Red Riding Hood

Chapter Twenty-Three: "Take Me Away"

Staggering up to his feet, Jack checked on Mark. Mark practically dived under the bed and Jack glanced around for anything that Mark left behind. His mind couldn't focus, and his heart was making it hard for him to breathe. His dad knocked loudly, calling out a bit louder. "Jack?!" Stumbling toward the door, Jack answered shakily. "Ya! Just a minute!" Reaching the door, he touched his burning cheeks and tried to calm himself down. Unlatching the door, Jack opened it. His parents looked him over with their eyes with slight suspicion. Closing the door, his dad asked him curiously. "What were you doing?" Jack gestured to the kitchen, answering as honestly as he could. "Eating. I thought you weren't coming home until late..." His dad rolled his eyes, chuckling out. "What are you talking about? It is late." Jack averted his face and blushed a little. Time really did fly when he was having fun. From the kitchen his mom suddenly asked him with concern. "Jack...? Did you have someone over? Why are there two place settings?" Jack hesitated to answer as they turned to look at him, pressuring him to mumble out. "I was... Talking to myself. Trying to take dad's advice about thinking everything over." His mom stared at him for a long moment but asked lightly. "You do that often?"

Feeling a bit defensive now, he crossed his arms over his chest and blurted out in a heartbroken tone. "Only recently. It helps me think." His dad chuckled, wandering through the living room as he said aloud. "In my day, we just used mirrors." His mom waved it off, then pointed to the dishes as she told Jack seriously. "We'll clean up after yourself. Your father and I would like to eat." Rushing over to the small table, Jack quickly cleaned up the dishes that Mark and himself had used. Setting them in the sink, he set the table for his parents. Pouring them bowls of soup and cutting slices of bread for them, he asked a bit reluctantly. "So...? How did it go?" His mom took a seat, excitedly recalling. "Wonderful! You know, for once I think things are looking up for us. Such a lovely family and you should see their house!" His dad stoked the fire, then asked Jack a bit perplexed. "Did you clean this?" Jack stiffened, mumbling out nervously. "Yes. Why?" Crossing his arms, his dad asked him suspiciously. "Alright. What do you want?" Jack shrugged innocently, prompting his dad to state out. "Don't pull that bullshit with me. You only ever clean shite when you want something. What is it?"

Jack moved away from the table, saying a bit uneasily. "Nothing. I just felt like... trying to help. I mean, I was missing for a bit, and I missed some chores so... I just felt bad." His dad walked up beside him, telling him a bit discreetly. "If you did this to try and talk us out of this wedding arrangement. It's not happening. Do you understand?" Jack nodded grimly. His dad patting his back, before joining his wife at the dinner table. Jack started to go to the ladder, when his asked him. "Jack...? Did you do something to the soup? It tastes... different." Jack gave her a small smile, answering openly. "Ya. Put in a different herb." Gesturing upstairs, he told them grimly. "I'm going to lay down. It's late." Jack only got half-way up the ladder, when his mom called out to him. "Oh! Before I forget! Jack, tomorrow. I want you to spend some time with Charlotte. Maybe make her something. We want to keep her happy." As broken as his heart felt, he nodded and finished climbing up. Reaching the top, he moved to grab the curtain to divide his room from the rest of the house. He normally only closed it to change, but today he just wanted to block out the light from downstairs.

Hooking the curtain closed, his listened to his mother whisper to his dad. "I don't understand. Why isn't he happy? Did you say something to him?" His dad whispered back just as concerned. "I've done nothing. I just don't know what's wrong with him. He's been acting so strange lately. I'm worried he has an unhealthy attachment to my mother..." His mom chuckled, whispering back hopefully. "Let's hope that Charlotte can fix that." Putting his head to the curtain, Jack tried to block out their words. He didn't want to feel like a disappointment but nothing about himself made sense. He sighed heavily, trying to fight off the tears that wanted to fall. Composing himself, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it off himself. Tossing it to the floor, he kicked off his boots and started to unlace his pants, until warm hands touched his shoulders. Jumping, Jack jerked his hands up to cover his chest as he looked over his shoulder. Mark stood so close, staring at him with such deep gentle eyes in the starlight that streamed in from his window. Turning around to face him, Mark brought his forehead to his and asked in a low whisper. "Are you ok?" Jack nodded shakily, but then started to shake his head as he bowed it to look at the floor between them.