A New Precious

Chapter 21

Soon after, Aaliyah returned, covered in red and blue paint.

"Oh, my goodness!" I gasped, shocked. "What happened to you, Precious?!"

"Welp, the good news is, I got the mess cleaned up," Aaliyah began. "The bad news... one of your tormentors drove by, and threw eggs and paintballs and garbage out his car window. Unfortunately, I got covered... and so did your house."

"Máiréad pursed her lips tight, and her face scrunched up as her heart sunk.

"It's gonna be okay, Honey," Aaliyah said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We're not gonna let 'em get away with this. I got some of it on video, including the guy's license plate. With your permission, your neighbor, Chris, is gonna set up cameras to catch all of them in the act, and if you still have the messages they sent you on social media, I need you to screenshot them. We're gonna turn all the evidence into the police."

Máiréad trembled. "I... I can't look at those messages again."

"I understand. Would you be okay giving your phone to me, so I can get the screenshots for you?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah, that would be good."

"Okay." Aaliyah pulled Máiréad into a tight embrace. "It's gonna be okay. We're gonna get through this together. You never have to be alone again, and we're gonna put a stop to this."

"Thanks," Máiréad whispered.

"Now, hand me your phone, so I can get the screenshots."

Máiréad did as she was asked. Then, she stood up. "I'm gonna go get a shower."

"Okay, Sweetie."

She hurried off to her bathroom to shower and clean up.

Meanwhile, I helpsed Aaliyah sift through all the messages from Dexter's friends and family. So horrified we both were to read the awful things said to her.

"Oh, goodness," I wept. "So hateful. How could anyone even thinks to say anything like this to her?"

"I don't know," Aaliyah said sadly. "Some people are just so evil that they don't even care what damage they do. They enjoy it."

"Because, it makes them feel better about themselves."

Aaliyah nodded.

The messages consisted of deep-cutting insults and criticisms, vulgar language, demoralizing demands for her sucide, and bone-chilling death threats. The words were so devastating to me. I could feel her ocean of pain as the heart wrenching image of her reading them popped into my head. Oh, poor thing. My heart was shattered as I burst into a fit of uncontrollable sobbing.

Aaliyah locked me in a tight embrace, and rested my head against her body, allowing me to sob into her chest. "I know," she sniffled. "It's awful."

"My poor little flower!" I sobbed.

"Awww, you really care about her, don't you?"

"So, so, so very, very, very much, more than I've ever cared for the Precious, so much more!"

Aaliyah looked deep into my eyes. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

"Yes," I gasped amongst my heavy sobbing, which only escalated with my confession of my true feelings.

She held me tighter. "It's gonna be okay, Sméagol. We're gonna help her. These people won't hurt her anymore, not with us in her corner. Chris and I are gonna gather up all the evidence, and we're gonna turn it over to the police. You just stay by her side."

"Sméagol protects her," I said, calming my sobs. "Sméagol protects her at all costs."

"I know you will. Sméagol, you're exactly what she needs."

"Sméagol needs her, too."

Aaliyah smiled at me through her tears. "I know."

So, Aaliyah finished sifting and screenshotting all the messages, and transferred them onto a thumb drive. Máiréad gave the okay for Chris to set up the cameras, and Aaliyah snapped photos of the mess.