Can't Find My Way Home, but It's Through You
No Matter What
“Where is he?” Elizabeth looked out the window of their town house, staring at the dark streets, a speeding car passing every so often.
She returned back to the couch and eyed the phone sitting on the table in front of her. She had called Zach four times before, and received his voice mail each time.
“One more time won’t hurt…” she said to herself, picking up the phone once again.
Zach rested his head on the window, his eyes still shut and his breathing soft and slow. But he was conscious. They continued to talk, about what, he couldn’t remember.
Then the ring broke through the conversation.
Oh shit, no Liz, no, not now… his mind cried out. Their eyes fell on him, and the man sitting next to him reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. He looked at the shining screen; it read “Elizabeth”.
“Oh, we’ve scored again, boys,” the man said with a smirk on his face.
“Who is it?” asked the one behind the wheel.
“Elizabeth.” The man in the front passenger seat turned around, a sadistic grin on his face.
“Give it here.” He passed the phone to his comrade, and watched him as he opened up the phone and said, “’Ello?”
“Excuse me?” Elizabeth questioned, looking at the phone before putting it to her ear again.
“’Ello, love. Nice hearing from you again.”
“Who is this?” she said, panic rising in her voice.
“Aw, you don’t remember us anymore?” She could practically see the grin he had on his face.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Ooh, you best not be talking to us like that, love,” the voice warned. “You don’t want Zachy to get hurt, do you?”
She froze. She began regretting calling Zach up one last time. “Where’s Zach?”
“Aw, it’s a shame you keep mentioning him. He’s gonna be jealous.”
“Who’s jealous? What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded.
The voice chuckled. “Danny’s been missing you.”
The blood drained from her face. She dropped the phone and stumbled backwards into the couch. Oh no…no, no, no, not him…
“Lizzy?” the voice taunted. “You can’t hide from us, Lizzy.”
She pushed herself off the couch and landed onto the floor. She reached out her arm and grabbed the phone, shouting, “What did you do with my Zach?!”
He laughed; a dark evil laugh, like his. “Don’t worry about him,” he looked back at Zach, who had forced his eyes open, to give the man a death stare. “Danny will take care of him.” He looked back at Zach and met his death stare with a smirk.
“What’s wrong? Mad that you can’t hear your girlfriend’s cries?” He pressed a button on the phone and soon the car was filled with her frightened voice.
“Stop it!” she screamed. “Leave us alone! We didn’t do anything to harm you guys!”
“Danny’s been wanting revenge,” he said, matter-of-factly. “He has to pay.”
“Leave Zach alone!” She let out a sob. “I’m the one you want, just leave him!”
No! No, Elizabeth, don’t! his mind shouted. He strained to lift his head up, as much as it hurt. “Elizabeth,” he called out, his voice raspy.
There was a pause. “…Zach?” she asked softly. “Is that really you?”
“Elizabeth, don’t do anything to get them mad, just stay away from this and keep yourself safe.”
“Aww,” said the man in front. “Isn’t love sweet? Too bad Danny wants us to get Lizzy once we’re through with you.”
“No!” Zach shouted. His head was heavy, and he let it thud against the headrest behind him. “Leave Elizabeth out of this.”
“We do what Danny tells us to do.” He shot Zach the same death glare he had gotten from him. Zach only stared, and finally let his head roll back down to the window, his eyes shutting again. The man next to him reached over to open his eyelid. No response.
“He’s out cold,” he called from behind.
“Hear that? Your little Zachy’s out cold. That’ll just make things easier for us now.”
“Please stop this, please,” she pleaded.
He shut the phone, cutting her off. “What kind of nerve does she have, asking us to stop after what she did to Danny.”
Elizabeth let go of the phone. The dial tone was the only thing she heard as she turned on her side and cried. She wanted it to just be a dream. She wanted to have never met Daniel at all. She wanted for the madness to end. But above all, she wanted Zach. But there was nothing she could do anymore.
