Winter Wakes

The view was just as I recalled it, yet somehow, completely different. There was still snow, clinging to everything; the only exception being the sidewalks, long since cleared. The temperatures though had yet to pass into a high enough temperature to thaw the rest of the frozen water. The twilight glow that covered the campus left it with a far less pleasant flavor; a tangerine sky basking everything in an uncomfortable, awkward tint. It almost looked like the glow of an oncoming, inescapable fire; a seemingly accurate metaphor for my situation. Just like the evening sky somehow managed to mimic my emotions.

My fingers pressed lightly against the frigid glass, wondering if this indeed would be one of the last things I would ever see. At least it was pretty to an extent, chaotic and tumultuous to another; fitting for the situation; fitting for my life of late.

“Oh, my. I didn’t expect you to be here already.”

I shut my eyes, flinching at the sound of the voice behind me. The tiny bit of calm I’d somehow managed to hang on to since my confrontation with George seemed to melt away then. Panic and fear the only immediate emotions that seemed willing to process. I could feel the biting tips of my nails digging into my palms as I involuntarily balled them into fists. It was time for the reckoning; the confrontation that had become unavoidable, inescapable.

I turned slowly, looking across the desk only to let out a small gasp. Two familiar sets of eyes were set solidly on me. One I had expected, and one that wasn’t supposed to be here, the one I had left behind.

“Maggie? What’s going on here?” Simon asked, confusion marring his face as he stood stiffly in front of the closed door. I watched him, looking through the other figure. No, no, no. He wasn’t meant to be here.

“Simon, no, you—“

“Still going on about that, Maggie dear?” Caroline Dreyton taunted, stepping forward, and completely obscuring my view of her dead son. Once again, like before, she held two steaming cups in her hands. She held one out to me, turning only slightly to face the fourth figure in the room. “Here, George. One for you, too.”

Her attention refocused quickly, jade eyes fixing me with a disdainful, malice-filled stare. Every trace of kindness I she had shown before in our previous meetings was gone; she was cruel, and stiff before me, arms folded over her chest as she slowly stepped around the desk. She motioned to the other side of the desk as she stopped in front of me, towards the empty burgundy chair next to George.

“You want to talk, right? Why don’t you go have a seat, then?”

The cup in my hands was warm, not as hot as the one I had taken from her during our previous meeting. My hands were shaking as I held it, legs also proving to do so as I circled around the desk, stopping beside the empty chair to stare at Simon who hadn’t moved from his spot in front of the door. He looked lost, completely bewildered as his eyes ricocheted between myself and his mother.

“What are you doing here?” He asked again, softly.

I felt a sharp stab of pain in my chest as I watched him. The panic was kicking in again, stronger than it had only moments before, more concentrated.

“Go, please, get out of here,” I whispered in his direction, shaking my head desperately. “Please, just leave, Simon. Leave.”

“Why don’t you give it a rest already,” Caroline spat behind me. Simon’s eyebrows crinkled, mouth falling open ever so slightly as he watched his mother. There were things he didn’t need to see, things he didn’t need to hear or know; not now, not this way. Everything happening fell into those categories. I couldn’t protect him if he stayed, just like I was completely incapable of protecting myself. Except in that moment I didn’t care what happened to me, but him? That was a different story. “Sit down, now, please.”

“I think I’ll stand,” I muttered, turning away from Simon. I moved slowly around her, back to the window. I didn’t want to look them in the eyes, any of them; two due to pure loathing, Simon because I feared for him. With shaking hands I took a sip from the cup; it didn’t scald, it didn’t burn, like the last cup of coffee Dr. Dreyton had presented me with had.

“What a stubborn girl,” Caroline scoffed. “I thought you just wanted a free ride to Brown University originally, you know. I had no problem handing that over if it would have kept your mouth shut. I thought you were blackmailing me, that perhaps you knew something because you had some kind of connection with Simon when he was alive. But you just couldn’t let it be that simple; you actually dared to meddle in my affairs. You’re stubborn, and stupid, if I revise myself correctly. Were you trying to dig your own grave?”

I listened for the voice only I could hear as I closed my eyes, taking another swig. No, the coffee didn’t burn, but Dr. Dreyton who before hadn’t, was now acidic, completely dangerous.

