Her Dark Desire (In the Process of Being Edited)

4: Zeke

I dialed the number again. Why wasn't she answering? I looked at the old clock that hung on my wall. It was two in the morning. I screamed in frustration at the recorded message. I didn't want to talk to the damn machine. I wanted to hear her voice. I needed to make sure she was alright. I dialed again, it rang for several seconds before I heard that irritating message.

She always answered my calls, no matter how late it was. Even when she was busy. I don't know why I was so worried, Paisley could handle herself. Yet there was something nagging at me. Damn that girl, I thought. Making me worry so much. I looked out the window, the rain was really coming down. Lightening flashed as I closed my curtains. I paced the room, careful not to bump into any of the clutter that littered my floor.

I sat on my bed with a sigh. The bed groaned under my weight. Why couldn't she be normal? Did she really need to go running this late? That was an hour and a half ago. She said she'd call me back when she got in the house. I glanced down at the phone in my hand. I willed it to ring. It sat there silently, disobeying my thoughts.

"Fuck," I yelled, throwing my phone across the bed. Where was she?

I turned the television back on. They were still playing the same story. The body of a girl had been found in the woods. Some freak had dug her eyes out and left her body to rot. I knew that girl. She sat beside me in chemistry class. The world is filled with too many psychos. I shook my head. Paisley had to be okay. She just had to be. Breaking news alert flashed on the screen, causing me to look up.

This couldn't be happening. The house they showed was Trudy's. God, not her too. The reporter confirmed my worse fears. Trudy was dead. They didn't go into details, saying the death was still under investigation. My vision became blurry and I blinked away the tears. This was crazy. I decided then, I had to make sure Paisley was okay. I grabbed a hoodie from my closet and put on my shoes. If something happened to Paisley, it would kill me.

I grabbed my car keys and my cell. I pulled my hood up and walked out of my room. I closed the door behind me. I spared a glance at my parents bedroom. Hopefully, when they woke up they wouldn't be too angry at me for sneaking out. I had a good reason. I tiptoed down the steps, praying I wasn't making too much noise as each step I went down creaked. I hope Paisley appreciates what I'm doing for her. I deactivated the alarm then reactivating it before I opened the front door.

Locking the door, I descended the steps of the front porch. I had only taken a few steps and I was soaked. The wind howled, this was turning out to be a severe storm. I ran the rest of the way to my car. I quickly open the door and hopped in, starting the car. I sped the entire way, every second felt like an eternity.

*****

"Please be okay," I whispered, looking up at the tree that stood before me. I could tell that the light was on in Paisley's room, so she had to be home. Why didn't she answer? I climbed a tree as silently as I could. The window to the room was opened. I had to catch hold of the tree to steady myself. A tear escaped and fell from my eyes, trailing down my cheek. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

There on the floor lay an unconscious Paisley. More tears began to fall. I opened the window high enough to let me in. I walked over to the body and dropped to my knees with a thud. She was covered in blood, her body an unmoving heap at the foot of the mirror.I began to sob uncontrollably, praying to a god I no longer believed in. I needed Paisley to be okay. I put shaky fingers to her neck.

"Thank god," I said as my fingers found a steady pulse. I caressed the side of her face, hoping it would wake her. I looked around the room and noticed the huge antique mirror that hovered above us was uncovered. Paisley would never leave it that way.

I stood up and walked towards the mirror. I stood up and searched for the covering that normally hid it from view. It had fallen behind the mirror somehow. I reach down and pulled the black silky cloth up and put it back over the mirror.

I turned around and looked at Paisley. What happened here? I sighed, wiping away my tears. I walked back over and picked her still body up from the floor and hugged it to me. I held Paisley close as I carried her to the bed, laying her down gently.

I stepped into her bathroom and wet a washcloth. The mirror here was still covered. Paisley was such a weird girl. I should be used to all her little quirks by now, but I still wonder how any girl could go about her day without looking in the mirror at least once. I walked back out and sat beside her on the bed.

I began the task of wiping the blood away. Strangely enough there was no wound that I could see. Just bruises. They covered her neck and shaped a large hand. I wondered how they got there. Blood even covered her clothes. Where had it all came from? I debated on whether or not I should remove the soiled garments. I gave up and went to the dresser and pulled out a nightgown. I undressed Paisley, tossing the dirty clothes in the trash and put on the black nightshirt.

I started to undress, but a sudden thought kept me from pulling the sweatshirt over my head. My eyes dart from the bed where Paisley is, to the trash can, filled with her bloody clothes. What to do? I'm caught between waking Paisley and demanding to know why her clothes are bloody and thinking I should get rid of them.

I want to scream out my frustration. "What in the world happened tonight," I whispered to the silent room. I walked over to the trash and grabbed the things. I steal one more glance at Paisley before pulling my hood up and leaving through the window.

The rain had now become a light drizzle as I walk to my car and unlock the trunk. I remove a small bag. Shutting the trunk, I started jogging down the street. I just need one more prayer answered from whatever god answered me before. Don't let me get caught doing what I'm about to do.

I veered to the left and entered the woods behind Paisley's house. I find a spot far enough away that I hope no one will be able to see the fire from their windows. I search for anything that can be used as tinder. Branches, leaves, even some idiot's trash would work. I just need something sort of dry to work with. I continue until I find the remains of a fire pit. I don't question why it's there. I just send up a silent thank you to whoever is looking out for me up there.

I tossed the clothes down into the makeshift pit. Next came the few dry twigs I found laying around. I unzipped the bag clutch tightly in my hand, pulling out lighter fluid and a lighter. I crouched down to get closer to the hole and squeezed the bottle until a steady stream of liquid began to pour out. I cursed the rain as my first two attempts to start the fire fail.

"Work, work," I mumbled to myself as I flicked the lighter once more with shaky fingers. I struggled to contain the satisfaction bubbling up inside me when the flame catches. I stared entranced as the flames danced hypnotically over the clothes. I stayed there, watching until I was sure no trace of clothing was left. I put the fire out before making my way back to the sleeping Paisley.

"You owe me big time," I whispered, turning off the light. I removed my hoodie and shoes and crawled into bed next to Paisley, covering us with the bedspread. Exhaustion washed over me and soon I was sleeping soundly.