Corrupted (EXCERPT)

5, V

Raven was sitting on the bench in the zen garden outside the restaurant when Jae came up to her, settling down next to her.

"It's fine if you don't want to go back in there," Jae said, watching her stiff stance. "We can get food somewhere else, you know."

"I know."

Silence.

Raven took a deep breath, letting it out and hoping it wouldn't cause a shutter. "Jae...."

She looked to her. "Yeah?"

"You were in there for a while..." Raven said. "And I saw you talking to him through the window... what were you talking about?"

"I was questioning him," she said, "per usual."

"What was his answer?"

She rolled her eyes. "Bluff, bluff, vague, vague, annoying."

Raven chuckled. "Sounds like him."

"Yep...."

She watched her friend's stance for a moment.

"Raven," she said after a couple seconds, "you were fine last night... and this morning... After the shower... you seemed kind of tense."

She sighed, shuffling her phone out of her pocket and unlocking it before handing it to Jae. "Read the most recent text."

"From the unknown number?"

A nod.

"Alright."

Her eyes darted around the screen for a minute as she scrolled.

They darkened in fear when she read the last text he sent. "Okaaay... that got dark fast."

"I know... do you think he'd actually be able to kill the police...?"

Jaelyn thought for a moment. "No... not if there's a lot, but... that was a threat, you know."

A nod. "I know. That's why I was afraid to tell you this morning."

"You're afraid to call the police now, huh?"

"I don't want anymore people to die, Jae. And I don't know how well he's trained...."

"He threatened you because he doesn't want you to call the police," she said. "I know you're scared, but I think we should call them, Raven. Especially knowing the whole incident with your parents."

"Do you think he was involved?" she said, looking to her. "Is that why you were questioning him?"

A nod.

Raven dragged a hand down her face.

"Hey..." Jae said then, "I was wondering...."

She looked to her. "Huh?"

"When you were at his house... did he do anything to hurt you?"

Raven looked to the rocks on the ground. "Not really...."

"That was a vague answer," she commented.

"He... gave me meds...."

"He DRUGGED you?"

"No!" She shook her head almost violently. "No... I thought he was trying to... It was some kind of clear liquid. He said it was pain killers, but I didn't trust him... so he showed me it wasn't drugged by drinking it first."

He did it in a more... intimate way, but she didn't mention it.

"And... I let him give it to me... and after that, it seemed kind of blurry...."