Ysbryd Iawn o Ryfeddod

Part X

he unplugged the frier, and guided her by the elbow to the door.

what was happening to my mom? he would blame her. he would beat her.

she felt horror clinching her stomach and her throat like she had asthma.

she climbed into the car only vaguely aware of Alaric holding the passenger door open for her. a thought dropped into her mind more terrifying than any proverbial stone she had ever heard of. there was a part of her that was glad he was beating her mom. it horrified, terrifed her. most of her heart was crashing in her chest, her limbs and skin aching as she imagined what her mom must be feeling. but part of it, a few might label it the right atrium, thought she was getting what she deserved. what she had wanted to do herself. her mother had never stopped him. never tried to. not once. her teeth ground together in anger. how could she think that? how could she wish death on anyone? she was a good person.

“Lovey, can i have the keys?”

her eyelids fluttered.

“huh?”

Alaric smiled at her. he was sitting in the drivers seat, looking like a model in a bmw commericial.

“i need the keys,” he repeated.

“oh, yeah” she dug around in her purse, and got them out and handed them to him. she thought nothing of it. she just looked out the window, feeling a headache starting at the back of her neck, in her brain stem, as a few might label it.

“what are we going to do once we get there? i don’t really think you want to get involved in this,” she asked. she grimaced. she wouldn’t if she were him.

he kept his eyes on the road. she wouldn’t believe him if he told her about his dreams. without them he might never have noticed her, but now that he had, the thought of living without her tormented him. how cliche. life could change in a moment: beauty or misery could drop from heaven like a dime.

he must meet this Spirit.

“when we get there you’ll tell me what you need out of the house, and i’ll go in and get it for you.”

“what?!” she couldn’t believe he or anyone would do that for her.

they were at a stop sign.

“which way?” he asked.

“um,” she glanced out the windshield. “right”

“if you go in there he’ll kill you,” she started.

“and what would he do to you?” he asked.

she looked out the window. he might kill her.

“and no, he won’t hurt me” Alaric replied, calmly.

“look, i know my father. he’ll flip out,” she cried.

he was still calm as ice.

“open the glove compartment,” he said.

Lovey did. a gun was nestled in some mcdonald’s napkins on top of a few old cds. her heart stopped altogether.

“don’t worry,” he said. “i wouldn’t use it of course, but it’ll keep him from coming after me.” not that the old man wouldn’t deserve it, passed through both their minds. as it would anyones.

she closed the compartment, and looked out the window. the sun was just over the trees, and reflected like the glory on the steel pieces of the houses. God I need You today. if You don’t come today You never will. I will hate You forever if You don’t come today.

she must meet this Spirit.