Chapter 2: Laney: I Thought I Had Everything Under Control… Guess I Forgot That.

I frantically emptied the drawers of the molding, wood dresser into the puke green duffle bag I found in the closet. If I hurried, I could be long gone before he got back. I had been planning this escape from the sleazy motel where he kept me captive for weeks and tonight was finally the night to do it. He and the guards had gone into town for their weekly hunt, this left me with only two guards stationed outside the front door. No one would notice if I slip out the bathroom window, ran the few blocks down the road to the Chinese restaurant he would take me to as a reward, and hid in the dumpsters behind the restaurant for a few days. Just until they had given up searching the current area for me.

Inside me I felt a pitter, like the beating of butterfly wings, it reminded me that I wasn’t just trying to escape for me anymore. Baggy sweatshirts could only hide the secret for so long. We had to get out from under his thumb, before he destroyed the both of us.

I threw the last sweatshirt in the duffle bag and zipped it up. Quietly, I pressed my ear to the outside door, sure enough I heard both the guards chatting out there. Now was the time to escape. I ran to the bathroom, climbed up on the back of the toilet, and got one leg out the window before I heard him come in. Letting out a cuss under my breath I climbed back in the window, stowed the duffle bag behind the sink, flushed the toilet and walked back out into the bedroom. There he stood staring me down, blood still present in the corner of his lips from the recent hunt. The smell of sulfur and mold filled the room. Quietly suffocating me and my hopes for escape. My breath quickened as his heavy foot falls approached me. His well-manicured hand grabbed my shoulder and threw me to the bed as he entered the bathroom. I laid quietly on the stained floral bed spread, terrified of what might happen next.

“Well, well, well,” he sneered as he emerged from the bathroom dangling the duffle bag from his crooked finger. “What do we have here?” He started throwing the contents of the bag at me. “If I didn’t know better, I would say it looks like someone was running away. Aye Laney?” his long fingernails dug into my chin as he lifted my face to his. His hair freshly clean and combed like a business man, his piercing yellow eyes stared right through me. I began to tremble and felt myself tear up. If you approached him on the street you would never know what kind of blood-sucking creature he was. In fact, he has such a way with humans that no one ever questioned him. He calmly sat on the bed next to me and pulled my head into his lap.

“Oh my dear Angel, why must you try to run from me?” He begged, absent mindedly stroking my hair. “I’m trying to take good care of you, I bring you home designer clothing, the best food money can buy, yet you still reject me. If you would just let me have you willingly, I would bring you home to my house, no more sleazy motel, no more guards, and you could come and go as you please. Please Angel, please, from the first time I saw you I knew I had to have you. Let me have you.” He bent down to kiss me. I snapped my head up and jumped off the bed.

“Never,” I sneered. I moved quickly away from him and towards the door. It didn’t matter if I had clothing or not I couldn’t let myself fall under his charm. It didn’t matter what he said, I would never be free. It didn’t matter, nothing did, except protecting the small life growing inside me.

“You can’t run from me. You are mine!” he bellowed placing his hands on my shoulders and spinning me to face him. I jerked my head away, not wanting to look into those ice-cold eyes. He had pulled me so close to him; I could smell the blood on his breath from the last hunt, feel his heart racing from the excitement of the hunt, and I was absolutely terrified. This time he gently took my chin in his hand and turned my face towards him.

“You can run, and you can hide Angel, but you will never escape me and this life. It has its claws deep within you my dear. Face it, you’re better off staying,” he whispered softly in my ear. His moist breath, blowing in my ear. His voice, like nails on a chalkboard, sent shivers down my spine. I was trying so hard to not let him see how scared he had me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath; desperately searching my brain for any way to escape what I knew was coming next. He picked up a piece of my long blonde hair and brought it to his lips,

“Oh Angel, did you honestly think I would let you just slip away like that? You and I are the same, you belong here with me. You always have.” The tone of his voice made me snap. I slapped his hand away from me.

“I am nothing like you Lenox,” I snarled wrapping my arms around my stomach, trying to protect the small heart beating in there. I couldn’t let him win. He would destroy her if he knew she was inside me. 

