Three…

Three: Seeds of Temptation

Warning: this chapter could be disturbing to some readers.

Two weeks passed. The warm, perpetual summer breeze carried a butterfly across the ocean. The insect flapped its wings madly, but the wind was too strong.

It drew parallels to Aubrey’s past. A past she would soon relive through hypnosis.

That morning, Aubrey anticipated the session; even though it wouldn’t begin for several hours.

Sitting amidst a cluster of other students, Aubrey fretted over the appointment. Then she shoved those thoughts aside and focused on Shawn, who’d apologized two weeks earlier for his snide comment.

He sat in the row behind her. She turned and smiled at him.

Gazing at the instructor, Aubrey reflected over her relationship with Shawn. She knew she had to tell him her history soon, if for no other reason than to get it over with.

Her smile began to dissipate.

Eight hours later, Aubrey strolled up to the hospital.

Once inside, she paused near the corridor.

Do I really want to do this? she asked herself. Once I go into that office, there’s no turning back.

Granted, she already remembered what had happened. But some of those memories were so painful she didn’t wish to relive them. Of course, Dr. Paulison didn’t believe what she told him, that’s why he wanted to put her under by using the medication. Supposedly the sodium pentathol ‘forced’ patients to tell the truth.

But she was telling the truth, and she knew the ‘truth serum’ would prove it. Once and for all.

Minutes later, Dr. Paulison injected Aubrey with the medication. Nearly instantly she felt relaxed.

“That’s it,” he said. “Now you can lie down and relax, and we’ll begin the session.”

Aubrey laid down, her blue eyes riveted to Dr. Paulison. Remnants of anxiety still remained.

“Everything will be fine,” he assured.

His words echoed in her mind and she closed her eyes.

“Aubrey,” he began, “can you tell me what happened on the day of August 17, 2008?”

“Yes,” she droned. The darkness inside her head gave way to blurred images.

That afternoon two years earlier, Aubrey quickly made drinks for the customers of the diner.

She started working there not long after graduating high school. In fact, Aubrey had just celebrated her eighteenth birthday.

After serving the various beverages, Aubrey began preparing meals. It was the busiest time of the day, and Aubrey was only one of two workers.

She despised working there. Her parents had forced her into taking the thankless job. Furthermore, her co-worker was a bitch. Daniela was about forty years old and obviously jealous of Aubrey. Envious of Aubrey’s youth, and envious of her good looks.

“Miss, you forgot the other side dishes,” an older man complained.

Well how much more could you possibly eat?! Aubrey wondered, rushing to make mac n’ cheese.

“Aubrey, you need to go faster than that,” Daniela ordered.

“There’s still six more dishes to prepare! And more customers are coming in!” Daniela added, throwing her hands around in frustration.

“I–I’m going as fast as I can,” Aubrey muttered, chopping the cheese as though she were in a race.

“No, you’re not going as fast as you can,” she replied with venom.

Then you do it! Aubrey wanted to say, but couldn’t.

Aubrey glanced up at the diners, praying they wouldn’t become as impatient as Daniela.

Daniela sharply exhaled, thrusting her hands on her hips as she breathed down Aubrey’s neck.

Just ignore her; just ignore her. But she couldn’t ignore Daniela for long.

Her gut a hard ball of fury and frustration, Aubrey tossed the knife across the cutting board.

“Hey!” Daniela griped. “What are you doing? You’re not finished yet! There’s customers still waiting!”

“Aubrey!” Daniela continued. “You’re nothing but a waste of space!”

Aubrey stormed out of the kitchen area and headed for the back door. Daniela’s angry words faded into oblivion. But a few seared their way into Aubrey’s memory forever. ‘You’re nothing but a waste of space’.

She slammed the door behind her, leaning against it.

Exhaustion took its toll but the day wasn’t over yet; nor was Aubrey’s ordeal.

Aubrey arrived home two hours later. Her shift didn’t end until a little later, but there was only so much time she could spend loitering at the mall.

At first she didn’t see her parents. Aubrey tried to sneak over to the stairs. If she could just make it to her room without her parents seeing…

Too late.

Nancy Cooper emerged from the kitchen.

Then Aubrey’s father showed up, embarrassing her further.

“What are you doing home this early?” Nancy asked.

“Uh—I—couldn’t take it anymore. I quit.” Her pulse pounded in her neck as her heart raced.

“You what? Aubrey, that job was going to help pay your way through college,” Nancy shouted. “You need that job! How could you—be so stupid as to quit?!”

Aubrey gazed at her father, pleading with him to take her side.

Franklin glanced at Nancy; then said, “I’m sorry honey, but your mother’s right. You need a steady job to help pay for college. Your future depends on it.”

Aubrey’s heart dropped.

