Hurricane
Promise
Mikey had grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up to his bedroom. He sat me on his bed, while the thoughts of what just happened ran through my head. I hadn't seen the bodies, but I knew they had been mutilated. Another thing came to mind, was, I could still save myself, I could run away from him. But, I didn't.
Why?
Because, Mikey started to cry. He knelt to me, on his knees, crying on my lap. I was sucked into his cry, his pity and tears. I ran my hand through his hair as he cried. He kept mumbling, and I don't remember what about. He was incoherent, really, and I just wished it were a dream.
"I'm sorry, Roo. I'm sorry." Was the only thing I could figure out.
"Why, Mikey?" I had asked.
He took his glasses off, his eyes were the saddest I had ever seen, "They needed to be taught a lesson."
I didn't know what to say then. I was still hoping I was having a horrible, realistic nightmare.
Mikey had hipped the sides of my legs, "You still love me, Ladonna?"
I remember my stomach dropping and my heart thumping. I nodded slowly, "I love you."
He gave me a small smile, I didn't return it, "You'll come with me?"
I had a choice, but back then, I felt like I didn't. I didn't want to go home and deal with my father's death. I really thought about the things my mother would have said. Also, I don't think Mikey would have let me go anyway. I was going either calmly or kicking and screaming.
Mikey changed his clothing, grabbed some of his things, and then took cash from every place, he could find, in the house. Then, he led me to the garage, to his father's car, and then we were gone. It seems to quick, but I remember is being the slowest process of my life.
We were quiet in the car, but Mikey interlaced our fingers together. I wasn't disgusted by him, I felt sorry for him, even now. That woman, Hanna, really messed him up. She created a monster, and his parents did nothing to stop that amateur Frankenstein. The only one who truly did anything was his brother, Gerard; he helped salvage whatever sanity Mikey had left.
"Rooney, are you mad at me?" He had questioned as we crossed the bridge.
"No." I answered quietly, "I just want to know, why my dad?"
He never looked at me, "He was going to take you from me. I wouldn't have anyone left. I had to."
"Why was that woman at your house?" I finally asked.
"She came to apologize. She even cleaned my room." He sneered, pushing his glasses up quickly.
"Did you plan to kill her?"
"No. Not until I found her on my bed, waiting for me." His jaw had tightened, "She wanted me to fuck her, can you believe that? I tied her up and threw her down the stairs. When my parents got home, I tied them up, too."
I had put my hand on Mikey's thigh, rubbing it gently to relax him. Nothing relaxed him, his body was tense and his jaw was righted too. The only thing that seemed at ease were his fingers. I held onto them as if it were my only hope survival. In a way, they were.
I didn't really think about what had happened at my house. I wondered about my mom, and about Felicia, and then the thought of the police came to mind. How long would it have been for them to find us? I had wanted to ask, but I didn't. I couldn't stress Mikey out.
The ever presence of authority taking us in hung over my head. In New York, there seemed to be a cop on every corner. I jumped every time I saw a shiny badge, or when those stupid policemen on horses walked near the park. I was more nervous than Mikey was.
"Gerard lives in this building up here. We can crash her for a while...maybe a day or so, then we can count up our cash and get out of town." Mikey had seemed to have it all figured out.
"Where are we going to go?"
"West. Oregon...Washington...maybe California." He muttered quickly.
A new sense of dread filled my belly. I was scared and I didn't want to do this, but I had, had to. I did it for Mikey, I love(d) him too much to just give up.
Mikey had parked the car in a parking garage and we walked to him brother's apartment. People were all around us, not paying us a glance. I wished that one of them would have seen the fear on my face and called the police.
Even now, it feels like the ultimate betrayal to Mikey.
In the elevator, Mikey had held me close, kissing the top of my head a couple of times. He knew I was still nervous, I was shaking, and he wanted me to relax. I don't think I was able to relax, especially from that day, until now.
Mikey had held my hand, his other holding our bags and led us to his brother's door. He knocked steadily with his bag in his hand, and waited. I looked at my feet, I was trying to make myself at ease.
The door opened a few seconds later, I looked up and I saw Mikey's brother, looking at us wearily, "What are you guys doing here?" He asked, "You running away?"
Mikey nodded, "We need to talk, and we're hungry."
Gerard looked at us still, but let us in, and closed the door behind us. His apartment was relatively clean for a college guy, but it was untidy. I stood awkwardly beside Mikey, Gerard still eyed us.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"I killed her, Gee." Mikey spoke in a hush tone.
I looked down at my feet, not wanting verbal recall of the deaths of 4 people.
"Who?! You killed someone?!" Gerard snapped angrily.
