Prologue

Between Lovers

Prologue

© Lizzie 2003-present

 

            “I was away at summer camp when it first happened. I was twelve years old and too afraid to tell anyone…” Alexandria said as she sat in her therapist’s office.

            “What made this time different?” the lady asked as she scribbled something down on her pad of paper.

            “My father sent my little sister away to camp earlier this year. In one of the letters she sent me she said that Oscar, the counselor who raped me, was still there and tried to do the same thing to her.”

            Her therapist looked up, “How did that make you feel?”

Alexandria shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. I hated myself for being too busy to take her for the summer and most of all I hated my father for sending her to that same camp.”

            “Alexandria, we’ve talked about this before, you can’t always be there for you sister. You aren’t her mother and if your father wants to send her to camp, then there’s nothing that you can do about it.”

            “But, Theca, what if the same thing that happened to me, happened to her?” Alexandria questioned, “I wouldn’t be able to ever forgive myself for not protecting her from that.”

“The what ifs are what kill us.” Theca said. “How have your nightmare about your mother’s passing been?”

“I haven’t had them too much anymore.” Alexandria said, “The thoughts are still there though.”

“Tell me about these thoughts.”

“Well, when I was with my last boyfriend, we were really serious. We talked about getting married and starting a family. Then the nightmares came again. I was back in the hospital sitting next to my mother’s bed. I can remember everything so vividly.” Alexandria said closing her eyes, “The smells, sounds and everything. I didn’t want to relive those days anymore.”

“Did you tell your boyfriend?” Theca asked

“Yes and he said that I was being childish with my fears and that I needed to suck it up and move on.”

“What happened after that?”

“I called him an a*****e and told him to get out of my apartment.” Alexandria said shrugging her shoulders, “The last time I saw him was fifteen months ago.”

“He hasn’t tried to contact you or your family?”

Alexandria shook her head; “He’s never met my ‘family’. I didn’t want him to. I let Shia meet him once and that was at Easter a couple years ago.”

“Have you let any other men into your life?” Theca asked

“I don’t want to. It’s the only way to keep from getting hurt again.”

+*+

It was the first week of December and the weather was unseasonably warm for New York. There were hints of snow clouds in the sky but if it were to snow, it wouldn’t last long. The weather forecaster said that it was going to be in the mid fifties and in order for it to snow, it had to be thirty or colder. It snowed in the days leading up to Thanksgiving and shortly there after, but there was a sudden rush of warm air and the snow quickly melted away. It had been that way ever since.

Alexandria sat in her red 1969 Chevy, which was parked in front of her father’s house. It had been close to three years since she’d seen him and she didn’t know why she even drove down from upstate New York. On second thought, she did know why she made the drive. Shia. Her thirteen-year-old sister called and asked her to move back.

She sighed, turned off the engine and got out of the car. She pulled her jacket out of the car and put it on. She made sure all the doors were locked before she made her way up the long walkway and knocked on the door.

On the third knock someone opened the door, “Miss. Lexi…what a nice surprise to see you here.” the person said.

Alexandria smiled, “It hasn’t been that long Noel.” Alexandria hugged the woman before her, “Is my sister here?”

Noel hugged Alexandria back and pointed in the direction of her old room, “She’s been in there for the last three days. She won’t come out and won’t let anyone in.”

Alexandria nodded her head, “Thanks.” she took her jacket off placing it on the side chair and walked to her old bedroom. Once she got there she knock on the door.

“I said go away Noel!” the voice inside said

“Fine, then I’ll just drive three hours back to my apartment in Upstate New York and won’t come back…”

Alexandria heard feet running across the wooden floor and shortly after the door flew open and there were two arms instantly around her neck, “Lex! I’m so glad you came!”

“Why wouldn’t I come?” Alexandria asked as she hugged her sister, “You called me crying and I was worried.”

Shia sighed and released her sister, “I’m sorry I made you worry like that.”