“What? Maggie, what is she talking about?” Simon’s confused voice cut through the thick silence, causing me to flinch. He was innocent, completely aloof to the world around him, to the vicious monsters that had surrounded his existence, stolen his life from him. My fear was melting, slightly; giving way to a flickering flame of rage and ire that was starting to grow in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t help myself; my filter vanished, and I snapped.

“So you’re going to dig it for me, right? Just like you did your own son’s?”

“Oh shit,” George muttered from behind me; those were the first words he’d spoken since we’d entered Caroline Dreyton’s office. He knew I’d crossed a line; said the unspeakable; as did she and I.

“You know what? I’m sick of all the lies. I’ve fought through them to get here, and this is a horrible truth. But I need the rest of it, and so does he. You had your own son killed, and put his twin in a coma. There was no accident, no hate crime; Simon didn’t drink himself to death. He had something, some papers, and you wanted them back, right? I’m curious, just what the hell was on the papers that was so fucking awful you went as far as to kill your own son? What kind of heartless mother are you?” I let it out. I didn’t hesitate, despite the fact Simon was in the vicinity. He was going to find out one way or another. It seemed best I was the one who spilled the truth, as opposed to his mother, or George. I promised him I would tell him, after all. I wasn’t going to break that.

“This…this is a joke, right? You can’t be serious, Maggie. She didn’t…there’s no way—“

“I have priorities, Maggie,” Caroline’s voice rivaled an Arctic wind as it cut through the air. “And at that point I had no choice. Those papers not only would have destroyed me, they would have destroyed the company my father worked so hard to build, the one James can barely keep a float. Simon was the heir-apparent, did you know that? We were planning on passing the company to him when he was old enough, when we decided we’d had enough. But he abandoned his family in that respect, he decided he wanted to pursue a career in politics. James supported his decision. I’ve resented him for that since the day I found out; resented my own son. But with that move he also pulled himself out of the boundaries of the family business. Thus, he left me no choice in the long run. Just like you, actually.”

I turned quickly, too quickly, perhaps, as a brief wave of dizziness hit me. She was making my blood boil. Listening to her was far worse than listening to Felicia had been. This was a mother treating her own son as a disposable item, something that could be freely tossed away. How could she do that, how could she even think that?

George sat silently smirking behind her, empty coffee cup in hand as he watched me. Caroline was just a dark void, rigid and silent as she crossed her hands in her lap, eyes fixed on me like a predator. I tried not to look at Simon; his figure barely visible from the corner of my eye.

“You killed your son, because of the company? You put his twin in a coma, because of the goddamn company?” I hissed, shaking slightly.

There was a sudden shift in Caroline’s demeanor; eyes softened a little, taking on a slightly wounded look. There was even a deflate in her figure. I watched, raging, unsure of what was happening. There was no way in hell a monster like that could feel remorse; obviously she didn’t from the way she spoke of Simon. What was she playing at?

“That was never supposed to happen,” She stated quietly, pricks of pain resonating in her tone. “Oliver was never supposed to be harmed, that was meant for Simon all along. That was a nearly fatal mistake on my part, as well as Mr. Max’s. If he would have paid better attention, Oliver wouldn’t be in the hospital right now.”

George Max stiffened where he sat, smirk fading as his pallid color worsened. His fingers squeezed the empty cup, crushing it in his hand.

“You put Oliver in a coma because you were trying to kill me? And you helped, you bastard?” Simon’s voice pulled my attention against my will. He stood where he had since the start, fingers balled into fists at his side, an unreadable look on his face as he glanced between his mother and George, asking a question he knew they would never hear. I closed my eyes, brow furrowing as my head dropped. I never wanted him to find out this way, I never wanted him to see this confrontation.

“You are such a horrible mother, valuing the life of one son over another. Do you honestly think that makes it better, that you didn’t mean to hurt Oliver, despite having every intention of killing your other son? What the hell is wrong with you? There was no reason for you to treat them differently, love Simon any less. They were both your children, how could you value one so highly without even thinking twice about tossing the other away like a paper bag? Why did you do this to them? What the hell was more valuable than your son’s life?” I stepped forward, tripping over my own feet as I stumbled, falling forward onto my hands and knees feet away from Caroline Dreyton. The world was still spinning, my rage still brewing. But something didn’t feel right. To my side, the coffee cup lay on its side, remaining contents staining the beige carpet a muddy brown.

