RockScars

Tonight, Daisy showed up late for Gates’s class and that is a big no no. He’s a stickler for punctuality and scolded her as soon as she walked in. She apologized in her own southern way and that seemed to anger him more. When she sat down, I couldn’t help noticing the burn on her lower calf. It wasn’t as if she had burned herself, but more like her skin was actually scorched. When she saw me looking at it, she was quick to say something bubbly to take my attention away from her leg. One would think that something like that would hurt like hell.

After classes ended tonight, I had decided there was no point it going back up to the house. I knew that Lark would be with Shadows and our nightly tradition was a thing of the past. I wasn’t jealous, I was angry. Angry that he just walks back into the house and my sister worships the ground he walks on. It pissed me off knowing it wouldn’t last and when he left again, Lark would cry for nights on end. Shadows left for long periods of time to recruit new members of the clan. I’m just counting down the days until he leaves again.

I went down to the gym knowing it would be empty and decided to take my frustrations out on a punching bag. I had been down here for an hour doing just fine on my own until I started to actually miss the bag completely. My eyes were frustrating me more and more each day. My failing sight was a slow progression, but lately it just seemed to be getting worse more and more each day.

“Fuck!” I missed the bag again.

“You’re not concentrating.” I turned around, but there was no one there. The voice was unmistakable. Fucking jerk!

When I turned back around, he was standing right behind the bag holding it in place. “Focus,” he told me and I pulled my arm back and punched the bag as hard as I could. “Better.”

“Leave me alone,” I told him and took another swing at the bag, but he moved it out of the way and I nearly fell. “What the fuck?”

“You need to learn to be ready for anything.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me what I need!”

“FOCUS!” he shouted and I aint gonna lie, I did jump a little when he yelled at me. He moved behind me and grabbed my arm. “Stand up straight.” I did as he asked wishing he would get his fucking hands off me. “Keep your eyes on your target.” I focused on the bag like he said having no idea what he was getting at. “Hit it.”

I threw a punch at the bag, but he moved it again. I was really started to get pissed off now. “Do you think that in a fight, your opponent is going to stand dead still?”

I refused to even answer him. I didn’t come down here for fight training; I came down here to beat the hell out of something.

“Get in the ring.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Get…in…the…ring!” He pointed to the boxing ring and I looked at him like he had just lost his mind. “I’m waiting Twyla.”

“Fine!” I walked over to the boxing ring and climbed under the ropes. I never understood why they called it a ring when the damn thing is actually a square and not a friggen circle. I stood there waiting for him to get in so I could kick his ass, but he didn’t get in the ring.

The next thing I knew I was shrouded in complete darkness. Nothing terrified me more than the dark. I knew that when I did lose full sight my world would be completely black and that scared the hell out of me. I even slept with the lights on.

“Shadows turn the fucking light on!” I yelled, but no response. My body was frozen in place and the panic started to set in. That’s when it happened. He kicked me and I fell face first on to the mat. “What the fuck?”

“Focus,” he whispered in my ear. So he wanted to play a game. I stood back up and he shoved me backwards against the ropes. “Know where your opponent is at all times,” he whispered barely loud enough for me to hear him.

I took one step forward and he swept my legs out from under me. “Are you trying to fucking kill me?”

“Use your ears and you’ll hear me coming,” he whispered. What the fuck is the point of this?

I got up from the mat and steadied myself. I tried to hear him, but the room was so quiet, I couldn’t hear a single sound. “Find me,” he finally whispered and it sounded like his voice was coming from every direction. I didn’t have a clue where to start. “Feel me,” he whispered and a cool breeze washed over the back of my neck. I turned around and reached out my arms, but all I found was air.

“My scent, Twyla. Smell me,” he whispered. He always smelled good, as much as I hate the bastard, I’ll give him that. He always smelled so clean, like he just got out of a shower. I could smell him now. It was like he was so close, but when I reached out there was nothing there.

I gave up and stood completely still in the ring for what seemed like 10 minutes. I was really getting tired of this game. Now, I just wanted to go to bed, but I decided I would give this one shot and then tell him to go fuck himself. I blocked out everything and tried to focus on every sound, vibration and scent in the ring. When I finally thought I had him, I reached out and grabbed at the air. My hand latched onto something and the lights in the gym went back on. He was gone. I looked down at my hands to see what I had grabbed. A black trucker cap. His black trucker cap.

My hatred for this man was growing just as fast as my blindness was. When I left the gym, I walked through the tunnel back up to the house and entered through the kitchen door. That smug motherfucker was leaning against the counter chugging a bottle of water. I threw his cap at him and caught it and threw a full bottle of water at me. Thankfully, I caught the bottle because that would have done me in if I would have missed it. “Same time tomorrow, you better be there,” he said and walked out of the kitchen.

Who the fuck does he think he is?