“Too bad,” he snarled, “Where do you think you are going to go Laney?” he said grabbing my wrist. “You have no family, they think you’re dead. Where will you go? Everyone knows you belong to me” slowly he dragged me towards the bed. Tears streamed down my face, I knew what was going to happen next and I would never escape. “Please don’t�"“

“Laney! Laney! Wake up,” my ‘niece’ Mina shook me. I bolted up unexpectedly. I looked around franticly, taking in my surroundings. Finally, realizing where I was, I relaxed. I buried my face in my hands, so ashamed that I had let old memories get to me again. I thought I had moved past the terror. I looked up to see Aunt Tilly walking into the room. Seeing me shaking on the couch she rushed over.

“Child, did you have another nightmare about him again?” Aunt Tilly asked drawing me into a hug. “Oh Aunt Tilly,” I exclaimed burying my face into her shoulder, “I don’t know why I let him get to me like that! I’m just so afraid he’ll find us!”

“Hush, Child, Shhh,” Aunt Tilly reached up to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall. “He can’t hurt you unless you let him; you are so much stronger than you let yourself be,” she assured me, trying to help me relax. Aunt Tilly had kept us safe for the last sixteen years; she wouldn’t let anything bad happen to us. She had taken me in after she found me pregnant, alone, and terrified on the streets of Albany, putting her own life in danger, but she knew the secrets to hiding and taught Mina and me them well. She was right; as long as we followed her rules he could never get to us.

“I’m fine now Aunt Tilly,” I said standing up off the couch, “Now let’s get a move on we’ve got an order to get shipped.”

Instead of heading into the kitchen with Aunt Tilly and Mina, I went into the bathroom. I turned on the cold water, and stuck my head into the sink. “Get ahold of yourself Laney,” I said to myself as I splashed the cold water onto my face. I pulled my head up and looked in the mirror, standing next to me I saw his beautiful eyes, his perfect copper hair, and strong jaw. Lottie looks so much like him. I reached out to touch him, to hug him, to tell him how sorry I am, but only then did I realize it’s just my imagination. He’s not really here, how could he be? He thinks I’m dead.

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“So how do you think Lottie is adjusting to this school?” Mina asked as she placed the last bag of cookies into the box.

“As well as she has adjusted to any of the others I’m sure,” Aunt Tilly answered not even looking up as she tapped the box shut. It’s no secret that Lottie didn’t adjust well in new situations, it took months for her to open up and talk to people. She was too shy, just like I was at her age. Every school she attends we beg her to get involved with the music program. She has a beautiful voice, although she’ll never admit it. When she was a baby the only thing that would soothe her was classical music. In elementary school she begged me for violin lessons. After our third move in one year, I gave in. When she plays, she puts her heart out there. She makes the violin sing. And when she sings and plays together, you would think angles were singing.

That’s her gift, music. I wish she would join the orchestra or choir, just to give her the satisfaction of being able to perform for someone other than us. But that’s her problem, she has terrible stage fright, when she was twelve she took a step out of her comfort zone and decided to play in a recital at school. When it was her time to perform, she got up on stage, looked out at the audience, and ran off without playing one note. It was heartbreaking for me to watch and ever since then she even has a hard time playing in front of me.

“I wonder if anyone will recognize her…” Mina said looking nervous.

“No, that won’t happen this time. You and I double checked everyone there is no chance of her being recognized,” Aunt Tilly said cutting Mina short.

“Maybe we should tell her why we are always moving. What and who we are running from! She’d be completely helpless if someone confronted her!” Mina exclaimed. She has always been incredibly concerned about Lottie’s safety.

“No Mina!” Aunt Tilly said calmly setting down her work. “The only way to keep that child safe is to let her remain ignorant. Knowing about our old life would ruin her and compromise all of our safety. She’d never believe a word we said. She’s much too logical.” Mina sighed and sat back down, returning to her work, she knew there was no point in arguing with Aunt Tilly on this issue, when Aunt Tilly gave an order like that you didn’t ignore her. We continued the rest our work in silence. Each of us lost in our own world of thought. It was about eleven thirty when the phone rang.

“Hello,” Aunt Tilly answered. “This is she,” she replied to whatever the person on the other end had asked. Abruptly the color drained from her face. “We will be right there,” she said rushing to hang up the phone. She swept the keys off the counter and ran towards the door. “It’s Charlotte,” she said quickly. Mina and I didn’t wait for an explanation, we were already in motion. “There’s been some sort of an accident at the school,” Aunt Tilly finished. And with that we were speeding towards the school. In my mind, I went through all the possibilities of what could have gone wrong. When we got to school the scene was worse than I could have ever imagined. I thought I had everything checked out and under control for Charlotte to attend this school. When the EMT explained what happened I was baffled. I guess I hadn’t thought of that one…