Save Me - Chapter 4

Save Me – Chapter 4

The next morning, James was a pallid colour of grey, he was on the ground practically writhing.

“James!”

“Gaaa!”

“Oh, my God!”

“Argggg…”

“Is it the drugs? James, I don’t know what to do.”

“Drugs? Ha! He gave me nothing… ”

“Were they poisoned?”

I went over to him with a bottle of water, he’d spilt his.

James shook his head and shoved the bottle away.

“What could be worse than that?”

“I’m out, do you get it? I’m out, he gave me fakes.”

“Out of what James? Why won’t you tell me how I can help you!?”

“You can’t help me. Fuuuuuck!”

He curled into a fetal position and tried to control the spasms that were rattling his whole body.

“There’s no cure for this, he’s out there somewhere, having a good laugh. Argggg!”

“I don’t understand!” I yelled at him. “Help! Help, can someone come and help me?!”

James bolted upright and clamped a hand over my mouth.

“Are you stupid? Don’t draw attention to me. No one can help.”

He collapsed again, holding my arm with bruising strength as another wave of pain wracked his body.

“I n-need privacy. Help me get into that barn and then hide all evidence of our camp.”

I pried his hand off my arm and rubbed it.

“I can’t carry you, you’ll have to try and walk there.”

“Just help me,” he groaned.

“What if there is another earthquake?”

“Fuuuuck!” he cursed again before pushing himself up to his knees. He hung his head there panting. “Just get me to the barn, please!”

I put his arm over my shoulders and threw both arms around his torso. I used all my strength to help him to his feet and had to wait as he shuttered again.

The sun was shining hot in the east and it was cloudless. The day would only get hotter and the way James was already sweating, he clearly needed to get to the cooler barn. We took two steps and his full weight threatened to topple us again. I struggled to hold him up. We took two steps again and he arched his back in agony. We powered forward four steps before he fell to one knee again, absorbing the violence of whatever was rattling his body.

It took what I estimated to be a half hour before I finally got us to the barn doors, one was slightly open and it was enough to push us through. It was a storage barn, there were tractors and tools and one whole half was bales of hay. I pulled James’ weigh towards the closest bale.

I was exhausted and all I could manage was to sit for a few minutes and watch him as he spasmed and tossed. He was reaching back and clawing with his fingers at his back.

“I’ll be right back,” I promised. I tucked his jacket under his head. He didn’t hear me as I hurried out, closing the barn door behind me. I hurried over to the fire and kicked up dirt over the coals. I folded up the cloth I’d been using as a blanket.

“Having problems, little girl?”

I froze. I reached into my bag and pulled out the letter opener, keeping it behind my back as I turned to meet my visitor.

It was a filthy man with a heavy covering of stubble, he leered at me in a way that made my skin crawl as badly as when the demon had appraised me the night before.

“No, I am fine.” I said cautiously.

“It don’t sound like you’re fine. Is someone dying in there?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Alls I’m saying is if you need someone to protect you, I’d be happy to travel with a young and beautiful young woman like yourself.”

He licked his lips like the demon had the night before.

You’re on your own, you’re on your own… echoed through my head. I stood there to face the man still wearing just a pair of filthy ballet flats and a leotard under a men’s dress shirt.

I could have ran, but running would mean that James would be alone and unprotected and so would I.

I faced the man with greater resolve. “Stay away from me.”

“Awww, kitten, I wouldn’t hurt you.” He cooed inching forward with a small shuffle.

I took a step backward and stumbled over my bag. I needed to drop my hands to the ground to steady myself. It seemed to be getting darker the longer we stood there facing each other. He was looking for an opening, an opportunity to do something horrible to me.

“I mean it!” I yelled at him, “Stay the fuck away from me!”

“Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.”

“Look, my friend is near by and he’ll kill you if you touch me.”

“I told you kitten, I won’t hurt you,” he said with a sneer. He took a step forward forcing me to back up another step. He pushed his greasy hair out of his eyes with the back of his wrist, then shook out his hands as though we was getting ready to use them.

“No!” I screamed lunging forward with my letter opener aimed toward his chest.

He laughed a wicked mechanical laugh and took another step forward, ignoring the brass point. He batted it away like a pesky fly.

I felt a surge of anger as I took yet another step backwards, I raised my weapon again and prepared to attack. Running away would mean I’d always be in fear, running and alone. No matter how terrible James was, he was a much better option than what stood in front of me.

I stood there. The resolve to stand and fight became a deep and rolling anger inside my stomach. A sudden sheen of fear filled his face as he look at me and looked behind me. A pound of lightening shook the earth as I stood my ground. The downpour drenched us in seconds. “Go, away now.” I said waving the dull metal letter opener in his direction.

I felt the wind blow my hair out around me and another clap of thunder hit the ground.

“M-my apologies, miss. I meant no disrespect!”

To my shock, the man turned and ran back in the direction he’d come from.

I stood there, tense and ready to attack. It continued to rain, but the thunder and lightening fell silent. I turned to look behind me. Perhaps there was something I should have been running from too, but all that was behind me was a huge black rolling cloud that was the storm.

I sighed with relief and tucked the letter opener into the shoulder strap of my leotard. I finished picking up the now thoroughly soaked bag and I continued to cover up where the fire had been and hurried back to the barn.

James was there, still writhing and bucking in agony. I could do nothing but sit there and watch helplessly. The rain pattered on the tin roof in a quiet rhythm. I found a plaid farm jacket hanging off of one of the tractors and I wrapped myself in it.

I was afraid to leave James alone, afraid to leave the barn at all in case the man returned. So, I waited and paced. I offered James sips of water which he took between bouts of pain.

I hoped it would be over soon, I prayed that it would be over soon and that he wouldn’t die and leave me alone here.