Jade (9 page)

"As if he could read my thoughts, Mr. Bennet added, 'Craig often read your letters at dinner to us. I'm sorry for your troubles at home. Your parents sound like. . . dummies,' he suggested. 'Why can't they see what they're doing to you? It pains Craig to read some of that stuff. He gets so angry, he can't eat. He wants to know why adults are so cruel to their own children.
"'Then he starts talking about his own mother and asking me more questions so he can tell you about her, I think. I hate talking about her. I try to forget her. I even got so I can't recall her face anymore. You can push things out of your mind if you want to, you know. You just think of something else every time the bad things come up. You say, no, no to it. Get out, out!' he practically screamed.
"'I used to sit in front of a mirror and stare into my own eyes and just dare a memory to come into my head. You should try it sometime. It helps, believe me,' he said.
"I smiled at him and gazed around curiously. The room looked like it needed more than just a good dusting. I saw cobwebs in the corners and layers of dust on the marble mantel. When I gazed down at the floor around his chair, I saw what looked like caked old food and I could have sworn I caught sight of a rat slipping behind the armoire."
"Ugh," Misty cried. "Why didn't you just leave?" "I still wanted to see Craig.
"'You're as pretty as your picture,' Mr. Bennet said. 'Craig's going to be happy you came. I know what,' he said, slapping his hands together, 'why don't I show you his room and his computer while you wait?'
"'He might not like that,' I said.
"'Sure he will. Don't you want to see it? That's where your friendship began. It's like. . like something historic for you two. Right?'
" 'Yes, but . ."
"'Well, then don't be shy. Not with Craig. Not after all you two have shared. Why, he's told you more about us than he's told relatives and best friends, and I bet you've done the same. I can see from the look on your face that you have. That's nice. That's something unusual these days . . . trust. You're the nicest thing to come into his life since . . . since before,' he said, and I could tell he was doing what he described: keeping the bad memories out.
"'I bet you'd like to see this old house anyway,' he added, standing up. 'He told you how long it's been in the family, right?'
"'Yes,' I said. 'I know the style. My father built a house like this for a client in Beverly Hills two years ago.'
"'This house was built in 1870,' he began proudly as he headed for the door. He paused, waiting. Once again, my smarter legs hesitated, but I forced myself up and followed him out. 'Of course, a lot was done to it since, but not so much over the past forty years or so.
" Craig's room is on the third floor with the best view,' he said, leading me up the rickety stairway after he flipped a switch that lit up a small, naked bulb overhead.
"We wound around and up. The second-floor landing was narrow and smaller than I had anticipated and the third floor was really more like an attic. There was just one bedroom and an adjoining small bathroom. He turned on the light and I saw the computer on the desk to the left. It was on, the monitor glowing. In the center of the room was a fourposter bed, and to the right of that, a dresser and a closet. The bed was neatly made, almost as tightly tucked as a military bunk.
"There was little on the walls, some pictures of Craig and Sonny but when they were considerably younger, a picture of a jet plane and a poster of an old Star Trek movie. It gave me a strange feeling, like I was moving back through time rather than looking in on what was someone's present bedroom.
"'Here,' Mr. Bennet said, 'look at this.' He was at the computer table. 'Your most recent letter.' He held it up and I walked in and looked at it. It was my most recent E-mail. 'Just take a gander at that view from that window,' he suggested, moving away from the computer. 'You'll see why Craig would rather stay up here than any other part of this house. We've still got one of the best views in the neighborhood. Go on,' he urged.
"I walked to the window and looked out. The casing was so caked with dust, it was obvious that the window hadn't been opened for a long time, maybe even years. The view was nice, especially because it was night and there were so many lights.
"'Very nice,' I said, turning. He was at the door, smiling.
"'Good. I'm glad you like it. Enjoy,' he said and stepped out into the hall. 'I'll tell Craig you're up here when he comes home.'
"'What?' I gasped as he closed the door. 'Wait,' I cried. I moved toward it but stopped when I heard the lock click. It was one of those skeleton key door locks that you could shut from the outside. The click was like a bullet whizzing by my head. What was going on? I wondered.
"I ran to the door and pulled on the handle, shocked now that he had locked me in.
"'Mr. Bennet!' I cried. 'What are you doing? Why did you lock the door? Let me out. Please.'
