Jennifer shot awake in the middle of the night. Her sweaty palm reached up to slick back her dark unkempt hair, as she blinked in the soft moonlight. She licked her dry lips, and reached up for the glass of water that was on the night table next to the bed. The noise that woke her clanked out again, making her jump, and spill the glass onto the floor. The cool sensation of wet carpet trickled over her feet, and the woman prayed that there were no shards left behind to step on.
Her trembling hands found the glass in no time, and to her relief, it was whole. One more clatter from the outside, and she knew what it was. Bracing herself with the night table, she shakily rose to her feet. A glance out the window showed the garage door was open, and the light was on. Whatever it was, she needed to know. Besides, she needed more water, so she had to go downstairs anyway.
Inching down the stairs, holding the railing, she wished she was as spry as her teenaged years. The car accident had nearly killed her, but she had survived. After months in a coma and therapy, she had been allowed to come home, but nothing had really worked right in her body after that. So she had to take care going down the stairs, there was no one else there to care if she took a spill.
She made it down to the kitchen, and edged her glass onto the table. It made the softest of scrapes, but still made her mouth “Shh” to it. Out the window she peered, and totally forgot her desperate thirst. Before her very eyes, there was somebody moving about in her garage.
With all her might, she wished there were someone around to help her. Her mind raced with all the possibilities of what to do. Call the Police? She had left her phone upstairs. Lock the doors? Jennifer didn’t want to risk the noise alerting whatever was creeping around outside. Grab a baseball bat? She had never been an athlete, and what was a poor crippled woman going to do with a weapon. It wouldn’t even look intimidating while she was leaning on the frame.
What could it be? They had raccoons in the area, it had taken a year to get them out of the roof. Damned things used to frighten her every night running about and hissing at each other. Each time, robbing her of sleep as every thump reminded her of the sounds her body made rattling around in the car. That couldn’t be, no animal would open a garage door, much less turn on the light. It had to be something else.
Her thoughts turned to fancy. That young man she had met online. Enrique, the one with the million dollar smile. He had been so kind to her. They had shared a few chats, and she had told him where she lived. Perhaps Enrique had come, to set her free. He would be her prince, and sweep her away from her home, her prison. Perhaps he was just looking for the spare key. She ran to the front door to unlock it and fly to her fair Enrique.
Jennifer stopped with her fingers just short of the lock. She bowed her head and ran her grimy hands over her forehead. That wasn’t the whole memory. Things came slowly to her now, especially after having been woken up. Enrique hadn’t been very nice in the end. He wanted her money, he wanted her house. Jennifer had spent many days crying over him, and his handsome visage. How could a man so handsome turn out to be so cruel and evil inside? This Enrique wouldn’t be her prince, he would be her jailor. A baseball bat was too good for him, yet she lacked the strength to even defend herself with it.
What else could it be? She wracked her mind for anything she could think of. Her memories came back like a throbbing flood, and she leaned down to adopt a fetal position. It was the only way she could sift through them. One moment she was reliving her high school where people were always picking on her. She wasn’t a bad girl, she was a good student, but no one much liked her. Maybe it was someone from her past? She had moved so far away, that it was impossible.
“This sucks!” Jennifer thought to herself. It could have been anything outside, and her mind could only focus on how her Uncle had always been rude to her. Her mother abandoned her for a bottle and other men with money. Her father had struggled hard to take care of her, but he worked so much that she was stuck with her aunt. Her cousins were okay, but they always treated her as a second class citizen. While they got presents, she got a card.
Once more, the rustle came from the garage. Jennifer had to think now. It was like that night she got in the car. Her friend’s boyfriend was driving. They had all been drinking, and while he was the most sober, he didn’t have the skills to deal with snow and black ice. She remembered the ice machine getting closer and closer to the front, closing so fast like an Eagle grabbing a rat. Then, nothing until the hospital bed. It was the same sound, that crunching of metal that she was hearing now.
Was it possible she was still in the hospital? Maybe she hadn’t gotten better, and this was just a dream. Life was tough on single women, she couldn’t go anywhere on her own. Was it good Enrique, bad Enrique, or someone else entirely? Jennifer couldn’t trust her body, nor trust it to anyone else. Yet this was the time she needed it the most.
She felt so sad and lonely. This was her house, but she felt no security here. Her mind was still racing, more thoughts, more anxieties, what was even real any more? She needed someone to talk to, but who was there? Where was her aunt? Had she moved out? How was she so abandoned in this world? It perplexed her and vexed her.
The light in the garage suddenly went out. The footsteps echoed in the small space, and she could hear the panel door being pulled down. Out of instinct she hid up against the inside of the door, crouching down as much as she could to avoid being seen. Jennifer was petrified, because now the footfalls were getting closer.
The lock above her head clicked, and the door swung open with a squeak. Jennifer cursed herself for being too afraid to check the locks. It had made sense at the time, but not now. All she could do was turtle in the corner and hope whoever it was would ignore her. Her mind stopped as she saw the old beaten down shoes come to a stop in front of her nose. She shuddered, with her heart in her throat. Her cracked lips were dry as ever, and Jennifer found herself unable to scream.
A wizened old face bent down to look her in the eye. “Jennifer!” called out the friendly voice. It was her father! Her father! She had forgotten about him. Her father was looking after her now. A tear of relief streamed down her cheek as Daddy pulled her to her feet. “What are you doing out of bed? Did the noise scare you?”
Jennifer was too upset to speak, so she nodded her head quickly. “I’m sorry, Jennifer. Daddy had to crush the recycling. I usually do it at night so the noise doesn’t bother you. Come on now, lets go upstairs. We’ll give you some of the pills the Doctor gave you, and you’ll sleep like a baby!” His daughter pointed to the empty glass, and he laughed. “I’ll take care of that, you’ll never want for anything again.”
The man helped his daughter upstairs. Cruel fate had taken the best of her from him, but the medication kept her paranoid schitzophrenia down. He was just glad she was okay. Jennifer had been through a lot, and the world always seemed hostile to her. When the car accident happened, she had returned to a child like state. She was an adult, but she couldn’t care for herself any longer. That might be true, but he was still her father, and would take care of her until his dying day. He kissed her on the forehead, and went down to get that glass of water, hoping that she would remember him when he returned, or how she would remember him.
Whether she was in grade school or high school when he returned, he knew her soul was still in there. Her eyes were wide opene when he came through the door with the glass of water, but the look softened quickly to one of serenity. He put the glass down, and just talked to her. He didn’t know how much she understood, but his voice was enough to put her to sleep. He pulled the covers over her, and went to his own room. Tomorrow would be the same, and the next day. He needed his rest, but not so much as she needed to sleep. Dreams came quickly for both, as the morning snuck slowly up on both.
jayrsworld 