“Maggie?” Simon’s voice was higher, a little panicked.

“Was that really necessary, Maggie?” Caroline sighed. “Now I’m going to have to steam clean the entire office. Perhaps I made your drink a little too strong though. Woops. And to think, if you would have just listened to me and sat down this wouldn’t have happened.”

“What did you do?” I hissed, looking up. Everything seemed to tilt back and forth, Caroline’s figure not stable, rocking as if we were on a boat. Her lips were pressed into a tight line as she looked down at me, one eyebrow arched.

George’s voice came suddenly from the other side of the desk. “Oh, oh hell no. What the hell is this shit, Dreyton?”

She looked in his direction slowly, lack of concern apparent as she kept a calm demeanor. There was a loud thump as I watched the desk shake slightly. On the other side a harsh grunt emitted from the soul-less ginger.

“I put enough to take down an elephant in yours, George. You do have quite the tolerance after all. Not to mention I added something extra to yours. Ms. Derby’s knowledge of chemicals and their effects certainly is useful, wouldn’t you say?” She stated levelly.

“What the hell is going on?” Simon’s voice was closer than I recalled, I turned against the waves of disorientation to find him kneeling beside me. A cool hand found it’s way to my back, trying to steady me as I sat shaking on the floor.

“Simon,” I said softly. “Oh god, Simon, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to find out this way. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I’m sorry, Simon. I’m so sorry.”

His blue eyes were broken and confused as he looked down at me. He said nothing as he hovered where he was. Something else registered then as I gazed into the icy pools of his irises; there was an overwhelming amount of fear swimming in them.

“You bitch. How could you do this to me? I thought we had a deal!”

I pulled my attention from Simon, looking in the direction of the desk. Caroline was watching me again, quizzically, angrily. Her eyes didn’t move as she replied, “We did have a deal, and you didn’t keep up your half. You told Ms. Walton, therefore you nullified it. Not to mention your idiocy put my son in a coma. I’ve never liked you, George. In fact, I’m actually glad I get to dispose of you.

“Now, Maggie, why do you insist on maintaining this foolish act even though the end is so very close? Unless you’re just that mentally unstable, but you seem too clever for that. Simon’s not here, darling, so please, give it a rest already. Now do you want me to tell you why it happened before I kill you, or not?”

Caroline Dreyton was nothing like the woman I had originally encountered. The masks were gone; what sat before me was a heartless demon, morally void to a point she didn’t even think twice about taking someone’s life—even if that person was her own flesh and blood. James and Simon’s cold eyes were nothing in comparison to the wicked depths of the jade irises that bore into me. I nodded slowly, feeling Simon tense beside me.

“Alright then, let’s see. Ah, yes. As you know, I help with the bank when I’m not here. And honestly, if it wasn’t for me, there probably wouldn’t be a bank right about now. Since James took over the company, it’s slowly been going down-hill. Not to mention the downward spiral the economy has taken the past few years. A combination of poor leadership and unfortunate times have nearly run my father’s company into the ground. But, unlike my father, James has no problem letting me assist and handle certain matters all by myself. I noticed our impending demise a few years back, before anyone else caught wind of it. Initially I had panicked, reviewing the numbers over and over again, hoping I had made some kind of calculating error. Unfortunately, I hadn’t. That bank has been my life since I was a child, there was no way I was going to let it go without a fight. I’d use whatever means necessary to turn things around. I wasn’t going to let it sink, or merge with another company. My father would have never approved of that,” Caroline explained, still fixated on me. “You know the nice thing about being the Dean, and having a prominent history in banking? They trust me around here to work with the school’s money. Our treasurer really doesn’t have much of a job, in fact, she more often than not hands the work over to me. Altering numbers, and embezzling funds isn’t hard when no one checks after you, when everyone trusts you. Did you know that, Maggie? James, of course, has no idea about any of this either.”

The list of Caroline Dreyton’s sins continued to grow as I listened, the woman was far more menacing and unpredictable than I had ever imagined. Embezzling school funds to keep her bank alive; relentless, cunning, absolutely unbelievable.