"I could hear his footsteps as he descended the stairway and then all was silent and the glow of the computer played shadows On the opposite wall. I pounded on the door and screamed and pounded and then listened, but I heard nothing. I put my ear against the door, pounded and waited and listened and then I heard some music start below, light, big band music.
"I returned to the window, thinking I might be able to open it and shout down to someone on the street, but the casing really was as good as welded shut. For a few moments I toyed with the idea of smashing the window?'
"That's what I would have done," Star said. "Me too?' Misty agreed.
Cat had her head down, her arms embracing herself. She looked like she was trembling. That's what I was like in that room, I thought.
"I thought about it, but to be honest, I was afraid of what he might do to me if I broke his window."
"You were worrying about his window?" Star asked, incredulous.
"Not his window. She was worried about what he'd do to
her,"
Misty piped up. "Obviously, the man was deranged to have locked her in. You don't just challenge such people."
"What are you, an expert?" Star fired back at her. Misty shrugged.
"She's right," I said, "and besides, I was hoping that Craig would be back any moment like Mr. Bennet had said and would come up and rescue me," I added before they could continue their argument.
"Sure. A crazy man locks you in a room and you decide to wait around. That makes a lot of sense," Star muttered and shook her head.
"While I waited, I explored the room," I continued. "I opened the dresser drawers. They were all empty. I looked in the closet and saw only half a dozen naked hangers. In the corner on the floor was some sort of rodent nest."
"Oh my God," Misty moaned. "You mean, rats?"
"Ugh," Star said.
"Anyway," I said, "I closed the door and went to the computer. There were some notes scribbled on a pad beside it. They looked like E-mail addresses. Mine was included.
"I tried the door again, pulling on it, pounding and then I sat on the bed, trying to think what I should do next. Where was Craig? Was he even coming home? I wondered. Moments later, I heard footsteps on the stairway. They sounded like someone running up and I assumed it was Craig, angry about what his father had done. I heard him stop just outside the door. I waited and listened, but all I heard was the music from below. Then I saw the doorknob turning, but the door didn't open.
"'Craig?' I called. 'Is that you?'
"'Yes,' I heard after a long moment of silence. His voice was higher pitched than I had imagined it would be. 'I'm sorry about this. He's not well. The son has become the father in this house.'
"'Can you open the door?' I asked calmly. This was something he had never mentioned in his letters to me, you see.
"'I thought he left the key in the lock,' he said. 'I have to go back down and get it from him I'll be right back,' he said.
"I heard his footsteps on the stairs descending quickly. What a mess I put myself in, I thought and tried to remain calm and keep my heart from thumping like a bongo drum. For a minute or two, all I heard was the music. Then, I heard loud voices, clearly voices in argument. I thought I even heard something smash against the wall, then more arguing and then silence. Even the music stopped. I waited by the door, listening hard for footsteps on the stairs.
"They came, but very slowly, heavy. At one point they paused and I called out. They started again and finally they reached the third-story landing I stepped back from the door and waited.
"I heard the key in the lock. My heart wasn't thumping anymore. It was more like an oil drill pounding deeper and deeper until it vibrated down my spine. The back of my neck was perspiring so much, strands of my hair were soaked.
"The door opened slowly and Mr. Bennet was standing there. My heart sunk. What had he done to Craig? What would he do to me?
"'I'm sorry,' he said in that high-pitched voice. 'My father is not the same since she left. There's no telling what he'll do sometimes. I didn't write about it in my E-mail because I never thought you'd come here like this, but I'm glad you did,' he added.
"I just stared, my eyes probably close to popping."
"How weird," Misty said in a loud whisper. She had her hands pressed to the base of her throat. Cat was biting down on her lower lip and even Star looked absolutely terrified. Dr. Marlowe sat watching them, her eyes moving slowly from one to the other and then back to me.
"'You're not Craig,' I managed to say.
"He laughed.
"'Oh, that was an old picture I sent. It's me, in the flesh, your old computer sidekick, Loneboy.'
"I shook my head, tried to swallow and then took a deep breath so I could speak.
"'I made a mistake,' I said. I tried to smile, tried not to show my absolute terror. 'I have to go.'
"'Oh, but you just arrived as I understand it. Don't go just yet. We have a lot to talk about. You want something to eat, drink?'
