“Feel better?” she asks knowingly.
“So much. Thank you.” I tell her as I try to wipe the lipstick off her face with my thumb.
“Is the bonfire still on for Friday night?”
“Yeah, Dad’s going into Denver for a week or so to promote his book.”
“Ben and Katelyn are driving from Colorado Springs and wanted to make sure there was room to stay and Danny and Tess are coming with them.”
“We’ll have plenty of room.”
“Good! Can’t wait. I have to get back home. I’ll see you Friday!” She smacks my lips with hers and skips off to her brand new shiny Audi that her daddy bought her.
I lay there for a few minutes, my mind wandering back to Amy, until I realize my pants are still hanging around my ankles.
CHAPTER 5
Amy
My mother is getting worse. She refuses to take her medicine. I realize now, that she hasn’t been taking it consistently for years. She insists that she is fine without it. Only, I know this is not true.
I haven’t been back to the elm in days. I’m feeling claustrophobic and edgy. I miss seeing Dillon. My mother and I have been cleaning, nonstop. I have been on my knees scrubbing floors, walls, countertops and every other surface in the house. Everything is dirty, my mother says. She has dragged me into the shower at least five times to get the dirt off of me. She’s been peering out the windows and mumbling. She cries. She paces. She doesn’t sleep.
We’re putting clean sheets on her bed, which have been washed for the third time, when we both startle to the pounding on the door.
“Allison baby! Come open up!”
My heart beats uncontrollably as I look at my mother. It’s the skinny man in the suit again. I can’t hide in the pantry. He’ll see me through the windows. She pushes me into the closet and backs away from me slowly.
“Stay,” she whispers.
My body breaks out into a cold sweat. I huddle in the corner of the dark closet, wrapping my arms around my legs trying to stop from shaking.
“Allison!” he screams.
She hurries towards the front door and I hear his steel-toed boots tap across the tiles.
“You look like shit. How am I supposed to fuck you when you look like that? Huh?”
I hear a loud slap and my mother’s whimper and then I hear movement coming towards the bedroom. I see their feet come into view from the small opening at the bottom of the closet door. He drags her to the bed and bends her over, he kicks my mother’s bare feet apart and steps in between them while still wearing his steel toed-boots. I squeeze my eyes closed and push my hands over my ears as hard as I can so I can’t hear my mother’s cries. Tears are streaming down my face and I’m trying so hard not to make any noises. After several minutes, I lift my hands off of my ears and slowly open my eyes.
“Where is she?” I hear him demand an answer and can see that their feet are now facing each other. “Where is Amy?”
“She’s not here!” she screams. “Please leave her alone!”
“Well see, here’s the thing. I have some news! The old man croaked. Yeah, his heart couldn’t take it anymore. The stress. The secrets. You know what this means, right? No more boxes. No more protection from the old man. He can’t stop me from seeing her anymore and neither will you. I’m the big man in town now, sweetheart. I’m the top dog in the firm, so you need to listen to me and do as I say from now on. I have to make sure you crazy bitches continue to keep your fucking mouths shut. So here is what is going to happen. I will provide you with what you need as I see fit. Think of it as a reward system. You do me a favor and I do you a favor. See how that’s going to work? If you don’t, well, maybe Amy will. So, where is she?”
“She’s out in the woods. She goes there to read,” my mother tells him calmly.
“Don’t you dare lie to me crazy bitch!”
Another slap, loud enough to make my body jump. I bury my face between my knees to control my breathing.
“Amy!” he yells.
I squeeze myself in my arms and hold my breath.
“Listen good Allison. I’ll be back. You fucking say a word, and I’ll make you watch. Understood?” I just hear my mother’s heavy breathing and then I hear his heavy footsteps. I listen for the slam of the door and his engine roar as he drives away.
I gasp for air. I can’t move. My body is frozen with fear. The closet door opens and my mother’s battered face stares down at me.
“We’re going to be okay Amy,” she whispers.
My mother is eerily calm. I’ve never been so scared in my life. She bends down as I continue to sit on the closet floor. She wipes the tears off my face and smiles at me.