“I was working on ‘fixing’ some of those numbers the day Simon came to pick up the check and the forms for the new jerseys the lacrosse team had ordered. At the time he came into my office I was on the phone with James, trying to work out some new policies the bank was instituting. I just told him to grab the stack of papers on the corner of my desk, order forms and all were there. I forgot I had put the envelope with the new and old sets of numbers there. Of course you can imagine my panic when I realized just what I had done, and what he had in his possession.” She shook her head a little, pushing some of her white-blonde hair away from her face. On the other side of the desk George let out a pained groan. My condition held fast, world spinning like an out of control carousel. “That child was always intensely curious, you know. There’s no way he wouldn’t have looked in the envelope. He had been around the bank enough to know what the papers were for too. There wasn’t another choice. I needed those papers back, and he probably knew too much. That was the point Mr. Max and Ms. Derby came into play. Threaten to revoke a Brown student’s full rides and you’ll see a side of them you didn’t know existed.”

The truth that I had been searching after so desperately the past few weeks was now known; all the puzzle pieces connected. The depth of the treachery and deceit that lay at the heart of Simon’s murder was nothing I could have fathomed. One woman’s secrets had destroyed so many lives, her selfishness and bogus devotion to her father’s company pushing her as far as to steal large quantities of money, even kill her own son.

“I can’t believe this,” Simon muttered beside me. I understood what he meant, it was so much to process, so much painful, unbelievable information. But when it fell so freely from the lips of the one to blame, there wasn’t much else to do, but believe it. Denial would only work to a point; after that the reality of it all would come crashing down like a flaming asteroid, if it hadn’t already.

“Now, though, I can hopefully put this all behind me with your death. I have something special planned for you, Maggie. Don’t worry, what I put in your drink won’t kill you, but the fall you’re going to take? Well, that should.” Caroline stood, stepping around me and towards the glass of her office. “You know the nice thing about these windows?”

I felt a sudden cold breeze collide with my back, shivering between the shaking that rattled me to my core.

“They open. And you? You’re going to jump.”

“No, this is not happening,” Simon said, suddenly gripping my arm tightly. I felt him tug against me unsuccessfully, trying to pull me onto my feet. The effects of the drugs were too much, limbs trembling violently as I tried standing to no avail. “Maggie, we have to get you out of here now, come on, get up.”

“How on Earth,” I paused, struggling against my body, trying to work with Simon as best I could. I collapsed back against the ground, his fingers slipping right through me. “Do you expect to get away with this one? You poisoned George, and you’re planning on pushing me out of the window of your office? How are you going to explain that to the authorities?”

“Do you really think I hadn’t thought this through?”

My eyes widened as a pair of sharp nails jerked my chin up, Caroline Dreyton’s face hovering inches from my own. She produced a cruel smile then, one that would forever be left in my mind; it was going to haunt me until I died, something that was only a very brief time away. “How do you think I got the toxicology report to state Simon died due to alcohol poisoning? My father’s legacy has many merits, Maggie. I have the coroner in the palm of my hand, darling. Not to mention it won’t be difficult to play this situation off as your fault. You were the crazy student who tried black-mailing me to get a free ride to the university, and when I decided I’d had enough, and that I was going to the authorities about it, you and your accomplice, Mr. Max here came to have a little chat with me. You poisoned him, trying to pin his death on me, before throwing yourself out the window for fear of the truth being exposed and the consequences that would lay ahead for you. Naturally the coroner will say nothing of the drugs that are in your system, leaving me scott free.”

The details of my demise seemed better planned than some of the funeral services my father had conducted, arranged perfectly to get the precise desired result. There were ways to make it look like an accident, as well as make sure I was out of the picture. Caroline Dreyton proved that. Yet in that moment of realization I could only think, what about Simon?

My eyes shift, slowly pulling my face away from Caroline to look at her son. He stood a few steps away, horrified look on his face as his arms hung limply at his sides. A sharp pang of pain ripped through me as I looked at him; he was going to witness something I had no desire for him to see. He was going to see my death, at the hands of his mother—the woman who had betrayed him more than anyone could have imagined. He would continue to suffer, and I wouldn’t be able to help him, wouldn’t be able to save him, just like I was beyond incapable of saving myself. What happened to me seemed like a small matter as I mulled over a bone-chilling, heart shattering realization; he would have no one to turn to when I was gone.

