Page 83 of Keepsake
I tipped my head to the side, and the sight of his kind face calmed me down. He stroked my head in a way that was more comforting than sexual. “I’d do anything for you, you know that, right?”
My eyes burned at the idea. Ididknow that. It scared me, too. And I didn’t know why.
“Lark. I’m here. You’re fine. Wake up for me,” Zach’s voice urged from somewhere in the distance. “Please,” he begged.
But the comforting sound came from too far away.
I’m backin the dusty shack. It’s been weeks since I felt safe, but Oscar is here and he has something for me. A candy bar! The wrapper is the same design I’ve known my whole life. I marvel at it, because nothing else here is connected to the world I know.
Oscar has snuck this in for me, and my mouth has begun to water just seeing the package. He can’t untie my wrists. Instead he unwraps the chocolate carefully so as not to make noise and holds it up for me. I eat it in three greedy bites, I’m so hungry.
Then he uncaps a bottle of water and brings it up to my lips. “I’d do anything for you,” he says in Zach’s voice.
NO, I want to shout, but I can’t because I’m drinking cool, clean water from the bottle he holds.
The door slams open and Oscar jumps. The water spills on my face, but I barely notice because The One In Charge is shouting. The words are fast and furious, and I know right away that this is bad. He unsheathes his knife, and I start to tremble.
Oscar looks terrified. And then the man orders him to do something so frightening that I feel like throwing up the chocolate bar.
And all I can do is watch it play out. I know I’m dreaming, but I’m dreaming what really happened, and my limbs are frozen in place. I want to look away as I always have before, but tonight I can’t.
Oscar doesn’t argue with his tormentor. He just stands there beside me and holds his ground. Even when The One in Charge trades his knife for a gun and shoves Oscar until he falls over my body.
Even when The One In Charge tells Oscar to do something that takes my breath away.
The shouting draws the other two men from outside. The words are still flying and I can’t understand many of them. But one word in particular is all too clear. And when the other men appear, there is amusement on their faces. They’ve come to watch the spectacle of Oscar and a challenge.
They are all staring at me now, but I can only look at Oscar. He watches me instead of the gun.
The One In Charge repeats his command. I feel my body shaking. I’m afraid that Oscar will do as he asks. I’m also afraid that he won’t.
I was just afraid. More afraid then I’d ever known I could be.
Oscar’s eyes are as round as saucers.I’d do anything for you, they say.
The One In Charge screams at Oscar and shoves him onto me. But Oscar rolls away, finally barking something back at the man with the gun.
A refusal.
The gunshot comes out of nowhere, deafening me.
Iletout a bloodcurdling scream that finally woke me.
Zach scooped me up out of the bed and pulled me to his chest, the way you’d comfort a toddler. “Shh, sweetie,” he said, his voice shaking. “Shh. Shh.”
When I was finally able to focus on his face, his eyes were wet. That’s how I knew I’d been inconsolable for a while. “Oh, fuck. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and held me closer.
Tears began to drip down my face. Because even as I slept beside Zachariah in a luxurious king-sized bed on one-million-thread-count sheets, the dream came for me.
And now I knew how Oscar had died. Defending me from something awful. Sobs wracked me.
“You’re okay now,” Zach whispered. “You’re fine.”
But I wasn’t. Not at all.
Part Three: Late Season
