Secret Within {ON HOLD}

Prologue

– Mort Rainey –

The snow bullets itself at my car's windshield in its feathery cold wisps, the windshield wipers helplessly swiping at the sky's shower of endless, frigid dust.

Turn around.

I glare out of the windshield at the familiar car resting next to an unfamiliar one, both parked outside of a motel room.

My windshield wipers squeak against the glass, the snow continuing its gusty downfall. I blink, my hard gaze softening a little in sorrow, bringing my focus to my steering wheel.

Turn around.

I make an annoyed face and put on my glasses, sliding a hand onto the wheel. I glare out of the windshield before me once again, stroking my thumb across the leather of the wheel.

Turn the car around and get the hell out of here.

I turn my key in the ignition. The engine roars to life, settling down to a guttural growl. I open my mouth, exhaling an exhausted sigh.

Right now.

I shift the gears into reverse, turn around and back the car up aggressively, speeding out of the lot. I turn the wheel, slamming my foot on the gas pedal. I begin to drive out of the parking lot, listening to the voice in my head. It's a wise one, and I must follow it...

Damnit all to hell! I scold myself, bringing the car over to the left side of the road angrily and stopping, slumping against the carseat in defeat. My heavy breathing huffs through the air as I regain control of my temper.

Don't go back.

I shift into drive, ready to gun it out of here like the voice in my head warns me to.

But an intense, overpowering urge comes over me.

Do not go back there.

I shift into reverse once more, backing up to the motel's entrance in a very hasty manner.

I get out of my car, leaving the door wide open, and stride into the motel lobby, the entrance door squeaking with the force. I make no hesitation as I speed behind the counter and grab the room key off the rack.

As I hurry back out into the blizzard, I catch the reflection of the motel manager slipping on his bathrobe in the window. He notices my borrowing of the key, and calls out to me, "Hey."

I get into my car, and hear him shout to me again, "Hey!"

I slam my door shut, ignoring him, and drive further back to the motel room with the two familiar and unfamiliar cars. My tires skid pleadingly as I lurch across the slick parking lot.

Upon stopping abruptly right outside the motel room, I shut off my car's engine, and hop out, not bothering to shut the door again.

I waste no time in unlocking the motel room door, swinging the door open.

There she was, lying in bed peacefully asleep.

With another man.

I knew it.

They awaken at the sudden gust of cold wind and at the sight of me, sitting up and cowering in fear, pulling the sheets up to hide their naked shame.

My head pounds with the increasing lividness.

I stagger toward them, looking between her and the man, both of them clearly stripped to the flesh. I raise my hands to my head in shock, hurt, and rage.

I holler at her in a wordless scream, infuriated and scarred with her betrayal. The man points a finger at me, spit flying from his mouth as he defends for them, his words nothing but an echo in the back of my mind.

I grab my head, clutching my hair, and walk away from them, my breathing shaky. A riveting urge floods through me to remove them from my life.

The motel manager rushes into the room, and demands, "What the hell is going on in here?"

I shake my head and storm out of the motel room, throwing the key onto the floor. I rush into my car, slamming the door shut, and drive the hell out of there.

Their secret is out.

– Mary Delaney –

I awaken to the skidding of tires on slick concrete, assuming it was some teens being reckless.

It was when the hollering from the motel room next door voices itself into the night air, that brings me to full awareness. I get up and look out of the window, seeing a dark jade-colored jeep race out of the lot.

I wrap myself in my fleece bathrobe and step out into the blizzard, my unleashed curiosity taking the best of me. I see the motel manager walk out upon shutting the door to the neighboring room, and jog up to him.

"What happened? What's going on?" I ask him, brushing my messy, tangled golden hair out of my eyes. The manager raises his brows in a tired expression and looks at me.

"This man walked in on his wife... he caught her with another man," he explains to me sorrowfully, returning to the motel lobby building without another word.

I stand there for a moment, feeling bad for the man who's been cheated on. A shudder shivers down my spine in response to the chilly snowfall.

I take a quick stride back to my motel room, hoping that I will be able to return to my slumber without a minute wasted.