A loud crash resounded through the room, causing me to jump slightly, jerking my head back in the direction of the noise. The wind had blown the window completely shut, a very irritated, disgruntled Caroline Dreyton stood over me, glaring at it. The orange glow of the setting sun colored her features, as she glanced down at me briefly.

“Dragging you to the window and opening it at the same time would prove problematic. Be a little patient, not much longer and you’ll be put out of your misery, I promise.”

As she walked away, I felt the gentle force of a cool hand on my scalp. I turned slowly, world around me swimming as I fixated my gaze on Simon as he knelt down to my level. He didn’t smile, eyes heavy and pained as his fingers trailed their way down to my cheek before he moved his other hand to cup my face. He was broken and raw, watching me with dulled, aching eyes. One of his curls fell down, interrupting our eye contact.

“I’m sorry, Maggie. I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” He stated. “This was never meant to happen; you were never supposed to be put in harm’s way. But time and time again you were tossed into dangerous situations because of me, and I’m so sorry. Despite how awful I was to you, you still helped me, and you kept your promise. So thank you. Even though I feel like I would have been better off if this had all been kept in the dark, thank you. I need you to do something for me, Maggie. Close your eyes.”

My eyebrows furrowed as my heart threw itself viciously against my rib-cage. I was afraid; I was horrified, and not just because my death was so near, but because he would no longer be there.

He sighed deeply. “Please, Maggie, just close your eyes.”

I felt the cold wind again, eyes widening a little as I looked up at him. Ever so gently he reached up, pushing my bangs back. I felt my heart crack then, lines running through it like newly shattered glass. Slowly, unwillingly, I closed my eyes.

A soft pair of cold lips carefully brushed against my forehead, lingering there for a moment as he mumbled against my skin, “I’m sorry, Maggie.”

They vanished then, only to reappear pressed lightly against my own. There was a jolt of electricity, a shock of longing and heartbreak I’d never known in the instant Simon Dreyton kissed me. A wave of heat hit me like a freight train, derailing my thoughts, ripping my senses from me completely. My chest felt as though it was on fire, burning and aching in a way I never could have imagined.

I felt him pull away, a ragged sigh slipping through the lips that had been against mine not a second before. “Forgive me, but I’m going to have to break my promise. Just remember, I’ll always be here for you, always.”

Simon’s touch disappeared, and slowly I opened my eyes. He wasn’t there, the cool contact I craved more than ever no where in sight. All I could think about, all I could focus on was the slight tingle that held to my lips, a phantom sensation.

“Are you ready to look at the sunset one last time, Maggie?” Caroline’s voice loomed shockingly close, and I felt a steely grip on my upper arm. She wasn’t gentle like Simon had been in his attempt to get me off the ground; with one swift tug I stumbled to my feet, almost knocking her over in the process. My legs felt like jelly as she pulled me forward, and I struggled to the best of my abilities against her. The sharp talons of her nails dug into my arm through my shirt.

“No, stop, don’t do this—“

A resounding thud ricocheted through the room as we stumbled to a halt, less than a foot away from the open window. My hand reached out, grasping at the edge of it, cold metal stinging my fingers.

“Oh, George, you’re still able to function? I must say, I’m quite impressed.”

I looked over my shoulder quickly, the large, bumbling ginger grasping the edge of the desk as he swayed and tripped his way around it. His face was starch white; horrifyingly pale even for his usual color. My body locked up though as his head tilted with extreme difficulty; a pair of crystal clear blue eyes focused intently on the woman at my side.

“I’m going to have to break my promise.”

“No,” I stated in disbelief. “No, no, no. Don’t do this. Please don’t do this. Get out. Get out now, please, I’m begging you don’t do this!”

“George, just what are you doing?” Caroline’s voice was tainted with concern as the ginger’s figure knocked against her chair, leaning on it for support momentarily before pushing himself up and taking unsteady steps in our direction. His uncertain steps quickened as he moved forward, lunging at Caroline with one hand, pushing me to the side with the other.

“Ending this, mother,” George’s voice gasped Simon’s words as he pushed her forward with all his weight, throwing the pair out the open window and into the winter’s air. A shriek exited my lips as I watched them seem to hover momentarily as they propelled forward, before gravity took its toll, pulling them towards the ice and snow covered ground.