No More Room To Breathe
Chapter 13
**********Maika's POV**************
TWO DAYS.
It’d been two days since Maika had returned home from the radio show, overjoyed with how well it’d gone.
Two days since he opened the back door to find the house a wreck.
Two days since he’d touched or heard from Marilyn.
He had opened the door that day to find lamps and pictures thrown from their natural places, his note to Marilyn laying where he’d left it for her, blood dried onto the walls down the hallway, and the hardest thing to find, no Marilyn. His voice had gone hoarse from screaming her name over and over, with no response. The guys had taken it better than he had and had called the police while Maika just stood, dumbfounded, with a look of pure shock on his face.
The police had asked billions of questions, taking pictures and evidence from the house. And still, it had been TWO. DAYS.
“Why haven’t they found anything? Anything at all?!" Maika spoke aloud to nobody in particular. He asked this repeatedly over the course of these two days and the guys had stopped responding. The walls had been cleaned and everything had been righted in their small home, except for their feeling of security. Except for Marilyn.
It’s MY fault. *MY FAULT MY FAULT MY FAULT,* the track played in his head over and over. He should’ve done something to protect her better, should’ve taken her with them to the show, should’ve stayed and been able to help. He knew he couldn’t have stayed with her 24/7 but should’ve been there when it mattered. He could imagine Marilyn screaming and fighting as she was dragged from his bedroom. His sleepless nights had returned, his eyes were red-rimmed and he looked like a half-crazed animal.
Chris’ blurted question didn’t register.
“EARTH. TO. PLANET. MAIKA.”
“Wh-what?” Maika said, shaking the blurriness from his mind.
“I said…..wasn’t there a guy? The one in the paper with Marilyn?”
A guy. In the paper. “The one who killed her family….," Maika couldn’t believe it’d taken him this long to think of it. “Jacob? No. Uhhhh….Jason! Jason Hartlett!”
“Don’t you think the police might’ve thought of that already?” Jay asked.
“I don’t know. But, I’m going to find Marilyn if I have to search a lifetime.”
*********************Marilyn’s POV*******************************
*PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE. LET SOMEONE FIND ME.*
I’d been in a roughly built, brick basement for the past 48 hours. Jason had dropped me here and only returned during the night. I always tensed at hearing his car pull up, not knowing if it’d be the last time I’d hear it. I looked through the one dusty window the basement provided, only seeing tall grass and abandoned farmhouses. How will anyone find me here? How would Maika find me here?!
I had abandoned all hope in God when my family was taken from me, but I prayed as I sat on the dirty floor. “Please God, if there’s something, ANYTHING that could help me, let me find it.”
Cruel laughter filled my makeshift prison. “Oh, Marilyn. You’re above help now.”
I couldn’t help but to scream as Jason drew closer.
TWO DAYS.
It’d been two days since Maika had returned home from the radio show, overjoyed with how well it’d gone.
Two days since he opened the back door to find the house a wreck.
Two days since he’d touched or heard from Marilyn.
He had opened the door that day to find lamps and pictures thrown from their natural places, his note to Marilyn laying where he’d left it for her, blood dried onto the walls down the hallway, and the hardest thing to find, no Marilyn. His voice had gone hoarse from screaming her name over and over, with no response. The guys had taken it better than he had and had called the police while Maika just stood, dumbfounded, with a look of pure shock on his face.
The police had asked billions of questions, taking pictures and evidence from the house. And still, it had been TWO. DAYS.
“Why haven’t they found anything? Anything at all?!" Maika spoke aloud to nobody in particular. He asked this repeatedly over the course of these two days and the guys had stopped responding. The walls had been cleaned and everything had been righted in their small home, except for their feeling of security. Except for Marilyn.
It’s MY fault. *MY FAULT MY FAULT MY FAULT,* the track played in his head over and over. He should’ve done something to protect her better, should’ve taken her with them to the show, should’ve stayed and been able to help. He knew he couldn’t have stayed with her 24/7 but should’ve been there when it mattered. He could imagine Marilyn screaming and fighting as she was dragged from his bedroom. His sleepless nights had returned, his eyes were red-rimmed and he looked like a half-crazed animal.
Chris’ blurted question didn’t register.
“EARTH. TO. PLANET. MAIKA.”
“Wh-what?” Maika said, shaking the blurriness from his mind.
“I said…..wasn’t there a guy? The one in the paper with Marilyn?”
A guy. In the paper. “The one who killed her family….," Maika couldn’t believe it’d taken him this long to think of it. “Jacob? No. Uhhhh….Jason! Jason Hartlett!”
“Don’t you think the police might’ve thought of that already?” Jay asked.
“I don’t know. But, I’m going to find Marilyn if I have to search a lifetime.”
*********************Marilyn’s POV*******************************
*PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE. LET SOMEONE FIND ME.*
I’d been in a roughly built, brick basement for the past 48 hours. Jason had dropped me here and only returned during the night. I always tensed at hearing his car pull up, not knowing if it’d be the last time I’d hear it. I looked through the one dusty window the basement provided, only seeing tall grass and abandoned farmhouses. How will anyone find me here? How would Maika find me here?!
I had abandoned all hope in God when my family was taken from me, but I prayed as I sat on the dirty floor. “Please God, if there’s something, ANYTHING that could help me, let me find it.”
Cruel laughter filled my makeshift prison. “Oh, Marilyn. You’re above help now.”
I couldn’t help but to scream as Jason drew closer.