"Hanna. I killed her. I killed mom and dad...and Rooney's dad." Mikey told him desperately, "I had to. I had no choice."
Gerard didn't say anything, I finally looked up at him; he had this disbelief look on his face. He didn't believe Mikey, but then he looked at me, and that was enough confirmation for him.
"Jesus Christ..." He spoke breathlessly, "Mikey...oh...fuck."
"I had to! You don't know what it's like! I feel dirty, I had to!" Mikey's voice cracked, and that wave of guilt had washed over me.
Gerard rubbed his face, "I...I don't know what to say."
"Just let us stay here for a day, then we'll leave." Mikey pleaded.
"Mikey, you can't do this. This is really bad...think about her, Rooney, think about Rooney."
Mikey looked at me, "You wanna be with me, right?" He whispered towards me.
"Yes."
"The only way we can be together is if we get away. If I go to prison, I'll never see her again." Mikey didn't take his eyes off me.
"Oh man, oh man, oh man..." Gerard repeated.
Gerard paced, he was becoming upset, just like me. He exasperated, then stopped and looked at me. "Are you hungry?"
My mind had shut off while Gerard had gone and Mikey was in the spare bedroom. I showered, washing my hair extensively, and then slipped out. I dried off and put some fresh clothes on; Mikey was sitting in the bed, lost, staring beyond the wall in front of him.
I was still shaken up, but I had stopped thinking about death. I sat beside him and took his hand in mine. He looked at me, taking his glasses off, and furrowed his brows a bit.
"I love you, Roo." He mumbled.
"I love you, too, Mikey."
He scooted closer to me and kissed my lips. It was short, sort of an impulse. Even so, it helped melt away that feeling of helplessness and dread.
"Do you trust me?" He whispered close to my lips.
"Yes." It was that one word that sunk me deeper into this hole with Mikey. Slowly, the dirt fell over us, hiding us from the light.
"I need you to. I need you to trust me, and to stand by me. No matter what, you have to be loyal to me, because I'll be loyal to you." Mikey had grabbed my other hand, lacing our fingers together.
I had nodded, again, I felt no choice, "I will."
"You have to promise me," he sounded desperate again, "Please, Rooney."
I saw the desperation, and how much he needed me. Mikey didn't have anyone but me and Gerard. I had to promise him.
"I promise, Mikey."
He smiled at me, kissed my lips again, and then hugged me. Even though I was frightened, I still love(d) and care(d) for Mikey. I needed him now...I wasn't going home, even if I had wanted to.
Why?
Because, Mikey started to cry. He knelt to me, on his knees, crying on my lap. I was sucked into his cry, his pity and tears. I ran my hand through his hair as he cried. He kept mumbling, and I don't remember what about. He was incoherent, really, and I just wished it were a dream.
"I'm sorry, Roo. I'm sorry." Was the only thing I could figure out.
"Why, Mikey?" I had asked.
He took his glasses off, his eyes were the saddest I had ever seen, "They needed to be taught a lesson."
I didn't know what to say then. I was still hoping I was having a horrible, realistic nightmare.
Mikey had hipped the sides of my legs, "You still love me, Ladonna?"
I remember my stomach dropping and my heart thumping. I nodded slowly, "I love you."
He gave me a small smile, I didn't return it, "You'll come with me?"
I had a choice, but back then, I felt like I didn't. I didn't want to go home and deal with my father's death. I really thought about the things my mother would have said. Also, I don't think Mikey would have let me go anyway. I was going either calmly or kicking and screaming.
Mikey changed his clothing, grabbed some of his things, and then took cash from every place, he could find, in the house. Then, he led me to the garage, to his father's car, and then we were gone. It seems to quick, but I remember is being the slowest process of my life.
We were quiet in the car, but Mikey interlaced our fingers together. I wasn't disgusted by him, I felt sorry for him, even now. That woman, Hanna, really messed him up. She created a monster, and his parents did nothing to stop that amateur Frankenstein. The only one who truly did anything was his brother, Gerard; he helped salvage whatever sanity Mikey had left.
"Rooney, are you mad at me?" He had questioned as we crossed the bridge.
"No." I answered quietly, "I just want to know, why my dad?"
He never looked at me, "He was going to take you from me. I wouldn't have anyone left. I had to."
"Why was that woman at your house?" I finally asked.
"She came to apologize. She even cleaned my room." He sneered, pushing his glasses up quickly.
"Did you plan to kill her?"
"No. Not until I found her on my bed, waiting for me." His jaw had tightened, "She wanted me to fuck her, can you believe that? I tied her up and threw her down the stairs. When my parents got home, I tied them up, too."
