Chapter 8 A Girl Watching From A Window

When I was in third grade, my mother pulled me out of school.

The day before she pulled me out, a boy I had the biggest crush on accidentally made me fly off of a swing set, and crash into the dirt which ruined my perfectly white skirt and perfectly braided hair.

She pushed for this boy to be expelled... and she got her way with her notoriety within this town giving her an edge. I remember his mother with her cute girly brown hair begging for them to let him stay. I remember I didn't have a voice back then either. And most of all, I remember what came next.

I went to school the next day, his seat empty, but people weren't whispering about his expulsion. They were all murmuring about how he and his sister were now missing, and how his parents were brutally murdered.

Kids in Maine always have a habit of disappearing. We have a collection of unsolved cases, the notorious missing children of Maine. My parents had perfect timing as if they were listening in, I was given a pass to go down to the office, and there my parents were ready to take me home. That was the last time I had ever been outside.

Now let me tell you about the day that broke an almost ten year streak of isolation. Let me tell you about the only friend I had inside the walls, Sergeant James Coleman, or "Calvary," due to his high success in the military. He was a colleague of my father's at the police department. He was a big black man with a round belly and a contagious laugh that turned into wheezing and coughing. He told the best stories, including one about the bullet that went into his right arm and the soft scar he got as a souvenir. He was my only friend, a real guardian, he kept a list of all the adventures we would have once it was "safe enough for my to go."

As I grew older, his visits became less frequent, but still had the same value to me and invoked the same childish giddiness in me. I understood why, there is always work to be done and spending time with a teenage girl was probably less fun than playing with a child. In some ways I guess I'm still a child, something's you just can't outgrow when you grow up eight to seventeen only seeing the same house.

I woke up that night to the sound of the front door opening, it's a very big and squeaky door. My parents are never home so at first I figured it was one of them. But the door never shut, and I knew the sounds the floors made depending on where you walked, whoever opened it was just standing in the front room.

My body slowly sat upright and tiptoed towards my room door, opening it slowly to see slightly over the balcony and into the front room.

Calvary stood at the front door, staring up at me.

A part of me relaxed while the other was definitely more rational in this situation. "You scared me so badly my gosh!" I laughed, rubbing my eyes with my fingers. "Hi!"

I raced down the stairs and watched his eyes silently follow me, I wanted to give him a hug but something told me not to. He wasn't talking and being friendly like always. Something was definitely wrong and for him to show up at however late it was- maybe it just wasn't the best time.

"What's wrong?" I asked, "Is it my father?"

"Do you happen to know where the missing children of Maine caseload is?" He asked.

I blinked, "Well you know... confidential. I would imagine it would be at the station... it more than likely isn't here."

He nodded.

We sat in silence and I twiddled my fingers waiting for him to say something.

His hand darted out and yanked on my wrist, sinking his fingernails into my soft skin and earning a gasp from my lips. My eyes widened as he pulled me forward and outside of the doors of my house.

"I have nothing to do with that case!" I shouted, trying to tug my hand back but gasping and hoe tight he seized me. He was violently pulling me and no longer responding to my pleas. It seemed like he was hypnotized, none of this behavior was Calvary.

I don't understand- as a kid whenever I tried to get involved in their work I was laughed off and told to go play and of course I reluctantly did. What could this possibly have to do with me?

And the outside... the smell... so much different and much more vibrant and alive than just watching from my window. I missed the smell of pines and sea salt.

I remember Calvary as a heavy black man with a contagious smile and sweet laugh. Now all I see is a shell, a fragment, a shadow I never met before. I wish I never had met this doppelgänger of some sort- because one things for sure Calvary has no mean bone in his body, and now he's shoving me into the back of a cop car.

I closed my eyes as my body hit the seat, everything was happening so fast my mind couldn't keep up with it. "Are we going back to the station?" He didn't answer.

I wrapped my arms around myself, I was super damp and unfamiliar with being outside for this long, it had been so long since I'd been outside...I gently pressed my fingertips on the cold window as the rain collided with the glass. It was oddly entrancing, made my stomach unease for two seconds.

