Would You Bargain With Hell?

Grace ushered me in, the family stood in wait, the triplets and Marc crowded around an exhausted police officer. He turned his young head.

“Is this Rayder?”

“Yes, my oh my. We were so worried.” She gripped my arm tightly, her nails clawing through my top layer of skin.

“Right, glad you’re okay.” The officer said. “I need to speak to Rayder alone.” He grabbed his notepad, and everyone simultaneously eyed the bulky brace around my waist.

“I think she’d be more comfortable if we were here. Wouldn’t you Rayder?” She looked me up and down, her eyes full of rage.

“It doesn’t really matter ma’am I need to interview her alone.”

“Well…alright.” She shrugged and sulked out, followed by the rest of the family.

I dragged my feet to the couch by the officer.

He reached his arm out to me. “I’m Officer Trent Yore.”

I shook his hand. “I’m Rayder.”

“Okay Miss, you’ve been missing for two days so I need to know what happened. From beginning to end.” He sat across from me.

“Well, uhm.” I couldn’t fight the feeling that Grace and friends were listening. “I just needed to get out.”

“Right, okay.” He rolled his impatient eyes. “I mean like, give me details. When did you leave?”

I swallowed. “Two days ago. Around midnight.”

He clicked his pen and scribbled across his notepad. “Why did you leave without informing your parents? Did they do anything to you?” The officer looked me up and down and gave a knowing scowl. My eyes were deep set in my skull and framed with grey. My hair was knotted and messy, my body oily. My stomach harnessed in a plastic shell.

“No. Just, sometimes being in this big house is too lonely, I wanted to get out.” I bit my tongue inside my mouth, my toes curled.

“Does this have anything to do with trying to find your real parents?” He sighed as if bored and flipped through my file in front of him. I saw pictures of a man.

“No.” I looked away.

“Well, it’s a law dear that then, you’ll need to be on house arrest. I’ve got an ankle bracelet in the car. Stay there.” He set the papers down and slugged back outside.

I eyed the papers so close, the papers that could tell me who my father was. The papers that knew. I raised my hand to flip open the taunting manila envelope. My fingers skimmed the surface and toyed with the edge.

“Rayder!” Yelled Grace, running in and sitting beside me. “I was so worried!” Her voice was exasperated and phony. She looked around, and then grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. “Why do you have that brace?”

I shook, my bones reducing to gelatin. I swallowed. “I was hurt.”

“Did you go to the hospital?”

I nodded, feeling tears prepare behind my eyelids.

“Did they know who you were? Were you that stupid?!” She dug into my neck with her talons.

“No! You’re safe.” I cried shrugging away.

She looked around again. “Good.”

Just in time, the police officer came back, with a small box. He kneeled in front of me and pulled out a thick black bracelet. He locked it tight around my right ankle. Then he pressed some button on the bottom and configured it with his police computer.

“Why do I need this?” I asked, the thought of staying in this house for three weeks, staying away from Mason for three weeks made me crazy. It wasn’t like before when I could sneak out then back and no one would notice, the cops would notice now.

“It’s just procedure Miss Tamerlane to ensure you won’t leave again.

He checked the device a few times then spoke on and on about it and how it works and how to get it off when the three weeks was off, but I wasn’t listening. I was shaking; I was staring into the officer’s eyes hoping somehow he would know I just couldn’t stay here. Hoping he would see what they’ve done to me. Praying he would understand that I’m only silent because I’m afraid. But he didn’t.

I whined silently when the door shut behind him. I shivered.
“I don’t care.” Grace said. Her bravado gone. “I don’t care where you were or why. I care that your back and our family name is still respectable. Now, more important matters. Patrick Howell.”
My mind flashed back to the sunset. When he told me he loved me, when my heart first hurt, and then to the car when he wouldn’t even speak to me.

“I’ll ring his mother, I need you two together, you understand. So work it out. You’re welcome.” Grace scanned over me, her lips curling into this disquieted grimace. “Go bathe, then dress nicely Patrick Howell shouldn’t be seen with such a peasant.” She snorted and glided off into the distance, like everyone seemed to do in this house.

I pressed my hands against the arms of the couch and pushed myself up. My ribs collapsed on top of each other and I grunted. I fell back onto the couch. “Sophie?” I called for the maid.

I heard speedy clicking against the tile floors, and was curtsied by Sophie. “Yes Miss Tamerlane?”

“Can you just, help me up please, to the bath?”

“Miss I wouldn’t recommend bathing with an injury like that. I can sponge down your shoulders and legs and wash your hair, but your injury should remain set.” Sophie was intelligent and professional.

“That would be really great Sophie, and I’d really rather you call me Rayder. I’m not a real Tamerlane.”

“As you wish Miss Rayder.” She leaned down, lifting me from my armpits, and laying my arm around her shoulders. She dragged me down the hall to the small bathroom where she took my clothes off and washed me apart from the brace and covered me. It wasn’t awkward like I’d thought. Sophie had worked for the Tamerlane’s since I’d gotten there.

“Sophie, do you like working here?” I asked as she helped me redress.

“It’s as good a place as any Miss Rayder.” She buttoned me up in a loose dress that covered my brace. “Grace told me you’re fancying to meet the Howell boy again today.”

“Sophie, I want to leave.”

“Why is that Miss Rayder?” Her eyes knew.

I shook my head. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

“Well, perhaps miss you should take a good nap. Your hair is wrapped tight and you’re dressed. I’ll let you know when Master Howell gets here.” She leaned me down onto my mattress and covered me up.