I had put my hand on Mikey's thigh, rubbing it gently to relax him. Nothing relaxed him, his body was tense and his jaw was righted too. The only thing that seemed at ease were his fingers. I held onto them as if it were my only hope survival. In a way, they were.
I didn't really think about what had happened at my house. I wondered about my mom, and about Felicia, and then the thought of the police came to mind. How long would it have been for them to find us? I had wanted to ask, but I didn't. I couldn't stress Mikey out.
The ever presence of authority taking us in hung over my head. In New York, there seemed to be a cop on every corner. I jumped every time I saw a shiny badge, or when those stupid policemen on horses walked near the park. I was more nervous than Mikey was.
"Gerard lives in this building up here. We can crash her for a while...maybe a day or so, then we can count up our cash and get out of town." Mikey had seemed to have it all figured out.
"Where are we going to go?"
"West. Oregon...Washington...maybe California." He muttered quickly.
A new sense of dread filled my belly. I was scared and I didn't want to do this, but I had, had to. I did it for Mikey, I love(d) him too much to just give up.
*
Mikey had parked the car in a parking garage and we walked to him brother's apartment. People were all around us, not paying us a glance. I wished that one of them would have seen the fear on my face and called the police.
Even now, it feels like the ultimate betrayal to Mikey.
In the elevator, Mikey had held me close, kissing the top of my head a couple of times. He knew I was still nervous, I was shaking, and he wanted me to relax. I don't think I was able to relax, especially from that day, until now.
Mikey had held my hand, his other holding our bags and led us to his brother's door. He knocked steadily with his bag in his hand, and waited. I looked at my feet, I was trying to make myself at ease.
The door opened a few seconds later, I looked up and I saw Mikey's brother, looking at us wearily, "What are you guys doing here?" He asked, "You running away?"
Mikey nodded, "We need to talk, and we're hungry."
Gerard looked at us still, but let us in, and closed the door behind us. His apartment was relatively clean for a college guy, but it was untidy. I stood awkwardly beside Mikey, Gerard still eyed us.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"I killed her, Gee." Mikey spoke in a hush tone.
I looked down at my feet, not wanting verbal recall of the deaths of 4 people.
"Who?! You killed someone?!" Gerard snapped angrily.
"Hanna. I killed her. I killed mom and dad...and Rooney's dad." Mikey told him desperately, "I had to. I had no choice."
Gerard didn't say anything, I finally looked up at him; he had this disbelief look on his face. He didn't believe Mikey, but then he looked at me, and that was enough confirmation for him.
"Jesus Christ..." He spoke breathlessly, "Mikey...oh...fuck."
"I had to! You don't know what it's like! I feel dirty, I had to!" Mikey's voice cracked, and that wave of guilt had washed over me.
Gerard rubbed his face, "I...I don't know what to say."
"Just let us stay here for a day, then we'll leave." Mikey pleaded.
"Mikey, you can't do this. This is really bad...think about her, Rooney, think about Rooney."
Mikey looked at me, "You wanna be with me, right?" He whispered towards me.
"Yes."
"The only way we can be together is if we get away. If I go to prison, I'll never see her again." Mikey didn't take his eyes off me.
"Oh man, oh man, oh man..." Gerard repeated.
Gerard paced, he was becoming upset, just like me. He exasperated, then stopped and looked at me. "Are you hungry?"
~
My mind had shut off while Gerard had gone and Mikey was in the spare bedroom. I showered, washing my hair extensively, and then slipped out. I dried off and put some fresh clothes on; Mikey was sitting in the bed, lost, staring beyond the wall in front of him.
I was still shaken up, but I had stopped thinking about death. I sat beside him and took his hand in mine. He looked at me, taking his glasses off, and furrowed his brows a bit.
"I love you, Roo." He mumbled.
"I love you, too, Mikey."
He scooted closer to me and kissed my lips. It was short, sort of an impulse. Even so, it helped melt away that feeling of helplessness and dread.
"Do you trust me?" He whispered close to my lips.
"Yes." It was that one word that sunk me deeper into this hole with Mikey. Slowly, the dirt fell over us, hiding us from the light.
"I need you to. I need you to trust me, and to stand by me. No matter what, you have to be loyal to me, because I'll be loyal to you." Mikey had grabbed my other hand, lacing our fingers together.
I had nodded, again, I felt no choice, "I will."
"You have to promise me," he sounded desperate again, "Please, Rooney."
I saw the desperation, and how much he needed me. Mikey didn't have anyone but me and Gerard. I had to promise him.
"I promise, Mikey."
He smiled at me, kissed my lips again, and then hugged me. Even though I was frightened, I still love(d) and care(d) for Mikey. I needed him now...I wasn't going home, even if I had wanted to.