I was tired and too annoyed to deal with anyone right now. Lark was probably already in bed. I walked through the kitchen door into the living room and Vengeance was sitting on the couch talking with Shadows. I didn’t even say hello to him. I walked right up to my room and slammed the door. I showered and went right to bed. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not, but in my sleep I felt the covers being pulled up over me and those same cool lips on my forehead.

******

The following night. Gates’s Classroom.

It was raining and one of the great things about living above the University was that I never got wet if it rained. All I had to do was walk through the tunnel to get to school. Daisy was on time to class, but she was soaking wet. I don’t mean that she got a little wet from the rain; she was completely drenched from head to toe. Gates, of course had to state the obvious.

“Daisy, you’re getting water all over the floor.”

“Mr. Gates, I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s raining harder than a cow pissin’ on a flat rock!” Even I laughed at that one.

“Damn it!” Gates slammed his fist down on the desk. “See me after class.”

“Sorry, Mr. Gates, if I see you after class then I’ll be late for Mr. The Rev’s class and I can’t do that.” Mr. The Rev? Hahahahaha

Gates just sat there looking at her dumbfounded. When Gates says jump, you say how high? You don’t answer him back or give him an excuse. You just do what he says. Apparently Daisy didn’t think that rule applied to her.

When the class settled down, Gates gave the class their assignment and all seemed to be right in his world again. Well, until Vengeance and The Rev walked in. Quietly the three of them chatted. Gates’s eyes went straight to Daisy and he nodded. I could only imagine what the hell he was talking about. When their conversation appeared to be over, Vengeance walked over to Daisy and told her to come to his office after school. What the hell could she have done? She’s too simple minded to get in any serious trouble.

Whatever. Classes went on as the night progressed and once again as she had done every night since she got here, Daisy skipped the meal break. After classes finally let out for the night, I remembered what Shadows said the night before about being in the gym, but I wanted to go and change out of my uniform first.

I walked down the hall towards my room and as I passed Lark’s room I could hear her crying. When I went inside she was sitting up in her bed hysterical. I’d never seen her like this before. “Honey! What happened?”

I ran over to the bed and she latched on to me, but continued to cry. I sat there with her trying to get her to talk to me, but she just cried. One hour passed and then another, but still she cried just as hard as she was when I got there. I hated to do it, but I got up off the bed and took carried her out of the room. I couldn’t stand the thought of my sister in hysterics and I knew that if anyone could comfort her, it would be dick head.

I carried her through the back yard to the guesthouse and rang the doorbell. Dick head yanked the door open so hard it could have flew off the hinges and bared his fangs at me. “I told you to be there!”

I stood there holding my crying sister in my arms glaring at him. “What did you do to her?” He asked taking her out of my arms.

“I didn’t do anything to her! I found her crying like that two hours ago!”

“Two hours? You waited two fucking hours to bring her to me? Fucking Idiot!” He slammed the door right in my face. He slammed the door in my face! I was going to have to talk to Vengeance before I stabbed Shadows in his sleep.

*******

The Guesthouse.

Shadows carried Lark over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap. He lifted her face so she could read his lips. “What happened, princess?” Lark caught her breath and shook her head. “I can’t help you unless you tell me.”

“She’s gonna die!”

“Who is?”

“The girl in my dream. You have to go find her, she’s all alone.”

Shadows wiped the tears from Lark’s cheek. “It was just a dream.”

“No,” she cried.

“Ok. Tell me about this dream.”

Lark stopped to catch her breath and then told Shadows of her dream. “She’s all by herself, Matt,” Lark cried. “She doesn’t have a home because she lives in a box behind a building.” Shadows listened while Lark’s imagination ran away with her. “A man followed her down the alley, he wants to hurt her. He’s gonna hurt her! Can’t you go find her? Please?”

Shadows took her face in his hands. “It was just a dream. It’s not real.”

Lark didn’t answer him. She just put her head down on his shoulder and sobbed silently until she fell back to sleep.

Meanwhile…while that was happening, this is what was going on in Vengeances office.

“Daisy, do you know why you’re here?” Vengeance asked.

“Sure, I do,” she nodded. “Because you asked me to come.”

It was hard to get mad at her, but Gates had already lost his patience earlier. The Rev found her amusing.

Vengeance sighed. “You’re here because there are a few things the three of us wanted to talk to you about.”

“Ok.”

“I think we’ll start with the obvious. The Rev brought it to my attention that during Gym class he noticed a burn on your leg.”

“Awe Mr. The Rev. It aint nothin’ but a cooking accident. Spilled some hot grease on my leg when I was makin’ breakfast is all.” The Rev didn’t seem to buy it and neither did the others.

Vengeance continued. “We also want to know why you skip the meal break.”

“Oh that’s an easy one!” She said with her head bobbing. “I ate before I got here.”

“Why would you do that? Meals are included in the tuition.”

