Part Two: Chapter Twelve

Part Two: The Tiger

Charlotte watched Eve’s saw move backwards, her slap retreat from Chuck’s face, the ropes untied, her arms unbound, everything reversed itself in front of her eyes until she lay back in her bed studying Lauren’s weakening punches.

Her eyes creaked open as Eve walked by the room with a grunt. Chuck’s breathing picked up.

Eve didn’t enter and Chuck calmed herself.

She sat up and rubbed her wrists, thankful that they were still there.

“Chuck, you can’t do that.” A soft female voice startled her. The voice revealed itself as a ghost, pale and translucent.

“Can’t do what?” Each time she appeared, her mother’s ghost transfixed Charlotte. “What did I do?” Her voice quavered.

“Set back time. Do you have any idea what could’ve happened?”

“Well, if I didn’t do it, I could’ve been handless. Would that have been better?”

Her mother snapped, “Your mystic karma is already bad enough. Did it really need one more thing to make it even worse? Do you know how hard it is to watch that disgusting woman hurt you now? Can you imagine something worse for fate to give to you?” Her voice trembled with fear. “If I wasn’t dead, you’d be giving me an ulcer.”

Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to smile at the morbid joke. “I didn’t know what else to do, Mom. I panicked. I wasn’t even sure if it would work.”

“Not all witches can set back time. You’re too powerful.” The white hand stroked the girl’s cheek. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I wish it wasn’t hurt and loss that motivated you.” She sounded to be on the verge of tears.

“What is this great destiny that you keep telling me about? And why does it hurt so much?” Chuck wondered.

Her mother laughed sadly. “I missed talking to you. I can’t stay long. We aren’t supposed to cross over. It’s not natural, but I needed to warn you about time travel.”

She sighed, “I know. It’s dangerous. Thanks for the warning.”

“Happy birthday, chicken.”

Grinning at her mother’s old nickname, she said remorsefully, “I love you. Enjoy whatever is next, I suppose.”

“I love you too, Chuck. Stay strong.” With that, her form fizzled quickly.

Charlotte sat on her bed. A stray tear dripped from her eye. “I miss you,” She remarked hoarsely. “I miss you all so much.”

“You’re pathetic, Montgomery.” Lauren remarked, sitting up. “Stop talking to your goddamn picture, dumbass,” She sneered.

Hastily, she wiped a tear from her cheek embarrassed that Lauren had heard all of her words. “I’m sorry that I’m not as callous as you are.”

“I’m sorry that no one else sounds as sounds so f*****g pompous when they talk,” Lauren shot back. “So f*****g annoying.”

Chuck simply swallowed the insult. She didn’t want a repeat of how the day was supposed to go. She merely got up and headed into the bathroom. During a cold quick shower, she thought about each of Eve’s glorified acts of torture. Her hands kept caressing her wrists. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought about everything Eve had done.

After her shower, Chuck tilted her glasses on her nose in thought. Her mind settled in on her great future motivated by loss. “Why am I a witch? Why not Robbie? Why wasn’t Dad? Why was Poppy? Why was that poor man at the auction? I didn’t ask for this!” She screamed toward the ceiling, not caring who heard. “I didn’t ask to be a witch! I didn’t want to live with the DiRagno’s! I don’t want any of this!”

“Chuck, you okay?” Danny queried, entering her room. He sat on the bed next to her. “What’s wrong, beautiful?”

“Stop saying that. Eve’s given me enough scars to prove you wrong.” Her face became a pout. “I’d rather worry about living than my distorted body image right now.”

Brushing away the curtain of hair, Danny kissed her cheek gently. “No problem, gorgeous.” He retreated with a wide grin.

“That isn’t much better.”

“Cutie-pie? Cupcake? Sugar muffin? Sweetums? Orange… cheeks?”

Despite her state, Charlotte giggled. “That makes absolutely no sense.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Keeping me strong.” Her voice shook.

Danny wiped moisture beneath her eyes. “No more crying. Please?”

“No more crying,” She lied through gentle sobs. “No more crying,” She repeated.

Danny swallowed. He listened to the pounding of his own heart. Without a second thought, he said, “I love you, Chuck.”

Her sniffles stopped. Rimmed with red, her eyes stared at him. Her confused expression replied, what? But Chuck grinned at him. After delicately kissing him and remembering what a loving embrace once felt like, remembering what love was, she responded, “I love you too, Danny.”

Perhaps it was the horrific circumstances in which they were placed, which caused their words came out so quickly, or perhaps it was the deep intimate bond that they shared. Whichever way, neither had felt such a warm feeling of being held by someone who loved you for far too long. And in its simplicity, Daniel and Charlotte had grown closer than any teenage couple that thought a deeper bond included a condom.

Each closed their eyes, trying to imagine a better place to be. Danny deeply inhaled the scent of Charlotte’s shampoo, a cheap generic artificial strawberry Eve had purchased. He smelled deeper than that, a powdery and downy smell of youth.

Chuck breathed in Danny’s cologne, wondering first where he’d gotten it, but then questioning why she liked it so much. It had a spicy sweetness to it that lingered in her nose. Every kind and encouraging word he’d said resonated in her ears. Her fingers brushed the smooth skin of his forearm. “That’s how it feels.”

“Hmm?”

“Drinking in every sense of the person next you despite the fact that someone took a lighter between your legs-” She touched her forehead to his.

“Knowing that they’d do anything to make you see yourself in a different light-”

“Longing for him to kiss you-” Charlotte opened her eyes.

“Waiting for her smile-” Danny opened his.

“Running away with him,” Chuck announced.

“What?” Danny pulled back.

“You asked me to. Let’s run away, Danny. Away from Eve, away from here. Let’s leave.” She kissed him softly. “What do you say?” She whispered timidly.

“I say Eve would kick your a*s.” Lauren entered the room fresh from her shower. “But if you’re bailing, I want in. And I’m sure everyone else would too.”

The couple looked back and forth between themselves and Lauren.

Chuck sighed decisively, “I’m the one that can handle her, right? The witch?” A wry smile swept across her face. “So let’s get out of here.”

 

Author's Note

Thanks for reading!