He slammed the door and made me jump. I sat back on my seat as he started the car. If he was trying to protect me, why is he protecting me and from what, taunting me with things that I possibly don't know.

"How do I get inside your Dad's files."

"You work above him why would I-"

He groaned and breathed heavily, like a wild animal.

I crossed my arms as soon as my nostrils were hit with a coppery smell, a smell like metallic and rotten meat. I didn't want to look... I thought back to the cases I peeped... and I turned my head.

I covered my mouth from the sight before me, it was grotesque, it couldn't be real. Things like that just don't happen- no....

Beside me, lay a severed, gnawed, human arm. It was surrounded by a pool of crimson blood which spattered on the seats and window. I struggled for air but had to remain as calm as I could as we pulled away from a house that I really would rather be in. I felt water pool in my eyes, I felt like a toddler, was that about to happen to me, I had so many questions but I had no time for questions and was soooo soooo tired of asking things no one would answer.

I scooted as far as I could away until my body was crushed against the other side of the car. "Where are we going?" I asked in the calmest way I could. He huffed at me and began to drive fast down the hill. I looked back at my house and felt my stomach lurch.

This wasn't happening.

I bombarded him with questions. I kicked at his chair. "You're funny, playing games." I said. "Very unlike you, but I'll play along. You would never hurt me." I sat back. "You would never hurt me..." I whispered again, I'm not sure who I was trying to convince.

He turned around and hissed, "If you don't shut up I will sink my teeth into your neck and tear out your jugular. Do you understand me?"

Everything that came out of his mouth made the color drain from my skin, my chest was heaving. "You're... a fake. A liar. Kill me and it will be one of the last things you do. Killing an officers daughter doesn't seem very smart, or like you..." I scoffed at my newfound riskiness. "Calvary." I spat. Calling him that name pained me, and the lack of response in those cold eyes made my skin crawl.

"You're such an idiot." My lips parted at the voice, that voice didn't belong to Calvary. It was nothing like Calvary's dark, raspy tone. It was light and sluggish.

I kept my mouth shut but noticed something that puzzled me, six years ago Calvary was shot in the arm after a confrontation with a suspect. He had a scar ever since- he didn't have the scar. His right arm was clear as day... but if I look to my left... there it was. A scar on a right arm.

Ohmygod. Calvary is dead. Calvary is dead.

I wiped my eyes and felt my body shake, I can't keep this in anymore. What do I do?

"I... I have to go to the bathroom."

"Go ahead. The backs already a mess." He chuckled.

How on earth was that funny?

I gagged which earned some more cheap laughter and I glared at him through the mirror. His silver eyes stared back at me, distant and artificial.

"Who are you..." I whispered.

His skin began to shed, clumps fell to the floor, he peeled streaks off with his fingers, ripping and tearing away at his skin. It was like when light catches dust. I couldn't look away from the sight... I was shaking and terrified. He scratched at his face and revealed fresh pink skin... like a reptile.

I closed my eyes firmly, shaking my head erratically.

Growing up inside a house- how many times do you think I felt like I was going to die before?

~

I sat up as the car parked into a gas station. He turned to me, bright brown hair and deeply tanned skin, a scar trailing from his right eyebrow down to his lips. Part of me wanted to believe this was the form of the monster that brought me here... the killed Calvary. I wanted to remember that face.

"I need more meat, and since I'm not allowed to chew on you... you get to be along for the ride." He reached his hand back to me and stroked my cheek. I couldn't help but let out a whimper. He laughed at me, "As soon as you get in go to the bathroom and stay there until I come get you. And if you move I won't be gentle." I gulped and nodded in agreement.

He escorted me inside, his hand on the nape of my back assuring me in when I feel like I could barely walk. I flinched at the sound of the bell and searched to see if anyone else was here.

I locked eyes with a boy in the next aisle over, something in his eyes made me think he knew something was up and I prayed he would do something. The cashier didn't even look up from his magazine as we entered so I knew I wouldn't be relying on him.