“Well you know I heard that eating cafeteria food is like eating the ass out of a leather duck and I just aint that hungry!”

“SEE WHAT I MEAN?” Gates shouted. “She’s a complete idiot!”

Daisy looked truly offended. “Gates, that’s enough.” Vengeance intervened and looked at Daisy as seriously as he could. “Daisy, its been recommended that you be moved to a different class. A class that better suits your needs.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well, we have a class for students who aren’t as advanced as the other students are.”

“Oh, you mean like that guy, special Ed?”

The Rev had to turn around and hide his expression. “Yes, special education is what we had in mind.”

Daisy looked like she was going to cry. “I know I aint never been no good at school and stuff, but my elevator does go to the top floor. Know what I’m sayin?”

“NOT REALLY!” Gates answered.

“Gates!” Vengeance said through gritted teeth. “Daisy, go on home and we’ll talk more tomorrow. For now we want you to be here an hour early every night and meet with each teacher for 15 minutes to discuss where you need improvement. That’ll have to do until I can speak with your parents.”

“My parents? Y’all is that really necessary?”

Gates balled his hands into fists as all his patience was finally gone.

“Go home and we’ll talk about it more tomorrow.”

“Alright,” she nodded and got up from the chair.

“Do you want a ride?” The Rev asked. “It’s still raining.”

“Oh that’s all right, Mr. The Rev, I don’t live but a stone’s throw from here.”

When Daisy left the room, The Rev turned to Vengeance. “What do you think?”

“I think she got a little too nervous when I mentioned her parents. She’s hiding something. Go follow her.” Vengeance looked over at Gates. “Go with him.”

“Why?”

“Because I fucking said so!”

Gates wasn’t happy, but he went with The Rev. They spotted Daisy walking across the parking lot and followed far enough behind her so that she wouldn’t know they were behind her. The rain was pelting down on them hard as they walked and what she claimed was a stone’s through had so far turned into an hour’s walk.

“Where the fuck are we going?” Gates asked annoyed. The Rev stopped and threw his arm out to stop Gates.

“Look.” Someone else had started following Daisy when she turned down the alley. The sound of her high-pitched scream sent them running in her direction. They reached her just in time to hear the sound of her blouse tearing. The Rev grabbed the man by the back of his neck and lifted him off Daisy with one hand. He threw him so hard against the wall they could hear the bones in his back break when he hit.

Gates took off his jacket and covered Daisy with it. “Mr. Gates, I aint never been so happy to see you and Mr. The Rev.”

“Are you alright?” Gates asked.

“I think so,” she nodded. “Could you help me up?” Gates shook his head and reached for her helping her up.

“Let’s get you home,” The Rev said. “Which way?”

“Oh you don’t have to come with me. I’m fine now,” she said nervously.

“We’re going with you,” Gates said angrily. “Now, which way?”

Daisy lowered her eyes to the ground and pointed down the alleyway. They followed her down the alley behind an abandoned building. When she stopped they looked around for any sign of a residence. “Well?” Gates asked.

She pointed to a make shift shelter that was nothing more than a few pieces of cardboard. “That’s where I live.”

Gates and The Rev looked at the rain soaked box and back at her. “You can’t be serious,” Gates said.

“As a heart attack, sir,” she said meekly.

“We can’t leave her here,” The Rev said.

“No,” Gates agreed. “Get us back to the house.”

The Rev nodded and cloaked them in his arms. In less than a minute, they were walking through the doors of Vengeance Manor. The sun should be up in a few hours. Only God knows what could have happened to Daisy had they left her out there at her cardboard home.

The Rev took Daisy to one of the spare bedrooms while Gates went to go talk to Vengeance about what transpired.

Half hour later…

“Mr. The Rev, this is awful nice of you.” Daisy was sitting on the bed in dry clothes with a towel drying off her hair.

“How about you call me Jimmy or just Rev when you’re not in school?”

“Now that aint proper at all.”

“I insist,” he said with a smile on his face. Gates came into the room a few minutes later with a tray that held a sandwich and a glass of milk. He set the tray down on Daisy’s lap and stepped back.

“I gonna guess here, but you probably haven’t eaten in a while,” he said and folded his arms across his chest waiting for a response.

“I did ok with what I could manage to scrounge up.” She answered and bit into the sandwich. “Gosh this is awful embarassin’ aint it?”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Gates assured her, but still she couldn’t help to feel a little awkward. “Eat your sandwich and get some sleep. Vengeance wants to see you as soon as you get up.”

“Ok.”

Gates and The Rev were about to leave the room when Daisy called out to them.

“Mr. The Rev and Mr. Gates?” Both men turned around and looked at her. “Y’all aint gonna tell the students at school bout this are ya?”

“No one has to know,” The Rev answered and Gates shook his head no as his response as well. The two of them left Daisy to finish her sandwich and went back downstairs.