Phase 7
The night dragged on as I lay in bed sleepless. My legs were restless and my mind was moving fast. Is it Denzel that has gotten me so worked up? What will happen next time when Denzel finds me near Lucas? And why did Lucas tensing up bother Denzel so much? Big deal…
3 AM I got a call.
I slowly rolled out of bed, worried, and I picked up the phone. I stuttered a “hello” and then I heard Lucas say, “Meet with me now, please. I need to tell you something important.”
“Lucas?” I asked, “What’s this about?!”
“4, two blocks at the closed Starbucks, no one will know. I’m so sorry.”
“Lucas!” He hung up.
I rushed to get my coat and some decent clothes on. I slipped on my sneakers, a pair of jeans, a tee shirt and my long pea-coat. I shuffled out the door and began my descent through the hallway and down the steps. I didn’t run for long until I saw the Starbucks across the street, Lucas standing in front of it. He then turned to face me and yelled, “Roslyn!” He stepped onto the street, pushed off from the curb, and began to run towards me.
I heard a loud “roar” sound and I glanced to my left to see a black van pull around the corner at an ungodly speed.
“Lucas!” I yelled, “Watch out!” Lucas was at the middle of the right lane, on the opposite lane of the black van. I let out a sigh; close call.
The black van swerved. As if wanting to kill Lucas.
I jerked forward and cried out Lucas’s name as I saw his body hit the front of the van and slide up onto the windshield. I saw the van swerve again and Lucas rolled onto the street. He rolled to the middle of the street. Then, I saw the van stop. I heard gears click, and the car started to roll backwards. It is going to run over Lucas. I ran to Lucas and threw my body over him and I yelled. I turned my head to the right and saw the lights on the back of the van get closer… closer…
…..
3 AM I got a call.
I slowly rolled out of bed, worried, and I picked up the phone. I stuttered a “hello” and then I heard Lucas say, “Meet with me now, please. I need to tell you something important.”
“Lucas?” I asked, “What’s this about?!”
“4, two blocks at the closed Starbucks, no one will know. I’m so sorry.”
“Lucas!” He hung up.
I rushed to get my coat and some decent clothes on. I slipped on my sneakers, a pair of jeans, a tee shirt and my long pea-coat. I shuffled out the door and began my descent through the hallway and down the steps. I didn’t run for long until I saw the Starbucks across the street, Lucas standing in front of it. He then turned to face me and yelled, “Roslyn!” He stepped onto the street, pushed off from the curb, and began to run towards me.
I heard a loud “roar” sound and I glanced to my left to see a black van pull around the corner at an ungodly speed.
“Lucas!” I yelled, “Watch out!” Lucas was at the middle of the right lane, on the opposite lane of the black van. I let out a sigh; close call.
The black van swerved. As if wanting to kill Lucas.
I jerked forward and cried out Lucas’s name as I saw his body hit the front of the van and slide up onto the windshield. I saw the van swerve again and Lucas rolled onto the street. He rolled to the middle of the street. Then, I saw the van stop. I heard gears click, and the car started to roll backwards. It is going to run over Lucas. I ran to Lucas and threw my body over him and I yelled. I turned my head to the right and saw the lights on the back of the van get closer… closer…
…..
“Last chance.” Denzel said, from on top of the mound of skulls.
“I… I thought you hated him.” I said, holding Lucas, passed out, in my lap.
“I do. Never see him again. This is your last chance.” Denzel stepped down from the pile, his face in the shadows from his hair, and he said, “He will be the death of you, Roslyn. ”
“I… I thought you hated him.” I said, holding Lucas, passed out, in my lap.
“I do. Never see him again. This is your last chance.” Denzel stepped down from the pile, his face in the shadows from his hair, and he said, “He will be the death of you, Roslyn. ”
…..
I felt overcome with a sense of worry as the vision of Denzel faded away. I was in the road with Lucas, but there was no van. Blood was stippled on my jeans and my face was tired and scared.
…..
The ambulance ride was quiet in my mind, even though the wheels were turning, the sirens were on, and as I sat in the passenger seat, my heart was pounding.
“Ros…” Lucas spoke.
“Mr. Madison, please don’t speak. We’re almost at the hospital.” The paramedic turned to me and asked, “do you know his blood type, where his parents live, how old he-.”
“He’s 23.” I answered, “I’m sorry, that’s all I know…” The paramedic turned back to Lucas and said, “all right” quietly.
…..
The waiting room smelled of dentist gloves, and worst of all, people were coughing left and right. The ER was unpleasantly filled with sick and injured people at 5 AM that morning. I twiddled my fingers as I sat impatiently, wondering what Lucas needed to tell me. Was it important enough to kill over? Who would want to kill Lucas, unless what he was going to tell me what immensely important. But we haven’t seen each other in years. We hardly know a thing about each other. Why would he want to tell me something so important… worth dying for? A shiver leaked through the cracks in my spine and I rubbed my upper arms. I slid my hands to my shoulder then quickly removed them after feeling the burning sensation from Denzel’s fingers.
Why did Denzel give me “another chance”? What does that mean? And how could I bring Lucas to Denzel’s world?
“Ms. Bowman.” A nurse stepped into the cramped waiting room, clutching her clipboard to her chest. I stood up quickly from my chair and shuffled towards her. We both looked at each other, me with my eager eyes and she with her “calm in crisis” eyes.
“Nurse?” I asked.
…..