What Daniel wanted, he always got. No matter what.
She returned back to the couch and eyed the phone sitting on the table in front of her. She had called Zach four times before, and received his voice mail each time.
“One more time won’t hurt…” she said to herself, picking up the phone once again.
Zach rested his head on the window, his eyes still shut and his breathing soft and slow. But he was conscious. They continued to talk, about what, he couldn’t remember.
Then the ring broke through the conversation.
Oh shit, no Liz, no, not now… his mind cried out. Their eyes fell on him, and the man sitting next to him reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. He looked at the shining screen; it read “Elizabeth”.
“Oh, we’ve scored again, boys,” the man said with a smirk on his face.
“Who is it?” asked the one behind the wheel.
“Elizabeth.” The man in the front passenger seat turned around, a sadistic grin on his face.
“Give it here.” He passed the phone to his comrade, and watched him as he opened up the phone and said, “’Ello?”
“Excuse me?” Elizabeth questioned, looking at the phone before putting it to her ear again.
“’Ello, love. Nice hearing from you again.”
“Who is this?” she said, panic rising in her voice.
“Aw, you don’t remember us anymore?” She could practically see the grin he had on his face.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Ooh, you best not be talking to us like that, love,” the voice warned. “You don’t want Zachy to get hurt, do you?”
She froze. She began regretting calling Zach up one last time. “Where’s Zach?”
“Aw, it’s a shame you keep mentioning him. He’s gonna be jealous.”
“Who’s jealous? What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded.
The voice chuckled. “Danny’s been missing you.”
The blood drained from her face. She dropped the phone and stumbled backwards into the couch. Oh no…no, no, no, not him…
“Lizzy?” the voice taunted. “You can’t hide from us, Lizzy.”
She pushed herself off the couch and landed onto the floor. She reached out her arm and grabbed the phone, shouting, “What did you do with my Zach?!”
He laughed; a dark evil laugh, like his. “Don’t worry about him,” he looked back at Zach, who had forced his eyes open, to give the man a death stare. “Danny will take care of him.” He looked back at Zach and met his death stare with a smirk.
“What’s wrong? Mad that you can’t hear your girlfriend’s cries?” He pressed a button on the phone and soon the car was filled with her frightened voice.
“Stop it!” she screamed. “Leave us alone! We didn’t do anything to harm you guys!”
“Danny’s been wanting revenge,” he said, matter-of-factly. “He has to pay.”
“Leave Zach alone!” She let out a sob. “I’m the one you want, just leave him!”
No! No, Elizabeth, don’t! his mind shouted. He strained to lift his head up, as much as it hurt. “Elizabeth,” he called out, his voice raspy.
There was a pause. “…Zach?” she asked softly. “Is that really you?”
“Elizabeth, don’t do anything to get them mad, just stay away from this and keep yourself safe.”
“Aww,” said the man in front. “Isn’t love sweet? Too bad Danny wants us to get Lizzy once we’re through with you.”
“No!” Zach shouted. His head was heavy, and he let it thud against the headrest behind him. “Leave Elizabeth out of this.”
“We do what Danny tells us to do.” He shot Zach the same death glare he had gotten from him. Zach only stared, and finally let his head roll back down to the window, his eyes shutting again. The man next to him reached over to open his eyelid. No response.
“He’s out cold,” he called from behind.
“Hear that? Your little Zachy’s out cold. That’ll just make things easier for us now.”
“Please stop this, please,” she pleaded.
He shut the phone, cutting her off. “What kind of nerve does she have, asking us to stop after what she did to Danny.”
Elizabeth let go of the phone. The dial tone was the only thing she heard as she turned on her side and cried. She wanted it to just be a dream. She wanted to have never met Daniel at all. She wanted for the madness to end. But above all, she wanted Zach. But there was nothing she could do anymore.
What Daniel wanted, he always got. No matter what.