared me, more seriously this time. "Where is Kevin?" she asked as her eyebrow curved upwards technically.

I couldn't bear listening to that horrible question. I shook my head in disbelief, and pressed my lips together; so bitterly that they lost color and turned pale. I felt my tears roll down my cheeks, my eyes burn, but that was something I had gotten used to. I winced in pain as she dug her hard dirty nails into my skin.

  "He's somewhere safe where no one can hurt him," I muttered through sobs and tears. I moved backward horridly as she raised her wrinkled hands and curled her thin aged fingers.

Then, she grabbed me by my arms and dragged me to a hidden corner in a narrow space between two buildings. It seemed to be out of anyone's sight. The roofs above me almost touched and blocked out sunlight. The walls looked old and rough with dirty windows. Both buildings seemed to be abandoned. I watched Edith timidly as she snatched an aged dagger from one of her bags and directed it at me.

My extreme horror rendered me paralyzed and unable to move or comprehend what was even happening to me. I wanted to run, but my legs felt like loads of lead.

  Suddenly, she grabbed my hair violently and smashed my head against the rough wall of the ancient building. I screamed in pain and my vision blurred instantly.

  My head ached and I slid to the ground as she moved toward me, my legs no longer able to hold me up. I struggled to remain conscious and raise myself onto my elbows.

  My mouth was full of blood, and I knew well that I had to be brave and never give up, though it was really hard to. When I managed to realize what was happening around me, I heard the old malicious woman talking.

  "When Kevin's father, Stephan, married me, he made me promise to love his son dearly, so that the little boy never felt like someone was missing in his life. I found it hard, at first, to love a boy who wasn't really my own son," she said. How could she start a conversation with me when I felt like I was dying?

   "Despite that, I tried to love him with all my heart. I tried talking to him every night before he slept. I cooked his favorite meals, brought him his favorite novels, and made sure he enjoyed time with his friends each weekend." Her tone was calm and emotional. I was surprised and confused. Why would she tell me the story of her life? My head still ached and I felt dizzy.

  "But when Stephan died," Edith continued, "Kevin was shocked. He refused to talk to me any longer and he burnt all the stuff and books I gave him. It hurt me too much because it felt like he blamed me for his father's death. He began running away from home and spending late nights outside. He was only eight by then. One day, I decided to talk to him after he'd come home at midnight with a pale face and sunken eyes. It seemed to me that he had encountered an awful incident. It was until that day that I realized he was spending his nights under a girl's window, listening to the music of her clarinet. He said that night was different from all the rest. It was terrible. He had heard a loud gun shot and a scream that made him run home immediately. I thought that his home was the only place that made him feel safe, but I was mistaken. He ran away the following day as well and that made me furious."