River, Sun, Freedom

Chapter 24: Running

Chapter 24: Running 

Jodi’s grandmother had always been a great believer in fate. She believed everything, no matter how small o large an event, was there to serve a greater purpose. Jodi had always been skeptical of this theory, but now enough had occurred already to make her question her skepticism. 

The accidental meeting of Nate, Alice and Richard in the woods had been the beginning of events that had shaped her life for the past two years; such profound events that it was difficult to imagine that they might not have happened had Jodi flown the motorbike even half a kilometre on either side of where she had. Grandmother would have claimed it was fate that had guided her steering then.

Not just event, but her grandmother believed that event the people she had met and mere yet to meet was all part of a greater plan. Perhaps Jodi was right to be skeptical, or perhaps her grandmother was more right than Jodi would ever comprehend. 

For mere days after Laurie had told her story to Jodi in the back of a truck heading to Melbourne, here was the person Laurie had spoken of. The impossibility sent her head reeling. 

“but you –”she swallowed. “but you’re supposed to be dead!”

Aaron blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Laurie!” Jodi stood up, “Laurie killed you! You were a vampyre, how can you be here?”

Aaron reached over and grabbed her wrist to stop her backing away. “you know Laurie?”

Jodi gulped and nodded. “But she told me you were dead. You killed you children.”

Aaron eyes grew wide and a choking sound was released from his throat. He let go of her wrist and fell back, the heel of his palms were pressed into his eyes.   

“no.” He moaned.

Jodi watched him for a long moment, unable to make sense of what was happening.

Finally he let out a loud sniff. “I always knew it was a possibility. In fact I knew deep down they must’ve died. But hearing it...”

He shook his head and looked at Jodi. “I wasn’t there, remember? That day I was with Jonas. I’d left the kids in the care of my brother.”

Jodi’s eyes widened in comprehension; he must’ve been the vampyre Laurie had killed. “was your brother wearing your leather jacket?”

Aaron shrugged. “don’t remember. It was too long ago. But he liked that jacket. It’s possible he could have put it on.” He sighed. “so he’s dead too, huh? All dead ... except Laurie.” He spoke to Jodi with a heart-wrenching yearning in his voice. “where’s my wife?”

Jodi’s mind started working again at his words. “I don’t know. She’s with the others, remember?”

Aaron stood up abruptly. “my wife’s back from the dead. God can’t keep her away from me now.”

Aaron began walking towards the wall behind him. Carefully he began opening one  the cupboards under the counter that was bolted into the wall.

“what’re you doing?” Jodi watched as he pulled out glass instruments out of the cupboard and placed them quickly but carefully on the floor beside him.

“escaping.” He replied.

Jodi watched him pull out the inner shelf of the cupboard and position himself in a crouch as he placed his right leg in the interior of the empty space he had made. To her it looked as though he was going to climb into the hollowed out cupboard. 

“I don’t think you understand the concept of escaping” Jodi said to him.

“what do you mean?”