"'No thank you,' I said, edging toward the door. However, he kept himself smack in front of it, blocking it.
" `Go sit on my bed. It's comfortable,' he urged, nodding toward the bed. `Go on.'
"'I'd rather we went downstairs. The living room was nice,' I said.
" Um. He won't let us talk. He'll butt in and Sonny will want us to pay him attention. We're better off staying up here. Go on. Sit,' he ordered.
"I shook my head.
"'I really have to go,' I said.
"'Oh, you can't leave now,' he pleaded. 'You're the first girl I've had up here, ever. I've dreamed of it, but you're the first. C'mon. Sit,' he repeated, moving toward me.
"I jumped back, holding my backpack up in front of me like a shield now.
"He smiled.
"'Oh, you brought stuff. That means you're staying for a while. Good,' he said.
"'No,' cried. 'I've got people waiting for me. They're expecting me and will come looking for me.'
"His smile faded. It seemed to sink into his face.
"'I thought
^-
you came to San Francisco to see me,' he said.
"'I did, but I can't stay. I'm late,' I said, edging around, hoping to squeeze by him.
"'You want to leave me, too,' he suddenly declared, as though he had come to some realization and it filled his eyes with anger. 'Just like her, you want to leave. You tell me you love me and you care and then you leave. That's cruel. That's selfish. Why don't you care about me? Was all that stuff you wrote just garbage? Why don't you mean what you say?'
"'I do,' I said quickly. 'That's why I showed up. You were the first person I thought about when I decided to come here,' I added.
His smile returned.
" 'I'm glad.'
"'But I have to meet some people, relatives.'
"'You never mentioned having any relatives here,' he said suspiciously.
"'I know. I had forgotten about them. They called and invited me and I came, but I told them I had to stop by and say hello to you first,' I added. I was thinking as fast as I could, heaving words and thoughts at him in the hope that he would be satisfied and step aside.
"He didn't move.
"'I'll be back tomorrow,' I promised. 'We'll spend the whole day together.'
"'No, you won't,' he said, shaking his head. 'That's what she said before she left us. She said, I'm just going away for a little while. Don't be sad. I'll be back soon. I believed her and I waited. Every night, I sat by the window and looked out at the street and waited, but she didn't return. She just said she would.'
" 'But I.." I insisted. I'm not her. I'm Jade, remember?'
"He didn't look like he was listening to me anymore. His eyes were glassy and he seemed to be gazing through me at his memories now. He seemed frozen, almost catatonic, so I started toward the door, inching along. Then, I lunged for it and he reached around and seized my hair, tugging me back with such force, I fell to the floor.
"I screamed and screamed and he just stood there looking down at me as if I was some curious new creature. He wasn't bothered or afraid or even angry. He was just looking at me until my throat ached and I stopped, covering my face as I began to sob.
"He reached down slowly and first took my backpack out of my hands. He tossed it out the door. Then, he surprised me by seizing the backs of both of my feet and pulling my shoes off. He tossed them out the door, too." "Why?" Misty asked, grimacing.
"He didn't want her to leave," Cat said. It was as if her voice came out of nowhere, as if she was a ghost that had come to life.
Everyone turned to her and she looked down and then back up at me.
"Then what did he do?" Star asked.
"I don't know if I want to hear it," Misty moaned.
"I pushed myself back on the floor and he continued to hover over me.
" `Go ahead and sit on the bed,' he said calmly. 'It's comfortable.'
"He took another step toward me and I did as he asked.
"'Now isn't that better than the floor?' he asked.
" `If you don't let me leave, you're going to be in big trouble,' I told-him.
"'if you leave, you won't come back,' he said.
'You'll run out on us, on me and Sonny. It's not our fault
what he did to you. Why do you want to run out on us?' "'You're confused,' I said. 'Please, let me go.'
"My stomach felt so hollow. My whole body was shaking. I wanted to fight him, but I was terrified that I
would be too weak and he might hurt me very badly. "He reached back and closed the door behind him.
Then he smiled at me.
"'I'm glad you came back,' he said. 'We have so much to talk about, so much to catch up on.'
"He started toward me and I shook my head, hoping I could make it all disappear. He put his hand on my head and stroked my hair and then held my head in his hands and leaned over to kiss the top of my head."