He bent down beside me and licked the space behind my ear making me gasp and my body go rigid. "Remember," his voice purred before he shoved me into the hallway marked with the 'restrooms' sign.

I slowly walked down the hall with a lump in my throat and wobbling knees. I was in front of the monster that had abducted me, shapeshifted, and very well probably killed my friend. Each step was shaky and slow, well thought out as if the task seemed difficult. I could feel his eyes watching me, taunting me, begging for me to make a mistake so he could dismember me just like he did Calvary.

Oh Calvary. I'm so sorry.

Remember what he said Ayla, keep as natural as possible.

I looked at the sign for the restrooms and then to him, he nodded slowly and watched me as I turned down a darkened hall into the restroom.

And from there it was panic.

As I was darting towards the door, a woman walked out with her eyes in her phone and collided with me.

I had a terrible thought.

I bent down and picked up her phone, "I'm so sorry!"

She stared at me with her hand out waiting for me to give it back.

"I would not be doing this if it wasn't an emergency, I promise you. I'm sorry I just really need this-"

I heard her protest as I pushed the door until it quietly closed and locked quickly I locked it. My hands were rapidly shaking so hard that I couldn't get my phone out of my pocket.

"911 what's your emergency?"

I couldn't stop shaking, I was forcing words out of my mouth. How was I supposed to tell her that a monster had killed an officer and taken me and will take me to an unknown location? But I knew he would be there any second now... and I couldn't stop now.

"Hello?" The operator sounded concerned and confused. I breathed heavily as tears formed in my eyes, my stomach was in bubbling hot knots and my knees were turning into gravy. I whispered heavily: "My name is Ayla Gordon, I am the daughter of Reece Gordon and I've just been abducted by a creature and taken to a gas station downtown."

The woman on the other line was silent for a moment, "Someone has abducted you?"

"Something... it wore the face of Sgt. Calvary but I have reason to believe that he..." I was going to me sick..."Killed Calvary. Please hurry I can't do this... he can't know." The door began to groan as heavy pounds on the other side kept pushing and pushing. This wasn't happening- he knew.

"Ma'am you're not making any sense. What did the man look like. What's going on-"

The woman began talking to me and telling me what to do, my ears began to ring and soon, I dropped my phone to the ground. I could head frantic speaking on the other line but everything started to leap in hazy twirls- I was going to pass out? Be sick? I could hear the heavy pounds on the door still, and I heard them distantly go away.

I fell over onto the floor and held my head as it began to pulse painfully over and over. I began to scream as it got louder and took control over my body. I covered my ears and kicked my feet in the air. "STOP. MAKE IT STOP!" My voice cracked and I began to cough along with something I can only describe as an earthquake going on in my head.

I felt tears flow down my cheeks and the operator was not longer responding to me. "HELP!"

'Don't fight me Ayla! Let go!'

I've heard those words so often.

'Do not be afraid of me. I would never hurt you. Do not fight me. Do not shut me out. Let. Me. In.'

I couldn't help myself, how tempted and tired I was... I truly thought this is where it ended for me. I was going to die on the floor of a gas station bathroom and never be able to tell the story of how I knew shapeshifters existed.

My hands slid from my head down at my sides, the colors around me slowly faded into nothing...

Let go

Don't shut me out

Don't be afraid

I would never hurt you...

I closed my eyes as a voice behind the door caught my attention, I was too far gone to put up a fight against whoever was talking, waiting. The door flew open and hit the wall with a loud crash, I turned my head to the side and felt it lift from the ground. I was in the arms of a stranger, a stranger who seemed too familiar in comfort that I almost felt like I belonged.

"You are not alone... you're safe now... this will never happen again."

I wanted to speak back, to ask so many questions about what was going on. There's only so much that I could tell from hearing. I wanted to open my eyes and look at whoever helped me... I wanted him to tell me that this wasn't in my imagination and ask if he believed me. But I couldn't. And now with all the scrutiny I face... I wonder where the only other possible witness went.