“It’s okay, I was due for a visit anyway.” Alexandria said looking around, “Looks like you’ve made yourself right at home in my room.”

“I can move back to my room if you want.” Shia said sitting in the beanbag chair by the closet

“Don’t worry about it. Tomorrow I’m going apartment hunting. I don’t think I’d be able to move back in here with dad still around.”

“He wants to fire everyone and take me away with him…” Shia blurted out, “That’s why I called you when I was crying. I didn’t have anyone else to call.”

“Babes, I told you to call whenever anything came up” she patted the spot next to her, Shia got up, walked to the bed and sat down, “Now tell me about daddy moving away.”

“He said in a couple months he was going to pack up and move out of the country and that I was going to go with him since I wasn’t old enough to live on my own.” Shia began, “I said that I would run away to Chicago or to you before I left anywhere with him. He got mad and said that I was just like you and Andy. Always running away from everything that challenged me.”

Alexandria heard a door open and close and she looked into the hallway, “Is he home now?” she asked

“Probably. I haven’t seen him for a while.”

“Did you tell him I was coming?”

“I’d never do that. He said that you weren’t allowed back here and that anyone how let you in the house would be kicked out.”

Alexandria sighed as she heard the front door open and close again followed by a loud booming voice, “Where is she?! I saw her car parked in the front!”

Shia jumped off the bed and quickly closed the door locking it behind her, “Why didn’t you park on the side?”

Alexandria shrugged her shoulders, “I didn’t feel like it. He can kick me out if he wants, but I can kick him out as well. Mom left the house to me in her will and Nana would rather have me live here than dad.”

“Where is she Noel?!” the loud voice demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about sir.”

“My daughter! Alexandria! Where is she? I saw her car out front.”

“Sir, Alexandria’s not here.” Noel said

Alexandria got up, walked to the door, unlocked and opened it. “I’m right here Erik!”

The man turned around and glared at her, “What are you doing here?”

“This is as much my house as it is you house.”

“I pay the bills on this house and I don’t care what your mother’s will said. You aren’t welcome here.”

Alexandria took a step closer to her father, “Try and kick me out and you’ll be out quicker than you can ever imagine.” Erik went to say something but turned and walked out of the house.

“Do you think that it was wise of you to do that?” Noel asked as she heard the tires from his car screech out the driveway.

“Someone had to do it Elle. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him sell my mother’s house. I grew up here, mom grew up here and so did Shia and Brandy.” Alexandria said as she walked up the stairs and turned around, “Has dinner been made or did I miss it?”

“We were going to order take out, but if you want something cooked, I can see what we have.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, “Order take out and I’ll eat that.” she continued up the stairs, “I’ll be in my mother’s room. Call me when it comes.” Alexandria continued up to the room her mother once used.

She slowly turned the doorknob and walked in. Everything was still as she left it twelve years before. The bed neatly made with her sewing basket sitting on the chair. There was a blanket folded across the foot of the bed; Alexandria lightly ran her fingers along it remembering the day that she gave it to her mother.

Reviews

[Nazarea]

Interesting. I'm not sure where its going, but I like it. The scene with the father could be fleshed out more for dramatic effect. And the naming of characters we haven't yet met (Andy and Brandy) was a bit confusing. Overall, wonderful and I'm sure it'll play out. Good work.
Nazarea

[Jamie Fantasy]

I really like the way this is starting! The use of a therapist is a brilliant idea. People are much more open with their psychologists than anyone else so that will give us a lot of insight into the character.

The dialogue could use a little work. It wasn't as realistic as it could be. For examplte, the split infinitives. No one really splits those when they're speaking. Also, there were a few misspellings.

"The weather forecaster said that it was going to be in the mid fifties and in order for it to snow, it had to be thirty or colder." I would take out the second part of this sentence. People know that it has to be 32 degrees or less to snow so you don't have to tell the readers that.

You're already setting the tone for the story and getting into the plot, which is great! I'm looking forward to reading more. :)