“I want you to march back in that diner tomorrow morning, and beg for your job back. And tomorrow night is our dinner party. I want you here, and I want you to be on your best behavior. The best surgeons in the entire state will be here, including some eligible bachelors.”

Aubrey stared at her mother, disbelieving everything she’d said. Every horrible, callous, insensitive word she’d said.

She spun around and mounted the steps to her bedroom.

Inside her sanctuary, Aubrey allowed her tears to fall. She quickly changed her clothes and then she prayed.

When she was a little girl, Grandma Cooper always took her to church and filled her with stories about angels. They were pleasant stories like fairy tales. Angels were good and always tried to help you if… if you were at the end of your rope.

So Aubrey prayed hard, prayed for an angel to come and save her from her horrid family, from her horrible life…

‘How could you be so stupid?’

‘You’re nothing but a waste of space!’

Those torturous remarks ricocheted in her mind.

Aubrey took a straight razor from the desk drawer. Its edge glimmered in the false lighting.

She swiped it across her wrist, creating a tiny slit.

She expected blood to pour out but it didn’t. Not at first.

Aubrey dropped the razor, telling herself she didn’t really want to die. She just wanted all the pain to end.

Afterward, her anxiety lifted as her problems didn’t seem so bad after all.

Not noticing the dripping blood, Aubrey took a book from the shelf and began to read.

When she turned the page of Romeo and Juliet, crimson droplets spilled. It made the Shakespeare tragedy all that more… real.

She read another verse:

O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o’er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.

As if in a trance, Aubrey walked to the center of the room. Then she laid the book down on the floor.

While bending over, a sensation of vertigo assaulted her. Then everything went black.

Aubrey never felt her body hitting the floor and her parents never heard the thud.

tap, tap, tap.

A light tapping emanated from the patio doors.

Aubrey came to, struggling for a moment to stand. She’d lost a bit of blood, but the bleeding seemed to have slowed down.

She glanced at the doors, seeing… what?

Insane thoughts raced through her head as she stood before him.

How can this be possible? It’s not! I’m seeing things! Wait… is he really there?

He must be the angel I’d asked for! Excited, she reached for the door handle.

A tiny voice in the back of her mind chimed: you’re crazy, kiddo. She told that voice to shut up.

The divine being stepped into her room. Aubrey’s heart fluttered.

He reached out for her, but she instinctively took a step back.

“I won’t hurt you.” His was voice smooth like velvet against her ears, his foreign accent somewhat thick. “Jsem tvůj anděl strážný,” he added.

Now he’s speaking in tongues! she marveled. “What did you say?”

“I’m your guardian angel,” he said. Aubrey lunged forward, sobbing against him. His body muffled her cries.

Slowly, his arms enclosed her.

“Moje podstata,” he whispered.

A few minutes later she parted from him. Wiping away her tears, she gazed up at him.

My God. He is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen…

She raised her fingers to his full lips. He kissed her knuckles.

Why does his skin feel so cold? she wondered. It was puzzling. Angels weren’t supposed to be cold, were they?

Fascinated, she ran her fingers across his face. He returned her gaze through eyes as pale as the moon.

It was so quiet. As though no one else were in the house, as though nothing or no one else existed.

He turned to the side, taking her bloodied wrist with him.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said as he brought her wrist to his lips.

Aubrey felt pressure as he sucked the blood. Then she gasped, her heart pounding like a thousand drums.

When he finished, her hand slightly lowered. She watched as an amazing miracle followed.

The cut gradually healed as the skin mended together.

…leaving a faint scar in its place.

Aubrey stared at him. “You really are an angel.”

He merely smiled.

“You read Romeo and Juliet?” he asked, after looking at the book upon the floor.

“Yes.”

” ‘The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night. See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek,’ ” he recited.

” ‘Oh Romeo, Romeo… wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name…’ ” Aubrey returned. ” that’s all I remember.” She chuckled.

” ‘She speaks; oh, speak again, bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night, being o’er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air,’ ” he said.

The bedroom fell silent again. Then Aubrey asked him his name.

“Vaclav.”

He didn’t need to ask her name. He already knew it.

“I have to leave, Aubrey. Good-bye.” He turned around.

“Wait—” she grabbed his icy arm. “Will you be back?”

He smiled, then disappeared as the night swallowed his haunting visage.

Soon thereafter dawn emerged.

News of Daniela Winters’ untimely death also surfaced. Two bite marks were found on her neck and most of her blood drained.

The angel’s image lingered in Aubrey’s mind, their connection had been forged and he would not let her go. Just like a warm, perpetual summer breeze carrying a butterfly across the ocean.

*

Chapter 4 will bring the second part of Aubrey’s hypnosis session. ♥

Around 48 more days until Late Night. 😛  😀