I found Lucas lying on a bed under the white bed sheets, with an IV in his wrist and…
“Lucas?” I asked, looking at his other arm, “what’s going on?” His arm was cuffed to the side of the bed, as if he was a criminal.
“I know you know. You know, you know.” Lucas said.
“He’s under heavy medication for the trauma to his brain.” The nurse said from behind me, “He may not make much sense. I’ll give you two some time.” The nurse set the clipboard onto the heart monitor and left the room.
“Lucas?” I put my hands around his forearm and his eyes finally met mine, “what did you have to tell me? Do you know who hit you?”
“You’ve got one, too.” Lucas rolled his head and looked away from me. He looked out the window to the sky, bordered by the leafless trees.
“What?” I said, “please, Lucas, just explain everything to me.”
“Mercy…” He said, “It’s Mercy. It’s Mercy and karma and destiny.” Lucas made no sense. I looked around the room, trying to think of something to say, when I saw a pill bottle on the table next to him. It was for paranoia. Did the car accident do this to his him… or was he always like this? I took a closer look and saw that the bottle was half empty. It wasn’t the car accident.
“What is Mercy?” I tried asking. Lucas rolled his head to his left and his tired eyes met mine.
“Mercy.” He said. “Your shoulder, your scars, you see…” I saw his shoulders tense up, like he did at my apartment, then he said, “No. Leave.” It seemed forced out of him. I then leaned over him and my grip tightened on his arm and I said, “No, tell me, please! Lucas, I want to help! I’m so confused right now!” Lucas raised his back from the hospital bed and he leaned back on his elbows. He was so close to my face I could feel his faint breath on my lips.
“I killed my sister!” He yelled, “I killed her on fucking purpose!” He fell back onto his bed.
“No!” I said, “No, you’re kidding me?!”
He wasn't kidding me.
“Crazy” or not, he wouldn't lie like that.
It all makes sense now. The tensing. The medication. And Denzel’s grudge.
I felt overcome with a sense of worry as the vision of Denzel faded away. I was in the road with Lucas, but there was no van. Blood was stippled on my jeans and my face was tired and scared.
…..
The ambulance ride was quiet in my mind, even though the wheels were turning, the sirens were on, and as I sat in the passenger seat, my heart was pounding.
“Ros…” Lucas spoke.
“Mr. Madison, please don’t speak. We’re almost at the hospital.” The paramedic turned to me and asked, “do you know his blood type, where his parents live, how old he-.”
“He’s 23.” I answered, “I’m sorry, that’s all I know…” The paramedic turned back to Lucas and said, “all right” quietly.
…..
The waiting room smelled of dentist gloves, and worst of all, people were coughing left and right. The ER was unpleasantly filled with sick and injured people at 5 AM that morning. I twiddled my fingers as I sat impatiently, wondering what Lucas needed to tell me. Was it important enough to kill over? Who would want to kill Lucas, unless what he was going to tell me what immensely important. But we haven’t seen each other in years. We hardly know a thing about each other. Why would he want to tell me something so important… worth dying for? A shiver leaked through the cracks in my spine and I rubbed my upper arms. I slid my hands to my shoulder then quickly removed them after feeling the burning sensation from Denzel’s fingers.
Why did Denzel give me “another chance”? What does that mean? And how could I bring Lucas to Denzel’s world?
“Ms. Bowman.” A nurse stepped into the cramped waiting room, clutching her clipboard to her chest. I stood up quickly from my chair and shuffled towards her. We both looked at each other, me with my eager eyes and she with her “calm in crisis” eyes.
“Nurse?” I asked.
…..
I found Lucas lying on a bed under the white bed sheets, with an IV in his wrist and…
“Lucas?” I asked, looking at his other arm, “what’s going on?” His arm was cuffed to the side of the bed, as if he was a criminal.
“I know you know. You know, you know.” Lucas said.
“He’s under heavy medication for the trauma to his brain.” The nurse said from behind me, “He may not make much sense. I’ll give you two some time.” The nurse set the clipboard onto the heart monitor and left the room.
“Lucas?” I put my hands around his forearm and his eyes finally met mine, “what did you have to tell me? Do you know who hit you?”
“You’ve got one, too.” Lucas rolled his head and looked away from me. He looked out the window to the sky, bordered by the leafless trees.
“What?” I said, “please, Lucas, just explain everything to me.”
“Mercy…” He said, “It’s Mercy. It’s Mercy and karma and destiny.” Lucas made no sense. I looked around the room, trying to think of something to say, when I saw a pill bottle on the table next to him. It was for paranoia. Did the car accident do this to his him… or was he always like this? I took a closer look and saw that the bottle was half empty. It wasn’t the car accident.
“What is Mercy?” I tried asking. Lucas rolled his head to his left and his tired eyes met mine.
“Mercy.” He said. “Your shoulder, your scars, you see…” I saw his shoulders tense up, like he did at my apartment, then he said, “No. Leave.” It seemed forced out of him. I then leaned over him and my grip tightened on his arm and I said, “No, tell me, please! Lucas, I want to help! I’m so confused right now!” Lucas raised his back from the hospital bed and he leaned back on his elbows. He was so close to my face I could feel his faint breath on my lips.
“I killed my sister!” He yelled, “I killed her on fucking purpose!” He fell back onto his bed.
“No!” I said, “No, you’re kidding me?!”
He wasn't kidding me.
“Crazy” or not, he wouldn't lie like that.
It all makes sense now. The tensing. The medication. And Denzel’s grudge.
